ReportWire

Tag: Kenya

  • Kenya to spend $37m on sending troops to DR Congo

    Kenya to spend $37m on sending troops to DR Congo

    [ad_1]

    Kenya’s Parliament has approved the deployment of nearly 1,000 soldiers for a new regional force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid questions about the $37m cost for the first six months of the mission.

    Local newspapers reported that the approval, which was given on Wednesday, came two days after Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale met the parliamentary defence committee.

    The committee report says the money will be spent on equipment, allowances, and operations for the more than 900 soldiers joining the East African Community Regional Force that will support Congolese forces against armed groups.

    Opposition lawmakers questioned why Kenya is spending so much money on the regional mission while the country faces its own security issues.

    Kenya also faces rising inflation and high public debt that President William Ruto inherited from his successor Uhuru Kenyatta.

    Last week, Ruto called the mission “necessary and urgent” for regional security. Violence by armed groups in the eastern part has led to a diplomatic crisis between DRC and neighbouring Rwanda, which accuse each other of backing certain groups.

    The Kenyan forces will be based in Goma, the largest city in the eastern DRC. The regional force, agreed upon by heads of state in June and led by a Kenyan commander, also has two battalions from Uganda, two from Burundi, and one from South Sudan.

    There is a possibility that international financing may be secured for the mission, the committee report said.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Ethiopia peace talks extended as disarmament, aid discussed

    Ethiopia peace talks extended as disarmament, aid discussed

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — The latest round of peace talks between Ethiopia’s government and representatives of the country’s Tigray region has been extended as military commanders work out details on disarmament of Tigray forces after two years of conflict.

    An official familiar with the talks confirmed the extension into Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The talks that began Monday in Kenya had been set to end Wednesday.

    The African Union-led talks follow last week’s signing of a “permanent cessation of hostilities” in the conflict that is estimated to have killed hundreds of thousands of people.

    The agreement calls for the disarmament of Tigray forces within weeks, but there is concern about when other combatants who aren’t part of the deal will withdraw from Tigray. They include forces from Eritrea, which neighbors the region, and Ethiopia’s Amhara region.

    Other issues discussed at this round of talks include the restoration of basic services like internet, telecommunications and banking to the region of more than 5 million people, as well as the resumption of deliveries of humanitarian aid.

    The United Nations on Wednesday said they and partners were still waiting on access to a region where even some basic medical supplies have run out. World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is from Ethiopia, told reporters he had expected aid to resume “immediately” after the peace deal’s signing.

    The lead negotiator for Ethiopia’s government, Redwan Hussein, has said that “maybe by the end of this week or the middle of next week” humanitarian aid will be allowed to go in.

    United Nations-backed investigators have said Ethiopian forces resorted to “starvation of civilians” as a weapon in the conflict marked by abuses on all sides.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Kenyans to enter South Africa visa-free from January

    Kenyans to enter South Africa visa-free from January

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — The presidents of South Africa and Kenya said Wednesday they have resolved a long-standing visa dispute and Kenyans will be able to visit South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days in a calendar year.

    South Africans already get free visas on arrival in Kenya, while Kenyans were charged and required to provide proof of sufficient funds and return flight tickets.

    The new agreement is set to take effect on Jan. 1.

    South African President Cyril Ramaphosa was in Kenya on his first official trip to the country.

    He and Kenyan President William Ruto praised the Ethiopia peace agreement signed last week in South Africa and brokered by the African Union.

    They appealed to the parties to “ensure full implementation of the agreement to reach a lasting political settlement.”

    The Kenyan and South African leaders also directed their trade ministers to address barriers that limit trade between the two countries.

    The two nations are among the strongest economies on the African continent.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Court orders striking Kenya Airways pilots to resume work

    Court orders striking Kenya Airways pilots to resume work

    [ad_1]

    Thousands of passengers stranded after pilots union goes on strike on Saturday over pension and deferred pay disputes.

    Hundreds of striking pilots at Kenya Airways have been ordered by a court to resume work by Wednesday while the airline was barred from penalising the pilots.

    Judge Anna Mwaure of the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi said in Tuesday’s order that pilots should resume their duties “unconditionally” by 6am.

    Members of the Kenya Airline Pilots Association, a union that represents about 400 pilots at the carrier, went on strike on Saturday after failing to resolve a dispute over their pensions contributions and settlement of deferred pay.

    The walkout led to the cancellation of dozens of flights by one of Africa’s largest carriers and stranded thousands of passengers.

    Tuesday’s court ruling comes after a letter written by the Kenya Airways CEO outlined its plans to cancel its bargaining and recognition agreements with the pilots union. The letter called the strike unlawful and said it amounts to economic sabotage.

    Kenya Airways, which has 36 aircraft in its fleet, serves just as many countries on its routes. The airline is privately owned, but the Kenyan government has a 48.9% stake in it.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Sharon Lokedi and Evans Chebet complete Kenyan double at New York City Marathon | CNN

    Sharon Lokedi and Evans Chebet complete Kenyan double at New York City Marathon | CNN

    [ad_1]



    CNN
     — 

    Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi was a surprise winner of the women’s New York City Marathon on Sunday, while Evans Chebet won the men’s race to complete a Kenyan double.

    Lokedi, competing over the 26.2-mile distance for the first time in her career, pulled away from Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in the closing stages, finishing in a time of two hours, 23 minutes and 23 seconds.

    Salpeter finished seven seconds back in second and Ethiopia’s Gotytom Gebreslase, who was crowned marathon world champion earlier this year, was third.

    Hellen Obiri, making her marathon debut and one of the pre-race favorites, struggled in the closing stages and dropped back from the lead pack, eventually finishing sixth.

    The 28-year-old Lokedi is just the eighth athlete in history – male or female – to win in New York on her marathon debut, and she appeared visibly emotional after crossing the finish line in Central Park.

    “I’m out of words, I’m really excited … The course was amazing, the cheers, everything,” she told ESPN. “I’m just thankful”

    In the men’s race, Chebet became the first man to win the New York City and Boston Marathons in the same year since 2011 as he finished in two hours, eight minutes and 41 seconds, 13 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata, while the Netherlands’ Abdi Nageeye was more than a minute back in third.

    Chebet’s victory means Kenyan men have won all six of the major city marathons this year. As well as Chebet’s title in Boston, Eliud Kipchoge won in Tokyo and Berlin, Amos Kipruto won in London and Benson Kipruto won in Chicago.

    There were challenging conditions for Sunday’s race as temperatures in New York City hovered around 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Farenheit).

    Brazilian Daniel Do Nascimento led the field for much of the men’s race, but he collapsed to the floor and received medical attention in the final stages, handing Chebet the lead.

    Race officials later told CNN that Do Nascimento was okay after dropping out of the race.

    It’s expected that 50,000 runners competed in this year’s NYC Marathon – the first full-capacity race since the Covid-19 pandemic.

    The race, which goes through all five of New York City’s boroughs, was held virtually in 2020 and with a restricted number of competitors in 2021.

    In the men’s race of the wheelchair division, Switzerland’s Marcel Hug claimed the fifth NYC Marathon title of his career in the men’s race.

    The 36-year-old – known as the “Swiss Silver Bullet” – shattered the wheelchair course record by nearly four minutes, finishing in one hour, 25 minutes and 25 seconds.

    That beat Australian Kurt Fearnley’s record of 1:29:22 set in 2006.

    American Susannah Scaroni also set a course record in the women’s race, finishing in one hour, 42 minutes and 43 seconds to break Tatyana McFadden’s previous record.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Tanzania: Small passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria

    Tanzania: Small passenger plane crashes into Lake Victoria

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — A small passenger plane crashed Sunday morning into Lake Victoria on approach to an airport in Tanzania.

    It was not immediately clear how many people were on board the plane as it headed for Bukoba Airport. Tanzanian airline company Precision Air said the flight was coming from the coastal city of Dar es Salaam.

    News reports showed photos of the plane mostly submerged in the lake.

    “We have managed to save quite a number of people,” Kagera province police commander William Mwampaghale told journalists.

    “When the aircraft was about 100 meters (328 feet) midair, it encountered problems and bad weather. It was raining and the plane plunged into the water. Everything is under control,” he said.

    Mwampaghale said rescue efforts continued.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought

    Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Hundreds of animals, including elephants and endangered Grevy’s zebras, have died in Kenyan wildlife preserves during East Africa’s worst drought in decades, according to a report released Friday.

    The Kenya Wildlife Service and other bodies counted the deaths of 205 elephants, 512 wildebeests, 381 common zebras, 51 buffalos, 49 Grevy’s zebras and 12 giraffes in the past nine months, the report states.

    Parts of Kenya have experienced four consecutive seasons with inadequate rain in the past two years, with dire effects for people and animals, including livestock.

    The worst-affected ecosystems are home to some of Kenya’s most-visited national parks, reserves and conservancies, including the Amboseli, Tsavo and Laikipia-Samburu areas, according to the report’s authors.

    They called for an urgent aerial census of wildlife in Amboseli to get a broader view of the drought’s impact on wild animals there.

    Other experts have recommended the immediate provision of water and salt licks in impacted regions. Elephants, for example, drink 240 liters (63.40 gallons) of water per day, according to Jim Justus Nyamu, executive director of the Elephant Neighbors Center.

    For Grevy’s zebras, experts urge enhancing provisions of hay.

    ___

    Follow AP’s coverage of the climate and environment: https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought

    Hundreds of elephants, zebras die as Kenya weathers drought

    [ad_1]

    FILE – Mohamed Mohamud, a ranger from the Sabuli Wildlife Conservancy, looks at the carcass of a giraffe that died of hunger near Matana Village, Wajir County, Kenya, on Oct. 25, 2021. Hundreds of animals have died in Kenyan wildlife preserves during East Africa’s worst drought in decades, according to a report released Friday, Nov. 4, 2022. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga, File)

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Tanzania says Mount Kilimanjaro fire largely contained

    Tanzania says Mount Kilimanjaro fire largely contained

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The fire burning on Mount Kilimanjaro for almost two weeks has been largely contained after hundreds of military personnel were deployed to help, Tanzania’s prime minister said Thursday.

    The blaze destroyed 33 square kilometers (nearly 13 square miles) on Africa’s tallest and most famous mountain, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said.

    The fire started on Oct. 21 near the Karanga camp, which is popular among the thousands of hikers who attempt the climb of the mountain every year.

    The cause of the fire has yet to be established and investigations are ongoing, the prime minister said, adding that strong winds complicated the response.

    On Tuesday, personnel from the Tanzania People’s Defense Force were deployed to help extinguish the flames. The prime minister said 878 soldiers and two helicopters were sent.

    He said multiple fires had started on other parts of Mount Kilimanjaro but had been contained, and main tourist sites there remain safe.

    Mount Kilimanjaro, at 19,443 feet (5,926 meters), is a major tourist attraction in Tanzania. It wasn’t clear how the fire has affected tourist visits and the local economy.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • Peace talks on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict are extended

    Peace talks on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict are extended

    [ad_1]

    NAIROBI, Kenya — Peace talks between warring sides on Ethiopia’s Tigray conflict have been extended into this week, while the country’s prime minister complained in comments broadcast Monday about “lots of intervention from left and right” in the process.

    An official familiar with the arrangements for the talks confirmed that discussions continued in South Africa between Ethiopia’s federal government and representatives from the northern Tigray region. The first formal peace talks began last week.

    The African Union-led talks seek a cessation of hostilities in a war that the United States asserts has killed up to hundreds of thousands of people, an estimate made by some academics and health workers.

    Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, speaking to the China Global Television Network, said “we’re working towards peace” and asserted that Ethiopians can solve matters by themselves. “Of course, if there are lots of intervention from left and right, it’s very difficult,” he added. He also said Ethiopian forces were in control of the Tigray towns of Shire, Axum and Adwa.

    Neighboring Eritrea, whose forces are fighting alongside Ethiopian ones, is not a party to the peace talks, and it is not clear whether the deeply repressive country will respect any agreement reached. Witnesses have told the AP that Eritreans were killing civilians even after the talks began.

    The fighting, which resumed in August after a monthslong lull, has been marked by guerrilla-style warfare by Tigray forces and drone strikes by Ethiopian ones that witnesses have said have killed civilians.

    According to analysis of satellite imagery taken by Planet Labs PBC of Ethiopia’s Bahir Dar airport south of the Tigray region on Oct. 21, by armaments expert Wim Zwijnenburg of the Dutch peace organization PAX and by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, the wingspan, length, shape and other identifying details of two smaller aircraft visible are consistent with those of the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone.

    The United Nations-backed International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia has found evidence of the government using drones in the conflict “in an arbitrary and indiscriminate manner,” commission members told journalists last week.

    The commissioners said they have not done a comprehensive analysis of where Ethiopia is obtaining the drones, but they said they had confirmed the drone used in a strike that killed people in a displacement camp early this year came from Turkey.

    The commissioners also warned that “atrocity crimes are imminent” if there is no cessation of hostilities in a conflict with abuses documented on all sides.

    [ad_2]

    Source link

  • What Is Bitcoin Pizza Day, And Why Does The Community Celebrate On May 22?

    What Is Bitcoin Pizza Day, And Why Does The Community Celebrate On May 22?

    [ad_1]

    Bitcoin
    BTC
     Pizza Day marks the day that Laszlo Hanyecz made the first recorded purchase of a physical good using Bitcoin. He spent 10,000 Bitcoin to purchase two Papa John’s pizzas on May 22, 2010. Since Papa John’s didn’t accept Bitcoin as payment, he posted a 10,000 Bitcoin offer on Bitcointalk.org and Jeremy Sturdivant, a 19-year old then, took the offer for an estimated $41, bought the two pizzas and delivered.

    Today, the Bitcoin community worldwide commemorates May 22 as the first recorded day that Bitcoin was used to purchase a physical good. The community celebrates by buying two pizzas and sharing them. Pizza restaurants also contribute to the celebration by offering discounts to customers who pay in Bitcoin.

    Laszlo responded to the delivery on BitcoinTalk.org by saying, “That pizza looks delicious! Adorable kid. (Cheesy Emoji)”. He later stated that he was willing to pay 10,000 Bitcoins for future pizza deliveries. On the same thread, he stated, “My 1 year old daughter really enjoys pizza too! She just smears it all over her face if you give her a whole slice, but she does eventually manage to get most of it in her mouth (minus a few loose toppings of course).” It’s a beautiful story. Laszlo took a family photo after the delivery marking perhaps one of the biggest milestones in the Bitcoin story.

    The initial response for anyone new to this story is to check the dollar value of the Bitcoin spent on the two pizzas today. As of this writing, one Bitcoin is trading at $33,064.19. This means that the 10,000 Bitcoin would be worth $330.6419 million today. Looking in hindsight, it may seem like a bad financial decision, but haven’t we all made similar decisions in life? Nobody knows the future.

    The reason why the global Bitcoin community celebrates this event is mainly about Bitcoin as a technological revolution and invention of sound money. The year 2010 was about 24 months after the global financial crisis. People had begun to question the current economic models, economic policies, and money as a store of value. Bitcoin offered a new hope to the people.

    The May 22 pizza transaction paved the way for a decentralized form of money with a hard capitalization of 21 million that can be sent and received without permission. The world had not yet seen a tamper-proof, sensor-proof digital currency with no centralized issuer.

    Since May 22, 2010, the Bitcoin community has grown and developments have been made that allow you to buy a pizza using Bitcoin on the lightning network today, with transaction costs reduced to cents on the dollar. Thousands of merchants now accept Bitcoin payments for pizza and other products, and infrastructure has advanced to the point where you no longer need to post a bitcoin offer on BitcoinTalk.org to purchase a product.

    Yvonne Kagondu, the founder of Kenya Blockchain Ladies DAO in my home country of Kenya, is organizing a Bitcoin Pizza Day party in Nairobi. What are your plans for May 22nd?

    Happy Bitcoin Pizza Day in advance.

    [ad_2]

    Rufas Kamau, Senior Contributor

    Source link

  • Volunteer Minister Helps Pastor Restore Harmony in His Church

    Volunteer Minister Helps Pastor Restore Harmony in His Church

    [ad_1]

    A Scientology Volunteer Minister in Kenya is infusing hope and kindness in the lives of the people of Western Kenya.

    Press Release
    –


    updated: Nov 14, 2017


    SEME, Kenya, November 14, 2017 (Newswire.com)
    –
     “Since your last seminar on honesty, church attendance has doubled,” wrote a Pentecostal pastor to Daniel, a Scientology Volunteer Minister from Western Kenya. “There were no absentees at the Sunday service, which was a trend before the seminar.”

    The seminar he describes was in conflict resolution, presented to parishioners of the pastor’s church in the village of Seme. One parishioner told the pastor that he used what he learned to help him restore harmony with family members and neighbors.

    These are the kind of stories that keep Daniel traveling from village to village throughout Kenya, sharing the Volunteer Minister technology developed by Scientology Founder L. Ron Hubbard.

    In an article published in Freedom Magazine, Daniel shared how he became a Volunteer Minister. Personal hardships in his childhood awakened him to the benevolence of others. A fire at the milling company where his father worked destroyed nearly 20 homes. “I was affected by the help my family and others received when this happened from good Samaritans and volunteers,” he said.

    After completing his studies, Daniel took on managing a business school, but he became discouraged by some of his students’ inability to learn.

    At the same time, he and his wife Margaret were having trouble in their marriage. “We differed on almost every subject, from family finance to parenting,” he said.

    When he discovered the Scientology website, he became fascinated by Study Technology developed by Mr. Hubbard and took the online course in the subject. “I wanted to save my students and improve myself as well as my business and marriage by knowing how to know,” Daniel says.

    The magazine describes how he was so impressed by the free course on that subject that he completed all 19 online courses, each on a different aspect life. These courses form the basis of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers (VM) program. His wife completed the courses too and they both share this information with anyone who wants to learn to improve their lives.

    The week after his “Honesty and Integrity” seminar at the Pentecostal church in Seme, 90 people showed up for Sunday service to attend church and take part in the next seminar. Every seat in the church was filled and 15 people stood outside, straining to hear. Local residents were surprised to see four widows among the crowd. It seems that in the culture of the Luo people, a prominent ethnic group in the region, when a woman loses her husband, she also loses her rights. She is not permitted to attend to her farm, greet anyone with a handshake or participate in the life of the village. What these women learned at the first seminar gave them the courage to resolve to overcome suppression and be active members of the church.

    Daniel has also taken on training other Volunteer Ministers, one of whom presented a seminar to a group of people with disabilities in the village of Yiro. Life for a disabled person is hard in the region. Most of them live in poverty, have to be carried wherever they go as they don’t possess wheelchairs, and depend on begging to survive. The chairman of the group is a banana farmer who now wants to use the technology of the Volunteer Ministers Targets and Goals Course to make his farm prosper so he can help raise the standard of living for himself and his fellow group members.

    Daniel intends to continue his work and expand it to more villages in the region. “I have come to enjoy working as a Volunteer Minister and restoring spiritual values to my fellow human beings,” he says. 

    The Church of Scientology Volunteer Minister program is a religious social service created in the mid-1970s by L. Ron Hubbard. To make this technology broadly available, the Church provides free online training on the Volunteer Ministers website. Anyone of any culture or creed may train as a Volunteer Minister and use these tools to help their families and communities.

    Source: ScientologyNews.org

    [ad_2]

    Source link