By Njoroge Kinuthia
Nairobi Town Clerk Philip Kisia officially leaves City Hall, the place that some derisively call City Hole, today. Mr Kisia, who has been managing the affairs of the city for past three years, has been vocal about making Nairobi a better place for its residents and visitors.
We have all seen him busy doing this or that. Well, he didn’t take Nairobi to the level he might have anticipated or where Nairobians would have wished, but nevertheless, he has done his bit. Nairobi may not be a heaven yet but, in the same token, it’s not a hell.
Governor
Kisia has been a regular subject of discussion on this page, put to task for his purported sins and those of the battalion of workers that he has hitherto commanded. The Town Clerk has answered most of our readers’ questions but we hope the inheritor of his office, Mr Roba Duba, will respond to the pending ones. Kisia intends to run for the office of Nairobi Governor in the coming elections. We wish him the best. Meanwhile, Pointblank welcomes Duba and warn him to brace for a barrage of questions from our readers.
Another plea to EABL over road
Here’s yet another person who believes East Africa Breweries should do something about the dilapidated road leading to their Ruaraka factory. The new Kenya Breweries management, says Mr Kanyi Gioko, should embark on a "face-saving mission" as a matter of priority.
Gioko alleges that the feeder road connecting the factory to the "newly-minted" Thika Road is degrading the stature of a top tax-payer.
"It’s sad when even EABL’s own workers have to tip-toe on the road bumps while holding their breath for balance on their way to the gate from the parking lot," he says.
He adds: "EABL has been known to dole out Sh100 million for sports. Is it too much for Kenyans who earn you millions to ask for a well maintained road?" He claims the current heavy rains are blameless over the poor state of the road as even manyunyu ya hapa na pale (light showers) are enough to make it impassable.
Gioko wants EABL to borrow a leaf from Bamburi Cement Company, which he claims, has improved Mtamboni and Mkomani roads.
Kileleshwa? No, Oleleshua estate!
In Thursday’s PointBlank, we published a picture by Mr Alligator Makori of some confusing KWS signboards on Mt Longonot. The signs variously referred to the crater mountain as Oloonongot and Oloonongonot. We urged KWS to tell us which is the correct name.
KWS is yet to respond and might still be consulting Maasai sages but, fortunately, we have got an answer. Former Kajiado Central MP David Sankori has told PointBlank that the correct name is Oloonongot. In Maasai language, Oloonongot means ‘ups and downs’. Oloonongonot is a KWS invention while Longonot was an invention of the colonial government. Our colonial masters, reveals Sankori, messed up with many names of places due to their inability to pronounce them correctly.
Nakurro
The original name of Nairobi was Enkarre Nairobi, meaning a place of cold water. Naivasha was Enaiposha meaning a mass of water or an ocean. Kijabe was called Olenkijape meaning a cold place. Nakuru was Nakurro, "a bare place". Residents of Kileleshwa might also want to know the correct name of their estate. It’s Oleleshua, a shrub that was common there. We thank Sankori for the insight.
Easy way to clean up Eldoret town
Eldoret resident Kisaka Wamoto says he was impressed to see the deputy mayor of the town rolling up his sleeves and leading a cleaning exercise. Although that was a good gesture, Mr Wamoto, argues that it will take much more to rid Eldoret of garbage. He suggests that the council sub-divides the town into four zones or more and engage private firms to clean the zones. "Such firms must prove to have transport, manpower and good finances." By privatising garbage collection, he says, the council will concentrate more on areas such as health, education, decongesting the CBD, among others.
DON’T YOU FORGET
Did Olkejuado County Council finally wake up?
Some residents of Ongata Rongai wrote to PointBlank on March 26, claiming that Olkejuado County Council was in deep slumber and had neglected the area. For almost one year now, they said, motorists have had difficulties driving on the busy Magadi Road due to huge potholes, especially on the section of the around Ongata Rongai town. The residents also alleged that in its slumber, the council had forgotten to construct culverts at the junctions of Magadi-Sololo and Magadi-Mage roads in Laiser Hill that they said serve schools, churches and a growing population.
The residents also asked the council to do something about traffic jams in the town especially in the mornings, evenings and weekends. Did the council wake up from the purported deep slumber?
