Day: April 10, 2024

A 40-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband at Grootfontein Tuesday night.

The woman was employed as a radiographer at the Grootfontein State Hospital.

The Namibian Police Force’s regional commander for community affairs in the Otjozondjupa Region, Senior Inspector Maureen Mbeha, in an interview with Nampa said the woman’s next of kin are yet to be informed of her death, thus her name could not be released.

She said the incident occurred around 23h00 on Tuesday in Extension 5, when the deceased was reportedly stabbed multiple times with a kitchen knife by her husband, who allegedly also poured acid on her body.

The 48-year-old husband then attempted suicide by drinking some of the acid, said Mbeha.

When the police arrived at the couple’s residence, the man was still fighting for his life and he was transported to the Grootfontein State Hospital. He was then transferred to the Katutura Intermediate Hospital under police guard on the same night.

Mbeha stated that by Wednesday morning, the s
uspect was reported to be in critical condition at the Katutura Intermediate Hospital.

The couple have a minor daughter, and police investigations into the matter continue.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

More than 7000 learners in Laikipia County have benefitted from porridge flour to improve nutrition courtesy of the office of the first lady Rachel Ruto.

Laikipia county deputy governor Rubeen Kamuri speaking in Nanyuki on Tuesday during the official flagging off the food aid consignment, said that the 250 bales of the flour would address malnutrition among the school learners in the county.

‘We are glad to receive this food aid that is expected to benefit our learners across the county. We have received 250 bales of porridge flour and will benefit over 7000 students,’ said Kamuri.

Kamuri pointed out that the porridge would ensure pupils do not miss out of school due to hunger and at the same lauded the initiative noting it was timely.

Office of the first lady, Mercy works Secretary Edward Ngaira said that the government was committed to alleviating hunger in the county among the learners aimed at boosting education.

”The first lady is committed to reaching out to the families and children with no food
and I call upon other partners to join us in making such children geared initiatives successful in bid to keep them in school,’ said Ngaira.

Additionally, Ngaira said that Laikipia has arable land and soil fertile to practice farming and urged stakeholders for collaboration and increase food basket through agriculture as a lasting solution to hunger in the county.

‘The best solution to addressing hunger in our county is through agriculture. Laikipia is fertile for agriculture and while we address food shortage, there will at the same time be job creation,” urged Ngaira.

On his part, Habitat for Humanity Kenya internal adviser Koome Kiragu called for more donors in bid to increase the number of beneficiaries. The flour is expected to be distributed across all schools in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government plans to spend at least Ksh 148 million from the Universal Service Fund (USF) to improve mobile network connectivity in West Pokot County.

The plans were revealed when officials from the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy toured the county to map out ways of improving communication infrastructure after more than sh148.6 million for the exercise.

The team led by the Principal Administrative Secretary Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy(PAS) Erick kiraithe also included senior officials from the Communication Authority of Kenya who earmarked seven sub locations for the exercise including Chepkoriong, Parua, Kale, Kokwopsis, Nyarkulian, Kamelei and Tapach during the phase three (3) mobile network connectivity project.

He said the new phase comes after two sub-locations in West Pokot County, namely Chepserum and Apuke were connected to the mobile network in phase one, at a cost of Sh9 million.

During the phase two of the exercise the officials
revealed that 14 sub locations including Kiwawa, Kases, Kola, Lotukum, Kaptolomwo, Ompolion, Kachawa, Akiriamet, Amaler, meshau, Emboasis, Kokwoptorit, Marus, and Pkopogh were wired to mobile network.

The Authority regularly undertakes surveys with a view to recommend priority areas in the implementation of Fund and in 2016 a survey was conducted, followed by another in 2021.

During the survey, the government identified specific sub-locations in West Pokot for phase one, phase two and phase three that need to be connected with mobile network.

West Pokot County serves as a crucial gateway to the northern part of the country and also shares a border with Uganda, making it an important international county.

David Boen, the Deputy County Commissioner of Pokot South Sub County, highlighted that a productive meeting took place between officials from CA, Deputy County Commissioners, Assistant County Commissioners, Area Chiefs, and Ward Administrators with a discussion focused on ensuring the smooth implementatio
n of CA’s programs and uninterrupted installation of communication boosters in targeted areas, while also encouraging community support for the projects.

DCC Boen highlighted that during the meeting, they devised a plan on how CA would visit certain locations within the county to engage in public participation with the local community, who would benefit from CA services.

He emphasized that the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO) have the responsibility to provide support to all national government entities, ministries, departments, and agencies in carrying out their respective mandates.

”AO plays a crucial role in engaging the community to garner support for the programs implemented on the ground,” DCC Boen said.

He further mentioned that NGAO is also responsible for ensuring the security of communication masks and boosters, regardless of whether they are located on public or private land.

DCC Boen thanked the CA for implementation of USF for education broadband connectivity project enab
ling schools including St Elizabeth Girls Morpus, St Theresa’s Tartar Gilrs, Kapenguri Boys, St Cecilia Chepareria among other schools within the county to have their performance improved.

He strongly encouraged the authorities in CA to ensure that the remote and insecure areas within the county, which currently lack mobile network coverage, are connected noting that it will greatly enhance security measures and significantly improve the quality of life for the local population.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Principal Secretary for Basic Education Belio Kipsang has urged students competing at the Kenya Secondary Schools Sports Association (KSSSA) national competitions being held at Machakos Boys School to compete with honor and dignity.

PS Kipsang asked the students to uphold values that define true sportsmanship like integrity, respect and fair play.

The PS said this in a speech read by Director Basic Education Secondary Schools Paul Kibet, during the official opening of the KSSSA competition at Machakos Kenyatta stadium on Tuesday which will see champions from the eight regions fighting for top positions.

The inter-school championship will feature athletics, basketball, hockey, cross country, handball, rugby and swimming and the winners of the five-day event will head to Uganda for the East Africa Games that will be held in August.

Kipsang said the championship presents a chance for learners to showcase their skills, resilience, and sportsmanship and interact and learn from one another thus surpassing regi
onal and ethnic boundaries.

He reaffirmed the Ministry of Education’s commitment in promoting sports and inclusivity by encouraging co-curricular activities in schools every year.

‘We believe in the power of sports to unite and empower individuals and communities to achieve great things and develop individuals into compassionate and understanding human beings,’ said Kipsang.

The PS added that the government has mobilized resources for co curriculum activities and disclosed plans to reorganize how co -curricular activities are conducted to give each learner an opportunity to develop and exploit their talent.

He however discouraged the students from any form of cheating and doping in pursuit of victory and implored the coaches to help the learners to develop their skills and talent to full potential.

Machakos Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi on his part decried the lack of sporting facilities and urged the national government to collaborate with counties to establish more sporting facilities of internatio
nal standards.

Mwangangi hailed Brookside for sponsoring the KSSA and called upon other organizations to extend their support for the national championship games.

Machakos Deputy County Commissioner David Rotich while speaking at the same event, assured the participants and guests of their safety saying the county security team has made proper arrangements to ensure all are safe during the competitions.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Cane farmers and leaders from Nandi County have opposed zoning of sugar catchment areas as proposed in the Sugar Bill 2022. Zoning rules compel growers to sell cane to a miller operating within their regions rather than seek better prices elsewhere.

Nandi County Women Representative Mrs Cynthia Muge said farmers should be left to sell cane to millers of their choice who offer them better prices and pay promptly.

Speaking in her office at Kapsabet town after meeting with farmers and various stakeholders, Muge said farmers should not be restricted to specific millers.

‘We want our farmers to be at liberty to sell their cane to the best miller with good pay and in good time in order to reap maximum benefits from their investment,’ she said

Part of the report have recommended setting up of five zones across the country where farmers will be compelled to sell their produce to millers within these areas.

The proposed zoning bill aims to merge Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Kericho Counties into a single zone where fa
rmers will be compelled to transport their sugarcane to West Valley Cane Factory in Kericho which is over 130km away while there is a more accessible option, Kibos Sugar Factory which is 30km. Nandi and Uasin Gishu have no sugar milling factory.

Among other proposals, the Sugar Bill 2022 is seeking to establish a sugar body to solely manage sugar affairs in the country as opposed to generalizing the sugar sub sector under Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA)

The Bill is also proposing the establishment of a Sugar Arbitration Tribunal for the purpose of arbitrating disputes and will be headed by a person qualified to be a High Court Judge.

It also has the component of the establishment Kenya Sugar Research Training Institute to regulate research work in the sector and also curb sugarcane poaching.

The Women Representative noted that the bill oppresses cane farmers in the region calling on the Senate Committee on Agriculture to either pass the bill with amendment or reject it in totality

‘We want a free ma
rket and competition because it will improve the sector in terms of prices per tonne and farmers will benefit a lot,’ she said calling on the committee to borrow heavily from the report prepared by former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.

Farmers present said they want to be free to sell their cane to the miller that offer them good prices adding that transporting sugarcane from Nandi to Kericho will be expensive.

Source: Kenya News Agency

African ICT Ministers, policymakers and stakeholders have been urged to institute policy reforms within Africa’s ICT sector with a view to the harmonize better ICT policies for the continent’s digital economy.

Information, Communication and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo said that outdated policies are limiting investment in the continent’s ICT sector.

Owalo speaking during the unveiling of the Connected Africa Summit 2024 singled out policies such as the 30 percent local shareholding rule for foreign companies to invest in Kenya’s ICT sector as a hindrance to foreign direct investment.

‘In Kenya, for example, we have managed to waive the 30 percent local content requirements that necessitated that ICT companies must have 30 percent local ownership. What is the purpose of having a law that impedes foreign direct capital investment? That is the direction that we need to go as Africa, making sure that there is foreign direct capital investment while at the same time also protecting our o
wn local interests as Africa,’ said the CS.

‘Anything and everything that we are doing as African countries must be aligned to Africa Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063. We need to think together as Africa while aligning to the overall policy framework, which is the AU agenda 2063. Africa can be transformed when leveraging technology into a continental digital marketplace, which is boundless once we have good enabling policies, laws and regulations that facilitate the database,’ said CS Owalo.

State Department of ICT and Digital Economy Principal Secretary (PS) Eng. John Tanui said: ‘We are also encouraging more players to come up with what we call digital platforms. These are new spaces which will ensure that Kenya and Africa as a continent also have digital platforms, which are local and indigenous, and are able to contribute to the Kenyan and African economy.’

According to Kenya’s ICT Authority, while African innovators continue to roll out new products and services, they are unable to scale and secure capital to
grow beyond set niche markets a factor that has seen many innovators sell off their innovations.

‘Most of the global economy is now entirely on digital platforms. Digital platforms are already controlling about 30 percent of the global economy or enabling 30 percent of the global economy. So, it is important for young people to be exposed to this new space so that they can be able to familiarize themselves, learn and be participants and players in that space,’ PS Tanui added.

Eliud Owalo, CS, Information, Communications and the Digital Economy (centre), Eng. John Tanui, PS, State Department of ICT and Digital Economy, (second left), Prof. Edward Kisiang’ani, Principal Secretary, State Department of Broadcasting and Telecommunications (second right) , Sylvanus Maritim ICT Authority Board Chairman (far right) and Stanley Kamanguya ICT Authority CEO (far left) during the unveiling of the Connected Africa Summit 2024.

ICT Authority CEO Stanley Kamanguya said that the most important thing that needs to be done
is to set up policies that support and ring-fence our innovators, because what has been happening is that most of our innovators start good solutions, and then they sell them for a dime to foreign investors.

‘We do this because that person does not have the required resources for them to move from startup to growth so they find it easier to negotiate with a foreign investor, and they sell out their innovation,’ said Kamunguya.

Africa’s digital marketplace requires good enabling policies, laws, and regulations, cutting across borders and aligned with AU’s Agenda 2063, which will attract more foreign investment while empowering the continent’s innovators. To enable the harmonization of these polices Kenya is hosting the Connecter Africa Summit from the 21st to the 24th of April this year.

The agenda 2063 aims to put in place policies and strategies that will lead to transformative e-applications and services in Africa; especially the intra-African broadband terrestrial infrastructure.

So far, Africa Union C
hairperson (AUC), Moussa Faki Mahamat, World Bank (WB) President Ajay Banga and Africa Development Bank (AfDB) President Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina, six Africa nation ministers and fifteen ambassadors have confirmed attendance for the Connected Africa Summit 2024 which will take place from 21st – 25th of April in Nairobi.

The Summit will act as a platform where African leaders can position the African tech agenda in readiness for the UN Summit of the Future to be held in September 2024 and determine their role in green technology and governance of generative AI for African realities.

Source: Kenya News Agency