It has been a little over three months since the administration of Diriba Kuma came to City Hall. They moved in after a rather predictable election, which saw the systemic exclusion of the largest opposition political coalition from the process.
What gripped the attention of political analysts was the intra-party process of electing the mayor of the city, rather than the landslide victory of the EPRDF and the passivity of the political opposition. The rumour wheel calmed down after it become clear that Diriba Kuma – the former minister of transport – was the preferred person to seize the keys of City Hall.
Little transpired in the form of a wish to see policy changes. This was justifiable considering the fact that the ruling EPRDF gripped the power for yet another round of election – this is not to mention the fact that both Diriba and his predecessor are both from the Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organisation (OPDO). As if to affirm policy continuity, Diriba preferred to keep the cabinet of Kuma unchanged.
This does not mean there were no new expectations at all. Residents of the ever-expanding city were hopeful that the change of hands might bring new momentum into the improvements of some aspects of their life. Hope was also high as Diriba is a reputed technocrat with experiences of leading effective reforms in the many agencies controlled by the Ministry of Transport (MoT). Hence, he could bring this experience to City Hall to infuse the spirit of reform within the municipality that remains a hub of incompetence.
Almost four months since he swore the oath, however, the administration of Diriba Kuma is yet to begin redressing the escalating problems throughout the city. Instead of solving the many issues, and hence easing the burden, the administration is spending its time brainstorming over the problems internally.
No doubt that Addis Abeba is the economic and political nerve centre of the nation. Its population grows faster (at three percent) than any other city. This gives the city the importance of creating an economic linkage between the fragmented urban centres of the nation and their surrounding periphery of rural agrarian localities. A diplomatic community whose size continues to expand with each day, a host of international institutions, an increasing number of federal institutions and an enlarging presence of the Oromia Regional State’s institutions uplift the political importance of the city.
But the city that Diriba has inherited has intricate problems. At the base of the problem lies the incongruence between the rising demand for basic services and the lag in supply. This gap seems to get wider with each day of reluctance at City Hall, pushing some of the sectors towards total chaos.
Addis Abeba’s transport system is where the heat of this reluctance could be easily felt. Even if the gap between the supply and demand for public transport continues to widen, eventually making mobility impossible in the city, there is nothing coming from the city’s administration in the form of short-term solutions. Once considered as an beacon of hope, the traffic management system of the city has now become dysfunctional. Complemented by the heavy construction in relation to the Light Railway Transit (LRT) system, it all has gone horribly awry.
The provision of basic public services, such as water supply and electricity, is also being challenged by interruption. Even if reports show that access to pure water supply in the city has reached more than 90pc – impressive by any standard – the reality remains far from the rhetoric. It has become too common within the city to not to have water supply for weeks, if not months, on end. Some localities, such as expansion areas and newly built condominium sites, are not even connected at all to any water supply line.
No different is the case with electricity and telecommunications. Despite the excuses – from sabotage to old transmission lines – power outages have become a daily experience of residents in the city. This has even reached an extent whereby even big events, which see high-level dignitaries participating, experience power interruption. The unreliable telecoms network of the city also continues to be one of the challenges for its residents.
Sectors, such as housing and small & medium enterprise development – which the EPRDFites could take a large share of recognition for the development of – also face problems of market linkage, financing and capacity. But there is no new initiative from the city’s administration as a means to redress the problems and bring about new solutions. This list goes to almost all sectors of service provision.
Whatever the administration of Diriba is doing internally is not translating into concrete benefits for residents. There seems to be a disconnect between the administration and the demands of the people.
Four months of brainstorming about the problems of the city could be enough for any administration, let alone the one that saw no change of political perspective. And no preparation and brainstorming over problems could help solve the problems on the ground. As the saying goes – “there is a huge difference between an action plan and an action”.
Addis Abeba’s multiple problems require action. A properly orchestrated action is essential in alleviating the problems of the city and maintaining its growth momentum.
If anything, the city administration remains the hallmark of bureaucratic incompetence. It fails to bring innovative solutions to the problems of residents. Unlike the case in other countries, the bureaucracy is not even close to the public, in both hearts and actions. It rather isolates itself in vain and considers itself as an omnipotent provider.
Despite the public being challenged by the actual problems day in day out, the bureaucracy has limited itself to improvising behind the curtain. It remains insensitive to the magnitude of the problems of the city. It failed to bring any visible action into the sphere, despite that being what the time requires.
As the guardian of the bureaucracy, Diriba needs to push for actions. His administration cannot afford any more reluctance or political dilly-dallying. If anything, it is action that could maintain the growth momentum of the city.
Of course, the action could not be an abrupt one. It ought to be well-thought through. But it has to happen sooner, rather than later. The cost of further reluctance could not be afforded by the city administration, nor the citizens themselves.
All eyes are on Diriba, therefore. He needs to infuse the spirit of reform within the incompetent bureaucracy, shake the comfort zone of brainstorming and push for actions. Noting but action is what residents are looking for from him. For all justifiable reasons, it is better for Diriba and his comrades of bureaucrats to listen to the call for action. They ought not only to listen, but also to act.
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