LAST WORD - No Chinese rescue for doomed macho icon
Universally reviled by environmentalists, the beefy, military-inspired Hummer has remained a beloved macho icon for enthusiasts like Arnold Schwarzenegger and Raila Odinga. In the wake of the fina |
Museveni, the family man with a big heart
All of us have, at one time or another, had to put up with sponging relatives. Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is no different.
His brother, Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, is his senior presidential a |
Dominique Strauss-Kahn - `Innocent victim' has shown emakable esilience, but must pepae fo moe shocks
The global economic cisis hit Afica had in many ways. Although the continent was on the sidelines of the events that led up to the wost global ecession in 60 yeas, it was badly aected. As I've said ma |
Kibe Mungai - What lessons from EADB's legal drama in Dar?
On the last day of August 2005, a Tanzanian arbitrator awarded a Tanzanian transport company known as Blueline Enterprises Ltd damages in the sum of $61,386,853 against the East African Development Ba |
French demand for $385m compensation
France Telecom has kicked up a storm within government circles with a sensational claim that it is not able to trace some of the assets that were on the books of the former parastatal at the time it |
Kigali talks seek ways to back Sudan in upcoming elections
Ar etreat of special representatives of the African Union and the United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur has agreed that the conflict in Darfur must be addressed in a more holistic manner in order |
Rwanda to be feted on `fist Commonwealth Day'
Rwandan President Paul Kagame has received a rare honour this week -to kick off a series of international events to mark Commonwealth Day in London. President Kagame makes his first visit to Marl |
Bad debts dilute gains made in banking sector
Bad debts continue to haunt Rwanda's banking sector, despite the impressive performance registered over the past five years. Currently, non-performing loans stand at $60 million against a gross credit |
Rate of economic growth down by half as recession bites
The growth rate of Rwanda's economy has dropped from 11.2 per cent in 2008, to 5.5 per cent last year. Releasing the figures only a day after French President Nicolas Sarkozy made a four-hour visit to |
New border posts to step up war against dumping
The Rwanda Bureau of Standards will open an office at each of the country's border posts in an effort to step up the war against dumping. The quality and standards control watchdog also plans to intro |
Kigali gears up for enhanced Internet connectivity
Connection to the Kigali Wireless Broadband (WiBro), a wireless Internet technology developed by a South Korean Telecom (KT) for the Rwandan government is soon to be assessed.
The project, launched |
out on objections
26, 2009. This means that the Bank's latter application was filed, argued and ruled upon during the 30 months it took the Court to rule upon the Bank's application on the garnishee order. The disce |
NOT YET: - Fears over planned cut in research funding
T anc he future of studies on forests across Africa hangs in the balance following the planned withdrawal of financial support to the African Forest Research Network, a continental body that funds f |
STOP PRESS: BANK LOSES COURT CASE IN DAR, NOW FACES BANKRUPTCY
The Court of Appeal of Tanzania has dismissed with costs the appeal filed by the East African Development Bank (EADB) against the decision of the High Court of Tanzania on July 12, 2006, to uphold t |
Business formalisation drive to boost govt revenue
The Property and Business Formalisation Programme has embarked on a countrywide registration drive that targets the informal sector. The one -year exercise is expected to boost Tanzania's Gross Domest |
Cassava project to help raise farmers' incomes
Farmers are set to benefit from a $4.5 million cassava value-adding project, aimed at raising the profile of the tuber to a profitable and sustainable source of income.The International Institute o |
Artisanal miners push for clear mining policy
Kalalani artisanal miners in Korogwe District, in Tanga, have called on the government to streamline mining laws to enable them to access licenses.
Acting village government chairman Amanth Ngereka |
Rukwa farmers seek consent to sell surplus maize
Rukwa farmers wants the government to lift a ban on food exports, to allow them to sell 300,000 tonnes of surplus maize to neighbouring DR Congo, Zambia, Malawi and Burundi.Farmers in the region re |
Peta Diamonds to expand Williamson mine
Petra Diamonds, a leading supplier of rough diamonds, has announced a three-year major expansion plan for the Williamson Diamond mine in Shinyanga, Tanzania.An interim financial report for the seco |
After a slump, Tanzania's economy to grow in 2010
Economic experts predict a real GDP growth of 5.7 per cent in Tanzania this year, compared with 5.0 per cent last year.The Treasury also seeks to drive down the annual inflation rate to 6.0 per cen |
CHILDISH THINGS...
Museveni's military nostalgia isn't actually a boy thing |
MO' MILITARY BLUES
10 army MPs went to Uganda's parliament, only one voted... |
Baick snub puts spotlight on Tanzania capital controls
The decision by Barrick Gold to snub Tanzania�s capital market to raise money for its local operations has whipped up a groundswell of nationalistic sentiment. As far as resource nationalism goes |
Economic blueprint at risk over water shortage
The perennial freshwater shortage in Kenya, largely blamed on inefficiency in water resource management, threatens the country's efforts towards achieving Vision 2030 and the Millennium Developmen |
SAFETY NET: - A new shield for central banks
Radical reforms will be undertaken this year in banks across Africa, following wide-ranging proposals by central bank governors from the continent.The reforms -details of which are to be announ |
FACES IN THE NEWS - LOUIS MORENOOCAMPO
OCAMPO: Provided the ICC Judges with a selected list of 20 names of key persons responsible for the 2007 postelection violence in Kenya. YOWERI MUSEVENI Appointed his son the new Commanding Officer |
Coming soon: EPZ laws that favour selling to the region
Plans are under way to harmonise laws governing export processing zones in East Africa. This is aimed at enhancing investment in the region and co-operation among EPZ bodies. Joseph Kosure, the ac |
EAC, European Commission agree on trade negotiations
The East African Community and European Commission have agreed to sort out contentious issues in the Framework Economic Partnership Agreement ahead of its signing by the end of March. In a meeting |
Speaker launches hub for parliamentary development
Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly, Abdirahin H. Abdi has launched the AGORA portal (www.agora-parl.org), a one-stop reference centre and hub for knowledge sharing on parliamentary d |
Conference to address dilapidated railway system
A regional conference in Dar es Salaam this week is expected to come up with ways of revitalising the dilapidated railway system in East Africa.
The conference comes at a time when the concession |
Gatuna border post to operate on a 24-hour basis
Rwanda and Uganda have agreed to launch a oneborder stop-centre and to let the Katuna borderpost operate 24 hours effective next month to ease the movement of people and goods. They have also agre |
A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR DISPUTE - over Telkom Kenya's 'vanished' assets
7The international bidders the French had to beat to acquire a controlling stake in Telkom Kenya. $385 million The amount France Telcom now wants from the government in compensation. $390 million What |
ELECTRIC ECCENTRIC
SA's Thandiswa wows fans in Dar |
ART AS MEMORY
Artist Rahab Shine captures the vanishing faces of Kenya P |
Spice up you holiday in Zanziba
Not long ago the name Zanzibar would conjure up the heady aroma of spices that centuries ago earned Unguja and Pemba the name of the Spice Islands. The spice plantations may have taken a back seat eco |
Constitutional solution beeds fresh problems
So far, our politicians are putting their best food forward with respect to the draft Constitution. The two Principals have both an amicable but decisive concluurged an amicable but decisive conclus |
CLOSER HOME - Underground water tanks to the rescue of thirsty Forolle
Busy chatting at a village water point, the five schoolgirls washed their dusty feet from a shared bucket of clean water, after which one of them poured the water on the ground. This is typical of you |
Lake Turkana ecosystem: Development fo ecology?
The 290 kilometre long and 32km wide Lake Turkana is the world's largest desert lake. It has 12 inflowing rivers (all seasonal except the Omo in Ethiopia that accounts for 90 per cent of all inflows) |
The politics of disaste dictate regional force
A specialised unit to respond to disasters across the region looks more and more relevant as it becomes obvious that, at the national level, certain calamities are overwhelming. The latest such are |
Rwanda will grow by 7-8pc in 2010 - minister
Provisional estimates indicate that Rwanda's economy will grow by 7-8 per cent, up from 5.5 per cent last year. Rwanda's Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, John Rwangombwa, said the agr |
OFFICIAL DELAY: - Dar retail investors miss out on chance to own gold firm
Many Tanzanian retail investors have probably lost a chance to buy shares in the largest goldmine in the world, after the Tanzania government failed to persuade African Barrick Gold to offload part |
PRODUCTION
PRODUCTION ABG expects 2010 gold production to increase to about 7.6-8.0 million ounces, net of the ABG IPO, at lower total cash costs of $425$455 per ounce or lower net cash costs of $345-$375 per |
Let's dop out of the at ace and join Ananilea in maching to Maley's beat
Raise your elbows, everyone, and drink to the health of the US Tanzania Woman of Courage for the Year 2010 -Ananilea Nkya, executive secretary of the Tanzania Media Women's Association (Tamwa). |
Russian coach in odd double celebration
Russian coach Marina Zoueva was wearing her Canadian jacket but had packed her American one in her bag just in case. She was in the unusual position last week of being coach to the Olympic gold and si |
Klug brings organ donor message to Games
American snowboarder Chris Klug was more than just happy to be in the Olympics, he was happy to be healthy and alive and used the Vancouver Games to get out the message on organ donors and recipients. |
NBA star Williams gets five-year prison sentence
Former professional basketball star Jayson Williams was sentenced on Tuesday to five years in prison for the shooting death of a limousine driver in 2002, prosecutors said. The retired player for the |
Whipping up hysteria about incitement, Museveni forgets his Chinese lessons
The government-controlled New Vision newspaper has accused the now closed Buganda CBS radio of promoting genocide, and likened it to the notorious Radio TV Milles Collines that participated in the Rwa |
East African MPs want more pay and no term limits...
Ea st African Legislative Assembly delegates have been given the go-ahead by the Council of Ministers to seek amendments to the EAC Treaty that will enable them lift their term limits from two to an o |
...But Secretariat rejects proposed figures, settles for $50 increase
It is all about eating. Everyone is struggling for positions," a source who declined to be entioned said. mentioned said.According to the report of the House Busi- ness Committee for the period Jun |
Tanzania raises alarm over
Mi lk processors in Tanzania's nascent diary industry want the government to protect them against im- ported milk and lower taxes to prevent the industry from collapsing. They say the industry coul |
As fresh milk pours into the country's gutters, Kenya's dairy sector must learn to say cheese
With a dairy cattle population estimated at 7 million, Kenya is the third-largest milk producer in Africa, behind Sudan and Egypt, with an output of upto 4 billion litres a year. Sudan produces some 5 |
AGENDA
AGENDA The week ahead MONDAY Warehouse operations seminar, Arusha The Institute of Accountancy will conduct a course on effective warehouse operations and inventory management in Arusha..
TUESDAY M |
Six predator species could disappear in the next 50 years
rge carni- in Kenya 00 after a takeholders as farm- research gy outlines nservation o have viable ies. This is prey species ast objective number of .
des ways of ctives by in- nd outside e carnivor |
FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL
Almost every tourist, whether international or domestic, wants to see the "king of beasts" or the "king of the jungle." The lion definitely tops the list. As a large carnivore, it is at the top of the |
Six predator species could disappear in the next 50 years
|
BEGGING THE QUESTION
Drowning in the Nile is no solution to the beggar problem |
EA'S SECRET IDENTITY
Who's `indigenous' here? Aren't we more Arab than African? |
Now comes a goilla's suvival stoy told in 3D, in Luganda
Ugandan filmmaker Solomon Jagwe has produced Galiwango: Obulamu Bwe'Kisodde (The Life of a Gorilla), an animated film on the life of a gorilla using 3D technology. A five-minute pilot of the film s |
MOVIE REVIEW - Eveyday life stuggles ae blind to ace
It is the season again around the world for honouring international film makers and actors. From the Emmys to the BAFTAS, the Berlin Film Festival among others, the buzz is the same. Of course the |
From deficit to glut, a bumpy ride on the milky way'
Up to 1969, the Kenya dairy industry operated as an open market with various independent dairies being active market players, and production dominated by large-scale producers. Following the ration |
Physically fit students do better academically too
Getting students to exercise more might not just address obesity issues but also improve their grades with a US study finding physically fit students tend to score higher in tests than their less fit |
A bottle of pills to kick the bottle
Does this sound like anyone you know? Darryl is 35, has a steady job, a stable home and good marriage, enjoys a few beers in front of the TV most nights -- doesn't have what most people would call a d |
Meningitis outbreak kills 246 in Burkina Faso
Health officials in the west African country of Burkina Faso are worried about an increase in deaths from meningitis which has killed 246 people so far this year, up from 203 in the same period last y |
Test allows men to check sperm count at home
Home fertility tests aren't just for women anymore. A new device that looks a lot like those home ovulation and home pregnancy tests but checks sperm count will soon be available in Europe, and is und |
New inhaled drug protects from flu in single dose
A single dose of an experimental influenza drug saves more mice from H5N1 avian influenza than the preferred drug Tamiflu, researchers reported on Thursday, and can also protect against infection. The |
Study casts doubt on virus link to chronic fatigue
Hopes of discovering treatments for chronic fatigue syndrome dimmed on Friday after a new study cast doubt on previous findings that a virus linked to prostate cancer might also be associated with the |
A beathing technique oes help to people with asthma
Iin describing an alternative treatment for asthma that does not yet have top clinical ratings in this country (although it is taught in Russian medical schools and covered by insurance in Aus- tralia |
Don't put profit before people, warns report
There is currently no transparency in Uganda's oil contracts, on the part of the government or the foreign oil companies, the Platform/CSCO report entitled "Cursed con- tracts: Uganda's oil agreements |
NEWS ANALYSIS - Museveni fell down on windfall tax
Was Uganda's Pesident Yowei Museveni duped into giving away the county's national teasue in his govenment's negotiations with the oil exploation companies? Until November 2009, no one could answer |
LAST WORD - Comrade Zuma chooses, the rest, just keep you opinion to yourselves
BY ALL accounts, Jacob Zuma loves tradition. His three wives and 20 children will attest to his embrace of polygamy as an "African tradition." His philandering and apparent refusal to use condoms, cou |
Here's a veiled hint: Kiss before you may
The French aversion to the veil may perhaps be based on more practical considerations.
A sharia court in Dubai annulled the marriage of an unidentified Arab country's diplomat in Dubai after he dis |
Cranes and Stars' face-off extended to Cup of Nations
As the best footballing nations in the world prepare for the World Cup competition in South Africa in four months time, neighbours Uganda and Kenya are contemplating how they will outdo each other for |
milk imports as Kenya groans under glut
Kenya stands to pay heavily for the current wastage of milk, following a massive production glut. Co-operatives Develop- ment Minister Joseph Nyaga last week blamed imports for the problem. |
New era dawns as Sarkozy admits to `genocide slips'
In a gesture that appeared as close to an apology as Rwanda was going to get, President Nicholas Sarkozy said the French regret the political errors of the 1990s, that may have led to the 1994 genocid |
At contest to entrench culture of peaceful existence
E san ast African primary and secondary school students have a chance to immortalise thousands of Rwandans killed in the 1994 genocide through a regional arts competition. As part of the launch, an |
Lake Kivu tourist trail to benefit local residents
The Rwanda Development Board will build a 202-kilometre tourist trail along the shores of Lake Kivu in the Western Province. Revenues from the project will benefit locals. Dubbed the "Congo-Nile Tr |
Nuru Energy scoops UNEP award for clean energy
Nuru Energy's efforts to give Rwanda's rural communities kero- sene-free lights have received the prestigious UNEP Sasakawa Prize 2009. According to Nuru Energy's chief operating officer, Julio de Sou |
Tea Authority to expand crop's national output
Rwanda plans to increase its tea zones from 12,000 hectares to 21,000 hectares by 2012. The director-general of the Rwanda Tea Authority, (Ocir-Th�), Antoine Butera, said the move will increase nation |
Illegal car owners fined 20 pc value of vehicle
Owners of over 70 vehicles impounded following a major crackdown on non-Rwanda regis- tered vehicles will have to pay a penalty equivalent to 20 per cent of the dutiable value of their cars.
Seth M |
Kampala lab to monitor HIV drug resistance
In 1991, Naomi Mbabazi was an upper senior secondary student when the blood donating van called at her school in western Uganda.
She and her peers casually decided to donate blood. What began as a |
`Hi, have you taken you pills today?' - How mobiles can help
James Lekoni was diagnosed with HIV/Aids a year and a half ago. Since then, he has been tak- ing anti-retroviral drugs, the life prolonging drugs that suppress the Aids virus. "Taking drugs three t |
Like the curate's egg, state-backed Manjano is good in parts
There is a famous cartoon, drawn in the early 1900s, of a bishop and a curate eating their breakfast, which includes boiled eggs. Wavy lines rising from the top of the curate's egg in- dicates that al |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Positive developments Negative developments Neutral `Speed up second port in Lamu or we lose business' Maritime players now want construction of the second port in Lamu speeded up to enable Kenya comp |
FACES IN THE NEWS
SERENA WILLIAMS Just over a year after visiting Kenya to open the Serena Wil- liams Secondary School in Ma- tooni, Kenya, Serena returned to open yet another school. BETHUEL KIPLAGAT He was under sieg |
The army's time in Uganda parliament is up
Uganda's 89-year old parliament (transformed from the Legislative Council of 1921-1961 under British rule) has 333 MPs, making it the largest in East Africa. Addition- ally, it is the only one in East |
Naivasha must not die
KENYA IS ON THE BRINK OF LOSING LAKE Naivasha, a trend that preliminary findings of an expert inquiry reportedly attribute to harmful practices on the flower farms that sur- round it. Besides holdi |
Let's protect whistleblowers
Last week, the Ugandan parliament finally began debate on the Whistleblowers Bill, ex- pected to add to the arsenal deployed against Uganda's rampant corruption. The Bill drew mixed reactions acros |
Why it's better to resign than to be forced out
T and ma o resign or not to resign? The efault position in Kenya is o hang on for all its worth, regardless of the destruction yhem that doing so provokes. Fortunately, in recent years, it has also be |
Somalia to get more soldiers
Tanzania will train 105 more Somali troops as part of its continued support of African countries' efforts to restore peace in the war-ravaged coun- try. It joins Rwanda, Uganda and the European Uni |
Landowners say biofuel investor duped them
ABritish firm involved in the production of jatropha curcas, a newly introduced cash crop for biofuel processing, has alleg- edly failed to compensate some 2,840 house- holds it acquired land from. |
Refugees produce bumper tobacco harvest
Ulyankulu settlement camp for refugees recorded a bumper tobacco harvest estimated at $2 million. The camp's settlement officer, Abdulkarim Mnacho attributed the high yield to the diligence of the 50, |
Workers' contributions top government revenue
Revenue from income tax is the leading government source of income, according to the latest National Tax Statistics.
The statistics issued by the Tanzania Revenue Authority show that the government |
Coal and iron ore projects attract a pool of investors
Over 80 local and foreign companies have expressed interest in investing in the multi-billion dollar coal and iron ore projects in Tanzania's southern region. Alley Mwakibolwa, the National Developmen |
POLITICS AND VERSE - The State Milk Process
The Dairy Board promotes The purchasing of stock.
The poor man buys a cow, The cow produces milk, The farmer milks the cow.
The company then buys This golden egg of milk, Homogenises it And pack |
Influx of tourists in Ngorongoro raises environmental concerns
The increasing popularity of the Ngorongoro crater as tourist site has raised concerns over the effect it has on the environment. In the last fiscal year for instance, 453,926 visited the ecosystem, b |
Populating and potecting now a
IT is no secret that habitat loss is one of the main threats to wildlife popula- tions. For the carnivores, habitat loss also means lack of prey and hence lack of food. Habitat loss arises from the in |
SOUTH AFRICA - Trial of students in racist video case set for July
Four white students accused of making a racist video in South Africa will face trial in July, after attempts failed to resolve the mat- ter out of court. The video, which caused a racial storm in 2008 |
NIGERIA - Ailing Yar' Adua returns, Jonathan to keep acting
President Umaru Yar' Adua, 58 has returned home from Saudi Arabia, where he had been on medical treatment the past three months. But acting leader (Vice- President) Goodluck Jonath- an will continu |
SOUTH AFRICA - Call for `lifestyle audit' of politicians rejected
A call by Zwelinzima Vavi, Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) gen- eral secretary, for a lifestyle audit of politicians so as to combat corruption has been rejected by President Jacob Zum |
SUDAN - Bashir signs ceasefire deal with main rebel group Jem
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (below) has signed a framework ceasefire deal with one of Darfur's main rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem). The power-sharing agree- ment was br |
Polio drive targets 9m kids
Two years after polio re- emerged in Sudan, nine million children are being vacci- nated in a project run by the Health Ministry, Unicef and WHO. Similar programmes are being conducted in all neighbou |
NIGER - Military junta appoints a civilian as new premier
The junta that overthrew the nation's president and seized power a week ago has ap- pointed a civilian to be prime minister until new elections are held. It chose Mahamadou Danda, who served as com |
IVORY COAST - Soro includes 2 opposition parties in new government
Prime Minister Guillaume Soro has announced a new government, including the two main opposition parties, after 48 hours of crisis nego- tiations. Several opposition posts are still unfilled. A new ele |
ZAMBIA - Row over Aids trial that led to 1,340 new infections
Controversy continues to brew following a failed HIV/ AIDS trial that resulted in 46 women contracting the virus.About 1, 340 were engaged in the HIV Microbicide Gel Clinical Trial in late 2009.
|
RWANDA - French president arrives in Kigali to cement ties
French President Nicolas Sarkozy visits the country starting Thursday to cement renewed ties with his coun- terpart Paul Kagame.Rwanda severed relations with France in 2006 after a Paris judge accu |
LIBYA - Gaddafi calls for jihad against Switzerland
President Muammar Gaddafi has called for a jihad, or holy war, against Switzerland, as an ongoing diplomatic row between the two nations heats up. He criticised a recent Swiss vote against the buil |
BOTSWANA - All-male appointments stir discontent in the judiciary
Discontent is simmering following revelations that although the government has made strides in appoint- ing women to positions of authority in the civil service, this has not been the case in the judi |
EXHIBITION - Sales in Madrid point to recovey in art market
ARCOmadrid_2010, the International Contemporary Art Fair, closed its doors on February 21 with positive results well above initial forecasts. At a press conference held to take stock of the fair, the |
did not get a `great deal' - Too many gey aeas in lopsided agreements
According to the Platform's analysis Uganda's contracts fail to capture increased rent as the oil price rises. This is a major flaw, especially in light of the high prices in recent years.
As oil p |
SOMALIA Help us restore peace, President Sharif says
President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed (below) has called on the international community to help his frag- ile government restore peace and stability. He acknowledged that his government has no power |
Uganda partners with India in pilot banana fibre research
U -ganda and India -- leading producers of bananas in the world have joined hands to conduct research into the textile potential of the banana fibre, a part of the banana tree mostly considered waste |
Nepad, ILRI unveil fund for Africa's agriculture
Anew fund to improve eastern Africa's crop productivity and efficiency in agricultural processing has been set up with a $10.6 million kitty. The move is meant to fight poverty and spur economic gr |
US pushing for new law against LRA
American legislators are pushing for a law that will see another phase of military action to appre- hend Lord's Resistance Army rebels. The new move seems to go against media campaigns by the Ugand |
Africa to get less than half of Gleneagles $25b pledges
African nations are set to receive less than half of $25 billion in new aid pledged at the 2005 Glenea- gles summit, the latest fig- ures from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development |
Taxpayes' sweat? Look, guys, you can't have you ada and eat it too
Some things will simply not go away, no matter what the authorities try to do to make people forget about them. One such thing is the so-called radar question, wherein a British military contractor so |
Kiswahili Africa Bible Commentary out in June
The Kiswahili edition of the Africa Bible Commentary, Ufafanuzi wa Biblia Katika Mazingira na Utamaduni wa Kiafrika, is set to come out by June this year. "This is a major milestone, coming almost 30 |
Karimjee Jivanjee book released in Dar
A 174-page book on the Jivanjee family titled The Karimjee Jivanjee Family by Gijsbert Oonk and published by Pallas in 2009 is now out. The book is an account of East Africa told through the eyes of t |
Kwani Trust to announce winners in March
Winners of the short story competition The Kenya I Live In, organised by Kwani Trust will be announced on March 24. Over 500 entries have been received for the competition. In addition to being publis |
Food ebellions: Cisis and hunge fo justice amid plenty
Recent reports that despite a bumper harvest in the last season East Africans face hunger in the next few months is baf- fling to many. But not when you read Eric Holt-Gimenez and Raj Patel book Fo |
EYE ON THE PRIZE
Nigerian author Abidemi Sanusi nominated for C' Wealth Prize |
KINOBE PLAYS ON
He says the love of music not money inspires him |
The life and times of the Sikh community in mordern day Kenya
Sikhs in Kenya are known for their relaxed bon vivant attitude � those ka- lasinghas with kilembas, happy drink- ing whisky than water and racing cars like Joginder Singh the "flying Sikh" who everyon |
Indigenous longhorn Ankole cattle at the brink of extinction
As the population of the Ankole in Southwestern Ankole in Southwestern Uganda continues to surge and land gets increasingly scarce, locals are trading their indigenous cattle for a high yielding cross |
Tanzania to switch to electronic driving licences
T ch anzania is to go high-tech in the driving licence and change it from paper to the smart card. The move is aimed at cut- ting down on road accidents, forgery and corruption, the acting director |
Declining foreign reserve levels in EA raise the alarm
Exactly what should be the optimal foreign exchange reserve level of East African countries? Economists around the globe are in a dilemma to answer this question after it emerged that the region's |
Tanzania secues Swiss aid to impove ice farming
T rice anzania has secured $2.3 million from the Swiss Government to finance smallholder farming in the central corridor. The project will be undertaken through the Rural Livelihood Development Compan |
Kenya to get `bonus' aid in new pact with Fance
Kenya is set to receive additional soft loans from France following a review of the terms of economic relations between the two states. The review, which ranked Kenya among emerging economies, is a |
Sarkozy's visit ushers in a new phase in Rwanda-France relations
The planned visit to Rwanda by President Nicolas Sarkozy on February 26 -- the first of its kind by a French head of state since the 1994 genocide -- is expected to boost ties between the two coun- tr |
More households to access power, says utility firm
The number of Rwandans with ac- cess to power is set to hit 202,800 this year, up from 140,000 last year.
According to the Rwanda Electricity Corporation & Rwanda Water and Sanitation Corporation, |
Fina expects a jump in profits due to more branches, IT
Fina Bank Rwanda hopes to record a profit jump from Rwf770 million last year to Rwf1 billion this year. The bank attributes its good performance last year to the opening up of more branch- es in the c |
RwandAir to start direct Kigali-Kinshasa flights
RwandAir will soon start operating direct flights between Kigali and Kin- shasa following resumption of airline co-operation between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The co- operation will |
A reluctant Kagame awaits ruling party's nod
Rwandan President Paul Kagame says he will only seek re-election in the August 2010 presidential polls if his party, the Rwanda Patriotic Force (RPF) picks him as its flag bearer."The party will si |
Uganda gets the nod for delayed lake project
Uganda can now proceed with the second phase of the Lake Victoria Environ- mental Management Project after it convinced the World Bank to allow it to recruit an official the bank had vetoed. The Ba |
Want a safe Somalia? Involve the clerics
Cl lan elders and clerics can help win the war against piracy, says a new holistic policy. The two groups could run the "counter narrative", explaining to citizens why piracy is against the interes |
Africa has a right to compensation and we are not begging
Last November at a heads of states meeting in Addis Ababa another affirmation of the dire straits we pass through as Africans came to pass.
At the close of the meeting, a west- ern journalist asked |
Cotton prices to remain stable, says government
The government will maintain current cotton prices in order to attract more farmers to grow the crop. This was in response to farmers' request that the current price of Ush900 ($0.45) per kilogram be |
Manufacturers to venture into the Burundi market
Uganda manufacturers have set their eyes on the Burundi market as they await the East African Common Market to become operational this July. Sectors at stake include the tourism, hotel, agro-business, |
Coffee sector develops wilt-resistant varieties
The coffee sector has developed seven Robusta varieties resistant to the wilt disease, in a bid to multiply the countries' coffee trees.
From the early 1990s to 2000, Uganda experienced a coffee wi |
Computerised tax system to enhance revenue collection
After registering a revenue deficit of Ush9 billion ($4.6 million), Kampala City Council has introduced a computerised system to help monitor and identity the available avenues for revenue in the City |
EALA sounds death knell for `fake' institutions
Days when some dubious universities and colleges would offer substandard education in East Africa and get away with it, are numbered. This follows a decision by the East African Legislative Assembly t |
went on a shameless maize looting spree
ers, in return for "facilitation payments."Additionally, maize was imported at more than double the price paid to local farm- ers, raising queries about the manner it was sourced. A parliamen |
THE CURIOUS CASE OF MILLERS
An interesting feature of the Subsidised Maize Scheme is the decision to go with millers. According to Robert Bates, author of Beyond the Miracle of the Market: The Political Economy of Agrarian Devel |
Anger, grief as body of Georgian arrives home
The body of luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was flown home to Bakuriani, from the Vancouver Winter Olympics last Wednesday and was met with anger and grief in this quiet winter resort town in Georgia. Vill |
First black Olympic pair electrify the crowds
Vanessa James and Yannick Bonheur of France on Monday became the first black couple to compete in Olympic pairs skating, electrifying the crowd at the Pacific Coliseum with an acrobatic free skate pro |
Judge issues arrest warrant against Landis
French judge has issued an arrest warrant against American rider Floyd Landis for suspected hacking into an anti-doping laboratory computer, French anti-doping agency head Pierre Bordry told Reuters. |
As Nairobi property prices rise, home buyers suffer low returns
Arapid rise in property prices in Nairobi's upmarket neighbourhoods is taking a toll on mortgage-financed investors. Many people who have taken mortgages to buy rental proper- ties are finding it i |
DStv launches another 24-hour entertainment television channel
DStv has launched another channel -- M-Net Africa HD -- to give its customers a wider choice of entertainment.
Launched last week, it will be on DStv channel 170 and will run 20 hours a day until A |
Ketepa enters bottled water market to diversify earnings
Tea processor Ketapa has joined the bottled water market, with the launch of its own brand, Maisha, to diversify its earnings.
The firm, which processes 75 per cent of Kenya's black teas, said it w |
Over 500 Toyota cars sold in Kenya recalled for inspection
Over 500 new generation Toyota Corolla cars sold in Kenya have been recalled by the dealer for a special service to inspect their acceleration pedal system.
Toyota East Africa said the recalled veh |
Now Car and General opens new branches in Rwanda and Burundi
Car and General Limited has strengthened its presence in East Africa by expanding to Burundi and Rwanda.
Stephen Katawera has been appointed the manager of the two operations.
Vijay Gidoo |
IFC to train SMEs on business management skills
The International Finance Corporation has partnered with Rwanda's private sector to provide training to owners of small and medium sized enterprises on requisite business management skills. A member o |
EXHIBITION - Geatest single series of drawings at Coutauld
Michelangelo's masterpiece The Dream (Il Sogno) has been described as one of the finest of all Renaissance drawings, and it is amongst the Courtauld Gallery's greatest treasures. Executed in 1533 when |
Meet the onion, it's soft but can make you weep
Hard on the outside but soft inside... you could probably apply that to many people you know, and it is also the theme of a recent painting by Jesse N'gang'a. Intriguingly called Onion Cactus. Like |
Our thief of time is king in Dodoma so who will save us?
Procrastination, we were taught as kids, is a thief of time. Putting off to another day what you should be doing today only makes you lose more time than you would have, had you done your duty when it |
Egg on the face or the scent of roses?
Prime Minister Raila Odinga asked some officers in his office to step down over corruption, orders the suspension of two ministers having, at the very least, political responsibility for graft in thei |
When a few dead bishops are just not enough
It was the Kenyans, again, who started this business of bishops dying in car accidents. In 1990, outspoken Bishop Alexander Muge was killed when a milk truck crashed into his car.Though no evidence |
Fragile and failed, Somalia matters too much to continue `fighting in peace'
wars are likely to last longer and be more intense in coun- tries that have large popula- tions outside of their own, due to the support that mem- bers of the diaspora provide to warring factions. |
FACES IN THE NEWS
MAMADOU TANDJA The Niger president was captured by the military this week. Last year, he suspended a democratic constitution to avoid presidential term limits. KIBAKI Vs RAILA The spat between Kenya's |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Positive developments Negative developments Neutral Mt Kenya University to open new branch in Rwanda One of Kenya's private universities, Mt Kenya University, will open a coordination centre in Rwanda |
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
Tanzania Tanzania is forecasting a food production deficit, a reverse from previous estimates, following el-Ni�o rains that are reported to have wreaked havoc in 18 regions. The drop will also have a |
LAST WORD - How Melvyn went to sleep sick and woke up a murderer, the next day!
Imagine going to sleep one evening and waking up the next day to find yourself the subject of an international manhunt. That's what happened to six Israel-based UK citizens whose names were on pass |
If the label eads `Pinot Noir,' Pinot Noir it is
Among wine lovers, Pinot Noir is often described as being a "difficult" grape, to grow, to deal with in the win- ery, and to find truly great ex- amples of. The US owners of the huge- ly popular Re |
As gils become women, spots pay dividends
Almost fou decades afte the US fedeal education law called Title IX opened the door for girls to participate in high school and college athletics, a crucial question has remained unanswered: Do sports |
EYES ON THE FUTURE
The rise of new development partners opens possibilities. P |
UNITED IN AGONY
Is EA states are so similar as to warrant a single state |
Albinos are neither a cure no a curse...
In what has been touted as "the Information Age," how can we explain the barbarism with which human beings continue to treat albinos all over the world? In Burundi and Tanzania alone, nearly 60 have b |
Another kind of World Cup to kick off on the Serengeti
A coincidence of football matches in South Africa and another kind of matches on the Serengeti plains is set to boost Tanzania's tourism revenue from this year.The Tanzania Tourist Board acting man |
Company to start bulk importation of oil
The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is expected to start the importation of bulk petroleum products this year following the completion of a consultancy report that contains expert ad |
People living around the export zone to be compensated
About $890,000 is to be spent on compensating people living around the Benjamin Mkapa export processing zone, the Mabibo complex, following a fresh assessment of the mode of payment.
The minister f |
New rural water and hygiene programme on course - govt
The government has spent $145 million from the Consolidated Fund for the implementation of a rural water and hygiene programme in the past three years. Water and irrigation minister Mark Mwandosya has |
Tanga Cement Company to pay $11m dividend
Shareholders of Tanga Cement Company (TCC) are to be paid Tsh11.5 billion ($11 million) in dividends despite the commodi- ty's glut in the global market and a relaxa- tion of import duty that has dist |
EAC seeks joint piracy patrol
F the ollowing a long time of Somali pirates' attacks along the eastern African coast and the Gulf of Aden, the East African Community member states are seeking cooperation to suppress and prevent the |
While the people starved, the politicians
Last year, Kenya experienced the worst food crisis in its history, with starvation threatening the lives of more than 10 million people. In a letter to the IMF in May 2009, Finance Minister Uhuru K |
Together, region will end hunger
Nairobi last week hosted three highlevel meetings to discuss food security in the eastern Africa region. The meetings, that brought together experts from the Government, NGOs, the academia and donor a |
Pass better laws
Alaw passed by the East African Legislative Assembly has reopened the debate on ivory trade, which, ironically, it was supposed to put to rest. The EALA session in Kampala passed the EAC Tourism and W |
Experts call for holistic war against piracy
International maritime experts are rooting for a multi-pronged approach to eradicate piracy off the Somali coast. They are calling for a land- based strategy, a pointer to the limitations of the on |
ginal home in Makindu
hood, he was an excellent stu- dent -- by the time he was 10 years old he had mastered all that the teachers had to teach him, including the Persian lan- guage. Soon after, his father ar- ranged fo |
mmunity in moden day Kenya
a free meal.
e aback.
akindu temple e first time l where anyone al at the tem- for it," says inent scien- ause everyone e hall. There nd nobody meal -- it was if you wanted on of many akindu Sik |
THE PIOUS PATH
The holy book is in the care of Mohinder Singh or Babaji, as he is fondly called.
Born in Uganda in 1939 but raised and schooled in Kenya, Babaji trained as a structural engineer, and migrated to E |
MOVIE REVIEW - Saving a dying beed by killing it... eligiously
Denzel Washington acts as Eli, a lone, unsmiling and lethal gunslinger determined to head West in a post-apocalyptic era. He walks through bleached out cities marked by bruised and omi- nous skylin |
Nollywood fever gips Uganda
After years of watching Hollywood films, Ugandans would be expected to have picked up phrases such as "Wannabe" "Watz up, guys" and "I done nothing." But this is not the case. Instead, they are mor |
End of the road nears for pastoralists' way of life
The government of Kenya and the donor community should act fast to preserve the way of life of nomadic people. For long, the economic worth of nomadic people has been under- played, though the role |
Ugandan researchers dispute WHO stand on malaria deaths
Contrary to a recent World Health Organisation survey, Ugandan researchers say the problem of in- creased resistance to malarial drugs is more likely related to improper use of medications than the pr |
In Kenya, health experts call for change of strategies
Jolted by reports of poor-quality olted by reports of poor-quality anti-malaria drugs circulating in parts of eastern Africa, Kenyan health experts are calling for a change of strategy in the fight ag |
Karume's memoirs received well in Kigali
Njenga Karume's memoirs, Beyond Expectations: From Charcoal to Gold, has been accorded a warm reception in Rwanda, if events at the country's first international book fair was anything to go by.
Th |
Teacher's book to instil pride in Blacks
Nearly 100 years ago, former Washington, DC school teacher, Leila Amos Pendleton, authoured a book aimed at instilling in young, black people an appreciation and pride in their racial heritage.
Pen |
SA young reader flips through 158 books
This year's winner of the Johannesburg "Reading Race" managed to get through 158 books in just 10 months, it has been revealed. The annual event, which takes place at the Rhodes Park Library in the ea |
Memoirs are natural data banks and society's historical journals
Whenever I've met Marjorie OludheMacgoye, I've always made reference to her yet-to-be-published autobiography, A Half Witted Life. I came to know about the autobiography as I was reading through Nyarl |
JOURNAL - The things people do for love!
HUMAN BEINGS DO extraordinary things for love. Like building monuments, the most famous being the Taj Mahal in India, the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of Emperor Shah Jahan. There are several l |
Siriyetu in South Beach is Dar's best kept secet
As residents of Dar es Salaam, we often like to escape city's the hot, hectic, and sometimes stifling atmosphere and head for South Beach.
And our new favourite getaway is Siriyetu Villas on Kasa B |
Top designe found hanged
O fou ne of Britain's top fashion designers Alexander McQueen has been nd dead -- reportedly hanged found dead -- reportedly hanged -- at his flat in central London. The 40-year-old is believed to hav |
Mandela fete flag to be sold
The South African flag signed by South Africa's three most recent presidents -- F.W de Klerk, Nelson Mandela and Thabo Mbeki -- which flew from a helicopter at the historic Mandela inauguration on May |
Monet makes the wold go ound
Wildlife is the latest passion of Kampala artist Ismael Kateregga. And he brings it to life on the canvas thanks to long hours of meticulous observation in the Lake Mburo and Queen Elizabeth game park |
Joachim Buwembo - Who will aest the decline in image of ou policemen?
Being a police officer in East Africa has never been easy. But when the media aims directly at you, when your constables behave in a manner that makes you want to disown them, while the public is losi |
Kenya's misplaced optimism goes to the US
Kenyans were once regarded as the most optimistic people on earth. That trait was on display once again last week when the country's Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka visited Washington. His trip coincid |
LAST WORD - Dumb? Not when Palin has he cib note eady
If US President Barack Obama is a "charismatic guy with a teleprompter," then Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska, is surely a dumb chick with a crib note. No? During a Q&A session after a rous |
Mission needs political will moe than militay might, says spokesman
The current mission in Somalia is a civil-military operation. It aims more at creating an environment that allows a negotiated settlement to the Somali conflict, says Amisom spokesperson Bahoku Barigy |
Nicholas Otieno - Violence against gays has no basis in law, moality o eligion
Nations and the religious communities within the continent and most recently in Eastern Africa are not only deeply divided on the question of homosexuality but have displayed legally justified violenc |
The endless alterations that defined kenya's quest for a `good' constitution
der the absolute control of the president In the 1970s some amendments dealt with serious matters such as reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 years (1974) and establishing the Kenya Court of Appe |
LEARNED POLITICIANS
Tanzanian leaders come face to face with a whistle blower |
HUMANISING SAUDI
Is the peninsular is the exact antithesis of democracy? |
Kijani Kenya festival for Feb 26-27 in Nanyuki
This year's Kijani Kenya music festival will be held at the Mt Kenya Safari Club in Nanyuki on February 26-27. The annual international event started in 2004, fuses music and dance by both internation |
Nairobi to host Ugandan jazz artiste Katumwa
In Nairobi, the Kenya National Museum will be a hive of activity on February 13 with the concert "Love is Kenya" bringing together artistes such as Dela, Just a Band and Sauti Sol. Advance tickets cos |
Kasozi's gangs of Kampala
T violent c he Ugandan feature film titled Fishing: the Little Stone, which takes a look at the murky, violent criminal underworld in the capital, Kampala, could soon appear at an international film f |
MOVIE REVIEW - Relationships need not be this complicated
The thing with romantic comedies is that most of them tend to hurtle into oblivion of corniness. Not It's Complicated, a Nancy Mey ers (Something Gotta Give) comedy about menopausal urges, lust, l |
music - Jazz goes a note highe fom adio play only to live sessions
For lovers of jazz music in Kenya, radio provides the other main option for listening to their chosen genre, apart from their own jazz collections. Most fans know the times and days FM radio presenter |
MTN introduces new mobile money transfer service
MTN Rwanda subscribers will now be able to send and receive money through MTN Mobile Money. The new service will also enable them to buy MTN airtime. With 1.8 million subscribers, MTN Rwanda is the la |
NPD Contraco has up to March to finish up free trade zone
Rwanda's plans to have a free trade zone has been delayed. The local firm, NPD Contraco, which was given the contract to open and tarmac roads, fix a sewage system, extend water and electricity on the |
Coming soon: Mandatory deposit insurance scheme
Rwanda is planning to introduce a mandatory deposit insurance scheme.
According to the Central Bank Governor, Fran�ois Kanimba, a feasibility study will soon be done to establish the viability of t |
Govt seeks cash to develop `gift' land from its neighbours
Rwanda is seeking some $18 million to develop the three plots given to it by neighbours Kenya, Tanzania and Djibouti.
Located in Isaka and Djibouti respectively.
Keen on boosting business in the |
Rwanda, Burundi elections to upset EA Common Market plans
The forthcoming elections in Burundi and Rwanda could throw implementation of the Common Market into disarray as they will interfere with first, the protocol's ratification and second, its operation, |
Part of cash lost to EPA scam recovered -- Finance Minister
The government has recovered a total of Tsh 72 billion ($53 million) from the misappropriated Bank of Tanzania' External Payment Arrears (EPA). Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Mustafa Mk |
Country loses out in Dutch aid due to withheld funding
Tanzania lost a total of Tsh74 billion) ($54 million) in Dutch aid last year. The funding was withheld after Tanzania failed to reach a consensus with The Netherlands in three areas: water ($10 mil |
Govt, Brazil in technical cooperation agreements
Tanzania and Brazil have signed four technical co-operation agreements worth Tsh 758 million ($564,000) in agriculture and the fight against HIV/Aids. The agreements, to kick off in May, include d |
High demand pushes coffee prices to season's peak ...
Coffee prices hit the season's highest last week, with demand for the crop far outstripping supply, traders said. The Tanzania Coffee Board said of the 4,579 sixty-kg bags offered for sale, 4,147 |
... Kilimanjaro region is set to increase its production
Kilimanjaro Region is set to increase coffee production from an average of 5,853 tonnes in the 2006/2007 agricultural season to 9,650 tonnes in the 2009/2010 financial year, an agricultural consultant |
2 new boats to boost L. Victoia fisheies studies
Scientific fisheries studies in East Africa are expected to improve following the deployment of three modern boats costing over $2 million on Lake Victoria. Under the European Union-funded Fisheri |
VICTOIRE INGABIRE:
Surprise presidential aspirant, dubbed `agent provocateur' by some, poses uncomfortable questions to Rwanda's tightlipped society. |
WILBROD SLAA:
Tanzania will have to conduct its own probe into the watchman radar system since the PCCB one was dependent on findings by UK's SFO. P |
RAPHAEL MUNAVU:
Aspecial unit should be established in Kenya's parliament to enlighten MPs on the role of science in development. |
Finding funitue you will love
How did this happen, you wonder. How could you have so badly misjudged the quality and style of the diningroom set you bought just one year ago?
For most people, furniture-buying decisions are e |
Tanzania to clear out unlawful petrol trade
More than 600 petrol stations in Tanzania risk closure if they do not comply with stringent licensing rules and regulations stipulated in the Petroleum Act, 2008. Haruna Masebu, the directorgenera |
Tanzania's law on campaign funds is timely
IN ANY DEVELOPING DEMOCRACY, A SOUND electoral system is a prerequisite for its strong social, political and economic base. It is, therefore, important to have a system that helps the society elec |
Why it makes sense to pay othes to die fo you
Iwas brought up to hate mercenaries. However, an article in Uganda's Daily Monitor about the record 10,000 Ugandans who work as American guards in Iraq got me thinking if we could hold our noses long |
Counting the cost of couption to stem it
The debate around corruption with respect to education and maize illustrates, once again, just how seemingly impossible it is to do the right thing and how cynical many public officers have become. |
JOHN GITHONGO
Kenyan exceptionalism is a myth. As a new generation of thieves takes over from the old, the country's politics is becoming ever more toxic. |
PAUL KUKUBO
Kenya's ICT board extends the first phase of a $7 million bandwidth subsidy to allow more small firms, especially call centres, to benefit. |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Positive developments Negative developments Neutral US envoy says genocide suspect Kabuga still in Nairobi The United States Ambassador-at-large for War Crimes, Stephen Rapp, says in Arusha that intel |
Satya Capital wins stake in Nakumatt as boss calls it a day
Satya Capital, a London-based private investment firm run by Sudanese born business magnate Mo Ibrahim, has won the bid for 30 per cent stake in giant retail chain, Nakumatt Holdings. It will pay Ksh1 |
Anxiety mounts as Zain-Africa CEO makes an abrupt exit
Questions continue to linger over the future ownership of Zain Africa following the resignation of Saad Al Barrak, as managing director and deputy chairman. By the time of going to press, the firm was |
Safaricom to spend millions in setting up new retail outlets
Safaricom will spend Ksh 373 million ($4.9 million) to put up 14 new retail centres by April. This will bring the total number of its retail outlets to 32, with the latest having been launched in Nany |
Plans to salvage troubled RVR hit a snag, for the third time in a month
The creation of a special purpose vehicle to salvage the troubled Rift Valley Railways has flopped after its owners failed to agree on details of a new shareholders' agreement. The shareholders have p |
Helping mothers at their most trying times in rural Tanzania
Many people would consider Ksh16 (about 40 US cents) loose change, but it could make the difference between life and death in some parts of Africa. Excessive bleeding (post partum haemorrhage) fol |
North Uganda recovery plan gets WB funds despite hitches
The World Bank is moving ahead with the single biggest recovery investment in northern Uganda.
This is despite the misappropriation of about $1.6 million disbursed earlier to the first phase of the |
The endless alterations that defined Kenya's quest for a 'good' constitution
Kenya, the youngest of the five East African Community countries, is still the only one governed by the same constitutional document -- albeit with amendments -- since independence. Like Uganda an |
LINCHPIN - `Blood diamonds' inspire `conflict minerals' campaign
Acampaign is growing in the United States to end wars and atrocities in eastern Congo by discouraging the export of what organisers describe as "conflict minerals." The effort is inspired by the |
Florists, vendors train ahead of a promising year
Atraining programme for flower vendors and florists is being developed in Kenya as the industry seeks to entrench local consumption of the commodity that is prized in the developed world but shunned i |
FORCEFUL PAINTER
Miriam Kyambi has been described as one of Kenya's most imaginative young artists |
SAUTI ZA BUSARA
Ugandan pop princess Juliana Kanyomozi is one of the star perfomers |
Skiing on Mt Kenya? Yes... once upon a time
The year is 1936. Mount are covered in snow and ice and a motley group of men are preparing for the first skiing championship on Kenya's highest mountain. Among them is the only female contestant, |
Is the new party another Trojan horse or a bark looking for its dog?
There has always been a soap opera quality to the political goings-on in Tanzania, complete with bleeding heart defenders of this or that line of thought or action, and flip-flops fit to make you doub |
FEBRUARY 8-14, 2010 - Pan Africanism: From Kwame
African Union summits rarely escape a Muammar Gaddafi lecture on his pet project: the United States of Africa. The Libyan leader's harping on the need for common government is derided by some as a plo |
$1.7b dam may sink the hopes of 20,000
Lake Turkana could be the scene of a major conflict in the near future, environmentalists are warning. Ten years ago, then Egyptian foreign minister Boutros Boutros-Ghali said the next major wars |
Nkrumah to Libya's Gaddafi
Libya) advocating a common government with an AU army; and others (especially the Southern African states) preferring to strengthen AU bodies and make them truly effective. Following heated debate |
A deam oadmap fo ensuing the setting up of an Afican state
Adopted by the AU in 2006, the Roadmap is divided into three phases to commence "immediately after the decision of the Assembly at the next session of the African Union summit."INITIAL PHASE: ESTAB |
Philip Ochieng - Gaddafi's United States of Afica: Would you buy a used camel fom this son of the de
Iadmire Muammar Gaddafi more than I admire any other serving African leader. Among the lofty ideals I share with him is the United States of Africa. Only as a single state, I believe, will Africa achi |
BAKERY OF STRUGGLE
is won by people's power |
NEW POVERTY PLAN
How G8 can help Africa achieve people-centred growth |
From goat herder to governor of central bank
Edwin Mtei, 77, finally tells his side of the story of his falling out with Julius Nyerere in an autobiography From Goatherd to Governor, published by Mkuki Na Nyota Publishers. Mtei was Tanzania's In |
Baobab Prize calls for 2010 submissions
The Baobab Prize annually invites entries of unpublished African short stories written for audiences either 8-11 years or 12-15 years.
This year, the prize will award $1,000 to the best story in ea |
Panel of 3 to award The Lost Man Booker Prize
In 1971, just two years after it began, the Booker Prize ceased to be awarded retrospectively and became a prize for the best novel in the year of publication. At the same time, the award moved from A |
In short - DVD REVIEW - As boing as the goat in its title
There is nothing wrong in watching a movie because a particular actor you like is in it. I like George Clooney, not because he is ageing as a man should, but because he is a brilliant actor. So I was |
Osca ace: Moe films, few supises on nominations day
Avatar and The Hurt Locker took narrow leads in the Oscar race as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences scattered its honours among an unusually wide field of contenders 0n February 2. Each |
The study as you pesonal cave
Does your home study match your standards or are you at home with the narrow yellow desk at the corner of your bedroom? Attention to detail and nothing less will hide the ballpoint pens in the pen hol |
Joachim Buwembo - Whee thee's oil, thee must be powe-shaing � tue o false?
There is a new model of government sweeping Africa and Uganda had better brace for it next year. It is called powersharing, and becomes inevitable when an apparently popular candidate is declared runn |
Zuma, the wold's most consenting adult...
You've got to hand it to South African President Jacob Zuma. Last week it emerged that Mr Zuma, who is married to three wives and is engaged to a fourth woman, had fathered a girl last year with Sonon |
No silver bullets for Kenya's bumbling police
Kenyan police last week unearthed over 31,000 bullets at the garage of a businessman, Munir Ishmael, who last December had been arrested for allegedly being in illegal possession of firearms, includin |
Don't kick the habit, blow it away!
Andi Susanto, a 31-year old Indonesian, just wanted to have a smoke. But when he lit his cigarette it exploded, knocking six teeth right out of his mouth and scaring the living daylights out of him. W |
Who wants yesterday's Blackberries?
Uganda's government last week gave a two-week ultimatum to all officials who had been given Blackberry mobile phones during preparations for the Commonwealth meeting two years ago to return them follo |
Ashes in the mouth for Kenya's Big Mac
The story of Kenyan midfielder McDonald Mariga's collapsed �7 million move to Manchester City reads like a comedy of errors, were it not for the fact that it involves a real young man with a huge tale |
Howad Zinn, a radical who sought to change US history
Howard Zinn, the left-wing US historian who died last week at age 87, was not content with having written a top-selling analysis of the roles ordinary Americans played in abolishing slavery, winning w |
Uganda's civil society loses out on Global Funds millions
A JOINT REPORT Uganda's Finance Ministry will continue being the country's sole "principal recipient" of Global Fund money. This is despite a campaign by a civil society coalition for multiple rec |
With one ecipient, money emains idle
When the Global Fund was reviewing Uganda's case last year -- civil society proposed the introduction of multiple principal recipients, as in the case of Rwanda, Zambia and Tanzania. They said th |
NOT ENOUGH: - Neighbours' polls raise fears of influx of refugees into Kenya
Kenya may witness an influx of refugees from Uganda, Southern Sudan and Somalia if experts' projections of increased political tensions in these countries come true. This could mean a strain on li |
New posts, merged units in RDB's restructured look
In a restructuring exercise meant to boost efficiency, Rwanda Development Board has created new top positions and scrapped others while merging a number of departments. The deputy chief executive |
Ecobank to handle Bank of China accounts in Africa
Ecobank Rwanda is set to benefit from a co-operation agreement between Ecobank Group and the Bank of China. The agreement allows Ecobank to cater for the African interests of Bank of China clients. Ac |
Private sector pushes for records management
The private sector is conducting training on record management to help financial institutions mitigate the risks associated with their trade. Recently, 16 financial institutions underwent such trainin |
Business community to get fast services from tax body
Rwanda Revenue Authority is seeking to improve service delivery by offering quick services. This, according to Deputy CommissionerGeneral, Eugene Torero, will benefit most the business community.
" |
INVESTMENT - Local partners win big in forced listing of telcos
AMirambo new by Tanzania's G. Ltd 35% law passed parliament last week that will Likely scenario Likel force local telecoms firms to list on Dar eswhich the |
Prof Msolla: Profile of an academic as a politician
A firms last week that will force loc Peter list on the toMahamudu Dar is Msolla es Salaa couldof a professor |
Markets - Strategic investors likely to retain shareholding despite rules
The Electronic and Postal Communications Bill of 2009 will in three years create a vibrant open market for these shares and deepen the Tanzanian capital market significantly. The new law has in re |
Diabante bags a Grammy in World music category
African musical heavyweight Mamadou Diabate did the continent proud last week at the Grammys when he won the Grammy for Traditional World Music Album for the recording Douga Mansa. "I was surprised," |
Fugees could reunite for Haiti charity say Pras
If Wyclef Jean had his way, the Fugees would reunite to aid the victims of the Haitian earthquake.
Jean's dream might soon become a reality. His former band mate, Prakazrel "Pras" Michel says he's |
Johhny Depp to shoot docu on Rolling Stones
Hollywood actor Johhny Depp, by his own admission, is preparing to direct again. He's abandoning fiction in favour of fact, with plans for a documentary focused on Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richa |
Baby Obama heralds rhino revival in Uganda
In June 2009, Uganda conservationists had reason to smile: They witnessed the birth of the first ever baby rhino in Uganda, 27 years after the last rhino was seen. The rhino was named Obama, a trib |
CLIMATE CONCERN
Ethiopia's plan to power East Africa is plagued with criticism because of the environmental costs.
The project is expected to impact heavily on marginalised communities downstream, who will not ben |
Who gets what in `two-phase' Omo Rive hydo poject
Maintaining growth in the region will require access to cheaper and more consistent supplies of energy. Hence the massive $1.7 billion hydro-power plant that Ethiopia is putting up. It hopes to s |
... But some tem it a good idea whose time has not yet come
If the current proposal for an East African Community Electoral body passes as it is, it will consist of officials drawn from national electoral commissions, a factor that is turning out to be controv |
New bio lab to link up African scientists with the world
Amulti-million dollar laboratory expected to boost research and put Africa at par with the world's most advanced research institutions has opened its doors to African researchers. The laboratory - |
Infomal secto dives Uganda expots to Sudan
Uganda's informal exports to neighbouring countries grew by 18 per cent in the first 10 months of 2009, surpassing the $1.3 billion revenue registered in 2008. According to figures from the Uganda |
Flower vendors to get professional training
Flower vendors will undergo professional training on flower arrangement and handling ahead of this year's Valentines Day. The Kenya Flower Council chief executive officer Jane Ngige said the training |
Mumias Sugar in 561pc growth in pretax profit
Mumias Sugar has posted a 561 per cent pretax profit in the first six months to December 31, 2009, amid reports of a depressed sugar industry globally. The listed miller's pretax profit increased |
Equity bank installs new security device in its ATMs
Equity Bank has installed Europay Mastercard Visa technology in its automated teller machines. The card contains a small computer chip, which not only gives enhanced memory capacity, but also improves |
Sour tale for dairy farmers as processor cuts prices
Dairy farmers will continue incurring losses following a decision by a leading milk processor to reduce producer prices. The New Kenya Co-operative Creameries board of directors announced that it had |
AENEAS CHUMA:
The forthcoming referendum in Southern Sudan is heightening tensions in eastern Africa, as is Uganda's impending General Election. |
AMASON KINGI
: Kenya will soon review various laws to make them conform with the provisions of the East African Community Common Market protocol. |
ANNA TIBAIJUKA:
Zanzibar will benefit from two initiatives by UN-Habitat: a five-year business plan for the Water Authority and an Internet deal. |
JOSEPH KONY:
Families in eastern Congo that fled attacks by Joseph Kony's Lord's Resistance Army are planning to return home, following relative calm. |
JONATHAN CIANO:
Uchumi's growth plans were not affected by the receivership. We will exploit the massive opportunities that exist in East Africa. |
ECONOMIC OUTLOOK
CfC Stanbic Bank has announced a differentiated Home Loan Facility.
In it, the bank has incorporated vacant land financing, besides building loans, equity release and access bond.
The joint Keny |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Positive developments Negative developments Neutral Leaders working on regional social security scheme The East African Community is working on a joint social security scheme. With free movement of wo |
CEO term limits will favour creativity over status quo
What are your thoughts on the new policy that requires bank CEOs to serve 10-year tenures ?
This is not a new concept in the banking industry. In developed countries, it is left to shareholders |
Kenya, Uganda to host TB clinical tials
Kenya and Uganda will host a series of clinical trials geared toward the search for a new vaccine against Tuberculosis. The trials will be conducted by Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation and the So |
Authentic communal eating at its best in 'Addis in Da'
LET'S START WITH this: I like food. I've been all over the world for food. I've eaten sticky rice and ripe mango in Bangkok, fufu in a Burkinabe family home, thali on the streets of India. I love exot |
The changing fortunes of God's mountain
entigrade.
on of four ittle or no ia. on the Kenya and of huge also vital the semi addle. As around the world rise from the effects of climate change, mostly blamed on the increase in car |
Kalundi Serumaga - Oil becomes lightning od for Uganda's historical tensions
Afriend is trying to convince me that the Luo name Akena, drawn from the chiefly name Akenatuon and which apparently translates loosely as: "I am the only bull in this kraal," is itself descended from |
Students can now tansfe between EA univesities
University students from the East African Community can now transfer their credits to another institution in the region. The university regulatory bodies under the Inter-University Council of East |
Kimberly Process lets Zimbabwe off the hook
he Kimberly Process, the fi Tscheme of certificates of origin for diamonds t launched in 2001 with the o backing of UN Security Council resolutions, was launched under the narrow definiti |
DIRTY CASH - EA's unholy nexus: Diamonds, guns and money-laundering
I n line with a number of ast African countries, Uganda's parliament has started formulating a law against money laundering.
The intention is to bring all the money laundering laws in the EAC and S |
travel - Dying Lake Nakuru still takes your breath away
L a g a ake Nakuru, in all its grandeu and beauty, will take your breath away. When you drive into Lake Nakuru National Park, there is a never ending canopy of yellow barked acacia, with buffalo he |
JOURNAL - Some places werer meant for just idling about
IT WAS ONE of those Fridays when you have nowhere to go and nothing to do. It is strange, isn't it, how we call friends wanting to find out where they are, but in reality, we want them to ask us over? |
Scibes pick their choice for top wold awards
The question in the world of sports right now is: Can anyone stop Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt from winning a second consecutive Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award?
The Laureus World Spor |
Birth month may influence sports success
Could you be the next David Beckham or Michael Jordan? An Australian researcher has found your chances of becoming a professional sportsperson could depend on your birthday. Senior research fellow Adr |
Barbie unveils new Kim Clijsters' lookalike doll
Kim Clijsters' lookalike sports the same tennis kit, golden hair and blue racquet as the US Open champion but her backhand is somewhat stiffer. That's because she is a doll -- the first Barbie to comm |
Athletes with suspect blood values face ban
Athletes who do not test positive for drugs but post abnormal blood values could be thrown out of next month's Vancouver Winter Olympics, the International Olympic Committee said. German speedskater C |
AU's peer review lets Uganda off scot-free
T would r he coverage of the recent African Union Summit focused, unsurprisingly, on whether Libya's President Gaddafi etain the Chair. He didn't and it passed, as expected, to Malawi's President Bing |
Uganda's secrecy invites the oil curse
THE GOVERNMENT OF UGANDA HAS FINALLY approved Tullow Oil's bid to buy out partner Heritage Oil from two blocks of oilfields in the west of the country that the two firms own equally. This puts an |
EXHIBITION - Ugandan inspired by Mombasa
"Football, a game with a fanatic following, presents a whole world of opportunity for artists to exploit," says Ugandan contemporary artist Mark Byamugisha Kassi. Kassi, who is currently showing |
The `magic bullet' teatment
You have cancer," your doctor politely tells you. Your heart skips a beat, you gasp for air and your ears start ringing, eyes become still and wet. Your mind and emotions wrestle for control.
Your |
Barca glory prompts `Iniesta' baby boom
The week when Barcelona thrashed Real Madrid and sealed their place in the Champions League final last season has prompted a surge in births in the Catalan capital of almost 50 per cent, according to |
Court invader at Aussie Open faces charges
A man who invaded the Rod Laver Arena court at the end of the Australian Open semi-final between Briton Andy Murray and Croatian Marin Cilic will face police charges. A man wearing a shirt emblazoned |
Nine Nepalese athletes hurt in lift plunge
Nine Nepalese athletes were injured when an over crowded hotel lift plunged in the Bangladesh capital on the eve of the South Asian Games organisers said. Three, including two female judo-fighters, we |
It's not hot air, the wold looks good fom the top
It is still dark and cold when we meet at an open field next to the Amboseli National Park. The time is 5.30am, an ungodly time to be walking about in the wild. Real wild. We are eight of us; four ash |
Life is not always a beach, seek out the lush landscape at Kenya's Coast
c leaves It was rather odd -- an old man fervently singing a popular nursery rhyme, and suddenly he belts out a corrupted version that leaves everyone in stitches. "Glad to have your attention and wel |
JOURNAL - Ways to beat those luggage fees
ON A RECENT Delta flight from Westchester County, in New York, to Columbus, Ohio, Gregg Hamilton, a retired real estate agent, was determined not to pay to check his bag. But he didn't want to deal wi |
Risks of `skin deep' beauty
For years, Allison Ross rubbed in skin-lightenng creams with names like Hyprogel and Fair & White. She said she wanted to even out and brighten the tone of her face, neck and hands. Ross, 45, who |
Exim bank extends $60m loan to hydropower project
Rwanda's Nyabarongo Hydro Power construction project has received a boost after a $60 million loan agreement signed between the government and Exim Bank of India.
The new loan agreement follows hot |
120 large taxpayers yet to declare 2008 income taxes
Some 120 large taxpayers in Rwanda, who submit at least $350,000 annually in taxes, have not declared their income taxes for 2008. The tax returns were supposed to be declared to the Rwanda Revenue Au |
National Bank issues a $4.4m two-year Treasury bond
The National Bank of Rwanda has issued a Rwf2.5 billion ($4.4 million) two-year Treasury bond. With a coupon interest rate fixed at 9.5 per cent, the bond is expected to spur growth in Rwanda's capita |
WORRYING CHANGE: - Scientists work on new, more nutritious sorghum
Kenyan scientists are making desperate attempts to enhance nutritional value in sorghum, a cereal that is likely to replace maize -- which continues to suffer effects of erratic climate -- as the coun |
France, Rwanda co-operate over genocide suspect
ARwandan doctor who is accused of genocide and war crimes is facing extradition from France to Kigali in another sign of improving ties between the two countries. Sosthene Munyemana, 45, who had b |
EAC agenda 2010: Food production tops the list
The East African Community has released its agenda for 2010 with agricultural development and food security topping the list covering the production and social sectors. EAC notes that this is aimed at |
Tea exports on upward trend, says KTB
Tea exports earned Kenya Ksh69 billion ($920 million) last year, up from Ksh62 billion ($826 million) in 2008, despite shrinking volumes.
The Tea Board of Kenya reports that the reduction in volume |
Telkom to send home 100 middle-level managers
Telkom Kenya plans to send home some 100 middle-level managers in the company's new round of restructuring. CEO Michael Ghossein said the decision follows a review of business last year that recommend |
Dairy farmers protest move to suspend milk deliveries
Dairy farmers have protested against a decision by Kenya Co-operative Creameries to suspend milk deliveries across the country. The decision has seen thousands of litres of milk go to waste. Kipkorir |
Kenyans named among top 50 business leaders
The Financial Times of London has named a leading Kenyan businessman Atul Shah as one of the top 50 emerging market business leaders.
Currently serving as the Nakumatt Holdings managing director, M |
SOCCER GALORE
Why did the entire East Africa miss out on the Angola bash? |
NEGATIVE ETHNICITY
Why loving each other is not the remedy |
Little time left to avert a terrible disaster as war clouds gather once again over Sudan
The world's attention was rightly seized by the terrible conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur in which hundreds of thousands of civilian lives were lost. It was too often forgotten, however, t |
Big Oil in full retreat from downstream African retail markets
There have been rumours of yet another international oil company withdrawing from African downstream business. Big Oil withdrawals from Africa have always been expected, the question was which big pla |
Ugandans for Sauti za Busara Festival
Pop princess Juliana Kanyomozi, kora-playing prodigy Joel Sebunjo and the Sosolya Dance Academy will fly the Ugandan flag at this year's Sauti za Busara Festival that takes place in Zanzibar from Febr |
Angelique Kidjo's new album out in March
Angelique Kidjo's new album Oyo, to be released late March, is a tribute to the music that influenced her when she was growing up and includes Kidjo's interpretations of African works as well as songs |
Fitting farewell to Teddy Pendergrass
Soul singer Teddy Pendergrass's funeral was held in a soaring ceremony that punctuated the end of a larger-than-large life.
A 200-member gospel choir jubilated with high-decibel exultation while a |
music - Sebunjo bings Buganda music to wold aena
Joel Sebunjo, one of Uganda's most recognised folk-cum-world music performers, lived up to his billing recently with a pulsating show at the Ndere Centre Auditorium in Kampala. Sebunjo backed by his c |
Fighting poverty during crisis: Africa's challenge
The current economic crisis could push 90 million people more into extreme poverty worldwide by the end of 2010.
Some two million children could die in the next five years if the crisis persists.
|
More tainted dairy products are found in Chinese stores
Health officials in southern China have swept frozen confections and other dairy products from stores after discovering they contained melamine, the industrial compound at the centre of a tainted-food |
Surge in ivory poaching fuelled by organised crime, says repot
The dramatic increase in ivory poaching across Africa is being fuelled by organised crime based in China and the Far East, according to a new report. This has resulted in a surge in ivory prices f |
US suspends $7m free primary education fund
The US has suspended $7 million of funding for the free primary education programme in Kenya until fraud allegations are investigated, the US ambassador in Nairobi Michael Ranneberger has said. He sai |
China to join Somalia anti-piracy operation
China has agreed to join an international naval operation to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia. China has been focusing on protecting its own shipping in the area, but it will now join the naval f |
Bashir's party roots for SPLM in April polls
. President Omar alBashir's party has said it will back the leader of its former civil-war enemies in the South's presidential election in April. The National Congress Party said it would not field a |
Nigeria Senate, Cabinet disagree over president
Nigeria's Senate and Cabinet are at loggerheads over President Umaru Yar'Adua, who has spent the past two months in hospital in Saudi Arabia. The Cabinet has declared that he is still capable of gover |
IMAGE OF THE WEEK
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The New Times, Rwanda
Looking at Rwanda today, there is evidence, from all corners of the country, that the recovery since the 1994 genocide, could easily be qualified as miraculous. And, what is more inspiring, is the bri |
The Monitor, Uganda
The move by the Ugandan government to offer $100,000 in support of the victims of the earthquake-hit island of Haiti, is a positive gesture. The January 12 quake, which killed up to 200,000 and left a |
STEVE JOBS
Acknowledged that the recently launched $499 iPad by Apple would be bought only if it provided a better way of getting at the Internet. |
HOW THE TWO SIDES GET WEAPONS
Iran and China are the main suppliers to Khartoum, the Small Arms Survey report says, together accounting for more than 90 per cent of the small arms and ammunition imports reported by the Sudan gover |
JONATHAN NJAU
: Is handing over the leadership of the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange to Gabriel Kitua at the expiry of his two-term tenure. |
arms race begins in Sudan
rangement does not contravene the peace treaty, which forbids arms shipments to the South without the joint approval of its government and the Khartoum government.
Courtesy call The Small Arms Su |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Monitoring the progress of the East African Community Positive developments Negative developments Neutral Discard `colonialist' boundaries for region's good Kenya's former president Daniel arap Moi ha |
School enrolment `too low' in Kenya's pastoral areas -- study
K pri enya is one of the world's countries "making strong progress in primary education " despite sharp disparities in school enrolment among pastoralists, ethnic Somalis and children with disabilitie |
EC donos to channel thei cash to devt aid
Humanitarian aid to Uganda is set to decrease as key donors scale up development assistance to northern Uganda, top officials of the European Commission (EC) announced in Kampala recently. The EC |
To overcome disasters, the people must be involved
Recently, Elizabeth Sheehan, the founder of Containers to Clinics, a nonprofit organisation in Dover, Massachusetts, was preparing to deploy the group's first medical clinic overseas. Made from two sh |
EA must speed up reforms for investors - World Bank
The World Bank has urged East African governments to speed up the reform of their business environment, in order to improve their global competitiveness and attract investment. According to the Ba |
Dar aims at 120,000t of coee yearly by 2015
Tanzania wants to raise its coffee production from 50,000 tonnes to 120,000 tonnes annually in the next five years thereby boost the quality and price of its beans. According to Tanzania Coffee Bo |
Zanzibar oil importers must hold 40pc reserves
In a bid to minimise frequent shortages of fuel on the Isles, oil importers will now be required to have a reserve supply of at least 40 per cent all the time. Zanzibar State Minister of Finance a |
5m hectares to be put under irrigation by 2014
The government will add five million hectares of land to irrigation schemes across the country by 2014. According to Minister for Water and Irrigation Prof Mark Mwandosya, Tanzania has over 30 mill |
Zain customers to buy fuel with their mobile phones
Zain customers in Tanzania can now pay for fuel with their mobile phones at Oilcom petrol stations via Zap, thanks to a partnership between Zain and Oilcom. Zain Tanzania chief commercial officer |
Museveni, Moi make curious bedfellows
PRESIDENT YOWERI MUSEVENI'S ASPIRAtions to stay on as Uganda's head of state and spur the East African Community to federate in the shortest time possible were evident as the National Resistance Movem |
It's snakes and laddes for US, China in Africa
Fifty years ago, in 1960, things were bubbling in Africa: A record 17 African countries became independent from colonial rule. The Golden Jubilee of this group of 17 -- Cameroon (January); Togo (A |
Kenyan skie takes the final run at the Vancouver Games
Coming from a country on the Equator that suffers from perennial drought, with the only snow found on the almost bare once snowy cap of Mount Kenya, Philip Boit, 38, is determined to make a mark in th |
FIROZ RASUL:
Argues that there is tremendous promise in the East African region, stimulated by the creative, committed people who live here. |
SIR DAVID STEEL:
In a question, wanted to know what action the British government was prepared to take over the Mau Mau issue. |
BEATRICE KIRASO
Warned that conflicts resulting from flawed elections in any EAC country will impact negatively on the integration process. |
YASIR ARMAN
SPLM hopes he will attract protest votes in the four regions of Darfur that are dissatisfied with the NCP leadership. |
Was at home, touble aboad have maked Islamists' ule
Sudan, the largest country in Africa in area, is strategically located on the Red Sea, immediately south of Egypt and borders seven other African countries. Relations with its neighbours are character |
CBK moves to spur economic growth
Amove by Central Bank of Kenya to enhance its effectiveness in the market could see the private sector access more credit, spurring the country's economic growth. This, the Bank says, is being don |
TOKEN OF APPRECIATION
|
Japan Coach Kirwan turns to `Jedi' methods
Japan's rugby coach John Kirwan will try almost anything to toughen up his players -- from sumo and crash-test dummies to ancient "Jedi magic." The New Zealander's latest brainwave is to tap into the |
Tiger's return needed by the sport says Mickelson
The absence of Tiger Woods from the PGA Tour has dealt professional golf a major blow and the game needs the world number one back in action, secondranked Phil Mickelson said last Wednesday. Woods, th |
Expulsion of Asians 'emanated' fom Obote's bluepint
hat though the pressive to the e people could dering, not so on earth they o do with the tal dish in their are said to have e one suggest aps the giant a secret weapon the Europeans ndans, pa |
Politicians have been at pains to brand him a foreigner
IN AN APPARENT but futile bid to cleanse the country of a perceived evil, some Ugandan politicians have continued to look for evidence showing that Idi Amin was not a fellow countryman. Attempts h |
THREE PRONGED: - Marine parks to be set up around L Victoria
Plans are underway to create marine parks in the Lake Victoria basin, which will in turn help to boost tourism. The parks that are primarily meant to conserve the threatened areas around the lake |
Uganda govt is living in the hyena's mouth
Western Ugandans have about the cost of unbridled greed: With his usual opportunism, Mr Hyena raided somebody's fireplace and made off with a piece of roasting meat. Unfortunately, in his haste, he al |
AU Summit: A critical moment to support Sudan
For years, we have been hearing African leaders calling for African solutions to African problems. And for many more years, we have been waiting to see our leaders rise to the occasion and demonstrate |
I came, I saw, I was conqueed by Kampala: EA's own diaspoa Joachim Buwembo
Tanzania is moving to enact laws that will enable its people abroad to hold dual nationality in order to benefit from both worlds -- their motherland and their host countries. The laws are to become o |
LAST WORD - Miniskirts or buibuis,bans are simply barbaric
Half a century ago, Zairean dictator Mobutu Sese Seko banned miniskirts. In 2008, a Bill in the Nigerian Senate demanded that female necklines be two inches or less from the shoulders, police in Sudan |
Does your intelligent wife ike cocaine?
The wife of South Africa's Intelligence Minister may have too much of the white stuff and not enough of the grey matter. Sheryl Cwele, the 50-yearold spouse of Siyabonga Cwele, was arrested on dru |
... But Uganda roots fo American presence
The Ugandan government said that the OIC demands were unrealistic, and that it would not support any move to get the United States out of Somalia. "The problem has become too big for us to handle. |
Big Oil in fukk retreat from downstream African retail markets
ces for at will ctor in g Oil's It all ctively ulatory n man RC in nzania, Sup ganda effecensure roleum standards and practices are in place and enforced, and that fair competition is protecte |
Campaign group says both Uganda and UK complicit in dodgy oil deals
Aleading UK environmental campaign group says that both the British and Ugandan governments are complicit in allowing oil exploration deals in Uganda which are likely to lead to excessive profits for |
Your bathroom becomes you
Tested, tried and true, toilets and bathrooms are the only way to tell the character of a house owner. Be it a spa, an up-market motel or even an exotic resort in the middle of the jungle, the image r |
AUCTION - Christie's sales fo 2009 drop
Christie's International, the world's leading art business, recently announced that 2009 sales totalled $3.3 billion, a 35 per cent decrease over 2008 sales.
Sales totals include private sales of $ |
Art that sets the spirit free (if not the body...)
Ateaser: Apart from being great painters, what did Leonardo da Vinci, Caravaggio Michelangelo and JacquesLouis David have in common?
Answer: They all spent time in jail. So, artistic genius |
Joachim Buwembo - Hell hath no fury like the `femmes terribles' of Kampala...
Because of a less demanding schedule over the past one year since I stopped being a newspaper editor, I have managed to attend several social functions including pre-wedding introduction parties. I ha |
When God steadies your aim
According to Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, Christians are supposed to "walk by faith, not by sight." While it might seem obvious to most that gun sights are covered by that statement |
LAST WORD - Jail for bribing offcials? That's so unAfrican
What is the world coming to? Apparently, one could actually face some serious jail term for trying to bribe African officials. This is the fate that awaits 22 top-level arms industry executives who we |
EAC Teaty to be taught as a subject in the egion
Students taking East African states' educational curricula will soon sit for a compulsory "East African Community Treaty" examination to gauge their grasp of the region's integration. Although it |
Bitain to give 0.7 of GDP as aid by 2013
Britain could become the first western nation to commit future governments to spending 0.7 per cent of national income on aid � a target agreed upon by the United Nations. UK's Labour government is |
Bongo artistes in concert for Kiswahili
The University of Dar es Salaam's Kiswahili Institute recently organised a Bongo flava concert dubbed Elimika na Bongo flava.
The aim of the two day-concert was to recognise and promote the academi |
Dolly Parton says no more plastic surgery
Dolly Parton has promised herself never to go under the knife again because she's too scared to go too far with plastic surgery.
The country queen has had a number of nips and tucks to keep her loo |
Michael Jackson tribute in 3D at the Grammys
As part of a salute to the late Michael Jackson at the 52nd annual Grammy Awards to be held on January 31, an all-star lineup will perform along with the star's voice on Earth Song, a special 3D mini- |
music - Swaying to a dieent beat at Naiobi's classical evenings club
The crowd is paying special attention as a buzz of expectancy spreads through the auditorium. It is 8pm on a Thursday night at the Nairobi National Museum's Louis Leakey Auditorium. The turnout is big |
THE INTEGRATION TRACKER
Positive developments Negative developments Neutral Scholars criticise move to make Swahili elective Kenyan scholars have protested against the decision to make Kiswahili an optional subject in the Ke |
East Africa losing millions on exports of unprocessed leather
Livestock experts want East African countries to invest more in the processing of hides and skins in order to increase revenue. Largely neglected as a villagebased enterprise for arid and semiarid |
Traders protest relocation plan to new market
Traders at Rwanda's Ntenyo Business Centre in Ruhango District are up in arms over plans to relocate them to the neighbouring Kirengeri modern market. The traders say the distance to the new market wi |
MTN unveils new service for Blackberry customers
MTN Rwanda has introduced Blackberry data services that will accord prepaid subscribers unlimited Internet use and direct access to email accounts. According to Yvonne Manzi Makolo, MTN's senior marke |
Revenue body to impose a $880 fine on tax defaulters
The Rwanda Revenue Authority has put on notice firms that have neither submitted their certified financial statement nor given reasons for the delay. Such firms, the taxman says, could be charged a $8 |
Mineral deposits discovered in 21 areas across the country
Prospects of mineral wealth look bright in Rwanda after a new survey revealed that mineral deposits had been identified in 21 new areas in the country.
The survey, conducted by New Resolution Geoph |
Superstitious Schumacher swaps to odd number
Formula One comeback king Michael Schumacher has swapped racing numbers with Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg for superstitious reasons. "Michael has a preference for odd numbers," a team spokeswoman s |
Islamic games shelved over waterway name
A Saudi-based body organising the world's second Islamic Solidarity Games has cancelled the sports event planned for Iran amid a dispute over whether the Gulf waterway is "Arab" or "Persian."The Is |
Part II of the book titled My Freedom is the infidel section
omising the honour of un slim girls.or offers vignettes about of the elites, the self-rein polarities, shifting modes inert donor presence, and ng influence of the previed Islamists. The city |
A prophet honoured in his own land
A Proof ca t last! The visual arts are a valued contribution to Kenyan society -and that's official. Proof came this month with the welcome award of a Head of State Commendation for the Arts to Wanyu |
Haiti quake: Lessons for EA and why it calls for regional vigilance
The 7.0 magnitude quake that has flattened the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, should give East Africans pause for thought. How prepared are we if a similar quake hit here?
As it turns out, not |
You will now pay less for original antibiotics
Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline has announced a price reduction on two of its key antibiotics, across East Africa . Augmentin and Zinnat will get a price slash of 40 per cent and 30 per cent r |
Italian firm wins bid to buy Heritage Oil's assets
Eni International BV, an Italian oil firm, has won the bid to buy Heritage Oil's assets in Uganda.
This follows the Ugandan government's decision to prevent Tullow Oil, which is already operating i |
Demand for organic produce shoots up
The demand for Uganda's organic produce has increased in the international market, to the extent that the country is experiencing a shortfall in supplies. "There is a growing consumer awareness," said |
Uganda tops EAC states in revenue collection
Uganda is collecting more revenue than other countries in the East African region in the first half of the financial year, according to information released by the Uganda Revenue Authority. Regional r |
Uganda-Southern Sudan to hold joint trade expo
The government of Uganda through its export promotions agency and the Southern Sudan government will hold a trade show aimed at eliminating trade barriers between the two countries. The expo, to take |
Hatiti quake: Lessons for EA and why it calls for regional vigilance
ter-preparedness need not cost the earth. One important prerequisite is to tap into and expand the local knowledge base. According to the report from the 2004 meeting in Nairobi, while particular seis |
Nyerere's legacy: Will Kikwete be its underwiter or undertaker?
Alittle melodrama to spice up the dull round of daily life can't do much harm, and it goes like this: State House puts on one of those smart little dos to showcase government largesse by distributing |
AFTERMATH OF RIOTS
Muslim preacher al Faisal is gone, but questions linger. |
BIG BAD ECONOMY?
No one in East Africa should be afraid of Kenya anymore |
Enst Jan Hogendoon - Kenya needs bette management of Muslim ange, not aests and xenophobic hetoic
Last week's clashes between Muslim demonstrators, the public and security forces were a distors, the public and security forces were a disturbing and vivid reminder that inter-communal antagonism cont |
TEN MOST READ ON THE WEB
1Rwanda, DRC to spare Nkunda from hangman By Charles Kazooba Issue: January 18-24 2Anxiety over trade talks with EU as Kenya falters By Catherine Riungu Issue: January 18-24 3Habyarimana killed by his |
Pinda must act on crooked officers
LAST WEEK'S MOVE BY PRIME MINISTER Mizengo Pinda to remove from office the executive director of Bagamoyo District Council, Rhoda Msemwa, and the council's entire top brass over financial irregulariti |
Tem limits: A ights issue?
DEBATE OVER THE DRAFT RIGHTS BILL TO be tabled in the East African Legislative Assembly has taken an early focus on whether a clause requiring heads of partner states to serve for two terms of five ye |
EA set to benefit from Europe's experience
While the European Union's journey to a monetary union was long and rough, economists say the East African region stands to learn from the EU experience. "We are learning from experience. We have |
Single currency will attact investors
East Africa is expected to become more attractive to investors appetite for imminent opportunities in the East African Community with the establishment of an East African Monetary Union. A team of |
Kenya, Uganda now want Monetary Union delayed
Initial efforts by the East African Community to reach a common position on rolling out a single currency for the region have run into hurdles as Kenya and Uganda argue that the legal requirements of |
Museveni's fourth term beckons
Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni marks 24 years in power on January 26 with his eyes set on elections next year, that could give him the chance to become one of Africa's longest-serving leaders. |
Graft trap: Govt suspends tractor tendering process
The government has suspended the tendering process for procuring tractors worth Tsh50 billion ($38 million) from India. Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda said last week, the government's move was in line w |
Parastatal projects stall due to dubious loan repayment
Several projects of the National Development Corporation have stalled because the parastatal is paying back a loan it never received. The parastatal borrowed $1.5 million from Barclays Bank to conduct |
Tanzania to spend $70.4m on building Zanzibar airport
Tanzania government will spend $70.4 million for the construction of Zanzibar international airport. The airport is expected to accommodate the growing number of tourists visiting the East African arc |
Drought to affect sugar production in Tanzania
Sugar production at the Tanganyika Plantation Company in Moshi will drop to 67,000 tonnes this season (2010/2011) down from a projected 75,000 tonnes, due to prolonged drought. A study esearch conduct |
It's OK if the South secedes -- Bashir
. Sudan will accept the South's secession if Southerners were to vote for independence in a referendum next year, President Omar al-Bashir has said. Speaking at a ceremony marking five years since the |
Chinese marathon cheats hire impostors for race
More than 30 competitors at the Xiamen International marathon earlier this month have had their results cancelled because of cheating, some having hired impostors to run for them. All the runners were |
EXHIBITION - Italian flavour in Malindi
Malindi is awash with art at the moment, some of it tucked away in the most unlikely corners.
Never mind. It's here and that's a start. But there is hope for the future in a brand new building |
JOURNAL- Not easy walking in the footsteps of a stranger
Lloyd Igane |
Going green at Gibb's Farm
An 80-year old working farm that also operates as a rustic luxury travel destination and spa, Gibb's Farm -- surrounded by coffee farms, on the slopes of the Ngorongoro Crater -- stands apart from cou |
Aussie Open promises great comebacks
Like politics, all sports are local, and the passions of Australians have been on full display the past one week. Virtually every television and car radio has been tuned to the cricket test between Au |
Donos pledge $204m to suppot Amisom opeations
Donors have pledged $204 million to support the African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia, Amisom, and promised to reimburse countries that have contributed troops and used their own equipment in |
Now AU to offer new Madagascar power-plan
. African Union Comng will present Madamission chairman Jean Ping will present Madagascar's powerbrokers with a fresh political compromise aimed at ending a year long crisis.
Mr Ping currentlyis ex |
Nigerian army says Jos city is now under control
.The Nigerian army said it regained control of the city of Jos, where fighting between Muslims and Christians in recent days has left scores dead. Lt Col Shekari Galadima said the city was "very calm" |
Opposition leader chosen by military as premier
INTERNATIONAL. Guinea's military rulers have chosen opposition leader Jean-Marie Dore to be prime minister, overseeing a return to civilian rule. Junta spokesman Idrissa Cherif said 70-year-old Mr Dor |
IMAGE OF THE WEEK
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The Guardian, Tanzania
Any central bank is the nerve centre of the national economy. In any country, it is managed by the best trained people who are also individuals of the highest integrity in society. It is for this reas |
Business Daily, Kenya
News that the government has sought the assistance of the World Bank in the management and sustenance of the Kenya Youth Empowerment Programme is laudable, but proper auditing of the initial Ksh6.6 bi |
