No student in Finland will be discontinued, Governor Bii promises

 Even after the academic institutions threatened to expel the students for failing to pay their tuition, the County Council of Uasin Gishu has promised the parents of 202 students studying in Finnish universities that none of their studies will be interrupted. It comes after an Uasin Gishu County Assembly probe that revealed the money lost through the kids' airlift plan.

Governor Jonathan Bii announced on Monday, however, that the county has halted all recruiting of new students to attend Finnish institutions while the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducts its ongoing inquiry.

Even after the academic institutions threatened to expel the students for failing to pay their tuition, the County Council of Uasin Gishu has promised the parents of 202 students studying in Finnish universities that none of their studies will be interrupted. It comes after an Uasin Gishu County Assembly probe that revealed the money lost through the kids' airlift plan.

Governor Jonathan Bii announced on Monday, however, that the county has halted all recruiting of new students to attend Finnish institutions while the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) conducts its ongoing inquiry.

He remarked as the three MPs urged that the county officials who were discovered to have stolen money from the program be prosecuted.

Former Governor Jackson Mandago oversaw the implementation of the scholarship program.

The county government, under the management of Mr Mandago, had acted as guarantors to enable the students to pursue studies and employment in Finland, but parents were expected to pay fees for their children.

All of the pupils who are enrolled in Finland's educational system will continue their studies, we have agreed. We will continue to train those who have already paid and received their visas, but we won't have new hires until we've resolved this problem, stated the governor, who was accompanied by his deputy.

Mr. Bii said that the county had formed a second account for the payment of fees in order to support the students' efficient academic progress at the three Finnish universities.

"We have set up a different account so that parents can continue funding their kids' education. There are now two parents who have signed. The account under trustees, which is currently the subject of an investigation, previously had no parent as a signatory, he added.

The governor said, "We want to reassure our parents that we are worried about this matter and we will investigate it until the truth is revealed.

We want to urge guardians and parents to keep paying fees for their kids through the new account so they may keep going in school, he said.

The Lawmakers argued that the program must continue, pointing out how many pupils in the county have benefited from it.

"As EACC sleuths look into this case, we wish to appeal to parents to maintain their composure. We want individuals who will be discovered to be responsible to be detained, Ms. Sitienei stated. Many youngsters from this county stand to profit from this program, so we don't want it to be cancelled, the woman stated.

The management of the foreign education account should be looked into for forgery, abuse of office, and integrity, according to recommendations made by an ad hoc committee of the county legislature created in February to look into the scheme.

It was suggested that Mr. Joseph Maritim, the principal trustee and recently-retired chief officer of the department of Youth and Sports, Mr. Joel Ruto, the director of the Uasin Gishu County Education Revolving Fund, and Mr. Meshack Rono, the deputy director of the Uasin Gishu County Revolving Fund, be among those recommended for investigation.

In a recent article, the New York Times reported that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is preparing a report on the effectiveness of the USDA's Agricultural Research Service's (ARS) Agricultural Research and Development Program.

The governor said on Monday that because it wasn't a scholarship program and parents were paying for their children's education, no public cash had been wasted.

Mr. Sudi said that the program was being undermined by a smear campaign.

We would want to advise all parents to avoid working with lone agents or brokers. They should contact the county government, we wish to inquire. If money is lost, county officials may be held responsible, according to Mr. Sudi. "We want those responsible to be jailed and to repay the money because we know parents made significant sacrifices to send their kids to study overseas."

KMTC trainee medics expelled over fake papers

 Following the discovery of a significant scandal involving false academic papers, the Ministry of Health has dismissed a large number of Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) students from several campuses throughout the nation. Nation has learned that the students were admitted to the colleges in September of last year using fictitious Kenya Certificate Secondary Education (KCSE) certificates, seven months after nearly finishing their first term of college.

It's been a while since I last posted. In Garissa, 15 out of 50 first-year students who began classes in September were discovered to have bogus identification documents, along with five additional students from the Port Reitz campus in Mombasa.

The Kenya National Examination Council (Knec) and the Health ministry looked into this as a result. As a result of the pupils' poor test results, KMTC was able to uncover the swindle. "We questioned how they were able to gain admission. Another report stated, "These are students who may have never entered Form Four. The North Eastern area is home to the majority of the afflicted students.

Kelly Oluoch, the chief executive officer of KMTC, texted Nation that he will comment on the situation "later" after spending the majority of yesterday cooped up in a board meeting about it. Dr. David Njeng'ere, his Knec colleague, referred Nation back to KMTC without confirming or denying the admissions controversy.

Iten, Kabarnet, Kakamega, Kangundo, Kapenguria, Kapkatet, Kaptumo, Karen, Karuri, Kilifi, Kisii, Kisumu, Murang'a, Mwingi, Nairobi, Nakuru, Nyamira, and Kitale are just a few of the 74 campuses that make up KMTC. Kitui, Mandera, Manza, Mathare, Mbooni, Meru, Migori, Molo, Mombasa, Mosoriot, Msambweni, Nyandarua, Nyahururu, Nyamache, Nyeri, Othaya, Port Reitz, Rachuonyo, Rera, Siaya, Sigowet, Tana River, and Taveta are also included on the website.

Thika, Chwele, Eldoret, Embu, Garissa, Ugenya, Voi, Vihiga, Wajir, Kombewa, Kuria, Kwale, Lake Victoria, Lamu, Lodwar, Loitoktok, Lugari, Machakos, Makindu, Makueni, and Webuye are some additional locations. With the exception of nursing, which requires two and a half years, you need a minimum grade of C- in KCSE cluster topics to enroll in any certificate program that lasts two years. One needs to have particular credentials in cluster subjects and a minimum grade of C to be eligible for diploma programs.

The controversy occurs only a few days after the college declared that it would accept about 13,000 applicants who took the KCSE in 2022. This equates to 6.07 percent of the applicants, of whom 119,068 received a C- or higher and 95,154 received a grade of C.On March 14, 2023, the new students will report to the college.

The amount of applicants this year is the highest and greatly exceeds the number of training spots available, according to Dr. Oluoch. Because there are only a limited number of places available and the courses are competitive, according to Dr. Oluoch, KMTC only sent admission letters to around 13,000 candidates.

Throughout their training, KMTC students work in over 450 healthcare facilities, making up 85% of the middle-level workforce.

Belarus tractor deal is a live wire

 I'm shocked that, of all places, we would even dare to consider purchasing thousands of tractors and other agricultural machinery from Belarus. Have the dangers of violating the trade restrictions put in place by the US and its allies on Belarus and Russia been thoughtfully considered?

You might call me a sensationalist journalist and claim that I'm exaggerating, but these are some of the dangers that a corporation or government that decides to violate the trade restrictions imposed on Russia and Belarus by Western nations must be prepared to face.

The foundation of your involvement in the international financial system is your Central Bank's account at the New York Fed, which they can first freeze. You can find yourself in a situation where importing food, medication, and fuel is hard if you lose access to deals with the New York Fed.

Second, any nation-state or business that violates Western trade sanctions runs the risk of having its access to regulated commercial banks in the West restricted or blocked. It will be challenging for you to open letters of credit. We occasionally run into issues being paid for the tea, coffee, and flowers we export.

Thirdly, breaking sanctions carries the risk of possibly losing access to the worldwide Swift money transfer system, as we witnessed with Russia and Belarus. This might make import and export trade impossible.

The possibility of losing good status with the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is the fourth risk. Dealing with nations that have been imposed sanctions by their major shareholders is typically frowned upon by the Bretton Woods institutions.

The US Trade Representative conducts an annual certification procedure under Agoa, the agreement that grants Kenya and other developing nations duty- and quota-free access to US markets. If you violate the rules, this body may reference you negatively.

We must always keep in mind that, compared to the time of the 2008 global financial crisis, our financial systems are more intertwined with the global financial system. We have issued a ton of Eurobonds, just like Ghana, Angola, Mozambique, and Rwanda have done. The demand for commercial borrowing, mostly in the form of syndicated loans, has exploded to previously unheard-of heights.

The Friday failure of the Silicon Valley Bank got me thinking about its ramifications. I learned that the huge bank's demise was directly related to the US's rising interest rates.

What would happen to a sovereign state like Kenya, which has approximately $50 billion in external loans denominated in dollars, if rising interest rates in the US might cause the collapse of the 16th-largest bank in the country (with assets totaling $200 billion)?

The idea is that the current state of the world economy is so precarious for us that even considering doing business with a nation subject to Western sanctions would be an act of economic suicide.

From the correspondence I have seen, including draft Cabinet Memos, a concept paper by the Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC), the government agency carrying out the project on behalf of the government, and the party acting on behalf of Belarus, I need to explain what the deal being planned with Belarus entails.

Finally, an SPV-like organization established in Dubai and owned by Belarusians will purchase the tractors and equipment from Belarus. Fourth, Belarus has designated the Dubai-based business known as AFTRADE DMCC as its representative in the program. It's been a while since I've been this excited about a project. Second, the government has named AFC as a key implementer of this project. This project is intended to be a "government-to-government arrangement," which means that no open bidding will be required to purchase the equipment.

A wide range of parastatals, including the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (Karlo), the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC), the Kenya Prisons Service, and the National Cereals and Produce Board, would share the tractors and equipment once they arrive in the nation (NCPB).

These grandiose initiatives carry a considerable danger of corruption. The largest conundrum in this tale, though, is how the massive scheme was paid for. The money is expected to arrive from the Trade Development Bank, according to letters from government agencies (TDB). Oddly, according to the regional bank, neither it nor the initiative are known to them.

Look, by dealing with Russian oligarchs seeking to conceal their wealth, we may be exposing ourselves to hazards. Thus, the government ought to cancel the agreement with Belarus right away. We just cannot take the chance of violating the sanctions the US and its allies have placed on the nation.

Kenya Power conceals breakdown of power bills as prices surge 10pc

 

Kenya Power has ceased providing consumers with specific information about particular pass-through expenses, so Kenyans will no longer receive a full breakdown of their electricity bills. When one purchases power through Kenya Power's prepaid system through text message, the company has been providing a thorough explanation of the pass-through charges.

The SMS would display the customer's total expenditure, the units received, the percentage of the total spent on actual energy purchases, as well as other expenditures like value added tax (VAT), fuel cost charges, and foreign exchange charges.

The Rural Electrification Programme Charge, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) Charge, Water Resources Management Authority Charge, and Inflation Adjustment Charge were also included in the breakdown of prices. But, Kenya Power no longer sends consumers this thorough analysis. The utility now simply displays to consumers under "other charges" the total amount spent, the number of units received, a token amount, and the total of all pass-through fees.

This occurs at a time when Kenyans are upset with the utility on social media due to high electricity prices, particularly due to the significant pass-through charges.

According to the business, the adjustment followed a study in which participants expressed a desire for a less thorough analysis of their electricity bills.

According to Kenya Power, the adjustment was implemented as a result of multiple interactions with the general public, including a recent poll in which our consumers requested a shorter explanation of their electricity bills. "From now on, we won't include all of the cost components in the SMS. Consumers can dial *977# to acquire more information about their bills.

According to Epra data, hydropower generation fell drastically in February, from 184.68 million units in January to 112.7 million units. This is the fifth month in a row that the amount of electricity produced by hydroelectric dams has decreased. However, some customers have perceived malice in the shift and want the utility to revert to providing a thorough analysis of the cost components of the electricity bill.

Due to a severe drought that limited hydropower production and forced increased use of expensive thermal power when fuel costs remained high, electricity prices have grown dramatically.

As a result, the cost of electricity for lifeline customers has increased from Sh20 last month to Sh22 this month.

The increased cost of electricity is a further setback for consumers who are already feeling the effects of rising inflation. After slowing for three consecutive months to reach 9 percent in January, the inflation rate increased to 9.2 percent in February.

Kenya's second-largest source of energy is hydro, behind geothermal. In the fiscal year that ended in June 2022, Kenya Power purchased hydropower for 26.46% of its electrical needs.

Epra this week hiked the fuel cost price to Sh8.3 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) up from Sh6.59 per unit last month. Since June 2012, the fuel energy component has increased at its highest rate.

Food products had a significant impact on the high inflation during that month, according to the Consumer Price Index from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. According to the Purchasing Managers Index from Stanbic Bank, the high inflation had a heavy toll on businesses, which saw a decline in demand for products and services for the first time in six months.