The 139th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED

On Monday, I had an appointment with the manager cum engineer of the Mombasa Water Co., and found him to be a very interesting guy. It was the first time in my many years with the many 'water officials', that I've had to deal with, that this one turned out to be open minded and positive! What I mean is that, he was not only interested in my, over a year old Water Petition with it's over 900 signatures, but, was not at all averse to the suggestion it makes giving valid reasons for desalination as an option. What utter relief! He even did me the favour of getting my copy of this document bound for which I am very grateful. Now, I hope and pray, that he will not promptly be transfered and will stay with us for quite a while, Insha'Allah.

Now, to address another revelation that he told me about that day. All those, I included, who have been refusing to pay the questionable sewage charges may be liable to have our water (?) meters disconnected! On what grounds they are going to do this only God and they (the equally questionable and ex-water co. manager, now employed by the Coast Water (dis)Services Board), know. As it is, most of us are paying phantom water bills, therefore, with the continued absence of water, it wouldn't make much of a difference if they remove our meters. Also, I still haven't seen a sign of any sewage 'action' being taken; now that it's nearly a year since this additional collection has begun to be added to our bills. This is turning out to be as 'phantom type' as the water bill. The garbage collection, too, is equally erratic and questionable.

I have been invited to attend a water user's meeting tomorrow at the MWA Hall and will have some more interesting things to report after that, Insha'Allah. The points mentioned above are some which I'm going to try and raise there, if possible.

Another one of these points is the one I mentioned to the Manager - that of indiscriminate digging of bore-holes and wells everywhere on Mombasa Island. Some of these are near septic tanks, like the one in my estate that has been dug with CDF money. This particular one should not have been dug there, but, then our non-performing and unprofessional and with no ethics whatsoever, Council allowed and encouraged to be dug. I wonder where the town planners are, out there? And do they even have the plans easily available of these staff flats that were built during colonial times, by them? I doubt if they even referred to any such thing, like everything else that they do or rather don't do! Our town planning dept., is quite null and void. Their basic excuse for existence these days is to make money......, over and above their pay which comes from the tax and rate payers pockets - us!

Till next time....,
Razia.