Author: Web Desk

Ministry of Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has proposed a review of the existing procurement laws to cap a provision of 40 percent for local professional engineers in all public-private partnership projects.

Mr Murkomen said the move is to ensure that local engineers take part in the growth and development of the country’s economy by tapping their knowledge, skills, and new technologies to actualise the government agenda.

He said the local engineering profession holds the keys to unlocking and unleashing the potential of emerging technologies in the industry for the benefit of Kenyans.

The CS said his ministry has moved with speed to align its policies and programmes with sector targets including Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2063, Vision 2030, the Fourth Medium Term Plan (MTP IV), and most crucially the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).

He said the Ministry is actively seeking to scale up the use of Public-Private Partnerships financing for commercially viable projects including new highways, seaports, and airports and others among which the local engineers should be part and parcel.

The CS disclosed that in the road’s subsection alone, the government is undertaking projects portfolio valued at Sh700 billion which are geared towards reducing the cost and duration of travel across the country and the region.

Other projects being undertaken by the ministry are the modernization of the National Air Traffic Management System and disaster recovery center for a total cost of Sh1.1 billion to be completed by 2026.

The government he said, is also undertaking the Ukunda Airstrip runway extension valued at Sh200million, which will significantly boost the South Coast tourism value proposition as well as the construction of Angama Airstrip in Masai Mara and the rehabilitation of the Lanet Airstrip and Wajir terminal building.

Murkomen said the government is also seeking funding for the extension of the Standard Gauge Railway to Malaba, the planned construction of the Mombasa Malaba highway, and the ongoing rehabilitation of the Metre Gauge Railway lines across the country.

However, the CS said that despite these multi-billion shillings investments, local engineers continue to miss opportunities to engage meaningfully in the projects due to their low professional and financial reach.

‘The ministry will introduce a change in policy and laws to recommend local engineers to undertake 40 percent of capital projects under public-private partnerships’, said Murkomen.

Murkomem said currently, Kenya has a shortage of over 7,000 professional engineers across the various engineering disciplines with only 2,500 engineers professionally registered so far.

To that end, the Engineering Board of Kenya has announced revamped plans to hit a target of 10,000 professional engineers by 2027 to address the human capacity gaps in the industry.

‘A nation’s competitiveness depends on the capacity of its industry to innovate and upgrade manufacturing and infrastructure’, said Murkomen.

The CS said that despite large investments in national infrastructure projects, the participation of local engineers in these projects and programs has unfortunately been constrained by limited training and exposure to specific skills, a gap that has been taken by foreign engineers.

The CS announced that the government is already implementing the Graduate Engineers Internship Programme (GEIP) which is structured to impart professional engineering competencies to recent entering graduates.

Murkomen who was addressing participants during the 4th Engineering Partnerships Conference in Naivasha said the program has a current cohort of 220 trainees and is set to train 1,000 others in the next two years.

To address and bridge these gaps, the CS said his ministry through the Engineer’s Board of Kenya will establish the Kenya School of Engineering which will be the anchor regional center for excellence in engineering.

To enhance regulation of engineering services, the government has rolled out an online registration portal and project registration portal, a move he said will root out quacks in the industry who have been blamed for the collapse of houses.

Murkomen at the same time said Kenya is pursuing signatory status to the Washington Accord which will ensure engineering programs and graduates are recognized globally and enjoy global mobility.

He said the Ministry of Roads will soon gazette a task force to harmonize engineering regulatory frameworks including education, skills recognition, career pathways, and review of engineering Schemes of Service.

On their part, members of the Engineering Board of Kenya welcomed the CS remarks noting that they seek to be engaged in the actualization of the government’s bottom-up agenda in the next five years.

The government has far lined up billion of shilling towards key sectors including affordable housing, healthcare plan, digital superhighway, and creative economy and environment and climate change programmes.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Children under-five years, expectant and lactating mothers in a number of Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) across the country are facing malnutrition threat as a result of the prolonged drought that hit the country. Cabinet Secretary for East African Community, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Ms. Rebecca Miano said despite the fact that the March, April and May rainfall season experienced early this year delivered positive impacts in most ASAL areas, malnutrition still remains a threat in the six counties of Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Baringo, Turkana and Isiolo. Miano said even though malnutrition has reduced, there is need for intervention in the six counties and other ASAL areas that are affected by livestock diseases, high prices of maize and access to water for livestock. In a press statement sent to newsrooms on the drought situation in the country, the CS singled out Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Baringo, Turkana, Kajiado, Kilifi, Meru North, Narok and West Pokot as the Counties affected by livestock diseases. She announced that the government in collaboration with partners will continue to support drought intervention by providing unconditional cash transfers, screening and treating malnutrition cases, rehabilitating and maintaining water facilities, treating and vaccinating against emerging livestock diseases by county governments in order to cushion lives and livelihoods of affected communities. ‘The government and partners are undertaking these interventions as a measure to boost resilience against drought and other climate-related shocks,’ said Miano. The CS also announced that her ministry through the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) is de-silting water pans and restocking livestock in the highly vulnerable households in targeted counties. ‘The ministry through NDMA is closely monitoring the drought situation as the government prioritizes the long-term climate adaptation and resilience building for the ASALs,’ she stated. She further stated that the government through the Kenya Food Security Steering Group (KFSSG) will in July next month conduct the long rains food and nutrition security assessment for this year to determine the impacts of the long rains on the local livelihoods, whose outcome will determine both the medium-term and long term drought interventions. ‘The assessment is critical since food security and insecurity in the country, especially in the 23 ASAL counties, is highly dependent on rainfall,’ said Miano. The CS disclosed that the assessment carried out in February 2023 indicated that at least 4.4 million Kenyans were food insecure, a situation she noted has been reversed by the rainfall recorded in March. She said the long rainfall improved vegetation and forage conditions across the ASALs by 75 and 83 percent in all counties except parts of Kajiado, Turkana and Taita-Taveta counties. ‘Water recharge in most of the open water sources stood at over 80 percent in most ASAL counties while the livestock body condition is now above normal leading to remarkable increase in milk production,’ stated Miano. The CS added that the long rainfall also improved crop production across the marginal agriculture livelihood zones with harvesting of pulses still going on.

Source: Kenya News Agency

An Israeli investment and development delegation led by KEDAR Green Agricultural Projects (KEDAR G.A.P) Group Africa Managing Director and Chairman, Yariv Kedar, has today held a consultative meeting with Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, and other top county leaders in efforts to identify potential areas of investment and development partnerships. On the table for discussion was water and sanitation infrastructure, whose sorry state has hampered any meaningful development as the county is bedeviled by an acute shortage of water supply with residents, both urban and rural, witnessing frequent dry taps. In offering a long-lasting solution, Kedar urged the county leadership to explore the limitless potential of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in developing and revamping water infrastructure from both Lake Chala and Njoro Springs. The seasoned agronomist and inventor further said the availability of water for irrigation for both small and large-scale farmers would, in a short time, turn the fortunes of the arid and semi-arid county into a food basket in the coastal region and Kenya as a whole. ‘When you look at the massive agricultural potential of this county that has never been tapped, you see an opportunity to lift the masses from poverty through sustainable irrigation farming. Such a path can turn this county into a regional and national food basket in a short time,’ said Kedar. Emphasising the issue of PPPs, Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation (MASHAV) Attaché, agronomist Eytan Hatzo said the county, and other Arid and Semi-Arid Landscapes (ASALs) in the country, can take advantage of Israel’s robust and advanced agro-technology and expertise to combat hunger, poverty, and the impact of climate change. In his address to the delegation, Andrew Mwadime said his administration is actively seeking partnerships in the spaces of agriculture, water, and mineral resources to establish value-addition chains to create more jobs, diversify revenue streams, and lay a firm foundation for development. ‘We operate an open-door policy for partnerships in our pursuit to find willing players to invest in our agriculture, water, and mineral sectors’ value addition chains in our efforts to create decent jobs, income avenues for our people and spur local development,’ said Mwadime.

Source: Kenya News Agency