3 December 2009
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Nairobi — Nairobi resident JCK's November electricity bill is within his average consumption save for the fuel cost adjustment which went up, says KPLC corporate communications officer Kevin Sang. Fuel cost adjustment, he says, is collected by KPLC for the thermal power generators, including KenGen, who supplement hydropower. However, Sang concedes that Dr Bernard Abwoga was over-billed to Sh24,905.77 due to a reading error on his water-heater meter. "Accurate readings have been obtained and the bill adjusted to Sh6,095.65."
Following a challenge from Peter Mugeni to have a look at the huge potholes on Maai Mahiu Road near the Moi Educational Centre at Nairobi West which he blamed for the endemic traffic jams, Town Clerk Philip Kisia says a routine maintenance team was deployed on December 1 and completed the job the following day. Therefore, the residents of Maai Mahiu Road can once have a smooth ride to their houses.
On November 23, Lydia K. Motanya reports, vandals stole the KPLC transformer on Maili Saba-Sibanga road in Trans Nzoia, plunging the whole village into darkness. "To date, we have no power and have not received any remedy from KPLC. Efforts to reach the regional office have failed as their telephone lines are always busy.."
Nyeri resident Kamau Kabira is alarmed over a live cable entangled with a tree branch on the road to the provincial general hospital near Kobil Petrol Station. "With the current heavy rains, and considering that the popular motor-bike taxi riders wait for customers there, something ugly could happen unless KPLC rushes its technicians to undo the mess. Please come and avert a disaster."
Even before Safaricom eliminates the possibility of one sending money to the wrong person by MPesa, Sheila Mugo says what really works for her is an old Siemens M35 handset. "When the instruction to insert number comes up, I just press the phonebook and select the one I want, which then appears on the MPesa menu and I strike the send button. I bought the phone in 2001 for Sh15,000, but it now costs less than Sh3,000 - if it can be found."
With the festive season around the corner, Edward Mwalimu wishes to remind EABL that a promise is a debt. Says he: "Nine months ago, in Watchie's column, an EABL official promised that Pilsner cans would soon be on the shelves in supermarkets and bars. Nothing has happened, yet in Uganda and Tanzania, cans are readily available. They have even introduced a 500ml Tusker can but won't let us have it."
Have a fulfilling day, won't you!