Rail Firm Rolls out New Tarrif Frequencis

The Rift Valley Railways company has  launched new tariff  frequencies  that will in all likelihood change the landscape of the transport industry  in Kenya.Under the new scheme  set to affect  commuter trains,RVR has  increased  the trains' frequency from eight to 18  daily in what will likely  ease congestion.

This development comes at a time when Kenyans are grappling  with high costs of basic commodities and transport with recent media reports  indicating that Kenya has the highest cost of living  behind only Pakistan.

In the transport industry,matatu  owners increased  fare two weeks ago arguing  the move was meant to absorb the high cost of fuel.This has in recent days led to a large number of  passagers flocking  train stations owing to the locomotive's relatively low commuting fare.


In an announcement issued today,RVR  management said  the new  tariff   frequencies  seek to  meet passenger convenience.

Last year, the rail company announced  an intended construction of a modern network to mitigate traffic jams for which  major city roads are famous  by  a big margin.This  announcement came amid concerns that the company was insoluble.


The  company,  previously dubbed Kenya Railways  ,is currently working a strategy  to increase its profitability  .

Last year,the firm announced  losses running in millions occasioned by   widespread vandalism of rails by  vandals dealing in scrap metal.
With this latest development ,RVR is set to raise  profits and  possibly  restore clear roads in rush hours.

Political Regroupings Taking Shape in Kenya

Political temperatures are rising in Kenya ahead of general elections scheduled for next year with further new alliances clearly in the offing.

According to local media reports,Prime minister Raila Odinga is still the man to beat in the 2012 presidential race set to pit  a number of former allies against each other.

Already,several politicians have declared their interest in the topmost job,indicating a possibility of further re-alignments to capture the  top  job.

A survey conducted recently shows that none of the  contenders mentioned in connection with presidency can muster up enough votes as required by the constitution to be president if elections were called today.

But even with that,politicians have embarked on their characteristic  early campaigns  calculated to galvanize support ahead of the plebiscite that is set to  be fiercely  competitive.

It is still unclear as to whether  top politicians mentioned in the  2007 election  violence will   participate in the race.

The just-ended week saw prime minister Raila Odinga  hold rallies in various parts ,calling on citizens to reject  politicians implicated in crimes .

This remark has prompted  a war of words with  some politicians  terming the premier's  remarks as improper.Yesterday,Information minister Samuel Poghisio called om Mr Odinga to withdraw the remarks and apologize.

The    impending election has also seen strange  groupings as politicians hitherto viewed as political foes  appearing together at Rallies.

Ambience

Lessons For Africa From Uganda Election

President Museveni  has probably been re-installed as the president of Uganda,putting his rule at the second longest in Africa behind only Libya's Gaddaffi.By and large the plebiscite was marred with widespread  rigging or what the most conspicuous contender might call massive  'voter buying'

For us in Africa who want to be honest,the outcome was expected.Dr Besigye was the main competitor in the  presidential race,which is not something new.Museveni warned against protests ,this is also in a sense yesterday's news in Uganda.But aside from these there were strange developments in this election,among them the victory of the incumbent in opposition strongholds,  and  general peace in the process.Besigye can also clap hands for his former employer for not  finding himself in hospital this time round.

Analysts have already  pointed at  the apparent   lack of strategy on the part of opposition as their major Achilles heel.This is possible,but Museveni's advance scheme to steal the victory is probable.  In the run-up to the polls,Museveni exuded a  rare sort of confidence which raised eyebrows among thoughtful Ugandans and others elsewhere as his popularity was already taking a hit..His victory in  areas that the opposition commanded a considerable following can  easily  pass for the irony of the century  too.

Will Museveni run for president in the next election?Yes,and he is going to comfortably secure another term in office  if the opposition doe not regroup creatively.I want to look at it this way because we black Africans love power albeit slightly less than Arab-Africans.Tell me:who has ever won an election fairly here?Very few.Almost all presidents in this continent are illegitimate.This is not to say there are none elsewhere,but our elections are shockingly ironical.

Uganda might dislodge Museveni thus:change institutions.But who is going to do that  job when Museveni has made Uganda almost a kingdom?Well,its difficult but considering recent examples,it is very possible.I agree,Uganda needs a president with a military background.But Museveni's tenure has gone beyond what can be endured.This is unacceptable ,even if the people wanted him to stay.

To the rest of Africa Uganda should serve to remind us that  our  leaders will not give up power.We should force them to do so.

High Cost of Fuel In Kenya Consumer's Burden

                                                                                                By Nyagaka Nyakundi

Fuel prices have once again hit the roof in Kenya this ending  week,in a development that has seen business owners here offload the burden on defenseless consumers.

The business owners have now  increased prices for some essential commodities and services ostensibly to contain the increase ,but underlying is the fact that the prices have been inflated to levels that can pass for  consumer exploitation.


The most affected of these consumers are Kenyans living in the outskirts of Nairobi and thus have to commute to work daily.A spot check by The Hard-nosed Column has established that matatu operators have  increased fare by 100 per cent,an unprecedented phenomenon.


Earlier this year,a body was set up to regulate fuel prices here,but that seems to have not borne fruit as reports indicate the  recent increase is beyond  fuel prices in other international markets.

The country lacks a strong consumer-protection organization,something that exposes consumers against exploitation.

Currently,the price of unleaded petrol stands at ksh100 per liter  in many gas stations,a sh8  increase from ksh92 previous cost.

But even then consumers here are not complaining,a situation that could cause more  lethal     consumer exploitation.

The End Of Despots In africa is Approaching Fast

The End Of African Despots Is Finally Here

The recent current of  revolutions  here  in Africa should be a warning sufficient to cause both obvious and subtle African dictators  adequate jitters.Like in the olden struggles for  people- backed political systems,the latest wave of unrest here shows clearly what happens when people are fed up.They can  mount a mammoth  protestation march  that may serve to enlighten the  dictator one or two things about the source of his power.In the  effort of  revolutionaries of old ,the issue was wrenching  power from demigods claiming the power had been accorded to them by the divine.

Now it is about taking the power from  people who have made themselves gods,callously oppressing the people who have,curiously,given the power to them.

Let us begin our examination with an interesting case of a not-so-obvious dictator who was caught mid stride grooming his son to take up dictatorship from him after a three-decade stay at the helm.Folks,we are talking about President -impose  Mubarak--I forget his first name.In the past few years the signs  of an impending political upheaval has been  very apparent in Egypt.But Mubarak has always seen it as something  small.The president  has  used the country's economic strength as a justification for dictatorship.He is likely to be toppled,not by a coup,but by the people.

In Tunisia the president took to his heels after an unnerving  protestation at his leadership.Now,Am not very familiar with  Tunisia's system ,but I have it at the back of my mind that African leaders of a certain generation behave alike.They are  heroes when they are given power,but they soon become wolves when they  realize how much power they have.

Talking about generations,let's journey together to Zimbabwe.President-impose  Robert Mugabe(he has more names)will probably let go of power in his death.The only struggle he is familiar with is that against colonialism.He forgets we are now in post-colonialism or,better still,neo-colonialism.

If the things we are seeing happening here are anything to go by,Mugabe will most likely realize presently that power is not from himself but the people who  are now suffering in the name of sovereignty.These are signs of things to come.Amnesty is on offer for  Mugabe and his type now.