Thursday 28 November 2019

Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor

The handshake, as captured and captioned by a leading media house. PHOTO: Courtesy


THE PRESIDENT’S LEGACY: Bridging the Gap between Rich and Poor

Jeremiah Mutuanga

S
ince time immemorial, the more enlightened among the common folk have lamented about the wide gap between the rich and the poor in Africa.

However, an unexpected move by some of the brightest leaders we have today, has culminated into an arrangement that will go down in history as one of the noblest.

Never before has such a move been made, where the rich puts in efforts to close the gap between themselves and the poor. It is only through the Building Bridges Initiative that President Uhuru Kenyatta brings to reality that ancient piece of wisdom that had advised the rich to share their riches with the poor before the poor shares their poverty across board.

Intriguingly, those mortals who have become too accustomed to and taken unto themselves to pass over opportunities repeatedly (POOR is the acronym) will resist a present presented to them on a silver platter! A close look at things will reveal that this could be the best step taken in the direction of narrowing the poverty gap in Kenya today.


Building Bridges Initiative, now commonly and simply referred to as BBI has elicited mixed reactions from various ‘classes’ of citizens, depending on their corresponding standards of living. Upon realization cum implementation of the Initiative, the self-stratified POOR will certainly have the opportunity to inch closer to wealth while the rich get richer, still.

This shall be a phenomenal move that shall overt the otherwise possible state of political capitalism that had threatened to take Kenyans by surprise, in their bid to identify with a poor man (hustler) that never was!


Tuesday 26 November 2019

GREATEST ICT QUOTES OF OUR TIMES

Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple
Greatest ICT Quotes of our Times

Over the years, some of the greatest human beings have uttered statements that if taken seriously will lead the readers to become great themselves. From Einstein to Steve Jobs all the way to Bill Gates, timeless quotes in regard to Information and Communications Technology have been recorded.

Those who will have the opportunity to attend the Kikao Kikuu forum, an interactive platform organized by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) in partnership with Embu County Government can expect to experience first hand the reality of the quotes below:

1. “Technology is best when it brings people together.”
       - Matt Mullenweg, Social Media Entrepreneur

Matt Mullenweg, Founder of WordPress
2. “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
       - Albert Einstein, Scientist

3. “It is only when they go wrong that machines remind you how powerful they are.”
       - Clive James, Broadcaster and Journalist.

Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web
4. “The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past.”
      - Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web.

5. “If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.”
      - Frank Lloyd Wright, Architect

6. “If future generations are to remember us more with gratitude than sorrow, we must achieve more        than just the miracles of technology. We must also leave them a glimpse of the world as it was created, not just as it looked when we got through with it.”
    - Lyndon B. Johnson, Former President of the United States of America

7. “Once a new technology rolls over you, if you're not part of the steamroller, you're part of the road.” 
      - Stewart Brand, Writer

8. “It's not a faith in technology. It's faith in people.”
      - Steve Jobs, Co-founder of Apple.

9. “Technology is a useful servant but a dangerous master.”
      - Christian Lous Lange, Historian

10. “The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's part of everyday life.”
      - Bill Gates, Co-founder of Microsoft.
Bill Gfates, Co-founder of Microsoft

Embu County set to host Communications Authority for 'Kikao Kikuu' Forum

A Kikao Kikuu setting when the Communications Authority held the forum in Nyandarua County earlier in the year. PHOTO: File 

EMBU: Communications Authority of Kenya's Kikao Kikuu to be held in Embu. 

Areas in Embu that have been facing mobile network challenges are set to get a communication uplift as way of connecting them to the world. 

This comes after Embu County government partnered with the Communication Authority of Kenya to provide mobile network to areas that have been experiencing network issues in the past. 

The authority, together with the Embu County Government, will from 25th to 28th November hold a County ICT Consumer Forum at the University of Embu. 

Through the forum, dubbed 'Kikao Kikuu', the Authority is set to provide platforms of interaction with ICT consumers and service providers among other stakeholders to explore solutions to challenges in communications with the devolved units.

Embu will be the 19th county to host the forum as C.A targets to traverse the 47 counties in Kenya.

The forum’s theme is ‘Using ICT as an enabler of opportunities’.

The regulator whose mandate is to facilitate development of the information and communications sectors including; broadcasting, cybersecurity, multimedia, telecommunications, electronic commerce, postal and courier services, uses Kikao Kikuu forums to create a sustainable link that promotes value in the way consumers interact with systems and processes.

In addition, it helps to bridge the gaps between the policy and legal framework by deepening the awareness and building individual capacity.

CA is charged with safeguarding the interests of consumers of ICT services. This is achieved through the enforcement of consumer regulations as well as educating users of these services on their rights and responsibilities.

In the past, it has carried out consumer education outreach program targeting users of mobile and internet services (“Chukua Hatua: Pata Huduma ya Mawasiliano Unayostahili”), Postal Courier Consumers (Kaa Macho), SIM Card Registration (Pata Ukweli wa Mtambo), Number Portability (Namba Yangu Milele) and Child Online Protection.

According to Kenya’s Digital Economy Blueprint, digital skills are a prerequisite for benefiting from any technology, across all sectors of the economy, and at all levels of the skills spectrum. 

“Digital skills will enable every Kenyan to have access to digital technology, having the literacy and know-how to use this technology, and being able to participate in and create with this technology,” reads part of the digital skills pillar that is focused on developing digital skills for its citizens [Mostly ICT professionals] to meet the competencies and expertise required for the digital economy.

The Blueprint identifies the five pillars of the digital economy, that are described under the headings, Digital Government, Digital Business, Infrastructure, Innovation-Driven Entrepreneurship, and Digital Skills and Values


Monday 11 November 2019

Embu County forges ahead in the war against cancer

Health CECM Dr. Joan Mwende (center) speaks to the press during the cancer screening exercise at Runyenjes Level 4 Hospital. PHOTO: Martin Fundi

Embu County forges ahead in the war against cancer

By Jeremiah Mutuanga


Health experts have raised concerns that Embu men do not seek medical attention from hospitals leading to late diagnosis of diseases.

Runyenjes Level 4 Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Samson Iliwa said that Embu men are generally wary of hospitals and contemptuous of health checkups.

While speaking at the health facility over the weekend during a free cancer screening exercise, Iliwa said that a high number of people seeking regular medical checkup were women.

Runyenjes Level 4 Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Samson Iliwa (right) attends to patients at the facility during the exercise. PHOTO: Martin Fundi

More than 3,000 residents were screened during the exercise that was organized by the county government and Indian doctors. Cuban doctors and a number of local healthcare service providers aided in the free medical camp.

Speaking at the venue, Embu County Executive Committee member (CEC) for Health Dr. Joan Mwende said that men need to be sensitized on the importance of taking regular health checkups.

"The problem with our men is that they wait till they become very ill to go to hospital", she said.

Dr. Mwende added that this was the third of such medical camps held in Embu in so few weeks. 
Patients receive services at the facility during the medical camp


The first one, hosted by The Beth Mugo Cancer Foundation was held at Embu Teaching and Referral Hospital (ETRH) on 31 October 2019.

The function, in which Senator Beth Mugo attended in person and received by Embu Governor H.E Martin Wambora, Embu Senator Hon. Njeru Ndwiga together with several other high profile dignitaries saw to the screening of 421 people.

According to the Health CEC, all those found to be afflicted with cancer are sent to the recently established Oncology Unit at ETRH for palliative care and treatment.


"One of the major challenges we are facing is the unavailability of resident Oncologists and Radiologists at our Cancer Center", says Dr. Mwende.

She alluded that recruitment of more specialists would make it possible for patients to receive daily services at the Oncology Unit as compared to the current once per week clinic.

The Cancer Center is fitted with State-of-the-art equipment and a 120 bed capacity inpatient ward.

(Edited by Martin Fundi)