IGIHE

Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • EAC States Prefer Joint Marketing of Tourism

    {{East African Community member states are inching closer to marketing the region as a single tourist destination.}}

    Tourism Minister Dan Mwazo said Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi were putting final touches to an agreement that would allow tourists to visit attractions across the region in a single circuit.

    Mr Mwazo, who is also the East African chairman of the Tourism Executive Council, said non-tariff barriers would also be removed to enhance free trade and travel.

    “The member states policies are being harmonised for the realisation of full cooperation, the provision of quality service to tourists and joint conservation of the wildlife,” Mr Mwazo said.

    Addressing a Press conference at the Kenyan exhibition stand at the World Travel Market in London, Mr Mwazo said the region would also have joint efforts in conserving wildlife.

  • Burundi to Adopt Rwanda Model on Birth Control

    {{A consortium of Burundian NGOs dealing with children with learning difficulties have suggested that Burundi adopts the Rwandan model and trigger a national revival for a drastic reduction of children through family planning.}}

    In Rwanda, a national law requires no more than four children per couple family.”

    Rwamo Athanasius, a legal representative of the NGOs says, “For the moment, Burundi, we can stabilize four children, but if we can get two, so much the better.”

    Rwamo notes that the reference to the Rwandan model finds its justification in the fact that “both countries share cultural similarities.”

    The legal representative of the consortium OPDE-APECOS-OIDEB recommended that in this situation, we must begin now to take preventive measures as a remedy for all the consequences of a demographic variable that can affect a population “often powerless.”

    “Burundi absolutely must pursue a national policy to severe household for strict limitation of births,” he said.

  • Ugandan Scholar Wins Prestigious Research Award

    {{Ugandan economic scholar Dick Kamuganga’s work has been selected as the best research paper presented at the just concluded 2012 African Economic Conference in Kigali, Rwanda.}}

    Kamuganga’s paper “Does Intra-Africa Regional Trade Cooperation Enhance Export Survival”, which featured at the conference, was selected from among 500 submissions, which were narrowed down to 43 papers and Kamuganga’s won the award for best conference paper by a young African scholar.

    “The goal of the prize was to recognize and encourage research among young Africans,” said a statement from the African Development Bank.

    Kamuganga is an economist from the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland.

  • Kenya: New Marriage Law Recognises Polygamy

    {{If you have been in a come-we-stay relationship in Kenya for at least six months, then consider yourself and your partner legally married if a proposed law is passed.}}

    This follows the Cabinet’s decision on Thursday to pass the Marriage Bill 2012.

    Under the proposed law, chiefs will have the power to consider “come-we-stay” arrangements as marriages and will be required to register them as such.

    The same applies to customary marriages. The enactment of the proposed law is expected to come as a shock to many young people who are in such unions.

    The Marriage Bill brings together the Christian, Islamic and Hindu marriage laws as well as marriages consummated under Civil and African Customary law, a despatch from the Presidential Press Service said.

    Although the Bill recognises polygamy, it proposes the outlawing of some traditional forms of marriage and the scrapping of bride price.

    However, those who wish to pay any form of dowry or bride price may go ahead, but no one will be forced to do so.

    To avoid controversy over same-sex marriages, the Bill defines marriage in Section 3 (1) as a “voluntary union of a man and a woman intended to last for their lifetime”.

    {{Blood relatives}}

    Widows will not be subjected to cultural wife inheritance. “No law or custom shall operate so as to restrict the freedom of a widow to reside wherever she pleases or to marry a man of her choice,” says the proposed legislation.

    The Bill has also outlawed marriages between blood relatives, adopted children and their guardians, and with a former spouse of one’s grandparent, parent, child or grandchild.

    The courts will nullify underage and prohibited marriages, including those obtained without consent.

    Under the proposed law, a widow has the right to marry a person of her choice — a clear attempt to eradicate the culture of forced wife inheritance practised among some Kenyan communities.

    It also blocks the marriage of a person to his stepmother, a practice which still prevails in some parts of the country.

    The Bill seeks to outlaw child marriages by making 18 the minimum age for marriage. Couples planning to marry will give notice of their intention to the Registrar of Marriages between three weeks and three months of the intended marriage.

    Marriages contracted under either customary or Islamic law are deemed as polygamous or potentially polygamous.

    In all other cases, marriages are presumed to be monogamous, meaning that those cohabiting have to agree to have monogamous unions.

    The Bill deems a marriage null and void if one of the parties is found to have been insane, drunk or under the influence of drugs at the time of consenting to the marriage.

  • Implement Full Common Market Protocol–Experts

    {{Delegates convened in Uganda on regional trade discussions have called for the need of partner states to make further commitments under the liberalization of labor and services sectors. }}

    It was observed that the harmonization of laws is still so low among the partner states and called for urgent intervention to towards improving this.

    Regional experts meeting in Entebbe city have also observed an increase in free movement of goods between member states.

    Free movement of labour within the EAC region is still limited. However, trade growth has been reported in the past 7 years since inception of the Common Market Protocol.

    It has also been noted that without full implementation of the common market protocol, nothing would be constructive in the regional integration.

    “Rwanda and Burundi’s revenue grew by 20% between 2008 and 2010 the revenue/ GDP ratio has stagnated over the period in all the partner states between Kenya at 22%, Tanzania 18%, Uganda and Rwanda at 12.5%,” he said.

    Trade performance had shot with total intra- trade figures growing from $1.6 billion in 2005 to $3.8 billion in 2010 which is more than 100% increase. “Percentage of intra trade to total trade has increased from 7.8% in 2006 to 11.4% in 2010. Total EAC exports grew from $6.4 billion in 2006 to 11.1 billion in 2010 hence 73% increase.

  • Congolese Soldier,Policeman jailed 20years for Rape

    {{In DRC, two policemen and a soldier have been sentenced to twenty years in prison for raping a minor. }}

    In its judgments in Gemena Wednesday, November 7, the Military Court of Equateur province also sentenced to life 17 insurgents of MLIA Liberation Movement . 15 were sentenced in absentia.

    The insurgency had emerged in South ubangi in the Equateur province in late November 2009.

    The military court has upheld the conviction and twenty years in prison on the second degree of a police officer and an Assistant Commissioner of Police.

    They were prosecuted for child rape last March.

  • Kenya’s Uhuru Lobbying Regional Leaders

    {{Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has started a second round of shuttle diplomacy to persuade regional leaders to take a common stand on ‘foreign interference’ in Kenya’s next elections.}}

    Mr Kenyatta flew to Burundi’s capital-Bujumbura, with ministers Eugene Wamalwa, Charity Ngilu, and MPs Najib Balala, Kiema Kilonzo and Musikari Kombo to meet President Pierre Nkurunziza.

    The team also furthered their negotiations of reaching a coalition agreement between The National Alliance, New Ford-Kenya, Narc and United Republican Party ahead of the elections.

    Sources at the meeting in a Bujumbura hotel said they were yet to strike a coalition deal. Mr Kombo termed the trip a serious diplomatic mission to introduce the group to other East African leaders.

    “This mission has nothing to do with the ICC cases or the signing of a coalition agreement,” Mr Kombo said, revealing that they held talks with President Nkurunziza at his official residence.

    The team will then head to Uganda to meet with President Yoweri Museveni before returning to the country. A similar visit is planned for Rwanda.

    Sources who attended the meeting said Mr Kenyatta and President Nkurunziza discussed how the region could handle its own cases relating to people accused of international crimes.

    Of the meeting, Mr Kenyatta said: “We’ve just been here to brief his Excellency that we are working together with the intention that we have a peaceful election in Kenya.”

    Mr Kombo revealed that after Bujumbura, Mr Kenyatta would meet other East African presidents.

  • AMISOM Regrets Charcoal Smuggling

    {{The African Mission for Somalia AMISOM has said in a statement that it regrets the smuggling of charcoal after it emerged ports have allowed ships carrying charcoal to leave Somalia violating both a UN Security Council and Presidential ban.}}

    “AMISOM regrets reports that charcoal is being exported of Somalia in violation of United Nations Security Council resolution 2036” the statement reads in part.

    AMISOM also promised to work together with the Somalia government in dealing with the issue.

    “In this regard, AMISOM reaffirms its commitment to support the Federal Government of Somalia in its efforts to stamp out this illegal trade in charcoal.” The AMISOM statement added.

  • Rome Chapter of EAC Diplomatic Missions Launched

    {{The Secretary General of the East African Community Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera Monday launched the “EAC Rome Chapter” in Rome, Italy. }}

    The Chapter comprises EAC Partner States diplomatic missions based in the Italian capital and was formed within the context of promoting and strengthening coordination of common foreign policies.

    While addressing members of the diplomatic corps, businessmen and friends of East Africa, Amb. Sezibera said the launch of the EAC Rome Chapter comes at a time when the EAC was vibrant and resurgent marked by a GDP rise from US$ 20 billion in 1999 to US$ 80 billion currently.

    The EAC Secretary General, himself a medical doctor, warmly welcomed a proposal by Italian doctor Luigi Gentilini to establish a mobile floating hospital on Lake Victoria.

    The hospital is aimed at reaching out to needy communities living around Lake Victoria.

    The Chairman of the EAC Rome Chapter and outgoing Dean of the Partner States’ ambassadors, HE Deo Rwabita, Uganda’s ambassador to Italy, said regional integration would help to boost the economies of the Partner States and speed up regional development.

    “The EAC initiative is aimed at attracting investors and uplifting the economic status of East Africans and we all must support it for our common good,” said Amb. Rwabita.

    HE Amb. Dr. James Msekela from the United Republic of Tanzania read out a joint declaration signed by all the Ambassadors committing the Rome missions to market the region and promote EAC’s interests.

    The occasion also saw change of leadership of the EAC Rome Chapter being assumed by HE Josephine Gaita, Kenya’s ambassador to Italy as incoming Dean of the EAC Ambassadors.

  • Tanzania Owes Huge Debt to Road Contractors

    {{Tanzania government owes road contractors a whopping Sh2 trillion, putting at risk the expansion of the road network.

    If no steps are taken to clear the debt by the end of the 2013/14 financial year, this amount is likely to rise to Sh4 trillion.}}

    The situation has set off alarm bells in donor circles. Mr Yuzuru Ozeki, the transport sector representative of the development partners group, described the financing gap as “rather daunting” at an infrastructure stakeholders meeting at the weekend.

    “Also, there is no allocation for rural road development in the current budget,” he said. “These are serious issues that require urgent consideration and a response by the government.”

    But government representatives immediately contested the figures and threw the ball back into the donors’ court, saying the release of aid for development projects was too slow and this had led to the pile up of “contractual obligations”.

    “We will have to reconcile our figures and those of the donors,” said Dr John Nduguru, the deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Works. “We are afraid they (development partners) might not have taken care of recent payment of debts.”

    He was speaking at a meeting of infrastructure stakeholders. Dr Ndunguru could not say what the government debt figures come to and the Permanent Secretary, Mr Herbert Mrango, was unavailable for comment.

    “Development partners must be in a better position to explain the debt and not us (government),” Mrango told The Citizen in a telephone interview.

    “This is news to me, I completely know nothing. I am not in a position to comment on anything.”

    The government has been grappling with the mounting debt it owes contractors for some years now. In the 2011/12 financial year, contractors staged a go-slow over the failure of the government to meet its obligations.

    The latest figures, released in April, put the debt at Sh351.977 billion. The government announced in the same month that it would suspend the construction of new roads until the debt is cleared.

    In the same month, the Parliamentary Committee on Infrastructure warned the government that the heavy debts to contractors would compromise the financial position of the ministry and the government.

    Dr John Magufuli told reporters in June that the government had borrowed Sh330 billion from a Swiss bank to clear the debt.

    Development partners said they were surprised that, despite the huge sums, the government had allocated only Sh700 billion to Tanroads.

    This amount is not even in tandem with the National Strategy for Growth and Poverty Reduction, better known by its Kiswahili acronym, Mkukuta.

    Worse still, the government does not seem to have a strategy to fill the large financing gap. “This poses a very serious budgetary issue that goes beyond the realm of the sector policies,” Mr Ozeki said.

    Implementing the Transport Sector Investment Plan (TSIP) II required about three times of actual budgetary allocations and the Public Private Partnership (PPP) alone was unable to fill the gap.

    “These are serious issues that require urgent consideration and responses from the government,” Mr Ozeki said. “As things stand now, the financial year 2011/12 approved budget is not consistent with Mkukuta priorities and sector policies.”

    He now wants the government to adopt courageous policies such as increasing revenue collection from sectors with comparative advantages, such as mining and tourism.

    The matter could also be tabled before the General Budget Support Annual Review meeting for intensive discussion by the government and its development partners.

    Ozeki was optimistic that, by tackling enormous challenges in funding, prioritising and sequencing, the country could overcome the barriers and make progress in implementing the programmes at hand.

    Mr Ozeki, who is also an adviser to the Japan International Cooperation Agency, stressed the importance of continued talks between the government and development partners at ministerial, ambassadorial and technical levels.