By Njoroge Kinuthia

Traffic police were this week reported to have launched a crackdown on motorists driving without triangle reflectors, popularly known here as life savers.

This is commendable, although in PointBlank’s, wisdom or lack of it, the crackdown is totally uncalled for.

Aren’t police supposed to check this as part of their daily routine?

A motorist has written to PointBlank complaining over the crackdown. And he is not even opposed to it. What irks him is the fact that the police officers, besides confirming whether motorists have the triangles, are also arresting those with ‘fake’ ones.

Kiganjo

The men and women in blue will never cease to amaze. How is a motorist supposed to tell between a genuine and a fake triangle? Unlike most of us, they are lucky to have gone to Kiganjo where they taught how to identify the fine line that distinguishes ‘fake’ from ‘genuine’. Needless to say, police are barking up the wrong tree. They should be putting the Kenya Bureau of Standards to task for allowing the fakes into the country, and onto our shop shelves.

Orange client gripes over lost bundle

Orange customer Irene Cheptoo is growing increasingly frustrated. She claims to have bought a Sh1000 top-up card (no. 10036003915367) for a one week unlimited internet bundle on November 20. She called the firm’s customer care for help to load her modem 0202363339.

To her dismay, the customer care official she sought help from made a mistake; she loaded a different line. Cheptoo was assured that she would be refunded her airtime the next day but this was not done.

"I kept calling Orange offices the whole of that week but nothing happened. They kept me on hold for up to 30 minutes," she says. Later she visited one of the Orange shops in the city and was advised to call their head offices and speak to the HR manager. She tried but never got to speak to the manager.

She managed to a man by the name David who told that her airtime would only be refunded if she topped up with another Sh1000. Cheptoo did that on November 28, but still, nothing happened. "I have tried all avenues and have spent over Sh1500 calling Orange. I just want my money or the bundle back," she pleads. She can be contacted on 0720787901.

Japanese ‘miners’ discover GoldRock

M/s GoldRock International, a Nairobi based company, is accusing the Japanese Embassy of doing little to help it recover nearly Sh2 million paid to a Japanese used car exporter by the name Tetsu Yamauchi. The Japanese firm was paid the money over one year ago to supply two vehicles, but this has not been done to date.

The monies were paid to Tetsu Yamauchi through the Bank of Mitsubishi-Tokoyo UFJ, ltd was deposited to account number 7300748, Tajmi branch in September last year.

GoldRock says the embassy only advised them to seek the help of international lawyers, but feels it ought to have done much more.

Unless the importers are expecting too much, they had imagined that the embassy would intervene on their behalf so as "to protect the image of other honest Japanese used car dealers".

Biggest source

"We also urge the embassy to give Kenyans a list of genuine and duly recognised used car exporters from Japan, consindering that the country is our biggest source market." Over to you ambassador Toshihisa Takata. GoldRock can be contacted on 20-58602135.

CCN houses that badly need paint

City resident Fredrick Kimani is requesting Town Clerk, Philip Kisia, to spruce up Nairobi City Council houses in Buru Buru. The houses, he says, have not been renovated or repainted since they were constructed in 1978, and his numerous pleas to CCN to improve them have fallen on deaf ears.

But he doesn’t want CCN to do much. Kimani only wants the council to repaint the exterior of the houses. "The residents have taken it upon themselves to paint the internal areas," he reveals. Phew, finally, we have tenants who hate to hurt their landlord’s wallet! A very lucky council indeed.

DON’T YOU FORGET

Was increase of public toilets charges justified?

On October 21, Mr G Wanyoike, wrote to PointBlank commending Nairobi Business District Association (NCBDA) and the City Council of Nairobi (CCN) for rehabilitating public toilets in the city.

He noted that the refurbished toilets had given Nairobi a new dignified look. The days of filthy toilets that were used as hide-outs by criminal gangs of street-urchins are long gone, he said.

Wanyoike, however, complained about a decision to increase toilet charges ‘suddenly’ from Sh5 to Sh10, at a time when most Kenyans were hard hit by inflation.

Those who manage the toilets, he said, "should not be allowed to add more ‘miseries to an already miserable lot’." Was the increment justified, city Town Clerk Philip Kisia?