A glimpse of the New Naivasha Modern Market

Naivasha Modern Market

Following the completion of Naivasha Modern Market, the Chief Officer for Trade, Business Support and Industrialization Mr Samuel Ndegwa and the Naivasha Sub-county administrator King’ori Mwangi visited the facility for a familiarization tour.Visiting the Naivasha Modern Market

Government officials, county enforcement officers, firefighters and traders, joined the tour, which was conducted by the project’s architect and contractor.

The facility consists of four blocks. The first is the 3-floor market section with 243 open spaces and 89 closed stalls.

Each floor on block 1 has bathrooms, and washrooms including washrooms specially built to serve people living with disabilities. Apart from the three staircases to access the upper floors, there is also a ramp for use by wheelchairs.

Every floor has also been fitted with easily accessible firefighting equipment, smoke detectors, a revenue booth and on the second floor, a baby care section.

“We set aside this space to cater for parents with little children who would wish to wash and change their babies without much hassle,” revealed the contractor as he took the team around the modern facility.

On the ground floor, space has been set aside for a restaurant to serve food and refreshments to the traders and any other clients who may wish to eat or drink there.

The whole building is environment friendly with natural light lighting most of the space. The building has also been well supplied with electrical power.

For use by the traders, the market has a 49,000 litres capacity tank and another underground rain-fed tank with a capacity of 69,000 ltrs. The water will promote cleanliness and hygiene within the marketing, therefore, preventing the outbreak of such diseases as cholera and typhoid. The 69,000 litres capacity tank will serve the firefighting equipment.

The CO emphasised that traders who previously occupied the land on which the market is built will be given priority when the time to allocate the slots in the new market comes. Naivasha Wholesale market

In an earlier meeting attended by both the CEC for Urban Planning John Kihagi and Trade, Stephen Kuria, the market leaders were requested to be fair in the allocation of space and to avoid selling the spaces fraudulently.

While on a visit to the market, then under construction, late last year, Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika had warned that those giving out money to “buy” slots at the new market were doing so at their own risk.

“If you give out money to anyone in the name of buying space at the new market, don’t blame anyone if you end up losing the money. Distribution will give priority to the original traders,” Governor Kihika had warned.

The MCA for Viwandani Ward, Mwangi Muraya and the Lakeview Ward MCA, Alex Mbugua who had attended the CECs meetings had proposed that the traders be trained on safety and security features at the new market before operations began.

Currently, the market is 99% complete and should be occupied anytime in the next few weeks.

The President is expected to officially open the Naivasha Modern Market in two weeks’ time when he attends the Kenya Urban Forum at Lake Naivasha Resort later in the month.

CTL holds community sensitization forums to mitigate electoral conflicts

Non-Governmental Organization dubbed Center for Transformational Leadership Kenya (CTL) has commenced a program aimed at addressing conflict triggers and ensuring cohesion in Nakuru County.

The program ‘the Kenya Electoral Conflicts Mitigation & Civic Education (ECCES) is supported by USAID Kenya through Act and UraiaTrust.

It involves holding community sensitization forums with an aim to mitigate conflicts and through addressing underlying conflict triggers.

Peter Rono from CTL says the sensitization forums are inclusive of Nyumba Kumi clusters, administrators and other organized groups.

Already such engagements are now taking place in Njoro, Molo and Naivasha sub counties in Nakuru.

Speaking during a such a forum held at Njoro AIC church, Rono stated that these conversations are community driven to find a solution.

In Njoro, it emerged that there were land issues among them succession, land grabbing and political interference.

“We have seen issues around land being a conflict trigger. Matters such as succession as well as land grabbing” he said.

Rono called on locals to embrace the program and be ambassadors of peace even as sensitization continues.

He added that the majority of conflicts can be addressed if individuals can start conversations even at family level, hence the reason for the sensitization forums.

“We need to start these conversations even at family level and this will help in averting the conflicts escalating” he said.

It should be noted that Njoro is one of the sub counties that have had perennial land conflicts for many years, in some cases leading to displacement and bloodshed.

The sub county has huge parcels of land that were initially owned by white settlers before they left and were sold to locals.

Parcels of land bordering Mau Forest has also been a bone of contention between the communities and the government.

In addition, misunderstanding between members of families on succession and inheritance of land has also escalated land conflicts.

However, through the CTL’s program, elders and senior citizens are now embracing the community conversations towards finding solutions.

The senior citizens have vowed to be ambassadors of peace and cohesion through community sensitization meetings.

Their main target in such forums are young people who are prone to be used by agents of violence and conflicts to cause havoc in society.

Led by Nyumba Kumi chairman Elkanah Aura said most conflicts are caused by inciters who want to achieve their own interests.

According to him, issues of historical injustices should not be used to incite individuals at community level.

While noting that Njoro is a cosmopolitan sub county, the Nyumba Kumi chair who also sits in the Council of area Chief said as elders they will continue to sensitize young people to embrace every community in the area as enshrined in the constitution.

“We have decided as elders in this area that we shall make things right from families to the community. We want to talk to our young people and sensitize them on the need for cohesion” he said.

Under the program, the elders are also looking at the future of young people even as land becomes limited due to rising population.

Their appeal to the young people is for them not to focus so much on the ancestral land but rather work to acquire their own.

Njoro Youth Leader John Njoroge on his part appealed to the government to step in through the shamba system to allocate land to the communities for farming.

Njoroge points out that there is need for more sensitization of the young people on cohesion for peaceful co-existence.

“We want to laud the senior citizens of this area for their effort in ensuring cohesion for the communities living in Njoro. The young people are key in matters of cohesion and should not be left out” said Njoroge.

CTL has been strengthening special interest groups’ participation in building social cohesion.

While noting that Nesuit, and Mariahsoni areas of Njoro have been prone to land, resource conflicts, Rono pointed out that there is a need for elimination of negative attitude of Kenyans on land issues and to cultivate the spirit of cohesion.

Area Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Patricia Korir who attended the forum on his part pointed out that Land issues are sensitive hence the need for more sensitization forums to equip society with the right information.

 

Activist wants MCAs to reject CEC nominee for Lands John Kihagi

A Naivasha human rights defender has submitted a petition before the county assembly of Nakuru challenging the nomination of former Naivasha MP John Kihagi as CEC for lands, housing and physical planning in Nakuru.

In a sworn affidavit, Macharia Mwangi claims Kihagi is unfit to hold any public office because he does not meet the requirements of chapter six of the constitution.

“We have several cases where the former lawmaker has been engaged in hence we feel he is not fir to hold such an office. We urge the county assembly to scrutinize the same” said Macharia.

Supported by two sworn affidavits of Teresia Wanjiru who is a trustee of north karate pyrethrum growers and contractor Paul Waweru of PANMA construction, Macharia wants the county assembly of Nakuru to reject the Nomination of Kihagi.

Kihagi served as Naivasha MP between 2013 and 2017.

In her affidavit sworn before  GM Njuguna Advocate, Wanjiru states that 2010, Kihagi colluded with a trustee of North Karate pyrethrum growers Njehia Mukui  purporting to buy the association’s  land Naivasha-Maraigushu block 469/20117 at a cost of Ksh 500,000 as opposed to Ksh 2.5 million that the association had quoted.

She further claims that Kihagi in his capacity as the patron of Naivasha NGCDF went ahead to initiate construction of two classrooms at Governor primary school in Maai Mahiu area in total ignorance of a case filed at the Nakuru land and environment court ( ELC 265/2017).

North karate pyrethrum growers won the case in 2017 after the court upheld that the land legitimately belonged to them.

In the second affidavit, contractor Paul Waweru states that in February 2010 he was invited to start the construction of two classrooms at Governor primary school in Maai Mahiu after winning a tender appearing on the Naivasha constituency NG-CDF portal.

He was paid a deposit of Ksh 1 million awaiting payment of a balance of Kshs 800,000.

Waweru claims that  efforts to pursue payment of the remaining amount yielded no fruits and as a result, a loan he had taken at k rep bank accrued to Ksh 1.8 million.

The Director of PANMA construction states that to date, he has suffered threat to life from his former workers and that he has been listed in the central reference bureau CRB while the Kenya Revenue Authority KRA has persistently pursued him over unpaid tax.

“I have no peace having in mind that I had taken a loan from a bank..I am suffering because of Kihagi and that is why we cannot allow a repeat through Kihagi being a CEC” he said.

The petition was received at the Nakuru county assembly clerk’s office today.

Kihika weighs in on petitions challenging her cabinet, vows not to be intimidated

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has vowed not to bow down to pressure being spearheaded by a few individuals through court orders and petitions.

Speaking on Monday during commissioning of water and a health facility projects in Mai Mahiu in Naivasha Sub County, Kihika said she will not allow any intimidation from anyone concerning her proposed cabinet.

She warned petitioners that she will not be dragged behind through court cases.

The Governor has vowed to work with the proposed cabinet.

“They have a right to go to court but that will intimidate me on the proposed cabinet. I am ready to work with the CECs and Chief officers I proposed so that we can deliver to the people of Nakuru” said Kihika.

She added that she is ready to fulfill to the people what she promised while noting that the independence of the Judiciary should be respected.

Sentiments echoed by a section of Naivasha MCAs.

Led by Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja, and his Hellsgate counterpart Virginia Karanja they vowed to vet and pass the nominees of governor Susan Kihika to the Cabinet.

The MCAs vowed to work closely with Kihika for service delivery to the people.

Young Parliamentarians urge youth to take lead in development agenda

Young Parliamentarians in the country have called on young people to in the country to take active role in the development agenda of the nation.

Under the umbrella Kenya Association of Young Parliamentarians, the Legislators drawn from across the political divide said youth have potential which should be tapped.

The Lawmakers from both National Assembly and Senate spoke on Saturday in Naivasha during their inaugural meeting.

Led by Molo MP Kuria Kimani, they vowed to push youth agenda in both houses.

“As elected and nominated young leaders in both houses, we shall continue to push the agenda of youth. We also want to ensure that various platforms for youth to get the potential to do what they are good at” he said.

Kuria also called for unity of purpose adding that elections are over and it is time for development.

He added that discussions are on to constitute new leadership of the Young Parliamentarians Association.

It should be noted that KYPA is focused on ensuring sustainability of young leadership in the country.

“We can ensure sustainability of young leadership in the country by electing them and also mentoring them” said Kuria.

Sentiments echoed by Kirinyaga Woman Rep Jane Njeri Maina.

She noted that young people have been lacking mentorship on leadership.

“There has been lack of mentorship when it comes to leadership and that is what we shall be doing to propel the nation as far as economic, political and social development is concerned”. she said.

Lang’ata MP Felix Odiwuor Jalango on his part noting that political divide should not derail development.

He challenged young people with ambition of becoming leaders in the political arena not to shy off.

The young Parliamentarian also called on youth who want to be leaders to be close to the people and know their interests.

“Young people played key role in our election and we shall do all we can to empower them” said Jalango.

Kenya Young Parliamentarians’ Association CEO Antony Buluma revealed that membership has increased in the 13th Parliament with 15 members

He added that KYPA’s main intention is to retain the current members of Parliament in the next House through skills gained in the different programs offered.

“We are excited about the 13th Parliament’s membership at KYPA. We currently have an increase of 15 members compared to the membership of the 12th Parliament” said Buluma.

Equity Afia Clinics expand National footprints to cover 9 counties

Equity Afia, the medical franchise of Equity Group Foundation, has opened three new medical centres in Naivasha,Kisumu and Imara in its quest to offer quality healthcare services to more Kenyans.

The opening of the three new clinics now brings the total number of centres within the Equity Afia umbrella to 26.

The three medical centres are located at strategic locations that are easily accessible by all.

Equity Afia Naivasha medical centre is located at Lemacy Building within Naivasha’s CBD and the Imara Daima medical centre is located at the Equity Afia Building, along Cosmas Ndeti Road.

In Kisumu, the new medical centre is located at Kondele Business Centre along the Kisumu-Kakamega Road.

The opening of the new centres is in pursuit of Equity Afia’s commitment to offering quality and affordable medical services to all Kenyans from all regions of the country thus furthering and supporting the country’s agenda towards Universal Health Coverage.

Commenting on the opening of the three new clinics, Equity Group Foundation Executive Director, Reuben Mbindu  said,  “From the onset, we have always envisioned that Equity Afia would grow to have a national reach in order to increase access to quality and affordable healthcare because a healthy nation is a productive nation.”

“Residents of  Naivasha, Kisumu and Imara Daima can now seek medical consultation at the Equity Afia medical centres, as well as enjoy a full range of comprehensive outpatient medical services at affordable costs. By increasing our outpatient outlets and offering affordable services, Equity Afia is promoting easy access thus increasing a positive health-seeking behaviour” added Mbindu.

So far, the 26 Equity Afia medical centres are distributed in 9 counties.

That is ten clinics in Nairobi County, six clinics in Kiambu County and three clinics in Kajiado County.

Theo clinics are situated in Mombasa County, Meru County, Kakamega County, Nyeri County and Kisumu County with each having one clinic respectively, while Nakuru has two clinics.

Fishing suspended in Barut as government moves to restore sanity

There was drama on the shores of Lake Nakuru in Barut, Nakuru West Sub County after police officers were forced to lob teargas to members of the public following conflict surrounding the management of the fishing activities in the area.

Police officers on the shores of Lake Nakuru in Barut.PHOTO/Manoti.

The police confiscated all the boats that were involved in fishing activities in the area and took them to Kaptembwa Police station.

According to sources, police were acting as per the order from above to confiscate all the boats until the conflict surrounding the fishing activities in the area is addressed.

Area Deputy County Commissioner Elmi Shaffie who visited the scene after the drama failed to comment anything over the same.

Locals have been engaging in fishing activities since the rainy season that occasioned by the swelling of the Lake Nakuru.

However, there has been conflict in terms of management of the fishing activity in the area with two faction groups accusing each other of invading the area.

The community members in Barut claim there has been a group of fishermen from Naivasha who are colluding with some individuals from the community to reap big from the fishing activities in the area.

The members who spoke to this writer on anonymity said the fishing activity in the area should first benefit the locals before anyone can step in.

They pointed an accusing finger to some individuals whom they termed fish brokers who are out to enrich themselves.

“We should be given first priority as locals in this area before brokers can come in” said one of the locals.

It will be recalled that on August 5, 2020 area MP Samuel Arama while in Parliament sought a Ministerial statement with an aim to ensure those who were affected by the flooding are compensated.

Arama while on the floor of the House was very categorical that the locals have gone through a lot of loss occasioned by the perennial flooding from Lake Nakuru.

He added that the locals under the Muungano wa Wana vijiji should be allowed to solely do fishing as is transforming their livelihoods.

“The government should look on how the residents in Nakuru West who were affected by the floods occasioned by Lake Nakuru are compensated” he said.

Human Rights Defenders led Simon Ole Nasieku have lauded MP Arama for stepping in to ensure the rights of the residents are protected.

Nasieku is optimistic that the issue surrounding the fishing activities in Barut-Mwariki will be resolved through dialogue among all leaders.

“We are optimistic that MP Arama will call all leaders from this area so that amicable solution is reached and business can go on” said Nasieku.

 

Kinyanjui on spot for contravening COVID-19 guidelines

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui addressing a gathering in Kihoto,Naivasha.PHOTO/Courtesy.

Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui is on spot for holding a public gathering in Naivasha contrary to the guidelines issued by Ministry of Health on COVID-19.

The meeting held on Saturday at Kihoto, Pipeline in Naivasha was overcrowded raising serious concerns.

Jubilee Party Branch Secretary-General Mtumishi Kiplangat Cheruiyot has faulted the county boss over the Naivasha meeting.

According to the Nakuru Jubilee Party official, the meeting contravened the Ministry of Health Guidelines.

It should be noted that social gatherings have been banned in the country and according to Cheruiyot, the same not observed during the Saturday meeting in Naivasha.

Cheruiyot while condemning the meeting said the Governor was endangering lives of the people of Naivasha as far as COVID-19 is concerned.

“This is uncalled for and I condemn with the strongest terms possible. The governor is putting the lives of the people at risk during this period of COVID-19 pandemic,” said Cheruiyot.

Cheruiyot now wants the DCI and DPP to immediately summon the governor and take appropriate actions so as to be a lesson that Covid19 is real.

He says leaders should ensure a good example to the public.

This even as Ministry of Health on Saturday continued to urge Kenyans not to behave as if there was no COVID-19.

In the daily updates, the Ministry also announced new 28 cases of COVID-19 bringing to a total of 649 as on Saturday.

COVID-19:Naivasha MP appeals to Ministry to roll out relief food program

Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara addressing media.PHOTO/Courtesy.

Naivasha Member of Parliament Jayne Kihara has appealed to the Ministry of to consider rolling out relief food program during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement,the MP noted that ,so many Kenyans will be rendered jobless by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are appealing to the Ministry of Devolution to consider rolling out relief food program during the COVID-19 pandemic to help those who will be rendered jobless”she said.

While lauding the Government’s interventions among them the directive for Kenyans to stay at home,the Legislator the government must come up with measures to assist in terms of livelihood.

According to the MP,if the government will not factor in the same then many Kenyans will turn into criminal activities.

“As we appeal to the people to stay at home to prevent the spread of CORONA VIRUS, the government must come up with measures to help jobless Kenyans who will have no source of livelihood”said the MP.

She noted that the fight against COVID-19 pandemic is a collective responsibility that all Kenyans  must be determined to win.

And in enhancing government’s directive on hygiene especially in urban areas, MP Kihara has donated two 5000ltrs water tanks to the Naivasha Market committee.

The tank will be used as water storage tanks and three 210ltrs water tanks to the transport industry to complement the existing ones.

“I encourage the people of Naivasha to adhere to the government guidelines in the ongoing fight against Corona virus.

 

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