SAM’S SENSE: The politics of garbage – Nairobi County’s tool for settling scores

This week has shown the country a different side of the Nairobi City County Government. Extremes that we didn’t know were possible. We may have never imagined that garbage would be used as a weapon to settle scores, or as an attempt to settle debts.

And so tonight on my sense, I choose this new frontier. The frontier of garbage; Let’s speak some garbage then.

You see, it emerged like a bad joke on social media. As the videos circulated of what a spectacle Stima Plaza had become. I bet many Nairobians and Kenyans must have wondered, and where is that building in the first place? To which I say, Tembea Kenya.

In January this year, 50 days ago to be specific, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja flagged off some 24 garbage trucks with the sole intention to keep the city cleaner. He said, and I quote,  “Cleanliness is next to godliness; we cannot thrive in a dirty environment, and that’s why we must ensure our markets, streets, and estates are spotless.”

I wonder which City County Government official would dare go against such a serious declaration from the City boss. Where do people get their guts?

On that morning, there is a man or men who left their homes to go work for the great people of Nairobi. They arrived at the garbage trucks parking lot. Turned on the engine and made way to the road. On this day though, the assignment was for garbage delivery services.

Ordinarily, government officers who work in logistics carry a work ticket; on which they indicate the time of departure, the key readings on the vehicle’s dashboard and the expected destination. They must update that document as soon as new information is obtained or at least at the close of day.

And so, I wonder, on this day, how did they decide on the garbage loading point? Did they receive instructions or was it left to their own wisdom?

What was on their mind as they drove to the designated dumping site? When they reached the entrance of Stima Plaza, how did they choose the particular spot and decided, perfect! Drop it here!

And after offloading, did they look back to see the work of their hands? How did that make them feel? Knowing they have bosses at the office, did they call to inform that it’s done? Or were they asked to take a photo or a video as evidence of compliance?

You see in government there is a law on procurement and assets disposal.

Clearly Garbage is now an asset at the City County and can be deployed from time to time to settle long-running financial disputes.  Ordinarily, when you deliver a mzigo, there are delivery notes that need to be signed. I bet Stima Plaza was not going to sign off the delivery.

You see the first object of devolution is, “to promote democratic and accountable exercise of power.”

So, how did the Garbage delivery services account for their exercise of power? Apart from the chest-thumping press conferences we saw of senior county government officials belaboring the point of how justified they were to deliver garbage to a public utility, what else did that action achieve?

How much arrears did Kenya Power pay to the County government following the garbage actions and the water and sewerage cut-off?

And by the way, I checked out one of the garbage trucks on duty that Monday. On the website of the manufacturer, they describe the truck as, “reliable and durable, designed to handle heavy loads and tough conditions.”

But can our City County officials handle the heavy load of leadership?

The DPP has directed the police to investigate the events at Stima Plaza. Parliament and the interior cabinet secretary have called and promised that action will be taken against all those involved.

Should the police detain those involved, will the Garbage Delivery services be called upon to secure their release?

At a time many Nairobi residents are wishing for cheaper and more reliable garbage collection services, what sense does it serve City Hall to stake out at a public utility company with garbage actions, all in the name of debts?