Day: May 29, 2023

A tomato farmer may have plucked samples of his crops and taken them to an extension officer for examination. However, the parts collected may not have been the right ones. Or there might have been deterioration of the samples in transit. These factors may warrant a visit to the farm to ascertain the current status of the crops and possibly collect fresh samples.

The extensionist visits the tomato farm. The farmer is present. The two walk around the farm examining the crops. A physical manual, The Plantwise Diagnostic Field Guide, which is a tool to diagnose crop problems and make recommendations for their management may be used. A magnifying glass could be invaluable in getting a better look at the blemishes on the crops.

Diagnostic questions

The answers to the following questions would be helpful in analyzing the symptoms manifest in the crop.

What parts are affected?

Where are the symptoms?

Which growth stages are affected?

How is the progression of the symptoms?

What is the severity of the attack?

Can you describe the symptoms using the correct terminology based on the Plantwise Diagnostic Field Guide?

Are there changes in growth, colour and shape?

Are there visible signs of fungi, insects or other pests?

How many plants are affected?

When did the problem appear?

Is this the first time that the problem has appeared?

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Nyeri County department of Water, Environment and Climate Change is working on a proposal which will see the county dedicate a percentage of its annual development budget to climate change mitigation.

The proposals are contained in the Climate Change Act and the Climate Change Fund Regulations which are set to be presented before the executive for incorporation in the Nyeri Finance Bill 2023. According, Nyeri Climate Change Director, Ms Yvonne Mathenge, the move is the first step towards ensuring that the county is able to fund climate change mitigation strategies.

‘The Climate Change Act and the Climate Change Fund Regulations are proposing that at least one per cent of the county’s development budget be set aside for climate change strategies. The model will be similar to the county integrated development plan where the county government dedicates funds in the budget to go towards the programmes,’ said Ms Mathenge.

‘Our hope is that moving forward climate change mitigation will not just be about dependency on foreign support, we want to ensure that as a county, we have a strategy that we can start implementing some of these measures even as we are looking out for external assistance,’ she added.

Ms Mathenge was speaking at the sidelines of a climate multi-stakeholder meeting that brought together climate change experts, community based organisations working on climate smart agriculture projects in the eight sub-counties in Nyeri and government officials. The workshop was organised with the aim of validating views on the draft Participatory Climate Risk Assessment and the County Climate Change Action Plan. The two documents, Ms Mathenge said, will further shape the county’s effectiveness in tackling the effects of climate change.

A report released by the Nyeri meteorological department in April this year classified 50 per cent of the county as arid and semi-arid whereas 85 per cent of the county, as food insecure. Ms Mathenge noted that drought, landslides, floods, pests and diseases and frost had been identified as the emerging negative effects of climate change that the county was battling.

‘Besides capturing the status of the county with regards to climate change, the two documents also capture how many people have been getting food aid. We are also doing climate projections because we have realised that there is what we can do to mitigate the effects and there are measures that can be taken to adapt to the prevailing weather conditions,’ said Ms Mathenge.

The strategies have been split into sectors namely disaster and risk management; food and nutrition; water and blue economy; environment, tourism and wildlife; health and human settlement and manufacturing and trade which had been identified as critical. The director said that the mitigation plan will be implemented over a five year period in the eight sub-counties.

‘We have already drawn the strategic plan and identified some of the plans to be implemented. For the ones that have already been employed before and are working we have started to upscale them and for the ones that are not working, we are coming up with fresh strategies,’ she said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action has launched a sensitization programme on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) targeting Boda Boda riders.

Halima Abdi, Director of the Anti-Gender Based Violence directorate said it is crucial to have community dialogues with men to establish positive gender attitudes to end GBV.

The boda boda riders converged at the Mombasa County Commissioner’s boardroom and decried sexual harassment they go through in the line of duty from their pillion passengers.

‘As Boda Boda riders we have encountered a myriad of challenges, especially in our work through GBV.The most focus of GBV is on women but as men, we are going through GBV,” said Josphat Odour, Secretary General Mombasa County BodaBoda Association.

Odour revealed that some women passengers use sexual overtures as bait not to pay for rides.

‘They see riders as an opportunity to carry them without money; if you insist on fare then she wants to offer sex in exchange, even the way they handle you it inferred ulterior motives. We mostly encounter these challenges at night,” said Odour.

The riders said the sensitization was informative as they now know of the existence of gender-based desks in all police stations to handle cases relating to GBV.

‘The desks were not there before; I hope we will be assisted when we go to the police stations because when we took our cases as men we were laughed at, ‘stated Odour.

Christine Munyoki, a woman Boda Boda rider operating in Changamwe Sub-County said some male riders feel threatened by women joining the Boda Boda sector as they look for passengers.

She said, ‘I work during the day till late hours, we are going through challenges because we have entered into a male-dominated sector and they don’t like it’.

She added that they will report cases of GBV to the police, she urged the Directorate of Anti-GBV to cascade the teachings to the grassroots to create awareness.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Three suicides by hanging were recorded over the weekend in various parts of the country, where two men and one woman allegedly ended took their lives.

According to the Namibian Police Force’s weekend crime report on Sunday, an 86-year-old man, identified as Fredrick Shikodhi, was found dead in the Oshaandja village in the Oshana Region.

It is alleged that he hung himself with a rope under a tree in the Mahangu field near his house.

The body was discovered by the deceased’s son, who had seen him the night before.

No suicide note was found and no foul play is suspected.

In the second incident, the lifeless body of a 51-year-old Namibian woman was allegedly found hanging from the roof of a bedroom in the Omahenene location of the Oshana Region, with a yellow rope around its neck.

No suicide note was found and no foul play is suspected in the presumed suicide.

Meanwhile, in the Okathitu kaNangombe village in the Omusati Region, the lifeless body of 33-year-old Immanuel Sheehama Matias was discovered hanging from a mopane tree in what is presumed to be a suicide.

The body was found in a decomposed state after being missing for four days. No suicide note was found and the remains were taken to the Okahao mortuary for a postmortem.

Police investigations in all matters continue.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

Mines and Energy Minister Tom Alweendo has emphasised the need for politicians to mitigate corruption in the management of natural resources in order to ensure that in-country value creation reaches ordinary citizens.

Alweendo at the opening of the oversight workshop on maximising the potential of the mining and energy sectors in Namibia in Swakopmund on Monday called on government officials to be fair and transparent with their employment procedures, procurement processes and in exercising oversight over policy implementation.

“Corruption, especially where public officials obtain private gains from holding public office, is among the practical challenges that have the potential to derail the effective management of our natural resources. The more we are transparent in our conduct, the higher the chance of realising our fair share of the economic benefits from our natural resources,” he said.

The minister added that inclusivity, providing equal opportunities for people who might otherwise be excluded, is also an important aspect of ensuring every Namibian benefits from the country’s natural resources.

“To quote President Hage Geingob, ‘exclusivity spells conflict while inclusivity spells harmony’. There are examples across the world where the oil and gas sector in some countries has become an exclusive sector, dominated by a few individuals and excluding most citizens, especially the ordinary citizens. This exclusion has resulted in huge social inequality that fuelled social discontent and unrest. It is my hope that we give serious consideration to inclusivity in our discourse.”

Erongo Governor Neville Andre Itope expressed the need to fix the policy, legal and regulatory framework governing the energy, mining, and oil sectors in Namibia, including the effectiveness of the governance mechanisms in place for these sectors, as well as oversight, monitoring and enforcement.

The objectives of the week-long workshop are to assess the state of the mining, energy and oil sectors in Namibia, including their contribution to the country’s economy, employment and sustainable development, among others.

It is being attended by a diverse group of stakeholders, including members of the parliamentary standing committees on economics and natural resources as well as agencies responsible for energy, mining and natural resources.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

A 27-year-old man lost a toe after he was allegedly shot in a dispute over a bar seat in the Zambezi Region on Friday.

The Namibian Police Force in a crime report issued on Sunday, indicated that a 26-year-old man was apprehended as a suspect in the matter.

According to the report, the suspect shot the victim with a shotgun while he was returning home from the bar with his brothers, causing the victim to lose a big toe and suffer severe injuries on his left foot.

The crime report stated that the altercation began over a seat at a local bar, while the victim and suspect were drinking alcohol. It is further alleged that the shotgun did not belong to the suspect and that it was unlicensed.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a 26-year-old man was allegedly shot and injured at Moses Garoeb Primary School in Windhoek’s Ombili residential area.

According to the crime report, the victim was in a taxi with three other passengers, where a conflict ensued between the victim and the taxi driver over the lack of payment for the ride. The suspect allegedly pulled out a gun and fired a shot that hit the victim’s upper right arm.

The suspect is yet to be arrested.

In an unrelated incident at Outjo in the Otjozondjupa Region, an unknown suspect allegedly stabbed a 28-year-old male in the abdomen with an unknown object, resulting in serious injuries.

According to the report, the victim was initially taken to Outjo State Hospital but was later transferred to Windhoek for further treatment, where his condition was confirmed as stable.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency