Even Shabaab knows greed has got no borders in Kenya

No one, perhaps, understands Kenyans better than the Al Shabaab militia. They know that with money — and they have truckloads of it — nothing is impossible in Kenya. That’s why they can afford to brag on the internet, and they have been  gloating a lot lately after their successful exploits on Kenyan soil, thus: “...Legal valid Kenya visitor’s visa with guaranteed renewal. You know $$$ (dollars) talk in Kenya.”

On this one, I think Al Shabaab is spot on. Money is our undoing as a nation. If it were not for money, it is unlikely Al Shabaab would have killed anyone in Kenya so far. For it is money they use to buy their way into the country, it is with money that they buy passports and identification cards and it’s money they use to hire jobless youths to kill other Kenyans.

Greed is a national curse. That’s why MPs want sky high salaries, that’s why Senators want to have the entire KICC, that’s why governors and county representatives are crying for cash and that’s why a matatu conductor killed a passenger over Sh10 the other day. You’re right Mr Adan Duale. Ours is a greed sans frontiers country!

Confusing life, English   sentences

Embu resident Mwangi Munga is displeased with the way judges and magistrates pass their sentences. Mr Munga is convinced that judges “rarely listen to their own words as they would doubt them”.

For example, he says recently a 75-year-old man was sentenced to a life sentence and 25 years to boot for sexual offences by a Nakuru children’s court.  His beef? “Which life were the judges referring to?”

He explains: “The Constitution states that life begins at conception and logically ends at death...Since one can only be taken to court when he has already lived part of the life, it is logical to say that it is the remaining part of the life that will be spent behind bars.”

He adds: “Instead of calling it life sentence, it should be referred to as net-life sentence to depict the remaining part of life.

“If the two sentences were to run concurrently, the 25 years would be a subset of the net-life sentence and thus inconsequential. The net life sentence would take precedence over any other sentence. Why would a judge waste time issuing other sentences?” Help us, please, learned friends.

 

Insects spoil Uchumi client’s party

On May 27 Uchumi Supermarkets’ faithful customer Hiten Patesh  bought two items from their Capital Centre branch in  Nairobi. Unfortunately, both products, a Tofu worth Sh110 and a packet of Morning Harvest Bran Flakes, which cost Sh185, were not in good order.

Patesh alleges that the Tofu was spoilt and the Morning Harvest Bran Flakes had small insects in them.

About six months ago, Patesh  claims to have bought an oat meal package from the same shop that had the “same insects”. He returned the package and was reportedly promised action would be taken to avoid  recurrence of the problem.

“I think Uchumi Capital Centre is not doing a good job at checking on expired products,” concludes Patesh, whose contact is [email protected]. Is this the case, Uchumi?

And Mr Phillip Olang’ alleges there is something that Nakumatt Lifestyle has been unable to give him despite him needing it desperately (remember their motto;  “You need it, we’ve got it”. Olang’ has been seeking replacement of his smartcard since February but he is yet to get a new one. His contact is [email protected].

 

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did Orange take client back to world wide web?  

 

Recently, Telkom Orange’s customer Nancy Laura of Langata, Nairobi wrote here about delay by the firm to resolve an issue she had complained about. Nancy reported that although she paid for Internet for her Telkom Orange ASDL line in early April, her line, unfortunately, went dead on April 14. She then reported to Orange and received complaint reference numbers for both the landline and the data service that was disrupted. However, Orange did not sort out the problem and her visits to the company’s offices near Wilson Airport yielded only promises. The reference numbers she was given are 853901 (landline) and 853902 (Internet). Nancy said the line goes off every month yet she has never received any refund for lost data service. Did Orange address this customer’s complaint?

RVR is ‘off track in Embakasi’

Mr Philip Musembi is appealing to the management of  Rift Valley Railways to make all efforts to keep passengers who use the train on Embakasi route off harm’s way.

On May 15, 2013, he claims to have witnessed two of the train’s last passenger wagons leave the tracks at Avenue Park Phase 1 towards the Embakasi village terminus and “rolling on the ground like a bus for a distance of about 3km”.

“The Embakasi railway track is an eyesore, pathetic and a disgrace. But despite numerous complaints from passengers, RVR has done nothing about it,” laments Musembi.

Right of Reply
Samsung explains jumbled digital television signals
This is in response to a complaint in PointBlank on May 22, 2013 raised by Antony Irungu in regards to scrambled signal on his Samsung digital television.

First, we are very proud indeed to have him as our customer. We take great pleasure in this and hope that we will continue being his preferred brand for all his electronics and household appliances for a long time to come.

His query relates to receipt of digital signal in his integrated TV. We apologise for getting back rather late, but it was because we needed to conduct some checks with the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) with regards to his query.

As you are already aware, whereas Samsung provides the TV set, provision of content is by licensed service providers, in this case Signet (KBC) and Pan Africa Network Group (PANG).

Currently, and as confirmed by CCK, signal feeds of some local media houses disappeared from the digital platforms for unknown reasons.

This is currently being probed with the hope of resuming normal service as soon as possible. This could be the reason as to why he may be receiving the scrambled signal message even for channels that are free to air (FTA). To contact Signet, you need to reach KBC, while for PANG he may contact StarTimes.

It is also important to note that the digital signal is not yet available nationally but is being made available progressively by region/town. The following towns already have access to the signal: Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Meru, Eldoret, Nyeri and Kisii. Where there is no signal, one receives a ‘No signal message’.

Emmanuel Abraham Naicca,

Manager – VD,
East and Central Africa,

Samsung Electronics East Africa

Migori TV enthusiast who can’t decode CCK message
I recently complained here over unavailability of digital television signals in Migori. Later, one of the Communications Commission of Kenya officials informed me that signals from Signet and StarTimes are found within the environs of Kisii. Does he want me to relocate in the area to make use of the decoders? Migori residents are not getting justice.

It’s worse when the decoders are being sold but we can’t get the service. The funny thing about it is that the signals are being received on the Kenyan-Tanzanian border, which is about 60km from Migori. Can we be given concrete reasons as to why we can’t get the service? I can be reached at [email protected].

Peter Auma,

Migori