Global Fund cutbacks spell doom for war on Aids

Njoroge Kinuthia

It should have been a time for Kenya and the world to celebrate. But the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria's tenth anniversary was marked with protests in various parts of the world, including Nairobi.

During its short existence, the Fund has made great strides in combating Aids, TB and malaria, saving millions of lives and giving hope to the entire world. It’s work in Kenya is evident. The Fund has helped to scale up provision of antiretrovirals, treatment of TB and provision of insecticide-treated mosquito nets to combat malaria. But all that now is in jeopardy.

Shortfall

Global Fund has recently said it would not accept new grant requests until 2014 because it is facing a serious financial shortfall. The shortfall reportedly stems from European countries decision to cut their donations due to economic slowdown. A lot is at stake. Those who will fail to access antiretrovirals, for instance, will have to pay with their lives. That’s why world leaders must go back to the drawing board and design ways of ensuring that the Global Fund continues with its noble mission.

Billing error causes thirst in Murang’a

Murang’a Water and Sanitation Company (MUWASCO) customers have had enough—not water, but goofs and gaffes by the firm which leave them without even a drop of the life-giving liquid.

This is according to a resident of Murang’a town, Boniface Gikandi who claims his water has recently been disconnected twice due to MUWASCO’s erroneous billing. He claims many other residents have suffered the same fate lately. Gikandi’s water supply was first disrupted on January 30 over what he was informed was "an existing bill" of Sh1,900.

He lodged a complaint and his water was reconnected on the intervention of the company’s commercial manager a Mr Maina.

Then on February 1, MUWASCO’s hardworking ‘disconnectors’ were back with their spanners over what they claimed was an unpaid bill of Sh1,160, which again he says was fictitious. He complained again and his water was reconnected with apologies and a pledge that the mistake will never recur. But he’s not convinced and wonders whether the firm will ever get its maths right. He can be reached at [email protected].

　

Endless wait for Rwanda jobs

The announcement last year that the Rwandese government was planning to recruit 4000 qualified English teachers from Kenya was sweet music to Wesley Ngetich’s ears.

Since then Ngetich, who is ready to work anywhere in the world after years of being unemployed, has been waiting for word from the two governments on when the recruitment would commence.

He says silence on the matter is creating anxiety among the many English teachers who are "very desperate" for jobs.

To add to the agony of the jobseekers, Ngetich claims fraudsters have taken advantage of this silence to extort money from unsuspecting teachers promising to link them with the government of Rwanda for immediate employment.

‘Tarmacking’

He tells the Kenya government not to take the matter lightly noting that thousands of teachers have been ‘tarmacking’ for long, some even for a decade. Were the Rwanda jobs real or merely a ploy by the two governments to lift the spirits of the suffering ‘tarmackers’, Prof James ole Kiyiapi, PS, Education ministry? PointBlank still remembers you were the first to break the good news.

　

Boxers take wrong road to stardom

A Kisumu resident who only wants to be identified as Victor for fear of having his face disfigured, wonders whether a group of boxers in the town understands the difference between a road and playground. He says the athletes usually mistake the road adjacent to Paramount Engineering complex for a playground. "They run in the evenings one team uphill and another team downhill on both lanes," he says. "At times, they hold the vehicles and run behind them uphill".

He wants the boxers to consider doing their exercises elsewhere to stop inconveniencing other road users.

DON’T YOU FORGET

Who stole Pallo’s title deeds, Mr Orengo?

On December 8, Mr Pallo Harum Abonyo wrote to PointBlank complaining about the loss of his two title deeds at the Kisumu Lands office. Pallo had initially lost his titles (ksm/ojolla/1175 and ksm/ojolla/49) for pieces of land measuring 0.45 hectares and 0.9 hectares respectively.

He reported the loss at kisumu police station through O.B 26/12/04/2011. After conducting an official search no. 302/13/11 to ascertain ownership, he then swore an affidavit confirming the loss on the May 3. Then he waited for the expiry of the requisite 60 days, and no one raised an objection, and went to collect his titles. To his surprise, he was informed that the title deeds had unprocedurally been taken by an unknown person. Did Pallo finally get this vital documents Mr James Orengo, Minister for Lands?