President William Ruto has appointed former Devolution Principal Secretary Nelson Marwa as chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, the body coordinating the government’s effort to restore the capital’s polluted waterways.
The appointment, made through Gazette Notice No. 16248 dated October 16, 2026, runs for three years. The same notice revokes the appointment of Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, who had chaired the commission since October 2024 and gave notice of her intention to resign in August.
A basin-wide mandate
Mr Marwa, who previously served as Coast Regional Commissioner, will oversee ecological restoration, pollution control and rehabilitation across the Nairobi River Basin, which stretches beyond the capital into Kiambu, Kajiado, Machakos and Makueni counties.
The commission now sits under the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development following a restructuring. Its work has included clearing riparian land and channel works along the river, an effort that has at times led to demolitions and disputes over property on reserved land.
Rains raise the stakes
The appointment comes as forecasters warn of heavy rains during the October to December season. Encroachment on riparian land has been linked to flooding in parts of Nairobi in the past, making the commission’s work on drainage and riverbanks a public safety issue as much as an environmental one.
