Month: March 2023

Fake beggars who have been soliciting for money from members of the public in the streets of Thika town in the pretense that they were disabled have been warned that their days are numbered. Thika West Deputy County Commissioner Mbogo Mathioya said the town has over the month seen an influx in the number of beggars with some making a fortune out of unsuspecting passersby. Speaking when he joined officials from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities Kenya (NPDK) in Thika town Saturday, the DCC warned that his office would not hesitate to take action on such characters adding that they would intensify crackdowns to remove them from the streets. This comes as a recent crackdown on disabled persons in the town revealed that most of them lived normally with some running for their dear lives when given a chase by the police. ‘We know most of the beggars on the streets of Thika town pretending to be disabled are normal. Some revealed that they make more than Sh300, 000 monthly from begging. This will not be entertained henceforth,’ warned Mbogo. Mbogo at the same time cautioned beneficiaries of the trade tools against selling them saying they would help empower them to earn a living. ‘There are still people with the audacity of selling the tools once they receive from the National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK). Don’t sell these tools. They will help empower you to earn a living,’ he said. NFDK chairperson Prof Julia Ojiambo urged the beneficiaries to use the tools for the intended purpose to better their lives. She said their office has received reports that some of them sell the items at a throwaway price to get quick cash instead of using them to change their lives. Among the items donated included farming tools, digital cameras, salon and beauty tools, carpentry, welding machines, tailoring sewing machines, wheelchairs, walking sticks and crutches. She said the government has committed itself to ensuring that PWDs live better lives through funding of their business initiatives and the provision of mobility assistance devices. Prof Ojiambo urged PWDs to apply for a disability membership card, advising them to get the application forms at Social Protection offices. She implored the importance for disabled persons to possess disability identification cards saying one enjoys a variety of privileges, opportunities and services provided by the government and during social gatherings. She at the same time expressed satisfaction that people with disability have competed with the other Kenyans and filled elective offices other than when they relied on nominations.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi has called on farmers to register in the ongoing National Household Farmers’ Registration exercise so as to enable the government plan accordingly while making the national budgets. Linturi who spoke at the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) Narok Branch when he inspected the distribution of subsidized fertilizer said his ministry is planning to give more subsidized inputs to farmers to boost production. ‘The farmers’ database will help the ministry in planning for the farmers’ needs as they seek to get funding from the National Treasury. We will get to know the number of farmers and their specific needs,’ he said. The CS who spoke to prominent farmers in the county promised that the government would not import any goods that the farmers have in store. ‘We care about our farmers and we promise you that we will never import any goods as long as you have them in store. But as long as the goods are not available, we will import so as to curb food shortage,’ said Linturi. He called on the farmers to support the government saying that though they have been in office for only seven months, they have achieved much and hoped to do more things to benefit the country before their term expires. ‘Don’t mind because the government is concerned about you. We are committed to getting the best prices for your wheat, maize and beans. In the next six months, I promise you that you will see more fruits,’ he said. The CS reiterated that the ministry will support all farmers in the country regardless of their political background, asking farmers to support the current administration so that they could serve them well. ‘We are not biased against anyone. Given an enabling environment, we will work with all farmers to support them and ensure they live a decent life,’ he added. The agro vets that distribute sub-standard goods were also put on notice as the CS requested the farmers to speak out whenever they purchased any input that did not do well on their farms. ‘Please do not keep quiet if your farm does not do well because of the input. Send us an SMS of the product you used, the batch number and company so that we can be able to eliminate the sub-standard goods from the market,’ he said. Joseph Nchoe, a large-scale farmer, thanked the current administration for the fertilizer subsidy saying the prices almost hit the Sh7, 000 during the previous administration. ‘This is the planting season of the farmers in the Lower Mau area. The availability of subsidized fertilizer will boost our farming as we believe more farmers will dig their farms,’ he said. Another farmer Ms. Purity Dikirr said the subsidized fertilizer motivated farmers who had initially left the practice for other businesses to go back to farming. She said even women were actively preparing their farms so as to plant during this rainy season as the government has assured that the subsidized fertilizer would continue being distributed.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Carefully tucked on a jutting rock shelf inside a chilly dark ancient cave at the hilly Mwanda village of Wundanyi is a trove of macabre trophy; hundreds of white-washed human skulls that eerily gleam in the spooky gloom of the cave. These skulls belong to revered leaders, heroes and other notable members of the community from centuries ago whose selfless deeds of valor and sacrifices elevated them to be honored within the community and beyond. At a time the world is getting rapidly modernized, the preservation of human skulls as deified memorabilia might appear like a ghoulish practice but to the local residents, the skulls form a key part of the community’s cultural identity that strengthens traditions and reinforces attachment to the arcane ways of the ancestors. The Chair for Domestic Tourism Association (DTA) Mr. Livingstone Mgenyi explains that Taita skull caves have great cultural significance for local communities owing to the deep historical and spiritual links the caves have. He adds that esoteric rites and other secret rituals performed by selected elders before allowing outsiders’ access to the skull caves only adds to the mystifying influence clinging to these traditional sites. The rites are mandatory to clean outsiders and allow them into the hallowed grounds of the cave without having them suffer harm from incensed ancestral spirits These rites include not wearing shoes when entering the cave and slaughtering a goat to appease the restless spirits roaming in the undisturbed darkness. While leaving the caves, it is forbidden to glance behind. ‘The caves are special sites where the remains of the community’s heroes are safely stored. They have their strict rules before one enters. These are great historical assets for this county,’ he explains. Promoters of domestic tourism argue that Mwanda and other skull caves in Taita remained one of the most underexploited and under marketed cultural assets despite its vast tourism potential. Other skull caves are found scattered in selected villages in Sagalla in Voi; Funju in Wundanyi and Ndemwa in Mwatate. While Taita-Taveta County is widely regarded as a sleeping tourism giant, little progress has been made in marketing other diverse tourist products the region possesses. There is just a fleeting mention of the ancient World War 1 battlefield sites, a cursory talk on cultural caves and casual discussion on homestays in the scenic Taita hills. A key reason attributed to this lackluster effort to market such emerging products is the presence of Tsavo National Park; a world-famous magnificent wonder whose unmatched bush tourism experience easily eclipses other not-so-famous tourism products. ‘Tsavo is too famous. Most tourists have a wrong perception that Taita-Taveta has nothing else to offer but the wildlife and thrills of Tsavo. We need to show them other rare products. We have World War 1 battlefield sites, the skull caves and excellent homestays facilities,’ says Mr. Mgenyi. To promote cultural tourism, the national government, through the National Museum of Kenya (NMK), has moved in to bolster rare historical sites to increase their global visibility in a move expected to attract droves of local and international tourists into the region. Deputy Director for National Museum of Kenya in Coast Region Mr. Athman Hussein says a comprehensive survey on cultural heritage sites across Kenya had identified Taita-Taveta as a region endowed with rich cultural-historical sites that called for special attention. He noted that the ancient skull caves were a rare product with potential to propel the county into international fame. He further disclosed that archeological research showed that the only other country where such skull caves in the hills are to be found is Peru in South America. ‘The caves and the elaborate ritual associated with them are very rare. They only have their equivalent in Peru. This points to a great potential for promoting tourism,’ explained the official. Athman stated that to preserve their uniqueness, plans were underway to have the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) confer the status of World Heritage Sites on selected sites in Taita-Taveta County. Top in the list are the World War 1 battlefield sites and ancient skull caves. Already, NMK says it has forwarded a dossier to UNESCO asking for The Ruins of Gede in Kilifi County to be upgraded into a world heritage site. ‘We are done with Gede. Our next agenda is Taita-Taveta County. These extremely valuable sites qualify to be under World Heritage Sites because the battlefield sites and the skull caves are very special,’ he explained. Conferment of World Heritage Site status to the little-known skulls caves is expected to propel the county into instant global fame. With the massive attention world heritage sites receive from tourists, scholars and researchers, the move by NMK is seen as the most practical solution for marketing the region to an international clientele. According to UNESCO, a site qualifies for the status of a World Heritage Site if it has outstanding universal, cultural, historical, natural and archeological value. This conferment of status also allows critically endangered, rare and valuable products and sites to get special protection from degradation as a result of human activities or natural activities. The sites can either be classified under natural sites or cultural sites. Kenya is a signatory to two UNESCO conventions; the 1972 Convention of The Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the 2003 Convention for Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. Already, Kenya has seven sites classified as World Heritage Sites. They are Lake Turkana National Park and Mt. Kenya National Park. Both parks were conferred this status in 1997. In 2001, Lamu Old Town became a World Heritage Site followed by Mijikenda Kaya Forests in 2008. The Kenya Lake System in the Great Rift Valley and the famous Fort Jesus became world Heritage sites in 2011 while Thimlich Ohinga Archeological Site was upgraded in 2018. There are 17 more listed sites in Kenya waiting for UNESCO’s nod to be conferred with world heritage site status.

Source: Kenya News Agency