LEGAL CARTEL? The perennial mass failure in the Kenya School of Law exam raises serious questions about the institution’s usefulness in the training of legal professionals, remarks Cornelius Oliko. Over the years, Cornelius adds, there has been disquiet about the goings-on in the Nairobi-based KSL with some fresh university graduates accusing it of blocking their entry into legal practice. Demanding an assurance that KSL is not in the grips of a cartel, he wonders why its curriculum cannot be taught at university. “Don’t doctors and engineers leave the university fully trained? You can’t be so good at university and suddenly quite poor at the KSL.” His contact is [email protected]
TREFFIC ROADBLOCKS: The clarification by Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai that traffic checks and roadblocks are only being streamlined and not removed altogether is hugely disappointing, says Jim Webo. He is convinced that the IG has watered down his campaign to rid the highways of corrupt police officers by allowing seniors to authorise their juniors to mount the barriers as they deem fit. Jim adds: “Talk has been rife for many years that the juniors are often given (bribery) targets that they must meet every day. At this rate, nothing is going to change.”
WAIVER: A resident of Nakuru Town for the past 20 years, Maiko Sunzuki, says that he still loves the place as much as when he first arrived. “It’s so cosmopolitan that your nearest neighbour can be from anywhere in the country. And I remember with nostalgia the time when the town was a haven for industries.” However, he wonders why the county government is now not keen on attracting investors, citing the high cost of land rates and other licences. “While many other counties are granting waivers on penalties and interest on rates at 100 per cent, Nakuru offers 75 per cent.” He urges Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui to review the directive so as to attract investors.” His contact is [email protected]
NOT MELODIOUS: Some agents or staff are giving the Kenya Music Copyright Society a bad name by harassing traders keen on clean business. Jugal Mehra says the KMCS licence for Turbo Sound 2003 shop on Kenyatta Avenue, downtown Nairobi, was paid for until May 31 but no invoice or notice was sent for its renewal. But people claiming to be from the society descended on the shop demanding Sh20,000 for the licence, up from the Sh5,800 paid last year. “Shouldn’t such a huge increase in the fee have been publicly announced?” They threatened to arrest staff and cart away goods. For details, his contact is [email protected]
MURDER SPREE: Getting killed is no longer headline news in Kenya today, remarks Jimmy Thumbi, adding: “Every day, we awake up to news of someone having been slaughtered. These senseless murders leave a bitter taste in the mouth.” Fathers, he laments, “seem to have gone mad, killing their wives and children without batting an eyelid”. He poses: “Why are the people killing one another? Murder seems to be the preferred option in solving domestic disputes or business gone wrong. The police seem not to have an answer to this scenario. Is our legal system so lenient that going to jail for murder is no longer a deterrent? We need to deal with this matter urgently.” His contact is [email protected]
DIGITAL ERA: Have mad men also gone digital? asks university don X.N. Iraki, reflecting on the impact of technological advances in society. Says Prof Iraki: “All over the world, mad men and women used to collect pieces of paper, though it is not clear why. But my daily encounter with paper makes me fear. We are now going digital, with paperless offices and digital currency. Have mad men and women changed, too? Do they now collect digital items such as mobile phone handsets or computers?” His contact is [email protected]
Have an explainable day, won’t you!
