- Waithaka argues that the creation of a national addressing system will promote better planning and provision of essential services.
- He pointed out that as it is currently most businesses and households across the country lack addresses and are located on unnamed streets.
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Have you ever been charged in a court of law for any offence? If yes, then you are targeted in a new bill that seeks to create a national address system if it is passed by MPs.
The National Addressing Bill, 2023 being sponsored by Kiambu MP Machua Waithaka seeks to bar anyone who does not meet the requirements of Chapter Six of the Constitution from having streets, buildings, and places named after them.
The Bill provides for the formation of a council that will identify the individual who meets the requirements.
The Council will also be tasked with ensuring that a group or company to be considered has made a significant and demonstrable contribution to the country.
Waithaka argues that the creation of a national addressing system will promote better planning and provision of essential services.
Agencies, he said, will also be able to capture, store, manage, and exchange address information, and facilitate e-commerce through efficient delivery of goods and services.
He pointed out that as it is currently, most businesses and households across the country lack addresses and are located on unnamed streets.
The lawmaker said unreliable location data has been a major obstacle to the prompt deployment of emergency services such as police, medics, and firefighters.
Physical planning which includes numbering and street naming is the mandate of the counties.
The Council’s core function shall be to create and manage a national addressing system that is logical, unambiguous, reliable, updatable, affordable, accessible, sustainable, and accountable, the bill states.
It will also promote technological advances including digital mapping.
Individuals who wish to rename their residential areas will be required to present a petition to the council signed by at least 300 people from the area.
In proposing an address, an applicant will be required to propose at least three names which should have a standard length, significant relation or value to the area, not offensive, misleading, or confusing, and not duplicative.
The names should not be difficult to pronounce or awkward and not phonetically similar to the existing ones.