Nairobi, April 8 -- The recent heavy deluge witnessed in the country not only left a trail of destruction, but also saw single-use polythene bags strewn along River Athi, exacerbating already severe industrial pollution choking the river.

In Athi River township, Machakos County, a stretch of the iconic river between the Namanga Highway bridge and Kinanie downstream exposes the country's soft underbelly in solid and liquid waste management. An assortment of plastic bags washed away by floods from Nairobi and other satellite towns has been trapped downstream.

Severally, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has raised a red flag over effluent discharge from dozens of companies operating within the industrial town of Athi Ri...