Messrs Kirui (PS Local Government) and Katsolleh (Thika Town Clerk),

Further to my letter of 14th January, 2010, little or no action has been taken on the issue. A copy of the letter is attached for ease of reference. On 21st and 22nd January, 2010, on prompting by a call or a letter from Jogoo House, the council temporarily stopped work on the site and actually sent a demolition squad to the site. Phone calls were however made to “right” offices and the squad was recalled according to the workers at the site. The demolition squad claimed to have been urgently redeployed to another site in Ngoingwa. This was a face saving measure and no such demolition took place in Ngoingwa. On Saturday 23rd January, 2010, the Thika Mayor in an official car complete with a ceremonial flag made a visit to the site and held discussions with the rogue builder. Immediately thereafter, work at the site commenced in earnest. The Mayors’ visit must have to assure the builder that he has the full weight of the corrupt council behind him. It is also a public statement that if you are rich and corrupt, you will have your way in in Thika since the local government Ministry is sleeping on the job.

The building is now on the Third illegal floor and impunity reigns supreme. Am I surprised by all this? Thika Municipal Town Hall being the National Cathedral of Impunity and Corruption, only a delusional individual would be surprised. Council officials are known to take bribes but they have outdone themselves this time round. Corruption has a way of paying back and I guess its just a matter of time.

Down the road in the same area, at a shopping centre popularly known as Kwa-Pastor, there is a commercial building emitting sewerage effluence onto a Road reserve since its Septic tank did not meet specifications and Soak pit is full. This is worse in the rainy season. The soak pit was actually dug in the road reserve and its common knowledge that the council officials pocketed Ksh 20,000.00 from the old Lady owner to overlook the illegality. Another apartment block in the same area (and said to belong to the same Lord of impunity building at Kisiwa), caused a lot of mess on the road during the last rainy season due to poor storm water drainage coupled with sewerage effluence. This is a public health nightmare waiting to happen.

Residents Associations have been complaining about the situation but apparently no one is willing to listen. The last effort was on the 17th February 2010 where they delivered a memorandum to your office (the PS) after an attempt to meet you proved futile. The reason why they drove all the way to Nairobi is that trying to talk to Thika Municipal officials is tantamount to holding a discussion with Quarry stones.
I take this opportunity to congratulate the Thika Municipality, most sincerely for it’s efforts in creating a slum in the shortest time possible. It is apparent that the it’s vision will be realized way before Vision 2030.



EARLIER LETTER;


1/16/2010.

THE TOWN CLERK,
THIKA MUNICIPALITY,
PO BOX 240 – 01000,
THIKA.

Dear Sir,

Your building inspectors and council committee are violating the building code by failing to enforce building rules. Ngoingwa and Mangu investment area are supposed to be restricted development areas (Single dwelling unit per plot) whose built up area is not supposed to exceed a certain percentage coverage of the plot). A building is also not supposed to exceed two stories.
With collusion of your inspectors, a few rental flats have come up in total disregard of the rules and that of the laid down procedure and specifications.
A prime example is a three storey building on Block 19 Plot 1153 next to Kisiwa primary School. This is three Kilometers from Thika Road on Thika – Mangu Road. The building is still under construction but your inspector is behind the illegal approval of the same and is giving what is clearly wrong advice. The building has 100% plot coverage and leaves no room for a Septic tank leave alone Parking Space or Clothes drying area. This is in a residential neighborhood with no sewerage facility.
The Same building has evidence of very poor workmanship. Columns and slabs appear bent (not straight) and this makes one jittery given the recent trend of collapsing buildings in the country. The concrete mix for the slab also did not meet any known specifications in this country.

One fails to understand what is so special about this builder given the fact that other residents and investors are in compliance. The special treatment has given rise to speculation that the builder, a middle level civil servant with the Motor Vehicle inspectorate in Nyeri, is trying to launder money acquired through corruption as fast as possible. Would you please confirm whether your officers are on the take too? Given the fact that your inspector pays a visit to the site weekly and the specifications and laid down procedure are not being observed, would it be far fetched to conclude that his visit is motivated by the corruption windfall?

I have taken the liberty of copying this letter to the relevant authorities in the hope that corrective action will be taken urgently.

Please look into this matter before more damage is done.

Your Concerned Thika Resident,

FRED KAIGANAINE NGUGI.

CC.

Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga,
Prime Minister,Republic of Kenya,
14th floor, Treasury Building,
PO BOX 74434 – 0200,
NAIROBI.


Hon. Musalia Mudavadi,
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government,Jogoo House A, Taifa Road,
PO BOX 30004, NAIROBI.

Permanent Secretary,

Ministry of Housing,

Arthi House, Ngong Road,

Architectural Association of Kenya.

Engineers Society of Kenya.

Kenya Anti-Corruption Authority.

National Environment Management Authority.

I do not understand why local authorities can not respect their own zoning laws. Low density population areas do not have the infrastructure that ordinarily supports high density population zones like roads, storm water drainage and sewerage. Look at what happened to estates like Tena in Easlands. No roads, overflowing sewerage,flooding during rainy seasons and even no public schools. I pity those who build expensive houses in the early 1990's.

@Ngugifred. Your only option is to chase this Town Clerk out of Town if he cant listen to public outcry. I know the place and what a shame?

I am sorry sir, Kirui and Katsolleh were too busy making deals to respond to the issue. They were recently thrown out of office (albeit temporarily) for buying useless Cemetery land in Athi River for the City of Nairobi.The new game at Jogoo House and City Hole appears to be stealing from the dead and they are the principal players.

Thanks Mr.Ngugi.I have a house somewhere in this area and though regulated & controlled,I am starting to wonder if corruption should be allowed to interfere with the laid down standards for various areas.Its good this two have been sent parking but the problem in our country is lack of civic education.This is a middle level residential area which I think would not be difficult to get the residents know their rights and when they can say NO to anything which may end up compromising their safefy.By the way,Do we have NEMA in THIKA?? Lets use people POWER !!!Posters,Churches,Stickers and the Media.Take pictures,..send to the media etc

@mdkmwikx,
If this is the best run Town in this country, then its time to give up on Kenya.

Those in charge should get serious. Thika can easily turn out to be the best town in the country if everybody was to play his part well. It is currently loosing to Athi River and Kitengela and I believe that part of the problem is the Municipal Authority. You can not even have a building plan approved without being shaken down for bribes. The new Town Planner (Mutegi), might make a difference but the past one (one Ndungu and his drunk team mate Njuguna) was the worst thing that ever happened to Thika.