Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | For the first time, Uganda registered USD 122 million trade surplus with Kenya, with exports worth USD 628 million to and imports worth USD 505 million. Uganda had in the previous year exported goods valued at USD 475 million and imported goods valued at USD …
Read More »Kenya’s plan to privatise prisons
Why it’s risky and needs careful planning Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya is taking steps towards privatising its prisons. Gráinne Perkins asked expert Rob Allen, an independent researcher and cofounder of Justice and Prisons, about the benefits and risks of prison privatisation. Why do countries involve the private sector …
Read More »MIGINGO ISLAND: A rocky marriage between Uganda and Kenya
Migingo (between Kenya and Uganda), Undefined | AFP | A rounded rocky outcrop covered with metallic shacks, Migingo Island rises out of the waters of Lake Victoria like an iron-plated turtle. The densely populated island is barely a quarter of a hectare large, its residents crammed into a hodge-podge of …
Read More »Kenya’s new paraffin taxes pushes paint prices up
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenyans will pay more for paints, resins and shoe polish on increased cost of kerosene, putting pressure on housing and furniture costs. The country’s Business Daily reported on Oct. 11 that the imposition of 8% value added tax (VAT) and Sh18 adulteration fee per litre …
Read More »Farmer network hits 1 million users in Uganda, Kenya
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Wefarm, one of the world’s largest farmer-to-farmer digital networks has announced that it has reached over 1.1 million users across Kenya and Uganda. The network said in a notice shared on Oct.16 that farmers have asked and answered more than one million questions through Wefarm …
Read More »Keino one of 7 Kenyan officials charged over 2016 Olympics graft
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Two-time Olympic gold medallist Kipchoge Keino was one of seven Kenyan officials charged Monday in a scandal involving the mismanagement of funds during the 2016 Rio Olympic Games. Four of the suspects were in court while the others, including former sports minister Hassan Wario …
Read More »More than 40 dead in Kenya bus accident
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | More than 40 people have been killed in a bus accident in western Kenya early Wednesday, police said. “Reports reaching me are that more than 40 people died on the spot but it could be more because the roof of the bus was ripped off,” …
Read More »Lake Victoria, African lifeline regularly hit by sinkings
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Lake Victoria is the biggest lake in Africa and crossed every day by scores of boats that are often poorly maintained and overloaded, making them vulnerable to poor weather. Here is some background on the vast lake where more than 200 people drowned last month …
Read More »ENTEBBE: DNA sleuths bolster case against three ivory cartels
Tampa, United States | AFP | DNA tests on smuggled elephant tusks have identified three major ivory cartels in Africa and are helping investigators bolster the criminal cases against some of the most dangerous traffickers, researchers said Wednesday. Around 40,000 African elephants are killed every year for their tusks, which …
Read More »COMMENT: The economic cost of corruption in Kenya
The theft jeopardises the country’s short-term skills provision objectives and causes irredeemable long-term opportunity costs COMMENT | ODONGO KODONGO | Kenya is perceived as one of the world’s most corrupt countries. It ranked 143 out of 180 countries on Transparency International’s 2017 corruption perception index. The only African countries that scored …
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