Is this your hood? Nairobi’s estate where residents have brown teeth

By Hudson Gumbihi | 7yrs ago | 2 min read

Many residents in Mihang’o and Utawala area of Nairobi have discolouring teeth because of drinking borehole water, according to their MCA Paul Kiguathi Kadosi.

Residents in the area have for many years relied on underground water fetched from underground sources.

Scientists say underground water contains fluoride levels and consuming too much of it while the teeth are being formed can lead to fluorosis.

This condition causes white or brown discoloration or spots on the enamel or tooth surface.

“If you want to know a person in Nairobi lives in Mihang’o, just look at the colour of his or her teeth,” said Kadosi while inspecting a water piping project commissioned by Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC).

The problem of discloured teeth is not confined to Mihang’o alone, it is common in other parts of the city.

The longest serving civic leader in the city added that the contaminated water led to corrosion in bathrooms and toilets. “This is making us incur extra and unnecessary costs in repairs,” complained Kadosi.

It is projected residents will have piped water by September when NCSWC completes laying pipes all the way from Kangundo Road.

The exercise however is being disrupted by youth allegedly sponsored by water vendors unhappy that they risk losing business, according to the MCA.

“It is very unfortunate that there is a lot of resistance from gangs and cartels that sale water from boreholes,” lamented Kadosi while accompanied by Mihang’o Development Committee chairman, Jonah Marahpash.

About 100,000 people are set to benefit. They have been relying on water from 30 privately owned boreholes.

“This is a major boost towards alleviating the water and health problems that we have experienced for the last 35 years.

With the support of my people, we have tireless fought for this project,” said the civic leader.