Day: October 7, 2022

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Water Company Launches Crackdown On Illegal Water Connections

Tana Water and Sanitation Company (TAWASCO) on Thursday launched an operation to disconnect illegal water connections and arrest culprits implicated in the vice in Hola, Madogo and Garsen towns.
The Company has urged Tana residents to report rogue workers who may be involved in the illegal water connections.
TAWASCO Managing Director William Jillo said Tana River has massive illegal water connections depriving the water company revenue.
“We have challenges in terms of non-revenue water consumption at 70 per cent, a figure which is high compared to other counties. We have decided to go door-to-door to check for illegal water connections. We have arrested several people who will be arraigned in court”, said Engineer Jillo.
The Managing Director divulged that they will introduce a program that will help curb illegal connections and increase efficiency in revenue collection.
“We want to improve our metering ratio and install a water billing system because the manual system we are using currently makes it difficult to do billing. Many customers bring complaints that they do not get their bills. The new system will improve efficiency in billing which we hope will increase revenue”, explained Jillo.
The MD thanked the County Government for supporting the semi-autonomous water company through drilling of boreholes thus improving water production and supply.
The Manager Director urged Tana River residents to desist from making illegal water connections and embrace the culture of paying water bills on time.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Cotton Farmers Back GMO Move

Cotton farmers in Homa Ba county have supported the move by the government to lift the ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
The farmers led by Homa-Bay Cotton Cooperative Union Chairman John Akoko and Secretary Apiyo Oloo said they were hopeful of better yields with the use of genetically
modified seeds.
This follows a Cabinet resolution which approved the adoption and re-introduction of genetically modified organisms farming in the country after previous regimes outlawed the same citing health concerns.
The union officials said their members would start to use BT cotton variety which would translate to improved yields.
In Homa Bay, more than 1,400 farmers who grow the crop have started preparing to plant the new seed variety.
Akoko urged the Homa Bay county government department of agriculture to fast-track farmers access to the GMO seeds.
He said that they have started increasing acreages under the crop to maximize returns from the improved variety.
Akoko said all their members have agreed to grow the GMO variety in the coming season.
The Chairman said there was drastic reduction in the crop production in the current season because farmers did not get quality seeds.
“The seeds we received were not compatible with the climatic conditions in Homa Bay. The low quality seed has led to low production,” Akoko said.
Speaking to the press in Homa Bay town Thursday, the Chairman urged local farmers to adopt the transgenic cotton variety.
He expressed optimism that improved production of the crop would enable the government to install ginnery and eventually textile industry in the county.
“Many farmers had abandoned the crop due to losses related to its production. Supplying farmers with BT seeds will entice them to expand the acreage under the crop,” he said adding that more people were likely to join their organization due to prospects of higher returns.
Homa Bay is among the counties with good black cotton soil that supports the growth of the crop. Until the late 90s, the county had been the largest producer of good quality cotton in the country.
Jared Nyaguda, a cotton farmer expressed hopes that the GMO variety will transform the economic fortunes of residents.
“Growing cotton in Homa Bay has faced myriad challenges starting with poor quality to shortage of seeds. Providing us with BT seed will increase production,” he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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BOM Asked To Prioritise Interests Of Schools They Serve

Board of Management (BOM) members in Narok County have been asked to prioritise the interests of schools they lead so as to improve the education standards in the county.
Narok County Education Director Jane Njogu said the community had entrusted the BOMs to lead the schools in the right direction hence expected to see improvement in all the schools.
She spoke at Ololulunga Boys’ High School during a meeting with the new board members from schools in Narok South Sub County where she rebuked some members for putting their interests firsts, which brought conflicts between the board members and teachers.
“You came here to serve and not to be served. You should put the interests of the school first so that we can improve education in this county,” said Njogu, adding that the board members had a critical role to play in the growth of the schools.
The education director called on the members to bring rich ideas on the table that will improve the schools saying the community had a lot of faith in them.
She reminded the members that their tenure lasts for three years after which the board is disbanded and new other members appointed.
However, she said, the appointment can be revoked before the expiry of three years if a member goes against the policies laid by the department of education.
The BOM is mandated to promote the best interests of the school and ensure there is development within the school as well as promoting quality education for all the learners.
Other key responsibilities include advising the County Education Board (CEB) on the staffing needs of the school and determining cases of learners’ indiscipline and presenting the report to CEB.
The board also participates in the recruitment of Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) teachers and makes recommendations on teachers’ discipline cases as guided by TSC regulations.
The school board comprises six persons elected to represent parents of the pupils in the school or local community in case of county secondary schools.
These include one nominated by the County Education Board, one representative of the teaching staff, one person representing special groups and three representatives of sponsors of the school.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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KVDA Keen To Promote Peace Through Pasture Farming

As the country continues to witness severe effects of drought in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) counties with pastoral communities engaging in perennial conflicts due to fight over resources, the Kerio valley Development Authority (KVDA) has strengthened efforts to introduce pasture farming by embracing certified grass seeds distribution to reseed and restore the degraded rangelands.
Speaking to KNA, the KVDA Managing Director Sammy Naporos said that the Authority had embarked on distribution of certified seeds for pasture development to support the government in its role in the restoration of the degraded rangelands in the ASALs and promoting peaceful coexistence among warring communities by availing enough pasture for their livestock.
He added that the authority through partnership with NGOs like the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) is able to cover a wide reach in the distribution of pasture seeds and grass to the rangelands.
“We distribute mainly to ASAL counties, and up to Somalia by FAO, they take our grass and then they distribute within ASALs all the way from Kajiado, Marsabit, Samburu, Turkana and others. Our main distributors are the NGOs who support the pasture seed development, they buy from us then distribute as part of their programme of reseeding of the degraded lands,” said Naporos.
The MD pointed out that the Authority majors at promoting pasture farming of the African Foxtail grass species scientifically called Chenchrus Ciliaris and commonly referred to as the Sudan grass, which have high nutritional value compared to the indigenous grass species. Additionally, the African foxtail species thrive well in the harsh climatic conditions of the ASALs with little rain.
“The recurring conflict between the pastoral communities in ASALs is as a result of the fight over scarce natural resources mainly pasture, through pasture farming we would counter the impacts of desertification due to degradation of arid lands through gullies and soil erosion, overstocking leading to pasture depletion in terms of quantity, when communities have enough for their livestock, they would be able to coexist peacefully by embracing sedentary lifestyles and that would promote sustainable development in the ASALs,” he said.
“The only way to replenish the diminishing grass is through reseeding by introducing the seeds afresh,” he added.
Naporos said that the authority has focused on transforming the livelihoods of farmers in the degraded rangelands through pasture farming by looking at it as an income generating activity, adding that KVDA is currently engaging 150 registered farmers at Chemeron, Marigat in Baringo County to produce the pasture seeds that are required which are then bulked and distributed mainly to the ASALs.
“Looking at pasture as income generating activity, farmers at Chemeron earn up to Sh 8 million annually from the sale of bulked pasture seeds, with the cost of 1 kg of the pasture seeds ranging between Sh 450 and Sh 500, it is a new cash crop for farmers in the ASALs, African foxtail require little rain and have high nutritional value, it has two advantages, after harvesting of seeds farmers can also make hay for pasture, “explained Naporos.
He further noted that the African Foxtail pasture grass seeds is approved by the Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) to be grown in the ASALs.
The MD also pointed out that through Sudan grass farming owing to its high nutritional value, farmers have witnessed increased milk production and improved quality of their cows’ breed.
To promote the pasture development the authority further agreed with farmers to set aside two acres each for pasture farming.
Naporos has called for the elaborate partnership between the government, KVDA and the NGOs in the efforts to support the government in its role in the restoration of the degraded rangelands in the ASALs through coming up with enough budget, as the authority looks forward to plant about a million hectares of pasture grass annually to address the effects of desertification and depletion of grass in the degraded rangelands through aerial reseeding.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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KRA To Hold Annual Tax Summit Next Week

The Annual Tax Summit 2022 will be held on Tuesday, October 11, 2022, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) announced today.
KRA Deputy Commissioner Marketing and Communication Ms. Grace Wandera announced that the one day event, which was conceptualized in 2015 and has been active since then, will happen virtually.
In a slide show presented on her behalf by the Chief Manager of Public Relations and Communication for KRA Ms. Sheila Mugusia, Wandera invited the media and stakeholders to attend the said event.
“I would like to welcome you to the KRA tax summit that will take place on Tuesday October 11 of this year. The tax summit is the seventh of its kind since its inception. We are happy to state that the event will be fully virtual as we will engage with partners from all over the world,” she reiterated.
Wandera added that the theme of the event dubbed ‘Now and Beyond; Enhanced Service Delivery to Improve Tax Compliance’ was arrived at through this year’s objectives.
“The objectives of the Africa Tax Summit (ATS) 2022 involves improving Africa tax systems by sharing ideas and innovations, enhancing capacity of tax officials by continental interactions, creating a platform and establishing continental cooperative framework,” explained Wandera.
She stressed that the summit is important as it has helped KRA improve on their service delivery over the years.
“Since inception of the tax summit which happens annually, KRA has been able to enhance service delivery by improved customer relation managing system and developing a mobile service,” she said
According to Wandera, KRA has also expressed gratitude for their growth in service delivery through partnerships.
“We are glad to have partnered with Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to offer tax education and research through its integrated programme, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in enhancing stakeholder communication and tracking progress on relationship,” she stated.
Wandera said that trading across borders has been made easier through the formation of One Stop Border Posts and the holding of bilateral meetings.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Baringo Man Slapped With Life Imprisonment For Defiling Minor

A 32-year-old man was yesterday sentenced to life imprisonment by an Eldama Ravine Court for defiling a seven-year-old orphan.
Moses Kimutai who hails from Oterit in Mogotio, Baringo County was found guilty of defilement contrary to section 8(1) as read with section 8(2) of the Sexual Offences Act no. 3 of 2006.
Kimutai was accused of intentionally and unlawfully defiling a child aged seven years old on the 13th day of September 2022 at Oterit village in Mogotio Sub-county within Baringo County.
The prosecution, led by State Counsel Rebecca Mayeku told the court how the accused waylaid the minor on the road next to her home while she was fetching firewood and led her to a nearby thicket where he committed the unlawful act.
The girl’s screams drew the attention of her sister, who, worried that she had taken too long in her firewood fetching duty, rushed to her rescue and found the accused on top of the young girl.
The sister screamed and drew the attention of their aunt who rushed to the scene and subdued the accused until members of the public arrived. They called the area chief who arrested the accused and took him to Emining police station for booking.
After examining the testimony of six witnesses, Eldama Ravine Senior Resident magistrate Alice Towett found that the prosecution’s case had satisfied the three ingredients of a defilement case namely, identification, penetration and the age of the victim.
“Section 8(2) of the Sexual Offenses Act under which the accused is herein charged provides that a person who commits an offense of defilement with a child aged eleven years or less should be sentenced to imprisonment for life,” said the Magistrate
She further explained her judgment, “upon analysis of each ingredient of the offense independently, I found that it was very clear to the court that the PW1, PW2, and PW3 who are the victim, the sister and the aunt respectively and the accused are well known to each other by the fact that the accused was engaged by the aunt to dig a pit latrine for her.”
Towett added that the accused was identified at the scene of crime where he was caught in the act by the sister of the victim whereas the aunt found him with his long trousers unzipped.
On the ingredient of penetration, the magistrate noted that the testimony of the three witnesses corroborated with that of the clinical officer, Winrose Kigen, who examined the victim and found torn hymen and tear on the labia minora of the victim thus properly establishing the ingredient of penetration.
The Magistrate further relied on the birth certificate of the minor presented in the court that proved the victim was seven years at the time of the offense and the fact that the accused did not dispute the age of the victim.
The court found out that the defense by the accused who claimed that the charges were fabricated against him by the aunt of the minor after he had gone to demand for payment of Sh2100 owed to him for digging a pit latrine could not poke holes in the watertight case by the prosecution.
Towett further stated that the accused was caught red-handed by the sister and the aunt of the victim where he was arrested and the visit to the scene by the police also established that the ground was disturbed, evidence that there had been a struggle between the victim and the accused.
“The prosecution has established all the ingredients of charges of defilement and I have no doubt in my mind that the accused is guilty as charged as the prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. I now proceed to convict the accused under section 8 (1) as read with section 8(2) of the Sexual Offenses Act no. 3 of 2006,” noted the Magistrate.
Considering the mitigation by the accused that he has young children who depended on him, Towett said she took into account that the victim is an orphan who lives with her siblings none of whom is 18 years old.
“The accused took advantage of the fact that the victim is an orphan with no one to protect her. It is the duty of the court to ensure that everyone including orphans gets justice, further the offense before the court is rampant and calls for a deterrent sentence,” said the magistrate in her ruling.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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GMO Crops Solution For Food Security

As we envision manufacturing and processing, Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) remains crucial in unraveling our economy as the institutions are tasked with provision of relevant and qualified human resources to turn around our economy.
Principal Secretary, State Department for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, Dr Margaret Mwakima chaired the 11th International Research conference at Eldoret National Polytechnic that brought researchers, innovators, technology advancement, policy and strategy makers on matters of sustainable development.
Dr Mwakima noted that one of the thematic areas of focus and interest in innovation and technology is agriculture for food security in this nation.
“We are at dispensation period where we are faced with global challenges of climate change, water scarcity, and soil infertility therefore as researchers we need to provide solutions to be able to ensure that we have food security, and be able to get innovations for us to be able to industrialize the nation and get into manufacturing economy,” Mwakima said.
She said most parts of the country are becoming drier and the soils have been depleted of nutrients and the solution to ensure that the country is able to get resilience and adaptability is Genetically Modified Food (GMO) which has been introduced.
GMO food now legal in Kenya after the Cabinet lifted the ban on growing and importation of genetically modified food and animal feeds, including white maize.
Mwakima therefore expressed hope that the GMO will offer several advantages such as higher yields and resistance to droughts and pests, this is why the government has turned to GMO crops in the hope that they will result in bigger harvests.
“Our focus as TVET in to invest more resources in Bio-technology and research to be able to get our trainees who can inform the technology in terms of its establishment and sustainability,” she said.
The PS further noted that the risks that might come with it can be addressed with the various regulatory mechanism that we have put in place and one of them is the Bio Safety Authority (NBA), but globally before a biotech food is released into the market it is usually certified by World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organizations (FAO) among others.
The chairman National Bio-Safety Authority (NBA) Dr Joseph Chavidia said, “Kenya has been reluctant to approve the import and planting of biotech crops but the decision was long overdue as enough research has been done to enable us embrace GMO as it is safe and secure for consumption.”
Speaking about the potential benefits of the biotech crops, the chairman said, “We believe the lifting of the ban of GMO will go a long way in elevating our current food security problem, so we welcome the idea as we want to significantly redefine agriculture in our country and reduce its dependence on water intensive agriculture by planting crops that are drought resistant.
“We encourage Kenyans to embrace GMO, ultimately our aim is for us to get food to the table that is safe and free and improve the farmer’s economic status and to avoid the many perceived challenges,” he noted.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Kenya to teach coding early in school

EDUCATION stakeholders in Kenya have affirmed their commitment to the early introduction of the coding curriculum in schools.
This is to help learners acquire technical skills relevant to a digital economy.
Technology is rapidly changing the landscape of the workforce with employers across the world increasingly seeking a digitally skilled labour force.
It is projected that by 2030, more than half of all jobs in Kenya will require some level of digital skills with the demand being primarily driven by enterprises adopting digital technologies.
The Kenya Association of International Schools (KAIS), in partnership with Education Technologies firm, Kodris Africa, and Kenya Commercial Bank have convened a digital skills symposium that brought together various stakeholders from the education and ICT sectors.
The event delved into the computing and coding curriculum and the importance of incorporating digital skills in primary and secondary schools. Also present were tech giants Microsoft, Google Safaricom and Liquid Telcom among others.
Jane Mwangi, KAIS Head of Secretariat, underscored the need to train learners on digital skills from the elementary level.
She mentioned developed countries like Singapore and Japan, where they have been teaching coding to their learners from the kindergarten level.
“As we have also done that as international schools, we are glad that public and private schools are finally catching up. We have no option but to make coding part of our lifestyle,” she said.
Speaking during the event attended by close to 100 primary and secondary schools, Jack Ngare, head of Google in Africa, said the only way Kenya and Africa are going to stay at par with developed nations is by introducing coding at the elementary level of schooling.
Catherine Muraga, Managing Director, Microsoft Africa Development Centre, said coding has become central to all career paths.
“The need to teach learners how to solve problems through coding has become a lot more important that we have to pay attention,” she said.
“It is as important as English or French in communication. We have to make sure our children are well equipped for efficiency and productivity,” Muraga said.
Coding involves translating instructions for a computer from human language to a language a machine/computer can understand.
Technologies on smartphones, ATM cards, mobile money, Internet banking, e-learning and telemedicine all run on codes.
Globally, employment in computer and IT occupations is projected to grow 13 percent from 2020 to 2030, faster than the average for all occupations.

Source: CAJ News Agency

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VICE CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES CLOSES ANNUAL FINANCIAL EXPENDITURE MANAGEMENT FORUM

Vice Chief of the Defence Forces (VCDF) Lieutenant General Francis Ogolla has today, 7th October 2022, presided over the closing ceremony of the annual Public Financial Management Forum held at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies (KSMS) in Nairobi.
The five-day forum themed: ‘Effective Resource Management to Enhance Operational Efficiency,’ saw over 100 participants taken through training that will assist them discharge their financial obligations with prudence.
In his opening remarks, VCDF called upon the participants to make good use of the skills they have gained in order to enrich and improve on their service delivery. He also asked the participants to observe the tenets of good public finance management.
The VCDF further encouraged the participants to put to good practise and share the knowledge acquired on public finance management in order to achieve the Ministry’s goals.
The facilitators comprised of officials from National Treasury and Planning, Office of the Controller of Budget, Office of the Auditor General and the National Construction Authority.

Source: Ministry of Defence

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NATIONAL FLAG HANDOVER TO THE 58TH WORLD MILITARY CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS

Director Defence National Security Industries Major General Bernard Waliaula on 7th October 2021, presided over the flag handover ceremony of the KDF Cross Country team heading to Portugal, for the 58th edition of the World Military Cross Country Championships at the Defence Headquarters in Nairobi.
Through a message relayed by Major General Bernard Waliaula, Chief of Defence Forces Gen Robert Kibochi lauded the team urging them to maintain high standards of discipline and uphold the image of KDF and that of the Country.
Further, he stated that this was an opportunity for them to interact with other military contingents which will enable sportsmen and women to come together and share the warmth and spirit of brotherhood and friendship through sports.
“KDF recognises the need for having comprehensive sports development programs with the need of producing elite world class sports men and women in the major disciplines,” he added.
The Kenyan Flag was handed over to Captain Moses Leteipa on behalf of Chef- de- Mission Colonel Benjamin Kiprop.
The championships will run from 10 to 14 October 2022 in Beja, Portugal and Kenya is among the countries invited to take part in the Competitions of the International Sports Council (CISM).

Source: Ministry of Defence