Killed over Sh10: That is how cheap life has become

It is a story that tugs the heartstrings. Matatu crews have over the years had the dubious distiction of being rude, crude and uncivilised and some of the things they do beggar belief.

But, seriously, what human being can throw a woman off a mobile vehicle ostensibly because of failing to pay full fare – for lacking only Sh10? Even  beasts don’t behave this way. But this is the matatu industry.

But distressing stories don’t only emanate from the matatu industry. On Tuesday, a woman was reported to have stabbed her two children to death in Kangemi, Nairobi.

Human life has become cheaper than that of house flies. Something has gone awry with the Kenyan society. But exactly what is it?

Back to the killer matatu. Was the hapless woman the only passenger? Weren’t there other  passengers who could help the poor woman pay the money-hungry tout Sh10 ? Wasn’t there a passenger who could raise his/her voice and tell off the callous tout? Why didn’t the passengers save the woman from being plunged to her death? Where is the Kenyan bus headed to?

Disrepair repairs and despair

Those who reside along the Kiserian-Ngong Road are witnessing asad saga, according to Mr Jonathan Waigwa. But this would not have been the case had the contractor sent last year by Kenya Rural Roads Authority, the custodian of this road, to seal potholes done a good job.

He alleges that the contractor took six months to “try and do the job” before giving up when the rains started in November. The road, says Waigwa, was resurfaced in December when the rains peaked.

“Needless to say, areas that have been resurfaced are already showing serious defects and the road will go back to its former condition of disrepair in a matter of days. Complaints made to Kera have gone unheeded,” says Waigwa. His contact is [email protected].

And from Mombasa, N Chesire wonders where the contractor of Bamburi-Mtambo Road vanished to.

“He has not been seen since last year, when he took a break for Christmas leaving half the road repaired from the junction of Mtwapa to the first roundabout on your way to Bamburi Mwisho,” reports Chesire.

‘Put railways firm back on track’

Kenya Railways, recalls Mr Victor Nyacharo, was sold off to Rift Valley Railways some years back with the hope this  would render it more efficient.

Mr Nyacharo, however, laments that this is yet to happen. If anything, he thinks railway transport is becoming worse by the day. 

On January 14, Nyacharo was among many commuters plying the Embakasi and Kahawa route  left stranded for hours following  a train mishap.

What irked Nyacharo most was that there was no “sincere apology from the management after the time wasting”. 

He wants the Transport minister to form a technical team to look into the problems facing the railways sector and come up with viable solutions to its problems.

Nyacharo is convinced that if the sector is exploited well, it can help Kenya’s economy grow tremendously.

presidency

“Dear Minister for Transport. Kindly listen to the cry of the mwananchi and perhaps if you vie for the presidency you will get more than 51 percent of the votes from local train commuters. Just think about it,” he says. And how about a sincere apology, RVR?

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did trespassers let the dead lie in Kericho?     

Kericho resident Christopher Kamaina wrote to PointBlank on October 20, last year, complaining that the Kericho Municipal Council cemetery had been turned into a ‘haven of immorality’.

 Kamaina claimed that there is adequate evidence that ‘immorality’ was going on in the cemetery. Used condoms, he claimed, were scattered all over the place.

And that isn’t all. Drug users have a perfect hideout in the cemetery and robbers lurk in the shadows at night waiting for their prey, he said.

Herders also find the unfenced graveyard a perfect grazing field and some Kericho residents “jump from grave to grave on their way home”.

City Council askari impostor?

Mr C Munyori is convinced he has sighted a fake City Council askari several times. He is well dressed, clean-shaven man who carries a walkie-talkie. “He operates along Uhuru Highway between Nyayo House and Intercontinental Hotel and targets motorists dropping people off and accuses them of dropping passengers on undesignated areas. He also stations himself near the zebra crossing next to Parliament and accuses motorists of not stopping.” 

If you challenge him, Munyori claims, the “askari” walks away. He would like the council and the city inspectorate to investigate the man.

Right of Reply
Tell me your response isn’t for real, Property Reality

I am disturbed by the response that Property Reality gave last week following my complaint on PointBlank of January 15 about their housing project on Mombasa Road.

My article did not mention a project in Mlolongo, which they curiously referred to in their response. I only talked about Cape Gardens along Mombasa Road, which Villa Care marketed to me.

When I began looking for a house to buy, I visited Villa Care who I believed were the best in assisting one buy a home. I went there with my sister and we chose two different units from the plan showed to us by the Cape Garden houses. We were then re-directed to Property Reality.

My offer letter has the Villa Care letter head, and clearly shows the vendor as Property Reality Limited. Before the purchase I visited the site on which my house was to be built, and even persuaded my friends to invest in the houses, which I thought were a fantastic buy at the time.

I decided to pull out when their promises did not materialise. I have visited their offices on Talbot Court in Westlands several times to enquire about the houses. I will also approach Villa Care and seek redress from them.

To term me as malicious is hurtful and beyond understanding. To term my claim as completely false, when I have documents and receipts to prove it is unprofessional.

I have a sale agreement between Property Reality and myself that was signed by their lawyers and mine and original receipts in my possession, clearly branded with the Property Reality letter head on them.

I have with me demand letters for my refund and signed committment letters to pay from their MD given to me through their lawyers.

I don’t know why the company chose to talk about Mlolongo in its response, and leave out Cape Gardens, which is what I paid for and whose details were on their website (www.propertyreality.co.ke), which went down a day PointBlank published my story Their Facebook page and twitter account still have details about this project (https://twitter.com/propertyreality/status/269346940607668224/photo/1).

All that I have severally asked for, and that I am asking for now, is reimbursement of the 10 per cent deposit I made on the Cape Garden project in 2010. It has been three years and I am supposed to be living in a dream home that never was, thanks to this dishonesty. I will explore all the options possible to ensure I get my hard earned money back.

Virginia Mwangi,

Nairobi