Author: Nicholas Kigondu

Agriculture and Livestock Development Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi says the government has commenced implementation of multi-million World Bank fund development projects as it seeks to empower local farmers.

While assuring Kenyans of sufficient food in the country this year, Linturi said, “Five key World Bank-funded projects are being implemented in 46 Counties, including the National Agriculture Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP), covering 33 counties; the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Project (KCSAP), covering 24 counties; and the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) in 21 counties.”

During the annual joint National-County World Bank agriculture portfolio performance review consultative forum in Mombasa, the CS shed light on the agricultural projects, approximately costing 100 billion shillings meant to end the traditional annual cases of food importation due to the food shortage in parts of the country.

This year’s theme, “Nurturing Sustainable Agricultural Growth for Food Security and Wealth Creation,” aligns with the government’s efforts to bolster the agricultural sector in line with Kenya’s development objectives and the government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

With participation from County Executive Committee Members for Agriculture from all 46 counties, the forum serves as a platform to evaluate the counties’ performance; reflect on successes and challenges; share experiences and foster mutual learning.

Monday’s Court proceedings at a Malindi Court revealed damning revelations over the murder of late tycoon businessman Kassim Jirow who was murdered in 2018 in Kilifi over an alleged 9 million shillings tender.

Details from telecommunication company Safaricom revealed that the late tycoon had sent a total of 131,050 shillings to one of the key suspects linked to his death.

Police officer Marlon Baha attached at Safaricom PLC told Justice Ann Ong’injo that Jirow had sent monies to Adelaide Jilani in a batch of four transactions prior to his death.

Jilani is accused of being the mastermind of Jirow’s murder after luring him to Malindi on March 8 2018 where he was kidnapped and killed.

She was charged alongside Makonde Buni and Ngira Charo who are accused of kidnapping, killing the late businessman and later dumping the body in a thicket.

Baha said that Mpesa statements indicate that Jirow had sent Jilani 50,000 shillings twice, 30,000 and 1,050 shillings to the accused.

He said upon being served with a court order from Malindi court, they retrieved Mpesa statements from her phone number and that of Kassim Issack Jirow.

“We proved there was a transaction between the two subscribers. The link of the two numbers goes back to February 3, 2018 at 10:55 hours. Edlaid Jilani received 50000 shillings from Jirow,” said Baha.

He said the order from Malindi law courts in case number 42 of 2018 dated March 15 2018 was requesting Mpesa statements from 10 numbers with transactions between December 2017 and March 2018.

Baha said the orders also asked for subscriber details of all the numbers and all relevant documents.

The officer also presented call data records, subscribers’ registration details and history of the 10 numbers between March1 2018 to June 5, 2018.

Corporal Ahmed Abdikadir, who is investigating the murder of Jirow said Jilani lured the businessman to Malindi on March 8, where he was kidnapped and killed.

Abdikadir claimed Jirow was driven to Lango Baya, killed and his body dumped in a thicket.

According to Abdikadir, the businessman was murdered over a 9 million shillings debt Jilani owed him.

“Mandi Jilani presented herself as a person capable of getting Jirow business opportunities in Mombasa. That is how she ended up obtaining the money from him, which was the motive for his killing,” said Abdikadir.

In his statement before court, Charo confessed and narrated how they killed Jirow. He was later sentenced to eight years in prison on a reduced sentence but later recanted his statement and was charged afresh alongside Jilani and Buni.

Thirteen more witnesses have been lined up to testify against the trio linked to the death of the Somali Mogul next month.

Qatar has pledged to support Sudanese refugees residing in Kenya in efforts aimed at ensuring the enrollment and retention of school-going children.

Speaking during the distribution of food to learners in a Nairobi-based Sudanese school,the ambassador of Qatar to Kenya Mohammed Al –Enazi said the program aims to attract and retain children in schools and at the same time enable them to learn conformably.

Qatar charity country Director Adel Da boubi said they are working on plans to support in the provision of sanitary towels to school going girls in future in a move aimed at supporting the education of the most vulnerable.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan, pitting two military factions, has resulted in catastrophic consequences with thousands forced to flee from their homes to escape the brutal violence creating a humanitarian emergency both in Sudan and neighboring countries.

Nyali MP Mohamed Ali has expressed his dissatisfaction with the constituency’s poor results in the 2023 national examinations.

The concern, he said, must be addressed by all stakeholders. He promised to convene a meeting with all the Head Teachers to come up with solutions.

“We will go for a retreat for them to explain where the problem lies because I have built schools, issued bursaries, bought school buses and ensured other programmes ran smoothly. They should tell me why they don’t produce the results that I want,” said the MP.

He added that Parents should also take responsibility by following up on their children’s progress in school.

In last year’s KCSE, public schools from the constituency had registered 667 candidates. It was a poor showing from the group with just one candidate managing to score a B (Plus) or B (Plain), six  had B minuses, 20 C Plus, 21 C Plain, 48 C Minus, 89 D Plus, 186 D Plain, 228 D Minus and 96 Es.

“There is something wrong and we must fix either it is from your side or it is on their side and I must fix this problem once and for all. I am not going to put all my energy into building schools, in paying school fees, in buying buses and then you are giving me poor results,” stated the visibly agitated MP.

He went on: “This year we must change, we must walk the talk It hurting!”

Teachers were urged not to entertain absenteeism from Form Four candidates who tend to skip classes after KCSE registration.

“Kick them out if they don’t want to be at school and if a parent comes also chase him. It is either they are in school or they are outside,” the MP stated, adding parents risk arrest for not taking their children to school.

The MP recalled his humble upbringing living in slums saying he is keen to ensure children from humble backgrounds excel in academics to have brighter futures.

He noted that he won’t allow the selling of drugs to school-going children promising to ensure that the selling of mugukaa outside schools is stopped.

The National Celebrations Committee says requisite plans are in place to ensure Masinde Muliro Stadium in Bungoma County is ready for this year’s Madaraka Day celebration.

Focusing on the theme ‘Promoting Agriculture and Food Security, work on Masinde Muliro Stadium in Kanduyi, has been intensified to ensure it is ready to host this year’s Madaraka Day celebrations slated for June 1st.

The committee, led by the Ministry of Interior and National Administration Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo, was informed that phase one, with a 4000-seating capacity, is complete, and phase two, which entails an additional 4 sitting terraces with a capacity of 20,000 persons, is on course and will be completed by March this year.

The scope for phase two includes the construction of nine guard houses and ticketing booths, the drilling of a borehole for the supply of water, the provision of ramps for Persons with Disability at all key points, and the construction of an additional four ablution blocks under the terraces.

Madaraka Day is marked annually on June 1 to commemorate the day Kenya achieved internal self-governance from British rule. In 2024, it falls on a Saturday.

The national celebrations, devolved in 2016 by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta, have counties hosting two of the three annual national holidays on a rotational basis aimed at boosting national cohesion and integration.

Previously, Nairobi hosted all national holiday celebrations, and currently retains one, Independence Day on December 12th, otherwise known as Jamhuri Day. The first Madaraka Day fete outside Nairobi was held in Nakuru County.

Workers at a garment factory in Mombasa have raised concern over what they say are instances of unprofessional conduct.

The workers, who held a demonstration to express their discontent, are accusing Ashton Apparel Mombasa EPZ of setting unrealistic productivity targets, leading to harassment and unjust terminations, even for those facing health challenges.

The protests saw Mombasa County Woman Representative Mohammed Zamzam Chimba intervene urging the management to address the concerns raised by the employees.

According to the workers, the absence of union recognition has seen the company ignore their grievances, with their employer failing to submit union deductions, leading to the victimization and dismissal of union leaders. The distressed workers say state of affairs are coming despite the Ministry of Labour summoning the company in 2023 to address issues related to its change in management, with promises of a smooth transition. The agreement, witnessed by various government officials, aimed to address the immediate concerns of the workers.

Earlier this year, the company underwent a change in management with the transition requiring over 8,000 employees to reapply for their positions, setting the stage for discontent within the workforce.