By Njoroge Kinuthia
It is happening almost daily, but one no seems to take note. Perhaps all of us have got used to domestic murders. That’s why they don’t shock any more; that’s why they don’t sound abnormal.
There was another one yesterday. A man stabbed his wife in front of his children in Naivasha. Only the other day, another killed his wife, and committed suicide in Embakasi estate. And of course the story of the father who killed his five sons in Kuresoi and then committed suicide is still fresh in our minds. Tomorrow someone else will commit another chilling murder.
poverty
Our society is unhinged; there are so many troubled minds. Ten per cent of Kenyans suffer depression, according to psychiatrists. And why not? With majority of Kenyans living in poverty and prices of basic commodities continously on the upswing, one can’t expect to find many sane minds. Any wonder that murders don’t shock anymore? But, due to their deep pockets, there are many sane minds in Parliament. That’s why we ask them to discuss our madness.
Psychologists ‘must change attitude’
Studying in university for four years may not be hard, the hard thing is looking for your missing marks to be cleared for graduation. Well, that is the verdict of a Kenyatta University (KU) student who has requested anonymity.
The student claims he was “bullied” by examination co-ordinators at the university while searching for his missing marks in psychology.
“You are taken for a ride as if you have made a mistake. My worry is that the lecturers are never found and their (cell phone) numbers don’t go through. I am hoping these lecturers will change their attitude and help the students,” he says.
Meanwhile former KU student Joseph Wafula, who graduated in 2001, says he was extremely shocked when he was informed recently that he had to pay a fee for the university to aunthenticate his certificates.
“I feel this is going too far. I thought confirmation is a way of marketing the university’s products on the labour market. I wish the university could justify the rationale of this fee,” says Wafula, who can be reached at yusmikangi@yahoo.com.
Shut up these political noisemakers
Mombasa resident Justin Osey Peter is worried that the National Environment Management Authority has forgotten its mandate.
As the country gets into campaign mood, he says, politicians are busy “polluting the air” with their noise.
“Caravans of vehicles with politicians and their supporters dancing to very loud music and powerful, noisy generators make the earth to tremor,” he says.
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Osey notes that business in towns and market places usually come to a standstill whenever politicians make a stopover.
As the General Election edges closer, he predicts that the political caravans would increase and so will their ear drum-splitting noise.
If Nema does not stop these noisemakers, says Njagi, the condition of patients in hospitals will get worse due to the high decibel political campaigns.
hearing problems
“Many other people will suffer hearing problems due to the noise,” he adds.
Majority of Kenyans are not interested in this political noise, Nema. Can you please do your job and silence the noisemakers?
‘Park yourself at your own risk’
Even the most well guarded parking lots, claims Gachiengo Gitau, have the usual ubiquitous warning “Cars parked at owner’s risk!” Gitau, who has never seen the inside of State House, suspects that the warning features somewhere in the parking yard of the house on the hill. Gitau thinks the (warning) idea is good and wants guest houses to borrow a leaf. “Lodgings should have notices to the effect that ‘parking’ your whole self inside is at your own risk!” Such a warning, he says, could have helped the MP who recently found himself stranded in a guest house (see Standard, MondayBlues, October 22).
DON’T YOU FORGET
Did Kampala Coach probe assault allegations?
Ms Anne Eboi, a regular traveller to Kigali, Rwanda, wrote to PointBlank on September 6 complaining that she had been mistreated by crew of Kampala Coach Bus Services. Eboi and her friend booked bus (Reg. No. KBN 901F) on September 5 and were to be picked up in Eldoret.
However, when the bus arrived, there were no seats reserved for them as agreed. When they asked why, the driver rudely told them that he “wasn’t concerned and they should ask whoever did the booking”. In the ensuing exchange, Eboi said the driver jumped out of the bus, ran after her friend and assaulted her.
When her friend went to complain at their office, the bus drove off with her luggage, which was later left in their Bungoma offices. Did the management of Kampala Coach investigate these serious allegations by their customer?
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