A disturbing and heartbreaking discovery has sent shockwaves through the city after county officials uncovered a group of women in Mukuru kwa Ruben slum washing used plastic bags in raw sewage water and reselling them to unsuspecting buyers.
According to Nairobi County’s Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, the women were caught cleaning dozens of discarded plastic bags straight from the polluted stream that snakes through the informal settlement.
Videos and photos shared by the county show them scooping bags from the filthy water, rinsing them in the same stream, and spreading them out on the banks to dry under the sun.
The women later admitted that the bags were headed back to city markets ready to be used again by traders to package food and other goods.
“It is deeply disturbing and unfortunate that some women in Mukuru kwa Ruben have resorted to washing used carrier bags with sewage water for resale,” Mosiria said. “This dangerous and unhygienic practice puts both city residents and the women themselves at serious health risk.”
Public health experts warn that raw sewage carries bacteria and toxins that remain on surfaces long after washing. Once food comes into contact with such contaminated packaging, it becomes a silent carrier of diseases like cholera and typhoid illnesses that continue to threaten many Nairobi households.
Mosiria said the recycled bags often end up in some of the city’s busiest markets including Gikomba, Muthurwa, Toi, Marikiti, Wakulima, and Burma where traders unknowingly pass them on to customers. That means thousands of residents could be exposed every day without realizing it.
But beyond the outrage, the incident also paints a grim picture of survival in one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements. Most of the women involved, Mosiria noted, come from extremely poor backgrounds and were simply trying to earn a living in any way they could.
“These are vulnerable women. They need help, not just punishment,” he said. “We are working on ways to empower them and offer safer, cleaner income opportunities.”
Still, the county official warned that health laws would be enforced strictly against anyone endangering the public.
“We will not allow anyone to compromise the safety of Nairobi residents,” Mosiria said firmly. “Anyone found handling or distributing contaminated packaging materials will face the full force of the law.”
Following the discovery, the Nairobi County Government says it has stepped up surveillance in major markets to trace any contaminated bags that might have slipped through.
Meanwhile, residents have been urged to remain cautious especially when buying food packaged in reused plastic bags.
For many Nairobians, the story is a shocking reminder of the city’s deep inequality where poverty, pollution, and survival often collide in heartbreaking ways.
