East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 11 May 2023; 446

FILE: A worker measures and trims roses at a greenhouse in Njoro. Kenya is among the top producers of cut flowers in the world, exporting 70 percent of its harvest to Europe. /CFP

Kenya projects its exports to rise 15 percent to hit 1.01 trillion shillings (about 7.38 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023, up from 6.38 billion dollars recorded in 2022, a government official said Thursday.

Peter Ochieng, acting director of Research and Innovation at the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), told Xinhua in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, that the increase will be driven by greater sales of agricultural products to the European Union and Britain.

"The ongoing favorable weather conditions will result in higher production of tea, coffee and horticultural products," Ochieng said on the sidelines of a forum on promoting Kenya as a global destination hub for outsourcing work.

Ochieng added that Kenya has also discovered new export markets for its livestock products in the Middle East and Asia this year.

He revealed that the country will also benefit from the rising demand for Kenya's manufactured products in Africa.

"This year we also expect to sell more manufactured products such as pharmaceuticals as well as construction materials to the Democratic Republic of the Congo," Ochieng added. CGTN/Source(s): Xinhua News Agency

Details: East Africa; 11 May 2023; 540

The Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (RTNLA) on Tuesday approved the speech President Salva Kiir made during the opening of the first session of the house in March as a policy document for the government.

Speaking to the press after Tuesday’s parliamentary sitting, John Agany, the chairperson of the information committee who also doubles as the parliamentary spokesperson, said after thorough deliberations, the house saw it necessary to adopt the speech as government policy as raised pertinent issues.

Kiir’s speech touched on several thematic areas including the status of the implementation of the peace agreement, the deteriorating economy, free primary and secondary education, development, and humanitarian issues among others.

“The speech of the president appears to address all the political issues and also developmental activities that are supposed to be carried out by the Revitalized government of National Unity (RTGoNU),” Agany said. “The resolution was made that the document has to be passed in totality. The document which was passed and adopted by the assembly is now a working policy document for the government. It addressed the key issues that the government is asked to implement and also make the way forward for development activities.”

The legislator commended President Kiir for pointing out important issues and admitting that the implementation of the peace agreement is slow.

“The agreement is also mentioned there and the government is commissioned to put an eye on that,” he revealed. “The speech of the president has been concluded and it is now becoming the policy document. It was submitted back to the committee concerned to include the inputs made by members and then it will be a final document.”

“It will go back to the president who will then give it to the executive as a working policy document,” Agany added. - Radio Tamazuj

Details: East Africa; 10 May 2023; 444

A photo of jobseekers waiting for an interview in Nairobi County on June, 18, 2019.

The State Department for Diaspora Affairs on Wednesday, May 10, refuted claims that a Canadian organisation had contracted the government to hire 64 Kenyans for select jobs. The government entity flagged a fake advertisement notice, cautioning unsuspecting Kenyans against being duped.

Kenya High Commission in Ottawa, Canada also warned of the advertisement that had been circulating online, stating that it had not issued any endorsements on the same.

“Our attention has been drawn to this advertisement. The Mission wishes to inform you that it has not issued or endorsed any advertisement both in print and/or social media and therefore believes this is a scam.

Kenyan youth queuing on Wabera Street in Nairobi, waiting for services on May 26, 2018.

PHOTO

“The general public, particularly Kenyans, are advised accordingly,” the High Commission stated.

According to the advertisement shared by the High Commission, the company was seeking to hire 18 nurses and 23 food handlers and packagers.

In addition, the company also noted that it was hiring seven drivers, and 16 caregivers all from Kenya through the government totalling 64 professionals.

"Please arrange to recruit Kenyan nationals for our company as per the details given below against the following terms and conditions," the advertisement read in part.

Earlier in a separate event on Monday, May 10, police officers detained a woman in Kayole accused of baiting Kenyans with prospective jobs in Canada and stealing millions of shillings from them.

The victims accused the suspect of vanishing into thin air after receiving the money and failing to provide evidence of the existence of the jobs.

How to spot fake job advert

Candidates should double-check whether a posting contains both spelling and grammatical errors, as it is common for most businesses to portray themselves negatively when advertising for a position.

At the same time, look out for job adverts that request payment before interviews. Recruiting agencies always post that their advertisements are free of charge and hence no one should pay any amount for the vacant position.

In addition, candidates should do a quick search to ensure a company has an online presence as well as carefully go through the details of the job advertisement. Be wary of quick rich scams that sound too good to be true.

Candidates should also avoid addresses that have a personal domain such as Yahoo, Gmail, or Hotmail.

Jobless Kenyans and Scams

A survey conducted by AFP Fact Check in July 2022, uncovered the various tricks online scammers employed to steal from unsuspecting Kenyans on the internet.

The survey revealed that not only did the scammers attract Kenyans, but also preyed on other desperate unemployed individuals across the continent, luring them with lucrative job offers that were hard to resist.

According to the latest statistics by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the number of jobless persons grew 2.94 per cent from 2.89 million in September 2022.

The data revealed that an average of 1.54 million jobless Kenyans were between 20 and 29 years - underlining the crisis in youth unemployment. By Joy Kwama, Kenyans.co.ke

Details: East Africa; 10 May 2023; 522

With Justin Welby leading the charge, some Conservative MPs fear that the Illegal Migration Bill could be ‘dismembered’ in the House of Lords (Photo: Gareth Fuller/PA Wire)Photo Courtesy

The head of the Church of England warned that the bill ‘undermines international cooperation’ and was ‘morally unacceptable’

The Archbishop of Canterbury has heavily criticised the Government’s highly contentious laws to stop small boat Channel crossings as “morally unacceptable”.

Speaking in the House of Lords, the Most Rev Dr Justin Welby said the UK needed a bill to “stop the boats” and “destroy the evil tribe of traffickers”, but added that “without much change, this is not that bill”.

He told peers: “This bill fails utterly to take a long-term and strategic view of the challenges of migration and undermines international co-operation rather than taking an opportunity for the UK to show leadership as we did in 1951. There are too many problems for one speech in this bill.”

Dr Welby added: “It is isolationist, it is morally unacceptable and politically impractical to let the poorest countries deal with it alone and cut our international aid.”

He spoke during the first appearance in the House of Lords of the Illegal Migration Bill, which will give ministers powers to deport migrants who arrive via the Channel to Rwanda.

He also criticised the Government for trying to circumvent legal challenges, claiming that global conventions on refugees “are not inconvenient obstructions to get around by any legislative means necessary”.

The Archbishop warned the bill was a “short-term fix” that risked “great damage to the UK’s interests and reputation at home and abroad, let alone the interests of those in need of protection”.

It is the first time that the head of the Church of England has given his views on the current legislation which places a duty on the Home Secretary to detain and deport all Channel asylum seeker. i revealed on Tuesday that he would make such an intervention.

Last year, during a debate in the Lords on the small boats issue, Dr Welby attacked “harmful rhetoric” from Home Secretary Suella Braverman about the UK being subject to an “invasion”.

Speaking in December, Dr Welby urged politicians and the public to reject the “shrill narratives that all who come to us for help should be treated as liars, scroungers or less than fully human”.

Other leading figures in the church have hit out at the legislation. Earlier this month, the Rt Revd Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Chelmsford who sits in the House of Lords, accused ministers of using rhetoric which “targets the victims” who deserve protection from “war and persecution”.

She added that not only was the legislation “immoral” but that it would fail in its objective of stopping small boat crossings, which continue to increase each year.

Paul Butler, the Bishop of Durham, who is another member of the 20 Lord Bishops in the upper chamber, also condemned the Government’s legislation, warning it would “inflict harm” and send people into “destitution”.

He added that the legislation must not pass in its current form and accused the Government in “abdicating in its moral and legal” duties to protect those fleeing persecution. By Eleanor Langford, I News

Details: East Africa; 10 May 2023; 490

By NANGAYI GUYSON

Kampala, Uganda- Recently, Ugandan police detained 11 female opposition Members of Parliament on suspicion of conducting an illegal demonstration; some of the politicians were hurt in the process.

The legislators were brutally arrested outside the parliament buildings in Kampala as they left the House to deliver a protest message to the Minister for Internal Affairs. They were protesting what they perceived as police violence and the excessive use of force to disrupt events that female legislators had planned in their local districts in recent weeks.

Parliament criticizes security agencies

Human rights advocates have responded to the arrest of the legislators. Thomas Tayebwa, the deputy speaker, blasted the security services for what he called the harsh arrest of 11 female lawmakers.

While commemorating International Women's Day, the members of parliament have voiced their opposition to the ongoing harassment of their fellow lawmakers by security forces.

Tayebwa described the arrest as humiliating and haughty, saying that 'one would believe the police were detaining terrorists because some of the MPs were bruised while others had their garments ripped'.

"I vehemently condemn the manner in which police this morning detained 11 female lawmakers who were acting peacefully and without weapons. Some people's clothes were torn, and some are bleeding.

Thomas Tayebwa, the deputy speaker of parliament, claimed on Twitter that it appeared as though they were apprehending terrorists.

"Their arrest was made indiscreetly at the Parliament gates. Therefore, I'm not sure if we are actually safe if people can be stationed at the parliament's gates to beat up on-duty citizens.

Tayebwa encouraged the government to look into individuals making the arrests and those in charge of such operations, claiming they might not be acting in the government's best interests.

The way they conducted the arrests "casts a bad image on the government that is aimed at its sabotage, so these people must be working for an invisible hand," he continued.

The roughness used during the arrests was uncalled for, according to Gen. David Muhoozi, Minister of State for Internal Affairs, and he "strongly condemns it."

Muhoozi disclosed that he had given the legislators unconditional release instructions.

While acknowledging the minister's sentiments and the orders issued to that effect, the leader of the opposition, Hon. Mathias Mpuuga, stated that he still demanded action against the police officers.

Mpuuga noted that even though they had filed a petition with the Speaker over the issue, that didn't preclude them from holding a lawful and constitutionally protected peaceful public protest.

He added, "Do these people operate under a different legal regime?" after observing Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a serving army officer, breach the law by holding public rallies while being escorted by ministers unmolested.

Mpuuga asserted that if such acts persisted, they would cause dissent throughout the nation and that, if they did, he would take all legal measures to ensure that Parliament exclusively dealt with issues pertaining to the protection of its citizens' rights.

The Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Whips of the Opposition Parties, the Minister of Internal Affairs, and the Attorney General were all present at the meeting that the Deputy Speaker called while the House was in session.

The group decided that the policemen who abused the MPs would face consequences, and their behavior would be highlighted in a report for Women's Day celebrations.

The Deputy Speaker revealed that the Speaker, Anita Among, had gone to the Central Police Station to obtain the full release of the MPs.

Joyce Bagala (Mityana District), Stella Apolot (Ngora District), Florence Kabugho (Kasese District), Betty Ethel Naluyima (Wakiso District), and Joan Acom Alobo (FDC, Soroti City) are among the 11 people who have been detained.

The others are Hanifa Nabukeera (Mukono District), Joan Namutaawe (Masaka District), Juliet Kakande (Masaka City), Asinansi Nyakato (Hoima City), Hellen Nakimuli (Kalangala), Manjeri Kyebakutika (Jinja City), and Hellen Nakimuli.

The MPs petitioned the Speaker on Wednesday, April 26, 2023, about the mistreatment they had endured from security staff and Resident District Commissioners (RDCs) when hosting events in their districts.

The most recent occurrence occurred on Friday, April 21, 2023 in the Buvuma Islands and sent the district's woman MP, Hon. Susan Mugabi, to the hospital.

Police officers were seen fighting to stop the politicians, who were all dressed in black clothes, into a vehicle in videos of the altercation that went viral on social media.

Luke Owoyesigyire, a spokesman for the police, refuted claims that officers had overreached. He claimed that the legislators had resisted arrest and had hurt some police personnel.

He said that they had been released on a police bond after being detained for participating in an unlawful protest. Over the years, cruelty against opponents of veteran leader Yoweri Museveni has repeatedly been leveled against Uganda's security forces.