By Dr Jackline Lidubwi
Every rush hour in Nairobi leads to heavy traffic gridlock as motorists try to make their way into and out of the city centre. The engine revs only serve to produce soot that literally covers the city, polluting the air and making it dangerous to breathe because of the chemicals it contains.
For many city residents, this daily fog of dust and smoke has become part of life. But behind the haze lies a deeper crisis: The money needed to clean the city’s air is drying up.
This results in health risks, which in turn bring a financial burden even as people try to deal with the hard economic times.
A recent Clean Air Fund 2025 report shows that global funding for air quality projects fell by over 20 per cent in 2023 with sub-Saharan Africa recording a staggering 91 per cent drop in outdoor air quality funding. Despite Africa having some of the world’s most polluted urban centres, only 1 per cent of international development finance goes to clean air initiatives.
In Nairobi, where rapid urbanisation and motorisation collide, air pollution levels remain well above the World Health Organisation (WHO) limits. Data from the Clean Air Catalyst Project, which has installed reference air monitors across the city, show particulate matter (PM2.5) levels that frequently exceed safe standards.
The worst-hit areas include Eastlands, Dandora, and Industrial Area where industrial smoke, open waste burning, and traffic congestion create a toxic mix.
The Clean Air Fund report finds that air pollution is already a leading environmental health risk. In Africa, it is responsible for a large number of premature deaths, especially among children. The drop in funding means fewer resources for monitoring, regulation, and mitigation (e.g. controlling traffic emissions, industrial pollution, waste burning, and indoor air pollution). Without adequate interventions, health burdens (respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease) are likely to grow.
Source: The Standard