Day: April 18, 2023

Garissa County government in partnership with the Red Cross Foundation through the E-plus medical services has re-launched an initiative aimed at reducing maternal mortality rate and ease in the referral system across the county.

The re-launch included flagging off of five ambulances with state of the art medical equipment and trained personnel that are able to deliver the much needed emergency care to women in the remotest areas of the county during child birth in a bid to reduce maternal mortality rate.

Speaking at the Governor’s office after holding a boardroom meeting between the county health officials and E-plus medical representative, Governor Nathif Jamah expressed his optimism and trust on the efficiency of the initiative as he had already launched a similar initiative in his previous tenure as the first Governor of Garissa.

‘We know the efficiency of the Red Cross E- plus ambulance system. We were there and we tried this service before and we know how much qualified personnel and paramedics they have. Their vehicles are the best and we have said that we are returning back there so that these vehicles can serve the remotest part of our county,’ Nathif said.

‘The ambulances are a key aspect of this proposition so from today, we will have at least five ambulances so that it can help to reduce the mortality rate in our county, which at the moment is very high,’ he added.

E- plus representative in Garissa Susan Ng’ong’a said that the move by the county government to partner with Red Cross in referral emergency health is a good one as they look forward to reducing the maternal mortality rate by 50 per cent as it had attained in its previous exercise.

‘We were here in 2013-2017 and Garissa was one of the best counties with the best referral system, a robust referral system that was second to none in this country and we are happy to have contributed to that,’ Ng’ong’a said.

The flagging off event was also graced by Garissa County Health CEC Ahmednadir Omar, Garissa County Finance Executive Abass Ismail, Garissa level five CEO Dr. Hawa Bakari among other dignitaries from both the county government and the Red Cross Foundation.

Maternal mortality rate in Garissa County currently stands at 500 per 100,000 live births according to the available conclusive records of 2018 as countrywide infant mortality rate is 30.63 deaths per 1000 live births from 2022.

This initiative by Garissa County government comes in the wake of community awareness against home child deliveries, FGM and early marriages which are the major issues that contribute to the high mortality rate in the region.

E-plus medical service is set to work in line with other services like free maternity services provided through the National Hospital Insurance Fund and the Linda Mama programme to reduce the maternal mortality ratio to that of less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo and the Senate ICT Committee led by the Chairperson Sen. Allan Chesang of Trans Nzoia County, yesterday inaugurated the new board of Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) and expressed their commitment to fast track its development for the benefit of Kenya’s budding digital economy.

Speaking at the inauguration, CS Owalo apprised the new board members of the project and gave an elaborate outline of how it fits into the government’s digital economy agenda.

‘You are coming at a time when ICT is viewed as an integral facet of our economic agenda. As espoused in our Digital Master Plan, through which we are rolling out 100,000 km of fiber optic cable, 25,000 hotspots and 1,450 digital village hubs while reaching out to global digital companies which we shall work with on digital economy,’ he said.

‘As a government, we are relying on Konza Technopolis to help us position Kenya effectively as the ICT hub of Africa. You have got heavy responsibilities on your shoulders as newly appointed members of the board and we expect you to exercise your proper oversight as required,’ added the CS.

CS Owalo noted that the government has developed and signed contracts with other parastatals and government entities and that he expects the new Board to work with them to ensure that the targets of KoTDA and the Ministry are achieved.

The CS urged the stakeholders in the Ministry to work together towards delivering the digital economy agenda.

The Principal Secretary (PS) State Department of ICT and the Digital Economy Eng. John Tanui appreciated the outgoing board and ushered in the new board, urging them to accelerate the impact of the smart city.

‘Today, we welcome a new board led by Prof. Raphael Munavu who is an academic champion and a great leader. We are looking forward to see the city accelerating its impact. We want to see Konza Technopolis attracting new investments,’ said Eng. Tanui.

He lauded the Senate ICT Committee’s commitment to supporting the Authority on matters of policy development, especially the enactment of the Konza Bill.

On his part, Senator Chesang lauded the progress of Konza Technopolis and assured stakeholders that they would fast-track the enactment of the Konza Bill and support the new leadership in delivering the project.

‘I am so impressed by what PS Eng. Tanui started 8 years ago. This is a very big project and despite the challenges, they have done a lot. We look forward to supporting the new leadership and we are working hand in hand to make sure that we expedite the process of enacting the Bill. We are having continuous engagements to ensure that the Bill is passed for this project to continue growing and increase investor confidence,’ said Sen. Chesang.

Prof. Munavu thanked the stakeholders of the project and noted that his leadership will seek to grow the developments of the city in the coming days.

He said, ‘In our inauguration today, we have been able to know each other and we are going to take over from the past team which did a lot. We have seen for example that Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) has taken off and we envision that by the end of the year, this will be actualised. Other projects like the National Data centre, the Jitume Programme, the water reclamation facility are a clear demonstration of KOTDA’s success.’

The Chairman was accompanied by Pacifica Chepkosgei, Philip Nyakwaka Olero, Samuel Kariuki Maina, Bertha Denna and Charles Kilonzo who were appointed by CS Owalo in a Gazette Notice of Vol. CXXV-No. 57 as members of the Board.

During the event, Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo noted that they will support the project in collaboration with Kajiado and Machakos counties to fully realise the benefits of the project to the region.

Other senators present from the Senate ICT Committee included Senators Miraj Abdillahi Abdulrahman, Kisang William Kipkemoi, Nyamu Karen Njeri and Abdalla Shakila Mohamed.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has embarked on training farmers in Embu and neighbouring counties on how to increase yields from the ongoing rains.

With forecast from the weatherman indicating that the rains would be depressed, KALRO Director in charge of Embu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Meru and Tharaka Nithi Counties Dr. Alfred Micheni said it was important for farmers to be informed on the right varieties of seeds to plant.

‘In light of the anticipated poor rainfall performance, it is essential for farmers to be trained on how to grow the right crop varieties to realize high crop yields,’ Dr. Micheni said, while urging farmers to go for certified seeds to get value for their investment.

Speaking at KALRO offices in Embu town Friday, Dr Micheni said they had organized a two-day farmer exhibition on March 21 and 22 where they would showcase various technologies and trends in farming from various institutions as well as avail varieties of certified seeds to farmers at a discounted rate.

He said besides planting the right seed varieties, farmers should also plant early so that the crops will have reached maturity by the time the rains ceased.

Researcher Extension Linking Officer Catherine Muriithi said they would also focus on training farmers on new farming technologies and management practices to help farmers achieve more in terms of productivity and incomes.

She said it was important for the farmers to adapt to climate change to mitigate crop failure through practices such as early land preparation, technologies of managing land and conservation agriculture.

‘We actually have to change our way of doing things to be food secure now that we no longer get normal rains,’ she said.

Researcher Murimi Kagete asked farmers to practice crop diversification as a viable option of building household food and nutrition security as well as boost incomes.

He particularly asked famers to incorporate traditional food crops such as sweet potatoes, cassava, yams, millet and sorghum that are drought resistant and have high nutritional value.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Donya Kafui, alias Ezor, who is standing trial for allegedly plotting with others to overthrow the government has denied he manufactured guns to stage a coup.

Ezor, the second witness in the ongoing treason trial told the High Court that he was invited by Staff Sergeant Sule Kwadwo Awarf, the star prosecution’s witness, to Accra to repair guns and make pipes for musketry.

He said he was told the guns were for the military high command.

Ezor told the court that Awarf brought two guns for test firing at the military shooting range, Teshie, and that during the process, he, together with the late Dr Frederick Mac-Palm who accompanied Awarf were arrested, and the weapons seized.

He said the gun repairs and the making of the pipes for musketry were not meant for criminal activities.

The Court presided over by a three-member-panel made including Justices Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, Hafisata Amaleboba and Stephen Oppong, all Appeal Court judges with additional responsibility as high court judges heard that Ezor, a steel bender, welder, and blacksmith, lived in Alavanyo.

However, in the witness statement he had earlier given to the police indicated that he was a blacksmith and farmer, which earned him the best farmer in the Hohoe Municipality in 2011.

Ezor who is currently standing trial with eight others said in July 2019, he had a call from Awarf, a soldier, to come to Accra.

On arrival in Accra, he was picked up at the 37 Military Hospital bus stop and sent me to Dr Mac Palm’s place.

‘Later, Staff Sergeant Awarf, asked me to repair some guns for him whilst I lodged with him at Burma Camp, but I declined thus, I was taken to the Citadel Hospital, owned by late Mac-Palm,’ Ezor said.

Ezor said he started cutting the pipes for musketry at the Citadel Hospital when Awarf also brought him the guns to be repaired.

He said after the test firing which led to their arrest, he did not hear from Awarf again.

In a Cross-examination by another accused person, Bright Alan Debrah’s defence counsel Ezor was asked whether he knew Debrah and he affirmed that he knew him.

Ezor said he got to know Debrah when Awarf took him to the late Dr Mac-Palm’s house and again when Debrah visited the Hospital, but they however did not discuss the overthrow of the government.

Debrah also did not discuss plans of producing weapons to carry out the alleged overthrow.

He said as a steel bender, he (Ezor) employed other hands whenever he had a lot of work and when he was sometimes engaged outside Alavanyo.

Ezor emphasized that he did not make guns but only repaired single-barrelled and locally-made ones.

Ezor and Debrah are standing trial with Johannes Zikpi, Colonel Samuel Kojo Gameli, Warrant Officer Class Two Esther Saan, Corporal Sylvester Akankpewon, Lance Airforce Corporal Ali Solomon, and Assistant Commissioner of Police Dr Benjamin Kwasi Agordzo.

They are facing charges including conspiracy to commit a crime, high treason, possession of weapons and abetment of crime.

All the nine accused persons have denied their respective charges and have been granted bail.

Source: Ghana News Agency

The Heritage Heaven (HH), hitherto known as Child Support, a foster home in Wa, has received a donation of food items from the Wa Chapter Club of the Children and Youth in Broadcasting (CYIB) Curious Minds Ghana.

The donation, which included bags of rice and cartons of soft drinks, formed part of the activities of the club to mark its 27 years of service to children and young people in Ghana and beyond.

The club also educated the children at the foster home on personal hygiene and how to identify their life goals and work towards achieving those goals despite the current circumstances they found themselves in.

Speaking at a brief event at the orphanage in Wa to hand over the items, Mr Philip Tengzu, the Upper West Regional Coordinator of Curious Minds (CM) Ghana, said the club was committed to advancing the welfare of children and young people.

He said that informed their decision to donate for the upkeep of the children at the orphanage.

‘At Curious Minds, whatever we do is centered on children and young people, so, as part of our agenda for this year, we decided that we will make sure that children are not left out in everything that we do,’ Mr Tengzu explained.

He noted that the welfare of children should be a concern for all adding, ‘Together, we can create an enabling environment for children to grow into responsible persons in society.

‘This will not be our first and last of coming here. We will surely come back to support you in our little way,’ he added.

He also indicated that they were looking forward to establishing a club at the foster home to regularly interact with the children and motivate and encourage them to aspire for greater heights in life.

Miss Leenat Abdul-Rahaman, the Upper West Regional Programmes Manager of CM-Ghana, encouraged the children not to give up on perusing their dreams.

She also asked the children to always practice good personal hygiene while they aspire to be change agents in their communities in the future.

Mr Solomon Yakubu, the Secretary of the orphanage who received the items, thanked the CM-Ghana for the support and said feeding the children at the orphanage had been their major challenge.

He explained that they had started a school at the orphanage as part of efforts of providing formal education to the children within and outside the foster home.

Mr Yakubu, therefore, appealed for more support to help meet the basic needs of the children who found themselves at the facility for no fault of theirs.

The Home currently manages about 20 children but has supported many vulnerable children to become self-reliant in the health, security, and vocational sectors.

Source: Ghana News Agency