Day: April 14, 2024

Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner, Mr. Patrick Musango, has cautioned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the region to observe impartiality during dispute resolution initiatives.

He, however, warned those found taking sides during peace resolution meetings that they risked being deregistered, adding that the government was keen to see conflicts pitting communities amicably resolved without bias.

Mr. Musango expressed fears that some NGOs were taking sides and planting seeds of discord among communities under the guise of building peace during meetings they organise so as to continue sourcing in pretence to create harmony amongst them.

He said that the government would not hesitate to deal with the management of such NGOs and their political godfathers where peace and stability are disturbed.

Speaking during a day workshop for Assistant County Commissioners, chiefs and their assistants, and the Council of Elders from diverse ethnic groups in the area, Mr. Musango said that criminals are known to loca
ls, but sometimes the elders and politicians protect them from getting arrested and punished.

The administrator added that some elders who were in the meeting would be arrested since they have been implicated in cattle theft and were keeping stolen animals in their homes despite hiding criminals who are their sons.

The DCC added that some politicians are involved in cattle thefts since they share stolen animals, preach peace with government officers during the day, and plan criminal activities with the suspects at night.

The meeting was sponsored by the Northern Rangeland Trust (NRT) and brought together elders from Borana, Turkana, Somali, Meru, and Samburu communities.

Mr. Musango said that all crime loopholes would be sealed and warned influential politicians, civil servants, and other stakeholders that the government would firmly deal with criminals and those supporting them.

He directed chiefs to attend all meetings organised by NGOs and stakeholders and write true reports of their activities and ho
w their actions impact the communities.

A former administration Police Officer, Mr. Hassan Isack, accused the security team of not responding to reports presented to them by security scouts in the villages on time and giving criminals time to escape with stolen animals.

Mr. Isack said illegal firearms in the wrong hands were attributed to increasing cases of insecurity and loss of lives and appealed to the Interior Cabinet Secretary, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, to commence a security operation to mop up the weapons in Isiolo, Meru, and Laikipia.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Police in Meru, in collaboration with officials from Kenya Power Company, are working day and night to rein in transformer vandalism in Meru and Isiolo Counties.

This comes against the backdrop of a spike in transformer oil siphoning cases that have been hampering electricity supply in various areas in the two counties.

According to Kenya Power’s Mount Kenya Regional Manager, Ariel Mutegi, a security team acting on leads from analysis of data and call locations managed to nab three suspects that they have been pursuing.

The team trailed Daudi Muithi Aritho to the Timau area in Meru County, where he was arrested in the evening.

Daudi had run off from Meru town to Timau on suspicion that he was being followed and even changed his phone number.

‘Upon further interrogation, Daudi revealed two of his accomplices, namely Vincent and Isaack. Efforts to reach out to Vincent were in vain as he was located at Ngong Racecourse,’ said Mr. Mutegi.

However, he added, the team managed to arrest Isaack Mureith Kirema i
n a setup process to buy transformer oil from one of the informers.

He was arrested in Meru town at the PSV Matatu stage terminus.

Mr. Mutegi added that the two suspects are being held at the Meru Police Station awaiting prosecution.

Mr. Mutegi added that after the arrest of the two, the team proceeded to the Igoki area in Imenti North, where they conducted a raid in the house of one suspect who had been named in the oil siphoning syndicate.

They apprehended Bernard Thiuru M’mbogori in the house before he was able to escape.

‘After a thorough search in his house, we recovered aluminium conductors, a Kenya Power 16mm service cable, and two rods of vandalised transformer earth rods. The suspect was also escorted to Meru police,’ said Mr. Mutegi.

He said they would not relent on their efforts to arrest Vincent, who is suspected to be the mastermind behind the syndicate.

‘The team will conduct further raids on the identified premises and is looking forward to stopping the siphoning menace completely.

In t
he same breath, the team spent the better part of the week in Isiolo County conducting such raids and obtaining information on the market for transformer oil with the help of key personnel on the ground monitoring the situation,’ said Mr. Mutegi.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Registered mango and dairy farmers in Murang’a will now access subsidies provided by the county government through electronic cards.

Governor Irungu Kang’ata launched the issuance of the cards to farmers who are registered with various cooperative societies on Saturday.

In the programme dubbed Inua Mkulima, Kang’ata noted that the money meant for subsidy will be loaded into the card, and farmers will use the money to purchase animal feeds, agrochemicals, and food stuffs, among other items, from selected agrovets and General outlets.

The county administration had registered more than 21, 000 farmers, and for the last one year, the subsidy was being paid in cash.

Addressing farmers at Kahuro grounds, Governor Kang’ata hailed the e-cards, saying the farmers will be able to buy essential items from selected outlets.

Already, 85 outlets across the county have been prequalified and engaged by the county administration in the programme, where farmers will redeem their money from the stores.

He said by October
this year, they will make some advancements on the programme whereby, with the use of the same card, a farmer will be able to pay hospital bills and also offset school fees.

‘We launched a subsidy programme for dairy and mango farmers early last year, and we have opted to channel the money via electronic cards. This is a better strategy since it will seal loopholes that were experienced when the money was being disbursed in cash,’ added Kang’ata.

The county government established a subsidy programme early in 2023 to help mango and dairy farmers increase production as well as cushion them from price fluctuations.

Mango farmers are given Sh3.50 per kilo of delivered produce, while those in dairy farming are getting Sh7 per delivered litre of milk.

‘The county administration will stop issuing cash support and instead introduce an e-card linked to a mobile phone-based system. Milk and Mango farmers will redeem the money in agrovets across the county for various items, including dairy meal, Artificial Insemina
tion services, maize and sorghum seeds, and foodstuffs,’ added the governor.

The move to change the mode of giving subsidies through e-cards, Kang’ata stated, was informed by advice from various stakeholders to make the programme more impactful.

Governor Kang’ata explained that with the new mode of payment of subsidies, all farmers will get an equal amount, which will ensure support for the majority of farmers.

‘With the new mode of giving the subsidy, the county government will increase the number of farmers benefiting from the programme,’ he added.

From March 14 to March 24 this year, the county administration conducted a farmers’ register verification exercise and public participation meetings in every ward on the Inua Mkulima programme.

Kang’ata further noted that the benefiting farmers will spend the county’s resources strictly on inputs and not on other unrelated matters.

‘The farmers who stop supplying milk or mango to their respective cooperatives will be easily detected and replaced. This metho
d will also support other stakeholders like agrovets and veterinary officers,’ he added, calling on farmers to register with cooperatives so as to benefit from the subsidy.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The war against Gender Based-Violence (GBV) has gained traction in Homa Bay County following the establishment of two clinics to handle such cases.

GBV clinics have been established by the Gender Violence Recovery Centre (GVRC) in Rangwe and Mbita Sub-county hospitals.

The GVRC Manager for Medical and Psychosocial Support, Rebecca Gitau, said that the two new centres will help tackle the rising cases of GBV across the county.

She noted that the two clinics will bring to four the total number of such facilities in the county.

Similar clinics, dubbed Hope Centres, are at the county teaching and referral hospital and Makongeni Sub-county hospital in Homa Bay town.

Speaking Saturday after launching the two clinics, Ms. Gitau said that the establishment of the centres was geared towards tackling vices such as teenage pregnancies, defilement, and GBV, which are on the rise in the county.

She was accompanied during the launch by County Health Chief Officer Kevin Osuri and his counterpart from Gender Docket, Do
lphin Ochere.

Dr. Osuri thanked the GVRC organisation for their efforts in addressing rampant cases of GBV in the county.

He appealed to the organisation to extend their programmes to other sub counties.

‘We have already posted nurses to the new stations, and we hope they will start serving people,’ the Chief Officer said.

The official, however, expressed concern that male survivors of GBV were not visiting the centres for help.

Dr. Osuri said there is a misconception that men cannot be victims of the vice.

He, however, told men who are suffering in silence to come out and fight for their rights. Some of the services that will be offered at the centres include counselling.

Meanwhile, the Homa Bay County Government has procured a boat ambulance that will help ferry patients from islands in Lake Victoria to the sub county hospital on the mainland.

Some of the people the ambulance will carry are survivors of gender violence.

Ms. Gitau said establishing the centres came after GVRC realised there was a ga
p in addressing gender issues in the county.

She said GVRC has had a presence in Homa Bay County for the past seven years.

The official noted that through collaboration with other like-minded organisations, they have managed to assist many women and teenage girls in overcoming life challenges.

‘We have since trained health care providers and Community Health Promoters(CHPs) on ways of addressing gender violence. Our efforts are bearing fruit,’ Ms Gitau said.

She called on other partners to support the newly opened hope centres.

Mbita Assistant County Commissioner Neema Weche said national government administrators also need to be trained on gender matters.

She said Chiefs were usually the first handlers of gender violence cases.

The administrator said his team needs to be equipped with knowledge on how to handle such matters.

‘Sometimes witnesses have failed to appear in court, weakening cases. Everyone involved in the war against gender violence should therefore join hands and eradicate the vice,’ Ms
. Weche said.

She also expressed concern about attempts by some families to cover up cases through illegal out-of-court settlements.

Dr. Osuri said CHPs must ensure they help other agencies, including the police, in ensuring victims get justice.

Kenya Legal and Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN) Programme Officer Edwin Nyanga said Homa Bay has been known for so many vices.

‘We are struggling with the triple threat. However, we can fight the vices if we join hands and work as a team,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government has closed down KEL Chemicals Factory in Thika town following adverse reports of the company’s involvement in the production of fake fertiliser.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary, Mithika Linturi, announced Saturday that the company’s license had been revoked pending further investigations into the distribution of counterfeit fertiliser to farmers.

Government officials declared the factory premises a crime scene, with CS Linturi assuring the public that public funds would not be compromised due to the scam.

‘The government has revoked the manufacturing license for KEL Chemicals while investigations are still ongoing.’

Additionally, KEL will not receive payment for the bags of fertiliser they have already provided in the country until the investigation is completed. The blending plant where the fertiliser was produced has been closed and will be considered a crime scene until the investigation is finalised,’ stated Mr. Linturi.

Furthermore, CS Linturi stated that funds owed to KEL for the bags
they had provided would not be released until the investigation was completed.

On their part, KEL company officials have acknowledged a production mistake, indicating that 3,000 bags of the fake fertiliser were manufactured from March 5 to March 10, 2023.

Mr. Chandrabhan Chimurkahh, the General Manager of KEL Chemicals, stated that their internal investigations revealed a disruption in the production process from March 5 to March 10, 2024.

He clarified that the issue impacted 3,000 bags, and efforts were underway to trace and recall them, with the Kenya Revenue Authority having already located 516 bags, which were being tested by the relevant government authorities.

‘I believe that there was a minor issue in which the ingredients being mixed may have become contaminated during the production process. It is possible that some workers accidentally stepped on them or that other ingredients fell and were then collected and put into the bags,’ said Mr. Chimurkahh.

He stated that they were fully collaborating
with the government in tracing the contaminated bags and that they would continue to cooperate throughout the process.

The closure of the powder section at KEL Chemicals has led to the suspension of operations that involved mixing fertiliser, causing 150 out of the 275 employees at the company to lose their jobs.

The license has been revoked one week after the issuance of a directive by the Ministry of Agriculture for the mandatory testing of all fertilisers being distributed to farmers nationwide.

Kelphos Plus, Kelphos Gold, and NPK fertilisers produced by KEL Chemicals were found below the required fertiliser standards by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) during testing.

CS Linturi emphasised the government’s dedication to providing farmers with quality agricultural inputs and stated that they were actively working to avoid any issues with fertiliser that could affect crop production in the future.

He reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that food security continued to be a top priorit
y.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party has assured of free, fair, and credible party nominations slated for later this month.

Party Secretary General Cleophas Malala said all was set for the first phase of the primaries slated to commence on March 26, which he assured will be above board.

He said the elections will be conducted electronically to ensure transparency and verifiability.

‘These are going to be the first grass-roots elections to be conducted on a digital platform in all the polling stations,’ he stated.

Speaking in Embu County at the 62nd edition of the Kenya National Drama and Film Festivals contest, Mr. Malala said electronic voting was an achievement and a milestone in the journey of democracy for Kenya.

‘That should be celebrated, and people should be confident that we are going to conduct credible grassroots elections,’ Malala said.

He called on those aspiring to be leaders to use the opportunity of the nominations as a platform for nurturing and incubating their ideas on leadership
.

The UDA SG encouraged their supporters to continue registering as members of the UDA Party, which, he said, was a national outfit that is all inclusive and not ethnic-based.

Additionally, Malala said they had constituted the Elections Disputes Resolution Committee to amicably sort out any disputes that may arise.

‘It is a quasi-judicial organ in the party that will listen to all disputes that may arise out of the elections and come up with an amicable solution,’ he stated.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government has affirmed the provision of emergency housing and comprehensive support services to families displaced by the extensive flooding affecting several regions in the country.

This initiative underscores the Government’s proactive approach to addressing the immediate needs of affected communities and ensuring their safety and well-being during this challenging period.

Addressing the nation from Sarova Whitesands, Government Spokesperson, Isaac Mwaura highlighted the government’s vigilant stance in monitoring the ongoing long rainfall season.

Mwaura said the government is mobilising veterinary services and emergency feed supplies to support the affected pastoral communities, who are likely to lose large numbers of livestock.

Acknowledging the onset of heavy and persistent rainfall alongside severe storms, as predicted by meteorological department forecasts, Mwaura emphasised the government’s proactive approach to tracking these developments closely.

‘This has been a continuous project where we
had over 100,000 households affected, and so we need the nation to be assured that we have the matter under control and we shall take the necessary measures,’ Mwaura said.

He noted that the ongoing heavy rainfall has posed several challenges, besides the displacement of whole communities, and added that the government is prepared to address them proactively.

‘We are witnessing and preparing for substantial damage to roads, bridges, educational institutions, health facilities, and residential buildings. The government has put rapid response teams on standby, to conduct repairs, and maintenance and to ensure continuity of essential services,’ Mwaura said.

He further acknowledged that the livelihoods of many Kenyans, especially those in the agricultural and information sectors, are at risk. The government is initiating relief measures, including financial aid and resources to support affected individuals and families.

The Spokesperson said that large acreages of farmland are also under threat of submersion,
which could ultimately impact food security, but he assured that the Ministry of Agriculture is deploying strategies and resources to mitigate these effects, including the provision of flood-resistant crop varieties and farming advisories.

Mwaura also delved into various pressing issues affecting the country, notably the ongoing doctor’s strike, where he urged the health workers to prioritise the welfare of citizens by demonstrating compassion and ending the strike.

Emphasising the importance of dialogue, he called upon all stakeholders to engage in constructive negotiations to resolve the impasse effectively.

He also addressed the surge in passport applications and collection, assuring that the government will double the number of passports it targets to issue this year to at least one million and three million digital national identification cards during the same period.

The new targets are set to be part of a new ambitious drive to make it easier for Kenyans to access these documents. Currently, there
has been a backlog of 700,000 Kenyans who have been waiting to acquire passports and a similar number of IDs.

‘The government is also working to raise the revenue generated from its services, which is collected on the E-Citizen digital platform at a daily average of Sh1 billion,’ Mwaura highlighted.

He explained that this is important to enhance the efficiency that will get rid of corruption and gridlocks and ensure the resources are ploughed back to uplift the lives of Kenyans.

The government believes that these are realistic targets based on strategic improvements.

‘Also targeted for a major boost in generated revenue is the issuance of Electronic Travel Authorisation (eta) that replaced entry visas to the country, with the government hoping for at least 5 million visitors in the medium term,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Tharaka-Nithi Governor Muthomi Njuki, has directed all health workers in the county who are on leave to resume duty by Monday tommorow, save for those on medical leave.

Speaking at his office in Chuka town on Saturday, Njuki disclosed that the nature of the health sector at the moment requires the presence of all the medical practitioners, hence the need for those on leave to resume work at their stations.

The governor further disclosed that a court order had suspended the strike notice by the doctors and clinical officers in Tharaka Nithi, and those who had been on a go-slow should have resumed their normal duties by Friday.

‘We have instructions to take all the necessary disciplinary actions against any of the striking doctors and clinical officers who have not resumed duty by Friday, the 12th day of April 2024,’ said the governor.

Njuki said the government has not received any recognition agreement with any union for Laboratory technicians, and therefore any of them who is out of duty over a purported
industrial action is ill advised.

He disclosed that he has asked his officers to advertise the vacant positions of any clinical officer or lab technicians who had not reported to duty by Friday’s deadline in order to replace them with others who are willing to work under the current conditions.

The governor further disclosed that the government does not have any recognition agreement with any union for Nutritionists and Dieticians and anyone of them who will go on strike after the counterfeit union’s threat date will be considered to have absconded duty and will be replaced.

He asked the residents of the county to continue seeking medical attention in the public health facilities and to desist from following the misleading information that the health workers are on strike.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Beja: Five scientific inventions have won the official competition of the Regional Festival of Scientific Inventions dedicated to combating the effects of climate change.

The event was organised at the seat of the municipality of Beja on the initiative of the Tunisian Association of Inventors without Borders and the Ministry of the Environment, with 20 projects taking part.

President of the Association of Inventors Without Borders, Chedli Guizani said in a statement to TAP Sunday “the 2024 edition of the festival saw the participation of 20 students and student inventors aged between 10 and 30.”

The inventions presented at this edition stood out for their use of artificial intelligence to help cities, populations and agriculture adapt to climate change, he added.

The first prize went to Raslan Jendoubi for his invention of a flood management system based on an electronic rainwater drainage system.

Arij Kadhaii came second for his invention of a natural air-conditioning system, while Azer Bjeoui won third
prize for his invention of a robot for automatic sterilisation of premises, and Mohammed Adem Dakhli won fourth prize for his invention of a solar-powered car.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunis: The immigration of healthcare professionals represents a major challenge to the Tunisian healthcare system, if no major measures are taken to deal with it, according to a survey entitled ‘Immigration of Healthcare Professionals: Challenges for the Tunisian Healthcare System’, recently published by the Tunisian Institute of Strategic Studies (French: ITES).

The survey offers an in-depth analysis of the situation and calls for concrete action to be taken so as to combat the phenomenon of immigration of healthcare professionals.

According to figures provided by the Tunisian Technical Cooperation Agency (French: ATCT) included in the survey, the number of cooperators in the health sector is increasing more quickly than the overall number of guest workers.

From 2016-2022, the average annual growth rate of healthcare guest workers was 8% compared to 5% in total, the same source said.

Healthcare professionals (nurses, senior technicians, midwives, etc.) represent on average 72% of total recruits, includi
ng specialist doctors (21% on average) and only 7% for general practitioners over from 2009 to 2022. Until April 2023, the share of ‘healthcare personnel’ recruits exceeded 92% of the total healthcare recruitments.

In addition, cooperators in the field of healthcare represent, in Europe, 48% of the total cooperators.

According to ATCT data, 52% of guest workers in the ‘healthcare’ field are based in Arab countries, followed by Europe. However, Europe and Canada recorded the highest growth rates in the number of recruits (22 and 21% respectively on annual average from 2009 to 2022) while the number of recruits in Arab countries and Africa is evolving with a respective annual growth rate of 4% and 5% over the same period.

Until April 2023, over 65% of recruits immigrate to Europe, particularly Germany with 190 personnel.

The European destination, particularly Germany, records the highest growth rate for the ‘healthcare professionals’ category (21% per year on average from 2009 to 2022), followed by Canada w
ith a rate of 20 % per year over the same period, followed by Africa with 10% and the Arab countries with a rate of 7%.

Germany has become the leading destination for the ‘healthcare professionals’ category since 2019 with an increase of 50% on average per year between 2019 and 2022. In 2022, 93% out of 459 recruited in Germany are healthcare workers

According to the ITES survey, these figures are confirmed by a study carried out by the Institute of Healthcare Professions (IMS). They were presented during the healthcare professions fair in June 2023. The destination countries for nurses and midwives are: Germany (47%), Saudi Arabia (12%), Qatar (12%), United Arab Emirates (6%) and France (6%) respectively.

Until 2019, Saudi Arabia is the most favorite destination for healthcare specialists with an average annual growth rate of 11% from 2009 to 2019.

Most general practitioners were hired in Saudi Arabia from 2009-2020.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse