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Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • Tanzania:Kilimanjaro uncovers 111 ghost workers on payroll

    {Kilimanjaro Region has uncovered 111 ghost workers whose names appear on payrolls and pension claims every month in its six district councils, costing taxpayers 281m/-.}

    New Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Saidi Meck Sadiki revealed this in Dar es Salaam, saying a report would be sent to the anti-graft watchdog, the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau for action.

    “The PCCB will conduct investigations into the matter to establish those who are behind the scandal,” he said. He pointed out that authorities discovered 11 ghost workers in Rombo District Council costing 61m/- while in Moshi municipality 18 ghost workers costing 33m/- were exposed.

    Moshi District council unearthed 18 ghost workers costing 46m/- while Hai District Council discovered 31 ghost workers costing 88m/-. Same District Council was found with 9 ghost workers costing 43m/- , Sadiki said.

    In Mwanga District Council, 26 ghost workers costing 119m/- were also discovered. He explained that 76 out of 19,516 civil servants in the region were absentees in their workplaces while 247 workers were transferred to other stations but remained in payrolls.

    “The report showed that 25 ghost workers were civil servants who had retired from work while six had been suspended and one was serving a jail sentence,” he said.

    Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Saidi Mecky Sadiki.

  • Burundi, Morocco troops accused of Central African Republic abuse: U.N.

    {The United Nations said on Monday it had received new allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation against U.N. peacekeepers from Morocco and Burundi in Central African Republic, including one that involved a 14-year-old girl.}

    There have been dozens of such accusations against peacekeepers in Central African Republic, where the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MINUSCA, assumed authority from African Union troops in September 2014.

    U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Burundian peacekeepers had been accused of raping a 14-year-old girl earlier this month, while a Moroccan soldier had been accused of engaging in an exploitative sexual relationship with a woman in February.

    Dujarric said Morocco and Burundi had been notified of the allegations. Once notified, a state has 10 days to tell the United Nations if it intends to investigate the accusations. If it does not, the world body will conduct its own inquiry.

    “The Moroccans so far have indicated that they will investigate,” Dujarric said.

    A U.N. peacekeeping spokesman said Burundi had until the end of the week to report back on whether it could conduct an inquiry.

    The United Nations pledged to crack down on allegations of abuse to avoid a repeat of past mistakes. The previous head of the U.N. mission in Central African Republic, Babacar Gaye, resigned last August and some 800 Congolese peacekeepers were repatriated last month.

    The United Nations reported 99 allegations of sexual exploitation or sexual abuse involving U.N. staff members across the U.N. system last year, a sharp increase from the 80 allegations in 2014. The majority, 69, involved personnel in 10 peacekeeping missions.

    The United Nations currently has 106,000 troops and police serving in 16 peacekeeping missions.

    Allegations of sexual abuse have also made against European troops deployed in Central African Republic. French troops have been in the country since December 2013, while European Union troops were there from April 2014 to March 2015.

    In December, an independent review panel accused the United Nations and its agencies of grossly mishandling allegations of child sexual abuse by international peacekeepers in Central African Republic in 2013 and 2014.

    Dujarric said on Monday the U.N. mission in Central African Republic had also received new allegations of sexual abuse by U.N. and non-U.N. forces and civilians in the Kemo prefecture that occurred in 2014 and 2015.

    He said the mission would send a team to the area to gather information.

    U.N. peacekeepers take a break as they patrol along a street during the presidential election in Bangui, the capital of Central African Republic, December 30, 2015.

  • Uganda:7 million Ugandans haven’t been to school – census

    {Even with a remarkable steady increase in literacy rates, nearly seven million Ugandans, representing 19.3 per cent of the total population, have never been to school. }

    Another 40 per cent of the population that is supposed to be in school, left before completion.

    According to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census, 12.5 per cent, representing one in every 10 children of primary school-going age (6-12 years), had never been to school even with free education under Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE), the twin- government programmes introduced in 1997 and 2007 respectively.

    Out of 5,259,200 secondary school- going students of between 13 and 18 years, more than one million, representing 22 per cent had left school through unclear circumstances yet 4.1 per cent had never been to school. The percentage of those who have never been to school is, however, higher among Ugandans aged 60 yearsand above, standing at 37.5 per cent of the total population.

    The demographers who talked to Daily Monitor last week attributed the problem to government failure to monitor what goes on in schools, poverty, child labour and child marriages particularly in the countryside. The Census report found that 87 per cent (more than 6.4 million) of the boys and girls of primary school-going age (6-12 years) were attending school.

    The UPE and USE are seen as main tools for achieving the economic, social and political objectives outlined in the Government White Paper on education. The National Development Plan II (2015-2020) also emphasises education as an aspect of human capital development.

    Dr Ben Mungyereza, the executive director Uganda Bureau of Statistics, has proposed that parents whose children are not going to school yet there is UPE and USE should be arrested. He said this at the launch of the Census report at Kampala Serena Hotel last week.

    About 74 per cent of the population are literate, higher than about 70 per cent 10 years ago. However, literacy among females was lower (68 per cent) than for males (77 per cent). Literacy is also higher in urban areas (85.9 per cent) than rural areas (68.3 per cent). However, the report indicates that in the last ten years, literacy rates have marginally declined in urban and rural areas.

    Literacy has also increased among females from 58.9 per cent to 62.8 per cent because of the government emphasis on the education of the girl-child. However, among males, literacy dropped from 91.5 per cent to now 83.6 per cent as a result of poverty and increased number of orphans in the country.

    At least 8.04 per cent of all children below 18 years are orphaned. There are more female orphans (7.9 per cent) than males and the number of orphans (8.17 per cent) in urban and rural areas is almost the same at 8 per cent.

  • Kenya:Nairobi traders threaten to withhold taxes over arbitrary allocation of bus stages

    {Traders in Nairobi’s central business district have threatened to withhold taxes to county government if haphazard allocation of matatu (bus) stops is not rectified within 90 days.}

    The traders said the new stages allocated to matatus have disrupted their businesses.

    The traders, who met Starehe MP Maina Kamanda on Monday, urged him to petition the Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero on the issue.

    They said they were losing business as a result of the new policy by City Hall to allocate matatu operators several more bus stops in the city.

    They said pollution, hooting, loud music and uncouth language by touts has made customers shy away from their shops.

    “Each trader is paying up to Sh200,000 in taxes per year but the new stages are preventing customers from accessing our premises,” said Mr Kuria Githaiga, a trader.

    The traders said even eateries have been affected. Bernard Githaiga, who owns a hotel in downtown Nairobi, said as result of the new stages, his business has been affected.

    “The pollution and noise from the touts, not forgetting that the buses are packed just outside the hotel has really pushed customers away,” he said.

    Some of the roads that are most affected include Luthuli Avenue, Munyu Road, Ronald Ngala Street and Sheikh Karume Road.

    “There seem to be a deliberate move to disable us financially. We have complained to City Hall but there has not been a positive response,” said Mr. Githaiga.

    Mr Kamanda said he was aware City Hall’s engineering and inspectorate departments were colluding with powerful matatu operators to turn the mentioned roads as “a big bus stop”, thereby affecting businesses.

    “Matatu operators are paying Sh4 million to get these booths even without considering that traders require their own spaces to load or unload their wares,” said Mr Kamanda.

    He said matatus ought to be in properly designated areas.

    He asked the traders to appoint 10 people, whom he would lead to a meeting with the governor.

    Buses at Kencom and Ambassador bus stage. Traders in Nairobi’s central business district have threatened to withhold taxes to county government if haphazard allocation of matatu (bus) stops is not rectified within 90 days.

  • Dar, Uganda pipeline deal seen

    {Tanzania is highly optimistic of striking an agreement with Uganda over construction of the 1,410-kilometre crude oil pipeline from Hoima, given the former’s competitive advantage.
    }

    It is against this backdrop that the country is sending a delegation of 40 businesspersons to Uganda to discuss business opportunities aligned to the ambitious project with government officials in Kampala.

    “We understand that there is a competition from some of our neighbours to implement the project. But we are 98 per cent sure of striking a deal,” the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Professor Justin Ntalikwa, told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

    Neighbouring Kenya is as well competing with Tanzania to execute the project. It wants the pipeline to be channeled from Hoima to its oilfields in Loikchar, Northern Kenya, to yet-to-be constructed Lamu Port.

    “Tanzania boasts of conducive environment to lay out the pipeline and this gives us a competitive advantage compared to the Kenyan route. It will be less costly to use the Tanga port,” Prof Ntalikwa boasted.

    The PS went on to point to the fact that Tanzania is more stable and secure with vast know-how in implementation of pipeline projects.

    This includes the 1,710-km Tanzania-Zambia pipeline (Tazama), which was commissioned in 1968 to transport crude oil from the Dar es Salaam Port in Tanzania to Ndola in Zambia as well as the 542-km pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam, which was launched last year to convey natural gas.

    Other projects include a conduit from Songo Songo islands through the Indian Ocean to Somanga and a parallel pipeline from Somanga to Dar es Salaam.

    “It should be noted as well that Tanga Port is a natural anchorage with deep waters compared to Lamu and Mombasa ports in Kenya. Based on these facts, I can confidently declare that Tanzania is highly confident of striking the deal,” he stressed.

    He added that the government of Tanzania was closely engaging the government of Uganda on the project and “there is hope that its implementation will start as planned”. The PS and high-ranking officials in the ministry held a meeting with local business persons yesterday to explore potential opportunities to come with implementation of the mega scheme.

    The head of the business delegation, Dr Gideon Kaunda, said the team will leave for Uganda today where they expect to meet President Yoweri Museveni and other officials.

    “This is a business competition and we are ready to work jointly with the government to secure the pipeline project given its benefits to the country,” Dr Kaunda, who is as well the Executive Chairman of Pangaea Securities (East Africa) Limited, noted.

    The business mission, Dr Kaunda explained, seeks to furnish the Ugandan government on the advantages of channeling the pipeline through Tanzania to Tanga port. “We have the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), which boasts of trained human resources to carry out such projects. It is high time Tanzania started to think of opportunities to be aligned with the venture,” he noted.

    On the other hand, Prof Ntalikwa admitted that a number of high-ranking officials from Kenya, who had ‘sneaked’ into the Ugandan delegation that had been invited for a tour of the Tanga Port, were blocked from accessing the facility.

    “It is true that the Kenyan officials were not allowed to visit the port because we had invited only Ugandan officials,” he stated.

    The delegation from Kampala, which was allowed entry was led by Uganda’s Energy Minister Irene Mulomi while that of Kenya, which was blocked was under the leadership of Kenya’s Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter.

    Last Monday in Nairobi, President Museveni and Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya held a meeting in which they agreed to meet after two weeks to allow technical officials from the two countries to harmonise their presentations.

    Among the issues to be considered by the technical teams include which route is more cost effective, the terrain, the current proven reserves, which will have an impact on the size of the pipeline and viability of Lamu, Mombasa and Tanga ports as export options.

    Through the Tanzania route, the project is expected to cost 4 billion US dollars while the same will cost 4.5 billion US dollars through the Kenyan route.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, Professor Justin Ntalikwa.

  • Tanzania:TRA set to collect 850bn/- in taxes from VIP

    {The Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) is set to collect over 850.75 billion/- as tax from VIP Engineering and Marketing Limited (VIP) upon successful prosecution of three high profile cases by the latter that have been pending before local courts.}

    According to court sources, VIP has lodged Civil Case No. 229 of 2013, which is still pending, against three Standard Chartered Banks (Hong Kong, Tanzania and United Kingdom) and three others defendants before the High Court, demanding 877.56 million US dollars (about 2.02 trillion/-).

    There is another Miscellaneous Commercial case No. 6 of 2003 involving Citibank Tanzania Limited in winding up of Tri-telecommunication Tanzania Limited (Tritel), the first ever mobile service provider firm in Tanzania.

    In this case, the VIP Company demands 199.01 million US dollars (about 457.72bn/-). Records further show that there is Commercial Case Number 16 of 2000 involving two companies, Societe Generale De Survellance (S.A) and SGS (Tanzania) Limited, over a dispute relating to imported rotten rice.

    VIP Company claims 156.40 million US dollars (about 359.72bn/-). In total, the Tanzanian company would be paid 1,232.97 million US dollars (about 2.84 tri/-), that will attract potential 30 per cent corporate tax payable to TRA amounting at 369.89 million US dollars (about 850.75bn/-) while VIP would remain with outstanding claims of 863.08 US dollars (about 1.99tri/-).

    International Independent Consultant with VIP Company, Mr James Rugemalira, declined comment when contacted to comment on the issue.

    However, the ‘Daily News’ has reliably been informed that the delay by the Commissioner General to refund to VIP undisputable over paid capital gains tax amount of USD 14,481,934.75 out of the total claim of USD 24,074,471.65 was making the company fail to effectively prosecute its long outstanding tort claims in the three separate court cases.

    Such cases amounting to over USD 1.2 billion that has a corporation tax revenue generation potential to TRA of about USD 370million. According to taxation experts, a capital gains tax is a tax on capital gains or profit realised on the sale of a non-inventory asset that was purchased at a cost amount that was lower than the amount realised on the sale of the capital asset.

    The most relevant capital gains arise from the sale of shares, bonds, and property. If, as VIP invested USD 13,500,000 in its 30 percent shares in Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) and sold them to Pan African Power Solution Limited (PAP) for USD 75,010,000, the capital gain is USD 61,500,000.

    This is the difference between cost of investment and the price realised on sale of shares.

    In its decision dated February 12, 2014, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in ICSID Case No. ARB/10/20 noted that VIP paid USD 13,500,000 for its 30 percent shares in IPTL.

    On January 23, 2014, the TRA collected from VIP Capital Gains Tax on sale of its 30% Shares in IPTL to PAP amounting to USD 23,629,434.75. VIP is claiming from TRA refund of USD 24,076,471.65, including cost of maintenance, interest and costs of the Appeal.

    VIP is now only requesting that the undisputable amount of USD 14,481,934.75 be paid now and the balance may be adjudicated upon by the Tax Revenue Appeals Board.

    The amount of USD 14,481,934.75 includes 30 per cent capital gains tax amounting to USD 1,128, 543.75 USD on default interest of 3,761,812.50 USD, which by consent was ordered by the High Court before Judge John Utamwa not to be paid and was consequently not paid by PAP to VIP.

    TRA Commissioner General, Alphayo Kidata.

  • Congo and Zambia in another stalemate

    {Congo and Zambia played to their second consecutive 1-1 draw in a Group E, Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Stade Alphonse Massamba Debat in Brazzaville on Sunday.}

    The two sides had played to a 1-1 draw four days earlier at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola and it was the same score on Easter Sunday.

    Jordan Massengo opened the scoring for Congo in the 48th minute before Kalengo levelled matters for Zambia 22 minutes later.

    The draw sees both Congo and Zambia tied for second place in the qualifying group with six points, a point behind Guinea-Bissau who beat Kenya 1-0 earlier in the day.

    They are followed by Kenya in last place with only a point to their name.

  • Uganda:Four million can’t afford two meals

    {Because of poverty, more than four million Ugandans, representing 11.8 per cent of the population can’t afford two meals a day, according to the 2014 National Population and Housing Census.}

    For instance, more than four million people, according to the report, consume one meal a day. Of these 11.9 per cent are in rural areas and 11.4 per cent in towns.

    At least 51.4 per cent (about 18 million) of Uganda can afford two meals yet only 34.6 per cent can afford three meals a day.

    The report, which was launched last week also shows that nearly 18 million people use kerosene lamps also known as tadooba for lighting, something which exposes them to lung cancer.

    The World Bank estimates that inhaling kerosene fumes is the equivalent of smoking two packets of cigarettes a day and two-thirds of adult females with lung cancer in developing nations like Uganda are non-smokers but suffer air pollution.

    Although the 2014 National Population and Housing Census shows that the percentage of Ugandans using tadooba has slightly reduced from 74.8 per cent (more than 18.2 million people) cent in 2002 to 52 per cent (more than 17.9 million), because of poverty, kerosene lamps are still widely used for lighting in rural and urban areas where distribution of electricity is either unavailable, or too costly.

    At least 60 per cent of the total population in rural areas used tadooba compared to 25 per cent in urban areas.

    However, those using electricity have increased from 7.8 per cent in 2002 to 20 per cent in 2014. In rural areas, the number has increased from 3 per cent to 10 per cent over the same period.

    There are 27.2 million people living in villages and only 7.4 million living in towns.

    Although the 2014 census data paints a rosy picture of the economy, it also reveals the extent of poverty in the country.

    The data provides insights into the changes which have taken place since 2002 and highlights black spots in the service delivery chain where government needs to focus attention in the next five years.

    The population has increased from 24.4 million in 2002 to 34.6 million in 2014.

    Children share a meal in Hoima district.

  • Kenya:Devolution dilemma after TA exit

    {Senators have opposed the government’s plans to create a body to replace the defunct Transition Authority, less than a month after refusing to extend the authority’s term.}

    The proposed body, which will be tax-funded, will take over all the functions, assets and liabilities of the TA.

    TA members left office on March 4 after serving for three years, leaving a load of work to the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee under the Ministry of Public Service and Devolution.

    But it has since emerged that the existing law does not allow the committee to replace it.

    The ministry wants to amend the Intergovernmental Relations Act to form the Intergovernmental Relations Authority to take over from the TA.

    The Intergovernmental Relations (amendment) Bill given the Senate Committee on Devolved Government, chaired by Bomet Senator Wilfred Lesan, last week wants the new authority to take over everything left behind by the TA.

    However, senators have expressed their opposition to the plans. They said it will not make sense to send an established, independent team home then turn around and form a new one to perform similar roles.

    “What you are taking over are residual functions of TA, not all the functions,” said Mombasa Senator Omar Hassan, a member of the House team. “You are proposing a similar authority as the TA.

    “We cannot be in a state of perpetual transition to devolution. We must ensure at some point transition is over and county governments are fully functional.”

    The senators said the technical committee, chaired by former Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi, should have informed them of the anticipated challenges before the TA was sent home.

    The TA, which was chaired by Kinuthia Wamwangi, pushed for an extension before its term expired, saying it had substantial work pending, but the National Assembly gave them a deaf ear.

    (Read: Transition Authority has until Friday to leave office)

    Senators agreed to a three-year extension but, since the final say lay with the National Assembly, MPs overruled the senators, saying most of the transition work had been done.

    “When we were pushing out TA, I kept asking about the alternatives that we had,” said Senate Majority Whip Beatrice Elachi, a member of the House team. “I told TA, ‘you are leaving but are going to have problems’.

    “Before we consider this Bill, we would like to get a report from the Summit showing us how they planned transition after TA.”

    The Summit is comprises the President, the Deputy President and the Council of Governors.

    Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, who had initially agreed to give the TA one more year, changed his mind last month.

    (Read: Senators to table TA term extension Bill)

    The Transition to Devolved Government Act, which established the TA and outlined most of the authority’s work, expired on the same day as the authority and can therefore not be used by Mr Mutahi’s technical committee.

    “Some of the challenges we have faced is the lack of a legal backing to issue a moratorium on the assets,” said Ms Allyce Esintele, a member of the technical committee.

    However, Devolution PS Mwanamaka Mabruki said they were waiting for a comprehensive report from the defunct authority by April 1 before allocating funds for the new roles.

    Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar addresses the press at his office in Kizingo, Mombasa County, on March 22, 2016.

  • Tanzania:Court of Appeal dismisses life imprisonment sentence appeal lodged by Chato man

    {The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal lodged by a resident of Chato district in Geita Region, Shija Juma, challenging the life imprisonment sentence imposed on him for raping his neighbour’s three-year-old girl.}

    Justices Engela Kileo, Sauda Mjasiri and Bethuel Mmilla ruled against Juma, the appellant, having noted that there was overwhelming evidence showing that the offence of rape was proved beyond reasonable doubts by the prosecution.

    “The sequence of events as narrated (by the mother of the victim) provided a clear and concise account of what had transpired. Her account is fully supported by the testimony of the medical doctor.

    We therefore have no basis of disturbing concurrent findings of facts of the two courts below,” they said. According to the justices, both the trial court and the first appellate court (High Court) reached a concurrent finding that the appellant had sexual intercourse with the victim and the two courts reached that finding after believing the evidence of the victim’s mother, which was corroborated by the doctor.

    They also noted that the conduct of the appellant during the trial left a lot to be desired. It is on record that he jumped bail for almost two years. The appellant also escaped when being held by the Village Executive Officer prior to being taken to the police.

    The justices said, therefore, that an adverse inference could be drawn against the appellant for running away. During hearing of the appeal, Juma had complained, among others, that he was condemned unheard, which resulted into trial court to convict him of the offence and sentenced in absentia.

    However, in the instance case, the justices said, the complaint raised by the appellant has no basis because he jumped bail and did not appear in court for hearing before the close of the prosecution case.

    The case proceeded in his absence in terms of section 226 (1) of the Criminal Procedure Act. They noted that the appellant was arrested nearly two years after the judgment was pronounced.

    He was taken before the trial court in line of section 226 (2) of the CPA in order to explain his absence. “He failed to come up with any viable explanation for his absence,” the justices concluded.

    It was alleged during the trial that on the material day when the offence was committed, the little girl had accompanied her mother to the farm. While her mother was working in the farm and the little girl was eating yams, along came the appellant, who was the neighbour with the victim’s mother.

    The appellant volunteered to take the girl home. The mother readily allowed her daughter to leave with the appellant. No sooner had they left the girl came back to the farm crying and she was holding her skirt and walking with difficulty in short paces.

    She informed her mother that the appellant had raped her. The mother was shocked and in disbelief went straight to the appellant’s house, but could not find him. She went to a shopping centre where she found the appellant’s father, the appellant himself and her husband.

    The mother narrated to them what had transpired. She later reported the incidence to the Village Executive Officer, who ordered the arrest of the appellant. While being held by the village officer, the appellant broke the lock and ran away, but he was eventually arrested by the victim’s father.