Day: May 5, 2023

Some 3,000 destitute families from Murang’a County are set to be included in a government programme aimed at uplifting the poor from poverty.

The targeted population, drawn from two sub-counties, will be enlisted in the Kenya Social Economic Inclusion programme (KSEIP) from June this year.

This comes after the end of the piloting of the programme where 1,500 poor families have benefited from the initiative funded by the World Bank in partnership with the government of Kenya.

Murang’a County Director of Social Services, Ms. Lucy Gakere, told KNA on Thursday that the pilot programme slated to end before June was successful and that the government is working to include needy families so as to assist them in starting small income-generating projects.

She observed that in KSEIP, every family benefited with Sh. 30,000 to establish small enterprises and another Sh. 24, 000, which was paid as a stipend of sh. 2, 000 on a monthly basis for consumption support.

Gakere divulged that 25 percent of the beneficiaries were drawn from those already listed in the Inua Jamii cash transfer programme.

‘The programme benefited 750 families from Murang’a East Sub County and another similar number from Murang’a South. The beneficiaries are doing well since they can now raise their income without depending on the government’s cash transfer funds,’ noted Gakere.

She said that the piloting of the programme started in 2019 and was conducted in five counties, including Murang’a, Makueni, Taita Taveta, Marsabit, and Kisumu.

The director said the World Bank had engaged a consortium entrusted to help the beneficiaries identify viable enterprises of their choice.

‘In Murang’a, all the beneficiaries did well, apart from some challenges posed by the prolonged drought, which affected those who ventured into horticulture. Now the families can sustain themselves as we embark on picking other needy homesteads and including them in the programme,’ she added.

Those who have benefited from the programme, the director said, were registered in village savings and loan associations.

She noted that the associations enable the members to save part of the income raised on a daily basis.

‘Those in Murang’a South have managed to save more than Sh. 2 million, and those from Murang’a East have saved more than Sh. 4 million. The associations will help the beneficiaries source for funds and boost their businesses after the end of the programme,’ she further said.

The process to select the next bunch of 3, 000 homesteads, as the director stated, will involve relevant stakeholders and target the most vulnerable families in the community.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) has commended the government, through the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA), for improving road infrastructure in the country to accelerate trade between towns.

The improvement of road networks, FKE Executive Director Jaqueline Mugo said, has enabled the fast and efficient movement of goods and services in the country.

‘The Mombasa-Malindi road, now under construction, will add credit to the infrastructure once completed as it will greatly improve communication between the two towns,” he told the 62nd FKE Coast Region Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Mombasa.

More than 50 employers from the region attended the AGM, which was guided by the theme ‘Leading Enterprises in Uncertain Times’.

The employers reviewed the current developments in the labour sector, the government’s policy directions, and their impact on creating a conducive business environment that will attract investment and the growth of enterprises in Mombasa.

The government’s decision to maintain the current wage levels during the Labour Day celebration was applauded by the employers. They said it will promote the sustainability of their enterprises in the prevailing economic times.

The employers are upbeat that the manufacturing sector, which is reeling from the effects of COVID-19 and the importation of cheap goods, will improve.

Mugo noted that the labour sector in Mombasa Region continues to face challenges, mainly driven by the current high cost of doing business and other current macro-economic trends.

She said, ‘The high cost of living remains the greatest challenge Kenya faces and may morph into a social crisis of a monumental level. We appeal to the executive and parliament to address this matter by involving all stakeholders in the process of developing policies that reduce poverty and enhance economic growth’.

Transporters lauded the relaxation of cargo to be moved by the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) by the Kenya Kwanza government.

However, they urge the government to implement policies that enable fair distribution of cargo between roads and SGR to guarantee the sustainable performance of the transport sector.

‘The region appreciates the government’s decision to move the port back to Mombasa. This has had significant positive effects on the region and the nation’s economy and infrastructure,” said Mugo, adding that the relocation of port operations back to Mombasa has enhanced efficiency and productivity.

Mugo said the SGR has undergone tremendous transformation through the reduction of transport costs, improved service delivery, and creation of jobs in the areas where it passes through.

‘The SGR has significantly improved the movement of cargo within the East African region. The railway line provides faster and more efficient transportation for goods from the Mombasa port to Nairobi and beyond, allowing for quicker and cheaper movement of goods, which in turn boosts business and trade,” she said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Ushanga Kenya Initiative in partnership with the office of the Women Representative in Kajiado has trained 70 women in Kajiado Central Sub County on value addition in beadwork.

Hellen Nkaiserry the national chairperson of Ushanga Kenya Initiative says that the training seeks to empower women nationwide so that they can produce quality beadwork that meet international standards.

‘The government is very supportive of this program as it is the only way it can support women from pastoralist counties. Through the crafting and selling of the bead products including accessories, jewelry, home furnishings, cultural collectables and flower pots, the women whose only source of income was selling milk and charcoal burning will have an alternative source of livelihood,’ said Mama Hellen.

Mama Hellen remarked that in partnership with the office of the women representatives in the counties, they are identifying market focal points where the women will be able to display the products they are producing in addition to marketing and branding them so that any tourist who comes to the Kenya can easily access the local products at a price that is commensurate with the value of the item.

The chairperson urged the women to join cooperatives in every ward so that Ushanga Kenya can link them directly to markets without going through middle men who exploit them.

‘This is a sustainable livelihood program in that the beads do not face the threat of drought like what we have gone through recently but it will give women money hence they will be able to improve their livelihoods,’

‘We expect every ward to have a women Ushanga cooperative which will form the link between Ushanga Kenya and the county coordinating office and it is through this that we will take the products and link them to markets and the money will pass through the same passage to reach to the women,’ Said Mama Hellen

On her part, Kajiado Women Representative, Leah Sankaire commented that the training also focuses on environment and climate change whereby the women incorporate their traditional beading knowledge with modern skills to communicate and sensitize themselves on the impact of climate change through beading.

The Women Representative revealed that Kajiado County through the County Assembly will come up with a policy that will ensure construction of curio shops in Amboseli National Park which has the largest number of tourists in the county so that the women can sell their products to tourists directly without involving middlemen.

She remarked that her office has already identified a market for the women to sell their products in Ngong; meanwhile, they are looking for one in Kajiado town and Amboseli National Park.

Alice Seki, a beneficiary of the training, thanked Ushanga Kenya for the training saying it has changed their perception of beadwork which they have been doing traditionally without getting any profits.

A similar training was conducted by Ushanga Kenya in Kajiado West Sub County. The organisation is also planning to train women from Kajiado East Sub County.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Makueni County government will construct a Talent Centre in Wote town to promote sports talent in the area, Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has said.

He said the centre will accommodate both outdoor and indoor sports activities that are geared towards improving sports among the youth in the county.

‘During the flagging off ceremony of Makueni team to Tharaka Nithi, we agreed on a number of programmes/projects geared towards promoting sports talents and competition at all levels in the county namely: construction of a talent centre in Wote town, strategic partnerships for sports sponsorship and promotion of sports activities in Makueni (e.g. Adidas and Nike),’ said Mutula on Thursday outside his Wote office when he received Makueni team that represented the county at Tharaka Nithi during the Kenya Youth Intercounty Sports Association (KYISA) games.

He asked the Directorate of Youth and Sports to ensure the targeted groups were organized to ensure they were empowered economically and facilitate their access to Government Procuring Opportunities (AGPO).

During the event, Mutula lauded the team for their exemplary performance during the just concluded event where they won many trophies both at team and individual levels respectively.

‘I am overjoyed to receive the teams and individuals awards: best football team (ladies), basketball (men), Runners-up basketball (ladies) and most disciplined team (volleyball men). Individual awards top scorer basketball men, basketball ladies and best player basketball, best goalkeeper ladies, best player ladies and golden boot top scorer (ladies),’ he observed.

Mutula reminded the youths who were aged 23 and below that they will go to places and get jobs if they focus on sporting activities saying they will earn a living and combat unemployment in the county.

Speaking at the event, the Department of Youth, Gender, Sports and Social Services Executive Committee Member (ECM) Nicolas Nzioka said that he has written a cabinet memo geared towards getting land where to construct the talent centre.

‘I have written a cabinet memo to get land and if approved, the Department of land will provide land for the construction of the talent centre in Wote town,’ said Nzioka.

Reacting to providing basketball and volleyball courts, the ECM promised that in the next financial year the players will get a good ground to practice in the county.

‘In the next financial year, my department will ensure the basketball and volley players have good courts to play on and practice as they prepare for various tournaments within and outside the county,’ he posed.

On his part, the Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Southern Branch Chairman Mr. Antony Makau promised that his organization will have training clinics for referees and coaches in Makueni.

Makau, who is also a National Executive Council (NEC) member, gave 10 balls and uniforms to the Makueni team as a donation from FKF President Nick Mwendwa.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nakuru County Government is in the process of establishing a Geographical Information System (GIS) laboratory to help the devolved unit in collection of data digitally and improve on its development.

The devolved unit’s administration has indicated that the GIS system will help in getting information on the varieties of natural resources in the county and the social facilities available adding that it will also help in management of human resources.

Chief Officer in charge of Lands Ms. Catherine Changwony elaborated that the GIS laboratory system will further help local and foreign investors to conveniently access land information.

While noting that setting up of the GIS laboratory was is in line with Governor Susan Kihika’s manifesto to digitize access to some essential services to shorten the time and reduce the cost of access to services, Ms. Changwony added that the system would help them collect, process and analyze data in digital form.

She made the remarks during a training programme for county lands officials on data transformation and the establishment of a Lands Information System conducted by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development (RCMRD).

Ms. Changwony said she was hopeful that the GIS laboratory system would improve development planning and management.

The GIS lab is expected to provide a platform to store and manage digital footprint of development projects in sectors such as water, education, health, roads, rangelands, environment and natural resources.

Clause 105(f) of the County Government Act 2012 requires county governments to establish GIS-based database systems for the provision of data in the development of the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP).

The technology is important for decision-making during planning and allocation of resources for the Annual Development Plan (ADP).

Ms. Changwony noted that in Africa, geospatial technology is necessary because the continent still faces numerous challenges such as unplanned settlements, degraded rangelands, inadequate or unplanned infrastructure, low quality of development projects, poor monitoring systems, mushrooming of new settlements, and inequitable resource allocation due to a lack of appropriate tools for decision-making.

‘We have resolved to use GIS technology cognizant of these challenges and the need to streamline monitoring of development projects and ensure equitable resource allocations based on evidence,’ the Chief Officer explained.

GIS uses location-based data collected via satellites, paper maps, and directly from the field through mobile positioning devices to map out resources for analysis and decision-making.

The Chief Officer said the technology would help the county government support prudent management and allocation of resources while also facilitating rational decision-making processes.

She pointed out that by using geographic information, the county government will be able to make informed decisions when it comes to planning and distributing projects equitably.

‘The system enables any government to make key decisions that enable development in all areas without discrimination. The Geospatial Technologies Services Laboratory stores data for all projects done by the county and also helps in monitoring projects being implemented. The technology provides the GIS with images frequently to help closely monitor ongoing development projects in the county,’ she explained.

She went on, ‘This satellite technology will enable us to monitor our programmes and thus ensure their implementation. It is one way of automating services with the aim of improving efficiency as well as sealing loopholes through which public funds are lost.’

The technology can identify areas in dire need of road connections or a department that requires urgent support in terms of funding, among other things.

It can also be used to enhance various social amenities such as schools, social schools, hospitals, dispensaries, and markets.

The system has also helped streamline the budgeting process and give evidence-based development needs to the people, thereby attracting support from development partners, according to the official.

Ms. Changwony said GIS will help the county administration manage resources efficiently and effectively for the benefit of the residents, including forest areas, water, minerals, wildlife, and wetlands, through developed spatial plans.

‘GIS offers a clear look into issues affecting the residents and comes in handy in implementing policy frameworks and enhancing feedback. Most people may not know, but GIS and its utilization and implementation are part of Governor Kihika’s manifesto,’ noted the Chief Officer.

Source: Kenya News Agency