NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) &#8211; A multibillion-dollar oil pipeline planned for East Africa could spell disaster for local communities, charities said on Thursday, warning of lost land and livelihoods unless oil firms listen up and change tack.



French energy giant Total and its partner China National Offshore Oil Corporation plan to exploit oil reserves in Lake Albert in Uganda and construct a 1,443-km (896-mile) pipeline to neighbouring Tanzania for export.



Human rights groups say the oil firms involved in the $3.5 billion East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) have failed to fully address concerns raised by many of the 12,000 families who are expected to lose land due to the project.



The families &#8211; most of whom farm and rear livestock for a living &#8211; say they fear&nbsp;unfair&nbsp;resettlement, low compensation and damage to their rich and diverse environment.



“Time and time again &#8230; we heard people talk about their land and their fears that they would not receive fair value for what they may lose,” said Joy Akoli Atine of Global Rights Alert, co-author of a study into the project by six charities.&nbsp;



“There was very limited understanding amongst affected communities about the land valuation and compensation process,” she told a virtual news conference.



“Total and its partners must take immediate steps to clear up any and all confusion and misunderstanding surrounding the land valuation and compensation process.”



Total said it had engaged with the charities on their reports and welcomed some of their findings,&nbsp;while disputing others &#8211; including allegations related to unfair compensation and a lack of engagement with locals.



“The project was designed with the overarching concern of minimising and mitigating the impacts on local communities and in particular the need to relocate households,” said a company statement.&nbsp;



“Compensation is proposed to meet full replacement value. Other accompanying measures such as provision of replacement housing and access to livelihood programs are planned once the project moves into the implementation phase.”



Total said it was making “considerable efforts” to engage residents in the face of project delays, adding that a grievance mechanism existed to ensure complaints were heard.&nbsp;



China National Offshore Oil Corporation did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Commercial quantities of oil were discovered in the Lake Albert basin in western Uganda in 2006. Since then, the oil companies have been involved in exploration activities with construction of the pipeline expected to begin in May.



It will carry crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near Tanga port in Tanzania &#8211; making it the world’s longest electrically heated pipeline.



Charities say oil wells will be dug on the shore of Lake Albert, and in a number of natural reserves and protected areas, including the Murchison Falls National Park.&nbsp;



The pipeline will run beside Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest lake. It&nbsp;will be buried to minimise environmental impacts, with some facilities set above ground, designed to ensure minimal environmental and social impact, an EACOP statement said.&nbsp; &nbsp;

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Communities ‘left out’ as oil pipeline project set to get underway in East Africa

BARINGO, Kenya (Reuters) &#8211; The fresh waters of Kenya’s Lake Baringo teem with birds, fish, hippopotamuses and crocodiles and sustain tens of thousands of people. But none of them can survive in the alkaline Lake Bogoria nearby.



Now heavy rainfall and ecological destruction means the two lakes are rising and may merge.



“It will be an ecological disaster if the two lakes meet &#8230; There is only a small gap left,” said Jackson Komen, senior warden for the government-run Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for Lake Baringo conservation area.



Baringo, which irrigates land and provides driking water, has expanded 60% to 270 square kilometres (105 square miles) in the last seven years, he said. Lake Bogoria has swollen by a quarter to 43 square kilometres.



Conservationists said the rising waters are due to combination of unusually heavy rains and the silting up of the lakes.



Tor-Gunnar Vanegen, a scientist at the Nairobi-based World Agroforestry centre, said deforestation was causing erosion on nearby Tugen hills and the soil was washing into lake.



“That siltation is causing the shallow lake to rise,” he told Reuters.



The flooding is driving farmers from their land and residents from their homes.



Three generations of Roberts grew up on Baringo’s shores but the thatched roofs of their safari camp are now forlorn islands surrounded by water. The distance between the two lakes has halved.



“It is disheartening to watch the work that was done by your father and mother, and the work we have done ourselves, being destroyed by water,” said Murray Roberts, whose father built the camp.



Farmers say their grazing has been destroyed.



“I now have to start all over at new grounds. For now I live with my son close by,” said Lechaki Parsaalach, who has lost nine acres of land and his home.

Op-Ed: Jubilee, Kanu formalise coalition as internal battles rage in Kenya

Kenyans fear ‘ecological disaster’ if two swollen lakes merge

Sudan’s transitional government has signed a long-awaited peace agreement with the Sudanese Revolutionary Front (SRF) – a coalition of rebel groups from the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile – ending the 17-year conflict in the region.



Mediation efforts started in December 2019 in Juba, the capital of neighbouring South Sudan, between representatives of the transitional government and members of the different armed groups.



The new peace agreement was penned on Monday, August 31, in Juba in the presence of Sudan’s President Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir.



Mr Hamdok remarked that “today is the beginning of the long road to peace”, and that the new peace agreement serves as “the promise of return, the promise of justice, the promise of development and the promise of safety”.



Five representatives of the rebel groups signed the agreement after nearly 10 months of negotiations. Two of the largest rebel groups, the Popular Movement for the Liberation of Northern Sudan (SPLA-N) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM), refused to participate in the peace discussions; however, both groups signalled that they do not oppose the agreement, which has been years in the making.



Deputy President Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo stated that “throughout the decades of [this] war, no one has won, and no one will win”.



The conflict in Darfur started in 2003, during former President Omar Al-Bashir’s reign, and roughly 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced, according to the UN.



Mr Bashir is currently in jail and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur.



While the transitional government signalled its willingness to hand Mr Bashir over to the ICC in February, no further actions have been taken, and he is currently facing trial domestically for the 1989 coup which saw him rise to power.



Since Mr Bashir’s overthrow in April 2019, the transitional government has made huge strides in unifying the country and moving it forward after years of conflict, corruption, and economic deterioration.



The peace agreement has been hailed as a big success in bringing peace to Sudan, receiving high acclaim from the African Union (AU), European Union (EU), the UN, and the US.



UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres “congratulates the people of the Sudan for this historic achievement and commends the parties to the negotiations for their political will and determination in working towards the common objective of peace”.



Mr Guterres stated that he fully supports the implementation of the peace agreement, which “marks the start of a new era for the people of the Sudan”.



The agreement includes various protocols which cover security, justice, refugee return, wealth distribution, power distribution, and land ownership.



It also grants the states of Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile semi-autonomy from the federal government. In return, 40% of local revenues collected will be paid to the federal government.



According to the agreement, members of the armed movements will be integrated into the military over a period of 15 months, and 12,000 security and rebel forces will be tasked with ensuring security in the region.



While the exact details regarding the representation of the rebel groups in the transitional government have not been confirmed, in terms of the preliminary peace agreement, the rebel groups will be allocated 25% of the seats in government and three seats on the Sovereign Council, increasing the Council’s size to 14 members. In addition, the agreement allocated 25% of the seats in the Transitional Legislative Council (TLC).



If implemented, the Darfur rebel groups will occupy 75 seats of the 300-member legislature, with the civilian Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC) retaining their 200-seat majority.



The agreement has been criticised for failing to provide a clear separation between the state and religion: The Islamism of Mr Bashir’s government and previous ones was a key driver not only of the Darfur conflict but of the longer and wider war between Khartoum and southern movements.



Moreover, the peace agreement has also been blamed for delaying the country’s transition towards democracy, as the negotiation process halted the establishment of the TLC, or Parliament, which was supposed to be appointed by December 2019.



More details regarding the peace agreement and changes to the government are expected in the coming weeks.



The long-awaited peace agreement signals an end to nearly 17 years of conflict in Darfur, marking another milestone in Sudan’s post-Bashir era, and moving the country closer towards democracy and civilian rule.



While the government still needs to release more details, the peace agreement is broadly accepted by the rebel groups, the transitional government, and the citizens of Sudan at large.



Mr Burhan has announced that the Sovereign Council and Cabinet are busy making the necessary amendments to the interim constitution to allow for the inclusion of the rebel groups into the government, and we expect big changes to government structures towards the end of the year.



Pieter Scribante – Economist &amp; political analyst

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Sudan – Peace agreement signals end of the conflict in Darfur

LAKE NAKURU, Kenya (Reuters) &#8211; Eight years ago, rising water levels in Kenya’s Lake Nakuru drove away the clouds of pink coloured flamingos that were the park’s biggest draw. Rangers say their disappearance triggered a drop in visitor numbers by for the Nakuru National Park.



Now they’re back.



The return has rekindled hopes of a gradual rebound in an area heavily reliant on tourists for employment and revenues.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/pink-flamingoes.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-380826" width="691" height="466"/></figure>



On a recent visit, flocks of flamingos foraged for food in the lake’s turquoise waters, while others flapped in a sine-wave formation above. A rhinoceros grazed nearby.



“With the increase now of the number of flamingos we have started seeing visitors also increasing,” Caroline Mwebia, the park’s tourism warden, told Reuters.



She declined to give visitor numbers and the Kenya Wildlife Service did not return calls seeking comment. But nearly a quarter of a million visitors came in 2011, the last year figures are publicly available for.



Flamingos eat insect larvae and algae that gives them their pink hue. High water levels shrink the birds’ ideal breeding and feeding grounds.



When Nakuru lake first rose, Mwebia said, flamingos left for nearby lakes like Bogoria and Baringo whose waters were shallower.



But heavy rains in recent years have also flooded those lakes, forcing the birds to return to Nakuru, where they are such an intrinsic attraction that the street leading up to the park is decorated with flamingo-shaped lampposts.



The global pandemic has battered Kenya’s tourism industry, but Nakuru at least sees a bright spot on the horizon.

pink-flamingoes

Long-missed pink flamingos return to Kenya’s Lake Nakuru

NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Kenya’s president extended a nationwide curfew for another 30 days on Wednesday, saying coronavirus cases were rising in areas outside the capital.



In a televised address, Uhuru Kenyatta also ordered bars and nightclubs shut for another 30 days &#8211; but increased the number of people allowed to attend weddings, funerals and other events.



He said infections were slowing in Nairobi and the port and tourism hub of Mombasa.



“This crisis has however began to percolate to the counties. The new frontier of this invisible enemy is increasingly shifting to the counties and to our rural areas,” he said.



At present Kenya has 33,016 cases of the novel coronavirus, 564 deaths and 19,296 recoveries, Kenyatta said.



The outbreak has hit the economy, with the finance ministry projecting growth will slow to 2.5% this year from 5.4% last year.



Kenyatta said the economy had so far performed better than expected during the period, citing performance in the horticulture sector, whose earnings rose to 81 billion Kenyan shillings ($748 million) in January to June from 76 billion shillings in the same time a year ago.



“Even under COVID, our economy is growing at 4.6% compared to 5.5% at the same time last year,” he said without specifying the period he was referring to.



“The current economic indicators without doubt are lower- but definitely far better than we ever anticipated.”



He said he had asked investigative agencies to conclude within 21 days investigations into reports of impropriety at the state-run Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.



The head of the agency has been suspended over allegations the agency procured low quality protective gear for use by healthcare workers handling COVID-19 cases, and inflated prices of others.



“I want to once again reiterate that all persons found to be…culpable as a result of those ongoing investigations should be brought to book not withstanding their public office or their political or for that matter their social status,” Kenyatta said.







The outbreak has hit the economy, with the finance ministry projecting growth will slow to 2.5% this year from 5.4% last year.



Kenyatta said the economy had so far performed better than expected during the period, citing performance in the horticulture sector, whose earnings rose to 81 billion Kenyan shillings ($748 million) in January to June from 76 billion shillings in the same time a year ago.



“Even under COVID, our economy is growing at 4.6% compared to 5.5% at the same time last year,” he said without specifying the period he was referring to.



“The current economic indicators without doubt are lower- but definitely far better than we ever anticipated.”



He said he had asked investigative agencies to conclude within 21 days investigations into reports of impropriety at the state-run Kenya Medical Supplies Agency.



The head of the agency has been suspended over allegations the agency procured low quality protective gear for use by healthcare workers handling COVID-19 cases, and inflated prices of others.



“I want to once again reiterate that all persons found to be…culpable as a result of those ongoing investigations should be brought to book not withstanding their public office or their political or for that matter their social status,” Kenyatta said.

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Kenya extends coronavirus curfew as cases rise outside capital

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How Rwanda slowed the spread of the Coronavirus

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Rwanda has set up a Financial Intelligence Centre that aims to strengthen the country’s capacity to prevent, combat, and criminalize money laundering and terror financing.

Rwanda’s unemployment almost doubles due to COVID-19

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BPN Rwanda and BAG Innovation paired up to scoop up to over $100.000 from Make-IT in Africa’s Partners in Acceleration contest. Youssouf Ntwali, co-Founder of BAG Innovation joins CNBC Africa for more.

Rwandan start-ups win over Rwf100mn innovation award

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Some traditional dances and other cultural aspects are under threat of disappearance partly because owners can’t make a living from them to be able to preserve them. Ikiringo Isa Project seeks to provide support for local cultures while creating employment for locals. Grace Ingabire, Project Manager joins CNBC Africa for more.

How traditional dance & culture is uplifting local communities in Rwanda

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Uptake of cyber security solutions saw a threefold growth globally and on the continent, major markets such as Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa also saw a more than 50 per cent bump in uptake of their services a situation attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and lock-down measures that encouraged working from home. Maeson Mahery, Chief Solutions Director at LawTrust joins CNBC Africa for more.

COVID-19 sees increased demand for digital cyber security services. Here’s why

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At a recent Cabinet meeting, Rwandan President Paul Kagame approved the structure of a Financial Intelligence Centre, with the law establishing centre having been passed at the beginning of this year. This comes as the country recently amended anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing law and regulations, and announced that prosecution will be freezing the accounts and assets of corruption suspects. Will these security measures bring the country closer to being a potential financial hub like Mauritius? And what would it mean for the country if that was achieved? CNBC Africa spoke to Economic Analyst, Ted Kaberuka for more.

How Rwanda is positioning itself to be Africa’s next financial hub

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The Kenyan Bureau of Standards has lifted their ban on the importation of second-hand clothes.

Kenyan Bureau of Standards lifts ban on importation second-hand clothes

Kenyan Bureau of Standards lifts ban on importation of second-hand clothes

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Kenya reopened for international tourism on August 1st after months of closure due to covid-19 pandemic. To understand how the sector is faring, CNBC Africa spoke to Mohammed Hersi, Chairman of Kenya Tourism Federation.

COVID-19 lock-down: How Kenya tourism is faring following reopening of international travel

NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Dozens of doctors in at least two of Kenya’s 47 counties have gone on strike over delayed salaries, inadequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for handling COVID-19 patients and lack of medical insurance, a union official told Reuters.



Kenya has a total 30,636 confirmed infections, with 487 deaths, according to health ministry data.



Healthcare workers say they have not been given adequate PPE, but the government has said it has distributed enough to go round.



Doctors in western Homa Bay and central Embu had gone on strike over delayed or missing salary payments, lack of promotion, missing medical insurance and no hazard bonus, Allan Ochanji, vice chairman of the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union, told Reuters.



Doctors who contracted COVID-19 had been forced to pay out of pocket for their own treatment, he told Reuters in an interview.



“We have colleagues who have contracted COVID, they have been in isolation, they have had to foot the bills, despite the fact that they contracted COVID while on duty,” Ochanji said.



Doctors in Nairobi, the nation’s capital, warned on Friday they would go on strike within a week if their demands were not met. Nairobi has by far the largest number of coronavirus cases.



Richard Muga, Homa Bay County health executive, confirmed that health workers’ July pay had been delayed due to a dispute on how to allocate revenues to counties. He said the strike was illegal.



“We have tried to engage the health workers,” he said. “They have not heeded our pleas.”



A nurse in one Homa Bay hospital who did not want to be identified said patients were no longer visiting public health facilities due to the strike.



“Many patients are now going to private hospitals, or doing over-the-counter medication,” he said.



Health officials from Nairobi and Embu counties did not return calls seeking to comment. The health ministry said on Friday that Nairobi County officials were in talks with the doctors.



The ministry of health said eight healthcare workers had died from COVID-19. Ochanji said 558 healthcare workers had tested positive.



Nairobi-based Doreen Lugaliki became the first doctor to die of COVID-19 in July. This month nurse Marian Awuor, from Homa Bay, died from COVID-19 days after giving birth.

Op Ed: East African finance ministers to present budgets for new fiscal year

Dozens of Kenyan doctors strike over lack of PPE, delayed pay

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) &#8211; Pope Francis called for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan on Saturday, urging them not to let a dispute over a dam on the Nile lead to conflict.



The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which is being built some 15 km (9 miles) from Ethiopia’s border with Sudan, has become a major source of discord between the three countries.



“I invite all parties involved to continue on the path of dialogue so that the eternal river will continue to be a source of life, which unites and does not divide, which nurtures friendship, prosperity and fraternity and not enmity, misunderstanding and conflict,” the pontiff said.



He was giving his Angelus message for Assumption Day, the most important Catholic feast dedicated to the Virgin Mary.



Egypt, which fears the dam project could lead to water shortages upstream, has threatened to withdraw from the latest round of discussions. Sudan is concerned about the dam’s safety.

River Nile

Pope calls for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over Nile dam

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Smartphone brand Realme announced its official entry into the Kenyan market as part of the brand’s global growth and expansion strategy. CNBC Africa spoke with Josef Wang, General Manager of Middle East and Africa East operations on how they plan to navigate Kenya&#8217;s market whips already saturated with other players.

New entrant in Kenya’s smartphone market

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When COVID-19 struck, different countries around the world put forward measures to mitigate its spread.

East Africa

Communities ‘left out’ as oil pipeline project set to get underway in East Africa

Kenyans fear ‘ecological disaster’ if two swollen lakes merge

Sudan – Peace agreement signals end of the conflict in Darfur

Long-missed pink flamingos return to Kenya’s Lake Nakuru

Kenya extends coronavirus curfew as cases rise outside capital

How Rwanda slowed the spread of the Coronavirus

Rwanda’s unemployment almost doubles due to COVID-19

Rwandan start-ups win over Rwf100mn innovation award

How traditional dance & culture is uplifting local communities in Rwanda

COVID-19 sees increased demand for digital cyber security services. Here’s why

How Rwanda is positioning itself to be Africa’s next financial hub

Kenyan Bureau of Standards lifts ban on importation of second-hand clothes

COVID-19 lock-down: How Kenya tourism is faring following reopening of international travel

Dozens of Kenyan doctors strike over lack of PPE, delayed pay

Pope calls for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over Nile dam

New entrant in Kenya’s smartphone market

Dropped emissions during COVID-19 lock-down: How will this impact climate change?

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Advertise With Us

East Africa

Communities ‘left out’ as oil pipeline project set to get underway in East Africa

Kenyans fear ‘ecological disaster’ if two swollen lakes merge

Sudan – Peace agreement signals end of the conflict in Darfur

Long-missed pink flamingos return to Kenya’s Lake Nakuru

Kenya extends coronavirus curfew as cases rise outside capital

How Rwanda slowed the spread of the Coronavirus

Rwanda’s unemployment almost doubles due to COVID-19

Rwandan start-ups win over Rwf100mn innovation award

How traditional dance & culture is uplifting local communities in Rwanda

COVID-19 sees increased demand for digital cyber security services. Here’s why

How Rwanda is positioning itself to be Africa’s next financial hub

Kenyan Bureau of Standards lifts ban on importation of second-hand clothes

COVID-19 lock-down: How Kenya tourism is faring following reopening of international travel

Dozens of Kenyan doctors strike over lack of PPE, delayed pay

Pope calls for dialogue between Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan over Nile dam

New entrant in Kenya’s smartphone market

Dropped emissions during COVID-19 lock-down: How will this impact climate change?

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