By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Newsunplug KenyaNewsunplug KenyaNewsunplug Kenya
  • News
    • Metro
    • Politics
    • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Spotify
Reading: Nairobi is Africa’s third most polluted city: air quality monitor
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Newsunplug KenyaNewsunplug Kenya
Font ResizerAa
  • News
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Spotify
  • News
    • Metro
    • Politics
    • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Tech
  • Spotify
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2022 Foxiz News Network. Ruby Design Company. All Rights Reserved.
Newsunplug Kenya > Blog > News > Nairobi is Africa’s third most polluted city: air quality monitor
News

Nairobi is Africa’s third most polluted city: air quality monitor

new5nuke
Last updated: August 19, 2025 9:30 am
new5nuke
22 minutes ago
Share
SHARE

Data from Swiss air quality monitor IQAir on Tuesday placed Nairobi as Africa’s third-most polluted major city, underlining growing concerns over urban air quality and its implications for public health and policy.

Nairobi stands at 83rd in the global ranking with an AQI (Air Quality Index) reading of 92, well into the ‘moderate’ category and significantly above the World Health Organization’s 5 µg/m³ annual PM guideline.

The ranking classifies a 0-50 AQI reading as ‘good’, 51-100 ‘moderate’, 101-150 ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’, and 151-200 ‘unhealthy.’ A 201-300 reading is, meanwhile, categorised as ‘very unhealthy’, while over 301, the air quality is considered ‘hazardous’.

Kinshasa is ranked Africa’s most polluted city (AQI 199), followed by Cairo and Kampala, while the continent’s top city on the air quality index is Johannesburg (AQI 62), followed by Dakar and Accra.

Globally, Iraq’s Baghdad has the most polluted air (AQI 256).

Sydney, Australia (AQI 7); Auckland, New Zealand (AQI 11); Detroit, U.S. (AQI 13); Washington D.C., U.S. (AQI 15); and Canberra, Australia (AQI 16) have the best quality.

READ MORE  Raila, Ruto United In Dismissing Supreme Court's Ruling On LGBTQI

HEALTH CONCERNS

IQAir says the dominant pollutant type in Nairobi is PM2.5; particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter.

“In 2020, the average PM2.5 concentration in Nairobi was 14.7 µg/m3, which is about 1.5 times the recommended annual PM2.5 threshold concentration of the World Health Organization (WHO),” says the report.

Although Nairobi’s air quality is ‘moderate,’ health experts warn that continued exposure to dirty air is fuelling a surge in respiratory illnesses such as asthma, while also heightening the risk of heart disease, lung and throat cancer, miscarriages, and birth defects.

Fine particulate matter is particularly dangerous, as it can enter the bloodstream and damage vital organs, including the liver, kidneys, and reproductive system, the report warns.

It cites the large number of vehicles in Nairobi, many of which are older and produce far more pollution than their newer counterparts would, factory emissions, construction sites, road repairs, and open burning among the main drivers of air pollution.

Particulate pollution hotspots in the capital have been recorded near Dandora Phase 4 (AQI 112) and Kariobangi North Health Center (AQI 90).

READ MORE  Mudavadi in Zimbabwe for president Mnangagwa’s inauguration
Classic 105 FM to be honored as the best English radio station in Kenya.
Ex-PS Mochache, Former MP Tong’i Among Big Names fronted For Kisii DG Post
Vihiga Senator Osotsi clears the air after arrest claims
Mystery woman,Ms Fridah Warau from the Juja dam tragedy revealed
Israel using “full force” against Hezbollah in defiance of pleas for a truce
Share This Article
Facebook Email Print
Previous Article Man found guilty of killing a man he found under his bed in suspected love triangle
Next Article Rebels armed with machetes kill at least 52 in eastern Congo
about us

We influence 20 million users and is the number one business and technology news network on the planet.

Recent Posts

  • Machakos MCAs clash over alleged irregular hiring in county gov’t
  • Rebels armed with machetes kill at least 52 in eastern Congo
  • Nairobi is Africa’s third most polluted city: air quality monitor
  • Man found guilty of killing a man he found under his bed in suspected love triangle
  • Busia chief magistrate raises alarm over brokers infiltrating courts

Recent Comments

No comments to show.
Newsunplug KenyaNewsunplug Kenya
© Newsunplug Kenya. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?