The new Kirengero station OCS Richard Mateelong.PHOTO/Courtesy.
Richard Mateelong is the new OCS Kirengero Police station in Kabazi, Subukia.
The new OCS was on Wednesday welcomed by Community leaders among them area MCA Dr.Peter Mbae at Kabazi centre.
The officer is a renown Kenyan long-distance runner who participated in the 3000 metre steeplechase.
He won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he has two World Championship medals in the discipline.
He first attended a meeting of owners of hotels and eateries with Subukia and Kabazi PHOs to update them on the new regulations by the Ministry of health on reopening and later attended a consultative meeting made up of religious leaders, local chiefs, business owners, youth rep, bodaboda leaders and human rights.
The meeting of leaders at Kabazi centre to welcome the new OCS.
MCA Mbae say they have already raised major issues to engage on including alcoholism, bhang peddling, gambling and general security issues around Kabazi centre.
“We have alot of faith in him and his ability to work with all stakeholders to drive Kabazi forward” he said.
The MCA also thanking Nakuru County Commander and Regional Commander for the posting.
Kabazi Ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has told off Treasury over move to try and slash County funds under the guise of fighting COVID-19.
Dr.Mbae who is also member Budget committee at County assembly of Nakuru says the move will deny counties the capacity to fight the disease.
The vocal Nakuru MCA adds that such a move will ‘kill’ over 800,000 Ward development projects across the County.
It should be noted the projects are at the tail end of procurement and due to be done by June this year.
“The Treasury should use billions given by donors and secured in the Supplementary budget. We should never use the disease to kill devolution and deny rural people crucial projects” said Mbae.
He cited Nakuru County budget as a good example to be emulated after the MCAs made sure they secured the projects back and looked for COVID-19 money elsewhere.
According to Mbae,the only connection wanjiku has with all the levels of leadership are the development projects.
The Kabazi MCA expressing his concerns that the National gvt has never embraced devolution since 2013 and has been looking at every opportunity to kill counties so they can take over the whole nation.
“Going forward, we need national leaders with a commitment to enable and empower devolution” said Mbae.
Kabazi Ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae during an interview.PHOTO/Pristone Mambili.
Kabazi ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has appealed to the county government of Nakuru to ensure humanitarian food support for vulnerable is locally sourced.
According to Mbae, food such as maize and beans can be sourced from local farmers in Nakuru.
He has told off those who want to take advantage of the COVID-19 to satisfy their greedy interests.
Mbae who sponsored a motion in the county assembly last week on guidelines concerning the COVID-19 budget for the vulnerable says the essence is to ensure the interests of the locals are satisfied through a structured way.
Mbae who is also a member of the Disaster Management Committee in the county assembly of Nakuru says the aim is to ensure every coin of the 250 million is well utilised to the needy persons.
“As the mover of the motion on guidelines, I want to ensure this is done in a structured way so that citizens can get the value of money,” he said.
According to the vocal Nakuru MCA, the money on COVID-19 is taxpayer’s money and should be well utilised.As per the guidelines, some of the proposed foodstuffs include Maize and beans. Other items include soap, cooking oil, as well as flour. They target 1 million persons in Nakuru county.
In monetary value, every household is expected to get 1200 sh as per the cost of the items.
The Kabazi ward MCA has called on members of the ward committees to ensure apart from providing the list of vulnerable households, they also provide a list of farmers who have readily available foodstuff such as maize and beans which can be sourced.
“Members of the committees after meeting should tell us what they have in terms of needs based on the guidelines passed by the county assembly. We are asking them to come up with a list of beneficiaries by Friday. They should also come up with a list of farmers who have maize that they can sell to the committee” said Mbae.
The MCA says it will not be for county government to source food from Nairobi while the same could.be sourced from the local farmers in Nakuru.
“We cannot allow lorries from other counties to come here yet our farmers have the maize that they can supply. We appeal to the county to ensure Mopping of maize from the locals will help,” he said.
According to MCA Mbae, Nakuru is an agricultural county and farmers have maize hence there is no need for sourcing from Nairobi to benefit few individuals’ interests.<
He adds, “time is now that leaders take Devolution from the county headquarters to the grassroots”.
On the motion he sponsored guidelines, he is optimistic that the executive will implement adding that already an ad- hoc committee of the county assembly is following up on the same.
“We are very hopeful that this will work as per the objective,” said Mbae.
Kabazi Ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has called on the ward level committees on COVID-19 food support program to consider hotels’ staff who are now rendered jobless.
According to the MCA who is also vice Chair Trade and Tourism Committee in the county assembly of Nakuru,many staff from the hotel industry in Nakuru are now jobless due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mbae who is also the brain behind the motion on guidelines on how the vulnerable in the county should be cushioned of COVID-19 impact says many staff from the hotel industry have been sent home on unpaid leave.
“As the Vice chair Trade and Tourism Committee at the county assembly of Nakuru we have received alot of complains concerning the staff who used to work in hotels and are now sent home and that is why we want the Committees at Ward level to also consider such lot” said Mbae.
With statics in Nakuru indicating that over 30,000 staff have been sent home on unpaid leave and are now struggling.
MCA Mbae says it would be prudent if the county through the ward level committees see to it that such are also factored in the program.
“We appeal on the ward committees to ensure they list them so that they can also be supported” he said.
He has also proposed that the county government comes up with a stimulus program for such.
He has also called on the management of various hotels in Nakuru to consider giving them a stipend sh.5000 to cushion them during this time of COVID-19.
Last week Nakuru Tourism Association had decried the loss of businesses in the hotel industry.
The Association Chair David Mwangi stating that the industry is going through harsh moment occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Kabazi MCA Dr.Peter Mbae at past County assembly session.PHOTO/Courtesy Naotion.
Kabazi Ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has told off Governor Lee Kinyanjui over unguided registration of vulnerable families for COVID-19 humanitarian support food program.
In a phone interview,Mbae who sponsored a motion on Wednesday at the county assembly over guidelines on how the COVID-19 budget will be used said the county should follow the guidelines.
He warned governor Kinyanjui after reports emerged that the executive had directed Ward administrators to register 2000 vulnerable households in wards for the same.
According to Mbae,there were no proper guidelines for the registration exercise.
He said in line with Devolution,they have as MCAs passed a motion that sets guidelines on how the registration of vulnerable households.
The MCA adding that the the sh 311 Million passed will be utilised as per the guidelines.
“There has not been any guideline and that is why we came up with this.Let the executive expedite and ensure the Committees have meetings at Ward level” he said
The MCAs have allocated sh 3.7 Million to each of the 55 wards in Nakuru.
There is also sh 1.5 Million additional to be used by 30 wards with most vulnerable people.
As per the guidelines’ motion approved by the assembly,all ward committees to have the list of beneficiaries ready by April 24.
In addition,the house has also recommend all purchases and supplies be atleast done at the Ward level.
Kabazi ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae at a past media address.PHOTO/Pristone Mambili.
Residents of Kabazi ward in Subukia subcounty of Nakuru have sounded a stern warning to defiant bars and alcohol dens that are still operating despite the goverment directive that all bars should be shut.
The locals have faulted a section of that police officers whom they claim are are the owners of the bars.
Led by area MCA Dr.Peter Mbae,the locals pointed at a bar at Kabazi Centre owned by a police officer that is still operating despite the fact that security and County teams have ensured all the other over 20 bars are closed as per the Presidential order as a measure to curb spread of COVID-19.
“We have been receiving calls over the bar called Valley and owned by a Police Constable. Patrons get in and the bar is closed from late as inside.As late as yesterday, locals tipped us, the ACC sent a chief but the patrons who were inside ran away” said Mbae.
The MCA adding that with the local leaders, they raised the matter of a police officer running a bar within his work station over 6 months ago with SubCounty heads but all what happened was that he was transferred to Nakuru.
He adds that he has informed the county commissioner over the same adding that the bar has not only defied the Presidential order on bar closure but also operates without County licences and has also erected an illegal extension at the back.
The Kabazi community now wants immediate confiscation of the stock and permanent closure of the bar.
” It’s not fair that small scale bar owners close down but a police officer who is supposed to enforce the law breaks the same with abandon” he said.
According to the vocal Nakuru MCA,his continued impunity also shows them in bad light as leaders despite their efforts.
The MCA commending locals for sharing information.
He however sounded stern warning to alcohol dens in Mutukanio, Westgate,Banita.
He also pointed out another bar owned by an AP officer at Banita Centre which is operating, allowing patrons in and closing them from inside.
“Officers wishing to go into bar business have to choose either. They can’t do both because they can’t arrest themselves and we have pointed out this to the CC” said Mbae.
Kabazi ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae at a past media address.PHOTO/Pristone Mambili.
Kabazi ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has commended the County assembly for enhancing the war on COVID-19 by ensuring that enhancement of sh.300 million which is million higher than what the Governor had proposed.
County assembly members have contributed 30 million for ventilators purchase.
He added that 3.5 m will be channeled to all the 55 wards, while 1.4m to the vulnerable 31 wards identified during the COVID-19.
“The governor had proposed sh. 250 million but we have enhanced the same to sh.300 million” said Mbae.
The county assembly through the budget and appropriation committee has also adopted the formation of sub County and Ward COVID-19 Emergency Committees.
According to MCA Mbae who is also a member of the budget committee, the formation of the sub county and ward committees on COVID-19 is key as the committees will identify needs.
The MCAs have also ensured that 150m is allocated to health docket for the purchase of ventilators, recruitment of additional staff, and purchase of protective devices among others.
In addition, the MCAs now want the executive to ensure that the Community Health Volunteers are given priority during this time of COVID-19 pandemic.
The supplementary budget report has also suspended the licenses in Nakuru county for three months while retaining the Ward development projects.
According to MCA Mbae, the governor had proposed that the projects be suspended so that the money meant for the projects can be channeled towards the war on COVID-19.
But in a twist of events, the MCAs are now calling on governor Kinyanjui to roll out out the projects in the next one week.
Kabazi MCA Dr.Peter Mbae accompanied by donors and public health officer during he launch of the face masks distribution.PHOTO/Pristone Mambili.
Kabazi ward MCA Dr.Peter Mbae has launched the distribution of face masks to the residents in his ward.
The MCA who was accompanied by some of the donors and public health officer says this is a measure to avert exposure to COVID-19.
The initiative first phase targets 2000 locals among them bodaboda operators,Matatu operators and small scale traders who mingle frequently with public.
This coming barely a day after President Uhuru Kenyatta directed that Kenyans put on face masks while in public as a preventive measure on COVID-19.
“In line with the Presidential directive, I have launched the distribution of the first 1,500 face masks” he said.
The masks according to the MCA were donated by Kabazi Professionals Forum and Business Community to bodaboda, matatu operators and market traders in Kabazi WARD.
He adds that they intend to get additional materials to cover 5,000 most vulnerable small businesspeople in the areas.
The face masks are locally produced by Trendy Links Factory in Bahati sub County.
The factory has assured that the facemasks are as per the KEBS standard and re-usable.
