Re: The T-Junction at Cinemax, Nyali

What a defeatist comment!!!! Sure we pray to Allah to give these people some integrity and brains, but we also try and get our disapproving voices heard. In fact, the complaints email address of the Council is bouncing due to it's mailbox being full! What does that tell you of this Council?

Remember, the hadith of the Holy Prophet (pbuh)? That we trust in God but tie our camels.

With prayers, there should also be some action and what better and very non-violent way than to WRITE about injustices in our midst.

And since we're members of the MCCBO, we really should be doing something about this since quite a few of our members live in Nyali and are suffering the consequences of this.

Officialdom, instead of trying to ease the traffic jams during peak hours, seems to be hell-bent on causing more jams!

Salaams,

Raziya

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 6:31 PM, Hussein A Abbas Al Hussein  wrote:

Mama Raziya

Let's have patience Allah Karim what can we do if all goes to deaf ears mamangu
Sent from my BlackBerry®

-----Original Message-----
From: Raziya Mohamedali 

Date: Tue, 10 Sep 2013 15:25:03
To: hemantpatel 

<complaints@mombasacity.go.ke>; <infrastructure@mombasa.go.ke>; <mohammedabbas.m@gmail.com>; <hassan.joho@gmail.com>; <nakumatt@nakumatt.net>; <jndegwa@nakumatt.net>
Cc: <catherine.gicheru@the-star.co.ke>; <editorial@coastthisweek.co.ke>; <info@coastweek.com>; <di_ho_ff@yahoo.com>; <kenyatimesonline@yahoo.com>; <letters@the-star.co.ke>; <mailbox@nation.co.ke>; <mmwende@yahoo.com>; <mwangiayub@gmail.com>; <tvnews@ke.nationmedia.com>; <fountainmedia@fep-group.com>; <ronklif@yahoo.com>; <sidobosire@yahoo.com>; <newsdesk@nairobistar.com>; <vipslit@yahoo.ca>; <wanjiru.kinoti@nairobistar.com>; <weekend@nairobistar.com>
Subject: Re: The T-Junction at Cinemax, Nyali

'Evening!


Since my email below to 'officialdom', nothing seems to have changed (as expected), since the supposed officialdom cares two hoots for the community they claim to serve.


They seem to be least concerned with the frustrations that their extremely useless new 'traffic law' has caused to countless residents.


And if you've read some of the comments on LinkedIn regarding this issue, you will find that most people are so tired and fed up with our so-called 'servants' of the people (they are more like 'servants' of the high and mighty and well connected), that they expect all the negative reactions to this latest insanity!


For example imagine the mental and physical condition of a resident (who has a vehicle which quite a few people in Nyali have), after battling with the late afternoon traffic from work in town who finally arrives on the Nyali Rd., and thinks he/she is on the last stretch home and remembers that s/he needs some bread and milk from Nakumatt. So, s/he turns right at the Cinemax junction. After getting the required stuff, tiredly stands in the long line at the cashier to pay and then gets in the car and drives out the gate to turn right and join the main road to carry on further along the road to get home....


Instead what happens? There standing in front of him/her in the middle of the road, this intimidating 'official' human (?!), telling this very exhausted driver to go back to the Rockwall junction and re-join the traffic jam there. In the process s/he will waste another, at least half an hour if not more to get home with very frayed and frustrated nerves.


And you might ask why? All because, some two businesses (as rumour has it), have taken it upon themselves to pay our questionable council to re-arrange the traffic flow for their own personal ends without a shred of planning involved as to the logistics that this selfish action will involve!


These people have only to observe how many drivers really 'obey' their daft rule when there is no intimidating presence of 'officialdom', and they will hopefully realize the stupidity of their new and very daft rule!


The whole exercise is expensive - fuel wise, traffic wise and emotionally! I wonder if this will get through their collective heads.... whoever is involved..?


Very disgusted,
 Raziya

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 8:27 AM, Hemant Patel wrote:


Dear Razia,
                        Thank you for the well meaning e'mail. You have correctly described this new " most daft traffic rule" at junction of Total stn/ Mkomani and Cinemax. We admire your efforts to bring to the notice of 'administrators' of various departments of our county and Nation over the years even if it falls on deaf ears. Carry on good work. God bless you.

         Have a nice Day.

      Koki and Hemant

Re: The T-Junction at Cinemax, Nyali

Since my email below to 'officialdom', nothing seems to have changed (as expected), since the supposed officialdom cares two hoots for the community they claim to serve.

They seem to be least concerned with the frustrations that their extremely useless new 'traffic law' has caused to countless residents.

And if you've read some of the comments on LinkedIn regarding this issue, you will find that most people are so tired and fed up with our so-called 'servants' of the people (they are more like 'servants' of the high and mighty and well connected), that they expect all the negative reactions to this latest insanity!

For example imagine the mental and physical condition of a resident (who has a vehicle which quite a few people in Nyali have), after battling with the late afternoon traffic from work in town who finally arrives on the Nyali Rd., and thinks he/she is on the last stretch home and remembers that s/he needs some bread and milk from Nakumatt. So, s/he turns right at the Cinemax junction. After getting the required stuff, tiredly stands in the long line at the cashier to pay and then gets in the car and drives out the gate to turn right and join the main road to carry on further along the road to get home.... 

Instead what happens? There standing in front of him/her in the middle of the road, this intimidating 'official' human (?!), telling this very exhausted driver to go back to the Rockwall junction and re-join the traffic jam there. In the process s/he will waste another, at least half an hour if not more to get home with very frayed and frustrated nerves.

And you might ask why? All because, some two businesses (as rumour has it), have taken it upon themselves to pay our questionable council to re-arrange the traffic flow for their own personal ends without a shred of planning involved as to the logistics that this selfish action will involve!

These people have only to observe how many drivers really 'obey' their daft rule when there is no intimidating presence of 'officialdom', and they will hopefully realize the stupidity of their new and very daft rule! 

The whole exercise is expensive - fuel wise, traffic wise and emotionally! I wonder if this will get through their collective heads.... whoever is involved..?

Very disgusted,

Raziya

On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 8:27 AM, Hemant Patel wrote:

Dear Razia,

                        Thank you for the well meaning e'mail. You have correctly described this new " most daft traffic rule" at junction of Total stn/ Mkomani and Cinemax. We admire your efforts to bring to the notice of 'administrators' of various departments of our county and Nation over the years even if it falls on deaf ears. Carry on good work. God bless you.

         Have a nice Day.

      Koki and Hemant

----- Original Message -----

From: Raziya Mohamedali

To: Mombasa City Council (MCC) ; Minister of Transport & Infrastructure, Mombasa County - Hon. Mohammed Abbas ; Minister of Transport & Infrastructure, Mombasa County - Hon. Mohammed Abbas ; Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission - Mombasa ; Hassan Ali Joho

Cc: Catherine Gicheru ; Coast This Week ; COASTWEEK ; K24 Television - Dihoff Mukoto ; Kenya Times ; LETTERS THE STAR ; The Editor- THE NATION ; Mwende Mwinzi ; Ayub Mwangi ; NTV ; Oscar - Editor, Fountain Media (The Speaker Newspaper) ; Salama Radio ; Sisuel Ong'era ; The Star ; Vip Ogola ; Wanjiru ; WEEKEND NAIROBI STAR ; feedback@theasianweekly.net

Sent: Saturday, September 07, 2013 7:48 PM

Subject: The T-Junction at Cinemax, Nyali

'Evening!

Since the past couple of weeks, we, the residents of Nyali, have been treated to the most daft rule at the above mentioned junction.

This road which ends at another T-Junction at Total Petrol Stn/Mkomani, has no sign telling the vehicle users at that end that at the Cinemax end they will no longer be able to access the main Nyali road (join it), and if there are council askaris around they will be told in an unceremonious manner to turn around and go back the way they came and if they want to access the main road, they can now only do so at the Rockwall junction which was at the best of times a mess, anyway.

So now, instead of distributing the traffic at the above two junctions like before, we HAVE to use the Rockwall one ONLY! Increasing traffic jams which during peak times have a domino effect all the way to the bridge.

ALL vehicles HAVE to use this one and only junction whether one is going further into Nyali or towards the Bridge and away.

I wonder who was the genius who planned this...?!

Since our Council is not known for giving much thought to planning ANYTHING, this is one perfect example.

In fact, whenever, this (the Cinemax end), junction is not 'policed', every driver breaks this daft rule.

The boards, too, have been put up wrongly.

Why penalize the residents with such a roundabout way of getting home?

Did these 'planners' do a proper study of the logistics of this irritating and frustrating rule? I very much doubt it.

Please, undo this daft traffic rule and bring sanity back.

Raziya

The T-Junction at Cinemax, Nyali

Since the past couple of weeks, we, the residents of Nyali, have been treated to the most daft rule at the above mentioned junction.

This road which ends at another T-Junction at Total Petrol Stn/Mkomani, has no sign telling the vehicle users at that end that at the Cinemax end they will no longer be able to access the main Nyali road (join it), and if there are council askaris around they will be told in an unceremonious manner to turn around and go back the way they came and if they want to access the main road, they can now only do so at the Rockwall junction which was at the best of times a mess, anyway.

So now, instead of distributing the traffic at the above two junctions like before, we HAVE to use the Rockwall one ONLY! Increasing traffic jams which during peak times have a domino effect all the way to the bridge.

ALL vehicles HAVE to use this one and only junction whether one is going further into Nyali or towards the Bridge and away.

I wonder who was the genius who planned this...?!

Since our Council is not known for giving much thought to planning ANYTHING, this is one perfect example.

In fact, whenever, this (the Cinemax end), junction is not 'policed', every driver breaks this daft rule.

The boards, too, have been put up wrongly.

Why penalize the residents with such a roundabout way of getting home?

Did these 'planners' do a proper study of the logistics of this irritating and frustrating rule? I very much doubt it.

Please, undo this daft traffic rule and bring sanity back.

When it rains......

Attached are the latest photos of the entrance to Umoja Estate when it rains.

While the rains are a blessing and we await them to cool things off as well as grow our food, etc., for the residents of this estate they have become a curse.

First, the half murram, half tarmac road leading to it is used by the heaviest of traffic at all hours and the most interesting thing about it is that it does not have a name!

It does not deter any kind of traffic despite it being very narrow, full of pot-holes, etc.

As the pictures show, when it rains there is no proper drainage and therefore the whole area gets flooded. Those of us who walk and/or have to access our vehicles further away, find it highly dangerous to do so. Many times residents have slipped or tripped and fallen into the muck and hurt themselves.

The combination of our Urban Roads Authority and the landlords of the estate are least bothered about the danger and inconveniences this causes to everybody.

In fact, engineers from KuRA have many times visited this spot and experienced and seen first hand the mess the place becomes during the rains, but, nothing is being done. Why? Is that one of the reasons nobody is naming this road giving the false impression that it is a non-entity? I can vouch for it to be akin to a major highway!

We also get lots of mosquitoes breeding in our seasonal 'lake' Umoja! The public health people no longer do any spraying to deal with Malaria, either.

Now that I have some more photos, will our new county government do their latest job, please?

MAMA NGINA DRIVE MOMBASA & ENVIRONS STATUS.

Yes, it's really pathetic the way our 'officialdom doesn't' work, isn't it?!!!!

Just to make this a public awareness issue, I'm going to post this on FB's - Mombasa Traffic Expose....

Btw, had you read sometime back in a local daily that Eldoret Council has and is applying the law regarding these monsters (like in Msa), love driving at breakneck speeds through town as well as loved parking overnight at various places within town, too? They are no longer allowed to park within town overnight.

I think Msa's Council should also do the same and in our case since our roads are extremely narrow and unkempt as they are without 'help' from continuous misuse by these heavy vehicles, they should be banned completely from Mombasa's CBD and environs.

There was a time when these were not allowed at all within these areas, but, that is no longer the case and NOBODY applies the law with the result that these things cause traffic jams, spoil the roads and are a nuisance in general.

On Mon, Dec 10, 2012 at 10:00 AM, SHAILEEN wrote:

Hello

Mr.Tubmun Otieno, and  Mr.Omukata,

Town Clerk,MMC                   PTO,COAST

Mombasa.         

As per my various txt messages and calls the following pertinent points have to be investigated and SOLUTIONS put in place ASAP:

1.The Street lights SWITCHED ON during daytimes:WHAT a WASTE of the RATE PAYERS monies.

2.ALL The above shud be examined,repaired & kept FUNCTIONAL!

3.PLASTIC WASTE strewn ALL over!WHY?

4.Matatu’s and TUKTUKs ‘speeding’ on the drive @speeds exceeding 50KPH while a SPEEDLIMIT board points out a speed limit of 20KPH.

5.Storm Drains COVERS stolen and not replaced with plastic ones.

6.COMMERCIAL TRUCKS parked on road sides thru out MOMBASA.  

7.Drivers of PSV and commercial Lorries are the biggest TRAFFIC OFFENDERS and playing with WANANCHI’s LIVES!

And i could go on on,ON with the malaise in MOMBASA and its surrounding areas.

Just a reminder: On 12.12.2012 we will be 49 years OLD as a  INDEPENDANT KENYA,and examine/observe our WORK ETHIC with EFFICIENCY in ALL PUBLIC ‘SERVANTS’!!!!!!!

ARE WE CAPABLE of MANAGING our COUNTRY for the benefit of ALL KENYAN’s???????/

A BORN KENYAN always expecting HIGHER EFFECIENCY in our PUBLIC SERVANTS.

Mr.Shaileen NPN Shah,B.Sc.Pharmacy(Hons)

Report: Poverty and political conflict in Mombasa

This is an excellent assessment of what ails

our once beautiful and safe and friendly town...

Raziya

For those who want a comprehensive analysis of Mombasa
here is a detailed report available in pdf format .
> http://www.bvsde.paho.org/bvsacd/cd26/enurb/v12n1/153.pdf
>
> Poverty and political conflict in Mombasa
> Carole Rakodi, Rose Gatabaki-Kamau and Nick Devas
>
> SUMMARY: This paper describes how complex political struggles in Mombasa
> underlie the inadequate provision for basic infrastructure and services, and
> the corruption and lack of accountability within government. These struggles
> are underpinned by overlapping responsibilities and rivalry between central
> and local government, and a political system (both national and local) which
> plays on ethnic and tribal loyalties as a basis for support and reward. The
> paper also describes how and why the city has failed to fully realize its
> economic potential, has extensive poverty and experiences major inadequacies
> in provision for water, sanitation, garbage collection, health care,
> education and housing. Drawing on the findings of
> a recent participatory poverty assessment, the paper outlines the coping
> strategies of poor and very poor households and suggests measures which
> would help ensure that their needs receive more attention.
>
> In this article, the state of the city's economy is analyzed, with
> particular reference to the opportunities it generates for the poor. This is
> followed by a review of the evidence on the extent and nature of poverty.
> Important in this context is the social heterogeneity of the city, a product
> both of the economic opportunities available and of its history.
> Responsibility for governance is divided, mainly between the Mombasa
> Municipal Council (MMC) and the district organization of central government.
> Central-local relations are key to understanding the city's politics. The
> performance of public service providers is assessed in Section IV, followed
> by an analysis of the characteristics, dynamics and governance of the
> informal settlements in which the majority of the city's population,
> including
> the poor, live. Finally, recent attempts to devise more appropriate
> approaches to poverty reduction are described.
>
> Carole Rakodi is a professor in the Department of City and
> Regional Planning, Cardiff University and course director of the
> international MSc in Urban Planning. Rose Gatabaki-Kamau is a
> researcher in the Housing and Building Research Institute, University of
> Nairobi, Kenya. Nick Devas is a senior lecturer in the International
> Development Department,School of Public Policy,
> University of Birmingham.
> Address: Carole Rakodi,
> Department of City and
> Regional Planning, Cardiff
> University, Glamorgan
> Building, King Edward
> VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10
> 3WA, UK; e-mail:
> rakodi@cf.ac.uk
> 1. This is a summary of one
> of nine city case studies
> prepared as part of a
> research programme on
> Urban Governance,
> Partnerships and Poverty,
> funded by the UK
> Department for
> International
> Development's ESCOR
> programme. This involved
> research teams in each of
> these cities and a coalition
> of UK-based research
> groups from the University
> of Birmingham, the
> International Institute for
> Environment and
> Development (IIED), the
> University of Wales,
> II. ECONOMIC GROWTH, URBAN DEVELOPMENT
> AND THE POOR
> SINCE AT LEAST the eleventh century, Mombasa has been a trading port.
> Arab and Shirazi settlers established themselves as farmers and in coastal
> towns, including Mombasa. Conflict over control of the towns followed
> the arrival of Portuguese explorers in the fifteenth century. Early in the
> eighteenth century, the Portuguese withdrew and Mombasa came under
> the control, first, of Omani Arabs and then of the Sultan of Zanzibar. The
> economy of the port depended on trade in ivory, grain and slaves. In 1895,
> the British government took over administrative responsibility for Kenya
> from the British East Africa Company, and from the Sultan of Zanzibar
> for the coastal strip. Construction of the railway to Uganda was started
> and, in 1907, the capital of the colony moved from Mombasa to Nairobi
> which, subsequently, rapidly overtook Mombasa in terms of population
> and economic importance.
> The city has a diverse economy based on trade and commerce, tourism
> and manufacturing. However, none of these sectors is as prosperous as
> might be expected. Trade has been damaged by regional and intra-national
> instability and conflict, external shocks and poor management of the
> national economy, before and since the adoption of intensified structural
> adjustment policies at the beginning of the 1990s. The total volume of
> cargo
> traffic (8.5 million tonnes in 1998)(3) has stagnated over the last 20
> years.
> The small annual increase between 1992 and 1998 (0.54 per cent per
> annum) can be attributed to increased imports associated with trade
> liberalization,
> rather than export growth. In addition, operation of the port is
> hindered by poor rail and road transport links within the city and with its
> hinterland, and by congestion and mismanagement. The import-export
> trade is widely associated in Kenya with corruption and tax evasion, and
> the responsible parastatal, Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), is generally
> regarded as inefficient. Between 1993 and 1995, increased congestion at the
> port was compounded by mismanagement said to be associated with the
> appointment of Rashid Sajjad, a local businessman of Asian origin, a
> nominated

SULEIMAN SHAHBAL FOR GOVERNOR 2012, MOMBASA COUNTY

What has been suggested by one of our estate's residents' would be a good test for this aspiring Governer-to-be... 

Let's see how and when he's going to react.

We urgently need a change of 'scenery' in the political arena where we are very FED UP of half baked (semi-and illiterate), money guzzling politicians who only show themselves just before election time and/or in public barazas where they spew hot air with little or no action!

Salaams,

Raziya

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Toby Darugar <refcoservices@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, May 28, 2012 at 8:33 PM
Subject: SULEIMAN SHAHBAL FOR GOVERNOR 2012, MOMBASA COUNTY
To:

Hi Fauziya,

Thanks for your email. Well Suleiman Shabal will have full support of Umoja Estate and the neighbours which are not les than 200 families.

.

Every rainy season we all suffer floods on our roads which is also a short cut to links road.

We have complained to the authorities, but no response !

If you have contact with Mr Suleiman, then please forward this mail for his assistance.

Regards,

Toby

0733 732 577,

Mombasa.

Hope for the Coast Province, very inspiring. Spare 9min to listen to it. Please spread to other people it concernes. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcpxV8QWfAg&feature=plcp

Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya

From: odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com>

Date: Fri, May 18, 2012 at 2:43 PM
Subject: Re: Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya
Cc: PK <progressive-kenyans@googlegroups.com>, Kiswahili <Kiswahili@yahoogroups.com>

Well stated. Can you share this on the blogs Raziya? Oto --- On Fri, 5/18/12, Raziya Mohamedali  wrote: From: Raziya Mohamedali Subject: Re: Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya To: "odhiambo okecth" <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> Date: Friday, May 18, 2012, 1:24 AM Yes, Oketch! You're so very right. These roads engineers are upto something. They do the shoddiest of jobs which after every rainfall results in their 'work' (if you can even call it THAT!), gets washed away. Why is this? There is also the matter of being discriminate regarding the kinds of vehicles allowed on most urban roads. Unfortunately, ALL kinds of vehicles are allowed on ALL of our roads, indiscriminately causing not just traffic jams in urban centres but, the roads also get damaged because they are not made to carry such heavy traffic, e.g. trailers, lorries, trucks, containers, etc. If you add this kind of traffic to shoddily made roads with questionable drainage, the results are the pathetic roads we now have to use to our detriment.  These kinds of roads and legislation, cause accidents, damage to life and property and of course our public transport system adds to the chaos. All of them are extremely unruly and undisciplined. So, despite paying heavy taxes, we still suffer more pain and loss!

Re: Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya Part 2

Oketch, after reading all

of these emails regarding 

the condition of roads in

Kenya, I agree with you, 

wholeheartedly.

For an example of road 

width that you've mentioned, there is a brand 'new' road linking beach road to the main Msa/Malindi road, which 

the 'powers that be' have built. I went on that road just to check it out because I was told about it by a Councillor Mwalimu who is a member of our North Coast Rate payers and Residents Association (NCRRA), and who is also our area Councillor. 

When I went on the 'brand new' road which is supposed to filter the traffic jams, it is so narrow, you wouldn't believe. In this case, there is good drainage on the side but open and the narrow brand new road twists and turns and would be highly dangerous because it's very narrow. 

If a car (forget about 

mad matatu and other

public transport), was 

to come in the opposite 

direction, the vehicle 

towards the open drainage

ditch would end up in that

trying to avoid it!

Then, there's no street

lighting, either.

So, when you're being 

challenged about the 

competence of roads

engineers, give them 

this very living and 

latest example.

As far as these politicians

are concerned, they 

just want to show on their

records that they built

a new road. Nobody bothers to inspect if what they built is practical for use.

In fact, in our subsequent

meeting of the NCRRA

I asked our Councillor 

this same question and 

he just shrugged and told 

us that, that's what we

had wanted and it was

built!!! So, why are we 

still complaining?!

It didn't seem to matter

to him that the road in

question was very impractical for traffic let alone heavy traffic. There is also no room that I could see for it's expansion.

Oh, I could carry on 

and on, ad infinitum,

regarding this and other

service delivery issues

but, will stop, for now.

On Sun, May 20, 2012 at 2:03 PM, odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> wrote:

Herr Ezekiel, You have raised the levels on this debate to acceptable standards. This is what we really want at The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC- www.kcdnkenya.org. I want to start by agreeing with you on the aspect of maintenance. Those who are employed to do this are sleeping on the job. We have Provincial and District Road Engineers across all Kenya, and they are Engineers. They are a shame to all Road Engineers. Secondly, what is the scientific wisdom that makes one build a Road that develops cracks and holes two months after Commissioning? I pointed out to Roads that were built in Europe in the 1930's as still being strong as they were built. What makes ours wear out withing two Months of completion? Thirdly, and I want an honest opinion here; are our Road Engineers happy with their Professional Competence in Kenya? Are they happy with the standards of Roads they are building for us? A drive around all our Roads reveal the kind of scientific incompetence we are referring to. We do not have any single Road with a smooth continuous stretch of 50 meters! Just take a drive anywhere across Kenya and you will confirm this. Does this tell us anything about the Professionalism or lack of it of these chaps? Fourthly, the science of Road building involves a few things and I want to look at some; Topographical Sampling; I want to believe that before any Road is constructed, the soil samples for the earmarked area must be taken and studied. I have two clear cases I want to make reference to in this piece; 1; From Timboroa towards Burnt Forest, we have a section that makes you very sick. There are no cracks and no pot-holes. But the Road has developed bumps- very unpleasant bumps. One is tempted to ask; Who built this Road? Was he a Roads Engineers or was he a Brewer? Secondly, Mai Mahiu Road has just been opened after being closed for about 5 Days because the Road developed cracks and the sides were washed off. Now, as you build a Road, is there need to take care of such cases; Drainages. Most of our Roads are built without any consideration of such a basic necessity for any Road; Drainage. This again begs the question; Was this Road designed by a Roads Engineer or by a Brewer? Design; All Roads are designed after careful studies. During the Design stages, I want to believe that some little thinking is involved. Because you are an Engineer, and even in Brewing, some thinking is involved, you look at what course the Road will take. You look at the soil situation, the gradient levels, the hills, the rivers and all. You then come up with a Design that meets the levels of your trained competence. Now, going by some of the Road Designs we have seen, can you be convinced that someone applied some level of thinking in coming up with those Designs? Some Designs leave some of us bewildered. It makes us ask, was this the works of a Road Engineer or a Brewer? Drainage System; Drainage is a must component in any Road Construction. In our Lay World, we all know that Tarmac and Water are never the best of friends. And this is why in any meaningful Road Construction, the first things they work to put in place are the Drainage Systems. But take a walk across Kenya and report back to us which Road in Kenya has a functional Drainage System. Whenever it drizzles in Nairobi, you are on your own. Now, when it rains, all come to a stand still, because of the incompetence of these rudderless people calling themselves Road Engineers. In fact, they must never talk where we are! You cannot build a Road without building a functional Drainage System. Take a keen look at what our Road Engineers build for Drainage and you will laugh all the way to the Bar for a cold Guinness. They are open ended things heading nowhere. When it rains, they drain all the water onto the Road. And they call themselves Road Engineers these Brewers!  Size and width; When constructing a Road, I want to believe that the size and width of the said Road is very important.I want to ask, what is this scientific wisdom of building very narrow Roads for us. I have had to come to a complete stop in some sections of our Roads when a Trailer is approaching. I am not the only one who suffers this. Many who have failed to stop have ended in the Mortuaries- courtesy of the Professional Incompetence of these our Road Engineers. If it is a question of resources, then where is your professional training? You must tell the bureaucrat that I need this much for this far and you stand to your Professional standards. Have you ever heard any Road Engineer complain of under funding? Have you ever heard even their Professional Association, if they have any, stand up for this demand?  I have never heard. They are complicit to the mass murder of Kenyans in our Roads. Durability; We have what we call Strength of Materials and all those technical jargons you bury your head into before you qualify as a Roads Engineer. When you are in an Engineering Class, you are taught that what you develop must be durable, and in most cases, some specific periods are given to this. When you build a Road, it should last for some given period before you start the routine maintenance on it. This is what we call durability. I want to ask our Road Engineers, and their Professional Association if they have any, do you have a time line for the Poor Roads you build for us in Kenya? Why must we be perpetually on a building mode for our Roads? If it is not the rains that are spoiling our Roads, it is the Trailers. If it is not our Buses spoiling our Roads, it is our small cars. It is surprising that even light track users like Bicycles are also spoiling our Roads! Now with vast resources being channeled to our Incompetent Road Engineers every Year, can we achieve our Visionless 2030? We must be realistic. We cannot be on a permanent Road Construction Mode on the same Roads every 2 years, yet, we have a lot of catch up to do. Axel Load and Road Weight; Roads are built to take some given weight, and on this, as rudderless and incompetent as our Road Engineers are, they will shake their incompetence to the bureaucrat. They will build poor Roads and blame the enforcing agencies for allowing over weight vehicles on the Roads. This is defeatist and escapist. Consumer/User Considerations; For every Professional Undertaking, we have consumer or user considerations. This is why the Doctors have compassion on their patients, and this is why Lawyers, as bad as they are, offer Pro-Borno services to some clients. Now, as you build any Road, you must envision who will use the said Road and how. Are you designing a death trap for your consumers, in this case the Road users? Or, are you designing what will develop a crack and potholes as soon as it is Commissioned. There are several issues that I may want to raise to justify why these creed of people should be banned in Kenya and taken to Siberia. Times have come when Road Engineers must start to behave like Form Ones, only to be seen and never heard. In the new dispensation where we will be Staying with the issues, we want to keep the heat on any Professional negligence in Kenya. And our Road Engineers must shape up or ship out, for this is the State of our Nation. Odhiambo T Oketch, Executive Director, The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC Tel; 0724 365 557 Website; www.kcdnkenya.org Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com --- On Fri, 5/18/12, ezekiel kunyaranyara <ekunyaranyara@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: From: ezekiel kunyaranyara <ekunyaranyara@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Herr Ezekiel; Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya To: "wanabidii@googlegroups.com" <wanabidii@googlegroups.com> Date: Friday, May 18, 2012, 7:30 AM Odhiambo Okecth I think not being a Kenyan will not relieve me from blames that comes from mulpractices and unproffesional conduct for road engineers if any anyway. Standards that are being used for our roads are satisfacory. Even roads that are being built are satisfactory even ones that has been designed and supervised or and built by Germans Companies and Consulting firms in our African Countries but are failing to perform after they are opened to traffic. I have examples some of them are even not passable three to six months after they have being handed over to client. The major cause here is lack of routine maintenance and sometimes lack is spot improvement to some difficult sections. In some ten to twenty years back on our roads almost everywhere in East Africa; there were these camps called PWD. I am not sure if in Kenya they are still there. In Tanzania they are not existing anymore. These camps were meant to catter for everyday maintenance whenever and whatever happens to the road is dealt with immediattely, but not now. If a bottleneck is seen on the road it takes some months before it is settled. This is not the fault of road engineers but the decision makers. The Challenging situation is when those who are supposed to decide also stood on platforms and start to through stones to roads engineers while they know for sure that no funds has been set-aside for that maintenance. To me the way I see it it not the fault of engineers but we do not have maintenance culture. This is not for engineers only but every African. Let us wake and do our party then every thing will be settled. I have been in Kissii -Kenya training for Labour Based Technology in Road Construction and Maintenance. That course insists day to day maintenance but even in Insititute roads is not done how can you expect others to do it. How can road survive without maintenance, no way. Do not hang up road engineers it is not their fault. K.E.M.S. From: odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com Cc: PK <progressive-kenyans@googlegroups.com> Sent: Friday, 18 May 2012, 6:32 Subject: [wanabidii] Herr Ezekiel; Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya Ezekiel, I am happy that you are not a Kenyan. In Germany, roads that were built by Herr Otto Van Bismirch in the 1930's are still as strong. They are only being cleaned. Does it not rain in Germany. Again, in Road Construction, we must have some bare minimum Structural Standards- Quality of Material. Are our Road Engineers schooled in a different curriculum on Road Construction- the one that teaches them to build for us sub-standard roads while they charge us hell-on-earth? Lastly, I will engage you in Quality and not in Quantity. oto --- On Fri, 5/18/12, ezekiel kunyaranyara <ekunyaranyara@yahoo.co.uk> wrote: From: ezekiel kunyaranyara <ekunyaranyara@yahoo.co.uk> Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Re: [YP_Ke] Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya To: "wanabidii@googlegroups.com" <wanabidii@googlegroups.com> Date: Friday, May 18, 2012, 6:08 AM Odhiambo Okecth I am not a Kenyan, but on this motion the fact is "roads are not eternal". They needs maintainance almost everyday just to keep them always to their engineering design standard. The fact which is usually neglected by decision makers in seting asside funds for the same. At the end blames such as these are casted to engineers. Many thinks once built roads are to survive indefinately, to me this a wrong perception indeed. Maintenance such as cleaning side drains always in a way that no sand will clog and hinder the free flow of water during rain, removal of debris such as tree and stone, littering that damage badly the tarmac road that produces patches is a big problem in our roads and other many activities are needed to be done everyday. If they are not done every day then no road will survive not even for one year. Please do not blame engineers. Blaming engineers is like blaming doctors for patient illness. K.E.M.S. From: odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> To: "youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com" <youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com>; Madaraka <madaraka-kenya@yahoogroups.com>; Nation <editor@nation.co.ke>; wanabidii@googlegroups.com Cc: "mailbox@nation.co.ke" <mailbox@nation.co.ke>; Mwananchi <Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com>; MWANYAGETINGE NETWORK <mwanyagetinge@yahoogroups.com>; New Vision Kenya <NewVisionKenya@yahoogroups.com>; "next_kenya@yahoogroups.com" <next_kenya@yahoogroups.com>; "NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com" <NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com>; NYSA <nysa1@googlegroups.com>; PK <progressive-kenyans@googlegroups.com>; ProgressiveMinds <ProgressiveMinds@yahoogroups.com>; Vugu Vugu <vuguvugumashinani@yahoogroups.com>; Wanabidii <wanabidii@googlegroups.com>; "weekend@nairobistar.com" <weekend@nairobistar.com> Sent: Friday, 18 May 2012, 4:49 Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Re: [YP_Ke] Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya Mr. Tombo, What facts do you want? My team and I took photos of our roads on Sunday the 13th May 2012, and again on the same spot on Wednesday the 16th May 2012. Again, we live in Kenya and we suffer the incompetence of Road Engineers daily. When it rains, Nairobi and other major Towns come to a complete stop. Why? The incompetence of our Road Engineers. Mr. Tombo, just point to me one Road in Kenya that meets the known Engineering Standards? Odhiambo T Oketch, Executive Director, The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC. --- On Fri, 5/18/12, Julius Tombo <mzeejulius@yahoo.com> wrote: From: Julius Tombo <mzeejulius@yahoo.com> Subject: [wanabidii] Re: [YP_Ke] Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya To: "youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com" <youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com>, "Madaraka" <madaraka-kenya@yahoogroups.com>, "Nation" <editor@nation.co.ke> Cc: "mailbox@nation.co.ke" <mailbox@nation.co.ke>, "Mwananchi" <Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com>, "MWANYAGETINGE NETWORK" <mwanyagetinge@yahoogroups.com>, "New Vision Kenya" <NewVisionKenya@yahoogroups.com>, "next_kenya@yahoogroups.com" <next_kenya@yahoogroups.com>, "NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com" <NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com>, "NYSA" <nysa1@googlegroups.com>, "PK" <progressive-kenyans@googlegroups.com>, "ProgressiveMinds" <ProgressiveMinds@yahoogroups.com>, "Vugu Vugu" <vuguvugumashinani@yahoogroups.com>, "Wanabidii" <wanabidii@googlegroups.com>, "weekend@nairobistar.com" <weekend@nairobistar.com> Date: Friday, May 18, 2012, 12:28 AM Odhiambo be specific, stop generalizing issues. do you have facts to support your statement? Kind Regards Julius +254721363991 From: odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> To: Madaraka <madaraka-kenya@yahoogroups.com>; Nation <editor@nation.co.ke> Cc: mailbox@nation.co.ke; Mwananchi <Mwananchi@yahoogroups.com>; MWANYAGETINGE NETWORK <mwanyagetinge@yahoogroups.com>; New Vision Kenya <NewVisionKenya@yahoogroups.com>; next_kenya@yahoogroups.com; NVK-Mageuzi@yahoogroups.com; NYSA <nysa1@googlegroups.com>; PK <progressive-kenyans@googlegroups.com>; ProgressiveMinds <ProgressiveMinds@yahoogroups.com>; Vugu Vugu <vuguvugumashinani@yahoogroups.com>; Wanabidii <wanabidii@googlegroups.com>; weekend@nairobistar.com; YP <youngprofessionals_ke@googlegroups.com> Sent: Friday, May 18, 2012 8:17 AM Subject: [YP_Ke] Road Engineers are a shame to Kenya Friends, At 9.00am today, we will be joining with the Nobel Women Initiative, the Green Belt Movement and all friends who believe in humanity to launch the International Campaign to Stop Rape and Gender Violence in Conflict at the Freedom Corner. The Panel during the Launch- L_R; Ms Lillian Mwaura, Odhiambo T Oketch, Yee Htun- The International Coordinator of the Campaign, Kennedy Otina, Rachel Muthoga and Prof Karanga Today, I am following on the incompetence of our Road Engineers and I am asking, why must we be in the business of Road Construction constantly? These incompetent Road Engineers must Shape up or Ship out. You may follow this story at http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com Odhiambo T Oketch, Executive Director, The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC Tel; 0724 365 557, Website; www.kcdnkenya.org Blogspot; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com -- The League of Young Professionals, Kenya takes this early opportunity to welcome you to our 2012 Annual Sports Day. The Details are http://ypkenya.org/wp-content/uploads/downloads/2012/05/LYP-Sports-Day-Info.pdf If you attended our last 2 business & networking sessions, find the photos of the events here http://www.facebook.com/LYP.Kenya Our next June Monthly Talk & Networking Forum will be on 14th June. Our Guest Speaker will be Derek Bbanga, CEO Public Image East Africa and he will be talking about Developing Your Personal Brand and Professional Image. Cost for Members is Ksh. 500, and 1, 000 for non members. Venue KICC, Tin Tin Restaurant. If you are based in Mombasa, our Chapter there will be having a Real Estate Investment Forum on the Next Thursday 24th May. Guest speaker will be Myspace Properties Ltd. CEO and President Mr. Mwenda Thuranira. Contact Reuben Shuma 0721 203452 lypmsa@ypkenya.org/rshuma@gmail.com or Judy Matu on 0721 497 875 for more details. -- Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma Disclaimer: Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines. -- Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma Disclaimer: Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines. -- Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma Disclaimer: Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines. -- Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma Disclaimer: Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines. -- Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda wanabidii+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com Utapata Email ya kudhibitisha ukishatuma Disclaimer: Everyone posting to this Forum bears the sole responsibility for any legal consequences of his or her postings, and hence statements and facts must be presented responsibly. Your continued membership signifies that you agree to this disclaimer and pledge to abide by our Rules and Guidelines.

Re: We are messing Kenya

Thank you for this, Oketch. It is highly disgusting, these perpetual never ending fuel hikes. 

And you're also very right about about the priorities of road building. 

Mombasa is in dire need of various roads uplift and some new ones, too.

I wonder WHEN that will happen...? They charge us an arm and leg in fuel and road levy where they literally collect millions every single day, but, roads in Coast Province are in a very pathetic condition. This results in adding salt to our wounds - the price of fuels keeps going up, they don't fix roads and our vehicles (includes bicycles, motorbikes, etc.), get damaged, cause accidents and injury. This equates to more costs to the average citizen.

We are getting very FED UP of this set up.

Raziya

On Tue, May 15, 2012 at 9:27 AM, odhiambo okecth <komarockswatch@yahoo.com> wrote:

Friends, The cost of fuel has once again gone up by Kshs 2.00 in Nairobi and about similar margins across the Country. This is happening at a time Kenya seems to be on the cross roads- do we go Vision 2030, Konza City Way, the Thika Motor Highway or what? Through the Vision 2030, Kenya is hoping to achieve some given set of Economic gains, yet, when we are not able to manage and regulate the flow of Fuel, just fuel, how can we even think of achieving the objects of Vision 2030. Fuel is in the middle of economic growth for any Nation. In the US, they have large deposits of Oil, yet, they are keeping tabs on what is happening in the Middle East. They do not have weekly price variations like we are being subjected to in Kenya. Fuel drives our industries and when we fail to manage the cost of fuel in such a consistent manner, we are definitely not doing any justice to our citizens. And we are not being helpful to working towards our Visionless 2030. The moment fuel goes up, it triggers a chain of events. Costs of production goes up and this comes with lots of suffering to the common man. Even for the Industrialists, they are at a loss on how to cost their inputs- courtesy of our Visionless Mandarins at the Energy Regulatory Board. We have known this all along, the moment fuel goes up, it never comes down. We have been subjected to these rudderless fluctuations which plays with the pump price every so often yet, once the cost of bread goes up, it never comes down when these charlatans pretend to bring the cost of fuel down. Kenya is replete with lost courses. We promised Kenyans at Independence that we will fight poverty, ignorance and disease and 49 years down the line, poverty has reached an alarming level. Many of us are still as ignorant as they can come and disease, even simple cases of flu cannot be treated by our Doctors. Many Kenyans are getting sub-standard quality of education because, the teacher is concerned with how to make ends meet. Our housing estates are a test case of how human beings ought to live. Yet, people whom we have given responsibility to lead and set the right tempo are busy competing at theft of national resources. This is where the Mandarins at the Energy Regulatory Board resides. They have no interest with Kenya trying to live Visionless 2030. They care less about our mothers who are trying had to feed the family, and they do not know what the National Aspirations are. Look at what we are busy advertizing as Konza City- a dream city. True, it is a dream city. How can we manage this dream when we are not able to manage the current reality. Nairobi is in filth. We have tried pushing the Mandarins at the City Hole to act on waste management and it seems like they have resigned their fate to their helplessness. How can Kenyans come together to keep helping a team that is out of touch with reality. This is the Kenya we are messing. We are messing our own future. As a people, what trends are we setting for our children and the generation to come? If it is on leadership, we are setting wrong standards. If it is on policy management and implementation, we are setting the wrong standards. If it is mitigating the cost of living, we are aggravating the situation and driving Kenyans into more poverty and want. And if it is in creating scandals, we are at our best. We are very good with setting wrong priorities, and this we do knowingly. We set out to achieve water for all by the year 2,000 and this was never achieved. But, our policy makers made good money for themselves for driving the wrong policy. They went home dry and neat. We set out to build roads across Kenya. Then we picked on a road that does not serve the economic life line of our Country as our pet project. Thika Road was not to be the road to build. The main economic artery for Kenya is the Mombasa Malaba Busia Road. Not Thika Road. But our Policy Mandarins decided to go for Thika Road, because that was going to give them some quick wins to their banks. Of what economic value is Thika Road to Kenya? But there you are, policy makers messing Kenyans just for their quick material wins. Why then can we not make all these County Roads as this one? Thika Road is a County Road serving the economic and commercial interest of a County, not the Country. We should have taken to build the road that gives us direct foreign income. Mombasa Malaba Busia Road is the one that adds to our economic value as a Country, not as a County. Let me come back to what I had set to do. We must not play games with the minds of Kenyans in imposing these fuel fluctuations every so often. It simply proves how incompetent we are and it does nothing to help us achieve our Visionless 2030. Odhiambo T Oketch Komarock Nairobi