Kenya hailed for its strong stand against trade in ivory

March 14, 2019

Kenya’s strong stand against trade in ivory is drawing global attention.

Top officials of the global Elephant Protection Initiative (EPI) today said Kenya has done well in drawing world attention on why trading in elephant trophies must be stopped in all the remaining markets especially in Europe and Japan.

The Chief Executive Officer of the Stop Ivory co-secretariat of the EPI John Stephenson said previous destruction of ivory stockpiles by Kenya had sent a strong message worldwide over the need to save the diminishing animals that form an important part of our natural heritage.

He spoke when the EPI team paid a courtesy call on First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at State House, Nairobi.

The First Lady is passionate about the saving the jumbos and is the patron of the Hands Off Our elephants campaign.

Aims of EPI include providing both immediate and longer-term funding to implement the African Elephant Action Plan and closing all domestic ivory markets.

The organization also campaigns for a continued moratorium on any consideration of future international trade for a minimum of 10 years and thereafter until African elephant populations are no longer threatened.

The EPI team included Executive Director for Wildlife Trafficking and Conservation Keith Roberts and Senior Technical Advisor Wilfred Kiiru.

Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala who accompanied the EPI team to State House said Africa needs to have one strong voice to lobby against all markets in Europe and Japan where trade in ivory still thrives.

Later, the First Lady also met with top officials of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) who briefed her on the forthcoming global trav summit.

The WTTC is a membership organization representing over 160 CEOs, Presidents and chairs from the world’s largest travel brands across the world.

Aims of the WTTC include promoting awareness of travel and tourism’s economic contribution, expanding markets in harmony with the environment and reduce barriers to growth.

The WTTC team that met with the First Lady included its President and CEO Ms Guevara Manzo, International Liaison Manager Ms Eliza-Rose Dendle and Mr Javier Esteban Molina who were also accompanied by CS Balala.

The WTTC CEO said Kenya is among countries doing well in the growth of its tourism sector.

This year’s WTTC Global Summit will take place in Seville, Spain on April 3 to 4.

At another function at State House, the First Lady hosted her Madagascar counterpart Mialy Rajoelina who paid her a courtesy call.

They two First ladies discussed matters of mutual interest including women empowerment, health, unemployment, gender issues, conservation, family, conservation and agriculture.

President affirms Kenya’s commitment to achieve 10% minimum forest cover

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta today affirmed Kenya’s commitment to achieve a minimum of 10 percent forest cover by 2022 as part of the country’s efforts to address the challenge of climate change.

The President said his Administration has identified forestry as a key sector of investment in the realization of the country’s development agenda and is implementing the national green growth strategy that has set clear restoration targets aimed at achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“Today we are here to show commitment and on behalf of our government and our people, I am pledging that by 2022, we want to reach a minimum of 10 percent forest cover in our country as a way of also ensuring that we play our part both as a government and as members of the global community,”
President Uhuru Kenyatta

The President called for concerted efforts towards environmental conservation, saying forests like the oceans are the lungs that keep the planet alive.

“Investment in sustainable management in the conservation of our forests is one of the most effective interventions to combat climate change in Kenya,” the Head of State added.

The President was speaking at UNEP in Gigiri, Nairobi when he and French President Emmanuel Macron officially opened the One Planet Summit, also attended by Deputy President William Ruto and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga among other local and international leaders.

President Macron commended President Kenyatta’s commitment to environmental conservation and praised Kenya for hosting the One Planet Summit.

The French leader said the Nairobi summit was special because it proved that it was not only the Western world that was concerned about climate change and environmental conservation but also Africa.

“Africa is key in this project because it bears the first direct impact of climate change,” President Macron said.

President Kenyatta said the One Planet Summit which builds on two previous summits held in Paris and New York signals a strengthening of cooperation in scaling up environmental conservation and climate action.

He pointed out that deforestation and degradation of the environment ultimately undermines biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation as well as adaptation.

“This, without doubt, leads to loss of economic productivity and has destroyed means of livelihood for many communities across the world. It has also reduced the ecological integrity of our ecosystems,” President Kenyatta said.

The President said the loss of forest cover exacerbated the impacts of climate change leading to natural hazards such as droughts, fires and floods.

At the One Planet Summit, big financial pledges to support environmental conservation and address climate chance were made.

Interim World Bank President Kristalina Georgieva said her institution pledged $ 12 billion to fund adaptation and resilient climate smart projects in Africa over the next five years.

She assured President Kenyatta that the World Bank will support Kenya’s efforts to increase its forest cover by funding the restoration of at least 60 million hectares of forest land.

“We will invest heavily in smart agriculture and in the restoration of degraded land,” the World Bank boss said.

African Development Bank (AfDB) President Akinwumi Adesina said his bank commits to provide $25 billion towards climate finance over the next five years to address the problem of climate change.

The One Planet Summit was followed by the official opening of the Fourth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA4) whose theme is ‘Innovative Solutions for Environmental Challenges and Sustainable Production and Consumption’.

Addressing the UNEA4, President Kenyatta called for integrated climate action and innovation in sustainable development efforts.

The President noted that climate change continues to be a major threat to sustainable development worldwide and its impact places a disproportionately heavy burden on the poor and vulnerable.

“It calls for practical and creative solutions. Countries must embrace a culture of innovation and invest in education and capacity building to facilitate the transition to a knowledge society,” President Kenyatta pointed out, saying finance and technology remain crucial in this regard.

He welcomed the participation in the Assembly by traditional and spiritual leaders as well as representatives of councils of elders drawn from different regions of Kenya.

“I appreciate the role that traditional and spiritual leaders play in environmental conservation; resolution of resource-based conflicts and as custodians of our traditional indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage. I urge us all to learn from these traditional practices worldwide for the benefit of mankind,” President Kenyatta said.

President Kenyatta also spoke on the Kenya Cleaner Production Strategy 2000 that encourages resource efficiency and cleaner production in manufacturing.

“It embraces the “5 R’s” philosophy of Reduce, Re-use, Recycle, Reformulate, and Re-manufacture, cutting emissions into the environment to acceptable levels,” President Kenyatta said.

He said his administration has put in place several policy and legal instruments to control environmental pollution including imposing a ban on single use plastic carrier bags.

Other dignitaries present at the assembly included President Andry Rajoelina (Madagascar), President Maithripala Sirisena (Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka), President Felix Antoine Tshisekedi (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Prime Minister Edouard Ngirente (Rwanda).

Others were the President of the UNEA4 Mr. Siim Kiisler, UN Deputy Secretary General Amina J. Mohamed, the Acting Executive Director of UNEP Joyce Msuya, Acting Director-General of the UN Office in Nairobi and Executive Director of UN-HABITAT Maimunah Mohd Sharif, and the Executive Director-designate of UNEP Inger Andersen.

Careful how you treat today’s AI: it might take revenge in the future

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

We might not like the way future AI responds to us. Shutterstock/Mykola Holyutyak Nicholas Agar, Victoria University of Wellington

Artificial intelligence (AI) systems are becoming more like us. You can ask Google Home to switch off your bedroom lights, much as you might ask your human partner.

When you text inquiries to Amazon online it’s sometimes unclear whether you’re being answered by a human or the company’s chatbot technology.

There’s clearly a market for machines with human psychological abilities. But we should spare a thought for what we might inadvertently create.

What if we make AI so good at being human that our treatment of it can cause it to suffer? It might feel entitled to take revenge on us.

Machines that ‘feel’

With human psychological abilities may come sentience. Philosophers understand sentience as the capacity to suffer and to feel pleasure.

And sentient beings can be harmed. It’s an issue raised by the Australian philosopher Peter Singer in his 1975 book Animal Liberation, which asked how we should treat non-human animals. He wrote:

If a being suffers, there can be no moral justification for refusing to take that suffering into consideration. No matter what the nature of the being, the principle of equality requires that its suffering be counted equally with the like suffering – insofar as rough comparisons can be made – of any other being.

Singer has devoted a career to speaking up for animals, which are sentient beings incapable of speaking up for themselves.

Speaking up for AI

Researchers in AI are seeking to make an AGI or artificial general intelligence – a machine capable of any intellectual task performed by a human being. AI can already learn, but AGI will be able to perform tasks beyond that for which it is programmed.

The experts disagree on how far off an AGI is. The US tech inventor Ray Kurzweil expects an AGI soon, maybe 2029. Others think we might have to wait for a century.

But if we are interested in treating sentient beings right, we may not have to wait until the arrival of an AGI.

One of Singer’s points is that many sentient beings fall far short of human intelligence. By that argument, AI doesn’t have to be as intelligent as a human for it to be sentient.

The problem is there is no straightforward test for sentience.

Sending a human crewed mission to Mars is very challenging, but at least we’ll know when we’ve done it.

Making a machine with feelings is challenging in a more philosophically perplexing way. Because we lack clear criteria for machine sentience, we can’t be sure when we’ve done it.

Look to science fiction

The ambiguity of machine sentience is a feature of several science fiction presentations of AI.

Niska (Emily Berrington) in Humans (2015). Kudos, Channel 4, AMC (via IMDB)

For example, Niska is a humanoid robot, a synth, serving as a sex worker in the TV series Humans. We are told that, unlike most synths, she is sentient.

When Niska is questioned about why she killed a client she explains:

He wanted to be rough.

The human lawyer Laura Hawkins responds:

But, is that wrong if he didn’t think you could feel? … Isn’t it better he exercises his fantasies with you in a brothel rather than take them out on someone who can actually feel?

From a human perspective one could think sexual assault directed against a non-sentient machine is a victimless crime.

But what about a sex robot that has acquired sentience? Niska goes on to explain that she was scared by the client’s behaviour towards her.

And I’m sorry I can’t cry or … bleed or wring my hands so you know that. But I’m telling you, I was.

Humans is not the only science fiction story to warn of revenge attacks from machines designed to be exploited by humans for pleasure and pain.

In the TV remake of Westworld, humans enter a theme park and kill android hosts with the abandon of Xbox massacres, confident their victims have no hard feelings because they can’t have any feelings.

But here again, some hosts have secretly acquired sentience and get payback on their human tormentors.

We’re only human

Is it only science fiction? Are sentient machines a long way off? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

But bad habits can take a while to unlearn. We – or rather animals – are still suffering the philosophical hangover of the 17th century French thinker Rene Descartes’ terrible idea that animals are mindless automata – lacking in sentience.

If we are going to make machines with human psychological capacities, we should prepare for the possibility that they may become sentient. How then will they react to our behaviour towards them?

Perhaps our behaviour towards non-sentient AI today should be driven by how we would expect people to behave towards any future sentient AI that can feel, that can suffer. How we would expect that future sentient machine to react towards us?

This may be the big difference between machines and the animals that Singer defends. Animals cannot take revenge. But sentient machines just might.

Nicholas Agar, Professor of Ethics, Victoria University of Wellington

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

New dictionary provides insights into the language of African politics

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

In Ghana, “skirt-and-blouse voting” means to vote for different parties for presidential and legislative positions. Shutterstock Nic Cheeseman, University of Birmingham; Eloïse Bertrand, University of Warwick, and Sa’eed Husaini, University of Oxford

Every country has its own political language. These terms and phrases that have developed over time give distinctive meanings that may not be fully understood by outsiders. Unless we learn them, we may miss critical information about how politics really works.

Our new dictionary of African politics reveals the witty and insightful political terminology that people in different African countries use to speak truth to power and discuss everyday developments. It shows the importance of language for understanding politics and the varied experience of different nations.

The dictionary serves three key purposes. First, it provides clear and concise overviews of hundreds of key personalities, events and institutions from the colonial period to the present day. These range from Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to former South African leader Jacob Zuma, through the late Kenyan environmentalist and Nobel Laureate Wangari Mathaai, and Aja Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang, a leading gender activist and the vice president of Gambia.

Second, it explains a rich set of theoretical terms that emerged out of the research on Africa over the last 70 years. These include neo-patrimonialism and extraversion, which have become important for global debates about power and the way it’s exercised.

Third – and much more significantly – it allows for a better understanding of the contributions that the continent has made to the practice and understanding of everyday politics. It also makes it possible to share the perceptive and shrewd ways that people speak truth to power in various countries: this is the real reason that the world needs a new dictionary of African politics.

Crowd-sourcing

To access this wealth of “kona” knowledge (street corner wisdom in Kiswahili), we crowd sourced suggestions for the most relevant and insightful terms using social media. The hundreds of responses we received mean that the dictionary is packed full of fascinating terms from across the continent. These come from a variety of languages including Kiswahili, Chibemba, Kikuyu, Wolof, isiZulu and isiXhosa. There are also Africanised versions of English, French and Portuguese words.

An illustrative example is the wealth of English vocabulary that has emerged from the interaction between local political norms and democratic institutions. This includes the Kenyan model of “negotiated democracy” – the sharing of political positions between different communities in advance of an election to avoid conflict.

Another is the Nigerian practice of “zoning”, which was set up to try and ensure that the presidency of Africa’s most populous country alternates between northerners and southerners. That way, no community is permanently excluded from power.

Clothing-related expressions have also emerged in countries like Kenya and Ghana to show voting behaviours. “Three-piece suit voting” refers to supporting the same party for all elected positions. On the contrary, “skirt-and-blouse voting” means to vote for different parties for presidential and legislative elections.

A series of evocative expressions describe a politician’s move from one party to another – usually from the opposition to the governing party following an inducement. Terms such as floor-crossing or cross-carpeting are inspired by the parliament’s settings, or nomadic traditions – examples are transhumance and “nomadisme politique”.

Ingenuity and humour

The ingredients that shape these terms are decades, if not centuries old. They thus provide an insight into a collective memory that goes back to well before colonial rule. But, language also evolves to keep up with the times. In French, for example, glissement means to slide. But, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the word recently took on a whole new meaning. This, as former President Joseph Kabila repeatedly postponed scheduled elections that would see him stand down. Congolese citizens started using the term to refer to the act of deliberately “sliding” past the official election date to retain power indefinitely.

Similarly, in Francophone Africa the term “alternance”, used as the demand for a transfer of power, shows a passionate commitment to the liberal-democratic norm of putting limits on the number of terms a president may serve. This has no equivalent in Europe and North America.

While the use of words such as glissement hint at the world-weary cynicism many ordinary people feel towards their leaders, other terms revel in the joy of wordplay. One of our favourites is “Watermelon politics”. It refers to an individual that professes to support one political party but in reality belongs to another.

It was coined in Zambia, where activists from the opposition United Party of National Development, (whose colour was then red), pretended to support the governing party, the Patriotic Front, (whose colour was green), to avoid reprisals. They were thus depicted as “green on the outside, but red on the inside”.

Such expressions show the ingenuity and humour with which citizens evade despotism and exercise their democratic rights. They also show how much researchers and journalists miss when they don’t pay attention to African ideas and concepts. Thus, the best reason to read this dictionary is to learn about the political ingenuity of African citizens and to gain insights into local political ideas and frames of reference.

The dictionary is also about much more than that. It includes one of the most thorough timelines of African political events ever compiled, with direct links to entries that put critical events into context. It also provides useful overviews of the topics that are of most interest to students. These range from from HIV/Aids to gender quotas, and from the anti-apartheid struggle to the Rwandan genocide.

Our hope is that it does justice to the efforts of the many people who took time to send in the suggestions that have enriched it, and that everyone who takes a look learns something new.

Nic Cheeseman, Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham; Eloïse Bertrand, PhD Student in Politics and International Studies, University of Warwick, and Sa’eed Husaini, DPhil Candidate, University of Oxford

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The exception: behind Senegal’s history of stability

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

Senegal developed a diplomatic tradition after gaining independence from France. A.RICARDO/Shutterstock Mara Leichtman, Michigan State University

Senegal’s elections have been peaceful and the incumbent president, Macky Sall, has been reelected. For many this comes as no surprise. Senegal has long been a stable democracy in a region plagued by military coups, civil wars and ethnic conflicts. It’s been considered an “exception” in West Africa.

Markers of this stability have been visible since Senegal’s independence from France in 1960. There was a [peaceful and democratic] transition of power from colonial rule and Leopold Sedar Senghor, Senegal’s first president, established a solid democratic foundation. He voluntarily resigned after 20 years in power.

Since then Senegal has had free elections, peaceful transitions of power, and civilian rule.

One of the foundations of Senegal’s stability is the strong influence of Sufi Islam. Senegal is 94% Muslim and Sufi Islam dominates culturally, economically, and sometimes politically.

Sufis – Islamic mystics – seek divine love and knowledge through self-discipline. Senegal’s Sufis fall under one of the Sunni Muslim schools of jurisprudence.

My insights about the interplay between various Islamic groups, religion and the state is based on my research in the country over the past 20 years. I examined minority Shi’i Islamic communities in Senegal, a majority Sunni Muslim country that has long celebrated religious freedom. The coexistence of various religious groups in Senegal is just one factor that has contributed to peace in the country.

Aside from its religious dynamics, Senegal also has a long history of fostering global intellectual, diplomatic, and financial connections. These have all led to its “exceptional” stability.

Sufi Islam

To explain the foundation of Senegalese stability, the late Irish political scientist Donal Cruise O’Brien put forward a “social contract” theory. The contract, he argued, was between marabout (Sufi Islamic leader) and talibe (disciple), as well as between the marabouts and the state.

Senegalese historian Mamadou Diouf revisited this thesis in 2013. He touted Sufi Islam as an “antidote to political Islam”. This was particularly true, Diouf argued, of the Senegalese model of pluralism, cooperation, coexistence, and tolerance.

But there have been other factors that have contributed to Senegal’s stability.

Diplomatic tradition

French colonialism positioned Senegal as a port of entry into West Africa. And while Senegal continues to maintain strong ties to Europe and the US it has fostered important relations with the Middle East and Asia.

Senegal is officially a Francophone country. In addition to speaking various African languages, many Senegalese are also Arabophone – intellectually as well as linguistically.

The country developed a diplomatic tradition after gaining independence from France. It joined the United Nations in 1960, the Organisation of African Unity (now the African Union) in 1963 and the Non-Aligned Movement in 1964.

Significantly, Senegal is the only African country to have hosted the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (renamed the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) Summit twice – in [1991]and2008.

Senegal smartly used the opportunity of hosting these Islamic summits to attract significant Arab funding for infrastructural development. For example, it receives the largest amount of loans given by the Kuwait Fund to any African country. Today, Gulf aid has displaced Western development funds in Senegal.

Senegal is also a West African financial centre. It has taken leadership roles in the Islamic Development Bank and was the first African country to embrace Islamic finance.

While these global religious, intellectual, diplomatic, and financial connections have contributed to Senegal’s stability, it has experienced periods of instability too.

Not all plain sailing

The relationship between the state and Sufi Islamic leaders has sometimes been controversial. And the state has also had conflicts with the young people who make up roughly 60% of the population.

One example of instability was before Senegal’s contentious 2012 presidential elections. The incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade wanted to secure a third term by changing the constitution. The movement “Y’en a Marre” (Enough is Enough) mobilised the youth vote and organised political protests, which disrupted the country for weeks.

Policy commentators first suggested the events might insinuate that Senegal’s record of democracy had been weakened. But Wade eventually conceded peacefully to Macky Sall after a run-off election.

Some are concerned that more instability might be looming.

Last month Sall won re-election. Some analyists credit his victory to economic growth (7.2% in 2018), infrastructural projects and the recent discovery of offshore oil and gas.

But he has strong critics. His crackdown on corruption has been used politically to eliminate his biggest competitors. And he has been criticised for exiling Karim Wade, son of Abdoulaye Wade, from Senegal and imprisoning Dakar’s former mayor Khalifa Sall.

Nevertheless, Senegal looks good in relation to other African countries. Think of the recent elections in Nigeria; Kenya’s repeated 2017 elections; the 2016 Gambian elections, when President Adama Barrow had to be sworn in from Senegal; or the violent post-election conflict in Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011.

Lessons

Senegal is important for Africa because it provides an example of a country that can help shift the narrative of the continent as an “arc of instability.”.

For example, while Sufi Islam is the dominant religious practice in Senegal, religious minorities have long been accepted and given the freedom to practice their religion.

But I am concerned by recent reports in Western media that portray the African continent as another sphere for the Saudi Arabia-Iran rivalry to play out by disseminating Sunni-Shi‘i sectarianism in Senegal and Nigeria.

There are tensions between the minority Salafi and Shi‘i movements. But it is inaccurate to suggest that West Africa has fallen victim to Gulf power politics and has no religious agency of its own.

So far Senegalese have pushed back against suggestions that the country is becoming more radicalised by promoting Sufi Islam as an Islam of peace. Despite the growth of minority Islamic movements, the majority of Senegalese are likely to adamantly remain proud Sufis.

Mara Leichtman, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Muslim Studies, Michigan State University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Pakistan National charged for forging immigration documents

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

BY PRUDENCE WANZA – A Pakistan national has been fined a total of Ksh. 450,000 or face six months imprisonment for forging immigration documents.

Appearing before Chief Magistrate Francis Andayi, at the Milimani Law courts, the foreigner pleaded guilty to using fake stamps to forge Crucial immigration documents and staying in Kenya illegally.

The man was arrested by immigration department officers stationed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport while trying to flee from the country with fake documents. He will be detained at Industrial Area Prisons

France supports Kenya’s regional integration agenda

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

President Emmanuel Macron said France supports the regional integration agenda championed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and other regional leaders.

Speaking when President Kenyatta hosted a State Banquet in honour of the French leader, who is in Kenya for the first State Visit by a French Head of State, President Macron said he believes in the Kenyan leader’s vision for a fully integrated Eastern Africa.

The two Presidents were also joined by President Felix Tshisekedi of the Democratic Republic of Congo during the dinner held inside the historic Karura Forest, the only indigenous forest in the middle of a city.

“We do believe in your strategy of building a new vision to bring peace and stability not only for Kenya but for the whole region,” said President Macron in his speech. “I want France to be part of your regional agenda. You are a champion of regional integration and we support you,” he added.

He said the EAC is one of the most integrated regions in the world and that France supports the agenda to achieve full integration in the region.

President Macron also encouraged the new DRC President to embrace the integration agenda.

“What you want to build for East Africa and Central Africa is feasible,” President Macron said.

He said Kenya is a world leader and a reference for many nations in various fields including innovation, environment, scientific research and support for humanitarian efforts.

President Macron said France wants to strengthen its partnership with Kenya, noting that in the past the French business community has been more perceptive than the French government in its relations with Kenya.

He said Kenya and France have already signed deals worth more than three billion Euros during his visit.

Earlier in the day, President Kenyatta and President Macron launched a Peugeot car assembled in Kenya targeting the Kenyan and regional markets.

The two Presidents also toured the Nairobi Central Railway Station and spoke on the planned construction of a commuter rail line that will connect the Nairobi Central Business District and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The rail system will be built in partnership with a French Consortium and is expected to be completed in two years.

President Kenyatta said Macron’s visit was historic since it is the first by a French President to Kenya.

He said Kenya and France share world views and are increasing their partnership in development as well as security.

President Kenyatta said France is a key trading partner of Kenya and encouraged business communities in both countries to strengthen their ties to create a sustainable trading environment.

He thanked the French government for its support towards Kenya’s development agenda especially the Big Four Agenda.

President Kenyatta also urged more French tourists to visit Kenya and enjoy its unique tourism products.

“This visit will give our nations new areas of cooperation,” said President Kenyatta.

While speaking about the venue of the dinner, President Kenyatta paid tribute to Nobel Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai who is credited for the continued existence of Karura Forest thanks to her brave fight to save the environment.

“I am happy to host you at this sanctuary we call Karura forest. It is the only indigenous forest in any capital city anywhere,” said the President.

He said it is because of the power, voice and bravery of Prof Maathai that Karura Forest still stands inside the city of Nairobi.

The dinner was attended by Kenyan and French dignitaries. Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga was among the Kenyan guests at the dinner. The delegation accompanying President Macron included three ministers, six parliamentarians and representatives of major French companies.

Uhuru says JKIA-CBD rail line should be ready in two years

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta announced a commuter rail line that will connect the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and the Central Business District should be ready in two years time.

Speaking after touring the Nairobi Central Railway Station in the company of French President Emmanuel Macron, President Kenyatta said bureaucracy and Government red-tape should not delay the project.

The Nairobi Airport Line is aimed at easing movement between the city centre and JKIA, East and Central Africa’s biggest airport and transport hub.

He said officials should fast track agreements so that the project is completed within the next two years.

The commuter rail project will be implemented in partnership with a French Consortium.

President Kenyatta said the commuter rail and Rapid Bus Transit system planned for the city will support the government’s focus on decongesting the Nairobi Metropolis and, once completed, will greatly reduce travel time between JKIA and the city centre.

“A properly functioning urban commuter rail system and Bus Rapid Transit System (BRT) in our cities and particularly here in Nairobi will completely transform the lives of millions of urban dwellers as well as make Nairobi a wonderful experience for tourists and visitors,” said the President.

Launch of the JKIA – CBD rail line at Nairobi Rail Line

He said the Government has prioritised the development of the urban commuter rail and the BRT to reduce traffic congestions and boost the economy of the city.

“Our target is to have 500,000 urban commuters moving freely daily within the next 12 months. This number will grow to over a million commuters daily within the next five years,” said the President.

The Head of State thanked the French partnership in the development of the commuter rail, saying that Kenya becomes stronger when it diversifies its partners.

Besides the link between the city and the airport, the government has already embarked on a refurbishment of the whole commuter rail system in the city.

Commuter trains at Makadara Train Station

As part of this commuter railway improvement, the Government has approved KSh 10 billion for the rehabilitation of four existing lines with the heaviest passenger-carrying potential. These are Nairobi Central Station to Ruiru; Nairobi Central Station to Embakasi Village; Nairobi Central Station to Kikuyu; and Nairobi Central Station to Kitengela.

The investment also provides for the acquisition of refurbished Diesel Multiple Units (DMU’s) and the rehabilitation of the meter gauge railway network and the development of new stations as well as the building a public transport network that straddles from Ruiru to Athi River.

On his part, President Macron said the French Consortium will play its part in providing a mobility solution for Nairobi.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and France president Emmanuel Macron at State House

President Macron, who is in Kenya for the first State visit by a French President said he was happy with the increasing partnership between Kenya and France. He said it was an indication of the future of Africa, which he said is led by innovation and is not relying on the beaten paths in terms of achieving development.

The French leader said France will deepen its partnership with Kenya in security, health and education.

He said Kenya and France will sign deals worth three billion Euros during his visit.

Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia also spoke at the function.

Uhuru and French President Macron unveil locally assembled Peugeot car

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

President Uhuru Kenyatta and French President Emmanuel Macron unveiled the Peugeot 3008, one of the models locally assembled in Kenya by French vehicle manufacturer, PSA Groupe, in a move geared towards boosting Kenya’s manufacturing sector.

Addressing the press at State House, Nairobi, after unveiling the new model of Peugeot, President Kenyatta reiterated his call on all state entities to buy and use locally assembled vehicles and spare parts.

“This policy directive is intended to promote our agenda on manufacturing, creating good jobs for our people, and enhancing technology transfer to our country,” President Kenyatta said during the ceremony that was also attended by Deputy President William Ruto and several cabinet secretaries.

The President emphasized that as part of his administration’s efforts to build a better Kenya with shared prosperity for all under the Big 4 Agenda, manufacturing has been prioritized as one of the critical sectors for wealth and employment creation.

“As part of our agenda to promote manufacturing, my Administration is prioritizing motor vehicle assembly and manufacturing of spare parts,” President Kenyatta pointed out, saying that was the reason why the PSA Groupe, the second largest car manufacturer in Europe, was encouraged to set up their assembly plant in Kenya.

The 1600cc twin turbo SUV is one of Peugeot’s most advanced vehicle models assembled at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) assembly plant in Thika.

President Kenyatta noted that the Peugeot 3008 is a high-performance vehicle with great fuel consumption and lowest emission in its class.

“It is also a hardy vehicle, having been tested in several parts of Kenya,” President Kenyatta said.

The assembling of Peugeot 3008 SUV commenced in September 2017. Two additional models, the Peugeot 2008 SUV and Peugeot 308SW, are envisaged to commence in April and September 2019.

By the end of this year, the PSA Groupe is expected to assemble at least 1,000 vehicles in Kenya, up from the current 480 vehicles.

President Kenyatta said it was encouraging to note that when the KVM plant is fully operational, the PSA Groupe hopes to assemble at least 15,000 vehicles annually in Kenya for both the local and regional markets.

President Macron assured that France is committed to working together with Kenya in several areas of mutual interest among them trade, investment, infrastructure, security and counter terrorism activities.

“We work very well together but we want to increase the cooperation with Kenya and the region from a security and defense point of view,” President Macron said.

“We do believe that our companies and our investors can be part of the growth strategy of your country by providing not just cars but employment in your country for your people,” President Macron added.

President Kenyatta praised the historic visit by President Macron, the first to Kenya by a French President.

“Mr. President, your visit signals our shared commitment to foster our bilateral relations and engagements within the region in various ways which will deepen, expand and strengthen our bonds of friendship and cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” President Kenyatta said.

The Kenyan leader observed that France continued to be one of the most important contributors to Kenya’s tourism sector and expressed optimism that the visit by President Macron will help increase the number of French tourists visiting Kenya.

President Macron is accompanied on his two-day state visit by a large group of businessmen and investors who will be meeting with some of the key government agencies and the private sector players in Kenya to explore opportunities for investment.

“This is good for Kenya and for our development. Today, France is our 17th largest trading partner; my expectation is that France will grow into an even more important trading partner for Kenya as a result of this visit,” President Kenyatta said.

Earlier, President Macron was accorded an elaborate state reception complete with a 21-gun salute when he arrived at State House, Nairobi, on the historic visit geared towards boosting Kenya-France cooperation.

The 21-gun salute, a ceremony reserved for Heads of State and Government, was followed by the national anthems of Kenya and France played by the Kenya Army band.

Thereafter, President Macron inspected a colourful guard of honour mounted by a detachment of the Kenya Army before joining President Kenyatta for a tête-à-tête that was followed by bilateral talks.

The bilateral talks culminated in the signing of the Partnership Agreement on Promotion and Exchange of Skills and Talents, and the Agreement on the Roadmap on University, Innovation, Research and Professional Training.

Other two instruments signed were the Statement of Intent for French Development Agency (ADF) support in the education sector and the Statement of Intent to pursue an MOU concerning development of strategic infrastructure priority projects in Kenya.

Who is the New Inspector General?

Dan Ojumah

March 14, 2019

The new nominee for the position of Inspector General, National Police Service is Hillary Nzioki Mutyambai.

He is a carrier policeman who was enlisted in the then Kenya Police Force in 1991 and rose in ranks to the rank of Superintendent of Police before joining the then Directorate of Security Intelligence that was a department within the Kenya police Force in 1998. Mutyambai’s rise in ranks continued in the new intelligence outfit and saw him rise to the top management of the National Intelligence Service where he was a Deputy Director in charge of Counter Terrorism.

As the deputy Director incharge of countering Terrorism, the new IG used to work closely with the NPS formations and the Military units in mounting intricate CT operations that have seen the country experience a downward trend in incidents of terror and several disruptions of planned attacks.

The new Inspector General holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master’s of Arts degree in National Security Policy from the Australian National University. Interestingly this is the same University the out-going IG acquired his Master’s degree as well.
Hilary Mutyambai comes to the helm of NPS with a vast of professional training and experience in the area of counter terrorism a skill that the National Police Service requires given the prevailing threat environment of terrorism.

FILE | Australian National University, where both Boinnet and Hillary studied.

The new appointee has had several professional training both locally and abroad . They include

Counterterrorism Training – In New Orleans, United States of America
Operational Management – United Kingdom
Advanced Security Analysis – United States of America
Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism- Israel
Locally the new IG has attended several senior management training programs that include:
Performance Management at the Kenya School of Government
Senior Management – Kenya School of Government
Detection and Prevention of Frauds and Forgeries – at the Kenya School Of Revenue Administration

His professionalism in counter terrorism came in handy during the 14 Riverside terror attack. He was the unseen force that was coordinating the rescue operations that saw over 700 Kenyans safely rescued from the siege and the attackers neutralized.
Prior to becoming Deputy Director of Counter Terrorism Police Unit, Mutyambai served as the Regional Intelligence Coordinator, Nairobi County, Regional Intelligence Coordinator, Coast Region and County Intelligence Coordinator in Mombasa.

The new Inspector General also served in the Kenya’s Foreign Service in the Kenya High Commission in Kampala Uganda as a Political Attaché from the year 2000 to 2004.

1...5,1935,1945,195...5,208 Page 5,194 of 5,208