Day: June 15, 2024

The Makadara Law Courts Principal Magistrate, Monica Kivuti, has lost the fight against the extensive injuries sustained during an open gun attack in court.

She passed away while undergoing treatment at Nairobi Hospital.

Magistrate Kivuti was shot on Thursday, June 13, 2024, while passing judgement on an accused person, an incident that also saw a police officer sustain serious gunshot wounds while in line of duty.

The magistrate was shot by the accused person’s partner, who was not happy with the judgement.

Confirming the passing on of the magistrate to the nation, Chief Justice Martha Koome said the judiciary stands in solidarity during this deeply traumatic time.

‘I call for sensitivity and compassion as we share in grief,’ said Koome.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms, the Chief Justice said a comprehensive statement by the Judiciary Leadership Team, which is in a meeting, will be issued after the meeting.

She prayed to God to grant the soul of Kivuti eternal peace.

Following the unfortunate
shooting incident that left the magistrate with gunshot wounds, the judiciary on Friday commenced psychosocial counselling and support for judicial officers and staff stationed at Makadara Law Courts.

As part of the initiative, Chief Registrar Winfridah Mokaya held a meeting on Friday with judicial officers attached to the court at the Supreme Court Building, where the magistrates were taken through a counselling session by a team of psychologists from Chiromo Hospital led by Dr. Rose Ngondi.

During the meeting, the Chief Registrar said the shooting incident by the assailant is traumatising for the entire judiciary and assured that the judiciary will do everything to ensure the security of judicial officers and staff at Makadara Law Court as they resume duty next week.

‘The security situation in Makadara is exacerbated by the judiciary’s infrastructural challenges; we call for adequate funding to address the judiciary’s infrastructural needs as well as security for judicial officers,’ noted Mokaya.

She at
the same time condemned the senseless act of violence within the court precincts and urged people who were not satisfied with judicial decisions to raise their grievances through legal channels.

During the meeting, Chief Magistrate Tito Gesora, on behalf of other magistrates, requested the Judiciary beef up security for judicial officers and improve infrastructure at Makadara Law Courts.

The Judiciary’s Directorate of Human Resource Management and Development will continue with psycho-social support for judicial officers and staff in the coming week to address the trauma following the shooting.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Basic Education Principal Secretary (PS) Dr. Belio Kipsang has said the government is keen to support parents and learners from areas affected by cattle rustling and banditry through the establishment of low-cost boarding schools.

Speaking at Moinonin primary school grounds in Saimo Soi Ward, when he led a team of three PS’s from the social sector sub-committee on a public engagement in Baringo County, Dr Kipsang expressed government’s commitment to securing the lives and properties of the locals, who for a long time have been tormented by armed criminals.

He stated that the government through the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) is in the process of completing the reconstruction of more than ten schools that were vandalized by bandits in parts of Baringo North and South Sub counties.

The PS flanked by his counterparts Harry Kimtai (Medical Services), Amos Gathecha (Public Service) and Anne Wang’ombe (Gender) said he will recommend to the government for construction of several low cost boarding facilities in the
region, especially Moinonin which for the last six months has played host to learners from neighbouring institutions that closed due to rampant insecurity.

‘I wish to sincerely thank the school management of Moinonin for hosting quite a number of schools. They have demonstrated that they are good people and should continue with the same spirit,’ Dr. Kipsang said.

The PS who oversaw a school feeding programme at the institution noted that the government is in the process of reintroducing fortified porridge for young learners in a bid to assist in their mental development.

Dr Kipsang, at the same time, challenged education stakeholders to make it a habit of following up the welfare and progress of learners in order to secure a good future for them.

Wang’ombe in her remarks stated that young children and women from the region have borne the heaviest brunt when it comes to challenges of insecurity.

She called upon parents and members of the community to play a leading role in promoting peaceful coexistence w
hich is key for the region in realizing meaningful development.

The gender PS announced that learners in both primary and junior secondary school, especially from insecurity prone areas will benefit from government’s free sanitary towels to ensure they study uninterrupted.

Kimtai on the other hand urged parents to register their children in the social health insurance fund, which will be rolled out towards the end of June this year in order for them to access health services.

‘When you register your children into the social health authority, they will be accessing health services without any challenge across the various health facilities like dispensaries, health centres, sub county hospitals up to the national referral facility without any major challenge,’ he said.

Baringo deputy governor Eng. Felix Kimaiyo while lauding the government for infrastructure and food support, called for more assistance in all schools affected by banditry, which he observed were in dire need of basic and humanitarian aid.

E
ng. Kimaiyo while requesting for Moinonin to be converted into a low cost boarding school, noted that it will ensure that learners from the area are able to sleep in school and avoid instances, where they endanger their lives, while travelling back to their homes.

The institution’s head teacher Petro Chirchir said the school which two years ago had less than 200 pupils has witnessed increased enrollment because of the feeding programme.

Chirchir who noted that livestock has become a dangerous asset for the locals, said the only safest environment are schools, hence should be fully equipped and safeguarded at all cost.

‘We want to thank the government for the initiative they have made in getting us food. We pray that the supply continues because the moment you stop, that is our end,’ he said.

The head teacher added that the sanitary towels programme will serve as a lifeline to quite a number of girls, whose parents cannot afford to buy for them.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Residents of Githungururu Village in Embu West Sub-county have called for speedy repair of vandalised guardrails on Riamaciri Bridge on the Kangoru River after it claimed the life of a motorcycle rider early this week.

The 67-year-old James Muriithi, who was a woodcutter, lost his life on Wednesday night after he veered off the damaged bridge while heading home and plunged into the river.

Area Assistant Chief Lydia Mugo, while confirming the incident, attributed it to the poor state of the bridge, saying the death could have been averted if guardrails were in place.

Mugo warned vandals that their days were numbered, and anyone found ripping off such public infrastructure will be prosecuted.

‘We call on residents to share information on those bent on destroying our infrastructure so that action is taken against them,’ she said.

Irate residents decried neglect by authorities in repairing the guardrails that had remained in that state for close to two years.

Resident John Mbuva said the bridge had put many
lives at risk, including motorists and school-going children who have to cross the bridge to and from school every day.

He called on the county government to move with speed to repair the bridge to prevent further accidents.

We ask the government to consider erecting concrete walls instead of metallic guardrails that are in high demand from metal scavengers, added Mbuva.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The involvement of the World Bank has been cited as a great catalyst in the growth of the Kenya Institute of Supplies Management (KISM) and achieving its goal of becoming the Pan African Centre for Supply Chain Management.

This support has not only strengthened the capacity of KISM members in procurement but has also broadened their expertise to encompass the full spectrum of World Bank-funded projects.

Speaking at Traveller’s Hotel, Mombasa, during the closing ceremony for a 10-day Intermediate Course Training for Procurement of Goods, Works, and Consulting Services for World Bank-Funded Projects, KISM’s Chairman John Karani noted that this holistic approach has ensured that the Institute members are well-versed in key aspects of procurement, allowing them to implement best practices and adhere to international standards.

‘KISM has been able to enhance the professional capabilities of our members, driving excellence and fostering a robust supply chain management framework across Africa, thus making us the
true Central Pan African Supply Chain Excellence,’ he said.

Karani added that they are set and ready for the full scope as they now take Focus to all of Africa.

‘The World Bank has been a great partner in helping us entrench and enhance our pan-African agenda,’ he reiterated.

The chairman said that the programme has equipped its participants with specialised procurement methods that prioritise efficiency, quality, and value in public spending while remaining adaptable to individual countries’ situations.

Karani highlighted that the training started in 2019, benefiting more than 3000 members since then, and has now progressed into a structured programme that builds upon each other, namely, basic, intermediate, and advanced. This intermediate edition had 138 participants.

He said that with the help of the World Bank, they have been able to train their homegrown trainers, who now train other trainers, adding that this is a strategic move to embed capacity building for World Bank-funded projects within the i
nstitute, thereby facilitating its growth.

Karani said that achieving the goal of being the Pan African Centre for Supply Chain has been a very structured journey to first put in place their internal institutional strengthening in terms of capacity and discipline.

‘We recently recruited seven directors, and for the first time we have a substantive CEO who is a world-class professional. Along with him, we have five directors who support him in capacity building, resource mobilisation, publicity, and compliance,’ Karani said.

He highlighted that the aspect of ensuring that supply chain companies are based, registered, and licensed has been their key process for the last four years.

Karani cautioned that those doing supply chain work who are not licensed shall be candidates for their disciplinary committee, which does a comprehensive process of investigating, taking into consideration all the aspects to ensure they are removed from the register.

However, he noted that once they are removed from the register
, they get an opportunity to be heard, noting that their disciplinary mechanism gives them a chance to be the first point of contact for all their members.

Source: Kenya News Agency