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10 | NEWSFOCUS October 30, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke Woman gives hope to families dealing with disability challenge Like the legendary Sphinx rising from the ashes, Mwikali kept overcoming high odds that fate appeared to have placed along her path right after she was born BY SAMUEL MAINA AND RACHAEL KILONZO KNA- MACHAKOS W e first met Awena Mwikali Mohammed on October 8, 2018 during a polio stakeholders meeting at the Machakos Level 5 hospital. The aim of the meeting was to sensitise stakeholders about a countywide polio vaccination campaign that was set to kick off two days later. The county was targeting at least 200,000 children under the age of five years during the four-day exercise. But the meeting turned out to be a blessing of some sorts. This is after it turned out that Ms. Mwikali was the Polio Champion for Machakos having lived with the deliberating condition since she was a child. When KNA asked her for an interview, she was more than willing to share her struggle with the disease which is ranked as one of the most dangerous condition among children by the World Health Organization. “From what I heard from my mother, I was born a very healthy and normal child. However, in a twist of fate, doctors for some unknown reasons advised I be put in an incubator where I was to remain for some days,” narrated Mwikali, who turned 39 years this year. But after leaving hospital, Mwikali’s health deteriorated forcing her mother (Saumu Mohammed) to spend another 29 days at the Machakos District hospital children’s ward. It was during her stay at the hospital that a certain woman in the ward discovered that Mwikali had an abnormality in both her legs that needed From what I heard from my mother, I was born a very healthy and normal child - Awena Mwikali Mohamed Awena Mwikali Mohammed in her Machakos office narrates her arduous journey while battling physical deformity. urgent medical attention. She immediately advised her mother to inform the doctor about the problem to enable tests to be carried out on the child and therefore rule out any fears of a lifelong medical problem. But when the tests came out, the doctors discovered the baby’s limbs had already been paralysed from the knees downwards. The hospital recommended an urgent surgery on both legs. Unknown to the innocent girl and her mother, this was going to be the genesis of a very long struggle with a condition that would form part of her life. “Until today, I don’t know why I suffered from this paralysis,” says Mwikali during KNA’s interview in her office at the Machakos Hospital where she works as an Assistant Administrator with the Association for the Physically Disabled of Kenya (APDK). “Perhaps it could have resulted from a missed jab owing to the fact that my mother was not very much enlightened on the need of adhering to the vaccination schedule as was provided by the then Kenya Expanded Program on ImmuCONTINUED ON PG 16 National Drought Management Authority TENDER NOTICE REPUBLIC OF KENYA MINISTRY OF WATER AND SANITATION ATHI WATER SERVICES BOARD Invitation for Bids PROVISION OF GROUP PERSONAL ACCIDENT COVER, GROUP LIFE COVER AND WORK INJURY BENEFIT (WIBA) COVER The National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) is a public body established by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) Act, 2016. The Act gives the NDMA the mandate to exercise overall coordination over all matters relating to Drought Management including implementation of policies and programmes relating to Drought Management. The Authority invites eligible bidders for Provision of Group Personal Accident Cover, Group Life Cover and Work Injury Benefit (WIBA) Cover. Tender Number Tender Description NDMA/ONT/002/2018-2019 Provision of Group Personal Accident Cover, Group Life Cover and Work Injury Benefit (WIBA) Cover 1.1 1.2 Closing Date 21st November, 2018 at 10:30am Interested eligible candidates may obtain further information from and inspect the tender documents at National Drought Management Authority, Supply Chain Office, Lonrho House, 8th – 00200, Nairobi, Tel. 020 – 2301354 / 0722200656 during normal working hours. floor P.O. Box 53547 Complete set of tender documents may be obtained by interested candidates upon payment of a non-refundable fee of KShs.1000 in Bankers Cheque or cash deposited in the National Drought Management Authority Bank Account, Kenya Commercial Bank – KICC Branch, Account Number 1136140255, and submit the deposit slip at the cash office at NDMA Headquarters located on 8th Floor, Lonrho House, situated along Standard Street, Nairobi. 1.3 Prospective bidders may also download the Tender Document free of charge from the website www.ndma. go.ke or from the IFMIS Suppliers Portal: https://supplier.treasury.go.ke. Those who download the tender document and intend to submit a bid are required to submit their particulars in the format provided in the tender document to the Supply Chain Department’s Office for record and for the purpose of receiving any further clarifications and/or addenda via the email supplychain@ndma.go.ke. Completed and serialized/paginated tender documents in plain sealed envelopes and clearly marked with the TENDER NUMBER and TENDER DESCRIPTION should be addressed to: Chief Executive Officer National Drought Management Authority Lonrho House, Standard Street, 8th Floor P.O. Box 53547 – 00200, NAIROBI and deposited in the tender box situated at the NDMA Reception, Lonrho House, Standard Street 8th Floor so as to be received on or before 21st November, 2018 at 10:30a.m. Tender Documents will be opened immediately thereafter in the Boardroom on 17th dard Street, Nairobi in the presence of Tenderers or their representatives who choose to attend. Floor, Lonrho House, Stan6 7 4 GROUNDWATER EXPLOITATION AND DEVELOPMENT INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION OF STORAGE TANKS AND WATER RETICULATION NETWORKS Reference Number: IFB NO: AWSB/GOK/NBH/W-1/Phase 1/2018 1 2 The Government of Kenya has allocated funds to Athi Water Services Board for the project; Groundwater Exploitation and Development including Construction of Storage Tanks and Water Reticulation Networks The Athi Water Services Board now invites sealed bids from eligible bidders registered in Category NCA4 by the National Construction Authority for the construction and completion of Groundwater exploitation, construction of elevated water tanks and associated water reticulation networks within AWSB Jurisdiction (“the Works”) involving the following: – Drilling and Equipping of 5 No. boreholes and construction of 5 No. elevated water tanks with associated reticulation networks, 3 The following are mandatory requirements that must be submitted together with the Bid document: • Copy of Certificate of Registration as a Driller with the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, • Certified copy of Certificate of Incorporation and a Valid Tax Compliance Certificate, • Curriculum Vitae (CVs) of the proposed staff and copies of testimonials and certificates, • Firm’s Audited Accounts for the last three (3) years, • Reference letters on previous experiences for similar works, Further information will be in the Bidding Document. Interested eligible bidders may obtain further information from Athi Water Services Board, Chief Executive Officer, info@awsboard.go.ke and inspect the bidding documents during office hours from 0800 hours to 1700 Hours local time from Monday to Friday, except during lunch hour (1300 hours to 1400 hours), during weekends and public holidays at the address given below. 5 A complete set of bidding documents in English may be purchased by interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the address below and upon payment of a nonrefundable fee of KShs. 1,000 (Kenya Shillings One Thousand). The method of payment will be cash or banker’s cheque. The documents may be collected by interested eligible bidders upon the submission of a written application to the address below or can be downloaded from www.awsboard.go.ke and www.tenders.go.ke. All bids must be accompanied by an unconditional Bank Guarantee of KShs. 300,000.00 (Kenya Shillings Three Hundred Thousand Only). Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before 12.00pm East African Time on 21st November 2018. Late bids will be rejected. Bids will be publicly opened in the presence of the bidders’ designated representatives and anyone who choose to attend at the address below on 21st November, 2018 at 12.05pm East African Time. Chief Executive Officer JAMES ODUOR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Athi Water Services Board 3rd Floor, Africa Re Centre, Hospital Road, Upper Hill P.O. Box 45283-00100 Nairobi, Kenya Email : info@awsboard.go.ke

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