KIGALI, Rwanda: October 26, 2021 – AGRA President H.E. Dr. Agnes Kalibata has today been conferred with the Distinguished Award for Meritorious Service by the African Plant Breeders Association (APBA) at the second Plant Breeders Conference (#APBACONF2021), currently taking place in Kigali, Rwanda. The award recognizes Dr. Kalibata’s contribution to the transformation of Africa’s agricultural and food systems.
In his citation, APBA President H.E. Prof. Eric Yirenkyi Danquah recounted Dr. Kalibata’s commitment to fighting hunger and poverty in Africa, starting with her college days as a bachelor’s degree student in entomology and biochemistry, to her time as Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture, and now as AGRA President. “In the six years you were Minister of Agriculture, Rwanda’s poverty dropped more than 20%. You grew the agricultural sector annual budget from US$10 million to US$150 million. Rwanda also became the first country to sign a compact under the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme. You are heralded as one of the most successful Agriculture Ministers in sub-Saharan Africa,” read Prof. Danquah’s citation, in part.
Dr. Kalibata served as Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources from 2008 to 2014, implementing a science-based approach to agriculture that greatly increased efficiency and productivity, and transformed Rwanda into a largely food-secure nation.
Afterwards, she briefly served as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Institutional Advancement at the University of Rwanda before joining AGRA as its President in September 2014. At AGRA, she leads a team of more than 200 agricultural specialists across 11 priority countries to increase the access by farmers to high-quality farm inputs, financial support and markets. This is achieved through, among other ways strengthening agricultural policy development by governments and the establishment of beneficial partnerships with the private sector.
The APBA recognition is the latest for Dr. Kalibata, who has been previously feted with the Yara Prize, (2012), honorary doctorates from the Universities of Liège (2018) and McGill University in (2019), and the Public Welfare Medal by the National Academy of Sciences (2019), amongst many others. In 2019, she was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as Special Envoy to the 2021 Food Systems Summit, which took place in New York, USA, last September. In this role, she worked with the United Nations system and key partners to provide leadership, guidance, and strategic direction towards the Summit.
About AGRA AGRA is a farmer-centered, African-led, partnerships-driven institution that is working to transforming smallholder farming from a solitary struggle to survive to a business that thrives. In collaboration with its partners—including African governments, researchers, development partners, the private sector and civil society— AGRA’s work primarily focuses on smallholder farmers – men and women who typically cultivate staple crops on two hectares or less. AGRA is now recognized across the continent as a strong voice for African rural development, a prosperous agricultural economy, and for supporting thousands of small African businesses and millions of African families to improve agriculture as a way to ensure food security and improve their livelihoods.
Orange Democratic Movement, ODM party is one of the most famous and powerful political parties in the republic of Kenya. This is the current official opposition party in Kenya and it is under the leadership of the former prime minister, hon Raila Odinga who is eyeing to use this party as his vehicle come 2022 where he will be vying for presidency. This party has a good number of members comprising of the common mwananchi and prominent Politicians in the country.
Now, today, Raila Odinga who is the leader of this party has suffered a huge Blow inside his party. This came in after Dp Ruto leaked the total number of ODM Mps who are secretly working with him. Talking during his political rally in Ukambani, Dr Ruto said that a total of 20 Mps from ODM are part of his UDA team. Ruto then disclosed that UDA Party has a total of 150 members of parliament where he went ahead to challenge Raila Odinga that even his deep state team will not assist him to clinch to power.
“UDA is growing each and Everyday in this Country. Currently it is the only Political Party with over 150 MPs in Kenya. Now, I want to urge my good friend Raila Odinga early in advance concerning the next Coming Presidential Elections. Because there are atleast 20 MPs from ODM who are part and parcel of UDA Team. Let him come with the Deep State, but I will Prove him wrong. I think he should even be preparing to go Bondo, Kisumu.” Said Dr William Ruto. Click on this link to watch the video.
It was a proud to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that commits five political parties, all of whom are present today, to the founding of The Eagles National Alliance.
The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has led to committing five political parties present to the formation of a coalition named The Eagles National Alliance
The nation has made great strides since attaining independence close to 60 years ago. Indeed, we appreciate all who have contributed to building our nation – from those who fought for our liberation from colonial rule to those who have contributed immensely to establishing our growing democracy.
We, however, note that, while we have made significant progress, our country still continues to grapple with some of the issues we faced at independence, including poverty, ignorance and disease. In addition to this, the last three decades have seen the toxic practice of corruption rise to endemic levels, costing our nation over 700 billion Kshs a year and giving rise to crippling foreign and domestic debt, now standing at over 7 trillion Kshs.
Kenyans are now urgently seeking credible leaders to cure these grave national ills and stand for them. Leaders who have a genuine heart for the people, and place a high value on integrity, personal responsibility and professionalism, and who are not afraid to stand for such values. The Eagles Alliance is glad provide the alternative leadership that our country so badly needs.
We have therefore come together as like-minded, values-based political parties to represent the majority of Kenyans, who are determined to see the right leaders elected in 2022 and beyond, who will steer our nation in the right direction.
The Eagles Alliance overarching vision is to see a cohesive, stable and prosperous Kenya, under the God of All Creation, and our ultimate mission is to restore dignity, prosperity and oneness to the nation of Kenya.
The deadline for the 30-day nationwide mass voter registration exercise is fast approaching, and there is concern that the majority of Kenyans who qualify as electors are yet to be listed in the country’s voters’ roll.
In fact, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), which is superintending the exercise, acknowledges poor show since the listing began on October 4, 2021.
The situation has provoked calls for the electoral agency to consider extending time to capture the details of the would-be voters. The extension, according to those pushing for it, will ensure no one is locked out of next year’s elections.
IEBC targets 6 million new voters to add to the over 19 Million Kenyans who had been registered in 2017.
KANU Fresh, the Mount Kenya chapter, is leading these calls. They are urging the government to increase funding to IEBC for the extension. They called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to initiate the creation of a supplementary budget for this endeavor.
“When you visit most registration centers you note that there are a few young people who are turning up to be registered as voters. We are worried because even the few who turn up are already registered and are just seeking to change their polling details,” Albert Maguru, one of those in the group said.
“And because IEBC is decrying lack of funds to extend this exercise we are asking the head of state to get money to sustain this process so that our fellow youth can participate in the elections,” he added.
At the same time, the group is pushing for faster production of national Identity Cards so as not to lock out youths who have attained the age of 18 years.
“Calls to extend this exercise are valid. It is also important that while all these are ongoing, we continue rolling out civic education to sensitize the youth about the importance of participating in an electoral process,” Juliet Kimemia, who is KANU’s gubernatorial aspirant in Kiambu said
Apart from pushing for the extension of the registration deadline, the group says young people ought to enroll as voters if they are to have a say in the direction the country will take.
In Baringo County, Labour CS Simion Chelugui has rallied the youth to chart their destiny by registering as voters in the ongoing exercise.
“I want the ordinary citizen to know voter registration is your right. A vote will help you decide your future. The leaders who want and those you do not want, the power of your vote,” Chelugui said during a fundraiser in aid to build tuition block for Kisanana Boys High School, Mogotio Sub County.
The exercise has experienced apathy in most areas as youth distance themselves from taking part in the exercise.
Situation in Garissa
In Garissa, leaders are expressing fears that hundreds will be locked out of the ongoing mass voter registration exercise.
Abdikheir Dubo, an aspirant for the Dadaab parliamentary seat took issue with the period the applicants whose fingerprints were captured in the refugee database have been forced to wait.
“We were a very happy lot when the exercise was launched some two years ago. We had hoped that by this time when such an important exercise, like the one currently being undertaken by IEBC, then they will have gotten their ID cards so that when the time comes they exercise their constitutional right to vote,” he said.
Leaders have attributed the low numbers of those turning up for registration to unemployment, lack of ID cards, especially among the youth, drought, and lack of sensitization on elections.
With only 11 days remaining for the ongoing Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voter registration to end, youth have been urged to register as voters.
The United Kingdom undertook on Sunday to leave no stone unturned until justice is served to the family of Kenyan woman killed by a British soldier in Nanyuki in 2012.
Amid revelation that an infantryman who executed Agnes Wanjiru has been named by his army comrades, UK High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott noted that senior military officers from the UK will be coming to Kenya in the coming weeks to discuss the incident and ‘UK support to the Kenyan investigation.’
“I share the concern about the tragic death of Agnes Wanjiru in 2012 – my thoughts are with her family and the community. I can assure Kenyans that the UK is fully cooperating with the investigation and will help in any way we can.” She said
According to Marriott, the UK’s Special Investigation Branch carried out initial enquiries in Kenya In 2012, including providing information about British personnel to Kenyan police. She however disclosed that no further requests were received at that time.
“Following the conclusion of a Kenyan inquest in 2019, we understand that the Kenyan authorities are looking into the murder. We will support that Kenyan police investigation.” She said
The top diplomat maintains that the conduct of the UK military in Kenya is incredibly important noting that they do a lot of good in Nanyuki, for the economy and the community.
Even so, she acknowledges that Wanjiru’s murder brings to the fore the fact that there are issues that need to be addressed.
The 21-year-old Wanjiru, said to have been a sex worker, was found dead after partying with the British troops 9 years ago. Her body was later located in a septic tank at a hotel in Nanyuki. A murder probe has been opened by the British Royal Military police amid calls to investigate a potential cover-up.
Chairlady Of The Commission On Administration Of Justice Florence Kajuju
The Chairperson of the Commission on Administrative Justice Florence Kajuju has been elected to the Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI) as one of the four representatives of the African region.
The IOI is a global organization for the cooperation of more than 200 independent Ombudsman institutions from more than 100 countries worldwide.
A statement to newsrooms indicated that she has been elected for a term of four years. Kajuju will serve the Regional African Chapter alongside heads of equivalent ombudsman institutions of Angola, South Africa and Zambia.
The IOI supports its members through training, research and regional subsidies for projects. It is organized in six regional chapters (Africa, Asia, Australasia and Pacific, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America and North America).
Kajuju was elected during extra ordinary meeting of IOI members held at Ankara,Turkey.
Close to TheCrossFireNews, it has come to access to documents At KEBS as per editors pick and editorial check is An advertisement dated Thursday, August 26, Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) indicated that the bureau was looking to hire 109 individuals to occupy various posts.
They included an inspection manager and a principal office administrator at the managerial level. Civil engineers, electrical engineers, pharmacists and mechanical engineers.
The process haunts the management with Managing Director (MD) Bernard Njiraini and Principal Secretary Amb. Kirimi Kaberia taking the big chunk of blame for playing dirty in the whole recruitment process.
According to an anonymous letter sent to some media houses and copied to other bodies by aggrieved staff, the recruitment process was largely flawed by the management. The staff are petitioning for an open recruitment process. Below attached is the letter.
With the re-establishment of the East African Community (EAC) and Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), KEBS activities now include participation in the development and implementation of SMCA activities at the regional level where it participates in the harmonization of standards, measurement of conformity assessment regimes for regional integration. KEBS operates the National Enquiry Point in support of the WTO Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT).
We are here to report recruitment malpractices at the Kenya Bureau of Standards.
KEBS advertised 109 positions in the month of September 2021. The deadline for submitting applications was 10.09.2021.
What happened is that the MD (Lt. Col (Rtd) Njiraini) took upon himself to invite the Ministry of Trade and Enterprise Development to be part of the shortlisting and interviewing process. This has never happened before because KEBS recruitments have always been transparent and very objective.
We are made to understand this was done because of the directives from the Principal Secretary Amb. Kirimi Kaberia who is set to run for a political seat therefore he wants to use the employments to reward his political supporters in his village in Meru). Not only have that, the MD himself Mr. Njiraini wants to employ his county political associates for himself and for his friends.
he MD flouted all the recruitment processes in KEBS overlooking the committee which is charged with the responsibility of all recruitment and instead appointed his spanner boys who do all his dirty jobs.
Below are the names for the so-called shortlisting committee
Murira- this is a Director who was appointed irregularly as a reward to Meru community. This is the man who has set up the whole process. First, he is not a member of the committee and he was appointed to chair the panel. He is been tasked to ensure the interest of the PS. Ambassador Kaberia, Board chair and the larger Meru interests are taken care of at the expense of other applicants.
Kirimi is the mastermind of all the rumours and gossip in KEBS. He is the one in charge of the recruitment system and has ensured he tampered with the system. He gets information from the system and calls people demanding for money in return of recruitment. He is boasting all over that people should know that there are Meru’s at KEBS.
Abdow- this is one of the most corrupt officers in KEBS. The MD uses him to carry out his dirty jobs at KEBS. He got in irregularly and has caused a lot of chaos in HR department since he joined the organization.
Njeru- this is the officer from the Ministry ensure that all Mt. Kenya applicants specifically Gatundu, Meru and Embu are given the jobs.
Miriam- this a very new Director and does not understand the malpractices in KEBS especially recruitments- she is a coverup to cheat the rest of us that the process is fair.
The question is what is going to happen to the rest of Kenyans who have applied if this is what is happening?
We understand there are internal employees who could have benefited from the recruitment but the advert was advertised externally so that it is used for political gains.
According to Public Service Commission and KEBS HR policies, there is a committee charged with advising the MD in all recruitment process and the same has been completely ignored in this particular recruitment.
The MD (Mr. Njiraini has completely run down KEBS since he joined KEBS in 2019. In fact he has been arrested in the past due to corruption. He is still in office courtesy of his godfathers. This MD became MD although he was number six during the interviews)
We have written to your good office so that you can intervene by having the recruitment process stopped or cancelled until the MD appoints credible people to drive the process.
This process is highly compromised, the end result is to benefit Mr. Kaberia (PS), Mr. Njiraini (MD), KEBS Board chair, HOD-HR and his woria friends in KEBS and outside KEBS.
We are, once again, appealing to your good office to intervene by having this process stopped or cancelled altogether. As we are writing the same corrupt team is carrying out short listing.
Njiraini has been exposed on corruption in many news sites and many times.
In October, 2020 last year – KEBS was stopped from expanding a vehicle inspections tender following queries around the process.
Parliament adopted a committee report that seeked to have Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini held responsible for litigation that could arise from a controversial tender.
The Principal Secretary State Department of for Industrialization Amb. Kirimi Kaberia.
Njiraini was arrested for refusing to give EACC detectives original documents related to multimillion-shilling tenders the commission is investigating.
Njiraini was arrested as a penal consequence for failing to comply with a notice issued to him to surrender the documents.
EACC had been investigating allegations of procurement irregularities and payment of bribes in respect of awards for tenders for provision of pre-export conformity of goods, used motor vehicles, mobile equipment and spare parts by Kebs.
The Public Investments Committee (PIC) recommended punishment for Mr Njiraini and the procurement team at Kebs for alleged impropriety in awarding a pre-export verification tender. The National Assembly adopted the report that recommended that the top officer at the state agency be surcharged in the event bidders challenged the award.
The watchdog committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir also recommended that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission probe the circumstances under which Kebs engaged blacklisted firms, EAA Company Ltd and Auto Terminal Japan.
The Auditor-General had in a special audit recommended that the two firms be barred from engaging in such tenders. But the agency went ahead to engage them in its bid to have more firms inspect vehicles being imported into the country.
In reference to the recruitment process, KEBS has issued a rebuttal to the claims raised by the staffers in the anonymous mail. While replying to the consumer body Cofek, Kebs management and by reflex, are denying any wrong doing in the recruitment.
They said in part “the shortlisting committee for this recruitment was duly appointed in line with its internal processes and the KEBS Human Resources Policy. The ministry of industrialization, trade and enterprise development is the parent ministry (the ministry) to KEBS and is therefore engaged and consulted by KEBS as and when necessary, In this case, the ministry is providing technical and professional human resources support during the recruitment process.”
Section 5 of the Standards Council Act which establishes KEBS only requires KEBS Council to consult with the ministry on the appointment of the director (CEO/MD) of KEBS, not the rest of the staff.
KEBS Managing Director Bernard Njiraini.
1) The Minister shall, on the advice of the Council, by notice in the Gazette, appoint a Director of the Bureau who shall be the chief executive officer of the Bureau.
(2) The Council shall, after consultation with the Director, appoint such members and staff of the Bureau as the Council may deem necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the Bureau under this Act.
While replying to Keb’s rebuttal, the consumer body has further poked holes in the denying statement.
”It is not clear why the ministry and or principal secretary, who sits on the Standards Council, will still have himself and or a nominee on shortlisting committees for internal and or externally advertised jobs. Cofek equally remains a stranger to the KEBS Human Resources Policy – where no specific section was quoted in the KEBS generic response – that was more of a veiled threat than the salient information sought.“
We’ve also learnt that KEBS threatened Cofek to pull down article they had posted earlier on the recruitment petition claiming it had dealt them an unstated disrepute. Suspiciously, they want article taken down without convincing evidence that it was malicious, this is a common threat from corrupt leaders who want to hide information from the public and continue operating in secrecy.
Cofek has refused to give into their demands, “
KEBS is a key consumer protection agency. Its a primary partner to Cofek. Recruitment of its’ human resources is, therefore, a critical component of consumer protection. It cannot be gainsaid. Again, in light of Article 10 and especially 35 of the Constitution, information held by government and required in the public interest ought to be released to the public. It is the legitimate expectation that KEBS will provide the required full information.” The body stated.
Amani National Congress Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi addresses the congregation
Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi has called for political tolerance ahead of the 2022 General Election.
Speaking at Harvest Family Church in Rongai, Mudavadi warned that the political trajectory the country has taken is dangerous and could lead to violence if not tamed.
Citing the recent events where leaders have been pelted with stones and jeered during campaigns, Mudavadi called on Kenyans to exercise restrain and maintain peace.
“The leadership of this country should be anchored on the church. We need to say no to violence. Violence can be a dangerous destroyer of our economy,” he said.
Mudavadi called on Kenyans to enlist in the ongoing mass voter registration to enable them have say on the next leadership of the country.
The ANC leader who is eyeing the presidency told Kenyans to shun politicians who incite them to cause violence and do not respect the rule of law and independent institutions.
“Let our votes define our future. Those who aren’t yet registered should make good use of this last week of mass voter registration to get registered,” he said.
“We don’t want to have a leader who will give us sleepless nights. We want peaceful pre and post electioneering period so that we can be able to thrive our economy in such an environment,” he added.
Mudavadi who was accompanied by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja, MPs Ayub Savula (Lugari), Peter Nabulindo (Matungu), ANC chairman Kelvin Lunani and Secretary General Simon Gikuru, called on the church to pray for the country and offer direction on leadership choices.
“If the foundation of our nation’s leadership is anchored in the church, then as a country we shall achieve a lot. I want to remind Kenyans that the absence of peace and tolerance can be very destructive on the same economy that I want to rebuilt and grow once I assume the presidency next year,” he said.
He said his agenda is to revive the ailing economy, create jobs, provide enabling environment for businesses to thrive and ensure the education system works for all.
“I want people to put food on the table; fathers be able to provide for their families and women be given an environment where their small enterprises grow to big businesses. This is my agenda for this great country,” he said.
“Who can you trust to manage the economy? Who can you trust to obey the rule of law? Who can you trust to ensure the education of your children is guaranteed?” He posed.
Mudavadi said voter apathy was responsible for bad leadership and called on youths acquire national identity card and register as voters.
“There are millions of uncollected ID cards at chiefs’ offices. I call upon the many people who have not collected the same to do so and ensure they register as voters. That is the only way we can elect the leadership we deserve,” he said.
Addressing the public in Rongai town, the ANC leader urged the electorate to elect leaders of integrity who have the interests of the country at heart and shun those promoting politics of handouts at the expense of providing practical solutions affecting the country.
“Our economy is doing bad and we need practical solutions to resuscitate it not lies meant to hoodwink the youth. The country pockets are empty and let no one lie to you that there is money to be handed out. We need practical solutions to create decent jobs and not handouts and wheelbarrows,” he said.
Sakaja urged Kenyans not to a repeat of the 2007/2008 post-election violence.
“We pray for tolerance so that we can accept each other and be able to visit any part of the country for campaigns. Bad leaders are elected by good people who choose not to vote,” said the Nairobi Senator.
He said Mudavadi is the only leader who has what it takes to steer economic growth of the country and manage the public debt.
“I believe in the Mudavadi leadership. We want peace and unity and these can only be achieved with a Mudavadi presidency,” he said.
DP William Ruto chats with Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni at Mubende state lodge in Uganda when he paid him a courtesy call in December 2019
Deputy President William Ruto has asked Uganda President Yoweri Museveni to release trucks belonging to Kenyan fish exporters.
The trucks were impounded three weeks ago together with fish valued at Sh50 million (Sh1.5 billion Uganda shillings) in Kasese district.
According to the traders, who transport fresh fish from Lake Turkana to the Democratic Republic of Congo, the consignment was confiscated by the Uganda Fisheries Protection Unit on October 3 at Mpondwe border.
Speaking from Busia, Ruto urged President Museveni to release the trucks unconditionally.
“About the fish impounded in Uganda, I want to tell Museveni to release the lorries in the spirit of the East African Community and allow our traders to take the fish to its destination before they get bad. That is not bhang or illicit alcohol but genuine products that Kenyan traders were transporting,” said Ruto.
He said fresh fish was highly perishable and if the standoff persists, the traders will incur huge losses.
“We cannot claim we are good neighbours when we (Kenya) play our role and allow Uganda traders to do business in the country freely but our traders are arrested and slapped with punitive fines and their products confiscated across the border,” said Ruto.
President Museveni and DP Ruto are friends. The Deputy President said it was wrong for the Ugandan authorities to continue holding onto the consignment and yet an agreement had been reached to have the trucks released after traders blocked Busia border point last week.
Angry traders blocked the Busia One stop border point in protest after the Uganda Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU) declined to release the impounded trucks on grounds that the fish that was being transported to DRC had been stolen from Lake Kyoga.
Protesters had threatened to paralyse operation at the border point unless the trucks and consignment are released by Uganda authorities.
“The Uganda military is a thorn in our flesh. They arrest us frequently without any valid reasons and arraign us in their courts where we are slapped with punitive fines. On this one, we are not going to relent until we have our fish released unconditionally,” said Yusuf Sefu, chairman Kenya Fish Traders Association.
“We have closed this border to demand for the unconditional release of our trucks that were intercepted by the Ugandan military at the Mpondwe border post in Kasese,” explained Mr Sefu.
He said the impounded fish had met all requisite certification from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA).
“The fish was from Lake Turkana and not Lake Kyoga as it is being alleged,” argued the official. Sefu wondered why Uganda authorities were laying claim on the fish yet they could easily establish the origin of the fish.
Calm was restored at the border point after Ugandan officials led by Busia Deputy Resident District Commissioner Mathew Tusubira met with their Kenyan counterparts led by Busia Kenya County Commissioner, John Korir recently.
It was resolved that representatives from the two groups would meet and secure the release of the trucks but that has not happened.
So far, affected traders have moved to court and sued the head of the Fisheries Protection Unit-FPU on Lake George and Edward Capt Musa Mugogo and Joyce Ikwaput Nyeko respectively,
They also sued the acting Director of Fisheries Resources Management – Uganda and the country’s Attorney General who they want charged with malicious damage of property and theft.
Tetra Pack, a food processing and packaging solutions company has started its campaign to plant trees at the Oloolua forest.
The exercise is an enactment of the company’s ongoing campaign ‘Go nature GO carton.
Speaking during the event the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEEMA) Director General Mamo Boru said that protecting and enhancing the quality of the environment is a divine duty to all human beings.
“The greatest challenge we have at Oloolua is littering with the waste we generate yet we do not want to take responsibility for it,” said the Director General Boru.
He added that Kenyans have a poor attitude towards the environment saying taking care of the environment is a constitutional provision.
“I would like to call upon all other corporate companies to join us in enriching the forests by planting trees and nurturing them,” said Boru.
The Director General revealed that the Ministry of Environment and Forestry has been working on the green spaces in Nairobi like the Michuki Park with the aim of making such places clean.
“We are looking into mainstreaming environmental issues into the school curriculum in a programme dubbed greening of the school curriculum to create awareness among the children,” he added.
Boru further stated that NEEMA is providing schools with waste bins so that they can learn to sort the waste at the point of generation.
He urged the citizens to normalise sorting waste even before disposing it off as it will reduce unnecessary littering and encourage recycling.
“NEEMA has already written to IEBC to ensure that the candidates who want to vie in the forthcoming elections commit to protecting the environment by avoiding littering the streets with posters,” Boru said.
Boru warned that NEEMA will fine any aspirant who will be found guilty of littering and it will be mandatory for the candidates to put their commitment in writing.
While giving her remarks Tetra Pack Marketing Director Jackline Kittony said that all their carton packaging comes from sustainably manned forests.
“Our business solely relies on the forests hence it is our responsibility to plant trees and take care of the environment,” said Kittony.
She stated that Tetra Pack is looking at neutralising carbon emission and envisions being 100 per cent compliant on renewable energy by 2030.
Kittony revealed that the company is committed to protecting and preserving nature and has partnered with the Oloolua forest management to plant one million trees in the forest.
