Day: March 13, 2024

Chief Justice Martha Koome has presided over the swearing in of a Tribunal established to inquire into the petition to remove from office the Environment and Land Court Judge, Justice Mohammed Kullow.

As the Chairperson of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), Koome oversaw the swearing in of the appointed Tribunal Judges which is set to consider the four petitions for the removal of Justice Mohammed Kullow and also inquire into the conduct of the judge in terms of the particulars set out in the petitions and determine whether the allegations there in, constitute a breach of office.

According to the CJ, the Tribunal shall expeditiously prepare and submit a report and its recommendations and also exercise all the powers conferred upon it by law for the proper execution of its mandate in discharge of its function.

Speaking during the event, Koome expressed that the judiciary is privileged to serve the people terming the Judges as the servants of the Constitution who give the judiciary the responsibility and
privilege to exercise a noble duty and serve the people.

She added that this responsibility is given by the people and the judiciary in its accountability exercise it as Judges within the parameters of the Constitution.

The CJ at the same time exuded confidence in the Tribunal appointed Judges describing them as distinguished professionals in their various professions.

Further, she urged the Tribunal to conduct the proceedings in a transparent and fair manner and without any bias adding that the oath will guide the Judges on their day to day work as they go into the exercise.

The CJ maintained that the Oath requires the appointed Judges to serve to the best of their abilities and unite all their knowledge of the responsibilities bestowed upon them.

The JSC had submitted to the President the 4 petitions against Justice Mohammed Kullow alleging incompetence, gross misconduct, violation of the Constitution and breach of the judicial service code of conduct and Ethics Regulations, 2020 regarding acts that al
legedly disclosed ground for his removal from office.

The President, through the guidance of the JSC in exercise of power conferred by Article 168 (5) (b) of the Constitution of Kenya that was read together with Section 31 of the Judiciary Service Act, 2011, directed the appointment of the following Judges to the 11-member Tribunal including Justice Patrick Omwenga as the Chairperson, Dorcas Oduor Agik as Lead Counsel, Jasper Mbiuki and Collins Kiprono as Secretaries and Emmanuel Omondi and Georgiadis Majimbo as Assisting Counsels.

The other members of the Tribunal include Justice Margaret Mwangi, Justice Anthony Mrima, Wanjiru Mwariri, Rukia Abdinasir, Charles Mulila and Jinaro Kipkemoi.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Environment and Land court judge, Mugo Kamau has directed Kisii Governor Simba Arati and Nyamira governor Amos Nyaribo to meet and agree how residents in Keroka town, which hosts the two counties, will access services and conduct their daily businesses peacefully.

The judge issued this directive on Tuesday before Nyamira High court after police officers contended with running battles between trades and revenue collection officers from Kisii and Nyamira Counties early March over a border dispute between the two counties.

The judge, while issuing the decree, stated that the boundary dispute was resolved as ascertained by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and National land Commission (NLC) during the court’s physical visit to Keroka town and a comprehensive survey report file. The report clearly demarcated that the boundary is along Keroka society, Ondoro area, and first Keroka backstreet behind Jamuhuri to Gucha hospital.

‘Revenue officers from both counties must restrict themselves to c
ollect revenue within the identified boundaries as filed in court, further, Police commanders from both counties must ensure that traders coexist harmoniously and conduct their daily business peacefully and residents operate their daily errands without fear of attack or ambush unawares.’ Judge Mugo ordered.

Judge Mugo while concluding ruled that the two parties will be back to court after 21 days to give feedback on modalities of ensuring Keroka town is peaceful where residents and traders are secure as they go about their day-to-day businesses and thereafter proceed with a contempt of court matter before court.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In April 20th, 1979, a gang of four men stormed Abdalla Sons business premises, located along Meru Road in Mombasa and robbed Mohammed Saleh Khadwalla of 87 wrist watches and Ronsel lighters, valued at Sh 26,455.

Prior to the incident, and on the same day, the gang had robbed one, Elizabeth Mole, of her Mazda Saloon car registration number KJZ 054 valued at Sh 54,000.

The second robbery had taken place at Ambalala House, along Mikindani Road.

The incidences had attracted the attention of revellers who were enjoying their drinks after work, who immediately responded to distress calls from the victims and gave chase to the fleeing gang.

In their hasty retreat from the scene of crime the gang had to abandon the get-away car after its engine stalled.

Curious to get a whiff of what had led to the commotion, David Mwangi, who was at the time walking home from the then Kenya Posts and Telecommunications Corporation (KPTC),where he was working as a casual labourer, decided to hasten to the scene.

His curiosity,
as he came to learn later, would turn out to be one of worst undoing, after he got implicated in the crime.

He ended up spending a total of six months at the Shimo La Tewa Remand Prison for a crime he never committed.

Mwangi nevertheless came out wiser, as he told KNA.

‘I was coming home from work that day when I came face to face with an angry mob, chasing four men who had robbed a woman of her car, before storming into a business premises where they made away with an assortment of jewelleries. Out of curiosity, I decided to witness the unfolding events and drew near the scene of the event, where the alleged stolen car had been abandoned. Within no time, the police officers arrived on the scene and managed to shoot dead one suspect, while the rest managed to escape. It was then that I found myself in the hands of the law enforcers,’ narrates Mwangi.

Mwangi was born in 1960 in the then Murang’a District, where he attended his elementary education, before leaving for Mombasa in 1972 to join his father who
was working there.

In 1974 he sat for his Certificate of Primary Education (CPE).

After completing Class seven, he worked on several casual jobs, including at a refrigeration plant, where he worked as an untrained Unit Inspector for Dayalal Ramji.

‘I used to ferry tomatoes for people and at the end of the day got paid one- a cent. I also worked in a hotel, where I was paid Sh 30 at the end of every month. In those days such an amount of money was a windfall, only a few could dream of,’ reminisces the father of five.

But in 1976 Mwangi enrolled for a training course at the Kisauni Training Centre, where he undertook a one-year course in Sign Writing and Painting.

Thereafter, a breakthrough came for him in 1978, when KPTC hired him on a temporary basis at a monthly pay of Sh 200.

It was during his second year in casual employment, that he found himself on the wrong side of the law and in an incident he knew nothing about.

But Mwangi, currently a Preacher at the Elim Gospel Church in Nyaribo Village, says
it was during his wrongful incarceration in prison, that he decided to one day venture into the field of counselling psychology.

And after the High Court in Mombasa acquitted him of the robbery with violence charges in 1979, he made it his duty to work among prison wardens and inmates, offering them mentorship talks and counselling sessions, to help them cope with life’s challenges.

‘My short stint in remand pushed me to take-up the role of reaching out to those serving prison sentences. Since then, my passion towards this cause has enabled me reach persons I barely dreamt about. My work has seen me visit prisons, asylums and even ventured into the dusty alleys of our small towns, where the downtrodden have called home for years,’ added Mwangi, who loves to identify himself as an evangelist.

In 1982 KPTC finally commuted his services to permanent basis, with a starting salary pegged at Sh 520 per month.

His job description entailed marking postal office mail boxes and any other related work that came with
signwriting.

The new status enabled him to enrol for Grade Two Test Certificate in Sign Writing at the Mombasa Industrial Training College.

His love for the brush saw him serve in various stations in the country, including Nairobi until the cruel sledgehammer of staff rationalizing, fell on him in 2007.

By this time KPTC was struggling to stay afloat and to cut down on costs, the Company had to retrench scores of its staff, as part of its austerity measures.

Commenting on that fateful turn of events in his career, Mwangi laughs it off as an opportunity that opened his eyes to the future.

Rather than turn wallow in misery and mental anguish, he decided to take the unfamiliar path of joblessness in faith.

For him, one door had been shut; but a dozen others remained open for him.

‘Retrenchment and retirement should never be a death sentence to anybody. It is always a possibility once you get employed. When retrenchment came calling, some of my colleagues committed suicide, others slipped into denial but a
few moved on. Luckily for me I had spent much of my years in employment mentoring others on how to cope when things come crumbling down,’ he pointed out

‘Once people exit from active service, they need to accept their new status and walk out with their heads high. A vast field of work is always awaiting those who take retirement as a step to the next responsibility,’ he advises.

Today, the painter cum preacher, is satisfied with the route he took which he says has enabled him to provide for his family besides helping others grow.

His pastoral work has also seen tens of prison inmates, scholars and common people give life another stab when all appeared lost.

‘The fact that I have a helping heart enables me help anyone in need. I have been able to train some young men for free since they could not afford to pay. In addition, criticism has never been far from my Pastoral word. There will always be people to criticise you no matter how well you do things. My advice to those facing tough time is to get up, dre
ss up, show up and never give up’ stresses Mwangi.

Today, his work as a sign writer is quite visible in many parts of Nyeri, ranging from Government offices, churches to private businesses.

On average, he pockets at least Sh 2,000 for the cheapest piece of work.

But this can go up to Sh 150,000 depending on the scope of work at hand.

And those wishing to learn the ropes of the trade under his tutelage, are charged Sh 25,000, a fee which he says, is always negotiable.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Kenya Agricultural and Research Organization (KALRO), is revolutionising farming through new technologies to boost farmers’ produce.

The Organization, via its nationwide agricultural centers, held a one-week exercise to educate farmers on the new innovations, ahead of the planting season.

Farmers engaged with stakeholders to learn about Smart technologies and adaptation methods for value addition and climate mitigation.

One such facility is the Muguga Genetic Resources Research Institute, in Kiambu County and it is here that we meet the Director for Seed propagation, Mr. Vincent Ochieng, who took us through the Smart greenhouse system.

‘The greenhouse system is controlled by the Internet of things technology (IoTs),’ Ochieng noted. Adding 70 percent of the operations in the greenhouse can be done by mobile phone.

It is an interconnected system with sensors such as a moisture sensor, to monitor the soil quality, a humidity sensor to monitor the humidity of the plants, and a smart irrigation sensor to
pump water to the greenhouse.

The system transmits data through sensors, sending notifications and alerts to mobile phones via a cloud platform, enabling remote monitoring and data collection.’ says Ochieng. The speaker explains that a cooling system in the greenhouse uses a phone to mist crops, allowing them to be fully controlled during hot weather.

The Director for Seed propagation further explained, the system is made possible by the sensors present in the greenhouse that are able to detect a fall or rise in temperature thus allowing for counter measures accordingly.

The irrigation system uses button drip irrigation which requires low maintenance and is water efficient thus cautioning the farmer from costs. ‘When the soil is dry, the system will send you a warning through your phone and thus you can act accordingly by releasing water to the plants and the process goes on all through the day’ says Ochieng.

Ochieng cited that the institution is currently breeding tomatoes that will be resistant to droug
ht and disease and also be affordable to Kiambu farmers. Other plants in the greenhouse include Capsicum, spaghetti and strawberries.

The system uses a feeding tank with liquid fertilizer to add nutrients to the soil, which is then alerted to the user via a button. ‘Such innovations are important for crop value addition as we aim to avail high quality seeds and seedlings to farmers’ he concluded.

This project is being funded by the Korea-Africa Food and Agriculture Cooperation Initiative (KAFACI) in partnership with the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization. (KALRO).

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nakuru County’s Department of Health has embarked on the disbursement of drugs to health centres

The County Executive Committee Member for Health, Ms. Roselyn Mungai, today witnessed firsthand the impact of these efforts at Kabatini Health Centre in Bahati Sub-County. The patient was impressed by the efficient distribution process, which ensured timely access to medications at the facility just an hour after flag-off from county stores.

While at Kabatini Health Centre, Ms Mungai noted the high uptake of the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) scope covering the Comprehensive Care Centre (CCC), Pharmacy, and Records keeping.

Ms. Mungai commended the animated nature of the young records officers based at the facility and their dedication to minute details, which ensures that all drugs are captured, and details of dispensation to patients are maintained for transparency and accountability purposes.

Additionally, she said the medical monitoring and tracking system was likely to end the bad culture of drug theft a
nd mismanagement. And, technology has the capacity to monitor and tracking medical suppliers from the point of procurement to the end user to ensure that drugs do not get lost along the supply chain.

Also, she applauded the Kabatini Health Centre for achieving its monthly targets on immunization and has a remarkable record of efficiency in service delivery, with the first client logging in as early as 7:10 am today.

Ms Mungai assured the team of the support from the Department of Health to improve their non-pharmaceutical and laboratory stocks and work on their unfenced section of about 200 meters in the future.

However, she declined to comment on the anticipated doctors strike which the Kenya Medical Practitioners Pharmacists Dentist Union (KMPDU) announced will start today at midnight.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, has launched its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan, a policy blue print that will guide the Ministry to deliver its mandate in serving the citizenry and attaining their developmental aspirations.

The Strategic Plan, is also expected to address emerging issues and challenges, empower staff, partners and the public with adequate information, with which they can hold the Ministry accountable.

The Plan has identified seven key result areas namely; policy, legal and institutional frameworks, digital superhighway and telecommunications infrastructure, digital government services and products, universal access to information, business process outsourcing/ IT enabled services and local content development, governance, finance and human capital development, cyber security, data governance and emerging technologies.

Speaking during the launch of the document, Wednesday, at a Nairobi hotel, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Information, Communications and the D
igital Economy, Eliud Owalo, expounded that the blue print and roadmap, will guide the Ministry in implementing its activities, projects and programmes for four years.

Owalo said the Strategic Plan formulated by the Ministry and key stakeholders in the Information Communication and Technology (ICT) sector ensured that key priority programmes and projects in the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), are implemented as planned.

‘This project and programmes are crucial towards eradicating poverty, creating jobs, increasing revenue collection, improving our foreign exchange balance for economic growth and development,’ he said.

‘This Strategy will establish a national addressing system, revitalize Postal Corporation of Kenya, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and the Kenya News Agency, as well as roll-out broadband connectivity, to the ward level,’ said Owalo.

The Strategy will also be used in the installation of free public WiFi, digitization of government services, strengthening of data protection a
nd enhancement of cybersecurity, besides setting targets for annual work plans, performance contracts and appraising staff performance.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to provide an enabling business environment that enhances access to information and a digitally enabled startups and investments by leading multinational technology companies during the 2023-2027 Medium Term period.

‘This Plan goes further by ensuring that the Ministry’s vision of an informed and digitally empowered Kenyan society is aligned to the government’s transformative agenda, Vision 2030, Sustainable Development Goals, Africa Agenda 2063 and other National government priorities,’ said the CS.

He said the Ministry has included the agriculture, micro, small and medium enterprises economy, housing and settlement, healthcare and the digital superhighway and creative economy pillars in its Digital Economy Blueprint and the Digital Master Plan 2022-2032 priorities.

‘ICT sector in Kenya Vision 2030, is expected to contribute 10 p
ercent to Gross Domestic Product of the Kenyan Economy, as an enabler it has contributed immensely to improve e-government services, e-business, e-commerce, entrepreneurship a digital skill while enhancing market competitiveness of the country’s products and services,’ he added.

On resources, the CS said, the Ministry has a total resource requirement of over Sh. 456 billion against a projected budget of Sh. 168.3 billion, thereby, creating a resource gap of Sh. 287.5 billion over the period.

He, therefore, called upon the Ministry’s partners to assist in bridging the gap, to enable the ministry realize its goal of implementing the strategy plan.

The CS called on all staff in the ministry to embrace commitment and teamwork to enable the ministry achieve its mandate.

In his remarks, the Principal Secretary for Broadcasting and Telecommunications, Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani announced that the government has approved a new structure in the State Department of Broadcasting where it will have three positions of C
ommunication Secretaries.

Prof. Kisiang’ani said the government is committed to protect and revamp all its national institutions including learning institutions to enable the citizenry benefit from all government’s services and products.

‘The government’s policy is to help our national institutions to operate well, we will not allow hospitals, government and learning institutions to be destroyed,’ he stressed.

The PS said the government has adopted new methods of addressing challenges and will ensure through technology Kenyans will access electricity and internet in their homes.

Speaking at the event, the Principal Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy Eng. John Tanui said the Strategic Plan has prioritized the development of enabling infrastructure to ease the cost of doing business.

‘This plan will be a catalyst toward the future direction for the ICT sector, as well as spurring economic growth and transformation,’ he stated.

He also thanked the German Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale (GIZ) an
d other partners for supporting the Strategic Plan.

Source: Kenya News Agency