Day: June 4, 2023

The government, through the Kenya Development Response to Displacement Impacts Project (KDRDIP), has constructed a mega dam with a capacity to hold 50 million cubic litres of water near the Kenya-Uganda border.

It is located at Lomesepus, Turkana West Sub County, which is 60km from Uganda and 30km from South Sudan.

Speaking during a two-day tour of Turkana West Sub-County to assess KDRDIP projects, Principal Secretary in Charge of the State Department for ASALS and Regional Development, Idris Dokota, said the dam will help avert conflicts due to water.

‘The interventions will go a long way in protecting our people from moving to neighbouring countries in search of water,’ said the PS.

Dakota added that the KDRDIP has also drilled and equipped 30 boreholes and eight water pans in Turkana West Sub-County.

Mr. Dokota made the remarks at Lomesepus, where he inspected the ongoing construction of a mega water pan implemented by KDRDIP.

Already, KDRDIP has drilled and equipped a borehole at Nadapal Border, near the South Sudan Border.

The KDRDIP projects also aim to foster peaceful coexistence between host communities and refugees living in Kakuma by reducing stress on resources.

The project has also seen the construction of the first ever mortuary in Turkana West sub-county at Kakuma Hospital.

The facility will reduce the costs incurred by families in transporting the bodies of their loved ones to Lodwar, which is 120 kilometers away.

The PS also toured a water borehole drilled to support households living at Lokore. He challenged the residents to take advantage of the borehole to plant trees in line with the government’s agenda of planting 15 billion trees in the next 10 years.

The PS was accompanied by KDRDIP project manager Wilfred Omari, Turkana county coordinator Amfrey Amoni, and county police commander Samuel Ndanyi, among other senior officials.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Children with disabilities are one of the most marginalized and excluded groups in society.

And for that reason, parents in Uasin Gishu County have been urged to seek treatment for children affected by clubfoot, as the service is free of charge at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH).

Senior director of clinical services at MTRH, Dr. Philip Kirwa, said that clubfoot is one of the most common birth deformities, causing the foot to be turned inward and downward.

‘MTRH, in collaboration with Clubfoot Care for Kenya (CCK) and the Ministry of Health, seeks to eradicate disabilities caused by clubfoot in Kenya,’ he said.

‘Our work entails advocacy, that is talking to the parents and communities to ensure they come for treatment as early as possible, as the treatment given to the child can be corrected before he or she takes their first step by using the ponseti method of treatment,’ said Kirwa.

He noted that the rate in society is that for every 1000 births, there is one child born with deformities of the foot and can affect one or both feet.

‘In MTRH, we have treated over 5000 children, and we are making an impact in society to ensure these children live a normal life, ‘he said.

He further explained that, in terms of misconception, a lot of parents hide these children as they feel embarrassed as they believe it might be witchcraft or a curse in the family, but this is just a condition like any other, and it is curable.

Chairman Clubfoot Care for Kenya and coordinator from the Ministry of Health, Alex Kisanga, noted that globally, around 174,000 children are born with clubfoot each year, and in Kenya, close to 2,000 children are born with clubfoot per year.

‘We have partnered with public health facilities to establish weekly clubfoot clinics where children born with this condition can access proper treatment, ‘he said.

‘We build the capacity of health workers, provide clubfoot treatment supplies, continuously monitor and assess clubfoot cases, and enhance community awareness and involvement,’ noted Kisanga.

Violet Namkhosi, a parent who has been seeking treatment for his child at the MTRH clubfoot clinic, said that since she gave birth to his son with the clubfoot, he has been receiving treatment, and his child has shown great improvement.

‘Since we started the treatment, the doctors have been great, and my child’s feet are much better. Soon he will stop wearing special shoes as his feet are back to normal,’ said Namkosi.

She noted that most parents lack knowledge about clubfoot and do not know where to seek treatment once the child is born, and she urged them to consult doctors to ensure they get treatment immediately.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The State Department for Sports has signed a deal with the government of Cuba to offer specialized training to Kenyan boxers.

Through the deal, talented Kenyan boxers will train in Cuba to hone their skills as Kenya moves to regain its foothold in the sport.

Sports Cabinet Secretary (CS) Ababu Namwamba said the first cohort to benefit from the deal is the national team, with the specialized training expected to be rolled out before the end of the year.

Known as the hit squad, members of the team, he disclosed, will train in Cuba ahead of the Olympic Games to be held in Paris next year.

Boxing, he added, was one of the sports that put Kenya on the international map but has been run down over the years.

‘Kenya used to be incredibly strong in boxing. We were the first African country to win a gold medal in boxing at the Olympics, but we have since regressed,’ he said.

The government’s renewed commitment on the sport, he added, will see an aggressive recruitment drive and the rehabilitation of facilities across the country.

This, he said, will culminate in the selection of a strong team to represent Kenya at the Olympics.

Speaking at Jomo Kenyatta Sports Grounds in Kisumu during the first edition of the Kisumu Arts and Culture Festival, Namwamba said his ministry was in the process of rehabilitating and establishing new boxing facilities in the country to support the growth of the sport.

‘For you to be selected to join the national team, you must train well in your locality,’ he said.

To actualize the plan, the ministry, he said, will work with county governments to make use of social centers which are laying idle and convert them into academies to regenerate interest in the sport.

First among the projects he disclosed was the construction of a modern boxing ring in Kisumu to tap and nurture talent.

‘Kisumu is a home of serious boxers, and I have tasked the county executive in charge of sports to bring this to my desk so that we can start the construction of a boxing ring in this city,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The outgoing Vice-Chancellor of Kisii University, Professor John Akama, and three other authors have launched a dictionary dubbed ‘Enchengeria’ in a bid to revive the indigenous Ekegusii language.

The dictionary is written in three languages, namely Ekegusii, Kiswahili, and English, and caters to the needs of all readers in terms of punctuation and spelling.

Speaking during the launch, Prof. Akama said they had engaged respondents, including former teachers of Ekegusii and other knowledge experts of the Gusii culture, in the production of the book.

‘The main reason we wrote this book is that researchers, particularly those dealing with languages in UNESCO, are saying that the Ekegusii language will soon become extinct due to the decline in the number of users,’ he noted.

The Vice-Chancellor added that most people from the Gusii community had moved to major towns and cities and no longer spoke the language among themselves.

Similarly, Akama pointed out that those living abroad discouraged their children from speaking their mother tongue and instead embraced the English language.

However, he expressed optimism about the newly launched dictionary, saying that it clearly outlined how the Ekegusii words should be pronounced and would help in the preservation of the language.

The ‘Enchengeria’ dictionary is co-authored by four people, namely, Prof. John Akama, Dr. Evans Mecha, Dr. Peter Otieno, and Dr. Peter Getenga.

The book is expected to be uploaded online for everyone to download free of charge as well as contribute further by adding words that might be missing from the dictionary.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Youths from 24 countries in Africa have demanded a swift shift towards agroecology, especially in these times of climate and food crises.

The youth who were in Kenya for the last three days for the 1st ever Africa youth summit on food systems also declared unwavering commitment to advocating for an immediate transition to agroecology for sustainable food in Africa.

‘As representatives of Africa’s vibrant and dynamic young generation, making up at least 60 per cent of the continent, we recognize the pressing need to address the critical challenges facing the future of our continent’s food systems and sovereignty,’ the youth who met under the umbrella of the Alliance for Food Sovereignty Africa (AFSA) said.

Reading a declaration on behalf of the youth at the end of the summit, Joyce Brown, coordinator of the Youth Platform of AFSA, said agroecology represents a sustainable agricultural practice, and by adopting it, we can nurture a regenerative and inclusive food system that respects cultural heritage, preserves social values, and safeguards African identity.

‘From all the deliberations we have had, it has been agreed that the time to transition to agroecology is now, so we are calling on governments to support that transition because agroecology addresses the common global challenges that we face and particularly the challenges facing Africa in terms of food security’, she said.

She explained that the youths are very enthusiastic about agroecology because they understand that it is the sustainable way to farm, to protect and preserve the ecosystems, as opposed to industrial farming, which destroys ecosystems and biodiversity.

‘The youth are getting involved in soil management, for example, by making organic fertilizers instead of inorganic chemicals that degrade the soils. We are also into biodiversity conservation as well as agro-ecological entrepreneurship to show that it works’, Brown added

As farmers, the youth asked governments to ensure there are policies that safeguard the land rights of youth, particularly women and marginalized and indigenous groups, by ensuring equal distribution of resources to empower their entrepreneurial endeavors.

‘Tailored financial assistance such as grants and subsidies must be provided to bolster the efforts of young farmers and agro-ecological entrepreneurs, as this will enable them to invest in sustainable agricultural practices, innovate technologies, and engage in value-added activities’, Brown said.

The youth also called for support when it comes to education, saying they will require skills for sustainable farming practices, climate change adaptation, and seed management and conservation.

‘This can be done through integrating agroecology and environmental education into school curricula and establishing vocational training centers for youth in the agriculture sector. Empowering the next generation of farmers will pave the way for a resilient and sustainable future,’ they said.

Lastly, the youth demanded a seat at the table when it comes to policy and programme design by including their voices in agriculture, climate change, and food system policy discussions.

Dr. Billion Belay, General Coordinator at AFSA, said they have started a youth wing in order to promote agroecology and that the youth leaders from the 24 countries in Africa are discussing the role of the youth in agriculture and specifically the agriculture that is needed.

Through this meeting, the youth leaders are planning to organize the biggest youth convention in Africa next year, where more than 1000 youths will come together to discuss the future of African agriculture,’ he added.

Belay said that food imports in Africa are increasing and also exporting instead of the continent trading among itself instead of exporting outside, and this has made African countries continue to be in debt.

‘We are wallowing in debt. African countries agreed in the Maputo Declaration to allocate 10.5 of their GDP to agriculture, but they cannot do it since they do not have the money. The debt is so great that African governments borrow money to pay the debts; hence, the debt level is increasing’, he noted.

The coordinator noted that the investment level is also becoming difficult since the majority of payments are for the purchase of fertilizer and agrochemicals, yet the countries can go organic and produce food in a healthy way and thus cancel the debts.

There is a need to have an African levy on food policy both at the country level and the continental level just to encourage countries to produce their own food and also to sell amongst themselves, Belay said.

Warda Mohammed, 20, an environmental champion from Kisumu who nurtures young kids between five and six years old by putting up kitchen gardens, said that what motivated her into agroecological farming was her grandmother.

‘We have been making kitchen gardens by recycling materials, namely plastic bottles and hair braids for fencing, and this summit has helped me learn even more and gain ideas on how I can expand my farming,’ she said.

Warda said that her message to the youth, not only in Kenya but in Africa, is to go back to their culture and roots when it comes to growing traditional food and not rely so much on western foods.

‘The young people are being advised to get involved in agroecology because the future is ours. If we destroy the soils today, we destroy the ecosystems today. We will only be depending on junk food, which is not good for our health,’ she emphasized.

According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), the youth have already made significant steps forward in getting climate issues on the world stage, noting that the youth are key to transforming agrifood systems for the better, creating a new system that can meet modern challenges and provide nutrition for a growing population.

Source: Kenya News Agency