The Cutting Edge - 18 March 2014
From left, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chairman Mumo Matemu, Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho and EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo when he received the 18 land title deeds from Mombasa tycoon Rashid Sajjad (right) on March 13, 2014. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT
What you need to know:
- Why should the grossly overpaid MPs, senators, governors and MCAs be given more taxpayers’ money to buy cars and houses? asks Kenneth Mbuthia.
PHOTO-OP IS IMPUNITY. Mombasa tycoon Sajjad Rashid doesn’t deserve the publicity of an official ceremony to surrender title deeds to the plots of land he illegally acquired or was allocated, says Martin Wahome. Doing so, he adds, is like parading the pride of blatant impunity. According to Martin, Sajjad should simply have walked over to the Lands office, handed over the titles at the counter and left instead of enjoying a photo opportunity with government officials. His contact is [email protected].
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KAREN CRIME-PRONE. All is not well in the once serene leafy Karen suburb of Nairobi, says Duncan Munyua, alarmed at the rising incidents of crime. He cites attacks by a boda boda cyclists’ gang that has in the last one month struck several times, with the latest incident being one where a student was robbed of belongings on Silanga Road in broad daylight on Monday. Duncan is also worried about the licensing of bars and “other strange businesses in the residential areas”, which he believes has made the situation worse. His contact is [email protected].
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GET NEW ENGINES. The new Nairobi railway commuter service in the Eastlands is totally unreliable, says Alfred Wambua. To blame are the “very old and inefficient engines that have neither the power nor the capacity” to do the job. “Every so often, the trains stall in the middle of the journey inconveniencing commuters. It has become a sad daily drama.” On Friday, March 14, both the Umoja and Embakasi trains had engine trouble, delaying commuters for 30 minutes. “Get new engines, please”.
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LEGISLATORS TOO PAMPERED. Why should the grossly overpaid MPs, senators, governors and MCAs be given more taxpayers’ money to buy cars and houses? asks Kenneth Mbuthia. They, he adds, should borrow from banks just like civil servants. “Even if the money advanced to them is repaid, it is a huge expenditure that will lock up money that could have been put to better use.” Kenneth is demanding the enactment of a law to bar civil servants and other State officers from being lent tax money.
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CONNECT ME NOW! Writing from Habaswein in Wajir, Abdirashid Yusuf says he has been waiting for more than six months for power connection to his premises, despite having paid the requisite fees. The local Kenya Power boss’s explanation that “it is too early” for him to complain, is one that Abdirashid simply won’t buy. He would like the government to shed light on what became of the much-touted rural electrification programme. In case the bosses are interested, his application is Ref: E21812013090004, and his contact [email protected].
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WHY WEAR THE MINI? Quite amusing is the sight of women who will turn out in miniskirts and keep on fidgeting as they walk in the streets and the hemlines rise further, to their utter discomfort and embarrassment, says Churchill Amatha. “It doesn’t make sense to buy a smart dress and keep on struggling to pull it down, even after spending plenty of time in front of the mirror before stepping out. You bought a mini, remember, unless you have borrowed it!” His contact is [email protected].
Have smart day, won’t you!
