Author: staff reporter

By Jeff Kizzilah

The AFC has launched a transformational agricultural financial platform to help innovative farmers in kenya.

The Corporation has promise to support innovative young farmers through affordable credit to realise their agricultural programmes.

AFC receives loan applications totalling to over Ksh 15 billion annually but only able to avail about Ksh 4 billion due to resource constraints.

However in 5 years the Corporation has been able to disburse over 20billion to all actors in the agriculture sector.

Speaking during AFC investors engagement under the ttheme ” Transformation Through Financial Inclusion and Innovation ” forum Mr. George Kubai Managing Director AFC said the institution has embacked on a transformation and big investment needed in the agricultural sector.

Through this,he says AFC is going to impact over 2.6 million players with a special focus on women and youths including smallholders and agri-MSMEs.

Mr.Kubai said is about data with professional and digitally motivated for sustainable development to support food security.

“Its worth noting that the wholesale lending model which was developed through the support of AGRA IFAD and the National Treasury has been tested with sight SACCOs borrowing over Ksh 1 billion with less than 1% Non performing loan,”Kubai said.

The engineers board of Kenya (EBK) is currently undertaking 20 disciplinary hearings on complaints received against registered engineers.

Chairman of EBK Erastus Mwongera told journalists in Nairobi that the process is aimed at ensuring that registered engineers adhere to the engineers code of conduct in the exercise of their duties.

” The relevant sanctions will be effected against the engineers found to be non-compliant as provided under the Engineers Act 2011 and the Engineers Rules 2019,” Mwongera said.

The Board targets 15 site visits this quarter with the intention to stop any construction without proper supervision by professional registered engineers.

EBK will collaborate with law enforcement agencies and local administration on site.

Eric Ohaga, President of Institution of Engineers of Kenya said that following media reports on the cracking and settling of a building in Thindigua, EBK has established an independent team to carry out geotechnical and structural investigations on the cause of settlement and advise relevant stakeholders on remedial actions.

He urged the public to demand an Occupation Certificate before committing to rent or occupy any building.

“All persons who are not registered engineers to stop offering engineering services in compliance with Engineers Act of 2011,” he said.

Details are emerging that the beast of burden – the donkey is still very much under threat in the country. The numbers of this critical resource have plummeted to just slightly over a million countrywide.

According to Brooke East Africa, the beast greatest threat is the unscrupulous people who eye it’s meat albeit in the cover of darkness.

Since 2020, it’s illegal to slaughter and deal with donkey meat trade in the country.

Brooke East Africa country director Raphael Kinoti noted that communities are very critical in matters donkey conservation.

“We reiterate that the communities should own up the initiative and we as Brooke East Africa intervene to assist them in restocking. But the key thing is that the communities should work with the authorities to report cases of donkey theft and also weed out the crooks.”

Mr Kinoti also cautioned against abuse of the beast of burden after media reports emerged that some communities are intoxicating the animals with drugs to enhance performance.

“this is cruelty of the highest order to hear that some people feed the donkeys marijuana to stimulate productivity. This has no any scientific basis and it works to the detriment and danger of the humble beast of burden,” Mr Kinoti concluded..

Farmers Party of Kenya Party leader Irungu Nyakera has opposed Governments plan to support maize imports at the expense and detriment of the local farmer who ekes a living out of maize growing.
Nyakera observes:
“Farmers Party, a constituent party within Kenya Kwanza, is shocked that the government has entered into agreements with Zambian farmers to grow maize and other staples for our local market. 65% of Kenyans earn a living from farming and 70% of the rural population depend on farming. Why then would we go to Zambia to farm yet we have farms, farmers, and unemployed youth here in Kenya who can be utilized for that very purpose?

A country that can’t feed itself is not free – food imports have moved from 10% to 17% over the last decade! We as Farmers Party will be moving to court over the next few days to stop the government from entering into this contract and forcing the government to invest in farmers locally.

Say YES to Farmer empowerment and NO to duty free imports.”

Daniel Mulati – summit coordinator and child participation manager at mtoto news said in Nairobi that the three day event will be graced by over 100 Children from across Africa, Prof. Philip Jaffe – the Vice Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Dr. Najat M’Jid Maalla – the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children, 3 honorable members of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

Also expected at the meeting is  Hon. Lady Justice Martha Koome -the Chief Justice of the Republic of Kenya, and Lady Justice Teresiah Mumbua Matheka -Chairperson of the NCAJ Standing Committee on Access to and Administration of Justice for Children in Kenya.

BY ERIC OGOTT.

Kenya’s number one retail chain,has officially opened the doors of its 92nd outlet at The Brick Mall Thindigua, Kiambu road. The exciting development kicks off the retailers expansion set for this year and is a step closer to the store number 100. A feat that will  be the first to  be accomplished by a supermarket chain in Kenya.

The new outlet covering  more than 20,000 square fit of  trading space is the new anchor tenant at The Brick Mall,along Kiambu roadd and also the 6th  Naivas outlet  in the Greater Kiambu County.

” Naivas’ heritage as a Kenyan homegrown has set us apart in the art of anticipating customer needs even before they voice them,this has ensured that we continually learn the  science of understanding customer needs and ultimately meeting them at their point of need,the most critical being freshness, quality, variety, affordability and convenience.

Therefore, 33 years down the line,our customers know that they can trust us to deliver on these, evrytime they patronize us. This branch will be no different, the shopping experiences promises to be wholesome as it is stocked with  variety of products ranging from fresh produce, commodities, electronics and other general products,” Said Willy Kimani, Chief Commercial Officer.

“The store opening comes at a very exciting period just after the Launch of our seasonal campaign dubbed Naivas Kikapu Kibonge, a 9 week campaign that speaks to the hard economic  situations that Kenyans are facing and promises that not only Thindigua residents but all Naivas shoppers across the country of Kiextra offers, kibbigie discounts and kibunda choices.

Therefore, we know economic times have been tough, but as the Kenyan retailer of choice ,we bear a duty to society to make the shopping basket heavier while ensuring it is lighter on the pocket,” Concluded Willy Kimani.

Mizizi Africa Homes Chief Executive Officer (CEO), George Mburu has commended the Government’s move to set aside prime land for free to private developers which will help to significantly lower overall cost of home-ownership in Kenya.

Mburu lauded the move saying it will accelerate construction of affordable housing units and fix housing gaps by bringing more Kenyans into home-ownership.

“This will be a big relief for private developers as the cost of putting up units will reduce significantly since land takes up the largest share of construction costs and this is also dependent on location of land,” said Mburu.

The CEO added that the cost of land takes anything between 30-70 percent depending on the location and cost of the development and consequently, consumers will be the biggest beneficiaries as these reduced cost benefits are passed to the buyers.

“The impact of this deliberate effort is huge with its ripple effects set to be felt across the real estate industry, manufacturing and financial sectors in terms of increased activities and money circulation into the economy,” he reiterated.

President William Ruto during the launch of the Listing of Laptrust Imara real estate investment trust (REIT) at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in March 2023, said County governments have already donated to private developers more than 4,000 acres valued at Sh30 billion for construction of affordable housing.

Mburu noted that the move will also spur economic activities in the counties and open up sleeping towns to create more jobs for residents and income to the government.

Kenya’s annual housing demand is estimated at 250, 000 units but the market has been supplying just 50,000 new houses every year, leaving an 80 percent deficit.

International Jaamia of Languages and professional Studies (IJLAPS) on Wednesday opened a new branch at the Warwick centre in Gigiri.

Dr Hassan Kinyua Omari, the Managing Director of IJLAPS said that the Gigiri branch which is located inside Kenya’s diplomatic enclave will offer a range of languages courses, including English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin and German.

“The new centre will also tap into the growing demand among diplomatic community in Gigiri,” Kinyua said.

He noted that IJLAPS is committed to youth empowerment through foreign language learning.

IJLAPS believes that learning a new language is crucial in today’s interconnected world and aims to create employment opportunities among the youth with the ability to speak foreign languages.

Rains are on, so are the environmentalists who have been waiting for them. Dedan Kimathi Foundation has been on a rush to support tree growing nation wide by donating tree seedlings from its central nursery and distributing ones donated by Kenya Forest Service and other partners to the identified planting sites.

Today, Monday 3rd April 2023,the team of environmental enthusiasts under the leadership of the Foundation CEO ; Ms. Evelyn W. Kimathi, has conducted a series of tree planting activities in Limuru, Kiambu.

The collaboration between the Foundation, Rotary Club of Limuru, Rotaract Club of St. Paul’s University and Young Theologians Initiative for Climate Action landed the team to P.C.E.A Nyoro Primary School, Rironi Location Chief’s Office, Kiroe Assistant Chief’s office and Makutano Secondary school. All these beneficiaries have received both indigenous and exotic tree seedlings to serve commercial and environment conservation purposes. Quick sites preparation led by the foundation green army enabled the team to plant all the tree seedlings donated.

The Foundation continues to sensitize masses to swing to tree growing action in the advantage of the falling rains to actualize the presidential 15bn tree growing plan.

To crown the noble environmental sensitization and tree planting work, the combined team together with Limuru Sub County Environment Officer and county environmental officers carried out a litter picking clean up activity in Limuru town to make the town more appealing for the residents. The team eased run off water drainage trenches by unclogging them.

Limuru Rotary club president; Ms. Hellen Njiraini expressed her gratitude to to the Foundation and other partcipants for sparing time, resources and sharing their knowledge with pupils and students to make them better people. Dedan Kimathi Foundation C.E.O; Ms. Evelyn W. Kimathi emphasized on the need to embark on heavy tree planting to mitigate climate change terming the crisis as more threatening than the old days British colonialism.

By Eric Ziribagwa Ogott

Estimates suggest the economic cost of lost learning from the Covid-19 crisis will run into trillions of US dollars if corrective action is not urgently taken. While many other sectors
have rebounded when lockdowns eased, the damage to children’s education is likely to
reduce their wellbeing and productivity.

This consequently makes education disruption one of the biggest threats to medium-and long-term recovery unless governments act swiftly.

For children to learn and thrive, this further calls for urgent recovery efforts,
rethinking, and resetting education provision.
With the aid of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office – What Works Hub, Zizi Afrique Foundation is hosting a regional convening to talk about Foundational
Learning & Numeracy in Sub-Saharan Africa in association with the British Council, the Education Development Trust, Global Education Evidence Advisory Panel (GEEAP), and
Education Evidence for Action (EE4A). Academics, data producers, decision-makers, and scholars from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Malawi, and Sierra Leone will
be among the participants. Numerous representatives from African education ministries