Youth Dares Uhuru in Bold Video ~ Coastalcity

A Kenyan youth has dared President Uhuru Kenyatta after his New Year's public address.

In the video doing rounds on social media, one Elijah Mokaya, on Wednesday, January 1, challenged Kenyatta to appoint him to clean the polluted Nairobi River, alleging that the team tasked with the mandate did not adhere to the president's directives.

According to Mokaya, pollution of rivers had dragged on for far too long but he had a permanent solution to it.

Elijah Mokaya at the banks of Nairobi River on January 1, 2020. He challenged President Uhuru Kenyatta to appoint him to oversee the cleaning of the river

"Hello and greetings our dear president. You addressed us on New Years and we received your message. However, today, I bring you a sad message, a very shameful message to the leadership of this country.
"The people you delegated to the environment, why have they never cleaned these rivers even when you have given them the resources. The machinery and funds allocated are adequate to clean these rivers," Mokaya, who recorded the video at the banks of Nairobi River wondered.

The young man requested to oversee the cleaning of the river for three months, asking Kenyatta to temporarily halt the jobs of those officials not working and let him create a task force to solve the contentious issue.

"I have a strategy that will clean the Nairobi River in three months. Actually, give me three months, give me the authority. I ask you today, finance me with the resources that you have given these officials who are not performing.

"I will clean Nairobi River and invite you, the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta and your entire cabinet we swim across Nairobi River as we open it," Mokaya affirmed.

He further lamented that Kenyatta had never given such courageous Kenyans an opportunity to work in the government

"Mr. President, let me tell you one thing, we, the people you overlook and do not want to consider in your appointments have the solutions. I want to make this river clean but you have not given us an opportunity," he cried out.

A report by Daily Nation in August 2019 stated that research indicated that the Nairobi River was deliberately poisoned by factories, with warnings that a bad precedent was set in early years of Nairobi's urbanisation by allowing raw sewage into the crystal waters.

Further reports indicated that as the river cuts across slums, Mathare, Korogocho and Dandora, wastes are poured into the river through poorly constructed sewer lines.

In 2019, Nairobi Governor, Mike Sonko initiated a process to clean the river and in May 2019, 14 dead bodies were discovered in the cleanup process.

Video: Twitter