A lobby group has urged the county government of Nakuru to come up with stringent measures to ease congestion in Nakuru town.
People’s Power Watch group, through its chairman Edwin Ngengi, called on Governor Kinuthia Mbugua to decongest the town’s Central Business District (CBD) to attract investors.
“We call upon the county leadership to clear vendors and unauthorised parking lots from the CBD to restore the beauty of the town, which was once rated as the cleanest town in East Africa,” said Ngengi, adding that the scenario has forced people to walk on the road, fighting for space with cars and risking their lives.
Ngengi revealed that some corrupt officials were colluding with matatu owners to allocate them stages within the CBD, thus causing congestion and jams within the town.
He further said that grabbing of road reserves and pavements was on the increase since the inception of county governments and called upon the governor to punish non-performing county officials whom he claimed are perpetuating the misconduct.
Ngengi also asked the county to put in place strict policies governing drainage, garbage collection and smoking so as to restore sanity in the town.
“People are throwing garbage in drainage systems, spitting anywhere – a practice that is slowly turning the town ugly. We should have laws regulating such conduct,” he told reporters.
He expressed concern that if the situation is not urgently addressed, the town will turn into a filthy and congested place that will turn away investors.