The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) and the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) have launched a road safety campaign to reduce road accidents during the festive season. The campaign aims to raise awareness about the causes and effects of road accidents and share policies to minimise them. Deputy County Police Commander Paul Wambugu urged drivers to avoid over-speeding and reckless driving, while NACADA North Rift Regional Manager Eunice Arubia emphasised the significant role alcohol and drug abuse play in road accidents. County Chairman Uasin Gishu Matatu Sacco Union Fred Wamu pledged to ensure drivers adhere to road safety and raise awareness about drunk driving, high speeding, and overworking during busy periods. Meanwhile, County Chairman Uasin Gishu Boda Boda Union Nahashon Kipchumba emphasised the need for careful passenger transport without carrying excess passengers to avoid accidents. The campaign aims to reduce fatalities during the festive season by adhering to government rules and regulations.
Kenya’s Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) has been released, allowing leaders in Kitui County to plan development projects and address various issues. The 2022 KDHS data, jointly carried out by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Ministry of Health, provides up-to-date estimates of demographic and health indicators to guide planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation on population and health-related programs at both national and county levels. Kitui County Executive for Planning, Mr. Victor Mwangu, commended the survey findings, stating that it will help identify development projects’ priorities and provide solutions to local problems. The survey revealed serious water shortages, high numbers of firewood-dependent families, and high rates of malaria and infant mortality. Despite high rates of women using family planning methods, the county has a high fertility rate compared to the national rate. However, some sectors, like basic sanitation facilities, are performing well. The survey findings on gender-based violence and education level in Kitui County have performed fairly compared to national data.
Kenyan scientists and international partners are working to save the Northern White Rhino species from extinction through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), with only two remaining at Ol Pejeta conservancy in Laikipia County. The BioRescue team has harvested 29 oocytes from one female northern white rhino, which were flown to Italy for maturation. The oocytes will be fused with sperm from Sudan, the Northern male white rhino that died in 2018 due to poor health. The remaining white rhinos are incapable of supporting pregnancy due to old age and health-related problems, so they are taking their chances through surrogate mothers. However, the southern white rhino and a close relative of the northern white rhino are being considered as suitable embryo carriers. The IVF process, which had never been tested before, is the only hope in saving the species. The timing is crucial, as it would be a huge success to see calves interact with the two remaining northern white rhinos, ensuring they get the traits of their parents. The conservationists aim to rescue the species while their parents are still alive, and they want to see a young calf with one of these females to share some of the social behaviours and other traits needed to maintain the population. The project has equal challenges as it was the first of its kind, and efforts are now geared towards ensuring the species’ survival.
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) and Twiva have announced the Twende Digital Project, funded by the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE), to create work opportunities for young digital content creators and support SMEs in adopting technology through intensive capacity building and technical assistance. The project aims to address youth unemployment in Kenya, where over 50% of the 2.97 million jobless Kenyans are aged 18 to 29. The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment plans to create 230,000 jobs for young people in Africa by 2026, focusing on dignified and fulfilling work.
The Twende Digital Project will provide significant work opportunities to both rural and urban settings in Kenya, including Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret, Nyeri, Machakos, Kiambu, Garissa, and Kakamega. Selected businesses will enjoy digitization services and tools for free for the next 12 months, including influencer marketing service credits, content creation credits, access to business digital coaches, access to influencers or resellers to help resell SMEs’ goods, linkage to logistics and fulfilment partners, digital marketing training, and digital marketing advisory services.
The project aims to elevate the average income of employed youth from less than Sh10,000 to approximately Sh25,000, injecting vitality into the lives of young individuals. It allocates 60% of opportunities to women-led SMEs and focuses on building digital skills among SMEs. The project also provides start-up opportunities for youth without formal experience or capital, especially in logistics and shipping of products to clients.
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