Category: General

A former legislator wants the Executive and Parliament to jointly work out comprehensive measures targeted at curbing the consumption of illicit brews in Kenya.

Mr Onesmus Ngunjiri, the immediate former Bahati Member of Parliament has expressed the need to have strict laws and deterrent fines that will ensure the complete eradication of illicit brew consumption in the country.

He said that Kenyans have started celebrating the fruits of the ongoing crackdown on killer brews but hastened to add that the illicit trade was directly linked to a surge in criminal activities in some parts of Nakuru County.

Mr Ngunjiri cited Bahati Sub-County where he claimed five people had been viciously attacked by suspected organised criminal gangs associated with the underworld trade.

Addressing members of Nakuru Bar Owners Association (NBOA), the former law maker urged the law enforcement agencies and licensing teams established by various county Governments to ensure stringent compliance with laws regulating sale and distr
ibution of alcoholic beverages.

He called upon the Judiciary to issue deterrent bail terms and fines to offenders contravening the provisions of these laws to completely eradicate and discourage illicit brew consumption.

Further, Mr Ngunjiri urged members of the public to exercise vigilance and caution while purchasing and consuming alcoholic drinks as well as desisting from excessive consumption of alcohol.

He said the illicit brews had become a major threat to the genuine alcoholic beverages in the market from established breweries due to their cheap prices.

The former MP termed the crackdown as a God-sent saying it had come to save lives and salvage the genuine alcoholic beverages industry in the country.

Mr Ngunjiri called for the weeding out of rogue law enforcement agencies from the police, national government offices, Nacada, and others.

The government has continued to enhance the crackdown with a view to nab the illicit liquor brewers, sellers and government officials abetting the vice.

NBOA Ch
airman Abdul Noor affirmed that bar owners in the devolved unit have thrown their weight behind the government’s efforts to eradicate the sale of illicit liquor, saying besides claiming the lives of Kenyans the vice was subjecting genuine businessmen to losses running into billions of shillings.

While advising bar owners to buy supplies from accredited distributors to avoid briefcase merchants who sell counterfeits, Dr Noor said the manufacture and distribution of killer brews can be traced to a few selfish individuals who want to enrich themselves as they endanger the lives and health of Kenyans.

He regretted that the illegal substances were causing havoc in the community and even leading to the death of mostly young consumers.

‘We are right behind the government in the war against the manufacture and sale of these drinks which have caused a lot of pain among families. Apart from being pub owners, we are also parents and hence concerned by the unhealthy alcoholic substances being sold,’ Dr Noor stated.

H
e accused unscrupulous cartels of working with the full knowledge of some unscrupulous state agents tasked with ensuring drinks are safe for fueling the trade in lethal alcoholic beverages.

‘For lives to be lost and alcohol addiction to grow day by day, it means somebody somewhere is not doing their work since we have policies in place and institutions are well staffed. Somebody must take responsibility,’ the Chairman demanded.

He called on the Kenya Revenue Authority and law enforcement agents to probe the source of toxic ingredients used to manufacture lethal brews and claimed that he had information that some of the substances were being sneaked into the country from a neighbouring state.

‘Looking at the pattern of illicit alcohol trading and looking at how widely it is spread, there is absolutely no doubt there is a heavy cartel in operation. To move such volumes of illicit alcoholic drinks requires a lot of planning, coordination, concealment, and so on. There is a cartel and a huge one. We need to re
form our institutions massively and a coordinated approach by all relevant agencies to defeat these cartels,’ said Dr Noor.

Dr Noor expressed their objection to plans to reduce the number of pubs in towns but instead called for the closure of illegal or unlicensed alcohol-selling outlets.

The chairman indicated that the second-generation alcohol brewers and sellers were running genuine traders out of business and denying the government revenue as they don’t pay taxes.

He said the liquor sector in Nakuru was employing at least 1,000 workers directly and supporting thousands more including those in the food industry and transportation and therefore the need to protect them from unfair competition.

‘As genuine traders in the sector, we feel shortchanged by those trading in illicit and harmful substances who also deny the government revenue. We support efforts to eliminate these brews,’ said the official.

He encouraged people to contact the Anti-Counterfeits Authority (ACA) Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and
Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS) for appropriate action if they suspected an alcohol outlet was selling counterfeit products.

He also called on liquor manufacturers to monitor their products in the market in a move aimed at exposing killer brews.

Dr Noor said their association of over 1,500 members will continue complying with the government’s directive to sell approved alcoholic brands.

The chairman said clients should be mindful of what they consume as many products can be concealed as fit but are substandard thus becoming a threat to their health.

Dr Noor said that their association has been conducting aggressive campaigns across the country, sensitising the public on the dangers of consuming illicit brews.

‘Because the illicit stuff is cheap compared to the legal products we sell, they attract many consumers, thus giving us unfair competition,’ Dr Noor said.

He alleged that illegal traders import and successfully clear methanol disguised as ethanol by carefully deleting the letter ‘M’ from the contai
ner so that the products appear to be ethanol.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Namibian Police Force in the Oshikoto Region have opened a case of concealment of birth against a 38-year-old woman after she allegedly gave birth to a baby boy and dumped him in crop fields.

According to the region’s crime investigations coordinator Deputy Commissioner Titus Ekandjo on Saturday, the incident happened on Friday around 12h00 at Oniimwandi village.

The suspect is admitted at Onandjokwe District Hospital.

‘It is alleged that the suspect gave birth to a baby boy in a Mahangu crop field on Friday and placed the baby in a plastic bag, tied it up, hid the plastic bag in a bucket and left it in the crop field,’ Ekandjo said.

He said the suspect’s housemates discovered some bloodstains in the house and started questioning the suspect, who then admitted to have given birth and dumping the baby body.

The baby body was taken to the Onandjokwe State Hospital mortuary for a post-mortem to be conducted.

The suspect is not arrested yet and investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Zachary Mwangi Njeru has reiterated the Government’s commitment to construct 100 mega-dams to improve the water and sanitation situation in the country and food security as well.

Mr Njeru said out of the 100 proposed mega dams, 34 of them have already been earmarked for development, adding that the funding of the projects will be done through public private partnership (PPP) and added Government will be engaging various private organisations to help fund the projects.

‘These are major projects that require mega funding and the Government is therefore seeking to engage our development partners in the projects,’ Njeru said.

The CS also said they were working closely with other government ministries to implement the Bottom -Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and cited the ongoing affordable housing project in the Ministry of Lands and Settlement which he said requires water and sanitation infrastructure without which the project will come to
naught.

He was speaking in Naivasha on Saturday during a meeting with water sector heads from his ministry.

‘Two weeks ago the President launched Medium Term Plan 4(MTP4) and therefore we are meeting with heads of departments and Chief Executive Officers(CEOs) of water works development authorities to see to it that the projects align to the MTP4,’Njeru remarked.

The CS noted that the Government was committed to see works on the stalled Itare Dam in Nakuru commence again and negotiations on the matter is progressing well.

‘This dam holds the solution to the water challenges facing Nakuru residents and its environs and we are keen to seen it revived,’ he said.

The construction of the mega dam stalled in September 2018 after a firm which won the tender went under.

The Italian firm, CMC Di Ravenna, the main contractor which won the tender in 2014 filed for bankruptcy causing the multibillion shilling dam project to stall indefinitely.

Itare Dam that has already gobbled Sh11 billion since construction bega
n in April 2017 now remains an incomplete project.

Last year, the then Principal Secretary(PS) Water and Sanitation Paul Ronoh was quoted saying the mega project, which is located in Kuresoi South in Nakuru County, had been allocated Sh38 billion in the 2023/2024 budget.

The project, estimated to cost the government over Sh38 billion on completion, and was at 11 per cent complete in terms of civil works and 27 per cent complete overall before it stalled.

Once completed, the Itare Dam will have the capacity to hold 27 million cubic metres of water and produce 100,000 cubic metres of water per day for Nakuru residents and beyond.

It will benefit the residents of Kuresoi, North and South; Molo and Njoro Sub-counties; as well as Nakuru City and its environs.

The multi-billion-shilling dam project was anticipated to provide clean drinking water to about 800,000 residents of Nakuru County and was also slated for expansion of Lake Nakuru sewerage treatment plant.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Climate change is a global issue that demands serious attention, with nations worldwide seeking alternative solutions to combat its effects.

This was said by Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii during the launching of a climate change action plan at Uasin Gishu County headquarters noting that the plan marked a significant milestone as it unveiled a guide from 2023 to 2027.

‘This plan, developed through Participatory Climate Risk Assessment conducted across all 30 wards, will heavily influence our strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation,’ he said.

‘As an administration, the plan which we are launching is designed to reinforce our journey toward sustainable, climate-resilient development,’ noted Bii.

He added that many may remember a time in the 1980s and 90s when the country enjoyed favourable climatic conditions. ‘However, with industrialization and global warming, we have witnessed rising temperatures, shifting weather patterns, and significant changes in the ecosystems. This has led to a decline
in food and animal production, a challenge that has persisted for years,’ he said.

Governor Bii said the launch of the action plan empowers the Ward Climate Change Committees to implement projects at the ward level.

‘This responsibility is crucial as we strive to reverse the negative impacts on our society’s health and environmental sustainability,’ he said.

‘Our action plan prioritizes projects such as water management, climate-smart agriculture, environmental conservation, green energy, and waste management,’ added Bii.

‘In terms of water management, my administration is committed to desilting all colonial dams, ensuring their functionality for agricultural and household purposes to mitigate the effects of climate change,’ noted the governor.

‘This fiscal year, we’ve allocated over Sh1 billion to the water sector, fulfilling my pre-election promise to ensure equitable access to this vital resource across our communities,’ he added.

‘We are also focusing on promoting sustainable agricultural practices
by investing in the latest breeding techniques and resilient crop varieties as last year saw farmers in Moiben suffer significant losses due to extreme weather conditions attributed to climate change,’ noted Bii.

‘Environmental conservation remains our top priority so far. We have already planted over 1 million indigenous and exotic seedlings through restoration drives, with 40,000 seedlings dedicated to conserving Timboroa among other forests in our progressive county,’ he said.

‘We are actively involved in safeguarding 270 wetlands through fencing and tree-planting initiatives, including recent efforts at Lake Narasha, which continues to face extinction due to climate change effects.

Bii noted that there is a growing campaign for households to adopt green energy, and it is encouraging to see the residents embracing these initiatives.

‘As we anticipate the conferral of our city status, our focus is on greening our urban areas, marking a significant step toward our societal transformation,’ said the count
y boss.

‘We extend our gratitude to our partners for their support in mitigating the effects of climate change and let us all commit to building a community that is sensitive to climate issues as we move forward as a county,’ he added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Federation of Women lawyers (FIDA), supported by USAID-ELGIA convened a public participation forum involving Machakos County Assembly women caucus in an open dialogue between female leaders and the public to discuss issues relating to women leadership and governance.

Virginia Kibunja, a Programme Officer from FIDA while speaking to the media at the Machakos Social Hall, emphasised that the forum was meant to bring women together and discuss how to eliminate barriers that hinder them from political participation.

Kibunja highlighted FIDA’s objective to encourage active engagement of citizens in the democratic process by providing a platform for them to voice their concerns, provide feedback and contribute to governance and legal reform process.

She added Machakos was chosen as a host because of its top women leadership and FIDA was committed to making the citizens understand their role in promoting women in leadership and how to deal with the challenges facing them.

Kibunja also said the federation wa
s assessing the progress and achievements made by the women leaders since they rose to power in the last one year

‘We have worked with the Machakos County Assembly where we have conducted membership training with them and helped the women in capacity building that will equip them effectively to come up with gender responsive legislation,’ said Kibunja.

She noted that financial constraints were one of the key constraints that women seeking leadership in Kenya face.

Others are stereotyping and social norms that Kibunja said needed to be tackled to promote women to more leadership positions by 2027.

‘Electoral based violence was also mentioned in the forum and online bullying during campaigns and voting process discouraged the majority of the women from vying for the political seats,’ she added.

A similar public participation forum is also being carried out in other counties such as Nakuru and Kirinyaga to enhance accountability and responsiveness in women governance and leadership and also to increase enga
gement of citizens in the democratic process.

On her part Machakos County Assembly Speaker Ann Kiusya reiterated that cultural norms are some of the challenges that women face while seeking political seats.

‘Women are capable of leadership and can achieve great things when supported, as the Speaker of the County Assembly of Machakos I am equal to the task and have been doing my work well,’ added Kiusya.

She decried the low number of elected female members of the County Assembly and encouraged the community to support women and fill the gap of women leadership in the country.

FIDA is a nonprofit non-partisan membership organization whose vision in society is to uphold and respect the rights of women and to also promote women’s individual and collective power to claim their rights in all spheres of life.

FIDA has also established itself as a leading advocate for democracy, good governance and the empowerment of women in leadership roles nationwide.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Addis Ababa: There is enormous economic opportunity for Ethiopia to benefit from digital payments, Better Than Cash Alliance Africa Regional Lead Oswell Kahonde told ENA.

Speaking to the Ethiopian News Agency on the sidelines of Ethiopia Digital Payment Conference held today, Kahonde said digital payments really help to bring many people into the formal economy and that’s the most important thing.

At the moment, Ethiopia has a formal economy with 90 million mobile money accounts, an increase like what we’ve not seen before, he noted, adding that financial inclusion is also growing in Ethiopia.

A few years ago, financial inclusion was around 20 percent in the country, and now we’re talking of almost 50 percent, Kahonde added.

‘What this means is that there’s also still another 50 percent of the population that is outside the former banking system.’

According to him, digital payments help to fast track and accelerate the inclusion agenda that the government is pursuing.

The advantage that Ethiopia has is
it’s coming right to the end, if you compare it with other countries, Kahonde stated.

‘There is no country in Africa that has ever experienced such exponential growth in digital payments, adoption or digital wallets adoption, 90 million in the space of four or five years. It’s a great number.’

The demography of Ethiopia is also very encouraging. Over 60 percent of the population is youth, and when you introduce digital they are more likely to adopt digital instruments and digital channels than older people, he elaborated.

So, there is a huge opportunity economically for Ethiopia to benefit from digital payments.

Kahonde further said that the United Nations Better Than Cash Alliance has been working with Ethiopia, one of the members, since 2016.

‘We have been working with the Government of Ethiopia to drive digitalization of payments, which has culminated to this exciting conference that we’re having here,’ the lead pointed out.

National Bank Governor Mamo Mihretu said on his part the numbers of mobile m
oney, and credit card users have reached 90 million and 42 million, respectively, over the past five years.

The digital payment service of cash transactions across the country has also been significantly increasing and seeing more and more growth.

According to him, laying foundation for digital payment in terms of strategies and fostering the overall ecosystem has been recognized by the government and National Bank of Ethiopia.

For this reason, the National Bank of Ethiopia launched Ethiopia’s first ever National Digital Payment Strategy several years ago in order to provide framework for how responsible digital systems and payments can drive greater economic efficiency, transparency, financial inclusion and sustained inclusive growth.

‘The coming together of supportive policies, digital infrastructure and ecosystem players has in the past led tremendous explosion of the use of digital payments,’ the Governor said.

He revealed that the Bank projects to close the financial year at more than six trillion B
irr in value transacted through existing financial channels.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency