The cutting edge

By THE WATCHMAN
Posted  Wednesday, June 29 2011 at 17:54

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STAIRS HEALTHY. The flimsiest of the reasons being given for the demolition of buildings in Nairobi, Veronicah Moturi says, is the lack of lifts in those that are more than five floors high. The city by-law requiring all tall buildings to have lifts must be reviewed. “This law must have been formulated before people became health-conscious. There are Nairobians dying to cut down their weight and they would be only too glad to live on the upper floors. This way, we shall solve two problems — housing shortage and obesity.”

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ADVICE TO MPs. Some unsolicited advice to the MPs, who are adamantly opposed to paying their taxes in line with the new Constitution comes from Ken Okemwa. Says he: “The writing is on the wall for MPs. Had I been one of them, I would have rushed to pay now rather than wait to be hunted down by the Kenya Revenue Authority. When they are no longer MPs and lack the protection of the House, it will be much more difficult as they will be pursued individually.”

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EXPLAIN ANOMALIES. Can the Kenya Urban Roads Authority convince Peter Kinuthia that there is nothing fishy about a 500-metre stretch of road taking over a year to recarpet? This has happened in the Upper Hill area of Nairobi, where, incidentally, the Authority’s officials in the city are based, and yet work on Ragati Road has yet to be completed a year since the project began. “If this contractor is unable to complete the job, why can’t it be reassigned to one who can?” asks Peter, whose contact is peter.kinuthia@ke.ey.com.

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SOMETHING'S FISHY. Pastor Gathirwa has in the past three weeks been agonising over the possibility of the KPLC’s vandalised transformer at Kwa Wanjiku in Laikipia County being carted away by the same anti-social elements responsible for the mess. Since the locals reported that the transformer had been wrecked, Gathirwa has been keenly monitoring the issue and is disappointed that the power firm does not appear keen to secure its property until a replacement is installed. His contact is gathirwapastor@gmail.com.

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TENANT SHORT-CHANGED. A house owner at Nairobi South ‘C’, Kenneth Nyachae, says his tenant, Bibekananda Banerjee, has been subjected to needless agony over a Kenya Power blunder on his prepaid account, No. 04202075133. He has been misled by the company’s staff into loading the wrong account. On pointing out the anomaly, he was advised to fill in a complaints form and lodge it with the revenue department at Electricity House. However, over two weeks later, nothing has happened. Nyachae’s contact is kbnyachae@yahoo.com.

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COURTING DANGER. The Malindi law courts building is in such an appalling condition that it poses a grave risk to all, says advocate James Torore Makori, who recently had a matter before the local chief magistrate. That morning, he adds, there was a downpour, and because of a leaking roof, the advocates and some of the litigants had to stand in pools of water. James hopes new Chief Justice Willy Mutunga will order an audit of such buildings and have the really bad ones demolished and others repaired.

Have a dry day, won’t you!