The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, on Monday, while briefing the nation on the status of COVID-19, made a passionate appeal for Kenyans to return cylinders to manufacturers to help stem a looming crisis. He made a shocking revelation that cylinders are being hoarded and illegally refilled across the country which means that the cylinder pool is being depleted daily. Oxygen is critical in the management of COVID-19.

The CS said more than 20,000 Oxygen cylinders are in the hands of Kenyans and made a humble appeal that they are returned to enable the frontline workers to save lives of COVID-19 patients and avoid preventable deaths.

“I wish to appeal to those holding cylinders be they hospital facilities or individuals in other sectors, please return those cylinders to manufacturers so they can refill and use them in hospitals that need that them,” said the CS.

BOC Kenya, the leading supplier of industrial, medical, and special gases in East Africa, has joined the Ministry of Health calling on Kenyans to return all idle and unused cylinders to help save lives and fight the pandemic.

“Return idle and unused cylinders and save a life. Oxygen is critical in the management of COVID-19. So, please, do not hoard cylinders and do not refill them illegally,” said the company in a statement.

Before the coming of Covid-19, the market demand for Oxygen in Kenya was 410 tons. By mid-2020, the demand had gone up to 560 tons, and currently, the demand is 880 tons, more than double the demand at the same period last year.

“This demand has come up with other challenges, namely efficiency in the distribution of oxygen gas cylinders brought about by hoarding or diversion of cylinders for other uses,” BOC added. We are running our plant and distribution systems 24hours, 7 days a week.

Overall, there are 73 oxygen plants in both h national & county facilities across the country. Majority of these services one to three units within a facility. There are also about 20,000 concentrators in various health facilities that can be brough back to service to support the efforts of hospitals in the care for patients. Some of these plants and concentrators face several challenges including reliability and the production of oxygen with lower than recommended concentration levels.

Some call it a vision board, others a motivation board, all in all, they both have the same meaning. A vision/motivation board is a place where you comprise images, quotes, scriptures, or any other motivating elements that captivate the vision you have for yourself. A digital vision board is a collection of images and texts that you can take with you anywhere you go. It also takes less time to create than a physical vision board.

Vision boards have always fascinated me. The only problem is that I’m too lazy to make a physical one.  Getting pictures from old magazines, cutting them up and sticking them on A4 boards has always felt like a lot of work. Well, at least for me. I came across a digital one on Pinterest and immediately decided to learn how to make one. It actually turned out to be super easy than I expected.

Without further ado, let’s dive into the steps that you’re going to take in order to come up with the perfect digital vision board.

Figure Out What You Want To Manifest.

The initial step is to ask yourself what you want to invite into your life, and once you’re sure of what you want the board to be about, you can begin thinking about what will go on it. I, for instance, wanted my vision board to entail financial growth, intentional friendships among other things

Choose An App/Website.

The vision board I saw on Pinterest was made on Canva so I decided to use the same for mine. It’s easy to use and has a variety of board layouts.

Find Content For The Board.

You will pull images and words from the Internet and assemble them digitally. Choose images and quotes that align with your vision. You can also add text with different fonts to make it artsier.

Arrange The Board.

Once you’ve gathered all the content on your desktop,  start arranging the board. The trick is to take your time and have fun while at it. The process of making the vision board will help you to plan your goals and intentions in your head and send them out to the universe. Once you’re done, download it and set it as your phone wallpaper or computer background.

Remember, however small, please ensure that you do something every day that will push you towards the goals you’ve put on your board.

That’s all folks! 

Singer Akothee who is a mother of 5 has celebrated her French baby daddy Dominic’s birthday in a lengthy message. Mr Dominic Decherf is the father to Akothee’s last born, Papa Oyoo.

In a lengthy message on her instagram post, Akothee narrates how Mr Dominic proposed to her on this day 11 years ago; which also happened to be his birthday.

Sharing cute throwback photos from their engagement day, Akothee revealed that on the same day Dominic bought her a new home worth Ksh 45 M in Mombasa.

Akothee met Dominic alias Papa Oyoo when she was a taxi driver in Shanzu and she was then living in a rented home.

Akothee went on by highlighting some of the things she has achieved since she met him. Madam Boss has also went on to become a big brand influencer in Kenya.

View this post on Instagram

It was on a day like this 17. 9 2009 on your birthday ,that you proposed me and bought me a house behind the then nakumat @ 45M. The Muzungu who was selling the house to us ,thought I was naive and he could steal from us ? You loved the home so much that you dint want to let go , the Muzungu still wanted to keep his bedroom upstairs for his holidays 😂😂😂I had never owned a property before ,but trust me , it dint make sense to me and I could not imagine sharing a compound with that man🙆,I had known him for over 3 year's, we used to come to that house for dinner with friends during our hustle mood 😂😂😂😂, and he used to play very rich Swiss guy , Don't ask me what I was doing there ,😂😂😂. You thought the kids & me would be happy in that home 🙏 you loved the pool and the chef Mr shinando , you wanted to see your queen happy . I had to protect you and our property . Now today I want to tell you that Since I met you ,I have known that true love and Angels still exist ❣️. Come and see what the girl you met as a taxi driver living in shanzu at Toles own compound rented house ,has become 💪 1. A mega star 2. An entertainer 3. An entrepreneur 👉@akotheesafaris 4. The number one leading & highly paid brand Ambassador/ influencer in Kenya @akno.tela 5 . An investor @akothenproperties 6. The original philanthropist @akotheefoundation On top of it 7 . THE AKOTHEE FAN BASE ( the only celeb with no haters , just loyal fans and admires ) 💪 8. An eminent MEMBER of ELREB . LOVED BY MANY & RESPECTED BY ALL 👉FROM GRASS TO GRACE 👉FROM SHAME TO FAME 👉FROM GRACE TO GRACE 🙏The only man who would like to see me grow . Mr Dominic decherf Wuon Oyoo @papaoyoo When counting my blessings ,I count you 7 times . You are my HERO ,MY ORIGINE , THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING THERE FOR ME AND THE KIDS.not forgetting the many trips you made with me to childrens court🙏 fighting over a child that is not yours 🤦DOMINIC WHO ARE YOU AGAIN? Help me wish Papa OYOO HAPPY BIRTHDAY And I wouod like to award one of my fans sharing birthday with Papa Oyoo Drop your birthday month and date and tag @rarainthekitchen

A post shared by AKOTHEE KENYA (@akotheekenya) on Sep 16, 2020 at 8:17pm PDT

254 QCC LLC. is set to launch the much-awaited online comedy performance show in the next two weeks. Dubbed 254 Quarantine Comedy Club (254 QCC) focusing on providing an avenue for artists and creatives to earn a living through digital comedy and entertainment. Artists and creatives signed onto the platform provide their services by entertaining hundreds of thousands of Kenyans who tune in live online to the weekly 254 Quarantine Comedy Club show.

“This is a platform designed to use art to better the community by giving the artists themselves an audience to perfect their skills as well as a source of income,” said Dorothy Ogega the Founder of 254 Quarantine Comedy Club.

254 Quarantine Comedy Club seeks to make a serious statement in the Kenya showbiz industry by redefining how the entertainment business is run. The creatives once signed onto the show, whose only requirement is to have talent and prepare a set, are remunerated no more than two hours after their performance. Unlike the traditional perform-and-wait, the 254 Quarantine Comedy Club is pegged on the belief that artists and creatives are among those most affected by the lack of shows and live performances.

There have been several editions of 254 QCC including the Kericho Edition which attracted popular MCs Kiptabut & Joyrider, Comedians Tipsy, Bartinga, Galgalo and Inspekta Nikko among many others. The show, which was streamed live was supported by the Kericho County Governor, His Excellency Paul Chepkwony.

Among the most notable names to have performed on 254 Quarantine Comedy Club include comedians Akuku Danger, Mulamwah, Smart Joker, Rib Crackers, JB Masanduku, and Comediennes Adhis Jojo and Nasra, with 2 special appearance from Afro-fusion singer and Peace Ambassador Iddi Achieng (HSC.)

The show is hosted by MC Sleepy David, having also attracted famed guest host Captain Otoyo.

254 Quarantine Comedy Club has appealed to a set of diverse performers including musicians and deejays, among them Kriss Darling. The show is also currently in talks with singer-songwriter Eric Wainaina for a collaboration.

254 QCC Reggae Edition w Kriss Darlin

“We want to churn out comedy that is no joke, to provide a platform for creatives to market their talents and get paid. You work, you get paid, that is our mantra,” said Daphne Kemunto, an Associate and Project Lead on 254 QCC.

254 Quarantine Comedy Club promises to be more than just a comedy platform. Already there are works in the pipeline where the creatives signed on to 254 QCC are collaborating with local communities to promote them.

Dorothy Ogega adds, “We want to use our art to better the community by launching projects that benefit them.  The first project we are launching is a resource water tank in one of the largest informal settlements in Kenya as we identify areas of needs and address them.”

254 Quarantine Comedy Club is managed by Kenya’s top creative minds with industry experience spanning decades in media, film and television. The show is run by Henry Wesonga and Evans Obare under the stewardship of the long-serving Creative Director Victor Ber.

The 254 Quarantine Comedy Club has so far held 4 main shows with 3 other targeted closed audience shows.

“254 Quarantine Comedy Club is made for creatives, with creatives and enjoyed by everyone. It’s not just entertainment, it’s an experience. We are calling out to partners who would like to join us and support our creatives, let’s grow this industry together,” said Dorothy Ogega.

The 254 Quarantine Comedy Club is currently available for live streaming on its social media pages @254qcc on Instagram and FB Live on 254 Quarantine Comedy Club from 10PM Kenya Time, 3PM US, 8PM UK, 9PM Europe and 11PM UAE.

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ABOUT DOROTHY OGEGA

Dorothy Ogega is the Founder of 254 Quarantine Comedy Club LLC. A geriatic nurse by training, and calling, she migrated to the USA in 1997 where she specialises in Diabetes Management. She also sits on the board of TeleAfya LLC as a Co-founder.

As a free platform, 254 Quarantine Comedy Club relies on commissions to support its operations. 254 QCC is currently in partnership with TeleAfya LLC., Hillpark Hotel and TwaTwa Express.

You can reach her on: Dorothy Ogega <doroh@teleafya.com>  

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When Vincent Chepkwony saw his mother’s health condition escalate from a mere toothache to a full-blown health problem, he knew something had to be done about Kenya’s access to healthcare. This was in January 2017.

“My mother attended Kapkatet Hospital to get medication only to be referred to Litei Hospital. Because of the congestion at Litei Hosital, and the severe pain my mother was going through, she took matters into her own hands and begged one of the nurses to help her. Long story short, she was given the wrong medication which aggravated her condition, until when we found out much later,” says Vincent.

Something had to be done. Three years later, and something has been done.

“From that moment, a seed was planted in me. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. What if my mother had died?”

They say necessity is the mother of invention. Truer words have never been spoken. Armed with an idea and passion, Vincent migrated to the US for further studies in the year 2000, graduating a Master’s in Software Engineering and Digital Health Informatics.

Together with Ms. Dorothy Ogega, Vincent founded TeleAfya, a health awareness app that seeks to devolve healthcare access to the basic level. The mission he says is to provide healthcare especially to disadvantaged minorities, including women and children in maligned counties in the country.

But this predicament is not unique to Vincent.

How many times have you gone to the hospital and stood in line for hours and hours and at the end of it all end up getting poor service? Or no service at all? How many doctors have you seen asking for kick-backs or going for extended lunch breaks with patients dying in line?

With TeleAfya App, all this is mitigated as the most available doctor is always on duty. It’s not just the doctor choosing the patient, but you choosing the doctor as well. Patients who would normally travel for hours, sometimes in the case of referral hospitals the whole day and end up returning home without a diagnosis from the doctor, now have an easier way out.

A home to doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacies, midwives, and community health workers, TeleAfya has partnerships with transport services such as ambulances and organizations with vehicles, becoming a one-stop shop for everything health. You can almost say, a hospital in your pocket.

But you don’t need to have a smartphone to enjoy its services.

Currently in partnership with Sosit Dispensary and Kapkatet Health Center as local dispatch centers, other dispatchers are being on-boarded at the moment in Mombasa and Kilifi counties.

TeleAfya describes itself as a ‘Healthcare Digital Transformation Hub’. TeleAfya prides itself as the home of Digital Healthcare Policy Entrepreneurs who are keen on helping governments and individuals solve healthcare delivery problems that need urgent attention by setting a blueprint for health care access and delivery across Africa.

“TeleAfya is going to foster easy communication with people in mashinani. Just like M-Pesa, TeleAfya will be that account that has everything about your health. As long as you have your phone, your health is at your fingertips,” says TeleAfya Co-founder & Marketing Director Dorothy Ogega.

TeleAfya connects patients to specialized medical services that may be otherwise unavailable in their community. It also allows patients to avoid the time associated with traveling long distances in order to see a specialty service provider in-person. Additionally, patients can avoid extra visits, scheduling, and wait periods if the specialist is regularly available for TeleAfya appointments.

Medical health care providers can partner with TeleAfya, access its database of patients, and earn an extra income whilst simultaneously increasing their client base and capacity to travel around the country to tend to patients.

In this case, a nurse and clinical officer can pair up together to provide care such as routine health screenings to patients across the county without having to spend on any costs of establishing a business.

From solving his mother’s toothache problem and now setting his sights on East Africa, TeleAfya is always moving but never losing the aim of its target. ‘Making healthcare accessible to all.’

The TeleAfya App is currently available for download on Google Playstore for Android users. iPhone compatibility and the Pandemic Integrated Tracing and Testing System are currently in the testing phase with a view to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

With TeleAfya, your health is now in your hands. Literally.