Our leaders should never live like kings or paupers

There is palpable public anger over allegations that the Deputy President spent millions of shillings on an air ticket. Kenyans cannot comprehend why and how Mr William Ruto  spent a staggering amount of taxpayer’s cash to fund what is now being regarded as a ‘luxury’ trip.

It is not hard to see why the public is mad. Mr Ruto and President Uhuru Kenyatta were buoyed to power by their ‘hustler’ campaign. They somehow managed to convince impoverished voters that they were part of them.

They convinced them that they would shun extravagance and do everything possible, including denying themselves live’s small luxuries, to  banish the poverty in our midst.

That’s why the public sees  the millions said to have been spent on the trip (whether  Sh18m, Sh25m or even Sh100m) to be too much. What we must all agree, however, is that our leaders need not live on a shoe-string budget or travel like paupers. In the same vein, they must not live like kings and queens. They should live comfortably, but within our means.

That’s the only way that we can all forge ahead.

Humps that harm vehicles

Nyahururu motorist John Kariuki has been busy driving and counting the number of bumps along the Ol Kalou-Nyahururu road. He says, and you are free to confirm with the relevant authorities, that there are 20 humps along this road.

But it is not the large number of humps that puzzles him, rather it is the danger that they pose to road users as they are all unmarked.

They are a disaster waiting to happen, he notes, mores so for motorists who are  unfamiliar with the 34km stretch.

Mr Kariuki reports that  there have been several accidents on this road “where motorists flew over these bumps” especially at Rurii, Nyakariang’a and at the Equator crossing.

“A few years ago, a lorry carrying building stones overturned at Rurii after hitting an unmarked bump and an army lorry veered off the road and nearly crashed into a roadside kiosk at the same place. And only last month, a matatu carrying mourners to a funeral overturned at Equator crossing.”

Have you heard these horror stories, Eng Michael Kamau Cabinet Secretary, Transport and Infrastructure? By the way, congratulations sir.

Why ‘MPigs’ business is hogwash

If there is someone who understands animals well, that must be Jean Gilchrist. Jean is the Director of Animal Welfare at the Kenya Society for the Protection and Care of Animals (KSPCA). That’s why she kindly wants you to keep off pigs in your fight against MPs greed.

Listen to her: “We have read all the uncomplimentary things said about them (pigs). We at KSPCA would like to set a few matters straight. Firstly, pigs are highly intelligent animals. They do not eat their own faeces unless they are starved. Most of their so-called bad behaviour come about because of how they are kept.  Well kept pigs living in reasonable surroundings will have a toilet area, if they are not overcrowded they do not make an unseemly rush for their food. Most pigs in this country are kept in overcrowded unsanitary conditions which leads to aberrant behaviour.”

“Often they are underfed.”

“Yes they are omnivorous, but so is man. Free range pigs living naturally in suitable surroundings will only take what they need, which is more than can be said for mankind. Though pigs were used to demonstrate what people think of the MPs perhaps it was rather unfair on the pigs?” Simply call them M-ticks!

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did IEBC officials in Nyanza get their dues?  

In the recent past, several people, who claim to have worked for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) during the recent elections have alleged here that they were yet to be paid their dues.

They include some ‘officials” from South Nyanza region who complained on April 11 that they were yet to be paid by the electoral body.

They alleged that when they were recruited before the poll, they were promised they would be paid their dues a week after the March 4 elections. They claimed that in South Nyanza region, no IEBC officials have been paid their wages.

“Some of us who have reached the regional co-ordinator have been told  that as far as he is concerned, all people have been paid.” What’s the true position on this matter IEBC Chairman Issack Hassan ? 

Scrambled Signet service

Nairobi resident Anthony M Irungu recently bought a Samsung TV set with an inbuilt decoder for digital TV. The digital service,  he says, was to be provided by Signet. However, Irungu laments that many of the channels available, including the local free-to-air ones, indicate ‘scrambled service’ meaning he is  expected to pay to watch the channels.  “Why does Signet want to charge for free-to-air channels,” he asks and adds: “Where can one get Signet  to pay for the scrambled services and what are their rates?” Any idea, Samsung? His contact is [email protected].

Right of Reply
Department processing delayed pensioner’s cash
The Pensions Department wishes to respond to an enquiry published May 17 titled by Adhiambo Elizabeth Oloo (APN/PC 216146) alleged that the Department directed her monthly pension to an ‘old account’ instead of the new KCB account which was used to pay her gratuity.

The truth is the Department paid her monthly pension from October 2009 to March 2010 to the same account to which the gratuity was paid. The account she refers to as the ‘old account’ is the same account she provided for payment of her retirement benefits upon retirement and it is the same account through which her gratuity was paid on October 31, 2009.

 She was introduced in the payroll using the same account but the bank returned her monthly pension remittances owing to changes of her bank account by her bankers without the department receiving any instructions from the pensioner to that effect. As a result, remittance of her pension was stopped on April 1, 2010 to await fresh instructions from her regarding her new pay point.

It may be noted that it was not until later in 2010 that Oloo issued written instruction to the Department that her bank account be changed and the changes were effected in our payroll of December 2010 in which she was paid the monthly pension arrears.

However, the Department could not act on her claim for returned pension since none had been received from her bank. The bank has now returned the pension in question and the Department is processing the same to her new account. Once payment is finalised and released to her account, Oloo which will be notified in writing.

 

Michael J Obonyo, PRO

For: Pensions Secretary/Director of Pensions.

E-payment system to decongest banking hall
This is in response to a complaint in PointBlank on 9 (Systems trigger long queues).

As a bank, we mind and care about our customers deeply. We appreciate Cecilia Amagove’s concern and feedback raised on queues in the banking hall in Mombasa. The bank is working on an e-payment solution-which  will be rolled out soon-that will help decongest our banking halls and provide convenience to our customers. We have also taken note of the high number of customers making  various payments particularly at the beginning of every month.

We wish to reassure our customers and the general public of our commitment to efficient and effective delivery of service.

Rebecca Gikuru,

Manager, Corporate Affairs