Tag: GreatLakesNews

{Construction of the Uganda-Tanzania crude oil export pipeline is planned to start in January next year, Uganda’s Energy minister Irene Muloni has said.}

Ms Muloni, who led a Ugandan team that held closed door discussions with the Tanzanian delegation in Hoima Town on Tuesday, told the media that the two countries had agreed to fast-track the project which will cover 1,443 kilometres.
The construction of the pipeline, meant to export the Ugandan crude oil to the international market, is planned to be finalised by 2020.

Oil explorers have discovered more than 6.5 billion barrels of crude oil reserves from about 40 per cent of the Albertine basin in western Uganda. Uganda’s new round of oil exploration licensing may see the country increasing its petroleum reserves, if the surveys prove positive.

“Every activity in respect to the project will be done in a fast tracking mode. We have agreed to meet in Tanga (Tanzania) in October this year to launch the front-end-engineering-design for the project,” Ms Muloni told the press at Miika Eco Resort and Hotel, where the meeting was held.

She added that feasibility studies estimate the project to cost $3.55 billion. Land acquisition assessments, surveys, environmental and social impact studies will be conducted before construction starts.

She said a pipeline company will be set up and Uganda, Tanzania and other interested East African states will have shares in it.

“The pipeline is very attractive and viable. Securing financing will be explored in much detail. Contacts are being made to potential funders,” Ms Muloni said.

Uganda and Tanzania political leaders and technocrats agreed to name the pipeline project reflecting the East African Community and the second ministerial meeting endorsed, “East African crude oil pipeline (EACOP)”.

According to Ms Muloni, the meeting also endorsed the use of the colours of the East African community flag in the newly-created logo for the project since it is regional and it is open to other countries in the region to join.

“The ministerial meeting agreed to develop a project schedule and work modalities to expedite necessary approvals including; land access, environmental and social aspects, routing, project agreements and other activities requiring national or local government consents,” a joint communiqué signed by Ms Muloni and her Tanzanian counterpart, Prof Sospeter Muhongo, reads in part.

Prof Muhongo said he had instructions from the Tanzanian President to ensure that the project is achieved in the shortest possible time.

“As we partner with Uganda in this project, we wish to assure our Ugandan brothers and sisters that we have the experience in pipeline construction. All our activities will be done in accelerated speed to achieve the project by 2020,” Prof Muhongo said.

He cited the 1,710-kilometre Tanzama crude pipeline between Tanzania and Zambia and Mtwara-Dar es Salaam gas pipeline covering 560.56 Kilometres as some of the projects that the Tanzanians constructed. He said 95 per cent of the pipeline in the Tanzanian territory will be close to tarmacked roads and a railway line which will make it easier to mobilise materials during construction.

Out of the 1,443 kilometres of the pipeline, more than 1,100 will be on the Tanzanian side.

“Our side is not very steep and densely populated.The route is favorable for speedy construction,” Prof Muhongo said.

He said it is the wish of the Tanzanians to use the pipeline to also export its huge gas resources to East African states. Since land in Tanzania is owned by the state, Prof Muhongo added, completing processes of land acquisition will be much faster.

{US to assist Kenya and the UN in their joint effort to repatriate 150,000 Somalis}

The United States plans to assist Kenya and the United Nations in their joint effort to repatriate 150,000 Somalis from the Dadaab refugee camps this year, a State Department official said on Wednesday.

As part of this additional assistance, the US intends to contribute to a forthcoming special UN appeal focused on the Dadaab repatriations, said Margaret McKelvey, director of the Africa aid office in the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration.

The special UN appeal, expected to be launched shortly, will also “cover a number of programmes inside Kenya,” Ms McKelvey told reporters taking part in a teleconference.

Noting that Somalis have been fleeing to Kenya for 25 years, the US official said “everyone understands the sort of fatigue Kenya is feeling from hosting its refugees.”

The US itself may admit more Somali refugees this year in order to help reduce the population of Dadaab, Ms McKelvey said.

She further noted that other countries, which she did not name, may likewise agree to resettle some of the 325,000 Somalis currently living in the Dadaab complex.

The State Department official also suggested that Kenyan citizens who have registered as refugees or who have married Somali refugees should be given a “free choice” of whether to stay in Kenya or go to Somalia.

“Kenya has assured everyone that it will proceed in full compliance with its international obligations,” Ms McKelvey noted.

That means enabling repatriations to take place voluntarily and in a safe and dignified manner, she said.

{{Announced target }}

But Ms McKelvey did not respond directly to a reporter’s question as to whether the US believes Kenya, Somalia and the UN can reach their announced target of tens of thousands of voluntary repatriations to Somalia within the next five months.

“We think there are opportunities for voluntary return, although the situation in Somalia is not necessarily good across the board,” she said.

Returning refugees will be directed toward parts of Somalia that the UN deems “safe enough,” Ms McKelvey added.

“We still see Al-Shabaab controlling much of the countryside and access roads to towns which are themselves safe at the moment.”

That situation complicates efforts to deliver services to newly returned refugees, Ms McKelvey noted.

“Services not going to be immediately adequate and perhaps not equal to what they experienced as refugees,” she said.

But delivery of services will improve as larger numbers of refugees return to Somalia and as capacity and security are enhanced, Ms McKelvey added.

The US provided $55.5 million last year to help support Somalis and other refugees living in Kenya, she said.

{Tanzania’s market, with close to 50 million consumers, has caught the attention of Zimbabwe investors who now plan to grab the opportunities to boost intraregional trade.}

A recent survey by Zim Trade reveals Tanzania market presents an opportunity for locally manufactured products in pharmaceuticals, agricultural supplies, construction, engineering, safari clothing and footwear, Zimbabwe’s daily newspaper, The Herald reported.

According to the findings, Tanzania’s pharmaceutical market has an annual budget of more than 500m US dollars and the investors are now planning to venture into the market with pharmaceutical products basing on the findings that Tanzania and Zimbabwe have more or less similar disease pattern.

While disseminating the results to local companies in both Harare and Bulawayo, Africa Corporate Adivisors Director, Malverin Rusike underscored the need to tap into the sector. “We have the capacity to tap into the Tanzanian market pharmaceuticals sector and this is the time to do so.

Our local companies could engage key buying institutions such as the Medical Stores Department (MSD) which has a 60 per cent market share,” he said. Opportunities were also identified in the agricultural sector, which is largely subsistence but contributes more than 25 per cent to the economic output.

ZimTrade Chief Executive Officer, Ms Sithembile Pilime, urged local companies in Zimbabwe to venture into Tanzania’s market taking advantage of the country’s booming economy.

Tanzania’s economy is expected to grow by 20 basis points to 7.4 per cent in 2017, the Central Bank said in its recent monetary policy statement. According to the Central Bank the growth will be driven by construction, communications and finance. The country is experiencing increased real estate development for residential and non-residential purposes and building of road networks.

According to bank’s monetary policy statement, the use of mobile services continues to register strong growth for the ICT sector. Meanwhile, increased levels of financial intermediation is aiding to the growth in the banking and insurance industry.

In 2015, East Africa’s second largest economy registered a growth of 7 per cent same as the growth registered in 2014.

{The Military Court has convicted six soldiers, among them two junior officers of the elite Special Forces Command for plotting to overthrow president Yoweri Museveni’s government.}

The other suspects are four men who worked in various capacities in the Office of the Coordinator of Intelligence Services formerly headed by dissident general David Sejusa, alias Tinyefuza.

Makindye based General Court Martial chaired by Lt. Gen. Andrew Gutti Tuesday held that prosecution proved the charges of treachery and aiding or abetting commission of offence against the accused persons. Both offences attract a maximum penalty of death.

“It is our finding that prosecution has proved the charges and we convict the accused persons as charged,” held Gen Gutti before adjourning the case to July 18 for sentencing.

Those convicted of treachery are Lance Corporals Grace Nasasira Rwakyozi, 39, and Geoffrey Mwebaze Karuhanga, 36, attached to SFC’s Task force Battalion and Tank Battalion, respectively while Mr Frank Ninsiima who was an operative in Tinyefuza’s office was found guilty of aiding or abetting commission of offence.

Others are James Karuhanga Nayebare, Moses Nuwagaba Kakarugahi and Abel Twinamasiko, alias Rubanuma.

The court found the accused persons guilty of aiding or abetting commission of offence for failing to report the unlawful acts to authorities.

Prosecution told Court that the two soldiers and others still at large, in or around the months of March to May 2013, and while in the areas of Mityana and Kampala, “consciously failed to disclose to proper authorities vital information about the recruitment of people to engage into activities intended to overthrow the legitimate government of Uganda”.

According to the charge sheet, the two SFC soldiers, then based in Mityana District, were procured by their co-accused persons to recruit colleague presidential guards into “subversive activities”.

Witnesses also told court that Mr Nayebale, Mr Nuwagaba and soldier/businessman, Mr Abel Twinamasiko in the two months, conspired with others to aid, abet, conceal and procure other persons to overthrow Gen Museveni’s government.

Court held that prosecution had proved that the convicts held meetings and procured to recruit fellow soldiers into subversive activities to overthrow government.

In response to the defence submission on lack of written evidence in regard to reporting of matters to their superiors, court ruled that it is not an army policy that junior officers take information in writing to their superiors.
Mitigation:

In antecedents, Lt Ambrose Baguma representing the state asked the court to treat five of the convicts as first offenders but consider the gravity of the offences they committed being capital in nature.

“For accused number three (Ninsiima), he was a soldier serving in SFC who was convicted for desertion and dismissed with disgrace. We pray that court consider that for the sentence,” he added.

But Mr David Mushabe, the lawyer who represented the accused persons asked court for lenience and consider the long time they have spent on remand since 2013 which occasioned to emotional distress and trauma.

“The convicts are young men who left behind their young families and they are sole bread winners. I pray that court pardons them to go and take care of their families,” said Mr Mushabe adding that he has instructions to appeal against the decision of court.

{{What the law says on treachery}}

A person subject to military law who, for any purpose prejudicial to the security or interests of Uganda—infiltrates the army of or is an agent of a foreign power or of any force engaging in war or warlike activities against the Government; consciously gives information to a foreign power or any force engaging in war or warlike activities against the Government or solicits information with a view to giving it to such power or force; consciously gives information to anyone without the knowledge and approval of the proper authority; or consciously withholds vital information from the proper authorities, commits the offence of treachery and is liable on conviction to suffer death.

{{Aiding or abetting commission of offence}}

A person subject to military law who— does or omits to do an act for the purpose of aiding any person to commit the offence; attempts to commit or abets any person in the commission of the offence; or (c) counsels or procures any person to commit the offence, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to the same punishment as the person who commits the actual offence.

{Israeli Premier thanks Kenya for its assistance in the Entebbe raid of 1976 to rescue hostages.}

Israel has agreed to help Kenya to fight terrorism by sharing intelligence. The Jewish state will also assist in the construction of a border security wall with Somalia to stop the flow of fighters who cross over to conduct terror attacks.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also struck a deal to allow Kenyan diplomatic passport holders — top government officials and prominent personalities — to travel freely to Israel. Israeli top officials will also enjoy free entry into Kenya.

These are among agreements reached by the two leaders on Tuesday during bilateral talks at State House, Nairobi, aimed at strengthening the relations between the two countries.

The Israeli PM used the meeting to urge President Kenyatta to convince member states of the African Union to restore Israel’s observer status and relations with the continent.

The two leaders were in agreement that terrorism has taken an international perspective and must be fought by a united world community.

“Kenya and Israel, just like other nations of the world, are facing the challenges of terrorism and today was a great opportunity to discuss ways of dealing with the issue of terrorism,” said President Kenyatta.
Mr Netanyahu said Israel had developed the ability to detect terror attacks in early stages of planning and was ready to share with Kenya its tactics of pre-empting such attacks.

“If you know in advance that an attack is going to happen and can pre-empt it, it saves lives,” he said. “Israel is doing this and we will share intelligence with Kenya and Africa.”

He warned that terrorism was rearing its ugly head in Africa and internationally, citing the rise of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) — which arose out of the failure by Western powers to impose democracy on Middle East states — and Boko Haram in Nigeria as examples.

(READ: Israel and Kenya to boost security partnership in terror fight)

“There is a raging crisis of terrorism, from the Isis to Boko Haram. Where Israel can help, we will,” he said.

Israel will help Kenya to speed up the construction of the Somali border wall, said sources at the meeting. Even though they did not speak about it in public, those who attended the meeting said Israel agreed with Kenya that the wall, which is under construction, will aid the war on terrorism and management of the flow of refugees.

ERECTED 240KM BARRIER

Israel is building a 30km wall on its border with Jordan, a continuation of a 240km barrier it erected along its border with Egypt’s Sinai peninsula. It has another wall in the Golan Heights, which it occupies, and others running within the occupied West Bank.

The two leaders instructed Interior Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery and his Israeli counterpart Gilad Erdan to discuss the finer details of the security agreements entered into.

“As they have done for years, the Prime Minister and the Israeli people continue to extend invaluable support to Kenya; helping us build capacity and bolster internal and regional security,” said President Kenyatta.

He added: “We are in ongoing talks about how to strengthen and expand the cooperation so that we can gain from Israel’s expertise in cyber security and other areas.”

Mr Netanyahu flew in on Monday night from Uganda, where he had spent eight hours in a commemoration of 40 years after the Entebbe raid in which Israeli commandos rescued 102 hostages held by terrorists. Unfortunately, the PM’s brother, Lt-Col Yonatan Netanyahu, who led the Operation Thunderbolt mission, was killed.

On Tuesday, Mr Netanyahu remembered Kenya’s assistance in the operation, when it allowed Israeli aircraft to refuel at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on July 3, 1976.

“Kenya’s assistance during the Entebbe raid dealt a devastating blow to international terrorism,” the Premier said and added: “Kenya is special.”

President Kenyatta also recalled the event, saying “we stood with Israel both in practice and in principle” and paid heavily when Kenyans were killed by the dictatorial regime of Idi Amin.

He was referring to Kenya’s former Agriculture minister Bruce Mackenzie, who was killed by a bomb in Ngong as he flew from Entebbe in 1978. It has been claimed that Ugandan agents planted the bomb in the aircraft.

“With the large-scale success of Operation Entebbe, good prevailed over evil; right over wrong and, today, as we remember that heroic undertaking and the valiant efforts of those soldiers; including one of their leaders, the Prime Minister’s own brother, Lt-Col Yonatan Netanyahu, it should be a source of incredible encouragement and hope to a world that is increasingly standing together to counter callousness and cruelty of terrorism — something Israel and Kenya have always done together,” said President Kenyatta.

{{Signed bilateral agreements }}

The two also signed bilateral agreements in health, irrigation and immigration, of which President Kenyatta said: “The agreements will allow us to build the capacity of our health systems and professionals in the area of emergency preparedness and resources as well as specialised medical services.”

On Immigration, he said: “Our immigration agreement will see the abolition of visas for holders of diplomatic passports in our two countries.”

Mr Netanyahu sent out an invitation to African countries to work with Israel to fight terrorism and initiate development, arguing that it was time for better relations with the AU. He said Israel has mended its relations with some neighbouring Arab states and wondered why Africa should keep off.

“Africa has no greater friend — I know you have other friends — than Israel,” said Mr Netanyahu. “We are struggling against the same adversaries and we should seize opportunities for tomorrow.
“Things are changing in the world, Middle East and Arab neighbours with Israel; why not Africa?”

President Kenyatta argued that the historical reasons that led to the cutting of links between the AU and Israel were no longer relevant.

Diplomatic relations between Israel and Africa were severed in the wake of the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. That were not helped by Israel’s friendship with Apartheid South Africa before its fall in 1994.

“The world has changed; we cannot hide in history and fail to address the challenges of today,” he said. “It will be foolhardy to sit back and say Kenya and Africa cannot engage Israel.”

{Six major mobile phone firms were yesterday fined a total of 649m/- for malpractices and misuse in SIM card registration.They have also been given a seven-day ultimatum, starting yesterday, to deactivate all unregistered SIM cards.}

Announcing the decision in Dar es Salaam, the Acting Tanzania Communication Regulatory Authority (TCRA) Director General, Engineer James Kilaba, named the firms as Airtel Tanzania Limited, SMART, TIGO, Halotel, Vodacom Tanzania Limited and Zantel.

He said the mobile phone service providers had been given until July 31 to pay the fine and submit a report of compliance to the authority on a number of areas, failure of which stern legal actions will be taken against them.

Eng Kilaba urged providers to stop immediately the use of unauthorised distributors, dealers and agents in selling and or distributing SIM cards. Moreover, they have to ensure that their SIM cards were only sold by authorised agents with traceable physical locations and Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).

Some of the malpractices, which have forced the TRCA to impose the fine include allowing SIM cards being sold without using subscribers’ own identity documents, SIM card sold without filling registration forms, selling pre-activated SIM cards and allowing SIM cards, which are partially registered to be activated and used in their networks.

The acting director-general said on April 13, 2013, TCRA met with the mobile phone service providers in the country and agreed to ensure that all shortfalls as far as SIM card registration were concerned should be addressed as they should not allow any unregistered SIM cards to be active.

He said from time to time they had been conducting surveys in the market to ensure implementation of the order but it has been realised that as of June 3, 2016 six companies were not complying with the directives.

Eng Kilaba noted that the companies were directed to submit their verbal and written defence as to why measures should not be imposed against them for defying the agreement on SIM cards registration.

According to him, Airtel Tanzania Limited has been fined 182.5m/-, MIC Tanzania Limited, trading as Tigo, — 189m/-, Vodacom Tanzania 96.5m/- and Zanzibar Telecom Limited 57m/- for four counts of allowing SIM cards to be sold without using subscribers’ own identity documents.

Others are the sale of SIM card without filling registration forms, selling pre-activated SIM cards and allowing SIM cards that are partially registered for reactivation and use in their networks. Benson Informatics Limited, trading as SMART, has been fined 17m/- while Viettel Tanzania, known as Halotel, has been fined 107m/- for three counts.

Eng Kilaba reminded subscribers on the need to follow registration regulations as they were liable to a 500,000/- fine or three months in jail term. They are required to dial *106# to know their SIM card registration status.

On the switching-off of fake and duplicate mobile phones, Eng Kilaba said that as of yesterday, there were 1,713,337 mobile phones with invalid IMEI while those with duplicate IMEI counted 117,389.