PointBlank was deeply touched by Environment Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere’s recent public apology over his July 1, 2010 remarks that were interpreted by some as hate speech and for which he was charged in court.
Mwakwere, who sounded truly remorseful, revealed that he had signed an agreement with NCIC to advocate peace and pleaded with Kenyans to allow him to be a champion for the same.
Granted, a lot was at stake for him, including his Cabinet position and some argued that that was the reason he gave the moving apology. PointBlank believes the apology came from the bottom of his heart.
Mwakwere’s tongue-related tribulations should have served as an important lesson for politicians and the country as a whole. Isn’t it surprising then that some politicians are still being accused of inciting people? Was Mwakwere’s lesson in vain? Our prayer is that no one else will escape prosecution by merely giving an apology. Those who incite Kenyans must be made to face the law. That’s the only way others can learn to leash their tongues.
Resident wants shaky power back
Kayole resident Millicent Aseka is regretting having complained through PointBlank on Wednesday last week about frequent power outages in Soweto.
While her intention was to make Kenya Power remedy the situation, her efforts were counterproductive.
“We used to suffer three to four blackouts every day but since I complained, we have had no power at all,” she laments.
Kenya Power had promised the area an additional transformer to steady power supply to area, but is yet to erect one, a month after making the promise.
Ms Aseka wants the company to give them back their power, even in its unsteady form, instead of “punishing us with darkness”.
Meanwhile, Mr Ngure Kamau is accusing Kenya Power of disempowering Ruai residents through frequent outages.
In the past week Kamau says the ares has been hit by numerous blackouts, making businesses to suffer huge losses.
“We would appreciate greatly if Kenya Power can trace and address the root cause of these outages,” he says.
Beggar who misuses donor funds
There is this beggar who is as old as the Thika Superhighway and who is stationed at the Kahawa Wendani fly-over. The man, says Mr Fred Makana, has a bloated belly and bodily burn marks and according to the poster lying close to him, needs money to defray pending hospital bills and go for surgery.
Due to his condition, he attracts a lot of sympathy from passers-by and his begging bowl is never short of coins.
Mr Makana is, however, very concerned and wonders whether the man will ever go for surgery or even pay his medical bills, if indeed he is indebted.
This is because the beggar has been squandering most of the donated money in nearby drinking dens in the company of his accomplices.
The beggar has become brazen of late and is even smoking “at his place of work”.
“One is left wondering whether giving money to such a beggar is doing good or harm to him,” says Makana.
Although this beggar is the most conspicuous, there many others stationed at the fly-over, with all kinds of injuries, hospital and school fees documents who don’t pass as deserving of help in Makana’s assessment.
DON’T YOU FORGET
Any reserve land for Kayole rail, Mr Orengo?
On June 7, 2012, Kayole resident G wanyoike, wrote to PointBlank (Kayole left behind by ‘2030’ train) seeking to know from Lands minister James Orengo whether Kayole Estate has land reserve for a railway line. He claimed that there are rumours that there was once a provision for the reserve along Kayole’s Spine Road and added: “If such a provision ever existed, it was taken over by tall buildings and smiling landlords long time ago.”
It’s almost a month now and the Lands minister has not responded to this query. Wanyoike understands that land matters are weighty but believes that Orengo is equal to the task. He would like to see a railway line like the one being built in Syokimau in his estate. But this can’t be possible without land, Mr Orengo. So is there are rail line reserve in Kayole?
Heaps of garbage stifle estate
Ms Kerubo Monyangi has complained about this before but the City Council of Nairobi just doesn’t get it. Kawangware 46 is sinking under heaps of garbage, the council knows this but doesn’t care a hoot.
The area most hard hit by the is the one close to Heshima Supermarket, where a mountain of garbage neighbours residential houses. It is growing higher and higher but not high enough for City Council to see and act.
“Even the road that we use has been eaten by the garbage,” she laments and asks the council to remove the waste and arrest those behind the illegal dumping.
KDF doesn’t discriminate anyone during recruitment
Our attention has been drawn to an issue raised in PointBlank column dated September 5 and 13 titled, “Why did military ignore Tunyo Division youths?”
In the article, Mr Sammy Cheboi alleged that KDF has not recruited any youths from Tunyo Division for over two years and that in the previous recruitment, recruits from Mon and Kibaimwa were turned away and informed that they belong to Marakwet East and Marakwet West respectively, hence losing out on a chance to be recruited.
We wish to inform Cheboi, that during the just concluded recruitment, one of the successful recruits, currently undergoing training comes from Tunyo division. For security reasons, we wish not to publish details of the successful recruit. However, Cheboi can access the same information from Tunyo Division local administration.
On the issue of potential recruits being turned away from two recruiting centres last year. We wish to state that KDF recruitment centres are set up in accordance with local administrative boundaries as provided for by the laws of the country.
The same list is printed in all newspapers with dates and locations where the recruitment would take place.
We advise that the youth seek clarification from the local administration on which district represents the areas in dispute so that they may be informed.
Cyrus Oguna,
Colonel, Information Operations Officer,
For Chief of the Defence Forces
Kenya Power should do more to end blackouts
I read Mr Migwi Theuri’s explanation for the power blackouts in yesterday’s PointBlank with a pinch of salt. He was trying to explain serious service issues by using simple technical explanations that do not hold water.
For instance, in the case of Imara Daima, who determined the original size of the transformer and who is doing new connections to without checking the current load against the optimum load capacity? Is it consumers or Kenya Power?
As I write this, I have a complaint (Ref No. 47658) for a power blackout on Tuesday night. It always happens whenever we have rain or even light showers. Does it mean hat Kenya Power has no capacity to solve a problem once and for all? Kenya Power should look at the maintenance services they have outsourced to establish whether there is deliberate interference to power supply for contractors to be kept busy and paid by precipitating outages.
Theuri should ask the public to assist by reporting suspicious characters around power supply points. This way, we will all be looking for a solution.
John Kahi
