Bravo to the Nation for telling the truth about the famine deaths in Turkana, says Caroline Maingi. "Now readers can really make a judgement for themselves about what kind of leaders we have got."

On the one hand Nation columnist Gitau Warigi says Kenyan leaders do not see beyond the end of their noses, and on the other the President says Kenyans just don't see far and have narrow goals, notes Harry Ruiya. "Who's right?" he asks and adds: "I suspect both are right and there's blindness all around. Why do the donors get hoodwinked all the time?"

What right does the director of Kenyatta National Hospital have to order that a room in the private wing - fully paid for and about to accept a patient from the general ward - be given to someone else?" asks Robert Mwangi. He adds: "I can't help but wonder if the fact that the someone else in question was the father of a former governor of the Central Bank might have something to do with this decision.

He adds: "Oh I cannot wait for the day that the high and mighty take a fall. "

Poor Njiru Mwariama wonders about the KPTC warning in their business halls "Beware of conmen." Says Njiru: "I feel it should be beware of either conpeople or conmen and conwomen." Gender sensitivity? Not really. Njiru explains: "I've been conned twice now by women."

As Kenya seems to be privatising everything nowadays - the phones, power, the port - why not go further and privatise the country. "Let's make it Kenya Ltd: maybe that will help us to rescue the economy," says Patrick Rono.

The post office at Garissa has taken to opening all mail containing confidential articles, reports Mahat Mohamed, while in Mombasa, the Oyoo family say they are now - at last - receiving all their overseas mail, but that it arrives already opened.

Brenda Asiko opened a new PO Box number account at Mombasa and was delighted to be told she would receive a free Coast telephone directory. "First we were told they were out of stock, then we were told to wait a few days, then we were told they don't give them out any more. Why can't they keep to their promise?" she asks.

Have a hopeful day, won't you!

Write to Watchman, PO Box 49010, Nairobi. Faxes: 214531, 213946.
E-mail: watchman@nationaudio.com