By Watchman

Police are driving the Rev A. Ojacor mad just because he drives a car with Ugandan registration numbers. He yells: "I'm tired of meeting the well nourished officers on the Kenyan highways and being asked for chai. I'm always stopped and asked for every kind of document or receipt even though my papers are okay." The other day, he says, he was taken to Nairobi's Langata police station and held for an hour. "I was later released without any charge or apology! Is chai part of the requirements for using a foreign registered vehicle? I wonder how this will boost regional co-operation!"

Strangely, remarks Nairobi resident Lawrence, most of the names of the current African leaders begin with the letter M. "They are Moi, Muluzi (Malawi), Mbeki (South Africa), Mkapa (Tanzania), Museveni (Uganda), Mubarak (Egypt), and Muammar Gaddafi (Libya). Others include Mugabe (Zimbabwe, Mathieu Kerekou (Benin), Teodoro Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea) and Meles Zenawi (Ethiopia)," he says, adding: "Following that trend, then we only have two potential presidents. Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi. Since Mudavadi's is a double M, maybe he should or will be the next president."

David Ong'olo, who frequently travels Business Class by Kenya Airways/KLM, says he is always irritated because they glorify Colombian coffee. "Surely, just as Tusker beer is one of the best in the world, is it not true that our Robusta coffee is just as good, if not better than Colombian coffee? Why can't they use Kenyan coffee?"

What are donor conditionalties and how different are they from donor conditions? Mungai Kihanya asked. In response, Mbeche Odhiambo says: "Donor conditionalities refers to the use of incentives to alter a government's behaviour or policies (traditionally associated with the World Bank and IMF) . Donor conditions are the actual conditions required by donors."

Also responding to the query is Murithi Nyaga, who says: "Donor conditionalities are amendments made on the original conditions. An euphemistic title for shifting/changing the goalposts. What else could they be?"

Beatrice Maina and her friends in London say they were really touched by the plight of Murang'a landslide victims, especially 10-year-old orphan Joseph Mwangi. "Our sympathies go to Joseph and other children left destitute by the tragedy. Can the Murang'a DC write to me at beatricemaina@hotmail.com with more information on Joseph and how we can contact him?" 

The power of competition is, indeed, great as cybercafes have found out, screams Steve Wathome, adding: "I know of this place that charges 75 cents a minute. It's been long since we, Kenyans, ever purchased anything for between 50 cents and a shilling. Could this be the sign of good times to come?"

Have a promising day, won't you!

*Write to Watchman, PO Box 49010, Nairobi. Faxes: 214531, 213946.
E-mail: watchman@nation.co.ke