East Africa

East Africa

Details: Julius Mbaluto; East Africa; 23 July 2022; 501

USAID Administrator Samantha Power and CS Margaret Kobia at the Nairobi Serena Hotel yesterday. Sila Kiplagat | Nation Media Group

The US government yesterday announced a Sh30 billion relief package to Kenya to help the country fight the ongoing drought. The funds, donated through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will go towards the provision of food, clean water, farm input and healthcare services to affected families.

Speaking during a press conference in Nairobi, USAID administrator Samantha Power said the funds will be used to provide relief assistance packages to families in the arid and the semi-arid areas and to cushion farmers from losses. She said USAID has already provided at least $1.3 billion to the horn of Africa region, money it says will be used to fight hunger and drought.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that the United States will provide Kenya with an additional $255 million in humanitarian and development assistance. Of this, around $234 million will be in humanitarian assistance and emergency relief and over $20 million in development assistance, and that is investment in long-term agriculture activities and food security and adaptive programmes to help farmers withstand the very devastating effect of the current crisis,” Ms Power said.

The donations come at a time when the government is fighting a prolonged drought that has hit the arid and semi-arid parts of the country, resulting in hunger and livestock deaths.

Facing hunger

At least 4.1 million people are currently facing hunger, according to the government, with an additional 942,000 children facing malnutrition across the country. The figures are an increase from the 3.5 million people who were in March this year said to be facing hunger and another 636,000 children who were suffering from malnutrition.

The government has largely blamed the current hunger crisis on the lack of rainfall, the two-year Covid-19 pandemic that shrunk the economy, the desert locust invasion that destroyed crops last year and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Margaret Kobia yesterday said a lack of resources to provide relief services to the affected families had also worsen the situation.

“This intervention comes at a time when arid and semi-arid areas are facing droughts as a result of four successive failed rainy seasons. We are also trying to recover from the two years of Covid-19, coupled with the prolonged desert locust invasion and global ramification of the war in Ukraine,” Prof Kobia said.

“Consequently, the government of Kenya has scaled up its drought mitigation efforts and to date, we have spent approximately Sh12.6 billion on interventions. However, the persistent drought has left us with resources gap of more than Sh15 billion for interventions required in critical sectors of food security, health and nutrition, water, agriculture and livestock.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta had in September last year declared drought a national disaster after months of failed rains forced many families to go for days without food. According the United Nations, at least 15 million people are currently facing severe water shortages and acute food insecurity in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, a number it says could reach 20 million if these conditions persist.

Ms Power yesterday said the US had already provided $65 million towards drought response in Kenya, funds she said had reached over one million people in the arid and semi-arid lands.

“This assistance includes food, special nutrition assistance, access to clean water and cash assistance, as well as protection for women and girls who are often the hardest hit during emergencies of this nature,” she said.

Prof Kobia said despite the challenges, Kenya has made significant progress in managing drought and associated risks. “We attribute this progress to the policy shift, which has up-scaled cash transfer programmes from 700,000 to 935,000 beneficiaries, resilience building and enhanced partnership and coordination, and strengthened early warning systems.” By Silas Apollo, NMG

Details: Julius Mbaluto; East Africa; 23 July 2022; 511

A Metropolitan Police officer caught spying on a woman in the changing room of a Primark store has avoided jail.

PC Swaleh Chaudhry, was caught when the victim spotted his phone being used to film her at the shopping centre in Wandsworth, south London.

Following his arrest detectives also found a number of child abuse images and extreme pornography in his home.

Appearing at Kingston Crown Court the 36-year-old was sentenced to ten months in prison suspended for 18 months. He was also given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order.

Chaudhry had previously pleaded guilty to one count of voyeurism; one count of possession of extreme pornography and three counts of making an indecent image of a child.

Victim screamed: 'Are you recording me?'

Outlining the details of the case at an earlier plea hearing, prosecutor Suleman Hussain said: "A female complainant was in the fitting room trying on clothing and she stated she heard rustling in the fitting room next to hers.

“Under the benches was a gap in between the fitting rooms, she saw a black mobile phone with the camera facing her.

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“She saw the camera appearing to follow her as she was moving, she began to scream ‘Are you recording me?’.

“There was a response from the cubicle next to hers, saying no. She came out and warned her boyfriend, and the defendant was then challenged.” By Martin Evans, The Telegraph

Details: Julius Mbaluto; East Africa; 22 July 2022; 566

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua when he arrived at CUEA University for the running mate debate.[Denish Ochieng, Standard]

Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua has opened a fight with a Ministry of Lands official over ownership of a piece of land in Nairobi valued at Sh1.5 billion.

Mr Gachagua, who is also the United Democratic Alliance deputy presidential candidate, and his company, Wamunyoro Investments Limited, filed an urgent suit at the Environment and Lands Court seeking to stop the official from taking over the five-acre land in Embakasi. Through lawyer Philip Nyachoti, the MP accused the Director of Physical Planning at the Ministry of Lands John Michael Ohas of illegally transferring the land’s title to Columbus 2000 Limited and denying him the rights despite being the bonafide owner.

“Mr Ohas took advantage of his position to transfer the land’s title to Columbus 2000 Limited where he is the director and deliberately tampered with the records whereby any official search indicates that Gachagua and his company are not the owners,” said Nyachoti.

Mr Nyachoti asked the court to issue an order stopping Ohas, Columbus 2000 Ltd, and the Chief Lands Registrar from selling, sub-dividing, or interfering with the title of the disputed land pending determination of the suit. According to the lawyer, the dispute relating to the land’s ownership was determined by the National Lands Commission (NLC) in 2016 when they upheld that Gachagua and his company legally acquired the land in 2012 from the original owners.

Nyachoti argued that despite the findings by NLC, Mr Ohas and his company have refused to hand back the land to the MP after illegally and fraudulently obtaining a second title.

“The property is currently valued at Sh1.5 billion and was used by Mr Gachagua, through his company Wamunyoro Investments Ltd, as security to obtain a loan of Sh200 million from Equity Bank. Refusing to register him as the land’s owner is causing him losses,” said Nyachoti.

Mr Nyachoti accused the Ministry of Lands official of engaging in a conflict of interest by fraudulently transferring Gachagua’s land to himself and cleaning all the records to show the MP does not own the land. Gachagua, in his affidavit, swore that he acquired the land in 2012 after purchasing it from Karandi Farm Limited and Peter Mbugua at a cost of Sh24 million and had the title registered in his company’s name. The MP stated that he then assumed possession and used the title as security to acquire the Sh200 million loan, but was surprised in 2016 when Mr Ohas filed a complaint at NLC claiming that he owned the land.

“He claimed that he acquired the land in 1994 but after careful analysis, the commission dismissed his claims and found that my title was legally acquired. Even after the commission dismissed his claims to the land, Ohas has never taken any steps to appeal the decision,” said Gachagua. Gachagua stated that after the NLC’s decision in 2016, he took possession of the land until December 2019 when the Ministry of Lands official allegedly interfered with the records and removed his name as the owner. By Paul Ogemba, The Standard

Details: Julius Mbaluto; East Africa; 22 July 2022; 558

Dr Biren Yajnik and Dr Muhammad Mbabali address journalists in Kampala on July 20, 2022. PHOTO/SYLVIA KATUSHABE

What you need to know:

Experts have urged urged government to extend more budgetary allocations to health systems since “oral health is equally important.”

Dental surgeons under their umbrella body, Uganda Dental Association (UDA), have decried rising cases of dental health issues in the country.

Dr Muhammad Mbabali, a lecturer at the Makerere School of Dentistry said research by the African Health Science in partnership with the university shows 90 percent of Uganda’s more than 44 million people need dental attention.

“When we talk of oral health care, most of us interpret it as dental decay only, but it is a wide range of oral health care conditions that require dental care,” he explained while addressing journalists at the Makerere on Wednesday.

Dr Mbabali further explained that dental gum diseases are the commonest at 95 percent and if not managed well, the condition progresses to Periodontitis which is the breakdown of the structures and subsequent teeth shaking.

The experts attributed the surge in dental cases to excessive consumption of artificial sugars together with bottle feeding among toddlers.

“The best snack for your child are fruits and Uganda is blessed with that,” cosmetic dentist at Stelling Dental clinic, Dr Biren Yajnik observed.

According to government data, Uganda has a dentist-patient ratio of 1:120000 compared to the recommended World Health Organization (WHO) recommended 1:7500.

The UDA president, Dr Geoffrey Bataringaya highlighted need for empowering more practitioners to supplement about 398 licensed dental surgeons across the country, including those not practicing.

“So if I am supposed to see 120,000 patients and the maximum I can offer is 4-6 patients a day, you can see the need, and when you relate those two, with the disease burden that goes up to 90percent. We (Uganda) are still in a dilemma,” he said.

Dr Bataringaya further urged government to extend more budgetary allocations to health systems since “oral health is equally important.” By Sylivia Katushabe, Daily Monitor

Details: Julius Mbaluto; East Africa; 22 July 2022; 509

Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank, Andrew Dabalen WORLD BANK

Kenyan-born economist, Andrew Dabalen, is the new World Bank Africa Region Chief Economist.

Dabalen, who assumed office on July 1, replaced Albert Zeufack, who was named Country Director for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Angola, Burundi, and Sao Tome and Principe.

In his new role, Dabalen will be charged with developing economic studies in the region that will shape the implementation of development projects funded by the World Bank.

Chief Economist, Africa, World Bank Andrew Dabalen during a conference on October 18, 2018. WORLD BANK

"The Chief Economist is responsible for providing guidance on strategic priorities and the technical quality of economic analysis in the region," stated the World Bank on its website while making the announcement.

Dabalen's selection was based on his prowess in success in the fight against poverty guided by scholarly research. He has worked with World Bank for over a decade, a journey that began in Kenya.

While he was born in the country, his parents moved to Washington DC, where he attained his education. He took economics for his undergraduate degree.

The economist cum scholar holds a Master's degree in International Development and a Doctor of Philosophy in Agricultural and Resource Economics, both from the University of California.

He then took up research in global economics and has published scholarly work which has been referenced by other intellectuals across the world.

"His work focused on poverty and social impact analysis, inequality of opportunity, program evaluation, risk and vulnerability, labor markets, and conflict and welfare outcomes," reads his World Bank profile.

Among his publications is 'Sources of the persistent gender wage gap along the unconditional earnings distribution: findings from Kenya' which he published in January 2013.

He joined the World Bank in 2011 as a Lead Economist and has served in various capacities including Senior Economist in the World Bank’s Europe and Central Asia Region.

In addition, he worked as a Lead Economist and Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in Africa and most recently, Practice Manager for Poverty and Equity in the South Asia Region.

World Bank offices in Washington DC, USA. FILE