Category: BUSINESS

The Chairman of the South Rift Farmers Association Justus Monda has decried the inflated prices of farming inputs and the high cost of labour that has resulted in the labor reduction of maize production in the country.

Speaking today during a press conference at his Viwanda office, Monda said apart from the delayed rains and climate change, the high farming cost in the country has not been adequately addressed.

He said planting one acre of maize requires a minimum of Sh10, 000, an amount which most of the smallholder farmers, who own between two and five acres cannot afford.

The chairman appealed to the government to streamline and simplify the distribution of subsidized fertilizer, claiming that in most cases, wealthy households were given preference to the vulnerable farmers who required it most.

He suggested reducing the quantity of subsidized fertilizer to the bare minimum to make wealthy farmers shy away from it and enable poorer households to acquire the government-funded fertilizer.

In addition, he said the long queues, high cost of fare, transportation of the fertilizer from the NCPB to the farms, and the tedious process were constantly a discouragement to the vulnerable farmers.

However, he said despite their meager resources, the smallholder farmers produce 40 percent of the maize consumed in the country, and they have the capacity of producing more if they were supported according to their needs.

In addition, he said maize was the most affordable source of calories among the cereal grains, and it’s consumed by both the rich and poor, which makes it a basic food that cannot be ignored.

But, a maize researcher from the Njoro Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) John Wachira said local maize farmers were producing below capacity due to poor farming practices.

He noted that an acre of maize was supposed to produce a minimum of 28 bags and a maximum of 40 bags. Adding that last year, the production of maize declined from 44 million bags to 42.1 million bags, and he blamed the farmers for the continued decline.

Migori County faces unprecedented demand for horticultural crops, amid an acute shortage of the product in local markets.

However, one farmer, Maurice Odera stands tall in the area as an upcoming farmer who has seen a silver lining in horticulture. Mr. Odera from Wi Pith Kabiero village in Central Kanyamkago location in Uriri Sub County, braved a journey of nearly 300 kilometers to the all fertile land region of Ramogi village in Suna East Constituency, in what would mark the beginning of a new life upon migrating from his sleepy home within the sugar-belt.

“I migrated to Ramogi village four years ago and immediately picked on a new line of farming horticultural crops away from growing sugarcane which was not giving me any good income,” he told KNA during an interview Wednesday. He says the people from his original home area have grown sugarcane for many years, but have never seen tangible benefits from such farming, which is so involving, expensive, and with an un-promised return.

In 2018, he and his wife ventured seriously into farming tomatoes, onions, passion fruits, and all types of vegetables. They have since been increasing their farm acreage under the crops every year. “From a paltry quarter acre that we started with, we are now doing a total of over 20 acres, scattered in all parts of Suna East Sub–County,” said Mr. Odera with a broad smile as he confirmed a good income ever every year.  He disclosed that about Sh1 million lands into his pocket every year from farming these crops.

Consequently, farmers from Migori have been advised to embrace horticulture farming as a sure means to ripe maximum wealth. The region’s horticulture development authority (HCDA) branch manager Mr. Lawrence Wambura says that such crops as passion fruits, vegetables, and tomatoes ensured good earnings to farmers since they are sold on a daily or weekly basis. Speaking in Migori town, Wambura noted that such crops also have ready markets throughout the year in the country and abroad as opposed to other farm products like maize and sugarcane.

He regretted the apathy that the local farmers hold towards horticulture farming, saying they had not learned from the numerous problems they have been encountering in maize and tobacco farming in the past years.

The official explained that the production of fruits and vegetables was still very low in the region because almost 99 percent of the local farmers engage in planting sugarcane, tobacco, and maize on large scale.

The region depends on fruits and vegetables from far-flung areas of Kericho, Nakuru, and Kisii, as well as from neighboring countries, Uganda and Tanzania.

“Horticulture fruits have a wider market which spreads from Nairobi to Mombasa, and from Kampala to Dar-es-salaam in the neighboring countries Uganda and Tanzania. You better grab this opportunity to put much of your land under fruits and vegetable growing,” he told the local farmers.

He said the crops can be produced on a large scale by embracing the latest technologies in horticulture farming through irrigation, greenhouse, and shade nets farming.

Nairobi, 14.04.2022 Kenya’s number one retail chain, Naivas Supermarket will officially open doors of its 83rd outlet and fourth this year. The new outlet, covering more than 28,000 square feet of trading space is the new anchor tenant at Kiambu Mall located in the heart of Kiambu Town and the 5th Naivas Outlet in the greater Kiambu County.

This new development comes barely a month after the 82nd store opening at Katani along Mombasa Road. The outlet promises a wholesome shopping experience, right from the excellent customer service, the fresh offering which is a key focus that promises to satisfy the most sophisticated of palettes to the fully stocked shelves with a mix of products that will abundantly meet customer needs. “We are excited that this opening comes just in time for the kickoff the Easter weekend ensuring that we get to serve residents of Kiambu town and its environs within their vicinity. The excitement is further compounded by our Easter campaign this year dubbed “Tusahau Siasa Tutakusave Hii Holidei” and the tagline being “Kila Wiki, Kila Kaunti Bila Siasa”.

The 9- week campaign which kicked off on the 25th of March has shoppers enjoy the best of everyday prices. We understand that economically times are tough and as a homegrown brand we bear a duty to society and it is for this reason that we made the sacrifice so that Kenyan’s do not have to by lessening the load of the shopping basket through market leading sales promotions that ensure every person who walks into Naivas outlets feels the relief at the till, “said Willy Kimani Naivas Chief Commercial Officer. “We are delighted that as a local brand, we have reached heights previously unprecedented in the retail industry and take the opportunity to appreciate the unwavering support from our customers and partners as it has ensured that the business has continued to grow from strength to strength,” concluded Willy Kimani.

The next stores lined up for opening include Safari Centre along Nakuru-Nairobi Highway
and Meru.

Nairobi, Thursday, April 14, 2022: Destination marketer Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has today renewed its partnership with World Marathon Record Holder Eliud Kipchoge as the Magical Kenya Ambassador. The partnership is part of the continued efforts by the Board to leverage Kenya’s status as a global sporting powerhouse to market the destination to the world.

Eliud was first signed as Kenya’s tourism ambassador in 2020, a partnership that saw the champion promote Kenya as a preferred tourism destination locally, regionally, and internationally through various campaigns.

Speaking during the announcement at an event held at Karura Forest Eliud Kipchoge said that he was honored to renew his partnership with Magical Kenya as its destination ambassador, noting that his love for Kenya made the engagement fulfilling to him.

“I am very delighted to renew this partnership with Magical Kenya which has now become my family. It is such a great honor to be given the responsibility to represent my country as its Tourism Ambassador. I have enjoyed this role which has also made me learn a lot about Kenya. for instance, in 2020, I was able to witness the great wildebeest migration, today I am at Karura forest which is an important conservation ecosystem in Kenya. I hope that I can continue to serve my country in this role and also raise awareness of conservation and the beauty of Kenya.” Said Kipchoge

Kipchoge added that the industry had suffered a lot during the covid -19 pandemic and therefore required support from all Kenyans especially, during this time when it is looking forward to a comeback.

Tourism & Wildlife CS Najib Balala says that the partnership will not only focus on destination marketing but also on showcasing the country’s conservation efforts to the world, “Our journey with Eliud Kipchoge as destination ambassador commenced in 2020 right after the Covid-19 pandemic was recorded in the country. Eliud’s contributions to the country over the years have been important in ensuring that Magical Kenya is recognizable across the world. His role as destination ambassador has been important, especially during the period when there was less travel, he helped in creating awareness about the destination as well as marketing and showcasing Magical Kenya to the world.”

“Today we kick-start the second phase of the partnership which will focus on conservation awareness as well as showcasing Kenya’s different offerings and different circuits that the world should know. Eliud’s global profile, patriotism, passion for the destination, and conservation make him the ideal ambassador for Kenya and we hope that we can achieve this going forward.”

Principal Secretary state department for tourism Zeinab Hussein says; – “I take this opportunity to thank Eliud for taking up the role, Eliud interfaces well between the local and international market which is important for the destination. We want to ensure that we arouse the interest of travelers from across the world. “said the PS

This second phase will see Eliud visit more circuits to promote the destination as well as grace key Magical Kenya events that will allow him to get an interface with key stakeholders as well as enhance his influence to grow the sector. Eliud is passionate about conservation and fits into the sector’s agenda ahead of the implementation of the Cop26 declarations focused on mitigating climate change

Muranga, 13th April 2022: Our attention has been drawn by unfortunate remarks made by Hon Peter
Munya, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Co-operatives, regarding the
contribution of the Kenya Tea & Coffee Lobby Group to the total overhaul of the tea sector.

This overhaul that we have been right at the center of has seen farmers enjoy better returns, remove decade-old theft machinery, and entrenchment of corporate governance in the management of the tea sector in Kenya. The Kenya Tea & Coffee Sector Lobby wishes to remind Cabinet secretary Peter Munya of the following;
• Tea farmers approached Irungu Nyakera, chairman, of Kenya Tea & Coffee Lobby Group
in 2018 to fight and agitate for their rights. At that time, nobody else was keen to listen to farmer
issues, that were even exposed in the forensic audit report on the management of the tea sector
• In 2018/19 we met with different stakeholders to better understand issues faced by tea
farmers for us to push for reforms. We also met with the then Cabinet Secretary, Agriculture
Mwangi Kiunjuri.
• in 2019, the lobby wrote to the Directorate Of Criminal Investigations and Office of
Director Of Public prosecutions to charge KTDA management with fraud and misuse of public
funds
• In 2019, the lobby went to court to stop the elections of KTDA rotating directors and was
unsuccessful. We then went ahead to file another petition to stop the confirmation of any
directors elected and we were successful. This was a historical the first successful case against
KTDA.

•the lobby reached out to the Office of the President and on 14th January 2020, the President read out our tea reform proposals at state house Mombasa and said the government is committed to making these reforms a reality. On this same day, the President appointed Minister Munya as minister for agriculture with a mandate to reform the tea sector.

•Kenya Tea Sector Lobby organized 400 members who are tea farmers to assemble at Uhuru Park at 9:00 Am on Thursday, December 17, 2020, for a peaceful march to attend a court case filed by KTDA against the reforms instituted by the government at the Milimani Law Courts, Nairobi. The farmers later marched to the Senate to press for the passing of the Tea Bill.

•22ND December 2020, the successful passage of THE TEA BILL by the Senate injected fresh hope into Tea Farmers through radical policy and structural reforms to the tea sector, assuring farmers of better returns through the purging of cartels and middlemen, overhauling old and tired leadership at KTDA and factories, and forcing KTDA to focus on marketing and value addition.

•30th April 2021, Minister Peter Munya appointed our chairman Irungu Nyakera to chair the National Technical Working Committee on the Design, Development, and Implementation of the Tea Industry Price Stabilization Framework. 12th March 2021, The president through Executive Order number 3 of 2021, in the revitalization of the tea sub-sector

•September 22nd, 2021, the Cabinet Secretary quoted the proposals by the Irungu Nyakera Led committee during the induction of KTDA factory directors in Mombasa. These proposals included the Tea Price and Income Stabilization Fund being run by the Tea Board of Kenya (TBK) with a board comprising of representatives of the PSs for Agriculture, Trade, and National Treasury, the Chief Executive of TBK, a company secretary, and other co-opted members.

•7th March 2022, The Cabinet Secretary officially received the final report from the National Technical Working Committee on the Design, Development, and Implementation of the Tea Industry Price Stabilization Framework.

The lobby applauds the good work done by CS Munya, to the benefit of tea farmers. However,
the minister has started eroding these sacred gains by politicizing tea reforms and fighting our
Irungu Nyakera during his visits to Muranga County.

All through this journey, Irungu Nyakera, and Minister Munya have unanimously agreed that farmers’
issues should never be politicized and we wonder why the minister is forgetting this solemn oath to
farmers. Despite being in different political coalitions, issues of farmers’ should give all Kenyans an
agreeable middle ground.

With Irungu Nyakera being a principal member of the Kenya Kwanza coalition, applauds the William Ruto to Irunga Nyakera, on the sidelines of the coalition signing ceremony, that his government will prioritize the completion of the ongoing tea reforms. The contribution of Irungu Nyakera to the Tea sector reforms is significant and indelible.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 29, 2022: Canon, the official printing and imaging provider of Expo
2020 Dubai, declared the winners of its much-talked-about sustainability-themed competition ‘Moments that Matter’, in an announcement today. Held in collaboration with the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum International Photography Award (HIPA), the competition was launched with an intent to drive meaningful change and sustainable action through the power of visual storytelling at Expo 2020 Dubai last year.

In alignment with the Expo 2020 theme, Canon invited photography enthusiasts to participate in the ‘Moments that Matter’ competition by capturing moments that define humanity and relationships within the planet and highlight sustainable development issues. Participants in the EMEA region were encouraged to submit five images across any of four categories critical to global sustainability issues: Economic, Human, Environmental and Social.

The entry categories were subdivided into ‘Moments that make us’ (Environment), ‘Moments that heal us’ (Human), ‘Moments that save us’ (Social), and ‘Moments that develop us’ (Economic).

The overall competition entries have been judged by an esteemed international panel of experts, including Fiona Shields, head of photography at Guardian News and Media Group; Kathy Moran, the deputy director of photography for National Geographic magazine; Aïda Muluneh, Canon ambassador and founder and director of Addis Foto Fest; Brent Stirton, Canon. ambassador and senior photographer at Getty Images, and Muhammed Muheisen, Canon ambassador, National Geographic photographer, Pulitzer prize winner, and founder of Everyday Refugees.

DRIVING CHANGE THROUGH CREATIVITY
Canon is pleased to declare Abbas Alkhamis from Saudi Arabia as the grand winner chosen from across all
four categories for its sustainability-focused sustainability-focused competition, aimed at raising awareness about the planet and its people.

He will receive the grand prize of USD 8000 award and a prestigious opportunity to be part of the award
ceremony held at Expo2020 Dubai for using the medium of visual storytelling to engage and influence people about sustainable development.

The grand winner along with winners from each category was selected unanimously by the esteemed panel of judges, however, the ‘People’s Choice Winner’ was open for the public to cast their votes to determine the best participating photographer. As per popular opinion o the public, the ‘People’s Choice Winner’ award goes to Mohamed Nageeb Nasr, who is originally from Egypt but now resides in Qatar.

The other winners selected specifically for each category are as follows:

Gabriel Jimoh from Nigeria the official winner of the economic category, Saif Khlaifat from Jordan official winner of the humanitarian category ‘Moments that heal us’, Timokhina from Spain is the official winner of the environmental category ‘Moments that make us’, Olga

PEOPLE AND PLANET – CREATING A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL

Commenting on the matter, Mai Youssef, Corporate Communications and Marketing Services Director –
Canon Middle East, Turkey, and Central and North Africa said, “It is an absolute delight to announce the
winners of the ‘Moments the that Matter’ competition – an inspiring initiative from Canon and Expo 2020 to encourage sustainable development through the medium of photography. We want to thank all the participants for investing their time and energy in this brilliant cause-led initiative. We are also very grateful to all our distinguished panel of judges who came together to shed light on such an essential subject – sustainability in the context of different topics and shared their immense wealth of knowledge.

Our endeavor through this competition was to highlight the significance of sustainability in all walks of life and the impact we can generate today by our thoughtful actions to create a better world for tomorrow.

The competition has been part of Expo’s series of interactive events and programs to promote the power of
imagery to capture, preserve and share with the world some of the most inspiring transformative ideas
showcased at the exhibition.

His Excellency Ali Bin Thalith, Secretary-General, HIPA, stated, “It was an absolute pleasure to collaborate with Canon and Expo 2020 Dubai and shed light on the significance of sustainability for our planet and people through a creative endeavor such as this. Photography has the potential to ignite emotions and actions as we have seen from the entries received. My heartfelt congratulations to all the winners.” Marjan Faraidooni, Chief Experience Officer, Expo 2020 Dubai, “The power of art and creativity to drive change is immensely impactful and this is evident through all the entries received for Canon’s Moments that Matter competition.

The competition perfectly aligned with Expo 2020’s themes of Opportunity, Mobility, and Sustainability with Canon’s corporate focus pillars of the ‘Future of the Planet’, the ‘Future of People in it’, and the ‘Future of what is Possible’ that generated the much-needed buzz and engagement on topics of sustainability in different areas of life. We are thrilled for all the winners and thankful to Canon for addressing this challenging conversation of sustainability by providing a creative platform to engage and encourage people.”

About Canon Central and North Africa
Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA) (Canon-CNA.com) is a division within Canon Middle East FZ LLC (CME), a subsidiary of Canon Europe. The formation of CCNA in 2015 was a strategic step that aimed to
enhance Canon’s business within the Africa region – by strengthening Canon’s in-country presence and focus.

CCNA also demonstrates Canon’s commitment to operating closer to its customers and meeting their demands in the rapidly evolving African market. Canon has been represented in the African continent for more than 15 years through distributors and partners that have successfully built a solid customer base in the region.

CCNA ensures the provision of high quality high-quality, technologically advanced products that meet the requirements of Africa’s rapidly evolving marketplace. With over 100 employees, CCNA manages sales and marketing activities across 44 countries in Africa. Canon’s corporate philosophy is Kyosei – ‘living and working together for the common good.

CCNA pursues sustainable business growth, focusing on reducing its environmental impact and supporting customers to reduce theirs using Canon’s products, solutions, and services.

At Canon we are pioneers, constantly redefining the world of imaging for the greater good. Through our technology and our spirit of innovation, we push the bounds of what is possible – helping us to see our world in ways we never have before. We help bring creativity to life, one image at a time. Because when we can see our world, we can transform it for the better.
For more information: Canon-CNA.com

The Kenya Medical Supplies Authority(KEMSA) has flagged off a consignment of sunscreen agents destined for more than 192 public health facilities to alleviate the plight of persons living with albinism.

Provision of sunscreen agents with a sun protection factor of 50 and above (SPF 50+) is a public health requirement, with such agents now listed in the Kenya Essential Medicine list.

Speaking at an event to flag off delivery vehicles heading to more than 45 counties, KEMSA Acting Chief Executive Officer John Kabuchi, flanked by senior officials from the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), said the Authority has been managing the procurement, warehousing and last-mile delivery of sunscreen agents to public health facilities.

“This particular consignment of sunscreen agents comprises lip balms, after-sun lotion, adult and children sunscreen lotions valued at more than Ksh 54 million,” Kabuchi said. He added, “KEMSA and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities have been ensuring that these sunscreen agents are delivered promptly to all health facilities to ensure the comfort of persons living with albinism.”

The distribution of the sunscreen agents to more than 3800 persons with albinism is one of the flagship NCPWD support programs.

NCPWD Executive Director Harun Hassan said the Council has been implementing this program to cushion persons with albinism from harmful sun rays, leading to skin cancer.

“Under the Albinism Support program, the Council provides sunscreen lotions, lip balms, and other services for all Persons with Albinism. One bottle of Nivea sunscreen lotion is provided to every registered Person with Albinism monthly. Additionally, clients are entitled to one after sun lotion every two months. Besides sunscreen and after-sun lotions, lip balms have also been procured for PWAs who are entitled to a piece each month,” Hassan said.

The flag-off of the sunscreen agents comes hot on the heels of a series of recent medical supplies consignments by KEMSA to various public health facilities.

Last month, KEMSA flagged off a consignment of assorted essential medical supplies valued at more than Ksh 200 million destined to various counties as part of ongoing efforts to ensure the national scale-up of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) programme.

The Authority has maintained an ”above-average” order fulfillment rate and last-mile deliveries to more than 11,500 health facilities countrywide.

Nairobi, Wednesday, March 30, 2022,  Bamburi Cement today announced its entry into the specialized mortar sector by launching a ready-to-use tile adhesive by the brand name ‘Bamburi TectorCeram SETI 300’ into the Kenyan market.

Designed for placement of porous tiles including ceramic, terracotta, earthenware, and natural stone tiles, Bamburi SETI 300 is a cementitious mortar product produced from carefully sourced raw materials, including chemical admixtures, Bamburi cement, and sand.

Speaking at the launch in Nairobi, Bamburi Cement’s Head of Innovation and Technical Services, Fidelis Sakwa shared that the introduction of the new product into the market was in response to consumer needs and aligned to global construction trends in modern tiling which require more specialized tile adhesive solutions.

He further stated: “Innovation is a key lever in the company’s Building for Growth strategy, and today’s milestone is a result of continuous investment in research and development coupled with paying close attention to our customer’s needs. The launch of Bamburi SETI 300 is a direct response to insights from the market about shifting trends in tiling in residential houses, shopping complexes, restaurants, offices, hospitals, educational institutions, hotels, among others. The challenges experienced by builders and contractors alike, have demonstrated that the right tiling adhesive will satisfy the needs of our customers.”

Bamburi Cement’s Sales Director, Kanyi Gitonga said “One of the challenges in the building industry today, is the prevalence of popping out, cracking, and falling of tiles. Through the support of the Holcim Group research center in France in conjunction with our Bamburi team, we have specially formulated Bamburi SETI 300 to address this. Made from largely locally available materials, SETI 300 is an excellent example of Kenyan manufactured solutions.”

The new tile adhesive is suitable for interior tiling solutions such as floor and wall applications and only requires the addition of water on site. Its advanced formulation and creamy workability significantly increase the bonding strength to prevent debonding and speed up construction works.

Bamburi Cement’s Managing Director Seddiq Hassani added, “We are delighted to tap into the growing demand for specialty mortar products such as tile adhesives. As a champion for innovation in construction, Bamburi Cement is well-positioned to develop and present yet another construction solution to resolve challenges in the tiling sector. The diversification of our product portfolio allows us to further differentiate, grow in new segments and enhance value for our customers and stakeholders.”

Bamburi SETI 300 is also part of our eco-responsible offerings as it is environmentally safe as it is manufactured from inert chemicals that do not harm the environment and has been deliberately designed to minimize the amount of water used to lay tiles.

It is also economical to use and not only does it improve the adhesion strength and bonding of tiles but also enhances workability for fixing tiles resulting in aesthetically beautiful tiles.

Mr. Hassani added “I am proud of this initiative because it eases the process of tiling in construction projects. Bamburi TectorCeram SETI 300 is the ultimate choice as it has a very neat and strong finish, it is environmentally and consumer-friendly and significantly reduces the potential cost of repairs and wasted time.”