Donation Amount. Min £2

East Africa

Raila Odinga's presidential campaign spokesperson Makau Mutua addressing the media at Nyayo Stadium on June 4, 2022. [Esther Jeruto, Standard]

Azimio la Umoja coalition has rubbished Kenya Kwanza's manifesto as a lofty document filled with empty promises and slogans. 

In a statement Friday, July 1, Makau Mutua, the spokesperson of Raila Odinga's presidential campaign secretariat, accused Deputy President William Ruto of failing to address how he would deal with corruption should he win the August 9 polls.

"The most important issue facing the nation was conspicuously missing from the UDA manifesto. The word corruption was not mentioned and did not cross Ruto's lips even once. Like a plague, he completely avoided any mention of the word," Mutua claimed. 

But Ruto, while delivering his manifesto on Thursday night at Kasarani stadium, said the coalition would allow the relevant institutions tasked to deal with corruption to be independent.

"Kenya Kwanza commits to ending the weaponisation and politicisation of anti-corruption efforts by allowing the relevant institutions to freely exercise the independence given to them by the constitution," Ruto said.

In his statement, Mutua also alleged that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party had a collection of questionable political characters.

"Under its large tent reside convicts and suspects of economic crimes and corruption against the people of Kenya...It is no wonder Ruto and Kenya Kwanza have no agenda or plan to address corruption, the number one impediment to the development of our country," he continued.  

The Deputy President launched his five-point manifesto at the Kasarani Stadium yesterday.

Among key challenges his administration hopes to address include; unemployment rate that is estimated at over 50 percent, an economy highly dependent on low productive agriculture (around 30 percent of GDP) with high susceptibility to drought and the rising energy and food prices.  By Stephanie Wangari , The Standard

Photo Courtesy K24

Raila Odinga’s 2022 presidential running mate Martha Karua's rally in Kisii county ended abruptly after teargas exploded at the podium.

In a video seen by K24 Digital, the teargas canister exploded moments as the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya coalition presidential running mate was taking to the stage to address thousands of residents who had turned up.

The Narc-Kenya leader was rushed to safety together with Raila Odinga’s wife Ida Odinga who was in attendance.

Thousands of residents who had gathered at the stadium were forced to scamper for safety with some breaking chairs and throwing the meeting into disarray.

Taking to social media, the ODM Director of Communication Philip Etale alleged that a police officer in plain cloth was the one responsible for the mayhem.

“The incident at Gusii Stadium where a suspected police officer in plain clothes lobbed a tear-gas canister at the dais just as our deputy presidential candidate Martha Karua had begun addressing wananchi is uncalled for and the culprit should be arrested and made to face the law,” Etale said in a Twitter post.

 

Before the arrival of Martha Karua and Mama Ida, there was tension between supporters of Kisii Governor James Ongwae and those of Simba Arati who is eying the governorship position.

At one point, the youths clashed with the police officers at the entrance to Kisii Stadium as pro-Arati supporters tried to force their way into the stadium. Source: K24

What you need to know:

  • We need to find ways Ugandans can invest substantially in their economy.

President Museveni’s oft-repeated reference to foreign investors as “saviours” raises three quick questions. First, why should foreign investors hold the key to our economy? Second, for how long must we accept this reality? Third, how can we get out of this full dependency? 

I was thinking about these questions recently when I came across two very interesting statistics attributed to Uganda Bureau of Statistics (Ubos) and cited by a local paper. Ubos periodically conducts Uganda National Household surveys. The latest survey was done in 2019/2020.

 

The second statistic that struck me is that in 2019 the number of households operating a business was 31 percent, down from 38 percent in 2017. And the source of capital for 81 percent of those households was from their own savings. Only a miniscule 0.4 percent of the households got loans from banks!

This ridiculously tiny bank lending means that Ugandans barely participate in the development of their country. This is for the simple reason that they have little or no access to affordable investment credit. To have financial inclusion and public participation in the development process, citizens must have access to cheap credit.

Why then do we have all these banks, an overwhelming majority being foreign-owned? I think they do best to mobilise deposits, which they use for risk-free lending to the government. To borrow money domestically, the government issues Treasury Bills, with maturities of three or six months or one year. With a government perennially thirsty for debt – external and domestic – why would banks lend us money for operating businesses? 

Already, the country has crossed or is set to cross the red line of borrowing more than 50 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

The President often cites GDP to illustrate his point about foreign investors being our “saviours” because they produce a range of goods and services ostensibly to the benefit of the economy. But he should also be talking about what they really do with the surplus profits they make. Remember, the theory of firms states that firms exist and make decisions largely to maximise profits.

The President should also enrich his speeches by talking about new(ish) things like venture capital. This is money provided by investors to small businesses with perceived long-term growth potential. It is a very important source of funding for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that do not have access to capital markets dominated by banks and other big financial institutions.

When I was a business reporter with New Vision, I had a chance to accompany a delegation of top government and business leaders to Canada in May 2000 to discuss economic cooperation at a series of conferences held in Calgary, Toronto and Montreal. High-level delegations from seven other African countries were also invited for the “Africa Direct Mission to Canada.”

Venture capital was one of the things the Canadians told us they had capacity to provide to the economies of these countries. What happened? Where is ours?  

We need to find ways Ugandans can invest substantially in their economy. I have asked this question before in this paper and I want to ask again: If foreign-owned banks left Uganda in a hurry, what exactly would happen to the economy?

In these tough times, we are told to tighten our belts. We must do more. We must brace for tougher days. We must vigorously debate the Museveni succession. The issue we must tackle is: How will change, when it finally comes, affect an economy that President Museveni has straddled like a colossus?

Mr Akwap  is an associate consultant at Uganda Management Institute. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Daily Monitor

IEA Correspondent

Congolese people have finally buried the only known remains, a tooth of their independence hero Patrice Lumumba. This took place in the capital Kinshashasa.

Patrice Lumumba died in the hands of Belgian-backed secessionist rebels. 61 years ago. He was killed by firing squad on 16th January 1961 at the Southeastern province of Katanga after being deposed as prime minister the year before just after Congolese independence.

Thousands turned up for the funeral. The occasion was attended by the President of neighbouring Congo Republic, Denis Sassou Nguesso, Belgium Foreign Minister and several African Ambassadors.

“Finally, the Congolese people can have the honour of offering a burial to their illustrious prime minister,” President Felix Tshisekedi said. “We are ending … mourning we started 61 years ago.”

This comes during 62nd anniversary of D R Congo’s independence, a time when Patrice Lumumba gave powerful speech condemning 75 years of Belgium’s colonisation of Congo. Belgium King Leopold 11 was the ruler of Congo and millions of people lost their lives.

King Phillipe visited D R Congo recently and acknowledged the racist colonial abuses although he didn’t apologise. After dying in a firing squad, the body of Patrice Lumumba was never found. A Belgium police officer, Gerard Soete claimed he dissolved much of it in accid, set it on fire and took Patrice Lumumba’s tooth which is what was returned and was handed over to the family this month.

One of Lumumba’s granddaughters wrote on a letter she had written for Lumumba during the funeral.

“Your return home, the honours you are receiving here are a page of the history you continue to write,” one of his grandaughters said in a letter to Lumumba that she read at the funeral. “With you, today, Africa is writing its own history,” she said.

The rest of Africa is still campaigning to get body parts of their heroes and heroines in Europe returned to the continent. Lumumba’s case is one in many and the return a step in good direction.

 

Ten years ago when Kibwezi West MP Patrick Musimba announced his bid as an Independent candidate, political analysts dismissed him as a non-starter.

Today, he is not only a front-runner in the Makueni governor race but is also giving Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, the Wiper gubernatorial candidate headache, having won the MP seat twice as an Independent candidate against many odds. 

Musimba set the stage for a titanic battle with Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka when he launched his bid on Friday. The following day, Kilonzo Jnr took on Musimba, saying even if he does not capture the seat, it should not go to the MP, whom he portrayed as a fraudster.

“We cannot leave Makueni to fraudsters,” he said at a church event without elaborating.

 The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has also cleared real estate mogul David Masika (ODM), scholar Emmanuel Mutisya (United Democratic Alliance) and Anderson Mwanza (Independent) to run in the race. 

Telling from the campaigns they have mounted, however, they are seen as underdogs compared to the two youthful lawmakers. Whereas Kilonzo Jnr banks on Kalonzo’s strong network in the county, Musimba is banking on the support of local allies of Azimio-One Kenya Coalition presidential candidate Raila Odinga and his Kenya Kwanza Alliance challenger William Ruto.

The highlight of the thanksgiving ceremony held at Makindu market was Musimba’s endorsement by Azimio and UDA candidates led by Makueni Deputy Governor Adelina Mwau, the UDA Woman Rep candidate. They said Musimba was the best candidate to succeed Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

The lawmaker, who enjoys a near-fanatical following in his constituency, has lined up a  feeding programme targeting all local primary schools ahead of the August 9 election.  He plans to address water shortage and food security if elected.

 Buoyed by the endorsements, Musimba set himself on a collision path with Kalonzo, who has been rallying the region behind Kilonzo Jr. While campaigning for Raila in Makueni last week, the Wiper boss commended Kilonzo Jnr alongside Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua and Makueni MP Daniel Maanzo “for standing firm” when he blew hot and cold on joining Raila’s camp. People Daily

About IEA Media Ltd

Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.

To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854.
If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.

We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.

Get in touch

Our Offices

London, UK
+44 7886 544135
editor (@) informereastafrica.com
Slough, UK
+44 7957 636854
info (@) informereastafrica.com

Latest News

New restaurant to bring Tanzanian flavours to Cardiff - Development Bank of Wales supports opening

New restaurant to br...

Charlotte Price and Justina John (Image credit: Development Bank of Wales) An African restaurant an...

Aloikin Praise Opoloje “The nude protestor” What drives her?

Aloikin Praise Opolo...

In early September this year, Praise Aloikin Opoloje, along with Norah Kobusingye and Kemitoma Kyenz...

BREAKING: Romania’s Constitutional Court scraps presidential elections

BREAKING: Romania’s...

Romania's presidential election will be re-run after far-right, pro-Russia candidate Calin Georgesc...

Sakaja clarifies Uhuru Park to be leased only for recreation

Sakaja clarifies Uhu...

Sakaja stated that city hall is looking to add value to these spaces by introducing amenities such a...

For Advertisement

Big Reach

Informer East Africa is one platform for all people. It is a platform where you find so many professionals under one umbrella serving the African communities together.

Very Flexible

We exist to inform you, hear from you and connect you with what is happening around you. We do this professionally and timely as we endeavour to capture all that you should never miss. Informer East Africa is simply news for right now and the future.

Quality News

We only bring to you news that is verified, checked and follows strict journalistic guidelines and standards. We believe in 1. Objective coverage, 2. Impartiality and 3. Fair play.

Banner & Video Ads

A banner & video advertisement from our sponsors will show up every once in a while. It keeps us and our writers coffee replenished.