Djibouti News Gazette

The African Church of Kenya, Diocese of Mombasa, is documenting the history of African Archdeacons who took the cue from the missionaries to spread Christianity on the Kenyan Coast.

The church is hosting the Kenya Christian Biographies Conference under the theme: Reclaiming the voices of first-generation Kenyan church leaders, organised by the ACK Diocese of Mombasa Research Institute (DoMRI) and the Dictionary of African Christian Biographies Project.

ACK, in partnership with Boston University, has embarked on research that will be published, documenting what happened aeons ago, and through the study, the current generation could learn valuable lessons.

Rev. Alphonce Baya, Bishop Diocese of Mombasa, said the research focuses on persons who took part in the missionary and their notable works.

‘When the gospel came in 1844, it focused on preaching and building hospitals and schools. For most of the people who undertook the works, their history has not been documented,’ said Rev. Baya.

‘As a result of that
, we are losing the history and their inputs in the society of the Coast and the whole country,’ he noted.

The research will document the contribution of Archdeacon Canon Nathaniel Mwari Baya to discern the importance of formal and pastoral education for church missions in the Coast region.

Archdeacon Mwari received the Christian religion from the missionaries at a tense time of emergency in 1952. The researchers would want to know how he was able to work with the missionaries during the clamour for independence.

‘This research finding has the potential to motivate the current generation of church leaders to prioritise evangelism and social concerns as essentials for church missions,’ said the Head of DoMRI, Dr. Manjewa Mbwangi.

The biographical studies will also delve into the life of Mama Maryam Mwang’ombe, the wife of the first African Bishop who took over from the missionaries. She was at the forefront of championing women’s interests and advocating against Female Genital Mutilation.

‘We will look at
how Christianity grew from those who took over from the missionaries and passed to the emerging church with African leadership,’ stated Dr. Mbwangi.

Dr. Michele Sigg from Boston University said ACK is the second largest denomination in the country with an extensive and rich history that needs to be documented.

She stressed the importance of documenting the history of women who were the majority and were active in ministry, teaching, and leadership.

‘Kenya is one of the countries where the Anglican Church is ordaining women and women bishops. Women from the time of Jesus were very close to Jesus. Women have a place in ministry. Documenting their stories is very important. We want to recover the lost stories of Christians in Africa so that there is a history of African Christianity to be written,’ said Dr. Sigg.

Eliud Wabukala, Archbishop Emeritus of ACK and former Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), praised the diocese of Mombasa for leading the way in the preservation of histo
ry, saying it was a way of strengthening Christianity and the written biographies would benefit future generations.

Source: Kenya News Agency

More than 200 youth in Nanyuki, Laikipia County, have participated in a 10-kilometre run to fundraise for a school feeding programme for learners in the informal settlements ahead of schools’ reopening next week.

The initiative dubbed ‘One Child Fed’ is targeting to ensure pupils in the areas of Majengo, Likii, and Kanyoni informal settlements have nutritious meals in their respective public primary schools.

The run, which was organised through the sponsorship of Licha Project, a Laikipia Community-Based Organisation, further targeted to end hunger in classrooms since the majority of pupils from the informal settlements attended school while hungry, which results in poor grades, early teen pregnancies, and increased school dropouts in the county, exacerbated by poverty.

Local leaders led by Laikipia North Member of Parliament Sarah Korere emphasised the need for collaboration by all education stakeholders in ensuring learners in the county do not miss out on schooling due to hunger.

‘Most of the time, whe
n a child lacks food, they can’t concentrate in class, and therefore this feeding programme initiative needs to be prioritised through partnerships to improve enrolment in our schools,’ said Korere.

She noted that in the recent drought season in Laikipia, learners were the worst affected, and as a result, the majority dropped out of school.

Nanyuki Ward Member of County Assembly Antony Theuri said that they had put in place measures to feed Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) pupils, which have started showing positive results through improved performances.

Licha Project founder Haman Kafaria said that they used home-grown solutions like kitchen gardens in schools they support within the county aimed at addressing hunger among students and promoting education.

‘Our aim is to address hunger in schools within informal settlements and in rural areas. Licha is a home-grown solution for local problems whereby youth have come together to end classroom hunger through innovative sustainable measures,’ re
vealed Kafaria.

Meanwhile, thousands of children have benefited since the Licha project was started three years ago.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Police officers received three AK-47 rifles and four rounds of ammunition today, when herders at the Daaba Trading Centre in Ngaremara Ward in Isiolo County surrendered them to the authorities.

Confirming the surrender, Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner (DCC), Mr. Patrick Musango, said that two rifles and three rounds of ammunition were surrendered to the Multi-agency team, who were on operation in the area.

He said another AK 47 with one bullet and a Magazine were also surrendered by a young man to the Daaba Chief, yesterday, morning.

Mr. Musango attributed the isolated cases of insecurity in the area to the presence of firearms that are in the wrong hands, adding that those who are in possession of the weapons use them to steal animals and ambush motorists along the roads.

He added that the government would pardon those who would volunteer to surrender the illegal firearms.

The Administrator said the area lagged behind in development due to insecurity, and investors would not put-up businesses where se
curity was a problem.

The DCC warned politicians who incited the youth to violence that the government would not spare them, since intelligence indicated that they were mostly responsible for creating unnecessary tension among communities.

Mr. Musango said the government has sealed all the loopholes used by criminals to steal and free the animals, adding that ‘maliza uhalifu’ security operation was out to eradicate the vice.

He further added that five camels that were stolen two weeks ago, have been recovered in the Daaba area and handed to their owners.

The Administrator also said that the government would apply the ‘Modogashe declaration’ where criminals and their families would be forced to compensate theft victims four times the number stolen as a penalty.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Government is committed to ensuring that every corner of the country has Mobile Network connectivity, to enable all people to enjoy network facilities and access to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) services.

While addressing the media in Narok, the Principal Administrative Secretary (PAS), Eric Kiraithe, said the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Digital Economy is keen on boarding all government services online.

The PAS held a meeting with the National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), led by the County Commissioner (CC), Kipkech Lotiatia, where they discussed the mobile network connectivity project, the Universal Service Fund, and how Narok County has benefited from the connectivity.

Kiraithe named the 10 sub-locations connected in Phase 1 as Maji-moto,Enkutoto, Entasekera, Olngarua, Olmesutie, Mausa,Olorte,Elangata Enterit, Enkoireroi, Enkiperiao, and Enturoto, where the government has spent a total of Sh104.6 million for the connectivity project.

Kiraithe, however
, said the Communication Authority (CA) is implementing Phase II of the mobile network connectivity project, which is targeting 101 unserved and underserved areas spread across the 19 marginalised counties in Kenya.

He added that in Phase II of the implementation, Narok has Enkoireroi and Enturoto sub-locations earmarked at a cost of Sh12.8 million.

Additionally, Kiraithe said the government is targeting 68 other Sub-locations in Phase IV for consideration for Mobile Network connectivity in Narok County. These areas are: Nkareta, Aitong, Oletukat, Enaiborr Ajijik,Enaramatishorieki,Ntuka, Cheichel, Enooseyia, Ildamat, Parkarara, Olkinyei, Olorropil, Empatipat, Olmariko, Kamurar,Ilikiai,Nkimpa, Oloirowua, Olenkuluo,Leshuta, Osarara, and Sagamian.

‘There are a lot of areas that are not connected with mobile network connectivity, and therefore those citizens feel that they were left behind on development. The government is working to make sure that all people enjoy the network services,’ said Kiraithe.

Kirait
he said the Communication Authority, through collaboration with NGAO, County government and other government agencies on the ground, is working closely on engagements to make sure the ICT services are serving the intended purpose.

Kiraithi noted that Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), mostly depends on the internet, and the government is working hard to make sure all government social services have access to network connectivity, so that people can enjoy ICT services.

CC Lotitia said most of the County is not connected to mobile network connectivity, adding that the government is looking to open-up the ICT infrastructure in Narok.

Source: Kenya News Agency

A Mount Kenya University (MKU) Bachelor of Science in Information Technology student is in high spirits as he prepares to represent the country with 18 others in the upcoming Global Huawei ICT Competition slated for next month in China.

Daniel Ochola, a student in the school of Computing and Informatics, emerged among the top three winners in the South African Regional Awards, where 6,000 students participated in the competition.

During the competition held last month, students from 15 countries showcased their prowess on tracks in cloud, computing and networking.

Speaking to journalists at the university’s Thika main campus on Monday, Ochola said his passion for technology drove him to the competition, adding that the training from MKU and the cutting-edge facilities therein have been instrumental to his success. These statements were echoed by John Kamau, an official from the university.

‘At least we got a glimpse of the professional world and interacted with the industry experts. We showcased ICT innov
ations in areas of cloud track, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and big data,’ he said.

Ochola hopes that he will emerge victorious in the competitions in China and be able to put the country’s ICT prowess on the world map.

The Huawei ICT Competition was initiated in 2015 as part of the Huawei ICT Academy in a collaborative effort to enrich the ICT talent pool by transferring the latest knowledge from a global technology leader.

In Kenya, Huawei has established ICT Academies in over 50 universities and colleges, providing access to cutting-edge technology training in networking, cloud computing, 5G, and AI. Annually, these academies train more than 4,000 students, contributing significantly to the ICT skills landscape.

The Huawei hardware installation base in Kenya has been recognised by the Ministry of Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, as playing a pivotal role in nurturing Kenya’s ICT talent pool and supporting national development initiatives.

Meanwhile, university studen
ts and members of staff from Uganda (Makerere University Business School), Kenya (Kenyatta University and MKU), and Germany’s Albert-Ludwigs-Universität have held a collaborative workshop on Clean Energy innovations. The workshop that is being held at Kenyatta University (KU) gave the innovators the opportunity to sharpen their ideas through interactions and networking.

‘Students were given opportunities to work creatively with interested business stakeholders. They were allowed to pitch their ideas to the business community,’ said Donatus Njoroge, the Head of Innovation, Intellectual Property, and Community Outreach at MKU.

Source: Kenya News Agency