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Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • Tanzania:Karatu school bus crash survivors flown to Iowa

    {Finally, the only three survivors of last week’s school bus accident that claimed 35 lives were yesterday flown to the United States for specialised medical attention.}

    The DC 8 plane courtesy of the Samaritan Purse airlifted the school children to Sioux City, Iowa State, according to Singida North Member of Parliament (CCM) Lazaro Nyalandu who coordinated the transfer.

    The Lucky Vincent pupils had been admitted to Mount Meru Hospital here since the grisly road accident occurred on May 6.

    At the US, the survivors will get further treatment and surgical services under the Mercy Hospitals. Upon landing in North Carolina, the children will be airlifted by an Air-Ambulance from the STEMM organisation to Sioux City, in Iowa state where they are to be admitted to Mercy System hospital.

    Organized by Siouxland Tanzania Educational and Medical Ministries (STEMM), the DC 8 plane was acquired from the ‘Samaritan Purse,’ an organization run by the family of famous Gospel Preacher, Billy Graham.

    The DC 8 Plane flew from the North Carolina airbase on Friday and landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport on Saturday night. The large aircraft features section of adjusted bunkers to support the badly injured pupils.

    The three pupils who are on their way to the United States include Doreen Mshana aged 13, from Olasiti area, Sadia Ismail Awadh aged 11 and Wilson Geoffrey Tarimo (11), both residents of Kwa-Mrombo.

    They are accompanied by their respective mothers, a Surgeon from Mount Meru Hospital, Dr Elias Mashalla and a medical attendant, Simphorosa Silalye.

    Seven medical missionaries working with STEMM offered to airlift the three pupils from Mount Meru Hospital for referral treatment at Mercy Medical Hospital in America.

    When the accident occurred at Rhotia Hill on May 6, the foreign doctors led by Dr Steve Meyer, on their way from Ngorongoro, were the first to arrive at the scene of the crash and helped to rescue the victims.

    They later offered to refer the kids to advanced treatments abroad.

    Source:Daily News

  • Will vaccine help curb new Ebola outbreak in the DRC?

    {Ebola has surfaced in a remote part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the first outbreak of the disease since the West African epidemic that killed more than 11,000 people before it came to an end 2 years ago. A vaccine proved its worth in the West African epidemic—which hit major cities—but it still is awaiting approval from regulatory agencies, and the DRC government has yet to request its use for this outbreak. }

    According to a statement issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) today, nine suspected cases have been reported so far, and only one has been confirmed as Ebola. Three of the people have died. The outbreak began 22 April in the Likati Health Zone of the Bas Uele Province, which is in the northern region of the DRC that borders the Central African Republic. WHO notes that it “was informed” about the cluster of cases 9 May and the confirmation of the one case occurred 2 days later. The Washington Post reports that the confirmed case, the first victim, had to travel by motorbike across the large province to reach a hospital in Likati and that it took 10 days for his blood sample to reach Kinshasa. DRC has no roads that span the country and long-distance travel largely is restricted to river boats and private airplanes.

    Marie-Paule Kieney, an assistant director general at WHO who played a central role during the West African epidemic, says Merck, the maker of the vaccine that appeared to work in a trial held in Guinea in 2015, is ready to provide the product if necessary. “Discussions are ongoing with the government on whether vaccination should be undertaken or not,” Kieney says. “The outbreak is very small, so it may be stopped through containment only.” Traditional “containment” efforts include isolating and confirming cases, providing protective gear for health care workers, using safe burial procedures, and educating the public about how to reduce their risks.

    One person helping with the response who asked not to be identified said there are now 52 suspected cases—and deep frustration that a decision has yet to be made about whether to use the vaccine. “If it were up to me I’d already be using it,” the person says. “It’s hard to dream up a rationale for not using the vaccine as quickly as possible.”

    Doctors Without Borders (MSF)— which led the initial health care response in West Africa—tomorrow plans to send 14 people to Likati, including doctors, nurses, logisticians, water and sanitation experts, health promoters, and an epidemiologist. An MSF statement explains that they will be joined by 10 people from the DRC’s Ministry of Health as well 15 tons of medical and logistical supplies sent by cargo plane from Kinshasa. A spokesperson did not know whether MSF had requested the vaccine for its team.

    Plenty of the Merck vaccine exists, though its experimental status would require what’s known as an “Expanded Access” study protocol to be approved by regulatory bodies before it could be shipped to the DRC. WHO has some 10,000 doses in Geneva, Switzerland, leftover from the West Africa outbreak, sources tell ScienceInsider, and Merck has some 700,000 doses on ice in the United States.

    At a meeting 25–27 April by WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), the experts recommended that the Merck vaccine “be promptly deployed” if the strain known as Ebola Zaire—which is the virus in the DRC—surfaces. SAGE further suggested that Expanded Access study “be implemented promptly after the confirmation of a case” and that the vaccine be used in the same “ring vaccination” strategy that worked in Guinea, which gave shots to people (including health care workers) who were in close contact with each confirmed case.

    The first documented Ebola outbreak, which occurred in 1976, hit Yambuku in the DRC. The country since has had six other outbreaks, and the worst one was contained with only 315 cases of the highly lethal disease.

    The Ebola epidemic that exploded in West Africa in 2014 sickened more than 28,000 people before it ended.

    Source:Science Mag

  • Parliamentarians demand EU to lift sanctions against Burundi

    {The Burundian parliament urges ACP–EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly to propose a draft resolution requesting the lifting of sanctions imposed upon Burundi. According to these parliamentarians, the political and security situation has improved significantly.}

    Both the upper and lower chambers of the parliament appeal to the EU and the member states to take into account all the achievements of the Burundian government in improving the human rights situation since 26 April 2016.
    According to the Burundian parliament, the sanctions imposed on Burundi have greatly affected the population in all areas of life especially in the domains of economy, education and health.

    Tatien Sibomana, a member of the opposition party UPRONA, says he does not support the sanctions that victimize the Burundian people. However, UPRONA party denounces the violation of the international conventions and pacts ratified by the Burundian government.

    The European Union has decided to impose sanctions against the current government of Burundi accusing it of the violation of Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement. The latter stipulates that any country appealing for aid must meet the principles of democracy and human rights.

    “Since the outbreak of the current crisis in April 2015, the EU has assessed the situation in Burundi and found that state institutions have violated Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement,” Sibomana says.

    For him, it will be difficult for Burundian parliamentarians to convince ACP and EU MPs that human rights are respected in Burundi. “The international community has been following closely the crimes and serious violations of human rights that have been committed in Burundi for more than two years,” he says.

    This political opponent refers to the reports by the national and international organizations about human rights violations, targeted assassinations, enforced disappearances, torture and arbitrary arrests as well as more than 400,000 Burundians refugees exiled abroad.

    Siboman worries that the persistence of these sanctions will only worsen Burundians’ living conditions which were already poor. Sibomana asks Burundi parliamentarians to urge the government to comply with the law before demanding the lifting of those sanctions. “The government has not yet found a solution to the causes of those sanctions,” says Sibomana.

    Jean de Dieu Mutabazi, the chairman of RADEBU party accuses the EU of neglecting the efforts made by the government to prosecute coup plotters who attempted to overthrow the democratically elected institutions. “They are responsible for crimes and human rights violations committed in Burundi following the failed coup attempt,” says Mutabazi.

    He calls on the EU to be neutral when taking decisions on Burundi. “We have realized that the EU is in favor of coup plotters and the radical opposition of the current government,”

    Source:Iwacu

  • DRC’s main opposition rejects Kabila’s new government

    {Democratic Republic of Congo’s main opposition party denounced president Joseph Kabila’s newly appointed government under prime minister Bruno Tshibala, which they say undermines a previous agreement.}

    Kabila, in power since 2001, struck a deal in December with Congo’s main opposition bloc to stay on after his mandate expired provided he held elections by the end of 2017.

    But talks to implement the deal broke down in March when Kabila refused to commit to the bloc’s choice of prime minister.

    This is the second nomination of a prime minister. The opposition also rejected the appointment of Congo opposition figure Samy Badibanga, who was named in November last year under a power-sharing deal. The opposition called the nomination a “provocation” at the time.

    In the capital Kinshasa, many residents say they are skeptical that the new government will change the current political impasse.

    “This so called government is a bad idea. As you know, Kabila does not want to leave power. All these are tactics that are going on around the announcement of Tshibala’s (current prime minister) government or a Badibanga (former prime minister) government. All these are distractions that they are using to stay in power. There is nothing new,” said one resident Theo Tshamala.

    “I don’t know how a new government will handle the two biggest problems in just eight months, namely organizing the elections and also tackling the challenges that the people are facing,” added another Kinshasa resident, Jean Claude Mputu.

    Despite resistance to Kabila remaining in power, he has successfully co-opted large portions of the opposition.

    The new prime minister, Tshibala, named last month, is a former member of the country’s largest opposition party and other opposition leaders received ministerial posts too.

    Ruling majority spokesperson Alain Atundu Liongo dismissed the critics, saying that the new government is ready to work with the opposition.

    “The ruling majority is invested in the success of this government, especially regarding two major objectives. We need to finish with the process of organising elections as agreed. We also need to insure that the Congolese people live in the best social conditions as well as security for their own well being. We also need to pursue at national level, policies that will improve the country’s economy,” Liongo added.

    The roughly 60 ministers and vice-ministers that were named are mainly holdovers from the previous government and key ministries – including foreign affairs, interior, justice and mines – remain in the hands of Kabila loyalists.

    Political tensions are high after security forces killed dozens during protests over election delays last year. Worsening militia violence in recent months has also raised fears of a backslide toward the civil wars of the turn of the century that killed millions.

    Kabila’s opponents suspect he intends to repeatedly delay elections until he can organise a referendum to let himself stand for a third term.

    Kabila denies those accusations, saying the election delays are due to challenges registering millions of voters and budgetary constraints.

    “The accord legitimised our institutions, but that’s no longer the case today. All that is happening at the moment is just a distraction, and when the time comes there will be consequences, I can promise you that. As someone who is responsible for UDPS, I can tell you that Kabila is responsible of all of this, because he is behind this. Do not think that other people are behind this, it’s all Kabila,” said the opposition UDPS spokesperson, Augustin Kabuya.

    The new government faces a number of stern tests. Congo’s franc currency has lost half its value since last year and authorities are struggling to mobilise the resources needed to hold the election by the end of the year.

    It will also enter office amid controversy over the burial of long-time opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi, who died in Belgium in February.

    His political party, the UDPS, had planned to bury him on Friday (May 12) at its headquarters in the capital, Kinshasa, but the provincial government has rejected the planned site.

    “The governor needs to have the courage to tell you the truth. His hands are tied, he cannot make this decision himself. He’s only just a figure in this whole thing. We spoke to the governor. If he was serious in his proposal, why didn’t he condemn his political family when he gave his go ahead to UDPS, while his political family gave another view? Why did he change his mind? He had to find a way to cover up, that’s all we can say right now. Everything that the governor is saying right is just imagined scenarios to please his political family,” said Kabuya.

    President of the UDPS’s Brussels wing, Katumba Tchiowa Ngoy told Reuters the party would delay repatriating the body and that it would be brought back in “12 to 15 days.”

    Source:Africa News

  • Kenya:Clergy who revealed secrets of Jomo oaths dies

    {The Rev John Gatu, the ex-moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa who spilled the beans on Mau Mau oaths during the Jomo Kenyatta era, is dead aged 92.}

    Close family and church sources on Friday confirmed to the Nation that the veteran cleric passed on at The Karen Hospital on Thursday.

    {{Heart attack }}

    He was admitted to the Nairobi hospital after suffering a heart attack on May 2 at his home.

    Dr Gatu will be remembered for his candour in speaking against the excesses of previous governments, especially that of President Daniel Moi.

    In late last year, he revealed Mau Mau oath ceremonies in the Mount Kenya region in an explosive autobiography — Fan to Flame — implicating Kenya’s founding President Kenyatta.

    His niece, Chebet Karago, eulogied him as “wonderful, kind man who put his faith into action.”

    {{Simple life }}

    “Uncle was the loving father of many including people from other churches who called him Dad. When my cousin fled the country my aunt and uncle took care of his family and when his driver died, he fostered his children,” she said.

    “He lived a simple life in his two bedroom house in Karen. A person who knew his true home was elsewhere with his God.”

    Dr Gatu was born on March 3, 1925 to Muthoni and Gachango Gatu.

    His wife, Rahabu Gatu, died in 2016.

    He was the first African General-Secretary of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa and the past moderator of the 9th and 10th General Assembly.

    {{Ecumenist }}

    A celebrated ecumenist, he was the founder of the Jitegemee spirit in the PCEA church.

    In the 1970s, he introduced the Moratorium Debate that called for a moratorium on foreign aid to African churches to promote growth and self-reliance and this led to him being called by the West a “missionary hater”.

    In his autobiography, Fan into Flame, he discuses the origin of the Christian churches in Kenya, the turmoil Kenya went through during the Mau Mau uprising of the 1950s.

    He is also the author of among other books, Joyfully Christian: Truly African.

    {{Wife }}

    He wrote many hymns including Ni kii wenakio utaheirwo? He also translated into Kikuyu language hymns such as Do Not Pass Me By.

    The clergy studied in among other institutions around the world, the Princeton Theology College in New Jersey.

    In all his travels he was always accompanied by his wife, according to his niece.

    “He was the first student to take a wife to what is now St Pauls University,” she told Nation.

    Dr John Gatu (right) and Senior Clergy Consultative Forum founder member Bishop william Tuimising address a press conference in Nairobi on July 29, 2007. Dr Gatu is dead.

    Source:Daily Nation

  • EU opts for dialogue on contentious EPA deal

    {European Union (EU) has invited the government to a dialogue over the contentious Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA).}

    Head of EU Delegation to Tanzania and East African Community (EAC) Roeland van de Geer, speaking at a well attended cocktail party to celebrate Europe Day at the Bunge grounds here on Wednesday, said the delegation is open for talks with the government.

    He argued that Tanzania as a sovereign state has all the rights to its opinion on EPA, saying the EU was cordially waiting for the official government’s position on the matter. “What is important is that we have dialogue.

    You (Tanzania) have your convictions; we (EU) have our convictions, we are all human beings. Tanzania is a sovereign country and should take its own decisions,” he said, underscoring on the importance of the dialogue.

    President John Magufuli, addressing a joint press conference with his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni at the State House in Dar es Salaam recently, said that Tanzania was bold over EPA, arguing that there was no need for rushing to sign.

    President Museveni too concurred with his host, insisting that East African countries should first focus on issue of best interest of their countries prior to signing. Four EAC member states, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda are required to sign the treaty to operationalise EPA.

    The deadline for the EAC countries to append their signatures on the trade deal was October 1, 2016 and by that time only Kenya and Rwanda had inked it.

    At the gathering that drew many lawmakers in the European Parliament, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Dr Tulia Ackson, said the parliament role on EPA was to advise the government on how best to deal with the treaty.

    “We have the constitutional duty to advise the government on issues of national importance,’’ she said in her speech, adding that the parliament had advised the government on what was in the country’s interest.

    “Practically, the parliament hasn’t said no to EPA but there are issues that have been raised and the parliament will want them ironed out before the government makes its decision,” noted the deputy speaker.

    Source:Daily News

  • Tanzania:JPM implores SA investors to Tanzania

    {President John Magufuli and his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma yesterday implored the business communities in both countries to fully exploit immense investment opportunities for the mutual benefits of wananchi.}

    President Magufuli, addressing the Tanzania-South Africa business forum in Dar es Salaam yesterday, detailed the available investment opportunities, which South African companies can invest in including gas and oil, mining, infrastructure, ports, agriculture, tourism, and fisheries.

    “Tanzania has a favourable business and investment environment, we are peaceful and politically stable, enjoying uninterrupted peace since independence.

    So, Tanzania is the ideal place for you to invest,” he explained Dr Magufuli said Tanzania has stable and predictable economic policies and investment regimes that are business friendly, “We have receptive fiscal policies to investors… corporate tax, customs duty, valued added tax, capital investment, work and residence permits are all favourable.”

    He said the investment law protects investments, adding that Tanzania is also a member to the international centre for settlement of investment disputes and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), for guaranteed investor safety in the country.

    “We have a huge market; we are in a very strategic area, bordering eight countries, six of them — Burundi, DRC, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda and Zambia –landlocked. They both use Tanzania to conduct their international trade,” he explained.

    He argued that investing in Tanzania means trading with all the landlocked countries.

    “As member to the East African Community with 165 million people and SADC, you as investors are assured of huge market of about 400 million people.”

    President Zuma stressed on the need to extend and expand relations between the two countries, especially on the economy to avail people in both countries with an opportunity to reap the benefits of historic relations between the two brotherly nations.

    “In our discussions this morning, President Magufuli welcomed more South African companies to invest in Tanzania. This is an important call that I encourage all of you to heed,” he stressed.

    President Zuma underscored the need to intensify production and get rid of reliance on commodity as engine of growth and development, stressing that recent drop in prices has shown that it has potential to disrupt and destabilize economies and does not create quality jobs.

    “While we welcome the growing trend on our bilateral trade, we should also note that a concentration on commodities is not sustainable, the recent drop in commodity prices has shown that governments cannot rely on commodity as engine of growth and development.

    It has the potential of disrupting and destabilizing our economies and does not create sufficient quality jobs. We need to look at intensifying production,” he noted inviting Tanzania business community to also invest in South Africa.

    He added that South Africa government will undertake a trade mission in June this year with a view to take forward the commitment made during his visit towards further cementing economic cooperation in the various areas identified.

    The Chairman of Tanzania Private Sector Foundation, Dr Reginald Mengi, expressed gratitude to the two leaders for the opportunity of bringing together the business communities from both sides to share ideas and learn from each other.

    Dr Mengi argued that where the two parties have agreed to partner, they should endeavour to work for mutual benefits. South Africa Private Sector representative Petros Vusi underscored the importance of crafting solutions to address challenges related to unemployment, poverty and inequality in the pursuit of economic transformation in both countries.

    “The big elephant in the room your excellences, is funding. We need to find ways on how to corroborate to realize these projects that have been indicated here today, most of them are huge.

    The message we are taking home is that partnership is important to succeed,” he explained.

    Source:Daily News

  • Zanzibar floods close schools

    {All schools on the islands of Zanzibar have been temporarily closed because of flooding following weeks of heavy rains, says the education minister.}

    The decision was taken for the safety of children and teachers after some schools were left submerged in water, minister Riziki Pemba Juma said.

    The rains have also destroyed property and roads.

    More than 350,000 students are currently enrolled in school in the semi-autonomous region of Tanzania.

    However, students are still sitting their school-leaving exams, Ms Juma said.

    A deluge of rain on East Africa’s coast has also reportedly killed 14 people and left 1,500 people homeless in neighbouring Kenya.

    The schools were closed for the safety of the students and teachers

    Source:BBC

  • Uganda:Police officer dead, several injured in two separate accidents

    {A police officer has died and three of his colleagues injured in a motor accident along Jinja- Mable road.}

    The victims whose details are yet to be revealed are attached to Counter Terrorism Police department.

    They were riding on a motorcycle when a trailer knocked them near Ambacourt round about in Jinja District.

    The body of the deceased and his injured colleagues were taken to Jinja Hospital for post-mortem and treatment respectively.

    In a related development, one person has been confirmed dead and three others injured when a UPDF track rammed into a commuter taxi in Nansana, Wakiso District.

    Both vehicles were coming from Wakiso heading to Kampala city side when the accident happened.

    Police patrol car that carried body at Jinja mortuary.

    Source:Daily Monitor

  • Thousands flee DRC amid conflict

    {Thousands of people have fled fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo over the past month and sought refuge in neighbouring Angola, a provincial governor said, an exodus that is straining resources in villages along the border.}

    Ernesto Muangala said officials had counted more than 20,000 refugees in his Lunda Norte province, almost double the number recorded a month ago.

    All had fled clashes between Congolese government and militia forces that erupted in Congo’s Kasai-Central province in July, then spread to four other provinces.

    The clashes in the DRC pose the most serious threat yet to the rule of President Joseph Kabila, whose failure to step down at the end of his constitutional mandate in December was followed by a wave of killings and lawlessness across the vast Central African nation.

    Muangala said the refugees would be moved from overcrowded villages to a refugee camp in Lovua, about 1,000 km (600 miles) east of the capital Angola’s Luanda.

    “Angola is supporting the refugees to ensure safety until the situation is at normal and go back to their family in the country,” he told national radio station RNA.

    Thousands of people have fled fighting in Democratic Republic of Congo over the past month and sought refuge in neighbouring Angola.

    Source:ENCA