In its haste to meet constitutional implementation deadlines last week, MPs dropped a suggestion that aspirants for parliamentary seats should hold university degrees.

The legislators, in a move aimed at cushioning their colleagues who have never seen the inside of varsity lecture halls, instead reduced the requirement to a secondary school certificate.

Previously, all that was required of aspiring MPs was proof of basic literacy and proficiency in English and Kiswahili. A KCPE slip was more than enough proof that the holder was eminently qualified and deserved that corner office at Continental House.

Degreed

Paradoxically, while the 10th Parliament has the highest number of degreed waheshimiwa in Kenya’s history, its doubtful it has performed better than previous Parliaments. And although there are a few exceptions, it’s normally a Herculean task drawing a line between the ‘educated’ and the ‘uneducated’ in this House.

It is upon the electrorate to choose wisely at the ballot. If voters believe a Form Four leaver will best represent their interests, so be it. That is democracy for you.

Client’s fridge benefits threatened

Nakuru-based businessman, Dr Magaregikenyi Benjamin is a frustrated man. Sometimes back, he says he was given a fridge by Coca Cola’s Nairobi Bottlers to start a soft drink business.

He bought 12 crates of soda for a start. However, after sometime, a Coca Cola sales man came calling and asked him to give him nine crates to replenish his stock through the Nakuru Coca Cola distributor. He did it for the first and second time but never returned when he came the third time.

Instead, he was replaced by a lady who when asked by Magaregikenyi about the missing crates and bottles, said there was nothing she could do, ‘but would try to retrieve them’. Nothing has happened since. The businessman claims the sales woman and her male colleague are demanding that he buys other crates and are threatening to take away the fridge if he doesn’t.

Rescue

"Is there anybody from Nairobi Bottlers head office who can come to my rescue and assist me to get my crates or a refund in default? Is this how Coca Cola treats its customers?" he wonders. Magaregikenyi can be reached on 0750483390.

Sickly deal for NHIF members?

Mr Alfred Obiero says he is dissatisfied and disappointed with the way National Health Insurance Fund Kisumu office treats contributors.

"The office refused to issue the member data summary for Kemri employees citing that their July 2011 contributions had not been updated in their system yet the pay slips clearly indicates the amount had been deducted," he claims. Obiero notes it is wrong for employees to be denied services due to a ‘reconciliation’ problem between NHIF and their employer. Does this member have a point Mr Richard Kerich, NHIF boss?

DON’T YOU FORGET

Were UoN students grievances addressed?

On July 27, some University of Nairobi students wrote to PointBlank complaining about the state of affairs at the institution. They claimed that "behind the scenes, things were not good enough" at the respected citadel of knowledge. They were particularly concerned about Masters of Business Administration lecturers who they accused of failing to return marked copies of continuous assessment tests and of delaying examination results by over two months. They also accused the lecturers of being rude and of denying them an opportunity to meet them. Lecture halls, they said, were in deplorable condition without public address systems and air conditioning.

Is it still business as usual for MBA lecturers, Prof George Magoha, Vice-Chancellor, UoN?