Category: General

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has called for a transformative approach within the Kenyan Prisons Department, urging the utilisation of penal institutions to promote agriculture, industrialisation, and contribute to the nation’s food security agenda.

Speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) during the launch of Correctional Services Week, the Deputy President emphasised the vast potential of prisons to become self-sustaining entities by harnessing the large tracts of land at their disposal.

Gachagua suggested that the Prisons Department should focus on operationalising the prisons industry, collaborating with private entities for the marketing of furniture products, and establishing a revolving fund to make the prisons self-sustainable.

‘Create a revolving fund and make prisons self-sustainable. There is no reason why they should not produce enough food for inmates instead of buying the foodstuffs and selling the surplus. Penal institutions have huge tracts of land,’ said the Dep
uty President.

Flanked by the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Correctional Services, Salome Muhia-Beacco, and Commissioner-General for Prisons Brigadier (Rtd) John Kibaso Warioba, the Deputy President commended the department for its efforts in transforming the lives of offenders, rehabilitating them, and successfully reintegrating them into society.

Gachagua also called upon prison officers to actively participate in the Greening Kenya Initiative, a national endeavor aiming to plant 15 billion trees by 2032.

He emphasized the responsibility of the Correctional Services in environmental protection and suggested the establishment of nurseries in various correctional stations.

The Deputy President announced plans to initiate a debate with independent constitutional commissions and Parliament on the issuance of Certificates of Good Conduct to ex-convicts.

Gachagua expressed concern over the challenges faced by former inmates in acquiring such certificates, hindering their employment prospect
s.

He said that the call for prison reform and sustainable practices aligns with the government’s broader agenda for social transformation and environmental conservation, marking a significant step toward reshaping the role of correctional facilities in Kenya.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A woman from Sabasaba township Murang’a south sub-county was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years imprisonment at Kenol Law Court for subjecting her 13-year-old girl to prostitution.

The accused person pleaded guilty to the child prostitution charges she was facing before Kenol Law Courts Senior Resident Magistrate Sheila Nyaga.

In court, it was revealed that on different dates between December 2022 to October 2023, Margaret Wambui forced her 13-year-old child to have sex with different men in exchange for money.

The pre-sentence report presented in court by the probation office indicated that the victim who is the offender’s daughter had visited her paternal grandmother who suspected the victim was pregnant.

It was only after the grandmother confronted her about her pregnancy status that the victim agreed to disclose to the grandmother how her mother had been giving her out to different men to have sexual intercourse with them in exchange for money.

They later reported the matter to the chief’s office wh
ere the chief and assistant chief escorted the victim and the grandmother to Muthithi police station where they reported the matter. A medical test conducted at Kigumo Health Centre revealed that the girl was five months pregnant.

The mother was later arrested in Sabasaba town by Kandani police and the local administration.

In the pre-sentence report, the victim confirmed that she has been subjected to child prostitution by her mother after separation from her ex-husband.

The teenager revealed that Margaret Wambui would bring men into their room and force her to have sex with them in exchange for money.

Furthermore, the victim revealed that her mother would threaten her not to disclose the matter to anyone for her peace until she found it traumatizing when she fled to her paternal grandmother’s home for rescue.

The accused will spend 10 years in prison.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources has prioritised the completion of the much anticipated fishing industry scorecard during the current financial year.

According to fisheries minister, Derek Klazen, during the Annual Fishing Industry Address (AFIA) in Walvis Bay on Thursday, the ministry has acknowledged that the process has taken too long to be finalised due to its complexities.

The scorecard mechanism was introduced in 2015, in order to evaluate the performance of each right holder, and hence determine the amount of fishing quota to be allocated to each right holder.

‘We want to highlight that the accessibility to fish quotas creates economic means to draw socio-economic gains. Therefore, it is crucial that the process for the allocation of fishing quotas is transparent, equitable and sustainable,’ he said.

Klazen added that there will be another industry consultation on the scorecard finalisation, considering the expansion in operations and socio-economic dynamics of the fishing sector.

T
he AFIA is aimed to provide an overview of the various fisheries focusing on the state of the stock, its associated economic performance, the performance of aquaculture and inland fisheries and an update regarding the ministry’s mandated task of monitoring, controlling and surveillance of fisheries in Namibia.

The minister also noted that the ministry will, during the 2024/2025 financial year, undertake a study to review the variation of fishing rights criteria, in an exercise that will ensure compliance, fairness and equity among right holders when varying the duration of their fishing rights.

‘It allows the ministry to assess if right holders adhere to the set variation criteria and implement applicable measures, which will inform the continuation or termination of such fishing rights.’

Meanwhile, Chairperson of the Confederation of the Namibian Fishing Associations, Matti Amukwa, stressed that the delay in the finalisation of the scorecard causes a lack of planning for industry players, an issue which h
e adds often contributes to underperformance by right holders.

‘It is very difficult to always start mobilising immediately when a quota is issued, most times in bits and right now, we all know the Total Allowable Catch, but no one knows how much quota to expect. We therefore call upon operationalisation of the scorecard without delay.’

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The chairperson of the Public Enterprises CEO Forum, Fluksman Samuel, has lamented the poor working relationship between the executives and the boards of public enterprises, saying the government needs to appoint competent individuals.

He made the statement at the opening of the second public enterprises conference at the Gross Barmen resort on Wednesday, saying the government, the board, and the executive management should work together to ensure a professional and cordial working relationship.

‘I would like to state that all is not well in the public enterprise sector. We do share our moments of joy and sorrow. Of particular concern are the ongoing reports of poor working relations between some boards and their respective accounting officers,’ Samuel said.

He noted that there are ‘pockets of boards and their respective chief executive officers who do not see eye to eye.’

‘It is unfortunate that some discussions in corporate boardrooms are characterised by antagonism, tension, conflict, and an endless t
ug of war. This state of affairs has the potential to derail progress in the public enterprise sector,’ said Samuel, who is chief executive officer of the Lderitz Waterfront.

In his address to the top management of public enterprises at the beginning of their three-day conference, Samuel emphasised the importance of a good relationship between the board of directors and the accounting officers.

‘I am pleased to note that this matter forms part of the topics to be discussed at this conference. It is hoped that we will reflect deeply, look at the underlying causes of poor working relationships, and come up with remedial actions,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Samuel called on the government ‘to appoint men and women of substance’ who are ‘fit and proper’ to the boards of public enterprises.

He further called on the government to assume an ‘activist role’ in the induction phase of the newly appointed boards before the beginning of their oversight functions.

‘It is critical that the appointing authority spell out clea
rly the roles and responsibilities of public enterprise boards, including providing strategic leadership and creating a favourable environment for public institutions to achieve their respective mandates,’ he said.

Finance and Public Enterprises Minister Iipumbu Shiimi, whose ministry facilitates the appointment of most boards, said his ministry is working to create better governance in public enterprises.

Shiimi, who also addressed the conference, said they have started strengthening the recruitment process to get the best talent on the boards of public enterprises.

‘There is a recruitment system in place, but it does not always yield good results,’ Shiimi said, adding that the ministry is building capacity.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency

The government has asked members of public to give feedback on services offered by the government as way of assessing performance and help improve the services.

The State Department for Performance and Delivery Management Principal Secretary, Veronica Nduva said that feedback through complaints and compliments will help assess performance of public institutions and improve on services offered and in so doing enable citizen access services efficiently.

‘It is vital to not only recognize the complaints but also the compliments of Kenyans for this will help the concerned institutions to continue or improve on areas of weakness highlighted by the members of the Public,’ she said.

She urged public servants to serve with humility, grace and recognition of the job at hand. She echoed the sentiments of Wycliffe Thirikwa, a beneficiary of the ombudsman office, who stated that public officers should not undermine citizens’ complaints and should serve wholeheartedly since they are only custodians of the office.

The
PS was speaking at the Kenyatta International Convention Center (KICC) Nairobi during the fourth edition of the Huduma Ombudsman Awards 2023 organised by the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) to celebrate outstanding public officers and institutions.

This year’s theme was ‘Improved Public Service Delivery by Deepening and Strengthening Administrative Justice and Access to Information.’

Several institutions and individuals bagged prestigious accolades in different categories. Kenya Revenue Authority, Huduma Kenya and National Council for Law Reporting won first place in institutional groupings among others.

Corporal Julius Karanja Irungu, a police officer Stationed at Wajir SOG won the Ombudsman valor award for his bravery during an IED terror attack in Wajir.

Another notable winner was Precious Dama Randu, Assistant County Commisioner, Matsangoni division in Kilifi North Sub- County who excelled in the public service delivery category.

The awards consisted of individual, institutional and Ombuds
man valor Award categories that appreciate effective, accountable and a responsive public service. The commission has adopted this approach to promote compliance with administrative justice and access to information

The CAJ Chairperson, Florence Kajuju underscored the need to sensitize Kenyans on the use of the public portal of the Complaints Management Information System (CMIS) to lodge their complaints. ‘The commission has strengthened the complains turning mechanism by training government officers, Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to build their capacity to manage walk- ins’ she said

Source: Kenya News Agency

Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba has asked County governments whose teams will be participating in the Talanta Hela, the national tournament, to properly kit their teams.

According to the CS, all 47 County bosses had submitted three different sets of uniform for their participating teams for approval yet some of the teams had gone ahead to send their players to the second round of the tourney without proper gear.

‘I am challenging counties, live up to your commitment as we go to the finals. The 16 finalists, brand your teams in the colours that you brought to us and make sure that your teams shine,’ said Namwamba.

‘It has been shameful to see some of the teams come here without kits and we have had to scamper around to kit them,’ he added.

The CS was speaking during the closing ceremony of the second round of Talanta Hela tournaments at the Moi Complex Primary School.

Earlier on the finals of football matches that were supposed to determine the eight teams that will proceed to the National Talant
a Hela football tournament had to be suspended owing to a heavy downpour.

By the time of the suspension, the match between Busia girls and Homa bay had just entered its 50th minute.Busia Girls team had played to a 1-1 draw with Homa Bay with players struggling hard to keep eyes on the ball and at the same time maintain their balance due to the slippery ground. To mitigate this Namwamba said that the Ministry would be using the lessons learnt to better plan next year’s games. He noted that next year’s playoffs would not be scheduled during national examinations and due considerations would be made to ensure that the weather was also conducive.

‘This was a test case. We have picked a lot of useful lessons on the timing and location where we conduct these games. I can assure you that next year it is going to be deeper in terms of planning and execution,’ the CS said.

The eight teams that will proceed to the finals which will commence on December 3 include boys’ teams Kirinyaga, Nakuru, Homabay and Uasin Gishu
while girls’ teams that made the cut include Machakos, Homa Bay, Uasin Gishu and Busia Counties.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Artisanal miners in Turkana County have been urged to apply for mining licenses during a sensitization forum on compliance.

The County Government and the Centre for Environment, Justice and Development brought together stakeholders in the mining sector, with an aim to facilitate structured engagements centered on the importance of artisanal mining and county trading permits

The Regional Mining Officer Nahashon Cheboi stressed the need for the application of licenses, saying they are essential in reforming the mining sector.

‘The mineral dealers, the trading and the processing licenses provide the legal platform that aims to enhance the protection of environment and sustainability of mines through self-regulation,’ Cheboi said.

In his remarks, the Director for Mineral Resources, Stanley Loter, warned of the dangers of using chemicals such as mercury and cyanide in extraction, which he said, are hazardous to both humans and livestock.

He reiterated the need for the engagement of artisanal miners in public
participation in budgetary processes, which he said, is key in the increment of financial allocation in the mining sector.

‘We are also looking into the establishment of a modern gemstone centre which will include a geo-laboratory and a lapidary centre. This will not only bring value addition but will flourish the mining sector through attracting investors.’ Director said.

Stakeholders who participated in the forum were representatives from the County Government, SOLIDARIDAD, the County Artisanal Miners Association (TCAM), and the Turkana County Artisanal Miners Committee (TCAMC).

Source: Kenya News Agency