Day: September 26, 2024

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Government to increase farm production through climate-smart practices


Makueni County Government intends to increase agricultural production through climate-smart practices and provision of modern inputs and offering extension services to farmers, area Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr has said.

Consequently, Mutula speaking said that the government would ensure farmers have better market linkages and stronger SACCO structures to guarantee them to earn maximum benefits from their farm produce.

The Governor further encouraged farmers to join cooperatives so that they would have a bargaining power that would enable them to pool resources and work together to avoid the middlemen who exploit them.

‘At the core of our agricultural strategy is the empowerment of our farmers through cooperative structures. By working together, our farmers will no longer rely on middlemen who exploit them with low prices. Instead, they will have the power to directly reach buyers and ensure they get fair share of value of what they create,’ said Mutula at the Agriculture Training College (ATC) Kwa Kathoka
on Wednesday.

‘This is our collective journey towards agricultural transformation and community empowerment for enhanced food security and livelihoods in the county,’ he said.

He was speaking during the launch of 30 Ward Level Community Driven Committees (CDDCs) and SACCOs for National Agricultural Value Chain Development (NAVCD) Project Implementation in Makueni County.

During the launch, 9 SACCOs were each given Sh1 million grant to help in recruiting more members especially at the ward level so that farmers could invest in them and have a bargaining power.

In this regard, the Governor challenged the local subsistence farmers to register themselves in a cooperative society so that they could access loans and avoid the unscrupulous people.

He disclosed that NAVCD is a World Bank five-year funded project that would target five value chains in the county namely poultry, dairy, mango, tomato and apiary to generate immense economic value for the people.

‘For instance, we have seen our mango farmers produci
ng high-quality fruit acceptable in the international market, yet they still struggle to access reliable markets and fair prices. The same is true for our poultry keepers, horticulture farmers and others,’ added Mutula.

Speaking at the same function, Department of Agriculture Executive Committee Member (ECM) Joyce Mutua said she would supervise the SACCOs closely so that they would be attractive to more farmers in the county.

At the same time, Mutua disclosed that many farmers in the county do not have bank accounts hence her department was in the process of ensuring farmers had accounts so they could access loans from financial institutions.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Kuria-Transmara border communities want local administration to support peace efforts


Community members found along the troubled border between the Kuria and Kipsigis communities have accused the local administration of interference in local driven peace initiatives

Speaking during a peace meeting between leaders from the Kuria and Kipsigis communities in Migori town, the Regional Director-Eastern Africa Collaboration for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (EACOR), Betha Kokach, decried those efforts to restore lasting peace in the troubled border was thwarted by actions of certain government administration officers who outlawed any peace meetings among the feuding clans.

Kokach said that the forum has, however, resolved to have a peaceful co-existence between the two communities for social and economic development.

She noted that EACOR has outlined some of the issues aimed at enhancing peace and bringing the two communities on board to resolve their issues amicably.

According to David Gibuka, Kuria clan representatives, they will continue to advocate for peace and sensitizing the Kuria
ns on the importance of embracing peace and cohesion.

Gibuka, however, outlined that issues of discrimination, land and administration have greatly contributed to the conflicts witnessed between the two communities for over a year now.

Gibuka sentiments were echoed by Christine Chebi, a resident of the Kipsigis community who acknowledged that it all started with cattle rustling and slowly evolved to land tussle.

‘We can no longer do business across the board simply because of lack of security and mistrust between ourselves,’ lamented Chebi.

The insecurity and infight between the Kurians and Kipsigis along the Kuria East and Transmara Sub Counties led to the establishment of the Awendo and Tarime Peace Declaration with the aim of upholding, maintaining peace, and harmony among the border communities living in Migori and Narok Counties.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Percentage of women on online job worries Ajira officials


Women have been urged to take up online jobs due its flexible work programme nature, since they could be done anywhere as long there is internet connection.

Ajira Programme South Rift Regional Coordinator Nelson Mitei revealed that the percentage of women working online was small compared to men.

Mitei called on women to take up Information, Communication Technology skills in order to cut their niche in online jobs which have for long been dominated by men.

According to the Coordinator, the Kenyan society should encourage women, especially the youth, to use their time on productive online activities.

‘Through our monitoring and evaluation, we realized that there is a very small section of women who are working online yet the online jobs are more flexible than traditional work routine,’ Mitei told Nandi National Government Heads of Department meeting at the County Commissioners Boardroom on Thursday.

He said Ajira online work programme is pushing towards attaining seventy percent of women to embrace onli
ne employment as a step towards alleviating poverty and engagement of youths.

Mitei noted that if idle youths are engaged in Ajira work programme and related job routine plan, recent Gen-Zs demonstrations would have been prevented.

He said if supported, youths would raise tax for public programmes, manage poverty and enable the youths to support their own families.

‘If we engage young people and give them opportunities, I am very sure taxes will be raised to support government programmes, they will support their families and reduce poverty levels,’ he said

Mitei revealed that the government is committed to taking Ajira network to the Kenyan villages with determination to support construction of ICT hubs in every ward.

National Government Administration Officers, especially the chiefs, would be trained on Ajira Programme so that the success of the Ajira jobs would be driven by them, Mitei said.

He added that the government was also keen to bring more People with Disability to online jobs.

Mitei noted th
at Ajira programmes were currently available in vocational training centers, Technical Training Institutions and Ajira Youth Empowerment Centers since the government has distributed computers to them.

He however regretted that there was no single Ajira Youth Empowerment Centre in Nandi County which should have been supported by Constituency Development Fund.

The Ajira Programme official said lack of Ajira Youth Empowerment Centres was denying Nandi youths online work related programmes and also opportunity to learn ICT skills.

He however expressed confidence that the Members of Parliament in Nandi would support the construction of the ICT Hubs in every ward and that would be instrumental in rolling out Ajira online jobs.

Nandi County Commissioner Caroline Nzwili who chaired the meeting promised to mobilise the county NGAO team in strengthening the Ajira networks across the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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KFCB promote Self-Regulation of Content Creators


The Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) has stepped up sensitization initiatives in the creative industry to safeguard children from harmful audio-visual contents.

KFCB in partnership with the Sports, Arts, and Social Development Fund (SASDF) through the Creatives in Arts and Film Literacy (CAFIL) program aims to empower Creatives in Arts and Film to create content that upholds Kenya’s cultural values and protect children from inappropriate audio-visual contents.

The literacy program has been rolled out in Nairobi, Kisumu, Nakuru, and Embu and aligns with the Fifth Pillar of (BETA), the Talanta Hela Initiative, and Vision 2030.

‘By implementing this program and supporting initiatives that are geared towards talent nurturing and monetization, KFCB hopes to contribute to a thriving creative economy that supports the monetization of talent for job opportunities and socio-economic development,’ said KFCB Ag. CEO CPA Paskal Opiyo during a CAFIL stakeholder’s engagement forum at the Technical University
of Mombasa (TUM).

He reiterated the government’s commitment to provide a conducive environment for film creation.

KFCB has produced a handbook on regulations of filmmaking in the country which the Ag. CEO said has become a one-stop shop where practitioners will get all the information to operate in the film industry.

The handbook has relevant information about importation and permits for drones from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, and filming in the parks and forests from the Kenya Wildlife Service and Kenya Forest Service respectively.

‘The government intends to ensure the works of content creators are as smooth as possible. Content creators will no longer have to walk to many offices, you simply need to refer to the handbook and you’ll have the contacts of the people that you need to talk to, they will support you,’ he said.

The Ag. CEO informed the creators that the licensing for filmmaking is solely from KFCB through the board website and can be assisted in regional offices in Kisumu, Kakamega, N
akuru, Eldoret, Garissa, Embu and Nairobi.

‘Other licenses that you may get from somewhere are not for filming, those are licenses relating to the activities you’re operating as a business,’ he stated.

KFCB is undertaking self-classification in the wake of the increased use of social media. Content creators and filmmakers are trained to understand KFCB ratings to self-regulate.

‘The space is too wide and the laws and regulations are trying to catch up on the pace of social media,’ said the Ag. CEO.

Technical University of Mombasa Vice Chancellor Prof Laila Abubakar, said the CAFIL program aligns with their mission of advancing knowledge through practical application where students are nurtured to become creative and come up with better content.

‘At the end of the day, they will be able to become job creators and not job seekers. Today’s event is a very good opportunity because we want to link our students with the industry and the regulators,’ said Prof. Abubakar.

The handbook, she noted will help stude
nts pursuing communication studies on how to self-regulate when creating content.

Content creators lauded KFCB for the eye-opening engagement as it will help them protect children while creating content on social media.

‘During holidays children are prone to stay up late watching YouTube on TV. The guidelines will help us on what they are going to watch because now the internet is available everywhere,’ said Laureen Ndosanjo, an Actress.

Waridi Rehema an upcoming YouTuber and a Voice over Artist noted that the program is essential because most programs are whitewash.

‘Being an African and in an African setting, we have our cultural norms and our values. It will help me in my content creation to embody that. It is going to also help me understand regulatory rights and intellectual properties,’ said Rehema.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Vocational Training Centers at Risk if CDF Ceases Operations


Vocational Training Centers (VTCs) across the country could face significant setbacks if the court order halting the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) remained in place until its potential cessation on June 30, 2026.

The CDF, which has been a vital source of financial support for many students in VTCs, has been a lifeline for these institutions that are not supported by funding from the Higher Education Loans Board (HELB).

Without these crucial funds, many vulnerable learners stand to lose their opportunity to acquire much-needed skills for the job market.

VTCs have traditionally relied on bursaries from county governments and allocations from the CDF, facilitated through Members of Parliament, to support financially disadvantaged learners. The looming end of CDF operations has raised concerns among educators, parents, and students alike.

Mr. Raphael Nyadenge, Principal of Ndere Vocational Training Center in Gem Constituency, Siaya County, expressed deep worry about the potential impact of the court or
der on vocational education in the country.

‘The disbanding of CDF will disadvantage many vulnerable learners who rely on bursaries. Their education will be in jeopardy,’ Nyadenge said.

He noted that many students attending VTCs come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds and depended heavily on financial support from CDF bursaries to stay in school.

Nyadenge also called for a change in how vocational training centers were perceived, stating that it was time for these institutions to be viewed at the same level of importance as other institutions of higher learning.

‘VTCs should not be seen as a landing pad for failures, as they have been stereotyped in the past. They help impart diverse skills in a world where the majority of jobs are skill-based,’he said.

His call to action resonates with the current job market’s increasing demand for technical and vocational skills. With unemployment rates high, VTCs provide critical skills training that prepares individuals for the labor market.

Nyadenge urged
both youth and working professionals to consider enrolling in VTCs to upgrade or learn new skills that could enhance their career prospects and earnings.

He said the potential end of CDF funding could not come at a worse time for VTCs, which have been instrumental in providing affordable technical education to thousands of Kenyans. With limited alternative funding options, the fate of many learners and the future of these essential institutions remain uncertain, he added.

Stakeholders are now urging the government to explore sustainable financing solutions to ensure that VTCs continue to operate and provide critical skills training to the nation’s youth, even in the absence of CDF support.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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State reassures learners’ security in schools


The death of 21 boys at the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire incident, has been described as a turning point in ensuring there is adequate security for learners in all education facilities across the country.

Education Cabinet Secretary, Julius Migos, said never again will parents and learners be subjected to unnecessary anxiety about the safety of their children in the hands of learning institutions following the Hillside Endarasha Academy fire tragedy on September 5.

Migos who was speaking during an interdenominational funeral service for the victims at the Mweiga Stadium, reiterated the Government’s commitment to unearthing the cause of the fire that claimed 21 learners, before making the findings public at an appropriate time.

‘As Ministry we have made a decision that this has to be a turning point. Our schools must be safe havens for nurturing the potential of our children. Parents and guardians should not live in anxiety over the safety and security of their children. We as a ministry are carrying ou
t an audit to establish if there was any omission on the part of our officers. I want to give an assurance that we will hold to account anybody found culpable for this incident,’ said the CS during the event that was also attended by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, several elected lawmakers and leading oppositional figures.

The CS also pledged the Government’s continued support to the all the parents who were in one way or another affected by the devastating fire in order to ensure they can settle down again.

He said the tragedy caught the nation by shock and touched all and sundry in one of the worst fire incidents to have hit the country in recent years.

And to underscore the magnitude of the loss, Migos took time to read the entire list of all the 21 boys, terming them notable individuals whose names will never be forgotten.

‘I have read these names because I want each one of us to know that they are not just numbers and they are not going to be just part of statistics. We need to remember their nam
es.’ said Migos.

‘Whenever we send our children to school, we do so in the hope that we are preparing them for a promising future. We don’t expect or even imagine that harm will befall them in the school environment. We have commissioned a national audit of all public and private boarding schools to determine the level of compliance with the school safety manual and we will take firm action to ensure (there is) compliance with its requirement.”

Governor Mutahi Kahiga, called for additional support to both the affected parents and the proprietor of the School, Mr David Kinyua, to pick-up from where the accident left them.

The County Boss noted that whereas the government had done much in supporting the families who lost their children in the fire, two others were still admitted in hospital while 141 others lost everything in the aftermath of the inferno.

‘This school has formed part of the community that dwell nearby for many years now. It has produced some of the best students in national exams and many
parents prefer to bring their children here instead of taking them to nearby public schools due to its sterling performance. But as we speak children who survived this tragedy were stripped-off every valuable asset they had. We, therefore, need to plan how we are going to assist them by providing them with what they lost before they can report back to school,’ said Kahiga.

So far, the Hillside Academy Fire Disaster Management that is co-chaired by acting Region Commissioner, Pius Murugu and Kahiga, has helped in clearing funeral expenses for the victims.

In addition, each of the affected families has been given Sh 100,000 to help cater for burial expenses and other attendant expenses.

To stagger the process of interring the bodies, nine of the victims will be buried today while 10 will be entombed tomorrow.

The remaining two victims will be buried on Saturday before the Hillside Academy Fire Disaster Management Committee meets again on Monday, to deliberate on modalities of reopening the school.

Prior to
the fire incident, the school had a combined population of total of 824 pupils.

The number of boarders in the school at the time was 330 pupils with 166 of them being girls.

The rest of the school’s population are day scholars.

Out of the 164 pupils who were sleeping in the dormitory on that fateful night, 19boys perished on the spot while two others died while receiving specialized treatment in hospital.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Government embarks on assessment of boarding schools to ensure security of learners


A team of Ministry of Education officials from Western Kenya region is assessing safety and security in all 198 boarding primary schools in the Western region.

Regional Director of Education Jared Obiero says the Government is committed to ensuring the safety and overall welfare of learners is enhanced.

Speaking to KNA on Wednesday, Mr. Obiero said the team that includes Quality Assurance and Standards Officers (QASO’s) are assessing both the safety and health standards in those schools to ensure they conform to the Ministry of Education’s safety standards manual for schools.

He said assessment is being done in all public and private boarding primary schools before the exercise is undertaken in secondary schools across the four counties of Kakamega, Busia, Vihiga and Bungoma.

The regional director said in Kakamega County, the exercise is being carried out in 70 boarding primary schools, 36 being public and 34 being private.

He added that in Bungoma 63 boarding primary schools are being assessed, with 28
being public and 18 private, while Busia County has 46 schools, with 28 being public and 18 being private.

‘In Vihiga, we are assessing a total of 19 schools, 10 being public while 9 being private boarding primary schools’ he added.

The move to enhance safety in boarding schools comes in the background of a fire incident at Endarasha Academy in Nyeri County where 21 boys lost their lives in a fire incident.

The safety standards manual for schools has prescribed the threshold for the safety and security standards for schools that school’s administration must adhere to.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Ministry of Health targets to register 60 percent of Kenyans into SHA by 1st October


The State will deploy the whole of government approach as it targets to register 60% of households in each county into the Social Health Authority (SHA) by October 1 in efforts to ensure that the implementation process is smooth and seamless.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Dr. Deborah Barasa said that all the changes being done under SHA would be meaningless unless Kenyans know about them and take full advantage.

Speaking on Wednesday during a consultative meeting between the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Interior and National Administration on the roll out of SHA, the CS said that after almost a year of preparations, they were now ready to roll out the services under SHA.

‘It is our role as a government to ensure there is no confusion on what is expected of members of public. Critically, we must educate the public on their responsibilities and especially the fact that they need to register to access services,’ said Dr. Barasa.

She disclosed that despite their concerted efforts to sensitize the publi
c, a lot of skepticism expressed by sections of the public was based on lack of proper appreciation of the full benefits of social health insurance.

‘It is now time we combed our villages and directly engaged the public on the real benefits of the Social Health Authority. At this point, the priority is to get households registered, make contributions in readiness for services on 1st October,’ said the CS.

Dr. Barasa called on officers from Interior and National Administration to engage the community through the village elders, chiefs, and Community Health Promoters on SHA rollout.

‘Share this message at every public forum you are present, be it in your barazas, funerals, weddings, school events and all other opportunities that you may have,’ urged Dr. Barasa.

She explained that Kenya has made significant progress in the health sector geared towards delivering quality healthcare.

Dr. Barasa said that the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda focuses on four pillars of sustainable health financing mechani
sms, digital health system integration for efficiency, effective supply chain for health products and technologies and adequate and skilled human resources for health.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Murang’a County Assembly calls for establishment of a special fund


The Murang’a County Assembly on Tuesday adopted a report that proposed establishment of a special fund to manage HIV and tuberculosis.

Tabling the report, Chairperson of the Assembly’s Committee on Health Service Boniface Ng’ang’a urged the County Executive Committee Member for Health to prioritize publicizing the Murang’a County HIV/AIDS Bill 2024, which would provide a framework for the provision of a special fund for HIV and TB management in the county.

Ng’ang’a noted that key donors who fund HIV/AIDS programmes in the county would withdraw their donations in 2027 and the enactment of the bill would enable Murang’a County to be self-reliant after the donors’ exit.

‘World Bank, CDC, and other NGOs that fund the HIV/AIDS programmes in the county will be withdrawing their donations in 2027. Approval of this Bill will lead to the development of HIV/AIDS Regulations to create a special fund for HIV and TB management in the County,’ he said.

Ng’ang’a, who is also Muthithi MCA observed that while the overall
prevalence of HIV in the county was relatively low, there were still pockets of concern.

‘For example, Mathioya sub-county has a higher percent HIV prevalence rate of 3.5 percent compared to Kandara with lower rate of 1.3 percent,’ he added while giving out details of the report that was seconded by Murarandia MCA Peter Munga,

Supporting the report, Gatanga MCA John Kibaiya said that even though the HIV prevalence in the county was low, having separate desks for people living with HIV/AIDS in Level 4 Hospitals in the county promoted stigmatization.

Kibaiya called for an integration of persons living with HIV/AIDS into the normal healthcare system in Murang’a Level 4 Hospitals.

‘Most Level 4 Hospitals in Murang’a have an extra desk for people living with this disease. To erode the stigma associated with the disease, HIV/AIDS treatment should be integrated into the regular healthcare provision mechanisms,’ he stated.

Kibaiya also noted that there has been women’s migration into tea zone areas where farmers
were currently receiving tea bonus payments.

This, the MCA said, was among the drivers of the spread of HIV/AIDs in the county.

To stop the spread in these areas, Kahumbu MCA Chefman Njoroge said that the County Executive Committee needed to come up with educational programmes to teach farmers the importance of using protection during sex.

‘It is important that tea and coffee farmers in areas receiving bonuses be sensitized on the importance of having protected sex. It has been a trend for past years, when bonuses are being paid, some women flock to tea growing zones to deceive our men,’ observed Njoroge.

He said that creating awareness would reduce HIV prevalence and the stigma associated with the disease, while also educating locals on the benefits of having protected sex.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Simba Apparel EPZ projects to offer over 20,000 job opportunities


Simba Apparel Exporting Processing Zone (EPZ) in collaboration with the United States Agency Development is projecting to employ over 20,000 youth and women by the end of 2025 as it expands its production to meet the increasing demand for garments.

Speaking during the launch of the modern 26,220 square feet facility dubbed ‘green building’ at the Simba Apparel EPZ limited on Wednesday, Mombasa County, US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, noted that such partnerships facilitate the creation of jobs as well as building a foundation for long-term economic growth between Kenya and the United States citing that an amount totaling $330million has been allocated by the US government to facilitate Apparel Opportunities.

‘The US investment in the Kenya Apparel sector has unlocked $ 330 million in apparel export opportunities and will create more than 20,000 jobs by the end of next year, especially for women and the Youth,’ highlighted Whitman.

Furthermore, she noted that the initiative has seen Simba Apparel adopt
ing cutting-edge green technology hence reducing its Carbon footprint and boosting its production capacity creating a greater future for Kenya’s workforce and the global market.

On his part, County governor, Abdulswammad Shariff Nassir commended the two organizations for their collective efforts through the partnership which began in the year 2023 highlighting that the move has seen a significant shift in the employment sector especially within Mombasa County.

‘I acknowledge the USAID for facilitating this initiative which has increased the number of people who are going to be on a payroll, which means fewer unemployed people on the streets of Mombasa,’ said Nassir.

Additionally, he assured that the County government will liaise with the National government on matters of the cost of power considering that the facility includes an installation of modern production equipment and Solar Panels.

Furthermore, the Director, Simba Apparel EPZ, Janardanan Myliyat, highlighted that the initiative has created employ
ment for over 1,700 workers and is projecting a production of 1 million units per month by December 2024 citing a significant increase of 800,000 units from 500,000units per month since the USAID partnership.

‘We started running a night shift and added four new production lines to cater for the current high demand from our buyers,’ highlighted Myliyat.

In addition, he announced that the organisation has established a satellite factory in Nairobi County with eight production lines that are exclusively creating garments for Simba Apparel thus employing at least 700 people.

Simba Apparel EPZ specializes in the manufacture of men’s and women’s fashion wear, casual wear, work wear, hospital wear and hospitality wear.

Source: Kenya News Agency