CDF IS HERE TO STAY SAYS YATTA MP ROBERT BASIL

Yatta Member of Parliament  Robert Basil has said Constituency development fund ( CDF) is there to stay saying the house is discussing how it will be anchored on the law and ensure it is not abolished. 

Addressing journalists on the sidelines of the ongoing National assembly retreat at a Naivasha hotel,the legislator has highlited the success story of CDF and what it has been able to achieve therefore need to strengthen it and make it more efficient.

The legislator has said the retreat will also focus on pension for retired and former members of Parliament to ensure they live a good life after serving Kenyans.key among the house business on the retreat is also discussing crucial bills and house leadership changes which includes austerity measures to reduce the huge spending. 

MID-TERM PARLIAMENT RETREAT AIMS AT RECONSTRUCTING HOUSE COMMITTEES TO PERFORM BETTER NOT KICKING OUT REBEL MEMBERS KAWAYA CLARIFIES

Rulling party organizing secretary and Mwala member of Parliament Vincent kawaya has quelled rumours that the ongoing national assembly retreat in Naivasha is geared towards kicking out rebell member of Parliament sitting in various parliamentary committes who are allied to opposition and former deputy president. 

Kawaya has said the retreat is aimed at reconstructing committes which according to standing orders their terms expire after two years and also reconstructed to tap competent members who can perform in various committees and house leadership. 

First term members or parliament also get opportunity to be in committees of their choice since been in parliament the first time they can find themselves in the wrong committes. The retreat which started on Monday is expected to come to an end on Friday having checked the progress if the house for the last two years. 

WE WILL MAKE PRESIDENT RUTO A ONE TERM PRESIDENT MATUNGULU MP STEPHEN MULE SAYS

Wiper front soldier and Matungulu Mp Stephen Mule has expressed confidence of winning the upcoming elections following the unity coalition pact of former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, wiper leader Kalonzo musyoka, DAP- Kenya leader Eugene Wamalwa, Narc Kenya Martha karua and the former cabinet secretary Fred Matiangi. 

Speaking to journalists in Naivasha during the ongoing retreat to gauge progress of Parliament, the Member of Parliament has said it's time to send the current president home and make him a one term president. President William Ruto is currently facing hard time navigating his plan to Kenyans after Gen Z revolution which culminated to running over of Parliament in June 25th last year. Abductions and killing of government critics have only served to worsen the situation with human rights bodies,opposition leaders lead by wiper leader Kalonzo musyoka and Kenyans calling out the Kenya kwanza regime to stop threats to silence it's critics. 

Honourable Stephen Mule has said it's time the puppets of the president stop meddling with formation of new IEBC now that the selection committee has been gazetted. In particular the legislator has send a strong message to one Augustus Muli for been used by state to delay the process of forming the IEBC. 

URIRI LEGISLATOR MARK NYAMITA CALLS OUT FORMER DEPUTY PRESIDENT FOR BEEN ROGUE

Outspoken Uriri Member of Parliament Mark Nyamita had called out the former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua for telling the western Kenya that the president is out to manipulate and deceive them.

Speaking in Naivasha during the mid term retreat for Nation assembly members, the legislator had said president William Ruto should tour every part of the country and spread development across the country without fear of bern castigated by his critics lead by his former number two who is now operating from wamunyoro artillery base firing salvos to the president. 

The legislator has welcomed the president to the region again to bring road developments and water and also launch more transformers to the region saying the central Kenya has all those projects in place and now the president should focus on other regions.

MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT HOLD MID-TERM RETREAT IN NAIVASHA

Members of Parliament have converged in Naivasha for the mid term retreat slated for 27th to 31st January to discuss house business and legislative agenda lead by Moses wetangula the house speaker.During the retreat, Members will take stock of the progress made by the National Assembly during the First, Second and third Sessions. 

Speaking during the retreat members have expressed confidence in the formation of IEBC to pave a new dawn in the election body. 

The five day retreat is expected to address matters of national importance and parliament role as an arm of the government bringing together all elected and nominated members. 

JACOB'S LADDER HOSTS DEMO DAY REWARDING PARTICIPANTS

Emerging green entrepreneurs participating in an intensive incubation program to address pressing environmental challenges across East Africa under Jacob's ladder held a demo day today.

Finalist teams were drawn from various counties across Kenya which included Baringo, Busia, Homa Bay, Kajiado, Kiambu, Kisii, Kisumu, Lamu, Machakos, Makueni, Meru, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri, Tranza Nzoia, Turkana, Uasin Gishu and

Nairobi to present their innovative and scalable ideas aimed at building sustainable and resilient food systems powered by renewable energy.

The Demo Day marked the culmination of the Powering Food Systems Innovation Challenge  designed to inspire and engage young aspiring entrepreneurs with Participants exploring how renewable energy can transform food systems from production to consumption. 

Solutions ranged from energy-efficient farming

techniques and renewable-powered food processing to sustainable transport and waste reduction through smart energy systems.

The event also featured an expert judging panel comprising industry leaders, including Luiza Munyua, Snr. Scientific Officer, African Union; Omondi Kasidhi, Senior Manager, Digital Growth & Commercialization - Africa Yara International;

Mutembei Kariuki, Co-Founder & CEO, Fastagger; Ann Ichungwa, Founder, GAK Advisory; Bilha Ndirangu, CEO, Great Carbon Valley and Sharon Olende, Trade & Working Capital Finance, Churpy Inc., who evaluated the finalists’ solutions

and selected the winners. The Demo Day concluded with an award ceremony celebrating the ingenuity and efforts of

the participants with part of the main considerations for selection being the solution’s impact on women and youth.

Participants had the chance to win monetary prizes in the form of pre-seed capital, ranging from Ksh 10,000 to Ksh 100,000. In third place was Bettinah Maruti from iLoop KE and Logistics, an innovative solution addressing food spoilage and storage issues for vendors in low-income areas. Second place went to Alfred Mutethia, Steven Mwaura, and Victor Gituma from Solar Nest, a poultry farming solution leveraging advanced solar tracking technology, ESP32 microcontrollers, and cameras. The grand prize of Ksh 200,000 was awarded to Urbanus Lubano from Empire Innovations, a company creating renewable energy-powered machinery for sustainable agriculture.

IGRTC CLARIFIES EDUCATION FUNCTIONS BETWEEN NATIONAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS

 Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) has issued  clarifications regarding the distribution of education-related functions between the national and county governments with specific focus on bursaries and scholarships.

According to Ms. Saadia Kontoma, Vice-Chairperson of the IGRTC,the committee is committed to supporting both levels of government in executing their constitutional mandates and emphasized the importance of cooperation to ensure that all Kenyans have access to quality education.

The clarification aims to settle growing concerns about which government level holds responsibility for the provision of educational support, ensuring that roles are clearly defined and executed as per constitutional mandates.

The Constitution of Kenya, particularly Articles 6(2), 189, and 186(3), outlines the functions of both levels of government and emphasizes cooperation and coordination between them. The Fourth Schedule further delineates these functions, while Article 187 provides a framework for the transfer of functions between the national and county governments when necessary.

The IGRTC, tasked with facilitating consultations and cooperation between the two levels of government, has expressed its commitment to ensuring that the constitutional responsibilities of each government are upheld, particularly in the education sector. It points out that the issuance of bursaries and scholarships is primarily the responsibility of the national government under current constitutional provisions. However, county governments can still play a role in supporting educational initiatives by entering into Intergovernmental Partnership Agreements (IPAs) with the national government to ensure that resources are effectively managed and allocated.

The recent debate regarding the issuance of bursaries by county governments has highlighted the need for a clear and unified approach. Although county governments have been involved in providing educational support, the national government retains constitutional authority over this function, unless agreed otherwise by both parties.

To address any discrepancies and ensure seamless service delivery, the IGRTC has proposed the activation of an Education Sector Forum, where stakeholders from both levels of government, as well as other relevant parties, can come together to discuss and resolve any disagreements related to education functions. The forum would serve as a platform for ongoing dialogue and provide an avenue for escalation to the National and County Government Coordinating Summit if necessary.

As discussions on the future of educational support continue, IGRTC remains focused on fostering effective communication and collaboration between the national and county governments to deliver on the education needs of the country.

 IGRTC has urged both governments to work together to develop clear mechanisms for transferring the necessary resources for any education functions that may be devolved in the future. This includes ensuring that funds follow functions, in line with the Constitution’s provisions on resource allocation.

PRINCIPAL SECRETARY STATE DEPARTMENT FOR AGRICULTURE LAUNCHES THE NATIONAL HORTICULTURE STAND COMMITTEE

Horticulture industry is set to benefit after inauguration of the National Horticulture Standing Committee in Nairobi. The agriculture sector directly accounts on average 22% of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and indirectly through linkages with manufacturing.The sector has witnessed growth in production and value, growing at an average rate of 10% p.a. for the last ten years.

Speaking during the ceremony  at a Nairobi hotel principal secretary Dr Paul Rono has said the sector earned the country foreign exchange earnings of Ksh. 157 billion in 2023 through export of horticultural produce. This led to the establishment of the National Horticulture Taskforce back in 2004 with the aim of developing an advocacy agenda for the industry and tackling existing and emerging challenges. 

The 12 member committee shall be chaired by a senior officer from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development and the Vice Chair shall

be drawn from the Private Sector. The membership of the Standing Committee will be as follows: Collins Marangu Agriculture Secretary – MOALD Chairing, Dr. Bruno Linyiru,

OGW,DG - Agricultural and Food Authority (AFA) Member, Dr. Eliud Kireger,

OGW CEO - Kenya Agricultural and Livestock

Research Organization (KALRO)

Member,Prof. Theophilus M.

Mutui, PhD CEO - Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate

Service (KEPHIS)

Member,Floice Mukabana CEO - Kenya Export Promotion and Branding

Agency (KEPROBA)

Member ,Fredrick Muchiri CEO - Pest Control Products Board (PCPB) Member,James Wachihi

Muturi Chairman - County Executive Committee

Agriculture Caucus Member,Clement Tulezi CEO - Kenya Flower Council (KFC) Member,Hosea Machuki CEO - Fresh Produce Exporters Association of Kenya (FPEAK)

Member, Okisegere Ojepat CEO - Fresh Produce Consortium of Kenya (FPCK)

Member, Eric Kimunguyi CEO - AAK Grow Member, Christine Chesaro Ag. Director – Horticultural Crops Directorate Member & Secretary.

The Committee is tasked to, Identify emerging issues in the horticulture industry, develop and

implement strategies to address these issues;Promote enhanced production and productivity of horticulture

produce;Promote research and development in horticulture value chains; Promote the adoption and transfer of Technology Innovations, and

Management Practices

According to the PS the committee should includ adoption and uptake of  quality standards and certifications by the industry, implementation of strategies of Product development, Market

access and diversification.It should Promote stakeholder capacity building on various aspects in the industry and address cross cutting issues in the sector including climate change,logistics, access to finance. 

AFA director Dr Bruno linyiru has reiterated the need for collaborations with country governments and agencies to promote horticulture industry .