Top City Hall honchos working in collusion with unscrupulous developers have been cited for the drainage mess in Nairobi’s Parklands and Westlands areas for by either diverting waterway or grabbing riparian land.
The recent downpour that has left tens of house owners homless after their houses were submerged by runoff water of their compounds clogged with water highlights the pervasiveness of this calamity that has gone unabated.
For example, residents of Nairobi’s General Mathenge neighborhoods Westlands and Parklands are a troubled lot.
They want to know what is wrong with their neigbbourhood.
For two years, the residents have endured the consequences of poor road maintenance, with potholes and inadequate drainage disrupting daily life.
Children struggle to get to school safely, while commuters face delays and frustrations.
Despite a brief construction effort in February, conditions quickly deteriorated again, highlighting the ineffectiveness of local authorities.
The deteriorating road not only threatens property values but also impacts the physical and
mental well-being of the community.
Urgent action is needed to restore this vital artery before further damage ensues, affecting both residents and local businesses.
The county authority has faced criticism for their slow response to resident concerns about the
poor conditions on General Mathenge Drive.
While residents have reported issues through various channels, including apps designed for direct communication with local governments, the lack of timely action has left many feeling unheard and frustrated.
Authorities are tasked with assessing community needs and prioritizing safety, yet they often
struggle to implement effective solutions.
This disconnect can lead to increased accidents and property damage, prompting calls for more proactive measures and accountability from local officials to address infrastructure issues.
The residents have appealed to the county government to address their grievances saying its
immoral for the government not to respond to their pleas.
This Road is at General Mathenge Drive , very busy street which connect to heart of Westlands and parklands , over a period of two years the residents are suffering because of very poor road and maintenance, poor darning and pot holes are making pathetic and day to day functioning of kids going to schools and people to perform other day to day jobs , in last February it was constructed for a while but again it has to turn in to pathetic conditions quickly.
In April this year, during the address to the Nairobi County Assembly, Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja defended the proposal by the county to change the zoning regulations which will see the high rise of apartments in the various parts of the city.
The city administrator said the population of the city is increasingly growing and the planning needs to change to suit the huge population.
According to Sakaja the 696 square kilometers area of Nairobi cannot be expanded hence the need to raise high.
“By 2050, Nairobi will have a population of 10.5 million inhabitants hence to avoid sprawl and negative effects, we must rethink and redesign our neighborhoods.” Sakaja said.
yesterday, Sakaja revealed that the United States of America government has committed over 60 million dollars (approximately Sh8billion to fund the planning mobility sectors which he said will be provided in the framework of the city planning.
