East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 03 January 2024; 335

10 youths arrested in Rumbek, Lakes State for drunkenness on the eve of the New Year celebration have been released.

Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuac , the police official spokesperson in Lakes State confirm their release to Radio Tamazuj on Monday.

“We just arrested them for security protection because they were under very heavy influence of alcohol and they were even not able to go home. So, the security forces decided to keep this people for their safety and up to this morning,” he said.

“The security update in Lakes State is 100 percent calm and normal. In fact, we didn't have issues during Christmas season. I can say congratulations to all security forces in Lakes State who have sacrificed themselves to offer the security services,” he said.

He said last year’s Christmas and the New Year’s celebrations were devoid of high crime rates as compared to previous years. - Radio Tamazuj

Details: East Africa; 02 January 2024; 342

DAR ES SALAAM: TAX collections for the first half of the 2023/24 have increased by 11.5 per cent comparing to the corresponding period in the last financial year.

A record breaking trend was set last December after the revenue authority collected 3.05tri/-, equivalent to 102.9 per cent, setting a new record since TRA's establishment.

In its report released on Monday, the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA) managed to collect 13.9tri/- in the period between July and December in the 2023/24, which is a performance of 97.98 per cent of the targeted 14.21tri/-. In the corresponding period last year, the taxman collected 12.49tri/-.

TRA Commissioner General Alphayo Kidata said in the statement that collection for December, 2023, was 3.05tri/-, equivalent to 102.9 per cent, an amount that has never been reached since TRA's establishment.

"In the month of December, the TRA managed to break a record of making highest collection since its establishment," the statement said.

The monthly collection for the last six months are July (1.9tri/-), August (2tri/-), September (2.6tri/-), October (2.1tri/-), November (2.1tri/-) and December (3.05tri/-).

Comparing to the same period in the previous financial year, the monthly collections increased by an average of 11.5 per cent.

Commissioner General attributed the achievements to efforts by the authority in practically implementing directives and various guidelines given by the President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan and other government leaders. Source: Daily News

Details: East Africa; 02 January 2024; 350

Foreign students no longer able to bring family to UK© PA Wire

James Cleverly has said the “unreasonable practice” of overseas students bringing their family to the UK will end as restrictions on visa routes come into force on Monday.

The Home Secretary said the ban, which affects all but those enrolling on postgraduate research courses and ones with Government-funded scholarships, will cut migration by tens of thousands.

The measures were announced in May by his ousted predecessor Suella Braverman shortly before official figures showed net migration running at 672,000.

The move could hit universities which rely on foreign student fees and could also harm the UK’s reputation as an international destination, experts have warned.

It means that as of Monday, international students starting courses in Britain are no longer allowed to obtain visas for their dependants, unless they are on a postgraduate research programme or a Government-sponsored course.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak tweeted: “From today, the majority of foreign university students cannot bring family members to the UK.”

The Conservative Party leader said the announcement showed that the Government was “already delivering for the British people” in 2024.

Mr Cleverly said: “This Government is delivering on its commitment to the British public to cut migration. We have set out a tough plan to rapidly bring numbers down, control our borders and prevent people from manipulating our immigration system, which will come into force throughout this year.

“Today, a major part of that plan comes into effect, ending the unreasonable practice of overseas students bringing their family members to the UK. This will see migration falling rapidly by the tens of thousands and contribute to our overall strategy to prevent 300,000 people from coming to the UK.”

Immigration minister Tom Pursglove said: “Our world-leading universities rightly attract some of the brightest students from around the world to the UK.

“But we have seen a surge in the number of dependants being brought by students, which is contributing to unsustainable levels of migration.”

Revised Office for National Statistic (ONS) figures released last month showed net migration ran at a record figure of 745,000 in the year to December 2022. It stood at a provisional 672,000 in the year to June 2023.

Earlier in December, Mr Cleverly set out a raft of new restrictions that he said would cut numbers by 300,000 a year, including hiking the salary threshold for Britons bringing foreign spouses to the UK to £38,700.

The move was criticised for threatening to tear families apart, with many having their future thrown into doubt as the Government considered the details of the policy.

Ministers later rowed back by quietly announcing the threshold would first be raised to £29,000 and then increased in “incremental stages” until spring 2025, which in turn angered MPs on the Tory right in favour of tighter migration controls.

The Home Office said the new package is a “tough but fair” approach, insisting the changes to student visas strike the right balance between “attracting the brightest and best” to Britain but “removing the ability for institutions to undermine the UK’s reputation by selling immigration not education.”

Experts have previously expressed concern about the measure.

Nick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute (Hepi) think tank, said international students will go to competitor nations if they are discouraged from coming to the UK.

“As a country, we risk cutting off our nose to spite our face,” he warned.

“International students benefit the UK in all sorts of ways. For example, they are vital to maintaining our world-class university sector as their fees cross-subsidise the teaching of home students and also help to fund UK research.

“I don’t celebrate the new changes and I urge ministers to keep a close eye on competitor nations, who may now seek to recruit those people who would otherwise have come here and benefited the whole of our country.”

Labour has backed the restrictions but said they do not go far enough to tackle “deep failures” in skills and training across the UK labour market or boost the country’s sluggish economy.

“Labour supports these restrictions on dependants for overseas students on shorter courses. However, this is nothing more than a sticking plaster,” shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said.

“The Tories’ complete failure to tackle skills and labour market problems is undermining growth as well as increasing migration.”

In the year ending September 2023, 152,980 visas were issued to dependants of students. By Nina Lloyd, The Independent

Details: East Africa; 02 January 2024; 342

Uganda argues it has the right of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit through Kenya

In Summary

Uganda engaged the Kenyan authorities on the new policy for the sourcing, importation and supply of petroleum products meant for the Ugandan market.
The Kenyan authorities in line with the Principles and provisions of the Treaty and Protocols made thereunder, assured the Uganda of unwavering support in the implementation of the said policy.

Ugandan government has sued Kenya over the importation deal of petroleum oil from Mombasa port.

In an application filed at the East African Court of Justice, Uganda through its Attorney General claims the Kenyan government has restrained EPRA from issuing them with a licence for the importation of oil from Mombasa to Uganda.

In court documents filed on December 28, 2023, Uganda claims they import approximately 90 per cent of its refined Petroleum products through the Port of Mombasa in Kenya and the products are transported to Uganda using the pipeline owned and operated by the Kenyan Pipeline Company Limited (KPC).

The landlocked country says the importation and supply of refined petroleum products into Uganda has traditionally been handled by the Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) operating in Kenya through the Kenya Open Tender System (OTS) and subsequently through the Government-to-Government arrangements between Kenya and foreign Governments, that Kenya adopted in early 2023.

Under the arrangement, OMCs operating in Kenya import petroleum products and in turn, sell the same products to Uganda's OMCS.

"The complete reliance and dependency on Kenyan OMCs to import and supply petroleum products to Uganda have exposed the Republic of Uganda to supply vulnerabilities resulting in an avoidable increase in fuel pump prices," Uganda states in court documents.

Further, the Government of Uganda made a policy shift in the manner in which the sourcing, importation and supply of petroleum products for the Ugandan market is to be handled.

Accordingly, the Applicant through Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC) was empowered by Uganda to be the sole importer and supplier of all the petroleum products, for the Ugandan market.

Consequently, sometime in April 2023, Uganda engaged the Kenyan authorities on the new policy for the sourcing, importation and supply of petroleum products meant for the Ugandan market.

The Kenyan authorities in line with the Principles and provisions of the Treaty and Protocols made thereunder, assured the Ugandan authorities of Kenya's unwavering support in the implementation of the said policy.

"Upon engagements with the relevant authorities in Kenya, UNOC sought to enter into a Storage and Transportation Agreement with KPC. Consequently, UNOC was required by the Respondent to meet certain regulatory requirements including obtaining an Import, Export and Wholesale of Petroleum Products (except LPG) Licence (hereinafter referred to as "the Licence") from EPRA to utilize the petroleum transit infrastructure in Kenya, especially the Kenya Pipeline systems in furtherance of the new Ugandan policy."

Uganda says it found the requirements an unnecessary hindrance to the implementation of its petroleum policy as the petroleum products in issue were wholly transit goods not destined for Kenya.

EPRA further required UNOC to provide several documents and meet a raft of requirements for EPRA to process and issue it with the Licence.

The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, on behalf of UNOC, wrote to the CS Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Kenya requesting for a waiver of certain requirements for the Licence as the same were not applicable, practical or rational.

The Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Kenya intimated to the Applicant an intention to present to the Kenyan Cabinet the Applicant's request for a waiver of the specific requirements for consideration.

Following the Cabinet's decision, the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, Kenya requested EPRA to urgently review and align the petroleum import logistic arrangement in light of the policy shift in Uganda.

On November 7, 2023, a Petition was filed in the High Court of Kenya at Machakos while UNOC's reapplication remained undetermined by EPRA for over two weeks after resubmission.

"The High Court of Kenya at Machakos on 7 November 2023 without according the Applicant and/or UNOC a hearing, inter alia, issued conservatory orders restraining EPRA from granting an Import, Export and Wholesale of Petroleum Products (Except LPG) licence to UNOC", the court documents read.

Further, the conservatory orders issued on November 7, 2023, inter- alia restraining EPRA from granting the Licence to UNOC were extended from December 6, 2023, to December 19, 2023, and on December 19, 2023, they were further extended to January 22, 2024. [Attached hereto is a true copy of the Ruling marked as "RMO-S"

Uganda, at all material times, sought the intervention of the Republic of Kenya to restrain its organs of State from infringing the Principles and provisions of the Treaty and Protocols, it adds.

Uganda argues that it is a landlocked Country and has the right, under the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, to which the Republic of Kenya is signatory, of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit through the territory of Kenya by all means of transport.

Uganda wants a declaration that the actions of Kenya complained of above contravene Articles 5(1), (3)(a), (b) and (h):6(b).(d) and (f); 7(1)(a) (b); 8(1)(a) and (c); 23; 27; 28; 76(1); 89(b) and (e); 90(j); 93(c) and (d); and 130 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and Articles 3(2), 4(2)(a), 5(1), 18 and 38 of the Protocol

"A declaration that the action of the Republic of Kenya restraining EPRA from issuing the Licence to the Applicant contravenes Articles 5(1), (3)(a), (b) and (h); 6(b) (d) and (f); 7(1) (a), (b); 8(1)(a) and (c); 23; 27, 28; 76(1); 89(b) and (e); 90(1); 93(c) and (d); and 130 of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and Articles 3(2), 4(2)(a), 5(1), 18 and 38 of the Protocol", Uganda claims.

It also wants a declaration that the action of the Republic of Kenya prohibiting the grant of any waiver of the licencing requirements for the Licence to the Applicant contravenes Articles of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community and Articles 3(2),4(2)(a),5(1) , 18 and 38 of the Protocol.

A permanent injunction was issued against the Republic of Kenya from imposing unrealistic restrictions to UNOC accessing the KPC system. By Carolyne Kubwa, The Star

Details: East Africa; 02 January 2024; 332

An aerial view of Nairobi Expressway. [David Gichuru, Standard]

The Government has revised the toll rates for motorists using the Nairobi Expressway. Charges from Westlands to Mlolongo will now cost Sh500 up from Sh360.

In a special Gazette notice dated December 19, 2023, Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen confirmed approval of the new rates, citing the depreciating Shilling against the United States Dollar.

"In exercise of the powers conferred by section 4B (3) of the Public Roads Tolls Act, the Cabinet Secretary for Roads and Transport approves the toll rates for the Nairobi Expressway as set out in the Schedule hereto," the notice read in part.

According to the new rates, the least amount a motorist will pay to use the 27km long Expressway will be Sh170 compared to Sh120 previously paid.

Murkomen stated that the new toll rates are set for future adjustments based on the prevailing exchange rate and changes in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The Sh88 billion Expressway has 10 exits at Mlolongo, Standard Gauge Railway, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Eastern Bypass, Southern Bypass, Capital Centre, Haile Selassie Avenue, Museum Hill, and Westlands.

Under the new charges, motorists doing the Westlands to JKIA and Eastern Bypass routes will pay Sh420 while those shuttling between Westlands to Souther Bypass will be charged Sh330.

Westlands to Haile Selassie and Capital Centre will now be Sh250 while Westlands to Museum Hill will be Sh170.

Those traveling between Museum Hill to Mlolongo exit will part with Sh500, while from Museum Hill to Syokimau will now cost Sh410.

Further, Museum Hill to JKIA and Eastern Bypass- Sh330, Museum Hill to Southern Bypass Sh250, and those doing the Museum Hill to Haile Selassie and Capital Hill exit will part with Sh170. By Mate Tongola, The Standard