A retired Education Officer in Elburgon, Nakuru County, has found significant success and satisfaction by switching from traditional maize farming to cultivating sunflowers.

• David Bor, the former teacher, discovered sunflowers to be a more profitable and less complex crop than maize, with a potential earning of up to Sh140,000 per season.
• He utilized free certified sunflower seeds provided by the Ministry of Agriculture and a small capital investment of Sh9,000.
• Sunflower farming offers valuable by-products like oil for domestic use and husks for livestock, making it a zero-waste agricultural practice.

The Senate Health Committee has voiced significant concerns regarding widespread staff shortages, underutilised funds, and poor maintenance plaguing public health facilities across several counties during an oversight tour.

• Key issues identified include overcrowded wards and long patient queues stemming from inadequate staffing, and weak utilisation of the Facility Improvement Fund (FIF).
• The committee, led by Senator Jackson Mandago, visited counties including Nakuru, Baringo, Elgeyo-Marakwet, and Nandi.
• Other critical concerns raised involve pending debts to the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority (KEMSA), neglected facilities despite increased funding, mortuary congestion, and the dangerous presence of asbestos in some health centers.

Prices for cooking gas (LPG) have seen a significant increase in Nairobi, with a 13-kilogramme pack surging by up to Sh390.

• The price of a 13kg cooking gas cylinder has risen from Sh3,140 to around Sh3,530, a 12 percent jump.
• This surge is attributed to global price hikes in propane and butane, driven by supply disruptions from the Middle East conflict impacting key suppliers like Saudi Aramco and Sonatrach.
• The rise in cooking gas prices coincides with recent increases in fuel pump prices, adding to the cost of living pressures for consumers, particularly low-income households.