Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian said the launch of the first Chinese language training program for disciplined forces was a giant step toward strengthening bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between Chinese and Kenyan citizens.
Zhou added that by embracing the Chinese language, Kenya’s disciplined forces will act as a bridge for promoting people-to-people exchanges while injecting vitality into the existing bilateral cooperation.
Conceived in March through a partnership between the University of Nairobi’s Confucius Institute and Kenya Defense Forces School of Education and Languages, the inaugural Chinese language training program has already enlisted 26 soldiers drawn from diverse cadres.
The year-long course aims to improve Chinese language proficiency among Kenya’s disciplined forces, expose them to the Asian nation’s culture and place them at the heart of efforts to foster cultural diplomacy.
Besides undertaking the one-year intensive Chinese language course from Monday to Friday, the 26 military soldiers will be visiting the University of Nairobi’s Confucius Institute on a weekly basis to experience Chinese culture, including opera, calligraphy and martial arts.
Currently, the soldiers are finalizing the level one syllabus of the Chinese language proficiency course, and will soon enroll for level two by December. They are expected to take the new Chinese Proficiency Test (HSK 3) and those who excel will be eligible for further studies in China.
Fredrick Leuria, the assistant chief of the KDF in charge of Operations, Planning, Doctrine and Training, hailed the launch of the first Chinese language training program for the disciplined forces, adding that it will elevate China-Kenya diplomatic ties to a new level.
Leuria urged men and women in uniform to strive for proficiency in spoken and written Mandarin since it will improve their competence in a rapidly globalizing workplace.
The launch was attended by senior Kenyan military officials, cadets and tutors.
Susan Nakhumicha Wafula, cabinet secretary in the Ministry of Health, said during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the hub is a huge resource to Kenya given that the country is faced with an increasing number of health emergencies ranging from disease outbreaks such as the ongoing cholera outbreak in Kenya and the recent outbreak of Marburg virus disease in the region.
“These emergencies pose major health, social, economic and security risks that threaten to reverse years of health and development progress in Africa,” Nakhumicha said.
She lauded the WHO for the support, adding that over the past three years, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical importance of preparedness and response in the face of health emergencies.
Nukhumicha said that Kenya is further collaborating with the WHO in developing disease-specific contingency plans, including viral hemorrhagic fevers, pandemic influenza, cholera, Rift Valley fever and polio.
She noted that through the partnership with the WHO, Kenya will have access to the UN health agency’s global network of experts, knowledge and resources. The hub will enable Kenya to build on the progress already made toward achieving universal health coverage in Kenya.
Abdourahmane Diallo, the WHO country representative in Kenya, said that the new innovative initiative is aimed at improving the capacities of African countries to respond in real-time to increasingly numerous and complex health emergencies.
Diallo noted that the WHO regional office for Africa is strengthening and expanding the emergencies hub to coordinate high-quality responses to health emergencies in Kenya and other eastern and southern African countries.
He said that the hub will serve as a modern storage center for essential medical equipment and consumables that will ensure timely logistical support to countries with emergencies in eastern and southern Africa. It is expected to house a center of excellence specialized in capacity building in health and crisis emergency management.
The hub would allow the WHO to effectively and swiftly support Kenya and all eastern and southern African countries by maintaining stockpiles of medical and logistical supplies, training multi-disciplinary teams of human-resource to serve as Africa’s elite emergency experts to ensure quick deployment during public health and humanitarian emergencies in Kenya and Africa as a whole.
The theme of the Feb. 9-11 Zanzibar Tourism Investment and Travel Exhibition (ZTITE) 2023 is “Greener Zanzibar,” said Rahim Bhaloo, chairperson of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, which organizes the event.
“Preparations for the exhibition are in full swing,” Bhaloo told Xinhua in a telephone interview on Saturday, adding that the show will be opened by Tanzania’s Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi at the Mnazimmoja grounds on Unguja Island.
The three-day event will also include a travel buyers lounge, a tourism investment forum, workshops, and panel discussions, he said.
“The goal for ZTITE 2023 is to promote eco-tourism by effectively managing and conserving Zanzibar’s cultural, environmental and historical resources,” Bhaloo said.
He said the theme, “Greener Zanzibar,” calls for tourism that involves strategic investments, sustainable business practices and responsible travel choices.
“Zanzibar is one of the world’s trending destinations with immense potential for development across the tourism value chain,” Bhaloo said.
“We believe the future of Zanzibar’s tourism sector lies in the investment in its people and its natural environment,” he said. “With a rich heritage and an abundance of flora and fauna, Zanzibar is an ideal destination for eco-tourism, heritage tourism, wellness tourism, sports and adventure tourism, and gastronomic tourism.”
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni launched the drilling process at the Kingfisher Oil Field, operated by the Chinese oil giant China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC).
Museveni thanked China for its continued cooperation with Africa, right from the time the continent was fighting colonialism. He stressed that China is cooperating with the continent in the economic sector to ensure mutual benefit.
The president said the country would carefully use the oil revenues for the development of the country. The government has previously said the revenues would be used for transport and energy infrastructure development.
Chinese Ambassador to Uganda Zhang Lizhong said the investment by the CNOOC in Ugandan oil fields is the largest investment by China in Uganda. Zhang was optimistic that the investment will contribute to the well-being of Ugandans.
Chen Zhuobiao, CNOOC Uganda president, said the corporation is committed to ensuring that there is skills, knowledge and technology transfer to Ugandans. Chen said the corporation will ensure that the local people benefit from the oil by providing, among others, contracts to local companies.
He reiterated that the CNOOC will continue to adhere to high standards of environmental protection.
Proscovia Nabbanja, chief executive officer of Uganda National Oil Company, a state-owned oil enterprise, told reporters that 31 wells will be drilled in the Kingfisher Oil Field, producing 40,000 barrels of oil per day.
Nabbanja said Kingfisher will be drilled at the same time with the Tilenga oil field operated by French oil giant TotalEnergies. She said 426 wells will be drilled in the Tilenga area producing 190,000 barrels of oil per day.
She said the crude oil drilled from both fields will be evacuated to a Central Processing Facility before it is exported to the international market through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga.
Nabbanja said Uganda is still on track to produce its first oil by 2025.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD), the country also plans to construct an oil refinery.
At the same event, Uganda officially endorsed the start of the construction of the EACOP, after it handed over a construction license.
A construction license is required to enable the EACOP project to formally start on-the-ground construction activities in Uganda as part of the development of the 1,443-km pipeline from the oil fields to the Tanzanian seaport of Tanga.
“This marks another step forward for EACOP as it allows the commencement of our construction activities in Uganda upon completion of the ongoing land access process,” said EACOP Managing Director Martin Tiffen.
Uganda in 2006 discovered 6.5 billion barrels of oil, of which 1.4 billion barrels are commercially viable, according to the MEMD.
Ahimbisibwe Rugaju, Kanungu Deputy Resident District Commissioner, in a statement on Monday said two elephants strayed out of the park on Sunday and destroyed acres of gardens before the residents started chasing them back into the park.
“However, as the elephants moved towards the park, they came across the deceased while he was guarding his potato garden near his homestead where he was killed instantly,” Rugaju said.
According to Rugaju, the residents have been complaining about stray animals destroying their crops despite the government promising to put a fence around the park.
“The residents have since threatened to kill wild animals when they are sighted in their gardens since the Uganda Wildlife Authority rangers have failed in their duty to drive the animals back to the park whenever they attack,” Rugaju added.
He however urged the residents against harming wildlife and to always work with park authorities to ensure that the animals are returned to the park.
Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Nurdin Babu said the police were hunting for people who set fire to the game reserve called Namalok, located 50 km south of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak.
He said this is the second time unknown people set fire to the game reserve, adding that the first time was in May when 21 hectares were destroyed.
The Namalok game reserve is home to various wildlife and was created in 2004 for conservation.
The 48-year-old mother of three has a half-acre piece of land in the Kimuka region, which is located about 40 km southwest of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, and is covered with healthy green leaves despite the scorching sun which is present in the surroundings.
Tarasha told Xinhua in a recent interview that her fortunes changed for the better when she began tapping free water from the Kimuka-Oloishoibor water supply project which was inaugurated in 2019 and is located a few kilometers from her compound.
“I now have access to water which is sufficient to irrigate my garden throughout the year irrespective of whether it rains or not,” Tarasha said.
She added that before the project came to her area, she had to trek for at least two hours every day with a water container in search of the commodity and farming was not practical due to insufficient rainfall.
Tarasha said that currently, her vegetable farm in her homestead generates enough income to enable her to comfortably meet her daily needs.
“I also have clean water flowing to my house since I was connected to the water project through pipelines,” she added.
The water project was operationalized after the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which was constructing the Nairobi-Suswa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) discovered an underground aquifer while drilling the 4.5 km Ngong tunnel.
In order to benefit the local residents, CRBC constructed two underground water reservoirs, each with a storage capacity of 800 cubic meters that holds the water before it is distributed to the community at no cost to consumers.
The water aquifer and reservoirs are currently maintained by AfriStar which is the operator of the SGR commuter and freight services.
Obed Kirwa, the Track Technical Supervisor at AfriStar’s Nairobi-Maai Mahiu Workshop, said that since the water project was rolled out, the once-dry area is now a producer of various agricultural and livestock products.
Kirwa added that approximately 5,000 households and 10,000 animals are currently benefiting from the water project.
He observed that the area has largely avoided the negative effects of the ongoing drought due to the presence of abundant water resources.
Kirwa revealed that in order to ensure that the area has a continuous supply of clean water, Afristar has a dedicated team who regularly inspects the water aquifer to confirm that the system is operating smoothly.
He said that the underground water which was tested and found to be fit for human consumption has eradicated scarcity of the precious liquid in the arid surroundings.
“Before the water project was established, neighboring communities used to track for long hours by foot or using donkeys in search of water but now the issue has been solved,” said Kirwa.
Liu Qican, who was a structural engineer for CRBC during the construction of the SGR, said that CRBC found it wise to harness the water resource for the benefit of the local community instead of letting the water go to waste.
Catherine Kanya, a teacher at Cradle Education Center which is located in the Kimuka area, said that her school was connected to the water project in 2019 which has become a big blessing because the school used to lack a reliable source of clean water.
“Before the water project came to being, we had to walk for about two hours each day in search of water,” said Kanya.
She added that the school used to depend on water from a nearby dam but the problem was that it was contaminated which posed a major health challenge.
Kanya said that the project now provides clean water for cooking meals for students, watering their small farm as well as maintaining general cleanliness in the compound.
Beatrice Wanjiku Sekuda, the female owner of about 50 acres of land in the Kimuka region, is also a beneficiary of the water project.
“My land was mostly idle and left for animals to graze before I was connected to the water project,” Sekuda said.
The mother of seven currently practices commercial farming on her land thanks to the water project which allows for irrigated agriculture throughout the year.
“I am now self-sufficient since I sell vegetables, tomatoes, and onions to the nearby towns,” said Wanjiku.
Majaliwa, who visited the crash site on the shores of Lake Victoria in Bukoba district in Kagera region late Sunday afternoon, said it was likely that some passengers were still trapped in the plane’s wreckage.
The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA) stated earlier that Precision Air flight number 5H-PWF from Dar es Salaam to Bukoba was involved in the landing accident at 8:45 a.m. local time (0545 GMT).
“The aircraft landed in water short of the runaway about 500 meters before the threshold,” said the statement.
The statement said a rescue operation was in progress, adding the TCAA would keep the public updated on further information and proceedings.
The Kagera regional medical officer, Isesanda Kaniki, said at least three victims — two men and a woman — died while receiving treatment at a regional hospital.
Precision Air, owners of the plane, said in a separate statement there were 39 passengers, including 38 adults and one infant, and four crew members flying in its ATR-48 aircraft before it crash-landed in Lake Victoria as it approached Bukoba airport from the Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam.
The statement said an investigative team consisting of Precision Air technical staff and aviation experts from the TCAA has been dispatched to join the rescue team on the ground.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said earlier she was shocked by news of the accident.
Margaret Muhanga, minister of state for health in charge of primary health care, told the parliament that the budget for the response plan was presented to the Cabinet and submitted to the Ministry of Finance for funding.
Muhanga said that as an emergency, the ministry has cut back on its spending and reallocated 2 billion shillings within its budget to support affected districts in carrying out response activities.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization Director General, in a tweet on Oct. 28 said adequate resources are urgently needed for scaling up the Ebola response in Uganda, as well as supporting neighboring countries to prepare.
Tedros said while 67.9 million dollars are needed for the Ebola response in Uganda, the current gap stands at 58.2 million dollars. He said the regional strategic readiness and response plan requires 133 million dollars to ramp up preparations in neighboring countries.
Uganda is grappling with the spread of the deadly disease. Some counties have started issuing travel advisories in fear of importing the disease.
Ministry of Health figures show that as of Oct. 26, the country has registered 115 confirmed Ebola cases and 32 deaths since the outbreak was announced on Sept. 20.
