Day: February 15, 2022

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GLOBAL ENGINEERING FIRM GREELEY AND HANSEN ELECTS JOHN C. ROBAK AS BOARD CHAIR

CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Greeley and Hansen — a leading global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm in the water infrastructure sector — today announced the firm has elected John C. Robak as chairperson of the board of directors in addition to his role as CEO. Robak succeeds Andy Richardson, who has been chair since 2009 and who will now serve as chairman emeritus. Robak has been with Greeley and Hansen since 2003 and CEO since 2020. Richardson has served at Greeley and Hansen since 1978 and was CEO from 2007-2020.

John C. Robak elected new Chairman of the Board of Directors at Greeley and Hansen

With 30 years of professional experience, Robak leads all business affairs for the 20-office global firm, including international growth in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East. He began at the firm as an executive vice president, was named a principal in 2009, and was promoted to president in 2013.

“John’s exceptional leadership capabilities and business acumen have served the firm well over the past two years as CEO. As we look to the future and the task of new projects that will come from the recently passed $55 billion water infrastructure deal in Washington, the board of directors and the principals of Greeley and Hansen are fortunate to have John steering the company’s direction as CEO and chair of our board,” said Andy Richardson, chairman emeritus, Greeley and Hansen.

A strong advocate for promoting U.S. technology and manufacturing globally, Robak was selected by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker to serve as an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Environmental Technologies Trade Advisory Committee (ETTAC); was appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross to serve on the Illinois District Export Council; and served on Chicago Mayor Lightfoot’s Transportation and Infrastructure Transition Team.

Greeley and HansenRobak has a passion for efforts that promote multiculturalism and inclusion as a business imperative in his company and in the community. He has been a long-time board member and is now chair of the board of directors of Chicago United, an advocacy organization that brings together diverse senior business leaders to promote multiracial leadership in business. Robak also is involved with many Chicago-based non-profit organizations and civic causes on the local, state, and national level.

Robak holds an MBA from Loyola University Chicago and a bachelor of science in business commerce from DePaul University. He has served as a long-time member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Driehaus College of International Business at DePaul University and has been active in promoting the university’s graduate program in Sustainable Urban Development.

About Greeley and Hansen
Greeley and Hansen is a leading global engineering, architecture, and consulting management firm solely dedicated to providing sustainable engineering solutions for a broad range of water and wastewater challenges. The firm has built upon over 105 years of proven civil and environmental engineering experience in all phases of project development and implementation to become a premier global provider of comprehensive services in the water sector. Greeley and Hansen is dedicated to designing better urban environments worldwide. http://www.greeley-hansen.com/new.htm

Contact:  Miguel Carbajal, 312-578-2427
mcarbajal@greeley-hansen.com

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Innovation in Natural, Clean Ingredients Ushers in Sensegen

Beautiful biotechnology meets the science of good sense

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., Feb. 15, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sensegen,  southern California’s new taste, smell, and beauty business, enters the ingredient market as the first 100% biotechnology-based solution provider serving these markets. Emerging as The Science of Good Sense™, Sensegen’s brand launch marks an 18-month incubation previously under the name Blue California Flavors and Fragrances.

“We’re charting our course in clean and sustainable taste, smell, and beauty in a new and exciting way,” said Kathy Oglesby, chief value creation officer. “Under one roof, perfumers, flavorists, biologists, and chemists are working together, inspired by nature, and disciplined by science.”

Collaborating in their modern and well-equipped Creative Center, the designers are market-focused on biotechnology-based ingredient solutions to design and customize clean-label collections. The Creative Center is full service and state-of-the-art in capability, housing flavor, fragrance, cosmetic, and personal care creation teams supported by analytical chemistry, applications development, and sensory science teams.

Taste, smell, and beauty brands are encouraged to peruse Sensegen’s new website sensegen.com to gain insight into Sensegen’s collections, provenance, philosophy, biobased technology, sensible ingredient innovation process, transparent business practices, and sustainability position.

“Sensegen is committed to supporting brands to meet consumers’ expectations of reducing the environmental footprint of their products and inspiring repeat purchases,” said Oglesby. “We are 100% focused on true-to-nature, sustainable, and clean ingredients made possible by biotechnology.”

Oglesby further states, “The beauty of biotech in ingredient creation is monumental. It is significantly more sustainable than agriculturally derived and petroleum-based ingredients.”

Consumers are seeking to buy clean and sustainable products, and they are expecting companies to change from synthetic to natural. In an Edelman Trust survey, consumers confirmed that they expect companies and business leaders to address and solve macro socio-environmental challenges. And in a 2020 World Economic Forum survey, it appears evident that many are willing to participate actively in building back a better world alongside the brands they choose. In responses from 21,000 people and 28 countries, the survey reported that 86% want to see more sustainable and equitable products in the post-pandemic market.

“Sensegen’s launch marks our commitment to The Way Forward™ – an evolving journey to reinvent natural taste, smell, and beauty solutions,” said Oglesby. “Always customer-focused, our disruptive and provocative business model is based on co-creation, transparency, and partnering to produce clean-label solutions that are easy on the planet.”

Disruptive innovations to date include plant-based musk – one of the fragrance industry’s favorite types of materials. Plantarome™ M  is the first biotech source of musk, a highly strategic option for the market with natural animal sources unethical to harvest and, plant sources too costly for mainstream use. Other musk offerings are synthetic, many of which have already been banned in major markets or are limited in concentration due to safety concerns.

The fermentation and bioconversion processes of innovation partner, Conagen, produce optically active molecules that are precisely what nature makes. “Our innovation partnership with Conagen, where there is a natural flow of creativity and intelligence between market and science, creates great value for us and for our customers,” said Oglesby. “And our market success and expansion into beauty demonstrates it.”

Another advantage of biotechnology-based ingredients is that they can sidestep wobbles in supply chains caused by poor weather, seasonality, and inconsistent plant harvest quality without resorting to synthetic substitutes.

Oglesby foresees, “What we created in 2021 with Conagen is a prelude to the great achievements that will be revealed in 2022.”

Sensegen’s new market focus is evolving into three pillars:

The extensive portfolio of true-to-nature liquid flavors will be expanded in 2022 to include powders and new delivery as the tonality excellence will be applied to other sweet flavors and plant-based offerings.

  • Smell (Air Care, Home Care, Fabric Care, Personal Care, and Fine Fragrance)

New captives form the basis for the growing collection of “the new naturals” for fragranced consumer products. Sensegen’s fragrances fill a white space for naturals in the fragrance market moving toward today’s synthetics in both variety and technical performance.

  • Beauty (Personal Care, Hair and Skin Care, and Cosmetics)

Coming soon is a line of clean, novel, proprietary offerings as well as natural and sustainable qualities of market favorites.

“We’re driving the pipeline of taste, smell, and beauty into the 21st century with the guidance of nature and science, driven by the ‘savoir faire’ of the fragrance, flavor, and cosmetic industries,” concluded Oglesby.

About Sensegen

Sensegen™, is the science of good sense. We’ve got nature down to a science.

As a division of Blue California Ingredients, our innovative taste, smell, and beauty creative center is dedicated solely to delivering plant-based, natural, and sustainable solutions. Our diverse team of experts collaborate with advanced bio-techniques and collaborate as a team to provide unique consumer-validated ingredients.

At Sensegen™, we’ve pioneered a way of formulating nature without compromise or harm; providing one-of-a-kind solutions for Taste, Smell, and Beauty.

Attachments

Ana Arakelian, Head of Public Relations and Communications
Sensegen
+1.949.635.1991
pr@sensegen.com
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Western RC Puts Politicians On Notice Over Reckless Rhetoric

Western Regional Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru has warned politicians against incitement and use of abusive language as the country enters an electioneering period.
Nakoru warned that security agencies are on high alert and that decisive action will be taken against such politicians in accordance with the law.
The Regional commissioner, while speaking in his office in Kakamega after chairing a regional security meeting, advised the politicians to be issue-based and propagate their manifestos instead of maligning their competitors.
“This is a warning that we shall deal decisively with anybody inciting youth to violence or those using abusive language,” he warned.
The RC’s warning comes at a time when various politicians continue to crisscross the region to solicit for votes with some engaging in verbal vitriol against the opponents.
Nakoru, who was accompanied by the regional security team, Kakamega County Commissioner John Ondego and the entire 13 sub-county security teams maintained that night discos popularly known as disco-matanga remain outlawed.
He said such gatherings not only perpetuate crime and other socials ills but also enhance the spread of Covid-19 virus.
Nakoru also warned against sale and consumption of illicit and cheap liquor saying the local administration will continue to fight the vice and those found engaging in the illegal trade will face the law.
He assured wananchi in the region that security is up-to-date in the run-up to the August 9, General Election,
“We will ensure peace prevails during and after the elections and government programmes will continue to run as usual,” he added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Education PS Sheds Light On CBC

State Department for Implementation of Curriculum Reforms in the Ministry of Education PS Prof. Fatuma Chege has affirmed that Junior Secondary Schools will be domiciled in secondary schools.
Prof. Chege who sought to clarify that the ongoing debate about the placement of the pioneer batch of Grade Six candidates under 2-6-3-3-3 curriculum to Junior Secondary Schools, stressed that as much as there are primary schools which will host Junior Secondary Schools, the management and the administration in such instances, will be independent from that of the primary school.
“There should be no confusion between domiciling, hosting or accommodating. If you are accommodated, you are a guest, similarly when you are hosted, you are a guest, but when you are domiciled, then you belong there legally,” she emphasized.
The PS expounded that if for any reason, a Junior Secondary School class will be accommodated in surplus classrooms in a primary school, that is merely accommodation, they do not belong to the primary school, they are domiciled in the secondary sub-sector.
He said the section will therefore have their own Board and that if the government so wishes to establish a Junior Secondary School using the available infrastructure in a primary school, then that primary school will be having a Junior Secondary School.
The PS was speaking at St. Maria Goretti Ruruguti Secondary School in Othaya, Nyeri County, where she commissioned the first complete classroom built under the Competence Based Curriculum project.
A total of 166 classrooms were to be constructed in the County. In total, the State is putting up 11,000 classrooms countrywide, at a cost of Sh8.1 billion.
The new classes will provide additional learning space for the more than one million students, set to join Junior Secondary School next year, as the country shifts from the 8-4-4 to the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
During the inspection tour, Prof. Chege was accompanied by the Sub-County Education Officers, Deputy County Commissioners and area Chiefs, who have been monitoring the construction of the CBC classrooms.
The Nyeri County Director of Education, Sabina Aroni, noted that Nyeri had attained the 50 per cent mark of accomplishment of the project.
Aroni said that an additional three new classrooms would be Commissioned by the end of this week.
She appealed to other contractors working on the project to ensure that the classrooms are completed before the March deadline.
The Director stressed that contractors who qualify to implement Phase Two of the project, will be vetted based on their performance during the First Phase.
“We will be using the work delivered on this First Phase to vet the contractors who will take up the construction project during Phase Two of the project. Those who deliver during Phase One will be given first priority. We are still working towards ensuring that all classrooms are complete by March 6th, so that we can comfortably switch our focus to administering the national exams when that time comes,” said Aroni.
The Government had initially planned to construct a total of 199 new classrooms in Nyeri, as the country prepared to admit the first batch of students into Junior Secondary school in 2023.
The State had set aside Sh8 billion to help put up a total of 11,600 classrooms across the country as the nation shifts from the 8-4-4 system to the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).
Construction of the classes was expected to kick off last month and end in April this year.
During last year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced plans by his Administration to construct more than 10,000 classrooms, ahead of the transition of learners from primary to Junior Secondary School.
Uhuru Directed the National Treasury to make available Sh8.1 billion for the project to support the primary to secondary school shift in the Competence-Based Curriculum (CBC).
“Ministry of Education, jointly with the Ministry of Interior and the National Treasury, shall establish a framework for the construction of the over 10,000 classrooms needed to provide the additional learning space required for the one million new students, set to join Junior Secondary,” said the Head of State in his Mashujaa Day speech.
By next year, CBC pioneer learners are expected to join Junior Secondary school, after sitting their Grade Six National Examinations, while the present Class Seven learners under the old 8-4-4 system, will join Form One after sitting Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Examinations (KCPE).
At least 2,571,044 Grade Six and Standard Eight learners are expected to join secondary class next year.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Kericho Spends Sh16 Million To Beautify Uhuru Gardens

Uhuru Gardens in Kericho County has been beautified by the county government at a cost of Sh16 million and now residents can enjoy their leisure time there free of charge.

The gardens that was home to street children, drunkards, and other social misfits, has now been transformed to a safer and cleaner grounds.

Located at the heart of Kericho Town, the garden has various trees, a lavatory, Pavilion, concrete seats, and a perimeter wall.

“In the early and late 90s visitors to Kericho town could buy a bottle of soft drink, take still photos around here and relax on the green grass,’’ said Governor Prof. Paul Chepkwony as he reopened the gardens for public use following the rehabilitation.

He emphasized the need to create a conducive environment for families, children, and lovebirds who visit the town and need to relax with less cost

‘’Uhuru Gardens will be accessible to the public free of charge from today,” Prof. Chepkwony announced, revealing that the reconstruction cost over Sh16 million and was inspired by the need to make Kericho town clean.

“I want to thank area residents who have been patient for the last two years since I started this project. Our children and Kenyans at large can visit this place without any charge,” he added.

In attendance were Kipchebor ward MCA Mr. Erick Bett, County Government Executive Committee members and the clergy who lauded the project’s completion and called on the public to keep it clean and protect it from vandals.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Bananaland Deaf FC In Nyamira Seeks Financial Support

Bananaland Deaf FC, a female football team for deaf women in Nyamira County, is in dire need of financial support, to enable players participate in the forthcoming national tournament.
Ms. Esther Moraa, the Team Captain for the club told KNA that their team is unable to participate in tournaments for deaf women, because they are financially incapacitated, yet they have been practicing and competing with other teams locally.
“Our team has been selected by the Deaf Football Federation of Kenya (DFFK), to participate in the 2nd Edition of the National Deaf Women Football Championship at Bhukhungu Stadium in Kakamega County on 3rd of next month, but we are likely to be left out in this crucial tournament because of the huge financial budget involved, which we are not in a position to meet at the moment,” The Captain said.
Moraa added that the team is struggling against many odds to nurture special sports talents of people abled differently in the county, hence the need for the team to be accorded the support that other sporting activities receive.
“We desperately need all support available to achieve our dream of becoming the best team of the deaf women football players in the country and beyond,” she expressed confidence.
Mr. Brian Otsialo, the Team Coach stated that the players are passionate in the game and are eager to learn and participate in as many tournaments as possible, so that they can also be recognized and supported, just like those visually abled.
“The team players are however constrained financially and are not able to participate in various regional and national matches for deaf women, this situation discourages most players who feel that they are most probably neglected because they are a challenged minority who may not make any impact in society with their sporting activity,” he lamented.
Mr. Yobesh George, the referee for the deaf players in Gusii region said that he is not able to assist the deaf women teams in Nyamira, saying they are unable to facilitate his regular visits.
“The team captain told me that since it’s the players who make contributions to facilitate my transport to assist them play professionally and they are not all financially endowed, I cannot assist them as often as they would wish, because they cannot afford.
He confirmed to KNA that the team will be participating in a national tournament in Bhukhungu Stadium, Kakamega County next month, after which officials will select the best players to participate in an international tournament in Brazil in April.
Nyamira County Director for Sports, Jared Nambaka, told KNA that the County Government has done its best to support Bananaland Deaf FC financially, though the budgets are constrained and clarified that due to the effects of Covid-19, there was no budget allocated for sporting activities in this Financial Year, so the County may not be in a position to meet all their financial need.
“We have been supporting this team to our level best in accordance with approved budgets, but this Financial Year, our sports Department will not be in a position to assist them financially because we have not been allocated any budgets for sporting activities. I advise the team leaders, to source for support from other institutions of goodwill or well-wishers, to support them participate in the forthcoming tournaments,” Mr. Nambaka said.
Bananaland Deaf FC team is comprised of women players who are deaf and dumb, but that challenge has not hindered them from pursuing their passion in football. All they need is an enabling environment and right support, just like other well established teams, to enable them participate in competitions and win medals.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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County Government Drums Support For Warehouse Receipt System

Cereals farmers in Trans Nzoia County have been challenged to use designated commercial grain storage facilities to preserve their produce before selling the commodities when market prices were favourable.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Mrs Mary Nzomo, drummed support for the recently inaugurated Warehouse Receipt System (WRS), saying it would enable farmers to store their harvests in a conducive environment until market forces favour them.
Nzomo termed WRS as an effective initiative that enjoys immense support from the National Government through the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) as well as partners in the agriculture sector including the business community and financial institutions.
Through the initiative, grain farmers store their commodities at designated grain stores, which are certified by the NCPB and the department of Agriculture, where they are issued with receipts.
“The warehouse handlers ensure standards are adhered to by meeting the required moisture content as well as better packaging material used and only charge a meager fee for the service,” highlighted Nzomo during a meeting with the business community at Kitale Club.
She added: “Farmers then wait for favorable market conditions before picking their wares to resell thereby making better profits from their ventures unlike if they sold at harvest time.”
“With this, you get rid of brokers and middlemen who take advantage of the surplus to hoodwink farmers who have otherwise invested a lot by buying their produce at lower prices,” continued the Agriculture CEC.
At the same time, Nzomo informed traders interested in providing storage services officials at WRS, NCPB and agriculture who were planning to inspect the proposed warehouses to ascertain whether they meet the set storage capacity and preservation standards.
Her Public Service Management counterpart, Mrs Susan Nelima Murumba, lauded members of the business community in the County for offering job opportunities to thousands of youths.
Observing that national and devolved units lacked capacity to absorb everyone in the public service, Murumba said that partnerships with the private sector would help create more job opportunities.
Speaking to the same forum, Lands Planning and Housing CEC, Mr Boniface Wanyonyi, disclosed the department together with the Kitale Municipality was working towards ensuring a favourable business environment for both local and foreign investors.
He disclosed that through the Kenya Informal Settlement Programme (KISP) funded by the World Bank, Kipsongo, Mitume, Matisi and Shimo la Tewa slums had been mapped for face-lifting.
He explained the slums upgrading project will include road tarmacking and installation of street lights.
The business community was led by Kenya National Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Trans-Nzoia Chapter Chairperson, Mr Martin Waliaula, who called on the county government to consider providing business incentives to motivate the traders.
“We are appealing to the County administration to foster cooperation with traders, by for instance allowing the traders tax holidays over the weekends,” he urged.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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103 CBC Classrooms Ready For Commissioning In Rift Valley

A total of 103 Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) classrooms in Rift Valley have so far been completed and are ready for commissioning, Regional Director of Education, Mr Jared Obiero, has revealed.
Mr Obiero said the Government intends to deliver at least 1,737 new classrooms in the region by the end of the year ahead of the Junior Secondary School rollout.
He stated that companies awarded contracts to put up the new classrooms have until March this year to complete work, adding that no contractor will be allowed in schools after the deadline as the students will be sitting for national examinations.
Speaking during a meeting of heads of departments and state agencies chaired by Rift Valley Regional Commissioner Maalim Mohammed at the Nakuru plenary hall, Mr Obiero said Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination is ready to be administered next month.
He assured candidates and parents that the government has placed elaborate measures to ensure registered candidates sit the final primary school examinations without any hitches.
According to the education calendar, the 2021 KCPE exam will be done between March 7 and 10, while KCSE will commence between March 11 and April 1.
Obiero noted that Nakuru County had been allocated 541 Competency Based Curriculum classrooms at a cost of Sh426.3 million.
He added, “Contractors whose tenders were approved by evaluation committees at Sub-County level are constructing the classrooms in 322 selected secondary schools in Nakuru to provide the additional learning space required for the over 54,000 new students set to join junior secondary within the devolved unit.”
He said the building of the classrooms, each at a projected cost of Sh788,000 is being done by contractors based near the schools and the money is being remitted directly to the contractors in their respective sub-counties.
“We have reduced the price of each classroom from Sh1.26 million to Sh788,000 including taxes. This initiative is tapping into the skilled manpower within the counties, empowering locals with enhanced economic opportunities,” observed the Regional Director of Education.
He assured contractors that once they have the right paperwork and the quality of work presented is of good standard, they would be paid immediately.
Mr Obiero revealed that construction of 10 CBC classrooms in Baringo, 8 in West Pokot and 2 in Uasin Gishu counties was yet to kick off.
On his part, the Regional commissioner also asked contractors to ensure the quality of work was within the standards.
Maalim directed state officers and tender evaluation committees to ensure the process was being carried out in strict adherence to the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act 2015.
He added that his office was keenly monitoring the CBC classrooms project to guarantee that quality of work is good and that the process was free from bribery, conflict of interest and political patronage.
“Ethics in public procurement is a prerequisite to, and underpins public trust and is a keystone of good governance. We have selected six of the most qualified tenderers for further verification without coercion or political interference,” he stated.
The RC said construction of the classrooms by contractors based near the schools gives ownership of the projects, hence more accountability.
Countrywide construction of 6,470 CBC classrooms is ongoing in the first phase of the project. The second phase of construction of CBC classrooms is set to start in May after the marking of exams.
The first CBC classroom was commissioned in the Eastern region in Meru County in January 2022.
In December last year, President Uhuru Kenyatta directed the National Treasury to make available Sh8.1 billion for the project to support the primary to secondary school shift in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC).
The Head of State also appealed to MPs to give the programme priority in the National Government Constituencies Development Fund by constructing another 11,000 classrooms.
“I call on all Members of Parliament to stand together in solidarity with our children by prioritizing allocation of the CDF towards school infrastructure,” he said.
This means that by 2023 when the first CBC cohort will join junior secondary schools, 20,000 new classrooms should be ready.
The total number of Grade Six and Standard Eight learners expected to join secondary school will be about 2,571,044.
Last year, the government had allocated a further Sh4 billion towards infrastructure development in schools. This translates to about 5,000 new classrooms.
CBC report identified schools that will have the biggest enrolment burden during 2023 transition from primary to secondary schools.
Nakuru, Kakamega, Bungoma, Nairobi, Homa Bay, Narok, Kisumu, Busia, Meru, Kitui, Siaya and Trans Nzoia are among counties that will witness the highest enrolment of secondary school students against their limited classroom capacities.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Narok Residents Receive Free Eye Clinic

Over 300 Narok town residents benefited from a free eye clinic, that was organized by the Lion’s Club International at Masindoke Primary School compound.
Dr. Hillary Lang’at, an eye specialist said most of the patients who volunteered for checkup were under 18 years old, while a few were elderly people.
He said 20 per cent of those who attended the free check-ups had very severe allergies and were receiving their treatment for the first time.
Dr. Lang’at also noted that most of the elderly who visited the free clinic were detected with eye cataracts and were booked in for treatment at the Lion’s Eye Clinic in Nairobi.
“We have already booked them for surgery at our hospital in Nairobi. We will make a close follow-up to ensure the patients get good services,” he said.
Another percentage, he said, had refractive errors and were given glasses as the Hospital monitors their progress.
At the same time, some people, especially the elderly were detected with problems with their Latinas, because of issues of diabetes and high blood pressure.
“For such patients, we refer them to our hospitals in Nairobi for further management. Most of these patients had not visited an Optician before,” he noted.
He reiterated that the exercise aimed at preventing people from losing their eyesight because of conditions that can be managed if the situation was detected early enough.
Charles Loidima, a beneficiary of the free clinic, said he had been having problems with reading but when tested, he was given glasses that he hopes will improve his reading capability.
“I am grateful for the free clinic. I am happy I have been tested many diseases and I have been found to be healthy,” said Loidima.
David Khendo, the president Lion’s Club Narok said the club was carrying out the exercise as part of their duties to reach out to the community.
He added they will continue to follow their patients, via their mobile numbers, to be sure they were proceeding on well.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Gov’t Built Capacity To Fully Exploit Maritime Potentials

The Government has rolled out various projects to resuscitate the Blue Economy and reposition it as a key player in the country’s development agenda, Government Spokesman, Col. (Rtd.) Cyrus Oguna, has said.
Oguna noted that the reopening of the Marine Training institutions signified the government’s commitment to tap into the Blue Economy to transform the Country.
Oguna made the remarks during a media tour of the Kenya Railways Marine School in Kisumu.
Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa, he added, has also been revamped and reopened to build capacity for the maritime sector.
He pointed out that the Sh10 billion grant to counties in the Coastal region to support various blue economy activities was a clear manifestation of the government’s commitment to fully exploit the blue economy of the country.
“The next frontier of development in this country is the blue economy. That’s why the government is channeling resources to develop the sector and build the competency and technical expertise required,” he said.
The Government Spokesperson disclosed that besides investment in training, plans were underway to revive collapsed ports and fish landing sites in Lake Victoria.
The sites, among them Kendu Bay, Asembo Bay, Homa Bay and Sio Port, will play a key role in the revitalization of blue economy activities in Lake Victoria, added Oguna.
Principal, Kenya Railways Marine School in Kisumu, Steven Buluma, revealed that the Institution has rolled out world class programmes to build human resource capacity for the marine sector.
He noted that the programmes certified by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA), have been anchored on the government’s Policy Statement on Blue Economy, which envisions heightened integrative regional and international trade, through proper utilization of water bodies.
Marine School Principal added that the Institution which has been rebuilt and modernized with support from the Africa Development Bank and the government of Kenya has state of the art facilities set to put Kenya ahead of its peers in marine and maritime training.
He says the programs on offer at the school include Coxswain III, Diploma in International Freight management and Certificate in Transport Management and Logistics.
Buluma said so far 200 students have enrolled for the programs with plans underway to introduce more courses to maximize the new facilities at the institution, which has a capacity for 1,000 learners.
“A new safety training pool and firefighting division has equally been constructed and will soon be fully operational to facilitate introduction of more programs,” he added..
“We have already requisitioned the equipment for the safety training facility which we expect to install before the end of March this year,” noted Buluma.
This will see the school introduce the Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) which is a proficient mandatory course for seafarers, he added.
The Principal said the course which is only offered at Bandari Maritime Academy in Mombasa and Dar-es-Salaam, will position the Marine School as a giant in Maritime training for the Great Lakes region and at the same time boost revenue for the premier institution.
“Some of these courses are short, lasting for about 20 days and costing Sh100, 000 per student. We therefore hope to leverage on the demand and generate revenue for the government,” he said.
Buluma said plans were also underway to introduce Marine Engineering, Nautical Sciences, and Environmental management, Disaster Management, Tourism and Hospitality to address the rising demand for professionals in the various sectors.
“We thank the government for accepting the proposal to revive this institution which was opened in 1964, but remained closed since 1992,” he added.
Besides the marine training and fire training facilities, the new school complex comprises of standard hostels for 160 students, 40 executive rooms and a conference facility.

Source: Kenya News Agency