HIV CASES IN SAGANA

AS the advert runs in the TV stations of HIV and Aids being witnessed in marriages is evident in Kirinyaga County where new HIV cases have been reported in Kerugoya district hospital in the months of January and February this year with January only recording 17 cases. The new cases according to Jane Muchiri nursing officer and also the counseling officers says the cases are mainly in the married couples who she said are at the age of 45-70. She said that 20 men who have gone for testing in the facility without their wives a third of them have tested positive a move she said is worrying. Muchiri also pointed out that those that are on ARV therapy are 11 in January while the rest are on Septrine since there CD4 count is not below 450,1644 are previously on ARV. The new cases and where HIV has shot is in Kirinyaga Central district where 5 of those tested 3 are testing positive. Other non communicable diseases like TB, Herpes and their CD4 count is 350 they are put on Septrine. In the months of December and January, the nurse in charge was quick to say that they lost over 20 patients who were on ARV’s and declined to continue taking the medicines. Kerugoya district hospital medical Superintendent Gideon Mburu said that more education needs to be done mostly on married couples since that’s where new cases are being reported. “We have more new HIV cases in Married couples, ages of 45-70 years which is worrying” said Mburu. He also said that initially new cases were being reported in single women citing that it has gone down tremendously. Separately in Sagana girls between the age of 14-17 are infected by the deadly virus where in a month those that attend antenatal clinic and testing positive is going up daily a trend that is worrying. The girls who some have been put on ARV’s said that they have are doing prostitution in the town when they were very young. Kirinyaga West District officer Philo Muoki said that young girls who have joined prostitution in the town are the cause of the rise of HIV. He also said that with the start of long distance drivers spending towns, lack of jobs among the youths t has turned out to be a big challenge. Muoki added that it has been made hard to finish the vice since parents attack police officers saying that they are being “cut off” from their source of income. “As an administrator I have fought the vice for years but the parents as making every step hard for us they are blaming us on killing their source of income” said Muoki. ENDS…. 0723321326

Senate committee on agriculture, land and natural resources on Friday described a section of cap 347 of National Irrigation Board as unconstitutional. The committee led by its chairman Lenny Kivuti said that he’s aware that a section of the controversial act is unconstitutional and thus they are null and void. Speaking after committee hearing on rice farming in Mwea constituency, the chairman insisted that any law that contravenes the constitution is null and void and need immediate amendment. “Cap 347 that is used by NIB in Mwea is Null and Void so farmers are not supposed to be oppressed” said Kivuti The chairman noted that the high court sitting in Nairobi has already declared some section of the act as unconstitutional and observed that those sections be amended by the national assembly to conform to the supreme law of the land. Accompanied by committee members, Boy Juma Boy, Naisula Lesuuda, Henry Ndiemo and Kirinyaga senator Daniel Karaba, the committee observed that they will take the matter of title deeds to national land commission and cabinet secretary in-charge of land to see how they can assist farmers get title deeds of their rice fields. The committee termed issues facing rice farmers in the expansive Mwea irrigation scheme as very emotive single ling out land and revenue from rice as some of the issues which need urgent government interventions. Mr Kivuti said that his committee has received several memorandum from the farmers and County leadership on various issues ailing the irrigation scheme revealing that his committee will put up a report which will be tabled before senate for discussion and adaption. He revealed that his committee will involve the ministry of agriculture, ministry of land and ministry of water and environment while writing its report and promised rice farmers that his committee will definitely come up with good report. The Embu senator said that the hearing which was well attended by farmers was an eye opener as the committee has run a lot from it. He however said that his committee can’t promise farmers when they will get their title deeds but said that they will ensure their case reaches all those concerned. During the proceeding farmers said that they have confidence with National Irrigation Board and should continue discharging its mandate in the 28,000 acres rice field. They argued that NIB has been able to manage the scheme and provide water and other infrastructures needed in the largest rice irrigation scheme. Kirinyaga senator Daniel Karaba said that he was pleased by the committee move to hear farmer’s grievances saying that he’s optimistic the myriads problem facing rice farmers will be dealt with. Karaba singled out issue of importation of cheap rice in the country as one of the issue the government must look at urgently. He said that cheap rice imported in the country has greatly affected the prices of rice in the country forcing the farmers to incur heavy looses. He also demanded subsidized fertilizer for rice farmers saying that government has neglected rice farmers while catering for other sectors. The senator pointed that the president directed prices of fertilizer for maize to be subsidized but left out that is used by rice farmers. Ends…………………

15 million oxygen plant to be set up in kirinyaga

A 15-20 million oxygen plant is going to be put up in Kerugoya district hospital as a way of reducing buying gas cylinders that are expensive. According to medical superintendent at Kerugoya district hospital Gideon Mburu, the decision was reached after consultation and seeing that the hospital is buying many cylinders and that it had the capacity and also able in making its own oxygen. He also said that in a hospital ready oxygen is needed because there are many different cases that are referred in Kerugoya district hospital from the 84 dispensaries and 12 health centers. He said that oxygen is on high demand in many hospitals citing that sometimes there is no enough oxygen where their staff is forced to make impulse buying or even transferring patients to other hospitals where the commodity is being found. “Its is very challenging to take a patient who had been referred to your hospital to another hospital for lack of an essential commodity like oxygen” said Mburu. Mburu said that they want to make sure that every ward has a line for oxygen to enable the nurses’ work easier and also save patients lives. He added that they plan to start selling ones the plant is completed to other hospitals within and out of the county. Kerugoya district hospital has 28 doctors and 58 nurses serving a population of 572,032 persons. This is aimed at the plans that are underway of having a medical training college built in the county to enable training easier. ends.......