Religious and incessant other noise - the 34th reminder

This country is going from bad to worse and all the while our over-flowing cabinet and our equally insolent and rude cops do NOTHING to make it better. They all believe in talking BIG when making useless 'speeches, throwing mud at each other', while they do scant little about walking their talk! They politicize every issue imaginable while the country burns!

The Muslims, who should be what the Holy Qur'an calls them, 'the best of people evolved for Mankind who enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong', themselves are some of the biggest law breakers, unfortunately, and pests. While the Christians are no better and think nothing of competing with their other fellows in faith as well as the Muslims, in making as much racket as is possible.

All this, in the name of their respective faiths, too!

And now that Ramadhan is about to start, these fellow Muslims of mine will make life really impossible by trying to give the impression to everybody that they are some of the holiest people on earth while the reverse is the fact. They, by their behaviour, show the world that they are some of the most despicable, unfortunately. They make unnecessary noise, all in the name of Islam, while the Qur'an and the Sunnah of the holy Prophet (pbuh), teaches the opposite, i.e. not to disturb others, especially non-Muslims, for they in their ignorance might curse the true God (Allah).

Since, even I and many others (who are terrified of giving voice to their objections for the repercussions they fear from these kinds of Muslims), also pray and fast during this holy month, why should we be disturbed in practicing our injunctions? What do these people get out of making noise? And why can't the authorities like NEMA who even have an environmental police unit apply the law in this? Are they afraid of these people's 'fatwas', too? Then, of what use is their law about noise and making nuisances of themselves?

Last night and the night before, the MWA Hall, again had wedding parties and they were making so much noise that it's surprising that the Aga Khan hospital next door didn't take any action on behalf of their suffering patients. These merry makers, on Friday night, carried on and on till after 11.30 pm which is when I couldn't stand it any longer and rang up the cops. The one on duty at and emergency, I think, did do something about it, but, these people have again got only one car and take AGES getting to where they are needed! Also, their toll-free numbers of 999 and 112 are never answered! They ring, but, the cops claim that they are not working....

Last night, there was another noisy party there and when I called the cops this time earlier than 11.00 pm, the one on duty was thoroughly insolent and asked me what I expected him to do! Do these cops really know their jobs and the law? And what do they think is the reason for their existence in the country? He told me this after many calls, which he kept disconnecting as soon as he heard my voice. Then, I was told to go to Central and report the matter! This in complete disregard that it was after 9.00 pm and there would be many inconveniences in getting there and the fact that I don't drive after dark. Not to mention that even if I'd done so, what the cops at Central, if they weren't in a semi-comatose condition, would be capable of doing. Which means that he was just harassing me.

So, what kind of cops do we have? He told me to report the matter to the PPO, but, this man, too is really awful. I'm talking from experience. They do absolutely NOTHING about the many complaints that you make to them - about their subordinates as well as the matter that you're complaining about.

In fact, a year ago, I even went to see the DC and the PC about these noisy mosques and churches, but, to date, they have done NOTHING!!!

Which brings me back to my first allegations about this being a lawless and insolent country, which cares little for the average Mwananchi, but does, in a mega way, about their capacious pockets, ONLY!!!!

The 178th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED

While most of us in Coast Province and in particular, Mombasa, don't get reliable water through our ancient piping systems, the few households that do, also join the rest of the 'dehydrated' lot during the month of August.

Since it's during this month that we have our A.S.K. show, rumours are rife since years among the general public, that the reason we don't get this precious fluid is because, all the available water is diverted to the show ground on the North mainland!

As our numerous water bodies are not the type to tell the truth about why we don't have even the little that a few were getting till showtime. Hence, these rumours doing the rounds that the water is diverted every year for the benefit of the show. The water 'officials', as is their usual way, add to the mystery by keeping quiet - a no comment attitude. They neither deny the allegation nor confirm. Why?

Which brings me to the matter about the water infrastructure that our questionable Water (dis)Services Board (CWSB), is supposed to improve and expand. IF, these 'professionals' were really doing their job, wouldn't our condition, now be improving instead of deteriorating? Therefore, what is their reason for existence? Which further leads one to ask, why are they allowed to continue to exist? They are NOT PERFORMING!

And by extension, and I will keep repeating myself - why is the whole exercise of water delivery so politicized in this particular province? And why isn't the government doing something about this, i.e. de-politicize it, pronto?! After all we are becoming highly allergic to our particular brand of politicians including our useless and unaccountable Council. In case, the powers that be would like evidence of the incompetence of the last mentioned lot, I can avail it to them.

Please, remove politics and politicians from this sector asap.

Religious and incessant other noise - the 33rd reminder

Can somebody clarify this issue about 'rights', to me, please? When does somebody's rights infringe on another's? For, my persistent complaints about religious noises, seem to be falling on very deaf and unfeeling 'official' ears!

While, we have freedom of worship in our constitution, when does this become a nuisance? For, while some of us practice this 'freedom', we disturb other's right to peace and quiet. Does this mean that in the name of practicing this freedom of worship we can disturb those of us who would like to have peace and quiet for various reasons, some of these being that we might not be of the same faith, or we might, ironically, also be praying, or might be ill, or have small children we're trying to put to sleep, or just don't like noise in general?

As I've written countless times before, till now, I've started writing 'reminders', just to keep a log of how many times I have to write about this issue before somebody in officialdom, if they ever do, will do something about this persistent and highly irritating pollution.

Now, that Ramadhan is about to start next week, the Muslims among us will suddenly make more noise that they are already doing. I mean the religious variety. They will try to give the impression to the rest of the country that there is no one as holy as them. While the reverse is the fact. For as soon as the Blessed month is over and even before it - remember, those loud and rowdy wedding parties they hold at other times especially just before Ramadhan? This, of course, is not part and parcel of our faith yet, that's their practice. So, where is their holiness during that time? And I again challenge all these so-called self proclaimed 'ulema' and sheikhs - where in Islamic history or in the Seerat of the holy Prophet (pbuh) and his illustrious companions (r.a), was this the practice? Of holding such loud prayers in the mosques, that they can be heard outside? And of reciting the Holy Qur'an so loud after the mid-afternoon prayers, that others who are trying to do their own recitations get disturbed. Yes, we are supposed to read our holy book more that usual, but, not in the manner that is done at present by these imams and others in mosques.

And if these people cannot give a valid reason with references (legitimate ones), please, do us a favour and fear Allah's wrath and observe peace during this holy month subsequently, too, and let us pray to our Maker without getting disturbed by all this 'religious' noise.

Which brings me to the Christian noise. This continues, too, every single workday lunch time at the MWA Hall. These supposed holy ones, give no thought to the residents in the area and are cruel enough to disturb the very ill in the hospital next door to them! And these people call themselves 'religious'! What irony!!!

The 177th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED - Affordable and environmental friendly desalination

The following is a link an affordable and environmental friendly way to desalination which will relieve the whole of Coast Province from it's persistent and severe water problems forever!

http://www.greenlivingtips.com/blogs/283/Wind-powered-desalination.html

Will our various non-performing and politically infested water bodies take the time to act, please? As has been written in my many reminders of late - we do not want a single politician, even a 'diluted' one, anywhere within sight or sound of ANY of our service provision and in particular, WATER, except for the water minister.

And whoever is working in this sector, should be employed with a performance contract in mind and be fully qualified for the job, too, of course! As well as, we want only one outfit to deal with, not countless ones who tend to pass the buck to each other and the public never gets a satisfactory answer. WE ARE VERY FED UP with the current attitude of these 'officials' and the way they 'don't work'!

water & environment friendly, affordable desalination

The following with the attachment is a very environment friendly and affordable way of desalination and very little excuse, now, for our 'officialdom' to ignore our pleas.

If only 'officialdom', i.e. the various relevant recipients who are responsible for our water delivery, could pay heed to this and contact Mr. Charlie Madden for more details, it would be a step towards us, in the Coast Province being able to get this precious, essential to life fluid.

Raziya.


On Thu, Aug 21, 2008 at 7:12 AM, Charlie Madden wrote:

Hi Razia

Chris Dickenson emailed me and gave me your details..

The attached water boatman is still just a dream. Barges are planned moored 1/4 mile offshore to harvest the sea breezes and fill their hulls with fresh water distilled from sea water.

Would they suit your part of the world, and who there is responsible for the water?

Best regards

Charlie

Sir Charles Madden Bt BSc MTech MBA – mech eng design marketing
79 Birksgate Dr, Urrbrae SA 5064
Australia

WindWater Pty Ltd
Dealer Four Seasons Windpower - www.fswturbines.com

P: 0433 565 039

water & environment friendly, affordable desalination

The following with the attachment is a very environment friendly and affordable way of desalination and very little excuse, now, for our 'officialdom' to ignore our pleas.

If only 'officialdom', i.e. the various relevant recipients who are responsible for our water delivery, could pay heed to this and contact Mr. Charlie Madden for more details, it would be a step towards us, in the Coast Province being able to get this precious, essential to life fluid.

Raziya.


On Thu, Aug 21, 2008 at 7:12 AM, Charlie Madden wrote:

Hi Razia

Chris Dickenson emailed me and gave me your details..

The attached water boatman is still just a dream. Barges are planned moored 1/4 mile offshore to harvest the sea breezes and fill their hulls with fresh water distilled from sea water.

Would they suit your part of the world, and who there is responsible for the water?

Best regards

Charlie

Sir Charles Madden Bt BSc MTech MBA – mech eng design marketing
79 Birksgate Dr, Urrbrae SA 5064
Australia

WindWater Pty Ltd
Dealer Four Seasons Windpower - www.fswturbines.com

P: 0433 565 039

Re: ELECTRICITY BILLS: Rational Billing?????????????A/c.no.2679842-01-13.8.08! and also 0354720

Yes, I totally agree with this. Consider this:

When we remove the fuel cost charge, the Forex one, the ERC levy, REP Levy, the VAT, the actual consumption amount is less than half. We are paying so many 'phantom' and unaccounted amount of money to GoK, it's unbelievable!

We pay taxes on nearly everything imaginable and sometimes it's repeated umpteen numbers of times that it can go under the title of daylight robbery.

Sometimes I wonder if the govt. we have has any idea how the rest of the country is managing to even survive and the quality of life the citizens are supposed to lead. I would sound like we are more like the serfs of Victorian times who existed just so that the high and mighty, the minority of this land can wallow in obscene luxury!

These people make me SICK!

Raziya


Shaileen N.P.N Shah wrote at 10:52 AM:

Hello,

Please explain the following:<

1.Consumption of 5 units of Electrical power is 'valued' at 188.80?

2.Actual charge for consumption is 10.00 only!

What a 'RIP-OFF'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mr.Shaileen NPN Shah,MRPharmS

Re: INEFFICIENCY,ENVIRONMENTLY unfriendly,etc., TELKOM KENYA!

This so-called 'privatized' company, still has the same old employees who are extremely insolent and slothful. I've, since early this year been visiting them, emailing them, etc., the same like you on behalf of friends of mine who are too busy and fed up to be frustrated by this company (in fact, EVERY service provider in this country is the same way), but, they are still waiting for their phone line to be relocated to their new house which is less than 500 meters from where they used to be.

But, till today, NOTHING has been done nor have these people even called or visited the place, i.e. given them a feedback as to WHY, their landline has not and cannot (it would seem), be relocated. After all their neighbours all have landlines except them! So, it's not going to be a 'rocket' science for Telkom Kenya to move their line, will it?!

This company or rather it's employees are totally impervious, inefficient and insolent in the extreme. In fact, they tried to pass the buck to me when the last time I went there and saw the Regional Manager, Mr. Kamande who is hardly ever available but that day I managed to see him, when he accused me without cause of having tried to bribe somebody there, etc., and tried intimidating me by saying that it was a grave offense.

Why should I have tried to bribe anybody there, since; first, I have NEVER ever paid a bribe to our officialdom or anybody for that matter to get something done and in the process I get frustrated at every turn!

Second, this was not my personal issue anyway but was doing a favour for a friend and therefore, why should I spend my money to pay a bribe should I have been so inclined?

Third, till today, this line has not been moved. Why? Nobody, including Mr. Kamande, can and is ready to answer this vital question. Why?

We live in a very crooked, unjust and unaccountable country where nothing and hardly anybody has the integrity, morals, professionalism, etc., to follow through on their work in a responsible manner. The ones who are there, are outnumbered by thugs, who eclipse the good work done by the few....., in fact, they sometimes undo it!


Shaileen N.P.N Shah wrote:

Hello Francis,

As per telephone conversation,please find my formal complaint:(communicated to TELKOM's previous RM's with NO ACTION!)

July'08 Telephone Bills(3) sent by seperate covers! WHY?

My Company has 3 phone nos registered in its name:2491467,2490049 and 2224954! Every month we recieve 3 seperate covers(paying extra to POSTA!),when only one could have sufficed! WHAT A WASTE OF MONEY,PAPER,TIME,ETC!!????????

This is NOT the 1st time we have CONSTRUCTIVELY Complained by phone,email,etc.,with the 'USUAL' NON- ACTION! HOW WILL TELKOM KENYA survive in a highly 'competative' field? Mind boggles!

ps. If your so called managers cannot increase EFFICIENCY,please sack them 'cause there are approx.7million Kenyans unemployed!!

4aBETTER; EFFICIENT KENYA!

sincerely
Mr.Shaileen NPN Shah,MRPharmS
HARDELECT Co Ltd

Religious and incessant other noise - the 33rd reminder - continuously surrounded by NOISE and harassment by neighbours!!!

Since last Thursday night as well as every weekday lunch times and Sundays, too, we have to contend with various types of noise in this neighbourhood.

The neighbourhood mosque and the many churches including the little one within the grounds of MWA Hall and right next to the Aga Khan Hospital make noise.

The mosque with it's loud (unnecessarily so), call to prayer early in the morning around 5.15 am and then, the equally loud and again unnecessary conduction of prayers from the public address system. Then, comes 12.30 pm and the weekday lunch time 'service' at the MWA Hall starts and it is also pathetically LOUD! While this is going on, the mid-day call to prayer is given at the mosque and soon after the leading of prayers through the PA system.

At the same time there are hordes of various members of the public who arrive near a lean-to 'kibanda' downstairs, put up by one of my neighbours who is running an eatery whose 'patrons', young and old, seem to derive a lot of pleasure with the encouragement (I suspect), of these neighbours, keep setting off my car alarm. One wonders why? The only reason I can think of is to deliberately harass and inconvenience me. Why? What kind of warped minds are these? Even as I write this, somebody set it off and by the time I went to the balcony, they'd disappeared.... What kind of sick mind would derive pleasure from giving another neighbour who is disabled (me), to keep having to check on the car everytime the alarm is set off. After all it's not too long ago, when, my car was smashed up by some person or persons unknown and the alarm had kept going on and on, yet, none of my neighbours did anything about it. Strange!

While these people profess to be Muslims and consider themselves to be religious (whatever that means according to their vocabulary), one wonders, what their particular interpretation of Islam is?

Then again, it's these same kinds of Muslims who, when they hold weddings at the MWA Hall in the night, have scant regard for the fact that this is a residential area with sick and very critically ill patients at the hospital next door. They have their music, etc., playing so loud that we get no rest and till all hours of the night, too. And this time, it's been that way every night since last Thursday. Yesterday, too, there was another noisy one there and only God knows about tonight and the rest of the week, etc.

Who allows these things to be held within residential areas? Does this 'official/s' have any sense? I don't believe s/he does! We, as a country, have truly become the most lawless and insolent lot, haven't we? At times, I believe that we're beyond help!

World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)

http://www.wbcsd.org/templates/TemplateWBCSD5/layout.asp?type=p&MenuId=MTUxNQ&doOpen=1&ClickMenu=LeftMenu

I've just tried sending the above url via the 'net to everybody, but, I don't know if it will be received. Therefore, I'm sending the link again. It has some very interesting and practical solutions to our on-going waterlessness!

And, I forgot to mention in my earlier (176th), reminder something that a very close friend had noted.

Immediately, that the MOWASCO Board was NOT launched by Hon. Mrs. Ngilu a couple of weeks ago, coincidentally, most of Mombasa and it's environs stopped getting water....., yes, even the water kiosks! Why? We suspect that the 'powers that be', who were very disgruntled by the Hon. Minister's very timely action, have been behind our woes. We suffered this for nearly 2 weeks!

Hence my repeated, of late, requests that all these politicians, other than the Minister concerned, involved in water delivery and by extension any other service provision, should be removed forthwith. We do NOT want every and especially water service delivery politicized and we'd also like all of the various outfits that have been given 'birth' too, by GoK, to be dismantled and want only one organization to deal with. This would include water infrastructure and delivery. Have everything very simplified so that our money can be easily accounted for as well as the people who DON'T do their work as required.

I believe this is not such a complicated issue for 'officialdom' to put into action. And I hope that everybody has not forgotten my Water Petition with it's over 900 signatures of nearly two years ago....?

The 176th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED - Take the Pledge! Break the Bottled Water Habit

The following is a campaign for NOT using bottled 'mineral' water due to it's environmental consequences and the alternatives that we can use instead of littering our already plastic laden landscape with more plastic bottles!

But, in this lawless and one-track minded country of ours, it's very difficult to apply as most of us don't get safe drinking water from our taps. Therefore, what are we supposed to do?

The following also gives those alternatives, so, please read and follow it's advice. Since our many 'outfits' are so very totally irresponsible about supplying us with safe water through our taps, we have very little alternative. But, even so, we can still reduce this menace of plastic water bottles and it's contents.

Till such time as 'officialdom' gets it's act together and decides to apply my suggestion of desalination at the Coast, we will have to endure their slow thinking processes and use the other alternatives that the fwd below suggests. I just hope that the powers that be, will 'think' along the right lines during my lifetime, though.... and de-politicize ALL service provision, too.

Religious and incessant other noise - the 32nd reminder - continuously surrounded by NOISE and harassment by neighbours!!!

Since Thursday night, as usual, there's been no let up in the noise emanating from MWA Hall.

The people who hire this hall have complete disregard for the residents in the area as well as the critically ill in the hospital next door. How selfish and lawless we have become?! And the cops who should know better, do nothing about all this noise when summoned.

Therefore, since Thursday night, we've had little sleep and rest in this neighbourhood and the noise still goes on in the form of religious noise.... even as I write, it has been going on since soon after 9.00 am.

Last night, too, there was some party going on at the hall which carried on and on, till way after 11.30 pm despite the cops going there to ask them to reduce the noise, these thuggish people, raised the volume immediately they were gone and also carried on way after the supposed specified time of 11.00 pm which is the 'allowed' time that whoever gives these permits seems to be under the impression, that we should go to sleep - not before. So, our bed-time is being dictated to us, young and old, sick or well, by these 'officials' who give out these questionable permits for nightclub like racket to go on in a residential area with two hospitals in the neighbourhood!

Then, early this morning, as usual, the mosque started it's prayer racket which is totally uncalled for since he's not leading the whole neighbourhood in prayer and it is therefore invalid for him to be heard outside. And now, as mentioned above since around 9.00 am this morning, the neighbourhood church/es, are making an awful racket. One gets the impression that this preacher is in extreme pain, the way he's moaning over the PA system!

And all this is so strange that these people who are going to these prayers, are some of the worst creatures in the country! For if they were really so God conscious would they immediately, that they come out of their various places of worship, harass others who have done them no harm or whom, they don't even know?

I'm talking about my many neighbours and their children, who profess to either follow Islam or Christianity. They persistently harass me by setting off my car alarm, keeping their jikos in such a way that all the smoke gets into my flat and making noise in general as well as dirtying the staircase.

It is so strange that on Friday, when I went down to drive to the mosque for prayers at about 11.30 am, I couldn't start the car due to the battery having gone flat thanks to these same neighbours and their children and workers who consistently keep setting off the alarm which runs the battery down. They were all standing around watching what I would do next and not one of them came to help, either. And I, like always, had to ring my mechanic up to come with jumper cables to help start the car. This took him over half an hour, during which time I was sitting in a hot car waiting and in the process nearly got late for prayers.

Are these people really God fearing? And ironically, the mosque in the neighbourhood started his loud recitation of the Holy Qur'an on the PA system. Do these people really know what our Holy Book says about neighbours and their treatment? I'm sure that they, like the so-called 'muslim' terrorists, seem to think they will go straight to heaven if they harass somebody who is different from them. Never mind that as far as I know, I've not done anything to them, but, they incessantly disturb me as much as they possibly, can.

Will officialdom ever take any positive action?

The 175th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED

I'm doing this today, as tomorrow, I have to go to the Council about this rent issue. But, then, that's another topic with another header.

For now, my apologies for not being able to write this reminder last week, thanks to my whole schedule messed up by this same Council and the way it works......, or doesn't work.

We continue to spend days which are turning into months and then into years and further still into decades and if officialdom doesn't do something about all our woes, these decades will soon be turning into at least one century and then......?!

Now, I will continue to add another point to our water and sanitation issues - over and over, again till somebody out there listens and puts our wishes into action. We do not want ANY politicians of any kind anywhere near these two 'services', PLEASE. As we all know, these politicos only use such services for their own personal aggrandizements and manipulations. The only politician we will tolerate is the Minister, that's all! The others can go jump into the Indian Ocean. We can't stand them, for their information.

After this, can the Minister please, have another look at my petition of nearly 2 years ago with the over 900 signatures and really read it and think about the implications that are mentioned there?

If, all these outfits that have sprouted up in the so-called water provision sector, especially at the Coast Province, were to be disbanded, and then all the money saved thereby, invested in a desalination plant, Coast Province residents would be so very thankful to her for putting us out of our deteriorating misery.

Will and can the Hon. Mrs. Ngilu, please, do this for us? We beseech her. And please, keep the Council out of it, too. If, they cannot deal with just the garbage problem in this town, how dare they involve themselves with water provision?! Let them stay very far away. We're very fed up of them.

Response to your SMS, Shaileen...

I've just got this message from a friend living within a stone's throw of the offensively smelling (more like Kibarani), garbage can that the Council has insisted on keeping in this residential area of Ganjoni.

They (the Council), objected to the residents moving this bin to another location, last year, and even threated them with dire consequences if they did. How strange! Does the health and sanitation department of this outfit really work?

He's telling me that I should go past, in case I'm driving, to keep my windows open and get a little experience of what the residents go through the whole time - day and night. Not to mention that this attracts all kinds of pests - human and otherwise. For I have seen glue sniffing street boys uncaringly going into the bin and collecting things.

This is the case all over this town...., sorry city. Even, where I live which is ironically a Municipal Estate within metres of Aga Khan Hospital, there are two over flowing garbage bins which only get emptied once in a while. This too, attracts all the same pests as the one in question at Ganjoni and the crows, who have not been 'educated' about sanitation, pick things at these bins and redistribute this all over. Even in our balconies! After all they are not human and therefore don't know that those bins are for the purpose of throwing garbage. Can somebody from the Council, please, train these crows to throw their unwanted stuff back to where they picked it?!

As long as this Council does not deal with this garbage problem effectively, we will, by extension, keep suffering from the crow problem, too, since these are scavenger birds.

Add to this ,the persistent waterless state of this place where water kiosks are supplying the residents with water despite paying phantom bills, makes it interesting 'living' in such conditions and one wonders why this town was upgraded into a 'city'. In actual fact, it should have been downgraded into a very remote 'village' since, that's to which level our Local Authorities have taken us.

Razia.

Re: Assistance - VERY URGENT!

What I have to narrate now, is further evidence of what an incompetent Council we have in this town....., sorry, city.

They might be computerized but, their brains and attitude are still some time in the early 20th Century...., long before anything digital was discovered.

The following is what they have been doing...

On the 29th July 2008, my maid, who was sweeping the stairs encountered a man who gave her two sheets of printed paper purportedly from the Council. One was for me and the other for my immediate neighbour. These are dated 28th July 2008. They are notices to us of 7 days within which to pay ridiculously high amounts which the Council claims are arrears in rent.

This claim is totally ridiculous, since, we've been paying our rent regularly and even in advance. Mine is paid up till December 2008! Therefore, how did we get into arrears with our rent? The claim written on the notice to me, is a rent in arrears of 13 months and the amount being, 30,000/-! That is the mega question which nobody can, it seems, satisfactorily answer.

In the company of a representative of the Coast Lobby Group, Mr. Bakari, I went to see the Director of Housing and Social Services at the Council. We showed her my receipts and the stress causing notice from her various minions and she too, claimed ignorance about the notice...., i.e. why I should be served with one considering I was paid up till the end of the year.

Therefore, she rang up somebody whom she addressed as 'Miriam' and asked her why I was served with such a notice since I had proper receipts from this same Council confirming my payment till December. Unfortunately, we couldn't make out what this 'Miriam', told her, but, the Director, later tried to explain that due to computer errors (one wonders if the computers at the Council are 'alive' and make the errors or the persons operating them who feed in questionable information!), they wanted me to go with all (and from personal experience the more the better, i.e. for as long ago as possible!), my receipts to the Tudor ex-rent collecting office and have them make a proper record of my various payments.

So, this morning, in the company of a Nation reporter, Mr. Bakari and a colleague of his, we all paid the Tudor office a visit. There, we spent quite lot of time, but after studying all my receipts from way back in 2006, we were told that I now owed the Council 13,925/-. When they were asked why, despite having paid up till December 2008, we were told that the rent had been increased to 2300/- from what I've been paying - 1375/-, per month.

Now, this is news to me, as nobody in my estate has been served with a written notice of one month as the tenant/landlord agreement states in 5b. Therefore, how can the Council claim any arrears? Or is this a warped kind of thinking on the part of the Council to try and legitimize it's rent hike by trying to tell us that they are trying to 'correct' computer errors....?!

Also, since they have given us receipts of the amount paid with no indication that we owed them any other amount, how can they claim that we're in arrears as they haven't even abided by their own agreement with us as referred to above. And then, this Council has the temerity to send us threatening notices of eviction if we don't pay up their trumped up arrears. They sound more like the mafia than a Local Authority.

Another point is that this Council as a landlord is not interested in anything but collecting money by fair means or crooked and in this case it's more crooked than fair. They have not maintained these flats since decades, yet, keep increasing the rent without giving due notices. All of the top floor flats are leaking and despite many complaints to them, they have done nothing to rectify this. Therefore, on what grounds are they increasing rent and this time by more than a 100%?!

They do nothing about the many breaches of the tenant/landlord agreement by my neighbours who are running businesses from their premises and also are disturbing and harassing me when I complain. They (the Council), breaks its own by-laws by allocating a road reserve to a private developer who 'developed' one-third of the plot into a block of flats which have subsequently been sold to individual buyers and the remaining two-thirds is being used as a truck, tractor, earthmover, garage, junk-yard, etc., whose gate is through the estate. These monstrosities, are revved at all hours for hours on end as well as they come and go at all hours of the day or night. When they want the gate to be opened by the resident watchman, they hoot with complete disregard of the time of night. And this is just one example. There are quite a handful of others...., just in this estate.

They have also allowed one of my neighbours to keep a glue sniffing street 'boy', to sleep under our staircase. Is this place on it's way to becoming a 'haven' for squatters? Why isn't the Council doing anything about all of these issues which I have complained about to them umpteen numbers of times in the past? Therefore, one can't help but, reach the conclusion that our Council is not in the least interested in improving services to the residents and is becoming more like the proverbial Mafia - they've taken to intimidating the residents on pain of eviction if they don't part with their hard earned cash by pretending that their computers make errors all on their own!

Who will reign in such a Council?

Razia.

elijah agevi wrote:

Thanks for the updates and yes you are in our prayers! Yes today will be different and will bear fruits.

Mungu si asumani! and May justice prevail.

Regards,
Elijah