The Bahatian

cattle dip   Around six pieces of public land measuring 0.9 each in acreage, or a combined total of 5.4 acres of Wanyororo shares in Amua village were grabbed long ago and sold to unsuspecting public by faceless but well connected individuals and no doubt a cartel. This is not the first land grab reported in the larger Dundori ward, as various pieces earmarked as public land have changed hands mysteriously. A look at the way boundaries have shifted like in the cemetery, or the way the dams have embankments farmed to the waterline, or part of their land shrunken, grabbed and fenced off, amongst other places, is a vindication of our leaders complicity to this entrenched malfeasance (anyway, those entrusted as custodians of our public resources are sell-outs leaders!).

For the past year or so, I had been enjoying the Equity Bank’s Equitel loan services. The repayment rates had been attractive compared to other credit facilities that I have had access to and which are disbursed over mobile phones. Well, we all find ourselves in that tricky financial situation from time to time and instead of resorting to borrowing or begging, take that shortcut to an emergency loan before figuring how to repay the same.   Financial institutions, we are well aware, are out to milk profit from hard pressed customers, and corporate greed is the driving force to this. Witness their well tailored loan products targeting individuals or specific groups like chamas or even low cadres of the unbanked populace that the hoi polloi can access. Anything attractive or well packaged in flowery but enticing language comes at a cost which at most will leave the applicant with a bitter taste in the mouth.