The Cutting Edge

By THE WATCHMAN
Posted  Wednesday, April 6 2011 at 16:50

DANGEROUS ILLITERATES. On hate speech, Peninnah Wanjeri is reminded of the words of Alvin Toffler, who said: “The illiterates of the future are not those that cannot read or write. They are those that cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.” These words, she says, should resonate with every Kenyan as self-serving politicians stoke the same emotions that caused the death or displacement of thousands in the 2007 election mayhem. “We must learn from past atrocities and forge a new future where this has no room.”

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RAILA PROVED RIGHT. When Premier Raila Odinga proposed the hiring of a judge from the Commonwealth as Chief Justice to preside over reform of the Judiciary, he was vilified for lack of faith in Kenyan lawyers, notes David Jasondu. His plea for foreign experts to investigate the post-election violence was similarly derided. “But things have since gone full circle. The government has hired foreign lawyers to present its case to the ICC and some of the Ocampo suspects have retained foreign advocates. So, who is more forthright?”

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WAKE UP, SONKO. Can Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi alias Sonko find some time to pay attention to the serious problems bedevilling his constituents in Buru Buru estate? asks Steve Maina. The past three weeks have been a nightmare for motorists since some fellows arrived and dug up portions of Mumias Road, ostensibly for repairs. “Those responsible for this mess are nowhere to be seen. What does the city council have to say about this?” Steve’s contact is maichbaba007@yahoo.co.uk.

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PROFUSE APOLOGIES. A sincere apology to Kanini Musau and her neighbours over the litter left on the Mathatani/Mua road after the KCB Bankika Rally comes from Yvonne Munuve, the bank’s advertising and sponsorships manager. Says she: “As the sponsor of the Kenya National Rally Championship for seven years, KCB has an environmental impact assessment plan which includes route clean-up after each rally. There was an oversight which has been corrected. We assure all of better supervision at future events.”

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FRUDTRATED. KPLC is not in the good books of a resident of Nairobi’s Imara Daima estate, Chris Oyombo, who is upset about constant power interruptions in the past month. Says he: “We’ve lost a lot in terms of damage to electrical equipment and yet at the end of every month, they will send a bill requiring that we pay for their fuel cost, foreign exchange adjustment, inflation adjustment, several levies, VAT, and God knows what else. It’s very frustrating.” His contact is chrisoyombo@yahoo.com.

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GROVE NO MORE. Having lived in what was Grevillea Grove in Nairobi for 32 years, John S. Lee commiserates with Jane Hitchcock. Says he: “The City Council can no longer name it a grove since the group of trees that afforded it the name have gone. The trees were planted by Sir Henry Delores Broughton’s workers, forming an avenue to his coffee farm (now Kyuna Estates). Perhaps, it should be renamed Broughton Drive, as grevillea no longer grace the Westlands suburb of what was once a picturesque residential area.”

Have nostalgic day, won’t you!