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Kitui Hosts KMTC National Sports Championships as 2,600 Students Compete

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By JOSPHINE MWENDE 

Kitui County is hosting this year's Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) National Athletics and Ball Games Championships, bringing together about 2,600 students from 92 KMTC campuses across the country.
KMTC students from several campuses across the country relaxing at Kitui Teachers Training College's athletic field as they watch different ongoing games. MWINGI TIMES |Josphine Mwende

The week-long championships, which began on Wednesday at Kitui Teachers Training College, will run until Friday, 31 July 2026. The event has attracted students, coaches, trainers and KMTC officials from across Kenya.

Speaking during the official opening ceremony, KMTC Chief Executive Officer Dr Kelly Oluoch said the institution remains committed to promoting sports alongside academic excellence, noting that talent development is an integral part of students' holistic growth."About 2,600 students are participating in this year's national sports championships, competing in athletics and various ball games. At KMTC, we recognise that education goes beyond the classroom. A student's potential is not defined solely by academic performance, as many possess exceptional talents that deserve to be nurtured," said Dr Oluoch.
The KMTC CEO Dr. Kelly Oluoch addressing the press at KMTC Kitui branch during the launch of KMTC sports on 28/7/2026. MWINGI TIMES|Josphine Mwende

He added that the championships provide students with an opportunity to interact with colleagues from different regions, exchange learning experiences and maintaining physical fitness."Besides promoting healthy lifestyles, these sporting activities foster cohesion among students from our 92 campuses. They also provide a platform for sharing experiences and identifying talented athletes who can be supported to compete at higher levels," he said.

Representing Kitui Governor Dr Julius Makau Malombe, County Executive Committee Member for Health and Sanitation Ruth Koki welcomed participants to the county and urged local residents to seize the economic opportunities presented by the event."We are honoured to host these national championships. The influx of visitors presents a valuable opportunity for local businesses, including accommodation providers, restaurants, transport operators and traders. I encourage residents to take full advantage of this occasion," she said.

Ms Koki also highlighted the county government's partnership with KMTC, saying the collaboration has enabled students from Kitui, Mutomo and Mwingi campuses to secure internship placements and clinical training opportunities in county health facilities."We have a Memorandum of Understanding with KMTC that allows students from our campuses to undertake internships and gain practical clinical experience in county hospitals. This partnership continues to strengthen healthcare training in the county," she said.

The annual championships are expected to showcase emerging sporting talent while promoting teamwork, healthy competition and national integration among future healthcare professionals.

Parental Responsibility in Child Health Matters:The Boundaries, Conflicts and the Legal Interventions

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By AMOS MUOKI 

The intersection of parental responsibility and child healthcare presents one of the most delicate and contested areas of family law, requiring careful navigation of competing interests: the autonomy of parents, the welfare of children, the professional obligations of healthcare providers, and the protective role of the State. 
A doctor treats a child as mother watches. |COURTESY

While parents are generally recognized as the primary decision-makers for their children's healthcare, this authority is not absolute. The boundaries of parental responsibility in health matters have been the subject of extensive legal scrutiny, particularly when parental decisions conflict with medical recommendations and potentially jeopardise a child's life or long-term wellbeing.

The General Framework: Parental Authority in Healthcare Decisions

As a general principle, parents act as representatives for their children until the children reach the age of majority and can represent themselves. This foundational concept, rooted in both common law and statutory provisions, vests parents with the responsibility and authority to grant consent to health and medical examinations and treatments on behalf of their minor children. This authority is not merely procedural but substantive; parents possess the legal right to participate in decision-making regarding their child's healthcare, influencing decisions about individual changes to their child's care, examinations, and treatments.

This framework aligns with family-centred care strategies, which anticipate parental participation in the co-production of children's healthcare in collaboration with healthcare providers.

Parents possess essential information about their children and play a significant role in their healthcare, contributing insights that no medical professional could acquire through clinical examinations alone. The logic is compelling: parents know their children's medical history, behavioural patterns, and responses to previous treatments, making their participation invaluable to effective healthcare delivery.

The State's Obligation: A Parallel Responsibility

A critical dimension of the legal framework is the recognition that the government, not merely the child's parents, bears a significant obligation to provide healthcare services to the child and safeguard the child's health. Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child requires States Parties to provide the most outstanding practicable level of health and facilities to treat disease and health rehabilitation, guaranteeing that no child is denied the right to such healthcare services. The child's parents' primary responsibility is to ensure that the youngster uses the available services.

Section 9 of the Children Act in Kenya reinforces this principle by imposing the obligation to provide the most effective healthcare possible for the child jointly on the government, parents, guardians, institutions, services, agencies, organisations, or entities in charge of the child's care. 

Where the child's right to health is likely to be violated due to parents' failure to carry out their responsibility, the government, institution, or individual responsible for providing such healthcare can intervene in the best interests of the child and ensure that the child's health is protected. This parallel responsibility creates a complex dynamic. While parents are the primary decision-makers in healthcare matters, the State has a residual duty to ensure that children receive adequate healthcare and that parental decisions do not compromise children's health to an unacceptable degree. 

The tension between these competing responsibilities often manifests in disputes about who can give consent for medical care, what information parents are entitled to receive, and the extent of parental control over treatment decisions.

The Limits of Parental Authority: Parens Patriae and State Intervention

Whatever the parents' responsibilities regarding their children's health, parental power is not absolute. When the option chosen by parents is detrimental to the child's best interests, the government may step in, aligning with the doctrine of parens patriae. This Latin term, meaning "father of the country," refers to the State's ability to monitor and intervene against an abusive or negligent parent, serving as the protector of any child or person in need of protection.

The Supreme Court of the United States articulated this principle in Prince vs. Massachusetts, holding that neither religion nor parenthood is exempt from this restriction. The State's authority to protect children from harm supersedes parental authority when the exercise of that authority threatens the child's welfare. This principle has been adopted in various jurisdictions, including Kenya, where it informs judicial decision-making in cases involving conflicts between parental rights and children's health interests.

The application of the parens patriae doctrine is not automatic or unlimited. Courts have established criteria for determining when State intervention is justified. Generally, the projected outcome of the illness or condition is a significant factor; if the planned medical therapy has a high likelihood of success and the expected consequence without treatment is death, courts are more inclined to intervene and overturn parental decisions. 

Conversely, if the planned medical therapy has a low chance of success or the expected consequence is not death, courts typically affirm the parents' decision. The weighing of interests favours the child, and government authority only claims the child's rights when the child's life is in danger.

Judicial Resolution of Healthcare Disputes

Disputes between parents and healthcare providers often reach the courts, requiring judges to balance parental rights against children's interests. These cases typically arise when clinicians decline to initiate or continue therapies they consider futile, when therapeutic alternatives exist but parents refuse consent, or when parents disagree among themselves about appropriate treatment.

The case of Esabunor & Anor v Faweya & Ors, illustrates the complexity of these disputes. In that case, the parents of a one-month-old infant attempted to exert control over the medical treatment of their critically ill child by refusing blood transfusions for religious reasons. The court was required to weigh parental religious freedom against the child's right to life and health, a balancing exercise that courts across jurisdictions have undertaken with varying results.

In Kenya, cases may be submitted to the courts when physicians believe therapeutic alternatives exist but parents refuse to consent, or when parental disagreements arise. The child's best interests are paramount, and their wellbeing should always take precedence. However, as parents' expectations rise and physicians fear litigation if they act against parents' wishes, the court's view will be increasingly sought. To resolve these disputes, the court must carefully balance a parent's rights against the child's interests, always keeping the best interests of the child as the overriding consideration.

The Delicate Balance: Weighing Parental Rights and Child Welfare

The jurisprudence in this area reveals a delicate balancing exercise. Courts have recognised that obtaining a court order without giving proper weight to the parents' views and exhausting all dialogical possibilities can harm the family unit and the children. The preferred approach is to resolve disputes through dialogue and compromise, preserving the parent-child relationship while ensuring the child receives appropriate care.

The case of Newmark v. Williams,, illustrates the complexity of this assessment. A young boy was diagnosed with Burkitt's lymphoma and given a 40% chance of life if he received chemotherapy treatments. Rather than subjecting him to an uncertain and unpleasant medical therapy, his parents decided to obtain treatment through their church. The State opposed this decision and sought interim custody of the child. The Delaware Supreme Court ruled in favour of the parents, noting that spiritual therapy exemptions reflect the State's policy for quality of life. The Court recognised that a critically ill child may find comfort in the caring and loving environment of their family, against the pristine hospital atmosphere sought by physicians wanting to give excruciatingly painful and potentially life-threatening therapies with dubious efficacy.

This case demonstrates that courts are not simply medical rationalists who defer automatically to clinical judgment. They consider the broader context, including the quality of life implications of proposed treatments, the family's values and beliefs, and the psychological impact of medical interventions on the child.

The Exception: Emergency Medical Situations

In emergency medical situations, court proceedings are not necessary before healthcare providers can act to preserve a child's life. By taking an interventionist approach to child-related matters, courts have significantly decreased the abuse of parental power over decisions affecting their children's health.

However, applying to and waiting for the court to make an order before health practitioners make confident choices in treating an ill child may be a pointless endeavour if the child's status is exceedingly severe and cannot withstand even the slightest delay in the medical procedure.

In developing countries like Kenya, the courts face numerous challenges, ranging from lack of infrastructural facilities to shortage of human resources to expedite proceedings.

Under Article 3 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and Section 9 of the Children Act, the law has already granted health practitioners the authority to act in the child's best interests. Therefore, once the person in charge of the child's health is convinced that the therapy to be delivered is in the child's best interests, there may be no need to go to court before preserving a child's life, especially in life-threatening conditions.

Conclusion

The boundaries of parental responsibility in child health matters are neither fixed nor absolute but are defined through a complex interaction of legal principles, medical considerations, and social values. While parents are generally recognised as the primary decision-makers for their children's healthcare, this authority is subject to limitations when it conflicts with the child's best interests or when the State's protective obligations are engaged.

The legal framework, as articulated in international instruments, constitutional provisions, and judicial decisions, establishes that parents have the right and responsibility to participate in healthcare decisions, but this participation is not absolute. The State has a parallel obligation to ensure children receive adequate healthcare, and may intervene when parental decisions threaten significant harm. Courts serve as arbiters of disputes, weighing parental rights against children's interests and determining when intervention is justified.

The writer is a legal expert specializing in constitutional law, and this article is intended for public education only and does not constitute legal advice.

Govt to Speed Up Establishment of Sh2.2Trillion Oil Refinery-DP Kindiki

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BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT 

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki says Kenya is ramping up efforts for the establishment of the East Africa oil refinery as it builds consensus with regional partners on the most suitable location for the multi-trillion-shilling investment.

Deputy President Kithure Kindiki chairs a meeting about establishing the proposed Eastern African Oil Refinery. Relevant stakeholders attended the meeting at Harambee House on July 28, 2026. |DPCS


The DP said it is important to smoothen the path for the setting up of the Sh2.2 trillion shillings refinery by Nigerian entrepreneur Aliko Dangote who is keen to ensure it is established in the region.

“Kenya is keen and is engaging regional partners for consensus on that facility being hosted in this region. It will create jobs hence cushioning our economy and the region from economic shocks emanating from sharp rises in oil prices like we have witnessed recently because of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” DP noted.

The Deputy President on Tuesday engaged respective Ministries, Departments and Agencies at Harambee House Annex, Nairobi on the necessary legal, regulatory and administrative measures crucial for the construction of the refinery which will be among the largest in the world.

Present were Cabinet Secretaries John Mbadi (National Treasury), Davis Chirchir (Roads and Infrastructure), Opiyo Wandayi (Energy), Alice Wahome (Lands), Principal Secretaries among other senior officials.

Prof. Kindiki said Lamu had been identified as the possible site for the project but that feasibility activities have commenced to ascertain its suitability. “We are hoping that the feasibility work will end quickly and all the stakeholders will buy-in so that we can have this big project. It will create jobs, establish a petro-chemical hub for this region and help us cushion our economies from oil price spikes as well as help our industrialization agenda as a region,” DP stated.

President Ruto has assigned the Deputy President the role of coordinating the government's engagement with the investors and other stakeholders ahead of the project’s commencement.

With the preliminary processes pressing ahead, the Second in Command on Tuesday urged those tasked with various duties to be more proactive and ensure they discharge their roles accordingly.

“This is work in progress and all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are seized of their responsibilities as the feasibility process goes on and from time to time we will be reporting progress,” DP said.

 Additionally, he asked all stakeholders to be patient promising more engagements to ensure clarity as the projects nears commencement.

Prof. Kindiki said there is need to engage interested parties and partners saying it is a mega project that must be handled carefully to avert damaging missteps.

“This is not entirely a Kenyan project. It is an international project involving regional partners and foreign investors. It is a sensitive and delicate matter but it is crucial for us and the region,” he emphasized.  


How to Subscribe to Facebook Without Bank Card

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By MUSYOKA NGUI 

Sometimes you find that you lack a banker's card to venture into international trade yet your ambitions cannot procrastinate. A visit to a local bank branch can worsen your frustrations given the pile of bureaucratic hurdles thrown your way. Yet you have all these: money, time and dreams.
You don't need to have a debit or credit card to pay for your Facebook page and/or profile transactions. You can use your Safaricom line  by downloading My One App and following the steps in the story above. |COURTESY

Bypass all the boring  crappy stories of tellers by downloading Safaricom's MyOne App from Google Play Store. Once installed, verify your details using either fingerprint scan or PIN.

The MPESA Visa Card /Global Pay will open and take you to where you can see details of card like its 16 digit number, expiry date and the CVV code.

Note the details because you will use them in paying for your Facebook profile and page subscriptions if you're into digital monetization.

Under Facebook page and profile subscription renewal, go to Settings>Subscriptions. Use Meta Pay to link it with your Global Pay Card to make your payments.

Once you do, click to pay. Ensure you have enough money on your Global Pay account to pay for the Meta subscription.  If not, go back and activate Fuliza.  Yes !. You can Fuliza dollars hapo chini.

Gachagua Should Be NCIC's First Guest, Not Duale, Says Ruku

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By MWINGI TIMES CORRESPONDENT 

Cabinet Secretary for Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Geoffrey Ruku has said former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, and not his Cabinet colleague Aden Duale, should be the first person summoned by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC).
Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes CS Geoffrey Ruku speaks during a meeting with Tana River County leaders. He held a consultative meeting with grassroot leaders to discuss development agenda for the region.  |COURTESY

Ruku accused Gachagua of propagating hate and making divisive ethnic remarks that threaten national unity, arguing that he should answer questions over his public utterances instead of demanding that other leaders be investigated.

The Cabinet Secretary was responding to Gachagua's call for the NCIC to summon Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale over his recent remarks.

Speaking during a public meeting in Wayu Boro, Galole Constituency, Tana River County, Ruku said Gachagua has consistently promoted tribal politics rather than a national development agenda. He Stated that the former Deputy President has continued to fuel ethnic divisions through his political statements, warning that such rhetoric undermines national cohesion and peaceful coexistence.

Ruku also dismissed Gachagua's political influence, insisting that nothing will stop President William Ruto from securing a second term in the 2027 General Election. He said the Kenya Kwanza administration would seek re-election on the strength of its development record rather than political rhetoric.

According to Ruku, the government's achievements in infrastructure, agriculture, social programmes and economic empowerment will form the foundation of President Ruto's re-election campaign, expressing confidence that no political campaign mounted by Gachagua or any other Opposition leader would derail the President's bid.

The Cabinet Secretary further maintained that the Mt Kenya region remains firmly behind President Ruto, dismissing claims that it has shifted its political allegiance. He said the region continues to enjoy significant representation in government, noting that President Ruto appointed more Cabinet Secretaries from Mt Kenya than from any other region, a move he said reflects the President's commitment to inclusivity and recognition of the region's contribution to national development.

Ruku urged Mt Kenya residents to continue supporting the Kenya Kwanza administration, arguing that remaining in government is the surest way to accelerate development projects and improve livelihoods. He also defended Deputy President Prof. Kithure Kindiki, urging Gachagua to respect him and acknowledge his leadership role in the Mt Kenya region.

Ruku concluded by expressing confidence that President Ruto, backed by what he described as a united government and a development-focused agenda, would secure re-election, insisting that no amount of political opposition would change what he termed as the will of the Kenyan people.

The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by local leaders during the visit to Wayu Boro, where he presided over a fundraising event for the construction of a mosque.

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