Few things demonstrate the problems of misplaced priorities and slow reactions as clearly as the loss of Sh2 billion in road signs and barriers to vandals in the last one year.
Copper and other metal prices have been hitting all-time-high prices for close to six years. It has been almost as long since the boom began to show itself the world over through increased vandalism of public infrastructure.
Locally, there has been much handwringing over the black market trade, but not nearly enough in legislative and practical measures to stem the spate of thievery. Meanwhile, scarce law enforcement resources are squandered on dealing with less critical matters.
During the reading of this year’s Budget, the Finance Minister proposed an amendment to the law that would give the police more power to deal with the problem.
He envisages the Internal Security Minister issuing regulations to compel identification and traceability of all scrap metal.
Dealers arrested could get jail terms of up to three years and have to pay up to Sh1 million in fines. This is all well and good, but a falsifiable system of records alone is no alternative to physical checks.
A vast majority of the damage recorded by the Kenya National Highways Authority in the last one year happened in Nairobi and Kiambu counties.
Overcoming the legal and practical hurdles to impromptu checks of such facilities should be a priority for Government and local authorities that have to fork out money to replace items stolen and sold off for scrap metal.
In the long run, it is much cheaper and effective to clamp down on scrap metal dealers than to replace the items that are stolen.