By: N. George
Worth Noting:
- Land buying companies saw an advantage in this pattern of land ownership and they targeted the upper lower-class people with small plots like 30 by 80 feet, 40 by 80 feet and 50 by 80 feet.
- To them, they market it as fashionable to own a residential house in urban centres which is seen as an economic progress and the demand has led to increase in the prices of these plots.
- In my opinion the idea of small plots is not an ideal one. Should people prefer owning flats through being seen as fashionable rather than bungalows if land is not big enough then it could have been better?
Imagine the uproar if the Federal government tried to make everyone wear a radio transmitter around their neck so we can keep track of their movements. But people happily carry their cell phones in their purses and pockets. …………………Lee Child.
In many nations it is likely that you find the highest office holder in the land appearing in public with the spouse that is if he is a man he appears with his wife and if he is a lady he appears in the public with his husband.
One of the reasons for this is to encourage the public or subjects to hold family values dearly by remaining together as a couple, appreciating your spouse.
When the rest of the population see the first family jointly appearing in public together many of those in leadership feel happy to follow suit. The rest of the population are happy and willing to imitate them. It looks fashionable many people do not wish to be left out.
The fourth Kenyan president has a habit of wearing kitenge shirts. This has been emulated by the governors of counties, speakers of both the national assembly and the senate, a huge number of politicians and the general public. It has become a subculture.
There is the feeling of belonging among all those who wear it. In general, kitenge is a wax print fabric usually with bright colour, patterns and interesting designs. It is usually warm cloth made of cotton material and slightly expensive than other materials.
The deputy president of Kenya is fond of wearing coloured trousers. Most of them are fitting trousers and bright-coloured. A huge number of people admire his fashion consequently such kind of clothing has become popular more so among the general youthful generation as well as the politicians who subscribe to his political philosophy.
In Kenya those belonging to the upper class are fond of living in urban centres where they own land measuring from two acres and above. For around twenty years or so ago the middle class has emulated them by purchasing lands near urban centres around an acre then build residential houses instead of renting.
Land buying companies saw an advantage in this pattern of land ownership, and they targeted the upper lower-class people with small plots like 30 by 80 feet, 40 by 80 feet and 50 by 80 feet.
To them, they market it as fashionable to own a residential house in urban centres which is seen as an economic progress and the demand has led to increase in the prices of these plots.
In my opinion the idea of small plots is not an ideal one. Should people prefer owning flats through being seen as fashionable rather than bungalows if land is not big enough then it could have been better?
Exercising is an important practice for improving the physical fitness of the people but if the government emphasize on it and make it compulsory as a way of reducing health costs associated with lifestyle, people would see it as a punishment and would tend to rebel against the government but if high ranking government officials and public figures engage in it and publicize it claiming that it is the one that helps them to remain fit many of their fans would follow the trend without raising questions. Anyone failing to do so will be seen as old-fashioned.
The Kenyan government has improved accessibility within the country for both people and goods by building roads both tarmac and bitumen. In areas like Nairobi through Nairobi metropolitan services they have improved transport in the city by building footpaths and rehabilitating the dilapidated public structures.
Some of the issues which have remained a thorn in the fresh include public transport where traffic jams have been rampant despite expansion of major roads leading to and out of the capital city. Issues like phasing out low-capacity public transport vehicles have been proposed as a way of easing the traffic but if you look at the number of private vehicles serving in the city it is also considerably high. Motorbikes have made the situation worse by being in huge numbers in the city and failing to adhere to traffic rules.
With the population continuing to rise more and more people are expected to be residing and visiting the city currently the residents are more than four million, yet the infrastructure was planned to serve less than a million people, so there is strain in the resources.
One of the easy ways to solve the issue of transport is by popularizing the use of public transport by most of those residing and visiting the city but since the leaders are preferring private transport so are the other privileged members of the society.
Should public transport systems like use of rail be made popular, secure and fashionable with some leaders using it on almost daily basis it would do a great deal in encouraging the masses to use public transport instead of private transport thereby easing the traffic. It would be an uphill task to compel people to use public transport especially the ones ferrying masses but if made fashionable it would easily be achieved.
Let the government learn to use soft power and a lot will be achieved without much struggle, pain or hatred.
Mary Karau Ngethe