Two people have been arrested in connection to the murder of a 29-year-old surveyor in Narok town. Narok County Commissioner Isaac Masinde blamed fake news on social media for increasing insecurity in the area, stating this was the first killing in the area since November 2023. He called on residents to volunteer information and refuted claims of a specific community being targeted. Governor Patrick Ntutu mourned the death of the surveyor and announced plans to install security lights and build a police post to curb insecurity. He also asked landlords to keep a profile of their tenants to be easily identified in case of a crime. Late Nkamasaiai was laid to rest over the weekend in Leshuta area.
Baringo County has reassured parents and guardians of students attending schools following recent insecurity incidents, urging them to return to school. The national government deployed police and police reserve soldiers to patrol the region. Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa reported that 70% of students have returned to school, and all teachers are in school. Schools in border areas have been renovated and have permanent security detail. Education stakeholders are urged to liaise with security agents to investigate any issues and promote peace for the region and the country.
Cabinet Secretary for EAC Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, Peninah Malonza, has emphasised the government’s commitment to respecting the democracy of sovereign states within the region, as stipulated in the East Africa community trading treaty. She informed residents at the Kwa Vonza trading centre in Kitui Rural constituency that President William Ruto and Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni are set to meet to address the ongoing fuel importation row between the two countries. Kenya is a gateway for the export and import of goods for several countries in the region, including Uganda, which supplies about 90% of Uganda’s fuel.
Malonza also assured residents affected by the El Nino rains that work on national government projects will resume before the end of this month. She held a meeting with the project’s contractors and engineers, promising them government commitment to ensure project completion. The Seku-Kyandula road, signed for Kitui County, is 90 per cent done, and Malonza will officially request the national government projects secretariat and the Cabinet to fasttrack the tarmacking of the Kwa Vonza to Kyandula road.
The Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) is set to hold a consultation on the implementation of the pre-primary function in Kenya, following allegations that the county and national governments have taken over the management of Early Childhood Development and Education (ECDE) centers. The committee, chaired by Certified Public Accountant Kithinji Kiragu, aims to resolve the issue by holding a meeting next week on Tuesday to discuss the recommendations related to the pre-primary function. Kiragu emphasised that the PWPER’s report only recommended the transfer of over 30,000 ECDE centres from county governments to the national government and that the ECDE function can only be transferred through changing the Constitution or an intergovernmental agreement signed by both parties. Under IGRTC’s mandate, the committee has invited the two levels of government to a consultative meeting tomorrow to try and reach an amicable solution to the impasse. Kiragu urged the two levels of government to adopt a continuous consultation approach to resolve the standoff and emphasised the committee’s commitment to providing a neutral platform for consultations. The committee is also working on unbundling functions as per its mandate to beat the February 2024 deadline, ensuring seamless service delivery between the two levels of government.
The government has introduced a Guaranteed Minimum Return (GMR) of Sh80 for every kilogram of coffee cherry delivered under new sector reforms. The KSh6.7 billion coffee cherry revolving fund is a seed investment to help farmers access the proceeds of their sweat, not a loan as most farmers thought. The fund covers 25 per cent of farmers’ expenses, allowing them to access liquidity and preventing them from borrowing money at a very expensive rate.
The fund also includes rotational support, ensuring that benefits are transferred back to farmers as a bonus if coffee prices rise. The CS assured coffee farmers that the government would reinstate farm inputs that were initially subsidized, stating that farmers used to pay 60 per cent and the government subsidy was 40 per cent.
The GMR ensures that farmers know how much they will receive, as they are expected to receive a minimum price. The government is consolidating all coffee debts across the country and is working to address the matter.
During the meeting with Kiambu farmers, Githunguri MP Gathoni Wa Muchomba and leadership in coffee factories in the county pleaded with the government to look into waiving the Ksh657 million debt that farmers owe. The government is consolidating all coffee debts across the country and is looking for a way to address the matter.
The Finlays Community Trust has awarded KSh4 million scholarship to 20 students from Kericho and Bomet counties to pursue their secondary school education. The students each received a maximum of Sh50,000 in annual fees to cover their four-year education. The trust’s Vice Chairperson, Ambassador Joshua Terer, emphasized the importance of quality education and the need for capital investment for young people to acquire skills and make informed choices. The Trusts Secretary, Sammy Kirui, revealed that the scholarship is given on merit, with 20 bright and needy students out of 100 applicants selected to join secondary schools around the country. The Trusts will continue to support learners who do well in their KCSE national examination. The Trusts secondary school scholarship has been running for over 30 years and has benefitted over 586 students at a total cost of Sh53.5 million. The Trust was officially launched in 2021 as an independent charitable trust to replace Finlays Charitable Trust. The Trust aims to deliver maximum social, environmental, and economic benefits by taking a collaborative approach and appointing trustees to represent local communities. In addition to secondary school scholarships, the Trust has also been providing scholarships to undergraduate students to pursue their higher education at local universities and the Swire Masters scholarship, exposing students to different cultures and enabling them to acquire knowledge.
Over 70 students from underprivileged backgrounds in Laikipia County have been selected for the Elimu scholarship programme, a government initiative in collaboration with Jomo Kenyatta Foundation. The program, which was conducted after a rigorous vetting process of over 900 applicants, aims to support students from vulnerable families who cannot afford to provide for their children’s secondary education needs. Only 41 female and 35 male students received full sponsorship, with those who benefited scoring 280 marks or above in the 2023 Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination. The program’s selection process was transparent and objective, with beneficiaries like Samilah Hassan and Ferix Mundia optimistic about completing their secondary education studies.
Safaricom has launched the Chapa Dimba Football Tournament in the Coast Region, aiming to improve the lives of residents through community outreach programs. Initiatives include free medical camps, stakeholder engagement, players’ and coaches’ clinics, digital and financial literacy training, and digital and financial literacy training. The tournament targets young people aged 16-20 and aims to provide a structured platform for scouts and coaches to tap into new talent and build feeder systems for Kenyan football leagues. Kilifi County Deputy Governor Flora Mbetsa urged Kilifi people to turn out in mass numbers to support the team representing the Kilifi region in the Chapa Dimba tournament.
Migori County Governor Ochillo Ayacko has clarified that budget management in Migori County is in line with the Public Finance Management Act and the Controller of Budget compiles financial reports. The high figures attributed to Sh 184,611,014 million to Migori County were a result of clustering expenditure items and attributing them to domestic travel and subsistence allowance. Ochilo assured Migori residents that the budget was not unlawfully implemented and that his Administration has not lost any public funds. He emphasized the need for transparency and accountability in budget management to prevent misappropriation or misuse of public funds.
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