1963 plan to rid streets of beggars remains a dream

By KENNETH KWAMA

The anti-urinating squad formed by the Nairobi City County to arrest and prosecute residents found urinating in public is yet to make an impact one month after formation.

Despite the formation of the special unit whose sole mission was to arrest those found answering calls of nature on the streets and other public places, many residents still do so in prohibited places in defiance of the general nuisance rule of city bylaws.

The county’s spat with the ill-mannered, who still continue to defy its bylaws, could be a modern example of how special units and taskforces are formed to tackle various issues, but never accomplish the aim for which they were created in the first place.

It was the same situation in 1963. Independence was beckoning and Kenyans had had a whiff of freedom, which they thought would result in a better life.

Tough times, however, continued sending several Africans to beg on the streets of Nairobi — a development that was of great concern to the city’s founding fathers.

Then mayor of Nairobi Charles Rubia contemplated a taskforce to probe the issue, but settled on forming an advisory committee, which was referred to as the ‘Committee on begging’. It was tasked to devise a method to contain the problem, and if possible, help in the rehabilitation of the beggars.

Little or No success

On this day in 1963, The East African Standard quoted Rubia saying; “It’s not just another committee. It’s a group of people representing various organisations with a deep and practical interest in the whole problem of indigents and cripples - a real working party - and we are already thrashing out proposals for a new centre and the training of beggars who can be turned into useful citizens.”

Like the anti-urinating squad, the committee on begging was given the power to enable it carry out it’s mandate. Rubia also set up a fund for it.

According to reports, Rubia appealed to citizens and visitors not to give alms to beggars on the city streets. This, he said, only perpetuated the problem. “Generally speaking, our attack is two-pronged. We are providing a humane alternative to begging, and we are also seeking a strengthening of the law and better enforcement to keep beggars off the street,” said Rubia.

Not much is known about how effective Rubia’s strategy worked, but judging from the high number of beggars on the streets in Nairobi CBD and its environs, it didn’t achieve much.

County officials have not reported back on their latest initiative to stop people from urinating on walls and in hidden corners within the city, but are there chances of success or is it just one of those projects that were initiated at the heat of the moment?

Rubia was humble enough to admit his project was not as successful; “We realise we haven’t made a big impact as yet, but we have persuaded 17 unfortunates to use our temporary home at Bahati.”