Category Archives: East African Community News

Eac member states may be losing the lucrative tourism revenue to other African region due to several factors

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The position of East African region as the continent’s most attractive tourist destination has come under serious threats from other regional blocs taking advantage of the region’s lengthy business procedures, insecurity and poor infrastructure to boost their competitiveness edge.

The latest publication of the World Economic Forum {WEF] survey on global tourism and travel competitiveness is jointly written by experts and just released.

It shows that Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi are badly trailing emerging global tourism giants in sub-Saharan Africa as Seychelles, Mauritius, and South Africa.

In the sub-Saharan region, the three countries were ranked at the top followed by Cape Verde, Namibia, Gambia, and Botswana.

Kenya, the EAC’s top tourism investment destination come eighth. The WEF cited the insufficient property rights, protection, insecurity, lengthy and costly business procedures as well as dilapidated infrastructure as the main drawbacks.

In the sub-Saharan Africa ranking Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda took position nine 112 and 13 respectively while Burundi was ranked at 30.

At the global level, only Kenya made it to the top 100 countries of the 140 surveyed, coming in at position 96, Rwanda was ranked 105, Tanzania 109, Ugfanda 116, Burinbdi was two positions shy at the last position.

The EAC has been pushing to increase its share of the growing global tourism market. Last month, the EAC secretariat in Arusha reported that it had lined up several projects to increase tourism earnings from USD 7 billion to USD 16 billion annually by the year 2020 .

The planned investment is expected to cost the USD 3.95 billion by the year 2020 up from the current USD 1.65 billion.

The coordinator of the East Africa’s Tourism Platform, Wateri Matu was recently quoted as saying tha6 whereas the traditional tourism products based on the region’s natural resources will continue playing a crucial role in the industry, there is the need for innovations and creativity.

The region’s problems, he added, is the over reliance on traditional source markets. Europe and the US with little emphasis on Africa and in particular the EAC,” Matu said.

The WEF ranking came at a time when East Africa’s tourism sector is preparing for a bumpy ride in 2013, caused by a show down over fears of insecurity and Euro zone crisis.

In Kenya, the managing director of the Kenya Tourists Board Murithi Ndegwa was last week quoted widely by the local media as having said that the country’s recently investment in transport infrastructure such as the up-grading of the Kisumu Airport and the on-gong expansion of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport could boost the county’s competitiveness.

In what may be affecting the market is the Euro zone crisis because the most of the country’s visitors come from Europe. The other effect is the issue f the travel adversaries, adding that that now that the general elections in Kenya are over Kenya are over, the Tourist Board hopes the travel adversaries would be lifted.

The Kenya Tourist Board, Ndegwa disclosed, has been meeting with its counterparts in the EAC to plan joint marketing initiative and strategies. The project line up included the introduction of a single tourists’ visa classification of hotels, increased marketing expenditure and training of industry players in the hospitality industry.

“We also need to harmonize immigration management system and introduce some sophisticated equipment in collaboration with the relevant authorities in the five member countries, mainly for security reasons.

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KENYA’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS DISPUTE IS CLOSELY BEING MONITORED BY TANZANIAN AND OTHER REGIONAL LEADERS

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging from the multiple sources in the Tanzanian city of Dar Es Salaam are all indicating that the majority of Tanzanian citizens are closely watching the unfolding political events inside their northern neighboring state.

All the indications that leaders of the various political parties, the ruling CCM party and its ach-rival the CHADEMA are said to be keenly watching events in Kenya.

President Jakaya Kikwete is reported to be neutral and keeping his cards to his chest. He has yet to sent a personal congratulatory message to Kenya’s president – elect Uhuru Kenyatta. However, junior cadre of CCM leadership including member of parliament are said to be leaning towards the Jubilee side of Kenya’s political divide, while Chadema leadership is said to be sympathetic to the CORD alliance.

The CCM stand on the Kenya’s election dispute is said to have been prompted by unfounded rumor that CHADEMA has been covertly cultivating close working relation with the CORD ALLIANCE.

Chadema is reported to have donated several motor vehicles to the CORD alliance during the recently concluded electioneering campaign in Kenya. It has also been reported that President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is another regional leader who has yet to offer any comment about the election despite in Kenya. Rwanda is another important trade partner of Kenya. Lie the other land-locked countries, which depended entirely on the Kenyan port of Mombasa or their export and import.

From the neighboring Uganda the current presidential election results dispute between the h . . .

Uganda was embroiled in a mega financial scandal involved the reported theft of millions of dollars from donor nations meant for its development in the North. The money is said to have been siphoned with the Office of the Prime Minster in Kamala.

Although it has its own sea port of Dar Es Salaam, its northern parts of the country as well as western, especially towns and gold mines , which are allocated around the LAKE Victoria also depended on Kenya for supplies via Lake Victoria.

The mayhem that broke out following a similarly the disputed presidential election of Dec. 2007 had impacted negatively to the economies of both Tanzania and in particularly when the political goons in Nairobi uprooted the rail LINE LINKING THE Kenyan port of Mombasa and Uganda at a section in Kibera within Nairobi suburbs.

The incident sparked off the fuel shortage in Uganda and other land-locked nations in the hinterland and almost crippled that country’s economy.

These are some of the valid reasons why Tanzanians and Ugandans, particularly the big business people would not entertain seeing Kenya collapsing into a distasteful conditions.

A correspondent operating in the northern Tanzania town of Arusha described the recently concluded presidential election in Kenya a sham and not credible enough to convince the neighboring states that it was held in good faith.

However, we love Kenya and its people and as such would go with their wishes, said the TANZANIAN WRITER, ADDING THAT IT WAS TIME Kenya learn how to organize its elections and put only the most credible people to the task of overseeing the elections.This time around people tasked with the handling of the elections in Kenya were not sufficiently qualified for the task.

One Tananian politician commented that the time is ripe or those organizing elections in Kenya to put aside their monetary interest and make sure that such elections are helped in a better manner for the prosperity of the country and its future generation. Must be strictly devoid of corruptive deals.

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EAC plans is targetimg multibilion dollsrs tourist revenujre in the year 2020

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The East African community member states have lined up several projects to increase tourism earnings from the current USD 7.billion to USD16 billion annually.

Sources at the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC have quoted top officials as saying that the plan is aimed at doubling the number of tourists visiting the bloc from 5 million to 10 million annually.

The planned investments are expected to cost USD 3.95 billion by the year 2020 up from the present USD 1.65 billion.

THe envisaged projects include the introduction of a single tourist visa, a single passport, classification of hotels, increased marketing spend and training of personnel’s in the hospitality industry.

The EAC ministers responsible for tourism are expected to hold a meeting before the end of June, this year to discuss the establishment of the single tourism visa and hotel classification in the member states.

Frustration is growing among the business people over delays in pushing through key projects like opening up the regional airspace, rolling out a single passport and visa, the elimination of non-tariff barriers {NTBs}

They claim the delay in implementing the EAC Common Protocols are slowing the expansion of tourism, trade and business envisaged by the protocol.

EAC Principal Tourism Officer Shedrack Mashauri said the bloc plans to negotiate with the regional airlines like the Rwandair and the Kenya Airways to increase the connecting of flights across the region.

Nearly 60 per cent of tourists budgets goes into air tickets. This money could remain in the region, if we had well established local airlines with strong connection into local market,”said Mashauri,adding that such arrangements would also be made with the international airlines.

According to the plans, a tourist would apply and pay for a visa fee in any of the five member states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Brundi and South Sudan, and thus visa would be applicable for travels to all the countries in the region, thus necessitating a proper revenue sharing formula.

It is anticipated that issuance of a single of a single EAC visa and passport will not only ease the movement of people across the region, but significantly boost the regional drive to promote the bloc as a single tourist destination.

Plans are also underway to harmonize policies and have standard training and certification, particularly the tourist guides and hoteliers.

“We want tourists to stay longer in the region, hoteliers and tour guides will be required to be committed to exceeding tourists expectation with great customer service and highest degree of professional ethics,” said Mashauri.

The classification of the hotels is nearly six years overdue said to be due to financial constraints.But the executive secretary oif the Association of Tanzania tour operators ang guide has assured the stakeholders that the matter would be resolved soon.

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EAC defense ministers sign peace and security pact to combat terror groups

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community Defense ministers have signed a peace and security protocol that will see the five partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi warning on peace and security threats, genocide and transnational crimes.

The move came in the background of reported increase in the activities of the Alqaeda supported Al-Shabaab terrorist group said to be slowly extending their infiltration and activities into the hitherto peaceful stable United Republic of Tanzania.

Ugandan defense Minister Dr Crispus Kiyonga who is one of the signatories said by signing the agreement, partner states will cooperate on peace and security issues as well as collaborate with the international and regional security agencies.

“EAC member states will therefore be required to develop common measures program and strategies and enter into agreement for the effective implementation of the early warning mechanism ,”The Ugandan Minister added.

A recent report by the EAC head of Anti-Narcotic and human trafficking units indicated the drug dealers have penetrated the region transnational crime is the main challenge to peace and security in the region, a threat to one country is viewed as a threat to the whole region.

Article 24 also, of the EAC Treaty, states that a threat to one country is a threat to the whole of the region.

The objective of the protocol is to promote peace, security and stability within the region, and the good neighborliness.The protocol also states that partner states will manage and seek to resolve any conflict between two or more partner states,or within foreign countries, through peaceful means in consultation with the Security council of the African Union and the UN Security council any conflict

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Fishing business activities in lake Victoria has resumed in earnest after the dreadful water hyacinth weeds was blown off by current and strong winds

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town.

FISHING business activities has resumed in earnest after the current and strong winds swept away the water surface of Lake Victoria leaving it clean.

The stakeholders and those involved in fish mongering business as well as thousands of fishermen operating in the rake were on Wednesday this week seen preparing their boats and other fishing gear in readiness to re-deploy them on the lake.

The menace of the water hyacinth weeds did not only hampered the fishing activities, but also blockaded the water surface and even ships steamers and all vessels plying the region, especially those ferrying cargoes and shop-good between the eastern shore of Kisumu pier to neighboring countries like Uganda, Rwanda and Northern Tanzania had come to virtual the last seven months.

The worse hit areas were along the shorelines of the Nyanza Gulf {formerly Kivirondo Gulf covering Bondo, Rarieda, Seme, Kisumu, Nyando, Nyakach, Rachuonyo North and Homa-Bay.

The weed had blocked the lake water making the navigation of steamers and even fishing boats impossible. On two occasions, the government was urgently summoned to avail police helicopter to come to the rescue of fishermen whose boats were stranded in the lake for several days without food or water for drinks.

This happened near Soklo Island ,which is just located a few kilometers outside Homa-Bay town and in Karabondi area in Karachuonyo east.

The invasion of water hyacinth weeds in the last seven months had hampered the fishing activities and has sent the price of fish skyrocketing. Close to 50,000 fishermen are operating inside the Kenyan side of the second largest water mass, which is shared between Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.

A good number of fishermen had abandoned their trade and quit the trade in search of green pasture elsewhere. The fishing industry is the mainstay of the economy of the region, coming only second to sugar cane farming.

Experts say that there are close to 4000 fishing boats operating in Nyanza Province and the industry is supporting close to 3 million people, especially those living close to the shorelines of the lake.

The Kenyan fishing communities stretches from River Sio and Rwambwa areas Busia, Busia district and covered the widest area which included the two Nyakach, Nyando, Seme in Kisumu County , Raried and Asembo, Yimbo, Mageta Islands, Oyamo Island, in Uyoma peninsula in Siaya County and,,Gwassi, Mbita, Rachuonyo, Rangwe, in Homa-Bay County,and also small portion of Nyatie in Migori County.

Statistics recently made available by the fisheries department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment moderately indicated that Kenya is raking in Kshs 13 billion annually in foreign exchange as the results of its export of the highly prized Nile Perch filets to the Middle East, Japan, Israel, EU and the US.

Residents of Nyanza Provnce, however, have appealed to the government to find the lasting solution to the menace of water hyacinth weeds.

It could be either removed by mechanized means or manually by hired youths the same way the Ugandan government has done.

A recent report released by the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute revealed that the number of fishermen and fish landing sites in Nyanza Province has decreased and reduced drastically in a span of two years.

The report released in Kisumu two weeks ago indicated that fishing landing sites decreased from 324 in 2010 to 311 last year due to the menace caused by the water hyacinth on Lake Victoria.

It also send a warning signal about the dwindling stock of fish in the lake due to over-fishing, the use of illegal fishing methods

The problem is blamed squarely on lack of protection of fisheries resources and corruption by those assigned the duty of protecting it by the relevant Ministry.

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EAC community is working on single tourist passport and visa for people visiting the region

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community {EAC} secretariat based in the northern Tanzanian city at Arusha has singled out tourist visa and common passport as its top priority projects to be implemented this year as the bloc battles to reverse credibility crisis over failed projects.

The EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sozibera was last week quoted as saying that the EAC passport, the single tourist visa and liberalization of the airspace will boost free movement of people across the region, a promise that the bloc has fallen behind in achieving three years after signing the Common Market convention on people movement across the region.

“Frustration is growing among business executives from the member states over delays in pushing through key projects like opening up the region’s airspace, rolling out a single passport and visa and the elimination of the non-tariff tariff barriers {NTBs}, saying this was slowing trade and business envisaged by the protocol.

The implementation of the monetary union is among the 77 articles needed for the creation.

Observers, however, say the EAC technocrats will be judged by how they handle the integration process in 2013 after the delays experienced last year.

“While the five EAC partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi had in principle agreed to remove NtbS BY November 2012 in the absence of a legally binding framework, little action was taken. The latest report from the EAC secretariat shows that while 35 NTBs were reported as unresolved, ten new NTBs emerged in 2012 alone.” said Dr Sozibera.

A source at the Arusha based secretariat of the EAC said the bloc has set a deadline of between March and June 2013 for the commencement of printing the new EAC passport.

On the single tariff visa, the EAC Principal Tourist Officer Shedrqack Mshauri was recently quoted by the local media as saying the delay were being caused by lack of consensus over visa for collection and revenue sharing model among the EAX partner states.

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EAC: Food experts and analysts are meeting in Nairobi to deliberate on food security in East African region

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

FOOD experts and analysts drawn from Europe, Asia and the entire Eastern African region to deliberate on strategies that can be used to enhance food security in the region.

The Workshop organized and sponsored by the European Union and the East African Community {EAC} under the joint EU-Africa’s Strategies- will seek ways of strengthening the harmonization of the food hygiene management through training.

The four days workshop dubbed Regional workshop on harmonization of food security in Africa will take place between January 22-25.

The Arusha based secretariat of the EAC has stated that food safety can only be achieved through the application of reference framework and introduction of guidelines that will harmonize the management of food hygiene and enhance inter-regional trade and integration in Africa.

The delegates to the four days workshop will also deliberate on how to secure fertilizers with the AU Commission and other regional economic blocs such as the Comesa, Ecowas in order to demonstrate and apply the reference guidelines for harmonization food hygiene in Africa.

The EAC is currently in the process of implementing its food security action plan [2012 – 2015} and preparing to implement the regional SPS Protocols, which was recently approved the Community’s Council of Ministers and the EAC Summit.

The SPS measures will focus on plytosanitary measure and procedures for mammals, birds and bees.

Food security analysts in the region said last week that food security in Eastern Africa countries has improved as the number of people at risk of starvation declined by over one million.

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East Afraca: Confusion over multiple memberships of EAC countries into several African trading blocs

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

IMPORTS into the East African Community countries from two key African trade blocs will continue to enjoying zero tariff for one more year.

With effect from January 1, 2013 imports from the Common Market for East and Southern Africa {Comesa} and the Southern African Development Community [Sadc] will continue enjoying preferential treatment courtesy of the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004 which expired on December 30, 2012.

The chair person of the EAC Council of ministers Shem Bqrgeine recently moved to have the Bill amended as the EAC is yet to complete the negotiation of the Tripartite Free Trade Area [FTA] which would establish a market of 525 million people with an output of the USD One Trillion.

The TFTA is a grouping of 27 countries members of the Common Market for Eastern and southern Africa [Comesa}, and the Southern African Development Community [Sadc.

The Tripartite arrangement is expected to remove intra-regional trade distortions in the three regional groups of Customs, EAC and SADC.

Last month, EAC member states said the common external tariff will take effect in 2013.

The five member states signed a protocol establishing the EAC Customs Union and the Common External Trade [CET] in 2005.

The delay in establishing the CET and a single customs territory is hindering the free movement of goods, capital and people across member country borders, even though the common market protocol was officially launched in 2010.

However, the harmonization of trade deals between the EAC member countries remained complicated as long as countries belong to several different economic blocs.

BURUNDI FOR EXAMPLE IS A MEMBER OF Comesa, FTA, EAC the Comesa Free Trade Area {FTA}, the EAC and the Economic Community of Central African States {ECCAS], Kenya is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA, EAC and IGAD, Rwanda is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA, EAC and ECCAs,Tanzania is a member of SADC AND eac WHILE Uganda is a member of Comesa,Comesa FTA,EAC and IGAD.

This means that partner states apply different external tariff because of their membership in the different trade blocs.

According to the provisions of the EAC Customs management Act 2004, goods imported by the EAC partner states under Comesa and Sadc attract preferential tariff treatment as proscribed in each of the member states legislation.

For example, Burundi, Kenya and Rwanda charge tariff on all imports from SADC member countries, because they do not have a trade arrangement with the bloc. However, all SADC countries that are members of the Comesa are accorded preferential tariff treatment under the Comesa and EAc arrangement.

The issue of multiple membership is pushing up operational costs for business in East Africa. It is understood that the region’s business community is paying heavily, and losing money as a result of multiple membership because in some countries within the EAC when they ought to pay less in trade tariff, they are forced to pay more.

For instance, while Tanzania is trading with SADC using the rules of origins, goods imported from Sadc into Kenya, Rwandfa, Burundi and Uganda have to be charged according to EAC member countries, apart from Tanzania are 4xempted from an external tariff.

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LAKE VICTORIA BASIN COMMISSION TO ENSURE LAKE SAFETY .

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Fishermen on a fishing expedition in Lake Victoria’s Kenyan side.


By Dickens Wasonga.

According to maritime experts, an estimated 5000 people drown in Lake Victoria annually as risks of navigating through the lake waters persists. These are people who perish in the lake while either using it for transport or on fishing expedition.

Addressing journalists from Kisumu during a special media briefing organized by the Lake Victoria Basin Commission last week in Kakamega town to give a report on achievements by the commission since 2006 , the LVBC Executive Secretary Dr. Canisius Kanangire said the trend was worrying EAC member countries and revealed that efforts to reverse it were already being enhanced.

The LVBC boss said bad weather, unstable boats, over loading, lack of safety gadgets and poor seamanship amongst others are some of the reasons being attributed by maritime authorities as being behind the increasing cases of accidents within the world’s second largest fresh water lake.

However all is not lost . Lake Victoria Basin Commission which was established 6 years ago by the EAC member’s states to promote and facilitate sustainable utilization of the natural resources within the basin has embarked on the implementation of an ambitious four year strategic plan which amongst other measures will address safety of the lake.

Already the East African Legislative Assembly that draws its membership from the five EAC partner states has enacted Lake Victoria Transport Act which will soon be fully operational zed to help in regulating navigation and shipping laws to be jointly applied by the member states in order to improve safety within lake Victoria.

Amongst a raft of measures, the commission’s four year strategic plan also seeks to establish 16 search and rescue stations around the lake. Out of the 16 stations, 3 will be on the Kenyan side, 8 in Tanzania and 5 in Uganda. The allocation , according to LVBC was pegged on the size of the lake each member country occupies.

The stations will also serve as training centers where people can learn about maritime safety among them the fishermen many of whom have perished in the lake waters in the past. The commission is also in the process of putting in place a maritime telecommunication network which is set to cover the lake surface as well as the entire shoreline.

Towards this end an emergency number 110, which can be used for search and rescue services in Lake Victoria by anyone in distress has also been adopted for use by the national regulatory authorities of each of the EAC states.

According to the LVBC Maritime Communication and Safety on Lake Victoria project coordinator Eng. Vincent Hagono, a pilot emergency response control and positioning center has already been launched and tested in Kampala Uganda in the network that will cover over 80 per cent of the fishing areas of the lake.

Eng. Hagono said phase one of the project that seeks to ensure safety in the lake started three years ago at a cost of 20 million US dollars while its second phase will require additional 10 million US dollars to complete.

LVBC , headquartered in Kisumu Kenya is facilitating and promoting the implementation of a number of key community driven projects executed by various state actors in each member state amongst them, water supply and sanitation projects, protection of water catchment areas, income generating activities which in the end should aid it in its vision of having a prosperous population living in a healthy and a sustainably managed environment .

Currently the commission which receives 90% of its funding from the World Bank is headed by Dr. Canisius Kanangire of Rwanda as its Executive Secretary and has a staff of 60 people drawn from across the EAC partners’ states. It plans to build a state of the art offices in Kisumu where the host country Kenya has donated 2.5 hectares piece of land for the project.

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THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HAS ADMITTED SOUTH SUDAN AS ITS SIXTH MEMBER AS PRESIDENT MUSEVENI BECOME THE NEW OF COMMUNITY NEW CHAIRMAN FOR 2013.

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From: Arrum Tidi
News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo.

PRESIDENT Yoweri Kaguta of Uganda is the newest chairman of the East African Community {EAC} for the next one year.

Museveni takes over from President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya who had been heading the regional economic bloc for the last one year.

Kibaki handed over the chairmanship to his Ugandan counter-part during the 14 extraordinary summits of the Heads of State of the East African Community which was held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi last Friday. The meeting which was attended by the Presidents of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi took place at the Kenyatta International Conference {KICC}, Nairobi.

The change over is in accordance with the article 12 of the East African Community Treaty that stipulates that the tenure of the EAC chairperson of the summit be held for one year on rotation among the partner states.

President Kibaki took over the chairmanship from President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi in November last year.

Among the far-reaching issues tackled by the Heads of States of the EAC last weekend was the deliberation and acceptance of the South Sudan, which has been pushing hard to join the enlarged regional bloc.

The election of President Museveni was in accordance with the Article 12 of the EAC Treaty, that stipulates that the chairperson of the EAC be held for one year among the five partner states on rotation. President Kibaki took over from President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burindi in November last year.

Among the far-reaching decision arrived at the last weekend summit in Nairobi include the acceptance of the South Sudan membership of the East African Community. The application by the Juba regime went a notch high when the heads of state and governments of the East African Community approved verification for the Juba regime to join the fast growing regional economic bloc. There has been persistent by South Sudan to join the now enlarged regional economic bloc.

The last week’s approval of the South Sudan membership to the EAC, now bring the number of countries partner states to a total six. They included Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rawanda and Burundi.

The presidents in attendance were Kibaki {Kenya}Yoweri Museveni {Uganda},Jakaya Kikwete {Tanzania} Paul Kagame {Rwanda} and Pierre Nkrunziza of Burundi.

Earlier fears had persisted about South Sudan security and personal safety of the nationals of its immediate neighbors Kenyan Uganda following reports that several Kenyan businessmen and professionals operating in its capital of juba have died mysteriously in the hands if those suspected to be members of South Sudan poorly trained security personnel. The county is still said to have yet to organize its judiciary system and proper police authorities to ensure that justice is done to the families most of those Kenyans and Ugandan who have lost their lives while working and living in South Sudan.

The summit resolved that the East African Community Council of Ministers should start negotiations at the verification work.

The Ministers were also told that they should explore this for the EAC to work constructively with the Somalia, A communique issued on behalf of the Summit by the EAC Secretary General Dr Richard Sozibera said in part. get in touch with Somalia,a country which is urgently still entangled in the chains of political turmoil to verify its application for consideration by the EAC for its membership.

of the Heads of States, which held at the plenary hall at the Kenyatta International Conferee center {KICC} in Nairobi on 28-29

The EAC summit also expressed its support or Burundi’s membership of the British Commonwealth and also supported Rwanda admission to the U Security Council.

The summit also supported regional efforts being undertaken under the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region under the chairmanship of President Museveni to ensure peace in the DRC Congo’s northern Kivu region.

President Museveni who chaired the Great Lakes Conference blamed ideological disorientation. support private sector, poor infrastructure and discovery of oil and gas and other minerals would ensure development in less than 50 years.

Museveni said there is enough market for goods produced in EAC countries and the improved infrastructure.

He promised that he would continue to fight myopic by parasitic and civil servants.

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THE CHANCES OF KENYA JOINING THE LEAGUES OF THE AFRICAN OIL PRODUCING NATIONS IS BOOSTED BY THE DISCOVERY OF THE SECOND OIL WELL BY THE TULLOW OIL PLC.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Kenya, an African nation whose economic mainstay has for many year depended largely on agriculture with no sign of mineral resources is now edged close to joining the league of the oil producing nations following the latest announcement made by the Tullow, the British oil exploration company that it has made more discovery of substantial oil deposits at a second well in the Northern part of the country.

Long regarded by the big explorers, as frontier market, the second discovery by Tullow is now expected to generate ever greater interest in oil exploration in the country-even as companies are expected to start drilling early next year.

Tullow said in a statement that the discovery was made following successful drilling of the new well to the intended depth of 3,250 meters.

According to the announcement the well also holds potential for more oil that will be established once the planned testing to determine the exact amounts of oil in the well is complete. The tests are scheduled to take place in the next two months.

The British oil firm announced that the Twiga South-1 exploration well has encountered 30 meters of neat oil pay with further potential to be assessed on test. A series of flow tests will now be conducted on the well over the 4-8 weeks’” read Tullow’s statement in part.

While making the announcement, the company also said that it will be going back to its first well,Ngamia-1 located on Block 10818 in Turkana County where it made its first discovery in March this year, f to carry out tests in order to establish the quantities of deposits at the well.

Drilling at the Ngamia-1 well was suspended mid this year following what the oil exploration firm Tullow PLC termed as an encounter with an unexpected rock, structure that prevented further drilling at the well.

At the time of the suspension, Tullow announced that it had encountered 143 meters of net oil pay at the well with data indicating that the well could be holding more potential should it b dug to the full depth.

So far Tullow Oil Plc has drilled three wells in Kenya including the Paipai well located on Block 10A whose results are expected by the end of the year. Of the three, two have ended up in discovery.

Since the March announcement that Kenya had struck oil, the country’s oil exploration space have generated interest from leading international oil exploration firms with the data from the Ministry of Energy showing that all the 47 blocks have already been licensed to the various exploration companies.

The demand for licenses to explore in the local oil blocks has also been accelerated by the announcement of a discovery of natural gas in Block 1.8 in Lamu Basin by Apache Corporation which operates the block jointly with Origin Energy Pan-continental Oil and Gas and Tullow Kenya B.V.

However, in just 24 hours after making the announcement, Apache Corp came under the spotlight following what the Energy Ministry termed as malpractice in making its discovery public by the failure to adequately brief the government of the natural gas find before making the announcement.

The announcement by Tullow earlier this week now placed Kenya closer to becoming an oil producing nation which is hoped to provide great relief to the strained current a count and ease fuel-based inflation that has thrived as a result of a huge oil import bill.

Meanwhile newspaper reports emerging from the Ugandan capital, Kampala say the future of Tullow Oil Plc in Uganda still hangs in the balance, as the Irish Oil prospecting firm is reported widely to be temporarily frustrated by the lack of progress on arriving at “a final investment decision” about whether to build an oil pipeline or a refinery.

As senior company official was last week quoted by the newspaper as saying “ Our program for appraisals is complete and the development mean we either pump crude oil or refine it, so there is currently not much work in the field.”

Despite the company’s overall spokesman George Casenove stating in an e-mail response that “Tullow is not planning to exit Uganda and has stated repeatedly that it is committed to Uganda for the longer term,” several well placed sources in the oil industry say the lack of movement on the issue is causing the company to internally consider its exit options, reported the influential Nairobi based weekly publication, the EASTAFRICAN.

‘This is informed by the protracted nature of the disagreement between the oil companies and the government of Uganda on whether crude of refined products are the best way to commercialise oil production in Uganda”, the paper adds.

“Unlike the two other oil companies in Uganda-France’s total and China’s CNOOC, both giants – Tullow does not have the financial resources to play out a prolonged waiting game. According to its interim management statement released on November 14, Tullow says together with its partners, it has presented ‘a joint development plan” to President Museveni. This plan was presented in July, almost four months ago. This plan emphasizes a crude-pipeline option while the Ugandan government prefers a medium sized refinery to begin with..

Consequently, no tangible agreement has been reached ‘We can’t agree on anything,” a senior official of Tullow Oil who requested for his anonymity said.

Other sources the Ugandan capital is a buzz with the word that the industry players have put together a rebuttal of the official document that the Uganda government is relying on in pursuing its refinery option.

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South Sudan bid to join the regional trading bloc is to be deliberated upon in Nairobi by regional leaders late this month

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The Africa’s newest independence state of South Sudan’s bid to join the regional trading bloc will feature prominently at this year’s final East African Community Council of Minister meeting that kicks off in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi from November 19 – to 24.

The decision the Council of Ministers make will then be presented to the Heads of State Summit slated for November 28 in the same venue.

During the last extraordinary summit held in Tanzania in April, the heads of state directed the Council of Ministers to come up with a verification report by November regarding South Sudan request to join the regional bloc.

The presidents had expressed concern about the then conflict between the newly independent South Sudan and its former rule from the north, the Sudan, and urged leaders of the two countries to return to the negotiating table for a peaceful resolution.

According to an article, which is appearing in the current issue of the influential weekly, the EASTAFRICAN, Tanzania is expected to give its final decision on the admissibility of South Sudan to the EAC following its request in the last Council of Ministers held in Bujumbura in August, that it needed more time for consultation.

Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Kenya gave their consent based on the EAC Verification Committee Report presented to them earlier.

Among the issues that guided their decision are that south Sudan had established mechanisms for ratifications, the and access to international treaties, the country had acceded to UN and AU charters, it had also has been admitted to several regional and international organizations such as IGAD, Nile Basin Initiative and UNESCO.

The heads of states will also be required to make a decision on the jurisdiction 0f the E.A Court of Justice to cover, among others crimes against humanity.

The E.AC J’s extension of jurisdiction came up following pressure piled on Kenya early in the year not to allow four of its citizens facing charges for crimes against humanity to be tried before the International Criminal Court at The Hague.

The heads of states then ordered that the treaty establishing the E.A.J be amended an d that EAC Council of Ministers considers the matter and present the report at the Summit.

They will also be required to make a final ruling on proposals to setup a single customs territory in the region, a common external tariff structure and rules at origin in the community.

Also other related reports originating from the EAC secretariat in Arusha says that Tanzania face regional protest over its proposal to amend the East African Community Treaty. The member state is seeking to overhaul the regional body’s lawmaking process.

The Tanzanian government has been pushing to broaden the role of the EAC Council of Ministers as representatives of partner states in the Community’s legislative process.It also wants the provision that empowers the Council to initiate and submit Bills to the East African Legislative Assembly {EALA] amended.

Tanzania wants the Council to be allowed to approve Bills together with EALA. The proposed amendments first moved in January, have sharply divided an EAC member state which further complicates the region’s integration process.

The Tanzanian government also wants the Council a role created in the regional law-making process for national parliaments. This change would see a Bill introduced to EALA also sent clerks to the national assemblies of partner states for deliberations. The national assemblies shall within a period of three months provide their comments through the clerk, who will then table them before EALA and the Council of Ministers for consideration.

Sources in Arusha say Tanzania’s contentious proposal have divided the partner states into three groups; Rwanda and Burundi are against the proposal, Uganda is partly in support of the move, while Kenya has been silent on the matter.

Rwanda’s Minister for EAC Affairs Monica Mukuruliza said her country does not support Tanzania’s proposals.He Tanzanian counter-part Samuel Sitta defended the proposal, arguing that they would provide for a more workable mechanism where the process of initialing private members Bill becomes more consultative.

”Our idea is not to trim the powers of EALA as is widely misunderstood, but rather to make the process of initialing Bills more consultative would, which would minimize the number of Bills not being assented by E.A.C heads of states,’’ said Minister Sitta.

Critics say Tanzania proposal could cripple the separation of powers among EAC organs. ”The proposals, if passed, would defeat the very proposals of having, EALA as a regional lawmaking body as it would basically become a rubber stamp for the Council’s decisions.” The bid as a direct assault on EALA’s only arena of original and exclusive jurisdiction.

The proposed amendments have prompted EALA to pass a resolution asking EAC member states to reject Tanzania’s proposals. Such a move would fetter the independence of the assembly and in effect sends a negative signal to the community,”said EALA to pass from Rwanda Patricia Hajabakiga.

Ganda said national assemblies should not be involved in the EAC legislative e process.

Ends

TO DEMONSTRATE ITS TOTAL COMMITMENT TO THE REGIONAL COOPERATION TANZANIA HAS ESTABLISHED THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY DESKS IN ALL KEY GOVERNMENT OFFICES.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

In order to demonstrate its total commitment to the regional economic cooperation, the Tanzania government has established an East African Community desk in all its 142 outlaying administrative districts across the country to inform its citizens on the existing opportunities in the regional bloc.

According to information emerging from Arusha based secretariat of the EAC, the desks will be manned by state officers an will have sufficient information about trade and investment, policies, immigration, taxation and regulatory frameworks I each of the five member country.

The Tanzanian Minister or the East African Community Affairs Samuel Sitta, the decision the decision was taken after the government learnt that the majority of citizens know very little about the bloc.

‘Each local council will have an EAC desk manned by competent people with crucial information on new developments in the regional bloc,” Minister Sitta said when this when met with member of the East African Business Community and local leaders at Halili border town last week.

The Minister said the campaign would be implemented by the government in collaboration with Trade Mark East Africa [TMEA} a non-profit making organization.

He explained that each desk officer will have a lap-top with all the necessary information that will meet the demand of opportunity seekers and queries by member of the public on various aspects of EAC integration including education and banks.

“The desks will also have newsletters, brochures and other documents with vital information about the operations and functions of the EAC,’ he said.

Lack of information on available business opportunity in the region has seen farmers incur loses on gains, which could have been sold in countries experiencing food deficit.

‘Farmers in the Southern Highland regions of Mbeya, Iringa, Njombe, Ruvuma and Rukwa often produce surplus food that could be sold to the EAC member countries, some o which are experiencing perennial acute shortage of food gains,” said the Minister.

He added, ” Very few Tanzanians know about the EAC and its potential for doing business’, lamented Allan Nswila at a consultant at a forum organized recently in Arusha by the business community.

It was noted that cross border traders consult the East African Business Council on opportunity in the region.

Sitta met with Kenyan counterpart Musa Sirma in Taveta Town which stands on the bored to Kenya and Tanzania to address the traders on trade barriers between the two the countries.

The Tanzanian Minister and his Kenyan colleague also discussed how to implement the Common Market Protocol and fast track the movement of goods,

ends

KENYA & RWANDA: ASANTENI AND WELL DONE FOR HONOURING OUR HEROES & HEROINES IN STYLE

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From: AKR|Association of Kenyans Living in Rwanda

Proudly Kenyan,

Accept our most sincere appreciation for turning up and honouring our heroes and heroines on Saturday 20th Oct 2012, in style. It was a great family day out and I believe we all had wonderful fellowship together. Thank you all for contacting the event in the most sober and befitting manner. For those who missed out for one reason or the other, we had a great time as Kenyans living in Rwanda. We were honoured to host our High Commissioner, The South African Ambassador, The Somali Ambassador, KDF commanders in the country for a joint EAC security exercise !!, UNICEF Country Representative and a host of other high ranking officials from the Kenya Government and friends of Kenya. Special thanks goes to our Patron for the facilitation.

Many thanks to our sponsors MKU, Equity Bank, KWAL, EABL, Serena Hotels, Country Inn, Kenya Airways, K Club and Royal Carwash for making the day a big success. Eugene Anagwe and DJ Nano, you did great work keeping us on our feet with the most reverberating of Kenyan music. You reminded us of who we are and how far we have travelled away from home, further cementing our relationships.

To everybody who contributed to the Agaciro Fund, accept our utmost appreciation for the support. The kitty is still open until end of this month.

KDF carried the day as a living testimony of sacrifice above all for the good of your country and fellow countryman and women. We do look forward to other exciting activities in the days ahead.

God Bless you all. God Bless KENYA.

Carol,
for the AKR Executive committee

THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HAS PROPOSES NEW SYSTEM OF FUNDING MODEL FOR ITS ACTIVITIES AMID GROWING BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community {EAC] has proposed a new funding model for its activities in the member states amid growing budgetary constraints.

Presently, partner states make equal contributions to the regional bloc, but the new system proposes that such money be based on percentage of either a country’s GDP or revenue collection.

The judicial and legal sectoral committee sitting in Bujumbura last week with the aim of amending the EAC Treaty proposed the changes.

If amended bigger economies like Kenya with close to USD 30 billion GDP will contribute much more than smaller ones like Burundi at USD2.33 billion

Benard Mulengani, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly said the amendments will boost the resources available to the regional bloc,that is largest dependant on donor funds.

Mulangeni said partner states can contribute up to 10 per cent of their total budget to the EAC as determined by the Council of Ministers, compared with the present practice where countries give less than 3 per cent.

The member said this had forced the bloc to rely on donors for up to 72 per cent of the USD 138 million EAC budget.

However Safina Tsungu Kweke, a former general propose committee chairperson at EALA said most donor funds don’t benefit the region. He added the money was gong to workshops, travel and consultations while infrastructure projects remained stuck at the feasibility study stage.

The department of infrastructure has the disease of getting large amounts of money which doesn’t seem to do any work,”She said. Infrastructure and energy projects of the EAC have been on paper for the past 10 years.

Critics say money that goes into workshops and studies revert back to the donors since they employ their own experts.

According to EALA members of the general purpose committee, the Lake Victoria basin Commission LVBC} is another great beneficiary of unbalanced funding.

The LVBC had been criticized especially in Uganda for putting up projects that don’t create any real impact on the lies of the people in the region. LVBC has a total budget of USD 40 million in the current financial year- the second biggest appropriation after that of the EAC secretariat.

Veronic Bathirye a member of Uganda parliament’s committee on East African Affairs pointed out the Mt Elgon regional ecosystem conservation programme that has been running since 2006, as among those that had not made any real impact in peoples lives.

The Mayuge water project also funded in Uganda by LVBC is also among hose leaders in Uganda including those officials at the Ministry of East African Affairs who believes is ineffective. Money from donors for the LVBC cannot be reallocated to projects leaders consider as more worthwhile.

Several EALA representatives said full funding of the community by partner states would weed out some of these irregularities.

But the proposal to have contributions based o the GDP or revenue collection has its problems like creating inequality among member states, critics warns.

Prof Fredrick Sempabwa, a constitutional law expert in Kampala said the EAC is an equality based arrangement and countries contributing higher quotas would cause them to feel as though they had bigger stake in the community.

Ends

Tanzania-Mlawi talks over the disputed oil and gas exploration in the disputed Lake Malawi collapsed

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Information emerging from Dar Es-Salaam says that the dispute between Tanzania and Malawi over Lake Nyasa has ended in deadlock with both sides strongly recommending for mediation or the involvement of the International Court of Justice {ICJ} to resolve the statement.

The recommendation was made after week long talks between the to countries held in Malawi’s northern city of Mzuzu ended last Saturday with the two sides making little progress.

This was disclosed to the media by foreign ministers from the two sides in Lilongwe, the Malawian administrative and political capital.

Malawi Foreign Minister Epharaim Mganda Chiume said that during the talks the two sides made little progress in resolving the contentious issue hence the recommendations.

The Malawian Minister, however, said the two sides had agreed to meet again in next month {Sept 2013} in the Tanzanian capital, Dar Es Salaam to carry on with further discussions on the matter before considering the involvement of either a third party or ICJ.

The Minister was quoted a having said, ”We felt that there were still other options of diplomacy we could explore including involvement of third party. We have recommended that officials from the two countries should look into the matter again in Dar-Es Salaam.”

He went on , ‘And we also recommended that before the September meeting our Attorney Generals {AGs} should take time to interpret Article 1{2}[vi of the 1890 Anglo-Germany Treaty so that when we meet again next month we should all have legal understanding of the article.”

Chiume said the border dispute between the two neighboring African nations had been there for too long and that it was high time that it was resolved amicably, adding that failure to do so would impact negatively of the two countries.

On the other hand Mr Chiume’s Tanzanian counter-part Bernard Membe said the dispute indeed required further talks with the two sides maintaining their calms and diplomacy.

“We have agreed that the dispute we have requires a negotiated settlement through diplomacy,” said Membe.

Two weeks ago the Tanzanian government issued an order that there be no more flight across the disputed lake by aircraft from Malawi carrying out aerial survey and exploration for oil and gas over the lake until the dispute is resolved. Malawi obeyed and called for a top level meeting between the two Both people, however, have been urged to refrain fro making any provocative remarks which may create during the discussions his side had urged there should be no further exploration on Lake Nyasa {Lake Malawi] ,especially in the disputed part which is the northeastern part of the lake, to give room to the ongoing discussions.

The border dispute between Tanzania an Malawi begun recently when Malawi engaged a British firm Surestream to explore Lake Malawi for oil and gas deposit. The lake border Malawi and Tanzania.

The latter claims that part of the lake on that side belongs to the former Germany colony, while Malawi’s colony believes it owns the whole lake, based on the Heligoland. Treaty between Britain, Malawi’s colonial masters, which stipulated that the borders between the two countries were on the eastern shores of Lake Malawi.

Amid fears among the people of the two countries that there would be war over the lake, presidents of the two countries, Malawi’s Joyce Banda and Tanzania’s counterpart, Jakaya Kikwete, have been quoted in both local and international media to have said ‘the two countries would ever go to war, no matter what.”

The two presidents met recently in Maputo in Mozambique where on the sidelines of SADC Summit for Heads of State, they discussed the matter amicably and arrived at fruitful results,” according to President Banda. Tanzania claims the border runs along the middle of Lake Malawi, especially the disputed part which is the northeastern

Tanzania on its part claims the border runs along the middle of Lake Malawi, which is the home to over 500 species of fish and a major tourist attraction for Malawi.

When African states became independent, they agreed to maintain their colonial borders. Tanzania then Tanganyika was a German colony that Britain took over after World War One, British administration.then the placed all the lake’s waters under Malawi {the Nyasaland}.

At issue is largely undeveloped swath of Lake Malawi, where Lilongwe has awarded a license to British firm Surestream to explore for oil in northeastern waters near Tanzania.

Malawi has carefully watched Uganda’s developments around Lake Albert, where oil firms are pouring billions of dollars to exploit reserves estimated at 2.5 billion barrels.

Lake Malawi lies in the same Great Lakes system stretching along he African Rift, and Malawi is hoping for a similarly large payout-which would transform the fortunes of a country whose economy depends o small farmers and large foreign aid.

Ends

Paul Kagame is denounced by SADC leaders for his interference in DR Congo

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latest Report posted By Uganda Correspondent in its website

Forwarded By Leo Odera Omolo

Denounced by peers

Southern African leaders have denounced Rwanda for backing rebel groups in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying Rwandan “interference” in the eastern Congo has threatened regional peace and stability.

The 15 member states of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) decided to send a mission to Rwanda at its two-day annual summit, which concluded in the Mozambican capital Maputo on Saturday last week.

“…The summit noted with great concern that the security situation in the eastern part of DRC has deteriorated in the last three months causing displacement of people, loss of lives and property,” SADC Executive Secretary Tomaz Salomao said in the final communique of the summit.

“This is being perpetrated by rebel groups with the assistance of Rwanda,” Salomao stated, adding that the summit “urged the latter (Rwanda) to cease immediately its interference that constitutes a threat to peace and stability not only to the DRC but also to the SADC region.”

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has in the past denied any reports of his country’s involvement in the Congo conflict – never mind that a UN Pannel of Experts report pointed out strong evidence of Rwanda’s involvement.
ICC urged to prosecute Kagame

On Friday last week, rights groups called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Rwandan President Paul Kagame for alleged war crimes for supporting the Congolese rebels. Rwandan and Congolese groups congregated outside the court in The Hague with banners reading “Kagame Assassin” and “Freedom for Congo”.

Florence Olara, spokeswoman for Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s office, acknowledged receipt of the request, saying “…we will analyse the information received as we do with all communications to the Prosecutor.”
She however added that, “…we receive hundreds of such communications every year from all types of sources relating to the situations we investigate as well as others and we treat all of them equally.”
ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is already investigating members of the

‘March 23rd Movement’ or (M23) who are active in eastern Congo and alleged to have strong ties with the Rwandan government.
The M23 rebels defected from the Congolese army in April in protest over alleged mistreatment in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC). They had previously been integrated into the Congolese army under a peace deal signed in 2009.

The mutiny is being led by General Bosco Ntaganda, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on a charge of recruiting child soldiers.
Since early May, over 220,000 civilians have fled their homes in the eastern Congo. Most of them have resettled inside Congo, but tens of thousands have crossed into neighboring Rwanda and Uganda.

END.

Tanzania to launch exploration of oil in Lake Tanganyika

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TANZANIA TO START OIL AND GAS EXPLORATION IN LAKE TANGANYIKA AND ALSO TO BUILD A MULTIMILLION DOLLARS BUSINESS CENTER AROUND KILIMANJARO AIRPORT

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

Information emerging out of Dr Es Salaam says Tanzania now envisages three multimillion dollars ambitious development program which include the launching of oil exploration in Lake Tanganyika.

Dar seeks to join other East African Community partners nations like Kenya and Uganda, which of late have join the ranks of oil producing African nations.

Tanzania also plans to construct a city around its Kilimanjaro International Airport {KIA} to tap into tourism and business opportunities.

The government, says the report, has secured at least USD300 million to develop a state of the art commercial hub at Dar Es Salaam Port.

It has revealed that an Australian firm Beach Energy Limited has commenced 2D seismic acquisition over its Lake Tanganyika South concession in Tanzania.

The acquisition is being undertaken by Fugro Oceanseismica, and is expected to take approximately two months to acquire and seven months to process and interpret.

“Currently Beach Petroleum [Tanzania limited} has spent approximately USD 11million on its exploration efforts in Tanzania and by the end of 2012 it will be close to USD 18 million,” says Danny Burns, the company’s manager international and new ventures.

The ferry MV Mwongozo was upgraded into a seismic acquisition vessel with the necessary equipment with the on board to check the quality of the 2D seismic data after it is acquired.
Beach Energy through its contractor Fugro Oceansismica Oceansis mica SPA, has a lease agreemen with the owners of the ferry, MSCI, and has already spent more than USD one million refurbishing the vessel.

Burns was also quoted in the local media a saying that Lake Tanganyika is frontier oil and gas exploration area where little data had been collected before Beach Energy commenced exploring in 2010.

It has also been reported that Tanzania has secured at least UYSD 300 million {Tshs471.6 billion} to develop a sate of the art commercial hub at Dar E Salaam port.

The project is funded by Mara Group, a 15 year old Pan-African multi-sector business conglomerate with operations covering Information Technology, Business Process Outsourcing real estate development asset management infrastructure hospitality packaging and media. The group has a presence in 18 African countries and employs more than 4,000 people in its establishment.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Mara Group Mr Ashish Thakkar was quote last week as having said that the project will include the largest retail mall in East Africa, two internationally branded hotels, a modern convention center and a medical tourism hospital.\ The CEO said the facilities will include a modern business park, residential compound, police station and 500 residential units for the policemen.

The project consists of internationally branded hotels one five star and the other three star, and a huge convention centre,” he said adding that there will also be office blocks and service apartments.

According to the CEO Tanzania has a huge gap in the market for high quality integrated mixed use real estate developments?

The project located in Dar es Salaam will offer Tanzanians a modern environment to “live work and play”,and change the face of the City.

The contract for the construction project was signed by the Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs Mbarak Abduwakil, Inspector General of police Said Ally Mwema and the directors of Mara Group Thakkar and Prashant Manek in Oystrabay suburb.

On the envisaged plan to construct a city around its Kilimanjaro International Airport,Tanzania ants to tap into tourism and business opportunities.

Kilimanjaro Airport Development Company {KADCO} is developing a five-year master plan to transform KIA into a modern tourist and duty-free shopping city.

The chairman of the KADCO board of directors Hassan Kibelloh said experts from the company are working on the plan, which will be ready in a few weeks to create a city that can compete with UAE’s Dubai.

He added that apart from the 41-year old air terminal, the KIA area, which lies at the meeting point of the Northern Zone regions of Arusha, Kilimanjaro and Manyara, is a wide stretch of unoccupied land.

“The location is to become a ‘city” at the center of Moshi and Arusha, where prospective investors will establish massive shopping centers, high class tourist hotels, duty free ports,

Export Processing Zones, educational institutions, custom bounded warehouses, curio shops, golf courses and large game ranch,” he said.

“We are now inviting potential investors to establish major ventures in the locality, all roads and international air routes will be leading to Kia, said the board acting managing director Bakari Mrusuri I a recent interview

Ends

Kenya: One man is seriously hurt after the villagers engaged in fierce battles with the marauding lions

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ONE MAN IS GRAVELY ILL AFTER BEING MAULED BY THE LIONS – – WILDLIFE / HUMAN CONFLICT INTENSIFIES IN KEAYA’S JUNGLES REGIONS.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

One man is gravely ill and is being hospitalized following an attack by a group of three lions which had strayed I the Maasai village, killed a cow and killed goats and sheep.

The incident took place on Wednesday night at Loitokitok near the Kenya-Tanzania border. The man from the nomas Maasai tribesmen fought the lions, but one of the as mauled seriously and has since been admitted to the nearby Rombo hospital which is locate in he sloes of Mt Kilimanaro with serious bodily harm.

The incident occured only a week after another incident which took place at Kitengea in the outskirt of the capital, Nairobi, in which he Maasai Morans armed themselves with spea4rs and other crude weapons killed six lions including two cubs. The animals had attacked the villages and killed 20 goats and sheep. The villagers said they had reported the incident to the Kenya Wildlife SERVICES {kws},but the Organisation’s armed ranger took along time before coming to he villagers rescue.

The following day another group lions invaded the same area and killed thee cows, a donkey and ten sheep and goats. Services

{KWS} is the body that is tasked by he government in regulating and policing he wild life sanctuaries and game arks.

N the North Rift parts of the expansive Kenya’s Rift Valley Province a combine force of members of the public and Kenya Wildlife Services rangers {KWS} armed themselves with spears, arrows and boys plus other crude weapons have bee regrouping I groups comprising f 5 men to hunt down a group of leopards but failed to ace the big cats that have killed close to 40 goats and 20 sheep within the last one week.

The swamps area is located in Sigot Location in lelmokwo areas where the cats are believed to have

The leopards suspected to be six ii numbers are believed to be hiding and living in the last ten years.The are suspected to have strayed from the nearby Kapkiptui Hills in Ndalat where they have been spotted dug er last ten years, last week attacked several homes where they killed sheep and goats.

For sometime these cats roamed about the villages an looked harmless, and we had no cause and reason to worry abut,” said one villager.

Further more the residents are cautious not to take unnecessary alarm that could result in killing them.They only attack as from midnight and before dawn they retreat to their hideouts.”

Hundred of residents including he location chief Mr Nicolas Kosgei are now living in fear since the cats could end up attacking them unless the KWS intervenes a d dives them out f the villages.

Leopard and can inflict injuries twenty or or thirty at ago.once provoked. But always shy when it encounters human being. The are extraordinarily clever and intelligent as well as good fighter. It fights it enemy using the knife like laws.

Relatively smaller in size in comparison to the African lion, gown up leopard are weighing between 90 kg and 120 kg depending on the location of its natural habitat.

Ends

Kenya moves to reduce roadblocks and weighbridges to facilitate easy movement of goods to the landlocked neighboring countries

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

Kenya is set to drastically reduce the number of road blocks and weighbridges on its roads in the next five months as the county seeks to ease the movement of goods and services in the region, quelling growing of discontent in East African Community member counties over costly non-tariff barriers.

While reading this year’s budget in parliament, last week the Finance Minister Robinson Njeru Gidhae said the government will review relevant regulations and guidelines to ensure all weighbridges are relocated to ports of entry and roadblocks are either removed or reduced to bare minimum.

“Kenya and the EAC region can ill-afford the high costs associated with delays usually occasioned by weighbridges and roadblocks along the Northern Corridor, which serves our landlocked neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and DRC Congo,”said Minister Gidhae.

The Minister made these remarks while reading the country’s estimates and budget for the year 2012/2013 fiscal year.

While the five EAC partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi have agreed in principle to remove non-tariff barriers {NTBs} by December 2012, this will largely depend on the willingness of the different countries in the absence of legally biding framework.

“Frustration is growing among the landlocked countries like Rwanda, that re paying heavy price for the unnecessary delays caused by NTBS like weighbridges and port inefficiencies in Kenya, through which their goods must pass.”

Rwanda last month threatened to take its neighbors to court over the continued existence of NTBs in the EAC, which it says increases the cost of doing business for its industries, making them uncompetitive.

Kenya, the Finance Minister disclosed, is also aiming to cut cargo clearance times at it coastal port city of Mombasa to a maximum of three days from the current 7-14 days, and at the Jomo Kenyatta Intentional Airport to one day.

For good being moved by road, cargo clearance times should drop to just one hour from the present two days.

Kenya is also to finalize a trade promotion strategy whose implementation will expand and diversify exports with particular attention to high value primary products such as macadamia and cashew-nuts that have shown excellent prospects in the export market”, said the Minister.

He added, “we will continue with the collaborative infrastructure investment, and remove inefficient Customs procedures including complicated rules of origins and other non-tariff barriers in line with the existing EAC protocols,”

At the same time the Nairobi based weekly, the EASTAFRICANS, a publication of the Nation Media Groups quoted the Permanent Secretary to the East African Ministry David Nalo as saying that the removal or reduction of roadblocks, especially on the Northern Corridor from Mombasa to Kampala through the border post town of Busia will drastically reduce the cost and time of doing business in the region.

“The landlocked countries in the region stand to benefit most as the cost and time or doing business will reduce and consumers will have easy and cheaper access to goods and services”, said Nalo.

Ends