Category: Uncategorized

By Meresia Aloo

The African Institute for Development Policy is the laureate of the 2023 United Nations Population Award in the institutional category, United Nations announced late on Wednesday in New York, US.

Making the announcement, Ms. Rawa Zoghbi, Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the United Nations who also is the Chair of the U.N. Selection Committee said: “AFIDEP’s evidence-based approach and collaboration with governments, civil society organizations, and international partners have resulted in impactful programming and positive outcomes in areas such as family planning, maternal health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, and African population dynamics.”

The statement added that the organisation plays a vital role in shaping policies and programmes that promote sustainable population growth in Africa.

The UN Select Committee on Population Award also comprises representatives of nine other UN Member States. The United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs serves as the representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations, and UNFPA serves as its secretariat.

“It is with great honour and immense gratitude that I accept the 2023 U.N. Population Award on behalf of the African Institute for Development Policy, AFIDEP. This accolade validates the significance of our work and serves as a catalyst for further growth and progress in our mission towards a better and more prosperous future for all Africans, said Dr Eliya Zulu, Founder and Executive Director, AFIDEP.

Dr Zulu said AFIDEP’s success is a collective effort of many. “Through the founding Directors’ vision, the Board of Directors’ strategic leadership, hardworking staff, resource partners, partnership with UNFPA, other U.N. agencies and non-governmental organizations, and supportive policymakers, AFIDEP triumphed many start-up challenges,” he said.

According to Dr. Thomas Munthali, Director General, National Planning Commission – Malawi, AFIDEP has remained one of NPC’s leading partners in research and policy analysis and advisory that has informed the formulation and implementation of the Malawi 2063 national vision. “The quality of their input demonstrated their pedigree in offering solutions to various challenges affecting countries around the globe. Congratulations to team AFIDEP on the Award,” he said.

The award has not come as a surprise. AFIDEP has played a significant role in elevating the demographic dividend as an essential development paradigm in Africa, working in collaboration with national governments, regional intergovernmental entities, the African Union, development partners, philanthropies, and civil society to achieve this cross-sectoral collaboration.

The Institute has worked in over 20 African countries on the demographic dividend paradigm and also directly supported 15 African governments in developing Demographic Dividend intelligence to stimulate political traction, leading to ten countries incorporating the D.D. principles in their medium and long-term development strategies, Angola, Botswana, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda, Zimbabwe and Zambia.

AFIDEP’s support to the African Union contributed to the landmark decision to designate
“Harnessing the demographic dividend through investments in youth” was the development
theme for Africa in 2017. Twelve of the 23 governments we supported in East and Southern Africa have integrated the demographic dividend framework into their development
strategies.

Empowering women and girls, importantly harnessing their skills and talents, is central to the continent’s socioeconomic development, consequently realizing the D.D. Women and girls account for half of Africa’s population. To this end, AFIDEP has supported policy enactment and programme implementation that increase the girl child’s prospects in education and employment, including ending teenage pregnancies and child marriages in Africa.

“Even as we celebrate, we acknowledge that progress is uneven, and most countries are likely to fall short of their human development SDGs by 2030. We, therefore, call on U.N. Member states to ensure that boys and girls stay in school at least up to the secondary level. Governments should increase domestic financing to counter the effects of the debt burden, COVID-19, climate change, and local and global conflicts,” said Dr Zulu.

Additionally AFIDEP congratulates the First Lady of the Republic of Burundi, the 2023 individual category laureate of the 2023 U.N. Population Award.

The Parliament Taskforce on Domestic Resource Mobilization for Health inAfrica.

African parliamentarians on Wednesday pledged to advocate for domestic resource mobilization for health.
Maitournam Moustapha Rabi, Co-Chair of the African Parliamentary Taskforce on Domestic Resource Mobilization also pushed to advocate for equitable and resilient health systems focused on people centered approach.
The parliamentarians taskforce on domestic resource mobilization for health in Africa from Cameron , Cote d’Ivoire, DRC, Ghana,Kenya ,Niger ,Rwanda Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe gathered in Nairobi at the sidelines of the African Union summit to reflect and discuss health financing in Africa.
Rabi said that many African states are struggling to meet their commitments to mobilize domestic resources yet investing in health is investing in human capital, creating stable jobs, stimulating economic growth and reducing inequalities.

Daniel Molokela-Tsiye Co-Chair of the African Parliamentary Taskforce on Domestic Resource Mobilization

Daniel Molokela-Tsiye Co-Chair of the African Parliamentary Taskforce on Domestic Resource Mobilization urged African governments to work in concert with parliamentarians, civil society and the private sector to implement sustainable strategies for mobilizing domestic resources and for a significant increase in health budgets, given that a healthy nation is indispensable to Africa’s socio-economic transformation, as envisaged in AU Agenda 2063.

Olivia Ngou MPH Executive Director of Impact Sante Afrique (ISA)

Daniel Molokela-Tsiye also called for formalized the integration of community health agents.

Rev Canon Chris Kinyanjui, NCCK General Secretary; Most Rev Martin Kivuva, KCCB Chairman; Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki, NCCK Chairman.

BY NJOKI KARANJA

Religious leaders drawn from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops and the National Council of Churches of Kenya have met here at Ufungamano House to review the socio-political state of the nation. We reflected on the scripture recorded in Proverbs 29: 4  By justice a king gives a country stability, but one who is greedy for bribes tears it down.

This echoes the preambular statement of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 which states that we honour “those who heroically struggled to bring freedom and justice to our land”.We now share the following message with the nation.

1. EXPOSE AND PROSECUTE FACILITATORS OF SHAKAHOLA HOLOCAUST

Like all Kenyans and indeed all the world, we continue to follow with horror the exhumation of bodies in Shakahola forest. We share our heartfelt condolences with all the families who have been bereaved, and are constantly praying for those who have reported missing relatives. We are nonetheless deeply concerned that the persons responsible for facilitating this holocaust are yet to be prosecuted for their crimes against the people of Kenya.

We especially observe that there are government officials who over the years failed to take action when reports of deaths and murders in the Shakahola forest were made. When will they be prosecuted for abdication of duty?
It is therefore saddening that the government is instead focusing on blaming the church and religious institutions for the massacre, yet it is a clearly the result of failure by the criminal justice system.

We call upon the government to accord justice to the people of Kenya by ensuring all who facilitated this crime are prosecuted. On our part, we are putting in place a process to document the processes that led to this dark blot in our national history, and will especially highlight all who are responsible on account of their actions, misactions or non-action.

2. MESSAGE TO HIS EXCELLENCY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO

Your Excellency, we urge you to take to heart and learn from the word of God recorded in 2 Chronicles 9: 8 Praise be to the Lord your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on his throne as king to rule for the Lord your God. Because of the love of your God for Israel and his desire to uphold them forever, he has made you king over them, to maintain justice and
righteousness.

We appeal to you to hear the cry of the people of Kenya who are heavily burdened by the prevailing global economic crisis and the drought that is yet to end despite the onset of rains. There are many families that are sleeping hungry, businesses have collapsed, jobs have been lost, and the cost of living is continuing to rise. We strongly recommend that your administration considers adopting policies and strategies that give Kenyans hope while addressing the economic challenge in the short and long terms. Without this approach, Your Excellency, we fear that the growing sense of hopelessness will push the country into instability and possibly violence.As an immediate mitigation measure, Your Excellency, we recommend that the Finance Act 2023 is repealed so as to review the heavy taxation burden imposed on Kenyans. In addition, we urge a cessation of domestic borrowing by government so as to enable banks loan private businesses that drive the local economy.

3. MESSAGE TO RT HON RAILA ODINGA
   We recognize the critical constitutional role that the opposition plays in safeguarding democracy and justice in our nation. We therefore appeal to you, Rt Honorable Raila, to recognize the key position you hold and the contribution you make in shaping the current and future of our nation. Appreciating that justice is the foundation of stability and peace, we urge you to spearhead an issue-based and solution-oriented approach to secure the nation from sliding into chaos and violence.

Therefore,We appeal to you to reconsider the proposed mass action programme which is likely to make the situation worse for Kenyans. We also urge that you do not give the people false hope that the government can be removed from office through collection of signatures.

4.
MESSAGE TO THE CITIZENS OF KENYA
Dear Brothers and Sisters, our nation is going through a very difficult moment. We are all hurting, and there are many pressures that can push us into despair. We however must not go down this path as it is the way of destruction. Instead, let us push for and demand for justice, rule of law and people-focused governance from all the elected and appointed leaders.

We must firmly resist incitement by political and social leaders who are focussed on selfish ambitions. Instead, let each of us deliberately engage all public participation forums and opportunities, taking every chance to influence policy and decision making processes. We should not leave the destiny of our families in the hands of politicians alone, and should instead adopt the mantra of “Nothing for us without us”. Let us remain peaceful and calm despite the challenges and provocations, so that we can live out the prayer we make through our National Anthem: O God of all creation, bless this our land and nation, justice be our shield and defender May we dwell in unity, Peace and Liberty, Plenty be found within our borders.

We conclude by urging all of us to uphold justice so that Kenya can be like nation the Bible describes in 1 Kings 4: 25
During Solomon’s lifetime Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own vine and fig tree.May God bless Kenya now and always.

By Fred Maingi
One of Kenya’s leading eye hospital Westlands Laser Eye Hospital in Nairobi , has bagged the prestigious awards of best quality health care in eye hospital of the year award.
The hospital has also won the Doctor of the year award through their Chief Executive Officer Dr.Vaibhav Pednekar.
A jovial Pednekar said, ‘My journey as an eye surgeon has been full of struggles and sacrifices but it all becomes worth it when I give vision to blind patients and see them happy”.
He further said “I always see each of my patients as family members and treat them as the same way I would want any doctor to treat my family”.
He thanked God and his family for being his biggest support and also extended his vote of thanks to Jubilant stewards of Africa the organizers of the pacesetters awards eastern Africa chapter for working so hard to make the event a success.

Westlands Laser Eye Hospital was recognized in this category because of their efforts in helping people with eye-related problems. It offers Lasik surgery which helps in getting rid of glasses, Cataract phaco laser surgeries, Retina surgeries, Cornea surgeries, all types of lasers, glaucoma services and optical services and crosslinking surgeries for keratoconus.
Doctor Pednekar has an experience of more than a decade and is a well-trained Cornea,Cataract and laser eye surgeon having performed more than 10,000 surgeries.
He was also a medical director and cornea consultant of Mombasa eye hospital and laser center Kenya, an ophthalmologist at
Dr. Shroffs Charity Eye Hospital located in New Delhi, India and M.S ophthalmologist at d.y.patil hospital, Kolhapur. Doctor Vaibhav has also trained in University affiliated to University of Chicago, Illinois, USA and also has operated more than 1300 patients in 30 days in Botswana in a Eye project.
This year’s Jubilant regional awards ceremony was held at the Weston Hotel Nairobi Kenya on 30th June. It brought together firms from 10 countries in the Eastern African region including top SMEs and mid-sized top institutions from Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania among other countries in the greater Eastern Africa region.

Jiji, Kenya’s leading online marketplace, announced today that the company was named, 2023 E-commerce Mobile App of the Year Award Winner by E-commerce Awards Body. Judged by prominent industry leaders and experts, the awards program recognizes the most innovative e-commerce companies and individuals who are leading the industry in terms of innovation in software, eCommerce campaigns, and website creativity and technology.
“The e-commerce industry heavily relies on innovation to drive its progress. In order to foster economic growth, companies need to empower more users to start using and transacting online, at the tap of the button,” said Maksym Golubev, Regional Manager, Jiji East Africa. “We are thrilled to be honoured as the mobile app leading this charge and helping trade progress in a seamless way.”

Jiji Kenya’s mobile app stood out due to its user-friendly interface, extensive product range, and going above and beyond to make sure that their customers are satisfied and happy with the platform’s experience, compared to the rest of the e-commerce mobile apps. The app offers a wide array of products and services spanning multiple categories, including and not limited to: cars, properties, electronics, fashion, home appliances, repair services, etc. It offers search and filtering options that allow users to easily find what they need and have a smooth transaction process between the buyer and the seller.

Jiji started its operations in Kenya, in 2019, with the aim of revolutionising the concept of shopping – to provide users with the best online shopping experience. It has been rated as the fastest growing e-commerce company with the highest number of visitors that currently stands at 5m+. The company has become the evidence-based standard of classifieds shopping, being the only classifieds platform among the top 5 e-commerce companies in Kenya.

“From the beginning, Jiji’s purpose has been to improve the lives of sellers and buyers through our platform” said Jiji Kenya’s Head of PR & Marketing, Grace Gikonyo. “Being a 2023 E-commerce Mobile App Award Winner is truly an honour. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire team, who continuously strive to enhance our app’s functionality and user experience. We are grateful to our customers for their trust and support, which has been instrumental in our success.”

As Jiji continues to innovate and evolve, it remains committed to delivering unparalleled convenience, value, and reliability to its users. The recognition as the Best E-commerce Mobile App is a testament to its unwavering dedication to excellence and its mission to transform the way Kenyans buy and sell online.

-Ends-

by Edward Kusewa

Punchline Africa 10th July,

The ECOSOCC Annual Citizens Forum 2023 held in Nairobi,Kenya highlightedj principles, such as citizen participation, accountability, transparency, and the protection of human rights.
The Role of Digital Governance:The forum highlighted the concept of digital governance and its relationship with democracy. Discussions held around digital technologies and the internet transforming citizen-government interactions and created new opportunities for democratic participation.
Empowering Citizens through Digital Technologies

The meeting highlighted Access to Information,the importance of access to information as a fundamental aspect of democratic governance and how digital technologies enable citizens to access public information, promote government transparency, and make informed decisions.In Participation and Engagement Ecosocc
examined the role of digital technologies in enhancing citizen participation and engagement. Discussions around examples of digital platforms that facilitate public consultations, citizen feedback, and collaborative decision-making processes.

Accountability and Transparency:Serious debate around the impact of digital technologies on promoting government accountability and transparency. Explore mechanisms such as open data initiatives, e-procurement systems, and online reporting platforms that enable citizens to monitor government activities.The

Challenges in Digital Governance included
Inequality in Digital Access:
Address the issue of the digital divide, emphasizing how unequal access to digital technologies can exacerbate existing social and economic disparities. Discuss strategies for bridging the digital divide and ensuring inclusive digital governance.About
Privacy and Data Protection:The forum
examined the challenges related to privacy and data protection in the digital age and the importance of safeguarding citizens’ personal information and explore regulatory frameworks and best practices in this domain.

Around Misinformation and Disinformation:The forum
analyzed the spread of misinformation and disinformation online and its impact on democratic processes and the role of digital platforms, social media, and algorithms in amplifying falsehoods and propose strategies for combating misinformation.

The forum also highlighted the best Practices in Democratic Digital Governance and
Open Government Initiatives,such as successful open government initiatives that promote transparency, citizen engagement, and collaboration between government and civil society including the benefits of open data, open policy-making, and citizen-centric service delivery.The E-Participation Platforms discussed ways to explore digital platforms that facilitate citizen participation and engagement in decision-making processes for successful e-participation platforms that enable citizens to voice their opinions, contribute to policy development, and hold governments accountable.On Digital Citizen Education:ECOSOCC
emphasized the importance of digital citizenship education in promoting informed, responsible, and ethical use of digital technologies and initiatives that empower citizens to navigate the digital landscape and critically evaluate information.

ECOSOCC’s Efforts in Promoting Democracy and Digital Governance include:
Awareness Campaigns and Advocacy:ECOSOCC’s efforts in raising awareness about the importance of democracy and digital governance and campaigns and advocacy initiatives undertaken by ECOSOCC to promote citizen empowerment and digital inclusion.

Che-Dreamakers or fondly referred to as the Bigbash Experts, is all smiles after being feted courtesy of Pacesetters awards.
Charly Aseno, the Captain behind the wheel of Che-Dreamakers, had this to say:
“Glory to God!! 🌟✨ 🙏
Che Dreamakers Events were honoured last night with the prestigious award of being pacesetters in the events industry. 🏆
We’re grateful to God and our esteemed clients for the far we’ve come.
Thank you for being part of our success story and we look forward to serving you even better and turning more dreams to reality.”
Che Dreamakers Events is the leading professional events planner that leaves the client ,satisfied and confident enough to bring more referrals courtesy of their exquisite services.
In case you are planning for an event and you would like the services of Che-Dreamakers the Bigbash Experts, don’t hesitate to reach them out on: 0727281442 or 📧 chedreamakersltd@gmail.com
“We promise to give that magical touch to any space you give us to work with.”

By Meresia Aloo

The leading mobile service provider Safaricom (NSE: SCOM), East African Breweries PLC and Vivo have today announced a partnership to launch The Bar and Shell apps on the M-PESA Super App.

EABL’s The Bar app will enable customers to shop for drinks with free delivery or book for a bar setup for parties and make payments through the M-PESA App.

Vivo will provide customers who fuel at Shell outlets with a loyalty app that will automatically be linked to their M-PESA accounts. This means that when a customer fuels and pays with M-PESA, they will receive points to the app based on the payment made through their M-PESA Account. The points can be redeemed for select items and services at Shell outlets.

“We are excited to welcome East African Breweries and Vivo as partners on the M-PESA Super App. The Bar and Shell apps will provide the more than 3 million customers on the app with the increased convenience of shopping online coupled with free deliveries and more value when fuelling at Shell outlets. These partnerships are part of our goal to enable our customers to do more through the M-PESA Super App by connecting them digitally to the different businesses and services on our platform,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO – Safaricom.

The two services are set to be rolled out in coming weeks and join more than 60 other firms that are providing their services through apps hosted on the M-PESA Super App, including government parastatals and counties. Safaricom provides hosting, distribution, and marketing support to the different businesses on the App.

More than 3 million customers use the M-PESA Super App, up from 1.2 million in April 2023. In Safaricom’s latest financial year to April 2023, the Super App processed 489 million transactions with a value of KSh. 1.3 trillion.

By Meresia Aloo

KNATCOM-UNESCO Sec-General and CEO Mr.James Njogu has pleaded with the region to embrace and promote kiswahili as a language and a culture.

While speaking to Journalists in Nairobi he emphasized that embracing swahili as a language brings people together and creates the sense of monumental which should be promoted by all African countries.

All this took place during Global Africa Diaspora Forum the (Kiswahili Day) held in Nairobi today,Mr Njogu recommended the use of Kiswahili language in all our institutions and engagements across continent,he said throgh the language we find our identity of Africa.

He also urged Africans in the diaspora who organised the Kiswahili day to identify swahili as Africa component and said Unesco uses Kiswahili to promote development.

It should be noted that KNATCOM’s mandate is to promote Kenya’s national interests in UNESCO and UNESCO’s international interests in Kenya, regionally and globally in the areas of Education, Sciences, Culture, and Communication and Information.

Mr.Njogu has also called on youths, as well as media to carry it forward by speaking share news and information in order spread the interests of the culture.

More than 900,000 people employed in private sector which is currently worth more than 100billion are set to benefit from training to enhance their skills and use of advanced equipments following the launch of the first ever private security training institution in Eldoret Uasin Gishu county.

Speaking during the launch of the school interior PS Dr. Raymond Omolo has said the government has started a process to issue security force numbers to private guards who will be undergoing training to enable them detect and effectively respond to current and emerging security threats.

The Permanent secretary has also reiterated government commitment to offer protective gear and tactical vehicles to security officers in this financial year 2023/24.

The security training institute named Miale security training institution is set to transform the security sector through its curriculum and training guidelines.

Present during the launch of the institution were Dr Eddyson Nyale County commissioner Uasin Gishu,CEOs and chairpersons of private security firms and union officials of private security firms.