Residents of Pipeline estate in Nairobi’s Eastlands are grappling with a dire sanitation crisis as raw sewage continues to flow through streets and market areas, raising fears of a looming cholera outbreak.
For months, the community has endured the stench and health hazards caused by overflowing waste, with little visible intervention from county authorities. The situation is particularly alarming in areas where fresh produce is sold in the open, exposing food to contamination.
Public health expert Rovins Midigo has sounded the alarm, warning that the community is on the brink of disaster.
“What is happening in Pipeline is a textbook case of a cholera outbreak in the making. When sewage flows unchecked in areas where food is sold, you are essentially feeding residents poison. Unless urgent measures are taken, we are staring at looming disaster,” he cautioned.
The crisis has taken a heavy toll on local traders, many of whom depend on roadside stalls for their livelihoods. Caroline Muhonja, a vegetable vendor who has worked in the area for more than 10 years, says her once-thriving business is collapsing.
“The stench is choking us. Customers no longer want to buy sukuma wiki or tomatoes here because the sewage runs right past our stalls. We feel abandoned, does the county government want us to die before they act?” she lamented.
Business owners are also counting losses as customers avoid the area altogether. Retail shop operator Felix Opap described the situation as devastating.
“I have gone from making a decent living to staring at hunger. The county has left us to rot in filth. We need the Water and Sanitation Department to act now before we are all swept away by disease,” he said.
Frustrated residents are now calling on the Nairobi County Government to urgently step in, unblock the sewer lines, and restore hygiene. They warn that if left unchecked, the sewage problem will not only cripple businesses but also trigger a preventable health catastrophe.
For the people of Pipeline, the message is clear: act now, or risk a humanitarian crisis in the heart of Nairobi.
