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
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.
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…
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) Trade Tourism and Industrialization nominee Hon. Dismas Polle Mwasambu has taken oath of office this afternoon at a ceremony presided over by Governor Fahim Twaha, at the County Headquarters in Mokowe.
Hon. Dismus who served as CECM in 2017-2018 will take office immediately and has pledged to carry out his duties in accordance with the constitution while maintaining integrity and fairness in service delivery.
Governor Twaha spoke at the event, congratulating the newly appointed CECM and encouraging him to lead his department with excellence.
Governor Twaha reassured Hon. Dismus of his support and challenged him to demonstrate excellence in management by completing the department’s flagship projects.
Hon. Dismus replaces Hon. Josphat Musembi, who resigned to pursue active elective politics.
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For more information contact
Lamu County Communications Office at: info@lamu.go.ke
The Lamu County Government, through the Department of Agriculture, has purchased 10(ten) new fully loaded tractors to aid enhance food production efficiency and ensure Lamu’s food security. The first three of the 10 tractors arrived in Lamu today, with three more arriving on Wednesday, and the final four arriving on Friday, April 8th, 2022.
The 10 new tractors will join the existing 14 serviceable tractors in Lamu’s tractor fleet, bringing the total number of tractors available to 24. As a result, tractor services will be more efficient and accessible to all farmers.
Governor Fahim Twaha revealed at the County Headquarters in Mokowe that tractor ploughing rates will continue to be subsidized at only Ksh. 1000 per acre, compared to the market rate of between 2,000 and 2,500 per acre.
“Food production in Lamu County has been a task anchored by physical labour. While wealthy farmers can get tractor services from private owners, there is need to help the poor achieve food security. Availability of affordable tractor services will attract even more youths to farming. The new fleet will strengthen our tractor services helping our famers to save over Sh.20M cumulatively through our subsidized prices. This will accrue from ploughing over 20,000 acres of land at just half the market rate, of only Ksh 1,000 per acre” Said Governor Fahim Twaha
He went on to say that the move to cushion vulnerable farmers, which was passed by the Lamu County Assembly under the Financial Bill 2019, will boost Lamu’s economy by giving farmers more funds to plough back into other productive activities.
Hon Fahima Araphat, OGW, CECM Agriculture, indicated that the department aims to open up over 20,000 acres of land for cultivation this season as part of the subsidized mechanization project, putting money in farmers’ pockets and ensuring a food secure Lamu.
“The 14 old tractors have undergone a variety of maintenance procedures in preparation for providing tractor plowing services to farms throughout the county. This season, we will be able to open up to 20,000 acres for farming in all wards thanks to this new fleet. The rains have delayed, but with the onset of the rains, the work should start soon.” Hon. Fahima said
According to Hon. Fahima, the County Government has already acquired certified hybrid seeds to be supplied free of charge to vulnerable farmers across the county for planting during the longs rains.
The County administration has also provided 5 government-owned trailers and a 10-tonne boat to reduce post-harvest losses. Farmers in Vumbe, Sadan, Kiangwe, Mwathe, and other farming blocks in Lamu East who travel great distances to access food markets will benefit from this service, which will provide free farm-to-market transportation.
The ongoing mechanization of farming activities is a core agenda of Governor Fahim Twaha’s manifesto. Further, the government continues to execute crop husbandry, pest and disease control, and also agro-based industries projects.
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For more information contact
Lamu County Communications Office at: info@lamu.go.ke
