'Deep potholes, dark rooms and noise pollution': Kilimani residents decry effects of uncontrolled developments

In the latest instance, some residents living on the Kindaruma Road stretch have complained about the eye sore and dangers posed by the huge potholes.

They say the huge potholes have caused superficial traffic on the stretch as vehicles try to avoid the damaged sections, fearing that their vehicles will be spoilt.

Speaking to Wananchi Reporting on Tuesday, Tracy Wandera, a resident, at one of the apartments on the stretch, said, “This place is an eye sore. From the many apartments and mini shopping malls mushrooming everywhere, it is becoming a mess. I have to take a longer route to avoid Kindaruma Road because there are huge potholes that have been caused by construction trucks making their rounds several times a day.” 

She continued, “When you’re not contending with the noise pollution, you have to add onto your budget the cost of washing your vehicle more frequently than you’d like because of the deep potholes that retain water after it rains and you end up having vehicles from the opposite side splashing that dirty water on your car.”

Wandera said the situation is worse for pedestrians, who have to be agile to avoid getting knocked over and having water splashed on them, as some motorists are so focused on avoiding the deep potholes, that they forget to mind those on foot.

Developers have been building units higher and higher up as they seek to maximise on their returns, with rooms in apartment units getting smaller and smaller.

Stanley Warui, another resident, complained about the size of his unit.

“I bought this house when it was not yet complete and many promises were made about amenities and the prestige of the units, but right now, I regret my decision because the bedrooms are so small and dark. There’s no lighting and we have had to convert one room to a study because it is too small to be considered a bedroom,” he lamented.

Kilimani, once known for stand-alone homes, has now been infiltrated by developers building up to 20 floors and more.