Day: April 2, 2024

Easter festivities in Makueni County turned tragic last night when a grisly road accident involving five vehicles claimed the lives of 10 travellers along the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway.

At least eleven other passengers were hospitalized with serious injuries during the macabre accident that occurred in Mukaa Sub County along a steep stretch at Mlima Kiu where the four vehicles were involved in a multiple collision.

Preliminary reports into the incident indicated that a driver of a lorry ferrying sand lost control of the truck while speeding downhill on the overtaking lane hitting a series of three oncoming vehicles.

According to police reports nine passengers succumbed to their injuries on the spot while a baby who was among casualties rushed to various hospitals was pronounced dead on arrival at the nearby Sultan Hamud Hospital.

Sultan Hamud Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Jane Mwende who spoke to KNA on phone confirmed that the facility registered ten bodies at the morgue and at least eleven casualtie
s of the ghastly accident.

‘We received nine bodies from the accident scene including three women, four men and 2 juveniles. However, another baby died at the hospital where we were tending to eleven other casualties’ majority of whom sustained head injuries and fractures,’ she said

Dr. Mwende disclosed that six of the patients were however were transferred to Makindu hospital for specialized care while three others were taken by their relatives to a Nakuru hospital last night

‘We mobilized ambulances from Makindu, Kilungu and Sultan Hamud to ferry the injured to various hospitals for treatment as our capacity was overstretched to handle the emergency.’ She said.

Dr. Mwende confirmed that six of the accident victims were referred to Makindu Sub county hospital where preliminary examinations indicated that they were in critical condition save for one who was fortunately stabilized.

‘Most of the casualties suffered head injuries, fractures and were suspect some had internal injuries but we have one patient
whose condition is now stable,’ she added.

Police reports indicates that the road accident involving five vehicles occurred at Mlima Kiu when a vehicle registration number KBC 564M Isuzu FSR coming from Nairobi direction hit a matatu Toyota Hiace reg. KDK 259U of Spanish Sacco after the driver failed to contain the heavily loaded truck on his lane.

Other vehicles involved in the sequence of head on collision with the lorry included a Toyota Hiace Reg. KCW 510C of Naekana Sacco, KDD 028Y/ZG6996 Howo Trailer and KCJ 838K Toyota Saloon.

Earlier efforts to get more details on the fatal accident information from the Makueni Police Commander Alice Kimeli turned futile as she referred the members of the press to the regional police commander.

The wreckage of the vehicles were towed to Salama police station while the death bodies were taken to Sultan Hamud Hospital mortuary for preservation awaiting autopsy.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Ministries of Education (MoE) and Environment, Climate Change and Forestry (MECCF) have expressed their determination to champion the growing of the 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme to raise the country’s tree cover to 30 percent.

The Ministry of Education is one of the key drivers of the 15billion National Tree growing programme which is a flagship government climate action initiative anchored by the 10-year National landscape ecosystem restoration strategy.

Addressing a joint press briefing at the Nairobi Arboretum on the Education sector’s contribution to the 15 billion National Tree growing programme, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu and his counterpart of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Soipan Tuya said the strategy seeks to raise Kenya’s tree cover by 17.8percent from the current 12percent to 30 percent by the year 2032.

The 30 percent will make a total of 10.6 million hectares of the created ecosystem and landscape across 11 intervention areas which the government s
eeks to restore.

Presenting the joint statement from the two Ministries, Basic Education Principal Secretary Belio Kipsang said that with an estimated 17 million learners both at O’Level of learning, Early Childhood Development to Universities, and 6000 educators in Technical Vocational, Education and Training (TVET) institutions spread across the country, the government has a target of growing 35 million trees and producing 300 million seedlings annually.

Dr Kipsang said the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry is working with the government and society delivery framework which has made tremendous progress including development of the National Land scape ecosystem restoration strategy 2023-2032.

The framework also includes the construction of the new seed centres to increase the high quality of tree seedlings, establishing 15 billion National Tree Growing Programme and restoration of the secretariat headed by the coordinator and anchored at the state department for forestry, as well as the
development of forestry adaptation and tree growing initiative framework and overseeing the growing of over 300 million seedlings across the country.

The PS noted that the two ministries have resolved in an inter-ministerial meeting held on Tuesday to enhance the collaboration in tree growing of which the Ministry of Environment, Climate change and Forestry will ensure timely production and provision of 15,000kg of tree seeds annually to enable the Ministry of Education meet its seedling production target of 300milion.

He said that through the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) and Kenya Research Institute the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry will provide the Ministry of Education with technical support on seedling production and tree growing.

‘The two ministries will jointly strengthen the coordination of tree growing and seedling propagation in schools and learning institutions by cascading coordination framework beyond the vocal points in the state department in the counties and sub-county l
evels,’ said the PS.

The Integrated MECCF committee application and the MoE Elimu application are expected to enhance recording and reporting of tree growing activities by learning institution, through the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital ICT officers who will ensure that the two applications are real time by integrating and ensuring the reporting of tree growing is smooth.

Kipsang said the two ministries will develop an award scheme that will recognise the best performing education institution, and design innovative ways of mobilising resources for seedling production, tree growing by learning institutions which include seeking approval from National Treasury to allocate 5 percent of the Ministry of Education Budget to tree growing activities.

‘The National Government Constituency Development Fund has to set aside 5percent to the Ministry of Environment to ensure tree activities are enhanced,’ stressed the PS.

Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya for of Environment, Climate Change and For
estry speaking at a media briefing on the 15billion National Tree Growing Programme held at the Nairobi Arboretum grounds where they also planted trees on Tuesday April 2, 2024.

Under the donor support programme, the PS said that they will ensure that the allocation of budget in all programmes run together with the development as a component of the environmental activity and urged the ministries to design communication and awareness creation campaigns.

In her remarks, CS Tuya announced that the Environment ministry is a technical and coordinating ministry for the 15billion tree growing initiative which has made several strides towards achieving the target set by the government.

She commended the work that the MoE has undertaken since in the ministry of Environment, set targets on the tree planting for ministries and agencies.

‘Ministry of Education is one of the front-line institutions because of the network, and the numbers it has given on trainers and learners making it have its presence at every level
of government,’ said Tuya.

The CS announced that her ministry is engaging with development partners across the board and private sector for the necessary support to enable the programme take off, adding that the engagement which is a strategy by the Ministry of Education will be launched soon so that each Ministry, Department and Agency has its ownership.

Tuya said ‘Everybody has a role to play in this strategy. We have to think about protection of each and every single tree that everybody sets out to plant in the form of fencing the areas that anyone is going to do the tree planting,’ and added ‘We have to think about water strategy, labour and out of school term season’.

In his address, CS Machogu said the two ministries will collaborate to start a tree nursery at every level starting with higher education where it has 74 public and private institutions which he noted must have a tree nursery.

‘We have over 300 TVET institutions countrywide which must have a tree nursery since through the nursery, the m
inistry will have the support of getting the number of seedlings to give to the community across the country,’ said Machogu.

Source: Kenya News Agency

As schools close for first term, parents of Kaseveni in Malaa, Machakos County are relieved that their children will no longer have to face frequent hyena attack scares when going to and back from school.

The area, known for marauding hyenas due to its closeness to the Oldonyo Sabuk game reserve and several hideouts has seen residents living in fear and counting losses from attacks on their livestock by the animals.

Led by Julius Hoho, a parent, the residents said the closure of schools has come at a good time as they will no longer have to fear for their children.

Over the years, the parents have had to escort their children to and back from school having to walk for about six kilometers to the nearby school, for fear that the animals might ambush and attack their children.

‘We wake up as early as 4am and before we get to school, it is around 7am. Children too get home around 8pm and have to brave the animals on their way back. It is such a scare,’ said Huto.

Luckily for the parents, an investor recentl
y constructed a new school, the Baraka Halali Primary, a big relieve to the children and parents who will now be spared the long walk to their former school.

Speaking during the commissioning of the school Monday, the administrator Chrisphine Oluoch said other schools are several kilometers away, and this has over the year’s inconvenienced learners.

He said the animals have forced the school to adjust learning hours, forcing them to release learners early to enable those from far flung areas to get home before darkness.

He added that they have also introduced lessons about hyenas to the children so that they can understand more about them.

‘We took the initiative after learning that many children could not differentiate between hyenas and dogs to enable them understand how they look like, how to avoid attacks and what to do when they face them,’ said Oluoch.

Despite the residents’ predicament, little has been done to compensate them from the losses that they incurred from the attacks.

‘Anyone who has li
ved in this area has a story about a hyena attack on their livestock and also relatives. The animals come in large numbers and some are big and dangerous. We have fought them but it seems they can’t go away. We now have to learn how to live with them,’ said Grace Ireri, another parent.

They at the same time took issue with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for failure to compensate them despite the huge loses they have faced from the animals.

‘Just last week, the hyenas mauled to death over 10 goats and several sheep. Late last year, a learner was mauled to death by the animals. Most of the residents know nothing about the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS),’ said Ireri. .

Source: Kenya News Agency