Beautifying county centres no idle pursuit

If senior citizens in Kenya were to offer honest comparisons between the colonial regimes and post-independence governments particularly on the planning of urban centres, they would point out that urban centres of yesteryear were well planned, organised, orderly, clean and attractive.

Furthermore, district and provincial town plans of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s contained elaborate gardens while roads were ringed with trees and flowers.

After independence, the Kanu elite caused local authorities to lose their decision-making powers to the central government even on mundane local issues. As a result, these authorities continued to rely on the old colonial town plans despite rapid urban growth.

Before long, the erection of new structures outgrew the old colonial plans leading to haphazard construction of buildings, slums, and kiosks. Neglect eventually turned most market centres into eyesores.

After a few years, the influential elite had a field day freely deciding where, when and how to erect new structures without seeking direction from Town Hall. To make matters worse, local authorities neglected waste management, leading to accumulation of rubbish in streets and open spaces.

Without an effective inspectorate, property owners stopped painting buildings as specified in local authority by-laws. Others grabbed land reserved for schools, hospitals, gardens and parks.

The introduction of a government system that promotes local decision-making, commonly known as devolution, offers Kenyans an opportunity to restart the beautification process.

ENCROACHMENT

Consequently, counties will bring to a stop encroachment into public land, roaming of domestic animals in trading centres, construction of dangerous unapproved structures, and a return to plan-based urban development.

Firstly, county administrations must remove all temporary structures that are both an eyesore and a threat to security.
County fathers must also compel the owners of buildings to maintain and paint houses regularly.

Town administrations must ensure that urban planners include in their designs gardens, footpaths and open spaces to provide easy movement.

This project will force counties to consider setting up new plant nurseries to provide sufficient indigenous trees for planting purposes.

County governors should consider other innovative ways such as allowing car parks and high streets to convert into open markets on Saturdays and Sundays. It is irresponsible to allow food and other wares to be sold in unhygienic conditions when there available idle space.

As counties begin beautifying commercial centres, they will face many problems. For instance, they must legislate against the animals that roam our towns.

Similarly, individuals who encroach on road reserves and public land pose a formidable challenge to the beautification effort. Counties should punish these offenders through fines, forfeiture of machinery and destruction of illegal or unplanned structures.

Mr Osoro is the director of communication, Nyamira County, ([email protected])