For the first time in Lamu County’s history, 100 students from ten schools in Witu, Hongwe, Mkunumbi, Hindi, Kiunga, and Basuba completed a two-day peace training program at the Kenya Coast Guard Service (KCGS) training facility in Mokowe.

The Lamu County Government, through the office of the Governor is leading the program in conjunction with the Centre for Civillians in Conflict. The program strives to build trust and confidence between civilians and military personnel so that civilian harm can be avoided, minimized, and remedied along the Boni operation zone.

The over 100 students drawn from Kiangwe, Kiunga, Ishakani, Mokowe Aridzone, Juhudi, Sese, Lake Kenyatta, Bobo, Kibiboni and Kilimani Primary schools were taken through a number of modules including;

-Children rights

-Child Protection Preventing sexual exploitation and abuse

-Peace, Cohesion and Security,

-Loyalty and Patriotism

-Love and Unity

-Role/importance of security agencies

The program aims to protect, minimize harm, establish trust, and encourage direct engagement between military and residents living along the Boni Forest stretch .

In strong partnership with the Central Government and other organizations, Governor Fahim Twaha’s administration has remained committed to building a more resilient, inclusive, and peaceful Lamu Community.

The peace-building approach as envisioned by Governor Fahim Twaha aims to put children at the centre, strengthening social cohesion, building relationships between communities and the government, and supporting their participation in forging peace and development within their villages .

In attendance was Ms Malika Omar CO Public Service Management who also represented the Governor, County commissioner Mr Irungu macharia, CIVIC Regional Director, Mr. Zlatko Gegic, CIVIC Millitary Adviser, Col(Rtd)Julius Minyori, CIVIC community engagement manager John Okanga, CIVIC Community Engagement officer, Phoebe Cherono.

The KDF team was led by Operation Amani Boni (OAB) CIMIC Officer Major Simon Charagu Kariuki, together with his counterparts from Kenya Navy Commanding Officer KNS Shujaa, Major Faith Mwagandi, Captain (Dr) Emily Gitau and SSgt Naomi Owino

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Mine awareness training is presently underway for 25 law enforcement officers in Lamu County. This is an initiative by The Center for Citizens in Conflict in collaboration with the Lamu County Government.

This is part of Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) for the County enforcement team, an immersive security training designed to enhance their security and safety awareness and enable them to prevent and deal more effectively with risks, challenging situations and security incidents .

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MESSAGE FROM H.E GOVERNOR FAHIM TWAHA

International Nurses’ Day is observed every year on May 12th to commemorate the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing. In Lamu, we dedicate an entire week to honoring our nurses as an invaluable resource in our health care sector and raising awareness of their work and challenges.

This year’s International Nurse’s Day theme, Nurses: A Voice to Lead – Invest in Nursing and Respect Rights to Secure Global Health, could not be more appropriate.

Throughout the global Pandemic, nurses in Lamu made great sacrifices, acted courageously, and recommitted everyday to combat a global health threat unmatched in modern times, serving as a vital pillar supporting our health care system through one of the most trying times.

We most sincerely appreciate and celebrate all nurses in Lamu County and thank them for their unwavering dedication in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lamu County has historically been plagued by shortage of nurses, something my government has been working to alleviate since we assumed office. By the end of 2016, Lamu County had just 116 nurses spread over all of our health facilities in the ten wards, an insufficient number that occasioned acute shortage affecting quality of health services, particularly in remote health centers.

So far, my government has hired another 167 nurses, increasing the total number of nurses to 283 by 2022. As we speak, interviews are underway to engage 18 additional nurses to provide personnel for the operationalization of our new dispensaries as well as the capacity building of existing ones, such as Witu Health Center, which recently launched theatre services.

For the past four years, we’ve demonstrated that investing in nurses pays off; hiring more nurses and promoting 65 percent of the County’s nurses has resulted in a threefold increase in improved health outcomes.

Almost all of our nurses have received COVID-19 and COVID vaccine training. We also released 22 of our nurses in 2018 to pursue higher education and specialization, in areas like anesthesia, opthalmology, psychiatric, critical care, pediatric nursing among others . In 2022, 45% of all medical personnel released for higher education are also nurses .This is a deliberate move to allow nurses to advance their careers while simultaneously improving health care.

My government has financed four nurses for specialization in Paediatric Critical Care in preparation for the operationalization of our ICU center, and I am pleased to say that one has returned to our hospital after completing their studies. Three of the 18 new nurses who will be hired in the coming weeks will also be critical care nurses who will work in our ICU.

Nurses in Lamu, like their counterparts around the world, continue to play an important role in primary health care, frequently serving as a patient’s first – and only – point of contact. They help with our research, disease prevention, injury treatment, and palliative care, among other things. On the front lines of disease prevention and treatment, they are our truly unsung heroes.

Emphasizing the true value of our nurses, and the central role they play in influencing change, is clearly transforming the future of health care in Lamu.

My Government commits to continue making necessary investment to help improve the attractiveness of the nursing profession in Lamu through purchase of proper equipment, better health infrastructure/ working environment, equal and fair opportunities for promotion, upskilling opportunities, and job creation.

Thank you

H.E Fahim Twaha

Governor, Lamu County

Governor Fahim Twaha ealier today hosted Kuwait Ambassador to Kenya Qusai Rashed Al Farhan, in Shela Ward, Lamu County.

Tomorrow, the two leaders are scheduled to visit the Awer Community in Kiangwe, Basuba ward, for a food distribution exercise that will benefit over 1000 people (200 homes) in both Kiangwe,Mararani, Basuba and Mangai.

This collaboration between the Lamu Governor’s office and the Kuwait Embassy aims to protect the vulnerable Awer Community who have been grappling with the consequences of severe drought.

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For more information contact:

Lamu County Government Communications Office at info@lamu.go.ke

The Lamu County Government, in collaboration with the Safaricom Foundation, launched a state-of-the-art Boat Ambulance at the King Fahd Hospital Jetty in Lamu Island earlier today.

The new boat ambulance, which is fully equipped with a powerful engine, will cut the time it takes to travel from Lamu East to King Fahd by boat from three hours to just 30 minutes. The advanced life support ambulance is fully kitted with facilities including a patient monitor, medical oxygen, infusion pump, delivery kit for pregnant mothers, surgical kit and a stretcher for the patient .

The initiative aims to develop higher level referral strategies covering movement of patients, specimens, parameters movement and specialists across all villages in Lamu with a special focus on Lamu East .

Speaking during the launch, Lamu County Governor H.E Fahim Twaha lauded Safaricom Foundation for its continued partnership to attain significant improvements in availability and readiness of critical equipment, infrastructure and medical technologies to facilitate service delivery and critical emergency services.

“This is a great milestone, the ambulance will ferry patients free of charge and it will be on duty 24/7. This type of collaboration demonstrates a viable approach to a long-term healthcare system that promotes better patient care and more effective treatment and emergency care,” he added.

Lamu County Government has successfully improved maternal health care by reducing maternal and newborn deaths by more than two-thirds thanks to collaboration with Safaricom Foundation and other partners, as well as heavy County investment in health infrastructure and employment of more health personnel. Other areas of collaboration with Safaricom Foundation include telemedicine and classroom development for Lamu County schools.

The Safaricom Foundation Chairman, Joseph Ogutu, lauded Lamu county government leadership for their cooperation and dedication to improving and expanding access to quality health care for all Lamu residents. He said that, as a result of the strong relationship with Safaricom Foundation, Lamu now has a maternity high dependency unit, New Born Units at King Fahd and Faza and a maternal and child health clinic in Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital. A new medical laboratory is also set to be opened in June 2022 in Witu Hospital.

In its health agenda, Lamu County Government has remained committed to improve access to quality and affordable health care, utilization of health services, and population financial protection – through registration of over 20,000 households to the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF), digitization of all health services, upgrading of the county’s primary health facilities, distribution of medical supplies, employment of health workers, and development of health infrastructure.

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For more information contact:

Lamu County Government Communications Office at info@lamu.go.ke

The Lamu County Government, under the stewardship of Governor Fahim Twaha, has procured and begun delivering medical supplies worth KSh 10 million to 42 health facilities across the county. The Medical supplies include pharmaceuticals, non-pharmaceuticals, laboratory, and renal consumables.

The medical supply distribution began on Monday, May 9th, 2022, and has already covered;

-King Fahd Hospital

-Witu Hospital

-Katsakakairu Dispensary

-Mpeketoni Sub-County Hospital

-Hindi Hospital

-Mokowe Hospital

-Shela Hospital

The distribution is still underway, and will cover the remaining 35 County health institutions, as well as a few Faith-based facilities and non-Profit Community based facilities that collaborate with the county government to provide accessible and affordable health services to the mwananchi i.e Pablo Horstman Health Centre(ANIDAN), Maria Teressa Nuzzo Health Centre, Hongwe Catholic Dispensary.

Speaking at the King Fahd Hospital earlier today, Governor Fahim Twaha explained that over KSH 25 million worth of medical supplies had been ordered by the Lamu County Government, however Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) was only able to deliver fewer than half of the drugs.

Lamu County, like other counties around the country, has repeatedly accused KEMSA for a severe lack of pharmaceuticals and kits, therefore being unable to meet its obligation of supplying public health facilities with health products.

Late last year, the courts faulted the law mandating counties to strictly procure medical supplies from state-owned KEMSA .

This followed by the Endorsedment of the Kemsa (Amendment) Act, 2021 by the Senate earlier this year, will enable counties free hand to purchase medical supplies from other players. A move that will end chronic scarcity of medical supplies not only in Lamu County but across the whole country .

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For more information contact:

Lamu County Government Communications Office at info@lamu.go.ke

Faza ward will today recieve Ksh 38 Million in grants to empower community groups, special groups and youth groups from the ward.

The Governor will also give sports equipment to 30 teams from the ward.

The event is being presided over by Lamu Governor HE Fahim Twaha at Faza Social Hall.

More to follow…..

#FahimAnafahamuMaendeleo

H.E Fahim Twaha, Governor of Lamu and Chairman of the Council of Governors’ Blue Economy Committee, hosted a Consultative meeting with development partners earlier today to identify areas of partnership in the Blue Economy Sector.

Among the key issues deliberated on include:

-Budgetary allocation in the Blue Economy Sector

-Entrenchment of Blue Economy in the development of CIDPs

-Domestication of policies to govern the Blue Economy sector

– Counties involvement in the development of the Kenya Blue Economy Strategy

In attendance was Chief Executive Officer, Ms Mary Mwiti, Chairperson Jumuiya ya County za Pwani CECs Caucus, Ms Luciana Sanzua, Chairperson Agriculture CEC Caucus, Mr Albert Mwaniki, Chairperson Water and Natural Resources Management CEC Caucus, Eng. Festus Ng’eno, Chairperson Directors Fisheries Caucus, Mr Stanley Nuguti .

Also present were the representatives of IFAD, FCDO, USAID,UNEP, FAO, UNDP, Danish Embassy, UN Women and CLcan.

The Government of Kenya (GoK), through the State Department for Fisheries, Aquaculture and the Blue Economy (SDFA&BE) and with support from the World Bank, KEMFSED project, aims at supporting the country in its efforts to leverage emerging opportunities in the Blue Economy. The project is being undertaken in five (5) counties along the Kenyan coast that are riparian to the Indian Ocean, with the purpose of improving management of priority fisheries and mariculture, as well as increasing access to complementary livelihood activities. A demand-driven grant program is being offered as part of the project’s development goal of strengthening communities’ long-term capabilities including;

• CERTIFICATE / DIPLOMA SCHOLARSHIPS 2022

-TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION TRAINING (TVET) SCHOLARSHIPS 2022

-INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES 2022

• APPLICATIONS FOR SECONDARY SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS 2022 Kindly send in your application for consideration for the great opportunities.

Deadline for application is 18th May 2022 .

KEMFSED GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS & INTERSHIPS 2022

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KEMFSED APPLICATION FORM 2022

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Lamu Governor HE Fahim Twaha is currently presiding over the award of grants to community and special groups and distribution of sports equipment to Witu ward beneficiaries at Witu town.

28 special groups will receive Sh. 26.5M in grants while 24 male and 6 female teams will receive sports equipment…