Nakuru: At least 22 air quality monitors are being installed across Nakuru City to track pollution levels in real time and promote a healthier and cleaner environment. The devices will be installed in a partnership between the City Management, Department of Environment, Respira, and Sensors Africa.
According to Kenya News Agency, speaking during the launch, City Manager Mr. Gitau Thabanja highlighted the city’s commitment to healthier living. He noted that the partnership would enable the county government to collect data that would guide informed actions. “Clean air is a right and we must all work together to protect it,” he said.
The devices will be installed in targeted areas that include Gioto Social Hall, Kaptembwa, Barut Primary School, Kapkures DC’s Office, Kiratina, and Free Area Market, among other key locations identified for their population size and environmental sensitivity. Respira and Sensors Africa, known for their expertise in environmental technology and citizen science, are leading the technical deployment, community training, and public engagement to ensure the data collected is accessible and useful for decision-making.
This initiative is part of Governor Susan Kihika’s broader efforts through the City Management and Environment department to improve air quality, protect public health, and involve citizens in building a cleaner, sustainable, and resilient urban future. The devices will help assess the air quality across the city and map out hotspot zones that contribute significantly to pollution levels, including heavy traffic routes, densely populated neighborhoods, waste dumping sites, and industrial zones.
The initiative integrates an artificial intelligence tool to enhance the accuracy of air quality forecasting and aims at establishing a central data center for continuous air quality monitoring, aligning with the city’s commitment to environmental sustainability and public health protection. Thabanja noted that lack of actionable data and insights has made it difficult to track progress or lack of progress. He explained that by providing accurate, real-time data on air quality, the already established air quality monitoring sites are serving as the foundation upon which the city can build more effective policies and interventions.
“With reliable data, we will be better positioned to identify pollution hotspots, track pollution trends, and take swift action to reduce harmful emissions,” he added. According to UNEP, outdoor air pollution was estimated to cause close to 400,000 premature deaths in Africa alone in 2019, while indoor air pollution caused more than one million premature deaths. Kenya is no exception and her citizens continue to suffer severe health implications from air pollution.
In urban areas such as Nakuru, thousands of Kenyans are exposed to air that poses significant risks to their health and well-being. Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, strokes, and lung cancer are becoming more prevalent, especially among children, the elderly, and those with pre-existing conditions. These diseases are all attributable in part to the quality of the air we breathe, untreated effluents, poor waste management practices, pollution from vehicle emissions, and dust from unpaved roads.