Day: July 19, 2023

Water and Sanitation Cabinet Secretary (CS) Alice Wahome has appealed to Kenyans to strongly reject the call for demonstrations by the opposition Azimio la Umoja Coalition. She said it had been demonstrated in the past that the anti-government protests called by the Raila Odinga-led team are just about lawlessness, loss of lives, and destruction of property. Speaking in Embu during an inspection tour of Tana Water Works Development Agency projects across the county, CS Wahome regretted the destruction of the Motorway, which was a long-term loan project released for use in the country recently, and the destruction of a DCC’s office in Emali. ‘Such kinds of activities should not be taking place in a democratic society where the complaint is about loss in an election,’ she said, adding that there was an open, clear, and transparent process for determining the winner of any electoral contest. She said the matter was litigated upon and the verdict delivered by the Judiciary, and thus it was insincere for the Azimio brigade to start causing havoc and chaos in order to be brought to the table for dialogue. ‘We must as a country reject that; it is bad history and a bad record, and we cannot have such a precedent where if you lose an election, you then go ahead and cause chaos,’ she said. She called on the opposition to call off the demonstrations because they had demonstrated they did not have the capacity to manage their supporters. The CS said the protests, if not stopped, could easily plunge the country into a civil conflict, and the government will not just sit back and watch that happen. Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku said Article 37 of the Constitution was very clear that demonstrations must be peaceful and the participants must be unarmed, which was not the case with Azimio protests. In a Bill pending before Parliament, the MP wants organisers of demonstrations to be held liable for any damage or loss of lives or property, and those engaging in protests to be liable for one-year imprisonment. ‘We do not want a situation whereby the country will be held at ransom by an individual in a violent manner in the name of demonstrations,’ he said. At the same time, police are questioning two individuals who were found donating food to street children in Embu Town to allegedly lure them into demonstrations. Embu West Sub-county Deputy OCPD Agnes Magiri said they had enhanced patrols to ensure the prevailing peace and tranquility was not disturbed by anybody.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At least 252 households in Masongaleni Ward in Kibwezi East Sub County will benefit from Agrivoltaic Farming Technology aimed at ensuring food security in the area. The Agrivoltaic farming technology method involves growing crops under solar panels while at the same time using energy from the sun to operate a solar pump to irrigate the crops. ‘This project will transform farmers from using diesel engines by utilising solar energy to pump water into their farms for irrigation in order to grow food for their families and generate income for economic empowerment,’ said the Director of the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, Energy, and Security, Tania Pons Allon. The director made the remarks during the inauguration ceremony of the Agrivoltaic Research Site at St. Patrick Ngomano Primary School on Tuesday. This first project outside Israel was officially inaugurated by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. and is supported by the Jewish National Fund-USA, the University of Arizona, the Kasser Joint Institute for Food, Water, Energy, and Security, Arava Valley in Israel, and the county government. The construction of the site will be completed in the next four months, and the undertaking is set to improve cultivation, provide energy and water to the schools and the surrounding community, and increase land usage efficiency. Allon said that the first three-year growing cycle will start immediately after the site’s completion. ‘We will support these farmers both financially and by sharing knowledge with experts through training them on the best farming practises, including pest control. We expect the project will be sustainable,’ Allon said, adding that the project will support one acre per household. She added that the initiative will do research on different food crops that will grow well in the area and, at the same time, introduce new varieties of food to children in the neighbouring communities to improve their health. Allon further said that by introducing the farming innovation technology, they also want to change the mindset of the young generation that farming was for only the elderly and the poor. ‘We want to bring the youth back to agriculture using high-tech innovations. The children and young generation from neighbouring communities will see, experience, and be part of this project that will inspire them to take on in the future,’ she noted. On his part, Governor Mutula appealed to the residents to take care of the project that he maintained will transform the people of Kibwezi East. ‘I want a commitment from you people from this area that you will protect this project with everything you have,’ he said. The governor lauded the partners for the noble initiative, saying it will go a long way in improving food security in the area. The Lower Masimbani Water Project Chairperson, Thomas Mutuku, said that they will plant kale, Spinach, Amaranth, Butternut,watermelon, and okra, thereby generating income that will enable them to educate their children as well as combat poverty.

Source: Kenya News Agency

It was business as usual in Murang’a town, where businesses operated as usual and no demonstrations took place, even as protests against the high cost of living happen in some parts of the country. From businesses like banks and supermarkets to bodaboda operators and other traders as well as service providers, residents carried out their usual activities uninterrupted. Speaking to KNA, one of the bodaboda riders, Stephene Muriithi, stated that he was not interested in being involved in any of the protests and that he was more focused on earning a living and providing for his family. Another trader, Jane Wairimu, noted that the protests were not making things better, as they were affecting many businesses and even learning in some schools. ‘These protests make no sense to me, and I don’t see their essence or what they are going to solve in relation to the current situation in the country because they are only leading to loss of life and property.’ Wairimu said, arguing that what we need is a consensus between the government and the opposition instead of protests. The transport sector has, however, been slightly affected as most travellers shun travelling to and from Nairobi. Today, although not in their usual numbers, matatus are conducting their operations as usual, unlike during the last protests on July 12, when they avoided that route completely. The ongoing protests have been called by opposition leader Raila Odinga of the Azimio coalition, who is decrying the high cost of living among other pertinent issues he wants addressed by the government.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Taita Taveta County’s agricultural sector is set for a boost as the existing Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP) will now be replaced by the National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) in a five-year plan that will see the impact felt across 20 wards. The announcement was made by KCSAP’s component 1 lead coordinator, Mr. James Singi, during a departmental stakeholder meeting for value chain selection held in Voi town, where he urged the county’s leadership to accord the new initiative support to achieve its intended goals. ‘As we say goodbye to KCSAP, I urge the county leadership to embrace NAVCDP and accord support to ensure that we hit our targets in the next five years,’ said Singi. ‘KCSAP laid a firm foundation for the next phase by instilling resilience among subsistence farmers through the distribution of high-quality seeds for drought-resistant crops, training farmers in the best farming practises, and scaling up household farming activities into commercially viable revenue generators. As it exits the stage, KCSAP leaves a well-informed base of grassroots farmers who are not only aware of the impact of climate change but have also been empowered to adapt to changes, and most importantly, ditch native crop farming practises and embrace high-value crop farming to tap into local, national, and global markets,’ he added. NAVCDP, according to Singi, will target five value-added sub-sectors, including Dairy, Irish Potato, Poultry, Green gramme, and banana, which have the potential to be scaled up and are adaptable to the county’s climatic conditions. In these sub-sectors, NAVCDP will be looking to build producer capacity for climate-resilient, stronger value chains, climate-smart value chain ecosystem investments, piloting climate-smart, safer urban food systems, and overseeing project coordination and management. Welcoming NAVCDP to the region, County Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Irrigation Executive Committee Member Erickson Kyongo said there was political goodwill to support the initiative and ensure the project achieves targeted goals. ‘Our county leadership is ready to support this project throughout its entire lifecycle as it aims to support better agriculture production methods and open up markets for value-added goods from locals,’ said Kyongo. To succeed, NAVCDP will draw its funding from the International Development Association (IDA), and the national and county governments in a partnership that continues to bear fruit in capacity building among smallholder farmers across the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The civil protection firefighters, supported by forestry workers, are still working to extinguish the fire that broke out in the Melloula forest in the Tabarka delegation (Governorate of Jendouba). As the fire spread to the outskirts of the National Road 7 between Tabarka and the Melloula border post, the civil protection team’s efforts were supported by a military aircraft and by the civil protection teams from the neighbouring governorates of Béja, Kef, Siliana and Bizerte, as well as citizens and volunteers. The Jendouba local disaster response committee evacuated a family living in “Douar Chrair” to a private accommodation centre as a precaution against the ravages of the fire, its director and Jendouba governor Samir Kouka told TAP. The local health authority in Jendouba has announced a number of measures to help those affected by the fire, including the provision of first aid and medical care through the establishment of a central medical team and a mobile team, said local health director Khaouther Nahdi.

Source: EN – Agence Tunis Afrique Presse