Dairy firms turn farmers, consumers into milch cows

If you haven’t noticed it yet—and this could mean you are a person of means-—milk prices have gone up. A packet is now retailing at between Sh37 and Sh42, depending on the brand, up from Sh31.

The increase comes at a time when the grass is green and aplenty, thanks to the belated short rains. Cows, now spoilt for choice between napier and kikuyu grass and other delicacies, can attest to this. The more food a cow eats, and the four-legged animals can confirm this again,  the more milk it produces. Cows are eating like pigs and they are producing more milk.

So, what justification do milk processors have to hike milk prices? Ironically, it is being rumoured that dairy companies are paying farmers less for their milk. Buy cheap, sell expensively, that is the perfect way to milk farmers and consumers dry. And that’s not enough for some of the industry’s fat cats. They are taking advantage of the sleepy Kenya Bureau of Standards to milk   you some more. The 500ml packet of milk that you buy daily, could only be 400ml. We confirmed that with one of the brands. Who will protect the Kenyan consumer?

 Is someone pinching these  teachers’ pay? 

Are some people at the Teachers Service Commission busy harvesting where they never sowed? That seems to be the case, according to Mr Kennedy Makasembo.

The Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers Migori County chairman says that he is not making wild allegations as adjustments are yet to be made to some teachers’ basic salaries after their recent “victory”. The increments were supposed to be made in July and October.

“There seems to be persons or cartels in TSC who are always hell-bent to reap from teachers’ excitement whenever teachers are awarded...” he charges

He gives the example of the teachers in job group L, whose incremental dates are July and had “reached the bar”, as some of those who have been “short-changed”.

“Instead of earning Sh43,660 as their colleagues whose incremental dates are in October, they are earning Sh41,590, a difference of Sh2,000. Many teachers, he says, have sought assistance from TSC in vain. Makasembo wants TSC to assure him that no one is being  clever with the teachers’ hard-earned money.

Music that’s no food for the soul

Music is  widely believed to be the universal language of mankind. But is it? According to Park Road resident FS Habib, nothing is further from the truth.

And if you disagree with him, he would like you to visit Lunar Park, an entertainment spot located on Pumwani grounds, or surrounding areas and try to understand the language.

He claims what comes from Lunar Park, day and night in the name of music cannot be classified as such. It can only be termed as noise or nuisance.

He particularly requests the National Environment Management Authority to pay the area  a visit with their noise dosimeters and determine whether the so called music, which keeps  the neighbours; Park Road Primary School and Nairobi Technical Institute and residents alert day and night, is healthy for human consumption.

We have politely tried to talk to the owners but it seems every time we do so our appeals fall on deaf ears.

“We have had enough of this endless noise pollution in our estate and schools as well,” says Faisal. Can Nema investigate this matter and assure residents some peace of mind?

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did police finally arrest highway robbers?  

Mr Haggai Aura wrote to PointBlank on November 6, 2012 saying  he had lost faith in the police force. Last year, Aura was attacked by criminals, along with 40 other bus passengers and robbed of his effects, including a mobile phone. Most of the passengers too lost their money, phones, laptops, clothes among other valuables.  They reported the incident immediately, and even made follow-ups, but finally Aura gave up after he realised that the officers he was dealing with “were not interested in pursuing the gang”. And he had a good reason for making the conclusion. His stolen phone had a tracking function, which alerts him every time there is SIM-card change. “My phone circulates among seven users, which is the same number of gunmen who robbed us,” he said, wondering why police wouldn’t arrest them.

Laud Kibaki over MPs’ pay? Not me

President Kibaki has received praise from various quarters for denying MPs ‘their’ send-off package. But Mr Henry Kivuva is not about to join the praise singers. He has two reasons for not doing so. Firstly, he argues that as the President is the boss of Finance minister Njeru Githae and because all policies by the current government are sanctioned by the President, “it goes without saying that he (Kibaki) had okayed the move”.

Secondly, Kivuva says he can not laud the President because he  has allowed his own sendoff package. “I cannot praise him because he only bowed to pressure. Period.”

Right of Reply
Kenya Power trains staff after ‘rude’ incident

I refer to a comment made by our customer Mr Mahonga M, published in the PointBlank column on December 11, 2012 regarding “rude” attitude by one of our employees. We have taken internal corrective action including conducting training in good customer care to pre-empt recurrence of such an unfortunate incident in future. We highly regret the incident.

For: The Kenya Power & Lighting Company Ltd.

Eng. Joseph K Njoroge,

Managing Director & CEO

Point of Order

Sight savers should cure police officers myopia

Something should be done quickly to improve police officers’ sight to enable them see overloaded matatus clearly. Officers stationed between Kitengela and Kajiado have for a long time suffered from this visual impairment, which renders their eyes bleary whenever an overloaded matatu speeds past.

According to Mr Benjamin ole Tipatet this has made overloading on the road a norm rather than the exception.

Police officers who use a vehicle, which is always parked besides the road at the Acacia School turning are only able to see big vehicles; lorries carrying charcoal and others that look unroadworthy. There are officers too stationed at the Isinya weigh bridge and some more opposite Moi Girls, Isinya, and another point before Kajiado.

All of them, it appears suffer from myopia (near-sightedness). Matatu crews, being who they are, have taken advantage of the officers’ eye impairment to pack humans like sardines. How mean!

“A 14-seater Nissan has since reverted to 18 seats of yester-years. The eight seat shuttles, now carry between 10 and 11 passengers,” reveals Tipatet.

He adds: “The argument usually is, “gari haiwezi enda safari ya hasara”(The vehicle cannot operate at a loss).”

Passengers who know something about human rights and who dare to complain are thrown out to pave room for ‘cooperative’ passengers. Determined human rights advocates like Tipatet are “simply assaulted”. Tipatet claims he was assaulted in November.

“Why does it take police too long or an impromptu ‘crackdown’ to implement the new laws? Why  haven’t the police acted while this is happening right under their noses, and the law is on their side? When matatu’s went on strike to protest the new laws, we stood with the police. Why can’t they reciprocate by saving us the agony we go through every day, Inspector General David Kimaiyo?”