The worst traffic Jam experience

After attending a meeting that ended at 6pm on Sunday I assumed I would be home in about an hour. When the vehicle I was in joined Jogoo Road that had a Jam, I thought it was a normal traffic Jam caused by the heavy downpour. It is a common occurrence for heavy traffic in Nairobi when it rains so I assumed it will rain a bit then the police will open up the roads. However things turned out to be worse than I expected, when we got near Donholm roundabout, there was no alternative road to follow, the road was jammed on both sides with vehicles from town using the wrong side of the road making the situation worse.

The roundabout was clogged up with vehicles and at the beginning it seemed there were no police because of the heavy downpour. So people just sat in vehicles hoping something will happen. Those who lived nearby alighted and walked but they had to walk in the middle of the roads because the roadsides were flooded, some used motorbikes but it was a rough ride because of the mud and water. Because of the distance I was going I had no alternative but to sit in the vehicle and wait. I tried to sleep, I counted hours while waiting and believe it or not we were stuck for around 8hrs. I started my Monday in the traffic and got home nearly 4am.

We saw police come after many hours, when we finally passed Donholm roundabout there was a lot of water on the road and we realized many small cars got stuck in the water causing the terrible jam, many of them were pushed aside to make the jam move. My evening and night was wasted because of poor infrastructure, I imagined there was no politician, a senior Government official or an important member of the society in the jam who would have called the Traffic boss to tell his people to clear the mess faster. I used to hear stories about people spending the night on Outering road and Jogoo Road jam before they expanded the road years back and could not imagine this could still be happening. I believe other roads also had problems but I think this was the worst. It was a day I wished I could fly or had a helicopter to lift me out of the mess.

Current weather in Kenya

Terrible! Terrible and very sad indeed!

Watching houses worth millions being demolished in Syokimau was really shocking and sad, families left in the cold and a man telling people to see his house worth 30million about to become a pile of rubble. Imagine after people bought land and built homes not just simple homes but good homes that they built to get away from renting houses in the City and the congestion. The money involved most of them from borrowed loans that many may be still paying. Then Kenya Airports Authority decides to mercilessly shatter the lives of these families by demolishing the homes saying they were built on Airport land. Were they asleep when the land was being sold? Where were they when the buildings were coming up?

Airport land or not it is said many of these people acquired these plots legally, Syokimau is under Mavoko county council and I know these people are strict because I have dealt with them in the past. I remember when I wanted to build a home I had to take an architectural drawing to Machakos for approval and paid for it. They occasionally inspect the building to ensure it is done according to their requirement. I thought at that time if Nairobi Council did the same Nairobi area would have had orderly buildings. However because of personal reasons I decided to build a home elsewhere. When I also remember demolitions on Mombasa road in Mlolongo also under Mavoko then it seems this Mavoko council that I thought was so organized than Nairobi council is a sham and cannot be trusted.

The Government is also fully to blame for these traumatizing demolitions that will tremendously affect the families. They let the land to be sold and documents issued, they watched the building come up and people settle. Why didn’t they stop the people before spending a lot on the buildings, it would have been better they lost the land but not land plus building. People cried and wailed it was very sad watching the beautiful houses come down. Having built my home I imagined what it would be like for someone to decide to demolish it I would get sick.

I agree with the person who talked to the media and he said the owners were not prepared; they needed counseling before the demolitions, by bringing the homes down they were bringing down peoples' lives. If they were prepared they would have salvaged some of the material to use or sell. What a Government! A Government that inflicts such pain on a family is a Government that cannot be relied on.

Political intolerance

It was very bad for a group of people to attack former Rariada MP Raphael Tuju in Kisumu. The worst is that Kisumu is like his home too just like the people who attacked him. All Kenyans regardless of their political stand and tribe should be allowed to go to anywhere in Country and preach their political gospel. Therefore it is up to Members of Parliament to talk to their constituents and supporters to have political tolerance and allow other politicians from other areas and parties to address them; thereafter they can make their own decision when elections come.

Since the group that attacked Tuju invoked the name of the PM Raila Odinga, it was prudent of the PM to call on his supporters to have political tolerance but as usual the issue has been picked up by the PM’s opponents and is being politicized. They say it is the PM who called on his supporters to stone Tuju, but what if it was the other way round? There is a possibility that opponents of the PM called on the former MP for Rarieda to go to Kisumu knowing very well that political fanatics who support the PM will react? Then they get another chance to ill repute the PM because they are suffering from acute Raila phobia.

Our politicians should talk of important issues that can help citizens like now there is some good rain in the Country that is a blessing after the severe drought. They can advice their constituents on farming, water storage etc instead of childish politics.

My take on the PM and Kazi Kwa Vijana issue

The Kazi Kwa Vijana World Bank project meant to reduce the number of jobless youth by offering them work on infrastructure has been a subject a lot of controversy especially by some of our MPs. When the issue of Kazi Kwa Vijana comes up in the news, it is normally to attack or ridicule the Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga because it is under his office and it is so obvious the attacks and ridicule always comes from his political opponents/enemies.

Therefore recently when the issue came up again raised in parliament by Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, supported by others, I was not surprised at all and read politics in it. However when the issue was brought up by Sunday Nation (October 13 23) and reading the story of about “millions of shillings for young Kenyans had instead been paid to a senior official in the PM’s office” Imagine one official being paid US$5,000 monthly allowance for 13 months for her work on the project” I said at least I can rely on the media than our politicians who get too personal most of the time. I was so mad and felt like joining the call for our PM to resign because that amount can employ many jobless youths.

However I decided not to jump into conclusions and write terrible things about the PMs Office on this blog but instead I decided to wait and hear from the horse’s mouth, this afternoon the PM honored Parliament request and appeared personally to answer questions on the issue. From his well tabled documents it emerged that the media should also not be relied upon sometimes, apparently the issue on Sunday Nation was an incomplete information leaked by a World Bank official, he/she may have been paid for this but the official will end up loosing his/her job. So far the World Bank have not said it is the PMs Office to blame for the irregularities and the PM himself had also requested for an audit of the funds. Most of the issued raised have been cleared.

I agree with MP Eugene Wamalwa’s concerns and even those who supported the PM agreed that it is an important issue because it is of great concern when our brothers, sisters, friends who are youth are jobless and funds meant for them are misused or channeled to unnecessary sources. From the issues raised in parliament today I realized it is about MPs wanting to manage the money through Constituency Development Funds (CDF), it is also about settling political scores when Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale said the PM should take political responsibility like he did to Hon William Ruto and Hon Sam Ongeri, Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto also asking PM to take political responsibility without giving proper reason it was clearly a war waged by PNU and affiliate parties, ODM rebels against ODM leader and his supporters that is how I clearly saw it. It is true that Kazi Kwa Vijana project should change lives of the youth and a proper way of managing the funds should be put in place.

By the way

The PM is also a principal just like the President they are partners in this coalition Government but looking at it he takes most of the blame for the wrongs in this Country more than the President who is more relaxed. I do not say he is perfect, no human is perfect. However I believe he deserves some respect.