Category: General

Residents of Machakos County have backed the Affordable Housing Project, hailing it as an initiative that will enable low income earners to own houses.

Speaking during a Public Participation exercise on the Housing Levy Bill led by the Parliamentary Housing Committee Vice Chair, Buuri Member of Parliament, Rindikiri Mugambi, the residents rallied behind the programme.

‘The programme will give an opportunity to low incoming earners to become home owners at an affordable price,’ said Joseph Kasingo a Mavoko resident.

Kasingo a Jua Kali artisan said, ‘I am in full support of the Affordable Housing Project. We have been paying rent for a very long time and with savings, hustlers can now buy houses and live with their families comfortably.’

He added that the project had also created employment to thousands of Jua Kali artisans hence improving their livelihoods.

Titus Kibicho also a resident, endorsed the project, saying it would spur economic development in the Country.

Kibicho who runs a hardware, said the
programme will drive demand for construction materials, creating business for him and other Kenyans in the construction industry.

‘I support the idea because it will create jobs. Several sectors such as welding, cement production, roofing among others, will record a surge in business,’ he said.

Joyce Githiga, also speaking at the same event, held at St. Jude Catholic Church in Athi River, said those opposing the programme, do not want low income earners to become house owners.

‘This is a very noble idea and I can’t wait to buy my own house, where I can live with my family without worrying about rent,’ noted Githiga.

The Public Participation brought together leaders, members of the clergy, civil servants, business people, Jua Kali artisans and legislators.

Machakos County Commissioner, Josephine Ouko, asked residents to support the programme, saying houses at the prevailing market rates, are pricey and out of reach of many ordinary Kenyans.

‘The houses are cheap compared to the current market price; as a
civil servant, I fully support the idea. I grew up in Jericho through a similar project by the National Housing Finance and the houses were decent,’ said Ouko.

Machakos Town MP, Caleb Mule, also pledged support for the programme, saying Kenyans especially those living in slums, will have an opportunity to live in decent houses with good sanitation.

Mule said the government has a responsibility to ensure its citizens live in good and decent houses.

MP Mugambi assured residents that their views will be incorporated in the Bill.

Source: Kenya News Agency

KORHOGO: Former Brave Warriors captain Ronald Ketjijere said the team’s results against South Africa on Sunday were disappointing but it’s time for the team to move on and focus on their upcoming game against Mali.

Ketjijere’s comments come after the Namibian team lost their second match 0-4 at the 2023 Ivory Coast African Cup of Nations underway here.

In an interview with Nampa on Sunday, the former Brave Warriors captain emphasized the importance of the next game, saying that a win against Mali is crucial if the team wants to advance to the round of 16.

‘We had a very poor performance in our game against South Africa. Our team had a bad day at the office and didn’t show up for the game. The early penalty we conceded also played a major role in our defeat, as we couldn’t get a grip on the game after that. However, we have a capable technical team who will work with the players to rectify the mistakes and encourage them to focus on their next game against Mali,’ he said while adding that the team will need
to go back to the drawing board and work harder to improve on their performance.

Ketjijere stated that the team has three more days to prepare for another opportunity that will present itself against Mali.

‘It’s going to be a very difficult game against Mali who are a ball-playing team, but we just have to prepare for them. We managed to beat Tunisia, therefore, going into the Mali game, will depend on who wants it the most and if we play well, confident, and according to our tactics and plan as we did against Tunisia we might get the results,’ said Ketjijere.

Namibia is currently placed third in their group, tied on three points with second-placed South Africa. Mali leads the group with four points, while Tunisia is at the bottom with a single point. Namibia’s last group game will be against Mali in San Pedro on Wednesday.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

A team from the Lodwar municipality and the county Department of Health on Saturday conducted a cleanup exercise in Lodwar town.

The team sought to clean the town as well as sensitize the residents on environmentally friendly waste disposal techniques to keep the town free from diseases and pollution.

Speaking during the exercise in Lodwar, the Director for Environment, Phoebe Ekal said that the County would work closely with both residents and traders in a bid to minimize garbage heaps and illegal dumpsites that keep growing in the Municipality.

The cleanup exercise was a joint intervention with the Lodwar Municipality leadership and the Department of Health.

The exercise comes against a backdrop of complaints from residents over dumping of waste in the town which has dented the image of the county headquarters.

Cases of open defecation are also an eye-sore to the town dwellers.

The director also said that the exercise provided a platform for sensitizing the residents on the dangers of a degraded envi
ronment.

‘As we advocate for a clean and safe environment, we have to work with the health and Municipality officials in discouraging uncontrolled dumping and open incineration which leads to the emission of hazardous gases into the environment,’ Ekal said.

The director further explained that the cleanup exercise protects against the biodegradation and erosion of endangered plants and animal species.

The cleanup exercise was supported by a section of local businesses and community-based organizations operating in Turkana.

Jacob Mutua (Turkana Central Environment Officer), Jamila Ebongon and Kevin Ojiem (Ward Environment Officers), John Kirwa (NEMA), and Francis Emanikor were present during the exercise.

Source: Kenya News Agency

KORHOGO: Namibia’s senior national men’s football team had a disappointing match day two in the 2023 Ivory Coast Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, losing 0-4 against South Africa.

Their Group F match was played at the Amadou Gon Coulibaly Stadium in Korhogo.

South Africa, who were at the bottom of the group after losing their opening match 2-0 against Mali, wasted no time in finding their opening goal of the match. They found the net in the 12th minute through a penalty kick by Percy Tau, who converted the spot kick with ease.

Temba Zwane then doubled their score with a well-executed shot just 25 minutes into the game. Before the half-time break, Zwane scored his brace after intercepting a Deon Hotto pass and dazzling through the Namibian defence.

The score was 3-0 at halftime.

The Namibian team made two changes at halftime, replacing Petrus Shitembi and Peter Shalulie with Betuel Mazeu and Ngero Katua. With two changes, the Brave Warriors won a bit of possession, but they found it hard to get the ball on
target in the second half compared to the chances created in the first half.

South Africa once again caught them on a counter and added a fourth goal in the 75th minute through Thapelo Maseko.

Namibia, now in third place, is level on three points with second-placed South Africa. Mali leads the group with four points, while Tunisia is bottom with a single point.

In an interview with the media after the game, Brave Warriors coach Collin Benjamin admitted that his team did not have their best game, but said he remains positive about their chances of making it through to the next round.

‘We did create chances, which shows character and content. The way these guys played shows that they still have fighting spirit. With the right mindset, we can go back and fight for a spot in the round of 16,’ said Benjamin.

Namibia will play their last group game against Mali in San Pedro on 24 January 2024.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Fisherfolks in the coastal county of Kwale have received a major boost after the county government distributed 18 state-of-the-art fishing boats and other equipment in a bid to boost artisanal fisheries.

The modern high-tech fishing vessels made of fiber which has a higher level of endurance than wood were issued by Governor Fatuma Achani at an elaborate ceremony held at the Shimoni fishing village in Lunga Lunga sub-county.

The Governor who was accompanied by Lunga Lunga MP Mangale Chiforomodo presented the outboard motors which have an eight-crew and 1.5-ton capacity and other fishing equipment to 18 Beach Management Units (BMUs) active along the South Coast.

At the same event, the Governor also issued certificates to 76 trained coxswains (persons who steer a boat) among them four women.

The coastal county boss has expressed hope that the new fishing equipment would increase the production of fish in the region.

She said the devolved unit will work with all the stakeholders in the maritime sector to u
plift the lives of fishing communities and generate revenues for the county.

Before handing over the fiberglass boats to the beneficiaries Achani stressed that the initiative was part of her administration’s efforts to boost youth employment and food and nutrition security.

Governor Achani says with the modern boats and diving kits local fishermen would feel safer in stormy weather thus improving their daily catches.

Achani says Kwale county government wants its fishermen to venture into the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by equipping them with the latest deep-sea vessels.

‘With these fiberglass boats, safety gears, and fish handling equipment, our fishermen can now undertake their fishing activities in deep waters, hence increasing their daily catches,’ said Achani.

The acquisition of the new modern fishing equipment was made under the Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED) program.

The KEMFSED project is implemented by the national government through the State Departm
ent for Blue Economy and Fisheries with support from the World Bank.

Governor Achani says the donations are expected to increase income, enhance the standard of living in the artisanal fishing communities, and make fishing attractive and seamless to youths and women.

Achani said other plans are afoot to improve the industry such as provision of cold room facilities and equipment for processing sardines to reduce post-harvest losses which have been experienced by many fishing communities in the area.

‘Empowering the local fisher folk through the issuance of advanced fishing equipment and gears is key to improving the livelihood of our people and growing the county’s economy,’ she said.

She added ‘the devolved government will also be building modern fish markets and fish landing sites for food security and revenue generation,’.

She appealed to the benefitting BMUs to make judicious use of the fishing equipment so that more fisher folks would also be accorded the same in the near future.

Achani says the de
volved government is out to bolster the local fish production, create jobs, and empower the fisher folks as well as promote the availability of fresh fish at affordable prices.

She said her administration is turning its focus on the blue economy sector by distributing fishing boats with nets and outboard motors, cooler boxes, flares, bond liners, GPS gadgets, life rafts, lifesaving rings and life jacket floats to fishermen in a bid to turn fishing into a profitable venture.

‘Kwale has access to the Indian Ocean and it is important that we take advantage of this maritime resource for economic benefits,’ said Achani.

On his part, MP Chiforomodo has welcomed the efforts by the county government in turning around the fortunes of the once-neglected fishing industry in the coastal region.

The MP says the gesture would enable the beneficiaries to become fully-fledged fishermen with the capacity to undertake commercial fishing and achieve the aim of economic empowerment.

‘The new fishery equipment and facilities
will help boost the livelihoods of local fisher folks as the fisheries sector is the main source of income for people living along the coastline,’ he said.

The legislator decried that for decades lack of fishing equipment such as fishing vessels and trawlers affected local fishermen by reducing their production output and limiting their ability to locate and catch fish efficiently.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Migori Youth FC has moved to fifth spot in the National Super League (NSL) table after a 1-0 win against the Kajiado FC.

Elly Owande’s second-half sole goal at the Awendo Stadium propelled the Migori-based team to register their third victory in the last five NSL matches.

The wins against Kajiado FC enabled the team to collect three crucial points after losing their previous game 2-0 against Mulembe FC.

The NSL matches will enter round 18 and according to Migori Youth FC Coach Sammy Owano, the win against Kajiado will boost the morale of the team.

Migori Youth is nine points behind Mathare United in the NSL table after collecting 28 points from 17 matches. The NSL leaders Mathare have accumulated 37 points from the 17 games played so far this season.

Migori Youths will be traveling to Vihiga County on February 3, to play with Luanda Villa FC who occupy the ninth spot in the NSL table.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The County Government of Turkana through its Department of Lands, Housing and Urban Areas Management held a four-day consultative meeting with stakeholders and the general public of Kakuma, the second town to be conferred with Municipality status in Turkana after Lodwar.

The Municipality gained prominence against the backdrop of refugee-hosting credibility. Kakuma is considered to be home to more than 250,000 refugees from various nations, about 100,000 host communities, and a significant population of humanitarian workers serving the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) among others.

At the consultative meeting, The County Executive Committee Member for Lands, Housing, and Urban Areas Management, Peter Akono said that the consultations are aimed at preparing for the socio-economic transformation of the Municipality area through collaborative efforts between the County and partners as well as streamlining the implementation of development strategies.

The CECM stated that the County’s vision
was to have a Municipality full of job opportunities for its population and sound infrastructures to sustainably provide the residents with water, energy, transport, waste management, safety, and more.

Acknowledging the existence of an MoU with UN-Habitat, Mr. Akono added that such agreements would further enhance efforts toward upgrading the critical facilities required to make a Municipality attain true urban status.

‘As the Municipality takes shape, we hope to integrate inclusive practices for the host and refugee communities and tap into the diverse cultural orientations of the population for a unique and vibrant urban Centre,’ said CECM Akono.

The Chief Officer for Urban Areas Management, Marian Lotieng, commented that the legal provision of the Urban and Cities Act of 2011 remained the guiding principles upon which the development agenda for the new Municipality would be anchored. She also called upon the stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the laws.

Marian also emphasized that community emp
owerment, sanitation, sustainable provision of basic amenities, the establishment of a waste management system, improved connectivity with neighboring towns and countries, and, security of the locals were the primary priorities, and urged partners to support those areas.

Chief Officer also added that public participation would be used as the constitutionally approved standard practice to endorse the said priorities and allow the residents to voice their concerns by including them in decision-making processes.

On his part, Kakuma Area Member of County Assembly Eliud Emoni expressed the willingness of his office to support participatory approaches that integrate members of the public in decision-making. He cited the Town Hall meeting, community Baraza, and professionals’ forum as avenues that could be used to attain the desired outcome.

This consultative meeting comes at a time when the County has already advertised the position of Municipality Manager. Staffing plans for the entity have also been put in pla
ce through recruitment and secondment models.

Peter Ngala (Public health), Robinson Kotol (Ag. Director Urban Areas), Simon Lokakwan (Lands Administrator), Benard Elipan (Surveyor), Samwel Ekaran (Environment officer), David Erukudi (Department of Refugee Services), Zacharia Etukon (Ag MD KATOWASE) and Abraham Machiek (Refugees representative) attended the meeting.

Also present were the area’s National and County government administrative officers including Salat Hammed (ACC), Amos Asilan (Agcting Sub-County Administrator), and all the village administrators.

Source: Kenya News Agency