COVID-19 EDUCATION: The government should step up public education on how to prevent the coronavirus epidemic, says Eunice Wanja Ngui. She hopes Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe will relentlessly lead the campaign to avert the importation of the deadly virus into the country. Health workers should target health centres, chiefs’ camps, churches, universities, colleges, schools and workplaces. Involving chiefs, she adds, is a most effective way of reaching the people in the rural areas with the vital information on how to avoid contracting Covid-19. “A well-informed public is the best weapon to ensure the disease does not reach our country.” Her contact is [email protected]
MOBILE LOANS: Parliament should quickly enact a law to protect Kenyans from mobile loan sharks engaging in predatory lending practices, says Prof Sam Chege. Writing from his base in Kansas, USA, he adds: “There are more than 50 mobile loan services and many of them are funded by foreign capital.” The firms that are sucking Kenyans dry, he adds, “would never be allowed to charge such exorbitant rates in their home countries”. Stringent laws are needed to regulate the industry and protect Kenyans from being lured into the exploitative deals. His contact is [email protected]
STRAY DOGS: Following his recent complaint about dead street lights and poor roads in Kiambu Town and its environs, Njuguna Mwaniki has been excited to note that the repairs have already begun in some areas. He is, therefore, grateful to new Governor James Nyoro that not only are the faulty street lights being replaced and the potholed roads repaired, garbage is also being regularly collected. The only remaining challenge, he adds, is to get rid of hundreds of stray dogs that roam the streets freely, at times biting children and exposing them to the risk of getting infected with rabies. His contact is [email protected]
BIAS IN THE SKIES: Allowing Ethiopian Airlines, which continues to fly to and from China, to land at JKIA, Nairobi, defeats the purpose of having Kenya Airways suspend the same over the coronavirus epidemic, remarks Prof Maina Muchara. He would like the foreign airlines also suspended as it “really makes nonsense of the decision”. Says he: “Kenya should immediately stop Ethiopian Airlines from landing in Nairobi until they also stop the direct flights to and from China. The other East African countries should do the same until the outbreak is fully contained.” His contact is [email protected]
BAD IDEA: As various groups and individuals presented their proposals to the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) steering committee, Ed Mwiti was disappointed that some of them border on “levity and tomfoolery”. He is not amused at National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi’s suggestion that the President come from the party that garners the most votes in the General Election. “What if one is thrown out of the popular party and runs as an independent candidate and wins? Or a popular party having an unpopular candidate? Why do we propose only to amend later? These half-baked ideas are what have led us here. Talk of someone hitting rock-bottom and digging further!” His contact is [email protected]
ATWOLI ANTICS: He’s become a smartphone thrower, says Fred Koech, taking great exception to Cotu Secretary-General Francis Atwoli’s political antics that he finds rather disgusting. “I witnessed Cotu boss Atwoli throwing a tantrum and eventually hurling away his iPhone. It reminded me of another incident, on the JKL show on Citizen TV, during which he also threw away his phone. Is he becoming a phone thrower? There could be more instances that have not been captured on camera, of course. What’s really going on? I’m interested to know. I have a lot of respect for the man, but I’m getting worried.” His contact is [email protected]
Have a respectful day, won’t you!
