Two years on, there is nothing to write home about Nairobi County
I wish to bring to the attention of Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero that I voted for him during the last General Election, but had the Supreme Court upheld the Court of Appeal nullification of his election, I would not have voted for his re-election.
The reason is that in the last 18 months he has been the governor, there is nothing to write home about.
Voters live in estates that are chocking under the weight of garbage. While I acknowledge that the CBD is relatively clean, the majority of the voters do not live there. But even here, hawkers, pickpockets and “street men” are back in full swing.
THROW GARBAGE
There seems to be no policy on kiosks, which continue to mushroom, especially in the eastern parts. They make the environment dirty as they throw garbage on road reserves and in drains.
I would recommend that they be licensed only when they show how they intend to dispose of their garbage. If residents pay fees to private garbage collectors, why not kiosk owners?
Secondly, all the kiosks selling food need running water for obvious reasons and proper drainage for the same. The county should partner with Nema in this campaign.
I invite the governor and his Environment executive — a former Town Clerk no less! — to visit South ‘B’ and Nairobi West to see the extent of dirt. Even in the few instances of efforts to clean up, garbage is left on the roadside.
In addition, there should be designated car washing bays. Currently, car washers use dirty water obtained from the drains and all the parking bays are used as car wash. Water mixed with detergents damages tarmac, creating potholes. Therefore, the surrounding is a permanently wet health hazard.
Mombasa Road and Uhuru Highway should create the first good impression. Yet the Nyayo National Stadium and Haile Selassie roundabouts are in constant repair.
We need to let the grass, flowers and trees grow in peace. Most road sections are dirty with eyesores of vandalised rail guards. Boda boda motorcyclists are damaging grass and plants using the centre island gardens as county askaris watch.
There is a peculiar Nairobi way of cleaning drains. Whatever is removed from the drains, including soil and plastics, is dumped on both sides, creating small mountains.
Why can’t these be disposed of elsewhere so they don’t drop back into the same drains?
Finally, a lot that has been said on why hawkers should not operate in the CBD. Why is this so difficult to enforce?
PETER OMONDI, Nairobi
