KISUMU CITY HAS BECOME OBSOLETE WITH NO WATERS, ROAD SIGNS, OR STREET LIGHTS

BY Leo Odera Omolo

Despite having been chosen by the five states which are partners in the East African Community (EAC) to house the headquarters of the newly created Lake Victoria Basin Commission, sanitation and other infrastructure in Kisumu City have deteriorated to a worrying point.

The worst hit is the refuse collections. Stinking refuse are heaped along the back streets making the lakeside city one of the dirtiest and filthiest . This remained uncollected for months

And although the City is sitting less than a kilometer from the eastern shore of the Lake Victoria the residents have been experiencing acute shortage of water for months. In some residential areas water has remained the scarcest commodity for years forcing the residence to go to work without taking a bath.

Kisumu, a City of close to 600,000 residents, used to hold the title of one of the cleanest towns in Eastern African region. But those are things of the past. The reputation might have evaporated in the bonfire of independence 46 years ago.

Thanks to God, there has never been any major outbreak of cholera in the area in recent years .The health department of the city council appears to be in a deep slumber. In some parts of the city bars and restaurants have been turned into slaughter houses or an abattoir . Unsuspected revelers are usually fed on un-inspected meat, thereby exposing them to the danger of contacting dangerous diseases such as anthrax etc.

Eating kiosks have sprung up in almost every corner of Kisumu streets - - even on the major street located in the Central Business District (CBD). In those small corners bands of women traders could be seen selling tea , chapattis, mandazis and roasting fish in the open air with no proper sanitation .These eating places and joints lack sanitation facilities.

Along the Jubilee market near the main Kisumu bus terminal, food kiosks and eating houses poses health hazards. But nobody seems to care.

Eating houses and fast food kiosks have also sprung in erected makeshift tents in residential estates with no adequate sanitation thereby posing a health hazard. But the Council has taken no steps to stop such businesses. Instead it has sanctioned and licensed some of them to operate - - in total defiance of its own by-laws, and health and hygienic regulations.

Kisumu city is sitting on a time bomb unless the civic leaders are woke up. The town was granted a city status in 2002. But it has yet to live up to the expected measures befitting a city.

Both the town clerk, Mr Mwariburi, and the Mayor, Coun Auma Misach, were not available for comment.

Big business people and Duka wallahs have complained of being levied heavily by the Council, while getting back inadequate services in return. Streets are littered all over with refuse and other dirty objects which goes unnoticed by the Council health staff. Dead stray dogs with stinking carcasses are left to rot in the open air in parts of the City. But all these appear to have escaped the notice of City fathers.

Bursts sewerage sending stinking smells into the City residential estates are common features of the Kisumu City. At times such bursts sewerage are also evidenced in the posh Milimani estates and the city centre, and other upper market areas of the town unabated

At night time Kisumu slips into total darkness. Most of City streets fall into total darkness. There are no street lights due to the fact that the City fathers are not in a position to regulate the monthly payments for the street lights to the KPLC

Several private entrepreneurs have volunteered and ventured in installing street lights just for the simple reasons that is to protect their premises. One of such firms is The Nakumatt Chain of Supermarket Stores. This firm has built street lights around Nyalenda, Kachok junction which is close to its Mega City’s multimillion shillings shopping complex .It has also installed street lights on Ondiek highway which links the road from Nyalenda junction to the Kisumu Kakamega road and Jomo Kenyatta highway near Ofafa Memorial Hall.

But the efforts of these firms are evidently being thwarted and betrayed by vandalism .The street lights, especially those standing near Makasembo estate and the Junction Kisumu Polytechnic, are frequently been vandalized by criminal gangs whose interest is waylaying members of the public whom they usually ambush and rob in the darkness.

Another area which is hanging loosely are the hollow trenches with no covering slabs which expose the walking members of the public to the danger of breaking their legs .These trenches once washed away a three year old boy who narrowly escaped death.

Rumours making the round are that all the dumping sites in the City have been grabbed by private developers .The dumping sites were set aside for the refuse collection by the Council track. The whole town is now decaying like a dead city.

In Migosi site and services estates the plots were sold in a very poor manner. During heavy rain season, stinking sewerages waters usually floods the residential houses due to poor planning. Many houses are planned haphazardly causing the blockage of sewerage system

It is time the City fathers wake up. The offended members of the public who wished to seek legal redress through court may not do so owing to the fact that the Council is permanently financially strapped.

The Kisumu Mayor Counc. Priska Auma Misachi is inaccessible to the press and so are her bands of semi illiterate Councilors ,some of whom are known to be thumping their fingers prints on documents due to the fact that they cannot read and write.

Corruption among the Councilors is rampant, especially on matters related to tenders. Any one who gets tenders through the Ministry without oiling the hands of the civic leaders would be in for big trouble .And such contractors faces uphill task of getting their bill cleared. Most departments of the council are on the verge of total collapse.

In Kisumu City streets, road sign posts have mysteriously disappeared. Motorists drive through the no entry areas at will thereby causing embarrassment to other users of the roads .This is so because there are no traffic signals such as no entry etc. All the sign post have disappeared with no body caring for their replacements thereby inconveniencing motorists, and business people in the city centre. Parking bays are relatively visible because the Council is still using them for the purpose of levying motorists

Another problem is painting of the buildings in the City .Paints have been making the whole city to look obsolete and deserted.

And of lately there is another pressing problem of street mothers whose appearances in parts of town in addition to street urchins. The problem needs to be addressed.

The City has recently seen the explosion of the arrival of hundreds of motorbike taxis which are being ridden by unlicensed motorists. Many youths who were previously involved in bicycle taxis (commonly called boda boda) have moved into motor bike taxis. But unfortunately most bike drivers do not have driving licenses. Many passengers have fallen victims of falling off motor bikes or getting involved in nasty road accidents.

The Kisumu traffic police appears to have taken leave of absent from their duties allowing these unlicensed motor bikes to ferry passengers in busy street roads. Another serious disaster is on the offing!!

ENDS

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com