KBC Channel 1

Author: Prudence Wanza

  • We have a plan, President Ruto vows to address high cost of living

    We have a plan, President Ruto vows to address high cost of living

    President William Ruto says the government has put in place adequate plans to reduce high cost of living.

    The head of state pledged to boost food production, create markets for farmers as well as value addition programs as part of government’s efforts to address the rising cost of living.

    “We have a plan on what we want to do bring down the cost living,” he said

    Ruto spoke on Sunday during a thanksgiving service in Kajiado County.

    To address unemployment, the President the housing project will create jobs for Kenyans among other strategies.

    “We must have a practical deliberate plan on what our young people are going to do with education and skills,” said Ruto

    Additionally, the president stated his government has allocated more resources towards construction of schools, employment of teachers as well as disbursed funds to counties

    “This year January we employed 35,000 teachers. In the 2023 budget the government has set aside funds to employ 25,000 more teachers. We are also employing an additional 1,700 to teach in our technical institutions,” the President said

    The President further pledged to support counties in implementing their development agenda saying the national government has cleared all disbursements meant for devolved units.

    “Counties have 100 percent support from the national government. If counties succeed, our nation Kenya will succeed. We are going to work with you to take the country forward,” he stated

  • I carried sweet potatoes and arrowroots in my metal box, Pastor Dorcas recalls challenging school days

    I carried sweet potatoes and arrowroots in my metal box, Pastor Dorcas recalls challenging school days

    The Spouse of the Deputy President, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi on Saturday visited her former high school, Alliance Girls in Kikuyu, Kiambu County where she joined the girls who studied in the school in the 80s for a meeting and Sunday worship. 

    The girls shared with nostalgia their different past experiences as young girls at the institution. Pastor Dorcas told of how she almost missed joining secondary school because of lack of school fees, but through the intervention of an administrator (DC) she was able to join the Alliance Girls School.

    “I was brought here by DC Thuo Mathenge because, I did not have school fees. But someone came to my aid,” she said. Pastor Dorcas offered to pay school fees to two needy students from the school up to the highest level of education they would wish to attain.

    “Coming from Kiandutu slums in Thika, and joining the Alliance Girls was nothing short of a miracle. I am a testimony that God can pick you from nothing to something. Never ever give up,” she told the 2206 students gathered at the chapel.

    She said they came from an obscure single-led household, by a widow, who gave her best to see her children through school.

    “We used to carry sweet potatoes and nduma (arrowroots), in our metal boxes while others carried cakes and other snacks. However, this school treated everyone the same. When it came to games, we went together as sisters and friends, and whether you came with cakes or not, we would happily share,” she said.

    In the 1980s, those who could afford cakes and other refined snacks were from affluent families.

    Pastor Dorcas has shared the story of her humble upbringing in different public forums, to encourage people that they can rise from ‘nothing’ and become something. 

    “I am championing the cause of the vulnerable because I was there. I came from an obscure background, raised by a widow. I had jiggers and lice, and would wear my late father’s shirts, but that has not stopped God from picking me and placing me in the highest office in the land. People wonder why I go to the drug dens, and streets, it is because I would have ended up there,” she said.

    She praised the Alliance Girls School for the education and values it taught her. “Every time I see Alliance, I get excited. I identify with my school anywhere. I am proud to be an Alliance girls,” she concluded her speech.

    Other members of the alumni were excited to return to the school and narrated with joy their years at the institution.

    Among those honoured during the alumni meeting was Dr Mary Dena. Dr Dena, currently serving as a surgeon in South Africa, composed the school’s national anthem when she was a student at Alliance Girls in the 80s.

    Dr. Njeri Karanja, a former Alliance Girls Teacher in the 80s, was also recognized for her contributions in the academic and management growth of the institution.

    Also present was former Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina who also studied in the school.

    The alumni were hosted by the school’s Chief Principal Jedidah Mwangi. “We invited you here, so that in your different cohorts, you may encourage the girls. The girls look upon you to give direction. Success is contagious,” said Principal Mwangi.

    She called the meeting ‘an unofficial reunion’. “Let us not drop the baton, but hand it over to the younger girls,” she said.

  • Police in Turbo arrest man suspected of beheading female lover

    Police in Turbo arrest man suspected of beheading female lover

    Police have arrested a man suspected of beheading his lover in Turbo, Uasin Gishu.

    According to a report by the National Police Service (NPS), the head was recovered in Sosian River after missing for two weeks.

    “On 24/06/2023 at 18.40 hrs, Police in Turbo, Uasin Gishu recovered a head believed to be that of Sheila Jepkemboi who was beheaded by her lover one Eliud Kipchoge in a suspected love triangle,” said NPS

    The suspect Eliud Kipchoge is currently in police custody while the head was moved to Kimbilio Funeral Home morgue, awaiting further action for identification and autopsy.

    The headless body which was earlier recovered on the 13th June, 2023 is still lying at same hospital morgue after the family members refused to hold burial rites without the head in line with the local traditions.

  • Five people killed in Lamu alshabaab attack

    Five people killed in Lamu alshabaab attack

    A wave of panic has engulfed Juhudi and Salama villages in Lamu County, following a ruthless attack that claimed the lives of five people.

    According to multiple residents in the area, the incident happened at around two o’clock early Sunday morning when alshabaab militants torched houses in the two villages.

    The residents are now calling on the government to bolster security apparatus in the region to effectively thwart any potential reoccurrences of such tragic events.

    More to follow…

  • Kenya elected to take charge of regional war against illicit small arms trade

    Kenya elected to take charge of regional war against illicit small arms trade

    Kenya has been handed the lead role in fighting small arms and light weapons within the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa.

    The country takes over the chairmanship of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons (RECSA) following a unanimous endorsement from the representatives of the organization’s 15 member states.

    According to Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo, the new role in the organization effectively expands the country’s scope of responsibilities in the efforts to stop illicit arms trade and foster sustainable peace and security in the region.

    “Kenya pledges unconditional support and commitment to this cause, and I am certain that the role that the member states have assigned us today will make us even more aggressive in against this menace,” the PS stated when he represented Kenya during a meeting of the Council of Ministers (CoM) in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

    The PS relayed Kenya’s readiness to advance RECSA’s agenda, key among them ending violent conflicts, terrorism, organized crimes and humanitarian crises fed and aggravated by small arms and light weapons.

    He further highlighted a series of priorities the government has lined up to deliver on the new role, with a prime focus on participative leadership and higher levels of mutual support towards reducing the accessibility and availability of illicit arms.

    “We will strive to be a true partner, who will not only lead by example but also foster an environment of collaboration, growth, and collective success,” Omollo said.

    He also noted that the country is planning to promote innovative approaches to address the root causes of armed violence, including socioeconomic disparities, poverty, and inequality, which have aggravated humanitarian crises in the region.

    In its proposals, Kenya will seek to leverage the power of sharing of resources and expertise to step up disarmament operations and implement innovative security solutions tailored to community needs.

    “We believe that in a holistic approach, encompassing disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration efforts, as well as robust community-based initiatives. We intend to enhance coordination, regional organizations, and international partners to bolster our collective efforts to improve information-sharing and detect, prevent, and respond to the illicit trade,” PS Omollo said

    Kenya has been deputizing the DR Congo as the chair of the Council of Ministers (CoM), the supreme organ that provides RECSA with the necessary policy guidance.

    The Council is comprised of Ministers responsible for Internal Security in the member states. Among Kenya’s first assignments is to push for the elevation of RECSA’s influence on the continental scale in peace and security initiatives.

    The 15 member states now want Kenya to officially submit a request to the AU General Assembly to consider designating the organization as an AU specialized agency on matters small arms and light weapons.

  • Senate Committee roots for increased resources for counties to facilitate UHC

    Senate Committee roots for increased resources for counties to facilitate UHC

    The Senate committee for health is proposing more resources to counties to facilitate promotion and preventive healthcare.

    The committee’s chairperson Jackson Mandago,  said the national and county governments will partner to ensure primary health care is given priority and promoted to curb many challenges facing the health sector in the country in terms of curative healthcare.

    The senator noted for the country to realize universal healthcare, more resources are needed to be channeled to support primary healthcare saying as the senate they are working to ensure counties get increased budgetary allocation to fund promotional and preventive health care.

    He revealed through partnership between the two levels of governments, close to 100, 000 community health volunteers will be recruited and trained to help promote preventive healthcare at villages.

    Some decades ago, the Uasin Gishu senator observed that primary healthcare was prioritised and properly done saying the current situation where people have been greatly affected especially by noncommunicable diseases is because priority is currently on curative instead of preventive.

    “Preventive healthcare was abandoned long time and the moment we shifted and concentrated in curative healthcare, is the moment we started moving to the current health situation where there is need for expensive drugs, equipment and many expenses in the health sector,” said Mandago when he led members of his committee to inspect three health facilities in Murang’a county.

    He added that starting from next financial year, money has been allocated to equip level -1 and level 2 health facilities to enable them to promote primary healthcare.

    “Level two and one medical facilities don’t contrate much on curative since they are supposed to major on primary healthcare and that’s why beginning the next financial year more resources will be channeled to the facilities to boost preventive health care,” he added.

    He divulged the government is yet to complete a framework in implementation of universal healthcare saying the senate will have a sitting with the Ministry of Health, NHIF and council of governors so as to work on a seamless framework for full implementation of universal health coverage.

    “Last administration attempted to pilot universal health care in some counties and there were lessons learnt and in the next financial year, the government will improve on the shortfalls learnt in piloting the scheme,” he added.

    In Murang’a, the senators who visited on invitation of the county senator, Joe Nyutu, called for recruitment of more health personnel to improve services delivery.

    In Muriranja’s level 3 hospital, members of the committee expressed concern on shortage of nurses after they revealed the facility has a shortage of 26 nurses.

    “Muriranjas is one of the oldest health facilities in the country but this hospital needs a facelift. There is need for more medical personnel, new equipment, better facilities especially in wards as we also ask the local community to fully utilize the facility,” noted the chairperson of the committee.

    Senator Nyutu had petitioned the senate after numerous complaints levelled against the health sector in Murang’a county.

    Nyutu after the visit said they had established that some improvements are needed to ensure residents get better services from local health facilities.

    “The laboratories lack reagents, wards need better beddings and most important is employment of qualified medical practitioners since without health workers, the hospital buildings are of no use,” averred Nyutu.

     

  • Wagner chief’s 24 hours of chaos in Russia

    Wagner chief’s 24 hours of chaos in Russia

    For one long June night and a day, Russia’s notorious mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin staged an apparent insurrection, sending an armoured convoy towards Moscow and raising questions about Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.

    The Russian president even accused his former ally of treason, embarking on an armed rebellion and “a stab in the back of our country”.

    But by the end of Saturday, Prigozhin had called the whole thing off and ordered his men back to base.

    “In 24 hours we got to within 200km (124 miles) of Moscow. In this time we did not spill a single drop of our fighters’ blood,” he announced.

    Twenty-four hours of mayhem, and so much we don’t know.

    Was the Wagner boss planning a coup?

    Prigozhin was adamant this was “a march for justice”, not a coup. Whatever it was, it came to an end very fast.

    For months he has played a vital role in Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, recruiting thousands to his Wagner mercenary group, especially from Russian jails.

    He has long been in a public feud with the military chiefs running the war, but that turned into open revolt as they sought to bring his forces under their command structure by 1 July.

    Wagner fighters crossed from occupied eastern Ukraine into the big southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, then moved up the main motorway via Voronezh, en route to Moscow.

    It felt like a defining moment in Russia’s 16-month full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But as the Wagner convoy headed north, there came news of a deal, bizarrely brokered by Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko.

    Few believe the story is as simple as that, but if the Kremlin is right this may be the end of Prigozhin’s role in the war and in Russia itself.

    He is heading to Belarus and will not face criminal charges, says the Kremlin. His fighters have been promised an amnesty. Was it entirely bloodless? That is unclear as at least one military helicopter was shot down.

    And where this leaves Vladimir Putin is another matter.

    Wagner vs Russia’s military chiefs

    Prigozhin has raged and ranted for months at Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and armed forces chief Valery Gerasimov about their failure to supply his mercenaries with sufficient kit and ammunition.

    When President Putin backed their deadline to bring all mercenary groups fighting in Ukraine to sign defence ministry contracts, he refused, seeing it as a challenge to his influence.

    In a lengthy tirade on 23 June he told Russians the whole justification for their war was a lie and merely an excuse for “a small group of scumbags” to promote themselves and deceive the public and president.

    Then came an extraordinary escalation in their dispute.

    Prigozhin accused the military of staging a deadly attack on his men in Ukraine. The military denied launching a strike and the video he produced as evidence revealed nothing.

    Late on Friday he announced his “march for justice” was under way.

    “There are 25,000 of us and we are going to find out why there is such chaos in the country,” Prigozhin exclaimed. “Everyone who wants, join us.”

    Gen Sergei Surovikin, deputy commander of forces in Ukraine, appealed to him to step back and submit to President Putin’s authority.

    Moving his forces across the border into Rostov-on-Don overnight, he claimed control of the military HQ from where the war is being run, and videos showed his men in the centre of the city apparently encountering no resistance.

    By Saturday morning he declared: “We are inside [military] headquarters.” The city, he said later, had been taken “without a shot”.

    Russia’s FSB security service then opened a criminal case. The entire Moscow region was put on an alert under a strict “counter-terrorist operation regime”, as was Voronezh halfway up the M4 motorway from Rostov.

    Putin’s televised address

    On Saturday morning, looking stern and determined, Vladimir Putin gave a five-minute address on state-run TV and appealed for unity.

    “What we are facing is precisely treason,” he told the nation. Without naming his former ally, he said those behind the military mutiny had betrayed Russia and would answer for it.

    Prigozhin quickly denied betraying his country, and then went on to criticise the president as “deeply wrong”.

    Until this point he had never directly targeted his anger at Mr Putin.

    But his sarcastic references to “happy grandfather” were widely seen as indirect criticism. Last month he asked how Russia could win if it turned out that “this grandfather is a complete arsehole”.

    Columns of armoured Wagner vehicles were soon seen heading up the motorway through Voronezh region and further north into Lipetsk too.

    A fuel depot was set alight `by an airstrike in Voronezh, although it was not clear why.

    A challenge to Putin’s rule?

    Prigozhin was adamant he was not challenging Russia’s war in Ukraine, just the “clowns” in charge of it.

    He also maintained he was not disputing the president’s leadership, even though he threatened to head towards Moscow if his military demands were not met.

    For several hours Vladimir Putin looked like a leader who had lost control of a fast-moving situation.

    Then, on Saturday evening, came word from Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko – another close ally of Mr Putin – of a deal.

    Prigozhin would leave for Belarus and avoid criminal charges. He was later seen leaving Rostov in a car.

    His Wagner fighters would escape prosecution and those who wanted to could sign contracts with the defence ministry.

    Where does this leave Putin?

    On the face of it, he looks weakened, outmanoeuvred by Prigozhin and president of a country where chaos reigned for a full day.

    And relying on the leader of Belarus to save the day looks awkward. It was Russia that propped up Mr Lukashenko when protesters brought his country to a standstill in 2020, after an election widely viewed as rigged.

    The Ukrainian presidency said he had been left humiliated.

    But there is another view too, that Russians have now seen the alternative to a Putin presidency and for several hours it looked like anarchy.

    The military has also found a way of bringing under its control a potentially combustible force of 25,000 mercenaries. That still has to play out, but their turbulent leader, Yevgeny Prigozhin, is out of the picture.

  • Garissa land cartels warned as police officer, civilian Injured in land conflict

    Garissa land cartels warned as police officer, civilian Injured in land conflict

    Garissa Deputy County Commissioner Solomon Chesut has put land cartels in Garissa town on notice following renewed conflicts in which a police officer and a civilian were seriously injured in Bula Burburis, Galbet ward.

    The incident happened when the police officers moved to quell clashes between two groups, both claiming ownership of a piece of land.

    They had to hurriedly leave the scene after being overpowered  by the gun wilding militia.

    So serious is the land issue that some land speculators ,mostly armed have been fencing off land that is not theirs .the most affected areas are Bula Medina,Bula Iftin , waberi and Modika.

    He was speaking during a one day workshop which brought together security officers, elders, women and the Youth in a bid to discuss the thorny issue and come up with a lasting solution, Chesut said the government will act will act tough on any individual out to disrupt the peace and security of the area.

    The program is funded by Royal Danish Embassy through the Act Change Transform and Womankind Kenya is implementing partners.

    He said the government was aware of land cartels who were  taking advantage of unsuspecting wananchi to sell them land noting that it was the same group that was attacking people.

    Chesut said the national government will not seat back and watch as land speculators and cartels create animosity, which will compromise the security of Kenyans.

    “We know how emotive the land issue is within Garissa township. Unfortunately people have completely refused to resolve issues amicably. the end result is always blood shed and destruction of property. we will not allow the situation to get out of hand,” he said.

    During the meeting, it emerged that the land issue has seen the emergency of militia and land brokers who working together to forcefully evict real owners most of them the poor from their pieces of land.

    Speaking at the function mzee Rashid Garane regretted that land dispute  had gone on for far too long blaming the government for abating the crime.

    “It’s unfortunate that the very same government and police officers are working closely with land cartels instead of being the ones to bringing in solutions and a lasting peace,” he said.

    He added: “We have seen tycoons come with money and in a broad day light fence off huge parcels of land which do not belong to them under the watchful eye of security officers after bribing them. this is unacceptable,” he said.

    On her part Kaltuma Abdisalan said that the most affected in the land dispute were widows who in most cases cannot defend themselves against monied individuals.

    On his part Mohamed Ahmed said  administrators should do more to stop illegal land allocations being carried out by cartels instead of taking sides with their clans.

    Osman Yahye from womankind Kenya said that their main was to Map of 5 resource-baseed conflict areas and support inter-groups /community peace agreement negotiated and trained community opinions leaders and security personnel on the best way to handle the issues when they arise.

    He added: “We want to strengthen the capacities of local community members, security actors, government and other CSOs to prevent and mitigate some of this things before they happen. The elders, chiefs and their assistants understand the disputed areas clearly. the security officers also have a huge role to play,” he said.

    During the meeting, some of the recommendations agreed upon included a meeting between political leaders and elders to develop a roadmap to clearly define roles to ensure peace prevails in Garissa.

  • Kwale empowers farmers with beehives to boost honey production

    Kwale empowers farmers with beehives to boost honey production

    Kwale County Governor Fatuma Achani has distributed 1,200 bee hives to local beekeepers (apiculturists) in a bid to boost their capacity in honey production.

    During the official flag off event which was conducted at the county headquarters in Kwale town, 60 water tanks and assorted bee harvesting kits were also issued to local honey farmers across the county.

    The basic equipment issued included the components of the hive, protective gear, smoker and hive tool, and the tools needed for handling the honey crop.

    The Governor also issued 24,000 tree seedlings to the bee hive beneficiaries which will be taken to the grassroots for planting aimed at preserving the environment.

    Governor Achani said that the bee keeping project is part of an economic empowerment programme being pursued by the devolved unit to enable farmers diversify their agricultural activities in order to increase their incomes.

    “This programme seeks to harness beekeeping by supporting local farmers spread in all the electoral wards to exploit the untapped potential in apiculture,”. She observed that bee keeping value chain provides employment, means of livelihood, wealth and high nutrition to the people.

    She promised her administration will make sure local farmers are equipped with essential farm tools to improve farming productivity.

    Achani who was accompanied by her Deputy Chirema Kombo and County Executive for Agriculture Roman Shera used the occasion to urge local youths to embrace bee farming.

    The county boss, who described apiculture as a money-spinning venture, advised the youths to harness the potential in the apiculture sub sector for the growth of the coastal county’s economy.

    She advised farmers to discard the use of indigenous beehives which produce less honey and embrace the use of modern bee hives such as langstroth or modern ten-frame hives whose yields in honey are higher.

    Achani described beekeeping as a great development venture for youths interested in agriculture emphasizing that apiculture was an area still largely untapped in the coastal county.The Governor also urged members of the county assembly to come up with favorable policies aimed at promoting beekeeping and farming in general in the county.

    She urged the beneficiaries to justify the empowerment project by increasing their production towards a sustainable food security in Kwale in particular and Kenya at large.

    Achani said that enterprise diversification should be embraced by all, noting farmers should not only grow crops and keep livestock for income generation but also venture into bee keeping and fish farming for income generation and improved household nutrition.

    On his part Roman Shera says the agriculture department will train local youths on bee keeping and wax farming in order to boost the local economy.

    He says the county government seeks to empower the youths to become self-reliant and shun drug addiction and crime.

  • Wagner fighters in Russian cities defy Putin’s charge of mutiny

    Wagner fighters in Russian cities defy Putin’s charge of mutiny

    The boss of Russia’s Wagner group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, says its mercenaries have seized “all military facilities” in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don.

    They are also said to have deployed in Voronezh, further north, following his threat to march on Moscow to topple Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.

    There have also been sightings of Wagner vehicles on the highway linking Voronezh to Moscow.

    President Vladimir Putin called the rebellion “a stab in the back”.

    He pledged to punish those who had “betrayed” Russia.

    Tighter security has been introduced in many regions, including Moscow.

    The Wagner Group is a private army of mercenaries that has been fighting alongside the regular Russian army in Ukraine.

    Tension has been growing between them over how the war has been fought, with Prigozhin launching vocal criticisms of Russia’s military leadership in recent months.

    The dramatic escalation came after Prigozhin accused Russia’s military of hitting his group’s base in Ukraine – a claim denied by Moscow.

    Prigozhin claims this is not a military coup, but his aim seems to be to topple Russia’s military leadership, reports the BBC’s Russia editor Steve Rosenberg in Moscow.

    In an emergency address, President Putin said that Russia was facing “treason” – without mentioning Prigozhin, a former ally, by name.

    “All those who consciously stood on the path of betrayal, who prepared an armed rebellion, stood on the path of blackmail and terrorist methods, will suffer inevitable punishment, before the law and before our people,” Putin vowed.

    He also acknowledged the situation in Rostov-on-Don was difficult.

    In his response – the first time Prigozhin had criticised the Russian leader directly – the Wagner boss said his troops were “patriots of our motherland” and President Putin was “deeply wrong” to talk of betrayal.

    In a video posted on his Telegram channel earlier on Saturday, Prigozhin said his fighters had entered Rostov-on-Don after crossing the border from Ukraine – and his men would destroy anyone who stood in their way.

    He said his forces had shot down a Russian military helicopter that “opened fire on a civilian convoy” – no location was given and that assertion could not be immediately verified.

    He has also said that his fighters have been fired on by artillery and helicopters, although he did not specify where those incidents took place.

    A “counter-terrorism operation” has been launched in the Voronezh region, north of Rostov and en route to Moscow, where Wagner forces are also said to be in control of some military facilities.

    The governor of the Lipetsk region, north of Voronezh, has also confirmed that Wagner vehicles are moving through the area.

    Although it is difficult to verify information on the ground, the information suggests that the Wagner vehicles are moving towards Moscow. However, it is unclear what their exact plans are.

    Prigozhin and President Putin used to have a close relationship.

    But the latest challenge is a headache for the Russian leader – on top of the fact that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has not been going to plan – our Moscow correspondent says, and Mr Putin has now decided to say “enough is enough”.