Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The cutting edge

By THE WATCHMAN
Posted Tuesday, March 8 2011 at 19:19

We’re doing our best. While agreeing with Maina Gathu about the daunting challenge of maintaining cleanliness in most of the cash-strapped towns including the capital, Nairobi town clerk Philip Kisia disagrees with his assertion that the city’s beautification programme is only obsessed with tidying up the central business district. Says Kisia: “For Mr Gathu’s information, we do not concentrate all our efforts in the city centre. Efforts are being made to scale up the work to cover the entire city.”
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Where’s my allowance? Two years since he was employed by the Ministry of Livestock Development as a laboratory technologist (No is 2009086477) and posted to Hola in Tana River District, Collins O. Angute is still waiting for his baggage allowance of Sh64,440. On May 5, last year, the mechanical department of the Ministry of Roads calculated the mileage and confirmed the amount (Ref GTO/29/Vol IX/4478). At his ministry’s Kilimo House headquarters, he was told he would be paid in three months. His contact is oopscoa@yahoo.com.
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Frustrating sloth. Does Kenya Revenue Authority boss Michael Waweru ever leave his plush office in Times Tower, Nairobi, to visit the banking lobby on the ground floor and see for himself the number of man-hours lost in abnormally long queues? asks Frederick Muhia. He says KRA could partner with banks, the Postal Corporation and supermarkets so it can outsource services such as the renewal of driving licences. “I’ve seen how people are frustrated about the snail-paced services offered by the KRA.”
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The man’s a menace. An influential grassroots leader is behind the group that has allegedly ignored Nairobi town clerk Kisia’s written order suspending the construction of kiosks on Matundu Lane off Brookside Groove at Westlands, a local resident charges. The same fellow, he claims, was involved in the controversial building of similar kiosks next to Parklands Sports Club which were later demolished as they had become a haven for illicit activities. “How do we get the authorities to prevent this menace?” the resident asks.
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Poor service. Calling Telkom Orange is Betty Ocharo, the telephone operator for Mimasa Ltd, whose landlines, Nos 0206532611 and 0206532612, have been out of order since December. She says the customer care representatives’ “normal excuse is that their computers are down”. The officials, she claims, won’t issue reference numbers “and also refuse to give their second names for proper follow-ups”. The company, Betty adds, has been cut off some of its customers and is losing business. Their contact is info@mimasaengineering.com.
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Landline dead. Also having a nasty time over phones are Mohammed Associates, whose lines have been out of order for three months. Says Mohammed: “Please do your magic and restore my landline, No 3751208, at Parklands, Nairobi. It remains dead despite calling the customer care service number almost daily to remind them about the problem. Every time we call, we are given a glimmer of hope by courteous sounding staff, but alas, nothing!” The company’s more reliable contact is mohammedi.associates@gmail.com.
Have a dependable day, won’t you!
E-mail: watchman@nation.co.ke or write to Watchman, POB 49010, Nairobi 00100. Fax 2213946.

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