Tough choices needed for Nairobi to reclaim glory

The nostalgic reference to Nairobi as the “green city in the sun” is very promising in terms of radiance, grandeur and glamour.

It evokes feelings of warmth, hope, security, growth and prosperity. It demands order, flow, splendour and magnificence.

Indeed, a generation of Nairobians attests to the city’s “golden age” of decades not so long gone, when systems were sound and residents lively. It was a time grand estates were built, city markets blossomed, garbage was collected on time, streets shone and public parks were well trimmed.

Today, one would not talk of Nairobi’s grandeur without sounding ridiculous. The glamour of values and systems has been replaced by an annoying cacophony of buildings and vehicles stuck in traffic.

The bubbly and proud Nairobian who used to party from one street to another after work is slowly being replaced by a haggard and gloomy one weighed down by fear of insecurity, high cost of living and a chaotic city life.

PATHETIC TRANSPORT SYSTEM

The reliable and orderly city transport system has since been replaced by a chaotic, bullish and rickety system. The lights, sewerage and link roads are nothing to write home about.

But is Nairobi beyond redemption? Can it be salvaged from the gradual decline unto darkness? Is Nairobi ready to reclaim its lost glory and assert its place as one of the most promising cities in Africa?

My answer is in the affirmative. Nairobi is not beyond redemption – there is still some measure of order to pick and build on.

One, the city’s historical burdens require an urgent comprehensive review. The city cannot live in its past at the expense of the present. Decisions must be made quickly for the greater good of the majority of city dwellers.

Two, Nairobi must know it cannot develop on recurrent expenditure and expect to face the pressure of a rapidly expanding population. Nairobians need newer markets, new social centres, newer and bigger public amenities and new roads.

'CITY FATHERS AND MOTHERS'

Three, the city should develop a deliberate strategy to stoke county staff with new ethos responsive to the city’s needs in a competitive environment.

Four, county leadership must assert the prominence of an ordinary Nairobian in planning considerations. The real “city fathers and mothers” are the ordinary Nairobians who wake up daily with an urge to work and feed their families. They must not be forgotten.

Five, the county’s leadership must deliberately rally Nairobians to the prosperity cause of their city. They should be made to feel that they are walking the same journey together. They must not feel like they are doing it for someone else.

Finally, the county’s leadership must close ranks with the national government to make Nairobi a model county. As the seat of national government, Nairobi county cannot, and must not be seen to be lagging behind the rest of the counties. Still, it is not, really, like Nairobi has a choice now. Nairobi must reclaim its title and restore its radiance as the “green city in the sun.” As I sign off, everyone must play their role. I am ready. Are you?

The writer is Dagoretti South MP