Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Tanzania is set to benefit from the 650 billion USD project managed by International Telecommunication Union (ITU), focusing on addressing the cyber threats currently troubling the world.
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The Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication, Prof Faustin Kamuzora, said yesterday in Dar es Salaam that developed countries through ITU have contributed the funds to help support nations and institutions that stand a better chance to fight the threat.

He said cyber crime costs various countries and companies US dollar 400 billions per annum.

“However, despite the threat from the cyber crime it’s estimated that about 650 dollars will be invested by the companies and nations to control the attacks. This is an opportunity to countries with specialised skills and technologies,” he said.

Prof Kamuzora made the revelation when closing the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) workshop for formulation of the National Cyber Security Strategy.

“The resources focus at supporting countries advanced in fighting the cybercrime threats currently worrying the world by providing cybercrime control facilities among other support,” he said, adding that Tanzania stands a better chance to benefit.

He told the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ in an interview that the government has embarked on demanding strategies set to ensure the country is highly developed to control the threats where it would definitely benefit from the ITU resources.

“One of the strategies is to ensure we (Tanzania) equip advanced experts to oversee and manage cyber security in the country,” he said, adding that discussions were underway to use National Fund for Advancement of Science and Technology (NFAST) under COSTEC to enhance the capability of Tanzania in addressing the cyber security challenges.

“It is critical that we build our nation’s stock of cyber security skills, which are the actual ingredients to the National cyber security strategy,” he said. Prof Kamuzora said that Tanzania is currently in the process of formulating national cyber security strategy that envisions an organised and strategic approach in safeguarding the cyberspace.

He said the working groups under the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO) have produced the first draft of Tanzania National Security Strategy and thus awaits the next move.

The envisaged national cyber security strategy will, among other things, prepare Tanzanians on how to participate in the digital economy by specializing in such skills so as to benefit from the cyber security sub-industry.

“The next step will be fine-tuning of the draft national cyber security strategy and at a later stage to present it to the stakeholders’ consultation meeting,” he said.

Last year, Tanzania passed a legislation (Cybercrime Act 2015) providing for offences related to computer systems and Information Communication Technologies.

The Act criminalises and penalises a number of cyber activities including data espionage, publication of child pornography, publication of pornography, publication of false information and publication of materials that incite, deny, minimise or justify acts that constitute genocide or crimes against humanity.

Despite penalties – imprisonment and paying fines, the law also gives courts powers to order forfeiture of any property used in the commission of the crime or any property constituting traceable proceeds of such offences.

{The Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Air force (UPDAF), Maj Gen Samuel Turyagyenda, has said his signature was forged by unscrupulous people in the recruitment and maintenance of a suspected “ghost” Russian pilot.}

The Commander of the Uganda People’s Defence Air force (UPDAF), Maj Gen Samuel Turyagyenda, has said his signature was forged by unscrupulous people in the recruitment and maintenance of a suspected “ghost” Russian pilot on the army’s payroll for a period of 11 years.

During the period between October 2005 and February this year, the army paid the “ghost” pilot, a one Valeri Ketrisk, alias Keti Ketriski SK, $618,000 (approximately Shs2.7 billion) in monthly salaries and another $120,000 (approximately Shs402 million) in gratuities.

Payments were only stopped after the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), Gen Katumba Wamala, instituted an internal probe into alleged “consistent reports pertaining to gross mismanagement of resources in the Air force”.

The report
The preliminary report of a team of investigators comprising Maj Martin Nsengiyunva from the Chieftaincy of Military Intelligence, Ms Rose Nabakoza and Ms Grace Apio from the police’s Crime Intelligence and Investigation Directorate (CIID) and Capt Apollo Ahimbise from the Special Investigations Bureau (SIB) of UPDAF, alleged that Maj Gen Turyagyenda, who took over as head of the Air force in May 2013, may have known about the “ghost” contract since he was one of the high ranking officers at the time.

The report named nine other people – two of them (Lt Komunda and Maj Zakama) since dead – as either having known about the ghost pilot contract or participated in creating it in one way or the other.

According to the report, one of the nine, who was a paymaster at the Air force headquarters, received Shs3.5million from the “ghost” pilot. The money is said to have been transferred into his account in Centenary Bank on November 7, 2005.

Sources in the Ministry of Defence told Daily Monitor that under normal circumstances, recruitment of expatriate workers are initiated by user departments.

“In the case of the Air Force it is initiated by the Air Force Base Commander, and approved by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force who forwards them to the Chief of Air force, who approves and forwards the contract documents to the Ministry of Defence headquarters for clearance and formal approval of the contracts,” the source said.

The investigators’ report, a copy of which Daily Monitor has seen, says Gen Turyagyenda, who was the Deputy Chief of the Force at the time the Ministry of Defence entered into the contract with the ghost pilot, had appended his signature and stamp to the contract documents.

“On 27 January 2009, he recommended Valerie Ketrisk amongst other expatriates for amendment of contract and appended his signature. He is the sole person responsible for identifying, recruiting and recommending Russians for expertise and contracts at UPDAF,” the report read in part.

The investigators alleged that unless there was collusion on his part, Maj Gen Turyagenda should have detected the fraud given the crucial role that his office plays in the process of procuring expatriate workers.

“Maintaining the false employee for more than 10 years on the nominal roll and payable strength is an omission on his (Maj Gen Turyagyenda’s) part,” the report says in parts.

Maj Gen Turyagyenda, however, denied involvement in the fraud. “I was not involved in any way. My signature and stamp were forged,” he told Daily Monitor on phone yesterday morning.

Gen Turyagyenda said that he has been away from his duty station and only got to know about the fraud through the newspapers.
He said he is arranging to meet the CDF, Gen Katumba, over the matter.

{Veteran politician and former powerful minister from Maasailand William Ronkorua ole Ntimama is dead.}

The de-facto leader of the Maasai passed away at 10.30 pm Thursday night and a family source said the body was taken to Lee Funeral Home.

According to Narok County Police Commander Jillo Galgalo, Mr Ntimama had been receiving treatment for an illness in the last one month from his home.

The late Ntimama died at the age of 88.

He served as chairman of the Narok County Council for 15 years and 25 years as MP and minister.

He notably served in the Local Government ministry and is remembered for telling the Kikuyu to “lie low like an envelope.”

He had an on and off relationship with retired President Daniel Moi with the latter detaining him at some point in 1982.

Mr Ntimama supported opposition leader Raila Odinga in the last elections but recently led leaders from the Maasai community to State House where he pledged to campaign for President Uhuru Kenyatta.

He is said to have educated himself and has one of the biggest home libraries in Kenya.

{The Anti-Poaching National Task Force has arrested one person, Boniface Mathew Malyango, famously known as ‘Shetani Hana Huruma’, (Pitiless Devil) whom the prosecution also described as ‘King of Ivory’ in connection with illegal possession of 118 pieces of elephant tusks worth about 2bn/-.}

Malyango was arraigned before the Dodoma Resident Magistrate’s Court early this week in a special hearing session to face three different economic crime cases alongside two other accused persons, Abdallah Ally Chonga, alias Babu and Lucas Malyango, alias Ruksa Mponze, alias Shimie.

During the session, the prosecution, led by State Attorneys Paul Kadushi and Salim Msemo, called a number of witnesses to testify against the accused persons. The long sought ‘Shetani’ is charged with other accused persons in Economic Crime Case No. 1/2015 and Economic Crime Case No. 20/2015, which are presided over by Resident Magistrate Erick Fovo, who is Resident Magistrate in-Charge.

While the other Economic Crime Case No. 19/2015, according to the prosecution, is heard by Resident Magistrate Mwajuma Lukindo. ‘Shetani’ and his co-accused were arrested by members of the National Task Force, which runs high profile anti-poaching activities across the country.

In the Economic Crime Case No. 20/2015, the accused persons are jointly and together stand charged with two offences of leading organised crime and unlawful dealing in government trophies.

The prosecution alleges that between January 1, 2009 and October 23, 2015 at diverse places within Dodoma and Dar es Salaam regions, all accused persons jointly and together accepted, transported and sold 118 pieces of elephant tusks valued 1,929,300,000/-, the property of the government.

According to the prosecution, the accused persons had no trophy dealer licence or a permit from the Director of Wildlife. During the hearing, the prosecution paraded three witnesses, namely ASP A.R. Mwakyembe and D. 7321 D/SSGT Jumanne from the National Task Force and one Omary Hussein.

The said witnesses told the court that ‘Shetani Hana Huruma’ was arrested upon concrete evidence which showed that he was among the leading trafficker of elephant tusks running his operations throughout the country.

Several exhibits, including cautioned statement of the second accused person, Ally Abdallah Chaoga @ Babu, Court Exhibit Register, two certificates of seizure and two motor vehicles of Mitsubishi Canter and Toyota Rav 4 makes, all properties of ‘Shetani Hana Huruma’, were tendered as exhibits.

{Others victims are nursing injuries at Kaproron Health Centre.}

Kween- Four people have been confirmed dead after a mob attacked a group of mourners in Kapkwata, Chema Sub-county, Kapchorwa District

The mourners were members of Kapkwech clan.

Seven people who are in critical condition and admitted at Kapchorwa Hospital. Others are nursing injuries at Kaproron Health Centre III.

The Tuesday incident happened in Chekwir village, after Kapkwech clan members tried to inquire about the Monday killing of their relative, a 63-year-old Yudes Yeko.

She was killed by a mob for allegedly bewitching the late Moses Seluk (Kaplelon clan) who died on Sunday after an illness.

Mr Sam Cherop, a resident of Chekwir told Daily Monitor that the Kapkech clan members arrived on two trucks and moved to the house where the body of Moses Seluk was and started hitting the coffin.

“Others attackers burnt the granary while the rest set fire on neighbouring houses,” Mr Cherop said.

He said the people who were attacked mobilised and chased after the attackers who were retreating on their trucks.

They mounted a roadblock where the trucks were stopped.

The mobs that were manning the roadblocks started throwing all kinds of objects that included stones and sticks at the occupants of the trucks killing three people on spot.

Mr Robert Chemonges, a survivor says he saw how the attack unfolded and can even identify some people who attacked them.

“I saw them dying. They threw very big and sharp stones at us and I saw stones landing on most victims,” said.

“When most of us were injured, they got into the truck and one wanted to hit my head with a big metal but I obstructed it with my hand three times. My hand is now swollen,” Mr Chemonges, who sustained injuries, said at Kaproron health centre where he got first aid.

The trucks were burnt beyond repair.

Mr Jasper Kipruto who attended to the casualties says several people are recovering but others were referred to Kapchorwa Hospital for further management.

{The price for smuggled ivory has significantly dropped in the Hong Kong black market, signifying a fall in demand for the prized trophy, success in the intensified war against poaching and impending collapse of the world’s biggest trafficking syndicate for the item.}

Tourism and Natural Resources Minister, Professor Jumanne Maghembe, said on Tuesday that the value of illegal ivory in China had halved by 95 per cent to 150 US dollars (327,697/-) per kg – down from a record high in March, this year of 3,000 US dollars (6.554 million/-).

Hong Kong, which has been an epicenter of the illegal trade, announced early this year it would soon implement a complete ban on ivory trade, receiving a laud of applause from conservation organisation Save Elephants and WildAid.

But for Prof Maghembe, the price has dropped “thanks to the national war on poaching and operation to nab dealers.” The latest figures released by the minister indicate the price of the illegal ivory had since been falling.

A report released late last year by a Kenyan-based conservation organisation – Save Elephants shows the value had dropped by 50 per cent in the previous year. Former Vice-President, Dr Mohammed Gharib Bilal, launched a national war on poaching in 2014.

Since the launch of the campaign, the Tanzania Police Force has arrested nearly 1,000 suspects, with as many as 150 being convicted to lengthy jail sentences.

“The anti-poaching campaign is showing positive outcomes,” the minister said during a live programme ‘Tunatekeleza’ aired by Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) on Tuesday.

The minister said among those behind bars are a Chinese national, Yan Feng Glan alias ‘Ivory Queen’, who was accused of running the biggest ever ivory trafficking ring in Eastern Africa’s history.

Prof Maghembe said a special police unit had intensified operations using modern technology, including drones, to reach areas that were never reached before. “We have a limited number of security personnel to survey the entire country.

The use of drones, which are relatively cheap at 2,000 US dollars each, had allowed us to reach wider places to monitor wildlife,” the Natural Resources and Tourism Minister had noted.

Despite the achievement, poachers are still hunting for elephant tusks and rhino horns in the country’s game reserves, the minister admits. “If (poachers) go unchecked it can threaten the tourism industry,” he quipped.

This is why we have decided that all those arrested and found guilty must be convicted on economic sabotage charges,” he added. The minister named Dar es Salaam as the centre for ivory dealers, vowing to nab all those behind the illegal trade. He maintained that tourism had a potential contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), pointing out, however, that should poaching continue, the sector can lose and continue contributing poorly to the country’s GDP.

“We’re targeting contribution by tourism to reach 20 per cent this year, up from last year’s 17.5 per cent,” he detailed, adding; “contribution of the sector to the foreign currency earnings is also projected to reach one quarter of the total earnings.”

Prof Maghembe pointed out that already there are positive trends. He said that records between June and August, this year, show that the number of tourist arrivals had gone up by 20 per cent, with earnings also increasing by 22 per cent.

“This sector accounts for 1.5 million jobs. We still want more people to be employed in the sector to improve their economy and livelihood,” Prof Maghembe pointed out. Between 2010 and 2015, the ministry’s statistics indicate that Tanzania lost over 60 per cent of her elephants due to poaching.