Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has called on security agencies in Nairobi to conduct a 24- hour surveillance along Nairobi River to curb murder and dumping of bodies.
This is after a body of a middle-aged man was on Thursday retrieved from the river in Korogocho.
This brings to 16 the number of bodies of adults and infants retrieved from the river by the county team cleaning it.
Chairman of the clean-up team Fredrick Okinda said the body had head injuries and is likely a victim of murder who was swept down the river to Korogocho.
“The body is severely injured on the head and other parts but we may not exactly know what happened,” Okinda said.
The body was carried by police officers from the Dandora police station.
Sonko has called on police and other security agencies to collaborate with the county to find solutions to the vice.
“The rate at which people are being killed and dumped in the river is alarming. It is important that we give special surveillance to this river,” Sonko said.
Sonko has singled out Korogocho as one of the dangerous areas and has promised to enhance street lighting in the area and along the river to help security agencies beef up security.
“Residential areas around the river are probably home to criminal gangs who are killing and dumping innocent people in the river. We must find solutions. It is a security threat and we have to work closely with the police,” he said.
The governor also called on troubled mothers and young ladies to seek help from relevant institutions including the county government instead of dumping innocent infants and procurement abortions.
“For someone to dump an infant they probably are facing life challenges that can be solved on humanitarian ground and because l am the Good deeds ambassador, we can listen to some of them and see how we can help,” Sonko said.
Sonko has also put on notice rogue medical personnel who are enhancing abortion in the city.
“It is a major problem that we have and these abortions are being done privately by some of our medical personnel,” Sonko noted.
Meanwhile, the clean-up team has called on the national government, through NEMA, to join the county in cleaning the river.
The team said the national government has abandoned the exercise and that decisions made by NEMA to reign in factories streaming their effluent and sewage into the river have not been effected.
“The county alone cannot clean this river effectively,” said Ben Waithaka, a member of the group.
Environment county executive Veska Kangogo said the county through, the directives of Sonko, will start civic education on matters environment, the benefits attained so far.
The target will be those in informal settlements.
“The exercise will kick off soon. We are doing mapping so that when we start we will complete it on time. Our main target are the informal settlements,” she said.
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