Today, Nairobi gubernatorial candidates will be hosted by KTN at 7.30pm where the aspirants are expected to explain how they hope to transform Nairobi as a world-leading Metropolis in East and Central Africa.
But experts are challenging the candidates to tell the public their stand points on traffic jam, inequalities in informal settlements, waste disposal, water supply and infrastructure road maps.
“The media must play a critical role in shaping the agenda by posing issue-based questions to the candidates for it is the only vetting platform which can save the public,” said Professor Alfred Omenya at workshop dubbed Urban journalist Forum.
University of Nairobi, Director of Centre for Urban Research and Innovation Prof Peter Ngau challenged those who will be elected to govern cities and urban areas to plan on realistic mechanisms to improve the cities and make urban areas economic hubs.
Public transport
He said that building more roads is not a panacea to the woes bedeviling the transport and communication in cities with Nairobi being the worst hit.
“We cannot solve the problem of traffic jams by constructing more roads. When Thika Super Highway was completed, it could take somebody only 15 minutes to drive from as far as Githurai to town but now it takes more than one hour to reach town,” said Ngau.
One option he said was to introduce efficient public transport through buses and commuter train networks
Speaking during the workshop sponsored by Embassy of Sweden that brought together journalists, experts in urban planning and built environment, experts faulted the current infrastructural development being done across the country, arguing standards were compromised leading to mushrooming of slums.
He said that the introduction of the Syokimau Railway service and building of Thika Highway which were supposed to ease congestion on city roads lacked vision despite the pompous launch of the multimillion projects and have failed to solve the traffic jams.
Ngau noted that access to sanitation in the informal settlements have been wanting with at least more than 1500 households sharing one tap of water.
“The next governor for Nairobi must address the social-economic rights as enshrined in the constitution. This will be the third liberation of Kenyans when they are finally emancipated from the yoke of poverty and live a dignified life,” added Ngau.
Although, the level of education in slum areas is high, abject poverty has remained a challenge to the government and the governor must be prepared to uplift living standards.
Civil Society Urban Development Programme Coordinator George Wasonga said that those who live in them and know the problems affecting the residents should plan cities.
Wasonga said that it is projected that over 50 per cent of Kenyans will be residing in urban space by the year 2030 which Kenya is supposed to have completed its envisaged Vision of becoming a middle income economy.
