Investment on Nairobi Streets [The Families]

Ever taken a walk in the city e.g. from GPO via Kenyatta avenue cross Moi Avenue to Tom mboya street luthuli avenue go down to accra road turn right head onto Ronald ngala street cross over and jump to that street that leads you to Nyamakima bus stop take a step further and face Muthurwa and get in there.....(
am sure by so doing you have a picture of the surroundings, there are places you walk with no fear others where you have to walk in 3D just in case you have your socks disappear without removing your shoe)

Some years back, before Kibaki took over power from MO1(em oh one) such a walk would cost you your phone, wallet, shoes and a scratch on your skin (depending on how soft it is). Street families were all over and you had to walk with a serious face to scare them away; and also some coins to rescue you just in case you are cornered with a tin of 'isht' (I remember sometime back on ronald ngala street, I was escorting my girlfriend to Campus and this young boy shows up and asks for tea, my friend I only had bus fare to take the two of us to thika road and back. I tried to explain to the chap that I had no chums, he could hear non of that (it was bollocks to him). I thought I would survive by just smiling to him until he showed me a tin and told me ''hakuna haja nikuaibishe na hii burungo'' (the tin was full of 'isht'). Its at this point that I realized 'I dont have friends in town', i easily reached for my pockets and withdrew a ten shilling coin. That saved me, my girl wasnt aware of what was going on until when i told her.

Well, such cases were too obvious and happened in the CBD not just down town. People have been smeared with such stuff, smacked on their faces, clothes aah...grrrrrrrrh! During this time we also had those pretenders who smeared their legs with tomato sauce and pile blankets and fake bandages on their feet in the name of seducing you to offer them financial support. They were all over the streets especially Haile Selasie avenue and Tom Mboya st. Pata potea is another group that would friendly con you with switching kadi ya pesa and made sure that they allowed you to win at least once and lose heavily. You were not allowed to walk away after a win, the guys would killl you for that.

These and many more street families caused havoc on the streets and lanes of Nairobi. The Nairobi city council managed to bring some sort of sanity on the streets when they wiped them off and took most of them to NYS (national youth service), some to rehab centres and peace came back to the streets of nairobi. This was when Mzee Baks took over from Moi. People comfortably started walking around with their expensive phones and jewellery without fear. Who would have thought of going to shop for clothes at Ngara or buy spare parts on Kirinyaga road? But now you can do it even at odd hours (at your own risk though...just in case).

However, I have two problems...1. the families seem to be back in numbers...Westlands area being the most affected area. The tu-boys and girls are all over and car owners being the easy prey. I have 3 friends who lost their phones all in a period of one week at the same spot. As you approach westlands area if you are a driver please raise your car windows and stay alert. The same is happening in some spots in down town especially bus station, nyamakima and Muthurwa areas. Is the city council watching and what are they doing about it, I asked this question on twitter and one chap @thekimutai said...its election year (am not sure of the relation, you tell me if you can relate). It is not a good picture to see street boys navigating the CBD with dirty gunias collecting trash from the bins (isnt this the work of city council)??

2. There is these group of physically challenged people on the streets who have mats or boards with writings asking for money for their hospital bills. Question number 1 -- How do they get at these spots everyday and 2. who takes them home in the evening, 3. My major concern.....Ever wondered where these chaps disappear to when there are chaos in town, non of them gets injured and you wont see them during the skirmishes. How do they get to safety? After the dust has settled you find them back at their destined spots for business as usual. Well, sometime back I was talking to a friend of mine who told me that those guys are peoples projects (investment). They are dropped on the streets very early in the morning in some flashy cars and picked up in the evening. Someone is always stationed to watch over them all day. They collect lots of cash from us on a daily basis. I wonder how much they take home after their bosses take their share. Well not all of them do these but this is something..............................i dont have words to fill in there.

And what about those who send their kids to beg for cash from pedestrians (that alley behind Stanchart next to Mr Price is one notorious spot).

I am sure you going to say that I dont have mercy....you with your mercy keep giving the coins to them and attract them there everyday and tell me how that is helping them and you and the society as a whole. We shouldnt be allowing such families on the streets in the first place, why do we watch insane people walk naked on our streets? In some nations such people would be put under some management programe. We shouldnt be capitalising on someone's weakness or disability to harvest money from the haves. If you do such stuff I would suggest you go and parade your 'employees' outside parliament and/or between Harambee house and Agip house (Now PM's office) or along Harambee avenue...

What do you think about these families? Your comments please.... It could end up fixing the problem, not what i've written but your thoughts taken into consideration.

PS: Euro championship is here again....I dont know why but am routing for France even though am a Germany die-hard fan.

Yeah, Its that boy Ernie.....again!
Dont ngeta me please!