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Kenya embarks on a billion project to safeguard wildlife.

NAIROBI, Sep. 07
SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT Njoroge Kaburo

The Government of Kenya has launched a five year project in Mount Kenya forests belt zone in a bid to ensure a secure safe wildlife and environmental conservancy. The region which measures 194,400 hectares: has 80,000 hectares of bamboo and 114,400 hectares of other forest cover is the largest indigenous forest remaining in Kenya.                                                                                                                   Commissioning the Ksh.1billion initiative to be constructed in the lush Mt. Kenya forests, a typical highland refuge for wildlife, Kenya Finance Minister Robinson Njeru Githae said that this was one of the biggest plans the government had undertaken in line with attainment of United Nation’s Millennium Development Goals Target number 7 that seek to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programs to reverse loss of environmental resources. “As the UN paper on Development goals demands, this is a maiden step seeking to achieve, by 2010, a significant reduction in the rate of loss Proportion of land area covered by our forest,”  said Githae, who graced the auspicious occasion at Kimunye Community Forest Association “This is far much critical than any other development projects funded by the treasury in the recent past,” added Githae who also challenged every Kenyan be on the frontline to protect the forest and wildlife at large. The project dubbed Mt. Kenya Electric Fence, under the Rhino Park Fencing project covers among other projects, Mau and Emuru forest belts. According to the review team’s report, it is confirmed that already, a master plan for an estimated 267 kilometers was complete leaving 133km. The fence is to be erected with different strands at different levels and locations. The Fence will consist of three phase strands, two phase and single phase according to specifications of the masterplan by the review team. The report also stresses an urgent need to construct the maiden 400 kilometers hedge along the forests to protect the Large herds of Buffalo and Elephant found in the forest which attacked locals causing vast destruction to their crops and costing them huge loss. The review team also cited a potential ecological disaster on Mount Kenya which threatened the wildlife in an ecosystem which covers thousands of hectares of Mount Kenya's ancient forests, a crucial water catchment tower for the country. Other animals found in the forest are Rhino, Lion, Black Panthers (melanisitic leopards).The forest Canopy is also home to smaller game such as reedbuck, warthog, hyrax and genet cats, Colobus, Vervet and Sykes monkeys.

As reservoirs of water in the wet season, Kenyans and the Kenyan economy at large rely on the ecosystem serviced by the water towers which provide rainfall and hydro-electricity.

Acting permanent Secretary in the Ministry of forestry and wildlife Mr. Lawrence Mwadime discouraged locals from encroaching the forest area for the good of the forests’ Biodiversity.

He called on Kenyans from all walks of life to join hands and protect this Ecosystem to ensure that the rich biological diversity presented by the forest should be maintained to secure region which hosts thousands of tourists every year.

“There is also an urgent need to secure the tourism platform presented by great scenic area for the sake of both local and national economies, but this will remain a pipe dream if we (Kenyans) continue to threaten the ecosystem characterized by a diversity of species and plants.”

He added citing recent reported incidences that some locals had trespassed the forest enterprise felling bamboo to plant illegal crops. He said that the government would not sit back and watch this eventuality.                            

 Poachers who targeted the elephants that roam the forested slopes of Mount Kenya for their ivory tusks were also warned sternly as the deadly fence was laid.

Mr. Kipngetich, the director of Kenya Wildlife Services challenged the Media to report more on environmental issues and focus their advocacy more on developmental areas.

He daunted those who were up for the mad rush for biofuels at the expense of indigenous forest cover to quit the exercise condemning the act as illegal.

Kipngetich enumerated the need to conservation of indigenous forest soils, due to their high organic matter content and value saying that it absorbs considerable quantities of water, slowly releasing it into streams and rivers which come in handy during dry season.

The Chairman of the Mau Secritariat Mr.Hassan Noor Hassan observes that when a forest is destroyed, the layer of fallen leaves and other forest waste above the soil disappears, and thus rainfall runs off rapidly, causing flash floods and carrying away topsoil. Streams and rivers then silt up, producing less water during the dry season, causing water shortages downstream, or even drying up completely.

She cited this adding that Most of Kenya’s hydropower generating projects depend on rivers from Mt. Kenya.

“Therefore when locals become irresponsible, the idea of the hydropower plants to produce electricity will vanish thus affecting the Kenyan economy,” added Hassan.

Ends……………..

Njoroge kaburo

Nairobi, Kenya.



Prime Minister Raila Odinga is welcomed by members of clergy at Kabare Girls High school during commissioning of  Anglican University College.
PHOTO/ NJOROGE KABURO

East Africa lawmakers urged
to tackle unemployment crisis

72 percent of the

unemployed population
in Kenya is below 30

years of age

SPECIAL REPORT BY XINHUA CORRESPONDENT

NJOROGE KABURO

NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- East Africa lawmakers should tackle unemployment and under-employment which are key crises that need the immediate attention of legislators and other stakeholders, a senior regional official said on Friday.

East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) Speaker Abdirahin Abdi 72 percent of the unemployed population in Kenya is below 30 years of age.

“In Burundi for example, the youth stand at 51.1 percent, 14 percent of whom are unemployed. Statistics further reveal that only 11 percent of school graduates can acquire jobs in the public sector,” Abdi said during the official opening of a seminar organized by EALA in collaboration with the Association of European Parliamentarians With Africa (AWEPA) in Nairobi .

The regional speaker lauded the five members states for enhancing Universal Primary Education and urged them to look at secondary education.

“ Uganda which was the first country in the region to initiate Universal Primary Education in 1993 has moved a notch higher and is well considering free secondary education – a move that should be replicated across the region,” he said.

Abdi told the two-day seminar themed Towards Parliamentary Action for Integration of Children and Youth in East African Societies that the East Africa region and the globe to ensure issues of children and the youth come to the fore and remain central to development.

Such a move he reiterates shall trigger progress towards realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Political Co-ordinator of AWEPA Holger Gustafsson noted that his organization would continue to build the capacity of legislators globally to enable them carry out their mandate more effectively.

“As children become older, they need to access the labour market to enable them progress,” Gustafsson said.

He added that the presence of youth underscored the need for training and harnessing of skills. Gustafsson called for the enactment of legislation on youth and the harmonization of policies across East Africa .

The Clerk of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), Zwelethu Madasa said his continental Assembly would at its global congress on the Diaspora scheduled for May 21-30 consider and discuss issues of the youth.

Deputy Speaker of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) Parliament, Sere Saran Sereme said the continent’s population constituted over 60 percent of the young, terming it a potential available for Africa .

However, strategies in place undermine the exploitation of the same, Sereme lamented, calling for the re-engineering and adoption of new laws that protect the youth.

The Deputy Speaker noted that young people without jobs had led to chaos and social crises and it was apparent for legislators to put up policies.

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African lawmakers stress
youth empowerment

By Njoroge Kaburo NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- A Parliamentary meeting ended on Sunday in Nairobi , Kenya with a call for a long-term vision for youth empowerment.

The two-day meeting also saw lawmakers call on the private and public sectors to avail more opportunities to the youth in order to develop their skills and enable them to gain accessibility to income.

In South Africa , a national youth policy framework is in place and a National Youth Act was instituted in 2008 to cater for the youth, participants say.

“In varying degrees, young people must be engaged to stimulate their development. We must look at existing legislation and encourage legislators to provide oversight in existing programmes, “ Michael Sudarkasa, CEO of the South African Based Africa Business Group, said in a joint statement issued in Nairobi on Sunday.

The parliamentarians were urged to support to the empowerment of young people as part of efforts to promote regional integration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Parliamentarians were further tasked to set benchmarks that promote equal opportunities for the girl child and to enact legislation that stimulates economic development in relation to youth empowerment.

The meeting, with a theme of “Towards Parliamentary Action for Integration of Children and Youth in East African Societies”, was attended by legislators from the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA), the South Africa Development Community (SADC) and the West African bloc ECOWAS.

Parliamentarians from Sweden and Ireland were also invited to attend the forum.

EALA lawmaker Safina Kwekwe said the assembly would continue to ensure the provisions of an East African treaty to address problems of youth and marginalized groups.

She called for the establishment of an EAC Youth Initiative as an outfit to bring together all the aspirations of the youth under one umbrella.

“From the legislative standpoint, a comprehensive youth development policy leading to an Act in the EAC region is necessary,” Kwekwe said.

The legislators also called for the immediate reform of the education systems to ensure official training institutes offer modules responding to vocational needs of the youth.

The meeting was organized by EALA in collaboration with the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA).

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Kenya's Investment in renewable and alternative energy is a good move for MDGs.


By Njoroge Kaburo

The UN dossier on the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) cautiously underscores the significance of energy in realization of its achievements.

Though the paper does not in particular have a part on energy, it is in record that lack of modern fuel in most developing countries surreptitiously ingrain poverty and contributes to 1.6 million deaths per year.

Certainly, services rendered through energy consumption provide cross-cutting influences on equally social and economic development.

For instance, with reliable and constantly available energy services, an estimated 22 billion people in the world could be freed from poverty.

This would follow clean cooking fuels which would improve health conditions and improve standards of living

And therefore, it becomes readily explicable why Energy can influence any given country's ability towards achievement of the 8 goals.

And as the old adage goes, necessity is the mother to invention.

This is apparent as more and more stand alone investors of renewable sources of energy come up with undying efforts to offer workable solutions at a time the world experiences broad power shortage.

They are working overtime trying to set mechanisms to see renewal of energy sources such as solar, wind bio gas ethanol to mention a few.

They are utilizing bio gas and animal waste as viable alternative source of energy to control deforestation which has for many years stripped bare many of the forests across the world.

A rough estimate of 800 tones of wood consumption is reduced each year by using bio gas and not mentioning other sources like hydro, wind, solar and ethanol.

Through bio gas option also, Kenya can also be sure to reduce a considerable 1,300 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.
These individuals and private institutions have rolled their sleeves in a bid to complement Kenya Government's effort of the rural electrification launched in the yea 2003.

Determined to meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), these investors have managed to provide power to small enterprises, individual households, micro enterprises and private ventures.

They for that reason play an important role in power supply to Kenya as a nation.
Some learning institutions and health centers also benefit from these projects hence contributing to the development of education, health and to employment.

All this has been successful thanks to the Kenya Government move to franchising the rural solar program.
Besides the power supplies, affordable solar lanterns are locally available at almost every electric retailer.

One can also acquire improved oven and stoves made in Kenya at reasonable prices.

Ends............

Njoroge kaburo

Thika, Kenya.

kirinyaga times

The ever sizzling hot GROOVE awards get hotter.

By Njoroge kaburo.

Gospel artists are at it again, and it is crystal clear that Kenyan teens love God. This was attested as the best Talents were tested and tried on Saturday through the eyes of teens.

The gospel take over is evident as the event of the 9^th annual edition of the Insyder SKIZA Chaguo La Teeniez results (CHAT) confirmed, where celebrities from across the board showcased their talents.

Daddy Owen led the crew as he scooped two awards in the spectacular awards ceremony which took place at the Carnivore gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.

The indomitable star scored for the Teeniez male Artist ad Teeniez Gospel aArtist while his Gospel colleague and pop maestro Juliani shone with Teeniez Hottest live Performer.

Gospel Group Men of God, a.k.a. MOG were not left out eiher, they took home the Teeniez Gospel Song Award in the hotly contested group category.

Others who marked the event with a remarkable hype were Shaffie Weru and Kalekye Mumo of the rush hour show at Kiss 100 FM, who won the award for the Teeniz most Hype Radio Presenters prize.

Further,Kiss Fm, a radio station owned by Radio Africa Group retained the Teeniez Blazing Fm station gong.

Elsewhere, Amani was edged by Avril who scored for the Teeniez female Artist. Avril who maintains fame with her lingering hit chokoza featuring is the new teen Diva.

On the other flank, the conspicuously new kids on the block Machachari, a drama show that airs at Citizen TV won in the TV Drama/Soap Show category edging Tahidi High, a drama show in the same TV station which had had stranglehold domination of that gong over the past three years.

However, Tahidi High’s Tanya a.k.a. Sarah Hassan bagged the teeniez Female Actress Award.

Machachari’s Ma DVD stole the Teeniez male Actor Award as Citizen TV also took home the Teeniez Brand new Show Award.

KTN’s Str88 Up Music magazine Show, presented by stifling hostess Tero grabbed honours at the event as they as they carried the Teeniez TVMusic Show Award for the 2^nd year running.

In the hotly contested Brand new Arrtists category, sizzling hot Lady B carried the day as she shone with the award elbowing BMF and QTY in the category.

This year’s event was a bit diverse as stunts got orchestrated and rehearsed for the benefit of the teens.

The red carpet was graced by all the nominees as the event kicked off with stunning performances led by top nominees among them Juliani, daddy Owen, size 8 and P- Unit.

In the dias were also Politicians whoo were not left behind to witness and engage the young people in the exercise.

Gichugu Member of Parliament was flanked by Fidel Odinga and Gideon Mbuvi a.k.a. Sonko another impregnable youthful icon in Kenya’s politics.

Other CHAT winners were P-unit, who bagged the award for the best Teeniez Group/Collabo hit,not forgetting their delay leaving kare hit song which carried the award for the Teeniez Hottest track.

Madtraxx’s ‘get down’ hit song bagged the Teeniez sizzling Music Video award while Teeniez best VJ/DJ award was scooped by striking Dj kalonje.

Churchil Live bagged home the Teeniez Comedy/reality show while Inter Milan,s Kenyan born striker grabbed the award for the Teeniez role model beating World Marathon champion Dvid Rudisha and Gichugu MP Hon. Martha Karua in that category.

Guest presenters and celebriitiies included Jalang’o, from Kiss Fm’s Big breakfast Show,Omosh of the infamous Tahidi High drama,and Strai8 Up’s Tero.

Hosts of the Show were among others rap siren, Joey Muthengi and Ant’ Neo Soul artist Mwangi.

The event was sponsored by SAFARICOM in association with NOKIA OVI STORE AND NIMECHILL ABSTINENCE CAMPAIGN.

Ends................

Njoroge Kaburo, Nairobi, Kenya.

An investment of Hand made bush glasses with passion of Eco-friendliness.

By Njoroge Kaburo

By sticking to the ancient glass blowing technique, Anselm Croze has
built a reputation for craftsmanship and uniquely blown glass designs.

It's a bumpy exhausting ride to the premises of Kitengela Glass that
borders Nairobi national park. However, when you get to the bushy
location the beauty and the experience of the place charm you that you
forget the uneven and rough tracks prior experienced.

As you get closer, mammoth sculptures dominate the landscape while the
dazzling display of glass mosaic sculptures litters the environment.

A corridor decorated with broken glass leads you to Anselm Kitengela
Hot Glass one of the art studios in the compound. The studio consists
of a 50-foot dome shaped brick “hot-shop”.

Born of a Dutch mother and American father, Anselm Croze grew in an
artistic family that moved to Kenya in late 70s. His mother, Nani
Croze, founded Kitengela Stained Glass, making stained glass for
church windows.

Over the years, Nani’s company specialized in blown glass, dalle ve
verre and mosaic, beads, slumping, cast glass and fusing.

It didn't take long for Anselm to know glass blowing was a craft he
wanted to pursue professionally. He undertook glass blowing
undergraduate degree in Holland and joined the family business upon
his return. But 16 years ago, he started Kitengela Hot Glass,
specializing in blown glass and dalle de verre.

He says the beauty of the medium, the magic and the difficulty of
glass blowing captivated him. Setting up was not easy. Even with the
back drop of Kitengela Hot stain Glass, he struggled to raise start up
capital. He needed to buy furnaces, gas and oil tanks as well as
operating capital.

Luckily Mikko Merikallio, a Finnish friend agreed to design and build
the glass blowing furnaces for him. The furnaces is powered by steam
injected oil a system that takes into account the fact that there are
no municipal utilities like electricity, water or gas in the bush.
Today, the firm has 36 employees five of whom are expert glass
blowers.


The firm has a zero waste policy, which is important given to the
location. It often sources for waste glass from used bottles,
construction and renovation sites and recycles it to make glassware.

Its packaging is from recycled newspapers. “It is our goal to have an
Eco-friendly manufacturing facility.”

It makes a wide range of glasses, goblets, chandeliers, jars, glass
tables, jugs, lampshade, bottles drinking vessel, vases, bowls,
plates, chandeliers, lamp stands, to any other glass objects.

It undertakes architectural projects such as glass walls, make grilles
and large mirrors. The assembly of metal frames for stained glass and
dalle de verre for furniture and sculptures takes place at the
premises too.

One of its recent innovation is embedding lights in chairs, tables
and windows is a technique that transforms them into works of modern
art. Despite rising use of technology, Mr. Croze says he prefers
traditional technique. “I prefer this old fashioned way as it gives
every item a unique identity, a quality that clients value”


The products are sold in domestic market although others are exported.
The firm has put up proprietary shops at the Nakumatt Junction,
Village Market and Westgate Mall in Nairobi.

Learning the skill however takes time. glass blowers have to be
trained regularly to keep up with news styles, techniques and customer
demands. The firm often sends them to Holland for training and also
participates in exhibitions where their work is displayed.

Intense training is necessary because glass blowing is essentially an
art. Besides, once glass is melted it becomes difficult and dangerous
to handle. “It’s alkaline, heavy, extremely hot and eats away the
inside of the furnace so you need very special material and skills to
handle it.”

Making a single item is involving and physically demanding, meaning
production is painstakingly slow. “When we are working on simple items
like goblets, we can make about two hundred in a day,” he explains.
“large items like decorative glass are more sophisticated and we make
about three in a day.”

In December, last year it had a six week waiting list caused partly by
an order to make 700 chandeliers weighing 1.4 tonnes. The chandeliers
are destined for the main foyer of an office building on Waiyaki way.




The process of making blown glass items is complex. Glass has to be
heated to 1100 degrees centigrade before it melts.

Using a long blowing pipe, artisans gather a gob of molten glass from
the furnace and shape it into desired designs. Once an item is
completed, it is gradually cooled, then polished using grinding or
sandblasting techniques.

Mr. Croze’s work is highly sought both by home makers and interior
designers. The steady stream of foreign dignitaries to the studio
illustrates its global appeal. In 2005, the firm hosted the Swedish
king ad queen in a visit sponsored by UNEP. Kofi Annan, the former UN
Secretary General has also visited one of their shops.

Presently, Mr. Croze is concentrating on strengthening management
structures as well as investments in new, smaller furnaces that will
enable use of a wider range of colors. He is also working on a
succession plan.

A hands-on entrepreneur, he says he would like to delegate most of his
responsibilities with a view of grooming a successor. “It is great to
start this kind of business and build it to this scale. My concern now
is ensuring it can survive without me.
They make glass with variety of colors; available in furnace are aqua,
green, blue, champagne pink and amber. However, quite a few transition
colors occur like a blue green, pale green, purple or pale blue.

Pieces of glass ware made and the amount of glass used in a day depend
on the size and complexity of the item. “If its goblets we make over
two hundred but if it's a decorative, large complex ware we make three
a day” Anselm passionately says.

The price of glass ware is dependent on the design and size of the product.
The studio never runs short of activities, they receive daily orders
by clients who range from restaurants to individual. As well as
foreign and domestic guests who stream their studios from time to
time.

In 2005 they hosted Swedish king and queen, a UNEP sponsored visit who
bought elephant mugs. The former UN Secretary General Koffi Annan
during his stay in Kenya bought a glass ware from their shop too.

Glass blowing is an art that Anselm says he loves and the death of his
studio operations is something he wouldn't want to see. “I am trying
to build succession, to make sure the company is viable even without
me.
”He says.
He is also keen to improve middle management to ensure quality
management of every level of his business. Plans to build additional
smaller furnaces to enable use of a wide variety of colors are into
consideration.


Ends....

Online shopping takes roots in Kenya

By Njoroge Kaburo and Annie Njanja.

Everyday the Kenyan market is continuously welcoming new entrepreneurs, who venture in different fields.

And while many up-and-coming entrepreneurs believe that establishing a successful business has to begin with setting up or having a physical premise, others are proving the myth wrong.

Daring entrepreneurs are now venturing in online business.

Armed with services tailored to attract customers online shopping websites popularity has grown in the country especially with the realization of faster internet services.

The online shop entrepreneurs market their products on social networks by having fan pages and tagging prices and other descriptions on them for all interested to see.

This has proved successful considering the popularity and spread of social networks like Facebook, twitter, bebo among the youth in Kenya.

Having an online shop doesn’t require much hustle. A website is required, “Developing a website may take as much as three to six months if coding is done from the scratch,” explains Rua Jefwa, a Nairobi based web developer.

“However, this depends on the functionality and the level of interactivity of the site,” he adds.

The website from time to time requires updating to include new products and remove those sold. “A digital shop needs constant update to keep buyers abreast with products up for sale,” Rua says.

Online shopping is no doubt a convenient way of shopping for people with tighter job schedules, or for those impatient to move around in shops looking for a product.

Online shop sites like Style Connections have search engines that buyers visiting the sites can key-in details to seek out for products. Depending on the online shop, you can have your products delivered to your door step.

Wahiga Mohammed owner of Style Connection online shop says that starting an online shop is uncomplicated task.

“You need capital to be able to buy products and to have a hi-tech website built for you.” She had to pay $1,500 to have a web developer create her site.

The great thing is that it is a onetime pay” adds Wahiga who notes there is also some $120 commercial website annual fee.

Patience is also required in the developing a website as it takes quite some time to have it fully effective, she says.

Online shops are increasing by number daily and to counter the stiff competition, Wahiga does a lot of marketing in the internet as well as offering incentives to people who bring in new customers. “With such activities, the popularity of my shop is spreading,”

Some Kenyans are enjoying this way of shopping already. ”I work for 10 hours a day and sincerely I have no time to go shopping, I do online shopping frequently especially for my office clothes.” Rita an advertising executive says.

She says she admires this kind of shopping because she can do it at the comfort of her house or office.”

Since the buyers are required to pay for products they want to purchase first before they get them, online shops are faced with the challenge of getting prospective clients’ trust.

Most of these clients are afraid of losing their money to cons. “But as the popularity of a site spreads, the trust comes naturally,” Wahiga says.

In addition, a substantial number of people are yet to embrace this mode of shopping this is due to unavailability of the technology that comes with it.

The bigger challenge however is illiteracy since most of the Kenyan population is computer illiterate.

However, with a buddy who knows a thing or two about the internet, one can’t miss it all.

This makes online shopping trend is catching up in the Kenyan market though Kenyans are yet to embrace it in a big way; it is evident that this is the next way of doing shopping.

Having an online shop as an entrepreneur therefore becomes economical especially at a time when renting a stall or an office in town is expensive today, as some stalls go up to $100.

Ends…………….

www.kirinyagatimesblogspot.com

Mobile banking overtakes conventional bank services in Kenya

By Njoroge Kaburo

Over the last six years, the Kenyan government has initiated several youth development programs. The multibillion Kazi kwa Vijana (Jobs for youth) and the KSh2 billion Youth Enterprise Development Fund usually are disbursed through the usual financial institutions.

These initiatives are all tailored to deal with the unemployment menace and engaging the youth in life transforming projects.

In addition to youth loan services banks provide youth savings, financial education, and entrepreneurship training.

An indication the banks and the government are tirelessly working towards boosting the youth.

But it seems their effort to get the youth to utilize services modified to attract them is undermined by the mobile money.

All the same, the advent of mobile money transfer has created many opportunities for Kenyans including employment, access to financial services as well as acting as an effective tool for channeling currency to the banking systems.

It is evident that mobile money has to a great extent changed the traditional way of banking.

Youths now especially those not in white collar jobs prefer mobile-money transactions. This way they miss out on the youth-tailored services that the banking institutions offer.

A considerable number has also detachedly neglected their bank accounts.

Reason being that the money they traditionally used to cash in the bank is now readily sent to them through mobile phones.

In addition, mobile transfer agents are wide-spread to places where banks are yet to set-up branches. Moreover, it is no doubt that mobile money transfer saves time.

“Before ‘M-Pesa’, a mobile service owned by mobile service provider Safaricom, came in my boss used to pay me using cheques, nowadays, I get my payment through my phone,” says James Kanyi, 26 year-old office assistance based in Nairobi. “I prefer M-Pesa because I don’t have to wait for the transaction to mature as is the case with cheques,” he concludes.

Lack of knowledge on the advantages of having a bank account and illiteracy are also reasons why most youths prefer mobile banking. Also, the ease of mobile-money has further made youths reluctant in opening bank accounts.

Youths comprise the largest population in the country. Studies also show that people aged 18 to 35 years form majority of mobile and Internet users.

Now banks seem to have this figured out and they are rolling out technologically-savvy products to woo this segment.

An example is the M-KESHO service by Equity bank in partnership with Safaricom. Though such initiatives have been launched they are far from helping the youths.


A survey commissioned by Central Bank of Kenya in 2009 that determine the level of access to financial services in the country indicates that 60.1 (compared to 54.6 per cent in 2006) per cent of the money received by the youth in 2009 were transfers from relatives, mainly via M-Pesa, an indication that there is a lot of money circulating among the youths.

Over the same period, usage of non-bank financial institutions doubled from 7.5 per cent in 2006 to 17.9 per cent as most of the surveyed preferred to keep their money in the M-PESA accounts thanks to Safaricom.

Last December alone, 76 billion was transacted through mobile, while M-Pesa sees about 160,000 transactions per day, valued near $4 million.


Mobile money transfer has transformed the lives of many Kenyans particularly those in rural areas where banking institutions are rare. It also comes in handy especially during emergencies.

The youths not utilizing banking institutions are not able to make optimal use of the services provided to them and at the same time, not able to practice the art of saving from an early age.

This calls the government and banking institution to educate the youths on the importance of having a bank account, mostly for them to benefit from the services they provide.

It’s also a wake up call for banks to ensure that banking services reach out to Kenyans by setting up branches and locating agent’s neglected areas.

Njoroge Kaburo

Nairobi, Kenya.

congratulatory note

Kenya adopts Hesco fencing.

By Njoroge Kaburo.
United Nations in Northern Kenya has embarked on a construction of 1.154 kilometer perimeter wall with the most modern gabion structured fence to enhance around the clock security in its bureau.
The fence, constructed around its newly put up offices in Ali Njugun, Hagadera Division, 47 Kilometres from Dadaab Refugees camp is one of its kind in Kenya and most apposite for terror hit areas.  

Workers erect Hesco fence around the newly built United Nations offices at Al jugur division in Dadaab. Hesco fence is preferred to conventional fencing for its security given the frequent terror attack in the area.

“Hesco barrier structure is basically designed for Military fortification and Flood control and therefore it is most suitable for such regions (North-Eastern) owing to its current rapid terror attacks,” says Engineer James Mwaniki, a Civil engineer and hesco consultant in Dadaab.


Hesco is made of 3mm-5mm diameter collapsible wire mesh containers and heavy duty fabric liner which can either be used in separate cells or in some occasions, cells are joined together. Assembling the Hesco bastion entails unfolding it and filling it with sand, dirt or gravel according to preference.

Hesco fence’s popularity is mostly owed to its the quick and easy setup, hence it is most preferred by troops and flood fighters.

 “This kind of fencing is cheaper and more convenient compared to the conventional fencing where people had to fill sandbags, a slow undertaking, with one worker filling about 20 sandbags per hour, a  front end loader can do ten times the work of those using sandbags, notes Hudson Mauta, the contracts’ site Engineer.

In the recent past, most countries including South Africa and other sub-Saharan countries have embraced this fencing plan following its security-guarantee and affordability.

Other buildings with a similar fencing in Kenya include among others, Telkom Kenya Ltd, Continental Bank Ltd, Kenya Industrial Estates , Kenya Utalii College, Kenya Wine Agencies Ltd, Kenya Sisal Board, Kenya Planters Co-operative union, Kenya Railways Corporation, Tana Water Services Board, Industrial Development Bank, Coffee Board of Kenya, Coast Water Services Board and  Kenya Meat Commission. Mr.Mauta, confirmed that the fence will be complete come next month.

End……………………