Month: March 2023

Members of the Murang’a Municipal Board backed by national government administrators on Wednesday halted operations of quarries located in the Kandundu area near Murang’a town. The members expressed concern that mining of building stones in the quarries has been going on despite cries from the locals who claimed that the activities have negatively affected their daily lives. Area Assistant County Commissioner Esther Muthoni said they had issued warnings to the operators of the quarries severally but the mining has been going on. ‘Since January, we have been calling owners of these quarries to stop operations but it seems they defied. Today we have come accompanied by officers of the county government to indefinitely close activities in these facilities,’ said the ACC. She ordered all the workers of the quarries to leave saying the owners were operating without required documents. ‘Locals have been decrying operations in these quarries. The mining has encroached on people’s residential houses putting them at risk of collapsing.’ said Muthoni. She continued, ‘No operations will be allowed until the owners of the quarries acquire legal documents and adhere to stipulated guidelines manning excavation of stones.’ Chairman of the board’s committee for finance and administration James Waweru said the excavation of stones has been going on in an area marked as residential. While calling for total closure of the quarries, Waweru claimed that change of use of the land from residential to mining has not been done. In the area, he noted, there were more than eight quarries and some have already been abandoned after exhausting the stones. ‘Quarries where they have exhausted removing of stones have been left uncovered. They are also not fenced thus putting lives of the locals at danger of falling into deep excavation holes,’ remarked Waweru. Another member of the board Bernard Muia wondered how the owners of the quarries continued to operate without the required documents. ‘It’s unfortunate these people are operating without a license from NEMA, a permit from the county government among other documents,’ he noted. ‘It’s worrying as the miners have encroached on residential homes and some houses are on the verge of collapsing. Despite the quarries employing hundreds of people, we have no option other than closing them,’ he added. Martha Njeri, a local resident, observed that the quarries have led to pollution in the area saying the revenue being collected from the facilities could not compensate for destruction of the environment caused by the mines. She said activities in the quarries were on 24 hour thus causing noise and dust pollution especially during nights. Njeri asked the relevant authorities to completely stop the excavation of stones in the area saying the land is for residential purposes. Some of the workers at the quarries decried closure of the facilities saying it would leave them jobless and asked the authorities to be fair when handling the matter. One of the workers Tony Gichane said he has been working in the quarries since last year and those concerned should solve the matter amicably and allow them to continue with their work. ‘We are about 1, 000 workers and after closure of the quarries, we have nowhere to get our daily bread. Let our employer get the needed documents and we hope he will not be hindered from acquiring the licenses,’ he remarked.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nakuru County Government is involving the youth in key decisions pertaining to the environment to curb the perils of climate change. In light of climate change and unpredictability of weather, the devolved unit has also unveiled various programmes designed to improve food security through promotion of climate smart agricultural technologies and nature-positive agricultural ways, particularly by investing more on indigenous, drought resistant crops. According to the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Water, Environment, Energy, Natural Resources and Climate Change Dr. Nelson Maara, policy makers need to give the youth more opportunities to address challenges posed by climate change and contribute to the sustainability of nature and protection of future generations. ‘Although African youth voices on climate change are being heard in multilateral processes, active youth participation in real decision making is still lacking. There’s a need for more meaningful inclusion of African youth voices across the board,’ said Dr. Maara. He reminded youths that their biggest role in environmental protection is raising awareness. ‘The youth are no longer the future but actors of today. That is why we are now involving them in various environmental conservation aspects,’ he added. Dr. Maara observed that the youth comprise over 40 per cent of the global population, and their engagement remained a high priority in the multilateral system. He spoke at his office in Nakuru after the County Climate Change Planning Committee presented the Participatory Climate Risk Assessment (PCRA) preparedness report to a delegation from the National Treasury- Financing Locally-Led Climate Action programme (FLLoCCA). Also present were Chief Officer for Environment, Energy, Climate Change, and Natural Resources Chief Officer Mr. Kennedy Mungai, FLLoCCA Programme Manager Mr. Malik Aman and heads and representatives from the county directorates including Public health, Agriculture, Gender, Social Services Lands, Housing, and Urban Planning. Dr. Maara stated that the current County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) and a number of policies were seeking to mainstream climate change into planning and implementation. He observed that the Climate Change Act (2016) mandates counties to implement and monitor ambitious sustainable development and climate change goals. Climate change manifests itself primarily through erratic changes in the water cycle. Droughts, floods, rise in sea levels and storms intensify and become unpredictable, often with severe consequences. Dr. Maara added ‘The concurrent problems of hunger, ill-health linked to diet, food insecurity, and threats from new diseases and antimicrobial resistance, are rising among people living in poverty. These problems have been made worse in recent times by the Covid-19 pandemic. This is why the Nakuru County Government has put in place measures to cushion farmers and cater for food security interests.’ A recent study has revealed that in Kenya, temperatures have increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius since the 1960s, and that the warming has accelerated significantly in the past three decades. The increase in temperature has had a substantial impact on the ecosystem, leading to reduced accessibility to water, decreased crop yields, and an upsurge in the occurrence and intensity of extreme weather events. Mungai said the devolved unit was, through public-private partnerships, building capacity of communities to adopt environmentally friendly and resilient farming practices to mitigate against adverse effects of climate change. ‘We want to sensitize mostly the young and learning population who are passionate about climate action to come out strongly and exploit their interest in this noble cause. The capacity building also targets the sensitization of the community on the health and economic value tied to climate mitigation through activities such as fruit-tree growing which not only provides a source of income but also enhances food security,’ the Chief Officer stated. He called for adoption of practices which will enhance natural soil fertility, moisture retention, seeds saving and more biodiversity and ecosystem services among others. Such practices include farmers saving and exchanging seeds, soil health measures such as use of animal manure and vermin-culture, moisture retention through mulching and agroforestry among others. He asked policy makers to break down environmental jargon so citizens in the grassroots could comprehend the global climate crisis and participate in protecting the environment. ‘We need to tell climate stories in a simple language so we include everyone,’ he said. The Chief Officer added that indigenous people, local communities, young people, women and girls should be leaders of climate action and not victims of climate change. Mungai indicated that about 80 per cent of Kenya’s population is below 35 years, making the voice of the youth important in this discourse. The Chief Officer noted; ‘Involving the youth in this climate discourse will be a win-win situation for all since they have been leading the way in coming up with innovative ideas and measures to curb carbon emissions.’ He went on; ‘The development and review of climate change action plans should therefore involve all youths, including youth organization representatives, young green campaigners, innovators and entrepreneurs with the best innovative ideas on best practices and information towards achieving environmental sustainability in the country.’ Kenya has indoctrinated the protection of its environment in both international environmental treaties and national laws, including the Constitution of Kenya 2010, Acts of Parliament – including the Climate Change Act of 2016, Regulations of the same Acts and laws passed by some of the 47 county assemblies. Despite all these excellent laws that should have put Kenya on its way into a green pathway, the country is still experiencing adverse effects of the climate crisis, including regular droughts and floods which affect about two million people every year. According to the World Health Organization, environmental hazards take the lives of 13 million people every year. Aman said the PCRA process will ensure that climate change interventions are sustainable and relevant to the community.

Source: Kenya News Agency

On many occasions, you will find a person living with disability on the streets begging for money from the passersby. Sometimes the situation is so dire that even young disabled children are put on the streets by their guardians to beg for basic commodities from good Samaritans. But Daniel Kipkoech, a 29-year-old man who was born physically challenged, is rising from rags to riches after starting with hawking fruits on the streets to a thriving transport sector investment. Kipkoech was born in Longisa area, Bomet County but after school, he shifted to Narok town in his quest for greener pastures. A first born in a family of five, he studied in Bomet County and later joined Kisii polytechnic to pursue a course in fashion and design. However, due to lack of capital to purchase a sewing machine, he was unable to start his own business forcing him to look for an alternative venture that required little capital. ‘I was so determined to start my own business and after shifting to Narok town, I started hawking fruits while on the wheelchair. I used to purchase the fruits like bananas, oranges, avocado and mangoes on wholesale and I would go round the town in my wheelchair looking for customers,’ he recalls. Kipkoech says the fruit business did not give much returns and he was forced to change course and engage in the business of supplying soft drinks to retail shops. ‘By this time, I had modified my wheelchair to carry more luggage. After being in the business for a few years, I felt I did not get enough returns as I expected, making me quit to ‘mali mali’ business,’ he said. The ‘mali mali’ business attracted many customers who came to buy utensils, sanitary equipment among other items. On a good day, he says he got a profit of up to Sh2, 000 and on a bad day, he would get only Sh200. ‘I was so strict to myself that I had to save Sh1, 000 every day. The rest I used to buy food and pay rent,’ he adds. Eventually, the money he saved was enough to purchase a three-wheeler Tuk Tuk that he currently uses as a taxi. ‘On many occasions, I am hired by business people who move from one market to another to sell goods. I am happy because the business is giving me more returns than my previous ventures,’ he tells KNA. He adds, ‘When I bought the Tuk Tuk, my friends were happy and they brought me gifts without even asking for their help because they saw I did not beg for help from anyone.’ When asked about his marital status, Kipkoech was quick to say that he has to accumulate more money, establish a home before getting a wife because he wished his children to live a decent life. ‘No woman will accept a lame man, like me, who does not have enough money. But I believe if I am financially stable, I can get a good woman to marry,’ adds Kipkoech. He calls on people with disability to use what God has given them to earn an income instead of spending time on the roadside begging. ‘Being physically disabled does not mean that you are mentally disabled. Just start a small business and I believe God will bless it to grow and become a very big enterprise. Imagine if you are seated somewhere begging and people pass you without dropping a single coin in your basket. You will feel very bad and end up hating people,’ he advises. Dorcas Meitamei who owns a grocery shop in Narok town says she first met Kipkoech when he was hawking fruits because he used to frequent his shop to buy grains. She confesses that Kipkoech is a hardworking man who does not seek sympathy from the residents but works with his own hands to earn a living. ‘I am so happy to see my friend Kipkoech is now driving a ‘tuk tuk that he purchased with his own money. I believe that his business will continue expanding,’ she says. She called upon the society to embrace persons with disability and help them become independent as they also have different talents. ‘Instead of always giving them fish, they should be shown how to fish and where necessary, help them start small businesses so that they can sustain themselves,’ Dorcas counseled. Mike Yiaile a businessman in Narok town says he knew Kipkoech when he was selling fruits on a wheelchair. Yiaile describes Kipkoech as a self-motivated person who is faithful in his job as on many occasions, he gives him luggage to deliver in a certain market which he does on time.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Seventeen (17) Pwani University students died and scores of others were seriously injured when their college bus lost control and rolled before it collided head-on with an oncoming matatu at Kayole area along the Nairobi – Naivasha highway Thursday. Confirming the accident, Naivasha Sub- County Police Commander Mr. Samuel Waweru said the college bus lost control when its brakes failed at Kinungi escarpment and rolled before ramming into the oncoming matatu before landing in a ditch on the side of the road. Fourteen (14) students died on the spot while three died while undergoing treatment. Only a few people including a minor who were travelling in the ill-fated matatu sustained minor injuries and were treated and discharged. The injured who suffered broken limbs and soft tissue injuries are fighting for their lives at Naivasha Sub County Hospital and other health facilities within the vicinity and most are said to be in stable but in a critical condition. The bus was ferrying about 30 students to take part in sports championships at Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County. The bodies of the deceased persons have been moved to the Naivasha Sub County Hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem and further investigations into the accident. The accident caused a heavy traffic snarl-up along the busy trans-African highway but traffic police who arrived on the scene in time managed to restore normalcy on the highway. Exactly two weeks ago, four people died and 15 others seriously injured in a multiple accident involving five vehicles at the Kekopey area along the Gilgil – Nakuru highway. One of the deceased persons and some of the 15 injured were secondary school students who were headed home for half-term on that fateful Wednesday afternoon. According to the latest statistics from National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) released on March 23 this year, 974 deaths have been reported on our roads since the year began.

Source: Kenya News Agency