Author: staff reporter

REKNOWN Kenyan communication expert Pauline Njoroge has been picked as one of the 10 members of the Commonwealth Experts Team (CET) to observe the Bangladesh elections to be held on January 7.

Ms Njoroge, left the country last night for Bangladesh capital, Dhaka to join the other nine members of the team headed by former Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding.

The team was picked by Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, on request by Bangladesh Election Commission.

The Commonwealth secretariat picks observers for elections in its member states, from among distinguished persons in their various fields.

Ms Njoroge, has made a name as a digital media communication expert in various organizations with a big following on social media. She is also the Deputy National Organizing Secretary of the former ruling party Jubilee which is headed by retired President Uhuru Kenyatta.

In Bangladesh the CET will meet various groups such as political parties, the police, civil societies among others ahead of the polls.

The South Asian country is the first country to hold elections this year, with more than 60 countries set to hold presidential, parliamentary and local elections.

Some 119.6 million voters will be going to the polls on Monday, to vote for 300 members of Bangladesh Parliament called Jatiya Sangsad. This is the 12th election since 1971 when Bangladesh broke away from Pakistan to become an independent nation.

The Parliament has 350 members, (300 elected and 50 seats exclusively reserved for women). The leader of the party or coalition of parties with the highest number of MPs is ceremoniously picked by the President to become the Prime Minister.

The President is elected by Parliament as a ceremonial figure while the Prime Minister is the chief executive and head of government.

The incumbent Prime Minister is Sheikh Hasina who has led the country under her party Awami League, since January 6, 2009.

Hasina the 10th Prime Minister of Bangladesh is the daughter of the founding father and first President of Bangladesh Sheikh Mujibur Rahman . She is campaigning to retain the seat should her party win majority of the seats in parliament.

The current president Mohammed Shahabuddin was elected by Parliament in January this year for a five year term.

Bangladesh is 148,460 square kilometers (a quarter of Kenya in size), but has a population of 169.4 million according to 2022 census making it the eighth biggest population in the world. Its almost entirely surrounded by India.

The “MAMi- Mediterranean and African Markets Initiative” project is promoted by the World Farmers Markets Coalition in collaboration with the Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari (CIHEAM of Bari), with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
The project focuses on alternative food networks and, more specifically, farmers markets. Because farmers markets involve direct relationships between producers and consumers and promote local food, they guarantee the stabilization of producers’ incomes, protect biodiversity and the environment, and strengthen communities and rural and urban linkages. In fact, it is increasingly believed that farmers markets are the symbol of an agricultural, modern, entrepreneurial, multifunctional and sustainable model capable of making an effective contribution to worldwide food security and sovereignty.
Over the next 3 years, MAMi aims to create 50 farmers markets with the involvement of more than 1,000 farmers, thanks also to the emergence of new professions, those of market managers, in five countries stretching from the Mediterranean to sub-Saharan Africa (Lebanon, Tunisia, Kenya, Egypt and Albania). A capacity-building model capable of responding to the needs of different territorial contexts ranging from technical assistance to strengthen existing entities, to the development of new markets where none exist or where small efforts show promise.
The project was launched last October at the Coldiretti Village in Rome in the presence of several authorities, and in early January, the first classroom training will be held at the prestigious headquarters of Ciheam in Tricase, in which sector representatives from the five target countries will participate in order to acquire, including through guided visits to established farmers markets, the necessary skills on systems based on local food consumption. This will be challenging work that will begin with an analysis of the different national contexts, continue with the assessment of needs until concrete actions are put in place to lay the foundations for the spread of a system of short supply chains, with farmers, consumers and local communities as our protagonists.
The World Farmers Markets Coalition, was presented in July 2021 at the Pre-Food System Summit in Rome in the presence of UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, and in June 2022 the nonprofit association called the World Farmers Markets Coalition was established. On that occasion, it was decided to establish its headquarters in Rome in order to foster an ongoing dialogue with the agencies of the UN agri-food cluster (FAO, IFAD and WFP).
WorldFMC aims to become the international voice of the local food system based on the direct relationship between farmers and consumers. A sustainable production model that cares for farmers, local communities and the environment. It is a community supported by more than 70 associations in more than 50 countries, representing 20,000 farmers’ markets around the world.
Capacity building is one of the Coalition’s main activities: creating a network for the exchange of knowledge and best practices for farmers and farmers market managers is at the core of our association’s activities.
Founded in 1962, the International Center for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies (CIHEAM) is a Mediterranean intergovernmental organization composed of 13 member countries (Albania, Algeria, Egypt, France, Greece, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey). CIHEAM has a long history of multilateral and regional cooperation and offers education and training, research, technical assistance and capacity building.
It operates through its four institutes based in Bari – CIHEAM Bari – (Italy), Chania – CIHEAM Chania – (Greece), Montpellier – CIHEAM Montpellier – (France), and Zaragoza – CIHEAM Zaragoza – (Spain), and its headquarters – CIHEAM SG, based in Paris.

Bishop. Dr. Geoffrey Njuguna, of Deliverance Church Langata.PHOTO: File.

By Benard Mulwa

As Christians across the country thronged places of worship last night in readiness to usher the new year ahead, message of hope and strength took the center stage.

At Deliverance Church Langata, Bishop Dr. Geoffrey Njuguna preached about the power of tongue during the ceremony, saying words are powerful and we must remember that the tongue has the power of life and death. In his sermon, Bishop Geoffrey Njuguna was saying this in reference to Kenyans who show dissatisfaction to the leadership of President William Ruto.

“I am concerned about when people become murmurous, when people are given to complain is like after people balked at entering the promised Land, that entire generation faded in a 40 year journey to nowhere when they failed to trust God, shying away from entering the promised Land, God took care of them in the wilderness. They were still His people but they lost everything associated with the promises of God and those losses were real, Bishop Dr. Geoffrey Njuguna said, let’s hope for a better year ahead in 2024”.

Commenting about the high cost of living, Bishop Dr. Geoffrey Njuguna said the economy of this country is projected to grow, and people should expect the prices of basic commodities will come down even though Kenyans have gone through a difficult time in 2023.

Bishop Dr. Geoffrey Njuguna further expresses concerns that most leaders think about politics as the opposition leader Hon. Raila Odinga has once again hit out at the government over the skyrocketing  cost of living and warned of fresh round of demonstrations in the coming year 2024.

The Bishop implored Hon. Raila Odinga to desist from a section of politicians who want to make chaos by calling for demos, “we have a President who is convincing, let Hon. Raila Odinga come out in public if he has any better solutions,” adding that there is a need to the leaders to change attitude.

Addressing the media in his office last night, the Bishop said Parliament, judiciary and the executive must continue working together and ensure Kenya must to have an electoral body in place by June in 2024 to make preparations for the 2027 elections.

“Let us all work hard and stop murmuring, complaining  because it brings negative effects and will cut off your vision for the future, even Jesus did not complain,”  the Bishop said adding that it is for us to understand gratitude and thank God for the gift of life and think about good things in our life.

The Bishop also talked about the health Bill, housing levy and the hustler fund, which he said is a good gesture, with a record of 100 million transactions every day.     

By Meresia Aloo

In a recent statement, Ben Chumo lauded the Governor’s Bii education regalia, stressing the imperative to reflect on the significance of this day. He emphasized that education is a lifelong journey, an ever-evolving channel crucial in a country like Kenya, rich in potential and talent. Chumo highlighted that education is not a privilege but a fundamental right for every citizen.

Underlining the idea that the pursuit of knowledge should extend beyond a specific phase of life, Chumo pointed out a common misconception of considering education complete after obtaining a degree. He urged citizens to recognize the pivotal role political leaders play in the country, emphasizing their duty to invest in education.

Chumo stated firmly, “Investing in the education of Kenyan youth is an investment in Kenya itself.” He called for a commitment to ensure that no Kenyan is left behind, encouraging those who haven’t finished school to do so, emphasizing that education opens doors of opportunity. Chumo concluded by stressing that age should not be a barrier to completing one’s education.

CS for Labour and Social Protection Hon. Florence Bore and Khaled Actouki

By Benard Mulwa

The government of Kenya and Saudi Arabia have collaboratively joined efforts to rally the process of migrant workers from Kenya going to Saudi Arabia.

This comes even as a delegation of recruiting agents from Takamol, Saudi Arabia visits Kenya today for a two day tour to meet with National Employment Authority, (NEA) National Industrial Training Authority, (NITA) homecare Training Centre and East Africa College of Tourism and Hospitality among other to discuss and deliberate ways on how to streamline the process of recruitment of domestic workers.

Addressing the media in her office today, the Cabinet Secretary for labour and social protection Hon. Florence Bore said this meeting was a follow up of President William Ruto’s visit in Riyadh Saudi Arabia for discussions aimed at enhancing bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and the Africa nations, job opportunities and the establishment of trade agreement.

The team will brief the Cabinet Secretary for labour and social protection Hon. Florence Bore on the overview of the visit latter tomorrow.

The CS said the bilateral labour agreement has been reviewed and are waiting for the parliament to clear it up adding that the government is going to clean up on rogue recruiting agents, “we have cleaned up rouge recruiting agents up from 900 to 500, and the government is looking forward to have a desk at the Jomo Kenyatta Airport to able to know and track the process of migrant workers” adding that currently there are 210,000 migrant workers in Saudi Arabia from Kenya and the government is looking to increase the number, she told journalists.

 Mr. Khaled Actouki, the Chief Executive Officer of Takamol said time, duration and affordability are the factors that puts Kenya in a better position when it comes to the recruiting process as compared to other countries, “Kenyan skilled and domestic workers are well trained, they don’t run away in the middle of their contracts and are affordable” he said.

The government of Kenya is seeking to integrate the National Employment Authority and the ministry of labour.    

By Steve Sabai

The culmination of the two-month-long Hon. Mishi Mboko’s CDF football cup tournament, featuring 68 participating teams, is set to take place this Saturday at Likoni Stadium.

Bodaboda FC from Jamsa Stage in Ferry, Likoni, will go head-to-head with Panama FC of Shikaadabu in an eagerly anticipated final, to be inaugurated by Commissioner Hon. Mishi Mboko.

Likoni is brimming with excitement, especially with local boys’ team Panama FC relying on their home ground advantage to triumph over Bodaboda FC.

Nevertheless, Bodaboda FC has a track record of resilience, having emerged victorious in the 2018 Bodaboda Football Tournament, where they claimed Kshs. 50,000. This year, they aim to assert their dominance in local football.

In the semifinals, Panama FC showcased their prowess with a commanding 4-1 win against Mende FC from Bofu Ward, while Bodaboda FC secured a hard-fought 3-0 victory over Hope Rangers FC in penalty shootouts, demonstrating their consistency in this thrilling tournament.

This tournament, consuming the majority of our youths’ time and activities, was designed to showcase their dedication, skills, sportsmanship, and talents.

As the tournament reaches its electrifying phase, the standings reflect an engaging competition, drawing the attention of dignitaries, including Mombasa County Senator Hon. Mohamed Faki, County Assembly Speaker Hon. Aharub Ebrahim Khatari, Women Representative Hon. Zamzam Mohamed, several MPs, MCAs, and others, who will be in attendance.

The Managing Director of Kenya’s leading credit only microfinance, Jijenge Credit Limited, Mr Peter Macharia Kamau has taken a moment to wish all Kenyans well ,ahead of Christmas festivities.

Mr Kamau, who has steered Jijenge Credit Limited to greatness, is a highly respected captain of the industry.

No other microfinance extends logbook loans in minutes apart from Jijenge Credit Limited.

“Do not worry about giving your loved ones a treat this Christmas. Just walk into our offices or dial us and you be rest assured to get a loan in minutes. This will ensure you treat your loved ones with a feast. Christmas comes once a year so it’s wise to enjoy it to the fullest,” Mr Kamau advised.

He at the same time urged Kenyans to enjoy the festivities with care especially those who will be sitting on the driver’s seat to drive safely to avoid road carnage.

Finally Peter Macharia Kamau wished all Jijenge Credit Limited family, clients, stakeholders, et al and all Kenyans in general a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous blessed Year 2024 !!

Rural Private Hospitals Association (RUPHA) on Wednesday issued a 7 day notice of stop to accept use of NHIF cards in private hospitals. It is now 8 months, NHIF has failed to pay for services rendered. At other times, they underpay for services rendered, paying very minimal percentages of valid claims. Even payments for outpatient services have not been remitted as well. Private hospitals are no longer able to guarantee crucial services such as outpatient, maternity and cancer to NHIF beneficiaries.

Government is accusing private hospitals of causing NHIF to lose up to 50% of their collections due to scandalous claims. This is despite the fact that only 100 private hospitals out of 8,000 hospitals have been receiving funds from NHIF. But according to RUPHA, there are other causes:
a) Medical schemes for teachers and police was removed from NHIF to A O Minet. This resulted in NHIF losing 25 billion Shillings as income.
b) Corrupt practices within NHIF.
Private hospitals are recommending cash basis to replace NHIF in private hospitals as a solution. Doctors are hereby admitting that NHIF is dead.

Measures to be implemented as from December 2023:
a) NHIF patients requiring admissions for medical cases will be requested to pay theatre fees.
b) NHIF patients requiring surgery will be requested to pay theatre fees.
c)NHIF patients receiving cancer care will have to pay consultation fees.
d) NHIF patients on Linda Mama Scheme will have to pay procedure fee for normal delivery.
e) RUPHA member facilities will continue to attend to NHIF beneficiaries in emergency and critical situations.

By Ronald Njoroge

The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) in partnership with Twiva today announced a new project dubbed Twende Digital Project, which is being funded by the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment (CFYE) to oversee the creation of work opportunities for young digital content creators while supporting SMEs in adopting the use of technology through intensive capacity building and technical assistance
on the use of digital skills and platforms, which will eventually help these businesses to scale up. This Project majorly focuses on addressing the critical issue of youth unemployment in Kenya where the recent statistics by the Kenya National Bureau Statistics indicated that over 50 percent of the 2.97 million jobless Kenyans are in the ages of 18 to 29 years of age.
The Twende Digital Project is guided by the CFYE’s goal of fostering youth employment initiatives in Africa. Hence, the Project will provide significant work opportunities to both rural and urban setups in the country such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu, Mombasa, Eldoret,
Nyeri, Machakos, Kiambu, Garissa, and Kakamega. The selected businesses will enjoy digitization services and tools for free for the next 12 months including influencer marketing service credits, content creation credits, access to business digital coaches, access to influencers or resellers to help resell the SMEs’ goods, linkage to logistics and fulfilment partners, digital marketing training, and the digital marketing advisory services.
“A great lesson we have drawn in executing employment projects in Kenya is the fact that meaningful youth participation is a key factor in attracting and retaining youth in employment. The Challenge Fund for Youth Employment plans to create 230,000 jobs for young people in Africa by 2026. These jobs should be dignified and fulfilling work as per the African strategy of good jobs and good salaries. We have also learned that it is very crucial to support the private sector, especially in measuring the impact of youth employment initiatives. This is why digitizing the SMEs will not only help expand these businesses but also ensure the creation of jobs” said Paul Ngugi, Deputy Country Lead of the Challenge Fund for Youth Employment.
The absence of sufficient employment opportunities has been a huge hurdle in Kenya especially where recent reports have shown that over 2.97 million Kenyans are jobless. Out of these numbers, 50% are between the ages of 18 years to 29 years. Hence, with the limited employment opportunities in the formal sector, and the challenges that are there in starting a business, there is a need for rethinking alternatives to work opportunities for Kenyans, especially young people. Leveraging innovation, technologies, and other emerging
skills has been one way to help reduce the transition shocks of young people into the labor markets.
“Enterprises stand to have a great chance of unlocking the wealth of opportunities and
building a global competitive advantage through adoption and prioritizing digitization. As
the benefits of digitization become clearer for businesses where they stand to benefit from
access to wider markets, more efficient processes, increased productivity, better stock
management, and reduced costs; hence the adoption of digitization cannot be ignored.
Besides providing solutions for the growth of these businesses, digitization has brought
about new and more exciting work opportunities for the young people in Kenya” said Dr.
Ehud Gachugu, Director of Youth and Jobs at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance.
As a social commerce platform that gives micro, small, and medium enterprises digital access to markets through content creators, Twiva will play a pivotal role in supplying experienced social media influencers and resellers as well as the social commerce platforms to market and resell goods and services on behalf of these SMEs. This will then see the creation of work opportunities for the influencers while at the same time boosting the productivity of the SMEs through the integration of digital technologies.
“The anticipated impact of the TwendeDigital project is not just a statistic; it’s a transformation. As we aim to elevate the average income of employed youth from less than Kes 10,000 to approximately Kes 25,000, the project becomes a catalyst for change, injecting vitality into the lives of young individuals. Job satisfaction rates among the youth are not merely a metric; they represent a shift in the narrative of what it means to find meaningful work,” said Peter Kironji, CEO & Co-founder, Twiva.
Addressing challenges and fostering inclusivity, the project allocates 60% of opportunities to women-led SMEs and focuses on building digital skills among SMEs. At the same time, through the indirect work opportunities that are digitally enabled, the Project will provide start-up opportunities for youth without formal experience or capital, especially in areas of logistics and shipping of products to clients. The project envisions expanding its reach to serve more youth and women by enlisting additional social influencers, through the use of the Twiva platform, fostering economic growth, and contributing to a sustainable future beyond the CFYE project.
Also expressing his insights and expectations about such opportunities for digital content creators, Philip Karanja, the CEO of PhilItTV explained that it is important for businesses to look for an influencer that they can connect with and can help elevate their business to the next level. He said that branding requires a 360 approach from image and logos to the customer experience. He challenged the businesses present at the forum to involve influencers who can ensure improved visibility to their potential clients while they concentrate on other core functions of the business.
In addressing the challenges of limited capital and formal job opportunities, TwendeDigital doesn’t just provide solutions; it pioneers a new approach. By leveraging digital technologies and harnessing the power of social media influencers, the project opens doors for youth- owned agribusinesses and scalable enterprises. It’s not just about creating jobs; it’s about
fostering an ecosystem where businesses thrive and individuals flourish.
“Looking beyond the immediate impact, the sustainability of the Twende Digital Project is rooted in its holistic approach. By empowering youth and women economically, we envision a ripple effect that contributes to the growth of the economy and poverty reduction. This is a commitment to building a sustainable future,” continued Dr. Ehud.
In a world grappling with challenges, Twende Digital emerges as a beacon of hope, illuminating a path toward economic empowerment, inclusivity, and a future where every young individual has the opportunity to thrive. The partnership is also a testament to the transformative power of collaboration and innovation. Twende Digital is a roadmap towards a brighter, more equitable tomorrow.

By Dianah mukui

Over the last decade former workers of Barclays Bank of Kenya-now Absa bank Kenya, have lost half the value of their purchasing power due to inflation, poor management of their savings and unfair treatment of pensioners across different markets.

The pensioners say consultants Joanna Combrink and Colin Southey have told Absa Bank Kenya the purchasing power of the Absa Staff Pension Fund beneficiaries had decreased substantially (around 50 percent over the last 13 years).

The former staffers of Absa Bank say their decades-long savings have not been earning them a decent enough return to beat years of inflation which has made it difficult to cope with the high cost of living.

The lender claims the market has not been generating higher returns during the good years, and worse still, has signaled even lower returns this year blaming it on the economic slowdown.
As pensioners we hold that the poor performance of the fund is attributed to lack of monitoring by the trustees to engage with their investment manager and poor investment decisions by the fund managers.

The bank has disregarded our input and we have lost our representation at the Board of Trustees after two of our members were not replaced when they retired but the Bank introduced more employees of the Bank as Trustees contrary to the Retirements Benefits