The wrath that has been meted on motorists by some rogue Nairobi city county askaris is enough to discourage one from driving in the Nairobi central business district if not from owning a car altogether.
We have of late been treated to heinous drama where some askaris are filmed harassing motorists in broad daylight in the name of enforcing compliance.
In some extreme and quite unfortunate cases, people’s vehicles have been wrecked.
The parking quagmire in Nairobi has for the longest time become a cash cow for rogue county askaris and owners of tow trucks.
The trucks conventionally known for towing stalled vehicles or wreckages from accident scenes have been misused as tools of intimidating motorists within Nairobi.
It has also not been easy telling genuine parking attendants from impostors.
While the payment of parking fees is mandatory as a key revenue stream for the county, collection of the same should be done in a humane manner guided by decorum.
Thankfully, some sort of order seems to have been restored since the Kenya Revenue Authority was appointed the principal revenue collector for the Nairobi city-county government.
The move seems to tighten the noose on the neck of the cartels that have been terrorizing motorists.
The most recent step taken by the taxman in partnership with other arms under the Nairobi city-county government requiring parking attendants to photograph registration plates of non-compliant motorists is laudable.
It will go a long way in resolving disputes arising from the payment of parking fees in an orderly and amicable manner.
In contemporary times where impersonation has become the order of the day, it is key for members of the public to utilize the various resources announced by the KRA to authenticate whoever claims to work for either KRA or the Nairobi city-county government.
Perhaps the authorities should go a step further and ban the use of privately owned tow trucks and provide a better option if towing is necessary.
That way, there will be more accountability should one’s vehicle suffer any damage.
Kimani Wairimu
Nairobi
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
