Nairobi News

Disgraceful students. Susan Lome says she was surprised to discover that students at the University of Nairobi have not evolved to acquire skills to air their disputes in a civil manner. Susan laments that she now has to meet the cost of replacing the broken windscreen of her car after it bore the brunt of a stone hurled at her.

“Has the unnecessary damage inflicted on my car served to change the fact that two of their colleagues are still dead, after they were allegedly gunned down by the police?” she asks. Susan says the behaviour is most unfortunate, especially viewed against the expectation that universities are supposed to shape one into an intellectual worthy to be emulated. But, as it is, she adds, the rioting students are a disgrace.

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Sinking ship. The decision by Governor Evans Kidero to ask the County Public Service Board to recruit 60 doctors, 436 nurses and 20 lab technicians to mitigate the effects of the current health workers’ strike is but a drop in the ocean, says Joshua Kunyu.

Nairobi is a county of more than three million residents and if the patient-to-doctor ratio was depressing without the strike, one can only imagine how it looks like now with most workers boycotting work. But the governor cannot be faulted for at least trying to plug a hole on sinking ship. “A doctor is better than no doctor at all,” he says, adding that doctors and the government should come to a solution fast to stop the suffering of patients.

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Dispel mistrust. Going by the violence that broke out targeting a specific community after the Saturday Pangani matatu blast, Muna Waithaka believes unless something is done it is only a matter of time before sectarian violence breaks out in Eastleigh. Waithaka says ever since terrorists started detonating grenades in matatus a few years back, there has been a simmering sense of mistrust and resentment among residents.

Apart from Saturday’s incident, he points out that police have in the past managed to quell the targeted vengeful violence only for everyone to pretend there wasn’t an elephant in the room. “We can’t sweep our problems under the rug,” he says, calling on Nairobi leaders to lead in a discourse to dispel the mistrust and resentment among residents.

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Close shop. The report that there is a gang on the prowl in the city centre whose membership includes some rogue police officers robbing bank customers as soon as they withdraw money does not inspire confidence among business people, says Walter Mbuthu.

“That they are also suspected to be co-operating with bank employees should worry everyone, especially the county leadership that is keen on attracting investors,” he says, adding that, being a trader, he has had to think twice about making that trip to his local branch to deposit his day’s takings. Unless dealt with immediately, this gang which the police have admitted to being unable to track down, could see some traders close shop, he says.

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