Category: Uncategorized

By Sumaya Hussein

(husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

President Uhuru Kenyatta has today announced cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru, by road, rail and air, effective Friday midnight, until further notice.

Speaking during the 15th Presidential address at State House, President Kenyatta referred to the five named counties as “disease infected areas”.

“That fully conscious 70% of Kenya’s reported cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the counties of Nairobi, Kajiado, Machakos, Kiambu and Nakuru, those counties are individually and collectively declared a disease infected area,” said Kenyatta.

Curfew hours in these counties have therefore been revised to start at 8pm and end at 4am, while the rest of the counties retain 10pm to 4am, from Friday midnight.

Congregational worship in the zoned counties have been suspended, while other counties will continue to hold worship sessions under the existing Covid-19 regulations.

Operation of bars and selling of alcohol in eateries and restaurants in the five named counties are prohibited. Restaurants in these counties are to provide take-away services only.

All public gatherings and in-person meetings have been suspended within the above areas as well, until further notice.

Operations of bars, restaurants and eateries in the other 42 counties will continue but under strict adherence to Ministry of Health Guidelines.

Physical learning in all schools including universities have been suspended until further notice, except for the candidates sitting for the national exams and medical training institutions.

International travel into and out of the territory of the Republic shall continue in accordance with the existing guidelines on Foreign/International Travel.

All persons coming into Kenya must be in possession of a negative COVID-19 PCR certificate, acquired no more than 96 hours prior to arrival. The certificate must be validated under the Trusted Travel platform, for those travelling by air.

All sporting activities are suspended together with recreational facilities including member clubs until directed otherwise.

By: Nicholas Kweyu

(nicholaskweyu99@gmail.com)

The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has made plans for the Machakos Country Bus Terminus to be converted into an underground car parking bay. The NMS has noted that city motorists lack sufficient space to park their vehicles hence the need to expand parking space.

According to the NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi, the planned parking area will have multiple stories and will be operated digitally with car owners being charged by the hour.

This project is meant to emulate the already implemented parking bay at the Holy Family Basilica Church that was opened in December 2019. It has 4 floors and 536 parking spaces- an increase from the 120 spaces that were previously available. It is a high-tech parking solution that also has the ability to charge electric vehicles.

“You will come pay through mobile money, leave your car there and it will be parked for you in whichever floor of that building,” said the Director-General.

This move is a part of a bigger project that is meant to have other parking areas in the city converted into underground parking bays which will increase capacity considerably. Major General Badi has said that the NMS is also in the process of developing underground parking for the Sunken car park in the Nairobi CBD.

“We have seen it is affordable and we are now going to ensure that there’s enough underground parking for Nairobi residents,” said Badi.

Parking slots on the street will be turned into spaces for pedestrians and cyclists as part of a consolidated plan to decongest the capital.

By: Baraka Mboya

(Barakamboya700@gmail.com)

Finland has been named the happiest country by the World Happiness Report for the fourth time. The UN- sponsored report asked people from 149 countries to rate their own happiness and also used factors such economic strength, social support, life expectancy, freedom of choice and generosity to rank the countries.

From the report, Nordic countries appear top of the list, while war hit countries and few Sub-Saharan African countries appear at the end of the list.

What makes Finland the happiest country?

The Finns hot and steamy saunas. With an estimation of 3.3 million, there are enough steam rooms for one per person.

Their love for metal rock bands with the most popular being HIM, Nightwish and children of Bodom.

Moreover, Finland’s wild reindeer, the Northern light and if lucky, Santa Claus, are both a tourist and local attraction.

American teacher Brianna Owen commented on Finland’s state of happiness and said, “I think everything in this society is set up for people to be successful, starting with university and transportation that works really well.”

Norway, Denmark, Iceland and Switzerland were also on the top five, while Togo had the biggest gain, moving 17 places up. From the report, Burundi is the least happy country to be in.

The study also found that the happiest countries also had the happiest immigrants. “The most striking finding of the report is the remarkable consistency between the happiness of immigrants and the locally born,” said John Helliwell, co- editor of the report.

The average result is the country’s score ranging from Finland’s 7.6 to Burundi’s 2.9. The report also uses statistics to explain why one country is happier than another.

By Neema Oloo

(oloojneema@gmail.com)

Tanzanian President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli died on Wednesday at around 6pm while undergoing treatment.

This comes after he suffered of a long-term abnormal heart rhythm disease, Chronic Atrial Fibrillation, which he has lived with for over 10 years.

Vice President Samia Suluhu announced that burial preparations are underway and the country will go into a 14-day mourning period with the national flag raised on half-mast. She takes over as President- Elect of the nation, becoming the first female president in the region.

The 61-year-old was admitted at the Mzena hospital under the care of doctors from the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac hospital in Dar es salaam.

His first admission to hospital was on March 6, at the Mzena hospital after which he was released to resume his duties as the President.

Magufuli was again rushed to Mzena Hospital on March 14 after feeling unwell.

Speculations about his where abouts got to a rise after his disappearance from the public for over two weeks. He was last seen in public on February 27, during the swearing in of a new Chief Secretary at State house in Dar es salaam.

Magufuli’s demise comes barely a year after being re-elected as Tanzania’s 5^th president, following the general elections on 28^th October 2020.

Samia Suluhu will be required to take over as the Head of State as per the Tanzanian constitution.

Zitto Kabwe, opposition leader said that the nation will remember him for his development of the country.

The late president Magufuli downplayed the intensity of Covid 19 and instead urged Tanzanians to pray and use steam inhalation to protect themselves from the virus. The country stopped publicizing infection numbers in April 2020, according the The New Humanitarian.

The fallen leader will be remembered for his astute leadership and his devoted fight of corruption in the country.

By: Nicholas Kweyu

(nicholaskweyu99@gmail.com)

With national examinations set to begin on Monday, Education Cabinet Secretary, George Magoha, has warned candidates against using facemasks to cheat.

This comes after the ministry of education received intelligent reports that some sly students were planning to cheat by writing answers on the inside of their face masks.

Magoha has therefore directed that facemasks be subjected to intense scrutiny and security before one can access the examination halls.

“There are some people cheating the students to write everything inside the masks. I’m going to ask all centre managers that all students must remove their masks before entering exam rooms. So, let no student waste his/her time writing things inside the mask, they’re supposed to prevent you from corona. If we catch you, we’re not going to be very merciful with you,” said Cs Magoha, while speaking in Kwale county.

He has specifically called out Migori and Kisii counties as “the headquarters of exam cheating” and has said that these two regions are on the Ministry of Education’s radar.

“I am telling you, you are planning to do certain things, and we’re watching you. Try and you will see,” said Prof. Magoha.

The Education CS has lamented that examination cheating is an unhealthy trend that candidates should avoid and that they should genuinely work hard in order to achieve excellence.

Magoha has also expressed that other cases of examination cheating, impersonations, leakages and other irregularities will not be tolerated.

By Sumaya Hussein

(husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

Residents in Mavoko have complained about the carelessness of lorry drivers seen using the Daystar road. This comes a day after a boda boda rider was killed in an accident with a lorry, on the Devik-Daystar route.

At around 11am this morning, roadblocks were set up on the tarmac stretch to restrict lorries from passing. Members of the community demanded that the lorries be stopped from using the route, especially since they are not supposed to.

The residents and students from Daystar also noted that the lorries are usually overloaded and driven recklessly, posing a threat to the safety of pedestrians on the road.

Officer Commanding Police Post, John Mutua, was present at the road blocks and was seen to be in communication with residents.

“We are trying to sort the issue, and we have sent them to KeNHA (Kenya National Highways Authority) so that what needs to be done is understood,” said Sgt. Mutua.

The community is also concerned over the damages the lorries cause on the newly constructed tarmac road, that was built to carry up to 10tonnes. The vehicles however, overload to weigh more than 20tonnes, despite there being a road sign indicating the weight limit.

Those responsible for constructing the road say the lorries should adhere to the weight limit to avoid destroying the tarmac.

“If they can reduce their tonnes, it would be better because we have put road signs showing the amount they should carry,” said the foreman, Dennis Odhiambo.

The boda boda riders have also expressed their dissatisfaction of sharing the route with the lorries. Apart from damaged roads, they complain about accidents that occur between lorries and riders.

Two riders have died already, and one of them was laid to rest on Saturday. Another broke his leg after colliding with a lorry.

A few lorries were turned backed today at the roadblocks however, this did not last long since the road was reopened a little while later.

By Fatiha Shabir

(fatihashabz@gmail.com)

Two teenagers in Kisumu have developed a mobile app that can help in plastic management, in order to curb pollution in Lake Victoria.

The app was developed by 15-year old Michelle Muchilwa and her 13-year old brother Jeremy, after the two witnessed the alarming drop of fishes in Lake Victoria.

The reduction is said to be because of excessive plastic waste in and around the lake region.

The app of the two teenagers is aimed towards incorporating the younger generation into the fight against pollution.

“There is a major issue in Kenya where our youth are not connected to their natural spaces,” said Michelle. “As the youth, it is our time to go out and decide what we want our future to look like. Do I want Kenya to be a place with a dead Lake Victoria or do I want it to be a country that managed to develop without destroying its natural resources?”

The application upon its release, will have an interactive interphase where the user will provide their details and also provide information on the number and type of plastic that they have collected in their specific location.

The app would also guide and direct its users to the nearest recycling plant to ensure proper waste management of the plastic collected.

The app is still in the developing stages and is set to be available on downloading sites by January 2022.

The app is hoped to help reduce the number of plastics found in Lake Victoria. Moreover, it is hoped that the development will be embraced by Kenyans to aid in the fight against plastic pollution.

By Sharon Cherono

(jerotichsharon096@gmail.com)

The Ministry of Health in conjunction with the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on Thursday, launched the Covid-19 vaccination drive for teachers countrywide.

The first phase of the inoculation will include teachers who fall between the age of 50 years and above and those with underlying conditions.

The voluntary vaccination process will be conducted in the 575 centres for vaccination which include private, public and mission hospitals in all counties.

Special attention will be given to the 227,679 teachers who have been vetted and approved to administer the national examinations as either supervisors or invigilators. They are required to have undergone the vaccination process before the start of the exams.

The TSC CEO, Nancy Macharia who was the first to receive the jab said, “The government has made the right decision to protect over 330,671 public school teachers and 158,000 teachers working in private schools,”

Since the first case of Covid-19 was reported in Kenya, 41 teachers and 3 members of the TSC Secretariat have succumbed to the virus. Therefore, the roll out of the vaccine to teachers has been described as timely with the Health Ministry identifying them as frontline workers.

Dr. Willis Akhwale from the MOH says that everything is in place and he would like to assure teachers that the vaccine is safe and that it saves lives.

by Sumaya Hussein

(husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

Daystar University is about to hold its student body elections this semester and candidates have resorted to campaigning online in order to gather support.

This is because the Daystar University Student’s Association (DUSA) elections have come at a time when online learning is dominant in the university, and only a few students are at the campuses for physical classes.

As a result of this, the elections will be conducted online so that students can vote from wherever they are.

Since elections were announced, students vying began working on their online presence, by creating WhatsApp groups and urging supporters to join. Currently, a student at Daystar right now, could be a participant in at least three different campaign groups.

Unsurprisingly, these groups also include the opposition and their supporters, who in most cases, are among the first few to join the groups when created. According to reports, the purpose of this is to spy on the competitor or try to lure their supporters to join the opposing team.

Candidates have also resorted to creating posters that contain their profile and manifestos, to share widely online. Moreover, a few campaign videos have also been posted on various groups and platforms.

Some candidates have pointed out that online campaigning has birthed cyberbullying and down talking in the campaign groups, and this has become a concern.

“Cyberbullying and keyboard warriors are a nuisance as some people always critic everything one does, but I guess that comes with leadership,” said Ian Agina, a DUSA presidential candidate.

Others however have embraced the challenge of online campaigning, despite its many shortcomings.

“This is my first time to be in politics so it has been a challenge, but I am enjoying the ride,” said Aaron Kituku, a student eyeing a seat at the Congress. “It has been a wonderful experience and a new thing for me. I’m just flowing with everything.”

Students have however pointed out that the elections have lost their vigor and are dull compared to those of other years. This could be due to the fact that the final list of approved applicants has not been shared yet, therefore candidates are reluctant to go all in while campaigning.

Previously, during election period, the campuses would be filled with posters and banners of different teams, as well as rallies here and there. For example, in the main campus, there would be times whereby candidates would campaign to students at the cafeteria during meal times.

Moreover, the PAC grounds were dressed in huge banners that had pictures of candidates and their manifestos.

There would also be presidential debates held on the campuses that caused a lot of excitement among students, making the whole experience memorable.

Due to lack of elections for four years in the University, some students have graduated or are yet to graduate, without ever witnessing a physical election in Daystar. Moreover, others who have had interest in vying previously, can no longer do so since their time in the university is up.

The postponement of student elections was as a result of a strike that occurred in 2017, against poor management of the university. For a while now, the school has operated without a student body and this left many grievances unmet.

Fortunately, these grievances have made great campaign strategies for this semester’s aspiring candidates.

The news of the elections was welcomed excitedly as it signified a return to normalcy in terms of university life and campus affairs.

The elections are scheduled to take place on the 11^th week of this semester, following amendments to have them earlier in order to accommodate the new trimester calendar.

by Sumaya Hussein

(husseinsumaya1@gmail.com)

Two students from Daystar main campus in Athi River have tested positive for coronavirus.

According to a memo sent out to the school on Friday from the DVC Finance office, the two students have gone home to seek medical attention and their contacts traced and informed.

DVC Finance Dr. Muturi Wachira has noted negligence among members of the institution in observing Covid-19 protocols such as wearing of masks correctly, washing of hands and social distancing.

“It has been noted with great concern, that some of our students, faculty and staff are not very keen to observe the laid out Covid-19 protocols,” read the memo.

Dr. Wachira has called on the University to adhere to the Ministry of Health guidelines in order to prevent infection and spread of the virus.

The University has put in measures against Covid-19 such as sanitization stations, handwashing tanks and temperature checks. Moreover, high traffic areas such as hostels and meeting rooms are regularly fumigated.

A major fumigation exercise has been scheduled to take place this weekend at the Athi River campus.