The cutting edge

By  THE WATCHMAN Posted Sunday, March 6 2011 at 17:39

A WAKE-UP CALL. When he was at St Mary’s, Yala, Joel Oduor recalls visits by students and teachers from Maranda High School to learn from them how to become a top institution. He is, therefore, stunned that Maranda has swept past St Mary’s as was confirmed by its sterling performance in the 2010 KCSE exam. “Whereas Maranda came fourth among the top 100 schools, St Mary’s was nowhere. This is wake-up call to the boys and their teachers,” says Joe. His contact is jaugenyajoel@hotmail.com.

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CHECK THIS GANG. A gang of five men has been terrorising motorists and cyclists between the Sinai Stage on Lunga Lunga Road and a godown in Nadume Road, Nairobi, says a local resident, who has been keenly watching their callous activities. The crooks, masquerading as traffic police officers, have also been preying on truck drivers who sneak their vehicles into the godowns for their fuel to be siphoned. The gang leader often brandishes a pistol and drives a sports car. “Can the police, please, investigate?” he appeals.

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STILL IN THE DARK. Last November, Emmanuel Kimtai applied for electricity connection to his mother’s house at Bel-Bur in Egerton and was assured it would be done by January 14. Nearly two months after the deadline and counting, his mother remains literally in the dark. On following up at the KPLC’s Nakuru office, he was told the survey documents could not be traced. “Our neighbours, who applied much later, have been connected,” says Emmanuel. The reference is No E23102010110496 and his contact, Tel 0713693281.

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WHY THE HUGE DROP? Now at Oxford in the UK, a former student of Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls School has been hurting since the release of the exam results. “I searched for the school on the list of the top 10 schools and I couldn’t find it. It used to be one of the best, although some people didn’t like the change of name. As an old girl, I’m disappointed that it has disappeared from the top 10 nationally. I suspect the girls no longer wake up at 5am to do morning prep.” Her contact is bmbogoh@hotmail.com

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WAKE UP JKUAT. Quite thrilled on finding on the website of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology the post-graduate course he wishes to pursue, Geoffrey Serede was disappointed that he could not reach the university by telephone and his attempt to contact them by email also failed. The Juja (main) Campus numbers 067-52711/52181 just ring on and on without response. “E-mail inquiries are never responded to. Must I go there personally?” asks Geoffrey, whose email is gserede@yahoo.co.uk.

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SHAME OF THE CITY. Nairobi town clerk Philip Kisia can’t run away from this one as it’s bang within his jurisdiction. It’s the shame of the city’s Eastlands that the pothole-ridden Outer Ring Road section just after the Caltex Petrol Station at Doonholm has become, moans Bernard Ochieng. “It’s a nightmare as one approaches the bridge near Tassia estate on the way to JKIA. The city council should repair this road to streamline the traffic flow,” says Bernard, whose contact is bochieng16@ovi.com.

Have a committed day, won’t you!