This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
December 5, 2019, marked a day when residents in various parts of Kenya shared their grievances with the public. In West Maragoli, Vihiga, residents had to trek 15km to reach a local chief, a situation that Japheth Amugada described as 'very inconvenient.'
The location stretches from Wangulu Secondary School in the east to Kegondi Secondary School in the west, but the chief's office is in Kegondi. This meant that residents whose homes were in Wangulu had to walk the 15km to report a matter that an assistant chief could not handle. Amugada noted that there were no regular matatus and the boda-bodas were very expensive.
On the other hand, residents in Nakuru County were flocking to a hot spring that ran along the Molo-Mau Summit road. James Muriithi King'au reported that the locals had been tapping the hot water gushing from underneath a cliff for domestic use and laundry. However, King'au strongly felt that the water should be subjected to tests, as it could be laden with high levels of fluoride that would be hazardous to the public, especially the very young.
Meanwhile, in Nairobi, residents were complaining about the poor state of General Mathenge Road in Westlands, which had fallen apart a few months after a tidy sum was spent on refurbishing it. Shelly Naito faulted the contractors and leaders for not taking serious precautions against disasters.
Lastly, Dr Jeremiah Akumu shared his thoughts on the upcoming international ideas festival in Kigali, Rwanda, called Kusi. He noted that the name of the festival resonated with the traditional folklore in the lakeside region, where he comes from.
