Unemployment has emerged as the most pressing problem facing Nairobi residents.
According to pollster Tifa's latest findings released on Wednesday, only about one-third of Nairobi residents currently work full-time, whether employed in the private or public sector or through self-employment.
“This reality helps to explain why more than half identify economic issues (unemployment, inflation, poverty, and hunger) as the most serious challenge facing people in their respective localities,” the poll findings say.
The hunger for employment among Nairobi residents was revealed in the just concluded registration of Phase Three of the Kazi Mtaani Programme.
Data from the State department of Urban Housing and Planning highlighted that 1,158,893 Kenyan youths have registered for the Kazi Mtaani programme.
In terms of counties, Nairobi recorded the highest number of registration with 179,000 followed by Kiambu with 78,000 and Nakuru 60,000.
The poll suggests that the unemployment problem is closely followed by water and electricity at 16 percent as a major problem facing city residents.
This is followed by high cost of living at 14 per cent , crime, seven per cent and poverty at five per cent.
To address the issue of water shortage and access, Nairobi Metropolitan Services has drilled 193 boreholes across Nairobi Informal settlements at a cost of Sh1.7 billion.
The boreholes supply more than 40 million litres of water for at least two million city residents, mostly in the slums.
Nairobi has been experiencing perennial water shortage, leading to rationing of the basic need with households getting water once or twice in a week.
However, the situation is expected to change once some of the mega water projects in Nairobi are completed.
Green spaces and parks in Nairobi will soon have streetlights integrated with free Wi-Fi for use by residents who frequent them, Nairobi Metropolitan Services said.
Early this year , NMS Director-General Mohamed Badi said that there are plans to modernise streetlights in Nairobi into a smart light system.
Some of the green spaces targeted include Michuki Park, City Park, Central and Uhuru parks, Jevanjee Gardens, Jamhuri Park and Ngong Road forest.
The NMS boss said that since taking over the four transferred functions, he had repaired 50,000 street lights.
The shift to the smart light system will also see some of the street lights integrated with cameras for protection and security.
Edited by CM
