eastern african magazine may 2016 print a4

• KENYA: KENYA LEADS ON REGIONAL

INTEGRATION: REPORT

• RWANDA: AFRICA AIR CONNECTIVITY

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

• SOMALIA: BRITISH TROOPS ARRIVE IN

SOMALIA TO FIGHT TERRORISM

• ZAMBIA: RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL

FOR CIVILITY IN POLITICAL RHETORIC

THE AUTHORITATIVE EASTERN AFRICAN MONTHLY MAGAZINE

www.theeasternafricans.co.uk

Issue No. 40, May, 2016 ISSN number 1751 1259

THE EASTERNAFRICAN MAGAZINE

UGANDA’S PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTAMUSEVENI HANDED ANOTHER 5 YEARSUGANDA’S PRESIDENT YOWERI KAGUTAMUSEVENI HANDED ANOTHER 5 YEARS

TANZANIA: MAGUFULI’S VISION IS AFRICA’S PANACEAKENYA: KENYA URGES AFRICA TO DEVISE STRATEGIES TO UNITE CONTINENTSOUTH SUDAN: MACHAR CALLS FOR UNITY IN NATIONAL BUILDINGGHANA: GHANA PARTY PICKS FORMER FIRST LADY AS PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE

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THE EASTERN AFRICAN MAGAZINE | 1

PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI SWEARING IN

PRESIDENT NYUSI OF MOZAMBIQUE

PRESIDENTS MAGUFULI AND MUSEVENI IN UGANDA

THE LATE PAPA WEMBA

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Uganda:President Yoweri Museveni Sworn In

Tanzania:Tanzania, Uganda agreed to resolve border-related disputesMagufuli’s Vision is Africa’s PanaceaTanzania to establish wildlife crime unit to curb poaching

Kenya:Kenya urges Africa to devise strategies to unite continentKenya leads on Regional Integration: ReportKenya’s Opposition Leaders Stage Anti-Electoral Body ProtestsChinese Fittings Make Work Easier for Kenyan property developers

Rwanda:Africa Air Connectivity in the SpotlightEinsten Form to Set Global Base in Rwanda

PeoPle and evenTs

BURUndi:Crisis Continues as More People Expected to Flee Country – UNHCR

FeaTURe:Africa Urged to Model Law on Mining to Check Rogue Investors

dRCongo:VATICAN: Papa Wemba’s Musical Message will last forever, says Fr Lombardi

somalia:British Troops Arrive in Somalia to Fight Terrorism

soUTh sUdan:Machar Calls for Unity in Nation Rebuilding

oBiTUaRy:Papa Wemba

eThioPia:Ethiopia, WB Sign Loan Agreement Of 300 Million USD For Urban Safety Net Project

mozamBiqUe:Nyusi Pledges to ‘Work Tirelessly for Peace’

malawi:President Mutharika Happy With MCA Energy Compact Project

zamBia:Zambia’s Religious Leaders Call for Civility in Political Rhetoric

zimBaBwe:Aid Agencies Seek 360 Mln USD For Lifesaving Assistance in Zimbabwe

ghana:Ghana Party Picks Former First Lady as Presidential Candidate

sPoRTs:Own Goal? Africa’s Shambolic Sports Management

2 | THE EASTERN AFRICAN MAGAZINE

As we go to the press, Ugan-

da’s former guerrilla leader,

Yoweri Kaguta Museveni

was being sworn in for

another five years as head of his country

where he has brought calm, stability and

presided over a strong economic growth.

Whilst many of his opposition accuse him

of becoming more autocratic and wanting

to rule for life, the majority of the rural and

elderly welcomed his re-election which

reflects the confidence the people of Uganda have in him as well as a testi-

mony of trust in his exemplary leadership. However, he still faces mounting

accusations at home and abroad of cracking down on dissent and failing to

tackle rampant corruption in the nation of 37 million people.

In neighbouring Tanzania, President Magufuli’s vision is in fact not only the

panacea of CCM and the nation, but also of the entire continent. It must be

noted that Magufuli prefers actions that practically improve people’s everyday

lives and not fine verbiage at rallies that keep audiences spellbound but leave

them in the same predicament at the end of the day; that is not his style. He

is rather doing what needs to be done and getting positive results in the form

of improved public facilities and services that the general population can see

and touch.

In this issue we also highlight on the recent report jointly prepared by the

African Union Commission, African Development Bank and the UN Economic

Commission for Africa. The report says that Kenya is a top performer on

free movement of people within the framework of the EAC Common Market

Protocol. This report tracked integration through trade integration, regional

infrastructure, productive integration, free movement of people, financial and

macro-economic integration

The new member of the East African Community, South Sudan’s First Vice-Pres-

ident Riek Machar recently called for unity among the newly appointed minis-

ters to help the new unity government tackle outstanding issues and rebuild

the young nation. Speaking during an induction workshop held in Juba, Machar

reminded the new cabinet to amicably work together in order to confront chal-

lenges facing implementation of the peace deal which was signed in August

2015.

Lastly, for music lovers all over the world, we were deeply saddened to learn of

the sudden death of Papa Wemba whose songs for Peace, Justice and Recon-

ciliation will leave for ever, not only in Africa but all over the world.

From The Publisher

All correspondences addressed to Eastern African Magazine is assumed to be intended for

publication.

Don’t forget to send your comments about the magazine. The editorial team invites and

welcomes your input, letters, opinionated articles, well-researched stories and

contributions.

PublisherDeo. Kamuhanda

Email: [email protected]

Mobile: 0784 083 0746

Associate Publisher-North AmericaJ. Bailey Morgan

Marketing ExecutiveTino Msei

ContributorsDerek Otieno, Ronald Elly Wanda,

R. Muchunguzi, Ludo Simon,

Rev. P. Karugendo, Agastin Angelo.

Published By Deo. Kamuhanda in Association with The Swahili Group:

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Copyright © 2016. All rights are

reserved. Reproduction in whole or part

of written articles in English or any other

languages without written permission is

prohibited. Credit Xinhua for all articles

unless otherwise indicated.

UGANDA

President Museveni Sworn In For the Fifth Term

By Our Correspondent in Uganda

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni was handed another five years in

power after the Electoral Commission gave him a 60.75 per cent win in the

February, 2016 polls. President Museveni got 5,617,503 out of 9,246,563

votes cast, or 60.75 per cent, beating seven other contestants, according to

the results announced by Electoral Commission chairman Badru Kiggundu

Whereas the European Union and the Commonwealth Observer Missions

were categorical about the malpractices by police, state security, and

incompetence on the part of the Electoral Commission, election observers

within Africa seemed softer and did not mention about the alleged

malpractices. However, the Electoral Commission had dismissed the

grievances of the FDC as “baseless.”

On the other hand, the Africa Union Election Observers team headed by

Lady Justice Sophia Akufo had said that the election was peaceful but

not without short comings. While the Inter-Governmental Authority on

Development (IGAD) Observers concluded that despite the shortcomings,

“the elections met the minimum standards of a free and fair election”.

The IGAD observation mission, commended the Electoral Commission for

managing the “heavy task in the interest of the Ugandan people.

The East African Community Election Observation Mission, which was led

by Former president of the United Republic of Tanzania, Ali Hassan Mwinyi

noted that the 2016 elections were one of the most competitive in the

history of Uganda but urged the executive and parliament to re-evaluate

the utility of the removal of presidential term limits in the electoral system.

Ugandan Uganda’s long-time president Yoweri Museveni, 71, center, signs an oath as his wife Janet Museveni, left, looks on during an inauguration ceremony in the capital Kampala, Thursday, May 12, 2016. Museveni was sworn in Thursday for a fifth term taking him into his fourth decade in power, amid arrests of

opposition politicians and a shutdown of social media. [Photo: AP/Stephen Wandera]

UGANDA


Museveni, 71, dismissed accusations that the

electoral commission favoured him and his National

Resistance Movement (NRM) party and said that he

was unconcerned by the EU mission’s statement. “I

told those Europeans ... I don’t need lectures from

anybody,” Museveni said.

Museveni brought calm and stability to Uganda

after decades of chaos at the hands of leaders Idi

Amin and Milton Obote, but many opposition voters

accuse the former guerrilla fighter of becoming

increasingly autocratic and wanting to rule for life.

Although he has presided over strong economic

growth but faces mounting accusations at home

and abroad of cracking down on dissent and failing

to tackle rampant corruption in the nation of 37

million people.

In his pre-inauguration dinner attended by at

least nine African presidents at the Speke Resort

Munyonyo, ahead of his inauguration ceremony.

he called upon his African brothers and sisters to

work for total peace in Congo, Burundi, Somalia and

Central African Republic. He also called on them

to consider political integration because there is a

possibility of re-colonisation or marginalization,”

he said.

Among the leaders who attended were President

John Pombe Magufuli (Tanzania), Robert Mugabe

(Zimbabwe), Jacob Zuma (South Africa), Teodore

Obiang Nguema Mbasogo (Equatorial Guinea) and

Ibrahim Boubacari (Mali), Muhammad Issoufour

(Niger), Idriss Deby (Chad), Edgar Lungu (Zambia),

King Letsie III (Lesotho), Sheikh Hassan Mohamud

(Somalia).

Other dignitaries included former presidents Ali

Hassan Mwinyi (Tanzania) and Mahinda Rajapaska

(Sri Lanka) as well as delegations from Rwanda,

Burundi, Egypt and Djibouti.

Speaking at Kololo ceremonial grounds soon after

taking his oath of office Uganda’s veteran president

said he would fight corruption and impose discipline

on inefficient bureaucrats who frustrated investors.

He said his government must expunge two

weaknesses-corruption by public officials and delay

of decision-making. These two mistakes irritate the

pubic and frustrate the investors. It is betraying the

country. I will directly deal with the weaknesses.

While in the past I have relied on the accounting

officers to do the needful as they are mandated by

the Constitution, this time I will act directly so as to

discipline the Public Service as we disciplined the

army.

He promised more Electricity and better network

of roads will help the country and ensure faster

industrialisation leading as projected, by the National

Planning Authority to the middle income status by

2020.

Commenting on the ICC, Museveni said that

much as he was at the forefront of rooting for the

establishment of the court, he has since lost interest

in the body. Now, president Museveni said that the

ICC is constituted by a “bunch of useless people”

who cannot help Africans get justice.

At the same function, Museveni, in veiled statements,

which he made in Luganda, said Western countries

should not interfere with the way Uganda is run.

While introducing representatives of Russia and

China at the function, he said the two countries

had greatly assisted Uganda without strings and

conditions attached. However, other countries,

which he did not specify, want to tell Uganda how

to govern itself as if “we don’t know what

to do”.

Commenting on term limits, previously in a

BBC interview, Museveni had told the BBC

that Uganda does not “accept the logic

of term limits”. According to President

Museveni “the issue is not being there

forever” and added that people are free to

vote leaders out of power. “Africa’s got a lot

of problems,” he added. “We need all the

leadership resources to be available so that

they can contribute.”

Most leaders who attended had welcomed

his re-election at the helm of his country

as a true reflection of the confidence that

the people of Uganda had in him as well as

a testimony of their trust in his exemplary

leadership.

President Museveni, commended his guests

for showing “fraternal solidarity” with

Uganda.

Yoweri Museveni gestures during his inauguration in Kampala. [Photo: Ronald Kabuubi/AFP/Getty Images]

“ I will directly deal with the weaknesses. While in the past I have

relied on the accounting officers to do the needful as they are

mandated by the Constitution, this time I will act directly so as

to discipline the Public Service as we disciplined the army.”

President Yoweri Museveni


TANZANIA

Tanzania and Uganda have

agreed to collectively resolve

challenges facing people living

along the border of the two

east African nations including

illegal immigrants and security.

The agreement came at a meeting held in the

Tanzania’s north western region of Kagera - about

298 km from the Ugandan capital Kampala.

The meeting involved high-ranking officials and

experts from the two countries.

Tanzania’s Deputy Permanent Secretary for

the ministry of Lands, Housing and Human

Settlements Development, Dr Moses Kusiluka said

the move is meant to cement bilateral relations

between the two nations.

“There are no serious border disputes, but there

are some complaints from people of the two

countries...and those challenge are what we want

to address them,” Kusiluka said.

The official cited some of those challenges as

Tanzania, Uganda agreed to resolve border-related disputes

security concerns and illegal immigrants.

“In some areas, you find some people when they

are prohibited to take cattle in an area which

before they used for pastures. And the reason is

that the area is in another country. So, agreed to

resolve some of these issues amicably, because

our borders were being made by colonialists,

though people of these nations have been living

harmoniously even before colonialists,” the

official said.

Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of

Home Affairs, Ambassador Hassan Simba Yahaya

said some of the challenges are resolved as per

East African Community and international laws

since 2013.

He said experts from both countries have worked

on those challenges and “they discovered that

some of the areas have a countless economic

opportunities, including the wise-use of Kagera

River would make the two countries harness

hydro-power.”

“In some areas, the border needs to be reviewed.

And here the challenge might occur as there are

people who believe that they are in Tanzania

and others in Uganda. So, when the border is

reviewed some might refuse to go to either part

as they have been in a different country. But,

awareness campaigns will be carried out for

lasting solution on the matter.”

Ugandan representative from the Ministry of

Home Affairs, Kiingi Stephen said the meeting is

a result of presidents of the two countries who

agreed to address border related challenges for

the benefit of people living in the border.

“Our interest is to see what we have agreed reach

leaders and people at the grassroots level. This

will bury the border related challenges and make

our people live comfortably,” said Stephen.

Mutukula is the official international border

between Uganda and Tanzania, but there

are many unregistered routes in the border

separating the two countries.

President Yoweri Kaguta Musevenio, (R) with Tanzanian President John Pombe Magufuli, (L) after a bilateral meeting at the Arusha State Lodge, Tanzania on Tuesday 30th February 2016. President Museveni together with the East African

Heads of State were meeting in Arusha for the 17th Ordinary Summit. [PHOTO: PPU]


TANZANIA

By Harid Mkali

Last week a Ghanian friend of mine phoned and asked me to tell him about President Magufuli and when I asked him why, his response was: “I

have never heard so many of my country folk talk

positively about a foreign head of state the way

they do about your President Magufuli.” Inwardly

I felt like shouting ‘Yes!’ at the top of my voice but

instead gave him the following response: I told

him that to be honest I would think that Magufuli

himself would be the first to be amazed at the

enthusiastic hullabaloo with which the world has

greeted his so-far brief presidency, because for

him he is not doing anything extraordinary, other

than being himself.

Then my friend interjected by saying he had

heard about President Magufuli’s surprise visit to

Magufuli’s Vision is Africa’s Panacea

the country’s main hospital where patients were

sleeping on the floors reminiscent of a war zone,

and his immediate diversion of funds ear-marked

for grand parties for the political elite to rectify

that state of affairs; also of his putting a halt on

frequent, expensive and unnecessary foreign trips

by MP’s and civil servants that have been draining

the country’s resources for years.

So I told my friend that personal responsibility,

efficiency and oversight are in his DNA. Doctor

Magufuli, I continued, is a former teacher of

mathematics and chemistry who holds a PhD.

He has been a Member of Parliament for twenty

years and a Cabinet Minister throughout. He has

successfully straightened out every ministry he

was responsible for, no matter how challenging,

and managed to leave each one with the majority

of members of staff in tears at his exit.

I went on to say to my friend that this is the kind

of person he is; a natural man of the people,

utterly without pretensions to grandeur. How

did Magufuli manage to sort out every Ministry

he was responsible for? Because he was honest;

while others used their positions to build

themselves personal influence and fortunes,

Magufuli was a real nation-builder. This man,

in fact, rescued the ruling Party Chama Cha

Mapinduzi (CCM) from the shame of either defeat

or a hung parliament in the last election, because

Tanzanians voted for Magufuli and his personal

integrity. CCM did not have a chance in hell of

winning without him at the helm and the party

knows that if they fail to deliver on their promises

over the next five years, both CCM and Magufuli

himself will lose the election hands down next

time around.

The Opposition in Tanzania is now a formidable

Tanzanian President John Magufuli canceled Independence Day celebrations and ordered a national day of cleanup instead. He picked up trash outside the State House during the Dec. 9 event. [Photo: Daniel Hayduk /AFP/Getty Images]


TANZANIA

force to be reckoned with, only to be taken for granted at CCM’s peril. The

enthusiasm with which the Opposition was greeted in last year’s general

election is evidence that the people of Tanzania had already decided that

anything was better than CCM; but fortunately for them they held Magufuli

as their trump card. CCM’s history of bringing independence to Tanganyika

and Zanzibar (through TANU and ASP respectively) counts for very little

today; people rather want the real independence of a better quality of life

and an end to hopelessness and despair.

Magufuli prefers actions that practically improve people’s everyday lives

and not fine verbiage at rallies that keep audiences spellbound but leave

them in the same predicament at the end of the day; that is not his style.

He is rather doing what needs to be done and getting positive results in the

form of improved public facilities and services that the general population

can see and touch.

Dr Magufuli has been able to achieve in less than six months what other

leaders were either unwilling or unable to achieve in decades. Eg. Improved

facilities at Muhimbili hospital, including sufficient drugs for its pharmacies,

dealing with severe road congestion in Dar Es Salaam city through road

widening, increased availability of drugs for AIDS sufferers, additional

funding for development budget, making foreign trips, first class travel and

VIP services for Government Officials subject to State House approval. But

the coup-de-grace is his re-introduction of free education to secondary

level, resulting in an upsurge of Standard One enrolments across the

country. And he has achieved all this in a matter of six months; yes, this

man has truly broken the mould.

Then my friend finished with: “This man deserves to be the Executive

President of Africa so that he can clear the mess that is sinking our great

continent deeper and deeper into the abyss.” I told him that I couldn’t

agree with him more and that he was not the only one holding such

sentiments.

Magufuli’s vision is in fact not only the panacea of CCM and our nation,

but also of the entire continent. The anti-Magufuli faction in CCM (if any)

better be warned that it is in their own best interests to support Magufuli

as he is the only and best card in their hand. To remain a credible ruling

party it is imperative for the whole of CCM to support our President’s

efforts wholeheartedly; otherwise they risk a long spell in the wilderness of

political opposition.

Harid Mkali is a freelance writer based in London, England. He can be reached via telephone: +447979881555, email: [email protected], website: www.haridmkali.com

Tanzania is set to establish a special Wildlife Crime Unit (WCU) in an effort to reinforce its battle against poaching, Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Jumanne Maghembe said recently.

The move came barely three weeks when poachers gunned down a helicopter which was on a regular patrol in Maswa Game Reserve on the southern part of Serengeti National Park, killing British national pilot Roger Gower.

So far nine people have been arrested in connection with the incident.

“This is one of the measures taken by the government to scale up the war against poaching and plundering of natural resources,” said Prof. Maghembe.

“As a government, we are determined to eliminate the entire syndicate of poaching in this country. The latest incident shows us that poachers are well-prepared and we’re also telling that the war against them has just started,” he said, adding that the proposed unit will be multi-sectoral in terms of its operation.

According to the minister, the WCU will involve experts from Tanzania Wildlife Authority (TAWA), Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA), Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA), Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) and will be working in collaboration with security organs from Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA), Tanzania Airport Authority (TAA), Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) as well as local and international conservation institutions and other players.

“This unit will also be used to coordinate all small groups that are made in eight ecological systems. The idea of this is to track all movements of wildlife poaching, illegal harvesting and transportation of wildlife and forest resources,” the minister said.

Other government’s strategies include speeding up the process of transforming the operation of wildlife conservation from civilian to paramilitary.

Prof. Maghembe also said: “The government is working on the possibilities of banning private people from owning fire arms to reduce the increasing incidents of people to use arms in committing crimes.”

“Conservators will also be empowered with better conservation skills including on how to collect information related to poachers as well as empowering them with working facilities,” he said, calling other players in and outside the country to assist the east African nation in fighting the menace that threatens the tourism industry.

Tanzania to establish wildlife crime unit to curb

poaching

Dr. Magufuli, has been a Member of Parliament

for twenty years and a Cabinet Minister

throughout. He has successfully straightened

out every ministry he was responsible for, no

matter how challenging, and managed to leave

each one with the majority of members of staff

in tears at his exit.

KENYA


Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, right, pays respect to fallen Kenyan soldiers alongside Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, center, and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in Eldoret, January 27. [Photo: THOMAS MUKOYA/REUTERS]

Equatorial Guinea Foreign Aff airs minister Agapito Mba Mokuy and President Uhuru Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi [Photo: PSCU]

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta recently urged

African countries to come up with mechanisms that

bridge regional gaps to unite the continent.

Speaking in Nairobi when he met with the Foreign

Affairs Minister of Equatorial Guinea Agapito Mba Mokuy, Kenyatta

proposed the establishment of a continental institute to train leaders

from different countries on African leadership to be in a position to

advance the cause of Pan-Africanism.

“Kenya is a beneficiary of African unity and would wish to host such a

training facility to instill a sense of ownership on Africans to advance

the continent’s agenda in other forums,” he said in a statement

issued after the meeting.

Mokuy was in Nairobi to deliver a special message from his President,

Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The Kenyan leader expressed his commitment to the ideals of Pan-

Africanism that encourages the solidarity of Africans worldwide and

unity which is vital to the continent’s economic, social and political

progress.

He said the East African nation is willing and ready to work with

other countries in the continent to ensure the African Union becomes

self-financing in order to be able to drive its agenda.

Kenya urges Africa to devise strategies to unite continent

Kenyatta said it is unfortunate that some non-African financiers of the African

Union were using the continent’s reliance on external grants to advance their

agendas at the detriment of the continent.

“We should not allow non-Africans to take advantage of the continent’s inability to

sustain itself for their selfish interests,” the President said.

He said the youth agenda, if not adequately addressed, may be a future

destabilizing factor in the continent. He also challenged the various AU

commission organs to push the youth agenda in the continent.

“We should not allow non-Africans to take advantage

of the continent’s inability to sustain itself for their

selfish interests,” President Uhuru Kenyatta


KENYA

Kenya is ranked among the top

countries in regional integration, a

report released recently said.

According to the Africa Regional Integration

Index Report 2016 which was presented in Nairobi

during the African Union Executive Council

Retreat, Kenya leads in regional integration within

the Common Market for Eastern and Southern

Africa (COMESA), East African Community

(EAC) and Inter Governmental Authority on

Development (IGAD).

The report was jointly prepared by the African

Union Commission, African Development Bank

and the UN Economic Commission for Africa.

The report said that Kenya is a top performer on

free movement of people within the framework of

the EAC Common Market Protocol.

The report tracked integration through trade

integration, regional infrastructure, productive

integration, free movement of people, financial

and macro-economic integration.

Kenya leads on Regional Integration: Report

The Index 2016 report covers member countries

from the eight Regional Economic Communities

(RECs) recognized by the African Union. EAC is

the top performing REC on Regional integration

overall.

The study indicated that in the EAC, Kenya and

Uganda are among the top three contributors to

wealth creation. They respectively account for 39

percent and 21 percent of regional Gross Domestic

Product (GDP).

In the IGAD bloc, Ethiopia, Sudan and Kenya are

the principal contributors to wealth creation in

the region as they account for 29, 28.5 and 27.7

percent of regional GDP respectively.

The report further noted that trade links between

Africa and the rest of the world is generally more

direct and efficient compared to trade between

neighbouring regions as a result of infrastructure

gaps and tariff barriers.

The report further noted that trade links between Africa and

the rest of the world is generally more direct and efficient

compared to trade between neighbouring regions as a result

of infrastructure gaps and tariff barriers.

East African Heads of State during the 17th Summit of the EAC [Photo: PSCU]


KENYA

Kenya’s opposition leaders and

their supporters recently held

street protesters in Nairobi and

other parts of the East African

nation to press for the removal of top officials at

the electoral body.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ex-

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses

Wetangula, former foreign affairs minister led

their supporters in peaceful protests outside

the offices of the Independent Electoral and

Boundaries Commission (IEBC) calling for the

commissioners’ exit.

Other protests took place in major towns such as

in the coastal city of Mombasa and lakeside city of

Kisumu which witnessed some brief violence with

the police.

The demonstrators however got into trouble with

the hundreds of anti-riot police officers who had

Kenya’s Opposition Leaders Stage Anti-Electoral Body Protests

been deployed to guard the IEBC headquarters in

Nairobi when they started hurling stones at police

officers.

Several shops were closed in the Nairobi city amid

fears of looting by the opposition supporters who

briefly engaged anti-riot police in running battles

in some parts of the central business district.

The opposition leaders later addressed their

supporters vowing to continue pushing for

removal of IEBC Commissioners by staging similar

protests every Monday.

Odinga maintained that he would not participate

in 2017 election if the current electoral body will

not be reconstituted.

“We are here to tell Kenyans and the whole world

that Cord is not a criminal outfit. We love peace

and we will hold peaceful demonstrations,”

Odinga said.

Cord, or Coalition for Reforms and Democracy, is

currently the official opposition party in Kenya.

The opposition leader maintained that the

protests will take place until the commissioners,

led by chairman Issack Hassan, are sent home

permanently.

“We cannot keep quiet as one sharpens a dagger

to harm us. We will continue with anti-IEBC

protests until Isaac Hassan and his team of

commissioners leave office,” he added.

“We are here to tell Kenyans and the whole world that Cord is

not a criminal outfit. We love peace and we will hold peaceful

demonstrations,” Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga

Policemen charge towards opposition supporters during a protest in Nairobi, Kenya Monday, May 9, 2016. Kenyan police have tear-gassed opposition supporters after some pelted police with rocks during a protest demanding the disbandment of the electoral authority over alleged

bias and corruption. [Photo: PSCU]


KENYA

Ready-made house fittings imported from China have made work easier for Kenyan property developers, enabling them to save money and

time they would spend engaging carpenters. The machine-made furnishings that include picture frames, drawers, cabinets, wardrobes and ceiling boards and beams are nicely made, many to standards that local carpenters cannot match.

Other furnishings are ceramic tiles, fitted kitchens, upholstery, lampshades and wooden flooring.

In the capital Nairobi, the fittings are readily available in dozens of building stores where property developers easily access them. Some of the stores are owned by Chinese nationals, which assure the Kenyan property developers that they are dealing with people who understand the products.

“The Chinese furnishings have become popular because of their good designs, but more importantly, one saves up to 40 percent of the total cost. You do not have to buy wood, engage carpenters, pay them and then perhaps end up with low quality work. You now buy and ask

Chinese Fittings Make Work Easier for Kenyan property developers

someone to fit,” Joel Kiboi, a contractor in Nairobi,

said recently.

Kiboi said the Chinese fittings have become

popular particularly with developers who are

building houses for sale.

“The lower the building costs, the higher the

profit and that is what all the property developers

want. Those imported fittings come in handy

because they cut costs by a huge margin,” he

said.

According to Kiboi, it costs at least 25 U.S. dollars

per day to engage a carpenter and one can make,

for instance, kitchen drawers in a house for about

two weeks.

“If you add to the cost of buying all the needed

materials and time spent on making the

furnishings, then you better buy ready-made

fittings and hire someone to do the work in a day

or two. Besides, the imported items have better

decorations, which people like,” said Kiboi, noting

60 percent of the apartments he has built in

Nairobi are fitted with furnishings from China.

With the popularity of the furnishings growing,

a good number of Kenyan builders and business

men are flocking to China for shopping the

fittings and building materials, according to real

estate analysts.

And the fact that there are all kinds of products

depending on the quality one wants and how

they suit their pockets has spiced up things for

the East African nation’s property developers.

Normally, the Chinese sell products according to

classes or grades, with the first letter or number

(A or 1) indicating the highest quality.

Antony Kuyo, a real estate consultant in Nairobi,

noted that locally made products are nothing

compared to the Grade A or 1 products in China.

“Those developers who go for Grade 1 offer their

clients the value for their money. But sadly, the

majority of the developers who are targeting

middle-income earners go for lower grade items

that get damaged faster, which spoil the name of

Chinese products,” he said, adding most of those

who go for top grade furnishings put them in

high-end homes.

RWANDA


By Phyllis Birori

Kigali — AviaDev Africa, which aims to

determine the future of air connectivity in the

continent, will be launched in Rwanda later this

year.

Scheduled for October, it is a unique platform

bringing together airlines, airports, and hotel

and hospitality investors for the first time.

Leading airline, airport and hotel executives,

alongside government representatives, will be

able to explore the crucial link between aviation

and hotel investment and discuss potential new

airline routes in exclusive one-to-one meetings.

The inaugural forum on aviation route planning

and development will run in parallel with the

prestigious Africa Hotel Investment Forum

(AHIF), providing government and industry

with a valuable opportunity to take a strategic

approach to the expansion of travel across the

continent.

Jonathan Worsley, Chairman of Bench Events,

which organises AHIF, said, “AviaDev Africa

will be a valuable opportunity for leading

executives from aviation and hotel development

to have some serious and fruitful discussions on

how to develop the future connectivity of the

continent,” said Worsley.

Africa Air Connectivity in the Spotlight

By Phyllis Burori

THE partnership between the

Institute for Mathematical

Sciences (AIMS) and

Rwanda will culminate in the

establishment of AIMS Rwanda Centre of

Excellence.

Other announcements made in Kigali include

the establishment of the AIMS Secretariat

(Operations) in Rwanda and establishing the

global headquarters of the Next Einstein Forum

(NEF) in the country.

AIMS Rwanda Centre of Excellence, which

will be a pan-African facility of excellence in

mathematical science, is set to open in August.

Thierry Zomahoun, President and Chief

Executive Officer of AIMS-NEI, said at the

invitation of President Paul Kagame, AIMS

would join the science and innovation

Einsten Form to Set Global Base in Rwanda

ecosystem that the government was building with the

goal of being a continental hub in technology.

“AIMS sees Rwanda as a conducive environment for

its initiatives and we look forward to collaborating

and supporting the local and regional research

community.”

The establishment of an AIMS Centre in Rwanda will

support to build Science, Technology, Engineering and

Mathematics (STEM) expertise.

It is set to strengthen the scientific community

in Rwanda and the region through an innovative

Mathematical Sciences curriculum, relevant to

development issues facing Rwanda and the region.

The centre will aim to raise the international profile of

Rwanda and the region and its scientific community,

by bringing in world-class renowned scientists

including Nobel Prize winners, Fields Medallists and

other highly distinguished academics as well growing

the pool of skilled mathematical scientists and

problem-solvers in Rwanda and the region. - Caj

AHIF is the premier hotel investment conference in

Africa, attracting over 500 high-calibre executives

from 45 countries, as well as key Government

representatives.

Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer at the Rwanda

Development Board, said they wanted to showcase

Rwanda as a key destination to do business.

“The AHIF conference is a vital part of that, and

the addition of a forum focused on aviation

developments, AviaDev, provides an important

platform for the aviation and hotel sectors to

discuss future development projects and forge new

relationships,” Karinza said.-CAJNewsThe Kigali International Airport


PEOPLE & EVENTS

President Museveni welcoming President Magufuli in Entebbe State House

President Magufuli Greeting Tanzania’s 4th Phase Pres. Kikwete in Kololo-Uganda

President John Pombe Magufuli being greeted by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda at Kololo

President Magufuli greets former Tanzania President Mwinyi who also attended the Swearing-in Ceremony in Uganda

Tanzania’s PM in London for the Anti-Corruption meeting discussing with Norway’s PM at the meeting.

Tanzania’s Prime Minister greets the Head of the Commonwealth

[Photos: Tanzania Ikulu / PMO]

BURUNDI


Boys walk behind patrolling soldiers in Bujumbura, Burundi. Burundian forces arrested the leader of a failed coup on Friday and President Pierre Nkurunziza returned to the capital. [Photo: Goran Tomasevic/Reuters]

One year after the crisis in Burundi began, UNHCR has revealed that almost 260,000 people have fled to nearby countries while

thousands more are expected to do the same over the rest of the year unless a political solution is found.

UNHCR spokesperson, Leo Dobbs at a press brief held in Geneva on April 22, 2016 said, “People continue to arrive in neighbouring countries, albeit in smaller numbers in recent weeks as it becomes harder to cross borders.

Many asylum seekers or new arrivals report human rights abuses in Burundi, including torture, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, intimidation, forced recruitment by militia, killings and extortion.

To date, 259,132 people have fled the country. UNHCR expects the figure to rise to 330,000 by the end of the year.” Leo Dobbs noted that continuing international support was needed to help ease the tension and encourage an inclusive dialogue.

Crisis Continues as More People Expected to Flee Country – UNHCR

“With return of the masses not currently expected soon, UNHCR will in the coming year put greater emphasis on education for children and youth, and encourage refugees to become self-sufficient at a time when budget shortfalls are leading to cuts in some assistance,” he says.

UNHCR is seeking almost US$175.1 million for its Burundi crisis operations this year but has

received only US$47.8 million to date, which

translates to only 27 percent of its needs.

According to the UNHCR, “This means we

are struggling to provide even the basics

such as shelter, household items and latrines.

The provision of services such as specialised

counselling, care for the disabled and elderly,

protection of the environment and even primary

health care may also fall by the wayside”, Dobbs

emphasised.

Burundian refugees have fled mostly to Tanzania,

Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of

Congo.

The crisis in Burundi began when, President Pierre

Nkurunziza, who has been in office since 2005,

decided to run for an unconstitutional third term.

The country’s Catholic Bishops, civil society and

opposition political parties denounced Nkurunziza

for the move. Nonetheless, Nkurunziza went

ahead with polls which were boycotted by the

opposition and got re-elected triggering the

conflict -CISA

“With return of the masses not

currently expected soon, UNHCR

will in the coming year put

greater emphasis on education

for children and youth, and

encourage refugees to become

self-sufficient at a time when

budget shortfalls are leading to

cuts in some assistance,” UNHCR

spokesperson, Leo Dobbs


FEATURE

The International Alliance on National Resources in Africa

(IANRA) recently called on African governments to adopt a

model law on mining to help them deal with rogue investors

who fleece communities.

IANRA Africa Chairman Mwikamba Maghenda also called on investors

carrying out mining activities in the continent to fully involve communities

in those areas.

Maghenda said communities in different countries in Africa have been left

wallowing in poverty while investors shipped billions of dollars abroad in

mining proceeds.

“This model law was prepared after inputs from Kenya, DRC, Angola,

Zimbabwe and South Africa and we call on governments in these areas to

take into consideration some of its recommendations,” he said in Naivasha,

northwest of Kenyan capital Nairobi, during the launch of the mining model

law prepared by the organization.

Maghenda said communities in mining areas in Africa shared the same

problems adding that it required concerted efforts to ensure they benefited

from the resources.

“Some information on mining is usually kept secret and only the

government and the investor are privy to and the model law will help

communities know their rights,” Maghenda said.

“Some investors will come and do the exploration and leave with all the

benefits leaving the communities poorer than they found them and this law

will address some of those challenges,” he added.

IANRA Coordinator Gilbert Sendegua said the law will also seek to empower

communities to know their rights and how to deal with an investor willing

to carry out mining activities.

“Some of the issues that may help here is involving the communities and

government in projects that may be of benefit to them like construction of

schools, hospitals and other amenities,” Sendegua said.

He said that the model law will be distributed to all communities in Africa

where mining is done and called on governments to see how it can be put

to legislation.

In the Kenyan situation, the senior officer called on senators to look at some

of the provisions in the law so as to incorporate them with the mining bill

currently before it.

“We know that the bill in the senate will benefit many communities but

we also call on them to look at this model one and how best some of its

provisions can be cooperated in it before it is passed,” he said.

Africa Urged to Model Law on Mining to Check Rogue Investors

“Some of the issues that may help here is

involving the communities and government

in projects that may be of benefit to them

like construction of schools, hospitals and

other amenities,” Sendegua said.

Artisanal gold miners near Iga-Barrière, east of Bunia, the administrative town of the Ituri Region in the Democratic Republic of Congo [Photo: Guy Oliver/IRIN]

SOMALIA


DRCONGO

The Holy See, through its

spokesperson, Fr Federico

Lombardi has paid tribute to Papa

Wemba, a Catholic, for rendering

his voice to promote the message of reconciliation

through his songs composed for the Church.

“…The news of his death touches us deeply. But

we are happy to have made with him significant

initiatives for Africa because the songs he

performed for Vatican Radio and thus for the

Church bear a message that will last continuously.

Singing for Peace, Justice and Reconciliation

is to sing for a better world; a reconciled world

in which Africa is invited to live joyfully. In fact,

not only Africa but the whole world,” said Fr

Lombardi, the former Director General of Vatican

Radio.

According to Fr Lombardi, Papa Wemba and

other musicians were instrumental in getting the

message of the bishops gathered in the Second

African Synod of Bishops (2009), which focused

on Justice, Peace, and Reconciliation to the

African people,

“It was not enough to write beautiful documents,

with long discussions and explanations of the

doctrine of Church. And so we found that such

a message could pass through music, through

songs, which is an important dimension of many

of Africa’s cultures. It is within this framework that

we called some African artistes, especially Papa

Wemba, to help us,” said Fr Lombardi.

“We asked Papa Wemba, and other musicians to

produce a compilation CD, an album with songs

they would compose just to get the message

of Justice, Peace and Reconciliation. They were

original songs inspired by the trilogy of ‘Justice,

Peace and Reconciliation.’ Afterwards, we

produced many copies of this CD and sent it to

all the Catholic dioceses in Africa after the Synod

meeting had ended,” he said.

The CD compilation album was titled, ‘Afrika

tenda amani’ which in KiSwahili encourages

Africans to act for peace and it was done together

with Angola’s folk and Semba music singer,

Bonga; the group Fifito from Guinea led by

Vatican Radio employee Filomeno Lopes.

Elsewhere on May 4 the Archbishop of Kinshasa,

Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo led the country in

paying tribute to Papa Wemba during a funeral

Mass held at the Notre Dame Cathedral in

Kinshasa. The ceremony was attended by family

members of the late musician, six bishops, over

50 Catholic priests, government officials and

diplomats.

Papa Wemba, 66, was born Shungu Wembadio

Pene Kikumba in June 1949 in Lubefu, then

Belgian Congo. He collapsed and died while

performing on stage in Abidjan, Ivory Coast on

April 24 April.-CISA

VATICAN: Papa Wemba’s

Musical Message will last

forever, says Fr Lombardi

Congolese musician Papa Wemba

“…Singing for Peace, Justice and

Reconciliation is to sing for a

better world; a reconciled world

in which Africa is invited to live

joyfully. In fact, not only Africa but

the whole world,” Fr Lombardi,


SOMALIA

By Clea Broadhurst

A British Army team has arrived in Somalia as part of a UN-backed African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to counter

Islamist militants. The move reinforces the UK’s

commitment to targeting terrorism around the

world

AMISOM was launched in 2007 to fight against

Al-Shabab - the Islamist militant group allied

to al-Qaeda - which is still battling Somalia’s

government for control of the country.

The group has carried out a string of attacks -

including attacks in neighbouring Kenya - and

is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000

fighters.

Al-Shabab was forced out of major cities, such as

Mogadishu, a few years back. However, they still

have control over some rural areas.

One of the reasons they exert control is because

armed forces on the ground do not have the

means to take them on.

“The real threat of al-Shabab in Somalia is the

lack of security provided in the countryside.

They’re allowed to operate very freely on the

countryside, there’s little local security, and the

Somali security forces do not function properly,”

Stig Jarle Hansen, an international relations

professor at the Norwegian University and al-

Shabab specialist, told RFI.

“One of the reasons is the lack of funding.

Policemen in charge of counter-terrorism

operations and the army don’t receive more

than 100$ a month. Basically, the Somali security

structure is not properly functioning. Which

means that AMISOM doesn’t have a proper local

partner. It also means that al-Shabab has full

freedom of operations, even behind the lines

of AMISOM. In the countryside, they can do

whatever they want: amass forces, do forced

recruitment and collect taxes.”

British Troops Arrive in Somalia to Fight Terrorism

The UK is sending military personnel to help AMISOM, but it’s a small contingent to start with.

“It’s just an advanced party at the moment of about ten soldiers that have been sent to Somalia, and that’s the first part of a deployment of about 70 personnel who will be sent to the country. And the full deployment of the 70 troops will not actually be involved in frontline combat, but carrying out training, medical, logistical and engineering duties,” Cathy Haenlein, a security and political analyst at the Royal United Services Institute in London, told RFI.

“They’ll be supporting AMISOM, who’s been fighting against al-Shabab since 2007 and we have to remember that it’s a relatively small number of troops. It will certainly be a welcome deployment given that AMISOM, the African Union mission in Somalia is lacking in terms of capabilities. And given the range of challenges AMISOM troops are facing, it’s unlikely this will lead to a change in the course of the conflict itself.”

She says this move shows the UK is determined to tackle terrorism, not only at home, but anywhere in the world.

Obviously, it’s not going to make a huge difference in Somalia. But as soldiers there needed training, it will be welcome move.

“The Somali national army lacks training and therefore needs a backing, needs capacity building and therefore those British officers sent under the UN flag could deliver something important for the Somali national army,” Roland Marchal, from the National Centre of political studies in Paris, told RFI.

“On the other hand, you could say that this is just going to increase the chaos in the way the international community organises its own support of the Somali army. The real issue is actually how to organise, coordinate and make coherent, the behaviour, or the policy of a number of international donors who want to have their input in the Somalian national army, and now, with an additional one, it’s not going to solve the problem.”

Marchal said that the Somali army also lacks organisation, it’s crippled by corruption. AMISOM itself also has to face problems including cultural differences among troops coming from several countries - such as the rivalries between Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia

What all analysts agree on though is the fact that AMISOM clearly lacks funding. In January 2016, the European Union cut its funding by 20 percent and soldiers said they wouldn’t fight if they were not getting properly paid. - RFI

Prime Minister David Cameron chats with soldiers from the Royal Welsh Infantry at RAF Northolt in London [Photo: REUTERS/Justin Tallis/pool]

SOUTH SUDAN


By Daniel Majack

South Sudan’s First Vice-President Riek

Machar recently called for unity among

the newly appointed ministers to help

the new unity government tackle

outstanding issues and rebuild the young nation.

Speaking during an induction workshop held

in Juba, Machar reminded the new cabinet to

amicably work together in order to confront

challenges facing implementation of peace deal

which was signed in August 2015.

“There are serious issues in the agreement that

Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission or

Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement

Monitoring Mechanism may not resolve, it will be

the cabinet to resolve them,” Machar said.

Machar Calls for Unity in Nation Rebuilding

The former rebel leader said despite the signed

peace agreement and formation of the new

government, there are still some Prisoners of War

(POW) or detainees which urgently need to be

address by the Cabinet.

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir officially

formed the transitional government of national

unity on April 28 after he announced a new

Cabinet, which saw former rebels and post-2013

war detainees take up key positions.

The new government is part of the deal signed in

August last year in a bid to bring peace back to

the continent’s new nation after fighting broke

out between supporters of President Kiir and

Machar in the capital in December 2013, soon

after the latter was sacked as first vice president.

The new unity government is tasked with the

challenges of resettlement of internally displaced

persons and refugees, issue of 28 states and

fixing the economy as well as stabilizing the

country which relies on food imports from

neighbouring countries.

“I will cooperate with President, second vice-

president and the whole council of ministers in

order to move forward,” Machar said.

Second Vice President James Wani Igga

commended President Kiir and Machar for their

tremendous efforts that led to the formation

of unity government, and urged the cabinet to

rebuild trust and confidence to restore hope in

the country.

“The top priority is rebuilding trust within

ourselves and for peace to succeed it must begin

with us in this house,” Wani reiterated.

Civil war erupted in December 2013 when

President Kiir accused his former deputy

Machar of planning a coup, setting off a cycle

of retaliatory killings that have split the country

along ethnic lines.

Peace talks between Kiir and Machar stalled

several times but the two leaders eventually

signed peace agreement in August last year,

paving way for the formation of government of

national unity. - BBC

“I will cooperate with President,

second vice-president and the

whole council of ministers in order

to move forward,” Machar said.

South Sudan’s rebel leader Riek Machar, center, shakes hands with South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, center-right wearing a black hat, after lengthy peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. [Photo: AP Photo/Mulugeta Ayene]


OBITUARY

Band leader Papa Wemba will be remembered for a music style that conquered Africa, and a sense of fashion that inspired a generation of dandies.

He died aged 66 after collapsing on a

busy stage behind his dancers at a

late-night concert in Ivory Coast.

So ended the life of a man who helped take

African pop to a global audience over more than

four decades that saw spells of prison too.

“He was the icon of our culture, of our lifestyle,”

tweeted Kinshasa rapper Youssoupha. “This is a

huge loss.”

Wailer’s sonHe was born Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba in

June 1949 in Lubefu, in what was then the Belgian

Congo (now part of the Democratic Republic of

Papa WembaCongo). According to French broadcaster RFI (in

French), he got his nickname Papa because he

was his mother’s eldest child. He also took the

name Jules Presley later in life.

His love of song can be attributed to his mother,

who was a professional “wailing woman” at

funerals, AFP news agency notes in its obituary.

His father wanted him to be a journalist or lawyer,

RFI writes, but, after developing his trademark

high-range voice in religious choirs, he made his

debut in the capital Kinshasa at the end of the

1960s.

Mixing traditional African music with Western

rock, he and his successive bands - Zaiko Langa

Langa, Isifi and Viva La Musica - enjoyed hit after

hit, including L’Esclave and Le Voyageur.

Shaping Congolese music in the 1970s and 1980s,

he made soukous the most popular sound across

Africa, and attracted international music figures

like Peter Gabriel.

“I do not know if this is a loss for African music

because the music does not die,” said Eric Didia,

a promoter of Congolese music in Ivory Coast and

friend of Wemba who was at the morgue where

his body was taken.

“People can listen to Papa Wemba songs in 50

years, in 100 years,” he was quoted as saying by

Reuters news agency.

Wemba was also an actor, appearing in two films,

Life Is Beautiful (1987) and Wild Games (1997).

Migrant smugglerIn 2004, Wemba was convicted of people-

smuggling in France and spent three months in

prison.

He was found to have helped Congolese

immigrants illegally obtain visas by passing them

off as musicians working with him on European

shows.

A Belgian court convicted him of the same

crime in 2012, handing down a fine of 22,000

euros (£17,143; $24,690) and a suspended prison

sentence of 15 months.

Wemba had also been briefly imprisoned

in Kinshasa in 1976 on suspicion of having a

relationship with the daughter of a general from

President Mobutu Sese Seko’s army.

Fashion guruIn Kinshasa, Papa Wemba was known for his taste

in clothing and headed an organisation called the

Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People, or

sapeurs.

Their stylish suits and fedora hats brought a touch

of glamour to Central African countries marked

by poverty.

Hours after the official confirmation of his

death, hundreds gathered in Matonge, his

neighbourhood in Kinshasa, to pay homage.

“He is our papa,” Eddy Kilonda, a young man on

the verge of tears, told Reuters.

“He was not only a musician. He taught us to

dress properly, to be stylish.”

Wemba married his wife Marie-Rose Luzolo in

1970 and they had six children.- BBC

ETHIOPIA


Ethiopia and the World Bank (WB) recently signed a loan agreement of 300 million U.S. dollars, which will be used to finance urban productive

safety net project in the East African country.

Abdulaziz Mohamed, Ethiopian Minister of

Finance and Economic Cooperation (MoFEC), and

Carolyn Turk, WB Country Director for Ethiopia,

signed the agreement at a ceremony held on the

premises of MoFEC in Ethiopia’s capital Addis

Ababa.

The urban productive safety net project,

which will be implemented over five years

with a total cost of 450 million dollars, aims to

improving income of urban poor households

and establishing urban safety net mechanisms in

Ethiopia.

The objective will be achieved through provision

of cash transfers, financial and technical support

to access livelihood opportunities, building the

capacity of institutions to effectively deliver the

support, and developing core systems for delivery

of safety nets and complementary livelihood

services, according to MoFEC.

The urban safety net project was inspired by the

The objective will be achieved

through provision of cash transfers,

financial and technical support to

access livelihood opportunities,

building the capacity of institutions

to effectively deliver the support,

and developing core systems

for delivery of safety nets and

complementary livelihood services.

Ethiopia, WB Sign Loan Agreement Of 300 Million USD

For Urban Safety Net Project

success gained by the rural productive safety net project implemented over several years since 2005 here in the country, said Abdulaziz during the signing ceremony.

The Ethiopian Government will contribute 150 million dollars of the project’s total cost of 450 million dollars, according to the Minister.

“Looking at the difference made by the rural safety nets on the lives of the vulnerable population, the government of Ethiopia decided to initiate a similar program to support the poorest segment of the urban population,” said the Minister.

“This first phase is envisaged to support over 600,000 beneficiaries in 11 cities in Ethiopia,” he said.

The urban productive safety net project (UPSNP) is the first flagship urban safety net in Africa, said the WB Country Director.

Together with the rural productive safety net

project (RPSNP), the programme will promote

the Government commitment to expanding

productive safety net to a national coverage, she

added.

She further said UPSNP would contribute to

the Government’s strategic commitment to

promoting inclusive growth and ensuring shared

prosperity.

“The project will contribute to the realization

of Ethiopia’s Growth and Transformation Plan II

(second GTP) ensuring that the urban poor and

vulnerable receive a predictable safety net and

the support they require to experience faster

income growth,” said Turk.

The success of the project will depend on a strong

implementation arrangement, capacity and

commitment at all levels, noted the Director.

She said that the World Bank team would

continue to provide the necessary technical

support to the UPSNP project.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

MOZAMBIQUE


Mozambican ruling party Mozambique Liberation Front’s (Frelimo) presidential candidate Filipe Nyusi casts his ballot at a polling station in Maputo. [Photo: AFP]

Mozambican President Filipe

Nyusi recently pledged

to continue “working

tirelessly for peace,

national unity, and the economic and financial

stability of our country”.

Speaking at the closing session of a meeting

of the National Committee of the Association

of Veterans of the National Liberation Struggle

(ACLLN), Nyusi stressed that “the general solution

for the economic problems we face is centred on

increasing production and productivity”.

“The traditional areas of our economy such as

agriculture, infrastructures, energy and tourism

remain the priority areas for the integrated and

sustainable development of the country”, he said.

“We are aware of the challenges that the country

faces, but we should not be distracted from our

main agenda. We shall remain focused on the

search for rapid, visible and lasting solutions for

the wellbeing of our people”.

In an oblique reference to the country’s enormous

foreign debt, Nyusi added “It is in times of crisis

that the best children of this beautiful motherland

stand revealed. It is in times of crisis that we

develop our greatest capacity of knowing how to

look for solutions, individually and collectively, in

the certainty that we share the same destination”.

Mozambicans had faced greater struggles

“and won them as a people. Our union and

our common objectives were and continue to

be determinant for our victories and for our

conquests and nobody has the freedom to

destroy them”.

At the end of the meeting, the ACLLN National

Committee urged the government to continue

a dual track approach to the rebel movement

Renamo - to continue defending citizens from the

Nyusi Pledges to ‘Work Tirelessly for Peace’

attacks of Renamo gunmen while attempting to

enter into a dialogue with the Renamo leadership

in order to end military hostilities.

The ACLLN pledged that veterans “are fully and

immediately willing to participate in the defence

of sovereignty, the consolidation of peace and

national unity, and the development of the

country”.

As for the scandal of the guarantees issued by the

previous government, under Nyusi’s predecessor,

Armando Guebuza, for enormous, undisclosed

loans, the ACLLN said the government should

only take responsibility for that part of the debt

which truly served public interests.

The commercial aspects of the debt should be

the exclusive responsibility of the companies

concerned and their shareholders. These

companies are the Mozambique Tuna Company

(EMATUM), Proindicus, formed to provide

maritime security, and Mozambique Asset

Management (MAM), which is supposed to

provide ship repair and maintenance services.

The total government guaranteed loans taken by

these three companies amount to over two billion

US dollars.

None of the three companies is operating at

a profit, and their shareholders are all state or

quasi-state institutions. - AIM

MALAWI


By Christina Mkutumula

President Prof. Peter Mutharika said

the Millennium Challenge Account

Energy Compact project has made

tremendous progress as evidenced

by signing of seven out of the eight major work

contracts. Mutharika was speaking in Lilongwe

recently when he had an audience with the

Chief Executive Officer for Millennium Challenge

Corporation (MCC) Dana Hyde.

He said under the power sector reform

component of the compact, the restructuring of

the electricity power market was progressing well.

“ESCOM will soon split into two parastatal

companies. We will have a new generation

company that will compliment independent

power producers in generation of electricity,” said

Mutharika.

He further said the Cabinet Committee on Legal

Affairs has already reviewed the amendment of

the Electricity Bill and Cabinet will approve it for

tabling in the next sitting of parliament.

Mutharika said government is committed to

improve access to quality and reliable power in

order to stimulate economic growth and reduce

poverty in the country.

“Currently, about 10 per cent of Malawians are

accessing electricity and it is governments wish

to ensure that 30 per cent of Malawians are

connected to electricity by the year 2025.

“For us to achieve this number we require to

increase the current 351 Mega Watts power

generation to more than 2,500 Mega Watts in the

next 5-10 years,” he said.

President Mutharika Happy With MCA Energy Compact Project

For the compact to be successful, the president

said there is need to ensure that government

continues to invest in the people, rule justly

and facilitate the people to access economic

opportunities and freedom.

Speaking on the benefits of the compact, the

president said the project has regional benefits.

He said, currently Malawi is not connected to

the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), but

with support from USA Government through the

Compact and upon completion, the country will

have adequate structure and infrastructure to

connect to the SAPP for import and export power.

“The 400KV Phombeya Substation will be the

landing and take-off point for the Mozambique

Interconnector. The new Lilongwe 400KV

Substation in Nkhoma will be the landing and

take-off point for Zambia Interconnector.

“132KV new Bwengu Substation in Mzimba will

be landing and take-off point for the Tanzania

Interconnector,” said Professor Mutharika.

The president then said he was happy that

compensation of close to 7,000 people affected

by the project through cash and replacement of

houses has begun.

“I am informed that compensation started in

December 2015 and that 95 per cent of the people

between Balaka and Lilongwe have been paid.

And over 100 houses are under construction by

contractors recruited under Millennium Challenge

Account (MCA) Malawi.

Speaking after meeting the president, Chief

Executive Officer for Millennium Challenge

Corporation Dana Hyde said she was happy with

the strides made in the project.

She said the compact is on truck and that much

potential put in the sector will improve economic

development for the country by increasing access

to electricity.

“The important work that has been done so far

is the work and reforms that are taking place in

the energy sector which aims at turning it to a

regional power sector,” said Hyde.

Speaking earlier Minister of Natural Resources,

Energy and Mining Bright Msaka, said Malawi

qualified to receive aid from USA Government

through Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC)

in 2007.

He said Malawi chose the energy sector to be

improved and was happy that huge progress has

been made.

Msaka cited reforms at ESCOM and opening up of

the power market as crucial areas.

“About 31 independent power service companies

have shown interest to help ESCOM in the energy

sector. So far seven of these companies have

signed Memorandum of Understanding to start

their work and we hope the rest will also do the

same,” said Msaka.

He said the old infrastructure will be modernized

and expanded, adding that Nkula will have new

equipment of 20-32 Mega Watts.

Millennium Challenge Account Energy Compact

project started in 2013. - Mana

“Currently, about 10 per cent

of Malawians are accessing

electricity and it is governments

wish to ensure that 30 per cent

of Malawians are connected to

electricity by the year 2025. For us

to achieve this number we require

to increase the current 351 Mega

Watts power generation to more

than 2,500 Mega Watts in the next

5-10 years,” President Prof. Peter

Mutharika

ZAMBIA


By James Butty

The Episcopal Conference of Zambia has called on all political parties and their presidential candidates to take steps to curb politically

motivated violence ahead of the country’s August 11 presidential election.

The organization of Roman Catholic bishops met recently with all political parties and their candidates. Father Cleophas Lungu, secretary general of the conference, said the meeting made a number of proposals to deal with some of the root causes of the political tension and violence in the country.

Lungu said among the suggestions was amending the Public Order Act, which the police use to manage political gatherings.

“There was a general consensus that the law itself had some gaps and needed to be reviewed and amended so that the application of it does not disadvantage any political party, especially the opposition parties. But the law is applied fairly and objectively by those who have that responsibility, especially the police,” he said.

Opposition and civil society groups have often accused the Zambian police of bias and violating the constitution after clamping on their rights to free speech and assembly as stipulated in the bill of rights. The groups said the police often use the controversial Public Order Act to suppress their meetings and their planned demonstrations against unfavourable government policies. They also said the police are to blame for the ongoing inter-party violence because of the preferential treatment they give governing PF supporters.

But the Zambia police say the Public Order Act underscores the importance of groups and political parties coordinating their planned activities with the police to ensure there is peace and stability. The law, police also say, regulates the holding of public processions or

demonstrations.

Zambia’s Religious Leaders Call for Civility in Political Rhetoric

Lungu said all political parties attending the

meeting acknowledged that the issue of political

violence was not unique to one party. He said

to a great extent the government has not done

enough to curb the violence. Lungu said the

Zambia Episcopal Conference has committed

itself to holding the country’s political leaders

accountable.

“We have come together to form what we call

the Christian Churches Monitory Group. We are

monitoring the conduct of the election this year.

We are going to keep record of what they say, and

whenever we see that they are saying something

which is contrary to what they have committed

themselves to, we have put it very clear to them

that we are going to call them back for a review

meeting,” Lungu said.

Zambians have expressed concern about clashes

between supporters of political parties as the

groups ready to begin official campaigning for the

elections. Local media organizations have often

reported incidents of inter-party clashes, often

between the governing Patriotic Front (PF) and

opposition parties, including the United Party for

National Development (UPND) and the Movement

for Multi-party Democracy (MMD).

UPND supporters were recently attacked by

security personnel during Youth Day celebrations

at the Freedom Statue in Lusaka in view of some

ruling Patriotic Front party officials. In another

incident, a video of an opposition member being

stripped naked by ruling party members in full

view of police officers also went viral on social

media. - VoA

The Patriotic Front’s Edgar Lungu, right, is sworn in as president at an inauguration ceremony in Lusaka Sunday, Jan. 25, 2015. [Photo: AP Photo/Moses Mwape]


ZIMBABWE

Some 45 humanitarian partners in Zimbabwe have sought 360

million U.S. dollars in funding to provide lifesaving food, health,

water and sanitation support and other assistance for 1.8 million

people, a UN spokesman said recently.

The El Nino-induced drought has exacerbated hunger and hardship for

vulnerable people in Zimbabwe, leaving 2.8 million people -- about 21

percent of the population -- food insecure, Stephane Dujarric said at a daily

news briefing.

The combination of a poor 2014-2015 harvest, an extremely dry early

season and forecasts for continuing hot and drier-than-average conditions

through mid-2016 posed a risk of extensive crop failure, weakened power

supplies and reduced drinking water for human and livestock consumption,

he said.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said in March that it would, for the

first time ever, extend its food relief programme in Zimbabwe into next year

in response to the dire food security situation due to a devastating El-Nino

induced drought.

Aid Agencies Seek 360 Mln USD For

Lifesaving Assistance in Zimbabwe

The WFP said Zimbabwe’s high level of food insecurity is due to last year’s

bad harvest -- 50 percent down from that of the previous year -- combined

with an unusually strong El Nino weather event which has resulted in

reduced rains for southern Africa.

Coinciding as it has with the main part of the growing season, El Nino-

related drought has been disastrous for smallholder farmers dependent on

rain-fed agriculture.

The drought has also killed thousands of livestock in the country.

In February, the Zimbabwean government last month declared the drought

a state of disaster and has appealed for 1.6 billion dollars to buy grain to

feed the affected people.

Zimbabweans collect food aid from a distribution point in Mutawatawa, about 220km northeast of Harare. (Photo: Philimon Bulawayo/Reuters)

The combination of a poor 2014-2015 harvest, an

extremely dry early season and forecasts for continuing

hot and drier-than-average conditions through mid-2016

posed a risk of extensive crop failure, weakened power

supplies and reduced drinking water for human and

livestock consumption.

GHANA


Ghana Party Picks Former First Lady as Presidential Candidate

By Peter ClotteyGhana’s opposition National Democratic Party has

chosen former first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-

Rawlings as its presidential candidate at the

party’s national delegates congress recently in the

capital, Accra.

National Democratic Party supporters say the

former first lady’s popularity could pose a

significant challenge to incumbent President John

Dramani Mahama in the November 7 general

election. NDP General Secretary Mohammed

Frimpong says Agyeman-Rawlings is the best

candidate to deliver the change Ghanaians

demand.

“The entire country is clamouring for her return

onto the political landscape to give to Ghanaians

what she has done and knows best in terms of

mobilization, women empowerment, and so

on and so forth. That is why the NDP followers

throughout the country had unanimously decided

to endorse her as our presidential candidate for

the 2016 election,” said Frimpong.

Former president Jerry John Rawlings, who is the

founding father of the ruling National Democratic

Congress expressed support for his wife before

she was overwhelmingly endorsed by the NDP as

the party’s presidential candidate. It remains to

be seen if the former president will also support

his wife against incumbent President John

Dramani Mahama from the NDC.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, presidential

candidate for the main opposition New Patriotic

Party congratulated the former first lady.

Local media quoted Nana Addo as saying, “Her

wealth of experience in Ghanaian politics should

put her in good stead to help steer and shape

the nature of our political discourse from one

of attrition, personality attacks and negative

preoccupations to an issues-based campaign,

hinged on the competition of policies and ideas ...

That is how the public interest of our nation can

be best served. The NPP and I welcome her into

the race for the Presidency and wish her well.”

Anti-Mahama alliance possibeAddo’s warm remarks prompted suggestions the two opposition leaders and their parties will form an alliance to challenge Mahama and his governing NDC in the presidential, parliamentary and local elections. But NDP general secretary Frimpong says the party’s focus is not on forming an alliance with any other opposition party before the polls.

“Alliance ahead of the election is not in our agenda, that I can tell you for sure,” said Frimpong. “But the point is that we are all bent on seeking for change [and] there is a very strong determination for change ... and that is why probably the NPP flag bearer and our just endorsed flag bearer will share this common opinion for the need of change.”

The NDP was unable to register Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as the party’s presidential candidate with the Electoral Commission of Ghana in the last election, despite endorsing the former first lady at the delegates congress in 2012.

“We had very strong disrupters in the 2012 election, and just as we were preparing to file her flag bearership with the electoral commission, there was a very elaborate conspiracy to scuttle

this attempt, and that is what happened ... And

therefore, nobody could base her performance

or would be performance on the 2012 election

because after all she did not participate,” said

Frimpong.

But critics say the NDP should resolve an internal

power struggle, rather than blame outsiders for

the party’s challenges.

Frimpong says the former first lady will play a

key role in preventing Mahama from winning

the presidential vote in the first round of the

poll. He predicted Agyeman Rawlings would be

the “kingmaker” on who becomes Ghana’s next

president.

“It’s becoming quite prominent that Ghanaians

feel a female must be given a chance. And

the record of probity and accountability in

governance was [regarded] very high in their

tenure and has slumped now to a very abysmal

level ... With all these considerations coupled

with her drive towards mobilization to eliminate

poverty, and disease and illiteracy, all these go

to create fond memories in the population ...

Therefore, comparing with three other contenders

... We can say that it would be very difficult just to

think that there can just be one run-off.”- VoA

Former First Lady a Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings being conferred with an Honorary Emeritus Fellowship by the BOARDROOM INSTITUTE of the Graduate School of Governance and Leadership

SPORTS


By Piers Edwards

The call for better management of sport is heard across Africa - often as a lament, more regularly as an outburst of barely contained frustration.

In football, former Ajax and Juventus defender Sunday Oliseh recently quit as Nigeria’s national football coach, citing contractual violations and lack of support

from his local federation.

Months earlier, Zimbabwe were disqualified from the 2018 World Cup qualifying tournament after its football association failed to pay a former national coach.

In athletics, Kenya only recently averted the threat of disqualification from the 2016 Olympic Games because of its previously long-standing failure to implement robust drugs-testing procedures - nearly 40 athletes have failed tests in the last four years.

And yet Kenya would surely be far better protecting what is regarded as one of its greatest assets - indeed, impressing on the top table of global sport is recognised as a surefire way of propelling a little-known nation on to the planet’s psyche.

“It is thanks to football that small countries can become great,” beamed footballer Roger Milla after his Cameroon side because the first African nation to reach a World Cup quarter-finals in 1990.

So given the global standing that countries can achieve through sport - not to mention the political capital that a ruling party can gain through overseeing such success - are African administrators doing enough to ensure success?

‘Embarrassing’With a host of different disciplines in Africa’s 54 countries, it is wise to avoid generalisations, but a potted look at some recent issues suggests significant problems abound.

During the 2014 football World Cup qualifying

campaign, seven African countries forfeited

matches after they were found to have fielded

ineligible players - an administrative oversight

that only one other country across the rest of the

world managed to repeat.

One of the most embarrassing moments in

South African sporting history - and there have

been a few - came when the football association

president publicly congratulated his players for

qualifying for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations -

when his organisation’s misunderstanding of

the rules meant they had erroneously played for

a draw when they needed a win. They did not

qualify.

Then take Nigeria - Africa’s biggest population

and arguably the continent’s most football-crazed

nation - which has failed to qualify for three of the

last four Africa Cup of Nations tournaments.

Yet this has little to do with the quality of

Nigeria’s players - as proven by the fact that the

Super Eagles won the trophy in 2013, either side

of these qualifying failures - and more to do with

administration.

This last qualifying campaign featured three

coaches in the space of 12 months and endless

accusations and counter-accusations between the

coaching staff and Nigeria Football Federation

(NFF).

At the same time, a row over who is actually in

charge of the NFF has led to the threat of a ban

by football’s world governing body Fifa - not for

the first time.

Then recently, the embarrassing scenario whereby

one of the officials announced for a local fixture

was found to have actually died a few months

earlier.

Repeated threatsKenya has not only been in trouble with the world

athletics governing body for its slovenly pace in

dealing with anti-doping.

Senior athletics officials have been suspended

by the IAAF while an investigation takes place

into allegations of “subversion” of the anti-

doping process and the “improper diversion”

of funds received from Nike. Allegations the

officials deny. And while the East African nation

has finally passed a law to bring its anti-doping

programme up to scratch, this was only achieved

after repeated threats from the World Anti-

Doping Agency and the IAAF.

Amidst the endless negativity of bonus rows,

coaches not being paid on time, funds going

missing, match-fixing scandals and insufficient

stadium security, there are some positive stories.

The Algerian Football Federation of a generation

ago deserves special mention as a proactive

sports administration.

For years it pushed Fifa into changing rules on

player eligibility and then, in 2004, it was the

first to profit as Antar Yahia became the first

footballer to represent one nation at junior level

(France) before playing for a different one at

senior level (Algeria). After the rule change, the

North Africans qualified for the 2010 World Cup,

their first finals in a quarter of a century, thanks

to fielding a squad dominated by former French

youth internationals - with Yahia scoring the

dramatic qualifying goal.

More recently, Kenya’s Rugby Sevens won their

first World Series title by thumping defending

champions Fiji in the final in Singapore. The result

was built on a lot of hard work and determination,

with Kenya having been to well over 100

tournaments before this first success.

The silverware finally shone a light on those

endeavours but some African sporting

associations, however well run, will never get that

chance.

Without a trophy, which does not always have to

be the only marker of progress, their deeds go

unnoticed.

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