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Story Bakari Ali:

Bunge la kaunti ya Mombasa limerejelea rasmi vikao vyake baada ya likizo ndefu huku miswada muhimu ikipewa kipau mbele kujadiliwa katika bunge hilo ili kuwanufaisha wakaazi wa Mombasa.

Spika wa bunge hilo la Mombasa Aharub Khatri amewarai wajumbe wa bunge hilo, kuendeleza harakati zao kwa njia mwafaka na kuambatana na sharia ili kuhakikisha miswada muhimu iliyowasilishwa bungeni awali inajadiliwa na kupitishwa.

Spika Khatri amesema mswada wa huduma bora za afya, ule wa utoaji majina ya maeneo mbalimbali sawa na ule wa kuangazia mabadiliko ya tabianchi katika kaunti hiyo uliyowasilishwa bungeni itahakikisha inajadiliwa na kupitishwa.

Wakati uo huo, amewahimiza wajumbe hao kushirikiana katika kutekeleza majukumu yao ya kisheria katika kuangazia ukaguzi wa fedha na miradi mbalimbali inayoidhinishwa na serikali ya kaunti ya Mombasa.

Story by Charo Banda:

Seneta wa kaunti ya Tana-river Danson Mungatana ameendeleza mpango wa kuelimisha wakaazi wa eneo bunge la Galole kuhusu umuhimu wa kuelewa utendakazi wa serikali za kaunti.

Mungatana katika hotuba yake amesema huenda Gavana wa Tanariver Dhadho Godhana akahitajika kufika mbele ya bunge la Seneti ili kueleza jinsi anavyotekeleza miradi yake katika kaunti hiyo.

Wakaazi wa kaunti hiyo hata hivyo wamelalamika kwamba serikali ya kaunti ya Tanariver imekua ikiidhinisha miradi ya maendeleo bila ya kuwashirikisha kupitia vikao vya kukusanya maoni ya umma.

Hata hivyo imebainika kwamba idadi kubwa ya wakaazi wa kaunti ya Tanariver hawajapewa mafunzo kuhusu jinsi ya kufanya uangalizi wa miradi ya maendeleo inayoidhinishwa katika kaunti hiyo.

Story by Our Correspondents

Jaji mkuu nchini Martha Koome amesema hatua yake ya hivi majuzi ya kufanya kikao na rais William Ruto haijakandamiza uhuru wa Idara ya Mahakama nchini.

Jaji Koome amesema kufanya mazungumzo na mihimili mengine ya serikali ili kutatua changamoto katika usimamizi wa haki, hakuwezi hujumu uhuru wa idara ya Mahakama, hususan iwapo wahusika hawatojadili jinsi Mahakama inavyopaswa kutoa uamuzi wa kesi zinazowasilishwa.

Akizungumza wakati wa mkutano uliowaleta pamoja wakuu wa Mahakama ili kujadili utendakazi na uhuru wa idara hiyo, Jaji Koome ameeleza haja ya kutathmini jinsi Mahakama inavyoshughulikia kesi zinazoathiri sera na maslahi ya umma.

Aidha amesema yanayopaswa kaungaziwa zaidi ni masuala yanayohusu muda wa kusikiliza na kuamua kesi zinazohusisha miradi ya serikali inayopaswa kutekelezwa kwa wakati maalum, akisema kuweka tarehe ya mbali ya kusikiliza kesi hizo inaathiri utekelezwaji wa miradi hiyo.

Itakumbukwa kwamba mnamo tarehe 22 mwezi uliopita wa Januari, Koome alifanya mazungumzo na rais Ruto pamoja na uongozi wa bunge kuangazia suala la ufisadi katika Idara ya Mahakama, ambapo baadhi ya wakenya wakiongozwa na mrengo wa upinzani walikosoa vikali kikao hicho.

Story by Our Correspondent:

Waziri wa nishati wa Uganda Ruth Nankabirwa amesema nchi hiyo inafanya mazungumzo na Tanzania ili kusafirisha bidhaa zake zote za mafuta kupitia bandari ya Dar es Salaam.

Hii ina maanisha kwamba serikali ya Uganda haitatumia tena bandari ya Mombasa nchini Kenya iwapo mazungumzo hayo yataafikiwa.

Uganda haijaridhishwa na mfumo wa muda mrefu ambao kampuni za mafuta za Uganda zimekuwa zikinunua bidhaa zao kupitia kampuni tanzu za Kenya kwa asilimia 90.

Rais wa Uganda Yoweri Museveni amekuwa akilalamika kuhusu usumbufu wa soko la mafuta na bei za juu za mafuta kupitia bandari ya Mombasa.

Story by Mimuh Mohamed:

Serikali imetangaza kwamba zoezi la kufukua miili katika msitu wa Shakahola kaunti ya Kilifi litaendelea kuanzia mwezi wa Machi.

Kulingana na mpasuaji mkuu wa serikali Johansen Oduor, hii itakua awamu ya tano na ya mwisho ya kufukua miili ya watu hao wanaoaminika kuwa waumini wa mchungaji tata wa kanisa la Good News International Paul Mackenzie.

Oduor aidha amesema kufikia sasa wamefanyia upasuaji jumla ya miili 429 iliyofukuliwa katika msitu huo wa Shakahola, na wanasubiri matokeo ya uchunguzi wa vinasaba yaani DNA uliofanyiwa miili hiyo.

Oduor amesema matokeo ya uchunguzi wa DNA yatakuwa tayari kufikia mwezi ujao na wataikabidhi kwa familia miili yote itakayoweza kutambuliwa.

Kauli yake imejiri wakati ambapo mchungaji Paul Mackenzie na washukiwa wenza 94, wakiwa kizuizini wakikabiliwa na mashtaka mbali mbali ikiwemo mauaji, ugaidi, unyanyasaji wa haki za watoto miongoni mwa mashtaka mengine.

Story by Our Correspondent:

Kiongozi wa wengi katika bunge la kitaifa Kimani Ichung’wa amepongeza mahakama kwa kuharamisha ushuru wa nyumba akisema uamuzi wa mahakama umetoa fursa ya kuidhinishwa sheria ya kuongeza ushuru unaokusanywa.

Akizungumza bungeni wakati akiwasilisha mswada wa nyumba za bei nafuu wa mwaka 2023 ili kujadiliwa kwa mara ya pili, Kimani amesema wameidhinisha vipengele vitakavyohakikisha wakenya katika sekta isiyo rasmi wanatozwa ushuru wa nyumba.

Hata hivyo wakati wa kujadili mswada huo wa nyumba za bei nafuu katika kikao cha bunge, majibizano yameshuhudiwa kati ya wabunge Kenya-kwanza na wale wa Azimio la umoja.

Mwakilishi wa kike kaunti ya Mombasa Zam zam Mohamed anayeegemea mrengo wa Azimio amesema serikali inawahadaa wakenya wenye kipato cha chini kwani hawawezi kumudu bei ya nyumba hizo zinazotajwa kuwa za bei nafuu.

Story by Our Correspondent:

Kiongozi wa upinzani nchini Raila Odinga sasa anasema yuko tayari kushikilia nafasi ya Mwenyekiti wa umoja wa Afrika AU ili kuhakikisha bara la afrika linapiga hatua kiuchumi, uwekezaji na maendeleo.

Odinga amesema amefanya majadiliano ya kina kuhusu nafasi hiyo na juhudi zinazoendelezwa na serikali ya Kenya katika kuhakikisha viongozi wa Afrika wanaunga mkono mpango huo itasaidia pakubwa kwa bara la Afrika kunawiri kupitia raslimali zilizopo Afrika. 

Katika kikao na Wanahabari jijini Nairobi, ambacho kimehudhuriwa na aliyekuwa Rais wa Nigeria ambaye pia ni mpatanishi mkuu Olusegun Obasanjo, Odinga amesema amefanya maamuzi ya kina na yuko tayari.

Kwa upande wake Obasanjo, amesema wakati wa nafasi hiyo kuongozwa na mjumbe kutoka kanda ya Afrika mashariki umewadia, akiweka wazi kwamba watu waliowahi kushikilia nafasi za urais ama Waziri mkuu wako na nafasi nzuri katika kuteuliwa kushikilia nafasi hiyo ya Mwenyekiti wa AU.

Story by Our Correspondent:

Katibu katika Wizara ya usalama nchini Raymond Omollo amesema ujenzi wa amani na usalama wa kijamii ni lengo kuu kwa taifa hili na juhudi hizo zinahitaji mchango wa kila mmoja na wala sio maafisa wa usalama pekee.

Omollo amesema Wizara ya usalama nchini inaendeleza mikakati bora itakayochangia kuzuia migogoro ya vurugu na kushughulikia ipasavyo vitisho vya usalma nchini.

Akizungumza katika kikao cha kuangazia usalama wa taifa kulichohudhuriwa na wadau mbalimbali wa maswala ya usalama kutoka mataifa ya kigeni, Omollo amesema juhudi hizo zitafaulu kupitia usanifu mpya wa ujenzi wa amani.

Aidha amesisitiza umuhimu wa jamii kushirikiana na maafisa wa usalama katika kuzuia utovu wa usalama, akisema swala hilo litafaulu kwa kuhakikisha wananchi wanakumbatia kanuni za mazungumzo, upatanisho na kutotumia nguvu.

Kwa upande wake Mshirikishi wa baraza la umoja wa mataifa UN kuhusu amani na usalama, Stephen Jackson amesema baraza la umoja wa mataifa limejitolea kupiga jeki juhudi za serikali ya Kenya katika kuhakikisha amani na usalama unashuhudiwa kote nchini.

‘Rudishiwa Transaction Fee’: This offer will get you continuous Airtel airtime supply

BY REPORTER

What name do they give to the gift that keeps on giving? I have a feeling it must be called Airtel Money.

Why? Because of Airtel Money’s ‘Rudishiwa transaction fee’ offer.

I have gone many times to Airtel Money agents to withdraw cash. No sooner do I receive the hard cash than a message lands on my phone to inform me that the transaction fees is now mine in the form of Airtel airtime. The Rudishiwa airtime comes faster than Rudisha, the 800-metre king, if you catch my drift, haha.

This is a gift that keeps giving because the more I withdraw cash, the more my airtime increases. That translates to more power to call whoever I wish.

This is how I do my math. Withdrawing between Sh101 and Sh2,500 on Airtel Money costs Sh25. The last amount I received was Sh1,000, and it is worth reminding you that sending from Airtel Money to Airtel Money is free.

Upon withdrawal, I got a cool Sh25 to spend in Airtel airtime.

The trick to having a continuous supply of airtime is to have as much money as possible coming your way through Airtel Money. I am expecting some Sh20,000 and as soon as that deal ivanas, I know I will have a cool Sh150 in airtime when I withdraw the money.

As they say in the streets, I won’t tell you everything. But I suspect I already have.

Kenyans are struggling to make ends meet, and airtime is one of the items that is out of reach.

Research has shown that Kenyans use digital loans more frequently for airtime than other essentials like emergency medical care.

The financial stability assessment from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) revealed that airtime accounted for 15% of digital loans, trailing only business (37%), daily needs (25%) and education (20%).

According to the survey, farmers top the list of airtime borrowers, although employees in both temporary and regular jobs also use these loans at around the same rate.

Another World Bank study showed that many of Kenya’s hustlers would prefer to go without food and walk to work than to have limited airtime.

The research indicated that seven out of 10 individuals at the bottom of the pyramid reduced their food expenditures to allocate more money for mobile airtime.

Why Airtel subscribers have a reason to smile

Amid financial hardships, Airtel Kenya has come to the rescue of cash-strapped Kenyans, offering Airtel money users a refund of their withdrawal transaction fees in the form of airtime.

Why incur additional expenses on transaction fees when you can achieve savings using Airtel Money?

Airtel customers withdrawing money from any Airtel money agent will receive the equivalent withdrawal transaction fee back as airtime.

Under the initiative, known as the ‘Rudishiwa Transaction Fee Campaign,’ the telecommunications company will ensure that Airtel Money users withdrawing any amount between KSh 50 and the daily limit of KSh 500,000 at an Airtel Money agent will receive a refund for their withdrawal transaction fee.

This implies that if an Airtel Money customer withdraws KSh 1,000, they will receive KSh 25 as airtime, which can be spent to buy data bundles, SMS or voice call minutes.

Airtel Networks Kenya Limited managing director Ashish Malhotra explained that the campaign would enable customers to stay connected while saving money.

“The new ‘Rudishiwa Transaction Fee Campaign’ cements our commitment to designing products and solutions that serve multiple needs of the user in the market. We believe that the campaign will go a long way to cater to the needs of Kenyans who rely on cash for their daily transactions, helping them stay connected while saving them money,” Malhotra said.

Airtel Money increased its per transaction limit from KSh 150,000 to KSh 250,000 to enable customers to do large transactions conveniently. It is also notable that sending money from an Airtel Money customer to another is free of charge.