An ambitious and intensive Mobile Cinema and Outreach Programme will start a nationwide journey in Mombasa on Friday, carrying the acclaimed film ‘The Elephant Queen’ to far flung corners of the country, with the objective of using it to inspire Kenyans of all ages towards an appreciation and understanding of elephants and the environment.

This family-friendly multi-award winning Kenyan feature documentary, filmed in the greater Tsavo-Amboseli ecosystem, tells a stirring and intimate story of the most majestic and sentient animals in Africa, and stars the ultimate leading lady – Athena - an elephant matriarch who will do everything in her power to protect her family when they are forced to leave their waterhole.

There will be a public screening on Friday, 5^th November on the football field at the Mikindani Catholic Church next to Mikindani Primary School in Mombasa from 7:30 pm EAT with County Education Director and the KWS Senior Director for Coast expected as guests of honour.

The film, which celebrates Kenya’s extraordinary wildlife and biodiversity has won, amongst many accolades, the Cinema for Peace Award, the UN World Wildlife Day Biodiversity Award and Best Cinematography at DOC NYC.

Making the film took a small dedicated team lead by Directors Mark Deeble & Victoria Stone and Assistant Director Etienne Oliff, ten years. In that time elephants descended into crisis.

What the filmmakers observed - the poaching for ivory, the increasing human-wildlife conflict and the loss of elephant rangelands, convinced them that more needed to be done - and so ‘The Elephant Queen Outreach Program’ was born, with the objective of using the film and associated resources to inspire and unite Kenyan youth towards an understanding and appreciation of elephants, and the wild spaces that they and the biodiversity they support, need to exist.

With the support of BESTSELLER® Foundation, in collaboration with the Kenyan Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) and under the leadership of Victoria Stone and Etienne Oliff, a creative team of writers, literacy specialists, illustrators, colourists, educationalists, playwrights, consultants and theatre specialists was recruited from across Kenya and abroad, and over a period of three years a dynamic toolbox of conservation education resources, all based on the film, was created.

This remarkable ‘must-see’ set of materials includes a series of 28 literacy-based learn-to-read books based on the film's wildlife characters and themes, short elephant videos, children activity packs, coloring-in books, podcasts from the making of the film, inspirational theatre toolboxes for children of different ages and fascinating interviews with leading Kenyan elephant experts, all designed to inspire young Kenyans towards careers in wildlife conservation and the natural sciences.

In each resource, authentic natural history is woven into engaging stories and narratives, all of which may, with time, inspire a new generation of Kenyan conservation leaders.

Housed on the program’s website, www.elephant.co.ke, all these resources are available free-of-charge in East Africa.  

This is not the end of the story, for the directors and their partners recognized that it was critically important that the film, ‘The Elephant Queen’, which was filmed entirely in Kenya, be seen by Kenyan youth, and in particular those living alongside the country’s protected areas with the reality of increasing human-wildlife conflict.

With the ongoing support of BESTSELLER® Foundation and joined by Save the Elephants and Kivukoni International School, the concept of a ‘Mobile Cinema’ was developed, specifically to show the film across the country, in English, Kiswahili & Maa.

With the enormity of the venture and the importance of its impact, a dynamic team of Kenya engagement  & facilitations specialists  was carefully recruited (https://elephant.co.ke/mobile-cinema ) and over two months, immersed into wildlife and trained in the use and dissemination of the film and associated Elephant Queen outreach materials.

The team left their base at Kivukoni International School to begin their nation-wide journey, travelling aboard a customized, self-contained 4x4 Bedford lorry and carrying super-sized solar-powered Airscreen-cinema equipment (www.airscreen.com)

Their objective is to follow a strategic pre-determined GIS-based route designed in association with Vulcan Earthranger (www.earthranger.com) and in collaboration with governmental and conservation and civic organizations across the country to screen the film and engage hundreds of schools and communities around national parks and protected areas including Shimba Hills, Tsavo East&West, Chyulu Hills, Amboseli, Maasai Mara, Laikipia, Samburu, the Ndoto Mountains and the Turkana Basin.

It is likely that this pioneering initiative will serve as a prototype for film-based mobile conservation education programmes that are replicable and scalable to other parts of Kenya and neighbouring countries.

The Elephant Queen Outreach team will make all information open-source, allowing other groups to benefit from the years or research that has gone into planning The Elephant Queen Mobile Cinema.

The film has already inspired and unified millions of people around the world towards a greater understanding and appreciation of Elephants and wild-spaces, and raised thousands of dollars for wildlife education.

The goal is now to do the same in Kenya and by bringing the film home to where it was made, inspire and nurture an appreciation and understanding of our country’s extraordinary natural heritage.

The Government through Interior ministry has dismissed a gazette notice making rounds on social media, stating that tomorrow (Thursday) will be a public holiday.

The purpoted gazette notice states that tomorrow is a public holiday to mark Diwali, a holiday celebrated by Hindus globally in the months of October or November of every year. 

Through its official twitter handle the Interior ministry termed the notice as fake.

“The Government has not declared a public holiday on Thursday, November 4, 2021. The purported gazette notice declaring [tomorrow as] a holiday is fake,” reads the tweet.

The Sarova Stanley Hotel has introduced Swahili Fridays to its offering as it seeks to diversify its menu so as to complement customers’ ever evolving palate needs.

The city hotel, located in the heart of Nairobi, will offer an array of Coastal delectable cuisine that has always been a favorite among Kenyans and International guests.

Swahili Fridays will take place every Friday at the Hotel’s Pool Deck Restaurant that serves al fresco buffet-style meal located on the fifth floor.

Customers can now enjoy the popular, samaki wa kupaka, bhajia, mbaazi, mahamri, viazi karai among other tantalizing meals that will be part of the Swahili experience complete with ukwaju and other delightful coast bites.

In an era where customers are looking for experiences over and above food and beverage offering, hotels have been tasked with re-inventing menus especially during the pandemic in line with trends taking over.

A new menu is not just a chance to show what the chefs can do or keep regular customers engaged with the restaurant, it is also a fantastic chance to get new customers through the doors.

Sarova Stanley was the very first luxury hotel that was launched in Nairobi City in 1902, more than a decade before World War 1. It is the hallmark of heritage that has, for more than a century, played a key role in the growth of Nairobi as a city as well as in the conservation of tourism in Kenya.

Featuring a pool terrace and 3 restaurants, Sarova Stanley offers an eclectic mix of dining and entertainment options.

In addition to the pool deck restaurant, it also has Thorn Tree Café which is an open-air, bistro style café and Thai Chi which offers authentic Thai cuisine.

Over the years Sarova Hotels and Resorts has grown to become an exemplary hospitality group known both locally and globally for its commitment to preserving Kenya’s heritage and top-notch standards of service as evidenced by its diverse properties across the country.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Tuesday inspected the ongoing works at the construction of the Sh4.5 billion Makupa bridge.

The CS said that once completed, the 457-metre-long Makupa Bridge will ease traffic in and out of Mombasa.

The bridge he said is expected to be ready by May next year to replace the old causeway that was constructed in 1929 and give back Mombasa it's island status.

He stated that the bridge will have about four to six lanes with one completely dedicated for the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.

"Traffic that has been witnessed in this area will be a thing of the past once the bridge is done, it is going to be wide enough with about 4-6 lanes with one dedicated for the BRT system," said Macharia.

Macharia added that there was also a provision to include a section for the commuter rail on the bridge that will be used to ferry passengers from the old railway station in Mombasa town to Miritini SGR station.

He stated that aside from solving the traffic menace, the construction of the bridge will have a huge environmental impact on the ocean once the course way is removed to allow water flow freely under the bridge.

"We did alot of feasibility studies especially environmental assessments before embarking on the project, once we open it up, we expect the garbage dumped in the water to clear itself and for the fish to regain their breeding grounds," said Macharia

He said that one section of the course way had been closed to allow construction works to go on adding that the contractors undertaking the project had been asked to out in more effort because the project had delayed with four months.

To support the bridge, the CS said that a number of road projects were being done including the Sh28 billion Changamwe interchange and the expansion of the Airport access road.

The CS and team were on a three day tour of projects being done under the 'Mombasa Port Area Development' which involves other major projects not only in Mombasa county but across the coastal region.

 He mentioned that government's plan to dual the Mombasa-Malindi highway in two lots will be done at a cost of Sh15 billion.

Lot one will be from the Nyali Bridge to Mtwapa at a cost of Sh7.5 billion then followed by Mtwapa to Kwa Kazengo in Kilifi at Sh7.5 billion too.

Earlier in the day the CS had toured the Sh.2.2 billion 56 kilometers Bamba-Ganze-Kilifi Highway that was launched by president Uhuru Kenyatta in 2017 promising the residents that the project will be completed in the next three years. 

He stated that the Jubilee government had pumped in close to Sh3.6 trillion in mega investment projects at the Coast to transform the development and economic face of the region.

"The coast region is a hub for tourism, we want to invest here with modern airports, roads, commuter rails and bridges to make sure that we have an alternative from Nairobi to Mombasa in diversifying our development agenda," he said.

He added that they had begun receiving requests from international airlines like KLM and the Turkish Airline to start direct flights to Mombasa.

Tanzanian music sensational Zuhura Othman alias Zuchu has come out to show her support for Kenya Tik Tok sensational Azziad Nasenya.

Through her instagram story, the 'Sukari'hitmaker called on her supporters to vote for Azziad.

“Our very own @azz_iad has been nominated on E Peoplechoice award pls let’s go hard on her,” she posted.

Azziad has been nominated for the E! People’s Choice Awards under the African social star category. The only East African Star to be nominated for the award.

Azziad is battling out with Lasizwe (South Africa), Oddity (Nigeria) and Boity Thulo (South Africa).

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has resolved to continue with the countrywide voters registration exercise pending a  court ruling on its appeal, set for today (Wednesday).

In a statement released on Tuesday evening IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati said the exercise will continue until further advised.

“On 1st November 2021, the High Court sitting in Eldoret issued exparte orders prohibiting the Commission from closing the national voter registration exercise scheduled to end today 2nd November 2021. The prohibition was ordered to subsist until 9th November, 2021 when the case will be heard interpartes,” said Chebukati.

Adding " “The Commission properly advised on the legal and operational ramifications of the Court order, moved to court today to challenge the order. The case will be heard tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8am. Meanwhile, the Commission has directed that pending hearing of the case tomorrow, registration process will continue taking place until further advised.”

The registration exercise that began on October 4 was scheduled to end on November 2.

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday morning met with the leadership team of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance (KUKHA) on the sidelines of the ongoing 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.

The KUKHA team briefed the Head of State on the progress of the implementation of the broad strategic partnership including the roll-out of the Jomo Kenyatta  Scholarship programme and the building of  a state-of-the-art training centre at Kisii University.

The Jomo Kenyatta Scholarship is a specialised medical training and capacity enhancement programme that will see Kenyan healthcare providers trained in the UK in a wide array of specialised medical areas.

The scholarship will also provide for the exchange of postgraduate medical students between Kenya and the UK with a view of enhancing research capabilities and healthcare service delivery in the two countries top among them oesophagus and breast cancers which are rampant in Kenya.

The training centre at Kisii University will be a regional hub for healthcare research, innovation and training of advanced level medical personnel for Kenya and Eastern Africa countries.

Key among KUKHA's programmes in Kenya is the ongoing progressive set up of an oncology centre of excellence at the Kenyatta University Teaching  Research and Referral Hospital (KUTTRH), of which a world-class imaging facility has already been installed and was recently unveiled by President Kenyatta and First Lady Margaret Kenyatta.

In September this year, Health PS Susan Mochache was hosted by KUKHA in the UK during which the parties agreed to expand the partnership to include a mental health component to cover workforce exchange as well as the setting up of a new mental health facility for young persons under the age of 18 in Kenya.

President Kenyatta, who was accompanied to the meeting by Kenya's High Commissioner to the UK Amb Manoah Esipisu and State House Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy and Policy Mrs Ruth Kagia, assured the KUKHA team of the Government's commitment to ensure the partnership succeeds and thanked the alliance for the progress made in the implementation of the various programmes.

Kisii Governor JamesOngwae, an initiator of the KUKHA partnership, thanked the President for driving the initiative saying the programme will assist Counties in accelerating the achievement of the Universal Health Coverage pillar of the Government's Big 4 Agenda.

The Kisii Governor, who was accompanied by his County's Health CEC Sarah Omache, informed the President of KUKHA's plan to involve other universities, research institutions and medical training centres within the Lake Victoria basin region in the programmes of the health training centre being set up at Kisii University, on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) arrangement, so as to benefit many more Kenyans.

Mvita Mp Abdulswamad Nassir has called for strengthening of independence of county assemblies to enable them play the oversight role effectively.

Speaking during the official opening of the county assemblies sports association (CASA) games in Mombasa, Nassir said there is a need to relook at the public finance management act to ensure county assemblies are indepent.

" We need to relook at the public finance management act to ensure that assemblies are totally independent, and independence and autonomy can only come when people are going to be independent and to be autonomous financially as well" said Nasir.

Adding " What is going on currenttly in our counties that our finance CECs determine how the funds are spent, I think that is not the spirit of devolution. The spirit of devolution is to ensure the executive is kept on check and we can only keep the executive on check only if at all the assemblies are going to be independent."

Nassir who is also eyeing the Mombasa Governor seat called for the introduction of the ward developement fund to develope the wards.

"This is something that some of us are entrenching in our manifestos. We need a ward developement fund, even if an MCA does not agree with the governor that does not mean that people from his ward do not benefit from develepoment projects" he charged.

On his part  County Assembly Forum (CAF) secretary-general Kipkirui Chepkuon accussed some Governors of arm-twisting county assemblies thus compromising their oversight role.

"We are going to call out the executives that are stifling the county assemblies in due course because they are contributing to the failure in oversight and members welfare" said Chepkuon.

The government is now undertaking the second phase of the Dongo Kundu Bypass project after phase one was completed at a cost of Sh11 billion.

The second phase entails a 8.96 kilometer dual carriageway project, expected to cost Sh22 billion.

It will involve the construction of an interchange at the Likoni-Lunga Lunga highway and erection of two bridges, one at Mwache spanning 660 metres and another at Mteza straddling 1,440 metres. 

Transport CS James Macharia on Monday toured the project stating that phase two was going to be the most difficult one given that it will have to go across the sea.

"The most difficult part is this one here which comes from here Mwache and goes above the sea to Muteza because it is crossing three sections of the sea, in total we shall have a bridge of about 2.4 kilometers, " said Macharia.

Once completed, the CS said that the project will open up the South Coast and it will reduce cost and time used to crossover to and from the South Coast. 

It is also expected to serve the Dongo Kundu Special Economic Zone and will boost trade and tourism.

"It will provide a very seamless alternative for people going to the South Coast and don't want to pass through Mombasa town, people can use the bridge to get to Mazeras without having to go round 40 kilometers," said Macharia.

A Japanese company Fujita is undertaking the second phase with the bridge expected to be ready by June 2022. 

Phase one of the bypass completed at a cost Sh39 billion was opened in 2018 and runs from Mombasa Port’s second container terminal and joins the Mombasa-Nairobi highway at Bonje, near Mazeras.

Phase three of the project will go from Muteza to Kibundani at the South Coast.

The CS said that the projects were being done under the 'Mombasa Port Area Development' which involves other major projects not only in the county but across the coastal region.

He stated that the Sh28 billion Changamwe roundabout interchange section will be ready by November and will allow for free flow of traffic paving way for heavy trucks going to the Port of Mombasa.

The construction of the Sh4.5 billion 457-metre-long Makupa Bridge is also expected to be ready by April next year to replace the old causeway that was constructed in 1929 and give back Mombasa it's island status.

"We have already put a provision for a commuter rail from Miritini all the way to Mombasa town to ease congestion as we do the Makupa bridge, it is difficult to avoid traffic while working on a very active road like this," said Macharia.

The CS also stated that the new Lamu Port will receive two new baths to add to the already existing three constructed at a cost Sh40 billion and expected to have 32 baths once completed, adding that it will put the port as a major transshipment centre across the region.

The CS also said that government was planning to dual the Mombasa-Malindi highway in two lots.

Lot one will be from the Nyali Bridge to Mtwapa then followed by Mtwapa to Kwa Kazengo in Kilifi.

"The Jubilee government has pumped in close to Sh3.6 trillion in mega investment projects at the Coast, we are proud of what the president and the government has done to ensure the region is developed," he said.

" This was his vision to make sure that we made the coast a totally different economic block," he added.

The government is also expected to undertake the Mombasa Gateway Bridge at a cost of Sh85 billion.

The 1.4km Mombasa Gateway Bridge, will connect Mombasa Island with South Coast substituting the 84-year-old ferry service that suffers perennial breakdowns that delay traffic flow to and from Mombasa.

The project was expected to begin in June this year and is expected to end by June 2024 according to the Mombasa Gate Bridge City Master plan.

Host Mombasa county men football team on Monday settled for 2-2 draw against Kakamega county in a hotly contested match of the County Assemblies Sports Association CASA games staged at the Mombasa sports club complex.

Team Mombasa composed of Mombasa county assembly members MCA's and staff pulled an impressive performance to lead with 2 goals in the first half of the match played under the sweltering heat of Mombasa.

Nicholas Otieno,pulled the charged crowd with a brace for Mombasa county assembly netting both goals in the 7 and 13 minutes of the play,a score that lasted up to the breather.

Otieno who works in the Mombasa county assembly communication department remained a thorn in the flesh of his opponents to remain the top scorer in the competition with two goals.

However,upon the kickoff of the second half,MCAs Charles Kitula of Frere town,Tobias Samba, of Tudor and Shebe Athman of jomvu kuu could not withstand pressure from Kakamega strikers, forcing them to succumb to two goals.

Kakamega striker Absom Andati,who is Igotse ward MCA  entered into the score sheet for his team in the 46 minutes of the play,one minutes just after the kickoff of  the first half.

Minutes later Harrison Shikuku,who is Koyonzo ward MCA took advantage of mistakes committed by Mombasa defensive side to level the scores in the 48 minutes after a spirited fight.

Earlier in the curtain riser match, Mombasa beat Nairobi county in the tag of war sport,in an encounter staged at the same venue.This years Competition will be staged in line with Covid-19 protocols.

The County Assemblies Sports Association CASA games kicked of in Mombasa yesterday with over forty counties taking part.

Chief guest who is the Mombasa county assembly speaker Harub Khatri,who spoke during the official opening ceremony thanked the government for lifting some of the Covid-19 restrictions to pave way for the sports competition in Mombasa.

"We thank the government for lifting some of the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19,to allow this sports to happen,as Mombasa county we feel honored to play host to this competitions,"said Khatri.

Some  of the counties taking part include Kericho,Baringo,Kakamega,Kitui,Machakos,Vihiga,makueni,kitui,Kilifi, Mombasa,Busia,Uasin Gishu,Siaya, Kisumu,Homabay county,Kisii,Nyamira county, Nairobi county,Kiambu county.

Part of the CASA competitions  include  sports culture, where 2019  Culture defending champions  Pokot county cultural dancer's entertained guests.Others include coast worriors of Mombasa,Kirumbizi of Lamu county and Mijikenda Dancers of Kilifi and Gonda dancers  of Mombasa

Other  sports activities include,Tag of war, football, volleyball, cultural dance, swimming and badminton.

Mombasa county secretary Job Tumbo said the sports competition will go a long way in promoting culture,cohesion and restoration of hope in times of crisis.

It is the third Edition after the 1st one was held in Nairobi County and Uasin- Gishu County respectively, a tournament expected to attract over 10,000 County staff players and supporters.

The games, which were to be held in June this year,  were shelved  due  Covid-19 pandemic. Last year, the games did not also take place due to the Covid situation. 

The county assembly sports association chairman, Peter Imwatok, said the tournament is set to to bring peace, cohesion and sensitize people on covid-19 vaccination

Some of the counties who did not participate are said to have been facing financial challenges ostensibly orchestrated by budget shortfalls from the treasury.