Day: April 13, 2024

WINDHOEK: Windhoek residents can now earn an income from their solid waste material following the inauguration of the City of Windhoek (CoW) first Solid Waste Buy-Back Centre in Katutura on Friday.

The four-year pilot project is a partnership between CoW and the city of Bremen in Germany, funded by the European Union (EU) to the tune of N.dollars 36 million to promote recycling and environmental awareness.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Windhoek Mayor Queen Kamati said the project aims to instil a culture of waste management amongst the residents of Windhoek and promotion of a circular economy.

‘With this facility, residents can now deposit their solid waste here and earn an income. The project is expected to provide direct job opportunities to 10 people including administrative staff and operators of the facility,’ she said.

She noted that the establishment of the facility is in alignment with the objectives outlined in the 2018 National Waste Management standards by 2028, which is a subsequent f
ocus on waste reduction and achieving zero waste to landfill.

At the same event, EU Ambassador Ana Beatriz Martins said one of the objectives is to support Namibia to shift towards a more sustainable model known as circular economy for Windhoek as a pilot, and for Namibia as a whole in the future through mitigation of environmental harm and promoting growth by recycling waste and raising awareness through environmental education.

‘In line with EU’s strategic priorities and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals we recognise the importance of high-quality solid waste management to safeguard public health, protect the environment and transition to a circular economy,’ she said.

CoW’s Solid and Waste Management acting chief engineer, Stellio Tsauseb indicated the centre will be open to the public in May 2024, noting that different types of solid waste materials will have different price structures which will be measured in kilograms to determine the price.

‘If you bring in the waste, it needs to be
separated as well and there are different elements. So if you bring in aluminium, plastic, papers and all those, it should be separated so that it can be weighed as per the type of waste and you can get your price based on that,’ he said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The Principal Secretary (PS) for the State Department for Petroleum, Mohammed Liban, has disclosed plans on the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) growth strategy for the school.

The PS said the State Department had advertised for approximately 20 schools countrywide in the past week, as part of a pilot project to assess the feasibility of transitioning schools currently reliant on firewood to LPG usage.

This strategic initiative, he said, aligns with efforts to promote cleaner and more sustainable energy sources, thereby, reducing environmental impact and improving health and safety standards, within educational institutions and their environs.

Speaking at Travellers Beach Resort, Mombasa, where he spearheaded a three-week training on Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing Training Workshop for the Department’s Technical Staff, Liban said that from the analysis of about 7,000 schools, approximately 97 per cent of them are using firewood, which means cutting down trees and degradation, which is
not in line with the Climate Environmental Safety.

The workshop focused on capacity building to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the Department’s operations. By equipping the staff with advanced skills in GIS and Remote Sensing, the initiative aims to empower them to leverage cutting-edge technology, for improved decision-making processes and streamlined operations within the Petroleum sector.

‘As a State Department, GIS and Remote Sensing are very crucial to our operations. The training you are going through will be critical in supporting our cross-sector interactions towards creating an understanding of the relative importance of various elements, even as we seek to optimise the use of our natural resources.’ Liban said.

He emphasised that the Department, overseen by its Human Resource Manager, organises comprehensive training programmes across all cadres, to ensure no gaps in their service delivery and that their skills are refreshed and sharpened.

PS added that the Department’s visibility i
s in great progress, as he highlighted that the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), remains engaged in finalising the Department’s Field Development Plan.

Upon completion, he said, the Report will undergo review by the CS within a one-month timeframe, before its submission to Parliament for ratification. Once it is approved, the Department will proceed with a one-year Final Investment Decision (FID) Phase, followed by the commencement of production activities.

‘We are on the right track that we are fully prepared in terms of capacity building, because we are working to ensure that our staff are well trained and well-focused, so that when we go to production, we will be able to meet our objectives as a team,’ he added.

He noted that he expects the facilitators to explore with the staff the complexities of applying the use of GIS in Asset Management, terrain stability assessment, automation for mapping and visualisation, as well as cost efficiency in optimising GIS in their operations.

PS said
that vast knowledge of the use of GIS will put the Department in a vantage position to handle a huge amount of spatial data and information in the exploration, production, and transportation of petroleum as well as natural resource management.

Liban added that the application of Remote Sensing, in combination with GIS, will propel their operations towards sustainable exploitation of natural resources for social and economic development and conservation.

PS said that GIS and Remote Sensing are very crucial to identifying the filling station because, according to EPRA, there are 136 licensed filling stations.

‘If the data is put under GIS together with the schools and the petrol stations, then they will be able to effectively enhance the safety and security of their products,’ added Liban.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Machakos will continue to experience heavy rains until the second week of May, County Director of Meteorological Services Dominic Kyalo has said.

Kyalo said most parts of the county will continue to receive heavy rains, which are expected to subside in the second week of May.

‘Some of the areas like Muthesya,Katumani,Ekalakala,and Masii have received over 250mm of rain cumulatively, and we expect that by the time the rains end in May, the areas will have received more than 400-500mm,’ he said.

He cautioned about potential floods due to the rains and asked residents to take precautions to avert loss of lives and property.

‘Those living along the Athi and Tana River basins, including Matungulu, Ndithini, and Masinga, should watch out for floods. If possible, they should move to higher ground, ‘said the director of meteorological services.

Kyalo also asked residents not to cross flooded rivers and to be wary of dams that he said had filled to capacity due to the heavy rains.

‘We have also received reports
of collapsed buildings and toilets in Muthesya and Mumbuni areas due to the heavy rains, and we call upon residents to be on the lookout,’ he added while speaking to KNA today.

Kyalo also noted that the rains are sometimes accompanied by lightning and thunder storms and dissuaded residents from seeking shelter under trees and abandoned houses.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Department of Public Health has developed a workable plan for emergency flood response, which includes health promotion and distribution of Non-food items (NFIs) targeting Turkana Central, South, East, and North sub-counties.

The emergency response plan, supported by UNICEF Kenya and implemented by Welt HungerHilfe Kenya, aims to address Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) issues to protect the community from water-related diseases.

Speaking during the meeting, Public Health Officer Rael Akoru stated that the county, in conjunction with its partners, will distribute water storage containers, water treatment tablets, and soap.

‘The Non -food items will help the community address health and sanitation issues in response to the ongoing rains resulting in floods,’ she said.

She further mentioned that the plan will be critical in identifying sites prone to floods based on the magnitude of floods, household vulnerability, and population affected.

Turkana Central Deputy Sub-County Public Health Officer Di
nah Toroitich stated that the work plan would guide activities such as site and facility identification and community mobilisation for NFIs distribution.

Regional Manager of Welt HungerHilfe Kenya Turkana Office, Phillip Ewoton, mentioned that the distributed items will enable the community to mitigate and control the emergence of water-borne diseases.

He added that they were currently planning to visit Namukuse and Long’ech to sensitise village administrators, community Health Assistants, Public Health Officers, and facility in-charges on flood emergency preparedness.

In the meeting were Peter Mitunda (Public Health Officer), Vincent Chweywa (WASH Extender UNICEF Kenya), Sofia Lotin (Sub-County Community Health Services Focal Person), and Caroline Lotom (Field Officer, WHH- Kenya).

Source: Kenya News Agency

In an effort to combat the ravages of climate change in the country, public servants in Kajiado County took advantage of the current long rains to plant at least 2000 seedlings at the Maasai National Polytechnic grounds.

The programme dubbed ‘school greening programme’ targets schools and institutions within the county for the purpose of afforestation and achieving the Presidential directive of planting 15 billion trees by the year 2032.

Kajiado County Commissioner James Taari, while addressing the media, called on school heads and county officials to take advantage of the rains and plant both exotic and indigenous trees, as some species do not require a lot of water.

Taari mentioned that they were targeting to plant at least 5000 seedlings, but they managed to plant at least 2000 seedlings.

‘We wanted to plant more than 5000 seedlings, but we have managed to plant 2000 of them. Learning institutions with space should take advantage of this time and plant trees, as we believe that if we plant trees right
now, they will grow and make our environment green again. Let us plant exotic and indigenous trees to mitigate climate change and regenerate our environment,’ said Taari.

Taari added that, the programme not only focuses on schools and institutions but also on homesteads.

Residents who have enough space in their homes are encouraged to go for seedlings at the Kenya Forest offices or even source indigenous trees around them and plant.

‘The trees we have planted do not require a lot of water, so if you have a space and some water at your home, please come take the seedlings and plant trees. Once the seedling has received a small amount of water, the tree will grow. Rely on Kenya Forest to get the seedlings, but when you discover some indigenous trees not placed correctly, you can take them and plant them well,’ added Taari.

Phineas Rewa, Kajiado County Forest Conservatory, revealed that, the variety of species of trees planted at Maasai National Polytechnic will enrich the environment by providing shades a
nd beauty, and they can be used for timber and landscaping.

‘The trees we have planted today and the ones before will make this school beautiful within the next five years; it will show quite a different environment. We have planted casuarina, cordia Africana, and croton macrostachyus with the main purpose of landscaping and beauty; they can also be used for timber and furniture. We want to support institutions through a school greening programme and also the restoration of dying rees,’ said Rewa.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Farmers are set to benefit in the coming long rain season after the Agriculture Principal Secretary Paul Ronoh, flagged off the second consignment of 50,000 metric tonnes (1,000,00 bags of 50kgs) of fertilisers.

The farm inputs will be distributed at the National Cereal and Produce Board (NCPB) and last-mile depots across the counties at a cost of Ksh 2,500 per 50-kg bag.

Ronoh said that the consignment supplemented the initial distribution, resulting in a cumulative total of 4 million bags that were distributed to farmers in the first cohort.

Speaking at the Port of Mombasa, Ronoh said that through a multi-agency team, the Ministry will ensure that farmers get the right quality of fertilisers all the time.

‘We have planned for 7.5. million bags for the long rains and 5 million bags for the short rains, totaling 12.5 million bags,’ Ronoh said.

He emphasized that the individuals who were involved in the manufacturing and distribution of substandard fertilizers would face the full force of the law.

Juma M
ukwana, PS Industry, assured that the fertiliser released is of the highest quality, and they encourage the farmers to use the right amount in a timely fashion.

‘We urge farmers to utilise this fertiliser promptly and efficiently before the rains subside to ensure a bountiful harvest. This will enable us to attain sufficient maize production, thereby securing the necessary raw materials for our industries to produce flour,’ Mukwana said.

Abubakar Hassan, PS Investment, said that the President made a shift in the country’s strategic intent, which informs the country’s strategic direction, which is four things; subsidising production, incentivizing value addition, widening and expanding the market base, and rescuing private investment.

He highlighted that the country’s current production capacity stands at 2.5 million bags, significantly below demand, necessitating the importation of over 10 million bags to sustain our subsidy programme.

‘We are seeing many investor opportunities, and we are discussing with
them whether they can manufacture here and create jobs here instead of importing,’ Hassan said.

The PS for transport, Mohammed Daghar, said that this is the epicentre of how the government should work because this is an operational area where multi-agency collaboration is always demonstrated to ensure they deliver as one.

He said that they are determined to ensure the cargo is evacuated from the port in record time.

‘We are going to use 47 waggons to Nairobi directly through the SGR to ensure the fertilisers are transported safely and in time,’ Daghar said.

Source: Kenya News Agency