NOW RONGAI CONSTITUENTS WELCOME CDF INITIATIVES

By Eric Sindabi

Even as political temperatures flame up in Rongai Constituency the residents have welcomed the Constituency Development Fund activities. NCN established that so far over sh50million had been pumped into various community based projects that are geared towards improving the livelihood of the area residents.

Our exclusive interview with various stakeholders and a section of residents revealed that various CDF sponsored projects including; Electrification, Schools, Dispensaries, Bridges, Water and roads projects had been implemented while more was in the offing.

A former civic aspirant who is also an ally of the area Member of Parliament Hon.Luka Kigen MR. Samson Kendagor told NCN that the area CDF committee was committed towards improving the lives of Rongai residents. He expounded that the residents were extremely happy with the manner in which the CDF kitty was being utilized and pouredcredit to the area MP for good coordination work.

When NCN visted Moricho village in Lengenet location, the Kenya Power and Lighting workers were finalizing on the Moricho Electrification project.The project is intended to provide power supply at the local market centre,Moricho Primary School and at Ngesimin Moricho Dispensary.Also in progress is the construction of a new maram road that will connect the area to the neighouring Koibatek region at Kapsatek market centre.

According to reliable sources, the 10 kilometer power project will cost the CDF committee about sh14.The source added that the project was approved by the committee following an application through the location committee on behalf of the residents.

Mr.Kendagor told NCN that he was optimistic the project will spur up development in the area.H appealed to the Government to add more power supply equipment in order to allow more residents access electricity.

New Rongai DC calls for harmony

By Eric Sindabi

The new Rongai District Commissioner Joseph Motari has called for unity among the different ethnic communities that reside in the area. The DC noted that without unity in any society, peace and development were unattainable and called upon local leaders to strive for uniting the residents in order for them to realize development opportunities.

The DC said this when he attended a luncheon organized in his honor by a local Women NGO at its offices next to the District Headquaters at Kampi ya Moto center in the district.

The DC who prior to his new posting was DC for West Pokot, said that his experience had taught him that peace and unity were the foundation of all developments in any society. He promised to work hand in hand with all levels of local leaders to ensure that Rongai residents live peacefully. “I will attend all barazas and I will invite all leaders from top to the grassroots to plan the agenda for peace, co-existence and development” He promised

He further observed that Rongai was located strategically in the new Nakuru County, to play the role of a feeder in agriculture products and human resources to the main expanding Nakuru urban centre. He clarified that recent research had indicated that the town merely less than 20km from Rongai was the fastest growing urban centre in Africa, hence a need by Rongai residents to tap the opportunities.

The DC also encouraged the area residents especially registered self help groups to take advantage of the expanding Kabarack University and start business projects like hostels that target the institution’s community. He observed that most of the Universiotry’s students commute from Nakuru town due to lack of accommodation facilities in the area.

BIG-UPS FOR ROSEWO

Women NGO stirs up development in Rongai

By Eric Sindabi/Editor

It is always said that to empower a woman is like empowering the whole soceity.This is exactly what seem to be a guiding principle of the Rongai Social and Economic Women Organization(ROSEWO)an NGO that co-ordinates social and economic activities of women groups in Rongai District.

According to the Executive Director and founder member of the organization, Mrs.Jenniffer Kigen, the NGO has over 300 registered women groups as members that benefit from its activities. Formed two years ago,ROSEWO currently has a revolving fund of 16million Kenya shillings. The director said that the objectives of the NGO were to elevate the living standards of local women by creating more awareness on women financial and social empowerment, through women self-help groups.

“Our mission is to mobilize social response to problems in society through our activities that target the female members of Rongai region” She said

ROSEWO,the director said,undertakes;Table Banking,Community based training and Research programmes activities that aims at elevating the living standards of the local women.

During a recent function organized by the group, Mrs. .Kigen urged the government through the local District Commissioners office and other stakeholders to support the vision and mission of the organization as it was aimed at stirring up development generally in the region. She noted that historically and in general women were the most vulnerable members of society, despite the fact that they contribute greatly to social values like child bearing and rearing. She hinted that it was high time society addressed the plight of women.

The organization has over 300 trained field officers who ensures its programmes are implemented, by carrying out assessment of women groups development projects, registration of new women groups, evaluation and research .

The director said that ROSEWO works closely with the district government department in its activities.These include,departments of Social services and Gender,Agriculture,Public Health among others,especially in training ,registration and finances.

She said that pilot project in Table Banking allow women groups to to save money on a daily basis within their group and with ROSEWO.The women groups are adviced on how or where to borrow loans to boast their development projects and how to manage the funds and the projects.We register our members to qualify for loans through:The National Women Enterprise Fund,The Constituency Development Fund,Ministry of Agriculture Micro-finance and Grands,The National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya and in banks “she pointed out and added that the initiatives were meant to empower women financially for them to be able to generate income that goes towards improving their own lives and those of their families.

The NGO also through the training programmes assisted by local and external stakeholders train women in areas like; poverty eradication and food security, Small scale farming,HIV and AIDS control,and Immerging Technologies.

Through external research, Mrs.Kigen said that the NGO founds out what other women gropus and NGO’S do in the aim of elevating the living standards of women.

During a luncheon that was organized by ROSEWO at its offices at Kampi ya Moto in honor of the new District Commissioner Mr.Joseph Motari that was attended by the area MP, speakers including the MP Luka Kigen overwhelmingly appreciated the NGO’s initiatives saying that they had helped stir up development and improved livelihoods in the region. The MP pledged to organize a funds drive that would be attended by national leaders in aid of the local women groups under the umbrella of Rosewo.

NOW JKUAT TAKES OVER KITI

By Our Team

The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agricultre and Technology has signed a Memorundum of Understanding with the Nakuru based Kenya Industrial Traioning Institute in which analysts depict as a strategy of consolidating the local middle level training institute.The Nakuru Post can now reveal.

During the recent occasion at the college, the JKUAT Vice-chanchelor Prof.Mebboh Imbuga in her speech repeatedly dwelt on denial that the higher learning institution was not intending to take over KITI but rather aimed at helping develop it, but in between contradicted her self when she hinted out that JKUAT would eventually work towards seeing KITI elevated to a higher learning centre in the near future.

By giving example to other middle level colleges in the country that are affiliated to University,the Vice-Chancelor said that the colleges were on the verge of attaining University statutes. These she said include;The Mombasa Polytechnic, Kimathi Institute, Multi-Media College, and Meru Institute.

Prof.Imbuga affirmed that the University was committed towards realizing the Vision 2030 by working with the Ministry of Industrialization. According to the MOU that was witnessed by the Parmanent Secretary Eng.Karanja Kibicho the two institutions will enjoy exchange of resources in teaching, research, human resource and technology transfer. “Both students and staff of the institutions will benefit from exchange programmes and incentives like field attachments and training” she said

The PS on his part said that his ministry would be committed towards ensuring the success of the M.O.U.He announced that the ministry had already allocated sh.68million to expand teaching facilities and the completion of stalled projects at the institution.This MOU will boost research, training, marketing, consultancy and technology transfer” He said.

The occasion was also witnessed by the college Board Of Governors led by its chairman Mr.Charles Lumanda,the Principal Mr.Francis Maloti ,JKUAT deputy vice-chanchelor Research and Extension Prof.Esther Kahanji and deputy vice-chancelor Academic Affairs Prof.Romenus Odhiambo.

KITI-Nakuru branch was established in 1965 with aid and collaboration from the Japanese government to offer specialized training in industrial technology.

The MOU however comes in the wake of an outcry by pundits in the country over the increased manner in which higher learning institutions in the country were absorbing middle level colleges. According to the pundits this will create a vacuum in middle level training as form four levers who fail to qualify for University training will be stranded.

Former railway employees

cry wolf over stalled pay

By KEN OKABININI

FORMER employees of the defunct Kenya Railways Corporation have petitioned the president Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to intervene over the stalled pension allowances.

The over four thousand (4000) pension able ex-staff of the defunct corporation are outraged with two welfare groups in charge of spear heading their pension scheme, together with the national pension schemes board under the ministry of finance for deliberately failing to manage the pension scheme.

The two associations, which the employees say have turned corrupt and neglected their plight are AKIRAGE and KEREPA whose officials are also former employees of the former transport company.

The two are mandated to be in-charge of the pension scheme property that includes collecting rent and dues from all investments of the former corporation. They are also in charge of disbursing monthly payments to the scheme members.

The former employees complain of long delay of payments that have lead to them experience acute poverty.A section of the former KR employees told reporters IN Nakuru recently that they have not received their dues for the last ten months. Our families are living in poverty. We cannot be able to pay fees for children. The government must tell Kenyans why we live like beggars yet we have an investment” complained a pensioner”

They also grumble of a total lack of communication and a stalled increment on their allowances. The pensioners told the press that despite of many complains they had made in writing to the (RBA) Kenya Retirement Benefits Authority at treasury, no action or feed back had been made or received.

The former employees say that the pension scheme’s trust is worth Ksh.

20 billion and generates a monthly income of over Ksh. 40 million from investments, that was enough to pay monthly allowances to the scheme members.

According to documents availed in our news room, the retired employees from the western Kenya region had written to the finance minister and copied the same letter to the Kenya Anti- Corruption Commission for intervention citing provisions from the Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme.

The document read in part: We the Kenya Railway Pension wish to draw to the attention of our dissatisfaction in the way the scheme is being run ……being the overall organ that secures and regulates pension schemes in the country. We need you intervention…………….

Retirement and death benefits of Kenya Railway Corporation pensioners is provided by the Trustees of the Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme (KRSRBS) from its revenues. The information further divulges that the retirees and members of their families are entitled to the benefits under Act Cap 397 of the Kenya Railways Corporation.

The government of Kenya through the Retirement Benefits Authority (RBA) requires that all government bodies establish separate pension schemes to manage the death and retirement benefits matters. RBA is established under the retirement benefits Act 1997 to regulate retirement benefits sector of the economy and is managed by the ministry of finance.

MUUNGANO

MUUNGANO TO SETTLE 200 POOR KENYANS
Muungano wa wanavijiji Nakuru Region Organization plans to build
houses and settle over 200 members of the orgernization.
This was revealed recently by the Nakuru regional coordinator Mr James
Mwangi when he and other officials talked to The Nakuru Post
The orgernization that is supported by the Akiba Mashinani Trust (AMT)
targets slum dwellers in the country.
The Nakuru region branch has over 3000 members drawin from over 50
communities based on self-help groups.
In the larger Nakuru county including Nakuru town, Njoro, Rongai,
Naivasha, Molo, Gilgil Subukia among others.
The official said the first phase of the settlement project dubbed
“Green Field Project” will settle the beneficiaries in Njoro, Pipeline
and Kwa Ronda in total of 25 acres of land.
The chairman of the project Mr Sammy Njoroge said that the project
will cost the orgernization about 15 millio***** that include the cost
of purchasing land and building houses the beneficiaries told The Post
of Nakuru that project will be implemented before the end o ftheis
year.
Meanwhile, in another project, Muungano organization is leasing with
partners like Forum SYDO and the Kenya Youth Alive Foundation to
educate and sensitize its members on devolved funds initiatives by
government including the Constituency Development Fund (CDF)
The coordinator Mr James Mwangi said the project will involve Muungano
members through constituencies including Nakuru, Naivasha and Rongai.
The coordinator noted that many common citizens in the county are
aware of chair rights on the devolved funds especially CDF whose main
aim was to benefit poor people in the country.
Muungano wa Wanavijiji helps poor Kenyans who live in low class
regions in urban centers orgernise themselves into savings initiatives
to help uplift their livelihood.
By support of the International Slum Dwellers Association, the Pamoja
Trust Kenya, the groups access loans to uplift their lives.
Muungano also advocate for land rights of marginalized people in the
country apart from settlement of infrastructure.
According to statistics, about three million Kenyans live in slums.
This accounts to about 10 percent of the country’s 38 million
population.
Re*** indicate that slum dwellers in Kenya are confronted with pu** of
land housing, water scarcity, sanitation, power outage, access to
education and health facilities, unemployment, insecurity among other
socio-economical amenities.
The Nakuru region branch was started in the 2003 after a group of
stakeholders visited Nakuru and assessed a few community-based
orgernizations.