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War of words over poll audit This is what I think about Harambee Stars, says Firat Pg 31 Winning against Qatar not very important; what matters more is how we played Monday, September 11, 2023 NO. www.pd.co.ke // www.epaper.pd.co.ke 07895 Ke nya’s Newspaper NO1. FREE Page 6 Failed rains in their home countries and food insecurity in camps conspire to complicate the lives of displaced persons, making the case for intervention more urgent COP 28 Director-General Majid Al Suwaidi leads representatives from UNHCR, World Food Programme, the Emirates Red Crescent and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on a visit to the Dadaab Refugee camp last weekend. COURTESY PHOTO Row rocks Bomas: Gachagua warns government side will not allow revisiting of election results but Kalonzo hits back, saying DP must not interfere with talks as Ruto, Raila rally their supporters President William Ruto and his deputy, Rigathi Gachagua, address wananchi at Laare Shopping Centre in Meru County yesterday. ELLY OKWARE/PCS I do not want unnecessary noise as my agenda is to unite Kenyans: Ruto Kenya Kwanza has discriminated against some communities: Raila Azimio leader Raila Odinga addresses a gathering at Magena in Kisii town yesterday. PD/ EMMANUEL WANSON REPORTS ON PAGES 4-5

by Douglas Dindi @PeopleDailyKe Leaders from sugarcane growing counties have recommended policy changes to identify sugar as food to facilitate a tax review on farm inputs and factory machinery. This, they said at the weekend, will give local sugar a competitive edge in the regional market. The leaders and farmers faulted the decision to categorise sugar as a commodity, blaming that classification for the heavy taxation resulting in under production and reduced profitability. Kisumu Governor Anyang Nyong’o read the resolutions at the end of the two-day summit held in Kakamega’s Masinde Muliro University (Must) last Saturday. The summit themed: Revitalising the Sugar Sector in Kenya centred discussions on the sugar policy, milling and pricing, debt management and sustainable farming model and sugar sector governance, ownership, legal and regulatory framework. The meeting resolved that government reviews the duty on fertilizer, seed cane and factory machinery to cut down the cost of sugar production. County governments also asked the national government to relinquish its stake in State-owned sugar firms after writing off the liabilities to them and farmers’ outgrowers companies. “County governments need to be involved in management and development of the sugar sector. This is possible if national government exits and in its place, we assume 20 percent of the stake while farmers take 80 percent “ Nyong’o observed. The meeting also resolved to re-establish an industry regulator and reintroduce the abolished Sugar Development Levy (SDL) as well as farmer outgrower companies. SDL, the meeting said would fund cane development and research activities. The summit similarly recommended reintroduction of the sugar zones within the established sugar catchment areas to tame cane poaching menace by rogue millers. Wide berth National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula opened the colloquium last Friday, but invited national government officials gave the meeting a wide berth. Among those absent at the event were Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi who was to close the summit, Finance Cabinet Secretary Prof Njuguna Ndung’u and Agriculture CS Mithika Linturi. Only five governors out of 14-member county Lake Region Economic Bloc (LREB) including the host Fernandez Barasa, Nyong’o, Kenneth Lusaka (Bungoma), Dr Paul Otuoma (Busia) and Ochilo Ayacko (Migori) attended. Less than 15 MPs out of the 100 invited led by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe, who’s the sponsor of the Sugar Bill that comes up for a 3rd reading before the House on Thursday turned up for the conference. 2 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 by Kepher Otieno @PeopleDailyKe Lawmakers from the sugar belt have issued tough ultimatums they want met before the State-run sugar factories are revitalised and commercialised. Legislators ended the discussion on the way forward on the revival of the firms by insisting that the proposed leasing of the factories shouldn’t go beyond 20 years. They were Walter Owino (Awendo), John Odanga (Matayos), Peter Salasya (Mumias East) and Justice Kemei (Soin/Sigowet). The government plans to either lease or revitalize the firms to make them more vibrant and/or profitable. Currently, all the firms are operating at a loss, adding little or no value to the national economy. Forerunning overhead cost of production, accruing debts which currently stand at Sh128 billion, Sh65 billion development loans, Sh1.7 billion debt owed to workers and farmers arrears running into billions were identified as causes of the woes. In their submission to the National Assembly joint committees on Finance and Agriculture chairmen Kuria Kimani and John Mutunga respectively in Kisumu at the weekend, the MPs urged the government to write off the Sh128 billion debt choking the sugar factories. “These historical debts have made the projected growth of the sugar industry a pipe dream for decades,” claimed Owino. Odanga asserted that cane farmers and the industry stakeholders have waited for years for the debts to be cleared in vain, despite the sector’s immense contribution to the national agricultural Gross Domestic Product. (GDP). “Each general election cycle, the sugar sector politics have been featuring with a promise to revive the mills in vain. We hope this time, the State is serious from actions we are seeing happening,” said Odanga. The sugar industry in Kenya contributes about 15 percent to the agricultural GDP and 2.75 percent of National GDP, besides 6HWWOHVXJDUILUPVGHEWV EHIRUHOHDVLQJVD\03V Lawmakers from sugar belt also demand to vet strategic investors before they take over the firms providing direct and indirect employment to more than eight million people in the sugar belt, which, the MPs said shouldn’t be ignored. The MPs also told the government that if they want the factories leased as was proposed in the National Sugar Task Force, then they must state who the strategic investors would be for them to be thoroughly vetted by industry experts to keep sugar cartels at bay. The State has options to either lease the firms or by offloading their share ratios to the public through initial public offering, albeit only after clearing their dirty balance sheet to make them relevant and attractive to new investors. “This is why, we insist that the debt portfolios be cleared, including that owed to farmers and workers and suppliers or creditors arrears before new investors move in,” said Owino. Odanga, Salasya, Owino and Kemei said they will not allow new investors to lease the firms before the issues raised are rationalised. Kimani team has two weeks to report their findings and suggestions to revitalize the industry as part of renewed commitment by President William Ruto Bottom up Economic Transformation Agenda (Beta). Already, the sugar Directorate has developed Miwa Bora App as part of efforts to revive the industry. The App will enable farmers to access approved and localised information conveniently from the KALRO Sugar Research Institute through their mobile handsets. Kimani assured the industry leaders that they will table their recommendations to the assembly for action. /HDGHUVVHHNSURGXFH FODVVLILHGDVIRRGWR HQMR\IDYRXUDEOHWD[ National Assembly Finance committee chairman Kuria Kimani with his Agriculture counterpart Dr John Mutunga address the press in Kisumu on Thursday. They were seeking views on how to revitalise the sugar sector. PD/KEPHER OTIENO IN SUMMARY The government plans to either lease or revitalize the firms to make them more vibrant and/or profitable. Accruing debts which currently stand at Sh128 billion, Sh65 billion development loans, Sh1.7 billion debt owed to workers and farmers arrears running as well into billions. WORLD NEWS Page 17 Morocco earthquake death toll rises amid devastation OPINION Page 11 Concerns in Sacco sector demand quick attention POINTERS WEATHER TODAY Nairobi 26° Mombasa 29° Kisumu 26° Nyeri 23° Kitui 26° Wajir 36° 3ROLFHFRPPHQFHSUREHDIWHUSXSLOIRXQGLQWHDFKHU·VKRXVH by Zadock Angira @PeopleDailyKe A nine-year-old pupil who was abducted by his teacher on Friday has been rescued in Nairobi’s Kayole estate. The teacher who is yet to be arrested is said to have left the school with the Grade 3 pupil and is believed to have colluded with some people, including a colleague at the same school. They later made calls to the parents demanding a Sh10 million ransom. The pupil’s father had gone to fetch his son from school when he found him missing. He was later informed that his class teacher had left the school in the company of the minor Friday evening. Efforts to trace the teacher proved futile only for the father to receive a call from abductors who were demanding a Sh10 million ransom. Thorough operation This prompted the father to make a report at Buruburu police station. Police say a team of detectives drawn from the Nairobi Region Command in collaboration with those from DCI Buruburu launched a thorough operation in Kayole Sabasaba area, leading to the rescue of the minor who had been locked in a room believed to have been rented by another teacher. The teacher also works in the same school with the main suspect. Police say they are looking for the missing teacher adding that one suspect Fredrick Odhiambo (pictured) was arrested. The minor was later reunited with his family. A team is investigating if the teachers are involved in other crimes. Cases of abduction have been on a decline following police operations. IN SUMMARY County governments also asked the national government to relinquish its stake in State-owned sugar firms after writing off the liabilities profitable.

Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT 3 by Dennis Lumiti @PeopleDailyKe Police were yesterday holding four teachers over an arson attack that razed down the administration block at Lugala Primary School in Shinyalu Constituency, Kakamega County. The four were being detained at Shisasari Police Station in connection with burning of the block over alleged bad blood between them and their head teacher. Wananchi from the area woke up to a horrific morning on Saturday after word went round that the school had been invaded by unknown people the previous night and razed down. Some of the pupils and their parents broke down into tears upon seeing the damage. “I was yet to pick the KCPE certificate of my son who left this school last year. I am devastated because we are told all of them have been destroyed in the fire,” said a parent, amid tears. Shinyalu Police boss Daniel Mukumbu confirmed that the teachers had been arrested for questioning. “Our investigations point at an insider job that was hatched for some reasons that we are yet to establish. We are questioning the suspects and shall make a final decision after our investigations,” he said. School buildings The arsonists left posters on the school buildings and gate which narrated their grievances towards the head teacher. These included, “Sexual harassment of women and female teachers, illegal levies and fees, abuse of public office, theft of school cows and learners’ lunch and claims to have control of the entire education office in the sub-county.” They also listed poor academic performance, punishing of female teachers who declined his sexual overtures and interfering with the early Childhood Development program at the institution. But the head teacher who identified himself as Victor Ingosi, dismissed all the allegations saying he was being fought due to his strict style of administration. “I took over this school when there was widespread laziness and lethargy among teachers, which affected academic performance,” the head teacher said. 3ROLFHGHWDLQ IRXUWHDF`HUV RYHUVXVSHFWHG VF`RRODUVRQ ¹LºKWIRUER¼FKLOGHDUQV3DVWRU¸RUFDVD»DUG by Julius Ongwae @PeopleDailyKe Pastor Dorcas on Friday night received an award during the Africa Public Sector Awards and Conference Awards (APSCA) 2023 at a Nairobi hotel. She received the ‘Outstanding Catalyst in Vulnerable Empowerment Award’ following her work with the boy child, widows and orphans, and people with disabilities in Kenya. The organisers of the ceremony, led by the Founder and CEO of Instinct Wave Akin Naphtal of APSCA applauded Pastor Dorcas for continued efforts towards empowering the boy child, making it a conversation in the nation. The awards recognised individuals, departments and ministries in the public service that have worked selflessly for the betterment of society, as another climax to the Africa Climate Summit 2023. Public sector The awardees were from different African countries, and included Ghana Library Authority (Most Promising Public Sector Agency of the Year), and Kenya Revenue Authority (Public Sector Brand of the Year), among others. Pastor Dorcas appreciated her family, and especially the husband for the constant support and encouragement in her work. Encouragement and support “I appreciate my husband, the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, for 35 years who has always been supportive because I would not have made it, even to those drug dens without his encouragement and support; together with my boy children,” said Pastor Dorcas. She also appreciated all the partners and individuals who had stepped forward to give back to the vulnerable in their different situations. As Patron of the Special Olympics Kenya, Pastor Dorcas took time to support the team in Berlin, which comprised those who are specially abled. “I also cannot take this award and say it’s mine, the work you’ve seen is collaboration of many partners and people who have believed in my vision and have worked hand in hand; including ministries and government departments. Drive to support the vulnerable Ahadi Kenya Trust CEO Stanley Kamau (right) and Murang’a County CEC Youth and Gender Noah Gachucha (left) distribute assorted foodstuff to Emilicana Wambui , 99, (2nd left) and Susan Nyaruiru , 85, at Wanjohi Vocational Training Centre in Kiria-ini, Mathioya Constituency in Muranga County on Saturday during community sensitisation drive for elderly, disabled, vulnerable and orphans to register for Inua Jamii programme to allow them the benefits of the government monthly cash transfer for the poor and vulnerable citizens. Over 200 local elderly and persons living with disabilityreceived the funds. PD/REBECCAH WANGARI by Wycliff Kipsang @cliffsang08 The fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in West Pokot County has received a big boost after the government of Finland and the Alale community, through World Vision Kenya constructed a multimillion first ever girls safe house at Kacheliba constituency. Many young girls in the remote areas of the vast county have in the past became victims of retrogressive cultural practices including FGM and early forced marriages. This had prompted many girls to escape from their homes and schools after undergoing the practice and even being forcefully married off by their parents who view them as a source of wealth. The safe house for girls will ensure that those who are at risk of FGM remain in school. World Vision Programs Manager in West Pokot County Tom Masinde said the dormitory was constructed at a cost of Sh5.1 million and will accommodate 42 bunk beds, with a capacity for more than 100 girls. It is also self-contained having in built bathroom and toilet facilities. People Daily established that Alale ward which borders Uganda is more than 200 kilometres away from Kapenguria town and has been a hibernation site for FGM and early forced marriage perpetrators who also cross over to hide in the neighbouring country because of the porous border. “The dormitory is a safe house where the girls will have their safety and can continue learning uninterrupted from harmful cultural practices like FGM and early marriages,” said Masinde. He said the dormitory has two water storage tanks with a capacity of 10,000 and 5,000 litres. Empower girls In addition to saving girls and bringing them to school, Masinde said the organization will also train girls in life skills so that in a bid to empower them to make wise decisions. “By training girls, they will be the trainers of other children. They will serve as role models to other kids and be able to influence girls not to undergo FGM or accept early marriages and instead attend school,” said the official. According to Masinde, during the school holidays, the Board of Management (BOM) normally takes care of the children believed to be at risk of undergoing FGM and early marriages by hosting them in school. _HVW3RNRWJHWVVDIH `RXVHIRU]^0YLFWLPV This boosts the safety for young girls who are still affected by retrogressive cultural practices REACTIONS “The new dormitory will go a long way in inspiring girls to value education. And they will settle and study peacefully without any form of disturbance from outside and achieve their academic goals as they prepare for their future with hope,” said Alale Girls’ boarding primary school head teacher Evaline Chenang’at. My parents did not go to school and had no idea of education. They wanted me to undergo FGM but I escaped. I’m happy about the safe house as it will enable me to pursue my dreams. We promise to work hard,” said Esther Cheruto, class eight pupil at Alale Girls primary. The organisation has also supported the school with a posho mill to generate income and support the community adjacent to the school so that they do not have to walk long distances. “Members of the community use the posho mill to grind their food at subsidised prices, and in the process, the school generates income for their activities,” said Masinde. West Pokot Deputy Governor Robert Komolle who presided over the commissioning of the building with World Vision Finland Chief Executive Officer Annette Gothoni over the weekend said the newly constructed dormitory will help protect the girl from dropping out of school due to early marriages, pregnancies or FGM.

4 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 bXWRDOOLHVGHPDQG DXGLWRISROOVVWUXFN RXWRIaRPDVWDONV by Dorcas Mbatia, Anthony Mwangi and Robert Ochoro @PeopleDailyKe Kenya Kwanza leaders have thrown a spanner in the works of the Bomas of Kenya talks by demanding removal of the audit of the 2022 election from the agenda if the bipartisan talks are to progress. Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua kicked off the debate in a church service also attended by President William Ruto. Although the President appeared to take a middle ground on the matter, his lieutenants appeared well prepared to have the item removed from the five-point agenda agreed on last week. Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro who spoke before the DP dismissed the dialogue saying the opposition was only focused on a power-sharing deal and not the interest of Kenyans. “We are telling our friends to stop dreaming. We know they only want ‘nusu mkate’ government and this they should forget completely. We cannot continue talking about a general election that was concluded and the President was sworn in,” said Nyoro. Speaking in Laare, Igembe North during a thanksgiving church service, Gachagua pleaded with his boss to block the dialogue if the agenda is not dropped. “There is no constitutional mandate to audit 2022 election if Azimio leader Raila Odinga and his team are not ready to drop that agenda then we are saying there should be no dialogue,” said Gachagua. The DP further said it was against his wishes and millions of Kenyans to allow the talks to continue saying many were okay with the rest of the agenda but were opposed to any issue to do with the 2022 elections. “I and millions of Kenyans were not comfortable when you agreed to have the dialogue with the opposition but they can continue as long as they don’t discuss 2022 election. Any election talk should be to do with 2027 polls,” added Gachagua. The Bomas talks which are set to resume today revolve around the cost of living, audit of the 2022 Presidential Election Results, restructuring and reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) and related matters, measures to prevent interference with political parties and outstanding constitutional matters - governance issues, adequate checks and balances, and the question of boundaries delimitation. Protect our democracy But speaking in Kisii, Wiper party leader, who is also the Azimio principal negotiator asked Gachagua to keep off the talks. Kalonzo accused Gachagua of interfering with the on-going talks and told him to leave the team alone for the negotiations to go on. “These are negative voices. Kenya must move forward as a united nation. We want to protect our democracy so that we do not relapse into coups like the ones in the Sahel region” Kalonzo said in the presence of Raila. “If the Deputy President has an agenda he wants the Bomas team to handle, he should present it to us for discussion instead of speaking outside the negotiations. We must defend our democracy,” said Kalonzo who indicated the bi-partisan talks will resume today. Kisii governor Simba Arati told Kenya Kwanza leaders to respect the Azimio la Umoja ones and advised Gachagua to stop insulting Raila adding that if he continues, governors will protest. He said the country has challenges and it was only Raila who will push the government to ensure devolution works to benefit Kenyans. But Gachagua further accused the opposition of trying to gain power through the back door saying the agenda number one to be tabled for talks should focus on climate change and not power and leadership. In his address, President Ruto took a neuLeaders say Azimio should forget about it, insist there is no constitutional mandate to scrutinise 2022 election tral stance saying he had no problem with the dialogue as long as there is no destruction of property belonging to Kenyans. “I have no problem with the dialogue with our friends, it is good to have an opposition that corrects the government. I am even ready to set them a big office and buy them a trumpet to blow every morning and announce to us where we are going wrong and I will be ready to correct myself but if it focuses on empty noise that one I will just ignore,” said Ruto. The Head of State noted his government was only focused on positive transformation of the nation and growth of the country and not unnecessary noise. “Allow the opposition to do its work but I don’t want to waste more time on unnecessary noise. My agenda is to unite and change this country economically and accomplish the Bottom Up Economic Transformation agenda (Beta),” he added. State appointments In Kisii, Raila also steered clear of the matter but accused Kenya Kwanza leaders of unfairness in sharing out government top government jobs and taking over county functions terming it wrong and unacceptable. The former Prime Minister cited the appointment of 51 Chief Administrative Secretaries, saying none was appointed from the Gusii community. Speaking at a church service at Ichuni Catholic Church in Bomachoge Borabu constituency, Kisii county, Raila said members of the Kisii community pay taxes saying that they also deserve the appointments. “No Kisii was appointed a CAS. What did they do? They are Kenyans and also pay taxes,” Raila said adding that he was against tribalism. The Azimio leader, who also graced a funds drive for Omobera SDA mixed boarding primary school also blamed the government for spearheading the housing projects and industrial parks, saying that they should be handled by county governments. The former Prime Minister lauded members of the Kisii community for voting for him in the last general election, claiming he was rigged out and the matter was being handled by the bipartisan team. He said Azimio leaders support devolution and urged the Kenya Kwanza government to channel funds to counties to implement projects stressing that he will not allow the government to misuse governors. Raila faulted the government for hiking university fees saying that majority of poor parents will not manage it, sentiments echoed by Ayacko. He said the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition wants all qualified children to join university. Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka (right) with Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga address a public rally at Magena market in Kisii county, yesterday. PD/ROBERT OCHORO IN BRIEF The Bomas talks which are set to resume today revolve around the cost of living, audit of the 2022 Presidential Election Results, restructuring and reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and related matters. Bomas talks Co Chairman Kalonzo Musyoka accused Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of interfering with the on-going talks and told him to leave the team alone for the negotiations to go on. In his address, President Ruto took a neutral stance saying he had no problem with the dialogue as long as there is no destruction of property belonging to Kenyans. by Mathew Ndung’u @PeopleDailyKe Construction of the 68km ThikaMang’u-Flyover Road will not stall and will be completed without hitches, Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has assured. The Sh2.1 billion project that was projected to link Kiambu, Murang’a and Nyandarua counties has been facing headwinds since it was started over four years ago and has been at the centre of protests by users who have been demanding action by the government. Having already injected sufficient resources into the project, CS Murkomen who spoke at Kamwangi village after inspecting its construction assured that the contractor is working round the clock to complete it on time. He allayed fears that the road will stall and subject residents and motorists to months or years of suffering insisting that the challenges initially being faced by the contractor have been resolved saying the road whose construction commenced in 2019 will spur economic activities along the areas it passes through. “It is shameful that Kamwangi is the headquarters of Gatundu North but there is dust all over 0XUNRPHQDVVXUHVUHVLGHQWV RIVWDOOHGURDGFRPSOHWLRQ ¾DPER¿DÀR»VWRFRQWLQXHFULWLFLVLQº½WDWH by Yusuf Masibo @PeopleDailyKe Bumula MP Jack Wamboka (left) has vowed to continue putting President William Ruto’s government on its toes despite him being a staunch ally of National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula. Speaking at Siboti Secondary School during the constituency education day, the MP said he would not stop criticising the government where it goes wrong. He said his noise will enable the county get development and other incentives from the national government. “I will not relent on advising this government where it goes wrong,” vowed Wamboka. Bungoma MPs had asked Wamboka to stop criticising President Ruto’s government all the time. Led by Sirisia’s John Waluke, the MPs told Wamboka Bungoma was part of the current government and he should stop fighting it on daily basis. “We are in government and when you attack it, you are attacking Speaker Wetang’ula,” said Waluke. Waluke, the chairman of western Kenya MPs caucus, told Wamboka he should not attack the government and at the same time he wants development from it. However, Wamboka, a DAP Kenya MP stated that he would carry out positive criticism of the government. “My colleagues should not get worried as my criticism will make their areas get development,” he said.

Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT 5 ÁDUDVDVKUXºRIIÄWXUQFRDW·WDºRÀHU KLVOLQ¿V»LWKUXOLQºÂHQ¼D»DQÃD by Dennis Lumiti @PeopleDailyKe Kakamega governor Fernandes Barasa has found himself between the proverbial rock and hard place owing to his dalliances with leaders allied to the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance. Barasa (pictured) was elected on the ODM ticket under Azimio La Umoja coalition in the August 29, 2022 elections and went ahead to take over as the Orange party’s county chairman. He has since, however, aligned himself more with leaders allied to Kenya Kwanza. This has raised a storm in the county with ODM leaders now branding him a turncoat. People Daily has established that the governor could face sanctions from his party this week. UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malalah opened the can of worms on Saturday when he claimed that Barasa had told President William Ruto that he will support his re-election in 2027. “I am happy that you agreed to support the President now and in 2027. I will do the same for you if you stick by your word,” Malalah told Barasa during the launch of the county chief’s tournament in Navakholo constituency. But political commentators said yesterday that it was telling that Barasa never responded to the assertions at the venue but chose another forum in Shinyalu constituency to respond, a day later. “I am in ODM to stay and rumours that I am warming up to UDA are falsehoods,” he said when he presided over a fundraiser at St. Agnes Mukulusu Catholic Church. Interestingly, he was being hosted by Shinyalu MP Fred Ikana who is a Kenya Kwanza insider. Barasa, Ikana and Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali, also of ODM, instead vowed to unite in push for development. They said they would work together to ensure the county benefited from the Kenya Kwanza administration. The leaders said they would not be dictated by their political persuasions but forge a unity of purpose whose main objective is to achieve their development goals. Backlash “I am the ODM chairman in Kakamega County while my brother Ikana is the ANC boss. Shinali is the chairman of the Parliamentary Group in our County and was elected on the ODM ticket,” said Barasa. He added: “We have, however, resolved to put our political affiliations behind us and decided to focus more on what unites and not what divides us. That is our development agenda.” Ikana and Shinali said they had already achieved a lot together since last year’s elections due to their close working relationship. Barasa is facing a backlash from mainly his predecessor Wycliffe Oparanya, who is the ODM Deputy Party leader, and Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda who are demanding that he quits Azimio. Muhanda has declared her interest in the governorship and is believed to have the blessings of Oparanya. by PD Reporter @PeopleDailyKe Over the last two months, President William Ruto has made whistle-stop-tours in at least 30 counties, launching and inspecting development projects and addressing rallies, raising questions over whether the tours have anything to do with the 2027 elections. The latest was his visit to Meru yesterday. Ruto’s handlers insist that the activities are purely meant for development and explaining his achievements to the people. But his critics say the President is actually campaigning. Interestingly, the President appears keen to endear himself to regions that sparingly voted for him in last year’s elections. Between July 1 and August 31, Ruto toured Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma, Busia, Nyamira, Kisii, Baringo, Nakuru, Narok, Kiambu, Uasin Gishu, Kirinyaga, Nyeri, Murang’a, Machakos, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kwale, Tana River, Lamu, Nairobi, Isiolo, Meru, Taita Taveta, Kericho, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Tharaka Nithi, Kitui, Elgeyo Marakwet and Makueni counties. He also visited Vihiga, Nakuru, Kisii, Narok, Kajiado, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Machakos and Mombasa at least two times over the same period. On Saturday, Ruto embarked on a whirlwind tour of Nyeri, beginning with the opening of a UDA office at Ruring’u and the launch of the construction of Bunguret-Muriru Road in Kieni. He later addressed residents at Bunguret shopping centre before gracing the thanksgiving service for Energy and Petroleum Principal Secretary Alex Wachira. Yesterday, he was in Meru where he attended a church service at Laare, Igembe North, before addressing road side rallies. Sources told People Daily that the President is this week scheduled to tour some parts of Ukambani. “The President is using these tours to feel the pulse of the nation... get to know their challenges and their thinking about the government. He has been out there to explain to the people what he is doing and the direction he wants the country to take,”says political analyst Javan Bigambo. Trump style But Azimio leaders accuse Ruto of using State resources to campaign instead of focusing on service delivery. “It is unfortunate we don’t have a president but a campaigner. This is the first time we are having a President, barely a year into office, on a campaign trail. Kibaki, Moi and even the Kenyattas never did that,” says Saboti MP Caleb Amisi. Analysts are comparing Ruto’s tours to similar activities when he was Deputy President when he crisscrossed the country donating millions of shillings to churches and launching projects. “It is this early vigorous campaign that catapulted him to the most powerful seat bXWRWRXUVc_RUNLQJRUYRWH`XQWLQJd President has been on whirlwind visits around the country since he was elected one year ago President William Ruto speaks during an inter-denominational church service in Laare, Meru County, yesterday. ELLY OKWARE/PCS in Kenya and this is what he is trying to repeat ahead of 2027,” says Bigambo. But Prof Gitile Naituli of the MultiMedia University accuses Ruto of inculcating a culture of continuous campaigns. “As the country’s chief executive, he should give us the signal that electioneering ended last year and it is now for people to settle down and work,” says Naituli. He says the President is taking his “tours too far”. MAN ON THE MOVE Ruto tours have seen him presiding over events that include thanksgiving of Interior PS Raymond Omollo and Commissioning of the Kimugu Water Project in Belgut. He also commissioned the upgrading of Isiolo Town Roads and attended thanksgiving and prize-giving day of Mùgoiri Girls High School. “Why should the President issue title deeds or launch a water project? He should leave such assignments to his juniors,” says Naituli. Another political analyst, Mark Bichachi, says the President has been making forays in opposition strongholds as “a political insurance” so that in case Mt Kenya revolts against him in 2027, he will have already built alternative footholds. “He knows very well that he cannot sit pretty relying on the Mt Kenya vote the same way he did in 2022 and so he wants to endear himself to areas such as Western, Ukambani and Coast so that in the event of Central bolting out, he is safe,” says Bichachi. Raila’s reacts Bichachi says Ruto seems to have borrowed a leaf from former US President Donald Trump who spent all his four years in office on the campaign trail. The President’s visits have propelled Opposition leader Raila Odinga into motion. Ruto’s main rival in last year’s elections has been making several forays in his strongholds, seemingly to counter Ruto. Yesterday, Raila was in Kisii, where he began with a roadside meet and greetthe-people tour at Magena market, attended a Sunday service at Ichuni Parish in Bomachoge/Borabu and later presided over a funds drive at Ombena Mixed Boarding Primary School. Later, Raila addressed crowds at Kenyenya Township and various stopovers in the county. The previous day, Raila was in Migori.

ÂDÅLDGRFRPPXQLWLHVDGDSWHGXFDWLRQWRºXDUDQWHHIRRGVHFXULW¼ by Christine Musa @PeopleDailyKe In an effort to build climate resilience and ensure food security among the indigenous Maasai community living in Kajiado, various stakeholders have embarked on a unique adaptation education campaign. With learners retention in schools reported to be relatively low due to hunger, education has been adversely been affected due to an acute food insecurity. Following the hunger in schools challenge, a pilot farming project has been launched at Ildamat Boys high school. The five-acre piece of land under cultivation is a food sustainable initiative intended to be replicated in other schools. The initiative courtesy of QuickMart Supermarket and other partners is also geared towards empowering the learners on farming skills. Community members are also eligible for free trainings from agronomy experts to facilitate them from adopting to change. “Most locals here depend on livestock to eke a living. The source of livelihood is at stake and empowering them on best adaptation initiatives is key. Empowering communities is crucial rather than offering them relief food aid. The empowerment initiatives should be taught in schools to ensure learners adopt skills learnt in school to benefit and adjust to the changing weather patterns,’’ said Wamaitha Betty Wamaitha, Quick Mart, head of marketing. Locals optimism Speaking during the launch of the project dubbed Kilimo Shuleni, locals expressed optimism that the initiative will boost learner’s food security and bridge farming skills gaps among locals in Kajiado Central Sub County. Kajiado County experienced dare effects of drought which left families in abject poverty after hundreds of livestock succumbed to hunger. According to county director of education Martin Cheruyiot learners dropping out of school due to hunger is a major challenge affecting access to education. Cheruyiot says such initiatives are key in boosting livelihoods which in turn act as key education enablers. “Learners in Kajiado are in dire need of food. The hunger has been occasioned by effect of drought and some families in the rural set can barely afford a meal. School feeding program is becoming key in retaining learners in school. We are delighted when we get such initiatives that promote food production, “said Cheruyiot. The pilot drip irrigation project will kick off in a 5-acre piece of land which will utilise the school solar powered water borehole. The public secondary school is among 20 institutions in the remote Constituency predominately occupied by pastoralist. Most of the institution have huge chunks of unutilised land and a water borehole. The sub county also boosts of numerous boreholes but locals are yet to embrace farming. by George Kebaso @PeopleDailyKe The distance between Nairobi and Abu Dhabi, Dubai – the host country for this year’s UN-led climate talks – is approximately 3558.26km, about five hours and a half by air, meaning totally unreachable for poor citizens of East Africa and the Horn of Africa trying to survive the impact of climate change. However, for 33-year-old Hajira Abdullaji, a mother of nine and now seven months pregnant for her child number 10, last Sunday, a day before the Africa Climate Summit kicked off, the distance was an arms’ length. She met the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties 28 (COP 28) delegation, and shared her tough experiences navigating the impact of drought that saw almost all her livelihood wiped out. The delegation is on a global listening tour, and collecting evidence ahead of the Climate Talks in Dubai later in the year. One year ago, Hajira, also travelling with an 80-year-old female family member, landed in the Dadaab refugee camp after travelling for two days 10 hrs 50 min - a distance of 597.4km by road fleeing Baardheere, southwestern Gedo region in the Jubaland State of Somalia. COP28 director general, Amb Majid Al Suwaidi recounted to the People Daily on his delegation’s visit to Dadaab where they met three groups including Hajira and her family. People on the ground “Our visit to Dadaab was an extension of our listening tour globally, going to meet those people on the ground; in their homes, speak to them, to hear what they are saying, and get the feedback,” he said, expressing shock at the vulnerability and abjectness he witnessed while at the camp. COP 28 Director General, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi leads a delegation comprising representatives from UNHCR, World Food Programme, Emirates Red Crescent and GAD on a visit to the Dadaab Refugee camp last Sunday. COURTESY ]LJ`WLQJgOLPDWH g`DQJHLQ`DUGe `LWhRUQRIfIULFD Communities left struggling as full effect of failed rains, drought and deaths leave poor reeling The delegation to Dadaab courtesy of the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) met with three different groups including Hajira and her family. Their story was consistent and highlighted the impact of climate-influenced drought. “The last person I met is a woman, an individual who had crossed the border with her nine children and she was pregnant,” Al Suwaidi revealed, saying asking her how long she had been at the camp, she replied ‘for a year’ “.....and when I asked what drove her and her young children there, again she said how she was driven out by drought; she had lost almost all her livestock and other livelihood,” he added. The family, Al Suwaidi said of the delegation’s findings, also had 40 goats and 10 cows and eventually remained with only 10 goats and five cows. “She told me that the family had sold all their livestock to pay for transportation to Kenya,” he said. From Hajira, the COP 28 delegation learnt that farmers who grew maize; sesame, sorghum, beans and vegetables such as okra, tomatoes and red chilli, lost everything. Catastrophic consequences The Horn of Africa and EAC regions are facing the worst drought in more than four decades, with catastrophic consequences and worsened by failed seasonal rains. And as governments; the private sector, policy makers and civil society organisations are headed to Abu Dhabi, Dubai between November 31 and December 10, the question is; will the concerns of Hajira; her family and the other Africans hit by the Climaterelated impact, be addressed? “I was shocked by the fact that there are 300 people living in this small area within the camp that we visited,” Ali Suwaida said, adding; “and so as much as they are immigrants and living in the same environment experiencing drought; they are in fragile situations, exacerbated by the influx of these communities and the environmental consequences.” His delegation learned that after the drought affected their crops, Hajira depended on casual work such as washing 6 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 by Alvin Mwangi @PeopleDailyKe Nairobi County Government has assured city residents of safety meassures in place to mitigate the potential negative effects of predicted El Nino rains. The county, which has scheduled a briefing tomorrow to disclose strategies taken to deal with the phenomena, says the impending unusual rains have raised concerns about potential floods, landslides, and other natural disasters that could hit the city hard. In response to this looming threat, Nairobi City County has devised a comprehensive disaster management plan to address the anticipated impacts and support the citizens in responding effectively to the crisis,” the county said in a statement The county was, however, quick to point out that collaboration between government agencies, local communities, and relevant stakeholders will be crucial in ensuring a successful disaster management plan. “This event will provide an opportunity to gain insights into the NCCGs preparedness and response strategies, as well as to engage with the multiagency team in charge of the Nairobi City disaster management,” City Hall said of the briefing planned for Monday and which will be graced by Governor Johnson Sakaja (pictured). The Governor will also unveil the recently recruited Green Nairobi team that was awarded employment letters, the county’s public service board who will be deployed to all 17 sub counties. Kenya Meteorological Department has warned of heavy downpour across the country from October to December, owing to the El Nino climate phenomenon. iDLURELSXWV FRQWLQJHQF\ PHDVXUHVIRU IRUHFDVWUDLQV people’s clothes and cleaning their houses for food and water for the family. At the time, Hajira was breastfeeding her 9-month-old baby boy Anas Abukar. “So we need to start thinking about how these people - who have slightly contributed nothing to the problem that’s impacting them the most by climate change - how do we have to improve their situation and respond to the impacts of climate change on their lives,” Al Suwaidi told People Daily, echoing a joint declaration by African heads of state that time for talk is over, and practical solutions were needed. He said the solutions being sought are already at the world’s disposal, and only focused political goodwill is what is needed and fulfilment of pledged commitments. “Those people are not waiting for COP 29 for solutions because what we need to sort out this mess is available. We know what needs to be done,” he said, highlighting that what people need to come out of the situation they are in, are quite common basic solutions. Another group his delegation met was composed of a group of young women who spoke up and said how they were lacking access to safe sanitation; sharing one latrine for 100 people, often subjected to the risk of harassment and violence as they simply tried to access sanitation. “There are people who are suffering the effects of climate change at the very basic level, and this process needs to serve them first, “ he said of the numerous Climate talks. Another group was a local Kenyan population, who were in that area impacted by this influx of refugees HORN PREPARES FOR COP28 UN delegation is on a global listening tour, and collecting evidence ahead of the Climate Talks in Dubai later in the year. Lehe Horn of Africa and EAC regions are facing the worst drought in more than four decades, with catastrophic consequences and worsened by failed seasonal rains. African leaders are proposing new global taxes and reforms to international financial institutions to help fund climate change action, setting up their negotiating position ahead of November’s COP28 summit

Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY 7

8 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 by Anthony Mwangi @PeopleDailyKe The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition challenging the election of Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi and his deputy Ahmed Mohamed Abdi. The petition had been filed by Governor Abdullahi’s rival Hassan Mohamed Adam. The Supreme Court’s decision aligns with the earlier ruling by the Court of Appeal, which had also struck out a similar petition on the grounds that it violated Rule 6 of The Court of Appeal (Election Petition) Rules, 2017, which requires all appeals to be initiated through a notice of appeal. Supreme Court Judges Martha Koome, Philemona Mwilu, Njoki Ndungu, Isaac Lenaola and William Ouko upheld the Court of Appeal’s decision. Appellate judges Daniel Musinga, Hellen Omondi and Ngenye Macharia had initially dismissed the appeal filed by Adam, citing a lack of a proper notice of appeal. Dissatisfied with the appellate court decision, Adam through his lawyers Kioko Kilukumi, Paul Nyamodi and Issa Mansur sought recourse at the Supreme Court, which holds jurisdiction over appeals lodged under Article 163(4) (a) of the Constitution. Article 163(4) (a) allows appeals to the Supreme Court as a matter of right in cases involving the interpretation or application of the Constitution. “Having considered the appeal, the notice of motion and the parties’ respective submissions thereto, as advanced by their respective advocates on record, we find no justifiable reasons to interfere with the Ruling of the Court of Appeal,” reads part of the ruling. The ruling further states: “Accordingly, the appellant’s appeal is hereby struck out with costs to the respondents.” Adam’s journey to the Supreme Court began after a three-judge bench at the Appellate Court dismissed his petition on the grounds of violating Rule Six of the Court of Appeal (Election Petition) Rules. Adam then moved to the Supreme Court after a three-judge bench sitting at the Appellate Court dismissed his petition for offending rule six of the Court of Appeal (Election Petition) rules 2017, which requires that all appeals be initiated by way of a notice. Earlier in the year, Adam suffered a blow after the High Court upheld the election of Governor Abdullahi. The petitioner had alleged several illegalities and irregularities in the conduct of the elections, which included intimidation and misinformation of voters, gross discrepancies in the statutory forms, improper tallying and tabulation of results, failure to deploy KIEMS kits and inflation of vote numbers through the use of supervisor method of voter identification. Dismissed with costs The Governor and IEBC denied all the allegations as was set out in the petition, maintaining that the elections were backed by an elaborate electoral management system in compliance with various electoral laws, which system included several layers of safeguards to ensure an open, transparent, participatory and accountable system to guarantee free and fair elections pursuant to the Constitution. Upon hearing the petition, the trial court dismissed the petition with costs and upheld the election of Abdullahi and Abdi as Governor and Deputy Governor respectively. Aggrieved by that outcome, Adam filed the appeal on grounds that the gubernatorial elections were not conducted in accordance with the constitution, or the requisite election laws and regulations, as there were several breaches of the law, which fatally affected the integrity of the election, and the trial court was in error in its findings. Abdullahi’s rival Hassan Adam had filed case in the apex court after High and Appeallate courts rejected petition 6XSUHPHgRXUWXS`ROGV _DMLUJRYHUQRUjVYLFWRU\ PETITIONER’S CLAIMS The petitioner alleged illegalities and irregularities in the conduct of the elections, which included intimidation and misinformation of voters, discrepancies in the statutory forms and improper tallying and tabulation of results. He also claimed that there was failure to deploy KIEMS kits and inflation of vote numbers through the use of supervisor method of voter identification. Promoting literacy Kenya Literature Bureau (KLB) Corporate communications Manager Diana Olinja (right) with KLB’s Assistant Customer Service Manager Joseph Nyiri (second right) join teachers and students of St. Justino Secondary School in Nairobi to display text books donated by the Kenya Literature Bureau management during celebrations to mark the International Literacy Day. PD/BERNARD MALONZA ÉÌÆËÊÈERVVWHVWLILHVLQ½KÇELOOLRQIUDXGFDVH by Alphonce Mung’ahu @PeopleDailyKe Former National Land Commission (NLC) vice-chair Abigael Mbagaya has told a Nairobi court that a disputed parcel of land worth about Sh1 billion in Nairobi’s Donholm Estate belongs to Gidjoy Investment Limited. While being cross-examined by defence lawyer George Gilbert last week, Mbagaya told Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina that the land in dispute, where four people among them a former chief are charged with land fraud amounting to Sh944 million, belongs to the investment firm. Asked whether she knows for a fact if the land in question belongs to Gidjoy Investment Ltd which is the complainant in the case, the former NLC boss reiterated that the suit property belongs to the investment firm. “Yes the land belongs to Gidjoy. From what I can remember, I received some documents during NLC hearing in 2016 before we were stopped by the court,” she said. Mbagaya told the court that no determination was made by NLC on the ownership dispute brought before it. Earlier, Mbagaya said NLC received a complaint from Nairobi county government to establish if the piece of land in question was public land. Mbagaya was testifying in a case in which four officials of the Sowesava self-help group have been charged with conspiracy to defraud Gidjoy Investment Limited 11.8 acres of land valued at Sh1 billion. The four include former Chief of Kayole in Nairobi Alexander Hoops, Peter Gitau Muiruri, Peter Njoroge Kanika and Patrobas Awino. Two MPs have pledged to connect talented footballers from their constituencies to academies and clubs outside the country. Fred Ikana (in red T-shirt and cap) of Shinyalu and Ikolomani’s Benard Shinali said they will work together to nurture football and other sports talents through airlifts. They said they had witnessed immense talent during the just-concluded schools ball games in Kakamega. “Most of these students do not catch the eye of local scouts and that is why we want to link them to soccer and other sports academies in foreign nations, especially Europe,” Ikana said. “We are collaborating with our friends to start these airlifts which will result in developing of talents while improving lives of families and sports talents,” he added. They said Kakamega County was, in particular, endowed with talents in soccer, volleyball, rugby and short-distance athletics but which went to waste. They were speaking at Shanderema Secondary School in Shinyalu when they rewarded the institution’s football team following their good performance in ball games. –Dennis Lumiti MPs pledge to initiate sports airlift programme for youths A group of journalists in Kilifi County has launched a drive to plant mangrove trees at the Maya Island as part of efforts to address the effects of climate change. The journalists drawn from different media houses have partnered with community conservancy groups in the area to restore the degraded mangrove forest cover. Speaking after planting over 10,000 mangrove seedlings in Maya Island, Msenangu FM reporter Francis Mwaro, said the scribes opted to partner with the community for purposes of improving forest cover which currently stands at 2.6 per cent according to the United Nation Environmental Programme. He expressed concern that the low forest cover in the country had affected agricultural production in Kilifi because rains had become unpredictable adding that more efforts are needed to conserve environment for the benefit of the next generation. “We will partner with the community conservancy groups and other environmental players with to plant more mangroves in different parts of Kilifi. –Ronald Mwadzombo Kilifi journalists plant 10,000 mangrove trees in Maya Island
 Two construction workers were on Saturday seriously injured after their vehicle ran over an explosive device in Baragoni area, Lamu. Police said an operation had been launched following the incident but no arrests had been made by last evening. The vehicle was damaged after it ran over an Improvised Explosive Devise, according to police. Survivors were admitted to hospital in critical condition. Police believe the terrorists behind the bomb were targeting security vehicles. This is the latest incident in this month so far. In August, more than ten people were killed in the area in separate terrorrelated attacks. Dozens of houses were also burnt in the attacks. A major operation is ongoing in the area to address al-Shabaab attacks. The area near the border with Somalia has suffered a series of terror attacks. –Zadock Angira Two hospitalised after their vehicle runs over explosive

by Samuel Kariuki @PeopleDailyKe Governors have been warned that they will be held personally liable if they employ more staff than prescribed by the 2012 County Government Act. In a circular to all 47 governors, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak (pictured) raised concerns that the county bosses were disregarding Executive directives on hiring of staff to serve in their offices. “It has come to the attention of the commission that in some counties, there is a fragrant breach of the existing guidelines on recruitment of staff for the Executive Office of the Governor,” Mbarak said. The anti-graft body maintained that relevant circulars previously issued by the Transition Authority and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission limit the staff in the Governor’s office to, chief of staff, economic, political, and legal advisor, Governor’s Press Service director and support staff. Flouting requirements Additionally, EACC said despite the law prohibiting governors from directly being involved in employment of staff some of them are defying this provision by bypassing County Public Service Boards. “It has been established that some Governors continue to flout these requirements, whereby they are not only irregularly and illegally recruit staff far exceeding the established limit by creating additional offices, but also do so without the involvement of the respective County Public Service Board as required under section 59 of the County Governments Act, 2012,” Mbarak stated. He added: “The commission issues this advisory, as a caution and requires the Governors in the affected counties to take corrective measures in order to comply with the law and guidelines.” The EACC boss told governors who have violated the law by recruiting staff illegally that the commission will hold them accountable for any loss, unregulated expenditure of government revenue and other resources due to excessive staffing in their respective counties. According to Controller of Budget report, out of an approved budget of Sh513.7 billion for the first nine months of the 2022/23 financial year, counties spent 57 per cent, an equivalent of Sh136 billion of their total budget in paying wages and salaries while development, a crucial sector meant to benefit the public got a meagre budget allocation of 12 per cent an equivalent of only Sh30 billion. “A review of cumulative expenditure by economic classification showed that Kshs.135.85 billion (56.7 per cent) was spent on Personnel Emoluments, Kshs.74.09 billion (30.9 per cent) on Operations and Maintenance, and Kshs.29.73 billion (12.4 per cent) on Development Expenditure,” Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o said in the report. Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT 9 whose tapestry is woven with threads of science, technology and innovation alongside education development. “Higher learning institutions in the country have the key to unlocking innovative solutions that harmonise diverse fields, especially agricultural productivity with climate adaptation and mitigation strategies,” said Ngumi. Among the innovations showcased at the event attended by university and secondary school students among other guests is the establishment of a cough syrup generated from snail slime and which is expected to treat children’s dry coughs. This, the researchers believe, will be a ground-breaking solution and a gamechanger to persistent coughs, especially among children under the age of five. According to Dr Paul Kinoti, a lead researcher in the snails’ value chain project at JKUAT, his team has also been coming up with an array of products ranging from delicious snail meat, skincare products, organic fertilizers, and animal feeds. “The JKUAT research project entails the analysis of the constituents of the snail slime to come up with a natural, organic and affordable syrup to address persistent coughs. We are excited that the efforts we have made over the years have not been in vain and have been validated,” he said. by Mathew Ndung’u @PeopleDailyKe Principal Secretary in charge of Higher Learning and Research Dr. Beatrice Inyangala has dismissed claims that universities are sending away government-sponsored students over tuition fees. Inyangala dispelled as fallacious, the information published in some local dailies and on social media platforms saying that no higher learning institution has demanded fees from the students. Speaking during the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) 12th annual innovation open day, the PS upheld that the Ministry of Education is still categorising students being admitted to universities to determine those who will be fully sponsored by the government, vulnerable, the needy and less needy. “We are still processing admission to the universities so that we can categorise the students into various categories. The period has been extended so that we serve all students. As it is, I want to unreservedly confirm that no university has sent students away because of tuition fees,” stated Inyangala. Chasing away students Having been implicated in chasing away students because of tuition fees, JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof Victoria Wambui Ngumi cleared that no student is being asked to pay a single penny at the moment. She stated that out of 6,000 students the university has received so far, none of them has been sent away, adding that the learners are currently undergoing orientation before they start the actual learning. “We have not and will not ask any student to pay fees. The students are going through their orientation before they start the actual learning. We have received over 6,000 students and are expecting more,” stated Ngumi. Meanwhile, Inyangala challenged universities in the country to put more emphasis on research and innovation so as to provide solutions to a myriad of problems facing the communities and the country. While lauding JKUAT for being at the forefront in providing academic programs that are designed to equip graduates with the skills that help the innovate solutions to challenges bedevilling the society, PS Inyangala added that innovations is the way to go in creating new opportunities. Ivory tower “We have been encouraging universities to go out of the ivory tower to address the problems that affect our people. This is what we have seen today during the innovations open day. We have managed to see the use of drowns in solving food insecurity, creation of useful gas out of recycled materials and so forth. I am confident that if we go this way, we are not only going to resolve our daily problems but also help cut down on imports,” said Inyangala. On her part, Prof Ngumi noted that the University’s research and innovation model is aligned with the country’s Vision 2030, iRVWXGHQW`DV EHHQVHQW`RPH RYHUIHHVVD\V36 Inyangala terms claims that university learners were denied admission due to tuition arrears as false Higher Education PS Dr. Beatrice Inyangala (wearing a scarf) joins other dignitaries in inspecting innovation booths at JKUAT on Friday . PD/MATHEW NDUNG’U ÂHQ¼DQVFDQ QR»WUDÀHOWR ¸ÎÈÈRQºR »LWKRXWDÀLVD by Wahinya Henry @PeopleDailyKe The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has lifted visa restrictions on Kenyans travelling to that country. And in a similar move, Kenya and Tanzania waived similar requirements for DRC Congo citizens. Welcoming the move, the secretary general of the east African community, Peter Mathuki (pictured), said at the weekend that removal of visa restrictions by member States will promote tourism industry in the region. He said the step will enhance inter regional trade and it was in line with the provisions of the EAC Common Market Protocol. He singled out promotion of domestic tourism in East and Central Africa as a key industry that will benefit from the removal of restrictions. “Intra-regional trade, free movement of persons will promote the free movement of goods, labour, cultural exchange and domestic tourism in East and Central Africa,” said Dr Mathuki, He urged other Partner States to follow suit in the spirit of reciprocity. According to the African Development Bank (ADB) The impact of visa restrictions on the tourism sector has broad economic consequences, notably for the tourism sector. He cited Seychelles does not require entry visas at all, which has led to a high gap in tourist growth. Boost tourism The number of tourists to Seychelles has grown by 7 per cent per annum in the last five years while Mauritius has remained almost stagnant. As a result, the Mauritian Government are trying to boost tourism by relaxing visa regimes for 30 African countries and 75 countries overall. Improving visa facilitation could generate an additional US $206 billion for the tourism sector alone, and create as many as 5.1 million new jobs in the continent. “This is a positive step towards consolidating the gains made in implementing the EAC Common Market Protocol and other stages in the integration process. It is set to expand trade and investment opportunities, and scale up socio-economic growth across the bloc,” Dr Mathuki said of the latest move by member states The protocol which among other freedoms and rights, provides for the free movement of persons and workers across the region. VARSITY FEES Principal Secretary in charge of Higher Learning Beatrice Inyangala dispelled as fallacious, the information published in some local dailies and on social media platforms saying that no higher learning institution has demanded fees from the students. PS upheld that the Ministry of Education is still categorising students being admitted to universities to determine those who will be fully sponsored by the government, vulnerable, the needy and less needy. ÉÍÈÈ»DUQVºRÀHUQRUVRÀHUEUHDFKRIHPSOR¼PHQWºXLGHOLQHV +,6"5
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10 PEOPLE SPEAK PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 When Prof. Kithure Kindiki was appointed Interior Cabinet Secretary, there were whoops of derision. He was then seen as a soft spoken legal scholar who had wrongly wandered into politics and was still trying to find his footing, too soft for the internal security position that is literally the country’s sink whose work is to sieve all toxins from the system. No wonder then, that he was elbowed out of the position of running mate in the UDA presidential ticket. Fast forward 11 months later. The notorious North Rift that bandits had taken over and created their own caliphate for 60 years has gone quiet. Peace reigns. Residents who have not known a day’s peace in that entire period can now have a sound night’s sleep. The good Professor simply camped in those areas. Bandits were either killed, or they decommissioned themselves. It has been months since a single incident of cattle rustling or killings. Critically, the government has started a “Marshall Plan” for the North Rift. It is using the military and National Youth Service to build new model schools, rebuild those that had been destroyed, and construct roads and irrigation projects. Kindiki announced that it will be compulsory to send all children to school in that region. There will be permanent military barracks in the North Rift to secure the region against all forms of insecurity. As soon as North Rift quietened down, the man was on his next stop- Nyayo House Immigration Department. The passport department has become a cesspool of corruption, sloth and cartels. Tens of thousands of frustrated Kenyans have had their hopes, aspirations and dreams shattered by completely insensitive bureaucrats who feel nothing about the suffering of Kenyans. Well, the Professor, in his inimitable cool, soft spoken fashion, started walking through the corridors of that Department. In two weeks since he started his “visits,’ over 30,000 passports have been magically processed. Kindiki has promised that in the next one week, the backlog of 58,000 passports that he found at Nyayo House will be cleared, with no money changing hands. Now, instead of frustrated Kenyans, the scenes outside Nyayo House are of joyful citizens collecting their passports in disbelief. The CS has vowed that this situation will never arise again, and that Kenyans must receive their passports within the stipulated time after applying. As soon as this pipeline was unclogged, his next stop took him to the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI), where over 10,000 certificates of good conduct have been stuck for months. How? In an office where people report to work every day and are being paid by public funds to serve Kenyans? This kind of dereliction of duty is completely unacceptable. It is criminal sloth. After Kindiki’s visit to DCI, expect to see a deluge of certificates of conduct “miraculously” processed and thousands of Kenyans, whose hopes, dreams and aspirations had been dashed by official intransigence, start receiving their documents. The good Prof. seems to have a plan that he is methodically working through. The results are all too apparent for everybody to see. Kudos to the man and his switched on team! Kindiki is restoring shattered confidence of Kenyans that the government can actually work. The CS epitomises the KK government’s approach to sorting out the country’s problems. In Kenya, until now, nothing moved in government without cash or connections. The poor at the bottom of the pyramid have borne the brunt. For them, the system has been broken. These are the people for whom this government was voted into office. Each CS must, therefore, ask themselves-how am I interpreting the bottom up approach in my strategy? How am I translating the mandate of my ministry to change the lives of the underprivileged in Kenya? How am I dismantling decades of privilege and cartels that have marginalized the vast majority of Kenyans, and mired millions in poverty and deprivation? At this point, too many CSs don’t seem to have a clue. They need to start shaping up! Kindiki is blazing the way. —[email protected] ]0``b
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SBJO Politicians should go for Bomas quick wins Politicians should focus less on the issues that divide them and pay more attention to those that are meant to benefit the country and put it on a trajectory of peace and prosperity. It is disheartening to watch as the leaders disagree on just one issue, to wit, whether to audit the results of the last presidential election or not. Rather than prosecuting the merits or demerits of their standpoints vis-à-vis those of their rivals, it is important to note that at present, Kenya has no functional electoral commission and this has left the country in a precarious position. As such, and since there appears to be agreement on this issue, it would be beneficial to all that politicians inside and outside the Bomas talks framework invest their attention and energies in ensuring there is a new commission in place so that it can embark on the important job of reviewing constituency boundaries. The country also needs to put in place adequate preparations for the 2027 elections and it will not help matters if the commission is left in abeyance until it is too late. This is the problem that has bedeviled the country’s elections in the past. Now, leaders have the opportunity to right this wrong but instead, they have chosen to bicker over just one of the five agenda items. Already, legislators from minority and marginalised groups have signaled that they want 11 new constituencies. This is a matter that needs to be debated urgently, first because the input of both the National Assembly and Senate will be needed if such a move were to be taken but also because there has to be involvement of the electoral commission at some point. There are constitutionally prescribed deadlines for constituency boundaries to be reviewed. Unless politicians are trying to forestall this by engaging in side shows, this is the one area they need to focus attention on because it has huge implications on sharing of resources. This should be seen against the backdrop of the agenda item on entrenching the National Government Constituency Development Fund in the Constitution. For this to have meaning for citizens, it will be necessary to review constituency boundaries to ensure equity in the sharing of CDF cash. But, again, for this to happen, Kenya needs an electoral commission. That is why it is important for Bomas talks to focus on this agenda item since there appears to be goodwill for it on both sides. And since they agreed that once dispensed with a matter will be taken to Parliament for adoption, this is a low hanging fruit that can yield a quick win all round. Minister Kindiki is person on a serious mission 5_06(_5
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'3"/$*a Most of these students do not catch the eye of local scouts and that is why we want to link them to soccer and other sports academies in foreign nations. a_*/b"`6
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SEND YOUR OPED TO: [email protected] Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY PEOPLE SPEAK 11 Food secure and nourished citizens are essential for any society to thrive. Africa’s progress towards food security is and will continue to be stalled by climate impacts. According to the World Bank, extreme droughts will double and heavy rainfall and intense flooding will continue, leading to unavoidable effects on food productivity. The recent drought that impacted countries like Kenya, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and others underscored the need for adaptation across the whole food system to address key resources like land, water and inputs required for production. Nature-positive solutions that address efficient water management, research and extension, land management and restoration would go beyond just addressing climate change but also build the biodiversity and ecosystems that African food systems depend on. For Africa, the projected 3°C scenario by 2030 will adversely impact incomes drive malnutrition, with severe impacts on ecosystem resources and functions. Although a 1.5°C scenario could provide better options, frequent shocks are still expected. The current food system, dominated by industrial-scale production, is a major driver of climate change, with up to 30 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions linked to the food system. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is clear that without addressing emissions from food systems, in addition to rapid decarbonisation of all other sectors, it will not be possible to keep 1.5°C within reach. Limiting global warming to 1.5°C, preventing irreversible biodiversity loss, and nourishing all people within planetary boundaries can only be possible if there is an urgent and profound transformation across the entire food system. Therefore, governments during this Africa Climate Summit (ACS) need to take a food systems approach when tackling climate change and elevate the topic again during COP28. African governments need to change the way they do business if resilient and secure food system that support people and nature in Africa are to be achieved. Africa’s food system need to adapt to the changing climate. Low cost, evidence-based, co-created solutions are required to resolve the food security crisis while building livelihoods and biodiversity. Africa must seize opportunities provided by frameworks such as the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme CAADP and the Malabo Declaration to address agricultural development by advocating for an increase in agriculture budgets that would ultimately support adaptation in food systems. As such, Africa’s national policies must go beyond agriculture and deal with actions across the food systems. The Paris Agreement makes specific references to mitigation and adaptation in food systems. The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement provide a platform to bring all policy priorities together and plan and implement food systems measures in a holistic manner. However, the emphasis in most African countries’ NDCs remains on agriculture, with critical solutions across the food system continuing to be overlooked. A food systems approach for Africa means a focus on nature-positive food production, healthy and sustainable diets that protect both rural and urban populations against malnutrition, and preventing food loss and waste. The food that is lost and wasted postharvest could feed over 1.2 billion people. The joint work on agriculture and food security needs a robust structure to effectively deliver on its agreed objectives and leverage means of implementation. At a minimum, there is need to agree on and adopt an action plan to implement the recommendations made under the Koronivia joint work on agriculture. This requires an enabling programme to drive implementation at the national level by supporting stakeholders in accessing and leveraging finance and other means of implementation; a forum to discuss and integrate agriculture and food systems in national policy instruments and spur national implementation through access to finance, and integration of food systems in national policies.— The writer is Africa’s Food Future Initiative Lead, WWF Kenya Concerns in Sacco sector demand quick attention Africa should develop resilient food systems The cooperative movement, particularly through Savings and Credit Cooperative Societies (Saccos), play a significant role in driving Kenya’s economy. With an estimated contribution of at least 10 per cent to Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) amounting to Sh1.5 trillion, the cooperative sector has provided Kenyans with low-cost access to assets like land, homes, and enterprises. This sector has allowed individuals to invest and grow their wealth countrywide as a parallel offering alongside banks. By pooling resources and sharing risks, Saccos help members manage financial risks more effectively. This risk mitigation allows members to engage in economic activities with greater confidence and stability. However, there are emerging challenges and concerns within the Sacco sector that need quick attention. The surge in Kenyans with substantial sums, exceeding Sh1 million, in Saccos is a positive sign, indicating that higher-earning individuals are seeking better returns on their savings in the sector. However, there are worrisome trends, such as the rise in fraud cases targeting Saccos which must be dealt with to ensure the sector thrives. According to the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (Sasra), Saccos have lost some Sh118.1 million, to fraud in the past two years. These cases of fraud exploited weak internal controls and targeted mobile money services like M-Pesa. This raises the alarm for enhanced protection of the Sacco sector, especially given the increasing prevalence of cyberattacks and breachrelated fraud. To protect members’ billions of shillings and ensure the security of the Sacco sector, Saccos must continue investing in firewalls and robust internal controls including enhanced cybersecurity measures to prevent fraud and cyberattacks. Further, all Saccos must consider comprehensive insurance coverage that protects against financial losses due to an increase in fraud or other unforeseen circumstances. Insurance can provide a major safety net for members’ deposits. Given Sacco’s important role in wealth creation, risk mitigation, and role in enhancing economic stability and prosperity at both the individual and community levels, Saccos and their members must work together to address challenges and ensure the continued growth and sustainability of the cooperative movement in Kenya. However, members of Saccos must also remain vigilant and actively participate in the governance of their Sacco. They must report any suspicious activities and advocate for transparency and accountability in all aspects of the operations. The tell-tale signs are always there, for example, if the quality of services dips, that is a red flag since Saccos should compete with banks by offering efficient and modern services. One of the primary reasons individuals join a Sacco is to access credit facilities. If a Sacco consistently delays loan disbursements or fails to issue loans altogether, it may be a sign of financial instability or mismanagement. A delay of more than six months in disbursing funds should be a red flag. A strong Sacco should be able to provide members with timely access to their funds. If you encounter difficulties accessing your savings or securing loans when needed, it may indicate financial instability within Sacco. Incessant leadership conflicts within the Sacco can compromise the quality of services provided to members. Disputes among board members or committee members may affect Sacco’s overall performance and could be a reason to leave. Monitor changes in benefits, such as interest rates, loan limits, and dividend pay-outs. If Sacco reduces these benefits significantly over time, it may no longer align with your financial goals. Members must also familiarise themselves with Sacco’s exit processes, which typically involve receiving dues within 60 days after submitting a written notice of exit. Delays or obstacles in these processes should be reported and addressed. — The writer is a Business Editor at People Daily /"/$b
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^]*503 / / / @PeopleDailyKe / / / People Daily !ffffff ÈRXSOH»DQWV UHIXQGIRUVLWWLQº QHÌWWRIDUWLQºGRº A couple is seeking a refund, claiming their flight experience was ruined by being seated next to a farting dog. A couple from New Zealand is requesting a refund of their airfare from Singapore Airlines, as they had to endure approximately 13 hours seated beside a dog that was slobbering, farting, and whining throughout the journey. The Wellington couple Gill and Warren Press were travelling back to New Zealand from Europe in June and had boarded the flight from Paris to Singapore when they were surprised to discover a dog was accompanying the passenger in the seat beside them. “I heard this noise-a heavy snorting,” said Gill Press. “I thought it was my husband’s phone, but we looked down and realised it was the dog breathing. I said, ‘I’m not having this sit next to us the whole trip.’” The couple is said to have asked for a seat change, but the cabin crew informed them that the only available seats were located at the rear of the economy class section. Not wanting to downgrade, they ultimately chose to remain in their original seats. However, they asserted that halfway through the flight, the dog’s presence became intolerable. In addition to the snorting, the couple mentioned that the dog was also passing gas. They further explained that the dog encroached on Warren’s legroom by placing its head under his feet, causing saliva to drip onto his leg. —Agencies ODDLY ENOUGH TRUTHIS: Be as patient with others as God has been with you. Save our youth @ReubenKigame: Dear Kenya, I plead you hear me well. We need to stop, recalibrate and give hope to our youth. They need only three main things in life : Food, Education and Job opportunities. If we don’t do this, we have no country. They form more than 70% of our population. Early education is key @NgaaMaskani: Early education lays the foundation for a lifetime of success! By exposing kids to learning from an early age, we empower them with essential skills, curiosity, and a love for discovery. Let’s invest in our future by giving every child a strong start! #EducationMatters Dysfunctional system @kevine_254: How does an Education system become dysfunctional: In Kenya for example you are forced to go through primary school not knowing what you are really learning, At the high school level you are topped with the hope of joining a University and that’s when most students work hard. Critical sector @KenyaVision2030: Education is a critical sector under the Social Pillar of the Kenya Vision 2030. Kenya seeks to achieve a globally competitive quality education, training and research for sustainable development and the long-term achievements of the Vision 2030 goals. #KenyaVision2030

12 WITH A LIGHT TOUCH PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 There is one time when it is ill-advised to be a speaker in our county assembly — when the county has received a windfall. I suspect MCA Chonjo had not thought of this when he accepted to be temporary speaker last week. On Thursday, he was a sorry sight on the speaker’s seat. The proceedings of the day started normally with everything going on as stated in the order paper. MCA Chonjo was in firm control. “A hungry child cannot concentrate in class,” said MCA Violata in her contribution to a motion to introduce a feeding programme for all early childhood learners in the county. “We must implement this noble idea.”Out of the blue, MCA Makayoyo erupted, “Mr Speaker, why are we chasing a rat and ignoring the elephant in the room?” he puffed. “Which elephant?” Chonjo asked. “The millions our county has received for climate control!” There arose a wave of murmurs. The speaker’s attempt to quieten the house failed. In case you don’t know, following last week’s big event in Nairobi, county governments in Kenya received a total of 44.5 billion shillings to fight the ravages of climate change. “Let us suspend everything and discuss this most important and urgent issue,” declared MCA Matayo, attracting a thunderous applause. I saw MCA Chonjo, on the speaker’s seat, looking lost. He clearly had not seen this coming. I was sure his greatest wish at the moment was to see the substantive speaker striding into the house. “Mr Speaker, give us direction,” MCA Violata said.MCA Chonjo then rose to his feet. “Ok, may the chair of the house committee on environment and natural resources enlighten the house on these funds,” he said. MCA Mzito rose to his feet. “Members, thank you for your concern. It is true the counties received money for climate change action.” “How much per county?” someone interrupted. “It was a total of 44.5 billion shillings,” said MCA Mzito evasively. A wave of murmurs swept through the house. “Order, members!” shouted the speaker. “Continue, MCA Mzito.” The MCA then turned to the speaker. “Mr Speaker, allow me to explain the principles of climate change action planning.” The speaker nodded.“Honourable members, there are seven principles of climate change action planning. The first one is goal setting. We need to be sure of what we want to achieve. ”“Point of order!” bellowed a member. “Yes,” the speaker said. “Is the MCA in order to feed us on irrelevancies yet all we want to know is how much money each county got, and how much each ward will get?” asked the agitatedlooking MCA. The tumult that ensued brought down the roof of the house - well, almost. MCA looked completely helpless. I saw him wipe his brow and then consult with one of the orderlies. “Order! Order!” he shouted at the top of his voice. Thankfully, he was heard and the noise reduced. “MCA Mzito, please respond directly to the members’ concerns.”“Ok. Well, for a start, a total of Sh7.3 billion has been released to the counties,” said Mzito. “Excellent!” someone hollered. “We will have to form a county climate change unit and then carry out a participatory climate risk assessment and action plan,” the MCA continued. “Now what is all that?” MCA Matayo fumed. “Order, MCA Matayo. Obey the rules of the house,” implored the speaker. “Address the member through the speaker.”“No, Mr Speaker. Let us not avoid the room in the elephant (sic), How much money will each MCA, I mean, each ward receive?” Another round of cheering. “That amount should be shared equally among all wards,” shouted MCA Violata. I wasn’t going to accept this since I already established tree nurseries in my ward, which were known as Gwinso Climate Action points.“No way, some of us are way ahead in terms of climate change action, hakuna cha equally,” I shouted. What followed was a babel. It took the efforts of MCA Pinto, leader of the majority to restore tranquil. “Members, I think we first need to understand climate change before we do anything with the money,” he said to a now hushed house. He then added pure wisdom to his suggestion. Listen: “They say China contributes most to world pollution. I think we should go there for a retreat and see for ourselves the dangers of pollution. This will open our eyes and make us decide wisely.” Needless to say, MCA Pinto got a standing ovation. The temporary speaker promised to share the idea with the substantive speaker. As things stand, we are headed for Beijing. Wewe shinda tu hapo! –[email protected] Our county’s noble plans for the climate change action .$"
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FgVBMMZ Concerned by the acute suffering of public universities, the only institution of higher learning in the country that is thriving has offered a helping hand to its counterfei... sorry... counterparts. River Road University, which has been offering the most sought after degree certificates for decades, is not only willing to pull its rivals out of the deep financial hole, it will introduce them a few innovations on how to survive and thrive. Impeachable sources say the university, which boasts of thousands of alumni in big public and private sector offices, has been making huge profits as the demand for their certificates keeps rising every year. “River Road University had a particularly lucrative 2022, thanks to the elections. Many candidates for various elective positions in last year’s election enrolled at the institution and graduated in good time for the polls,” said a source who is close to Vice Chancellor Propesa Muntu Feki’s office. The source revealed that one of the tricks it can teach public universities is to learn the magic of shortening the period a student takes to earn a degree. He said the trouble with other universities is that students spend years to graduate which costs a lot of money and other resources. “Why should a student spend four years or more to get that piece of paper when they can obtain it in a matter of hours? Come on! Our universities can be more innovative than that,” the impeachable source observed. He said public universities would solve their financial woes instantly if they learnt to fast-track the degree earning process especially to learners who are in hurry to go and build the nation. “It is wrong to detain ambitious, go-getting people such as politicians, tenderpreneurs and wash wash artists in a classroom for years. Just give them their papers as soon as they pay the fees and allow them go and serve the nation,” he observed. Contacted for comment, Vice Chancellor Propesa Feki acknowledged that his institution had been doing very well, thanks mainly to the growing popularity of its degrees. He also attributed its success to continued support of the electoral commission, courts of law and other public institutions particularly during last year’s elections. “The continued partnership has ensured that many of our graduates are serving in senior political positions. This has in turn raised the profile of our degrees,” said the Vice Chancellor. The good propesa said other universities were in financial dire straits because they had refused to adopt River Road University’s business model. “Our competitors are woefully lacking in creativity and innovation. There is a lot of money out there and all the universities need to do is to learn how to attract the resources,” he said, even as he pledged to help bail out its bankrupt rivals. He also offered to give free tutorials to his fellow vice chancellors on how to make money without breaking a sweat. “At the end of the tutorials, the vice chancellors will be given a Masters degree in Forgery and Related sciences. We will give them the power to greed and do all that appertains to the bogus degree,” said Propesa Feki. – [email protected] .".\0
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Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY 13

14 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 Mark Lynas, an environmental and climate change author takes part in the closing act by Sarakasi Dancers at the climate action zone event organised by the Alliance for Science during the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, last week. The spectacle of a successful talk-shop will not end climate change. PD/JOHN OCHIENG bHVLGHQWVIHDUkOiLQRIORRGVLQbXLUX by Mathew Ndung’u and Oliver Musembi @PeopleDailyKe Days after the government issued a warning about the likelihood of El Niño rains expected to pound the country as from this month and likely occasion flooding and landslides, residents of flood-prone Mwana Mukia village in Ruiru, Kiambu county are living in fear of displacement during the rains. The residents who have been dreading the rainy season for nine years as it results in destructive floods took issue with the government for undertaking zero contingency measures to contain the situation over the years. Apprehensive about their safety, the furious locals accused the government of putting up small and ineffective culverts that sluggishly allow for passage of storm water, causing floods at their homes. Whenever it rains, the agitated residents decried that most of them are forced to relocate to safer grounds, a challenge they said started during the construction of Thika superhighway when the contractor reportedly diverted water from its normal course and directed it into the populous estate. Led by John Macharia Maina, a Nyumba Kumi official from the village, the locals regretted that despite their numerous efforts to find answers to their longstanding predicament, nothing has been done to make the village habitable. “As other people enjoy the Thika Superhighway infrastructure, we rebuke it everyday as water from it is directed entirely to this village. The established drainage systems here are very weak to handle the water. We actually pray all the time that it doesn’t rain as rain to us is a serious disaster,” stated Macharia. Waterborne diseases While narrating a heartwrenching story of how they unsuccessfully try to block water every time it rains, Jane Wanjiku, another local who settled at the village in 1977 decried that the flashfloods have been causing waterborne diseases and outbreaks singling out diarrhoea, cholera, typhoid fever among others. David Njuguna, a resident blamed the topography of the area and its poor drainage system from the households for having contributed to the frequent flooding during rainy seasons. When he toured the area, Ruiru MP Simon King’ara acknowledged that the situation is dire and requires prompt interventions by the government. Due to the sloopy state of the village, the MP revealed that all the harvested water from Thika Superhighway is directed at the village. While blaming Kenya National Highways Authority (KeNha) for the mess, the MP urged the authority to urgently embark on offering locals lasting solutions to the challenge. Yes, journalists need to do more — decode climate change jargon “Respond to his article,” a colleague told me “ It will help you teach journalists about the right way of doing things.” We were speaking about the framing of a stirring article by Emeka Mayaka, the Political Editor of The People Daily. Mayaka, or GME as we call him in other circles, made a very important observation about intellectual poverty in Kenyan newsrooms during the coverage of the Africa Climate Change Summit. His stem-winding article rekindled debate about an old problem that one of the fathers of Kenyan journalism, Philip Ochieng’, long diagnosed and gave a solid prescription: Journalists must never stop learning. We must read widely. We must approach subject matter experts with the intellectual humility needed to understand complex topics. We must learn about GHG (greenhouse gases), explain “carbon footprint” and “carbon offset”, break down “climate modelling” and reveal in simpler terms what “global warming potential” means. Throwing about buzzwords, reprinting jargon, and splashing dumbed-down headlines doesn’t help. Additional skills I must thank Mayaka for igniting the debate, but, that’s where my intellectual congruence — the harmony of ideas and thoughts — between Mayaka and I, ends. Context matters when it comes to climate reporting. Just like legislative or court reporting, this is a speciality. It requires additional skills – personal and professional interest to make the debate matter for Kenyans in Kenya, especially those in rural areas where the majority of us live. As an example, the conversation about renewable energy needs a primer. How can we in Africa, with perennial blackouts and unreliable power supply, think we can grow our economies, without first producing more, and more reliable electricity? In fact, a day after the summit ended, rains pounded Kenya’s capital, Nairobi leading to power and internet outages in HIGHLIGHTS This is indeed a challenge to the Media Council of Kenya to do those short courses on climate change reporting. The They should work with qualified and competent professionals to deliver these courses. ity – even with climate change? Further, the Kenya Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains. We know floods will come. We know power disruptions will happen. But we’re not just checking to see how prepared we are. We are waiting for the country to shut down, for people to die, and then write those horrific headlines. We seem to have forgotten to demand accountability for the countrywide power outage that shut down the country a fortnight ago. We are instead wasting time decoding if we can cook ‘githeri’ – that nutritious mishmash of maize and beans – with Sh20 of electricity! Yes, we may all want to sound well-read and engaging, repeating talking points from abstract foreign debates about climate science without putting all that into context. (Oh, dear business journalists, I will talk to you later about this). We may want to speak in scientific tongues to impress a tiny minorparts of the city. A day later, in Kakamega, a key regional conference was interrupted by power blackouts. It didn’t even make headlines. Yet, that is unreliable energy for a country that produces over 85 percent of its energy from renewable sources, according to the most recent data from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority. And even so, electricity is expensive! If anyone needed evidence that in the African context, energy security is a more urgent discussion, this is it. Instead, we have audiences fascinated by the spectacle of an electric car gliding in a traffic-less Nairobi. Data shows that in rural Kenya nine out of every ten people use charcoal or firewood to cook their meals. Even in Nairobi, only a fraction of people use electricity to cook. Those who use liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are very few. Aspects of these things were discussed at the summit. These were reported. How can we then crucify journalists for refusing to engage in sophistry by repeating catchphrases used by scientists? Again, there are low-hanging climate-related stories all around us. Nairobi River is still in terrible shape (just check the slimy sludge on Michuki Park this morning)? President William Ruto wants to plant 15 billion trees in a decade, that’s like 4 million trees a day, have we audited the progress, one year since he took office? Why would a farmer in Kinangop or Muhoroni, worry about “carbon credits” when there are more urgent issues that need to be done to boost his agricultural productivity of the elite –or ourselves. But exhaling and laughing at how out-ofdepth some of our colleagues were, is not the best way to help the journalism industry. This is indeed a challenge to the Media Council of Kenya to do those short courses on climate change reporting. They should work with qualified and competent professionals to deliver these courses. It is fair and urgent to fix climate-related issues and prepare for climate disasters by doing all those things –planting trees, building gabions, taking care of our environment, and banning plastics– without clothing it as “mitigation”, “adaptation” or “resilience” or those other buzzwords. Why would we in Kenya want sophistry about “carbon credits” with a forest cover of just 8 per cent? We shouldn’t waste time on misamiati. Climate change is not going anywhere, but we must cook, eat, and power our little phones to use WhatsApp to continue with debates such as this one. The spectacle of a successful talkshop will not end climate change. Someone must do the work, and to do it, we must define it in ways that make sense to the sugarcane farmer in Shanderema, or the illegal marijuana grower somewhere in the thickets of Kilgoris or to that camel herder in Wargadud. You need journalists to help with the translation of jargon to everyday life, not to engage in linguistic abstractions. In sum, don’t just report, relate. The writer is a fact-checking editor in Kenya. X (Formerly Twitter @Shiundu) "`1_0/$^
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companies from Trade in Goods and Trade in Service ranked the ease of doing business within their countries, notably Rwanda as Easy (Rank 2.08), DRC as Moderate (Rank 2.75), Uganda as Moderate (Rank 3.05), Burundi as Moderate (Rank 3.18), Tanzania as Moderate (Rank 3.32), and Kenya as Moderate (Rank 3.43),” reads the report in part. Trade finance a major challenge Although the report has not attributed the scores per country, businesses identified trade finance as a major challenge to the operation of business in the region, mainly the availability of forex (Fx) required for international trade. Kenya has been facing an acute foreign exchange shortage until last July when the official reserves improved on loan inflows from multilateral lenders, but the levels are still expected to remain under pressure in the remainder of the year. “These challenges include trade finance, specifically the availability of foreign currency, affordability of interest rates, and access to loans/credit,” the report stated. Another significant challenge is government operations, particularly related to receiving payments from the government for supplied goods and services, securing government tenders, and obtaining tax refunds, tax appeals, rulings, and customs valuation. Most of the taxes are, for instance, not harmonized across the region, thereby likely to lead to a high cost of doing business as the implementation of financial year 2023/24 budgets continues. Additionally, the removal of trade restrictions, including the elimination of trade barriers and the resolution of tariff and non-tariff barriers, and trading across borders pose challenges, according to the Business Council. The slow verification of cargo by the border agencies has increased the cost of doing business and reduced the competitiveness of products made or bought in East Africa, the most integrated and fastestgrowing regional economic bloc in Africa. by Herald Aloo @PeopleDailyKe Kenya has been ranked as the second most difficult country for businesses after South Sudan, according to the Ease of Doing Business in the East Africa Community (EAC) report by the East African Business Council, highlighting concerns about the nation’s business. The report shows that Kenya received a moderately low index score of 3.43, placing it at the sixth position out of the seven partner states surveyed. South Sudan, with a slightly higher index score of 3.5, was ranked seventh. This ranking points to challenges and obstacles that businesses face in Kenya, potentially deterring investment opportunities and impacting the country’s economic growth. It also underscores the need for further reforms and improvements in the business environment to attract more investment and foster entrepreneurship. Slip from top two The report, which surveyed a total of 252 select companies in EAC between June 13 and July 21, 2023, places Rwanda as the best in terms of ease of doing business in the region, with a score of 2.08. It was followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with a score of 2.75. This means Kenya, the region’s biggest economy, has slipped from the top two positions it held back in 2019 to the bloc’s new member, DRC, which joined in March 2022 and has since become an attractive destination for most companies, including Kenyan banks. DRC’s entry had facilitated the removal or reduction of import taxes and offered the bloc an alternative trade route on the Atlantic side, other than the Indian Ocean seaports shared by Kenya and Tanzania. “Based on the analysis of the responses, Reducing bureaucratic hurdles and enhancing transparency can contribute to making Kenya a more attractive destination for traders and entrepreneurs. PD/ALICE MBURU lHQ\DjVLQYHVWPHQWDOOXUH GLSVIXUW`HULQkfgUHJLRQ Trade finance, high taxes among the challenges hindering Kenya’s potential for competitiveness in region’s biggest economy OTHER CONCERNS Companies also highlighted persistent cross-border restrictions and high trading costs as significant challenges to the ease of doing business in the region. On the flip side, initiatives that have eased business operation in the bloc includes continuous government reforms, relative political stability, and government collaborations. ËDLURELUDWLILHVWUDGHWUHDWLHV»LWK½LQºDSRUHDIWHUIHWH by Alvin Mwangi @PeopleDailyKe Kenya’s ratification of a bilateral investment treaty with Singapore is set to enhance trade and investment relations between the two nations. This treaty aims to protect the interests of investors from both countries and create a favourable environment for business opportunities in Africa and Asia. This follows a forum organised by Enterprise Singapore brought business and government leaders from 40 countries to discuss Africa’s growth, digitalisation, manufacturing, and sustainability. During the forum, five agreements were signed between Singapore and African companies. Expanding trade relations Tan Soon Kim, deputy CEO (Global Markets) at EnterpriseSG, said Singapore companies are responding to calls to explore Africa. “This year, we have organised over 10 activities including business missions, webinars and workshops in sectors such as retail, healthcare, fintech, information and communications technology (ICT) and logistics,” Kim said. The forum highlighted the opportunities arising from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is expected to significantly boost intra-African trade. Kenya plays a vital role in Singapore’s trade relations with Africa, with bilateral trade in goods reaching $1.1 billion in 2022. This treaty and the growing partnerships between Singapore and African countries are poised to foster economic growth, trade, and investment in the region. 500 Singaporean companies are increasingly recognizing the value of expanding their businesses into African markets. BUSINESS HUB FOR MORE NEWS VISIT: www.pd.co.ke / www.epaper. pd.co.ke 15 Monday, September 11, 2023 Ï3PRRWVÁLOO WRFXVKLRQ HPSOR¼HHV DIWHUÅREORVV by John Otini @PeopleDailyKe Kenyan employees are set for another salary cut towards an unemployment insurance as a safety net, in case of job loses should a proposed Bill sails through. The proposed Unemployment Insurance Bill 2022 in Kenya seeks to establish an Unemployment Insurance Fund that would require contributions from both employers and employees, similar to the model in South Africa. It aims to provide a financial safety net for employees who become unemployed, offering them a cushion during challenging times. The contributions are set at 1 percent of an employee’s pay, matched by an equal 1 percent contribution from the employer. Sponsored by Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali, it proposes the establishment of an Unemployment Insurance Authority that shall establish an Unemployment Insurance Fund that would require contributions from both employers and employees, drawing inspiration from South Africa’s model. Unemployment Insurance Fund “Objective of the legislative bill is to provide the payment of the unemployment benefits to employees who become unemployed,” reads the proposed bill. Under the bill’s provisions, employees and employers will be required to make contributions to the Unemployment Insurance Fund. The contributions are pegged at 1 per cent of an employee’s pay, to be matched by an equal 1 per cent contribution from the employer. “By all means. Because our salaries are like an eternal bank account, just waiting to be tapped into whenever the government needs it for their latest recipe,” said @Kevman on Twitter. This approach mirrors South Africa’s system, which has been lauded for providing a reliable safety net for workers facing unemployment. Shinali, the bill’s sponsor, highlights the importance of such a system in today’s ever-changing job market. He notes that job security has become increasingly elusive, with many individuals facing the uncertainty of losing their livelihoods. The Unemployment Insurance Bill 2022 aims to alleviate this insecurity and provide a sense of financial stability during periods of job loss.

EMPOWERMENT: Mogo’s Field Marketing supervisor Tobias Onyango and Loan Officer Gabriel Gatheru award the winner of the Boda Boda Prize competition Shamsia Anagwe. The competition that runs until October 30th will see Mogo customers win cash prizes of up to Ksh 100,000 and Samsung smart phones as part of its customer appreciation initiative. PD/ GERALD ITHANA LUCKY WINNERS: From left: Lotto representative John Chege, alias General Theodore (centre), hands over a shopping hamper and a dummy cheque for Sh100,000 to Emmanuel Omore, Hilda Kibe,William Muindi Musilu, Kilua Ismail Juma, Rowan Omondi and James Murithi they won the ongoing Lotto Mita Mania campaign. PD/GERALD ITHANA. NEW RIDE: Star Rentals General Manager, Oscar Saina (centre) shake hands with BMW senior sales executive Henry Nyaga during the official handover of BMW X7 for leasing to VIP customers who want to experience the latest high end features. Looking on is Anne Njenga, the firm’s business development manager. PD/ ALICE MBURU NEW SKILLS: From left: Transcentury Group chairman Shaka Kariuki receiving a certificate from the Executive Dean, Strathmore Business School Dean Dr. Caeser Mwangi and the Head of PHD Group programmes Dr. Freshia Mugo, during the Transcentury board of directors corporate governance training, facilitated by Strathmore University Business School. PD/ ALICE MBURU SUSTAINABLE FINANCING: Kenya Pipeline Company managing director Joe Sang (centre) shares a word with his counterparts in the Energy and Petroleum sectors, Eng. Peter Njenga of KenGen (right) and Nuclear Power and Energy Agency Ag. CEO Justus Wabuyabo (left) during the inaugural Africa Climate Summit at KICC, Nairobi. PD/ GERALD ITHANA 16 BUSINESS PICTORIAL PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 TARGETING SMES: Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General Humphrey Wattanga (right) receives the Jua Kali Sector Strategic plan from Richard Muteti, the Chief Executive Officer, Kenya National Federation of Jua Kali Association. The authority is exploring areas of collaboration with the informal sector to bolster revenue collection through tax compliance in the media for the long term. PD/ ALICE MBURU WELL DONE: Kirinyaga University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mary Ndung’u (right) and College of Human Resource Management (CHRM) Principal CHRP Margaret Kinyanjui (centre) present the best Human Resource Research Project Award to Tabitha Mokaya, a graduand during the College’s 26th graduation ceremony held at PCEA St. Andrew’s Church in Nairobi. Treasury CS Njuguna Ndung’u was the chief guest. PD/ ALICE MBURU CLIMATE GOVERNANCE: From left: Kenya’s ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent representative to AU Jeanne Kamau, UN Famine Prevention Co-ordinator Ms. Reen Ghelani, senior advisor on hunger crisis at IFRC Ambassador Malim Mahaboub, Shelter managing director Thierno Habib Hann, and IFRC Regional Humanitarian Diplomacy Co-ordinator Thandie Mwape pose for a photo on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit. PD/ROBIN KISAVI KILIMO PROJECT: Brookside Dairy’s communications manager Wilson Okong’o (right), his Quickmart supermarkets counterpart Betty Wamaitha (left) and students of Ildamat High School, Kajiado, sample the processor’s products during the launch of Kilimo Shuleni Project at the institution. PD/ GERALD ITHANA

Rabat, Sunday The death toll from a powerful earthquake that hit Morocco’s Atlas Mountains region late on Friday has risen to 2,012. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at about 11:11pm (22:11 GMT) at a depth of nearly 26km (16 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. The depth was initially reported at about 18km. The Moroccan Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) said the epicentre of the quake, recorded at 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT), was located in the province of Al-Haouz, south-west of the city of Marrakech, a popular destination for foreign tourists. More than a third of the deaths (394) were recorded in Al-Haouz, the epicentre of the quake, and in Taroudant (271) fur0RURFFRHDUW`qXDNHGHDW` WROOULVHVDPLGGHYDVWDWLRQ More than 2,000 people have died in Moroccos’s deadliest earthquake in more than 60 years ther south, the same source said. This is the most powerful earthquake to hit the kingdom to date. According to images reproduced by the media and on social networks and witnesses, the earthquake caused extensive damage in several towns. Images showed part of a minaret collapsing on the famous Jemaa el-Fna square, the beating heart of Marrakech, injuring two people. An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people flocking to the city’s iconic square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks. Some had blankets, others were sleeping on the ground. “We were walking around Jemaa el-Fna when the earth started to shake. We’re safe and sound, but I’m still in shock. At least ten members of my family died in Ijoukak (rural commune of Al-Haouz, editor’s note). I can’t believe it, because no more than two days ago I was with them”, Houda Outassaf, a resident of the town she met in the square, told AFP. Mimi Theobald, a 25-year-old English tourist, was about to have dessert on the terrace of a restaurant with some friends “when the tables started shaking and the fIULFDQpQLRQPDGHSHUPDQHQWPHPEHURI^nmDWoHO`LVXPPLW Delhi, Sunday The African Union officially took its seat at the table of the world’s richest and most powerful countries, commonly known as G20, on Saturday with the approval of all and at the request of the summit’s host, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The expansion of the block is a notable diplomatic victory for Modi, who faces national elections next year and has used hosting rights for this year’s forum to burnish his image as an international statesman. This invite comes at a time when India, a BRICS member, has been very vocal about its core engagement of multi-alignment, maintaining strategic autonomy and not being boxed in any camp or alliance, while building a multipolar world. Comprised of 19 nations and the EU, Africa had only been marginally represented within the G20 through South Africa’s seat and AU permanent guest ship. This admission is the first change since the conception of the group in 1999. Before his opening speech, Modi greeted African Union chair and Comoros President Azali Assoumani with a warm hug. “India put a proposal to give permanent membership of G20 to the African Union. I believe that with we have everyone’s agreement on this,” Modi said in his opening address to the summit. “With everyone’s approval, I request the African Union head to take his seat as a permanent G20 member,” he added, banging a ceremonial gavel. Assoumani then took his seat among world leaders at the invitation of India’s foreign affairs minister S. Jaishankar. Officially launched in 2002, the AU is a grouping of 55 African nations representing about 1.4 billion people and around 10% of the world’s economy. - Xinhua FORCE OF NATURE The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at about 11:11pm (22:11 GMT) at a depth of nearly 26km (16 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. The depth was initially reported at about 18km. Authorities have declared three days of national mourning, with many left homeless following the country’s deadliest earthquake in more than 60 years Ethiopia completes filling of GERD dam French army to quit at Bazoum’s request Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia announced the successful completion of the fourth and final filling of the Grand Renaissance Dam on the Nile, on Sunday. The dam has been the source of regional tensions with downstream Egypt and Sudan. Abiy made this announcement via a message on social media platform X, formerly Twitter. In his statement, Abiy Ahmed acknowledged the numerous challenges faced during the dam’s construction, including internal difficulties and external pressures. He expressed gratitude for the collective effort and divine guidance that enabled them to reach this stage. Abiy also expressed confidence in their ability to accomplish their plans. The massive $4.2-billion dam, considered crucial by Addis Ababa, has been a focal point of regional disputes since Ethiopia initiated its construction in 2011. - Xinhua Niger’s military regime accused France of deploying forces in several West African countries with a view to military intervention. Relations with France, Niger’s former colonial power, degraded swiftly after Paris stood by ousted President Mohamed Bazoum following the July coup.“It should be brought to the attention of the public opinion, national and international, that despite the announcement of this withdrawal plan, France continues to deploy its forces in several Ecowas countries as part of preparations for an aggression against Niger, which it is planning in collaboration with this community organization,” said Niger’s regime spokesman. The Sahel state is also embroiled in a stand-off with the West African bloc Ecowas, which has threatened to intervene militarily if diplomatic pressure to return Bazoum to office fails. - Xinhua
 dishes started flying, and we panicked”. “Afterwards, we tried to go to our hotel to collect our luggage and passports because our flight was scheduled for tomorrow, but it was impossible because our hotel is located in the Medina. There was debris everywhere, so it wasn’t very safe. It’s the first time we’ve experienced an earthquake. When the adrenalin wore off, we realised how lucky we were to be alive”, she adds. In addition to Marrakech, the tremor was felt in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira, causing panic among the population. Many people took to the streets of these cities, fearing that their homes would collapse, according to images posted on social networks. In photos and videos posted by Internet users, large sections of debris can be seen in the streets of Marrakech’s Medina. But also cars crushed by stones. “I was in bed when everything started shaking (...) I went out into the street halfnaked and went straight to my riads. It was total chaos, a real catastrophe, madness”, Frenchman Michaël Bizet, 43, owner of traditional houses in the old town of Marrakech, told AFP by phone. - Agencies WORLD NEWS FOR MORE NEWS VISIT: www.pd.co.ke / www.epaper. pd.co.ke 17 Tuesday, February 14, 2023 Rescue workers search for survivors in a collapsed house in Moulay Brahim, Al Haouz province, on September 9, after an earthquake. Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades has killed at least 1000 people, officials said. Morocco’s ruler, Mohammed VI, has given orders to set up a commission to provide relief, according to the Royal Palace. So far, emergency measures taken include ramping up search and rescue operations. XINHUA

18 Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY You ,W·VDOODERXW-JGF&4UZMF OUR TAKE... ACHOKIS H i Achokis, I recently separated from my husband after nine years of marriage. I had hoped that we would reconcile, but I find it hard to do so after what he took me through. I’m now considering a divorce and would like your advice on how we can co-parent our two children. - Wanjiku TWOINONE ‘Mambo ni matatu’ for a long, blissful How do I co-parent marriage with my husband after I divorce him? This past weekend, Grace and I attended a 50th wedding anniversary of our friend’s parents. It was a colourful ceremony just like any wedding. To celebrate 50 years of two being one is quite an achievement, especially in this day and age where many marriages struggle to even reach five years. What is the key to longevity in marriage? To use President William Ruto’s famous phrase, “Mambo ni matatu tu!” You deepen your friendship, remain committed to the relationship or learn to communicate better. Failure to do any of these three things will end up in the two not continuing to be one, or just barely surviving as one. When we talk of longevity, we just don’t want you to endure a terrible relationship that long. We want it to be 50 years of bliss. And so, how do we deepen our friendship? By finding things that we both enjoy doing and doing them together. What are your shared interests? If you can’t think of any, try different things together until you find that one which you both enjoy. Spending time together doing those things and having conversations deepens friendship. To begin with, make sure you marry a true friend, not just a lover or friend with benefits. You can only deepen what was there before. Marriage is a covenant of companionship. We marry to live a shared life. Unfortunately, we encounter many lonely hearts in marriage.This is because of that lack of friendship and commitment. We live in a day and age where we have very little resilience. We want things to be easy for us and when the going gets tough, the tough don’t get going they go their separate ways instead. To deepen that friendship and remain committed to each other even when things are tough, it requires excellent communication and conflict resolution skills. Being able to really listen, understand and validate each other’s feelings, expressing ourselves in such a way that we don’t attack or blame each other, and being vulnerable with each other is how we share our hearts. This sharing of not just interests, or lives, but also hearts is essential for the longevity and quality of our marriage relationship. MILLENIAL MIX 8*5)
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."*/" I am trying to regain my youthful exuberance despite numerous accusations by my nieces and nephews that I was born in the olden days when people lived on trees and lions slept next to us! I am doing childish things wholeheartedly. Anything is game, including splashing in puddles, doing handstands, and getting into bouncing castles under the guise of minding a young one, but instead jumping more than the children as I send them flying in giggles and in different directions too. I refuse to be weighed down by the numerous taxes and adult obligations. Dancing is one of the many things I have started doing again. There is something about moving to the rhythm of your favourite jams that grounds you in the present moment, the here and now, where only your loud heartbeat exists. Thing is, you have to concentrate on the jams being played otherwise you are left dancing to the last song, or booging down to a beat that has not dropped yet. Dancing has been teaching me how to revel in the present moment. Any anxieties about the future and regrets about the past instantly mean that you are out of step with reality. Trust me, I have tried daydreaming during class, and getting my toes trampled on by the next person in my group class is not an experience I relish. Even thinking about my grocery list while in dance class means you miss half your Kompa class, which means that I have to pray for a great lead who will just twirl me around the floor such that I will not have to think of any of my steps. I am also learning new skills, which of course include dancing. Went for this Kompa class at Radisson Blu Upperhill last Saturday and had fun more than learnt anything, mostly because I kept laughing and talking to my fellow backbenchers instead of listening to the twirlmaster. Of course, the non-listeners were perpetually out of step unless our dance partner was the instructor whom we did not listen to, to start with. Sema irony. But the bottomline is that we had fun. And there is no teachable lesson here. Just a reminder to stay on beat in life so that you are not mired in the past. But let me share some borrowed wisdom before I leave. Some wise sage once said that worrying about the future is basically punishing yourself for something that might never happen. Seems like something the smartest animal on earth should be able to desist from, but we would rather dance to the next song now, despite not knowing exactly what it is, it seems. So, I have been trying to be in the moment and enjoy it as much as is humanly possible. Hope you get the metaphor even if you are not someone who likes dance as a matter of principle or just because you want to zag as people zig. Hi Wanjiku. Thank you for reaching out on how you can co-parent your children. Divorce is never an easy affair. The decisions that we make in life do not only affect us, but affect those around us as well, especially our children. Many couples think that separation does not affect the children, but it does. If this is handled well through therapy, there will be minimal casualties. Allow the children to express themselves and don’t use them against your ex husband. Remember they belong to both of you no matter what has happened. During the time of separation, emotions can be high, so one might opt to brood over the pain caused by the things the spouse has done. It is not an easy time as you are flooded by the memories of what was done to you and the emotions caused. You were also hopeful that things would be resolved, but when that doesn’t happen, your hopes are dashed. You are now left with the reality of what might be, the end of your marriage and that’s a painful thing. Your children are innocent So, allow yourself to grieve this loss by going through counselling to help you process your pain. Failure to let go and forgive will leave you in a place where you continue to lash out at each other. From this space of hurt and aggression, you will want to use the children against your husband, further complicating an already messy situation. You will be projecting your anger onto those innocent children. Remember the issue is not with them, but between you and their dad. He is still their father They say never say never, so don’t completely shut the door for a possible reconciliation and restoration of the marriage. However, if you feel that you have processed the separation well and realise that there are no chances of the marriage being restored, you may have to think of what to do next. And probably that’s where you are finding yourself. Don’t forget that he still remains the father of your children, so you need to accord him that respect and you two need to be cordial with each other. From this place of cordiality, you will be able to reach an amicable agreement on how you want to co-parent the children. You will have to agree on things such as Learning to live in the moment QUOTE OF THE WEEK i/P
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PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 19 @Onyango_Jack Once again, my campo received averagely attractive chicks, all of whom appeared to be planning to join the countless church groups, Red Cross, Aisec, and those other societies that make lasses so painfully principled. So, I spent much of Tuesday looking for a beauty, a sight for sore eyes, but I didn’t see anything truly gorgeous. Sometime during the day, a short lady appeared. She was attractive, the best I’d seen in a long time, albeit it couldn’t compete with the beauty of a certain second year. She had rings on her cheeks, ears, nose and tongue, and possibly on her navel. She was seductive, and her demeanour was equally so. Hopefully, she hasn’t brought her ex-boyfriend with her to university, and I hope she isn’t just another gold digger who will be dining and drinking with the broke males who make up the bulk of men on campus. I’m definitely on the list of those who will sell lies to obtain her attention. I’m hoping to be the best man who wins. The rest of the freshers were inconspicuous, not worth writing home about. And because I am the one holding forte here, comrades, this is how you will go about with them: 1. Find the beauty Over time, I’ve discovered that the most attractive chicks are the easiest to date, and hang out with. They are fearful. Unsure of what happens on in this strange, huge, wild campus. They come in two varieties: those who are too aware of their appearance and believe that everything must revolve around them. And then there are those who are unconcerned with their appearance and are simply pleased with their lives. Choose the latter. They are usually bright and sober. They possess the rare intellectual nerve to drive a conversation. Choose one beauty, strike up a simple debate and listen to her false dreams, hopes, and wishes before moving on to feed them. You should not drink if she does not. Please be religious if she is. Move away from whatever she hates. Assure her that the relationship will last. Assure her of your whole trust. She can love you so much if she has never been heartbroken. Sometimes she turns out to be the girl you’ve been looking for. 2. Identify the player No one can ever be that obnoxious when played by a girl, let alone a starry-eyed, enthusiastic fresher. Getting beaten up beats getting beaten up. Unacceptable. Keep away if she has a habit of hanging out with strange company. Keep away if she’s a party animal. Keep off if she answers three phone calls every five minutes. Keep off if she drinks too much and acts erratically. Please refrain if she keeps hugging every male buddy of hers. If the only time you know where she is, is when she is with you and she keeps her physical location hidden, run! 3. Find the heartbroken Dating a broken chick is both simple and difficult. Simple if she has accepted the inevitability of the past, is ready to face the problems of the present, and is unconcerned about the uncertainties of the future. It’s difficult if she lives in the past. You’ll need to be technical if you’re meeting a fresher who has recently split up with her adolescent boyfriend. Please promise her that you will not shatter her heart, and please don’t. I believe that if you can’t appreciate a woman enough, leave her alone. There will always be someone who can love her better. As passed to Tom by Duke Nyankabaria CAMPO RAGE Spice Flavour Z]_^\[Z With Tom Bosich Dating hacks for campus freshers IMPOSING PROJECTS Bensoul — Lion of Sudah Afropop star and Sol Generation’s proverbial figurehead dazzled yet again. In his studio debut album Lion of Sudah, Bensoul peruses through love’s complexities on Somebody New, touches on his infidelity on Napepea, gifts fans bedroom sizzlers with Row and in signature style, he whips out odes to the sweet smoke. Starring an ensemble of Lavosti, Bien, Savara, Fancy Fingers, Muthaka, and AfroNautiq, to summoning international protagonists Jux and Bayanni, it’s a congregation of familiarity mixed with chemistry. Xenia Manasseh adds her soulful sprinkle with Chizi, while Mordecai Dex and Okello Max rouse with their crony and steamy performances. Bensoul platforms his personal life in a relatable fashion to the listener, and maintains his formulaic approach of staunch musicality, catchy lyricism, vulnerability, punchy hooks and pop appeal that has transcended him to astounding popularity and adoration amongst Kenyan music lovers. Nviiri The Storyteller - Inside Out Nviiri The Storyteller’s maiden bow arrived with pomp and flair. Debuting on the charts at No.2 (where it also peaked) and whilst it continues to spend up to 13 weeks on the charts, Nviiri who has cultivated a persona of being a hedonist, toxic lover boy in love with the party life, is basking in the glory of a quality record. The album is divided into three portions; Bwana Sherehe, which highlights his buoyant party side, We Are Conscious delves into his more spiritual edge, and Love And Tears goes into his thoughts on relationships and love life. Stand-outs off the record include Nikilewa, Inside Out, Blessings and Badilika. Tapping his heroic producer combo including seasoned beat smith So Fresh, Nviiri revels in his ability to conjure up head-swaying hooks, as well as tailor his Afro Pop sound to his laden women support base. Venomous lines such as “Mimi si bwana yako, mimi ni bwana sherehe” mirror a generation’s thoughts on family, love and courtship. Xenia Manasseh - Love/ Hate Part 1 For Kenya’s R&B lovers, Xenia Manasseh chimes in with her debut record, Love/ Hate Part 1. Serving glistening vocals over moody ambient R&B production, Xenia cuts a forlorn figure throughout a record that finds her trying to figure out love and life in her mid 20s. Her angelic vocals feature prominently on cuts like Cheza Chini, meanwhile her disgruntled love life finds solace on Temporary Love, Niambie and more fervent cuts on the album. Her battles with faithfulness bloom on songs like Lowkey where she ruminates “I’ve learnt not to get so easily swayed, don’t give up faith, I know I’m not brave”. A lot of her grapples are overt, but she fights throughout the record with her sumptuous melodies, articulate songwriting, and naturalness to sell her emotions through song so effortlessly. You will rethink your relationship after a listen. Kahu$h - Uptown Chokoraa On his return to the music fold since his last effort If We Do Not Give Up in 2021, Kahu$h gets borderline introspective, but still offers his renown take on partying, youth, ladies, and more on his latest offering. After his almost two-year hiatus due to completing his studies overseas, Kahu$h’s supposed middle ground of not being a rich kid that loves to do normal things dominates on the record. Although netizens love to challenge his music prowess, especially lyrically, yet still jam to Mi Siwezi and more, this duality and dichotomy is what symbolises Kahu$h and the new record. However Kahu$h is too inebriated on Stoned to listen to naysayers, shows his knowledge with references to literature classic Art Of War by Sun Tzu on the title track, his imperfections glow on Energy, and Kahu$h’s mumble rap excites most when he gives nods to the Chokoraa side of things with mentions such as “Ndovu ni hatari” a known stimulant to tobacco lovers, and more. Kahu$h is street-savvy and continues to embody Gen Z’s personality, identity, thoughts, and more through his music. Kagwe Mungai - Rada On Rada, producer, recording and performing stalwart Kagwe Mungai expresses his soul through sampling Kenyan oldies. From interpolating Kenyan classics such as E-Sir’s Mos Mos on Pole Pole with King Kaka, to Nameless’ Holiday on Hotsteppa alongside Kenyan rap heartthrob Ndovu Kuu, to the dexterous storytelling of Ghostika, Kagwe has never been shy to show out his production and song-making virtuoso. “Kenyan music is dope. And for us to know where we are going, we have to know where we’re from,” he says of his nostalgic yet current take on music. Fena Gitu- Love Art Lust Four years since the Kenyan tastemaker’s hit-stacked sophomore project Unleashed dropped, Fena returns with her latest record and arguably her best. A composition that sees growth, reflection, therapy, Fena bares it all on this journeying record that sees her confront her innermost adversities and challenges only to rise and acknowledge her power. On the cover, she paints herself —an indicative reflection of her trying to write her wrongs and rights through the Love Art Lust album. Shawn Houdini - Nairoghanistan 2 If you’re looking to get a peek of the noir side of Nairobi, look no further than budding rap extraordinaire Shawn Houdini who rallies the brightest young stars from Nairobi rap’s landscape and laces a powerful record. Famed for his street tales, hardcore exterior, and rebel like nature, seemingly hardened by the extreme Nairobi conditions of unemployment, Shawn produces a gritty album that speaks to young Nairobi youth forced to turn to crime or creative ways to survive. Houdini and producer Oddz team up for a record that reverberates the formidable rap scene Nairobi comprises. From standup deliveries from Young Louie58 and Mr Right of Buruklyn Boyz on Blessed, to Drill sensations Spinx Mafia and Bueno cameos, and the are painfully penned records such as 10 Toes that ooze resilience from the hard Nairobi streets, Shawn is one to watch out for. Verdict?: It has been a mixture of genres and Jackson Onyango combs through various music albums that define the diverse contemporary Kenyan sound of 2023 Xenia Manasseh Kahu$h Fena Gitu Kagwe Mungai Bensoul

Clique & Clicks Get 4`]UUF\ 20 PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 WINNING CONVERSATIONS by Muthoki Kithanze Carole Mandi Media recently held a high-level networking event dubbed Pivoting In Heels, which brought together women in senior managerial positions in the public and private sector. Sponsored by Grand Acres Limited, guests delved into candid conversations about success, failures, and lessons amassed in the course of their managerial journeys. Among those present were Google East Africa country director Agnes Gathaiya, Coach Vuyanzi, Grand Acres MD Solomon Wangwe and East Africa Breweries Ltd Group MD and CEO Jane Karuku. PD/MUTHOKI KITHANZE by Faith Kyoumukama Smart devices brand Oppo has launched its newest additions to its Reno series of smartphones in Kenya. The brand has introduced its first-ever telephoto portrait camera to the new Reno10 series. The unveiling ceremony was held recently at the Broadwalk Mall in Westlands, Nairobi, where photographers were able to showcase some of the portraits taken with the new device. The brand has collaborated with various photographers in the industry namely Kevin of Buo Art and Emmanuel Jambo, among others. PD/ALEX MBURU ShipShap head of growth Yuki Ouchi. Association of Media Women in Kenya executive director Patience Nyange with the event host Carole Mandi. Hannah Githuki , Zelma Holiday and Lisa Bell. Express Media manager Nemaz Ondima, guest LizzBetty Yongo and Oppo Kenya brand assistant Enock Nyamongo. Florence Mwangi with Fiona Makena. Back with something new It’s selfie time for Kenya Tourism Board Ag CEO John Chirchir, Oppo Kenya PR manager Fredrique Achieng and the company’s product manager Ernest Teigut. Coach Vuyanzi with BF Suma CEO Dr Susan Onyancha. Oppo Kenya product manager Ernest Teigut. Guests keenly follow the proceedings. East Africa Breweries Ltd Group MD and CEO Jane Karuku. Sandbox partnerships head Cynthia Mbari with Grand Acres MD Solomon Wangwe.

PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 21 Ten TOP SHELF FACTS Footballers who collapsed on the pitch due to cardiac arrest While most of football memories are entertaining and exciting, numerous tragedies have also occurred. One of the most tragic scenes that can be witnessed in football is to see a player dying on the pitch. CHARLES THUKU compiles 2. Samuel Okwaraji (Nigeria) He was a Nigerian professional footballer and a qualified lawyer who had a Masters in international law from the University of Rome. Okwaraji was also a qualified lawyer and was a holder of a Masters degree in international law from the Pontifical Lateran University of Rome, Italy. He died of congestive heart failure on August 12, 1989. 3. Marc Vivien Foe (Cameroon) Foe was a Cameroonian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder for both club and country. Having initially played for Canon Yaoundé in his native country, Foé went on to play professionally in Ligue 1 and the Premier League with Lens, West Ham United, Lyon and Manchester City. On June 26, 2003, Foé died suddenly during an international match for Cameroon. 4. Ben Idrissa Derme (Burkina Faso) He was a Burkinabe international footballer who played as a centre-half. Born in Abra, Dermé played club football in Burkina Faso, Moldova, and France for Étoile Filante, Sheriff Tiraspol, US Ouagadougou, USC Corte, CA Bastia, ÉF Bastia and AJ Biguglia. He died on September 11, 2016. 5. Patrick Claude Ekeng Ekeng (Cameroon) He played as a defensive midfielder for the Cameroonian national team. On 14 January 2011, Ekeng joined Championnat National side Rodez AF on loan until June. on May 6, 2016, during a match against Viitorul Constanța, Ekeng collapsed seven minutes after his entrance. The cause of death was a suspected heart attack. He was 26 years old by the time of his demise. 7. Antonio Puerta (Spain) On August 28, 2007, Antonio Puerta collapsed and lost consciousness in the penalty area due to a cardiac arrest during Sevilla’s first La Liga fixture of the 2007/08 season against Getafe. He was seen crouching and then subsequently collapsing upon moving back to his team’s goal after only 35 minutes of the game had passed. 9. Miklós Fehér (Portugal) Miklós Fehér died on January 25, 2004 while playing for Benfica against Vitória de Guimaraes. The match was televised live, and Benfica were leading 1-0. Fehér was a substitute who came on and assisted in the game’s only goal. During injury time, he received a yellow card, bent forward in apparent pain, and then fell backwards onto the ground. 1. Raphael Asudi (Kenya) The untimely death of former Gor Mahia midfielder Raphael Asudi on, August 13 this year, over a suspected heart attack on the pitch hit the Kenyan football fraternity like a thunderbolt. The 27-yearold collapsed and died at the Thika Stadium during a friendly match between his team - Donholm Seniors - and Thika Vitambi FC. Attempts by teammates and the technical team to administer First Aid to save his life failed. 10. Piermario Morosini (Italy) In April 2012, Livorno player Piermario Morosini suffered cardiac arrest and fell to the ground in the 31st minute of the Serie B match away to Pescara. He stumbled on the ground while trying to get up before losing consciousness and receiving medical attention on the field. A defibrillator was used on Morosini, who was conscious when he was taken on the stretcher. 8. Cheick Tioté (Côte D’ivoire) Tioté was part of a talented Cote d’ Voire team that was dominant on the African continent in the mid-2000s. He earned 55 caps for the Ivorian national team and was part of the Elephants squad that won the 2015 African Cup of Nations. The Ivorian defensive midfielder collapsed and lost consciousness during a training session for Beijing Enterprises in 2017. 6. Endurance Idahor (Nigeria) The 25-year-old former Al-Merreikh player collapsed during a match between his Sudanese club and Alamal Atbara and later died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital on March 6, 2010. In 2003, Idahor tied for the Nigeria Premier League scoring title with 12 goals for Julius Berger and moved in 2005 to Dolphins FC.

The delicate balance of our planet’s ecosystems is currently being destroyed by the immediate threat of climate change. The serious threat it presents to world food security is one of its most urgent and immediate effects. The supply and quality of food are in jeopardy as temperatures rise, intense weather events become more prevalent, and ecosystems change. This is how climate change has a significant impact on food security, as well as the difficulties it poses and potential remedies. 1. Crop Yield Variability Crop yields around the world are more unpredictable now than they were previously due to rising temperatures and erratic weather patterns. The planting and harvesting schedules are disrupted by heat waves, droughts, and excessive rains, which lowers agricultural productivity. These shifts might spell doom for millions of small-scale farmers who depend on predictable weather patterns, worsening the plight of starving and impoverished communities. 2. Increase In Pests and Diseases The spread of pests and illnesses that can destroy crops is made possible by warmer temperatures. In an effort to mitigate such issues, farmers frequently use additional pesticides and herbicides, which can have an adverse effect on both human health and the environment. 3. Water Shortage Long-lasting droughts and changing precipitation patterns are becoming more common due to the changing climate, which is impacting the water supplies that are available. Water use in agriculture is essential, and water scarcity can significantly reduce agricultural yield, especially in areas where irrigation is crucial to agriculture. 4. Shifting Agricultural zones Agricultural zones are shifting as a result of climate change, pushing arable land toward the poles while diminishing the suitability of previously productive areas for cultivation. The problem of food security may be exacerbated by the movement of agriculture, which could result in conflicts over land usage, competition for resources, and lower crop yields in some areas. Despite the immense challenges that climate change poses to food security, there are efforts that may be taken to lessen its effects: Water management: Effective water management strategies, such as rainwater collection and drip irrigation, can reduce the water footprint of agriculture. Climate-resilient Crops: By creating and encouraging the use of climate-resilient crop types, farmers will be able to adjust to shifting weather patterns and keep stable yields. Disaster Preparedness: Early warning systems and disaster preparedness are initiatives that can help communities adapt to severe weather events more successfully. Sustainable Agriculture: Crop rotation, no-till farming, and agroforestry are examples of sustainable farming techniques that can enhance soil health, conserve water, and lessen the carbon impact of agriculture. when people you meet treat you as if you are not normal, that feeling tends to interfere with your mental health. But since the repairs, I have lived a normal life.” As a parent with children also born with cleft lips and palates, Bruce says it was easier for him to accept the situation because he had been through it before, however, parents who are new to it struggle a lot. “My wife was shocked when she first found out that our children, especially our first born had been born with a cleft lip and palate. But I helped her accept and embrace the challenges that came with it. Feeding times were most difficult. The child is not able to latch on its mother’s breast hence you have to find other means to feed it, such as introducing formula,” he says. His sons aged five and two years old have both had corrective surgeries. The first born has had three while the second boy has had two surgeries. “The boys are leading a normal life. In fact, the eldest boy is attending school and his speech has improved tremendously over time. The second born is even better with speech and loves singing,” says Bruce. “Parents need to understand that cleft Your Health It matters 22 PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 lip and palate is just like any other deformity. It is correctable and we have organisation’s across the country who are here to help. The society needs to understand that cleft lip and palate is not a curse, hence we should not hide our children. We should treat them like any other child. Remaining positive is important and in such cases, there is need for partners to support each other,” he says. Another parent, Winnie Paul says her12- year-old daughter was born with cleft lip and palate, and she is glad she overcame all that and is now a singer. Corrective surgeries “I discovered that my girl had a cleft lip and palate after birth. It came as a huge shock,” says Winnie, a teacher by profession. “In her early months, whenever friends, neighbours or relatives visited, they would make some awful comments about my daughter’s appearance. I would be asked to explain why she has a mark and whether she had fallen down and hurt herself. It was disheartening,” recalls Winnie. Her daughter began her corrective journey when she was three months old and along the way, other corrective surgeries have been performed. “I sought for treatment at Metropolitan Hospital in Nairobi’s Buruburu estate courtesy of Smile Train, which has an amazing team. They have turned out to be okay and I am greatful that this organisation has walked with us through this tough journey. My mother has also been my greatest support system and we are glad all turned out well,” Winnie says. Amazingly, her girl has turned out to be an amazing singer and would like to pursue a career in music. She also loves acting and experiment with make-up. “She is anxious to unravel what the future brings forth! I would advise parents not to lose hope whenever they find themselves in such a situation. Help is there and a smile will be restored,” says Winnie. A cleft lip, which is a split in the upper lift, and a cleft palate, a split in the roof of the mouth, is formed if the tissue doesn’t fuse together in the way it should during the fourth to seventh week of pregnancy. A child could have one or the other, or both. NUTRITION 8*5)
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8"/‹"3& The impact of climate change on food security Helping children born Left untreated, the splits in the roof of the mouth and lip can cause serious health issues, including difficulty in speaking, language development, dental problems, ear infections, hearing loss and difficulty in eating leading to malnutrition by Lilian Kaivilu and Kwach Wakhisi @PeopleDailyKE B ruce Orangi is a family man, married and a proud father to two lovely boys— Othniel and Uriel. He was born with clefts, and his two sons were also born with a cleft lip and palate. At the age of five, when he became conscious to everything that was happening around him, he noticed that people were treating him differently. He had a scar on his lip and a hole on the upper roof of his mouth. “It was not easy considering that not so many people knew a thing about cleft lip and palate. The biggest challenge was the stigma he faced since I was always considered abnormal,” says Bruce who currently works as a data specialist with an IT background. Difficulty eating “Generally, growing up, I had challenges with speech. People could not clearly understand me whenever I spoke. In addition to that, there were meals I could not eat well as they would come out through my nose,” he recounts. Bruce counts himself lucky since he was able to undergo corrective surgery at the age of 10 after some missionary doctors visted Kenyatta National Hospital to perform surgeries for cleft lip and palate patients. He offers: “I have had to get other corrective surgeries after that, especially on my palate as recent as this year. You know
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Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY 23 Children in Africa are among the most at risk to climate change — Unicef with clefts smile again more targeted and continuous medical camps to reach everyone who needs this service. This, however, leaves a gap on subsequent medical enquiries and follow-ups. Comprehensive care It is this gap that inspired Dr Martin and his co-founder to seek a permanent solution; a facility that would offer comprehensive care not only for patients, but also to their families who often face stigma and stress. “In 2017 we saw this space and decided to do something to ensure continuity of care and fully connect to the patients.” After some years of outreach in remote parts of Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Angola and Bangladesh, BMC experienced challenges in effective follow-up and possible dropout by patients who needed consistent medical attention post surgery. This comprehensive care centre consists of two theatres and 25 beds to handle speech therapy, dental alignment, nutritional advice, and facial deformities. Dr Martin refers to it as the brick and mortar of the cleft and palate treatment and care where the team treats the visible (cleft and palate) and the invisible (the associated stigma of the condition). Teaching communities to ‘fish’ While medical outreaches play a critical role in taking the services of cleft lip and palate repair to the remotest parts of the African continent, the ability by local communities and health professionals to own the solutions to this challenge remains paramount. To achieve this, BMC’s Education and Training equips local healthcare providers with comprehensive hands-on surgical training. In May this year, the team trained six maxillofacial residents at the Central Hospital of Lubango, Angola. Dr Martin recounts the instances that have left him glued to the mission of putting a smile on the face of cleft patients: “My most memorable case was in 2014 in Butembo, North Eastern Congo. We conducted surgeries under the Central Church of East Africa. Although we travelled with the anesthetist, we never had any equipment and relied on theirs. We conducted about 20 surgeries in about two days,” he recounts. He narrates about the community’s act of appreciation that inspired the BMC team to keep up the work they do to date: “We stepped out of the operation room to find mothers dancing outside in appreciation. It occurred to me and my anesthetist that we were a huge inspiration and source of hope to these families,” he beams with joy. In Kenya, approximately one in every 500 babies is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate yet there are many children who never receive life-changing surgery. In many instances, such as in Winnie’s case, women are often irrationally blamed when a child is born with clefts. Women are accused of unfaithfulness, or that she had a failed abortion, that she somehow cut the child’s face, or that she was cursed. Due to difficulties with breastfeeding, malnutrition among children with clefts is heightened. Without adequate nutrition in these critical months and years of development, babies and children with clefts often become underweight and at risk of growth failure and death. Given this, babies with clefts need increased nutritional support in order to ensure they are healthy and able to undergo surgery to fix their cleft safely. by Betty Muindi @BettyMuindi The health, development and safety of children in 98 per cent of African countries are severely threatened by the effects of climate change, according to a new report by Unicef. The report, published ahead of the start of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi on Monday, found that children in 48 of the 49 African countries for which data is available are at “high” or “extremely high” risk from the extreme weather, illnesses, pollution, and environmental degradation caused by climate change. Children living in the Central African Republic, Chad, Nigeria, Guinea, Somalia and Guinea-Bissau face the highest threat, according to the report. In Somalia, over 20,000 children under the age of five died last year amid the extended drought in the country, according to UN estimates. In Chad, nearly 40 per cent of children under five are stunted, according to the World Food Programme. The countries most at risk from climate change also have weak health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services, according to the report. This makes children in these countries even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as they are less able to access basic services such as safe drinking water, education, and protective services during extreme weather events. “It is clear that the youngest members of African society are bearing the brunt of the harsh effects of climate change,” said Lieke van de Wiel, Deputy Director of Unicef’s Eastern and Southern Africa region. “They are the least able to cope, due to physiological vulnerability and poor access to essential social services.” The report follows revelations made by the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative, which includes Unicef, in June, which found that just 2.4% of investments by multilateral climate funds (MCFs) in Africa directly support children. Unicef estimates that one billion children globally are at “extremely high” risk of suffering from the impacts of the climate crisis, which the organization has called a “children’s rights crisis”. Children are disproportionately vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, as their developing immune systems, behavioural characteristics and developmental needs make them more susceptible to diseases, food insecurity, water scarcity and air pollution. In the northern part of Africa, children are more exposed to risks related to water scarcity and air pollution, according to the report. In the western and eastern parts of the continent, children are more exposed to risks related to vector-borne diseases, heatwaves and riverine flooding. Water and soil pollution, meanwhile, affects children across the entire continent. The risks of tropical cyclones and coastal flooding, however, are concentrated in specific coastal regions, the report said. Climate change is also driving child labour, child marriage, extremism and forced migration, which can expose children to human trafficking, genderbased violence, abuse and exploitation, the report said. “Children and their families hit by one crisis may be able to absorb the shock provided the crisis is not too severe,” said Unicef. Ž36‰&
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ŒIJME Bruce Orangi and his son were born with cleft lip and palate. PD/SYLVIA WAKHISI “Cleft lip and palate is more than just the physical health condition. There are other issues to deal with. They range from nutritional challenges as children with this condition struggle with breastfeeding, which is essential in their early years,” explains Dr Martin Kamau the Co-Founder and lead maxillofacial surgeon at Bela Risu Medical Centre (BMC), a cleft lip and palate-only 3 – Time in minutes between which a baby is born with a cleft. 19,000 children are born with the condition annually in Africa 1 in every 1,300- Number of times a cleft lip and palate occurs 300,000 Amount in shillings used to repair a cleft lip and palate. IN NUMBERS 1 in every 500– 750 -live births result in a cleft in Kenya. health facility in Nairobi. Due to the existing health systems, cleft lip and palate treatment remains a challenge as it is not prioritised in many countries’ health policies. As such, the medical outreaches are spontaneous and only serve those who can access the periodic medical camps, he says. With 47 counties in Kenya, it requires Did you know? Children with cleft lip struggle to breastfeed hence their general immunity is at stake. Repairs can be conducted on children from about 10 weeks. Lack of proper supplements during pregnancy may affect embryonic development and lead to cleft-related complications. Cleft lip and palate is believed to contribute to malnutrition.

by Caleb Korir @PeopleDailyKe G rowing up in Nairobi’s South B estate, Zenet Tume Mohamed noted the stark difference between her and the children in the nearby Mukuru slums. While she had enough clothes and shoes, the children from the slums wore tattered clothes and walked barefoot. They also lived in humble abode. Her interaction with these children informed her decision to pursue a course that would later enable her to make a difference in the society. Zenet has a master’s degree in International Relation with specialisation on development studies. “I was born and schooled in Nairobi. I grew up in South B and saw the children from the humble Mukuru slums struggle even with the basic needs. I felt the need to help them make a difference in life,” she narrates. Zenet is the founder of Identity254, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) dedicated to identifying, training and empowering individuals with knowledge, skills and opportunities to change their lives and have an honest living with the acquired skill-set and know-how. The organisation is engaged in several initiatives, which includes offering tailoring courses, entrepreneurship courses, mental wellness programmes, environmental conservation and advocates for women empowerment and gender equality. Finding fulfillment Having started in formal employment, Zenet says that didn’t find ultimate fulfillment. She was employed twice; as a strategic business consultant and in customer service in different firms in Nairobi. The experience that she acquired in formal employment had proven vital in her new role of running an NGO. “I started working as a strategic business consultant in a certain firm in Nairobi. I gained a lot of experience in terms of dealing with projects, among other lessons. Later, I got an opportunity to work with Kenya Power in 2016. I resigned in 2022 to start Identity254 because I felt I couldn’t give my all if I was working for another organisation. I was grateful for the employment opportunity, but I realised that was not my calling. It was scary leaving a job, but I wanted to help people nevertheless,” she shares. Take Off Guru 24 Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY While she grew up lacking nothing, Zenet Tume Mohamed’s heart broke whenever she sees the struggles children from the slums go through. She felt the need to empower the poor for a better future Driven by passion to make a difference in women’s lives ”&/&5

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IBWF QUICKFIGURES Slow progress on bridging gender pay gap Across the world, women continue to be paid less compared to men for similar work. The discrepancy in renumeration, which is also referred to as gender pay gap is one manifestation of discrimination based on gender and perpetuates inequalities. While there have been deliberate efforts to narrow the gap, progress has been slow. International Equal Pay Day, marked on September 18th, recognises efforts towards bridging the gap and the commitment to end all forms of discrimination particularly against women and girls. One of the factors leading to the pay gap is time women spend out of the workforce. Career breaks taken by women to raise children and do other forms of unpaid work often affect women`s career progression and renumeration. Achieving equal pay is critical since it’s a win for human rights and gender equality. RANDOM SENSE Ž “
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ent business models,” among others. The organisation further offers mental wellness programme, which provides guidance and counselling to women. Zenet notes that cases of depression, suicides and other mental issues have been on the rise and thus she decided to incorporate mental wellness in the list of programmes offered. The programme gives women with mental issues an opportunity to express themselves and talk to the counselor. Mental wellness “Nowdays, people are dealing with a lot of things that are driving them to anxiety, stress and depression, suicides, among other mental health illnesses. We provide the women in the programme with a safe and supportive environment to learn and practice mental wellness. There is a lot of stigma surrounding mental illness, which can make it difficult for individuals to seek help. That’s why Identity 254 has ensured that there is access to care through a weekend programme that allows them to have a session with a therapist in the woods. They get to heal in nature,” she says. Setbacks and future plans Running an NGO without donors and support from well-wishers is an uphilltask. However, Zenet has worked hard to acquire the resources solely. She says her motivation is to see the lives of other women improving and thus using her personal savings and resources to establish the organisation does not feel as a burden. “At the moment, it’s self-funded. This is something I started with my savings. Everything we have acquired is not a one-time thing. I got sewing machines, equipment and furniture gradually. I registered this NGO in 2020,” she says. Still, running the organisation has not been smooth sailing. Some of the challenges that she Young women during a tailoring session. PD/ COURTESY Zenet Tume Mohammed. PD/CALEB KORIR Crash programmes The courses offered by Identity254 are free. “We provide educational support and mentorship to women and youth in Kenya. This includes career guidance and life skills training. The tailoring and fashion design programme is designed to provide vocational training and job skills to young people who are interested in pursuing a career in the fashion industry. The programme aims to equip participants with the skills, knowledge, and practical experience necessary to become successful tailors and fashion designers,” she narrates. She adds, “Currently, 10 women are taking a tailoring and dress making six-month course. We hope to add more courses such as carpentry programme in the near future. Zenet says Identity254 also offers crash courses. “We support the youth and women by offering business classes that helps them understand how to run their business once they are done with the course. It gives them informa- tion on Micro, small, and mediumsized enterprises (MSMEs), taxes, business management, how to join Saccos, the differhas encountered includes truancy, lack of funding and getting subsidies for fabrics used in training course such as dress making. “It breaks my heart to see some students leave in the middle of the training. Once a student drops out, you can’t replace them because the new student will not catch up with the rest and the desk will be empty. Another challenge is lack of partners and sponsors. Convincing my dad that what I am doing is what I want, especially in the African setting is not easy,” she says. She says the ultimate joy and happiness is drawn from making someone else’s life better and not in having a lot of material possession. “My heart is grateful. I feel that giving back to the society gives me happiness and joy. It’s not about what I have, but the difference I am making in someone’s life. I want to see Identity254 making a difference in terms of ensuring other people’s lives are better and ensuring people are aware of their mental health,” she says in conclusion. ɒ:RPHQDUHSDLGRQDYHUDJH 20% less than men around the world ɒ2QO\28% of women employed worldwide enjoy paid maternity leave ɒ:RPHQFDUU\RXWDWOHDVW2.5 times more unpaid work compared to men ɒ65% of people above retirement age without pension are women

PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 25 Scholar Training future leaders Education under threat from climate change, report warns She however says boys are also not safe as they are being forced out of school to work in farms so as to contribute to the family’s income. Economic hardships Wongani adds “Climate is affecting education for both girls and boys but if we look proportionally, the risks are higher on girls due to years of cultural biases and social norms,” A report launched by Oxfam indicates more girls were missing their education as they walked for long distances in search of water and other chores. Also, the report indicates that too often, women and girls have been forced to eat last and least, as priority is given to fathers and children when food is limited. This means, girls are likely not to eat or eat less, making it difficult for them to go to school. Oxfam’s report further shows young girls are more likely to be taken out of school when the family suffers economic hardships. Gabriel Sila, the head of humanities at Crawford International School says while the effects are already showing, it is expected to get worse as time goes by. He says more families, especially those from pastoralists families are expected to be moving around in search of pasture. This means school going children will also have to be pulled out of school and move around with their parents. “Flooding will further cause submerging of schools while drought will result in high temperatures, which then makes learning impossible for the students,” he says. Also, the risks of malnutrition and undernutrition are also likely to come, leading to poor health of the children, which will push children to miss school. Childhood exposure to climate shocks, such as droughts and floods, new research shows, has an unequal impact on children’s development, affecting their nutrition and access to learning 48 Number of countries in Africa out of 49 that were assessed and are categorised as high or extremely high risk to the impacts of climate change.
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ˆ8POHBOJ PROPOSED SOLUTIONS Enabling more holistic programmes of support, including ‘shock-responsive’ social protection programmes to reach disadvantaged households in disaster prone regions, aligned with early learning and school feeding programmes. Strengthen age and gender disaggregated data and evidence on the impact of climate change, and enabling specific action to help keep girls in school in times of stress. Longitudinal research is critical to understand both trends over time and the impacts of specific shocks, including climate related shocks; targeted investment in early years education and addressing the growing digital divide is critical to support poor and marginalised households. -Dr Catherine Porter, Young Lives Research programmedirector by Malemba Mkongo @PeopleDailyKE A s effects of climate change continue to sink deeper, especially on African children, experts say the consequences are going to be dire to school going children. According to a recently released United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) report “Time to Act”, children in 48 out of 49 African countries assessed are categorised as at high or extremely high risk of the impacts of climate change. The analysis assesses countries based on children’s exposure to climate and environmental shocks, such as cyclones and heatwaves, as well as their vulnerability to these shocks, based on their access to essential services. The report says this crisis will affect the children psychological, mentally and healthwise. However, experts say there are more consequences, such as children dropping out of schools due to climate change itself or as a result of its effects. Wongani Grace, Unicef’s regional education advisor for Southern and Eastern Africa says ripple effects of this crisis and environmental hazards are already having a negative impact on children’s learning. She says most of the children, especially the younger ones are not acquiring learning at the foundation level, thereby locking them out of future possibilities of going to school. “Already, the majority of children from the Southern side of Sub-saharan African cannot read simple sentences by the age of 10 years. This is already a crisis and studies have shown that children in crisis are less likely to achieve bare minimum learning compared to those not in crisis,” she notes. Wongani says this means that children who are suffering the effects of climate change are further less likely to access education and learn since they have to deal with the climate crisis. Lock children out of school She further says effects of climate, such as severe drought and floods are likely to lock out children from attending schools due to hunger or heavy rains that will lead to closure of schools. Last year, millions of Kenyan students dropped out of school due to hunger caused by prolonged drought. Majority of the students could not afford going to school on an empty stomach. In other countries, such as Mozambique, schools were closed for weeks after heavy rains submerged their learning facilities, making learning impossible. For drought, the educational expert says there is a risk of girls being forced to early marriages while boys are likely to drop out of school and go into child labour, to supplement family’s income. “During drought, some families choose to marry off their girls in exchange for food. This is already being witnessed. It not only affects their right to education, but also their human rights,” she says. To arrest the situation, Sila says the first action the government can take is to make sure children in schools are provided with food at the institution. “School feeding programmes will attract pupils to school. This will be their main source of food and, therefore, they will have to go to school,” he says. Sila further says the government should prepare pastoralists on sustainable ways of using floods, in preparation for the drought season, such as water harvesting. Limited workforce And to protect children from flooding events, the expert says there is a need to discourage construction of schools in wetlands and ensure they are built on safer grounds. Wongani says the side effects of not mitigating the crisis now will mean a limited workforce in the years to come. With less than six years to the deadline of Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs), Wongani says with the current crisis, African nations, including Kenya are likely to miss the targets. Already, the nations are not on the right path to meeting the SDGs and with the crisis, SDG 4, which champions the achievement of inclusive and quality education for all children will remains a dream. “It is very unlikely to meet the SDG because, even without the crisis, we are not on the right track. But we can actually accelerate our efforts to be on the right trajectory to meet the goal by doubling our efforts of protecting the school going children against the consequences,”she says. To solve the issue, the Unicef expert says there is a need to revolutionise African education by shifting to innovative systems. She says one of the reforms should be to include climate change in curriculums across the education system. She further says there is a need to invest in schools, especially those from areas, which are likely to suffer severe climate consequences, so as to level the education ground with those who will suffer less. “Also, we should bring children to the climate discussions. They have the solutions and they can craft some of the needed solutions. We should allow them to be part of the decision makers and not just consumers of our decisions,” she says.

PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 26 ENTERTAINMENT ARIES (MAR. 21- APRIL 20) New romantic ties can be made; however, you must make sure that your PRWLYHVDUHQRWVHOÀVKEHIRUH\RXPDNH your move. TAURUS (APR. 21- MAY 21) *RGLUHFWO\WRWKHVRXUFHLI\RXZDQWWR know exactly whatʼs been going on. Your personal partner may be less than willing to accommodate you today. GEMINI (MAY 22-JUNE 21) <RX FDQ PDNH ÀQDQFLDO GHDOV WKDW ZLOO EULQJ\RXH[WUDFDVK<RXҋOOÀQGORYHDQG youʼll get into tiptop shape at the same time. CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22) %HH[WUDFDUHIXOZLWK\RXUYDOXDEOHVffORVV DQGWKHIWDUHHYLGHQWWRGD\<RXUKRPH environment appears to be a little shaky. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) 0DNHORYHQRWZDUDQGDOOZLOOEHÀQH Donʼt blame everything on your mate. Family trips or projects should be on your mind. VIRGO (AUG. 23 -SEPT. 23) You need to take a long, hard look at \RXUVHOI DQG \RXU SHUVRQDO VLWXDWLRQ Spend some quality time with your lover. 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by Rodgers Ndegwa @PeopleSports11 Highly-rated Sofapaka FC forward Jacob Onyango is confident his team will clinch the much elusive Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League title at the end of the season. Though the Batoto Ba Mungu are yet to win any of their games this season, the lethal attacker believes the team has got all it needs to bag the title they last won in 2009 when they made their debut in the country’s top-fl ight. With a target of over fi fteen goals by the end of the season, the prolifi c striker who is well known for his neck-breaking speed, exemplary shots outside the box, aggressiveness on aerial balls and physical strength said his team has got all the right tools to emerge on top at the end season. “I believe every player should have a target, and mine is one I intend to accomplish. I am looking forward to scoring over fi fteen goals by the end of the season and helping my team carry the league. I know this is achievable because we have a coach who if we follow his tactics and way of play I trust we will be champions,” quipped the 19-year-old Onyango who joined Sofapaka from St Anthony’s Boys Kitale. In regards to what he has learned from his teammate Fiston Razak, who rejoins the team eight years after he joined South Africa giants Mamelodi Sundowns for a record 37 million deal, the soft-spoken younger stated it was a pleasure because he is learning something new on a daily basis. “Playing alongside someone with vast football knowledge like Razak is a good learning curve. From him, I have grasped how to position oneself during the game in order to be able to score easily, how to easily make superb runs in between the defenders and also, and I have also gotten to learn how to work closely with other teammates to accomplish the task at hand,” noted Onyango who is an ardent Manchester United Though he played for the national team during the 2018 Africa Copa Coca-Cola soccer under-16 championship held in Nakuru and scored six goals to be crowned the tournament’s top Golden Boot winner and help his side win the African title, Onyango is certain of replicating similar results in the senior team given a chance. “I have always wanted to play for the national team in order to showcase my talents at that level because it will increase my chances of playing outside the country, and I am hopeful of adorning the national colours soon,” stated Onyango who guided his high school to the Kenya secondary school games fi nals against their perennial rivals Dagoretti high school in Kisumu in 2019. In the FKF Premier League, Onyango made a name for himself in the second last of the season after scoring against AFC Leopards in their 2-1 win at the Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi. KERICHO: Kericho County is set to develop paralympic sports in a bid to bring on board persons with disabilities to showcase their diverse talents. The county’s Chief Offi cer (CO) for Sports and Youth Affairs, Geoffrey Bett, revealed that the department is planning to roll out programmes for persons with disabilities so as for them to engage in Paralympic sports like never before. Speaking in Kericho town, the CO disclosed that they intend to come up with a policy document for parasports aimed at providing guidelines in line with developing paralympic sports in the county. “We are out to take Parasports to the next level where other counties will come to Kericho to benchmark,” Bett asserted. He promised that his department will ensure fair training and selection of PWDs on matters of sports with a view of getting top cream sportsmen and women who will conquer the world of paralympic sports going forward. “We are committed to producing world-class sportsmen and women on matters of paralympic sports,” he added. He revealed that the department is soon rolling out training for parasports disciplines such as sitting volleyball, wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball among others in line with increasing other disciplines in the paralympic sports. -Philip Yegon 1"3"i"5_`^5*$a Kericho lays foundation for sports among paralympics by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleSports11 Sofapaka President Elly Kalekwa has termed the arrival of midfi elder Humphrey Mieno as a huge boost to help the club end their trophy drought this season. After being released by Tusker at the end of last season, the 33-yearold Mieno fi nally landed at Batoto Ba Mungu on Wednesday where he signed a one-year renewable contract and will be available for selection when the team resumes FKF Premier League action after the Fifa international break. Asked why he went for the services of Mieno, who has won the league title with Gor Mahia and Tusker, Kalekwa told People Sport: “Of course, we want to win titles. Our focus is to win the league and the addition of Mieno will boost our chances a great deal.” “Everyone in football knows what Mieno can offer because he is a complete midfi elder. He has those passes that we have been lacking.” Sofapaka last won the league title on their debut season in 2019 and according to Kalekwa, this season they have what it takes to reclaim it from Gor Mahia. This is the third time that Mieno is returning to Sofapaka. His fi rst stint was in 2011 when he managed 26 appearances and scored one goal before he left to sign for Tunisian side Club African, and then returned in 2012 before he was loaned out to Azam FC of Tanzania and later sold to AFC Leopards in 2014. Nineteen-year-old maestro dreams big with Sofapaka side as his springboard, says Razak’s mentorship fuelled his aspirations Humphrey Mieno trains with Sofapaka FC at Eastleigh High School, Nairobi, on September 6, 2023. PD/RODGERS NDEGWA ^UHDWH[SHFWDWLRQVIRU0LHQRLQnmntrnuVHDVRQ KAKAMEGA: Two legisltors have pledged to connect young, talented footballers from their constituencies to academies and clubs outside the country. Fred Ikana of Shinyalu and Ikolomani’s Benard Shinali vowed to work together to ensure they nurtured soccer and other sports talents from the two constituencies through airlifts to foreign countries. The duo was speaking at Shanderema Secondary School in Shinyalu when they rewarded the institution’s football team following their gallant performance in the recent ball games. The team received cash rewards from the legislators. They said they had witnessed immense talent during the just-concluded school ball games that were staged in Kakamega from the county to national levels. “We have immense raw talent that is untapped. Most of these students do not catch the eye of local scouts and that is why we want to link them to soccer and other sports academies in foreign nations, especially Europe,” said Shinali. Ikana proceeded to add: “We are collaborating with our friends and partners to start these airlifts which will result in the development of talents while improving the lives of families and sports talents in the entire country.” -Dennis Lumiti '005\"`` Western MPs on a mission to elevate young footballers Sofapaka FC forward Jacob Onyango (L) joins his teammates in an exercise during a recent training session held at Eastleigh High School, Nairobi. INSET: Jacob Onyango controls the ball. PD/RODGERS NDEGWA 28 PEOPLE SPORT FOR MORE NEWS VISIT: www.pd.co.ke / www.epaper. pd.co.ke THE ONE-STOP SPORT SHOP Monday, September 11, 2023 wQ\DQJRjVsve JRDOPLVVLRQ

by Vincent Voiyoh @PeopleDailyKe Kenya’s Kibiwott Kandie is one of the major highlights in the elite list of athletes for next month’s Valencia Half Marathon in eastern Spain. Kandie, 27, brags of winning the race on two occasions in 2020 and last year, going on top of the world after smashing the World Record for the Half Marathon when he clocked 57:32 in the 2020 edition. The other Kenyans listed in the elite category includes Mathew Kimeli, Sebastian Sawe, Patrick Mosin,Brian Kw e m o i , We l d o n L a n g a t , L a b a n Kiplimo,Eric Sang,Kelvin Kibiwott,Josphat Kiprotich, Hillary Kipkoech and Bravin Kiprop. Their chase for on the streets of Valencia is expected to face a big test from the Ethiopians who are winless in the race since 2019, especially being thrashed by the Kenyans. Yomif Kejelcha who tasted victory in 2019 will lead Ethiopia’s pool of long distance runners,scheming how to reclaim the title. Olympic champion and the 2023 World Championships bronze medalist in men’s 10,000 Selemon Baraga is also part of the Ethiopian contingent for the Valencia showdown next month. Margaret Chelimo, the 2022 Edreams Mitja Marato Barcelona Half Marathon champion is poised for another career glory in road racing after entering the competition that is set for October 22. The Nandi County based athlete has had some great outings on the track,having a silver medal in the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha,Qatar before adding a bronze medal to her collection from the Eugene Championships last year in women’s 10,000m. Ethiopia’s Melat Kejeta entered the race with the best time in the women’s category this year, having timed 1:0518 when she won a silver medal three years ago in Poland at the World Half Marathon Championships. Her compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase who won a silver medal last month in the Women’s Marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest has been labelled as the pre-event favourite. Gotytom is the 2021 Berlin Marathon winner and she also takes pride in winning the 2022 World Athletics marathon in Eugene,Oregon in USA. Coach of the international elite runners for the Valencia Half Marathon Marc Roig says he expects records to be broken in this year’s edition. “Valencia proves that it is,once again the race chosen by the world elite to beat their records.The return of last year’s winners in men’s category is a sign that the race is well liked.We expect some great records as well as national records and to fi nish the year with the fastest world record of the year for both men and women”, Roig said. The revamped route of the Valencia course will continue to offer the opportunity for outstanding performances in a race long established at the top level worldwide. Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE PEOPLE SPORT 29 World beater Kandie is among elite athletes for Valencia Half Marathon xDOHQFLD`HUH yHFRPH Kibiwott Kandie in action during a past Cross Country event in Nairobi. PD/DAVID NDOLO by Webster Nyandika @PeopleDailyKe Three Hundred Kibo motorbike riders yesterday took part in a challenging 90-kilometre, six-hour challenge from Nairobi to Naivasha in what was biggest corporate ride in Kenya aimed at providing riders with an unforgettable, challenging but ultimately rewarding experience. The event dubbed “Ride Like a Champ” – and whose theme this year was “The Challenge is On”, was Kibo’s third since its inception in 2021, which took riders through a mainly off-course route, providing them with a testing yet exciting experience. Featuring Kibo bikes in the 150 cc, 160 cc and 250 cc categories, the event was fl agged off at the Carnivore Grounds in Lang’ata, Nairobi and culminated at the Sawela Lodge in Naivasha, having gone through varied terrains, which gave riders a chance to test the limits of their bikes whilst testing their riding skills and knowledge of road safety protocols. This year’s edition attracted the participation of over double the number of participants who took part in the event last year, pointing to the event’s growing popularity amongst Kibo bike owners. As part of the challenge, Kibo offers a range of training programs aimed at novice and experienced riders, designed and led by industry experts focusing on developing crucial riding skills, road awareness, and defensive riding techniques. Additionally, Kibo showcased a range of advanced safety features that have been integrated into their 2nd and 3rd Generation range of motorcycles. These features include state-of-the-art braking systems, LED displays and lighting and more effi cient engines. Speaking at the fi nish line in Naivasha, KIBO Africa CEO Huib van de Grijspaarde said: “We are thrilled to have had such a great turnout for this year’s event, which points to the growing interest amongst riders to be part of this challenge. Through the initiative, we have consistently proven that riding is a thrilling, fun and safe engagement, and we look forward to the event growing into a larger event that draws more participants in subsequent editions. Currently, Kibo Africa has an annual capacity of 10,000 bikes, with a plan to increase this capacity to 50,000 bikes per year in the next three years. Besides, the company has successfully transferred technology locally to manufacture 38 components of its bike in Kenya, aiming to achieve 30% localization of elements within the same period. .050a1035 ÑÐÐULGHUVWD¿HSDUW LQÂLER·VÒÎLGHOL¿HD ÈKDPSÓFKDOOHQºH Huib van de Grijspaarde, CEO, Kibo Africa, flags off riders at the start of the 2023 Ride Like a Champ challenge at the Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi. PD/ SPORTPICHA ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo (left) donates Sh 1 million to kick-start Gor Mahia Legends Welfare Group at the Ole Sereni Hotel on Saturday. PD/ DAVID NDOLO by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleDailyKe Information, Communications and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has initiated a Gor Mahia Legends Welfare Sustainability Fund aimed at helping the former players undertake income-generating projects. Speaking after meeting the legends led by former K’Ogalo captain Austin Oduor, Owalo, who is an ardent fan of the Kenyan Premier League champions, revealed he had already donated Sh1 million as Seed Capital towards the fund. “I have today had a working session with Gor Mahia Legends Welfare Group, led by their Chairman and 1987 award-winning captain, Austin “Makamu” Oduor,” said Owalo, adding: “I initiated the Gor Mahia Legends Welfare Sustainability Fund and donated Seed Capital of Sh 1 million towards the fund. This effort seeks to help the group undertake income-generating projects.” Owalo further explained why he had taken the initiative by saying: “The legends were our pride and joy in their heyday and they should not be forgotten, or neglected, in retirement.” The former football stars lauded the initiative, saying it was long overdue and said it would go a long way in supporting their welfare as they cope with life after football. Apart from Austin, other legends at the meeting included John “Bobby” Ogolla, Nahashon “Lule” Oluoch, David “Kamoga” Ochieng, Tobias “Jua Kali” Ocholla, former Harambee Stars head coach Zedekiah “Zico” Otieno who until last season was the head coach of KCB, former Police FC coach Sammy “Pamzo” Omollo, Micky Otieno, Nick Okoth Akura, Maurice “Ole Tunda” Ouma, former Harambee Stars defender Josiah “Biggy” Ougo, Swaleh “Oswayo” Ochieng, Victor Onyango, former Harambee Stars captain Julius “Awilo” Owino, Tobias Mahira, Mike Kisaghi, Peter Gor and Peter Mwololo. wyDORODXQF`HV^RU0D`LD/HJHQGV_HOIDUH^URXS

30 PEOPLE SPORT PEOPLE DAILY / Monday, September 11, 2023 NEW YORK: American teenager Coco Gauff fulfilled the potential she has long promised by landing her first Grand Slam title with a fightback win over Aryna Sabalenka in the US Open final. Gauff, seeded sixth, started slowly in front of an expectant home crowd but grew in confidence to wear down second seed Sabalenka in New York. Gauff, 19, clinched a 2-6 6-3 6-2 win on a delirious Arthur Ashe Stadium. “I feel like I’m in a little bit of shock at the moment,” Gauff said. “I feel like God puts you through tribulations and trials and that makes this even sweeter,” added the American, who lost in her only other major singles final at the 2022 French Open. “I’m thankful for this moment. I don’t have any words.” Australian Open champion Sabalenka, meanwhile, must wait for a second major title. The 25-year-old Belarusian can at least console herself with the knowledge she will become the world number one for the first time. Gauff will rise to a career-high third when the latest rankings are released on Monday - but claiming her first major at her home Grand Slam is what really matters. -BBC '!fl!(ffiff "5_`^5*$a (&#% ,BOEJF
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aIBCBOB 2-2 MALAWI Saizi 23’ Chaziya 88’ AFCON Qualifiers GUINEA Camara 56’ Sow 58’ Johannesburg, Sunday @PeopleSports11 Three more countries sealed their places at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) on Saturday as Mozambique secured qualification with a dramatic 95th-minute winner. Mauritania and the Democratic Republic of Congo also booked a spot at next year’s finals, but there was disappointment for striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as his Gabon side missed out. Three places are still to be resolved for Afcon which kicks off in Ivory Coast on 13 January. Mozambique ensured their return to the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time since 2010 thanks to a late 3-2 win over Benin in Maputo in Group L. The Mambas knew a draw would be enough against a Benin side who needed a victory to qualify. Benin started the better, taking a 1-0 lead after 20 minutes thanks to a Steve Mounie penalty. The hosts quickly fought back with goals from Witi and Ricardo Guimaraes to go 2-1 up, but Benin made it a nervous end for the home fans, finding an equaliser through Jodel Dossou. As the visitors searched for a winner, Mozambique made sure of their place thanks to the decisive strike in injury-time from Clesio Bauque - a goal which saw Mozambique join holders Senegal as qualifiers from Group L. All four nations in Group I went in to Saturday’s games with a chance of qualifying. But it was the Democratic R e p u b l i c o f C o n g o a n d Mauritania who made it through at the expense of Sudan and Gabon respectively. Mauritania’s home game against Aubameyang’s Gabon i n No u a k c h o t t p r ov e d a tempestuous affair with red cards for both teams. Gabon had to play most of the game with 10 men after goalkeeper Jean Noel Amonome was sent off for violent conduct in only the fifth minute. LONDON: Erling Haaland, the Manchester City striker and Norway international, has recently given an in-depth interview to L’Équipe, in which he talked about his rivalry with Kylian Mbappé, his goals for the season, and his happiness for his former Borussia Dortmund colleague Jude Bellingham, who has made a sensational start to his Real Madrid career. Haaland, who joined City from Dortmund in 2022, was asked whether or not ‘Mbappe vs Haaland’ is the new ‘Cristiano vs Messi’. The Norwegian gave an interesting answer, and primarily tried to praise his predecessors. “That’s what everyone seems to think, Haaland said. “But be careful, we must point out how Messi and Cristiano have done crazy things. We must also remember that they still do it, because even if they get older, of course, they are still fantastic players. I feel privileged to having been able to observe two champions as extraordinary as them. -BBC LONDON: Arsenal have confirmed the departure of former club record signing Nicolas Pepe. The Gunners paid £72million to sign the forward from Lille in 2019 but he made only 43 Premier League starts and Arsenal have now agreed to terminate Pepe’s contract with a year remaining. The Ivory Coast international, who spent last season on loan at Nice, has already secured a move to Turkey, signing for Trabzonspor. Arsenal said in a statement on arsenal.com: “We can confirm that Nicolas Pepe is leaving the club. We have agreed with Nicolas to terminate his contract with immediate effect. “Everyone at Arsenal thanks Nicolas for his contribution during his time with us and wish him well for the future.” Pepe never found his feet at the Emirates Stadium and became an increasingly peripheral presence, starting his last Premier League game for the Gunners back in October 2021. Meanwhile, Vitor Roque was part of the Brazil Under-23 squad forced to leave their hotel and take refuge in the hotel pool after a devastating earthquake. -Xinhua '005\"`` Haaland praises Bellingham for his ‘incredible’ start at Barnabeu '005\"`` Arsenal confirm departure of Ivorian Pepe to Trabzonspor 5^//*a Gauff beats Aryna Sabalenka at US Open, grabs first Grand Slam Mozambique, Mauritania and DR Congo qualify for 2023 Afcon as Aubameyang’s Gabon miss out fIFRQWLFNHWVVHDOHG DR Congo’s Meshak Elia (centre) celebrates after scoring against Sudan on Saturday. COURTESY/ CAF Paris, Sunday @PeopleDailyKe Hours before kick-off in Marseille they came piling out of Metro Rond Du Prado and headed slowly down the Boulevard Michelet to meet their own folk, a giant mass of Puma supporters bedecked in blue and white. They sang the songs that became famous when their footballers were crowned champions of the world last year, they gathered in their thousands at the foot of the stairs to the Stade Velodrome drinking in the atmosphere of what maybe they thought was going to be their night against weak and anaemic England, an England they’d already beaten at Twickenham, an England that were supposedly there for the taking. How could they have known that the sickly England of before would gather themselves in this way? All the pressure in the rugby world and down to 14 men - again - after less than a handful of minutes? You’d have bet the house on Argentina at that point - and you’d be looking for new digs today. It wasn’t quite the game of England’s dreams, but it was a win they needed, a victory that will make their skies brighter, their mood happier and the questions from their doubters softer. Watching them thanking their fans in the aftermath of their 27-10 victory you could sense not just joy at a victory but relief, too. There are still a ton of questions to answer and there is no chance of England doing anything truly substantial in this tournament with resilience alone. -BBC England players react after they beat Argentina during their World Cup match. COURTESY-TWITTER kQJODQGjVMR\UHOLHIDIWHUnzesmyLQRYHUfUJHQWLQD AFCON 2023 QUALIFIED TEAMS: Nigeria Guinea-Bissau Burkina Faso Cape Verde Egypt Guinea Ghana Algeria Tanzania Mali Zambia Ivory Coast DR Congo Mauritania Tunisia Equatorial Guinea South Africa Morocco Mozambique Senegal

Monday, September 11, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY PEOPLE SPORT 31 by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleDailyKe Kenya head coach Engin Firat has admitted beating Qatar 2-1 in an international friendly was not as important “for me” as how the team played in the fixture at Al Janoub Stadium on Thursday and expects a better performance against South Sudan and later in the qualifiers from November. Harambee Stars registered the historic result after goals in either half courtesy of Joseph Okumu and Amos Nondi condemned the hosts, who hosted the 2022 World Cup, to defeat in their own backyard. After a strong start, Kenya took a deserved lead in the 20th minute when the towering Okumu, who features for French club Reims, rose the highest to head in a corner from Kenneth Muguna. However, Qatar levelled matters in the 34th minute when Hassan Al-Haydos converted from the penalty spot sending goalkeeper Byrne Odhiambo the wrong way but it was Harambee Stars, who carried the day after captain Michael Olunga orchestrated a brilliant assist to Nondi, who had replaced Masoud Juma with 20 minutes left to the final whistle, to tap the ball to an empty net in the 91st minute. Asked about what he takes from the result, the 53-year-old Firat told People Sports: “Result is not important to me, I know people are talking about the result but to me, it is very important how you play, and everybody who watched the game, especially in the first half, we played real fantastic from behind, how we changed the sides, how we passed and Qatar had zero chance to press us and they got frustrated.” He added: “We got our goal chances and it was only a question of time when to score, so we have done it and for me is very important, what we play and how we play at the international level so what I get most from the matches is everybody, these means players and FKF are seeing how in Qatar what means in infrastructure, and what means professional football.” Firat revealed his intention to honour the friendly in Qatar was to open the eyes of Football Kenya Federation (FKF) and football lovers in the country to how far the East African nation was lagging behind as far as infrastructure was concerned. “So I wanted to open the eyes for everybody to understand how far we are from everything and I hope I can change a little bit of the minds in FKF give them vision and especially the players,” said Firat, adding: “Last year I was not able to change nobody in the country, they still believe that we have something good in infrastructure or whatever which is not the truth and I can never change that, but I can change what I have in my hands, the players and FKF.” Harambee Stars, who jetted back into the country on Saturday, will face South Sudan in another friendly at Kasarani Stadium on Tuesday. Kenya are using the build-ups as part of their preparations for upcoming competitive assignment, the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers where they are pooled in Group F alongside Seychelles, Burundi, Gambia, Gabon, and Ivory Coast. by Vincent Voiyoh @PeopleDailyKe Harambee Stars midfielder Amos Nondi is elated after netting his first goal for the national football team on Thursday night against last year’s World Cup hosts Qatar in a memorable 2-1 win at the iconic Al-Janoub Stadium in Doha. While the match seemed to be headed for a 1-1 draw in the final minutes,skipper Michael Olunga held the ball brilliantly,setting up Nondi who produced a calm finish with a right-foot tap inside the box to send the stadium into an elation,giving Kenya the bragging rights away from home. Nondi, who plays for Armenian club Ararat,says that goal against Qatar is revolutionary and could be a stepping stone towards better tidings for Harambee Stars in future assignments. “Scoring my first goal for Harambee Stars is really a great feeling,not only for me but for my family and the country at large.For sure it is difficult to put this feeling into words but definitely I am extremely delighted”, he dold People Daily Sport. The 24-year-old former Gor mahia midfielder had this to say about his winning goal that has since raised the hopes of the country giving a good show in the 2026 World Cup Qualifiers. “It is a revolutionary goal,we are coming up well through gradual improvements and things will be better.This is a great step for us and those who had lost hope in us can dream and smile again. “The coach is trying to make a formidable squad that will be ready to compete against Gabon and Seychelles in November and the other teams in the Group and optimistic that will get good results when that time comes”. Heading into the second successive friendly match on Tuesday at Kasarani Stadium against South Sudan, Nondi has further challenged fans in the country to emulate what the Kenyans in Qatar did on Thursday evening when they showed up in large numbers to support Harambee Stars. “I urge the fans to come out in masses to support us o n Tuesday,you saw what happened in Qatar,Kenyans and East Africans charged the stadium in our favour.Please come to the Stadium and support the national team and we promise to give a good you another good outing”, Nondi added. Meanwhile,South Sudan landed in the capital yesterday ready for the Tuesday 4pm kick off test match at the Kasarani Stadium. Football Kenya Federation has revealed that Abdoulkalim Twagirumkiza from Rwanda will be the centre referee of the game. Firat excited with Harambee Stars’ passing and pressing football, promises more positive results by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleDailyKe Football Kenya Federation (FKF) Premier League outfit Shabana FC have strengthened their squad with the acquisition of bully midfielder Eugene Mukangula who previously captained AFC Leopards, as they seek to register their first victory of the season when the league resumes after the Fifa international break. The dreadlocked midfielder was a free agent having run down his contract with AFC Leopards at the end of June and the Kisii-based Glamour Boys, who are making a comeback to the top-flight after 17 years in the cold, acquired his services on a one-year renewable deal. Shabana coach Sammy Okoth confirmed the arrival of Mukangula insisting he will bring the needed balance in the middle of play and remained confident the former Thika United player was a good addition to the team. “We have signed Mukangula and he is set to start training with the team on Monday,” Okoth told People Sports, adding: “My intention to sign the player is because of the experience he has, and we were lacking someone to command our midfield, we were lacking the balance especially in the middle of play and in Mukangula I am sure the problem will be sorted.” While at AFC Leopards, Mukangula alongside Peter Thiong’o were stripped of leadership positions at the club after a go-slow over delayed salaries and later Ingwe confirmed the two players were free to leave for a new challenge. Meanwhile, Shabana continued with their preparations for their third match of the season with a 0-0 friendly draw against National Super League (NSL) side Kisumu All Stars at Moi Stadium in Kisumu on Saturday. Tore Bobe have so far played two matches since the 2023-24 season kicked off, losing the opener 1-0 against fellow debutants Murang’a Seal FC at Homabay Stadium before coming from behind to snatch a 1-1 draw against FC Talanta at Nyayo Stadium before the international break. Shabana will next take on Kenya Police in their third fixture of the campaign at Homabay Stadium on September 16. Just like Shabana, the Law Enforcers are yet to win a match from the two played. They kicked off their season with a 0-0 draw against Kariobangi Sharks before going down 3-0 against 6`DEDQDVHDOVLJQLQJRIH[e/HRSDUGVFDSWDLQ0XNDQJXOD 6RIDUVRJRRG ËRQGLGHOLºKWHGDIWHU ºRDOIRUÂHQ¼DRQGHEXW Veteran midfielder Eugene Mukangula (left) after completing his move to Shabana at the weekend. COURTESY/ SHABANA Amos Nondi (left) with Duke Abuya (right) train with Harambee Stars on Saturday at Kasarani after they returned from Qatar. PD/ SPORTPICHA Harambee Stars’ Michael Olunga (centre) goes for an ariel ball against Qatar during their friendly match on Thursday night. COURTESY FKF

Monday, September 11, 2023 / / / @PeopleDailyKe / / / People Daily Download QR Code app on Google Play and scan this QR code with your smart phone for pictures, videos and more stories People Daily is published by Mediamax Network Limited at DSM Place, Kijabe Street, P.O. Box 24943, 00100 - Nairobi, Tel: 0730144100; 0709824000; 0204944100 Fax: 2228503 Nairobi and printed at our Printing Division on Mombasa Road, Tel: 04522641. Circulation: Union Towers, 1st Floor, Moi Avenue. Tel: 2519168. Advertising 2227693, 2228493. E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected] Copyright 2023. All rights reserved. Berlin, Sunday @PeopleDailyKe The facial expression of the German national coach Hansi Flick this Saturday evening might have told the story of hard times ahead for the 58-year-old. Having poor results recently, this time losing a friendly against Japan 4-1, is increasing the crisis of the struggling 2014 world champion. The former Bayern coach and 2020 treble winner is in danger of losing his job. The friendly against France upcoming Tuesday might be the last chance for the former midfielder to turn things for the better. As a curious fact, Japan’s national side had been the starting point of a disastrous 2022 FIFA World Cup experience when Germany ended up with a painful group exit. In Qatar, Japan won 2-1. Considering the downward trend continuing over months, rumors about Flick’s dismissal ten months in advance of the 2024 UEFA Euro hosted by Germany might be fuelled and names of possible successors turn up more often as they have in the past days. Former Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann is mentioned aside from former Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner; not to speak of Matthias Sammer taking over as a rescue worker to secure a better performance when approaching next year’s major. At present a new low point has been reached. German record international Lothar Matthaeus spoke of the German association having a plan B to be prepared when the game against France is getting lost. The encounter with Japan was meant to be a reparation. Flick failed in his attempt to create a new team hierarchy. The plan, to appoint midfi elder Joshua Kimmich as a full-back and move him to midfi eld when in ball possession, failed as Japan took advantage of the gaps caused by the tactics when driving its counterattacks.-Xinhua President leads sporting fraternity in mourning journalist Sean Cardovillis NAIROBI: President William Ruto led Kenyans to mourn the demise of veteran sports journalist Sean Cardovillis who was on Saturday found dead at a staircase of his residence along Rhapta Road, Westlands, Nairobi. Police said his body was discovered by a cleaner on the fourth floor of an apartment. Ruto mourned Cardovillis as an accomplished sports journalist whose impact would be missed dearly. “Saddened by the passing of a brilliant and outstanding sports broadcaster Sean Cardovillis. He was a cool, insightful, and gifted journalist who played an integral role on our radio stations,” wrote Ruto. Sports Journalist Association of Kenya (SJAK), in a statement signed by Secretary General Moses Wakhisi, described Sean as a legend in the sports journalism field and a mentor. - Dennis Mabuka NAIROBI: Kenya national boxing team Hit Squad is grateful for the three week specialised training camp in Havana, Cuba as the team began their 2024 Paris Olympic qualification campaign on a high in Dakar,Senegal. The Kenyan boxers had a good time in Cuba,rubbing shoulders with some of the best pugilists in the world like Julio Cesar De La Cruz who won a gold medal in the heavyweight bouts at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The high level specialised training for team Kenya was birthed by Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba on 6th May this year in Nairobi,when he met Dr Antonio Becali,the President of the Cuban National Institute of Sport,Physical Education and Research (INDER). In Dakar,captain Bonface Mugunde delivered a sweet win for team Kenya as he clobbered the 2016 Rio Olympics bronze medalist and current African middleweight champion Mohamed Rabii of Morocco. Another win was registered by David Karanja who thrashed Thibaut Ngbandamale of Central African Republic in a preliminary round of the flyweight category. -Vincent Voiyoh Kenya national boxing team Hit Squad pugilists attribute victories in Dakar to camping in Cuba Germany coach Flick’s job in great danger after disastrous 4-1 defeat against Japan ^LDQWVLQFULVLV Germany’s players Thomas Muller (left) and Kai Havertz argue during their friendly match against Japan on Saturday. COURTESYTWITTER byEdwin Otieno and Agencies @PeopleDailyKe Kenya’s Agnes Ng’etich (pictured) broke the women-only world 10km record* at the Trunsylvania 10km, clocking 29:24 at the World Athletics Elite Label road race held on Sunday (10) as part of the Brasov Running Festival in Romania. In an impressive solo running display, the 22-year-old showed her intent from the start and covered the fi rst 5km in 14:25 – four seconds faster than the women-only world record for that distance. She had a lead of 10 seconds ahead of her compatriot Catherine Reline at that point. Racing on the loop course, Ngetich went on to pass 6.5km in 18:54 and 8.5km in 24:56 before crossing the fi nish line in 29:24 to record the fastest ever 10km in a women-only race, improving on the 30:01 set by the late Agnes Tirop in Herzogenaurach in 2021. As well as being the fastest women-only 10km, Ngetich’s time is the third-quickest by a woman in history, behind only the 29:14 run by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw in a mixed race in Castellon last year and the 29:19 Yehualaw clocked in Valencia earlier this year. Reline held on to fi nish second in 30:14, while Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek placed third in 30:34. The men’s race was won by Weldon Langat, who completed a Kenyan double in 27:05. Meanwhile Kenya’s Joyce Muthoni Njeru successfully defended her title with a dominant run in the vertical uphill race at Canfranc-Canfranc, while Britain’s Joe Steward took the men’s title in the latest race in the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup last Friday. Starting at the Seta River at 1455m, athletes took on a rugged and, in places, quite technical 4km course, climbing all the way up to the summit of Tuca Blanca at 2313m. "5_`^5*$a ¾RPHQÆRQO¼ »RUOGÇпP UHFRUGEUR¿HQ E¼DFH˺·HWLFK Germany’s coach Hansi Flick. COURTESY- TWITTER