Do county Governments have proper policies for nurturing talents?

By Daniel Mwendo

Lule's art I (Photo:Daniel Mwendo/MCV)

We have different types of talents which God has given to each of us. To nurture these talents, combined efforts by leaders and professionals is required. Unfortunately in Kenya, talent discovery and nurturing has been taking the back seat and most of the youths with talents end up being wasted.

During games seasons, there are those pupils who go up to national levels and there is no follow up of these pupils to take them to respective talent academies so that they can be nurtured.

Since the government has devolved its functions to the county level, it is important that the counties set up talent academies and equip them properly so that we can have well trained youths who can compete at international levels. Take a good example of our fellow Kenyan athletics and the way they have excelled in this sport. Another good example is our footballers who have done well despite having done it through the hard way without any proper nurturing especially through academies.

Lule's art II (Photo:Daniel Mwendo/MCV)

For instance,Lule Ibrahim is a talented artist from Mutomo Township who has been doing wall hanging and masking arts and makes very good portraits. However, Lule’s biggest problem is finding market for his art. This more than ever stresses the need for good leadership which identifies talent at the grass root level as well as linking talented youth with the right market.

According to Lule, there are so many youths who are frustrated by life yet they have talents which they can use to earn their daily bread. He suggests that counties need to establish talent academies and start trade fairs for artist to showcase what they have made.

Gross indiscipline poses a burden to the parents

By Daniel Mwendo

After a three time’s unsuccessful attempts to burn down their dormitory using petrol, St. Patrick’s mixed secondary school in Mutomo District closed their school prematurely without even finishing their second term examinations.

When the Board of governors met, they decided that all the students must be accompanied by their parents during third term’s opening day.

Student's shopping gets a thorough frisking before

being allowed into the school (Photo:Daniel Mwendo

/MCV)

Frisking of the students bags was done at the gate to ensure that no student went in with unauthorized items in the school compound. Boys who had trimmed their trousers to a pipe- like shape were out rightly sent away to come with proper trousers. Girls who had shortened and altered school uniform skirts were not spared either. Proper shopping was also considered.

The born of contention was entertainment. The students wanted entertainment every Saturday and Sunday during night time and not during day time

Proper grilling was done to get further details pertaining to the ring leaders. Those students who failed to give any information were turned away with their parents. Stern measures will be taken to those students who will be implicated.

The students together with their parents had to sign a Memorandum of Understanding where they agreed that entertainments will only be done on specific Saturdays and Sundays and only during day time. Those found to have sneaked will buy a six hundred and 10 Metre bundle of barbed wire. There will be no coming with phones to school and those found to have stolen will pay two times the cost of what they had stolen among others.

The final stage was a meeting with the principal Mr. Mbuvi and the senior teacher Mr. Matheka. The principal advised the students to take education seriously as that was  the only  they assist in breaking the vicious cycle of poverty which was affecting most the families in the poverty stricken county.

The parents who were available were shocked when the senior teacher Mr. matheka displayed the various items recovered from the students during the frisking exercise. The items included condoms, a phonographic DVD, and snuff.

Parents also advised their fellow parents to ensure discipline is taken seriously and they were cautioned that technological developments was one thing which was affecting children and they should be wary of it. Parents involvement in economic activities also is one serious thing to be taken into consideration because they are left alone and at the disposal of computers were they can engage in phonographic activities.

A ray of hope for people living with disabilities

By Daniel Mwendo

People with different types of disabilities converged at Mutomo Chief’s camp today for registration by the National council for people with disabilities (NCPWD).The registration exercise was done both at Mutomo and Ikutha districts.

People living with disabilities during the registration process

(Photo:Daniel Mwendo/MVC)

The National Council for people with disabilities is a Government parastatal enacted in the year 2004.Its main objectives is registration of new members so that they can be issued with identity cards which they can use to get assistance from the government.The identity cards contains all the relevant details of the beneficiary.

After the registration, the people with disabilities are send to different gazetted hospitals where they are assessed as to whether the level of their disability hinters them from engaging in any substantial economic activities. That is when they are now allowed to fill in the forms for assistance.

“There are different programmes available,” Says Rosabel Githinji, NCPWD’s Lower Eastern regional officer. MS. Githinji adds that these programmes include; education, infrastructure, tax exemption among others.

The potential beneficiaries said that this is the first time that the exercise has been done on a big scale and indicated that they would be very happy if they get assistance as this will empower them and prove that disability is not inability.

Referendum politics

By Daniel Mwendo

Referendum politics played a centre stage yesterday at a fund-raising function held at Ikanga Catholic Church, Ikanga division, Mutomo district, Kitui South constituency. Former Vice-President, Stephen Kalonzo expressed his confidence that enough signatures will be gathered very soon to push for a referendum which will make the government to release forty percent (40 %) of the national gross product to the counties for faster development.

Similar sentiments were echoed by the members of county assembly and parliament present with an exception of the local member of parliament, Dr Rachael Kaki Nyamai who despite assuring those present that she supports devolution, said that governors must first be accountable and not spend the money given on luxuries instead of projects which can help empower the community at the grassroot before they can ask for a higher amount. She also informed those present that the government had given thirty four percent (34%) and not fifteen percent (15%) as being alleged.

The local Member of Parliament assured those present that she is for the unity of leaders and that she has good working relationship with other members of parliament. 

The former vice- president said that the percentage to be given out by the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) should be anchored on the constitution rather than being left at the whim of the prevailing government.

The former vice-president expressed his “shock at the deplorable state” of the Kitui –Kibwezi road and said that the current government should ensure that that road is tarmaced for faster development of the area.

However, community members have mixed feelings about the debate. A local resident, Kioko Musembi, said that the referendum debate was a waste of time and a  burden to the  overburdened taxpayers and said that the governors should first work with what they have been given before asking for more.

Mutomo teachers’ recruitment excerise above board

By Daniel Mwendo

The recent teachers’ recruitment exercise in Mutomo was done above board. Out of the 256 applicants who presented their academic documents, 45 were recruited.

The panel score areas included the professional P1 qualifications, the period elapsed since the applicant cleared college as well as the age of the applicant.. According to the score sheet, the highest applicant scored fifty nine (59) marks and the lowest had forty four (44) marks.

The recruitment method used put into consideration the aged trained P1 teachers who are aged and are yet to be absorbed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) absorbed. For example an applicant who is forty (40) years and above had a score of twenty (20) marks

.

The method also considered one’s performance in college. For example an applicant who graduated in the year 2011 could be employed if that applicant scored a distinction of 6-10 points because this would give the applicant an outright forty (40) marks, then for the year the candidate gets ten (10) marks and then four (4) marks for age if the applicant is below twenty six years old. The grand total marks would be fifty four marks. This would place the applicant in an employable position.

The other area much considered was disability. Those with disabilities were given an outright chance. Raphael Mwanzia, one of the applicants said that the recruitment was transparently done.

Kitui South Constituency women benefit from Women Enterprise Fund

By Daniel Mwendo

28 Women Groups from Kitui South Constituency were today issued with cheques worth 1.85 Million by the District Gender and Social Development Officer (DGSDO) Mr. Daniel Kitheka. 11 of these groups were from Mutomo District while 17 are from Ikutha District. The ceremony was officiated by the local Member of Parliament, Dr. Rachael Kaki Nyamai.

The lowest amount of loan given was 47,500 with a grace period of three months and the highest was 195,000 with a grace period of one month.

While handing out the checks, Mr. Kitheka said that there has been a massive mobilization of women to register groups to take advantage of funds released by the government. He added that the starting amount of loans has been increased from fifty thousand shillings (50,000) to hundred thousand shillings (100,000)

The local Member of Parliament, Dr Rachael Kaki, told women that there are individual loans only that intermediaries to dispatch the money have not been identified.

“If women SACCO’s develop properly they could be used in future as intermediaries,” said 

Kitui South Constituency MP Dr.Rachael Kaki Nyamai

hands over checks to Wome Group representatives. Looking

on is DGSDO,Mr. Daniel Kitheka(Photo:Daniel Mwendo/MCV)

Dr. Nyamai adding that Uwezo fund is not a grant but a loan payable at 4%. She also retaliated that men are allowed to be part of women groups as far as they form 30% of the group members. either the women groups or the youth groups only that they are not supposed to be office bearers.

Speaking during the occasion,Mutomo District  DO1 Mr. Joel Tumo advised resident people to form groups so that they can take advantage of the government’s empowerment programmes

This  he said was one way of doing away with illicit business in the area. He enumerated challenges like lack of IDs, slow speed of group  registration, lack of capacity building to the groups to enable them to write proposals, ignorance of the people about government plans as some of the challenges facing access to the funds. 

Dr.Nyamai addresses the crowd(Photo:Daniel Mwendo/MCV)

The DO1 added that various groups have been broken up due to mistrust stressing that  proper articles of association were needed to guide the groups

The administrator also took the occasion to warn those who could be sabotaging the water supply in the area by tampering with the pipes that their days were numbered and those caught will face the full force of the law.

The officials of the groups which got the highest loans advised other women to have good plans. Table banking concept was one of the means in which the groups use to raise money.

Other officers present were  Kitui South Women Enterprise Fund Coordinator and Youth Enterprise Fund Coordinator, Chris King’ondu among others.

Bank cleans town littered with waste

By Andy Munyoki & Daniel Mwendo

Mutomo residents can now smile as they live in more hygienic conditions after Kenya commercial bank [KCB] Mutomo branch cleaned their town.

The leading urban of kitui south has for long remained an eyesore with piles of litter and open sewage dominating most streets and residential areas of the growing town.

The filth considered by health officials from the district as detrimental to human health is also believed to deface the once good image of the town by dwellers.

KCB Mutomo branch manager Ms. Peninah John 

sweeps a section of a littered street during the activity

(Photo:Andy Munyoki/ MCV)

However, spirited efforts by county council workers to clear the town of all accumulating litter and debris from food joints and construction sites have never been enough to achieve the WHO [world health organization] given standards for sanitation.

Concerned over a possible increase in maladies related to poor sanitation and hygiene KCB Mutomo branch organized a full day event to clean the town.

The bank’s staff, who also live in the town agreed to forego their office duties and leisure activities last Friday to clean their home town.

Some of the KCB Mutomo branch staff members empty litter

 into a hand cart for transportation to the burning site during 

the exercise( Photo:Andy Munyoki/ MCV)

Led by branch manager Ms peninah John, the bankers worked tirelessly for over six hours sweeping, collecting and burning scattered plastics, polythene papers, fruit and vegetable peelings, broken bottles, food remains and other debris.  

“This is our environment and we want it clean” Maurice kativya, one of the staff members from the bank said

A KCB staff member and other volunteers 

from the town collect dirt from dumping an unsecured 

site during the cleaning activity(Photo:Andy Munyoki/ MCV)

Public health officials from the town led by Mr Stephen Mbeni and Charles Kimanzi and pupils from Kandae primary schools also lent a helping hand in the noble exercise.

The bank provided some drinking water and snacks for the benevolent school kids and other residents of the town who volunteered to participate in the exercise.

Making her final remarks after the activity, Ms John said the banking institution will remain steadfast in organizing such activities to clean the town and conserve the environment as well.

“This is not the last of such activities, we shall organize more and more to clean this developing town” she said

The banking institution boosts a good number of clients from the town and the whole district compared to rival financial institutions operating in the region.