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- Kenya, Tanzania braces for torrential floods as Cyclone Hidaya approaches
- EAC monetary affairs committee to discuss single currency progress in Juba talks
- Transport and food prices drive down Kenya’s inflation to 5% in April
- Payment for ransomware attacks increase by 500 per cent in one year
- History beckons as push for Kenya’s President Ruto to address US Congress gathers pace
- IMF’s Sub-Saharan Africa economic forecast shows 1.2 percent GDP growth
- The US Congress proposes extending Agoa to 2041, covering all African countries
- Millions at risk of famine as fuel tax row halts UN aid operations in South Sudan
Africa
- Kenya and Tanzania, already reeling from nature’s fury, now confront the looming threat of Cyclone Hidaya.
- Cyclone Hidaya’s trajectory places the eastern coast of Tanzania squarely in its crosshairs as neighbouring Kenya braces for floods.
- The relentless deluge gripping East Africa finds its origins in the El Nino weather pattern.
Millions of people in Tanzania and Kenya are on edge as Cyclone Hidaya, a formidable tempest, barrels toward the region, exacerbating the havoc wrought by ongoing heavy downpours and catastrophic floods that have claimed hundreds of lives across East Africa.
Kenya and Tanzania, already reeling from nature’s fury, now confront the looming threat of a cyclone poised to unleash further devastation, with forecasts predicting a grim landfall later on Friday, May 3rd.
At the moment, Cyclone Hidaya’s trajectory places the eastern coast of Tanzania squarely in its crosshairs, with fears mounting over its potential impact on neighbouring Kenya. As …
- US Congress members ask Speaker Mike Johnson to invite President Ruto to address the assembly.
- President Ruto will be visiting the US on May 23 to mark 60 years of US-Kenya diplomatic ties.
- If invited, President Ruto would become the first Kenyan Head of State to address a joint session of US Congress.
In a historic plan highlighting the deepening ties between the United States and Kenya, House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Michael McCaul (Republican – Texas) and Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (Democrat – New York) have jointly sent a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (Republican – Los Angeles, asking him to extend a formal invitation to President William Ruto of Kenya to address a joint session of Congress during his upcoming visit to the US, slated later in May.
“This year, we are celebrating the historic 60-year anniversary of the U.S.-Kenya diplomatic relationship. Such an invitation …
- The IMF has identified South Sudan, Burundi, and the DRC as East African Community member states poised for significant economic growth in the 2024–2025 period.
- GDP growth in Burundi is projected to increase from 4.3 to 5.4 percent and in the DRC from 4.7 to 5.7%.
- Kenya leads regionally with a projected GDP of $104 billion, ranking 7th overall among the continent’s largest economies.
The economic outlook for East African Community member states South Sudan, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is poised for significant economic growth in the 2024–2025 period. This prognosis by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) comes despite these nations grappling with conflicts, marking them as among the most fragile in the region.
In its latest regional economic outlook report for Sub-Saharan Africa, the IMF forecasts a noteworthy 1.2 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth for South Sudan, from 5.6 to 6.8 percent, despite …
- Africa is loosing out on bad minerals for loan deals, AfDB warns.
- AfDB is developing initiatives to help countries’ address the bad loans.
- China alleged to be the leader in bad minerals for loan deals with Africa.
Africa’s natural resources are being traded for loans from international lenders and that is why the continent is underdeveloped, the Head of the African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina, has decried.
In an interview with The Associated Press in Lagos, Nigeria, Dr Adesina called for an end to “loans given in exchange for the continent’s rich supplies of oil or critical minerals used in smartphones and electric car batteries.”
The Head of Africa’s biggest lending bank, AfDB, said some countries have gained control over mineral mining in places such as Congo and have left some African countries in financial crisis owing to such ‘mineral for loans deals.’
“They are just bad, first …
- Global tech giants are meeting in Marrakech in May for the GITEX Africa expo as they seek a slice digital economy in the continent.
- Investors will be keen on learning tech advances in digital health, finance, AI consumer tech, cloud and IoT, as well as cybersecurity among others.
- GITEX Africa is organised by KAOUN International, an affiliate of Dubai World Trade Centre, which also organises GITEX GLOBAL show in the UAE.
This year, thousands of investors and entrepreneurs are converging in Marrakech, Morocco, for GITEX Africa, a signature tech and start-up expo that is poised to define the next phase of the continent’s digital economy.
The show, now in its second edition, comes under the Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI of the Kingdom of Morocco. GITEX Africa, which is scheduled from 29-31 May 2024, is organised under the authority of the Moroccan Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration …
- Cairo-based lender CIB made this announcement during the first Egypt-Kenya forum held in Nairobi, Kenya.
- Egypt is shifting its economic strategy by enhancing collaboration with sub–Saharan Africa
- Kenya exports tea, coffee, nuts, meat, wheat and flowers, skin and hides as well as live animals to Egypt..
Lender Commercial International Bank (CIB) has identified partnerships as key drivers of growth that will power investments by bringing together businesses seeking to explore Egypt-Kenya trade opportunities.
Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi says the entry of CIB into Kenya’s market is a major win for Africa’s quest to enhance trade among its 54 member states.
Speaking at the Egypt-Kenya trade forum in Nairobi attended by roughly 40 Egyptian companies drawn from construction, transport, water, tourism, manufacturing and healthcare sectors, Mudavadi said Kenya was at the forefront of opening its market to African countries to boost intra-Africa trade.
“As a government, we will facilitate …
- In Kenya, a concerning 75.4% of women journalists have reported experiencing online harassment.
- Several sub-Saharan African countries have enacted national frameworks, such as the Cybercrimes Act to counter the menace.
- However, while legal frameworks provide avenues for recourse, more proactive measures are needed to combat online violence effectively.
In an era dominated by digital platforms and social media, the rise of disinformation and online harassment poses significant challenges for journalists across the globe.
According to Clarice Wambua, a lawyer at leading corporate and commercial law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH) Kenya, this is especially true for women journalists in sub-Saharan Africa, who provide a vital service to society and must not be bullied into silence.
She notes that the pursuit of truth is of utmost importance, but women journalists in Africa often encounter difficult situations. Despite their valuable contributions to the field, they often face different types of harassment, which …
- The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) initiative aims to close the $42 billion financing gap faced by women entrepreneurs, demonstrating that investing in women fosters gender-inclusive economic growth.
- By securing over $1.5 billion in investments for women-led SMEs and providing gender-smart banking training, AFAWA is changing financial institutions’ perceptions and practices, demonstrating the viability and profitability of supporting women entrepreneurs.
- AFAWA’s partnerships and educational programs build a more inclusive financial ecosystem, showcasing the initiative’s commitment to empowering women entrepreneurs and driving sustainable, inclusive economic development across Africa.
The African Development Bank’s Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) aims to invest in women and close the significant financing gap they face. Women entrepreneurs in Africa confront a daunting $42 billion disparity in financing compared to their male counterparts, largely due to misconceptions about their creditworthiness and a lack of collateral. Despite these challenges, …
- Tanzania to earn $400 million annually from tobacco export/sells.
- The country now ranks second largest tobacco producer in Africa after Zimbabwe.
- Tobacco has no known health benefit. On the contrary, it causes disease, disability and premature death. Over 6 million people die globally every year from tobacco-related illnesses.
Tanzania has been ranked as the second-largest producer of tobacco in Africa, falling behind only neighboring Zimbabwe, even as tobacco’s toll worsens globally. The ranking comes after a bumper harvest in the year 2022/2023, as announced by Tanzania’s Minister for Agriculture, Hussein Bashe.
According to the minister, the country’s tobacco production has more than doubled over the last year alone to 122,858 tonnes in FY2023/2024 from 50,000 tonnes earlier.
As of December last year, the export value of tobacco stood at $316 million, and with the increase in output, the minister is confident that this year the country will attain its …
