June 1, 2024

Leaders Lead In Mentorship And Guidance Of The Youth In Kericho

University and college students in Kericho County are grappling with escalating mental health issues, significantly impacting their academic performance and overall well-being. This alarming trend has prompted local leaders to take urgent action. Led by the Deputy County Assembly Speaker Erick Bett, who is also the MCA for Kipchebor Ward, and nominated MCA Bhavina Serem, a comprehensive initiative is underway to address the root causes of this crisis.

These leaders are advocating for increased mental health resources, awareness campaigns, and the integration of mental health services within educational institutions to provide immediate support to affected students.

Speaking at a function attended by Kericho County Tertiary Student Association (KECOTSA) held at Nishkam Saint Puran Singh Institute (NSPSI), Bett said that mental health challenges were mainly contributed by financial constraints, unemployment and lack of proper guidance by parents and the community.

‘We are taking a bill to the County Assembly
‘The Youth empowerment bill 2024′. The bill will be advocating for the 30 percent share to youths in every sphere of the county activities including the contracts and tenders. Secondly the county should know the fields where each and every comrade is specified on to help in linking them with opportunities when they arise,’ said Bett.

Kericho County has been struck by a disturbing rise in student suicides, with eight cases reported in 2024 alone, according to Serem.

The nominated MCA highlighted that many of these tragic incidents were linked to social problems, including relationships issues. The alarming trends need better mental health support and intervention strategies within the community, he said.

Serem expressed deep concern over the situation, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the underlying issues that were pushing these young individuals to such desperate measures.

He urged students to seek help and speak openly about their struggles. ‘I encourage all students to speak up whenever they have
issues. It’s crucial that we create environments where young people feel safe to share their problems, both in our schools and at home. By fostering a culture of openness and support, we can reduce the stigma surrounding mental health and prevent further tragedies. We all have a responsibility to safeguard the well-being of our youth and ensure they receive the care and understanding they need,’ she spoke.

Other speakers at the event urged the youth to steer away from pitfalls like drug abuse and alcoholism, saying that they were destructive to individual lives and communities.

Through reports and statistical evidence, the youth were encouraged to embrace healthier lifestyles. The message resonated deeply, fostering a sense of empowerment among attendees to resist peer pressure and seek support when needed.

Amidst the discourse on avoiding harmful practices, the spotlight shifted towards nurturing entrepreneurial spirit.

Speakers shared inspiring narratives of individuals who transformed their passions in
to successful ventures, embodying the ethos of innovation and resilience. Encouraging the audience to harness their creativity and resourcefulness.

The leaders emphasized the importance of self-empowerment through entrepreneurship. Practical insights and actionable advice were offered, empowering youths to explore avenues for economic independence and contribute meaningfully to society.

In a globalized world teeming with opportunities, the event served as a beacon of enlightenment, illuminating pathways to success beyond borders.

The leaders expressed that there are many possibilities out there, from educational pursuits to career advancement. Through firsthand accounts, an expert explained that while out there, they should seize the opportunities available.

Source: Kenya News Agency

June 1, 2024

UDA Conduct Peaceful Constituency Elections In Narok

The United Democratic Alliance (UDA) constituency elections in Narok County went on smoothly in the six constituencies with most delegates choosing to accept the poll outcome.

Most delegates interviewed by Kenya News Agency called on their members to maintain peace after the result outcome as they believed the elections were carried out in a free and fair manner.

Narok County Assembly Majority Leader Sonkoi Lemain, who lost in the party’s Secretary General position for Narok South Sub County but conceded the defeat, described the process as transparent and credible saying all those who won the elections were the legitimate winners.

Lemain, who is supporting Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu for the county’s party chairmanship position, asked their rival group that is led by Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo to accept the result for the good of the party.

He alleged that most delegates supporting Tongoyo’s side were not at the polling station, wondering why they had chosen to pull out very early.

S
ogoo ward MCA Hilary Kipngeno also lauded the election process saying it was very smooth, fair and free.

Kipngeno who was vying to represent the professionals in the party, was elected unopposed and called on all the successful delegates to represent the party well by ensuring the party gets a clear win in the next elections.

The Narok West MP, who is also the chairman of the Security committee at the National Assembly had earlier alleged that the ward elections were not free and fair alleging that the process had been manipulated to favour his rival, governor Ntutu.

There were six elective seats: Organizing secretary, male member, secretary, deputy secretary, treasurer, female member, chairperson and deputy chairperson.

In Narok South, Otuni Milton was elected as organizing secretary, Denis Sonkoi (male member), Sena Moibel (Secretary), Kishoyian Mkum (treasurer), Chelangat Hildah (Female member), Simon Mashati (Chairperson).

A total of 111 delegates voted in the constituency.

Source: Kenya News Agenc
y

June 1, 2024

Kisii University Embarks On Tree Planting Drive

Kisii University has planted 3000 tree seedlings at Nyosia farm in Kisii Central Sub-County as part of the institution’s efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The exercise was done in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), National Research Fund (NRF), National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation (NACOSTI) and AAR Hospital.

Speaking during the event, Kisii University Vice Chancellor Professor Nathan Ogechi said they are committed to promoting environmental sustainability and addressing climate change matters.

He noted that since the launch of the 15 billion trees campaign by President William Ruto, the University has planted over 16,000 tree seedlings in the university and within farms belonging to the surrounding communities.

‘Fostering a clean and healthy environment remains our main concern by ensuring we make the world a better place to live in, and we can only achieve this when we work in unity,’ said Prof. Ogechi.

T
he VC encouraged the teaching staff to engage the students in expressing their potential skills by conducting research related to environment change.

National Research Fund (NRF) Chairperson Prof. Ratemo Michieka, who graced the occasion, urged the students to prioritize the environment issues by practicing re-afforestation and restoring previously existing forest that have been destroyed.

‘Let us not just plant trees and abandon them, but instead let us take good care of them. It will be a great waste if we plant over 3,000 seedlings today and only 100 seedlings grow to maturity because we did not nurture them,’ noted Prof. Michieka.

On his part, Joel Ongoto from UNESCO affirmed that they were ready to support the National Government’s agenda of planting 15 billion trees as part of restoring the environment back to its normal state.

Source: Kenya News Agency

June 1, 2024

Agenda Gathering Process Inclusive, Participatory: Coalition of Ethiopian Women Association

Addis Ababa: Coalition of Ethiopian Women’s Association Director Convener of Women’s Voice in the National Dialogue, Saba Gebremedhim, said that the process of collecting agendas for the national consultative process has been observed to be inclusive and participatory.

In an interview with ENA, the director said Women’s Voice in the National Dialogue has been engaged in activities since the beginning of the consultative process in by incorporating more than 50 organizations.

The coalition has stated that it has organized various women’s forums in the districts of Addis Ababa and held discussions on the agendas that should be raised in the consultative process.

Stating that the national dialogue agenda setting process initiated in the city has ensured inclusiveness by involving various segments of the society including women, and that it has been a participatory process, she said everyone needs to play a positive role for its successful continuation until the end.

The Director, who mentioned that the discu
ssions held during the current agenda setting process will lay the foundation for the main national dialogue, underscored that the dialogue is crucial to creating consensus through democratic and peaceful means and to bring about justice.

She stressed that all segments of the society need to properly utilize the national consultative process, which presents a great opportunity to permanently resolve conflicts and other fundamental challenges facing the country, and work responsibly for its success.

Saba Gebremedhim called on women to actively participate in the efforts to ensure lasting peace as they are part of the solution.

The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, which was established by Proclamation No. 1265/2014 to conduct inclusive national dialogues on fundamental national issues to build better national consensus, has now embarked on implementing the third phase.

The inclusive national consultative process has phases of pre-preparation, preparation, consultative process, implementation and moni
toring.

The agenda setting process, which is part of the consultative phase, was officially launched last Wednesday in Addis Ababa, and representatives of various community groups have concluded three days of discussions on agenda items.

Accordingly, they have identified the agendas they want to be discussed in the consultations at the city administration level and submitted them to the Commission. The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission announced that they have elected 121 representatives to present their agendas during the national dialogue.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

June 1, 2024

Ethiopia Provides Training for South Sudanese Diplomats

Addis Ababa: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia and the Institute of Foreign Affairs organized a training program for South Sudanese diplomats.

The 20 diplomats who are departing Juba on 03 June 2024 to attend the training offered by the collaboration of IFA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia are expected to serve as a vital link in enhancing relations and mutual growth between the two brotherly countries.

During the briefing session which was taken place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of South Sudan, the Undersecretary of the Ministry, Ambassador John Samue highlighted the significance of this training.

The training not only does enhance capacity building but also strengthen the diplomatic relations between the two countries, he said.

In the same vein, Nebil Mahdi, Ethiopian Ambassador to South Sudan congratulated the diplomats and pointed out the unwavering commitment of Ethiopia and its leaders to the people of South Sudan.

Thus, the continuous s
upport being extended in various fields for South Sudan is a demonstration of solidifying the historic relations between our two countries, he said.

In this regard, the Ambassador explained that Ethiopia has been working aggressively to promote economic cooperation with South Sudan through infrastructure development such as roads and electricity, among others.

Finally, the Ambassador advised the diplomats to attend the training actively and to visit Addis Ababa as it is one of the fastest growing city in Africa.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

June 1, 2024

PM Abiy Calls for Seizing Opportunity of National Dialogue

Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has underscored the significance of the ongoing national dialogue process, calling on all Ethiopians to seize this opportunity to achieve a comprehensive victory by resolving outstanding issues through discussion.

In a message posted on his Face-book page, the Prime Minister reflected on Ethiopia’s past experiences with conflict and missed opportunities for dialogue.

He stated, “We have experienced war. We have solved some of our problems. We have repeated uprisings. We have solved some problems. However, the remaining path to address the unsolved problems is through dialogue. We have not tried this path.”

Acknowledging the limitations of war and uprisings, PM Abiy noted, “War and uprisings do not bring a complete solution as they create winners and losers. The defeated will continue to struggle to defeat, while the victor will strive to maintain their victory.”

He contrasted this with dialogue, stating, “Dialogue, on the other hand, makes everyone a winner. Even if
we were once defeated, we all fought for our country.”

The Prime Minister outlined three key benefits of the dialogue process saying ” It will solve, if not all, at least the major outstanding problems.

According to him, the dialogue will promote a culture of dialogue rather than conflict.

It will foster rapprochement and consensus among opposing forces, he said, adding this rapprochement will enable continued engagement on issues in the future.

Urging Ethiopians not to squander this opportunity, PM Abiy appealed, “I ask that we do not miss this chance to achieve a comprehensive victory.”

The inclusive national consultative process has phases of pre-preparation, preparation, consultative process, implementation and monitoring.

The agenda setting process
, which is part of the consultative phase, was officially launched last Wednesday in Addis Ababa, and representatives of various community groups have concluded three days of discussions on agenda items.

Accordingly, they have identified the agendas they want to be discussed in the consultations at the city administration level and submitted them to the Commission.

They have elected 121 representatives to present their agendas during the national dialogue.

The Commission revealed that the dialogue will next move to the regional states.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency