Day: April 21, 2024

The Kenya National Farmers Federation (KENAFF) has embarked on a significant tree-planting initiative in Bomet County, aligning with the government’s ambitious agenda of planting 15 billion trees by the year 2030.

With a commitment to environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture, KENAFF aims to plant 1 billion trees within the same timeframe, contributing to national efforts to combat climate change and promote biodiversity.

Speaking at a tree planting event held in Seanin, Konoin, Bomet County, Sharon Cherono, the Program Manager at KENAFF, underscored the organization’s dedication to the cause.

‘We are committed to planting 1 billion trees by 2030, in line with the government’s vision for a greener and more sustainable future,’ said Cherono.

‘To ensure the success of our tree planting program, we have established three nurseries in Bomet, where farmers can easily access quality seedlings at affordable prices.’

The tree planting event, attended by residents and local leaders, saw the planting
of over ten thousand tree seedlings, marking a significant step towards achieving KENAFF’s ambitious goal.

Konoin Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Daniel Mutemi commended the initiative and urged the county government to take further action in promoting environmental conservation, particularly within the tea industry.

‘I call upon the county government to develop a policy that mandates tea factories to plant sufficient trees for both processing and environmental conservation purposes,’ urged Mutemi.

‘We need to prioritize sustainability in our agricultural practices, and tree planting plays a crucial role in mitigating climate change and preserving our natural resources.’

Furthermore, Mutemi encouraged farmers, especially the youth, to actively engage in tree planting activities as a means of generating income and promoting environmental stewardship.

‘Instead of cutting down trees, I urge our youth to establish tree nurseries and engage in the sale of seedlings,’ he emphasized.

‘By doing so, they not
only contribute to environmental conservation but also create economic opportunities for themselves.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

Bandari FC lost 0-0 against Kenya Commercial Bank in the Football Kenya Federation Premier League, unable to close the gap with league leaders Gor Mahia.

The draw comes as a blow to the Dockers, who have been trailing behind Gor for a while now and were eager to secure all points to bolster their chances of clinching the title. Hence, the match showcased moments of brilliance from both sides, with each team fiercely pushing forward in pursuit of goals.

Despite getting five corner kicks within the opening 29 minutes, Bandari failed to capitalize on any chances. Whereas, KCB’s first on-target attempt occurred at the thirty-minute mark, with Derrick Otanga’s header calmly dealt with by Bandari goalkeeper Bryne Omondi.

In the second half, the Bankers came out strong to break the deadlock but Bandari’s impressive defensive were able to stop them from scoring. Meanwhile, Bandari coach, John Baraza, expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance but lamented their inability to score.

‘Our main issue has been
scoring goals, and we will focus more on improving in that aspect during our training sessions. Additionally, changing our home ground from Mbaraki Sports Club to Mombasa Sports Club has been a challenge, but we are committed to working through them and overcoming them,’ said Baraza.

The result leaves Bandari in third position with 45 points, having failed to win their last three matches, while KCB sits in tenth position with 35 points, both teams having played 27 matches.

KCB tactician, Bernard Mwalala, was pleased with the away point they earned against the Dockers. ‘We are happy to have been able to take a point home as we know the difficulties of taking points in Mombasa. The first half was theirs and the second was ours but no team was able to utilize their chances,’ Said Mwalala.

He expressed his ambition to win the MozzartBet Cup and secure a spot to represent the country in the CAF Confederation Cup.

After the frustrating encounter against KBC, Bandari now trains their sights on AFC Leopards at Ny
ayo Stadium, while KCB is preparing to face Kakamega Homeboyz for the MozzartBet Cup quarter-finals.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa (CEMASTEA) is spearheading efforts to bolster the implementation of the Competency Based Curriculum (CBC).

Through training and capacity building for Junior Secondary School (JSS) teachers, the state agency has introduced community of practice (CoP) model to enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing among JSS teachers and learners to ensure success of the CBC.

CoP refers to a group of people who share a common concern, a set of challenges, or an interest in a topic. They come together to fulfil both individual and group goals.

According to the Program’s Coordinator George Kiruja, the concept was critical in addressing gaps in curriculum implementation, with teachers set to learn from one another and collectively deliver expected results.

‘The idea is to help teachers work as a community. The model promotes peer learning, exchange of best practices, and collaborative problem solving, providing a platform for teachers to share insights
, resources, and strategies for delivering the CBC effectively.

As a result, teachers are able to jointly study and interpret curriculum designs and other materials, develop plans and learning materials and implement lessons together.

The collegiality, he said, enables teachers to use locally available resources to impart knowledge to learners.

Speaking in Kisumu during a training for County Trainers for JS teachers drawn from 15 counties in Nyanza, Western and North Rift regions, Kiruja said through the advocacy efforts, CEMASTEA aims to establish vibrant CoPs at all the Junior Schools across the country for improved learning outcomes.

‘CBC emphasizes learner centred strategies. Therefore, we feel that when teachers work together, they are likely to gain from one another. That way, they feel more confident, and going forward, this is going to enhance the achievement of positive learning outcomes,’ he said.

The CoP, he added, can be between teachers of the same school, teachers of the same learning areas
from different schools in the same same school or locality.

The learning experiences, he said, can be face to face, online, or blended, with teachers encouraged to take advantage of social media platforms like WhatsApp.

This, he said, will see the establishment of regional clusters and subject specific clusters to enable teachers to deploy innovative pedagogical approaches to address the nitty-gritty of the CBC curriculum.

CEMASTEA, he added, has developed a portal through which the teachers can share their challenges so that targeted trainings are carried out.

CoP, he said, can also be between students of the same school, neighbouring school, or students pursuing the same learning area so that they share their interests and learn from one another.

‘If learners can work as a community given that they have the same expectations from the curriculum, then we expect them to not only pursue their interests but to excel as well,’ he said.

This, he observed, will go a long way in assisting the learners to iden
tify their right pathways as they move to senior school.

Lucy Wairimu, a JSS teacher in Nakuru County, said the training was an eye opener and will enable teachers to quickly transition from the content to learner’s centered pedagogies for effective delivery of the CBC curriculum.

‘We have been imparted with a lot of knowledge that we are going to cascade to our counties. This will see teachers involve learners more and embrace community of practice for improved outcomes,’ she said.

Francis Wafula, a JS teacher in Busia County, said the concept has enabled teachers to learn from one another and be more creative in the delivery of the curriculum.

‘Through CEMASTEA, we have been trained on how to use locally available materials and ICT to teach,’ he said.

He called for more in service training for junior school teachers to help them specialise in meeting the learner’s expectations.

Even though Junior School is domiciled in primary school, the institutions, he said, must operate independently for effective
delivery of the curriculum.

This, he said, this will see the institutions have their own national games, national music, and drama festivals, and science and engineering fairs to support learners’ transition to the three pathways in senior school.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The County Government of Busia targets to spend shs. 8.787 billion during the 2024/ 2025 financial year.

Speaking during a public participation forum for the draft estimates and Medium term expenditure framework held at Bungengi Primary school on Friday, Busia County CEC Member for Treasury and Economic planning Topista Wanyama said that the County expects to receive shs. 7.587 million from the National government as equitable share and shs 647 million from its local revenue collection.

‘We expect to get shs. 552.51 million from loans and conditional grants,’ she said. Within the budget estimate, the department of health services and sanitation received 27% of the total budgetary allocation translating to shs. 2.4 billion.

Agriculture department and the County Assembly came second getting 11% each translating to shs. 982,807,051 and 962,253,010 respectively. Whereas, the Education sector came third, bagging 10% of the budget translating to shs. 859,584,017.

However, Busia County Health Administration offi
cer Ali Atemba noted that the budget for the sector has been reduced from shs. 2.7 billion during the 2023/2024 financial year to shs. 2.4 billion for the 2024/2025 fiscal year.

Atemba who presented the budget estimates for the health sector argued that the shs. 1.682 million allocated for employee compensation is very little adding that it should be increased to shs. 2.2 billion.

The chairman of Busia County Budget and Economic Forum Stephen Odhiambo said that allocation of shs. 100 million for bursaries need to revise upwards.

Odhiambo noted that there was no budgetary allocation on gender and very little to support the youth.

‘I have not seen any allocation for the monitoring and evaluation function,’ he said, adding that no reference has been made on audit function.

He at the same time noted that there was no allocation of funds for the mid-term review of the CIDP and the year 2024/2025.

‘We have seen very little allocated to the department of irrigation yet we need to move from rain fed agriculture
to irrigation,’ he said.

The official further suggested that commodity supplies in the health sector should be given more money.

He also stated that the shs. 64,076,677 allocated for the department of strategic partnership and the digital economy was inadequate.

‘This is also the department that should take care of the sustainable development goals yet nothing is provided for it,’ he said adding that there was a need to integrate SDGs in the county’s planning.

Participants who spoke at the forum urged the county leadership to prioritize completion of ongoing projects before embarking on new ones.

They also underscored the need for the County leadership to avail the necessary budget documents in good time so that they can read and understand before they give in their views.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The body of Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Omondi Ogolla arrived at his rural home in Ngiya Siaya country for a state funeral following his tragic death during a tragic chopper crash.

Kenyans led by President Dr. William Ruto had gathered on Saturday held his memorial service at Ulinzi Sports Complex in Nairobi before the body was flown to Kisumu.

The late general’s final requim mass will be held at Senator Obama K’Ogello Primary School in Ngi’ya before he is later laid at his rural home for the final rites.

General Ogolla died along with other nine military officers in the tragic crash on Thursday April 18, 2024 at Sindar , Elgeyo-Marakwet County while on an official assignment in the North Rift on his way to the Recruits Training School in Uasin Gishu.

Earlier the CDF had inspected various primary schools where the military is undertaking renovation works and visited military personnel in Kainuk and Chesitet camps within the region.

Speaking at the memorial service where the military per
sonnel, high ranking government officials, High Commissioners and Ambassadors had attended to bid farewell the to the fallen CDF, President William Ruto assured General Ogolla’s family of the government’s support in honour of the service the General did for Kenya.

The President mentioned modernization of the equipment being used by the military and protection of the men and women in service as among General Ogolla’s vision in transforming the military.

‘We have a clear plan how to modernize equipment being used so as to provide safer and discharge responsibility of services of our country better,’ Ruto said adding ‘It is sad he will not be there to see the elaborate transformation and modernization he had envisioned come to fruition’.

Ruto described the CDF as among the finest of the exemplary public servants who was in a very special class that represents the best of what Kenya has to offer, an officer with a distinguished and a military commander who was a patriotic citizen of the country with great humi
lity.

‘He deserved to be the CDF, an appointment that I am proud to have made. The nation will benefit from his wisdom, insights as he served this nation with admirable commitment with excellence,’ remarked the President.

Ruto also described Ogolla as a gallant General and visionary leader who understood the tranquility and had strategies to improve the military.

‘Ogolla was passionate about the welfare of soldiers, on many occasions he asked for permission to visit them in operation areas. He is one of the most general travelled boss who visited operation areas,’ said the President.

Ruto also wished the two survivors of the crash who are still receiving treatment quick recovery.

The others who died in chopper crash were Brigadier Swale Saidi, Col. Duncan Keittany, Lt. Col. David Sawe, Major George Benson Magondu, Capt. Sora Mohamed, Capt. Hillary Litali, Senior Sgt. John Kinyua Mureithi, Sgt. Cliphonce Omondi and Sgt. Rose Nyawira.

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who eulogized General Ogolla as a hum
ble, pleasant kind and amiable person said the death of the fallen CDF that happened while serving should strengthen the resolve of the military personnel to protect the country’s borders and to keep peace in the country.

‘Though we appreciate the general died on duty, it would have been acceptable if he was pursuing the enemies of this country from other countries but it is tragic that he died while trying to settle challenges caused by our own people here in Kenya,’ said Gachagua.

He added that General Ogolla’s death should also strengthen the resolve of the security agencies to wipe out the banditry menace in the country once and for all, saying that if achieved it will be a great honour to the fallen hero.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga who addressed the mourners described General Ogolla as a nationalist, industrious, a man of few words who loved his country and was ready to serve and die for the nation.

‘He is a father who is simple, knows his responsibilities to the society, has mentored many an
d believed in Kenyan dreams that are carried in our National Anthem such as peace and liberty which should be found through our borders,’ said Raila.

The late General Ogolla leaves behind a widow Eilleen Kathambi Ogolla, children Joel Rabuku Ogolla, Lorna Achieng Ogolla, a daughter in-law and grandchild.

Source: Kenya News Agency