Outcry as Eastleigh's General Wariungi Street remains in darkness for six months

Street families at General Wariungi Street in Eastleigh. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)

By Abdirahman Khalif
Tuesday, March 19, 2024

The absence of adequate lighting has not only affected businesses but also attracted street families to the street.

Residents, hawkers, and commuters along a section of General Wariungi Street in Eastleigh are concerned with the malfunctioning of the streetlights.

The stretch between Madina Mall roundabout and Equity Bank roundabout has been enveloped in darkness for nearly six months after the streetlights malfunctioned over six months ago.

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The absence of adequate lighting has not only affected businesses but also attracted street families, turning the area into a makeshift home and raising security concerns. As night falls, these families congregate in large numbers, some even resorting to sleeping on central reservations, exacerbating the sense of insecurity.

Fatuma Sabdow, a camel milk and dates vendor near Decale Hotel, expressed the challenges of operating in such conditions.

"It's tough doing business at night, it's too dark," she lamented, highlighting how the lack of streetlights has significantly impacted visibility and sales opportunities for vendors like herself.

General Wariungi Street in Eastleigh. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)

Moreover, with many Muslims attending late night Taraweeh prayers during Ramadan, there are heightened fears regarding safety.

Abdullahi Ali, who prays in Masjid Sunnah on Twelfth Street, voiced his concerns about using the darkened road after prayers. "The street families here make it more unsafe, we need lights," he said.

Adding to the woes, a month ago, a borehole drilling company damaged a section of the road, leaving it muddy.

Subsequent exposure to Nairobi's scorching sun has transformed the mud into dust, worsening the situation.

The heavy traffic along this road further compounds the issue, as motorists leave behind clouds of dust, affecting both road users and hawkers alike.

Despite the recent visit by Governor Johnson Sakaja to Eastleigh, during which city askaris undertook a cleanup operation, the area quickly reverted to its poor state.

The recurrence of garbage accumulation underscores the broader neglect and lack of sustained efforts to address the challenges facing this section of General Wariungi Street.

The Eastleigh Voice contacted Kimutai Bett, the streetlight engineer responsible for the Eastleigh area, for a comment, but our attempts to contact him by phone were unsuccessful as our calls went unanswered.