Month: May 2024

A Committee has been formed by the government to mediate between Senators and Members of the National Assembly on the proposed allocation of Sh415 to counties.

The Senate had proposed an increase of allocation to the County Government to Sh415billion, which the National assembly rejected.

In the 2024/2025 budget estimates, County governments have been allocated Sh391.1billion equitable share from the shareable revenue raised nationally an increase by Sh5.7billion they were allocated during the 2023/2024 financial year.

According to the Teso South Member of Parliament Mary Emase, the mediation committee will determine how the two houses of parliament would reach consensus on the allocation.

Emase, who is the National Assembly Budget and Appropriation Committee Vice Chair acknowledged that county governments need more money, noting that the increment of allocation will be done gradually in alignment with the state of the country’s economy.

Emase was speaking during a public participation for the 2024/2025
budget estimates in Kakamega County where the government has projected to spend Sh3.9 trillion.

The MP said the Parliamentary Budget and Appropriation Committee will review the budget estimates and look at the key priority areas and the needs of the sectors to determine whether the proposals by the National Treasury are sufficient or insufficient or there was need to look for more funds to enhance certain areas based on priority.

‘A good example is the Ministry of Health, which requires more funding. We have also witnessed a lot of floods in the country, which will be followed with so many ailments and the Ministry must be capacitated to mitigate all the challenges that are coming-the aftermath of the floods.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

A total of 10 primary schools in Chemosot area within Kericho County benefited from 10,000 litres water storage tanks with objective to boost sanitation and accessibility to clean drinking water, for pupils and students in the rural areas.

The project is meant to provide mega water tanks to schools within Chemosot Ward which is being spearheaded by the area Member of County Assembly Ms. Anita Byegon, who revealed that a majority of schools lacked clean water for drinking and sanitation.

Ms. Byegon who spoke to KNA said the project courtesy of the Change Your Stars Foundation, a non-profit organization based in the USA aims to provide access to water through installation of tanks to 25 schools in Chemosot Ward.

The Ward legislator intimated that the project also purposed to ensure that measures were also taken to ensure the target schools had a treatment option for the water so that children can drink clean and safe water.

‘We have officially commissioned the water tanks to the following schools today, Kuu
mek, Kapsenetwet, Chelilis, Kabitungu, Simoton Kapkusum, Kabartegan, among other primary schools, and we are in the process to install the tanks in the remaining schools.’ Said Ms. Byegon.

Change Your Stars Foundation officials led by John Johnson and Annette Johnson said lack of access to adequate water, sanitation and hygiene facilities contributed to lower attendance and educational achievement in schools.

‘Children deserve a healthy learning environment with easy access to safe and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene and that is why we are concerned and trying our best to inspire empower and improve the situation through participation,’ added Johnson.

During the commissioning of the water tanks at Kabitungu Primary School, the Change Your Stars Foundation officials together with the area MCA, conducted a menstrual health education to the school girls and also gifted them dignity packs.

Ms. Byegon was concerned that there was a rise of school drop outs due to stigma young girls get exposed to dur
ing their monthly periods due to lack sanitary pads saying they are still unaffordable to many parents.

‘The initiative is called ‘Days for Girls Program’ and we are focusing on the girl-child issues as a whole and we want to ensure that they stay in school and part of the solution we are providing and what we continue to do is to carry out menstrual health education and provide washable sanitary pads that could last for many years,’ said Ms. Byegon

The MCA said hundreds of school girls have benefitted from the washable sanitary pads in the area adding that the pads are comfortable and can last for years.

‘We are also empowering the boychild in Kericho at various schools to ensure they grow up to be responsible men in the society,’ Ms. Byegon said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nyamira County Commissioner Erastus Mbui has urged education stakeholders to seamlessly collaborate with school administrators to ensure learning for the second term of this academic year resumes well after postponement of opening for two weeks due to torrential rain.

He revealed to KNA that though the County’s terrain is hilly and located in the highlands of the western part of Kenya, infrastructure in some of the learning institutions in Nyamira County were adversely affected by the torrential flooding experienced in the country for the past one month.

‘The enhanced rain which has caused immense flooding and cost people’s lives countrywide has not spared some of our learning institutions either. A whole tuition block at Kuura secondary school was brought down by the rains, while the roof of a tuition block for Nyakemincha secondary schools blown off by a heavy storm, and sanitation facilities for schools located in lowland areas were totally submerged in water posing a serious health hazard to those in af
fected institutions,’ Commissioner Mbui noted.

He further pointed out most of the all-weather murram roads have been rendered impassable since run off water settled on the road or flowed right in the middle of the road downstream creating deep gullies which endangered users. This status has given riders and motorists transporting learners to and from schools a hard time navigating through the muddy and slippery roads.

‘I want to appreciate the speedy emergency interventions taken by our County Members of Parliament (MPs) in reconstructing some of the damaged infrastructure in our schools courtesy of National Government Constituency Development Fund (NGCDF) so that learning sessions can be done from safe and conducive spaces,’ CC Mbui said.

He advised school administrators to readily assist and collaborate with other well-wishers willing to undertake Corporate Social Responsibility and assist schools affected by ravaging rains unconditionally because the needs of various schools were diverse and no single i
ndividual or institution could manage to solve all the needs alone.

Mbui said that they have sent comprehensive reports on schools affected by heavy storms and the extent of damage to the Ministry of Education so that they could equally support in the reconstruction of damaged facilities and requested parents to also rally on this mission in their small ways for the best interest of their learners.

‘Teachers need to be on high alert and ensure that learners are safe while in school, shelter appropriately when it is raining and report any incident which requires immediate attention by the county disaster response and management teams to act swiftly in salvaging the situation,’ the CC advised.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Residents of Kericho County have submitted their views to the parliamentary Budget and Appropriations Committee, which conducted a public participation forum at ACK holy Trinity conference centre on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, for the Financial Year 2024/2025 and the Medium-Term.

The committee members enlightened the over 50 participants that the National Government Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Financial Year 2024/2025 and the Medium-Term, proposed to carry on implementation of the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) as a matter of priority.

Narok South Legislator Kitalai Ole Ntutu, a member of the Budget and Appropriations committee who presided over the forum explained that the Committee also sought submissions of memoranda from the public on the Supplementary Estimates II for Financial Year 2023/2024, to be submitted to the office of the Clerk of the National Assembly, on or before Monday, the 20th of May, 2024.

Ntutu who was accompanied by his counterpart Michael M
uchira (Ol Jorok MP) emphasised that the Supplementary Estimates II seeks to provide additional funding for emerging priorities, meet unforeseen expenditures and realign budgetary allocations to projected absorption levels.

Kericho County Governor Dr. Eric Mutai who was also present was the first to present his submissions ardently advocated for the expedited establishment of the proposed Referral Hospital saying it will be a vital healthcare institution that will serve the south Rift region comprehensively.

The governor was concerned that many patients encountered financial constraints while traveling long distances seeking advanced health services in other counties.

Dr. Mutai also urged the committee to prioritize budgetary allocations for the swift completion of Kerenga Airstrip a crucial infrastructure project for enhancing connectivity across the South rift region and unlocking myriad opportunities for the local populace.

‘Pursuant to article 221 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, today I had the hon
or of presenting our county’s pressing needs and aspirations. I proposed the strategic relocation of Kericho Prisons to facilitate the town’s expansion, paving the way for Kericho to attain city status in the near future,’ added Dr. Mutai

On his part, Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat raised issues concerning water shortage in his constituency proposing Ksh.100 million be allocated to provision of water which was a grave issue affecting residents in Ainamoi.

A representative from the County Commissioner’s office gave a proposal of Sh30 million to be allocated for construction of a modern County Commissioner’s offices arguing that they had identified a new location within Kericho town.

During the forum, Members of County Assembly represented by Hezron Kipngeno (Chilchila Ward) proposed that there should be renovation of roads and bridges, adding that some roads and bridges were destroyed due to heavy rainfall in Kipkelion West, thus requesting Sh13 million shillings be allocated for reconstruction of the bridges a
nd roads.

Other Participants who included national and county government officials, representatives from the civil society, human rights advocacy groups, Representatives of youth, women and Persons with disabilities among others got the opportunity to point out the social, economic and infrastructural challenges they encountered and proposed intervention that would be of benefit to them.

The Committee members assured that the views submitted would be considered in policy and budget formulation for the coming financial years.

Source: Kenya News Agency