Writes Leo Odera Omolo

KISUMU City has lost its old glory, credibility and reputation as one of the cleanest towns in Kenya and is now soaking in filthiness with waste paper littered everywhere.

Refuse collection is something of the past. Rubbish is heaped in almost every street giving stinking smell. Brief walks through the Central Business District {CBD} confirm that the town is in a total mess if not neglect. Street lights go off quite often giving leeway to gangs of criminal elements to harass pedestrians walking home.

Petty kiosks are mushrooming everywhere wherever there is a small piece of land space, and most of these kiosks turns out to be the hideout for criminal thugs.

The shortage of water is one of the most worrying subjects, which the residents have to contend with. This is so despite of the fact that the beautiful City stands next to the eastern shoreline of Lake Victoria.

The current pathetic situation, according to residents is being attributed to the recent change of the town’s administration from the former Municipal Council to the County government under the new devolution brought about by the new constitution.

The County government is being accused for having allegedly removed nearly all the former chief officers of the defunct municipality and replaced them with ex-civil servants former NGO”s employees with no experience for managing an urban centre of Kisumu size.

Members of the Kisumu County assembly are said to have developed the love for frequent flight to foreign capitals, holding of endless seminars and workshops with no bearing to the services to the people. Upon their returns from such fruitless trips the County leaders goes home quietly without briefing the residents about the experience and new methods gained from such trip. The residents see such foreign trips as the sources of money minting and fleecing the county resources.

Car Washings is the latest most booming business in Kisumu, an those This is where NEMA stands accused of sleeping on its duties and mandate of ensuring that such businesses are conducted in an environmental friendly manner.

The town is also experiencing frequent sewerage blockade. At time sewerage bursts goes unrepaired for weeks while spilling dirty waters through the residential estates. Fears now persist that should there be an outbreak of cholera epidemic many people will would suffer. The town has the history of experiencing of frequent outbreaks, especially during the heavy rain seasons.

Members of the County cabinet or executive are mostly ex-civil servants and men and women from Diasporas whose qualification cannot be verified, but are known top be related or friendly to the top officials. Many interviewed residents see the current members of the County executive as spent forces which could not turn the City around to reclaim its old glory.

Traffic signs are nowhere to warn motorists of the danger ahead., and motorists now drivers their vehicles anywhere because most of the roads in the City center had no warning sign such as one way traffic, major road ahead etc, and now wonder there is sharp increases of cases whereby frequent head-ob collision between motorists and motorbike riders.

Matatu drivers, particularly those operating ferrying passengers from the town’s center to places like Kondele and Manyatta peri urban areas often stop anywhere in the middle of the roads while picking up passengers. This includs round-abouts. There are matatu terminals in every street whereas the town’s by-laws requires Matatu to pick up passengers in designated spots including the main bus terminal. At time these vehicles stops just in the middle of round-about, even during busy hours. Disaster is in the waiting, but this could be avoided if the town\ administration could collaborate well with police traffic section in Kisumu to ensure that no vehicle is allowed to pick up passengers at the round-about.

Kisumu Town Clerk Christopher Rungana could not be reached for his immediate comment. The County governor Jack Ranguma was nowhere to be reached for comments.

Residents fear that the City might not succeed in attracting investors. No sensible investor would risk his money investing in a town where there is inadequate basic services such as water supplies and town street lights.

It appears as if the refuse collection gangs previously working for the Municipality have been disbanded and the business of reuse collection contracted to private businesses.

Ends