Kenya Airways sees passenger business recovery in 2024, turns to cargo

Kenya Airways planes are seen parked at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport near Nairobi, Kenya November 6, 2019. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya

Kenya Airways expects its passenger business to recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2024, its chief executive said on Tuesday.

The carrier, whose joint venture with Air France KLM is set to expire this September, will boost its cargo business to help blunt the impact of the drop in demand for travel by passengers, CEO Allan Kilavuka told Reuters.

 

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African airlines are testing their own Covid-19 passport

 

Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines are testing a new digital Covid-19 passport system.The digital health passport allows travellers and airport authorities to authenticate Covid-19 test certificates prior to departure.

The Trusted Travel Pass pilot programme was developed by the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as digital health passports look likely to become a standard requirement for international travel.

A global travel pass developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) is currently being trialled by several leading international airlines. The pass allows travellers to create a digital copy of their passports and receive verified information on country-specific travel requirements via an app.

These requirements will inform what testing or vaccination procedures need to be followed prior to departure.

Once these requirements are met, confirmation is provided in the form of a unique QR code which can be scanned by the relevant health authorities. Apart from creating a universal authentication standard, the pass aims to also simplify check-in processes for both travellers and airline staff.

The African Union and Africa CDC launched their own version of the health passport to boost confidence in safe air travel across the continent. Adopting the same principals and processes used by IATA, the Trusted Travel Pass is currently being tested in AU Member States.

Passengers on Kenya Airways or Ethiopian Airlines flights are encouraged – but not yet forced – to use the Trusted Travel Pass.

The online portal, which allows passengers to upload their Covid-19 test and vaccine results to receive a QR code, is accessible via desktop and mobile phone but has not yet been rolled out as an app. Features of the Trusted Travel Pass include:

Signing up to create a traveller profile and itinerary

Listing travel requirements and restrictions applicable to the destination country

Providing a database of authorised Covid-19 testing facilities

Generating a Trusted Testing Code (TT Code) and Travel Code (TC) based on tests completed and vaccines administered by registered health services.

“We are pleased to have introduced a digital platform that will be pivotal in increasing the number of passengers while making air travel safer,” says Getinet Tadesse, Ethiopian Airlines’ Chief Information Officer. “The solution is capable of addressing passengers’ travel needs during [the] Covid -19 pandemic as it helps them validate their test and vaccination documents before departure.”

Other African airlines are expected to join the pilot programme, according to John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa CDC.

“To coordinate our air, sea and land movement on the continent, all countries have to have a similar understanding of what we have to do and harmonise that,” adds Nkengasong.

Should the pilot programme be a success, the pass is expected to be rolled out to all AU member states and airlines as a mandatory compliance protocol.

“Kenya Airways as an AU and Africa CDC partner will also bring invaluable input and feedback to improve the Trusted Travel Pass programme making the ground-breaking step in enabling safe international travel during the pandemic as convenient as possible… giving people the boost of confidence that they are meeting all Covid-19 entry requirements by governments,” said Julius Thairu, Acting Chief Commercial Officer at Kenya Airways, which was the first carrier to adopt the pass on 6 March.

 

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Kenya receives 1.02 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine

Over 1 million doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine part of 24 million doses country expects to receive within months

 

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kenya has received just over 1 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in the first batch from the global COVAX initiative that was created to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have fair access to vaccines.

Some 1.02 million doses of the AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccine, manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, arrived in Nairobi early Wednesday, according to a joint statement from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, international vaccine alliance GAVI and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

Kenyan Health Minister Mutahi Kagwe expressed excitement and optimism that the vaccines would help stop the spread of the coronavirus that has forced the East African country to partially lock down its economy with devastating consequences for many citizens.

“We have been fighting the pandemic with rubber bullets but what we have acquired today is equivalent, metaphorically speaking, to bazookas and machine guns,” Kagwe said.

The minister said the vaccines will be administered to some 400,000 medical workers and the rest will go to other frontline workers such as teachers and police officers.

Many Kenyan public health care workers have been disgruntled over the inadequate supply of personal protective equipment, and they say they were never paid the allowances that the government promised them for the extra work and risk while combating COVID-19.

Austine Oduor, an official with the Kenya Union of Clinical Officers, said there is no palpable excitement from members of his union and nurses who were forced by a court order to resume work last week after a 70-day strike.

“What they really wanted was payment of the allowances,” Oduor said. “ In fact, some are questioning whether the distribution will be done fairly in a country where corruption is rampant.”

Kenya has more than 106,000 confirmed virus cases including more than 1,800 deaths.

 

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Kenya to Receive First Batch of Covid-19 Vaccines Next Week

Residents queue for a Covid-19 test in Nairobi, Kenya, on May 26. Photographer: Luis Tato/Bloomberg

Kenya will receive its initial batch of Covid-19 vaccines in the first week on March, according to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s office.

Health-care workers and frontline personnel, including security officers, teachers, vulnerable persons and those in the hospitality sector, will be the first priority for inoculation, the presidency said in a statement following a cabinet meeting on Thursday.

The East African nation expects to vaccinate 16 million of its approximately 53 million people by June next year, Health Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said earlier this month.

 

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South Africa’s Teraco eyes data centres in Nigeria and Kenya

Banks are finding it harder to justify the cost of an in-house data centre. REUTERS/Afolabi Sotunde

Teraco Data Environments, Africa’s largest data centre provider, is considering expanding to Nigeria and Kenya, CEO Jan Hnizdo tells The Africa Report.

The company could create data centres of between 1MW and 4MW in those countries, Hnizdo says from Johannesburg. Nigeria and Kenya have the liberalised telecoms sectors that data centres need, he adds.

Growing numbers of African internet users make it harder to serve the continent’s needs via offshore data centres in Europe or the US. Local capacity means faster connections speeds, and Africa’s data centre market is set to grow at a compound annual rate of more than 12% to reach $3bn in 2025, according to Turner & Townsend.

Growth in the provision of undersea cables for Africa has meant increased use of public clouds from providers such as Amazon and Huawei, says Hnizdo.

That in turn means that African companies such as banks are finding it harder to justify having an in-house data centre, he argues.

Covid-19 has accelerated the trend towards outsourcing data centres.

In December, the US International Development Finance Corporation invested $300m to fund the expansion of Liquid Telecom’s data centres in South Africa, Kenya, Egypt, Ghana and Morocco.

Private-equity investor Actis plans to invest $250m into African data centres over three years. It started in March 2020 by buying control of Rack Centre in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the African governments that requires data to be hosted locally for key sectors.

Education benefits

According to the Africa Data Centres Association and Xalam Analytics, more than 30 facilities have come online in Africa since 2016, doubling the region’s capacity. But that capacity is unevenly distributed, their study shows.

More than two-thirds of Africa’s capacity was in South Africa in 2020, and only a third of Africa’s 80 cities with a population of more than 1 million have their own data centre, the study says.

According to the Balancing Act consultancy, there are 15 African countries with economies and population sizes to justify data centre and cloud services ecosystems.

Boston-based private-equity firm Berkshire Partners bought a majority stake in Teraco in 2019.

This month, Teraco secured R2.5bn ($168m) in loans from lenders led by South African bank Absa for the construction of a 38MW hyperscale data centre in Ekurhuleni, east of Johannesburg.

This will be Africa’s largest data centre.

South Africa’s liberalised telecoms sector has enabled it to become a strategic location for cloud providers, says Hnizdo.

“The rest of Africa is slowly starting to catch up,” but connectivity in many countries is still too expensive, he says.

Telecoms liberalisation can have a “huge” positive impact of populations, adds Hnizdo. Online education in African can be a “massive beneficiary”.

African students will gain access to the world’s best schools and African universities will be able to draw students from anywhere, he says.  “It’s not a question of Western versus African education. Cheap connectivity is the key.”

 

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Kenya to hold referendum after BBI Bill gets 24-county approval

A supporter of the BBI Bill outside the Nyeri County Assembly on February 23, 2021. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NMG

Kenyans will vote in a referendum to amend the Constitution as early as June this year after the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill Tuesday surpassed the constitutional  24 county assemblies' approval threshold.

And while the Bill still needs to be tabled in both the National Assembly and the Senate, the referendum is as good as confirmed since the decision of the bicameral Parliament—whether endorsing or rejecting the document—does not change the counties' endorsement.

On Tuesday, Kakamega, Narok, Mombasa, Murang’a, Makueni, Kitui, Bungoma, Taita Taveta, Nyeri, Machakos, Tharaka Nithi and Lamu joined the list of counties that voted in favour of the Bill.

With 10 more county assemblies debating the Bill this afternoon, the number is expected to rise even higher. 

The 12 regional Houses join Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Busia, Vihiga, Trans Nzoia, Nairobi, Kisii, West Pokot, Kajiado, Laikipia and Samburu that had already given their nod for the process that seeks to change Kenya’s governance system and increase funds to the counties.

The BBI secretariat is already planning for the next phase, chief among them countrywide tours to sell the referendum message.

“From March 1, we are rolling out countrywide tours to take BBI to the people. With all the signs that the assemblies will pass the document by a big number, we will be rolling out grand plans to tell to the people what is in the document and counter any propaganda out there,” National Assembly minority whip Junet Mohamed, who is also the BBI secretariat co-chairman, told the Nation. 

The Constitution stipulates that a proposed amendment to supreme law shall be enacted by a referendum, if the changes relate the structure of government, Parliament, among others.

“We wish to emphasise that we are within the timelines we had communicated earlier, and we are on course to hold the referendum by June 2021. We are confident of obtaining approvals from at least 35 county assemblies, way above the constitutional threshold of 24 counties,” BBI secretariat co-chairman Dennis Waweru told journalists.

Parliament

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has already said that the BBI Bill will take as short as three weeks, meaning the House will be done with it by end of March.

Since the two Houses will not have an opportunity to alter anything in the document, it is expected that the Senate will take the same amount of time.

Once the two Houses make their decision, the Speakers will communicate to the President.

On receipt, the President will send his message to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to hold a referendum.

The commission has 90 days within which to hold a referendum on receipt of the President’s message.

 

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Kenya says it will vaccinate 1.25 million before June 2021

Kenya’s Ministry of Health said that 1.25 million people will be vaccinated against Covid-19 before the end of June.

 

Mercy Mwangangi, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health said on Friday that the government has prioritized the vaccination that will start in February to June, Xinhua news agency reported on Saturday.

“The people to be covered in this period include frontline health workers and all staff working in health facilities both in public and private sector,” Mwangangi told journalists in Nairobi.

She noted that workers undertaking essential services in priority sectors like security and immigration will also be vaccinated during the period.

The official further revealed that 9.7 million Kenyans, including persons above 18 years of age with underlying health conditions will be vaccinated from July to June 2022.

“It is important to note that if vaccines become available sooner than expected and resources are available, the targets may change,” she added.

Mwangangi observed that the government is working towards a smooth introduction of the vaccine by ensuring that all logistical arrangements are in place for the expected delivery of vaccines before the end of February.

“Kenya has resolved to adopt a vaccine whose emergency use authorization has the approval of a stringent regulatory authority like the World Health Organization,” Mwangangi added.

She said that through Covid-19 vaccines global access facility (COVAX), Kenya will receive 24 million doses of vaccines and also procure 11 million doses from other mechanisms to vaccinate nearly 16 million people, about 30 per cent of the population, over a period of 18 months.

She added that the government has set up a safety monitoring system to investigate and take up immediate measures in consultation with the Pharmacy and Poison Board (PPB) in case of any reported adverse effects from the vaccine.

Mwangangi said that modelling teams are currently assessing the situation in all parts of the country to determine whether the country has flattened the Covid-19 infection curve.

“Our positivity rate has been fluctuating between three and 10 per cent in recent times,” she revealed, noting that the government has established vaccination infrastructure with central storage facilities in Nairobi for vaccines requiring cold chains of up to minus 20 Celsius and some limited capacity for minus 70 Celsius in the major urban areas.

Kenya has registered 100,563 positive cases since the outbreak of the disease in March 2020 after testing a cumulative figure of 1.177 million people as of Friday.

So far, 1,753 people have died from the disease while a total of 83,821 patients have recovered from the disease.

 

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Kenya asks Somalia not to drag it into internal issues

Nairobi says it is not arming any militia groups to attack Somalia

 

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya on Thursday urged Somalia to not drag the East African nation into its internal affairs.

Speaking to reporters in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, amid high tensions between the neighbors, government spokesman Cyrus Oguna said: “As a country we will not accept being drawn into the internal politics of Somalia. We are calling on all Somali leadership to desist from dragging Kenya into their domestic issues.”

He said: “As a people, we remain committed to peace in our region, and we shall continue to work towards achieving it. We are peace-loving people in a country governed by the rule of law and guided by the principle of non-interference.”

Saying Kenya will not meddle in the internal affairs of any country, he added: “We equally expect reciprocity. We will, however, continue to advocate for peace and stability in the region, and thus call for a total cessation of hostilities in Somalia in order to give peace a chance.”

Kenya told Somali leaders to create an environment that will facilitate the resolution of conflicts through dialogue.

He dismissed any talk of its arming any militia groups to attack Somalia, which has always been an allied nation.

The tension between Kenya and Somalia has its “genesis in domestic political activity in Somalia,” he said.

Despite the current tensions between the two countries, Oguna said Kenya will not stop helping Somalia regain peace by defeating al-Qaeda-affiliated al-Shabaab terrorists.

“We as a country have never spared any efforts in trying to find a lasting solution in that country. As a country we will continue to push for stability in that country because a stable Somalia is good for all of us in the region,” he explained.

According to Kenya, every day over 500 mothers and elderly people from Somalia cross into Kenya to seek medical services, 3,000 students cross every day to pursue education, and 8,000 individuals cross over to do business, and all have been affected by the heightened tensions.

Somalia, a Horn of Africa country, accused Kenya of supporting armed fighters who engaged Somali forces on Monday, a fight that claimed 11 lives.

Kenya, however, denied the allegations and said it wants the conflict to end.

 

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Kenya's Private Schools Resume

FILE - A student's temperature is measured by a staff member at Valley View Academy school in the Mathare slum in Nairobi, Kenya, Jan. 4, 2021, as students return to school following a nine-month closure ordered by the government in March.

John Kamande sells caskets out of a showroom in Kenya that, until last year, was full of young life.    

The building was a privately-run Nairobi kindergarten until July, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to close.    

"The corona pandemic is the one that made me to get this shop, because the school was closed, and there were no kids," Kamande said. 

Kenya's Private School Association says nearly 400 private schools were forced to close because of the pandemic, affecting 56,000 students. 

Now the buildings are being repurposed, as shops, storage facilities, businesses and residences. 

Twenty-nine-year-old Nassir Kirui taught math and science before his school closed, but stayed on as the property manager after the building was converted into rental housing.   

"I used to be a teacher here," he said. "But because of money, I lack money, that's why I asked to be the caretaker." 

While Kenya's schools opened this month for the first time since March, the impact of private school closures is likely to be felt for some time.    

"We have a very big supply gap in our country, and our population is growing — last census at about one million a year. So, we have a lot of work to do," said Mutheo Kasanga, national chair of the Kenya Private Schools Association. 

Kenya's government in September pledged about $64 million in support for private schools but is yet to make good on the promise.    

 

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Hundreds of protesting health workers sacked in Kenya

Thousands of health workers, who claim to be 'totally neglected' by gov't, on strike in Kenya for over a month

At least 500 health workers protesting for better working conditions in southeastern Kenya have been fired from their jobs, local media reported on Tuesday. 

The workers, including nurses and clinical officers, were sacked in Taita-Taveta County “after they declined to return to work” despite orders from government officials, according to daily The Nation.

The medics were among thousands protesting in the country over multiple issues, such as lack of protective gear during the COVID-19 crisis, and demanding improved work conditions, including health insurance.

The protests have now continued for over a month, seriously crippling Kenya's public health system and the country's fight against the pandemic.

Officials in Taita-Taveta told the protesting health workers that “the matter was being addressed at the national level” and issued them a show cause notice before dismissing them from their jobs, the report said.

“The public service board has already initiated the replacement process. We want normal operations in our health facilities to resume immediately,” John Mwakima, health executive for the county, told the newspaper.

“Our people are suffering. I have received many distress messages from residents who are unable to get treatment. That is why we are working to ensure that services resume by next week.”

Workers defiant

The Kenya National Union of Nurses (KNUN) has vowed to mount a legal challenge against the decision in Taita-Taveta.

In a statement on Tuesday, the union said Kenyan citizens who cannot afford treatment at private hospitals have been expose to “more sufferings” because nurses and other health workers in the public secort “have been totally neglected.”

“We advise our members to stay put as we await [the] signing of an agreement that will provide a permanent solution,” said KNUN, reiterating that its 23,000 members will not resume work until their grievances are addressed.

 

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Somalia stops diplomatic ties with Kenya with complaint of interference

Somalia President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmaajo. FILE PHOTO | NMG

Somalia on Tuesday morning announced it is cutting diplomatic ties with Kenya, in the latest escalation of a spat between the two, and following the invitation of Somaliland leader Muse Bihi to Nairobi.

Osman Dubbe, the Somali Minister for Information declared the news on national TV a few minutes to 2am in the morning, breaking tradition of countries making such pronouncements during the day.

Dubbe said Kenya had “constantly interfered” with Somalia’s internal affairs and that Nairobi was violating Somalia’s sovereignty.

He said Kenyan diplomats in Mogadishu will have seven days to leave the country. But this came just a week after Mogadishu actually expelled the Kenyan ambassador to Somalia, Lucas Tumbo, and recalled theirs to Nairobi, Mohamud Ahmed Tarzan, following a similar complaint of interference.

Somalia had also submitted a complaint to regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), to include the spat with Kenya during the upcoming virtual summit on Dec 20 on Tigray.

Kenya though, became the second country in a year after Guinea, with which Somalia has cut ties over the Somaliland issue.

Kenya hosts Bihi

But as Mogadishu moved in the night, Nairobi was hosting Bihi for bilateral talks with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Both sides on Monday said they had agreed on a number of issues and would continue discussions on Tuesday on business and security cooperation.

With the cutting of diplomatic ties, it means the Kenyan embassy in Mogadishu and Somalia’s mission in Nairobi will be shut and their officials sent back home. But both countries, based on Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, will remain obligated to offer visa and other travel and immigration services to nationals of each other.

In fact, each country will remain obligated to protect premises owned by either side on their host territories.

However, despite having legal obligations to protect citizens of each other, the actual protection of each other’s nationals may be granted to a third acceptable state.

It was unclear by Tuesday morning what will happen to military cooperation between Somalia and Kenya which has sent troops to the country under the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom). Legally, it is Amisom to make a decision about troop movements, but in consultation with the UN and troop contributing countries.

About 350,000 Somali refugees also live in Kenya, most of them in camps in Dadaab and Kakuma. Kenya will have to continue protecting them, under the international humanitarian law.

What may be exposed, however, are the properties owned by Somalia businesses and politicians in Nairobi.

Officials in the Kenyan capital said on Tuesday morning they had not yet received any formal communication from Mogadishu on the severing of ties.

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Kibiwott Kandie smashes half marathon world record, a Kenyan double in Valencia marathon

All top four finishers in the half marathon managed to beat the previous mark of 58:01 set by Geoffrey Kamworor last year. Evans Chebet and Peres Jepchirchir win the men and women's marathon in course records.

Kibiwott Kandie led Jacob Kiplimo home in world record time to win the Valencia Half Marathon on Sunday in a reverse of the World Championship result from October.

Kandie, Kiplimo, Rhonex Kipruto, and Alexander Mutiso all finished the race in under 58 minutes, bettering the existing record of 58:01 set by Geoffrey Kamworor in Copenhagen in September 2019.

Kenya's Kandie finished in 57:32, taking more than a minute off his previous personal record of 58:37. Ugandan Kiplimo and Kandie's compatriot Mutiso also lowered their own personal bests by similar margins, while it was Kipruto's debut over the distance.

🔝 🥇 RÉCORD DEL MUNDO para Kibiwott Kandie en el medio maratón. #VamosMaratónValencia pic.twitter.com/7K60QKESH8

— #Vamos de Movistar+ (@vamos) December 6, 2020

 The new record is subject to World Athletics' usual ratification processes.

It is the fourth time Kandie has run sub-59 minutes this year, having also done so at the Ras Al Khaimah, Prague, and Gdynia half marathons.

Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia won the women's race in a course record one hour, five minutes 18 seconds, missing the women's world record in a mixed race (1:04.31) currently held by Ababel Yeshaneh who set it in RAK earlier this year.

It was Dibaba's first race in 16 months, since last August, and her debut over the half marathon distance.

Kenyan double in the marathon

Kenya’s Evans Chebet sprinted past compatriot Lawrence Cherono in the home stretch to win the Valencia marathon in a course record of 2:03:00.

The men’s race was a close one with Chebet and Cherono going head to head in the final kilometre after dropping Ethiopia’s Birhanu Legese, the 2019 Tokyo marathon champion.

This was the first big marathon win for the 32-year-old Chebet that moves him to sixth in the men’s marathon all-time list.

Chebet’s victory also ensured that a Kenyan topped the podium again for the 18th time in the last 40 editions of the Valencia Marathon.

“I am happy because I have run my personal best here," said Chebet after the race.

"I know this course very well. I am happy because it’s my first major win and in a course record,” said the Kenyan who finished 28th at the Rio 2016 marathon, delighted and hopeful that his top finish could impress Athletics Kenya selectors for the Tokyo Olympics.

 

Evans Chebet of Kenya won the Men’s Marathon in Valencia with a course Record.

The reigning Boston and Chicago Marathon champion Cherono who had a slight stumble in the last bend clocked 2:03:04 for second, in his third big marathon in the last 18 months.

Legese finished third in 2:03:16, in the race that saw eight of the top 10 finishers record personal bests.

Cherono, 32, was named by Athletics Kenya in Kenya’s provisional Tokyo Olympics marathon team alongside the Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and World Championships marathon bronze medalist Amos Kipruto.

Double Olympian Ayad Lamdassem set a Spanish men's marathon record of 2:06:35 that qualifies him for the Games in Tokyo.

🔴 RÉCORD DE ESPAÑA 🔴

Ayad Lamdassem 2h06:35 #42KValencia #EActíVate pic.twitter.com/qJIOXtL9mc

— Maratón Valencia (@maratonvalencia) December 6, 2020

 

 

Just seven weeks after winning the World Half Marathon title in a world record, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya won the women’s race in 2:17:16, also a course record.

“It’s unbelievable,“ said Jepchirchir, a double world half marathon gold medallist.

It was the perfect ending of the season for Jepchirchir who holds the world record for the women-only of 1:05:16 from her winning run in Poland on 17 October.

In Gdynia she improved her own 21km world mark from the previous month set in Prague, and is now the fifth fastest women marathoner.

 

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya wins the Women’s Marathon in Valencia with a Course Record.

It was another 1-2 finish for Kenya as Joyciline Jepkosgei clocked 2:18:40 for second ahead of third placed Namibian record holder Helalia Johannes, the 2019 World Championships bronze medallist. Johannes crossed the line in 2:19:52.

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Scientists are worried a second wave of Covid-19 infections is starting in Kenya and South Africa

 Protecting school children in Kenya.

Many African countries have been widely praised for their effective response to curbing the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Countries in the continent had from the onset of the pandemic implemented social distancing measures to control the spread of the virus and had from around August been reporting a decline in daily cases and deaths.

Against expectations, Africa has so far recorded a far lower tally of Covid-19 cases and deaths compared to Europe, Asia, the Americas, or the Middle East. The continent which accounts for about 18% of the global population, only accounts for about 3.2% of Covid-19 cases and 2.5% of deaths by the diseases globally.

But in recent weeks, there has been a resurgence in new cases and deaths in the continent.

As the US and European countries report a resurgence of cases in what is being referred to as the “second wave,” the resurgence of cases in some African countries is viewed as the potential beginning of a second wave across the continent.

There has been a resurgence in Egypt, DR Congo, and South Africa that may be the beginning of a second wave, but in Kenya, the picture looks different. Kenya appears to be fully experiencing a second wave. Over 1,500 new cases were reported in November surpassing those recorded (less than 1000 cases) during the worst time of the pandemic in the country before a decline in August.

Kenya has now topped 85,000 Covid-19 cases and nearly 1500 deaths including 31 health workers.  It has lost nine doctors, four who died in November. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union threatened a national strike from this weekend (Dec. 6) if the government did not provide protective equipment and medical insurance for its members, and compensation for health workers who die from Covid-19.

Kenya appears to be experiencing a second wave of Covid-19 cases *as of Dec. 3

 

Professor Kevin Marsh, a senior advisor and co-lead of the Covid-19 team at the African Academy of Sciences says calling these resurgences in Kenya and South Africa, a second wave depends on how one defines it.

“There is certainly a rise in cases and deaths in both countries following an initial drop. In Kenya, it is not clear if this is a genuine rise in transmission or whether it reflects cases from further afield coming into urban centers following the relaxation of restrictions on movement,” he says.

South Africa, which has reported the highest cases and deaths in Africa due to risk factors such as an older population and a high rate of HIV and tuberculosis infections, had been able to drastically reduced the number of daily cases and death. However, in the recent week alone, the number of new cases has increased from around 2000 to over 4000.

“It looks like there is a resurgence or an increase in the number of infections as compared to a few weeks ago,” says professor Glenda Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC). “This uptick could be the beginning of a new surge. The next peak will depend on interventions implemented to try and reduce community transmission.”

Gray says there is a discrepancy between the number of deaths that were expected by this time this year in South Africa and what is being observed. That is, there are more deaths in the country due to Covid-19 than is expected.

She says this could be due to under-reporting of COVID-19 in death certificates, people dying of Covid-19 without a diagnosis, and collateral deaths from diseases such as HIV and Tuberculosis at home.

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UK increases efforts in tackling climate change in Kenya

The UK has launched a Climate Changemakers photography competition to spur Kenyan voices to share what climate change means to them.

The UK is stepping up to drive climate action in Kenya, British High Commissioner Jane Marriott announced today. During a visit to Lake Baringo, she reaffirmed that the UK is doubling its commitment to providing international climate finance by KES 1.7 trillion over the next 5 years.

During the visit, High Commissioner Jane Marriott met with businesses, schools and community leaders affected by the rise of Lake Baringo. The lake has risen by over 42 inches since May, impacting jobs, education and health services. The UK is committed to tackling climate change in Kenya, and the related issues that have driven the flooding.

As shown by Lake Baringo, the impacts of climate change are being felt all over Kenya, but these effects are felt the most by the communities directly impacted. Next year the UK will host the global climate change talks, and today Ms Marriott launched a new initiative inviting Kenyans to submit their photographs depicting how climate change is affecting the country.

Photographs can portray the very real challenges people face in Kenya. Winning photographs will cover the following categories: nature based solutions to climate change, climate technology and innovation, and adapting to climate change in the community.

Speaking on the shores of Lake Baringo, British High Commissioner to Kenya Jane Marriott said:

Climate change is already a daily reality for people across Kenya. Vulnerable communities that rely on their natural environment for survival are most at risk, least able to prepare and hardest hit. The UK will provide a platform for Kenyan voices and experiences in the run up to the climate change conference next year in the UK, to build a brighter, greener, future.

Vice President of the World Resources Institute and Friend of COP26 Wanjira Mathai said:

Without support to locally led measures to adapt to climate impacts and increase the resilience of economic activities, communities will sink further into poverty and hopelessness. The need for urgent climate action is clear. We need to re-set our relationship with nature and through our collective action reverse the damage we have done to mother earth.

The initiative comes during a Year of Climate Action in Kenya, a partnership to celebrate the leadership that Kenya has shown in areas such as climate policy, clean energy, and green finance.

Edouard Wenseleers, Globeleq’s Business Development Director for East Africa said:

Globeleq’s mission is to power Africa’s growth. As a responsible investor and power producer, Globeleq is committed to grow its business in a manner that is sustainable and respectful of the environment and the communities. Our Malindi Solar project in Kenya is a testimony of that commitment and we are delighted to sponsor the ‘Climate Changemakers Photography Competition’ launched by the British High Commission in Nairobi.

Last month, the UK announced a KES 1.2 billion (£8m) package of UK initiatives to support climate action in Kenya and Africa.

The UK is also backing new pioneering satellite projects that will apply British expertise to tackling development problems in Kenya. UK academics will work on data solutions to manage natural resources and protecting wildlife. In Kenya, these projects will protect biodiversity, and increase climate change resilience:

Sat4Wildlife - to protect wildlife habitats in Kenya, using innovative sensing and monitoring technologies to boost the capacity of conservationists, including Ol Pejeta Conservancy to tackle threats to people and wildlife.

gEOthermalKenya - working with Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority to support the sustainable growth of the geothermal sector, through a combination of satellite data insights and community consultations

Earth Observation for Sustainable Aggregate Supply - supporting sustainable management of sand resources

The competition is open from Friday, 4 December 2020 and will close at midnight Sunday, 31 January 2021. Winners will be notified on Wangari Maathai Day on 3 March 2021

Notes to editors:

The photography competition, sponsored by Globeleq, will see up to three Kenyans win KES 200,000 each and a chance to visit and photograph the Globeleq Malindi Solar project once in operation

Winners will be selected by a panel comprising of the British High Commissioner to Kenya, Jane Marriott, the Principal Secretary Ministry of Environment and Forestry Dr. Chris Kiptoo, Vice President and Regional Director for Africa, World Resources Institute, Wanjira Mathai and a representative from the competition sponsor, Globeleq

The Terms and Conditions can be found here Terms and Conditions (ODT, 19.9KB)

The recent 1.2 billion KES package of UK support to tackle climate change in Africa includes:

The UK PACT Green Recovery Challenge Fund programme to Kenya and other countries with KES 770 million (£5.3m) available to support low-carbon transitions through clean energy and nature-based solutions;

A new UK funded partnership between Cambridge University, the Eastern & Southern African Management Institute, the International Institute for Environment and Development and FSD Africa to build capacity to access climate finance across Africa;

UK support to the FlipFlopi Project, in partnership with UNEP, to combat plastic waste and water pollution in Kenya and Lake Victoria, and work by BBC Media Action to train and mentor journalists to report on pollution issues and local solutions including recycling

 

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Kenya leads world's tourism destination amid pandemic

The award comes barely three weeks after Kenya scooped top continental awards.

 

Tourism

Kenya has once again been named the World’s Leading Safari Destination by World Travel Awards , further cementing her position as the global champion.

This announcement was made during the 27th Annual World Travel Awards Grand Final 2020, held to celebrate excellence across all sectors of the global travel and tourism industry.

This is the 7th time in the past 8 years and 6th time in a row that Kenya has won the prestigious award at the annual global awards.

This is after having won the award in 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Kenya Tourism Board Chairman, Jimi Kariuki lauded the win as yet another milestone for Kenya’s tourism industry adding that it was testament to the country’s superior offering of the Safari experience.

“This victory is an endorsement of the destination known as home of authentic African Safari. Without a doubt this is a well-deserved win, and we can only get better," he said.

"We shall continue with our commitment towards preserving the unique wildlife heritage bestowed to our country for the sake of generations to come."

Kariuki added that the recognition meant a lot especially in 2020 when global tourism has been hampered by the global Covid-19 Pandemic.

“Globally Kenya is acknowledged as one of the best in tourism offering. As we head into the new year, ours will be to build on this to ensure that Kenya’s tourism Industry recovers even better than it was before” he said.

KTB CEO, Betty Radier welcomed the news saying that it came at the right time when the country was seeking to bounce back to life.

She said the awards had been integral in cementing the destination’s top position in global tourism.

“This is yet another great achievement for the destination this year because it provides a great sense of optimism of the industry. These awards will be important because they will help us in profiling the destination going forward. This is also a motivator for us to keep on improving our offerings in other areas like Beach and experiences,’’ she said.

The award comes barely three weeks after Kenya scooped top continental awards in the inaugural Africa Winners Day, at the World Travel Awards.

This included being named Africa’s Leading Tourist Destination with Nairobi being voted as Africa’s Leading Business Travel Destination. KTB prevailed as Africa’s Leading Tourism Board.

Earlier, Kenya also scooped the award for Africa’s Best Golfing Destination during the 7th Annual World Golf Awards held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Kenya prides in having best safari destinations such the World famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Park, the Tsavo East and West National Parks, Lake Nakuru National Park as well as Nairobi National Park- the only national park in the world within a Capital city.

 

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Kenyans arrested at airport with 'fake' Covid certificates

File photograph of Jomo Kenyatta international airport in Nairobi, Kenya

Officials have arrested 21 people accused of attempting to use fake "Covid-free certificates" to travel from Kenya to the United Arab Emirates.

It came after the UAE issued a visa ban on Kenyans, allegedly after visitors were found using forged certificates.

The suspects are due to appear in court later on Friday, according to local media.

Coronavirus cases are rising in Kenya and on Thursday it tightened restrictions on public gatherings.

Earlier this week, the UAE decided to stop giving visas to citizens of 13 countries, including Kenya, Somalia, Libya, Tunisia and Algeria.

 

The 21 travellers were attempting to fly to Dubai when they were apprehended at the main airport in Kenyan capital Nairobi on Thursday.

They are accused of using forged medical documents that certified they tested negative for coronavirus in advance of travel.

On another recent flight, from Nairobi to Dubai, about 100 Kenyans were reportedly found with similar falsified documents and half later tested positive at the airport, according to Kenyan website Nairobi news.

Kenya has recorded 80,102 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 1,427 deaths since the pandemic began. On Thursday a further 780 infections were reported, according to the Kenyan health ministry.

New restrictions on public gatherings were introduced on Thursday. The number of guests allowed to attend weddings has been reduced to 50 and no more than 100 mourners may attend a funeral.

Meanwhile church services are now limited to a maximum of 90 minutes.

 

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KENYA: Security Guard Shot Dead During Mountain Mall Robbery

NAIROBI, Kenya, - A security guard was on Sunday night - November 22, shot dead during a robbery incident at a supermarket in Mountain Mall on Thika Superhighway.

According to witnesses, the guard had confronted armed thugs, who then opened fire on him in the head and chest.

“Two were pretending to be shoppers but they were actually on a surveillance mission,” a senior detective told Capital FM News of the raid by four thugs.

The incident occurred at about 9pm as the supermarket was preparing to close.

Witnesses said the thugs escaped with a briefcase stashed with cash of unknown amount.

“They went with a briefcase full of cash,” a witness said.

 

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Coronavirus: Kenyan student happy to be home from China

By ELIZABETH MERAB

He has completed a 14-day quarantine after two-month lockdown in Asia.

Bernard Muthuri has been on self-seclusion since February 23, 2020. PHOTO | COURTESY 

When Bernard Muthuri boarded the Ethiopian Airways flight ET318 to Nairobi three weeks ago, he had no idea what was awaiting him.

In the wee hours of the morning, Mr Muthuri started his journey home from Xi’an city, China.

Eight hours later, with an hour’s layover at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, he landed at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) on February 23 at 10.25 am.

After a two-month lockdown in his hostel room at Changan University, the mechanical engineer was relieved to finally be home albeit Sh65,546 poorer.

Many Chinese cities have been quarantined following the outbreak of Covid-19.

Self-quarantine is increasingly being used across the world to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

But being home, yet still isolated, felt like eternity for Mr Muthuri. His mother had bought him enough food to prepare his own meals.

“It was like hell. Some family members wanted to forcibly see me. I remember there’s a day my uncle came home drunk and almost broke into my room, saying he doesn’t fear the virus.

“But my parents kept encouraging and praying for me until Monday when I completed my 14 days of isolation,” Mr Muthuri said.

His seclusion started a day after he left JKIA with his brother.

He believes Kenya has insufficient personnel and ways of dealing with the epidemic.

“Therefore, I made a personal decision not to expose anyone to coronavirus,” he said.

With three other Kenyan students who were on the same flight, they were required to minimise contact with other people and take precautions like washing their hands regularly, wearing masks, avoiding crowded places and minimising the use of public transport.

“Before leaving [China], we were asked to sign a consent form stating that we were in good health and that our temperatures were normal and had no fever,” he said.

The consent form seen by the Nation requires students to undertake protective measures and isolate themselves for two weeks upon returning to their countries.

“International students from Chang’an University should understand and abide by the following contents,” the consent form reads in part.

When Mr Muthuri landed, his brother picked him up at the airport. He shared his masks and sanitisers with him to reduce chances of infection.

Towards the end of his self-isolation, the 28-year-old ran out of masks. He relied on phone calls and text messages whenever he needed something.

“There’s a day I had a normal cold, which made me think that I had contracted the virus. So you can imagine my relief when the cold disappeared after two days,” he said.

When a China Southern Airlines flight landed in Nairobi two weeks ago with 239 people, it triggered outrage among Kenyans, compelling the government to state that passengers would be under self-quarantine.

However, Mr Muthuri said no health official has contacted him to follow-up on his condition. “Apart from my academic supervisor, who is Chinese, no one else has contacted me.”

When he completed his isolation, Mr Muthuri was eager to meet his immediate family and relatives.

“It felt like I was being released from prison. My family held a thanksgiving party for me to thank God for bringing me back home safely.”

For Mr Muthuri, who had been locked up in his hostel room for about two months before flying back home, 14 days was a small sacrifice.

“I was already used to staying locked up so it wasn’t a strange experience for me.

“The only difference is that I was home.”

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Kenya-Somali row: Will the Peace last?

By Basillioh Mutahi

Somali's national army battled Jubbaland forces at the border with Kenya

Hundreds of residents of Mandera in north-eastern Kenya near Somalia have fled the area in the aftermath of clashes between warring troops across the border.

This comes a day after the Kenyan and Somali presidents spoke by phone and agreed to resolve the escalating tensions between the two countries.

President Uhuru Kenyatta and his counterpart Mohamed Abdullahi "Farmaajo" spoke on Thursday, after the Kenyan leader accused Somalia of an "unwarranted attack" on its territory.

The Kenyan president was referring to clashes between Somali government forces and its regional troops in Bula Hawa, which spilled across the border into Mandera.

He warned Somalia to stop provoking Kenya by violating its territorial integrity, saying the Somali army had fought on Kenyan land, creating tension and harassing residents.

A week ago, Somalia accused Kenya of meddling in its internal affairs and warned it to stop its encroachment in the border areas. Kenya denied the claims as "baseless and invalid".

The two leaders have now agreed to work together to improve border security, and form two committees drawn from both countries to look into strengthening diplomatic and trade relations.

According to a statement from Somalia's presidential team, the committees would also look into strengthening diplomatic and trade relations.

Will the calm last?

Dr Hassan Khannenje, the director of the the Horn International Institute of Strategic Studies in Nairobi, says while the call was an attempt to de-escalate the situation, the calm is unlikely to last.

The leaders of Somalia and Kenya agreed to resolve tensions between the two countries

Dr Khannenje says that while the situation may calm down for now, it could blow up again at any time, especially because of the ongoing maritime boundary dispute.

He also says the fundamental political issues in Somalia, including the al-Shabab question, will not be resolved any time soon.

In the meantime, tension remains high along the border, with the warring troops still present.

So what are the issues that have soured Somalia's relations with Kenya in recent times?

The maritime dispute

The two countries have been locked in a long-running dispute over sovereignty of an oil-rich area in the Indian Ocean, 

Both countries claim the area - thought to contain large deposits of oil and gas.

Kenya has argued the sea border should be drawn parallel to the line of latitude, while Somalia saying it should be extended in the same direction as its land border.

The two were unable to settle the matter out of court, ultimately referring the matter to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which Mr Mohamed insisted should be the ultimate arbiter.

Kenya had favoured a negotiated settlement, arguing the court system would not address the political issues around the case.

The international court is expected to rule on the maritime dispute in June.

The al-Shabab threat

The political and security situation in Somalia has also played a role in escalating the diplomatic row between the two countries.

Somalia has experienced almost constant conflict since the collapse of its central government in 1991. 

The government in Mogadishu has been unable to exert much control over the regional governments, which run almost autonomously.

Al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, remains active in many rural areas.

Kenya is one of several countries to have deployed troops as part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom), which is helping the Somali government battle al-Shabab.

But al-Shabab continues to carry out attacks in both the country and its neighbours, including Kenya.

At least 80 people died in a bomb blast in December in Mogadishu and there have been other deadly attacks since then.

The Somali government has been accused of spending too much on disputes with regional governments in Jubbaland, Puntland, South West and Galmudug, rather than tackling the threat from al-Shabab.

Who does Kenya support in Somalia?

Kenya backs the administration of Ahmed Mohamed Islam better known as "Madobe" in Jubbaland, because of its own security and regional interests.

Kenya has its troops under Amisom deployed in Jubbaland together with Ethiopia, and has been keen to have the region, which stretches right along its 700km- (430 mile) border with Somalia, as a buffer zone against al-Shabab.

Kenya supports the administration of Ahmed "Madobe" in Jubbaland

Last year, Mr Madobe was supported by Kenya to win his election bid as the regional president, against opposition from President Mohamed and Ethiopia.

The Somali government then imposed air travel restrictions between Kismayo, Jubbaland's biggest city, and Mogadishu, which badly affected business in the state, as ground transport is unsafe because of al-Shabab.

Somalia's leader has a close interest in who is in power in the states, as they determine the people who pick the MPs from the state, who in turn elect the president.

This may change as Mr Mohamed recently signed a historic law that paves the way for the country to hold its first one-person-one vote election in half a century, although this may not be possible in all areas because of the security situation.

The wanted minister

The latest clashes in Mandera come against a background of simmering tensions between the two countries.

In the latest incident, Somalia accused Kenya of harbouring Jubbaland security minister Abdirashid Janan Hassan Abdinur, who is said to have escaped from a Mogadishu prison on 28 January. 

The regional minister, who is accused of committing grave human rights violations and killing civilians in Gedo, Somalia, had been in detention for four months awaiting trial.

Many residents of Mandera have fled the area after the attack

Amnesty International had asked Kenyan authorities to "immediately arrest and hand him over to the Federal Government of Somalia".

Amnesty also accused the Jubbaland administration of shielding him from facing justice.

"The Jubaland administration, including President Ahmed Mohamed Islam, who has repeatedly called for Abdirashid's release from detention, must desist from shielding him from facing justice upon his return," it said. 

So this week the Somali government deployed contingents of troops from Mogadishu at the border near Mandera town in Kenya, where the minister was said to be hiding.

It prompted the face-off with a militia group loyal to the minister and Jubbaland troops who were protecting him.

For now, the presidential phone call seems to have de-escalated the situation.

But it is far from clear whether it has resolved the many outstanding issues between the two neighbours.

Source: BBC Kenya 

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