A crackdown by City Hall on a cartel involving its parking attendants and motorists last week revealed the extent to which it was losing crucial revenue. The Nairobi county government deserves to be commended for cracking the whip on rogue elements within its midst.
It announced that it had achieved its daily parking revenue target of KSh 2 Million after an operation led by senior staff set out to clamp vehicles without parking receipts. Despite automating the collection of parking fees, collusion between the attendants and motorists had seen car owners avoid paying the KSh 300 daily fee in exchange for bribes.
But the battle against corruption cannot be won by waging a single war. It should be a sustained effort in order to plug the revenue leakages.
We would also like to urge the City Hall officials to go a step further and rid the streets of gangs that have taken over some parking zones in the capital.
These cartels operate with a callous attitude since they know they are protected. The crackdown should extend to the security enforcement unit whose duty it is to ensure that such characters are removed.
Many motorists have been left at the mercy of these goons who operate in cahoots with parking attendants in fleecing vehicle owners.
Since it takes two to tango, gullible motorists who opt to bribe the crooked attendants to avoid paying the official fee should also not escape censure.
All those found guilty of taking part in the scam should be punished.
According to City Hall, nearly 100 vehicles were clamped in the one-day operation, which just goes to show that the problem is endemic.
The county government needs every single cent collected to meet its service delivery obligations to Nairobi residents. These services range from garbage collection, water provision, sewer management, street lights and so forth.
