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South Sudan map featuring Lakes state in red [Photo via Wikipedia]

The conflict involved Luanyjang cattle herders from Warrap State and Pakam youth from Lakes State. JUBA – At least 19 people were killed, and 35 injured during deadly inter-communal violence on Wednesday in Rumbek North County. 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, sent a pointed letter to the Fellowship Foundation, the right-wing group also known as the Family. 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, chair of the Congressional Equality Caucus, is demanding to know if the right-wing group known as the Fellowship Foundation, a.k.a. the Family, is supporting Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act.

The act, passed last year, provides for a sentence of life in prison for consensual same-sex relations and the death penalty in certain circumstances. It also requires that citizens report anyone they suspect has violated the law. It replaces a similar law that was passed a decade ago, although without the death penalty provision, and was struck down by Uganda’s highest court, not because of its content but because of the manner in which it was adopted. The new law is being challenged in court as well. 

The Fellowship Foundation, while based in the U.S., has been cozy with anti-LGBTQ+ African leaders for years, but there is particular concern about its work in Uganda. “Since the passage of [Uganda’s] first Anti-Homosexuality Act a decade ago, there have been numerous reports linking both bills, their authors, and the larger movement to further criminalize LGBTQI+ people in Uganda to the Fellowship Foundation/the Family, and its associates,” Pocan wrote in his letter, released Tuesday and addressed to the foundation’s president, Katherine Crane. 

“At Uganda’s National Prayer Breakfast in 2023, which the Fellowship Foundation helped support — including by flying in Rep. Tim Walberg to speak — speakers called LGBTQI+ advocates ‘a force from the bottom of Hell,’ said they would ‘destroy’ ‘the forces of LGBTQ,’and spoke in support of the Anti-Homosexuality Act,” Pocan continued.

“In addition, Rep. Walberg told the participants to ‘stand firm’ in response to international pressure against Uganda, though he later said his statement was not in support of the Anti-Homosexuality Act, as imposing the death penalty against LGBTQI+ people is antithetical to Christian values. President Museveni later said at the breakfast that there are Americans who ‘think like us,’ illustrating how proponents of the Anti-Homosexuality Act in Uganda point to certain Americans’ statements to justify their own support for this draconian law.” 

Walberg is a Republican member of the U.S. House from Michigan. Pocan, a gay man, is a Democratic member from Wisconsin. Pocan noted that there have also been concerns about the foundation’s U.S. National Prayer Breakfast, which has caused that to split into two events.

Pocan asked Crane to provide information on the foundation’s communications with Ugandan officials regarding the Anti-Homosexuality Act; whether the foundation supports or opposes the law and, if it opposes the measure, if it will publicly announce its opposition to it and other bills that criminalize LGBTQ+ people, especially those that impose the death penalty; the foundation’s financial support for advocacy activities in Uganda and what other countries the foundation provides similar support in; and if members of the new National Prayer Breakfast board are affiliated with the foundation. By , Advocate

Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen addressing during the launch of KeNHA 2023-2027 Strategic Plan at Barabara Plaza in Nairobi on January 26, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

There is an unwavering determination by the Kenya Kwanza administration to raise taxes. That is understandable considering that it needs money - a lot of money - to seal the debt hole dug by the Jubilee government and which the current regime continues to deepen. William Ruto's government also desperately needs money to implement its development plans.

That said, there should be a limit to its tax ambitions. Consider the latest revelation by the Transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen of a plan to charge Kenyans for using some of our old roads ostensibly to help build new roads and maintain the existing ones.

And not only that. The CS has also hinted at the possibility of increasing the road maintenance levy. 

 

The proposals are preposterous considering that Kenyans have in recent months been paying a heavy price to keep their vehicles on the road due to the prevailing record-high fuel prices in extremely tough economic times.

When President Ruto took over from Uhuru Kenyatta slightly over a year ago, petrol was retailing at Sh159 per litre. Currently, it is going for Sh212 in Nairobi down from Sh217 a month ago. 

Apart from the global dynamics, the high fuel prices have been occasioned by the enactment of the Finance Bill, 2023, which increased the VAT on petroleum products from eight to 16 per cent.

Ironically, while the government hoped to gain dividends, the move had the exact opposite effect. Kenya Revenue Authority recorded a deficit of Sh12.9 billion in tax collections from the oil sector after Kenyans reduced spending on petroleum products due to the high fuel prices.

It seems the government never learns from its mistakes as Murkomen's proposals will definitely make matters worse. 

It is unconscionable for the government to mull such tax moves at a time when Kenyans, including the salaried ones and those in business can hardly make ends meet due to high taxation and a struggling economy. Mr Murkomen and the government that he serves seem to out of touch with the economic reality on the ground. The Standard

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has pledged a new liquidity lifeline for the cash-strapped Kenya Kwanza administration to settle its maturing obligations amid mounting concerns about Kenya’s repayment ability. 

The pan-African lender said on Wednesday it is in talks with the National Treasury on how to help deal with some of Kenya’s massive obligations that have triggered widespread default concerns. 

“The bank is engaged in negotiations with the National Treasury to explore ways to use guarantee instruments (guarantee schemes) that enhance Kenya’s ability to access global financial markets to finance its budgetary needs,” said AfDB in emailed responses to The Standard’s queries. 

“The bank is currently engaging the Cabinet Secretary National Treasury, Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, on how best to leverage the country’s reserves as guarantee to mobilise additional resources to support repayment of maturing bonds and other debt obligations.” 

AfDB Secretary General Vincent Nmehielle told The Standard separately in an interview Kenya has shown “the ability to meet its maturing debt obligations.” 

“The partial payment of the maturing Euro bond of June 2024, is a testament to the government of Kenya’s ability and desire to meet its debt obligations,” he said while allaying fears of the possibility of a default for Kenya,” he said. 

AfDB approved budget support to Kenya last year amounting to Sh12.8 billion. The loan is expected to be finalised this year ahead of disbursement.  The bank said once this is done, another budget support operation of an unspecified amount is expected to be processed in the third quarter of this year. 

Professor Nmehielle spoke ahead of the 59th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of AfDB, which will be held from May 27-31 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).  The theme of the meeting, which will bring African Finance ministers and heads of government to Nairobi, will be Africa’s Transformation and Reforms of the International Financial Architecture. 

“The objective of the theme is to bring to the fore the urgent need for reforms of the international financial architecture to mobilise resources at scale and accelerate the pace of Africa’s structural transformation,” said Prof Nmehielle. AfDB is set to give Kenya a financial lifeline at a time economists have issued a fresh dire warning, emphasising the urgency for the Ruto government to take immediate action to avert a potential economic collapse caused by the impending Sh320 billion Eurobond repayment in just five months. 

The repayment plan for Kenya’s $2 billion (Sh334 billion) Eurobond, which is scheduled for June this year, has sparked controversy and is being keenly watched by global investors. By Nikko Tanui, The Standard

Muscat: Sheikh Khalifa Ali Al Harthy, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Political Affairs received here today Othman Masoud Othman Sharif, Fist Vice-President of Zanzibar and his accompanying delegation. 

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed areas of bilateral cooperation and means of enhancing them in various spheres, especially in economic and cultural fields. 

The meeting was attended by Saleh Mohammed Al Saqri, Head of the East Africa Department at the Foreign Ministry, Fatima Mohammed Rajab, Ambassador of the United Republic of Tanzania to the Sultanate of Oman and officials from both sides. Source, Times of Oman

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