By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

The concerns were raised during a multi-agency stakeholder engagement held in Kitui town on August 21, bringing together representatives of civil society organisations, the Ministry of Health, youth and women networks and other duty bearers.

Participants said congestion was among the most pressing challenges, particularly in the maternity wards, where some mothers were reportedly forced to share beds with their newborns, exposing both mothers and babies to unhealthy conditions.

They also raised concerns over long queues and congestion at the OutPatient Department (OPD), saying patients were spending excessive amounts of time seeking services. “There is something to be done. That congestion is real. From the wards to where people are registering cards, people are taking a lot of time,” a resident said.

Stakeholders further questioned delays associated with the SHA system, saying some patients had reportedly been held at the hospital after discharge because their claims could not be processed. “Patients have been discharged but instead of going home to rest, the hospital is holding them because SHA is not working. Others are being referred to other hospitals where SHA is working,” another stakeholder said.

The meeting also raised concerns over alleged negative attitudes among some healthcare workers. Participants attributed the situation partly to staff shortages, which they said had increased workloads and affected the quality of patient care.

Concerns over sanitation were also highlighted, with participants describing parts of the hospital as unhygienic and unsuitable for patients recovering from illness.

Stakeholders further called for an increase in the number of ambulances in the county, saying shortages had contributed to delays in accessing emergency care. One resident claimed families were sometimes forced to pay up to KSh15,000 for private ambulance services to transport patients to Nairobi.

The availability of medicines and medical supplies was another major concern, with participants alleging that some patients were being sent to private chemists to purchase drugs and other commodities.

County health officials attributed some of the challenges to the high number of patients seeking services at the referral hospital, noting that the facility receives more than 3,000 outpatient visits daily.

On medicine shortages, an official said the county’s health budget was often insufficient to meet the hospital’s needs, while reliance on the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA) was sometimes affected by shortages of essential commodities.

Regarding SHA, officials said low registration among residents had delayed the flow of funds to the county health system. They urged residents to register with SHA to facilitate funding and improve healthcare services.

The stakeholders called on the county government and hospital management to implement urgent measures to improve service delivery and restore public confidence in the facility.

By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

On Friday, as the University of Embu celebrated its 2,367 graduates, Mbugua, a Bachelor of Information Technology graduate, turned heads along Mama Ngina Street in Embu Town.

Still dressed in his graduation gown, Mbugua returned to the same maize-roasting stand that helped him survive university life, bringing the busy street to a standstill as customers gathered to celebrate his remarkable achievement.

Mbugua joined the University of Embu in 2022 as a first-year student, determined to complete his studies and build a better future. After noticing that his classes were scattered throughout the university timetable, leaving him with considerable free time, he decided to use the opportunity productively. He started roasting maize along Mama Ngina Street.

What began as a simple hustle gradually became his source of upkeep, helping him meet his daily expenses while his mother, Wangui Mbugua, remained responsible for supporting his siblings back home in Nyandarua.

Through consistency and hard work, Mbugua built a loyal customer base. Interestingly, many of his customers did not initially know that the young man serving them roasted maize was also pursuing a university degree. “I never felt ashamed of what I was doing. I knew I was working to support myself and achieve my dream,” Mbugua said.

Years later, his perseverance paid off. On his graduation day, his customers did not just come for roasted maize. They came to celebrate one of their own. Some gathered around his stand, while one customer went a step further and brought a cake to honour his achievement.

The customers praised Mbugua for remaining humble and hardworking despite balancing business and university studies.

His mother, Wangui Mbugua, could not hide her happiness as her firstborn son graduated. She described Richard as an obedient and hardworking young man, saying his maize-roasting business was not something he had started at university.

According to Wangui, Richard used to roast maize even during his high school holidays, demonstrating his willingness to work from an early age. She said he was also a dedicated student and had played an important role in helping her navigate the financial challenges of educating him while also taking care of his other siblings. “He has helped me a lot in navigating the challenges of keeping him in school while I also have other children to take care of,” Wangui said.

She said she was particularly touched by the reception her son received from his customers on graduation day, adding that she had never imagined that his small business had enabled him to build such a strong bond with people in Embu Town.

Cecily Kithaka, a businesswoman in Embu Town, also expressed her joy at seeing Mbugua graduate. She said she had watched him endure the scorching sun while roasting maize in an effort to raise money and remain in school.

Kithaka described his journey as an example of determination, saying his willingness to work hard while pursuing his education should inspire other young people facing financial challenges.

Embu Senator Alexander Mundigi also recognised Mbugua's determination and offered to facilitate him in acquiring a passport so that he would be ready should an employment opportunity requiring him to travel abroad arise.

Mbugua's story is a reminder that there is dignity in honest work and no shame in starting small.

From a maize-roasting stand to a university graduation gown, his journey demonstrates that success does not always begin in an office. Sometimes, it begins with a simple idea, a little courage and the determination to keep going.

Now armed with a Bachelor of Information Technology degree, Mbugua is looking forward to his next chapter of life. He is appealing to well-wishers and employers in the technology sector to give him an opportunity to put his skills to work. He is also seeking support to expand his maize-roasting business as he searches for employment.

For Mbugua, the graduation gown may mark the end of his university journey but it is only the beginning of a much bigger dream.

By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

Speaking on Friday during the 11th graduation ceremony of the University of Embu, Education Cabinet Secretary Julius Ogamba said the Government was continuously refining the funding model to better respond to the diverse circumstances of students joining universities and TVET institutions.

Ogamba said the Government’s goal was to open opportunities equitably and ensure that no student’s talent is wasted due to lack of financial means. He said the Government had, in this regard, developed a new funding framework dubbed the Universal Student Funding Model, which focuses on investing directly in students’ future professional capacity.

The CS said the new framework would move away from the Student-Centred Funding Model (SCFM), introduced in 2023 and based on the Means Testing Instrument (MTI), which assessed students’ education funding according to their parents’ financial circumstances.

He noted that the Government had faced longstanding challenges in financing higher education, dating back to the Differentiated Unit Cost (DUC) model, which was phased out in 2023 following the introduction of SCFM. According to Ogamba, the two models contributed to universities accumulating huge debts, partly due to inadequate government funding, leaving some institutions in severe financial distress.

The CS said the existing approach focused on assessing parents rather than students, which could disadvantage deserving students whenever the formula inaccurately assessed their parents’ financial ability. “We have changed that thinking by now focusing on the future of the students by funding their professional careers instead of parents’ current financial ability,” he said.

Ogamba added that the system had, in some cases, forced students to abandon careers of their choice and pursue courses that their parents could afford to finance. Under the proposed model, he said, the Government was seeking to transform university education from a household expense into a state-backed investment in human capital.

Chancellor of the University of Embu, Prof. Musili Wambua, said the increased student enrolment at the institution was a result of the quality of education being offered to students at the institution of higher learning and the trust that the people have with the university.

Prof. Wambua said the university has also been ranked among the best public universities on several occasions, attributing the strong performance to proper coordination and collaboration among the university community.

He applauded the Government for its continued funding of higher education, describing the support as a positive step towards strengthening universities and making quality education more accessible.

Vice Chancellor Prof. Daniel Mugendi said 2,367 graduands received certificates, diplomas, degrees, master’s and PhD qualifications during the graduation ceremony. He urged the graduates to utilise the skills and knowledge acquired at the university to transform their own lives and make a positive difference in the lives of others.

By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

The towns earmarked for elevation to municipal status are Runyenjes in Runyenjes Constituency, Kiritiri in Mbeere South Constituency and Siakago in Mbeere North Constituency.

The three will supplement the existing Embu Municipality, which serves as the county headquarters in Manyatta Constituency.

County Executive Committee Member for Lands Raymond Kinyua said the process is already underway following the inauguration of ad hoc committees two months ago by Governor Cecily Mbarire.

Kinyua said the committees are tasked with delineating and reviewing boundaries for the proposed municipalities before submitting their recommendations to the county government.

He described the initiative as a major milestone in Embu’s urban development agenda, saying it will lay the foundation for well-planned, sustainable and inclusive urban centres.

According to CECM Kinyua, the elevation of the towns will enhance service delivery while creating opportunities for investment and improving the quality of life for residents.

He said municipalities have greater potential to attract local and international donor funding and grants, while also facilitating improvements in infrastructure, governance and the business environment.

The CECM said the county expects the ad hoc committees to submit their report by December, after which individual municipal charters will be tabled before the County Assembly for debate, review and approval.

He said once the charters are approved and awarded by the Governor, the county will embark on establishing the necessary governance structures for the new municipalities.

Kinyua projected that the three municipalities could be fully operational by April next year, subject to completion of the approval process.

The county is also exploring collaboration with the Kirinyaga County Government to elevate Makutano Town, which straddles the two counties, to municipal status.

Kinyua said Makutano is a strategic transport and commercial hub at the intersection of the Kenol-Marua Dual Carriage and the Embu-Meru Highway, and its elevation would further boost economic growth in both counties.

By BRIAN MUSYOKA 

The man was found hanging from a tree, while the body of the woman was discovered lying beneath a mango tree.

The bodies were discovered by a farmworker who was spraying the farm before alerting the owner, who subsequently informed the police.

Residents said the two were in a romantic relationship and were known to openly display their affection. They were reportedly seen together at a nearby shopping centre on the evening before their deaths and appeared to have no disagreement.

The man is also said to have borrowed a phone from a friend and recorded a video in which he claimed that his parents did not love him and opposed his relationship with the woman. He reportedly suggested that his days on earth could be numbered.

Residents allege that the man strangled the woman before taking his own life by hanging. However, police are yet to confirm the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.

The man's uncle described him as a hot-tempered person, saying he had left his wife and two children before starting a relationship with the 24-year-old woman.

He said the family had been urging him to return home and take responsibility for his children, dismissing claims that the man was hated by his family.

Police have moved the bodies to the mortuary at Embu Level Five Hospital, where postmortems are expected to be conducted as investigations continue.