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Tuesday, October 14, 2025
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Kengeles fades despite hosting political heavyweights

THE Kengeles chain of restaurants were a popular meeting place in the late 1990’s upto 2013.

It was in this franchise that top politicians and business leaders met during the last part of President Moi’s era and the entire President Kibaki leadership. So popular was the franchise, that it opened branches at Nyayo Stadium, Lavington, Koinange and Kisumu.

And although it not an exclusive members club, the chain had its own unwritten rules that had to be followed to the letter.

Kengele is Kiswahili for bell. Therefore, whenever a “member” walked in, the bill had to be rung to announce the arrival of the guest.

So who patronized which Kengeles?

There were preserved seats for members, mainly at the expansive bar counter where members imbibed as they watched the Premier league

Kengeles Nyayo Stadium

This is where opposition politicians met well into the wee hours of the morning to plot how to end the KANU grip on power and the Presidency.

The former Kengeles is now known as Nexigen entertainment.

The likes of the late Wamalwa Kijana, Raila Odinga, Mukhisa Kituyi, Musikari Kombo, Charles Nyamai and the bull fighter, Boni Khalwale.

It is said that the famous NARC deal between Mwai Kibaki, late Kijana Wamalwa and Charity Kaluki Ngilu was mooted at one of the tables at Kengeles. While the party leaders occupied strategic tables in the restaurant, the Mps  Kituyi, Wafula Wamunyinyi, Kombo, David Were, Nyamai, Moses Wetangula, among others sat at the counter.

Todate, Khalwale has a reserved table at the facility, but he rarely uses it.

Matungulu Mps and a host of other first term Kamba Mps still pass by at odd days of the week, a waiter well versed with operations of the place says.

The Counter seats are still exclusively used by former members ‘or middle class people with swag’, a waiter intimated.

Kengeles Koinange

This was patronized by young, first term Mps.

It was popularized by former Taveta Mp Jackson Mwalulu, a Journalist and political activist.

Later it became the breeding ground for youthful leaders and power brokers from Ukambani and Western Kenya.

It  is said the seed for the political marriage between Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga were planted here during the Presidency.

As Kalonzo and Raila sorted themselves out during the “Nusu mkate” government, professionals from Ukambani and Western were busy bonding with a view to forming the alliance.

This franchise has since been purchased by the Nairobi Safari Club.

Kengeles Lavington

This was for the buccaneers and financiers of the political heavy weights.

Here the likes of Trans-century big boys met routinely with important contacts they would rather not invite to Muthaiga Country Club of the Golf Club itself.

It was also patronized by serious technocrats out for an exotic drink. To-date, it has retained the Kengeles brand. But the bells never toll these days.

Tax payers loose billions as books scandal exposed

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The free secondary school text book project could be the next mega scandal in Kenya.

The Daily Nation edition of February 2014, elucidates how over supply
of text books by more than 100 per cent in a well orchestrated cartel
by thieving merchants has left schools with no where to store the
excess text books.

Worse still, some of the books are completely irrelevant since some of
the subjects are not even taught in the schools they have been
supplied to.

This new books supply method was supposed to replace the even
corruptly abused system through which schools purchased books from
suppliers based on the recommendations of the Kenya Institute of
Curriculum Development (KICD).

When the idea was mooted, the Government hoped to save more than
Sh.15billion in book procurement and management.

But it now appears that the savings were only but hot air, perpetrated
by well oiled sector players, driven by the ever growing appetite to
steal from the public.

And its not just the Kenyan taxpayers money alone. The donors have
pumped in close to 13.8billion for the Tusome Project that seeks to
improve learning outcomes and the Global Partnership for
Education(GPE).

The Daily Nation expose further says the matter is under investigation
by the EACC to establish culpability.

Demolitions continue along Langata Road

A semi permanent building complex constructed on a road and railway reserve has been flattened by the Government. The famous Sany descended on the premises, located opposite Kenol Petrol station and flattened it early this morning.

Car Bazaar and other structures demolished along Lang’ata Road – Photo Credits – Abednego Mbua

This is part of the Nairobi regeneration operations being undertaken by the Government to reclaim encroached. The premises, which contains a
a car wash and carpet-cleaning area allegedly owned by
Senator Paul Wamatangi, is a few metres from Aerodrome Road and the railway line.

Previously, Wamatangi used to park more than 50 branded Jubillee Nissans at the premises. The building, which houses many businesses was put up in 2018. It also houses a car wash and various other businesses.

Police indictment over Baby Pendo: Did Magistrate yield to political pressure?


By Henry Kimoli

Did a Kisumu Senior Resident Magistrate play to the gallery in the indictment of Police Commanders in Kisumu over the senseless and brutal murder of Baby Samantha Pendo?

In her ruling delivered yesterday, Resident Magistrate Beryl Odhiambo directed the prosecution of five police commanders based in Kisumu, for overseeing police brutality that killed baby Pendo.

However, the indictment of Thomas Yoma, Christopher Mutune, Benard Kipkosgey, Nina Kosgey, and John Thiringi raises grave concerns over where the buck stops in botched operations.

When the murder was first reported, it triggered a full blown war of words between Jubillee and NASA leaders, with wild suggestions that the police brutality that occasioned the death was pre-mediated.

Violence against anyone is unacceptable. Violence against a defenseless infant is punishable by death through the hangman’s noose. But only after the facts have been laid bare in a competent court, interrogated, examined, corroborated and the author of the crime isolated.

On Baby Pendo’s case, commanders deployed Police officers to deal with riots. The chaos was not started by the commanders. It was threatening to spill out of control. Were they expected to be passive and not act to prevent destruction of life and property?

After the death, pressure mounted on police to take responsibility over the infant’s demise. But nobody asked the politicians to take responsibility for calming the crowds.

Of course Pendo’s death must awaken our national fabric on the sanctity of life and protection of infants. But we must ask ourselves about who bares the highest responsibility to the circumstances under which Samantha died.

In one stroke of a pen, the magistrate has opened floodgates for prosecution of senior officers over the actions of their juniors.

In a nutshell, the traumatic death of Samantha Pendo, a helpless infant over election disputes she knew nothing about will now condemn police bosses to the dock…over crimes they never actually committed.

The jury is still out there as to what happened. And we will wait for the DPP to establish culpability.

Make no mistake here. The judgment as read by the learned magistrate must and should be respected. But it must be put in perspective that all other operations that have yielded brutality in the past must be investigated afresh. And the Police commanders at those jurisdictions probed for culpability.

Add this to the hangman noose tightly placed on the neck of the former Ruaraka OCS Nahashon Muchiri Mutua, for murder, and you will understand why police bosses in Kenya are did not enjoy their Valentine Day.

For starters…the primary duty of police commanders is to deploy trained and appropriate officers to various duties as per the police standing orders and other related law. Based on competence of individual officers, their professional balance and temperament. Snipers are deployed in volatile areas, while sharp shooters belong to the flying squad and other elite formations.

Do they taken responsibility wherever stray fire neutralizes the wrong person?

The common practice in police modus operedi is that intelligence is availed on the nature of assignment, expected scenarios that may play out, and the officer encouraged using his initiative to execute.

With one command: use reasonable force, without compromising your personal security.

In the Baby Pendo case, officers were deployed to deal with violence occasioned by a tense election result. There is reason to believe that the procedure enumerated above was used.

In the Kisumu scenario, the officers on the ground had to deal with an hostile, blood thirsty mob, thereby threatening the life of the law enforcers and exposing the infant to mortal danger.

In the past, Police have killed civilians and officers killed or maimed by trained militia. This is information well within the knowledge domain of the three arms of Government namely: the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

Kisumu has been a hot bed of political tensions since 2007, when the PEV chaos led the near destruction of the town.

This means that the entire Government machinery is ceased of the nature and trajectory of the Baby Pendo case, giving it a bird’s high view to adjudicate.

Courts of law are moved by evidence. But an inquest is not a court of law and lacks jurisdiction to decide the guilt or innocence of the parties.

As a nation we must however take cognizance of the fact that a crime cannot be authored commanders. It is an individual, with a force number, identity and a pay slip.

If Police commanders are to bear blame for the actions of omission and commission from their officers, then the threshold of this responsibility must be determined.

For example, will the commanders of the police squad that raided Jimmi Wanjigi’s home bear responsibility for the destruction of Wanjigi’s property now that the handshake has negated his crime?

Two: will the police officers who manhandled, harassed and tore into Miguna Miguna’s jacket at JKIA face prosecution?

The ruling is a major wake up call for police who arbitrary sent out their juniors to tricky assignments and fail to supervise them.

Two things are however clear. That whoever clobbered Angel Pendo bears the biggest responsibility over the crime. He or she must face the law.

The police bosses can only be charged with negligence to duty. Unless of course evidence is adduced that the commanders gave a shoot or clobber to kill order.

Which then brings us to the million-dollar question: On whose behalf were those orders issued and why? On the protests that triggered the police operation, who created the enabling climate for the protests bacteria to blossom?  Who was supposed to benefit from the sustained tensions over election?

Give the Police a break. Their work is to keep law and order. Detect and prevent crime. And arrest you when you finance your side kick to maim your wife because her face is wrinkled and you want to move on.

Muya signs MoU to facelift Uhuru Market

The Government has signed a Textile Action Research MoU Signing between GoK and the that will uplift traders at Uhuru Market along Jogoo Road.
The move will add value to hundreds of textile manufacturers, some of them disabled.

The event will be officiated by CS Hon. Peter Munya, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Cooperatives, in partnership with the SME Advisory in the Executive Office of the President. This is an Action Research Project that aims to help MSME Textile producers reduce inefficiencies, increase value addition, increase value chain integration and grow the product markets.

This will entail:

  • The establishment of a centre of excellence pilot at Uhuru Market
  • The development of a scalable model addressing competency development, technological upgrades, product quality and markets
  • Proposing a textile markets action plan for possible implementation in key markets in Nairobi and around the country.

The development of a scalable model addressing competency development, technological upgrades, product quality and markets
Proposing a textile markets action plan for possible implementation in key markets in Nairobi and around the country.

HEVA is an East African fund that invests in the transformative social and economic potential of the creative economy sector in the East African region and is headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya. 

The pilot project under the textile value chain is under the Manufacturing Pillar and promotes the Big 4 Agenda.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is keen to ensure that women and youth are empowered as part of his lasting legacy.

Women politicians in Africa face huge odds but can make a real difference

File 20190211 174894 bu2wsw.jpg?ixlib=rb 1.1
Moves are afoot to ensure 25% of Egyptian MPs are women. EPA-EFE/Khaled Elfiqi
Susan Dodsworth, University of Birmingham

Women are gaining ground in politics around the world. Last year, the so-called “pink wave” saw a record number of women elected to Congress in the US’s mid-term elections. There are signs of progress in Africa, too.

Last October, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was praised for his “transformative leadership” after appointing a new set of ministers – half of whom were women. Earlier in February, Egyptian lawmakers proposed amending the constitution to guarantee women 25% of the seats in the national parliament. If it’s approved, this change would significantly increase the political representation of Egyptian women. At present they make up just 15% of the legislature.

There’s a huge amount of variation in women’s political representation across Africa, a fact shown by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and UN Women’s map of Women in Politics. In some countries, including Rwanda, Uganda and Tanzania, they make up a substantial portion of the legislature. However, women remain poorly represented in many others.

Doubtful intentions

Some question whether the increased political representation of women is necessarily a good thing, particularly in the context of Africa. They argue that it’s not entirely coincidental that many of the countries making the greatest progress in including women in politics are making far less progress in terms of democracy.

As others have argued, high profile efforts to promote women’s rights can help authoritarian leaders to present themselves as modernisers. This, they hope, will attract the interest of both investors and lenders.

Including more women in positions of power can also be useful domestically. It allows leaders with authoritarian leanings, or dubious democratic credentials, to expand their support base and bolster political stability. The recent reforms in both Ethiopia and Egypt could well be the product of such strategies, rather than a genuine commitment to promoting gender equality.

Does this mean that there’s nothing to be gained by including more women in politics? There may be no guarantee it promotes democracy. But there are reasons to believe it might pay off in terms of development.

Impact on development

It’s often said that opening up positions of political power to women will lead to development policies that are more effective and better implemented. Now, we’re starting to see evidence that this is in fact the case.

For example, several recent studies show that improving the representation of women in parliament has a positive impact on the health sector. Political scientists Amanda Clayton and Pär Zetterberg have shown that “quota shocks” – large increases in women’s parliamentary representation after the introduction of a gender quota – tend to be followed by rises in government spending on public health.

Other researchers have shown that increases in the number of women in parliament are associated with a variety of positive health outcomes. These include improvements in women’s life expectancy and reductions in both maternal and infant mortality.

These positive impacts are notable, and make sense. There’s plenty of debate about exactly what constitutes a “women’s issue”, but there’s good reason to put health in that category. Surveys from sub-Saharan Africa show that both women citizens, and women parliamentarians, are more likely to identify health as a priority issue than their male counterparts.

Moreover, this “gender gap” in priorities is greater between male and female legislators than between male and female citizens. In short, if expanding the political representation of women is to have an effect anywhere, it ought to be in the health sector (and, of course, in women’s rights).

Lingering questions

There is, however, some bad news. It’s still not clear exactly how these positive impacts on development come about. In the case of research showing the link between “quota shocks” and health spending, for instance, there is a correlation – but claims about causal effects remain questionable.

New research is desperately needed that untangles exactly how women in politics make a difference. This is important to help justify the continuing campaign to increase women’s political representation around the world. It will also allow international donors to help women in politics make a positive difference. It’s hard to help someone achieve their goals if you don’t understand the tactics they have at their disposal.

With this in mind, an ongoing collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the Westminster Foundation for Democracy – supported by the Institute for Global Innovation – has started to ask some important questions about women in African parliaments. These include whether women in parliament have an impact even where they lack “critical mass” and, if so, what strategies and tactics they employ to overcome their lack of numbers.

Our ongoing research suggests that parliamentary institutions – including parliamentary committees and women’s caucuses – play an important role in helping female politicians in Africa to shape development outcomes. At the moment, we’re looking into how women in Malawi used these institutions to push for some important changes to the HIV and AIDS Act.

Generating the knowledge needed will require a lot more research, including research by experts within Africa. Some of this knowledge already exists within the region. Putting African experts at the forefront of new research will help the international community to develop programmes that go beyond “just adding women” to politics. It will also help female politicians in Africa to make a difference against the odds.The Conversation

Susan Dodsworth, Research Fellow at the International Development Department, University of Birmingham

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Uhuru: Unlawful withdrawal of Labour will not be tolerated

President Uhuru Kenyatta today delivered a statement concerning the ongoing health workers strike. This is what he had to say.
Fellow Kenyans,
This morning, I held a meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Health and the Council of Governors to discuss the important issue of the provision of health services in our country. As the National and County Governments, we have a cardinal responsibility to provide adequate and accessible health care to all Kenyans.

In the 2017/2018 Financial year alone, as an example, County Governments spent approximately 87.3% of their entire budgets on Recurrent expenditure, leaving only a meagre 12.7% for Development. This is not in accordance with the objects of devolution under Article 174 of our Constitution. Indeed, the spirit of Devolution was to bring services closer to wananchi and the situation is clearly not desirable.

Human resources, including our nurses make up an important component in the provision of health services in our country. Our Government appreciates the hard work and dedication of thousands of the nursing personnel working in public hospitals in all corners of our Republic. To this end, over the last few years, we have sought to continually improve the working conditions and remuneration of all cadres of personnel in the health sector who are critical players in the implementation of our Big Four Agenda of providing Affordable Healthcare to all Kenyans, affordable housing, affordable food and jobs for our young men and women by the year 2022.

It is therefore greatly disheartening to learn that that some of our nurses have decided to engage in against the determination of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, which suspended any industrial action for sixty days pending conciliation meetings between the County Governments, Ministry of Health and the Nurses’ Union. Moreover, it is disheartening to hear officials of the Nurses Union declare that they will not obey these Court Orders.

One of the most important principles on which our Republic is established is the Rule of Law. No one is above the law. Obeying Court orders is not optional; it is a requirement for all of us, no matter their place in society.

Our Constitution and various labour laws, while granting the right to picket and participate in strikes, also provide for the process of determining public service remuneration by the Salaries Remuneration Commission whose advice has equally been disregarded.

Consequently, we have jointly agreed to take the following urgent actions:

a) All nurses should resume duty with immediate effect and in any case not later than Friday the 15th of February 2019 at 8:00 a.m.

b) As the Commander-in-Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, I have instructed the National Police Service to take stern action against those picketers who may intimidate or otherwise harass the public servants who intend to go to work.

c) Accordingly, any nurse who fails to report to work as directed above will be dismissed by the County Governments and the Ministry of Health.

d) The respective County Governments will therefore be at liberty to undertake any action, as they deem appropriate, against personnel who fail to resume duty as directed by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

In conclusion, fellow Kenyans, we have a clear development agenda. And as an investment destination and a Government that seeks to provide services to her people, we cannot allow unlawful industrial actions to derail us from our focus of taking Kenya forward.

I thank you.

7 Elite KDF chiefs you should know about

These are the men who have ensured that Kenya’s sovereignty is protected. Since independence, they have held together platoons upon platoons of highly trained men and women. A glimpse of these heroes and heroines is discerned at parades during national days. So who are the men who have moulded Kenya’s Military into a mean war machine feared, respected and adorned at home and away?

General Jackson Mulinge 1971- 1986

General Jackson Mulinge was Kenya’s longest serving military chief. Mulinge was born in 1924, in Kathiani District, Machakos County.

He was educated at the African Inland Mission School in Machakos before joining the Kings African Rifles Education Services for higher education.

He enlisted in 1942 to the then Kings African Rifles and served in the World War II in Malaysia.

Mulinge rose through the ranks to Warrant Officer Class One in 1956 and was the first African officer in Kenya to be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1961.

He was appointed Platoon Commander in the 3rd Battalion Kings African Rifles (3KAR) and was later promoted to become rank of Major General in 1971.

He held several honours, including Elder of the Golden Heart (EGH), Moran of the Golden Heart (MGH), Moran of the Burning Spear (MBS) and Distinguished Conduct Order (DCO).

General Mohamud Mohamed (1986 to 1996)

He was the Kenya Airforce Commander in 1982 when he was actively involved in crushing the coup attempt against the government of President Daniel Arap Moi.
Gen. Mulinge is remembered for crashing a rebellion by a few air force soldiers in 1982.

He took over as Chief of General Staff from General Mulinge in 1986 and served in that capacity for ten years until 1996.
He was the general who neutralized the mutineers in 1982.

General Daudi Tonje (1996 to 2000)

Popularly known as the CGS who reformed the military, General Daudi Tonje was appointed the Chief of General Staff in November 1996 and served until 2000.
He lives a quiet life in Baringo County. As CGS, he introduced measures to professionalize the force including allowing women soldiers to marry and ensuring that promotions in the force are pegged on academic performance.

Major General Joseph Kibwana (2000 to 2005

General Joseph Kibwana joined the Kenya Navy in 1964 and was commissioned as a Lieutenant on January 1, 1967.
He served in various senior ranks in the Kenya Navy and was also Chief of Military Intelligence from 1982 to 1985.
In May 1998, he became Lieutenant General and took over as the Commandant of Kenya’s National Defence College.
He became Chief of General Staff on December 1, 2000 and served until 2005.

General Jeremiah Kianga (2005 to 2011)

General Jeremiah Mutinda Kianga joined the Armed Forces in 1971 as a Cadet Officer and was commissioned in 1973.
He served the force for more than 40 years in various capacities including diplomatic, staff, command and training establishments, rising through the ranks to the top.
He served as Defence Attache, General Officer Commanding (Eastern Command), Deputy Commander and also Commander of the Kenya Army.
He was appointed the Chief of General Staff on September 1, 2005.

Gen Julius Waweru Karangi (2011-to 2015)

This is the General who commandeered the Operation Linda Nchi in Somalia.
The operation, so far highly successful has managed to keep terrorists away from our borders. Karachi joined Kenya Air Force in 1973 and after Cadet training in UK, he was commissioned as an officer in 1974.
After qualifying as a Flight Navigator in October 1975 in the Royal Air Force in England, he was posted to Flying Wing Kenya Air Force where he worked as a Navigator.

In 1995 he became Commander of Kenya Air Force Base, Moi Air Base and then in 1997, he was appointed Commander of the Kenya Air Force Logistics Command.
In 2000to 2003 he was promoted to the position of Commandant Defence Staff College, Karen rank of Major General, after which he was appointed before he was made Commander of the Kenya Air-force between 2003-2005
In August 2005, Karangi was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and Vice Chief of Defence Forces, Defence Headquarters.
And then On 13 July 2011 he was promoted to the rank of General and appointed the position of Chief of Defence Forces.

General Mwathethe (2015 to date)

General Mwathethe was born in Malindi and educated at Shimo La Tewa and Sacred Heart High Schools Mombasa.
Mwathethe joined the Kenya Navy in April 1978 and was commissioned in 1980 as a Seaman Officer after attending Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, UK.
Hi professional and military training includes International Sub-Lieutenants Course (UK), International Principal Warfare (IPWO) Course (UK), Missiles Course (ITALY) and the Royal Naval Staff College, Greenwich, (UK) in 1989
Before he served with the United Nations as a Military Observer in Kuwait/Iraq and Yugoslavia in 1991/92.

He then attended the Defence Resource Management Course in Monterey, USA in 1998, and the National Defence College in Nairobi, Kenya in 2000. He has held various command appointments including Vice Chief of the Defence Forces, Commander Kenya Navy, Deputy Commander Kenya Navy, Kenya Navy logistics Commander, Base Commander Mtongwe and Fleet Commander

Kenya’s Margaret Kenyatta invites fellow African first ladies to Marathon

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta today invited fellow African First Ladies to participate in the forthcoming Beyond Zero Marathon in Nairobi.

The Kenyan First Lady expressed optimism that resources raised through this year’s Beyond Zero Marathon will help scale up the provision of health services to vulnerable women, children and the youth in Kenya.

She thanked the private and public sectors as well as ordinary Kenyans for supporting her work through the Marathons, saying it has helped in the provision of much needed modern medical equipment and services.

“This work is done through direct support from partners in the public and private sectors and also support from ordinary citizens who mobilize resources by running with me in the Beyond Zero Marathons,” she said.

The First Lady was speaking today in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 22nd Ordinary General Assembly of the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA), which she co-chaired in her capacity as Vice President of OAFLA, with First Lady Adjoavi Sika Kabore of Burkina Faso who is the President of the organization.

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta invited her fellow First Ladies to Kenya to participate in the 4th edition of the Marathon slated for March 10.

She observed that Kenya is currently at full-scale implementation of the Point of Care Technology for early infant HIV diagnosis.

“This has accelerated the diagnosis to less than 24 hours, leading to early initiation of treatment and improved follow up for mothers and their children,” she said.

During the meeting, the name of the First Ladies’ organization was officially changed from the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS to a more broad based Organization of African First Ladies for Development (OAFLAD). The event also witnessed the unveiling of OAFLAD’s logo and launching of its Strategic Plan for the 2019-2023 period.

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta affirmed her support to the
First Ladies collective pledge of eliminating Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV as well as other campaigns that OAFLAD has prioritized in previous Strategic Plans such as ending child marriage and female genital mutilation.

“As the national champion of the eMTCT, I have advocated for increased resources to scale up programmes for the attainment of less than 5 per cent mother to child transmission rate in readiness for the World Health Organization validation,” she said.

“We have scaled up our work in advocacy by supporting initiatives that accelerate policies centred on mother and child health,”she added.

Implementation of the 2nd Strategic Framework of the Beyond Zero Initiative that was launched in March 2018 includes the Beyond Zero Medical Safaris which is a new and innovative approach of delivering health services.

During a Medical Safari, service providers are concentrated in one location to provide integrated health services among them HIV testing; cervical, breast and prostate cancer screening; and screening for physical and intellectual challenges for children and young people.

“So, far we have impacted over 10,000 people and will continue to work throughout the country over the next year,” First Lady Margaret Kenyatta told the meeting.

She emphasized her commitment to advocating for the elimination of obstetric fistula, pointing out that the Beyond Zero Medical Safaris have already restored dignity to over 100 women, some of whom have suffered for decades.

Madam Kabore, the OAFLA President said that the change of the organization’s name marked a new beginning that heralded more commitment to serving vulnerable groups.

Ethiopia’s First Lady Zinash Tayachew urged the First Ladies to embrace the spirit of love and care as they carry out their work of improving the welfare of vulnerable people.

Other First Ladies who shared their work in promoting health and the wellbeing of communities included the First Ladies Isaura Nyusi (Mozambique), Auxillia Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Monica Geingos (Namibia), Denise Nkurunziza (Burundi), Neo Masisi (Botswana), Fatoumata Bah Barrow (the Gambia), and Rebecca Akufo-Addo (Ghana).

In a communiqué issued at the end of the meeting, the First Ladies committed to advocating for the wellbeing of the most vulnerable persons on the continent with renewed vigour.

Power to the vulnerable: Auma Obama’s Sauti Kuu Foundation

Sauti Kuu which means powerful voices is a Non-profit organization that helps orphans and other young people struggling with poverty in East Africa.
Its main goal is to create a platform for disadvantaged children and young people worldwide that allows them to uncover their strengths and realize their full potential to live independent successful lives. They deal particularly with children from rural communities and urban slums and help them to discover the strengths of their own voices and the power they have to positively change their lives. They make sure that children and young people realise that they do not have to be victims of their social backgrounds or their environments. This way they can become self-reliant –mentally, socially and financially.


Sauti Kuu Foundation was founded by Dr Rita Auma Obama, Sister of Former US president, Barrack Obama. Dr Auma is a community activist, sociologist, journalist and the author of the book and then life happens.
Sauti Kuu is located in Alego Nyang’oma,Kisumu County, with many of its sponsors and partners from Germany. Sauti kuu foundation opened a sports and resource centre named Sauti Kuu Foundation Sports Resource and Vocational Training Centre in K’ogelo, Siaya County.
Former Us President Barrack Obama presided over the official opening of the global standard sport facility on July 16 2018.
The vocational Centre was aimed to provide educational and economic opportunities to help young people serve their communities.
Sauti Kuu Foundation focuses on personality development, education training and sustainable economic growth.


Through Personality training, educational workshops, sports and creative activities, young people have built their self-confidence, self-esteem as well as help them build motivation and perseverance. It supports young people through tutoring, school sponsorship, vocational training projects and career guidance.
One of the Core missions of Sauti Kuu is to promote sustainable economic development in the rural region of Kenya. Farming families learn to improve their financial situation and to become economically independent.


Auma Obama through her vision ‘young people should learn to take their lives into their own hands’ has transformed many lives as well as giving hem hope for a better future.

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