We must get street and road names right

At the start of my first year at Maseno University, my course mate Bill Okaka looked bemused on the day we began our ‘Logic and Rational Thought’ class.

What surprised him most, and indeed all of us, was the lecturer’s philosophical take on names. “For now, you can call me Crispinus Iteyo,” the lecturer said. The phrase ‘for now’ got us thinking. As each of us stood to say our names and utter our expectations for the course, Prof Iteyo dropped another bombshell: What’s in a name? He had thrown us headfirst into the world of philosophy.

As freshmen and women, more shocks awaited us. The day ICT lecturer Edward Savatia introduced us to Microsoft Windows and told us to click to close the window, Emmanuel Toili, Allan Akombo, Immaculate Mutali and I rose to shut the computer lab’s windows literally. It was an all-new world to learn, hear and be heard.

Back to Prof Iteyo’s class. In philosophy, the relationship between names and what they represent is a fundamental question. Some thinkers argue that names are mere labels. Others say they carry deeper meaning. But as I learnt, a name is the blueprint of the things we call identity.

The naming debate came to mind during my visit to Homa Bay County this week for the Devolution Conference 2025. The ‘new’ Homa Bay boasts named roads and streets, a first for the county government. Prominently among them are Cyprian Awiti Street, Phoebe Asiyo Street, Gladys Wanga Street, Orwa Ojode Street and Ong’ondo Were Street to name a few.

In April, Governor Gladys Wanga issued a notice inviting public participation on road naming. She explained the names would honour prominent leaders, cultural landmarks and people who contributed significantly to the county’s growth in one way or another.

When a photo of one of the street signs was posted online, savvy Kenyans quickly noticed a street named after Governor Wanga herself. Others demanded some streets be named after Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi and outspoken politician Odoyo Owidi. It reminded me of similar past controversies over Francis Atwoli Road and Sonko Road in Nairobi.

Perhaps I should have suggested the naming of a street after my grandfather, Oloo Anyango, one of the early settlers in Ndhiwa Sub-county who transformed the community in unimaginable ways. But since he had neither means nor political influence, proposing his name would be a joke.

As we celebrate the ‘new’ Homa Bay, it’s interesting how concerns have quickly arisen over a familiar pattern of celebrating politicians while overlooking ordinary people who made remarkable contributions in sports, arts, philanthropy and other fields. The political elites will always prevail.

I’m happy, though, that the county has Gor Mahia Street. Suffice to ask: How do you honour someone with a street name when you know very well they presided over a decade of resource mismanagement? Those who shattered dreams and stifled prosperity through mediocrity in office? It’s like spitting in the face of Atieno, the Wanjiku of Homa Bay.

It’s time to think and think again. While we’ve made strides in replacing ‘colonial’ and undeserving names with proper ones in Nairobi, counties must avoid the temptation to glorify every Tom, Dick and Harry just because they once held high office.

Counties must avoid past errors of judgment in our naming culture. There’s need to standardise naming in a manner that reflects our history and values as enshrined in Article 10 of the Constitution. We must breathe life into the Street Naming and Property Addressing System Bill.

In Nairobi, roads like Dennis Pritt, Ralph Bunche, Tubman, Du Bois, George Padmore, Luthuli, Muindi Mbingu, and Wabera bear powerful histories. But what value do names like Sungura, Njugu, Kifaru and Kudu bring?

It’s time for honest conversations aimed at replacing meaningless names with those of heroes, heroines and renowned places that resonate with us as a people. Cities of Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru must lead the pack in getting it right with naming. If they can’t get it right, they shouldn’t event attempt it.

The writer is a communications practitioner.  X@markoloo