People Daily Friday edition AUG 18th 2023.

Friday, August 18, 2023

PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023

Friday, August 18, 2023 NO. www.pd.co.ke // www.epaper.pd.co.ke 07879 .HQ\D·V 1HZVSDSHU 12 )5(( People Sport BACK PAGE Polls: Raila hits out at US envoy Top athletes’ gold rush in Budapest is officially on News Beat PG 2 PAGE 14 Want to know how government spends the money that KRA collects? We break down the numbers for you to gain knowledge from your pain Mandago freed on bond over Finland scandal FROM LEFT: Senator Jackson Mandago, his co-accused Joshua Lelei and Meshack Rono when they appeared in a Nakuru court yesterday to answer to charges of conspiracy to commit a felony over the Finland scholarships scam. INSET: Judy Chepchirchir, who runs First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy agency, which has been adversely mentioned in connection with the scandal. PD/ RAPHAEL MUNGE Protest note: Azimio leader tells ambassador Meg Whitman to keep off Kenyan affairs a day after she said the country had conducted its freest and most credible elections, says this will hurt Bomas talks PG 4 News Beat PG 7 How your tax is spent Ruto nominates candidates for DPP, Central Bank chairman

 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 03VXQLWHLQJLYLQJ%RPDV WDONVWHDPVHDORIDSSURYDO by Anthony Mwangi @PeopleDailyKe Members of the National Assembly have approved a motion for the establishment of a national dialogue committee to pave the way for talks between the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and their Azimio la Umoja counterparts. The motion will give the Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichung’wah-led Committee legal mandate to recommend constitutional and legal reforms after dialogue and consensus reaching. Moving the motion Ichung’wah, who is the Leader of Majority, expressed his side’s goodwill in ironing the differences on the issues to be canvassed between the rival coalitions. Seconding the motion, Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi, said the dialogue will settle long-standing differences in the country. “There are five agenda items we have a brief on, there are also five agenda items Azimio have brought to the table. It is time to listen to each other,” he said. “It is time to listen to our colleagues on the views they have on the cost of living even though we believe it is the duty of the government of the day to formulate policies that will bring down the cost of living,” Ichung’wah said. Stakeholders The National Dialogue Committee will report to the leadership of Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalitions within 60 days and later submit its report to Parliament. The committee will be assisted by technical teams from both sides. Communication Secretaries, appointed by the Leader of the Majority and the Leader of the Minority, will provide support. The committee is free to invite and engage with other stakeholders as well as collate views from the public and engage experts, professionals and other technical resource persons as necessary. Motion gives KalonzoIchung’wah committee mandate to recommend constitutional reforms The motion says the 10-member team’s recommendation shall be in line with the Constitution and the laws of Kenya and respect the functional and institutional integrity of State organs. During a meeting held on Monday, the technical team comprising of four members from both sides briefed the press on expectations of the committee. “I’m am happy to report that both technical support teams are in. We shall then embark on briefing the team on what we expect of them in support of the dialogue,” Ichung’wah said. The technical team faces an uphill task of harmonising the committee’s agenda after the two sides presented competing priorities. Ichung’wah listed a five-point agenda, including reconstitution of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), implementation of the two-thirds gender rule, entrenchment of Constituency Development Fund in law, establishment the Office of the Leader of the Opposition and embedding the Office of Prime Cabinet Secretary in law. Azimio, on the other hand, has insisted on the reopening of 2022 presidential election servers, electoral reforms and guarantees on non-interference in affairs of opposition parties. Ichung’wah unveiled Muthoni Thiankolu, Linda Musumba, Nick Biketi and Duncan Ojwang, as the government’s side technical advisors, after Kalonzo named Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, Adams Oloo, Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah and ex-Governor Mwangi Wa Iria. Other than Ichungwah, Kenya Kwanza’s dialogue team members are Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (UDA), Embu Governor and UDA Party Chairperson Cecily Mbarire, EALA MP Hassan Omar (UDA) and Bungoma Woman Representative Catherine Wambilianga (Ford-Kenya). Kalonzo’s delegation includes Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi (ODM), Malindi MP Amina Mnyanzi (ODM), Democratic Action Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa and Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni (ODM). The renewed attempt for dialogue follows the collapse of a parliamentary process initiated in April after President William Ruto agreed on talks following a spate of violent opposition protests. Azimio side bolted out of talks on the reconstitution of the electoral commission, IEBC, sparking another round of protests over what opposition leader Raila Odinga termed as the high cost of living. Co-chairs of the National Dialogue Committee Kalonzo Musyoka (left) and Kimani Ichungw’ah (right) at Bomas of Kenya last week. PD/ PHILIP KAMAKYA 5XWRQRPLQDWHVQH[WWRSSURVHFXWRU&HQWUDO%DQNFKDLU by Mercy Mwai @wangumarci President William Ruto has nominated Renson Mulele Ingonga to be the next Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). Ruto has also nominated former Jubilee Party National Elections Board (NEB) chairman Andrew Musangi to be the chairman of the board of Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). In a communication to the House, National Assembly Speaker Wetang’ula directed the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) to undertake the approval hearings of the DPP nominee while the committee on Finance and National Planning will consider the nominee for chairman board of CBK. Ingonga (pictured) will replace Noordin Haji following his appointment on June 14, 2023 as the Director-General National Intelligence Service (NIS). Ingonga was among 15 applicants shortlisted for the job. Prior to his nomination, Ingonga served as an Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions. Former electoral commissioner Thomas Letangule, and lawyers Taib Ali Taib and Danstan Omari were among those who were shortlisted. Musangi, who is a lawyer and a senior consultant at LJA associates, will replace lawyer Mohamed Nyaoga whose four year-year term as CBK board chairman expired in June 2023. by Sophie Njoka @PeopleDailyKe A 28-year-old Engineering student at the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) set himself ablaze yesterday in an attempt to take his own life for lack of pocket money. In a close resemblance to the case of Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit and vegetable vendor who set himself on fire in the town of Sidi Bouzid on December 17, 2010, in what would trigger the famous Arab Spring, Robert Kioko Toho, set himself ablaze at the famous Jomo Kenyatta roundabout in Mombasa’s CBD. Mwembe Tayari Area Chief Mohammed Musa said the student attracted attention when he climbed a billboard erected on the roundabout before dousing himself with paraffin then setting himself ablaze. Mombasa county Chief Fire Officer, Ibrahim Basafar said that Toho suffered 50 per cent burns following the incident. Basafar added the student was rescued by members of the public moments after his body went up in flames. He was rushed to the Coast General Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit ( ICU) where he is undergoing treatment. Basafar noted that preliminary investigations had indicated he set himself ablaze due to lack of pocket money. “We have since established that one of the reasons for setting himself ablaze was due to lack of pocket money to sustain his life while at the university,” he noted. In a video that went viral on social media, the young man is seen being engulfed in flames before dropping from the pillar. 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PUIFS BUSINESS HUB Page 16 Kenya Civil Aviation Authority put on the spot over unions OPINION Page 10 Re-imagining Saudi Arabia’s image through football POINTERS WEATHER TODAY Nairobi 25° Mombasa 29° Kisumu 30° Nyeri 23° Kitui 30° Wajir 34°

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT 3 03VXSLQDUPVRYHUGLVSXWHG %LOORQDQQXOPHQWRIPDUULDJH by Mercy Mwai @wangumarci There was uproar in the National Assembly following the tabling of a controversial Bill that seeks to allow couples to annul their marriage within one year. The MPs were up in arms over the Marriage Amendment Bill, 2023 which came for first reading on Wednesday, terming it unconstitutional on grounds that it was aimed at killing marriages. Bill was introduced by Suna West MP Peter Masara. It seeks to allow courts to grant divorce if marriages have irretrievably broken down, if parties have mutually separated for at least one year immediately preceding date of presentation of the petition seeking its annulment, when both parties mutually agreed to dissolve their marriage. At the moment, couples are required to prove an irretrievable breakdown of marriage and or a matrimonial offence for them to be granted divorce. “The court may grant a decree of divorce by mutual consent if the petition is made at least one year of celebration of the marriages. Parties jointly present the petition. Bill allows the court to grant divorce upon satisfaction that the arguments made in the petition seeking to have the marriage annulled are true,” the Bill. It adds: “Parties to a marriage, the Bill notes will be deemed to have been divorced with effect from the date of the decree granted by the court. Any party to the petition may, by filing a notice of motion to withdraw the petition anytime before a decree of divorce is granted.” Bill, however, allows the court on application of a party, to nullify a decree of divorces granted on grounds that the consent was obtained by coercion, fraud or undue influence. “The innocent party is entitled to damages where the court nullifies a decree of divorce,” the Bill. Masara explained that his Bill is based on the fact that in Kenya, divorce as has always been and still is fault-based, meaning that a person will only get a divorce when they prove fault on the part of their spouses. He said that due to this, divorce proceedings have become acrimonious, lengthy, tedious and expensive due to the time taken to prove such faults in court. “Owing to the significant amount of time taken to finalise divorce proceedings, spouses whose marriages have broken down are forced to continue staying in unhappy marriages even though it may not be in their best interests. Bill seeks to remedy such situations by allowing spouses to mutually agree to divorce. This will enable such spouses to part ways in an amicable, simple and cost effective manner in terms of time and resources,” Masara says. Unhappy marriages But despite his push, questions regarding the constitutionality of the Bill emerged after Laikipia Woman Rep Jane Kagiri opposed it, warning that once the amendment is allowed, foreigners would take advantage of Kenyan girls where they will use and dump them. Kagiri raised questions after the House was informed that although the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) had approved the Bill for tabling, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo had opposed it on grounds that its provisions were not in conformity to those of the constitution. She said: “When you have a Marriage Amendment Bill that is going to allow for the dissolution of a marriage after one year or based on mutual consent, I think that’s an affront to our Constitution and something that we should not allow.” She added: “If we allow for such an amendment, we’re allowing for fictitious marriages where foreigners walk in, cheat our young and beautiful ladies and eventually exit after they’ve achieved the citizenship they’re seeking.” Various processes Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa also questioned how the Bill found its way to Parliament, yet it has to undergo various processes before it is formally introduced for first reading. “It is clear that this Bill will go contrary to the provision of the Constitution, I will be raising this matter with the Liaison Committee to find out how this Bill found its way to the plenary,” he said. Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi said he would have preferred that the Bill be subjected to public participation so that members are allowed to give their views on it to avoid a situation where it will be thrown out by the courts should it be found to be unconstitutional. Said Wandayi: “We seem to be in a very unique situation here. For the first time since I came here I have seen opposition to a bill during the first reading. Under the circumstances, Mr Speaker it may call you to give a considered ruling on this matter being in mind issues on the bill touch on the constitution.” Amollo also asked the Speaker to give a ruling on the bill as it negates the spirit of the constitution. Following the move, Speaker Moses Wetang’ula said he would give a ruling on the ill in the next two weeks. Lawmakers split over Marriage Amendment Bill, 2023 that seeks to allow couples to divorce within the first year by Emmanuel Mutai @PeopleDailyKe China has translated a book authored by President Xi Jinping into Kiswahili in a bid to stamp her influence in Africa. Titled Utawala Wa China, the book was launched on Monday at the University of Nairobi at a ceremony attended by dignitaries among them China’s Tourism and Culture Minister Hu Heping and his Kenyan counterpart Peninah Malonza. The 586 page book, explains the governance of China, implementation of Competency Based Curriculum (CBC) and illustrates Chinese people’s knowledge of building a better world. According to the Chinese embassy in Nairobi, the book is expected to help readers across the world understand China and how it has implemented CBC education. Book that reflects the history and governance of China was published through a collaboration between the Chinese embassy in Kenya, the Foreign Language Press and the Kenya Literature Bureau. Heping described the launch as a major milestone. “I am glad to learn that friends in many countries, including Kenya, are very keen to know more about the experiences of China’s development, and the governance philosophy and practices of the Chinese leadership,” he said. Chinese Ambassador Dr Zhou Pingjian said: ““This book will help promote China -Kenya diplomatic relations and partnership in matters of governance.” 3UHVLGHQW;L·V ERRNQRZ WUDQVODWHG LQWR.LVZDKLOL Suna West MP Peter Masara Laikipia Woman Rep Jane Kagiri Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo NEW BILL Marriage Amendment Bill, 2023 seeks to allow couples to annul their marriage within one year. MPs opposed to it claim the disputed Bill once will allow foreigners to take advantage of Kenyan girls where they will use and dump them. Leader of Minority Opiyo Wandayi said he would have preferred that the Bill be subjected to public participation so that wananchi can give their views on it .H55$RIILFLDOPRYHVWRFRXUWWRXQEORFNIUR]HQ6KZHGGLQJFDVK by Alphonce Mungahu @PeopleDailyKe A Kenya Rural Roads Authority (KeRRA) official is seeking the release of Sh21 million frozen by court last week. Daniel Wambua has moved to court asking for the funds to be unfrozen so that he can proceed to pay dowry for his wife to be. Last week, the Ethics and AntiCorruption Commission (EACC) got orders to freeze Wambua’s accounts including one that has the amount which he now claims was specifically for dowry payment. Through lawyer Danstan Omari, Wambua now says EACC erroneously tagged the account, which had been opened specifically for dowry payments, and his family and friends had contributed to that kitty. According to court papers, the account in question was not a personal one but was registered as Daniel Wambua Dowry Payment and was to run for a period of four months until his big day. He has attached the bank opening form and also the Whatsapp group that was used to collect the funds. At least 800 people have contributed towards the dowry that now lies in limbo due to the freezing of the account. He says people are still sending money to that account. Omari says his client is required by tradition to fulfill his promise of dowry payment and is yet to do that due to the freezing of the account on the basis that the money was obtained in a corrupt way. “The amount in the DANIEL WAMBUA DOWRY PAYMENT Account number 0840184059257 was specifically for the purpose of collecting funds from friends and wellwishers for the purposes of dowry payment for my intended marriage to my wife of choice,” Wambua said in his court papers. He further notes that the funds are not from his earnings but from well-wishers and friends which cannot be said to be proceed of crime. “There was an online platform group created by those who wished to contribute and pledge to my cause whereas a Whatsapp group was duly formed and contributions began to be channeled virtually via MPesa paybill number 247247 account 221666,” Wambua claims. Wambua further states that he is well-known in his community and that is why he got that much money as contribution towards his dowry payment. He has attached the Whatsapp group with the contribution lists, stating what each person contributed towards the wedding. He says EACC should tell court the interest they have in his marriage, which led them to halt his ceremony without any justifiable reasons thereby causing him embarrassment with his in-laws.

fl NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 5DLODKLWVRXWDW 86HQYR\RYHU SROOVUHPDUNV we can rise as a country. As a country, we should congratulate ourselves for passing the Constitution 10 years ago. In some counties, what the national government failed to achieve in 50 years has been achieved in 10 years,” said the opposition chief. He, however, acknowledged that devolution continues to face myriad challenges but encouraged county bosses to remain steadfast and ensure that devolution will never fail. Wage bill question Raila urged President Ruto’s administration to streamline the formula used for disbursement of funds to counties to avoid unnecessary delays which has hampered the implementation of crucial development projects. He raised concern over the rise of the wage bill both at the county and national governments and urged the devolved units to come up with their own revenue generation streams. He said the Kenya Kwanza administration has no moral authority to fight corruption at the counties noting that corruption is still deeply rooted at the national government. “Corruption is still rampant at the national government, so they have no business lecturing you on corruption. Let’s address these challenges once and for all,” said Raila. “Kenyans are reeling from the highest cost of living and over taxation. Nothing is predictable. Time has come for us to back up talk with policies at the national level,” added the opposition chief. He called on counties to come up with policies aimed at uplifting the lives of the people at the grassroots and encouraging enterprise and creating job opportunities for the youth. Opposition leader accuses ambassador of meddling in the country’s internal affairs, asks her to keep off US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman addresses participants during the official opening of the eighth Devolution Conference in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu county on Wednesday. PD/JIMMY GITAKA by Wycliff Kipsang @PeopleDailyKe Azimio la Umoja leader Raila Odinga yesterday criticized the US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman for allegedly meddling in Kenya’s internal affairs. Raila was particularly irked by Whitman’s remarks that Kenya’s 2022 election was free and fair. The Azimio coalition leader termed Whitman’s remarks as unfortunate at a time when the country is engaged in bypartisan talks to unite the country after months of street protests. Raila, who presided over the opening of the fourth day of the 8th Devolution Conference, told the envoy to keep off the internal affairs of Kenya. “We want to tell the US ambassador to leave us alone. Please US tell your rogue ambassador to shut up or we will make sure she is recalled back to her country,” said Raila. Whitman, who was among dignitaries who accompanied President Ruto on Wednesday lauded Kenya’s democracy which she termed as ‘among the best in the world’. “The just concluded 2022 elections was the freest, fairest and most credible in Kenyan history. Kenya also has among the best workforce in the whole world,” said Whitman, remarks which have not gone down well with the opposition. The US envoy also claimed that Kenya’s high tax burden was alright ‘so long as it’s consistent’. Whitman hailed Kenya for doing better than India and Venezuela and went on to state that if American businesses had no qualms with India, they would equally have no qualms with Kenya. Devolution supporter But the remarks sparked outrage from other opposition senators who accused the envoy of meddling in the country’s internal affairs. Homa Bay Senator Tom Kajwang’ (Homabay), Oburu Oginga (Siaya) and Enock Wambua of Kitui said Whitman was out of touch with what’s happening in Kenya. “It is only a visitor in Jerusalem who can discuss them in such a manner. The American government is not a visitor in Nairobi, and we can only hope that these unfortunate remarks were personal and were inspired by the envoy’s base corporate instinct of pleasing a buyer to close a deal,” said Wambua. “From the onset of the 2010 constitution, the leadership of Azimio has been the boldest supporter of devolution. It is for this reason that our coalition leadership has attended every devolution conference,” added Wambua. “The Devolution Conference should provide a peek into Kenya Kwanza administration’s policies on fiscal and political decentralisation, as well as synchronise the support of foreign partners, donors and civil society organisations,” added the Senator. The Azimio senators were categorical that elections, taxes and corruption ‘are existential questions in Kenya’. According to the leaders, the conduct and outcome of the 2022 presidential election is among the items the Azimio negotiating team has put on the agenda of the National Dialogue Committee which is chaired by Wiper leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and National Assembly Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah. “It is premature and haughty for the US envoy, who came to Kenya in 2022, to make such a conclusive statement on a matter before the court of public and political opinion. We do not expect our foreign friends to be apologists’ accomplices of a state that visits terror on its citizens using security agencies,” said Kajwang’. Erode trust Azimio also laughed off claims by the envoy that Kenya was doing well in the fight against corruption. Dr Oburu said the Kenya Kwanza regime has the worst record of interference in investigations and prosecution of corrupt officials. “We in Azimio are strongly convinced that Kenya is headed in the wrong direction. We believe that our electoral system is fundamentally flawed. We believe that our people are being taxed to poverty,” said Oburu. “As long as Kenyans are talking, we expect our foreign friends to be sensitive, mature and to avoid making comments that are likely to erode the little trust we are building for the sake of our nation,” added the Senator. Raila faulted the Kenya Kwanza administration over when he called continuing to hold onto some devolved functions which he said has led to duplication of services and wastage of taxpayers’ money. Speaking when he presided over the third day of the ongoing devolution conference at the Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu, the ODM chief said devolution has achieved a lot in the last 10 years but added ‘that people who were opposed to the 2010 constitution want to derail it’. “We hear the Kenya Kwanza administration saying that they are building markets and pumping millions of monies to the health sector. These are devolved functions which should be fully released to the counties,” said the ODM leader. He lauded the Council of Governors (CoG) for remaining united despite their different political affiliations. “Your continued unity has helped end toxic politics in this country. I commend you to continue making bridges of unity,” said Raila. Others who accompanied Raila included former Governors Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega), Mwangi Wa Iria (Murang’a), former Defence Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Roots Party leader George Wajackoyah. He assured the governors that Azimio will continue championing devolution which he said has done alot to improve development at the grassroots. “Some towns which were dead are now rising thanks to devolution. It’s a testimony by Winstone Chiseremi @PeopleDailyKe Senators want 60 percent of the sharable billions of shillings disbursed by the National Treasury to county governments be allocated to ward development fund to accelerate development to the smallest units of devolution. They reiterated that for development to be spread equitably across all the wards, there was urgent need for the residents at the grass roots to enjoy the fruits of devolution through allocation of funds for projects of their choice. Led by Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa (pictured), they termed the move long overdue saying that they will fight for speedy implementation of ward development funds to facilitate equity and fairness in all the 47 counties. They were speaking at the Devolution Conference that is being held at Eldoret Sports Club in Uasin Gishu county. Thang’wa stated that they will ensure equitable sharing of devolved monies to the wards through the county ward equitable development fund for the benefit of the people at the village levels. Unviable projects The event which was attended by more than 10,000 participants among them local and international dignitaries was officially opened by President William Ruto. The senator assured Members of the County Assemblies that they will be in charge of 60 percent of the sharable revenue disbursed to their respective wards to undertake projects. According to Thang’wa, the county executive will retain 40 per cent of the monies to carry out flagship projects in the county. The senator argued that the move will also ensure residents are given an opportunity to decide which development projects they want instead of being imposed with unviable projects by the Executive. Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot warned MCAs against frequent impeachment threats against their governors over flimsy grounds saying that they will not allow the trend going forward. “Let me assure the MCAs that as the Leader of Majority in the Senate, I will be very strict on issues to do with impeachment. You must come up with concrete evidence against your county bosses on misappropriation of county funds issues if you expect us to listen and act on your petition at the Senate,” said Cheruiyot. 6HQDWRUVSXVK IRUZDUGNLWW\ WRVSXUJURZWK LQFRXQWLHV ON OTHER NATIONAL ISSUES... Raila asked President Ruto’s administration to streamline the formula used for disbursement of funds to counties to avoid unnecessary delays. The rise of the wage bill both at the county and national governments and urged the devolved units to come up with their own revenue generation streams. Kenya Kwanza administration has no moral authority to fight corruption at the counties noting that corruption is still deeply rooted at the national government. DEVOLUTION CONFERENCE

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT ffi DEVOLUTION CONFERENCE Coop Bank team at the devolution conference: Head of Government Banking Silvance Nono, Head of Digital Channels Dan Musungu, Head of Agriculture Business Esther Kariuki, Relationship Manager Agribusiness Kipchumba Kimurwok and Ephantus Njoroge of Government Banking. PD/JAMES GITAKA Housing Cabinet Secretary Charles Hinga addresses the conference in Eldoret, yesterday. PD/JAMES GITAKA Kitui County government officials promote ‘Made in Kitui’ products such as honey at the ongoing eighth devolution conference in Eldoret. PD/JAMES GITAKA A trader from Marsabit helps a buyer fit a traditional beads during a visit to the county stand in Eldoret. PD/ JAMES GITAKA Delegates from Wajir join Pokot dancers for a jig during the devolution conference, yesterday. PD/JAMES GITAKA National Youth Service officers get information on a home made incubator by a trader from Bungoma county at the conference, yesterday. PD/JAMES GITAKA Governors Gladys Wanga of Homa Bay county, Wavinya Ndeti (Machakos), Mohamed Adan Khalif (Mandera), Stephen Sang (Nandi), Susan Kihika (Nakuru), host Jonathan Bii (Uasin Gishu) and the Council of Governors chair Anne Waiguru (Kirinyaga). PD/JAMES GITAKA &RUSRUDWHVGLVSOD\WKHLUSULGHDWIRUXP

6 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 by Winstone Chiseremi @PeopleDailyKe Before 2013, Wajir easily fitted the description of a sleepy and desolate economic backwater. But a decade of devolution has totally transformed the border county. Sitting on an area of more than 55,000 square kilometres, Wajir County is home to more than 700,000 people, a majority being of the Somali ethnic background. Categorised as an arid and semi-arid area, Wajir had for long been known for perennial clan conflicts, devastating droughts, deadly famines and disease outbreaks. Governor Ahmed Abdullahi readily acknowledges that devolution has worked, and continues to work, not just in Wajir County, but in every part of the country. “Overall, I will say devolution has worked for everybody not only for Wajir. It has worked everywhere, but for counties which were referred to as marginalised, the benefits are more noticeable,” he says. Abdullahi says devolution had succeeded in its objective of taking services closer to the people and devolving resources and decision making powers to the grassroots. “We needed to have a government providing those very critical services to the people; an administration that could easily intervene faster in any situation,” he says. “We had about 82 boreholes drilled and on paper 300 healthcare workers and we never had tarmac roads. Most parts were inaccessible then,” he recalls. Emergencies But the advent of county governments, he says, had changed Wajir for the better and now residents can more easily access critical government services and benefit from the country’s resources. On health, Wajir has covered wide strides, according to the Governor, including hiring of more medical staff and construction of better healthcare facilities. “We had one medical doctor covering the entire county, then Wajir District. It was difficult then to respond to medical emergencies in far-flung areas of this county but that has since changed and we )URPRQHWRGRFWRUVffl7KH VWRU\RIGHYROXWLRQLQ:DMLU Governor says residents of northern county had felt the impact of devolution in the past ten years now have 56 doctors with 18 of them being consultants,” he says. “With devolution, medical staff at Wajir County Referral Hospital recently carried out a successful hip replacement surgery and a laparoscopic surgery which were never available in the past before devolution,” he says. Dahir Somo, CEO Wajir County Referral Hospital, says more specialised services had been introduced at the facility that was built in 1944 by Italians. “Since devolution, we have a lot that has improved including reduced waiting time for outpatients being 15 minutes. The average stay in our wards is about three days unlike before,” Somo says. Surgeries The facility now offers radiology and CT scans, all which became available during the era of devolution. “We offer dialysis service unlike before when we had to refer patients to Garissa or to Nairobi for this service,” he says. The number of medical specialists had also increased manyfold, according to Somo. Construction of an Accident and Emergency unit is underway and is expected to be completed by July next year. “We are carrying out surgery in all departments every day and patients with NHIF medical cover are enjoying services here in Wajir,” he says. Hussein Mohamed Awale, a resident of by Oliver Musembi @PeopleDailyKe The Kiambu county has repossessed a public bus park that had allegedly been grabbed by individuals following a protracted dispute. The quarter-acre plot next to Quickmart Supermarket has been at the center of a long-standing dispute between the county government and traders on one side and the family of a businessman which has been claiming ownership of the property. Last year, the businessman’s family demolished a public toilet constructed by the county government along with kiosks, a public water point and shops. Kahawa Sukari MCA Kennedy Odhiambo, who supervised the repossession of the park, said the county government will restore the public toilet and other amenities and install street lights on the land. “We are appealing to the national government to expedite issuance of title deeds for public utilities including bus parks and schools to ward off grabbers,” said the Ward Rep. Odhiambo (pictured) said at least three public plots had been grabbed in the area among them children playing fields and added that the county government had declared war on grabbers. Residents commended Governor Kimani Wamatangi for responding to their plea for justice and ensuring the property reverts to the public. Matatu operators welcomed the move saying they had been queuing on the road to pick passengers causing unnecessary jams. ¶*UDEEHG·EXVSDUNLQ.LDPEXUHYHUWVWRSXEOLFXVH the county, says health services had improved significantly across the county in the past decade. “We have qualified medical staff in Wajir and locals are enjoying health services without any hindrances,” he said. To respond to medical emergencies, the county has acquired 22 well equipped ambulances stationed at all sub-counties, according to Governor Abdullahi. “Our ambulance services are free while other counties are charging. We have not made a decision to charge our people because we are serving a poor society,” he explains. Sixth hospital The county has a toll-free number for residents to call so that they can be referred to the main hospital in Wajir town. “The public can call the toll number 0721286262. This is part of our wider efforts to improve our healthcare services to the common mwananchi,” he says. The county government has managed to operationalise at least five other hospitals at the sub-county level by hiring more medical staff and providing equipment and other facilities. “We are now focusing on the sixth hospital so that our people can easily get medical services at their doorstep,” he said. The Governor says health facilities had increased, thus reducing the distance patients cover while seeking healthcare services. HEALTH STRIDES To respond to medical emergencies, the county has acquired 22 well equipped ambulances stationed at all sub-counties, according to Governor Abdullahi. Dahir Somo, CEO Wajir County Referral Hospital, says more specialised services had been introduced at the facility that was built in 1944 by Italians. The Wajir County government has a tollfree number for residents to call so that they can be referred to the main hospital in Wajir town. by Winstone Chiseremi @PeopleDailyKe Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime has regreted his decision to contest for the gubernatorial seat instead of defending his Mwatate parliamentary seat in the last General Election. Speaking on the sidelines of a textile revitalization workshop in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County on Tuesday, Mwadime (pictured) said that given a choice, he would prefer his former position in the National Assembly. “The governor’s position is too demanding, tiresome and besides that, the area I cover is just too large and the residents’ expectations are too high for me to fulfill unlike when I was a Member of Parliament,” said Mwadime. Sleepless nights The county boss lamented that the money his administration receives from the National government is not adequate to undertake all key projects he promised voters during the campaigns. “My county receives about Sh4 billion from the National Treasury which is not enough to cover the entire county in terms of spreading development projects that can transform the lives of people on the ground,” the Governor said. Mwadime said that when he was in Parliament, his work was easier because he could cover the entire constituency and delivered on his election campaign promises without any delays. “The work of an MP is very good and enjoyable unlike the governor’s position which can give you sleepless nights due to the expectations of the people in all corners of the county and yet the resources are enough,” added Mwadime. He however, said he would do his best to deliver on his mandate despite the limited resources, noting that with time, he will get used to the new role. Mwadime won the Taita Taveta county governor seat as an independent candidate, beating the incumbent Granton Samboja by garnering 49,901 votes against the latter’s 23,703 votes. Mwadime, who is popularly referred to by his supporters as Wakujaa, is among hundreds of leaders and participants attending the eight devolution conference at Eldoret Sport Club, Uasin Gishu. *RYHUQRUMRE WRRKDUGVD\V 0ZDGLPHRI 7DLWD7DYHWD Wajir Regional Referral Laboratory. PD/FILE DEVOLUTION CONFERENCE

3ROLFHFRPPDQGHUV NLFNRIIURDGVDIHW\ GULYHWRFXUEFUDVKHV by Reuben Mwambingu @reubenmwambingue Police commanders at the Coast have kicked off a campaign to tame runaway accidents on the Mombasa-Malindi highway. Campaign involves road safety education, including engaging the public in random stopovers between Mtwapa and Malindi towns. Coast Deputy Regional Police Commander Wilkister Vera (pictured), pointed out a concern over alarming surge in cases of accidents along the highway where about six serious crashes are recorded weekly in almost all the stations between Mtwapa and Malindi, prompted the need to intensify road safety sensitisation with the view of cutting down the cases. “All the stations between Malindi and Mtwapa hardly go for a week without recording a minimum of between four and six serious accidents. We are concerned that this is a very high number that has left many of our citizens with permanent injuries, permanent disabilities or even fatalities,” the commander explained. In the campaign, Vera noted that they decided to deploy a more interactive approach to improve police-community relations and reach a better scope of the targeted public. “We are asking our officers not to be too harsh on the public and we are also telling the public not to disrespect the officers so that there is a mutual understanding in this whole campaign,” she explained. And in a rare gesture, the officers led the public in brief prayer before kicking off the campaign in Mtwapa town yesterday. While urging motorists to be extra-vigilant, the officers further stressed on the importance of upholding general traffic discipline including getting enough sleep, avoiding being under influence of drugs and alcohol. Grieving together Colleagues of Mathew Ndung’u, correspondent with People Daily, pose for a photo after the burial of his father Mzee Patrick Mbugua at Mataara village in Gatundu North, Kiambu, yesterday. PD/ALICE MBURU
 Grief engulfed Naivasha DEB Primary after a Class Six pupil died after falling into a 63ft deep borehole within the school compound. Naivasha Sub-County police boss Benjamin Boen said the 11-year-old John Saruni was in school for holiday tuition and it was while playing with colleagues that the unfortunate incident happened. According to police reports, the boy sustained visible head injuries and broken arms with investigations underway to establish circumstances under which the incident happened. – Calvin Osiemo Grief engulfs school after learner dies Kakamega County government has partnered with two Non-Governmental Organisations to reduce maternal deaths in the devolved unit. Director of Medical Services Stephen Wandei yesterday said they had joined hands with Jacaranda and Thinkwell to equip health facilities with focus on maternities and theatres. NGOs are so far equipping a number of selected hospitals in Lugari, Malava and Butere constituencies. “We picked the constituencies based on the rates at which mothers and babies lost their lives,” Victor Masolia, the Jacaranda Senior Project Coordinator said. –Dennis Lumiti County in collaboration to fight maternal deaths by Rawlings Otieno @PeopleDailyKe Property owners in low-income areas will pay land rates to their respective county governments if a new Bill is passed into law. The National Rating Bill, 2023 sponsored by North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko aims to establish a comprehensive legal framework for levying properties and land throughout the country. Proposed law also seeks to consolidate valuation for rating Acts and to provide a comprehensive and uniform legislative framework. “Bill seeks to identify the mechanisms on how county governments shall undertake valuation for rating and position of rates on rateable property to reflect the powers that were intended under Article 209(3)(a), for counties to impose property taxes/rates,” the Bill. If enacted, Bill will enhance certainty, uniformity, and fairness in levying property rates across county governments. “The proposed Bill seeks to provide a uniform legislative framework for both the National and county governments, governing the imposition of rates and property valuations as per the Constitution’s contemplation,” Nyamoko noted. Rating laws Currently, various counties have established their rating laws, often differing from one another. By having a single legislation governing all the devolved units and the National government, the North Mugirango legislator noted that the proposed law, if passed, will bring harmony and consistency in the rate collection process. “Bill seeks to provide for enhancement, certainty, uniformity and fairness in levying of property rates by the county governments,” he stated. While moving the Bill, National AssemNorth Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko. PD/ FILE /DQGUDWLQJELOOWRERRVWFRXQW\OHYLHV National Rating Bill, 2023 seeks to provide uniform legislative structure and fairness in rate collection bly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa, said if enacted, it will guarantee secure own-source revenue for devolved units that have struggled in generating enough funds independently. “The Bill aims to eliminate disparities between counties in terms of the rates and taxes imposed, which can have adverse effects on businesses and individuals. Uniformity in taxation will promote a more balanced and conducive business environment across the country,” Ichung’wa said. The Kikuyu MP charged that a substantial number of people in major cities like Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Nakuru own owners of rate-able properties and they expect county governments to offer them adequate services but there is a lot of non-uniformity and unfairness in the manner they pay rates. “In Embakasi East Constituency where we also have slum billionaires, you will find somebody with five acres of land, the amount of money they pay in terms of rates to the Nairobi City County is negligible compared to what somebody in Lavington or Kilimani pays for, say, half an acre or quarter of an acre,” said Ichung’wa. According to Ichung’wa, the current law creates a situation where there is no uniformity and fairness in the taxes and property rates levied by counties. “The only reason why taxes, levies, and rates are levied on people is because you are the people enjoying the services offered by the county governments. This Bill seeks to create that uniformity and fairness in levying of property taxes by county governments,” he held. The Bill also seeks to enhance the use of appropriate technology in undertaking valuation for rating and rating related purposes. Parking fees A study conducted in 2018 by the National Treasury in collaboration with the World Bank on the Own Source of Revenue Potential and Tax-Guard Study in the Kenya County Governments, revealed that the revenue potential of the devolved units ranged between Sh55 billion and Sh173 billion, a stark contrast to the Sh35 billion currently being collected. Nyamoko said it was evident that the revenue collected from properties and land rates is not as attractive as the revenue generated from parking fees and health facilities. According to Nyamoko, the proposed law aims to repeal the outdated Valuation of Rating Tax, and the Rating Act, which were enacted back in 1956 and 1964, respectively, adding that the acts lack a clear legal framework aligned with the Constitution and the devolved system Objective of this bill is to broaden the tax base, thereby creating a more substantial revenue source to empower county governments in addressing their pressing needs effectively. COUNTY NEWS Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY NEWS BEAT ff

fi NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 by Winstone Chiseremi @PeopleDailyKe Judy Chepchirchir, the woman behind Eldoret based First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy agency that has been linked to the multi-million-shilling jobs and Finland study scandal, snubbed the Senate’s Labour and Social Welfare committee that had gone to meet hundreds of victims of the scam. Chepchirchir first hit the limelight after she launched her first cohort of students under the airlift programme two years ago at an event in Eldoret town. The ceremony to flag off the students that was held at Teacher Advisory Centre (TAC) in Eldoret town was graced by Cabinet Secretary for Cooperative development Simeon Chelugui and the then Uasin Gishu governor Jackson Mandago, who was arraigned in a Nakuru court yesterday in connection with the scandal. Since then, victims of the First-Choice recruitment agency claim that whenever they lodge their complaints to the local police, the officers never take action. According to reliable sources who declined to be named, Chepchirchir previously lived abroad and only returned to the country in 2012. Later, she was hired to manage the controversial First Choice Recruitment Agency and Consultancy associated with a prominent tycoon. Although the Inspector General of Police, Japhet Koome at one time assured a parliamentary committee that Chepchirchir would be apprehended to answer questions regarding her role in the scholarships scandal in which unsuspecting Kenyans lost over Sh1.1 billion, she still remains free. Yesterday, senators were left in shock when they arrived at the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, the venue of the meeting, only to be met with a message from Chepchirchir that she would not attend the meeting due to her lawyer’s absence. According to the message, her lawyer was attending a seminar in Mombasa. The committee heard that over 10,000 unsuspecting youths paid the agency monies ranging to between Sh150,000 and Sh500,000 to enable them study in Poland, Canada and Australia. Resila Makokha, a hawker in Eldoret town, took a loan of Sh437,000 last year and paid the agency after Chepchirchir promised to help her son pursue a masters degree in Poland. Lure youth “When I met Chepchirchir at her recruitment agency’s office in Eldoret town, she encouraged me to pay for my son’s studies in Poland saying that once he landed there, he would secure a part time job and be sending me money back home,” said Makokha. He alleged that First-Choice recruitment agency CEO continues to lure more youth to pay with the promise of securing them employment in the Gulf state. “It is surprising to note that when the victims go to the police to report the matter, they are told to go and demand a refund of their money from Chepchirchir in her office,” said the county assembly Majority leader Gilbert Chepkonga. Another victim, Emaculate Kiptoo, a mother of five, broke down in tears as she narrated how she was forced to take a loan of Sh150,000 to secure her three children’s job opportunities in Qatar through the recruitment agency which has never materialised one year down the line. An ad hoc committee that was constituted by the county assembly under the chairmanship of Chepkonga described Chepchirchir as arrogant, saying that their pleas to the police to have her arrested had fallen on deaf ears. Chepkonga also expressed anger that one of their recommendations to the county government to revoke the company’s trading license and be banned from representing the county in any local and national events had been ignored. He said that they were shocked when Chepchirchir was invited to speak on behalf of the county during the launching of over 5,000 digital government services on the e-citizen Kenya portal in a ceremony Some of the over 10,000 victims of First Choice recruitment and Consultancy during a proceeding at the Uasin Gishu County assembly yesterday . PD/JIMMY GITAKA :RPDQOLQNHG WR)LQODQGVDJD VQXEVVHQDWRUV Parents say they paid up to Sh500,000 to secure learning opportunities for their children abroad 0DQGDJRVFKRODUVKLSVFDQGDOFDVHIDLOVWRNLFNRIIRXWRQ6KPERQG by Calvin Osiemo @PeopleDailyKe Uasin Gishu Senator Jackson Mandago (pictured) was yesterday released on a Sh2 million bond with a surety of a similar amount or a cash bail of Sh500,000 after spending a night in custody. His two co-accused were also released on similar terms by a Nakuru Court. Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Ndege, while presiding over the matter, directed that Mandago, Meshack Rono and Joshua Lelei appear before the court on a later date for plea taking in the which they are jointly accused of conspiring to steal Sh1.1 billion on diverse dates between March 1, 2021 and September 12, 2021. Four accused The trial process failed to kick off after the magistrate ruled that it will only start once all the four accused appear in court. The prosecution was granted orders to lodge an appeal at the High Court to determine the commencement of the case. The court however declined to lift a warrant of arrest issued against Joseph Kipkemboi, the first accused, who was said to be out of the country with his lawyer Sam Yego arguing that his client was not summoned to neither record a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations nor appear before the court for plea taking. “I have explained why he is in Canada and he went there way before investigations commenced. As to why he is singled among the four accused persons warrant of arrest I do not understand,” said the lawyer. Sang had sought orders from the court to defer plea taking to a date convenient for the first accused but the court declined to grant him the orders. Disgruntled parents The arrest and arraignment of Mandago and his co-accused comes amid an outcry by disgruntled parents who had raised money through the Uasin Gishu Education Trust Fund to enable their children study in Finland with the County government facilitating the process. The embattled senator surrendered to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at the Nakuru regional office on Wednesday afternoon hours after a warrant for his arrest had been issued against him. Aware that detectives were hot on his trail, Mandago abandoned the on-going devolution conference at the Eldoret Sports Club where he was among the listed speakers of the day and instead drove himself all the way to Nakuru to turn himself in. graced by President William Ruto at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC). West Pokot Senator Murgor assured the victims that legislators will come up with a report which will compel Chepchirchir to account for her action. He expressed shock and dismay that Chepchirchir could skip the committee’s summons, terming her action as disturbing. Data protection Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, also a member of the committee, accused the police of being compromised instead of helping the victims to get justice. “Let me assure victims of the FirstChoice recruitment agency that they will get justice at long last,” said Cherargei. He said they will summon IG Koome and Immaculate Kassait, the Data Protection Commissioner, to shed light on the controversial recruitment agency. “We would like know why Chepchirchir has not been arrested since the IG made the commitment when he appeared before our committee in the Senate. MEETING Senators were left in shock when they arrived at the Uasin Gishu County Assembly, the venue of the meeting, only to be met with a message from Chepchirchir that she would not attend the meeting. According to the message, she failed to attend the committee meeting as her lawyer was attending a seminar in Mombasa. The ad hoc committee was constituted by the county assembly under the chairmanship of Gilbert Chepkonga. by Wycliff Kipsang @cliffsang08 US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman warmed up delegates in President William Ruto’s North Rift backyard on Wednesday after she termed 2022 general elections freest and most credible in Kenya’s history. This despite complaints by AzimioOne Kenya who has termed the election as flawed and marred with massive malpractices. But speaking at the Eldoret Sports Club where President Ruto Presided over the opening of the 8th devolution conference, Whitman who was in her element was categorical that the elections were observed by international and local election organisations and the results upheld by the Kenyan Supreme Court. Credible elections “I arrived in Kenya days before the August 2022 general elections. What I witnessed was nothing short of remarkable. Kenya held what many analysts and commentators say was the freest, fairest, and most credible election in Kenyan history,” said the envoy receiving standing ovation and applause from the crowd. In her speech, Whitman highlighted my milestones she said Kenya has achieved through her partnership with the United States. She said that Kenya’s partnership with the US has enhanced security, increased prosperity, and improved the lives of Kenyans and Americans. :KLWPDQ WHUPV HOHFWLRQVDV ¶PRVWFUHGLEOH·

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY 9

 PEOPLE SPEAK PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 What is it with football? This month marks the beginning of yet another intense season of the game. The English Premier League has kicked off in earnest, and what a first week it was. Newcastle whipped Aston Vila five to one. The FIFA Women’s World Cup craze was intense in the build-up to Sunday’s finals in Australia. The Matildas (that is how the Australian female national team is known, from the 1894 folk song “Waltzing Matilda”) has been on a roll. On Wednesday, they lost to England, bringing the nation to a standstill. Football is making critical waves in Saudi Arabia, where a nation seeks to reinvent itself through sport. That Saudi Arabia is a rich country is an open secret. It has a per capita income of USD 30,436, more than twice the world average of USD 13,400. But the country has had an image problem. In Kenya, we probably know Saudi Arabia as the country where men wear long white robes and women cover themselves with long black ones. It is the land of the prophet Muhammed, the founder of Islam, but the details are lost in the fog of memory. In Saudi Arabia, our girls go to suffer as domestic workers, and Muslims retreat for religious pilgrimage and occasionally stampede as they chase demons. It is a conservative country that does not allow women to show off their faces, hair and legs, and women must submit to men as guardians. Women cannot venture out alone or drive cars on the streets. Certainly, Saudi Arabia has not been known to be a democracy, so when Jamal Khashoggi, an American-based Saudi Arabian journalist, was lured to his death by suspected Saudi operatives, the image was ingrained in many minds of Saudi Arabia as a rich nation with bad manners. Then a young ruler came into the scene in Riyadh. Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud, known simply as MBS, has risen quickly through the government’s administrative ranks to sit at the top of the political chain and oversee the country’s re-imagination. The objective is to oversee the transformation of a country into a modern state with a diversified economy away from the traditional dependence on oil. Saudi Arabia remains the world leader in oil export, but oil is not infinite. Environmental consciousness is sensitising the global population to the effects of dependence on fossil fuels, a move that could jeopardise the living standards of Saudis. This is where football comes in for Saudi Arabia. The game that makes the world stop could be used to reimagine the image of Saudi Arabia. No game draws the world’s following more than football. English Premier League commands a global audience, followed by the Spanish, Italian, German and French leagues. Other countries are not left behind. The American League is beginning to pick pace. With the increase in the American population of football-mad Latinos, it is just a matter of time before America starts drawing waves in the football world. Their women’s team has already won the FIFA World Cup twice, even if they were dislodged from that comfortable patch in this year’s competition. American players are already featured in competitive leagues such as the EPL. Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson appear for recently relegated English team Leeds, Christian Pulisic turns out for A.C Milan, while Tim Ream plays for Fulham. MBS’s genius is opening the Saudi economy through culture and sports. Tourism is growing in Saudi Arabia, women can now drive, and Saudi Arabia is partnering with leading golf tours to change the country’s image. But golf is not a game for every man on the street. Football is. And so Saudi Arabia is attracting all the old familiar names that football fans know, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane, Ngolo Kante, Jota, Luka Modric, Karim Benzema, Jordan Henderson, Ruben Neves, Roberto Firmino, Steven Gerard, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and counting. They are following the money; in Saudi Arabia, money is not in short supply. Will this experiment work? If it does, then there lies a lesson for other countries struggling with image concerns. — The writer is Dean, School of Communication, Daystar University 45&7&
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SEND YOUR OPED TO: [email protected] Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY PEOPLE SPEAK  Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises constitute up to 98 per cent of all businesses in the country and make significant contributions to our Gross Domestic Product. As expected, the performance of small businesses is highly dependent on macroeconomic factors such as inflation and the political environment. It is estimated that up to 70 per cent of MSMEs fail in their early years due to various challenges mostly attributed to the unconducive business environment. Rising inflation, recent tax measures and heightened political tension in the country have dampened the chances of survival of these crucial businesses. To facilitate the survival of MSMEs rather than their failure, it is crucial for key stakeholders in government and the private sector to collaborate and engage consistently. However, we have seen any form of consultative efforts seemingly taking the opposite direction. For instance, the Finance Act of 2023 saw an increase in the turnover tax for businesses from one per cent to three per cent and an expansion in its coverage to include businesses with an annual turnover of Sh500,000, down from the previous Sh1 million. Additionally, the government raised VAT to 16 per cent on fuel products from eight per cent, impacting the production and operation of small businesses due to high energy costs and disrupted supply chains. These changes will undoubtedly affect MSMEs’ bottom line. These revenue mobilisation measures have caused friction between business owners and the government. The government has maintained a hardline stance on further amendments to the taxes, leading to ongoing criticisms and misunderstandings. On the other hand, private stakeholders have tried to use our legal systems to stop the implementation of these controversial moves. In addition, we have seen the opposition use this situation to make calls for public demonstrations. As many of these businesses rely on daily profits from customer footfall, the disruptions lead to significant losses as protests force Kenyans to stay indoors and many businesses opt to close in fear of unwanted outcomes. It is a never-ending cycle that has no winner as small businesses lose momentum, the government misses revenue targets, turns to the public for more taxes, people lose jobs, and political tensions rise – all stakeholders lose in the end. This can be managed through better engagement between the stakeholders moving forward. In this challenging environment, there is a need for thorough stakeholder engagement to give a clearer understanding of the needs of the parties on both sides of the table. The result would be to see better business policies introduced and implemented and structured ways of working together or, at least find areas of compromise that would benefit all sides and prevent further losses. While high taxes are a significant challenge and have received a lot of criticism, they are not the only reason small businesses are struggling. Other issues such as access to credit, market access constraints, and low capacity in terms of skills among others also need to be addressed. If no action is taken, we are likely to see further losses as businesses trying to stay afloat chose to lay off employees, lower the quality of their products or services or pass the extra costs of doing business to consumers whose purchasing power is declining, leading to reduced sales for the businesses and in worst cases shut down. Consistent stakeholder engagement will play a huge role in combating such outcomes. This will ensure businesses maintain good relationships with government institutions and regulators and goodwill on their side is established, which will show in their compliance to licensing, quality, and revenue contributions. —The writer is a communication consultant — [email protected] Leaders have no moral authority to condemn coups Government must work with SMEs to achieve growth Questions of legitimacy linger over Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara’s stay in power. In 2020, Ouattara won a third term in a landslide in an election boycotted by main opponents. Ouattara ran for a third term although the Ivorian Constitution limits presidents to two terms. Equatorial Guinea President Obiang Nguema, who has been in power since 1979, is the longest-serving leader of any country. His son is the Vice-President. Cameroonian President Paul Biya, who has ruled since 1982, is the oldest Head of State in the world. He is 90. Obiang, Ouattara, Biya have a number of things in common. They are owe their stay in power to France which has continued to influence their actions. Ouattara was installed as President with help of French troops after Laurent Gbago refused to accept defeat in the 2010 elections. These Africans have reinforced the longevity to revision of the constitutions of their countries to either remove or extend presidential terms or through dubious elections. Our cattle rearing neighbours from Kigali and Kampala, too, who keep trooping to Nairobi to swear in new presidents cannot be said to be products of credible elections. After winning by huge margins in sham elections usually boycotted by their opponents the West African proteges of new colonialism, put on brave faces to give their critics lectures on democracy and good governance. Obiang runs as a legal tyranny reinforced by a constitution that allows him to rule by decree. Torture and suppression of political opponents is a way of life in Cameroon. Many of Biya’s opponents are in prison. The question then is, can such leaders who seem beholden to former colonisers, have the moral ground to lecture the military juntas that have ousted their peers in places such as Niger, Bukina Fasso and Mali? Ouattara has for instance angered the junta in Niger over his comments that a summit of Ecowas heads of state had agreed a military operation should “start as soon as possible”. He said that Ivory Coast will contribute one thousand one hundred troops, alongside Nigeria and Benin. Niger has since recalled her envoy in Abidjan and warned of Ouattara’s eagerness to carry out an aggression against Niger terming it illegal and inspired by external powers. And there lies the problem. The perception that those demanding action have long standing associations with foreign powers blamed for the causes of the coups is likely to embolden the military rulers to cling to power and frustrate any dialogue to allow for immediate return to civilian democratic rule. Of course, there is no justification for military governments. As President William Ruto who is mediating the Sudan conflict warned from Mozambique, change of government should only be through democratic elections not military take overs. A tiff between two generals in the Sudan who teamed up to remove a civilian government has led to a deadly conflict which has claimed thousands of lives. The ideal situation is that countries should be governed by democratically elected governments and established constitutional order. But it is obvious that the change of governments in the African “couple belt” is not innocent. Foreign flags have been hoisted in celebratory parties. It is notable that the juntas have been welcomed by excited residents with long-standing grievances on their elected leaders. In fact, residents of Niger’s capital Niamey have been calling for the mass recruitment of volunteers to assist the army in the face of the threat by Ecowas. African leaders are responsible for creating environments hostile to decent political competition and situations that inhibit dissent and enable or rationalise the suffering of their people at the expense of foreign interests. This breeds a fertile breeding ground for putsches. The Ecowas leaders have declared military action against the Junta in Niger, attracting solidarity from military rulers in the neighbourhood. Sober voices are calling for dialogue to prevent deadly conflicts and instability that can lead to costly civil wars. That is correct but African leaders should look themselves in the eye while addressing the proliferation of juntas. They are not without blemish. —The writer is the Political Editor, People Daily
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&%*503 / / / @PeopleDailyKe / / / People Daily K (PSOR\HHDFFXVHG RIHOHFWULFLW\WKHIW IRUFKDUJLQJSKRQH All jobs include some level of stress. However, a person can feel an added amount of stress if the workplace is toxic, and the boss is unsupportive and insensitive. These days, several employees have been sharing accounts of their professional lives on social media, including the challenges they face at their workplaces. One such employee shared a rather bizarre situation he faced at his workplace. In a Reddit post that is going viral, a user who goes by the name of @ Melodic-Code-2594, shared that his boss yelled at him for charging his phone at work, accusing him of ‘’stealing the company’s electricity for personal use.’’ He wrote: “My boss got onto me today for charging my phone at work, saying I’m stealing the company’s electricity for personal use. What do you guys think? I’m not on my phone all day or anything I just sometimes forget to charge it at night before I go to bed. It’s a desk job.’’ Needless to say, Reddit users were left aghast and slammed the employee’s boss. One user said: “Saying that’s stealing company electricity is like saying breathing is stealing company air or drinking from a water fountain is stealing company water.’’ Another commented, ‘’Tell him you won’t charge your phone at the office but you won’t be taking any calls from the office on it as then the company is stealing your talk time and battery life.’’ Another said: “Tell your boss don’t flush the toilet after use because it stealing company water,” joked a fourth. —Agencies ODDLY ENOUGH TRUTHIS: If Christ is kept on the outside, there is something wrong on the inside. Birthright on sale @gatwiri_c: Baobab trees are spiritual for some communities, part of diet during lean seasons and have you seen how majestic and beautiful they stand? Exporting baobab is not like selling a piece of wood, it’s our genetic resources, our birthright and failing to get its full worth is shortchanging ourselves. Africa loan burden @moneyacademyKE: African countries pay 8 times more interest on loans than Europe, and 4 times more than the US. This high cost of credit is making it difficult for them to invest in key economic sectors and leaving them paying debts to rich countries instead, according to UNCTAD. Boom or bust? @ephraimnjegafan: Of late there has been so many new businesses opening in the neighbourhood. I wonder whether it is the “stabilised” economy starting to boom or it is the informal sector which is expanding due to diminishing formal employment opportunities. Unpopular gospel @GabrielDolan1: I want to identify with Jesus Christ who I claim to be my Savior and Lord, the best way that I can do that is to identify with the poor. This will go against the teachings of all popular evangelical preachers, but they’re just wrong. They’re not bad,they’re just wrong- R Mullin

 NEWS BEAT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 The fight against tuberculosis (TB) in Kenya is facing a severe setback because of reduced funding. The recent World Health Organisation TB report for 2022 highlighted a decrease in global spending on essential TB services, falling from $6 billion in 2019 to $5.4 billion in 2021. This amount is less than half of the global target of $13 billion annually by 2022. The shortage in funding exacerbates an already dire situation, with low uptake of TB screening and testing posing a significant challenge. Kenya is among the 30 countries worldwide burdened with a high prevalence of TB, recording an annual caseload of 150,000-160,000 cases. Shockingly, only 50-60 per cent of these cases receive treatment and an alarming 50,000-70,000 TB cases go undiagnosed every year. Among these undiagnosed cases, 25,000-35,000 individuals have open TB, meaning they are infectious without even being aware of it. The consequences of undiagnosed TB cases are grave, leading to increased transmission of the infection within communities and resulting in more people developing a disease that could have been prevented. TB has significant socio-economic impacts, affecting individuals’ health and their ability to work and engage in social and economic activities. The cost of TB treatment can be financially burdensome for affected individuals and their families, particularly those living in poverty. In 2021 alone, TB claimed 1.6 million lives, and over 10 million people acquired the disease. Yet, it remains woefully neglected and underfunded in many countries, with over 95per cent of TB deaths occurring in lowerincome nations. Urgent action from Heads of State is necessary to focus efforts on TB prevention and reduce the number of avoidable deaths. Largely, the African region is making progress in the fight against tubercu- :K\ORZIXQGLQJZRUVHQV ILJKWRQWXEHUFXORVLV Scaling up advocacy and community engagement is crucial to raise public awareness about TB prevention and treatment, Dr Samuel Kinyanjui writes losis but risks falling short of major milestones and targets if efforts are not rapidly intensified. The WHO’s End TB Strategy aims to reduce TB deaths by 75 percent and cases by 50 percent by 2025 compared to 2015 levels. However, to achieve these goals, the annual pace of reduction should reach 10 percent per year. Despite the slowing pace towards the 2025 targets, the region has seen a 26 percent reduction in TB deaths between 2015 and 2021. High-burden TB countries have even surpassed initial targets in lowering TB cases. It is crucial to maintain a high momentum towards a TB-free world. Insufficient investment in healthcare systems leaves communities vulnerable to TB. Overburdened healthcare workers often miss obvious TB cases, leading to delayed treatment and increased disease transmission. Increased investments must be made to strengthen healthcare systems, including increasing the capacity of healthcare workers to detect and diagnose TB cases promptly. Lack of awareness To combat TB in Kenya, scaling up advocacy and community engagement is crucial to raise public awareness about TB prevention and treatment, emphasizing the importance of testing and early diagnosis. Many people in Kenya are unaware of the risks associated with TB, including the dangers of late diagnosis and treatment. Limited funding hinders public education efforts, resulting in a lack of understanding and an increased risk of transmission. Addressing this lack of awareness is essential to increase uptake of TB screening and testing services. Moreover, funding for TB preventive therapy and active case finding should be increased in Kenya and globally. Treating individuals with latent TB infection and screening high-risk groups can help identify TB cases early and prevent the spread of the disease. AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), along with other stakeholders, is calling for increased funding for TB prevention and treatment programs in Kenya. Partnerships between the government, private sector organisations, civil society groups and international public health institutions are crucial to address the funding gap. Additionally, increased funding is needed for awareness campaigns to emphasize the importance of TB testing and early diagnosis. Stopping TB in Kenya requires collective effort, not just on World TB Day but every day. The upcoming second UN High-Level Meeting on TB, scheduled for September 2023 in New York City, presents a unique opportunity for stakeholders to renew their commitment to TB prevention and control. The meeting should prioritize TB funding and address the pressing challenges faced by countries like Kenya. AHF and the TB community at large urges heads of state from all countries to personally attend the UNHLM on TB as it is a once-in-afive-year opportunity to show their commitment to ending TB – the world’s deadliest infectious disease. The author is AIDS Healthcare Foundation, Kenya Country Director 1HZV5HYLHZ Participants during past celebrations to mark World TB Day. PD/FILE George Kebaso @PeopleDailyKe Thirty African parliamentarians have challenged Heads of State to make meaningful commitments to end tuberculosis (TB) in the continent. The Nairobi Political Declaration on TB also urged the Heads of State to attend the forthcoming United Nations High-Level Meeting (UNHLM) on Tuberculosis in New York even as the disease in Kenya is a major public health concern. About 120,000 people develop TB annually in Kenya - 48,000 of them being HIV-positive - and 18,600 people die from it. In 2019, TB was the sixth leading cause of death in Kenya, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). “Globally, TB is the leading infectious cause of death and Africa carries about a quarter of the total global TB burden. As parliamentarians from Africa, we are glad that we have signed this declaration today and collectively, we shall be seeking to drive the political will to end TB in our respective countries,” said Stephen Mule (pictured), Head of the National TB Caucus of Kenya and Regional CoChair of Anglophone Africa after the signing of the Declaration. He said that the regional joint declaration will further create a framework that stakeholders in Africa can adopt and utilise as a collective effort to end TB. “We are confirming that the declaration will help African countries easily track the targets they have set in eradicating TB,” Mule said. Amid concerns about the current status of intergovernmental talks on TB in New York, the groundbreaking Nairobi Declaration was signed during July’s “Future-proof: Africa TB Summit 2023” convened by the Global TB Caucus. The Summits’ theme, “Futureproof”, is a popular term which means “unlikely to fail”, adopted by The Caucus with the spirit of ending TB once and for all. The 2023 UNHLM on TB will take place during the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week on Friday, 22nd September 2023. /DZPDNHUV FDOOIRUSROLWLFDO JRRGZLOOWR ILJKWGLVHDVH IN NUMBERS The 10 leading counties in TB prevalence among the 47 counties in Kenya, Nairobi (12,425); Mombasa (4,225); Kiambu (3,702); Nakuru (3,636); Meru (3,420); Kisumu (2,933); Turkana (2,250); Machakos (2,223); Kakamega (2,184); Homa Bay (2,143). Tuberculosis, or TB, is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The bacteria spreads through the air from person to person and mainly attacks the lungs, but it can affect other areas of the body. In 2020, 45.4% of the notified 72,943 cases of TB and 53.9% (521/961) of drug resistant TB cases were undernourished at the time of diagnosis. ,*/:"/+6*
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Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY 13

potential for growth. Ratios above 77 per cent can reduce economic growth and cause financial instability. “For a developing economy like Kenya’s, if the debt level is too high, and above the threshold, it is unsustainable. Currently, Kenya’s debt to GDP ratio is 65 per cent. It shows that we are in the red zone now,” Chokaa said. According to the report, Kenya’s fiscal balance excluding grants (on a commitment basis) amounted to a deficit of Sh857.7 billion (5.9 per cent of GDP), as at the end of June 2023 as compared to a target of Sh887.9 billion (6.1 percent of GDP). The net foreign financing amounted to Sh310.8 billion (2.1 per cent of the GDP) during the period ending June 30th June 2023, while net domestic funding amounted to a net borrowing of Sh459.5 billion or 3.2 per cent of GDP during the period. By the end of June 2023, the total cumulative debt service payments to external creditors amounted to Sh391.6 billion. This comprised of Sh237.4 billion (60.6 per cent) principal and Sh154.2 billion (39.4 per cent) interest. According to the report, the national government’s cumulative revenue collection including A-I-A during the period was Sh2.4 trillion or 16.3 per cent of GDP against a target of Sh2.5 trillion, falling short of target due to shortfalls recorded in the collection of both ordinary revenue and ministerial appropriation-in-aid. External debt position Chokaa said the exchange rate fluctuations were also a risk, as “it extrapolates our external debt position.” During the review period, the foreign exchange market largely remained stable despite the tight global financial conditions attributed to strengthening of the US dollar and uncertainties regarding the ongoing Russian-Ukraine conflict. “Due to the strong dollar, the exchange rate to the Kenya shilling like with all world currencies has weakened to exchange at Sh139.7 in June 2023 compared to Sh117.3 in June 2022. $OHSKWRODXQFKFURVVERUGHUSD\PHQWVXQLW by Lewis Njoka @PeopleDailyKe Global enabler of digital advertising, Aleph, has announced plans to launch a global cross-border payments and credit underwriting unit dubbed Aleph Payments. Aleph connects 22,000 advertisers in 130 primarily emerging countries with digital technology platforms such as TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Snap, Spotify, Uber, Meta, Microsoft, Twitch, and Google, among others. Advertising ecosystem “We will expand our cross-border payment and credit underwriting capabilities into other subcategories within the digital advertising ecosystem such as SSP’s, DMP’s, DSP’s, ad-quality, viewability, adserving tech, apps, gaming, etc,”said Aleph CEO Gaston Taratuta. He said described the firm as a local market experts which can solve the complexities so global ad tech companies can focus on their core businesses, and local advertisers can finance their ad tech needs. Taratuta said the company will also amplify its services to its current global partners such as Spotify, Uber, Meta, and new ones, expanding from the current services in digital advertising to allow cross border payment of streaming, mobility, and digital services commerce, among other categories. REVENUE COLLECTION According to experts the ratio of debt service on loans to tax revenues collected currently stands at 28 per cent. This means out of every Sh100 collected by KRA goes to pay interest on debt, while Sh50 out of every Sh100 is reserved for settling the public wage bill. by Noel Wandera @NoelWanderah For every Sh100 collected by Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), only Sh22 is left for development, paying pensioners and transfer to the county governments. According to experts the ratio of debt service on loans to tax revenues collected currently stands at over 50 per cent, meaning that Sh50 out of every Sh100 collected by KRA goes to pay interest on debt, while Sh28 out of every Sh100 is reserved for settling the public wage bill, which currently stands at $7.1 billion (Sh1.024 trillion) and above the 35 per cent threshold. This not only affects development but puts pressure on Kenya to meet other obligations by growing the debt portfolio which has hit Sh10.3 trillion, comprising Sh4.8 trillion domestically sourced and Sh5.5 trillion from the external market, as per the latest data from the Quarterly Economic and Budget Review Report. Exchange rate fluctuations In the report covering the Financial Year 2022/2023, the surge in debt is attributed to an increase in external loan disbursements, exchange rate fluctuations and the uptake of domestic and external debt during the period. “The gross public debt as of 30th June 2023 increased by Sh1,560.5 billion to Sh10,189.5 billion compared to Sh8,629.0 billion as at end of June 2022,” the report stated, indicating a breach in the public debt ceiling capped at 55 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP). Ronny Chokaa, a macroeconomics analyst with Investment Banker’s Genghis Capital Ltd said the public debt to GDP ratio, which now stands at 65 per cent, is a red flag to Treasury mandarins indicating an increased risk of distress and a lower 5HGIODJVUDLVHGDV.HQ\D UHHOVIURPKXJHGHEWORDG Data shows for every Sh100 collected by KRA, only Sh22 is left for development, paying pensioners and transfer to the county governments &RRS%DQNSRVWVQHW SURILWRI6KELQ WKHILUVWVL[PRQWKV by Lewis Njoka @PeopleDailyKe Co-operative Bank profit after tax for the first six months of 2023 grew to Sh12.1 billion compared to Sh11.5 billion reported in the previous year. Profit before tax stood at Sh16.4 billion for the first six months, a 7.4 per cent growth compared to Sh15.3 billion reported during similar period in 2022. “The strong performance by the bank is in line with the group’s strategic focus on sustainable growth, resilience and agility,” Co-op Bank said in a statement. Total assets, net loans and advances, customer deposits, shareholder funds, and external funds from development partners all posted positive growth over the period under review. Total assets grew by 10.1 per cent to 664.9 billion from Sh603.9 same period in 2022. Net loans and advances grew by 10.7 per cent to Sh365.4 billion from Sh330.1 billion last year. Customer deposits grew by 9.7 per cent to Sh463.9 billion from Sh423 billion the same period previous year. Shareholder funds grew by 11.9 per cent to Sh108.3 billion from Sh96.7 billion in 2022. External funds from development partners increased by a whooping 43.6 per cent to Sh59.4 billion from Sh41.4 billion in 2022. Net interest income grew by 2.3 per cent while to Sh21.5 billion from Sh21.1 in 2022 while total noninterest income grew by four per cent to Sh13.8 billion from Sh13.3 billion. The bank’s total operating expenses declined marginally to Sh19.2 billion from Sh19.1 billion reported same period 2022. The bank said it has made loan loss provisions for Sh2.9 billion, a 71.1 per cent loan loss reserve coverage level. The lender also said it has successfully migrated its core banking system to the latest version of Finance from Infosys, rated the top core banking system in 2022 by Gartner. “This upgrade is part of our ongoing digitisation journey to enhance service experience and provide the most innovative and advanced banking solutions,” reads the statement in part. The bank’s Mco-op mobile money wallet continues to drive substantial non-funded income streams for the lender.
 Safaricom Telecommunications Ethiopia (STE), a subsidiary of Safaricom Plc has launched the M-Pesa financial services product after a rigorous three-month pilot and testing programme. A statement posted on the STE website indicated that the service went live Wednesday, after the telco received the Payment Instrument Issuer License from the National Bank of Ethiopia, secured key partnerships with local Banks, as well as onboarding M-Pesa agents. STE’s interm CEO Stanley Njoroge said the company will use the M-Pesa platform to broaden its services in Ethiopia. – Noel Wandera Boost for Ethiopia as M-Pesa goes live Economists say Kenya’s debt to gross domestic product ratio is 65 per cent, indicating that the country is in the red zone now. FILE fl BUSINESS HUB FOR MORE NEWS VISIT: www.pd.co.ke / www.epaper. pd.co.ke Friday, August 18, 2023

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY BUSINESS HUB ffi by Nicholas Waitathu @PeopleDailyKe The government and agriculture stakeholders have recommended the use of lime, organic materials, phosphate and engage in careful choice and application of fertilisers to tame high soil acidity in some parts of the country. During the launch of a new report dubbed report Soil Acidity and Liming Handbook for Kenya mid this week, the agriculture actors argued that managing soil acidity is critical to increasing soil fertility and the supply of plant nutrients. Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi said the sector actors need to promote effective liming practices and targeted interventions to uplift the agricultural landscape and ensure a more sustainable future for farmers in the country. “To address acidity, the use of lime is encouraged. The imperative role of soil health in bolstering crop yields underscores the necessity of comprehensive knowledge dissemination among farmers,” he said in a speech read on his behalf by Gilbert Muthee, director of agri-business at a Nairobi hotel. Linturi added the government plans to fast-track efforts towards creation of a national action plan to rehabilitate acidic 8VHOLPHWRWDPHVRLO DFLGLW\IDUPHUVXUJHG It’s estimated 13 per cent of Kenya’s soil is acidic, representing 7.5 million hectares of arable land %RRVWIRU0XUDQJ·D VRUJKXPIDUPHUVDV .%/FRXQW\LQNGHDO PARTNERSHIP:Kenya Breweries Limited (KBL) and Murang’a County have signed a partnership that will see the brewer support farmers growing sorghum in the area. This is part of the efforts by the alcoholic drinks manufacturer to empower communities through gainful employment and contribute to the shared growth of KBL. Speaking during the signing ceremony yesterday, KBL Managing Director Mark Ocitti lauded Governor Irungu Kang’ata for his foresight and willingness to empower farmers in the county who are integral in the alcohol manufacturing value chain for the East African Breweries Limited. Dream come true “The actualisation of this deal is a dream come true as it sets the stage for the two entities to work closely in their efforts to create a sustainable pipeline for the much-needed raw material as well as elevate the status of the farmers who will benefit economically from the sale of sorghum to KBL,” he said. To date, KBL has built a sorghum and barley value chain that includes the 47,000 who have been contracted to grow sorghum in Kisumu, Migori, Siaya, Homa Bay, Busia, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Narok, and Nakuru Counties. Additionally, KBL will support the farmers through the provision of affordable credit facilities, field extension services, and link them with seed companies, fertiliser providers, and research institutes, in a move that will position them to be more competitive. “We want to replicate the success we have had with the other counties to build a community of farmers who are capable of contributing fully to the economic development of the country,” Ocitti said. “It is such interventions that have seen us support over 80,000 businesses and employ over 200,000 people across the value chain that include retailers, farmers, distributors, and agents accounting for almost two per cent of the total employment in the country,” he added. Kang’ata welcomed the move by KBL, noting that the county is proud to be part of the exciting journey that seeks to place farmers on the front-row seat of economic transformation. “As a county, we feel honoured to support KBL’s longterm endeavours to establish a reliable pipeline source of raw materials with Murang’a County emerging as one of the key areas of focus. We shall use this opportunity to further advance the conversation on the need to support consumption of safe alcohol among the youth,” he said. With an annual demand of about 40,000 tonnes of sorghum, a rise in the production of sorghum-based beer presents an opportunity for farmers across the country. –Noel Wandera Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and KBL Managing Director Mark Ocitti display the MoU agreement documents after signing a sorghum partnership deal. COURTESY soils with a view to increasing food and nutrition security. Strategic research is needed to develop and promote liming in addition to integrated crop, soil, water, soil fertility management practices for acidic soils. Budgetary allocation This is over and above government increasing budgetary allocation to support agricultural research, development and knowledge dissemination that address soil acidity. “There is a need for financing and offering credit facilities to farmers for lime procurement, distribution and use. There is also a need for a national assessment of the benefits of liming agricultural soils in Kenya,” the report states It adds that the government should put together new regulations as part of a comprehensive policy framework for regulating lime use and application and aligns with the current global limning trends. The report compiled by a consortium of local and international researchers revealed that currently, 13 per cent of Kenya’s soils are acidic, which accounts to 7.5 million hectares or 63 per cent of Kenyan arable land. Linturi said soil acidity is a significant constraint to crop productivity in the tropics, adding that most core nutrients become available in highly acidic soils, resulting in low productivity. Declining crop yields, he warned, pose a serious threat to the food and nutritional security, incomes and livelihoods of millions. “Soil acidity emerges as a pressing obstacle, affecting a substantial portion of Kenya’s arable land and consequently jeopardising food and nutrition security and income stability for many,” added Linturi. The report notes that high soil acidity levels are concentrated in main food baskets of Kenya -Central, Western and Rift Valley regions. In addition, high soil sourness is also high in some parts of the Eastern and Coastal region where the degree of acidity is extreme at less than 4.5. Anthony Esilaba, one of the authors of the report noted that farmers and other agriculture players have continued to apply fertiliser and ignored lime which is a key nutrient to treat high soil acidity. “Key causes of soil acidity include, leaching of bases by heavy rainfall, organic matter decay, continuous application of acidifying fertilizers, uptake of nutrients by plants and removal, soil erosion, acid rain and acid sulphate soils,” he said. )LQQLVKILUPXQYHLOVQHZRQOLQHEXVERRNLQJSODWIRUPLQ.HQ\D by Herald Aloo @heraldaloo Finnish firm launches intercity online bus booking platform in Kenya AfriKonekta Mobility Oy has launched a countrywide intercity digital bus booking platform targeting long-distance operators and passengers to and from Nairobi. Passengers can a ticket to major destinations for as low as $1 (Sh143) depending on the distance. The Finnish startup has also integrated parcel delivery services targeting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), online sellers and person-to-person (P2P) delivery. The service, which can be accessed on an App, Web, WhatsApp or via a toll-free phone call will allow travellers to book their tickets and pay digitally using mobile money, credit/ debit cards, and electronic bank transfers. Connected Africa Tichaona Dande, AfriKonekta CEO and co-founder says the platform seeks to build a connected Africa, broaden and deepen regional and continental integration. Intercity bus travel is an area of untapped potential in Africa. “Our emphasis is on connectivity, timetable synchronisation, route planning and integration, opening up country, regional and continent-wide transportation system through leveraging technology,” he adds. In the six months pilot phase, the company sold over 45 000 tickets. It has already signed up about 22 bus operators plying various routes to major 37 towns within coastal regions, Nyanza, western, central, rift valley, and North-Eastern among others. At its current operational capacity, AfriKonekta will be moving between 10,000 and 15,000 people per day depending on demand. The network comprises 1,000 trips per day, 282 stops with over 1,126 signed-up vehicles, ranging from 7 to 62 seaters. “We provide bus partner operators with technology to automate processes and streamline behindthe-scenes booking management, eliminating the analog booking and management processes. Our vision is to provide tools and processes for African bus operators to prosper and grow starting from Kenya,” says Dande. Bus operators such as Msamaria Mwema, Nya Ugenya, Salama Bus, Transline Kemera Sacco, Promise Buses, We Travellers Sacco, and Eldoret Express, have already been onboarded into the system. Partnership agreement Kirinyaga Governor and Council of Governors chairperson Anne Waiguru and Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa exchange a signed Memorandum of Understanding during a COG dinner at an Eldoret hotel during the ongoing devolution conference in Uasin Gishu County. The agreement highlights the commitment to work together in digitising counties among the adoption of other services. RECLAMATION STRATEGY Kenya Fertiliser Roundtable chairman Eustace Muriuki urged the government to fast-track a lime distribution programme among other strategies. He said a fully developed government policy that addresses the needs of an efficient and sustainable acidic soils reclamation strategy and complementary services is required.

ffl BUSINESS HUB PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 by Lewis Njoka @PeopleDailyKe Opera, the company that owns Opera and Opera Mini web browsers, has refuted claims that a speed dial feature on its browsers exposes children to exploitation and harm. Earlier, Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek) had called out the company alleging that its two browsers have a speed dial feature that entices minors to betting, hence, exposing them to exploitation. It demanded that the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BC& LB) direct all browsers in Kenya to cease and desist from imposing content and advertisement on internet users and minors. Further, Cofek wanted BC&LB to compel browser operators drawing income from betting companies within Kenya to remit commensurate applicable taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority. But in a statement, Opera said the said speed dial is only a bookmark that is completely configurable by the user. “We were surprised to hear that our Speed Dials feature is explicitly named in this conversation since Speed Dials are simply a bookmark showcase on the front page of the browser. As such, they are fully configurable by the users who can view the existing bookmarks, replace them with their own, or completely turn them off according to their wishes,” said Opera Global Senior Communications Officer, Kseniia Sycheva. Sycheva said the company remains committed to open dialogue with the relevant authorities to ensure it continues providing value to users in the country and in other markets. Opera has operated in Kenya for more than 17 years offering browser, news and mobile data solutions. Kenyan law shields children from exploitation and harm, hence, any commercial activities that knowingly expose children to exploitation are punishable. 8F
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OBNFE by Herald Aloo @PeopleDailyKe Stakeholders in the aviation industry have accused Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) of denying its employees in the country the right to join domestic and international workers’ union which would ideally lobby for welfare improvement. Led by Dan Mihadi, General Secretary of Transport and Allied Workers Union (TAWU) Kenya, the representatives claim that the workers in Kenya’s aviation sector are currently working in a deplorable condition. The top concerns are low pay, safety issues for ground handling workers, and lack of leave days, with TAWU saying they are ready to engage employers in collective bargaining. The workers further face a number of issues ranging from occupational health and workrelated pressures and decision by the Authority to subcontract some of their labour. TAWU now want the concerned government ministries and other related departments to intervene to end the impasse. It currently has over 28,000 members in Kenya drawn from air travel agencies, cabin crew, civil aviation, local and internal airlines, and ground handling service providers. “It is on the basis of the global framework agreement that Transport and Allied Workers Union after the meeting with shop stewards from various sub sectors of air transport calls on the Ministry of Labour and the Ministry of Transport to collaborate with the union in finding lasting solutions to addressing decent work deficits in the aviation sector,” said Mihadi. TAWU, under the umbrella of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), International Air Transport Association (IATA), and International Labour Organization (ILO) have already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the global unions to ensure international labour standards. The Union, in collaboration with the International Transport Workers Federation, is on a massive recruitment campaign to ensure all aviation workers become members. 2SHUDUHIXWHVFODLPVRIHQGDQJHULQJPLQRUV Kakuzi Limited moved just 200 volumes of shares as its stock prices hiked by the end of trading yesterday on the Nairobi Security Exchange (NSE). The marginal volume, however, pushed the agriculture firm to the list of top five gainers on the bourse. Its stock hit Sh418 per share, representing a 7.8 per cent gain from the previous closing price of Sh387.75 per unit witnessed on Wednesday. Kakuzi is among the few stocks that are expensive and have largely remained stable over the past few months despite the Nairobi bourse performing poorly. Kakuzi began the year with a share price of Sh385 per unit and has since gained 8.57 per cent on that price valuation. It moved 200 volumes of shares yesterday and has traded a total volume of 10,300 shares in past three months. A volume high of 2,000 was achieved on July 24. - Herald Aloo K .DNX]LJDLQVSFRQERXUVH .&$$SXW RQWKHVSRW RYHUXQLRQV Top concerns are low pay, safety issues for ground handling workers, and lack of leave days MARKET WATCH NAIROBI SECURITIES EXCHANGE
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505"- HIGH LOW AGRICULTURAL PRICES SHARES NSE ALL SHARE INDEX: UP 2.18 points to close at 102.21 NSE 20-SHARE INDEX: DOWN 2.86 points to close at 1547.58 NSE 25-SHARE INDEX: UP 22.56 points to close at 2647.03 14.50 10.00 Eaagads Ltd Ord 1.25 14.00 450.00 240.00 Kakuzi Plc Ord.5.00 403.50 387.75 200 239.00 81.00 Kapchorva Tea Kenya Plc Ord Ord 5.00 225.00 231.75 700 510.00 320.00 The Limuru Tea Ca. Plc Ord 20.00 430.00 31.40 17.90 Sasini Plc Ord 1.00 26.25 275.00 120.00 Williamson Tea Kenya Plc Ord 5.00 242.50 253.25 800 AUTOMOBILES & ACCESSORIES 49.75 24.30 Car & General (K) Ltd Ord 5.00 36.95 34.00 200 BANKING 13.00 9.02 ABSA Bank Kenya Plc Ord 0.50 11.95 12.05 275,700 36.95 26.50 BK Group Plc Ord 0.80 36.00 36.00 1,400 57.00 43.75 Diamond Trust Bank Kenya Ltd Ord 4.00 46.85 46.80 18,500 53.50 35,00 Equity Group Holdings Plc Ord 0,50 40.75 40.65 162,300 5.20 2.80 HF Group Plc Ord 5.00 5.10 5.00 11,400 21.50 15.80 I&M Group Plc Ord 1.00 18.50 18.75 81,000 4400 27.00 KCB Group Plc Ord 1,00 27.65 27.75 254,600 41.00 23.30 NCBA Group Plc Ord 5.00 38.95 39.00 25,100 132.00 90.00 Stanbic Holdings Plc ard.5.00 115.00 12075 50,200 172.50 121.00 Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ltd Ord 5.00 159.50 163.25 11,500 14.00 10.30 The Cooperative Bank of Kenya Ltd Ord 1.00 11.60 11.70 577,400 COMMERCIAL AND SERVICES 0.45 0,45 Deacons (East Africa) Plc Ord 2.50 0.45 1.88 0.59 Eveready East Af rico Ltd Ord 1.00 1.21 1.15 800 5.40 2.70 Express Kenya Plc Ord 5.00.. 3.96 4.00 1,800 4.66 4.66 Homeboyz Entertainment Plc 0.50 4.66 3.83 3.83 Kenya Airways Ltd Ord 1.00 3.83 4.30 2.00 Longhorn Publishers Plc Ord 1.00.. 2.68 2.57 5,600 5.12 2.50 Nairobi Business Ventures Plc Ord. 0.50 3.27 23.00 14.00 Nation Media Group Plc Ord. 2.50 20.00 20.00 8,000 4.38 1,80 Sameer Africa Plc Ord 5.00 2.18 14.75 8.14 Standard Group Plc Ord 5.00 8.34 18.00 10.85 TPS Eastern Africa Ltd Ord 1.00 12.00 0.29 0.16 Uchurni Supermarket Plc Ord 5.00 0.18 ale 221,300 4.23 2.60 WPP Scangrroup Plc Ord 1.00 2.80 2.87 3,800 CONSTRUCTION & ALLIED 5.55 5.55 ARM Cement Plc Ord 1.00 5.55 39.50 22.40 Bamburi Cement Plc Ord 5,00 25.40 25.00 11,600 46.00 31.75 Crown Paints Kenya Plc Ord 5.00 39.70 42.00 1,900 1.32 0.72 E.A.Cables Ltd Ord 0.50 0.93 0.89 400 8.80 5,38 E.A.Portland Cement Co. Ltd Ord 5.00 6.80 7.00 100 ENERGY & PETROLEUM 3.88 2.00 KenGen Co. Plc Ord. 2.50 2.32 2.36 135,600 2.11 1.30 Kenya Power & Lighting Co Plc Ord 2.50 1.47 1.50 133,600 4.20 4.10 Kenya Power & Lighting Plc 47. Pref 20.00 4.11 6.00 6.00 Kenya Power & Lighting Plc 7% Pref 20.00 6.00 26.40 17.30 TotalEnergies Marketing Kenya Plc Ord 5.00 19.15 19.10 3,300 18.00 6.30 Umeme Ltd Ord 0.50 14.05 14.15 4,000 INSURANCE 7.50 4.01 Britam Holdings Plc Ord 0.10 4.98 4.90 62,600 2.30 1.60 CIC Insurance Group Ltd Ord.1.00 2.01 2.01 31,200 273.00 142,00 Jubilee Holdings Ltd Ord 5.00 179.00 189.75 2,300 2.30 1.50 Kenya Re Insurance Corporation Ltd Ord 2.50 1.87 1.87 103,500 7.48 3.60 Liberty Kenya Holdings Ltd Ord. 1.00 3.97 3.80 34,400 15.00 7.20 Sanlam Kenya Plc Ord 5.00 8.00 8.00 200 INVESTMENT 12.80 7.60 Centum Investment Co Plc Ord 0.50 8.82 8.86 33,100 0.41 0.27 Hame Afrika Ltd Ord 1.00 0.34 0.34 11,500 1500.00 1,500.00 Kurwitu Ventures Ltd Ord 100.00 1,500.00 5.60 1.91 Olympia Capital Holdings Ltd Ord 5.00 3.61 4.00 21,400 1.35 0,50 Trans-Century Plc Ord 0.50.. 0.54 0.56 18,900 INVESTMENT SERVICES 8.50 5.50 Nairobi Securities Exchange Plc Ord 4.00 6.08 6.04 9,600 MANUFACTURING & ALLIED 85.00 65.00 B.O.C Kenya Plc Ord 5.00 73.00 490.00 400.00 British American Tobacco Kenya Plc Ord 10.00 424.50 425.00 2,600 17.00 10.30 Carbacid Investments Plc Orc11.00 16.50 16.50 64,000 190.00 110.00 East African Breweries Plc Ord 2.00 132.50 129.75 7,100 1.54 0.90 Flame Tree Group Holdings Ltd Ord 0.825 1.30 129 1,200 15.00 10.40 Kenya Orchards Ltd Ord 5.00 16.45 15.00 100 0.27 0.27 Mumias Sugar Co. Ltd Ord 2.00 027 35.00 15.00 Unga Group Ltd Ord 5.00 18.00 TELECOMMUNICATION 34.00 12.70 Safaricom Plc Ord 0.05 15.95 15.00 7,023,200 REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUST 7.30 5.00 ILAM FAHARI I-REIT Ord.20.00 612 6.20 1,400 20.00 20.00 LAPTRUSTIMARA I-REIT Ord.20.00 20.00 EXCHANGE TRADED FUNDS 2560.00 1880.00 ABSA New Gold ETF 2500i 2525.00 CBK KEY RATES CURRENCY MEAN BUY SELL US DOLLAR 144.0441 143.9441 144.1441 SW KRONER 13.1705 13.1570 13.1840 STG POUND 183.5526 183.4000 183.7053 SINGAPORE DOLLAR 105.7243 105.6471 105.8016 SAUDI RIYAL 38.4113 38.3779 38.4446 SA RAND 7.4917 7.4848 7.4985 S FRANC 163.5750 163.4243 163.7257 NOR KRONER 13.5381 13.5240 13.5522 KES / USHS 25.8602 25.8075 25.9128 KES / TSHS 17.3211 17.2744 17.3679 KES / RWF 8.2079 8.1432 8.2727 KES / BIF 19.6801 19.5102 19.8499 JPY (100) 98.3874 98.3158 98.4591 IND RUPEE 1.7329 1.7316 1.7342 HONGKONG DOLLAR 18.3939 18.3811 18.4066 EURO 157.2282 157.0959 157.3606 DAN KRONER 21.0046 20.9889 21.0202 CHINESE YUAN 19.6873 19.6723 19.7023 CAN $ 106.3684 106.2789 106.4580 AUSTRALIAN $ 91.9146 91.8363 91.9928 AE DIRHAM 39.2160 39.1834 39.2485 Central Bank Rate 10.50% 09/08/2023 Inter-Bank Rate 10.21% 16/08/2023 CBK Discount Window 14.50% 10/08/2023 91-Day T-Bill 13.475% 21/08/2023 REPO 9.72% 24/07/2023 Inflation Rate 7.28% July,2023 Lending Rate 13.31% June,2023 Savings Rate 3.48% June,2023 Deposit Rate 7.82% June,2023 KBRR 8.9% 27/07/2016 KEY CBK INDICATIVE EXCHANGE RATES 17/8/2023

In search of education Women hold placards reading in Dari ‘A Muslim can’t go against women’s education and work’ during a protest as they demand their right to education and employment. In 2021, only one month after returning to power for the first time in 20 years, the Taliban authorities banned girls from attending secondary school, before closing university doors to them in December last year, and then heavily restricting their participation in the workforce. - AFP Abuja,Thursday The Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) has said most of its member states are ready to participate in a standby force that could intervene in Niger following a coup there late last month. Defence chiefs from the 15-member regional bloc met in Accra on Thursday as part of the latest efforts to overturn the removal of Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s president who was deposed in a July 26 coup. All member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde are ready to participate in the standby force, Ecowas commissioner Abdel-Fatau Musah said on Thursday. “Democracy is what we stand for and it’s what we encourage,” Nigeria’s Chief of De- :HVW$IULFDVHW WRMRLQVWDQGE\ IRUFHLQ1LJHU Ecowas commissioner says all member states will join the force except those under military rule and Cape Verde Sal,Thursday More than 60 migrants are presumed to have died on board a pirogue that left the coast of Senegal at the beginning of July and was found off the coast of Cape Verde on Monday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said on Wednesday. An estimated 63 people died and 38 survived, including four children aged between twelve and sixteen, IOM spokeswoman Safa Msehli told AFP. The boat was spotted in the Atlantic on Monday around 150 nautical miles (277 km) from the Cape Verdean island of Sal by a Spanish fishing vessel, which alerted the Cape Verdean authorities, said the police of the archipelago, around 600 km from the Senegalese coast. In addition to the 38 survivors, the rescuers found the remains of seven people, the spokeswoman reported. According to the testimonies of the survivors quoted by the Senegalese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other sources, the boat had left the town of Fass Boye (west), on the Senegalese coast, on 10 July with 101 passengers on board, all Senegalese with the exception of one Bissau-Guinean. As a result, 56 people are reported missing. “Generally, when people are reported missing following a shipwreck, they are presumed dead”, explained the spokeswoman. The authorities have so far refrained from commenting on what happened. -AFP 0LJUDQWERDWVLQNVNLOOLQJRII&DSH9HUGHFRDVW fence Staff, General Christopher Gwabin Musa said at the start of the two-day meeting in Accra. “The focus of our gathering is not simply to react to events, but to proactively chart a course that results in peace and promotes stability.” The meeting to discuss Niger’s crisis comes after an August 6 deadline passed for mutinous soldiers to release and reinstate Bazoum or face military intervention. Bazoum remains under house arrest with his wife and son in the capital, Niamey. The bloc has long deliberated on the use of force which it described as a “last resort” for weeks due to several mediation teams it sent to Niamey and also due to a lack of consensus within its ranks. Burkina Faso and Mali, which have experienced multiple coups since 2020, warned that any military intervention in Niger would be declared as an act of war, revealing a fracture in the region between its coastal countries and those in the volatile Sahel. Guinea, which is also under military rule and which has condemned any external Zimbabwe ready to conduct elections Senegal opposition decry Sonko health 100 arrested over churches burning Zimbabwe’s Electoral Commission has held an observers briefing ahead of the 2023 elections next week. “The Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is not influenced by government, individuals or any other organisations as sometimes alleged” affirms Priscilla Chigumba, the Zimbabwean Electoral Commission’s Chairperson, before adding that the commission is “ready to conduct the 2023 harmonised elections”, following successful voter registrations initiatives. “In its operations, the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is not influenced by government, individuals or any other organisations as sometimes alleged. Section 235 of the constitution of Zimbabwe guarantees the commission’s independence” Chigumba added. - Africanews As his hunger strike enters its third week, concern is growing over Senegal opposition leader Ousmane Sonko’s health. Speaking to French broadcaster RFI, the opposition Yewwi Askan Wi coalition said Sonko had rejected its pleas to end the strike. On July 28, Sonko was arrested and charged with plotting an insurrection, undermining state security and criminal association with a terrorist body. He began his hunger strike two days later. On August 6, he was admitted to the main hospital in the capital Dakar. The opposition says it holds the Senegalese government accountable for Sonko’s condition. Sonko, who placed third in the presidential election in 2019, is popular with the country’s youth. - BBC More than 100 people have been arrested in a city in east Pakistan after thousands of Muslims burned churches and vandalised homes. Violence in Jaranwala was sparked by claims that two Christian men had torn pages from the Quran. The historic Salvation Army Church was still smouldering on Thursday, one day after the riot. Ruins have been surrounded with barbed wire as the situation remains tense in the city. Public gatherings have also been restricted for seven days in Faisalabad district, which includes Jaranwala. The two men accused of damaging the Quran, Islam’s holy book, have not been arrested though they have been charged with blasphemy, which is punishable by death in Pakistan. - BBC ECOWAS TO
 ACT Defence chiefs from the 15-member regional bloc met in Accra on Thursday as part of the latest efforts to overturn the removal of Mohamed Bazoum, Niger’s president who was deposed in a July 26 coup. All member states except those under military rule and Cape Verde are ready to participate in the standby force, ECOWAS commissioner AbdelFatau Musah said on Thursday The top security body of the African Union met on Monday to consider whether it would support military intervention but has yet to make its decision public aggression, has refrained from making any other comments. Al Jazeera’s Charles Stratford, reporting from the Ghanaian border with Burkina Faso, on Thursday had said Ghanaian authorities were nervous about provoking its direct neighbour with which it has cultural ties and military cooperation agreements. The top security body of the African Union met on Monday to consider whether it would support military intervention but has yet to make its decision public. The AU’s Peace and Security Council could overrule a military intervention if it felt that wider stability on the continent was threatened by it. If it rejects the use of force, there are few grounds under which Ecowas could claim legal justification. At the weekend, the coup leaders said they were open to a diplomatic push after Tchiani met with Nigerian religious mediators after two previous sets of mediators were refused an audience with him. But on Sunday night, Niger’s rulers declared they had gathered sufficient evidence to prosecute Bazoum for “high treason and undermining internal and external security”. The legal threat was angrily condemned by Ecowas, which said it “represents yet another form of provocation and contradicts the reported willingness of the military authorities … to restore constitutional order through peaceful means”. Washington said it was “incredibly dismayed”. The row overshadowed talks under African Union (AU) auspices that began on Monday in Addis Ababa, bringing together representatives from Niger’s military and ECOWAS. - Agencies ff WORLD NEWS FOR MORE NEWS VISIT: www.pd.co.ke / www.epaper. pd.co.ke Thursday, August 18, 2023

fi PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 Spice @Onyango_Jack Flavour [PZYXW[ F or a long time, Kenya, more so Nairobi, has been identifi ed as the nexus of culture and one of Africa’s best places for artistes to perform. This is usually the tone behind the walls of international record labels and booking agencies when Kenya is probed for her music exploits and offerings to the global music architecture. “Even though Africa is viewed as a growing music market, the performance arts and live music industry is rated highly. Africa, especially the Sub-Saharan Africa, may not be generating the amount of revenue or profi ts markets such as America, Europe, Latin America or even Middle East and North Africa (MENA) may be commanding, yet, but there is promise. And conversations alongside Afrobeat’s popularity and the force it’s becoming are having agencies such as United Talent Agency (UTA) and Live Nation pay attention,” Immensum Music managing partner Koch Okoye tells Spice. Afrobeat artistes who are on the top of their game such as Burna Boy, Wizkid and Rema, and stadium-fi llers who are now inking deals for big concerts and venue owners such as UTA, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and Live Nation have all been in Kenya as part of their pursuit to the top. The renewed energy Kenyan event organisers such as Vibes Only MD Frankie Theuri opines: “It’s only a matter of time before many A-list names come performing in Nairobi. There is a buzzing new fresh energy from the young kids who are ready to risk it all and deliver some dope shows,” says Frankie. Although Kenya cannot boast of an internationally signed artiste yet, such as Tanzania’s Diamond Platnumz whose Wasafi Classic Baby (WCB) is signed to Warner Music Group, or Burna Boy with Atlantic Records, perhaps Wizkid and Davido’s envious deals with RCA Records and Sony Music respectively, Kenya still commands its respect in the music events and performance industry. “Kenya competes globally. Kenya takes huge strides in event production and inventory in East Africa. There are a number of wellestablished companies that export and hire their gear and services to neighbouring markets. So, yes we defi nitely have what it takes to compete on a global scale,” Gondwana founder Suraj Mandavia avers. Music and events producer and mix engineer producer Kevin Cheruiyot aka Kev Beatz has been involved in international events such as Rocking The Daisies in South Africa that had over 20 international names such as Kehlani, Fivio Foreign, and BAS, just to name a few. He says the view from inside looking out is that Kenya has a potential in touring and being a concert hub that can accommodate the production of major events including televised events for international audiences. Artiste and Repertoire executive Sandra Bartonjo quips, “Kenya is currently in the top three countries for concerts in Africa. The Kenyan market is one of the most lucrative when it comes to concerts because acts are paid handsomely.” Acts such as Fabolous, Shensea, Cassper Nyovest, Nasty C, Rammor and Ruger are all but some names visiting the country in August alone. These names are attracted by the prospect of playing in Kenya even during times that are not necessarily considered as high seasons. But what are some of these reasons leading to this phenomenon? Purchasing power Recently, multiple awardwinning Kenyan boy band Sauti Sol announced their fi nal bow as a group would be their Sol Fest 2023 concert that is slated to go down on November 2 and 4 at the Nairobi’s Uhuru Gardens. Tickets for the show are retailing between Sh6,500 for regular and Sh20,000 for VIP. Kenyans On X (KOX) went berserk when former Sol Generation artiste Bensoul THE STATE OF EVENTS CULTURE Koch Okoye Frankie Theuri The events industry in the country is coming of age. Concerts attracting the crème de la crème of artistes are mushrooming and becoming the norm. Jackson Onyango takes the journey with promoters and industry’s tastemakers to share their thoughts on how the industry is shaping up and why premium ticketing and experiential partying is the new norm Kev Beatz ,&7 5P
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Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY SPICE  Rappers Khaligraph and Octopizzo reignite beef SWEETNSOUR By Mwangi Alberto Kenyan entertainer, Mammito Eunice, is excited to be headlining an all-female stand-up comedy line-up in the second edition of her comedy franchise The Mammito & Girlfriends comedy night event. Slated for August 26 at the Nairobi National Museum’s auditorium, the event will feature elite comedians including Justine Wanda, Ruth Nyambura, Shazz Nderitu and Ciku Waithaka. “I’m elated to be sharing my platform with these comical women that I am proud to also call my friends, whom I’ve also shared the stage with before. They all have different perspectives on daily life issues, politics and even relationships. Their views are unconforming and I like that. This is why I want my fans to meet my girlfriends,” says Mammito. Arguably some of Kenya’s best hip-hop artistes of all time, Khaligraph Jones and his nemesis, Octopizzo are at it again! The two rappers have in the recent times engaged each other in war of words, with each looking at outsmarting each other. The duo has been engrossed in a supremacy beef for the longest time, and it doesn’t seem like it will die any time soon. Recently, Khaligraph was hosted to an interview by comedian and content creator Oga Obinna, where he embraced the opportunity to fire a new salvo towards the “Namba Nane’s Finest” Octo, claiming that he’s a better rapper. He said: “Octo maybe anishinde kuvaa nguo. He has clean pictures on social media; he’s a very good model. Octo anapiga modelling fiti sana, lakini kwa kurap haniwezi. But I respect him for his grind, I’ve seen his growth from Kibera (sic).” Looking to clap back at Khali’s sentiments, Octo brushed him off, telling him that he (Khaligraph) would soon get what he was looking for. However, Khali added that he had no enmity with him, as his advanced age (33 years ) doesn’t allow him to dwell on the things of the past. Mammito elated in headlining an all-female comedy night provoked Kenyans about their fi nancial health. “Kama 20k ya kuona Sauti Sol inakushinda by November, you have a long way to go. Wacha wenye pesa waende. One thing I know for sure is we are going to sell out,” he wrote on X, causing a massive outrage among the KOX, who argued that the fees were hyperbolic, extreme, and narcissistic. “This broke mentality needs to go!” Bensoul retorted. This has been the norm, however. Kenyans are acting surprised when it’s laughable that Boyz II Men concert in June this year was billed at Sh8,000 for a regular ticket, Sh15,000 VIP and Sh30,000 for VVIP. “We had over 10,000 people at Konshens concert in 2019. Tickets retailed at Sh3,000 and many Kenyans could afford it. It was not the best experience for many who attended even at the VIP, which is supposed to be exclusive and more enjoyable in terms of quality. Kenyans have been crying out for events that are more expensive, with less people, and that they can feel safe in,” says Hakuna Matata founder Kitawi Mwakitele. Alarmingly, America’s Fabolous visited Nairobi with tickets going for Sh10,000 and performing on a Thursday night and it was still a hot ticket with the turnout packed to the rafters at the Sk8city. “Kenyans from upper-middle class and upperclass Within the vibrant Diamond Plaza 2, in Parklands, Nairobi, is the Anga Cinema, which has once again emerged as a shining star on the entertainment scene. This cinematic treasure trove promises an unparalleled movie experience that combines modern comfort with vintage charm. Set to take its patrons on a captivating journey back in time as it celebrates the timeless African classic film Sarafina, which captured hearts three decades ago with its poignant narrative and soulstirring music, remains as relevant today as it was then. As the lights dim and the screen comes to life, audiences will be transported to the vibrant South African township of Soweto, immersing themselves in the struggles and triumphs of Sarafina and her peers during the Apartheid rule. With its rich history, state-of-the-art facilities, and a commitment to showcasing cinematic gems from across the globe, the Anga Cinema continues to be a cultural hub that bridges the gap between the past and the present. THEJOINT WITH IAN GITOBU Fuse of modern, vintage charm will go! The concertgoer is known to complain on social media, but they will show up for something that provides value for them,” Kitawi mentions. Ticketing capitalism The pattern of events’ capitalism and ticketing at as high as fi ve fi gures will grow into the normality. “Kenyans need to understand the economics behind these concerts. Bringing the biggest acts is not cheap. It will cost you between Sh50 million and Sh100 million for a promoter or event organiser to bring your favourite artiste. At that point, we haven’t yet considered the logistics of booking a venue, their hospitality and entertainment costs, transport, security, production, licenses, and miscellaneous. Events is a really thankless job, even with sponsors it’s still diffi cult as event entrepreneurs. We don’t have marketing budget luxuries of brands such as Jameson and Johnnie Walker who can bring 2 Chainz in his prime for example,” he adds. So, how sustainable is it for Kenyans fi nancially? “Very much so. Kenyans are opening bars everywhere. Clubs are packed from Monday to Monday. This notion that the economy is doing bad is true, but the trope that Kenyans have money and will spend on entertainment is also very true!” Kitawi states “The biggest challenge, especially with the current economic state is that the cost of everything has gone up. Suppliers have pushed up their fees, production has become more expensive and rightfully so, that it affects the general output of the entire show from how ticket pricing is done... unless you have a corporate sponsor who is willing to cater for the cost of the entire project. It’s not business as usual anymore,” says Frankie. A common outcry from eventprenuers is that spend is not at will, as they would love. Brands such as Jameson (Jameson Live), Castle Lite (Presents), and Johnnie Walker with Walker Town are few and far between. Their marketing budgets are healthy and can have Kenya competing at the optimum level of events by bringing the who is who in the entertainment front. “To reach the world stage, Kenya’s event industry could invest in improving infrastructure, including events venues, transportation, and technology. Leveraging the country’s natural beauty and cultural diversity, Kenya has the potential to create immersive experiences that attract international attention,” says Kev. He believes that through contrast, events thrive on creativity, adaptability, and the ability to connect people. Kenya’s events fate lie in being able to stay up-to-date with trends, sustainability practices, and paying attention to audience preferences, which are all key to success in a dynamic fi eld. “The Kenyan event industry often showcases vibrant, cultural elements and innovative approaches. South Africa, on the other hand, boasts a broader range of venues, advanced technical capabilities, and a longer history of hosting major global events, for instance the FIFA World Cup 2010,” Kev reiterates. Contribution to economy Reports and surveys done by PwC indicate that Kenya’s cultural economy is likely to inject as much as 7.5 per cent into the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 2026. The cultural bridges being forged, as well as governmental policies to ease visa requirements, foreign exchange and relationships being exerted to create diplomatic harmony, trade, and crosscultural idea infusions are elevating Kenya’s cultural economy to new heights. “I’m happy to see the event organising community grow. A lot of young guys are taking initiative to do their own research and get big name acts to come in for shows. We are also fortunate enough to get the Nairobi County Government support. It has been supportive and generous enough to assist and help events with a purpose and common goal. It’s only been a year, but we can feel the support, and we are glad we now have that window to open and be able to get necessary assistance support where need be with our events,” Frankie says in ending. Kitawi Mwakitele Sandra Bartonjo Suraj Mandavia

20 PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 by Alex Njue There was ultimate fun for thousands of fervent rugby enthusiasts, as the 56th edition of the annual Christie 7s rugby competition and the fourth leg of Sportpesa National 7s series took Nairobi by a storm last weekend. Hosted by the Kenya Harlequins at the RFUEA grounds the fans savoured scintillating live on-pitch action and an enthralling afterparty sponsored by beer brand Tusker. The three days of rugby 7s activities gave fans a chance to watch age grade rugby, women’s rugby, the second division of the men’s competition and the main competition won by KCB who overcame Strathmore Leos 17-12 in a thrilling cup final. Off the pitch though, the soirées featured captivating sets by skilled deejays and engaging emcees, who provided a perfect way for revellers to unwind after an actionfilled day. Among the notable attendees were SportPesa CEO Ronald Karauri, Kenya Rugby Union chairman Sasha Mutai, his deputy Moses Ndale, the union’s CEO Thomas Odundo and Kenya Harlequins chairman Victor Sudi. PD/ALEX NJUE Host Kui Kabala. Host Kui Kabala. Host Kui Kabala. Clique& Clicks Get
 DJ Spider rocks the after party from the ones and twos. Fans enjoy some absolute fun moments at the afterparty. Fun lovers Liz Wairimu, Peter Wambugu and Jane Wangui. Sportpesa CEO Ronald Karauri with KRU chairman Sasha Mutai. THE FUN IMMERSION Sun kissed! Wambui Ngumbu in all her awesomeness. Minet Kenya finance GM Gabriel Mahugu and Michael Wanjala award the Most Promising Player Cornelius Mokoro (right). DJ Andre with MC Rizzy. Some necessary noise, anyone? MC Azu aka The Public Noisemaker got you. KCB 7s players salute their fans after winning the Christie 7s title. Kenya Harlequins chairman and former Kenya international Victor Sudi.

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY  In society replete with unforgiving, judgmental individuals living under the heavy shadow of suspicion, the occasional cheer and paranoia, people tend to be restrained to tell their stories. There is a saying that an individual is a product of his decisions, bad and good.   Richard Kioko Kiundi has made both. And while many would ran away from their judgments, the Duke of Emali has not only gathered the audacity to own them, but also share his experiences in a tell-it-all memoir, Through the Wilderness of Life. It is a charming, in some cases considerably sobering account of the life of a Mkamba boy who rises from the dusty fields of Emali, fought his way to Alliance High School —yes, he went to Alliance—an institution that seems to have cultured him, shaped his world view and created lasting friendships that turned into family, and eventually to the University of Nairobi. After college he lured, Margaret, his youth sweetheart into a marriage and hit the first lane of life feeding on a big spoon.  A lovely and a family first-go to guy, he made fortune in business and the public service, incurred huge losses too, engaged in charity, became vice-chairman of the Alliance Old Boy’s Association until his life and that of his family was disrupted by cancer and the death of his son by suicide. But a few things stand out. First, his commitment, decorum, hospitality, commitment to new knowledge and enduring questions about the place of God in life.  Because of his hospitality, most of his nephews and nieces schooling around Nairobi “would find a home away from home.” “It is possibly this camaraderie and what must have looked like my ability to meet any challenges head-on that left me holding the short end of the stick in many Kiundi family situations,” he writes.  The son of Kwakakulu Hills opens the lid on life at Alliance High School class of 1973, his travels, loss of job at Toyota Kenya, his fight-back and reflections on sickness and God. But notably, despite his sickness, he remains an admirable pillar of resilience amidst turbulence. His charitable work came to a halt and suddenly left his dependents high and dry, triggering a number of questions in his mind. Why will a loving God make a whole community suffer for the supposed unacknowledged sins of their benefactor? Out of the eight billion inhabitants of planet earth, only about two billion have been exposed to Christianity. Does it mean five billion of them are destined for hell without being given a chance for redemption? Kioko is still seeking answers. Through the Wilderness of Life is a well-crafted individual effort, a glimpse into the history of the Akamba and the adventures of a man, who acknowledges his little failings, but who believes he had “been set free to live my life in the best way I know, without looking over my shoulder.” Memoir is recommended reading for individuals who have put family at their heart of the lives. REVIEW OF THE WEEK Honest and sobering account of life’s ups and downs C hildren can hardly read for unbroken stretches of time. One minute they are in class reading while tracing words with their little fingers, the next minute they are poking their deskmate ready to initiate play. They simply cannot sit still. Thus, they require creative linguistic exposure such as literacy fun days to keep them engaged.  Recently, edutech company, eKitabu held a literacy fun day for young children and their parents at the Playstreet Kindergarten school in Nairobi to expose children to a rich command of language. “Dance, music, and arts are activities that inspire children to be curious about books. Unlike adults, children may require something fun to get their attention and such events serve that purpose,” said Will Clurman, CEO eKitabu. Books are an important element of language development because they introduce children to a wide vocabulary base and boundless imagination. During the event, children were treated to a captivating storytelling session delivered in boisterous narrations. There were also engaged in art and craft sessions, and a mini children’s concert. The children were dazzled by the activities and so were the parents as they got to observe how their children responded to creative learning strategies.  The parents also revealed how they benefitted from the bonding experience with the children “It was fun painting and dancing with foundation for exceptional performance in school, socialising with others, problemsolving, and making decisions, among others.  Lucy Kariuki, proprietor of Playstreet Kindergarten says that children require holistic cognitive development to excel and perform exceptionally well. “When I started the school in 2007, I observed a gap where children were engaged in unendless writing at a very young age. Young children do not respond very well to this and that is why I began the integrated form of learning,” she shares. Playstreet has adopted child-led-play learning for preschoolers, which has less emphasis on formal learning.  Lucy adds the school was already doing what the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) is doing, which is harnessing talents and activities across different learning disciplines. “This kind of learning makes children bold, confident, and fit for life out there,” she says.  A research paper published in 2019 titled, How Playful Learning Can Books & Leisure The Right VFWXT mummy. I enjoyed looking at pictures in books with my friends and I want to be doing this every day,” a preprimary learner remarked. Opportunity to move books Such events provide an opportunity to sell books because “books will not move themselves around,” says Will.  He adds that sometimes parents grapple with finding an appropriate selection of books given the limited variety available in bookstores. “We (eKitabu ) distribute books written in Braille for the deaf. We also have video story books for the deaf for equitable and inclusive learning,” he says.  Melissa Wakhu, children’s book author, who was a guest at the event says children ought to be exposed to books they can identify with. “Some of the books children are exposed to have heavy foreign references such as food and weather, but when you bring books that speak about familiar things. Children can connect better and build an identity,” she explained. Melissa, who has authored Written in the Stars and nine other titles, has partnered with eKitabu to distribute her books during such engagements. She says that literacy levels among children remain relatively low.  “There is the issue of affordability and quality,” she said. Literacy development is an important element in a child’s development and growth according to research. It is the Fun, games make learning easy 8* - -
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CPPLT While reading is an important part of language development, it is difficult for children to concentrate for a long time. Add play and you have all their attention Help Leapfrog Progress in Education underscores the importance of early playbased learning.   “These types of student-centred, playful learning experiences are an essential component to leapfrogging in education because, without them, young people will not be able to develop the full breadth of competencies and skills they need to thrive in a fast-changing world,” reads the report.  Role of parents Kevin Kimani, a cyber security expert says that literacy fun engagements provide an opportunity for parents to participate in the development and wellness of their children.  “Parents of yesteryears would deposit children in school and leave the burden of education to teachers, but this has changed as parents also need to be involved in their children,” he says. He adds that when his child was ready to enroll in school some two years ago, he was keen to develop his social skills and grow him holistically.  The toddler is way ahead of his peers in written skills, socialising, and comprehension because of play-led learning according to his father. “I am committed to being involved in my child’s education. If there is a school meeting, I have to attend, if it is an event such as this I have to be around,” he says in conclusion. eKitabu will in September participate in the Nairobi International Book Fair where a varying array of books will be available for purchase.  Last year’s Nairobi International Book Fair attracted local and inernational publishers. PD/ COURTESY BY MUTHOKI KITHANZE Lucy Kariuki, proprietor, Playstreet Kindergarten. PD/COURTESY Children, parents and teachers engage in playlearning. PD/ COURTESY BY EMEKA MAYAKA

22 PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 Boma Home of Property & Leisure by Wahinya Henry @PeopleDailyKE R eal estate stakeholders are apprehensive that provision of houses many can afford to own faces the possibility of remaining a pipe dream given the stumbling blocks that stand on the way of implementation. Recently during the 10th East Africa Property Investment Summit in Nairobi, over 300 delegates discussed ways to drive investment and development in the East African real estate sector and setting the agenda for the region, key among them, the need to improve infrastructure and services that will support the development to affordable housing. Director at East Africa, Strategic Consulting at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), Jean Vimar told stakeholders: “Developers are faced with the problem of infrastructure development and lack of sewer lines. We also buy water from trucks.” To him, additional costs to build infrastructure around construction sites increase the cost of building and this is often passed over to customers, thus affordable housing concept disrupted. Construction of units happen first, followed by facilities, such as reliable water supply, electricity, sanitation services and excellent transport systems. No one can live in an area where they cannot access clean water, electricity and other basic needs. This forces landowners to pump in more money in drilling boreholes, installing renewable energy sources and so on. According to real estate firm, Knight Frank’s Africa Report 2022/23, great infrastructure accelerates the development of the property to be up to standard and offers affordable housing projects that are “bearable” to live in. In the absence of reliable electricity, clean water supply, sanitation services, and an efficient transport system, affordable housing projects become a pipe dream, the report says. Limited budgetary allocation The realtors at the summit were also concerned that the government’s ambitious plan to achieve 200,000 units per year were not being supported by the current budget. Assuming the average production cost of building a housing unit will be Sh2 million, to produce 200,000 houses per year will cost the government Sh400 billion, yet only Sh20.3 billion was allocated to the housing sector with the affordable housing initiative only getting Sh2.7 billion in the FY’22/23 budget. Retied President Uhuru Kenyatta launched Kenya’s affordable housing initiative in 2017, as part of the key pillars of the Big Four Agenda with the aim of delivering 500,000 units by December 2022. However, due to various setbacks, the government delivered less than 3,000 units through the Pangani and Park Road projects, indicating a massive deficit in the delivery. To support the initiative, President William Ruto outlined affordable housing as one of his main agenda with the aim of delivering 200,000 units per year, and a target of 5,000 units per county. The delegates reiterated that in African cities where poor infrastructure is a dominant scenario, attracting investors to build affordable homes has been difficult and truly a herculean task. They insisted that housing units that have great infrastructure sell faster and offer maximum returns on the housing development investments. The percentage of Kenyans living in urban areas who own houses is 21.3 per cent, according to a 2019 housing survey. Engineer Hillary Reagan from the National Building Inspectorate informed participants that a tax relief for property developers of at least 15 per cent can serve as an important incentive. “Incentives around value added tax in form of relief on construction materials are critical in terms of building houses citizens can afford,” he said. After a period of relative growth due to a drop in building materials, the Finance Act, 2023 has come to haunt developers after the court of appeal gave a nod to it. The act has doubled excise duty on raw materials used in paint manufacturing from 10 per cent to 20 per cent. Multiple contradictory land tenures and agreements, out-of-date land registries, Realtors have raised concern that absence of reliable electricity, clean water supply, sanitation services, and an efficient transport system puts the affordable housing dream in jeopardy lack of computerised land titling systems, inadequate incentives coupled with varied disagreements between the local and central policies make land policies for affordable housing, counterproductive. This reflects on the security of land being under constant threat, posing complications in property rights. Consequently, investors get discouraged, land assembly gets difficult and cost of land outstrips its value. Tilisi Developments PLC’s, Kavit Shah, wishes it was possible for approvals to take a week instead of nearly a year. “The multiple agencies we have to reach out to at times is tedious. A one stop shop would be ideal,” said Kavit. A summit participant raised the concern that while the drive towards making Kenyans own homes was laudable, the greatest concern was the down payment required. Her argument was that being ‘hustlers’, they could not afford the initial amounts required yet they still desired to own these houses. The solution to this problem would be to either eliminate or further reduce the down payments and monthly payments. Jericho Lumumba Residents Association (JLRA) chairman, Walter Ogoli is steadfast in opposing demands tenants in 10 old estates in the city singled out for demolition pay hefty deposits. Ogoli says a deposit of 10 per cent to 12 per cent for houses under the pay to own programme for a Sh1 million and Sh3 million houses means locking out tenants from owning houses. Rapid increase in urbanisation, shortage of finance and the decrease of rainfall are also some of the reasons for housing shortages in Kenya. The housing shortages in Kenya stands at two million and continues to increase at a rate of about 200,000 units per year. Limited access to land, insufficient incomes and lack of housing finances are some limiting factors for low-income families. Zahara Khanbai head commercial property finance at Absa Bank said at the summit that setting up of a construction fund is another strategy for the affordable housing dream to be attained. “Otherwise the current financing mechanisms and demand for collateral often locks out the low cadre in society,” says Zahara. Comprehensive housing policies The inconsistent wrangles between County and National Government, especially in Kenya are because of policies and bottlenecks that don’t “favour” investors and real estate housing projects “initiators”. The measures on land rates and taxes that are tough and exorbitant mean investors would go to countries where policies are friendly. The Lands Ministry and urban planning developers have different objectives and incentives hence the implementation of comprehensive housing policies remains difficult. In the same vein, myriad demolitions of properties and buildings that would constitute an affordable housing plan make it risky to invest where returns and profits are not “felt and seen”. Nature Ville Homes chief executive officer, Michael Kaniu, said multiple contradictory land tenures and agreements, out-of-date land registries, lack of computerised land titling systems, inadequate incentives, are also a big issue. He says this reflects on the security of land being under constant threat, posing complications in property rights. Consequently, investors get discouraged, land assembly gets difficult and cost of land outstrips its value. ;")"3" 0UIFSXJTF
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!#&55:.6*/%* Choose the perfect accent chairs to style your living room An accent chair is a must-have in just about any living room. Not only are they an additional seat, which will make your living room feel a whole lot more sociable and cozy, but they’re also a brilliant opportunity to add an extra layer of depth and interest to your living room scheme. Just as with any other addition of new furniture, it’s important to take the time to figure out what will work in your room. You’ll need to first decide where you want to position the accent chair, and assess the space you have available. 2. Take a cohesive approach Choose an accent chair that sits in harmony with the rest of your scheme. When putting together a room design, the aim is to create cohesiveness across your scheme that looks effortlessly put together. An easy way to achieve this, whether with a plain or patterned fabric, is to choose a colour from the same tonal palette as your sofa. This will still make a gorgeous visual impact, but in a curated and considered way. 4. Choose something sculptural An accent chair is a great opportunity to go for something a bit out of the ordinary and make a statement within your living room. While sofas, on the most part, present familiar classic shapes and traditional styles, a standalone accent chair can often carve out a much more unusual and surprising silhouette. An accent chair can really help make a space pop with personality, they can be sculptural pieces in their own right, and can be treated almost as interactive art within a room. 1. Go for contrasting colours An accent chair can be the perfect place to introduce a contrasting shade within your living room. Choose accent chairs in bold and playful colours that contrast with the rest of the furniture. Make sure that, despite being a contrasting colour, the shade still feels in keeping with the overall scheme of the room. Keep one neutral colour quite prominent to ground the space, and then throw in something a little stronger for your accent chair to give the room that extra oomph. 3. Consider texture and shape As well as colour, both texture and shape are hugely important aspects to consider when it comes to choosing an accent chair. In the absence of bold and bright colours, neutral schemes rely heavily on the use of intriguing textures and tactile materials — and an accent chair is a great way to up the dose of these in a living room. For example, the mix of oak and cream boucle fabric brings warmth and provides additional texture, adding just the right amount of interest into an otherwise very quiet and restrained space. by Faith Mbithi @PeopleDailyKE T he start of my journey in the Engineering world gave me unexpected truths. For example, in my engineering class at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), at some point, I found myself the only female in a class of about 30 students. I was apparently the lucky one, in another premier institution I could not believe the account of my friends who, never found a female toilet in the engineering department. The message was quite clear: Women, were not expected to find themselves in a school of engineering. Registered contractors With this background, it is, therefore, not a shocker that women account for only 7.3 per cent of registered engineers in Kenya. This lends credence to the long held myth of male domination in the construction industry. According to a report on Advancing Women’s Participation in Kenya’s Construction Industry that was released in February 2022 by Dalberg in partnership with International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and Buildher, women account for only three per cent of construction artisans, 17 per cent of registered quantity surveyors and 15.5 per cent of registered contractors. The academia shows similar demographics with only a small percentage of women pursuing tertiary education in Science, Technology, Engineering And Mathematics (STEM). My being a minority in my class is what spurred a passion to support women empowerment in STEM and its application in the industry. I currently work with the National Construction Authority (NCA) where my role involves developing and coordinating capacity building programmes for various stakeholders in the construction industry based on established training and capacity building needs. I recently had the privilege of coordinating the Authority’s pilot mentorship programme for women directors of construction firms. The programme was aimed at addressing women’s unique training and mentorship needs towards enhancing their professionalism, effectiveness and efficiency in carrying out their construction activities. In recent times great strides have been made towards promoting inclusivity in the construction industry with womenowned construction companies gaining momentum. Similarly, the gender stereotypes and biases that discourage women from pursuing careers in construction are slowly fading as a result of the efforts made by various governmental and nongovernmental organisations that are keen on promoting equity in accessing training and advancement opportunities. The government is committed to promote diversity of communities through its various ministries and agencies and is looking to work with entities that reflect the same. Challenges affecting women Despite these efforts, the involvement of women in the construction industry still remains low. I was, therefore, glad to be part of the planning team for this year’s Women in Construction (WIC) 2023 Forum, which took place on August 14, 2023 at Barabara Plaza Auditorium, which brought together various stakeholders in the industry to discuss the challenges affecting women and the government’s efforts towards addressing them. The event themed, “Female led, Female built, Female powered” is organised by the Ministry of Roads and Transport in conjunction with the Office of the President’s Advisor on Women’s Rights and promotes professional development, empowerment and networking with the aim of growing and achieving success in the construction industry. Family -friendly policies In order to promote the involvement of women in construction taking into consideration their unique care-giving responsibilities, industry stakeholders ought to take steps towards establishing family-friendly policies to create a more inclusive and supportive working environment. It is also high time that manufacturers took note of the paradigm shift in the industry and designed personal protective equipment (PPEs) with both men and women in consideration as opposed to the current situation whereby most PPEs are designed with specifications suited for men hence compromising the safety of women in the industry. In conclusion, the construction industry possesses great potential in harnessing the diverse skilled and talented workforce through inclusivity to facilitate a more sustainable socioeconomic development. Women need to rise up and let themselves be seen in order to break the gender stereotypes and biases and encourage future generations of women to view the industry as a lucrative option. My prayer is that the future generations enjoy the benefits of gender parity in previously male dominated fields. The writer is Senior Research and Capacity Building Officer National Construction Authority In recent times great strides have been made towards promoting inclusivity in the construction industry with female-owned construction companies gaining momentum

PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023 fl ENTERTAINMENT ARIES (MAR. 21- APRIL 20) You will be attracted to unusual forms of entertainment and foreign cultures. Donʼt push your mate if you want to keep this union going. TAURUS (APR. 21- MAY 21) Donʼt be too quick to judge others. You havenʼt been watching your spending habits and you may have been neglecting your duties. GEMINI (MAY 22-JUNE 21) Much knowledge can be obtained through the experiences you have. Your persuasive nature will win the heart of someone youʼve had your eye on. CANCER (JUNE 22-JULY 22) You can certainly gain popularity; however, donʼt do it by paying for everyone else. LEO (JULY 23-AUG 22) ,I \RX WDNH RQ WRR PXFK RI D ÀQDQFLDO burden you may make yourself ill. Start sending out those resumes. Property investments should payoff. VIRGO (AUG. 23 -SEPT. 23) Your attitude could be up and down like a yo-yo. You may be experiencing emotional turmoil in regard to your mate. LIBRA (SEPT. 24 -OCT. 23) Itʼs time to make professional changes. <RXZLOOEHWRRTXLFNWRSRLQW\RXUÀQJHU at your mate. SCORPIO (OCT. 24 - NOV. 22) Your added discipline will help you complete the impossible at work. You will EHWRRTXLFNWRSRLQW\RXUÀQJHUDW\RXU mate. Opportunities for new romantic encounters will unfold through the social events you attend. SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 23 -DEC. 21) Visit friends who have not been well. You need to put some trust in others. You need to do more research before you PDNH\RXUÀQDOGHFLVLRQ CAPRICORN (DEC 22.- JAN. 20) Donʼt get involved in expensive entertainment that involves gambling. Losses are likely if you arenʼt careful where you leave your valuables. AQUARIUS (JAN. 21 -FEB. 19) Groups and organizations that indulge in social events to raise money will be conducive to meeting new and exciting lovers. PISCES (FEB. 20-MAR. 20) Expect to have problems with the ones you love. 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Sport Friday, August 18, 2023 The POFTUPQ Sport shop... ffl WEEKEND GOLF DRAWS Nyali: Tomorrow, Uganda Airlines Golf day; First Tee AM; 6:50 Kaguru J, McClanahan T, Khagram S, Nesbitt G; 7:00 Bajaber F, Nager A, Sherman A, Shah S; 7:10 Zoab, G, Murumba E, Sherman F, Mariga M; 7:20 Kiptoo E, Mdhai J, Walji M, Kimani J; 7:30 Sheikh R, Njogu R, Shikely S. R, Jamal Aly; 7:40 De Jong Ann, Vekaria D, Barnsley P, Juma P; 7:50 Stokes J, Hon. Kalembe J, Duckworth A, Karanja E; 8:00 ANO, Dhutia S, Karoki M, Odoo T;8:10 Odoo C, Oluoch J, Bosuben W, Ondieki D; 8:20 Kudrati I, Saeed M, Arif N, Dr. Soni D; 8:30 Malde J, Gulamali I, Soni B, Sanghavi M. First Tee PM; 12:04 Orioro J, Mugambi D, Miheso A, ANO;12:14 Kinyanjui R, Gathunga N, Kaur N, ANO; 12:24 Kotecha S, Halai H, Mehta D, Pindolia D; 12:34 Hirani S, Patel R, Patel N, Dr. Shah A; 12:44 Mbarathi S, Stokes S, Muraya S, Kandu M; 12:54 Kikuvi A, Gitumbi W, Makau D, Ndung’u E; 13:04 Stokes J, Breitner H, Dhanji Aa, Smith J; 13:14 Middleton J, Khanna U, Marshall I, Breitner L; 13:24 Gudka S, Dr. Patel J. C, Alibhai R, Sheikh I; 13:34 Kuria K, Ngunjiri D, Retd. Gen. Kariuki P.M, Davis S; 13:44 Oyaro Y, Ndunda K, Ombura M,Kinyeru W; 13:54 Muchai L, Wamunyua J, Soigwa T, Dr. Muthuuri J. M; 14:04 Lewa O, Ranpura V, Awdeer D, ANO. Tenth Tee PM; 12:24 Lakhani R, Pirbhai M, Patel V; 12:34 Hon. Akampurira K, Hon. Kateshumbwa D, Hon. Tayebwa T, Hon. Okin O; 12:44 Hon. Tumwesigye J, Hon. Alyek J, Hon. Okullo A, Hon. Kinshaba N; 12:54 Hon. Nayenare S, Hon. Tumwekwese B, Pro. Akope D, Hon. Nuwagaba D; 13:04 Anand P, Dodhia S, Malde A, Lee J; 13:14 Hashiguchi T, Somji Q, Lee D, Pandya N; 13:24 Abwao T, Nderitu E, Muhita R, Wachira M; 13:34 Makrani S, Bungu E, Shah R, Swatton P. Vet Lab: Today, The Centenary Tee-Off; First Tee AM; 6:30 M. Thumbi, S. Kotecha, A. Muree; 6:40 P. Matu, K. Njoroge, J. Odhiambo, B. Mabango; 7:10 P. Njuguna, C. Maitho, C. Mwangi; 7:30 X. N. Iraki, D. G. Muchungu, N. Koigi; 7:50 J. Kioko, H. Manyara, Michael Mwangi; 8:00 J. Kisoo, H. Kamuti, F. Mugo, J. Mbaria; 8:10 D. Kioko, R. Koitaba, A. Ngatiari, Felix Ochieng’; First Tee PM; 11:00 J. Murigi, E. Ng’ethe, I. Kinyanjui, R. Ndei; 11:09 N. Okello, S. Ngure, S. Njenga; 11:1 C.Muteshi, N. Simwa, P. Nderitu, E. Karuga; 11:27 P. Karobia, C.Muguku, H. Kariuki, M. Karimi; 11:36 P. Karimi, P. Murumba, N. Kariuki, M. Karimi; 11:45 J. Orenge, C. Orenge, K. Kabugi, A. Gitonga; 11:54 N. Ndegwa, A. Gichuru, K. Muraguri, A. Gitonga; 12:03 G. Kabuuri, E.Omolllo, W. Wanjuki, J. Osoro; 12:12 Captain ×4; 12:21 Vice-Captain ×4; 12:39 S. Odhiambo, R. D’souza, T.Bisonga, C. Kositany; 12:39 Dennis Musau, K.Njagi, Ed Karau, D. Ondenga; 12:57 M. Karobia, D. Kahare, D. Mwangi, S. Kiragu; Sponsor ×4; Tenth Tee AM; 6:30 D. Ng’ang’a, K. Muriuki, Ano; 6:40 B. Chemweno, D. Lubanga, A. Sang; Tenth Tee PM; 11:00 A. Polo, E. Mumira, S. Wigumo, J.Kamiri; 11:09 G. Ndung’u, N. Ndegwa, E. Mwangi; 11:1 A. Kimani, J. Wainaina, N. Mbuchucha; 11:27 D. Wariu, A. Thuku, R. Mwarania, J. Mutuota; 11:36 G. Mugo, P. N. Muiruri, Raj Shah, D. Ndegwa; 12:45 P. Musyimi, A. Njoba, K.Monari, E. Olweny; 11:54 I. Nyakwara, N.Kariuki, F.T. Karanja, N.Imbugwa; 12:03 N. Ndiritu, M. Chege, B.Kimeu, G. Kanyua; 12:12 J. Loppy, K. Gichu, C. Koech, N. Imbugwa; 12:21 J. D. Kinuthia, S. Mugwe, K. Waithaka, F. Kimathi; 12:30 S. Kantai, R. Wafula, R. Foulser, J. Wafula; 12:39 M. Mutinda, D. Karuga, J. Kamau, P. Kiboi; 12:48 J. Mwangi, M. Kimani, S. Mbugua, M. Ndung’u; 12:57 L. Oyier, D. Maari, L. Njuguna, C. Njagua; 1:06 G. Weru, A. Murage, P. Njogu, W. Ng’ang’a. Tomorrow, Tononoka Golf Day: Sponsored by Tononoka Group; First Tee AM; 6:30 I. Vaghoo, C. Ogolla, F. Ogutu, P. Wachira; 6:40 V. Sonigra, L. Kivuva, C.Imunde, C.Maluki; 6:50 C. Hayer, S. Dossji, T. Shah, V. Sharma; 7:00 A. Unia, P. Gow, S. Parmar, O. Mwaura; 7:10 I. Otuke, V.Oyango, J. Ojowa, P. Kiige; 7:20 M.Gatundu, B. Mandere, D. Muchungu, M. N. Kinuthia; 7:30 R. B.Shah, B. Akun, J. Mureu, F. Kimani; 7:40 Ian Njoroge, M. Iraki, M. Chege, V. Muthiani; 7:50 A. Shah, L. Migoye, S. Meely, J. Ndonga; 8:00 E. Maritim, S. Orenge, A. Njuguna, F. Muthiani; 8:10 M.Bector, P. Karing’u, F. Musila, G. Mangat; 8:20 J. Karing’u, W. Mathu, K. Mathu, Karoki Mathu; 8:30 R. Lakhani, S. Thakkar, U. Raikundalia, M. N. Kanyi; First Tee PM; 11:20 Rohit Shah, K. Gretton, N. Njuguna, G.M.Warui; 11:30 C. Orenge, N. Kariuki, K. Okumu, J. Osoro; 11:40 D. Warui, B.Omolo, A. Thuku, P. Karobia; 11:50 I. Kimani, R. Ndei, S. Hoare, O. Kibuna; 12:00 K. Shah, M. Lucas, D. Kioko, P. Ngugi; 12:10 P. Sanghrajka, S. Patel, A. Shah, S. Patel; 12:20 E. Ng’ethe, J. Wokabi, LC, LC; 12:30 Captain ×4; Irene Kinyanjui, Rachel Ndei, Mark Karobia, F. Mwaniki; 12:50 R. Savla, R. Shah, R. Bakhai, H. Shah; 1:00 N. Savla, P. Srinivas, M. Shah, P. Popat; 1:10 H. Khimji, K. Samani, J. Raithatha, H. Joshi; 1:20 F. Wahome, K. Bosire, N. Nyoike, N. Meely; 1:30 N. Patel, H. Patel, R. Patel, H. Patel; 1:40 P. Shah, A. Shah, M.Gorassia, K. Balsod; Tenth Tee AM; 6:30 E. S. Wangui, N. Shah, S. Kinuthia, E. Wakarima; 6:40 P. Matu, S. Ominde, K. Njoroge, S. Maina; 6:50 P. Mwatha, S.Mwatha, S. Mellam G. Kirui; 7:00 W. Wanjuki, E. Njunu, D. King’ori, S. King’ori; 7:10 A. Sang, B. Chemweno, D.Ebau, C.Kenei; 7:20 M. Mehra, N. Njiraini, N. Ndiritu, P. Gichuru; 7:30 F. Nurani, A. Nurani, J. Kosgei, A. Ladak; 7:40 O. Abekah, A. Shankla, M. Nyanchama, J. Kemunto; 7:50 P. Nyamemba, M. Nyamemba, S. Maugo, K. Ombati; 8:00 W. Okello, A. Nyaga, A. Ndwiga, Adam Nyaga; 8:10 P. Githua, R.Mwarania, B. Jones, T.Mwenda; 8:20 S. Chandaria, S. Chandaria, H. Shah, Samir Chandaria; 8:30 D. Kavia, Ishaan Samani, P. Kavia, T. Shah; Tenth Tee PM; 11:20 G. Kabuuri, E. Munene, Raj Shah, G. Kanyua; 11:30 V. Shah, K. Shah, D. Shah, N. Savla; 11:40 T. Thanawalla, D. Mukabi, C. Muguku, C. Kiengo; 11:50 M. Assaria, A. Zaidi, J. Orenge, A. Munyendo; 12:00 Y. Nagda, R. Shah, P. Shah, M. Shah; 12:10 N. Simwa, R. Koitaba, A. Ngatiari, Sponsor’s Guest; 12:20 V. Shah, R. shah, A. Bhatti, N. Shah; 12:30 K. Shah, S. Raja, A. shah, S. Shah; 12:40 N. Savla, D. Shah, M. Shah, A.Shah; 12:40 N. Savla, D. Shah, M. Shah . A. Shah; 12:50 S. Shah, P. Shah, N. Shah, A. Radia; 1:00 V. Shah, P. Dhanani, P. Shah, Pradip Shah, M. Shah; 1:10 K. Kabugi, S. Kabari, G. Mbaria, J. Wainaina; 1:20 S. Patel, M. Aggarwal, V. Vajpayee, M. Haria; 1:30 Nakul Shah, C. Shah, K. Shah, C. Patel; 1:40 Sponsor ×4. Ruiru: Tomorrow, Itrade Events Golf Tournament; First Tee AM; 6:30 G Muchemi, J Muruthi, S Mwaura, T Kiragu; 6:40 G Wachira, J Kariuki, M Wambui, T John; 6:50 Suleiman K, J P Muraguri, M Kimotho, Fr Gaitho ; 7:00 G Ndungu, C Njoroge, S Kingara, I Wamoro ; 7:10 L Obonyo, J Kimani, S Kingori, M Njuguna ; 7:20 D Muiruri, E Wachira, J Wangari, A Kimani ; 7:30 M Wanyeri, K Wandera, R Kamau, E Njau ; 7:40 C Karanja, A Abere, B Ngima, M Nyaga ; 7:50 D Geita, A Mburi, B Kanyi, A Miru; 8:00 F Kinyanjui, J Gitau, S Irungu, L Mwangi ; 8:10 M Miingi, D Kemunto, A Monari, Lindijer M; 8:20 Mary N, W Gachoka, Lydia M, J Njeru; 8:30 J Kamwere, J Njenga, M Nduati, P Theche; 8;40 Sponsor X 4; 8:50 M Mbue, W Kebuchi, E Moki, J Theuri; 9:00 Sponsor x 4; First Tee PM; 11:00 Captain x 4; 11:10 Sponsor x 4; 11:20 Sponsor x 4; 11:30 D Milla, J Mwaura, T Rotich, M Kinuthia; 11:40 C Wambui, P Kigwe, Barbra W, Sponsor; 11:50 J Mureithi, J Waweru, M Kenji, J G Mwangi; 12:00 J Kambo, J G Mwangi, M Kenji, J Wahome; 12:10 J Kilonzo, G Wabuti, Sophie N; 12:20 Maj Mwaura, R Mwaura, J Kanari, Mary K; 12:30 J Kihungu, S Mureithi, Magdalene M; 12:40 Sponsor x 4; 12:50 Sponsor x 4; 13:00 Rahab N, Jonhson M, Limuru x 2; Tenth Tee AM; 6:30 R Mukami, A Wamahia, C Njeru, L Maina; 6:40 S K Nyingi, I Githinji, P M Mwangi, I Kamutu; 7:00 Jinnel M, L Wangeci, N Wambaire, Flaciah G; 7:10 G Keru, R Njuguna, A Kanyori, P Nuthu; 7:20 E Mwiti, D Kanyi, S Muiruri, P Kiogora; 7:40 S W Irungu, W Njoroge, A Muigai, L Njuguna; 7:50 J Muendo, E Njagi, K Waituika, L Mwaura; 8:00 Janet M, E Kariuki, M Kibera, C Gitonga; 8:10 J Nyaga, E Muoria, E Murunga, Jimm K; 8:20 Sharon M, M Murigi, A Mwaura, E Njau; 8:30 P Kiarie, Hellen M, N Macharia, M Nderitu; 8:40 W Kimondo, W Wanjaiya, C Mathagu, Adah M; 8:50 Sponsor x4; 9:00 Sponsor X 4; Tenth Tee PM; 11:00 W Kagicha, P Mwaura, B Ngugi, G Njuguna; 11:10 Eng J Maina, S Kanyora, I Nguku, H Mwaura; 11:20 William K, B Waweru, Sammy M, L Nganga; 11:30 J Ngugi, Z Muigai, K Mwangi, K Munyua; 11:40 E Kiragu, G Miano, A Ngumba, G Kouma; 11:50 D Watunu, T Mwaura, M Chege, P Kariri; 12:00 Winnie K, Margaret K, P Ngugi, T Kamunya; 12:10 J Mathenge, Grace W, Dr R T Kamau, J Ndirangu; 12:20 E Ngugi, C Kamene, S Mukururi, P Karobia; 12:30 P Ngunjiri, J Njogu, S Wanja, C Muchoki; 12:40 D Waruinge, A K Ndungu, A Machocho, K Wangondu; 12:50 J Wangombe, B Ogwayo, S Simiyu J Ngugi: by Edwin Otieno @PeopleDailyKe Krish Shah had a contra ing back nine and front ni in a thrilling final round of t Kenya Junior Strokeplay cham pionship at the par 71 Muthai Golf Club yesterday, to win t tournament by one stroke at t end of a gruelling four round Going into the fourth roun he had a one stroke lead ov second placed Mikael Kiha He was already nine shots ahe by the sixth hole, but Kiha managed to reduce the gap six shots by the end of the fi nine. In the second nine, Shah w a bag of nerves as he hit tw Thrilling finish as Krish Shah wins Kenya Junior Strokeplay competition at Muthaiga -XQLRU·VILQHVW Junior golfer Krish Shah reacts after winning the Kenya Junior Strokeplay at Muthaiga. PD/ PHILLIP KAMAKYA

by Charles Thuku @PeopleDailyKe Kenya has never met Libya at the international football club level but when Kakamega Homeboyz meets Al Hilal Benghazi in the CAF Confederation Cup preliminary round first leg match at Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday, it shall rekindle memories of February 5, 2013 when Harambee Stars beat the Mediterranean Knights 3-0 in a friendly match in Tunis. Before that, exactly four decades ago, Harambee Stars, then featuring top names like Mahmoud Abbas Ambrose Ayoyi, Elly Adero, James Jacaranda Ouma (RIP), Jared Ingutia (RIP) and Hussein Kheri (RIP) fell to Libya in a World Cup qualifier at the 65,000-seater Tripoli International Stadium, In StarS’ latest match against Libya which improved the team’s ranking, then team captain Dennis Oliech scored twice; the first goal coming just five minutes into the match through a penalty after Libya defenders brought down Humphrey Mieno inside the box. The second strike came through a fantastic finish from Francis Kahata who was lurking dangerously inside the North Africans defence. AFC Leopards forward Paul Were who was introduced in the second half sealed Kenya’s win in the 80th minute. Unlike Kenya which takes pride in having Gor Mahia clinch the Africa Cup Winners Cup title in 1987, continental titles have been elusive for Libyan clubs although the oil-rich country remains one of the most steadfast Fifa and CAF affiliates. However, there are still football clubs that thrive in Libya among them TarIk El-Taib,Jehad Muntasser, Ahmed Saad, Fawzi Al-Issawi and Al Ahli Tripoli. Amongst these teams, Al Ahli Tripoli is the most successful club in the Maghreb country’s history with 12 Libyan Premier League titles, six Knock out Cups as well as Super Cups. Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY PEOPLE SPORT 27 Kakamega Homeboyz set for showdown against Africa’s unknown quantity by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleDailyKe Al Hilal Benghazi head coach Mohamed Ouda has admitted they are halfprepared to face Kakamega Homeboyz in the first preliminary round of the CAF Confederation Cup at Nyayo Stadium on Saturday. The Libyan outfit landed in Kenya on Wednesday ahead of the first meeting between the two sides but coach Ouda expressed his dissatisfaction with their preparations for the contest. “I must confess we have only been together as a team for the last 10 days, we commenced training for this fixture just 10 days ago and it is not the best way to approach such a crucial fixture,” Ouda told People Sports. Ouda further confirmed his team was yet to play even a single friendly to gauge their preparedness for the clash. “It is unfortunate we have not played any significant friendly, I have not gauged my players well, we just regrouped the other day, we are running against time to face Homeboyz and I hope in the future our football bosses back home will give early preparations a head start to such important games.” He, however, exuded con- $O+LODOFRDFK2XGDEHPRDQVODFNRI HQRXJKWUDLQLQJDKHDGRI&$)FODVK Al Hilal Benghazi coach Mohamed Ouda talks to the team players upon their arrival to the country on Wednesday evening. COURTESY/ FKF &$)FRQWLQHQWDODFWLRQLVKHUH Kakamega Homeboyz goalkeeper Farouk Shikalo trains with the team in Nairobi yesterday. COURTESY/ FKF fidence they have built a good cohesion from the last 10 days and will be ready to get a positive result in Nairobi. “It is not the best preparations for us, but I am confident we are ready to get a resounding result to take to Libya, we will do our best to win the first leg clash and finish the job back home,” he concluded. Meanwhile, Homeboyz, who will be taking part in CAF inter-club competitions for the first time in history, have confirmed gate charges for the fixture with those accessing the VIP section set to pay Sh500, while those on the terraces will pay Sh200. A statement from the club confirmed: “Ahead of Saturday’s Confederation Cup match against Al Hilal Benghazi, tickets will go for Sh500 VIP and Sh200 regular, while the selling points will be at Riadha House and Nyayo Stadium Police Post Gate.” Ugandan referees will officiate the battle assisted by his countrymen William Oloya, Isa Masembe, Emmanuel Okudra, and Mashood Ssali. After the first leg, Homeboyz will head to Libya to play the second leg of the first preliminary round scheduled for Sunday, August 27. The winner on aggregate after both legs will advance to the second preliminary round. In the meantime, Al Hilal Benghazi have landed in Nairobi yesterday ready for the duel against Homeboyz with their officials reserving their comments on what they feel are the team’s chances against Abana Abeingo who are making their maiden appearance in a continental event. Nicknamed Hula-Hoop, Al Hilal Benghazi arrived quietly at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport after which the players were shepherded to an unknown hotel in the city center. In the meantime, Homeboyz coach Patrick Odhioambo has exuded confidence in the team performing well in the first leg match to make the return match in Benghazi a matter of formality. “Al Hilal Benghazi is an unknown quantity to us but common sense dictates that we pull off a huge winning margin in Nairobi to make our work easier in the return match in Nairobi,” said Odhiambo. Homeboyz warmed up for the duel with a loss to Gor Mahia on penalties in the seasonopening Charity Shield. Despite the defeat at the hands of his former employers, Odhiambo said he had seen many positives in his team and is confident they will start their campaign well. “The most important thing for us was to look at the level we are at. I have seen many good things and also seen some which we need to work on and I think as a team we are okay,” said Odhiambo. He added; “I have brought in several new players and we are still trying to integrate. It takes time but we are patient enough because we believe they will gel into the team. Abana Abeingo are scheduled to have a feel of the training venue (Nyayo) from 2.00pm today.

Manchester, Thursday @PeopleDailyKe Two of the Premier League’s big winners on the opening weekend square off in an intriguing Etihad encounter on Saturday night, as Manchester City host Newcastle United. The Magpies demolished Aston Villa 5-1 at St James’ Park last weekend, while Pep Guardiola’s side recently clinched UEFA Super Cup glory against Sevilla. Ten days on from scoring a fine opener in the Community Shield against Arsenal - albeit one that counted for nought - Cole Palmer made lightning strike twice in Piraeus, heading home the leveller against Sevilla after Youssef En-Nesyri had broken the deadlock. The Europa League holders and renowned continental specialists carved KERICHO: World CrossCountry champion Beatrice Chebet has trained hey eyes on the forthcoming World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary from tomorrow. Chebet who will compete in the 5000m has declared that she has trained well and is intent on making a podium finish. In an interview with a local vernacular radio station, Chebet said that she has been burning the midnight oil on how she will vanquish her opponents in the race. “I have been training hard knowing what is ahead of me. I won’t preempt what is up my sleeves but just watch what kind of performance I shall produce in the day. But let me just say what is in my mind is the gold medal,” said Chebet. She added: “I have been preparing and training hard for the World championships. Obviously, I have learnt some lessons and I shall take the meeting head on,” she asserted. She also expressed confidence that those representing the country in the race will finish within the medal. “This is one of the best teams to have ever been assembled and if the members follow the coaches instructions, it will be one of those to beat,” said Chebet. -Phillip Yegon Madrid, Thursday @PeopleDailyKe The second round of matches in the new La Liga season gets underway with two matches on Friday, with Mallorca at home to Villarreal, while newly-promoted Las Palmas visits Valencia Mestalla Stadium. Villarreal’s poor pre-season form carried on into their opening game as they lost 2-1 to Real Betis. Quique Setien’s side is clearly missing players such as Samuel Chukwueze and Nicolas Jackson, whose sale has robbed them of pace and goals in attack. Valencia has the youngest squad in La Liga after another summer without new signings, and coach Ruben Baraja has to make do with youngsters. Valencia kicked off with a win against Sevilla last weekend, and although the Mestalla fans are likely to vent their anger at club owner Peter Lim once again, three more points would give Baraja’s men a good cushion ahead of what could be a difficult campaign. Kepa Arrizabalaga could make his debut in goal for Real Madrid as they visit Almeria, while coach Carlo Ancelotti will bring Antonio Rudiger into defense for the injured Eder Militao. Madrid plays their second consecutive away game as work continues on the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Real Sociedad entertains Celta, who disappointed on their home debut under Rafael Benitez, losing 2-0 at home to Osasuna, forcing the coach to insist on new signings. -Xinhua Barcelona’s Pedri in action during last weekend’s league match. LA LIGA 5HDO0DGULGRQWKHURDG;DYLLQWKHVWDQGVIRU%DUFD 28 PEOPLE SPORT PEOPLE DAILY / Friday, August 18, 2023   (0-'
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UPNPSSPX 1-1 MAN CITY Palmer 63’ UEFA Super Cup SEVILLA En-Nesyri 25’ RIO DE JANEIRO: Veteran striker Diego Costa says he feels highly motivated and humbled as he begins a spell with Brazilian Serie A leaders Botafogo. Costa faced the media on Wednesday for the first time since joining the Rio de Janeiro outfit on a free transfer last week. “With me, the first thing is Botafogo; the second, Botafogo; and the third, Botafogo,” said the 34-year-old, who agreed to a six-month contract. “If I play, the priority will be to help; and if I don’t play, I will try to help in another way. I am a very simple person with zero ego.” Costa, who was born in Brazil but became a Spanish citizen in 2013 and represented La Roja in two FIFA World Cups, parted ways with English Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers in June. He also attracted interest from clubs in Europe, Saudi Arabia and at least one other Brazilian outfit but said he was swayed by Botafogo’s ambition. -Xinhua OHIO: Venus Williams was unable to win back-to-back WTA Tour matches for the first time since 2019 after letting a lead of a set and a break slip in Cincinnati. On the day Williams received a wildcard for a record-extending 24th US Open, the 43-year-old American lost 1-6 6-2 6-1 to world number 24 Zheng Qinwen. Williams, ranked 533rd, led 6-1 2-0 before losing 11 games in a row. China’s Zheng, 20, served out victory and plays top seed Iga Swiatek in the Western and Southern Open last 16. Williams will now continue her preparations for the US Open, where she will extend her own record of Open era singles appearances. The seven-time major champion made her main-draw debut at Flushing Meadows in 1997, going on to win the 2000 and 2001 titles. Two-time finalist Caroline Wozniacki, who is making a comeback after retiring in 2020, is also among the wildcards. -BBC '005#"-- Former Chelsea star Diego Costa motivated for success with Botafogo 5&//*4 Venus Williams loses 11 games in a row in Cincinnati exit, Swiatek progress "5)-&5*$4 Beatrice Chebet optimistic ahead of World Championships in Budapest (3/DFWLRQ FRQWLQXHV Manchester City’s Cole Palmer reacts after scoring his team’s equaliser against Sevilla during their UEFA Super Cup match on Wednesday night. COURTESYTWITTER EPL WEEKEND FIXTURES: TODAY: Nottm Forest vs Sheff Utd 9.45pm SATURDAY: Fulham vs Brentford 5pm Liverpool vs Bournemouth 5pm Wolves vs Brighton 5pm Tottenham vs Man Utd 7.30pm Man City vs Newcastle 10pm SUNDAY: Aston Villa vs Everton 4pm West Ham vs Chelsea 6.30pm MONDAY: Crystal Palace vs Arsenal 10pm Reigning champs City host rejuvenated Newcastle at the Etihad out several openings against the Champions League winners at Stadio Georgios Karaiskakis, but penalties would be required to decide the destiny of the UEFA Super Cup, where nine spot kicks rippled the net before Nemanja Gudelj rattled the crossbar. While some people wait a long time for a bus and two come at once, the Man City faithful endured years of European agony before witnessing their side win two continental honours in the space of two months, and their Super Cup success followed a straightforward opening 3-0 Premier League win over Burnley. The student reunited with his master as Clarets boss Vincent Kompany tried to mastermind an opening-day shock, but Erling Haaland’s customary brace swiftly killed such hopes, before Rodri put the cherry on the icing on the cake to ensure Man City started as they mean to go on. Now returning to their Etihad headquarters for the first time this season, Man City are aiming to stretch their magnificent Premier League winning streak on familiar turf to 11 matches, having triumphed in all of their topflight home meetings in 2023 since being held by Everton on New Year’s Eve. -Sportsmole

Friday, August 18, 2023 / PEOPLE DAILY PEOPLE SPORT  by Vincent Voiyoh @PeopleDailyKe After multiple months of speculations and fears about the much publicized Talanta Hela countrywide football tournament, the tourney is finally set for today’s kick off at the iconic Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret. Sports Cabinet Secretary Ababbu Namwamba is expected to oversee the first match of the under 19 tournament with Uasin Gishu County taking on Baringo County from 1pm. The competition was first announced by President William Ruto last year at Nyayo Stadium during the 59th Jumhuri Day celebrations and the official launch was done at State House Nairobi in June where the draw was conducted. The president spoke vividly about the introduction of the Bottom-Up tournament to hasten talent development from grassroot for the growth of the sport in the country. Since then, it has been eight months of waiting and pondering about the structure and the future of the tournament that its final is set for this year’s Jamhuri Day at Nyayo Stadium. CS Namwamba has in previous media interviews dismissed the notions that the football competition had stalled, noting that it involved a lot of planning for its commencement and fruition. “Talanta Hela has not stalled, there has been a lot of planning that has been going on. Because it involves a lot of things, it is not about football only. This involves a lot of activities like football, artistry, music, cinema, Talanta Hela has many things under one roof and there has been a number of activities going on,” Namwamba told Milele FM Sports. The tournament is also set to kick off tomorrow in other counties according to a statement from the Ministry of Sports. He added: “We will work with our governors for each county to build a team from ward level. This is the first step in our football vision 2030 where we target Harambee Stars to play in the 2030. Let us build Kenyan football Bottom-Up.” A total of 16 teams from the eight regions (formally provinces) will take part at the national level before the culmination of the tournament on December 12. Based on the draw conducted at the State House Nairobi, Rift Valley A will battle Coast B in the opening game of the National level. Harambee Stars captain Michael Olunga has also been named the Brand Ambassador of the Inter- county championships. by Dennis Mabuka @PeopleDailyKe AFC Leopards have suffered a huge blow after it emerged midfielder Victor Omune will miss the start of the 2023-24 Football Kenya Football (FKF) Premier League season owing to injury. The 30-year-old Omune, who joined the Den from KCB in 2022, was instrumental for Ingwe last season as he pushed the side to the semi-finals of the FKF Cup where they lost 1-0 against Kakamega Homeboyz and eventually ended the campaign without silverware. With seven days remaining before the new campaign gets underway, Omune has confirmed he will be out of action for the next four months owing to a knee injury. “Unfortunately, I will miss the start of the season with a knee injury and I will be out for close to four months as the doctors have said,” Omune wrote on his Facebook page, adding: “But I believe I will be back better and stronger. Thanks a lot for the love.” When reached for comment, AFC Leopards coach Tom Juma admitted losing Omune will be a huge blow for the side, who are fighting to end their trophy drought this campaign. “It is a huge blow, losing Omune he was in my plans for the new season, he played a big role in the last campaign, and I am gutted he won’t be available for the start of the campaign,” Juma told People Sports, adding: “For example in the game against FC Talanta, which we won 6-0, he scored an incredible four goals, it is a big loss but of course, we don’t need to mourn, we need to plan minus him, we will see what to do as the bench to fill his void.” The injury to Omune comes at a time when AFC have been cleared by the world governing body FIFA to sign new players after reaching an agreement with former coach Patrick Aussems on how to pay his accrued salary of Ksh20 million. Ingwe were facing relegation from the topflight had they not reached an amicable settlement with the 58-year-old Belgian tactician. Ingwe, have shifted their home matches to Bukhungu Stadium and will kick off their campaign against FC Talanta on August 26. Talanta Hela football tournament finally kicks off at Kip Keino Stadium by Benson Mbare @PeopleDailyKe Athletics Kenya (AK) president Jackson Tuwei (pictured) was yesterday elected as the Vice President of World Athletics after garnering 104 votes to emerge fourth among eight contestants who vied for the Vice Presidency post. Tuwei who doubles up as the chairperson of the Sports, Arts and Social Development Fund will be among the four vice presidents of the World Athletics elected today in the World Athletics Council elections held at the 54th World Athletics Congress in Budapest, Hungary. The long-term serving AK president was elected alongside Ximena Restrepo (Chile), Raúl Chapado (Spain), and Adille Sumariwalla (India), who will also serve as the other vice president, with Sebastian Coe retaining the Presidency unchallenged. Tuwei who is a retired military general and has led Athletics Kenya for the past eight years adds the new role to a series of leadership ranks locally and in the continent where he is also the vice president of the Confederation of African Athletics (CAA) and the president of the Eastern Africa Athletics region (EAAR). He is also a member of the World Athletics Global Calendar Committee. Prior to his election as the Vice President General Tuwei indicated as the reason(s) he is seeking election. “With our athletes, strong government support, ambitious development strategy, and recently, engagement for climate action, I strongly believe that Kenya deserves a seat at the table of the top decision-makers of our sport.” With a track record of success, Tuwei further said that at the heart of his leadership will be enhancing the active participation of women and minorities in both technical and leadership positions. “I will bring along my passion, unique experience, and commitment to success. I have much to share, having learned valuable lessons from our successes and challenges. I would support an increase in the number of women and minorities in leadership and technical positions in athletics and promotion of integrity by combating doping in Kenya,” he said prior to his election. Meanwhile, meanwhile, World Athletics president Sebastian Coe was elected for a third term at the 54th World Athletics Congress. Ximena Restrepo was re-elected vice president and will be joined by newly elected Raul Chapado, Adille Sumariwalla and Tuwei. $.ERVV7XZHLHOHFWHG:RUOG$WKOHWLFVYLFHSUHVLGHQW&RHUHHOHFWHG 7DOHQWVHDUFK EHJLQV Athletics Kenya president Jack Tuwei gives a speech during a recent event in Nairobi. PD/ RODGERS NDEGWA Victor Omune of AFC Leopards (L) vies for the ball against Bernard Odhiambo of Bandari FC in a recent encounter, Nairobi on April 30 2023. PD/ RODGERS NDEPresident William Ruto (centre) is showed the Talanta Hela tournament trophy by FKF president Nick Mwendwa (right) as Sports CS Ababu Namwamba looks on during the tournament’s launch at State House Nairobi in June. PD/ FILE $)&/HRSDUGVORVH VWDUPLGILHOGHU 2PXQHWRLQMXU\ VHWIRUORQJOD\RII

Friday, August 18, 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. Djokovic eases through at Cincinnati Open on USA singles return OHIO: Novak Djokovic eased to victory at the Cincinnati Open in his first singles match in the United States in two years. The 23-times Grand Slam champion had been unable to compete in the US over Covid protocols. But rules for unvaccinated foreign travellers were relaxed in May, enabling him to return to competition. He won the first set 6-4 against Spain’s Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who later retired with a back issue. The victory was the 36-year-old’s Serb’s first time playing singles in Cincinnati since 2019, although he lost in doubles on Tuesday when he and compatriot Nikola Cacic were beaten by Britain’s Jamie Murray and Michael Venus of New Zealand. “Time flies. Four years seems like it was yesterday. It’s definitely nice to be back,” said the world number two, who will next face Gael Monfils. -BBC NAIROBI: ISDE Law Business School, a prestigious educational institution regarded as a global leader for its sports law and business expertise, has proudly announced the availability of scholarships worth Sh13 billion ($90,000) for the upcoming Africa Football Business Summit participants. ISDE puts forward the scholarships with the support of some of the most prestigious sports law practices and institutions. This generous scholarship initiative aims to empower individuals passionate about football and its business aspects across Africa. It follows a successful partnership at last year’s event, upon which both ISDE and the Africa Football Business Summit sought to build. The Africa Football Business Summit 2023, scheduled for September 14 and 15 in Nairobi, is a prominent event organised by The Football Foundation for Africa that brings together key stakeholders, industry experts, and decision-makers from the African football industry. It is a platform for discussions, knowledge sharing, and business collaborations to advance development in African football (enterprise). -Webster Nyandika ISDE Law announces Sh13b worth of scholarships for Football Business Summit 5HDG\IRUJROGUXVK Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez. PD/ FILE Faith Kipyegon reacts after winning the women 1,500m race at the 2022 KipKeino Classic at Kasarani Stadium. She will be running in the 1,500m and 5,000m races at the World Championships. PD/ ALEX NJUE by Vincent Voiyoh @PeopleDailyKe It is that time a again, a time of unity for Kenya regardless of political fronts or differences. Athletics enthusiasts should be prepared for feverpitch action for the next two weeks, since it will be the order of the day as Kenyans are set to be glued to the screens within the borders and beyond to cheer our gallant athletes who are out again to do duty for the country at the World Athletics Championships beginning tomorrow at the National Athletics Stadium, Budapest, Hungary. President William Ruto is expected to lead the exhilaration for the Kenyan boys and girls even as the medal hunt for conquering the world gets underway in Day One of the championships. MEN: 100m Ferdinand Omanyala 400m Boniface Mweresa 400m hurdles Wiseman Were 800m  Emmanuel Korir Emmanuel Wanyonyi Alex Ngeno Ferguson Rotich 1500m Timothy Cheruiyot Reynold Cheruiyot Abel Kipsang 3000m steeplechase Abraham Kibiwott Leonard Bett Simon koech 5000m Nicholas Kimeli Jacob Krop Daniel Simiu  Cornelius Kemboi 10,000m:  Nicholas Kimeli Bernard Kibet Kibiwott Kandie 20km race walk Samuel Gathimba Javelin Julius Yego 4x400m relay Wycliffe Kinyamal Kennedy Kimeu Zablon Ekwam Kelvin Sawe Marathon Titus Kipruto Timothy Kiplagat  Joshua Belet  Bethwel Kipchumba, Michael Githae WOMEN 800m women Mary Moraa  Penina Mutisya Vivian Chebet Naomi Korir (yet to Qualify) 1500m women Faith Kipyegon Nelly Chepchirchir Brenda Chebet Edinah Jebitok 3000m steeplechase Jackline Chepkoech Faith Cherotich Beatrice Chepkoech 5000m Beatrice Chebet  Faith Kipyegon  Lilian Kasait Margaret Chelimo 10,000m:  Irene Kimais Agnes Jebet Grace Loibach 20km walk Emily Ngii Marathon  Rosemary Wanjiru  Sally Chepyego  Shyline Jepkorir  Betty Chepkwony  Margaret Wangari 4x400m mixed relay Mercy Odongo Maureen Thomas Millicent Ndoro KENYA TEAM FOR BUDAPEST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: Team Kenya is thronging the competition buzzing with optimism and buoyancy scaled by three recent record world records from the magnificent and eversmiling Faith Kipyegon and arguably the superb form of ‘fans favorite’ Ferdinand Omanyala who is poised to write his name in the annals of history should all things remain constant. A total of 59 athletes will wear the iconic Kenyan black, red and green bibs with utter eagerness represent the country in search of glory. The team is comprised of the young and the experienced athletes with officials striving to make amend of the 2022 performance in Oregon, USA where Kenya finished fourth globally on the medal standings after only managing to grab 10 medals (2 gold,5 silver,3 bronze). High hopes in team Kenya camp ahead of the World Championships tomorrow From the entry list at the Budapest Championships it is only Faith Kipyegon (1,500m) and Emmanuel Korir who will be competing as defending champions. However, there is more hope for Kenya in other races such as men’s 100m where a sensational Omanyala will be stepping on the track as a clear favorite having been ranked second in the world this year with a time of 9.84 seconds. After smashing the 5,000m world record, Kipyegon will also be taking part at the 12.5 laps event in this championships, teaming up with Commonwealth Games champion Beatrice Chebet, Lilian Kasait and Margaret Chelimo to bolster Kenya’s ambition of ameliorating the medal tally. The rise and rise of ‘Kisii Express’ Mary Moraa and teenager Emmanuel Wanyonyi in 800m for both men and women events is also a clear sign that the country can spur at the global stage once again. The chase for medals begin early morning tomorrow with Samuel Gathimba taking part in the opening event of the day; Men’s 20km Walk race. Later in the afternoon, Nicholas Kimeli, Bernard Kibet and Kibiwot Kandie will line up in men’s 10,000m, in quest to end a 22-year wait for a gold medal.