NAIROBIANS HAVING HARD TIME OBSERVING BEAUTIFICATION RULES

By Maritim Evans

Nairobians thought they were not supposed to step on grass just because United States President Barack Obama was expected in town.

Nairobians did not know that Nairobi County Government under the leadership of Governor Evans Kidero had decided to embellish the city and revive its previous name, the City in the Sun.

About ten days before the United States President landed in the country, Nairobi County Government embarked on a serious beautification process that saw every space on the main highways filled with overnight-flower-beds.

The beautification captured the attention of international media houses with Ugandan leading newspapers, The New Vision and Daily Monitor, reporting that Nairobi was running against time to embellish the city before the world most powerful man landed in the city. 

The county government has not relented in making sure that the city is clean perhaps to shield the debate that went viral just before the arrival of Obama that the city was being beautified just because he was coming to Kenya.

Yesterday, 71 people were arrested by county Askaris because they were found stepping on the grass or crossing restricted flower gardens on major highways in Nairobi.

This man was caught stepping on grass planted along Uhuru Highway, Nairobi.

The arrest of the people rekindled a heated debate on social media with many supporting the move by the county government to arrest the law-breakers and some questioning the logic behind arrest of several individuals just because they stepped on grass.

It may not be business as usual at the city as long as the grass is still intact.

In the past, no one was allowed to sit on benches meant to safeguard flowers from being stepped on.  That ended after sometimes after the county government took charge of the city cleanness. That was Nairobi of five years ago.

There was a time Nairobi was ranked the cleanest city in Africa. That name really portrayed Nairobi well, but after sometimes the city became one of the dirtiest cities in the world. Even places near parliament buildings and office of the president were just equal to some places at the outskirts of the city.