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Author: KNA NEWS

  • Orego wants Yala Swamp lease awarded to private developer canceled

    Orego wants Yala Swamp lease awarded to private developer canceled

    Siaya Governor James Orengo has called for the cancellation of a lease agreement that bequeathed parts of Yala Swamp to a private investor.

    Orengo has asked the government and the National Lands Commission to take a leading role in the cancellation of a lease agreement that saw a huge chunk of the Yala Swamp bequeathed to a private investor for 66 years.

    According to Orengo, both the government and the National Lands Commission erred when leasing out the land while excluding the Siaya County Government who are the trustees.

    The governor said that he had personally met the chairman of the commission who agreed with him that indeed it was a mistake to exclude the devolved unit that holds the title of the wetland in trust on behalf of the local communities.

    Orengo was speaking at Audrey Golf Resort hotel in Siaya during the launch of the county physical and land use development plan.

    “Any community land is vested in the county governments for the benefit of the communities living in the county,” said Governor Orengo adding “that is why, originally, the Yala delta lease was granted to Dominion Farms Limited by the then two county councils of Siaya and Bondo and when the counties came into being, the lease is now in the county government”.

    He said that the December 2022 lease that was executed by NLC and the national government to the exclusion of the county government of Siaya is illegal and must be reversed.

    “There is no way it can be leased without participation of its trustees,” said Orengo.

    Orengo further accused the national government and NLC of denying his county more than sh. 70 million in revenue accrued from the lease, adding that this impacted the county’s source revenue kitty negatively.

    He further accused the government and the investor of failing to put the local community’s interest first while leasing out the land, adding that instead of setting aside arable land to the locals, it allocated land deep inside the wetland that could not be reclaimed manually.

    The governor hailed the land use plan development that will guide development in the next decade, adding that his government will ensure its implementation.

  • CS Wahome hands over docket to Zachariah Njeru

    CS Wahome hands over docket to Zachariah Njeru

    The outgoing Water CS Alice Wahome has officially handed over to her successor Zachariah Njeru.

    Wahome was moved to the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development in the recent Cabinet reshuffle.

    Welcoming her counterpart, Wahome cited the two state departments under her former ministry, the State Department for Irrigation and the State Department for Water and Sanitation.

    She expressed confidence that the incoming Water CS Njeru and his team would continue to deliver essential services to the people of Kenya.

    Wahome highlighted several significant achievements during her tenure, particularly in Water and Sanitation including an impressive increase in national water service coverage from 1pc to 71pc, resulting into a substantial reduction in waterborne diseases and subsequent healthcare expenses.

    Additionally, national sanitation coverage rose to an impressive 67pc, benefiting both urban and rural areas.

    “This improvement has played a crucial role in reducing waterborne diseases, saving significant healthcare costs, and protecting our environment from pollution,” remarked Wahome.

    On Irrigation, Wahome announced that an additional 1,800 acres of land have been put under irrigation, in a move aimed at enhancing food security and ensuring a more stable and consistent food supply in the future.

    Wahome emphasized that this expansion also had a positive impact on economic growth, particularly within the agricultural sector, creating numerous opportunities for farmers.

    At the same time, she addressed governance challenges within state corporations in her ministry by appointing four Chief Executives Officers to facilitate effective management and enhance service deliver to the people.

    Furthermore, the now Lands CS disclosed that her tenure had seen significant strides in water sector reforms, including the submission of water amendment bills to parliament.

    She proudly noted that the bill had been successfully passed by the National Assembly and now awaits approval by the Senate.

    Meanwhile, Wahome has extended her heartfelt gratitude to her former team for their unwavering support during her duration at the ministry.

  • Farmers affected by desert locust invasion in Embu compensated

    Farmers affected by desert locust invasion in Embu compensated

    Farmers across Embu County who lost their crops, livestock and pasture following desert locust invasion four years ago have received Sh. 21.3 Million as compensation from World Bank.

    The funds channeled through Government Emergency Locust Response Program (ELRP) is set to benefit 120 farmers’ groups affected by invasion of various swarms leading to loss of livelihoods.

    The groups spread across nine Wards received compensation for various value chains including dairy goats rearing, poultry, bee keeping, fodder and crops such as maize, green grams and cowpeas.

    Speaking while handing over cheques to beneficiaries at Talent Academy Grounds in Embu Town on Wednesday, Governor Cecily Mbarire said the initiative aimed at assisting farmers get back on their feet following the losses occasioned by the locusts’ invasion.

    She said they will work closely with the groups to aggregate the monies so that procurement, especially of the animals can be done in bulk to benefit from economies of scale.

    “I will personally together with area MCAs deliver them once they are procured to be sure the money has gone where it should and there is real impact and value for the money we are giving to the farmers,” she said.

    The county boss also directed that all crop seeds be sourced from KARLO for quality control and productivity.

    “We want to buy certified seeds that we are sure will not fail the farmers,” she said, while asking the beneficiaries to use the funds for the intended purpose.

    The beneficiaries appreciated the gesture, saying it will go a long way in assisting them to recover from the losses they incurred after the pests destroyed their crops and pasture.

    Samuel Mbogo from Nginda Ward where six groups received Sh. 1.4 Million for dairy goat, chicken and bee restocking as well as pasture, said they were certain the funds will assist them get back on foot again.

    Another farmer, Jane Muthoni, from Evurore Ward said they lost all the crops in their farms leading to death of their animals for lack of pasture and the funds will assist them recoup the losses.

    She said the invasion left them in a precarious situation of seeking for relief food that year while many learners dropped out of school for lack of food.

  • Narok launches Emergency and Response Center ahead of El-Nino

    Narok launches Emergency and Response Center ahead of El-Nino

    The Narok County Government has commissioned an emergency and response center in preparation of the El-Nino rains following a prediction by the weather man that the county is a red-spot County.

    Speaking during the commissioning of the office next to the Narok County Commissioner’s office, the Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu said Narok Town is one of the risky areas as flash floods occur in the town every rainy season.

    He recalled in the year 2015, 23 persons died and property worth over Sh. 1billion destroyed after flash floods swept across business premises in the town.

    In this regard, the governor said they are unclogging all drainage systems in the town and its environs and ensuring that no structures are built within the water pathways.

    “We have used our past experience to learn. We will not sit down and wait to see our people dying again and property being lost because of lack of preparedness,” he said.

    Governor Ntutu said the Red-Cross Society staff will run the new office, asking the members of the public to use the toll free line: 0800722984 to call whenever there is an emergency.

    At the same time, Governor Ntutu reported that over 200 military officials will be deployed to respond to any disaster that will occur as a result of the rains.

    The Kenya Red-Cross Society National Governor Geoffrey Korir said the role of the society is to alleviate suffering among human beings committing to be at the forefront in responding to any form of disaster that could occur.

    “In every county, we have a committee with an active chair person who coordinates all our activities. We have enough volunteers who are ready to respond to any disaster that could occur,” he said.

    Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde who accompanied the governor lauded governor Ntutu for setting up an emergency and response center that will be used, not only in the El-Nino season but also in future disasters.

    He called on people living in sloppy areas and along water pathways to relocate to safer places to avoid being swept away by the flash floods.

    Later, the Governor led his officers to inspect drainages in Narok town.

  • Feuding Mandera clans, Murule and Degodia, seal peace pact

    Feuding Mandera clans, Murule and Degodia, seal peace pact

    After four days of intensive negotiations, the elders, religious leaders, and local representatives from the Murule and Degodia communities have successfully brokered a peace agreement.

    This landmark accord aims to put an end to the longstanding clan skirmishes plaguing areas in Sala, Lafey, and Rhamu within the Mandera North constituencies.

    Over the past few months, the Murule and Degodia communities have been engaged in a destructive conflict, resulting in property damage and school closures.

    The comprehensive four-day peace agreement includes an immediate ceasefire, the disbandment of armed groups, provisions for road safety, improved water access, and unrestricted retrieval of firewood and livestock.

    Additionally, the agreement outlines the formation of a committee responsible for overseeing reconciliation efforts, implementation of the accord, and addressing emerging issues.

    A damage assessment team will also be established, and all elders have unanimously agreed to defer land disputes for resolution.

    Governor Mohamed Khalif of Mandera, who led the peace conference, called for peace, the reopening of schools, and genuine reconciliation.

    Member of Parliament for Mandera North Bashir Abdullahi urged all key stakeholders to address the root causes of these conflicts.

    Meanwhile, MP for Lafey Mohamed Abdiker called on security forces to take decisive action against anyone attempting to disrupt the peace-building efforts in both regions.

    With this promising agreement between the Degodia and Murule communities, there is newfound hope on the horizon for enduring peace and prosperity in Mandera County.

     

  • Joint committee carries out buildings’ inspections ahead of El Nino rains

    Joint committee carries out buildings’ inspections ahead of El Nino rains

    State Department for Public Works’ National Buildings Inspectorate Secretary Dr Samuel Charagu has cited poor workmanship, use of substandard construction materials, weak foundations, poor structural design, unprofessional and unethical conduct of contractors as among the main causes of incidents of collapsing of buildings in the country.

    Eng Charagu said this when the Multi-Sector Agency Consultative Committee formed by Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary to investigate and mitigate challenges in the built environment carried out site visits to various buildings within Kericho County.

    The Committee carried out a joint buildings’ inspections and audit exercise that also included sensitisation in Kericho County from September18 to 23, 2023 in a bid to enforce standards and a functional built environment, safe for habitation.

    Charagu, who led the exercise said the goal of the exercise was to achieve a safe healthy building sector especially now that the meteorological department has issued predictions for El-Niño rains.

    He said they carried out a comprehensive audit of buildings including those under construction and profiled those that did not meet the standards for construction and those built without the necessary approvals.

    Charagu also said that the government is keen to ensure all citizens are safe by mitigating disasters that occur during heavy rains such as collapsing of buildings.

    “We are looking at the status of both public and private buildings in Kericho County including the drainage systems so that we prevent disasters that we’ve had in the past due to adverse weather conditions” added Charagu.

    He said, among the activities carried out by technical officers involved joint inspections, compliance audits for the buildings sector and provision of technical guidance and recommendations on the way forward.

    “We have already declared several buildings in Kericho County unsafe for occupation and we have given an evacuation notice to the occupants,” said Charagu.

    The inspection was carried out in Kericho East, Bureti and Belgut Sub- Counties.

    To guarantee quality management in the construction sector, including the construction of buildings, the government in 2011 formed the National Construction Authority (NCA) with the mandate to coordinate, regulate and build the capacity of the construction industry through registration of projects, quality assurance checks across the country, and building the capacity of contractors and construction workers.

    The Multi-Sector Agency Operations Committee comprised officers from the National Construction Authority, National Buildings Inspectorate, Engineers Board of Kenya, Board of Architects and Quantity Surveyors, County department of roads, and office of the County Commissioner.

  • 24 counties set to benefit from a sunflower promotion project

    24 counties set to benefit from a sunflower promotion project

    The government has earmarked 24 counties that are set to benefit from a sunflower promotion project that aims to boost local production of sunflower oil and address the cost of edible oils in the country.

    Through the five-year edible oil promotion project, the government has pumped in one billion shillings and 570 metric tonnes of seedlings will be distributed to farmers in the selected counties by next month.

    According to Dr. Dominic Menjo, Food Advisor to the president, the project aims to increase the production acreage of sunflowers from the current 4,000 acres to 200,000 acres by next year.

    Dr. Menjo said the project aims to lower the high import bill of edible oils which currently stands at Ksh 160 billion annually where more than 90 percent of edible oils are imported for local use.

    Menjo said that the government has earmarked five value chains to boost local production of edible oils including sunflower oil, palm oil, coconut oil, soya bean oil, and canola oil.

    He said that the project seeks to increase farm production of sunflower to a million acres with the farmers set to benefit from the state subsidized fertilizer to lower production costs.

    The project will be rolled out in the counties of Bungoma, Busia, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Meru, Kwale, Kilifi, Homabay, Nyeri, Lamu, Kakamega, Kitui, Embu, Makueni among others.

    According to data from the Agriculture and Food Authority [AFA], the country’s import bill of edible oils has been increasing at an annual rate of 15 percent occasioned by increasing demand locally.

    On his part, Douglas Kangi, the Director of Crop Resources at AFA, said the government will enhance its policy interventions to ensure successful implementation by counties to boost the local production gap of edible oils.

    “We consume more than 900 metric tonnes of edible oils annually from which only six percent is sourced locally and this project seeks to reverse this trend,” said Kangi.

    Kangi regrettably said that Kenya is insufficient in all the food value chains making it reliant on imports with the country footing a huge food import bill of Ksh 500B annually.

    Addressing county executive members in charge of the agriculture docket in Naivasha, Homabay Governor Gladys Wanga welcomed the launch of the project noting that it will lower the high cost of cooking oil for Kenyans.

    She said the counties will ensure fair distribution of certified seedlings to farmers, subsidized fertilizer, provide market linkages, and enhance value addition of produce to boost farmer’s earnings.

    Wanga said her county has already secured 14,000 acres under the sunflower scheme and has registered over 170,000 farmers who are set to benefit from the project.

     

  • Teenagers warned that overuse of E-pills is a suicide mission

    Teenagers warned that overuse of E-pills is a suicide mission

    Some girls have developed a habit of using Emergency Contraceptive Pills(E-Pills) every Friday to prevent pregnancies as they engage in sex after parties.

    Lurambi Sub County Sexual, Gender and Reproductive Health Coordinator Esther Mboya has cautioned them that overuse of E-Pills is a suicide mission.

    She said E-Pills are supposed to be used only twice a year, six months apart with those using it every Friday risking their lives.

    She noted that when used frequently, E-Pills introduce new hormones in the body interfering with the existing ones.

    The hormones, she said, can end up causing blood clots that can cause stroke and even barrenness.

    “When you decide to get children, it becomes challenging due to the misuse of E-pills,” she warned.

    She was speaking during the celebration to mark World Contraception Day at KAG Church in Kakamega where they engaged the deaf community.

    She said availability of the E-pills in chemists and in Kiosks makes it easier for girls to access them, asking the government to only allow dispensing of the commodity through regulated facilities like government hospitals where girls can be taken through counselling before being given.

    She said E-pills should only be used if the other contraception methods have failed and only in emergency cases and not frequently.

    She regretted that some parents are not aware that their girls are taking the E-Pills urging them to start engaging their teenage girls on sexual and reproductive health matters as early as possible.

    For couples, Mboya advised them to visit clinics where they can be assisted on which family planning method is suitable for them.

    She said there are many contraceptives in the market approved by the government which they can choose from but is better done after counselling.

    The Director of Salama Haven Non-Governmental Organization Nelly Lang’at urged people with disabilities to also access information on better contraceptives to plan their families.

    She said that people with disabilities and especially the deaf face challenges in accessing information on sexual and reproductive health due to language barriers yet there are contraceptives options they can use.

    The Chairman of Kakamega Deaf Association Habel Ouma thanked partners for enlightening the deaf community in Kakamega on the available contraceptives in order for them to plan their families.

    He said this was the first time for the deaf to get information about contraception which will enable them to give birth to children that they can take care of.

    He also urged the County Government to avail sign Language Interpreters in Hospitals and in public offices who can assist the deaf when they seek services.

  • Ugandan educators laud Kenya’s commitment to education

    Ugandan educators laud Kenya’s commitment to education

    Ugandan educators have commended Kenya for putting in place infrastructure in both normal and special needs learning institutions that have enabled all children to access and be retained in school.

    The delegation, comprising education experts from the Ugandan Ministry of Education and Sports, Departments and agencies led by Commissioner Cleophas Mugenyi said the setup created an amiable platform for children with special needs to acquire skills and also contribute to the national development agenda.

    “The greatest lesson we have learnt is that Kenya has made great strides in integrating ICT in education, paid a lot of attention to learners with disabilities, while putting a lot of emphasis on ensuring that at the end of various stages of education, they are able to acquire skills for personal employment, personal development and therefore contribute to national development agenda,” he said.

    Mugenyi made the remarks in Nakuru Thursday when the Ugandan delegation that was on a benchmarking mission on the implementation of Competency-Based Curriculum(CBC) and Competency Based Assessment (CBA) visited Ngala school for the deaf and Moi Primary in Nakuru County as well as Masaku School for the physically handicapped and Machakos Teachers Training College in Machakos County.

    He said that CBC is about what learners can do and the teachers were supposed to expose them to experiences that will enable them to acquire the skills as opposed to emphasizing exams.

    While visiting Machakos Teachers Training College (TTC), the commissioner said retooling and ensuring that teachers who graduate from various TTCs acquire core competencies and ICT-enabled learning resource centres will ensure teachers implement CBC and CBA.

    “We have learnt about the ongoing infrastructural development, especially equipping Teachers’ colleges with computers making sure that learners are able to acquire skills on ICT to enable them to use it in implementing CBC and e-learning,” Mugenyi said.

    Nakuru County Director of Education Victoria Mulili said CBC has been integrated with all Special Needs Education schools and that the focus was now on formative evaluation as opposed to 8.4.4, which put emphasis on summative evaluation that focuses on examination.

    “CBC has been adapted, blended and integrated into all Special Needs Education (SNEs) irrespective of disability whether deaf, blind or physically handicapped. CBC is about what a learner can do to help them develop career pathways,” Mulili said.

    Principal of Masaku School for the physically handicapped Ndeto Ndunda on his part said that when dealing with children in Special Needs Education, teachers in these institutions adopt Individualized Education Plans (IEP) pointing out that each learner has his or her pace of acquiring skills and mostly it was stage based instead of aged based that is done in normal learning.

    “We ask parents whose children have disabilities to be patient and allow the children to stay in school until they acquire a skill that can help them be independent and economically empowered,” Ndunda said.

    Ugandan Education System is based on seven years of primary, four ordinary level, two A” level and three years or more depending on the course at the university.

     

  • Ksh 1.1B set aside to compensate victims of human wildlife conflict

    Ksh 1.1B set aside to compensate victims of human wildlife conflict

    The government has set aside Ksh 1.1 billion this year to compensate victims of the wild-life conflicts, according to Tourism Cabinet Secretary Peninah Malonza.

    Already, there are 2,600 claims which have not been paid for.

    Speaking on Wednesday at the University of Embu during the World Tourism Day celebrations, CS Malonza said the government is committed to ensure the victims are paid before the end of the year.

    The CS lamented that it has been taking too long to compensate those affected and promised that the matter will be addressed.

    She revealed that the government plans to establish an insurance scheme which will ensure timely compensation of people once they are hurt by wild animals or their property destroyed.

    “We want to ensure that our people are compensated without delay once any harm happen to them,” she said.

    She stressed that the government has intensified the fencing of wildlife corridors to ensure no more wildlife-human conflicts.

    “We have been having more claims simply because our population has increased and settled on wildlife corridors, there is a lot of compensation for land,” she added.

    She explained that the government was taking tourism as an economic activity and that is why it was investing heavily on it.

    She said the sector was still on the recovery path, adding that the government was doing everything possible to ensure that it performs well.

    “We are now at 98pc recovery and we are doing quite well,” she said.

    She pledged to have Kenyan cultural dancing styles patented so that foreigners don’t continue “stealing” them.

    “We have to protect our culture, foreigners are using our culture to make money, this is unacceptable, some of Kiswahili words are also being stolen by foreigners are being stolen Jambo and Hakuna Matata words are gone and are now being used by foreigners to attract tourists in their countries, this is unacceptable,” she said.

    Embu Governor Cecily Mbarire, the host said she was happy that such an event has been held in her region.

    She said Embu tourism potential lies in sports, cultural, adventure and agriculture tourism.

    The governor said they are also pushing for the opening of a new route to Mt. Kenya through Irangi Forest in Embu which will open up the county for tourism.