Day: June 10, 2024

Bomet Governor Prof. Hillary Barchok has directed education officials in the region to closely monitor the contractors undertaking the construction of Early Childhood Development and Education centres.

The Governor said this was to ensure quality work so as to ensure not only value for money but also provide a conducive learning environment for the pupils.

The order was followed by a rigorous inspection led by the Director of ECDE, Thomas Bii, and the Public Works Department officials who conducted the exercise at Kapkoitim, Ngocho, Kapletundo, and Judea centres, among others, last week.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government is on course to actualize its ambitious goal of universal access to clean cooking energy by 2028 by facilitating the establishment of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) bulk import handling and storage facilities to bridge the supply gap in the country.

The government’s interventions in the LPG sector are guided by the Kenya National Cooking Transition Strategy (KNCTS) 2024-2028.

The 2022 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) shows that there is a high dependence on traditional cooking fuels. ‘In total, 68.5% of the population, or 9.1 million households (1.7 million in urban areas and 7.4 million in rural areas), rely on traditional cooking fuel,’ reads in part the DHS report.

The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Petroleum, Mohamed Liban, made an extensive tour of LPG bulk import facilities in Mombasa and Kilifi County on Monday to assess their level of preparedness to handle and supply LPG.

PS Liban toured the Kenya Pipeline Refinery Limited (KPRL) in Changamwe, where the Kenya Pi
peline Company Limited (KPC) is constructing an LPG import, storage, and handling facility.

The project will provide existing shippers and other new entrants with bulk storage, road/rail tanker loading, and cylinder filling facilities for LPG gas, thus boosting supply in the local and export markets.

According to KPC, the proposed new facility is to be designed as a ‘common user’ facility for dispensing LPG to interested parties through rail siding, truck loading, and bottling facilities. The facility will mainly receive LPG from pressurized LPG ships berthed at Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT-2) Jetty into the storage tanks using a product import line.

The PS also toured private LPG investments, including Gapco (Total Energies) Terminal, Africa Gas and Oil Limited, and Lake Gas.

Liban said that the Regulation Policy is currently in its final stages of development, a collaborative effort between the State Counsel and the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA). This comprehensive policy aims to streamli
ne the sector’s operations and ensure greater transparency.

Alongside this, the implementation of an open tender system, similar to the one utilized in the fuel sector, is also nearing completion. This new system is expected to enhance competition and efficiency, ultimately benefiting consumers and stakeholders alike.

Addressing the challenge of gas cylinders being lost and misused by middlemen, the Principal Secretary announced that the Ministry is developing an advanced ICT system. This project will assign unique tracking numbers to each cylinder, linking them to specific supplier companies to simplify record-keeping and enhance traceability, ensuring that cylinders remain within the legitimate supply chain and reducing the risk of unauthorized use.

He noted that they are now working on the regional mapping for assigning the companies to distribute the cylinders.

The PS said that it is important to closely monitor and support the operations of these facilities to ensure the main Key Performance Indicato
rs (KPI) of the government regarding the supply of LPG are achieved.

The KPIs he said were the accessibility of the LPG. He stated that more than 12 million Kenyans are not yet accessing LPG. On affordability, he noted that LPG is meant to be very affordable for Kenyans to utilize. The safety and security of the LPG supply is also one of the key aspects the government is working on.

‘Many Kenyans are either partially using LPG or relying entirely on firewood, this includes institutions such as public boarding schools, prisons, hospitals, the National Youth Service, and the police. Our goal is to eliminate the negative environmental and health impacts associated with these practices,’ Liban said.

He assured that over the next ten years, the Ministry aims to ensure that 40 per cent of the 12 million people currently without access to LPG will be served through the Gas Reticulation Initiative. This initiative, championed by the President, aligns with efforts to provide affordable housing and improve living st
andards across the country.

‘We are looking at the value Chain of LPG from the common user facility (infrastructure) so that private players can chip in, leading to consistent distribution and how it can be accessed. We are also focusing on the value chain of the production and the impact it will impose on Kenyans,’ Liban said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Human rights stakeholders have encouraged more men to raise awareness about reducing the stigma associated with period poverty among women.

Speaking in Nanyuki over the weekend after a 10-kilometre race organised by Binti Mwangaza, a Community-Based Organisation (CBO) that aimed to sensitise Laikipia residents about menstrual hygiene, many of the speakers said a majority of women and girls, especially those from poor families, need support to break taboos and discrimination due to period poverty.

Binti Mwangaza is a Nanyuki-based CBO that targets to support rural women through menstrual hygiene.

‘It’s very important to support women in eliminating period poverty stigma through awareness and make men understand it’s a normal thing. Please ensure there is no shame in speaking about it,’ said James Maina, a 10km run participant.

Additionally, Maina noted that creating safe forums for young girls to speak out about menstruation was crucial in eradicating the challenges they undergo in their daily lives, inclu
ding dropping out of school due to lack of basic commodities like sanitary towels.

‘Young girls drop out of school, and others are taken advantage of by men, and as a result, they get pregnant when trying to get sanitary pads. As men, this is something we should all partner on and eradicate,’ he urged.

Data from the Ministry of Education shows that girls from poor families miss about 20 per cent of their school days due to lack of sanitary towels.

According to Binti Mwangaza, CBO Ann Gakii, availing sanitary pads for girls and women was one way of ensuring they are not left out since the majority can’t access them as a result of poverty, hence being taken advantage of by a section of men.

‘In our society, young girls and women feel shameful about menstruation, and creating a safe space for both men and women to come together openly to discuss it is important,” she said.

She added that for the past 13 years they had been in operation, they had supported over 30,000 women and girls with free reusable sani
tary pads in the county in a bid to have dignified lives for them.

Meanwhile, according to the Africa Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF), only 50 per cent of girls openly discuss their menstruation cycle at home.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Bomet Senator Wakili Hillary Sigei has urged Bomet residents to make their contribution heard on the finance Bill before it is presented before the National Assembly.

Sigei said the Finance Bill was to be passed after incorporating the views of the common Mwananchi through public participation.

He said this at Kapletundo Ward Sunday during a church service as well as a fundraiser for Chebilat Catholic Church in Kapkatet Parish.

The Senator said the Bill was meant to make legislation that would allow funds to trickle down to counties so as to enhance socio-economic development as well as welfare programmes such as bursaries, among others.

At the same time, Sigei urged leaders to work together for the benefit of the people, since they voted them in.

Others present at the function included Immigration PS Prof. Julius Bitok, who was the chief guest, Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot; and a host of Members of Parliament, as well as Members of the County Assembly led by their host, Dennis Busienei.

Sour
ce: Kenya News Agency

The Department of Agriculture in Turkana County has endeavoured to sensitise the County Assembly Committee on Agriculture on the new agri-preneur model and the Food Systems and Resilience Project (FSRP) in its mandate to make Turkana County sustainably food secure.

The model is an extension initiative designed by the national government to be implemented by the county government and supported by the FSRP.

The County Executive for Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Fisheries, Dr. Anthony Apalia, stated that the training aims to build the capacity of Members of the County Assembly (MCA) to aid in the implementation of the model and the FSR Project.

He noted that the agri-preneur model is a strategy to create employment opportunities for young people in agriculture through sustainable practices.

The coordinator for the new FSRP, Victor Lochee, observed that the model is a transformative approach where individuals, particularly youth, are trained and developed into agricultural entrepreneurs. He also pro
vided a brief on the FSR Project.

‘The agri-preneurs were competitively selected and will guide farmers on the best agricultural practices and irrigation techniques. They will also connect farmers with suppliers for quality input and link them to markets for fair prices,’ said Lochee.

The Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Etubon Samal, emphasised the importance of the Committee’s involvement, and praised the inclusivity of youth across all Wards. He also called for close collaboration with partners in all activities to boost food security.

‘The model will greatly enhance agriculture in the county. However, there is also a need to support farmers with certified seeds,’ he said.

In the first phase of its implementation, seven agri-preneurs from each Ward have been selected across the 18 in the county. The remaining 12 Wards will benefit from the second phase.

The presentation of the agri-preneur model underscored its critical role in enabling efficient investment in boosting food security, nutrition, and
livelihoods in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At the tender age of 11 years, Winsum Jebiwott underwent the cut.

Jebiwott says she had gone to visit her uncle during the circumcision period and unfortunately found herself becoming a victim.

However, at the time, she never quite understood what had happened to her and continued with her life like any other girl who had undergone the same procedure.

At the age of 15, when she joined Form 1, Jebiwott suffered another setback in her life after she became another statistic in the rising cases of teenage mothers in the country.

The 22-year-old said she was forced to drop out of school to take care of her baby. Being the only girl in a family of five, she was lucky because her two older brothers were willing to take her back to school.

After rejoining school, she was narrating to one of her friends the excruciating pain she went through when she was giving birth to her baby.

‘My friend asked me whether I had undergone through Female Genital Mutilation and when I answered in the affirmative, she told me tha
t was the reason why I underwent through so much pain when giving birth,’ she said.

It was then that she was able to relate what happened to her at the age of 11 and its repercussions during childbirth. ‘There and then I resolved to do what I can to save other girls from what I went through. I may not save many, but even if I save only one, I will have done my part in the fight against FGM,’ she told KNA.

Jebiwott said her church, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Embobut, provided her with the platform she needed. According to the young girl, she was a Sunday school teacher, and therefore every Sunday when schools close, apart from other church activities, she made it her duty to teach the young ones the dangers of FGM.

Her efforts were noticed by her parish priest, Fr. Amos Kimutai, who proposed to have her assist in the activities of an NGO started within the church when she did her Form 4.

‘After sitting my Form 4 exams, my brothers told me to give them time to educate my younger siblings first, then the
y would take me to college.

Meanwhile, I continued assisting at the church where I go every Monday and Friday,’ she said.

Last year was one year that all who have been fighting against FGM would like to forget. Hundreds of girls were forced to undergo the rite in Marakwet East, with young men hell-bent on ensuring that the girls were circumcised and attacking anyone fighting the vice.

In the process, a police officer was killed, and the priest, Fr. Kimutai, and a chief were attacked by gangs of youths. But even in that dark phase of the fight against FGM, a light shone as hundreds of girls, having been sensitised to the dangers of the outdated culture, ran away from home to escape the rite.

Despite the prevalence of FGM in the area, there is no rescue centre where girls can find refuge, despite calls by the County Gender Sector Working Group (CGSWG) for the establishment of one. Therefore, for girls running away from FGM, their first stop is either in churches or with any individual who is known for campa
igning against the rite, which is risky given the attacks that took place.

Initially, she received a total of 13 girls who went to the church, and when they didn’t find her, they all went to her home.

‘When they didn’t find me at the church, they came home, and the following day another group of 20 girls followed. I had to accommodate them, and fortunately we had just harvested, so getting food was not a problem,’ she said.

She accommodated them for two days, during which they slept on seats and maize drying mats. However, on the third day, more girls flocked to her home, and that was when she sought assistance from the area chief, who sought accommodation from the nearby AIC church, and a temporary rescue centre was established.

Jebiwott was overjoyed that her efforts had paid off, saying over 500 girls were saved from the cut. This gave her the impetus to continue with the fight against FGM, and with the support she gets from her church, she says she is making a difference in many girls lives.

She says
that, for her, the fight against FGM is a continuous process that should be sustained all year.

She still continues to use the church, saying members are very supportive and will assist the girls from all over the parish whenever she asks for them.

Jebiwott said she was saddened by the events that took place in her home area, especially the killing of the police officer. She said they consulted with the priest, and through the provincial administration, they managed to trace the family of the officer.

‘As part of our apology to the family, we decided to educate one of the daughters of the police officer through our NGO. ‘It’s the least we could do; while we cannot compensate for the loss of their dad, at least we can lessen their pain by assisting the young girl by paying her school fees,’ she said.

Jebiwott called on all those dedicated to the fight against FGM to sustain the campaign, saying that while funds are scarce, the individual efforts of all concerned can go a long way in winning the war against
FGM.

While FGM cases have been on the rise in the county, the in-charge Office of Public Prosecution, Judith Ayuma, told the CGSWG that for the three years she has been in the county, she has never prosecuted an FGM case, wondering why such cases are never reported.

The CGSWG said the lack of conviction of perpetrators of FGM has emboldened them, which indirectly abets the vice.

Given the risks involved, the establishment of a shelter in the area, which girls are aware of in advance and from which they can seek refuge against FGM, cannot be gainsaid.

According to a performance audit on prevention and response to Gender Based Violence, the Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, called on the national government to work with the county governor to establish safe shelters for victims of GBV.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Deputy President’s spouse, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, has asked parents within the gold mining areas to restrain their children from working in the mines to help combat child labour within the country.

Speaking at Osiri Primary School in Nyatike Sub County of Migori County, where she issued certificates to registered miners, Pastor Dorcas said children must be taken to school for the sake of their future lives.

She also handed over various working gears to selected miners, including helmets, reflector jackets, and a brand new vehicle, to the department of mining in Migori County.

The deputy president’s spouse pointed out that education is the best investment parents can offer their children, instead of sending them to do menial jobs, some of which are dangerous to their lives.

Pastor Dorcas said the boy-child must be protected and jealously guarded well like the Girl-Child, saying the Kenyan boy-child faces a lot of challenges that must be addressed urgently.

‘The boy child must be protected from peer pr
essure, drugs, and other hard substances that spoil their life,’ she told the gathering.

She said that apart from the boy-child, she was also looking forward to promoting the lives of orphans, widows, and physically challenged people by giving them the necessary assistance.

Concerning artisanal mining, she noted the Kenya Kwanza government’s effort to ensure that the mining sector is growing and that artisanal miners are offered good prices for their minerals and supplied with protective gears to save them from the dangers that they are always exposed to while prospecting for the precious minerals.

The government, she said, has constructed the gold refinery plant in Kakamega, a facility that would ensure that artisanal miners reap well from their work.

Mining Permanent Secretary (PS) Elijah Mwangi, who accompanied Pastor Dorcas, said mining is a business venture that needs to be promoted at all costs.

Mwangi said artisanal miners would be allowed to work in a conducive environment by issuing them with pe
rmits and licenses to enable them to do their work freely.

The PS said in Migori alone, some 23 mining groups have already been formalised to operate legally, adding that the government has initiated a programme that is geared to bring registration and issuing of permits and licenses closer to the miners.

‘The state has also acquired gadgets worth over Sh600 million to help determine the correct amount of money they would get from buyers of their minerals,’ he announced.

He regretted that currently, gold and copper miners are losing a lot at the hands of middlemen who underpay them for their minerals.

At the same time, the state wants to delve into a programme to collect data on all places where gold is extracted and how much is extracted per day for the sake of developing the region.

Migori County Executive Committee (CEC) Member in Charge of Environment Caleb Opondi asked the government to assist the local miners in modernising their activities by giving them the right tools.

He also urged that the co
ntroversial 6,000-acre land in Nyatike, gazetted as forest land, be returned to the local community.

The chairman of the county artisanal miners and small business groups, Kepha Ojuka, appealed to the government to gazette the Migori artisanal Committee that has taken years to be in place to enable it to start work to promote mining in the region.

He said there are over 20,000 artisanal miners in Migori who make their living from extracting gold and copper.

Earlier on, the Mining PS paid a courtesy call to Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, where he announced that the government has vigorously started registration and licensing artisanal miners in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency