Day: May 22, 2024

Kenyans in the informal sector have been urged to join pension schemes and commence saving for retirement to secure a good future once they exit their jobs.

According to statistics by the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) despite the total assets under management amounting to over Sh1.7 trillion as of December 2023, only 26 percent of the labour force is actively saving for retirement.

Speaking during the official opening of the five-day Huduma clinic in Mombasa meant to educate residents on the critical importance of saving for retirement, RBA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Charles Machira said that the public needs to be informed that formal employment is not a prerequisite for pension scheme enrollment and there is importance in saving and planning for retirement.

Machira also urged stakeholders in the pension industry, including the media, to reverse the trend of poor saving for retirement by enlightening Kenyans on the importance of retirement savings and the various options available.

He noted that
sensitization through the Huduma clinic plays a profound significance particularly when considering the alarming statistics indicating that approximately 7 out of 10 Kenyans face the risk of falling into poverty upon retirement due to inadequate savings.

‘The initiative targets informal sector workers, with the goal of enlightening them on the various avenues available for retirement savings. Additionally, for those already engaged in the sector, we continue to provide free retirement preparation training for scheme members nationwide,’ he said.

He added that RBA is closely collaborating with other stakeholders, such as the individual pension plans represented, to raise awareness among all Kenyans regarding the importance of retirement savings.

He said instances of retirees encountering challenges in accessing their pension benefits have been noted over the years and promised to do a follow up and ensure every retiree gets their benefits 30 days after the day of retirement, as prescribed by the law.

Hudum
a Centre Chief Executive Officer Mugambi Njeru said Huduma Centres were ready to partner with RBA and bring services closer to the people, ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for all.

Mombasa Deputy County Commissioner Ronald Mwiwawi said the initiative will offer a prime opportunity for local residents to learn on how to start saving and secure their future.

Mwiwawi said the government is steadfast towards ensuring citizens do not retire into poverty, and is promoting a culture of saving for retirement as a crucial step in achieving the goal.

He commended the Huduma clinic initiative for serving as a one-stop shop for all pension related matters, streamlining processes, and enhancing efficiency for the benefit of all stakeholders.

‘It’s crucial to note that anyone earning an income can enroll in an individual pension scheme today and start saving for retirement. We urge all Mombasa residents to seize this opportunity to educate themselves and make informed decisions about securing their retirement,’ h
e said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Over 300 artists from Kericho attended the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) public participation forum where they were enlightened on overall administration and enforcement of copyright and related rights as they voiced various challenges affecting them in their endeavors.

The event which took place at Kericho Sunshine Hotel attracted musicians, comedians, content creators, actors and even bloggers from the region, who said that the performing arts sector often reported high levels of organizational demands, poor job security, over-commitment, difficulties coping with critical performance feedback, perceived lack of recognition for their work and poor relationships with colleagues.

Speaking during the occasion, Kenya Copyright Chair Mr. Joshua Kutuny assured that the board has come up with measures geared towards building capacity for the artists and also educating them on financial management.

He said that the sensitization focused on copyright issues, policy and regulations which he said were crucial infor
mation for the artists, adding that creative economy was a big industry that many people earned a living from.

‘Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) play a vital role in enhancing accountability and transparency. However, most of the artists have complained of not receiving their dues. The Board is currently working on draft amendments to the law that incorporates the latest developments and also seeks to improve the enforcement and administration of copyright and related rights in Kenya,’ explained Kutuny.

Josphat Kirui, an artist in Kericho, commended the Kenya Copyright Board representatives for empowering artists with knowledge on how they could earn a living though art adding that most artists in the region were facing challenges which could have been solved if they had prior knowledge on property rights.

‘Since I started my music career, I have never received any payment from the government but at last I can see light at the end of the tunnel. I have also understood my rights as far as Copyrigh
t protection is concerned and I can confidently say that this is a weapon which gives me legal rights to stop others from using my work without permission,’ said Kirui.

Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has been on the forefront of using digital platforms to promote and protect local artists through the digital rights management tools that make it easier for the artists to protect their work.

Technology, business models and education could provide the owners of copyright in Kenya with effective mechanisms and means for dealing with problems.

In recent years, Technical Protection Services have seen the exploration of many technical mechanisms intended to protect copyright in digital form.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya Power, Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) and Scrap Metal Council have agreed to implement policies against vandalism of the infrastructure among them transformers and metals.

Kenya Power and Lighting Company Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Eng. Joseph Siror said the Company would work together with other institutions, energy sectors and members of public in order to eradicate vandalism of energy equipment to enable every citizen to get affordable and reliable power for their livelihood.

Siror said power plays a crucial role in everything that people do and KPLC would not condone incidences of vandalism which inconvenience customers and risk both human and animal lives as they leave power infrastructure exposed leading to the possibility of electrocution.

He added the sectors that solely depended on power without backup such as the high dependency and intensive care units increased the cost of doing business, risked widespread power outages, compromised law and order leading to loss of foreign inves
tments among other negative effects.

Citing the impact of power outage and vandalism, the CEO in the year 2023 was some 365 transformers worth Sh328 million were lost while this year, a total of 78 transformers have been vandalized, adding that the loss of the transformers would make the company incur high costs of installing new ones.

The CEO was speaking during a press conference with Consumers Federation of Kenya and Scrap Metal Council on eradicating vandalism of national infrastructure among them transformers and metals on Wednesday at a Nairobi hotel.

Siror said that the nature in which the vandalism crimes were committed was troubling, and required stakeholders to join hands to eliminate it and make the country a convenient place to do business.

Eng. Siror said that the challenge in combating the menace lies in a far reaching consequences, and that the implementation of the Energy Act of 2019 has been an avenue for most future actions.

‘Criminals tampering with electricity supply installations, da
mage of street lights and power installations will attract a fine of Sh5million or 5 years’ imprisonment,’ he warned.

He added that the Energy Act not only addresses vandalism but also protects shared resources as a collective responsibility and commended the Judiciary for supporting the sector.

He revealed that in the year 2022 and 2024, KPLC has had 12 successful convictions where the culprits have been sentenced to serve jail terms while 166 cases were pending in courts. He hoped the cases would be expedited soon as this would minimize vandalism.

‘We have embarked on initiatives including collaborative partnerships with law enforcement agents who include the National Police Service, National Intelligence Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations and National Government Administration Officers,’ he revealed.

Eng. Siror at the same time stated that the partnership has enabled KPLC recover at least 1,178 electricity handles between the year 2022 and 2024 and to protect the safety of transformers uni
t based on channel installation.

‘We have also enhanced our patrols and surveillance on road scrap metal divas while working with the community,’ he said adding that the Company would collaborate with stakeholders in metal industry to transition from a reactive response mechanism to a protective response.

He stated that destruction of infrastructure, particularly transformers should be denounced by everyone since it is a crime against all Kenyans.

The CEO said for the country to have reliable electricity, the export of copper should be banned, noting that in the year 2023, Kenya exported copper waste and scrap worth Sh6.7 billion yet it does not produce the same.

‘By failing to protect our infrastructural assets, we are collectively digging ourselves into a big problem since the process will be recovered from customers or taxpayers through increased tariffs and taxes,’ he reminded Kenyans.

In his remarks, the Secretary General Consumers Federation of Kenya Stephen Mutoro noted that the cost of vandalism
has inconvenienced the citizenry as it has caused power outages, affected water supply and cut off railway lines among others.

‘As COFEK, we believe in creating solutions, the problem has been focused on the supply side. It is a high time to shift the burden from the supply side and demand side,’ he said.

Mutoro urged the government and private sectors to come up with a policy that would form the community policing against vandalism, adding that the policy was vital as intelligence cannot be shared through community policing without a policy.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service (KEPHIS) is this week hosting a simulation exercise and training of the Fusarium TR4 banana disease.

Fusarium TR4 is the biggest threat to banana production worldwide, with the potential to cause up to 100 percent yield loss on banana and plantain farms.

Although the pathogen is not currently present in Kenya, the focus of the exercise is for the global phytosanitary community from the COMESA countries in Africa and others to come together in a crucial capacity development exercise on how to prevent the entry of Fusarium TR4 and be prepared, should the threat arise.

Speaking during the opening of the conference, State Department of Agriculture Principal Secretary Dr. Paul Rono said that the African continent needs to know how to mitigate against the challenges of plant pests and diseases which have been identified to cause up to 40 percent reduction in yield if they want to continue producing food.

He noted that threats to plants for instance from pests and diseases
, cross boundary transfer of pests through international travel and trade, disruptive human activities and climate change have devastating impacts on agriculture, biodiversity, the economy and international trade while contributing negatively to the efforts towards attaining food security.

‘The tropical climate pre-disposes us and other African Countries to these high and new pest incidences through the actual and potential expansion of pest distribution and intensity and changes in pest epidemiology and life cycle’, the PS said in a statement read on his behalf.

Dr. Rono appreciated the close ties between African countries, which he said has translated into tangible outcomes that have not only changed the livelihoods of farmers, but also cushioned us against hard and unprecedented times.

He noted that the implementation of phytosanitary measures to mitigate plant pests so that plants and plant produce exported are acceptable in the international markets is key to Kenya’s economy.

‘I am proud to note that
Kenya has made significant investments and put in place various initiatives for strengthening phytosanitary systems to support the achievement of a food secure country through strengthening the National Plant Protection Organization (NPPO) – KEPHIS and also equipping our border points for the effective manning against arrival of plant pests and diseases,’ the PS said

He explained that it was therefore imperative to exclude Fusarium TR4, especially because banana is a very important crop in Kenya and its devastating effects can greatly impact banana production in Kenya

‘We cannot afford to relax when we face a pest that can cause up to 100 percent yield loss in areas of infestation. This workshop is welcome and is key to the revolution of Kenya’s and Africa`s agriculture and trade that will solve emerging issues through a concerted multidisciplinary, multi-state effort’, Dr. Rono said

Food Authority Organization of the UN (FAO) Kenya Hamisi Williams said Fusarium TR4, has the potential to cause significant
economic losses, threaten food security, and disrupt local and international trade.

‘Banana is one of the leading staple foods in some COMESA member countries and its threat could result in increased food insecurity to a region that is perennially food deficient’, he added noting that the Fusarium TR4 can be spread through various pathways, including international trade.

Due to the biological nature of the fungus and its reproductive structures, Hamisi added that eradicating the pathogen could be an impossible task and therefore called upon the technical team participating in the training activity to take it seriously

‘Let us take the exercise as if we are in the real situation of an outbreak so that we can acquire the skills in early detection and response for the pest outbreak. Lack of preparedness could as well be preparation to fail in the event the pest outbreak occurs’, he said.

The FAO rep advocated for strengthened collaboration and partnerships with all the relevant partners and stakeholders incl
uding national Governments, regional bodies and donor partners to the very important activity for effective early warning and preparedness.

KEPHIS Managing Director Prof. Theophilus Mutui, in his remarks said that Kenya has had to deal with Fusarium wilt disease, caused by the soil borne fungus Fusarium oxysporum (Foc) and which has been a major constraint to banana production in Kenya.

‘We therefore are already grappling with a pest of banana and would be greatly affected should the (Foc) tropical race 4 (TR4) be introduced into Kenya’, he said.

Kenya, he explained, is taking the simulation activity very seriously and that the lessons learnt from the training will be extrapolated to other pests of concern.

This training, Prof. Mutui said will build onto the existing regulatory official control systems which include testing of banana planting material for freedom from Foc TR4 before importation as well as monitoring the material in quarantine status and additionally test where necessary.

As part of the s
imulation exercise, the participants will visit Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s main entry and exit point as well as the Plant Quarantine Station at Muguga where lab work is done to ascertain the presence of plant diseases in Kenya and regionally . The Quarantine Station is also a COMESA reference laboratory.

Bananas are perennial tropical plants whose fruits are used both for cooking (plantains) and as table fruits. They are a staple food in many of the lower altitude, wetter areas of East Africa and mostly grown as a subsistence crop, although there is much internal and regional trading.

The different varieties of Bananas are also an essential staple crop throughout the Great Lakes region of East Africa and an important source of trade and income. It serves as food, income resource and animal feed in addition to other environmental benefits.

In Kenya, the crop is mainly grown and managed by smallholder farmers with over 200,000 small, land holders growing about 70,000ha with major banana pro
ducing counties being Kisii, Meru, Kirinyaga, Taita Taveta, Embu, Bungoma and Murang’a

The crop is of paramount importance in food security and income generation with about 1,000,000 tonnes produced annually. In 2022, bananas production for Kenya was 1.9 million tonnes.

Bananas production in Kenya has also increased from 400,000 tonnes in 1973 to 1.9 million tonnes in 2022 growing at an average annual rate of 7.19 percent.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Busia County Government’s Department of Education and Industrial Skills Development (ISD) has lauded the efforts put in place by World Vision to support the Otuoma Nutri-care feeding program in Angurai Division in Teso North.

While receiving bags of beans worth Sh900, 000 to be distributed to 58 Early Childhood Development Center (ECDE) centres in Angurai Division, the County Executive Committee Member for the Department Beatrice Nakholi said besides the donation from the World Vision, the County Government would give an additional 6,770 kilograms of rice, 400 litres of cooking oil and 16 bales of salt.

‘World Vision is the first donor in Busia County to come out and support our feeding programme. Thank you so much World Vision. As a county we can’t take this gesture for granted and since we are partnering, the county will give 6,770kgs of rice, 16 bales of salt and 400 litres of oil,’ said Nakholi.

She elaborated that the programme, known as the homegrown solution, was meant to promote farmers in Busi
a, and whatever was grown in Busia would be eaten by the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) children.

‘I urge all parents to at least plant a quarter an acre of beans and orange-fleshed sweet potatoes to help supplement the diet and allow the programme to continue as this will help fight the poverty index in our county,’ she noted.

Other than just providing food to the school-going learners, the CECM noted that the programme was also meant to fight malnutrition among children citing statistics showing a lot of children in Busia were stunted and underweight affecting their growth cycle to even adulthood.

Her remarks were echoed by Ms Grace Ogaga, from the Support Community Engagement sponsorship project in Angurai.

‘World Vision is privileged to host the county team led by CECM Nakholi and the main agenda is to ensure that children have proper nutrition in schools,’ she said, while promising to work towards ensuring that activities being implemented in the area bring impact to the child that Worl
d Vision serves.

‘I know this programme will help retain children in schools and also bring about high enrollment, and bring regular school attendance among children,’ she emphasized.

Besides foodstuffs, learners also received learning material from World Vision.

Source: Kenya News Agency

There have been complaints in existing village polytechnics as students toil with various lessons to gain skills for their future livelihoods.

The complaints have been registered in the country in recent years, thanks to the promotion of the Technical, Vocational and Education Training (TVET) institutions, which the Kenya Kwanza Government considers as a vehicle towards the country’s industrial growth.

From the time of holding the Deputy President’s docket, President William Ruto made TVETs education his pet subject to ignite confidence on the young people in the country to embrace technology, a sure bet for self-employment and development.

Records indicate that an official government policy to propel village polytechnic education to greater heights started earnestly in 2014 when the first batch of students was admitted to these institutions. Most of them were KCPE graduates who did not get placement in form one classes.

The initiative, started by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, with an
idea to construct more TVETs and village polytechnics in various parts of the country to accommodate more students, is currently paying dividends in all the 47 counties.

Within Migori County alone, the National Government has constructed institutions, equipped and deployed enough instructors to deal with the large number of students applying to take up various courses in technical skills.

Among the operating TVETs in the county are; Siala in Rongo sub-county, Oyani in Uriri sub-county, Mabera and Kiendege, in Kuria West and Kuria East sub-counties respectively and, Siruti in Awendo sub-county. Also spread across the region are several village polytechnics, among them; Bware, Uriri and Chinato, that have admitted hundreds of students.

Technical experts stress that such institutions are the centres for skills development to power the economy the county and that of the entire nation.

‘Migori County and the entire nation will have to rely on young people with technical skills to move ahead especially in opera
ting, repair of machines and entrepreneurship skills,’ affirms Eng. Wellington Onyango, a retired career educationist.

During an interview with KNA at his home in Siruti areas of Awendo, Eng. Onyango emphasised that through these technical institutions, diverse programmes are offered to meet demands arising for economic growth since bourgeoisie interests like salon treatment or barbers needed to be addressed.

‘For the record, there are many professionals with international reputations yet their only claim to skills is that they can make hair look really good. Others make very good cloth designs – Giogio Amani, Yves St. Laurent, all made themselves famous through fashion,’ he said.

Johnson Kyoyo, an instructor at one of the local village polytechnic, says that the era the world is going into is one of knowledge-based economies and the emerging trends show that ‘we must revise our curricula in technical institutions to assist offer relevant knowledge to our youth.’

‘In the new era, the manufacturing process
must be unpacked, coded and be used through computerization for more efficient production,’ he noted.

For this reason, Migori county leaders will have to crave tirelessly to make these institutions move towards embracing technology in the production process by offering competitive training for the young people in information and communication technology.

According to experts, these are the people to produce phone apps, machines and start mass production processes.

There is need to give the youth the chance to shine in engineering, furniture and artifacts making and fashion – making people look good through their hair designs and beauty care, adds K’Oyoo.

Mr. Michael Otieno, another technical skills instructor, notes that as Migori and the entire nation make efforts to promote technical skills education, it is critical and urgent that they work hard to move the institutions from providers of rudimentary agricultural training to the information age and ensure that the graduates they produce are relevant for
the current market, both local and international.

‘Modern economy will not be driven by rudimentary production techniques and beliefs that certain skills are less important than others. The skills complete each other,’ he explained.

He stresses that economic productivity would increase once people and especially the youth start appreciating that some of the apparently useless things in their lives and society, those that they do not take seriously, will drive the economy in the future.

Source: Kenya News Agency