President William Ruto's resolve to have the riverbanks and their environs cleared of structures is a giant task whose success will depend on several factors.
Kenya is a land where impunity reigns supreme, even the 2010 constitution has not helped. In fact, some pundits think it heightened impunity.
Urban areas like Nairobi are teeming with illegal structures built everywhere without following regulations, building plans or code. Moving around the low-cost estates, one witnesses the kind of impunity that has seen all the spaces taken and filled with temporary structures.
The places are choking with ill-built environmental hazards yet money is collected from the unsuspecting citizens who have no alternative but to put up in shanties due to the high rental costs in other areas.
The recent deluge could have been an eye-opener but it won't, going by the past. Our attitude towards righting wrongs has made us remain where we were for as long as it takes. Any move aimed at doing good will elicit all manner of negative reactions and lengthy court cases will be mounted to stymie such prospects.
Previous governments might have had a hand in the sorry state of affairs but as proved by the aftermath of the floods, any further ambivalence will result in deadlier outcomes in future.
Already we are witnessing the devastating effect of meddling with nature and failing to implement our development plans as required. No amount of dithering can save us.
The President needs to cogently deal with impunity that has seen all the public places taken under the watch of the administration at lower levels.
Building construction regulator must do more and if it lacks the necessary teeth to bite, be equipped fully to deal with the runaway corruption, ineptitude and impunity in the building sub-sector.
Economic and political analyst
