May 19, 2023

Agency Assisting Local Organizations Secure International Markets

The future of locally-based business organizations is getting brighter following vigorous activities by the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) in securing the international market for their products.

The Agency which was established in 2019 after the merger of the Export Promotion Council (EPC) and the Brand Kenya Board (BKB), has also been holding numerous training and mentoring sessions for members of such organizations, to enlighten them on the basic requirements for exporting their products.

One such organization is the Meru Herbs, which was established by the Catholic Diocese of Meru and deals with purely organic products.

The Organization has been producing herbal jams, hibiscus tea, and lemon tea among other products, which they export to countries like Japan and Italy. They have also acquired new markets in Scotland and Canada.

During a field visit to the organisation, the Agency’s Trade Advisory Services Manager, Mr Charles Tumbo, lauded it for the tremendous work they have been doing and especially maintaining their standards in processing of organic products.

‘We have been working with Meru Herbs for quite some time and providing capacity building on how to export and access international markets, as well as how to adapt our products to the international markets, so that they can get into their market shelves,’ said Mr Tumbo.

He said their close working relationship has also enabled them to travel to Europe, for example the Netherlands, where they have accessed market for their produce.

‘I am delighted that Meru Herbs has adapted to the requirements and standards of international markets and we are hoping that more will open soon,’ said Mr Tumbo.

Mr Tumbo said the Agency has also been popularising available products in various counties with a view of positioning them for global markets.

The Agency, Mr Tumbo added, also undertakes various workshops, where organizations are guided on the procedures and requirements for exporting.

He said once they receive enquires about a product from an organization like Meru Herbs, they forward them to the relevant organization for the supply to be done.

Mr Joseph Mwai from the Meru Herbs lauded the agency for its efforts, adding that it has played a crucial role in acquiring markets for their products.

‘Very few people within our locality know the importance of organic products that we produce here, therefore, they form a very insignificant segment of our market. We mainly rely on international markets and thank the Agency for its continued support in accessing them,’ said Mr Mwai.

He however said they are working hard to convince the community around so that they can also be consumers of the products in their bid to expand their territories.

Mwai said Meru Herbs so far concentrate on five crops that are registered as organic and these include Hibiscus, which is used to produce jam, juice, and wine, Camomile, Lemon grass for lemon tea, Cell ginger, and Moringa.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 19, 2023

KEPHIS Warns Traders Against Selling Counterfeit Seeds

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) has warned unscrupulous traders involved in the fake seed racket against selling counterfeit seeds to farmers.

KEPHIS Deputy Director, Kitale Branch, Mr. Ephraim Wachira, warned that the supply of counterfeit seeds repackaged in fake company’s branded packs is illegal, and any seed trader who is found selling counterfeit seeds will be prosecuted.

Mr. Wachira stressed that the distribution of counterfeit seeds to farmers has an adverse impact on food production, income, families, and efforts towards sustainable agriculture.

”Repackaging fake seeds to the farmers reduces access to genuine seeds from reputable producers,” the KEPHIS Deputy Director explained.

He said the mandate of KEPHIS was to ensure that farmers get certified seeds of high quality.

Mr. Wachira said cases of counterfeiting of seeds are normally experienced during the planting seasons when unscrupulous traders take advantage of farmers’ demand for seeds to sell them the bogus.

He urged farmers to refrain from buying seeds from unscrupulous traders, adding that KEPHIS had officers all over the country whose mandate was to undertake inspections, testing, certification, quarantine control, variety testing, and descriptors of seeds and plant materials.

‘We have officers at the border points to check what is going and what is coming in in terms of brand materials to ensure that they don’t import or export counterfeit plant materials,’ he said.

Mr. Wachira stated that KEPHIS has been training farmers on how to handle seeds and differentiating between genuine and fake seeds.

He also said that the plant inspectorate has trained seed stockists on how to stock seeds safely and without mixing them with chemicals that affect their quality.

‘We also let them know seed validity, which is commonly recorded as an expiry date, so as to avoid selling seeds that have stayed for too long,’ Wachira stated.

Mr. Wachira clarified that vegetable seeds have a validity period of nine (9) months, while other crops such as maize have a validity period of one year.

He said that after a period of validity elapses, seed sellers should call seed companies to collect the remaining stock to be taken for a retest test that is only done by KEPHIS as provided by the Law of Kenya, CAP 326.

Mr. Wachira also advised seed sellers that they should ensure they offer receipts when selling seeds to farmers, noting that by doing so, they will be able to handle farmers’ complaints.

‘In case of complaints from farmers, the seeds should be returned to the seed sellers and then to the seed company. Seed companies will call Kephis to do the retesting of the seeds that have stayed for a long time,’ Wachira assured.

He advised those willing to start selling seeds to contact their respective county governments for licensing.

Wachira said they have also automated their license renewal services and that they can be acquired online by seed sellers once they make payments via Mpesa.

Mr. Wachira said KEPHIS has created awareness among seed sellers concerning suitable varieties of seeds that are suitable for farmers in different zones, like lower, medium, and highland zones.

Lower zones, including Kacheliba, need maize varieties like DH04, Sungura, WH101, DUMA43, and DUMA419. For the medium zones, they need the 5 series seeds like 513, 505, WH05, WH07, and hybrids 520, 516, and 517, while the high zones need the hybrid 6 series seeds like H628, H6213, H6318, H605, and H614,’ he explained.

Wachira noted that they have managed to revoke the licenses of some seed sellers who were caught selling counterfeit seeds.

Samwel Koina, a seed trader in West Pokot County, admitted that the sale of fake seeds is a big challenge that affects both a trader and a farmer and urged KEPHIS to come up with more measures that could help address the challenge.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 19, 2023

Court Lauds Stakeholders For Protecting Children’s Rights

The Nyamira Court has lauded stakeholders’ collaboration and concerted efforts to expedite child matters in court, thus enabling them to access timely justice.

Nyamira Resident Magistrate Benaya Okongo observed that since the initiation of an implementation framework of close collaboration with line stakeholders for speedy investigations of child matters, the outcome has been very commendable.

‘One of our main strategies in the initiated implementation framework was the provision of children’s protection units at all police stations within the county where children can freely record their statements with the help of officers at the station without intimidation and can undergo trauma counseling privately without interference from other adults who are likely to coach them to give false information,’ the magistrate explained.

‘The children’s department has been very cooperative and instrumental in giving quick reports about children who have a matter in court, whether they are the complainants or are in conflict with the law. This enables the court to know the real status of the child in court and take immediate interventions that ensure they are safe as their matters continue in court,’ Mr. Okongo added.

The magistrate highlighted that the child protection units have enabled children to record timely statements before they are watered down by interest parties out to deny them justice.

Okongo thanked partner non-governmental organizations that provide safe spaces and take care of children in need of care and protection until they finish testifying.

On his part, Nyamira South Sub County Children Officer Billy Adera said most children are greatly intimidated and scared by the police station environment, which makes a majority of them unable or shy away from recording true statements about the matter at hand.

The child protection units, he noted, provide private, conducive, and safe spaces where they can stay, play, and record accurate statements as they wait to be presented before court.

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) officials in Nyamira provide pro bono legal representation for children with matters in court.

Doing so ensures that the matter before the court continues uninterrupted up to its conclusion without unnecessary adjournments.

Mr. Abudo Duba, from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP), said they have also introduced diversion of children cases. He explained that diversion is an alternative court process where some cases are resolved without proceeding to court, and it is provided for in the new Children’s Act.

‘Diversion is speedily gaining ground and has greatly reduced the number of cases taken to court, though not all cases are diverted. Capital criminal offenses and sexual offenses are some of the cases where diversion is not guaranteed,’ explained the ODPP.

They were speaking during the Nyamira Children Court Users Committee meeting.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 19, 2023

Man Slapped With Life Imprisonment For Defiling Minor

A 23-year-old man will serve life imprisonment for defiling an 11-year-old girl.

Erick Matheka, who appeared before Principal Magistrate Judicaster Nthuku at Loitoktok Law Courts, was charged that on the dates of between November 28 and 29, 2021, at Isinet area, he defiled the minor.

While testifying before the court, the girl told the court how, on November 27, 2021, she had gone to fetch water when she met Mama Ann, mother to the accused, washing clothes.

Mama Ann requested that she help her carry clothes to her house, where she locked her in her house.

She narrated how the woman invited her son, the accused, into the house, where he defiled her.

The minor narrated how the two continued locking her in the house, and the accused defiled her repeatedly until the morning of November 29, when she was released to go home.

Meanwhile, Digna Festo, mother to the minor, had made a report of her missing daughter at Isinet Police Station, which led the police to launch a manhunt for the minor.

The accused and his mother went into hiding until June 25 last year, when the accused was arrested and charged with the offense.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 19, 2023

Upsurge Of Vandalism Of KPLC Property In Machakos

The Eastern Region Manager at Kenya Power Company, Eng. Mutegi Mbai, has decried an upsurge in vandalism of Kenya Power property in Machakos and its environs for the past two months.

Mutegi, who was speaking to the media after raiding a scrap metal dealer in the Athi River Devki area, said that the dealer has been dealing with vandalized Kenya Power equipment, and they have arrested the manager and taken him to the Athi River Police Station.

Mutegi said vandalism has been a growing challenge in the entire country, and this financial year so far, they have lost over 43 transformers within Machakos and Kajiado Counties alone.

‘Vandalized lines cause accidents on the road and unnecessary fatalities, and we need to stop this vice,’ said the manager.

He said they have experienced an upsurge of transformer and fiber vandalism within Machakos town, Mwala Sub-county around Makutano, Kithimani, and even Makueni County.

‘For the last two months alone within Machakos and Makueni, we have lost a total of 25 kilometers of fiber cable, which we normally use to run our network to keep up the power supply to do remote network operations and operate ICT systems within our offices,’ lamented Mutegi.

Mutegi appealed to the public to help in terms of vigilance, reporting any suspicious activity near their infrastructure, and sharing intelligence with the police.

He warned that stealing power equipment is economic sabotage because if the network is off, then schools, hotels, and hospitals lose power, and so the public suffers.

‘Please stay away from this vice; we have a number of ongoing cases in court under economic sabotage as provided for in Section 169 of the Energy Act 2019,’ added Mutegi.

Mutegi added that they are working closely with the National Government Administration (NGAO) team, police officers, and the courts so that they can curb the spreading menace.

He said they have recovered copper wire, 134 kgs of aluminum conductors from a power line, fuses from transformers, copper earthing materials, and five sacks of other power accessories from the manager dealing with stolen scrap metal in the Devki Athi River.

The operation was jointly done by police officers and Kenya Power Company officials from Machakos and Nairobi headquarters.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 19, 2023

Team Ministry of Education retains 2023 FEDUGAM with 33 medals

Team Federal Ministry of Education has emerged champion of the 2023 Federal Education Sector Games (FEDUGAM) hosted by the Nasarawa State University, Keffi on Thursday.

The team emerged champion to push Team National Examinations Council (NECO) to second place after winning 14 gold, 15 silver and four bronze to top the medals tables.

NECO finished the games with seven gold, eight silver and 10 bronze medals, while National Universities Commission (NUC) garnered four gold, three silver and three bronze to cement their third place finish.

Minister of State for Education, Goodluck Opiah, while declaring the games closed urged losers to prepare stronger for next year’s edition.

Opiah who was represented by Dr Uche Ubah, Director, Colleges of Education Department, Federal Ministry of Education, said efforts were on to ensure more agencies and parastatals participate in the fourth edition.

“Like I mentioned during the opening, the joy of the games is far beyond the attempt to win at all cost.

“Once again, the winner should be humble in victory while others who could not win, have another opportunity in the next edition.

“Measures are being put in place by the Permanent Secretary and the management of the ministry to ensure the participation of more agencies through their chief executives.

“In this note, I congratulate all the winners in this third edition while encouraging other participants to put more effort in the next edition and I hereby declare the games closed,” he said.

Consultant of the Games, Matthew Okeyinka, said they had already started planning on the fourth edition to surpass the achievements of the third edition.

“We are seeking to have more partners to boost our performance for next year’s event and we can only do that through sponsorship.

“It is our belief that every edition will be better than the previous,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that defending champions, Tertiary Education Fund (TETFund) defeated National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) 3-0 to retain the football event trophy of the games.

TETFund had won the trophy three times since the commencement of the games.

NAN reports that only eight out of 24 agencies and parastatals including the supervising ministry participated in the three-day event which started on May 15 and ended on May 17 at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

No fewer than 500 sports men and women participated in football, scrabble, badminton, table tennis, volleyball and handball.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria