“When the police are called upon to sort out issues that require their immediate attention, they drag and take their sweet time , sometimes they demand for money to purchase fuel or even ask to be sent for a taxi,’’ lamented one resident at Ngando location in Dagoretti constituency.

“They are however, very quick to come when someone informs them that there is a Chang’aa – illicit brew- den in the area. They know that this is a cash cow where they can demand for bribes from the brewers. They come rushing, destroy the paraphernalia used to make the brew, pretend like they have arrested them and release them an hour later after they have been bribed,” added another resident.
Corruption is one of the major challenges that the residents of Ngando have had to grapple with for a very long time and they say that they are ready to fight this vice. The residents here also complain of being victimised at times when they report cases at the police station.

“There was a time when people here could not report anything to the police as it had been alleged that they were in cahoots with the criminals. Many residents would see all the things going on wrong in the area but keep quiet for fear of reprisals,’’
narrated one resident. They however, say that they are tired of corruption as it is a major hindrance to development in the area.

Taking a walk in Ngando, one will see for themselves the state of affairs; poor service delivery as the area has been utterly neglected and especially during this rainy season. The situation here is simply an eyesore that needs immediate attention before it becomes any worse. One has to struggle to get a place to step on as nearly everywhere is wet. The poor drainage systems have led to sewers flooding everywhere and before one is able to access their house, they have to struggle. This leaves the children vulnerable to water borne diseases as one can see them playing in the open fields oblivious of the dangers lurking.

The residents here opine that the leaders they had elected for a long time had let them down as they were non-performers and that this time round, they would think twice before electing any other person who is not in any way focused on improving their living conditions.
“The leaders we have elected are very selfish and only think of themselves and their families and nothing to do with the people who elected them,” lamented one resident.

During a recent Trainers of Trainers (TOT’s) meeting at the National Independent church in the area, the residents confessed that the deplorable living conditions were also their undoing. The fact that they elected non-performing leaders, meant that they had to bear the consequences of their actions.

Silas Mugo – a peer educator and the trainer states that the community faces a myriad of problems that range from poor health facilities that do not stock sufficient medication, water problems as the taps are always dry, as well as the lack of proper infrastructure. During the meeting, the residents were eager to learn about the rights that the constitution has bestowed on them. Ignorance was mentioned as one of the major hindrances to the gains made so far, as far as constitutionalism was concerned.

The fact that most of the residents know very little about the constitution and the rights therein should be a reason to worry. Considering that the devolved system of government will be in place after the general elections which are just around the corner, yet they have no idea what they senator or the governor shall be responsible for, means that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission needs to carry out major education to ensure that Kenyans are aware of the roles of the new leaders and how they can be put to task.

The enthusiastic crowd however, was able to ask enlightening questions that gives them knowledge on matters arising in their day to day lives. They stated categorically that this time round, they shall not follow blindly what the politicians will say but rather, they speak with one voice, dissect their manifestos before voting for them

“For the longest time, the problem has been that the residents here speak with different voices. The lack of unity amongst us has ensured that politicians have a smooth ride as people are most often divided along tribal lines,” stated one resident.
“Electing bad leaders is one thing we shall not do this time around. As women, we have said that enough is enough. We will not be cowed to voting in people who have proven that they cannot perform. The current councillor who has served for two terms yet nothing has changed since he got in, he has no track record whatsoever of development will not get our votes,” stated Jane.
The Landlords have also been cited as some of the people responsible for some of the problems facing the residents in this area. The only care they have is to make money at all costs. They work in cahoots with the councillors to ensure that water pipes are not connected in the area so that they can make profits by selling water to the residents, yet they pay rent.

Lack of qualified staff in heath facilities, poor pay for government employees has led them to seek for alternative means of earning a living and thus care less about the public sector.
The lack of public schools in the area is also a situation that warrants attention. The number of school- going children is increasingly becoming bigger everyday yet nothing is being done to address this with regards to thinking about a public school for the residents of Ngando. To make matters worse, some of the teachers in the available schools are untrained and in some instances, one teacher will be tasked with ensuring that several classes are up and running. “These are some of the things that have led to concurrent poor performance in this area as the interruptions, lack of sufficient staff, and other factors hinder the intellectual development of our children. The congestion in the classes is also s is also not very healthy as communicable diseases are easily spread, ” stated Mama Rosina.

The important bit to note in all this is that the Huduma service which was recently introduced to church leaders of OAIC and the general public is being utilised appropriately. One is required to send an SMS to 3018 to report anything that is wrong in health centres, in public offices, embezzling of public funds and other misdoings and the report will reach the relevant authorities who will in return take appropriate actions to see to it that order is restored. Log on to www.huduma.info for more information.

The residents stated that people go to church to pray but forget to engage the authorities and this was counter-productive.
Other suggested solutions to some of the problems they encounter include: Engaging the City council to see to it that the drainage is improved as well as organising themselves for a clean –up exercises to improve their environment for their own good.
Ngando residents also noted that the allocation of bursaries needed to be looked into as they were given to known people, who have the resources while the real poor continue to live in abject poverty. They stated that they shall organise themselves in groups and face the CDF committees responsible and demand for answers.

They also mentioned the lack of employment especially among the youth as a problem that needs immediate attention as if addressed, the rising insecurity cases will reduce tremendously. They stated that the young people need to be educated on entrepreneurship and how to manage small businesses in order to empower them. The issue of drug and substance abuse which is becoming a threat should also be addressed as soon as possible.
The residents vowed to fight poverty, poor leadership, tribalism as they have realised at the end of the day the leaders propagating the vice are doing it to benefit themselves and their families.