The proposal that will see city resident’s access public toilets free could not have come at a better time. I applaud Governor Sonko for the move, which is workable. However, it is nothing new considering that in the nearby Machakos county, residents and members of the public who visit the region do not pay a single shilling to use the important facilities for quite some time now. If anything, the mandate of county government is to provide sanitation services including waste and garbage management, and this should not be left in the hands of a few individuals who have become more like cartels.

The public toilets we have in the city exchanged hands when I was a councilor, before the advent of devolution. They were given out to private individuals because at that time, there was a shortage of staff and running them was very hard. We now have adequate personnel and maintaining the facilities will not be a challenge. I will advise that the county should partner with organised groups of youth and women to make this noble proposal work.

Every new regime comes with changes and it is time city residents embraced this new development by Governor Mike Sonko. Cleanliness of the toilets and the security of the users, which were a major concern when they were free of charge during the defunct City Council days, should also be guaranteed when the fee is waived.