30 police officers in Narok County have been trained to reduce Gender Based Violence (GBV) cases, which are common in the county. The training, sponsored by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), was held at a Narok town hotel. The officers were trained on how to investigate, prosecute, and prevent GBV cases during long school holidays. Assistant Inspector General of Police Paul Ndambuki expressed confidence that the training will help reduce GBV cases during this long school holiday. Inspector John Kamau said the training was appropriate and promised to train other officers who missed it. Corporal Sheilla Metto thanked the organisers for the opportunity to learn and help reduce GBV in the county. The training comes as gender stakeholders are challenged to work together to reduce Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the county, which is 51% above the national average.
Laikipia County authorities have seized over 8,000 litres of adulterated petroleum products, valued at over one million Kenyan shillings, suspected to be stolen from a British Army Training Unit in Kenya (BATUK) camp. The products were discovered in a residential unit, and vehicle spare parts were impounded. Army vehicles were often seen near illegal cartels’ operations, and the suspects believed that trucks were being syphoned before transporting the adulterated fuel to the designated area. The county administrator, Joseph Kanyiri, urged residents to be vigilant and warned that handling petroleum products without permission from relevant agencies was illegal. The Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is investigating the matter, and it is not yet established how long the suspects operated the illegal petroleum syphoning from the army camp. Additionally, there was an illegal power connection on the same premises.
Wildlife Principal Secretary Silvia Museiya (second right) flanked by ministry officials during a tour of the Wildlife Research and Training Institute Museum in Naivasha. The government is investing in anti-venom production and a wildlife research lab to combat snake bites, reducing imports from South Africa and India, and saving endangered species in Sub-Saharan Africa. Photo/Erastus Gichohi.
The government has pledged to invest in research to accelerate local production of anti-venom to combat rising snake bite cases. The country heavily relies on imports from South Africa and India, a situation the government aims to reverse. The Kenya Snakebite Research and Prevention Centre reports that the country is home to some of the deadliest snakes in Africa, with an estimated 25 people dying daily due to snake bites. The government is also aiming to reverse the decline in wildlife populations, with the government financing a Sh268 million state-of-the-art laboratory at the Wildlife Research and Training Institute (WRTI) to further research wildlife. The government is also focusing on reducing human-wildlife conflicts, with 68% of wildlife being driven by climate change threats. The institute will also partner with counties to improve wildlife management and development, aiming to revamp the tourism sector and boost livelihoods.
Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok has met with religious leaders to discuss the Maisha Digital ID initiative. The government is keen on introducing the Maisha number, Card, Digital ID, and Integrated data, merging all four items into one. Bitok announced that 698 public participation forums across the country are supported by the National Government and Administration Service to engage more stakeholders and partners in the digital identity ecosystem. He hosted religious leaders at a stakeholders’ engagement forum on the digital ID and Maisha Number, bringing more understanding to broaden the scope and explain more details about the project. On October 31, the State Department plans a meeting with Civil Society to discuss important projects and listen to concerns and ideas. The PS highlighted several failed attempts concerning the Digital ID due to a lack of public participation.
Christian Aid Kenya (CAK) is working with partners like Nyuki Hubs, the Cereal Grower Association, the National Taxpayer Associations, the Kenya Climate Change Working Group, the Institute of Public Finance Kenya, and The Institute of Social Accountability to address the root causes of poverty and secure global agreements to eradicate poverty in the country. CAK is at the forefront of bringing issues of equality, dignity, and freedom to all, regardless of faith and nationality. The organisation’s mission includes a global movement to alleviate poverty, expose cases of misuse of power, and provide humanitarian support. Christian Aid Trustee United Kingdom, Sam Bickersteth, praised CAK for its contribution to empowering vulnerable communities and reducing poverty under the theme ‘OKOA UCHUMI’. CAK is actively involved in climate justice and economic justice through the Humanitarian Development Advocacy.
Kenya continues to seek and enhance partnerships in Foreign Direct Investment as part of our strategy of rebuilding a strong and resilient economy.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua after landing in Munich, Germany met Florian Kraus and Max Lenz, youthful investors in the horticulture subsector.
They discussed developing a roadmap on deepening investment in fruit farming and processing in Elgeyo Marakwet and Baringo Counties.
This is a matter of interest to the Kenya Kwanza administration in diversifying agro-production, especially in the North Rift.
The government is creating an enabling environment by addressing various bottlenecks in bureaucratic processes to ease FDI.
The DP was accompanied by among others Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandie and the Mayor of Gersthofen His Worship Michael Worle.