Author: djadmin

The Cabinet Secretary for Mining and Petroleum, Salim Mvurya, addresses the press after he held a meeting with mining officers from counties on amended mining laws.

The CS pointed out that his ministry is committed to increasing income in the mining sector from the current 3 billion shillings to 15 billion shillings by 2024.

The CS noted that smuggling of mineral products has now been classified as an economic crime, and as such, plans are underway to create a special police unit in the Ministry of Mining to deal with smuggling.

The CS also observed that going forward, minerals will only be exported after value addition, and the ministry has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Indonesia to upgrade testing laboratories.

The CS was flanked by PS State Department for Mining, Mr. Elijah Mwangi.

Source: Kenya News Agency

People with disabilities (PWD) from Baragoi, Samburu North Sub County, have benefited from sensitization workshops on the reporting procedures against gender-based violence (GBV).

The participants, who were drawn from different parts of Samburu North, have been sensitised to end GBV, which includes child marriage, female genital mutilation (FGM), and teenage pregnancies, courtesy of the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) prevention and awareness campaigns.

Speaking in Baragoi town during a PWD sensitization workshop, KRCS Samburu branch coordinator Ms. Lydia Maina noted that GBV cases in Samburu North were very high and PWDs are vulnerable to abuse; hence, it’s important that they are sensitised on the legal reporting process.

‘In order to reduce cases of GBV in Samburu North, KRCS has commenced training of PWDs, women, and men, including duty bearers, on the legal referral pathways so that GBV cases can be successfully prosecuted,’ she said.

Ms. Maina added that KRCS has a pool of volunteers and community health promoters who work well with the community to create awareness and change.

‘This is part of a four-year programme in Samburu County sponsored by MFA-Finland aimed at reducing GBV and harmful practices by the year 2026, and it complements the Finland-Kenya Bilateral Programme on strengthening prevention and response to GBV,’ she said.

The coordinator further noted that some forms of GBV in Samburu County, such as FGM and child marriage, are deeply entrenched in culture and call for societal behavioural change.

‘To eradicate these vices, there is a need to impart behavioural change by constantly creating awareness against these forms of GBV in society, including intergenerational community dialogues, which need a lot of patience, advocacy, and dialogue.’ She said.

During a sensitization session of women and men at Baawa village, it emerged that the community prefers to solve defilement cases through kangaroo courts headed by Samburu elders rather than reporting to the authorities.

The participants further revealed that women first report teenage pregnancy cases to teachers, after which the pregnancy is kept a secret, and after the child is born, elders form a kangaroo court and fine the man responsible for the pregnancy a small fee of around Sh120,000 for the child’s upkeep.

‘Around here, women have no power, and the law belongs to men; we don’t know where to report cases since police stations are very far away,’ said Florence Nasieku.

Margaret Nawar from the Maralal law courts advised the community members to report GBV cases to chiefs or nyumba kumi members in areas where there are no police stations.

She further sensitised the participants on the forensic preservation of clothes and the body in cases of rape or defilement to aid in the successful prosecution of Sexual Gender Based Violence in Samburu North.

Maralal-based High Court Advocate Dominic Mbugua sensitised the participants on the laws that protected them from GBV, such as the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act, the Penal Code Act, the Children’s Act, and the Constitution of Kenya.

The PWD participants were also trained on entrepreneurship and business skills and urged to form groups in order to access funding from the Department of Trade and the county government.

The participants welcomed the sensitization forums and agreed to be anti-GBV ambassadors in their respective villages.

During the two-day training, the KRCS team was accompanied by Anu Anu-Rantala from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland and Georgina Gichohi from the Finland Embassy.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Busia Women Representative Ms. Catherine Omanyo has gifted over 50 roadside vendors with umbrellas to cushion them from the harsh weather effects of the impending El Nino, as warned by the Metrological Department.

Women food traders from Bumala market, Butula market, Soko Mjinga market, and Works Market in Busia Town expressed jubilation after having an expected guest sit down for a bite with them before extending her support in their hustle with umbrellas.

Speaking to the press when issuing the umbrellas, the legislator noted that she targets 1000 women in the first phase, acknowledging the efforts made by women in Busia to earn a living amidst hard economic times.

The legislator noted that she will continue supporting women’s empowerment and a transformative agenda in the county to counter the high poverty index. ‘They say that empowering a woman is like planting a seed that grows into a fruitful tree for the entire community,’ said Omanyo.

‘I had the pleasure of spending time with women engaged in small-scale trade at the Bumala market and roadside traders along Korinda-Busia town, where I distributed umbrellas to the real Mama Mbogas. The umbrellas are meant to help Mama Mbogas cope with the challenges of the ongoing rains and scorching sun,’ she said.

In recent days, roadside hawking of roasted maize, eggs, sausages, and other foodstuffs, mainly vegetables, has become the norm in Busia Town, prompted by high rates of unemployment.

This has, in essence, made it possible for travellers to sit down in an eatery to grab a bite of their favourite snack as they move on with their businesses.

Ms. Monika Akoth, who has been roasting maize at Bumala Market, lauded the legislator for demonstrating the spirit of Bottom-up Economic Agenda by giving priority to Mama Mbogas and Mama Choma as opposed to other leaders.

‘Omanyo has demonstrated what a true leader looks like; she has decided to embrace us real hustlers, cushioning our businesses,’ said Akoth.

Her sentiments were echoed by Ms. Lucy Oduor and Ms. Eunice Nafula at Soko Mjinga Market, who noted that they now have a reason to walk up in the morning with no fear of any weather pattern.

According to Omanyo, it was time for the County Government of Busia to embrace roadside vendors who cannot afford to pay for kiosks or stalls in the market due to the nature of the business they engage in.

‘We must learn to live with reality. We have of late witnessed a steady rise in street food vendors that seems to be taking over the town owing to the severe economic times we are living in, as most people cannot afford the amount of money being charged at normal kiosks or hotels,’ she said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Department of Disaster and Risk Management in Baringo County has warned local residents residing in landslide- and flood-prone areas to be vigilant during the anticipated El Nino rains.

County Acting Director for Disaster Michael Baimet, who spoke to KNA on Tuesday, noted that warning signs of a looming calamity have been experienced in high and low-lying areas.

Baimet was referring to incidences in the last two weeks where raging winds have destroyed homesteads, power lines, and blocked major roads from fallen trees and electricity poles, thus endangering the lives of residents and causing hindrance to transportation.

He stated that his department for this entire period has been engaging locals and concerned authorities in opening up roads blocked by huge falling trees and removing debris from vandalized homes and schools whose rooftops were blown away by winds.

The director, who singled out Sacho, Tenges, Marigat, and Illchamus Wards as the most risk-prone areas, warned that expected enhanced rains are likely to wreck more havoc, and thus there is a need for residents to remain alert and move to safer grounds immediately if they notice any slight danger to avert unnecessary loss of lives and property.

‘This entire week, all through Sunday, will be a rainy week; hence, I am advising residents to be observant and report to us on time of any incidences so that we can be able to dispense it in a timely manner,’ he said.

Baimet encouraged the community to play a crucial role in mitigating themselves against such disasters, noting that they can manage issues like not planting trees near their homesteads and power lines in order to avert hazards that may be caused during the El Nino period.

The director, however, said that the county government has instituted adequate measures to counter any eventualities and that they are ready to offer food and non-food items to affected families.

He added that his office has teamed up with partners like the Kenya Red Cross Society, UNICEF, and ministerial departments to support residents who might be affected by iron sheets and aqua tabs, especially in areas where water quality due to flooding is a challenge.

Source: Kenya News Agency