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Addis Ababa: Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has shared food items with low income staff members of the Office of the Prime Minister and orphaned children the Prime Minister (PMO) raises.

The Office of the Prime Minister posted on its FaceBook that the food sharing programme was conducted in connection with the upcoming holiday.

“On the occasion of the upcoming holiday, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed shared food items with low income staff members of the Office of the Prime Minister and also with orphaned children the PMO is helping to raise.”

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Omusati Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Moses Simaho, has said despite numerous alleged fuel smugglers being arrested, the problem persists.

This follows the arrest of a 20-year-old man at Onelombo village in the Etayi Constituency on Sunday, who was reportedly found in possession of 31 containers of diesel and three containers of petrol, suspected to have been smuggled into Namibia from Angola.

‘After the suspect failed to produce satisfactory legality of his possession, he was charged with contravening the Petroleum Products and Energy Act of 1990,’ Simaho said.

The diesel was smuggled in 25 litre containers and the petrol in five litre and 25 litre containers.

The deputy commissioner urged members of the public to desist from keeping containers of petrol and diesel at their homes as it poses a serious risk.

Source: Namibia Press Agency

Governors from the Central Region Economic Block (CEREB) have called upon the Commission on Revenue Allocation (CRA) to be fair in the preparation of the 4th basis for revenue sharing among county governments.

They have called on the commission to allocate resources as per the region’s contribution to the national cake as opposed to equal treatment criteria.

The CEREB governors were speaking when they met revenue commissioners to consult over the 4th basis formula for revenue sharing among county governments for the financial year 2025/26 through to FY 2029/30.

‘Let us review what the basic share is for every County to be operational regardless of whether Lamu has 110,000 people, Nyeri has 1 million, and Kiambu has 3 million,’ Nyeri Governor and Chairman of CEREB, Mutahi Kahiga, said.

Kahiga further urged the adoption of a standard shareable revenue amount that would go into the operations of a county before any other parameter was used.

The Commissioners assured the economic bloc that they will careful
ly review population, health, land area, and other parameters while preparing the basis for sharing revenue formulas.

CEREB counties include Kiambu, Nyeri, Tharaka Nithi, Murang’a, Nyandarua, Laikipia, Meru, Nakuru, Kirinyaga, and Embu.

The current formula, the third since the development of devolution in 2013, expires in the 2024-25 financial year, with the new basis expected to be approved by December 2024.

The third basis for sharing revenue considered eight parameters: Basic share (20 per cent), Population (18 per cent), Health (17 per cent), Poverty Level (14 per cent), Agriculture (10 per cent), Roads (eight per cent), Land (eight per cent) and Urban (five per cent).

The CRA kicked off its view collection on the 4th basis of revenue sharing formula from different economic blocs, with CEREB being the second bloc to give their input after the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB), which included Makueni, Kitui, and Machakos.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Global Peace Foundation Kenya (GPFK), in partnership with the Inter-Religious Council of Kenya (IRCK), the Chandaria Foundation, and other key stakeholders, will be holding the GPLC Africa conference from June 25th to 27th, 2024.

The conference to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, will be gearing towards fostering peace and development on the African continent and is anticipated to be a landmark event, potentially steering the course towards a more peaceful and thriving Africa and global community.

Speaking during a preparatory luncheon at Windsor hosted by renowned industrialist Dr. Manu Chandaria, who is the co-chair of the conference, the European Union’s Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Henriette Geiger, emphasised its timeliness amidst the numerous challenges facing the globe, from the climate crisis to youth unemployment and enduring conflicts.

Dr. Ismail Abdulrahman, Executive Director of the Interreligious Council of Kenya, outlined the transformative potential of the conference, which aspires to trigger an
African Renaissance by tapping into the continent’s rich cultural and spiritual heritage.

‘The conference also aims to bolster African leadership, cultivate cross-border partnerships, and promote ethical global citizenship,’ Dr. Abdulrahman said.

Under the theme ‘One Family under God: Empowering African Renaissance as a Global Catalyst for Freedom, Peace, and Sustainable Development,’ GPLC Africa 2024 will feature plenary sessions designed to foster dialogue and cooperation among participants from various sectors and cultural backgrounds.

Additionally, the conference will function as a hub for the exchange of best practices and the development of pragmatic strategies for forging peace and sustainable growth, as well as critically assessing existing peace and development models to identify areas for improvement.

Participants echoed a sense of urgency and readiness for proactive measures, recognising the pressing need for collaborative initiatives to address the world’s current challenges.

The luncheon bro
ught together a spectrum of influential figures, including leaders from faith-based groups, government, civil society, the media, and youth and women’s organisations.

The gathering’s central objective was to synchronise efforts and lay a solid foundation for the success of GPLC Africa 2024.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The State Department for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development Principal Secretary Kello Harsama has revealed that 29 counties have been affected by floods due to ongoing rains, and the government is closely assessing the situation to dispatch help to affected households.

The PS further said that the government has created disaster response committees in the affected counties, which will be led by respective county commissioners.

Speaking after visiting the site where the boat capsized along the Garissa-Madogo Highway, Harsama urged the county commissioners to report the status of the situation in their counties so that a quick response may be done.

‘We have come to do an assessment here so that we can give the affected households enough food. The government has unveiled a relief food programme for the people affected by floods countrywide,’ Harsama said.

‘The county commissioner here and the county security team have put up measures to ensure the guaranteed safety of citizens and that an acc
ident like what happened on the boat will never happen again,’ he added.

As of 1 p.m. today, three more bodies had been retrieved from the flooded area, where a boat ferrying at least 41 people capsized, bringing the total of confirmed deaths to 7.

According to the Kenya Red Cross, so far, 16 people, 7 from Garissa and 9 from Madogo, are still missing as the rescue operation continues for the third day.

Garissa Township MP Mohamed Dekow, who was accompanying the PS, called out the Kenya National Highway Authority (KeNHA) for not repairing the road close to four months after it was destroyed by El Nino rains in December last year.

Dekow wondered why, even after transport CS Kipchumba Murkomen announced the allocation of Sh 1 billion for the road during his Garissa visit in January, nothing had been done.

‘The last time this section was flooded, we came here with the Deputy President and the Transport Cabinet Secretary. They said that one billion shillings had been allocated to repair this road and the con
struction of a new Tana-Garissa bridge. It is so unfortunate that on the ground nothing has been done, and that is why we are in this mess again,’ Dekow said.

‘Someone must take responsibility for this incident. KeNHA must tell us what happened, and at the same time, the person who was operating the ill-fated boat must be arrested and charged for the lives that were lost here,’ he added.

The PS was also joined by Tana River Deputy Governor Mahat Loka, Tana River Senator Danston Mungatana, Bura MP Yakub Adow, Tana River Woman Representative Amina Dika, and Tana River County Commissioner David Korir.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Addis Ababa: The government is in the process of purchasing 100 electric city buses, a significant step towards supporting Ethiopia’s efforts to build a green economy, according to Metku Asmara, head of Addis Ababa’s transport Bureau.

Mitiku stated that public transport currently covers 31 percent of the city’s 3.4 million daily trips, underscoring the government’s emphasis on mass transportation.

To promote electric mobility, the city administration has been transitioning its own fleet to electric vehicles.

Additionally, private investors have provided 20 electric minibuses and two buses to the public, which have proven efficient in transporting large numbers of people due to their speed.

The head highlighted his Bureau’s commitment to supporting private transport providers in the sector and urged them to invest in electric charging stations.

He explained that such investments serve multiple purposes, including reducing air pollution, minimizing fuel consumption, mitigating noise pollution, and protecti
ng the environment.

By leading as role models, private investors can inspire others to engage in the sector, which offers various opportunities.

As electric vehicles gain popularity in the country, facilitated by government tariffs, the need for charging stations becomes crucial, he said.

The government has already initiated the process of procuring 100 electric city buses within a short timeframe, the head noted.

Mitiku expressed optimism that the introduction of these electric vehicles and buses will alleviate the current transportation challenges.

Furthermore, it is indicated that the Belayneh Kindie Group is assembling public transport vehicles, with 216 electric vehicles already completed.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency