Korogocho is one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements (~ 200 000 residents). It is located next to the heavily polluted Nairobi River as well as the large Dandora dumpsite. Decades of rapid urbanisation, insufficient waste management and unregulated industrial growth have turned the Nairobi River from a vital resource into one of East Africa’s most polluted waterways, with severe consequences for public health. Communities living along the river are exposed daily to contaminated water, toxic waste and polluted air, leading to widespread waterborne diseases and long-term health risks. These environmental conditions disproportionately affect women and children, who carry much of the burden of water collection, caregiving and exposure to unsafe sanitation environments.

In Korogocho, these environmental issues were intertwined with severe social challenges. Before 2017, many young people in the area were involved in criminal activities as a means of survival and dozens lost their lives to violence. A dumping ground near a newly built bridge became a hotspot for illegal activities, reinforcing insecurity and excluding residents from using the area safely. Although the Kenyan government launched large-scale river restoration initiatives, these top-down efforts did not immediately address the urgent everyday realities in settlements like Korogocho, where residents continued to face pollution, insecurity and a lack of public space.

Komb Green Solutions is a youth-led community-based organization founded in 2017 in Korogocho. It focuses on river clean-up, environmental restoration and community mentorship. The initiative emerged when local young people who had been temporarily employed during the construction of the aforementioned bridge refused to return to cycles of crime and instead decided to reclaim the polluted riverbanks themselves. Led by founders Christopher Waithaka, Mzee Muchina and Fredrick Okinda, the group mobilized residents to remove nearly two decades’ worth of accumulated waste from the riverbank, construct gabion walls for stabilization and flood control and plant grass and trees.

The restoration process took about a year and the site was officially opened in November 2018 as the “People’s Park”, the first resident-initiated green space along the stretch of the Nairobi River. Alongside physical restoration, Komb Green Solutions developed a tree nursery, an urban vegetable garden and informal gathering spaces, while also running mentorship and environmental education activities for children and youth. The organization operates within a broader support network, notably partnering with the Public Space Network (PSN), which provides technical expertise and connections to other partnering institutions while ensuring that local groups like Komb Green Solutions retain decision-making power and ownership over projects.

The transformation into the People’s Park has produced visible environmental, social and institutional impacts. Ecologically, the restored riverbank provides a safe green space with improved air quality and reduced toxic waste exposure. The installation of gabion walls has mitigated local flooding, while the area now functions as a productive landscape where youth and families engage in urban agriculture.

Socially, the initiative has dramatically improved local security, fostering a decline in crime and the initiative has helped build trust and dialogue between residents and the police. Institutionally, Komb Green Solutions has evolved from a grassroots group into a registered CBO partnered with the Nairobi City County Environment Department.

Beyond the physical space, the project has fostered a broader culture of environmental stewardship. Regular clean-ups, community dialogues and training sessions on environmental awareness have strengthened local advocacy for better sanitation and pollution control, even as upstream contamination continues to threaten the river and its surroundings. At the same time, the initiative faces persistent challenges, including limited funding and reliance on volunteer labour. Despite these constraints, the People’s Park stands as a symbol of how grassroot action can reclaim safety and agency in highly marginalized urban contexts.