<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="534" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-27T072128Z_1_LYNXMPEI0Q08H_RTROPTP_3_CLIMATE-UN.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414898" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-27T072128Z_1_LYNXMPEI0Q08H_RTROPTP_3_CLIMATE-UN.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-27T072128Z_1_LYNXMPEI0Q08H_RTROPTP_3_CLIMATE-UN-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-27T072128Z_1_LYNXMPEI0Q08H_RTROPTP_3_CLIMATE-UN-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-01-27T072128Z_1_LYNXMPEI0Q08H_RTROPTP_3_CLIMATE-UN-768x513.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Malawi&#8217;s President Lazarus Chakwera speaks during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland, Britain, November 1, 2021. REUTERS/Yves Herman/Pool</figcaption></figure>



BLANTYRE, Jan 27 (Reuters) &#8211; Malawi&#8217;s President Lazarus Chakwera has appointed several new ministers in a rejigged cabinet, a statement from his office showed, after the old cabinet was dissolved over corruption scandals.



Chakwera dissolved his entire cabinet this week, saying some ministers as well as other public officials had to account for graft accusations made against them.



In the new cabinet of the southern African country Samuel Kawale was made lands minister, Vera Kamtukule labour minister and Mark Phiri trade and industry minister. Abida Mia was given the water and sanitation portfolio.



Chakwera&#8217;s office said more appointments would be made soon.



In a separate statement, Chakwera declared a state of disaster over tropical storm Ana, which caused heavy rains and flooding in the south of the country and triggered major power cuts.



The disaster department said the death toll from the storm, which made landfall in Mozambique on Monday before moving inland, had risen from four to 11 and that more than 200,000 people had been affected. In Mozambique the death toll rose from eight to 18 people, according to the country&#8217;s disaster institute. 



This is a developing story&#8230;



(Reporting by Frank Phiri in Blantyre Additional reporting by Manuel Mucari in Maputo Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Toby Chopra)

COP26 in Glasgow

Malawi president rejigs cabinet after corruption scandals

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="496" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-820x496.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414870" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-820x496.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-300x181.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-149x90.jpg 149w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-768x464.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU-1536x929.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/F4RUOVIICZLT7GX2UZRM4K6IZU.jpg 1917w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni speaks during a Reuters interview at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi district, Uganda December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa</figcaption></figure>



KISOZI, Uganda, Jan 26 (Reuters) &#8211; Uganda wants to curb its borrowing and boost exports in sectors such as meat and dairy as the East African country lifts restrictions triggered by the coronavirus pandemic, President Yoweri Museveni and government officials told Reuters.



Uganda&#8217;s trade push follows several years of reduced Chinese lending to the continent and as programmes designed to offer relief to indebted countries as they recover from COVID 19-induced slumps start to expire.



&#8220;Uganda can do much better without borrowing in my opinion. Especially borrowing for &#8230; budget support, balance of payments support,&#8221; Museveni said, speaking to Reuters in a tent on his private farm as a large herd of his Acholi cows wandered past.



Museveni said he wanted to expand the country&#8217;s meat, leather and dairy trade and add value to other agricultural exports such coffee, which has long been one of Uganda&#8217;s main foreign exchange earners.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/western-companies-are-blind-to-ugandan-investments-president-museveni/">Western companies are blind to Ugandan investments – President Museveni</a></h3>



&#8220;We don&#8217;t import milk, we don&#8217;t import beef, we have now built a leather industry for the shoes,&#8221; Museveni said, using a stick to gently poke back the head of one inquisitive cow taking a peek inside the tent.



In 2009, Uganda produced nearly 700 million litres of milk and there was only one other major dairy company apart from the state-owned Dairy Corporation.



Now, thanks to improved feed, training and investment in 14 private dairy companies, the Ugandan Dairy Development Authority says the country produced 2.81 bln litres last year.



Odrek Rwabwogo, Museveni&#8217;s son-in-law, a businessman and senior presidential adviser, said Uganda &#8220;only consumes about 800 million litres and is looking for markets for the excess&#8221;.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-debt-cancellation">DEBT CANCELLATION</h2>



Museveni wants to expand regional trade, but many barriers remain despite there being a free trade agreement in the region.



Uganda used to sell lots of milk to neighbour Kenya, but Kenya restricted sales in 2019 and Uganda&#8217;s milk exports are now 50% of what they used to be before the curbs.



Uganda says the restrictions were imposed due to concern about cheap imports despite the regional free trade treaty. Kenyan trade officials did not return calls seeking comment.



Uganda has also recently begun exporting meat to Democratic Republic of Congo and China, Rwabwogo said, and wants to partner with the European Union, Britain or other potential importers to ensure import quality standards could be met.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/uganda-tests-drones-to-speed-up-delivery-of-hiv-medicine/">Uganda tests drones to speed up delivery of HIV medicine</a></h3>



Museveni reiterated that he would like rich creditors to cancel debts from African nations recovering from the economic fallout of the pandemic.



&#8220;I don&#8217;t think it is good Christianity or even good economics to impoverish your customer. Economics and morality point in the direction of debt cancellation,&#8221; he said.



Uganda&#8217;s total public debt jumped 27.4% to $19.5 billion by June 2021 from $15.3 billion a year before, most of it to build big infrastructure projects, said Finance Ministry spokesman Apollo Munghinda. About $12.4 billion of that is external debt.



As of June 2021, Uganda&#8217;s public debt stood at 47% of gross domestic product (GDP), up from 41% a year earlier, and is expected to hit 53% of GDP in June 2022. 



(Editing by David Clarke)

Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni speaks during a Reuters interview at the National Leadership Institute in Kyankwanzi district

Uganda’s president seeks to boost trade and rein in borrowing

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="800" height="544" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/download-31.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414823" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/download-31.jpg 800w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/download-31-300x204.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/download-31-132x90.jpg 132w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/download-31-768x522.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Malawi&#8217;s President Peter Mutharika addresses guests during his inauguration ceremony in Blantyre, Malawi, May 31, 2019.REUTERS/Eldson Chagara/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



BLANTYRE, Jan 24 (Reuters) &#8211; Malawi&#8217;s President Lazarus Chakwera has dissolved the country&#8217;s entire cabinet on charges of corruption against three serving ministers, he said in an address to the nation late on Monday.



President Chakwera said that he had taken the decision to allow the three ministers and other public officers accused of corruption to account for their charges.



The three cabinet ministers include the Lands Minister Kezzie Msukwa, who is accused of benefitting from land deals involving a UK-based Malawian businessman, Labour Minister Ken Kandodo accused of diverting COVID-19 funds and Energy Minister Newton Kambala accused of meddling in the awarding of fuel import deals.



Malawi is one of the world&#8217;s poorest countries, with nearly three-quarters of the population living on less than $2 a day.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-nigeria-s-2022-budget-has-no-provision-for-6-bln-transport-subsidy-lawmaker-says">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2019/malawians-head-to-the-polls-analysts-expect-tight-race/">Nigeria’s 2022 budget has no provision for $6 bln transport subsidy, lawmaker says</a></h3>



The Southern African nation is amongst the smallest countries in the continent hit hard by floods, prolonged dry spells, crop-destroying pests and the coronavirus pandemic, leaving 15% of the population in need of food aid.



Though small in size, it features in the top ten in Africa in terms of population density.



Chakwera, who is also the head of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the country&#8217;s oldest and the biggest in the ruling Tonse Alliance, said he would look to reinstate a new cabinet in the next 48 hours.



He had been facing increasing rebellion from within the coalition with many of its members accusing his party of corruption, nepotism and pushing the country to the brink of an economic crisis.



The President&#8217;s decision come close on the heels of the arrest of three former officials of the former ruling party Democratic Progressive Party, which inlcuded the former finance minister and central bank governor, touted to be his prime challengers for the election scheduled in 2025.



(Reporting by Frank Phiri in Blantyre Writing by Promit Mukherjee Editing by Chris Reese)

download-31

Malawian President dissolves cabinet on corruption row

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414305" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LUSAKA, Jan 21 (Reuters) &#8211; Zambia&#8217;s finance minister Situmbeko Musokotwane said on Friday he expected the country to reach full agreement with the International Monetary Fund in the middle of this year, after reaching a staff-level agreement for a $1.4 billion support plan in December.



&#8220;We are well on the way of solving this issue of unsustainable debt. We expect full agreement with the IMF sometime in the middle of 2022,&#8221; Musokotwane said at a meeting with bankers. 



This is a developing story&#8230;



(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Writing by Emma Rumney; Editing by Alex Richardson)

BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4

Zambia expects full agreement with IMF on $1.4 bln support plan in mid-2022 – finmin

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="471" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E-820x471.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414531" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E-820x471.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E-300x172.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E-157x90.jpg 157w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E-768x441.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A Diesel Mobile Unit (DMU) train of the Nairobi Commuter Rail Service (NCRS) operated by the Kenya Railway Corporation (KRC) from Embakasi to Nairobi leaves the Donholm station in Nairobi, Kenya January 11, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Jan 11 (Reuters) &#8211; Power supply has been restored in most parts of Kenya, which earlier experienced a nationwide outage after a high voltage transmission line connecting the capital broke, state-controlled utility Kenya Power said on Tuesday.



Kenya Power reported a blackout occurred at 0745 GMT, after towers supporting a high voltage power line connecting the capital to the Kiambere hydroelectric dam had collapsed.



A company spokesperson confirmed the outage was nationwide.



It said in a statement on its Twitter account that as of 1114 GMT, power had been restored in Nairobi, West Kenya, North and Central Rift and South Nyanza.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-africa-s-eskom-to-increase-power-cuts-as-more-coal-units-down">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2020/south-africas-eskom-implements-first-power-outages-in-months/">South Africa’s Eskom to increase power cuts as more coal units down</a></h3>



&#8220;We are working to restore supply to the remaining areas affected by the outage,&#8221; Kenya Power said.



Kenya Power is the country&#8217;s sole electricity distributor and the bulk of its power comes from Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).



In May 2020, Kenya experienced a similar nationwide outage after a section of a high voltage power line that transmits power to Nairobi from the Olkaria geothermal power plants, some 75 km (45 miles) from Nairobi, broke.



In late December, a section of another transmission line known as Loyaingalani-Suswa, collapsed, knocking out some power supply and leading to power rationing in some parts of the country while it was being repaired. 



(Reporting by George Obulutsa; editing by Jason Neely)

QJTCMTSTVFNDVPVTCT3NOUA36E

Electricity supply restored in most of Kenya after nationwide blackout -Kenya Power

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="527" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE-820x527.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414351" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE-820x527.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE-300x193.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE-140x90.jpg 140w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE-768x494.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A health-worker talks to civilians before administering the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine at a makeshift tent as the government orders for proof of vaccination to access public places and transport, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya December 23, 2021. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Dec 23 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya&#8217;s sudden decision to demand proof of vaccination to access public places and transport was met by a combination of bemusement, dismissal and the occasional spot of enforcement on Thursday as people headed home for Christmas.



Bus crews in the capital did not ask for vaccine certificates, but insisted passengers wore masks and sanitised their hands.



&#8220;We haven&#8217;t reached the stage of asking passengers to prove they are vaccinated. Maybe we may start next year,&#8221; said bus driver Peter Wangari.



The announcement late on Wednesday caught many by surprise but comes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Test positivity rates on Thursday were 32.5%, compared to 0.7% on Nov. 21 when the edict was announced, the health ministry said.



The ministry had earlier said proof of vaccination would be required by Dec. 21 to access schools, transport, state offices, hotels, bars, restaurants, national parks and wildlife reserves.



But a court then halted the rule amid uncertainty over who would police it or what to do about people unable to access vaccines. The order remains in force despite the latest government announcement.



At the upscale Westgate mall, customers entered freely and only one of its half a dozen restaurants enforced the edict.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth/">IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth</a></h3>



Eight people stood outside Artcaffe as a woman in a black uniform and a sky blue facemask requested vaccine certificates. Six would-be customers left in frustration. The woman said around half their customers had been turned away.



&#8220;We started because the government expects us to do this although we get backlash from our customers who don&#8217;t want to show their certificates,&#8221; manager Joyce Imbaya told Reuters. &#8220;It&#8217;s ok, we will lose some customers but in the long term we want our customers to be safe.&#8221;



Around 9.2 million Kenyans are vaccinated, of whom 3.7 million are fully vaccinated.



On Thursday around 20 people stood outside a tented vaccination site downtown on Thursday. Many said they already planned to be vaccinated, but a few said they did it to avoid any travel problems.



&#8220;Tomorrow, I am travelling home. I was told if I was not going to take the jab, then I&#8217;m not going to be allowed to travel,&#8221; businessman Peter Juma Amboka told Reuters.



On Thursday the chief of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expressed concern that holiday travel could fuel the spike.



&#8220;The fourth wave, and potentially the fifth wave, is starting just before we go into the holiday season, and that is very concerning,&#8221; director John Nkengasong told a briefing. 



(Reporting by George Obulutsa, Katharine Houreld; additional reporting by James Macharia Chege in Johannesburg and Monicah Mwangi in Nairobi; editing by Giles Elgood)

OEMMSQARUNNAFAYH3R63D5RPVE

New COVID-19 vaccine rule catches many Kenyans by surprise

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414305" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, Dec 21 (Reuters) &#8211; The International Monetary Fund will start discussions next month on an extended credit facility with Mozambique, the fund said on Tuesday, its first potential programme with the country since suspending support in 2016.



That year Mozambique unveiled hefty state-backed borrowing it had previously failed to disclose, in a $2-billion corruption scandal that prompted donors to cut off aid and sparked a currency collapse and debt crisis.



Since then the IMF has delivered some targeted aid to help Mozambique recover from natural disasters and cyclones, but the extended credit facility would be its first formal programme.



&#8220;Staff stand ready to commence negotiations in late January 2022, in accordance with the authorities’ preferred timeline,&#8221; the IMF said in a statement after a staff visit to the country.



The programme would aim to help ease financing pressures as Mozambique recovers from the pandemic, support poverty reduction and equitable growth, as well as catalyse additional development financing, the Fund said.



One of the world&#8217;s most impoverished countries, Mozambique is still grappling with its hefty debt burden, as well as an Islamist insurgency and the impact of COVID-19, which led to its first economic contraction in three decades last year.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-poor-nations-could-face-economic-collapse-unless-g20-extends-debt-relief">Read more: IMF: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-poor-nations-could-face-economic-collapse-unless-g20-extends-debt-relief/">Poor nations could face ‘economic collapse’ unless G20 extends debt relief</a></h3>



The discovery of massive liquefied natural gas (LNG) reserves saw Mozambique emerge as a potential major global exporter of the fuel, but graft scandals and the insurgency have dented or threatened the promised benefits.



The IMF said growth would reach 2.2% this year and 4% in the long-term, with the realisation of LNG reserves delivering an even sharper increase.



Risks to the outlook include vulnerability to climate change and a deterioration in the security situation, which could delay or stop LNG projects, it added.



Fiscal pressures are acute, it said, with economic difficulties of state-owned enterprises and the debts linked to the corruption scandal presenting risks.



Mozambique is disputing in the courts the validity of some of the debt, including a loan of $622 million from investment bank Credit Suisse. 



(Reporting by Emma Rumney; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

IMF, Mozambique to discuss first credit facility since $2-bln graft scandal

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="515" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-820x515.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414240" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-820x515.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-300x189.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-143x90.jpg 143w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-768x483.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-1536x965.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/LCP4L7UPYJOUJA5NVQKNZZBMK4-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A drone mounted with a container to ferry medicine is inspected after it landed before being delivered by the Village Health Team (VHT) to the clinic at the Kusu village, in Kalangala district, Uganda December 3, 2021. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa</figcaption></figure>



KALANGALA, Uganda, Dec 16 (Reuters) &#8211; Uganda is delivering HIV medicine by drone in an archipelago in Lake Victoria, a pilot programme aiming to improve the transport of medical supplies for the country&#8217;s health system, which faces chronic shortages.



The trial is funded by pharmaceutical company Johnson &amp; Johnson, and run by the government-run Infectious Diseases Institute. It delivers HIV drugs from a hospital to patients in rural hamlets in Kalangala, an 84-island-archipelago.



Other African countries like Ghana and Rwanda are already using drones to improve healthcare delivery.



If the trial is successful it may be adopted on a larger scale to help to improve delivery of drugs and medical supplies for Uganda&#8217;s public healthcare system, which faces under-staffing and shortages of basic medicines such as vaccines and other drugs as well as medical supplies.



Kalangala&#8217;s soaring HIV rate, estimated at about 27% of the population on the islands, is partly because of nomadic fisherman who move from one island to another.



Deliveries of HIV medicines to the islands by boat are often disrupted by storms.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-covid-19-pandemic-could-lead-to-hiv-surge-in-west-central-africa-says-unaids-chief">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/covid-19-pandemic-could-lead-to-hiv-surge-in-west-central-africa-says-unaids-chief/">COVID-19 pandemic could lead to HIV surge in West &amp; Central Africa, says UNAIDS chief</a></h3>



&#8220;We have been facing a challenge of wind storms &#8230; the medical teams would not make it over here and some people would end up not getting their much-needed medical supplies,&#8221; Innocent Tushemerirwe, a village health team leader, told Reuters.



Rosalind Parkes-Ratanshi, director of the Academy for Health Innovation at the institute and head of the research project, said: &#8220;The boats are very expensive and they are also very dangerous, there are lots of drownings in Kalangala.&#8221;



&#8220;We thought that this may be a cost effective and a safe way of delivering antiretroviral medicine to people living on the islands with HIV.&#8221;



The drones can fly in winds of up to 15 meters per second and heavy rain, although the research team is restricting this to 5 meters per second and light and medium to rain to be safe.



The drones also speed up delivery times so it is easier to find windows of calm weather.



The DJI M300 drones were customised for the programme with detachable white cargo boxes, operation software and a piloting app by WeRobotics, a Swiss-headquartered organisation that uses robotics, data and artificial intelligence to solve problems in more than 30 developing countries.



The trial programme, which for now is delivering only antiretrovirals, will last until June, when it will be assessed. Parkes-Ratanshi said the team is also considering whether the drones could fly around samples for HIV, tuberculosis or COVID-19 testing. 



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema. Editing by Jane Merriman)

Uganda tests whether drones can transport HIV medicine faster, in Kalangala

Uganda tests drones to speed up delivery of HIV medicine

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="492" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM-820x492.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414135" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM-820x492.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM-300x180.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM-150x90.jpg 150w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM-768x461.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Opposition leader Raila Odinga and wife Ida Odinga attend the Azimio la Umoja (Declaration of Unity) rally to unveil his August 2022 Presidential race candidature at the Moi International Sports centre in Kasarani, Nairobi, Kenya December 10, 2021. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Dec 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga launched his fifth bid for Kenya&#8217;s presidency on Friday, this time with the support of his former foe President Uhuru Kenyatta.



Voters are due to go to the polls next August but Kenyatta will not be on the ballot due to a constitutional term limit of two, five-year terms.



Odinga praised Kenyatta for initiating the dialogue that united them four years ago after a bitter dispute following the 2017 vote.



&#8220;It takes a seasoned statesman to shake the hand of his rival,&#8221; he told tens of thousands of supporters gathered at Nairobi&#8217;s main sports stadium.



Dressed in the orange and blue colors of Odinga&#8217;s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, the supporters sang and danced at the rally. Some waved party and national flags.



In Odinga&#8217;s last three runs for office in 2007, 2013, he led his supporters to protest at the outcomes or challenge them in court, saying his victories were stolen. Deadly clashes followed the 2007 and 2017 votes.



But he made peace with Kenyatta in early 2018, effectively sidelining Kenyatta&#8217;s deputy William Ruto, who has been vocal about his own presidential ambitions.



Several ministers and other senior officials attended the campaign launch. The vice chair of Kenyatta&#8217;s Jubilee party also addressed the crowd, underscoring the president&#8217;s support.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-kenyan-appeals-court-upholds-order-to-halt-president-s-constitutional-changes">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/kenyan-appeals-court-upholds-order-to-halt-presidents-constitutional-changes/">Kenyan appeals court upholds order to halt president’s constitutional changes</a></h3>



Odinga outlined a plan for improving socioeconomic welfare and said he would fight poverty.



Ruto, who quit Jubilee and is running on a new party called United Democratic Alliance (UDA), belongs to a different ethnic group in the Rift Valley.



Odinga and Ruto have already been battling it out on the campaign trail, especially in central Kenya, where Kenyatta&#8217;s ethnic Kikuyu votes are up for grabs.



Ruto fought alongside Odinga in 2007, when police crackdowns on protesters and clashes that turned into ethnic attacks killed more than 1,000 people in post-election violence, eventually prompting a new constitution to devolve power. Ruto teamed up with Kenyatta in 2013.



Odinga has secured the support of many of the central region&#8217;s business tycoons and ministers. Ruto has the backing of most of the region&#8217;s elected representatives.



Odinga has been touting his long experience in national leadership, including a stint as prime minister. He has also promised to stamp out widespread graft, give a monthly stipend of 6,000 shillings ($53) to the unemployed, and unite Kenya&#8217;s ethnic groups.



Ruto has also pledged to focus on the poor if elected.



($1 = 112.8000 Kenyan shillings) 



(Reporting by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Alison Williams and Angus MacSwan)

QSXFTJY44BPHPJBKOGIXCMODOM

Kenya’s Odinga launches fifth bid for top job with president’s backing

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="563" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-820x563.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411716" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-820x563.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-300x206.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-131x90.jpg 131w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-768x527.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-1536x1054.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/ADQOYSLRQBLPDMQ2VOQFC6BNRU-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: A health worker talks to her colleagues as they prepare to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine under the COVAX scheme against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya March 5, 2021. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Dec 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Now that rich nations are sharing more COVID-19 shots with Africa, health officials across the continent are scrambling to overcome vaccine hesitancy and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/exclusive-up-1-million-covid-vaccines-wasted-nigeria-last-month-2021-12-08">logistical problems to get the doses into arms fast enough before they expire</a>.



Penda Health, a Nairobi-based chain providing low-cost private healthcare, has found a way to speed things up: bring the shots closer to people&#8217;s homes.



For many Kenyans, travelling to one of the big hospitals prioritised as vaccine centres meant lost earnings to take time off work and finding transport they could ill afford. So many didn&#8217;t go.



But this week, dozens of people patiently queued up for a shot outside Penda&#8217;s Tassia Medical Centre, a clinic now delivering the vaccine on their doorstep in one of Nairobi&#8217;s poorer neighbourhoods.



&#8220;It&#8217;s closer to my place. I have a son so it&#8217;s more accessible. I just walk a minute and I&#8217;m here,&#8221; said Nancy Mwebi, 26, adding that many of her friends had feared they would be charged for the doses once they reached a big hospital.



With just 7% of people fully vaccinated across Africa and supplies of vaccines improving, experts are urging African governments to copy the kind of approach taken by Penda to improve take up across the continent.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-chief-says-omicron-could-dent-global-economic-growth/">IMF chief says Omicron could dent global economic growth</a></h3>



When Penda noticed many of its patients were unable to access vaccines after doses began arriving in Kenya in March, it approached the health ministry to set up a partnership.



But Penda, founded in 2012, still only offers shots in seven of its 21 clinics in Nairobi because of the expenses involved in rolling out the programme.



The shots may be free but Penda has to pay 240,000 Kenyan shillings ($2,100) for World Health Organization-approved refrigerators to store them and staffing costs to administer the vaccine and keep records amount to $1,000 per clinic per month.



&#8220;It&#8217;s a small price to pay to get this many shots in arms, but on the other hand, it is very challenging for the narrow margins we have at our medical centres,&#8221; said Penda&#8217;s chief medical officer Dr. Robert Korom.



Last week, Penda administered about three in every 1,000 COVID vaccines given in Kenya, data from Penda and the ministry of health showed.



&#8220;The ministry of health is aware that vaccination needs to get to the last mile and especially in villages and grassroots,&#8221; Andrew Mulwa, the ministry&#8217;s acting director of medical services, told Reuters.



He said partners, including private sector players, were critical to achieve Kenya&#8217;s target of vaccinating the entire adult population by the end of 2022.



($1 = 112.8 Kenyan shillings) 



(Reporting by Maggie Fick; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Edmund Blair)

FILE PHOTO: Kenya to kick off coronavirus vaccination campaign with COVAX shots in Nairobi

Coming to a clinic near you: Kenya’s COVID-19 vaccine drive gets a boost

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="550" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-820x550.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413969" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-820x550.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-300x201.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-134x90.jpg 134w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-768x516.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-1536x1031.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/GQOCCAIODBKDLH4SS24HJGYVUA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni speaks during a Reuters interview at the National Leadership Institute (NALI) in Kyankwanzi district, Uganda December 4, 2021. Picture taken December 4, 2021. REUTERS/Abubaker Lubowa</figcaption></figure>



KYANKWANZI, Uganda, Dec 5 (Reuters) &#8211; Chinese private investment in Uganda is growing while Westerners are losing appetite to put money to work in the country, President Yoweri Museveni told Reuters, pledging to step up efforts to tackle corruption that have made slow progress.



Museveni, in power since 1986 and one of Africa&#8217;s longest-serving leaders, said Uganda was working to sign a number of deals with Chinese private sector lenders in sectors such as agro- and fertilizer-processing, minerals processing and textiles.



&#8220;The Western companies have lost their spectacles; they no longer have the eyes to see opportunities. But the Chinese see opportunities, and they come, and they are knocking, they are coming very vigorously,&#8221; Museveni told Reuters. &#8220;But (Western companies) are saturated with wealth. They are not bothered.&#8221;



Chinese state entities and private-sector firms have long been a driving force of <a href="https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/african-nations-mend-make-do-china-tightens-belt-road-2021-11-22">investment in Africa</a>, lending countries on the continent hundreds of billions of dollars as part of President Xi Jinping&#8217;s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).



According to the Uganda Investment Authority, the country ranked third in Africa on foreign direct investment (FDI) from China in recent years.



The ties have not been without conflict, however.



A parliamentary probe in October concluded that China had imposed onerous conditions on a $200 million loan to Kampala, including the potential forfeiture of the east African country&#8217;s sole international airport.



Museveni flatly denied using the airport as collateral.



&#8220;I don&#8217;t remember mortgaging the airport for anything,&#8221; Museveni said, adding Kampala would pay what it owed to China. &#8220;There is no problem, they will be paid.&#8221;



Museveni&#8217;s administration, seeking to finance its infrastructure construction programme and shore up political support, has secured <a href="http://China https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-uganda-debt-idUSKBN2AB1BU">large credit lines</a> from over the last decade.



Differences over the terms of the contract were also the reason why Kampala had not yet secured a deal with Beijing on the 1,000-km (620 miles) super-fast rail link from Kenya&#8217;s port of Mombasa to Uganda, though talks were still ongoing, the president said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-faith-against-corruption">FAITH AGAINST CORRUPTION</h2>



Talking about the fight against corruption, Museveni acknowledged more effort was needed. Transparency International ranked Uganda 142 out of 179 in its 2020 corruption perceptions index.



&#8220;We are still fighting. I wouldn&#8217;t boast that we have improved &#8211; initially we weren&#8217;t really concentrating much on corruption,&#8221; the 77-year-old said, adding the battle against graft was one of his main priorities for his current and sixth term as president.



His administration was focusing on recruiting from faith groups, of which the country had plenty, to have enough manpower to fight that war on corruption and would provide an assessment of progress on the issue in two years time, he said.



&#8220;That is our struggle: to get clean people to implement &#8211; otherwise the laws are there, the institutions are there,&#8221; Museveni said.



Speaking about the Nov. 16 bombings in Kampala, which killed three people and were blamed on the Islamic State-aligned Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), Museveni said that there was evidence of coordination from abroad with the men who carried out the attack.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/new-law-would-allow-uganda-to-take-stakes-in-private-mining/">New law would allow Uganda to take stakes in private mining</a></h3>



The blasts in the heart of the capital shocked a nation known as a bulwark against violent Islamist militants in East Africa, and prompted Museveni to send 1,700 troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where the ADF has training camps. But Museveni said foreign links stretched beyond eastern Congo.



&#8220;The bombs which they exploded in Kampala recently, we have some indication that they were coordinating with groups in Kenya and in Somalia,&#8221; Museveni said. &#8220;Maybe not command and control but collaboration.&#8221;



He was coordinating the operation with Congo&#8217;s president, Museveni said, but he did not answer a question whether there was coordination with Rwanda, which also has security interests in eastern Congo, and which has fought with Ugandan troops there before.



Uganda said on Friday that its troops sent this week into eastern Democratic Republic of Congo would stay as long as needed to defeat Islamist militants. 



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema in Kyankwanzi, Karin Strohecker in London, Katharine Houreld in Nairobi, Hereward Holland in Kinshasa and Tommy Wilkes in London; Editing by Alex Richardson)

Western companies are blind to Ugandan investments – President Museveni

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411734" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/GettyImages-94942899-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>UNITED STATES &#8211; APRIL 25: Situmbeko Musokotwane, finance minister of Zambia, left, speaks as Mustafa Mkulo, finance minister of Tanzania, center, and Charles Koffi Diby, finance minister of the Ivory Coast, listen during a press briefing in Washington, D.C., U.S., Saturday, April 25, 2009. The global economic crisis may force as many as 90 million more people into extreme poverty this year and make it harder to meet goals to improve health and education, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund said yesterday. (Photo by Joshua Roberts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



LUSAKA, Nov 24 (Reuters) &#8211; Zambia&#8217;s central bank raised interest rates by 50 basis points to 9.0% to help bring down stubbornly high inflation, with price rises only seen falling back within the bank&#8217;s target range in 2023, Governor Denny Kalyalya said on Wednesday.



Africa&#8217;s second-largest copper producer is in the throes of a debt crisis and is talking to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about a lending programme.



Annual inflation was running at more than 21% in October, down from a peak above 24% in the middle of the year, but still well above the Bank of Zambia&#8217;s 6%-8% target.



Kalyalya told a news conference that Wednesday&#8217;s hike &#8211; the first since February &#8211; was aimed at bringing inflation back to target, but also took into account the need to continue supporting the economy and maintain financial stability.



He said inflation was still expected to average 15.0% next year and 9.3% in the first three quarters of 2023.



This week&#8217;s monetary policy meeting was Kalyalya&#8217;s first since his reappointment in September by <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/zambian-opposition-leader-hichilema-wins-2021-presidential-election/">President Hakainde Hichilema, who won a landslide election in August</a>.



Hichilema&#8217;s predecessor Edgar Lungu fired Kalyalya in August 2020 without giving a reason, in a decision that spooked financial markets and prompted the IMF to call for central bank independence to be maintained.



Hichilema has been trying to restore investor confidence in Zambia after it defaulted on its sovereign debt a year ago, the first African country to do so during the COVID-19 pandemic.



As part of those efforts, Finance Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane last month pledged to slash the budget deficit and curb borrowing.



Zambia has more than $14 billion of external debt, including guaranteed loans to state-owned enterprises. Of that, $3 billion is Eurobonds, around $6 billion is owed to Chinese entities and the remaining $5 billion is a mix of commercial, multilateral and bilateral borrowing.



The central bank on Wednesday urged the government to implement fiscal reforms to complement an objective for low and stable inflation. It said economic growth this year was seen at 3.3%, with growth of 3.5% and 3.7% forecast in 2022 and 2023 respectively. 



(Writing by Alexander Winning Editing by Catherine Evans and Mark Potter)

Situmbeko Musokotwane, finance minister of Zambia, left, spe

Zambia delivers 50 basis point rate hike to curb inflation

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="604" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4-820x604.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413680" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4-820x604.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4-300x221.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4-122x90.jpg 122w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4-768x566.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.N. Under-Secretary for Political Affairs Jeffrey Feltman speaks during a news conference in Colombo March 3, 2015. REUTERS/Dinuka Liyanawatte</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, Nov 23 (Reuters) &#8211; The U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa said on Tuesday that &#8220;nascent progress&#8221; toward getting all parties to Ethiopia&#8217;s conflict into negotiations on a ceasefire risks being outpaced by an &#8220;alarming&#8221; increase in military operations.



Envoy Jeffrey Feltman briefed reporters in Washington after returning on Monday from Ethiopia, where he met Prime Minster Abiy Ahmed and discussed a potential diplomatic solution to the year-old conflict, which has killed thousands and displaced millions in Africa&#8217;s second most populous nation.



Both Abiy and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the political party controlling the northern region of Tigray, seem to believe they are on the cusp of military victory, Feltman said.



&#8220;There is some nascent progress in trying to get the parties to move from a military confrontation to a negotiating process,&#8221; Feltman said. &#8220;What concerns us is this fragile progress risks being outpaced by the alarming developments on the ground that threaten Ethiopia&#8217;s overall stability and unity.&#8221;



Abiy&#8217;s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda could not immediately be reached for comment.



War broke out in November 2020 in Tigray between Ethiopian federal troops and the TPLF. In July, the conflict spread into two neighboring regions in northern Ethiopia.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-u-s-african-union-envoys-arrive-in-ethiopia-to-revive-truce-efforts">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/u-s-african-union-envoys-arrive-in-ethiopia-to-revive-truce-efforts/">U.S., African Union envoys arrive in Ethiopia to revive truce efforts</a></h3>



Feltman said both sides were talking to the United States about beginning a discreet peace process, and said that the key desires of both sides were not mutually exclusive.



The TPLF wants what the U.N. calls a &#8220;de facto government blockade&#8221; to be lifted and humanitarian aid to be allowed into Tigray, where 400,000 people are living in famine; Abiy wants the Tigrayan forces to withdraw from captured territory.



But the TPLF has also called on Abiy, who won a landslide victory in national elections this year, to step down.



Although Feltman said he discussed diplomatic solutions with Abiy, the Ethiopian leader expressed confidence he could achieve his goals militarily.



Abiy had posted a statement on Twitter on Monday promising to lead from the frontlines on Tuesday.



&#8220;I will head to the frontline to lead the defense forces personally,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;Let&#8217;s meet at the war front &#8230; the time has come to lead the country with sacrifice.&#8221;



Tigrayan forces and their allies have threatened to march on the capital, but have also been fighting fiercely to try to cut a transport corridor linking landlocked Ethiopia with the region&#8217;s main port Djibouti.



Feltman said the Ethiopian military and regional militias had been able to &#8220;more or less stem&#8221; the Tigrayan moves to cut the corridor but Tigrayan forces had been able to move south towards Addis.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/diplomats-work-to-avert-attack-on-ethiopian-capital/">Diplomats work to avert attack on Ethiopian capital</a></h3>



Ethiopia&#8217;s military spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment.



&#8220;For a while the lines were static, and then about a week ago the&#8230; (Tigrayan forces) started to move again,&#8221; Feltman said. &#8220;It alarms us for several reasons.&#8221;



If Tigrayan forces move closer to Addis, they might increase their demands, Feltman said.



&#8220;We are absolutely opposed to the (Tigrayan forces) threatening Addis by cutting off the road to Djibouti or threatening Addis by actually entering Addis,&#8221; Feltman added.



Also on Tuesday, Germany joined France and the United States in urging its citizens to leave Ethiopia immediately. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric also told reporters in New York that a few hundred family members of international staff would be relocated from Ethiopia.



&#8220;Staff will remain in Ethiopia to deliver on our mandates,&#8221; he said. 



(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Simon Lewis; Editing by Dan Grebler and Grant McCool)

KLRSJEBVJZOR7NN6DGH7ZJBXD4

Military moves in Ethiopia risk undermining progress toward peace talks -U.S. envoy

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="545" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-820x545.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413337" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-820x545.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o.jpg 842w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Nigerian President and Board Member of Africa&#8217;s Progress Panel</figcaption></figure>



ADDIS ABABA, Nov 18 (Reuters) &#8211; Two top international diplomats trying to revive peace talks and bring about a ceasefire in Ethiopia&#8217;s year-long conflict have returned to the country, the foreign ministry said on Thursday.



Olusegun Obasanjo, a former Nigerian president and now the African Union&#8217;s High Representative for the Horn of Africa, and Jeffrey Feltman, the U.S. Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa, both arrived on Thursday, ministry spokesperson Dina Mufti said.



Both men have said they want the Ethiopian government and rebellious Tigrayan forces and their allies to declare an unconditional ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid to all areas in northern Ethiopia affected by the war.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-security-climate-dominate-as-u-s-secretary-of-state-kicks-off-africa-tour">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/climate-and-security-to-dominate-u-s-secretary-of-states-maiden-africa-tour/">Security, climate dominate as U.S. Secretary of State kicks off Africa tour</a></h3>



Around 400,000 people in the northern region of Tigray are believed to be living in famine conditions and only a tiny trickle of aid has entered there for months. Widespread hunger is also reported in the neighbouring regions of Amhara and Afar.



Conflict erupted a year ago between the Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF), which used to dominate Ethiopian politics, and the federal government. The TPLF accuses the government of trying to centralise power at the expense of Ethiopia&#8217;s federal regions and the government accuses the TPLF of trying to regain its national dominance.



TPLF leaders want Abiy to step down, and the government to permit humanitarian aid into Tigray. The government says Tigrayan forces must withdraw from territory they have captured in neighbouring regions.



The TPLF have publicly speculated that Tigrayan forces might march south on the capital Addis Ababa, but more intense fighting has been reported in their push east a bid to capture the main transport corridor linking the landlocked nation to the region&#8217;s main port, Djibouti.



Obasanjo &#8220;went to Tigray, he came to Addis, he went to neighbouring countries as well. He went to the U.S. &#8230; he&#8217;s investigating, he&#8217;s talking to different partners,&#8221; Dina told a news conference on Thursday.



The two diplomats should provide a public update next week, Dina said.



On Wednesday, <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/u-s-top-diplomat-blinken-to-visit-kenya-nigeria-senegal-next-week/">U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his support for Obasanjo&#8217;s efforts to achieve an unconditional ceasefire</a>.



TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda could not immediately be reached for comment. 



(Reporting by Addis Ababa Newsroom; Editing by Giles Elgood)

5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o

U.S., African Union envoys arrive in Ethiopia to revive truce efforts

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="481" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-820x481.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-411978" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-820x481.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-300x176.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-153x90.jpg 153w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-768x451.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-1536x901.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/GettyImages-1219327286-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>NAIROBI, KENYA &#8211; 2020/06/11: Kenyas National Treasury and Planning Cabinet Secretary, Ukur Yatani with the budget briefcase before leaving to Parliament for budget reading 2020/2021.
The budget worth Kenya Shillings 3.2 Trillion seeks to jump start an economy ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic. (Photo by Billy Mutai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 10 (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya&#8217;s economy grew 10.1% year on year in the second quarter of 2021, helped by a rebound in activity after the relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions, Finance Minister Ukur Yatani said in a statement seen by Reuters on Wednesday.



The second quarter growth figure was contained in a speech by the minister, a copy of which was seen by Reuters. The ministry said it had not been released officially.



The director general of the statistics office, Macdonald Obudho, later confirmed to Reuters that the economy grew by 10.1% in the second quarter, adding that growth was 0.7% in the first quarter. 



This is a developing story&#8230;



(Reporting by George Obulutsa; Editing by Toby Chopra)

Kenyas National Treasury and Planning Cabinet Secretary,

Kenya’s GDP grows 10.1% year-on-year in second quarter 2021

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="545" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-820x545.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413337" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-820x545.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/5878839880_ed8cef1c71_o.jpg 842w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Olusegun Obasanjo, Former Nigerian President and Board Member of Africa&#8217;s Progress Panel</figcaption></figure>



UNITED NATIONS/ADDIS ABABA, Nov 8 (Reuters) &#8211; The African Union and the United States see a small window of opportunity to end fighting in Ethiopia, they said on Monday, as the United Nations warned that the risk of Ethiopia spiralling into a widening civil war is &#8220;only too real.&#8221;



The AU envoy for the Horn of Africa, former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo both briefed the U.N. Security Council.



Speaking from Ethiopia, Obasanjo said that by the end of the week &#8220;we hope to have a program in hand that will indicate&#8221; how they can achieve humanitarian access and a withdrawal of troops that satisfies all the parties. The United Nations estimates 400,000 people in the northern region of Tigray are living in famine-like conditions following a year of war.



&#8220;All these leaders, here in Addis Ababa and in the north, agree individually that the differences between them are political and require a political solution through dialogue,&#8221; Obasanjo told the 15-member council, but stressed: &#8220;The window of opportunity we have is very little and that time is short.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/nine-ethiopian-groups-to-form-anti-government-alliance/">Nine Ethiopian groups to form anti-government alliance</a></h2>



The U.S. State Department also said on Monday that Washington believes there is a small window to work with the AU to make progress on ending the conflict as U.S. envoy for the Horn of Africa, Jeffrey Feltman, returned to Addis Ababa.



The African Union earlier on Monday held a closed-door meeting to discuss the crisis.



The conflict started in November 2020 when forces loyal to the Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF), seized military bases in Tigray. In response, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent more troops to the northern region. Thousands have been killed and more than 2 million have fled their homes.



Ethiopia&#8217;s U.N. Ambassador Taye Atske Selassie Amde told the U.N. Security Council: &#8220;Our route to a dialogue and political solution will not be straightforward or easy.&#8221;



&#8220;For now we&#8217;re focused on halting TPLF and rescuing and reaching our public that suffered immensely,&#8221; he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-to-put-your-weapons-down">&#8216;TIME TO PUT YOUR WEAPONS DOWN&#8217;</h2>



The war has intensified in recent weeks. Tigrayan forces and their allies are threatening to march on Ethiopia&#8217;s capital Addis Ababa, while the government has declared a six-month state of emergency.



&#8220;It is time to put your weapons down,&#8221; U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said at the Security Council. &#8220;This war between angry, belligerent men – victimizing women and children – has to stop.&#8221;



The TPLF had dominated national politics for nearly three decades but lost influence when Abiy took office in 2018. The TPLF accused him of centralising power at the expense of regional states. Abiy denies this.



Obasanjo told the council he had met with Abiy, the leader of Ethiopia&#8217;s Oromio region and travelled to Mekelle on Sunday to meet TPLF leaders. He plans to travel to the regions of Amhara and Afar on Tuesday, where the conflict has spread from neighbouring Tigray.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/u-n-security-council-to-discuss-ethiopia-expulsion-of-u-n-staff/">U.N. Security Council to discuss Ethiopia expulsion of U.N. staff</a></h3>



DiCarlo said the conflict had reached &#8220;disastrous proportions&#8221; and that incidents of hate speech and targeting of ethnic groups have &#8220;increased at an alarming rate. She told the U.N. Security Council: &#8220;What is certain is that the risk of Ethiopia descending into widening civil war is only too real.&#8221;



The Security Council on Friday called for an end to the fighting in Ethiopia and for talks on a lasting ceasefire as the body expressed deep concern in a rare statement about the expansion and intensification of military clashes. 



(Reporting by Addis Ababa newsroom, Michelle Nichols at the United Nations, Daphne Psaledakis in Washington Additional reporting by Nairobi newsroom; Writing by Maggie Fick and Michelle Nichols; Editing by Richard Chang and Grant McCool)

African Union, U.S. see small window of opportunity to end Ethiopia fighting

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413259" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/OU5SML6ZAZO77GNGQ5F7MVEMUQ.jpg 960w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A general view of the skyline of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia November 3, 2021. REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, Nov 5 (Reuters) &#8211; Nine anti-government factions are forming an alliance to push for a political transition in Ethiopia, two of the groups said on Friday, piling more pressure on Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as rebel forces advance towards the capital.



Several of the factions have armed fighters although it was not clear whether they all do.



Two of them, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and the Agaw Democratic Movement (ADM), confirmed the move to Reuters. The pact will be signed in Washington later on Friday.



Called the United Front of Ethiopian Federalist and Confederalist Forces, the alliance includes the Tigray People&#8217;s Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been fighting Abiy&#8217;s government for a year in a war that has killed thousands of people and forced more than two million more from their homes.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/ethiopia-declares-state-of-emergency-as-tigrayan-forces-gain-ground/">Ethiopia declares state of emergency as Tigrayan forces gain ground</a></h3>



The front is being formed &#8220;to reverse the harmful effects of the Abiy Ahmed rule on the peoples of Ethiopia and beyond,&#8221; the groups said, and &#8220;in recognition of the great need to collaborate and join forces towards a safe transition.&#8221;



Abiy&#8217;s spokesperson, Billene Seyoum, asked for reaction to the development, referred Reuters to a comment she posted on Twitter in which she defended Abiy&#8217;s rule since he took office in 2018.



She said in the post that the opening of political space after Abiy took office provided ample opportunity for the opposition to settle their differences at the ballot box. Abiy&#8217;s party was re-elected in June. She did not refer directly to the new alliance.



Spokespeople for the government and foreign ministry did not respond to requests for comment on the alliance. TPLF spokesperson Getachew Reda also did not respond on Friday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CEASEFIRE CALLS</h2>



<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/us-embassy-ethiopia-allows-voluntary-departure-some-staff-family-2021-11-04">African and Western nations have called for an immediate ceasefire in Ethiopia</a> after Tigrayan forces from the north said they had moved closer to Addis Ababa this week.



&#8220;The conflict in Ethiopia must come to an end,&#8221; U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday.



The spokespeople for the Ethiopian government and the TPLF did not respond to requests for comment on Blinken&#8217;s call. But on Thursday, the government&#8217;s communication department said in a statement: &#8220;This is not a Country that Crumbles under Foreign Propaganda! We are fighting an existential war!&#8221;



Prior to the new alliance announcement, the OLA had already joined with the Tigrayan forces. The two groups confirmed to Reuters they are in the town of Kemise in Amhara state, 325 km (200 miles) from the capital.



On Thursday the government accused the Tigrayan forces of exaggerating their territorial gains.



The TPLF had said on Tuesday its forces were closing in on the town of Mille, which would enable them to cut off the highway linking neighbouring Djibouti to Addis Ababa.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2020/ethiopia-names-new-tigray-head-as-conflict-boils/">Ethiopia names new Tigray head as conflict boils</a></h3>



On Friday, government spokesperson Legesse Tulu rejected the claim, saying fighting was 80 km (50 miles) from Mille. He had not responded to earlier requests for comment.



He also said there was fighting at least 100 km (60 miles) north of Shewa Robit, a town in the Amhara region that is located on the A2 highway, another highway running to Addis Ababa. That would put fighting about 57 km (36 miles) south of Kombulcha, one of two towns that the TPLF said it captured last weekend.



The government said on Friday that a TPLF commander, Colonel Guesh Gebrehiwot, was captured on Thursday during fighting near Dessie, in Amhara. The TPLF was unreachable for comment.



At a market in the outskirts of Addis Ababa, traders were going about their business as usual on Friday but fewer people were coming to shop.



Abdisa Wili, 32, a vegetable seller, said prices were going up.



&#8220;If the war is going to continue, it will have impact on the economy,&#8221; he said.



&#8220;Both sides should stop the war, no one will profit from war except death and economic downfall. They should solve the problem through discussion.&#8221;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-sanctions-bill">NEW SANCTIONS BILL</h2>



Amnesty International said on Friday there has been an alarming rise in social media posts advocating violence. The rights group also said the state of emergency declared by the government on Tuesday is overly broad and is &#8220;a blueprint for escalating human rights violations&#8221;.



On Thursday, U.S special envoy Jeffrey Feltman met African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, as well as the Ethiopian defence minister, finance minister and deputy prime minister, according to the State Department.



It was not clear whether he would meet Abiy during his two-day visit.



The conflict started a year ago when forces loyal to the TPLF, including some soldiers, seized military bases in Tigray. In response, Abiy sent more troops to the northern region.



The TPLF had dominated national politics for nearly three decades but lost much influence when Abiy took office in 2018.



The TPLF accused him of centralising power at the expense of regional states. Abiy denies this.



(Additional reporting by George Obulutsa in Nairobi; Writing by Maggie Fick; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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East Africa

Malawi president rejigs cabinet after corruption scandals

Uganda’s president seeks to boost trade and rein in borrowing

Malawian President dissolves cabinet on corruption row

Zambia expects full agreement with IMF on $1.4 bln support plan in mid-2022 – finmin

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Western companies are blind to Ugandan investments – President Museveni

Zambia delivers 50 basis point rate hike to curb inflation

Military moves in Ethiopia risk undermining progress toward peace talks -U.S. envoy

U.S., African Union envoys arrive in Ethiopia to revive truce efforts

Kenya’s GDP grows 10.1% year-on-year in second quarter 2021

African Union, U.S. see small window of opportunity to end Ethiopia fighting

Nine Ethiopian groups to form anti-government alliance

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