MORE than 20 women groups from Nambale and Matayos constituencies in Busia County have received a loan to the tune of sh2million from the Women Enterprise Fund. The women groups will invest the amount in small scale businesses to improve their living tandards. The cheques were presented to the women groups yesterday by the head of social services in Busia County David Asava in Busia town. Asava called upon the women group members to exercise transparency and accountability and ensure they invested the same in viable income generating activities that will enable them to repay the loan in good...
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Women’s groups get Sh2m loan
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Land revenue should gop to counties, MCA
SIAYA county assembly members want revenue collected by the Lands Ministry devolved to county governments. Led by Lands Committee chairman James Obiero Otare, the MCAs said counties should receive the funds following the devolution of the docket. “The revenue collected from lands should be used in counties to boost service delivery in counties,” he said. “There is no way the docket can be devolved to the counties without the services it should offer,” Obiero said. He said revenue collected on land transactions and acquisition of title deeds should be given to the counties. Otare said land...
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Mumias locals protest over Oparanya threats
RESIDENTS of Mumias town on Wednesday protested threats by Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya to evict Mumias Sugar Company managers from the firm. Traders closed thier shops to join teh protestors who sang anti-Oparanya songs. The demonstration happened shortly after Oparanya finished adressing a rally at Nabongo market. They were led by ODM national youth leader Rashid Mohammed. He said the problem with Mumias is not management but bad laws governing the sugar industry. Rashid said Oparanya to support the sugar company financially instead of frustrating efforts to revamp it. "The county...
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Farmers want Sh2.2 million pay
More than 3,000 soya beans farmers in Migori county have blamed their union chairman and his son over delayed payment of Sh2.2million of their produce. Stephen Chacha led 35 of the 3,000 farmers in a peaceful demonstration at Mabera in Kuria West constituency on Wednesday. He said Kenya Soya Beans Farmers' Association chairman George Kivanda and his son, Moses Chamwada recruited the farmers, took their beans and are yet to pay them. Chamwada is now the county Agriculture and Livestock executive. “I was approached by the two who were officials of Kesofa and recruited the 35 farmers in my area...
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Workshop for the disabled
Lugari subcounty development committee plans to build a workshop for people living with disabilities. The Sh5 million project will be funded by the World Bank through the Western Kenya community driven development programme and flood mitigation. Speaking during a meeting at Lumakanda, district agricultural programmes coordinator Nahashon Wawire said his office will facilitate effective participation of the physically challenged persons in development programmes. “The programme will solely be managed by the disabled,” Wawire said. The workshop will benefit more than 100 people living with...
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Akaranga promises to keep off county hiring
VIHIGA Governor Moses Akaranga has dismissed allegations of nepotism in the county government appointments. He said he has not breach any law in the appointment of county chief officers and other senior staff in the ongoing recruitment. Akaranga said he allowed professionalism to ensure recruitment of competent and qualified people. “I have given the County Public Service Board a free hand to discharge its mandate in recruiting public servants for the county. I will not influence any of their decision,” said Akaranga. Akaranga added that the era when politicians handpicked individuals for...
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60,000 title deeds for Nandi squatters
Former Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula has told off one of his rivals for "misleading" the public that working with the government will translate to development in the region. Speaking at Misemwa village during a campaign rally yesterday, Wetang'ula said being in the government or in the opposition should not be used as a campaign tool, as devolution gives the national government an obligation to distribute resources equitably. "Do not be cheated that you should vote for a Jubilee-friendly candidate to achieve development. This region has been in opposition for a long time but life went on...
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Migori Speaker puts on notice lax executives
Migori county executives have been warned that they will sacked if they fail to deliver services to the public. Speaking at the chambers yesterday, Speaker Gordon Ogolla said the executives who took office eight months ago, should outline their development agenda. “The assembly will play an active oversight role and we won’t sleep. We’ll summon them to show us the progress,” he said. Reacting to the comment, Iscar Oluoch, the county Health executive, said they are in the planning process and will roll out programmes before the year ends.
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New Migori chambers opened
THE newly refurbished Migori county assembly chambers have officially been opened. The members of the county assembly, who were conducting the House business at Maranatha Hall during the renovation, had their first sitting yesterday in the new chambers that cost Sh16 million. Senator Wilfred Machage opened the assembly that will accommodate 65 MCAs, journalists and members of the public and other officials. The assembly, formerly Migori County Council, has the Speakers’ office, a boardroom and sergeantat- arm offices. Speaker Gordon Ogolla said they will disseminate information to the public...
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Kisii boss wants locals educated on HIV-Aids
KISII Governor James Ongwae has decried the high HIV-Aids prevalence in the county. He said Kisii is one of the six high-risk counties in the virus and attributed the prevalence to poor prevention services. Ongwae said there is a need to educate residents on how to reduce the infection. Speaking yesterday at the Care Kenya offices at Nyabururu where he received 22 computers, Ongwae said the devices will be used to upgrade the health management information system in various facilities. “It is saddening. Something needs be done to reduce the prevalence,” Ongwae said. County Health executive...
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Sugarcane not for peasants, Makali tells Bungoma
Bungoma senator candidate David Makali has asked voters to elect him in the forthcoming by-election to enable him come up with policies that will boost their livelihoods. Addressing the residents during a whirlwind tour of Bumula constituency yesterday, Makali, an independent candidate, blamed the high levels of poverty on dependence on sugar cane farming. He urged members of the public, who had turned out at Kabula, Mateka, Nasianda and Myanga markets, to embrace horticulture as it will earn them more money and improve living standards. “Sugar cane is suitable for large scale farming and not...
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Doctors down their tools
DOCTORS from Busia county hospitals have gone on strike to protest the government’s decision to devolve health services. Led by the medical superintendent in charge of Busia county Referral Hospital, Janerose Ambuchi, they said devolving health services will affect service delivery in the sector. Ambuchi said county governments are still faced with many challenges including lack of funds. “The national government is yet to remit adequate funds to the respective county governments. This can affect service delivery at the health facilities in the counties,” he said. Ambuchi said they will...
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State staff told to join unions
CIVIL servants across the country have been urged to join unions in order to boost their bargaining powers and safeguard their welfare. They have been urged to register their names in the Union of Kenya Civil Servants offices in each sub-district in the country as provided by the constitution. Speaking during an education forum for civil servants at Ukwala town, the executive secretary of the UKCS, Siaya county Godfrey Ooko said: “It is the duty of each and every government employee to be a member of a civil servant union.” Ooko said once in the union, the employees will be able to champion...
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MCA fears for Nyumba Kumi
Investigate claims over sabotage of Nyumba Kumi in Bunyala, says local leaders LEADERS in Bunyala cubcounty of Budalangi constituency have asked the police to investigate claims that certain politicians plan to sabortage the Nyumba Kumi intiative. Bunyala North county representative Fred Bosco Musirimba said police should arrest and prosecute anyone found culpable. He was speaking to the press in Bunyala town yesterday. Bosco said local ODM officials have been secretly meeting village elders to propose names of those who will be in charge of Nyumba Kumi. The leaders who included the former...
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Officer roots for ex-convicts
KENYANS have been asked to accept back prisoners into the society. Kisii GK prisons deputy officer in-charge Isanda Ikobe said those released from prisons are ready to work with their communities. “I am urging communities to accept back inmates who finish their jail terms because they are completely reformed,” he said. Ikobe was speaking during graduation ceremony of prison officers, inmates serving a life and short sentences who undergone a two year diploma in Bible and theory.
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NGOs knock at the counties
NGOs have been challenged to work with county governments to promote harmony. NGO Coordination Board executive Director Hezron McObewa said the cooperation will hasten service delivery to the people. He was speaking yesterday during a meeting between county government and NGOs at a hotel in Kisumu. Recently spate of incidences where Governors have walked into NGO offices demanding to audit them have been witnessed in some Counties. ‘‘The County government too has a right to know who does what and where. We want to bring the two together to work in harmony,’’ said McObewa. He supported the new...
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Schools told to hire on merit
KITUTU Masaba MP Timothy Bosire wants head teachers posted to schools on merit and not on their religion. The MP yesterday said faith-based school sponsors are partly to blame for the declining education standards in Kisii and Nyamira counties. Bosire said the sponsors especially Catholic, Pentecostal Assemblies of God and Seventh Day Adventists do not necessarily consider qualifications when a head teacher is posted to schools they sponsor. “Most of the time, they consider the faith of the person first before being posted which has been detrimental to our education,” he said. Speaking in...
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MP denies plotting to kill sugar official
MUHORONI MP Onyango Koyoo has denied allegations of plotting to kill a senior government official. He said he is only opposed to Hezron McObewa's secondment as the Muhoroni Sugar Company's receiver manager. McObewa is the NGO board executive director. Koyoo was addressing journalists at the Kisumu CID headquarters where he recorded a statement over claims he hired unknown people to kill McObewa. He was summoned on Tuesday over claims he is using a group known as Kisumu Supper Boys to eliminate MacObewa.
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New unit in Kisumu to fight gender violence
A GENDER and children protection unit has been launched at the Kisumu police headquarters. The unit was launched on Tuesday by Civil Society Organisation Network and Voices of Women in Western Kenya. Kisumu County executive member for Gender Jennifer Kere said the protection unit will assist victims of gender based violence. Kere said the newly rehabilitated unit will also create a more secure space for children and women brought in at night. It was rehabilitated through the support from Amkeni, UNDP, European Union and Embassy of Netherlands. “We have increased cases of GBV in the county. We...
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Boda boda crash leaves four dead
A primary school teacher accused of sexually molesting seven school girls in Migori county has been interdicted. The teacher at Rakwaro Primary School in Rongo constituency is accused of defiling the girls between January and November. He had been transferred to the school from another local school over simila allegations. Rongo district education officer Michael Kanditi said a report over the teacher’s conduct has been compiled and forwarded to the county headquarters for action. On Monday, the school’s head teacher and his deputy were summoned to record statements for failure to take...
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