Wednesday 30 September 2015

Catholic, two UoN campuses also seen unfit to train lawyers

Technical University of Mombasa students leave for home following unrest over accreditation of engineering courses in September last year. PHOTO | FILE

The Council of Legal Education has stopped University of Nairobi’s Mombasa and Kisumu campuses from admitting new law students from the current academic year.
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The regulator also rejected Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University’s application for accreditation and asked Catholic University to show a closure plan by November 23.
The Council of Legal Education issued the verdict in a public notice, a blot to the UoN and Moi University — whose law school has also been ordered shut — given they have trained the bulk of Kenyan lawyers, magistrates and prosecutors.
It also underlines the mismatch between teaching facilities and the rapid expansion of public universities, which has seen enrolment increase from 122,847 in 2009 and 443,783 students last year.
“Any institution purporting to provide legal education which is not hereunder mentioned has no legal standing and is therefore not authorised to offer legal education,” said the notice signed by Prof Kulundu Bitonye, the Council of Legal Education chief executive.
Kenyatta University (KU), UoN’s Parklands Campus and Strathmore University are some of the institutions allowed to offer law.
Other institutions like Mount Kenya University and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) have been given provisional permits, pending a review of their applications.
Attorney-General Githu Muigai recently criticised local universities for producing half-baked lawyers.
Prof Muigai said the parallel degree module was a venture set up by universities to mint money from parents, adding that graduates of the programme have nothing to show for it.
“It is absurd to teach labour, family and criminal law in total disregard of knowledge beneficial to the learners,” the AG said.
Moi University’s Masters in (child and family) Law course was suspended in February.
The Engineering Board of Kenya early this month asked public universities to stop admitting students for engineering courses it had not approved and immediately suspend teaching of continuing students.
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Wednesday, September 30, 2015 Teachers strike: TSC advertises 70,000 temporary positions

Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chairman Lydia Nzomo (left) with Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia at a press conference at the TSC head office in Nairobi on September 5, 2015.
Teachers Service Commission (TSC) chairman Lydia Nzomo (left) with Chief Executive Officer Nancy Macharia at a press conference at the TSC head office in Nairobi on September 5, 2015. The TSC has advertised positions for 70,000 relief tutors. PHOTO | ANTHONY OMUYA | NATION MEDIA GROUP   
By MARYANNE GICOBI
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The fate of the striking teachers now hangs in the balance after their employer advertised positions for 70,000 relief tutors.
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC) says it is recruiting 50,000 primary school teachers and 20,000 secondary school teachers on a three-month contract.
The TSC announced the hiring in an advertisement to appear in local dailies on Thursday.
The application deadline is Monday, October 5, and the teachers should apply through their county directors of education.
The contract teachers are expected to restore learning that has been paralysed for a month now due to the teachers’ strike.
“The teachers will be hired on a three-month contract and will thereafter be considered on a priority basis for employment on permanent terms when vacancies arise,” reads the letter by the TSC’s chief executive officer, Ms Nancy Macharia.
According to the TSC, the 70, 000 teachers will supplement around 45,000 others who are already on duty.
Currently, there are 288,000 teachers employed by the TSC.
School administrators — heads of institutions, their deputies and the senior teachers — have been on duty, as they usually do not take part in strikes.
BELOW 45 YEARS
The employer is looking for teachers who are below 45 years old, are Kenyan citizens and have original professional and academic certificates.
The applicants must also be registered as teachers as required by Section 23 of the Teachers Service Commission Act.
“All applicants, both Primary and Secondary should submit their applications together with certified copies of certificates, transcripts, testimonials and ID Card to the TSC County Directors of their respective home counties not later than 5th October, 2015,” says Ms Macharia.
Those applying for vacancies in primary schools are required to be holders of a P1 certificate whereas applicants for vacancies in secondary schools must be holders of a minimum of a diploma in education certificate.
The TSC has advertised vacancies available in each county.
Successful applicants are asked not to fill employment forms in more than one station as this will lead to disqualification

Tuesday 29 September 2015

Students protest directive to close Moi University law school

 
Students protest directive to close Moi University law school By Silah Koskei Updated Tuesday, September 29th 2015 at 15:59 GMT +3 Share this story: Moi University's School of Law which is situated in Annex, Eldoret. Eldoret, Kenya: Moi university school of law students have issued a 48-hour-ultimatum to the Council of Legal Education (CLE) to apologise over the decision they made ordering closure of the institution for not meeting the required standards. The enraged students led by its officials maintained that they will then seek legal redress for defamation if CLE fails to withdraw their report on the school. The student chairman Khalende Wabwire took issue with the report by CLE and questioned why they based their findings on infrastructure instead on focusing on quality of education. “There is no way our institution shall be closed, CLE went overboard by choosing to measure our credibility based on the infrastructural inadequacy,” said Wabwire. He termed the report as malicious and untrue and maintained that if the council does not apologise, they will seek legal redress for defamation.
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000177990/students-protest-directive-to-close-moi-university-law-school/

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Africa leaders push for UN reforms

African Union chairman Robert Mugabe speaks at
African Union chairman Robert Mugabe speaks at the UN headquarters in New York on September 25, 2015. AFP PHOTO | TIMOTHY A CLARY   

In Summary

  • Mr Mugabe fired the first brickbat at the UN when he said that African countries had not gone to the General Assembly “looking for handouts”.
  • He warned that the world would only benefit from an Africa that has been set free and recognised.
  • He stated that AU members were rightfully pushing for reforms to get a seat on the UN Security Council and called on other member states to support the African campaign.
African states on Monday drove home the point of reforming the United Nations' top organ to get a slot they will use to advance their interests.
African Union (AU) chairman Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, South Africa President Jacob Zuma and Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn appeared to be reading from a well-rehearsed script when they accused the UN of discriminating against the continent, five decades after a majority of its nations gained independence.
They particularly aimed their salvos at the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which they described as an “exclusive club”, who hold sway in the decisions that the world body of nations makes, including the election of the secretary-general.
The five members, also known as the “Big Five” are the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, China and France.
Mr Mugabe fired the first brickbat at the UN when he said African countries had not gone to the General Assembly “looking for handouts”.
Instead, he said, they had a well thought-out agenda of seeking partners to develop their mega infrastructure projects, exploit their natural resources and attract investments.
SET FREE
He warned that the world would only benefit from an Africa that has been set free and recognised and not one that had been muzzled by the powerful countries sitting on the UN Security Council.
“While the world has drastically changed since 1945 (the year when the UN was established), the United Nations has been stuck, driven along by the archaic systems which threaten to alienate (a) majority of its membership,” he said.
He stated that AU members were rightfully pushing for reforms to get a seat on the Security Council and called on other member states to support the African campaign.
Mr Mugabe also said that AU members want the selection of the UN secretary-general to be conducted by the General Assembly and not as a rubber stamp of the Security Council.
“Nowhere does the UN charter say that the members who sit on the Security Council must sit in judgment of others,” he said.
Mr Zuma questioned the failure by the UN to reform since it was established, arguing that African countries liberated themselves from colonial rule and must be involved in the top organ of the world’s intergovernmental organisation.
NO LONGER COLONIES
“The UN cannot pretend that the world has not changed since 1945. We are no longer colonies. We are free, independent and sovereign states,” he said as he addressed the General Assembly.
He questioned the rationale of Europe having three countries as permanent members of the Security Council yet Africa had none.
The three are Russia, the United Kingdom and France. Germany is also pushing for a slot, dangling its economic strength.
“It is unacceptable, unjustifiable that more than one billion people in Africa are still excluded as permanent members,” he said as he demanded that the UN secretary-general be elected by the General Assembly of Heads of States and Governments.
President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, who accused the UN of perpetuating inequality, challenged the world body to seek to unite countries and not subdivide them.
“The UN should not be part of the problem (for Africa) but a solution,” he said.
Mr Desalegn demanded full reforms of the UN, warning that without the changes it will be impossible to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals that were adopted on Friday.
There is a need to reform then United Nations and without these reforms, it will not be easier to deliver the next set of development goals.
The General Assembly had opened in the morning, with US President Barack Obama calling on nations of the world to unite to end terrorism, embrace peace and develop the world through trade and investment.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015 Do you suffer from bad breath?

Dr Aisha Maina, a dental surgeon, examines a pupil during a free dental check-up at Lions Nursery School, Nakuru, on July 29, 2015. According to Dr Johnson Wambugu, a dentist, some people with halitosis are not aware of the problem. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP   Suleiman Mbatiah (Nakuru) 150729 
Dr Aisha Maina, a dental surgeon, examines a pupil during a free dental check-up at Lions Nursery School, Nakuru, on July 29, 2015. According to Dr Johnson Wambugu, a dentist, some people with halitosis are not aware of the problem. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP   

By DR TOROOTI MWIRIGI
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Halitosis simply refers to bad breath, or oral malodour. It is a condition that can be quite

In Summary

  • Anyone can suffer halitosis hence taking measures to prevent it are necessary. What happens inside your mouth and your level of oral hygiene can ultimately affect your breath. Oral hygiene practices can help resolve the problem.
  • The major cause of halitosis is usually the plaque that forms on the back part of the tongue, gum line, gum pockets and food impaction between the teeth.
  • It is a condition, in which a person has an exaggerated fear of having bad breath. Such a person is excessively concerned about having bad breath even though he or she suffers little or no halitosis at all.
embarrassing and can cause problems such as depression, social anxiety, and withdrawal due to fear of what others will say.
It is characterised by foul smell that comes from the mouth and people around can easily sense it. According to Dr Johnson Wambugu, a dentist, some people with halitosis are not aware of the problem.
There are also people who believe they have bad breath when they don’t. Since it is not easy to assess the smell of your own breath, ask someone you trust to confirm any concerns you may have about bad breath.
Anyone can suffer halitosis hence taking measures to prevent it are necessary. What happens inside your mouth and your level of oral hygiene can ultimately affect your breath. Oral hygiene practices can help resolve the problem.
However, if the problem persists, see a dentist to make sure that you do not have a serious health condition causing bad breath.
Dear doc,
I have bad breath not only in the morning but also during other times of the day. I brush my teeth regularly but this does not help. What could be causing the problem?
Danny
Dear Danny,
The major cause of halitosis is usually the plaque that forms on the back part of the tongue, gum line, gum pockets and food impaction between the teeth. When food particles are not completely taken out from the mouth, they collect bacteria which multiply and accumulate around the gum line and on the surface of the tongue hence resulting into bad breath.
Faulty crowns and unclean dentures can also produce bad breath. Consuming some strong-smelling foods such as fish, garlic, onions, miraa, as well as cigarette smoking and alcohol can cause acute halitosis.
But this can disappear with brushing and use of mouthwash. Dental decay, recent tooth extraction, and fasting can also cause bad breath. Fasting hinders stimulation of saliva flow which helps in washing away harmful bacteria in the mouth.
Certain medication can cause dry mouth (xerostomia) hence resulting into increased microbial growth. Bad breath can also originate outside the mouth. These causes include infections of the nose, sinuses and tonsils.
Cheese-like material may form around the tonsils, hence producing bad breath. Reflux of stomach content or belching due to problems with sphincter can cause bad breath. Other health problems like diabetes, kidney problems, some types of cancers, and infections of the lungs can also contribute to a malodorous mouth.
Dear doc,
My friend visited a dentist and was told what she suffers is halitophobia. Please explain what this means.
Kagwi
Dear Kagwi,
Halitophobia is also referred to as delusional halitosis. It is a condition, in which a person has an exaggerated fear of having bad breath. Such a person is excessively concerned about having bad breath even though he or she suffers little or no halitosis at all.
It can be caused by factors like emotional trauma such as someone commenting about your bad breath hence one ends up being paranoid about their breath.
Difficulties in detecting one’s breath can also increase anxiety as one is not sure of how their breath smells. Halitophobia can cause minor effects like turning one’s head when people get close to them to severe effects like depression and social withdrawal.
Once a dentist determines the patient has halitophobia, he or she is referred to a psychologist for counselling so that underlying issues such as phobia can be resolved.
Dear doc,
I chew gum a lot but it is not helping with bad breath. How can it be treated?
DN
Dear DN,
Mints and chewing gum may help in fighting bad breath. However, these products only offer temporary cover-up as they do not deal with the actual cause of the problem.
It is therefore important that you visit a dentist for a thorough examination so that the exact cause of your bad breath can be identified and proper treatment given.
If you are on medication that cause your breath to smell bad, stopping or changing the medication will help eliminate bad breath. However, consult your doctor before making such changes.
You will also be given counselling on oral hygiene practices such as how to floss, proper brushing techniques, ways of coping with the condition, among other things. In addition, the dentist may also prescribe a mouthwash.
These questions have been answered and compiled by Dr Torooti Mwirigi and the panel of DN2 Health Professionals. Have a question about your health? Please send it to nation@askadoc.co.ke

Moi University Law School Crisis

 

By SAMWEL BORN MAINA, @bornmaina

The Council of Legal Education has ordered Moi University to close its school of law for failing to meet requirements to offer the course.
The decision has thrown into jeopardy the future of 1,500 students.
In a letter to Vice-Chancellor Richard Mibey, the council said Moi University did not have the capacity to offer law courses. It ordered the closure after an inspection on August 28.
In the September 23 letter, the council CEO Kulundu Bitonye said Moi University performed poorly during the inspection of facilities and resources used to offer the law programmes.
SCORED POORLY
“Although the council noted that efforts have been expended and improvements made, the score attained during the inspection was 36.5 per cent, which does not meet the threshold of 67 per cent for full accreditation. It is noteworthy that the institution has scored poorly in all areas,” says the letter.
According to the council, the provisional accreditation licence upon which the school of law was granted the authority to conduct education and training expired on September 2.
The council demanded that the university submit a closure plan in the next two months.
It ordered Moi University to put in place a plan for either teaching out current students or transferring them to licensed institutions. The university is also required to devise a management plan for academic staff.
An undergraduate at the law school pays up to Sh160,000 a year. In the past, lecturers have gone on strike demanding pay.
GREENLIGHT
Commission for University Education CEO David Some said professional agencies give the greenlight for courses offered in universities.
“We approve a programme in a particular university if the professional body of that field gives the university a go-ahead,” said Prof Some.
Mr Henry Lugulu, dean of School of Law said the institution had the capacity to offer legal training.
“We are in discussions with the council and other agencies. We are handling the situation,” he said.
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Sunday, September 27, 2015 The burden of social obligations, or giving beyond your means

By BITANGE NDEMO
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Every evening, people in Nairobi gather at Garden Square Restaurant, All Saints Cathedral, St Andrews, and several other venues to fundraise for deceased or sick relatives.
There are also other fundraisers including for college fees, weddings and other social events.
It is a quite burdensome tax to those who sympathise and feel compelled to donate. Many countries have dealt with such social problems in different ways. In Africa, we have never made any attempt to comprehensively address these challenges.
It is taboo, with dire consequences, to complain of this burden in public. Many people exceed their monthly budgets to keep up with the contributions, and to remain relevant.
I have taken the liberty to explore this subject, to detail the consequences of living beyond our means, and to suggest ways of dealing with the problem.
Persistent societal pressure to give beyond our means has its consequences. It creates a cycle of dependency and undermines our collective independence. It is not a sustainable method of addressing social problems. 
It is something we must deal with urgently, because in the long run we may end up playing into the hands of a few attention-seeking people. 
The pressure is such that a budget, which is the basis of planning, is not part of the exercise we consider every month.
My attempt to maintain a philanthropy budget of about Sh20,000 every month in order to be socially compliant keeps failing.
In some functions, the pressure is even higher when the organising committees decide minimum contributions, and in some cases my entire budget of Sh20,000 becomes the expected minimum contribution. It is assumed that you will always find other means to plug into your personal budget.
Those aspiring to be leaders often love to get the opportunity to give more than ordinary souls, and indeed they are expected to give more. 
Where the resources come from, only God knows but if you carefully listen to whispers of the invited guests, you get to know more about the generous contributors and their perceived sources of wealth. 
RAISING MONEY FOR 2017
The pressure to be so socially relevant is what breeds corruption. Hefty contributions are supposed to endear the contributor to voters and sure as day follows night, we vote for those who buy our souls. 
Strangely, we later complain loudly about poor leadership, never blame ourselves for the part we play in electing mediocre leaders. What is indisputable is that poverty is intricately linked to choice of leadership.
The more we get into this trap, the more we create a leadership that we don’t want to have. In some of our counties, there are leaders funding social issues even more than the government. 
A casual survey will tell you that an ordinary person with normal sources of revenue will have no chance of running for office in such places as Nairobi.
Ideally, Chapter 6 of the Constitution was supposed to address this, but we gave the Legislature leeway to cushion themselves at the expense of good governance. The laws that were supposed to operationalise the Constitution did not address the problem precisely.
It is common knowledge that county chiefs are busy raising money by all means to finance their 2017 campaigns. The Auditor-General confirmed this in his 2013/2014 report. 
In the past week, governors have come together to oppose e-procurement through the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). Governor’s contributions in fundraisers range between Sh50,000 and Sh100,000 per function.
In some cases, some of the governors have donated in excess of Sh2 million to some social causes. To donate this amount of money, even once a year, means that one’s net worth is beyond Sh1 billion.   
Yet we fail to ask the sources of this enormous wealth, although we know that such officials hardly, if ever, make Sh1 million a month in salary.
SELF-INFLICTED PROBLEMS
We must deal with the issue of dependence from a macro level if indeed we want to address corruption in Kenya. In the past, attempts were made to eliminate harambee but there was nothing to replace it. The result is that we have engendered a dependence so severe that sometimes it looks like an entitlement. 
In some functions, you are not even informed or requested to donate. You are just expected to be in touch and to contribute generously. We cannot progress if we continue to operate in this manner. 
While other countries mitigate such problems with insurance, in Africa insurance is meant for the young. When you hit 65, you are regarded as too risky by insurance companies, and this complicates our problems even further.   
While I sympathise with genuine problems and will go to great lengths to help, I detest the socialisation of self-inflicted problems. While researching for this article, someone gave me the following story. 
When his uncle retired, he disappeared to Mombasa with his entire pension, abandoning his wife of 35 years. At 60, he married a 25-year-old and when the pension ran out, he came home with two children. 
He called for a family gathering asking his sons and nephews to play a part in paying school fees for their young step-brothers and cousins. He also needed the family to arrange a fundraiser for his medical attention, and on top of that he needed the relatives to pay dowry for his young wife. 
I know that African traditions demand a communal approach to dealing with problems, but we need to rethink the role of culture in the case of a person who decides to enjoy the benefits of a second wife after retirement. 
With decreasing resources, we must adjust culture. It is time for Culture 2.0 in Africa.
KENYA'S NEW FEUDALISM
The system we are quickly developing is a new form of feudalism. François-Louis Ganshof described it as a set of reciprocal legal and military obligations among the warrior nobility, revolving around the three key concepts of lords (the nobility), vassals (largely the clergy who stood between owners of capital and the peasants) and fiefs (those who surrendered their land in exchange for service, initially from the state).
The lords in our case are the people with the money, who donate it to lesser mortals in exchange for loyalty. Vassals are the intermediaries, who on behalf of fiefs, contact the lords for any social cause, and of course the fiefs are those who surrender their independence for service from the lords.
Feudalism was bad even for capitalists and was eventually overthrown. While searching for the best system, Max and Engels, in their attempt to shape German society, saw "human society as fundamentally determined at any given time by the material conditions – in other words, relationships which people get into and maintain in order to fulfil basic needs such obtaining food, clothing and shelter for themselves and their families".
They identified five successful stages of development including:
  • primitive communism where the concept of ownership was beyond individual possession;
  • slave society characterised by class, private property and some form of democracy;
  • feudalism, largely aristocracy, nation states and hereditary castes;
  • capitalism, consisting of market economy, private property, bourgeoisie democracy, imperialism, and monopolistic tendencies; and,
  • socialism, which they characterised as a democratised, planned economy with common property.
We have never quite agreed on what system is best suited for Africans. Even when outside forces drive us into any particular system, we don’t quite get it, although we often prefer a hodgepodge of solutions that do not address our needs. 
This is where political parties should provide leadership, but as we know, none believes in any form of relationship with respect to socioeconomic development.
UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE
Instead, many confuse communism and socialism while others embrace primitive methods of wealth accumulation, thinking it is capitalism. In essence, we have not managed to deal with our own socioeconomic development from a macro level.
The small Scandinavian countries that were sandwiched between capitalist nations and the bastion of communism adopted a form of socialism that has worked immensely for their people. 
Just like Franklin Roosevelt did with social security, the Obama administration took a bold step to provide universal health insurance (which many considered socialist) for all Americans, in spite of the country being the bastion of capitalism.
If we improved our productivity levels and reduced wastage and corruption, we could very easily take care of education and health, two issues that form the bulk of our micro attempts to advance our socioeconomic development. 
Even within micro thinking, there are lessons from elsewhere and within that we can perfect to deal with our challenges more effectively. 
In Israel, they have a collective community gathering or cluster of farming communities called the kibbutz. Many are referred to as kibbutzim
The first kibbutz was established more than 100 years ago. More modern kibbutzim have expanded into other areas of the economy. The common thread of a kibbutz was largely socialist ideology and Zionism. 
As the Associated Press reported recently, by 2010, there were more than "270 kibbutzim holding in excess of 9% of Israel's industrial output, worth US$8 billion, and 40% of its agricultural output, worth over $1.7 billion". 
GOOD NEIGHBOUR PHILOSOPHY
Those who live in the kibbutz adhere to a strictly secular lifestyle.
What I want you to note from the kibbutzim is the continuous improvement of their culture to meet emerging issues. We need such a system among the rural communities.
Cooperatives almost got it right but corruption put a check to meaningful progress. If only we had incorruptible leaders, we would already be the subject of discussion globally. 
It is not too late to revive some of the good things that worked in the past. Among the Kamba in Kenya we have the Mutui Museo (good neighbour) philosophy, which, although not well developed yet, is a concept that closely resembles the kibbutz. 
We need to develop it further and extend to other communities. Through such togetherness, we can develop insurance schemes to take care of the social concerns that drain us into poverty, yet we have more educated people now than any time before.
Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States, once said, “Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort.” Let’s get creative and move our people out of poverty.
The writer is an Associate Professor at University of Nairobi’s Business School. Twitter: @bantigito

Council for Legal Education ORDERS Moi University to CLOSE DOWN School of Law

Council for Legal Education ORDERS Moi University to CLOSE DOWN School of Law
The Council for Legal Education has ordered Moi University management to provide a closure plan for the School of Law and not admit any new students to the school.
In a letter dated 23rd September and seen by Kenya Today, CLE resolved to shut down the institution for not having sufficient resources to train in law as well as failure to renew accreditation.
“Moi University School of Law be required and  is hereby required to submit a closure plan in the next two months for consideration by Council. This has the implication that the institution shall not admit a new cohort of students for the academic year 2015/2016,” reads the letter.
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Monday, September 28, 2015 | by- JOEL MUINDE Authorities watch as mobs attack gay people in Kenya’s Coast, says report


The new report is titled 'The Issue is violence: Attack on LGBT People on Kenya's Coast.'
Gay people in the Coast counties have been repeatedly attacked by mobs because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
This is according to a report released Monday by Persons Marginalised and Aggrieved (PEMA) Kenya and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
In at least six incidents between 2008 and 2015, mobs in the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, and Kilifi have attacked or threatened lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people or health workers serving the LGBT community, without sufficient response from authorities.
The new report is titled "The Issue is violence: Attack on LGBT People on Kenya's Coast."
The rights groups documented abuses against members of sexual minorities in the Coast region, including mob violence, assault, rape, incitement to violence, and inadequate protection.
“For many LGBT people in the coast region, safety is a daily concern,” said Esther Adhiambo, executive director of PEMA Kenya.
“While police treatment of LGBT people has improved in recent years, discrimination remains a major problem.
“LGBT peoples’ justified fear of reporting hate crimes to the police means that violence continues with impunity,” she added.
HRW and PEMA Kenya have noted that the authorities' response to mob attacks and other forms of anti-gay violence has been limited with officials rarely condemning the attacks.

Police, even in the few instances in which they provide protection to victims, have not arrested anyone for participating in or inciting these attacks, say the rights groups.
VICTIMS DON'T FILE COMPLAINTS
Many victims do not file complaints with police, believing that the police will not help them or, worse, might arrest them instead.
In several cases, LGBT people who did attempt to file complaints were met with discriminatory treatment by the police, who mocked or harassed them or refused to take their statements.
Kenyan law provides for a sentence of up to 14 years in prison for any “person who… has carnal knowledge of any person against the order of nature… or permits a male person to have carnal knowledge of him or her against the order of nature.”
Prosecutions for same-sex conduct are rare in Kenya.
However, in February 2015, police in Kwale County arrested two men suspected to be gay.
The arrests took place in the context of an anti-gay witch hunt by Kwale County residents.
At least two men were physically attacked during that period, both slashed with broken bottles, in what appeared to be homophobic hate crimes.
UNAIDS has called for the decriminalising of same-sex conduct, saying that criminalisation drives vulnerable groups underground and away from essential HIV-prevention and treatment services.
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Monday 28 September 2015

German Embassies Have to Grant Visas to Applicants with Valid University Admission Letters

lecture hall hörsaal students university class
The European court of Justice (Europäischen Gerichtshof (EuGH)) has ruled that German Embassies will no longer be allowed to deny visas to applicants who have applied to a German University and gotten an approval letter to join the University.
The story revolves around the story of a Tunisian,  Ben Alaya, born in Germany in 1989 before returning to Tunisia in 1995. After his Abitur in 2010, he enrolled at the University of Tunis while still applying for admission to a German University.
His applications to the University of Dortmund were accepted and he got the admission letter. However, he couldn’t start his studies because the embassy kept denying him a visa. According to the Embassy, they doubted his motivation to come to Germany, his schools grades were too low, his German wasn’t good enough and his career plans didn’t match his intended field of study.
Alaya, appealed to the Verwaltungsgericht Berlin. The judge in Berlin on the other hand decided to call in the EuGH, to find out if the Embassy was violating the EU directives.
The ruling from the EuGH: “Student visas should be granted to third-state nationals, if they meet the necessary conditions and pose no threat to the security or health of the public”. According to the judges in Luxembourg, the EU directive aims to encourage students to migrate to the EU. However, what the embassy did runs against this directive.
The ruling has been welcomed by both politicians and student bodies in Germany. The Grüne politicians, Volker Beck and Kai Gehring said, “Whether an applicant fulfils the requirements of joining a German university or not, should be left to the University to decide. Diplomatic missions and migration officials don’t have the expertise to make such evaluations, neither should they.”
“In too many cases, German missions abroad, refuse visas to eligible students and prospective students for incomprehensible reasons.”, the Bundesverband ausländischer Studierender added.

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Sunday 27 September 2015

Sunday, September 27, 2015 | by- LUKOYE ATWOLI Honest engagement will end rampant strikes

Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses the United Nations Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda during the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2015. Earlier in the week, President Kenyatta addressed the nation on TV, emphasising that the government was not going to pay any more money to the teachers. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
 Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta addresses the United Nations Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda during the 70th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2015. Earlier in the week, President Kenyatta addressed the nation on TV, emphasising that the government was not going to pay any more money to the teachers. PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

At the time of writing this piece, Kenyan teachers were completing the fourth week of industrial action triggered by their employer’s reluctance to implement an agreement endorsed earlier this year by the courts.
Earlier in the week, President Uhuru Kenyatta addressed the nation on TV, emphasising that the government was not going to pay any more money to the teachers.
Citing a number of statistics, some of which were later refuted by analysts, the president indicated that Kenyan teachers are among the best paid not only in this region, but almost by global standards.
He also argued that a pay rise for teachers would necessitate a pay rise for all public officers, placing further strain on an already huge wage bill.
One can understand the government’s frustration with the almost continuous demands for better pay among public servants.
RECURRENT EXPENDITURE
If this is allowed to continue, the risk of an unsustainable expansion of recurrent expenditure is real.
The government is obviously focused on development expenditure, especially on grand projects such as the Standard Gauge Railway and road construction.
Politically, an incumbent during election campaigns would not elicit as much sympathy by claiming that he continuously improved public workers salaries as he would by pointing out the major infrastructure projects in various parts of the country.
However, one must fault the executive for the disjointed and uncoordinated manner in which they are handling labour issues since 2013.
They have latched onto the advisory role of the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) as provided for in the Constitution, and are using it as the shield against any demands for collective bargaining implementation across all sectors.
The teachers situation is perhaps the most absurd, where a proposal by the government on teachers’ pay that was accepted by the workers and ratified by the courts has now been repudiated by the same government.
WAY FORWARD
Sadly, a similar situation obtains in other sectors as well. The Doctors’ Union signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health a couple of years ago.
Unfortunately, the same ministry reneged on the implementation of this agreement arguing that it must be reviewed by the SRC for ‘advice’ before it is implemented.
The said agreement expired a couple of months ago, without a word from the SRC or the government. Other unions have been trying to engage their respective ministries and units in vain, with the SRC being the most commonly touted bogeyman.
What, then, is the way forward? In my view, the first step in creating a peaceful industrial relations regime is a commitment to honest engagement and an acceptance of other actors as legitimate partners on labour matters.
FINAL RESPONSIBILITY
The ideal constitutional set up in negotiations would have two teams, the first one made up of the unions representing the workers, and the second one comprised of those responsible for implementing the negotiated terms and conditions of service.
An objective reading of the Constitution leaves one in no doubt that the SRC would sit on the side of the government during such negotiations, and advise them on the implications of any decisions arising from the negotiations.
In my view, the government will take final responsibility for the outcome of the negotiations notwithstanding SRC’s advice.
This is because the final punishment for a fiscally irresponsible government is to be voted out of office by the electorate it serves.

Sunday, September 27, 2015 Turning universities into glorified high schools

Students undertaking engineering courses in Egerton University demonstrate at the Njoro Main Campus on September 18, 2015 protest for not being registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK). EBK seems only concerned with the regulation of five traditional courses: mechanical, civil, agriculture, chemical, electrical and electronic engineering. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP 

Students undertaking engineering courses in Egerton University demonstrate at the Njoro Main Campus on September 18, 2015 protest for not being registered with the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK). EBK seems only concerned with the regulation of five traditional courses: mechanical, civil, agriculture, chemical, electrical and electronic engineering. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MBATIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

Summary

  • The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) seems only concerned with the regulation of five traditional courses: mechanical, civil, agriculture, chemical, electrical and electronic engineering.
  • Local universities are being threatened with court action should they admit students to study “unrecognised” engineering courses yet they are allowed to mount any course and conduct research on any discipline.
  • These bodies, including CUE, charge between Sh300,000 and Sh1.5 million to accredit or review a single programme capacity and competence in curriculum development notwithstanding.
The profession of engineering in Kenya needs urgent action by policy makers to ensure fairness to all stakeholders.
The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) seems only concerned with the regulation of five traditional courses: mechanical, civil, agriculture, chemical, electrical and electronic engineering.
There are other engineering disciplines such as environmental, aeronautical, software, petroleum, geomatics that do not have a regulating body yet EBK (as provided for in the EBK Act), doesn’t think that those trained and qualified in these areas should use the title “engineer” nor practise in Kenya.
Local universities are being threatened with court action should they admit students to study “unrecognised” engineering courses yet they are allowed to mount any course and conduct research on any discipline.
ACADEMIC FREEDOM
The contradictions in the legal regime have made a bad situation worse. The Universities Act 2012 that established the Commission for University Education (CUE) says one of the commission’s functions is to accredit and inspect programmes.
Similarly, the Engineers Act 2011 grants powers to EBK to approve and accredit programmes in public and private universities and other tertiary institutions.
By their nature and traditions, universities (also established by Acts of Parliament) are expected to exercise academic freedom.
They have Senates which must approve the curricula to be taught, who should teach, whom should be taught and how they must be taught.
The various Acts establishing the universities do not mention anything to do with universities being answerable to other organs to approve programmes before they are mounted.
We need to correct the anomaly in our legal regime governing university education by drawing a line under the confusion in engineering that has caused anguish to students and parents.
REVIEW CHARGES
Is it CUE or professional bodies that should regulate the universities? Why the double and costly accreditation process?
Ideally, professional bodies should deal with universities through CUE but carry on performing their role of registering professionals after graduation and generally maintain order in the practice.
Woe unto universities offering professional courses! There are so many bodies trying to milk the universities dry.
We have EBK, Architectural Association of Kenya, Medical and Dentists Board, Pharmacy and Poisons Board, Board of Registration of Architects and Quantity Surveyors, Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board, etc.
These bodies, including CUE, charge between Sh300,000 and Sh1.5 million to accredit or review a single programme capacity and competence in curriculum development notwithstanding.
Vibrant universities are expected to review their curricula every two or three years. Before implementing changes, they are supposed to send copies to CUE and the professional bodies.
EXORBITANT CHARGES
In any resubmission, the universities must pay afresh. By the time the back and forth correspondence between the three institutions is complete, the proposed changes would have become obsolete.
The time and money expended by institutions in responding to professional bodies is simply energy and resource sapping.
These bodies are publicly funded, but go ahead to demand huge sums of money from similar public institutions.
A survey by the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Massachusetts, USA, revealed that professional accreditation is a valuable, often necessary, incentive to institutional development, but that it is costly, cumbersome and often unfair.
Professional bodies should stop trivialising teaching and training, which is likely to stifle the growth of universities.
In the fullness of time, EBK and its ilk risk promoting a compliance culture that may make professional programmes too narrow to be considered higher education in the full sense of the term.

Friday 25 September 2015

Posted Wednesday, September 23, 2015 | by- NATION REPORTER Kebs sets new rule for vehicles imported from UAE

New vehicles imported from the United Arab Emirates must be inspected before being shipped to the country.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) has introduced the rule that requires new vehicles imported from Dubai to have a certificate of roadworthiness (COR).
Ordinarily, new vehicles imported to Kenya do not require a COR.
But according to Kebs, the measure was prompted by intelligence reports showing that some unscrupulous people are tampering with manufacturers' vehicle specifications.
It emerged that left-hand-drive vehicles are being converted to right-hand drives, a move that may compromise stability and endanger motorists.
In an advertisement in local newspapers, Kebs Managing Director Charles Ongwae said the decision was made after the agency noted the anomalies on new vehicles imported from Dubai.
“Importers and agents are therefore advised to ensure they avail new vehicles they import from Dubai for inspection to Quality Inspection Services of Japan (QISJ) before shipment,” the advertisement read.
Vehicles imported without the certificate will be rejected, the MD warned

Posted Wednesday, September 23, 2015 Standard Gauge Railway means big business to local construction firms

A year since work started on the first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Mombasa and Nairobi, the project has evolved into a virtual and pervasive support system, providing livelihoods and incomes to several Kenyan families and entire communities. PHOTO | FILE
A year since work started on the first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Mombasa and Nairobi, the project has evolved into a virtual and pervasive support system, providing livelihoods and incomes to several Kenyan families and entire communities. PHOTO | FILE

A year since work started on the first phase of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) line between Mombasa and Nairobi, the project has evolved into a virtual and pervasive support system, providing livelihoods and incomes to several Kenyan families and entire communities.
It is indeed telling that of the 25,000-strong workforce working on the project, a sizeable portion are those who are employed by sub-contractors and other suppliers on the assignment.
A constellation of several factors have conspired to create what can only be described as a much-prized windfall for these firms. First, in drafting the eventual contract between the Government and the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), planners put in a clause that expressly requires the latter to use “local content” in the project. This local content quota can come in several forms, including labour and, most importantly, raw materials.
There is also the provision of unrelated but critical support services like security, transportation, accommodation and catering, among others.
Numbers take up the rest of the story, as told by Pei Yan, Assistant Manager for the contractor, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) on the project.
SATISFACTORY ENGINEERING
“Since the preparation stage, we have been working with local companies in purchasing materials, vehicles and hiring equipment. To date, we have worked with over 400 local suppliers and manufacturers and over 40 local engineering and construction companies in various fields. These include procurement of construction materials, fuel, equipment, vehicles, sub-contracting works and consulting services, among others.”
But more important to Mr Yan are the “broad and long-term” partnerships that CRBC has built with local companies and industry players, based on the stable economic foundation and the great potential currently obtaining in Kenya. In his view, the attainment of local content on the SGR project is not only beneficial to Kenyans but also the contractor.
“It enables us to achieve the target of ‘localisation’ in procurement, management, operations and development, factors which make us competitive in the local market,” he argues.
According to Mr Yan, the quest for the all-important “local content” is not just the responsibility of the contractor, acting in isolation. It requires the input and commitment of all stakeholders: local manufacturers, suppliers, industry players and even Government and puts the burden of responsibility on all of them.
“True, our most important mission is to deliver a satisfactory engineering and construction project with requisite quality and within timelines. This not only requires the correct deployment of advanced technology and a well-organised team directly working for this project, but also calls for the availability of ‘quality local content’ which meets the specifications and requirements of the project.
“It takes the entire industry chain from manufacturing to supply and service; and equally significantly, a supportive business environment with a conducive policy framework.”
Among the materials that CRBC sources from local Kenyan firms, and which are mandatory in the SGR project, are cement, sand, gravel, wood, diesel and even explosives.
The SGR is being built based on Chinese railway building standards. This means that every material used in the project has to meet the specifications spelt out by these standards.
Mr Yan says this is one of the reasons why some of the more advanced materials and precision equipment required for the execution of the project have to be imported from China and other countries.
STRINGENT TESTS
The other reason is that some of the required materials are simply not available locally, an indication of what is lacking in our often-vaunted industrialisation, and the truism that no country ever industrialises without a viable steel industry.
Among the materials that the contractor has had to import from China are steel rails, steel strands, pre-stressed wires, geo-textiles and geo-grids, among others.
Mr Yan says that as a standard procedure, Kenyan suppliers and manufacturers who wish to sell their materials to the SGR project have to be ready for stringent quality tests before the same can be approved.
“The project has a strict quality control process, starting with the mandatory testing of raw materials….these are things we can never compromise on,” he stresses.
He cites the case of a certain local cement manufacturer which thought it had been overlooked in the SGR supply stakes. Such sentiments were expressed while the CRBC awaited the results of certain mandatory tests and analyses on the product. The firm has since been allowed to supply the SGR product, but only after the relevant tests turned out to be satisfactory to the required standards and specifications.
A lot has been achieved in the actual 500 km-long construction works, which CRBC has divided into nine zones to ensure simultaneous implementation and linkage between the various aspects of the project.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Poland pumps big money into Kenya's milk market

Poland has entered Kenya's dairy market with a concessional loan of Sh10.5 billion worth of equipment.
A farmer feeds his cattle. Poland’s entry into the dairy sub-sector with its generous concessional loan of Sh 10.5 billion worth of dairy equipment and expert training has elicited interest among local farmers. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

  • Poland is one of the four dairy giants in Europe, selling nearly 70 per cent of the region's milk even as its farm sizes and dairy herd keep reducing.
  • Poland's Sh10.5 billion concessional loan will be repaid at 0.7 per cent interest rate over a 25-year period.
  • The main emphasis is to entrench the use of machinery in dairy farming, storage, transportation and processing.
Poland’s entry into the dairy sub-sector with its generous concessional loan of Sh 10.5 billion worth of dairy equipment and expert training has elicited interest among local farmers.
Among items on offer are milk chilling and bulking facilities, milking machines, liquid nitrogen plant, milk quality testing machines for the Kenya Dairy Board, cold storage facilities for meat, potatoes and horticultural produce as well as embryo transfer equipment, grain storage silos and mobile grain driers.
MECHANISATION
Polish Ambassador Marek Ziolkowski said his government planned to inculcate a new thinking in the dairy sector in Kenya within the next five years driven by Polish dairy experts saying this would have a direct impact on Kenyans.
The main emphasis is to entrench the use of machinery in dairy farming, storage, transportation and processing.
The move will clearly give Kenyans a first-hand experience of Poland’s success story.
Poland is one of the four dairy giants in Europe, selling nearly 70 per cent of the region's milk even as its farm sizes and dairy herd keep reducing.
Interestingly, it was recently fined for exceeding its export quota to other EU member countries and is currently making forays into the world milk market after becoming the fourth largest milk producer in Europe after Germany, France and the united Kingdom.
This is mostly credited to its ongoing programme to modernize operations within individual farms, merging of dairy enterprises and modernization of the entire dairy chain.
POLISH SUCCESS
Last year, Poland produced 24 times more milk than Kenya, it produced 12 million tonnes of milk compared to Kenya’s half million.
While Poland remains unnoticed, its entry into the Kenyan dairy machinery market as well as commercialisation of the embryo transfer market has sent tongues wagging over its intention especially by its planned government-backed direct link with dairy co-operatives.
Livestock Principal Secretary Fred Segor said the equipment would be distributed across the country to co-operative societies with clear needs for more storage for milk produced.
He said upcoming dairy farmers would also be engaged in adoption of modern technology to enhance milk production.
The PS added that embryo transfer would be conducted at Agricultural Development Corporation farms to multiply sexed embryos of dairy breeds with a high yielding capacity.
Poland's soft loan will be repaid at a 0.7 per cent interest rate over a 25-year period.

Wednesday 23 September 2015

Kennedy Odede’s love story that made life better in Kibera

 By Moses Nyamori Updated Wednesday, September 23rd 2015 at 00:00 GMT +3 Share this story: Kennedy Odede’s life prospects were bleak. He was homeless and hungry. At the age of 10, he survived a near-death beating for stealing a mango. He had gone for three days without food - something the mob at Toi Market in Kibera did not understand, his age notwithstanding. Kennedy Odede and his wife Jessica Posner outside the girl’s school they set up in Kibera. (PHOTOS: COURTESY) The now 29-year-old, who once lived on the streets for three years, recounts how unbearable life was in the slum, more so for women. Odede was outraged with the constant abuse meted out on women living in the slum and it was especially painful when his 16-year-old sister was raped and became pregnant. “I lived in a community where life was really tough and the biting poverty and sexual abuse entrenched in the slum bothered me a lot,” he says. As the eldest of eight children, Odede had to drop out of school in order to assume responsibility of the family. He was however, exceptionally bright and when a visiting American gave him an autobiography of Dr Martin Luther King Jr, it changed his perspective and set him on the path to social activism. Advertisement Odede bought a soccer ball and formed a club. He used this interaction with the slum’s young men to talk to them about social issues and got many to start thinking about and taking action to stop the prevalent sexual abuse. Out of this soccer team idea, in 2004, Odede formed Shining Hope For Communities (Shofco), which he intended to use as a vehicle to combat the poverty, violence, and extreme gender equality affecting his community. His work and growing popularity saw him called to speak about the challenges of growing up in Kibera slum at a forum organised by the United Nations. This was his first taste of global recognition. In 2007, a Wesleyan University student, Jessica Posner, who had a heart to work among slum populations came to Nairobi. Her lecturer had heard Odede speak at the UN forum and he linked the two young people. Jessica insisted on living in the slum and Odede offered her accommodation in the tiny abode he shared with his mother and siblings. Jessica got involved in the work Odede was doing in the slum and even went a step further, securing him a full scholarship to Wesleyan University - a private liberal arts college in the US. When Odede reported to the US-based campus in August 2008, he carried Shofco and Kibera in his heart. His access to education birthed in him a desire to set up a girl’s school in Kibera, convinced that access to quality education would break the poverty cycle that subjected girls to all sorts of abuse. GO TO PAGE 1 2 3 Next »
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000177239/kennedy-odede-s-love-story-that-made-life-better-in-kibera

At this time, what was still a friendship between Odede and Jessica flourished into a love affair nurtured by the mutual commitment and passion to better the lives of the needy. When she graduated in 2009, they flew back to Kibera with USD10, 000 (approximately Sh1, 052, 995). This was money they had won as a grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, which made it possible for them to build the school, hire teachers, get materials and take in applications. Kibera School for Girls was thus born and with it their dream to offer tuition-free education to girls. The lack of steady funding motivated them to keep pushing, and more grants would later follow. Odede went back to the US for further studies, leaving Jessica behind to oversee not only the school but the other Shofco projects they were involved in. They set up their headquarters at Gatwekera in Kibera. Odede graduated with honours in 2012 and immediately married his sweetheart. Today, the two split their time between Nairobi and New York City where they have another office. Shofco has expanded its reach and now has a health clinic that serves over 300 patients a day, a 100,000-litre water tower that provides clean water for residents and a day care centre that caters to at least 80 children. Last month, Shofco launched a Sacco that allows Kibera residents to access credit without collateral. We caught up with Odede at the launch and he told us that so far, Sh12 million has been raised courtesy of the Shofco Urban Network. The occasion was graced by various dignitaries including US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec and British High Commissioner Christian Turner who said they are amazed by the projects initiated by the one-time street child. With over 190 local employees who lead and implement all of Shofco’s programmes, the organisation is easily the largest employer in Kibera. Odede says more is still to come. “Cumulatively, all of our programmes serve more than 80,000 people. This is just the beginning as we have expanded this model to Mathare and are going to do the same throughout Kenya’s urban slums,” says an optimistic Odede. He has nothing but praise for his wife who he says turned his life around. “She is a special person in many ways. It is great to have someone who cares and wants to give her life to make a difference,” he says. GO TO PAGE « Prev 1 2 3 Next »
Read more at: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/lifestyle/article/2000177239/kennedy-odede-s-love-story-that-made-life-better-in-kibera?pageNo=2

Sub-Saharan Africa’s first light rail system starts operations—you guessed it, in Ethiopia

The light rail system was built at nearly $500 million, and is expected to solve Addis Ababa's commuting headache. (Photo/Wikimedia)

It is expected to carry 15,000 people per hour in one direction, meaning it could reach four times that in all directions, with a top speed of 70km/hr

THE country’s New Year was only marked on September 12, and it is already turning out to be a good one for Ethiopians—as scores queued up for hours Sunday to catch a ride on the inaugural service of the Addis Metro—the country’s, and sub-Saharan Africa’s, first light rail system.
Construction of the much-anticipated 32-kilometre line in the capital city ended in January, and the $474 million project has been in testing since, in addition to sorting right of way concerns.
It is expected to carry 15,000 people per hour in one direction, meaning it could attain four times that in all directions, with a projected top speed of 70km/hr. Authorities hope it will make commuting easier for Addis Ababa’s population of nearly 4 million.
The green trams will from October operate on the city’s East-West route, while those coloured blue are now shuttling between north and south, daily from 0600hrs to 2200hrs. Even the tickets are colour-coded, depending on the distance to be travelled, and the price. Fares could range up to $0.5, which observers say reflects heavy government subsidies.
The rail tramcars rely on power supplied mainly from overhead wires, with authorities saying it would have its own dedicated grid, including four substations to supply 160MW of power.
Each of the 39 stations across the service have their own names, while a network of alleyways—including 12 escalators and 22 elevators, will direct commuters to the various railcars.
The transport system was built over three years by the China Railway Group Limited after the Ethiopian government secured 85% of funding from the Export-Import Bank of China.
China will also train the drivers and maintenance staff, while another Chinese company put together the power system.
Ethiopia, with a population of 94 million, is projected by the IMF to grow at 8% in 2015-16, the second-fastest pace on the continent. The Horn of Africa nation has drawn a lot of debate for the shape and speed of its ‘developmental state’.
Host of projects
It is home to host of infrastructure programmes, including highways and the 6,000MW Grand Renaissance dam, the world’s seventh- biggest hydropower plant. The state-led economy is increasingly opening up to foreign investment to build roads and railways, driving the robust growth.
The country will decide whether to issue a second Eurobond to fund infrastructure projects after parliament reconvenes this month, the Finance ministry said last week. In December, Ethiopia raised $1 billion in its debut sale of Eurobonds.
Last week the country was host to a delegation of American business scouting for opportunities—as part of the largest US government-led trade mission to Africa yet as the Barack Obama government seeks to cement bilateral ties.
READ: Rising from the ashes: 10 astonishing facts on Ethiopia’s turnaround, how it did it, and the unseen forces driving growth
Africa’s only other light rail systems are found in North Africa—including in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.
All abandoned
Nigeria is also working to get its Lagos Rail Mass Transit working amid delays following a missed September 2014 deadline, adding more pain to Africa’s most populous city.
At the beginning of the 19th century about 40 networks were in planning, but with the exception of Egypt, all were abandoned to make way for cars.
There are about 13 light rail networks in Africa, with two now in construction. Twenty kilometres of light rail are estimated by experts to create the equivalent of 4,000 jobs.
South Africa operates the higher capacity 80-km mass rapid Gautrain which was completed in June 2012.
Next month the South African city of Cape Town will host an annual African public transport meeting to take stock of trends and challenges in meeting the urban transport needs of the continent.
15K

Sunday 20 September 2015

Fellow Kenyans,...
Fellow Kenyans,
Let me begin by paying tribute to the of thousands of Kenyans who are engaged in public service right across the country. These patriots commit time and , expertise to the service of our country in the health, education, and security sectors, among others.
My government is committed to ensuring that Kenya’s public servants are well remunerated, well managed and well taken care of so that they can continue to deliver essential public services. To do that, we must manage the public service in an affordable manner.
Two days ago, my government took the unprecedented step of revising term dates for our schools. That was necessitated by the unprotected teachers’ strike, which has disrupted the education of our children.
For the last three weeks, millions of our children have stayed home. When they have gone to school, they have learned little because teachers have had a protracted dispute with the Teachers’ Service Commission.
The disruption is familiar, because it is only the latest in a long series of similar troubles. In the last seven years, there have been eight strikes or strike threats, timed to be as disruptive as possible in the school calendar. This latest strike comes under similar circumstances.
In the past, we lacked a framework to settle these disputes in a structured manner. Public servants who did the same work and had the same qualifications found themselves paid differently. In turn, some public servants developed a culture of indiscipline and confrontation. Kenyans want an end to disorder, and unequal pay.
In 2010, Kenyans chose a new constitution for themselves. We chose a new mode of governance in pursuit of fair and conclusive resolution of such disputes, as opposed to the strife and inequity of the past. The new constitution established the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for the first time in our history, and conferred on it the mandate of managing the remuneration of public officers, including teachers.
The mandate of the SRC is to set, review and advise on the remuneration of all state and public servants, including teachers and myself, with a view to ensuring that the public wage bill is fiscally sustainable. At the moment, our public wage bill accounts for 52% of revenue.
The global average for middle-income countries like us is about 35%. Further, the public wage bill accounts for more than 10% of our Gross Domestic Product, well above the middle-income country average of about 5%.
All public and state officers, myself included, number 680,000, just about 1.5% of the entire Kenyan population.
It is important to point out that of the KSh 1.1 trillion collected in revenue last year, KSh 568 billion went to pay our wages, meaning that 1.5% of us consumed 52% of our revenues.
Our debt, our maintenance of public assets, and our essential public services must be paid for out of the remaining 48%. If the award were paid to teachers, the SRC would be forced to harmonise wages across the entire public sector. Based on last year’s tax revenue, our wage bill would rise from 52% to 61% revenue collected.
Fellow Kenyans, the new constitution also set up the TSC as an independent constitutional body to recruit and manage Kenya’s teachers. In the management of teachers, and working with the SRC, the TSC has progressively enhanced the terms and conditions of teachers, and they have now been brought up to par with other civil servants. That is the equity that Kenyans expect under the new constitutional dispensation. Right now, a teacher in Kenya is paid the same as other civil servants with similar qualifications and responsibilities.
Indeed, a P1 certificate-holder enters the service at job group G, with other public servants of similar qualifications.
Moreover, a graduate teacher enters public service at job group K, the same as engineers and other specialised professionals. No one can reasonably complain that teachers have been left behind.
The claim that the TSC still owes our teachers money under the 1997 agreement is not true. Then, teachers were awarded a pay rise of between 150 and 200%. The award has been settled in full.
A P1 teacher who earned a gross salary of Ksh 7,762 then now earns a minimum of KSh 23,692, while the highest paid teacher who took home KSh 35,886 then now earns a minimum of KSh 140,089.
In any case, 55% (approx. 168,000) of all teachers employed by the TSC are in job groups J to N, earning between Ksh 35,000 and Ksh 75,000 a month. This is significantly higher than their counterparts in the private sector. Ironically, private schools often perform better than their public counterparts.
The claim that Kenyan teachers are paid less than their colleagues in the region is also not true. The lowest-paid teacher in Kenya earns seven times as much as his counterpart in Burundi.
The lowest paid teacher in Uganda earns the equivalent of KSh. 7,600; the lowest paid in Tanzania KSh. 15,800, compared to the lowest-paid Kenyan teacher who takes home over Ksh. 23,000. Indeed, Kenya’s teachers are the third-highest paid on the continent, after Morocco and South Africa both of whose economies are larger ours.
Ladies and gentlemen, many of you will remember that the current dispute began when the Industrial Court awarded teachers a 50-60% pay raise.
The TSC and the SRC took the view that their constitutional mandate had been usurped. They appealed, and they will be heard on Tuesday 22nd September 2015. There has been no final determination of this award.
Contrary to assertions in the public domain, the Supreme Court did not make any determination regarding the award: it decided only that it lacked jurisdiction to hear an application challenging the exercise of discretion by the Court of Appeal.
Another reason for the appeal was the advice of the Treasury that paying the award in the amount requested would seriously distort our public finances and hurt our economy. In this financial year, KSh174 billion was set aside to pay teachers, up from KSh 139 billion last year. If the award were paid, we would have to find an additional KSh 118 billion, to meet the salary and pension obligations of the award.
The fact of the matter is that to pay this award, we would have to raise VAT from 16% to 22%, OR borrow more money OR suspend critical development programs and essential services in health, in education and in security. Raising taxes, borrowing more money or cutting back on development programs will raise the cost of living, slow down our economy, and increase unemployment and poverty. None of these options is tenable. Our country must live within its means.
Previously, as Minister for Finance, I personally engaged the teachers’ unions in matters regarding the pay and welfare of teachers. That was then, under the old constitution. Now, under the new constitutional dispensation, the TSC, in consultation with the SRC, has engaged unions and other key stakeholders in a good faith attempt to settle this dispute amicably.
My government attaches great importance to education as a key driver of the transformation agenda.
As a result we have not just improved the terms and conditions of teachers’ service, my government has also invested heavily in the education of our children. To make that learning accessible and affordable to all, my government raised grants to primary and secondary schools by 49.4 per cent, from Ksh 31.2 billion to Ksh 46.6 billion. Our ultimate aim over a period over a period of 3 to 5 years is to make primary and secondary education truly free.
Further, we have removed the burden of exam fees from parents, making it possible for all our children to sit their Standard 8 and Form 4 exams without having to pay. In 2013, only 8,104 of our primary schools were connected to electricity. To create social equity, and to improve the quality of education, my government has in the last two years connected an additional 14,251 primary schools, meaning that 95% of our primary schools are now connected. Indeed, in the next two months, the remaining 5% will be connected.
We have continually committed new funds for the employment and promotion of additional teachers, and we have doubled the amount available for sanitary pads. Moreover, for tertiary education, 60 new technical training institutes are in various stages of completion, and a further 70 have been earmarked for construction, expanding opportunity for the training of our young people. These programs are proof, if any were needed, of my government’s commitment to the entire education sector.
Faced with the tension and animosity of striking teachers that occasioned threats to the safety and security of millions of unsupervised and unattended children, and the risk of destruction of educational facilities in public and private schools, my government has taken steps to protect our children, to reassure their parents, and to safeguard public property. Last week, we revised the dates of the third term. Boards of management were advised to carry forward fees already paid to the new term dates, which will be announced in due course.
Equally, we have made arrangements to keep the examination schedule on course. Candidates have been advised to remain in school as usual, as have all staff who will prepare them for the exams. All other children have been asked to return to the safety and care of their parents.
Ladies and gentlemen, Government is about service. I urge all teachers as parents, as public servants, and as Kenyans to reconsider their position on this matter, and to resume their duties, in the interests of our children.
Let me also encourage teachers and their unions to represent themselves honestly to those who pay their wages. Let us deal sincerely with each other, because only then will we find lasting solutions to the challenges that face us.
In closing, it is my hope that the facts as laid out in my statement bring clarity and understanding to this matter. Let us remember that it is our future, and that of our children, that is at stake. I urge sobriety and sincerity on the part of all parties, as we handle this issue.
And, frankly, it is wrong to hold our children hostage to wage demands. Even as we all seek a peaceful end to the dispute, we ask teachers to let our children return to school. I am also aware that at this moment, parents and children are anxious. But I want to reassure them that we have the institutions, the means, and the goodwill to end this dispute, and bring our children back to school. I urge the relevant constitutional bodies to discharge their duties expeditiously, and in the best interests of our children, and the nation of Kenya.
In consultation with relevant institutions and stakeholders, my government will do all it takes to bring a lasting solution to this perennial problem. We all have but one desire: to see our children back in school soon.
Thank you and God Bless you.

Saturday, September 19, 2015 Homa Bay County banks on factories to lift farmers’ fortunes

Homa Bay Governor Cyprian Awiti in his office. PHOTO | FILE 

You recently launched the construction of Sh400 million animal feeds factory and Sh160 million maize milling plant. How are these projects going to benefit farmers?
We expect the factory to bring down the cost of animal feeds, a major input in livestock production. Once farmers get affordable quality feeds, they will be able to increase their production, thus, profits. The factory will produce seven tonnes or 100 70kg bags of animal feeds per hour. For the maize plant, farmers will no longer have to sell their produce cheaply to brokers.
Besides milling maize, the plant will also provide storage facilities to help minimise post-harvest losses.
The two factories will employ more than 1,000 people. Farmers will further gain by supplying the raw materials. These include omena, cassava, maize and rice brans and cotton and sunflower cakes.  They will also own shares in the plants through cooperatives.   
Cage fish farming is touted as the solution to dwindling fish production in Lake Victoria. Does your government have any plans of promoting the method of farming since the county borders the largest part of Lake Victoria?   
We will adopt any technology as long as it betters production of fish. Currently, we have dug 21 fish breeding sites in Mfangano Island to ensure farmers get quality fingerlings. In addition, we have rolled out fish farming projects in all the 40 wards, where each has four model ponds. Fish farmers have also formed cooperative societies to help boost their earnings and productivity.
Homa Bay is one the largest producers of sweet potatoes in the country but farmers are not reaping from their efforts. What is your plan for farmers growing the crop?
The immediate thing to do is save them from middlemen. We have set up a satellite potato processing factory at Kabondo that will add value to the crop by processing it into fortified flour, crisps and other products.
My government has also laid down an elaborate marketing programme for the products, which involves selling to schools, colleges, hospitals and prisons. The future is bright for farmers.
You also intend to set up a pineapple processing factory in Rangwe sub-county but farmers are growing the crop on small-scale? How will you boost production of the crop to meet processing capacity? 
There is a massive potential which has not been exploited.  The county government is partnering with Industrial and Commercial Development Corporation (ICDC) to put up a pineapple processing plant at Kochia in Rangwe. With ready market and through groups, farmers will boost production.
Watermelon farming is also becoming attractive to farmers…
It is a crop we are keen on and we encourage farmers to grow it because its consumption is going up across the country. We will help them find better market for their produce.
Poor state of roads is hampering transportation of produce to the market. What is your government doing to alleviate the problem? 
Most of our roads were in poor state in 2013 but we have since opened 480km in the 40 wards. Although most of the economic roads in Homa Bay belong to the national government, we are working with the Kenya National Highways Authority to better them.  We recently rehabilitated the Sikri–Lida and Koguta-Sindo roads.  We are now working on the Kadongo- Gendia Road.
Cooperatives are the best way to make farmers earn from their ventures but here in Homa Bay, farmers are not organised into groups. 
As a government we know it’s only through the cooperative movement that our people will create wealth. We are running a campaign to have farmers join cooperatives.  Ten cooperative societies have so far benefited from training.  Eight new cooperative societies have been registered so far.