Africa

  • 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 …

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  • 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 …

  • The proposed AGOA extension signals a commitment to bolstering trade relations between the US and Africa.
  • US Senators Chris Coons and James Risch have introduced the bipartisan Agoa Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024, aiming to integrate AGOA with the AfCFTA.
  • Bill aims to refine AGOA’s eligibility criteria, increase transparency, and hold US agencies accountable for their advice to the president: Senator Risch

AGOA extension proposal

The US Congress has proposed extending the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to 2041, covering all 54 African countries. Senators Chris Coons of Delaware and James Risch of Idaho introduced the bipartisan Agoa Renewal and Improvement Act of 2024, aiming to integrate Agoa with the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) to foster intra-African supply chains.

Originally enacted in 2000, Agoa is set to expire next year. However, the proposed extension signals a commitment to bolstering trade relations between the United States and …

Kenya, East Africa’s largest and most advanced economy is currently the leading region exploring and installing geothermal energy capacity (standing at 676 MegaWatts, 2019) according to ESI Africa, hence Kenya is seeking to expand its geothermal mastery.

On a larger scale, the geothermal technology is rather at an initial phase in Africa, as developed nations take the lead, including high-installed capacities in the US with more than 3.8 gigawatts, according to Power Technology publication.

Kenya Electricity Generating company has taken its interest to another level, as it seeks to raise at least $1.95 billion to build new and upgrade existing plants “in a bid to almost double its output from the renewable fuel” according to information from Bloomberg News.

The Kenyan power company ambitions will make Kenya a competitive powerhouse, as the country has a total installed capacity of 2.4GW, the stated-owned company anticipated to sweep more than 651 megawatts …

 

 

Forbes recently. released a list of Africa’s top dollar musicians and here is the list in descending order.

 

  1. Youssou N’Dour (Senegal) – Net worth $145

 

Youssou N’Dour, AKA Youssou Madjiguéne Ndour, is a Senegalese singer, songwriter, composer, occasional actor, businessman, and, wait for it, a politician too. Yes, Africa’s wealthiest musician is shooting for the executive office and is not the only one on the list with aspirations of becoming their country’s president.

Youssou owns the biggest media house in Senegal with radio and Tv stations. He also boasts vast investments in real estate.

 

  1. Akon – net worth $80 million

World fames Akon is Africa’s second richest musician. Born Aliaume Damala Badara Akon Thiam, the US based star is also originally from Senegal. Akon who is also an actor and a businessman, has accumulated wealth from a diverse range of investments.

Akon writes songs and produces …

Women entrepreneurs from Africa have a reason to smile following a move by the African Development Bank Group to launch a project seeking to enhance viability and sustainability of these businesses.

While all countries will be considered, preference will be given to proposals implemented in the following countries: Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republique of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Morocco, Mozambique, Senegal, South Africa,Tanzania, Rwanda and Zambia to align with the ongoing Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) Guarantee for Growth Program pipeline.

The AFAWA program dubbed allows entrepreneurship enablers, which include business associations and civil society organizations, play an important role in empowering women to establish bankable SMEs and other businesses.

However, the enablers themselves often face challenges, such as long-term growth plans and lack of financing, which reduce their reach, impact and sustainability.

Funding requests may be for a specific project or for an indicative program …

When one of the World’s richest couples decides to divorce then yes we are all warrant to Tweet our P and Qs. So, as the social media world continues to dot the couples’ i’s and cross their t’s let as look at ‘the poor man’ in one of the World’s wealthiest people.

As of February this year, Bill Gates’ net worth of over $137 billion, keeping the world renown philanthropist right up their with the rest of the World’s richest people.

But that is not what makes Bill Gates standout, it is his willingness to aide the world’s poorest that sets him apart from the other World titans.

Only recently, through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates, has set aside a $306 million package in agricultural development grants for Africa and other parts of the developing World.

Over the years, Bill Gates has invariably donated and granted Africa …

On 1 January 2021, trade began within the African Continental Free Trade Area (‘AfCFTA’). After years of preparation, and being postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, AfCFTA becomes the largest free trade area in the world based on the number of participating countries since the World Trade Organization (‘WTO’) was formed and connects some 1.3 billion people across the African continent.

Among many other key developments under the AfCFTA, member states have agreed to remove 90 per cent of tariff lines on non–sensitive products within five years for developing countries and within ten years for least developed countries.

The AfCFTA seeks to provide member states a comprehensive and mutually beneficial trade agreement that aims to boost intra-African trade. As noted by the World Bank, “[a]s the global economy is in turmoil due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creation of the vast AfCFTA regional market serves as a major opportunity to

East Africa has since late 2019 been fighting swarms of desert locusts which have posed a serious threat to crops and grazing across the region. 

The locust plague In Kenya is the worst in 70 years. In the last two months, new swarms have been breeding and hatching leaving farmers devastated as they try to cope with the negative effects from previous pests not to mention the dry spells and floods that hit the region further destroying crops. 

“We expect the worst if the young hatch in March and April,” Kelvin Shingles, Kenya Country Director for German Agro Action (Deutsche Welthungerhilfe) said in a press release. 

In Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, it is reported that up to 38 percent of cropland and 48 percent of pastureland have been affected. 69 percent of households have also suffered losses due to the plague according to the Southern Africa Food and

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