Why two Naivasha youth groups clashed over management of public toilet

Drama unfolded in Naivasha town earlier this week after a group of youth took control of one of the public toilets in the town centre.

This group, named Mountain Movers youth group, started controlling the toilet located at the Nairobi–Naivasha matatu terminus.

So why did they do so?

Speaking to their Secretary, Edward Gathito says that they had followed the due process to be able to control the facility.

“We have been able to get all the necessary documentation from the county government so as to be able to control the facility, but there are those senior officials who have found a way of continuously benefiting from proceeds of this toilet,” he notes.

He continues to say, “The facility had been neglected for over a year now. On October 21, we stepped in and cleaned the toilets—something that had not been done for a while—and the toilets were even being used. However, on October 22, we were told by authorities to stop it, and we were even reprimanded.”

We reached out to the area MCA, Mwangi Muraya, who denied the fact that this group has documents that would support them working.

“There is a group that is currently controlling the toilet, and their contract is not over. What usually happens is, a two-to-three-year contract is given to youth groups to run the public toilets. After the end of the group’s tenure, we have them, together with other groups, apply for a chance to run the facility,” he says.

The legislator continues to say, “I do not understand how the group alleging they won the contract got it, yet they do not have a letter of approval from the relevant authority that permits them to do so. It also raises questions about how they went ahead to control a facility without proper authorization.”

So why is this an issue?

Simon Wakaba, an opinion leader in Naivasha, says that this is one of the empowerment programs that targets the youth.

“The youth empowerment groups in the area usually apply for the chance to control this and other such facilities. They get into an agreement with the county, where they part with some small fee monthly and keep the rest for themselves,” he says.

Simon says that there are those within the ranks of the government who have exploited this and are using it to benefit themselves while the youth who need these jobs are languishing in unemployment.

The MCA however denies allegations of pulling the strings as a means to gain profit and frustrate the youth.

“I am in no way benefiting from this youth empowerment program. In fact, if these youth followed the due process and got the work, I would fully support them. However, at the moment, they are on the wrong side of the law, and we cannot condone that. There are so many other groups that applied, and whichever group gets the go-ahead through the proper channels, then they can operate it,” he says.