East Africa

Details: East Africa; 16 June 2021; 1088

In Summary

•The Astra Zeneca vaccine is made is several sites across Europe and also in India. The version made in India is called Covishield.

•The region has also adopted a digital certificate, which shows if one has been vaccinated against Covid-19, and has a negative test or has recently recovered.

Kenyans will have to wait longer to travel to the European Union when it reopens to foreigners on July 1.

The region has a list of "safe" countries from which to allow visitors on non-essential travel but Kenya is not included.

Also, all foreigners must have been immunised with a Covid-19 vaccine approved by the EU. However, the Covishield vaccine being used in Kenya is not among those approved in the EU.

Sputnik V, which was also taken by a few people, has not been approved.

An official at the EU offices in Nairobi said a decision on Covishield will be made in the coming weeks.

“The approvals for vaccines for use within the European Union are issued by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). We are aware that the Covishield vaccine produced in India has not yet received the EMA approval, but the EMA is currently examining it,” the official said.

AstraZeneca requested the approvals for the EU approved version several months ago, while the India version (Covishield) request came in much later, the official said.

The AstraZeneca vaccine is made in several sites across Europe and also in India. The version made in India is called Covishield.

“We cannot pre-empt the decision of the EMA, so there is no guarantee but the indications are that the outcome is likely to be positive for Covishield. A decision is due in the coming weeks,” he added.

The region has also adopted a digital certificate, which shows if one has been vaccinated against Covid-19, has a negative test or has recently recovered.

The EU members officially adopted the scheme on Monday after the presidents of the three main EU institutions – the parliament, the council, and the commission – signed the regulation.

It becomes effective on July 1 and will be in place for one year.

Under the plans, anyone from a safe country who has received minimum one dose of an EU-approved vaccine at least two weeks beforehand will be permitted entry.

The EU official told the Star that Kenyans who took the approved vaccines abroad would be allowed entry into the EU, but in addition they must present a negative PCR test taken 72 hours prior.

The requirements can vary for each EU country.

So far, the EU has approved four vaccines: Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, Oxford-Astra Zeneca (made in Europe) and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson.

According to the new guidelines, “safe” countries should have no more than 75 new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people in the previous 14 days.

It also says the trend should be stable or decreasing and there should be a good number of tests in the country, and show a minimum percentage of negative tests. Variants of concern will also be taken into account. By John Muchangi, The Star

Details: East Africa; 16 June 2021; 1026

Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye. The country announced it would reopen its border with Tanzania. Photo Nation Media Group

Burundi on Monday reopened its Kobero-Kabanga and Mugina borders with Tanzania, which were closed due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

“Quarantine for all travellers, and all mandatory quarantines countrywide now have been suspended but the travellers are expected to self-quarantine at their homes or a hotel of their choice for 24 hours waiting test results through their e-mails,” said Jean Baptiste Nzorironkankuze, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Public Health.

“The border of Kobero and Mugina is now open for travellers and they will have to test for Covid-19 as well before continuing their travels,” he added.

Kobero is the busiest border for Burundi which many traders use as the central corridor to import or export goods to and from Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port.

Burundi announced the closure of its maritime and land borders on January 11 this year after the country recorded its highest number of Covid-19 cases in 48 hours.

Early this year the government imposed more strict measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, which included mass testing, social distancing, and the closure of night clubs countrywide.

Burundi recently reopened its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo in Gatumba.

In the last 28 days (from May 16 to June 12, 2021), a total of 679 Covid-19 cases were recorded out of 40,849 tests conducted in the country, according to the Health ministry. 535 cases are local transmission (78.79 pc) while 144 cases are imported (21.21 pc).

Since the first case was reported in the country, Burundi has recorded a total of 5,026 positive cases of coronavirus out of 339,919 people tested. Five cases detected in Burundi were returned to Tanzania for medical treatment.

Some 4,903 people have recovered from the virus, while the country has recorded eight deaths. - Moses Havyarimana, The EastAfrican

Details: East Africa; 14 June 2021; 1066

The tourism sector can breathe a sigh of relief after the United States lowered Kenya’s travel advisory level to two, down from four, adjusting travel guidance for vaccinated Americans in the process.

In a notice dated June 8, 2021, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for Kenya due to Covid-19, indicating a moderate level of Covid-19 in the country.

The move is good news not only to the tourism sector that was affected by the earlier advisory but also to the Kenyan market.

In April, the US retained the highest travel advisory on Kenya following what said was the steep rise in Covid-19 cases in the country, as advised by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

The move was a major blow to the tourism sector, considering that the US is the leading international tourist market source for Kenya.

Investment firm–Cytonn had decried that the move by both the UK and USA was expected to result in a decline in the number of tourist arrivals, as the two markets are key sources.

The latest data from the Tourism Research Institute (TRI) shows US and UK were ranked as second and fourth highest source markets for tourists in Kenya, respectively from January to October 2020, with 53,444 tourists from the US and 42,341 tourists from the UK.

The US travel advisory on listing Kenya at Level Four came days after the UK added Kenya on its ‘Red List’, saying it had established the lethal South African coronavirus variant is spreading locally, with the country having a high rate of Covid-19 infections.

In its advisory, the US has also cautioned its citizens from traveling along the Kenya-Somalia border and some coastal areas due to terrorism, and areas of Turkana County due to crime.

Also, US citizens have been asked to be careful when visiting the Nairobi neighbourhoods of Eastleigh and Kibera at all times due to crime and kidnapping.

“Be especially careful when traveling after dark anywhere in Kenya due to crime,” part of the advisory notice reads. By Kevin Cheruiyot, The Star

Details: East Africa; 15 June 2021; 1032

South Sudan VP Taban Deng Gai (left) meeting President Salva Kiir at the state house j1. Photo by presidency

JUBA — South Sudan Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster Taban Deng Gai this afternoon met President Salva Kiir Mayardit, according to a statement by presidency.

This comes following a week after the senior government official made remarks declaring that President Salva Kiir was the only ‘presumptive’ winner of the country’s upcoming elections due for end of the transitional period.

According to the presidency statement, Taban briefed Kiir on development of roads in the country in the meeting also attended by minister of presidential affairs Barnaba Marial Benjamin.

“Monday 14th June 2021- His Excellency President Salva Kiir Mayardit was briefed by His Excellency Taban Deng Gai, Vice President for Infrastructure Cluster,” the presidency statement said.

It said Vice President Taban briefed Kiir “on the ongoing construction of Juba- Bor road, Juba-Torit- Nadapal Road, upgrading of Juba-Nimule Road, and Juba-Yei- Kaya Road which would commence soon.” - Sudans Post

Details: East Africa; 14 June 2021; 1082

Residents during the evictions at Makima in Embu county on Saturday, April 24, 2021. TWITTER

The government has asked a private investor in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, to evict over 3,500 Kenyans on their 2,000-acre parcel of land. A report by the Nation on Sunday, June 13, indicated that Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), in a letter addressed to Taita Hills and Sattlick Lodges manager, wanted the individuals to be removed from the land to pave way for the construction of a Ksh40 million fence.

The construction of the fence had begun 10 years ago but stalled after KWS claimed that its workers were being attacked by the locals.

The service further indicated that the individuals had been vandalising and in some instances, stealing the raw materials meant for the construction process hence driving the cost upwards.

A Kenya Wildlife Service officer on duty.

FILE

The individuals in question have settled on the 2,000-acre parcel since 1980s when they first settled their.

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary has claimed ownership of the land on which the fence which covers the 30-km stretch at Kamtonga-Alia is set to be constructed.

The residents had taken KWS in court accusing the entity of encroaching on its land in the name of constructing the fence.

The court, however, ruled in favour of the service allowing it to put up the fence which is aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict as well as poaching tendencies.

"Please note that after the court ruling that the fence has not interfered with the complaints parcel of land and ordered continuation to completion of it, KWS has embarked to complete it as per that court order.

"After the exercise commenced, tension by local communities started mounting and by yesterday morning our fence team upon reaching the site reported vandalism suspected it could have been done by those communities who have settled along the fence construction line claiming land ownership," read the letter in part.

The residents appealed to the state not to evict them asking to be supplied with their own title deeds.

This comes a year after residents of Kajiado County rejected an order by President Uhuru Kenyatta on the expansion of the Nairobi National Park, arguing that it will make them homeless.

They moved to court to seek permanent orders against the directive issued by the Kenya Wildlife Service. Kenyatta's administration was seeking to expand land in Nairobi National Park to conserve the environment and wildlife.

The Head of State directed that national parks and reserves should have their title deeds to protect them from land grabbers.

Entrance gate at the Nairobi National Park. A tour van driver collapsed and died in the line of duty on May 31, 2020.

FILE Kenyans.co.ke