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Africa
- In Africa, a staggering 1.2 billion people lack access to clean cooking facilities.
- Lack of clean cooking facilities is one of the main causes of deforestation in Africa.
- AfDB funding is a major step along the road to saving the lives of 600,000 mainly women and children each year.
The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has pledged $2 billion over the next decade towards clean cooking initiatives in Africa, marking a huge stride in the effort to save the lives of 600,000 people, predominantly women and children, each year. This commitment aims to address the health hazards associated with traditional cooking methods that rely on charcoal, wood, and biomass, which contribute to severe respiratory illnesses and environmental degradation.
At a summit on Clean Cooking in Africa, held in Paris, AfDB President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina announced that the Bank would allocate 20 per cent of its energy project financing to promoting …
- Across Africa, gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws.
- Discriminatory family laws have profound impacts, increasing the risk of sexual and gender-based violence for women and girls.
- Laws in Cameroon, Nigeria, Senegal, South Sudan, Sudan, and Tanzania still allow child marriage.
Discrimination against women and girls remains widespread in family laws across Africa, according to new research by Equality Now. An analysis of 20 African countries reveals that gender inequality in marriage, divorce, custody, and property rights is perpetuated by sex discrimination embedded in both legal systems and customary laws. Despite some significant legal reforms, progress has been slow, inconsistent, and hindered by setbacks, lack of political will, and weak implementation.
The report, “Gender Inequality in Family Laws in Africa: An Overview of Key Trends in Select Countries,” highlights how overlapping and …
- Kenya’s Green Jobs Potential will be key in preserving the country’s natural heritage and combating the challenges posed by climate change.
- PS Labour and Skills Development Shadrack Mwadime warned that the transition to green economy has far reaching implications for the world of work
- Green jobs are becoming a crucial driver of sustainable development in Kenya,
Stakeholders in the environment conservation sectors are deliberating on ways to unlock Kenya’s potential as a global hub for digital work and green jobs. The government, jointly with Jacob’s Ladder Africa, International Labour Organisation, United Nations Environment Programme and United Nations Children’s Fund, are in talks in Nairobi to align government priorities with the demands of the green job market.
Kenya National Green Jobs and Skills Development Workshop, brings together stakeholders from government, academia, private sector, finance, and youth-led groups to address the critical need for green jobs and skills development in …
Regional insurer UAP Old Mutual Group has recorded a profit before tax of Sh552 million in the first half of the year, compared to a loss of Sh57 million for the same period in 2020.
The company has attributed the performance to strong topline growth and investment income performance on the back of the recovery of the Nairobi Securities Exchange during the period.
Excluding the impact of the Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (OMLAC) consolidation, the Group recorded a profit before tax of Sh518 million.
Commenting on the report, Arthur Oginga, Group CEO noted that the performance of the business in the period was delivered on the backdrop of the initial stages of the expected economic recovery as the different countries they operate in work towards a return to normalcy while managing the risks of subsequent waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“In our core Kenya market, we have seen positive …
Kenya has become the first country in Africa, and globally, to launch a national malaria youth army.
In the global arena, it has been a constant battle to eradicate malaria and efforts have been channeled towards this initiative.
Below is a global map and the malaria prevalence in each country.
Countries with zero indigenous cases over at least the past three consecutive years are considered to have eliminated malaria.
In 2019, China and El Salvador reported zero indigenous cases for the third consecutive year and have applied for World Health Organisation (WHO) certification of malaria elimination; also, Iran, Malaysia and Timor Leste reported zero indigenous cases for the second time.
In 2017, the WHO warned that the global response to the malaria menace had reached crossroads. This was a wake-up call from the organisation that more needs to be done to further reduce the spread of the disease.
The …
Kenya and Uganda are among the countries selected for the Phase 1 clinical trial of an HIV vaccine. According to the Globally Relevant AIDS Vaccine Europe-Africa Trials Partnership (GREAT), the first dose will be given in Lusaka, Zambia while Kenya and Uganda will receive the vaccines in a few weeks.
Dr. William Kilembe, project director of the Center for Family Health Research in Zambia (CFHRZ) and trial principal investigator, said that international partnerships are crucial in developing and evaluating HIV vaccine candidates in countries and communities where HIV vaccines will ultimately have the greatest public health impact.
“CFHRZ is proud to be part of the consortium evaluating HIVconsvX and to deliver the first dose of this experimental HIV vaccine in the HIV-CORE 006 trial,” he said.
The trial will see 88 healthy, HIV-negative adults, aged 18-55, who are considered not to be at high risk of infection, receive one …
Regional financial services firm, Britam Holdings PLC has posted a profit after tax of Kshs 376.3 million from a loss after tax of Kshs 1.6 billion posted in the six months ending June 2021.
According to the firm, the improved performance is attributed to growth in premiums from new business and investment income from its broad investment portfolio.
The firm also registered significant growth in investment income following the moving of its investment portfolio to increase yields.
Investment income during the period grew to Kshs 4.9 billion, representing a 35 per cent growth compared to a similar period last year.
The Group also realized growth in revenue from both its local and regional businesses.
The regional businesses contributed 24 per cent of the Group’s gross earned premiums.
The Group’s gross earned premiums and fund management fees were up 5.7 per cent to Kshs 14.9 billion.
Britam’s Group Managing Director, Tavaziva …
Regional Financial Services Group, I&M Group PLC has announced an increase of 33 per cent after-tax profit for its 2021 half-year financial results up from UGX 102.5 billion to UGX 134.6 billion.
In a statement, the Group says its Total Assets recorded a growth of 12 per cent to close at UGX 12.2 trillion up from UGX 10.9 trillion in June 2020, bolstered by expansion into Uganda and increased private and public sector lending.
The Group adds that the acquisition of Orient Bank Ltd (OBL) in Uganda has expanded the Group’s balance sheet by UGX 753 billion as of the reporting date.
Net interest income also recorded growth of 28 per cent to UGX 285.2 billion up from UGX 221.1 billion in June 2020 attributed to increased interest income from government securities.
The Group’s total Non-Funded Income reduced by 6 per cent to UGX 124.9 billion from UGX 134.6 billion.…
Kenya’s Stima Savings and Credit Cooperative (SACCO) Limited has launched its Affordable Housing Mortgage Scheme in partnership with the Kenya Mortgage Refinance Company (KMRC), a treasury backed lender, targeting both individuals in formal and informal employment.
The purpose of the scheme is to offer affordable mortgages to members of the SACCO with bespoke terms.
For individuals who are employed, the SACCO will offer a loan up to a maximum of Sh4 million, at 9 percent interest rate, with a 25-years repayment plan.
For individuals in business or those with rental income, the loan will still be capped at Sh4 million, at 9.5 percent interest rate, with a repayment tenor of up to 20 years.
According to analysts from Cytonn Investment, an employed individual will be required to make monthly payments of about Sh33, 600 while a business home owner will pay Sh37, 300.
For salaried Kenyans, these payments are still …
