Regulator takes consumer ICT forum to Mombasa County

By Elisha Kamau

ICT industry regulator, Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) today held the third Consumer County ICT Forum in Mombasa. 

 

Held at Mombasa Sports Club, the county consumer ICT forum dubbed Kikao Kikuu brought together consumers of communications services, mobile service providers, ICT equipment vendors, Mombasa County officials as well as other Government departments.

Speaking at the forum, Communications Authority of Kenya, Director General, Francis Wangusi noted, “Through KIKAO KIKUU, we hope that ICT consumers will benefit with information that can make them fully enjoy the benefits of ICTs.  An empowered consumer is more likely to make good buying decisions and better use of the services.”  

He added: “This is actually the third forum that we have had since we launched the project in mid-September 2014. So far, we have received positive feedback and contributions from Kenyans across the various counties. This shows that the consumers are yearning for more information that will enable them benefit from provision of ICT services in their respective counties.”

On his part, Mombasa County Governor, His Excellency Ali Hassan Joho was happy to host Kikao Kikuu in his County. He noted that the initiative by the Authority will provide consumers with valuable information which will enable them wisely make use of communications services. He highlighted the various ICT initiatives that his County was undertaking. “Through the use of ICT, the County Government will provide a transparent and efficient management system as well as develop a lean competent work force that is highly motivated.” 

He further noted: “The consumer ICT engagement forums in the county and country at large will not only increase awareness on the benefits of digital migration but will also empower consumers to make informed decisions on the same.”

The Authority will be working closely with the County Governments through the consumer ICT forums in an effort that will ensure counties have access to affordable ICT services that ultimately lead to transformation of County residents and Kenyans at large.

Kikao Kikuu is part of the Authority’s initiatives to increase consumer education in the country. So far, the Authority has had two forums  in Machakos and Nakuru. Plans are underway to have the same rolled out to other counties next year.

CMA hosts capital markets’ leadership training programme

Paul Muthaura, Capital Markets Authority Managing Director

The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has partnered with the Toronto Centre to host a high level regional leadership programme for securities regulators. 

The training programme will be held in Nairobi, December 1-5 2014, and is expected to attract approximately 30 participants from capital market regulators within Africa and the Middle East. 

The CMA Acting Chief Executive, Mr Paul Muthaura, said the decision to host the leadership training programme is underpinned by the desire to facilitate gathering insights, sharing best practice in securities regulations, and discussing cross-cutting/emerging issues among capital market regulators within the continent.

Mr Muthaura observed that with the evolving market environment, changing legal and regulatory framework, increased use of technology, and the development of new products, there is need for building a knowledge and skills base to enable regulators to play their market oversight role more effectively.

‘’The market has changed substantially with the increased use of technology, development of new products, and increase cross-border capital market transactions, which necessitates the need for regulators to work more closely on areas such as information sharing to ensure that market oversight is stepped up to proactively manage any emerging issues in the market place,” disclosed Mr Muthaura.

The CMA Chief Executive added that the training opportunity was critical in enhancing the knowledge and skills for the Authority’s staff in line with the market growth anticipated with the implementation of the Capital Market Master Plan, the ten-year blue print for the Kenyan capital markets industry, and Kenya’s ambition to become a regional and International Financial Centre.

P&G set to provide 2billion liters of water annually

Procter and Gamble (P&G) has reiterated its commitment to save one life every hour in the developing world by delivering more than 2billion liters of clean drinking water every year by 2020 to help save an estimated 10,000 lives and prevent 80 million days of diarrheal illness on an annual basis. 

Statistics from World Health organization (WHO) indicates that over 1billion people lack access to clean drinking water and approximately 1,600 children die daily from complications resulting from water-borne diseases such as diarrhoea, typhoid, cholera, dysentery and fever. This staggering figure is more than that from HIV/AIDS and malaria combined. 

The company initiated a program dubbed Children’s Safe Drinking Water (CSDW) in 2004 through its water purifying technology that cleans and purifies water as well as stops the water from re-contamination. This is done using a simple sachet known as P&G Purifier of Water (previously Pur) which uses the technology that is in municipal water treatments.

In Kenya, P&G runs the programs mostly in Nyanza, Western and Coast provinces where there is adequate water which is however not clean. So far, the company has distributed approximately 70 million sachets which in turn has helped provide 700 million liters of clean drinking water in Kenya since the program begun.

 The Program which works with over 140 partners across the globe in over 75 countries provides clean water to people in need through outreach programs for mothers in health clinics as well as students in school. It also responds to emergencies including cholera outbreaks, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters. 

The cleaning water process involves adding the four grams of powder found in P&G purifier of water sachet to ten litres of turbid water. The product visually cleans the water removing pathogenic microorganisms, viruses, parasites and suspended matter from the contaminated water, leaving it safe for families to drink. It removes more than 99.99999% of common waterborne bacteria helping to reduce diarrheal disease incidence in the developing world.

P&G communications Manager Irene Mwathi, said safe drinking water and sanitation is a huge challenge to humanity due to high levels of poverty in the developing world. “Clean water is a basic need for human life and one of the millennium development goals that Kenya is striving to achieve, we are therefore glad to share a solution towards mitigating this problem,” she added.

Always empowers girls to succeed in schools

Procter and Gamble in partnership with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has published the ninth edition of Puberty Education and Menstrual Hygiene Management, a series of Good Policy and Practice in Health Education.
 

The publication seeks to help provide information for millions of young girls to overcome the stigma and ignorance that is associated with menstrual cycle, empowering them to go through school with self-confidence. 

Puberty, described as a time of change and growth for all young people, is particularly challenging for girls who are confused about the changes in their body, which can become a major obstacle to their education. Many girls are said to be unprepared especially for their first menstrual period, with two out of three girls testifying to having no idea what they were undergoing when they began their menstrual period.

This builds up in later stages and results into negative effects on their physical and emotional development, leading to a drop in self-esteem and poor performance at school. 

“An estimated 50 million girls enter puberty every year. This is a critical life stage where they acquire fundamentals of hygiene management, develop self-esteem, and build up confidence, we believe that no girl should lose confidence because of something that is meant to be a natural stage in life,” says Irene Miheso, Procter and Gamble’s Corporate Communications manager.

According to studies by the Oxford University, apart from the lack to access to proper sanitary material during menstruation often the lack of adequate clean toilet facilities at school, combined with fear and embarrassment further contribute to girls’ disengagement from education at this critical time in their lives. 

She said Procter and Gamble through the Always brand will actively continue to provide puberty education to millions of young people around the world and the partnership with UNESCO will broaden its outreach in making significant difference to lives of young girls.

The publication will serve as an important step in mobilizing the necessary global support for equality between girls and boys in education. Mobilizing educators, policy-makers, nongovernmental organizations and the private sector to support puberty education and menstrual hygiene management, as an indispensable element in efforts to achieve gender equality and access to good education for all learners. It also provides clear recommendations on what is required to eliminate the stigma associated with menstruation and offer opportunities to all girls to grow up to become fully empowered women.