The annual Mt. Kenya cultural prayer pilgrimage, led by Agikuyu community elders, at Samson Corner in Kirinyaga County attracted hundreds of participants from various parts of Kenya. The pilgrims prayed facing Mount Kenya, focusing on national peace, peaceful coexistence, and successful commercial dealings. They urged people to embrace cultural prayers and fight vices like alcoholism and lifestyle diseases. The pilgrims also denounced the Shakahola religious movement, claiming it resulted from sects teaching incorrect doctrines.
John Kimani Kikuyu, an elder who has attended the pilgrimage for three years, said he has seen positive impacts on his life since attending the annual pilgrimage, calling on Kenyans to embrace unity. Samuel Kamitha, the leader of the group, warned Kenyans to be wary of groups pretending to be leaders and elders of the Agikuyu community and conning people and taking their properties.
The pilgrims wear blue ribbons, symbolising peace, and make the annual trip around the mountain in an anticlockwise direction, holding prayers with their hands raised while facing the mountain.
Kakamega County Governor Fernandes Barasa is implementing a plan to provide extension services and pigs to farmers to enhance food security and wealth creation in the region. The move will enable pig farmers to increase their stocks and explore markets for pig products. The governor plans to initiate a programme to provide subsidised feed and revive the pig slaughterhouse in Ikolomani Sub County, where operations had stalled due to a lack of sufficient stock. The administration will also engage investors and source markets for pig products on their behalf to enhance profits. Pig farming remains one of the most highly profitable agribusiness farm initiatives due to its productive nature. Farmers in Navakholo, Shinyalu, Ikolomani, and Lurambi sub-counties have already benefited from the distribution exercise. The subsequent distribution phase will extend to farmers in the remaining sub-counties. The governor also announced the establishment of a pig multiplication centre at the Bukura Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) through the Department of Agriculture.
Women in Kirimari Ward, Embu County, have been encouraged to join self-help groups to benefit from a Sh10 million revolving fund initiated by the county government. Area MCA Ibrahim Swaleh emphasised that the only way for women to benefit from the scheme or other government funds is through registered self-help groups. He asked over 100 women groups to ensure their registration status was up-to-date for them to qualify for the funding once it is rolled out. Swaleh emphasised that these groups will lead to the minimization of the economic and social exclusion of women in the labour force.
Kiambu Bus Park is in the final stages of construction, with the laying of Cabro set to commence soon. The bus terminal, one of the busiest, is being rehabilitated by the Directorate of Transport to ease mobility and spur economic development. The county government has assembled road construction units equipped with county-owned machinery to reduce the overall cost of rebuilding roads. Over 400 rural access roads within the wards have been successfully opened up and restored, and progress is evident in the ongoing tarmacking of roads across various parts of the county. Modernising and upgrading bus parks in other areas will improve public transportation and overall transport sector quality.
In response to rising electricity costs, the county government has changed street lighting to solar, with approximately 18,000 solar street lights installed across the 60 wards. The county is slated to receive about Sh1.6 billion in funding from the World Bank’s Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP), with 12 new municipal managers overseeing the municipalities. In April, the Kenyan government signed a Sh37.2 billion loan deal with China to finance the conversion of Kiambu Road into a dual carriageway to ease traffic congestion.
Egerton University is set to hand over the rehabilitation site at the Entiyian catchment area, one of the sources of the Njoro River, to Narok County after conserving it for 11 years. The university has been spearheading rehabilitation efforts since 2012 to address the negative effects of river degradation. The university collaborated with the local Maa community and secured the river’s source in Olkruto area, Narok North Sub County, and reclaimed a section at a dumpsite in Njoro Sub County. The university will hand over the two sites to the respective county governments for management and conservation in the future. Challenges faced in reclaiming the water catchment land include siltation, encroachment by the local community, and the use of planted trees for firewood. The university collaborated with partners like Co-operative Bank, KCB Bank, and media houses to rehabilitate the land. The river stretches over 60 kilometres through Neissuit, Mauche, Ngata, and Barut in Nakuru County before emptying into Lake Nakuru.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has announced the government’s plans to increase funding for the construction and renovation of police stations and staff quarters nationwide. Nyoro, who is also chair of the National Assembly’s Budget and Appropriations committee, emphasised the need for better housing for security officers, who are tirelessly fighting crime and protecting Kenyans and their property. He emphasised the importance of the separation of police funding from the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, as it has improved service delivery in the security sector. Nyoro also urged leaders not to politicise police operations, stating that they should work independently without undue interference. He also appealed to officers manning roads to desist from soliciting bribes and allowing unworthy vehicles on the roads, as there have been increased accidents on the roads in recent times. Murang’a County Police County Commander David Mathiu said that cooperation between police and the public has reduced cases of crime during the festive season, but urged drivers to exercise maximum caution and protect their passengers.
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