Security has been beefed up in Busia ahead of National Sunday’s interdenominational Thanksgiving Prayer Day to be held at Busia County stadium.
The event will be graced by President William Ruto. County officials have confirmed that all is set ahead of the big day.
Addressing a joint press in Busia town, Busia Governor Dr. Paul Otuoma confirmed that all the preparations are done.
He reiterated that Busia County will collaborate with the national government to implement key projects that will spur economic growth and create job opportunities for thousands of unemployed youths.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations after six people were fatally wounded and others injured at Isebania Police Station in Migori Thursday evening.
The incident occurred as police officers from Isebania Police Station attempted to restore peace through a public order management operation. A police officer was among those injured.
“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority on Thursday evening learnt of a shooting incident at Isebania Police Station in Kuria West Sub-County during which six people were reportedly fatally wounded and others injured during the evening of Thursday, May 25, 2023. Among the injured include police officers,” said IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori.
“Our Regional office in Kisumu on its own motion yesterday morning dispatched a Rapid Response Team to launch investigations into the deaths and injuries,” read the statement.
The authority said it shall take appropriate action including recommending to the Director of Public Prosecutions the prosecution of any person found culpable.
The Ogiek community now wants the Kenya Forest Service to expedite the demarcation of the Mau forest to avert human encroachment on the water catchment area.
Through Ogiek People’s Development Program (OPDP) the community also called upon the state to fast-track the implementation of the Arusha ruling that granted the community right to access a section of the forest.
The community said illegal farming and grazing are threatening the water tower two years after the state halted the beaconing of the public forest at the height of emotive politics.
Goibei spoke in Mariashoni, Molo during the sixth commemoration of the ruling of the African Union Court in Arusha, Tanzania called for a fresh round of bipartisan consultation between beneficiaries of the concessional lease program and the Ogiek community.
This comes amidst calls to the government to fast-track implementation of the Arusha ruling that grants the community access to a section of the forest.
The contentions arose amidst allegations of third parties in the concessional arrangement billed as the Shamba system, leasing parcels of land from Kenya Forest Service to practice agro-forestry at the expense of the community’s cultural practices.
The Ogiek community collectively comprises 40,000 members spread out across Narok, Nakuru, Kericho, and Bomet Counties.
The European Union (EU) has reiterated its commitment to support Kenya in land governance projects and programmes that will help mitigate climate change and solve social, economic, political and cultural challenges.
Amb. Henriette Geiger, EU Ambassador to Kenya and Head of Delegation said European Union has been supporting Kenya in land governance issues because of her major historical, social, economic and spiritual significance besides using it for production to boost the economy.
She said improved land governance is in line with the country’s Vision 2030 priorities of creating job opportunities, enhancing food and nutrition security, investment opportunities, as well as managing natural resources and mitigating conflicts related to climate change.
Amb. Geiger said EU through its support seeks to use the adaptation project and other projects being undertaken to integrate biodiversity conservation and conflict sensitivity.
She made the remarks in a speech read on her behalf by EU representative, Myra Benardi during the 2nd, Regional Research Conference themed ‘Responding to Climate Change through land Governance in the Region’ held at the Kenya School of Government, Nairobi.
The two-day conference aims to generate policy recommendations to support mainstreaming of climate action and access progress on carbon trading in the region, as well as collate, synthesize and share knowledge related to Land governance and climate change adaptation, mitigation, capacity building and technology with relevant stakeholder among others.
“EU has contributed 20 million Euros to support the National Land Governance Programme (DLGP) project where 47 counties benefited. It will help them achieve social and economic development,” she added.
She observed that the DLGP programmes which focus on enhancing efficient and effective land governance through accessible digitization of land records and processes, address challenges that impede sustainable administration and management of land in the country such as tenure security, low registration of community land, delays in access to justice and inefficient land transactions.
“It will contribute to conflict resolution by improving conflict and dispute resolution mechanisms on land and natural resource,” said Gieger, adding that DLGP project will also improve land governance and livelihoods through inclusive policy, legal and institutional frameworks.
Some of the power projects EU has supported include the Olkaria Geothermal, Turkana wind firm, small scale sustainable electrification and Green BRT transport.
“We have also supported many communities in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands affected by climate change through programmes targeting pastoralists, women and youth,” she stated.
She said at least 24 communities in Laikipia, West Pokot and Samburu counties have received title deeds for the first time under the 2016 community land Act which she noted has helped the youth, women and communities to use the titles to protect and manage their lands.
The National Research Fund Chief Executive Officer Prof. Dickson Andala in his remarks said the organization will continue to bring together research experts to come up with strategies that can address climate change through land governance.
Prof. Andala said climate change is a global issue that demands immediate action, and recommended that Smart agriculture is the best solution to combat climate change in the country.
“We need to create awareness on how research can help mitigate adverse effects of climate change, as well increase funding for research,” he added.
The conference that was attended by research experts, academia and senior government officials.
Five students from Githunguri constituency in Kiambu County will get free training in German language skills at the Mount Kenya University (MKU) after which they will fly to Europe for paid internships in German hospitals from mid next year.
This follows a partnership between Githunguri Member of Parliament, Gathoni Wamuchomba, through her MamaCare Initiative and the university. MKU has paid for the training by supporting MamaCare with Ksh 500,000.
The five students, some of whom are university graduates, commenced learning at MKU’s main campus in Thika town last week.
According to Dr Christopher Mutembei, MKU Centre for Professional Development and Kenya project coordinator, learning in German language will take a year at the campus after which the students will go for further training in German hospitals at an initial salary of about Euro 1,200 (Sh170, 000) per month.
Launching the project for Githunguri youth, Wamuchomba profusely thanked the university, particularly the MKU founder and chairman of its Board of Directors, Prof Simon Gicharu. “Am now a very proud mother and MP for Githunguri after getting this huge opportunity that will see the training of these five youth in German language skills to make them ready to work in the health sectors in Germany,” said the MP.
Mamacare Initiative is a non-profit programme aimed at helping common Kenyans surmounts various challenges.
The project entails adult education dubbed Tusome and a social protection scheme for vulnerable men and women, including tackling drug abuse and alcoholism.
Launched in 2018 by former President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Mama Care Addiction Recovery Centre has rehabilitated more than 300 addicts.
A partnership with a technical college offers technical training where the addicts get life supporting skills.
The German language training opportunity follows a partnership signed last year MKU and Germany’s Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences to offer a Health Care Assistant training programme and apprenticeship pact where it is seeking to tap on growing demand of health workers in Germany. Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences is the lead partner.
“Students will be provided with career opportunities in German hospitals. The University is also offering German Language Levels A1, A2, B1 and B2,” MKU vice chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi, said at the launch.
The MKU-Hochschule Koblenz University partnership aims at bridging a shortfall in the number of healthcare professionals in Germany, in which many people in the profession retire without enough people to replace them.
The opportunities are a result of groundwork done by a research consortium formed in February this year to look into how to resolve healthcare challenges while creating opportunities for healthcare professionals in Africa.
The consortium comprises of Hochschule Koblenz as the project lead, AG Career Hub consultancy offering information on career and business opportunities in Germany and Africa) and African Nurses/Pfleger in Germany (a network with more than 2,000 African Healthcare in Germany).
“Due to its aging population, Germany is facing a significant shortfall of healthcare in the coming years. Various studies estimate a deficit of between 400,000 and 600,000 vacancies by 2030,” the research consortium noted.
The German institution will ensure that students successfully complete the course in Kenya are guaranteed an apprenticeship in Germany.
“Students will enjoy the benefit of getting a student visa, salary and are provided with excellent job opportunities for full-time employment after completing their training,” said the MKU Vice Chancellor.
“Upon successful completion of the apprenticeship, students will be offered career opportunities for full-time employment in German hospitals exposing them to extensive further specialized training opportunities among other benefits,” added Prof Jaganyi.
KCB Group Board has elected former Head of Public Service Dr. Joseph Kinyua as the new Chairman of the Group Board.
Dr. Kinyua will assume his new position from May 26, 2023 taking over from Mr. Andrew Wambari Kairu following his retirement.
Wambari served as Chairman for a term of 5 years in line with the Board Charter.
Dr. Kinyua has enjoyed an illustrious career spanning over four decades in public service and has a wealth of experience in public administration, economic planning, and policy direction.
He is credited with effectively holding a pivotal role in implementing key government initiatives and reforms, including the liberalization of the banking sector, the foreign exchange market and the trade and capital accounts of the balance of payments, among other initiatives.
Prior to his appointment as the Head of Public Services in 2013, he had served in various senior positions in the government, including as Permanent Secretary to the National Treasury.
The appointment of Dr. Kinyua heralds a new dawn for KCB Group’s Corporate Governance journey as he brings onboard deep financial services expertise and extensive public service management experience.
Dr. Kinyua thanked the Group Board for the appointment saying: “I am grateful for the confidence shown by the members in electing me to serve as Chairman and look forward to working together to propel KCB Group to even greater heights in the Eastern and Central African Region as the bank of choice in providing financial services to our people.”
“It has been an honour to serve the KCB Group. I leave behind a strong, diverse, and competent board that will continue to drive the business to achieve and sustain its strategic objectives and a seamless transition to ensure continuity. I would like to thank all our shareholders, my fellow board colleagues, our employees, regulators, and all partners for the transformative collaboration we have had that has led to the various successes our Group has achieved over the last five years,” Mr. Wambari said.
“The election of Dr. Kinyua is a testament to KCB Group’s solid governance practices and adherence to the Board Charter.”
The National Assembly has promised that all views collected during the on-going public participation exercise on the Finance Bill of 2023 will be factored in the budget making process.
The Assembly said that public participation was entrenched in the constitution adding that information gathered during the exercise was critical in decision making.
This came as it emerged that Kenya was among the top countries globally that had embraced public participation in decision making and enactment of the law.
According to the Leader of Majority in Parliament Kimani Ichung’wa, the on-going discussions on the Finance Bill were critical as it gave voters a chance to air their views.
He, however, questioned some of the deliberations terming them as ignorant as some of the people had not read and understood the Finance Bill.
“Public participation is critical in making laws in the country and all views presented in the on-going budget making process will be fully considered,” said the legislator.
Ichung’wa was speaking in Naivasha during the opening of the 3rd Annual National Parliamentary Symposium where he represented House Speaker Moses Wetangula.
He said that public participation was a fundamental aspect of a democratic society, as it ensured that citizens had a voice in decision-making processes that affected their lives.
“Parliament has taken steps to implement various mechanisms to facilitate public participation in legislative processes,” he said.
He said that it was essential to create an environment that encouraged genuine dialogue where the inputs provided were not only considered but also effectively incorporated into the decision-making process.
Former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana noted that public participation had a major impact in decision making mainly in development projects in the grassroots.
He said that there was more that needed to be done while noting that in some cases views presented before various committees were not implemented.
Kivutha identified politicians as critical in decision making adding the country should consider changing the manner it was conducting the exercise for it to be more effective.
“Politicians are very active during campaigns on how to implement various projects but the vigour dies when they are elected and this should change,” he said.
The Chair, Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPTC) Rachel Ameso wondered who took care of those who made time to prepare and present their views.
“Public participation is crucial in decision making and the debate around the controversial Finance Bill is timely as it will give the electorate a chance to air their views,” she said.
Post-mortem examinations on bodies of the Shakahola victims have been pushed to Monday to allow the team carrying out the autopsies a weekend’s rest, Government Pathologist Johansen, said Friday.
Speaking during the daily briefs on the progress of the autopsies, Dr. Oduor said the team was exhausted after conducting a total of 45 autopsies – 15 on Thursday and 30 on Friday, hence the decision to give the members a rest.
“Yesterday we did fifteen autopsies and today thirty and because of the exhaustion of my team, we decided to have them rest for the weekend so that we can continue the exercise on Monday,” he said.
Dr. Oduor said that his team had conducted 30 autopsies on 22 bodies of adults and seven children, while they could not ascertain the age of one of the bodies due to severe decomposition.
“As per gender, twelve of them were male and 17 were female but we could not determine the gender of one because of decomposition also,” he said.
He said two of the bodies had features of head injuries while 23 had features of starvation, but they could not ascertain the cause of five of the victims due to severe decomposition.
“When we do autopsy, we look for facts in the body, we do not create them and if you don’t see any fact, you just say that you did not see it and because of the level of decomposition, you find that many of the organs and skin decompose to an extent that you cannot determine the cause of death,” he explained.
He said the team took DNA samples of all the bodies because relatives have not been able to identify them physically, hence the need to use scientific ways of identification, which is through DNA, while toxicology is done to see if they had consumed something else that could have contributed to their demise.
Two representatives of the civil society – one from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) and another from Haki Africa, were allowed to witness the process unlike in phase one when only the KNCHR was allowed to have a representative.
Three people have died of cholera in the past one week in Siaya, County minister for health Dr. Martin Konyango has confirmed.
Dr. Konyango said all the deaths occurred at Bondo sub county hospital, with the latest taking place Tuesday when a 69 year old adult male succumbed.
Addressing the media in his office in Siaya town, Dr. Konyango who was flanked by the county chief officer for health, Dr. Omondi Owino and epidemiologist, Mr. Joseph Okuto said that two other deaths occurred last Wednesday, 17/5/2023 and Thursday 18/5/2023.
He said that so far, 92 cases of cholera have been reported in the county in the last one month, most of whom have been treated and discharged from the public hospitals.
“Of the 92, nine are still admitted in various Cholera Treatment Units spread across the three sub counties of Rarieda, Bondo and Ugenya” said the county executive committee member for health.
He said that the department has identified Manyuanda in west Uyoma and Oyamo Island in Lake Victoria as the epicentres of the diseases, saying that efforts were being made to contain the spread.
He said that his department was using community health volunteers to help in the war against the spread of the disease, adding that they have also distributed chlorine to the communities to help treat water for domestic consumption.
Dr. Konyango called for support from the community, saying that regular use of toilets and ensuring high standards of hygiene must be mandatory to all.
He called on the public to ensure that anyone who shows symptoms of acute diarrhea is rushed to nearby health facilities to treatment.
Mount Kenya University (MKU) is currently hosting a major seminar dubbed the Third Access Summer School 2023 for a consortium of seven international universities.
With more than 1,000 participants, the conference was officially opened this week by MKU Vice Chancellor, Professor Deogratius Jaganyi and will end on May 26th.
Previous Summer Schools were held in Ghana and Benin.
Access Summer School is a 3.7 million Euro (Ksh 550 Million) project promoted by Germany’s Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) under the Exceed Initiative, with funding from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
MKU VC Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi delivering his speech during the seminar
The project is implemented under a consortium of six African universities including IRGIB Africa University of Benin, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Ghana), University of Ibadan (Nigeria),Institut d’Enseignement Superieur (INES) de Ruhengeri (Rwanda) and the University of Tunis, Tunisia and coordinated by Leipzig University of Germany.
The Summer School is exploring issues around the topic “Beyond Classroom Experience in the Lenses of University–Industry Interaction” and includes practical experience sharing, curriculum development discourse and interactive sessions among the participants, industry partners and government.
Prof. Dickson Andala, the Chief Executive Officer, National Research Fund said the four pillars of Access – Capacity Building, University Business Linkage, Employability Research and Entrepreneurship Academy have key strategic orientation towards addressing Kenya’s current unemployment among university students.
Plans are underway to roll-out the network’s ideas to other 30 universities by 2024.
He challenged the participants to work to seek the support of innovation hubs, and start-ups to promote impact-based training opportunities.
“We all understand that the digital economy has numerous flexible opportunities for delivering such training opportunities. At times, hybrid models of training ensure that both theoretical and practical concepts are intertwined,” he said.
Professor Andala tipped postgraduate students to seek the numerous opportunities for scholarships available under the ACCESS programme so as to afford them exposure to cultures and skills necessary to function in the modern labour market.
Appreciating the industries represented at the meeting, Andala said that it is by strengthening relationships between universities and industry cooperation and knowledge exchange between stakeholders can be expanded, thus growing new professional opportunities for African students as envisaged in the programme.
The CEO said research should be geared towards impact-based solutions and challenged Kenyan institutions of higher learning to support NRF initiatives in promoting research.
“NRF plays a critical role in supporting competitive applications for research focused on our current national research priorities,” he added.
He congratulated MKU for supporting its faculties in research under the Vice-Chancellors, Research and Innovation grant, but challenged the university to explore more opportunities for research with NRF and funding agencies that are continuously releasing calls for research activities.
On his part, Professor Deogratius Jaganyi said ACCESS is a strong network initiated by the University of Leipzig and the six African partner universities in 2020 to identify and develop new approaches to the labor market needs in Africa.
Plans are underway to roll-out the network’s ideas to other 30 universities by 2024.
The VC said MKU has established a Graduate Centre for Career Enhancement and Skill Support (GECCESS) to foster the service-learning strategy with the industries represented at the conference.
“This is an offshoot unit of the Kenya Access Team, led by the Coordinator, and summer school chair, Dr. Henry Yatich,” he added.
“Some of the initiatives that MKU has launched recently include the MKU Innovation and Incubation Centre, which has seen the identification and selection of seven innovative ideas ready for acceleration and commercialization with support from innovation hubs and start-ups,” said the VC.
At the sidelines of the summer school, Dr. Yatich, noted that it is the high time for higher education institutions and industry to be co-creators in fostering innovative solutions to university-industry linkages.
