Costly shoddy trenches and road works

The office of the director-general of the Kenya Urban Roads Authority is situated on the upper floors of IKM Place on Fifth Ngong Avenue, Nairobi.

As is common with these high-ranking public servants, he is barricaded behind a firewall of gatekeepers. Once past the security guards at the main gate, there are other layers of security checks before you are finally directed to the office of the DG’s personal assistant.

He is the buffer between the public and the private secretary to the director-general, and the man himself. It is quite a tough act to go beyond the personal assistant.

Two years ago, alarmed at the shoddy construction of pedestrian walkways in the city, I sought audience with the director-general. I could not gain access or procure an appointment. Such is the trauma of trying to meet a high-ranking public official.

I had wanted to pry away this gentleman from his office for a walkabout at the drainage and pedestrian walkway construction project that was going on, and was costing the taxpayer millions of shillings.

INSPECT PROJECT

The compound is always awash with project vehicles whose purpose is to enable roads engineers to inspect the progress in the urban road construction projects.

A five-minute walk from the DG’s office is the Ralph Bunche and Argwings Kodhek roads construction project, which has been going on for the past five months.

It is being done in such a way that it would bewilder even the ancient Romans who built military highways — or medieval Europeans who laid cobbled stone roads — by hand.

Sweaty young men and women without eye protection, using sledge hammers, bash the rocks to form the base material for the roads as stone chips fly all over the place, posing a grave risk to them and to pedestrians.

A rickety old concrete mixer chugs along, surrounded by other young men and women laying culverts and open drain trenches. There are no deviations for pedestrians, or temporary bus-stops or warning signs.

PAY PREMIUM

But at the end of the day, we will pay a premium for this small stretch of road to a contractor who seems hell-bent on imposing medieval methods on the 21st century. This begs the question: If this shoddy construction is taking place right under the very noses of the DG and his team of engineers, what about those being built elsewhere?

In contrast, the Ngong Road dual carriageway project represents the utmost in professional efficiency. The contractor has provided pedestrian walkways and put up barriers and road signs for motorists and pedestrian safety.

But open drainages needlessly take up space that should provide room for an expanded pedestrian walkway. They are an eyesore and attract filth, including plastics. Why should we have open drainages in a city of the 21st century?

Giant concrete slabs that act as manhole covers, invite tripping and injuries, as are the ill-conceived trees and trash bins in the middle of pavements. The roundabout at Silver Springs Hotel lacks proper drainage. Is it any wonder that this and others flood at the slightest rain?

WALKING POPULATION

The county government seems to be asleep at the wheel. Yet it will end up holding the baby, and dealing with the results of these shoddy projects. All the parties involved in road making seem to be treating the walking population as a menace straight from the TV series, The Walking Dead.

A form of plain carelessness, which NTV presenter Larry Madowo characterised as love of mediocrity, has become the default template of almost every process of life in Kenya. We want urbanity, but shun the responsibilities of contemporary urban planning. We want to have the best without working for it, without individual responsibility, without civility and without order. And this defines our country.

Everything about our country has become mired in third generation corruption. This is exhibited in our sickening love of conspicuous consumption and hustler mentality.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero and his departments of Environment or Parks and Recreation, Sanitation and Roads should inspect the construction projects. Is this too much to ask?

We are judged by how we do the small things well. We can also talk about proper pedestrian crossings and the use of proper reflective paint on our roads, instead of house paint. And it is no surprise that the entire Valley Road has only two designated zebra crossings. There is a faded one at Daystar University and another at the steep and tall footbridge on Ralph Bunche Road, whose riser-to-tread ratio confounds the mind.

Dr Oketch is an artist and activist. [email protected]