Community Clean-up for a healthier Kamukunji
Photo Story – 20 September 2025
A Call to Action
On World Clean-Up Day, marked on 20 September, Pumwani residents in Kamukunji Sub-County in Nairobi, came together for a one-day community-driven exercise. Their goal was simple yet powerful: to sanitize, sensitize, and add value to their neighborhood while addressing the solid waste challenge.
Mobilizing the Community
Armed with brooms, shovels, and protective gloves, women and men of all ages poured into the streets. Their determination was visible as they swept garbage from alleys, cleared clogged drains, and gathered piles of waste for collection.
Voices of the Streets
The streets of Pumwani are lined with informal housing and businesses, but they are also marked by indiscriminate dumping of waste. The clean-up offered a chance to confront the reality that poor waste disposal habits feed into health risks such as stomach issues and frequent diarrhoea among children. As residents carried heavy baskets of waste and loaded wheelbarrows, they were not just removing trash—they were confronting years of neglect.
Collective Energy
From children watching curiously to women coordinating tasks and men pushing loaded carts, the exercise embodied collective energy. Neighbors who often met only in passing joined hands, forging unity through shared responsibility. The sound of sweeping brooms mixed with laughter and conversations, as the community came alive with purpose.
Beyond Clean Streets
The exercise was not an end, but a beginning. Beyond creating a cleaner environment, the initiative aimed to open doors for social enterprises—turning waste into opportunity. Plans include compost manure production, recycled plastic posts, and briquette making. For Pumwani, clean-up is no longer just about sanitation; it is about transformation.
Looking Ahead
Residents and partners pledged to sustain the momentum by mapping households for efficient waste collection, collaborating with county anti-dumping units, and empowering local waste organizations. The clean-up may have lasted just a few hours, but its impact rippled far deeper: a step towards a healthier, more resilient, and empowered Pumwani and the larger Kamukunji.
By KCEI Team, Pictures by Biko Sigano