Day: March 1, 2024

OKANKOLO: The Director of Education in the Oshikoto Region, Aletta Eises, has urged learners to prioritise their studies over social media platforms.

Eises was speaking during the launch of the 2024 academic year and Oshikoto regional performance enhancement awards ceremony at Onguti Secondary School in the Okankolo Constituency.

‘Many learners are on Twitter, Facebook and other social media platforms. They need to get off Facebook and face their books,’ said Eises.

The education director further said learners should not wait for the final examinations and should instead start preparing themselves now.

‘We need to start now because we only have a few months left before the final examinations,’ she said.

She also called upon parents to assist in fostering academic discipline among learners by establishing rules and standards at home.

Eises emphasised the theme for the year, ‘Teamwork for action towards excellence,’ stressing the collaborative effort required from both schools and parents.

‘Parents must
help the education system so that we can achieve excellence and move forward together to raise our learners,’ she said.

She further advised principals to motivate and inspire teachers and learners rather than resorting to bullying or manipulation.

‘Bullying and manipulation are not a management style, we should lead with a firm hand and a soft heart,’ Eises said.

The director’s remarks followed a decline in the Oshikoto Region’s ranking from fourth to seventh in Grade 12 results in 2023 and an improvement from eighth to fourth position in Grade 11 results.

The Regional Councillor for the Okankolo Constituency, Hans Nambondi, echoed the call for collaboration among stakeholders in the education sector to support learners in achieving their aspirations.

‘Teachers, parents, traditional leaders, business people and political leaders, let us all team up to help our learners in achieving their dreams,’ said Nambondi.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Men who are found abetting gender-based violence against women and defiling minors will be prosecuted, Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Henry Wafula has warned.

In this regard, Mr Wafula called upon wananchi to report all cases of gender-based violence and defilement to enable the government to arrest the culprits to face the law of the land accordingly.

At the same time, he urged local leaders to supplement government efforts by speaking against these heinous acts being meted out on women and innocent children in the county.

‘We shall not accept children aged six years to be defiled by a grown-up person. We will deal with the culprits according to the law of the land, ‘warned Wafula while speaking in Kibwezi town in Kibwezi East Subcounty after meeting national administration officers (NGAO) on Thursday.

‘I urge members of the public and even you (media) to give information to enforcement agencies of the government in an effort to curb this worrying trend. You know government is people and it is you. I
have to work but I need information to help me,’ challenged the administrator.

Wafula assured wananchi that the government was hunting for the man who promised to sponsor a girl’s education only to abuse her sexually.

‘There is somebody who has abused a minor sexually, he will run but he will have nowhere to hide,’ warned Wafula.

On drugs, he said that the government was ready to deal with the vice to ensure the youth are not enticed into this menace that has impacted on the society negatively.

It should be observed that on Tuesday this week, Makueni County Woman Representative Rose Museo led hundreds of women in a peaceful demonstration in Kibwezi town against the increase of cases of gender-based violence and defilement in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

In the vibrant Chuka town, just like most parts of the country, the bodaboda business has assumed the main role of employment for the youth. These motorcycle riders have become key players in the community, providing convenient, efficient, and affordable transportation to commuters.

They not only transport passengers to and from their destinations but have also diversified their services, offering delivery services and even running errands for their customers.

Antony Mutugi, a rider says that the bodaboda business has become quite competitive bringing down the profit margins.

‘I engage in delivery services and run errands for my customers to make more money,’ Mutugi discloses to KNA, adding that he normally gets commuters in the morning and evening hours.

‘In the middle of the day from 12 noon to 4 pm, the business is a bit low, and alternative engagements are necessary to keep us going,” Martin Mugambi, another bodaboda rider echoed Mutugi’s statement.

While most of the youth engage in economically vi
able activities, a few squander their hard-earned cash on alcohol which is quite unfortunate.

But ‘a stitch in time saves nine. This is the advice from Yusuf Kithagaa, a 65-year-old man who turned a new leaf after years of wasting away in alcoholism.

Born in Kaanwa village in the year 1948 Yusuf was not lucky to acquire formal education, which was a rare privilege in the then Colonial Kenya. To make ends meet, as a youth in 1963, Kithagaa, ventured into metal work then considered to be a more modern form of blacksmithing.

His workshop in the upcoming Chuka market involved making buckets, jikos and grills using scrap metal.

Being so young and energetic, he could manage to make several types and sell them all, or at least most of them before sunset. This earned him money, enough to foot his bills since life then was a bit cheaper. He later opted to settle down and have a family.

He vividly describes how he could sell the mentioned items each going at only one shilling, which was much more valuable during h
is heydays of youth. Being young as he was back then, and comparing to the pay he got from his cottage business, he immersed himself into excessive drinking, a habit that turned out to be difficult for him to shed despite advice given to him by many people close to him including his own wife.

Yusuf would travel away from his family to the city of Nairobi from time to time, just to have fun. In his opinion, he was enjoying the fruit of his labour. Apart from settling school fees for his children, all of his remaining income was wasted away in drinking and other leisure activities.

His wife, then a mother of five felt that this was too much and decided to move away with the children who by then were grownup. When Yusuf saw this happening, he composed himself and promised himself that he would stop hitting the bottle for the sake of his family. But already it was too late. This was really a challenge because he couldn’t stop the bad habit at once. He did it over some time.

After a few months of struggling to
move away from alcoholism, Yusuf finally managed to fully do away with the vice but the question was; Would his family come back? Did he have any savings? These were the questions that crossed his mind but deep inside him, he knew none of them had a positive answer.

After a period of self-evaluation, Yusuf wondered aloud and regretted why he indulged in alcohol since all it did was waste his time and destroy his family.

He bitterly regrets that the most painful part was that, age was catching up with him and he couldn’t do much about it.

‘I finally had to accept fate as it was, stop self-pity, and get back to working hard as I had once done,’ he said with a resigned gesture of his hands.

Yusuf narrated how he started reporting to his work earlier than before.

‘I open my makeshift workshop at 6 am. I assemble my workshop paraphernalia and by 6.30 am I am busy until as late as 6.30 pm when I take the items back to a house that I have rented on the outskirts of Chuka town,’ he said adding that the house is
big enough to accommodate his assorted workshop items and himself.

The morning KNA visited Yusuf, he was selling his charcoal jiko to a customer who was passing by and had gotten attracted by the display. He sold the jiko at 450 shillings, a price he said was way above the olden days when he was a youth.

The currency has really lost value. He took the notes, confirmed that they were not counterfeit by observing them against the sun, and happily with a wide smile took his handkerchief and wrapped it up. When asked why he did that, he explained that putting the money in the hanky was a precaution against loss.

Yusuf said that challenges are there in any business venture, but with hard work and self-discipline, anyone can earn an honest income and live a decent life.

He called on the youth to engage in meaningful work and avoid alcoholism since it doesn’t help. He also advises the youth to stop being picky about jobs by waiting for white-collar jobs but instead advised that they engage in any meaningful legi
timate economic activity.

‘Time and tide waits for no man and although life is not easy today, I call upon the youth to shun alcoholism, open their eyes, and work before their strength wastes off,’ he concludes.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At least 13 people died in a road accident that occurred on Thursday February 29 at a location known as Yonkélé in Maroua, Cameroon, L’Oeil du Sahel reported.

The victims were passengers aboard a minibus, according to witnesses present at the scene.

The accident, which resulted in the loss of multiple lives, has shocked the local community. Reports indicate that the minibus lost control, leading to the devastating crash.

Rescue operations were immediately deployed to assist any survivors and recover the bodies of those who lost their lives.

Authorities are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the accident to determine the exact cause.

This incident serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of poorly maintained roads and the importance of adhering to safety measures while on the road.

Source: Cameroon News Agency

About 21,500 girls from primary schools in Laikipia county will receive free sanitary pads from the government to help reduce school dropout and absenteeism due to lack of the essential commodity.

Laikipia County Education Officer Ms Beatrice Wachira said that the consignment of 85,500 packets of pads would be distributed to 303 schools across the county.

‘We expect that girls in grade five to eight in 303 primary schools will each get four packets of pads. This will go a long way to keeping them in school since menstrual hygiene is important for learners,’ said Ms Wachira, adding that some girls missed school for about four times in a term due to lack of menstrual kits.

She pointed out that some girls from vulnerable families in the county missed out of school to look for pads but ended up falling prey to men who took advantage of the situation leading to teen pregnancies.

‘As some of our girls go to look for pads, they end up engaging in early sex and as a result, they get pregnant and with assistance,
we believe that they will continue with the education, perform well and at the same time compete with the boys,’ she pointed out.

Additionally, Ms Wachira said that the Ministry of Education would ensure all learners in need of sanitary towels benefit.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Principal Secretary State Department for Performance and Service Delivery Ms. Veronica Nduva has commended the clergy for their role in maintaining peace in society and counseling of faithful.

Nduva was speaking at the ACK All Souls Cathedral in Machakos town during an international conference and prayer meeting for church leaders, where she said that the church has held the society together through prayers and preaching of the gospel.

She also added that the church has helped the government in communicating its messages to the public in matters of development and promoting security.

Ps Nduva implored the clergy to continue praying for leaders as they work to improve the welfare of the people.

‘We as leaders recognize the great work that the clergy does. Sometimes we do not say it but we recognize it,’ said Ps Nduva.

The religious leaders were urged to offer their support in intensifying the government’s efforts in providing education to all and eliminating of vices that negatively affect Kenyans such a
s gender-based violence and consumption of illicit brews.

She reiterated that the government through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) is working on modalities to enlist Machakos among counties that merit disbursement of relief food.

Machakos Deputy County Commissioner David Rotich reiterated that the crackdown on counterfeit alcohol and beverage-handling machines is ongoing in all the sub-counties as part of measures to eradicate illicit brews affecting Kenyans.

Rotich said several people have been arrested in connection with the counterfeit alcohol, particularly in Machakos and Matungulu sub-counties.

He noted that the government will withdraw licenses of bar operators found violating the liquor rules and regulations.

‘We shall carry out inspection of all bars and other liquor outlets to check those contravening the liquor licenses regulations and they will be taken to court,’ warned Rotich.

The one-day conference was hosted by Bishop Joseph Kioko Mutungi who applauded the clergy from M
achakos and other parts of the country who attended the prayer meeting that will nourish them spiritually.

The prayer meeting was led by Prophetess Ruth Kioko the founder of Wopranet Kenya which spearheads transforming nations through persistent prayer and evangelism.

Source: Kenya News Agency