Current events in the Country

Kidnappings and crime

Kidnapping has taken a new twist, it is not only children who are in danger, thugs are now kidnapping anyone they can get hold of. It is also not only the rich, it is anyone who can give some money. Some use the victim to demand money from their relatives through mobile phones services ZAP and MPESA this way they can collect money from relatives using the victims mobile. Police are now blaming Mungiki for the kidnappings, if it is true this group is very dangerous and ruthless and should be dealt with seriously if caught, assisted by the help of Mobile phone companies to track the culprits.

Carjacking are also on the rise mostly in estates where security is tight. Muggings in the streets of Nairobi have also increased. At least the government has embarked on installing CCTV cameras in the City center.

Water shortage

Nairobi residents have no water because Nairobi Water Company is claiming it is due to low water levels in the supply dams and due to poor rains. People now have to walk or drive to places they can find water and buy, some buy from vendors with handcarts or vehicles selling water. Some vendors are now selling the water at Kshs50 per 20 liter plastic container, this is ridiculous, life is tough, price of foodstuff are high. Maize flour is about Kshs.90 and now people have to also buy water at high cost. How do those living on a dollar/day survive? The other worry is where do these vendors get their water from and how safe is it? They are not willing to tell, it is either the customer takes it or leave it, many are left with no option but to take and pray it is ok. At least the Government has come up with a solution to dig boreholes in the City. Those in the outskirts of the City (where many people are now building homes), do not experience this shortage because many depend on borehole water pumped by electricity and can connect to their homes.

Facelift of the City Center

The government through the City Council is giving the City center a face lift by planting new grass and flowers, the roads are being painted, CCTV are being placed to improve security and the most interesting part is numbering buildings, this one is a very good idea because one can easily locate a building by the number not the name. It was difficult to locate buildings by name when written high up the building, one sometimes has to cross the street to look up or keep asking while walking the street.

Political situation

Hague or a Local tribunal, this is the debate going on now the blame game has taken a new turn when President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila are also being blamed. The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo could put the two leaders to task to explain what they knew about the violence, others are advocating for a Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission. So daily news is about The Hague, Local tribunal, Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission and Ocampo this and that. Meanwhile as the Coalition Government drags its feet, MPs advocating for different options depending on which side they are and others are in the middle. Now former UN-Secretary Kofi Annan has handed over the envelope containing names of who participated in the violence (as per Waki report) to the ICC read more. Many of us are curious to know who are in the Waki List. As a citizen caught up in the middle of this I watch and wait to see what the out-come will be, all I want and many other Kenyans want is Justice and Peace.

Sugar shortage and Maize flour price may go up again

The price of Sugar has gone up by Kshs.20 (from Kshs78 to 98) or more depending on where one buys it and some stores have run out of sugar because of some import issues in the government. Now we hear that Unga (Maize flour) price may go up again because there will be shortage due to inadequate rains and harvest because the areas that used to produce most of the maize were affected by post election violence. This is very bad news already people are suffering because the Kshs.90 for Unga now is very high for many Kenyans. Please sort out this fast we have enough problems.