Day: March 11, 2023

Interior and Administration of National Government Cabinet Secretary (CS) Professor Abraham Kindiki has revealed that 57 police officers died in the line of duty last year where scores of others were injured with some incapacitated to the extent of being unable to work to fend for their families.

The CS stated that security officers work under very difficult conditions and called on the two standing committees of parliaments on Security to help in coming up with laws that will help safeguard the future of the families of the security officers who die in the line of duty in order to alleviate their suffering.

Prof. Kindiki also said they were eagerly waiting for a report of the taskforce led by retired Chief Justice David Maraga which was appointed to look into the welfare of the police and prison officers and expressed optimism that if implemented, the anticipated report will help improve working conditions for security workers and their families in the event of death.

Speaking in Naivasha on Friday during an induction workshop for the Senate Standing committee on National Security, Defense and Foreign Relations, the CS also noted they were modernizing the operations in the Interior Ministry to ensure that applicants for important documents such as Identity Cards (IDs) and passports get them promptly.

“It’s inhuman to keep a Kenyan waiting for an identity card or passport. The delays infringe on their rights as Kenyans,” he said.

Kindiki also observed that they had contained insecurity in Nairobi which had degenerated to alarming levels and was spilling to other towns and cities.

He added only a few pockets of insecurity currently remains; in places like Kasarani and Roysambu and security personnel were doing everything possible to overcome the challenge.

“Apart from New York and Geneva, Nairobi is a regional hub and a diplomatic holding city and insecurity was threatening this position of Kenya on the global map,” he noted.

Referring to the recent summoning of the immediate former Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang`i to appear at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for questioning, Kindiki reiterated that all Kenyans should be handled with dignity and regardless of the social status.

“Our policy is to uphold institutional independence but the government should also work within the law, we will protect our officers who exercise their mandate within the law but those who negate the law will be used to serve as an example,” the CS said.

He said the independence of institutions cannot be interfered with by anybody but they must adhere to the law.

Meanwhile, Kindiki has said he will in the next announce major drastic measures to address the runaway insecurity in the six counties in the North Rift that have been declared as disturbed and dangerous.

He said as the security operation to flush out bandits in the six counties of Turkana, West Pokot, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, Laikipia and Samburu which were last month declared as ‘disturbed’ and ‘dangerous’ enters its second phase on Saturday, there will be major rearrangements in the operation in order to crash this banditry menace once and for all.

The CS said the cattle-rustling menace in the North Rift is no longer cultural but had taken on a commercial and political outfit and needed to be nipped in the bud before it gets out of hand.

“The Country will pay dearly in the long run like other countries have if we don’t deal with this problem of banditry in the Northern region now,” Kindiki said adding that enough security personnel and machinery have been deployed to the troubled area.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The County Government of Kakamega will undertake a programme of upgrading houses in slum areas of Kakamega, Mumias town and other municipalities in addition to the affordable housing programme.

The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Lands, Housing, Urban areas and Physical Planning Peninah Mukabane said the county government will utilize Appropriate or Alternative Building Material Technology (ABMT) and Interlocking Stabilized Soil Blocks Technology (ISSBT) in the project.

“Although we have improved infrastructure in terms of roads, electricity and water in the informal settlements through the World Bank, the houses are still pathetic. You will still find mud houses, houses with very old corrugated iron sheets and we don’t want that kind of picture within the Municipality,” she noted.

The program will start with the slums of Maraba, Masingo, Mudiri and Amalemba before extending to other slum areas in other towns and municipalities.

The CECM was speaking during the Kakamega Real Estate Breakfast meeting bringing together players in the Real Estate Themed Leveraging Affordable Housing Opportunities.

Kakamega is a rapidly growing town with an urban population of about 207, 885, which has put pressure on the housing units. The town has a deficit of 5000 housing units.

Equally, Masinde Muliro University, which is located on the outskirts of the town, is grappling with lack of enough accommodation space for its 16 000 students who seek decent and affordable houses.

In this regard, the County government has donated 34 acres owned by Approved school to the University to construct 10 000-unit hostels.

The County government has also identified five acres of land at Mumias Triangle for construction of 5,000 affordable housing units and another land at Mudiri for 1,000 units to benefit Civil servants under Civil Servant Housing Scheme.

With about 25 investors expressing interest in the affordable housing programme, the county government is further spearheading repossession of undeveloped plots in towns to be awarded to developers who have capacity.

“We are in phase two of repossessing undeveloped plots. We will be advertising for about 60 repossessed plots in Mumias to willing developers who have the muscle to develop them within a period of two years,” the CEC said.

According to the Kakamega County Investment and Development Agency(KCIDA) Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Asichi, Kenya has a housing deficit of over 2million homes, which increases by around 200 000 per annum.

“There are 50 000 houses being constructed annually but this fails to have a significant impact on demand,” she noted.

Asichi said there is a huge deficit in decent housing within the Western region and specifically in Kakamega, urging investors to take advantage of the opportunity to put up affordable houses.

She promised that the Agency, with actors like the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) will provide accurate and reliable information on viable business opportunities to investors.

“Through the Public Private Partnerships, KCIDA also provides incentives like land to prospective investors whose development agenda aligns with the county government of Kakamega,” she noted.

KCIDA is a semi-autonomous agency formed by an Act of Kakamega County Assembly to promote, attract, coordinate and facilitate investments in Kakamega county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday agreed a new pact worth over 500 million euros to stop illegal cross-Channel migration, at a summit in Paris aimed at forging a new start after years of Brexit tensions.

The deal will see Britain step up funding to France to allow hundreds more French police to patrol the Channel and also establish a new detention centre as a further deterrent.

Both leaders hailed a fresh beginning in relations between the two neighbours, after intense talks in Paris which were also marked by expressions of unity in their support for Ukraine in fighting the Russian invasion.

It was the first UK-French summit in five years, after Sunak became prime minister in October following the stormy tenures of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss marked by rancorous relations with Paris.

Macron said his talks with Sunak marked a “new start” while Sunak said it was “a new beginning, our entente renewed”.

“We’re writing a new chapter in this relationship,” Sunak added, acknowledging the relationship “has had its challenges in recent years”.

– ‘No silver bullet’ –

The centrepiece of the new atmosphere Friday was the deal to thwart illegal cross-Channel migration, a prime political priority for Sunak as he seeks to rescue the popularity of the ruling right-wing Conservative party.

London will step up funding to France over the next three years to total 541 million euros ($575 million), allowing the deployment of “hundreds” of extra French law enforcement officers along the Channel coast to stop the illegal migration, the British government said in a statement.

For the first time, the UK will help fund a detention centre in France to enhance its ability to cope with the number of people being trafficked across the Channel.

“We don’t need to manage this problem, we need to break it,” said Sunak.

“And today, we have gone further than ever before to put an end to this disgusting trade in human life.”

The new funding from the UK this year is already more than double last year’s package worth over 70 million euros that increased the number of French police patrolling Channel shores.

Sunak is under fierce pressure at home to reduce the number of asylum seekers arriving in Britain, and this week unveiled legislation that critics said would make Britain an international outlaw on refugee rights.

“There is no one silver bullet to solve this problem. So the legislation we introduced this week is incredibly important, cooperation with the French is important, illegal migration enforcement at home is important,” Sunak said as he travelled to Paris on the Eurostar train.

But activists expressed unease over the plan, with the France director of Human Rights Watch Benedicte Jeannerod saying the sides were persisting with a tactic that “pushes exiles to risk dangerous crossings and subjects them to undignified treatment”.

They said they were in complete agreement on helping Ukraine to defeat the Russian invasion and it should be Kyiv that chooses when any peace talks start.

“We want Ukraine to win this war. We are absolutely united on this,” said Sunak.

Macron added: “Our desire is to help Ukraine to resist and to carry out the counter-offensives that it wishes to carry out. The priority of the moment is military.”

Source: Seychelles News Agency

The Kenya Meteorological department has announced that the much-anticipated long rains will commence this weekend in some parts of the country.

The March-May rainy season constitutes an important rainfall season in Kenya more so in the Western, Rift Valley and Central regions as most farmers rely on rain fed agriculture.

According to the department’s update on the March-May 2023 long rains season, light to moderate rainfall is expected in Siaya, Kisumu, Homa bay, Migori, Kisii, Nyamira, Trans Nzoia, Baringo, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi, Laikipia, Nakuru, Narok, Kericho, Bomet, Kakamega and Bungoma over this weekend.

The rainfall is expected to increase in intensity and spread to other areas from Monday and farmers in these areas have been advised to liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture for advice on the appropriate seeds to plant as well as good agricultural practices to employ to maximize their yields.

The rainfall is likely to later spread to Nairobi, Nyandarua, Nyeri, Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Muranga, Kiambu and Tharaka Nithi and it is expected to increase in intensity and spread to other areas towards the end of the third week of March.

According to the forecast, a few areas in the North Eastern part of the country comprising Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, Isiolo and Marsabit will also receive light rainfall this weekend. The intensity is likely to increase from Wednesday but the onset of rains in these areas is undefined as the light rainfall is likely to be followed by long dry spells.

The weatherman predicts that Kajiado, Kitui, Makueni, Machakos and Taita Taveta counties are likely to remain generally dry but a few areas might occasionally receive some light rainfall from Tuesday which will spread to several other areas during the fourth week of March, marking the onset of the seasonal rainfall.

Mombasa, Tana River, Lamu, Kilifi and Kwale are expected to remain generally sunny for the remaining part of March though occasional rainfall will be experienced from the fourth week of March. The onset of the seasonal rainfall is expected during the first and the second week of April in the South Coast and the second and third week in the North Coast.

“The expected rainfall is as a result of the impact of the cyclone Freddy which developed off the North Australian Coast and became a named storm on 6th February,” reads the update.

Source: Kenya News Agency

President Hage Geingob has expressed sadness at the death of Deputy Chief of the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority, Chief Stefanus Goliath, describing it as a great loss to his community and Namibia at large.

Goliath died on Friday at the age of 78.

In his message of condolence availed to Nampa on Saturday, Geingob said Namibia mourns a dedicated traditional leader who contributed immensely to the liberation struggle for the independence of Namibia

He said Goliath will be remembered for being totally committed to his contribution to the building of the government and of the Namibian people, noting that his legacy will prevail through the /Hai-/khaua community and the Namibian nation at large.

“The passing of late Chief Stefanus Goliath is a big loss to the /Hai-/Khaua Traditional Authority and the Namibian nation. On behalf of the government, I extend my sincere condolences, prayers and thoughts to the wife, children, bereaved family and the entire Namibian nation,” Geingob said.

Source: The Namibian Press Agency