Day: June 25, 2023

The four Ajira Digital centres in Mathioya constituency are set to get additional equipment in order to support those venturing into online jobs.

The area MP Edwin Mugo has stated each of the centres will get an additional 10 computers and free Wifi within the next month to enable local young people to venture into online jobs.

The centres which were established during the former regime, Mugo divulged, lack enough computers among other essential equipment which can also promote the training of computer literacy.

He spoke on Friday at Kiriaini when 195 young people graduated with computer literacy, a programme which was sponsored by the local NG-CDF in partnership with Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT).

‘One way to provide our young people with employment is to provide a platform where they can venture into online jobs. The NG-CDF will fund the provision of free WIFI at the centres which are located in Gitugi, Njumbi, Kiriaini and Kamacharia areas,’ he added.

He added so far, they have trained a total of 400 young people in computer literacy underscoring the programme saying it will be of benefit considering most services have gone digital.

Mugo continued, ‘With the move to digitize all services, those with computer skills will be engaged in offering digital services.’

The lawmaker called upon the local youth to take advantage of the digital centres and explore ways of improving their livelihoods through exploiting digital opportunities.

‘Once the digital centres have the essential equipment, we expect local young people especially those who are in colleges or universities and also the graduates to fully utilize them to make money,’ Mugo noted.

One of the youths who trained on computer literacy Damaris Nyambura lauded the programme saying she will establish a cybercafé.

‘I want to invest in a cyber café and look forward to accessing the free Wifi that we have been promised by our area MP,’ said Nyambura.

Meanwhile, Mugo said the Finance Bill 2023, will unlock economic potential asking Kenyans to be patient as the proposed raised funds will help the government to invest in programmes which will improve their living standards.

‘The bill which is awaiting to be signed into law by the president, will greatly support farmers and, in this case, tea farmers where some taxes attached to the crop have been exempted. My appeal to Kenyans is to be a little patient as the cost of living will come down within a short period,’ he argued.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS), Eliud Owalo has challenged Nyanza residents to create a conducive environment for the government to deliver on its development mandate in the region.

Owalo said it was time for a paradigm shift from rhetoric politics to a tangible transformation and development-oriented agenda that will see the region realize fast economic development.

He was speaking at his Asembo home in Rarieda, Siaya county when he met religious leaders from the Nyanza region.

The cabinet secretary said that development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace but not perpetual noise and distraction.

‘We have done politics year in, year out. We cannot continue like this. We must change the politics of this region,’ he said.

Owalo said that the government was committed to delivering on its promise to all Kenyans, adding that for the first time, the country has got a president who is keen on rolling out tangible development programs in Nyanza.

‘Let us be part of the government. Those who do not want, we shall bring the government to them by way of development,’ he said.

The cabinet secretary assured the church that the Kenya Kwanza government considers the church an integral stakeholder of its administration and will integrate it into its programs.

Siaya county commissioner, Jim Njoka who also addressed the meeting called on church leaders to support the presidential task force on religious affairs by giving their views.

‘This is a historical moment for you and you should participate fully by giving your views to the task force,’ said Njoka.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Tourism, Wildlife, and Heritage Peninah Malonza has held a discussion with Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani to find an amicable solution to the challenges of human-wildlife conflict that have affected the county in the recent past.

CS Malonza who was accompanied by her Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs counterpart Salim Mvurya noted that it is important for the national government to have a dialogue with devolved units over the issues of human-wildlife conflict.

Ms. Malonza said she was in the coastal county to hold discussions with various stakeholders to appreciate the problems of human wildlife.

She noted that human-wildlife conflict is a key issue in dealing with wildlife conservation as there are a number of communities living near and around protected areas in the country.

She asserted the major causes of human-wildlife conflict in the country are human settlement in wildlife corridors, stream bank cultivation, deforestation, expansion of arable land into forested areas, and poaching.

CS Malonza added the national government is committed to working towards reducing cases of human-wildlife conflict across the country.

‘We are in Kwale to discuss with the local leadership ways of mitigating the perennial human-wildlife conflict in the region,’ said Malonza, adding that the government is working on robust strategies to control human-wildlife conflicts.

She went further, ‘We are going to meet all stakeholders in the counties to find lasting and amicable solutions to the conflicts between communities and wild animals’.

Ms. Malonza said her ministry is stepping up efforts to ensure that wildlife is contained in their habitats in a bid to minimize deaths, injuries, and crop destruction, especially during drought seasons.

She said there is a need for government agencies to collaborate across departments and ministries to effectively handle the longstanding problem of human-wildlife conflict.

‘As human-wildlife conflicts soar around the country, so do calls for compensation and that is why my ministry has developed an insurance scheme to compensate victims killed by wild animals,’ she said, adding that it’s not the government’s desire that communities live in endless conflict with wild animals.

CS Malonza said the recent severe drought has pushed wildlife from their natural habitats into human settlements searching for water and pasture exacerbating human-wildlife conflicts.

The CS urged the people not to resort to killing the wild animals when they spot them but asked them to report to the KWS.

On his part, CS Mvurya said the discussion centered on how KWS is dealing with the human and wildlife menace, and training of beach operators to boost tourism in the region through partnership with county governments.

He said enhancing the protection of natural habitats for wildlife species is key to sustainable tourism and the livelihood of communities around conservancies.

Governor Achani who received the delegation that included the Principal Secretary (PS) for Tourism John Ololtua and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) Board of Trustees Chair Lt. Gen. (Rtd.) Walter Koipaton among other government officials said elephants have been killing and maiming people and destroying crops making the situation susceptible to food insecurity.

‘Together with my Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, we have discussed several issues with the two CSs, the PS, and the team from KWS on matters of tourism in Kwale county, and ways to solve human-wildlife conflict cases that have been reported,’ she said.

She said human-wildlife conflicts have been on the increase exacerbating food insecurity and negatively impacting the well-being of the local communities.

She went further, ‘The CSs assured us that they will collaborate with my administration to ensure that Kwale fully benefits from its resources in the blue economy and tourism sectors’.

The county boss noted that often, human-wildlife conflict is borne out of competition for limited resources, including water and pasture, and space to live.

Achani says the county encompasses a sizable portion of nature reserves which are also hotspots for human-elephant conflict.

She said drought has become a major cause of human-wildlife conflict in the region and the high-level meeting sought to find ways of safeguarding the coexistence between wildlife and communities around game parks.

Kwale County has several national parks, game reserves, and marine parks and in almost all these, local communities have voiced their concern over the increasing human-animal conflict.

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, human-wildlife conflicts are becoming more frequent, serious, and widespread because of human population growth, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development, climate change, and other drivers of habitat loss.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Malaba municipality in partnership with Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), county government of Busia, forest department and learning institutions Saturday sensitized the public on the need to keep urban areas clean by getting rid of solid waste.

Through the Linda Mazingira Initiative, representatives from these organizations participated in a cleaning exercise at Malaba town before planting over 3,000 seedlings within the municipality.

The Linda Mazingira initiative targets to ensure urban areas are free from pollution caused by emission from trucks and solid waste dumped inappropriately, and in order to achieve this, they partner with the public.

And in support of the initiative, residents of Malaba Municipality planted trees at the Railway Station and six learning institutions.

Speaking to the press during the exercise Malaba Kenya Revenue Authority Manager Mr Aquilino Mwithalii urged the community to advocate for proper disposal of solid waste in towns and embrace the culture of planting trees along river banks to mitigate effects of floods while conserving water catchment areas.

‘The way we handle waste within urban areas will determine the kind of environment we want to live in. If you are dumping litter everywhere, it shows how disorganized you are,’ noted Mwithalii.

Mwithalii added that, there will be no need for tents if county residents embark on planting trees in institutions and homesteads to improve on the county’s tree cover which remains pathetic.

‘As KRA, we support environmental conservation and planting of trees. Protection of society and environment and facilitation of Trade are our key priorities with tax collection being the other function we execute,’ he said.

Acting Manager, Malaba Municipality, Brian Abwaku said as the second Municipality after Busia and with a population of 102,000 residents, they want to make the municipality environmentally friendly to attract investors.

Abwaku said the municipality covers 129 square kilometers and is composed of four wards which include Malaba Central, Malaba South and Amukura West.

‘The most preferred method of disposal has been to throw the used diaper or sanitary pad in a pit latrine or a garbage bag. Most places, especially in the urban areas, no longer have pit latrines and if they exist, they aren’t deep enough hence the disposed diapers and sanitary pads still end up in the open,’ noted Abwaku

He exuded confidence that as a municipality, they will meet the World Bank’s conditions to benefit from Kenya Urban Support Programme funding to the tune of Sh 200 million annually.

Linda Mazingira Initiative Managing Director, Patrick Ikwara on his part said they have already planted 52,150 tree seedlings in various hilltops and learning institutions in Teso North, Teso South, Matayos, Nambale, Bunyala, Samia and Kumi in Uganda which is part of Mt Elgon Trans-boundary.

Ikwara said Linda Mazingira achieved this feat by partnering with SSSI0- USA environment Wing, adding that they are targeting to plant one million trees by 2027.

‘We planted 3,000 trees today with 95 percent being indigenous and the rest assorted. The primary schools that benefited from the program include Malaba Township, Kajei, Model Junior Academy, Railways, Ekisegere, IsegereToto and Amoni.

On his part Teso North Sub County Kenya Forest Service Officer, Kennedy Ombati said Long Distance trucks carbon emission was putting border residents in danger, thus the urgent need to plant trees along the road from Malaba to Kocholia.

‘This will also be in line with President William Ruto’s clarion call of planting 15 billion trees by 2030,’ he said, noting that Busia County has very little tree cover and is ranked among counties with low tree cover.

A recent study by NEMA on waste management showed that most towns and cities in Kenya have inefficient waste collection and disposal systems. For instance, the study indicated that about 30-40 per cent of the waste generated in Nairobi is not collected.

Plastic bags remain the biggest nightmare to urban settlements within Busia town owing to the fact that Uganda has no restriction on the same.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Tharaka Nithi county Woman Representative, Ms. Susan Ngugi has hit the road running, reviving stalled projects and ensuring programmes run accordingly.

The former Marimanti ward Member of County Assembly (MCA) has apparently come in handy to give life to the county that has experienced many stalled development projects. The moribund projects include construction of roads and irrigation dams despite much capital investment from the national government.

County residents therefore have all the reasons to appreciate the aggressive legislator who is going out of her way to ensure the National Government Affirmative Action Fund (NGAAF) funds are put into intended use. She is ensuring NGAAF money helps groups to foster self- empowering projects and as need arises, chipping in to help the needy students meet their school fees obligations. She has further established a Rescue Foundation from her own resources.

Recently, the Woman Rep released cheques to two self- help groups from the county and launched a NGAAF bursary kitty.

While launching the bursary kitty at Nguruki day secondary school accompanied by Tharaka Nithi County Commissioner Wesley Koech and County Director of Education Ms. Bridget Wambua, the Woman Rep said the kitty will support all needy students in the region and was meant to raise the education standards.

Later, a group from Kaanwa, Upendo self-help group received a Sh119,000 cheque to buy goats for member’s financial empowerment to improve their living standards.

Speaking to the press after issuing cheques to the self- help group Ms. Ngugi promised to serve all the wards across the county without discrimination. ‘ I will serve all the wards without leaving any group out. However I will ensure that the registered groups do not have ghost members by sending my team to verify,’ said the Woman Rep.

She emphasized that those who receive the NGAAF funds must utilize the money for the projects indicated in their proposals and in case of change there should be a formal meeting with minutes to that effect.

‘The government gives very little for the NGAAF fund and I cannot sit back and watch while the funds are misappropriated,’ the Woman Rep said.

In addition, the ambitious leader officially commissioned a vehicle for rescue services across the County in an initiative dubbed ‘Susan Mwindu rescue services,’ meant to help those stranded in sorry situations. The rescue services will benefit the sick, expectant mothers, GBV, FGM, and defilement victims among other needy cases.

‘I was elected to take care of the less fortunate in the County and I am determined to serve them to my level best,’ Susan said during one of the rescue events.

Early this week, she visited Mariuko Maingi Primary school in Kaanwa area and issued a 10,000-litre water tank to support water provision in the school.

She further promised to table a motion in the National Assembly seeking to have the Government issue school uniforms to public schools for free. ‘If the motion passes, no parent will buy uniforms for their children,’ Mr. Ngugi affirmed.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The ever-increasing population of pupils in schools due to free basic education and 100% transition to secondary schools, besides domiciling of junior secondary schools in primary schools’ compounds has piled up pressure on the need for expanded infrastructure.

In order to ensure effective learning and respond to changing needs for education delivery, and provision of safe and conducive learning environments, the Ministry of Education and leaders through the National Government Constituency Development Fund-(NG-CDF) have been investing in building classrooms and other amenities in institutions of learning to at least achieve the minimum required standard.

In one such project, Kiandieri Primary and Junior Secondary school in Kirinyaga Central sub-county benefited with 10 ablution blocks for pupils and 6 for teachers, all connected to a septic tank. The facilities, which have been a challenge to the school over the years, will serve 400 learners and staff.

The schools have been using old pit latrines that were a risk to the safety of the young learners as they had started sinking.

Area MP Joseph Gitari said there was a lack of oversight in the past because despite the sinking toilets risk having been reported, nothing had been done. He said he committed to having the block built within the financial year 2022/23. He also commended the contractor for delivering the projects on time.

‘I think there was a lack of oversight because the state of latrines in this school ended up in social media and attracted the attention of the deputy president. The toilets were sinking and we had to avail funds for renovation and construction of modern ones. The contractor took up the challenge and here we are today,’ he said

Speaking when he handed over the facility Saturday, the legislator further promised to fund the school greening program as part of the 15 billion national tree target and promised that in subsequent years, more NG-CDF funds will be directed to schools for amenities and bursary.

‘We shall be allocating more funds towards such important facilities in our schools and bursaries. To achieve the 15 billion targets of trees by the president we have asked teachers to provide spaces where we will support them to plant trees,’ he added

Kiandieri head teacher Jacinta Nyambura said the facility is a facelift to the institution as it has been a challenge not only to staff and pupils but also at times of hosting visitors. She said sometimes teachers could queue to use the single toilet meant for the entire staff.

She thanked the CDF board for prioritizing the project and urged parents to support the school in all ways possible. Nyambura noted the lack of enough latrines almost denied the school opportunity to host junior secondary school.

‘Hosting visitors in our school has posed a shame of the lack of toilets. If teachers were queuing like students, what would guests do? I thank the CDF priority they gave to us and I call on all parents to support us where necessary,’

‘We had a challenge getting registration to host the JSS because of the ablution blocks which did not meet the standards,’ Ms. Nyambura added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kisii County Commissioner, Tom Anjere has instructed the sub-county security committees to hold bi-weekly meetings to discuss security concerns and devise strategies for tackling them effectively.

Speaking to the press at the Kisii Cultural Hall in Kisii town, Anjere urged the security teams at the sub-county level to engage the public during the meetings and educate them on the importance of maintaining peace in the community.

The CC said the public gatherings will allow the security agencies to respond to the needs of the public directly and foster a sense of responsibility among the residents.

He pointed out the need to improve the presence of police officers during night patrols in the respective sub-counties to enhance security.

Anjere noted that the distribution of illicit brew was fueling insecurity in the county adding that the county security committee had made a collective decision to combat this problem by devising measures to counter the illegal trade.

The CC warned that police officers found aiding the distribution of illicit brew would be subjected to legal consequences.

Further, he encouraged the sub-county teams to involve leaders from the boda boda sector during the meetings to facilitate discussions on self-help initiatives and maintaining peace within their respective areas.

Anjere told the committee to caution the boda boda operators against engaging in activities that hinder the development of the nation.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Mvita Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Ronald Mwiwawi has said there is need to educate the community against consuming and peddling illicit drugs.

Speaking at the Swahilipot Hub ahead of the International Day Against Drug Abuse, the DCC highlighted the gravity of drug abuse in Mombasa, emphasizing that it is a disease that requires treatment and that society should comprehend.

‘This is a disease like any other and should be treated accordingly,’ said Mwiwawi.

The DCC revealed that he had requested the Ministry of Education to assist them in reaching out to students in schools to educate them on the effects of drug abuse, as most fall victim to during their academic years.

He stated that drug abuse in schools adversely affects academic performance, resulting in dropouts and an upsurge of street children.

Mwiwawi further advised parents with children affected by drug abuse to support them in recovery and refrain from stigmatizing them. ‘Mombasa has a problem, a disease, a disaster that requires urgent attention,’ he stated.

Taib Abdulrahman, the Director of Reach Out Centre Trust, a drug abuse rehabilitation centre extolled the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) for their technical support in strengthening the available rehabilitation programmes and initiating new ones targeting schools, early detection, and prevention methods.Abdulrahman said drug abuse is rampant in Mombasa County, adding that the most abused drug is heroin.

‘Given that Miraa is affordable, many users have access to it,’ said Basheeib adding that they have discussed the issue with the County Government, hoping they will regulate the sale of Miraa and other legal drugs that are being abused as they have side effects.

NACADA Coast Regional Manager George Karisa urged parents not to abandon their responsibilities as the children risk indulging in drug and substance abuse.

The International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking, or World Drug Day, is marked on 26 June every year. This year’s theme is ‘People first: stop stigma and discrimination, strengthen prevention’.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), this year’s campaign aims to raise awareness about the importance of treating people who use drugs with respect and empathy, providing evidence-based, voluntary services for all, offering alternatives to punishment, prioritizing prevention and leading with compassion.

The campaign also aims to combat stigma and discrimination against people who use drugs by promoting language and attitudes that are respectful and non-judgmental.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The residents of Ilmisigiyo in Kajiado Central, can now breathe a sigh of relief after the Kajiado county government drilled a community borehole for them.

Speaking during the launch of the community borehole, Kajiado governor Joseph Ole Lenku said that due to climate change, food, water and livestock pasture had become scarce, and providing water was a priority for his administration.

The governor noted that his agenda of livable towns with essential services and amenities for a better and dignified life, modulated pastoralism for profitable livestock keeping, and climate-proofed environments to safeguard present and future generations will all be achieved only if there is water.

The community borehole that was constructed by the county government of Kajiado.

Governor Lenku further revealed that plans are in place to ensure that most community boreholes operate using solar energy.

‘In addition to the solar energy, the boreholes will have a backup generator to ensure that water is available at all times,’ said Ole Lenku

While acknowledging that boreholes occasionally develop problems, the governor remarked that the county will train all borehole handlers on how to operate the boreholes.

The governor added that the community members will pay a small maintenance fee for the boreholes and the county will get a company to manage the same.

Area Member of County Assembly Abraham Osoi thanked the governor for the water saying it will go a long way in ensuring there is food in the area which has been adversely affected by drought.

Moses Kishil, a resident of the area is also grateful for the borehole saying that they had to travel long distances to find the precious commodity at expensive rates since they depended on individual boreholes but now, he is glad the situation has changed.

Source: Kenya News Agency