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  • EA Scholars Discuss Education

    EA Scholars Discuss Education

    {{Top administrators of higher education institutions in East Africa, academic researchers and education policy makers convene here from today to discuss how the quality of higher education in the region can be improved.}}

    The six-day meeting has been organised by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), an institution under the East African Community (EAC) under the theme; “Creating a Quality Assurance Culture in the East African Higher Education Area.’

    “The conference will provide a unique opportunity for quality assurance practitioners of higher education institutions, executive members of national accreditation bodies, higher education researchers and policy makers to share ideas on quality assurance issues, systems, practices and challenges, including prospects of higher education in the region,” said a statement issued by IUCEA from its headquarters in Kampala.

    The event would give academicians and practitioners in quality assurance the opportunity to strengthen collaboration and networking as well as discuss policies concerning quality assurance in the EA higher education systems.

    Best practices in quality assurance in education in and outside the region will also be discussed.

    The role of Quality Assurance Networks in enhancing quality culture in the education sector in the region.

    Besides IUCEA, other organizations which have collaborated to organize the conference at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge outside Arusha are the East African Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Aga Khan University.

    EAQAN was formally established in 2012 following the adoption of its Constitution. It is mandated to oversee quality assurance issues, systems, practices, challenges and prospects in the East African Higher Education Area.

    NMG

  • 4,000 Vehicles Disappeared from Mombasa Port

    4,000 Vehicles Disappeared from Mombasa Port

    {{Importers of used motor vehicles have expressed fear that their vehicles impounded at various private Container Freight Stations (CFSs) in Mombasa after being declared older than the permissible eight years have gone missing. }}

    Association of Importers of Motor Vehicles (AIMV) national chairman Mr Peter Mambembe raised the alarm on Monday saying most of the 4000 cars they stopped from destruction through courts in 2012 were missing.

    The importers allege that the vehicles could have been stolen at the CFSs or secretly destroyed by the government.

    Mr Mambembe said after members were allowed by Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) re-export the vehicles, they managed to trace only 80 vehicles.

    “Out of 4000 vehicles I managed to trace only 80 vehicles,” said Mambembe.

    He estimated cost of the vehicles and loss of business at about Sh6 billion and threatened to issue CFSs and Kenya Ports Authority KPA) which nominates the private warehouse operators to court to provide the disputed vehicles.

    In a letter dated March24 this year, Kebs allowed the importers of vehicles aged more than eight years to re-export them.

    Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) also issued a similar letter dated on March 26 this year. Mambembe said AIMV members were planning to re-export the vehicles to Uganda and South Sudan after they were declared unroadworthy in Kenya under the KS1515:2000 eight year age limit rule but they are not available.

    About seven years, then acting Finance minister the late John Michuki ordered the destruction of hundreds of overstayed vehicles at the port of Mombasa to free space for new imports and exports.

    {standard}

  • SPLA Claims Capture of Rebel Base

    SPLA Claims Capture of Rebel Base

    {{South Sudanese government forces said Sunday they had overrun a key rebel base and that heavy fighting was raging for control of the northern oil hub of Bentiu following a major offensive.}}

    “Our forces captured Nasir this morning. After we launched an assault yesterday with heavy bombardments, the town is ours,” South Sudan army spokesman Philip Aguer told reporters, adding that rebel leader Riek Machar had fled towards the Ethiopian border.

    “The rebels including Riek Machar are fleeing towards the Ethiopian border, we are still advancing,” the spokesman said.

    “In Bentiu we launched a major assault at the same time, our forces are there and have been fighting. We are awaiting confirmation of its capture, but we are hopeful of good news.”

    The attack comes just days after the country’s president, Salva Kiir, agreed during a visit by US Secretary of State John Kerry to hold direct talks with Machar on ending the brutal four-month-old conflict.

    Independent aid sources, who asked not to be identified, confirmed there was fierce fighting in and around Bentiu, capital of the oil-rich Unity State, as well as around Nasir, situated close to the border with Ethiopia and one of the main bases of Machar and his rebel army.

    AFP

  • Nigeria 1st Lady Orders Arrest of Protesters

    Nigeria 1st Lady Orders Arrest of Protesters

    {{A leader of a protest march for 276 missing schoolgirls says Nigeria’s First Lady abused them, expressed doubts there was any kidnapping and accused them of belonging to the terrorist network blamed for the abductions. }}

    Then she ordered two of them arrested.

    Saratu Angus Ndirpaya of Chibok town said State Security Service agents drove her and protest leader Naomi Mutah Nyadar to a police station Monday after an all-night meeting at the presidential villa in Abuja, the capital. She said Nyadar remains in detention. Police could not be reached for comment.

    Ndirpaya says First Lady Patience Jonathan accused them of fabricating the abductions to give Nigeria’s government and her husband “a bad name.”

    Police say more than 300 were abducted April 15 from Chibok school and 276 remain in captivity.

    agencies

  • Uganda to Enforce Axle Load Control

    Uganda to Enforce Axle Load Control

    {{ The Uganda National Police has created a special road traffic unit that will be working with the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) to ensure that trucks traversing Ugandan roads adhere to the axle load rules.}}

    While addressing journalists at East African Community (EAC) non-tariffs barriers communication strategy meeting on Tuesday, Dr Steven Kasiima, the director traffic and road safety at Uganda National Police said, overloaded trucks are the major causes of accidents on highways because they breakdown around black spots.

    {{Damaging roads}}

    He added that the abnormal loads especially cement, also damage the roads, weigh bridges and bridges yet it is hard to tow them away because of the load.

    He explained that during a joint EAC consultative meeting on Non-tariff barriers held in Mombasa recently, it was identified that road traffic blocks are some of the non-tariff barriers impeding the smooth flow of goods across the region and the Uganda police has removed all of them in Uganda.

    “Imagine in a roadblock, a truck spends five minutes being checked and we had 30 of them from Malaba to Mutukula, that meant two and half hours wasted on roadblocks.

    Given the state of the roads, if the goods being transported were perishable, then it meant the traders were making losses,” he explained to journalists.

    He said as a control measure, Police has started escorting fuel tankers from one border point to another and also increased motorised patrols on all the highways instead of the roadblocks because they are proving more effective.

    NMG

  • Kigali: Forum discussed Youth participation in legislative processes

    Kigali: Forum discussed Youth participation in legislative processes

    {Over 50 Youth from different institutions and backgrounds gathered in Kigali on 3rd May 2014 to discuss and assess the engagement of Rwandan youth in the country’s legislation processes.}

    The forum was graced by MP Theobald Mporanyi, and Mr. Dave Peterson- Senior Director of the Africa Program of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) among other dignitaries.

    While addressing participants, Dr. Joseph Nkurunziza, the co-founder and chair of Never Again Rwanda emphasized the importance of engagement between youth and legislators as a means of promoting effective policy formulation in the country.

    “One of the ways to get the youth involved in policy making and implementation is to create a strong platform in which they can be actively engaged with the parliamentarians and discuss on cross-cutting issues” Nkurunziza said

    The Executive Director of Never Again Rwanda, Mr. Eric Mahoro, explained that the discussion aimed at empowering Rwandan youth with skills that would enable them to participate in democratic processes of the country.

    “These discussions are signs of a democratic country, Never Again Rwanda organizes such discussion forums to empower youth with skills and ability to become participative citizens,” he said.

    After the keynote addresses, the youth got a chance to give suggestions and debate on the matters of legislation and policy formulation processes in Rwanda. The very active youthful audience showed a great interest in understanding the various legislation processes in the country and affirmed their commitment to participate in the processes through the available mechanisms and avenues that were lucidly explained by the flamboyant Member of Parliament and other facilitators, who elucidated the needfulness of youth participation in the legislation processes and how it servers to safeguard democracy and flourish development.

    The youth raised concerns that while youth account for 61% of the Rwandan Population there were only two seats for youth representation. But fronting a different perspective, Floriane Niyungeko a student in Huye and Burundian national, disagreed with the Rwandan participants stating categorically that focus should be put on the availability of mechanisms through which the youth can contribute in the legislation agenda and not necessarily representation in parliament. “You are lucky that you even have that representation. I don’t think we have it in Burundi. Youth ideas are not only transmitted by youth, what is important is to look the best way you can share your views instead of spending all your time in social media”, she said with an assuring smile, to justify her line of argument.

    Speaking to the press, Richard Manzi, one of the 50 participants who participated in the discussion, said that his decision to take part in the forum was informed by his belief that the youth should play a key role in the development of the country as they constitute a large percentage of the population of the country. “What can happen if we sit behind and let our views die with us? I thank Never Again Rwanda for having given us this platform. This is the beginning of our integration in the formulation of our policy”, he said.

    Hon. Mporanyi Theobald in his closing remarks thanked Never Again Rwanda for having organized such an important event and further suggested that many more of these forums should be organized across the country to ensure that the views of all youth are put into consideration in all legislative procedures.

    Furthermore Mr. David Peterson (NED) and Dr.Joseph Nkurunzina emphasized the importance of discussions at different levels stating that open discussions and meaningful dialogue between leaders and the people they represent are essential for governance and democracy. The National Endowment for Democracy (NED) supports the Youth Discussion Forum and has funded Never Again Rwanda since 2007.

  • Durban to Be Africa’s Smartest City by 2020

    Durban to Be Africa’s Smartest City by 2020

    {{The city of Durban, one of South Africa’s vibrant tourism hubs has set its sights at becoming Africa’s smartest city in terms of tourism by 2020.}}

    And to achieve this, the city’s tourism department is embarking on a comprehensive campaign to turnaround its tourism fortunes..

    Durban, located in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa, is a tourism haven filled with several tourist sites and impressive beach(es).

    The beaches – known as The Golden Mile – is a long stretch of pure fun and excitement with several of the world’s biggest hotels and jaw dropping structures that lined up the beachfront.

    The tourism sites set Durban apart from some of the tourism sites around the world. Some of its sites include the uShaka Marine World, which has the latest aquarium in the Southern Hemisphere; the PheZulu Safari, with its 95-year-old crocodile; the Valley of a 1000 Hills; the Uchanga Train Ride; and Inanda Heritage Route.

    Phumlani Qwabe, Tourism Information Officer for Durban Tourism, speaking in an interview with Myjoyonline.com said one should not miss a visit to the uShaka Marine World when he or she visits Durban because “it is the only attraction [where] you can spend a whole day.”

    According to him, Durban, the home of the Zulu tribe, offers tourists adventure tours including a memorable trip to the Valley of a Thousands Hills, and Inanda Heritage Route, which is projected to be one of the best tourist sites in Durban.

    In their quest to become the “smartest city in Africa”, the Durban Tourism office has come up with a series of pragmatic strategies to “encourage local people to visit local attractions” in Durban and South Africa as a whole.

    To address the issues of security and safety of tourists, “After every three minutes you will see a security guard. In the city centre, every two minutes you will see a security guard,” Phumlani Qwabe revealed.

    “We want to ensure that tourists firstly feel safe that is the most critical part. This is why we have deployed so many security [guards],” he added.

    In South Africa, Durban is number two when it comes to tourism but Phumlani says that is about to change soon.

    “We are chasing them (Cape Town) that is why we have come with a turnaround strategy [and] by 2020 we are going to be number one and Africa’s smartest city,” he noted.

    In Durban’s quest to become number one, they are creating about 276,000 jobs in the tourism sector alone and they also pushing an agenda to restore their historic sites and also sustaining their rich heritage.

    In 2011, about five million tourists visited Durban alone and while Phumlani Qwabe says he could not readily give 2012 and 2013 figures as they are still being audited, projections are impressive.

    Most of their clients are from Britain but interestingly, a lot of Africans are trooping to Durban to patronize tourism in South Africa, he added.

    wirestory

  • Nigeria Biggest Importer of Kerosene From US

    Nigeria Biggest Importer of Kerosene From US

    {{World’s eighth largest exporter of crude oil and Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria, is now the biggest importer of kerosene from the United States, according to the Energy Information Administration (EIA)}}

    A division of US Department of Energy that deals with statistics, the EIA revealed that Nigeria imported its largest kerosene cargo of 292,000 barrels in February, the fifth time it has ever brought in a kerosene cargo from the US.

    The country also imported a cargo each in July, October and November.

    Canada remained the top US jet fuel importer in February, with 1.28 million barrels. After Nigeria, came Argentina with 376,000 barrels, its largest-ever US pull.

    Chile, Mexico and Panama were the only other countries with the equivalent of one cargo of US jet fuel in February.

    Despite large gas reserves and increasing production of cooking gas in the West African country, Kerosene remains the fuel of choice for cooking in many Nigerian households, making the country increase kerosene imports to satisfy domestic needs.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has however encouraged homes in the country to start using cooking gas instead of kerosene, in order to reduce pressure on the fuel.

    {africanreview}

  • Zimbabwe Deports Band Group

    Zimbabwe Deports Band Group

    {{South African musical group Freshlyground was on Sunday deported from Zimbabwe soon after they arrived for a performance at the just ended Harare International Festival of Arts (HIFA).}}

    Immigration officials said the group was denied entry because it had no valid work permit.

    However, indications are that Freshlyground was asked to pay for their 2010 video ‘Chicken to Change’ urging President Robert Mugabe to step down.

    In 2010 the group was barred from entering Zimbabwe for a show in Harare.

    A Zimbabwe immigration official Francis Mabika said the seven members’ had been denied work permits.

    “The group was sent back because they did not have a valid work permit,” he said.

    Home Affairs minister Kembo Mohadi said the immigration department acted within the country’s laws to deny the group entry.

    “Those are the laws of the country,” he told the State owned Herald newspaper on Monday. “Do you want to us to bend the laws of the country just to suit a South African group?

    {{Human rights violations}}

    “The officials who refused them entry were just implementing the laws of the country.”

    Sports, Arts and Culture deputy minister Tabetha Kanengoni-Malinga said when HIFA officials approached them for help it was too late.

    She said the immigration department had alerted HIFA on time that chances were high the group would not be allowed entry.

    Freshlyground angered President Mugabe’s supporters after producing the song mocking him for alleged human rights violations.

    The song urges the 90 year-old leader to “become the hero he used to be” by stepping down.

    HIFA is one of the biggest annual arts festivals from Zimbabwe that attracts top artists from all over the world.

    Tourists also flock to the festival, which has at times invited the wrath of the authorities for allowing artists to stage shows mock President Mugabe and his ruling Zanu PF party.

    NMG

  • Vatican: States Must Tackle Abusers

    Vatican: States Must Tackle Abusers

    {{The Vatican has told the United Nations that the Holy See’s powers to prosecute abusive priests do not extend beyond the tiny Vatican City state.}}

    “The Holy See has no jurisdiction over every member of the Catholic Church,” Archbishop Silvano Tomasi said.

    The archbishop, who is the papal envoy to the UN, was speaking in Geneva to the UN Committee against Torture.

    Victims of clerical sex abuse argue that the Catholic Church has failed to protect children and shielded abusers.

    They also argue that rape and molestation of children come under the terms of the UN Convention against Torture.

    It is the second time this year that the Vatican is being scrutinised by the United Nations over its record in dealing with child sex abuse by priests.

    Archbishop Tomasi said the Vatican could only apply the UN convention – which it signed in 2002 – inside Vatican City, which has a resident population of less than 1,000.

    UN experts challenged that position, alleging it was an attempt to deflect criticism by using excessively legalistic arguments, media reports from Rome.

    The Vatican will give its response on Tuesday.