MARA GETS FIRST PUBLIC GIRLS' BOARDING SCHOOL

In a bid to save hundreds of young girls from early marriages, a group of UK based teachers has pitched tent in the Masai Mara Game Reserve to keep them in school.

A non-profit organization, Educating The Children (ETC), is building a new public boarding school at Sekanani inside the game park. Phase 1 is just about to be completed to allow the first group of students to be admitted to Form 1.ETC Kenya point person Geraldine Feehally, who is the director of teaching and training, says they are partnering with the Sekanani community and Sarova Mara Game Camp to build the school.

The school will have full boarding facilities to host 400 secondary girl students in the heart of the Mara, opening their lives to new opportunities. ETC runs the teaching scheme ‘Adopt a teacher, Adopt a global learning’ in which UK-trained teachers are welcomed and adopted by primary schools in the Masai.

 

Mara, where they teach for three months. Pursuit of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of universal primary education by 2015 has led to eradication of primary school fees in Kenya. Average class sizes have increased up to 100 in the Mara and although accessibility to education has been improved, quality has been compromised. 

ETC is here to help redress the teacher shortage and improve quality education. The school will be run by Kenyan teachers under the auspices of Narok County government’s education department, while ETC will play an oversight role.

ETC Kenya point person Geraldine Feehally inside the school building

In 2010, Feehally, an experienced teacher, joined the ETC Volunteer Teacher Programme and was sent with two other teachers to Sekanani Primary School to teach for a term. The UK efforts were directed at developing teaching and learning by helping to reduce class sizes, modeling spoken English, introducing a wider range of teaching strategies and giving focus to the pupils’ development of concepts and their applications to problem solving, rather than simple rote learning.    

 "Our experience showed us the great needs of the  local  girls. With insufficient opportunities to develop their potential amid abusive cultural practices and daily drudgery, we stepped in to help," she says. ETC set out to build a girl’s public secondary boarding school and in 2012 identified the Sekanani site. The county’s visionary leadership trusts ETC and its work.

The challenges of crossing cultures, negotiating local and regional politics, working within a different educational system are enormous. Nevertheless the cause is right and the Sekanani community vision has remained strong to sustain the donors’ confidence and ETC determination. Sekanai community members have assisted practically with the construction works and well-wishers have given their time and resources generously.

New skills are reaching not just the students, but also the wider community. This new girl’s secondary school at Sekanani will provide a broad and enriching secondary education offering skills and understanding, safety, security, mentoring and support to the development of local young women. Maasai women have been given an opportunity to realize their potential, honour their families and communities and help to bring about sustainable development.

NAROK COUNTY PRIORITIZES ON HEALTH CARE

The County Government of Narok has allocated Sh200 million for health centers, with the aim of aligning the quality of the region’s education and health services to the national economic development blueprint, Vision 2030. 

A County Health Strategy is being developed to expand coverage and promote effective health services to residents as a show of commitment by the county to improve primary healthcare to ensure better health for all and an equitable healthcare finance system.

The plans include the construction of three Level-4 hospitals and 91 dispensaries, to decentralize health services and bring them closer to the people. Investments will be channeled to human resources by increasing the recruitment of health personnel to handle patients on time.

A baby is vaccinated at a rural clinic

Further, the county government has entered into a contract with the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) for the procurement and delivery of sufficient medical drugs. Tunai is appealing to development partners to assist his county government build the facilities, saying he cannot accomplish the feat single-handedly and without support from multilateral donors.

The appeal is meant to insulate the health institutions from running short of medical stocks or supplies. In the past, there have been claims of the facilities lacking basic drugs and other medicines. Patients have been referred to private hospitals to buy drugs with many protesting against the exorbitant costs. These complaints and the suffering of the residents prompted the county management to sign a deal with KEMSA and the governor is cautioning against the sale of government procured drugs.

The new partnership is likely to see hospitals and dispensaries in the vast pastoralist region benefit from increased medical supplies. Recently, the agency supplied drugs worth more than Sh10 million secured by the county authorities to redistribute to regional health facilities.

KEMSA Truck delivering medical supplies in Narok

Governor Tunai says they have signed an MoU with Kemsa for the delivery of medical supplies every month to enable patients seeking medical attention from rural health facilities gain access to quick diagnosis and treatment.

Measures have been put in place to ensure the proper storage of delicate drugs to maintain their high quality. Plans are also afoot to rehabilitate all health centers and dispensaries at a cost of Sh1 billion and to establish Level Four hospitals in all constituencies as part of the health intervention programmes .“The county government will ensure that qualified and experienced doctors and nurses are employed in all health centres,” Tunai says.

SH 75 BILLION ENERGY PROJECT TO POWER THE REGION

For the first time since the colonial times and the independence era, Marsabit County is set to harness its vast wind and solar power potential as it begins to reap the benefits of devolution. Most of the country’s electrical energy is produced from hydro sources and the rest from geothermal sources, mostly using steam from below the earth’s surface. 

Occupying vast tracts of land full of rich natural resources, Marsabit County is attracting donors and investors into various segments of its development programmes. The county has been relying on diesel fueled generators to meet its energy requirements. Investors and donors are bringing modern technology, expertise and management to help residents exploit the abundant natural resources in their county.

One of the national flagship projects is the Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) that aims to provide 300 megawatts of reliable, low-cost wind power. The wind power project will cost Sh75 billion, making it arguably one of the biggest projects ever to be undertaken by the private sector in partnership with counties in Kenya.

According to county executive member for Energy, Lands and Housing, Ms Yasmin AbdulKadir, a number of countries specialized in wind power technology are ready to help them tap the natural and renewable energy at a low cost. When complete, the wind power project will generate 300 megawatts (MW) and help reduce power outages not only in the county but in other parts of Kenya as well. The plant will involve the erection of a 428km transmission line to convey the electricity generated from the wind plant source a top Loiyangalani Hill.

Marsabit County has a population of close to 300,000 which the administration is certain will have  sufficient  power  in  their homes including those in the remote rural areas. Excess power generated from the mega plant will be supplied to the national grid, producing about 20 per cent of the current installed electricity generating capacity.  The new energy generated will in turn earn the county additional revenue from its natural resource base.

Kenya generates 1,664mw of electricity and is working on expanding its power supply to 5,000mw by 2017, with the goal of boosting socio-economic growth. With a large landmass, encompassing 70,691 square kilometres, is now planning to set up an energy company to trade with the national government and neighbours. Abdulkadir is optimistic that the company which will create more wealth and employment for the thousands of graduates from the area.

The wind farm site covering 40,000 acres is located in Loiyangalani village, in Marsabit West sub-county about 50km north of South Horr Township. The project will comprise 365 wind turbines (each with a capacity of 850 kw), the associated overhead electric grid collection system and a high voltage sub-station. It also includes the upgrading of the existing road from Laisamis to the wind farm site, a distance of approximately 204km, as well as an access road network in and around the site for construction, operations and maintenance. 

The Kenya Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (Ketraco), with concessional funding from the Spanish government, is constructing a double circuit 400kv, 428km transmission line. The line is to deliver the

LTWP electricity along with power from other future plants to the national grid. The wind power scheme could save Kenya up to $150 million annually in money used to import fuel for thermal power generation, according to LTWP estimates. The project will be undertaken by a consortium of organisations including the LTWP consortium comprising KP&P Africa B.V. and Aldwych International as co-developers, Industrial Fund for Developing Countries (IFU, Wind Power A.S. Vestas), Finnish Fund for Industrial Cooperation Ltd (Finn fund) and the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries (Nor fund).  LTWP is  solely  responsible  for  the financing,  construction  and  operation  of the wind farm. 

Marsabit Governor Ukur Yatani unveils new solar panels to harness energy from the sun rays

Aldwych, an experienced power company focused on Africa, will oversee construction and operations of the power plant on behalf of LTWP. Vestas will provide maintenance in a contract  with  LTWP. Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) will buy the power produced at a fixed price over a 20-year period in accordance with the signed power purchase agreement. The project expects to produce an initial 100 MW in 2016, with the remainder expected to be in the grid within 32 months, according to Vestas Wind Systems project coordinator Van Wageningen. Abdulkadir says the county plans to implement a solar street lighting project at a cost of Sh18 million in the current fiscal year.

The exercise will begin in Marsabit and Moyale before spreading to other areas and will boost security surveillance around the county. The County Government of Marsabit is committed to provide sustainable, affordable and reliable electricity for all its residence to achieve objectives of Kenya’s national economic development blueprint Vision 2030. Marsabit County has perhaps the highest potential in the world for harnessing solar and wind energies and is strategically placed for the generation of green energy to contribute to the national economy.

 For the past  five  years,  studies  have been conducted by various companies to establish wind patterns, ensure that the data is recorded accurately and to establish whether it has consistent direction and output. Five wind masts have been erected. The Bubisa corridor in Marsabit County is rated as having strong winds according to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) records. Preliminary wind resource assessment shows that wind regimes in Marsabit County can support commercial electricity generation as they enjoy wind speeds ranging from eight to 14 metres per second (s). The county has strong reliable sunshine throughout the year, providing high potential for investment in solar energy.

Achievements:

Solar street lights for Marsabit and Moyale towns have been installed at a cost of Sh18 million. 

-Lighting of all institutions is currently ongoing in partnership with the Kenya Rural Electrification Authority.

-A number of efforts have been made and continue to be realised to attract investors, especially in the areas of renewable energy.

-Close contact with the Ministry of Energy to operationalize  all  flagship  projects: markets, slaughterhouses, renewable energy centres, electricity sub-stations, construction  of  sub-station  at  Maikona  by the  Rural  Electrification  Authority  (REA), including power transmission lines from Maikona to Kalacha.

-Establishment of the ‘Marsabit County Energy Company Limited’that will be used as a special purpose vehicle for exploitation and utilization of energy.