Why Uhuru, Ruto should fill security docket pronto

Finally, we have a Cabinet. The Jubilee government can now start to deliver on its many promises with earnest. But even as the 16 Cabinet secretaries roll up their sleeves ready to get down to serious business, the  President and his deputy, for reasons best known to them, are yet to fill the remaining two dockets. These are Interior and Coordination of National Government and Labour, Social Security and Services.

The public has, understandably, been calling for the filling of the Interior docket, under which security matters fall,  owing to the prevailing insecurity in the country. Uhuru and his deputy should make haste and do what they must do.  This because insecurity has gone to the dogs and parts of the country are tightly in the grip of machete-wielding gangsters.

We need a no nonsense secretary in charge of the security docket, one who can put sense in the heads of these pig-headed  thugs. Let’s hope this is why the duo has taken long to fill this docket. However, even if this is the case, the country cannot afford to waste another day with this docket still unfilled, Mr President.

Gadgets that last as long as a housefly

Now that the new Cabinet Secretaries have been sworn in, Munga Fred has a special request to the Ms Phyllis Kandie, the secretary in charge of Commerce.

She wants her to consider cracking the whip on traders who sell substandard gadgets. He particularly has a bone to pick with some Chinese merchants who sold him a mobile handset which had  “the lifespan of a housefly”.

The smartphone’s touchscreen, Munga reports, malfunctioned after a few months and he took it back to the seller for repair. Munga says he was shocked by the response that he got: “Your touchscreen warranty is expired and even if it is not, we  cannot help because we do not import spare parts”.

This, he laments, was despite the fact that he was given a one year warranty.

“Who gives such businesspeople licences to bring in such gadgets? And where is Kebs?” asks Munga who concludes: “If we allow unscrupulous traders to continue flooding our country with such merhandise, we are doomed to fail economically.” His contact is [email protected].

StarTimes’ starry images

For the past one week, StarTimes Mombasa subscriber Justin Nkaranga complains that he has been receiving very poor service from StarTimes Media.

Nkaranga complains that he has been unable to watch local TV channels through StarTimes digital platform.

“The international channels aren’t good either as images keep breaking up and splitting into particles on the screen,” he adds.

The customer alleges to have called  StarTimes, which admitted that there was a problem with their signal in Mombasa.

“StarTimes should move with speed and resume normal transmission,” pleads Nkaranga who may be reached at [email protected].

And from Migori, another StarTimes customer Peter Auma also complains that he has not been receiving services from the firm.

Although he bought a StarTimes decoder, and the company is still busy selling them to customers in the area, Auma claims there is no digital signal yet in Migori. “Could you please prevail on the director concerned to look into the issue urgently,” requests Auma who can be contacted on  0723763466.

Were allegations about Leseru plunder probed?  

On April 18, some concerned residents of Leseru, about 20km north-west of Eldoret town wrote to PointBlank complaining about the theft that was going on at the local railway sub-station. The residents lamented that Leseru had become a magnet for thieves who stole rail parts and other properties.

“It started with some pieces of railway line in a nearby swampy area... anybody who dared ask questions was warned to keep off and even told that the local railway OCS was aware,” they alleged.

The brazen thieves, according to the residents, have also felled trees for timber at the sub-station to satiate their appetite for money. The residents asked Kenya Railways to investigate the matter and arrest the culprits. Did Kenya Railways headquarters do the necessary?

Bile over stalled Butere roadworks

A taxpayer who makes a living and money to pay tax somewhere along the Sigalagala-Butere Road wonders what became of a project commissioned by former Prime Minister to tarmac the road.

Isaac Munzala says that sometime in 2010, Mr Raila Odinga personally commissioned upgrading of this  road.

“A contractor was awarded the job. The works started but  somewhere along the road they  stopped without the contractor putting even inch of tarmac,” he reports and asks: “What happened?” He recalls reading in the Press that the project had been allocated Sh1.4 billion.

Right of Reply
Kenya Railways ‘has misplaced priorities’
I read the article by Mr Kamau Njuguna about Kenya Railway’s train services and would like to support his sentiments.

I think the management of Kenya Railways has misplaced priorities. I believe the Umoja, Dandora, Ruiru train fetches them a lot of revenue compared to the Mlolongo one. Priority should be given to this particular route.

Another misplaced idea is the station at Makadara. Only a handful people board the train from this particular station. The station should have been constructed at Umoja (Mutindwa). The stage there  is in a very poor state, especially when it rains. Passengers have to wade through water when alighting as the train stops for less than a minute and one has no time to choose a good place from where to disembark.

Let us push the management to repair this station and kindly ask them to stick to the route time-table. A train supposed to be at Mutindwa by 7.15am at times even arrives at 8am.

Juma Alugongo,

Nairobi

 

KPLC powers Moi’s Bridge’s Machine
 

Thanks a lot for publishing my complaint over the prolonged power blackout at Machine area, Moi’s Bridge in yesterday’s PointBlank. I am happy to report that the problem was sorted out on Tuesday night.

 

Wanyonyi Makokha,

Moi’s Bridge

 

Point of Order

Kenya Power electrifies Kiambu customer

Mr Njoroge Njenga was left smiling “pleasantly” by Kenya Power the other day. Njoroge reported a power outage at his home in Cianda in Kiambu through the company’s Call Centre at around 11am last Saturday. His call, he says was picked by a courteous lady who took his details and went further to give him a reference number for follow up.

“I called home the same day at 4.30pm and was informed that power had been restored, to my excitement after two days in the dark.”

And as if that was not enough,  Njoroge was later called by an equally courteous man on Sunday morning while in church, “and all he wanted to know was: ‘Do you now have power?’” The customer who couldn’t believe his ears, wants the firm to keep up the good work. His contact is [email protected].