The Cutting Edge - 24 March 2014

IT'S BEING REPAIRED. The Thika Superhighway project is under a 24-month defects liability period, which began in July 2012, says Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNHA) official Charles Njogu. According to him, the contractor will have to replace any defective road studs and reinstate markings to the engineer’s satisfaction. KeNHA has also awarded a contract for the operation and maintenance of the road for the next two years to ensure it conforms to “the best international practices”.

________

CLEAR THE TITLES MESS. The National Land Commission’s pledge to issue over 300,000 title deeds by the end of the year, though rather ambitious, is commendable, says Mathew Kibe. However, Mathew wishes the commission could start by first clearing the “land title deeds mess in Nairobi”. According to him, thousands of plot owners have been held hostage by land-buying companies that are not in a hurry to release the documents to individuals. For details, his contact is [email protected].

________

NOT A DROP TO DRINK! Can Nairobi Water Company go to the rescue of the residents of Ideal Flats on Ngong Road who last saw any water flow out of their taps in September last year? urges Anne Migunda. Several visits to the company’s office at Nairobi South, and phone calls and letters to the headquarters, she claims, have yielded nothing. “Everyone, from the customer care desk to the technicians and technical co-ordinator have one tale or another. The only constant is the bills they always send on time.” Her contact is [email protected].

________

I NEED DRIVER'S LICENSE. A resident of Meru Town, Rasik Chandaria, applied for a duplicate driving licence on August 23 last year and was assured that it would be ready in three months. He is still waiting to date. Rasik, who says he cannot afford to go to Nairobi to follow up the matter, is worried because the Kenya Revenue Authority office will not renew his interim licence, which expires on May 19. The receipt number is 002013235060252a and his contact, [email protected].

________

SH100 NOT ENOUGH. The proposed Sh100 monthly deduction from teachers’ salaries to pay them when they go on strike is too little, says Domi Gathuru. “The most they would get is Sh1,100 if they work for 11 months and go on strike for one month. They should increase the contribution to Sh2,000 to be paid Sh22,000. But does it make sense to go on strike and pay yourself? The loss of a month’s salary is bigger than the increment they might be seeking. Do the math.” His contact is [email protected].

________

DON'T WE LIKE FLOWERS? Flower sector worker John Kimani Macharia is disappointed that his fellow Kenyans hardly “embrace Kenyan products, including flowers”. He adds: “Some 99.9 per cent of all our flowers are exported, yet we also celebrate occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Easter, the International Women’s Day, Mother’s Day, Fathers’ Day, and Christmas when we should decorate our homes with flowers. It is high time we started enjoying our own things.” His contact is [email protected].

Have a beautiful day, won’t you!

E-mail: [email protected]
or write to Watchman
POB 49010, Nairobi 00100
Fax 2213946