Day: April 20, 2024

Various stakeholders met in a Bomet hotel for a one-day workshop that aimed to discuss ways to strengthen Saccos using the digital technology.

The workshop that delved into leveraging digital banking solutions to address challenges faced by SACCOs was organized by the Department of Cooperatives and Marketing in collaboration with Kwara Ltd, a technology-based core banking service provider for cooperatives.

According to Area Assistant Director of Cooperatives Fred Koskei, the event was convened in recognition of the fundamental role of Savings and Credit Co-operative societies (SACCOs) in Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.

‘SACCOs are recognized as key agents in the socio-economic transformation of our country. They play a critical role in mobilizing savings and offering financial products that enable members to generate wealth and meet their social economic needs,’ Koskei remarked.

Koskei stressed SACCOs are integral to the realization of Kenya Vision 2030, contributing to financial inclusion and providing impetus for investments across diverse sectors.

He however noted that despite their significance, SACCOs grapple with various challenges that hinder their ability to thrive and remain sustainable in the long term.

The workshop, attended by cooperative leaders from across the county and senior officials from the cooperative department, provided a platform to address these challenges head-on.

With a focus on digital banking solutions, participants explored how technology can revolutionize the operations of SACCOs, making them more efficient, accessible, and resilient.

Kwara Technologies, represented by Regional Sales Representative Ms Tabitha Wainaina showcased their cutting-edge solutions tailored specifically for SACCOs.

By harnessing technology, SACCOs can automate processes, improve data management, and offer a wider range of financial services to their members.

‘As SACCOs embrace digital banking solutions, they can overcome existing challenges and unlock new growth opportunities,’ emphasized Ms Wainaina adding: ‘We aim to empower SACCOs with the tools and technologies they need to thrive in the digital age.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

Farmers have asked the Laikipia county government to employ more agriculture extension officers to boost farm production.

The county which has more than 105,000 farmers, has only 100 extension officers to advise residents on the best farming practices, which had resulted in poor yield since they were not enough to traverse the vast region. Each agriculture extension officer is expected to serve about 500 farmers.

Agricultural Society of Kenya, Nanyuki branch chairman Newton Kabuthia acknowledged the need for the counties to have enough extension officers to offer technical support for farmers aimed at boosting food productivity.

‘Agriculture is a devolved function and therefore we call upon the county government to give a boost in the sector and bring back the extension officers to advice the local farmers for best crop production,’ said Kabuthia , adding that there was a challenge in the agriculture sector since farmers lacked know-how, leading to poor yield.

Additionally, Kabuthia said that, agriculture
being a devolved function, counties were mandated to allocate sufficient funds to employ extension officers who were significant in communicating to farmers about best farm inputs and chemicals to use for best result in bid to alleviate hunger.

‘Funds are being released to the county government and they should consider allocating a budget geared towards sensitizing farmers through agriculture extension officers, they are significant in best farming practices,’ Kabuthia pointed out.

Kabuthia further emphasised the need to strengthen 4K clubs in school as a way of training children at an early age on how to embrace farming since agriculture is Kenya’s economic backbone.

At the same time Kabuthia encouraged learners to choose agriculture as a learning subject to improve their knowledge in the sector.

The national ASK Chief Executive Officer Batram Muthoka revealed that they had developed a young farmer’s management portal to promote agriculture.

Meanwhile, they called on residents to prepare for the upcomin
g agriculture exhibitions next month where various agricultural technologies will be showcased.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu has launched the Alternative Justice System (AJS) County Action Plan (CAP) model and suite for Narok County to reduce case backlog and expedite the resolution of disputes in local courts.

AJS, she said, will promote dispute resolution including reconciliation, mediation, arbitration and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms.

She observed that CAP identifies a number of justice challenges in the county among them multiple forms of gender-based violence that include sexual violence, which are prevalent across the county but often normalized, underreported, and concealed.

Mwilu stated that a key challenge damaging the legitimacy of AJS mechanisms is that of gender equality, equity and justice, saying some AJS mechanisms, both in composition and process, disfavor women and girls and fail to accord them the rights due to them.

However, to deal with such ills, she said, it is necessary to ensure that the existing forms of AJS in the county are constitutionally compliant
and operate within the outer boundaries set out in the Constitution.

‘We must abandon the assumption that AJS practitioners, especially elders who come from communities in which harmful and discriminatory cultural practices occur or are prevalent, are disinterested or incapable of shifting beliefs and practices to comply with constitutional requirements,’ she reiterated.

The launch was held at TM grounds in Narok town and attended by Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, Justice Professor Joel Ngugi and Narok County Assembly Speaker Davis Dikirr.

The Lady Justice continued that the judiciary’s obligation to promote AJS is being actively pursued under a human rights framework anchored by the duty to respect, protect and transform.

‘There is increased recognition amongst AJS practitioners that there can be no legitimacy where the composition, operations and decisions of these mechanisms are unconstitutional or result in rights violations and discrimination,’ said the lady justice.

Governor Ntutu said the County Government will donate land and build three courts at Olkurto, Angata Barikoi and Loita areas to ease suffering for the people who travel long distances to seek justice in a court of law.

Ntutu reiterated that the county government sponsored the process because he is interested in seeing justice delivered to the people at a faster rate.

‘I request all the cases still lying in court to be withdrawn and taken to AJS. Some of these cases have dragged on for very many years,’ he said.

On his part, Governor Lenku said his county was among the first counties to launch AJS in the county, saying it has helped the residents get justice faster than the formal court way.

He said since Kajiado launched the programme, over 200 cases have been registered through AJS out of which 140 cases have been resolved amicably.

‘The system leaves a win-win situation. It is less costly as people do not have to travel long distances to resolve their issues,’ he said.

Mzee Maranga Otuni praised the s
ystem saying it will bring justice to the less fortunate and vulnerable people in the society.

‘In AJS, people will come confidently. No one will be coerced to give any amount of money in order to get justice. The panelists will deal with the case in a very objective manner so that everyone can get justice,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A medic in Kericho has urged elderly men to seek regular check-ups on their prostate gland to avoid late diagnosis, as this can cause bladder, urinary tract and kidney problems.

The prostate gland is a small, soft organ in the male reproductive anatomy. It is found below the bladder and plays a role in producing semen. It also plays a role in hormone production and helps regulate urine flow.

In an interview with KNA, a resident surgeon at AIC Litein Kericho Annex Clinic, Dr. Philip Blasto advised men of ages 50 and above to recognize the symptoms to guard against developing enlarged prostate problems referred to as Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) that lead to urinary tract infections, bladder stones and, in extreme cases, kidney failure.

‘The older a man becomes, the higher probability your prostate will become bigger. At age 50, nearly most men have their prostate enlarged, which makes it difficult to urinate and, in rare cases, can prevent urination entirely. BPH is a common prostate issue in people o
ver 50 years old. This condition refers to a prostate that is enlarged but not cancerous.

This is a condition called urinary retention, which requires urgent medical intervention. It is important to be aware of a prostate problem to get timely treatment,’ said Dr. Blasto.

Such symptoms of BPH, Dr. Blasto noted, include waking up in the night to urinate frequently, trouble controlling the bladder such as stopping or delaying urination, inability to empty the bladder completely, a weak urine stream or dribbling at the end of urinating and a complete inability to urinate.

‘The risk factors of developing an enlarged prostate include family history, age, where men in their 50 have a high likelihood of developing the condition, obesity, cardiovascular problems, type 2diabetes and erectile dysfunction,’ said the medic.

He lamented that the hospital was managing around 100 patients per month from Kericho and Bomet counties with enlarged prostates, an indicator that the ailment was rampant in the two counties.

‘I
f a patient has a high risk of BHP, it is best to speak to a doctor. Early diagnosis can be important, as early treatment can minimize the effects of BPH. We are providing treatment to around 30-40 men per week who were found to have an enlarged prostate,’ noted Dr. Blasto.

The medic noted that interventions included medications to relax muscles around the prostate and bladder that stop the growth of the prostate and shrink the prostate and reduce BPH symptoms, surgery, lifestyle changes that include reducing the intake of fluids before sleeping, transurethral methods which involve feeding a thin tube through the urethra.

Dr. Blasto noted that it was important to report a change in urinary habits to a doctor quickly for a diagnosis to avoid developing BPH symptoms if left untreated a patient will develop kidney problems.

‘Patients diagnosed with BPH should receive regular checkups. Having the size of the prostate monitored and reporting any new symptoms can reduce the risk of complications. When BPH sympto
ms develop, kidney failure can occur. The kidney can no longer remove waste from the bloodstream and when the prostate is enlarged, it can compress the urethra and interfere with the flow of urine resulting to urine not leaving the body contributing to renal failure,’ noted Dr. Blasto.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Kenya Pediatric Association (KPA), in collaboration with Ethypharm, has launched a vital medical commodity aimed at bolstering infant healthcare.

Speaking during the 23rd Annual KPA Scientific Conference at the Pride Inn Paradise Resort, Shanzu, Rob Brutchet, General Manager of Ethypharm, said that Across Africa, many areas of mortality have improved but infant mortality has not.

He emphasized that the latest guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) advocate for the utilization of caffeine citrate to mitigate infant mortality, adding the partnership will ensure that the country can produce remedies towards improving healthcare outcomes.

He said the new product Known as ‘Caffeine Citrate’ plays a crucial role in the treatment of Apnoea of prematurity, a condition characterized by episodes where premature infants cease breathing for durations exceeding 20 seconds or exhibit bradycardia, accompanied by diminished oxygen saturation level.

Brutchet said likelihood of Apnoea of prematurity increa
ses proportionally with the degree of prematurity in infants as it stems from the immaturity of the brain adding while factors like infections, and temperature problems can result in apnoea, newborns who develop this condition are at risk for complications and death.

This comes after Kenya, last year, launched the national guideline on the management of Apnoea of Prematurity across the country. The guideline is geared at enabling healthcare workers to effectively prevent and treat apnoea of prematurity using caffeine citrate, as well as use Bubble Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) and monitor oxygen levels using pulse oximetry.

‘Newborns do not have people to fight for them and at times they are forgotten just because we don’t raise concern about what they encounter; hence, as an institution, we are here to give a solution to the needs raised by the practitioners in management of newborn ailments,’ said Kirklin Mwagilu, Key Accounts Manager, Ethypharm.

Ethypharm is a dynamic European pharmaceutica
l company dedicated to improving healthcare outcomes, with a strong focus on two core areas, including the central nervous system and hospital injectables.

Furthermore, Kirklin highlighted the product’s accessibility in the market, noting a significant 70 percent reduction from its original price. Consequently, the commodity now retails at Sh450 each, compared to the previous price of over Sh1500

‘We as an institution provided the product before but it had challenges with availability and affordability hence we decided to pass on a market access price of the commodity to the government since at least 80 percent of the newborns are normally in a government setup,’ said Kirklin.

However, as much as caffeine citrate is expected to be a game changer as it has various beneficial effects including fewer ventilator days, reduced incidence of Broncho pulmonary dysplasia, and improved neurodevelopmental outcomes. The drug also has a side effect upon consumption including increased heart rate if administered at an e
xcessive dose considering the drug itself is a stimulant.

Nevertheless, Kirklin noted that the drug has had success stories at a few referral hospitals in the country, including the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, as they recorded a drastic drop of infant mortality upon usage.

‘We have seen the benefit of caffeine citrate in these hospitals. Previously, they used to lose newborns but as soon as the product got into these institutions, the mortality rate of newborns drastically dropped as they were able to save lives with a simple administration of caffeine citrate,’ he added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Over 1,200 beneficiaries of Wings to Fly and Elimu Scholarship drawn from Machakos, Makueni and Kajiado counties have benefited from a three-day mentorship programme on leadership, education and empowerment.

The programme dubbed ‘The Triad to Success’ is set to benefit 23,101 students across the country, including 2,574 refugees from Dadaab and Kakuma camps.

Machakos University Vice Chancellor Professor Joyce Agalo hailed Equity Bank for giving students from poor and needy households an opportunity to pursue education and achieve their dreams.

‘We applaud Equity Bank and especially the CEO, Dr. James Mwangi for being a visionary and magnanimous man who has enabled less privileged students to get education,’ said Professor Agalo.

Addressing the students at Mumbuni High School, the vice chancellor cautioned them against drug and substance abuse.

‘As students, avoid bad company that can influence you in to taking drugs that can derail your dreams to pursue education, ‘she said.

Equity Bank Limited Director
of Operations Stephen Kalani said the mentorship programme is meant to equip the students with practical skills and knowledge that will help them navigate the current dynamic world.

He disclosed that the programme was running concurrently in 19 centers in all the 47 counties.

Machakos County Executive Committee Member (CECM) lauded the programme for transforming lives of beneficiaries.

Mutisya disclosed that the county government has started a similar programme supporting 40 students and called on other well-wishers to sponsor less privileged children to pursue their dreams.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At least nine former National Youth Service (NYS) graduates were recruited to the Kenya Wildlife Service during a recruitment exercise carried out at Busia County Stadium.

Speaking to KNA after the end of the exercise, the Deputy Director of KWS Samwel Tokore said that hundreds of youth from the seven sub-counties of Busia turned out for the exercise.

‘We have managed to select 16 recruits after conducting a very competitive process,’ he said, adding that three females were among the successful candidates.

Tokore added that the exercise that kicked off at six am ran smoothly and was conducted in a free and fair manner with members of the public being witnesses.

‘We were looking at the academic qualification as one was supposed to have an original KCSE certificate with a minimum qualification of D (plain),’ he said.

He further said that candidates were required to be 18-26 years and bring original national identity cards, adding that a certificate from NYS was an added advantage.

‘The recruit rangers wil
l help in reinforcement of KWS operations and particularly in areas of human-wildlife conflicts, addressing illegal wildlife trade and issues of wild meat trade in our parks in the country,’ he said.

The youth who were disqualified for not having the required height urged KWS to do away with the requirement so that they can be allowed to participate in future recruitment exercises.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Matatu Owners Association (MOA), in partnership with National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) and the traffic police, have conducted a road safety clinic in Machakos to sensitize Matatu owners and the crew on road safety.

Speaking during the road safety clinic at Machakos bus stage, Albert Karakacha, the president of MOA, said that the association is engaging members, drivers and stakeholders in road safety clinics to reduce the number of accidents on the roads.

Karakacha said MOA plans to conduct the road safety clinics in every county and called for support from stakeholders. ‘We had a meeting with the president and we agreed that within 90 days the number of accidents must go down,’ he said.

The MOA boss also noted that the clinics are also meant to help stop the crackdown of matatus on the roads which also results in corruption between the involved parties.

Karakacha urged the county officials and stakeholders to form a committee that will ensure that the clinics are held every month.

He wa
rned the drivers against drunk driving and overloading especially luggage and advised them to use courier services for the passengers’ luggage rather than carrying excess luggage on the public service vehicles.

‘We must create employment through the county for courier services, there should be cars for carrying luggage,’ added Karakacha.

Additionally, the Machakos Chief Executive Member (CECM), for Roads and Transport, Rita Ndunge, urged the drivers to adhere to the traffic rules and ensure all their vehicles have safety belts to reduce carnage.

Ndunge also called upon the boda boda riders to have helmets for themselves and their passengers and to observe the speed limit to ensure their safety.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The State of Employee Experience (EX) for Customer Experience (CX) Success survey carried out by the Institute of Customer Experience (ICX), Kenya, reveals that the majority of employees are not happy in their workplaces.

The survey, carried out between March and April 2024, shows that the Employees Net Promoter Score (eNPS), a metric that measures employees loyalty and engagement to an organization, is at 23 per cent.

‘Twenty-three per cent is not good enough; we need to move higher than that. The reports show 30 per cent of employees are not too happy, while 24 per cent find their work places not the place to be,’ said Carolyne Gathuru, ICX Board Director in Mombasa, during the 5th Annual Africa Customer Experience Conference.

The survey respondents were from various government and private sectors, including finance, Telco, transport, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, agriculture, technology and education sectors.

The survey also revealed misalignment between EX and CX, and quiet quitting, with over 50
per cent of employees not actively engaged at work, indicating a need for improved engagement strategies.

The launch of the survey aligns with the Government of Kenya’s strategic objectives as outlined in the strategic plans of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA).

‘The understanding of the current state of employee experience and its implications for customer satisfaction, decision-makers can prioritize interventions to enhance public service delivery and organizational performance,’ said Gathuru.

‘What has come out of this report is so fundamental to any organization, not only in the country but the entire continent, because we know that when Kenya does something, the rest of the region follows,’ she added.

Gathuru encouraged employers to understand their workforce likes, dislikes, what give them joy or pain at work and take necessary corrective measures.

‘When we have happy employees’ business will flourish. If the business sector is working, then the entire nation will work. We need a r
obust business environment that comes from the people that work in the businesses,’ stated Gathuru.

The report point out disparity of how work is viewed by generation Z, Millennial, X and baby boomers. Gathuru noted the need to align Human Resource Management and internal customers’ policies to a younger workforce.

The survey shows that data and technology is key and need to be used in a way that speaks to a morphing and a dynamic strategy.

ICX Director of Customer Metrics Akshay Shah said organizations need to focus on making their employees happy as organizations traditionally have been putting a lot of efforts in the customers’ space but there is a misalignment.

He challenged organizations to put more efforts, initiatives and money to improve employees’ experiences.

‘Get the culture within the organizations right coupled with aspirational leadership because without the right culture and leadership employees and customer experiences will fail,’ said Shah.

He added that the survey shows that some emplo
yees do not have emotional attachment to the organizations they are working in.

‘They will come to work but mentally, they have checked out. They actually are not performing and this has a big impact on the performance of the company because if employees are disgruntled, they also affect the motivation of other employees in the organization, thus bringing productivity down,’ explained Shah.

On his part, Uniliver Kenya Managing Director Luck Ochieng stated that employees are the bedrock of company’s success and if they have better experience it will drive performance.

Joseph Choge, Chairman of ICX, hailed the conference under the theme: ‘Elevating Employee Experience for Customer Experience Success’ saying it brought together business leaders, Chief Executives and a host of Customer Experience professionals and practitioners at both senior and mid-level management.

Besides, he said the event was insightful and participants exchanged best practices: ‘We encourage all organizations in the country and beyond
to look at the experiences of their employees because without a happy employee then there is no happy customer,’ said Choge.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has embarked on a country wide pu public awareness creation on how Kenyans can protect their personal data , their privacy and also on the complaint channels they can use.

The awareness campaign that started in Nyeri County is geared towards empowering the communities on their rights as data subjects, the obligations of data controllers and processors.

According to the ODPC data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait, Data controllers and processors are people and organizations who handle big data such as Banks, Insurance companies and even government .

‘We want Kenyans to be aware of how this data handlers are holding their data, what are the rights of the people when it comes to that , how to make sure that the data held is actually held in security and is not misused’, she said

Speaking during a roadshow that went round the County, Kassait said that people should be digitally aware of their information and even who they are sharing it with, especially on t
he web.

‘ We are saying data is your responsibility , ‘ Data yako jukumu lako’ it belongs to you to hold it preciously because once it gets out of your hand , then you do not know who will misuse it’, she said.

Kassait explained that in the event that one’s information is misused as in some cases that have been seen when people are contacting you when you never actually gave your consent, ODPC have a complaint mechanism where one can complain , the matter is investigated and one can actually be fined and penalized .

She gave an example of digital leaders who have been provided with a guidance note that is to assist them in understanding and implementing data protection regulations effectively, taken through capacity building but also warned that when it comes to compliance the lenders can be held responsible for information breach and some have been found to do that.

‘The law provides that the maximum administrative fine that can be imposed for sharing an authorized data is Kshs. 5 million or one (1) perc
ent of your previous whichever is lower as stipulated in Section 63 of the Data Protection Act 2019’, Kassait said.

She noted therefore that when ones information data is breached, they should report to the ODPC within 72 hours

‘Our work when you report a data breach is to go beyond and investigate and if one is found liable , we have the necessary regulatory framework in terms of finding you ‘, Kassait said.

Nyeri Governor, Mutahi Kahiga welcomed the move by the ODPC saying his government will be working closely with them, especially more so in adherence to the Data Protection Act.

‘We would want to see vibrancy. We agree that is an area that most Kenyans are still quite ignorant about and therefore we are using our own networks to be able to reach out and spread the gospel’,

He explained that as custodians of a lot of data as the government through collection of data for records, licensing also through various programmes, it is an opportunity to engage and ensure that information is secure and protecte
d.

He called upon the office of the ODPC saying his office was ready to collaborate in terms of training his staff on the matters of data protection and they in turn are able to reach the community on awareness of their rights as far as data is concerned.

‘When we look at the youth who are the greatest consumers of social media, where a lot of data and information is, I think we need to look at it by equipping them so that they can make money and also informing them so that they can be protected’, Governor Kahiga said .

Tetu Member of Parliament (MP) Geoffrey Wandeto lauded the significant strides being made by ODPC in terms of ensuring that data is protected and is not being used.

‘ All these people have been victims of these strange messages on their phones. They have been victims of the abuse on their Facebook pages and instagrams. Our accounts are always hacked and people sending pictures that are not right ‘ he said

The MP noted that it is very important to sensitize the community especially at the
‘Mashinani’ areas where majority are farmers and therefore need to be told how their data is used by factories, agencies and other programmes that require their data not forgetting that they also taxpayers and voters and whose data is spread in different place.

Mukurweini MP John Kaguchia said everyone should come on board to help as a country, to make sure that the data in place, be it private, personal or even corporate, is protected in a certain manner.

‘As a parliament, we are willing and ready and prepared to give the ODPC the legal framework that is necessary to ensure that they are able to do their work and ensure that we also enhance whatever regulations that they may deem fit, especially what they are getting from the field’, he said .

He added, ‘ We need to have Kenyans data secure. Sensitization is necessary because this is one area I dare say many people are extremely ignorant and it is not once or twice that people take up their phone start uploading an app and continue agreeing on all the ter
ms and conditions given and they have not gone through them and this is harmful as it is data mining which can eventually endanger ‘, he said

As legislature, Kagucia said they can assist and support the ODPC on matters intrusion of data particularly passwords and private data and therefore should continue to address and closing all the gaps so that people in Kenya can confidently, hopefully, just log into a public Wi-Fi and do bank transactions without any fear of attacks from other people.

‘We must get to that point of interaction in the areas where we have to synergize from different agencies so that we can have Kenyans having the protection of their data’, Kagucia said.

Data is a cross-cutting issue and especially when it comes to e-commerce and in the digital age, where e-commerce is a driving force behind global trade, the protection of sensitive information has become paramount. Data protection serves as the guardian of trust, ensuring that businesses and consumers can engage in online transactions w
ith confidence.

The protection awareness campaigns to sensitize the masses on their rights will be going round Counties

Source: Kenya News Agency