East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 07 May 2023; 446

People walk next to a house destroyed by floods in the village of Nyamukubi, South Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of Congo

The death toll from flash floods and landslides in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo has risen beyond 200, with many more people still missing, according to local authorities in the province of South Kivu.

Thomas Bakenge, administrator of Kalehe, the worst-hit territory, told reporters on the scene Saturday that 203 bodies had been recovered so far, but that efforts to find others were continuing.

In the village of Nyamukubi, where hundreds of homes were washed away, rescue workers and survivors dug through the ruins Saturday looking for more bodies in the mud. Villagers wept as they gathered around some of the bodies recovered so far, which lay on the grass covered in muddy cloths near a rescue workers post.

Grieving survivor Anuarite Zikujuwa said she had lost her entire family, including her in-laws, as well as many of her neighbours.

"The whole village has been turned into a wasteland. There's only stones left, and we can't even tell where our land once was," she said.

Michake Ntamana, a rescue worker helping look for and bury the dead, said villagers were trying to identify and collect the bodies of loved ones found so far. He said some bodies washed down from villages higher in the hills were being buried shrouded just in leaves off the trees.

"It's truly sad because we have nothing else here," he said.

Rivers broke their banks in villages in the territory of Kalehe, close to the shores of Lake Kivu on Thursday. Authorities have reported scores of people injured. One survivor told AP the flash floods took everyone by surprise.

South Kivu Gov. Théo Ngwabidje visited the area to see the destruction for himself. He posted on his Twitter account that the provincial government had dispatched medical, shelter and food supplies. Several main roads to the affected area have been made impassable by the rains, hampering the relief efforts.

President Felix Tshisekedi has declared a national day of mourning on Monday to honour the victims, and the central government is sending a crisis management team to South Kivu to support the provincial government.

Heavy rains in recent days have brought misery to thousands in East Africa, with parts of Uganda and Kenya also seeing heavy rainfall. Flooding and landslides in Rwanda, which borders Congo, left 129 people dead earlier this week.

Local government official Bakenge told AP, "This is the fourth time that such damage has been caused by the same rivers. Not 10 years pass without them causing enormous damage." Written by VOA, The Observer

Details: East Africa; 07 May 2023; 433

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President William Ruto addressing media at State House, Nairobi on May 5, 2023, after holding bilateral talks.

Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group

A deal in the works between Kenya and Germany could see Berlin open its doors for Kenyans to take up some of the 250,000 jobs slots available to meet the European nation’s huge labour needs, President William Ruto announced yesterday.

President Ruto was speaking from State House, Nairobi during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.

The European country will absorb more professional, skilled and semi-skilled Kenyans under the agreement. To enable this, Nairobi urged Berlin to review and ease immigration laws to enable Kenyans find employment in Germany.

Further, they agreed to establish a twin institutions’ framework for pairing Kenyan technical and vocational training (TVET) colleges with selected TVET colleges in Germany, with the goal of facilitating the labour migration from Kenya to Germany upon graduation.

“We have agreed to establish a technical team from my office and the ministries of Foreign Affairs and Labour in both countries, to initiate discussions, expeditiously navigate the procedures and formulate an appropriate framework for the export of labour to Germany,” Dr Ruto said.

The Head of State observed that the two countries had deep historical ties dating back to 1963. Upon attainment of independence, Germany, President Ruto said, was the first state to recognise “our newly-born nation.”

Also Read: Kenya to resolve tax impasse with Japan ‘in four months’

That marked the beginning of a deep friendship that has grown stronger every passing year, with the common values and cooperation in diverse spheres of endeavour being the fabric holding the ties together, he said.

Germany offered to support, expand and upgrade TVET institutions and centres of excellence in the country from three to seven under a programme that will see more Kenyan youth benefit, and alleviate joblessness.

“To bridge the language gap, we agreed to introduce the teaching and learning of German in basic education institutions, TVETs and other institutions of higher learning.

Germany agreed to support us in training teachers,” Dr Ruto said, adding that the two countries agreed on the need to align, as much as possible, the Kenyan and German TVET curricula.

In East Africa, Kenya is Germany’s most important trading partner. However, the President decried the fact that the trade balance was in favour of Germany.

He said Kenya’s exports to Germany in 2021 were worth only $130 million, while imports amounted to $392 million.

“I have therefore called on the Chancellor to review tariff barriers and allow Kenyan products to enter Germany as well as the European market,” President Ruto said.

Kenya also urged Germany to support its efforts to conclude negotiation of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the East African Community and the European Union. The two leaders also agreed on the need for the world to work together to mitigate the effects of climate change.

President Ruto said the discussions in this critical matter must not be limited to “adaptation, loss and damage. Indeed, they must include climate financing, climate trading and climate investment”.

To ensure that Africa’s voice on the climate issue is heard loud and clear, President Ruto revealed that Nairobi will host the African Climate Action Summit in September.

“This will enable the continent’s leaders and experts to consolidate Africa’s position ahead of COP28,” he said. In response, Chancellor Scholz committed to extend financial and technical support to the summit.

Germany and Kenya also discussed regional peace and security, sharing concerns over what they termed “the unfortunate events in Sudan” and the spillover effects to the region.

While lobbying for international support, President Ruto said Kenya had repeatedly called for the end to the conflict and a return to the path of peaceful resolution through dialogue.

“We underscored the need for the international community to support Kenya, IGAD and the Africa Union in ongoing efforts to resolve the conflict,” the President said.

“We agreed on the immediate need for unconditional cessation of hostilities, humanitarian aid access and protection of civilians.

“On Ukraine, Kenya has consistently underscored the principles of the United Nations Charter which call for respect for territorial integrity, sovereignty and peaceful resolution of disputes.”

The bilateral meeting also saw the two states agree to explore a new phase that will be anchored on a strategic bilateral partnership framework in a plan that will strengthen and solidify Kenya’s relations with Germany. By Daniel Ogetta, NMG

Details: East Africa; 06 May 2023; 475

Azimio leader Raila Odinga on Saturday met with Pastor Ezekiel Odero of The New Life Prayer Centre and Church in Kilifi.

Raila had attended a burial ceremony in Chonyi, Kilifi County.

In a video seen by the Star, the two are seen taking a walk inside Ezekiel's church as they conversed.

Raila is the first national leader to meet with Pastor Ezekiel since he was released from police custody on Thursday.

On Thursday, Shanzu Law Courts released the televangelist on a bond of Sh3 million or cash bail of Sh1.5 million.

He was arrested in relation to the Shakahola cult which has left more than 100 people dead.

Ezekiel is accused of crimes against humanity, money laundering among other allegations.

Details: East Africa; 07 May 2023; 430

Self-styled vlogger, Ibrahim Tusibira aka Isma Olaxes aka Jajja Ichuli has been shot dead near his home in Kyanja, a Kampala suburb, a few days after he celebrated the death of former state minister for Labour, Charles Engola.

Engola was shot dead on Tuesday morning by his own bodyguard Private Wilson Sabiti inside his home also in Kyanja before also shooting himself following disagreements over unpaid salary and allowances. Ichuli would afterwards accuse government officials of treating their lower-ranked staff as trash, saying even more will be killed.

Ichuli's shooting is reminiscent of the previous killings of former Buyende district police commander Muhammad Kirumira, former police spokesperson Andrew Felix Kaweesi and former MP Ibrahim Abiriga who were attacked from all sides, and their vehicles showered with bullets.

Ichuli has been an outspoken critic and he had made a career out of attacking the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) party and its president Robert Kyagulanyi.

In fact, following the November 2020 riots in which as per government's own admission over 56 were shot dead, Ichuli said security ought to have killed more opposition supporters so as to show Kyagulanyi and his supporters how the state is in charge. He would, later on, apologise for the reckless statements, saying he made them at the peak of presidential election campaigns when emotions were very.

It is not only opposition supporters who tasted his bitter tongue, he previously attacked prime minister Robinah Nabbanja, speaker Anita Among, and businessman Hamis Kiggundu among others though by the time of his death he'd made up with them and would publicly admit to now working for them.

This week, he again vented out his frustration with the government, saying they had 'used' him during a volatile campaign and had now abandoned and dumped him. He'd vowed not to campaign for the ruling party ever again come 2026, saying they often forget about their foot soldiers as soon they regain power.

According to earlier interviews that he conducted, he lived in Sweden before he got deported to Uganda. He set up a painting company but has always been complaining about the lack of contracts. - URN/The Observer

Details: East Africa; 06 May 2023; 591

Retired Speakers of the National Assembly and the Senate will henceforth enjoy hefty perks should the Finance Bill 2023 be approved by Parliament.

According to the Bill presented to legislators by the Treasury last week, former Speakers of Parliament will, during their lifetime, be entitled to a monthly pension equal to 80 per cent of their last monthly salary while in office.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC), according to a gazette notice issued in 2022, currently pegs the salary of Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate at Sh1.16 million, each, inclusive of their basic pay which is set at Sh696,000 with an additional house allowance of Sh250,000 and salary market adjustment of Sh214,000, each.

This means that upon retirement, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi could be eligible for a monthly pension of approximately Sh928,000, each.

Former Speakers will also be eligible for a lump sum payment calculated as a sum to one year’s salary paid for each term served in office.

And in a move that will put them at per with other entitled persons such as retired Judges and even Deputy Presidents, they will be eligible to a four-wheel drive vehicle of an engine capacity not exceeding 3000 cc which shall be replaceable once every four years, and one saloon vehicle of an engine capacity not exceeding 2000 CC which shall also be replaceable once every four years.

The Finance Bill proposes that the Speakers will receive a fuel allowance equal to 15 per cent of the current monthly salary of the office holder- Sh174,000- will also be availed monthly.

“They will also be entitled to full medical and hospital cover, providing for local and overseas treatment, with a reputable insurance company for the entitled person’s spouse. As well as the additional benefits set out in the first schedule,” reads the Bill.

The draft law also provides for the benefits of a retired Speaker who partially serves their stipulated tenure in office.

An entitled person who is in office for less than a term, shall not be entitled to all the benefits set out above but shall be eligible for a gratuity paid at the end of their service at the rate of 31 per cent of the entitled person’s salary while in office.

They will also have access to one armed security guard who shall be provided on request by the entitled person and diplomatic passports for the entitled person and his spouse and access to the VIP lounge at all airports within Kenya.

“Where an entitled person dies in service after the commencement of this Act, a lump sum on death calculated as a sum equal to five times his annual salary shall become payable to his legal personal representatives,” further notes the Bill.

Moreover, the benefits granted to an entitled person or his or her surviving spouse shall be administered; in the case of a retired Deputy President, retired Prime Minister, or retired Vice President, by the office of the President and shall be provided for in the estimates of national government referred to in Article 221 (1) of the Constitution.

In the case of a retired Speaker of the National Assembly or the Senate, by the Parliamentary Service Commission, they shall be provided for in the estimates of the parliamentary service prepared pursuant to Article 127(6)(c) of the Constitution.

And in the case of a retired Chief Justice or retired Deputy Chief Justice, by the Judicial Service Commission and shall be provided for in the estimates of the Judiciary prepared pursuant to Article 173(3) of the Constitution.

The Speakers mandated to ensure order in the conduction of House business and that lawmakers abide by the rules and traditions. The Speakers are ex-officio Members of Parliament elected by parliamentarians. According to the Constitution, the National Assembly Speaker is the third in command after the President and his deputy. - Josphat Thiong’o, The Standard