The Matatu, Nairobi's most notorious crime scene

A matatu along Nairobi's Uhuru Highway at dawn.
While matatu's tend to be cheap, Nairobi residents
have to bear with various risks in return

As I got into a matatu, I couldn't help not having her catch my attention. She was like they are meant to be in Africa, tall, dark and striking beautiful. If you doubt me, you should have seen her smile, which is convincing enough , white and dazzling like the African ivory the East clamours. 

She looked familiar, and this was convinced by the I have seen you somewhere before  look that she gave me. This was soon confirmed as she proceeded to greet me and indulge me in talk. Teachers are so confident. We went to the same campus and she was a friend of a friend of mine, who apparently used to narrate to her stories about me. I didn't get to find out how bad the stories were. 

Our matatu soon left the bus station , and the driver bullied his way into Haile Selassie avenue. Our conversation was traded between rows, as I had instinctly taken a seat behind her, rather than next to her. This is Nairobi, there are other more important factors that determine where you seat in a matatu rather than a girls's beauty. The efforts of our bullying matatu driver soon became fruitless, as his matatu stalled along Haile Selassie street. 

We alighted and walked back to the bus station and boarded another matatu. This time was sat next to each other, at the back, her next to the window. We were soon back on Haile Selassie. 

I wonder whether the last Ethiopian Emperor will be happy or sad that the street is named after him. I was telling her to watch her hand bag, for the street is notorious for criminals who open matatu windows and snatch bags away. 

I told her of the day that i was seated next to my colleague, in the same matatus. The driver warned that we watch our bags, a thief was approaching. I remember turning, and watching the slim t-shirt clad hoodlum try to pry open the window behind us. You could see plain terror in the lady seated next to the window, as she clutched her shopping and hand bag for life. 

I have resorted to commuting with my bag between my feet in an effort
to beat the notorious bag snatchers. 

What happened next can only be narrated in a slow motion film, by Samuel L. Jackson.  The hoodlum shifted focus, hit open the window between us, grabbed my colleague's bag . He hugged the bag like a thing he had rescued, and dashed away along the road. They are always lucky enough not to get hit by other motorists. You will not believe me when I tell you that it is not possible to read this paragraph faster than the whole experience. 

I was rooted in shock, but my colleague appeared calm, just slightly inconvenienced. It could have been me, I could have lost my laptop. He had only lost his wallet, and about Ksh 1,400 in cash, and his only house key, and the bag, which however cost Ksh. 5,000. 

He may have been calm, but I knew it would him the next day. I have been there before (Read about it here http://blog.denniskioko.com/2011/05/no-hurry-in-africa.html). As Peter Ndungú taught me in his well presented Biology classes, adrenaline kicks in at such moments, to help you manage the crisis. Adrenaline will leave a cheetah wondering when humans evolved to outrunning them. Shock comes much later, when away from the danger. 

I was shocked. I knew they were after phones, and recently they  had expanded into ladies' handbags. I was unaware that bags were now targets, for they offer the reward of a more expensive laptop.

She clutched her hand bag and shut the window closing the small gap between it. We all knew that it was a futile effort, they always open the window. 

She told me about the notorious Juja Road. She was in a 14 seater matatu. It was in the beginning of the month, just when people get paid. A fellow commuter was seated in front of her. Her bag lay on her lap, her hands above her head,  in that posture that indicates the days worries have come to an end. All that awaits is sweet home, the place that has rivalled the goodies of  both the East and the West. 

Then her handbag was gone. He grabbed it through the window, but for all her fellow commuter cared, it might have been gone with the wind, for she immediately alighted the matatu and collapsed in shock. Her fellow commuters watched from a far, none offering to help. These things happen. 

I told her of the stories I have heard. They now board the matatu with you and alight along the way. Just as they are at the door, they grab your bag and run with it. I grab my bag the whole journey, or place it on the matatu's floor, between my seat. 

She told me more about them. One of them, a well dressed lady had approached her sister as she waited for a matatu at the bus stop. The lady was asking her sister of directions to some place, probably where they would take her when the chloroform in the handkerchief made her unconscious, and rob her. 

We were getting closer home , and so I asked for her phone number. Her phone wasn't going through. She found that weird, and started searching for it in her handbag. 

They had struck again. The man who had insisted seating next to her in the other matatu was more than just another old man. 

Her smile, like that of many others, was gone. 

The curious tragedy of Nairobi Water

With an  ISO 9001 certification to boot, this is the much water
that Nairobi Water can supply to my house

 Next year, Kenya will mark 50 years since it gained its indepedence. At 50 years of age, an average Kenyan citizen has 10 years to live, if they are female, or 8 more if they are male. A few years ago, they would already be dead, but we have  improved health care, standards of living and reduced HIV impact to thank for.

Not to be left out, the state of utilities and services in Kenya is wanting, like in many other countries. After years of neglect ,Kenya has proved sceptic wrong  (including yours truly ) by coming up with stunning highways, while the country''s power utility, Kenya Power, is ranked amongst the best South of the Sahara and North of the Limpopo. However, water has continued to be a big problem across the country.

Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, Nairobi's sole water provider has not disappointed many. The firm, like a citizen at 50, has aged gracefully and might was well be dead by the time Kenya hits 60.

At one point, it is rumoured that Nairobi Water's predecessor could supply clean water reliably, around the city.

Nowadays, it is stated that Nairobi Water does not normally have enough water in dams to supply the city. That, however, is not their biggest problem. Over the years, as the firm ages , Nairobi Water as failed to construct water pipes to supply a growing Nairobi with water.

Nairobi Water does not have enough pipe capacity to supply the less-than-enough-water in its dams.

One of my neighbours has come up with an
innovative way to tackle Nairobi Water's schedule-less schedule

For the above reason, Nairobi Water has to ration water supply to various areas around the city, whether it is raining the hardest a 50 year old has seen , or whether it is the driest number of months that a 50 year old can remember.

In most cases, the tragedy would come to an end at this point, but like a bottomless well, it doesn't.

Nairobi Water simple water rationing schedule is too difficult for the firm to stick to. Once, or twice, I have my friend has been forced to consider a dark unlaundered shirt as part of his outfit. See, the laundry lady comes once a week, on a blue Monday. However, due to Monday blues or unknown reasons, Nairobi Water fails to supply water as per its rationing schedule on a few Mondays. Being a firm of surprises, it ends up supplying water on days that it promises it won't.

Other than a schedule-less rationing schedule, various city citizens also have to grapple with low volumes of water supply, just enough for a trickle.

As you are familiar by now, the tragedy doesn't come to an end.

On my way to work, I have watched Murangá road being constructed. The contractor has had to delay part of their work for months. I have counted a sewage contractor redo a sewer line not less than three times, with stinking failure.

Further down the road, near the temple at Forest Road, another of Nairobi Sewer's will overflow and spill effluent into a stream. Years of experience have proved futile in finding a lasting solution.

On my way home, I encounter slow moving traffic. It takes a few seconds of manoeuvring to get beyond a trench on Enterprise Road, at the Jomo Kenyatta Foundation. It is rumoured that Nairobi Water dug across the tarmac to lay a pipe. Old age comes with memory loss.

It is easy to live without using Nairobi Water's water for a month, but not before you get a bill, which is distinguishable when broken down - it charges more miscellaneously than for water consumed.

A silver lining to Nairobi's Water tragedy is the firms ISO 9001 certification. Nairobi Water is among more than 1 million firms awarded an ISO 9001 certification for  "quality management systems ,  designed to help organizations ensure that they meet the needs of customers and other stakeholders (cited from Wikipedia)".

I need to turn off my tap, just in case quality water which meets my needs comes in tomorrow when I''m not in my house and floods it.

Kenya Power customers suffer from Ksh 0.5 billion faulty prepaid meters

1st Phase Actaris prepaid meters , which work well

Kenya Power is a famous company in Kenya, one which draws what my colleagues in media will call "mixed reactions". While those in urban areas such as Nairobi regard Kenya Power as a very unreliable firm, I have heard of villages in rural areas where blackouts go unreported for even 3 days . To the rural people, recent electrification means that at least they get to get electricity for some days, which is better than no electricity.

In urban areas, the story is not any different. Around Imara Daima along Mombasa Road, power is mostly reliable, with blackouts been few in a week, and even at times been less than 10 in a month. In other places in the city, blackouts are a daily occurrence, and in some places, the blackouts are more than meals, counting two teas , breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Another aspect about Kenya Power is the prepaid meters, which like the firm, are equally loved and hated.

Ever since I became proud enough to start paying my own bills, I have used the Kenya Power prepaid meter. I like the convenience, you know when it is almost out and you have an idea of your usage. See with old postpaid meters, one has to wait for Kenya Power employees to come read your meter. In Naiorbi, most people lock their compounds throughout as a security measure - I once carried our shared padlock into the house and my neighbour rushed into my house saying that she suspected someone had stolen the padlock. I didn't ask why one would steal a padlock, especially without the key.

Back to the meter, once it is read, one then waits for the bill , which had to be mailed. Most people here do not own a post office box, after years of Post Office inefficiency, and had to share one with their church or employers. The bill, could be a shock, either quite high or low to less than ksh. 100.

For me, I now have the ability to buy my units before use, and monitor their usage. Brandname Actaris, my prepaid meter works pretty well.

A Conlog  Meter similar to
faulty meters that incorrectly bill
users. 

I therefore used to wonder why people kept complaining about Kenya PrePaid meters, until a friend moved to Thika Road. She too started complaining about errant prepaid meters, yet she had been using the same before without complaints. Another friend of mine who had been complaining about the same prepaid meters happened to live along Thika Road. I enquired from both and found that they use the Conlog brand of meters.

Actaris is manufactured by Itron, a US firm while Conlog is done by a South African firm which goes by the same name.

Their complaints are that their prepaid meters will at times, mostly after blackouts, show a negative balance from a previously positive one. In addition, the Conlog meters are inconsistent in metering, and during heavy usage such as ironing or using an electric heater (shower) will show a higher -than-actual-consumption of power.

I followed up the matter with a senior Kenya Power employee, who informed me that the meters had been installed in batches. The first trial had Actaris meters, which function as they are meant to an d like the old postpaid meters. After the first batch, Kenya Power switched to the Conlog brand of meters, which are responsible for almost all prepaid meter problems.

The Kenya Power employee informed me that the firm had changed several meters for its customers after complaints, but many remained with faulty meters. In addition, roll our of prepaid power meters has now being halted.

Kenya Power employees are aware of the issue with most of those who had Conlog meters in their homes switching to the Actaris brand.

Thousands of customers are however left with faulty meters, without the power firm offering any way forward on whether they would replace all the affected batch .

Conlog meters were supplied to Kenya Power at US $ 6 Million (about 0.5 billion Kenya shillings ) .

Why did Kenya Power switch from a reliable brand to a faulty one, and roll it out to thousands of customers?

Who will come to the rescue of the thousands of Kenya Power customers losing millions of shillings through faulty billing per day. Mind you , the customers can't switch back to their old, reliable meters.