My questions of last week to the Coast Water (Dis)Services Board and others have still not been answered nor acknowledged by the various and numerous 'water bodies'. Why? One wonders at the insolence of these people who are supposed to be giving the residents services. They couldn't care less about the opinions or conditions of the ones they 'serve'.
The only thing they 'serve', like our burgeoning cabinet, is their own pockets. That's all!
One just has to see the condition of this town to appreciate that none of the services that these people are 'offering', are in place. Look at the overflowing garbage cans which make some neighbourhoods into mini-Kibaranis due to the stench they emit. Numberless complaints to the Council regarding these, have had not a bit of effect or improvement in the conditions that the people of Coast Province live in....., and work. In fact, when some neighbourhoods tried to re-locate these bins, the Council promptly sent their minions with threats that if their bins are moved, the residents will face dire consequences.
One wishes that they would be as prompt in offering legitimate services and attend to the well-being of the residents. Of course, they will not since our Council/s (countrywide and especially Mombasa), is populated with mafia like people with questionable literacy levels. One can't reason with them.
Yet, they are involved with our various 'water bodies' in the delivery of water?! What an irony! They expect us to believe that they will do this despite the whole town overflowing with garbage.
Yesterday, afternoon I saw their garbage truck near the 3 bins in Ganjoni (they have multiplied from one), which are perpetually overflowing to quite a distance. Their slow moving employees were picking up the muck, crossing the road to where this truck was parked and dumping the stuff inside. All the while birds and the wind was redistributing the garbage elsewhere as the truck was open. This is exactly what happens even as these garbage trucks make their way to Kibarani for dumping.
So one wonders if they are really into the cleaning business or redistributing it elsewhere! Have they nothing to cover this muck up?
Such are the 'officials' that are given the job of supplying us with water. No wonder we still haven't got any.
Most of the postings are to do with what an average Kenyan citizen has to deal with, in the country, to survive. They go through and are treated with a lot of injustice, where very few in 'officialdom', will take notice of their problems or even do anything about them. Hence, this blog and the belief in, 'One learned man is harder on the devil than a thousand ignorant worshipers' - Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
The rent issue, again and the way our Council 'works' - Emailing: Note the date it's been rec'ved and when it's dated - 5 days ago!
At just around 12.30 pm this afternoon (just over an hour ago, in fact), my doorbell rang and I found an employee of the Council at the gate. He delivered the attached notice from the Council's housing and social 'services' which contains a signature but no name for it says, 'For:' Therefore the person has no name that one can read, but, just a squiggle for a signature.
Considering it's a 7 day notice of so-called rent arrears and dated 21st Nov 2008, it's being delivered to me 5 days late. Why? And that too, on pain of being evicted should I not do so. So, technically, I have a 2 days notice instead of the supposed 7 days. When I tried to call the housing Manager, Ms. Moka, who operates from the Buxton estate, her one sentence was that I should pay (reminiscent of the Mafia), or else ...... She wouldn't tell me why the notice while dated the 21st of Nov 2008 was being delivered in the afternoon of 26th Nov 2008, when she very well knows that none of her colleagues would be working in the afternoon!
Then, about the rent being in arrears - I have receipts from the same Council to prove that I've paid my rent in full till December 2008. They claim that the rent has been increased since Nov 2006 by over a 100% with no written notice given to the tenants of one month. Another thing, if I'm in arrears, why has the same Council been issuing me with receipts at the old rent all this time and not mentioning on the receipts that I still have a balance to pay?
All of my neighbours and now also I, will have to not just pay the rent at the Town Hall to the cashiers, but, then go with the receipt all the way across town to the other end in Tudor to have some more of their employees supposedly balance their ledger books. Why harass the tenants with such things when they are computerized? If the Council employees are so incompetent, can't they employ others and fewer in number, who are more qualified?
Is there any justice left to speak of at the Council and for that matter the country at large?
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Missing publications and the disabled
In any given year, I end up missing a number of my monthly magazines that I subscribe to. Why is this the case? One wonders what happens to them....
I can only think of the following reasons:
1. They never arrive. This is highly unlikely since they do, for the rest of the year.
2. The sorters at the post office have vision problems and therefore don't put them in the right box.
3. The sorters are either under the influence and/or are semi- or illiterate and are not doing their job of putting the mail in their right boxes.
4. When these are put in the wrong boxes, the 'recipients' either throw away what they wrongly receive or if it's an interesting magazine, etc., take possession of it and never return it.
Now, considering that we pay through our noses for publications and the postal services, it's very infuriating for our mail to go missing on a consistent basis, despite making numerous complaints about it to the various employees of POSTA. Other than saying 'sorry', there's not much they can do about missing and lost mail.
Second point - Since some years, I've been trying to get our post office to become disabled 'friendly', to no avail. So many of their offices are up staircases with no lift (elevator), working and the parcel office is an insult to the disabled. Do our postal authorities think that disabled people don't get any mail or parcels? I was assured many years ago and even recently that there are plans to move the registered post window/s downstairs as well as a ramp with a grab bar built at the parcels office, but, none of these have as yet materialized. Why?
They also seem to think, like many other places, that the disabled don't drive and/or are driven and don't provide any parking places for them. Again, why?
Their employees are also highly insensitive to the various disabilities that a person can suffer from. One example in recent memory was last week when I went to pay my box rental fee. Now, I have a hearing problem among many other things since I suffer from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The lady who was attending to the counter continued mumbling despite me telling her that I couldn't make out what she was saying and that I needed to see her lips moving and could she also speak louder. Her response to both my walking stick and my request was an annoyed look and a reluctantly raised voice. Is this the way they deal with the public?
And one gets the feeling that their continuously rising postal rates are inversely proportional to their 'services'!
I can only think of the following reasons:
1. They never arrive. This is highly unlikely since they do, for the rest of the year.
2. The sorters at the post office have vision problems and therefore don't put them in the right box.
3. The sorters are either under the influence and/or are semi- or illiterate and are not doing their job of putting the mail in their right boxes.
4. When these are put in the wrong boxes, the 'recipients' either throw away what they wrongly receive or if it's an interesting magazine, etc., take possession of it and never return it.
Now, considering that we pay through our noses for publications and the postal services, it's very infuriating for our mail to go missing on a consistent basis, despite making numerous complaints about it to the various employees of POSTA. Other than saying 'sorry', there's not much they can do about missing and lost mail.
Second point - Since some years, I've been trying to get our post office to become disabled 'friendly', to no avail. So many of their offices are up staircases with no lift (elevator), working and the parcel office is an insult to the disabled. Do our postal authorities think that disabled people don't get any mail or parcels? I was assured many years ago and even recently that there are plans to move the registered post window/s downstairs as well as a ramp with a grab bar built at the parcels office, but, none of these have as yet materialized. Why?
They also seem to think, like many other places, that the disabled don't drive and/or are driven and don't provide any parking places for them. Again, why?
Their employees are also highly insensitive to the various disabilities that a person can suffer from. One example in recent memory was last week when I went to pay my box rental fee. Now, I have a hearing problem among many other things since I suffer from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The lady who was attending to the counter continued mumbling despite me telling her that I couldn't make out what she was saying and that I needed to see her lips moving and could she also speak louder. Her response to both my walking stick and my request was an annoyed look and a reluctantly raised voice. Is this the way they deal with the public?
And one gets the feeling that their continuously rising postal rates are inversely proportional to their 'services'!
The 184th reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED
We still don't get a drop of water! Why is this the case?
What is the Coast Water (Dis)Services Board doing to alleviate the problem? Considering many have had their water meters removed and are either buying suspect water from the mkokoteni vendors or have sunk in bore-holes and wells all over the place with the permission of the Ministry of Water (we hope....). This is allowed despite it being environmentally unfriendly, especially on the island of Mombasa.
Why are the water kiosks getting water but not the residents? It makes one suspicious. Since we live in an unaccountable country, who knows how many 'employees' of the various water bodies set up to 'improve' water delivery are benefiting from these, i.e. water kiosks and water vendors.....?
Therefore, we, the remainder of the 'possessors' of water meters, one would think, should be getting water since the demand has reduced due to the above mentioned reasons. But, we still don't get water! Why?
Now, regarding the garbage and sewage - neighbourhoods like the infamous one in Ganjoni with 3 perpetually overflowing garbage cans, are suffering from the Kibarani like stink emanating from these. Despite many entreaties to our useless and insensitive Council, have gone over and beyond their heads and one wonders if they have any kind of working health dept., anymore.
Of course, all this garbage attracts not only the pesky crows, but, other unwanted pests...., even the human glue sniffing kind. This brings to mind, a notice a few weeks ago in the Daily Nation from our Town Clerk, no less, regarding all 'small' businesses and about them getting licenses and health certificates in the event that they are dealing with food. I wrote the following email to our Town Clerk from Nairobi, but, have yet to get any response or change.
...... and life continues in this sub-standard way.......
Raziya
Raziya Mohamedali wrote on 03-Nov-08 12:08 PM:
What is the Coast Water (Dis)Services Board doing to alleviate the problem? Considering many have had their water meters removed and are either buying suspect water from the mkokoteni vendors or have sunk in bore-holes and wells all over the place with the permission of the Ministry of Water (we hope....). This is allowed despite it being environmentally unfriendly, especially on the island of Mombasa.
Why are the water kiosks getting water but not the residents? It makes one suspicious. Since we live in an unaccountable country, who knows how many 'employees' of the various water bodies set up to 'improve' water delivery are benefiting from these, i.e. water kiosks and water vendors.....?
Therefore, we, the remainder of the 'possessors' of water meters, one would think, should be getting water since the demand has reduced due to the above mentioned reasons. But, we still don't get water! Why?
Now, regarding the garbage and sewage - neighbourhoods like the infamous one in Ganjoni with 3 perpetually overflowing garbage cans, are suffering from the Kibarani like stink emanating from these. Despite many entreaties to our useless and insensitive Council, have gone over and beyond their heads and one wonders if they have any kind of working health dept., anymore.
Of course, all this garbage attracts not only the pesky crows, but, other unwanted pests...., even the human glue sniffing kind. This brings to mind, a notice a few weeks ago in the Daily Nation from our Town Clerk, no less, regarding all 'small' businesses and about them getting licenses and health certificates in the event that they are dealing with food. I wrote the following email to our Town Clerk from Nairobi, but, have yet to get any response or change.
...... and life continues in this sub-standard way.......
Raziya
Raziya Mohamedali wrote on 03-Nov-08 12:08 PM:
'Morning!
It was very heartening to read in today's Daily Nation, a notice by the Mombasa Town Clerk about licenses for all small businesses and also regarding hygiene, etc.
The only thing is that how effective is this notice going to be. For our Town Clerk's information, he could start with the Council's own Nyerere Estate where his Council employees also live in the Staff flats. There are a number of questionable businesses going on there. Will the Council investigate and take action? I wonder.....
A few months ago some of his Council askaris showed up on a Saturday morning (when they technically don't work), at the place where an expanding business of an eatery is going on every single day come rain, hail or shine. They arrived there in a Council lorry and after 'socializing' with the eatery's umpteen numbers of cooks and employees, merrily took off. One wonders why they had come there and then did nothing....., on a Saturday morning?!
Also, within a stone's throw away of this business is a charcoal one going on which is highly questionable, too, since this person usually gets his consignment in the dead of night. This person also sells and keeps goats within the estate whenever the fancy takes him.
In fact, last July, he was a suspect in my car being smashed up when I was the only one who wrote umpteen numbers of emails/letters to, among others, to the Council's environment and health department about those goats. And on the very day that the goats and the 'owner' were arrested, sometime in the middle of the night, my car was smashed up!
Subsequently, I've been threatened and intimidated by this charcoal/goat seller and his mother even tried to push me down the stairs in front of 3 witnesses. I have reported all these matters to our questionable police and am still waiting for a feedback from them.
All these things happen within sight and sound of a resident Councillor, Kushe, and other Municipal employees.
And for our Town Clerk's information, both these businesses are highly disturbing due to the noise, mess created and the smoke from the eatery's charcoal and wood stoves.
There are enough noises around without having school children and other questionable characters making a racket when they come to buy charcoal, goats or food at these places not to mention some of the 'patrons' dirtying the staircase when they use this for sitting there when eating.
All of this 'public' is also enticed into setting off my car alarm over and over again till the battery sometimes goes down. Do we have any applicable law anymore in this lawless country of ours?
The charcoal/goat keeper/seller has also, since at least a year and a half, befriended a glue sniffing street boy who lives under the staircase. How safe is the neighbourhood with all this going on?
There are all kinds of Municipal by-laws and tenant/landlord agreements being broken, yet the Council does nothing about them. Why?
Raziya
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The 183rd reminder.... to the PERSON/S CONCERNED & Re: MOWASCO; Good indications
Hi! (whoever this is!),
I've been in Nbi since the past 5 weeks for health reasons and just got back yesterday. Therefore, I had no idea about the goings on out here and when I rang Mr. Chitavi's office, this morning, I was told by one of the secretaries that he'd been transferred as an MD of the Malindi office.
This would not, to my mind, translate as being a dismissal otherwise why would the Ministry continue to employ him? And anyway, what are the charges that he's supposed to answer to? You've NEVER been very clear about that, EVER!
As mentioned umpteen numbers of times previously by me, the CWSB is more to blame for our woes than anybody else and it's high time that they were taken to task about their so-called service provision, for I and the whole of my neighbourhood among many others still gets not a drop of water.
I was also very upset to read in the papers a few weeks back while I was in Nairobi, that these unaccountable people are even thinking of raising the tariffs without providing the service. So, does this mean that we're going to be, now, paying much more for the same old phantom bills?
And could you (whoever you are), please learn to sign your emails, henceforth?
Raziya.
ConsumerFirst Network wrote on 11-Nov-08 3:56 P:
Hi Raziya I was waiting to hear your voice over dismissal of 'your friend' the embattled former MOWASCO MD. At last investigations proved he had charges to answer. Now we can move to CWSB. You have been right the CWSB has failed to license reliable water service providers in the Coastal region. And the campaign begins......
I've been in Nbi since the past 5 weeks for health reasons and just got back yesterday. Therefore, I had no idea about the goings on out here and when I rang Mr. Chitavi's office, this morning, I was told by one of the secretaries that he'd been transferred as an MD of the Malindi office.
This would not, to my mind, translate as being a dismissal otherwise why would the Ministry continue to employ him? And anyway, what are the charges that he's supposed to answer to? You've NEVER been very clear about that, EVER!
As mentioned umpteen numbers of times previously by me, the CWSB is more to blame for our woes than anybody else and it's high time that they were taken to task about their so-called service provision, for I and the whole of my neighbourhood among many others still gets not a drop of water.
I was also very upset to read in the papers a few weeks back while I was in Nairobi, that these unaccountable people are even thinking of raising the tariffs without providing the service. So, does this mean that we're going to be, now, paying much more for the same old phantom bills?
And could you (whoever you are), please learn to sign your emails, henceforth?
Raziya.
ConsumerFirst Network wrote on 11-Nov-08 3:56 P:
Hi Raziya I was waiting to hear your voice over dismissal of 'your friend' the embattled former MOWASCO MD. At last investigations proved he had charges to answer. Now we can move to CWSB. You have been right the CWSB has failed to license reliable water service providers in the Coastal region. And the campaign begins......
Monday, November 10, 2008
Road reserves and their allocation....
I have some questions that I would like to ask our officialdom and in particular the people in charge of the wanton destruction of structures that are put up on supposed road reserves.
1. Who sells, allocates these 'road reserves' in the first place?
2. Why are these 'offending' structures allowed to be built on by the various local authorities? After all, they are the ones passing these plans, aren't they?
3. So, why aren't these so-called town planners getting away scot free? Why is nobody holding them accountable?
4. How is the average Mwananchi supposed to know what they are renting/buying is on suspect property or not? Are they supposed to hire detectives to find out for certain that what they are renting/buying is on the up and up? Can officialdom please, announce to the whole country the criteria one should use to rent/buy 'straight' buildings......., or else?
5. Why is officialdom selectively removing structures from road reserves? What about all the well known ones all over the countryside that are still insolently allowed to stand?
6. And when they (officialdom), do bring down these offending buildings, do they have to use cavemen tactics and uncivilized ways?
The whole nation saw the intimidating way that those crane 'drivers' were using their tools on the protesting by-standers when they were bringing down buildings on Thika Rd., recently! And the way the usual Kenyan public was gleefully stealing things from these buildings with the cops doing nothing.
What an uncivilized nation we have become.....
1. Who sells, allocates these 'road reserves' in the first place?
2. Why are these 'offending' structures allowed to be built on by the various local authorities? After all, they are the ones passing these plans, aren't they?
3. So, why aren't these so-called town planners getting away scot free? Why is nobody holding them accountable?
4. How is the average Mwananchi supposed to know what they are renting/buying is on suspect property or not? Are they supposed to hire detectives to find out for certain that what they are renting/buying is on the up and up? Can officialdom please, announce to the whole country the criteria one should use to rent/buy 'straight' buildings......., or else?
5. Why is officialdom selectively removing structures from road reserves? What about all the well known ones all over the countryside that are still insolently allowed to stand?
6. And when they (officialdom), do bring down these offending buildings, do they have to use cavemen tactics and uncivilized ways?
The whole nation saw the intimidating way that those crane 'drivers' were using their tools on the protesting by-standers when they were bringing down buildings on Thika Rd., recently! And the way the usual Kenyan public was gleefully stealing things from these buildings with the cops doing nothing.
What an uncivilized nation we have become.....
Monday, November 3, 2008
Our Town Clerk's notice....
It was very heartening to read in today's Daily Nation, a notice by the Mombasa Town Clerk about licenses for all small businesses and also regarding hygiene, etc.
The only thing is that how effective is this notice going to be. For our Town Clerk's information, he could start with the Council's own Nyerere Estate where his Council employees also live in the Staff flats. There are a number of questionable businesses going on there. Will the Council investigate and take action? I wonder.....
A few months ago some of his Council askaris showed up on a Saturday morning (when they technically don't work), at the place where an expanding business of an eatery is going on every single day come rain, hail or shine. They arrived there in a Council lorry and after 'socializing' with the eatery's umpteen numbers of cooks and employees, merrily took off. One wonders why they had come there and then did nothing....., on a Saturday morning?!
Also, within a stone's throw away of this business is a charcoal one going on which is highly questionable, too, since this person usually gets his consignment in the dead of night. This person also sells and keeps goats within the estate whenever the fancy takes him.
In fact, last July, he was a suspect in my car being smashed up when I was the only one who wrote umpteen numbers of emails/letters to, among others, to the Council's environment and health department about those goats. And on the very day that the goats and the 'owner' were arrested, sometime in the middle of the night, my car was smashed up!
Subsequently, I've been threatened and intimidated by this charcoal/goat seller and his mother even tried to push me down the stairs in front of 3 witnesses. I have reported all these matters to our questionable police and am still waiting for a feedback from them.
All these things happen within sight and sound of a resident Councillor, Kushe, and other Municipal employees.
And for our Town Clerk's information, both these businesses are highly disturbing due to the noise, mess created and the smoke from the eatery's charcoal and wood stoves.
There are enough noises around without having school children and other questionable characters making a racket when they come to buy charcoal, goats or food at these places not to mention some of the 'patrons' dirtying the staircase when they use this for sitting there when eating.
All of this 'public' is also enticed into setting off my car alarm over and over again till the battery sometimes goes down. Do we have any applicable law anymore in this lawless country of ours?
The charcoal/goat keeper/seller has also, since at least a year and a half, befriended a glue sniffing street boy who lives under the staircase. How safe is the neighbourhood with all this going on?
There are all kinds of Municipal by-laws and tenant/landlord agreements being broken, yet the Council does nothing about them. Why?
The only thing is that how effective is this notice going to be. For our Town Clerk's information, he could start with the Council's own Nyerere Estate where his Council employees also live in the Staff flats. There are a number of questionable businesses going on there. Will the Council investigate and take action? I wonder.....
A few months ago some of his Council askaris showed up on a Saturday morning (when they technically don't work), at the place where an expanding business of an eatery is going on every single day come rain, hail or shine. They arrived there in a Council lorry and after 'socializing' with the eatery's umpteen numbers of cooks and employees, merrily took off. One wonders why they had come there and then did nothing....., on a Saturday morning?!
Also, within a stone's throw away of this business is a charcoal one going on which is highly questionable, too, since this person usually gets his consignment in the dead of night. This person also sells and keeps goats within the estate whenever the fancy takes him.
In fact, last July, he was a suspect in my car being smashed up when I was the only one who wrote umpteen numbers of emails/letters to, among others, to the Council's environment and health department about those goats. And on the very day that the goats and the 'owner' were arrested, sometime in the middle of the night, my car was smashed up!
Subsequently, I've been threatened and intimidated by this charcoal/goat seller and his mother even tried to push me down the stairs in front of 3 witnesses. I have reported all these matters to our questionable police and am still waiting for a feedback from them.
All these things happen within sight and sound of a resident Councillor, Kushe, and other Municipal employees.
And for our Town Clerk's information, both these businesses are highly disturbing due to the noise, mess created and the smoke from the eatery's charcoal and wood stoves.
There are enough noises around without having school children and other questionable characters making a racket when they come to buy charcoal, goats or food at these places not to mention some of the 'patrons' dirtying the staircase when they use this for sitting there when eating.
All of this 'public' is also enticed into setting off my car alarm over and over again till the battery sometimes goes down. Do we have any applicable law anymore in this lawless country of ours?
The charcoal/goat keeper/seller has also, since at least a year and a half, befriended a glue sniffing street boy who lives under the staircase. How safe is the neighbourhood with all this going on?
There are all kinds of Municipal by-laws and tenant/landlord agreements being broken, yet the Council does nothing about them. Why?
Persistent national outages
Yesterday morning we had yet, another National power outage within the course of a week. Why?
The first one, unfortunately happened to start in the late afternoon and continued off and on through the night. And while Nairobi got it back sometime around 3.00 am, Mombasa didn't get lighted up till after 5.00 am. Why?
These persistent unplanned power outages create untold damage to people and appliances. I know of at least one fall by an elderly man on his staircase which eventually resulted in his death, yesterday, thanks to these outages by the incompetence of the KPLC which should rename itself to Kenya Weakness & Darkness!
If this was a law abiding country (which it definitely, isn't), this company would have been sued over and over again for the damage it does to persons and property.
Considering the sudden spate of robberies with violence, one gets the impression that in cahoots with our questionable cops, the KPLC is also facilitating these. Alarms and darkness are all in the favour of these excrescences around us.
So, who will take the responsibility for all this? There seems to be no accountability in any service provision in this country. Why? Yet, we have umpteen numbers of supposed outfits to deal with these. It seems that they are just there for cosmetic reasons. To hoodwink us and further siphon off more of the tax payers hard earned money! It's really disgusting.
The first one, unfortunately happened to start in the late afternoon and continued off and on through the night. And while Nairobi got it back sometime around 3.00 am, Mombasa didn't get lighted up till after 5.00 am. Why?
These persistent unplanned power outages create untold damage to people and appliances. I know of at least one fall by an elderly man on his staircase which eventually resulted in his death, yesterday, thanks to these outages by the incompetence of the KPLC which should rename itself to Kenya Weakness & Darkness!
If this was a law abiding country (which it definitely, isn't), this company would have been sued over and over again for the damage it does to persons and property.
Considering the sudden spate of robberies with violence, one gets the impression that in cahoots with our questionable cops, the KPLC is also facilitating these. Alarms and darkness are all in the favour of these excrescences around us.
So, who will take the responsibility for all this? There seems to be no accountability in any service provision in this country. Why? Yet, we have umpteen numbers of supposed outfits to deal with these. It seems that they are just there for cosmetic reasons. To hoodwink us and further siphon off more of the tax payers hard earned money! It's really disgusting.
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