The County Government of Nakuru has initiated plans to construct a modern psychiatric facility to fully integrate mental health services in its healthcare provision programs.

Currently, Gilgil General and Psychiatric Hospital, which serves as Nairobi’s Mathari Hospital annexe, is the oldest and biggest psychiatric unit in Rift Valley.

The Gilgil-based hospital is grappling with the rising number of abandoned psychiatric patients, some being there for over 30 years, thus straining the facility.

Already, a technical team from Nakuru County has toured the Chiromo Mental Health Hospital to collect data on a modern and ideal mental health facility.

The team led by Dr Cleophas Wafula, a Clinical Psychologist at the Nakuru Level 5 Hospital also met Dr Frank Njenga, a renowned mental health consultant.

County Architect, Mr Julius Kiprop Sang’ noted that the data will help Nakuru come up with a modern mental infrastructure in Gilgil sub-County to well serve the region.

Dr Frank Njenga commended Nakuru County for taking interest in coming up with the right infrastructure to address mental healthcare issues.

The Taskforce on Mental Health of Kenya report of July 2020 recommended that mental illness should be declared a national emergency of epidemic proportions.

The report further called for the prioritization of mental health as public health and socioeconomic agenda.

Senator Susan Kihika has protested what she terms as an elaborate plan by the ruling Jubilee Party to rig the London Ward by-election slated for Thursday.

The seat fell vacant after area Member of County Assembly, Sammy Mbugua succumbed to a liver disease late last year.

The by-election has attracted strong succession competition with Jubilee’s Francis Njoroge and UDA’s Wachira Nzuki being frontrunners. ODM and KANU candidates have since pulled out.

In a letter to the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai, the Senator claims the party plots to use police to cause chaos and disrupt the voting process.

“The dastardly, undemocratic and one-party era scheme is also meant to have marauding gangs cause mayhem in UDA strongholds in the Ward,” she further alleges.

She claims that the OCPD had been ordered by the government to ensure that Jubilee Party’s Njoroge wins, despite the party having no touch on the ground.

A week ago, police tear-gassed lawmakers allied to Deputy President William Ruto to stop a campaign meeting for the UDA party candidate.

The Senator warned the police against being used by State agents to subvert the will of London Ward people whom she said will turn up in large numbers to vote.

She says Jubilee had panicked and resorted to open-market voter bribery as witnesses at the weekend. And in line with Operation Nakuru West, the police supervised the bribery.

“We urge the IEBC to fulfil its role and be the honest arbiter the Constitution and the people of London Ward, and indeed Kenya, expect it to be,” she stated.

Hotel industry was among the hardest hit in the Country when COVID-19 pandemic was reported in Kenya. Most staff were sent home as the facilities could not sustain employees due to the harsh economic times.

However, various players in the industry are doing all they can towards recovery after the COVID-19.

Golden Palace Nakuru is one facility that has continued to put in place mechanisms to ensure they are back on track after the harsh economic times occasioned by COVID-19.

Researchers suggest recovery to pre-COVID-19 levels could take until 2023 or later.

Golden Palace Hotel’s Director Anne Kang’ethe admits that they have gone through a lot during the COVID-19 pandemic with employees sent home and .

She says though not easy, as a facility they have developed mechanisms among them reduction of hotel charges.

This she says is just to enable customers come back to the facilities even as they recover from the harsh times experienced.

“We are trying as a facility and business to recover from the COVID-19 harsh economic times. As a facility we have reduced our fee charges to favor even the hustler Kenyan” she said.

And for the employees who had been sent home on leave, Ms Kang’ethe says the management of Golden Palace Hotel is working on how they can have them resume work.

She appealed to both County and National governments to also help the Hotel industry recover from the harsh economic times by lowering the fee charged on licenses.

“This year we are hoping that there will be change. We have also begun to call back our staff who were on leave so that the little we get, we can also share with them as things normalize” said Ms Kang’ethe.

Situated along Kanu Street on the outskirts of Nakuru town featuring free WiFi throughout the property, Golden Palace Hotel offers accommodation in Nakuru. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant with free private parking available on site.

The rooms have a seating area for your convenience and a TV with satellite channels offered as well as a 24-hour front desk at the property.

Tourism operators in Nakuru have been rooting for waiver of various levies, as the county government embarks on strategies to revitalize the sector, that is recovering from the adverse effects of Covid-19.

County Tourism Association Chairman David Mwangi in press statement stated that engagements with the county government are on in a bid to help restore the sector.

This even as Nakuru County Tourism chief officer Kennedy Momanyi revealed that the county government will accelerate recovery efforts through aggressive marketing and offering incentives to operators.