Category: Uncategorized

by Ronald Njoroge

Kenya’s Disability community on Wednesday decries lack of representation in elected and appointed offices.

Joseph Atela, Executive Director for the Association of Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK) said that President William Ruto should have nominated members of the disabled community to serve in his inaugural cabinet.

“We have many qualified members of the disabled community who can serve as cabinet secretaries,” Atela said.

He noted with concern there was lack of adequate representation of persons with disabilities in 22 county assemblies.

“This is a manifested continuation of previous patterns of intentional discrimination against members of the disability community,” Atela said.

He at the same time congratulated all elected legislators with disability in both the national assembly and county assemblies.

“The gave a spirited fight in their campaign and defeated their opponents,” Atela added.

By Steve El Sabai

Nakuru based Presley Zawadi and Fiona Ambuka from Nakuru County almost brought the roof down when they were crowned overall winners in the just ended Little Mr & Miss Kenya 2022 event staged at the Kenya National Theatre.

The 9th edition  colourfull event attracted partipants below 17 years drawn from various counties.

Tina Lughano who is the founder and Director of Little Mr & Miss Kenya lauded participants and parents for turning up in large numbers.

She noted that, the event was aimed at boosting and unearthing new talents in modeling and fashion and above all exposing them to International Pageant.

Celestine Masila, a parent lauded the organisers for making the glamour event vibrant. She said her daughter Tatiana Nzisa from Makini school has benefited alot from the event by exposing her to great fame leading her to travel outside the country for similar events.

The mother of two girls said her daughter who won the 2019/21 miss Kenya edition has gained alot, including traveling out of the country. She has travelled to Spain, Thailand, and Dubai among other countries. She can sing and dance.

Other winners in various categories were; Tiny Miss Kenya – Angel Rose Nakuru County,

Tiny Mr Kenya- Ivan Jasper Kisumu County,

Pre Mini Miss Kenya- Gift Rose Kisumu County,

Mini Miss Kenya- Angel Wairimu Transnzoia County, Mini Mr Kenya- Benjamin Ronge Mombasa County, Pre Teen Miss Kenya- Margaret Mbodze Kilifi County and Teen Miss Kenya- Anamika Jagtap Nakuru County.

Immediately after the September 20th declaration of an Ebola outbreak in Uganda in the country’s central Mubende district,the Ministry of Health has asked Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders to support its efforts in the fight against the spread of the disease.

On Wednesday 21 September, an MSF team of six persons, consisting mainly of doctors and logisticians, travelled to the town of Mubende to assess the situation and needs at the regional referral hospital where the first case was detected. 

Since the assessment, MSF has started setting up an Ebola isolation and treatment centre in the Mubende hospital. We are also exploring the possibility of setting up a second centre in the town of Madudu, around 25 km north, where the first person who died from Ebola originated, and where several suspicious cases are reported. But the priority today is to improve patient care in the current structure. MSF is gathering a team of medical people, epidemiologists and logisticians with experience in hemorrhagic fever case management that should be ready to start working beginning of next week. The organization remains available for the Ministry of Health to intervene further where needs are identified.

The last Ebola outbreak in the country occurred in 2019. MSF intervened in the country to support the Ugandan health authorities in the management of people who had been in contact with these confirmed cases, the establishment of an Ebola treatment unit, and assistance in improving infection prevention and control measures.

The launch of a 17-signature Ministerial Declaration calling for recognition of the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility as an existing Non-Market Approach under the Paris Agreement in New York today could, say ministers, unlock significant additional climate finance for adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The declaration, made by some of the world’s most vulnerable nations to the impacts of climate change, follows recent commitments from COP27 hosts Egypt to make November’s climate conference an opportunity to focus on implementation rather than further negotiation of existing texts and agreements.

The document, launched at the event ‘Making Paris Work for the People: Adaptation at scale in climate vulnerable nations’, is signed by some 17 ministers from LoCAL-participating countries and brings together a series of joint commitments to increase the total climate finance available to climate change vulnerable nations. Signatories represent countries dealing with some of the worst impacts of climate change but with limited resources to adapt.

“The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility is a proven finance mechanism, a solution that is already being implemented,” said Hon Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Environmental Protection Agency in Liberia. at today’s event ‘Making Paris Work for the People’, part of the Climate Week NYC programme of activities and a side-event to the UN General Assembly.

“Let’s work together at COP27 for the adoption of LoCAL as an existing Non-Market Approach to scale up and boost access to climate finance, as laid out in this Ministerial Declaration…With our joint cooperation, let’s work together to ensure that the Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility is included in the outcome document from COP27 in Egypt. And ensure that this COP, the “Africa COP”, is a COP of solutions,” added Hon Prof. Wilson K. Tarpeh.

Addressing a forum on Tuesday, 20th September on mobilising climate financing on the sidelines of the ongoing UN General Assembly in New York, President Barrow said countries should raise investments and focus on saving and protecting lives, and the ecosystems.

The President cited the recent floods as ‘one of the worst’ in The Gambia’s history, which affected more than 50,000 people due to the country’s one-meter rise in sea level. He added that the rise could submerge 50% of the city, including the country’s only deep-water seaport.

‘’As the impact of climate change could cost developing countries between 1% and 5% of their GDP annually, it is imperative to raise investments and focus on saving and protecting lives and ecosystems.”  President Barrow detailed.  

He added that climate financing is a challenge for many developing countries and investing in it could create difficult options for many Africans. “Countries like The Gambia would have to forgo investments in poverty reduction and other development priorities to shift attention to climate action.’’ President Barrow stated.

Highlighting how The Gambia has shown leadership and taken a progressive position on climate action, the President said the country has increased budgetary allocation to address, particularly climate adaptation, resilience and mitigation. He added that the focus is now on mobilising private sector investment to cater for the urgent mitigation needs, especially in renewable energy.

While stating that The Gambia will be the host country of mitigation projects aimed at protecting the planet, President Barrow solicited international support to realistically implement the Climate Change Long Term Strategy 2050.

The President raised several concerns including the provision of long-term predictable funding that allows for capacity development, and risk integration, and promotes climate finance for gender-responsive climate actions, as well as effective and equitable finance delivery.

He also observed that international climate finance entities, especially multilateral funds, should revisit their procedures and policies, and prioritise the needs of developing countries.

The African Energy Week (AEW) (www.AECWeek.com) 2022 conference and exhibition – Africa’s premier event for the oil and gas sector which will be taking place from October 18-21 this year in Cape Town – will serve to drive long-term energy investment in Africa with the aim of ushering in a new era of socioeconomic growth. In line with this objective, and as a facilitator of improved local and foreign direct investment in Namibia, the Namibian Investment Promotion Development Board (NIPDB) will be participating as a diamond sponsor at this year’s edition of the AEW conference.

Representing one of Africa’s fastest growing energy markets, the NIPDB’s presence and participation as a diamond sponsor at Africa’s biggest event for the energy sector will be crucial for shaping dialogue around current investment trends as well as the challenges and opportunities present across both Namibia’s and the continent’s energy sector.

The discovery of sizable oil and gas reserves by TotalEnergies at the Venus 1-X well; and Shell and Qatar Energy at the Graff-1 well in early 2022 – as part of a massive exploration campaign launched by the Namibian government to maximize the exploitation of local energy resources to meet local and regional energy needs – has opened up significant opportunities across the entire energy value chain in Namibia. In addition to realizing the potential of the country’s oil and gas prospects, the discoveries, along with the country’s favorable investment climate, have positioned Namibia as lucrative investment destination in 2022 and beyond.

Moreover, with major players expanding upstream investments across Namibia’s untapped hydrocarbons-rich basins – in search of similar discoveries made at Venus and Graff-1 – massive investment opportunities remain across exploration and production landscapes. By shaping critical conversations in keynote addresses and networking forums, NIPDB will highlight these opportunities to regional, continental and international energy stakeholders and investors whilst promoting the role the country’s oil and gas will play in making energy poverty history across the continent by 2030. For Namibia, the discoveries promise a new era of economic growth on the back of oil and gas while for Africa, new supply streams at a time when the continent desperately requires new sources of energy. 

Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, had the pleasure of being joined by the Executive Deputy Mayor for Overstrand Municipality, Lindile Ntsabo, for a tour of the Old Harbour Museum, some whale spotting with the world-famous Whale Crier and a walk along the cliff path to look at the art installations, in Hermanus.

“The Old Harbour Museum is a treasure trove of wonderful facts and interactive exhibits about whales. The Museum was assisted with funding from the Department of Economic development and Tourism to upgrade exhibitions which include a whale sound exhibit, a submarine exhibit, information panels, a “build a whale” puzzle as well as whale video games.” Said Minister Wenger.

Mr Brendell Adams of the Old Harbour Museum said: “The Museum is at the historic heart of the village overlooking Walker Bay. This is part of the Cape Whale Coast Hope Spot which stretches 200kms from Rooi Els to Quoin Point and is recognised for its incredibly vibrant and visible whale visits. The museum offers family friendly experiences to ensure Hermanus and the Overstrand remain a world class and competitive option for travellers. No less than five blue flag beaches are dotted along this stretch of pristine coastline. Where else can you observe the Southern Right Whales so closely? No wonder that Hermanus is famed as the best land-based whale watching in the world.” 

It is a Wednesday morning at the Kuisebmund Health Centre and Shirleyn Awases is among the 20 women seeking antenatal care services at the facility.  

The 31-year recently had a miscarriage and not long before that she delivered a stillborn baby. This time around, the mother of a 10 -year is expecting yet another baby. 

And, while she is nervous about what could go wrong, Awases is also hopeful that with the recently donated ultrasound machine to the Kuisebmund Health Centre, the doctor would be able to better detect any abnormalities during her pregnancy with this technology.  

The World Health Organisation (WHO) with financial support amounting to US$ 270 000 (approximately N$ 4,579,200) from the government of Japan donated a sonar to the Kuisebmund Health Centre in March this year (2022). 

The support is aimed at strengthening maternal and child health services in Namibia. The Kuisebmund Health Centre is one of 16 district health facilities that benefited from the WHO and government of Japan support. 

“We’ve realized that we needed additional support in terms of ultrasound machines which helps with early detection of the growth and development of the baby in the mother’s womb and if there are any problems they can be picked up early,” said the WHO Representative, Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses. 

SGA Group has partnered with PAIX Data Centres in Nairobi to offer increased data protection for their customers.

PAIX Data Centres is the African specialist in cloud- and carrier-neutral data centres, whilst SGA Group is East Africa’s leading security company.

SGA manages the physical security for PAIX Data Centres in Kenya. SGA is one of the few ISO18788 certified Security Solutions Providers in Kenya and supports PAIX with 24/7 physical security and monitoring of its Nairobi Data Centre with their specific accesses, systems, and processes such as check-in-out, patrols and CCTV surveillance.

In its world-class data centre operations, PAIX protects customer critical equipment with the highest levels of security and operational reliability. PAIX Data Centres are all certified with the international standards for Information Security (ISO 27001), Business Continuity (ISO 2230), and the banking standard for cardholder information security (PCI DSS).

PAIX delivers 99.999% uptime for its customer’s computer equipment, including SGA’s own servers. The world-class data centre infrastructure provided by PAIX allows SGA to monitor the clients they serve and to respond to emergency calls in record time. It also ensures improved accuracy in SGA’s tracking, crime mapping, and intelligence gathering.

The partnership between SGA and PAIX comes at a time when data protection and privacy is a global concern, with organizations working to ensure they have a data protection framework that will promote consumer trust and ultimately lead to the efficiency and reliability of the organization. 

Kenya has adopted the Data Protection Act in 2019 to ensure the privacy and safety of client data.

Quotes:

    “In today’s world where data protection is a key concern to everyone, we are constantly working to ensure that our operational data and the privacy of our customers’ data is fully protected. This partnership will enhance this security as PAIX run their data centre services from a very safe location in Kenya. With 99,999% uptime, they assure our clients of reliable services”, said SGA Group Chairman and CEO Jules Delahaije.

    “Thanks to our partnership with SGA Group, the physical security of our facilities is guaranteed. Together we ensure that our demanding customers can entrust their computer equipment housing to a data centre operated with world class standards, with a guaranteed Service Level.” said Vincent Camadro, Country Manager Kenya of PAIX Data Centres.

South Sudan launched the Pharmaceutical Policy and Strategy.

The 2022 Pharmaceutical Policy and Strategy provides an overall framework for governance, regulation and programming within the health sector which has been lacking since 2006.

The Pharmaceutical Policy and Strategy was developed by the Ministry of Health in collaboration with the World Health Organization to strengthen the pharmaceutical sector in South Sudan.   

It lays the foundation for building systems for sustainable access to pharmaceuticals and related health technologies. It prioritizes the medium- to long-term goals and strategies set by the government for the pharmaceutical sector.  

Access to medicines is a critical component of healthcare delivery system. Hence, promoting sustainable and equitable access to medicines is the core mandate of the Ministry of Health.

In the WHO African Region, it is estimated that about 58% of the population do not have access to medicines for non-communicable diseases.

In South Sudan, access to essential medicines is a huge challenge. According to the 2018 Service Availability and Readiness Assessment Report, only 14% of health facilities had the recommended medicines.   

“Universal Health Coverage can’t be achieved without access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines”, said Dr Victoria Anib Majur, the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Health South Sudan. “It’s important to have a strong regulatory body to ensure that we are regulating the medicines coming to the country”.

As much as we develop strategies and policies, implementation is more important. Dr Anib urged the Directorate to form a committee to implement the strategy. She acknowledged WHO’s continued support in developing policies and strategies for effective healthcare services.

“Access to medicines is a human right issue”, said Dr Fabian Ndenzako, WHO Representative a.i. in South Sudan. “Thanks to the generous contribution of the Canadian Government, WHO supported the Ministry of Health to develop the pharmacy policy and strategic plan for South Sudan that promotes equity and sustainability of the pharmaceutical sector”.

WHO is committed to support the Ministry of Health to enhance access to medicines as part of the efforts to build resilient health systems and achieving Universal Health Coverage and the health-related Sustainable Development Goals.

The Pharmacy Strategy is a 5 -year plan that is aligned with the Health Sector Strategic Plan.

The policy sets the standards for the safe, modern practice of pharmacy in while building community confidence and providing high quality, innovative services for patients that enhance patient care and public health.