The Cutting Edge

Leading city commuter bus companies Citi Hoppa, KBS and Double M have all failed to effectively cater for people living on the outskirts.

Cynthia Nyamasyo, who lives at Ongata Rongai and works at Yaya Centre, says getting there in the morning and returning home in the evenings is hard work.

“Can they provide buses to ply the Rongai route? I normally use three matatus,” she moans.

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Can Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia get the contractor who dug up Jabavu Lane at Hurlingham and left it in an appalling state to go back and sort out the mess? urges Wilson Ruto.

For over a year now, no work has been going on and the only indication of the contractor’s presence is a board containing the details of the job he had been hired to do.

“The onus is on City Hall to rectify this,” Ruto concludes.

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Some time back, Amos Kambo recalls, Town Clerk Kisia gave an assurance that Jogoo Road, the thoroughfare linking city centre to the densely populated Eastlands, would be rehabilitated.

And, indeed, some work was done, but it was abruptly stopped. He swears it’s six months since the contractor left and there is no sign he will be returning soon. Only a quarter of the job was done.

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At midnight on a Wednesday over a fortnight ago, a tour van driver knocked down a pedestrian at the bridge just after Doonholm estate, but shamelessly drove off, says Nick Ruteere.

“I don’t know whether the victim survived, but I took down the car registration. He or his relatives should contact me on Tel 0722335839. I want the driver brought to book so he can realise that human life is sacred.”

Nick’s email is nmruteere@gmail.com.

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The rate at which police are felling suspected criminals in crackdowns is alarming, says E.N. Kariuki, who, however, hastens to add that his concern shouldn’t be seen as an indication that he condones crime of any description.

“I just strongly feel that due process ought to be followed, as every suspect deserves his or her day in court. And after all, dead men tell no tales!”

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A seven-foot puff adder in a well in Kangundo? That can’t be, says I. Kimani. According to Kimani, if there was such a big puff adder, it would be an automatic entry into the Guinness Book of Records.

The reptile, which is a source of agony for the grandmother in Machakos, having blocked access to the water, Kimani declares, “must be a python”.

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With money in his M-Pesa account, Peter Gakuya was quite confident when he walked into a Safaricom shop at Thika Town to buy a modem.

Says he: “When I asked if I could buy the modem using my M-Pesa, they said I should withdraw the money and pay cash. I felt bad because, thanks to Safaricom, I no longer have to carry cash around. It was quite surprising! They should be the first to accept use of their own service.”

His email is gakuyapeter@yahoo.com.

Have an easier day, won’t you!

E-mail: watchman@nation.co.ke or write to Watchman, POB 49010, Nairobi 00100. Faxes 214531, 213846.