East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 19 January 2022; 689

SEATTLE AND LONDON,/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Today the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Wellcome each pledged US$150 million for a total of US$300 million to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), a global partnership launched five years ago this week by the governments of Norway and India, the Gates Foundation, Wellcome, and the World Economic Forum. The pledges come ahead of a global replenishment conference in March to support CEPI’s visionary five-year plan to better prepare for, prevent, and equitably respond to future epidemics and pandemics.

“As the world responds to the challenge of a rapidly evolving virus, the need to deliver new, lifesaving tools has never been more urgent,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “Our work over the past 20 years has taught us that early investment in research and development can save lives and prevent worst-case scenarios. Five years ago, following the Ebola and Zika epidemics, our foundation helped launch CEPI. Today, we’re increasing our commitment and pledging an additional $150 million to help CEPI accelerate the development of safe and effective vaccines against emerging variants of the coronavirus and to prepare for, and possibly even prevent, the next pandemic.”

Since its inception, CEPI has played a central scientific role in curbing epidemics around the world, overseeing a number of scientific breakthroughs and putting pandemic preparedness at the center of the global health R&D agenda. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, CEPI responded immediately, building one of the world’s largest and most diverse portfolios of COVID-19 vaccine candidates—14 in all..

CEPI made early investments in the development of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, which is now saving lives around the world. Last month, Novavax’s protein-based COVID-19 vaccine—funded largely by CEPI—received WHO emergency use listing and is poised to help efforts to control the pandemic globally.

More than 1 billion doses of the Novavax vaccine are now available to COVAX, the global initiative co-led by CEPI that aims to deliver equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. CEPI also continues to work on next-generation COVID-19 vaccines, including “variant-proof” COVID-19 vaccines and shots that could protect against all coronaviruses, potentially removing the threat of future coronavirus pandemics.

“The overriding lesson from this pandemic is the need for effective organizations and systems to be in place and ready before a crisis, as well as acting rapidly based on well-established science when such crises inevitably occur,” said Dr. Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome. “Wellcome proudly founded CEPI in 2017 along with partners from Norway, India, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the World Economic Forum following the devastating 2014¬–16 Ebola epidemic. We learned the importance of conducting high-quality research during a crisis. Since then, CEPI has worked tirelessly, and by fostering global collaboration, it has played a truly integral role in the global pandemic response from early January 2020 onwards.”

“Our new commitment of $150 million recognizes the enormous potential CEPI has to protect lives against emerging infectious diseases,” Dr. Farrar continued. “The effects of COVID-19 have been sobering. We urge leaders to provide their support and ensure that CEPI reaches its funding target. It is in the world’s collective interest to avoid repeating mistakes and to help future generations prevent epidemics.”

Beyond COVID-19, CEPI has filled a vital gap in supporting vaccine equity alongside R&D. CEPI is currently supporting the research and development of accessible vaccines against other infectious diseases, including the first-ever vaccines to reach clinical trials against the deadly Nipah and Lassa viruses. The organization has also played a critical role in efforts to end Ebola, including supporting the development of a second Ebola vaccine by Janssen.

In addition to advancing the science underlying vaccine development and new vaccine platforms, CEPI is focused on dramatically reducing the time it takes to develop lifesaving vaccines against any new viral threat (referred to as “Disease X”)—to within 100 days of a pathogen being sequenced. This represents a combination of scale and speed that could save millions of lives and trillions of dollars.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how inequitable access to vaccines can put the entire planet at risk and disrupt decades of global health progress,” said Awa Marie Coll Seck, minister of state to the president of the Republic of Senegal. “Innovative global partnerships like CEPI play a critical role in advancing the R&D needed to prevent future pandemics. Importantly, those investments in vaccine technology, particularly in Africa, can also help accelerate progress against other diseases—like HIV, TB, and malaria—that still affect the world’s most vulnerable populations.”

The pandemic has rebounded in waves around the world, highlighting the important role of international organizations like CEPI that put equitable access at the core of their mission. Recent data from Northeastern University show that had the availability of vaccines in lower-income countries like Kenya been akin to that in high-income countries like the UK or the U.S., 70 percent of COVID-19 deaths to date would have been averted.

“The world must do better at protecting everyone, everywhere against the greatest health threats—from COVID-19 and beyond,” said Melinda French Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “CEPI’s investments in groundbreaking R&D, commitments to equitable access, and cooperation across the public and private sectors are vital in this effort. We call on global leaders to help CEPI reach its funding target of $3.5 billion.”

The United Kingdom will host CEPI’s replenishment conference on March 8, 2022, in London. The fundraising event will convene governments, philanthropists, and other donors to support CEPI’s five-year plan to tackle the risk of pandemics and epidemics, potentially preventing millions of deaths and trillions of dollars in economic damage. Belinda & Gates Foundation

Details: East Africa; 19 January 2022; 725

At least 20 dead bodies have been retrieved from a river in western Kenya in recent weeks.

Human rights group, Haki Africa says most of the bodies recovered from River Yala, which flows into Lake Victoria, were found in sacks, with some tied up and others damaged signifying that the victims had gone through torture before being disposed being dumped into the river.

“What is shocking and extremely disturbing is that these bodies are actually dumped by individuals who so far remain unknown.” Haki Africa's Executive Director Hussein Khalid

Haki Africa's Executive Director Hussein Khalid added that the local mortuary was receiving the unidentified bodies and had buried nine of them in a mass grave to make space for more bodies.

Locals say unidentified people dump the bodies into the river at night.

Mr Khalid and another activist, Boniface Mwangi, travelled to the scene, and recounted seeing two bodies floating on the river.

Activist Boniface Mwangi posted on Twitter that he and the head of local human rights organisation Haki Africa had counted more than 20 decomposing bodies at Yala hospital mortuary.

The information has come as a shock to Kenyans with many pouring out their anger on Social media raising questions about their safety in the region.

Locals claim the number is higher than the 20 that have been deposited at the mortuary adding that 31 bodies have been retrieved from the river since July last year.

“We didn’t believe him but agreed to follow him to the river. In a span of minutes, he had spotted and shown us two bodies. The whole scene was sickening,” the activist wrote.

This story has encouraged other Kenyans to also come out to announce the dismissal of their loved ones launching a search into their search.

Locals reportedly say the bodies are brought from different areas in vehicles and dumped in the river.

Kenyans are demanding investigations to ascertain the identities of the dead and know who is behind the killings. Africa News

Details: East Africa; 18 January 2022; 730

FILE - A Total petrol station is seen in Kampala, Uganda, Jan. 28, 2020. A fuel shortage in the country has sent prices skyrocketing.

KAMPALA, UGANDA —

Ugandans were struggling Monday with a fuel shortage that has sent prices skyrocketing, as hundreds of trucks remain stuck in huge tailbacks at the border with Kenya.

Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa said the border delays were caused by a faulty scanner used by custom officials to check vehicles, and "issues regarding COVID-19."

Truck drivers have been complaining of massive queues at Uganda's eastern border as officials carry out mandatory coronavirus testing.

In the western district of Hoima, ironically the area where Uganda discovered large oil deposits earlier this century, a liter of fuel was selling at $3.40 (12,000 Ugandan shillings) — up from $1.13 (4,000 Ugandan shillings) previously.

The pumps had run dry at other petrol stations in the north and west of the landlocked East African country, according to checks by Agence France-Presse.

"I call on the dealers not to use this chance to cheat Ugandans," Nankabirwa said.

"I know we are following a liberalized economy where goods follow market demand to determine prices, but you can't put fuel (up) from 4,000 to 12,000 Ugandan shillings. That is cheating."

Ugandans were also reporting hikes in taxi and bus fares in many parts of the country, which is a net oil importer.

One truck driver, Mohammed Abubaker Kayima, told AFP there were queues of goods vehicles stranded at the Malaba border crossing between Uganda and Kenya.

"There are hundreds of trucks clogged at the border waiting for clearance from customs and COVID-19 task forces," the 57-year-old said. "Some have been there for days." AFP/VOA

Details: East Africa; 19 January 2022; 727

Image courtesy of Jeffrey Strain from Pixabay

Rwanda will be the regional headquarters of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) after President Paul Kagame signed a decree on the establishment of its headquarters in his country. The Wildlife Conservation Society is a non-profit international organization that is responsible for the conservation of wildlife and the management of parks around the world.

WCS’s goal is to conserve the world’s largest wild places in 14 priority regions which are homes to more than 50 percent of the world’s biodiversity. A presidential decree authorizing WCS to have a seat in Rwanda was published in the Official Gazette dated December 31, 2021, a report from Kigali said.

The Wildlife Conservation Society will be licensed to have infrastructure in Rwanda including buildings, land, equipment, offices, laboratories, and other facilities that will assist in fulfilling its obligations under the terms of the agreement signed by both parties.

The agreement also stipulates that the equipment that the WCS will need in its day-to-day work will be eligible for tax exemption and that the Government of Rwanda will make it easier for Visa to have its international staff working in Rwanda. These workers and their families will have the same immunity and opportunity as others on their local level, the report said.

The WCS presence in Rwanda will help in implementing wildlife conservation projects in other countries as to address the impacts of climate change. The organization also carry out research on biodiversity, cross-border conservation and biodiversity activities, and identifies solutions to problems that threaten the natural resources.

A Rwanda cabinet meeting had approved in December last year, the request to nominate Nyungwe National Park as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Nyungwe Park is worth US$4.8 billion by its value and feeds 2 of the world’s largest rivers – the Congo and the Nile. It is also the source of at least 70 percent of Rwanda’s freshwater.

The conservation and climate resilient project dubbed “Building Resilience of Vulnerable Communities to Climate Variability in Rwanda’s Congo Nile Divide through Forest and Landscape Restoration” will be implemented around Nyungwe National Park, Volcano National Park, and Gishwati-Mukura National Park.

Gishwati-Mukura landscape has already been recognized internationally after being designated a UNESCO biosphere reserve, while Volcano National Park known for its mountain gorillas was designated as biosphere reserve many years ago. - Apolinari Tairo, eTurboNews

Details: East Africa; 18 January 2022; 687

Heavily armed police officers on Monday night stormed businessman Jimi Wanjigi's Westlands offices.

The police raided the offices around 9: 30 pm and as per CCTV images, they were still at the premises as of 10:30 pm.

His Lawyer Willis Otieno has confirmed the raid.

Comedian Eric Omondi who was in a meeting with Wanjigi at the offices at the time of the raid said the officers were from the elite group flying squad.

"Flying squad wako kwa gate na sisi tuko ndani meeting( Fly squad are at the gate and we are inside holding a meeting," he wrote on his social media handle.

The office hosts official activities of Kwacha Group of companies and is located off General Mathenge Road in Parklands.

It also coordinates Wanjigi's campaign activities. The businessman is eyeing the presidency.

The tycoon was reportedly holed up in his office together with his son during the raid.

A section of Kenyans took to social media to protest the raiding terming it unconstitutional and inhuman.

Lawyer Ahmmednasir Abdullahi condemned the police for the incident and called on the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai to follow proper channels when pursuing suspects.

Ahmednasir linked Wanjigi's woes to his presidential ambitions saying he is being harassed to back down in his bid to dislodge ODM leader Raila Odinga as the Orange party's flagbearer.

"It's very obvious that Jimi Wanjigi is being harassed by the police in order to allow Hon Raila to have a free run in the ODM Presidential nominations," he said.

Lawyer Miguna Miguna also weighed in on the developments and said: "If you want to arrest anyone, attend at their homes during day time and serve them with a warrant of arrest. Don't attack in darkness in civilian clothes".

The raid comes years after the police raided his home in Muthaiga in October 2017 in a dramatic incident that saw the ODM leader Raila and his allies pitch a tent at the home the whole night.

The raid saw five AK 47 guns and hundreds of bullets recovered. Attempts by police to arrest the billionaire that night failed as police could not locate him in his house.

The billionaire had been accused of smuggling guns into the country with accomplices. By Bosco Marita, The Star