The Kenyan government plans to provide anti-retroviral treatment (ARVs) to 181,000 people living with HIV by 2005, a government statement said. The number of beneficiaries would rise to 250,000 by 2010, it added. Health Minister Charity Ngilu said the strategy would be achieved through the implementation of a National Social Health Insurance Scheme, which the Kenyan parliament is due to debate this year.

Oxfam GB

Oxfam GB's Pan Africa Programme enables platforms for staff, African civil society networks and affected people to change international and continental public policies and practices that negatively impact on citizens rights, security of lives and livelihoods in Africa. A new position has opened up for a dynamic person to coordinate the administration and communications function based in Nairobi supported by the Pan Africa Policy Advisor.

The drive to seize and repossess billions of shillings in assets and cash believed to have been looted from public coffers in the past few decades kicks off in earnest this week with the inauguration of the rejuvenated Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission. The potentially controversial exercise, which is likely to be underlined by heavy political overtones, has been slated as one of the first tasks awaiting the new director of the Commission, impeccable sources told the Sunday Standard.

The Union of Kenya Civil Servants has announced its intention to sue the Government for allegedly flouting the Labour Act and violating their human rights. Announcing the move, the deputy national organising secretary, Mr Mbuthia, said that the Labour minister Newton Kulundu and the Directorate of Personnel Management Simon Njau had flouted labour laws by under-paying workers in seven job groups. The union is demanding they reimburse the salary differences.

Police this week violently dispersed hundreds of protesters from the Maasai community who had gone to present a petition to the British High Commissioner, Edward Clay, demanding back land now in the hands of ranchers. Scores of demonstrators were arrested and clubbed by police in Nairobi when they defied an order against the march.

Kenyan police shot dead a 70 year old Masai man whilst he was grazing his cattle on private land given to British settlers 100 years ago. Four other herdsmen were also injured in the incident last Saturday. A local Masai leader said that the police opened fire after herdsmen were forced by drought to graze their cattle on private ranchland. Police and farmers say the grazing is part of a Masai campaign to illegally seize land.

Police have seized 10 children for DNA testing from the Kenyan home of UK-based evangelist Gilbert Deya. A total of 21 children are now being held by Kenyan police investigating a suspected child-trafficking ring. The children, aged between five weeks and 11 years, were found locked in the house of Archbishop Deya on Friday morning in the capital Nairobi.

Kenya's maternal and infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world. One out of every 20 women is likely to die during child delivery, said Dr Metin Gulmezoglu, a scientist based at the World Health Organisation headquarters in Geneva. This compares unfavourably to one in every 1100 women in most countries in Europe, he said, adding: "The risk of a woman dying before or during child birth is 200 times more in Kenyan than is the case in Europe."

Both the civil society and private sectors in Kenya have expressed their concern at being excluded from consultations on the drafting of the country's ICT policy. The new policy is intended to cover issues such as access to ICTs and the legal framework for the industry's operations. At present it is estimated that over 90% of the 30 million population are unable to access ICTs.

The Kenyan Lands and Housing Minister, Amos Kimunya, has said that an "explosive" report on land grabbing will first be subjected to Cabinet scrutiny before it is made public. The minister told reporters that the report names prominent politicians both in the current and former regimes, high ranking military personnel and senior civil servants as having grabbed huge chunks of land, leaving millions of Kenyans landless.

Diplomatic postings for more than 90 officers of Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been cancelled after allegations of serious irregularities in their selection. The Permanent Secretary, Esther Tolle, took the action after concerns that nepotism, tribalism and cronyism were the main considerations during the appointments. This follows recent concerns that the Ministry is wasteful by sending junior officers, including drivers, on foreign postings at considerable cost, rather than using locally employed staff as is the custom with most other countries.

The Kenyan Masai vowed on Tuesday to intensify protests calling for the return of land given to British settlers 100 years ago after the government rejected their demand. Lands and Housing Minister, Amos Kimunya dismissed the Masai's claim, saying that "Kenya was reconstituted as a republic in 1963 and started to follow its own laws and not an agreement entered by some elders."

The government has no plans of lifting the ban on corporal punishment in schools. Instead, the Ministry of Education is currently preparing a handbook on alternative forms of penalties to instill discipline among pupils, a senior education official said. Mr Eliud Barasa told a human rights forum in Nairobi that caning of errant pupils was inconsistent with local and international laws.

The process of formulating Kenya's national land policy got underway last week, with the government assuring Kenyans that although donors are financing the process, they would not influence its outcome. The move follows concerns raised by the DFID's appointment of an expatriate, Martins Adams, as a technical advisor for the process. $1.8m has been provided by DfID, USAID and SIDA to fund the land reform process.

110 teachers were sacked this week and another 447 interdicted for sexually abusing their pupils. Making the announcement, the assistant minister of education, Beth Mugo said that "teachers implicated in sexual misconduct with their pupils would not be tolerated." However, commenting on the event, UNICEF's regional representative said that "interdiction is not enough. These teachers should be prosecuted."

Ten years ago, Inviolata Mmbwavi’s relatives thought she would die. Today, thanks to her determination, she is the star of the family. "My entire family is now proud of what I am despite the handicaps I face," Inviolata says. She adds: "Even relatives who used to gossip about my HIV status have stopped." Today, she has only one wish. "I would want to have another child but I do not want to infect somebody or have an HIV-positive child," she says.

A Conference for the Diaspora, Universities, Governments, NGOs, Development Partners, and the Private Sector - The Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi - Kenya, 19th - 22nd December 2004.

Kenya Diaspora Network has announced the launch of the Skills-Bank Database which will enable the Kenyan Diaspora community to know and identify its resource capability in a fast, reliable and efficient manner.

The Government has distanced itself from a proposal to place Kenya's wildlife under a commercial company as details emerged of the controversial Sh7 billion plan to reshape game management. Tourism minister Karisa Maitha said the Kenya Wildlife Service was 'not for sale' and dismissed a controversial project proposal drawn up by a British businessman working with local conservation interests.

The Kenyan Newspaper, The East African Standard, is alleging that two companies associated with top politicians are to clinch the tender to import 180,000 tonnes of relief maize. Originally six companies were supposed to be picked to import the maize, but according to the newspaper, lobbying by the politicians might have secured it for the two companies. The announcement of the winning companies was due last Monday, but has been delayed by the Government.