Royal Garment Industries EPZ Limited has expressed interest to invest at the Voi EPZ, Taita Taveta County governor Granton Samboja has announced.

Speaking at Athi River, Samboja said he has managed to secure the first investor for the project who is willing to establish an industry that will employ more than 2000 people.

Samboja had earlier in the day signed the MOU between County Government of Taita Taveta and EPZA for the establishment of the Voi EPZ in Ndi.

"Our county is at a vantage position for this big investment owing to its proximity to the Mombasa port, the SGR, Nairobi Mombasa highway, proximity to neighbouring Tanzania among other countries.

Our county has a big potential for industrial investment.We welcome investors to come and do business in our County," said the county boss.

Apart from creating employment to locals, the industries will boost the economy at the grassroot level.

There are plans to establish EPZ satellite parks in Wundanyi,Taveta and Mwatate to promote industrialisation in the region.

"We also have plans to revive cotton farming to supply the local garmet industry," said the Governor.

Ag.Chief Executive Officer EPZA Mr.Henry Obino said the Voi EPZ is part of President Uhuru Kenyattas Big 4 top agendas.

"The President knew the impact the manufacturing industry will bring to the economy that is why he directed that an EPZ should be established in Voi," he stressed.

He added that Voi will be a model for EPZ investment in the country.

"Voi enjoys a unique geographical location in that it runs parallel to the SGR , its close to Mombasa and Lamu port,electricity and water is readily available among other factors of production," the CEO said.

The County government will provide 250 acres for the project. 

The governor was accompanied by other top county officials and EPZA board members.

Mombasa businessman-cum- politician Suleiman Shahbal has officially quit Jubilee party and rejoined ODM.

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Shahbal who is eyeing the Mombasa gubernatorial seat said he will further put more effort in ensuring the merger between Jubilee and ODM parties is realized.

"I have, today, officially resigned from the Jubilee Party. This follows my announcement to join the ODM party" posted Shahbal on social media.

“In exercise of my constitution and legal rights to belong to a political party of my choice by the law through section 14 of the Political Parties Acts, 2011, I wish to resign as a member of Jubilee Party,” reads part of Shahbal’s resignation letter.

Last month, Shahbal told members of the Mombasa Luo Focus Group, that he will support Raila Odinga in 2022.

He noted "I support Baba because he has suffered for the people of Kenya. It is because of him that we have the Constitution, multi-partism and even the proposed changes in the BBI”.

Shahbal joined the ruling Jubilee party in 2013 after losing the ODM nominations to Governor Hassan Joho.

He was earlier a member of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) which is led by Musalia Mudavadi before joining ODM and later Wiper party, in a span of weeks.

Shahbal, a former fierce critic of governor Hassan Joho has now developed a close friendhip with the county boss and are sometimes seen attending functions together.

His move to rejoin ODM comes just days after a visit by the party leader Raila Odinga in Mombasa where he was hosted by Shahbal's main rival, Mvita Mp Abdulswamad Nassir.

During his tour Raila resisted pressure from supporters to endorse Nassir as the next governor of Mombasa and steered away from the local politics maintaining that the party will conduct a free and fair nomination process.

" Hiyo ya ugavana ni yenu (The governorship decision is yours. You will decide who will become governor). As ODM we are going to conduct free and fair nomination" said Raila.

In a response to Raila's sentiments, Shahbal took to social media and posted " Asante Baba. Tukutane mashinani sasa!."

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday night commissioned five new hospitals in Nairobi County and directed them to offer 24 hour services to residents.

The new health facilities are part of 24 such hospitals being constructed by Nairobi Metropolitan Service (NMS) as part of a broad Government plan to decongest Kenyatta National Hospital, Mama Lucy, Pumwani and Mbagathi hospitals.

The hospitals launched by the Head of State in the four-hour night operation were two level 2 hospitals at Gichagi in Kangemi and Gatina in Kawangware as well as level 3 hospitals in Mukuru Kwa Rueben, Tassia Kwa Ndege and Our Lady of Nazareth in Mukuru Kwa Njenga.

President Kenyatta, who was accompanied by NMS Director General Mohammed Badi and several senior Government officials, directed public hospitals in Nairobi to offer 24-hour services to ensure city residents access health services whenever they need them.

“The dispensaries and level 2 health facilities should operate 24 hours services in order to decongest Kenyatta National Hospital and Mama Lucy Hospital. Instead of someone using money to go and seek medical services at Kenyatta National Hospital, they need to access these services at the facilities which are near them,” President Kenyatta said.

Addressing journalists who accompanied him during the night operation at State House, Nairobi after the exercise, the President said he chose to commission the new hospitals at night so as to adhere to Covid-19 containment protocols.

“We went at night because we wanted to ensure that we were observing Covid-19 protocols. As you have seen for yourselves, it would have been impossible to go and do what we did today, during the day because of the number of people who would have been out there. It would have been very difficult for us to do the job we wanted to do and at the same time observe Covid protocols that the government has put in place,” he said.

Further, the Head of State said the operation was aimed at enabling him to assess the population of city residents, especially those in informal settlements where the hospitals are located, seeking healthcare at night so as to enable the Government to resource them adequately.

On his directive for 24-hour service by the new hospitals being put up by NMS across the metropolis, the President said he had observed during his inspection tours that most city health facilities operated only during the day denying residents much needed healthcare at night.

“We also discovered that Nairobi hospitals open at 8am and were closing at 6pm. Meaning that if somebody got sick or was in need of medical attention after 6pm the only medical facility they could access was Kenyatta National Hospital.

“So we decided it was important that these hospitals that we are building operate on a 24 hours basis. This is what we  also wanted to see whether it was possible both on accessibility point of view and staffing point of view,” the President said.

He announced that 19 out of the 24 new hospitals being constructed by NMS were complete saying, plans were underway to adequately resource for 24-hour operations.

Besides opening the new health facilities, President Kenyatta said the night tour was aimed at inspecting the ongoing road construction projects within the informal settlements saying so far a total of 400kms had been completed while another 450kms were underway.

“The other thing we wanted to see was the roads. We embarked on a programme where we are doing 400kms of roads in our inner cities. We have been able to travel in those informal settlements without challenges. These are roads we have been constructing over the past one year and we are now constructing 450kms and we want to increase the same with another 300kms in this financial year,” the President said.

The Head of State said the Government is keen on providing quality services to all Kenyans regardless of their status in life and pointed out that ongoing city sewerage expansion works, financed by the African Development Bank, will also benefit Nairobi slums.

On provision of clean water, the President said NMS had drilled hundreds of boreholes across the city which are providing free clean water to residents as the Government works on a longterm solution.

“Today even in our informal settlements there is no more issue of people having to pay for water. People used to pay 20 shillings for a jerrican of water but now we have build boreholes for them.

“What we are trying to do in this coming year is to make sure that instead of going to one watering point we are also expanding  water connections to ensure that people have access to clean water, sewage services, health, good roads and electricity” he said.

The Head of State regretted that despite generating over 50% of the country's GDP, Nairobi residents still struggle to access basic public services. He noted that the final phase of the city's transformational plan is the issuance of title deeds to residents who own land so as to empower them to own decent housing.

In Embakasi South, the President was received by area MP Musili Mawathe.

Former Kenyan Journalist Terry Atieno has made public her interest to vie for a political seat in Germany, where she is currently based.

Terry who worked for Ramogi fm as a presenter and famously known as 'Proud Chocolate' has expressed her interest in running for a seat in her town/county assembly in Buxtehude Stade District in Hamburg, Germany.

Taking to social, Terry who also runs an online podcast in Germany said God had chosen her and she cannot say no. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho are among the top Kenyan politicians she has hosted in her podcast.

"I Terry Atieno from Siaya Kenya will be running for a seat in my town assembly/ county assembly in Buxtehude Stade District in the outcasts of the great free city of Hamburg Germany this September 2021. Wish me only well my people. I'm going to face it all. Hate and support, but I am ready for it all," she posted.

Adding " My God had chosen me and i cant afford to say no . I am trying out whether i fail or pass I'll still be on the books as one of the black immigrants who tried a hand in leadership out here in the Western world".

Terry said she will for inclusivity for integrated immigrants. 

" I want equality in treatment. I want us to see beyong color. I want us to be taken seriously. I want our Children to grow up here feeling 100 percent at home" she noted.

South African group, Hush SA are the 2021 winners of the pan-African Old Mutual Amazing Voices crown and will walk away with a massive $ 100 000.  

After securing 5 Golden Voice wins for best performance throughout the season, Africa chose Hush SA as the winners of the sensational pan-African singing competition during a spectacular finale on Sunday evening (4 July 2021).

The finale was simulcasted on Mzansi Magic, Mzansi Wethu, (South Africa) Africa Magic (Nigeria), Maisha Magic (Kenya) Zambezi Magic (Zimbabwe) and Akwaaba (Ghana).

The group has taken their first small steps to achieve their dreams and do great things, not only at home but beyond to become global music sensations.  

An all-male Gospel group of six members, formed as a brotherhood of childhood friends spanning over a ten-year period. Tsholofelo Ntuli,  Phumlani Tshabalala, Sinethemba Magubane, Zamokuhle Nkosi, Thamsanqa Mthabela, Nicholas Malimba also known as Hush SA to their new fans who have followed their progress across the DStv Amazing Voices competition, all hail from Johannesburg, South Africa.  

The group entered the second season of Old Mutual Amazing Voices competition that attracted 546 initial online video entries from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and South Africa and have achieved stardom. 

Little did they know that their initial entry would see them beginning a long and rewarding process that would end in Johannesburg in June this year with an ultimate victory in Africa’s premier acapella event.

At the same time, they were awarded with the benefits of learning the skills and gaining the important insights needed for groups to succeed in the challenging world of music. 

Carol Kipsanai Group Head of Marketing, EA - UAP Old Mutual says “Our purpose at Old Mutual is to champion mutually positive futures across all the African markets in which we operate. 

This competition enables us to connect with Africans through the universal language of music and demonstrate that with the right financial partner, anyone can do great things and become their exceptional best. We have seen exactly this with the winners of Season 2 Amazing voices and congratulate Hush SA for their well-earned success” 

It all began in October 2020, when, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, entrants were encouraged to submit online performance videos to Old Mutual and DStv for review and selection.

The winner’s opposition, drawn from the five countries included in the competition, were like them, all unsigned groups looking to take their careers to a new level.  

After an initial screening process, Hush SA advanced to the second gruelling step; attending closed auditions within their own country before celebrity judges (where two groups from each country were selected).

The group then succeeded in being elected to become part of the Amazing Voices Season 2 ‘Top 10 and got to attend an intensive musical Bootcamp at Sun City, about an hour from Johannesburg. 

The Covid bubble production and musical bootcamp at Sun City kicked into gear with the Top 10 unsigned groups, involving a total of 65 contestants.

The production required the  employment of 187 people to make the magic happen, a clear demonstration of DStv and Brightfire TV’s passion to empower creatives in the film and television industry.

Approximately 84 rooms were catered for over the 30 days of production and 315 COVID-19 antigen tests and 116 PCR tests were done with the crew and contestants on a regular basis with no positive cases reported. 

During the bootcamp at Sun City, the surviving groups, ranging between four and eight members, were put through vocal as well as stage presence training.

They were mentored by Khaya Mthethwa to refine their musicality. During this extreme three weeks the finalists prepared for the final phase sing-off by having their vocal and performance abilities honed by the Amazing Voices team.

The drama, the build-up, and tensions of Africa’s prime musical event has been eagerly followed by a pan African TV audience since Amazing Voices Season Two launched in April.

For many contestants not only Hush SA’s, it was their first exposure to the glittering but demanding world of world-class TV productions.  

What happened next may now be history but has left South Africa with an accolade of national singing sensations whose voices could be the ticket to international stardom and further ambassadorship for the country and its people. 

“MultiChoice Kenya believes that music is an international language that crosses borders and brings people of different nationalities together. We are happy to have been able to broadcast this competition to our DStv and GOtv customers as well as proud that 121 Selah represented our country and emerged as this season’s winner. We will continue to air content which showcases and recognises great African talents and our rich heritage.” says, Nancy Matimu, Managing Director at Multichoice Kenya.

Garden City Mall hosted a shopping spree contest at the newly opened Carrefour Market which is owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Kenya.

The participants were challenged to shop for items from specific categories in less than 2 minutes 30 seconds.

The winners clinched Carrefour shopping vouchers while all items picked during the shopping spree were later donated to Missionaries of Charity, Home of Peace Ruaraka (Ngumba) by the Garden City Mall team.

Renowned Content Creator Sharon Mwangi emerged the winner in the high adrenaline shopping spree that was moderated by content King and Comedian Njugush.

The new store, which is now open to the public, will operate as a Carrefour Market, with a focus on stocking a wide range of food items and selected non-food items alongside small electrical appliances. 

Motorists using the Makupa causeway should brace themselves for disruption of traffic beginning Saturday, July 10.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (KENHA) announced today (Tuesday) the closure of the Island bound carriageway on the causeway, all affected traffic will be diverted to the Nairobi bound carriageway which will then serve as the way in and out of Mombasa.

According to the Authority the diversion is to allow for the construction of the Makupa bridge and approach roads along the road.

"The works are being undertaken by M/S China Communications Construction Company Ltd (CCC) and are due completion on or before January 4 2022" reads a statement from KENHA.

Adding "We urge all motorists to follow the signange and guidance provided by the traffic police and marshalls available to enable smooth traffic flow across the causeway."

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday commissioned the construction of the Sh4.5 billion Makupa bridge on December 2020.

The bridge which will replace the historic Makupa Causeway will offer a seamless flow of traffic in and out of Mombasa Island.  It is expected to be 450-metre long.

Plans for the long-awaited compensation for the fishers affected during the construction of the first berth of the Port of Lamu have been finalized and compensation shall commence soon, this is  according to the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA)

According to a statement from KPA,  the LAPSETT Chairpersons committee met this week and approved the recommendations made by the Fishermen Compensation Task Force earlier on this month. A total of 4734 fishersshall be compensated.

"In the meantime,a consent note which has been agreed by all parties shall be filed in court to bring to a close the legal proceedings to hasten the compensation exercise." reads part of the statement.

Adding "The fishers through the Beach Management Units(Beach Management Units) leadership and the County government have been asked to ensure that they have submitted their correct bank accounts to ease payments of cash compensation."

In the lead up to the operationalization of the first berth of the port of Lamu, the need to conclude the compensation before completion and operationalisation of the works on the first three berths was prioritized.

Accordingly, the task force on fishermen compensation task force was reconstituted and facilitated to complete the process of identifying the list of 4734 beneficiaries as outlined in the Lamu County report tabled in the High Court.

Kenya Ports Authority as the project proponent facilitated and embarked on a two-week exercise running from 25th April to 8th May 2021 that entailed verifying and validating 4,734 fisher folks who will be compensated as stipulated in the adopted report presented to the court.

Following the meetings in Lamu, the Task Force planned a one-week workshop in Watamu from 3rd May to 7th May 2021 to finalize on all items needed to progress compensation to the fishers.

The Agenda for the Watamu workshop entailed Verification and Compilation of the final list of fishers for compensation, negotiation on the fishers’ proposed breakdown of compensation items, identification of the entity to undertake compensation, and agreement on a consent note on compensation of fishermen.

At the end of the verification process, the final list of 4734 fishers to receive compensation was arrived at and was signed by the BMU leadership and the Lamu County government.

In may 2021, hundreds of fishermen took to the streets of Lamu to protest delayed compensation from the government, following a successful petition at the Malindi High Court in May, 2018 which  ruled in favour of the fishermen indicating that the project had failed to meet basic constitutional and legal requirements.

The fishermen were to start receiving the monies before May 15.

Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) MD Eng Salim Rashid has proceeded on leave pending his retirement.

According to a source, the governmnet has appointed former Kenya ambassador to Djibouti John Mwangemi to step in acting capacity as the government prepares to appoint a substantive managing director.

The appointment takes effect from today, July 1st.

"Ambassador Mwangemi was introduced to the board by treasury CS Ukur Yatani today (Thursday) morning during a meeting at the headquarters " said the source.

Before being appointed as acting managing director, Salim was the general manager in charge of technival services. He has been in the office since March last year after the resignation of Daniel Manduku.

During the commissioning of Lamu port in May last year, Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani revealed that the government has  slowed down the recruitment of the managing director to pave way for the launch of the new port.

We did not want a lot of instability at this stage because the takeoff of the Lamu port is very important. However, very soon we will unveil the new MD,”  Yatani said.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/2140-six-candidates-shortlisted-for-kpa-md-job

Consumer goods manufacturer Pwani Oil Products Limited, has partnered with the Ministry of Education and Kenya Primary School Headteachers Association (KEPSHA) to roll out an essay writing competition for Standard 6 and 7 pupils in public primary schools across the 47 counties.  

The competition, sponsored by Pwani Oil’s Sawa soap brand, is themed “Colors in Life” and seeks to sharpen creative writing and thinking skills among pupils.

Over 23,000 public primary schools are expected to participate in the contest that runs from July 1-31.   

Pwani Oil Commercial Director Rajul Malde says the competition’s primary aim is to offer a platform for the pupils to bring out the best side of life creatively, partly inspired by the challenges they face due to disruption of learning by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“Creative writing is one way of helping children understand the world we live in by giving them a voice to express their ideas and thoughts, a platform to explore their talents and imagine limitless life’s possibilities, even during tough times,” said Malde during the ceremony to launch the competition in Mombasa.  

He cited research conducted by the National Literacy Trust in the UK singling out creative writing as playing an important role in supporting the wellbeing of children and young people during the coronavirus pandemic. 

“We aspire through this competition, to inspire our children to recreate the world they live in through written expression. This is not just a writing competition but also an opportunity for participants to share their ideas and personal journeys with the world,” said Malde.  

KEPSHA National Chairman Johnson Nzioka hailed the initiative saying it would go a long way in improving the education standards in Kenya. 

“The contest will not only strengthen the value of accumulating knowledge to improve writing skills and creative thinking, but also earn participants recognition beyond the classroom. This is what the new learning curriculum is all about, that is, teaching children to be all-rounded characters especially in their areas of God-given talents,” said Nzioka at the launch ceremony.  

Pwani Oil is sponsoring the initiative while KEPSHA will assist in mobilizing participation across the 47 counties and overseeing the adjudication process.

Of the top five essays shortlisted in each county, that is a total of 235, a panel of nine judges will pick the best five nationally.  

The five winners will be rewarded with an educational tour of the coastal region including first-hand experience of Pwani Oil’s Kikambala Plant, the largest soap and edible oil manufacturing facility in East and Central Africa.

They will also receive certificates, trophies and assorted gifts.  

Creative expression is seen as an important aspect of nurturing responsible citizens capable of contributing positive ideas to society.

The KEPSHA National Chairman advocates for writing skills as a way of promoting innovative ideas and solutions to society’s problems. 

He disclosed that the partnership between KEPSHA and Pwani will also involve other education sector stakeholders. “I wish to announce that the Pwani Oil Limited/KEPSHA essay writing competition will be held annually to appreciate the writing talents of pupils across the country.”  

KEPSHA is the representative body for over 26,000 head teachers in all the public primary schools in Kenya. 

Malde said the competition theme is based on the Sawa brand philosophy of “Bringing colors to life” which is about bringing out the positive elements in people’s lives.

Launched in 2008, Sawa has since grown to be one of the most popular bathing soap brands in Kenya, also available as hand wash and body wash.