The Cutting Edge

By THE WATCHMAN
Posted  Monday, June 6 2011 at 16:43

VAT IS LEGAL. The value added tax (VAT) charged by the Postal Corporation of Kenya on its EMS courier services is legal, says Patrick Angoya, responding, on behalf of the postmaster-general, to Mungai Kihanya’s complaint. “We wish to assure all that the corporation remits the money to the Kenya Revenue Authority every month.” PCK, he adds, regrets that the staff at the EMS Centre in Nairobi were unable to immediately give Kihanya his ETR slip. “However, the tax was reflected in the official cash receipt issued to him and the transaction properly documented.”

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WE'RE POWERLESS. Almost every two months, Charles Kung’u says, residents of the Ondiri Kikuyu area, off the Nairobi-Naivasha highway, suffer power breakdown due to the vandalising of power lines. For over a week now, he adds, they have not had electricity, and being horticultural farmers, they are incurring heavy losses, as they cannot freeze their products. “What amazes me is just how professional the cable vandals are. Who could these people be? KPLC should intensify efforts to catch and punish them,” he urges.

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HALT THIS INVASION. Six businesses on the tiny Lanet Road off Baricho Road in Nairobi’s Industrial Area are choking under an invasion by jua kali mechanics and hawkers, their spokesman says. They have raised the matter with the City Council, but their appeals have fallen on deaf ears. They feel cheated as they regularly pay rates and other charges. “The mechanics have occupied all the parking slots in front of our premises. This is not a tarmac road and yet we are required to pay parking fees.”

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IT'S NOT OUR JOB. Though agreeing with Alice Makochieng that the Karen-Lang’ata Road all the way to the Magadi turn-off is in an appalling condition and could do with some refurbishment, Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia says the responsibility for the maintenance of that section does not lie with City Hall. He has forwarded Alice’s complaint to the Kenya National Highways Authority under whose jurisdiction this and a number of other roads in the city falls. He hopes KeNHA officials will assess it and have it fixed soon.

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THIS WORK IS SHODDY. As far as road projects go, Johnson Mcharo has noted a tendency not to complete the work. Among those partially done in Nairobi County, he lists Kangundo, Landhies, Manyanja and Jogoo roads. “The road is either recarpeted on one side of a dual carriage, the pavements fixed with murram and drains left half-done. They are simply fleecing the public as in their books the projects are certified as done. Parliament should enact a law to tame rogue contractors and public project supervisors,” says Johnson. His contact is jmcharo2002@yahoo.com.

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NAME OPTIONAL. The inclusion of the holder’s name on the City Council of Nairobi seasonal parking sticker is optional, Nairobi Town Clerk Kisia, clarifies, in response to the security concern raised recently by Wainainah Kiganya. He adds: “It is actually not mandatory to have the name of the car owner on the sticker. Anyone who feels that including his or her name might compromise his/her security should simply ask the issuing cashier to omit it. And doing so will not in any way interfere with the validity of the parking ticket.”

Have a discretionary day, won’t you!