Day: April 13, 2024

The Mpesa Foundation has unveiled a new Mother and Child Hospital (MCH) in Kisumu County to boost the provision of healthcare outcomes.

The facility domiciled at Ratta Hospital in Seme-Sub County is equipped with a nurse station, a waiting bay with a children’s play area, two consultants’ rooms, a child welfare clinic (CWC) room, a pharmacy with a store, a family planning room, an antenatal clinic (ANC) room, and washrooms, among others.

Safaricom Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Peter Ndegwa, who handed over the facility to the county government, said the newly constructed unit is expected to increase bed capacity and daily deliveries in the area.

The maternal unit, he said will also provide a variety of critical services such as outpatient care, maternity care, comprehensive clinic care, immunizations for children, and laboratory services where over 10,000 people will be impacted.

‘At Safaricom, our purpose is transforming lives, and through these interventions, we are taking healthcare closer to the peopl
e. Going forward, the M-PESA Foundation will continue partnering with the counties to enhance service delivery, with a keen focus on maternal and child health,’ he said.

Kisumu Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o lauded the partnership, saying it will go a long way in boosting health outcomes for the area.

‘This project is a dream come true to the people of Seme and Kisumu County as a whole. It is a model we are keen on extending to other parts of the County,’ he said.

The county government, he said, has invested an additional Sh. 6 million to renovate the Old Ratta Hospital.

This mother-and-child unit, he added, will offer exclusive services to mothers and their babies, helping to mitigate against the high infant mortality rate in the area.

The facility, he added, will offer services beyond Seme Sub-County, adding that the county government plans to set up similar wellness centres across the eight Sub-Counties.

Nyong’o said his government would continue to invest heavily in the health sector to ensure the we
llbeing of all area residents.

Among the key interventions in the health sector, he said, was the operation of some 280 functional Community Health Units, which have been linked to 151 Public Health Facilities and five faith-based health facilities across the County.

This, he said, represents 94.5% coverage, with an average of 307,185 households in the County served by 2,998 Community Community Health Workers.

The number of visits made by CHWs to family households in the area, he disclosed, increased from 187,977 in 2022 to 206,420 in 2023.

‘In the last one year, our community health workers received further training on community case management of malaria, nurturing care, family planning, HPV, and cervical cancer screening,’ he said.

As a result, he said most of the CHWs were now able to diagnose and treat malaria cases in the community, screen for children’s health and growth, among other things.

Source: Kenya News Agency

One thousand needy students from Kericho Township Technical and Vocational College (KERITTVC) have benefited from a bursary worth Shs 6.4 million from the Ainamoi NG-CDF bursary kitty.

The students undertaking both certificate and diploma courses in Hospitality, Agriculture, Building, Electrical Engineering, Information, Communication and Technology, and Liberal studies at the Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) institution are drawn from the Ainamoi sub-county within Kericho County.

The money released covers the 2023-2024 financial year.

Speaking during the presentation of the cheque at KERITTVC grounds, area MP Benjamin Langat urged youths to engage in practical knowledge and hands-on skills that enable them to become self-reliant and create employment.

Langat said TVET provided the hands-on skills training required by not only industries but also students to create their own businesses and employ others.

‘The future belongs to you, and the future of Kenya is in practical solutions.We wa
nt youth who can help us make products that we can sell outside the country. Focus on excelling in your studies, and the technical skills you have acquired will assist you in becoming self-employed,’ said Hon. Langat.

In today’s rapidly changing and fast-paced world, he said, traditional education alone was no longer sufficient, but a student equipped with hands-on skills will attract employability opportunities and excel in their chosen careers.

The legislator who is credited with the founding of the KERITTVC said he desired to see the institution expand and cater for more students from the other five sub-counties in Kericho.

‘As leaders from this area, we have to sit together with all stakeholders and seek all possible avenues that will see this TVET institution get more land for putting up additional infrastructural developments. We will work to see that those who fall out of their studies because of lack of school fees are brought back to complete their education,’ added Hon. Langat.

The institution’s
Principal, Shadrack Tonui, said student enrollment was growing and there was a need for more space to accommodate the surging numbers, which he attributed to the community’s acceptance of the concept of technical education.

Ainamoi NG-CDF Chairman Philip Kemei urged beneficiaries to utilise the bursary well by working hard and achieving good results, which will make them marketable locally and internationally.

The student President Duncan Cheruiyot, appealed to leaders to help purchase a bus for the TVET College to ease transportation challenges.

KERITTVC is among the second set of 60 public TVET institutions situated in the Ainamoi sub-county within Kericho County. It is the fifth TVET in Kericho County, with a student population of 2,300. The college was constructed pursuant to the government’s commitment to build at least one technical and vocational college in every constituency. The institute’s first phase was jointly funded by the government and NG-CDF in 2015 and completed in 2019.

Kericho has six
sub-counties, notably Ainamoi, Belgut, Bureti, Londiani, Kipkelion, and Soin/Sigowet sub-counties.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In an effort to combat the ravages of climate change in the country, public servants in Kajiado County took advantage of the current long rains to plant at least 2000 seedlings at the Maasai National Polytechnic grounds.

The programme dubbed ‘school greening programme’ targets schools and institutions within the county for the purpose of afforestation and achieving the Presidential directive of planting 15 billion trees by the year 2032.

Kajiado County Commissioner James Taari, while addressing the media, called on school heads and county officials to take advantage of the rains and plant both exotic and indigenous trees, as some species do not require a lot of water.

Taari mentioned that they were targeting to plant at least 5000 seedlings, but they managed to plant at least 2000 seedlings.

‘We wanted to plant more than 5000 seedlings, but we have managed to plant 2000 of them. Learning institutions with space should take advantage of this time and plant trees, as we believe that if we plant trees right
now, they will grow and make our environment green again. Let us plant exotic and indigenous trees to mitigate climate change and regenerate our environment,’ said Taari.

Taari added that, the programme not only focuses on schools and institutions but also on homesteads.

Residents who have enough space in their homes are encouraged to go for seedlings at the Kenya Forest offices or even source indigenous trees around them and plant.

‘The trees we have planted do not require a lot of water, so if you have a space and some water at your home, please come take the seedlings and plant trees. Once the seedling has received a small amount of water, the tree will grow. Rely on Kenya Forest to get the seedlings, but when you discover some indigenous trees not placed correctly, you can take them and plant them well,’ added Taari.

Phineas Rewa, Kajiado County Forest Conservatory, revealed that, the variety of species of trees planted at Maasai National Polytechnic will enrich the environment by providing shades a
nd beauty, and they can be used for timber and landscaping.

‘The trees we have planted today and the ones before will make this school beautiful within the next five years; it will show quite a different environment. We have planted casuarina, cordia Africana, and croton macrostachyus with the main purpose of landscaping and beauty; they can also be used for timber and furniture. We want to support institutions through a school greening programme and also the restoration of dying rees,’ said Rewa.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Members of the Turkana South and East Community Land Management Committee (CMLC) have undergone training on the application of the Alternative Justice System as a tool for resolving land-related conflicts in the areas.

The three-day training was organised by the County Government in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Trainees were drawn from the six communities of Lomunyenkupurat, Kapese, Nakukulas, Lokichar, Loperot, and Kasuroi.

Turkana is one of the first counties to embrace and entrench the Alternative Justice System (AJS) and has a fully established functional team of jurists under the chairmanship of Yusuf Aremon.

The Chief Officer for Lands and Physical Planning, Leah Losiru, urged the trainees to refer to past cases that were successfully resolved by the AJS system to learn practical application.

‘You have now been exposed to the AJS legal and administrative frameworks, and you now have a duty to examine past cases resolved by AJS to learn more skills to apply in confli
ct resolution,’ said Chief Officer Leah.

The AJS Chair assured the trainees of his readiness to offer further mentorship and continuous engagement in the resolution of land-related conflicts.

The training exposed the CMLC members to dispute resolution mechanisms, provisions of the National Land Policy, natural resource management, and membership in the AJS system, among others.

The Turkana Central Assistant County Commissioner, Michael Kiguta, and representatives of the County Attorney office were present.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Eastern Regional Commissioner Paul Rotich has rallied residents to support the ongoing war on illicit brews to rid the Region of the menace.

Speaking from his office in Embu on Friday, the RC said concerted efforts and goodwill from security agencies, leaders, and the community were needed for the fight to bear the expected results.

‘Cooperation from all relevant stakeholders to curb the continued use of illicit brews is of utmost importance for us to sustain and win this war,’ he said.

He said the dangers of the substance cannot be overemphasised, as it has caused many societal problems, robbing victims of a bright future while leaving others dead or with lifelong health complications.

The RC said that for the past one month since the campaign commenced, they had made tremendous progress, with many outlets having been closed and suspects arraigned in court.

He said that due to the unavailability of the brews, the majority of the drinkers had quit the habit and started channelling their time and energies
towards activities of self-improvement.

‘We have seen a big change since we started this war. We have seen many of those hooked on social vices going back to work, attending churches, and even attending public barazas,’ he said.

He appealed to security officers not to let the guard down in this fight to safeguard the gains achieved so far.

‘The biggest challenge for us now is to sustain this war, and I call up our security organs not to get tired or relax,’ he appealed, while also calling on the members of the public to keep sharing crucial information with them with regard to manufacturers and sellers.

On flooding, the Commissioner reported that, with the exception of North-Horr Constituency, where hundreds had been displaced, the situation was okay in other areas.

He said the situation in the affected constituency was under control, adding that they were on the lookout and mitigation measures had been put in place should there be a similar occurrence elsewhere.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kebili: As a result of the bad weather over the past 48 hours in the Kebili governorate, civil protection units have taken a number of measures to deal with the situation, in line with the measures taken by the Regional Committee for Prevention, Disaster Prevention and Emergency Relief.

Civil protection units drained rainwater from a number of houses and streets in the El Faouar and Souk Lahad delegations to ensure the safety of the local inhabitants and the resumption of road traffic, Colonel Saifeddine Dakhlaoui, regional director of civil protection, told TAP on Saturday.

According to the same source, 13 tourists were evacuated on Friday after their bus got stuck between Oued Boulekhcheb and Oued Laarej, near Ksar Ghilane, following a rise in water levels in the two wadis and torrential rain.

The measures taken by the Regional Committee for Prevention, Disaster Control and Emergency Relief also include the suspension of classes in all public and private schools on Friday and Saturday, as well as a ban o
n all travel and tourism to Ksar Ghilane, the regional official said, adding that the committee is in permanent session and is closely monitoring the situation in the region.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Machakos will continue to experience heavy rains until the second week of May, County Director of Meteorological Services Dominic Kyalo has said.

Kyalo said most parts of the county will continue to receive heavy rains, which are expected to subside in the second week of May.

‘Some of the areas like Muthesya,Katumani,Ekalakala,and Masii have received over 250mm of rain cumulatively, and we expect that by the time the rains end in May, the areas will have received more than 400-500mm,’ he said.

He cautioned about potential floods due to the rains and asked residents to take precautions to avert loss of lives and property.

‘Those living along the Athi and Tana River basins, including Matungulu, Ndithini, and Masinga, should watch out for floods. If possible, they should move to higher ground, ‘said the director of meteorological services.

Kyalo also asked residents not to cross flooded rivers and to be wary of dams that he said had filled to capacity due to the heavy rains.

‘We have also received reports
of collapsed buildings and toilets in Muthesya and Mumbuni areas due to the heavy rains, and we call upon residents to be on the lookout,’ he added while speaking to KNA today.

Kyalo also noted that the rains are sometimes accompanied by lightning and thunder storms and dissuaded residents from seeking shelter under trees and abandoned houses.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Medenine: The El Kasbah youth club in the Sidi Makhlouf delegation, Medenine governorate was inaugurated on Friday.

The 370,000-dinar project is part of a partnership between the regional sports commission and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through the Ma3an programme.

Lassed Amami, regional commissioner for youth and sport, told TAP the club includes a multidisciplinary room, a computer room, a multi-sports field and entertainment areas.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse