Category: General

Illegal fishing gear has led to dwindling fish stocks in Lake Victoria according to Karachuonyo Beach Management Unit (BMU) Chairman, George Orimba.

Speaking to the press in Homa Bay, today, Orimba said some fishermen were using illegal fishing gear catching fingerlings, saying that the fishermen should instead catch fish above 1kg for the Nile perch species.

He said currently the fishermen were unable to take their children to school, due to the scarcity of fish, as it is their only source of income.

Orimba also lamented that cases of fishnets being stolen during the night, were on the rise and urged the Kenya Coast Guard Services (KCGS), to beef up security in the lake.

He urged Homa Bay County Government, to establish a fisheries board charged with promoting the blue economy and promoting conservation of the lake.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Coffee farmers will now be able to get their coffee cherry fund advances processed within three days of applying, Co-operatives CS Simon Chelugui has said.

Chelugui said the money will be disbursed to all farmers through their banks and mobile phones irrespective of where they mill their coffee. The New Kenya Planters’ Co-operative union has only been tasked with disbursing the cherry fund but will not compel farmers to mill their coffee with it, he added.

The CS, who spoke at a Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving Fund (CCARF) meeting at Kairuri in Embu County last evening also said the fund is among reforms meant to return profitability and certainty to the coffee subsector and will be administered by the New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union.

He also said the Sh 80 paid as the advance will also serve as a guaranteed minimum earning from every kilo of cherry, saying the government will underwrite any difference should the price at auction fall below the Sh 80. He also said money earned above the Sh 80 will b
e paid to farmers as bonuses.

Embu leaders that included Governor Cecily Mbarire, Senator Alexander Mundigi, and Members of Parliament Njoki Njeru, Mucangi Karemba, and Gitonga Mukunji welcomed the establishment of the fund but said it should be raised to between Sh 100 and Sh.120.

Chelugui said the government was committed to reducing the number of players in the coffee value chain up to the Nairobi Coffee Exchange from the previous 27 players to seven to reduce those taking commissions off farmers’ earnings.

Governor Mbarire asked the government to help the county’s cooperatives have their debts written off including the Sh 90 million loan taken by the County Coffee mill that had grown to Sh 164 million.

She said her government will soon launch a campaign to convince co-operatives to merge to minimize their overheads.

She said it was regrettable that the once mighty District Co-operative Union had fragmented into many tiny co-operatives, some with as few as one pulping factory which made them lose thei
r economies of scale.

She urged the county’s farmers to stop selling their cherry at the farm gate, saying a lot of the county’s coffee was being sold to brokers in neighboring counties.

She added that they plan to have cooperatives and estate farmers elect new representatives to the county’s coffee marketing agency.

Runyenjes MP Karemba asked the government to rethink the proposed new taxes on farm produce including cows and chicken.

Source: Kenya News Agency

EPUKIRO RC: The Epukiro RC Metsweding community has called on Namibbeton Road Contractors to employ 70 per cent of the youth in the area in exchange for using their water and gravel resources.

In a letter addressed to Okarukambe constituency councillor Rocco Nguvauva on Thursday, the community asked the company to fulfil its social responsibility by rehabilitating various water points and boreholes. These facilities would not only supply water to the community, but also support road construction.

Additionally, the community urged the company to address the issue of a reportedly full dumping site, and requested assistance with cleaning or covering it.

Nguvauva told Nampa the names of job applicants will be released by the company next week.

‘There was a misunderstanding that the community had refused them access to water. We had a meeting today and the matter is resolved,’ he said.

According to Nguvauva, the community did not refuse the contractor water but expects the company to engage in activities bene
fiting the Epukiro RC Metsweding community.

He said the community presented their demands and the contractors agreed to some, while stating that others require consultation with the relevant authorities such as the Roads Authority (RA).

‘They promised to come back to the community with feedback thereafter. There was no dispute as it has been circulated all over, we had a very peaceful meeting. This is now the second phase of this road. While they are busy with this stage there will be a budget allocation for the next phase. According to the RA, the aim is to finish this road by 2025 after reaching Epukiro Post 3,’ Nguvauva said.

He urged the community to remain calm and await the release of names for those selected for job opportunities at the construction site.

The company is currently working on the second phase of the upgrading of the Du Plessis-Epukiro road to bitumen standard.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

The President’s Women’s rights Advisor, Harriet Chiggai has condemned the recent cases of girls being brutally killed with some having their bodies dismembered.

Chiggai expressed her pain concerning the frequent killings that occurred lately as she called on the society to ensure the safety of women and children.

‘As a woman, a mother and a Kenyan, I am equally struggling to understand how our society has allowed such a decay that does not hold human life sacred and still looks at women as objects to abuse,’ she voiced.

Speaking in Nairobi, Friday, during a press conference, to sensitize the public on the femicide cases that have become a norm since the start of the year, Chiggai sent condolences to the families whose loved ones have been victims to the grievous act.

‘Let me reiterate that the government in its women’s agenda is explicitly committed to ending all forms of violence,’ highlighted Chiggai.

She further stated that she will continue to engage and work together with the judiciary to see how b
est survivors would be treated with dignity in courts and that the cases do not delay.

The National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Gladys Boss Shollei, talked about the strengthening of law enforcement capacity in terms of technology and how the femicide cases have clearly portrayed the dark side of technology.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), represented by the Officer-In-Charge Anti-Human Trafficking and Child Protection Unit, Mueni Mutisya, gave an update on both the South ‘B’ and Thika Road Mall (TRM) cases.

‘The South ‘B’ case file is before the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP). We were given 21 days to conduct investigations, which are ongoing and we have gotten crucial evidence. We have also partnered with the government chemist, which is giving us vital evidence,’ she said, adding that she was happy that other government agencies, have been supportive on the matter.

Mutisya further touched on the matter concerning online exploitation and abuse, where she said that the
re is a special unit dealing with this vice.

Source: Kenya News Agency

OMUTHIYA: The Namibian Police Force’s (NamPol) 2023/24 festive season operation in the Oshikoto Region resulted in 260 arrests for various offences, representing an increase from the previous festive season’s 137 arrests.

This was announced by NamPol’s regional commander for Oshikoto, Commissioner Theopoline Kalompo-Nashikaku, during the debriefing for the festive season operation at the police force’s regional headquarters at Omuthiya on Friday.

Kalompo-Nashikaku said the police also issued 763 traffic summonses between 17 November 2023 to 17 January 2024, when the operation ended.

‘Gender-based violence recorded the highest number of arrests at 37 arrests, while the possession of illicit goods, mainly Best whiskey and cigarettes, resulted in 28 arrests,’ she said.

The regional commander also said 51 road accidents were recorded in the region during the festive season operation, compared to 48 accidents recorded during the 2022/23 operation.

Kalompo-Nashikaku further urged the police officers to take pr
ide in their work.

‘You must be proud of your work because you enforce peace, so you are a hero in the community,’ she said.

She applauded them for committing to their work during the festive season.

Kalompo-Nashikaku however said she wants to see officers acting on arrests going forward, as sufficient awareness was created during the festive season.

‘We should start taking action in arresting those that are going against the law now,’ Kalompo-Nashikaku said.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

The cabinet Secretary for cooperatives and Micro small and medium Enterprises(MSMEs) Simon Chelugui has affirmed the government’s commitment to revitalize the coffee sector through the ongoing raft of reforms.

Speaking during the Coffee Cherry Revolving Fund(CCARF) sensitization and distribution programme at Chuka picnic grounds in Tharaka Nithi County the CS said that the government will set a guaranteed minimum price for minimum gain for small-scale coffee farmers.

He expressed that the guaranteed minimum returns for farmers will be sh80 per kilo to be earned within five days of submitting the coffee to factories.

‘The coffee you take to the factory earns you a voucher to earn sh80 per kilo within 5 days,’ he said

Chelugui pointed out that farmers will access the Coffee Cherry Advance Revolving fund which will provide an affordable accessible advance fund to farmers through the New Kenya Planters Co-operative Union. (KPCU).

He said that the reforms will seek to ensure that coffee Co-operatives and soc
iety workers will earn a minimum of Sh 5 per every kilo reaching the factory.

The CS assured that the government will incur any losses below sh80 at the Nairobi coffee exchange adding extra profits will be enjoyed as a bonus by the farmers.

He encouraged farmers to take the funds to boost coffee production in the region.

Speaking during the same event the county governor Muthomi Njuki said that farmers will enjoy access to the cherry advance revolving fund through the Tharaka Nithi coffee mill as well as New KPCU.

He expressed that the fund is available to all coffee farmers supplying their cherry to various millers.

Njuki urged farmers to produce coffee in large quantities to earn bonuses after production.

He assured that the minimum guarantee returns will help to avoid debts and ensure pending ones are addressed.

In partnership with the national government, the governor noted that they will support factories with better pulping modern machines to boost coffee productivity and quality.

In attendance
also was Principal Secretary, State Department of Cooperatives Patrick Kilemi, Chuka MP Patrick Munene, and Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki among other leaders.

Source: Kenya News Agency

GOBABIS: Omaheke Regional Council Chairperson Ignatius Kariseb on Friday appealed to learners to take their education seriously, emphasising its role in shaping their futures.

Speaking during a stakeholder engagement on education, Kariseb expressed concern that some children think they are doing their parents a favour by attending school.

‘Our children must understand that they are not doing their parents a favour by going to school. It is instead an opportunity for them to craft their own future. It is also our collective responsibility to instil a sense of responsibility, discipline and commitment in our children to ensure academic success,’ Kariseb said.

The chairperson called for the establishment of a more robust monitoring mechanism and emphasised the need for regular assessments to provide timely insights into students’ performances. Kariseb also urged those in education to understand the socio-economic status of parents and learners at their schools and address their needs accordingly.

‘To change
the face of education in the Omaheke Region, I am looking forward to seeing dedicated educators at our schools,’ said Kariseb.

Omaheke Region Governor Pijoo Nganate at the same event urged all stakeholders to strive for the betterment of education in the region.

Nganate acknowledged the challenges in the education system and encouraged those involved to prepare for upcoming challenges using past experiences.

‘I urge you to continue working with partners up and downstream to establish a solid foundation for children. With increasingly competing priorities, it is essential that we seek smarter ways to invest in education,’ Nganate said.

Omaheke was ranked 13th in the 2023 National Senior Secondary Certificate Ordinary level examinations and 14th in the National Senior Secondary Certificate Advanced Subsidiary level examinations.

Source: Namibia Press Agency