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SHA expands healthcare access in Kwale amid delayed payments to some private hospitals.

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                   Kwale County CEC health Francis Gwama By Caroline Katana Kwale health officials have defended the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the scheme has expanded access to healthcare despite concerns over delayed payments and occasional system failures. Kwale County Health Executive Committee Member Francis Gwama said the scheme had shifted healthcare from simply providing access to improving the quality of services offered to patients. He said about 98 per cent of Kwale's 179 health facilities had been onboarded onto SHA, allowing residents to access services through the new system. “SHA is doing its work, it is being implemented and it is helping,” Gwama said. He urged residents to register and keep their SHA contributions active, saying the scheme was particularly important for families dealing with expensive chronic illnesses such as cancer, hypertension and diabetes. Gwama also dismissed claims that SHA ...

Coast Water Security Gets Major Lift as Mwache Project Nears Completion

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By Caroline Katana A major expansion of water infrastructure at the Coast is taking shape as the government races to complete the systems that will connect the Mwache Dam to millions of residents in Mombasa and Kwale. The project is expected to enter a new phase in October, when the government plans to begin filling the reservoir as construction and supporting infrastructure move towards completion. Water, Sanitation and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eric Mugaa said the main dam wall is substantially complete, putting the project on course for the planned October 1 impoundment. The 84-metre structure will create a reservoir capable of holding about 136 billion litres of water.  The stored water will then be treated and channelled through a network of pipelines to consumers across the Coast. The government has committed an additional Sh13.6 billion to complete the project, which is being implemented alongside existing water sources such as Mzima Springs, Baric...

Affordable Housing Jobs Give Kwale Workers New Skills and Income, but Delayed Pay Raises Concern

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By Caroline Katana. For Esther Dama Kahindi, the Affordable Housing Programme in Kwale County has brought more than a construction project to her neighbourhood.  It has given her a source of income that helps her educate her children, pay rent and meet daily household needs. The resident of Mwakamba , near White House, where affordable house of 152 units in Msambweni is being constructed , says she previously earned a living by preparing and selling chapati and beans. But the income was low and unreliable. “I used to cook and sell food. But what I earned from that was not enough compared with what I am earning from this project,” Esther said. She now works at the construction site and earns about Sh600 a day, money she says has made it easier to support her family. Esther is among several workers interviewed at Affordable Housing construction sites in Kwale who say the programme has opened employment opportunities for local residents, particularly women and young peopl...

Coastal women seek stronger voice in peace and security ahead of 2027

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                           Coast women in peace and security By Caroline Katana. Women leaders and community peace actors from Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale are seeking a bigger role in preventing conflict and shaping peace and security decisions as the country approaches the 2027 General Election. They say women are often among the first to feel the effects of violence but remain underrepresented in structures where decisions on community security are made. The concerns emerged during a three-day leadership and peace and security training held in Mombasa, organised by the Kenya Community Support Centre (KECOSCE) under its Imarisha project known as Strengthening Women’s Leadership and Voices for Peace and Security on the Coast. The project is supported by the Danish Embassy in Kenya through Act Change Transform, with KECOSCE implementing activities in Kilifi, Mombasa and Kwale. The training equipped particip...

ALSHIFAA FC MABINGWA WA SISI NI DOLA CUP

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Alshifaa FC wametawazwa mabingwa wa michuano ya SISI NI DOLA CUP – Makala ya Pili, baada ya kuichapa Green Eagles mabao 2-1 katika mchezo wa fainali uliochezwa kwa ushindani mkubwa. Alshifaa walipata bao la kuongoza dakika ya 24 kupitia kwa Lawrance Dady, kabla ya Mohamed Juma kuongeza bao la pili dakika ya 50 na kuwapa Alshifaa FC mkwaju mpana kuelekea ubingwa. Green Eagles walipata bao la kufutia machozi dakika ya 74 kupitia kwa Mohamed Yanga, aliyefunga kwa mkwaju wa penalti, lakini juhudi zao za kusawazisha hazikuzaa matunda hadi filimbi ya mwisho. Kwa ushindi huo, Alshifaa FC wamejinyakulia zawadi ya shilingi milioni moja, pamoja na medali. Green Eagles, waliomaliza katika nafasi ya pili, wamepata shilingi laki tano na medali, huku Azam FC, waliomaliza nafasi ya tatu, wakiondoka na shilingi laki mbili na nusu pamoja na medali. Katika tuzo binafsi, Nassir Hassan wa Alshifaa FC ametwaa tuzo ya Kocha Bora wa Michuano, huku Lawrance Okoth wa Alshifaa akichaguli...

Kwale Residents Applaud Government for SHA, Call for Better Healthcare Services.

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. By Caroline Katana. Residents in  Kwale County, have applauded the national government for introducing the Social Health Authority (SHA), saying the programme is helping communities access healthcare. The residents said the health cover has made it easier for patients to seek treatment and has given families hope of receiving care without facing heavy medical bills. Speaking during interviews in Mwarutswa and surrounding areas, residents said they appreciate the government's efforts to expand healthcare access to rural communities. Mwanakombo Bakari Koja, a resident of Marutu, said SHA was helping residents access medical services. She said patients are being treated after their SHA details are confirmed. “We receive healthcare, we are tested and treated. If it is a mother giving birth, she is attended to. If it is a patient, they are treated as usual,” Koja said. She thanked President William Ruto for bringing the health programme closer to ordinary Kenya...

Mwachande Bridge : After 24 Years of Waiting, Lunga Lunga Residents See Progress Under Ruto

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Mwachande Bridge  By Caroline Katana. For nearly 24 years, residents of Mwarutswa and surrounding villages in Lunga Lunga, Kwale County, have waited for a bridge they say has become a symbol of years of neglect, disrupted livelihoods and broken promises. The Mwachande Bridge, located along the road linking Msambweni and Lungalunga su_counties , collapsed more than two decades ago, leaving residents to contend with a difficult and sometimes impassable crossing. Now, residents say they are finally seeing tangible progress. The bridge project has an allocation of approximately KSh538 million and is currently about 63 per cent complete, giving residents renewed hope that a problem that has followed them through successive administrations could finally be resolved. But after years of waiting, residents are asking the government to maintain the momentum until the project is completed. For Mwanamisi Bakari Mwaruma, a resident of Mwarutswa, the bridge has been part ...

Shimoni residents demand jobs, transparency as KSh2.6 billion fish port nears opening.

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Shimoni Fish Port.  By Caroline Katana The KSh2.6 billion Shimoni Fish Port has raised hopes of jobs and better livelihoods among residents, but as the facility awaits official opening, the community is demanding clarity on how it will benefit the people who have depended on the sea for generations. For residents of Shimoni, the multimillion-shilling investment represents a potentially significant transformation of the local fishing economy and the wider blue economy. But their excitement is being tempered by concerns over employment, the future of small-scale fishing, tourism and whether promises made to the community before construction will be honoured. At the centre of the concerns is an agreement residents say was reached before construction began that 75 per cent of lower-level jobs would be reserved for locals, while 25 per cent would go to people with specialised qualifications. Fadhili Ali Abdalla, a Shimoni resident who participated in discussions ...

FAYAZ BAKERS YAAGA SISI NI DOLA CUP, AZAM FC YATINGA NUSU FAINALI

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Mabingwa watetezi wa michuano ya SISI NI DOLA Cup , Fayaz Bakers, wameaga mashindano hayo baada ya kutandikwa mabao 2-1 na Azam FC katika mchezo wa robo fainali uliochezwa katika uwanja wa Mombasa Sports Club. Azam FC walionyesha ubabe mapema katika kipindi cha kwanza, wakifungua ukurasa wa mabao kupitia Harith Mshamanga dakika ya 20, kabla ya Ali Cheusi kuongeza la pili dakika ya 28 na kuifanya Azam FC kwenda mapumziko ikiwa kifua mbele kwa mabao 2-0. Fayaz Bakers walirejea kipindi cha pili wakiwa na matumaini ya kubadili matokeo, na juhudi zao zilizaa matunda dakika ya 52 baada ya Rashid Nzao kufunga bao la kufutia machozi. Hata hivyo, Fayaz Bakers walishindwa kupata bao la kusawazisha hadi dakika 90 zilipotimia, na hivyo Azam FC kutinga hatua ya nusu fainali kwa ushindi wa mabao 2-1. Azam FC sasa watavaana na Al Shifaa katika hatua ya nusu fainali, huku wakisaka tiketi ya kuingia katika mchezo wa fainali wa michuano hiyo. Nyota wa mchezo huo...

Katana Aivusha Nyundo FC Nusu Fainali, michuano ya SISI NI DOLA CUP ikipamba Moto

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Tuangazie matokeo ya Ngarambi za dimba ;la SISI NI DOLA Cup ambapo Mechi ya pili ya hatua ya robo fainali umewakutanisha Nabadda FC dhidi ya Nyundo FC katika pambano lililojaa mhemko mbwembwe na ushindani mkubwa. Nyundo FC walikuwa wa kwanza kupata bao la mapema kupitia kwa Joash Ndela katika dakika ya 4 kipindi cha kwanza. Hata hivyo, Nabadda FC walirejea mchezoni baada ya Ahmed Mohamed kujifunga kwa bahati mbaya katika dakika ya 21, na kufanya matokeo kuwa sare ya bao 1-1 hadi mwisho wa dakika 90 za kawaida. Hata hivyo mshindi ameamuliwa kwa mikwaju ya penalti, ambapo Nyundo FC walionyesha utulivu na umakini mkubwa, wakishinda kwa mikwaju 4-2 dhidi ya Nabadda FC. Francis Katana mlinda lango wa Nyundoi FC ndiye aliyekuwa nyota na moto wa kuotea mbali kwa kuokoa mikwaju 2 ya penalty, akibaini kuwa umakinifu wake na kujiamini katika mikwaju ndiko kumemwezesha kuip timu yake ushindi. Mpaka Sasa Francis Katana wa Nyundo FC ndie kipa bora akiwa na michezo minne bil...

Wakulima wa Mpunga Kwale Waongeza Mavuno Kupitia Mbegu Bora na Mafunzo ya Kilimo

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Na Shoka Juma Wakulima wa mpunga katika wadi za Pongwe-Kikoneni, Ramisi na Vanga, Kaunti ya Kwale, wanaendelea kushuhudia ongezeko la uzalishaji wa mpunga kufuatia matumizi ya mbegu bora, pembejeo za kilimo na mafunzo ya mbinu za kisasa za uzalishaji. Kwa mujibu wa taarifa kutoka Idara ya Kilimo ya Kaunti ya Kwale, mavuno ya mpunga yameongezeka kutoka wastani wa nusu tani hadi kufikia tani mbili kwa kila hekari katika baadhi ya mashamba, hatua inayotajwa kuwa imeongeza uzalishaji na kuboresha kipato cha wakulima. Takwimu zinaonyesha kuwa zaidi ya tani 400 za mbegu zimegawiwa kwa wakulima katika maeneo mbalimbali ya kaunti, huku zaidi ya wakulima 180,000 wakinufaika na programu za kuimarisha sekta ya kilimo. Mpango huo unalenga kuongeza uzalishaji wa chakula, kuimarisha usalama wa chakula na kuwasaidia wakulima kukabiliana na changamoto za mabadiliko ya tabianchi. Mbali na ugavi wa mbegu, wakulima wamekuwa wakipatiwa mafunzo kuhusu matumizi sahihi ya pembejeo, ud...

Akili Mnemba (AI) Yazidi Kuchochea Uhalifu wa Mtandaoni Barani Afrika

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Na Shoka Juma. Ripoti mpya ya Shirika la Kimataifa la Polisi (INTERPOL) imebaini kuwa matumizi ya Akili Mnemba (Artificial Intelligence AI) sasa yanachangia zaidi ya asilimia 55 ya uhalifu wa mtandaoni unaoripotiwa barani Afrika, hali inayowafanya wahalifu kutekeleza mashambulizi kwa kasi zaidi, kwa kiwango kikubwa na kwa mbinu ngumu zinazowapa changamoto hata wataalamu wa usalama wa mtandao. Kwa mujibu wa African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026, uhalifu wa mtandaoni haupo tena katika kiwango cha matukio ya mtu mmoja mmoja, bali umegeuka kuwa mtandao mkubwa wa kimataifa unaovuka mipaka ya nchi na kutumia teknolojia za kisasa kuwalenga watu binafsi, biashara na taasisi za serikali. Ripoti hiyo inaeleza kuwa ukuaji wa matumizi ya teknolojia barani Afrika, ambapo zaidi ya watu bilioni 1.1 walikuwa watumiaji wa simu za mkononi mwaka 2025, umefungua fursa nyingi za maendeleo lakini pia umeongeza mianya inayotumiwa na wahalifu wa mtandaoni. Afrika Mashariki yaongoza katika ula...

MOMBASA SPORTS CLUB NA AL SHIFAA ZATINGA ROBO FAINALI KWA KISHINDO, SISI NI DOLA CUP YAPAMBA MOTO

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Michuano ya SISI NI DOLA CUP imeendelea kushika kasi huku timu mbalimbali zikionyesha ushindani wa hali ya juu katika hatua ya 16 bora, na baadhi yao kufanikiwa kujikatia tiketi ya robo fainali. Green Eagles ilikuwa timu ya kwanza kufuzu robo fainali baada ya kuichapa Mtwapa All Stars bao 1-0, lililofungwa na Paul Otieno katika dakika ya 59. Likoni United nayo ilisonga mbele baada ya kuibwaga Goodhope kwa mikwaju ya penalti 5-3 kufuatia sare ya bila kufungana ndani ya dakika 90 za kawaida. Sasa Likoni United itakutana na Green Eagles katika robo fainali. Nyundo FC iliendeleza ubabe wake kwa kuichapa Simba Apparel mabao 3-0. Swaleh Juma alifunga bao moja huku Joshi Ndela akiongeza mawili na kuipeleka timu hiyo hatua inayofuata. Mombasa Sports Club ilifuzu kwa kishindo baada ya kuifunga Mombasa Kings mabao 3-1. Salim Ali aliiongoza timu yake kwa kufunga mabao mawili, huku Solomon Wanguzi akiongeza bao la tatu. Bao pekee la Mombasa Kings lilifungwa na Ali Tauz. Sal...

Serikali ya Kwale yarejesha barabara ya umma ya kuingia ufukweni Diani

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Na Shokah Juma Serikali ya Kaunti ya Kwale kwa ushirikiano na Tume ya Maadili na Kupambana na Ufisadi (EACC) imerejesha eneo la umma la ekari 1.14 lililotengwa kwa ajili ya barabara ya kuingia ufukweni katika eneo la Diani, Kaunti Ndogo ya Msambweni, lenye thamani ya takriban Sh45 milioni. Eneo hilo lilikuwa limenyakuliwa na kampuni binafsi kwa zaidi ya miongo mitatu, hali iliyowazuia wananchi, wavuvi na wafanyabiashara wa ufukweni kutumia njia hiyo kufikia Bahari ya Hindi. Kurejeshwa kwa ardhi hiyo kunafuatia uamuzi wa Mahakama ya Mazingira na Ardhi ya Kwale uliotolewa Julai 14, 2026, uliobatilisha mkataba wa upangishaji wa miaka 99 uliotolewa mwaka 1994 pamoja na cheti cha umiliki, na kuagiza eneo hilo lirejeshwe kuwa mali ya umma. Akizungumza wakati wa kukabidhiwa rasmi kwa eneo hilo, Gavana wa Kwale Fatuma Achani alisema hatua hiyo ni ushindi dhidi ya unyakuzi wa ardhi na itasaidia kurejesha haki kwa wananchi waliokosa fursa ya kutumia mali ya umma kwa miaka mingi....