British Poet W. H. Auden once noted, “Thousands have lived without love, not one without water” (Auden, 1957). Water shortage has become an increasingly crucial crisis facing many cities around the world. The demand for water is rising constantly. Lack of access to safe water and adequate sanitation jeopardizes the lives of the urban poor (Zandaryaa, 2010). In such a situation, Rivers offer a great water source for many. The Nairobi River is a water source for the majority of the informal settlements where they use the water for both cooking and cleaning. This is a health hazard due to the high pollution of the river. The WHO estimates that about 2 billion people have no option but to drink water contaminated by excrement, exposing them to diseases such as cholera, typhoid, Hepatitis A and dysentery. Previous studies have shown that there is an urgency to restore the river to its natural state which will then provide clean water to the city residents. This will hugely contribute toward Sustainable Development Goal number 6: Sustainable water and sanitation for all (United Nations, 2018). The study is meant to understand the pollution levels and causes. This will be useful in providing an appropriate intervention to the pollution issue in the river.