Verifying legitimacy of KNBS representatives during the census period

The sixth national census for Kenya is scheduled to take place between 24th and 31st of August 2019, as the first census conducted in the country after the promulgation of the new constitution. The national census is an essential activity  that enables the government to improve its levels of efficiency in terms of allocation of resources to the Kenyan citizens. During this period, it is essential to stay vigilant as malicious people may disguise themselves as Kenya National Bureau of Statistic(KNBS) officials with motives to commit robbery.

Here are some of the ways that you can verify whether or not the census officials that visit your home are legitimate.

Possession of the Census Bureau ID badge. 

Legitimate officials from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistic will provide an ID badge that has their full names, a watermark from the Bureau as well as their photo. It is essential that you request for the ID badge before engaging with any individual claiming to be a representative of the KNBS.

KNBS logos on gadgets and clothing items

The gadgets that will be used by KNBS officials will have a KNBS logo; legitimate officials will also have items of clothing such as t-shirts, reflector jackets, and bags with the Census Bureau logo.

Letters and forms with KNBS logo

Genuine representatives from the Census Bureau will provide an official letter from the Bureau with a require to visit your home. All the forms that will be used to collect the census information will also have the KNBS logo.

Field representatives from the Census Bureau are obligated to provide you with contacts of the individual in charge of the region which you can use for verification purposes.

It is essential to use these tips to identify legitimate representatives from the census bureau to prevent instances of theft or robbery by criminals disguising as officials.

As the holiday is a celebrative season, We are sure that you will be planning to have guests over at your lovely home for some form of celebration. Here are the top things you should do to give your guests an informal intimate relaxing experience at your home:

• Determine the best location within your home to host your guests. Decide whether you want to have it indoors or outdoors. If you have a garden, w would suggest you use it because gardens have a relaxing feel.

• If you plan to host your guests in your garden, ensure you get the right type of tent for your garden. For example, parasol tents protect your guests from the sun and also allow them to enjoy the beauty of nature.

• Choose the right type of furniture for example comfortable lounge seats, coffee tables, ottoman seats and lighting to create the mood if you’re hosting guests till late. The whole point is to create a relaxing environment.

• Opt for a caterer than cooking yourself because this will enable you to sit and enjoy your guests’ company as opposed to running into the kitchen to check if the food is ready, replenish the food or clear the tables. Getting a caterer will enable you to host with a smile and ensure you are not too tired at the end of the event.

• Book a DJ in good time. We know most people prefer to play music off their laptops, which is great but a DJ is able to read your guests and as a result play the right kind of music and get your guests dancing the night away. In addition you can choose to use technology to be your DJ. With so many options on Spotify or good old YouTube. With these options you can relax and have the most entertaining music for any occasion.

Remember to always plan your event early, this will allow to bargain hunt for the best deal when it comes to party favors, groceries, tents and anything else you may choose to have for your event.

Have fun planning and preparing for the event. Enjoying the process will help you enjoy the day even more!!!

Marion Obura

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The process of relocating from one home to another is a very big step for any given family; you have to say goodbye to the old routines,  the environment and even the people that you were accustomed to.  While the process of moving is a complex activity for the adults; it is even harder for the kids who may not have the mental ability to process the entire event. The young kids may not have an understanding of why they have to leave their old friends in the neighbourhood and moved to a new place where they don’t know anyone. It is always important to involve your children as much as possible in the entire process of moving to ensure that they quickly process this event and are able to adapt to the changes.  Here are some of the tips of ensuring that your kids are comfortable with the relocation process and are able to adapt to the new changes quickly.

1. Ensure that your children are involved in the entire process of moving.

It is always important to ensure that your children are involved in the process of moving right from their initial stages of selecting a new house. When your children are consulted even for the smallest details, they develop an ownership of the entire process, and this enables them to process it much better.  On the ideal day of moving, it is important to allow your child to assist in the activities that they can be able to handle, for instance, labelling the moving boxes. Irrespective of how small the kids’ input is in the moving process, it will surely have a profound positive impact on them.

2. Host a goodbye party

Having in mind that moving from one house to another will likely cause the kids to leave some of the friends they have in the neighbourhood it is important to host a moving party and invite their closest friends.  If it is possible, you can even request the parents of your kids’ friends to allow them to sleepover at your house and spend time with your children. The goodbye party will go a long way in enabling the kids to accept the fact that they may not always be around their old friends as they are used to.

3. Give the child details about the new place that they will move to

Before the ideal day of the relocation, it is crucial that you inform the children about the new destination. It is important to focus on how the relocation to the new home will be beneficial to their lives. As a parent, you could tell the kids about the new playgrounds,  and other sceneries that they can relate to in the new destination, which will make them eager to move. When the kids feel that they have a lot to gain from the move it is likely that they will develop a positive attitude towards the move which in turn will enable them to process the whole even in a better way.

4. Select a kid-friendly moving company

The process of moving can be overwhelming, ensuring that all the items in the house are packed and transported safely requires huge levels of coordination, and this may, at times cause their children to be neglected.  It is always important to choose a kid-friendly moving company that will not only ensure that all the items in the house and moved safely but will also involve the kids in all activities, therefore, making it interesting for them.

Moving will more likely than not affect the kids for a particular period before they can adapt to their new home,   however by ensuring that the children are greatly involved in the process of moving it is possible to ensure that they quickly adapt to the new changes and embrace them in a positive way.

Keeping everyone in the family safe is an impossible task because you can’t follow them everywhere but you can guarantee safety at home.

Home safety is one of the most important things because the house is full of hazards from stoves to knives, stairs and even the bathroom. Here are the top hazards and how to curb them:

Falling

Falls are the leading cause of fatal injury and the most common cause of nonfatal trauma-related hospital admissions. Falls can occur in several places but mostly on the stairs and in the bathroom.

To prevent falls on the stairs we recommend:

• Installing gates at the top and at the bottom of the staircase to prevent toddlers from falling off.
• Make sure you maintain stair tread. Install rubber, non-slip paint and metal to make the steps less slippery.

To prevent falls in the bathroom we recommend:

• Putting shower mats on the floor, they are not the most hygienic things but they get the job done.
• Install safety rails that will aid one in getting in and out.

Whenever you spill something be sure to clean it up immediately. Throw away things like banana peels after eating and pick up any clutter lying carelessly around the house.

Fires

Home fires can be caused by a leaking gas, neglected appliances that radiate heat and sometimes power surges. It goes without saying, every time you switch on an electric appliance remember to switch it off and make sure gas pipes are in good condition after installation but what happens when you aren’t home?

• With the advancement of technology comes improved home safety appliances. Install a smoke detector. Once it senses smoke the alarm goes off to alert you and some even trigger water release to stop the fire before it escalates.
• Another good measure is turning off the main switch in case of a power surge.

Choking

Choking is ranked number four when it comes to accidental deaths taking over 1000 lives per year, majority being children. It can occur when a child swallows toys and coins, their own saliva going down the wrong pipe or even everyday foods and drinks.

• The number one way to prevent choking is educating yourself about choking hazards and getting rid of them if possible.
• Encourage your children to eat and drink while sitting in an up write position, ensure they have swallowed everything before sending them to bed.
• Check their toys for any loose pieces and get rid of them if any.
• Keep tiny things like coins, buttons and candies out of reach.
• Parents are encouraged to always keep an eye on their babies at all times even when they are asleep.

You can never be prepared for an accident hence as a caretaker for the children and the elderly it is good to learn basic first aid tactics in case of anything. Have contacts to the police, ambulance, doctor and fire fighters because you can never be too safe.

While the kids are at home it is important to spend as much time with them as possible. Bond with them and show them they have a friend in you.

Here are a few ideas on how you can make their time at home worthwhile.

FAMILY FUN

While the kids are at home it is important to spend as much time with them as possible. Bond with them and show them they have a friend in you.

Here are a few ideas on how you can make their time at home worthwhile:

Indoor activities

The weekends are a great time to bond with family. There are several cost efficient things you can do with the kids for fun like make popcorn at home and watch a movie, have conversations over a meal, or even play board games. You might be surprised how much you enjoy each other’s company.

Outdoor activities

In this era of technology it can be so hard to unplug from all the gadgets and just be that is why we strongly recommend it. A great place to unwind is in parks i.e

• Karura,
• Arboretum,
• Uhuru park,
• Nairobi National Park
• City Park

You can decide to have a picnic. You can carry skipping ropes, hoola hoops and balls as there is ample space to play. Renting bikes and racing as a family is also a fun way to bond and teach your kids about healthy competition.

Malls have different activities that excite kids like

• Two rivers has a ride that allows you to have an aerial view of Nairobi.
• Village market has a bowling alley and the trampoline park.

When the gloomy weather clears up you can take them out for swimming. If not the zoo will equally bring them joy. You can visit

• Stedmak gardens in Karen
• Nairobi National Park
• Nairobi Animal Orphanage
• Snake park
• Nairobi museum

Home visits

Visiting family is always a good idea. Spare one of the weekends to take the kids upcountry to see their grandparents. They always have something to teach the kids and are usually so happy to spend time with them. If this is not possible host relatives for lunch. It is a good pass time and a good excuse for the kids to form lasting relationships with the extended family.

Chores

They say charity starts at home and what better way to teach your kids how to be responsible human beings than to have them participate in house chores regardless of whether you have help or not. Depending on their age you can allocate specific chores that they will be responsible for like clearing the table after dinner, cleaning shoes, clearing their play area by keeping away the toys or even taking out the trash. If they need some encouragement tie a chore to a reward.

Cooking

Teaching the kids how to prepare certain dishes is a good start to breeding a self-sufficient person. You can start as small as boiling an egg and making tea then gradually progress to more complex dishes like ugali and meat stew. For the younger kids involving them in kitchen activities like baking can be a good way to bond like greasing the baking trays, adding ingredients into the batter etc. make sure you proceed with caution because the kitchen can be a very dangerous place for a child.

Home automation has become a process that ensures the efficient management of your home either by helping simplify tasks, cut down on costs or even both. Just like smart phones, home automation is the next phase in the always advancing technological steps we make as humans. 

So, we brought you some little well kept secrets in lighting automation that not only saves on electricity but spruce up your home.

Smart lighting refers to the part of the home automation process that ensures the efficient management of your home lighting. Just like smart phones, smart lighting is the next phase in the always advancing technological steps we make as humans. Take a moment and look at the time we spend flipping switches. Every time you leave one room and enter the next. Every night before you go to bed. It’s not efficient. And that’s where smart lighting comes in.

Smart lighting has benefits such as giving you the ability to remotely control the home lights from anywhere, to schedule on and off times for your smart bulbs making them fit into your schedule, and having greater control over the intensity and colour of your lighting to create the perfect ambiance.

Here is a list of 3 of the best smart lighting gadgets we like. With these, you’ll say goodbye to those nights where you have to get out of your comfortable bed after you’re all tucked in just to go and switch of that kitchen light you forgot to turn off.

1. The Philips Hue Color Starter Kit V3

This kit is a smart lighting solution for your home that contains energy-efficient, smart LED bulbs and a Hue Bridge which work together to create a smart and very efficient lighting system for your home.

This particular kit from Philips has the following impressive features:

• Play with light and choose from 16 million colours.
• Compatible with Apple HomeKit technology and works with Google Assistant, Siri and Alexa.
• Sync your Philips Hue lights with movies and music to get dynamic lighting making the whole entertainment better.
• Control your lights from anywhere.
• Set light schedules for easy home automation.
• Connect up to 50 other Philips Hue lights.

Just take a look at this beautiful video and see how amazing this gadget is https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TOsFqqJgj4

If you’d like to try out this smart lighting kit, head over to www.techaccess.co.ke they’re a local (Kenyan) company that deals with home automation and will be of help. They have a store and you can shop for other home automation gadgets too. When you go to the website, I advise calling them or clicking the whatsapp chat button you find in the website, it’s a faster way to reach them.

2. Philips Hue LightStrip Plus Smart Kit

If you’re looking for something extra and more customizable than the bulbs, this LED light strip from Philips is a great option. It’s flexible, can be installed anywhere and can also be cut or extended. However, before getting it, remember you also need the Hue Bridge gadget to be able to control the lights effectively.

These lightstrips have an amazing effect especially when placed along the edges of the house, under furniture like a bed frame and sofa.

The outstanding features from these Philips LightStrips include:

• Colour changing LED lighting – Change the lighting to any colour you wish (16 million colours available, or set it to change automatically
• Extendable – Add as many strips as you wish to cover any distance you may need
• Shape, bend and cut – Fully customisable in size, shape and fixture
• High Light Output – an output of 1600 lumens means that this Lightstrip will provide the brightness you need for any place in your home
• Sync Light to Music and Films – Enhance your experience by synching the lighting to your music, gaming or TV to change accordingly and create a fully immersive entertainment experience
• Full Compatible with Amazon Alexa – Use Amazon Alexa to control your lighting with your voice or Alexa app. Also fully compatible with IFTTT
• Control remotely – Using the Philips Hue app, control from anywhere in the house or even away from the house as you need.

For more information on the capabilities of this amazing gadget, check out this link  https://www2.meethue.com/en-us/p/hue-white-and-color-ambiance-lightstrip-plus-base-pack/719015548

3. Philips Hue Go Smart Table Lamp

Closing the list is this portable smart table lamp. It offers a smaller experience when it comes to smart lighting. Simulate some fancy candle-lit ambience or bring some magic to a nice storytelling session under a tent with this bulb.

Here are some features that you need to know:

• Rechargeable Lithium ion Battery – Lasts up to 3 hours and means you can take the table lamp wherever you like and no need to buy new batteries every time.
• On Product Control – As well as being able to control with Amazon Alexa or the Philips Hue app, you can control the lamp directly on the device.
• Natural Dynamic Effects – Choose from Cozy Candles, Sunday Coffee, Meditation, Enchanted Forest and Night Adventure.

This device also requires a Hue Bridge, make sure you have that under consideration. Here’s a link to more product info https://www2.meethue.com/en-us/p/hue-white-and-color-ambiance-go-portable-light/714606048

There you go, if smart lighting is something you would like to try out, this is a nice place to start. Take a step into the future and experience it.