Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter where we are looking forward to cruising on safer roads on our way to interviews for 2,500 advertised positions.
Situational Awareness: President William Ruto has finally assented to the Affordable Housing Bill paving the way for resumptions of the 1.5 per cent housing levy deductions.
Notable change in the final draft was the decision to do away with the 10 per cent deposit requirement. Applicants can secure a house on a first-come first-serve basis after paying an application fee of Ksh200.
Before his ink had dried, however, the Head of State fired a warning shot to government employees from inflating procurement prices noting, "I will do whatever it takes to deal with whoever is engaged in corruption."
Housekeeping: An edition of this newsletter appears on Kenyans.co.ke LinkedIn page, if your wish to get future editions in your email inbox, subscribe here.
Reigning Supreme
Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen has reversed former President Uhuru Kenyatta's order ejecting all National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) officers from enforcing traffic rules on the roads.
In a lengthy statement introducing a raft of rules, Murkomen directed NTSA and the National Police Service to collaborate on ending the carnage that seems to be on the rise countrywide.
What Murkomen is Saying: "Having consulted with my Interior and National Coordination colleague, Prof. Kithure Kindiki, we are going to establish a mechanism where the previous directive to remove NTSA from enforcement will be vacated and a collaborative regime between NTSA and NPS will be put in place for a more efficient enforcement."
New Changes: The CS, as a result, issued four major directives including NTSA's return to its enforcement duties across the road, a mandate the Uhuru administration had bequeathed to the police.
All drivers of public service vehicles and heavy-duty trucks are expected to undergo re-testing, an exercise that had been shelved after an outcry from the concerned parties.
From now on, all new drivers will be expected to undergo medical testing before receiving licenses to ensure that only medically fit drivers are licensed to drive.
The police and NTSA will conduct a nationwide crackdown and impound unroadworthy vehicles.
Catch Up Quick: The stern warning comes as the country experiences a surge in road carnages. Between January 1 and February 20 this year, 649 people lost their lives in accidents. There has also been an increase in crashes involving school buses and vans
View From Driver's Seat: The Motorists Association of Kenya chairperson Peter Murima, however, maintained that NTSA is incompetent and the association opposes its return to the roads. He also accused the Ministry of Transport of not enforcing policies well enough leading to a spike in road crushes.
What He is Saying: "We, as an association, know that NTSA is ineffective as far as road safety is concerned. NTSA has failed because the board excludes important stakeholders, especially from the private sector
"We are opposed to NTSA getting on the road because they will create confusion. They are not mandated by the law to do traffic law enforcement. That is the mandate of the police." (Check out the rest of my chat with Murima in our responder text below)
The association has been pushing for the disbandment of the NTSA board of management.
Chat With Motorists Association Chairman
Shortly after CS Murkomen issued the stern directive, I reached out to Peter Murima, the Motorists Association of Kenya chairperson, who told me that he opposes the return of NTSA on Kenyan roads.
Without mincing his words, he maintained that the authority was incompetent in almost all aspects including inspection of vehicles and enforcing traffic rules on roads.
Here is our conversation condensed for clarity.
Paying the Price
Since launching a crackdown against illicit brew and alcohol addiction, the Interior Ministry has confirmed that north of 8,500 businesses have been shut down with more expected to follow.
The Numbers: Interior PS Raymond Omollo revealed that 6,931 premises selling alcoholic beverages in estates had been shut down. The crackdown expanded to the pharmaceuticals industry and saw 804 chemists/pharmacies and 761 agrovets shut down.
What Omollo is Saying: "The focus will be on spirit manufacturers, with over 29 premises expected to undergo examination. Already, 35 companies have been identified as having their licenses either previously suspended, canceled or found dormant.
"The implementation of strict product tracking systems is required to monitor alcohol distribution from source to consumer, underscoring the Government's commitment to public health and safety."
Work in progress: The PS also directed county security teams across the country to implement the 25 directives Interior CS Kithure Kindiki issued including shutting down all unlicensed manufacturers, distilleries, agrovets, and chemists within 10 days.
It is estimated that the closure of the bars rendered more than 10,000 individuals jobless, attracting condemnation from several leaders.
They argued that shutting down the establishment was counterproductive since the business owners did not participate in manufacturing the illicit brew.
Surplus of Jobs
Newsletter Exclusive: Kenya has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Korea opening up maritime opportunities who's hiring will kick off in June.
The agreement will unlock over 1,000 jobs for Kenyan seafarers looking to work as ratings and officers on board Korean ships.
“The agent will be the Kenyan maritime liaison officer and will work closely with the Korean Government to handle any issues arising on board ships,” the State Department for Shipping and Maritime Affairs assured.
Of Note: All Kenyans seeking to work abroad must get training from the National Youth Service (NYS). Also, passport application fees just shot up. An ordinary 66-page passport was increased from Ksh7,500 to Ksh12,000 and a 34-page version now costs Ksh7,500 from Ksh4,500.
KWS Jobs: The Kenya Wildlife Service is recruiting 1,500 individuals to fill conservation vacancies. 150 are expected to fill Cadets (Assistant Warden I) positions while 1,350 will join KWS as rangers.
The Service listed several requirements for the ranger position.
Applicants should be Kenyan citizens with an identification card or passport, they must have scored a minimum of D (plain) in the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examination and should be aged between 18 and 26 years.
How to Apply: Interested candidates must download application forms from KWS website; kws.go.ke, fill, attach copies of relevant academic certificates which will be presented at the recruitment center. The recruitment will run between April 15 and April 19, 2024.
Stumbling Block: Public Service CS Moses Kuria, however, flagged the recruitment for not prioritising NYS graduates arguing that Ruto directed all government security agencies to employ 80 per cent of their workforce from NYS.
- "I will talk to the President to fulfill his promise that he made to Kenyans that 80 per cent of KDF officers, National Police Service officers and KWS officers should come from NYS," he lamented.
Here are five other stories keeping us on the edge;
1.An autopsy conducted on journalist Rita Tinina’s body has revealed that the cause of death for the seasoned media personality was acute pneumonia.
2. A new bill, the Care and Protection of Child Parents Bill, 2023, is proposing a Ksh500,000 fine for individuals running daycare centres illegally.
3. KUCCPS reopens the placement portal to allow KCSE 2023 candidates to review and revise applications.
4. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations will, for the first time, promote 513 of its officers immediately after graduating from special training.
5. Ambassador Martin Kimani appointed as the Executive Director of the Center on International Cooperation (CIC) New York University (NYU).
This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.
Washington Mito contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo
