"Education workload" biggest problem in Kenya today

The late Mutula Kilonzo

The late Mutula Kilonzo. The former Education minister banned Saturday tuition for children “but they are back with a vengeance”.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Overload • An “education overload” is the biggest problem today, says Nyaga Kebuchi. The then-Education minister, the late Mutula Kilonzo, had to ban Saturday tuition for children “but they are back with a vengeance”. In boarding schools, adds Nyaga, lessons start at 4 am. “It’s a system gone rogue. In the 1970s, Standard 1 and 2 pupils would go home after lunch.” His contact is [email protected].

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Precision •Nairobi Metropolitan Services under General Mohamed Badi and his colleagues at the Kenya Meat Commission are just a few examples of the exemplary work of military personnel, says Dickson K. “I’ve been wondering why many people didn’t see how efficient the military appointees in the last administration were. Politicians are very selfish and corrupt.” His contact is [email protected].

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Ghost workers • Just like the vetting of candidates for top government positions, the staff audits that have revealed thousands of “ghost workers” in nearly all the 47 counties are just a waste of time, moans Dave Tumbula. “That money is surely drawn by someone whose name is on the payroll, be it manual or digital. If these people were really serious, they would find the culprits and recover the loot.”

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Blackouts • Kenya Power should urgently address the plight of some 50 households at Ogwedhi, in Koru, Muhoroni, Kisumu County, who often suffer blackouts, some lasting up to three days, Damson Opiyo Onger says. Damson adds: “Ironically, there is always power at Koru Police Station, which hosts the old transformer that serves the entire neighbourhood.” His contact is [email protected].

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Hotel name • Maritim Hotel, which is located at the airport in the German city of Düsseldorf, could not have escaped an alert university don X. N. Iraki’s attention. Says he: “Maritim is a very common name in Kenya’s Rift Valley. Can anybody explain how the hotel got this very Kenyan name? Could the name be, coincidentally, German, too? Linguists, where are you?” His contact is [email protected].

Have an interesting day, won’t you!