VIABLE ROUTES: The news that Kenya Airways, which has just resumed domestic flights after Covid-19 pandemic disruptions, is considering increasing fares is not just shocking, but also sickening, says Cornelius Oliko. This, he adds, “just goes to show the myopic thinking of the management”. According to him, the airline dubbed the ‘Pride of Africa’ should be thinking of new ways of shoring up its revenues instead of rushing into typical easy solutions. “There are potentially viable routes like Mombasa-Kisumu and Mombasa-Dar es salaam, which KQ should explore and double flights to generate more revenue or it will sink deeper into debt.” His contact is crnlsoliko@gmail.com.
WETLAND: Though he has nothing against development, especially the building of houses, David Maina is disturbed about a new development in the Coast region that is likely to have serious consequences. It is the ongoing filling up of a natural wetland along the Mombasa-Kikambala road, near the Kwa Kazengo matatu stage, on the North Coast. David is alarmed because this wetland is a vital resource that should be protected, as it is an important site for birds. It is also a flood sink and important to the local community as the source of catfish. “This may have been sanctioned and, therefore, legal, but it is not legitimate.” His contact is maina_thuku@yahoo.com.
PROFITS: There is an uncanny similarity between Kenya Power and matatus in the way they go about their business, says Peter John. Matatu fares, like electricity bills, he explains, are always going up and never down. This happens even if the costs of providing transport and electricity are drastically reduced and when everyone expects them to pass on the benefit to their long-suffering customers. “Electricity bills always go up even when the hydropower generation dams are overflowing, as happened during the recent heavy rains. The price of electricity tokens remains the same. Also, even when the price of fuel is reduced, matatu fares remain high.” His contact is pj8726680@gmail.com.
BLACKOUT: on Kenya Power’s case is Thika resident Moses Mulela, who, like hundreds of his neighbours, has for the past three weeks had to contend a power failure blamed on a faulty transformer. He is accusing the power utility of ignoring the plight of hundreds of households, who have been thrust back several decades, resorting to using paraffin lamps. Ironically, these homes are situated just a stone’s throw away from a […]