NAIROBI, Kenya, November 23, 2023/APO Group/ -- With the backing of the SIDA-funded Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Project, a meeting was led by AU-IBAR in partnership with WIOMSA and the Nairobi Convention from November 20th to 21st, 2023. This assembly convened over 20 delegates, drawing participation from the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the Marine Parks and Reserve Unit (MPRU) of the United Republic of Tanzania.
The primary objective of this gathering was to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize activities within the proposed Transboundary Marine Conservation Area (TBCA). The overarching aim is to enhance transboundary cooperation between Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and environmental protection.
The meeting, held in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, was guided by the framework of the SIDA-funded Aquatic Biodiversity Conservation Project. Moderated by Dr. Patrick Karani, a Technical Environmental Expert, AU-IBAR, the joint discussions addressed priority issues and actions identified in the roadmaps crafted during preceding national meetings in Tanzania and Kenya.
Specifically, the joint meeting aimed to: 1. Define the roles of each country and jointly in the proposed TBCA. 2. Specify the content of the MOU. 3. Develop a draft MOU for the joint management of the proposed TBCA area. 4. Plan bilateral engagements on the proposed TBCA process. 5. Create a harmonized roadmap for advancing the TBCA planning process.
The overarching aim is to enhance transboundary cooperation between Kenya and Tanzania, focusing on the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and environmental protection
Mr. Joel Mokenye, representing AU-IBAR as an Aquatic Biodiversity Specialist, delivered the opening remarks on behalf of Dr. Huyam Salih, the Director of AU-IBAR. He highlighted the timely nature of the meeting, providing an opportunity for delegates to identify and deliberate on country and joint obligations within the proposed TBCA area. Mokenye expressed gratitude to the government and people of Sweden for their support and thanked the United Republic of Tanzania for hosting the workshop.
Dr. Arthur Tuda, Executive Director of WIOMSA, stressed the importance of formalizing activities within the transboundary area through the development of an MOU. He thanked AU-IBAR and the Nairobi Convention for their facilitation, acknowledging the processes involved in realizing the TBCA area.
Mr. Solomon, Head of Wildlife Multilateral Environmental Agreement Implementation at the Kenya Wildlife Service, conveyed thanks to the government of the United Republic of Tanzania for their hospitality. He expressed appreciation to AU-IBAR and WIOMSA for supporting the process of establishing a Kenya-Tanzania Marine TBCA. Solomon highlighted the commitment of the Kenyan delegation to work collaboratively with their Tanzanian counterparts to translate the TBCA concept into action.
Dr. Sware Semesi, the Managing Director of the Marine Parks and Reserve Unit (MPRU) representing the United Republic of Tanzania, officially opened the meeting. She thanked the delegates for their attendance, acknowledged the support from AU-IBAR and WIOMSA, and affirmed the full commitment of the Tanzanian government to the TBCA process.
The two-day meeting was fruitful in advancing the MOU and creating the Kenya-Tanzania Transboundary Marine Conservation Area, both of which are critical steps in strengthening transboundary cooperation for the conservation of aquatic biodiversity and environmental protection.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The African Union – Interafrican Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR).
A fuel tanker stuck in the mud just a kilometer away from Mandera town.Ibrahim Adan Ali, Standard]
The much-discussed El Niño rains have hit Kenya, causing floods that have killed over 50 people, displaced 80,000, and destroyed property worth millions.
But the question on Kenyans' mind is, where the billions of shillings allocated to mitigate the disaster? At issue is the Sh10 billion for disaster management that was to ease suffering of flood victims.
Despite allocating Sh4.4 billion to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in the 2023/24 supplementary budget, the government insists it has no money to address the floods.
Both national and county governments now say they lack funds to assist those impacted by the heavy rains that have cut off parts of the country.
On Tuesday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua claimed the national government had released Sh10 billion to the 47 counties for flood mitigation. In the same breath, he told off Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir for doing little to help flood-hit families in his county.
The deputy president, who was distributing relief food in Kisauni, demanded Nassir put development projects on hold and focus on distributing medical and food aid.
But Mr Nassir and Siaya Governor James Orengo quickly pointed out that no flood mitigation funds were disbursed to counties.
"I have heard that the deputy president was here in Mombasa. I have also been informed of his other speech. The truth is that the national government has not given a single cent to county governments. Even Nyeri County has not witnessed a penny. Siaya County is flooded too, and residents have been forced to vacate their homes. If Mombasa had benefited, I would have known. So, those are lies," said Mr Orengo.
The Council of Governors (CoG) also refuted Gachagua's claim that counties received El Niño preparedness and mitigation funds from the national government.
The council stated that no such funds were deployed to counties where floods have killed 52, displaced over 80,000 families, and damaged farmland.
"We note with concern public utterances that suggest that county governments have received funds from the national government to support the mitigation of the devastating impact of the El Niño rains," CoG chair Anne Waiguru said yesterday.
"We take the position that such utterances are against the spirit of cooperative and collaborative governments as envisioned under the provisions of Article 6(2) of the Constitution."
Ms Waiguru said 13 counties are owed Sh10.17 billion for September, 27 counties are owed Sh19.64 billion for October, while all counties are owed Sh32.76 billion for November.
"It is in such times we call upon the two levels of government to come together and intensify response strategies to mitigate against the complex risks arising from the heavy rains and flooding, in addition to the existing humanitarian challenges," she added.
In response, Mr Gachagua, who was speaking during the launch of the Development Partnership Forum in Karen, Nairobi, advised the counties to utilise their own funds to address the effects of El Niño.
And in a marked shift from his earlier statement on Tuesday, he said that the national government would not provide additional funds to the counties.
"We are therefore shocked to see governors complaining that they are yet to receive money for El Niño from the national government. Such money is not forthcoming. They are expected to use emergency money within their financial provision and to re-allocate money within their budget to intervene for the people that they govern," he said.
Several residential areas marooned by floodwaters in Mombasa.[Sammy Omingo, Standard]
The council's admission has added to the confusion, especially after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) issued a prior warning about an 'impending scandal' in the mitigation measures for the El-Nino rains.
In a letter addressed to constitutional commissions, independent offices, and all county governments, the EACC emphasised the need for strict compliance with procurement laws.
"It has come to the attention of the commission that there is disregard of the law, in the initiation and implementation of some mitigation measures, which is likely to give room for financial impropriety and embezzlement of public funds," said EACC chief executive Twalib Mbarak.
A check by The Standard traced the confusion about the El Niño rains to a weather forecast earlier this year.
In August, weather experts warned of early signs of El Niño rains starting in September and lasting until January next year across the country.
But this prediction became a political issue when the President dismissed the forecasts, instead stating that the country would only experience heavy rains.
During a church service in Dagoretti last month, the President said that the Meteorological Department had scaled down the forecast from El Niño to short rains.
He added that this would enable farmers to increase production and safeguard the nation's food supply.
Following this, the Meteorological Department revised its alert, specifying that the upcoming rains would be substantial but not classified as El Niño.
This retraction, coupled with the fact that the department has not been issuing regular disaster updates -as they have to be approved by government- has compounded the woes of Kenyans who feel abandoned.
Amidst disputes among top government officials at both the national and county levels over funds and the authenticity of El Niño, leaders from the North-Eastern region have accused the government of neglect and discrimination in distributing El-Nino relief aid.
This criticism comes despite Parliament recently allocating Sh4.4 billion to the NDMA.
The distribution of emergency resources to mitigate the impact of El Nino seemed inequitable, especially considering that two-thirds of the region is submerged, with Wajir County experiencing the most severe effects.
Led by Eldas MP Adan Keynan, the MPs expressed concern that the anticipated assistance from the national government lacked clarity and thorough planning.
They made these remarks in Nairobi after flagging off 24 tonnes of food and drugs to six sub-counties in Wajir.
“We want the national government to come out properly and assist the residents of our counties. What is being coordinated and what we have been told is been coordinated, we are not seeing it at all,” said Mr Keynan.
Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass Sheikh took issue with the fact that the national government was yet to implement interventions to aid families in flood-hit areas.
“We want to know whether we are still a part of this country. The floods in Mombasa started earlier this week and the Deputy President has already outlined measures to assist the county government of Mombasa. What about Northern Kenya?” said Mr Abass.
Wajir West MP Yusuf Mohamed Farah accused the government of "slacking in its response to the problem as the magnitude and effort put in did not match".
"As Parliament, we have appropriated money to deal with these emergencies that ravaged our country, especially in northern Kenya, in the counties of Garissa, Wajir and Mandera. But we are seeing nothing on the ground as our people perish,” said Mr Mohamed.
The MP also urged the Kenya National Highways Authority to promptly repair the road section washed away by floods in Modogashe, saying the damage is impeding the flow of humanitarian assistance to Wajir and Mandera.
"Even if we airlifted all goods to Wajir County headquarters, you also need to airlift the same to areas that are far, and which have been submerged,” he said.
Tarbaj MP Hussein Bare noted that despite Parliament appropriating funds to tackle emergencies such El-Nino rains, the government was slow in expediting the release of funds and relief aid.
He accused the State of abdicating its role to the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Wajir County government.
Mr Bare said President Ruto should visit the region to appreciate the plight of residents.
South African lawmakers voted on Tuesday in favor of closing down the Israeli embassy in Pretoria and suspending all diplomatic relations with Israel until a ceasefire is agreed in its war with Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in Gaza, Reuters reported.
The resolution is largely symbolic as it will be up to President Cyril Ramaphosa's government whether to implement it; a presidency spokesperson said Ramaphosa "notes and appreciates" parliament's guidance on South Africa's diplomatic relations with Israel, particularly on the status of the embassy.
Ramaphosa and senior South African foreign ministry officials have been vocally critical of Israel's leadership during its devastating military campaign against Hamas in the densely populated Gaza Strip, calling on the International Criminal Court to investigate them for potential war crimes.
On Monday, the Israeli ambassador in Pretoria was recalled to Tel Aviv for consultations ahead of the aforesaid vote, which on Tuesday was adopted by a 248-91 margin.
The parliamentary resolution was brought by the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party last week when the governing African National Congress pledged to support what has been a central diplomatic stance for South Africa since Nelson Mandela became the country's first democratically elected president in 1994.
South Africa has backed the Palestinian cause for statehood in Israeli-occupied territories for decades, likening the plight of Palestinians to those of the Black majority during the repressive apartheid-era, a comparison Israel vehemently denies. News am
Lee Anderson suggested asylum seekers should be sent to the Scottish islands while their applications are processed. PA Media
Scottish politicians have condemned remarks made by a senior Conservative Party figure who suggested asylum seekers should be sent to the Orkney Islands while they wait for their applications to be processed.
Deputy chairman Lee Anderson was speaking to GB News when he said people who had fled their own countries for a better life in the UK could be housed on the islands rather than flown to Rwanda.
He told the news channel: “I know it’s a bit parky up there this time of year. But if people are genuinely escaping war or persecution then a nice Scottish island with a few outbuildings would be suitable.
“This is a beautiful country. Parts of Scotland are a ‘go to’ destination, the remote islands – I’d like to be able to afford a place up there.
“If we can get some accommodation up there, keep these people safe – these people want to be safe, they’re fleeing so-called persecution from these war-torn countries. If we can find an island in the Orkneys or up there that’s got no-one on there to start off with, put some decent accommodation on, then it’s job done.”
Orkney and Shetland MP and Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Home Affairs Alistair Carmichael said Anderson’s remarks had shown “disdain” towards his constituents.
Carmichael said: “This is not a serious proposition. I would be astonished if Lee Anderson could even find Orkney – or in his words ‘the Orkneys’ – on a map.
“His remarks show inhumanity towards desperate and vulnerable people – and disdain towards island communities to boot.
“Anderson has form for brainstorming Tory policy live on air. Obviously, this is a novel sort of brainstorming as it does not actually involve the engagement of a brain but instead looks more like an exercise in corralling as many prejudices as possible into one space and calling it a policy.
“If Rishi Sunak cannot bring his deputy chair into line then the only conclusion is that he approves of these attitudes.
“It is yet another attempt by a Conservative MP to kick up dust and distract attention from the complete failure of this government to manage our asylum and immigration system.
“Every day the backlog of unprocessed asylum applications gets longer. They should focus on fixing that, instead of looking around for new rows to pick.”
The Scottish Greens spokesperson for rural and island communities, Ariane Burgess MSP, added: “The insensitive and thoughtless remarks by Lee Anderson underline how out of touch the Tory Westminster Government is from the needs of our islanders.
“Many island communities have already welcomed migrants with open arms, not least in Lewis and Bute, where those displaced by the Syrian Crisis have established thriving businesses, become key parts of their communities and added to the diversity and vibrancy of Island life.
“Rural communities have been crying out for more power to be devolved over migration and these latest remarks underline why. Our islands are not empty wildernesses – they’re thriving communities.
“They are not remote places with a few outbuildings. The Orkney Islands have seen a steady growth in population over recent years and regularly appear on list of the most desirable places to live.” STV News
President William Ruto meeting with representatives of IMF at State House on November 13, 2023.
The National Treasury has detailed strategies Kenya will use in seeking external funding days after the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) approved Ksh1.9 trillion in loans.
In a statement, CS Njuguna Ndung'u detailed that the country would lean towards sourcing loans from multilateral agencies rather than taking commercial loans from banks.
Njuguna added that the concessional loans from bodies such as the World Bank and IMF made more economic sense to the country owing to the terms and conditions for the credits offered.
Usually, concessional loans are offered at a lower interest rate in comparison to those offered by commercial banks.
"In light of the uncertainty surrounding access to global bond markets, the government strategy has shifted to focus on seeking out concessional funding from the multilateral lenders like IMF and the World Bank and bilateral development partners, in addition to stepping up efforts to improve macroeconomic environment and carrying out the necessary structural reforms.
"Kenya will continue its efforts to access commercial financing when favourable market conditions permit," read the statement in part.
On the other hand, the CS indicated that the government would continue implementing other strategies, such as enhanced revenue collection to ensure timely repayments of debts.
"As such, the fiscal deficit is projected to decline from 5.6 per cent of GDP in FY 2022/23 to 4.7 per cent of GDP in FY 2023/24 and further to below 4 per cent of GDP in FY 2024/25.
"Despite the liquidity challenges Kenya is facing, the macroeconomic environment remains stable, with real GDP expanding by 5.4 per cent in the first half of 2023, primarily due to a robust recovery in the agriculture and services sectors," read the statement in part.
The strategies by the Treasury were unveiled after the World Bank announced that it would give Kenyans Ksh1.8 trillion ($12 billion) in phased credit disbursement in three years.
On the other hand, the IMF announced that the country would get a loan amounting to Ksh142.8 billion.
According to Ruto, the credit facilities will be used to boost the country's coffers and tame inflation and debt vulnerabilities.
As of September 2023, the country's debt portfolio, including the Eurobond set to mature next year, stood at Ksh10.58 trillion. Kenya is set to pay Ksh500 billion to service the Eurobond from December. By Washington Mito, Kenyans.co.ke
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