51 PRISON WARDERS GRADUATE FROM FILM SCHOOL

Nairobi, Kenya 29th September 2021

The Prison Warders Graduate today with skills in Film Production. They will later pass the skills to the Prisons Inmates. The Event was graced by Chief Administrative secretary Ministry of ICT Ms Maureen Mbaka Kenya Prisons Commissioner General Wycliffe Ogalo, Kenya Film Commission CEO Timothy Owase and Representative of the board Ernest Kerich. The Training was facilitated by the Kenya Film School in collaboration with the Kenya Film Commission.

Zambia commits to strengthening economic, trade ties with China: minister

Zambia’s vision of becoming a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030 will only materialize with the support of countries like China, a senior Zambian government official has said.

LUSAKA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — The level of investment and trade that has existed between Zambia and China over the years was enough evidence to further strengthen the cooperation between the two countries, a senior Zambian government official has said.

Chipoka Mulenga, minister of Commerce and Trade, said the investment and trade statistics between the two countries demonstrate the importance of further strengthening the cooperation and reaffirmed the new government’s commitment to enhancing international cooperation and foreign relations for a better-shared future.

In his remarks delivered via a video recording to the China-Africa Investment Promotion Conference, the Zambian minister said the government expects to see increased Chinese investments after the conference, which was held Sunday as part of the Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo being held from Sept. 26 to 29 in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province.

China has remained Zambia’s largest single investor with more than 600 firms operating in the southern African country with a combined investment of 3.8 billion U.S. dollars while trade totaled 2.4 billion dollars in 2020, he said.

According to him, Zambia’s vision of becoming a prosperous middle-income nation by 2030 will only materialize with the support of countries like China, adding that the government was committed to creating a conducive environment for more Chinese investment.

He said Chinese enterprises have made substantial contributions to the country’s infrastructure and economic development, and the establishment of the Jiangxi Multi-Facility Economic Zone currently under construction has opened up a wide space for economic and trade cooperation.

“It is from this zone where we are very hopeful as the new government that further cooperation will develop into partnerships between Zambian enterprises and Chinese enterprises,” he added.

The government, he said, was hopeful that the partnership between Zambian and Chinese enterprises will result in the transfer of skills and the addition of value to the country’s raw materials.

He has further invited business delegations from China to visit the country and explore investment opportunities in various sectors of the economy

Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon named LG Sports Personality for month of August

ELDORET, Kenya, Sep 28 – Back-to-back1500m Olympic Champion Faith Kipyegon is the LG Sport’s Personality for the month of August.

The mother-of-one successfully defended her 1500m gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Games in a new Olympic record of 3:53.11, beating Great Britain’s Laura Muir and Dutch star Sifan Hassan.

To win the monthly award, Kipyegon went home with a state-of-the-art LG Artificial Intelligence washing machine worth Ksh92,000 and a glittering trophy engraved with her name.

Kipyegon, who was awarded by the LG Electronics Managing Director, Sa Nyoung Kim on Tuesday morning at her Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat said the award will motivate her to more success ahead of next season.

“I am so surprised about this award. It has never happened before. Being the off season, Coach Patrick Sang called me and said that there is an urgent meeting. Little did I know I was to receive this award. It is an inspiration for me and my teammates at the camp,” Kipyegon said.

The LG Managing Director appreciated the partnership, saying that the electronic firm is committed to developing sports in the country.

“I am humbled to be at such a humble camp which has so many championships. LG and SJAK will continue working together to support and motivate sports personalities to achieve their dreams,” LG boss Sa Nyoung Kim said.

On his part, ValentijnTrouw, a senior manager in the Global Sports Communication Camp said, “We are pleased as a team to have a fifth athlete awarded. As Global Sports Communication we work as a team to ensure that we not only develop good athletes but a well-rounded person.”

Kipyegon was voted the best ahead of the men’s marathon world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, women’s Peres Jepchirchir who both won gold in Tokyo Olympics as well as 800m gold medalist Emmanuel Korir.

Also in the nominees were World Under-20 Walk champion Heristone Wanyonyi, 100m sensational Ferdinand Omanyala and World Under-20 800m champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

Kipyegon also becomes the fourth female athlete in 2021 to lay hands on the coveted award, previously won by the likes of Kipchoge, Geoffrey Kamworor, Kenya sevens star Jacob Ojee and 800m Commonwealth champion Wycliffe Kinyamal among others.

She also joins the growing list of 2021 winners that includes tennis superstar Angela Okutoyi (January), Tylor OkariOngwae of Kenya Moran’s (February), Hit Squad boxer Elly Ajowi (March), world marathon champion Ruth Chepng’etich (April), Milan marathon winner Titus Ekiru (May), Safari Rally WRC3 winner Onkar Rai (June) and US based Lioness basketball star Victoria. Reynolds (July).

Feature: Famous Ethiopian coffee carries shared China-Africa

by Xinhua writers Zhu Shaobin, Yuan Ruting, and Wang Ping

ADDIS ABABA/CHANGSHA, China, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) — On the bustling Coffee Street at Gaoqiao Grand Market in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, a row of coffee tree seedlings in front of the shop of Shenghe Coffee make an attractive facade decor, drawing curious eyes.

Inside the shop brimming with coffee aroma, a barista is absorbed in preparing a cup of coffee for his Chinese customers, using authentic beans from Ethiopia, known as the birthplace of coffee.

Among the rolling hills in Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia, farmers are busy picking organic beans, hoping to get the best price for their harvest and export to a ready market in China, where coffee consumption has been growing exponentially at a reported rate of 15 to 20 percent annually.

From farms to cups, Ethiopian coffee’s growing popularity among consumers testifies to the huge potential of African products in the Chinese market, and epitomizes the strong Africa-China economic ties that are further evidenced by the ongoing Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) held in Changsha on Sept. 26-29.

AFRICAN COFFEE PROMOTED

As a coffee enthusiast, Jing Jianhua, an award-winning barista and certified trainer from China’s Shaanxi Province, first heard of African coffee in 2000 when he began his career as a young man. “The birthplace of coffee is in Ethiopia. An old story goes that an Ethiopian shepherd’s goat eating coffee beans led to the discovery of coffee. I have always been fond of African and Ethiopian culture,” Jing told Xinhua in an interview.

Jing, also founder of Shenghe Coffee, dreams of bringing the best African coffee to Chinese consumers at an affordable price. His company’s business ranges from retail and coffee bean supply to shop design, training, as well as coffee-related equipment.

In 2017, Shenghe Coffee entered Gaoqiao Grand Market, which Jing believed was the best market for coffee trade in China. This platform has since enabled the company to do business with clients from across the country and satisfy their diverse needs from coffee making equipment, supply of coffee beans, staff training, shop management to brand counseling.

“In 2018, the Hunan provincial government organized a business tour to Africa and I had the chance to travel to Ethiopia to see the coffee farms and how beans are processed, roasted, and sold. Coffee is a major source of income for many Ethiopian families and the local farmers yearn to sell their coffee to the world,” he said.

“When I saw a primary school with shabby facilities and the school children waving to me, I felt that these children should be allowed better conditions for learning. I thought then that if I could help the locals sell more coffee, they and their children would live better lives. These high-quality Ethiopian coffee beans must be known by more people,” Jing said.

The company now imports up to 100 tonnes of coffee from Africa every year, and is seeking to increase the import by three to five folds over the next three years, he said.

“Before the expo (CAETE) was created, we had sourced our beans through intermediaries. Now with the expo, we can directly purchase from Ethiopia, which reduces our purchase cost by 30 percent,” said Jing, who also revealed his plan to open more coffee shops in China in the future.

According to data from Gaoqiao Grand Market, Shenghe Coffee is just one of the nearly 20 coffee houses situated on the Coffee Street.

AFRICAN FARMERS BENEFITING

Hussein Mohammed, a coffee farmer from Gomma district in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, relies on coffee farming to provide for his family and his children’s education, but is worried about market access.

“Coffee farming needs a lot of money. By the time when the coffee beans ripen, because the market is small, it becomes very difficult for livelihood. We don’t get the worth for our hard efforts,” he lamented.

Tanashe Eyasu, a local agricultural specialist, said that since 2015, Gomma district’s coffee production has been on the upswing with many farmers engaged in coffee production, among whom 310 farmers have export licenses.

“However, it’s no more than 10 farmers who have had the opportunity to export coffee due to lack of market interconnection,” Eyasu said, adding that farmers can benefit more if they can export coffee directly without intermediaries, especially to the enormous Chinese market.

Data from Ethiopian authorities showed China is fast emerging as a major importer of Ethiopian coffee. In July, Ethiopia reported coffee export revenues of more than 115.46 million U.S. dollars, and China was one of the top ten buyers. The East African nation, a major African coffee producer, exports on average 200,000 tonnes of coffee annually over the last decade, mostly to Europe, North America and East Asia.

“We’re promoting our coffee as organic coffee, meaning no application of artificial fertilizer, chemicals or pesticides … It’s very good for health,” said Kunzewa Ahmed, coffee quality and value chain supervisor at Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Jimma Zone Branch.

The agency said in June that Ethiopia had launched an initiative to lure Chinese investors to join local coffee roasters for value addition and increase direct coffee export to China.

EXPO BOLSTERING TRADE

Data from China’s commerce ministry showed that trade between China and Africa rose 40.5 percent year on year to 139.1 billion U.S. dollars while Chinese direct investment in Africa reached 2.07 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of the year, exceeding the pre-pandemic level.

As a concrete outcome of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in 2018, the biennial CAETE now welcomes its second gathering since its debut in 2019, and is set to further boost commerce. The booming Gaoqiao Grand Market has been an epitome of closer business connections.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the expo is held both virtually and physically. According to the organizer, representatives from more than 40 African countries are participating. Meanwhile, more than 260 enterprises are exhibiting products at the expo, including companies from 37 African nations, which seek to promote their treasured brands of wine, coffee, cocoa, tea, jewels and skin care products, among others.

The organizer also revealed that the second CAETE has recorded in total 569 proposed cooperation projects, out of which 120 deals on trade, investment, project contracting and strategic cooperation valued at 22.9 billion U.S. dollars are expected to be inked during the expo.

Barely two weeks before the expo, China’s industrial hub of Zhuzhou in Hunan Province also launched a searail transport service to Africa, linking cities in Hunan and south China’s Guangdong Province before goods are transferred onto ships to reach ports in Africa. The first consignment of goods weighing 1,935 tonnes is expected to arrive at Mombasa Port in Kenya on Oct. 15.

In a speech delivered through a pre-recorded video for the expo, Chipoka Mulenga, Zambia’s commerce minister, said it is gratifying to note that the Chinese government has taken this initiative to provide an innovative platform for promoting investment cooperation.

“I am confident that following this conference, we shall witness an increased flow of investment into Zambia,” Mulenga said.

James Kimonyo, Rwanda’s ambassador to China, said in a phone interview with Xinhua that the country is promoting coffee, chili, tea, handcrafts, and avocado oil at the expo.

For the year’s CAETE, Rwanda has been invited as one of the “guest countries of honor,” which allows for more exposure of Rwandan products at the international platform.

Rwanda’s presence at the expo will help the country reach out to more consumers and dealers, increasing the awareness of its domestic brands, he said. “We believe that our country pavilion will be receiving a lot of visitors, buyers and business people. We expect to attract more companies from China looking for business deals with companies from Rwanda.” Enditem

(Xinhua reporters Liu Fangzhou, Cheng Ji’an, and Chen Sihan in Changsha, Zhao Yupeng in Lusaka, and Ji Li in Kigali contributed to the story.)

HEALTH CABINET SECRETARY KAGWE RECOGNISES NURSES AND MIDWIVES CRUCIAL FOR UNIVERSAL HEALTH COVERAGE

Nairobi, Kenya 27th September, 2021

Critical stakeholders in the health sector have today launched the Nurse and Midwife Alliance, which is a platform that convenes all nurses and midwives in the country to facilitate the professional growth of the healthcare practice.

CS Mutahi Kagwa reviews the Nurse and Midwife proposal during the launch event. Images courtesy oxygene.co.ke

The stakeholders, spearheaded by the Ministry of Health, signed an MOU with the other partners to officially launch the Alliance.

Speaking at the launch, the Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe, who was accompanied by representatives from nursing and midwifery associations, the Nursing Council of Kenya and other stakeholders underscored the role of nurses and midwives. He noted that the efficiency of the health sector is highly dependent on the operational role of Midwives and Nurses in health facilities.

The Alliance, Kagwe, said will also serve as an investment towards attaining Universal Health Coverage across the country, as nurses and midwives play the essential role of primary health care prevention and follow-up. This includes prevention, early detection, and providing support for short-term conditions like pregnancy and long-term chronic diseases like Diabetes among others.

“Nurses and midwives are a crucial cogwheel in delivering healthcare services and complement the role of clinical officers and medical doctors among other health delivery players. Their actions and utterances can therefore determine the extent of patients’ access to health. In light of this critical role, the Nurse and Midwife Alliance aims to train and sensitize the members to facilitate a smooth experience in the patients’ and clients’ access to health, which is a basic human right.” Kagwe added.

With funding from Johnson & Johnson Foundation (JJF) through the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), the Aga Khan University School of Nursing and Midwifery(AKU-SONAM) is convening the Nurse and Midwife Alliance in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Nursing Council of Kenya(NCK), Kenya Progressive Nurses’ Association (KPNA), National Nurses Association of Kenya(NNAK), Midwives Association of Kenya (MAK), mHealth Kenya(MHK), Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA).

The Alliance brings together stakeholders in the clinical Midwifery & Nursing professions in Kenya. The Alliance has already commenced plans to formulate a Nursing and Midwifery Policy and Scheme of Service to profile, specify duties, and grade all levels of the Nursing and Midwifery functions. The Nursing & midwifery Policy and Scheme of Service will also feature a Scope of Practice to guide all health professionals on the roles and responsibilities of Nurses and Midwives in Kenya. 

Additionally, the Alliance seeks to position local nurses’ and midwives’ image and professional identity while developing strategies to achieve a public profile that reflects their scholarship and professionalism. 

The Alliance intends to achieve these objectives by improving the education, professional development, standards, regulation and terms of service for nurses and midwives. Similarly, the project intends to facilitate the staging of an annual Nursing and Midwifery award scheme.

Celebrating this new partnership, AKU-SONAM’s Dean in East Africa and Chair of NCK, Dr. Eunice Ndirangu-Mugo, shared that: “We have been working with Johnson & Johnson for the past 20 years to build the capacity of nurses and midwives in the region. J&J has supported us extensively by funding some of our most promising nurses and midwives. Also has supported the strengthening the professional nursing and midwifery associations in East Africa. As we embark on this new project that seeks to clarify the critical roles and responsibilities of nurses and midwives in Kenya in health care service delivery, we stand a good opportunity to enhance nursing and midwifery’s image and professional standing. In doing so, we will contribute to universal health coverage by improving the quality of healthcare and health outcomes of the population we serve.”

While acknowledging the importance of the partnership to Universal Health Coverage (UHC) goals, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Foundation Director Global Community impact for Sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Anthony Gitau said the organization is leveraging a people-first model to deliver against its objectives for the Center of Health Worker innovation to champion and strengthen the front line, health workers. In this approach, the Nursing and Midwifery Alliance which is the first mutual impact platform for Nursing and Midwifery supported by J&J is focused on equipping nurses, midwives, and community health workers with the skills, resources, and support they need to improve the quality of care and strengthen primary and community-based health systems.

“At Johnson & Johnson Foundation, we are actively working to uplift the role of nurses and midwives as part of our commitment to supporting and championing the plight of the people at the heart of healthcare delivery front lines,” the Johnson & Johnson Foundation representative said.

The National Nurses Association of Kenya President Alfred Obengo said: “The launch of the nurses and midwives platform in Kenya marks a crucial milestone in the quest to elevate the role of the frontline healthcare service providers strategically. Through the platform, our members will harness professional development opportunities and enjoy the services of a grounded advocacy body that can both champion and advance their interests.”

On the other hand, Louisa Muteti Chairperson of the Midwives Association of Kenya said, “Midwives play a critical role in the health care service delivery.  This is more notable in preparing families for pregnancy, care for them during pregnancy, childbirth and post -delivery especially for health promotion in Information, Education and communication in the lifecycle. It is our vision to see a Kenya where every woman and every newborn has quality midwifery care. We are delighted with the launch of the Nurses and Midwife Alliance and the promise it holds to all who educate, research and practice midwifery care and the general public who are our clients’ as a whole.”

The Kenya Progressive Nurses’ Association Chairperson Michael Nyongesa stated, “As an association, we are delighted by the launch of the Alliance as it is in line with our objectives which include the advancement of the nursing professionals and achieving positive health outcomes in the public interest. We also seek to promote profession-led regulation in the public interest and we believe that this Alliance will help us achieve this.”

Apart from humanizing the sector, the Alliance will also serve as a professional development catalyst for its members by introducing a formal scheme of service with scope to guide individual careers. 

The Alliance is also expected to roll out continuous civic education for nurses and midwives, sensitizing humane, compassionate, and dignified patient/ client care in promoting the patient’s / client’s dignity through respect, empathy, courtesy, advocacy, and access to a short turnaround in the handling of Clients’ / patients. 

LG BRINGS UNIQUE EXPERIENCE TO VIRTUAL REALMS FOR GOOD CAUSE

Nairobi, Sep. 27, 2021 — For its 2021 LG Healthy Home Solutions Campaign, LG Electronics (LG) is inviting fans of Animal Crossing the Horizon and Fortnite to virtually experience its latest healthy home solutions and make a positive difference in people’s lives. By uploading gameplay screenshots to social media, players can make a donation to Habitat for Humanity South Korea courtesy of LG.

LG Home Island in Animal Crossing the Horizon features three themed zones where players can explore the company’s state-of-the-art appliances and engage in fun missions. In the Cleaning Maze Clothing Care Zone, fans will see LG’s washing machine, dryer and Styler wardrobe management system while guiding their avatar through the maze course challenge. Juicy Fresh Kitchen Zone allows visitors to experience LG’s refrigerator, range and dishwasher while Cool Breeze Air Zone is where they can experience the healthy air and advanced cooling capabilities of the company’s air solution products.

Players who complete the LG Healthy Home mission by unlocking all of the home appliances in LG’s map in Fortnite, the free-to-play Battle Royale game played by millions worldwide, can gain valuable healing items. After the completion of the mission, players can claim victory by being the first to seize the LG Battle Square.

LG will make a donation to Habitat Korea on behalf of players who take a screenshot at the Habitat Korea Photo Zone and post it to their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts with the hashtag #LGHome. Donations will go toward Habitat Korea’s projects in Kenya, India and Vietnam and to further support communities in need, LG will provide refrigerators, washing machines and other appliances to public facilities such as schools and libraries.

“The LG Healthy Home Solutions campaign offers a unique virtual experience and a fun, interactive way to support a truly worthy cause both safely and responsibly,” said Lyu Jae-cheol, president of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company. “Our successful campaign last year resulted in over 200 new home appliances being placed in new homes and improving the lives of hundreds of families.”

China-Africa expo unleashes new cooperation potential

CHANGSHA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) — The Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo opened Sunday, unleashing new potential for cooperation between China and Africa.

The four-day event, held both online and offline, and themed “New Start, New Opportunities, and New Accomplishments,” has attracted nearly 900 enterprises from about 40 African countries and China, according to the organizers.

The expo in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province, features exhibitions on the fruits of China-Africa economic cooperation, African brand commodities and specialty products such as coffee and nuts. The event also includes forums on cooperation in areas such as food and agricultural products, the healthcare industry, financing, infrastructure and the private sector.

The expo has a total exhibition area of 94,000 square meters this year, with Algeria, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa and Senegal the guest countries of honor.

“China-Africa economic and trade cooperation is at a critical period of transformation, upgrading, and improving quality and efficiency,” said Wang Bingnan, China’s vice minister of commerce, at the opening ceremony.

Organizing a successful China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo and building a high-level pilot zone for economic and trade in-depth cooperation will effectively promote China-Africa market connectivity and the sharing of factors and resources, while contributing to stabilizing and facilitating industrial and supply chains and the building of a new development pattern, Wang added.

First launched in 2019, the expo is a major platform for strengthening economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries. Among the new measures to promote two-way trade, the expo this year included new special events to promote African products such as coffee.

In Africa, a key region of SANY’s international development, the company will focus on major engineering projects and infrastructure construction to provide cost-effective products and more efficient and perfect services, said Liang Wengen, chairman of China’s machinery giant SANY Group. The Changsha-based company first exported its products to Africa in 2002 and has long been a leader among Chinese exporters of machinery to the continent.

“The company will also actively share its experience in industrialization development with African enterprises, especially SANY’s experience in exploring intelligent manufacturing, to contribute more wisdom to Africa’s industrialization development and industrial upgrading,” Liang added.

By the end of 2020, China had been Africa’s largest trading partner for 12 consecutive years. Bilateral trade registered robust growth this year, with trade volume rising 40.5 percent year on year to 139.1 billion dollars in the first seven months. It is a record high, year on year, according to China’s Ministry of Commerce.

With the support of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo, small and medium-sized African enterprises have established partnerships with Chinese companies and entered the Chinese market, Senegalese President Macky Sall said via video at the expo’s opening ceremony.

Noting that China and Africa together constitute a market of more than 2.5 billion consumers, Sall said the two sides should reinforce complementary advantages in the agriculture and industry sectors to optimize industrial transfer, as well as economic and trade cooperation

LG TO UTILIZE OVER HALF MILLION TONNES OF RECYCLED PLASTIC

Use of Plastics Made From Post-Consumer Recycled Materials to Increase Tenfold by 2025

Nairobi, September 9, 2021 —LG Electronics (LG) today announced its goal to use almost 600,000 tonnes of recycled plastic by 2030 in a concerted effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the value chain. The goal is a part of LG’s larger initiative to create a take-back ecosystem for electronic waste and increase the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials in its consumer electronics and home appliance products.

The LG Chilseo Recycling Centre. Images courtesy LG

In 2020, LG utilized approximately 20,000 tonnes of recycled plastic in its products which it plans to increase more than tenfold by 2025. While recycled plastic is currently used inside LGTVs, PC monitors, speakers, washing machines, refrigerators and air conditioners, LG will expand the use of recycled plastic to the exterior of its products as well. In addition to utilizing more recycled plastic, LG is reducing the use of virgin plastic throughout its operations as well. This year, 18 OLED TV models will be produced using less virgin plastic, an increase from 14 models in 2020, for a reduction of up to 10,000 tonnes of plastic.

LG is also increasing the target amount of take-back electronic waste from its 2006 figure of 4.5 million tonnes to over 8million tonnes by 2030 with 3.07 million tonnes having been collected by the end of 2020. Also, LG is implementing initiatives to take back and recycle electronic waste in 52 countries. In South Korea, LG Chilseo Recycling Center, which opened in 2001, not only takes back electronic waste but also manufactures new components from the recycled plastic and ships the parts to LG’s home appliance plant nearby for use in new products such as refrigerators.

LG is focusing its efforts on reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the entire product life cycle from production and transportation to use and disposal. As a key component of its sustainable management goals, LG’s parent company entered into an agreement with the Korean Ministry of Environment and local civic groups in June to implement plastic-free management at its main R&D campus, LG Sciencepark.

YOUTH TAKING TREACHEROUS BOAT RIDES TO SEEK JOBS IN EUROPE AND MIDDLE EAST A CRISIS SAYS TREASURY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARY.

By Clive Ayuko

Nairobi, Kenya 26th September 2021

The National Treasury Chief Administrative Secretary CAS Hon Erick Simiyu has termed the youth unemployment in Africa a crisis. Speaking during the launch of the Africa peer review conference at a Nairobi Hotel early today Mr. Simiyu blamed the slow growth of African economies as an impediment for absorption of the increasing number of unemployed youth in Africa.

” Pictures of African youth taking dangerous and treacherous boat rides across the Mediterranean sea seeking economic refuge in Europe while other forced to take less satisfactory jobs in the middle east is a wake up call for Africa to put her house in order and tackle unemployment as a major crisis” Said the CAS.

The Chief Administrative secretary in making his concluding remarks however acknowledged that the Kenya government has put policies in place to curb on the unemployment crisis in Kenya