Category: trade news

15 Jul
By: CGK 0

REPRIEVE FOR BAR AND RESTAURANTS

Having considered the job losses and economic struggles being experienced by traders in the Bars and Restaurants sector, Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has announced a raft of changes that include waivers and increase in operational hours.

He has DIRECTED that;

(i) A 50 per cent waiver be effected of all the licenses payable to the Kajiado County Alcoholic Drinks Control by bars and restaurants for 2021/22 Financial Year

(ii) All the application fees payable to the County Alcoholic Drinks Control Board be suspended for the 2021/22 Financial Year.

(iii) Licences falling under the same department be harmonized and merged for ease of payment and administration.

(iv) The Kajiado County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (2014), be amended to provide for board membership to include representatives of Bar and Restaurant Owners from each of the Sub Counties.

(V) Bars and Restaurants operate for two hours earlier within their respective working hours.

He said the move is meant to assist the business community in the Food and Entertainment Industry in their recovery process from the COVID 19 pandemic.

He added that it will also help them to retain their current staff and recall those who may have lost their jobs.

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03 Jun
By: CGK 0

NEW KITENGELA MARKET

The Department of Roads and Public Works has  moved to clear the ground for the start of the construction of the new Kitengela Market.
Today was the end of the grace period granted by a Kajiado Court to the traders to peacefully relocate to a new site at the local stadium to pave way for the construction of the ultra-modern market.
Roads and Public Works CEC Alex Kilowua and his Trade and Enterprise Development counterpart Alvin Kimani supervised  the ground clearance.
The 3- storey market will be constructed by the County Government at a cost of Sh 120 Million.
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23 Mar
By: CGK 0

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES EXERCISE

The County Government through the Ministry of Trade, Culture, Tourism and Wildlife wishes to notify the general public that there will be a weights and measures exercise at Kitengela, Kwa Chief from 25th – 29th March 2019 between 9:00 am – 4:30 pm. The purpose for this exercise is to assize and where necessary, stamp, such weights, measures and measuring instruments within the Township/Trading center of Kajiado and a radius of twenty kilometers.

Members of public are duly advised that every weight, measure, weighing and measuring instruments used by way of trade (including sales with the weights belonging thereto scale beams spring balances, steel yard, weighing machines and other instruments for weights and measuring) must be verified and stamped annually by the inspector with a stamp of verification under the weights and measures Act (Cap. 513).

All charges in respect to the said assizing and stamping will be subject to the Weights and Measures rules.

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26 Feb
By: CGK 0

ALLOCATION OF THE NGONG MARKET STALLS

The Ksh 800 Million World Bank-funded market in Ngong will be ready for occupation in Six months. To pave way for the construction of the market, the relocation of the over two thousand traders has begun.

The relocation exercise kicked off in earnest this week under a strict and largely transparent process that seeks to have most of the traders accommodated.

Towards this end, prospective allotters are expected to present themselves at the site with their national identification cards and validated against the list of all registered market traders.

Upon validation they will be issued with a ballot by the market committee from which they will pick a random number with a special seal which will be their allocated stall number.

The first day of the allocation will see groceries and cereal traders allocated their stalls followed by new clothes, mitumba, shoes, miraa and beba beba traders on the following day.

On Wednesday shops, hotels, malimali, fruits, charcoal and chicken traders will be shown to their stalls.

On Thursday, 28, February 2019, the market will be officially opened to the public in a ceremony to be presided over by the Governor of Kajiado, Joseph Ole Lenku and the PS State Department of Housing and Urban Development, Charles Hinga.

A number of stalls have been set aside to cater to Special Interest groups with the amenities and infrastructure within the market designed to accommodate their needs. County enforcement and security officers have been directed to ensure that all roadside traders vacate to the temporary market at Ngong Stadium once the new market commences its operations.

The County Trade and Investments Chief Officer Grace Saitoti, Ngong Ward MCA Hon. Robert Muoria together with other County officials have been instrumental in the supervision of this exercise.

The World Bank under Nairobi Metropolitan Services Improvement (NAMSIP) begun building the market last year but stalled due to a misunderstanding which was later resolved between the traders and the County Government of Kajiado over the temporary relocation of traders.

The four storey ultra-modern    market is said to be the biggest in East and Central Africa and is expected to give Ngong Town a much-needed face lift with ample parking lots, loading bays and all essential social amenities.

 

 

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22 Feb
By: CGK 0

WEIGHT AND MEASURES EXERCISE

The Kajiado County Government through The Ministry of Trade, Culture, Tourism and Wildlife wishes to invite the general public to a weights and measures exercise whose purpose is to assessing and where necessary, stamp, such weights, measures and measuring instruments within the Township/Trading centre of Kajiado and a radius of twenty kilometers.

The exercise will be conducted on 25th February 2019 to 1st March 2019 at Kajiado Town. All charges in respect to the said assessing and stamping will be subject to the Weights and Measures rules.

Members of public are duly advised that every weight, measure, weighing and measuring instruments used by way of trade (including sales with the weights belonging thereto scale beams spring balances, steel yard, weighing machines and other instruments for weights and measuring) must be verified and stamped annually by the inspector with a stamp of verification under the weights and measures Act (Cap. 513)

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27 Nov
By: CGK 0

NGONG ULTRA-MODERN MARKET

The dream to construct one of Kenya’s most modern retail markets in Kajiado County nears reality.Top officials of the Nairobi Metropolitan Services Improvement Project (NAMSIP) handed over the new site to the contractor, China Tiancheng Construction Company  in a function attended by the Deputy Governor, Martin Moshisho.

The 4-storey ultra-modern market will house 2,300 traders and its construction will now begin.The relocation site is the first phase of the project and will cost Ksh 60 Million.It will be completed in the next six weeks.

The County’s Department of Trade has managed to unclog the standoff between traders and the County Government that almost frustrated efforts to have a new complex market which is expected to be the biggest in East and Central Africa.

During the launch, H.E Moshisho thanked the Ngong market traders for their commitment that saw them agree to shift in January to their temporary new market site under construction.”We shall give priority to the traders who were already there and the youth for whom we want to create self-employment job opportunities,” said the Deputy Governor.

The Ngong Market is one of the three multi-million markets NAMSIP wants to construct in Kajiado County.The others are Ole Kasasi and Kitengela.

NAMSIP Deputy Director Peter Mwaura confessed that the project almost collapsed due to traders grievances but thanked Governor Joseph Ole Lenku for intervening and whipping the traders in accepting to embrace the projects.

On several occasions, Trade and Investments Chief Officer Grace Saitoti held a series of meetings with the traders to hammer out all the pending issues.

Ngong MCA Robert Sungura assured the World Bank that the project had full support of the traders.

 

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19 Oct
By: CGK 0

MINISTRY OF TRADE BANS OVERWEIGHT TOMATO CRATES

Overfilled crates of tomatoes and extended onion nets have been banned in Kajiado County.

Kajiado County Executive Committee Member for Trade Jackline Koin announced the new order today ahead of the Mashujaa Day celebrations.

The overweight crates commonly known as “Turbo” and which are packed in different weights for the Nairobi, Mombasa and local markets were banned for exploiting farmers.

CECM Jackline Koin, in a Press briefing, said the County has heard the cries of farmers and has made the decision to curb the exploitation of the farmers by middlemen.

“We have taken this decision to cushion farmers from continued exploitation. This unscrupulous practice has resulted in serious losses and affected their economic well-being of the farmers. It must stop with immediate effect,” said Koin.

The minister said a strong County inter-departmental team will be formed to implement the ban. Koin cited the provisions of the active Kajiado County Finance Act which had clearly stipulated the weights of both the big and small crates and nets of farm produce.The Act also states that the big crate is charged a levy of Ksh 70 while the small one is charged Ksh 50. “The ban sets out to standardize units of measuring and weighing products.Those defying this order will be prosecuted,” Said Koin

She also warned transporters against hiring out their vehicles to carry the overweight crates as they risk forfeiting them to the County Government. The ban will be implemented at all revenue collection points and officers have been directed to enforce the directive.

Some of Kajiado’s biggest producers of agricultural produce are Loitokitok,Kimana, Rombo, Kitengela, parts of Kajiado East and parts of Kajiado North Sub Counties.

Such a ban has been successfully implemented in Taita Taveta County, one of the largest producers of tomatoes.

This will be the second ban on overweight products in Kajiado County after the County successfully standardized the weight of sand carried from the county early this year.

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18 Apr
By: CGK 0

SPEECH BY H.E GOVERNOR JOSEPH OLE LENKU, DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 2018 KENYA PASTORALISTS WEEK (KPW)

SPEECH BY  H.E GOVERNOR JOSEPH OLE LENKU, DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 2018 KENYA PASTORALISTS WEEK (KPW), ON APRIL 10, AT MASAI TECHNICAL TRAINING INSTITUTE, KAJIADO COUNTY

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

I am pleased to be part of this gathering here today to preside over the Kenya Pastoralists’ Week (KPW) which is an annual multi-stakeholder partnership.

Today, we converge here as stakeholders in the livestock sub sector. Here, we have
individual pastoralists, pastoralists’ associations, government (both National and County), private sector, academia and mainstream civil society to interact and impart skills and knowledge on pastoralism and its best management practices. KPW, thus, provides a unique opportunity for the various stakeholders to access pastoralist audience and markets.

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

The theme of Kajiado’s edition of KPW is Supporting Climate Smart Pastoralism in Kenya. This is, supporting an approach for transforming and reorienting pastoralism development under new realities of climate change.

This event showcases what we are doing about enhancing our peoples’ resilience to climate change as well as creating visibility, among pastoralists, of our products and services around climate change and resilience. It is also an opportunity to exchange ideas on how we can design better climate smart products and services, and hence enhance investment and consequently job creation and improved household incomes.

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

Basically, pastoralism resilience is the suitability to adapt to the arid and semi-arid environment which is characterised by low, variable rainfall pattern; high temperature; shrinking grazing land and reducing water points. The cumulative impact of land loss through human settlement due to population growth and industrialisation is rendering pastoralism unsustainable in its pure form in many areas.
There is simply not enough land or water, nor the required variety of pasturage and forage, to maintain a herd of the size and quality needed by the average household of a pastoral community.

The Kenya Pastoralists Week 2018 thus presents yet another opportunity for the country to focus on how best to support pastoralism to enable it be a key contributor to our economy.

It is more important than ever, for this country to have a conversation about how to step up efforts that can lead to a climate resilient pastoralism.

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

The Government recognised the potential of pastoralism in the 2010 Constitution of Kenya, by providing affirmative action programmes through Article 56. This is to ensurepreviously neglected pastoralist areas develop at the same pace with the rest of the country.

This was amplified in the Sessional Paper number 8 of 2012 on National Policy for the Sustainable Development of Northern Kenya and other Arid Lands: Releasing Our Full Potential’which disabuses the previously held argument that mobile pastoralism was irrational and environmentally destructive, and that the ASALs contributed little to the national economy. Contrary to this, as clearly asserted by the sessional paper, pastoralist areas have a lot of untapped potential which, if exploited, will lead to accelerated development of not only these areas, but the whole country.

I note with concern, the ever-mounting pressure from population growth, poverty, climate change and policies has unbearable consequences to traditional livestock based economy, necessitating a serious thinking not only for pastoralists but also for government.

The ASAL policy, which is currently under review, is planning to map, identify and undertake reclamation, rehabilitation and restoration of degraded and wasted lands in the ASALs. Here in Kajiado County, we already have a Spatial Plan whose aim is to ensure proper utilization of the land resource.

We, therefore, take this opportunity, to remind all our partners and stakeholders, that pastoralism is a very critical livelihood to the development of this nation. Arid and semi-arid lands (ASALs), constitute three quarters of the Kenya’s land mass and pastoralism provides livelihood to millions of Kenyans.

The livestock sub-sector employs half of the agricultural labour and has the highest employment multiplier. It contributes 12 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and accounts for 30 per cent of the agricultural output. The arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) host more than 75 per cent of Kenya’s livestock and employ 90 per cent of the regions’ residents.

The ‘2017 Kenya Economic Report’ by KIPPRA, shows the gross marketed production value for livestock and related products rose from Sh100.8 billion in 2015 to Sh 124.9 billion in 2016. This was the highest rise in four years.

The livestock economy remains largely informal, lowly productive, underdeveloped and hardly attracts investments. With no proper policy to support pastoralism, there is very weak investment in provision of services and infrastructure for the development of a vibrant livestock industry in the country.

Kajiado County is largely a livestock and agriculture-based economy. Provision of quality life to all citizens is envisioned in Vision 2030. To improve the economic base and increase incomes of the pastoral community in Kajiado, my Government has launched similar programmes based on the Vision’s three pillars: the economic, the social and the political. Eleven key flagship projects to drive this goal have been identified in the following areas;

Hay Production, Conservation and Utilization where we have set aside 10,000 acres for this purpose.
Development and strengthening of Livestock value chains.
Support for Community Based Organizations (CBOs)
Linkage of the livestock subsector to the water subsector;Here, we are collaborating with the National Irrigation Board (NIB) to construct 400 small dams for irrigation across the county.
Revamping of livestock markets by introducing weighing machines and other services

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

To achieve the desired interventions for profitable pastoralism, not just in Kajiado, but across the country, several legislations are important.

My government through the different departments will draft several legislations to enable us implement our agenda. For example, because of the importance of Adaptation to climate change, my government will introduce into the County Assembly the Kajiado County Adaptation Fund Bill. Already about four counties (Makueni, Wajir, Garissa and Kitui) have passed the Climate Change Adaptation Fund Act.

With its structure designed to have Ward Adaptation and Planning Committees across the county, the Adaptation Plans place the community members at the centre of adaptation planning and decision making.
In the last drought period, Kajiado County recorded 232,400 livestock deaths, most of them while searching for pasture. With a healthy cow costing about KES 60,000, this was about Sh13.94 billion lost!

In achieving climate resilient pastoralism, the private sector has a very key role to play, not only through promoting climate smart investments that provide returns, but also through supporting community initiatives that enable communities to cope with negative impacts of climate change induced weather variables like droughts and floods.

The private sector and financial intermediaries, however, have had little interest to develop specialised support services and products for nomadic pastoralists, owing to perceived minimal return on investments.

Livestock has the highest potential for reducing poverty, creating employment and contributing to economic growth. That Kenyans eat the most meat in East Africa is indisputable. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a Kenyan consumes about 14 kilogrammes of meat every year; This is almost three times as much meat as a Rwandese.

In 2014, the Global Forum on Agricultural Research declared Kenya “a meat deficit country” due to its shortage of 4,500,000 kilogrammes of meat. I, therefore, challenge the private sector to develop innovative products, in collaboration with the pastoralists, which will transform the livestock sub-sector into a highly profitable commercial sector.

It is very clear from available data that improving market access and productivity for the livestock value chain players and strengthening husbandry and animal management are ways of addressing this. This can be achieved through co-management of livestock markets; enhanced capacity building and promotion of innovative fodder management; strengthening the traditional pastoralist institutions and mobilising pastoralists and value chain actors into unified units such as cooperatives and community groups.

FELLOW PASTORALISTS,

The review of the 2012-2017 National Climate Change Action Plan is currently underway. It principally, focuses on climate change adaptation and mitigation. I note with concern that there was inadequate involvement of pastoralists in the development of this Plan.

This oversight is recurring in the 2018-2022 version. Given the prominence of adaptation and mitigation programmes in the action plan, it is important that the voice of the marginalised communities is heard loudly. We therefore ask Civil Society organisations, led by those present here today, to ensure that we are able to consolidate our voice as pastoralists and effectively engage with this important process that is scheduled to end in May 2018.

The Kenya Pastoralists Week 2018 would not have been successful without the support and contribution of many individuals and institutions. The County Government of Kajiado, being the host, took the lead in planning for this event with the other stakeholders and partners. I particularly note that this is the first ever Kenya Pastoralists Week, in the last 15 years, that has been planned jointly between government and civil society. We take pride as Kajiado for taking this lead.

I am also informed that this being the case, this is the best ever Kenya Pastoralists Week event. However, this would not have been possible without the invaluable contribution of the Centre for Minority Rights Development (Cemiride), which has, for several years now, worked to provide pastoralists with this platform.

I also recognise the Netherlands Development Organisation (SNV), the Asal Stakeholders Forum (ASF) and Tata Chemicals for their sponsorship of the Kajiado edition.

All the exhibitors and other partners are also duly recognised. I would like to thank all those who took time out of their busy schedules duties and selflessly provided ideas and skills to ensure that this event succeeded.

With these remarks, I would like to declare the Kenya Pastoralists Week (2018) officially open.

God Bless You all. Karibuni Kajiado.

(from left)Trade Chief Officer Grace Sekento,County Commissioner David Kipkemei ,County boss H.E Joseph Lenku, Kajiado Senator Phillip Mpaayei, Garisa Governor Ali Korane and Deputy Governor Martin Moshisho going through the cultural exhibition stand during the past Kenya Pastoralists week held at MTTI,Kajiado.

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04 Jan
By: Kajiado County 0

H.E THE GOVERNOR STRIKES KITENGELA TOWN

A Ward Administrator in Kitengela was sacked and put on police wanted list for running a cartel coup that has been swindling traders.
Moses Kamalik faced the wrath from Governor Joseph Ole Lenku for swindling traders in pretence of giving them contracts and allocating business space. (more…)

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05 Nov
By: CGK 0

KAJIADO COUNTY 2ND BEST IN MAGICAL KENYA EXPO.

Kajiado county scooped 2nd best stand in county categories during the magical Kenya expo held in leisure lodge beach resort in Kwale County

Kajiado county expo tents where county scooped 2nd best stand in county categories during the magical Kenya expo held in leisure lodge beach resort in Kwale County

Kajiado county scooped 2nd best stand in county categories during the magical Kenya expo held in leisure lodge beach resort in Kwale County

Magical Kenya travel expo is an annual event organized by Kenya tourism board with an aim to unite different tourism industry with an objective to promote domestic tourism in Kenya. (more…)

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