JAMUHURI MEDIA

By Caroline Katana Women in Kwale are seeking a stronger foothold in the county’s fishing industry, with community and government actors calling for their inclusion in leadership, access to finance and decisions governing coastal resources. The push comes as a 42-month programme seeks to address barriers that have kept women and other marginalised groups from fully benefiting from the coastal economy in Kwale and Lamu counties. The Enabling Gender-Responsive, Circular, and Sustainable Blue Economies for Kenya Coastal Communities project began last year and will run until December 2028. It is funded by Canada under a joint United Nations programme involving UN Women, UNIDO, FAO and UNEP, with Hand in Hand Eastern Africa implementing the gender component. The programme is using community training, advocacy and engagement with government duty bearers to address inequalities affecting women’s participation in the Blue Economy. Stephen Mutua, Business Relationship Officer at Han...

By Caroline Katana  For beneficiaries of the government’s Affordable Housing Programme, moving from informal settlements into new homes has brought a sense of security, lower housing costs and hope for a more stable future. But as more Kenyans take up the opportunity to own homes, beneficiaries say the success of the programme will also depend on ensuring they can sustain their lives within the new developments. Albert Ombati, a casual worker without a fixed monthly income, says the flexible payment arrangement has made it possible for him to keep up with his home payments. “We pay slowly. You can use only that 900, but now you can pay 500, 1,000. At the end of it all, you will have cleared the balance,” Ombati said. For him, the arrangement provides an alternative to the uncertainty of paying rent every month. Lucy Njoroge says her new home has also reduced her monthly housing burden. She previously paid KSh7,500 in rent and had to buy water separately. “The house I wa...

By Caroline Katana More than 32 million Kenyans are now registered under the Social Health Authority (SHA), nearly twice the highest membership recorded by the former National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF), as the government continues to expand access to healthcare services. According to SHA Chief Executive Officer Mercy Mwangangi, 32.3 million Kenyans had registered with the authority by August 18, 2026. Mwangangi made the announcement during the National Health Summit in Nairobi, where she presented progress made by SHA since it replaced NHIF. The authority's membership has risen significantly from the 16.9 million people who represented NHIF's highest recorded registration. The number of healthcare facilities available to SHA members has also increased from 8,667 under NHIF to 10,713. The facilities include 5,959 government institutions, 4,534 private facilities and 541 faith-based health facilities. The government says the expanded network is intended to give S...

            By Caroline Katana For women in Kwale, peace and security can no longer be issues discussed without them.  From the safety of their children to the problems confronting their communities, women are stepping forward to make their voices heard and to turn that voice into action. At Kombani Social Hall in Matuga Constituency on Tuesday, women came together to discuss how they can take a stronger role in shaping safer and more peaceful communities, while challenging the fear and divisions that have kept many of them away from leadership. The dialogue is part of a growing effort to give women not just a place in conversations on peace and security, but the confidence, knowledge and collective strength to influence what happens in their communities. Kombani Majengo -Mapya  village , vice chair Majumaa Matano Chitsange, popularly known as Idzulu , told the women that leadership begins with willingness to step forward. ...

                      Mwache Dam construction By Caroline Katana For communities living around the Mwache Multipurpose Dam in Kwale County, the massive project is already changing lives even before the first major benefits of its water reservoir are fully realised. Residents say the project has brought employment opportunities, improved schools and better housing, while raising hopes that decades of water shortages across the Coast region could finally be addressed. The dam, being constructed in Kasemeni,  Kinango Constituency, is designed to strengthen water security for the Coast region, support irrigation and provide water for domestic  and livestock use.  The more than KSh25 billion project is expected to supply millions of litres of water daily once fully operational. For Ali Tungwa Juma, a resident of  Galile village, some of the project's benefits are already visible in education. He said ...

                                    Garbage collection centre By Caroline Katana. Under the morning sun in Mikindani , Mombasa county , Elvina Ziro bends over piles of discarded plastic, picking through the waste and separating what can still earn her a few shillings. Around her, wheelbarrows arrive carrying more rubbish from nearby households.  Plastic bottles are pulled from the piles and placed in one section, other recyclable materials in another.  What looks to an outsider like a mountain of unwanted waste is, for Ziro and others working at the site, a source of livelihood. For the mother of five, every bottle and piece of plastic has a value.                   Elvina Ziro Mikindani resident  She has been doing the work for three years, using the money she earns to put food on the table and keep her childr...

                   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 ...

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...

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...

                           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 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...

. 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...