THE CUTTING EDGE - Daily Nation

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS: What the ban on social gatherings due to Covid-19 has shown, Ogola Obimbo says, is that there is no need for the expensive and elaborate public holidays celebrated annually in the country. He poses: “Why can't the government use the huge annual financial allocations budgeted for the holidays to improve the living standards of people in the slums? If this initiative is implemented in the next 10 years, we shall have no citizens living in those pathetic conditions.” The prevailing tough economic conditions, he argues, should teach Kenyans to use public finances to cater for priorities instead of celebrations. His contact is.

RESUMPTION OF FLIGHTS: With a reliable Covid-19 test, Dickson K., a Kenyan in Texas, USA, thinks it does not make sense any more to lock down airports, causing massive losses to the economy and national carrier Kenya Airways. Why not, instead, ask travellers to have the most current Covid-19 test results? That, he explains, is what is being done for the evacuation flights being run by other airlines. “Shutting down the airports and the passenger airline business will just inflict more pain than is being caused by the deadly coronavirus disease. His contact is

PROFITEERING FROM VIRUS: Quite disgusting for John Kimani is the tendency by some individuals and organisations to take advantage of a horrible situation such as the Covid-19 scourge to enrich themselves. He wants a quick assurance from the authorities that they will not allow the pandemic to be used by certain bodies to generate money. “The Ministry of Health has been conducting mass testing in Nairobi and Mombasa. Hotel and restaurant workers have been told they must do tests in private facilities to be allowed to work. They charge at least Sh7,500. Why are these workers not allowed to use the test results from government facilities?” His contact is

MITUMBA BIAS: Lucy Njoki finds the ban on mitumba (used clothes) imports over Covid-19 fears while allowing in other goods contradictory, illogical and hypocritical. “I write this with a heavy heart. Why is the government so determined to kill my business and render those employees jobless? Is the virus so intelligent that it only chooses to travel on mitumba? Why pick on a trade that employs five million people?” She is convinced this is wrong. “Covid-19 is killing us. Why rub salt into the wound?” Her contact is
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WATER EVERYWHERE BUT IN CITY: The height of irony in Nairobi, Julius Karegi reports, is experiencing a water shortage when the whole country is awash with raging floods. “Despite the heavy rains at the moment, taps in homes in the capital city have been dry for the past three weeks.” Julius cannot help accusing Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company of terribly letting down the residents by failing to live up to their expectations. Without disclosing his residential area, he poses: “For how long are city residents going to suffer water shortages under this incompetent and unconcerned service provider, during the dry season and amid heavy rains?” His contact is

GOOD READ: Mutuma Mathiu’s Sunday Nation, May 10 story, “Nairobi under curfew: Police on the prowl, thugs on the hunt and Kibra fast asleep”, says a thrilled Duncan Willets, was first-class reporting on the adverse consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic. Says the veteran cameraman: “Congratulations on what must be a future award-winning piece of exceptional journalism by all, and I mean all concerned, drivers too! I felt like I was driving through the city with the writer in the dark. It was so absorbing and exciting to be there. Forget politics and stick to real journalism now. Like this.” His contact is

Have an excellent day, won’t you!

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THE CUTTING EDGE-12-5-2020

Some individuals and organisations are taking advantage of the Covid-19 scourge to enrich themselves.