taifaleo.nation.co.ke
@taifaleo Sat, 18 Jul 2026 12:00:23
AI yatarajiwa kubadili kilimo COMESA ikihamasisha huduma za nyanjani za kidijitali kwa wakulima
AKILI Mnemba (AI) inazidi kujitokeza kama teknolojia itakayobadilisha sekta ya kilimo barani Afrika huku Soko la Pamoja la Eneo la Mashariki na Kusini mwa Afrika (COMESA) likiendesha juhudi za kuunganisha sera za kidijitali ili kusaidia wakulima kuongeza uzalishaji, kuhimili athari za mabadiliko ya tabianchi na kupata huduma za nyanjani kwa urahisi. Akizungumza jijini Nairobi wakati wa mafunzo ya uhamasishaji kuhusu matumizi ya AI na teknolojia zinazoibuka, Afisa wa Mawasiliano wa Sekretarieti ya COMESA, Leonard Chitunda, alisema AI tayari inaleta mageuzi katika kilimo kupitia utoaji wa taarifa muhimu kwa wakati ufaao. Afisa huyo alisema teknolojia hiyo inasaidia wakulima kupata utabiri wa hali ya hewa, taarifa za afya ya udongo, pembejeo zinazofaa, pamoja na mwenendo wa masoko ili kufanya maamuzi bora. "AI ni teknolojia inayogusa sekta nyingi. Inaongeza uzalishaji wa kilimo, inaboresha ufuatiliaji wa tabianchi na kuongeza ufanisi katika huduma mbalimbali," alisema Chitunda. COMESA inatekeleza mpango wa Inclusive Digitalisation for Eastern and Southern Africa unaofadhiliwa na Benki ya Dunia wenye thamani ya Dola 2.5 bilioni (Ksh323.7 bilioni). Kati ya fedha hizo, Dola 10 milioni (Ksh1.3 bilioni) zimetengwa kwa COMESA kuandaa sera za pamoja, viwango na kujenga uwezo wa AI na mageuzi ya kidijitali. [caption id="attachment_190224" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Afisa wa Mawasiliano wa Sekretarieti ya COMESA, Leonard Chitunda. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] Kiwango kikubwa cha fedha hizo kitaelekezwa kwa nchi wanachama kuboresha miundombinu ya kidijitali na huduma za intaneti ili wakulima, hasa wa maeneo ya vijijini, waweze kupata huduma za kilimo mtandaoni. Chitunda alisema AI inasaidia kuziba pengo lililosababishwa na upungufu wa maafisa wa nyanjani kwa kuwawezesha wakulima kupata ushauri wa kitaalamu kupitia simu na majukwaa ya kidijitali. "Wakulima wanaweza kupata ushauri kuhusu mbegu bora, matumizi ya pembejeo, hali ya hewa na mifugo inayofaa kwa maeneo yao bila kumwona afisa wa nyanjani ana kwa ana," alisema. Aliongeza kuwa COMESA inaendesha utafiti wa kikanda kubaini maeneo yatakayofaidika zaidi na AI, matokeo ambayo yatatumika kuandaa mkakati wa pamoja wa matumizi ya teknolojia hiyo. Mkurugenzi wa ICT katika Idara ya Serikali ya Biashara nchini Kenya, Timothy Were, alisema AI tayari inatumika katika sekta mbalimbali ikiwemo benki, afya, usafirishaji na sasa kilimo. [caption id="attachment_190223" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mkurugenzi wa ICT katika Idara ya Serikali ya Biashara nchini Kenya, Timothy Were. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] "AI inasaidia wakulima kupata taarifa za masoko, utabiri wa hali ya hewa, tahadhari za milipuko ya wadudu na magonjwa, pamoja na ushauri wa kitaalamu unaowasaidia kupunguza hasara na kuongeza uzalishaji," alielezea. Hata hivyo, Were alisisitiza umuhimu wa kuwepo kwa sheria na sera zinazofanana katika nchi za COMESA ili kuhakikisha usalama wa mifumo ya kidijitali na kuzuia uhalifu wa mtandaoni. Wadau wanaamini kuwa utekelezaji wa mkakati wa AI wa COMESA utaifanya teknolojia hiyo kuwa nguzo muhimu ya mageuzi katika kilimo, kwa kuboresha upatikanaji wa taarifa, kuimarisha huduma za nyanjani na kusaidia wakulima kuhimili changamoto za tabianchi huku wakifikia masoko kwa urahisi zaidi.
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standardmedia.co.ke
@standard Sat, 18 Jul 2026 10:33:00
Why public servants have less than a month to update pension records
Government has directed all public servants to update their records with the Public Service Superannuation Fund by August 14, 2026, in the latest step towards modernising pension administration.
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taifaleo.nation.co.ke
@taifaleo Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:28:29
Mkenya aliyeteuliwa kuongoza muungano wa wakulima duniani
AFISA Mkuu Mtendaji wa Shirikisho la Wakulima Kenya (KENAFF), Dkt Daniel Mwenda M'Mailutha, amechaguliwa kuwa Rais wa Shirika la Wakulima Duniani (WFO), hatua inayoiweka Kenya katika dira ya ulimwengu kwenye majadiliano ya kimataifa kuhusu kilimo, biashara ya mazao ya shambani, mabadiliko ya tabianchi na ustawi wa wakulima. Dkt Mwenda alipata ushindi huo baada ya uchaguzi wenye ushindani mkali uliofanyika wakati wa mkutano wa WFO Nairobi kati ya Juni 8 na 10, 2026. Alimshinda Fiona Simpson wa Australia kwa kura saba pekee kati ya kura 81 zilizopigwa, na hivyo kuwa Mkenya wa kwanza na Mwafrika wa pili kuongoza shirika hilo la kimataifa. "Haikuwa kazi rahisi. Ulikuwa ushindani mkali sana," aliambia Akilimali kwenye mahojiano ya kipekee. Ushindi wake umepongezwa na viongozi mbalimbali akiwemo Waziri wa Kilimo Mutahi Kagwe na aliyekuwa Naibu Waziri wa Kilimo na Fedha Nduati Kariuki, aliyesema uchaguzi huo umeipa Kenya hadhi katika sekta ya kilimo duniani. [caption id="attachment_190227" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Mkenya, Dkt Daniel Mwenda M'Mailutha, ambaye amechaguliwa kuwa Rais wa Shirika la Wakulima Duniani (WFO) pia ni Afisa Mkuu Mtendaji wa Shirikisho la Wakulima Kenya (KENAFF). Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] "Hii ni mara ya kwanza kwa mwanachama kutoka nchi inayoendelea kukua, hasa barani Afrika, kuchaguliwa kuongoza shirika hili tangu WFO irithi Shirikisho la Kimataifa la Wazalishaji wa Kilimo (IFAP). Kuchaguliwa kwa Mkenya kuongoza shirika hili la kimataifa ni uthibitisho wa weledi na uongozi ambao Kenya imeendelea kuonyesha katika jukwaa la kimataifa. Isitoshe, inaonyesha kuwa sifa na uwezo ndiyo vigezo pekee vya uteuzi, Kenya ina vipaji vya kiwango cha kimataifa vinavyostahili kuboreshwa," alisema Bw Kariuki, ambaye ni mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Maandalizi ya Ndani ya KENAFF. Dkt Mwenda alisema nafasi hiyo si mafanikio yake binafsi pekee, bali pia fursa kuhakikisha sauti ya wakulima inasikika katika taasisi za kimataifa zinazounda sera za kilimo, ikiwemo FAO, IFAD, WFP, Umoja wa Mataifa (UN) na majadiliano ya mabadiliko ya tabianchi. Kwa miaka miwili ijayo atawakilisha wakulima kutoka Afrika, Asia, Ulaya, Amerika Kaskazini, Amerika Kusini na Oceania. Ajenda yake imejengwa kwenye nguzo tatu. Ya kwanza ni kuimarisha umoja wa WFO ili wakulima duniani wazungumze kwa sauti moja kuhusu uzalishaji wa chakula, biashara na sera za tabianchi. "Nguzo ya pili ni kukuza matumizi ya teknolojia ya kidijitali na upatikanaji wa huduma za kifedha. Kupitia mpango wa Sauti ya Mkulima, KENAFF imekuwa ikiunda wasifu wa kidijitali wa wakulima unaoonyesha historia yao ya uzalishaji, jambo linalorahisisha kupata mikopo kutoka benki na vyama vya ushirika. Hilo ni muhimu kulipandisha ngazi katika WFO," Dkt Mwenda akaelezea. [caption id="attachment_190226" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Dkt Daniel Mwenda M'Mailutha, aliyechaguliwa kuwa kuongoza Shirika la Wakulima Duniani (WFO) akielezea kuhusu sera zake wakati wa mahojiano jijini Nairobi mnamo Julai 9, 2026. Picha|Sammy Waweru[/caption] Alisema mfumo huo unaweza kusaidia mamilioni ya wakulima wadogo barani Afrika na maeneo mengine kupata fedha kwa urahisi na kwa gharama nafuu. Aidha, Dkt Mwenda anatarajia kutumia nafasi yake kushinikiza serikali za Afrika kutekeleza ahadi za Maputo (2003), Malabo (2014) na Kampala (2025) zinazotaka angalau asilimia 10 ya bajeti za kitaifa kuelekezwa kwenye sekta ya kilimo. Nguzo ya tatu, kulingana na Rais huyo mpya wa WFO inalenga kuboresha mifumo ya ufugaji. Alisema mifugo ni chanzo muhimu cha chakula, kipato na utamaduni katika jamii nyingi, hivyo mjadala wa kimataifa unapaswa kuangazia namna ya kufanya ufugaji uwe endelevu badala ya kuutazama kama chanzo pekee cha uzalishaji wa gesi chafu. "Kenya imeandikisha mafanikio makubwa katika sekta ya maziwa yanayoweza kuigwa duniani, yakichangiwa na ushirika imara, ushiriki wa wanawake na vijana pamoja na huduma bora za ugani." Dkt Mwenda anatarajia kuzindua mpango wake rasmi wa uongozi mwezi Agosti mwaka huu, 2026, akisema lengo lake kuu ni kuhakikisha wakulima wanasalia kitovu cha maamuzi ya kimataifa kuhusu mustakabali wa kilimo na usalama wa chakula.
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@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:58:54
Rising Lake Turkana waters displace families in Marsabit County
Families have been displaced in the Loiyangalani sub-county of Marsabit County following rising waters of Lake Turkana as climate change takes toll on human settlement. The climate shocks have also disrupted human activities that include education, health, livelihoods and critical infrastructure. Bearing the brunt is one of the smallest ethnic groups in the country, the...
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@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:00:47
Mudavadi urges greater preparedness ahead of looming El Niño rains
The government has intensified preparedness for possible El Niño rains through strengthened early warning systems and coordinated disaster response mechanisms to minimise the impact of extreme weather events across the country. Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, Musalia Mudavadi, said the government was working closely with the Ministries of Agriculture,...
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@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 08:14:14
One life lost following a road accident in Marsabit
A man died while another sustained serious injuries today after a vehicle they were traveling in overturned at the Hulahula area along the Isiolo-Marsabit highway in Marsabit County. Marsabit Traffic Base Commander Martin Muthaura said the accident involved a Toyota Land Cruiser vehicle that was transporting miraa from Meru with two occupants on board. Muthaura...
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kenyanews.go.ke
@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:20:20
Mutula Care offers hope to vulnerable families
The County Government of Makueni has launched a comprehensive health care initiative to cover at least 11,000 vulnerable households under the Universal Health Care (UHC) programme. The initiative dubbed Mutula Care and spearheaded by Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jr. intends to accommodate all the less fortunate members of the society in the county under the...
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@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:22:56
Busia to roll out Mpox vaccination campaign in Malaba
The County government of Busia is set to roll out an Mpox vaccination campaign in Malaba from July 17, 2026, in a 7–10-day exercise targeting populations at high risk of infection in the busy border region. The campaign is part of efforts to curb the spread of the disease in Teso North, which hosts the...
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@kna Sat, 18 Jul 2026 07:27:34
Nakuru County strengthens dairy subsector
The County Government of Nakuru has pledged to continue strengthening the dairy sector by investing in projects that help farmers reduce post-harvest losses and increase their incomes. According to County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Mr Leonard Bor, through such programmes, the devolved unit's administration remains committed to building a stronger...
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