Day: April 13, 2024

The Department of Public Health has developed a workable plan for emergency flood response, which includes health promotion and distribution of Non-food items (NFIs) targeting Turkana Central, South, East, and North sub-counties.

The emergency response plan, supported by UNICEF Kenya and implemented by Welt HungerHilfe Kenya, aims to address Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) issues to protect the community from water-related diseases.

Speaking during the meeting, Public Health Officer Rael Akoru stated that the county, in conjunction with its partners, will distribute water storage containers, water treatment tablets, and soap.

‘The Non -food items will help the community address health and sanitation issues in response to the ongoing rains resulting in floods,’ she said.

She further mentioned that the plan will be critical in identifying sites prone to floods based on the magnitude of floods, household vulnerability, and population affected.

Turkana Central Deputy Sub-County Public Health Officer Di
nah Toroitich stated that the work plan would guide activities such as site and facility identification and community mobilisation for NFIs distribution.

Regional Manager of Welt HungerHilfe Kenya Turkana Office, Phillip Ewoton, mentioned that the distributed items will enable the community to mitigate and control the emergence of water-borne diseases.

He added that they were currently planning to visit Namukuse and Long’ech to sensitise village administrators, community Health Assistants, Public Health Officers, and facility in-charges on flood emergency preparedness.

In the meeting were Peter Mitunda (Public Health Officer), Vincent Chweywa (WASH Extender UNICEF Kenya), Sofia Lotin (Sub-County Community Health Services Focal Person), and Caroline Lotom (Field Officer, WHH- Kenya).

Source: Kenya News Agency

Tataouine: Reports circulating on social media of heavy traffic and congestion for several days at the Dehiba-Wazen border crossing between Tunisia and Libya in Tataouine, with waiting times of more than a week to complete crossing formalities, are «incorrect,» an official source at the border post said on Saturday.

The same source told TAP that the closure of the Ras Jedir border crossing by the Libyan authorities since the end of March has led to an increase in lorry and passenger traffic at the Dehiba-Wazen crossing in recent days, adding that waiting times remain acceptable and do not exceed 24 hours in extreme cases.

In recent months, traffic between Tunisia and Tunisia via the Dehiba-Wazen crossing has reached around 4,000 passengers, 1,000 cars and 100 commercial vehicles per day, which is higher than in normal times when the flow is estimated at 1,500 passengers, 500 cars and 40 commercial vehicles per day.

This explains the delays and congestion recorded and the dissatisfaction of passengers in co
mpleting customs formalities.

According to the same source, despite the interruption of the expansion and renovation works at the Dehiba-Wazen border crossing, which began in April 2016, the crossing has managed to handle the increased movement of passengers and vehicles efficiently and without incident.

This is despite the lack of equipment and the existence of only one crossing corridor, he stressed, adding that the Tunisian authorities are working to speed up procedures to reduce waiting times.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The Kenya Ports Authority has acquired three new ship-to-shore cranes for the Lamu Port, worth Kshs 4 billion, aimed at boosting transshipment business across the country’s Northern corridor.

Speaking to the media during the launch of the three ultra-modern state-of-the art cranes at Kililana Port, KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto stated that the three cranes would increase the port’s capacity to handle any shipment coming from the Middle East or China.

The KPA MD further revealed that the Authority would also be importing four Rubber Tire Gantry Cranes that would further aid in ensuring the Lamu Port’s efficiency in handling transshipment business.

The arrival of the three state-of-the-art Super Post Panamax Ship-to-Shore (STS) gantry cranes aboard a heavy loader carrier, MV Zhen Hua 24, will position the Port of Lamu as a transshipment hub.

The KPA MD further hailed the move to bring in the ship-to-shore cranes as a milestone in ensuring the viability of the LAPSSET project and the Northern Co
rridor is realised.

‘The national government is committed to ensuring the security of the LAPSSET corridor is achieved,’ he added, adding that adequate personnel and resources have been disbursed to ensure investor confidence is maintained.

He further said that Ethiopia and South Sudan have both voiced their commitment to using the Lamu Port as well as the Northern Corridor, with plans already underway to rehabilitate parts of the LAPSSET road that were previously affected by rains.

The Port of Lamu is the first component of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor project, which is envisioned to have 23 berths. Already, three berths with a draft of 17.5 metres and a turning bay of 500 metres have been completed.

Since the first berth was operationalized in 2021, it has been handling transshipment cargo destined for Mozambique, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Seychelles, Comoros and Madagascar, including containerised and bulk cargo as well as motor vehicles.

The country has received praise fo
r the operationalization of Lamu’s first three berths from the Republic of South Sudan and the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kebili: Road traffic in the direction of Ksar Ghilane (Kebili governorate) has resumed after teams from the Regional Public Works Directorate in Douz intervened on Saturday morning at the Om Chieh track , in accordance with the measures adopted by the Regional Commission for Prevention, Civil Protection and Emergency Relief.

These operations included the cleaning and clearing of roads near the Msinin, Boulekhchab, Laarej and Oued Halouf wadis, after the water level in these wadis, which had overflowed on Friday, had fallen, disrupting traffic to Ksar Ghilane, Nabil Louhichi, regional director of public works in Kebili, told TAP.

In the same context, an operation was carried out on national road 20, which links Douz to Matmata (Gabes governorate), to remove the sand that had accumulated on the shoulders of the road near the Oued Errmal locality.

This was caused by the strong winds and heavy rain recorded in the region on Friday, according to the same source, who added that all the equipment and heavy machin
ery were available to intervene on the affected roads if necessary.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Farmers are set to benefit in the coming long rain season after the Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh, flagged off the second consignment of 50,000 metric tonnes (1,000,00 bags of 50kgs) of fertilisers.

The farm inputs will be distributed at the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) and last-mile depots across the counties at a cost of Ksh 2,500 per 50-kg bag.

Ronoh said that the consignment supplemented the initial distribution, resulting in a cumulative total of 4 million bags that were distributed to farmers in the first cohort.

Speaking at the Port of Mombasa, Ronoh said that through a multi-agency team, the Ministry will ensure that farmers get the right quality of fertilisers all the time.

‘We have planned for 7.5. million bags for the long rains and 5 million bags for the short rains, totaling 12.5 million bags,’ Ronoh said.

He emphasized that the individuals who were involved in the manufacturing and distribution of substandard fertilizers would face the full force of the law.

Juma M
ukwana, PS Industry, assured that the fertiliser released is of the highest quality, and they encourage the farmers to use the right amount in a timely fashion.

‘We urge farmers to utilise this fertiliser promptly and efficiently before the rains subside to ensure a bountiful harvest. This will enable us to attain sufficient maize production, thereby securing the necessary raw materials for our industries to produce flour,’ Mukwana said.

Abubakar Hassan, PS Investment, said that the President made a shift in the country’s strategic intent, which informs the country’s strategic direction, which is four things; subsidising production, incentivizing value addition, widening and expanding the market base, and rescuing private investment.

He highlighted that the country’s current production capacity stands at 2.5 million bags, significantly below demand, necessitating the importation of over 10 million bags to sustain our subsidy programme.

‘We are seeing many investor opportunities, and we are discussing with
them whether they can manufacture here and create jobs here instead of importing,’ Hassan said.

The PS for transport, Mohammed Daghar, said that this is the epicentre of how the government should work because this is an operational area where multi-agency collaboration is always demonstrated to ensure they deliver as one.

He said that they are determined to ensure the cargo is evacuated from the port in record time.

‘We are going to use 47 waggons to Nairobi directly through the SGR to ensure the fertilisers are transported safely and in time,’ Daghar said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) has collaborated with the County Government of Homa Bay to sponsor 600 youth to undertake technical courses.

Governor Gladys Wanga said the initiative will go a long way in creating jobs for the youth.

Speaking Friday, when she launched the programme at Sero Technical and Vocational Training Institute, the governor said 24 million shillings had been allocated for the programme.

The initiative is dubbed the KCB Fundi Mang’ula Scholarship programme.

Governor Wanga, who was accompanied by the KCB Head of Programme, Joblin Omari, said the beneficiaries will start reporting to various institutions next month.

The students will later go on a three-month industrial attachment at firms of their choice.

‘The programme is meant to resolve the problem of unemployment for the youth. Technical skills are in high demand, and that is what we want our youths to have.’ The governor said.

She said some of the courses they expect to undertake include masonry, plumbing, carpentry, food and
beverage, fashion, and design, among others.

Governor Wanga said students who will excel in their fields of study will be given tools to start their own industries.

Ms. Wanga was accompanied by her Deputy Oyugi Magwanga, and County Assembly Speaker Julias Gaya.

She added that the beneficiaries were selected through a competitive process that involved a team from KCB and county government staff.

Ms. Wanga told the beneficiaries that they were ultimately expected to be job creators.

‘We are investing in the future of our county, and beneficiaries have no choice but to study hard. The bank and tax payers sacrificed to ensure you get the skills.’ She said.

She told beneficiaries to put all their energy into the programme. Mr. Omari said KCB gave out Sh12 million to support the programme.

He said it will help in improving the region’s economy as the beneficiaries will be able to create jobs for themselves and for others.

‘The beneficiaries will be trained on how to start and manage businesses,’ he said.

M
r. Omari added that the scholarship will also encourage investors to put their money in Homa Bay.

Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga told students to uphold high standards of discipline.

He said technical courses will address cases of youth unemployment.

Magwanga said that the government was committed to equipping technical training institutes and hiring staff.

‘It is our duty to ensure we provide a better environment for students in technical training institutions,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Nithi Bridge still remains a black spot that continues to haunt travellers along Meru-Embu road ever since this section of the road was commissioned in 1985.

Although accidents have in the recent past been reported in many parts of the country, the ghosts of the infamous bridge held their horses until last Sunday, when yet another carnage struck along the ominous stretch.

Many lives of young and old alike have perished in accidents at the creepy bridge, while others escaped, albeit with permanent scars and broken limps, to tell their unfortunate experiences.

The abrupt, huge cone-shaped road bumps that one encounters as the vehicles approach the steep and long stretch from the Meru side and the conspicuous road signs that remind one of a deadly Nithi Bridge scare many. The bumps thrust those either dozing or those engaged in other deep matters back into earnestly engaging into praying to be delivered across the sinister bridge.

And those passing through the Meru-Chuka highway for the first time keep o
n inquiring how far the infamous bridge is, even when they just leave Meru town, which is over 40 kilometres away.

Harriet Ndanu, a journalist trainee who recently travelled along the highway for the first time, narrated how it was a chilling experience when the matatu tout shouted that they were nearing Nithi.

‘By the mere mention of Nithi, I shut my eyes as the driver of the Nissan Matatu kept on accelerating on the winding series of contours that merge into a steep descent that crosses a river over the ‘infamous bridge,’ said Ms. Ndanu.

But curiosity soon took the better of her since it was her first time to travel from Chuka to Meru. She said she opened her eyes and had to keep on peeping through the glass window of the matatu to have a view of the infamous black spot. But as the vehicle crossed the bridge, her phobia outweighed her nosiness, and she once again shut her eyes and began to pray for the intervention of her creator.

Deep in prayers, she was relieved when the tout whistled banging the veh
icle, informing the driver to stop so that other passengers could alight at the bus stop at Marima on the opposite side of the valley, she recalls.

Last Sunday, four people died and several others were injured when the driver of a Kensilver Mini-bus lost control while descending the slope into the infamous spot that is between Chogoria and Chuka towns in Tharaka Nithi County. It is about seven kilometres from Chuka town and a major component in the name of the county.

The worst accident at the bridge since the commissioning of the road occurred on August 25, 2000. The black spot hit international media with headlines that at least 45 people were killed when a passenger bus plunged into the Nithi River in eastern Kenya’s Meru district.

Immediate reports were that up to 27 other passengers were rushed to Chogoria Mission Hospital, as the public joined police in a frantic search and rescue operation for the remaining passengers.

It was feared many more victims could have been trapped in the wreckage of the T
awfiq bus, which had an official capacity of 65, but was carrying more than 80 passengers at the time of the accident, the reports said.

The ill-fated bus was travelling from Maua in Meru along the Nkubu-Thuchi road, to the Indian Ocean port city of Mombasa when it plunged off a bridge into the river. ‘The latest disaster brings to at least 158 the number of people who have perished at the bridge in the past five years,’ the international media quoted a Kenyan newspaper back then.

Many more accidents have occurred at the threatening bridge ever since. In August, 2020, a multiple accident killed one person on the spot and left nine others injured when the Tharaka Nithi County Fire Engine lost control, knocking several people who had come to rescue a bodaboda rider who had hit the side rails of the bridge.

But in July, 2022, a Modern Coast bus accident appeared to have been a repeat of the 2000 catastrophe. The misfortune occurred as the month of August 2022 approached and involved a coast-destined bus. It o
ccurred on Sunday, July 24, 2022, at around 6.30 p.m. when the ill-fated bus hit a Nissan Xtrail and fell off the bridge into the river about 40 metres below.

On Sunday last week, Tharaka Nithi County Police Commander Zachaeus Ng’eno, confirmed that four people died in the accident, and several others were rushed to Chuka County Referral Hospital and PCEA Chogoria Mission for treatment. Those who perished had been moved to the same hospital’s mortuaries.

The police boss said that although the bridge is nicknamed a hot spot, the bus could have developed a mechanical problem, making it hard for the driver to navigate the steep slope as one approaches the bridge.

Tharaka Nithi County Rescue Team leader Alex Mugambi said the bus had 39 passengers and was travelling from Maua to Nairobi.

He said villagers and commuters who arrived at the scene helped their team to quickly remove the passengers from the wreckage and arrange for the injured to be rushed to the hospital.

The vicinity has featured in two other wr
ong reasons beyond the accidents that have occurred at the black spot. The bridge is between Mitheru and Marima shopping centres. It was in this area that a man was arrested for slaughtering a dog for consumption. Martin Munene, was arrested at his home in Karimba village, Magundu location, in the vicinity of the Nithi Bridge, for eating dog meat, attributing the action to biting hunger. This was in September 2019.

In a more chilling incident, a resident of the area took his affinity for meat to another level when he decided to kill his father for meat. Residents from the area were left in shock after a man from the area was suspected to have killed his father and eaten some of his body parts. He appeared in a Chuka court charged with murder.

But the place is not famous for only negative experiences. Mitheru is home to a restaurant that has, of late, become a household name for both visitors and area residents.

Hill Top is a unique eating out joint courtesy of its famous mouth-watering and sumptuous roaste
d meat within the vicinity of Chuka town and a necessary compliment to many hotels in Chuka town that offer only accommodation without catering services.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Petroleum, Mohammed Liban, has disclosed plans on the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) growth strategy for the school.

The PS said the State Department had advertised for approximately 20 schools countrywide in the past week, as part of a pilot project to assess the feasibility of transitioning schools currently reliant on firewood to LPG usage.

This strategic initiative, he said, aligns with efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, thereby, reducing environmental impact and improving health and safety standards, within educational institutions and their environs.

Speaking at Travellers Beach Resort, Mombasa, where he spearheaded a three-week training on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing Training Workshop for the Department’s Technical Staff, Liban said that from the analysis of about 7,000 schools, approximately 97 per cent of them are using firewood, which means cutting down trees and degradation, which is
not in line with the Climate Environmental Safety.

The workshop focused on capacity building to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department’s operations. By equipping the staff with advanced skills in GIS and Remote Sensing, the initiative aims to empower them to leverage cutting-edge technology, for improved decision-making processes and streamlined operations within the Petroleum sector.

‘As a State Department, GIS and Remote Sensing are very crucial to our operations. The training you are going through will be critical in supporting our cross-sector interactions towards creating an understanding of the relative importance of various elements, even as we seek to optimise the use of our natural resources.’ Liban said.

He emphasised that the Department, overseen by its Human Resource Manager, organises comprehensive training programmes across all cadres, to ensure no gaps in their service delivery and that their skills are refreshed and sharpened.

PS added that the Department’s visibility i
s in great progress, as he highlighted that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), remains engaged in finalising the Department’s Field Development Plan.

Upon completion, he said, the Report will undergo review by the CS within a one-month timeframe, before its submission to Parliament for ratification. Once it is approved, the Department will proceed with a one-year Final Investment Decision (FID) Phase, followed by the commencement of production activities.

‘We are on the right track that we are fully prepared in terms of capacity building, because we are working to ensure that our staff are well trained and well-focused, so that when we go to production, we will be able to meet our objectives as a team,’ he added.

He noted that he expects the facilitators to explore with the staff the complexities of applying the use of GIS in Asset Management, terrain stability assessment, automation for mapping and visualisation, as well as cost efficiency in optimising GIS in their operations.

PS said
that vast knowledge of the use of GIS will put the Department in a vantage position to handle a huge amount of spatial data and information in the exploration, production, and transportation of petroleum as well as natural resource management.

Liban added that the application of Remote Sensing, in combination with GIS, will propel their operations towards sustainable exploitation of natural resources for social and economic development and conservation.

PS said that GIS and Remote Sensing are very crucial to identifying the filling station because, according to EPRA, there are 136 licensed filling stations.

‘If the data is put under GIS together with the schools and the petrol stations, then they will be able to effectively enhance the safety and security of their products,’ added Liban.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has announced plans to reduce the national wage bill from 43 per cent to 35 per cent as part of its strategic measures to unlock more funds for development in the country.

Ministry of Public Service, Performance, and Delivery Management Cabinet Secretary (CS) Moses Kuria noted that the government aims at stopping all profession-driven CBAs as well as cultivating equity and professionalism among all civil servants.

‘This can only be achieved by allowing the government to conduct an orderly CBA processing and negotiation system,’ he added.

Speaking in Nairobi on Friday, the CS said the government will be audacious in the implementation of the new wage bill regulations, highlighting that the public wage bill has been growing within an environment of revenue and financial constraints, consuming a significant portion of the national budget, thus putting pressure on the development and investment of the fiscal budget.

Additionally, the CS noted that a fiscally sust
ainable public wage bill is an enabler to achieving the desired expansion in public services and economic development.

The wage bill to ordinary revenue ratio has declined from 54.77 per cent in Financial Year (FY) 2020/2021 to 47.06 per cent in FY 2021/2022, and is projected to reduce further to 43.54 per cent in FY 2022/2023 and 40.45 per cent in FY 2024.

The CS noted that the national government still remains the largest consumer of goods and services, and their only competitors are the private sector, noting that the government has employed a total of 937,900 civil servants.

‘Out of the annual revenue collected, the wage bill takes up to 43 per cent, and the remaining 57 per cent is disbursed between paying off debts and improving the country’s economy through investments and development projects,’ said Kuria.

Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) Chairperson Lyn Mengich said that the public wage bill has consistently remained above the 35 per cent to revenue ratio and continues to be physically
unsustainable, thus shrinking the resources available for development and the government’s priority agenda.

Mengich noted that Kenya is a resource-scarce country where the expenditures of the public wage Bill, government operations, maintenance development, and international commitment compete for the limited resources that are generated in the country as revenue.

‘Resources will never be enough. We will always have a constraint on the resources, 47.3 per cent of the revenue goes to the wage bill, 60 per cent goes to debt, and therefore we must borrow because we already spend more than we generate just on those two-lime items alone,’ she said.

Mengich said that it is important to apply the management of the wage bill, which requires a multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary, and whole-government approach; hence, the conference has been themed towards 35 per cent, adding plenty more.

She has announced that the preparation of the third National Wage Bill conference is ready, and they are hosting it in conjunctio
n with the conference chairing committee.

The conference will commence on April 15th -17th at the Bomas of Kenya and will bring together high-level leadership from national and county governments, associations, and the media, among others.

‘The primary outcome expected of this conference is the commitment to reducing the public wage bill to 35 per cent of revenue in line with the provisions of the Public Finance Management Act of the year 2020-2012, and we target to achieve that by 2028,’ said the chair.

The chair said that the public wage bill in absolute terms has hit about a trillion shillings in the year 2022, which has shown a positive trend as a percentage of revenue, which is attributed to intervention by SRC in collaboration with stakeholders.

She noted that the implementation of the last conference’s best trends is heading in the right direction, whereas the coming conference has been organised in order to chart a path to achieve the desired outcome for economic development and public service del
ivery.

She added that the conference will provide an opportunity to discuss and develop purposeful actions towards enhancing the role of productivity in the physical sustainability of the wage bill and a huge potential for optimisation in the public service towards the achievement of a 35% public wage bill to revenue ratio, thus making more available resources for development and other government priorities.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In a bid to address the ongoing health workers’ strike, the Chief of Staff and Head of Public Service, Felix Koskei, has issued a formal appeal to the Health Workers’ Unions, urging them to cease their industrial action and engage in constructive dialogue with their respective employers.

Speaking at the Kenya School of Government, Mombasa, as he officially closed the inaugural two-day Regulatory Authorities and Agencies Conference, Koskei said that there was a Court Order, that was issued to suspend the strike, and allow negotiations and discussions regarding the issues presented by the health workers.

‘We have invited them, and we are waiting for the Union to suspend the strike and come to the table, so we can sit down and negotiate terms that will leave both parties comfortable,’ Koskei said.

Koskei cautioned that the issue of CBA is most contentious, noting that there are about 50 employers of Doctors and 47 counties, Four National Government entities and Three level Six, and the Ministry itself.

‘It i
s only fair that the health workers go back to their respective employers, because they are ready to negotiate,’ he pleaded.

Koskei confirmed that they have sorted out the major contentious issues like basic salary arrears, both National and County government, and the fee arrears for postgraduate doctors, highlighting that the Treasury is processing the payment of about 150 million.

He went on to say that they have also sorted out the issue of comprehensive insurance coverage that they asked for and that from July 1st, they will be covered.

‘They are already on comprehensive cover, and I think they had an apprehension that perhaps with the changes in NHIF, they may lose the cover, but I want to assure them that they are not going to lose it because they are also public servants,’ Koskei said.

Koskei added that the Ministry of Health is also actively addressing human resource matters such as promotions and guidelines. Efforts are underway to ensure that qualified individuals are promoted promptly, with the
necessary funds allocated for that purpose, while ensuring that positions slated for promotion are vacant and that the promotion process aligns with the established criteria.

‘We are saying to let respective counties negotiate with the unions because counties like Mombasa have confirmed that they have no arrears and have all issues sorted,’ he said.

Koskei emphasized that interns are newly graduated doctors who are required by law to undergo a one-year internship as part of their curriculum that helps them to acquire practical experience and fulfill the requirements for obtaining a medical license thereafter.

This structured training period ensures that interns are adequately prepared to contribute effectively to healthcare delivery upon completion of their internship.

‘The contention is the stipend that they are supposed to be paid because it is not a salary. In 2017, the government signed to pay 206 thousand per month, and it has become very unsustainable to the extent that there is a backlog because th
ey are running under a very limited budget,’ he said.

He highlighted that the entire workforce may not be able to get an increment because the country’s economy is very dire to all sectors.

‘NRC analysis that we did says that we can pay them 70,000 per month for 12 months, and upon graduation, they can go get jobs that can pay them even a million in the country or even abroad,’ Koskei said.

He acknowledged the challenge posed by the duration of twelve months and the associated salary; however, he encouraged the interns to prioritise acquiring their licenses, emphasising its significance in liberating them from the constraints of being mere understudies.

The Chief of Staff reiterated the President’s words, urging Kenyans to live within their means because the government cannot afford to borrow loans to pay salaries.

‘The budget we have set aside of 204 billion, can afford to accommodate all the 1,200 interns with the 70,000 salary, but if they want 206,000, we will be forced to take a few of about 100, wh
ich will lead to a backlog of approximately 5 years,’ he concluded.

Source: Kenya News Agency