BY NJOROGE KINUTHIA
Why every voter is proud of new House chamber
We have been doing our MPs a great injustice. But with yesterday’s unveiling of the refurbished House chamber, that wrong has, thankfully, been righted.
Looking at the state-of-the-art chamber one wonders how our waheshimiwa survived in the previous hell-hole. Any wonder some of them habitually absented themselves from Parliament, while others were always red-eyed with sleep?
satisfaction
Some people have been whining that the close to Sh1 billion used to modernise the chamber is money badly spent. PointBlank differs. Any one who saw the MPs in their new ‘red chamber’ knows that that was money well spent. Did you note the aura of dignity and satisfaction on MPs faces as they sat on their Sh200,000 seats? Some point out that these could be most expensive parliamentary seats in the Commonwealth. That could be true, but it is also true that our MPs are among the best paid lawmakers in the world. Well paid MPs deserve the best seats in the world. Kenyans can tackle the HIV/Aids and IDP problem another day.
What became of TSC service charter?
Sometime in March this year, a long-serving teacher (TSC No. 429870) paid a visit to Teachers Service Commission headquarters to inquire about the process of resigning. He found a friendly member of staff who explained to him in detail the entire process.
The teacher went back to school and in early April, asked the principal to inform TSC to stop deducting his salary immediately as he was resigning service. Satisfied that the information had reached his employer, he tendered his resignation on June 2. He enclosed a cheque equivalent to his monthly salary, in lieu of notice, as required.
A month later, TSC had not acknowledged his resignation as required. He visited their offices again and they admitted receiving the letter and cheque and promised to contact him in a week’s time. But almost a month-and-a-half later TSC, which has all his contacts is still mum.
The teacher badly needs an acknowledgement letter from his former employer as he can not access money owed to him by some institutions without the letter. He loudly wonders what happened to TSC’s high sounding service charter.
Street families back home in city
Street families are back to claim their place in the heart of the city. If you take a walk or drive along the busy Tom Mboya or Moi Avenue and you can’t miss the desperate, ashen-faced Kenyans pleading for food and cash handouts. And they are not doing much to boost the city’s battered image, according to Felix Odhiambo.
On Monday, Mr Odhiambo witnessed some “dirty” boys and girls stop a jeep carrying four foreign nationals on Moi Avenue, next to Jeevanjee Gardens and demanding money. “With some of hanging on the driver’s door and others standing in the vehicles way, they accomplished their mission as a crowd watched.”
“Can the Government, NGOs or even well-wishers step in and help preserve the city’s image to make the Capital safer and friendly to visitors,” he pleads.
garbage collection
Meanwhile, Ms Faith Ndungu “completely agrees” with Patrick Thuita who complained in yesterday that CCN had abdicated its garbage collection role. “Estates are never cleaned and even parts of the CBD such as Mfangano Street are now chocking with garbage,” she says, wondering whether city council has any brooms left.
Dstv and so much more
Dstv subscriber Njuguna BK from Ol Kalou is an unhappy man. He claims that Multichoice has unfairly blacklisted him and he might end up missing ‘so much more’. Although he is on pre-paid service, the company insists that he has a debt. Is it possible for a customer to have a debt on a pre-paid service? Mr Njuguna claims to have asked Dstv this question via Facebook and he got their response in the form of being blacklisted. “Why did they do this? Shouldn’t they be questioned? Why didn’t they answer me? Why blacklist me? Can’t they explain how their billing is done? He can be reached at beness76@yahoo.co.uk.
DON’T YOU FORGET
Njoka is still waiting for an answer, Dr Shaban
In the recent past, Maendeleo Ya Wanaume Organisation chair Nderitu Njoka has been having a very hectic time. He has been running up and down attending to battered men. Cases of husband abuse, he has told us, are on the rise. According to him, over one million men are assaulted by their wives every year. However, as we wrote in this column on January 16, Mr Njoka can’t achieve much because although he is willing, he lacks the wherewithal. In fact, he alleges discrimination by the Ministry of Gender which funds women empowerment via Maendeleo Ya Wanawake Organisation. The Government, he has said more than one time, has refused to give Maendeleo ya Wanaume even a penny. Just why won’t Government fund Njoka, Dr Naomi Shaban, Minister for Gender?
