Day: April 2, 2024

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism (MEFT) has recorded a total of 28 rhinos poached since the beginning of the year.

Meanwhile, no case of elephant poaching was recorded.

In a press statement issued on Monday, MEFT spokesperson Romeo Muyunda said 19 of the rhinos were poached in the Etosha National Park of which 10 were discovered during dehorning operations throughout March.

Muyunda, also confirmed recent reports of four white rhino poached on a private farm in the Otjozondjupa Region, bringing the total number of rhinos poached on private farms in the country to five, for the year.

Muyunda said three rhinos were poached at rhino custodianship farms, and one in the Kunene Region bringing the overall total to 28 for the year – consisting of 19 black and nine white rhinos.

‘Poaching in Etosha is particularly concerning because this is our flagship park, having a high concentration of rhino conservation and other high-value species making it a major attraction for tourists,’ he said.

He add
ed that based on the current situation and the urgency, an assessment is being undertaken in Etosha to establish the full extent of the problem.

The ministry, he said remains committed to fighting poaching at all costs to ensure it achieves its obligation of protecting the country’s wildlife to benefit the current and future generations of Namibia.

Muyunda further said that to strengthen interventions and sharpen its strategies moving forward, MEFT has called for an urgent high-level meeting with the security clusters to dissect the matter.

He also called on all stakeholders including members of the public to ‘summon their conscience and patriotism’ and join the ministry in this difficult fight against the poaching of high-value species.

He said no arrests were made in the recent cases so far, but cases were opened and investigations continue.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Ministries of Education (MoE) and Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MECCF) have expressed their determination to champion the growing of the 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme to raise the country’s tree cover to 30 percent.

The Ministry of Education is one of the key drivers of the 15billion National Tree growing programme which is a flagship government climate action initiative anchored by the 10-year National landscape ecosystem restoration strategy.

Addressing a joint press briefing at the Nairobi Arboretum on the Education sector’s contribution to the 15 billion National Tree growing programme, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and his counterpart of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya said the strategy seeks to raise Kenya’s tree cover by 17.8percent from the current 12percent to 30 percent by the year 2032.

The 30 percent will make a total of 10.6 million hectares of the created ecosystem and landscape across 11 intervention areas which the government s
eeks to restore.

Presenting the joint statement from the two Ministries, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said that with an estimated 17 million learners both at O’Level of learning, Early Childhood Development to Universities, and 6000 educators in Technical Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) institutions spread across the country, the government has a target of growing 35 million trees and producing 300 million seedlings annually.

Dr Kipsang said the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry is working with the government and society delivery framework which has made tremendous progress including development of the National Land scape ecosystem restoration strategy 2023-2032.

The framework also includes the construction of the new seed centres to increase the high quality of tree seedlings, establishing 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme and restoration of the secretariat headed by the coordinator and anchored at the state department for forestry, as well as the
development of forestry adaptation and tree growing initiative framework and overseeing the growing of over 300 million seedlings across the country.

The PS noted that the two ministries have resolved in an inter-ministerial meeting held on Tuesday to enhance the collaboration in tree growing of which the Ministry of Environment, Climate change and Forestry will ensure timely production and provision of 15,000kg of tree seeds annually to enable the Ministry of Education meet its seedling production target of 300milion.

He said that through the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Kenya Research Institute the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry will provide the Ministry of Education with technical support on seedling production and tree growing.

‘The two ministries will jointly strengthen the coordination of tree growing and seedling propagation in schools and learning institutions by cascading coordination framework beyond the vocal points in the state department in the counties and sub-county l
evels,’ said the PS.

The Integrated MECCF committee application and the MoE Elimu application are expected to enhance recording and reporting of tree growing activities by learning institution, through the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital ICT officers who will ensure that the two applications are real time by integrating and ensuring the reporting of tree growing is smooth.

Kipsang said the two ministries will develop an award scheme that will recognise the best performing education institution, and design innovative ways of mobilising resources for seedling production, tree growing by learning institutions which include seeking approval from National Treasury to allocate 5 percent of the Ministry of Education Budget to tree growing activities.

‘The National Government Constituency Development Fund has to set aside 5percent to the Ministry of Environment to ensure tree activities are enhanced,’ stressed the PS.

Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya for of Environment, Climate Change and For
estry speaking at a media briefing on the 15billion National Tree Growing Programme held at the Nairobi Arboretum grounds where they also planted trees on Tuesday April 2, 2024.

Under the donor support programme, the PS said that they will ensure that the allocation of budget in all programmes run together with the development as a component of the environmental activity and urged the ministries to design communication and awareness creation campaigns.

In her remarks, CS Tuya announced that the Environment ministry is a technical and coordinating ministry for the 15billion tree growing initiative which has made several strides towards achieving the target set by the government.

She commended the work that the MoE has undertaken since in the ministry of Environment, set targets on the tree planting for ministries and agencies.

‘Ministry of Education is one of the front-line institutions because of the network, and the numbers it has given on trainers and learners making it have its presence at every level
of government,’ said Tuya.

The CS announced that her ministry is engaging with development partners across the board and private sector for the necessary support to enable the programme take off, adding that the engagement which is a strategy by the Ministry of Education will be launched soon so that each Ministry, Department and Agency has its ownership.

Tuya said ‘Everybody has a role to play in this strategy. We have to think about protection of each and every single tree that everybody sets out to plant in the form of fencing the areas that anyone is going to do the tree planting,’ and added ‘We have to think about water strategy, labour and out of school term season’.

In his address, CS Machogu said the two ministries will collaborate to start a tree nursery at every level starting with higher education where it has 74 public and private institutions which he noted must have a tree nursery.

‘We have over 300 TVET institutions countrywide which must have a tree nursery since through the nursery, the m
inistry will have the support of getting the number of seedlings to give to the community across the country,’ said Machogu.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Women have often lacked access to formal financial services mostly due to limited access to and control over financial resources and physical assets especially land.

Cultural perceptions also on women’s role in terms of division of labour in the household doesn’t give them easy access to incomes mostly.

Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs), community membership-based financial institutions that are formed and owned by their members in promotion of their economic interests have come in to help bridge the gap.

They have been able to provide a safe and convenient place for women to save their money and access credit when they need it.

Rural Women Network (RWN) has successfully registered five women-led cooperatives in Kajiado, aimed at championing enterprise diversification and providing women with alternative sources of income.

The network was also formed to strengthen the participation of grassroots women, enhance livelihoods through promotion of climate smart agriculture

Kajiado County, which has h
istorically identified with reliance on livestock as its primary economic driver in its predominantly arid environment, has been experiencing a notable transformation.

The emergence of multipurpose cooperative societies, spearheaded by a rural women’s network, has spurred diversification efforts, signaling a shift towards exploring alternative revenue streams.

Pauline Kariuki, founder of the Rural Women Network (RWN) told KNA that efforts to empower women through the multi-purpose cooperatives was informed in order to reduce reliance on livestock-dominated economies.

‘Recognising the pivotal role of women in value chains and by enabling women to lead and market products such as beadwork and African leafy vegetables, these cooperatives aim to enhance their economic agency and grassroots engagement,’ said Ms Kariuki.

Beadwork industry in Kenya has become a hot spot for revenue for most women especially in the pastoral Counties who not only sell their beads locally but internationally while the African leafy
vegetables have become part of the Kenyan cuisine and culture whose potential has the ability to economically empower local communities especially the women.

She says that when she started out with a few women, she was targeting beadwork value chain in which the women were thriving on and this later evolved into a multipurpose cooperative model accommodating sectors such as vegetables and even fish and this approach has ensured cohesion and maximised the collective bargaining power of cooperatives.

Highlighting the benefits of cooperatives, Kariuki emphasised their collective bargaining power to increase market access and adaptability to changing market and weather patterns, mitigating the impact of factors like climate change.

James Ngoke, County Director of Cooperative in Kajiado County noted the importance of service provision in his departments noting that they prioritise and train individuals and showing them the significance of joining cooperatives.

‘It is important to understand cooperatives as a b
usiness entity and very important from cooperatives such as the women led to be trained on financial literacy and adherence to by-laws,’ he noted.

Agneta Saruni, a Cooperative officer in Kajiado, highlighted the necessity of diversifying economic activities in response to environmental challenges such as climate change and encouraged ventures such as poultry farming, beekeeping, and other alternative sectors in cooperatives so as to build resilience within local communities.

Reflecting on past hardships, Ms Saruni expressed pride in witnessing the transformation of community livelihood saying that despite initial skepticism, communities have embraced diversification, leading to tangible improvements in their economic well-being.

According to experts, in communities where women’s participation in the public sphere is limited, joining a cooperative offers a means of exercising voice and accessing leadership roles that would otherwise not be open to women.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National government through the support of Global Fund, USAID and the US Presidential Malaria Initiative has set aside 800,000 mosquito nets to be distributed to residents of Busia.

Speaking during a stakeholder planning meeting for the distribution exercise on Tuesday, Busia County Malaria Control Coordinator Dr Oluoch Onyango said that the date and time for registration and distribution of the items will be communicated later.

‘We have started with the stakeholders meeting at the County level which will be cascaded to various sub county meetings before the Community Health Promoters embark on registration exercise,’ he said.

Dr Onyango pointed out that malaria has remained one of the diseases that cause deaths to the local residents with a prevalence rate of 39%.

‘For every 100 patients visiting any health facility in Busia, 39 suffer from malaria,’ he explained.

He urged the locals to collaborate with the Community Health Promoters and village elders in order to be registered as the intended benef
iciaries at the household level.

‘They are required to have their mobile phone and National identity card numbers for the registration exercise,’ he explained.

The official further clarified that there is no connection between the mosquito nets and bed bugs as believed by some local residents.

‘The government’s aim is to provide quality health to its citizens and it cannot distribute bed bug infested mosquito nets to harm them,’ he said.

Dr Onyango at the same time advised the local residents to dispose of the mosquito nets that they were given in 2021 immediately they are issued with new ones because the old ones are no longer effective.

The forum brought together officers from the health sector, Ministry of interior, religious leaders, representatives from the boda boda sector and youth representatives with a view to plan for the forthcoming exercise.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government in an effort to mop up street families and rescue them for rehabilitation has established Laikipia county street families’ chapter.

Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muli said there was a need to devise creative and unique ways of addressing street families’ challenges to prevent them from returning back to the street after rehabilitation.

”Develop a unique way to handle what is happening in our region, there is a challenge of street families that needs to be addressed. We have to operationalise the chapter and everyone has a responsibility,’ Muli told the street families Laikipia chapter committee in a recent meeting in Nanyuki.

He noted that urban areas of Nanyuki, Rumuruti and Nyahururu were the most prone to street families and at the same time urged for immediate home based solutions.

Laikipia County Director Children Services Tom Ochieng’ said that there were more than 300 street families in the county and revealed that most of them hailed from vulnerable households.

‘Most of the street families come from poor and dysfunctional households where caregivers are alcoholic, vulnerable, chronically ill and single parents with no source of income,’ said Dr Ochieng’

Dr Ochieng’ further pointed out that some children and youth were drug addicts which made it challenging to rehabilitate them amid insufficient and well-equipped facilities in the county.

Additionally, the County Children’s Director pointed out that there was need for financial support, multi-sectoral approach in addressing street families’ menace, apprehension of parents who neglect their children, education support, and narcotics crackdowns.

The chapter which is expected to be supported through Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund under the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection is poised to address the plight of street families in coordinating tailor-made rehabilitation programmes for those affected.

Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund Programme officer Jackson Mwita urged for partnership from sta
keholders for resource mobilization geared towards supporting the vulnerable street families.

He pointed out that they were at risk and needed to be linked to social protection initiatives aimed at ensuring the beneficiaries becpome self-reliant and independent.

Meanwhile, a census done by Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund recently showed that Nairobi had the highest number of street families of about 15,337, followed by Kisumu with 2,746, Nakuru had 2,015 and 1,293 in Meru.

Source: Kenya News Agency