Why the President should visit Murang’a more often

Mike Owuor

Whoever said old habits die must have had Kenya’s Government officials in mind. Mr Anthony Kariga reports that the run-up to President Kibaki’s recent visit to Murang’a to attend a ‘Yes’ campaign meeting was a display of official hypocrisy.

"Bushes were cleared, roads swept and the many potholes on the Kenol-Murang’a Road filled," explains Kariga.

More remarkably, Ihura Stadium, the venue of the meeting, which had been neglected for years, was spruced up. This sudden rush to impress reminded Kariga of the Nyayo era when anything was possible, including erecting electricity poles to curry favour with residents.

Trail of dust

That is why Kariga is saddened that all the activities stopped as soon as the trail of dust left by the presidential motorcade settled. Nobody has bothered to collect the cut grass that remained by the roadside, the uncovered potholes may never attract attention again and the stadium is back to its normal abandoned state.

Hmm, could the President be kind enough to visit Murang’a more often?

City road complaints mushroom

Roads Minister Franklin Bett and Town Clerk Philip Kisia are doing a good job repairing city routes. But there are sections residents think merit attention.

Mr Edwin Mwai tells PointBlank that the pathetic Doum Palm Street stands out like a sore thumb in Runda Estate. He wishes it were smoother.

And from Jamhuri Estate, Mr Mofi Foozy thinks residents would feel honoured to at least have good murram roads if tarmac is too expensive.

"We have suffered for long. For example, the road that serves Nairobi Pentecostal Church, Woodley, is full of craters. One particularly huge one requires a bridge to cross!" he quips.

Meanwhile, on behalf of Jambo Estate Association, James requests City Hall to replace vandalised drainage covers on Ambira Road, Lang’ata. He also notes there are many overgrown bushes on pavements and some streetlights are not working.

But Mr Thomas Ongesa’s concern is that the contractor working on Elgeyo Marakwet Road in Kilimani has been on site for far too long, causing congestion.

And, asks Mr Rahul Shah, why is the recently recarpeted Dar es Salaam Road in Industrial Area in such bad shape so soon?

The gods are not to blame

A court in Mumbai, India, recently ruled that Hindu gods cannot deal in stock and shares.

A private religious trust had applied to open accounts in the names of five Indian deities, but the earthly High Court judges thought gods and goddesses were meant to be worshipped in temples, not dragged into commercial activities.

Besides, capital markets experts had argued earlier, it would be difficult to take action against the gods in case of irregularities.

Well, our regular contributor Leonard Juma links this with recent events in Maasailand where the gods were supposedly dragged into a political contest. A section of local leaders on the ‘Yes’ side, led by Narok North MP William ole Ntimama, had claimed holding a ‘No’ rally in Suswa on Wednesday would be disrespecting a Maasai shrine.

Political gods

"That was clearly zoning and intolerance disguised as protection of a ‘holy place’, which has always hosted such events. It was shameful to use the name of the gods to settle political scores," says Juma.

Just like their Indian counterparts, the Maasai gods should be left out of referendum campaign trivialities.

Now Kitengela cops co-operate

Thomas Okumu is relieved that justice is taking its course after he complained on July 21 that the police were dilly-dallying in dealing with an alleged burglary incident recorded in the Kitengela Police Station Occurrence Book as OB46/17/07/2010 (Who allowed release of this suspect?).

"We have finally recorded statements," Okumu declares.

However, he clarifies there was a misunderstanding on claims that the suspect had been released "under unclear circumstances". Indeed, a senior officer at the station has assured Okumu that the accused was never set free as alleged and police investigations are firmly on course.

Drive the point home on ‘rogue’ city estate agents

This is the fourth reminder to Housing Minister Soita Shitanda on an enquiry first made on January 13 by MM, a resident of Lang’ata Estate, Nairobi (Rogue estate agents ripping off residents). MM wanted Mr Shitanda (pictured) to take note of a trend where companies purporting to manage residential houses were "increasingly developing thuggish tendencies" by increasing rent at will without notice yet the houses remained in a state of disrepair.

She also wanted to know if the ministry had the capacity, will and authority to regulate such companies. Our reminders on March 11 (How’s ministry managing house agents complaint), April 16 (No answers on crumbling faith in agents) and June 1 (Doors to response on complaint open) have been ignored.