Day: May 23, 2024

The Kenya Red Cross Society in partnership with the Taita Taveta Department of health has kicked off a 6-day-training exercise for healthcare providers from facilities across the county to equip them with necessary skills and knowledge to effectively deal with management of malnutrition in children under the age of five years.

Addressing participants of the Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) course sponsored by Kenya Red Cross Services at Voi, Taita Taveta County Deputy Governor Christine Kilalo lauded the initiative noting that there is need for the healthcare providers to be equipped with knowledge and skills on the causes of malnutrition in the county to devise better ways to curb it.

‘There is need to equip healthcare providers with the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively identify, refer, and follow up on cases of malnutrition in the county,’ she noted adding, ‘You need to invest your time to interact with your clients and understand the dynamics contributing to high malnutriti
on cases in our county. This is a social issue. Most families harvested a variety of foods last season, but you will find cases of malnutrition in these families, a worrying issue. This training is timely and we welcome more such forums.’

According to the course director and trainer Caroline Owange, the program has a broader strategy to promote healthcare delivery in a decent manner.

She stated that the training is much focusing on preventive and promotional service rather than the curative way which she said is expensive.

‘This holistic approach underscores the government’s commitment to tackling malnutrition comprehensively by ensuring that the affected children receive the care they need from identification to recovery,’ said Owange.

The county nutrition coordinator Pauline Mugo stated that participants will be taken through clinical signs and symptoms of malnutrition, procedures to deal with severely malnourished children and related illnesses.

While lauding UNICEF for their unwavering support toward
s managing malnutrition cases in the county, Mugo disclosed that malnutrition still remains a big threat to the growth and wellbeing of children in Taita Taveta.

Based on statistics by the National Information Platform for Food Security and Nutrition (NiPFN), nationally, the prevalence of stunting in children between 0-59 months is at 17.6%. The prevalence of wasting in children 0-59 months is at 5%, while the prevalence of birth weight of 2.5 kg and below is 8%.

NiPFN indicates that in Taita Taveta county, stunting for under 5 is classified as medium with a rate of 19.2% as Kilifi, West-Pokot and Samburu lead with the stunting rates of 37.0%, 33.5% and 31.4% respectively, hence classified as very high.

Kenya Red Cross Society project officer Everline Kisamo reiterated their commitment to working in partnership with county governments to enhance proper primary health care services, adding that the program is tailored towards providing skills that are required in mitigating malnutrition.

‘Apart from food s
ecurity and livelihood intervention, the project is supporting capacity building of health care workers on IMAM among other activities in the Nutrition Sensitive Programming component,’ said Mugo.

On her part, the County health service Chief Officer Violet Mkamburi noted that this is the third cohort of healthcare providers to undergo the IMAM course training stating that, ‘by the end of this training, a total of 70 healthcare providers will have been trained. This will help us in dealing with malnutrition across the county.’

Among those undergoing the training are medical officers, clinical officers, nurses, nutritionists and nutrition coordinators across the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Huawei Kenya has announced the launch of its management trainee program to facilitate the recruitment for jobs and internship targeting Kenyan university students.

About 30 jobs and internship opportunities will be available to Kenyan youth with advanced training in ICT.

Further, the Huawei Management Trainee Program (HMTP), an annual Huawei global flagship programme that identifies and develops fresh talent in the STEM field, has trained 200 and absorbed 133 graduates in Kenya since its launch in 2018.

Huawei Kenya has announced the launch of its management trainee program to facilitate the recruitment for jobs and internship targeting Kenyan university students.

About 30 jobs and internship opportunities will be available to Kenyan youth with advanced training in ICT.

Further, the Huawei Management Trainee Program (HMTP), an annual Huawei global flagship programme that identifies and develops fresh talent in the STEM field, has trained 200 and absorbed 133 graduates in Kenya since its launch in 2018.

S
ource: Kenya News Agency

Locals have been urged to support the ongoing Matawa organic fertilizer plant project in Mumias West Sub County, Kakamega County

The plant aims at manufacturing nitrogen-rich manure that will benefit the region and other counties at a low cost.

County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water, Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change Peninah Mukabane asked the community to embrace the project for its sustainability.

She said the County in partnership with Practical Action would involve the youth in sensitizing residents on the need to segregate waste at source before it is transported to the factory for processing.

She was accompanied by her counterparts Godfrey Owori (Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, Co-operatives and Irrigation) and Rachel Atamba (Trade, Industrialization and Tourism).

Owori and Atamba assured the residents that the operationalizing of the factory was on course and it would benefit the farmers.

The trio were speaking when they visited the factory to check on its progress
and any challenges it might have experienced before receiving the first batch of fertilizer production equipment this week.

The factory uses sanitation and organic waste to produce organic fertilizer, animal feeds and biomass briquettes.

The project will be implemented in three phases, with phase one and two encompassing fertilizer production while phase three will see the introduction of the briquettes and black soldier fly which breaks down the organic material into nitrogen-rich manure.

The company targets to collect waste from the entire Lake Region Economic Bloc which holds a population of over 14 million people.

Kakamega County Investment Development Agency (KCIDA) CEO Elizabeth Asichi said that waste collection from the Municipal Markets and other neighbouring counties would begin in June 2024.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has given vital skills to the employees of West Pokot County comprising of both County and National Governments in a training that will revolutionise work ethics in the region.

The objective of the training was to equip employees with ethics and governance in enhancing their capacity.

While launching the workshop at Kalya hotel conference room in Makutano Town, West Pokot county EACC Director of Education and Public Awareness Dr. Emily Mworia underscored the importance of promoting ethical practices in the workplaces.

Dr. Mworia stated that their purpose for coming to West Pokot was to carry out the responsibilities of the Commission which included preventing and combating corruption through law enforcement, corruption prevention, education, and public awareness in order to promote ethical practices.

She emphasized that the Department of Education at the EACC has a specific mandate, as outlined in section 11 of the EACC Act of 2011, to educate the public and
raise awareness on issues related to corruption within the Commission’s jurisdiction.

Dr. Mworia stated that the workshop targeted the Corruption Prevention Committee members, comprising of county executive management and staff from different Departments at both the County and National levels.

‘The objective of the workshop is to sensitize them on good governance and how they can incorporate ethics and integrity in their workplaces, as well as involve members of the public in their routine work,’ Dr. Mworia mentioned.

Speaking to the press at the launch of the Anti-Corruption capacity-building workshop, the North Rift Regional Manager for EACC Mr. Charles Rasugu emphasized that the Commission has a range of responsibilities, including investigating corruption cases.

He revealed that just like some other counties in the republic, West Pokot County is currently under investigation for two separate corruption cases involving the alleged misuse of bursary funds and irregularities in the construction of Peace
Border Schools.

He specifically mentioned a case involving bursaries that were distributed with fraudulent practices, which is currently being investigated by a team of EACC from the Nairobi offices.

‘The investigation is at an advanced stage, and the outcome will be announced in due course,’ Rasugu stated.

‘Allegation of irregularities in the border schools project implementation have been raised, and EACC is actively investigating the matter,’ he said.

He said once the investigation is completed, recommendations for adjudication would be made based on the findings.

‘We have other cases but I don’t need to enumerate all of them, the outcome is better than talking about the cases we are investigating, we have quite a number of cases which we are investigating,’ he noted.

‘In order to prevent such cases of corruption from arising, the Commission needs to take a proactive approach to reduce the likelihood of corruption,’ he noted.

This is crucial to ensure that resources allocated for public use are effe
ctively utilized and reach the intended beneficiaries.

He observed that conducting investigations was not an easy task, acknowledging that sometimes cases required a significant amount of time for thorough examination.

‘This is not because the Commission intentionally prolongs the investigation, but rather due to the complexities involved in uncovering and addressing instances of wrongdoing, where individuals may attempt to conceal the truth,’ Rasugu explained.

He noted that it was crucial for the public to understand that the duration of investigations could not be deemed as unnecessarily long noting that it was imperative to allow sufficient time for the investigation to reach its conclusion.

‘Some of the investigations are complex in nature. If you are dealing with a case like a bursary case and you find that there are so many people who are involved, collecting the evidence sometimes takes time,’ Rasugu said.

He acknowledged that the Commission desires for all ongoing investigations in the county to
be concluded promptly.

He emphasized that the Commission has thus far maintained an impressive track record in terms of investigation timelines and handling of cases.

‘At the right time, we will be able to have the results of the investigations and it is important that they are done professionally so that the outcome of such kinds of investigations are good for the country,’ he said.

Another official at EACC Mr Fredrick Mainda urged the employees to establish a culture of integrity, transparency, and accountability within their organization, where unethical behaviour is not tolerated and where employees felt empowered to report any instances of corruption they encountered.

The Secretary of West Pokot County Mr. Jonathan Siwanyang expressed his gratitude to the officials of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for selecting West Pokot County as the location to raise awareness among the county government staff regarding corruption issues within the county.

He emphasized that the sensitization p
rogrammes conducted by the EACC in various marketplaces, institutions, and vocational training colleges across the county is instrumental in preventing corruption.

Siwanyang clarified that although the county was recently ranked as the most corrupt in the country, it was not solely the county government that was responsible for this, but rather the entire county, including both the County and National government.

‘Corruption prevention awareness training conducted by the EACC in county will significantly contribute to reducing corruption in the region, ensuring that it no longer remains associated with corruption in the future,’ he stated.

He also mentioned that the county government is actively cooperating and maintaining effective communication with the EACC, providing them with the necessary documents for investigating cases related to alleged misappropriation of funds in the county.

Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Ms. Emily Ogolla, who represented the County Commissioner in the workshop, emphasize
d the importance of sensitization efforts by EACC in preventing corruption and fostering a culture of integrity and accountability in the workplace.

‘Many employees may not fully understand what constitutes corruption or the various forms it can take. Sensitization programs help educate them about the different types of corruption, such as bribery, embezzlement, and nepotism among other vices,’ ACC Ogolla said.

‘Many employees may lack a complete understanding of what defines corruption or the different manifestations it can take. Awareness campaigns aid in informing them about the diverse forms of corruption, including bribery, embezzlement, and nepotism is important and I thanked EACC for finding time to sensitize the county and national government staff,’ he stated.

She emphasized the importance of raising awareness among employees about corruption as essential for cultivating an ethical work environment and deterring corruption-related activities.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Information, Communications and The Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo has assure residents of Migori County that the government will continue to distribute relief supplies in flood affected areas to help cushion the victims from the pangs of hunger and opportunistic ailments.

‘For now, we will only prioritise issues that are core to protecting the lives of our people and ensuring that many projects are implemented all over the country to boost the economy,’ he said.

Speaking at Lwanda and Aneko markets where he presided over the distribution of food to the affected people, Owalo said the State will also ensure that the damaged roads in the area are repaired promptly to allow free movement of the people.

The National Government, he noted, has set aside enough funds to procure relief food and medicine for the flood victims in the whole country, adding that Nyatike alone has its shares allocated to feed all the affected people.

More than 100 households with over 5,000 people have been displa
ced by flood waters in Nyatike area alone following the ongoing heavy rains pounding the region and the entire country.

At the same time, the floods have destroyed Angugo, Modi and Sere Primary schools among others, affecting learning in those institutions.

He said the Government would strive to build dykes and dams in Nyatike to prevent Lake Victoria water back flowing and also avoid river over flows for the benefit of the people.

‘What we are currently doing is to see that our farmers are supplied with subsidised seeds and fertilisers, our fishing activities and marketing are improved and small and big industries revived for the sake of improving the people’s income and nothing else,’ he added.

The CS said the government is also keen to revive the sugar industry, saying it has posted a substantive Managing Directors to Sugar factories such as South Nyanza Sugar Company (Sony) to enable them operate effectively.

Concerning the environment, Owalo encouraged Nyatike residents to plant more trees to increa
se forest cover within the region.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The youth have been urged to take advantage of the Jitume Programme to gain valuable digital skills that would enable them acquire online jobs to become self-employed in life.

Information, Communications and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo revealed that the programme was aimed at providing the youth with access to digital services, digital skills, and opportunities to enable them take advantage of technology for job creation.

Speaking during the official launch of a Jitume Digital Hub at the Kajiado East Technical and Vocational College, the CS reiterated the government’s commitment to creating employment for the youth.

‘I am here on behalf of President William Ruto to officially open this Digital Hub as a promise to help our youth access job opportunities. Times have changed, our youth now can work remotely for different clients abroad,’ he said.

He added that the labs would not only be used to train the youth but also ensure that they earn as they learn.

The CS reiterated that the Gov
ernment would connect internet in the Digital hubs and provide resources for the youth giving them access to digital services, skills and opportunities.

Owalo further revealed that the government is setting up 1,450 ICT hubs across the country, in all the wards and launching free public Wi-Fi hotspots to ensure easy access to internet and digital skills training.

‘We are going to install 1,450 Digital Hubs in each Ward in the country. We are working with Members of Parliament to ensure every ward gets a Digital Hub. We are also helping Mama Soko by providing WiFi to help them to use internet for their business,’ said the CS.

Owalo said that the government has established 100,000 kilometers of fiber optic cables across the country, making it easier for citizens to access the internet.

Source: Kenya News Agency