Without
a doubt, a good number of government offices and departments fail Kenyans as a
result of negligence, incompetence or a combination of both. These range from
the local government, to law enforcers and other civil servants. For that
reason, such entities are unpopular among the masses and continue to be
strongly criticized for consistently disappointing the population. I
personally, have attacked these workers either in writing or verbally and am
quite sure many more have done the same albeit in their own way. However, as
much as they fail and as long as this will be the situation, we should always
ask ourselves, what role can I play? How can I contribute? As Kenya aspires to
reach certain developmental heights, the population will have to exercise their
citizenship skills, for the goodies realized as a result of advancement are
beneficial to all in society.
I
will briefly point out two main areas of observation that continue to puzzle
me. The first is the traffic situation. I don’t travel around much but I can
still conclude that Kenya, especially the capital, Nairobi is one of the worst
places on earth to be a road user. The lawlessness on our roads is shocking and
the matter of concern is that people have gotten used to it and accept it as
normal. Take a normal weekday for instance, during ‘rush-hour’ when most are
headed back home after the day’s hustle. At first, one would see a stretched
convoy of vehicles along Haile Selassie Avenue all the way to Uhuru Highway.
The cars do not move at all and this goes on for minutes and in worse cases
like on a rainy day even hours. Luckily such busy roads are attended to by the
traffic officers who control the order of the flow. Elsewhere, in other parts
of Nairobi, like Racecourse along Ngong Road, or the upper parts of Lang’ata
Road, the officers may be absent. This is when everyone takes the opportunity
to become king of the road. Matatus overlap the rest of the traffic in an
attempt to secure a spot ahead of the rest. But they are known for their
notoriety, so for a Nairobi resident it’s not something new. Sadly, they are
followed by drivers of personal cars, who were initially waiting in the traffic
might have just been waiting for an inciter. The consequence is usually an
unbearable and uncontrollable traffic since order lacks and in some cases,
creation of extra lanes where they ought not to be. Everyone is in a hurry and
‘has to be somewhere’ hence safety is no longer their concern. In addition, the
presence of traffic lights does not seem to intimidate such rowdiness. Those
who obey the law become the offenders. I once observed a driver rudely hooting
for the motorist ahead to move, despite a clear red light.
Poor
policy implementations by the ‘relevant’ institutions have led to such a
situation on our roads, at this time and age. It is however disheartening to
study how most motorists cannot cooperate with existing laws. As per the
country’s policy, only adults can acquire a driver’s license so maturity is not
an excuse. It’s surprising how they have to be controlled like animals; pardon
my harshness but I feel like being human means being able to reason and make
critical judgment of situations. If the simple rules like obeying the lights,
or just waiting in traffic were observed, the situation on the roads would
improve. This means a decrease in vulnerability of accidents and a manageable
and smooth flow of traffic. It is not rocket science!
The
second issue is the environment. Vision 2030 is all Kenyans are reciting at the
moment. But imagine a dirty, filthy Konza city; not pleasant I presume! The
National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has underperformed in
formulating adequate environmental by-laws. This could be the reason why
pollution is almost legal in this country. People still dump, litter, and burn
whatever they wish without permission. Fruit venders for example, sell their
products, even to the concerned personnel, but still dispose the waste next to
their premises or area of operation. Littering is a common habit for most who
are either too lazy to take the litter to a nearby dustbin or they actually know
they will go away unpunished. This is why many parts of the city look like
dumpsites. I personally respect the environment therefore such observations
sicken me. Seeing plastic bags, maize cobs and bottles among others by the
roadside reminds me of how far behind we are in terms of personal
responsibilities and duty. In most cases, these involve educated people. A more
notable and recent case is the Thika Highway. The standards of this road are
enviable to the rest of the region. As a frequent user of the highway, I can
testify that a lot has changed for the better since its completion. It is
however disappointing to see how hawkers, who have invaded the pavements and
footpaths as well as areas intended for gardens, have received this
development. First of all, they are there illegally and second, they leave
behind piles of dirt once they are done. What’s more annoying is the manner in
which they feel entitled to such spaces and a pedestrian cannot even dare hit
them. This leaves us with a world class road that is poorly managed and not
used for its right purposes.
Yet
again the citizens most of whom had been moved by Wangari Maathai’s departure
go against all she worked for. The late Nobel Laureate dedicated her life to
protecting the environment. It would be shameful and hypocritical to mourn her
but engage in what she fought so hard to eradicate. Any normal person is
responsible for their own mess. They are therefore expected to clear up such
mess in the most appropriate, not convenient way. Holding onto a bottle of soda
till you reach the next bin won’t hurt. Also keeping a maize cob inside the car
until you reach where it may be properly disposed won’t hurt. The reason people
litter is probably because they think someone else will clean up. But the
environment is ours and affects us all. The same way one cleans their room is
how one should treat the environment. I long for the day environmental protection
will be an initiative based on combined efforts instead of us waiting to be
told its benefits all the time.
We
all expect the country to grow. This is achievable and will be felt through
development. But cooperation is a major necessity for us to feel the impact
positively. Citizens ought to play their part in ensuring effective running of
affairs in their country. So as much as we bash our Members of Parliament,
police officers, and the city council we have to remember change starts with
us. If we exercised our simple responsibility from time to time, it would be
simpler for the government to carry out theirs. Change starts with ‘I’!
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