Category: General

Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) leader, McHenry Venaani, has requested that President Nangolo Mbumba declare a State of Emergency on account of drought.

In an open letter to Mbumba seen by Nampa on Wednesday, Venaani said the declaration would help mobilise resources, accelerate assistance and draw international attention, all of which the country direly needs to tackle this looming disaster.

‘I impress upon you to heed the call of the Ministry of Agriculture, Water, and Forestry to declare drought a national emergency, as empowered by Chapter 4, Article 26 of the Constitution. Mr. president, the importance of this matter cannot be stated enough. The government ought to learn from historical disasters and devise strategies to better deal with calamities of this nature,’ read the letter.

He said the recent announcement by NamWater indicating that the three key dams in Windhoek are only filled to 18.7 per cent combined capacity serves as a dire warning, hinting at the perils that lie ahead, adding that the
relentless El Niño climatic phenomenon exacerbates this already precarious situation, causing severe rainfall shortages.

Venaani said the adverse effects of climate change have brought the nation to an alarming state, where the imminent threat of meteorological calamity overshadows daily existence, citing that the severe rainfall shortages indicate not merely a seasonal irregularity, but a dreadful specter of climate changes, a matter that deserves undivided attention and swift action.

‘Our farmers, the backbone of our economy, could bear the brunt of this impending disaster without timely and requisite assistance. We must remember, Mr. president, that the nature of our challenge is not merely environmental, it is human. The livelihoods at stake are the ones of our brothers and sisters, the very fabric of our society. Therefore, it is our moral duty to ensure their welfare, in the face of adversity,’ said Venaani.

He also called on the president to devise a crop subsidy for farmers that have cultivated mor
e than one hectare of land through insurance institutions such as NASRIA, as this particular category of farmers is usually left without any assistance.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Over 2,000 residents in Athi River Sub County have been displaced by floods after River Athi burst its banks on Wednesday morning following heavy rains on Tuesday night.

The affected residents were left counting losses amounting to millions of shillings after flooding waters submerged their homes damaging properties.

Kwa Mangeli, Kwa Nzomo, Kinanie, Kyelenzi, 39, Kisumu Ndogo and Graceland Estate were the areas hardest it by the floods according to Machakos County Commissioner Josephine Ouko.

Ouko told KNA that the 2,000 residents who were rendered homeless have been taken to two rescue centers in Kinanie and Athi River.

‘It has been a long day trying to evacuate them, we have managed to settle them at the rescue centers and they have been given food and non-food items,’ she added.

One of the affected residents from Graceland Rhodes Araba said they woke up to flooded waters in the estate.

Araba said hapless residents panicked after the water broke the perimeter walls and made its way to the houses.

‘Pe
ople started screaming for help as the water levels kept on rising,’ he said.

Araba said he tried to get out of the house with his wife and five children but the ground floor and their cars were already submerged in water making it impossible to escape.

‘We grabbed our children and ran upstairs and called for help,’ said the resident.

Alice Wahome, also a resident at Graceland estate, said the water started flowing in their houses at around 7am.

Wahome said she sought refuge on the roof together with her children until they were evacuated by the county multi-agency rescue team.

‘Almost everything had been submerged including our vehicles, we could not leave the estate,’ she added.

She disclosed that over 150 people were marooned in their houses by the ravaging waters.

The Chairman of Community Policing in Mavoko Samson Kamwathi and a resident of Kwa Mangeli village said he was forced to blow a whistle to alert residents to run for safety after he got a report that ravaging waters flowing at high speed
was headed to the village at around 6am.

Kamwathi said the whole village was submerged rendering hundreds of residents homeless.

‘We are devastated, we have lost everything and we are asking the National and County Governments to help us,’ pleaded the chairman.

Another resident Irene Nthenya is also counting huge losses after her house and farm were washed away by the floods.

Nthenya said she didn’t salvage anything in the early morning incident.

‘I was relying on the farm to feed and educate my children. My children are hungry, have nothing to wear and no mattresses to sleep on,’ she said.

The resident called on well-wishers to help them rebuild their lives.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development, Penina Malonza (right) shakes hand with President Uganda Local Counts Association, Richard Rwabuhinga on 24th April, 2024 at Kenya School of Government during the official closing of the East African Local Governments Forum (EALGF). The meeting brought together Permanent Secretaries and representatives of the County government umbrella bodies and local government associations. The meeting was meant to deepen democracy for the East Africa community and strengthen devolution within the region. In the meeting the participants insisted on unity for the region and embracing on one another to fasten development for the region.

Source: Kenya News Agency

WINDHOEK: Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, on Thursday inaugurated Namibia’s first Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Plastic Recycling Plant aimed at reducing plastic waste.

The N.dollars 24 million plant, situated in Okahandja, is a joint endeavor between Namibia Polymer Recyclers and Coca-Cola Beverages Africa (CCBA) in Namibia.

PET is a clear, strong, and lightweight plastic that is widely used for packaging foods and beverages, especially convenience-sized soft drinks, juices and water.

In a statement issued to Nampa, Shifeta at the inauguration ceremony said the cutting-edge facility will enable Namibia

Polymer Recyclers to process up to 500 tons of PET material per month which is significantly reducing the need for virgin PET while diverting substantial waste from landfills and our precious environment.

‘ By doubling the capacity of our mechanical plastic waste recycling, we are not only addressing the pressing issue of plastic pollution but also unlocking economic opp
ortunities for our nation,’ he said.

Shifeta emphasised that his ministry remains committed to its mandate to create an enabling environment for doing business and to continue to initiate policy interventions and strategies to promote an environmentally friendly and conducive space for businesses to thrive.

He further noted that waste management practices such as composting, reusing, and reducing consumption can significantly lessen the environmental footprint and contribute to a more sustainable future.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

The tourism sector in Namibia is a significant industry that directly contributes 6.9 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which amounts to N.dollars 14.3 billion in monetary value.

According to the 2022 Namibia Tourist Satellite Account Report, tourism-related industries employ a total of 57 277 individuals, accounting for 7.9 per cent of the overall employment in 2022.

Minister of Environment, Tourism and Forestry, Pohamba Shifeta made this statement on Wednesday, while delivering his keynote address at the official opening of the Tourism Expo in Windhoek.

The expo is being held under the theme ‘Beyond Borders’, with greater emphasis on the optimisation of the unfolding tourism economic opportunities in the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) region.

According to him, tourism is given high priority in both the National Development Plans (NDPs) and the Harambee Prosperity Plans (HPPs).

Additionally, he stated that tourism is acknowledged as a substantial facto
r in generating foreign exchange profits, investments, income, employment opportunities, rural development, poverty alleviation, and overall economic prosperity of the country.

‘I am informed that many entities have benefited in many ways as a result of hosting of this expo, such as increasing bookings at their accommodation establishments,’ he said.

According to Windhoek’s deputy mayor, Joseph Uapingene, the tourism industry is both dynamic and expanding. It offers opportunities but also poses challenges, especially for local government.

This is because local government is responsible for providing and managing the infrastructure and services that are frequently used by both tourists and residents, he said.

‘Local government, in its function as the custodian of the ‘showroom’, frequently plays a crucial part in improving the overall tourist experience. Consequently, it is imperative to comprehend the implications of this matter,’ Uapingene said.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

At least 15,000 tree seedlings will be planted in Makueni County during this rainy season, Makueni County Commissioner (CC) Mr. Henry Wafula has said.

Wafula said this at Makueni Boys High School where he launched the national tree planting where 1,000 tree seedlings were planted by the government officers and wananchi on Thursday.

The administrator called upon the residents to plant trees in their homesteads and ensure the trees are nurtured into maturity in a bid to contribute to the Presidential Directive of planting 15 billion by 2032 in the country.

‘Through various stakeholders in Kibwezi, Makindu and a multi-agency approach in government, we are going to plant 15,000 trees across the county,’ said Wafula said.

Makueni County Forest Conservator Mr. Martin Mutie said that his officers in Mbooni, Kilungu, Makuli and Kibwezi Forest Stations, and members of public were planting trees in a bid to achieve the target.

He noted that logging has greatly reduced incidences of fires and attributed it to the g
ood relationship with the community that has taken up the protection of the forests as their resource.

‘We have formed a network with the community through community forest associations. Logging has reduced greatly and issues of fire incidences have gone down after the community realized the Kenya Forest Service is a custodian and they have taken it upon themselves to protect the forests,’ said Mutie.

Those who graced the occasion included departmental heads from both levels of government and teachers among others.

Source: Kenya News Agency