Day: April 23, 2024

Uriri Member of Parliament (MP), Mark Nyamita, has urged County governments, to fully digitise their revenue collection systems, to minimise revenue misuse and leakage and optimise revenue collection.

While speaking to his constituents in Uriri, Nyamita said that counties need to improve their own sources of revenue, to ease the money burden that they expect from the Exchequer.

The Legislator noted that a lot of money generated through County and National revenue goes to pay workers; adding to that, the ballooning wage bill cannot be sustained anymore.

He encouraged the counties to come up with creative mechanisms to generate more wealth for the implementation of developmental programmes.

‘Let our counties be creative in policy formulation and implementation to generate wealth to benefit the residents and boost the social-economic development of the country,’ said Nyamita.

In March this year, the Chairperson of the Migori County Revenue Authority Board, Tom Kasera, said that the County’s ordinary Own Sou
rce Revenue (OSR), had increased after sealing some of the revenue leakages.

He, however, attributed the revenue leakages to the usage of the manual system, disclosing that only 20 to 30 per cent is remitted by the County Revenue Fund (CRF).

According to the official, the County is in the process of working towards 100 per cent automation, which will help seal any revenue leakages in the future.

In recent years, the country has seen a notable reduction from 51 per cent to the current 46 per cent of the public wage bill.

It is projected that the public sector wage bill can be reduced even further to 35 per cent by 2027, a year sooner than was agreed at the recently concluded Third Wage Bill Conference.

However, some of the outlined joint efforts between the National and County governments facilitated by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), and the Council of Governors, will help to address the wage bill issue through shared responsibility and
vision, cracking down on fake credentials, streamlining the workforce, and leveraging on technology.

Nyamita expounded that it was time for the counties to streamline their activities and prioritise agendas to create room for meaningful development through a well-streamlined and productive workforce.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At least one person has died, 37 households displaced and property of unknown value destroyed following heavy rains that pounded Mukaa Subcounty in Makueni County on Sunday night.

Among the affected areas include 17 households in Kawese, 10 households each in Vombo and Kwale Villages in Kasikeu Ward, and 10,000 acres of crops waterlogged.

‘We conducted a needs assessment on Monday in Wote town and Kasikeu in Kilome and established that several households have been displaced from their homes. They need food and non-food items like mosquito nets, tents, mattresses, and bar soap, among other items,’ said Evans Peter, the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Makueni County Coordinator, on Tuesday morning in his Wote town office.

The assessment that was done by the Kenya Red Cross and the County Disaster and Emergency Department of the County Government of Makueni established that one person drowned while crossing the river Kaluku, and his body is yet to be recovered.

Also, 11 and 17 households in Kunda Kindu and Shimo E
states were affected after storm water filled their rented rooms and property of unknown value destroyed.

When KNA visited the area, they established that there is a likelihood of an outbreak of waterborne diseases since the toilets that they are using are filled with water.

The road network in Ndiani-Kilungu and Kavuthu-Sultan-Kasikeu has been disrupted, preventing many residents from accessing the nearby markets in the area.

When contacted for comment, Makueni County Commissioner (CC), Mr. Henry Wafula, urged people living in low areas to move to higher ground to avert loss of lives because of the increased rainfall being received across the county.

Wafula assured Wananchi that both the national and county governments are monitoring the floods across the county through the county disaster committee and national administration units, adding that they will offer assistance to the affected victims.

‘We are advising people to move to higher ground to avoid being washed away by the raging floods. They shoul
d avoid crossing flooded rivers. The two levels of government are working closely and are ready to provide any assistance accordingly,’ said Wafula while talking to KNA in his Wote office on Tuesday.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National Assembly Committee on National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity, now wants the Ministry of Education to double capitation for schools with students with special needs, in order to address challenges faced by teachers in those institutions.

Speaking at St. Jude Malaba Special School for mentally challenged children, after listening to views from stakeholders, the Committee Chaired by Mandera East Member of Parliament (MP), Yusuf Adan Haji, noted that schools for children with special needs, should be given special attention by the government.

Teso North Member of Parliament, Oku Kaunya, and his Kamukunji and Shinyalu counterparts, Yussuf Hassan and Fred Ikana, said stakeholders in the schools they visited expressed the need to develop a curriculum for schools with special needs and provide free healthcare for the learners.

‘We shall make sure no student with special needs is left behind,’ he said, noting that a Report would be tabled in parliament, to address the welfare of minorities, including
the disabled, women, and caregivers to be provided with stipend by the National Government.

The Executive Secretary, Kenya National Union of Teachers, Teso Branch, Geoffrey Ekasiba, and the Board of Management of Malaba Special School for the Mentally Challenged appealed to the Committee to recommend risk allowances for teachers in special schools, saying they are vulnerable to assault by the pupils they teach.

The Committee collected views from stakeholders from three schools in the Western Region and three others in Nyanza. They will later compile a Report before tabling it in the National Assembly for debate.

Malaba Special School Head Teacher, Praxidies Ekisa, said there are three schools with special needs in Teso North, namely, Malaba, Kakemer, and Kakapel, adding that two more are in Teso South and a similar number in Teso Central.

Ms. Ekisa said the Institution, which opened the door to the public in 2001, started with five children, noting that its population currently stands at 70.

The Head tea
cher said the learners have benefited from three classrooms worth Sh2.3 million, grants for food and accommodation from the Ministry of Education, NG-CDF through education bursaries, Sh1 million for the purchase of land, and donations from well-wishers.

‘The school has seven classrooms hosting both classes and staffroom, two latrines and toilets, one makeshift kitchen made of old iron sheets, two water tanks, and dormitory cum classrooms, one for girls and one for boys’, said the Head teacher.

Ms. Ekisa cited challenges facing the institution, which include lack of adequate classrooms, dining hall, permanent source of water, land for expansion, proper fencing, lack of workshops, tools, and equipment for Vocational Training, lack of enough teachers, support staff, lack of school nurse and therapist, little and delayed funding from the Ministry, and poor parental participation in terms of fee payment.

To chart the way forward for the school, Ekisa urged the Ministry of Education to make the special school TV
ET complaint to handle vocation training, increase funding in FPE, feeding programmes to all special schools, increase sensitization and advocacy to stakeholders, proper enumeration for teachers working in special schools, improve infrastructure, and timely disbursement of capitation funds.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The African Church of Kenya, Diocese of Mombasa, is documenting the history of African Archdeacons who took the cue from the missionaries to spread Christianity on the Kenyan Coast.

The church is hosting the Kenya Christian Biographies Conference under the theme: Reclaiming the voices of first-generation Kenyan church leaders, organised by the ACK Diocese of Mombasa Research Institute (DoMRI) and the Dictionary of African Christian Biographies Project.

ACK, in partnership with Boston University, has embarked on research that will be published, documenting what happened aeons ago, and through the study, the current generation could learn valuable lessons.

Rev. Alphonce Baya, Bishop Diocese of Mombasa, said the research focuses on persons who took part in the missionary and their notable works.

‘When the gospel came in 1844, it focused on preaching and building hospitals and schools. For most of the people who undertook the works, their history has not been documented,’ said Rev. Baya.

‘As a result of that
, we are losing the history and their inputs in the society of the Coast and the whole country,’ he noted.

The research will document the contribution of Archdeacon Canon Nathaniel Mwari Baya to discern the importance of formal and pastoral education for church missions in the Coast region.

Archdeacon Mwari received the Christian religion from the missionaries at a tense time of emergency in 1952. The researchers would want to know how he was able to work with the missionaries during the clamour for independence.

‘This research finding has the potential to motivate the current generation of church leaders to prioritise evangelism and social concerns as essentials for church missions,’ said the Head of DoMRI, Dr. Manjewa Mbwangi.

The biographical studies will also delve into the life of Mama Maryam Mwang’ombe, the wife of the first African Bishop who took over from the missionaries. She was at the forefront of championing women’s interests and advocating against Female Genital Mutilation.

‘We will look at
how Christianity grew from those who took over from the missionaries and passed to the emerging church with African leadership,’ stated Dr. Mbwangi.

Dr. Michele Sigg from Boston University said ACK is the second largest denomination in the country with an extensive and rich history that needs to be documented.

She stressed the importance of documenting the history of women who were the majority and were active in ministry, teaching, and leadership.

‘Kenya is one of the countries where the Anglican Church is ordaining women and women bishops. Women from the time of Jesus were very close to Jesus. Women have a place in ministry. Documenting their stories is very important. We want to recover the lost stories of Christians in Africa so that there is a history of African Christianity to be written,’ said Dr. Sigg.

Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop Emeritus of ACK and former Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), praised the diocese of Mombasa for leading the way in the preservation of histo
ry, saying it was a way of strengthening Christianity and the written biographies would benefit future generations.

Source: Kenya News Agency

More than 200 youth in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, have participated in a 10-kilometre run to fundraise for a school feeding programme for learners in the informal settlements ahead of schools’ reopening next week.

The initiative dubbed ‘One Child Fed’ is targeting to ensure pupils in the areas of Majengo, Likii, and Kanyoni informal settlements have nutritious meals in their respective public primary schools.

The run, which was organised through the sponsorship of Licha Project, a Laikipia Community-Based Organisation, further targeted to end hunger in classrooms since the majority of pupils from the informal settlements attended school while hungry, which results in poor grades, early teen pregnancies, and increased school dropouts in the county, exacerbated by poverty.

Local leaders led by Laikipia North Member of Parliament Sarah Korere emphasised the need for collaboration by all education stakeholders in ensuring learners in the county do not miss out on schooling due to hunger.

‘Most of the time, whe
n a child lacks food, they can’t concentrate in class, and therefore this feeding programme initiative needs to be prioritised through partnerships to improve enrolment in our schools,’ said Korere.

She noted that in the recent drought season in Laikipia, learners were the worst affected, and as a result, the majority dropped out of school.

Nanyuki Ward Member of County Assembly Antony Theuri said that they had put in place measures to feed Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) pupils, which have started showing positive results through improved performances.

Licha Project founder Haman Kafaria said that they used home-grown solutions like kitchen gardens in schools they support within the county aimed at addressing hunger among students and promoting education.

‘Our aim is to address hunger in schools within informal settlements and in rural areas. Licha is a home-grown solution for local problems whereby youth have come together to end classroom hunger through innovative sustainable measures,’ re
vealed Kafaria.

Meanwhile, thousands of children have benefited since the Licha project was started three years ago.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Police officers received three AK-47 rifles and four rounds of ammunition today, when herders at the Daaba Trading Centre in Ngaremara Ward in Isiolo County surrendered them to the authorities.

Confirming the surrender, Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Mr. Patrick Musango, said that two rifles and three rounds of ammunition were surrendered to the Multi-agency team, who were on operation in the area.

He said another AK 47 with one bullet and a Magazine were also surrendered by a young man to the Daaba Chief, yesterday, morning.

Mr. Musango attributed the isolated cases of insecurity in the area to the presence of firearms that are in the wrong hands, adding that those who are in possession of the weapons use them to steal animals and ambush motorists along the roads.

He added that the government would pardon those who would volunteer to surrender the illegal firearms.

The Administrator said the area lagged behind in development due to insecurity, and investors would not put-up businesses where se
curity was a problem.

The DCC warned politicians who incited the youth to violence that the government would not spare them, since intelligence indicated that they were mostly responsible for creating unnecessary tension among communities.

Mr. Musango said the government has sealed all the loopholes used by criminals to steal and free the animals, adding that ‘maliza uhalifu’ security operation was out to eradicate the vice.

He further added that five camels that were stolen two weeks ago, have been recovered in the Daaba area and handed to their owners.

The Administrator also said that the government would apply the ‘Modogashe declaration’ where criminals and their families would be forced to compensate theft victims four times the number stolen as a penalty.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government is committed to ensuring that every corner of the country has Mobile Network connectivity, to enable all people to enjoy network facilities and access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services.

While addressing the media in Narok, the Principal Administrative Secretary (PAS), Eric Kiraithe, said the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Digital Economy is keen on boarding all government services online.

The PAS held a meeting with the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), led by the County Commissioner (CC), Kipkech Lotiatia, where they discussed the mobile network connectivity project, the Universal Service Fund, and how Narok County has benefited from the connectivity.

Kiraithe named the 10 sub-locations connected in Phase 1 as Maji-moto,Enkutoto, Entasekera, Olngarua, Olmesutie, Mausa,Olorte,Elangata Enterit, Enkoireroi, Enkiperiao, and Enturoto, where the government has spent a total of Sh104.6 million for the connectivity project.

Kiraithe, however
, said the Communication Authority (CA) is implementing Phase II of the mobile network connectivity project, which is targeting 101 unserved and underserved areas spread across the 19 marginalised counties in Kenya.

He added that in Phase II of the implementation, Narok has Enkoireroi and Enturoto sub-locations earmarked at a cost of Sh12.8 million.

Additionally, Kiraithe said the government is targeting 68 other Sub-locations in Phase IV for consideration for Mobile Network connectivity in Narok County. These areas are: Nkareta, Aitong, Oletukat, Enaiborr Ajijik,Enaramatishorieki,Ntuka, Cheichel, Enooseyia, Ildamat, Parkarara, Olkinyei, Olorropil, Empatipat, Olmariko, Kamurar,Ilikiai,Nkimpa, Oloirowua, Olenkuluo,Leshuta, Osarara, and Sagamian.

‘There are a lot of areas that are not connected with mobile network connectivity, and therefore those citizens feel that they were left behind on development. The government is working to make sure that all people enjoy the network services,’ said Kiraithe.

Kirait
he said the Communication Authority, through collaboration with NGAO, County government and other government agencies on the ground, is working closely on engagements to make sure the ICT services are serving the intended purpose.

Kiraithi noted that Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), mostly depends on the internet, and the government is working hard to make sure all government social services have access to network connectivity, so that people can enjoy ICT services.

CC Lotitia said most of the County is not connected to mobile network connectivity, adding that the government is looking to open-up the ICT infrastructure in Narok.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A Mount Kenya University (MKU) Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student is in high spirits as he prepares to represent the country with 18 others in the upcoming Global Huawei ICT Competition slated for next month in China.

Daniel Ochola, a student in the school of Computing and Informatics, emerged among the top three winners in the South African Regional Awards, where 6,000 students participated in the competition.

During the competition held last month, students from 15 countries showcased their prowess on tracks in cloud, computing and networking.

Speaking to journalists at the university’s Thika main campus on Monday, Ochola said his passion for technology drove him to the competition, adding that the training from MKU and the cutting-edge facilities therein have been instrumental to his success. These statements were echoed by John Kamau, an official from the university.

‘At least we got a glimpse of the professional world and interacted with the industry experts. We showcased ICT innov
ations in areas of cloud track, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data,’ he said.

Ochola hopes that he will emerge victorious in the competitions in China and be able to put the country’s ICT prowess on the world map.

The Huawei ICT Competition was initiated in 2015 as part of the Huawei ICT Academy in a collaborative effort to enrich the ICT talent pool by transferring the latest knowledge from a global technology leader.

In Kenya, Huawei has established ICT Academies in over 50 universities and colleges, providing access to cutting-edge technology training in networking, cloud computing, 5G, and AI. Annually, these academies train more than 4,000 students, contributing significantly to the ICT skills landscape.

The Huawei hardware installation base in Kenya has been recognised by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, as playing a pivotal role in nurturing Kenya’s ICT talent pool and supporting national development initiatives.

Meanwhile, university studen
ts and members of staff from Uganda (Makerere University Business School), Kenya (Kenyatta University and MKU), and Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs-Universität have held a collaborative workshop on Clean Energy innovations. The workshop that is being held at Kenyatta University (KU) gave the innovators the opportunity to sharpen their ideas through interactions and networking.

‘Students were given opportunities to work creatively with interested business stakeholders. They were allowed to pitch their ideas to the business community,’ said Donatus Njoroge, the Head of Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Community Outreach at MKU.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government has embarked on a project, that targets to assist five thousand (5,000) public learning institutions, including secondary schools, TVETs, and Teachers’ Training Colleges, to switch from the use of firewood to Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).

Currently, the project, dubbed the Enhanced Liquefied Petroleum Gas Uptake Project (ELUP), is being piloted in 20 learning institutions drawn from across the eight regions in the country.

According to the Principal Secretary (PS) of the State Department for Petroleum, Mr. Mohamed Liban, the implementation of the project was on course, and actual work is expected to commence by June this year.

The PS revealed that, in the long run, the project, whose management is being spearheaded by the State Department for Petroleum within the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, targets to assist all public institutions in switching from the use of firewood for cooking to LPG.

Speaking during a sensitization workshop for stakeholders held at the Kenya School of Government
, Kabete, over the weekend, Mr. Liban added that the initiative was part of the grand measures that support forest conservation and climate mitigation efforts.

He said that once operational, ELUP will contribute to helping Kenya increase its LPG consumption from 7.5 kg to 15kg per capita per year, as well as enhance LPG penetration from 24 per cent to 70 per cent by 2028.

Through it, the State Department for Petroleum will support the installation of storage tanks and accessories, civil works and housing cages, retrofitting of cookstoves, provision of seed gas, and training of users in the identified learning institutions.

Participants at the workshop were Heads of Secondary Schools and TVET intuitions and representatives of the Boards from the participating institutions.

The PS also said the initiative also aimed at contributing to the fulfilment of the government’s Bottom-Up Transformation Agenda (BETA) of improving the quality of life of Kenyans.

He said that in addition to learning institutions, the
project will later cover other institutions, including Public Hospitals, National Youth Colleges, and Correctional Institutions.

Mr. Liban revealed that ELUP will further support the distribution of LPG cylinders to low-income households, execute and operationalize the importation of LPG through the Open Tender System Framework, develop common-user bulk LPG infrastructure, and develop the policy, legal, and regulatory framework.

The PS said that in low-income households, the project will distribute 6 kg of LPG cylinders, including accessories and initial gas, at subsidised costs, with the benefiting families expected to meet the subsequent cost of re-filling their gas cylinders.

He noted the project aims to reach 4.5 million low-income earners, and the process of identifying the beneficiaries is ongoing, regretting that close to 14,000 deaths in Kenya annually are attributed to indoor air pollution from the use of wood.

The PS said guidelines supporting the installation of LPG in public institutions have
also been prepared in line with the Petroleum (LPG) Regulations of 2019 and legal notice No. 100 of 2019.

The guidelines provide for licensing LPG Bulk cylinders and piping. It also covers refills, operations, and maintenance. Other aspects include safety measures, reporting, and inspections.

Participants appreciated the initiative by the government, which they noted will go a long way towards improving operations in learning institutions.

Source: Kenya News Agency

One person has been confirmed dead following flash floods at 360 Estate in Syokimau, Athi River Sub County, following heavy rains that pounded the area over the weekend.

Some 17 others were evacuated by a multi-agency team comprising the County Emergency Disaster Management Unit, the Kenya Red Cross, and the National Disaster Operations Centre.

The 17 had been marooned after the River Athi burst its banks following a heavy downpour on Saturday night.

A temporary rescue centre has been set up at Kinanie dispensary to provide shelter to the affected people.

Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti called on residents living in flood prone areas to move to safer grounds to avert further loss of lives and property.

Wavinya also disclosed that emergency response teams had been activated to safely evacuate residents affected by flooding.

‘I am requesting our people to kindly stay away from flooded rivers. However, we have put our joint teams on standby to be in a position to evacuate residents who may be at risk of th
e floods,’ she said.

The governor, who spoke when she toured the area, said her government had mobilised both food and nonfood items for those seeking shelter at the rescue centre.

Wavinya also added that many of the drainages that had been clogged, leading to the flooding of the waters in Syokimau, had been cleared.

‘We are also urging residents across the county to use the toll-free emergency call numbers to reach out for help,’ she said.

Athi River Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Patrick Mwangi, said the collaborative effort between the county disaster committee and the Kenya Red Cross helped evacuate the stranded residents.

‘The operation was very successful despite the many challenges of heavy rain,’ said Mwangi.

Source: Kenya News Agency