Mukhisa Kituyi to head UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

Former Trade Minister Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi has been appointed the new Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). 

Dr. Kituyi who was once an MP of Kimilili becomes the first Kenyan to head a United Nations agency as a Secretary General. He will also simultaneously serve as the undersecretary of the United Nations.

31st Annual East African Model United Nations Conference Set for Monday

Date: Monday February 25, 2013
Venue: United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON)
Time: 12:00pm

Half-Marathon to Celebrate Nairobi as World's 'Environment Capital'

-Press Release-

Nairobi, 1 February 2013 - Some of Kenya's top up-and-coming long-distance runners will race through the streets of Nairobi alongside the public, UN staff and the diplomatic community in February to celebrate universal membership of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

Heads of State and nations meeting at the Rio+20 Summit in Brazil last year agreed to "strengthen and upgrade" UNEP in its Nairobi home. They also decided to transform its annual Governing Council from a membership of 58 nations to one of universal membership of more than 190 member states.

Organized by the Paul Tergat Foundation, Athletics Kenya and UNEP, with the support of the International Olympic Committee, the 21-kilometre celebratory run on 24 February is not only about this big boost to Kenya's global standing in international and environmental affairs.

Kenya's Bishar Hussein Elected Universal Postal Director

Bishar Hussein who is a former ambassador to Abu Dhabi and Postmaster General of the Postal Corporation of Kenya has been elected new Director General of the Universal Postal Union, UN specialized body dealing with postal matters.

He officially took office on Monday promising to offer efficient management of the Union’s resources in the most transparent manner.

“We will explore every opportunity to raise sufficient funds to carry out the most important and critical programmes and projects that will further the cause of the Union,” Mr Hussein told Union members during his inauguration in Switzerland.

Kofi Annan’s book, Interventions Officially Launched

Memoirs of Ghana, Darfur, Middle East, Rwanda, Somalia, and Kenya.

President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga shake hands after Kofi Annan (Rt.) brokered the peace deal.  Photo courtesy of Simon Maina /AFP/ Getty Images

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan’s book, ‘Interventions, A Life in War and Peace.’ was officially launched in a colorful ceremony held in Accra, Ghana on Saturday.

In the 353-page book, Annan provides a personal account of life in war-torn and peaceful countries as well as the achievements and challenges of the UN.

Hon. Lady Justice Njoki Susanna Ndung’u EBS

Born in 1965, she is renowned for her efforts in the successive enactment of the Sexual Offences Act 2006 and Maternity and Paternity Act 2007. The former nominated Member of Parliament currently serves as a Supreme Court judge and executive Chairperson for Center for Legal Communication & Information in Kenya (CLICK).

Kenya’s Heroine: Tegla Chepkite Loroupe

The Marathon Queen

Yesterday Kenyans joined the rest of the world to mark the International Women’s Day. We are all proud of our mothers, sisters, and daughters who make this nation great. This inspired me to write about one heroine who has changed the lives of many Kenyans and brought glory to Kenya. Tegla Loroupe the jewel born in Kutomwony, West Pokot and glittered every part of the world she stepped. Her success as an athlete has been remarkable dating back to 1994 and has held numerous world records.

 Loroupe in the London Marathon

Loroupe committed herself to bring peace among the conflicting communities of Karamojang, Sebei, Pokot, Marakwet and Turkana with her Peace Foundation. The Foundation organizes sports events such as the famous annual Tegla Loroupe Peace Race. The Peace race has not only fostered peace in the area but has been a breeding ground for future Kenya athletes. Loroupe has also been championing for the rights of women and girls and has a school which is still under construction. The school, Tegla Loroupe Peace Academy is expected to admit orphans affected by the violence in cattle-rustling areas of Southern Sudan, North-west Kenya, and Eastern Uganda.

Loroupe has many honors to her illustrative including being the first African woman to win the New York marathon and holds 20, 25, and 30 kilometers world records. Loroupe has also served in capacity of a United Nations Ambassador of Sport.

Kenya's World Heritage Sites

Global Pride

Kenya boasts of 6 World Heritage Centres out of the 936 recognized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). These are sites considered to be of phenomenal universal value. For this reason, we are ready to preserve these sites by all means.

Here are the sites that have earned the privilege as per UNESCO:

Lake Turkana National Parks, date of inscription of 1997, 2001

Mt. Kenya National Park/ Natural Forest, date of inscription 1997

Lamu Old Town, date of inscription of 2001

Lake Bogoria

Central Island

Lake Elmentaita

Fort Jesus

Lake Nakuru

Sibiloi National Park for more go to The UNESCO site

The latest sites to be inscribed are the Kenya Lake System in the Rift Valley and Fort Jesus in June 2011. The global pride will always continue to blossom.

Kenya’s Gold Garbage

James Archer invention

Arch. James Howard Archer was born in 1937 in Nairobi. He graduated the Oxford School of Architecture in 1960. He is credited with the architecture of many buildings in Kenya, notably Nation Centre and Lonhro Towers. However, his passion to make Kenya’s slum dwellers benefit from the piling mass of rubbish in their neighbourhood is outstanding.

Archer came up with a ground-breaking invention; popularly known as Jiko ya Jamii (Swahili for community cooker). The cooker which is strategically placed in Kibera’s Laini Saba has alleviated the problems of the people in Kibera. From sellers of perishable foods, mothers preparing meals to one having a hot shower before work, the cooker has benefited the people.

The cooker is fuelled by the trash collected in Africa’s second largest urban slum (Kibera). The garbage is then burnt at over 800-degrees thus maintaining the cleanness of the environmental. The cooker has caught the attention of international bodies such as United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Environmental programme, as well as from NGOs.

In 2008 the community cooker did win a prize in the World Architecture Festival in Barcelona. Kenya is seeking alternatives to charcoal and wood currently used in many Kenyan homes and the cooker is a step towards realisation of an energy sufficient nation.