Detectives arrested Kimathi alongside three officials of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Tuesday.
Derrick Kimathi, a businessman who claimed to own a garage at the site of Thursday’s gas explosion, has been arrested days after his lawyer denied culpability.
Detectives arrested Kimathi alongside three officials of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on Tuesday.
Earlier in the week, Kimathi’s lawyer claimed that the LPG truck that exploded at his garage had trespassed without his knowledge.
The agency said it had established that Kimathi owned the illegal Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) refiling plant which operated without approval from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
DCI indicated that Kimathi had a manager identified as Stephen Kilonzo oversee operations at the site.
It identified arrested NEMA officials as David Ongare (Director Environment Compliance), Joseph Makau (Head Environmental Impact Assessment) and Mirrian Kioko.
DCI said five suspects remained at large.
“These include Stephen Kilonzo (the site manager), Ann Kabiri Mirungi of NEMA, Lynette Cheruyoit (NEMA’s Senior Environmental Officer), truck driver Robert Gitau and Abraham Mwangi (driver).”
DCI asked the public to report or share any information on the whereabouts of the suspects by contacting the toll-free hotline 0800722203 or reporting in person at any police station.
The tragic Embakasi gas explosion on February 1, claimed two lives with the death toll subsequently rising to six.
The blast which caused a fireball sent shockwaves in the neighboring residential area, leaving over 280 persons injured and dozens homeless.
Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura reported additional deaths on Monday saying those who died at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) succumbed to burns sustained from the blast. By Sharon Resian, Capital News
Kenya is this week hosting a high-level meeting meant to adopt strategies to address the current Africa's feed and fodder crisis.
In a meeting that kicked off in Nairobi today bringing together a host of experts from the continent, the five-day Resilient African Feed and Fodder Systems (RAFFS) Project aims at driving an ‘African narrative that helps to make better evidence-based decisions for countries.’
African Union-InterAfrican for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) Director Dr Huyam Salih said the three crises commonly referred to as “the three C’s” exposed Africa’s vulnerability, leading to eroded livelihoods, loss of incomes, and driven up prices of highly nutritive livestock sourced foods making them inaccessible to sections of the population that need them most.
According to Dr Salih, livestock feeding constitutes 60-70 percent of the total cost of livestock production.
“The recent drought in the Greater Horn of Africa region resulted in a massive loss of 9.5 million livestock, valued at over 2 billion USD,” she said in her opening remarks.
She said the loss includes invaluable livestock genetic resources developed over decades, serving as a key factor for livelihoods and incomes, especially for pastoralists and smallholders who contribute over 80 percent of meat and milk production in the region.
The impact Salih said extended to downstream stakeholders and retailing businesses, resulting in substantial losses.
The RAFFS Project was rolled out in January 2023 and has focused on understanding the situation of the effect of the global COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and conflict between Russia and Ukraine in the feed and fodder sector.
The project, which is jointly funded by the African Union Commission (AUC) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, specifically focuses on Cameroon, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia, Uganda and Zimbabwe due to ‘their unique contexts and challenges.’
Salih said the project has since conducted a Continental Survey that sought to engage stakeholders in the Feed and Fodder Sector.
Out of the fifty-five AU Member States, forty-four (44) participated, giving a continental outlook and opportunity to also draw out regional differences and issues.
“The insights gathered have been invaluable in shaping our understanding of the feed and fodder landscape across Africa,” Dr Salih said.
“The RAFFS Project represents a means to transform challenges into opportunities, to strengthen the feed and fodder sector, and ultimately contribute to achieving agricultural sector goals.”
By December 2022, Government authorities in Kenya said the drought had killed over 200 elephants, nearly 400 zebras and more than 500 wildebeests among other several species. - Patrick Vidija, The Standard
The RAFFS project will among other things assess the role of women in the feed and fodder sector in Africa.
“It is known that a single dollar invested in women will release revenue of three dollars in the economy because women are the mothers, the one to take care of the kids and feed the family,” she said.
To break the cycle of poverty and inequalities, AU-IBAR has been advocating for the development and implementation of policies and legal frameworks that create a wider array of opportunities for women in the feed and fodder sector- which will lead to their economic empowerment for the inclusive and sustainable development of the continent.
One of the key challenges that has been identified as a key constraint to participating in the livestock sector is the bottleneck of the poor access to appropriate and sustainable financing mechanisms that address women’s felt needs tailored to their capacities. - Patrick Vidija, The Standard
As the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations continues to entertain football lovers across the world, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are working extra to make the East Africa’s ‘Pamoja Bid’ a reality. This will be history for the three East Africa nations to host the 2027 Africa football extravaganza. A vote conducted by members of the CAF’s committee during the meeting in Cairo on the 27th of September last year, the joint candidacy of Kenya Uganda and Tanzania beat other bids from Senegal, Egypt and Botswana.
In the year 1996, Kenya was given the opportunity to host the football fiesta by CAF but were latter stripped off due to lack of stadiums. This is a route that most Kenyans do no want the country to take with the cabinet sitting last year December to kick start the milestone of doing the infrastructure. The cabinet which was chaired by president William Ruto said Kenya hosting AFCON would help in the growth of football in the country with the national team also targeting the 2030 world cup qualifications.
Kasarani Stadium-Nairobi
“As a stepping stone towards the target of Harambee Stars qualifying for the Fifa World Cup in the year 2030, Cabinet approved the proposal to host the Africa Cup of Nations in 2027, alongside EAC partner states. Cabinet noted that the joint bid would deploy the power of sports in furthering regional integration," cabinet's resolutions.
Tanzania has played in three Africa cup of Nations with Uganda gracing the tournament in seven different occasions. Kenya has appeared in six AFCON tournaments with the latest on being in the year 2019 where they were eliminated in the group stages. With the host nations spared the struggles of qualifying for the tournament, there will be need to have more friendlies to avoid the embarrassments of leaving the competition early.
Kenya has already started the journey of renovating and building new stadiums as required by CAF that the AFCON host must have six stadiums in readiness for the tournament. In Kenya, Nyayo and Kip Keino stadiums were handed over to the Kenya Defence Forces for the renovations with Talanta Stadium being built to international standards before the end of 2025.
While inspecting the Bukhungu stadium in Kakamega county, the Cabinet Secretary Ababu Namwamba said that the Kasarani stadium will be completely unavailable for use for at least 16 – 18 months as it undergoes renovations in preparations for the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations.
“For instance we have closed Kasarani Stadium already, and so international events like the Kipchoge Keino classic, which is an international event, we have had to find an alternative venue for it (Nyayo Stadium).
Namboole Stadium
“All teams that use Kasarani for their home Kenyan Premier League games have had to be relocated to alternative venues because that stadium is going to be inaccessible for at least 16-18 months as we seek to completely upgrade it and overhaul it.”
Completion of the 42,000 seater Nambole stadium in Uganda is a step in the right direction for the ‘Pamoja Bid’. Uganda will also provide venues in Hoima and Lira where new stadiums will be built. In Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa Stadium is being refurbished with new venues earmarked in Zanzibar and Arusha.
While many East Africans are still not aware of the opportunities that comes with hosting such kind of a continental show piece, the benefits are immense. The transport sector will receive a big boost ferrying spectators to the stadiums. Visitors, athletes and various media personalities from all over the world will inject money in the hotels and tourism sites. This is an opportunity for the East Africa Community with clock ticking before CAF does the last inspections.
New research reveals 73% of straight Brits have never tested for HIV even though 40% of all new diagnoses are heterosexual people.
Despite this rise, straight Brits are unaware of their increased risk of infection, with over 1,000,000 believing they cannot contract the virus.
At the start of HIV Testing Week, Newfoundland Diagnostics is encouraging the nation to get tested and has introduced a new HIV test, which is easy to use at home and is available at Tesco at an affordable price.
The study conducted by Newfoundland Diagnostics explores the attitudes, behaviours and perceptions of HIV in the UK, highlighting a need for better education and awareness around the virus, with over a fifth of straight Brits (21%) stating they believe they are unlikely to contract HIV, leading them not to test for HIV.
Other reasons for heterosexual people not testing for HIV include never having unprotected sex (18%), not having access to an HIV test (4%) and not being bothered to test for HIV (3%).
This lack of education has seen a staggering 73% of heterosexual Brits having never tested for the virus, ironically echoing the infamous tombstone ads of the 80s – ‘Don’t Die of Ignorance’.
The research exposes a clear hangover of the AIDS epidemic despite advances made by popular media such as Channel 4’s ‘It’s A Sin’, which led to a sharp increase in HIV-related Google searches including ‘Can women get AIDS?’ (2,150%) following the first episode’s airing.
Despite media attempts to change perceptions around HIV, it’s clear there is more educational work to be done to improve the nation’s testing habits and routines.
As the diagnosis rate amongst straight Brits rises, testing figures for HIV remain staggeringly low. Notably, only 1 in 11 (9%) of Brits have been tested multiple times for HIV.
With these alarming figures, Newfoundland Diagnostics is aiming to change attitudes towards testing, raising awareness of the education issue and providing access to tests in a bid to help the nation know their status.
Frederick Manduca, co-founder of Newfoundland Diagnostics, said: "Whilst testing does seem to be increasing in the long-term, these findings reveal there remains a substantial amount of ignorance towards testing and its importance amongst heterosexual people.
“Our aim is to use our platform to begin chipping away at the misconceptions surrounding HIV, making it clear that HIV does not discriminate based on sex, gender or sexuality, and that there is power in knowing your status.
“Let’s use this year’s HIV Testing Week to continue changing perceptions, raising awareness and fighting stigma to eradicate this virus from existence.”
The Newfoundland Diagnostics HIV Test (RRP: £17.99 for one test) – the easiest test on the market. Available now via Newfoundland Diagnostics and in Tesco stores across the nation.
Top 5 reasons straight Brits are not testing for HIV
1. Believe they are unlikely to contract HIV (22%)
2. Never had unprotected sex (18%)
3. Have not had access to HIV test (4%)
4. Believe they cannot contract HIV (3%)
5. Can’t be bothered to test for HIV (3%)
Common Qs on HIV answered by Newfoundland Diagnostics
What is HIV?
HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which targets the immune system and reduces the body’s ability to fight everyday infections and diseases. If left untreated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). While AIDS cannot be transmitted from one person to another, HIV can. Thanks to today's medicine, those with HIV can lead full, healthy lives providing they receive and maintain treatment upon early diagnosis.
What is HIV Testing Week?
National HIV Testing Week runs from Monday 5 February until Sunday 11 February and is coordinated by the Terrence Higgins Trust. The annual campaign aims to promote HIV testing, raise awareness about HIV, and reduce the stigma surrounding the virus. The week-long event encourages individuals to get tested for HIV, know their status, and take steps to protect their health.
Who should test for HIV?
Despite a focus on gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men testing for HIV, anyone who has unprotected sex, exchanges bodily fluids or shares needles should regularly test for HIV. HIV can infect anyone regardless of sexuality, race, gender, sex or age.
How do I test for HIV?
All HIV tests will check your blood for any blood-borne diseases and are available as part of a regular STI check up. You can visit a GUM clinic or sexual health practice for a test, or you can test at home with a self-test such as Newfoundland Diagnostics’ HIV test.
How do people get HIV?
HIV is found in the body fluids of someone living with HIV, including semen, vaginal and anal fluids, blood and breast milk. The most common way of getting HIV in the UK is through having anal or vaginal sex without a condom. HIV cannot be transmitted through sweat, urine or saliva.
Newfoundland Diagnostics HIV Test
The world's first integrated, finger-prick blood test to screen for HIV. The at-home self-test detects antibodies to HIV Virus Type 1 (HIV-1) and/or HIV Virus Type 2 (HIV-2) in blood.
The Newfoundland HIV Test is an easy-to-use screening test for HIV that provides a quick and accurate result in just 15 minutes with a simple finger-prick sample. This test provides >99% accuracy.
Newfoundland’s test is the easiest test on the market for patients, with a study finding that 90% of participants found the test easier to use than a multi-component test kit. This is thanks to an all-in-one test that requires low blood volume and fewer user steps resulting in fewer errors.
Other tests available online have multiple components with three individual bottles to transfer blood samples through. Not only does this make it a confusing experience for the patient, but there is a higher chance of potential contamination and misuse, affecting the final result.
A new report released today titled "Humanitarian Visas in a Hostile Environment", offers first-hand insights into the experiences of individuals arriving in the UK through the Hong Kong BN(O) and Ukraine visa schemes and shows that 'significant concerns persist' around the restrictions faced by visa beneficiaries.
Researchers from the University of Birmingham and Lancaster University, draw on qualitative interviews with 43 Hong Kongers and Ukrainians to offer a comparative analysis of the UK's suite of 'safe and legal (humanitarian) routes'. Centring the voices and perspectives of visa holders, the report explores both the experiences of applying for these visas and everyday life in the UK.
The key findings of the report - published three years after the Hong Kong BN(O) visa was introduced on 31st January 2021 - reveal a significant gap between the government's rhetoric surrounding humanitarian visas and the real-world experiences and challenges faced by beneficiaries. The study highlights the interplay of geopolitical factors, historical context, and individual circumstances in shaping the decision-making process of those relocating to the UK under these bespoke provisions.
Differences in access to rights and entitlements led to distinct challenges for Hong Kongers and Ukrainians. Hong Kongers faced difficulties in accessing suitable housing, limited access to public funds, and issues related to the recognition of their professional qualifications. Ukrainians experienced a prevailing sense of temporariness and uncertainty due to time-limited visas and no route to long-term settlement.
Prolonged unemployment and downward occupational mobility were common challenges for both groups. Hong Kongers faced issues with educational qualifications recognition and obtaining the Certificate of No Criminal Conviction (CNCC), while Ukrainians encountered language barriers.
In the context of the UK's post-Brexit migration regime and increasing restrictions on asylum, the report highlights concerns regarding the temporary nature of protection for Ukrainians and restrictions in access to public services for Hong Kongers.
Professor Nando Sigona, director of the Institute for Research into International Migration and Superdiversity at the University of Birmingham and co-author of the report, stated:
"Our findings underscore the need for a closer examination of the implications of these humanitarian visa schemes. The UK government often refers to them to demonstrate its continuing commitment to international protection, but these schemes are no alternative to the asylum system; at best they can be complementary. Significant concerns persist with the visa schemes, especially regarding the temporary nature of protection for Ukrainians and the restrictions and costs faced by Hong Kongers."
Professor Michaela Benson, co-author of the report from Lancaster University, added:
"These insights come at a crucial juncture as the UK continues to evolve its policies on humanitarian issues. The report serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, advocates, and the public to better understand the realities faced by those seeking protection through these highly selective visa schemes".
The report concludes with a call for a more nuanced approach to address the challenges faced by visa holders, particularly in areas such as employment, educational qualifications recognition, and access to housing.
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