Day: February 11, 2024

Private security companies will know on Tuesday if they will be compelled to implement a legal notice setting the minimum wage for their guards as directed by the government.

Eldoret High Court Judge Justice Reuben Nyakundi is set to deliver a ruling on whether the security firms should comply with the requirement or continue paying their guards at the current rates under legal notice PSRA/005/2023, pending the hearing and determination of an application filed by private security companies.

The security firms moved the High Court under a certificate of urgency, seeking conservatory orders to put on hold the implementation of the legal notice as directed by the Private Security Regulatory Authority (PSRA) Director General Fazul Mohamed.

Justice Nyakundi said he would not want to cause injustice in the whole process and asked the parties involved to avail themselves before court, where he will rule on whether the security firms would have to pay their security guards as per the revised rates or not.

The Min
istry of Interior and National Administration, the Attorney General, and the Private Security Regulatory Authority Director General have been named as respondents in the matter.

Justice Nyakundi directed all the parties involved to be available on Tuesday next week at 10 a.m. for a status conference.

Through their lawyer, Kevin Kimaru, the security companies pleaded with the court to put on hold the implementation of the directive from the government owing to the hard economic challenges the industry is facing currently.

The lawyer argued that in the event the government directive is implemented, the private security industry will be thrown into a major crisis.

‘Your Lordship, we pray that you issue orders for the status quo to be maintained to save the sector from collapsing in the wake of the tough economic challenges facing the country,’ argued lawyer Kimaru.

The security firms are apprehensive they could be the next to be de-registered by PSRA the way nine other security companies were deregistered a
nd their certificates of registration and licenses revoked last week by the PSRA director for violating government directives by not complying with the minimum wage regulations as ordered in a seven-day ultimatum asking them to pay security guards the minimum wage of Sh30,000.

Those affected include Victory Protective Services Africa Limited, Victory Consultants Limited, Bedrock Security Services Limited, Bedrock Security Alarm System, and Product Limited. Seace East Africa Limited, Hipora Security Solutions Limited, Salam Fikira

International (Kenya) Limited, Macro Security Limited, and Superb Marketing Solution Limited were also affected.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Thousands of Catholic faithful on Saturday, thronged the Komarock Shrine in Kangundo, Machakos County, for the annual pilgrimage prayers.

The pilgrims from all walks of life gathered for the day-long prayers led by Machakos Diocese Bishop Norman King’oo.

Governor Wavinya Ndeti was among the key leaders who attended the prayers.

In his homily, Bishop King’oo called for patience and tolerance from Kenyans during these tough economic times.

‘I call on Kenyans not to be quick to anger. When we become upset, we may end up making mistakes that can destroy the country,’ said Bishop King’oo.

He also called on Kenyans to pray for the country as it navigates the harsh economic times.

Bishop King’oo urged leaders to crusade for the rights of Kenyans through the existing structures of governance.

The Prelate noted that elected leaders have a responsibility to safeguard the rights and interests of Kenyans, especially during these times when many households were hurting.

‘Kenyans are looking up to the leaders they
elected because they are their representatives, and they should not let things get out of hand,’ said Rt. Rev. King’oo.

He called on the government to fast-track the process of providing affordable and quality healthcare, noting that the majority of Kenyans seeking health care services were suffering.

Governor Wavinya pledged to fulfil the promises she made during the electioneering period.

‘I will also run my government in a transparent way and ensure prudent utilisation of resources,’ Wavinya said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Bandari FC lost 1-0 to visiting Nairobi City Stars in a Kenya Premier League (KPL) match on Saturday at KPA Mbaraki Sports Club.

Vincent Owino scored the sole goal of the game to clinch victory for City Stars in the 34th minute, past Bandari goalkeeper Joseph Ochuka, who failed to save the shot.

The win moved the City Stars to second position after 21 games, with 37 points, while Bandari fell to fifth position with 34 points.

Nicholas Muyoti, City Stars coach, was impressed with his team’s performance, indicating that they played a tactical game.

‘The boys did their best today, and that is why we won. We played excellent defense since we knew our opponents, Bandari, were an offensive team.

They put us under a lot of pressure, but my defenders kept their composure, and we returned to Nairobi with three points,’ said Muyoti.

He noted that they have already fulfilled their seasonal target because they did not expect to be in the position they are in now, although they are not looking forward to winning the
league.

Bandari Coach John Baraza said that his team’s failure to capitalise on numerous opportunities presented during the game cost them the victory.

‘Sometimes, you just accept the result. I would like to use this opportunity to congratulate City Stars on their victory. My boys’ mentality was good, as you can see by how hard they fought to win the game, but football is a crazy game at times,’ stated Baraza.

The coach is optimistic they can actualize their dream of winning the league despite the points differences with the league frontrunners, Gor Mahia FC.

Bandari is preparing to play last-place Nzoia Sugar away, while Nairobi City Stars are preparing to face Gor Mahia in Nairobi. Both matches are scheduled for Saturday, February 17.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kakamega County Disability Caucus is lobbying for the needs of persons with disabilities to be fully captured in the County Budget document.

The Chair of the Caucus, Lucy Mulombi, said that people with disabilities understand the importance of the budget document that informs how the county government allocates and spends funds.

She was speaking during a training session for PWD budget champions at a Kakamega hotel in preparation for the county public participation forum for the County Fiscal Strategy Paper that will take place on the 15th of this month.

Mulombi, who also represents PWDs in the County Budget and Economic Forum Committee chaired by Governor Fernandes Barasa, noted that most times their issues were not fully captured for lack of awareness by disabled persons and aggressiveness to lobby for the same.

‘From today on, we are going to lobby with the sector departments just to ensure that our priorities are 100 per cent captured,’ she noted.

The training of the Budget Champions was supported by
the United Disabled Persons of Kenya (UDPK), the Kenya Network for Women and Girls with Disabilities, and facilitated by International Budget Partnership (IBP) facilitator Paul Odongo.

Mulombi appealed to county officials to always invite budget champions during public participation forums who can articulate issues to come up with a budget that is disability-friendly and inclusive of gender issues.

She said that one of the ways that PWDs are enjoying the fruit of devolution is through public participation forums, and she asked the county government to always give them feedback on the memoranda they submit.

A PWD representative from Mumias West, Gregory Nanzai, called for inclusivity in the budget and urged the county government to give them the opportunity during public participation forums to make their contribution.

Barthes Wechuli Sifuna, the chair of the Navakholo Disability Initiative group, asked the county government to increase allocation to PWDs, women, and youth to enable them to establish busin
esses and other self-empowerment activities to generate their income.

‘We are urging our Members of County Assembly (MCAs) to pass bills that come to the assembly so that PWDs get empowered through good legislation and financial support,’ he added.

The IBP-trained Budget Facilitator, Paul Odongo, said that people with disabilities are now more informed of their rights than before and asked the county government to ensure that the allocation of funds for the group in the Annual Development Plan (ADP) is reflected in the final budget.

‘PWDs are very important people in this community, and they should not be marginalised,’ he added.

He also called for equipping Special Needs Education (SNE) schools and ensuring they have enough facilities to support smooth learning.

‘We have seen disability mainstreaming in health. The county should take action on matters of Special Needs Education (SNE). The SNE school should be fully equipped, even if we have a vocational school or Early Childhood Development Education Ce
ntres(ECDE). They should cater for those facilities and also train enough special needs teachers so that they will be able to support the PWDs,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has urged Ethiopians to inherit the positive assets of their forefathers from the victory of Adwa to solve contemporary challenges and build prosperous Ethiopia.

In a momentous ceremony steeped in history and hope, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugurated today the Adwa Victory Memorial in the presence of President Sahlework Zewde, Deputy Prime Minister Temesgen Tiruneh, Supreme Court President Tedros Mihret, House of Peoples Representatives Speaker Tagesse Chafo, Prosperity Party Deputy Chairman, Army Chief of Staff Field Marshial Birhanu Jula, high-ranking government officials, diplomats and other invited dignitaries.

The memorial, a testament to the legendary 1896 Battle of Adwa, stands as a beacon of Ethiopian resilience and self-determination.

Its unveiling, 128 years after the resounding victory, resonated deeply with the Prime Minister.

He attributed its realization to a confluence of “chance, struggle, and hard work,” highlighting the pivotal role these elements play in shap
ing human destiny.

‘Human life is filled with chance and struggle. When chance and struggle conflate attainment occurs.’

We, Ethiopians, are inherently fortunate, declared Abiy, his voice resonating with pride. This very identity, being Ethiopian, is a privilege we possess.

Abiy noted: ‘We all Ethiopians here are lucky. What makes us lucky is the fact that we are Ethiopians.’

While other nations with shared ancestry may strive to build such monuments, but they cannot embody the spirit of heroes of Adwa such as Minilik, Balcha, or Alula . This is a legacy uniquely ours.

He added: ‘Other countries with black people can build such amazing memorial, but they cannot be the son of Minilik, Balcha, or Alula. Ethiopianness is a privilege we are endowed with. But we realized this memorial through struggle and endeavor.’

Thus, ‘We inaugurated this Adwa victory memorial here, in a manner that matches Ethiopia, after 128 years today, through hard work, struggle and endeavor to pass it to the next generation,’ Abiy
said.

However, the Prime Minister acknowledged that Ethiopia’s journey has not been without its thorns.

Our forefathers had known on what issue they became cooperative and made difference. They also knew the difference between the government and the interests of the country.

The forefathers have the knowledge that identifies government and state interest and called on the new generation to inherit the positive assets from them.

Our forefathers, the Prime Minister emphasized, understood the power of unity and discernment. They distinguished between the government and the true interests of the nation. This wisdom is a crucial inheritance we must embrace.

He urged the younger generation to not simply inherit the “fires” of the past, but to harness the true spirit of Adwa’s victors. This spirit, he elaborated, embodies the eradication of poverty, unwavering defense against invaders, the preservation of dignity, and the achievement of food sovereignty.

Furthermore, Abiy underscored the enduring lesson of sep
arating government interests from the national good, a wisdom gleaned from the triumphs of Ethiopia’s ancestors.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Mwea Rice Farmers have recorded increased yields since the completion of Thiba Dam over a year ago.

The scheme is currently producing an annual estimate of 114,000 metric tonnes for the last 3-years.

Mwea Irrigation Settlement Scheme (MIS) is located in Kirinyaga County and falls within two sub-counties, Mwea East and Mwea West sub-counties.

The development of the scheme started in 1954 from the Tebere section with about 65 acres of irrigation farming and has since grown to the current gazetted area of 30,050 acres.

The Scheme Manager, Innocent Ariemba, said the expansion of the scheme is due to support from the national government and development partners.

The Japanese International Corporation Agency (JICA) is a major partner that has constructed the Nyamidi Water Intake, the Mwea Irrigation Agricultural Development (MIAD) research centre, and the Thiba Dam.

The completion of Thiba Dam, which has ensured a steady supply of water, has almost doubled production to about 220,000 metric tonnes.

The dam,
which is 40 metres deep and 1 kilometre long and helps stabilise water supplies in the Mwea Irrigation Scheme, has allowed farmers to double rice crop production.

However, in the first year of completion, the country experienced a severe drought, and the dam did not collect enough water to its full capacity.

After long rains, the dam was filled to the brim, releasing water into the Thiba River via spillway.

This year, all farmers will do double cropping, relying on water storage in the dam in case of low rains.

The scheme accounts for 80 per cent of rice production in the country. There have been two rice-growing seasons, but since the completion of the dam, there have been three seasons, whereby the main season starts in July and ends in December. The second starts in October and ends in February, while the third starts in February and ends in July.

The additional expansion of irrigated area is now at 5000 acres, relying on improvised water canals and waterways. Upon full completion of all modern canals
, the new area will be 10,000 acres. The scheme has a total length of 10,000km of canals and 500km of access roads, which, according to Ariemba, will require much attention due to double cropping.

He added that there have been plans to upgrade all access roads in all weather.

‘The total expansion will be 10,000 acres once the new canals are completed; as of now, using improvised waterways, we have added almost 5,000 acres,’ Ariemba said.

The scheme manager says different varieties grow differently and require different agronomy practices.

Farmers are not restricted to certain varieties but are coordinated based on research and water patterns.

The main 3 varieties are Basmati, which takes 120 days to mature, Kwamboka, 115 and Hybrid 130.

Basmati Premium, commonly called Pishori, is common in markets, but farmers are encouraged to adopt high-yielding varieties.

Ariemba highlighted some of the benefits and achievements of the scheme to locals and the nation.

With 17,000 farmers/households registered in t
he scheme, the average population directly benefiting from it is over 80,000 individuals, given that the majority of households are made up of five people.

‘We have over 17,000 registered farmers in the entire scheme, and with every farmer having an average of 5 people, the scheme is serving over 80000 individuals,’ he said.

The business at Ngurubani/Mwea town has expanded from industrialization by private millers to accommodate trading activities.

The people employed to work in the farms and millers and through the value chain of processing white rice, paddy, hay, and recycling rice husk have been a source of income.

The scheme also provides opportunities for the private sector, who may want to invest in other businesses to serve the Mwea people.

Ariemba said the total value chain is over Sh9 billion, making it one of the largest economies in Kenya. The national Mwea scheme produces 80% of local rice, which is key to national food security.

The major challenge to the scheme is climate change, extreme d
roughts, or heavy rains, which were minimised by the dam.

A shortage of water will also be a challenge in the future, according to the manager, because of the huge potential for expansion in the area.

Pests and diseases are another nightmare for the farmers, especially Quelea birds and snails. The migratory bird’s pattern is dynamic, making it difficult to control.

Marketing has also been dynamic, but the Kenya National Trading Corporation has agreed to purchase the rice directly from farmers.

Agriculture is a devolved function; hence, extension officers are deployed by the county governments, but Ariemba decried the shortage of trained officers.

The County Senator, Kamau Murango, who chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, said the 8.2 million Thiba Dam is a game changer in rice production in Mwea.

Farmers in the scheme have now started doing double cropping, which will be done annually, as the dam provides continuous, sufficient water.

The senator said to enhance water r
etention capacity, dam lining should be done to reduce water loss through seepage, thus ensuring maximum water reach for farmers.

He acknowledges the impact of subsidised fertilisers, calling upon Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) to always fast-track the procurement of fertilisers to be available on time for both planting and top dressing.

The chair noted that with the entire value chain being done in Mwea, the economy of Kirinyaga will grow, especially in the Mwea/Ngurubani neighborhood. The farm tilling crew, harvest transporters, and millers will all be leaving profits in the area.

However, Murango said the poor state of access roads and pests are challenges that should be acted upon immediately.

The levy collected from farmers for the renovation of infrastructure annually is estimated at Sh 80 million, against the required 2.9 billion to complete all roads. With El -Nino witnessed in the recent past across the country, the access roads were rendered impassable, making the cost of transport al
most triple.

The Kirinyaga County senator said, as a leader from the area and a rice farmer, he has communicated to the Principal Secretary (PS) in charge of Irrigation, Elphantus Kimotho, to assist in fundraising for the improvement of roads in irrigated areas.

Poor roads are a major contributor to the high cost of rice production. ‘The management is collecting a levy for road management of almost 80 million per year. The entire network needs around 2.9 billion. We need assistance from other stakeholders, and I have requested PS Kimotho for the same,’ Murango said.

On pests and diseases, the senator said the Biograde meant to control Apple snails failed and research should be done faster to get rid of dangerous pests posing a threat to rice production from the nursery level.

He added that the ministry and pest control board should provide a lasting solution.

The importation of cheap rice has always been the cause of the poor market for local rice. The imports that always coincide with the harvesting sea
son have made the senator propose a bill for the creation of a board that will ensure that the local rice is given priority by the government.

Despite the fact that locally produced rice is enough to meet the demands of Kenyans, the senator insists that there is a need to ensure a ready market for Kenyan produce.

He added that the minimum guaranteed return of Ksh. 85 per kg is not such low, but with the increasing cost of production, he called on the members of the national assembly to propose another figure between Sh90-100.

On their part, the farmers said the water security due to Thiba will be fully felt this season as farmers have already prepared seedlings to transplant for the second season. The double cropping will double production, thus enhancing food security.

Ngari Muthangato, the farmers’ leader, said going forward, the water problem has been halfway solved, but upon completion of canals, this will be a thing of the past in Mwea.

He challenged the farmers to get certified rice seeds from KARL
O for maximum production due to the many varieties being supplied.

Muthangato called on the government to renovate all canals to ease the flow of water in the entire scheme.

Source: Kenya News Agency