CANDLE NEWS KENYA

Nominated MCA Edna Muisyo Members of the County Assembly of Embu have strongly defended the proposed budget estimates, claiming the matter was overly politicised and exaggerated to provoke public outcry. Led by Majority Leader Michael Njeru, the MCAs sought to state that the County Assembly’s proposal to set aside a Ksh 11 Million sports and fitness kitty was meant to cater for inter-county games and sports tournaments, but not solely to fund gym subscriptions. He dismissed the insinuation that MCAs were misusing public funds as mere political rhetoric from detractors who had no agenda for the county. The Kithimu MCA added that on completion, the ultramodern County Assembly office complex would have an equipped gymnasium for MCAs and the legislature’s staff members to exercise in, and pointed out that all MCAs were involved in various sporting activities aimed at maintaining their fitness. He said MCAs in football, rugby and tug-of-war teams needed to exercise regularly to ...

Pupils from various schools participate in a procession during the Day of African Child celebrations in Embu County. More than 80 cases of defilement, sodomy and abuse of children were reported in Embu County in a span of four months late last year. According to the children’s department, the 80 cases were reported between July and December with abuse, both psychological and physical, and defilements the most common. Children stakeholders have raised alarm that the number has increased this year with the most recent being a sodomy case last week where the offender has already been charged in court. Last week still, Paul Mureithi, 40, was sentenced to 105 year’s imprisonment after a court found him guilty of sodomising three boys aged between nine and 10 years in Kanjau village, Embu West sub-county in May last year. In another ugly incident two weeks ago, an eight-year-old girl from Kithimu area, Embu West was defiled and murdered with residents concerned since no arres...

A businessman from Embu County has announced plans to vie for the presidency in 2022, citing dissatisfaction with the current crop of leaders. Eng Mugo Kinyua, a contractor, said he will soon start a drive to popularise himself in all the counties as he familiarises himself head on with the challenges the people face. Kinyua, who vied for Embu senatorial post in 2013 but lost to Lenny Kivuti and was also the county ODM chair, said he has what it takes to become the president who will address the issues the citizens face. He says he will first marshal the people from Eastern, Coast and North Eastern regions to support him, so that he has a strong backyard support as he moves into other parts of the country. “With President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga’s handshake, I expected the country to realise concerned efforts in uniting the people and development. However, we are being treated to a series of political gimmicks by people close to them angling for the pres...

More than 45,000 school going girls in Embu County will benefit from regular supply of sanitary towels, to ensure their menses do not affect their attendance to school. Standard Six to Form Four girls in the target school will receive four packets of the pads, which will be replenished at regular intervals for four months, with plans to extend the program. The towels are the initiative of the Gender department and the Embu County National Government Affirmative Action Fund. Embu Woman Representative Jane Wanjuki, Embu County Commissioner Esther Maina and County Director of Education Beatrice Mwirigi launched the project at Kirigi Secondary School on Wednesday. Wanjuki said most of the beneficiaries hail from poor backgrounds and go through difficult times including skipping school during their monthly period as their families cannot afford the pads. “The government is already providing free primary and day secondary education. The sanitary towels will make girls more com...

The Gubernatorial Election Petition Appeal No 6 between Martin Nyaga Wambora and Lenny Kivuti adjourned to Tuesday 3rd July 2018 after  Court of Appeal Judge, Justice Sankale Ole Kantai withdrew himself from the bench citing that somebody tried to compromise him through his friend. The Judge said he felt insulted and he disqualified himself from hearing the appeal. Justice Patrick O. Kiage, the Presiding Judge, warned that wives or girlfriends or sisters or relatives or even agencies should keep off the judges from now henceforth. He said the matter will be determined based on evidence and law presented.

The stranded Embu MCAs. There was drama when County Assembly committee members were left stranded at the Machakos- Mombasa Road junction after reportedly falling out with County Executive officials. The Gender, Culture, Children and Social Services committee plus nominated MCAs had been invited for a benchmarking tour of handicraft industries in Mombasa County by the County Executive Committee member Joan Mwende through an official letter on Thursday last week. However, according to the MCAs, another county official disowned the invitation and ordered their abandonment by the chartered bus. The turn of events forced six out of the seven members of the committee, plus the assigned clerk to drop out mid journey until a later date when the culture department officials will have solved their differences. A source in the county government, on the contrary, claimed trouble arose after the MCAs demanded to be paid their allowances on the spot. The rest of the nominated members ...

Young volunteers arrive at Embu Regional Blood Transfusion Centre on Monday June 4, 2018 after walking all the way from Nyeri in a bid to create awareness on the need for people to donate blood.  A group of young volunteers on Monday started a walk from Embu town to Mombasa City in a bid to promote regular blood donations by Kenyans, to bridge shortages at the blood banks. The members of Pledge25 Association are expected to arrive to Nairobi this Friday where they will hand over to another team to walk to Mombasa to create awareness on the need for people to donate blood ahead of World Blood Donor Day on Thursday next. Kenya needs to collect 400,000 pints of blood annually to have adequate reserves in blood banks, but last year managed to collect only 150,000, according to National Blood Transfusion Centre official Joseph Kamotho. “If one percent of all Kenyans donated blood, we would attain our target. Many eligible Kenyans do not donate. This year we target to ...