Day: September 21, 2024

Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi has announced that the government will continue implementing last-mile connectivity projects and major electrification programmes for social and economic benefits.

Speaking during the commissioning of the 25.6 million Nyamchodhre Market Electrification Project in Awendo Sub County, Wandayi said that Migori was allocated 200 million in the 2023/2024 electrification projects that are currently at different stages of completion.

Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Petroleum Opiyo Wandayi. He said that the Transmission Line from Awendo to Isebania with a substation at Masaba in Migori County is awaiting commissioning. Photo by Geoffrey Makokha.

The Nyamchodhre Market Electrification Project in Awendo Sub County will provide electricity to 305 households, enhancing social and economic activities in the local community and Migori County.

Wandayi announced that the Awendo to Isebania Transmission Line, with Masaba substation, is awaiting commissioning, while
other projects like Sondu to Ndhiwa and Narok to Bomet are in initial stages.

Wandayi emphasized the importance of implementing last-mile connectivity projects and other major projects to ensure a consistent electricity supply in the Nyanza region. On the other hand, the CS also noted that Kenya Power was implementing stop-gap projects to fast-track power stability all the way from Kericho, Bomet Counties, and the South Nyanza region.

He explained that the mini-grades at Ngodhe and Takawiri islands in Homabay will help to solve power outages in the county. Meanwhile, on the issue of electricity cost, Wandayi said that the government is focused on providing efficient and effective transmissions to reduce power losses to end users.

The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) General Manager, Beatrice Njuguna, who accompanied CS Wandayi, thanked the residents of Nyamchodhre for their support in implementing the electrification project.

Njuguna said that the electrification connectivity
for the 305 households will improve the social and economic activities of the local community and Migori County at large.

She disclosed that REREC will continue to ensure they extend electricity to constituencies to connect more Kenyans with electricity.

Njuguna also affirmed that currently, REREC was engaged on different projects like mini-grades, stand-alone solar projects, and hybrid projects with the aim of connecting more Kenyans to the national grid.

She said that REREC will continue to utilise the resources they have to ensure effective project implementation across the country.

Meanwhile, Awendo Member of Parliament (MP) Walter Owino noted that he will continue to champion for the welfare of his constituents to ensure that more residents are connected to electricity.

In the 2023/2024 Financial Year, Awendo Sub County was allocated Sh56 million for electricity connectivity.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government has reiterated its commitment to protecting Sacco member’s deposits and is currently reviewing the Co-operative laws and regulations as it moves to seal existing loopholes and enhance the growth of the critical sector, which is currently the biggest in Africa and seventh in the world.

Co-operatives, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Cabinet Secretary (CS) Wycliffe Oparanya said that in recognition of the vibrant Kenyan co-operative movement, the government has prioritised co-operatives through the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) due to the sector’s ability to pull resources together for purposes of national building.

Co-operatives, Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Cabinet Secretary (CS), Wycliffe Oparanya, giving out a trophy during the award ceremony for Ushirika Day Celebrations held at a Nairobi hotel on Friday September 20, 2024. Photo by Douglas Namunane.

‘Kenya is currently reviewing its legislative and regulatory framework wit
hin the co-operative sector via the Co-operative Bill 2024 and the Sacco Society’s Amendment Bill 2024 that are currently in parliament,’ said Oparanya.

The CS explained that it is their belief that these reviews shall enable the creation of a legal and regulatory framework that protects the most critical part of co-operatives, which is the member’s deposits.

Speaking during the award ceremony for Ushirika Day Celebrations held at a Nairobi hotel on Friday, Oparanya said that his ministry, together with other relevant government agencies, will ensure they hold to account those who mismanage and misuse members’ funds.

‘Moving forward, we will intensify our efforts to ensure that such misconduct is not only called out but met with decisive legal action,’ said the CS.

To enable this, Oparanya said that the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA) has issued a ‘Whistleblowing Policy’ to promote institutional integrity and transparency by encouraging whistleblowing on misconduct, fraud, and unethical behav
iour, and it emphasises that every board member and employee is responsible for knowing and adhering to the policy, including reporting breaches.

The CS said that as we celebrate last year’s achievements, it is important to note that the recently released Sacco Supervision Annual Report of 2023 by SASRA highlighted a concerning trend on Capital Adequacy.

He explained that while the assets of Deposit-Taking (DT) Sacco’s have continued to grow, the rate of retention of their surpluses has remained static or declined.

‘This is evident in the marginal drop in key indicators such as the core capital to total assets ratio, which fell from 16.36% in 2022 to 16.07% in 2023. Similarly, the core capital to total deposits ratio dropped from 23.90% to 23.26%, and institutional capital fell from 9.58% to 9.11% during the same period,’ said Oparanya.

To address this, Oparanya said that Sacco’s must intentionally prioritise the growth of their capital from internally generated sources through the retention of surpluses.

‘As co-operative leaders, we need to boldly communicate to our members that capital retention is healthy and only helps guarantee the longevity of our co-operatives by ensuring they are better prepared to absorb future shocks,’ said the CS.

He at the same time called on employers to remit deductions to Sacco’s, saying that according to the Sacco Supervision Report 2023, there is a worrying trend where regulated Sacco’s are owed over Sh2.59 billion due to non-remittance by various employers.

Oparanya said that in competition to woo more members, a number of Sacco leaders have been borrowing heavily to pay huge dividends to their members, contrary to annual profits earned.

The CS said that this is not sustainable and might lead to the collapse of Sacco’s, as he warned that as a Fellow Certified Practising Accountant (FCPA), he will be looking at Sacco’s books of account to ascertain which ones have been falsifying their records and declaring non-existent profits so that they can give huge dividends.

Oparany
a said that he is aware of a coffee co-operative whose records indicate that they sold their coffee at the auction for Sh80 per kilogramme, and they were paying their members Sh120 per kilogramme. The directors have been borrowing to pay famers the extra Sh40, leaving the co-operative with a debt of Sh.225 million from commercial banks, and now the same farmers have been left to pay the loan.

‘As we look to the future, Co-operatives must embrace the principles of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG). This means not only focusing on financial sustainability but also taking deliberate actions to support clean energy initiatives, reduce carbon emissions, and promote environmental stewardship,’ said the CS.

The National Council for Ushirika Day celebrations Chairman Macloud Malonza said that the Co-operative sector in Kenya continues to demonstrate strong resilience in challenging times witnessed this year.

Malonza said that Co-operatives remain stable as they have seen great strides in both agricultura
l and financial Co-operatives this year.

‘Among the agricultural Co-operatives, we have seen increased production across all major crops where coffee farmers encountered better prices and the tea farmers are expected to earn the largest bonus ever,’ said Malonza.

He explained that in financial co-operatives, they continue to see co-operatives growing in double digits while return to members has also been commendable.

‘In the horizon, the forecast for the sector is very promising as we head towards the final quarter of the year as co-operatives start closing their books. The future of the co-operative sector is bright, and today’s awards aim to inspire even greater achievements,’ said Malonza.

He highlighted that the adjudication exercise remains a cornerstone of the Ushirika celebrations, emphasising continuous learning and improvement.

Malonza added that this year, the National Ushirika Council commissioned an independent consultant who rigorously assessed Co-operative Societies across various categorie
s, evaluating them based on their service excellence, adherence to co-operative principles, capitalisation, savings, credit and risk Management, innovation, and social impact.

Kenya National Police Deposit Taking (DT) Sacco emerged as the best managed Sacco countrywide.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Bible Society of Kenya has put in place programmes aimed at enabling the youths to acquire life skills that will lead them to make the right decisions and choices in life.

The Lead, Bible Advocacy and Church Relations department at the Bible Society of Kenya, Ann Wacuka Mwangi, said that through the Young Samaritan programme, the youths are taught how to stand firm and do the right thing in spite of the environment around them as per the teachings from the Bible.

She was speaking in Bungoma at an event that was organised by the Bible Society, which brought together over 200 children from different churches in the area.

Wacuka noted that the programme also aims at building and raising the confidence in the children to make them engage in various activities of life without fear and with regard to the teachings of the scriptures.

She said that through the Bible Eagles Programme (BEC), which is for children from the age of three to 18 years, the children are sensitised about the Bible to make them underst
and the origin of the Bible.

Children, she said, when they come together are taken through lessons from the Bible, sing songs, present dances, and memorise verses, all geared towards imparting children with knowledge of the Bible.

She noted that the Bible Society of Kenya, which is a non-denominational organisation, has the mandate to translate the Bible into various indigenous languages in the country.

This, she said, will enable the communities to understand the scriptures better in their mother tongue languages.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Association of Business Executives (ABE) is set to roll out entrepreneurship programmes in high schools across Mombasa County to enhance business studies in the curriculum.

The programme is an initiative by ABE Global, which is a skills development organisation in areas of entrepreneurship, innovation, and business management and will equip students with business development skills to nurture ideas from inception to implementation.

An exhibition held at the Jaffery College during the first ABE Clubs annual conference saw students from various private schools across the county get a chance to showcase their entrepreneurial skills and exhibit their business ideas.

The Country Manager of ABE, Boniface Kamau, said that the organisation seeks to partner with the county government to ensure that the entrepreneurship programme is rolled out not only in private schools but is also incorporated in public schools.

‘We want to follow all the official procedures to ensure that public schools also benefit from thi
s programme; hence, as ABE, this is the best time to partner with the county government to elevate the education status to a higher level,’ said Kamau.

He noted in addition that ABE has piloted the programme in three schools in Mombasa County and seven schools in Nairobi County.

Director, ABE Global, Sub-Saharan Africa, Kereesa Carrington, reiterated that the programme has enrolled over 6,000 students across Sub-Saharan Africa, with at least 500 from Mombasa County.

‘We have had numerous schools represented today, and they have pitched their ideas on business and entrepreneurship through excellent presentations. This programme has been engaging the youth as it relates to not just starting businesses but converting business ideas into viable sustainable businesses,’ said Carrington.

Apart from Secondary Schools, Carrington noted that the organisation also focuses on other institutions, including banks and universities, as well as offering internship programs to college graduates.

County Executive Committe
e Member (CECM) for Education, Mombasa County, Mbwarali Kame, indicated that the county government will expand mentorship programmes in public schools, especially with the introduction of such programmes that will augment the already existing ones.

‘My department of education has been doing mentorship programmes for all public secondary schools in Mombasa, and we want to assure you that we are going to expand it and make it even better with such great ideas of entrepreneurship brought by ABE,’ Mbwarali said.

Among the schools that participated in the conference were Jaffery College, Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Secondary School, Aga Khan High School, and Memon School.

The winners were Sheikh Khalifa, Aga Khan High School, and Jaffery College respectively, with each bagging awards and gift vouchers.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Students of Mindililwo Special School in Keiyo North Sub County have a reason to smile as the Kenya Tourism Board donated a washing machine as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The Head Teacher, Eunice Chelal, thanked KTB led by Zippy Matu for the donation, saying it will go a long way in assisting them to keep the children clean.

Mrs. Chelal said the caretakers have been having a hard time washing clothes for the 160 pupils, saying the machine has now made their work easier.

She thanked KTB for the gesture and appealed to other organisations to assist the school with a dryer and solar panel so that the pupils can get hot water for bathing given that they are located in a very cold area.

She added that the solar panel will ensure the school does not experience blackouts when electricity fails.

KTB said they were committed to improving the hospitality industry in Elgeyo Marakwet County, saying there are 300 hotels within the county.

They said with the 2% levy paid by the hotels, they have be
en able to train the staff to offer better services, saying that with better staff, hotels will attract clientele, thus improving the economy of the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nandi Governor Stephen Sang has revealed that he invited the Public Service Commission to audit his human resource staff after his internal team failed him twice.

In a Public Service Commission human resource audit recommendations report released in mid-August, close to 1,800 Nandi workers have lost their jobs for failing to meet legalised appointment procedures.

Sang admitted that they realised some of those given the responsibility to handle the human resource audit were actually part of the mess, and therefore they couldn’t get trusted results.

He has vowed to implement 100 percent of the recommendations of the PSC on Nandi HR audit staff, maintaining that it was the only way of professionalising the working fraternity in the County.

According to him, no County government had invited PSC to audit human resources and fully adopt the recommendations, and thus his decision was unprecedented.

‘I realised we needed to fix this mess. I had done two other HR audits before. The ones I did were done internally
; I used internal staff; no results that were useful came out of the process,’ Sang disclosed.

The Governor noted that every staff member who had obtained an employment letter outside a legal process provided by the law was illegal and a nullity.

‘We are not implementing a decision of the County Executive; we are implementing a decision of the Public Service Commission through their human resource audit that we asked as the County Government of Nandi,’ he said.

‘So after failing two times to sort out this HR mess, we decided to go for independent, constitutional commission to come and support us in this process,’ the governor revealed.

While addressing the press on Friday, Governor Sang revealed the existence of ghost workers on the payroll after it emerged that some individuals were drawing money from the payroll but working outside Nandi County.

The Governor promised to initiate a process of recovering resources, which the County has lost after the overhaul of the payroll system.

‘Somebody is on the p
ayroll of Nandi County but working elsewhere. Those details are coming out clearly, and we will follow the due process, including the recovery of resources that were spent by the County Government of Nandi on the staff not providing services,’ Sang vowed.

He assured to hold everyone to account for their actions, no matter how influential the affected are.

‘It does not matter who the staff or individuals are related to. Whether they are relatives of the CECs, whether they are relatives of the Chief Officers, whether relatives to the County Public Service Board, relatives to the Deputy Governor, or even relatives of the Governor,’ he said.

He expressed confidence that the Director of Criminal Investigation and various other investigative agencies are following up on reports forwarded to them.

Sang hinted that in the course of next week, there will be ground shaking reports that will hold to account any individual who issued out letters unprocedurally.

Governor Sang claimed that some staff are already comin
g out with evidence on how they used money to get appointment letters.

‘Some of them took bribes, and I am happy that some of the staff are already coming out, bringing out evidence of how they used money to get appointment letters,’ he said.

Sang criticised some of his aggrieved staff for spreading false reports about him and the entire process, warning that some details shared are against the Data Protection Act.

‘I know we are stepping on the fingers and toes of very many people. Some of them are sharing manipulated information and sensitive details against the Data Protection Act; some are generating documents in cyberspace to taint my image and various County Offices as a way of blackmailing us. Those who think I will change my stand on this vigorous and fruitful process are wrong,’ Sang went on.

Asked whether he personally instructed the fixing of some individuals in the payroll, the Governor responded: ‘There are only three categories of staff in which the governor plays a role: appointment of Coun
ty Committee Executive Members, appointment of Chief Officers, and appointment of advisors. Any other allegations are false.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

Lack of facilitation for healthcare workers to travel to court to provide evidence in defilement cases is a significant obstacle to justice for survivors in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

A Gender Based Violence Coordinator at the Iten County Referral Hospital (ICRH), Philemon Kittony, told the County Gender Sector Working Group (CGSWG) meeting in Iten that lack of expert evidence of healthcare workers in defilement cases has led to many of the cases being lost.

Kittony told the meeting chaired by the County Commissioner, John Korir, that the issue has also affected the referral pathway of GBV cases, saying most of them are referred to ICRH, the health facility next to Iten law courts.

Many survivors give up due to financial constraints, discomfort, and the need for evidence, as they cannot afford public transport to Iten. However, he urged partners in the GBV fight to provide dignity packs for survivors, as undergarments are crucial court evidence, leaving them in awkward situations.

The officer emphasized the
importance of establishing a rescue centre in the county, as many survivors are often kept in hospital wards due to relatives’ lack of transportation.

Kitonny advocated for probono lawyers, citing that many victims of GBV are impoverished, while some perpetrators have access to legal representation.

Addressing the same meeting, Rachael Mwangi from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) said many cases are lost in court after complainants are threatened by the perpetrators or are compelled by family or community members not to testify.

She added that some police officers make very weak statements, which cannot sustain a conviction, while others do not bond witnesses, leading to the cases being thrown out.

Other challenges faced in prosecution of GBV cases, the ODPP said, were lack of witnesses and taking such cases to kangaroo courts, which is illegal.

The CGSWG called on the Judiciary to expedite the operations of Chesoi and Chepkorio courts, which have already been gazetted, saying they
will reduce the distance to courts and thus enable more to access justice.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA), National Chairman, Enos Njeru, has re-assured smallholder tea farmers that the bonus figures announced by factory directors adhered to the laid-down accounting standards.

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday evening, Njeru noted that the factories were bound to comply with a set of international standards before announcing the rates for the 2023/2024 financial year. He said that the rates for the second payment, popularly known as the bonus, were based on tea prices, tea volumes, as well as the production and operational costs of each factory.

‘The chairman wishes to reassure all stakeholders that the figures released by the factory companies are prepared in compliance with International Accounting Standards (IAS) and International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) as governed by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants (ICPK).

KTDA Management Service is an ISO-certified company and is bound to comply with these standards for the proper running of factory compan
ies,’ Njeru said in a statement.

The reassurance comes in the wake of protests by a section of tea farmers from the tea-growing regions over low bonus rates.

While acknowledging that some factories might have been negatively impacted by the removal of direct sales and the minimum reserve price, Njeru expressed optimism that the farmers’ fortunes will change for the better as the government had opened the window for direct sales and the minimum reserve price had been removed.

In his statement, Njeru noted instances where some of the farmers had resorted to destruction of factory property and disruption of normal factory operations, saying this will have negative economic implications on the future of the sector.

‘There are various avenues that can be pursued to address the issues. Every year, factory companies hold AGMs, and during these meetings, the shareholders/farmers have the opportunity to review and query the financial reports, which is a normal practice,’ he stated.

‘We urge our farmers to remain
calm and raise their concerns with their directors without resorting to destruction of company property and commit to working with all stakeholders to ensure our successful tea business is protected,’ added Njeru.

The agency had directed the 56 KTDA-managed factories to hold their Annual General Meetings between September 9-17 to approve the second payment for its over 600,000 farmers.

In Nyeri, all five major KTDA tea factories had by Friday approved bonus payments for smallholder tea farmers in the county.

The rates range from Sh 45.5 as the least amount that the farmers will get for every kilogramme of green leaf delivered, while the highest rate for the farmers is Sh 57.3 for a kilogramme.

Out of the five factories, farmers who deliver their green leaf to the Gathuthi will take home the highest amount of Sh57 per kilogramme. For the factory, this is a Sh 13 increase from last year when the farmers were paid at a rate of Sh 44 per kilogramme.

The board at Gitugi Tea Factory approved the payment of Sh
53 per kilo for the 2023/2024 financial year, which is a Sh 4 reduction of what the farmers were paid last year.

At the Chinga Tea Factory, the board approved the payment of Sh 50 per kilogramme for farmers affiliated to the factory.

Farmers from Iria-ini will be paid at Sh 46 per kilo, while those in Ragati will receive Sh 45.5 per kilo. This is a Sh 9 enhancement from last year when they were paid Sh 36 per kilo.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The special committee that was formed to coordinate the management of the Hillside Endarasha Academy tragedy has set September 25 (Wednesday next week) as the burial date for the 21 victims who died in the dormitory fire.

Speaking on Friday evening after meeting with the representatives of the parents of the victims and members of the Hillside Academy Fire Disaster Management Committee, acting Central Region Commissioner, Pius Murugu, said that the burials will take place immediately after the memorial service.

The interdenominational service will be held on Wednesday next week at the Mweiga Stadium. According to Murugu, the service will commence at 8:30 am and is scheduled to end at 11 am to allow the bereaved families to proceed with the burial of their kin.

For families that will not be able to conduct burial on Wednesday due to distance or time constraints, the committee reassured them that the Naro Moru funeral home would continue preserving the remains of their kin.

‘We have agreed that the majority
of parents will be able to bury the victims on the same day. That is why we have reduced the length of the service. By 11 am we should have finished with the memorial so that we release the bodies to the respective parents and relatives,’ said Murugu.

‘By Monday we shall be able to know which families will be able to bury their kin on Wednesday. The clergy have reduced time so that the families can reach home in good time to bury the people the same day,’ he added.

Earlier at the Naro Moru funeral home, some of the families received the DNA results and got a chance to view the remains of their kin. The exercise started on Thursday after the Chief Government Pathologist, Dr. Johansen Odour, confirmed that the victims had been positively matched to their parents through DNA.

He also said that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, together with the Red Cross, had started handing over results to the bereaved parents.

In his address on Friday, Murugu thanked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DC
I) for expediting the DNA process that had previously been estimated to take at least a month. Regarding investigations into the fire, the acting RC said that the DCI were conducting their investigations, which will unearth what transpired on the night of September 5.

‘The DCI have completed the process of handing the results to the parents and identifying the victims. At the moment, the victims have been identified by name, and we thank the DCI for expediting the process,’ said the acting RC.

One of the representatives of the bereaved parents, Reverend Lincoln Muthigani, thanked the National government and the County government for supporting the parents during the tragedy. He also extended his appreciation to the Kenya Red Cross and other well-wishers who have been supporting them for the last two weeks.

‘We thank the National government through the RC and the County government through the governor because they have walked with us. They have supported us throughout this tragedy, and they have also involv
ed us in all the planning processes. We also appreciate all the agencies, the Red Cross, the counsellors, and those well-wishers who supported us in everything,’ said Rev. Muthigani.

On his part, Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga, who is also the co-chair of the committee, said that modalities of how the school will be reopened will start immediately after all the 21 victims have been buried. Kahiga said that the committee would also expedite the school’s reopening to give ample time to Grade 6 learners to prepare for the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment.

He further reiterated the committee’s promise to bring the school back on its feet.

Kahiga noted that in addition to footing all burial and medical expenses, the government had pledged to facilitate learners whose personal effects and school supplies were destroyed to purchase new ones.

‘We have the other phase of about 143 pupils who must be resettled. The school also has to get off the ground. That is going to be the second phase when we finish wit
h this phase so that we are able to take care of the Grade 6 students who are doing the KPSEA so that they don’t get their school life interrupted,’ said Kahiga.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has expressed optimism that the state-of-the-art Kirigiti stadium in Kiambu County would soon be ready to host sporting activities.

The CS, who toured the stadium yesterday afternoon to check on its progress, noted that once completed, the stadium will ease pressure on the Kasarani and Nyayo stadiums.

‘The stadium is 90 per cent complete. I am impressed by the work done. The contractor is just finalising key areas such as installing seats, setting up the technology infrastructure, and completing the playing field, and once this is done, the stadium is earmarked to host top football matches, and with its proximity to Nairobi, it will reduce the burden of most clubs that seek alternatives far from the capital city,’ he said.

Murkomen noted that sports infrastructures are crucial for talent development and ensuring sustainable livelihoods, and as a ministry, they are dedicated to delivering these facilities to help youth develop their talents and monetise their skil
ls.

Kirigiti Stadium, he further said, is an important national monument, being the venue where the founding father, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, addressed his last rally before going to detention. ‘I will be meeting Sports Kenya to discuss the completion date, review financing, and make the necessary approvals so that the four long years of waiting can end,’ the CS said.

The goal, he said, is to make stadiums self-sustaining by generating revenue, adding that Kirigiti has spaces even for the private sector to join by investing in the sporting facilities.

Kiambu Deputy County Commissioner Titus Macharia, Area MP Machua Waithaka, and Kiambu County Sports CEC Ali Korar joined the CS during the inspection tour.

Source: Kenya News Agency