The VOK dumpsite and other environmental hazards within Mombasa County

Those of us who live in the North Coast of Mombasa and in particular the ones who are compelled to live and work around the above  mentioned dumpsite are suffering from all kinds of illnesses. 

Thanks to the County Govt. who moved the dumpsite from Kibarani, which was a real eye and nose sore and a very shameful site right at the entrance of Mombasa. It was a very unwelcome sight for ANYBODY entering Mombasa County. 

After YEARS of complaints, this questionable place was finally and 'officially' closed, but an equally questionable and horrible one is now being used as a (according to the County officials), temporary dumpsite on the main Mombasa/Malindi road. I  won't call it a highway for it is NOT. It is yet to become one...

This route is used by everyone heading to anywhere further north along the coast of Kenya. Which means that citizens, residents and tourists ply this road and suffer the same consequences that they did when the dumpsite was situated at Kibarani. The letter below is from the Nyali MP regarding this same issue. Nothing has yet been done.

There was another one written by the County to the residents promising to clear the dumpsite within a day or two, but it is now several weeks and NOTHING has been done. This was written on the 30th of  August 2018. As per below.

Unfortunately, this site is smack in the middle  of residential areas as well as businesses and therefore a health hazard. 

The County, instead of clearing it has taken to  burning this HUGE pile of mixed garbage, while at the same time preaches to residents not to burn their garbage on pain of fines and persecution. So why the double standards?

People who live around this dumpsite are suffering from respiratory ailments, etc., and all kind of pests have started to  invade their homes.

Is this County really a responsible one who cares for its citizens' well-being? Why doesn't it keep its word of clearing the dumpsite as its effects are worse than the ones felt at Kibarani? And as per our MP's letter, it seems that the Central government, is also incapable of doing anything! And business continues as usual..... 

I wonder if this email will have the required effect or impunity will continue?!

Burning garbage!

There is an empty plot next to our Umoja Estate where a tropical jungle is growing. This plot belongs to a lawyer who uses it as a dumping ground for garbage and all the dumped vegetation on her plot. 

The irony is that this so-called lawyer seems to be unaware of the law of the environment. That of burning garbage which is against the law. One wonders what kind of lawyer this is.

Then, she has no sense of neighbourliness where one does not inconvenience and be a nuisance to one's neighbour/s. She, unfortunately is all of this to our detriment.

She's also an amorphous being whom you cannot ever see or meet...., just hear about her and what she does. I have also been told by various people who work around here that she lives in Rainbow Estate, but nobody knows the house. This estate has its entrance right across from this misused plot.

Unfortunately and highly convenient for her is the fact that she does not have to suffer the consequences of her actions.

The clouds of smoke that emanate from this burning envelope our whole block of flats and enter our houses and into the very fibre of our being making everything stink and a layer of black soot covers everything. It is terrible. 

Trying to get the message through to her is an exercise in utter futility.

Over the years, I have tried getting NEMA, our questionable evironment body to take action to no avail. Oh, they have visited the place a number of times and talked to the people who border this plot and run kiosks, but, she (the lawyer), seems to be having all the right connections because, she's insolently carrying on with her obnoxious activities undeterred.

I wonder where else is one to turn to get justice?

Glorious - Tree tunnels:WANGAARI would have loved these to be propogated in KENYA!

They are not just functional, but beautiful, too. If only, such  tunnels or avenues can be grown in our country.....

But, our various land-grabbing

creeps cannot seem to tolerate

any concentration of trees or

wide open green spaces without

thinking of chopping them off 

and making our towns and cities

look like concrete jungles, instead.

Our officialdom cannot even plan plan our towns and cities properly without their selfish interests interfering in the process. 

So, how would they think in terms of the greater good?

Raziya

Subject: 10 most beautiful tree tunnels in the world Trees, The longest-living organisms on Earth, beautify and protect our environment by providing color, shelter, and shade. They renew our air supply by soaking up carbon dioxide and producing oxygen. 10. Cherry Blossom Tunnel, Germany  Photo — Link Each spring, a peaceful street, located in the German city of Bonn, transforms into an enchanting cherry blossom tunnel. Photographer Marcel Bednarz captured this stunning sight of cherry blossoms in full bloom. He explained to me that there are actually two streets in Bonn where cherry trees are planted, but the one you see in the above picture is called Heerstraße. As you may know, the average cherry blossom lasts only between 7 and 10 days, depending on weather conditions. 09 more after the break... 09. Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho, Brasil Number nine goes to Brazil's green tunnel from Porto Alegre, Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho. According to a decree signed in 2006 by former mayor Joseph Fogaça, this beautiful street is part of the country's historical, cultural, ecological and environmental heritage. There are more than one hundred towering Tipuana (Rosewood) trees along Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho. The great shade trees stretch over three city blocks, which is a good thing for the city's overall health. Did you know that trees, properly planted around buildings, can reduce air conditioning demands by up to 30%? 08. Autumn Tree Tunnel, USA  Photo — Link Photographed in glorious autumn colors by Kevin McNeal, this tree tunnel is simply astonishing! The picture was taken on the way up to Smuggler's Notch, a Vermont state park. The eye-catching foliage starts changing its color in the northern region, in response to many environmental factors, and spreads south as the fall season advances. 07. Ginkgo Tree Tunnel, Japan Gingko biloba is a highly venerated tree in Japanese culture. Six ginkgo trees survived the Hiroshima bombing, continuing to grow despite facing so many challenges, and are still alive today. Therefore, the Japanese regard the gingko as "the bearer of hope".  It is also known as "the survivor" or "the living fossil." Around 65,000 ginkgoes grace Tokyo's streets, gardens and parks today. According to some people who visited Tokyo, the tunnel you see in the above picture is located in the outer garden of Meiji Shrine. 06. Yew Tree Tunnel, UK The medieval Aberglasney House features one of the most beautiful gardens in Wales, UK. They have been an inspiration to writers since 1470. The Yew Tunnel is a popular tourist attraction in this area. Believe it or not, it took nine years of pruning to restore this unique archway. "Years of neglect had left it unsafe and with a perilous future, as the once formally clipped structure had grown even higher than the top of the Mansion itself. It is so nice to see it looking invigorated and healthy again, I had every confidence that with careful restoration it would help its future longevity, but I have to confess that it did look drastic at the time," declared Graham Rankin, one of Aberglasney's directors. The Yew Tunnel is thought to have been planted by the Dyer family of Aberglasney, during the 18th century. 05. The Dark Hedges, Northern Ireland  Photo — Link Tucked away in the county of Antrim, these beautiful beech trees are thought to be around 300 years old. According to local records, James Stuart planted the 150 beech trees in the 18th century,  to impress guests as they approached his splendid property, Gracehill House. Legend tells that the spirit of a maid, who lived in a neighboring mansion and died in mysterious circumstances hundreds of years ago, haunts the country road. "Grey Lady" silently floats along the road and quickly disappears as she reaches the last beech tree. 04. Bamboo Path, Japan The Sagano Bamboo Forest is located in Arashiyama, a nationally-designated historic site.  The pathway you see in the above picture is 500m long, and runs through one of Japan's most beautiful bamboo forests. No wonder the Agency for Cultural Affairs declared Arashiyama a "Place of Scenic Beauty". This forest is close to many famous temple and shrines, including the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji Temple. The sound the wind makes, as it blows through the tall bamboo trees, has been voted by the Japanese authorities as one of 100 must-preserve sounds of Japan.   03. Tunnel of Love, Ukraine   The Ukrainian Tunnel of Love is actually a two-mile sector of private railway that serves a woodworking plant near Klevan, a small city located in western Ukraine. I read somewhere that couples pass through this romantic tunnel to make a wish. The myth goes that, if their love is strong and pure, the wish will come true.   May all of your wishes come true, but watch out for the train! It runs three times a day through the leafy tunnel.   02. Jacarandas Walk, South Africa   Over 10 million trees keep South Africa's largest city green. According to several unofficial sources, Johannesburg is home to the world's largest man-made forest.   There are at least 49 species of Jacaranda, most of them native to South America (particularly in Uruguay, Brazil, Peru & Argentina), and the Caribbean basin. The tropical trees were imported to South Africa over one hundred years ago.   October is the month when the flowers of thousands of Jacaranda trees are in full blossom.  This spectacular tree tunnel is located either in Johannesburg or Pretoria, the Jacaranda City where 70,000+ Jacarandas add vivid splashes of purple-blue to the urban landscape.   01. Wisteria Tunnel, Japan   As soon as the cherry blossom season ends, the gorgeous Wisteria flowers, that hang in grape-like clusters, take their turn on the Japanese floral calendar. The Fuji Matsuri, or Wisteria Festival, is celebrated each spring in Tokyo, Shizuoka, and Okazaki.   The Ashikaga Flower Park is one of the best places to admire different varieties of wisteria, including double-petaled wisteria, giant wisteria and yellow, white, light pink or purple variants of wisteria.

Eye opner videos - plastic should be banned totally

Please, take heed.

Raziya

Watch them in order and forward to all.....

When will the plastic mis-use menace end :/ :(

Watch this first

http://vimeo.com/8177268

and this

http://vimeo.com/12218071

and then this

http://vimeo.com/36745838

and then this one

http://vimeo.com/25563376

The flooring at Nakumatt Nyali Mall

I, and several others have noticed that the new floor tiling that is being done at the above mall/s, while quite attractive, are very impractical for walking on by the general public. This is especially so of the very shiny border tiles which are highly slippery when wet or sandy.

The sandy bit we've discovered yesterday, when some of the tiles were still not put in place and there was sand around them. Several members of the public slipped and nearly lost their balance, but, thankfully, did not fall. We would like to know who would take responsibility of such an eventuality when somebody slips and falls and gets injured? Would the company doing this work accept responsibility?

I ask this because, after I had slipped and nearly fell (I'm also disabled), I asked various senior staff at Nakumatt about whom to contact and they gave me Mr. Talasam Mohamed's business card whom I rang immediately giving my name and telling him what had happened. His response was quite unbelievable.

He claimed that the public would just have to be careful when walking on those tiles as his company cannot 'undo' the tiling and make it fit for walking by all people - young, old, fit and unfit. This, I find is a very insensitive response to a very legitimate complaint.

Then, there is the general observation of our various building constructions whose plans are passed by our Town Planning Dept. at our Council. Do ANY of these people give a moment's thought to the disabled people's plight and how the various members of the public with varying degrees of disabilities, are going to deal with the buildings whose plans they so thoughtlessly pass?

In the same way, this company which is doing the flooring of these malls, I don't think gave even a moment's thought to the fact that these tiles are quite impractical to walk on when wet, etc. And since they insist on carrying on with their work as is, I would like to know, if they will also bear the consequences of a person getting injured as a result? In other places of the world they have to or they would be sued.

When, I mentioned this to Mr. Talasam Mohamed, it did not bother him in the least and so, I told him that I would write this letter/email and send him a copy of it, too, to which he whole-heartedly agreed. I hope and pray that he will pass it on to the others in his company who are, I believe, more mature and responsible about these issues.

Re: An invitation to experience garbage burning....

Subsequent to my two emails to NEMA and other officialdom, again, last Saturday (see below), I got the following response from one of my recipients who is a doctor. I think, that and my emails speak for themselves....

Yet, nothing is being done. Why?

Raziya

On 9/11/2011 8:16 AM, Dr Juzar Hooker wrote:

This is such a serious matter with disastrous consequences for our health, affecting so many of us so much of the time, that on this kind of smoke and noise pollution, on our roads, around our our homes and in our neighbourhoods, there should be serious action taken to assist Raziya and her neighbours as well as so many of us in similar situations. Smoking lorries and vehicles are another big preventable cause of pollution (we had one in front of us yesterday for much of the way), as is noise.

Dr Juzar Hooker
Consulting Neurologist

Rooms 401/2, Doctors Plaza, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
Phone   +254 20 3744256/7, 3662769
Telefax +254 20 3744257
E-mail: juzar.hooker@aku.edu, jhooker@africaonline.co.ke

P O Box 19396 – 00202 KNH, Nairobi, Kenya

Re: An invitation to experience garbage burning....

The above invitation has been ignored by the NEMA - both the local Mombasa branch and their head offices in Nairobi. Not only this, but, none of them have even acknowledged my email forget about replying it.

They seem to be under the impression that by doing this the problem will go away, i.e. 'die a natural death'. Well, it won't!

Unfortunately, for NEMA and most of our officialdom like the Mombasa Municipal Council who are in-charge of collecting garbage and disposing off it in an environmentally friendly manner, are ignoring these very issues and doing NOTHING about it. I suppose, they haven't heard about global warming, climate change, etc., as yet. If they haven't then I suggest that they get off their backsides and start educating themselves and start implementing their own laws and by-laws regarding the burning of garbage.

These miscreants who burn the garbage in my neighbourhood in an empty plot next to our estate are known by NEMA, but, they are taking no action against them. There is also another interesting part in this. Despite, there being a number of kiosks near this plot, not one person knows WHO set the garbage on fire. Being typical non-interfering Kenyans they are like the 3 monkeys - See no Evil, Hear no Evil, Speak no Evil and my addition to this would be 'Do Nothing'. Why, one wonders....?! Does the plot owner have 'connections' with someone who is in turn also 'connected'? And in this country such things always boil down to politics. So, who is really responsible for this non-action?

And the interesting part of all this is that, this thug who owns the plot, knows exactly when to do the burning. It is always done under cover of darkness, or like this morning, on a weekend, when s/he knows that not one person in 'officialdom' (NEMA), will want to take action at a time when they are off. Because, when I could not get any response to my repeated calls to Mr. Ben Wemali who is in-charge of this out here, I decided to call NEMA's Nairobi offices around mid-morning when our whole building and part of the estate were enveloped in such dense smoke that we could not see the buildings across the road or even the traffic on it! The answer I finally got after calling various numbers of their Nairobi office, is that none of the officials were on duty as it was a Saturday. And that I should call about this on Monday.

Now, for these people's information, unlike them, the crooks in our midst, know exactly when to break the law and get away with it. Choose a weekend or after hours on a weekday when all of these officials will be very averse to following up on a live lead.

Therefore, it is not surprising that we have such impudent people in our midst.


On 7/27/2011 2:18 PM, Raziya wrote:

'Afternoon!

I would like to invite every NEMA representative who can make it even from Nairobi, the Municipal Council's Environment department and the Public Health one, too, to my place at a time when garbage is being burned in the neighbourhood. This, so that they will experience first hand the consequences of their inactivity in stopping this disgusting practice.

It would also help, if they, in the meantime, try and imagine what it is like for the residents of parts of our estate who have to on a daily basis, inhale this acrid smoke with minimum of ventilation in our houses and when some of us are suffering from colds and horrible bronchitis like coughs, too. Maybe, we should take the 3 mentioned above outfits to task, officially, for letting our complaints fall on deaf and uncaring ears.

Oh, but I forgot - that our Municipal Council has scant regard for the rule of law or respect for it and it seems that NEMA is also following in it's lawless footsteps.

Despite having talked to umpteen numbers of NEMA officials both in their Nairobi head office and locally, NOTHING is being done about the issue and the garbage burners in our midst are insolently doing this every single day anytime of the day or night! Of late, it's been happening during the lunch hour.

So, could you all please, accept my invitation to experience what it feels like to inhale garbage burning right outside your living quarters? And it will be a special 'treat' if some of you are suffering from a bout of cold, 'flu and coughs, too! Let's see how you like it. Not to mention the muck that will dirty the house/s just after you've cleaned up.

An invitation to experience garbage burning....

I would like to invite every NEMA representative who can make it even from Nairobi, the Municipal Council's Environment department and the Public Health one, too, to my place at a time when garbage is being burned in the neighbourhood. This, so that they will experience first hand the consequences of their inactivity in stopping this disgusting practice.

It would also help, if they, in the meantime, try and imagine what it is like for the residents of parts of our estate who have to on a daily basis, inhale this acrid smoke with minimum of ventilation in our houses and when some of us are suffering from colds and horrible bronchitis like coughs, too. Maybe, we should take the 3 mentioned above outfits to task, officially, for letting our complaints fall on deaf and uncaring ears.

Oh, but I forgot - that our Municipal Council has scant regard for the rule of law or respect for it and it seems that NEMA is also following in it's lawless footsteps.

Despite having talked to umpteen numbers of NEMA officials both in their Nairobi head office and locally, NOTHING is being done about the issue and the garbage burners in our midst are insolently doing this every single day anytime of the day or night! Of late, it's been happening during the lunch hour.

So, could you all please, accept my invitation to experience what it feels like to inhale garbage burning right outside your living quarters? And it will be a special 'treat' if some of you are suffering from a bout of cold, 'flu and coughs, too! Let's see how you like it. Not to mention the muck that will dirty the house/s just after you've cleaned up.

Re: Burning garbage... and the forthcoming ASK Showground racket

Since, my email of yesterday and my talk on the phone with Mr. Wemali, I've had very little encouraging news to report regarding NEMA's action on this matter.

In fact, when I could not get either Mr. Wemali or Mr. Bakari Mangale to take action on the matter, I was compelled to call NEMA's head office in Nairobi. I was finally put through to a Mr. Reagan Awino who in turn gave me the Provincial Director's cell phone number and email address. When I called him, I found that he was on leave but, he smsed me a Mr. Shimba's number.

The final outcome of all these calls was that, nothing could be done today till Mr. Shimba consults with Mr. Bakari tomorrow. In fact, Mr. Shimba did scant little when I had called him the first time earlier in the afternoon, it seems. It was when, I called him again around sunset when clouds of smoke started emanating from the same plot and enveloping the whole area, that I was told that we in this neighbourhood  would have to spend another night inhaling this obnoxious air. I was and am thoroughly disgusted with the way NEMA works..... or rather it does not, in fact. My parting sentence to Mr. Shimba was that I would pass out IF NEMA would do it's work effectively and promptly hung up!

Btw, I think I know what might have miffed Mr. Shimba off. When I requested that they (NEMA), should also, while there's ample time, to look into the forthcoming ASK Show in August and the racket that the residents of Nyali and part of the Island of Mombasa are unwillingly treated to every year. This year, it will also be Ramadhan, then. He was not in the least sympathetic and told me that they have every right to do this since it's a National event. Doesn't matter that there is a NEMA law against noise which says that it should not be heard beyond a distance of 30 metres. This ASK Showground racket is heard for kilometres around!

I have now requested some other people to take up this challenge and I hope and pray that they will be more successful and we, in this neighbourhood, will not have to inhale muck which is highly dangerous to our health.

Burning garbage...

As I write this, most of our estate is enveloped in smoke since 7.15 pm and it is still going on!

I have tried calling Mr. Ben Wemali of NEMA, and when he finally answered, I was told that they are going to do something about it tomorrow. So, till then we spend most of tonight inhaling acrid smoke.

NEMA had, we thought, put a stop to this regular practice last year, but, it would seem that the owner of the plot has gone back to burning what his people dump in that empty plot next to our estate. And since, I took pictures of what they do in the daytime, last year and 'shared' them with the media among others, he/she has taken to setting fire to the collected garbage under cover of darkness.

Of course, our useless Council is also to blame since they do not collect garbage on a regular basis and Mombasa has now got itself the reputation of being one of the dirtiest and stinking 'cities' in the entire country! Starting from the Airport (imagine this from the tourist point of view), as we cross the Makupa Causeway, among the first things that one notices is the traffic chaos, and then a stench assailing our olfactory senses. This comes courtesy of Kibarani.

Heading further afield into town or after crossing the Nyali bridge, people encounter another 'interim' dump site this time courtesy of our Council, on the Mombasa/Malindi road. Again, there is also the chaotic traffic which is also highly noisy.

I'm sure our foreign  visitors think that this place looks like a proper banana republic of their imagination. Where anything goes and no applicable law is apparent to them.

If our officialdom has no care about the residents and the kind of lives they are compelled to live, shouldn't they at least be thinking of the fact that Coast Province, in particular Mombasa is a great tourist attraction? And therefore, clean it up physically and also it's act?

I am wondering if NEMA and it's representative in the form of Mr. Ben Wemali will keep his promise of dealing with the latest environmental 'enemy', that I have reported. They should also inform the public on how to deal with uncollected garbage without setting it on fire.

Living conditions of Kenyans

A couple of weekends ago, Mwenda Njoka wrote a comment in the Weekend Star which really hit the nail on the proverbial head regarding residential areas and their deliberate and insensitive downgrading by our various Local Authorities all over the country, though his comments were only dealing with Nairobi and environs.

Unfortunately, this 'disease' of converting residential areas into commercial ones is an on going exercise by ALL local authorities countrywide. This results in the following...

1.    There are no quiet and peaceful areas anymore anywhere. Since commercializing an area means that everything and anything can and is allowed to sprout in the name of commerce in the middle of residential areas.

2.    This means that the infrastructure leading to residential areas, like roads, which were never meant for heavy commercial traffic, suffer the results of this. We get awful pot-holes which the road maintenance 'authorities' are very averse to fixing as soon as they are messed up.

3.    There is no regulation on the noise levels created by all of the above since everybody uses these so-called residential areas for everything under the sun. For example, tuk tuks and matatus and even some private cars, play loud and earsplitting levels of music at all hours of the day and night. Heavy commercial vehicles encroach and rev with resultant exhaust fumes pervading our houses nearly all the time.

4.    The mushrooming of sky scrapper buildings without any specific planning everywhere means that huge trucks carrying building materials are continuously plying our 'delicate' side roads degrading them. This also means, due to no planning, that these buildings block the light and air, etc., of others next to them. One would think that our town planners would make sure that things are planned in such a way in this day of environmental awareness that people can use the maximum of natural light and if structures are prefabricated, these heavy commercial vehicles supplying building materials would be to a minimum. Not to mention that houses, etc., would be more cost effective for the builder and the buyer, as well as environment friendly. But, do our policy makers even give a moments thought to such issues?

5.    We need lots of green open spaces for various reasons among which are places for children to play. Most of our residential areas and estates have none. Why?

6.    Instead, we have livestock sprinkled all over town and residential areas causing terrible traffic jams and questionable health issues.

7.    There is no enforcement of the amount of noise that can be allowed at anytime anywhere, including residential areas. Therefore, when the average Kenyan goes home expecting peace and quiet and to be able to relax, there is no such thing, as s/he is inundated by noise, air-pollution, etc. Even the children who need this peace and quiet more than anybody else to study, find none. And those are our future. Despite there being laws regarding noise and air pollution, NEMA rarely enforces this, even after such things are reported to them. Why?

8.    Since roads are not maintained and upgraded, all road users; yes, even pedestrians (who are in the majority), suffer the consequences, especially during the rainy season. When, we suffer some injury or damage to our person and vehicles, our road maintenance 'authorities' are never taken to task by being sued for damages. In this day of unbelievable expenses and despite paying road and fuel levy, very few roads are fixed or maintained. If anybody wants examples, please, contact me and I will show them 'live' examples. As I've mentioned countless times previously, Coast Province has a 'shortage' of any new roads built since independence and even the ones that are still there are not maintained in a timely manner. Only up-country roads are made and maintained. Why? We urgently need new roads down here, too, since Mombasa has been given a 'city' status ages ago, but, it is only in name. We also pay taxes, remember, by the millions every single day via road and fuel levy. Use it to give us better roads, please.

Re: Smoky neighbourhoods...

I just hope that the matter of burning garbage in my cousin's neighbourhood will be as expeditiously dealt with as a similar one that I had been experiencing last year in my own, in Mombasa, by NEMA.

This burning usually takes place under cover of darkness so that the miscreants will not be seen and known and identified. These people never give a thought to what their smoke does to the people living and/or working around. They are also highly ignorant and moronic people who practice this method of dealing with overflowing garbage with little regard for the environment, either. Of course, our various local authorities are equally to blame as they do not collect garbage efficiently and regularly for this NOT to happen. Why?

In Mombasa, our Council has a novel method of dealing with overflowing garbage and uncut grass. They let loose a few herds of livestock in the form of cows and goats who 'efficiently' go about toppling garbage cans and unmown grass all free of charge. Yes, these animals cause traffic jams, etc., but Mombasa residents have to deal with narrow roads, tuk tuks, matatus, mkokotenis, etc., anyway, so a few herds of livestock who are in the 'employ' of our local government can also be 'tolerated' since they are helping our Council try and keep the place 'clean'!!! It hardly ever works and we have informed our Council of this many times, but, who listens in that 'headquarters' of 'change'?

Best wishes with prayers,
Raziya

On 6/4/2011 12:11 AM, Dr Juzar Hooker wrote:

I write to you in desperation as my neighbours burn rubbish in their plots with impunity, often at night, resulting in severe distress to us, a veritable health hazard, a public nuisance, and environmental pollution. This is occurring off Eldama Ravine Road on an almost daily basis, in spite of requests to stop. I am sure NEMA would be interested in taking some long awaited action.

Dr Juzar Hooker
Consulting Neurologist

Rooms 401/2, Doctors Plaza, Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi
Phone   +254 20 3744256/7, 3662769
Telefax +254 20 3744257
E-mail: juzar.hooker@aku.edu, jhooker@africaonline.co.ke

P O Box 19396 – 00202 KNH, Nairobi, Kenya

Fwd: Emailing: Both of these are enveloping the neighbourhood in clouds of acrid smoke, Next to the previous site within a few meters another pile is lighted up, Somebody burning garbage, etc.

On a related note to my just sent email with pics about dumping of garbage, we have our own highly environment unfriendly and ignorant neighbours, in Nyali. Of course, this species is all over town and its environs.

Since our Council is highly lethargic, selective and ineffective in collecting and disposing off garbage, one of the options most people think they have is of burning the offending stuff! In the process, neighbourhoods and houses are enveloped in unhealthy smoke, like we were (and it's done on an irregular basis every so often), in our neighbourhood late this afternoon.

This is highly environmentally unhealthy as well as very dangerous to inhale not to mention the fact that the smell stays in our houses long after the dump has finished burning.

Some estates also have a policy of burning their garbage and they couldn't care less about the effect it has on the residents.

Why can't we re-cycle and/or classify our garbage and have it disposed off in a more healthy manner. For this we need our Council's support and this is where everything goes awry. Our Council is mostly populated with semi and illiterates who are busy working for their personal bottomless pockets' benefit and therefore it is a very uphill struggle to get them to cooperate effectively.

I again tried getting the Local Authorities email address from the Kenya Government website, but, to no avail. They don't display one. Again, one can quite understand why since they are scared of getting deluged with countless emails from frustrated citizens. In fact, while they have a list of all the Councils' so-called urls. When you click on the Mombasa one, you will get nowhere! They only exist as an url which is not surprising since I have mentioned many times, they are not living and working in the 21st Century!

Regarding the above pictures see below...

Both of these are enveloping the neighbourhood in clouds of acrid smoke

Next to the previous site within a few meters another pile is lighted up

Somebody burning garbage, etc.

More details of the first dump site, The bigger dump site - 3rd pic, The bigger dump site - 4th pic, The first dump site on the Mombasa-Malindi Road, The second and bigger dump site - 2nd pic, The second and much bigger dump site - 1st pic, The

I took the attached photographs this afternoon when I went to collect my
copy of the proposed constitution of Kenya from friend's office on the
Mombasa/Malindi Road.

The filth and disorder that hits you is unbelievable, yet people liveand
work along that road. It seems that our local authorities are theones
who have created the larger dump site and the people who live and work
around there have followed suit and created the first and smaller dump
site. Since, a very bad example is set by our officialdom, is it any
wonder that people and especially the poor pay scant attention and care
about the environment that they are compelled to live in?

I have been told that the bigger dump site is used by our Council
garbage trucks who instead of going all the way to Mkrunge where they
are supposed to dump garbage, these people have now started creating and
depositing filth at any place they find unoccupied. And their trucks
still go to dump garbage at Kibarani.

But on the way, since they don't effectively cover their trucks, they
end up re-distributing garbage all over town on their way to wherever
they are taking it. They also drive at break-neck speed and behave
insolently by stopping any and everywhere being a hindrance to a smooth
flow of traffic. Since they are bigger than the average car, nobody will
'argue' with them and put up with their intimidation.

Now, to come back to this huge area where garbage is dumped. As you can
see it attracts human and animal scavengers and there are houses right
next to the dump. It matters not to our useless and totally thuggish
Council that tax and rate paying citizens are living and working all
around in the most inhuman environment.

Maybe, they might give serious thought to the fact that tourists on
their way to anywhere North of Mombasa must be quite 'impressed' with
the way our nasty and filthy Council deals with garbage disposal.
Imagine the impression of tourists who have just set foot on Kenyan
soil, i.e. the airport which is deceptively 'modern'. They will get into
their tour buses and cars and be driven on the only access road onto the
Island of Mombasa along the Makupa Causeway. While on it, they will be
assailed by a horrible stench from the garbage dump at Kibarani. What a
smelly welcome!

Then, they will be assailed by totally crazy traffic and suicidal people
with some promoting things at ear-splitting levels. They will find
welcome relief from all this insanity once they get to their hotels, of
course, but, getting there is very interesting and exciting. For
example, for those going further North, they will cross the only access
road the Nyali bridge, to the North mainland. Here, depending on the
time of day, they will spend hours stuck in traffic, before they can
carry on.

After this experience, their noses will again be assailed by stench like
the previous Kibarani one that welcomed them into Mombasa. Yes, you have
guessed it and the photographs say it all.

If our useless Council doesn't care about it's tax and rate payers,
shouldn't they give some serious thought to the tourists that they are
trying to create a good impression on? But, why should they give any
thought to anything or anybody? Since they have proved that they are
insolent in the extreme, short of getting rid of everybody in the
Council, there is very little that can be done to improve matters. They
practice impunity with little regard for their reputation or anything
and as far as Mombasa residents are concerned the place is populated by
horrible pests!

They are beyond help.

Tree cutting & power lines

Why is it that while tree planting is being encouraged all over the

country, our one and only power company, KPLC, is also busy chopping off
some of these trees? This is done in the name of protecting the overhead
power lines, of course.

But, one should observe the wanton way the power crew goes about
chopping them off and living in their wake skeletal trees (shadows -
anything but...), which offer no shade to anybody and some are left as
stumps! There are countless such examples all over the country, and
there is at least one perfect example of this misplaced enthusiasm
outside Nakumatt Cinemax in Nyali. Just a trunk stands there with no
hope of it every reviving to it's former glory!

Also, these people throw branches and all the debris onto road
indiscriminately, which gets in the way of traffic and can cause accidents.

So, my request to KPLC is that they be very conservative with their tree
cutting exercises since we urgently need these trees in this stifling
heat and the about to arrive torrential rains (we hope), to give us much
needed shade as well as relief to our tired eyes. It's such a relief to
see and feel something green (even if it is full of dust), after seeing
mostly a country whose towns and cities are turning into an unkempt and
disorganized concrete jungle!

I wonder how power companies in other more advanced countries manage
with trees and power lines? Yet, they don't have the number of outages
that ours does......?

Would love to see more greenery around,

Noise in the name of functions and religion - 38th reminder to NEMA and others concerned....

Imagine a world where there is incessant noise of some kind of another all day long and even part of the night, add to this various kinds of air pollution and the people responsible for all these atrocities as well as the supposed law upholders, all being utterly insolent and unfeeling when told to do something about it.

This is what I and all of my neighbourhood have to put up with every single day and most weekend nights, too.

As enumerated umpteen times previously, there are the daily religious rackets made my the neighbourhood mosque and church or rather the outfit that hires the MWA Hall every workday lunch times. Then, of late (and this is also off and on various times in a year!), one of the questionably acquired plots within the estate and 'developed' into a multistorey block of flats, by a private 'developer', keeps on digging a borehole every few months despite having tried this countless times since he 'developed' this plot in 1995!

Despite, not having been successful, he still insists of digging another one around the same area where he had earlier been unsuccessful. And the irony is that there is a borehole dug using CDF money within meters of where this new one is being dug. So, everyday starting from early morning till late in the evening including weekends, there is the noise from this machine doing the digging. Not to mention that both these boreholes are near the septic tank.

There is also the trucks that arrive here in plenty bringing building materials for the 'road' that our Council has decided to make for us. It does not matter that the cause of the messed up earlier road still exists. The infamous truck, tractor, junk yard and garage that belongs to Nisha Printers/Shimanzi Enterprises has been responsible for the degradation of the road thanks to their monsters coming and going through the estate. These people are breaking every imaginable traffic, environmental and Municipal by-laws by being allowed to still exist there. There is also another block of flats next to this truck park and which is all part of a road reserve, but our lawless and corrupt Council allocated this to Nisha Printers in the mid-1990s.

So, while our Council is, as usual, trying to make a so-called road (which is so narrow that only one car at a time can pass), they have not deemed it fit to first deal with the cause of the damaged road in the first place and it will be business as usual as soon as this road is 'made'. The Council also couldn't care less for the residents' inconveniences
while they are building this 'road'. Their trucks just dump sand, stones, etc., any place they like with no thought given to accessibility for the residents and their cars, if any.

Then, over weekends starting Friday nights, people hire the MWA Hall for their private functions and these are ALWAYS very loud and terrible. The only people who might be enjoying this racket are probably the attendees. Definitely NOT, the neighbourhood which also includes two hospitals. One right next door to this hall, the Aga Khan Hospital and a little bit further but within hearing distance; Pandya Memorial.

Calling the police is an exercise in futility because, they will give you the following replies, IF they answer the phone.....!

1. As soon as they hear the word noise, they hang up!

2. Or, the officer answering will give you the impression that they are sending somebody out there in minutes and even if you wait half an hour there will be no reduction in the decibels.

This, of course, will cause you to ring them, again... which results in the following....

3. Please, have patience, they are coming.... or

4. They have a permit and therefore according to these moronic cops they translate this into being allowed to make noise. NOT, that the permit is to hold the function and not make noise that will disturb the entire residential area!

5. We are back to the bad old days of cops telling us that they don't have vehicles and therefore they are coming walking. Now, regarding this, it does not take a couple of fit cops to walk the distance from Central Police to the MWA Hall hours on end. This distance can be covered is less than half an hour! Yet, these cops want us to believe that it takes them longer.

Is it because they are waiting for the 'natural' time of the end of the function which is till nearly midnight?

Also, I don't exactly know who is the moron out there who gives these permits to allow noisy functions to be held in the middle of residential areas and next to hospitals with complete impunity. But, he/she, seems to care less (typical of our 'officialdom' of late!), about the effects of sleeplessness and noise on the human psyche.

There is also nobody at the hall to regulate the level of noise, either, therefore the merry makers set up huge speakers near open doors and at decibel levels which can damage the ears. These women (they are mostly Arab and Waswahili), who seem to enjoy this racket and who go to such functions to supposedly celebrate one of their compatriot's wedding.

Last Friday and last night were cases in point. The cops when called including OCS Njeru, couldn't be bothered to respond and either kept hanging up their phones or trying to make me believe that they were sending officers over when no such thing ever happened and these horrors continued their racket till well after 11.00 pm!

This is another point where our law and justice is just a name! There are no such things in operation in this country any longer. We, the public, who are supposed to have 'elected' these 'officials' into office are least interested in serving us. The only thing they are interested in is the hefty pay-check at the end of every month for which they are also refusing to pay a tax like every citizen. We truly have the most useless, bloated and ineffective government, ever!!!!

And when will this impunity ever end....? And law, order and justice prevail?

Charcoal selling and goat keeping is not enough. Now, it's calves, too!

Since day before yesterday in the afternoon these two calves havesuddenly appeared in this estate.

The person responsible is, I suspect, the same who had been keeping
the goats about 2 years ago and who was responsible for smashing my
car up as well as whose mother tried pushing me down the stairs in
broad daylight in front of 3 eye-witnesses about 6 months after
goat/car smashing incident.

This person is into everything questionable. He deals in charcoal
selling, livestock keeping and all this happens right under the eyes
of the Council employees who live in the staff flats within this
estate.

One gets the impression that he's getting support from them for all of
this illegal activities. Remember, we have a Councillor (Kushe), and
an MP (Joho), who live here. This charcoal/livestock dealer seems to
be protected from any law enforcers by these two politicians, for not
only, them, but their entire families and friends come out in large
numbers whenever the 'law' makes an appearance to deal with the
situation. And since I'm the only 'spanner in their works
(activities)', they (the neighbourhood), immediately after, try to
harm me.

Our cops and others also don't take me seriously when I call them for
help. Why should they behave this way? Aren't they supposed to protect
the public? Or is it just the high and mighty in the form of
questionable politicians?

This country is going from bad to worse with no law and/or justice, anymore.

Re: GARBAGE DUMP in 'RESIDENTIAL GANJONI',MOMBASA!

Hi, Shaileen!

We've all written (even with photographs), umpteen numbers of emails, etc., to all these people, yet, nothing is being done. The insolence of these so-called 'service' providers knows no bounds. Surprisingly, even our 'media', has overlooked this very 'hot' story. I wonder why....?

Is there some big shot involved in this?

And why is our Council, so fast in reacting to the residents' plan on moving those bins to a less offensive area, yet, drags it's corrupt and lazy feet in giving 'service'? I wish, such bins were outside a media house or a big shot's place. But, then, as the well worn adage goes, if wishes were horses......, the beggars would rule!

Our Council and it's minions who 'work' there, are not in those offices (if at all), for giving us, residents, services, but for their own selfish corrupt ends.

I'm beginning to give up on this town and country, for, nobody (who should be), is accountable for the job/s they are supposed to do. They are obsessed by money!!!! And doing as little as work as possible.

Raziya

Shaileen N.P.N Shah wrote at 2:53 PM on 6th Jan '09:

Hello Mr.T.Otieno

The above on ArchBishop Makarious road is a HEALTH HAZARD! Many Ganjoni residents have complained to MMC,and remedial steps have failed to rectify this!

We appeal to you to remove the above ASAP!

We thank you in anticipation,
Mr.Shaileen NPN Shah,MRPharmS,
Ganjoni Resident and a MMC rates payer!

The Charcoal sellers saga, continues.....

At just before 2.30 am this morning, a Canter arrived here, full of sacks of charcoal. At around the same time, all the lights in the neighbourhood, including the street ones, went off, and the mosque's generator started it's noise! In fact, the neighbourhood erupted with various types of noises, the loudest being the generator's and the remainder coming from the Canter which started it's off-loading of the sacks in a very clandestine manner. Unfortunately, I couldn't make out the Canter's registration number, this time, since it was pitch dark and the headlights of the canter were on.

Anyway, I immediately called the 112 emergency number from my mobile to activate the cops, but, I don't think anybody came despite the cop answering, assured me that he would send somebody here.

Now, it amazes me that these cops who answer the emergency calls are totally at sea when one is trying to give them directions to any place that needs their attention. Add to this the fact, about how this Canter full of charcoal sacks managed to avoid the many road blocks on it's way here from wherever! One gets the feeling that the traffic cops as well as various other 'officialdom' are in cahoots with these crooks. And therefore, their fellow cops are very averse to doing anything about stopping or investigating such incidences. All the while, our forest cover keeps getting destroyed and by extension so does our water catchment areas.

I last wrote about this issue on 6th February 2008 when this neighbourhood charcoal seller got his last consignment. And I thought, 'officialdom' had taken action since then and stopped him getting anymore. He's not got any, all these past months. But, it would seem that nothing has been done about the issue, still.

Does anybody out there care about this country, anymore? Enough to take 'action'? I truly fear for our country's future and it's so-called future leaders and citizens! This charcoal seller (hawker?), has befriended a glue-sniffing street 'man', to do his bidding and who 'squats' under our staircase. Everytime I get a visitor, he asks for money in exchange for keeping an eye on their car, if they have any. And when they leave (especially the female ones), follows them in a kind of daze! How safe are we in such a neighbourhood?

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.