East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 14 April 2023; 730

Narrative change organization Africa No Filter today announced a new fund aimed at boosting the careers of emerging African comedians.

The Africa No Filter Comedy Lab will fund comedians who use humour to tell exciting and fresh stories of Africa — away from storytelling that perpetuates stereotypes of poverty, corruption, poor leadership, conflict, and disease.

Successful applicants will get a grant of up to $3,000 to produce new content, as well as additional support in the form of mentorship by established professional comics, a masterclass aimed at boosting their business of their humour and marketing support to amplify their work and public profiles. The skits produced through the Africa No Filter Comedy Lab will also be showcased at a digital event.

Moky Makura, Executive Director at Africa No Filter, said: “We all know about the multiple benefits of humour and that laughter really is the best medicine. So, we’re bringing comedy into the narrative change space to shift some of those harmful narratives about Africa that still persist. Comedy is one of the fastest growing genres especially for content creators on the continent, and this is an opportunity for everyone and anyone who thinks they’re funny to put their talent to good use. I am really excited to launch the comedy lab and I am looking forward to shining a light on the comedians who keep us going, laughing and coping!”

The grant is open to African comedians - new, emerging and established - who are aged over 18, and based anywhere on the continent. They need to have a combined audience of 3,000 followers on Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook. Most importantly, their comedy must offer a fresh take on Africa and Africans; one that uses comedy to show a dynamic, evolving and progressive continent. Recipients will be selected by a panel of professional comedians, and public votes on social media.

All forms of comedy are welcome as long as they are delivered in a digital format and meet the selection criteria. Africa No Filter’s Art Program Officer, François Bouda, said: “We’re excited by the prospect of partnering with the next generation of top comedic talent in Africa.

We don’t just want to celebrate, amplify and empower comics with the resources to take their art to the next level, we also want to ensure this opportunity is accessible by accepting submissions in English and French. We also encourage applications by women and comedians from every corner of the continent.”

Bouda added: “We want comedians to see the Africa No Filter Comedy Lab as a unique opportunity to enhance their skills and to advance their professional careers; the reason this opportunity is not open for comedians who are already signed with an agent or management company. More importantly, we populate the creative space with original and impactful content.”

Applications close on 5 June 2023 at 6pm GMT. Only submissions sent through ANF channels will be considered. For more information on the Africa No Filter Comedy Lab, application process and tools to make submission stand out, visit: http://africanofilter.org/ANF-Comedy-Lab

Distributed by African Media Agency on behalf of Africa No Filter.

Details: East Africa; 14 April 2023; 660

Coin is one of the largest bonds that warehouses used motor vehicle in Uganda. Photo / File

What you need to know:

In a notice issued yesterday, URA indicated the commissioner customs had taken a decision to close Coin Bond resulting from a land wrangle

Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has directed importers and owners to clear out all motor vehicle units warehoused in Coin Bond in Nakawa Kampala. In a notice issued yesterday, URA indicated that the commissioner customs had taken a decision to close Coin Bond, noting that no importer or owner would be expected to deposit a motor vehicle in the said facility.

“The Commissioner Customs notifies the general public about the closure of Coin Bond, as such, no motor vehicle units shall be deposited in the said facility with effect from March 22,” the notice reads in part, adding: “The Commissioner Customs calls upon all owners of motor vehicles that are still warehoused in this bond to clear them out within ten [10] days … for either home consumption, exportation or removal to another licenced bond.”Coronavirus and its effect on the car sales business

Coin is one of the largest bonds that warehouses used motor vehicle in Uganda. It covers a long stretch on Jinja Road. Mr Ibrahim Bbosa, the URA assistant commissioner for public and corporate affairs, yesterday told Monitor, the bond had been closed over a land wrangle, which had existed over a long period of time.

“In our conditions for licensing bonds, it is not sustainable to have a bond whose existence is not guaranteed. So, there have been some back and forth between them and us where we have advised them to take the vehicles to other bonds.

Their latest communication to Commissioner Customs was requesting for more time, so that the car owners in the bond are able to pay their demurrage. Otherwise, if they just go away they will lose the demurrage,” he said, noting that they had provided the option of relocating vehicles to other bonds because their licence as a bonded warehouse for vehicles is not tenable now given their challenges.

However, Mr Bbosa did not give details of the nature of the land wrangle between Coin Bond and their landlord. Sources close to the matter, who asked for anonymity to speak freely about the matter, told Monitor the bond was being closed because of a land wrangle that has existed for more than 28 years.

The wrangle, sources said, is between Coin Bond and the landlord, whose details we could not readily establish.

However, sources noted, the landlord had recently won a court case, which in essence requires Coin Bond to vacate the land.

we could not readily get a comment from proprietors of Coin Bond.

An old case

It was not readily clear whether the wrangle is related to the one in 2000, in which Hwang Sung was forced to withdrew from Coin, after court stopped it from occupying the disputed bonded warehouse, which had been allocated to Hwang Sung by the KCC, now KCCA on claims that the owners had failed to utilise it ever since it was leased out. By Dorothy Nakaweesi, Daily Monitor

Details: East Africa; 13 April 2023; 693

A photo from the Australian Air Forces calling for the application of overseas applicants to join its military - PHOTO/AUSTRALIAN AIRFORCE

The Australian Defence Ministry announced military openings for Kenyans and other foreigners interested to join its ranks.

The basic salary to be paid during the basic military training is Ksh6.6 million per year minus other benefits and the amount rises to Ksh8 million during initial employment training.

Applicants seeking to join the army must be eligible and undertake to become an Australian citizen.

“The Australian Army will be accepting Expressions of Interest between March 1, 2023 – 1 June 2023 and October 1, 2023 – May 30, 2024,” the Defence Ministry announced the opportunities.

Eligibility

The Australian Government gives preference to foreigners already serving in their countries or who left the service not less than three years before the application.

You should also be less than 48 years old and able to demonstrate proficiency in the English Language.

Once you make the application, you must resign from any disciplined forces job you might be holding.

Positions available

Vacancies for foreigners joining the Australian army are broadly grouped into ‘officer’ and ‘other ranks’ categories.

The opportunities available include; General Service Officer (GSO), Specialist Service Officer (SSO) and other ranks (soldiers).

For GSO you must have a college certificate while for SSO you will need to have obtained a level of tertiary qualifications for your specialist area of expertise.

General soldiers need to have at least a secondary school education and basic military training.

How to apply

Interested candidates must make an application directly through the Australian Defence website Army.defencejobs.gov.au/joining-and-training/can-i-join/citizenship/overseas-applicants By Kioko Nyamasyo, Kenyans.co.ke

Details: East Africa; 14 April 2023; 597

Government agencies at the Port of Mombasa have urged the Burundi National Monitoring Committee (NMC) on Non-Tariff Barriers (NTBs) to make Mombasa their Port of choice to maximise on the benefits of Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) freight service.

Senior government officers from the Ministry of East African Community (EAC), Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), Kenya Railways Corporation (KR), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Northern Corridor Transit Transport Coordination Authority (NCTTCA) during a meeting with officials of the Burundi NMC on NTBs portrayed the port as a the perfect hub for transit.

Officials of the Burundi NMC on NTBs led by chairperson Daniel Kabura, were on a fact-finding mission at the port to exploit opportunities for trade facilitation between the two countries.

He was accompanied by Burundi’s Director of Customs, Trade and Investment in the Ministry of EAC Affairs Ndizeye Bobby Jean Marrie and NMC on NTBs vice chairperson Rosime Tuyishime.

The Burundi team was enticed with Kenya’s improved road and rail infrastructure network which can provide access to the alternative North Central Corridor route through the Holili One Stop Border Post (OSBP) in Taveta which shortens the distance between Bujumbura and Mombasa by about 400 kilometres.

Mombasa Port faces competition from the port of Dar es Salaam, port of Djibouti and port Durban in South Africa.

Mombasa Port also serves, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo where it has to compete for cargo with other regional ports.

Kenya is currently wooing Ethiopia to use the new port of Lamu.

The Burundi delegation heard that using SGR freight service from the Port of Mombasa to Nairobi and Naivasha ICDs and then to the old Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) all the way to Malaba was a sure way of saving time and costs.

Due to the linkage with the SGR freight service, the port has become a cheaper alternative for shipment of goods to the hinterland.

“Kenya Railways has constructed an MGR line linking the SGR line at the Naivasha ICD. This means that cargo destined for Western parts of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Eastern DRC and South Sudan can be moved by SGR to Naivasha for onward movement to Malaba/Kampala by rail then picked by road to the final destinations,” said David Muga, Principal Marketing Officer, Kenya Railways Corporation.

He said the cargo volumes transported from Naivasha ICD via MGR have continued growing and announced KR’s plans to soon acquire 16 new Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) locomotives.

Muga presented operational details in terms of distance and transit time saying cargo transportation by rail from the Port of Mombasa-Nairobi-Naivasha–Malaba, a distance of 1,062 km would take five days, while from the Port of Mombasa-Nairobi- Naivasha- Malaba- Kampala, a distance of 1315 km would take seven days.

The officer also noted that rehabilitation of Port of Kisumu was an option for transporting cargo by SGR to Naivasha then to Kisumu by MGR then via the lake route to two different routes Jinja and Port Bell in Uganda.

His sentiments were corroborated by the KR Coast Operations Manager Thomas Ojijo who added that “Our intention is to start getting cargo to be ferried from the Port of Kisumu, delivered to Mwanza upon the inauguration of MV Uhuru II which has a higher capacity of 1800 tons.”

KPA’s Manager Conventional Cargo Operations Ali Mwambire said the port has capacity and the requisite expertise to handle all cargo including Burundi’s.

“We really want Burundi cargo. Distance is not an issue as long as we have efficient technology and the road-rail connectivity,” he said.

Mwambire described Burundi as a key customer saying that explains why the Authority set up a liaison office in Bujumbura in 2014.

He said the distance between Mombasa and Bujumbura through the North Central Corridor is 1640 km as compared to the 1957 km via the Northern Corridor.

“In terms of port tariffs, we are looking at how we can offer incentives to customers who are willing to route their cargo through the Port of Mombasa,” he added.

NCTTCA’s Director of Customs and Trade Facilitation Emille Sinzimusi observed that transport by rail in the region was becoming a gamechanger specifically with the advent of the SGR.

He said Burundi as a hinterland needs to exploit the potential provided by the SGR and the facilities at Nairobi and Naivasha ICDs to enjoy the economies of scale in cargo movement.

Sinzimusi noted that though the cargo volumes from the Port of Mombasa to Burundi are deemed marginal, currently a lot of cargo leaves Nairobi’s Industrial area to Burundi through Namanga.

“When you ferry cargo from the Port of Mombasa to Naivasha ICD and move it to Bujumbura through Isebania, you will realise a lot of economies of scale,” he added.

Burundi bound cargo volumes through the Port of Mombasa dropped from 22,000 metric tons in 2018 to 13,805 metric tons in 2022.

Kenya Ships Agents Association (KSA) CEO Juma Tellah encouraged the Burundians to use the Port of Mombasa saying it remains one of the best in terms of performance.

“When our member’s vessel docks at the Port of Mombasa it takes two to three days, and they are done. Productivity is high, ships-stay is short,” said Tellah.

“We are satisfied and convinced it will be good for Burundi to partner with Kenya,” said Kabura Daniel. - Patrick Beja, The Standard

Details: East Africa; 13 April 2023; 634

KABOOM! The exhilarating trademark sound of UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) can, exceptionally, be present in their activities only through its conspicuous and curious absence, but not in any text about UNMAS. Talking about the flagship day of deminers, the International Mine Awareness Day, without it would, in some quarters, be tantamount to sacrilege.

With the formalities out of the way, listen to the mantra-like chanting at Juba’s Palm Africa Hotel, where the day was celebrated in a youth- and school-centred manner.

“Landmines are bad, landmines can kill, landmines are dangerous. Mine Action Cannot Wait.”

These powerful words, were, again and again, bouncing softly between the walls as they were pronounced by students from three primary schools in the capital. They cannot, in fact, be repeated often enough, and here is why:

“In case a football falls in a nearby field which contains a UXO [unexploded ordnance] and if children go to collect it, it may explode and injure or kill them. For this reason, there should be a solution in place for the removal of UXOs and landmines, and it is also why mine action cannot wait,” said Khamisa Rizik, a student and peer educator at JCC Model Primary School.

She spoke as she described the winning piece of art submitted to the drawing competition organized by the demining organization, an integral part of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. In it, we see a family, having been internally displaced by violent conflict, returning to their home, understandably oblivious of the unseen, explosive enemies lurking just beneath them. Luckily enough, they all seem to survive.

Not everyone in South Sudan has been dealt that fortunate fate. After decades of armed conflict, the world’s youngest nation is littered with unexploded remnants of war, of all kinds. With both parties to the conflict having hidden landmines in strategic or sometimes seemingly random places, clearing all land of these hazards turned into an ongoing, herculean task.

“I have so many sad experiences with landmines, because they are dangerous. We all participated in planting them then, but now we have lived to regret what we did,” said Jurkuch Barach Jurkuch, a war veteran and Chairperson of the National Mine Action Authority in the country.

Mr. Jurkuch’s organization has been clearing landmines since 1997. Together with UNMAS, who joined their efforts in 2004, they have liberated millions of square metres of land, making it possible for thousands and thousands of children to go to school, farmers to cultivate their crops, and humanitarians and peacekeepers alike to reach the communities most in need of assistance.

The Chairperson took a keen interest in the drawings and paintings on display, asking questions about them and also answering the many inquisitive queries of the students.

“This picture shows a farmer digging in a garden, not knowing that it is full of landmines, which are a danger to his health,” explained one student, who did not miss the opportunity to repeat the global theme of this year’s International Mine Awareness Day: Mine action cannot wait.

“That is true, it cannot,” replied Mr. Jurkuch. “Not if we want children to go to school without risking their lives, land to be farmed and vital goods to be transported along roads that are safe.”

Having said that, he struck a more optimistic chord, describing the “great strides” having been made by the UNMISS mine action component to rid the country of silent, yet lethal underground killers.

And yet, more than 25 years of demining in South Sudan is proof that it is, by necessity, a slow-going, but vital activity. Alas, it is also an expensive one.

“The more we clear, the more unexploded remnants of war we find. It means that we need to keep doing what we do, but we need more support to finish the task. Demining needs funding, it is that simple,” said UNMAS Chief Fran O’Grady, well aware of the battled involved in securing the necessary resources.

“In a global environment where competing priorities often see the humanitarian crisis in South Sudan being overlooked, it is essential that we continue to collectively advocate for life-saving humanitarian assistance, of which mine action is a key component,” he affirmed.

At the Juba event, Mr. O’Grady was able to add a groovy little something to his advocacy toolbox. It was, moreover, something fully in line with the youthful energy, singing, dancing, poetry and other artistic expressions being showcased on the day: “Mine Action Cannot Wait”, a song composed and performed by local musician Mambo Alex.

To make matters even more fabulous, Mambo Alex is not your average artist, but a deminer and community liaison officer by day.

As the theme song was performed, wild and joyous dancing duly ensued. For all we know, there is still much rejoicing. - Filip Andersson, United Nations