Category: General

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia is participating in its first ever meeting as a member of the BRICS, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The first BRICS Sherpa and Sous Sherpa meeting for 2024 under the Chairmanship of the Russian Federation commenced on Tuesday in Moscow.

The Ethiopian delegation is headed by the Governor of the National Bank of Ethiopia and Ethiopia’s BRICS Sherpa, Mamo Esmelealem Mihretu Mihretu and it includes the State Minister for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ethiopia’s BRICS Sous Sherpa Ambassador Mesganu Arga.

Mamo Mihretu reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment and readiness to closely work with the BRICS members to strengthen economic partnership and that Ethiopia will actively participate in implementing the BRICS strategy for Economic Partnership.

The governor further stated ‘Ethiopia believes BRICS membership will provide a unique opportunity and a much-needed impetus to further develop economic relationship with BRICS members both at the BRICS group level and bilaterally-in
ensuring stable and predictable market access, in addressing the infrastructure finance gap, in mobilizing investment capital, in diversifying and modernizing our economy of Ethiopia’.

He reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to cooperative multilateralism and that Ethiopia believes in multilateralism that is inclusive, fair and that produces results. He further stressed on Ethiopia’s interest to join various BRICS sectorial cooperation platforms in the fields of health, education, science, agriculture, technology, energy, and climate change.

The Sherpa and Soup Sherpa meeting is taking place under the motto of ‘Strengthening multilateralism for equitable global development and security.’

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

Victims of the rising lake Nakuru have petitioned the government to consider compensating them for losses suffered.

The over 650 residents of Baruti East Location within Nakuru Town West Sub-County claim that they are living in misery after their homes and properties started being submerged by the swelling waters of Lake Nakuru in 2020.

Through their spokesman Mr David Kahoro the locals claim that in May 2020 the water levels in the lake rose to unprecedented levels and submerged roads, agricultural fields, grazing areas, at least two schools, health facilities and a trading center.

Mr Kahoro also appealed to the national government to support and resettle tens of families displaced by rising waters in the county.

Despite findings by experts that fish in the water body are laden with toxic elements that pose a health hazard, the displaced families are further pleading with the authorities to be allowed to continue with fishing, alleging that it was now their only source of livelihood.

Though officials f
rom Nakuru County Health Department and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have been manning the fishing points to keep away both commercial and subsistence fishermen, much of the illegal fishing activity continues unabated outside the game reserve and private farms where the lake waters have spilled over.

Lake Nakuru, according to a recent study, currently has three newly introduced tilapia fish species that previously never existed.

Until the recent rise in water levels in the lake, researchers say only one species Tilapia Grahami which was introduced in 1953 existed within the soda lake.

The new fish species has attracted locals and has seen makeshift eateries spring up on the boundaries of lake shores.

It was also for many years inhabited by cichlid, a small type of fish that is able to tolerate harsh conditions. The fish was introduced in the early 1960s and has flourished in the lake.

Fishing within the farms, where water from Lake Nakuru has spilled into, according to Mr Kahoro, is a rare chance tha
t has given them opportunities to fish and supply the commodity to eateries in towns.

The petition is copied to the Office of the President, Governor Susan Kihika, Cabinet Secretaries for Health, Lands and Housing, Tourism, Trade and Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs.

It has also been forwarded to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute (KEMFRI).

Mr Kahoro said the victims had lost about 2,000 acres of land, with some being displaced from their ancestral lands while scores of others are now internally displaced persons at Baruti Trading Centre.

Addressing the media in Nakuru the spokesman further claimed that cases of attacks by wild animals have also increased as a result of the shrinking habitat within the Lake Nakuru National Park and Bird Sanctuary.

The residents spoke barely a week after President William Ruto appointed a multi-agency team to address issues causing conflicts in and around Lake Nakuru National Park.

The decision to form a multi-agen
cy team follows complaints of health risks associated with consuming fish from the lake.

Previous surveys undertaken on fish from the lake by Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute found traces of heavy metals, which the State Department for Blue Economy and Fisheries said warrants immediate attention.

According to a letter dated January 19 by the Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs Principal Secretary Betsy Njagi, the President’s directive seeks to address issues causing conflict within the park to conserve the lake.

‘In this regard, and cognizant that protecting the lake and aquatic life is critical to the country’s economy and international heritage, the President has directed that immediate action be taken to address the rising levels of pollution in the Lake,’ PS Njagi said.

‘This coupled with the increasing waste from the pit latrines, the Nakuru sewerage treatment plant, and the Gioto solid waste dump, among others, continue to pose a threat to the aquatic life as well as to those who
consume the contaminated fish,’ Njagi wrote.

‘As you are well aware, the presence of the biological, physical, and chemical food hazards in the lake is a cause for major concern for food safety and human health. Consumption of contaminated fish can be a major food hazard exposure route for humans. Furthermore, illegal fishing poses a significant economic and environmental risk,’ reads the letter in part.

Although Lake Nakuru is not gazetted under fisheries laws for commercial fishing, illegal fishing started in 2020 following the swelling of the lake. The team will be tasked with addressing pollution and fishing in the lake.

The team has membership drawn from state-agencies, including Kenya Fisheries Service, Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute, Kenya Wildlife Service, National Environment Management Authority, and Water Resources Management Authority.

The letter is addressed to the State Departments of Environment and Climate Change, Wildlife and Water.

Lake Nakuru surface area increased from
35km² in 2013 by 100% to 71km² in 2020, a situation that led to a spillover into the neighbouring villages.

With Lake Nakuru being a salty lake, only salt-tolerant Magadi tilapia existed within the lake. Increased water volumes over time are however linked to the increase in freshwater fish.

The increasing water volume attributed to heavy rainfall in the catchment contributed to the dilution of the once saline lake to a more habitable environment for freshwater fisheries. Fish is likely to have escaped from flooded fish ponds and dams in the catchment to acclimatize in the lake,’ reads the letter.

By March, 2020 fishermen started migrating from Lake Naivasha with their fishing equipment, and by August 2020, over 50 fishing boats were illegally operating on Lake Nakuru.

Eateries also started mushrooming along the neighbourhoods despite a warning by KEMFRI that the fish within the lake had high concentrations of heavy metals including arsenic, copper, cadnium, iron and lead.

According to a 2020 survey unde
rtaken by KMFRI, dominant fish species within the lake include Nile tilapia Oreochromis variabilis, Alcoapia grahami, and Oreochromis leucostictus.

There have been concerns over the safety of the fish within the lake, even as KMFRI warns about the toxic contaminants from the sewage system or dumpsite around the lake.

Concerns have also been raised on how illegal fishing activities within the lake pose a threat to the wildlife and tourism industry in the protected area.

‘It is against this background that a multi-agency team is constituted at national and county level to develop a strategy to address issues related to the fishing activities at Lake Nakuru,’ the ministry said.

Source: Kenya News Agency

OSHAKATI: A 15-year-old boy died at Eenhana on Tuesday after he allegedly hit a grenade with a stick and it exploded.

Namibian Police Force Ohangwena Crime Investigations Coordinator, Deputy Commissioner Zacharias Amakali, said the incident occurred around 17h00 west of the Eenhana Town sewerage ponds.

The deceased has been identified as 15-year-old Penelao Nghilifavali Immanuel.

According to Amakali, Immanuel had been looking after goats with other boys at the time of the incident.

‘It is suspected that he picked up the grenade and hit it with the stick. It exploded and caused his death on the spot,’ he reported.

The deceased’s next of kin are informed and police investigation into the matter continues.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia’s food systems has been progressing with an eye on realizing an economy-wide transformation, Agriculture Minister Girma Amente said today.

The minister made the remark at a validation workshop for the Ethiopian Food Systems (EFS) Transformation Country Diagnostics Study organized by Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Health, and the Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI).

Opening the workshop, Agriculture Minister Girma Amente highlighted the importance of the workshop in facilitating the successful implementation of the food systems roadmap.

The objectives of the workshop were to review and validate results of the study carried out by ATI analytics in collaboration with the 15 EFS member ministries, development partners, and other stakeholders, it was learned.

According to the minister, there is a synergy among the food systems transformation and the 10-year Development Plan and relevant sectoral programs and investment portfolio.

“We will forge ahead for inclusive
social, economic, and technological developments and justice for all Ethiopians,” Girma said, adding that “the food systems approach put light on areas of action to remove binding constraints with an eye on realizing our promise of an economy-wide transformation.”

To realize the food systems transformation agenda, Ethiopia has designed food system and nutrition governance and inter-ministerial interim committee consisting of 15 sectoral ministries to lead coordination and ensure policy and operational coherence among development participants.

Ethiopia’s food systems are rapidly evolving, being driven by major contextual changes including high population growth, rapid urbanization, infrastructure investments, and income growth.

Accordingly, these changes are illustrated by dietary, agricultural, and supply chain transformations.

Health State Minister Dereje Duguma said that the workshop is an important event to know the capacities that the sectoral ministries have, the resources needed as well as the gaps,
and how to bring more resources to decrease the gaps in terms of financing.

The state minister called upon partners, stakeholders and everyone to bring more resources and efforts in order to realize the nation’s ambition in the sector.

Ethiopian Agricultural Transformation Institute (ATI) Director-General, Mandefro Nigussie reaffirmed the commitment of the institute to coordinate and conduct extensive studies on Ethiopian food systems transformation.

Established by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, the Ethiopian Food Systems Transformation and Nutrition Inter-ministerial Steering Committee (IMSC) comprises 15 ministries co-chaired by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health.

The IMSC was established to coordinate and guide the Ethiopian Food Systems Transformation, Food and Nutrition Platform, and the Seqota Declaration.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency

KEETMANSHOOP: The ||Kharas Regional Council is facing challenges due to its lack of a management committee, which amongst others affects the submission of financial statements and implementation of capital projects.

Acting Chief Regional Officer (CRO), Benedictus Diergaardt in an interview with Nampa on Tuesday said the running of the regional council heavily relies on the management committee (MC) and without it, administrators cannot execute their work effectively.

‘Everything must go through the management committee for approval. For development projects, the proposals come from settlement development committees, then to the regional development coordination committee and lastly to Council for fund approval, so right now, no new projects can be proposed,’ he said.

The ||Kharas Regional Council has been without a management committee since last June after the four Landless People’s Movement and three Swapo councillors failed to elect two members for the MC to join the chairperson, LPM’s Joseph Isaacks, d
uring the re-election of office bearers.

Diergaardt said the last time the council submitted financial statements to the Auditor General (AG) was when the 2019/2020 financial statements were submitted.

He said financial statements cannot be submitted to the AG because they need to be presented to the MC, then the council, before being submitted to the AG for a financial opinion.

‘With the absence of the AG’s opinion, we cannot establish what financial situation we are in. We also cannot determine if we are effective in delivering development. We are not sure if we are carrying out our mandate, which is to bring development to the people of this region,’ Diergaardt said.

Diergaardt further said the allocation of land for development cannot take place.

‘Even this morning I got a call from someone who wants to acquire land for development purposes, that process can also not go forward,’ he said.

He was however quick to point out that incomplete construction projects are continuing.

Regional councils are s
ubsidised by the Ministry of Urban and Rural Development while they also collect money through their settlement offices by providing services to residents in those settlements.

When asked how council manages to have an approved budget, Diergaardt said: ‘For us to have the budget approval, we call a special council meeting and during such a meeting the management committee is not really needed, so the budget can be approved through that special meeting.’

The acting CRO said he will seek the intervention of the urban ministry on the way forward regarding the recent suspension of the three Swapo Party councillors.

Last week Council suspended Oranjemund Constituency councillor, Lazarus Nangolo, Karasburg West Constituency councillor, Taimi Kanyemba and !Nami#Nûs Constituency councillor, Susan Ndjaleka.

‘As much as it is politics, the people affected by this whole situation are those on the ground, development is not coming to them. It does not matter from which constituency, everyone is impacted so the counci
llors elected by these people should ensure they deliver the services,’ said Diergaardt.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency

Traders in Kiambu County are set to benefit from a Multi-million three storey modern market project to be constructed in Wangige, Kabete Sub County.

Speaking during a public participation meeting head in Wangige at Bishop Kariuki Integrated Community Training Centre regarding the construction of the Wangige Market, Governor Kimani Wamatangi announced that President Ruto’s flagship program aims to construct five modern markets in various sub-counties within Kiambu County.

‘The plan is to build a three-story market, which will be constructed using a modern design here and also at Madaraka Market, two in Ruiru market, Kangangi market in Kiambu town and the Githunguri market,’ wamatangi said.

Under President William Ruto’s stewardship, the national government has allocated Sh400 million for the market, with the administration contributing Sh150 million to construct a suitable facility for traders.

The Governor assured the traders that his administration will give resources to provide a temporary location, wh
ere traders can operate, while awaiting the completion of the new market.

‘The multi-storey business hub, set to accommodate approximately 700 traders will also create a conducive working environment for traders in Wangige town.

The facility will be completed in 13 months so you can be able to go back to your spaces soon,’ said the governor.

The public participation exercise follows the approval of the market’s designs by architects from the Kenya School of Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVETs). The residents also aired out their challenges and requests to the governor which included space allocation and market leadership, which the governor promised to work on.

‘We are asking the governor to assure us that none of us will lose our trading spaces when the construction is done, and that we will be given a chance to choose our own leader for better management of the market,’ noted a trader.

Wamatangi lauded the traders and the elected leaders in Kabete Constituency for endorsing the plann
ed construction citing that, ‘The tender advertisement will take place next, and my commitment to the people of Wangige is that the allocation of spaces in the new facility will be transparent.’

In July last year, President William Ruto announced that the government had allocated Sh13 billion for the construction of new markets in different counties across the country.

Kiambu County received Sh3 billion from the national government for the construction of five markets following the allocation.

Source: Kenya News Agency