Day: May 13, 2024

The National Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee chair, Ndindi Nyoro has said they will, beginning next week, start engaging Kenyans in public participation on the budget proposal.

Speaking at a fundraiser in Narok town at the PCEA Church, Nyoro, allayed fears on the 2024-2025 budget estimates saying whatever was published were only proposals subject to changes.

‘The Finance Bill is the proposal from the National Treasury; when the proposal is brought to Parliament that is when the process begins,’ said Nyoro.

Nyoro said the National Treasury has proposed a budget of Sh3.913 trillion for the 2024/25 financial year.

‘As from next week, we will as a Committee be in different counties engaging the public on the budget making process,’ added Nyoro.

Nyoro added that Kenya is a democratic country, and that is why Kenyans are in the forefront in the budget making process through public participation.

On the other hand, Nyoro said comparing Kenya to the other countries, Kenya has been ranked number 28
as fastest growing economy in the world adding the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 2023 grew at 5.5 percent.

‘Figures don’t lie, figures are based on data from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. Information is all over, you can Google it,’ said Nyoro.

Nyoro also added that the Shilling was at its weakest in January 2024, exchanging at Sh160 against the Dollar before it appreciated to trade at 133.99 per Dollar.

Leaders present included Governor Patrick Ntutu, Narok North Member of Parliament, Agnes Pareyio, Kitilai Ntutu Narok South Member of Parliament, David Sankok EALA Member of Parliament, Rebecca Tonkei Narok Women Representative.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Road safety compliance checks are currently being conducted on highways countrywide by the National Transport and Safety Authority to improve safety on the roads as students begin returning to school for the delayed term-2 reopening on Monday.

In a joint effort, the police and road safety authority seized multiple vehicles on different roads as part of their initiative to enforce strict adherence to road safety regulations. Random sobriety tests were also conducted as part of the checks on drivers for drunk driving.

A notice shared on social media dubbed ‘Pamoja Tuhakikishe Watoto Wetu Wamefika Shuleni Salama’ highlighted the importance of adhering to speed limits, practicing lane discipline, and the prevention of driving while under the influence.

The operation, which commenced over the weekend, is scheduled to last until the end of next week, with both agencies collaborating closely to carry out the operation.

In a statement, Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen emphasized the importance of road safety for a
ll road users, stating that compliance with traffic rules, including speed limits, is crucial.

He also underscored the need for school transport operators to adhere to these rules like all public service vehicles.

President William Ruto also ordered the traffic police and the NTSA to collaborate in order to improve road safety.

He admitted that there had been a longstanding disconnect and rivalry between the two agencies when it came to the enforcement of traffic regulations, attributing it as a major factor in the lack of success in achieving the desired outcomes.

During the unveiling of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-28 in April, President Ruto instructed the Inspector General of Police and the director general of NTSA to promptly implement the collaboration.

He also stressed the importance of the public and other road users actively participating in promoting road safety.

The agency conducted checkpoints on Thika Road at Jomoko, Witethie, Juja, Ruiru, and Roysambu, during which they impoun
ded a school bus for having a faulty speed limiter and seat belts. Additionally, vehicles with expired road service licenses were also seized.

The goal of the National Road Safety Action Plan 2024-28 is to reduce the number of accidents by 50 percent.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Three Members of Parliament have backed demands by intern teachers for the government to absorb them on permanent terms.

Led by Narok Woman Representative who is also Chair of the National Assembly Education Committee Rebecca Tonkei, Marakwet West Member of Parliament Timothy Toroitich, and Kiharu MP, Ndindi Nyoro want Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers employed on permanent basis by TSC.

Speaking in Narok Town, Tonkei said that the government did not err by enlisting teachers on internship programs for between one and two years adding that it is high time the government converted the same interns to permanent employees.

‘There is nothing wrong for our teachers to be in an internship program like other interns in public service,’ said Tonkei.

Tonkei said intern teachers’ current pay is low, and the government needs to absorb them on permanent terms so their pay can rise so that they can meet their basic needs.

Nyoro pointed out that the Teachers’ Service Commission (TSC) is the only government agency
that receives the highest budgetary allocation in government.

‘Therefore, TSC should confirm those intern teachers on permanent and pensionable terms, especially the JSS,’ Nyoro said.

Nyoro also urged TSC to employ another 20,000 teachers in the next financial year 2024-2025.

Marakwet West MP Toroitich chided individuals who moved to Court to void the employment of intern teachers which the Court upheld.

‘We as the Committee of Education, we cannot agree with that decision, but we respect the court decision’ added Toroitich.

He said they advised the TSC to appeal the decision so that the JSS teachers can be employed permanently.

Toroitich also asked the Budget and Appropriations Committee to look for more budgetary allocations in the coming financial year 2024-2025, so that the intern teachers can be confirmed on permanent terms and also to facilitate employment of more teachers.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani has pledged her commitment to the overall sports development of the coastal county by committing more resources to its development.

Governor Achani expressed her administration’s determination to take the sporting sector to glorious heights and cement the place of Kwale as a potential sporting powerhouse.

‘As a devolved government, our commitment to the development of all facets of sports is unwavering,’ she said further expressing her interest in uplifting the standard of grassroot sports development in the county.

Achani says she is cognizant of the fact that sports could have a hugely positive impact on the communities and could be used as a tool to empower young people and promote physical and mental health and well-being and as well as build social cohesion.

She challenged the youth to take sports for physical fitness and mental alertness noting that the various sporting activities would keep them away from drugs, crime and falling prey to extremist groups.

Achani, who w
as accompanied by Kwale Woman Rep Fatuma Masito, was speaking during a funds drive for Black Eagles FC in Waa/Ngombeni ward in matuga Sub County.

The leaders helped raise Sh750,000 to enable the team purchase a bus that would help the team ferry players from one point to another during their matches and for hiring purposes as a business venture.

The event was organized by the club’s management and supporters to generate funds to facilitate income-generating activities that would aid the club’s operations.

Achani also assured of her government’s readiness to promote sporting activities across Kwale with a view to encouraging youth participation to showcase their talents.

The Governor said she is committed to supporting sporting talents and urged local clubs to come together to form companies that could engage in business with the county government and other institutions.

‘This will help the local sporting clubs to generate a steady income and improve the living standards of both the clubs and the communit
y at large,’ she said adding that the local clubs have shown that talents abound in Kwale.

She reiterated her administration’s commitment to deepening sports development by investing in the construction and revamping of sporting facilities in Kwale.

Achani cited the ongoing construction works of the Sh450 million Kwale county stadium which is taking shape at an unparalleled speed.

‘Once complete, the state-of-the-art Kwale stadium will be a 21st-century model edifice capable of hosting national and international sporting events,’ she said.

She says the standard 3,000 seater capacity stadium would have football and basketball pitches among other amenities such as changing rooms, restaurant, athletics tartan track, medical rooms, washrooms and floodlights.

Achani says sports has the power to change the world, inspire and unite people in a way that nothing else does.

MP Masito called for stakeholders to support the youth in various sporting activities to prevent them from becoming social misfits in life no
ting that sports provided a way of keeping youth out of crime and drug and substance abuse.

Masito called on the devolved government to continue investing in sports infrastructure and development to enable the youth to compete at the highest levels and achieve greater success.

She sees sports as a tool to engage, educate and empower the youth would in the long run help promote economic and social development in Kwale.

The two leaders cautioned the local youth against engaging in crime and drug and substance abuse as it would ruin their future.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Migori becomes the first county to launch a Menstrual Hygiene Management Policy that addresses the access and safe disposal of menstrual products.

Through the support of organizations and partners including the West Kenya Sanitation Project, AMREF Kenya and Rongo University, the County aims to use the policy to tackle issues around the accessibility of menstrual products among the less fortunate in the society.

This is in addition to the management of menstrual waste products through proper disposal mechanisms, which will help in avoiding environmental degradation.

According to the County Director of Public Health and Sanitation Mr. Tom Odhong’, the document targets the needy and vulnerable in the community who are the most affected when it comes to obtaining, using, and disposing of menstrual products.

‘The policy is customized to suit the community members in Migori County by way of assisting the needy and vulnerable girls and women while avoiding environmental degradation,’ said Odhong’.

The health of
ficial noted that cases of absenteeism among students was on the rise due to lack of menstrual products and that the document comes handy in alleviating this challenge.

Moreover, he outlined that together with the partners, they have aligned the policy to enable efficient use of incinerators to burn menstrual waste instead of disposing them in pit latrines which clog and quickly fill septic tanks.

Through the systematic placement of bins in various institutions, Odhong said they aimed to collect all menstrual waste, which would be transported to the County Referral Hospital for burning.

The County Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) co-ordinator Duncan Arunda noted that the policy touched on innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and sustainability, through their partnership with Rongo University.

He revealed that the university, through its textile unit, would aid in the production of both disposable and reusable sanitary towels that would be made available to the locals.

According to Dr. Maurine Adoy
o, a senior researcher at the institution, they produce 1000 towels daily and up to 20000 duri

Though their production capacity is high, she regretted the low consumption rate despite many girls dropping out of school due to the inability to access menstrual products.

She also credited the low demand to ignorance and stigmatization, saying that many people associated the reusable towels with poverty.

The chairman of the legislation committee and representative of the County Assembly, Collins Haggai confirmed that the development of a work plan and budget for the next financial year to facilitate the project was underway.

‘I want to indicate that this document had been passed by the Assembly. We had executed what is expected of us and a budget for this project has been tabled,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The fifth edition of the World Blacks and Africans Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) slated for May 20-26 in Kisumu City has been postponed.

Organizers of the global festival cited the aggravated and unpredicted weather conditions in Kisumu County and the country at large which has left behind a trail of destruction.

In a statement to the media, FESTAC Africa International Chairman Eng. Yinka Abioye said the decision was regrettable since preparations for the festival were in top gear with delegates from across Africa and the world confirming attendance.

‘We however regret to announce that this festival has now been postponed due to aggravated and unpredictable weather conditions in Kisumu County and the rest of Kenya following heavy rainfall and massive flooding that has killed more than 200 people,’ he said.

Safety on the highways connecting Nairobi with Kisumu city and other towns in Western Kenya, he said, was a big concern since floods continued to destroy the infrastructure putting the lives of
travelers at risk.

He added that some of the venues booked for the festival along the shores of Lake Victoria were flooded due to a backflow from the lake rendering them inaccessible.

Furthermore, Kisumu county government which was hosting the festival was grappling with a serious humanitarian crisis after the floods displaced over 15, 000 people and destroyed crops worth Sh60 million, he said.

Eng. Obioye said the festival’s steering committee has therefore resolved to postpone the festival to August 25-September 1, 2024.

He said other arrangements including the programme, guests and speakers would remain the same.

He urged all service providers including hotels and airlines that had booked in delegates not to cancel the bookings but transfer them to the new dates.

FESTAC is Africa’s biggest festival in culture, fashion, music, dance, travel, tourism, trade, investments, arts and crafts, poetry, sports and culinary arts.

Eng. Abioye assured the delegates and sponsors that the organizers were committed
to delivering the best festival in Kisumu come August.

Source: Kenya News Agency