Month: August 2023

Hundreds of youths in Garissa on Tuesday turned for the Kenyan Defense Forces (KDF) recruitment exercise held at the Garissa primary school playgrounds.

As anticipated only five girls turned up for the recruitment compared to their male counterparts.

Addressing the press senior recruitment officer in charge of Garissa Lt. Col. James Okumu said that the turnout was ‘good’ but most of the candidates did not meet the minimum education qualifications whereas others were eliminated on medical grounds.

He said only those who meet the set minimum requirements will be given a fair chance to join the KDF.

‘The doctors observed that most of the candidates had issues to do with their dental, skin that was used to further eliminate the candidates from the long list,’ Lt Col. Okumu.

‘Majority of the Garissa school leavers did not meet the minimum education qualifications. Some have not picked their certificates from their former schools. KDF gives equal opportunities to all Kenyans,’ he added.

Lt Col Okumu said about 10 males and 2 females will be picked in the exercise that kicked off yesterday and will run up to September 8.

The KDF recruitment drive is looking to enlist General Service Officer (GSO) Cadets (both regular and graduate degree holders), Specialist Officers, General Duty Recruits, Tradesmen and Women, and Defence Forces Constables.

Vice Chief of the Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Jonah Mwangi, while addressing journalists at the Defense Forces Headquarters in Hurlingham, Nairobi emphasized the importance of diversity within the KDF saying the recruitment is necessary to address human resource and capacity gaps within the military.

Lieutenant General Mwangi called upon the public to uphold the KDF’s values and report any suspicious activities related to the recruitment process on hotline numbers (0726419709 or 0726419706).

Successful candidates in the cadet category will proceed to the Kenya Military Academy in Lanet, Nakuru County, for further processing. Meanwhile, confirmed General Duty Recruits and Tradesmen and Women will attend training at the Kenya Defense Forces Recruit Training School in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Bomet Governor Prof. Hillary Barchok has opposed calls by a section of health workers in the country to take back management of health care to the National Government.

Speaking at Longisa Sub County when he commissioned a Sh80 million Liquid Oxygen Tank, Barchok said health care is there to stay with the counties.

‘Health care is here to stay with us in the counties, taking it back is like robbing Kenyans and we will not accept it,’ he said.

Barchok said health care provision has improved and electorates at the grassroots are feeling the impact of health services under the management of the County government.

The Governor who was in the company of Health CEC Joseph Sitonik, Deputy Governor Shadrack Rotich, and a representative from Amref who helped in setting up the bulk Oxygen tank said the push by a section of healthcare workers was driven by selfish interest.

He said those pushing for the return of health management of the nation do not appreciate the challenges the counties are going through.

‘Despite numerous challenges, counties have managed to manage health beyond expectation,’ Barchok added.

He said whole counties have not been able to meet the demand for health workers, they have ensured that services are up and running with limited resources.

Barchok said despite the challenges, Bomet has recruited enough healthcare staff and was working round the clock to improve their welfare.

He said as governors they are also pushing for an increase in resources that will enable them to provide better services in all sectors.

‘The resources we get are limited and we will not sleep until we feel that counties are getting enough because this is where a majority of Kenyans are and are expecting various services

The Governor said several clinics have been set up to ensure locals do not crisscross the country in search of treatment.

‘When we took over, we had limited services but now we offer at Longisa almost all health care services,’ he revealed.

He said the focus at the moment was on cancer treatment which is in demand due to increased cases within the South Rift.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya has unveiled the 2023 edition of the Financial Reporting (FiRe) Award, a prestigious recognition that celebrates and promotes financial reporting excellence in both public and private sector organizations.

The FiRe Award is a collaborative effort between the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), the Capital Market Authority (CMA) of Kenya, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE), the Retirement Benefits Authority, and the Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (PSASB).

Mr Geoffrey Odundo, Chairman of the FiRe Award Executive Committee and CEO of NSE emphasised in his speech that integrating technology and innovation into financial reporting brings about a multitude of advantages, including heightened transparency, accuracy, speed, and efficiency.

‘Automated systems and data analysis tools are heralded as key components that can minimize human errors and ensure that financial reports are up-to-date and transparent,’ he explained.

Fredrick Riaga, CEO of PSASB, highlighted the challenge of collecting non-financial information and developing metrics as demands for such disclosures increase.

Riaga stressed the need for public sector entities to leverage technology to enhance transparency and sustainability in financial reporting. This call aligns with ongoing efforts to transition the country from cash to accrual accounting.

Dr. Grace Kamau, CEO of ICPAK, commended the FiRe Award for its role in promoting integrated reporting and enhancing accountability, transparency, and integrity.

‘The award specifically recognizes entities in East Africa that comply with appropriate financial reporting frameworks while disclosing governance, social, and environmental information,’ she noted.

Mr Wyckliffe Shamiah, CEO of CMA, emphasised the need for a holistic approach to financial reporting, which includes disclosing non-financial information.

‘This comprehensive approach responds to growing concerns about governance practices, business sustainability, and corporate contributions to climate change.’ he said.

Mr Odundo encouraged companies from all sectors to submit their entries for evaluation in this year’s FiRe Awards, underscoring the value of recognition in promoting financial reporting excellence.

The FiRe Award 2023 marks another step towards aligning financial reporting practices with modern technology and innovation, fostering transparency, and driving sustainable business practices in Kenya and the region. The winners of this prestigious award will not only receive recognition but will contribute to raising the bar for financial reporting excellence in the years to come.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, will increase its flight frequency to Seychelles in October, which will keep the Eastern European country among the top three markets on the island nations’ visitors’ arrival list.

As of October 16, Aeroflot will increase its number of flights from two to three weekly linking Moscow directly to Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean.

The additional flight will be operated on Mondays, complementing the flights on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Direct flights operated by Aeroflot between Seychelles and Russia last about 12 hours.

The principal secretary for tourism, Sherin Francis, told SNA that “we are confident that by enhancing connectivity, we can significantly improve our market performance, as Russia holds strategic importance for our business.”

“Additionally, Russia has demonstrated the potential for increased tourism earnings, which would not only boost our tourism sector but also contribute to improved market performance. We anticipate that increased frequency will play a crucial role in achieving these objectives,” said Francis.

Currently, Russia sits behind Germany and France as the third top contributor to visitors’ arrival in Seychelles.

From January 1 to August 20 this year, a total of 25,546 Russian visitors have landed in Seychelles. This represents a 39 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

Aeroflot resumed scheduled direct flights to Seychelles in October 2022.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

The Seychelles government and a top university in Malaysia signed an agreement on Tuesday through which Seychellois students will have access to online courses by the end of this year.

The managing director of the SEGi University and Colleges in Malaysia, Stella Lau Kah Wai, and the principal secretary in the Ministry of Education, John Lesperance, signed the agreement for cooperation in higher education at the ministry’s headquarters at Mont Fleuri.

The latest agreement will give Seychellois wishing to pursue further studies an affordable avenue to do so as the SEGi University and Colleges will be developing course content available on the africaopenlearning.com platform.

SEGi, which initially started out as Systematic College in 1977 in Kuala Lumpur’s tertiary education institution, has 20,000 students on its five major campuses in Malaysia.

Since 2016, students from Seychelles have furthered their studies there.

In March 2023, SEGi also held a school leadership programme for primary and secondary school teachers in the island state.

“What we really aim to do is to extend accessibility, to open up access to all people from all walks of life,” Lau Kah Wai.

The courses on offer cover various disciplines from diplomas in mass communications to a PhD in information technology.

“Education should not just be confined to a brick and mortar university but it should be accessible across all borders and across all needs and across all learning capabilities,” she explained.

The courses are available online so students can study at their own pace.

“This is especially needed for working adults, where it’s not possible to put your life on hold, to stop your work and enrol in a university full time. With the new course, prospective students will not have to choose between investing in themselves to study or giving up their steady income, or their job,” said Wai.

The course prices range from SCR7,832 ($594) to SCR118,792 ($9,023) depending on the subjects.

Speaking to the press after the signing, the Minister for Education, Justin Valentin, said that with the government’s new educational loans, these courses are affordable”.

Seychelles, an archipelago in the western Indian Ocean, launched an Education Loan Scheme for people wishing to pursue their advanced or tertiary studies in May this year.

The scheme, which is a collaboration with six participating banks and Seychelles Credit Union, allows applicants to apply for a maximum loan value of SCR800,000 ($60,714) .

“This is an exciting process, as it may open avenues for our own local institutions to prepare their students to take up further studies online with SEGi,” he said.

Valentin also explained that the courses on offer are those not offered locally as “we do not want to hinder our own local institutions.”

There are also micro-credentials programmes with badges – which can be verified with SEGi to prove that the courses they have followed are accredited and the certificates they gained are verified. The badges may be used on a candidate’s personal digital file as academic accomplishments.

In 2022, the Seychelles government paid SCR202 million ($15.2million) to cover tertiary training.

Students qualify for government scholarships according to the results of their Advanced Level studies according to the UK qualifications system. They are expected to return to the island nation after they complete their studies and sign a bond agreement to work for a period of time.

The country also has its own University of Seychelles that was created in 2009 and provides a range of courses, but is still limited in the fields of study and professions it offers.

Source: Seychelles News Agency

The Tunisian sky will be illuminated on the night of August 30-31, 2023 by the “blue moon”, an astronomical phenomenon that occurs every three years. This will be the thirteenth full moon of the lunar year, according to Hichem Ben Yahia, vice-president of the Tunisian Astronomy Association, who told TAP news agency on Tuesday that the “blue moon” is a rare astronomical phenomenon that makes it possible to observe two full moons in the same month of the solar calendar.»

The official reassured that this phenomenon poses no threat to human health and reiterated that anyone can observe it from any location without the need for astronomical equipment.

He also pointed out that the name “blue moon” does not refer to a change in the moon’s colour, but rather to a particular feature of its calendar.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse