The cabinet recently approved US$150 million to construct a 5 Megawatts (MW) solar plant in Juba. Is this gross incompetence, complicity in corruption and bribery, or money laundering? I think it’s all of these.

South Sudan’s national cabinet recently approved a US$150 million solar project for Juba, the capital city. On 2 August, the Minister of Energy and Dams, Peter Marcello, presented a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between his office and an unknown company called TPA Company Limited. The project was deliberated and passed unanimously by the national cabinet without opposition.

This unanimous approval should raise alarms, as it suggests that South Sudan’s cabinet is grossly incompetent, complicit in corruption and bribery, and possibly involved in money laundering as well. The reality is that this project should only cost around USD 3.96 million—so who is pocketing the remaining USD 146 million?

According to Deputy Information Minister Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok, the concessional loan for this project has a maturity of 20 years with a five-year grace period. On a different matter, Korok disclosed that the Energy Minister also requested the Finance Minister to pay USD 30 million to an Egyptian company, El Sewedy Electric, following a court ruling.

The company had been contracted to build a 20 MW solar power plant in Nesitu, Juba County, the first of its kind, at USD 50 million. Korok explained that the company had sued the Government of the Republic of South Sudan at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in the U.S. due to the latter’s failure to complete the final payment, despite an initial advance payment of USD 20 million. For the Nesitu solar project, the cost per MW was USD 2.5 million.

“The whole amount was actually fifty million dollars for the project, but the government managed to pay twenty million, and the remaining is thirty million dollars.” Dr. Korok told reporters on 2 August, and added: “So, the company decided to take the government to the court of arbitration in the U.S., and Minister Marcello asked the Ministry of Finance to handle this issue before even moving further to the court.”

Given that the cost of building a 5 MW solar farm should range between USD 3.96 million and 5 million, the fact that South Sudan is paying USD 150 million is nothing short of criminal. For context, Amea Power recently announced a 24 MW solar project in Uganda, costing only USD 19 million, or roughly USD 791,666 per MW, which is drastically less than the USD 30 million per MW that South Sudan is paying.

The project is owned by Amea Power, a Dubai-based developer, unlike South Sudan’s solar projects, which require government funding and are constructed by private companies that are not taking on any financial risk. If the money allocated for this project were used properly, it could generate 189 MW and impact 1.44 million people (or 442,500 households).

Furthermore, in February 2024, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), in partnership with Social Investment Managers and Advisors LLC (SIMA Funds) and other financiers, launched a USD 150 million solar green bond to finance productive-use solar projects across Africa. The bond is aimed at funding over 220 MW of solar energy projects on the continent. This means the cost is USD 681,818 per MW which again is significantly lower than Uganda’s solar project.

This USD 150 million solar project highlights the deep corruption that continues to plague South Sudan’s government. There is no legitimate reason to secure a loan or award contracts to companies; ministries should implement projects themselves instead of outsourcing them.

If the cabinet were not engaging in corruption or bribery, it would have at least scrutinized why 1 MW would cost USD 30 million, while the 20 MW solar plant in Nesitu only cost USD 2.5 million per MW. How is the USD 150 million solar project costing 12 times more than the Nesitu solar project and 38 times more than Uganda’s solar project? The problem is not just that the government fails to understand the contracts they sign with companies, but also that corruption and bribery lead to unfavorable terms and conditions that are not in South Sudan’s interest.

It is evident that South Sudan’s government is using essential projects as money laundering schemes, diverting public resources to their own pockets and indebting the country further while enriching themselves at the expense of the people. This USD 150 million solar project is a textbook case of corruption and mismanagement. The true winners are not the citizens who desperately need reliable electricity, but rather the corrupt officials who approved it and the company behind it. By ATAK NGOR, Radio Tamazuj

The writer, Atak Ngor, can be reached via X, formerly Twitter.

The High Court of Kenya has halted the planned auction of a Sh300 million parcel of public land in Nakuru, allegedly grabbed by a private developer in Nakuru County.

This decision follows a move by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to seek preservation orders, preventing Eco Bank from auctioning the land after the alleged grabber defaulted on a Sh40 million loan.

According to Ignatius Wekesa, the EACC's South Rift regional manager, the disputed land belongs to the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC). However, Hashi Energy Limited is also claiming ownership of the property. 

In his ruling, Justice Charles Kariuki barred Eco Bank and Hashi Energy Ltd from selling, charging, alienating, auctioning, or otherwise disposing of the land until the EACC case is heard.

The land, which was scheduled to be auctioned today, is part of a 165-acre tract of ATC land valued at over Sh10 billion, reportedly grabbed by more than 50 private individuals.  

The EACC stated that the land is currently under active investigation, with efforts underway to recover it. By Esther Nyambura, The Standard

Somalia's Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has issued a stern warning to Ethiopian Airlines (ET), threatening to ban the airline from operating within Somali airspace. The SCAA accused Africa's largest carrier of disregarding Somalia's sovereignty in an ongoing dispute with Ethiopia.

In a statement released via Somali state media, the aviation authority criticized ET for failing to address previous complaints related to "sovereignty issues."

According to the SCAA, the airline's recent decision to remove specific Somali destinations from its listings, leaving only airport codes, has further aggravated the situation. The SCAA cautioned that if the matter is not resolved by August 23, all ET flights to Somalia could be suspended. 

This development is part of a broader tension between Somalia and Ethiopia, fuelled by Somalia's opposition to a port access agreement between Ethiopia and the self-declared independent region of Somaliland, which Mogadishu considers illegal.

Amidst these tensions, Türkiye has been mediating negotiations between the two nations and has reported significant progress towards a peaceful resolution.

Ethiopian Airlines' Somalian Destinations

Ethiopian Airlines conducts flights to Somaliland's capital, Hargeisa, Garowe in Puntland, and Mogadishu in Somalia. However, its website includes Hargeisa without a country identification and returns no results for Somaliland, although Mogadishu is clearly defined as being in Somalia.

Specifically, ET flies from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport (ADD) to Egal International Airport (HGA), which is an airport in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, but has no flight scheduled for Bosaso Airport (BSA), also known as Bosaso International Airport, an airport in northern Somalia. 

The Ethiopian carrier also flies to General Mohamed Abshir Airport (GGR), an airport serving Garowe, the administrative capital of the autonomous Puntland region in northeastern Somalia, and can also reach Aden Adde International Airport (MGQ), formerly known as Mogadishu International Airport, an international airport serving Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia.

In its letter on Wednesday, Mogadishu’s aviation regulator said it had held several discussions with ET officials about the “violation of Somali sovereignty regarding destinations” that the carrier serves. The SCAA claimed it had also “received an increasing number of unacceptable complaints from the Somali public regarding their travel experiences with Ethiopian Airlines.”

“Any future recurrence, such as not properly identifying the destinations in Somalia, will result in suspension without further warning,” it added. The airline has 282 flights to Somalia scheduled for September 2024, according to Cirium Dioo data. By Helwing Villamizar, Airways News

This is a developing story.

By JULIUS MBALUTO 

The Ministry of Health in Kenya has confirmed the second case of Mpox spread in the country. A truck male driver was presented at Health screening desk at Malaba One Stop Border Post in Busia and after a thorough examination, it was established that he had the symptoms of Mpox in Kenya. 

"The driver had salient symptoms of the disease and a history if travel to the epicenter of the outbreak in DRC," a press statement from the Ministry read in part.

The driver now a patient has been isolated to avoid further spread. The Ministry of Health is doing its best to combat the outbreak at its eaely stage. According to Health Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa, as of Friday, August 23, 42 samples have been submitted to the laboratories for Mpox disease testing out of which 40 samples have tested negative for the disease.

The Ministry says that they have screened 426,3438 travellers at various Ports of Entry across the country. Kenya's CS of Health is urging the public to seek accurate information from its website, and qualified health professionals and also verify the validity of the content they may encounter on social media platforms online. 

"We will continue to provide regular updates as more information becomes available. For more information or assistance, contact the Ministry hotlines at 719 or +254732353535/+245729471414," Barasa stated.