2 | NEWSFOCUS October 2, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke Posta rakes in Sh 4 billion thanks to innovation drive The new frontier for the postal services are e-commerce and financial technology, says PS BY JOSEPH NG’ANG’A KNA-NAIROBI T he Postal Corporation of Kenya raked in a turnover of Sh4.1 billion last financial year after weathering the storm of new and emerging technologies which threatened its existence. Speaking while officially flagging off 11 pickups bought by the corporation, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Fatma Hirsi attributed the success to new innovative products that the corporation has come up with. The PS said the new frontier for the postal services was ecommerce and financial technology (fintech). “In the wake of the changing technology, the corporation has been able to come up with innovative products like the Mpost which enables every mobile phone user to use their phones to receive letters by connecting their mobile numbers to a formal postal address,” explained the PS. Other products that Posta has introduced are the mobile wallet which seeks to integrate postal products with various payment platforms and the Tunza Nyumba na Posta which links retailers and consumers of basic household commodities through e-commerce. “We have to ensure that we have safe, timely and efficient delivery to our customers by optimising the fleet that we have. We are therefore tasked with the duty of providing innovative products to our customers, and to be able to compete effectively, we must prioritise the modernization of our fleet,” said the PS. She said that she will make sure government ministries and agencies use Posta in all their services. Postmaster General Dan Kagwe said that they are working to create a seamless logistic approach to business where they will do clearing and forwarding and bring imported products to the door steps of their customers. Kagwe said they have ventured into clearing and forwarding and have so far worked with National Oil Corporation, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and other entities including car importers and have recorded tremendous results. We have to ensure that we have safe, timely and efficient delivery to our customers by optimising the fleet that we have - Principal Secretary Fatma Hirsi History made as Machakos says yes to lactation booths Motion received unanimous support from both female and male legislators in the Assembly BY JUSTUS KEESI KNA- MACHAKOS I n a historic move, the Machakos County Assembly has passed a motion that will require the county offices to have special breastfeeding chambers for new mothers. A motion passed last week by the Assembly noted that it was pertinent for the county government to conform to Article 53(1) (c) of the constitution that provides for basic nutrition as a right of children. Further, the provisions of the motion are in compliance with World Health Organisation (WHO) Recommendations and Health Act 2017. Moved by nominated MCA Ms. Pauline Munguti the motion received unanimous support from both female and male legislators in the Assembly who cited the requirement for exclusive breastfeeding to reduce infant mortality RE-ADVERTISEMENT ON CHANGE OF VENUE FOR PUBLIC HEARING/RECEIPT OF MEMORANDA caused by common childhood illnesses and quicker recovery during illness. “I have walked around and no single department has space for breastfeeding and yet the child has a right to breastfeed, while all working mothers have to return to work from maternity leave after three months thus disrupting the recommended six-month exclusive breastfeeding post-natal period,” said Matuu MCA Judas Ndawa. He told the House that such mothers who resume duties after the three-month maternity leave do not get special places to express their milk or breast feed the babies but share offices with their colleagues. “They have no place to express milk and thereby compromise the rights of their babies,” he added. Nominated MCA Angela Munyasya expressed concern that lack of such lactation stations made the female personnel resuming duty from maternity less productive as all their thoughts were with their young babies at home. The sitting was chaired by Assembly Speaker Florence Mwangangi. They have no place to express milk and thereby compromise the rights of their babies - Matuu MCA Judas Ndawa Lack of Data protection laws in the country poses a threat to individuals, institutions as well as to national security, especially in the advent of the digital age. Consequently, there is need to protect individual’s right to privacy and particularly Personal Data. The Cabinet Secretary vide Gazette Notice Number 4367 of 11th Deputy Governor lauds hospital equipment plan Dialysis machines purchased by the National Government for the Lodwar County Referral Hospital under a lease agreement are saving time and money BY PETER GITONGA KNA-TURKANA T he dialysis machines purchased by the National Government for the Lodwar County Referral Hospital under a lease agreement are saving patients and the county government money and time spent on the roads in referrals cases. Speaking when he toured the Lodwar hospital’s renal dialysis unit, Deputy Governor Peter Lotethiro and health county executive committee member Jane Ajele said the county government used to spend Sh25,000 for every referral to Mo Teaching and Referral Hospital in doret. The hospital is currently offering the services free of charge but pl to start charging a fee at a later d Those who have the NHIF insuran will be charged for inpatient bed services at a subsidised rate that the hospital management is yet to establish as a shared cost. “The five dialysis machines have saved the county government money and also saved patients the Sh6,500 they used to pay for every dialysis session,” said Lotethiro. “I want to say we are grateful to the National Government for giving us five dialysis machines under the lease arrangement to help our people who have been travelling more than 400 kilometres to seek for such services either in Eldoret or other neighuring towns,” said the deputy Govng the five dialysis machines, e will entirely be for isolation cases er for patients with hepatitis cations and the four will be for dney complications. May 2018 constituted a Taskforce to develop the Policy and Regulatory Framework for Privacy and Data Protection in Kenya. The Taskforce’s engagements have culminated in the development of a draft Privacy and Data Protection Policy and Bill. The instruments are proposed to ensure the development of an enabling regulatory framework for Privacy and Data protection in Kenya. The Ministry, in accordance with the national values and the values of public service enshrined in the Constitution, now invites interested members of the public to submit any representations that they may have on the Data Protection Policy and Bill. The representations may be made orally or by submissions of written memoranda in the following manner : 1. The Public Hearing shall be held on 3rd October 2018 at the Kenya National Museum, Nairobi – Louis Leakey Auditorium from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm, instead of the earlier proposed venue-Hilton Hotel. 2. Written Memoranda may be forwarded to the Principal Secretary, State Department of ICT and Innovation, Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology, Teleposta Towers, Kenyatta Avenue, Koinange Street, P. O. Box 30025-00100, Nairobi, or emailed to pdp@information.go.ke or pdp@ca.go.ke to be received on or before 2nd October, 2018 at 5:00pm. The proposed instruments may be accessed on the Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology and Communications Authority of Kenya’s websites through the following links: 1. http://www.ict.go.ke/request-for-comments-on-the-proposed-privacy-and-data-protection-policy-andbill-2018/ 2. https://ca.go.ke/request-for-comments-on-the-proposed-privacy-and-data-protection-policy-andbill-2018/ Telephone Number 0703 042 556 / 0703 042 530. Joe Mucheru, EGH Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Information, Communications and Technology
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