The Cutting Edge

STALLED CONSTRUCTION. Could the excitement about the Thika super highway that has been touted as the showcase for other cities in East and Central Africa have been premature? Well, Mungai Kihanya has been observing and reports that all the buzz that characterised the site is gone and that the project seems to have stalled. “In fact, work on the link from the Globe Cinema roundabout through University Way to Uhuru Highway stopped several weeks ago, and there is no sign of the contractor’s presence. What could have gone wrong?”

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JINXED ROAD. Is the road construction sector jinxed? Matthew Mutuku’s grouse is about the Old North Airport Road, also in Nairobi. Regular users of the road were elated when it was recarpeted, but, according to Matthew, potholes are already developing less than a month after it was reopened to traffic. Also, the pavements and drains have never been completed. One doesn’t need to be a roads engineer to see that the job was not done up to the required standards, he says. His contact is mutukumatthew@gmail.com.

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NATIONAL SHAME. The huge national flag that was installed at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, by the Armed Forces and took its pride of place during the promulgation of the new Constitution is already in tatters, remarks a hugely disappointed Ken Ruhiu. “Barely three months later, the flag has become so battered while fluttering in the strong winds at the park that it looks badly worn out and should be immediately removed.” Ken suggests that whoever is responsible for this should get a flag that is more durable to replace it, and preferably one made of wind-resistant material.

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CHANGE RULES. Now that commercial banks, realising that they could be left behind as their customers move on in search of ease and convenience, are rushing to embrace the fast growing mobile money transfer business, Boniface Kiambi hopes they will revoke some of their ludicrous rules. Says he: “I think it’s time they dropped the rule requiring customers to switch off their mobile phones while in the banking all. After all, the money transfer is done through the phone and switching it off wouldn’t make sense.”

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BUSAA CHALLENGE. Having heard about Nairobi town clerk Philip Kisia’s disdain for busaa, a popular traditional drink in western Kenya, where the man himself apparently comes from, Ashiembi wa Ndukwe says he can’t help but feel sorry for the City Hall bigwig, adding: “He has made it clear to all how he regards busaa, which is fine with me. But what will happen when he goes home?” This, Ashiembi, adds, is because there will be a lot of that drink even in the man’s own village and he should have great difficulty finding a place to park his car far away from the drinkers.

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PLANNING IRONY. One of the greatest ironies for Dr Sam Chege is that the City of Nairobi, which is generally wanting as far as town planning is concerned, happens to be the global headquarters of the prestigious United Nations Centre for Human Settlements - Habitat, whose mission is to improve urban planning and housing all over the world. According to Dr Chege, there is glaring evidence that Nairobi’s urban planning and housing is among the worst in the world, and hence the irony of the situation.

Have an urbanised day, won’t you!