Day: September 17, 2023

East Africa Community (EAC) partner states have resolved to scale up efforts to conserve the Mara River ecosystem.

Speaking during the 12th Mara Day celebrations held at Mugumu Town in Tanzania, delegates from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania said the partnership was critical to save the river which is facing increased degradation.

Tanzania’s Assistant Minister for Water Mary Prisca Mahudi said increased human activity within the river catchment was the biggest threat to the ecosystem.

She pointed out unregulated agricultural practices, mining, cutting down of trees and charcoal burning as some of the issues leading to the pollution of the transboundary river.

The river, she said, was contributing immensely to the economies of Tanzania and Kenya, calling for enhanced collaboration to restore the ecosystem.

Mahudi said the government of Tanzania has put in place measures to protect the river, calling on all agencies involved in the exercise to collaborate with the Kenyan agencies to address the challenges facing the river ecosystem in the two countries.

Kenya’s State Department for East Africa Cooperation (EAC) Principal Secretary (PS) Abdi Dubat said Kenya was committed to the restoration of the Mara River ecosystem to ensure that the two countries continue to benefit from it.

Delegates arrive for the 12th Mara Day celebrations held in Mugumu Town, Tanzania

The ecosystem, he said, plays a significant role in supporting the livelihoods of millions of people in the two countries besides contributing immensely to the economy.

In a speech read on his behalf by EAC Deputy Director Julius Mwabu, the PS said the Kenyan government has put in place adequate policy and legal framework to protect and restore the Mara River Basin.

Key among them, he said, was the protection of the Mau forest, adding that the government was working with the community, state and non-state actors to plant trees within the Mau Complex.

This, he added, was in line with the presidential directive to plan 15 billion trees by the year 2032.

‘This is in line with the Kenyan Government’s Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) aimed at involving the common man in all developmental issues including mainstreaming environment conservation, climate change mitigation, reversing deforestation,’ he said.

He called for public-private partnerships to enhance sustainable management of the Mara River and the region’s biodiversity.

The PS further asked all agencies charged with the responsibility of protecting the river in Kenya and Tanzania to scale up their efforts to ensure that the ecosystem’s rich diversity is conserved.

Republic of Uganda Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Permanent Secretary (PS) Edith Mwanje called for collaboration between the EAC partner states to save the Mara River.

The approach taken by Kenya and Tanzania which signed a memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2012 to jointly conserve the river, she said was laudable calling on other member states to adapt the model and help conserve other transboundary water resources in the region.

‘We recognize that this cooperation is instrumental in our environmental management and biodiversity conservation goals which is a crucial aspect of our shared responsibility to protect our natural resources,’ she said.

The collaborations, she added, hold great significance in the collective pursuit for regional integration and sustainable development.

‘By coming together as sister EAC states, we not only promote people-to-people integration but also pave the way for attracting sustainable development,’ she said.

Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) Executive Secretary (ES) Dr. Masinde Bwire said the joint efforts by EAC partner states was set to take the conservation efforts for the key river to great heights.

‘Shared water resources like the Mara River do not recognize political borders and neither should our efforts to manage it sustainable,’ he said.

Cooperation between the states, he said, was critical to ensure the river’s resources are used wisely and equitably.

The Mara Day Celebrations and scientific conference is held annually in September on a rotational basis between Kenya and Tanzania.

The Mara River Basin forms one of the ten major rivers that drain into Lake Victoria.

The basin which covers 13,325 square kilometers is shared between Kenya and Tanzania.

More than 1.5 million wildebeests cross the river from Serengeti in the United Republic of Tanzania to the Maasai Mara in Kenya in September in search for greener grazing fields

Source: Kenya News Agency

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen launched the nationwide road Safety Campaign in Kericho County Saturday, in an effort to reduce road carnage

The campaign entails marking of roads and placement of signage on major roads and highways with the pilot phase targeting Kericho, Nakuru, Kiambu, Machakos and Nyeri counties.

The CS expressed concern that 5000 people die annually due to road accidents, explaining that 1500 people below the age of 35 die from motorcycle accidents, while 700 bodaboda passengers lose their lives yearly due to road accidents.

Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen accompanied by leaders from Kericho County inspecting the ongoing upgrading of Kerenga Airstrip ahead as part of preparations for the national Mashujaa celebrations in Kericho.

‘It is sad that 800 pedestrians hit by bodabodas die yearly on our roads. Most accidents occur due to negligence by road users to obey the traffic rules and road signage,’ added Murkomen.

The CS also launched the upgrading of bitumen standards of 10 kms of Kericho Town Roads, ahead of the Mashujaa celebrations to improve access to the Kericho stadium Green Stadium, where the national event will be held.

According to Murkomen, the roads that will have Non-Motorized Transport components such as walk ways and drainage systems will decongest Kericho town and also enhance access to essential amenities including the market and schools.

The CS who also inspected the ongoing upgrading of the Kerenga Airstrip that will cater for guests landing in Kericho Mashujaa celebrations, said the airstrip runway will be extended to two kilometers for maximum utilization.

Murkomen thanked the County government for agreeing to donate more land to facilitate expansion of the airstrip and construction of a modern passenger terminal.

‘My Ministry is implementing the National Aviation Policy, whose objective is to open up the nation’s airspace and attract more investment, thus creating jobs and growing the economy,’ he said.

Other leaders present included Kericho County Governor Dr. Eric Mutai, Senator Aaron Cheruiyot, Woman Representative Beatrice Kemei as well as MPs Benjamin Langat and Nelson Koech among other area leaders.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Nakuru and Baringo Counties will receive funding from the European Union to mitigate damages caused by Rift Valley lakes whose waters rose to unprecedented levels.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Engineer Festus Ng’eno announced that the funds that will be channeled through County Governments will initially be spent on short and medium interventions and later on long term interventions.

According to a detailed report compiled by a special team put together by the government to look into the effects of 17 lakes, the state requires Sh17.9 billion to mitigate the damages caused by the water bodies.

While announcing that Baringo will receive funding in the first phase which is expected to kick off by December, Engineer Ng’eno stated that loss and damage are the key components that the African delegation, Kenya included, will negotiate at the COP28 in the United Arab Emirates.

Though being a continent that least contributes to the impacts of climate change, the Principal Secretary observed that Africa instead has suffered the most from the impacts.

Speaking at the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) during celebrations to mark the international 2023 World Ozone Day, also known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, Engineer Ng’eno observed that addressing the climate crisis entails mitigation, adaptation, and addressing loss and damage.

In the wake of their swelling, the waters from the lakes destroyed social amenities including learning institutions, health facilities, markets, fish landing and processing facilities, once-thriving hotels, curio shops, resorts and lodges, electricity lines, water supply and sanitation units as well as road networks in several areas.

For the short-term interventions, the government urgently requires Sh2.9 billion to resettle displaced families, and to put in place measures to stop further loss of lives and damage to property.

The document that was prepared with the help of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) indicates that families occupying land in various parts of the country where the lakes are located were still at the highest risk.

The findings of the task force revealed that some of the lakes recorded as high as 187 per cent rise in water levels and covered some 110,000 hectares of land.

The Principal Secretary said that because of inaction by major polluters to mitigate their emissions decades ago, vulnerable countries ended up needing adaptation to help them adapt to climate change.

‘But because adaptation finance has proved so inadequate many poor countries remain vulnerable to climate impacts they have not caused and climate change is robbing them of their lives and livelihoods,’ he added.

Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry Engineer Festus Ng’eno joins members of the public, staff and students of Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) during celebrations to mark the international 2023 World Ozone Day, also known as the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. Engineer Ng’eno observed that addressing the climate crisis entails mitigation, adaptation, and addressing loss and damage. Photo by Dennis Rasto

According to the Principal Secretary, lobbying for the financing of loss and damage by developing countries is a step in the right direction given that there are many victims who require climate justice.

‘The issue of loss and damage is a valid case. If the government had money from such funding, it would have been made easier. Negotiating for finance on loss and damage is a good step by developing nations who are worst affected,’ Engineer Ng’eno explained.

He hailed the United Nations (UN) and Bilateral Agencies for their support in implementing the Montreal Protocol requirements in Kenya.

The Principal Secretary added, ‘The effective implementation of the Montreal Protocol requirements has ensured that Kenya is not only compliant with the Protocol but also leverages on partners support to enhance its climate action,’

He went on, ‘The Montreal Protocol, and its Kigali Amendment have raised awareness of the need to develop sustainable and efficient solutions in the refrigeration and air conditioning sector to meet future cooling demands including cold chain initiatives for food preservation. To this end, Kenya has developed and rolled out a National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) whose objective is to enhance access to sustainable cooling for all Kenyans,’

He affirmed that the Government will spare no effort in ensuring that the requirements of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer are fully implemented in Kenya.

This year’s theme is ‘Montreal Protocol: Fixing the Ozone Layer and Reducing Climate Change’.

The main purpose of commemorating World Ozone Day is to raise awareness on the need to preserve the ozone layer as a climate change mitigation measure by encouraging people to take actions that are both ozone and climate friendly.

Engineer Ng’eno stated that Kenya has phased out most of the Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), which include; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons (firefighting chemicals), methyl bromide in soil fumigation, among others.

‘In phasing out HCFCs in the refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) sector, Kenya has adopted ODS alternatives such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) and low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. However, HFCs are global warmers and many low global warming potential refrigerants have either flammable or toxic properties or operate at high pressure. HFCs are ozone friendly but have negative impacts on climate and are now controlled under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,’ indicated the Principal Secretary.

Representative from GIZ Proklima, Juliana Ruto said the Green Cooling Initiative III (GCI III) project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety was being implemented in Kenya.

Ruto added that had GIZ procured RAC tools and equipment have been distributed to some of the RAC training institutions.

‘The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry through the National Ozone Unit (NOU) in collaboration with GIZ Proklima, Customs Department of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Training Institutions with RAC courses and Private sector has trained over 200 customs officers and more than 1,000 Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Service Technicians, on control measures in ODS imports/exports and good practices during repair and maintenance of refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) equipment respectively,’ she pointed out.

Ms Ruto indicated that the RAC technicians have been trained on safe use of hydrocarbon refrigerants as alternatives to HCFCs and HFCs.

Source: Kenya News Agency

As the world commemorated the World Clean Up day 2023, environmental stakeholders have called on Kenyans to devise innovative ways of waste management amid increasing population.

The day is celebrated every 3rd Saturday of September annually.

Speaking in Nanyuki, Laikipia County Saturday where this year’s world cleanup day national celebrations were held, Environment, Climate change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya in a speech read on her behalf by the Ministry’s administrative Secretary John Elungata, lamented massive solid wastes across the country due to a corresponding increase in population, leading to environmental pollution.

Tuya said this year’s theme of the crucial day, Think Be4 You Trash It, resonated well with the importance of recycling waste targeting to save the ecosystem.

The theme emphasizes the need for saving the earth by reusing and recycling waste, which is a responsibility of public entities, county governments, private sector and individuals to ensure what is generated is collected and trashed in accordance with the environmental laws, she added.

The CS decried that dumping and burning of waste was common in low urban areas of Kenya, which provided an opportunity to develop income generating activities.

Tuya encouraged stakeholders to embrace integrated and sustainable waste management, aimed at protecting the environment and people.

The CS said that it was a duty of government and non-government players to ensure proper disposal of waste according to the existing environmental laws.

Tuya said that the outcome of the recent African climate summit 2023 declaration was for the African countries to develop and implement policies, regulations and incentives aimed at attracting regional, local and global investment green growth including a circular economy.

Laikipia county Executive for Water and Environment Leah Njeri said that World Clean Up day was an annual event that aimed at combating solid waste.

Njeri said that there were emerging environmental crises due to the increase of human activities that had led to environmental pollution, which called for urgent action to reverse the situation.

The county executive said that the country’s population continues to grow, which has led to an increase of consumption patterns, translating into high solid waste disposal, which posed a great threat to the ecosystem.

She said this year’s theme, ‘Think B4 You Trash it,’ was a call to action on sustainable waste management aimed at salvaging the ecosystem for the future generations.

Njeri said that the county had started mapping businesses that recycle waste to equip them with skills on how to turn waste into wealth.

She further pointed out that the county was financing such ventures from the county development fund kit, since recycling created employment opportunities for youth.

On his part, Laikipia East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Muli called on residents to partner with the government in bid to keep the environment clean.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Farmers in Marsabit County are prepared for the anticipated heavy rains with farm preparations in full gear, even as the county government plans for a 10-ton subsidy of crop seed.

The county, which has experienced prolonged drought expects to put an estimated 6,000 acres of land under crop cultivation this season.

The coordinator of the Agriculture Sector Development Support Programme II (ASDSP) Patrick Nthenge said that 3,000 acres were previously under food crop farming, adding that local communities who are predominantly pastoralists have been guided to diversify into crop farming.

Nthenge pointed out that heavy rains have been forecasted for the region and urged farmers to ensure that their parcels of land are prepared for planting before the start of the rains.

‘The county government has availed tractors to enable farmers to plough their farms at a reasonable fee,’ he noted, urging them to make use of the service for increased production.

He said that the government was sourcing for seeds to distribute to needy farmers in order to boost production and make the county food secure.

Nthenge who was speaking to KNA in Manyatta Afya area in Dakabaricha location of Saku constituency, when he assessed the readiness of farmers for the forecast El-Nino rains, said that there has been a challenge of shortage of fast maturing seed varieties, but which the county government had now managed to navigate.

‘There has been a shortage of the crop seeds suited for semi-arid areas like our county, but we have been able to source for our beneficiaries,’ he said, assuring the targeted farmers that they would be receiving their share in a week’s time.

The coordinator pointed out that much was being done to enable the local communities who have been hardest hit by negative effects of climate change to build resilience and that an assortment of crop seeds including maize, beans, green grams and cow peas would be distributed to the farmers.

However, the subsidy would not be adequate and able famers are encouraged to source for more seeds.

Nthenge further described the failure by local agro-vet shop operators to stock the required seeds as the major drawback to the endeavor and challenged them to reverse the trend.

He said that farm inputs were the biggest bottleneck to the redoubled effort by local farmers to maximize production and called on the operators to make farm inputs readily available.

A farmer at Manyatta Afya, Omar Moyo whom KNA found planting maize using a walking tractor said he was unable to get the maize seed varieties for the drylands from stockists in Marsabit town.

Moyo said farmers were forced to use uncertified seeds secured from their previous harvest because they do not want to be late in planting and asked the government to make the subsidized seeds available before the onset of the rains.

He expressed fear that the El-Nino rains may cause destruction like flooding, soil erosion and landslides and asked the relevant authorities to sensitize residents about the extraordinary rains.

Farmers decried the poor state of feeder roads in the area and urged the government to address the problem before the El-Nino rains expected next month.

‘We are also anxious that the forecast heavy and prolonged rain might lead to an upsurge of diseases like malaria and that is why we are asking the government to make preparations on how to deal with it,’ said Moyo.

He called on the government to make arrangements to help farmers in marketing their anticipated good harvest saying brokers have always been a challenge to them.

However, Nthenge assured the farmers that strategies were being put in place to ensure that farmers are shielded from pre- and post-harvest losses.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Fitch Solutions published the “Tunisia Logistics and Freight Transport Report,” which analyses the utilities infrastructure, transport systems, trade procedures and supply chain risks in Tunisia utilising the BMI Logistics Risk Index that compares levels of risk across 200+ markets worldwide.

According to the report, businesses in Tunisia largely benefit from the country’s easy road connectivity to vast areas in the country, as well as to its trading partners via air and sea transport.

Businesses in the manufacturing sector would incur higher operating costs as a result of the overreliance on imported refined petroleum.

Additionally, businesses are vulnerable to supply chain interruptions due to the poor condition of the infrastructure of the road and rail networks, and congestion at seaports, the same source added.

The country’s capacity to draw critical investment in transportation infrastructure has been weakened by continuous political and social unrest, with certain crucial projects experiencing delays.

“This has caused the quality of the country’s transportation system to gradually decline, aggravating supply chain inefficiencies for businesses operating there,” reads the report.

The report further turned on four sections: transport network, trade procedures and governance, uilities network market overview.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Undocumented sub-Saharan migrants were evicted from the “Ribat El Médina” square and surrounding areas of the Bab El-Jebli fountain, as part of a large-scale security campaign conducted over the past two days by the Interior Ministry units in Sfax.

These undocumented migrants had been gathering there for over two months.

Campaigns are underway to evict migrants from the Place du Jardin “La Mère et l’Enfant” in Bab El-Jebli, where there is “an anarchic presence of migrants, particularly from the Sudanese community,”

Sfax delegate Khalil Akrouti told TAP.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Tunisia undertakes to foster its economic relations by reforming its social security system, reads the 2022 Annual Digest of Social Protection Reforms in the Arab Region, published by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA).

Published on July 2023, the report inidcated that a social security agreement between Tunisia and Switzerland entered into force on October 1.

“The agreement facilitates access to old-age, disability and survivors’ benefits and enables these to be paid abroad. It further promotes economic exchanges between the two countries and avoids double taxation by facilitating the secondment of personnel,” reads the report.

According to the same source, social security agreements were also signed between Tunisia and Serbia on MArch 28, 2022 and between Tunisia and Canada on November 18, 2022.

In this regard, UNESCWA further indicated that the Tunisian Government had expanded in 2022 the ‘Amen’ social protection programme, which was introduced in 2019 to merge several social assistance programmes under a common umbrella.

The Government is currently rolling out its social registry (with over 1 million households already enrolled) and replacing physical cards providing access to free or subsidised health care with digital cards which will enable the exchange of information between public health-care institutions and the National Health Insurance Fund.

Furthermore, a new programme established the possibility of retiring before the standard retirement age of 62 years, beginning at age 57 years. “A partial or total cancellation of penalties was also announced for workers insured under the National Social Security Fund.”

Tunisia’s achievements in the socio-economic sector were also included in the report, such as the revision of the legal monthly minimum wage in October 2022.

Tunisia is one of the few countries in the Arab region to have set up a socio-economic security system for the citizens since its independence.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

Door2Door Mission targeting the vegetable and essential oils sector, will be organised next November 6-9 in Milan (Italy) by the Export Promotion Centre (CEPEX) office in Milan, in partnership with the Project for Market Access of Typical Agrofood Products (PAMPAT).

Tunisian companies operating in the natural cosmetics sector can register online through https://www.e-cepex.tn/c/b2b/details/188 , no later than September 20, CEPEX pointed out.

Five Tunisian companies will be chosen based on the candidates’ profiles and will be offered support by an Italian consultant and the CEPEX representative in Milan.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

The 1st edition of the Ifriqyia Energy Hub (IEH 2023) will be held on September 18-20 at the Culture City in Tunis.

The conference hosted by the Tunisia Energy Society (TENS), will bring together key energy players from across the African Continent to discuss challenges related to building a sustainable energy framework and promoting inclusive dialogue about energy-related topics.

The conference will also cover a range of topics including renewable energy, hydrocarbons, electricity and energy efficiency.

This conference will be attended by the main players in the region, regional organisations, financial institutions, political and parliamentary representatives, civil society, industrial companies and energy experts.

Keynote speakers from African countries and from Tunisia will be invited and specific panels will be on the following themes: Oil and gas evolution, energy transition, energy management solutions, social and environment sustainability and African energy synergies.

2024 President of the Society Of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Terry Palisch will be among the honorary guests.

Tunisia Energy Society (TENS) is a non-profit and non-partisan organisation bringing together energy professionals with the aim to support the executive and the legislative body building a sustainable and well-governed energy markets in Tunisia.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse