Kenya launched the second phase of its national deworming programme at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2012, aiming to treat 5 million children annually for the next five years. - The programme is supported by Deworm the World, a cost-effective initiative treating school children for parasitic worms, which stunt development and impair education. The programme was developed by the World Economic Forum’s community of Young Global Leaders and has treated 37 million children worldwide to date. Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga of Kenya increased his commitment to the scheme during the Annual Meeting, outlining the importance of grappling with the issue. “Many people in …

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia, Ambassador Augustine P. Mahiga has moved the office of the SRSG back to Mogadishu after an absence of 17 years. Ambassador Mahiga, who was welcomed at the airport by Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali, Somali Officials and foreign diplomats, said he was delighted that the UN Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) would now be working from the capital. - “I sincerely hope that the arrival of the UN Political Office will mark the start of renewed hope for the future of Somalia,” said Ambassador Mahiga. “Being in Mogadishu will allow us to work far more closely with the Transitional Federal Institutions, th…

Kenyans must jealously guard the various gains the country has achieved since the promulgation of a new constitution a year ago. Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan told an international conference in Nairobi that the government must encourage conditions for sustained progress and prosperity. - The meeting also called Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation is organised by Kofi Annan Foundation and Pan African Panel of Eminent Personalities to help more enduring legal, administrative and electoral institutions. Annan lauded President Kibaki and Premier Raila Odinga for steering the reform process, and urged the two Principals to ensure Kenya is ready for credible electio…

Several Human Rights Groups want Libya's National Transitional Council (NTC) to ensure Saif al-Islam Gaddafi's humane treatment and to promptly surrender him to International Criminal Court (ICC) in line with their obligations under UN Security Council resolution 1970. - Led by Human Rights Watch, the organizations urge Libyan authorities to uphold its international legal obligations and promptly surrender the son of former president Muammar Gaddafi to ICC. Saif al-Islam Gaddafi, who was reportedly apprehended on Saturday in southern Libya, is subject to an ICC arrest warrant for crimes against humanity in an investigation authorized by United Nations Security Council Resolution 19…

While campaigning for presidency in 2002, Mwai Kibaki singled out employment creation as the major plank of his manifesto. He said youths constitute two thirds of the economically active population. Without training rather than the formal education, this significant segment of the society lacked not only jobs, but skills for the market. - True to his promise, the President Kibaki launched Youth Enterprises Development Fund on February 1, 2006 to offer employment to the youths, who were suffering from unemployment or under employment. Officially gazetted in December 8, 2006, the Fund is proving to be a bold and ambitious investment. Youth Affairs and Sport Minister Paul Otuoma today relea…

Eritrean has denied claims that his country was arming Somalia militia al-Shabab, after Kenya claimed that planes were secretly flying weapons to Somalia with Eritrean involvement. Instead, Asmara accuses her neighbour Ethiopia of waging disinformation campaign to undermine Eritrea and frustrate its constructive regional and international engagement. - Furthermore, Ethiopia is accused of the main cause of destabilization in Horn of Africa. Earlier, Eritrean envoy Beyene Russom met Kenyan Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula, Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi and Diplomatic and Political Affairs Secretary Patrick Wamoto in Nairobi. At the meeting, the Kenyan government expressed …

As information technology experts meet at AfricaCom from November 9-10, 2011 in Cape Town, South Africa, the latest technology solutions redefining Africa economic growth and wealth potential will dominate the event. - Terms like Broadband, Cloud Computing, Rural Connectivity, and Connected Device will dominate the meeting coming at a time when the people in sub-Saharan Africa today connect to Internet using a mobile device than those using a fixed connection. This implies that future access to broadband Internet in the region will be driven by wireless broadband services. Of all the IT buzzword, cloud computing is the in thing. The term means a multitude of things to telecom operators, …

Deep seated cultural beliefs and stereotypes are hindering Kenyan efforts to effectively enact the recently passed Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Bill. Kenya has moved ahead in fighting the nauseating cultural practice that has stunted girl growth, because with the new legislation, there will be established a body to advise the government on policy formulation, resource mobilization and coordinating. - The body will also take decisive steps to abolishing the practice only continues to exacerbate the suffering of women and children. The Female Genital Mutilation Bill 2010, submitted by Mount Elgon legislator Fred Kapondi provides for punitive penalties including seven year jail …

As Liberians go to the polls to elect a new President, the African Election Project (AEP) is providing leadership in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) for media coverage of the elections. The election, which has been scheduled for Tuesday would also elect Members of Senate and House of Representatives. - According to African Elections Project Director, Mr Jerry Sam, the project has been designed to facilitate the work of journalists and citizen journalists by actively using ICT tools such as twitter, facebook and youtube in disseminating election information and knowledge. Dubbed “Incidence Monitoring Platform”, a modern fully equipped call centre has…

The East African Court of Justice has torpedoed Tanzanian Government plan to the suit seeking to stop construction of 800km road across Serengeti National Park. Justice John Mkwawa delivered the much awaited EAC Court judgment that dismissed Tanzanian's government objections to the application filed by Africa Network for Animal Welfare (Anaw). - Tanzanian Attorney General objected EAC Court jurisdiction and arguing the country has sovereign right to develop infrastructure within its boundaries. Dismissing the objection, the judge agreed with Anaw lawyer Saitabao ole Kanchory that whereas Tanzanian government has a right to develop infrastructure, the court has the power to determine …

United Nations Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict has expressed concern over continuing violations of children's rights in Central African Republic (CAR) and urged all armed groups in the country to immediately halt the practice. - Speaking after the Working Group’s 31st visit to the country, the chair of the United Nations body urged all the groups to develop time-bound action plans on the removal of children armed groups, in line with the Council’s previous resolutions. The Working Group specifically wants the group known as Armée Populaire pour la restauration de la République et de la Démocratie (APRD) to remove children from its ranks and …

Up to 100,000 internally displaced people have arrived in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, over the last two months in search of food, water, shelter and other vital humanitarian assistance after fleeing famine-hit areas, the United Nations refugee agency has announced. - “The number is growing by the day, with daily arrivals averaging 1,000 in July,” Vivian Tan, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said. Severe drought has plunged communities in the southern region of Somalia into famine and sent thousands fleeing both to Mogadishu and to neighbouring Ethiopia and Kenya. The UN and partner aid agencies are seeking approximately $1.6 billion in aid…

The Zambian parliament has been officially dissolved, paving way for the September 20, 2011 presidential and national assembly elections, which analysts says will be a close call. President Rupiah Banda dissolved the country's parliament Thursday and will be defending his seat on Movement for Multi Party Democracy ticket. The election comes at a time when alliance between two opposition forces had collapsed. - Opposition leader Michael Sata of Patriotic Front and Hakainde Hichilema of United Party for National Development parted ways, giving Banda essay opportunity to retain power in Africa’s biggest copper producing country. Efforts to create an opposition alliance to challeng…

A Kenyan national, Dr. Adnan Zahir Amin has been appointed the Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The elections were held during the 5th Preparatory Commission of IRENA on April 3, 2011 in Abu Dhabi. He was elected by more than 2/3 of the votes cast. - Amin obtained 76 votes against 36 votes by the other candidate, Pedro Marín (Spain), a former Spanish Secretary of State for Energy. Prior to his appointment, Amin was the interim Director General of the Organisation, a position he has held since November 2010. The appointment has been hailed as trailblazing and historic by Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. “We join the rest of the wo…

Burundi finally appended its signature to water usage from Nile River, providing the Nile Basin Countries with the sixth endorsement which was mandatory to exploit waters from the mystic river. The agreement signed in Kampala, Uganda effectively paves way for the ratification of the long standing Nile Accord, a move likely to strip Egypt of its veto power over rights to the flow from the world's longest river. - A 1929 treaty brokered by former colonial power, Britain, granted Egypt a veto over projects that may alter the flow of the Nile. Another 1959 accord between Egypt and Sudan claimed 90 percent of the Nile’s flow for the two countries. . After a decade of talks, five Nil…

A senior United Nations official has welcomed today's verdicts by a military court in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) which mark the first time that a high-ranking commander and several other army personnel were arrested, tried and sentenced for conflict-related sexual violence in the conflict-prone nation. - According to media reports, the military court in Baraka sentenced Lt. Col. Kibibi Mutware to 20 years in jail. He was found guilty of crimes against humanity for sending his troops to rape, beat and loot from the population of Fizi on New Year's Day. Judges also sentenced three officers serving under the commander to 20 years and five soldiers to between 10 and…

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has finally thrown in the towel, after weeks of violent protest against his leadership. World leaders including United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon had called for a transparent, orderly and peaceful transition in Egypt that includes free and fair elections, adding that it is for the people of that country to determine their future. - Mubarak had announced on Thursday that he will hand over some powers to Vice President Omar Suleiman but that he will not leave office, as demanded by thousands of protesters over the past several weeks. Egypt did its parliamentary elections in November 2010 and since then, the world has been focused on African count…

Newly elected chairman of African Union (AU) President Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea has this year's dairy almost full as he seeks to guide his fellow African leaders in resolving myriads conflicts ravaging the continent. Mr. Obiang, the President of Equatorial Guinea, assumed the AU chairmanship on January 30 at the organization's annual summit, which was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. - President Obiang was nominated by the Central African region and approved by the other AU members under a regional rotation system. He succeeds the Head of State of Malawi, Bingu Wa Mutharika. This is the first time that Equatorial Guinea, the only Spanish-speaking member in Africa, h…

The 41st World Economic Forum Annual Meeting closed today on a note of hope, progress and optimism. On the final day of the meeting, the Co-Chairs of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 expressed broad optimism that the global economy will grow, but not without some volatility. - Taking place at the same time with African Union the AU Summit, the two fora discussed some of the recent social, political and economic developments taking place in the African continent, especially the Arab peninsular. Egypt was discussed widely at the meeting. The main point of the discussion was whether Egypt would follow Tunisia or take a different path. Discussions focused on the broader implicati…

- The 2nd annual IT Infrastructure Africa Summit will be held at the Westin Hotel in Cape Town from July 12 - 13 , 2012, focusing l focus on IT Infrastructure challenges and how these challenges can be overcome through innovation, alignment of business with technology and the positive influence of active government participation. International business-to-business conferencing company and event organisers Kinetic Events, is proud to host Melanie Burke, CEO at MAB and Associates, at this year’s ITI Africa Summit. MAB and Associates (Pty) Ltd was established by Melanie Burke in 2004 focusing on transformation and innovative technology solutions for social development and business sup…

- The Ahmadiyya Muslim community in Kenya has called for tolerance, harmony and peaceful coexistence as the country prepares for the next generation elections. Addressing faithfuls during their 46th Annual Convention at Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission, Muranga Road, Nairobi on Saturday, the Kenyan head of the Mission Naeem Ahmed Mehmood Cheema urged followers and other Kenyans to strictly obey Islam’s teachings of peace and reconciliation. The Convention is held every year and members of the community travel from different parts of the country with the sole purpose of gaining religious knowledge and to attain blessings of Allah. “Islam teaches us that unless man learns to live a…

- Parliamentarians from nearly 120 national parliaments have resolved dedicate and prioritize action and resources for improving women and children health. The resolution titled ‘Access to Health as a Basic Right: the Role of Parliaments in Addressing Key Challenges to Securing the Health of Women and Children was reached on Wednesday at the Inter-Parliamentary Union ( IPU) meeting in Kampala, Uganda. The meeting called all member-parliaments to take all possible measures to achieve Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 4 and 5 by 2015. MDG 4 aims to reduce child deaths around the world by two thirds by 2015, while MDG 5 aims to reduce the maternal mortality ratio by three-quar…

- The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) as met with its African member states, as part of its continental fundraising efforts. The consultations on the fringes of fifth Joint Annual meetings of AU Commission and UN Economic Commission for Africa conference of Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, in Addis Ababa Ethiopia, saw African contributions to close to USD20 million in new commitments to African Capacity Building Foundation by African members. During the meeting, South Africa also announces intention to join ACBF. The meeting on Tuesday, demonstrated further support and ownership by African member states of the continent’s Capacity Developme…

- One of the greatest areas of contention between marketing communication agencies and clients is the competitive pitch, which involves a large number of agencies fighting one another to win business. Advertising agencies invest huge resources into the process, with unsuccessful agencies reaping nothing for time spent and resources used. The process also creates the risk of intellectual property being appropriated. With this in mind, the professional association that represents Advertising Agencies in Kenya, the APA (The Association of Practitioners in Advertising) has announced reforms to the pitch process that are aimed at improving current market practises. All requests for compet…

- Stakeholders launch Kenya’s autism awareness campaigns from March 30 - April 1, 2012 to raise awareness about the disability that affects children’s communication, behavior, social and play skills. According to Autism Awareness Kenya vice chairman Sammy Sholei, the condition affects 1 in 110 children worldwide. However, in Kenya the number of children affected by autism is unknown. There are no statistics as to how many children have autism in Kenya and very little support for families who struggle to raise a child with autism. Autism Awareness Kenya is an umbrella organization made up of parents, professionals and volunteers. We aim to raise awareness about autism and…

- Kenya now offer free screening and management of all tuberculosis strains in public hospital as it seeks to achieving and surpassing World Health Organization (WHO) targets. The country remains among 22 high TB burden countries, which collectively shoulder 80% of the global burden of this age-old disease. Launching this years World Tuberculosis Day at Kenyatta International Conference Center, Nairobi on Wednesday, Public Health and Sanitation Minister Beth Wambui Mugo called for stronger collaboration among all players to erase tuberculosis, which she said remains a serious public health challenge. “Like any other disease of public health importance, we must build s…

- The chairman of National Association of Private Universities in Kenya Simon Gicharu has challenged foreign institutions of higher learning set up campuses in Africa to enable those who may wish to travel out sturdy locally. He also challenged university students to think beyond graduation, challenging them to develop innovative ideas to become job creators as opposed to job seekers. “The ICT revolution has created opportunities for the youth. They can easily access important information for their innovations”, said the Mount Kenya University Chairman. Speaking at the Nairobi Education Fair, Mr. Gicharu said such exhibitions gives potential students, parents and sponsors…

- The 44th edition of Kenya Open Golf Championship tees off at the prestigious under par 71 Muthaiga Golf Club from Mach 29- April 1, 2012 amidst growing anxiety and restlessness that no Kenyan has even won the country’s premier golf competition. At a 190,000 Euros prize fund, Kenyan golfers are prepared d to challenge top foreign professionals for the elusive title since number two finish by Jacob Okello a while ago. The 2010 event created a historic first for Kenyans because the first time that a Kenyan had enjoyed the privilege of being overnight-leader. Ali Kimani of Vet Lab Sports Club stunned the local golfing fraternity with an incredible performance. Kenya Golf U…

- On 50th anniversary of Kenya’s independence, many minority and indigenous communities feel increased ethnicization of politics has deepened their exclusion, making their situation worse today than it was in 2005. The report, released in Nairobi today by Minority Rights Group International (MRG) reviews the current status of minority and indigenous groups in Kenya, particularly how legal and policy changes over the last five years have responded to the social, economic and political challenges confronting them. The report appreciates some constitutional gains, but calls on the Kenyan government to embrace pluralism and take special measures in support of minority and indigenous c…

- Chief Executive Officers of five Bankers Associations from East African region today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the formation of an East African Bankers Association. Mr. Habil Olaka (Kenya), Emmanuel Turyamuhika Kikoni ( Uganda ), Pascal Kamuzora (Tanzania), Ms. Jacqueline Mugwaneza( Rwanda ) and Ms. Genevieve Buzungu ( burundi) agreed to work together to more effectively play their role in advocacy issues influencing policy formulation at the regional level in the interest of its customers and the banking industry. The coming to effect of the Common Market Protocol in 2010 has seen the public sector arm of partnership embrace the harmonization of system in the cont…

- Chief Executive Officers of five Bankers Associations from East African region today signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the formation of an East African Bankers Association. Mr. Habil Olaka (Kenya), Emmanuel Turyamuhika Kikoni ( Uganda ), Pascal Kamuzora (Tanzania), Ms. Jacqueline Mugwaneza( Rwanda ) and Ms. Genevieve Buzungu ( burundi) agreed to work together to more effectively play their role in advocacy issues influencing policy formulation at the regional level in the interest of its customers and the banking industry. The coming to effect of the Common Market Protocol in 2010 has seen the public sector arm of partnership embrace the harmonization of system in the cont…

- The African Capacity Building Foundation has signed the second phase grant with the African Women’s Development Fund to upscale women’s participation in policy development and implementation on the continent The US$ 2.73 million grant will promote t economic empowerment and political participation of women in Africa, by strengthening AWDF’s institutional and human capacity and increasing the institutional capacity of African Women Organizations to engage effectively on issues of women’s human rights and development in Africa. This follows a successful first phase of US$1 million, which ended in December 2011. Women and girls constitute over 51% of Africa…

- Emirates, one of the world’s fastest growing airline, will upgrade its Amsterdam service to an A380 from 1st August following an exponential growth since launching passenger flights to the Netherlands in May 2010. The Nairobi- Amsterdam route, via Dubai, has been operated with a combination of Boeing 777-300ER and 777-200LR aircraft, arranged in a three-class configuration. Following 18 months of strong demand, the Boeings will be replaced with the airline’s flagship Airbus A380. From 1st Aug, EK 147 will become an A380 flight, leaving Dubai at 0825hrs and arriving in Amsterdam Schiphol at 1330hrs. The return double decker service, EK148, will depart Amsterdam at 1530hrs an…

- international pharmaceutical company Pfizer has launched a new pneumonia vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) 13 into the Kenyan Market . The launch of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) 13 follows the roll-out of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine early Kenya by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) early this year, which largely targeted public. “Pneumococcal diseases are the leading vaccine preventable cause of death in children less than 5years of age worldwide according to World Health Organization statistics. The good news is that PCVs play a critical role in reducing the burden of pneumococcal diseases and the attendant cost and health implic…

- Emirates’ A380 services to London Heathrow will become triple daily from janaury 24, 2012, adding capacity to one of the airline’s busiest routes. Effectively, three out of Emirates’ five daily flights into Heathrow will be served by the superjumbo, which will replace Boeing 777s currently serving the route. “Given the popularity of Emirates’ A380s, I know this news will be well received by our customers flying to from Nairobi to London Heathrow through our Dubai hub,” said Emirates’ Regional Manager for East Africa Essa Sulaiman Ahmad. As these magnificent aircraft continue to join our fleet, we can offer more seats and choice in and out of…

- The proposed multi- billion transport corridor linking Kenyan sea port of Lamu and Doula point in Cameroun is expected to spur development in areas previously neglected. The facility will give South Sudan an export route for its oil, the country’s economic lifeline. Starting in Kenya and traversing South Sudan, Democratic Republic on Congo and Central Africa Republic, Lamu -Southern Sudan –Ethiopia Transport ( LAPSSET ) Corridor will pass world class road and rail network through Africa’s most treacherous and difficult dry lands. It will to spur economic development in region with over 200, million people and has the potential of developing another trad…

- Kenya has rolled out ambitious plans to reduce the number of deaths and injuries from accidents on her roads, with Transport Minister Amos Muhinga Kimunya outlining radical proposals to address the leading killer. The minister proposes a raft of measures including heavy fine to traffic offenders, and using technology to catch up with negligent and careless road users. Speaking during the annual Association of Kenya Insurers (AKI) Road Safety awards, the minister said accidents hinder the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and promised close attention to the numerous accidents on Kenyan roads. Stakeholders including insurance companies have been calling on the governme…

- From HPV With reproductive health forming key plank of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), youths aged 13-21 years have every reason to smile after a major United States decision allowed vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) to protect boys from oral, anal and penile cancers. On Tuesday, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommended that girls under the same age group should be vaccinated to protect them cervical cancer. The committee unanimously recommended routine use of Gardasil in11- and 12-year-old boys to fight the sexually transmitted virus, with 13 yes votes and one abstention. Previously, CDC had…

- Cultural interpretation and supernatural belief are among the factors hindering effective management and treatment of epilepsy in Africa. These factors are exacerbated by lack of specialized personnel, insufficient materials, lack of drugs and high cost of the same. Consequently, many African countries have made little progress towards the management and treatment of epilepsy, with has been slow with the treatment gap due to several factors. Dr Ammou Gallow Diop, from Department of Neurology at University Hospital of Dakar, Senegal says around 5 % of people worldwide suffering from epilepsy around reside in developing countries with Africa having 10 million cases . During an Ep…

- As the global population is expected to surpass 7 Billion at the end of October, experts are pushing two clear strategies for sustainable future. Worldwatch Institute says greater reproductive choice and measures to reduce resource consumption and waste are critical to reducing humanity's environmental impact. The combined measures of empowering women to make their own decisions about childbearing and significantly reducing global consumption of energy and natural resources would move humanity toward rather than further away from environmentally sustainable societies that meet human needs. Roughly 4.5 billion people have been added to the world population in just the last 60 y…

- As preparations for the World Water Forum in March 2012, the First Mediterranean Water Forum will convene in Marrakesh, Morocco from December 19-20, 2011. The preparatory meeting will be jointly organized by the Mediterranean Water Institute (IME) and the State Secretariat in charge of Water and Environment of Morocco. Participants are from all countries at northern, southern and eastern boarders of Mediterranean basin including Algeria, France, Egypt, Greece, Jordan, Morocco and Spain. The conference aims to bring together around targeted themes the main stakeholders of the Water Community in the Mediterranean including decision-making bodies, local and regional authorities, p…

- Divisional Senior Vice President IT for The Emirates Group and Head of Mercator, Patrick Naef, has been named Chief Information Officer of the Decade by CIO- Europe’s leading IT magazine for Chief Information Officers and top business executives. Presented at a ceremony held recently in Cologne, Germany, Patrick won in the category of ‘International Orientation’ and was identified as being among the world’s best CIOs by a jury of 70 experts from leading academics and industry practitioners. As Head of IT for The Emirates Group (comprising Emirates Airline, dnata and more than 50 Group subsidiaries operating across the international aviation, travel, tourism…

- It’s 7.00 pm and various groups of young men return to the dark office – consisting of three containers to filer the daily reports of their activities. Wearied down by the long distance covered while walking , the groups go home proud and satisfied that they have made a difference in the lives of other members of the surrounding communities. Welcome to Rotlhe Sonke Revive – a home-based organization in Braamfischerville village of Soweto Township, South Africa. Despite having no office equipment, electricity, water and basic sanitary facilities, they look unto the future with optimism. For the project manager Godfrey Maswanganye, the future and…

- Pastoralists in Marsabit who have lost up to a third of their animals due to ravaging drought witnessed in the country a few months ago today received compensation from UAP Insurance under an insurance program developed in partnership with the Nairobi-based International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Cornell University, Equity Bank and the index Insurance Innovation Initiative (14) program at the University of California at Davis. Some 650 insured herders in northern Kenya’s vast Marsabit District benefited from this innovative programme that promises to change the fate of pastoralists living in the arid and semi-arid areas and who face periodic lose of their herds due t…