City Estate Embraces Air Quality Monitors

Residents in Nyayo Estate Nairobi in evening walks in the estate

A walk through Nyayo estate Embakasi in Nairobi whether early morning or evening and even during the day, one will not fail to hear the laughter of children playing, notice residents leisurely strolling along pavements as birds chirp and leaves rustle and trees sway to the wind.

It paints a picture of fresh air and serenity, however what one will not see are the tiny particles floating in the air- so small they slip straight into ones lungs.

Mounted on the lamp posts and corners of apartment blocks are small box like air monitors. These measure the quality of air residents breathe every second.

Why Monitors Matter

Air pollution is a silent killer. The World Health Organisation says the safe annual average for fine particles (PM2.5) is 5 micrograms per cubic metre. Nairobis average in 2020 was about 14.7- nearly three times the recommended level.

This means that every day, Nairobi residents are breathing air thats dirtier than it should be. Cars, motorbikes, factories and even open waste burning add to the problem. Transport alone contributes 40 per cent of the city's pollution.

Nyayo Estate management is not oblivious to this reality and thus has installed air monitors across the vast estate estimated to house 20,000 households.

WHAT RESIDENTS SAY

"When I first saw the monitor at Gate D, I thought it was just a light box, Now I check the readings on my phone. If the levels of toxins are high, i ensure my children stay indoors and i close the windows