City residents raise concern over garbage, sewage around Muthurwa market

Garbage thrown in and around Muthurwa Market due to perceived lack of utilities is causing serious concern among residents of Nairobi who visit the market.

Residents who spoke to Wananchi Reporting said the market is slowly sinking in garbage; made up of rotting vegetable waste, discarded fruits, used vehicle oil left behind by unscrupulous mechanics and matatu operators to soak the ground, mud, sewage and dirty water.

Meanwhile, raw sewage escaping from the nearby surrounding estate can be seen boiling and forcefully escaping from loosely covered manholes and sewer lines -- just on the other side of the Landhies road.  This is what you see before entering the open air market from the Eastlands side. 

A long trench running parallel to a major road joining Jogoo Road Roundabout at the City Stadium area running into Muthurwa Market has also been turned into a dumping area.

“Overgrown grass and all manner of garbage block what is supposed to be the the drainage line channeling water away from the road. This is what causes flooding on this road whenever it rains in Nairobi,” said Tanui.

Residents now want the market, that touches the lower sides of the Central Business District, cleaned, grass mowed, drainage lines opened and order restored to its old glory.

The walkways inside the market are narrow, many of them having been taken over by traders and hawkers. 

“The walking areas are very thin, which makes it very difficult to walk freely especially if you are carrying luggage or have children,” said Alphonse Tanui, a resident of Nairobi.

A number of traders have spread their goods right upto the neck of the tiny corridors used by shoppers – and the same 'corridors' are used by a wide range of very hardworking, yet quite hot headed cart pullers and loaders. 

It’s very easy to get injured while walking in the market because you can be hit by a mkokoteni puller or people carrying heavy loads on their shoulders and shouting 'wewe' as their only means on honking.

"The other day a loader crashed into an old lady, sending her to the ground. The loader didn't stop to even check on the poor woman. You have to be careful when walking in the market," said Priscila Mwende, a vegetable trader in Embakasi. Adding that going to the market is like going to war.

She says that all they want is some order, and proper hygiene.

Meanwhile, Nairobi county officers have in the recent weeks heightened crackdown on traders and residents of Nairobi who litter the capital, a move many have welcomed.