Quick action needed to save East Africa’s staple foods

Maize and banana crops are under attack in Kenya and Uganda respectively.  In Kenya, the maize crop in many parts of the country is being destroyed by a viral disease called Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN).

The disease, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Dr Sally Kosgei, is caused by a combined infections of two viruses; maize chlorotic mottle virus and either maize dwarf mosaic virus or wheat streak mosaic virus.

MLN makes the infected plants to stunt, turn pale and die close to the flowering stage.

In Uganda the banana is being decimated by a disease called Banana Xanthomonas Wilt. According to IRIN news, the disease which attacks all types of bananas and is spread by insects, wind-driven rainfall, infected planting materials and contaminated planting tools is a threat to banana production in East Africa.

Needless to say, farmers are suffering huge loses. But there is much more at stake. Maize is the staple food in Kenya as is banana in Uganda. This means that we are on the verge of a major food crisis if urgent steps are not taken to fight off these diseases.

Is Hassan’s ‘outside the box’ move ok?

While hailing Mr Isaac Hassan as a man with “lots of brains and energy”, Mr Githuku Mungai notes that the IEBC has a Herculean task ahead.

As he has never handled a General Election before, the forthcoming polls will be a litmus test for Mr Hassan and his team. However, Mungai has no doubt at all that Hassan intends to conduct a clean and smooth General Election.

To do this, Githuku says Hassan has a lot of research and listening to do in identifying underlying risks and taking remedial measures.

Already, IEBC has started to think outside the (ballot) box and has even conducted electronic mock elections in some constituencies.

However, Ms Koki Muli, who was also interested in the IEBC chairmanship job, cautioned a few days ago against holding the polls electronically before properly testing the system over a period of time.

“A proper reading of her views leaves one terribly afraid that things could go wrong again. Koki was for electronic registration of voters but against electronic voting.” Is time ripe for Kenya to adopt this system of voting, Mr Hassan?

No play time for busy students

As the government struggles to produce all-rounded graduates, some principals in

Lari district, Kiambu County has devised an ingenious way to kill the sporting talents of students, according to a parent.

The parent, who has requested anonymity, claims that one of the schools “has come up with a ploy to minimise spending on co-curricular activities, yet each parent pays Sh600 per student on the activity fees”.

“The principal has prohibited Form Four students from participating in co-curricular activities except science congress, despite the parents, opposing this scheme in our AGM vehemently last year.”

The principal’s argues that the students should be given enough time to concentrate on their studies.

Academic giants

However, the parent finds this argument ridiculous since the school is struggling is still struggling academically while academic giants in the district such as Alliance Boys, Kijabe Boys and Kagwe Girls excel in both sports and academics.

“Can somebody please intervene before our children are turned into zombies as the principals enrich themselves,” pleads the parent.

PS’s order on pubs ‘dictatorial’

The directive by acting PS for Education Prof George Godia PS George Godia ordering closure of pubs within a distance of 300m from schools is unfortunate and dictatorial, according to Mr Patrick Muya. The Ministry of Education, he says, has no power to close businesses that  it never licenced in the first place. The ministry, he suggests, should first assess whether such pubs negatively affect learning in schools. “Measuring distance is not enough. Is a noisy bar located 310m from the school better than a quiet bar 200m away? What study was conducted to come up with a distance of 300m and not 290m?”

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did Olkejuado County Council finally wake up? 

Some residents of Ongata Rongai wrote to PointBlank on March 26, claiming that Olkejuado County Council was in deep slumber and had neglected the area. For almost one year now, they said, motorists have had difficulties driving on the busy Magadi Road due to huge potholes, especially on the section around Ongata Rongai town.

The residents also alleged that in its slumber, the council had forgotten to construct culverts at the junctions of Magadi-Sololo and Magadi-Mage roads in Laiser Hill that they said serve schools, churches and a growing population. The residents also asked the council to do something about traffic jams in the town especially in the mornings and evenings and weekends. Did the council wake up from the purported deep slumber?

Right of Reply
Council innocent, blame Metropolitan ministry for dilapidated Ruai road

This is in response to an article appearing in the PointBlank column of The Standard newspaper dated  April 30, 2012 attributed to Dick Makebu concerning a dilapidated access road in Ruai Nairobi.

The complaint was republished on June 8, 2012 in the same column under the title, “Mr Roba Duba, when will this road in Ruai be done?”

I appreciate Mr Makebu’s concern on the poor state of Ruai Road which leads to the Dandora Sewerage Treatment works.

tarmac standards

I wish to clarify to the residents of this city that, the responsibility of rehabilitating and maintaining all roads in cities and municipalities has been vested in the Ministry of Roads and its agencies.

However, in this particular case, the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development was tasked with rehabilitation of the above road to tarmac standards.

Hence, by copy of this response, the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development is best placed to respond to this matter.

I thank Makebu for his concern.

Roba Duba,

Town Clerk

Mavoko terminus finally set to be shoe-friendly

Our attention has been drawn to an article appearing in The Standard newspaper’s PointBlank column on diverse dates concerning Mlolongo bus terminus.

We would like to inform Mr John Muthusi, who first complained about the state of terminus in the article titled, “Will Mavoko ever make terminus shoe-friendly?” and residents of Mlolongo town that, SBI International Holding Ltd under the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project (NCTIP) has been given instructions by the Resident Engineer to do the terminus.

The work will entail laying of 100mm stabilised GCS Base and surface with a coat of spray and chippings as deemed appropriate.

The council is liasing with the Project manager, SBI International Holding Ltd, Machakos turnoff office, to ensure the works start as soon as possible.

We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused to commuters.

Mavoko Municipal Council

Quick action needed to save East Africa’s staple foods

Maize and banana crops are under attack in Kenya and Uganda respectively.  In Kenya, the maize crop in many parts of the country is being destroyed by a viral disease called Maize Lethal Necrosis (MLN).

The disease, according to the Minister for Agriculture, Dr Sally Kosgei, is caused by a combined infections of two viruses; maize chlorotic mottle virus and either maize dwarf mosaic virus or wheat streak mosaic virus.

MLN makes the infected plants to stunt, turn pale and die close to the flowering stage.

In Uganda the banana is being decimated by a disease called Banana Xanthomonas Wilt. According to IRIN news, the disease which attacks all types of bananas and is spread by insects, wind-driven rainfall, infected planting materials and contaminated planting tools is a threat to banana production in East Africa.

Needless to say, farmers are suffering huge loses. But there is much more at stake. Maize is the staple food in Kenya as is banana in Uganda. This means that we are on the verge of a major food crisis if urgent steps are not taken to fight off these diseases.

Is Hassan’s ‘outside the box’ move ok?

While hailing Mr Isaac Hassan as a man with “lots of brains and energy”, Mr Githuku Mungai notes that the IEBC has a Herculean task ahead.

As he has never handled a General Election before, the forthcoming polls will be a litmus test for Mr Hassan and his team. However, Mungai has no doubt at all that Hassan intends to conduct a clean and smooth General Election.

To do this, Githuku says Hassan has a lot of research and listening to do in identifying underlying risks and taking remedial measures.

Already, IEBC has started to think outside the (ballot) box and has even conducted electronic mock elections in some constituencies.

However, Ms Koki Muli, who was also interested in the IEBC chairmanship job, cautioned a few days ago against holding the polls electronically before properly testing the system over a period of time.

“A proper reading of her views leaves one terribly afraid that things could go wrong again. Koki was for electronic registration of voters but against electronic voting.” Is time ripe for Kenya to adopt this system of voting, Mr Hassan?

No play time for busy students

As the government struggles to produce all-rounded graduates, some principals in

Lari district, Kiambu County has devised an ingenious way to kill the sporting talents of students, according to a parent.

The parent, who has requested anonymity, claims that one of the schools “has come up with a ploy to minimise spending on co-curricular activities, yet each parent pays Sh600 per student on the activity fees”.

“The principal has prohibited Form Four students from participating in co-curricular activities except science congress, despite the parents, opposing this scheme in our AGM vehemently last year.”

The principal’s argues that the students should be given enough time to concentrate on their studies.

Academic giants

However, the parent finds this argument ridiculous since the school is struggling is still struggling academically while academic giants in the district such as Alliance Boys, Kijabe Boys and Kagwe Girls excel in both sports and academics.

“Can somebody please intervene before our children are turned into zombies as the principals enrich themselves,” pleads the parent.

PS’s order on pubs ‘dictatorial’

The directive by acting PS for Education Prof George Godia PS George Godia ordering closure of pubs within a distance of 300m from schools is unfortunate and dictatorial, according to Mr Patrick Muya. The Ministry of Education, he says, has no power to close businesses that  it never licenced in the first place. The ministry, he suggests, should first assess whether such pubs negatively affect learning in schools. “Measuring distance is not enough. Is a noisy bar located 310m from the school better than a quiet bar 200m away? What study was conducted to come up with a distance of 300m and not 290m?”

DON’T YOU FORGET

Did Olkejuado County Council finally wake up? 

Some residents of Ongata Rongai wrote to PointBlank on March 26, claiming that Olkejuado County Council was in deep slumber and had neglected the area. For almost one year now, they said, motorists have had difficulties driving on the busy Magadi Road due to huge potholes, especially on the section around Ongata Rongai town.

The residents also alleged that in its slumber, the council had forgotten to construct culverts at the junctions of Magadi-Sololo and Magadi-Mage roads in Laiser Hill that they said serve schools, churches and a growing population. The residents also asked the council to do something about traffic jams in the town especially in the mornings and evenings and weekends. Did the council wake up from the purported deep slumber?

Right of Reply
Council innocent, blame Metropolitan ministry for dilapidated Ruai road

This is in response to an article appearing in the PointBlank column of The Standard newspaper dated  April 30, 2012 attributed to Dick Makebu concerning a dilapidated access road in Ruai Nairobi.

The complaint was republished on June 8, 2012 in the same column under the title, “Mr Roba Duba, when will this road in Ruai be done?”

I appreciate Mr Makebu’s concern on the poor state of Ruai Road which leads to the Dandora Sewerage Treatment works.

tarmac standards

I wish to clarify to the residents of this city that, the responsibility of rehabilitating and maintaining all roads in cities and municipalities has been vested in the Ministry of Roads and its agencies.

However, in this particular case, the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development was tasked with rehabilitation of the above road to tarmac standards.

Hence, by copy of this response, the Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development is best placed to respond to this matter.

I thank Makebu for his concern.

Roba Duba,

Town Clerk

Mavoko terminus finally set to be shoe-friendly

Our attention has been drawn to an article appearing in The Standard newspaper’s PointBlank column on diverse dates concerning Mlolongo bus terminus.

We would like to inform Mr John Muthusi, who first complained about the state of terminus in the article titled, “Will Mavoko ever make terminus shoe-friendly?” and residents of Mlolongo town that, SBI International Holding Ltd under the Northern Corridor Transport Improvement Project (NCTIP) has been given instructions by the Resident Engineer to do the terminus.

The work will entail laying of 100mm stabilised GCS Base and surface with a coat of spray and chippings as deemed appropriate.

The council is liasing with the Project manager, SBI International Holding Ltd, Machakos turnoff office, to ensure the works start as soon as possible.

We regret any inconvenience that may have been caused to commuters.

Mavoko Municipal Council