Pro- chinese neo-colonialist njoo tuzungumze

News & Politics
1

@Prometheus do you remember below;

Haya story ndio hii;

Racism is so real here. There is an unwritten rule of where you need to sit. You cannot just join the Chinese table,” an assistant locomotive driver said.

He said that this divide runs to the staff vans as well where even if it only one Chinese on board, Kenyans will not use them when time for drop offs come.

ALSO READ: Chinese contractor to take two years to complete the projects

“You cannot board a van that drops us in the evening even if there’s only one Chinese on board. You will have to wait,” he said.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/yhavohoxch7xs5b40ca5cd1c1c.jpg[I][B]Some of the Chinese crew have turned the SGR trains into a smoking zone something Kenyans are not allowed to do. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
More excesses are allowed on the freight trains where there is little visibility. Chinese staff are allowed excesses such as smoking while in the locomotive and use of mobile phones, crimes that will get their Kenyan counterparts fired.

“They are chain smokers and they do it inside the drivers cab. We do not have washrooms in the driver’s cab, so some relieve themselves on the track lines,” he said. We have seen images of one of the Chinese drivers, who could not wait to go to the washrooms, literally going for a long call next to the train in the open.

But what is likely to alarm conservationists and wildlife activists is the number of wildlife that are being run over by the train as it snakes its way from Mombasa and back.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/gxwpg7lel9tmnotez5b40c311eef15.jpg[I][B]So far five buffaloes have been killled as the SGR snakes through Tsavo Conservation Area.[Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
The promise that measures had been put in place to secure wildlife appears to have been used to pacify conservationists and activists. Evidence in our possession shows that at least two lions and five buffaloes have been killed.

ALSO READ: Landowners on new SGR to be paid in a month

We have seen images of these dead lions and buffaloes some below the tracks after they were hit and others as they are lifted off the path using cranes.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/tktid76o8sz36opcf5b40c3718319d.jpg[I][B]The lions have not been spared either, at least two have been killed. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
When the Conservation Alliance of Kenya (CAK) protested the plan to build the railway through the national park, they said their calls were brushed off as a nuisance to the project.

CAK, which represents over 50 NGOs that have invested in biodiversity conservation, scientific research and community development in Kenya, said its previous engagement with the government during SGR I through Tsavo National Park fell on deaf ears.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/nixaafi434efa0g5b40c4174ab3c.jpg[I][B]One of the lions that has been killed by the train. SGR trains are expected to have sensors to ensure no collision with the wildlife. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
“Our letters went unanswered but we got verbal assurances that the routes through the park were off the table and they would be making alternative considerations and that we would be fully involved in the process,” Ms Lucy Waruingi, the CAK secretary said in a statement.

Conservationists said follow up letters written in April 2016 granted them a meeting with the Kenya Railways boss, Atanas Maina, who re-assured them that they would be engaged before the route was determined.

However when they were invited to the Ministry of Environment offices they were shocked that the route had long been determined ‘they merely wanted the Alliance to endorse the decision.’

Their fears now appear to be coming to pass as more wildlife are felled by the freight trains.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/bwxsdirkt70sds45b40c46eee179.jpg[I][B]One of the buffalo killed by a train being lifted by a crane. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard] [/B][/I]
Our two week attempts to get a response on these allegations from Chinese contractors were futile.

ALSO READ: New pipeline, SGR cargo trains leave truckers wallowing

When we eventually got them to comment on the matter through Kenya Railways, they declined. The head of communication said he was not authorised to give official response on the issues raised.

He said he would call back on Friday evening as soon as he got clearance from the new chairman and management to make a comment. Which they did not.

Some of the questions we wanted answered were why the sensors in the trains were not working to prevent collision of wildlife, and what measures had been put in place to deal with racism, discrimination and skills transfer timelines for Kenyans.

Our investigation has revealed that Kenyan drivers have taken charge of the 472 kilometre ride just once, on the project launch with President Uhuru Kenyatta as a passenger, when two female drivers, Alice Gitau and Concilia Owire made the trip.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/gnwrochsvurcvc2k5b40c5ce1c6f2.jpg[I][B]After the flagging off of the trains Chinese drivers took back control of the locomotives. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
When the cameras and VIPs exited the scene, the Chinese drivers took back control. They have never again been allowed to navigate the passengers from either end of the train track.

Those who were trained two years ago in anticipation, have remained assistant shunting drivers, since the launch of Madaraka express, and only sit and watch as the Chinese drivers cruise to the coast and back.

“We just sit at the back and watch. There is no actual transfer of skills that is happening here,” an assistant locomotive driver who has been with the SGR for over a year now told the Standard on Sunday.

ALSO READ: New pipeline to be commissioned in July, says KPC

Three other assistant drivers corroborated the story and said their job is that of poster boys.

“We cannot even do trouble shooting since everything is in Chinese. The way we see it, the reason they are not open to transferring skills is that they want to remain relevant for a long time,” he said.

A year later, Kenyans, some with engineering backgrounds sit and watch as more Chinese come into the country, undergo a two week training and are handed over the reigns of the locomotive.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/xof6s4yj1j98q5b40c9e5e74bb.jpg[I][B][SIZE=6]Some of the Kenyan SGR crew being punished after they refused to collect garbage[/SIZE]. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
At the end of the trip, they find themselves doing menial jobs such as cleaning and garbage collection, jobs that are also now being taken over by the new Chinese employees who continue to be absorbed.

There are now more than 40 trained locomotive drivers, who’s job should be to drive but the closest they have gotten is sitting in the driver’s cabin. But they are now outnumbered by their Chinese nationals. A list of personnel in our possession shows the company has employed 50 Chinese drivers against 38 locals.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/onivafqp1tkd1b5b40c6a8ca906.jpg[I][B] Chinese contractors are also doing menial jobs that Kenyans can easily do. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
A number of track maintenance technicians, who were employed with at least a diploma in civil engineering, have also ended up doing menial jobs after Chinese contractors took up their jobs. We have seen pictures and disturbing video evidence of them in action.

“We raised these concerns with Mr Maina (Atanas Maina, the Kenya Railways boss), he asked us to be grateful we have a job. At some point he asked us why we left jobs elsewhere to come and work here only to complain,” a locomotive driver we spoke to said.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/mxupzibyvopmtolm8q5b40c77363053.jpg[I][B]A number of track maintenance technicians, who were employed with at least a diploma in civil engineering, have also ended up doing menial jobs. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
Some Chinese who came in during the construction phase, opted not to go back home and instead are finding themselves doing jobs that Kenyans can easily do such as landscaping, pruning flowers, clearing thickets, running apartments and cooking.

The Chinese contractor has also opted to keep most of their equipment programmed in Chinese, making it impossible for Kenyans who do not read Chinese progress beyond menial jobs, despite being employed as technicians, engineers and drivers.

There are also cases where the Chinese contractor has reported different figures on what an employee earns to the Kenya Revenue Authority for tax purposes than what they actually earn.

One of the affected employees said they were later presented with two different p9 forms to ‘regularise’ the anomaly during the just concluded annual filing of returns. A P9 form is usually provided by employers outlining how much money the company has been paying in taxes on behalf of the employee. An employee uses the form to reconcile it with his or her actual pay.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/mlyjtuhaty8uxyfclk5b40c7e95dedb.jpg[I][B]SGR workers pose for a photo. Their pay is less and irregular. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
“This girl received two P9s with different figures, one showed she earns more than what she actually takes home. Some employees who work at the Mombasa terminus have not been given payslips for the last one year. We only saw this anomaly after asking for the payslips,” another source who showed us the forms said.

Staff in the car depot or rolling stock department, among them freight technicians and inspectors, say they are grossly underpaid compared to their Chinese counterparts.

He said they are paid Sh37,000 a month, less than a quarter of what their Chinese counterparts earn for the same job.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/jcv0sfadch9fsxc5b40ccebd1da8.jpg[I][B]Chinese crew sleep in the SGR trains, this goes unpunished. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
“We are still referred to as trainees despite more than one year working in the field. The Chinese whom we work with in the same capacity only need two weeks of the same training and they are graduated to expert level,” he said.

Whenever Kenyans are fired for not meeting standards, they are replaced by Chinese employees waiting on the sidelines.

“At least four of my colleagues in my department have lost their jobs because of not meeting the Chinese standards. But instead of replacing them with locals as expected, their jobs were taken up by the Chinese,” he said.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/pqzalmr12gnox9jgv35b40c8cc04b2a.jpg[I][B]Most of the gadgets are in Chinese making it impossible for locals to read and understand. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
Language barrier continues to be a big problem in the skills transfer. Most gadgets are programmed in Chinese and this has forced many Kenyans to either learn Chinese or be disadvantaged.

There are also other departments where suitable Kenyans are yet to be found. For instance, no Kenyan works in the monitoring centre or the signal and dispatching rooms

“We are being forced to learn the language for fear of being regarded as incompetent. The Chinese who work in the monitoring centre or the watch room where we report faulty vehicles know zero English yet they are key to our work. Worst, No Kenyan is being trained in this section so far,” he said.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/fgtuxsx56ofq8qr5b40c9368e7d1.jpg[I][B]Even the notice boards are written in Chinese. [Photo: Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
Notice boards and record books faults are recorded are fully printed in Chinese.

The Personal Protective equipment (PPE), also wears out quickly due to the nature of their job, however it takes a while to get them replaced.

“To carry out inspection you must crawl under the vehicle. Currently you have to inspect at least 7 trains for every shift with an average of 50 vehicles each. On each shift we have four groups. When you divide, you have to inspect 12 vehicles per train or an average of 104 vehicles per day,” he says adding that this ends up damaging the overalls.

https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/images/saturday/cholkkxaryr54yli5b40cdbede25a.jpg[I][B]Chinese SGR staff ‘relieves’ himself by the railway line. [Paul Wafula, Standard][/B][/I]
“The problem now is that it’s the company’s policy to replace these PPEs after 2 years, and this means that some of us end up working in rugs,” he said.

2

Very sad.

In 20 years there will be more Chinese in Kenya than Indians.

And they’ll get bolder as they move from railway and construction to every other industry and trade.

3

So to sum up, the SGR has;

-Killed 5 buffaloes and a lion.

-Pays Kenyan workers “only” 37,000 Kenya shillings. Never mind it’s an entry level job and they were unemployment before.

-The Chinese workers smoke on duty.

Anything else?

How many buffaloes, elephants, lions,etc has your homegrown corruption in Kenya killed?

How many lives has corruption destroyed?

Your poverty and under development is caused by your very own endemic corruption and lack of strategic thinking.

Unfortunately that is something these silly paid for propaganda pieces in githeri media will never sort out.

Really sad.

4

seems like some of us have our heads plugged way up into the Chinese rectum, hence we cant see, hear or talk any evil.

5

Yes sir something else. The gist of the article is discrimination on Kenyans by the Chinese.
Although the truth is all non-African foreigners treat us the same. Chinese or not.

6

Nakumbuka I pointed out that it was odd that they had chinese flag stickers in the cabin nugu fulani ikanitusi. I wouldn’t be surprised if the inter- government agreement was in chinese with Kenyans being told where to sign.

7

nothing works in Kenya anymore. if you raise an issue, you are told that the government is investigating and you wonder which government coz everyone is government. try getting a work permit to China and come tell us your feedback. our country is going to the dogs and it needs total reset. where is mdomo bakuli to post his development chieth

8

and we haven’t seen it yet,the few kenyans that work at the sgr will also be replaced with time,the government will promise it’s citizens more and better jobs when the chinese come but the jobs never come because the chinese are too many in their country and are always looking to dispose off some of the citizens out of china hence they bring their own labour force

9

kumira kumira kumira .Wembe ni ule ule .Tano tena

10

What a totally unbalanced article but anything to get social media buzzing.

MwaAfrika is funny character.

The Chinese will come and go and we’ll be the ones in control of the rail. So who will be blaming then?

On the train drivers issue I believe one needs at least 5-10 years of experience before you can operate it solo. None of our Kenyan train drivers have that experience. How is someone fresh out of school for one year be allowed to operate equipment that ferries passengers that’s a liabilitiy Incase of human error.

Wildlife is getting killed. So why are the humans destroying the fences around that keep the animals away from the rail?

Oh by the way Chinese racism originates from Western media. You can thank Hollywood for depicting Africans as nothing short of thieves, rebels and criminals.

11

Do we have these on cars too to prevent collision with people?

12

If we let Kenyans run the railway, utaona vile itazorota.

Kenyans have been hostile to the Chinese. The Chinese are afraid of Kenyans. After a few inside job service car robberies which were organized by Kenyans through mobile phone tip offs, it was obvious to the Chinese they needed to do something. Once the Chinese caught on, they were smart enough to avoid exposing themselves to the unnecessary risks.

A Chinese man was robbed of his money the other in broad daylight in Nairobi and started shouting, “Ali Baba! Ali Baba!” Apparently this means “thief, thief!” Nairobians just watched the whole thing and laughed themselves silly.

Big game road kill is not an SGR thing. Heavy goods trucks kill wildlife every day. Even small cars sometimes kill wildlife.

13

its all rubbish until you get discriminated

14

Yes modern cars have such sensors but such cars are not yet in the hands of every other common man.

15

The instructions on the cabin is all in mandarin/Chinese language and not English . How will kenyans learn this ?

16

Well well, this is terrible. Why are we paying for this railway if it seems to be made by the chinese for the chinese and not for Kenyans?

Kenya Railways, Ministry of Interior and co should look into these matters asap. (Not that I expect them to do anything anyway, as Maina is reported to have shown the Kenyan workers a middle finger?

17

Ati ali baba. Hii ni hekaya tu. Noogle

18

Its just a matter of time before they export their Chinese mafia and set up a China town in Kenya then the reality will sink home.

19

Kwani how much is such an important safety feature worth?

20

The Chinese will buy up the whole of Africa, maybe except SA and a few Northern African countries. Already Djibouti is a few years to becoming a Chinese “overseas territory”