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| Street garbage in down town Nairobi. (Source, Daily Nation Newspaper) |
Nairobi needs garbage bins as a matter of urgency. Two months ago, i bought nicely sliced sugarcane to enjoy while walking from Haile salasie round about to United Kenya Club, next to the University of Nairobi. I requested the sugar cane vendor to give me an extra carrier bag so that i can put the cane husks (I mean the residue).I followed the Uhuru highway and the walk was quite pleasant under the big trees that cover the pedestrian path. The cane chewing made it even more fulfilling. By the time i reached Nyayo house, i was done with the cane and ready to dispose my cane husks, so the next logical thing was to look for a bin.
To my surprise, i did not find any bin until i reached my destination, the United Kenya Club. I was not very frustrated because i did not have much to carry, but still the nagging urge to dispose what i no longer needed was very much there. This experience spawned a lot of thoughts in my mind, what if i really needed to dispose something? How many people have the patience to carry their litter until they reach where they are going to be able to dispose? could it be that those who litter are not very bad people after all?
Needless to say, this experience evoked a "spot a bin" research within me.
I look for bins along pedestrian walkways even when i did not need them. It is my street obsession. To my surprise, i have realized there are no bins in most streets in the environs of Nairobi. The only places i have seen bins is in the city center, near parliament, Kenyatta avenue and around city hall. The pedestrian path from Hurlingham to Westlands has no bin yet there are many people who walk that road. The statehouse road has no bins either. Some paths are nicely paved and as a matter of fact very refreshing to take a walk. So i ask myself, is it that the planners of this city don't see bins as a basic need or they just ignore.
I have heard of cases where non-uniformed county staff are stationed at strategic locations to arrest those who dare drop any litter. To me the logical thing to do is instead of having those workers, use that money to put bins along walk ways and strategic areas for public use, and empty them regularly.
My curiosity has not been restricted to Nairobi only. Any time i visit a new place, I look out for bins. To be fair, the town that i have spotted a number of bins is Ukunda. I urge all organizations and even individuals to put bins outside your premises for a better cleaner environment. Above all, kindly carry your waste until you can dispose it appropriately, don't litter. You can join me in my spot a bin research and share your joy / frustrations in the comments section below.
