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Wrong ‘bar soap’ maths lands Jubilee in more trouble


The government put its foot in its mouth when it issued wrong figures as it purported to clarify a story on the proposed El Nino budget.

The government had sought to stem growing public anger after the Sunday Nation reported that it intends to spend Sh37.5 million to buy 1,000 bar soaps – which comes to Sh37,500 per piece.

But in a clarification, the National taskforce on El Nino Preparedness said it actually intended to buy 10,000 cartons of bar soap each (carton) at a cost of Sh3,750.

“Each carton of bar soap contains twenty five (25) pieces of soap. Each piece of bar soap costs Kshs. 150. (One hundred and fifty),” read the clarification by the taskforce chairman Nathan Kigotho.

The corrected budget, which was widely circulated on social media on Monday afternoon, indicated the total cost for the bar soaps would be Sh37 million.

And there lay the problem. Actually, going by the new figures, the total cost would be Sh37.5 million –not Sh37 million.

Tom Osanjo wondered: “I hope this Colonel was retired in public interest if he can’t get basic maths calculations right. 3750 x 10000 equals 37 million. Huyu alisomea wapi?!!!”

Stephen Ndegwa Mugweru added: “This list is as fake as it can get.10,000 cartons times 3750 should give you 37,500,000Kshs.Boss,your figure is 37,000,000 Kshs.Where is 500,000.If such are the errors, remove this list and get the correct one.Sad.”

Lative Maley also weighed in: “Sometime it’s just good to admit something somewhere is wrong.Corruption ration has gone up.there’s too much talk than action frm State C.E.O.”