Question

Explain the causes of the following problems in urban centres in Kenya.

1. Traffic congestion
2. Environmental degradation 

Answer 1

1. Traffic congestion 
   • The construction of administrative / commercial / educational function in the CBD lead to movement of large numbers of people to and from CBD especially during the rush hours.
   • The narrowness of the streets makes the movement of traffic around and out of the urban centre slow.
   • The increase of number of commuters/vehicles that flock in the morning and evenings has outstripped the capacity of the existing space.
   • Similar working schedules for most employees cause workers to report and leave work spaces at the same time leading to congestion.
   • Failure by motorists / pedestrians to comply to traffic rules interfere with smooth flow of traffic.
      
2. Environmental degradation 
   • The smoke / exhaust fumes from factories /cars/residential houses causes air pollution over the urban centres.
   • Careless disposal of effluents from factories/residential areas into water resources leads to water pollution.
   • Careless disposal /non – collection of garbage cause land pollution
   • The construction of buildings / factories lead to destruction of the landscape.
   • Careless disposal of waste materials from construction sites leads to tip – heaps that degrade the environment.