President Uhuru Kenyatta has today issued two Executive Orders on the reforms in the Coffee and Tea Sub-Sectors.
Executive Order No. 2 of 2021 on the Coffee Sub-Sector Reforms follows recommendations of the Presidential Taskforce, and approves the transmittal of the Coffee Bill, 2021 to Parliament.
On the other hand, Executive Order No. 3 of 2021 on the Revitalization of the Tea Sub-Sector directs the Attorney General to conduct an inquiry into allegations of statutory and regulatory breaches committed by KTDA among other instructions.
The Executive Orders were issued Friday by the Head of State at State House, Nairobi at a brief ceremony conducted by the Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua and attended by Cabinet Secretaries Fred Matiang’i (Interior), Peter Munya (Agriculture) and Mutahi Kagwe (Health).
Plumes of steam rise out from the wooded interior of a large crater surrounded by a giant circular rim in an active volcano 50km outside Nairobi.
Away from the steep cliffs, the landscape gives way to a second crater floor which is mostly flat and has been inhabited by a local Maasai community for generations.
The formerly nomadic pastoralists consider Mount Suswa a holy place, calling it Oldonyio Lenkai in the Maasai language, which means “God’s dwelling place.” But while they believe the volcanic vents scattered across the landscape are sacred, others see the steam jets as a resource that must be harnessed.
Kenya is one of the leading countries in the world for geothermal power; 25% to 30% of installed grid capacity comes from the renewable energy, which uses naturally occurring steam to power turbines.
It is estimated that Kenya could hold as much as 10,000 MW of geothermal potential, around three times the current installed capacity.
The energy is cheap, clean and far more reliable than hydropower – Kenya’s main source of power – which stops working during frequent droughts.
Young Maasai warriors arrive at Mount Suswa for a rite of passage ceremony.
Land issues
However, there is a darker side to the history of geothermal development in Kenya. Previous developments have led to the removal of indigenous communities from their ancestral land, pushing thousands into poverty as they face the loss of livelihoods in new settings.
The jewel in Kenya’s geothermal crown is the Olkaria plant near Lake Naivasha. It has been operational since 1981 and there have been several successive developments on the site over the decades.
In 2014, around 150 Maasai families were evicted from their homes and resettled in a nearby plot to make way for the Olkaria IV plant. The evictions were marred by controversy and were fiercely opposed by the local community.
The Maasai accused KenGen, the government-run utility which led the project, of failing to consult with the community and not following proper procedures.
The World Bank, a major donor of the project, conducted a review in 2015 and found that “people were resettled to land which was less suitable for them than their older habitats”.
Fears of displacement
The Maasai living in Mount Suswa, around 50km south of Olkaria, fear that they will share the same fate as their relatives on the other side of the mountain.
“As a community we are very afraid of geothermal,” says Jerimiah Tanin, a local guide. “We have seen the destruction which took place with the community living in Olkaria. They are crying now. They were pushed away from their native land to elsewhere. Now they are living a very different life from the life they were living. If they drill here, there will be relocations and we don’t know where to go. There is no more land.”
A group of Maasai leaders and stakeholders told African Business that the government-owned Geothermal Development Company (GDC), which was set up in 2008 with the specific task of finding more places to drill, came to Mount Suswa in 2013 and conducted a field survey.
The company plans to begin drilling three wells of 150 MW in September 2021, they say.
There are over 1,000 Maasai living in Mount Suswa who risk being displaced if the project goes ahead. Many do not have the language or employment skills to thrive in larger towns or cities.
“People who are living here, most of them didn’t go to school,” says Daniel Shonko, a young guide. “When the government chases them away they will not be able to live on the market and the town, because many of them don’t even speak Kiswahili. All these people are pastoralists, they keep animals. Where will we put these animals in towns?”
The community also claims to have been kept in the dark about the GDC’s specific plans, something which contravenes the government’s legal right to acquire land. The Maasai claim they have not been informed about which plots of land will be gazetted, how much the land will be bought for and what the environmental impact will be.
The geothermal springs also serve as the Maasai’s only supply of fresh water in Mount Suswa. It is created through a homegrown condensation technique. The Maasai fear that they will be unable to continue accessing the water source after the wells have been drilled.
“They [GDC] say they have conducted an environmental impact assessment plan but it is not clear to us, we as the landowners are not aware of it,” says Wilson Pulie, the chairman of Suswa Conservancy. “There has been no public participation that has been done by the company.”
The great rift valley of Kenya with Mt Suswa (left). Photo: Dr Ajay Kumar Singh.
Legal issues
Community consultation is one of several steps that must be taken for the government to acquire land in Kenya, says Angela Kioi, managing partner at law firm Kioi & Co. Advocates.
Other requirements include establishing a fair market price for the land through an independent body and conducting an environmental impact assessment.
“In most of these cases you tend to find that the government skips processes,” she says.
If the Maasai can prove in court that the correct procedures have not been followed, they may have a chance to delay the drilling. However, the Maasai will not be able to stop the process altogether, experts say.
Kenya’s 2012 compulsory land acquisition act gives the government the power to “deprive or acquire any title or other interest in land for a public purpose subject to prompt payment of compensation”.
Marianne Wiben Jensen, senior advisor at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA), says appealing to the international community is the Maasai’s best bet to save their land: “They can get in touch with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples and ask them to conduct an investigation and contact the government if there are violations happening.”
Another avenue is to raise public awareness and to inform the financiers, which could include development institutions, that the project might displace thousands of people.
Indeed, although the negative effects of fossil fuel projects on local communities are well documented, there is far less scrutiny when it comes to renewable projects.
Development funds for renewable projects might be less forthcoming if there is more awareness around local community issues.
According to a source familiar with the project, the GDC is still in the process of fundraising but nothing has been made public yet.
US geothermal company Cyrq Energy announced investment plans of up to $300m for the development of a 330 MW plant in Mount Suswa in 2018, but nothing has been reported since.
Italy’s ambassador to Kenya signed an agreement in 2017 to support the development of geothermal energy in Kenya, which included Mount Suswa.
Kenya’s energy surplus
Murefu Barasa, managing partner at EED Advisory, a Nairobi-based energy consultancy, believes the government has learned lessons from the issues that dogged Olkaria.
“KenGen admits that there were some mistakes made and now they are trying to avoid making them again,” he says. “It’s a sellable story with the Maasai. But it’s not completely accurate because a lot has been done to try and compensate the issues that came up.”
Kenya, however, currently has an energy surplus which begs the question of why the new plant is necessary.
Continued investment in energy is made to anticipate large infrastructure projects like the electrification of the standard gauge railway (SGR), a 1200 MW steel processing plant and an industrial park near Olkaria, Barasa says.
These projects are being rushed through by President Uhuru Kenyatta who is keen to secure his legacy with only one year left in office, critics say.
Meanwhile, the Maasai leaders in Mount Suswa are hoping that if they draw enough attention to the displacements it will force the government to abandon the project, and they can keep their land.
A long-dead Maasai holy man had prophesised that an energy company would come to the crater to drill for geothermal.
“He said that when we are together with our leaders we should not allow any drilling because this is a holy land,” says Tanin, the guide.
“If we allow them to drill, then our god will go away and what will follow is an eruption. This is an active volcano. We fear that if some Maasai sign the papers to allow the company to drill here, then they will be the first people to die.”
African Business contacted GDC for comment but had received no reply on 11 March 2021.
Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has had to seek the local administration’s intervention to cushion them from the disgruntled community members.
The government has put on notice job seekers threatening to disrupt operations of the power generating company, KenGen.
Speaking in his office on last week, Nakuru deputy county commissioner Kisilu Mutua said the government was privy to information about impending demonstrations against KenGen.
Some members of the communities in Naivasha sub county have been accusing the company of sidelining them during recruitment and awarding of tenders.
The locals had also complained of unfair playing ground, saying people outside the sub county were being given preference.
Last year a Nakuru businessman Steve Kariuki has threatened to sue the company over unfairness in awarding tenders arguing that the procurement process was flawed.
Sources talking to Kenya Insights on the lamentations of the locals say they’re basically blackmailing the company as most lack the technical know how to work in the company. The bad blood has extended to politicians whore said to be inviting the community to revolt against the company. They argue that they should be given first priority in recruitment instead of the company importing people from outside. We’ve also been notified that this is not the first time the threats of raiding the company has come but more often KenGen gives in to the demands by silencing the noises in the Kenyan way.
KenGen net profit for the half-year period ended December 2020 fell 38.13 percent on the back of lower earnings from thermal power generation and absence of tax savings.
KenGen, which is 70 percent owned by the State, announced on Thursday profit dropped to Sh5.06 billion from Sh8.17 billion a year earlier.
On the other hand, Kenya Power the biggest buyer of electricity from KenGen reported a drop of 80.06 percent in profit for the same period to Sh138 million, citing depressed demand for power amid Covid-19 knocks on economic activity.
KenGen, on the other hand, said profits were hurt after cash reimbursed from expenses arising from fuel and water costs fell 64.2 percent to Sh1.23 billion. The fall was largely as a result of continued displacement of thermal power by increased generation of geothermal and hydro-electric electricity.
The government has spruced up efforts to safeguard the Savings and Credit Co-operative (SACCO) movement in the country by establishing the Sacco societies’ fraud investigation unit aimed at boosting investor confidence in the subsector.
Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Cooperatives Cabinet Secretary (CS) Peter Munya said that following the presidential directive for the establishment of the Sacco societies’ fraud investigation unit within the Sacco Societies Regulatory Authority (SASRA), the unit has been established and is now fully operational.
Speaking at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday during a stakeholders forum on the Cooperatives Sector 2020 Regulations, Munya explained that the unit comprises specialised officers seconded from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and is functionally supported by SASRA’s technical staff.
“So far I have been informed that the fraud unit has finalised an investigation, caused an arrest and prosecuted a fraudulent embezzlement including recovery of over Sh1.3 million from the suspect and there are many other investigations and actions being taken,” highlighted the CS.
He added that the unit has done a fantastic job including preventing fraud and closing in on Saccos which are pyramid schemes that are presented to unsuspecting members of the public who would want to invest their money.
“We are in the process of strengthening this unit so that it has the capacity to investigate and have a bigger reach and support Sasra in implementing its mandate of making sure that depositors’ money is safe,” said Munya.
He encouraged members of the public to desist from joining and transacting with unregistered and unregulated entities particularly when it involves their savings and they should undertake due diligence on any entity purporting to be a Sacco.
“Kenya Sacco sub-sector is ranked first in Africa in terms of assets, members and deposit mobilization and therefore prudent measures are necessary to safeguard the member’s interest,” he said.
Munya added that the non-deposit taking Saccos targeted under the new regulations are those with over Shs.100 million in members savings estimated to be 300 from the 3, 626 reported as at December 31, 2019 and they account for 70 percent of the Shs.188 billion in assets and Shs.140 billion in deposits.
“Saccos are an integral part of the deposit taking and lending market in Kenya providing financial services to over six million households across various sectors of the economy and it is for this reason my ministry had been driving policy reforms to enhance the governance and financial soundness and sustainability of the Sacco industry in Kenya,” said Munya.
He added that the reforms are consistent with the policy development articulated in the Cooperative development policy approved by the Cabinet in 2019.
The CS explained that the regulations have given priority to the setting up of the Central Liquidity Facility (CLF) and shared technology platform, operationalisation of the deposit guarantee fund for Saccos, establishment of the Sacco fraud investigations unit and prudential supervision of the Non-deposit taking Saccos.
“The CLF will facilitate cooperation among Saccos through pooling of liquidity and connected services to enhance the financial soundness and competitiveness of the Saccos as deposit taking institutions,” explained the CS adding that there are over 50 Saccos which are working with the regulator on this initiative and have already drafted bylaws guiding the CLF and shared service business among them.
He explained that the aim is to ensure that there is good governance in the cooperatives movement as it is one of the greatest challenges bedeviling the sector.
“My interaction with members of cooperatives shows that we have a very big gap where they keep blaming the government while it is actually the weak governance structures of the cooperatives that have an issue where the officials misappropriate member’s funds,” said Munya.
The CS also sounded a warning to housing cooperatives saying that this is where there is a lot of room for misuse of peoples’ savings because most of them start as Saccos and when they grow they open other organisations they call housing companies so that they move away from regulations.
“Kenyans love to buy land and unsuspecting members of the public have been making investment decisions based on advertisements they hear over the radio, and when they lose their money they have had nowhere to turn. We want to look into these housing cooperatives and streamline them because we have seen people losing their money invested in imaginary projects,” said Munya.
The government has launched the Youth Enterprise Development Fund Strategic Plan 2020-2024 to empower the youth economically.
ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs CS Joe Mucheru said through the plan, the fund envisions to realize an economically empowered youth to run sustainable enterprises.
“This will be achieved by increasing economic opportunities where the youth will participate in creating jobs through innovative, affordable financing enterprise development and strategic partnerships,” he added.
Mucheru said the ministry of ICT will continue to develop strategies and interventions geared towards empowering the youth, as they are key to the country’s development agenda.
The CS was speaking at the Moi International Sport Centre Kasarani Wednesday, where President Uhuru Kenyatta unveiled the 750 winners of Youth Entrepreneurship Competition Award, dubbed ‘MbeleNaBiz’.
‘MbeleNaBiz’ Business Plan Competition under the Kenya Youth Employment and Opportunities Project (KYEOP) is a programme aimed at empowering the youth through entrepreneurial and financial literacy skills building.
Mucheru said the programme which targets the youth with form four level of education and above, aged between18 and 35 seeks to foster entrepreneurial spirit and capacity among young Kenyans by supporting the development of strong business models.
“The KYEOP policy is unique as it gives an expanded nation of youth profile in Kenya by recognizing the categories of youth and is cognizant of their uniqueness diversity, expectations, challenges and opportunities of each,” he added.
He also announced that the KYEOP project that was implemented in 2016 and ends in December this year has four components including improving the youth employability, support and job creation, strengthening news policy development, project management and improving market formation, where the Ministry of Labour provides labour market information system.
In the component of improving youth employability the youth are equipped with life skills, core business skills and job specific skills, while in job creation it will be administered through the provision of small grants and business development services.
The CS said the key factors that were considered during the design and implementation of the ‘MbeleNabiz’ Business Plan Competition was the impact of the business and if it demonstrated the potential to provide employment for other youths aged between 18 to 35 years.
“We were also looking if the business has gloss potential and the youth had to demonstrate a promise of becoming commercially viable and if they are the owners of the businesses and if they can harness creativity,” he added.
Mucheru said the Jubilee administration continues to empower the youth in a systematic and transformative manner, taking pride that President Uhuru Kenyatta is the global youth champion.
“The President is celebrated by the United Nations General Assembly and his goodwill focuses on the need, opportunities and support for the young people,” he said.
Speaking at the same event, the World Bank County Director for Kenya Mr. Hansen Keith said the employment of youth contributes significantly to the country’s economy and assured of World Banks support in increasing employment and earnings opportunities for targeted youth through KYEOP project.
“The World Bank will support Kenyan Youth through a 150 million US Dollar multi- sectoral project,” he said.
The Director said Kenya is setting the standards in youth entrepreneurship employment and the World Bank is proud that KYEOP initiative is leading the way for others to follow.
Keith who congratulated the winners of the awards, said before the Covid-19 hit the country, Kenyans had seen a lot of progress in employment and expressed confidence that the economy will improve from the pandemic shock, which has severely hit businesses in the informal and formal sectors.
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) has been awarded Sh6 billion grant from Flemish group of Universities in Belgium to strengthen its capacity on food security, management of natural resources and provision of universal health services in the region bordering Lake Victoria.
JOOUST is one of the 70 universities in Africa that applied for the grant in 2019 and the only one to receive the grant in Kenya after beating the only other shortlisted Kenyan institution-The Technical University of Kenya to the prize.
Addressing the press at the institution, JOOUST Vice Chancellor prof. Stephen Agong said the 12-year support grant will also see them mentor other institutions of higher learning around the lake region on the thematic areas.
“We are more than happy to have been awarded the grants and actually being ranked 3rd globally in the list of awardees in a process that was very rigorous. It shows that the donor was convinced that we are above board and have credible system and capable leadership,” Agong said.
Agong disclosed that JOOUST used its competitive advantage of being the only university in the region with a research hub on shores of Lake Victoria and the experience of successfully establishing a center of excellence on food security- a project funded by World Bank, to clinch the coveted grant.
“We’ve always known that our competitive advantage is the lake and the research hub that is focused to find solutions to problems affecting more than 70 million people in East, Central and North Africa whose livelihoods depend on the lake waters. And with rich experience in matters of food security, we knew we had a good chance to get the grant,” Agong explained.
The Vice chancellor stated that 2021 is a preparatory phase for project activities which are expected to start early 2022. “Right now we have already received funds to set up systems in place before activities commence in January next year. The award should have been in 2020 but due to outbreak of Coronavirus everything delayed so this year is a preparatory year,” Agong remarked.
He disclosed that activities funded by the grant is expected to reduce pollution in Lake Victoria thereby raising the population of fish and also reducing disease burden so that the people living around the lake become empowered and self-reliant.
He projected that besides creation of direct employment opportunities, with the wide value chain, close to 10 million people in the country will benefit indirectly from the grants.
The university don stated they have aligned the activities to be implemented by the grant to be in sync with the governments Big Four Agenda which include manufacturing, affordable health care and food security.
“We are focusing on natural resources in the lake in terms of extractives for manufacturing purposes, food security and combating health issues through provision of universal health services,” he said.
The county government of Kisumu has launched a Sustainable and Resilient Mobility Plan to promote equitable and convenient transport system for the city.
The ten-year plan developed in partnership with the Institute for Transport and Development Policy (ITDP) and United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat) also seeks to decongest the city which is third largest in the country.
The plan, according to ITDP representative Eng. Meshack Kidenda calls for equitable allocation of road space and greater investment in walking, cycling, and public transport.
Kidenda said the plan also incorporates development of a Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) system for the lakeside city to decongest the city which is experiencing rapid growth.
Speaking during the launch of the plan and the inaugural Kisumu Car Free Day, Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o said the plan targets to ensure that pedestrians go about their business within the Central Business District (CBD) without unnecessary interruption or danger from motorists.
The plan, he added will help Kisumu to grow into the best intermediate city in Africa by ensuring that the right infrastructure is in place.
The county, he added, has partnered with an electronic motorcycle assembly firm to supply e-motorbikes for boda boda operators in the area to help decarbonize the city.
“This company is now here and if you want the e-motorbike you bring the one you are using then they lease you a new one to continue with your business,” he said.
UN-Habitat Representative Rehab Mudala lauded the initiative saying besides mobility, the plan will also address pollution and other challenges brought about by congestion in cities.
The introduction of electronic motorbikes and e-mobility vehicles, he said will help decarbonize the city at the same time ease movement of people to and from the city.
“We need to embrace a public transport system that does not punish people by embracing regular car- free days, to ensure people walk within the city uninterrupted,” Mudala said.
Mudala urged the county government to take advantage of the Covid-19 containment measures to negotiate with stakeholders in the transport sector to develop designated parking lots to ease congestion.
Kisumu Acting City Manager Abala Wanga said the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Triangle has been demarcated for the rollout of the project.
Traders along the busy street, he said, are now expected to park their vehicles at designated areas backstreet while those dropping off passengers will be allowed only 15 minutes.
All passenger buses, he said, have been banned from operating within the CBD with firm instruction to vacate by the 30th of March to help decongest the city.
Tracks, he added, have also been banned from the CBD apart from those ferrying fuel and goods which must have authority from the city management before gaining entry.
Trackers who flout his regulation, he said, are liable to a fine of Sh 7, 000
Okonjo-Iweala, 66, was appointed director-general of the World Trade Organization by representatives of the 164 member countries, according to a statement from the body.
She said in a statement that her first priority would be quickly addressing the economic and health consequences of the COVID-19pandemic and to “implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again.”
“Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today,” she said.
The appointment came after new U.S. President Joe Biden endorsed her candidacy, which had been blocked by former President Donald Trump.
Biden’s move was a step toward his aim of supporting more cooperative approaches to international problems after Trump’s “America first” approach that launched multiple trade disputes.
But unblocking the appointment is only the start in dealing with trade disputes launched by Trump, and in resolving U.S. concerns about the WTO that date to the Obama administration. The U.S. had blocked the appointment of new judges to the WTO’s appellate body, essentially freezing its ability to resolve extended and complex trade disputes.
The U.S. government has argued that the trade organization is slow-moving and bureaucratic, ill-equipped to handle the problems posed by China’s state-dominated economy and unduly restrictive on U.S. attempts to impose sanctions on countries that unfairly subsidize their companies or export at unusually low prices.
Earlier this month, the Biden administration reversed Trump’s opposition and expressed “strong support’’ for Okonjo-Iweala and saying she “brings a wealth of knowledge in economics and international diplomacy.” She is the first African official and the first woman to hold the job.
Okonjo-Iweala, formerly Nigeria’s finance minister, had a 25-year career at the World Bank, where she rose to the No. 2 position of managing director. She holds both U.S. and Nigerian citizenship.
South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee had withdrawn her candidacy, leaving Okonjo-Iweala as the only choice. Her predecessor, Roberto Azevedo, stepped down Aug. 31, a year before his term expired.
Trump repeatedly accused the WTO of unfair treatment of the U.S., started a trade war with China in defiance of the WTO system, and threatened to pull the United States out of the trade body altogether. Trump also imposed 25% steel tariffs that hit European allies on national security grounds, a justification that went beyond trade measures normally used within the WTO rules framework to address complaints about unfair trade.
So far, Biden has not said whether the U.S. will unblock the appellate appointments, and he has not withdrawn the steel tariffs either, which are backed by U.S. steel industry and union groups.
The World Trade Organization is an international body that deals with the rules of trade between nations. At its heart are the WTO agreements, negotiated among the bulk of the world’s nations and ratified in their legislatures.
Residents of Kirimon village in Laikipia have called for the arrest and prosecution of a rancher who is alleged to have destroyed electricity posts on claims that they had been erected on his farm.
The irate residents marched to the homestead of the rancher accusing him of sabotaging the National Government funded project on rural electrification under the Last Mile Programme.
Former civic leader Sopira Lerumpe said the rancher had destroyed a four-kilometer stretch by pulling down the posts.
He said it was unfortunate that the Ol Malo Ranch Manager had abused the hospitality of the Government and the locals by undermining a project that would have benefited the community.
The electricity connection was expected to be completed in a few months’ time, bringing power to an area that has for long relied on solar kerosene lamps to light their homes.
The project has been going on since October last year where the power is being supplied from Nanyuki Town through Il Polei, Kimanjo, Ewaso and Kirimon shopping centres.
Another protestor Sorokwa Lechodor called on security agencies to take action against the rancher saying the offense borders on arrogance.
The rancher was not available immediately but Laikipia County Commissioner Daniel Nyameti who spoke on phone confirmed he had received the complaints and had summoned the rancher and the person contracted by Rural Electrification Authority (REA) to undertake the project.
Nyameti said initial reports indicate that the electricity posts had been removed by the contractor after reaching an agreement with the rancher to reroute over concerns that the electric wires would inconvenience landing and taking off of airplanes.
However, it has since been established that the rancher is the one who pulled down the posts using his vehicle and has even destroyed some of them.
Ole Malo Ranch is owned by Colin Francombe. He was born and raised in Kenya. For 23 years, he was the manager of Kuki Gallman’s 100,000-acre Ol ari Nyiro ranch.
Now, Francombe raises cattle and sheep together with his wife in his own vast ranch. He’s also involved in conservation of wildlife particularly the endangered black rhino. They also run Ol Malo House and Ol Malo Lodge which cater for tourists visiting their wildlife sanctuary.
Rwanda will forgo millions of dollars in tax exemptions from importers of expensive vehicles as it attracts high-end tourists into the country.
It is the latest attempt to boost tourism, which is struggling to recover from the second wave of Covid-19 infections that have led to new travel restrictions by some countries.
In a letter dated January 22, 2021, the Ministry of Finance instructed the Rwanda Revenue Authority to exempt excise duty, value added tax and withholding tax on imported vehicles valued at $60,000 and above.
Ordinarily, such vehicles each pay an average of Rwf43 million ($43,000) in Customs and clearance taxes, according to the Rwanda Revenue Authority.
The rationale behind the exemptions, as explained in the letter, aims at facilitating the importation of expensive cars to promote high-end tourism, meetings incentives conferences and exhibitions (MICE), and foreign investment.
“It is important to note that the cap on import duty has been catered through the requested stay of application in the EAC pre-budget meeting of May 2020.”
“The purpose of this letter is, therefore, to request your good office to implement the government policy adopted by Cabinet,” reads the letter.
Foreign exchange earner
Despite the pandemic dampening global tourism, Rwanda is maintaining investment in the sector which was the leading foreign exchange earner in 2019, bringing in approximately $498 million in revenue. The target is to grow to at least $800 million by 2024.
The vehicle tax exemption comes just before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) slated for June in Kigali. Rwanda will use the meeting to woo wealthy travellers and investors to spend longer periods in the country, especially at its famous tourist attractions.
The promotion of tax incentives is strongly aligned with the government’s vision to attract investments, promote exports, and support the private sector, driven by ambitious foreign direct investments and export promotion, experts say.
“The government has focused on the tourism and MICE sector, so it is trying to encourage investments in those priority sectors. The incentives may lead to a loss of some tax revenue but overall, the target is that this loss will be compensated by a larger number of investors,” Angelo Musinguzi, senior tax manager at KPMG Rwanda told The EastAfrican.
“The main challenge now is finding those investors who have the capacity to import expensive cars and invest significantly in the country. Without such investments, the incentive will only remain on paper.”
The latest incentive is in addition to a seven-year tax holiday offered to investments worth $50 million since 2015.
I am a resident of Busia County, a Kenyan and a strong proponent for regional trading blocks. I know your docket is very heavy and such county-related matters easily get forgotten. The state of the transnational road that links Mombasa to the Great Lakes region through Busia town is an eyesore, an embarrassment to the country and has made us a laughing stock by the rest of our neighbours.
That Busia still remains a one-street town, even with increased traffic, population growth and impact of trans-border movement, the sight of long-distance trucks queuing for miles as they wait for clearance at the border point, and the dust in the town as vehicles try to make their way using any possible space away from the congested road is killing that town.
The story of preparation by Kenha to commission expansion works have been in the pipeline for long, and emergency intervention is required. I am sure, you have a lot of correspondence on the same including from Governor Sospeter Ojaamong. The latest was by the President of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry Richard Ngatia and Dr Paul Otuoma, the chair of the Privatization Commission during the recent business open day in the town. They promised to remind you on the state of that road and the adverse effects it is having on private businesses who are struggling with the negative impact of the COVID-19.
Without rehabilitating and expanding that main transnational road, other great national development projects like the One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) which was commissioned at the Busia Border by the heads of states from the East African region cannot succeed. They will remain clouded by the dust from the plantation called a road.
Suffice to note that currently, the general infrastructure linking Kenya with her neighbours in the West through Busia town are not developed and have no transport linkage. Sadly, in addition to the depilated one street, non of the water points have properly developed landing points across the many water bodies while the airstrip became a museum. While the Malaba border point is a bit organised and orderly, the failure to actualize the Mulwanda border point, earlier gazetted by President Kibaki’s government remains a project on paper.
There were plans to make Busia a dry port – where some of the clearing business at the port of Mombasa would have moved to Busia translating into more investment opportunities and income generation to the county government with far reaching effects on regional trade, and we were excited. Our hopes are dwindling.
Sir, many recent feasibility studies done in the county show that, in addition to the port potential as a link to the great lakes region and central Africa, which requires that road improved and expanded, the country has a huge potential for cement production, organic fertilizer manufacturing plant, and Cassava and sugar production on large scale. The proximity to Lake Victoria and Rivers Sio, Nzoia and Yala and the possibility of gold deposits in Samia Hills make the County richly endowed. But with the current transport challenge, very few private investors will risk their money. That message came out from several speakers during the business open day.
There is a lot of goodwill and the County Government has enacted very conducive laws and policies to spur in and across border trade, but the road remains a stumbling block. The county has abundant natural resources including and competitive workforce, favorable weather and climate that is conducive to business in agriculture, strategic location making it a gateway to Uganda and Central African which offers unique business opportunities, stable communication structure, and financial institutions, availability of business support institutions, agencies and market for finished products.
Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.
The tourism potential in the county will greatly improve through re-working the airstrip and building the water landing sites along with the various water bodies – the county has tourism sites including Kakapel rock art museum, captivating Kakapel caves, rock painting found at the Kakapel national monument in Teso North, rocky hills of Kisoko and the Lake Victoria viewpoints including boat racing sites for both bating riding and water raffling on beaches such as Osieko, Bukuoma, Marenga, Bumbe, Sisenye and Busijo beaches. Che’s bay resort along the lake in Bukoma has been a place of choice for many local and international tourists, save from Uganda because of unfriendly landing sites.
The rehabilitation of that main road in addition to transforming the town from a one street town, will be a major a legacy project for this government by way of opening up transnational trade, enhancing value addition and manufacturing in the county thus creating employment among others.
The next letter will be to the CS Trade and National Treasury: We need to discuss the issue of preference taxation and increasing the competitiveness of Kenyan products at the border looking at what our neighbours are doing.
The United States of America has deployed a highly sophisticated military ship to boost maritime surveillance along the Kenyan Coast territorial waters.
The Expeditionary Sea Base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) artillery vessel, which docked at the port of Mombasa on Monday, is the first US naval ship deployed to the Kenya coast in over a decade.
Senior government officials led by the Defence Cabinet Secretary (CS) Monica Juma and local journalists were conducted on a tour of the highly advanced military vessel on Tuesday.
Others who witnessed the state-of-the-art technology and other security features of the ship which is the second in the Lewis B. Puller class of expeditionary sea base vessels included Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho and Director General of Kenya Coast Guard Brigadier Vincent Loonena
The784-foot long Ship named after retired Marine Corporal Officer Hershel Williams is made of a 52,000 square foot and four spot flight deck for the landing of helicopters. It also has a capacity of 250 personnel who mainly consist of civilian mariners and sailors.
To ensure strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols, the journalists invited to cover the event were tested last Sunday at Mombasa Hospital which was sponsored by the US government.
Speaking after the tour, Rear Admiral Jeff Spivey who is the Director of Maritime Partnership Programme, US Naval Forces in Europe and Africa and Vice Commander US Sixth Fleet, Naples in Italy hailed the existing cordial relationship between the United States and Kenya.
Spivey said the arrival of the ship was clear testimony of the close ties between the two countries, which he said are committed to foster strong partnership in security and economic matters.
“We look forward to working with the Kenya Navy in future military exercises and also share intelligence information and exchange ideas,” he added.
Kenya has benefitted from US assistance in the professionalization of military forces, increase in counter terrorism and border security capabilities, increased maritime security awareness and to improve peacekeeping capabilities.
In 2018, the two countries elevated the relationship to a Strategic Partnership and established a corresponding annual strategic dialogue.
Ministry of Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has once again reiterated that the JKIA-Westlands Expressway will be completed by end of 2021.
If realized, this will be way ahead of the initial estimated time which stated that the expressway would be completed and ready for use by end of 2022.
The project being done by the China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) linking the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) to Nairobi-Nakuru highway is already up running with visible milestone
CS Macharia during the National Development Implementation and Communication Cabinet Committee (NDICC) Projects assessment by Cabinet Secretaries said that the project which was to be initially completed in December 2022 will be ready a year earlier, December 2021.
“The contractor has reduced the completion time and we are excited. This will be a game changer once complete,” said the CS today while flanked by his colleagues.
According to Mr Macharia, the Nairobi Expressway project is a very critical piece of infrastructure because it is one of a kind in East and Central Africa and will act as a link between east of the country and the west.
The CS further noted the project is more than just our transport system but overall infrastructural development hence the partnership with Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the railway system.
“This project has benefited more than 2,000 Kenyans in skilled and unskilled employment opportunities” said the CS.
The CS further added that the expressway is expected to ease traffic flow on the Mlolongo-James Gichuru A8 section and to eventually reduce travel time through Nairobi.
Present in the assessment tour was Devolution CS Eugene Wamalwa who lauded the project, reiterating his Colleague Macharia’s sentiment that it will indeed be a gamechanger once complete.
He specifically noted the expected completion time which he said was commendable and once it is ready for use, will make Nairobi more attractive to tourists and investors.
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala saw the expressway as a venue for attracting more tourists in the country, asserting that we need proper infrastructure so as to move forward with the rest of the world.
Balala stated that this project is a key Big Four Agenda of the Jubilee administration, downplaying naysayers who have rubbished the agendas, insisting that without infrastructure there is no airport.
The CSs also visited Kibra water projects, Ngong River Clean up as well as Kianda sanitation facility and promised to facilitatedNair the groups with what is required for their use to ensure that there is adequate water and proper facilities in the area.
A section of the road from Mlolongo all the way to NextGen Mall, a distance of 18.2 kilometres and which is ongoing, will be a flatbed road, while the section from Nextgen Mall through the City-Centre to St Marks church, covering 8.2 kilometres, will be elevated.
Motorists who would opt to use the Shs 65 billion expressway will have to part with between Shs 200 to Shs 300 in toll fees depending with the type of the vehicles.
Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) had intimated that the Chinese Company will be granted a concession to build, operate and transfer the project for 30 years that includes a construction period of three years and thereafter an operation and maintenance period of 27 years.
The Nairobi Expressway involves a four-lane and six-lane dual carriageway within the existing median of Mombasa Road/Uhuru Highway/Waiyaki Way and 10 interchanges.
National Treasury has disbursed Ksh 24.6 billion shillings to counties as part of their Equitable Share.
Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani in a statement to newsrooms said total balances for various counties held at the CBK now stands at 61.4 billion shillings.
This even as CS Yatani appealed to county governments to make full and timely use of those funds, as additional disbursements from exchequer are made in due course.
He further urged county governments to prioritise settlement of pending bills to suppliers and other statutory dues to enabled concerned institutions to discharge their mandates effectively.
Meanwhile, noting the general improvement of the economy and in particular positive revenue performance since December 2020, Yatani said the National Treasury and Planning will prioritise disbursements to county governments, noting their critical obligations of service delivery to the Kenya citizens.
Last week treasury transferred a total of Ksh 133 billion to county governments, Ksh 120.2 billion has been disbursed as part of the Equitable Share due to county governments and Ksh 13 billion as Conditional grants.
LONDON (AP) — So far, the large majority of British and EU citizens have not felt the realities of Brexit. Though the U.K. left the European Union on Jan. 31, it follows the bloc’s rules until the end of this year as part of a transition period to the new economic relationship.
That’s all set to change.
On Jan. 1, Britain embarks on its new, more distant relationship with the EU after nearly five decades of closer economic, cultural and social integration.
The change for Britain’s economy and people is the most dramatic since World War II, certainly more so than when the country joined what was then the European Economic Community in 1973.
“It’s a far bigger shock to our economic system and it’s going to happen instantaneously,” said Anand Menon, director of The U.K. in a Changing Europe think tank and a professor of European politics and foreign affairs at King’s College London.
“All of a sudden you wake up in a new world at the start of January.”
Here are some of the changes to movement that people will start to feel almost overnight.
___
WHAT’S CHANGING?
Even though the coronavirus pandemic has led to a collapse in the numbers of people traveling between Britain and the EU, the end of freedom of movement from Jan. 1 will represent the most tangible Brexit consequence so far.
Under the divorce deal agreed by the two sides on Dec. 24, the roughly 1 million British citizens who are legal residents in the EU will have broadly the same rights as they have now. The same applies for more than 3 million EU citizens who are in the U.K.
But British citizens will no longer have the automatic right to live and work in the EU, and vice versa. People who want to cross the border to work and live will have to follow immigration rules and face other red tape such as ensuring their qualifications are recognized.
The exception is people moving between the U.K. and Ireland, which have a separate common travel area.
For many in the EU, the freedom to be able to travel, study and live anywhere in the 27-nation bloc is among the most appealing aspects of European integration.
Yet some in Britain and other parts of Western Europe became more skeptical about the freedom of movement after a number of former communist nations in Eastern Europe joined the EU in 2004 and many of their citizens moved to the U.K. and other wealthier countries to work. Concerns over immigration were a major factor in Britain’s 2016 Brexit vote. On Jan. 1, the consequences of that decision will become apparent for British and European citizens alike.
___
WHAT ARE THE NEW TRAVEL RULES?
Although travelling for holidays will remain visa-free, British people will only be allowed to spend 90 days out of every 180 in the EU, while the U.K. will allow European citizens to stay for up to six consecutive months.
For retired British citizens who have been used to spending more than three months at their second homes on Spain’s sun-soaked Costa del Sol, the change may come as a shock. British travellers in Europe will also have to have at least six months left on their passports and buy their own travel insurance. Britons will no longer be issued the European Health Insurance Card, which guarantees access to medical care across the bloc, but the U.K. says it is setting up a replacement system so that U.K. visitors to the bloc and EU citizens visiting Britain still have medical coverage.
___
WHAT ABOUT PETS?
For British citizens accustomed to taking their dog, cat or ferret on vacation in Europe each summer, the situation will get more complicated as Britain will no longer be part of the EU’s pet passport scheme — although the agreement avoids the onerous months-long procedures that some had feared. U.K. pet owners will have to have their animal microchipped and vaccinated against rabies at least 21 days before travel, and will need to get an Animal Health Certificate from a veterinarian no more than 10 days before departure.
___
WILL DRIVING BE A HASSLE?
The deal means British drivers won’t need an international driving permit once they cross the Channel. British motorists can travel in the EU on their U.K. licenses and insurance, as long as they carry proof that they are insured in the form of a “green card.”
___
WHAT ABOUT WORKING?
The end of freedom of movement will have a major impact on hiring at all ends of the labor market.
A newly graduated British citizen on holiday in the Greek islands, for example, won’t be able to walk up to a beach bar and seek part-time work without having the necessary visa. The same applies for European citizens arriving in the U.K. They won’t be able to turn up at a sandwich shop like Pret a Manger and look for work without the necessary documentation.
Larger businesses will also find it far more difficult and costly to hire people from the other side. The deal does include provisions to allow contractors and business travelers to make short-term work trips without visas.
Contractors handling multibillion road projects in Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties were on Thursday evening arrested for doing shoddy work moments after the Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya ordered the arrest.
Edwin Gachie, under Sobetra Construction Company and two contractors under Nanchang Foreign Engineering (Kenya) Co. Ltd _JV were arrested for shoddy works and the latter for not even starting the road project despite being paid an advance payment of Sh188million.
The Regional Commissioner who was in the two counties to inspect ongoing government projects was shocked that the said projects were poorly done, some halfway while others had not picked up at all yet the government had released funds for the projects.
“I’m extremely disappointed with the amount of work that the contractor has done, the quality of work is equally poor,” said the administrator.
Natembeya who was accompanied by the senior director Presidential Delivery Unit Truphosa Awuor inspected the Timboroa-Meteitei-Kopere-Nandi Hills roadworks and also the Kipkaren Dam water supply project, the Eldoret bypass, and the Turbo-Soy road projects.
The commissioner noted that the contractor had abandoned the 54km road along the Timboroa- Meteitei-Songhor-Kopere in Tinderet sub county.
The road project awarded to Sobetra Construction Company in 2016 was to be upgraded to bitumen standard and have performance routine maintenance.
“This road was to be completed by February 2021 yet it is not even halfway done, neither are the roadworks properly done,” noted Natembeya.
The site Engineer Edwin Gachie was at pains to explain to the team that they are working on the road but the glaring poorly done road works could not support his explanation.
Most noticeable was a section of the road in Kamelil location that had been cut off, and another bridge that was halfway done and abandoned.
“We cannot entertain contractors carrying out shoddy works at the expense of the tax payer’s money. The main contractor will either be required to subcontract or reassign the works or the government to terminate and advertise the works for a new contractor,” remarked the RC.
It was clear to the inspection team that Sobetra had abandoned the roadworks and was not able to continue with the fact that their old machinery were stationed at the site, covered by tall grass.
The resident Engineer Walter Nyariki informed the team that the staff had also not been paid for a year which prompted them to abandon the works.
Natembeya’s visit comes barely a week after a joint project implementation visited the road links and were not happy with the contractors roadworks though having received an advance payment of Sh1.55 billion out of the total contract sum of Sh3.59 billion.
“You cannot claim that you do not have funds to complete the project yet while you were being awarded you convinced the tender committee that you had the technical and financial capacity to do the works,” said Natembeya.
The RC also visited the KETRACO project in Nandi Hills that is supposed to evacuate power from Olkaria-Lessos-Kisumu.
The project was to be completed by end of January 2021 but due to the late shipment of materials from China, the project manager Samson Akuto assured the team that it will be ready by the end of the first quarter next year.
Akuto said the project is currently 86 percent complete save for the issues of wayleave that requires land owners to be compensated for the works to continue.
Natembeya tasked the County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding to fast track the acquisition of titles since some of the land owners did not have the required documents which was delaying compensation and equally the project.
Meanwhile the Regional Commissioner urged the Kipkaren dam water supply contractor in Uasin Gishu to speed up the works as scheduled.
Workers at the site had downed their tools for delayed payments of their dues but the contractor Machiri Ltd assured the project implementation team that payments will be done today and workers resume immediately.
The dam will supply water to the residents and institutions in both Uasin Gishu and Nandi Counties. The project is funded jointly by the government of Kenya and the African Development Bank at a cost of Sh1.18 billion.
Other officials who accompanied Natembeya during the ten-hour inspection Thursday were; Nandi County Commissioner Geoffrey Omoding and his Uasin Gishu counterpart Stephen Kihara, and members of the County Development Implementation Committee.
Construction works for the 3 billion shillings International airport in Lanet Nakuru County that will see the expansion of the current military airstrip to serve military and civilian passengers has kicked off.
The upgrade will entail the construction of military and civilian gates, setting up of a power substation, and construction of patrol roads.
Speaking during the ground-breaking ceremony of the Lanet international Airport in Nakuru county, Transport Principal Secretary Solomon Kitungu said the project which was long overdue will involve rehabilitation of the runaway, a fence, construction of taxiways and terminals, a military lounge, an air rescue the center which will cost Ksh. 400 million. The project is expected to enhance air connectivity and boost the county’s revenue through the promotion of tourism and the export market.
The facility will also have its runway expanded from the current 1.7 to 3.1 kilometres to accommodate large passenger planes.
China’s rapid economic growth has been the greatest story of the 21st century. Its history and experience show that the major pillars behind this success are the development of its own industries.
As a result, China has been able to double its GDP for a number of years which helped lift more than 800 million people out of poverty.
On the other hand, however, economies in the majority of African countries are poor and stagnant. This, despite abundant resources, a cheaper labor force, and a ready market.
China and Africa enjoy cordial diplomatic and trade relations lasting several decades. And this is why the East Asian country believes that for Africa to realize economic independence it has no option but follow its path, that of industrial development.
And this is not just talk given that it is an endeavor the world’s second-largest economy is eager to play a major role. As a part of the eight major initiatives of the Forum on China Africa Cooperation, FOCAC, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya Zhou Pingjian disclosed that Beijing is ready to work closely with Africa in implementing the industrial promotion.
In his message during the ongoing celebrations to mark 20 years of FOCAC, Amb. Zhou acknowledged the continent’s common aspiration to accelerate industrialization and speed up economic transformation.
He lauded Africa’s firm commitment to this drive and pointed out that China remains the most reliable partner of the continent in its pursuit of industrialization.
“We encourage financial institutions to scale up support for China-Africa industrial capacity cooperation.” He said
According to Zhou, China is particularly looking at stepping up support in the development of industries as well as special economic zones and industrial parks in Africa.
To expedite the realization of this dream, he disclosed that the Communist Party-led nation is not only willing to put more money on this project but also stands ready to share its experience on industrialization with Africa.
“Since Covid-19 struck, China and Africa have cooperated in research and local production of PPEs, medical equipment and medicines, and training medical professionals. We will continue to play our part in the Third Industrial Development Decade for Africa (2016-2025) as proclaimed by the UN General Assembly On 25 July 2016.” He said via a video link from the embassy in Nairobi.
Indeed, the Chinese envoy is not alone seeing as economic experts have on numerous occasions spoken about Africa’s great potential in industrialization. Strong demand for products that are primarily sourced from overseas has been a key feature in the continent.
But, with abundant resources, Zhou believes China’s transference of industrial capacity, equipment, and technologies will make a huge difference in the continent.
The Hawassa Industrial Park in Ethiopia opened for business in July 2016
He says African industrialization needs huge investment from both home and abroad. But as a partner, he promises that China will avail opportunities and resources to drive this agenda.
“Chinese manufacturing now makes an important and positive part of the global industrial and supply chains. China has a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of 400 million. Demand on the massive domestic market in China will continue to unleash the endless potential for the whole world. African countries will benefit greatly from China’s new development.” The diplomat remarked.
This undertaking is coming at a time China has invested heavily in footwear and garment industries both in Ethiopia and Rwanda respectively among others. And both have been a tremendous success.
Going by this trend, it is possible that China might place great focus on the light industry, which is labor-intensive, for a start.
Already, China, alongside the African Union, has developed key strategic plans for development, such as the New Partnership for Africa’s Development, the Action Plan for the Accelerated Industrial Development of Africa, the Program for Infrastructure Development in Africa, and the Agenda 2063, in the hope that the 21st century would be an era for African development through industrialization and economic integration.
Kenya’s Chebet Lesan has been announced as the winner of this year’s Africa Business Heroes run by the Africa Netpreneur Prize Initiative (ANPI) which is backed by Jack Ma Foundation.
The 30-year old Chebet who is the founder of BrightGreen Renewable Energy which produces life-saving cooking fuel bricks from farm waste and other materials was awarded Kshs. 33 ($300,000) by ANPI.
PHOTO. | BrightGreen Renewable Energy
BrightGreen Renewable Energy produces clean fuels which reduce the cost of cooking for underserved communities across Africa and save forests.
Nigeria’s Oluwasonga Oni was the 1ST runner-up bagging Kshs. 27.8 million ($250,000) while Zimbabwean Ethel Mupambwa was the 2nd runner-up after securing Kshs. 16.7 million ($150,000) in funding.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has said Kenya has prioritized the sustainable utilization of its ocean and blue economy resources as an enabler of the Vision 2030 economic blueprint.
“It is clear that the ocean economy is a smart investment that can deliver social, economic, and environmental benefits to our people.
“As such, Kenya is keen to fully realize the potential of its 142,400 square kilometre Exclusive Economic Zone. However, as we do so, we will steadfastly protect our marine resources even as we pursue its enhanced development and productivity,” the President said.
The Head of State spoke Thursday at State House, Nairobi when he presided over the national launch of the New Ocean Action Agenda which is an offshoot of a similar global plan by the fourteen-nation High-Level Panel for Sustainable Ocean Economy.
President Kenyatta is a member of the panel whose objective is to promote sustainable utilization of ocean resources by striking a balance between their economic exploitation and conservation requirements.
Besides national government efforts to reposition the blue economy as a key economic driver, the President said County Governments had also realised the importance of the sector to regional economies.
“In addition, our coastal economic bloc, Jumuiya ya Kaunti za Pwani, comprising six counties along the coastal region – Mombasa, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu and Taita Taveta has identified the ocean and blue economy as one of three value chains to prioritize in their county development plans.
“The Lake Region Economic Bloc, which represents the socio-economic aspirations of fourteen counties within the Lake Victoria Basin that constitutes 30% of Kenya’s population, has similarly prioritized the blue economy as a key economic pillar,” he said.
The Head of State listed the ongoing reconstruction of the Liwatoni Fisheries Complex at a cost of Kshs 318 million, training of 1,000 fishermen, set up of Bandari Maritime Academy as well as the launch of the Kenya Coast Guard Service as some of the efforts being made to promote sustainable utilization of Kenya’s ocean resources.
Further, the President said Kenya is proactively implementing policies aimed at tackling the challenge of ocean pollution especially from plastic waste.
“In 2017, Kenya banned the use of polythene carrier bags. In addition, we have now implemented a ban on single use plastics in all protected areas including beaches, national parks, conservation parks, and forests,” the President said, adding that the Government is working with local communities to conserve coastal ecosystems.
“For example, through the support of the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KMFRI), the Mikoko Pamoja Project has recently been able to restore 10 hectares of mangrove forests.”
President Kenyatta voiced the country’s commitment to its international agreements on sustainable utilization of ocean resources saying Kenya will continue leveraging on global institutions based in the country such as UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Sub-Commission for Africa and Adjacent Island States, and the Global Sea Level Observation System (GLOSS) to sharpen Kenya’s ocean conservation efforts.
“As a member of the High-Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, I commit myself and my Government to achieving 100% sustainable ocean management of areas within our national jurisdiction, guided by Sustainable Ocean Plans, by 2025,” he said.
Retired Chief of the Defence Forces General Samson Mwathethe who chairs the National Blue Economy Committee said Kenya is making steady progress towards reaping the immense economic benefits presented by the sector.
General Mwathethe regretted that the country had in the past failed to take advantage of its blue economy resources and called on the private sector to partner with the Government in reviving the sector.
On his part, Agriculture CS Peter Munya said his ministry was working on ensuring Kenya’s blue economy contributes more to the economic progress of the country by providing appropriate incentives and policy frameworks for the sector to thrive.
