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Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • Congo Troops Take Back City of Goma

    Congolese soldiers took back control of this strategic city of 1 million on Monday, though the rebels who occupied it for two weeks continued to stake out positions just 3 kilometers (1.6 miles) away, threatening to seize it anew if Congo fails to meet their demands.

    Crowds cheered the soldiers as they arrived in Goma’s main barracks in trucks, and women rushed forward to kiss the troops. Their return comes 13 days after the city fell to the rebels.

    In a worrying sign, however, the M23 rebels remained in tactical positions in the hills nearby, saying they were waiting for the government to respond to their grievances before deciding whether to try to retake the city.

    The rebels claim to be fighting for the better implementation of a March 23, 2009, peace accord, which saw them integrated into the national army.

    After a nearly two-week occupation, the M23 rebels agreed to leave Goma over the weekend under intense international pressure, including fresh sanctions from the U.N. Security Council.

    Their withdrawal was conditional and their commanders initially they would retreat to 20 kilometers (12 miles) outside the city with the caveat that Congo’s government must begin negotiations with them no later than 2 p.m. on Monday afternoon.

    As the deadline expired, journalists saw a column of rebel fighters walking to elevated positions overlooking the city.

    Others were building a tent on a western hill. Some in groups of three took positions under trees along the road leading north from Goma.

    “We gave Kinshasa a 48-hour deadline, and we are now waiting for these 48 hours to expire,” rebel spokesman Col. Vianney Kazarama said by telephone as the deadline neared.

    “You should call Congo and ask them what they plan to do. They have not yet contacted us. And we are waiting to see what happens, before pronouncing ourselves.”

    Despite the rebels’ retreat from Goma, which was a pre-requisite set by the Congolese government for negotiations, Congo’s President Joseph Kabila has not yet made clear if the government will engage in talks.

    On Sunday, government spokesman Lambert Mende said the president would listen to M23’s grievances and then give them an answer.

    As the rebels’ deadline neared Monday, Mende said he had nothing new to say on the matter. Later, in a government communique, Mende said Congo “congratulates itself on the departure of M23 from the city of Goma this weekend and is happy to confirm the enthusiasm with which the population of this town greeted (the security forces) who came to secure the city.”

    Congo’s Interior Minister Richard Muyej, speaking to reporters in Goma, said that they are working hard to fill the power vacuum that was left by the rebels’ departure.

    “We shall work very hard to re-establish the authority of the state as fast as possible,” Muyej said.

    Residents whose lives were upended two weeks ago when rebels invaded the town on Nov. 20 tried their best to go about their lives. Most shops had re-opened, despite uncertainty about the coming hours.

    AP

  • EAC & Norway Sign $5 Million Agreement

    The EAC Secretariat and Norway in Nairobi, Kenya signed a financial grant agreement worth US $5.3 million for the period 2012 -2014.

    The funds, disbursed through the EAC’s basket fund mechanism known as the Partnership Fund, will support initiatives to enhance regional integration and socio-economic development of the EAC.

    Specifically, the funds will be used to support the implementation of the EAC Development Strategy and provide technical assistance to the Community.

    Furthermore, the grant will support institutional and human resource capacity building for the EAC and support key studies required to support regional integration as well as implementation of the study findings.

    According to the agreement, an initial disbursement of US $1.8 million will now be made by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    Norway is one of the founding members and a contributor to the EAC Partnership Fund.

    Also present at the signing ceremony was the head of the resource mobilization unit at the EAC, Dr. James Njagu.

  • Museveni & Kikwete Criticise UN Over M23

    Uganda President Yoweri Museveni and Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania have told off the United Nations over its failure to stop the M23 rebels from capturing the town of Goma in eastern DR Congo.

    The two leaders, according to the sources that attended the closed summit of International Conference for Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) that took place last week in Kampala, told the UN under Secretary for Field Support, Ms Susana Malccora, in the meeting that the region was disappointed with the UN mission in DR Congo.

    Mr Kikwete told Ms Malccora that the regional efforts to form an international neutral force for DR Congo was as a result of frustration caused by the UN’s failure to stop different rebel groups operating in eastern DR Congo.
    The UN operates the biggest mission in DR Congo with 17,000 peacekeepers and an annual budget of over $1 billion but critics say the peacekeepers have failed to protect civilians.

    Despite this big budget and force, the rebels have continued to operate in the region and hundreds of civilians have been displaced as a result of fighting.

    Mr Kikwete reportedly told the meeting that the UN acts “faster and efficiently” when there are crises in parts of the world like Europe but is “slow” when it comes to Africa.

    “Go and tell your office that we are frustrated and disappointed with the UN missions in this region. The UN was in Rwanda when the genocide took place. They have been operating in DR Congo since 1960s but nothing has changed. Go and tell them that this is Kikwete’s message,” he told Ms Malccora.

    Mr Kikwete, who is known to be non-combative in such meetings like his Ugandan and Rwandan counterparts, was described by sources as “passionate and argumentative”.
    After Mr Kikwete’s presentation, Mr Museveni told the meeting that he had had a meeting with Ms Malccora on Friday night and registered the same frustration. “By the way, there are things I told her last night which you haven’t told her,” Mr Museveni reportedly told Mr Kikwete.

    In response, Ms Malccora said the UN mandate does not allow the peacekeepers to engage the rebels and contributing countries will pull out if the mandate is changed to peace enforcement.

    But Mr Museveni reportedly said, “let them withdraw” and pledged he would deploy UPDF as long as they are funded.
    The M23 rebels captured Goma, the North Kivu provincial capital last week but have pledged to withdraw after holding talks with President Museveni in Kampala.

    Other presidents who attended the meeting were Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki and DR Congo’s Joseph Kabila. Mr Paul Kagame, who has been accused by the UN of supporting M23 did not attend and was represented by his Foreign Affairs minister, Ms Louis Mwishikiwabo.

    NMG

  • Nakumatt recertified as top EA brand

    Scores of leading local companies, planning to publicly list at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) have been identified as some of the most consistent brand-building agents in Kenya.

    According to the Superbrands East Africa Project Director Jawad Jaffer, fast growing firms seeking to list at the local bourse are increasingly adopting strategic profile building initiatives to raise their brand value.

    Speaking during an event to officially hand over to Nakumatt Holdings Managing Director Atul Shah a charter recertifying the regional retailer as an East African Superbrands 2012, Jaffer explained that Small and Medium Size enterprises (SME) have also joined the fray.

    Jaffer said the creation and management of brand value is consistently emerging as a key ingredient driving business development by local firms.

    While receiving the East Africa Superbrands certificate, Shah confirmed that the firm would continue raising its brand experience levels for the benefit of its customers, staff and associates even as the firms scheduled initial public offering remains on the horizon.

    “Our analysis confirms that local firms including SMEs are deliberately engaging in brand value building efforts ahead of planned public listings just like their global peers,” Jaffer disclosed.

    While releasing its 2nd annual global report dedicated to the retail sector, and ranking the top 50 US retail brands by brand value, as well as the top retail brands from the UK, France, Germany, Spain, and the Asia Pacific region, Interbrand noted that retail is a highly competitive marketplace.

    Consumer spending is scattered due to the myriad ways of making purchases.

    Manufacturers are becoming retailers, and new rivals – often in the form of both small companies and international players entering new territories – are continuing to fragment the market. In such a climate, every customer interaction becomes crucial.

    “Today’s retailers have entered an era of infinite competition,” said Jez Frampton, Global Chief Executive of Interbrand. “These Best Retail Brands understand that every channel matters in the new landscape – and prove that though a multichannel approach is certainly more complex, if done strategically, it pays off.”

    Brand-led companies are proving to be resilient by continuing to bolster their digital experience, while simultaneously finding new ways to reinvigorate the in-store brand experience.

    wire

  • Border Delays in EAC Bloc Sorted

    The East African Community (EAC) in partnership with the United States Agency for International Cooperation (Usaid), Thursday launched a software platform for customs and transit data exchange, management and reporting.

    The Revenue Authorities Digital Data Exchange (RADDEx 2.0) allows for real time-transmission of customs document to authorised public and private sector users at key border posts and cities across the EAC partner states.

    A statement issued here jointly by EAC and Usaid said the improved software system would reduce time and cost of transiting borders, an anomaly which has frustrated efficient movement of people and goods in the region.

    “RADDEx 2.0 saves businesses and governments’ time and money by shortening cargo processing times and reducing the number of officials needed to process cargo”, the statement added.

    Some of the largest non-tariff barriers to trade and cost to businesses in East Africa are delays at border crossings. Trucks waiting for goods to be cleared on both sides of a border can result in significant costs to the shipper.

    Difficulties at the border include inefficient paperwork processes, lack of advance notification of goods, fraudulent declarations and lack of efficient information exchange between regional revenue authorities.

    The Usaid EA-funded Corridor Diagnostic Study (CDS) estimated the cost of border delays for 40-foot container trucks.Based on that estimate and the number of trucks that pass through the Malaba border post between Kenya and Uganda, RADDEx could save businesses that use the Malaba border approximately $50 million each year.

    In his remarks at the launch, the EAC director of Customs Kenneth Bagamuhunda stated: “RADDEx 2.0 offers a secure information bridge that allows authorised users to access crucial customs declaration information that speeds the transit of goods across the borders”.

    He said the system would be owned, operated and maintained by revenue authorities of East Africa. It has been developed by EAC and the national revenue authorities.

  • Tanzania Reduces AIDS Deaths

    The number of Tanzanians dying of Aids has gone down dramatically, raising hope that investment in anti-retroviral therapy and treatment is paying off.

    According to the United Nations World Aids Day Report 2012, Tanzania has reduced the number of Aids-related deaths by 48,000 annually between 2005 and 2011.

    It was previously estimated that Aids killed 86,000 people in Tanzania annually.

    Globally, more than 500,000 fewer people died from Aids-related illnesses than six years earlier.

    Overall, sub-Saharan Africa has cut the number of people dying of Aids-related causes by 32 per cent between 2005 and 2011. This means that more people than ever who are living with HIV are being helped to live longer, healthier and more productive lives.

    According to the UN report, the largest drop in Aids-related deaths was recorded in countries where HIV has the strongest grip.

    “In South Africa, 100,000 fewer deaths occurred, followed by nearly 90,000 in Zimbabwe, 71, 000 in Kenya, 59,000 in Ethiopia and 48,000 in Tanzania.”

    Countries with smaller populations in the region, but high HIV prevalence, like Botswana, Rwanda, Namibia, Zambia, Burundi and Cote d’Ivoire, have also made significant gains in averting deaths related to Aids, reducing the number of deaths by between 71 and 51 per cent.

    The report attributes the success to the massive scaling up of HIV treatment access that enabled tens of thousands of people living with HIV to receive lifesaving antiretroviral therapy.

    The Tanzania Commission for Aids (Tacaids) says Aids-related deaths and new infections could drop further because more people were taking voluntary HIV tests and seeking free treatment.

    “With the exception of expectant mothers, who are compulsorily tested for HIV, more people are taking voluntary tests. This shows that people are becoming aware of the importance of knowing their HIV status and receiving treatment if they have the virus,” Tacaids public relations officer Glory Mziray said.

    According to the report, Tanzania and Kenya jointly rank third in HIV/Aids prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa. Each has 1.6 million people living with HIV/Aids.

    South Africa tops the list with 5.1 million people living with HIV/Aids followed by Nigeria with three million.
    Other countries hit hard by the scourge are Uganda (1.4 million), Mozambique (1.4 million), Zimbabwe (1.2 million), Zambia (970,000) and Ethiopia (790,000).

    The report further says there were 700,000 fewer new HIV infections globally in 2011 than in 2001. Africa has cut Aids-related deaths by a third in the past six years.

    Latest data shows that a 50 per cent reduction in the rate of new HIV infections has been achieved in 25 low- and middle-income countries between 2001 and 2011. More than half of these countries are in sub- Saharan Africa where the majority of new HIV infections occur.

    In a further nine countries the rate of new HIV infections fell steeply—by at least one third between 2001 and 2011.

    “The national declines in HIV incidence in populations show that sustained investments and increased political leadership for the Aids response are paying dividends. In particular, countries with a concurrent scale up of HIV prevention and treatment programmes are seeing a drop in new HIV infections to record lows,” says the report.

    In Southern Africa, where most countries have large numbers of people living with HIV or high HIV prevalence, the number of people acquiring HIV has been dramatically reduced.

    Between 2001 and 2011, the rate of new HIV infections dropped by 73 per cent in Malawi, 71 per cent in Botswana, 68 per cent in Namibia, 58 per cent in Zambia and 50 per cent in Zimbabwe.

    South Africa, which has the highest number of HIV infections, reduced new infections by 41 per cent. In Swaziland, which has the world’s highest HIV prevalence, new HIV infections dropped by 37 per cent.

  • Kenyan Man Kills Wife, Eats Her

    In Kenya, a man left neighbours in shock after he killed his wife and ate some of her body parts before a mob lynched him at Wendiga village in Kieni West on Wednesday night.

    Morris Gituma Mutegi, 23, was said to have also forced his two-and-a-half-year-old son to drink his mother’s blood in the bizarre incident.

    Mutegi, who was a farmhand, allegedly got into a fight with his wife Caroline Gatwiri, 22, at 11pm, and was seen by his employer Anne Wangeci chasing her in the compound.

    Wangeci raised the alarm but by the time neighbours responded Gatwiri had been killed by the husband who was wielding a sword and a spear.

    Nyeri OCPD Kirunya Limbitu said Gituma and his wife hailed from Kandungu village in Gitije Meru South.

    Police officers at the scene said that Gatwiri’s head had been severed from her body and smashed using a stone.

    Pieces of her skull and jawbone were still at the scene in the morning, but police later took them away.

    Mr Solomon Mwangi, a son of Ms Wangeci, said Mutegi killed his wife a few metres from his mother’s house before dragging the body to his small house and mutilating it.

    “He killed his wife near my mother’s house, around midnight. He then went to the house and fetched his son and forced him to drink his mother’s blood, but as he dragged the body back to his house we managed to grab the child. He was armed with a sword and a spear and we were afraid of going near him,” said Mr Mwangi.

    Police said Mutegi ate the body parts of his wife including her heart, liver, face and brains.

    According to Mr Mwangi when the neighbours who eventually numbered 200 subdued Mutegi, they tied him up to a fence post using a rope and beat him up.

    “We had tied him up using a rope onto a post, but he was very very wild,” added Mr Mwangi.

    The wife had arrived at the home in the evening from Meru, with Mutegi picking her from Mweiga town a few kilometres from the home.

    He even took his son to meet his employer, telling Ms Wangeci that his wife was resting in the house after the long journey.

    On Thursday morning, the couple’s child still had his mother’s blood smeared all over his face.

    He was placed under Ms Wangeci’s care, with police from Mweiga police station saying he would later be handed over to the children’s officer in Nyeri.

    Mutegi was described by his employer as having never had a quarrel with anyone since he was employed to look after her cattle in March of this year.

    “He never raised his voice, not even to a child. He had even brought his son to meet me in the evening after picking his wife from Mweiga and all appeared well at that time,” said Ms Wangeci.

    Neighbours milled around the home, many still in disbelief over the nights events.

    NMG

  • Uganda Hits South Sudan 4-0

    CECAFA Tusker Cup champions Uganda national team -Cranes on Friday evening hammered tournament debutants South Sudan 4 – 0 to maintain a 100% record.

    Lethal striker Brian Umony was at it again testing the South Sudan backline in the 17th minute only for his goal to be ruled offside.

    The towering South Sudanese did not deter the Cranes from flying over them and in the 24th minute Umony found the back of the net and this scoreline went on until the 40th minute when Saidi Kyeyune provided Umony the killer pass for the latter to make it 2-0 in favor of the cranes.

    Brian Umony now has three goals.

    After the break, the champions through Robert Sentogo made it 3-0 before Hamis Kiiza put the icing on the cake scoring the Cranes’ fourth with less than ten minutes to go to make Uganda the only team not to have conceded a goal so far in the tournament.

    In the early kick off game, Kenya beat an unconvincing AFCON bound Ethiopia 3 – 1 to register their second win of the tournament and qualify for the quarterfinals and dump the Horn of Africa nation out.

    Meanwhile, tournament organisers have succumbed to pressure following the appalling conditions at Namboole and moved Saturday games to two other stadiums.

    Games scheduled for Saturday will be played at Lugogo and Wankulukuku Stadiums respectively according to the new arrangement.

    Quarterfinal matches on Monday will also be played at Lugogo but Tuesday’s involving Cranes will return to Namboole as organisers think by then the stadium will have got the much needed rest.

    Wirestory

  • Nairobi PSVs Protest New Traffic Rules

    Nairobi was turned into a ‘walking’ city on Thursday as a crippling strike by Public Service Vehicles (PSV) in protest against punitive fines turned messy.

    Chaos was reported in sections of the city such as Kangemi where matatu crews blocked the Nairobi-Nakuru highway and stoned motorists who tried to make their way through.

    In the city centre, PSVs were parked in the middle of the road making parts of Moi Avenue, City Hall Way and Tom Mboya Street inaccessible to other users.

    The PSV crews were protesting against new traffic rules that imposed heavy penalties for offenders.

    The area around Kencom bus stop and Ambassadeur hotel was literally turned into parking lots for a better part of the day.

  • Kenyan MPs Diagree on Elections Bill

    Kenyan Parliament adjourned prematurely Thursday after MPs disagreed on a proposal to waive the committee stage for consideration of Bills proposing amendments to two electoral laws.

    The two Bills-Political Parties (Amendment) Bill and Elections (Amendment) Bill relate to the next General Election.

    The government had proposed fast tracking of important Bills with political connotations by reducing the period required to process them.

    MPs questioned the hurry. In particular, MPs opposed a proposal by the Deputy Leader of Government Business Amos Kimunya to waive the committee stage where the Bills can be scrutinised by the public.

    The practice is that Bills are referred to relevant departmental parliamentary committees for scrutiny.

    It is at this stage that stakeholders have a chance for input before they are taken back to Parliament for the Third and final stage.

    NMG