Day: April 26, 2024

The National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD) and the West Pokot County government have provided prosthetic legs to local people with physical impairments, which is often unaffordable.

Speaking during the issuance at Kapenguria County Referral Hospital, NCPWD County Coordinator Edwin Musungu termed the assistive devices as very expensive for the common citizen, hence the need for government intervention to enable the victims lead a normal lifestyle.

Musungu stated that one cosmetic prosthetic leg goes for about Sh70,000 with those functional types going for Sh1 million, which majority of people may not afford, thus the need for the government to take care of issues affecting persons with such disabilities by protecting and promoting their rights.

‘The council in West Pokot County is implementing an assistive technology programme to assist individuals with disabilities in enhancing their mobility and ensuring a decent living,’ said the county coordinator.

He explained that through the program
me, 15 people were fitted with prosthetic limps under the pilot phase with more expected to benefit from all other subcounties once assessments are done.

‘This is just the beginning because beneficiaries have been identified from West Pokot Sub County and we believe going forward, the programme will be rolled out in all other subcounties for more beneficiaries,’ said Musungu.

He called on well-wishers and partners to join the government in providing the devices noting that the government has been upfront in supporting people living with disabilities.

‘Lack of such assistive devices has made some people miss schooling, which is a drawback to development. We call upon more stakeholders to come on board and assist such members of society,’ he appealed.

The cordinator reiterated the council’s commitment to the provision of the devices in strict accordance with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) protocols urging other service providers to adhere to them.

Meanwhile, a physiotherapist at Kapenguria County re
ferral hospital Mark Chelule said it was a rare privilege to see people with disabilities being fixed with artificial limbs hinting that in the next few weeks another assessment will be conducted to identify other beneficiaries.

He asked those not reached to contact the physiotherapy section at the hospital or visit the people with disabilities offices for assistance.

For instance, Dancan Sawanga from Gateway Prosthetics and Orthotics Limited noted that the initiative to have the victims fixed with the artificial lower limbs called for a lot of patience since measurements were to be taken before effecting the process.

‘We took measurements sometimes back and we are aware the beneficiaries have been waiting but today all has come to fruition. The devices are good and aesthetic, hence a success,’ posed Sawanga.

On his part, an excited Noah Tanui from Talau location narrated that his predicaments came after an accident while he was riding a bicycle which led him to lose his leg but he now has a replacement.

A
lso, Janerose Kipkeny from Tartar said her leg was amputated after getting injured three years ago and her admission to hospital bore no fruit.

Mourine Charito from Kacheliba said she was born without one leg and her greatest joy is being fitted with artificial limbs.

She expressed her admiration for those who walk on their two feet, stating that today is his day to walk comfortably, overcoming the stigma he has been suffering.

At the same time, Stanley Kinywa from prosthetics and orthotic medical said they have been working with the council for the past four years and were being sent counties of their choice, where they congregate with those in need of the devices.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Amidst the ongoing long rains sweeping across Kenya, citizens are being encouraged to seize the opportunity to contribute to the nation’s green legacy by planting trees.

The call was made by Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Board chairman Titus Korir during the national launch of the long rainfall tree-growing campaign at Chepalungu forest station, Siongiroi block in Bomet County on Thursday.

Representing Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya, Korir emphasised the importance of this initiative in achieving the presidential target of planting 15 billion trees by 2032.

The event witnessed the planting of over 3,000 trees and the installation of electric fences covering a 22-kilometre stretch. Bomet County Commissioner Dr. Ahmed Omar and Bomet County Forest Conservator Joseph Kingori were among the dignitaries present.

‘We are here today for the launch of the tree planting season which marks the rollout of tree-growing activities for the March-April-May long rainfall season,’ sta
ted Korir, highlighting the theme for this season: ’15 billion trees by 2032, wajibu wetu’ (our responsibility).

Korir urged citizens to capitalise on the enhanced rainfall season to bolster tree cover across the nation, emphasising the critical role trees play in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.

Acknowledging the efforts of the KFS Board and staff, Korir revealed that the Board is steadfastly supporting the KFS in its endeavour to grow 300 million trees annually.

He commended the dedication of forest rangers who have taken on the additional responsibility of raising tree seedlings to meet this target.

Furthermore, Korir outlined the KFS’s commitment to forest conservation and protection, citing initiatives such as the Fire Project and the installation of communication masts to facilitate rapid response to fire outbreaks.

He also highlighted the integration of drone technology for surveillance purposes, with several staff members trained as drone operators.

In a bid to ensure the realis
ation of the 15 billion tree target, Korir called upon every Kenya Forest Service staff member to spearhead tree-growing efforts at the county level and provide technical support to stakeholders involved in tree planting.

Expressing gratitude to partners for their support towards tree-growing initiatives, Korir affirmed the KFS’s unwavering commitment to these activities, aligning with the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

Source: Kenya News Agency

About 5,000 tree seedlings were planted in Maasai Mau Forest during the launch of Long Rains Tree Growing Season by the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) countrywide under the theme of 15 billion trees by 2032.

Speaking during the launch in Maasai Mau Forest, the Narok County Forest Conservator, Daniel Mukung’ said 5,000 tree seedlings planted in Maasai Mau Forest Block were a collaboration between Paran Women’s Group and Kenya Forest Service (KFS).

Mukung said the site was chosen because it was invaded by squatters and was seriously degraded. In 2017-2018, those who were illegally occupying the forest were evicted, now they are trying to restore it.

Mukung said the Mau forest was divided into restoration blocks for ease of adoption by the partners who were interested in conservation. adding that a block is one kilometre square.

He added that so far, they have had over 136 blocks adding that they have done 48 blocks since 2019 up to date and the survival is quite impressive.

Mukung applauded the Eden restorati
on project where they adopted the largest number of blocks in the Mau forest adding that they had managed to do 16 out of the 56 blocks adopted.

Other partners who have adopted blocks in Maasai Mau Forest are KFS, which has adapted 8 blocks; Ministry of Energy, which has 2 blocks; Kenya Water Towers, 8 blocks and many others coming on board for adoption.

The conservator encouraged other partners who were interested in the conservation to come in and adopt blocks.

Mukung said the positive effect has been felt; water levels in the rivers have risen and animals that are endangered are back.

‘As we speak, everybody is happy, and if we continue planting trees the positive impact is going to be felt more.’ added Mukung’

The county forest conservators were leading the exercise in all 47 counties in collaboration with the county governments and national government officials.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Siaya is the leading county where judicial services are closer to the people, a senior judicial officer has said.

Lady Justice Anne Koros of the Siaya High Court’s Environment and Lands Court said that with the pending opening of courts in Usigu and Yala in Bondo and Gem constituencies, only one constituency in the county will remain without law courts.

She was speaking at Yala township where she, together with the Siaya high court presiding judge, Justice Daniel Ogembo led judicial staff and local leaders in planting trees at the proposed Yala law courts.

The officials also planted trees at the Yala police station and Yala township primary school.

Lady Justice Koros said the opening of the courts in virtually all the subcounties confirms the close working relationship and support that the local residents have been giving the judiciary.

‘It is only in Ugunja subcounty where we do not have law courts but we expect to have one soon,’ she said.

She said that under the judiciary framework, each subcounty i
n the republic is supposed to have a law court, with each county having a high court and an environment and lands court.

The presiding Siaya high court judge, Justice Ogembo called on the residents to take positively the opening of a court in their midst saying that judicial offices are there to dispense justice fairly without favouring any sides.

He said that once the renovations on the proposed Yala law court buildings are complete, the judiciary will post two magistrates to serve the residents.

The occasion was also addressed by the Gem Yala deputy county commissioner Mr. Evans Otieno, who hailed the cordial working relationship between the national administration officers and the judiciary.

Yala ward member of the county assembly, William Kinyanyi said that the court will save the residents the agony of spending a lot of money on transport to Siaya town to attend court sessions.

Kinyanyi urged the residents to support the government initiative of opening the courts in the area, adding that it will he
lp open business opportunities in the town.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A new company that will deliver high-speed internet connectivity to thousands of digitally underserved residents in nearby towns and informal settlements in Kiambu has been created.

Created by Rendeavour, owner and developer of Tatu City, Fahari Link will provide low connection fees, daily internet plans, reliable internet connectivity and technical support to citizens of Kiambu County, including those earning subsistence wages.

In addition to connecting homes, Fahari Link will deploy Wi-Fi internet connections in public spaces such as shopping centres and sports fields, ensuring that digital access is available to all, including mobile users.

Alex Kahu, Deputy Country Head, Kenya, Rendeavour said that by expanding affordable internet and broadband services to the neighbouring community, Tatu City is ensuring that no one is left behind in Africa’s digital future.

‘With Fahari Link, we are not just connecting people; we are connecting aspirations, opportunities, and futures,’ he said.

Gina M. Raimondo, U
.S. Secretary of Commerce, at the American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit presided over the transformative initiative.

Raimondo noted that two years ago in December 2022, President Biden launched the Digital Transformation with Africa (DTA) initiative, committing over USD 350 million to expand digital access and literacy across the African continent.

‘Through the DTA, we are working to deliver technical assistance and investment that support private sector-led projects to expand digital access, increase digital literacy, and strengthen digitally enabling environments across Africa,’ said Secretary Raimondo.

With Africa’s projected population of 1.7 billion by 2030, doubling internet connectivity to 1 billion users is a key goal, he said noting that digital access is especially important for women and girls who rely on the internet to acquire new skills, address health disparities, and improve the overall quality of life for themselves and their families.

John Njogu, MCA Gitothua Ward, Kiambu County s
aid the development will make a huge difference to individuals and businesses, giving them the tools they need to develop, grow, and prosper in an increasingly digital world.

‘This is great news for the people in the surrounding communities around Tatu City, including informal communities of BTL and Gitothua.

Tatu Telecom, Tatu City’s telecommunications company, has already laid over 40 km of fibre optic cables and currently serves over 1,000 residential and commercial customers, including schools and local, regional, and multinational companies within Tatu City.

Tatu Telecom has also built an open-access network, allowing multiple internet service providers to serve Tatu City residents and businesses.

Fahari Link has invested heavily in acquiring wholesale bandwidth from global internet service providers to extend its reach to areas beyond Tatu City, including the informal communities of BTL, OJ and Rutoro. Ruiru town will also be served, as will the communities of Oaklands, Murera, Kamakis and other par
ts of Kiambu County.

In total, Fahari’s services will be available to close to one million people.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) has developed a new technology that will enable farmers easily detect mastitis infection on their diary animals.

Symptoms of mastitis include breast swelling and tenderness or warmth to the touch and the burning sensation is felt while breastfeeding within the first three months and thus has been a major challenge for most livestock farmers causing production losses and excessive antibiotic use.

Dr. Monicah Maichomo, a senior research scientist working with Veterinary Research Institute (VRI) at KALRO said that the rapid diagnostic test will see farmers able to identify a sick animal early.

The researcher the easy-to-use kit was informed since the current diagnostic approaches require technical expertise and farmers need an affordable easy-to-use mastitis diagnostic technology that they can use at household level

‘This is a simple kit where the farmer just puts a drop of milk on that litmus paper test method then it changes color. If it changes t
o blue then the farmer will know that the disease is there. If the color of the milk remains the way it is then there is no disease’, she told KNA.

Maichomo noted that once farmer detects the disease, they are able to apply husbandry practices such as segregation.

‘We hope to finalize, package and register this kit for our dairy farmers and we are calling upon stakeholders to come on board as we commercialize the product as it will solve the problem of mastitis. The kit can be applicable to cattle, goats and even camels’, she said

Peter Njuguna explained to KNA when showcasing some of the various technologies at KALRO that the disease occurs in two forms: one can be seen by the naked eyes and that is clinical mastitis while the other one is the sub- clinical mastitis, which the farmer cannot see and thus the reason for the test kit.

He pointed out that the kit will enable active involvement of farmers in diagnosis and control of mastitis, helping in early detection and treatment of mastitis thereby reduci
ng losses due to milk rejection. .

The disease is a constraint to dairy production and may account for 70- 80 percent of the total losses in milk production.

Njuguna warned farmers that if they detect an animal with mastitis, they should milk it last so as to avoid transmitting the disease to the healthy animals.

Currently, Njuguna said that the technology is only available at the KALRO Muguga and that 9onces it is registered with the Veterinary Medicine Directorate it will be commercialized and available to farmers. ‘we are working on the registration process, It will be out in the next two months and we already have a potential partner who will do mass production.

The mastitis kit will empower farmers in terms of disease control. It will address the challenge of milk rejection at the collection point and for a farmer detecting it early means it can easily be treated.

The kit will be affordable at a cost of Ksh12 per strip and will be packed in packages of 50 to 100 strips, and has a shelf life of six m
onths.

Mastitis is a global problem as it adversely affects animal health, quality of milk and the economics of milk production, affecting every country, including developed ones and causes huge financial losses

Early detection and correct mastitis treatment are crucial for the cow’s recovery, thus increasing animal health welfare and minimizing economic losses for the farmer.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention held their 2nd Regional Steering Committee (ReSCO) meeting where they launched the East Africa task force on cholera control and prevention.

The goal of the taskforce is to streamline regional strategies for cholera management and prevention, foster experience sharing and strengthen collective efforts to contain an outbreak.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha, speaking at the meeting held at Radisson Blu Hotel, Nairobi on Thursday said that the Africa CDC has set strategic priorities for the years 2023-2027 that will serve as a guide to their actions and achieve the common goal of keeping the population healthy and safe.

‘We need to make true our commitment to this goal to safeguard our region and the continent,’ Nakhumicha said, adding that disease outbreaks know no borders which makes the collective response to regional outbreaks crucial.

Nakhumicha said enhancing surveillance and swiftly containing any threats to public health are pract
ices that must continue noting that the national public health institutes are the bedrock of the health system.

‘Let us discuss strategies to foster their capacity, foster innovation and promote excellence in research and surveillance,’ she said.

‘Today we take decisive steps by inaugurating the Eastern African regional cholera taskforce, and we know that cholera remains a formidable adversary but together we can curb its impact through coordinated efforts,’ she said.

Nakhumicha highlighted two health initiatives that are being implemented, one of them being the Kenya universal health coverage policy of 2020-2030, whose aim is to significantly improve the overall health status of the citizens.

She added that the Community Health Workforce Agenda is the second initiative.

‘Kenya has in the recent past added more than 200 community health units staffed with 107 thousand community health promoters working with health workers. The units play a crucial role in delivering health services to the grassroots leve
l,’ the CS said.

‘We intend to leverage technology to improve reporting and monitoring of health digitization initiatives that include using digital tools for data collection, reporting and tracking of community health outcomes,’ Nakhumicha stated.

The CS announced that the Kenyan government has approved the allocation of 10 acres of land and two billion US dollars towards the construction of the East African Regional Coordinating Centres.

She added that a steering committee comprising top government officials from relevant agencies has been set up to fast-track the legal and technical aspects of the project.

‘May our discussion be fruitful, our resolutions be impactful and our shared vision for a healthier Eastern Africa region be realised,’ she said.

Somalia Minister of Health and Chair of East Africa ReSCO, Ali Hajiadam Abubakar Osman said that the regional steering committee included 14 Eastern African countries and Nairobi is the place where the regional coordinating centre is located.

He said that
the region is trying to strengthen collaboration and reduce infectious and communicable diseases adding that preparations have to be made for the upcoming pandemics acknowledging the fact that it is not a matter of if but a matter of when the pandemics will come.

Abubakar noted that strategies including establishment of national public health institute, emergency and operation centres, are in place.

‘Last century, the only thing that the world succeeded in eradicating was smallpox so we are trying to take steps to eradicate diseases like cholera, polio and measles,’ he said.

Abubakar stated that a cholera vaccine is now available and the committee is trying to avail it to all countries as cholera has become a problem that exists in many African countries.

‘This meeting is about making consultations among countries to reduce the effect of cholera on our people and how to eliminate and eradicate it in the future,’ the minister said.

Source: Kenya News Agency