PROGRESSING AFFORDABLE QUALITY HEALTH-CARE FOR LOCALS IN CHEMASE
Safaricom Foundation has donated a Full Haemogram Machine to Chemase Health Center through its Ndoto Zetu initiative to help improve medical services.
While receiving the machine from Safaricom Foundation, Tindiret Sub County MoH Dr. Joseph Kibor admitted that the Haemogram Machine is a big boost in the health sector. 
“Our target is to take medical services near to the people as well as preparing for the universal health cover as one of the county government measures in addressing medical issues amongst our people,” he said.
He further noted that the availability of machine will address medical challenges that faced the laboratory department in the region adding that initially, patients in the hospital had to seek those medical services elsewhere.
Amos Barno the hospital in-charge noted that the equipment has come at the right time adding that they will not only serve Nandi’s population but also a large population from the neighboring Kisumu County.
The ceremony was witnessed by Suzanne Gwehema Customer Experience Executive, who represented Safaricom Foundation at the event.
ENHANCED IMMUNIZATION COVERAGE
Nandi County’s Immunization coverage has dramatically improved and has made enormous contribution to the County’s health and mortality rates among children due to vaccine-preventable diseases have been significantly reduced over the past three years.
Latest statistics show that 98.8% of two-year-old children were fully immunised in the three month reporting period ending December 2020. This was revealed by KANCO during GAVI HSS stakeholders meeting held in Kapsabet that brought together journalists, religious leaders, civil society and sub county EPI Coordinators.
Achievements of the County’s health sector and Immunization in particular are justified by commitment of high leadership, good partnership with development partners and grown home solutions to solve our population problems.
This has also been made possible with the support from Kenya Aids NGOs Consortium (KANCO) with the participation of communities, a better understanding of vaccine acceptance and hesitancy, the expansion of vaccination across the life course, approaches to improve immunization in rural areas, enhanced use of data and possible financial and non-financial incentives.
“Vaccines have an important role to play in comprehensive disease control, including the fight against antimicrobial resistance,” said Rachel Rop, the County EPI Coordinator.
Nandi County’s success is attributed to the inclusion of communities and civil society and faith based organizations and journalists who are crucial in making sure the vaccines and their delivery are acceptable, appropriate, and sustainable. Community-based organizations have stepped up their involvement in immunization and developed locally adapted solutions to removing social and cultural barriers, to re-create trust in immunization services, where it had waned, and to increase the locally adapted use of vaccines.
Present at the event were KANCO Regional Coordinator Steve Ikonya among other officials.
ENHANCING SKILLS TO PROMOTE THE UTILIZATION OF MEDICAL LABORATORY EQUIPMENT
Taining to keep staff updated on the skills needed to meet the growing demands, address changing industry trends, and use new technologies is a mission-critical component of the county department of health.
Training is required to prepare staff to respond to changes within an organization to meet new regulatory requirements and stay competitive in a technologically advancing environment. 
The health sector in Nandi County has received a major boost after the Government acquired 6 Biochemistry analysers and 7 full haemogram machines. The machines have already been distributed to all level 4 facilities in the six subcounties and the personnel trained on usage of the modern machines.
Under the leadership of Governor Sang Health sector has seen tremendous improvement both in infrastructure, Equipping and and human capital.
In fulfilling his promise to make health services affordable and available across the county, Governor Sang in his latest milestone achievement has seen all level 4 facilities within the county equipped with modern machines to aid in accurate and evidence based diagnosis thus improving the management and treatment of patients. 
The recently acquired machines will offer a wide range of services and increase the scope of diagnosis in our level 4 facilities. The recent decision to equip these facilities is not only to offer services close to the people but also to decongest Kapsabet County Referral Facility that has seen influx of the patients rise up exponentially due to its improved service delivery to the people.
The Biochemistry analysers will aid in diagnosis and management of various diseases affecting lungs,kidneys, heart among many other organs. It will also help in the management of patients in dialysis and ICU and those schedule for surgeries as it monitors biochemical analysis of various fluids in Human body.
Full blood count machines will aid in diagnosis, monitoring and management of various diseases and conditions associated with blood e.g various types of aneamia and other general infections affecting blood. It is one of the routine tests in our hospitals that determines a wide range of infections and conditions.
A LEAP INTO THE FUTURE – NANDI’S TRANSFORMED HEALTH SECTOR
The health sector in Nandi County has faced major infrastructural development over the past two years.
Under the leadership of Governor Stephen Sang, the health sector has received massive funding to support transformation of various hospitals within the county not only at the Kapsabet County Referral Hospital but also in all the sub county hospitals that have benefited from the government’s robust equipment distribution plan.
Governor Sang is keen on availing residents easy access to specialized treatment at lower costs.
All Level-4 hospitals in the six sub-counties are getting a face lift in a hospital expansion programme aimed at increasing the scope of services including specialist attention to patient’s right at the grassroots. Ultimately, this will drastically ease pressure at the county’s referral facility since non-critical cases can be handled at the sub-county hospitals which are spread across the six sub-counties.
So far, the county government has put up two modern theatre units at Nandi Hills County hospital. The hospital is now offering surgery services, cases which would otherwise be referred to KCRH.
The County Government has also acquired seven Haemogram machines to boost the diagnostic sector.
The machines have been delivered to Nandi Hills County Hospital, Mosoriot, Meteitei, Kaptumo, Chepterwai, Kabiyet Sub County Hospitals and KCRH.
Hematology analyzer is used to perform Complete Blood Count (CBC) or full blood count (FBC). It is a group of tests performed on a sample of blood mainly the three components of the blood; Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells and Platelets.
By it being a broad screening panel it checks for the presence of a wide range diseases and infections in the body.
WORLD AIDS DAY 2020: NANDI COUNTY COMMITTED TO FIGHT AIDS AMIDST COVID-19 PANDEMIC
This year, 32 years after the first World AIDS Day, the observance is marked amid the global COVID-19 pandemic. Nandi County healthcare workers and partners that care for people living with HIV have worked tirelessly to continue to provide vital services.
World AIDS Day this year finds us still deep amid another pandemic – COVID-19.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s World AIDS Day holds extra significance.
The County department of health is marking this day differently by giving the “Maisha packs” to the most vulnerable PLHIV identified at Comprehenaive Care Center.
“As a department, we are committed to continue to work in the context of COVID-19 pandemic. We are not forgetting the HIV/AIDS pandemic in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ruth Koech, CEC for Health.
EMPOWERING RURAL COMMUNITIES
As part of our objective to support farmers maximise their potential and increase productivity, the county government of Nandi is providing grant support to aid farmers meet good agricultural practice.
Today, members of Bandaptai Community Project in Kobujoi Ward have received their newly acquired chopper grinder procured to them by Kobujoi Community Driven Development Committee CDDC.
The equipment is efficient in pulverizing dry forages such as hay and shreding of fresh forages such as green maize or napier for silage making. This has been made possible by the County Government through the National Agricultural Rural Inclusive Growth Project NARIGP grants.
The group members are now empowered to prepare sufficient feeds for their dairy herd and ultimately increase their yields. #TransformingNandi
SMALL-SCALE FARMERS BEGIN TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF MECHANIZATION
The County Government of Nandi, Department of Agriculture and Cooperative Development is supporting small scale farmers in the county organized in Common Interest Groups CIGs and Cooperative Societies with expertise and technologies through the county Agricultural Mechanization Services AMS to improve farm
productivity and increase their yields.
The administration continues to implement ways of achieving both the President’s Big Four Agenda on Food Security as well as the County Integrated Development Plan CIDP which includes mechanized farming, use of quality and certified seeds as well as appropriate inputs.
In partnership with the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project NARIGP,
the administration has scaled up its reach to small scale farmers who in the past did not have access to certified seeds by transforming hundreds of progressive farmers
into seed multiplication agribusiness through mechanization.
To attain this, the department is empowering farmers organized in Producer Organizations POs scale up their production through the provision of both financial and extension support. Further to this, the county government has availed subsidized farming types of machinery to support farmers with the right equipment at favourable financial terms and thus increase productivity and income.
One such group of farmers to benefit from the programme include Nandi Potato Farmer’s Union which boasts of over 1500 members and who benefited from the NARIGP grants to a tune of Ksh 6.9M have managed to increase their production from 50 Kg 600 bags of potato in the last season to 50 Kg 4000 this season and are expecting to further increase their production in subsequent seasons.
The Union continues to reap the benefits of the County’s Agriculture Mechanization Services AMS including; tractors fitted with the implements to suit all stages of potato production. It has since utilized the machinery for ploughing, harrowing, applying fertilizer, weeding & hilling and now harvesting.
The group members are grateful for the County’s subsidized initiative noting that it has greatly saved them on time and money.
According to the PO’s chairperson Mr. Jairus Sugut, mechanization contributed to their timely preparation of land, efficient land use, and increased production. Mr. Sugut revealed that mechanization significantly reduced their cost of production while creating additional employment opportunities, particularly among women and
youth.
Speaking when he joined the society members in harvesting their 30 acre farm, Nandi Governor Stephen Sang noted that mechanization is a sure way of enhancing farmer’s productivity and increase their income. He challenged more farmers to embrace diversification and mechanization while urging them to use certified seeds among other appropriate inputs if they are to increase their production.
CECM for Agriculture and Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat said that his department is supporting small holder farmers across the county to come together and form cooperatives so that they can leverage on the AMS machinery to ensure route optimization is achieved.
He encourages farmers and cooperatives to emulate Nandi Potato Cooperative Society and embrace mechanization and request for the affordable AMS services by simply calling the county’s toll-free call centre number 1548.
The County is also engaging Hello Tractor, one of the DAT Cohorts, in a bid to digitize the process of booking, requesting, and the overall management of AMS services. #TugaTai #TransformingNandi
CONSTRUCTION OF NANDI CO-OPERATIVE CREAMERIES TAKING SHAPE
The dream of setting up the first farmer owned Milk Processing Plant in Nandi is slowly becoming a reality with the construction of the first phase Nandi Cooperative Creameries NCC nearing completion in Mosop Sub-County.
The new state-of-the-art flagship project whose foundation stone was laid in April 2019, that will have capacity to process 100,000 litres of milk per day, is a dream project of Governor Sang’s administration.
The plant which is likely to be operational by June 2021 aims at empowering dairy farmers’ transition from primary production to value addition and agro processing so as to double their income and realize more profits.
Speaking on Tuesday while accompanying Chief Administrative Secretary for Livestock & Fisheries Hon. Linah Kilimo who was on a tour of dairy development projects in Nandi, CECM for Agriculture & Cooperative Development Dr. Kiplimo Araap Lagat said that his department is implementing projects and programmes aimed at boosting agricultural production, igniting value addition & improving lives of farmers.
This, he says, is in line with Governor Sang’s vision of transforming and uplifting the agriculture & livestock sectors in the county on modern lines.
On her part, the CAS commended Nandi County on the initiatives undertaken towards transforming the Agriculture sector which are in tandem with the President’s Big Four Agenda on Food Security. She lauded the county government’s effort to assist farmers improve on breeds of their dairy animals through the introduction of subsidized Artificial Insemination AI programme, in preparation for operationalizing NCC.
She said that her Livestock department will see to it that the capacity of Animal Health Assistants in Nandi who also double up as AI inseminators is built further to enable them improve on service delivery to the farmers.
“Regular refresher trainings and practice is key for successful AI thus the need to continually build the capacity of those who perform it if we wish to improve on our breeds and increase milk production,” she said.
In its first phase, Nandi Cooperative Creameries NCC will process Fresh milk, Long life milk, Yoghurt and Mala. The county will then deploy more equipment for Extended Life Shelf and Ultra Heat Treatment and processing ghee and butter in the second phase and subsequent phases.
At present, part of equipment for the first phase have been delivered in Kabiyet while the remaining are expected in site later this year.
Once complete, the facility targets to supply her milk to the Lake Region Economic Bloc LREB market which has a population estimated to over 14 million people. NCC will also be capable to process enough milk to supply pupils under the Early Childhood Development Education in Nandi County.
#TugaTai #TransformingNandi
NATIONAL COHESION AND INTEGRATION COMMISSION HOLD A CONSULTATIVE FORUM WITH THE COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
NATIONAL COHESION AND INTEGRATION COMMISSION HOLD A CONSULTATIVE FORUM WITH THE COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD
Leveraging diversity among county employees helps to create programs and services that meet the diverse needs of a county government. By cultivating a diverse workforce, employees are able to come up with ideas that improve the lives of all residents hence achieving the sustainable development goals.
Board Members following the presentation
The National cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) convened a sensitization forum with the members of the county Public service board. The objective of the forum was to develop strategies that are geared towards ensuring inclusivity and compliance in employing county staff with reference to the developed minimum standards and principles for recruitment.
Ezekiel Chemwor and Irene Choge at the event
Speaking during the forum, Commissioner Hon. Philip Okundi noted that the current composition of the staff is skewed towards the dominant community and urged the County Public Service Board to progressively improve on ensuring equal opportunities for all ethnic groups. He emphasized on the need for the County Public Service Board to ensure that issues around gender inequality, marginalization and exclusion are addressed. . He was accompanied by Kyalo Mwengi, Assistant Director Complaints, Legal and Enforcement, Catherine Gakuru, Assistant Director Investigations Mr. Kyalo Mwengi, Assistant Director, Complaints, Legal and Enforcement, NCIC Senior Legal Officer, Mr. Jackson Mwikamba.
Mr. Kyallo Mwengi giving a presentation.
Mr. Kyalo Mwengi, gave a presentation on the minimum Standards and Principles for Recruitment to Ensure Inclusiveness and Diversity at the County Level. He urged the county public service board to always strike a balance in ensuring that there is equality during the employment process. This will be achieved by ensuring that they adhere to the principle of giving equal opportunities to all and considering People living With Disabilities (PWDs) and those from maginalized areas . He also emphasized on the need to have open days by the County public service board to showcase their work and sensitize the public on the recruitment processes.
During the forum, Mr. Jackson Mwikamba, disseminated the results of the ethnic audit of staff that was done in 2016. According to the results the county had 1129 staff members 81% of the employees were from the Kalenjin community,10.4% from the Luhya community, Luo form the 2.6 While 6% were from other ethnic communities.
Nandi County Public Service Board CEO Jacob Sisey expressed great satisfaction with the NCIC and its role in guiding institutions on what the Constitution and County Acts stipulates. He thanked the NCIC team for the sensitization forum in that it had taught the members on the essence of diversity as a key objective in fostering national unity.
Sisey underscored that the county public service board has been able to demonstrate inclusivity and transparency by employing 30% non-residents, fulfilling the affirmative action of the marginalized wards within the county and bearing in mind people living with disabilities.
Present during the event were the board members, Irine Choge,Ezekiel Chemwor,Daniel Mwogoi,Member of County Assembly Osborn Komen, Stella Rutto member County Assembly Public Service Philister Maiyo,Deputy Director Administration and Nancy Jeruto Deputy Legal Officer,CPSB
NANDI GOVERNORS’ VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF
NANDI GOVERNORS’ VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF
The 2019 Nandi County Governors’ Cup volleyball tournament served off Saturday morning at the Kapsabet showgrounds in Kapsabet Ward, Emgwen Sub County and was officially opened by Nandi Deputy Governor Dr. Yulita Cheruiyot. The tournament, sponsored by the County Government of Nandi and Kenya Volleyball Federation attracted more than 50 teams, both men and women in different categories.
According to the deputy county boss, the County Government of Nandi will continue partnering with other organizations to nature talents of the young people as a perfect way of engaging them to integrate and live harmoniously.
Draws were conducted this morning to determine the pools and fixtures for the two-day tournament.
SELF SUPPORTING MEN CATEGORY
POOL A
1. KABIYET
2. MOSOP
3. RIFT VALLEY
4. SCORPION
5. AFRAHA
POOL B
1. GREEN FARMERS
2. ALDAI
3. TINDERET
4. MAJI SAFI
5. ICIPU
POOL C
1. THINGITHU
2. EMNGWEN
3. KIPKAREN
4. BRIGHT SHINNERS
5. HURUMA
POOL D
1. CHESUMEI
2. KAPTEL
3. NANDI HILLS
4. KAPLONG
5. NAIROBI CENTRE
SELF SUPPORTING WOMEN CATEGORY
POOL A
1. SKY HAWK
2. ELDORET LADIES
3. KERICHO LADIES
POOL B
1. HURUMA
2. KIMUMO
3. JUJA
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES CATEGORY
BOYS
POOL A
1. LELMOKWO B
2. KABIYET
3. USIU
4. JKUAT
5. BARATON
POOL B
1. LELMOKWO A
2. BARINGO TECHNICAL
3. TUK
4. CHEPTIL
SCHOOLS AND COLLEGES CATEGORY
GIRLS
POOL A
1. ST. AUGUSTINE
2. CHEPTIL
3. STRATHMORE UNIVERSITY
POOL B
1. SOIN
2. KOSIRAI
3. JKUAT
SENIOR WOMEN CATEGORY
1. KCB A VS KCB B
2. KPC VS PRISONS K