Day: November 23, 2023

The government in collaboration with USAID and UNICEF, has launched the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Adolescent Health, and Nutrition (RMNCAHN) Equity Programme in a move aimed at improving the well-being of communities.

The initiative which will run for a three-year period in the Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASAL) counties of Mandera, Wajir, Garissa, and Isiolo aligns seamlessly with the government’s broader Universal Health Care (UHC) agenda.

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Nakhumicha, in a speech read on her behalf by head of the Department of Family Health Dr. Issak Bashir, emphasized the national significance of the RMNCAHN Equity Programme, particularly in light of ASAL counties contributing to higher national health statistics.

The CS stated that, ‘this represents a significant stride and unwavering commitment in addressing health equity across Kenya.’

She said that the government’s concern about lowering child mortality rates and promoting family planning is particularly pertinent in ASAL co
unties, which currently record the highest fertility rates according to Kenya Health Statistics (KHS).

On his part, Isiolo County Governor Abdi Ibrahim also emphasized the initiative’s role in enhancing and achieving Universal Health Care.

Governor Ibrahim pledged full support from the governors, highlighting their dedication to reducing child mortality rates in ASAL counties.

Governor Ibrahim also acknowledged the impact of climate change on children in ASAL regions, citing health hazards such as flooding leading to waterborne diseases, displacement, and even loss of life.

He commended the participating organizations for reaching the ASAL counties and assured continued collaboration.

He at the same time challenged stakeholders to focus on impactful projects that would fortify the initiative, reinforcing the collective commitment to ensuring the success of this ambitious health equity program.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government has asked members of public to give feedback on services offered by the government as way of assessing performance and help improve the services.

The State Department for Performance and Delivery Management Principal Secretary, Veronica Nduva said that feedback through complaints and compliments will help assess performance of public institutions and improve on services offered and in so doing enable citizen access services efficiently.

‘It is vital to not only recognize the complaints but also the compliments of Kenyans for this will help the concerned institutions to continue or improve on areas of weakness highlighted by the members of the Public,’ she said.

She urged public servants to serve with humility, grace and recognition of the job at hand. She echoed the sentiments of Wycliffe Thirikwa, a beneficiary of the ombudsman office, who stated that public officers should not undermine citizens’ complaints and should serve wholeheartedly since they are only custodians of the office.

The
PS was speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) Nairobi during the fourth edition of the Huduma Ombudsman Awards 2023 organised by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) to celebrate outstanding public officers and institutions.

This year’s theme was ‘Improved Public Service Delivery by Deepening and Strengthening Administrative Justice and Access to Information.’

Several institutions and individuals bagged prestigious accolades in different categories. Kenya Revenue Authority, Huduma Kenya and National Council for Law Reporting won first place in institutional groupings among others.

Corporal Julius Karanja Irungu, a police officer Stationed at Wajir SOG won the Ombudsman valor award for his bravery during an IED terror attack in Wajir.

Another notable winner was Precious Dama Randu, Assistant County Commisioner, Matsangoni division in Kilifi North Sub- County who excelled in the public service delivery category.

The awards consisted of individual, institutional and Ombuds
man valor Award categories that appreciate effective, accountable and a responsive public service. The commission has adopted this approach to promote compliance with administrative justice and access to information

The CAJ Chairperson, Florence Kajuju underscored the need to sensitize Kenyans on the use of the public portal of the Complaints Management Information System (CMIS) to lodge their complaints. ‘The commission has strengthened the complains turning mechanism by training government officers, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to build their capacity to manage walk- ins’ she said

Source: Kenya News Agency

Residents from the upper Eastern region want the government to empower land registrars and administrators at the Sub County levels to enhance quality service delivery.

Speaking during a public participation exercise on the land law (Amendment) bill 2023, the residents said that as it stands, the offices were incapacitated in terms of finance and the workforce and this was the main hindrance to serving Kenyans satisfactorily.

‘I am very sure that by reforming the land sector, the government is set to get more revenue.’

We are expecting that this will in return be used to give our registrars and land administrators more money as well as employ more staff in order to reach more people in remote areas in need of the services,’ said Mr Harrison Marete from Meru County lands control board.

He added that most of the residents in need of the critical services were tacked into the interior parts of the counties and the land registrars can’t access such areas due to mobility inconveniences.

‘Some poor families ca
nnot raise money to get to the lands offices and hence end up giving up on the efforts of getting the required documents for their parcels of land. As a result, ‘cartels’ end up taking this advantage to grab their lands through backdoors,’ said Mr Marete.

Sospeter Njeru from Tharaka Nithi County said the exercise was an eye-opener to the residents and called on the ministry to consider holding more of such forums for the benefit of those who were not participants in the exercise.

The exercise which was held at Imenti North National Government Constituency Fund (NGCDF) offices and attracted stakeholders from Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi and Embu Counties.

One of the team leaders during the exercise and who is the Director of Survey Mr Weldon Maritim said unscrupulous surveyors were to blame for the mess in land allocations in settlement schemes and riparian lands.

He expressed confidence that if passed, the new law will eliminate quacks and fraudsters as well as help in streamlining service delive
ry through the National Land Information Management System.

He said the proposed statute provided for strict adherence to the law and would therefore not allow for illegal transactions.

The Director added that the bill would seal loopholes which impersonators, fraudsters and middlemen capitalized on to solicit bribes, and upholds the integrity of land ownership documents which will ensure money paid by Kenyans will go directly to the government.

Senior Counsel Mr Thomas Abuta who was also part of the lead team indicated that there was need to amend outdated legislations in line with the 2010 constitution in order to address many outstanding land issues.

If assented into law, he added, the proposed bill will lay ground for the review and introduction of the long-awaited new land laws as enshrined in the 2010 constitution.

He said some of the current laws were enacted in 1962 and therefore needs to be reviewed as the constitution requires that land laws should be reviewed after every 10 years, for better m
anagement of land use in the country.

The Bill proposes to amend the Registration of Documents Act; the Land Control Act; the Land Registration Act, 2012; the Land Act, 2012; Community Land Act, 2016; and, the Sectional Properties Act, 2020.

The Regulations under review include The Survey Regulations (Amendment), 2023; The Survey (Electronic Cadastral Transactions) (Amendment) Regulations, 2023; The Community Land Regulations (Amendment) 2023; The Physical and Land Use Planning (Planning Fees (Amendment) Regulations, 2023; The Valuers (Forms and Fees) (Amendment) Rules, 2023; The Land Regulations (Amendment) 2023; and, The Land Registration (General) Regulations (Amendment), 2023.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Residents of Kajiado North sub-county have taken part in a public participation forum on the upcoming sewerage system project to be implemented by the Tana Athi Water Services Board.

The forum held in Ngong town provided residents with the opportunity to highlight their opinions on the project ahead of its implementation.

According to Samuel Kimutai, an urban planner working on the sewerage system project, the project is currently in the design stage.

‘The timeline for the design stage is two years. When we are done with the public participation forum, we are going to improve the design of the project,’ Kimutai said.

In conclusion the public participation and sensitization forums, the design for the sewerage system will be completed and tendered by the government for commencement of implementation on the construction work.

President William Ruto in 2022 promised residents of Ongata Rongai, Kiserian, and Ngong towns in Kajiado North Sub County that he would construct a sewerage system for them.

He had t
old the residents during a tour of the area that construction plans were in the pipeline to facilitate easier waste disposal from the mentioned areas.

‘I know that Rongai residents have experienced a shortage of water and there has not been a sewerage system to ensure proper hygiene,’ Ruto noted, adding that the construction of a sewer line would upgrade the satellite towns of the County and make them more conducive for living.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Rift Valley National Polytechnic (RVNP) has inked a deal with Data Annotation and Model Validation Solutions Company, Lish AI Labs, to train at least 1,500 youth and women on computer vision and data labelling services, a field in high demand by Artificial Intelligence (AI) developers and Machine Learning (ML) engineers globally.

Lish AI Labs Director Mr Dan Njiriri said after the training, the beneficiaries will be linked to job opportunities across the world.

The training programme will cover a variety of areas, including computer vision, machine learning, and data annotation.

Participants will also receive soft skills training on topics such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Mr Njiriri announced that the first and second cohorts of over 300 beneficiaries who include current and former students of RVNP and youth and women from the surrounding community who have already undergone training are now engaged by various foreign firms to carry out data annotation or data labelling, which is tea
ching a machine to identify things and activities and react to them.

The activity also involves the process of labelling data with relevant tags to make it easier for computers to understand and interpret.

The data can be in the form of images, text, audio or video and data annotators are required to label it as accurately as possible.

In the modern age of advanced technologies, Mr Njiriri explained that, AI systems are relying on vast amounts of accurately labelled data to help machines learn and make informed decisions and this is where annotators come in.

In essence, data annotation acts as the bridge in the gap between raw data and intelligent algorithms that aid machines in aspects such as computer vision and natural language processing.

The Director said the trainings being conducted at RVNP’s Jitume Lab are aimed at ensuring Kenyans are getting the skills and being open to opportunities in the global space.

He said this will enable them to exploit opportunities available online and earn a sustain
able income.

‘We need to build a digitally enabled workforce if we are going to achieve and realise the dream of a digital economy,’ he said.

Lish Al Labs has entered into similar arrangements with Jeremiah Nyagah Technical Training Institute and Runyenjes Institute both based in Embu County.

It has also entered into the same arrangement with Eldama Ravine Vocational Centre and Rift Valley Innovation Centre both situated in Baringo County.

Under the arrangement Konza Technopolis has committed to providing 100 computers to all Technical Vocational Education Training Institutes (TVETS) to facilitate training in AI.

Mr Njiriri confirmed that so far 116 TVETS in the country have received the gadgets from Konza Technopolis.

Mr Njiriri explained that to get a training placement all that is needed is for one to be fluent in both written and spoken English, and have basic computer skills.

Recruits are trained on general office applications, web research skills, and foundational knowledge of AI and data annotat
ion.

‘We train them to pay keen attention to detail because the AI models we are training require highly precise data inputs and quality is extremely important to the clients,’ said the Director.

According to Mr Njiriri, by training the Country’s youth, Lish Al Labs is actively working to position Kenya as an ideal investment destination for players in the global AI value chain.

He said the company’s efforts are aligned to the Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BeTA) touching on the Digital Economy Transformation.

According to recent research by the McKinsey Global Institute on generative AI and productivity, the AI value chain can generate value equivalent to $2.6 trillion to $4.4 trillion in global corporate profits annually.

RVNP Principal Mr Sammy Chemoiwa said the over 300 individuals who have already undergone training were working on various projects for international firms executing tasks that include labelling images and videos for machine learning algorithms as part of upstr
eam AI data building.

He disclosed that they were earning between Sh 9,000 to 20,000 per week.

He said the initiative is part of RVNP’s mission to expand opportunities for the underserved through the digital economy in Kenya and helping the surrounding community lift itself out of poverty and build sustainable careers in the tech industry.

Mr Chemoiwa indicated that the digital economy has emerged as a transformative force globally, and Kenya is well positioned to contribute to creating a more inclusive AI ecosystem where everyone has a chance to make a meaningful impact.

He indicated that youth and women around the institution have a potential of making Sh 5 million per week by offering AI services.

‘The heart of our mission lies in harnessing the potential of marginalized communities and providing them with the tools and skills they need to thrive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. By focusing on underserved youth and women in Nakuru we aim to bridge the digital divide and pave the way for sust
ainable economic growth,’ added the Pprincipal.

He went on ‘Through this initiative, we are not only creating employment opportunities for Kenyan youths but also ensuring that Kenya plays a significant role in shaping the future of AI development. Together, we’re fostering innovation, creating opportunities, and building a brighter future where Kenyan talent fuels the global AI revolution’

The principal noted that Kenya is well-positioned to contribute to creating a more inclusive AI ecosystem where everyone can make a meaningful impact.

He assured that trainers at Jitume Lab were undertaking ‘a moral, ethical and societal duty’ to protect people from the dangers posed by artificial intelligence.

Mr Chemoiwa observed that human oversight is crucial to preventing the weaponisation or misuse of this technology, which has applications in everything from military intelligence to medical diagnosis to making art.

‘To provide order and stability in the midst of global technological change, I firmly believe that
we must be guided by a common set of understandings among nations. Like any other tool AI is subject to its user’s intention and can be used to deceive, misinform or hurt people,’ observed Mr Chemoiwa.

Faith Chepkoech, one of the beneficiaries of the first cohort stated that data annotation is critical for building domain-specific AI applications, noting that every industry has its own unique requirements and context that necessitate specific tailored labelling.

‘In the automotive industry, for example, data labelling allows AI-driven motor vehicles to recognize and understand road signs, pedestrians, other vehicles and objects, ensuring the safety and efficiency of human-driven vehicles,’ she stated.

The beneficiaries she explained were offering data annotation and validation for machine learning algorithms in a range of US based industries that include automotive, biotechnology, agriculture, virtual reality, manufacturing, and e-commerce.

Ms Cheptoo observed that countries that have adopted this technol
ogy are optimizing crop yields and improving healthcare diagnostics, transportation, logistics and more.

According to Emmanuel Juma, another beneficiary, For Africa to become a global solutions provider, it must leverage AI to turn poverty into an opportunity.

And this, he added, requires AI to boost access to quality education and skills development.

Mr Juma observed that the application of AI in real-world scenarios is more important than theoretical discussion. Africa, he said, must focus on practical use cases and develop AI-driven solutions.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Financial constraint is affecting the provision of specialized medical care to patients visiting the Mwai Kibaki Hospital.

According to Dr. Peter Muiruri, the facility’s Director, the lack of a capital budget has forced the hospital to concentrate on offering basic services as it awaits capitation from the State to operationalize crucial health care services such as the provision of advanced Radiology services such as Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI) and theater equipment.

Dr Muiruri who was giving a status report of the four-year-old Level Six hospital before the Central Regional Implementation Coordination and Management Committee (NGD-RICMC) said they have written to the Ministry of Health over the matter but have yet to receive funding.

In total, the facility needs more than Sh.600 million to equip critical medical services according to the report presented to the regional committee on Thursday.

‘What I would probably like to ask this secretariat (NGD-RICMC) is to cascade this roadmap of becoming an
independent Level Six hospital. We have prepared that roadmap for the Ministry of Health and given those documents but again the resources that are needed are a challenge. As it is now Mwai Kibaki is a level Six hospital purely because it is under the incubation of Kenyatta National Hospital,’ he told the committee.

The hospital which has a bed capacity of 350 is an annex of the Kenyatta National Hospital and was established to provide a wide range of healthcare services such as surgeries, diagnostics, critical care, and maternal and child health care among others.

Since opening its doors to the public, the referral hospital has managed to attend to a total of 59,544 patients in its specific specialized clinics.

So far, the facility has also managed to conduct 25 multidisciplinary specialized outreaches within the region, installed a 1500/min oxygen production plant that serves both the inmates and patients in other hospitals, and increased the number of ICU beds from the initial seven to 20.

Dr Mururi ho
wever said the lack of specialized equipment especially for those seeking imaging and specialized surgical services has forced the hospital which has a 500-strong staff to refer patients to the Nyeri County Referral Hospital.

‘We are able to do most of the tests which are required but for radiology services, we keep on referring the patients for the services either to the main hospital. For the most highly advanced services like neurosurgery, periodontics, and orthodontics we require some key equipment and the capital requirement for such equipment,’ he explained further.

Construction of the Mwai Kibaki Hospital started in 2010 at a cost of Sh 1 billion.

After its completion in 2019, the facility was first named Othaya Level Six Hospital before it was renamed Kenyatta National Hospital, Othaya Annex.

Following the death of Kenya’s third president Mwai Kibaki, in April last year, the facility was renamed The Mwai Kibaki Hospital in his honor.

The 350-bed capacity facility which is situated in Othaya, was
meant to offer specialized treatment for Nyeri residents and eight other counties that form the Mount Kenya region. It was also meant to decongest the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.

In May last year, the hospital installed an oxygen plant, a kitchen, and laundry areas at a cost of Sh 500 million.

The state-of-the-art oxygen plant can produce up to 2.6 million liters of oxygen in a day, enough to supply medical facilities within and outside the county.

At the time Dr Muiruri said that the operationalization would solve the oxygen deficiency experienced by hospitals around the Mount Kenya region and would reduce the cost incurred while transporting the gas cylinders from independent oxygen producers.

‘Currently we are only utilizing one channel to produce about 1,800 liters of oxygen, which means we can fill more than 30 cylinders per minute. We intend to supply this important gas to other counties but it will be at a reasonable fee so that we can be able to sustain the functions of the plant,’ said
the official during the ceremony to commission the facilities.

And in management matters Muiruri told the committee that the hospital would continue to operate under the management board of the KNH until such a time when it will be given the green light to become independent.

The meeting, which was held at the Central Regional Commissioner’s boardroom, was chaired by the Central Region Deputy Commissioner Benson Leparmorijo, NGD-RICMC secretary, Mukami Matemu among other members of the committee.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Three people are nursing injuries after being attacked by a hyena in Limanet area, Narok North Sub-County.

Confirming the incident, John Momanyi, Narok central police Commander, said three residents were nursing injuries after being attacked by a hyena in Limanet area near Narok Town.

The incident occurred in the wee hours of Wednesday, 3 a.m., when the hyenas invaded a home of residents attacking three members of the family; Two adults and an 11-year-old boy leaving them with injuries.

Momanyi also urged the resident to always report such matters to the relevant authorities before taking any action in their hands.

He also said the injured persons had been taken to Narok Referral Hospital for treatment, saying that the residents killed the hyena.

Further, Momanyi said Narok is one of the counties where wildlife is a source of tourist attractions, urging the residents not to kill wildlife.

According to one of the victims Mpantin’ga Mondoi, the hyena invaded their homestead at around 3 am and attacked th
eir cows and sheep.

Mondoi said he heard the mooing of the cows outside being attacked by the hyena after which he went out of the house and tried to fight the hyena, but it overpowered him biting his leg.

The two other family members who rushed to his rescue were also attacked and injured by the hyena.

‘I was trying to save my sheep and cows, when the hyena turned on me and I was bitten on the leg. When my brother tried to save me from the hyena he was also attacked,’ narrated Mondoi.

The village elder Jackson Napati, said the hyena killed 2 cows, 3 donkeys, and 2 sheep, leaving others with injuries.

Napati urged the Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) to relocate the wildlife before they cause more damage and losses.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya has been elected as a member of the World Heritage Committee during the 24th Session of the General Assembly of State Parties in Paris, France.

The 15th session of the General Assembly of States Parties to the World Heritage Convention elected Kenya and Peru to the World Heritage Committee at the 3rd open ballot.

The World Heritage Committee is composed of the following countries Benin, Canada, Chile, Cuba, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lithuania, Madagascar, Mauritius, Morocco, and the Netherlands.

Other state parties include New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Tunisia, and the United States of America.

Kenya formally ratified the 1972 Convention concerning the Protection of the World’s Cultural and Natural Heritage, also known as the ‘World Heritage Convention,’ on Wednesday this week.

The committee meets every year to inscribe sites on the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List and to review the state of sites already on the List and whether action needs to be taken
to support their safeguarding. It also maintains the List of World Heritage in Danger.

There are currently 851 cultural or natural sites on the World Heritage List for their unique natural and cultural value, and they are situated in 141 countries including Kenya.

Africa has the highest number of sites on the world heritage list in danger exacerbated by climate change, poor management, armed conflicts, pollution, poaching, and uncontrolled urbanization.

Kenya promotes its world heritage sites and biospheres in a bid to enhance their tourism and economic value to the country.

To become a World Heritage Site, a place such as a monument, forest, island, lake, desert, and mountain has to be recognized for its special cultural and natural value.

Kenya has 7 cultural and natural sites that are designated by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites because of their importance in cultural, historical, natural, and archaeological value.

The cultural sites include the Lamu Old Town, Forte Jesus, The Sacred Kayas of Mijiken
da, and the Thimlich Ohinga Archeological Site.

The natural sites are Kenya’s Lake System in the Great Rift Valley (Lake Bogoria, Lake Nakuru, and Lake Elementaita), Lake Turkana National Parks, and Mt. Kenya National Park/Natural Forest.

The forte Jesus built by the Portuguese in 1596 was declared a World Heritage site by UNESCO in 2011 and highlighted as one of the outstanding and well-preserved examples of 16th century Portuguese military fortifications.

Source: Kenya News Agency