The
spectacular but few skyscrapers, the magnificently warm climate,
crisp clear blue skies, the dramatic sunrise and the dreamy sunset
are some of the features that throw the city into international
repute.
Nairobi
is truly, a city in the sun.
Away
from the glare of curious tourists who frequent the city is a bleak
picture of grit and sleaze, a delusion only too familiar to the
locals that they have accepted it as common place.
It
is a city grappling with a myriad problems, from an overwhelming
influx of people who have made rural urban migration their past time,
to the embarrassing problem of public urination.
Malodorous
stench
From
the previously well kempt flower pots to walls and trees, everyone
seems to be having a goodtime irrigating the city in the sun,
painting the walls wet and suffocating East Africa’s largest city
with the resultant malodorous stench emanating from their
irresponsible escapades.
Backstreet
lanes and parking lots are worst hit.
A
walk down River Road reveals the rot.
Instant
urinals
Kenyans
have turned every street corner a urinal. At times it gets even
worse.
Shop
owners have to clean their premises doors every morning after
drunkards and sober men, and sometimes women, turn them into instant
urinals in their wake.
A
bitter man who had parked his car in downtown Ronald Ngala found
rivulets emanating from the tires of his prized asset, only to learn
that a man had urinated on them.
And
the problem is eating into the beauty of the city like a bad strain
of cancer, slowly but surely.
A
few flower beds along the busy street remain barren of flowers and
stand out like sore thumbs.
Reserve
for women
Although
tens of public toilets dot the city, the problem persists. The
toilets are increasingly becoming a reserve for the women folk as men
seem to have finally adopted the natural and primitive run of
affairs, urinating whenever the urge bites them.
:”I
always look right and left before urinating since City council
askaris are always on the prowl, then do my thing,” says Waura
Kameni, a fruit vendor .
Keneth
Atinda, a city salesman blames the menace on the few number of
toilets.
“The
toilets are not well distributed sometimes you feel pressed and there
are no toilets around so you just pop into the backstreet allies and
relieve yourself”, he says.
Alex
Ochieng operates an IKO branded toilet near Tom Mboya Street. He says
business is booming but majority of their customers are women.
“We
charge a paltry Kshs 10 but I think most men prefer buying other
things like cigars and chewing gum rather than pay to use a toilet”
he adds.
Multiple
sources from City Hall, the department obligated to deal with such
misdemeanors say that every day is a field day as they nab men
urinating in public, in broad daylight.
Runaway
corruption
“The
offenders’ favorite place is Uhuru Park and other public parks,
every hour we arrest them here and charge them in courts,” says one
of our sources who requested anonymity.
“However,
not many of those arrested appear in courts, thanks to run away
corruption,” another source intimates.
“Some
part with cash whenever they learn that they will be taken to
courts,” our source adds.
According
to city Council by laws seen by this writer, urinating in public is
an offence that attracts a fine of Shs.500 or a
jail term not exceeding one day.
The
torrid collusion between corrupt law enforcing officers and members
of the public can only leave the city with a bad smell, low tourist
numbers hence dwindling revenue, and a bad repute.
As
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero braces himself for the onerous task of
transforming the city to a Metropolis and restoring its jaded past,
we hope he will curb the teething problem that is bound to change the
city from a beauty in the sun to a urine sodden blot in a magnificent
landscape.
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