Point Blank

By Njoroge Kinuthia

Gema and Kamatusa misleading us on ICC

We are living in very (un)interesting times. Gema and Kamatusa, associations which were clearly at a low ebb and that some argue don’t augur well for national cohesion, are back with a bang.

The Constitution guarantees all and sundry the freedom of association, and no one should begrudge them this. However, their obsession with The Hague is curious and we feel the two groups are busy taking Kenyans on a wild goose chase.

deceptive

There is no doubt that Uhuru and Ruto are popular leaders. However, to tell Kenyans that five million signatures can lead to postponement of their cases to enable them run for political office, while the ICC clearly says it can only defer cases for legal reasons, is to deceive Kenyans. Truth is, even Kangaroo courts, don’t wait for anyone to fulfil their ambitions. What’s the point of whipping up emotions by even threatening to send an entire community to The Hague? Uhuru and Ruto have pledged to support the ICC process and it does not help matters for anyone to mourn louder than the aggrieved.

Probe this choking smell, Nema

On Friday last week, one of our readers Emmanuel Tarus complained on this page about a foul smell along Mombasa Road, somewhere between Vitafoam and General Motors.

"The smell is so bad and I fear for the health of road users and also for people who work around that area, including Standard Group," he said.

He appealed to the National Environment Management Authority to swing into action and probe the source of the choking gas.

inhaling the fumes

Tarus’ letter and particularly insinuation of possible health dangers from inhaling the fumes got some of my colleagues, here at the Standard Group’s head office who have been breathing the noxious gas for as long as they can remember, worried.

They have been frequenting the PointBlank desk asking whether Nema has investigated the matter. "Not yet, go on and inhale some more poison," has become PointBlank’s tepid response.

That hasn’t helped much though. They want assurance that all is well despite the overpowering odour, Mr Francis ole Kaparo, Nema Chairman.

How guards fouled goodbye moment

Daljit K Solanki is angry with the uncivil manner he and his friends were treated by some security officials at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Mr Solanki was escorting a passenger who was travelling abroad on January 22. Like some people do, he was waiting by the barriers to confirm that the passenger gets through the check-in and proceeds to the boarding gates.

While they were at it, two burly men allegedly came along started shouting telling them to move to the other side of the road next to the parking lot.

"They did not even identify themselves and were not in any uniform. When we tried to tell them what we were doing, they would hear none of it and started abusing us," he alleges.

taxi

And he adds: "Is this the image we are portraying to people visiting our country? If they are trying to enforce security measures, they should have a civilised way of doing so."

After this experience, Solanki says he would not want to visit the airport again unless he is the one travelling.

"It may be safer to send a taxi with a name card to drop or pick up passengers," he concludes

Beaches or football pitches?

Mombasa resident Martin Makundi is urging Mombasa Municipal Council to consider banning beach football on public beaches. Makundi particularly wants the council to ban the game on the beach adjacent to the Mombasa Beach Hotel where "the players have taken up all free space". The footballers, he claims, have become a nuisance as they play all over the place. "You now can’t walk or relax peacefully on the beach and worse still, small children who can’t swim are unable to play their sand games." In addition, he says, some children have been hurt after "footballers fall on them".