Nairobi News

Faulty products. Mr Benard Valusi wonders why it is taking an eternity to repair whatever fault has led to traffic lights on some streets in the city centre being off for close to two weeks now. Since the much touted automated traffic lights stopped working, he points out traffic jams have been heavier than usual. County traffic marshals, he says, have tried to step in and help, but even they are no match for the city’s mad traffic congestion.

“Nairobians have been more than patient with the disappointing performance of the traffic lights since they were installed. If the county procured faulty products from the Chinese contractor, someone should come out and say so,” says Mr Valusi. Given the reputation of Chinese products, he adds he wouldn’t be surprised.

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Apply selectively. Does the rule requiring that no structure should be built less than 30 metres from a railway line apply selectively? asks Ms Agnes Mbungo. She is concerned that less than a year after Kenya Railway Corporation demolished structures that had been built along railway lines, for public safety after the tragic Mutindwa train accident, the corporation is now building structures where traders once occupied.

In a very short time, she says she has seen a Chinese contractor put up buildings less than 20 metres from the rail at Makadara and Kibera. “These buildings look like shops facing away from the rail. Every time I pass by I wonder the kind of damage that would be inflicted if a train derailed,” she says.

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Unsolicited texts. Safaricom should do something about customers who use their short code services to harass people by sending unsolicited texts, says Ms Janet Meso. Not a day passes, she points out, without getting at least two texts asking her to download theme songs to some soap operas. This she says, is in spite of the fact that she has never subscribed to the service.

“When I got the first text from code 22442 in September last year, I thought it had been sent mistakenly. I followed the advice of people who had been in similar predicaments and replied stop in bold. But whoever is running the code has refused to stop the harassment and day in, day out sends texts,” says Ms Meso. She adds she has been forced to download an SMS blocker app.

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Missed diagnosis. Mr Benard Koech says the county team that recommended Sh14 billion as the pill for the county’s education woes missed the diagnosis by a mile. Most city schools, he says, have two problems: inadequate teachers and lack of water.

“Walk around these primary schools: Gatina, Kawangware, Kabiro, Muthangari, State House, St Georges, Kilimani, Jacaranda, Kawangware, Kileleshwa, Milimani just to mention a few and ask them what they want. They are operating below capacity with few pupils. They are also understaffed,” he says. More pressing that the renovation and expansion of classrooms, he says is how to staff the schools and ensure that they have adequate water. He is however of the view that the amount is too much.

Write to The People’s Champion at nnchampion@ke.nationmedia.com