NOMINATED SENATOR ORWOBA CALLS HARMONIZATION OF BURSARY KITTY

Nominated Senator Gloria Orwoba has called for harmonization of bursary kitty to ensure all students get education.

Speaking during the three day cabinet retreat in Naivasha,the outspoken senator has louded interventions in bursary kitty's from different leaders across the country calling on the government to live within it's means.

According to statistics the hundred percent transition has not been possible due to high school fees charged to join secondary schools.This has locked out dozens of students from needy backgrounds from accessing education a move that does not sit well with education stakeholders.

BARAZA MEDIA LAB TO HOST AFRICA MEDIA FESTIVAL

The second edition of Africa Media Festival will be held at the National Museums of Kenya from 21st and 22nd of this month expected to  bring together over six hundred participants across African countries.

The festival whose themme is " What's next in media" will take place out of the comfort of hotel after the successful first edition which happened last year in Nairobi Radison blue hotel in uperhil and featured over six hundred and fifty participants from eighteen African countries.The conference aims to bring together creatives, innovators and thought leaders in media industry to shape the future African media.

According to Maurice Otieno the executive director Baraza Media Lab the media festival will celebrate latest innovations in media, collaborations and emerging trends to promote media independence and sustainability in Africa.

Organized by Baraza Media Lab,the conference invites investors,grant makers,media owners,civil society representatives,social media influencers, journalists,creatives and government officers.

END FEMICIDE NOW, INTERFAITH NOW SPEAKS

The Interfaith leaders under the banner of christian Aid have today held a round table discussions in Nairobi   to address the rising cases of femicide and other forms of gender based violence in Kenya.The alarming rise in femicide cases in Kenya. Femicide, the intentional killing of women based on their gender, is a grave violation of human rights and an affront to the values taht humanity embody the image of God.

Speaking at the Desmond Tutu centre in Nairobi the leaders have cited several cases of femicide that of  January 4, 2024,stabbing to death of 26-year-old Starlet Wahu a popular Instagram figure in a short-term rental apartment On the 14th January days after the brutal murder and dismemberment of a 20-year-old Rita Waeni in Nairobi with her remains scattered by the killer and some stuffed in a plastic bag which sent shockwaves throughout our communities.

 Femicide Count Kenya which monitors killings reported in local news, recorded 58 deaths labelled as femicides between January and October 2022. In 2023, the organisation recorded at least 152 killings – the highest in the past five years and 14 cases have already been reported in January 2024. 

The Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) indicate that over 40 percent of women have experienced physical or sexual intimate partner violence in their lifetime. In all these cases, the blame has shifted from perpetrators to the victims. This staggering number only represents cases reported in the media and doesn’t represent the true count as on average a woman or girl is killed every day, often by a close family member. Violence against women and girls is violence against the entire humankind, and should have no place in Kenya or anywhere in the world. It is disheartening to witness the loss of innocent lives, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families affected by these tragic events.

Society’s response to gender-based violence can be enhanced by understanding some of the key drivers of the epidemic. The sacred texts are clear that we must seek knowledge (Baha’u’llah Kitab-i-Aqdas, pp 51-52; Hosea 4: 6 and the Quran 20: 114). Having a fuller understanding of the complexity of gender-based violence will enable us to develop and implement more effective responses.

  The government of Kenya should hasten to make efforts to bring all perpetrators to Justice and  ensure progress towards implementation of the Sexual Offences Act (2006), the National Policy on Prevention and Response to Gender based Violence 2014 outcomes, and the enforcement of all laws and policies that respond to Gender Based Violence. All relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the government must task to work in concert with other institutions including law enforcement authorities in mitigating the heinous acts of femicide and other gender-based violence.   

They have called on the  government to enforce treaties it has ratified on this issue such as The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, (Maputo Protocol) and Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) among others.This as the Interfaith commit to continue educating congregations and communities on the root causes of femicide and other forms of GBV, dismantling harmful stereotypes, offering mentorship to boychild during cultural forums such as rites of passage to change the perception of young men towards women and promoting healthy relationships founded on mutual respect.

The roundtable have resolved to  commit to promote theologies that affirm the dignity and equality of all genders.Support Services, commit to create awareness on existing support services (hotlines and safe houses) commit to establish and promote accessible support services, including pastoral counselling, psycho-social intervention and safe spaces, to aid survivors and their families in the aftermath of femicide and other forms of GBV.

In a bid to  strengthening legal frameworks the Interfaith have committed to continuous engagement with policymakers to focus on strengthening the legal framework and ensuring its Kenyans have been urged to  irrespective of religious affiliation join hands in the fight against femicide.This will create a responsible society where women can live free from fear, violence, and discrimination.

LISTEN TO THE CRY OF KENYANS NCCK TELLS THE PRESIDENT

The National church council of Kenya (NCCK) has this morning called on the president to heed to the cry of kenyans to lower taxes and address the high cost of living saying the street levels of Kenyans has risen and Kenyans are suffering.

Speaking after the end of two day state of nation reflection conference in limuru,the church leaders have said according to the survey they conducted across the country 71 percent of Kenyans rated the government performance as below average while 74 percent of kenyans said the country is headed in the wrong direction.

The church leaders have called on the president to end the public attacks on judiciary and ensure the three arms of government work together in harmony.They have reiterated on the importance of the president to lead his troops in adhering to the constitution.

In a statement themed, "come let us reason together" the religious heads have said the that disparities in transmission of KCPE and KCSE results should be addressed immediately.In a bid to ensure all students who sat for exams have gone to school the NCCK has called on Kenyans to donate to their scholarship program by sending the word ELIMU to 2988 with safaricom line to donate 1.50cents daily which will be accounted for by NCCK.