Kanjo and 8 other annoying service providers in Kenya
These are the institutions and individuals we love to complain about
Having to deal with them seems like cruel and unusual punishment.
In most instances these people are just doing their jobs. But sometimes, their jobs seem like they’re perfectly designed to make you miserable.
Kanju
They harass small business owners. They constantly seem on motorists necks just eager to get as much money from them as possible.
Kanges
In most cases, a commute is uneventful. However, there are times when conductors seem to be on a mission to get on your last nerve.
They engage in painfully annoying antics like hiking fares after you’ve already boarded, dropping you before your destination because “Kuna karao hapo mbele” or “Hatupiti hapa”.
Kanges can also run away with some of your cash when they delay to give you your balance hoping you’ll forget or something.
Kenya Power
The rate of maintenance blackouts are too high and Kenyans don’t like that. In some areas, when a blackout occurs, it seems as though they delay a bit much in restoring power.
There is also a bit of geographical discrimination when it comes to responding to complaints. Some areas get service restored faster than others. In all fairness, it could be because of understaffing. But this is not for the sake of fairness.
Their services have improved in recent times but there’s still a lot left to be desired.
Safaricom Internet
When you load up 100MB, you would think it would last you a significant amount of time. Although, even if you don’t use Youtube, you use UC Browser on data saving mode and have disabled automatic downloads on WhatsApp, the godforsaken message, “…you data bundle is almost finished…” appears even before you finish typing your third WhatsApp reply.
Do not even dare accessing Instagram using Safaricom bundles! That is suicidal!
Traffic Police
They are as unpredictable as postpubescent acne. Life is smooth sailing, until they wake up one morning to conduct a crackdown on matatus that don’t adhere to traffic laws. They cause endless traffic. And matatus that haven’t followed these rules to the letter or have some kind of beef with that route’s traffic commandant will take a detour that will cost you an extra half hour on your commute.
NTSA
They fall in the same category as Traffic Police. To most individuals, they just appear to be that institution that shows up in the morning to cause traffic. Like rains.
Admins and secretaries
When you visit an office, especially a busy one located either in a highly affluent area or one of those dilapidated buildings in town which make you question whether inspections are still fundamental, there is always that surly faced secretary you meet at the entrance. She is always so embittered and unfriendly. Like it’s your fault she has that job.
Slow cashiers
Kenyans are always in a hurry to go somewhere. And they hate being unnecessarily delayed. Traffic, we can wait out. A shopkeeper going to look for change, that’s ok. But a cashier who insists on chatting instead of packing your stuff or has to look at each and every label of all the items you bought, or doesn’t know how to operate a credit card machine, or the packing attendant who has gone to chat with the security guard… that they hate.
Ageist labourers
Every building has someone to do the cleaning, pruning, gardening or general maintenance. They can be a bit classist. Sometimes they are really nice and friendly. Other times, they are dismissive, brash and hostile when you are young. And the 180 degree attitude change they experience when the mdosi is around makes you wonder how they survive the whiplash.
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