Tunai reshuffle his Cabinet

Narok Governor Samuel Tunai on Tuesday announced the reshuffling of his cabinet as he seeks to improve service delivery. 

The county boss has dropped some of his key allies after making the changes to his team. 

It emerged that he transferred County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) and chief officers from what many considered as powerful dockets to the less powerful in the new changes.  

According to the county boss, the decision was reached as he aims to promote efficiency as well as accountability while seeking to leave behind a legacy after completion of his tenure in office. 

The changes come at a time when the county boss is expected to clear pending bills amounting to over Sh1 billion.

“I wish to notify the general public that I have reshuffled the officeholders of the county executive committee members and chief officers in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya Article 179 and the County Governments Act No. 17 of 2012 Part V section 35,” Tunai daid

Under the new structure, Tunai named Meitamei Siloma as CEC for Health and Sanitation. Siloma was in the Finance and Economic Planning docket. He named Julius Momposhi Tompo as his successor in the docket. 

Denis Letiet has been asked to take over the Public Service Management, Devolution and public Administration after he was moved from the docket of the former chief officer for Finance. The vacant has been filled by Mr Peter Kuraru.

 The county boss announced a team to take over the Pending Bills Verification Committee as he seeks to clear the balances in different dockets.

The Ministry of Education has announced the new opening dates for schools

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha speaks during the opening of Text Book Centre at Sarit Centre in Nairobi on November 19, 2019.

The Ministry of Education has announced the new opening dates for schools.A statement sent to newsrooms informed that schools would reopen on January 6, 2020.

The students will break for midterm on February 17 and close the first term on April 10.

The third term studies will begin on August 31 and end on October 30, with no mid-session break.

For primary schools, pupils will be in session for 38 weeks, whereas students in secondary schools will study for 41 weeks.

The KCPE and KCSE national examinations will be undertaken by students in November.

KCPE was scheduled to commence from November 2 to November 5, whereas KCSE exams were slated for November 6 to November 30.

The circular also indicated term dates for teachers' training institutes in the country.

Term one studies for TTI students will begin on January 7 and end on April 1.

Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha at St George's Secondary School in Nairobi on November 8, 2019

Second term learning will start on May 4 and end on August 7.

The third term studies will commence on September 1,  and end on November 13.

The circular further indicated that the total number of weeks college students will be in session are 39. The second term will start on May 4 and close on August 7, with a break between June 15 and June 19.

Marmanet forest: CS keriako Tobiko Target

Environment and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has named Marmanet forest as government’s next target days after successfully reclaiming encroached Mau forest.

OnSaturday the CS made an aerial and ground tour of the Marmanet forest in Laikipia County and has since issued a warning to those who have encroached on and obtained illegal titles over the water catchment area that their time is up.

The CS decried the state of forest that has been converted into large scales of commercial farmlands. The forest which originally measured 19,600 hectares has been reduced into commercial wheat and maize plantation

The water catchment area which is the only source of water for Lakes Bogoria and Baringo, and feeds Ewaso Ngiro River which later drains into the Lorian Swamp has been degraded and destroyed, through human activities including encroachment, illegal settlements and overgrazing.

In an effort to reclaim and restore the water catchment area Safaricom and Kenya Prisons have each adopted and replanted portions of the expansive forest.

But in what is proving to be a looming face-off between the government and the locals, an MCA from the area has told the residents to stay put and ignore Tobiko’s threat.

The county legislator, who has been at the forefront fighting for the people of Mochongoi to get title deeds for the land they were resettled in during President Moi’s reign, has also hinted that the community shall be launching a ‘major step’ towards resolving the land issue on November 22.

“There is no cause for alarm so far. I urge all of us to restrain from spreading comments that will cause unnecessary panic among the public. On 22nd November 2019 at Kabel Trading Centre, we shall be launching a critical step towards addressing the issues of Mochongoi and I, therefore, take this opportunity to welcome all of you,” Kipruto Kimosop who is the area MCA stated in his response to the reports.

Principal died along Naivasha Mai Mahiu road

A school Principal has died and another one left fighting for his life following an early morning accident along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road.

The two and their driver were on the way to Naivasha town to collect KCSE papers when their vehicle rammed into the rear of a stalled lorry near Governors camp.

On impact the female teacher from a private school in Mai Mahiu town died on the spot while the other teacher and the driver were seriously injured.

Naivasha deputy commissioner Mathioya Mbogo has confirmed the incident adding that plans had been made to supply the affected schools with the exams

'Our officers have been dispatched to the ground to get finer details of those involved but we have already dispatched the exams papers," he said.

47.6 Million Kenyans: 2019 Census released

The provisional report for the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census was released on Monday, indicating a population growth of nine million since the exercise was last carried out 10 years ago.

The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), which released the report, said the enumeration was successfully conducted from the night of August 24 to 31.

A mop-up followed from September 1-2 to cover those who were not counted the first time.
KNBS said Kenya's population is 47,564,296, with 23,548,056 males and 24,014,716 females. A total of 1,524 are intersex.

COUNTIES BREAKDOWN

Most populous:

Nairobi - 4,397,073 of which 2,192,452 are males and 2,204,376 females.

Nakuru - 2,162,202 of which 1,077,272 are males 1,084,835 females.

Kiambu - 2,417,735 of which 1,187,146 are males  1,230,454 females.

Kakamega - 1,867,579 of which 897,133 are males and 970,406 females.

Bungoma - 1,670,570 of which 812,146 are males 858,389 females.

Meru - 1,545,714 of which 767,698 are males 777,975 females.

Kilifi - 1,453,787 of which 704,089 are males 749,673  females.

Machakos - 1,421,932 of which 710,707 are males 711,191 females.

Kisii - 1,266,860 of which 605,784 are males 661,038 females.

Mombasa - 1,208,333 of which 610,257 are males 598,046 females.

Least populous:

Lamu - 143,920 of which 76,103 are males, 67,813 females.

Isiolo - 268,002 of which 139,510 are males 128,483 females.

Samburu - 310,327 of which 156,774 are males 153,546 females.

Tana River - 315,943 of which 158,550 are males, 157,391 females.

Taita Taveta -340,671 of which 173,337 are males, 167,327 females.

Tharaka-Nithi - 393,177 of which 193,764 are males, 199,406 are females.

Elgeyo Marakwet - 454,480 of which 227,317 are males, 227,151 are females.

Marsabit - 459,785 of which 243,548 are males and 216,219 females.

Laikipia - 518,560 of which 259,440 are males and 259,102 females.

Vihiga - 590,013 of which 283,678 are males, 306,323 females.

INTERSEX

Most populous counties:

Nairobi county-245
Kiambu – 135
Nakuru - 95
Wajir – 49
Meru - 41
Kakamega -40
Kajiado – 38
Kisii - 38
Mandera -37
Bungoma – 35
Migori - 35

Least populous counties:

Tana River - 2
Lamu -   4
Taita/Taveta - 7
Samburu - 7
Tharaka-Nithi - 7
Isiolo - 9
Vihiga – 12
Elgeyo Marakwet - 12
Nyamira - 13
Baringo – 13

HOUSEHOLDS
Average household size by county
Most populous:

Mandera - 6.9
Wajir - 6.1
Garissa - 5.9
Marsabit - 5.8
Turkana - 5.6
Least populous:
Nairobi City - 2.9
Kiambu - 3.0
Kirinyaga - 3.0
Nyeri - 3.0
Mombasa - 3.1

LAND AREA
Distribution of population by land area and population density by county per square kilometer.

Most populous:

Nairobi City - 6,247
Mombasa - 5,495
Vihiga - 1,047
Kisii - 958
Kiambu – 952
Nyamira - 675
Kakamega - 618
Kisumu - 554
Bungoma - 552
Busia - 527
Least populous:
Marsabit – 6
Tana River - 8
Isiolo - 11
Turkana – 14
Wajir - 14
Samburu – 15
Taita/Taveta - 20
Lamu - 23
Mandera - 33
Kitui - 37

CS keriako Tobiko: No compensation for Mau evictees.

Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko has said that none of the settlers who have been kicked out of the Maasai Mau Forest will be compensated.

In the course of the voluntary exit which has since ended, some settlers argued that they bought the land they were occupying, with area politicians echoing the remarks.

However, Tobiko on Friday ruled out any compensation, adding that the State has mobilized money to fence off the Sierra Leone region and plant 10 million tree seedlings.

He said that about 40 per cent of the planting has since been done through aerial broadcasting planting method, with the fencing exercise having also kicked off.“

We are targeting 10 million trees in the entire Maasai Mau forest and we have also done four million seeds through aerial seeding,”  said Tobiko.

He added that all the families have since left, adding that the no one was brutalised of harassed by the police to exit the water catchment complex.

"For the last 60 days, we have done everything in the open and people left voluntarily. No bullet was fired nor anyone brutalised,” he added.

However, the eviction exercise has been carried out amid complaints from politicians from the Kalenjin community, who have even threatened to take legal action against the government.

On the other hand, politicians from the Maasai community have been in complete support of the evictions.

Man threatened to leave his wife over sh 2 million hospital bill

A Ruiru man has threatened to leave his wife and remarry if a community hospital does not release her despite a Sh2 million bill.

John Gitonga accuses the hospital in Kasarani of deliberately worsening his wife Esther Wanyoike's condition to extend her stay and inflate the bill.

She was admitted for back surgery and now has a serious wound to her leg.

"If they will not let her go, I will leave her with them because my life has come to a standstill. I am appealing for help from anyone," Gitonga told the Star.

He is a knife-sharpener, Esther is a vegetable seller. They have two children.

"I cannot afford the bill. Even if they took my bicycle and sold it, I still would not be able yo afford it," Gitonga said.

He was taking care of his wife every day after she fell and injured her spine five months ago.

After she was rejected by several hospitals, well-wishers offered to take her to the community hospital.

The hospital management was not immediately available for comment. A nurse, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Esther had suffered bedsores and the husband had been in agreement with all the measures taken.

"They admitted her and said she needed surgery to fix her spine. They asked for S100,000, which the well-wishers paid," he told the Star. The well-wishers were mostly extended family members.

Before she could undergo surgery, the hospital needed spinal samples from her neck, her husband said.

"Well-wishers pooled in their resources to help us because we couldn't manage the bills," Esther told the Star from her hospital bed.

When Esther returned from surgery, she noticed that her left leg had been bandaged.

"I asked the doctors for a week why I was covered up but they did not give me an answer," she said.

Her back improved but as soon as the bandage on the leg was removed, a wound was revealed.

"It was the size of my palm and it had pus all over it," she said. The hospital needed money to clean the wound and required specialised equipment, Gitonga said.

He had to hire the equipment from a private consultant.

"We paid in cash for the wound to be cleaned using a special machine. We were paying Sh20,000 a week which the well-wishers were providing," he said.

The wound was cleaned for two months yet Esther complained of more pain.

"Her brother said the wound was getting bigger instead of healing and they insisted on surgery. In surgery they removed some flesh from the leg and bandaged her up," he said.

The wound has gradually been healing for two months.

She has undergone three surgeries for Sh242,000, excluding hiring the equipment

The bill has continued to rise due to her stay at the hospital. It nos stands at more than Sh2 million.

When well-wishers were no longer able to help, he turned to NHIF. "My cover catered for Sh230,00 which was not enough," he said.

He has no property, no title deed, no car logbook to offer the hospital to secure Esther's release.

The nurse who took care of Esther also told the Star, "She was bedridden and could not walk. When she came in, she had a blister which later developed into the wound after it burst."

There was no reason for the hospital to inflict the wound, he said. After the back surgery, the doctors left a drain on her back but not on her leg, she added.

"We had a specialised doctor come and do a flapping procedure because the wound was wide,"s he said.

The nurse added they were in agreement with the husband and she was surprised at his account.