Yatta Member of Parliament, Francis Mwangangi, has called on the government to intervene and save the Athi River.
The MP blamed National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the Water Resources Management Authority (WARMA), for not acting to regulate sand harvesters who are polluting the river and causing adverse effects on the residents and their livestock.
Residents also decried the increased level of human activity on the river bed saying it had affected the output of their farms.
Addressing NTV journalists, Mwangangi said that the two regulatory institutions have failed and should therefore be disbanded.
He said that toxic waste is getting into the river, which is the only source of water for the residents.
"NEMA insists that they have not authorised any sand harvesters but at the same time they continue to turn a blind eye on those doing it," he said.
He called on the bodies to act fast and save the river.