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Author: KNA NEWS

  • ODPC issues three penalty notices totaling Ksh 9.4M

    ODPC issues three penalty notices totaling Ksh 9.4M

    The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has issued three penalty notices to three Data Controllers for failing to observe Data Privacy Rights to data subjects and also not complying with the Data Protection Act.

    According to a press statement from ODPC, Mulla Pride Ltd, a Digital Credit Provider (DCP) which operates KeCredit and Falcrash mobile lending Apps was the first Data Controller that received a penalty of Ksh 2, 975, 000 after it was found culpable of using names and contact information of the complainants which were obtained from third parties, and subsequently used to send threatening messages and phone calls.

    The ODPC maintained that the penalty will ensure the digital lenders and financial institutions notify data subjects when collecting and processing their data, and the intention of processing the said data.

    “It will further ensure that the data controllers are limited to strictly dealing with data subjects who have consented to the collection and processing of their data,” read the statement.

    The ODPC further revealed that the second Data Controller Casa Vera Lounge, a restaurant based along Ngong Road in Nairobi, was fined Ksh 1, 850, 000 for posting a reveler’s image on their social media platform without the data subject’s consent.

    This penalty, according to the ODPC, seeks to ensure that other lounges, clubs etc. seek consent from their customers prior to posting their images online.

    “Roma School, an educational institution based in Uthiru has been fined Ksh 4, 550, 000 for posting minors’ pictures without parental consent,” the ODPC disclosed.

    This being the first and the highest penalty to an educational facility, the ODPC continued, sends a message to schools and other facilities handling minors’ personal data to obtain consent from parents/guardians prior to processing minors’ data.

    The ODPC stated that these penalty notices have been issued pursuant to section 62 and 63 of the Data Protection Act, 2019 (Act) and Regulation 20 and 21 of the Data Protection (Complaints Handling Procedure and Enforcement) Regulations, 2021.

    While urging entities to comply with the Act by implementing data protection principles and safeguards, Data Commissioner Immaculate Kassait called upon Data Controllers and Data Processors to ensure that the processing of personal data is in accordance with the provision of the Act, failure to which will result in instituting enforcement procedures.

    The Office has also conducted a Compliance Audit on WhitePath, also a DCP and an inspection on Naivas Supermarkets on recent data breach upon which the findings will be shared with the Data Controllers for their swift action.

    Further, the Office will also be embarking on conducting forty (40) compliance Audits to various Data Controllers and Processors in various sectors this Financial Year.

  • USAID engages boda riders to reduce GBV, teenage pregnancies

    USAID engages boda riders to reduce GBV, teenage pregnancies

    The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its Boresha Jamii program has partnered with Bodaboda Medical Ventures to engage bodaboda riders as agents of change in fight against the triple threat.

    The chairman of Bodaboda Medical Ventures Steve Mwalati urged all members of the society to also partner in reducing cases of HIV infections, Gender and Sexual Violence cases and Teenage pregnancies.

    He said during an outreach program in Kakamega that through support from USAID they have engaged and capacity build over 2500 bodaboda riders from Kakamega, Vihiga, and Trans Nzoia counties.

    Mwalati noted that they are aiming to reach out to as many bodaboda riders as possible and especially those in rural areas who lack information.

    He noted that most bodaboda riders are normally blamed for contributing to increasing cases of teenage pregnancies, noting that engaging them will help in addressing those cases.

    This comes as Kakamega Governor’s spouse Prof. Janet Kasili Barasa intensifies fight against the triple threat through her campaign by distributing sanitary towels and condemning the vice.

    According to statistics, the prevalence of teenage pregnancies in Kakamega is at 25%. The County recorded 12,057 teenage pregnancies in 2022.

  • Two feared dead as Matatu rams into pedestrians in Embu

    Two people have died Saturday afternoon in Embu Town after a 14-seater matatu lost control and rammed pedestrians on the sidewalk near Embu Level Five Hospital.

    The accident occurred at around 1 pm when the ill-fated matatu is said to have lost its brakes and rammed the two male pedestrians.

    Eye witness, Ann Murugi said she was on motorbike alongside her friend when the matatu that was behind them pushed them off the road.

    A shocked Murugi said they were able to pick themselves up and sped ahead of the matatu to alert other road users of the impending danger.

    She said the two victims were hit outside Embu Level Five Hospital as they were crossing the road while a third one was knocked down near Huduma Center Offices in Embu Town.

    The matatu is also said to have knocked down several boda boda operators before crash-landing on the packed vehicles approximately a kilometer away.

    Another witness, Joshua Njeru called on the government to do thorough and vigorous inspections of all vehicles to ensure they are compliant with traffic rules to avert unnecessary loss of live occasioned by speeding on faulty vehicles on the roads.

    “It is unfortunate that innocent people have lost their lives in a bizarre manner and I beseech enforcement officers to be firm on the roads to curb such incidences,” he said.

  • Scores of students injured in Kilifi school fire incident

    Scores of students injured in Kilifi school fire incident

    Scores of students at the Kibokoni Secondary School in Sabaki area of Magarini constituency sustained injuries after a fire broke out in the girl’s dormitory mid Thursday morning.

    One girl suffered shock and was rushed to hospital by Kenya Red Cross officials whose efforts to stabilize her failed, while her school mates received First Aid at the school.

    The fire was however contained immediately after teachers, students and neighbours gained entry to the relatively new building and removed beds and students’ personal effects before it was finally put out by a fire engine from the Kilifi County Government.

    Journalists arrived at the scene as the fire engine was leaving and teachers and students were assessing the damage.

    Beds, mattresses and school boxes were strewn outside the affected dormitory, which is situated next to the school kitchen, while just a few items remained in the building.

    School Principal Patrick Mwangi declined to comment and ordered journalists outside the school compound, claiming the police and the Sub County Director of Education had not yet arrived to assess the damage.

    Some teachers turned violent against the scribes, who stayed put, demanding an interview with the management, but the principal refused to give them audience claiming he was busy.

    A teacher who cannot be named as he is not authorized to speak to the media said the fire started from a small office inside the dormitory and suspected that it could have been caused by an electric fault.

    “A fierce fire razed down a building in the neighbourhood that is next to the affected dormitory and it is suspected that the fire was caused by an electric fault. Since the electricity line is the same, we suspect that today’ fire was also caused by an electric fault,” he said.

    Stembo Kaviha Kikopi, a community leader and famous land activist, said he was forced to mobilize mourners at his home to help put out the fire.

    “We were busy preparing to bury my brother’s son who died after a wall fell on him. When we heard of the incident, I mobilized the people who had come to console us to rush to the school to help put out the fire and salvage students’ property,” he said.

    He wondered why the management became hostile to journalist and whether the officials knew what had transpired and did not want it to be exposed.

    Fanice Chenda and Christine Garama, who are parents in the school, said they had received information that the school was on fire and rushed to establish the statuses of their children.

    “I witnessed the dormitory burning but the fire brigade arrived in time to put it out. Several students have been injured and one has had to be taken to hospital,” Ms Chenda said.

    On her part, Ms Garama said she had been barred from entering the school and was not sure how her daughter was following the incident.

    Kenya Red Cross officials at the scene declined to comment saying only Coast Regional Manager Hassan Musa was allowed to address the media.

  • Kenyans urged to be alert on computer misuse and cyber-crime

    Kenyans urged to be alert on computer misuse and cyber-crime

    Kenyans have been urged to be extra vigilant to avoid falling victim to the vices of computer misuse and cybercrimes.

    At a public participation forum on computer misuse and cyber-crime regulations held in Malindi town Tuesday, it was noted that cons have continued to take advantage of gullible Kenyans through mobile money transfer platforms, chief among them M-Pesa.

    This is despite the fact that the government, through the Communication Authority, ordered all telcos in the country to register all mobile phones and subscriber identification module (SIM) cards, with a threat to switch off unregistered gadgets and cards.

    The forum was moderated by members of the Task force on the Development of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018 regulations led by co-chairperson Col Evans Ombati, officials from the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government and the office of the Attorney General.

    Participants pointed an accusing finger at the telcos and the Communication Authority on the increased cases of online theft, cyber bullying and the proliferation of inappropriate online content such as pornography.

    They called upon the government to act tough on persons who misuse computers and engage in cyber-crimes in order to make the country safe in this era of technological advancement.

    Mr. Bati Guni, a Malindi resident, urged M-Pesa to introduce more security features in mobile funds transfers, including the use of National Identity Card numbers, to ensure that those receiving the funds are easily traced.

    “If one sends money, one should also be required to input the ID number of the recipient alongside their phone numbers. This will make it impossible to send money to unregistered phone numbers and will eventually eliminate online conmanship,” he said.

    Ms Wahida Duncan, also a resident of Malindi, urged parents to install parental control mechanisms on their children’s mobile gadgets to protect them from accessing inappropriate sites that could lead to online bullying.

    Ms Wanjiku Mbio, A chief state counsel in the office of the Attorney General, said the vices have continued unabated due to lack of a legal framework to prosecute offenders and hoped the proposed computer misuse and cyber-crime regulations would cure the malady.

    Col. Ombati said the views being collected by the task force country-wide would be collated and included in the final draft of the regulations.

    “Our business is to develop regulations that meet the threshold of the current dynamics of technology and the requirements of the public and the government to conduct business in this country,” he said.

    Ms Mbio, who was one of the main facilitators during the public participation forum held at Christ the King Baptist Church, said there was great need for public awareness on the use modern telecommunication gadgets in order for the public to be protected in the cyber space.

    “We are now in the digital space worldwide, so this law is going to protect our nation from criminals and other people of ill repute who are doing business in the cyber space,” she said and gave an example last month’s incident in which desperate Kenyans had their eye balls scanned as they were being registered with World Coin.

    Ms Mbio said despite the order to register all sim card holders, many people, especially non-Kenyans, were yet to be registered, hence the need for members of the public to continue being extra cautious.

    “We are addressing a very big problem because Kenya is a destination of quite a number of human beings who are not ordinarily citizens of Kenya. We are experiencing an influx of nationals from other countries in Africa and the world, so not very many people from outside have complied with the law,” she said.

    She expressed the need for parents to be alert to ensure their children do not become victims of cyber bullying, adding that the Children’s Act 2022 had laid down provisions to safeguard children in the cyber space.

    During the forum, a participant narrated how he had been conned a whopping Ksh 47,000 to a fraudster who claimed to be an official of the Kenya Power and Lighting Company and was able to connect electricity to his new house.

  • University students urged to apply for funding before portal closes

    University students urged to apply for funding before portal closes

    Students joining universities now have been reminded to apply for government funding as soon as they can to avoid being locked out when the funding portal closes.

    University of Embu Vice Chancellor Prof Daniel Mugendi, who is also the chair of the Vice Chancellors’ Committee, said students who were experiencing difficulties logging into the portal and completing the application process should seek assistance from their respective schools’ IT departments so that they are not left out when evaluation for funding level starts.

    Prof Mugendi was speaking at the University of Embu grounds when he conducted the university’s Freshers’ Matriculation Ceremony.

    The VC said the youth today is beset by many problems and could lose their way if they do not manage their newfound freedom properly.

    He said the new students need to avoid immersing themselves in the college social life to an extent where their academic life suffers.

    He advised them to manage their upkeep money properly by avoiding habits that could eat up all their money in a short time leaving them in hardships.

    He said some students drink away their money and others engage in gambling and before they know it, they have nothing.

    The Vice-Chancellor noted that many young people have become addicted to drugs to the extent that they are unable to attend their lessons, leading to academic failure.

    The don told the students that they would be expected to observe academic integrity at all times, warning that examination cheating is punished by expulsion from the university.

    Saying the students should be satisfied with what they have, he emphasised that they should avoid being desirous of things they can ill afford, which may tempt them to engage in crime and other social vices such as prostitution and the “sponsor culture”.

    He told the new students that they come from different regions of the country and social backgrounds and urged them to embrace diversity and make new friendships that will lead to fostering national peace and unity.

     

  • Kakamega residents support change of police uniforms

    Kakamega residents support change of police uniforms

    Residents of Kakamega have supported the move to change the design of police uniforms with hopes that the new uniforms will have added security features.

    Speaking during a public participation forum in Kakamega, Evans Monyo, a boda boda rider, noted that the new uniforms will enable residents to differentiate between a police officer and thugs who might be wearing similar attire.

    A team leader of the public participation, Senior Assistant Inspector General of police at the Kenya Police Service, Peter Ndung’u noted that they have collected enough views from both the police and the public on preferred police uniform.

    Ndung’u, who is also the Director planning and logistics at the Kenya Police Service, said the government intends to change the design of the General Duty Working Dress with the other attires remaining the same.

    “Attires like the beret, shoes, jacket worn by traffic police officers and the raincoat will remain the same,” he disclosed.

    He said public participation was not conducted in changing the police uniform to the current one that police are using causing uproar among the public and police officers.

    “The Government saw it fit to involve citizens who also have views on what is appealing to them,” he noted.

    Ndung’u also said that the material used to produce the current uniform was of low quality with the proposed one having been made of high quality material that meets the required international standards.

  • Kenya to achieve 100pc electrification by 2030, says PS

    Kenya to achieve 100pc electrification by 2030, says PS

    The government is targeting 100 per cent electrification for its citizens by 2030 through the Last Mile connectivity project.

    Energy PS Alex Wachira says under the program being funded by the national government and partners like the Africa Development Bank (AfDB), European Investment Bank and the Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA), every Kenyan will be connected to the national grid by the latest by 2030.

    “Almost 75 per cent of Kenyans are now connected to electricity, with a majority of the remaining 25 per cent residing in rural areas,” he said.

    The PS was speaking in Mwea Sub County when he accompanied his Crop Production counterpart Kello Harsama to an agricultural Expo, considering that electricity plays a major role in the farming value chain, especially the process of value addition on agricultural produce.

    Responding to the effects of climate change, Wachira said the government is encouraging Kenyans to adopt clean cooking, adding that amid plans to increase forests and the country’s tree cover, cutting of trees for firewood would reduce gains already made, hence the need to use alternative sources, which are clean and environmentally friendly.

    Wachira said they are rolling out demos to farmers and institutions with large stocks of cows on production and use of biogas as a source of energy.

    “We are encouraging farmers and institutions with large numbers of cows to produce biogas as their source of energy, we are availing demos to them on how it works,” he said.

    Biogas is clean renewable energy produced by decomposing organic waste.

    On the recent power outage that engulfed several parts of the country, the PS said they had identified the cause of the problem and the government has since instituted remedial measures to prevent a recurrence of the same.

  • Parliament to audit Ksh 117B debts owed by state owned millers

    Parliament to audit Ksh 117B debts owed by state owned millers

    Lawmakers have endeavored to come up with a comprehensive plan to write off debts owed by state owned millers amounting Ksh 117 billion.

    National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula asked Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe who sponsored the Sugar Bill to define the kind of debts and to whom they are owed.

    This, he said, is because some debts include services provided by companies or individuals who are not farmers.

    He was speaking during the two-day inaugural Lake region economic bloc sugar conference in Kakamega County.

    Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa dismissed the notion that a number of private millers have been unethical in the sugar sector.

    He clarified that stakeholders should examine the effects of the Competition Act 2012 on the business relationship between public and private millers.

    Kakamega Deputy Governor Ayub Savula called for a return to the Kenya Sugar Board, and also a scrap on sugar development levy.
    Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah opposed a move to reintroduce zoning of sugarcane saying it will hurt farmers.

    Kofia Sabu; a sugarcane farmer from Malava warned against reintroducing zoning saying farmers should not be limited to specific companies.

  • Embu Woman Rep gives teen mothers second chance at education

    Embu Woman Rep gives teen mothers second chance at education

    Embu Woman Rep Njoki Njeru has announced plans to have young girls who dropped out of school as a result of teen pregnancy go back to school next year.

    Through the program dubbed “Restored Hope” the Woman Rep said this will assist many young girls who have fallen victim to early pregnancy realize their education and life goals.

    “It is my desire to restore the dashed education goals of our young girls who did not manage to complete their secondary education as a result of early pregnancy,” she said.

    Speaking while issuing the second tranche of the NGAAF bursaries amounting to Sh. 2.4 million to needy students, Njoki said they will soon start vetting the targeted beneficiaries across the twenty wards in the county so as to have them ready as schools reopen in January for the new calendar year.

    “We want to ensure there is transparency in the exercise and that there is proper representation in all the wards,” she said.

    She however said they will be enrolled in day schools so that they can be able to take care of their children after school.

    Njoki added that once they are done with school, her office will also assist those who may wish to start small businesses with startup capital.

    Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie who was the chief guest during the occasion held at University of Embu grounds hailed the initiative as a major milestone in giving the victims a second chance at education.

    He said he will also look into ways of replicating the same program in his constituency as issues of early pregnancy are everywhere.