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
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