Hop, step and jump: Death traps right in the centre of Nairobi city

On September 10 last year, Nicholas Kubuni left his home in Utawala and headed to Nairobi’s Country Bus station to meet a relative who had travelled from upcountry to pay his family a visit.

An upbeat Mr Kubuni arrived at the terminus on time—at 5.30am. But something happened that immediately turned his world upside down.

“After making a few steps from the main entrance, I found myself inside a deep pit full of smelly sewage. Two people came to my rescue but afterwards I could not walk as I had injured my right leg. I hired a taxi to take me home and I later went to hospital,” narrates Mr Kubuni, 52.

The father of three spent four days at Rehina Rosary Hospital in Githunguri where it was established that he suffered fractures in his right leg.

Five months later, Kubuni is still on crutches and still goes for medical checkups. He has so far spent over Sh200,000 on medication.

Kubuni, 52, is just one of the people who have sustained painful, life-threatening injuries after falling into the myriad open manholes in the city, thanks to Nairobi City County’s recklessness and laissez-faire attitude.

Human waste

Some have escaped unscathed after plunging into the open pits, but with a good amount of human waste in their shoes and clothes.

The businessman has never been able to return to work since he suffered the debilitating injuries. As a result, he says, it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to pay school fees for his children who are in secondary school and college. He is planning to sue the county government for negligence after he recovers fully.

“I have a family and children who depend on me. I will take a legal action against the county government,” he says.

The situation is especially bad during the rainy season when the roads get flooded making it impossible to spot the manholes.

“It is unfortunate that people have lost their lives by falling into open drains and manholes. It is the responsibility of the county government to be cautious and ensure that they are always covered up,” Kubuni emphasised.

Peter Muya, a matatu driver, told The Standard that he has on several occasions been forced to part with money to get out his vehicle out of a manhole.

But unlike Kubuni, some people are now used to the mess in the city. Some pedestrians know the exact points where the open manholes are and also know exactly what to do to avoid being hurt; hop, step and jump.

Others - those who spend much of their time in the city - such as matatu crew, cart pushers and street children even avoid the trouble spots by using the other side of the road or a different road.

But those who don’t know walk into the death traps with their eyes wide open.

During rainy seasons, Sammy Githinji, a cart pusher at Country Bus station, usually helps motorists and pedestrians to avoid the flooded, invisible manholes.

Street men take advantage of the situation to charge a fee in order to help people to cross the flooded road at the exit of the stage.

Road and Transport Executive Mohammed Abdullahi however, defends the county government against allegations of recklessness saying the manhole covers are vandalised whenever they replace them.

“On several occasions, we have tried to cover the manholes but they are vandalised. We are doing everything possible to curb this menace,” he said.