Finland Saga: Parents, Students Call Off Protests To Pave Way For Summit

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August 16, 2023

Hundreds of parents and students who had planned to disrupt the devolution conference, which is set to be officially opened by President William Ruto today, due to the botched Finland and Canada airlift education programme, have called off their mission just hours before the event’s start.

The decision to postpone the protest until after the devolution conference came after a night-long meeting on Saturday and Sunday between the county’s top leadership, led by Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and Senator Jackson Mandago, and representatives of the affected parents and students.

Confirming the cancellation of the protests, Kimutai Kirui, who has been leading the protests to demand a refund of millions of shillings spent on the botched student programme, said they made the decision after two county leaders assured them that the Head of State had agreed to intervene in their plight.

In an interview with the media in Eldoret, Kirui, who was accompanied by parents and students, stated that the governor and senator assured them of the President’s commitment to address their concerns as soon as possible.

“Indeed, we held a night long crisis meeting with the Governor on Sunday and also the Senator called us for another meeting on Saturday where they impressed upon us to call off the planned demonstration on the day the President is set to open the devolution conference saying they were ready and willing to refund the money,” said Kirui.

He said that it was out of the respect they have for the Head of State that they talked to the parents and students to halt the planned protest which they agreed to anonymously yesterday.

Shadrack Juma, another affected parent, warned that they will resume the protests starting next Monday if their demands will not have been met by the regional government.

“We have decided to call of the planned demonstration at the Eldoret Sport Club where the Head of State is scheduled to grace the event now that we have been assured of the refund of millions we spend on the botched Finland and Canada airlift programme,” said Juma,

The cancellation of the protest is a big relief to the organizers of the five-day event.

Enraged parents had vowed to paralyze the event to protest against the alleged embezzlement of more than Sh800 million by a section of the Uasin Gishu county administration.

A team of sleuths from the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission and Directorate of Criminal Investigations from Nairobi have commenced a probe in the matter.

Marsabit: 93 Goats Die After Drinking Contaminated Water

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John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

Two herders from Dukana Ward in North Horr constituency, Marsabit County are left devastated after 93 goats, all of which perished after consuming contaminated water on Tuesday.

The unfortunate event echoes a similar tragedy in January 2019 when 37 camels lost their lives due to contaminated water at a local water point in Maikona.

Shockingly, 23 years ago, over 6,500 animals fell victim to nitrate poisoning in Kargi and Laisamis, according to county records.

Hussein Ali, the county executive committee member for Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, confirmed the incident and announced that the shallow well responsible had been immediately closed down pending a thorough investigation.

He stated, “We received the sad report and immediately dispatched our field officers with a directive to urgently close the water point. Samples have been sent to Nairobi for analysis.”

In response, the livestock department swiftly deployed officers to collect water and blood samples, recommending immediate laboratory testing.

“We are committed to uncovering the cause of this tragedy and preventing further loss,” Mr. Ali added.

Dr. Halkano Arero, Chief Officer for Livestock and Veterinary Services, expressed concern about the heightened risk of animals consuming contaminated water in areas like El-hadi, Sabare, Bales-Saru, and Dukana.

He referred to past incidents and indicated, “While we await the test results, the historical evidence points to a potential high nitrite content in the water bodies.”

In light of this grim scenario, Dr. Arero advised residents against allowing their animals to drink from unused water points that have been idle for extended periods.

He elaborated, “This precaution can help deter further animal deaths.”

The two affected herders, Bante Duba and Molu Duba, have issued a heartfelt plea to local non-governmental organizations, the county, and the national government to provide assistance during this difficult time.

Bante Duba emotionally stated, “We depend on these animals for survival and we are still in shock as we stare at the carcasses before us. We cry to the two governments and NGOs to help us overcome this loss.”

Contaminated water often carries elevated nitrate levels due to groundwater pollution caused by factors such as animal waste run-off, fertilizers, and human sewage.

When livestock consume such water, it impedes the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity, effectively suffocating the animals from within.

The gravity of the issue led to the formation of an inter-ministerial task force in 2009, which investigated sporadic livestock deaths in Marsabit.

The task force advised residents in desert areas against consuming surface water due to safety concerns.

In 2020, residents sought action from the government through Kituo Cha Sheria, petitioning the High Court to address the urgency of the matter.

Social Media App TweetDeck Placed Behind Paywall

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John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

Social media app TweetDeck began going behind a paywall on Tuesday, with users of platform X, formerly known as Twitter, being diverted to a paid-subscription sign-up page when they tried to access it.

X announced in July that TweetDeck, a popular program that allows users to monitor multiple accounts and lists of users at once, would be available only to “verified” account holders from August.

On Tuesday, users attempting to access the service, now rebranded as X Pro, were required to pay for X’s blue checkmark verification for an annual fee of $84.

The social media firm, bought by billionaire Elon Musk last year, has been thrashing around for ways to make a profit, cutting staff and ramping up its paid-for subscriptions.

Last week, CEO Linda Yaccarino said that the company was “close” to breaking even and would beef up staffing that had been slashed by Musk.

X’s verified users are mostly those who have paid to receive the blue checkmark, though Musk has gifted the verification symbol to some.

TweetDeck, launched more than a decade ago, shows messages in columns and its search and posting functions operate differently to the website or the app.

Twitter bought London-based TweetDeck in 2011, with technology media putting the price tag at $40 million at the time.

NSSF To Fast-Track Payment Of Pending Claims

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has extended an invitation to anyone who has any pending claims to come forward to enable them to process their claims promptly.

NSSF CEO David Koross said that benefits should be paid within 24 hours, and they are going to do all that is needed, including going digital and using a mobile app that will see benefits paid within a day of launching the claim.

Koross, speaking on Tuesday during a meeting with the Kenya Editors Guild (KEG), said that they have identified some of the priorities and rules that will enable them to run the NSSF company fairly by ensuring that they process claims in a timely manner.

Koross added that they are focusing on benefit payment and have cleared all the pending bill cases, which demonstrates their commitment to enabling the contributors to access their funds on time.

“As NSSF, we plan to recruit new members in our short-term strategy; we are working on the modalities, and once we have them finalised, we will roll them out,” said Koross.

He added that they are aiming at developing a customer-centric performance-based culture to ensure that they have a focus, thus moving their employees’ satisfaction to a level of 95 per cent.

“We want to take our services to the grassroots, to the people who are not registered as members of NSSF. This will be facilitated by digitization, which will ensure that all our records exist on digital platforms,” said the CEO.

He explained that his vision is to grow and double the fund from the current Sh300 billion to a target of Sh600 billion in three years.

He added that they intend to collaborate with the media to ensure that the public has information on the benefits of early enrollment in the NSSF.

“We have come up with a pay bill number (*303#) that will help in transactions and other NSSF services,” said Koross.

“We have identified a number of priorities areas where we have embarked on a transformation agenda and implementation of the new NSSF Act that has enhanced contribution from members as this has also split the contribution into Tier 1 and Tier 2, where Tier 1 goes to NSSF and Tier 2 can be opted out to a scheme of one’s choice,” voiced Koross.

NSSF Financial Manager Marietta Mutinda gave a presentation of the Annual performance for 2022–2023, where she outlined some compounds such as fund volume growth, contribution trends, benefits paid distribution, and payment and Investment income.

She revealed that the sudden increase from the 2022–2023 financial year was due to the new rates that took effect in March, leading to a contribution increase.

Mutinda further said that the 40 per cent biometric delayed claims were due to the backlog in fingerprint issues, but then the issues were cleared.

Bamburi Cement, Isuzu Partner To Support Female Truck Drivers

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John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

Isuzu East Africa’s Drivers Academy today held its fifth graduation that saw over thirty-seven (37) truck drivers get certified including seven (7) women from the Bamburi Cement Program – Women on Wheels (WoW).

The program is a collaboration between Isuzu EA and Bamburi Cement.

The move is geared to enhance driving skills, increase employability, and strengthen road safety on Kenyan roads.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Isuzu EA’s Managing Director – Rita Kavashe applauded the graduates adding that the training at the Academy were also expected to translate to enhanced customer experiences hence increased retention of Isuzu customers,

“Today marks a positive step forward for the Isuzu EA fraternity as we remain confident that the newly certified drivers – will indeed build on our commitment to provide reliable, efficient transport services to Kenyans,” Kavashe said.

She added that the training demonstrates Isuzu EA’s investment in capacity building for the drivers in the transport sector besides progressively fulfilling the promise of being the region’s Trusted Logistics Partner.

On his part, Bamburi Cement’s Group CEO Mohit Kapoor noted the significance of increasing the number of women truck drivers across Kenya courtesy of the Women on Wheels (WoW) program, “The private sector needs to attract more female drivers into the profession by treating them as capable and valued professional drivers. We are committed to working with our partners to scale this initiative and close the gender gap in the driver profession as part of our sustainability programs under Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), and Health, Safety and Environment Agenda.”

The Isuzu Drivers Academy continues to ensure that Isuzu customers not only acquire the right vehicles to meet their transport needs but also qualified and trained drivers.

Established in 2019, the Academy is also keen to ensure that drivers undergo rigorous training on the right motoring values, thus contributing significantly to the national goals of strengthening Road Safety.

Man Shoots Girlfriend After Going Partying Without Him

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

A South Jordan man was charged Tuesday with shooting his teen girlfriend in the leg because he was upset she was going to a party without him.

Fahd Mahdi, 18, is charged in 3rd District Court with discharge of a firearm causing serious injury, a first-degree felony.

The investigation began Aug. 6 about 2:30 a.m. when Salt Lake police were called to local hospital where a 17-year-old girl was being treated for a gunshot wound to her leg.

The girl’s friends had driven her to the hospital.

The girl told police she was going to attend a party without her boyfriend, Mahdi, which upset him, according to charging documents.

Mahdi allegedly told the teen that “if she went without him there would be trouble.”

The girl went to the party near 1400 S. Main without Mahdi, but he showed up a short time later.

He demanded that she come and find him, police say. When the girl located Mahdi, “he threatened to hurt her and told her that he was not afraid to punch her in front of everyone,” according to the charges.

Later in the evening, the girl was sitting in the back seat of a friend’s car when Mahdi knelt next to her.

“(She) stated that Mahdi displayed a pistol, and she asked him if he had taken pictures with the gun. (She) reported that her ears started to ring, and she realized that she had been shot in the leg by Mahdi,” the charges allege.

The girl underwent surgery for a broken femur, police say. Mahdi was arrested at his home in South Jordan.

During a follow-up interview with detectives, “the victim reported a history of abuse between her and the defendant. The victim described their relationship as violent and abusive. She stated that (he) is very possessive of her and treats her like she is his property. The victim further stated that (Mahdi) is physically, mentally, and emotionally abusive toward her,” according to the charges.

Prosecutors have requested that Mahdi be held in the Salt Lake County Jail without the possibility of posting bail pending trial.

Devolution Conference 2023 Begins In Eldoret

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

The 2023 Devolution Conference in Eldoret Town kicked off with a curtain-raiser event in which governors in attendance joined veteran athletes in a 5-kilometre race at the Kipchoge Stadium.

Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii and his Trans Nzoia Governor, George Natembea, managed to finish the race, which served as the curtain-raiser of the event that brings together all the devolved units to reflect and deliberate on the steps gained over the last decade since the inception of the decentralised two-tier governance system.

The Sports Cabinet Secretary, Ababu Namwamba, who launched the track races at the stadium currently under construction, affirmed the government’s commitment to upgrade the facility to international standards in order to support and promote youth talents through sports.

“We are going to improve this stadium to better standards as compared to the current condition so as to enable our athletes to get a conducive training environment as they prepare to take part in the international events,” said the Sports CS.

In her remarks, Uasin Gishu County Executive for Youth, Sports, ICT, and Innovation, Eng. Lucy Ng’endo, lauded the government for its support in the construction of the stadium, which will play a significant role in nurturing the sports talents in the county, which has produced renowned world athletic champions, earning Eldoret Town the name City of Champions’.

Other delegates present included the Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Lotem, and veteran athletes from the county and other parts of the country, among others.

The eve of the international event, which will be attended by about 10,000 delegates, both local and international, will take place on Wednesday, August 16^th, this week, when the president is expected to launch it officially.

Thika: 2 Dead, 7 Sick After Eating Ugali Picked From Dumpsite

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

Two individuals have died, and an additional seven are admitted to Thika Level V Hospital after eating Ugali they picked from the Kang’oki dump site in Kiganjo, Thika.

Among those receiving medical care, one individual’s condition is reported to be critical.

Heading the Thika Level V Hospital, Dr. Waruti Kibuti informed the press that a total of eight people were admitted due to respiratory issues. Medical professionals are diligently working to stabilize their conditions.

“From the Kang’oki dump site, we received eight patients, with one of them being in a critical condition,” Dr. Waruti conveyed to the media. “Three are in a serious condition, whereas four are in stable condition.”

“Most of these patients arrived at the hospital in an unconscious state and faced respiratory problems,” she added.

Simon Kioko, who was among those who consumed a serving of Ugali prepared on Monday, revealed that the maize flour used in their meal was collected from Kiambu’s largest dump site located in Kang’oki, Thika.

Kioko shared with journalists that they collected the maize flour last Saturday from the dump site and stored it until Tuesday when they cooked Ugali and shared it amongst themselves.

“A portion of the flour we used came from Kang’oki, and it wasn’t even a large amount,” lamented a mother who tragically lost her son to the incident in an interview with Inooro TV. “I found my child lying in a critical condition. I gave him water, and he started vomiting, so I rushed him to the hospital.”

“He stayed in the hospital for a short while, and around five o’clock, he left me,” she added.

Investigations into this unfortunate event are currently underway.

Government Has Prioritised Digital Super Highway, Says President Ruto

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

The Government has prioritised the Digital Super Highway as a key driver for the country’s transformation, creation of jobs and growth.

President William Ruto said the Government is inviting partners and investors to further expand high-speed internet access nationwide.

This will ensure remote parts of the country reaps the economic benefits of the digital space in a cost effective way.

“In addition to fibre connectivity, new emerging connectivity solutions such as satellite will be considered,” said President Ruto.

The President spoke when he held discussions with @Karibu_Connect, a Global partner of @elonmusk’s @SpaceX at the Eldoret State Lodge, Uasin Gishu County on Tuesday.

Present were Jimmy Grewal CEO Elcome International and Kavit Handa Chairman Africa Capital.

The Government has opened the ICT space for more investment by removing the 30 percent local share holding restriction, which will see more technology companies invest in Kenya.

DPP Orders Arrest Of Senator Mandago, Three Others

By

John Mutiso

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August 16, 2023

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has ordered the arrest of Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago and three others over Finland and Canada Overseas Education Programme.

The three are being accused of embezzling over Ksh 800 million that was collected in the Programme.

Also wanted by the ODPP are Joseph Kipkemoi Maritim, Meshak Rono and Joshua Kipkemoi Lelei.

“There is a warrant of arrest in court. Either he presents himself at the DCI or we arrest him. There is nothing else we can say on the matter,” DCI boss Amin Mohamed stated.

This comes after the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) grilled Senator Mandago over his role in the saga that left parents and children crying for justice.

Mandago has however said he is ready to be arrested, adding that he has heard reports that the DCI officers have been on his trail.

The UDA Senator also mentioned that he met with affected parents and agreed on a way forward.

“There are rumours all over Eldoret Town that DCI Officers have been looking for me the whole night. As a law-abiding citizen, I am available once summoned. I have met with the leadership of parents and agreed on the way forward as per their press statement issued last evening,” Mandago said in a tweet on Wednesday.

Parents in Uasin Gishu had contributed at least a million shillings each to the education initiative, allowing their children to study abroad.

However, it was discovered that the money provided to the programme had been embezzled, and those who wished to travel overseas were unable to do so, causing an outrage among parents.

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