The Cutting Edge

By THE WATCHMAN
Posted  Wednesday, May 18 2011 at 15:10

UNNECESSARY NOISE. Suspended Cabinet minister William Ruto and the clerics opposed to the choice of Dr Willy Mutunga as Chief Justice and Nancy Baraza, as the Deputy Chief Justice, should just shut up, says Mulwa Sadat. However, Mulwa says he is not surprised as they also opposed the new Constitution, that was passed by more than two thirds of the voters. He adds: “Dr Mutunga’s contribution to the fight for the second liberation is well known. Are they unhappy because they have skeletons in their closets?”

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MASTERS OF TRIVIALITY. From presidential candidates and the foreskin talk to the small piece of metal or plastic in Dr Mutunga’s ear is evidence of how some mundane and trivial matters still preoccupy some people, remarks David Kirenga. “Watching Ruto, Canon Peter Karanja, and others criticising Dr Mutunga was one of the lowest moments in my life. None presented any evidence against his stellar academic credentials. None faulted his reform record. A mere stud in one’s ear doesn’t make one a good or bad Chief Justice.”

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WE WANT MORE. While she is happy that the City Council of Nairobi is doing something about the potholed Rhapta Road at Westlands, Muthoni Njau wants some more — the repair of streetlights. Says she: “Council workers have cleaned up the drains and have been filling in some huge potholes. And we hope more shall be done when the rains subside. But our streetlights ceased to function three months ago. The combination of darkness and potholes is only good for thugs, who are having a ball at our expense.”

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WAITING IN VAIN. Cooperazine Internazionale, an NGO located on Peponi Road, Westlands, Linda Ayoma says, is terribly disgruntled because Telkom Kenya has been promising to restore their landlines, Nos 4183519/20 and 4182586, and a faxline, No 4182587, in vain. “These telephone lines have been out of service for the past 12 months. How much longer will it take to replace the stolen cables and what measures are they taking to safeguard existing lines?” asks Linda. Her contact is coord.nairobi@coopi.org.

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BLACKSPOT. The Nairobi South ‘B’ estate junction on Mombasa Road has become an accident blackspot in the city, moans Salim Elias. As a local resident, he says, he is now sick and tired of the matatus that crowd in the accelerating lane into the highway. “Accidents have been occurring almost daily at this spot involving motorists joining the highway. Isn’t there a single officer the city traffic commandant can spare to man this spot and help avert the accidents?” asks Salim, whose contact is salim_e@hotmail.com.

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UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE. Barclays Bank’s new TV commercial in which account holders dance to the Lingala beat, as does an ATM robot, would have been better suited to Kinshasa than Nairobi, remarks Caleb Okumu. Says he: “Though music is a universal language, the lyrics of the song the queuing ATM users dance to has no bearing or meaning to Kenyan account holders. They should have commissioned Eric Wainaina, Kayamba Africa, Emmy Kosgei, Jua Cali, or any other Kenyan artiste to do the jingle in Kiswahili or English.”

Have a homegrown day, won’t you!