Day: April 3, 2024

Kenya Port Authority (KPA) Managing Director Captain William Ruto led the ceremonial flag handover to the KPA volleyball squad as they prepare to travel to Egypt for the upcoming Men’s African Clubs Volleyball Championship.

Capt. Ruto’s presence at the Makande Sports Complex was aimed to uplift team spirits, expressing his unwavering belief in their capabilities and commitment to supporting them.

‘Our squad is exceptionally talented. I will continue to support them, and I have full confidence that they can surpass last year’s performance, where they finished sixth,’ Capt. Ruto stated.

Capt. Ruto expressed his delight that the team would not only represent Mombasa but also Kenya in the championship, hoping that the squad would bring pride to the nation.

‘Our goal is to represent Kenya and bring pride to our nation. Reflecting on the success of our women’s basketball team, which secured silver in Egypt last year, we are eager to achieve similar success and bring home a trophy this time,’ he said.

The team’
s Head Coach, James Ontere, is confident that the club will secure a podium finish this year due to their extensive preparation.

‘This year, we commenced our preparations much earlier compared to last year, and I can confidently say that the team is fully prepared. In just a week, we will be in Nairobi to participate in the KPC@50 Tournament, where we will use the competition as a measure to know our progress,’ stated Ontere.

Ontere expressed gratitude to the KPA management for providing enough time and support for their preparation and also extended appreciation to Ruto for his visit.

‘Our morale received a significant boost from his visit. It demonstrates that the management is with us, and we genuinely appreciate their support. We aim to surpass last year’s performance and bring home a trophy, which will serve as a token of gratitude to the management for their unwavering support,’ said Ontere.

The team’s journey has shown remarkable progress when two years ago, they secured a ninth-place finish, and l
ast year, they substantially improved to clinch fifth place in the championship held in Tunisia.

KPA and Equity will be the only sole representatives of Kenya at the prestigious annual continental club championship.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Department of Health and Medical Service, led by Chief Officer Felix Langat, is preparing for a Medical Health Camp at Koiwa Sub County Hospital.

Mr. Langat expressed his appreciation for the dedication and support of the team and partners in organizing this crucial event focusing on enlightening the public on health matters.

Scheduled to take place this Saturday, the Health Camp aims to raise awareness among the public regarding a spectrum of health issues. These include nutrition, chronic diseases such as TB, HIV/AIDS, and Cervical Cancer, as well as addressing concerns such as teenage pregnancies, malaria, and vaccination uptake.

In a statement, Mr. Felix Langat emphasized the importance of such initiatives in promoting community health and well-being. Thus, ‘Our goal is to empower individuals with knowledge and resources to take control of their health,’ stated Mr. Langat. The goal is to reduce the impact of prevalent health issues and promote a healthier society through education and access to ess
ential services.

In addition to the health awareness sessions, the team will also visit the Koiwa rehabilitation center. Here, they will assess the progress of the first cohort of individuals undergoing rehabilitation for substance addiction.

This holistic approach underscores the commitment of the Department of Health and Medical Service and its partners towards addressing both physical and mental health concerns within the community.

Source: Kenya News Agency

State Department for Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang has affirmed the government’s commitment in ensuring that the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) is implemented smoothly.

Dr Kipsang said the Ministry of Education will ensure that learners are equipped with practical skills and competencies aligned with the Industry.

‘This will ensure that our learners transition seamlessly to the higher education level or the world of work,’ he stated.

The PS was speaking during a stakeholder’s engagement on Senior School and Teacher Education at the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development in Nairobi that was attended by stakeholders from varied backgrounds.

The engagement was aimed at deliberating on the senior school curriculum and the kind of teacher education for those who will steer the senior school system under the auspices of the ongoing education reforms.

Dr Kipsang said the education sector has undergone reforms through the introduction of the Competency Based Curriculum, which were drive
n by the ever evolving national and global socio-political, economic, industrial, and technological landscape.

CBC has been under implementation since 2019 and is currently at Grade Eight in Junior School. Equally, the Competency Based Diploma in Teacher Education programmes for Early Childhood Development, Primary and Secondary levels are being offered in our public and private teacher training colleges.

The PS said the government is committed to provide quality free and compulsory basic education as per the Constitution, and prioritises curriculum reforms as a way to empower young Kenyans to thrive in a competitive, industrialising and closely networked world.

‘The Kenyan curriculum had to align with the Sustainable Development Goals, Kenya Vision 2030, the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and the demands of 21st-century skills and approaches,’ he added.

The PS said the review at the Primary Education and Junior School has come with implications for Senior School and Teacher Education with Senior school bein
g the transition to tertiary education and the world of work

He thanked the stakeholders for giving their input on how to improve the quality of education, how it is implemented, as well as on the progress and future plans concerning Senior School and teacher education

President William Ruto formed the Presidential Party on Education Reforms (PWPER) in 2022 to address salient issues in the education sector.

The recommendations by the PWPER have had far reaching implications for Basic Education as well as Teacher Education. The CBC has been reviewed at various levels as per the PWPER recommendations.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Property of unknown value was destroyed after a fire burnt down a 230 capacity dormitory last night in Masii Boy’s High School in Mwala, Machakos County.

According to police reports the fire whose cause remain unknown broke at around 7pm when students were in the dining hall taking their supper.

Sub County Police Commander Nancy Jerobon said no injuries were reported during the incident. However, nothing was salvaged.

Jerobon said members of the public helped put out the fire before a fire brigade from the County Government arrived.

‘It was reported by the Chief Principal Joseph Nzoka that a joint dormitory with a capacity of 230 students caught fire while students were taking supper,’ read the police report.

She disclosed that the school had closed but some students who performed poorly in their end term examinations had been left behind for tuition.

The Sub County Police Commander said police have launched investigations into the incident.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Transport activities were Wednesday paralysed due to ongoing rains being experienced in many parts of Turkana County.

Several seasonal rivers across the county were impassable due to high level of water flow.

Among the rivers that burst their banks was Nakiria in Kalokol and river Kataboi in Turkana North.

Places like Kalimapus, Loropio were rendered inaccessible by the rains.

Chegem Simon, a World Vision Enumerator who was travelling to Todonyang from Lodwar on Wednesday morning says they was forced to end their journey and revert back to Lodwar as river Nakiria was flooded.

‘People have stayed here for long and we have decided to cancel our activities that had to take place in Todonyang in Turkana North. We shall therefore plan for a later date because we have been inconvenienced by the floods,’ he said

Other motorists and passengers spent hours waiting for water to subside so they may continue with their activities.

Passengers traveling along the Lodwar- Kalokol route were also left stranded due to
flooding at River Kataboi in Turkana North.

According to the county meteorological director Francis Muinda, several wards in Turkana County will receive moderate to very heavy rainfall (10-140) mm over the next two weeks.

Residents are advised to be on the lookout for potential floods and strong winds.

‘Flood waters may appear in areas where it has not rained heavily especially downstream and

strong winds may blow off roofs, uproot trees and cause structural damages,’ said Muinda.

Turkana County is expected to experience morning rains as well as afternoon showers and thunderstorms over several places during the course of the forecast period.

Source: Kenya News Agency

County Government plans to tarmac a three-kilometer road from Cooperative Bank Roundabout to St. Kevin’s Secondary School in Lodwar Municipality for the current financial year.

The County Executive for Roads, Transport, and Public Works, Patrick Lokaimoe said when he handed over the site to the contractor. The project, costing Sh.195 million, is anticipated to improve the overall perception of Lodwar Municipality and facilitate further development in the area.

CECM Lokaimoe has requested the contractor to commence work immediately and ensure the project is completed within six months. ‘The contractor is obligated to start and finish work by October this year, as detailed in the project documents,’ the County Executive for Roads said.

He added that Engineers from the Department will be available on the site to ensure the contractor adheres to the required standards. The speaker was accompanied by Peter Akono, the CECM for Lands, Physical Planning and Urban Areas Management, and the House Committee of the Tu
rkana County Assembly on Roads, Transport and Public Works.

Hence, to prevent potential harm during the construction period, the Roads Executive advised adherence to the project implementation plan on the provision of safety gear and protection of the construction area.

At the same time, Peter Akono, the County Executive for Lands, stated that the project aligns with the county’s commitment to improve urban areas in Turkana for better service quality. ‘Once complete, this road will open up the area to new investors who will take advantage of its existence. It is through this that I urge the contractor to do a commendable job,’ he said.

The said road is expected to raise the number of tarmacked roads in the Lodwar Municipality to eight. Lastly, previous tarmacked roads included; Lands Roundabout to County Assembly, Mkeka grounds to Moi Gardens, KWFT to St. Teresa’s Nadrikonyen, KWFT to Soweto and California areas, Kwa Robert Roundabout to Kanamkemer Catholic Parish, Nawoitorong and Kerio roads.

Source: Ke
nya News Agency

In an effort to deter violent extremism through radicalisation, Meru County Engagement Forum (CEF) has embarked on an exercise to empower various youth groups economically through issuance of car washing machines as well as vertical vegetable grow bags.

The initiative is sponsored by Global Community Engagement Resilience Fund (GCERF) through the Act Change Transform (ACT) which is a Non-Governmental Organisation, with Caritas Meru being the lead Civil Society Organisation (CSO).

According to the County Director for Youth Affairs Joseph Maina who also doubles up as the economic pillar head in the CEF, the car washing machines as well as the grow bags will go a long way in generating income for the young people in their specific groups, thus empowering them economically.

‘We know very well that terrorists or their sympathisers usually target young people who do not have any source of income in order to promise them the same but after they agree on some terms.’

‘By issuing these machines and grow bags to ou
r young people, we are keeping them busy and by the end of the day they will have something to take home,’ said Mr Maina adding that the move will ensure they are not targets for radicalisation.

He cautioned the young people in the county to be vigilant on those coming with various offers adding that some of them were taking advantage of their unemployment or poverty to radicalise them.

Mr Anthony Muthuri an officer from Caritas said the issuance of the car washing machines to the young people was just an entry point to many engagements they can carry out with the groups to ensure that they are fully economically empowered.

‘We want you to make good use of the grow bags and the car washing machines for your own benefit. Once we prove that you are using them as required, we will continue engaging and bring more interventions that can stabilise you financially,’ said Mr Muthuri.

Mr Naftaly Mutembei, another officer from Caritas encouraged groups that received grow bags to use them to grow vegetables in orde
r to get enough for their consumption and for sale.

He said the grow bags were the best for use especially in slums and dry lands as they don’t require huge space or a lot of water respectively.

‘A single grow bag can accommodate more than 120 stems of any vegetable which can be consumed for a whole year. In terms of water, very little is required including that which has been used for various home chores,’ said Mr Mutembei.

Mr Martin Mutethia from Kwa Nthambi car wash in Gitimbine, Meru town, expressed his gratitude to Caritas and other donors for collaborating with the County as well as the National government in the implementation of the initiative.

He said the car washing machine they received will help them to have more customers and make their work efficient translating to more income for the members.

Youth Groups that received the car washing machines include Kwa Nthambi, Wasafi, and Maua, while Kithoka Ushirika, Al Azizia, By Us For Us (BUFU), and Gatimbi Innovation received vertical vegetable gr
ow bags.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Inspector General (IG) of Police Japheth Koome has ordered for the hunt on bandits in North Rift region whom he accused of causing economic sabotage by vandalizing critical government infrastructure.

Koome made the call following the latest incident where armed bandits staged a daring attack during Easter Holiday in Baringo North Sub County where they torched classrooms and an administration block at Ngaratuko Primary School in Saimo Soi Ward.

He noted that the daring criminals have also vandalized electricity lines and solar panels of several institutions both in Baringo North and South Sub Counties.

Koome who held a media briefing at Baringo County Police Headquarters in Kabarnet Town vowed to crack the whip on the disgruntled gang of criminals which he stated have now evolved into a lucrative commercial enterprise.

‘Enough is enough. These bandits have crossed the line and we are dealing with them ruthlessly,’ he said.

Koome who later paid a courtesy call on Governor Benjamin Cheboi in his office
emphasized on deployment of more security personnel and sophisticated weapons to curtail the menace that has paralyzed education in several schools in North Rift region.

The IG revealed that more police posts are also being created in the crime hotspots in order to restore relative peace and normalcy in the County where senseless killings and massive displacement of people has heightened in the past three months.

Koome at the same time ordered for extension of Operation Maliza Uhalifu (OMU) to Meru and Isiolo Counties which he observed the bandits have crossed over to.

‘We are also targeting to extend the maliza uhalifu operation as a strategy of dealing with these criminals,’ he said.

Governor Cheboi who spoke to journalists in camera after hosting the IG and his entourage called for beefing up of security at the border points noting that they were entry points where bandits sneak in lethal weapons from neighboring Countries and aid in movement of stolen livestock.

The Baringo County boss said his admin
istration is at an advanced stage of conducting a livestock branding exercise to ease identification during recoveries undertaken jointly by security agencies, County government and the members of the community.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Environment and Education Ministries signed an agreement on joint efforts to attain the 15 billion tree growing targets.

The Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Environment Soipan Tuya and her Education counterpart Ezekiel Machogu signed the joint agreement during an inter-ministerial meeting at arboretum Nairobi to collaborate in the 15 billion tree growing program.

Owing to its strength in numbers, the Ministry of Education has 17 million learners at all levels of learning from ECDE to university and 600,000 educators in institutions of learning spread across the country targeting to grow 35 million trees and producing 300 million seedlings annually.

In a joint statement while addressing the media after a tree planting exercise at arboretum Nairobi, Basic Education Permanent Secretary Dr. Bellio Kipsang said the Ministry of Education is one of the key drivers of the 15 billion national tree growing program.

‘The program is a Government flagship project on Climate action initiative anchored by the ten-year
National Landscape Ecosystem Restoration Strategy that seeks to raise Kenya’s tree cover by 17.8 percent from the current 12 percent to 30 percent by the year 2032’ said Dr. Kipsang adding that in total, the government seeks to restore 10.6 million hectares of degraded ecosystem and landscapes across 11 intervention areas.

Arising out of the inter-ministerial meeting, the two ministries will enhance collaboration in tree growing by producing enough tree seedlings to enable the target of 300 million annually with site specific tree matching, through Kenya Forest Services (KFS) and Kenya Forest Research Institute (KEFRI).

The joint statement by the two ministries seeks to integrate Ministry of Environment Jaza miti online application platform with that of Ministry of Education Elimu Trees online application to enhance recording and reporting of tree growing by learning institutions.

An award scheme will be developed jointly by the two ministries for recognizing the best performing education institutions simi
larly to designing innovative ways of resource mobilization for seedlings production and tree growing by learning institutions.

In the joint statement, it seeks approval from the national treasury to allocate growingly 5 percent of the Ministry of Education budget to tree growing activities and tap from Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) and donor support programs a dedicated line of budget as a component of the environmental activity.

Going forward, the two ministries will engage a joint communication and awareness creation campaign to inculcate a culture of tree growing among learners and environmental conscious like-minded individuals to partake in the much needed rehabilitation, restoration and conservation of nature.

Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu cautioned teachers against abuse of children rights by engaging them in excessive child labour warning that the Ministry has set a target of one tree per term per learner and anyone flouting the directive will face dire consequences for thei
r actions.

‘Much as the children would wish to take up tree growing, teachers should not allow them to excessively carry out menial work which impact on their basic rights, time and health’ warned CS Machogu adding that children need to be in school to learn and play but not exposed to child labour malpractices.

He underscored that plans are underway to provide fencing and water at the targeted institutions that lack the commodities to provide protection and growth of the trees sustainably.

Ministry of Environment Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya said the tree growing program is coordinated by her Ministry which uses a whole-of-government approach as a way to combat the climate crisis.

She affirmed that the Ministry of Education is one of the front line institutions of government owing to its network and numbers of learners, trainers and land across the country.

The Ministry of Environment will be engaging with other ministries and governors in each county in a rigorous fund raising to acquire the resources
for fencing and watering the trees grown to ensure their survival sustainably.

CS Soipan observed that any funding sourced will be used to upscale the financing local led climate actions (FLOCCA), building the capacity of the existing institutions from the national, county up to the ward level for coordinated tree growing, protecting and reporting mechanisms.

‘We want to tell Kenyans that tree growing is not going to be a pass time venture or a corporate social responsibility exercise but a full-time engagement since the environment is a matter of life and death,’ said CS Tuya adding that tree growing is a remedy for the cyclic droughts experienced in most parts of the country impacting on food security thus the need to act with speed before it is too late.

She invited everybody including the media to take up their targets by leading from the front since the exercise has no room to sit back and point fingers at the government because each and everyone has a responsibility.

The CS appealed to everyone to p
ride themselves in having at least ten trees or a tree nursery and extend it to the community to ensure success of the tree growing exercise.

If you want to enjoy fruit and shade under a tree, the best time to plant is now!

Source: Kenya News Agency

A new medical garment production facility has been established in Tatu City, a 5000-acre mixed-use Special Economic Zone in Kiambu County.

FullCare Medical, a global medical garment manufacturing company, has started operations in Kenya, offering job opportunities to 1,800 individuals, with plans to hire an additional 7,000 in the near future.

Speaking during the launch, FullCare Medical founder Mr Lu Jianguo revealed the corporation’s plans to utilize technology to enhance production efficiency in order to fulfil customer needs.

The FullCare Medical facility, a $30 million investment, demonstrates our commitment to collaborating with Kenya and Tatu City SEZ, fostering positive change through collaboration. The facility, using solar technology for environmentally friendly production, plans to export $60 million worth of medical products annually, meeting local market demands.

‘The facility is a leading example of foreign direct investment in Kenya, showcasing the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of C
hinese companies in Africa,’ said Mr Jianguo.

On his part, Stephen Jennings, CEO and developer of Tatu City, emphasized that the investment would provide employment opportunities for a large number of Kenyans. Tatu City, Kenya’s first mixed use Special Economic Zone, has secured USD 2.5 Billion in investment from over 78 businesses, including global players in healthcare, food, beverage manufacturing, call centers, and software development.

‘The regional and global businesses that are operational or under development in Tatu City’s business-friendly location, include CCI Global, Heineken, Dormans, Copia, Cooper K-Brands, Grit Real Estate Income Group, Twiga Foods, Freight Forwarders Solutions, ADvTECH, Friendship Group and Davis and Shirtliff. These companies are generating numerous employment opportunities for the Kenyan population, addressing a critical need for job creation in the region,’ added Mr. Jennings.

The International Finance Corporation, the investment arm of the World Bank provided USD100 M
illion in financing to Full Care Medical for its expansion into the African market.

Lastly, the opening ceremony was attended by Zhang Yijun, Minister Counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Nairobi, as well as officials from the Kenyan government, with Mr. Zhang describing Full Care Medical as a symbol of the strong bond between China and Kenya as they work together towards the economic progress of both nations.

Source: Kenya News Agency