Day: July 16, 2023

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Carolina Cerqueira, expressed dismay Sunday, in Luanda province, due to the death of Queen Nhacatolo Tchilombo, who died Saturday, victim of illness, in a health unit in Luanda.

ANGOP learnt that in a message of condolence addressed to the family, Carolina Cerqueira said that the sovereign of the Luvale people, throughout her life stood out as a woman of great courage, committed to improving the living conditions of the people of Alto Zambeze and the eastern region of Angola.

According to her, Queen Nhacatolo carried out her activity with a great sense of patriotic duty, wisdom and respect for the noblest desires of the homeland and became the fearless guardian of tradition and the rich culture and habits of her people.

“With her death, Angola loses an outstanding figure of traditional power and an insignificant daughter of the Motherland”, says the message.

Carolina Cerqueira considers the Queen Nhacatolo Tchilombo a figure of an easy-going person, example of perspicacity and great tenacity, adding that she leaves a great legacy of leadership and humility that should serve as an example for future generations and an inspiration for young women.

“We pay her our most respectful tribute and hope that her name will remain everlasting in the history of Angola, which she served in a heroic and patriotic way”, reinforces Carolina Cerqueira.

The 86 year-old ruler, was living in the Cavungo commune of the municipality of Alto Zambeze and became Queen of the Luvale tribe in 2004, replacing the Queen Khakatolo Tchissengo who died in 1992

Source: Angola Press News Agency (APNA)

Justus Ndemo (aged 35), sits outside their house holding his mobile phone as he listens to music from his father’s radio in Suneka township, Kisii South Sub-county, Kisii County.

According to Ndemo, listening to the radio was more convenient compared to other media because one can simultaneously carry out various activities including chatting with friends on social media.

‘Listening to the radio is the most interesting thing for me, because I can perform various tasks including farming or chatting with friends while enjoying music in the background,’ says Ndemo

Ndemo’s sentiments resonate with the recent Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) for 2022 which states that men have a higher percentage of media usage compared to women in Kenya, although radio is the most prevalent form of media exposure for both genders.

The KDHS volume 1 report which was published by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) indicates that 9 percent more men than women listen to the radio at least once a week, and 5% more men watch television in the same period.

The study highlights that men’s exposure to television has increased, while the percentage of women and men exposed to radio has been declining. Women’s exposure to radio declined over time.

A farmer, Grace Abunda aged 52, says experience had revealed that television had caused many people to shift away from radio.

This, she says, is the reason why many people have television in their homes and less radios.

Among the three media platforms, television is more commonly accessed in urban areas, while radio remains the predominant form of media in rural areas according to the survey.

The survey also indicates a rising trend in exposure to television, while the percentage of both women and men exposed to radio has been declining.

Among the three media platforms, television is more commonly accessed in urban areas, with 2 percent more men than women being exposed to it while in rural areas, radio remains the predominant form of media, with 63 percent

of women and 77 percent of men engaging with it.

The survey also indicates a rising trend in women’s exposure to television, increasing from 29 percent in 2003 to 55 percent in 2022 while during the same period, men’s exposure to television increased from 45 percent to

60 percent

On the other hand, the percentage of both women and men exposed to radio has been declining, with women’s exposure decreasing by 5 percent between 2003 and 2014, and further dropping by another 7 percent to 62 percent in

2022.

According to the KNBS survey, internet usage has also increased, being more prevalent in urban areas compared to rural areas, with higher percentages of women and men in urban areas reporting internet usage in the past 12 months compared to their rural counterparts.

Internet usage is more prevalent in urban areas compared to rural areas with approximately 68 percent of women and 80 percent of men in urban areas reporting using the internet in the past 12 months, while the figures were 28 percent of women and 41 percent of men in rural areas.

Abel Omweno, a worker in a cyber café located in Nyanchwa, near Kisii town says that men tend to be more preoccupied with accessing the internet in his premises because they seem to have more free time than women who must attend to household chores.

‘I can’t remember the last time I listened to the radio or watched television although I find time for my friends on social media,’ chips in Sharon Amanda, a student at Kisii University.

However, Amanda says she occasionally watches television on her mobile phone when she feels there is an important happening in the country that might affect her or her kin.

The survey indicates that she is among the significant portion of women and men who reported using the internet almost daily.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Migori Youth FC will face an uphill task as they aim to reach the Kenya Premier League (KPL) promotion for the first time after a goalless draw with Wazito FC.

The first-leg playoff at Migori Green Stadium resulted in missed chances despite having a home ground advantage.

Migori Youth could not capitalize on the weak defensive link of the Wazito FC which had racked up 49 goals, the third lowest in the 2022/2023 KPL campaign.

Wazito FC however, with the experience of having played in KPL were able to hang on and earn a vital point that may lead to their KPL survival hopes.

Migori Youth FC will regret not using the golden opportunities they got as well as the poor scoring form from Wazito FC.

The second leg will be played on July 22 at Muhoroni Stadium where the winner of the game will either be promoted (Migori Youth) to the KPL or relegated (Wazito FC) from the KPL.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government will start paying dues owed to examiners of the 2022 Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) national examinations, Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has said.

CS Machogu said the Sh. 2 billion had been set aside for that purpose to ensure all outstanding dues were paid to the KNEC examiners, contracted officials, and suppliers.

Speaking on Saturday at Kangaru School in Manyatta Constituency, Embu, during the inaugural Education Day by area MP Gitonga Mukunji, the CS said going forward his ministry will prioritize prompt payment to examiners to ensure no such delays will be experienced again.

He said the delay was occasioned by a cash crunch at the council that forced it to maintain the pending bill for over six months from the time the exercise was completed.

Machogu said they had already started paying contractors who undertook the construction of Competence Based Curriculum (CBC) classes their dues amounting to Sh. 2.5 billion.

He at the same time said the ministry will be employing 25,000 teachers this financial year in addition to the 30,000 employed last year to reduce the student-teacher ratio.

‘We are committed to keep improving the quality of our education by ensuring we have enough teachers in our schools,’ he said

He hailed the program initiated by the MP that will see learners in secondary school given career guidance and counseling by various stakeholders and professionals as a game changer in shaping the future career paths of young minds.

The CS called on other constituencies to follow suit to equip students with career knowledge early enough.

MP Mukunji said the program will be an annual event that will also be used to award the best-performing schools and students in academics.

He rooted for a return to the ranking of schools in national examinations, saying it will bring back the spirit of competition which was good for learners.

‘The schools performing poorly will be challenged to work harder while best performers will equally have to put more effort to maintain their position,’ Mukunji said.

He further said he had initiated a digitization program in all public primary and secondary schools to equip learners with technological knowledge early in life that will also expose them to the world of online jobs.

Mukunji said the project will involve putting up computer laboratories with internet connectivity.

Other leaders present during the occasion include EALA Member Godfrey Maina and Gatundu South MP Gabriel Kagombe.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Two teenagers are nursing broken limbs at the Thika level Five Hospital after they were run over by Del Monte company ltd security guards van on suspicion of stealing pineapples.

The duo claims the guard’s van accosted and run over them as they rode on their motorcycles while heading home to Kihiu Mwiri village in Gatanga, Murang’a County from the multinational fruit juice processing farm after fetching fodder for their cattle.

Brian Ingusu, 17, and his cousin David Lucheri, 19, claim that the security guards gave them a chase suspecting them of being on a mission to steal the fruits from the pineapple farm and knocked them down.

Ingusu suffered a broken right limb, ribs and deep cuts on his face while Lucheri has broken ribs and bruises all over his face, hands and legs.

A sack with six pineapples was recovered at the scene of the accident.

Ingusu’s mother Jacqueline Were told journalists that she was informed of the incident while at home and rushed to Ngati police station within Del Monte farm when she was notified that his son and cousin had been rushed to hospital.

Were wondered why innocent people continue to suffer in the hands of the company and no action was being taken to protect them.

She said the brutality by the company’s security guards has escalated with cases of youths from the village being clobbered and maimed by the guards being on the rise.

She said that the fruit juice firm should take responsibility for the incident and bear the costs of their medication.

‘The guards have labeled all the youth in Kihiu Mwiri village pineapple thieves which is unfortunate. Why would they run over people with a vehicle instead of arresting the boys and taking them to the police, ‘ posed Were.

Wilson Nyoike, a youth from the village said they are worried about the trend of brutality.

They now want the Government to intervene and investigate the cases of brutality meted on innocent youths in the village by the guards.

Ithanga Sub County police commander Patrick Nyagah confirmed the incident saying that it was just treated as a normal accident at Del Monte farm and that further investigations are underway.

Delmonte has over the years been at loggerheads with locals over massive pineapple theft in the farms and trucks ferrying them to the company processing units.

Locals too have been complaining of excessive brutality by the company guards who they claim to injure, maim or kill those suspected to have stolen the pineapple.

Source: Kenya News Agency