Different players from the East Africa region member states have called for full implementation of key policies in the quest to protect the rights of young girls and women from being violated.

Led by Kenya Alliance for Advancement of Children rights (KAACR) Director Timothy Wekesa, they emphasized on the need to implement the laws that protect the girl child from violation of their rights among them sexual exploitation.

Speaking during a regional workshop held in Mombasa while marking the 16 days of activism, the players drawn from Kenya Ethiopia, Uganda and other east Africa member states regretted that young women have continued to get abused despite laws being available.

“We have laws but implementation has been the impendent, and what we encourage is all players to push and ensure enough advocacy to girl child to ensure rights of children are fully adhered to,” said Wekesa.

KAACR is a national umbrella body for non-governmental organisations cooperation and exchange of information on children's rights in Kenya. They have a membership of over 189 child-focused agencies in Kenya.

The organization which promotes the rights of children and girl child rights said it is determined to suppress the violations mated against girl child in the east Africa region.

Kenya is among the countries implementing the ‘SHE LEADS’ program funded by the Netherlands sponsors that is targeting to create spaces for girl children to realize their lifetime dreams.

“We are working hard to eliminate the social norms that bar girl children from achieving their lifetime dreams and careers, this is something we want to do away with by ensuring that more girls get into leadership,” said Wekesa.

On her part Milka Moraa Ngare, a member of the Mombasa county assembly reiterated that the girl child needs to be protected with proper laws that protect their rights and empower them to move forward.

“We want to ensure we put policies that empower and protect the girl child rights in the East Africa region,” said Ngare.

Ugandan Mp and the Chairperson of the Parliament committee of gender labor and social development Kabahenda Rwahubiro emphasized on the need to advocate against sex exploitation for children.

"You know the girl child was one of the twelve critical areas of the Beijing platform for action and they were even involved in the crafting of the convention on the elimination of discrimination against Women and so we are here in the sixteen days of activism against gender based violence to protect the young girls and Women against exploitation." said 

Adding "  As Uganda we have a number of legislations and policy frameworks and as we are talking we are working on the legal aid bill to support the young girl to be able to get appropriate justice and also working on sexual offence bill to protect young girls against sexual exploitation."

On her part Ethiopian Mp and the Chairperson of Women Caucus in the Ethiopian parliament Kimia Jundi called on policy makers to be on the forefront in advocating for the rights of the girl child and Women.

"This is the only way our countries and region will prosper and also ensure that our girls are safe" said Jundi.

Kenyan strongress Nadia Mukami has revealed that she broke up with her boyfriend Arrow Bwoy.

Taking to social media, Mukami said they have not been together with his baby daddy for sometime now.

"Just to Clarify to the guys trying to book Arrow Bwoy and I. I have run out of of lies, we have not been together for a while, we broke up. Kindly contact individual management for bookings. One  Love,”  posted Mukami.

In March 2022 Arrow Bwoy proposed to Nadia Mukami during his album launch.

The two welcomed their first child in late March, a baby boy they named Haseeb Kai. 

Kenya’s President Dr William Ruto is the most influential African Leader on Twitter in 2022.

This is according to the 2022 World Leader Power Ranking report from BCW’s Twiplomacy, a digital diplomacy initiative by strategic communication agency, BCW Global.

Dr. Ruto, who ranks 13^th globally and 3^rd among the New World Leaders, is followed by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni as the second and third most influential leaders on the social networking platform in the continent.

Globally, Ramaphosa and Museveni rank 18^th and 29^th respectively.

BCW’s Twiplomacy new ranking algorithm has been designed to identify what influence is on Twitter among a particular list of handles.

Analysing data from October 1, 2021, to September 30, 2022, Twiplomacy’s algorithm assigned a tailored weighting to variables including mentions, tweets, retweets, reach, impressions, follower changes, likes and follower count.

It then applied additional variables such as gender, age, length of time in office and others to further contextualise, compare and understand influence factors in the ranking.

At a time when new leadership at Twitter has made the future of digital diplomacy on the platform uncertain, one thing remains clear: You can’t take the social out of social media even for politicians.

The top three bring together big personalities, geopolitical clout, and a strong domestic following – all factors that determine a world leader’s influence on the platform.

What else determines a world leader’s success on Twitter? Authentic, human language; quick reaction times; and a sense of humour or flair attributes that depart from the formality of traditional diplomacy.

Top-ranked leaders in the report  from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (rising six places into the top 10) to Chilean President Gabriel Boric (breaking into the top 10 in his first year in office) have engaged audiences with shorter, more emotional content.

While President Zelenskyy’s rise is driven in part by widespread support for Ukraine in the wake of war, if this ranking had been released a year earlier, he’d still make the top 15, in part because of his distinctive, raw Twitter personality and skilful use of the platform.  

Globally, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was revealed as the most influential world leader, followed by U.S. President Joe Biden and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

In terms of age, at an average of 58 years, Twiplomacy’s top 10 are two years younger than the average world leader.

The analysis found that younger leaders are more likely to communicate with followers using emojis, with the top five under 50 years old using more than the overall top five, including favourites  (strength), (sunglasses), (party) and (fire).

Jillian Stead Jones, Director & Digital Adviser for Twiplomacy said, “Our proprietary algorithm uncovered engagement metrics like retweets as the indicators contributing most to influence, which also power a leader’s reach."

Adding "This signals a shift from the popularity contest of the last decade to a more earned approach, powered by people – and to some extent, an updated algorithm that rewards active participation over passive consumption.”

BCW’s Twiplomacy has been tracking the changes in digital diplomacy, conducting international affairs through digital channels since 2012.

Digital diplomacy is now one of the most essential forums for international affairs and has revolutionised global communications, creating new, direct channels of dialogue between the biggest geopolitical entities and the people they serve.

To read the full Twiplomacy 2022 World Leaders Power Ranking and learn more about what world leaders are doing to stand out on Twitter, visit Twiplomacy.com or follow @Twiplomacy on Twitter.

The 7th edition of the Pwani International Fashion Week and Awards(PIFWA) 2022 is set to go down this coming weekend.

The event, one of the most anticipated Fashion moments on the East African fashion calendar is set to take place at the City mall rooftop.

Several nominees are battling out in different categories.

The event failed to take place in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic.

The awards started in 2015 seeks to celebrate the fashion and lux world by providing an innovative platform for designers to showcase their collection.

Radio presenters Joan kimani and Solomon Zully will be the hosts.

Primary school head teachers have welcomed the government’s plan to employ 30,000 teachers by January next year ahead of the official roll out of junior secondary schools competence based curriculum (CBC) programs.

Kenya Primary school heads association (Kepsha), chairperson Johnson Nzioka, said even as the teacher’s service commission TSC races against time to train and employ teachers, the institutions have the capacity for the roll out.

“We thank TSC for indicating that it will employ 30,000 teachers, that has been our prayer and we are happy, because this will go a long way to alleviate the teachers shortage that the country has faced,” said Nzioka.

This is as all grade 6 learners who completed their grade 6 Kenya Primary schools Education Assessment (KPSEA) will transition to junior secondary schools domiciled in existing primary schools.

To enhance the capacity, President William Ruto has announced that the government will recruit more teachers by January, and asked the teachers commission TSC to ensure retooling of teachers who are compliant with CBC.

“We have the capacity to take care of our children from grade 7-9 in our primary schools; sometimes we are surprised when we talk about capacity, because when we talk about teachers, they have upgraded themselves by furthering education, right now we have more than 60 percent of teachers in primary as graduates,” said Nzioka.

Speaking in Mombasa ahead of the annual Primary school head teacher’s conference, Nzioka noted that there was no cause for alarm in terms of teacher preparedness, since most of the teachers have advanced their studies in compliance with CBC teachers.

“In terms of infrastructure, the children who are transiting to grade seven, they already have the rooms that have been vacated to those who have moved to standard eight, so we have the capacity,’Nzioka added.

The CBC task force appointed by the president has recommended that junior secondary learners be domiciled in existing primary schools.The report submitted to the President on Thursday further directed that the ministry adds additional classrooms and a laboratory.

“We have seen the interim report recommending the domiciling of the junior secondary in primary, this alone will save the government the agony of the 100 percent transition, so we are leaving the secondary to create the space,” he added.

Nzioka said they are not worried about private schools supplementing public schools because of the huge investment that they have put in place. He said the domiciling of junior secondary has saved the disability learners from the most disadvantaged they would have faced.

The conference that has so far attracted over 10,000 delegates, among them head teachers and exhibitors, seeks to come with plans of easing the burden of parents. This is as concerns emerged that some teachers had taken advantage of asking learners to bring chicken, only to be eaten by teachers after teaching sessions.

“These are the gaps that we are working towards bridging, because we are saying the designs have various options of tackling certain topics, so you don’t have a chicken in school, there are options which are given in the designs, in such a way that we can handle lessons with locally available materials in the schools,” he added.

On delocalization, KEPSA says there are no longer issues of delocalization because most of the teachers are happy with their new working stations. He says if there are concerns can be handled internally.

This year's conference theme of the conference is "managing transition of competence based Based curriculum for effective nurturing of each learner's potential'.The conference is expected to be opened by president william Ruto on Tuesday,and will run till Friday Dec 9,2022.

Sarova Hotels & Resorts Kenya has announced operations of its latest hotel management acquisition, Sarova Imperial Kisumu, on December 1st 2022. 

This addition is the 8th hotel under the group’s portfolio in Kenya. The move is set to bring a new feel and touch to the hospitality industry in Kenya’s third-largest city, Kisumu. 

Sarova signed a management agreement with the owner of the Kisumu hotel in April 2022, rebranding it to Sarova Imperial Kisumu and thus making the hospitality brand the only major player with iconic properties in Kenya’s four main cities, including Nairobi, Mombasa and Nakuru.

After the management deal kicked off, major refurbishments have been undertaken with an aim to align the hotel to international standards in line with that of Sarova’s other properties across the country. 

“We are very excited to have started operations in the lakeside City of Kisumu. Our customers have a unique taste for quality and refreshing African hospitality. That is why we are always striving to give them the best. Sarova Imperial Kisumu will offer nothing but the best of service to make our customers feel at home. We welcome both domestic and international visitors,” said Jimi Kariuki, Managing Director Sarova Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel has a total of 95 guest bedrooms including 3 signature suites with amazing views of Lake Victoria. All guest bedrooms feature air-conditioning, safety-deposit box, a telephone, a flat-screen TV with satellite connectivity and high-speed WIFI.

It also offers spacious conferencing and meeting rooms, a fitness room, a lobby patisserie, an indoor open courtyard and a rooftop lounge, ‘The Perch’. From the hotel’s lobby through to the guest bedrooms, the hotel’s main restaurant and all the guest areas, modern furnishings complement the hotel’s contemporary-chic theme. 

The culinary experience at the Sarova Imperial, while connecting diners to the local culture and history, will feature various international influences through a variety of sustainably sourced ingredients that guarantee our guests fresh and delicious meals.

At Sarova, we have a shared appreciation for sustainable tourism and enriching the lives of our host communities with the active participation of our guests. Initiatives that preserve the Kenyan heritage, restore natural resources and provide social-economic gains are at the core of our vision.

The annual Diaspora homecoming convention is set to take place on the 7th to 9th of December 2022 at Ole Sereni Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya.

This year's convention is dubbed Kenya Diaspora Alliance Homecoming is set around the Theme:Inclusive Growth - Leveraging Diaspora Resources. 

The Convention is the annual premier event that brings together the largest assembly of diaspora, business leaders, opinion shapers, government representatives, industry and academia.

There will be several sessions spread across the 3 days.

The sessions seek to deepen conversations around Smart/Secure Investments, Project Finance, Trade Finance, Diaspora Cooperatives, Foreign Direct Investments (FDI), Public Private Partnerships (PPPs), Rural/Cottage Industries, ‘Mama Mboga’ Diaspora Fund, Creative Industries, Agribusiness, Green Energy, IT-enabled services (ITES), Affordable Housing, Climate Smart Fund, Health/COVID-19 Interventions, Traditional Foods & Medicines, and Emerging Opportunities like AfCFTA, Blue Economy, Natural Resource Management, etc. Some of these are critical in the attainment of the UN SDGs, AU’s Agenda 2063, and Kenya Government’s long-term vision.

The Convention offers a platform to facilitate consultative, immersive interaction between the diaspora and other stakeholders, and creates awareness on investment opportunities (both at national and county levels), in line with government plans and policies (e.g. the National Diaspora Policy, Big 4 Agenda and Vision 2030).

Chairman of the Kenya Diaspora Alliance Dr Shem Ochuodho has announced that the conference will be seeking to explore ways in which the Government can bolster diaspora remittances and investment opportunities in the country.

“Kenyans living abroad are set to engage the Government on new investment opportunities and how to create jobs for Kenyans who are at home and abroad,” said Dr Ochuodho.

The leadership of the alliance has exuded confidence in Kenya Kwanza regime’s creation of a diaspora portfolio.

Through an upcoming investment conference to be held next month, Dr Ochuodho explained they are championing a mind shift, negative African narrative and advocating for respect, building business partnership on a win-win basis and bringing back Africa into their rightful place in geopolitics and international trade.

“We are focusing on a cordial working relationship between the new Government and Kenyans in diaspora because there are numerous investment opportunities that are yet to be tapped,” Dr Ochuodho added.

Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs Alfred Mutua is expected to engage with Kenyans living abroad in the convention to deepen the ministry’s relationship with the diaspora, as many have over the last decades felt alienated from the foreign affairs ministry.

Other government officials are also expected to be in attendance. 

Hindu prominent spiritual leader His Divine Holiness Acharya Shree Jitendriyapriyadasji Swamiji Maharaj has commended Kenyans for maintaining peace during and after the last general elections.

The spiritual leader who arrived in Mombasa yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon called on Kenyans to continue maintaining the peace arguing peace is key for prosperous of the country.

The spiritual leader who was received by tens of Shree Swaminarayan Gadi devotees in Mombasa County is expected to pray for the drought situation currently facing some parts of the country, during his six days stay in Kenya.

After Kenya, Maharaj will be heading to Tanzania and Uganda.

“Today we are receiving his holiness from India, he normally comes here every year. The purpose of his visit is to pray for Kenya for having peaceful elections and pray for all elected leaders to have wisdom to run the country,” said Harshadkynar Shangani.

Adding "“His holiness aims at bring all the people together as we are currently planning to mark 70 years of our first temple in Nairobi. The celebrations will coincide with the Christmas festivities."

The leader is also expected to visit the refurbished Kibarani miracle park and also meet devotees and worship together with them.

Maharaj is the heir to Acharya Shree Purushottampriyadasji Swamishree Maharaj and sixth in the lineage of ascetic Acharyas, which descents directly from Lord Shree Swaminarayan.

Former Tv47 Coast senior reporter Patronila Goren was on Tuesday evening feted for her reporting on human rights.

Goren who has now joined the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI ) won the overal Best female journalist in human rights award.

The awards 'Women Human Rights Defenders Awards' an initiative of several human rights bodies based at the Coast region, seeks to recognise Women including journalists who are on the forefront on the fight against human rights violation.

While working for Tv47, Patronila alongside her camera man Brian Barasa was following up on a series of human rights violation cases especially of Kenyan female workers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. Her stories prompted most leaders to act including former Nairobi governor Mike Sonko who has been helping in bringing back the bodies of Kenyans who have died while working abroad.

"The award is timely and l want to thank my sources members of the network which was formed two years ago,under Article 19, protect, MUHURI and female journalists under the able leadership of Seasoned court reporter, Sophie Njoka as the Sec General,Grace Oloo as the treasurer and Khadija Yusuf as the Network chair lady who have contributed to my stories and moulded me in fighting for human rights," said Patronila who was not present to pick the award following the death of her mother early this month.

Jasmine Atieno of the People Daily newspaper won the Best in digital empowerment award

Citizen Tv journalist Mwanahamisi Hamadi was also awarded as the Best female journalist in women empowerment. 

Verteran Mombasa Women rights activist Irene Randu was awarded the Lifetime Women rights defender while Jane Jilani got the Lifetime human rights defender award. 

Mohammed Musa was recognized as the Best male champion Women rights.