Day: May 13, 2023

Over 200 households in Muminji Ward, Embu, have benefitted from rehabilitation of Itira Earth Dam by the County Government in conjunction with World Bank Funded National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP).

The dam set to provide residents who are mainly famers with domestic and irrigation water is one of such similar projects being undertaken by the devolved unit to alleviate water shortage in the ASAL area.

Other dams that have so far been rehabilitated include Gitinangugu in Mavuria Ward and Kangondo in Kiambere Ward.

Speaking while commissioning the dam on Friday, Governor Cecily Mbarire said plans were underway to construct more such dams to harvest rainwater and sink boreholes across the expanse Mbeere North and South Sub-counties to alleviate perennial water shortage.

She said by so doing, they hope to turn the areas endowed with fertile soils into the next county bread basket.

The Governor said they had already procured a borehole drilling machine specifically for the two dry Sub-counties adding the machine will drastically reduce the cost that could have been incurred in outsourcing the services.

Mbarire said they are still pushing for construction of the proposed mega dams including Thuci, Rupingazi, Kamumu and Thambana by the National Government that will greatly assist in unlocking the county’s agricultural potential.

The residents hailed the development of rehabilitating the dam, saying it will go a long way in enhancing food production and security in the area as well as boost their incomes.

Farmer James Ngari said they have been spending 60 percent of their time searching for water, time that he noted could have otherwise been spent in their farms it they had water.

He called on the devolved unit to have at least one dam constructed within a radius of three to five kilometers to see to it that all residents have access to water.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has released their 2022 report on the status of drug and substance abuse in Kenya.

The survey, which was conducted at intervals of five years to assess the effectiveness of reduction programmes implemented in the last five years, has seen its findings used to inform evidence-based policies for the next five-year programing phase.

The national survey, having used a cross-sectional study design to provide reliable indicators, sampled out Kenyans aged 15 to 65 years obtained from Kenya Household Master Sample Frame (K- HMSF).

From the report, tobacco products, Alcohol and khat have had the highest overall awareness at 97 percent, 95 percent and 88 percent respectively.

With children as young as six years suspected to begin using these drugs especially tobacco, the report also revealed that the average age for initiation of tobacco, alcohol, khat, cannabis among other drugs was 16 to 20 years.

In part, the report read that one in every six Kenyans between 15 to 65 years of age, are currently using at least one drug. However, 1 in every 3 males and 1 in every 16 females are using at least one of the drugs.

According to the report, alcohol continues to be the widely used substance in Kenya with findings pointing towards increasing demand for cheaper and readily available alcoholic products especially chang’aa.

Speaking during the event in Nairobi, Ministry of Interior and National Coordination Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Raymond Omollo insisted on the collaboration between the County and National governments in order to scale up effectiveness to control the production and consumption of illicit brew.

‘There will be collaboration between the national and county government to scale up the joint effort to control the production, distribution, sale and consumption of illicit brews,’ Omollo reiterated.

The PS urged the County governments to review the licensing regime and incorporate public participation to regulate the increased rate of liquor selling outlets.

He also observed that educating the youth on the myths, misinformation and misconceptions of cannabis use will help mitigate the rate of consumption.

From the findings, the western region has had the highest prevalence of current use of at least one drug of abuse followed in succession by the Eastern region and Nairobi.

‘It is stipulated that the 25 to 35 years age group that is out of school is identified as the most vulnerable group of drugs and substance use and dependence,’ the report divulged.

The report also exposed the online sale of drugs which poses serious public health safety concerns as well as regulatory challenges that include, among others, access by underage children.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Vihiga County Government in partnership with the Chinese firm, Huawei and the Equity Bank in a deal that would see the corporates train the youth in Information Communications Technology (ICT) and financial literacy skills respectively.

Huawei has a truck with power and internet ports, where desktops and laptops can be fixed for use and it moves around for access by potential learners across the County, while the Bank provides some employees to train the learners.

The Vihiga Governor, Dr. Wilber Ottichilo, said the month-long training that kicked-off, Tuesday, would equip the beneficiaries with the highly needed ICT skills and consequently boost their employability, as well enable them secure online jobs.

Dr. Ottichilo commended the Ministry of Information Communications and Digital Economy (MOICandDE), for establishing an ICT hub at the Kaimosi Friends College that he said would benefit the college fraternity and the local community.

He added that other digital hubs are to be set up at Sabatia and Bunyore Technical and Vocational Training Centres.

‘The ICT-Authority, which is an Agency under the MOICandDE, is going to install wi-fi hotspots in major market centres, including Mbale, Luanda, Chavakali and Mudete,’ he said.

Huawei’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager, Ian Korir, encouraged more residents to turn-up for the programme.

He said each learner would have 40 hours of training and they will be issued with certificates at the end of the course.

Korir challenged the youth to embrace ICT, so that they come up with innovations that would turn-around their fortunes.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The county government of Murang’a has launched a project aimed to upgrade roads among other infrastructure within major local towns.

The project dubbed smart cities will see various infrastructure within the towns get a facelift and expanded to accommodate increasing population.

Launching the project on Friday in Kangari town in Kigumo, Governor Irungu Kang’ata observed roads and streets within the towns will be upgraded to bitumen standards.

He said tarmacking of the roads will facilitate easy movement and boost business activities within the towns.

‘We have embarked on tarmacking roads and improving other infrastructure within major towns in this county. In the near future due to rural urban migration, the population in the towns will go up thus the need for more and better infrastructure,’ he said.

The towns earmarked to get the facelift include Gatura, Kabati, Maragua, Kiriaini, Kangema, Kangari and Murang’a town.

In every financial year, Kang’ata said the county government will be upgrading infrastructure of one major town in every of the six constituencies.

The project will also include beautifying the towns and providing security lights to enable traders to do their businesses for more hours.

Kang’ata noted the project will be funded by revenue collected locally saying improved infrastructure will motivate business people.

Kangari MCA Joseph Macharia said the project will see increased business activities in the towns adding poor infrastructures have forced traders to crowd and do their businesses along the main road.

‘Traders are avoiding doing their businesses in interior parts of the towns due to lack of better roads, this project will not only boost existing businesses but also create new opportunities for traders,’ he added.

Kangari, Macharia said has been facing a challenge of uncollected garbage stating that the project will improve cleanliness of the trading centre.

Meanwhile Kang’ata lauded progress of modernizing ECDE centres saying construction of new classrooms for early education children is going on well in various parts of the county.

The sector, he observed, has been neglected for a long time saying new ECDE centres will ensure young children study in a clean and better environment.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In a bid to counter the effects of global warming and climate change, the Nakuru County government has rolled out a drive to increase the tree cover to more than 15 percent.

Water, Environment, Energy, Climate Change and Natural resources CEC Dr Nelson Maara said the devolved unit had started planting trees on the hilltops, institutions and on public land in all the 11 Sub-Counties that will help in managing unreliable rainfall.

Dr. Maara affirmed the County Government’s commitment to support President William Ruto’s Special Presidential Forestry and Rangeland Acceleration Programme, which is tasked with ensuring 15 billion trees are planted in 10 years.

‘Our aim is to contribute to the country’s wider goal of increasing its forest cover which currently is at an alarming rate of less than 10 per cent,’ he said.

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) said Governor Susan Kihika’s administration was working with various stakeholders to turn around the negative effects of environmental degradation and climate change.

Dr. Maara cited partnerships with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KEFRI), Kenyatta University, Green Blue Foundation Africa, learning institutions, community based organizations and religious organizations adding that current 9.2 percent tree cover mark in the county was unsatisfactory.

The CECM who was accompanied by his Agriculture counterpart Mr Leonard Bor made the remarks at Sirikwa village within Kuresoi North Sub-county after distributing 11,000 tree seedlings to local residents.

While noting that the President has set a new target of 30 per cent of tree cover by 2032, from the current 12.13 per cent Dr Maara said communities are now involved in management of the natural resources in what has resulted in a high sense of ownership.

He said the County Government had embarked on a mission to combat carbon dioxide emissions in the country by planting 10 million trees between now and 2025.

‘The work will include enabling communities to raise tree nurseries and supply seedlings to residents for planting under a programme that will be implemented in all the eleven sub-counties.

The communities are encouraged to plant trees with high commercial value that are environmentally friendly,’ Dr Maara stated.

Climate change, he said, has also burdened other sectors, including health and infrastructure, as well as disrupting local and international supply chains.

‘To a considerable extent, these adversities are the direct and indirect consequences of human failure to observe its ecological imperative. The solution is to plant trees to reduce greenhouse emissions, to stop and reverse deforestation so that the human race is saved from the climate catastrophe,’ added the CECM.

Dr. Maara stated that increasing tree cover in Kenya would help reduce human-wildlife conflicts.

He indicated that millions of wildlife that depend on forest cover for their existence are faced with extinction due to illegal logging and failure to plant trees.

‘A high number of animals have been killed by communities after straying from the forests, national parks and game reserves for lack of tree cover, food and water. This trend can be reversed with sensitization of the local communities on the need to conserve the environment and protect wildlife, which is a national heritage,’ he noted.

The national government wants to have a minimum of 10 percent forest cover in Kenya by involving various stakeholders.

In November last year President William Ruto launched a tree restoration program at Ngong Hills Forest to kick start his plan of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.

Dr Ruto said the initiative will help combat the effects of climate change, which has unleashed calamities such as droughts, floods, unpredictable rainfall patterns and disease and pest outbreaks.

Nyeri County leads with an estimated 38 percent tree cover, a record that the Nakuru County administration is confident it will surpass in a couple of years.

According to KFS Rift Valley has an average forest cover of 14.6 percent with Elgeyo Marakwet accounting for the highest at 37 percent followed by Baringo at 25 percent, Kericho at 23.5 percent, Nandi 16.8 percent, Narok 16.6 percent and TransNzoia at 16.1 percent.

Others are Samburu at 12.8 percent, Bomet 12.7 percent, Nakuru 9.2 percent, West Pokot 8.3 percent, Uasin Gishu 7.5 percent, Kajiado 7.1 percent, with Laikipia and Turkana trailing at 6.7 percent and 4.06 percent respectively.

In his remarks Dr Bor said women, youths and vulnerable groups will be incorporated into the programme to establish tree nurseries with the support of Community Forest Associations (CFAs) in the ambitious plan to raise tree cover.

‘KFS is expected to provide 8 million tree seedlings with the county government topping up with 2 million tree seedlings that will be distributed for planting in farmlands and gazetted forests,’ ,’ the CECM pointed out.

With the challenges brought by global warming, Mr Bor said there was an urgent need for counties to join hands with various development partners and donor agencies to formulate sound and practical policies to conserve the environment, increase forest cover, provide clean and safe-to-drink water for the communities and raise the people’s livelihoods.

The Agriculture CECM observed that if every Kenyan plays their part, each would only have to plant 30 trees per year, or 300 in 10 years.

He stated that the devolved unit was fast-tracking development and implementation of spatial plans so as to guide environmental conservation and food security and create job

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Angolan Government is committed to redefining the communication strategy, to be closer to the citizen, stressed Saturday the Minister of Telecommunications, Information Technologies and Social Communication, Mário Oliveira.

The minister was speaking to the press on the Executive’s Institutional Communication Methodological Meeting, underway since Friday, in Luanda.

Mário Oliveira said that the meeting is collecting contributions, in order to turn this thought into a fact.

He said that the messages on the execution of the Government’s programme, upheld in 2022 elections, must reach the citizen with rigour, clarity and speed, so that the people are informed about the achievements of those who rule.

Therefore, Mário Oliveira stressed that the meeting, which ends this Saturday, has been fruitful, highlighting the fact that there are also press attaches, who should take this communication strategy to citizens in the diaspora.

“We are committed to the cause of better communication, defined by the government, so that the interests of citizens, focused on socioeconomic development, are achieved”, stressed the minister.

The Executive’s Institutional Communication Methodological Meeting is being attended by representatives of the media, provincial governments’ institutional communication offices, ministerial departments and diplomatic missions.

The programme features topics such as “The Executive’s Institutional Communication Strategy 2023-2027”, “Organization, flowchart and functioning of the Institutional Communication Ecosystem”, “Government Logo and National Symbols”, “Institutional Advertising”, “Press Relations Techniques and relationship with medias”, are part of the event programme.

The programme also includes analysis of the themes, “Cybersecurity”, “Digital media, social networks”, “Fake news vs misinformation”, among others.

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)