Dr Maria Nassali, a senior lecturer from the Makerere University School of Law, has rallied lawyers and judges to revisit their perspectives on abortion.

Nassali was speaking during the launch of the case digest for abortion in Africa organized by the Women’s Pro Bono Initiative at an event held in Kampala recently.

Abortion remains one of the most contentious issues in Uganda, mired in political, social, cultural, and religious contestations. Nassali said: “The women’s unfettered right to reproductive autonomy is yet to be recognized as a positive international human right. Although abortion cases are reported, they are hardly prosecuted but often used for extortion and as evidence of defilement”.

Nassali noted that there was a need for legal practitioners to allow pregnant women to decide what happens to the unborn baby. She added, “It is the pregnant lady who knows the circumstances under which she got pregnant. This same lady should have the liberty to decide whether she either retains or aborts the child. As practitioners of the law, we should recognize that women come with all forms of diversity. Some young girls are being sexually abused by relatives and older men who abuse the trust bestowed in them”.

Meanwhile, Rahom Bukirwa, the programmes manager of the Women’s Pro Bono Initiative, said the case digest on abortion in Africa was prepared to help both Ugandan lawyers and judges access previously decided cases on abortion from across the continent and the grounds for their determination.

She said, “There are generally very few cases of abortion in the records of courts in Africa. This case digest is drawn from cases in South Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, and Malawi. Since the law relies on decided cases, the case digest will come in handy for both the lawyers and members of the bench”.

Ugandan courts have not made a single decision on abortion. The two cases are still before the Constitutional court. By Samuel Muhindo, The Observer

Azimio leader Raila Odinga has vowed to mobilise street demonstrations from July 7 to protest the Finance Bill assented to by President William Ruto.

By signing the Bill, Raila said the president ignored pleas by Kenyans not to inflict more pain on the cost of living.

“Now you know that the only language Ruto and the Kenya Kwanza understands is street protests and boycotts,” he said at Kamukunji Wednesday on arrival from an overseas trip.

Odinga told a rally in Kamukunji that the Kenya Kwanza government had betrayed Kenyans hence the need to boycott.

“We are the people,” Odinga said, “and the people are supreme.”

He said the Bill signed by President Ruto will push the cost of living up and make life difficult for Kenyans.

“And that is why we are saying that Ruto must be made to listen to the people and the only way is to resist,” he said signalling the resumption of mass protests.

He said, “protests and boycotts is the only language Ruto will understand because he declined to listen to the voice of the people.”

President Ruto signed into law a bill that raises taxes on a wide range of items defying criticism that it will pile more economic hardship on citizens.

Ruto, who took office in September after a bitterly fought election, is seeking to fill the government’s depleted coffers and repair a heavily-indebted economy inherited from his predecessor Uhuru Kenyatta, who splurged on major infrastructure projects.

Kenya is now sitting on a public debt mountain of almost $70 billion or about 67 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), and repayment costs have jumped as the shilling sinks to record lows of around 140 to the dollar. 

The new law — expected to generate more than $2.1 billion — will hike taxes on basic goods and services including food and mobile money transfers.

The contentious bill stipulates for a 1.5 percent levy on the salaries of all tax-paying Kenyans that will be matched by employers to fund an affordable housing programme.

People who earn 500,000 shillings ($3,600) a month will now pay 32.5 percent in income taxes while those making 800,000 shillings ($5,700) will pay 35 percent, up from the current 30 percent. 

Sales tax for small businesses has also been tripled to three percent. 

A new five percent withholding tax for digital content creators has also been introduced. 

The bill was approved by the National Assembly despite widespread opposition from Kenyans, civil society and Azimio leaders with the president declaring that it will be passed.

He even dared MPs who will fail to support it, branding them “the enemy of the people and progress.” capital FM

The question of energy is a big headache to the world now. Of course, there is a strong consensus that our world is turning into an oven. Energy has played a role. Further, the war in Ukraine has reminded us of our energy insecurities. Besides, Africa is still energy poor.

About 600 million people can’t access clean energy. Yet, there is a strong correlation between energy abundance and socio-economic development. Indeed, it should not be lost on us that the African Union’s Agenda 2063 obligates us to help end Africa’s energy poverty. And for Kenya, we all want lowered cost of power.

To reconfigure our fortunes, we need radical measures that will deliver an energy revolution. First, nations thrive because of the courage of their imagination. Second, the centrality of energy to socio-economic development is solid; the better if the source is native. 

In fact, the Parliamentary Committee on Energy is exploring ways to lower the cost of power. It’s a welcome initiative. The draft “6-point plan”, as reported in the media, is interesting. Still, I wish to submit too that investment in our own homegrown resources and cutting the use of thermal will be a game-changer. That’s why geothermal energy is king.

Geothermal is our natural heritage - it’s not imported like oil. It’s abundant in Kenya [about 10,000MW]. Furthermore, it’s clean, reliable, and affordable. Crown all that with Kenya’s vibrant homegrown geothermal expertise and you get a country with the right ingredients to drive a geothermal boom. 

And it’s paying off. Today, Kenya’s geothermal installed capacity stands at 940MW. Very soon we are going to cross the 1,000MW of geothermal power mark once we start power generation at Menengai. Today, geothermal energy accounts for roughly 45 per cent of our grid. It is geothermal that gallantly cushioned the country during the previous drought. Tariffs from geothermal too, because they are low, are also cushioning the consumer against high bills.

To leapfrog into an energy-rich country requires boldness. To sharpen our competitiveness, policymakers, investors, academia, and financiers must consider geothermal energy.   

It should not be lost on us that geothermal development is an arduous undertaking. That is why the private sector will shy off from the initial critical investments like scientific exploration, infrastructure development, provision of water and drilling operations. The upstream is considered costly and risky.

The government, through GDC, absorbs these upfront risks to create an enabling environment for investor entry. To some good degree, the strategy has worked. It explains why in Menengai, for instance, three Independent Power Producers (IPPs) are set to each generate 35MW in the first phase of development. One of the IPPs, Sosian, is currently testing its 35MW power plant.

Soon Kenyans will start to get power from Menengai. And just recently, we broke ground with Globeleq, another IPP, for the construction of a 35 MW powerplant. Power from Menengai will cost about Sh9 per kWh compared to the Sh22 per kWh that thermal plants would charge.

As I have noted, once the resource is proven, and well-managed it can serve us for centuries. Italy is a good case. The first geothermal plant was established in 1904; it still runs today. All they do is replace equipment.

To make optimal use of geothermal energy, we will need also to reinvigorate the entire energy ecosystem. First, we need a robust East Africa Power Pool system. This system will allow us to trade our excess power. Second, it is time to focus on captive power use. 

This is when heavy consumers set shop near power generation sites to tap direct power from the powerplant. The captive power approach will encourage a value chain of different actors and therefore industrial centres.

The writer, Paul Ngugi, is the Managing Director and CEO of Geothermal Development Company. The Standard