Some wise counsel from Wavinya Ndeti to voters

Youth Affairs Assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti raised quite some eyebrows in Tala at the weekend when she openly reprimanded a councillor for campaigning for Wiper presidential aspirant Kalonzo Musyoka.

She argued that no one should go out campaigning for the VP and that he should go out and do it himself. PointBlank doesn¡¯t agree with her on this because we believe that while an aspirant should traverse the country and meet the people, any of their supporters have a right to speak up for them.

But we agree with her when she tells the Kamba community to vote their preferred choice for State House. Wavinya urged voters to gauge leaders by their development record, and avoid "being driven by political waves". That is wise counsel.

Leadership qualities

This country has for long suffered poor leadership because of ¡®herd mentality¡¯. Tribes vote as a block for their own, or their community leaders¡¯ preferred candidates, without considering his/her leadership qualities. That is why we are never short of inefficient, corrupt and warmongering leaders. Shame.

No paint can mask stench of Mombasa

Determined to clean up Mombasa, the local council has introduced a new by-law which requires all business premises to be repainted white. Before this, Mombasa resident Justin Njagi says any "colour was colourful in the town".

But there is a new vocabulary doing the round, the one about bad "screaming colours". While no-one has ever heard colours making noise, the council allegedly insists that colours such as red, blue, green, orange and indigo do scream. The council wants to whitewash the town, claiming that white is friendly and not ¡®noisy¡¯. White, the council has further reportedly told the residents is "traditional and against heat".

But Njagi is scoffing at the whitening move. He says Mombasa¡¯s problem isn¡¯t the multi-coloured buildings, but the unccountable garbage heaps at every nook and cranny.

"At Mackinon Market and Mwembe Tayari a powerful stench keeps visitors away. Painting the markets white won¡¯t take away the smell."

He advises the council to stop jumping the gun and first rid the town of all its foul stenches before thinking about making it white, black or magenta.

ERC busy fuelling inflation again

Mr Ronald Mukunza is among many Kenyans disgusted with the Energy Regulatory Commission¡¯s decision to increase the pump prices yet again.

He notes that only recently, the board reduced the prices of fuel by between Sh6 and Sh8, but "just when we thought things were moving in the right direction they have taken us back to where we were".

He reminds Kenyans that an increase in fuel prices inevitably leads to increases the cost of living and warns them to brace for the worst. Matatu fares, food prices and electricity bills will shoot up. The dollar might also gallop and again hit the Sh107 record mark.

The current punitive fares that commuters are paying, he notes, were as a result of a previous increase in fuel prices, which reached Sh118 per litre.

"Indeed, matatu¡¯s are on the verge of increasing fares as stated by one of their representatives in Mombasa ," says Mukunza.

His question: Who will protect the public in this unfair times from a few selfish individuals are out to enrich themselves at the expense of poor mwananchi?

DON¡¯T YOU FORGET

Did Nakuru council clear roadside dumpsite?

On August 10, Ms Hilda Cheshari wrote to PointBlank from Nakuru complaining that the town, once touted as being the cleanest in East Africa, was sinking under the weight of garbage.

She was particularly concerned with the state of affairs in the town along the Nakuru-Eldamaravine Road where she said a roadside dumpsite had become a big eyesore. "The area is littered with solid waste products that normally produce an unpleasant smell. On a windy day, it is common to see paper bags flying all over. Never mind there is a primary school a stone-throw away," she said. Did the Municipal Council of Nakuru clear this mess, Mayor Mohammed Suraw?

Right of Reply
Alligator defends himself, blames crocodile, hyena

It is with great chagrin that I learn of prowling alligators in Turkana ¨C deadly and rapacious!

While I recognise the imagery, I think the beautiful animal you chose in this case will be brought to disrepute by that association ¨C and myself along with it.

I do not intend to sue, but I¡¯d greatly appreciate that you stick with the crocodile, or the more familiar hyena.

Death to all the ravenous hyenas visiting misery on resident of Turkana, Nairobi and everywhere in Kenya and beyond!

Alligator Makori

Quality Systems Manager,

EABL Kenya ¨C Tusker Brewery

Some askaris are goons masquerading as saviours

Pole PointBlank for the harassment that you underwent in the hands of the goons that we call Nairobi City Council askaris (Askaris turn council vans into dens of corruption, April 18). Sadly, PwC was not bold enough to call some of the 92 per cent incompetent city council workers goons for that is what the askaris are! Just to jog your memory on what happened to me some time back, and Philip Kisia, our Nairobi Governor-to-be was least bothered to respond.

I have no doubt he will not respond to this sad experience too.

Alex Kiprotich

Council askaris have been on warpath since last year

Pole, that was a bad experience you had with the city council council askaris. Interestingly that¡¯s what they have been doing daily since last year.

They have four such vehicles in total and they claim to be fighting illegal hawking, but their preoccupation is to harass innocent people.

Charles Nzioka,

Nairobi

Point of Order
Mkombozi fails to save Harambee sacco member

Harambee Sacco member Peter Mwasi (no. 0138894) is concerned over the organisation¡¯s failure to resolve a "minor issue". Mr Mwasi applied for Mkombozi Loan in November 2011 which was approved the following month. There was a problem with his signature which he rectified on December 3, 2011. He complains that his form went missing after he was told it had been sent back to his station. He can be reached via email at reached on [email protected].

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