Day: April 29, 2024

Young people from all over the Omaheke region on Saturday hosted a farmers’ day at Otjinene to share and improve the knowledge of communal farmers on laws and regulations that affect farming directly and indirectly, and unlock the potential of crop farming in the region, among others.

Kakunandunda Katuuo, a crop farmer from Aminuis and one of the organisers of the event, emphasised the importance of crop farming and urged fellow women to take crop farming seriously and improve households’ food sufficiency.

‘I believe it is important to transfer knowledge and to educate people especially those in communal areas that there is also agriculture farming than just livestock farming, especially crop production because in Namibia we import more food from other countries and if we venture into this other agricultural domain we will be able to sustain ourselves and the country.

Crop farming is where we are going and I want to urge my fellow women to take up space in agriculture, yes, it is a sector dominated by men but as women, it is our responsibility to ensure that we have enough for our families and through food production we can be the feeders of our people’, Katuuo said.

Packy Pakarae the regional councilor of the Epukiro constituency who attended the event expressed that he was thrilled by young people who thought of sharing very important information with communal farmers. It has been a dream of many leaders for young people to come on board and share what they know, be it from experiences or expertise.

The region must create a chain and add value to produce its food, which is domestic consumption at the local level and a regional level.

‘That is why I am saying these young people has done a good thing to engage farmers on important farming aspects and this initiative must be emulated by other constituencies and regions. I also want to see more young people engaging in these types of initiatives, which is a step in the right direction and as leaders, we should give them support’, Pakarae added.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura has announced that the government is keenly monitoring the floods experienced across the country with a view to alleviating the suffering of citizens.

Speaking today at the Regional Commissioner’s office in Mombasa, Mwaura regretted that it is disturbing that some Kenyans are losing lives due to their daring nature by staying in flood-prone areas and their failure to be cautious about fast-moving waters.

He said that the government is focused on issuing constant reminders through different agencies to urge everyone to be observant of any danger, particularly flash floods and mudslides.

‘The country continues to experience heavy and persistent rainfall; the unfortunate results of these unfavourable weather patterns have included the destruction of property and infrastructure, the displacement of families, and the loss of lives,’ he said.

Schools have been highly impacted by adverse weather conditions across the country. The data that has been received from various gover
nment agencies indicates that learners from some schools are unable to conduct any activities due to the severe nature of floods.

‘As a government, we had earlier said that we would only deal with individual schools because we didn’t want to have a blanket postponement of the opening of schools. The various reports received have made it necessary to postpone school opening. We are going to review the matter this week on the new weather updates to help us plan forward,’ Mwaura said.

To mitigate the escalating casualty count, the government emphasises the need for immediate action, noting that a significant portion of the casualties are individuals on transit. In light of this, the government advocates for a temporary postponement of school openings to ensure the safety and well-being of students and their families.

He highlighted that they have been receiving questions as to why the report was made late and, in a rejoinder, said that it is because the government did not want to make a unilateral decision wi
thout cause or reason.

‘Therefore, to this end, through the Ministry of Education, the government has had to postpone the opening of primary and secondary schools by one week to May 6th, 2024. The move is intended to safeguard the lives of learners and staff in the affected areas and to enable the government to put in place adequate safety measures in all the identified schools and communities.

The Government Multi-Agency Response Committee on Floods is undertaking a valid emergency response to the affected population in response to the directive by the President, on April 23, 2024, to step up response efforts on the flood situation across the country.

The Kenya Meteorological Department has alerted the public about the persistent heavy rains that are likely to affect various regions, including the Lake Victoria Basin, some highlands, lowlands East and West of Rift Valley, Nairobi, and North East and Western Kenya.

The government advises the residents of these areas to keep an eye out for flash floods and
poor visibility.

Additionally, those affected can reach the National Disaster Operation Centre through the number 0800721571, and a toll-free line 1508 has also been established by the Nairobi County Emergency Operation Centre.

He noted that there have been 103 reported deaths so far due to the floods, with the Rift Valley region reporting the highest loss of 21 lives. 29 people have been injured, and 21 people have been reported as missing. Additionally, the current number of displaced households is 28,484, with approximately 185,297 people affected.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Integration Committee has affirmed the government’s pledge to enhance active participation in the East African Community (EAC) to help curb budgetary challenges crippling the regional bloc.

It has been noted that EAC has been struggling with its budget because they have been working with irregular remittances due to the financial instability of some member states.

Speaking at the Parliamentary Committee on Regional Integration held at Serena Mombasa, East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands Cabinet Secretary, Penina Malonza highlighted the primary focus of their discussions, central to their agenda was the examination of integration-related matters, with a particular emphasis on budgetary considerations.

Malonza emphasised the importance of acknowledging and evaluating the contributions made by partner states within the East African Community. She said this strategic approach underscores their commitment to fostering deeper regional cooperation and realising the collective aspirations of all me
mber states.

The committee and government delegation also reviewed the performance of the East African Community over the past year. Key priorities included boosting Kenyan involvement and enhancing bilateral relations with partner states.

Emphasising her pivotal role in emergency response management within the country, she underscored the swift and effective action taken by the government in addressing the needs of the affected counties. Notably, the response efforts extended to areas such as Machakos and Nairobi, where urgent assistance was promptly delivered.

She highlighted that she is in charge of emergency response in the country and that ‘we were able to respond to some of the affected counties, including Machakos and Nairobi.’

‘We had to send boats to Machakos to rescue people, and from the report I got from the County Commissioner, the mission was successful, we also sent foodstuff to Machakos.’

She said that the Nairobi operation was led by CS Moses Kuria, who stepped in and was able to make si
gnificant strides to efficiently deliver essential supplies and food to Mathare, Mukuru kwa Njenga, and Kibera, as she was in Arusha for the consideration of East Africa’s Budget meeting.

‘We have discussed Kibera’s agenda with the Nairobi Governor, and he said that they have already given out notice for the people who have built on riparian land to evacuate,’ she noted.

The CS highlighted that they have taken proactive steps to activate a multi-agency committee jointly overseen by the Deputy President to actively formulate solutions and foster collaboration with humanitarian organisations such as the Red Cross and the World Food Program. Through collective efforts, she assured that she would make a meaningful impact.

She said that they also activated the National Disaster Operation Centre and are now releasing updates daily at 3 p.m..

Source: Kenya News Agency

Three bodies have been retrieved in a flooded area within Kona Punda along Garissa-Madogo Road, where a boat carrying 41 passengers capsized last evening.

The tragic incident happened at around 6:30 p.m., making it hard for the rescue team from the Kenya Red Cross, Garissa, and Tana River counties to operate as it was getting dark. They, however, managed to rescue 22 people.

The three bodies are among the 23 passengers of the ill-fated boat that had been reported missing.

Due to the closure of the affected road section connecting Madogo and Garissa, the people resorted to using boats, which were charging Sh 1500 for the short distance, which is normally charged Sh 30 by public service vehicles. At the time of the accident, the boat was reportedly overloaded with at least 45 passengers.

Police in Madogo have already condoned the area, completely restricting people from accessing the flooded area.

The Tana River has broken its banks following the heavy rains pounding most parts of the country.

The Garissa
-Nairobi highway was cut off by the raging floods at Madogo, leading to a booming boat business.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government has with immediate effect suspended operations of private speed boats in the flooded Kona punda area in Madogo, Tana River County, following the tragic boat accident along the Garissa-Nairobi highway.

Speaking to the press after touring the Kona punda site where a search and rescue team is camping, Tana River Deputy County Commissioner Andrew Mutua said that stern action will be taken against anyone found defying the order.

Three bodies were retrieved on Monday morning by the search team as they continued to search for more bodies. On Sunday, the team rescued 22 people, while 23 are still missing from the ill-fated boat that had close to 45 people on board.

‘I want to make it very categorical that no boat will be allowed to ferry passengers either to or from Garissa until we give another communication when it will be safe,’ Mutua said.

‘The only boats that will be allowed are those that are searching for bodies or survivors, so anyone else, either boat owners or passengers, who try to play
monkey business here will have themselves to blame,’ he added.

The DCC, who was accompanied by Tana River Deputy Governor Mahat Loka and the county security team, stated that the government was pursuing the unlicensed boat owner, who was still at large.

He further disclosed that the security apparatus is still looking for the rider who was riding the boat at the time of the incident, with reports suggesting that he might have fled.

Mutua said the incident occurred as a result of negligence by the members of the public who were risking to cross the flooded area after the government closed the road and declared it unsafe for pedestrians.

He urged members of the public to be patient and suspend their travel plans to either Garissa, Mombasa, or Nairobi until the water levels subside.

Speaking at the Mororo area after assessing the flood situation, Garissa Governor Nathif Jama termed the boat tragedy as unfortunate and urged members of the public to avoid putting their lives at risk.

He called for the arrest
of all those who were operating the boat, which he said was unlicensed by both Garissa and Tana River counties.

‘They are criminals driven by greed; they had no regard for the safety of the public. We call upon the government to immediately apprehend them,’ said Nathif.

He also blamed the Kenya National Highways Authority for neglecting the section of the road that was destroyed by the El Nino rains.

‘How come this road was not repaired for all that duration? Why put only sand in it when they know it can easily be swept away?’ he questioned.

He called for an urgent solution to the endless floods. At Mororo, where the tragedy occurred, hundreds of people were displaced after their houses were submerged by the river floods.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A lobby group in Homa Bay County, consisting of caregivers for individuals with non-communicable diseases, is advocating for increased government attention to fight the diseases.

The group, dubbed Homa Bay Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s) Advocacy Chapter, wants the county government to allocate adequate funds for fighting the diseases.

The group chairperson, Mercy Kwamboka, said non-communicable diseases result in long-term health consequences and often create a need for long-term treatment and care.

The Chairperson, along with her Deputy Gordon Ayata, Co-ordinator Teresa Odero, and communication leader Florence Miyaya, were speaking in Homa Bay town today.

She expressed concerns that NCDs seem to be neglected because they are perceived as diseases which do not require emergencies, noting that was why the group was mapping sickle cell patients in Homa Bay County in partnership with NCD’s Alliance Kenya.

Kwamboka argued that the perception of the urgency of NCDs should change so that they can be given u
rgent attention like other diseases. ‘NCDs are serious diseases, but people perceive them as diseases which don’t require urgent attention. We want this attitude to change,’ Kwamboka said.

She said the best way to change the narrative is by allocating special funds in the county’s budget to enhance medication and sensitization against the NCDs.

Kwamboka announced that the funds will be utilised to equip village health facilities with drugs and personnel, stating that this will help alleviate the travel expenses for individuals suffering from these conditions while seeking medical care.

‘We are appealing to our county government to allocate adequate funds for NCDs in their budgets to help in providing health services at nearby health centres and dispensaries,’ Kwamboka stressed.

Odero appealed to policymakers to stop neglecting NCDs. She said many health facilities lack adequate drugs for managing the diseases. ‘You will find that a person is suffering from an NCD, yet they lack drugs in their local health
facilities,’ Odero said.

Ayata called for sensitization against NCDS to reduce the number of people contracting the diseases. ‘Most of the NCDs result from poor lifestyles. There is a need for our policymakers and health promotion organisations to invest in sensitization to enhance prevention,’ Ayata said.

Source: Kenya News Agency