Browsing: Uganda

Fishermen in Lake Victoria. Photo: Nation Media Group

Lake Victoria’s fisheries support more than 3 million livelihoods and bring in US$500 million in revenues annually.

Nile Perch is the main fish caught in Lake Victoria. Fish maw – the air sack that aids the Nile Perch in floating and a Chinese delicacy – has been a major export source. Statistics from the Uganda Ministry of Agriculture indicate an increase in fish maw exports earning from US$27m in 2015, to US$31m in 2016, US$48m in 2017 and US$52m in 2018. These earnings exclude the earnings from Nile Perch and its eggs.

However, the lake has been invaded by water hyacinth – the floating, green mats of waxy leaves with purple blossoms – depriving the waters below of oxygen which makes it hard for aquatic life to survive.

That, plus overfishing which occurs when fishermen use undersized nets that catch fish before they reach maturity, rapid population growth, and pollution by wastewater, agro-pesticides and fertilisers threaten the future of fishing in Lake Victoria.

The East African Crude Oil Pipeline Project (EACOP) is a crucial East African project. www.theexchange.africa

What is good for the goose must also be good for the gander. However, the EU commission has commissioned the Baltic pipe project, somewhat similar to the EACOP. The Baltic Pipe project was inaugurated on September 27, 2022, at an opening ceremony in Goleniów, Poland.

EACOP FID

The ministry argued that the oil pipeline project is being implemented strictly on international safety, environmental and social aspects, including the Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA).

The EACOP project has managed to amass at least US$20 billion, benefiting the two neighbouring nations immensely. That’s why Tanzania is stern on highlighting key issues regarding human rights and environmental risks.

“A dedicated HRIA was undertaken as part of the project implementation process. The HRIA assessed and put in place measures for addressing the potential adverse of the project on the human rights enjoyment,” the statement pointed out.

According to the EU Parliament statement, at least 100,000 people have been forced to move out of their homes to leave the path for the pipeline.

AfCFTA: nations to have opportunities to scale up and expand their trading markets in 2022. www.theexchange.africa

The AfCFTA Agreement has been signed by 54 African nations thus far.  Among them, 46 tariff proposals have been filed, including one by the Customs Union. Furthermore, 29 tariff proposals are technically validated for trade.

Under the Rules of Origin discussions, 87.7% of import tariffs have been settled, while phase two consultations on Investment, Intellectual Property Rights, Competition Policy, Women and Youth in Trade, and Digital Trade are underway.

Financial digital transformation is key to Africa's financial inclusion. www.theexchange.africa

Generally speaking, the proliferation of mobile phone technology has increased access to mobile money services (MMS) and is the backbone of mobile money deployment in both rural and urban areas of Africa.

“Despite its enormous benefits, embracing the usage and acceptance of mobile money has mostly been low due to security issues and challenges associated with the system,” warns professor Guma Ali from the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology.

In a paper titled ‘Evaluation of Key Security Issues Associated with Mobile Money Systems in Uganda,’ the pundit suggests the need to carry out a survey to evaluate the key security issues associated with mobile money systems in Uganda (and Africa).

In the study that followed, which employed a descriptive research design, and stratified random sampling technique to group the population, some 741 registered mobile money (MM) users and 447 registered MM agents along with 52 mobile network operators (MNOs) IT officers participated.

A ship-to-shore crane stands above containers on the dockside at the Port of Durban. (Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg)

Most Kenyans, 83 per cent, indicated a willingness to increase the amount of money they allocate to savings and investments, but the inability to save due to insufficient funds after fulfilling their obligations that require regular funding and the availability of quick digital loans.

Among their obligations which contribute to Kenyans’ financial strain is supporting their extended family which considerably bites into their savings. 84 per cent of people indicated that they regularly provide some income to their extended family, mostly in case of emergencies, because they feel a sense of obligation to send their extended families money and because their extended family members treat them better when they are sent money.

On their part, the extended family members mostly use the money to cater to recurring expenses like food & transport, school fees and medical expenses at 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Farm-related expenses like purchase of fertiliser ranked fourth at 14 per cent, phone and home upgrades came in fifth at 7 per cent while entertainment like Christmas celebration was sixth.

(L-R) Francis Kurema Kariuki Forest Station Manager Ngong Hills Kenya Forest Service, Bathsheba Nyaboke Osiemo Assistant County Commissioner 1 Kajiado North Sub County, Jambojet CEO Karanja Ndegwa and Francis Kariuki Head Of Nairobi Forest Conservancy KFS at the ‘Adopt-A-Forest’ ground breaking at Ngong Hills. www.theexchange.africa

Most Kenyans, 83 per cent, indicated a willingness to increase the amount of money they allocate to savings and investments, but the inability to save due to insufficient funds after fulfilling their obligations that require regular funding and the availability of quick digital loans.

Among their obligations which contribute to Kenyans’ financial strain is supporting their extended family which considerably bites into their savings. 84 per cent of people indicated that they regularly provide some income to their extended family, mostly in case of emergencies, because they feel a sense of obligation to send their extended families money and because their extended family members treat them better when they are sent money.

On their part, the extended family members mostly use the money to cater to recurring expenses like food & transport, school fees and medical expenses at 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Farm-related expenses like purchase of fertiliser ranked fourth at 14 per cent, phone and home upgrades came in fifth at 7 per cent while entertainment like Christmas celebration was sixth.

www.theexchange.africa

Most Kenyans, 83 per cent, indicated a willingness to increase the amount of money they allocate to savings and investments, but the inability to save due to insufficient funds after fulfilling their obligations that require regular funding and the availability of quick digital loans.

Among their obligations which contribute to Kenyans’ financial strain is supporting their extended family which considerably bites into their savings. 84 per cent of people indicated that they regularly provide some income to their extended family, mostly in case of emergencies, because they feel a sense of obligation to send their extended families money and because their extended family members treat them better when they are sent money.

On their part, the extended family members mostly use the money to cater to recurring expenses like food & transport, school fees and medical expenses at 23 per cent, 19 per cent and 18 per cent respectively. Farm-related expenses like purchase of fertiliser ranked fourth at 14 per cent, phone and home upgrades came in fifth at 7 per cent while entertainment like Christmas celebration was sixth.