By TRACY LAWAL

Shelter Afrique Development Bank (ShafDB), a leading Pan-African institution committed to financing and advancing housing, urban, and related infrastructure development, has signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) with CPF Group, aimed at scaling up the development of large-scale affordable housing projects in Kenya.  

The agreement which is expected to boost Shelter Afrique Development Bank’s mandate of providing decent and affordable housing in Africa, was signed in Nairobi by CPF Group Managing Director, Dr. Hosea Kili, and Shelter Afrique Development Bank Head of Credit and Operations, Mr. Christopher Chege, on behalf of the Managing Director Mr. Thierno-Habib Hann. 

“As a company, our overriding strategy is the provision of affordable housing across our member States through public-private partnerships.  This strategic partnership with CPF Group will be key in expanding our projects in Kenya,” Mr. Chege said. 

The agreement seeks to provide a platform for intervention across the affordable housing value chain by creating a partnership in affordable housing delivery through co-financing. 

It also seeks to establish a Housing Solutions Fund for Kenya, which will make interventions on the supply and demand side of the affordable housing value chain. Both ShafDB and CPF Group will jointly design and manage the Fund – including offering capital raising and technical support to the management of the Fund. 

“We are excited to partner with Shelter Afrique Development and leverage on each institution’s strength as we jointly address the perennial problem of decent and affordable housing in Kenya.  This partnership opens up opportunities for collaboration in many areas including product & services design and finding innovative funding solutions for our current and future projects,” Dr. Kili said. 

Growing deficit

Kenya has a total housing deficit of 2 million housing units and this numbers could rise due to high rates of population growth and high urbanization rate at 4.4%, well above the global average of 2.1%.  

Out of Kenya’s total population of 50.6 million, 29% reside in urban areas. In order to resolve the housing conundrum, the Kenyan government has put in place a global framework through the Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) to deliver 250,000 housing units per year against the current 50,000 annual deliveries. 

“It is against this background that Shelter Afrique Development Bank and the CPF Group are joining forces through the Collaboration Agreement to scale up affordable housing delivery. We believe our partnership with CPF Group will deepen our impact on Kenya’s and by extension, Africa’s affordable housing value chain, from both the supply and demand side,” Mr. Chege concluded.

Former Lord’s Resistance Army rebel commander, Thomas Kwoyelo alias Latoni has been found guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The international crimes division (ICD) of the High court found Kwoyelo guilty of committing 44 out of the 78 counts he was indicted in a long-awaited verdict delivered on Tuesday by a panel of four justices; Michael Elubu, Duncan Gaswaga, Stephen Mubiru, and Andrew Bashaija at a sitting at Gulu High court in northern Uganda.

The crimes include murder, pillaging, outrages to personal dignity, enslavement, rape, cruel treatment, and torture committed between 1993 and 2005 in Kilak County, present-day Amuru district.

Elubu in a ruling, acquitted Kwoyelo of three counts relating to murder in contravention of Article 3 common to the Geneva Convention and Articles 188 and 189 of the Penal Code Act. He also dismissed 31 alternate charges under the Penal Code Act on which Kwoyelo had already been convicted.

Kwoyelo’s trial commenced in November 2018, and since then, 53 prosecution witnesses have been presented to pin him on the indictment. He is the first senior LRA commander to be found guilty in a domestic court in Uganda for crimes related to the bloody LRA campaign in northern Uganda.

William Byansi, the state prosecutor told the court that they appreciate the extent to which the court had reached in the trial of Kwoyelo, calling it a moment they had all been waiting for a long time. Byansi however asked the court to grant the prosecution one month to make submissions concerning the determination of the sentencing of Kwoyelo.

“We are therefore asking the court for time for adjournment, to enable us to prepare a detailed brief for the most appropriate sentence. My lords, in consultation with my colleagues in defence, we are proposing one month,” says Byansi.

Caleb Alaka, Kwoyelo’s defence lawyer notes that they still intend to read the detailed judgement of the court before making a mitigating statement.

“We do not have a picture of how so we shall get that judgement. In addition, my lords, we oblige under the law to make submissions on mitigating factors. Because my lord's court in sentencing, the court will take into consideration mitigating factors and aggravating factors,” Alaka submitted. 

Alaka however prayed to the court to grant the defence the opportunity to file their mitigating statement on oath. Other prayers the defence placed before the court are an order for the probation officer of Amuru district to make a report on the social background of the conflict, an order compelling the Uganda Prison to report on the conduct or how the convict has been in all these 17 or 16 years.

The victim’s counsel on their side equally asked for time to make observations in as far as sentencing is concerned, arguing that they also need time to reach the victims of crime in a way of outreaches.

Elubu, noted that the court has listened to the prayers of the defence, victim and prosecution and that a detailed copy of the judgement will be delivered by Friday this week. Elubu consequently adjourned the matter up to the status conference which is slated to be convened by Tuesday next week.

Kwoyelo has been behind bars at Luzira Maximum Prison since 2009 following his capture by the Ugandan army in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on March 3, 2009. Kwoyelo held several positions including commander of operations, director of military intelligence and in-charge of all sick bays and rose to the rank of colonel.

Prosecution contends that most of the time during his operations, Kwoyelo was based in Kilak Hills located in the present-day Amuru district and his area of operation covered the whole of Kilak County. He was a subordinate only to the overall leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony whom the International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged with 33 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. By URN / The Observer

Mastercard has underscored its commitment to advancing economic growth through innovative digital payment solutions and strategic collaborations in Tanzania.

Speaking at the company’s inaugural Tanzania Industry Forum held in Dar es Salaam Mark Elliott, Division President, Africa at Mastercard said their goal is to create a financial ecosystem that drives sustainable growth for Tanzania.

“The Tanzania Industry Forum highlights Mastercard’s commitment to driving digital transformation and economic empowerment in Tanzania. By convening industry leaders and innovators, we are not only creating a collaborative environment to address the current challenges but also paving the way for a future where every Tanzanian has access to secure and seamless financial services. Our goal is to leverage our technology and local collaborations to create a robust financial ecosystem that drives sustainable growth and prosperity for all,” he said.

Tanzania’s economy has shown resilience, with real GDP growth projected to reach 5.7% in 2024​​. A World Bank report shows that despite global economic challenges, the services sector, particularly financial and insurance services, has been a significant contributor to Tanzania’s economic expansion.

Shehryar Ali, Senior Vice President and Country Manager for East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands at Mastercard emphasized the event’s role in fostering collaboration to achieve sustained economic development.

“This forum is a vital step towards building a strong, inclusive financial ecosystem in Tanzania. By leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering strategic collaborations, we aim to create secure and accessible payment ecosystem that empowers underserved and unbanked communities across Africa,” said Ali.

The Mastercard Tanzania Industry Forum showcased Mastercard’s strategic efforts to build a secure and inclusive financial ecosystem in Tanzania. Through innovative digital solutions and strategic local collaborations, Mastercard says it is dedicated to providing secure, accessible payment systems that empower underserved and unbanked communities across the continent and align with its global mission of bringing one billion people into the digital economy by 2025. Africa Business Communities