Kenya, March 11 -- A big plan for improving Kenya's capital city, Nairobi, is starting with the launch of the Nairobi River Dream project. This project is backed by KSh50 billion and aims to clean up the Nairobi River Basin, improve city infrastructure, and make living conditions better for people in Nairobi and nearby counties. This is a major step toward making the city cleaner, greener, and stronger.

The project will cover 27.2 kilometres of the Nairobi River and is expected to finish in 48 months. Some of the key parts of the project include building a new sewer line, a modern water treatment plant, pedestrian bridges, and beautiful landscaping along the riverbanks.

There will also be flowered areas and better flood control to help the environment and make the area look nicer.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) Engineering Department will lead a part of the project focused on social housing, aiming to build over 10,000 affordable homes for residents to live in dignity.

The Nairobi River Dream will also extend beyond the city to include the counties of Kiambu, Machakos, Kajiado, and Murang'a.

President William Ruto, a strong supporter of the project, promises to show results within 24 months. He highlighted how this project is important for making Nairobi modern, clean, and prosperous.

"This is about creating a modern and healthy Nairobi," he said, mentioning that it could create many jobs and improve public health through better waste management.

This project aims to fix years of neglect that have made the Nairobi River and its smaller rivers-Ngong, Mathare, and Motoine-very polluted with industrial waste, sewage, and dirty water from the city.

Once known as "Enkare Nairobi" (a place of cool waters) in Maasai, the river has been a concern for both environmentalists and local residents.

Besides cleaning up the environment, the Nairobi River Dream also plans to build 50,000 affordable homes in the region, mixing building new things with helping the community.

The new bridges and landscaped riverbanks will help people move around and enjoy their time by the river, making it a lively place.

Local leaders and residents support the project, but some are cautiously optimistic because of previous difficulties in completing similar work.

"This could really change things if done well," said Jane Wambui, a Nairobi resident. "We've heard promises before, but this investment feels different."

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.