The Cutting Edge

Posted  Sunday, April 24 2011 at 16:44

IT’S NEVER WORKED. Prof Cato Bramwell de Savigny bought an Airtel simcard at Malindi for his Samsung phone. On the menu, it said he could change the number, which he did. Since then, it has never worked despite calling customer care often and being assured it would be activated in 24 hours. Back in Nairobi, he went to an agent at Sarit Centre and exchanged the card. “It’s now three weeks since I bought the simcard and topped it up with Sh1,000.” His contact is Tel 0713715104 or desavigny@gmail.com

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CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE. After being given the run-around by the KPLC’s Embu office for months, Patrick Kagucii can’t take it any more. It all started last November when he applied for power connection in Weddy Mukami Kimwere’s name (Ref. No. E25202011010471). Since then, he has called several times, only to be told they were waiting for funds from head office or that the poles chosen had been rejected, or about a cable shortage. “When shall we see the light at our home?” Contact: patkag77@yahoo.com.

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PUNGENT STENCH. There is some work for the Nairobi Water Company to do in the Huruma neighbourhood. Elvis Bulemi says they have had to put up with the stench from a burst sewer, which has been discharging the muck for a long time. The location of the offending pipe, he adds, is near Mbuthia, with the wastewater flowing past the Ngei 2B offices. “It poses a health hazard, cutting, as it does, through a children’s playground,” says Bulemi, who is ready to point out the spot if contacted on Tel. 0727147037.

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THE GUZZLERS ARE BACK. The fuel-guzzlers are back, yells Thomas Yebei, on the wanton waste he witnessed at a function attended by Cabinet ministers. The top government officials, and even senior civil servants, he adds, turned up in their limousines over the stipulated 2,000cc range, making a mockery of Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s much-publicised VW Passat handouts. “Has the policy requiring civil servants to use vehicles of less than 1800cc been scrapped or is the same old problem of impunity back?”

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DISAPPOINTED. Safaricom’s Bonga Points scheme to reward loyal customers has become a big disappointment, moans a frustrated Dr Mark Onyango Ojuok. Says he: “The response one usually gets at their customer care offices on enquiring from the attendants about the promised handset gifts is that they are either out of stock or that their computer system is down. So, why invite subscribers to redeem their points when you are not ready?” His contact is markojuokicon@gmail.com.

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SNAIL-POST INDEED! The Post Office is, in fact, worse than what some have derisively described as a snail post as Janet Kui has just found out. She sent 12 Christmas cards last December to the US and Germany. “I was shocked to learn from all the recipients that the cards reached them only last month. Could I be the only one complaining or is this a Posta problem? I want to be sure so I can start sending my overseas mail three months ahead of the expected date of arrival.” Her contact is kui.janet@yahoo.com.

Have faster day, won’t you!