Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Football Fiesta
South Africa Hosts Soccer's Global Party
E
very four years the world holds a mam- have since 2006 scrimped and saved, worked early and
moth month-long party. All and sundry late, long and hard to be able to make the journey to
and from all corners of the planet are in- South Africa from the North and South, East and West
vited, usually four years in advance. corners of the continent.
There is no dress code, but most usu- Five, Africans will be able for the first time to cheer
ally flaunt their national colours and because they are their five teams on their own continent, which is also
creative with their attire this adds to the allure and spec- to say that South Africa’s Bafana Bafana, Ghana’s Black
tacle of the global party. The end of this party usually Stars, Cote d’Ivoire’s Elephants, Nigeria’s Super Eagles
sets in motion a four-year-long party in one country and Algeria’s Desert Foxes will have their supporters
and a mourning period of similar length in another. within shouting distance.
While celebration and heartbreak are two sides of African players have and continue to make a mark on
any competition, Africa can’t wait to celebrate the very the European football stage, arguably the most fiercely
advent of the party. If at the end of it an African country competitive of all football the-
will celebrate for another four years that will be the ic- atres in the world. But this time
ing on the cake. round, barring injuries, these
Welcome to the FIFA 2010 World Cup, the world’s stars who dazzle the world and
greatest mass spectator sporting jamboree. their continent from worlds
This year’s cup is also the richest yet. away will be on parade before
The words of South Africa’s High Commissioner to their own adoring fans.
Kenya, HE Tony Msimanga, carried in our March/April Six, with the World Cup have
issue, will forever ring true: “Africa is living this World come tourists, most of whom
Cup and South Africa is hosting it. So this is our mo- have seized this chance to see
ment, our continent, our time and our World Cup.” more than South Africa. Afri-
We concur unreservedly. The FIFA World Cup which can hospitality has been, and
kicks off in South Africa on June 11 is Africa’s World Cup still remains, on show for all to
for several reasons. One, this is the first time the conti- Welcome to see and savour. There are busi-
nent is hosting the finals of the premier competition of the FIFA 2010 nesspeople in South Africa and
the planet’s most popular sport – football. World Cup, the on the continent at large who
Two, we of this continent have not had a chance to have travelled here because
cheer our own teams and stars or the world’s football world’s greatest of, or taking advantage of, the
powers and their stars — or our favourite stars of the mass spectator FIFA World Cup.
South American, European and Asian football leagues sporting On their way out they will
participating in this event — from close quarters. have known that Africa is the
Three, never before has an African country had the
jamboree new business frontier; they will
honour of bringing to these shores so many people and have seen and observed that
so many cultures from all corners of the globe and for a African governments are keen to attract investors and
prolonged party of friendship and passion, joyous cel- visitors to their countries. That is to say they will have
ebration and, of course, the inevitable heartbreak. noticed the vast business opportunities available and
This is a great time for Africa to show the world it is be convinced African economies are the next tigers.
made of caring and friendly and forward-looking, plan- Last, which could well be first, this is the right time
ning and purposeful, pleasant and proud people. Afri- for an African team to lift the FIFA World Cup trophy.
cans are keen to compete as well as organise, welcome It can be done. In 2002, debuting Senegal’s Lions of
as well as entertain and ready to play their rightful roles Teranga beat defending champion France and Algeria
in world affairs. outfoxed and beat mighty West Germany 2-1 in Spain
Four, the joy of the continent in hosting this World in 1982.
Cup is evident in the huge numbers of Africans who Yes, Africa’s time has come!
Volume 002
ONE-SIDED ABOUT KAGAME
NOW BEST IT! Your headline (Resurgent Rwan-
I was attracted to DEA by a re- Door to Region, Window on World
me thinking, for I know Mutegi to TV’s Power Breakfast Kenya KSh300 Uganda USh9000
UNITED NATIONS >>: Anna Tibaijuka's agenda PG 23
WORLD CUP >>: Africa's sporting bonanza PG 84
Tanzania TSh7500 Rwanda RWFr3000 Burundi BUFr6000 South Africa R30 Rest of Africa US$4 USA $4 UK £3 Canada $5 Rest of Europe €3.5 Why turn a blind eye on his
be one who does not mince words Show failures and obvious ruthless-
in his criticism of the media. ness?
From his positive commentary, But I must say I admired your
I knew this was a magazine I had coverage of Sudan and Somalia,
to lay my hands on. I have not which was brilliantly prefaced
been disappointed. will next year be Africa’s newest by the piece titled ‘Arc of Crises’.
My only worry is that you have nation?
set yourselves such enviably high All the hints are there in your ZAMBONANGA,
standards that the challenge fac- two stories, but you do not say it Arusha, Tanzania
ing you is how to maintain them. loudly and clearly. This is the era
WE'D LOVE TO HEAR
In fact, by setting such high of breaking news, isn’t it, sir? FROM YOU: Send your
letters to, letters@
standards and deciding to target diplomateastafrica.com.
PLEASE SHAPE UP!
a very segmented and special- GODFREY K, Submission of a letter Of course, you are a bi-monthly,
constitutes permission
ised market, you will have to con- Kampala to publish it in any form
but what gives you the impres-
vince everybody that you have or medium. Letters may sion that’s time enough for us to
be edited for reasons of
the energy to sustain that tempo THRILLING HEADLINES space and clarity. plough through 100 pages of a
by surpassing your already high DEA is a great read. It is your mag- magazine?
standards! azine that told us before anyone You are too fat; shape up or we
else that ticket sales for the FIFA will never ship in!
PROF HENRY BWISA, World Cup in South Africa were
DISCLAIMER: All letters
Jomo Kenyatta University, Nairobi dismal. Soon, the BBC followed submitted to Diplomat East CATHERINE KADOH,
Africa are presumed to be
and soon afterwards FIFA acted intended for publication. The Gigiri, Kenya
DON’T BE SHY to make tickets available over the editor reserves the right to
edit all letters. Readers are
Congratulations on a good-look- counter. That was a fantastic story advised to keep their letters
short and to submit their
ing magazine. But does it read as by Alex Duval Smith. names and addresses even WHAT ARRANT NONSENSE!
when these are not to be
well? But over and above all this, it is published. You gave acres of space to two
Am not sure it does. Why? Be- your headlines that thrilled me — academics to heap scorn on the
cause your story on the coming ‘Coalition of Collision’ (Kenya), ‘A age-old traditions of diplomacy,
Presidential elections in Uganda Nation’s Tension Headache’ (Nige- arguing that these are anachro-
has only incumbent Museveni pit- ria), ‘Isle of Darkness’ (Zanzibar), nistic. What arrant nonsense!
ted against his long-standing rival ‘Say it with the Kanga or Tell it on Please give the opposing side
Dr Kizza Besigye, but are they the the Leso!’ (Culture) and ‘Libido- space — same size and position
only ones who have expressed an in-Chief’ (With a Light Touch). — to sing praises to the values of
interest in this seat? Keep up the good work. the Geneva Protocols.
If there are others they deserve
a mention. And why are you shy BRENDA SUNDAY, SANE ADEBAYO,
about declaring that South Sudan Zanzibar Bujumbura
Football
F b ll Fiesta
Fi
South Africa Hosts Soccer's Global Party
PUBLISHER
Global Village Publishers (EA) Limited
PO Box 23399-00625, Nairobi
CONTENTS
Vision Plaza, Ground Floor, Suite 19, Table of
Mombasa Road, Nairobi
TELEPHONES
Landline: 020 2525253/4/5
Mobile: 0722 401739, 0722 787345
E-mail: habari@diplomateastafrica.com
Feedback: editor@diplomateastafrica.com
Subscription: subs@diplomateastafrica.com
Website: www.diplomateastafrica.com
EDITORIAL
Editorial Director: Kwendo Opanga
Consulting Editor: Matt K Gathigira
Managing Editor: Bob Job Wekesa
Culture Editor: Ngari Gituku
Staff Writers: Wycliffe Muga, Patrick
Wachira, Jane Mwangi, Baron Khamadi,
Christopher Mburu, Kiishweko Orton,
Carol Gachiengo
MARKETING & SALES
Marketing Director: Simon Mugo
BUSINESS EXECUTIVES
Cornellius Mambili
James Ngina
Chris Nyaoro
Derrick Wanjawa PG 86 PG 84
Eunice Kiarie
Serah Wamaitha
Paul Mucheru
DESIGN TEAM
Daniel Kihara DIPLOMATIC LICENSE CULTURE
William Odidi Soccer’s Global Party ...................................... 1 Is Oratory a Dying Art? ................................. 65
Raphael Mokora
EA The Cradle of intellect ........................... 66-67
PHOTOGRAPHY IMMUNITIES & IMPUNITIES.......... 2 Book Review:
Yahya Mohamed
EA's Pop Culture ................................................. 69
CONTRIBUTORS
Alex Duval Smith,Pretoria THE REGION Paulina-George:
Biko Jackson, Nairobi Elections in the Region ............................... .. 6-12 Authentic African Designer ........................ 70 – 71
Godwin Muhwezi, Arusha
Edward Githae, Kigali
Uganda’s Gays Debate .................................. 13
Francis Sang’, Nairobi Hurdles to EA Political Federation .............. 14 EDUCATION
Godfrey Musila, Johannesburg
E-Learning Empowers Africa .................... 73
John Gachie, Juba
John Mulaa, Washington DC DNA
Julius Mbaluto, London Horn of Trouble ............................................. 16-17 CONFERENCING
Manoah Esipisu, London
Mildred Ngesa, Nairobi The Sudan: New Meetings and Events as Tourism ............. 77-78
Mishaeli Ondieki, Los Angeles Nation on the Cards ...................................... 20 Opportunity in Carbon Credits ................ 79
Rodney Muhumuza, Kampala
Peter Mwaura, Nairobi Reprieve for the Jumbo ................................. 21-24 Pan-African Media Caucus ....................... 80
Robert Mugo, Alberta, Canada Nigeria, Cuba,
Wangari Maathai, Nairobi
Malaysia Envoys Speak ................................. 25-27 AT THE WHEEL
CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Russia Celebrates China Takes Over Volvo ............................. 81
Stephen Otieno
Victory Day .................................................... 29-31
ADMINISTRATION
Josephine Wambui Ramification of UK's GLOBAL STAGE
PRINTER
Cliff - Edge Elections .................................... 33 Nigeria:
Ramco Printing Works Goodluck Jonathan takes over.................. 82-83
ECONOMY
DISCLAIMER: Diplomat East Africa World Bank President on Third World ......... 36-38 COVER STORY
may not be copied and or transmitted or
stored in any way or form, electronically or FIFA World Cup Fever ............................... 84-94
otherwise, without the prior and written
consent of the publisher. Diplomat East
SPECIAL REPORTS
Africa is published at Vision Plaza, Second Grain Bulk Handlers ...................................... 39-50 DIARY
Floor, Suite 37, Mombasa Road, by Global
East Africa Business What to Watch Out For,
Village Publishers (EA) Limited, Box 23399
– 0625, and Telephone 020-2525253/4/5. Competitiveness ........................................... 53-62 June-July 2010 ................................................. 95
Registered at the GPO as a newspaper.
R
ecent Opposition have argued that while the Op-
Political party income chest-thumping position has not put its house in
and expenditure will to the effect that order to the extent of securing the
be monitored, as well they will increase Presidency, the number of its leg-
as candidates’ election legislator numbers islators may well increase in the
come the October General Elec- Dodoma Parliament in October.
expenses, writes tion gained momentum when the The argument is largely hinged
KIISHWEKO ORTON ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi’s on the recent signing of the Elec-
own outspoken MP for Kishapu, tions Expenses Act 2009 by Presi-
Mr Fred Mpendazoe, defected dent Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete,
to them. The Opposition insists which, they say, may snatch vic-
that the CCM votes will drop at tory from rich CCM MPs since it
all levels, implying that it would limits the amount of finances that
lose ground on an unprecedented may be put into an election.
basis. But CCM stalwarts are ada- In his four-and-a-half years at
mant that such claims must be the helm, President Kikwete has
dismissed without further ado. The vowed to ensure the credibility of
reason, they claim, is that they are Tanzania’s democracy by impos-
not backed by a shred of evidence ing tighter controls on election
or serious analysis of fact. financing.
PRESIDENT KIKWETE:
However, local commentators Speaking to Diplomat East Af-
Eyeing second term
rica, the Head of the Political
Science and Public Admin-
istration Department of the
University of Dar es Salaam,
Dr Benson Bana, said the Pres-
ident seemed to have left no
doubt over his commitment
to fighting electoral graft. “The
President tried to educate the
public about the Election Ex-
penses Bill he signed. This has
also left no doubts that he in-
tends to ensure there are clean
elections this year,” Dr Bana
observed.
The don, who is also co-
chairman of Research and
Education for Democracy in
Tanzania (REDET), said the
President will, after his term in
F
or the first time in tion that there was a need to allow for decades in the Isles were ad-
the last three multi- Dr Karume to consolidate peace dressed.
party elections, Zan- initiatives in the Isles. Karume According to Jussa, contrary to
zibar elections are kept silent but later came out to the views of many, the problem
apparently shaping announce that he was against the in Zanzibar was neither historical
up with a sense of calm on either move. nor did it have anything to do with
side of the political divide, save for The two seemed to lead the the perceived differences between
some reservations during the first Third Term chorus, noting that people hailing from Unguja and
phase of a voter registration exer- “there is nothing wrong in letting Pemba: “The problem in Zanzibar
cise last September. him finish what he has started”. is antagonism between followers
A calmer journey took shape Here, they meant that since they of the two largest parties in the
when President Aman Abeid Kar- had just made an agreement ISLES PRESIDENT: Isles”.
ume and Opposition leader Maa- whose content no one knew, the On the home He added that the mistrust
stretch
lim Seif broke the four-year stand- current Isles President should be dated back to 1988, when several
off by agreeing to settle their allowed to continue in office, so senior CUF officials were expelled
political differences in November. that he “can get the time” to con- from CCM.
But a month later, a high sense solidate what they just agreed A lasting solution, he said, could
of irony in every sense took shape upon in November last year. only be found through building trust
when the opposition Civic United At the time in late December, between the two political camps by
Front, who had for four years re- it was unclear whether the ruling making them work together in the
fused to recognize Karume as the party, the Chama cha Mapinduzi running of State affairs.
President of Zanzibar were the (CCM) supported calls for Dr Kar- Fears reigned high that one of
front-liners in calling for the Isles ume to be given another term. the CUF Members of the House of
to head to go for a fourth term Former Karume critic Jussa, Representatives was to table a Pri-
come this October, when the elec- made a legislator recently, ob- vate Motion during the February
tions take place. served: “Reconciliation in Zanzi- session seeking to lay the ground
bar is more important than elec- for the formation of an interim gov-
RECONCILIATION tions. We have had many elections ernment, which would have seen
The subsequent political de- in the past, but all have been a President Karume being given an-
bate on the constitutionality of source of divisions rather than President other three years in office.
the call came hardly a few weeks unity among the people.” Karume’s second But whether Dr Karume would
after CUF and CCM made a break- Zanzibar had four elections be- be given another term was a consti-
through after being at loggerheads fore the 1964 Revolution — in July
and final five-year tutional matter, which could not be
since the 2005 elections. 1957, January 1961, June 1961 and term is due to end decided by a political party.
President Karume’s second and July 1963, and three in 1995, 2000 later this year It was the CCM’s propaganda
final five-year term is due to end and 2005 after the reintroduction secretary in Zanzibar, Mr Vuai Ali
later this year, but his two former of plural politics in 1992. Vuai’s argument which seemed to
most significant critics, the CUF “With the possible exception have changed the political chess-
Secretary General Seif and the of the 1957 elections, none were board when he said that changing
party Foreign Affairs Director Is- conducted to the full satisfaction the Constitution to allow an extra
mail Jussa came over to his side of the electorate,” Jussa told this Presidential term “will curtail de-
head-over-heels, telling the na- writer. mocracy in Zanzibar”
Another Kagame
Avalanche in the Offing?
A frisson of excitement and anticipation courses through the nation, but
so does intimidation of Opposition off cials, EDWARD GITHAE reports
O
n August 9 this The incumbent President Kag- his successes of rebuilding and
year, Rwandans ame vied for the first Presidential reconciliation. During his Presi-
go to the polls to election, held in 2003. He romped dency, Kagame has always had an
elect a govern- home in the polls, which marked unpretentious yet imposing pres-
ment that will be the end of nine years of transi- ence. He is attentive, articulate
in office for the next seven years. tional government. He won a sev- and presents a clear vision for his
President Paul Kagame, the flag- en-year term after running on a country.
bearer of the ruling Rwanda Pa- platform of national unity, boost- He believes in economic de-
triotic Front (RPF), is likely to face ing economic growth, strength- velopment as the key to reducing
off with candidates from the Unit- ening governance and delivering poverty and advancing Rwanda.
ed Democratic Forces of Rwanda, justice. He has been the domi- Sixteen years after the Genocide,
the Democratic Green Party and nant figure in Rwandan politics Rwanda has embraced a new
the Parti Social Imberakuri. since the Genocide over a decade- model of economic development.
The forthcoming election, un- and-a- half ago.
like that held in 2003, has already His popularity across the coun- UNITED DEMOCRATIC
created a frisson of excitement and try is due in no small part due to FORCES (FDU-INKINGI). The
anticipation, with use of intimida-
tion targeting opposition officials
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
party’s flag-bearer, Victoire Inga- from English-speaking Rwandans. He is accused of harbouring the
bire Umuhoza, left Rwanda for Its President is Frank Habineza “genocidal ideology” and is linked
the Netherlands in March 1994. and its Secretary General Charles to elements behind recent gre-
Prior to this, she worked with Kabanda, one of the founders of nade attacks in the capital. How-
the Rwandan Customs Depart- the RPF in the 1980s in Uganda. ever, Ntaganda accuses the ruling
ment of the Ministry of Finance. The Green Democratic Party RPF of being behind repeated at-
Ingabire lived in the Netherlands was launched in August 2009 in tempts to remove him as party
for 16 years before she quit her Kigali with the aim of creating a chief, with the aim of “destroying”
job as a financial manager with genuine and broad-based Op- the party.
an American firm in 2009, to vie position with a progressive and
for the August elections. She will ecological vision. The yet-to-be- ALLIANCE
be the first female Presidential registered party has also been During his monthly press con-
candidate in Rwandan history. stopped several times in its efforts ference late last month, President
“I come for peace and this to organise its meetings. Kagame stated that Rwanda ac-
peace will guide my political ac- cepts divergent political views
tion to eradicate injustice and to LOUISE MSHIKIWABO: and political parties as long as
break all the chains that imprison Kagame's RPF has they meet the requirements of
us,” Ingabire said upon landing accused Ingabire the law. Singling out Ingabire
on Rwandan soil 16 years after she of 'revisionism' and Ntaganda, Kagame added
and 'divisionism'
left the country. Ingabire is seen that it is disrespectful foreigners
concerning the
as the strongest challenger to the should view the Rwandan society
Genocide
President. However, despite the through the prism of such people.
razzmatazz of her return from ex- This presents a number of impon-
ile, she stirs controversy. derables regarding whether some
Recently, she demanded Gov- of these prospective opposition
ernment protection after an un- candidates would vie for the elec-
identified youth group attacked tions.
her aide in Kigali. Opposition PS IMBERAKURI Faced with this situation, the
groups condemned the attack A relatively new party, having three opposition parties have set
and accused President Kagame’s been formed in January 2009, the up an alliance known as Conseil de
ruling Patriotic Front Party (RPF) PS Imberakuri was created by ex- Concertation Permanent des Par-
of complicity, an allegation RPF members of the Social Democrat- tis de l’Opposition, to enable them
refutes. ic Party (PSD), who claim to have to widen the democratic space by
Ingabire also came under fire abandoned the latter due to its taking a common position on cer-
for purportedly making assertions continued alignment to the ruling tain subjects and joint lobbying
that Genocide survivor groups RPF. Until recently, it was headed nationally and internationally.
under their umbrella body IBUKA by Bernard Ntaganda, a lawyer by Presently, the group seems ap-
considered insulting.
Local political analysts say
profession, who also served as a
former chairman of a renowned
STATS pallingly frail and ill-equipped for
the elections. With Ingabire and
the latest attack against Ingabire Rwandan football club. &FACTS Habineza yet to register their re-
could have resulted from her re- Despite being the only regis- spective parties, amidst cries of
cent controversial remarks. Kag- tered opposition party, PS Im- Ingabire intimidation, they may opt to back
ame’s RPF Party has been swift berakuri has had wrangles since returned to PS-Imberakuri’s Ntaganda.
and hard-hitting, accusing her of its formation. In an idiosyncratic Before D-Day, there is interest
both “revisionism” and “division- twist of fate, Ntaganda was de- Rwanda 16 about how the canvas is likely to
ism” regarding the history of the posed as party leader during an years after unfold now until Election Day:
mass killings in Rwanda in 1994. extraordinary meeting in which she left the bittersweet, even jagged. And with
his deputy chief, Christine Muka- RPF riding roughshod over the
DEMOCRATIC GREEN PARTY bunane, assumed leadership until
country Rwandan heartland, the opposi-
The Democratic Green Party, a new chairperson is elected soon. tion is in for a real shocker
with a leadership drawn mainly
T
HE collective psyche debate and voting will assume:
of Kenyans, who are that of the retention of the Kadhi
fond of describing courts and the other on abortion.
themselves as politi- The point of departure is that in-
cal animals to the last clusion of the Kadhis courts in the
man and woman, has its sights document is akin to embracing Is-
firmly trained on a new Constitu- lam within the state while shunt-
tion by year’s end. That is only if ing the more populous Christian
the current momentum and di- faith.
rection are maintained and sus- Abortion has rubbed Christian
tained at the tempo leaders and church leaders up the wrong way,
L
ong before Idi Amin quarters, including a telephone a lawmaker motivated primarily by
fled Uganda in 1979, conversation with US Secretary of politics. In fact, for proposing death
the dictator had en- State Hillary Clinton, who, like US for a crime he calls “aggravated ho-
tered the imagination President Barack Obama, has pub- mosexuality”, David Bahati, who
of many European licly criticised the proposed law. represents a rural constituency in
editors as a psychopath, mass mur- Museveni’s admission of power- western Uganda, is favoured to win
derer and, let it be said, suspected lessness was revealing on two levels. re-election.
cannibal. Amin has been dead since For the first time in his administra- Uganda’s penal law already
2003, but, for especially infamous tion, the Ugandan leader was con- criminalises homosexuality, but
reasons, he still lives in the minds ceding that donors could actually the authorities have never been
of many Ugandans. Now, thanks to tell him what to do. Even more sig- interested in arresting consenting
the anti-gay mood that is prevailing nificantly, however, he had sum- homosexuals, except in cases where
in Uganda, foreigners in far-flung moned up the courage to say so. To young boys have been allegedly
places are being re-introduced to an understand how this could happen, sodomised by adults, the authori-
Hurdles on
Path to EA
Political
Federation
By DEA CORRESPONDENT
T
he grand march to an
East African Politi-
cal Federation may
have begun in ear-
nest. So, is it time to
pop the champagne bottle? Well,
not quite. The journey may be set
back by pitfalls that could mar
progress. The founding fathers of munity, should take precedence Eminent scholar Dr Odera Outa
the East African Community had over similar ones in existence in says the East African Court of Jus-
envisaged that the penultimate the partner states. But it appears tice should assert its role and learn
stage for such a federation was the that the unity of purpose that from the European Union, which
formation of a Monetary Union, should inform such procedures adopts a “protectionist approach”
still due. may be lacking, after all. to member states’ welfare: “States
The Monetary Union caps the Even as a 15-member commit- must cede a bit of sovereignty
fruitful realisation of a Common tee of experts work on a detailed when they sign up as members of
Market protocol — already rati- review and analysis of the fears, the EAC. You cannot eat your cake
fied by four states as we went to concerns and challenges towards and have it”.
press — which in turn follows the the federation, it has emerged that Lawyer Gervase Akhaabi (EALA,
actualisation of a Customs Union. member states may be hesitant to Kenya) feels that harmonisation of
Thus, the EAC appears to have cede sovereignty. This would pose laws and disparity in national laws
acted fast and by-passed other serious problems for the opera- is yet another challenge. Another
regional bodies such as the Pref- tionalisation of the treaty. bottleneck is financial sufficiency
erential Trade Area (PTA), which That is despite the fact that and multiple membership by
are, to all intents and purposes, Section 4 Article 8 of the Treaty partner states.
moribund. establishing the Community says Throw decision-making into
Bills enacted by the East African that laws passed by the EALA shall the mix and the problem of con-
Legislative Assembly (EALA), the supersede similar laws existing in sensus and you have the ingredi-
parliamentary arm of the Com- partner states. ents of a slow paralysis. But per-
Horn of
Plenty
of Trouble
The huge security challenges experienced, writes
WILLIAM LONGOMBA, have ramifications for the
entire region
T
HE Horn of Africa
presents a huge secu-
rity challenge that is a
source of serious con-
cern for both eastern
Africa’s diplomats and the conti-
nental African Union. The chal-
lenge the Horn poses is therefore
both regional and international.
In Somalia, the Transitional
Federal Government (TFG) has
yet to establish its control over the
country and is steeped in an in-
ternal war of attrition with the Al-
Shabab Islamic militants.
Offshore pirates have created a
logistical and financial nightmare
for shipping companies and the
ports of the region and inland gov-
ernments and therefore adversely ARMED AND DANGEROUS:
affected the international mari- Unconventional fighters
time trade. display their lethal ware
In the eyes of both regional and
international diplomats, however,
the cure for the pirate problem off gain control of the country, other The militant group, which is be-
the expansive coast of Somalia and challenges plague its initiatives. lieved to have links with Al-Qaeda,
in the crucial Indian Ocean ship- Al-Shabab has threatened to attack leading to fears Somalia could be-
ping trade route lies on shore – in neighbouring Kenya and Uganda, come Africa’s pre-9/11 Afghanistan
the creation of a stable Somalia. the latter a country with which So- equivalent, regards Uganda, which
But even as the TFG struggles to malia does not share a border. has troops in Somalia, as an en-
T
he Media High Council taken, since 2004 for Umuseso and violations of the law and professional
(MHC) wishes to dismiss 2008 for Umuvugizi. ethics by this paper, on the March 13,
the unfounded state- These decisions were based on 2009, when it summoned the owner
ments from the Commit- complaints from the public and of this newspaper. After being showed
tee to Protect Journalists MHC’s daily monitoring findings, all legal and ethical violations, the
(CPJ) and Reporters without Borders which revealed that, on several oc- newspaper management was warned
(RSF) relating to the recent suspen- casions, these newspapers published of the consequences if they did not
sion of two weekly newspapers, false, sensational and inflammatory respect the law. The same year, 2009,
Umuseso and Umuvugizi. material aimed at creating a sense after receiving multiple complaints
The two media watchdogs allege of fear and despondency amongst from some members of the public
that the MHC violated the law by the Rwandan people, polarising the concerning this newspaper’s stories,
handing down the six months’ sus- national security organs, insulting, the MHC sought written explanations
pension to the two newspapers. Quot- slandering and defaming innocent and evidence from the management
ing Article 83 of the media law and individuals and interfering in other of the Umuvugizi newspaper. The
an anonymous Kigali lawyer a habit people’s private lives without good paper’s management, however, de-
they share with the newspapers they reason. fied the MHC and refused not only to
are defending, RSF argues that “the Specifically, CPJ and RSF should be provide the explanations but to also
Council can only order a newspaper’s reminded that in 2004, after its refusal respond to the MHC’s letter.
temporary or permanent closure if it to accept mistakes, apologise and Consequently, the MHC issued a
has previously found it guilty of the correct the wrong impression they last warning letter dated September 2,
same offence, which is not the case had created as a result of articles in 2009, which also ordered Umuvugizi
with either of the two publications.” Umuseso’s Issue No. 186 of August 1-7, management to apologise and correct
It is unfortunate that organisations 2004, and following a public hearing their mistakes in the next issues. The
that claim to be internationally repu- of August 18, 2004, the MHC recom- above directive was not only ignored
table and credible can base their con- mended the suspension of Umuseso by Umuvugizi management but the
clusions on sentiments and hearsay for a four-month period. legal and ethical violations have also
rather than facts and evidence in the Although the suspension was not increased since the beginning of 2010.
name of defence of media freedom. enforced by the relevant organs, the This newspaper’s most recent pub-
First of all, RSF needs to be in- paper was later found guilty of the lications have evidently disregarded
formed that the MHC has no powers same offences MHC had observed the law. Apart from alleging an unsub-
to order permanent closure of any and sentenced the editor to a one- stantiated coup d’etat recently, they
media organ. That can only be done year suspended prison term and a have made calls on some military of-
by competent courts of law as pro- one-million-franc fine. Also in 2009, ficers to desert the Army, apparently
vided for under Article 84 of the Me- the MHC decided to advise the Gov- because their promotions have been
dia Law. ernment to suspend the paper for a delayed yet, according to Umuvugizi
Secondly, it is not the first time period of three months following a newspaper, “they can do better in ci-
the MHC has found these tabloids public hearing and refusal to com- vilian life”.
guilty of violating the media law and ply with multiple warnings from the Feeding into Umuseso’s call for the
professional code of ethics, includ- Council for violation of the law and use of violence to change the gover-
ing serious offences. Indeed, as MHC professional ethics. nance and leadership of this country,
media monitoring reports can show, Similarly, following a thorough since, according to them, all peaceful
these newspapers were summoned, analysis of certain publications of means of bringing about change have
warned, reprimanded and, in some Umuvugizi newspaper between 2006 been exhausted, the two newspapers
cases decisions for their suspension and 2008, the MHC exposed persistent had crossed the line. In fact, Umuseso
Referendum to Usher
in Africa’s New Nation
Count down to Sudan's date with destiny
By DEA CORRESPODENT
T
HE just-concluded fore the actual polling. Thus, the
controversial, multi- two men applied the time-tested
layered and high-oc- and almost guaranteed under-
tane Sudanese elec- hand methods of winning polls:
tions were a study in tampering with the electoral reg-
political survival and skulduggery. isters, the dead turning up to vote,
And as all eyes now turn to the multiple registers, unregistered
coming referendum, which will voters turning up to cast ballots as
determine whether the mainly well as secret ballot stations with
Christian South will secede from different versions of electoral reg-
the Arabic-Islamic North and isters. Voters’ rolls had additional
questions are being asked if that, names, too.
too, is not a foregone conclusion. Bashir’s hold onto power is now
The country’s first multi-party legitimised by the results of the
polls in 20 years have achieved a poll and if there were perceptions
two-pronged objective for both north and south as its 38 million PRESIDENTS KIIR of an iron fist, this will, in all prob-
President Omar El-Bashir and people must decide their political AND BASHIR: ability transform into impunity,
Salva Mayardit Kiir, who carried destiny in due course. Going separate under the guise of having been
the day in areas they were keen International observers, have ways? “accepted” by the people.
on and which form the bastions of technically given the polls a clean That the poll did not witness
their political nine lives. bill of health, even as they pointed the sort of violent skirmishes that
Bashir’s promise that the refer- out that the elections did not meet erupt in many states in the region
endum will be held on schedule is international standards. and beyond is testimony that de-
not a tacit commitment that that Bashir, who was credited with mocracy is slowly ceasing to hold
will be done, for, even the polls a 68 per cent win, has emerged as the high price that it has, with all
were postponed a few times owing the student “par excellence” of his the attendant negative labels.
to various reasons. mentor, former President Jaafar Compared and contrasted to
Kiir appears to have moved a Numeiry, whose introduction of the polls in say, Kenya in 2008, the
step closer to clipping the powers Sharia Law was seen as one of the Sudan elections were tacit proof
and geographical reach of Bashir, biggest factor that led to the 22- that even with minimal violence,
by sweeping the vote in the south. year old war between the North relative peace is possible during
His Sudan People’s Liberation and South. Bashir has been in pow- campaigns and electioneering.
Movement (SPLM) has threat- er since 1989. It must be a welcome relief for
ened that the South will secede Although SPLM won 9 out of 10 many Africans both living in the
automatically and declare inde- seats for state governorships, there continent and in the diaspora that,
pendence if the referendum is de- were allegations of electoral fraud to quote Kiir, neighbourliness will
layed. in areas where it enjoys support continue even after the polls and
Sudan is, in many ways, facing almost across the board, the same that “it does not mean that the
a watershed moment in its long way Bashir was accused of tamper- River Nile will stop flowing to the
history of hostilities between the ing with the electoral process be- north”
A
frican delegates ne-
gotiating the destiny
of the world’s largest
terrestrial mammal
reached the Doha
United Nations International Wild-
life Conference a divided house.
Zambia and Tanzania sought to
trade in more than 112 tons of ivory
and the down-listing of the con-
servation status of their elephant
populations while the 21-member
African Elephant Coalition wanted
a 20-year ban on the ivory trade
and a reaffirmation of the June 2007
agreement brokered by the Euro-
pean Union.
trade and poaching. The Coalition’s This was followed by the verdict Norway, the US, Japan and South
other diplomatic charm offensive of 26 conservationists led by Sam Africa supported the proposal. But
saw Kenya host more than 20 dip- Wasser, who published a commen- Mali, Rwanda and Kenya opposed
lomats based in Nairobi to a bush tary in the journal Science arguing the proposal for betraying the spirit
breakfast to make its case at the his- that there was a clear link between of the consensus reached at The
torically symbolic Ivory Burning Site one-off sales and the rise in poach- Hague.
in the Nairobi National Park, where ing. Again, this was shot down by del-
12 tons of ivory was burned in 1989. To bridge the divide, the Coali- egates, despite support from the US
Mr Julius Kipng’etich, the Kenya tion’s delegation, including the and some European nations.
Wildlife Service director, told the dip- Kenyan Minister for Forestry and Once the revised proposals were
lomats that the spirit of the Hague Wildlife, Dr Noah Wekesa, held dis- defeated, giving elephants a new
agreement had been breached by cussions with Tanzania’s Mwangun- lease of life, Kenya and six other
the Tanzanian and Zambian gov- ga. These meetings proved futile. Coalition members withdrew their
ernments. Once the split became The Coalition suggested that proposal to maintain the nine-
evident in Doha, the Solomonic task Tanzania, Zambia and the Coali- year moratorium as agreed at The
of reconciling the feuding African tion all withdraw their proposals Hague.
siblings fell on the shoulders of the and revert to the 2007 resting period
European Union, as was the case in compromise. This was meant to SOLUTION
2007. provide a window of opportunity for Finally, the conference removed
The Coalition argued that Tan- consensus-building among African the elephant from the precipice and
zania was flouting CITES rules on elephant range states. provided another chance for Afri-
shared wildlife populations, noting The Tanzanian delegation prom- can range states to collaboratively
that she ought to have at least con- ised to consider the suggestion. The find solutions to secure elephants
sulted Kenya before submitting her Southern African Development in their habitats. For a start, they are
proposal. Community (SADC), which was to participate in and implement the
supporting the Tanzanian and Zam- African Elephant Action Plan that
DIVISION bian proposals, gave no feedback. was approved and adopted by all
But Tanzania side-stepped the Hours to D-Day, the EU con- the African elephant range states
charge, arguing that the elephant vened a meeting of representatives at the conference. The African el-
population had reached a point of SADC and Coalition member ephant range states now look up to
where they were trampling crops countries in a last-ditch effort to the CITES Secretariat to establish
and killing many people and that reach a compromise. Each side was the African Elephant Fund as set out
proceeds from the sale of govern- given a chance to re-clarify its pro- in the 2007 compromise. The plan is
ment stockpiles would be ploughed posal. The Coalition had a compro- “a truly representative continental
back into conservation and com- mise position for negotiation but plan for comprehensive conserva-
munity projects. SADC was not ready and asked for tion and management of Africa’s
Tanzanian Minister for Natural time for further consultation. elephants”, said Mr Patrick Omondi,
Resources and Tourism Shamsa As it turned out, SADC neither the Head of Species Conservation at
Mwangunga warned, “we run the reverted to the EU nor the Coali- the Kenya Wildlife Service.
risk of enhancing hostility against tion with their decision. By 11pm, The plan spells out eight strate-
elephants by our local community, the Coalition and EU decided that gic objectives that, if implemented,
especially where human/wildlife the Coalition compromise position would enhance management and
conflicts are prevalent”. This was was meaningless without the SADC conservation of African elephants
backed by Zambia’s Minister for response. across its range. He suggests that
Tourism supported this view. On D-Day, Tanzania amended its a mechanism to house the African
The CITES Panel of Experts dealt proposal on the floor by splitting it Elephant Fund under the African
Tanzania’s proposal a mortal blow into down-listing and one-off sales. Union should be explored with a
on the basis of weak law enforce- But the die had been cast and both specific secretariat set up to oversee
ment and compliance. The expert proposals were defeated. the implementation of the African
report raised concerns at the in- In the afternoon, Zambia got Elephant Action Plan at the African
volvement of organised crime rings cold feet and amended her pro- Union (AU) level to help Africa ap-
in Tanzania’s poaching and smug- posal by dropping one-off sales but proach elephant management chal-
gling operations. retained down-listing. Zimbabwe, lenges as one voice
T
he 15th Conference banning his entire Cabinet from (Interpol) defines wildlife crime as
of Parties (CoP15) of travelling abroad until a new the “taking, trading, exploiting or
the Conference on In- Constitution is well on its way in possessing of the world's wild flo-
ternational Trade on place to allow an exception to the ra and fauna in contravention of
Endangered Species rule which saw Noah Wekesa, the national and international laws”.
(CITES) simply known as World Wildlife and Forestry minister,
Wildlife Trade Talks took place in travelling to Doha. ILLEGAL
Qatar's humid capital of Doha in This was testimony of how Conservative estimates put the
March. In these talks, unlike the important CITES is to Nairobi. In global trade in animals, plants
Copenhagen Climate Change other words, the range countries and their by-products at a mind-
Conference, where Africa adopt- of East, Central and southern Afri- boggling US$159 billion annually!
ed a common position, dishar- ca are major players in the multi- A dossier released in 2006 by the
mony among African neighbours billion-shilling global wildlife World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and
reigned supreme. trade (both legal and illegal). Trade Records Analysis of Flora
Nowhere was this divergence While many people would want and Fauna in Commerce (TRAF-
of opinion felt as strongly as with- to think that the wildlife trade is all FIC) — a wildlife trade monitor-
in the East African Community about elephant tusks, the reality is ing network — and entitled “The
(EAC) and the Common Market that it is much more than this and International Wildlife Trade and
for Eastern and Southern African has surpassed human trafficking, JUMBO: Organised Crime” revealed: “It is
(COMESA) blocs. Kenya took an and almost caught up with gun- Poaching is a estimated that the global trade in
opposing position on elephants running and drug trafficking. The menace to the animals, plants and their by-prod-
vis a vis her regional bloc mem- International Police Organisation gentle giant ucts is worth a total of around
bers Tanzania and Zambia. US$159 billion a year.
Both Tanzania and Zambia had Although the scale of the illegal
put in proposals seeking to down- trade is difficult to estimate, it is
list their elephant populations clear that the rewards it offers to
from Appendix I to Appendix II, unscrupulous, illegitimate trad-
paving the way for Dar es Salaam ers, businesses, organised crimi-
and Lusaka to offload their 90 and nals and major organised crime
21 tonnes of ivory stockpiles re- groups are very high indeed and
spectively. probably second only to the drugs
As expected Kenya stuck to her trade in terms of the potential lev-
20-year-old protectionist posi- els of profit on offer.
tion, which rubbed her erstwhile These rewards are made possi-
neighbours up the wrong way. ble by a market for wildlife species
Why did the EAC and COMESA and derivatives which is fuelled by
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
DIPLOMACY
W
hat do Dr power of his passion and focus. WIGWE, turf of solidarity and international
Chijioke Wil- He cherishes his profession and GONZALES, collaborations, more so with the
cox Wigwe, practices it with zeal and sagacity, ZAINUDDIN: sister nations of the Third World.
the Nigerian masterfully juggling the numer- Hold Notably, during the past three
High Com- ous tasks entrusted to him. passionate decades, Cuba offered direct sup-
missioner, Mr Julio Cesar Gonza- Mr Marhcante is a man whose views port to the national liberation
les Marhcante, the Cubans Am- position has given him solid about movements of Guinea Bissau, Al-
bassador, and Mr Zainol Rahim ground to stand on and pride in
Africa's geria and Cape Verde; defended
agenda
Zainuddin, the Malaysian High his place in the world. His face the territorial integrity of Ethiopia
Commissioner have in common never knows a dull instant; a lively and Angola and granted a deci-
besides being their iconic nations’ personality dwells in that counte- sive contribution to Namibia’s
envoys in Kenya? nance. independence and elimination of
Well, for starters, they hold Mr Zainuddin is an astute in- South Africa’s apartheid regime.
fairly passionate views on their dividual with a diplomat’s air of During this period, 380,000
agenda for Africa. grace under pressure. Cubans fought alongside their Af-
Speaking to Diplomat East Af- All three offered a glimpse into rican brothers and sisters. From
rica in their chancelleries in Nai- their service and their respective 1961 until 2009, Africa has ben-
robi, all three envoys articulated governments’ agenda for Kenya efited from 104,360 Cuban work-
their home countries’ policies on and the region. ers in 46 countries with over 800
a wide range of issues of both na- Diplomat East Africa: Look- projects in implementation and
tional and international interest. ing at foreign policy orientation, eight major areas of co-operation
Dr Wigwe’s strongly-held views what nations has your govern- — notably health, sports, tech-
strike one as a testament of the ment given priority to and why? nology transfer and scholarship
CONTROVERSY
T
HE controversy sur- zonal and federal officials and in- tants ELC Electroconsult of Italy and
rounding the construc- stitutions taking part. Work on the Coyne et Bellier of France.
tion of Ethiopia’s Gibe dam, with a height of 243 metres, is Once completed, Gibe III is
III Dam, pitting devel- nearing 50 per cent completion and scheduled to produce some 1,870
opment against conser- the technology being used is that of megawatts of power. The project,
vation, has climbed a notch higher. Roller Compacted Concrete. When scheduled to be fully commissioned
And even as construction of fully operational, the dam will hold in 2013, will boost the country’s hy-
the mega-project, estimated to 5.7 million cubic metres, with a crest dropower generation capacity enor-
cost US$2.7 billion, goes full steam length of 610 metres and width of 10 mously and enhance energy pro-
ahead, it has emerged that opposi- metres. Height above sea level will be duction by 800MW, equivalent to
tion to the project by conservation 896 metres. 234 per cent. The scheme will, as a
lobbies may be much ado about The excavation and lining works net effect, drastically increase what
nothing. for the three diversion tunnels is al- Ethiopia produces many times over.
Indeed, the Ethiopian Govern- ready complete. The project, the second largest in
B
ENEATH the melodi- forces launched several large-scale transport aviation as well as combat
ous tunes by brass offensives near Leningrad and transport.
bands and the roar Novgorod, Ukraine, the Crimea, Part of the parade will also feature
of helicopters and Byelorussia, the Baltic Republics, war veterans from the Common-
planes doing striking Moldavia and the Polar regions. wealth of Independent States and
aerial displays on May 9 to mark Rus- It was precisely after Soviet forces representatives of American, British
sia’s 65th Victory Day, dark memories completely overcame Nazi forces and French armed forces.
linger. that Great Britain and the United Russia believes that the Great Vic-
The anniversary of the victory of States opened the Second Front in tory is a common spiritual heritage
the Great Patriotic War (the Second Europe in 1944. of all peoples of the former 15 Soviet
World War) is both a local ceremony Germany suffered defeat after Republics, whose forefathers upheld
and an international socio-political defeat, culminating in the gigantic freedom, saved their fatherland and
event of enormous significance for Berlin Operation that became the made a decisive contribution to the
the world. final act of World War II in Europe. liberation of the USSR and Europe
It marks the day Russian forces The operation involved two-and-a- from fascist enslavement.
routed and completely defeated Nazi half-million Soviet servicemen The results of the historical drama
Germany’s army, then consisting of launched on April 16, 1945. of World War II directly influenced
troops from Finland, Italy, Hungary The army that stormed Hitler’s the course of world history and the
and Romania, then Nazi satellites. Reich itself was a juggernaut of 6,200 development of international rela-
Germany’s high command envis- tanks, 8,300 aircraft and 42,000 guns tions. The advent of the anti-Hitler
aged a blitzkrieg, or storm. and mortars. In the fierce battles coalition was a major diplomatic
The war started on June 22, 1941, that ensued, the enemy camp, one breakthrough of its time and repre-
when Germany attacked Russia million officers and men were sur- sented an unprecedented example
without warning, sparking fierce rounded and eliminated. of states with varied ideologies and
battles that raged all the way from The Soviet Army destroyed 607 political systems rallying together to
the Barents Sea to the Black Sea. enemy divisions while the British face and overcome a mortal threat
The Soviet Union became a unit- and American forces accounted for to mankind. It is significant that the
ed military camp where everyone 176 divisions. Germany lost 13.6 nations rose above their differences
lived and worked under the slogan million people and 75 per cent of and renounced minor bottlenecks
“Everything to the Front, Everything military equipment and weapons. in order to crush the enemy and
for Victory!” Shortly, the Russians The Soviets lost 26.6 million people. achieve victory.
started produced more superior mil- Unable to bear the onslaught, The war was a demonstration of
itary hardware that promptly spelled Germany surrendered uncondi- how low man can sink, but, more
trouble for the enemy. tionally on the evening of May 8. importantly, showed unsurpassed
Russian officers and men dis- The world learnt of this the next day. instances of the greatness of the hu-
played valour, heroism, indomitable Mortars, shells, the staccato burst man spirit and the capacity for self-
courage, fortitude and bravery exem- of machine gun fire and tanks sud- sacrifice in order to save friends.
plified by the exploits of defenders of denly went quiet. The unity of the Soviet people,
the Brest Fortress, Moscow, Stalin- The war was over. patriotism, friendship between the
grad, Kursk, Leningrad, Sevastopol, May 9th was proclaimed in the nationalities and nations and just
Odessa, Kiev, Smolensk and Tula. USSR Victory Day. And to mark aims in the war bred valour at the
The Battle of Stalingrad lasted six this Day, hundreds of army troops front and heroic labour of the people
months up to February 2, 1943, when will take part in the biggest military in the rear and the eventual defeat
the enemy’s 330,000-strong army parade in history in Moscow. All of Nazism. And Kenyans should re-
was encircled and defeated. The vic- branches of the Armed Forces will member, as they struggle to create
tory of the Battle of Kursk marked the march across Red Square. structures for better governance,
turning point of the World War. On display at the parade will be that the cornerstones of friendship
Buoyed by this success, Soviet 159 vehicles of historical, current and self-sacrifice
T
he United States and duce the total quantity of war-
Russia have signed a heads by one-third, seen against
treaty on measures the previous treaty on reduction,
for further reduction which had set the upper threshold
and limitation of Stra- at 2,200 units.
tegic Offensive Arms (SOA). The new treaty also says that
The treaty, signed by US Presi- the quantity of strategic carri-
dent Barack Obama and his Rus- ers will be reduced by more than
sian counterpart Dmitriy Ana- twice under previous arrange-
tolyevich Medvedev on April 8, ments. “With all these, only the
was described as a well-balanced scheme of reckoning the opera-
document fully matching the in- tively deployed warheads — those
terests of national security of both ready for immediate military use
the Russian Federation and the — shall be applied. That will show
USA. the actual picture of the strategic
The document ensures the potentials of the Parties”.
real reductions of strategic arms, As for the so-called upload po-
which corresponds to the real tential — the possibility to secretly
situation in the world “as well as increase the number of deployed
to the nature of Russian-USA rela- warheads within a short time — it
tions at the present stage”. is rigidly restricted by the limit of
The two powers agreed to re- the total quantity of deployed and
non-deployed launchers. These are
the Intercontinental Ballistic Mis-
siles (ICBM) and the Submarine
Launch Ballistic Missiles (SLBM).
Also targeted are the deployed
and non-deployed tactical war-
heads, restricted at 800 units. This
upper limit provides extra impetus
for liquidation and re-equipment
of the Strategic Offensive Arms fa-
cilities.
The link between Strategic Of-
STRATEGIC POTENTIALS: fensive Arms and Anti-Ballistic
Russian Ambassador to
Missiles (ABM) is now a compro-
Kenya and Permanent
mise: While there is no limit for de-
Representaive
to international veloping ABM systems, Russia re-
organisations Valery tains the right to pull out from the
Yegoshkin treaty in case of such increase of
quality of quantity of the United
States’ ABM possibilities.
TICKETS:
DINNER AND PERFORMANCE (7.00 PM) 3,500 KSHS,
PERFORMANCE ONLY(8.30 PM) 1500 KSHS
TICKETS:
LUNCH AND PERFORMANCE (100 PM ) 3000 KSHS,
PERFORMANCE ONLY(300 PM ) 1500 KSHS
CHILDREN UP TO 12 YEARS – 2000 KSHS AND 1000 KSHS RESPECTIVELY
TICKETS AVAILABLE FROM: RUSSIAN EMBASSY (0722705037, 2728700), ALLIANCE FRANCAISE (340054/79), SAFARI PARK HOTEL&CASINO
(3633000/3137, 8562222)
Generously supported by: SPECIAL THANKS TO RED LANDS ROSES
TRIBUNAL DECIDES
M
inority com- The case filed on the Endorois’ ing video tapes from the advocates
munities whose behalf by the Centre for Minority of the Endorois at its sittings in Ban-
rights have been Rights Development and the Mi- jul.
trampled upon nority Rights Group International They cited other landmark cases
in the East Afri- in 2003 sought judgment over a de- which have come before it such as
can region will be trooping to Banjul, cision by the Kenyan Government the Ogoni of Ken Serawiwa fame
The Gambia, following the landmark to evict the Endorois from their in the exploitation of oil wealth in
ruling by the African Commission ancestral land around Lake Bogoria the Niger Delta. They also quoted
on Human and People’s Rights, the and turn it into a game reserve 37 extensively from the case of the
supreme African Union court, which years ago. Saramaka of Suriname in which the
found the Kenya Government guilty The land in contention mea- Inter-American Court of Human
of snatching the Endorois’ ancestral sures 197 square kilometres and is Rights ruled that the State had the
land. situated some 260 kilometres West responsibility to ensure that people
The Endorois, a pastoral ethnic of Nairobi. rights to resources are protected.
group of an estimated 60,000 people, First, it was gazetted as Lake The Kenyan Government in its
fought unsuccessful battles through Hannington Game Reserve in 1973, arguments made several attempts
the Kenyan courts and finally decid- then as Lake Bogoria Game Reserve to demonstrate that the Endorois
ed to go to Banjul, where they have the following year. The Endorois, are not a distinct community, that
been battling with the Kenyan Gov- who inhabited the land, were re- they have already been compen-
ernment for the last seven years. located to a scheme created in the sated, and that they were involved
Already, the ruling is causing ex- neighbourhood. in decisions at every stage.
citement and could open the flood- Their battle in the Kenyan High For instance, the State argued
gates for the disadvantaged people Court failed when a judge ruled that that the Endorois are among the
in the region. Pending before the “the law did not allow individuals to four sub-clans of the Tugen, the
court are two other cases from Kenya benefit from such a resource sim- others being the Lebus, Somor and
— the Wagalla Massacre, attributed ply because they happen to be born Alor. And in 1986 the Government
to the Kenyan Army in 1984 in Wajir close to the natural resource”. paid 170 out of the 400 families
and the Nubians, who are seeking to Attempts to appeal in Kenya compensation of Sh3,150 each (£30
reclaim land in Kibera, Nairobi. were frustrated for three years, at the time), which it acknowledged
In Uganda, the Karamajong, the when court administrators failed was to facilitate their movement.
Bakenye and Banyarwanda, who to issue a certified court ruling. The The State also argued that the
form minority groups and who have community’s representatives also group did not exhaust local avenues
been agitating for their rights, could pointed out to the Banjul court that such as the Court of Appeal, inter-
be preparing for the journey to Ban- members of the Endorois Welfare vention by their district commis-
jul, inspired by the Endorois ruling. Committee and lawyers who were sioner and the County Councils of
In Tanzania, a group of bushmen, at championing the fight faced ha- Koibatek and Baringo, who run the
the Barbaig and of Albinos, who face rassment from government. game reserve.
a threat of extinction, might also The case cited five grounds KNCHR Vice-Chairman Hassan
make a trip to Banjul if they fail to be which the Kenyan State violated Ar- Omar Hassan promises that the
guaranteed proper protection by the ticles 8, 14, 17, 21 and 22 of the AU commission will pursue the matter
Government in Dar es Salaam. Charter. “to the end”
Hung Parliament?
Hang The Opposition!
By KWENDO OPANGA
P
olitical leaders in give credence to the term strange
Tanzania, Rwanda, bedfellows because ideologically
Burundi, Ethiopia, Lib Dems are closer to Labour
the Comoros and than to the Tories.
Uganda must have Most important of all, the new
viewed the results of the May 6 government must make tough de-
General Election in the UK with cisions that will involve substan-
more than passing interest. tial cuts in government spending
The first five countries go to and services. This could make
the polls this year and Uganda the for a very unpopular government
next and each of the main parties that could be kicked out at the
would want to be sure they start next election.
in pole position, but they cannot But does the fact that Britain
look to the UK for inspiration. has not had a coalition govern-
Britain’s three main political ment or minority government
parties lost ground in the General since 1974 mean, a hung parlia-
Election which accounts for the ment is a bad thing? It is strange
so-called hung parliament and re- for the Brits, but common on the
sulting post-poll uncertainty. European continent.
New Labour, the governing par- Are African leaders ready to
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
ty for the last 13 years, lost more share power? The coalitions in
than 80 seats in what must rank as Kenya (2008) and Zimbabwe
its worst electoral performance in (2009) were put together to end
more than three decades. post-poll chaos because parties
The Conservative Party, which interfered with the votes and not
had been in power for 18 years be- enter negotiations with a view to BROWN, because the voters failed to hand
fore Labour, gained more than 90 cobbling together a coalition or CLEGG, one party a decisive win.
seats, but fell short of the 326 ma- an arrangement that would see CAMERON: In Uganda, Rwanda, and Tan-
jority it needed to be able to gov- them form a government. No clear zania, and as was evident in the
ern alone comfortably by some 19 That thrust the Liberal Demo- winner Sudan in April and Nigeria in
seats. crat leader Mr Nick Clegg in the 2007, opposition parties are more
The Liberal Democratic Party, centre of the horse trading game. likely to be concerned with their
popularly known as the Lib Dems, Clegg’s decision could make or acceptance, legitimating their ac-
flattered to deceive during the wreck his political career and his tivities and vote-cheating, than
five-week campaign when it ap- party. Clegg was handed two suit- with sharing power.
peared it would get a large share ors he would have wanted to give For the governing parties
of the votes. Instead it lost seats a wide berth. which are going to the polls this
and finished a distant third. Embrace a defeated Labour year and next, a hung parliament
By failing to give a single party and you end up in a coalition of may be the least of their immedi-
the mandate to govern, the elec- the defeated. Get into the duvet ate worries; hanging the opposi-
torate forced the party leaders to with the Conservatives and you tion may be most urgent
2. ISLAMIC FINANCE: In deep discussion from left are Mr Jawad I. Ali, Managing
Partner, King & Spalding, LLP-Middle East, Mr Ali Mohamed, Sheri’a Auditor Qinvest
Doha Qatar, and Sheikh Muddassir H. Siddiqui, Shari’ah Expert, Partner, Denton
Wilde Sapte-Dubai, during the Islamic Finance Conference held at Laico Regency
in Nairobi in early May.
3. ROYAL PRESENCE: Her Majesty Queen Sofia of Spain at the Africa-Middle East
Regional Microcredit Summit in Nairobi in April.
6. ON TOUR: Participants tour some of the stands during the Africa-Middle East
Regional Microcredit Summit in Nairobi.
7. EASTER RALLYISTS: The winners of the KCB Safari Rally Round Two, Lee Rose
and Piers Daykin atop their Mitsubishi Evo 9 celebrate their victory in the Easter
event.
8. VEEP MEETS BANKER TO THE POOR: Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka (right),
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta (right), the
Managing Director Grameen Bank and Nobel Peace Laureate Prof Muhammad
Yunus, and Mrs Ingrid Munro, during the Africa-Middle East Regional Microcredit
Summit in Nairobi in April.
9. BANKER AND QUEEN: Prof Muhammad Yunus, Managing Director Grameen Bank,
and Her Majesty the Queen of Sapin were among the guests during the Africa-
Middle East Regional Microcredit Summit in Nairobi in April.
10. TEXTILES SHOW: Mr Bruno Lanceleur of textile company Baobab shows off textiles
at their stand in the Mauritius-Comesa Exhibition in Nairobi.
REPORTED SPEECH
F
or decades, students For multilateralism, for global co- was not the cause of the
of security and inter- operative action, for power rela- crisis, but it could be an
national politics have tionships, for development, and important part of the so-
debated the emer- for international institutions. lution. Our world will look
gence of a multipolar very different in 10 years,
system. It’s time we recognize the MULTILATERALISM MATTERS with demand coming not
new economic parallel. The global economic crisis just from the United States but
If 1989 saw the end of the “Sec- has shown that multilateralism from around the globe.
ond World” with Communism’s matters. Staring into the abyss, Already we see the shifts. Asia’s
demise, then 2009 saw the end countries pulled together to save share of the global economy in
of what was known as the “Third the global economy. The mod- The developing purchasing power parity terms has
World”: We are now in a new, fast- ern G-20 was borne out of crisis. risen steadily from 7 per cent in
world is becoming
evolving multipolar world econ- It showed its potential by quickly 1980 to 21 per cent in 2008. Asia’s
omy – in which some developing acting to shore up confidence. a driver of the stock markets now account for 32
countries are emerging as eco- The question now is whether this world economy per cent of global market capital-
nomic powers; others are mov- was an aberration, a blip? ization, ahead of the United States
ing towards becoming additional Will historians look back on at 30 per cent and Europe at 25 per
poles of growth; and some are 2009 and see it as a singular case cent. Last year, China overtook
struggling to attain their potential of international cooperation or Germany to become the world’s
within this new system – where the start of something new? Some biggest exporter. It also overtook
North and South, East and West, now view Woodrow Wilson’s at- the United States to become the
are now points on a compass, not tempt to create a new interna- world’s largest market for cars.
economic destinies. tional system after World War One Import numbers tell a reveal-
Poverty remains and must be as an opportunity lost that left the ing story: the developing world is
addressed. Failed states remain world adrift amidst dangers. Will becoming a driver of the global
and must be addressed. Global this be a similar moment? economy. Much of the recovery in
challenges are intensifying and The danger now is that as the world trade has been due to strong
must be addressed. But the man- fear of the crisis recedes, the will- demand for imports among devel-
ner in which we must address ingness to cooperate will too. Al- oping countries.
these issues is shifting. The out- ready we feel gravitational forces Developing country imports
dated categorizations of First and pulling a world of nation-states are already 2 per cent higher than
Third Worlds, donor and suppli- back to the pursuit of narrower in- their pre-crisis peak in April 2008.
cant, leader and led, no longer fit. terests. This would be a mistake. In contrast, the imports of high-
The implications are profound: Economic and political tectonic income countries are still 19 per
integration combine regional in- Today, in many African countries, up the value chain, increase wages
tensification with global openness. even small, inexpensive items, and consumption, and expand its
This change is not just about such as soap or slippers, or basic “harmonious society”. Chinese
China or India. The developing tools or consumer goods, are im- companies, in turn, could move
world’s share of global GDP in pur- ported. lower value-added manufacturing
chasing power parity terms has in- If Africans remove the barriers elsewhere, including to Africa, fol-
creased from 33.7 per cent in 1980 to producing these goods domesti- lowing China’s resource developers
to 43.4 per cent in 2010. Develop- cally and to local entrepreneurship, and construction enterprises.
ing countries are likely to show ro- while creating conditions for out- Chinese companies can be en-
bust growth rates over the next five side investors to shift production to couraged to relocate manufactur-
years and beyond. Sub-Saharan Africa, then African development ing for both domestic production
Africa could grow by an average of could begin to look very different. and export. These manufacturers
over 6 per cent to 2015 while South Unlike past failed efforts to favor bring know-how, machinery, as
Asia, where half the world’s poor import-substitution interests be- well as access to marketing and
live, could grow by as much as 7 per hind protectionism, this approach distribution networks. The World
cent a year over the same period. can capture benefits from regional Bank is working with Africans and
Southeast Asia has become a integration within global markets. Chinese to create industrial zones.
middle income region of almost What would it take? As a first Early investors are sensing the
600 million people, with growing step, the 80 per cent of Africans promise in Africa and are not dis-
ties to India and China, deepening earning $2 a day or less need to suaded by the risks – after Lehman
ties with Japan, Korea, and Austra- earn enough income so they will be Brothers and Greece, investors
lia, and continuing links through able to buy basic consumer goods. know developed markets can be
global sourcing to North America Agriculture is the main source of risky, too.
and Europe. jobs and an early opportunity to Changes in government policies
The Middle East region is an boost productivity and income. can create opportunities for private
important source of capital for the To do so, investment is needed sector growth, which in turn offers
rest of the world, and increasingly a all across the agricultural value services to other entrepreneurs. In
business-service hub between Asia, chain: property rights; seeds; ir- the ten years to 2008, the private
East and South, and Euro-Africa. rigation; fertilizer; finance; basic sector has invested more than $60
Gross official reserves of the Gulf technologies; storage and getting billion in information and commu-
Cooperation Council countries product to market. Since about nications technology in Africa; 65
were over $500 billion at the end of two-thirds of African farmers are per cent of Africans are now within
2008, with estimates of sovereign women, we need to help them get reach of wireless voice services,
wealth fund assets of as much as legal and property rights, and ac- and there are 400 million mobile
$1 trillion. If the Maghreb can move cess to services.With slightly higher STATS phones in use in Africa.
beyond historical fault lines, it can
be part of a Euro-Med integration
incomes and living standards, local
manufacturers can target or cus-
&FACTS IFC, the World Bank Group’s pri-
vate sector arm, is helping catalyze
linked to both the Mideast and Af- tomize for the local market, and The developing this business revolution. A new
rica. eventually for export. IFC equity fund has attracted $800
In the Latin American and Ca- To grow further, Africans need world’s share million from sovereign wealth and
ribbean region, 60 million people the things that Europe and Japan of global GDP pension funds to invest in compa-
were lifted from poverty between needed after World War Two: infra- in purchasing nies in Africa, Latin America and
2002-2008 and a growing middle structure; energy; integrated mar- the Caribbean.
class boosted import volumes at an kets linked to a global economy;
power parity
annual rate of 15 per cent. and the conditions for a vibrant terms has CONCLUSION
private sector. These public goods increased from Modern multilateralism will not
AFRICA'S POTENTIAL will foster much more than local be a constricted club with more left
Tectonic plates could shift fur- manufacturing.
33.7 per outside the room than seated with-
ther. Africa missed out on the man- Today’s shifts open new op- cent in 1980 in. It will look more like the global
ufacturing revolution that lifted portunities. As the global crisis to 43.4 per sprawl of the Internet, intercon-
East Asia’s economies out of pov- hit, some Chinese recognized that cent in 2010 necting more and more countries,
erty and into prosperity. But Africa it was time to move beyond toys companies, individuals, and NGOs
no longer needs to be left behind. and footwear; China could move through a flexible network
DIPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: Why don’t you start at the DEA: So why was this facility needed, when grain
beginning and tell us how you came to be working was already being handled at the port? Why this
here? hurry to get it built?
DAVID HARRIS: I actually came here to construct DH: Two reasons. First the port was getting congest-
this grain terminal. And I’d had a lot of experience ed because they could not handle ships fast enough.
previously — I had worked for the World Bank And secondly, when you borrow money from the
through Mersey Docks and Harbours Company in World Bank, from Day One, you begin to pay inter-
Maputo, where I rebuilt the sugar terminal — they est; before you have even done the first thing. So by
have a big sugar terminal there which unfortunately the time you get to the end of your construction here,
had been destroyed during the civil war in Mozam- if you are not earning you are in trouble. So obvious-
bique, together with other things like cement facto- ly the sooner you start earning, the sooner you pay
ries, refineries and everything else. In fact, the civil back. So construction has to be rapid and success-
war was still going on when I first went there. So we ful.
rebuilt the terminal and operated it for about eight or
nine years after that, and it was a great success.
And on the strength of that Mersey Docks and Har-
bours and the World Bank asked me if I would come
here and assist with the construction of this grain
handling terminal. Which I did, and it took us exactly
13 months to build. I arrived on the first of October
1998, and we actually did our first ship in January
2000.
A grain terminal is a very important piece of equip- silos, at their mill, so we can deliver in bulk. Why
ment for any port — or for any country that has to have this double handling all the time? Why should
import grain. Because to do it by the bagging meth- we need to bag it all the time — then they take it off
od, if it is straight off the ship, is fine, but it’s expen- in bags, and when it gets to their mill, they tip it off
sive, and it’s fairly wasteful. Because a lot of the grain the bag and into the mill. Why don’t they get them-
spills, which is usually because the “grabs” are inef- selves a silo, so we can deliver in bulk, and they take
ficient — they don’t always close properly and they it in bulk, they grind it in bulk? There are some silos
leak. And the leakage does not always fall on hard in Mombasa, but they are not next to mills: they are
ground where you can clean it up; it drops into the purely for storage. But if you are an importer with
sea, off the side of the ship. But having said that I silos purely for storage, you are going to face a big
must say that the bagging operations are also quite problem at the port when trying to get your lorries
good. They were the link between the ship bringing out of the port. It’s chaos trying to get out.
the grain all in bags, and the ships bringing it more
cheaply in bulk. So they were a step up. DEA: Accepting that your work was essentially tech-
nical, what was your understanding of the broader
DEA: How much cheaper is it to bring grain in bulk, policy issues? Why did Kenya need a specialised
as opposed to bringing it already in bags? grain terminal?
DH: Well, first of all the ship can turn round and un- DH: Purely and simply because Kenya, unfortunately,
load quicker, which obviously makes it considerably is not capable under the present system of supplying
cheaper. The thing is that ‘shipping time’ and ‘time in all its own needs. You need massive thousand-acre
port’ are the two crucial factors — plus the cost of the farms — or ten-thousand acre farms — to supply
bags, of course. the amount of grain that’s needed here. You cannot
DEA: And all these can be substantially reduced if provide all the grain needed in Kenya on very small
you can handle grain in bulk? farms, using the most rudimentary methods, unfor-
tunately. What happens here is that when the father
DH: Absolutely. And the one thing we have been try- dies and he has four sons, the plot of land he owns is
ing to get the millers to do — from Day One — is to split into four; then the next generation is born and
install for themselves a little silo, or a couple of little when those four boys die, each one of their plots is
GRAIN HOUSE:
The Headquartes
of GBHL in
Mombasa city
CONVEYOR BELT:
GBHL has
invested heavily in
technology
PHOTOS: GBHL
split into four or five, for their boys. So you finish up that by 30,000 for an average ship, and you find we
with very small plots, which are totally ineffective for did 57 ships. That’s almost five ships every month.
industrial farming.
DEA: Are you saying that this would not have been
DEA: So it is in following our traditions of inherit- possible without this facility?
ing land from one generation to another, that we
end up with agricultural land which is not viable DH: You would have had five berths fully occupied
for producing something like wheat? For I think in doing nothing but grain. That is five out of a total of
some good years Kenya is self-sufficient in maize 12 berths. Then look at the vehicles trying to leave the
flour. port. Let’s divide that 35,000 tons carried by an aver-
age ship by the 30 tons that a lorry can carry. That’s
DH: Not lately. Don’t forget the country’s population 1,166 vehicles — that’s for one ship in five days. So
is growing more rapidly. And there has been a change how would this port handle that much traffic? It
in eating habits too — people are now eating more would not manage. You would have ships queuing
bread, which is understandable. everywhere. In fact, a lot of them would not stay —
they would be gone, because the longer they stay, the
more money they are losing.
DH: Yes, they are still doing it — because the odd ship
does not want to be delayed and are willing to pay
more to unload. They are not many — there are very
few now, and we are more or less on top of things. But
before, it was a bagging plant on the berth, and the
ship was unloaded by grabs, dropped into the bag-
ging plant, and bagged. And the most they reached
— but only sometimes — was 3,000 tons a day. But
usually it was considerably less, because they were
either waiting for transport, or it rained — or whatev-
er. And the grabs used to leak. The wastage was terri-
PHOTO: GBHL
PHOTO: GBHL
DEA: So, from the taxman’s point of view, this is a
far more efficient and superior system to what
existed before?
DH: One hundred percent. DH: We have had government officials here; the mill- THE DOCK:
ers have been here; everybody has been here. We have GBHL's efficiency
DEA: But nothing is prefect. If you had to improve never refused anybody the opportunity to come and reclines on state
this facility, what would you do? What do you some- look. We did offer the millers at one time, particularly of art seafront
times wish you had, which you do not have? the ones in Mombasa — because all the mills are on equipment
the railway line — we got permission from the rail-
DH: The big thing is not really us — it’s the others. It’s ways to run a conveyor down the entire line which
the transport, the rails — that is the thing that needs we were going to feed from here direct. So we would
improving. We are improving our facilities for load- have filled the mills direct. No transport; no bags, no
ing out: we have actually reached the point where we labour; but the millers would not do it.
move nine-and-a-half tons in one day, from here, by
road and rail. We have a total of 12 bagging lines, each DEA: These are businessmen who want to make
one of which is capable of one ton per minute. But money — and you are saying that even when some-
there are times when these are not bagging. When thing like this, which is clearly in their interest,
the vehicle is moving, obviously you have to stop. comes up, they will not do it? That does not add up.
So you don’t get a continuous 60-minute hour. And DH: I don’t know why. It was offered to them, but
there are some drivers who take up to 10 minutes to they all turned it down. They just did not do anything
position the vehicle underneath the loader. So in our about it.
newer bagging lines we have a much different sys-
tem — all the driver has to do is drive straight under- DEA: Now speaking of the millers, there are those
neath. There are big yellow lines, and all the driver among them who believe that GBHL needs some
has to do is get between those yellow lines, and when competition; that there needs to be a second termi-
the first vehicle goes he can go straight in, and in just nal, similar or identical to this one, right here at the
20 seconds we can be loading the next vehicle. port of Mombasa. What do you say to this?
DEA: Not everyone will have the opportunity that I DH: That’s because they think we are a monopoly.
have had to come here, look around the entire fa- We are not a monopoly at all. There are still the on-
cility, and get to understand how this place works. quay bagging operators. And bear in mind that our
What arrangements have you for encouraging visi- accounts are monitored, audited, and a copy of our
tors to come here, so that more people will know accounts has to go to the port every year. So how can
exactly what goes on at Grain Bulk Handlers? we be a monopoly?
DEA: So would you say that you are heavily regu- some 45,000 tons, and increase our storage. But the
lated by the port? obvious solution would be for the Mombasa-based
millers to install their own silos, and also for the
DH: We are regulated. We cannot adjust our prices Nairobi millers to build silos so that we can ship the
without consultation. grain up to them by rail in large quantities. And then
the people from Uganda and beyond could also take
DEA: But if a second facility were built right here, in their grain from Nairobi.
your view, would that be an advantage to the nation DEA: So wheat imports destined for Uganda also
in that you would have these two facilities compet- pass through here?
ing?
DH: Not just Uganda: Southern Sudan, Uganda and
DH: No. There would be no advantage at all. They too even Burundi. In fact, most of the Ugandan cargo
would be regulated just as we are, and so there would comes this way. About 90 per cent of it.
be no cost advantage to the nation, that I can see.
DEA: So this is a facility that serves the region, rath-
DEA: But are you not already working at full capac- er than the country?
ity here?
DH: Oh yes. And quite frankly if Dar es Salaam had
DH: No we are not. We are increasing our capacity one they would have the same problems. They do
all the time. Technically speaking, we can handle — not have a grain terminal, but they do silos. They do
just as we are now — about 600 tons per hour. That it by the truckload: they fill a truck, and it drives up
is 14,400 tons a day. And bear in mind we are now to the silo and tips the grain off, and then makes an-
purchasing a third machine. other trip. There is no link.
Add the new machine which we should have But seriously what we have here at GBHL is a per-
working in about a month’s time, and that would add fectly good machine; it is very well designed, if I say
some 7,000 tons a day, so we would then be able to so myself; it works quite nicely and has proved itself
handle 21,000 tons a day in total. We will be able to over the years; and I believe it will be serving the
do two ships at once, or we will be able to do 21,000 country for a long time.
tons a day off one ship. With Kenya’s population growth rate, there will
be grain imports for many years to come — and with
this terminal we can take the surplus grain from any
country that has a surplus. We can take it from Rus-
PHOTO: GBHL
PHOTO: GBHL
Everybody has heard about Allidina Visram, and
there is both a school as well as a public garden in
Mombasa named after him. And everybody knows
the Jeevanjee gardens in Nairobi, and the Jeevanjee ing religious leader and a scholar. And my own fa- TO THE COMMUNITY:
family. The Jaffer family, though not as well known ther, Mohamed Jaffer, who was a pre-Independence GBHL is a
now as these other two, was just as prominent in councillor in Mombasa, and a very fiery political ac- compassionate
business that far back. tivist of that time. So we have over the years excelled Corporate
Let me quote just one other passage from that in various fields, and been very much a part of the
book: “In 1907, Winston Churchill visited East Africa history of this country.
on his way to a journey down the Nile. At his arrival
in Kilindini harbour, the reception committee pres- DEA: So why then do you not go about making
ent included A.M Jeevanjee; Allidina Visram; Jaffer yourself more visible by making charitable dona-
Dewji; C.M. Dalal; and the Liwali’s son, Sir Ali bin tions and gifts to the deserving poor?
Salim”. The Jaffer Dewji mentioned there, along with
the cream of the most prominent people in the Coast MJ: I am in many ways a very private person; the kind
at that time, was my great grandfather. of man who, after the day’s work, spends his time
So, as you can see, I have very deep roots in this with his family in his own home, not the gregarious
country. Very deep roots indeed, going back more type who joins social clubs and likes to gather at such
than 100 years. places in the evenings.
And it is not only my grandfather Jaffer Dewji who This may have been a disadvantage, since it
was famous as a business leader. One of my great means that not very many people know me person-
uncles, Haji Mohammedjaffer Dewji, was a lead- ally, unlike some other business leaders who you will
your first ship. That’s a clear 16 years. Many inves- tunities that I missed during the years I was strug-
tors would have given up long before 2001. What gling to make Grain Bulk a reality.
kept you going?
DEA: In an article on GBHL which featured in The
MJ: All I can say is that I was convinced that I could Wall Street Journal late last year, you are quoted as
bring this project to a successful conclusion, and having said that you look forward to the day when
that I was determined to succeed in this. I never for your grain terminal will be converted into a grain
one moment doubted that I would succeed. exporting facility, and that you believe that Kenya
As you say, there were so many steps involved in will one day again be a grain exporting country.
this; so many conditions to be fulfilled, some raised Could you elaborate on this?
by the financiers, others by the Kenya Port Authority,
others by various government agencies. MJ: Kenya is at present harvesting only 6 per cent
I had to employ very many professionals at the of the water it receives as rainfall. The rest, a full 94
different stages of this journey, as international lend- per cent, flows into lakes and seas. I believe that if
ers require a very large number of professional re- we could follow the example set by Israel and adopt
ports for a project of this kind. I also traveled a great modern techniques for harvesting rainwater and
deal to the US, the UK, and France, negotiating for channeling it into irrigation projects, there is a huge
the money which was needed to set up this grain ter- opportunity to increase our acreage of land under
minal. All this had to be done before the financiers productive agriculture (of which at present we are in
would commit the first dollar to the project. And it fact only cultivating about 39 per cent).
was not easy. So I was not just saying this off the top of my head.
I have sometimes thought that I would have made This is something I have given much thought to. I be-
far more money if I had dedicated those 16 years to lieve that, with the right policies, we can have Kenya
just expanding ongoing businesses rather than start- returning to being a net exporter of grain, as it was in
ing something completely new like Grain Bulk. But I the early years of Independence. All we need is the
IN THE SHIPS HOLD: have no regrets. right land use policies.
Cutting edge I set out to establish a world-class grain terminal
technology at the Kilindini port here in Mombasa, and I was able DEA: Finally, there have been reports that you plan
for discharge of to achieve this. That gives me a great deal of satisfac- to set up a fertiliser handling terminal at Kilindini.
grain from vessel tion, and I do not feel any regret about other oppor- What can you tell us about this?
SPECIAL REPORT
>> Bring Back Cement Tax, Manufacturers Urge EA Govts page 40
>> Poll: Investors See Political Risk as Priority Regional Concern page 42
>> Business Community at the Heart of EAC Integration page 46
EABC SPECIAL REPORT
I
n July 2008, the East Afri- made their products cheap on the tonnes of cement against the local
can countries abolished market. In Pakistani, says EACPA, demand of 20 million. The local
Duty on cement imports it costs between $11 and $17 to sector remains with an exportable
in their respective nation- transport one tonne of cement surplus of over 13 million tonnes
al budgets in a bid to meet from the Asian country to East Af- of cement after exporting to Af-
the region’s growing demand for rica, with the government footing ghanistan and India by the land
the building material, probably 35 per cent of the total cost. route. The surplus is exported to
quite unaware of the detrimental With Pakistani's Free on Board the Middle East and Africa, espe-
effects the move would have on prices ranging between $50 and cially East Africa, where current
the sector. $56 depending on the location of annual demand for cement stands
Cement players in Kenya, the cement plant, the government at 7.1 million tones.
Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and subsidy amounts to between As a result of the risk posed to
Rwanda now urge the govern- eight and 11 per cent discount the industry, the association is
ments to move with speed to pro- per tonne. Cement players say the demanding the 35 per cent tariff
tect them from marauding foreign subsidy is “quite substantial”. for imported cement products be
investors from, especially, Middle “This subsidy is expected to in- restored. EACPA chairman David
East and Pakistan which are now crease Pakistani's export earnings Njoroge says there should be a $50
reportedly capitalising on the by $322 million at the expense of per tonne charge to supplement
opportunity to monopolise East other economies in East Africa,” the 35 per cent tariff but the high-
Africa’s once- lucrative cement the EACPA says, adding: “Besides er of the two should be charged.
market by a deliberate dumping, increasing imports, the subsidy Says a grim-faced Njoroge:
particularly in Tanzania. also envisages reducing the com- “The specific rate has been pro-
According to the East African petitive pressure within Pakistan posed to counter dumping and
Cement Producers Association and allows for a price recovery af- subsidies by the exporting coun-
(EACPA), the Pakistani Govern- ter the drastic drop in prices.” tries as well as the under-invoic-
ment extends heavy subsidies to Pakistani has an installed ing of cement at the ports of entry.
its cement sector, a move that has capacity of around 44 million To avert the imminent collapse of
the seven cement manufacturing in the long run have a negative situation changes,” says EACPA.
plants in East Africa, which em- impact on the local industry. They But even with the challenge of
ploy more than 5,000 people, the argue that the local cement indus- dumping, the sector stills seems
Community must intervene and try is faced with high production lucrative to players with the recent
restore sanity in the sector.” costs resulting from high energy entry of the world’s largest cement
EACPA also wants Uganda's and labour costs and a poor dis- producer, the Sanghi Group of In-
request to import Duty- free ce- tribution network. dia, which has won a tender to ex-
ment products from Asia revoked. Although the EAC Common Ex- tract limestone in West Pokot. Its
Njoroge says since the establish- ternal Tariff is in three tariff bands subsidiary, Cemtech Limited, is
ment of the EAC Customs Union — zero per cent for raw materials, already on the ground to establish
protocol in January 2005, cement 10 per cent for intermediate goods an ultra-modern cement plant.
has been classified as a sensitive and 25 per cent for finished prod- The landmark mining rights were
product with a Duty rate of 55 per ucts — goods considered sensi- wholly granted to the cement gi-
cent: 25 per cent Common Exter- tive, like cement, often attract a ant on October 31, 2008, by the
nal Tariff (CET) and Suspended higher tariff. Industrialisation Ministry and the
Duty of 30 per cent. The partner At the establishment of the County Council of Pokot
states also agreed that the CET on EAC in 2004, cement producers According to the Sanghi Group
cement should be reduced by five negotiated the CET and agreed director in charge of Africa invest-
per cent each year for the subse- that cement was to be considered ments, Mr Rajesh Kumar Rawal,
quent four years to stabilise at a a sensitive product due to its capi- the proposed plant will look at
target rate of 35 per cent by 2009. tal intensive investment require- various grades of lime, marble
The tariff was designed to safe- ments. stone production and “investigate
guard the cement industry in the EACPA says Tanzania is one of the possibility of exploring for
region from the threat of dumping the worst-hit countries in the re- further limestone, volcanic ash
by low-cost producers. It would gion, having received substantial and gypsum deposits” in the sur-
also cushion local cement prices subsidised cement imports from rounding areas.
from subsidies given to importers Asia, Pakistan in particular, flood- “We expect to produce more
by their respective governments. ing its local market sometimes at than 6 0 ,0
00 , 00 ttonnes
600,000 onness off ccem
on emen
cemententt
“The EACPA is deeply con- prices below those charged on lo- per annum in the initial pha h se. We
phase.
cerned att these thes
th ese e developments cally produced cement. will then expand to over one mil-
and is worried about the sur vival
i l
survival “S
Som
ome
“Some e factories
factori
t ies have been lion ton
lion ttonnes
onne
on ness in sub
ne ssubsequent
ubse
ubsequ
se quen
qu entt ph
p ases
as
phases.es.
of tthe
he ccem
emen
em
cement entt in
en indudust
du stry
st
industry ry iin
n the e EAC forced to cut down p rodu
duct
du ctio
production. ion.
n. However, this will be subj bject to
subject t
if tthe
he p arrtn
tner
partner er sta
sstates
tate
tatess do
te d not tak ke
take So
Some hav
have
have e st
stop
oppe
ped
stopped d production,, avai
av aila
l bi
biliity
availability y of
of additional
ad
addi
ddi
diti
tion
tionall lime-
lliime-
ime
corr
co rrec
rreccti
tive
corrective v a ctio
cttio
i n,
action,” n,” Mr Nj N joroge
joro
Njoroge ge send
se ndi
ding
ing workers
sending workrker
k rs on n leave.
lleave
ve. ThThe ston
sto e usable for ccement
stone em
mentt manu-
said
sa id
id.
said.d. lo
loca
oca
call ce
local ceme
ment
ment
cement nt ccom
ompa
p ni
pa nies
companies ess a
and
nd tthehe facturiing,
fact g”R
facturing,” Ra
awa
wall sa
Rawal d
said
id
said
Eco
Ec onnomis
ommis
Economists ists
ts argue
arg
rgue
ue that
tha
hatt the
the in-
in
in nati
na tion
tional
on
nationalal econo
co nomy
no
economy myy iin
n ge
g neera
general al wi
will
ll
flux
ux ofof ch
cheaeap
ea
cheap p ce
ccement
ceme
eme ent
nt iimports
mppororts
ts wil
w illl
il
will come
come ed
dow
own
ow
down n cr
crum
umbl
um blin
bl
crumblinging
in g un
unleless
le
unlessss tthi
hiss
hi
this
B
usiness leaders in other hand, 43 per cent would ex-
East Africa are rais- pand to the local market as 34 per
ing the alarm over cent engage in cost-cutting mea-
the region’s political sures. Only six per cent are consid-
instability, claiming ering a capital spending slash.
that it may haunt investor confi- In a clear signal that the business
dence. community is ripe for the merger of
So serious is the matter that in the East African Community econ-
Kenya more than 76 per cent of omies in July, 56 per cent of Kenya’s
business leaders perceive politics
as one of the major risks facing
them. According to the Business
Leaders’ Confidence Index Report
released last week by Synovate, po-
litical instability tops the list of risks
facing the investment community,
followed by competition and poor
infrastructure at 38 per cent and 24
per cent respectively. of TZ’s business leaders told
As a result, businesses in Kenya
are devising strategies aimed at
Synovate that competition is
countering political risk. Among
the measures being implemented
the major risk facing them
to enhance corporate growth are
development of new products, ex-
pansion to other markets, mergers businesses are intending to expand
and acquisitions as well as cost cut- into Tanzania and Uganda, while 50
ting. The strategies are a significant per cent want to invest in Rwanda.
departure from those that were be- 32 per cent are planning to invest in
ing pursued only six months ago, Burundi and 18 per cent in South
such cutting back on capital spend- Sudan. Interestingly, some inves-
ing and restructuring. tors are also planning to put their
The report says more than 66 per funds in West African countries
cent of company leaders in Kenya such as Liberia and Senegal.
are planning to venture into new Even as other East African coun-
products in the next 12 months as tries eye investment opportunities
a business growth strategy, while 47 in Tanzania, that country’s busi-
per cent would expand their busi- ness fraternity seems to appreciate
nesses to foreign markets. On the the fact that the increased competi-
T
he East African govern- nya Government introduce a two- tor. The move seems to have been
ments are being urged to year tax window plan during which chiefly driven by Kenya’s EAC coun-
create a more business- consumers will enjoy power at half terpart, Uganda, which has over the
friendly environment the current cost. Kenyan manufac- years extended a direct subsidy to
that will catalyse busi- turers pay up to KSh35 per unit of the manufacturing sector.
ness growth in the region. The Ke- electricity while their counterparts Kenya’s high power costs have
nya Association of Manufacturers in Uganda and Tanzania pay only in the recent past resulted from
Chairman, Mr Vimal Shah, says KSh6 per unit. The high power the prolonged drought that caused
the region risks losing huge invest- costs have eroded Kenyan com- a major drop in water levels in the
ment opportunities unless radical petitiveness, hence the need for country’s hydropower stations.
measures are taken to enhance EA’s strategies to address them. Sources With reduced output, Nairobi re-
business operations. indicate that serious talks have al- sorted to expensive emergency
As a step to ironing out the pe- ready started between the Energy power sources as well as intermit-
rennial high-to-prohibitive costs Ministry and Treasury for the in- tent power rationing.
of power that have stalled business troduction of the tax holiday, es- To create a business-conducive
growth, Shah proposes that the Ke- pecially in the manufacturing sec- environment and attract foreign di-
T
he East African Com- has been the elimination of Non-
munity is one of the Tariff Barriers to trade. EABC has
most progressive re- been championing this issue and,
gional economic blocs in recognition of this, in 2005, EAC
in the world today. mandated us to develop the NTBs
EAC this year successfully tran- Monitoring Mechanism for report-
sited to a fully-fledged Customs ing and elimination of NTBs.
Union and is on course to begin In addition, EABC carries an
implementing the Common Mar- annual Business Climate Index to
ket in July 2010. monitor the progress in removal
The deepened integration pres- of NTBs and look at improvement
ents immense opportunities for in perception on key business
the business community, in terms climate factors such as access to
of larger markets, economies of land, level of taxation and the legal
scale and larger pools of human, and regulatory framework, among
financial, and physical capital. As others.
the private sector, we are commit- Our other contributions, in the
ted to continue playing our right- context of the Customs Union, in-
ful role in the integration process, clude channeling of general policy
through increased trade and in- realisation of the economic inte- SECTOR LEADERS: issues to the EAC Summit and ad-
vestment, enhanced competitive- gration is a clear reflection of the Chairman Bundu and dressing the issues pertaining to
ness and increased employment, resolve and commitment of the Vice Chairman Kiilu at rules of origin and double taxa-
thereby accelerating the region’s East African top political leader- a regional function tion.
economic growth. ship to place the private sector at Our efforts continue in tandem
As members of the business the heart of the EAC integration with the needed policies and ini-
community in East Africa, through process. tiatives to ensure smooth progress
our umbrella organisation — the The EAC Customs Union has towards full implementation of the
East African Business Council — opened up business opportunities regional integration instruments.
we have actively participated in in the region and has paved way However, challenges remain
all stages of integration. for an improved business climate which include lack of structured
The private sector continues to although challenges remain. It has engagement with policymakers at
enjoy unique interactive meetings generated a liberalised cross-bor- a regional level, frequent policy re-
with our Heads of States, other der trade, through the adoption versals, infrastructure bottlenecks
policy makers, as well as with of common policies to minimise and non-tariff barriers that in-
the leadership of the EAC Secre- Customs clearance formalities as crease the cost of doing business.
tariat, on how best our region can well as enhance the predictability We continue to engage the EAC
achieve competitive advantage of economic policies. leadership in an effort to address
and businesses can achieve re- Since its inception, EABC has some of these challenges and our
turns on their investment. been very active in resolving im- expectation is that the EAC Heads
This willingness to partner pediments to the proper func- of State will indicate their commit-
with the private sector in address- tioning of the Customs Union. ment to addressing these issues
ing challenges impeding the full One of our biggest undertakings both in the short and long term
Fostering Private
Sector Interests
AGATHA NDERITU Executive Director, East African Business Council,
delineates how the EABC ensures the region's business sector's agenda is
part and parcel of the Community's dynamics
T
he East African Busi- with a single East African voice process and the opportunities it
ness Council (EABC) and, in that capacity, perpetuate presents. Providing business-to-
is the apex body of the maintenance of a routine and businesses linkages, both locally
private sector associa- institutionalised interaction with and internationally, through vari-
tions and corporates the EAC Secretariat and dialogue ous platforms such as trade mis-
from the five EA Community na- with governments of the EAC sions, sectoral meetings, study
tions. partner states. tours, to name only a few.
As the private sector represen- We are also a key implement-
tative, EABC has observer status in ing agent for the EAC Private Sector FOCUS
organs and activities of the EAC. Development Strategy that seeks A smooth implementation of a
EABC therefore participates in to enhance a ‘people-centred’ but fully fledged Customs Union and
various sectoral meetings, meet- ‘private sector driven’ integration Common Market.
ings of the Coordination Commit- process. Improved private-public sec-
tee, Council of Ministers meet- Amongst others, this includes tor dialogue and partnerships to
ings and meetings of the Heads of Our Vision is to developing and promoting the EAC ensure the private sector plays its
State, with a view to ensuring that be an effective as a preferred investment location; rightful role in driving the integra-
the agenda of the private sector is change agent developing and promoting the EAC tion agenda and the public sector
well articulated. as a reliable and quality source of plays the role of facilitating this.
Our Vision is to be an effective
for fostering products/services and an unrivaled Reduction — and ultimately the
change agent for fostering an en- an enabling destination of tourism. elimination — of non-tariff barriers
abling business environment for business The promotion of an enabling and other factors of trade logistics
a diversified, competitive, export- environment for business in East that lead to increased cost of do-
environment
led, integrated and sustainable Africa, through addressing those ing business, with a view to mak-
economy and our Mission is to for a diversified, factors that make the environment ing businesses competitive, both
promote private sector regional competitive, uncompetitive, such as poor infra- regionally and internationally.
and global competitiveness in export-led, structure, high energy costs, poor Leveraging the issue of energy,
trade and investment. access to finance, a poor legal and both in terms of cost, availability,
integrated and regulatory framework, among oth- quality of supply and investment
OBJECTIVES sustainable ers. by the private sector. This is based
Our activities are focused not economy and Ensuring smooth implemen- on the fact that energy is a key con-
only on leveraging all issues that tation of the EAC Customs Union tributor to the region’s un-compet-
impede full realisation of potential
our Mission is to by engaging EAC leadership and itiveness.
benefits of regional integration, promote private partner states government on im- Articulating the interests of the
but also on providing a platform sector regional pediments such as non-tariff barri- private sector in both the on-going
where the business community ers, lack of harmonisation of laws, EPA and Common Market negotia-
and global
can regularly discuss and drive re- unpredictability of policy, among tions.
forms to ensure the environment competitiveness others. Providing, in the right format
for business is conducive. in trade and Provision of information and and, in a timely manner, business
We provide a platform which investment sensitising the business sector in and trade information to EABC
enables the private sector to speak East Africa to the EAC integration members
DIPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: What are of the rollout of the Customs Union?
the implications of the rollout of the BL: Yes, we have numerous proposals un-
Customs Union? der review by EAC member states and in
Arusha. In addition, we have submitted
BILL LAY: The EAC concept should numerous budget proposals in support of
be great news for the formal Kenyan a level playing field for investors in our in-
motor industry — however, Duty-free dustry.
market access for locally produced
trucks and buses has been blocked by DEA: Have you presented suggestions for
politicians who benefit from the un- the streamlining of the Customs Union?
controlled importation of over-aged, BL: One, implementation of approved
undervalued mitumba imports. This is ‘rules of origin’ to recognise the value addi-
the case in all five EAC member states. tion of local assemblers to enjoy Duty-free
access as promised on January 1, 2005. This
DEA: Speaking as Chairman of the must include the approved provision for
Kenya Motor Vehicle Industry Asso- ‘substantial transfromation’.
ciation, has the operationalisation of Two, proper evaluation and inspection of
the Customs Union been matched by the expectations mitumba imports and a ban on used spare parts. URA,
the industry had? TRA and KRA should collect the proper tax on mitumba
BL: There has been no benefit from the Customs Union imports.
since it was launched January 1, 2005. In fact, the cost of
advocating for EAC market access and fighting the corrup- DEA: What’s your take on the Common Market Protocol?
tion-based mitumba importers has increased our costs for BL: The Common Market deals with NTBs such as dual
lawyers, consultants and travel. taxation, free movement of people and revenue sharing. I
believe this phase of the EAC process will be filled with the
DEA: Share with us some of the teething problems and same political hurdles and special interests as the Customs
challenges that have been experienced despite and in Union. As with many of the issues restricting private sec-
spite of the rollout of the Customs Union? Kindly enu- tor growth in East Africa, there is an overall lack of political
merate and explain some of the teething problems? will and leadership from member states and the EALA to
BL: Political jealousy and gamesmanship, the structure of do what is required to realise the potential growth.
the EAC, required all decisions to be unanimous.
Special interest groups, including both public and private DEA: Share with us figures and statistics on the current
sector, often suggest the use of ‘technical study teams’ to and potential contribution of the motor vehicle industry
delay decisions and frustrate honest stakeholders. in the region as it becomes a single market.
Cancelled meetings, ministers and PSs departing Arusha BL: TZ, UG, RW and Bu together represent a market for
before making decisions without delegation. Numerous locally produced commercial vehicles equal to the Kenya
CET violations by member states via national budget pro- market. In other words, the Kenyan Industry in 2009 was
cesses. approximately 6,000 locally produced units of which GMEA
commanded over 40 per cent share or 2,400 ISUZU trucks
DEA: In your estimation, which is the biggest stumbling and buses. With Duty-free access, the EAC market would be
block to the motor industry realising the ideal level of close to 12,000 units and GMEA share would increase to 50
competitiveness in the region? per cent or 6,000 units. We would add a second shift, and
BL: Mitumba importers and the political special interests hire 125 workers. Suppliers would also double their turn-
generated from their excessive, under-taxed margins. over. Only dirty politics and greedy, tax-avoiding mitumba
DEA: Do you have any proposals for tackling the chal- importers stand in the way of that certain growth and suc-
lenges that have been experienced in the infancy stages cess for both GMEA and the EAC motor vehicle industry
PHARMACEUTICALS
GlaxoSmithKline Launches
Ambitious Marketing Offensive
Product prices now pegged on buying power
By PATRICK WACHIRA
G
laxoSmithKline more of the straitjacket.
has embarked on Explaining, Musunga says,
an ambitious pro- special requirements must be met
gramme to peg before a medicine is launched.
product prices on Documents, in thousand-paged
per capita income. format, are submitted in tripli-
The strategic move to price cate, factory visits made, samples
products in three models now de- submitted and other procedures
pends on whether they are being followed before it is registered.
sold in least developed, middle in- If this is replicated in all states,
come or high income states. business would be tedious and
The net effect is that the same impossible.
product is now being sold at dif- One body is therefore needed
ferent prices, depending on the to oversee all these processes in
market. East Africa, as happens in Europe,
Though initially the multina- where one registration in one state
tional will lose revenue, it is envis- enables function in all EU states.
aged that the move will spur more “Patients will access innovative
sales volumes and improve access medicines at the same time across
to medicines. can pay help those who are un- COUNT- the board”, says Musunga.
The Managing Director and able to achieve the overall effect ERFEITS: In Kenya such a process would
General Manager, Pharmaceutical of better healthcare”. Glaxo take a year, in Uganda one-and-
Operations, East Africa, Mr John He is optimistic that the posi- MD John a-half and in Tanzania anything
Musunga, says that although the tive changes that have taken place Musunga between eight months and five
move may suffer reduced profit- in the field of telephony and in- explains years. Uganda has fewer innova-
ability in the initial stages, “we frastructure to improve business
the tive products, though.
menace
may not recoup profits but we will operations for industry players What is required is a unified ap-
see more innovative products”. will be continued for better per- proach to the supervisory function
The largest segment is that of formance. through one body, charged with
anti-biotics, which treat at least He cites roads and connectivity the task of conducting post-mar-
50 per cent of infections in Africa. in Nairobi as areas that have seen ket surveillance, border control
GlaxoSmithKline recently reduced significant improvement in recent and harmonising laws across the
the prices of two of its flagship an- months. board. Such an authority should
tibiotics — Zinnat and Augmentin However, he laments, a lot be domiciled in all the states.
— by between 30 and 40 per cent more needs to be done to improve As it is at the moment, deregis-
in the Kenyan market (prices went the atmosphere of doing business tered outfits could simply get away
down from a high of Sh2,000 to a in the East African region. with malpractices if detected in
low of Sh800 on average). Musunga says the pharma- one state by escaping to another
“The objective is to achieve im- ceutical industry, being a highly and starting the whole process all
proved access to healthcare in the regulated one, requires a unified over again.
developing world” says Musunga. approach to the entire business of Musunga also feels that laws
The move will see 20 per cent of creating procedures and rules. should be effected to protect local
the profits channelled to the least The extent of regulation varies manufacturers against imports.
developed countries (LDCs). from state to state, with Burundi The proposed Non-Tariff Barriers
Musunga says the pricing poli- having the least, while Kenya, (NTBs) would aptly serve this pur-
cy has changed so that “those who Uganda and Tanzania have a lot pose uniformly.
S
patents to expire should be taken into afari Park Hotel and
account in implementing the NTBs. Casino is a destina-
Governments, in addition, should tion in a world of
have concerted efforts towards manag- its own. A five-star
ing infrastructure, which is key in en- luxury hotel located 15 min-
suring businesses flourish and citizens utes drive from the City Centre,
reap the attendant benefits. Nairobi.
It does not make sense, for instance, The Hotel stands in 50 acres
that a ship should take a week to cruise of beautifully manicured gar-
over the seas to get to the port of Mom- dens and offers a selection
basa but goods once received take be- of 205 rooms, decorated and
tween a week and two to get to Nairobi. tastefully furnished with a
The cost of infrastructure is a problem taste of Africa with private rear
that must be tackled as a matter of ur- and front balconies.
gency, Musunga says. The luxurious rooms have high speed wire- nyan tea, coffee and a variety of juices.
In Egypt, such a process would take less and cabled internet connectivity, Safe and A variety of great entertainment and lei-
just two days, the MD says. As a result 24 hours room service. It’s considered as the sure facilities is available; Sensual Safari Cats
of such delays affecting business in East leading leisure and conference hotel in East dancers & Acrobats, Paradise Casino, Cats
Africa, the industry loses up to 30 days and Central Africa and reknown for its combi- Club Discotheque and Piano Bar. For relax-
of sales in a year, or roughly 10 per cent nation of business and relaxation. ation and rejuvenation, The Safari Fitness
of profits. The hotel’s five international specialty res- Centre has ultramodern range of fitness fa-
Licensing is another area that poses taurants offer the finest dining in Nairobi and cilities.
a veritable headache for business opera- are the most inviting, each uniquely decorated The hotel prides in its wide range of con-
tions in the region, with many licenses in traditional themes ranging from the Far temporary to traditional designed meeting
required from various authorities. For East to Europe. The Nyama Choma Ranch, the and banquet venues with capacity for over
instance, in Kenya, one requires ap- only African Restaurant in Nairobi is an ideal 1200 delegates.
proval and licences from the Ministry affordable stopover for tourists on Safaris to It is the home for the Meetings, Incentives,
of Trade, City Council, Kenya Revenue and from Mt Kenya or post conference tours. Conferences and Events (MICE) market. For
Authority, Ministry of Health, the Phar- The Arirang Café, the latest’s Safari Park Ho- that memorable wedding, ballroom or gar-
macy and Poisons Board and quite a few tel’s coffee shop, operates from the heart of den; ceremony, beautiful reception and to
others. the Kenyatta International Conference Center your honeymoon, the hotel is voted as the top
“If the issue is revenue, then let us offers delicious bitings, quality beverage, Ke- wedding venue in Africa.
have one process that takes
care of all these bodies. This
should be a one-stop shop”,
says Musunga.
And GSK also suffered the
global meltdown that swept
across the world, with the
West being the worst-hit.
Local operations of GSK
and profitability were worst
last year, what with the effects
of persistent drought, dwin-
dling exports and reduced
tourism earnings. However,
the adverse effects are being
counterbalanced by emerg-
ing markets such as China,
Brazil and Russia, among
other regions and states
HUMOUR
It is only gentlemanly, and, This is when I started toying with that when job opportunities were
for genders’ sake, ladylike, expunging my former nouns and announced for the new Mashariki
for me to present my papers to acquiring less rough-edged ones. mwa Africa nation, I literally talked
your eminent and distinguished Once, when my native, clatter- my way into the protocol job there.
selves, all protocols observed clank name was translated to the In fact, I nearly died of shock when
[bowing double]. Ambassador, he guffawed so hard I saw some dimwit competitor
Because I am at the lowest of and so long and then, catching for my current job arrive for the
ranks in the ministry, you will of- his etiquette after the raw display interviews wearing a pyrethrum
ten find me deferring and curtsey- of mirth, shook his head ruefully profusion of a beard. Clinching the
ing to nearly all officials; of course and left the terrace where I often position was nothing like the dif-
save for those lowly drivers of served course upon course of re- ficulties of negotiating for the re-
ministers, ambassadors, who are pasts fit for royalty. For, my name, lease of hostages that I had heard
clearly beneath me in the pecking given to me in remembrance of an HE holler and persuade in turns
order. Though I am at the tail-end old deceased ancestor (RIP), trans- on the phone during that crazy
of the protocol office, I am better lated into a combination of wart- period when rebels from the south
off considering I am slightly be- hogs that use the bush for short hijacked a bus full of tourists. Hav-
low Mautatu, the Third Secretary and long calls. ing observed HE’s and his guests’
and Vice Consul, and above all There was every reason for demeanour closely for years, all
the interns, drivers, kitchen staff, me to change name, not least be- I had to do was talk in measured
guards…you name them. cause, as I learned, Malaya had tones, dropping high society hints
Isn’t it something? Look, not become Malaysia, Nigeria had re- here and there, all wrapped in a
many have a chance to bow in def- located her capital city from Lagos tongue that screamed sophistica-
erence to the excellencies, lords, to Abuja, the Republic of Congo tion. Of course I had turned up for
majesties…et al, who call our had changed to Zaire before the the interview in a freshly pressed
office daily, let alone get within physician settled on DR Congo, pin-striped suit, snow-white shirt
hearing shot of them. Tell me, how James Ngugi wa wa Thiong’o had and a black, red-spotted bowtie
many of the 120 million citizens dropped James, Peking had be- and polished-to-sparkle black
of Mashariki mwa Africa get to a come Beijing (or Bei Chini for the brogues, after a fashion set by HE,
kilometre’s reach of my boss the Swa wag). All these name changes particularly on occasions when he
Minister Mambo wa Kigeni and I had eavesdropped on as His Ex- was on what he called ‘Class One A’
the other eminences other than in cellency the Ambassador pep talk- engagements.
their living rooms — on television! ed his guests on the patio, sipping But perhaps what clinched
My name, Balozi Diplomacia, a cup of high tea, watching the sun the job for me was my brand new
is a latter day development. In my go down, the birds chirping in the name, Balozi Diplomacia, a name I
earlier days, I went by a name I am distance, what he called ‘unwind- had acquired a week earlier as part
not keen to reveal just now for its ing without wind coming out’. of the preparations for the protocol
gross undiplomatic candour. After I must admit my prowess in the job. The Civil Service hiring people
completing secondary school, I Queen’s language rubbed off me fell for it, literally, head over shoul-
was hired to serve as a tea boy in listening in on the countless con- ders. “You mean you are so com-
the embassy of one of the most versations by the His Excellency mitted to diplomacy that you have
powerful countries in the world. and his many guests. So much so a name that fits the bill,” the leader
L
eafing through John the noises from ‘whistling winds and in the EA region. Who knows, this
R. Hale’s Lords of the crashing waves’. could be the way forward towards
Sea recently brought Eventually, the boy who could making the East African Community
to mind the extent to not wrestle his peers or join them in the cohesive bloc it aspires to be.
which multiple public hunting parties carved a niche for As you ponder this, just imagine
media outlets have affected the art himself, courtesy of the gift of the how much more the array of brilliant
of speech-making and persuasion. gab. ideas carried in this section would
As an art, persuasion is the pillar Unlike in situations where speak- make a harmony from our likeness-
of evangelism, politics and indeed ing well ends up as a romantic esca- es and differences as East Africans.
many social contracts that define pade, Demosthenes’ skills became See how Jackson Biko does it with
people’s ways and beliefs. useful in negotiating peace and free- his critique of music in the East Afri-
Oratory — speech-making and dom for Athens when Macedonia can region and how (in his review of
persuasion in general — therefore was clearly a power to reckon with. Professor Mwenda Ntarangwi’s East
occupy the very confluence where Armed with superior oratory, Dem- African Hip-hop) this genre of music
social negotiations are conceived osthenes doggedly pressed on, along makes the youth in the region look
and designed. the way recording impressive wins in so integrated already.
In his book, Hale makes reference favour of Athens. Carol Gachiengo’s piece, ‘The
to Demosthenes (384-322 BC), who, Unfortunately, condemned by Cradle of Intellect’, traces great deeds
in spite of having been a hopeless fellow Athenians for their failure to and inventions from Africa while
stutter and weakling in childhood, totally humiliate Macedonia, Dem- Baron Khamadi captures how each
became one of the most celebrated osthenes committed suicide, there- East African Community member
Greek orators of all time. Where yes- by marking what has famously been country is contributing to the growth
teryear school and college debates declared as the ‘the end of Greek po- and establishment of Kiswahili as
were honed through debating duels, litical speech’. the region’s Number One lingua
Demosthenes’ oratory skills were ini- In hindsight, perhaps in a world franca. Jane Mwangi, on the other
tially nurtured by an unprecedented susceptible to inter-clan, inter-state hand, tells the story of a notable
labour of love. and many other partisan yet po- fashion designer with a unique Af-
To begin with the young man tentially rift-causing rank-closing rican touch who work stands head-
would practice voice projection and views and attitudes, persuasion, be and-shoulders above the rest in the
enunciation by way of putting a peb- it through systematic harnessing of regional market.
ble in his mouth as he countered his speech-making, negotiations and Welcome to this section — enjoy
stutter. He would also practice by the oratory skills, needs to find its way to reading it and make sure the team
seaside, where he would try to outdo the mainstream school curriculum on DEA’s Culture platform gets your
feedback
IN THE BEGINNING
A
frica has been had a Minister for Etiquette and suggest that the knowledge of as-
known as the “Cra- Protocol in the 16th Century. tronomy existed in East Africa at
dle of Mankind” for Given the stunning facts about least that long ago.
a while now. The Africa’s accomplishments in a East Africa is not unique in this
oldest known skel- wide variety of fields, it is surpris- respect. The Dogon people of Mali
etal remains of modern humans ing that the continent is not better have apparently had knowledge
have been found in East Africa. known as the “Cradle of Intellect”. of astronomy for more than 500
The human remains found at Here are just a few of Africa’s amaz- years. They had drawings of the
Omo in Ethiopia are 195,000 years ing but little-known accomplish- structure of the Milky Way Galaxy,
old, the oldest known in the world. ments from ancient times. they knew that the moon was “dry
Besides, evidence has been found and dead, like dried blood”, and
of pre-humans in Africa at least 4 DANCING STONES they observed and estimated the
million years ago. The Dancing Stones of nature of the star today known
Few will argue that mankind Ng’amoritung’a, an archaeologi- as Sirius B, which cannot be seen
indeed took the first upright steps cal site near the Western shores of without a powerful of telescope,
in Africa, and that it was here that Lake Turkana in Kenya, certainly and which was not discovered by
the complex task of taming and gives one pause for thought. Western astronomy until the 18th
mastering our environment be- Century.
gan. But was that the beginning At first glance, one would think
and the end of accomplishments the cylindrical pillars, about a me- IMHOTEP
in this part of the world? A look tre high, merely interesting. In- Ask anyone to name the father
into Africa’s past reveals it to be deed, the Turkana people in the of modern medicine and they will
the continent of many “firsts” area have a story explaining the no doubt say Hippocrates. Today,
and the birthplace of great cluster of stones that has been doctors take the Hippocratic Oath
architecture, science, med- there long before their time. The to practice medicine ethically. But
icine and literature that stones have been dated to 300BC. before Hippocrates, the Greek
few know about. Legend has it that some strangers founder of Western medicine
Indeed, diploma- came upon local people danc- (460BC-370BC), there was Imho-
cy has a history in ing at the site one day. Perhaps tep — the Egyptian.
Africa as well. Ac- their dancing skills were want- Scientists from the University
cording to Robin ing, for despite the dancers’ pleas, of Manchester discovered medical
Walker’s book the strangers burst into laughter. documents written by Imhotep in
When We Ruled, The result; the dancers instantly 1500BC, a thousand years before
in 1414 the Ke- turned to stone. Hippocrates was born. The docu-
nyan coastal city of While the legend is entertain- ment, along with the writings in
Malindi sent am- ing, the truth is astonishing. The ancient Egyptian and Greek texts,
bassadors to China alignment of the pillars with the show that Imhotep diagnosed and
bearing an unusu- stars suggests an accurate and treated over 200 diseases, includ-
al gift — a giraffe. complex calendar system based ing 15 diseases of the abdomen, 11
In West Africa, the on astronomical calculations. A of the bladder, 10 of the rectum, 29
Songhai Empire 2,000-year-old calendar would of the eyes, and 18 of the skin, hair,
L
ast year Western mov- sequently, most of the movies have robi, said his passengers prefer watch-
ies dominated almost moved from the traditional topics ing the movies because they are educa-
all cinema halls in Ke- such as love, witchcraft, adventure tive as opposed to the seductive songs
nya and Western soap and now feature contemporary is- played by some of his colleagues some
operas have been doing sues such as politics, environment, of which have abusive language and are
the same in Kenyans’ living rooms. youth, gender issues, ethnicity, drugs, overtly sexual.
But this scenario is changing rapidly, technology and many other topical Linda Leshan said she liked watching
and in its place African-made movies issues. Others delve into the conti- Hollywood soaps and still has a library
and soaps are taking over. nent’s history. of the many collections, but since the
And now the era of complete The attire used in the movies are Afro-movies, especially those from Ni-
dominance of the Western soaps is mostly African and as such geria, flooded the market, she opened a
over. Such soaps have to compete make the viewer associate new library which she said will never fill
for slots on television screens with well with the movie. up since every day she gets home from
the emerging made-in-Africa-for- “What I like most in work, she passes by a movie shop to get
Africans movies. these African movies is the latest release of the Afro-movies.
The new era, signalled by ad- that they have been acted “These movies are never exhaus-
vancing technology, has seen Africa’s by Africans who I can re- tive; one can watch them over and over.
cinema industry come of age. And late to very well. The set- Sometimes I watch them till late into
there are many quality movies worth tings are typically African; the night. They are full of humour, edu-
watching in this explosion. Their top- beginning with the cast, cative and relevant to an African set-
ics are also varied and relevant with environment, language up,” she enthuses.
the African culture and settings. and accent and if there is The greatest problem dogging the
Now more African movies are any modernisation, then movie industry is piracy, where millions
competing with Mexican-made ones it is very minimal,” said are lost, robbing the artistes of their
for the TV slots as opposed to the Chakarawa Ajibade, a Ni- hard earned benefits and royalties.
Hollywood soaps. gerian residing in Kenya. In Nairobi, pirated movies go for as
The Afro-movies include the fa- The African jungles, deserts and little as KSh10 (less than a quarter of a
mous West African movies, mostly plains are a sight to behold in the dollar) in some streets, making it easy
from Nigeria’s Nollywood. However, movies and reflect the reality of the for anyone to buy original CDs and
new ones have come of age and in- continent’s God-given natural beau- DVDs which are sold for over Sh500
clude Kenya’s Riverwood (named ty. (about US$7), cash that most people
after a street in Nairobi, River Road) Such fertile aspects have even find it hard to part with.
and neighbouring Tanzania soaps lured some Westerners to venture “Why would I waste my money
that go by the name, Bongowood into African movies, but their appeal buying an original CD for Sh500 in a
(Bongo meaning brain, used to refer is yet to match that of a true African shop instead of getting one from the
to Tanzania’s cosmopolitan commer- actor/actress. streets for as low as Sh10? For the same
cial city of Dar es Salaam). Ajibade noted that, unlike the amount, I would buy 50 CDs of differ-
The popularity of the African Western movies, which he watches ent movies instead of just one,” Judy
movies stems from the fact that the once in a while, it is the drumbeats, Kanyanga says frankly.
style and cinematographic language songs and dances with African tunes The Music Copyright Society of Ke-
used in their production are slower, and the the witchcraft (juju) in the nya says there are laws enacted in a bid
a typical reflection of an African set- African movies that make him yearn to curb the vice, but each day scores of
ting. for more. They make him feel as if he vendors on the streets still sell the pi-
For instance, some of the mov- is back in Nigeria even though he is rated copies
ies delve into Africa’s history. Con- miles away.
BOOKS
Africa's Urban
Youth Culture Roots
TITLE: East African Hip Hop
Youth Culture and Globalization
AUTHOR: Mwenda NTARANGWI
ISBN: 978-0-252-03457-2, Cloth $60.00,
ISBN: 978-0-252-07653-4, Paper $20.00
PUBLISHED: 2009
PUBLISHER: UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS PRESS
PAGES: 176 pages
REVIEWED BY: JACKSON BIKO
T
he book East African cultural traditions within hip-hop
Hip-Hop, subtitle helps us understand its role as a
Your Culture and platform to discuss and construct
Globalisation" by African identity”.
Mwenda Ntarangwi East African Hip Hop also looks
is interesting reading because it at gender and how it balances out
presents hip-hop not only as a in this genre’s arena, picking the
social tool for the youth but as a biggest female names in the in- often left out of public discourse.
juxtaposed platform onto which dustry, such as Wahu of Kenya and Hip-hop, as the book says, is a tool
the creativity of the East African Zay B of Tanzania and examine the that, if used sufficiently, should
countries is played out. elements of their songs that clarify engage the youth in a public dis-
The salient influences of hip- the issues pertaining to gender course on sexuality.
hop in the regional society are un- identity in the music industry. And so after the three years of
derscored well, with insights into One of the critiques against field work that involved interviews,
the genesis and development of hip-hop in East Africa is it reck- analysis of live performances and
the music in the region. This jour- less presentation of sexuality. It’s over 140 songs, Mwenda delves
ney of hip-hop starts late in East common knowledge that sex and into the growing cross-border ex-
Africa — circa the early 1990s — sexuality are a hotcake in every changes within East Africa and the
and is very much a product of glo- culture and hip-hop seems to themes and messages that tran-
balisation. But even though glo- have bought into that idea whole- scend just the local borderlines.
balisation is an undeniable force sale; the more lewd a song, the Quite often, in his quest to
in the development of hip-hop better its reception is likely to be. get into the meat of the subject,
culture, the book silently strokes The book doesn’t dwell too much Mwenda is forced to be in situa-
the theory that ideally hip-hop on this, instead it presents a dis- tions where he mingles with the
— even though generally thought cussion on how hip-hop has been youth in clubs or elsewhere, and
to have started in the boroughs employed in dealing with the HIV it’s amusing to note the sort of
of the ghettos of black America scourge, one of the major issues subtle discomfiture (if not entire
— seems to have some origins in in Africa at large. By telling a story disconnect) that he might feel
African culture. And so Ntarangwi about an experience that Kenyan during these times. These experi-
emphasises a musical artistry that artists Circuite and Jo-el had that ences, even though narrated in
places emphasis on the different involves condoms and the police, a detached, even cheeky, style,
diverse cultures of our region. He he opens up an interesting dis- seem to lend much credence to his
says in part: “Placing emphasis on cussion of social matters that are analysis
FASHION
Dazzling Style:
Designer Delights
in Flamboyance
By JANE MWANGI
I
t is hard not to feel be- the London Academy of Fashion
dazzled as you walk into Design. However, her passion for
Paulina-George Fashions fashion was inspired by her moth-
at the 680 Hotel, bang in er, a successful dressmaker in her
the middle of the Nairobi time.
CBD. Paulina started exhibiting in
The rich full range of African Kenya 18 years ago, participat-
fashion’s harmony comes alive, ing in the Nairobi and Mombassa
inspired by traditional fabrics and trade fairs as well as COMESA and
colourful shades, creating a chic, at the KICC: “My very first clientele
refined and modern style. were from the Coast”.
This West African ensemble is She readily admits that in those
on show in a stunning collection days very few Kenyans embraced
— from the gele to the aco-oke and fashion, but with time many are
the ankara to the ichafo from adorned African designs.
the Yoruba, Ibo and Hausa Paulina makes no secret of her
tribes of Nigeria. This is the keen sense of style that has often
intricate handiwork of Paulina been described as verging on the
Ifeoma Otieno, undeniably flamboyant. “For me dressing up is
one of West Africa’s finest de- like breathing in air; I have always
signers, creating a unique dressed this way,” she muses as the
African print that is fast photographer busies himself set-
becoming the in-thing ting up the shoot. “My descendants
on the local Kenyan migrated from Benin, so, most of
scene. Graceful and el- the time, we tend to dress like roy-
egant, her enthusiasm is alty. A woman’s beauty comes out
infectious and one cannot in the way she dresses up. In Nige-
help but be entranced by ria first impressions count a lot as
her arresting beauty. Her opposed to Kenyans, who feel they
maiden name, Ifeoma, have over-done it and are self-con-
means ‘beauty is in the scious about stares from others.”
eye of the beholder’. She goes on: “I make people feel
She studied at the Yaba very comfortable and open with
College of Technology, me, I love to radiate peace and love
the oldest school of de- and whenever people wear my
sign in Nigeria, before clothes they feel happy”.
proceeding to study ad- The history of clothing dates
vanced fashion design at back to Genesis in the Old Testa-
SHISHA TODAY
Shisha is now a nucleus of social
interactions, a status barometer,
and a symbolic tradition. The
tobacco is now made from molas-
ses and honey, giving it natural
preservatives.
From this age-old tradition, cul-
tured, praised and hoarded world-
wide for centuries and across the
seas, we bring you this internation-
al cigar at home. The Shisha is now
at Nairobi’s Laico Regency.
STATUS
The Royal Terrace Coffee Shop
BAROMETER:
is the ideal setting; with a combi-
nation of the ambience and its lo-
cation, you are at home with this
T
he shisha, in simple PROCESS coveted tradition. Not only have we
terms, is a water pipe Tobacco is soaked in fruit shav- got the latest prestigious apparatus,
used to smoke tobac- ings such as strawberry, apples or but also a choice of the flavours cel-
co. It traces its origin grapes. This mixture is then smoked ebrated worldwide — Peach, Apple
from the 14th Century, through the large water pipe. and Fruit Cocktail.
when it was introduced to Turkey The tobacco never burns, but The Shisha is fondly referred to
from India. From there it spread to is filtered as it is drawn through as the “hubble-bubble”, which re-
Arab countries Iraq, Syria, Yemen the water-filled, hand-blown glass fers to the noise made by the Shisha
and Egypt. base and inhaled through ornate, pipes as one smokes.
It was initially smoked with a embroidered hoses. The vapour is Life is work and leisure wrapped
simple apparatus that had a coco- incredibly smooth, sweet and aro- in one: so, mellow down with the
nut-and-straw look, but over the matic. aromas of fruits and flowers and
years it has developed into a sophis- The development of the special take the Shisha trip with friends @
ticated device. It is now a glass ves- apparatus has also brought a vari- Laico Regency, Nairobi, Kenya
sel with hoses to smoke attached to ety in the flavours smoked. In the
the body; a head that holds tobacco place of hardcore tobacco, there is Loita Street/Uhuru Highway
and hot coals, and a straw that runs flavour added and different presen- PO Box 57549 (00200) Nairobi, Kenya
from the head through the vessel. tations, and, hence, the present-day www.laicohotels.com
Empowering Africa
through e-Learning
The East African region has vast potential for
this very lucrative service sub-sector
By DEA CORRESPONDENT
P
roviding connectivity through use Africa through e-learning.
in Accord- stressed that curriculum delivery
of technology is fast becoming a ing to Microsoft’s Mark Matunga, will be a joint effort.
priority for many governments in the worldwide corporation is in The multipoint server was of-
sub-Saharan Africa. This is in tan- partnership with the Govern- ficially launched during the con-
dem with the fact that knowledge ment of Kenya, USAID, Cisco and ference showcasing another in-
is a prerequisite to building an empowered citi- Intel, where they are working to novation from Microsoft. Charles
zenry and able economy. In Africa, ICT is gradu- establish a School Technology Sakari, Microsoft’s technology
ally providing support to learning, teaching and Innovation Centre in Nairobi, a specialist, said that it enables one
management processes within the education model that has been promoted in PC to be shared by many users
system. other countries through the Mi- therefore giving each user their
Microsoft, the worldwide leader in software, crosoft Partners in Learning (PiL) own computing experience. “It is
services and solutions in partnership with the programme. “We want teachers already in the East African market;
Ministry of Education and stakeholders in the to promote e-learning and carry furthermore it is cost-effective and
education sector graced the ICT Regional Con- our flag high,” Matunga said. He interactive”
ference held at the Kenya Institute of Education
(KIE) on March 29-31. The conference brought
together ICT research and development experts
from Kenya and other countries in recognising
the region’s level of connectivity and benefits of
advanced telecommunications technology in
education in this age when the integration of
QUALITY AFFORDABLE EDUCATION
ICT in education is not only a global concern
but a universally accepted trend. CENTRE OF EDUCATION EXCELLENCE
Microsoft’s presence in Africa continues Internationally Recognized Courses
to be felt through its penetration into Angola, • Medicine •Nursing •Pharmacy •Business Courses •IT
Rwanda, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Botswana, •Media •Animation and Games Development •Hotel & Tourism Management
Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and •Bioscience & Biotechnology • Architectural Sciences •Engineering •Law •Quantity
Ethiopia, not forgetting Kenya. Its sub-Saharan Survey •Fashion & Retailing •Interior Design •Creative Arts •MBA • MSc & PhD
academic programme engages very closely with
USA Canada Australia & UK Degree Transfer Program 2+ 1, 2+ 2
governments, institutions of learning, teachers
and students with the sole objective of broad-
ening access to technology and content.
ENROL NOW FOR 2010 INTAKE
EDUCATION MALAYSIA LTD,
Other ICT providers slowly gaining momen- Tel: +256-41-4235993, Fax: +256-41-4235995, Plot37/39
5th Street Industrial Area, Kampala-Uganda
tum in the region include Televic, Smoothtel, E-mail: info@malaysiakenya.com
NComputing, Octopus, ICT solutions Ltd (OIS) Lower Grd Floor, Nginyo Towers,
Koinange Street, Nairobi, Kenya
and African Virtual University. Together with P.O. Box 15886, GPO 00100, Nairobi, Kenya
Tel: 254 20 2251132/3 Fax: 254 20 2251083
Microsoft and VVOB, they showcased the col- Email: vincent@malaysiakenya.com
Website: www.malaysiakenya.com
laborative spirit in transforming education in
Executive Clinic
Offers a Preventive
Healthcare Service
Created specifically for the manager who cares about
his or her health, particularly after the fourth decade,
this facility offers early detection and management of
the conditions that afflict life-in-the-fast-lane lifestyles
T
he Nairobi Hospi- with the comfort and easy acces-
tal’s Executive Clinic sibility of the patient in mind. The
provides a one-stop, Clinic is within proximity of oph-
high-quality, compre- thalmology, electroencephalog-
hensive, fast, reliable raphy (EEG)/electromyography
and customer- friendly preventive (EMG) and endoscopy services,
healthcare service to patients. providing a one-stop service for
The Executive Clinic is a recent customers that may need further
addition to the Nairobi’s Out-pa- investigations. Referral to a sub-
tient clinics and is situated in the specialist is indicated based on
spacious Short Stay facility above investigation results.
the Accident & Emergency de- The Executive Clinic team
partment. The services are on an is supported by other hospital-
appointment basis, available by based support services, with
prior booking to ensure a satisfy- high-level diagnostic facilities
ing personalised one–to-one con- and expertise from the Labora-
sultative experience. tory and Radiology.
The Clinic’s main focus is cen- This Clinic, otherwise known
tred on preventive healthcare, a as the ‘Well Man’ or ‘Well Woman’
treatment process that enhances Clinic, is designed for wellness
the availability of information and for executives who value their
to patients on how to prevent or health. The service empowers cli-
detect age-related and lifestyle ill- ents to make informed decisions
nesses at the earliest opportunity, about their health. There is an
in order to seek medical attention increasing incidence of heart dis-
first and fast. Early detection is the ease, diabetes and cancer in our
key to many critical illnesses and communities, more so after the
proper diagnosis and information fourth decade of life. This trend
save lives. has necessitated the availability
The patient is seen by a doctor of ambulatory clinics for early de-
and offered a full medical evalua- tection and management of these
tion, including a physical exami- conditions. An annual check-up
nation and several laboratory and visit is therefore highly advised for
radiological tests, all scheduled a status check on your health
>>Liv
ing Legend Mandela
$/!+;D< '
Gets
)&.' !
UN Day PG 91
1 ' ) 4
' (!
January +>
- February 2010
C>AG%
>5$A0 Volume 001
AC
8=6+$&
4G
)7 +#*
Subscription Services
Door to
orld
on W
indow
n, W
Regio
r to
Doo
NAME:.............................................................................. COMPANY.............................................................................
POSTAL ADDRESS...........................................................BUILDING................................... STREET.............................
OFFICE TELEPHONE...................................................................................... CELL PHONE.......................................
FAX:...................................................................................EMAIL:...................................................................................
Obama’s PRODUCT TITLE:..............................................................................................................................................................
(-
Enfo
!,.+"! rcer
SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: 6 ISSUES 12 ISSUES
Tough-as-Nails Env START DATE:................................................................... EXPIRY DATE:.......................................................................
0 ( 84BC0
oy
Drives Change Age
nda Paul Kag
ame
LPO/LSO NO:................................................................. CASH:............................. CHEQUE NO:..................................
1
%
) .( -+
10;;
! ACG ........................
CUSTOMER SIGNATURE:...........................................................................................................................................
#!
) ' 0;%0
;>1
Michael
>>C
Ranneberger
> 4AIBMUN
22COM ITY >>: Customs Unio
( Cheques payable to: GLOBAL VILLAGE PUBLISHERS (E.A) Ltd,
>BCB COMMONWEA
n and Regio
%>>:
=
n’s Future P 9
A820 ?6/
LTH
The
MON
Rwan da
Joins Vision Plaza, Ground Floor, Suite 19, Mombasa Road, Nairobi
75 E<. COM +#
Club P 59
/@ = %
(>DC /8
WEA
+318 >>: Rwanda Joins The Club P 59
=
-5
+ +7:
@9C
LTH
,C
Kenya KSh300
!8 8+69,
Uganda USh9000 Tanzania
TSh7500 Rwanda RWFr3000 &3
/2/ South
Burundi BUFr6000
@A=4B
?=>3N
(
"#$!
)
E<*.
PO Box 23399-00625, Nairobi Tel: +254 020 2525253/4/5
Cell: 0720 788 711
Subscribe Now!
)$$
/<
Africa R30 Rest of Africa
"#!
) H
US$4 USA $4 UK
39 £3 Canada $5
%'$ ((#/1
$#
! Rest of Europe €3.5
! )'
# %
!
$!$
&3
@A=44
?71/)'
Email: subs@diplomateastafrica.com
*(
/&
' 4?71
'=BA6
& )?
?B<27
B
?
/&+
&D/<2
7/('6
(/<G/<
/)'6
)5/<2
)
/ '6
3<F
Subscribe for
12 issues and
get one copy of
Subscription Services
BEST OF NAME:.............................................................................. COMPANY.............................................................................
KENYA free POSTAL ADDRESS...........................................................BUILDING................................... STREET.............................
OFFICE TELEPHONE...................................................................................... CELL PHONE.......................................
FAX:...................................................................................EMAIL:...................................................................................
PRODUCT TITLE:..............................................................................................................................................................
SUBSCRIPTION PERIOD: 6 ISSUES 12 ISSUES
START DATE:................................................................... EXPIRY DATE:.......................................................................
.........................
LPO/LSO NO:................................................................. CASH:............................. CHEQUE NO:..................................
...................
CUSTOMER SIGNATURE:...........................................................................................................................................
Subscribe for
12 issues and
get one copy of
BEST OF
BUSINESS REPLY MAIL Stick KENYA free
Stamp
here
PHILIPPINES
Aviation Woes
National carrier Philippine Airlines,
which has bled more than 15 billion
pesos (US$ 337.6 million) in the past
two fiscal years, is spinning-off its
three non-core units as a last resort
to avoid backcruptcy.
PAL will spin off the following units:
inflight catering services; airport
services, including ground handling,
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
S
urvivor epitomises one, all these services and many THE AUDITORIUM The airline, however, will still
reality TV. The en- more were provided by a destina- AT KICC: have to pare its workforce by
ergy and determina- tion management company. Conferences have a 3,000 employees and pay up to
tion each contestant Maniago Safaris is where the huge multiplier effect 2.5 billion pesos (56.3 million U.S.
displays is astound- buck stopped. But this is just the dollars) in compensation as part
ing. It’s even more remarkable to tip of the iceberg, the 2003 Inter- of cost-cutting measures. The
learn that the Spanish series was national Conference on AIDS and employees'compensation can
recorded in Kenya — in the Tsavo Sexually Transmitted Infections be partially funded via internally
National Park. And meeting those (STIs) in Africa (ICASA) conference, generated funds while investors are
involved in the entire logistical the second largest conference to willing to cover the balance, Bautista
process was a breathtaking experi- have ever been held in Kenya (with said.
ence. From doctors who ensured 7,200 delegates) was also handled
— Reports by Xinhua News Agency
the cockroaches the contestants by Maniago. Duncan Muriuki, the
ate were okay to the wood used to Maniago Safaris CEO, says, “Con-
light fire and the security for every- ference tourism is a niche market
CLEAN DEVELOPMENT
EA Carbon Market
Ground-breacking initiatives to bring in environmental and financial benefits
By DEA CORRESPONDENT
T
he Kyoto Protocol’s US$700,000 over a minimum of
Clean Development 10 years from the sale of carbon
Mechanism (CDM) credits under the Bio-carbon
has 260 projects in 63 Fund. What’s more,
countries that reduce additional revenue will ema-
greenhouse gas emissions effects, nate from the sale of timber prod-
earning valuable saleable credits. ucts in the project.
However, the CDM projects in According to the World Bank’s
Africa account for less than 2 per carbon finance unit site, the proj-
cent of those registered to date ect will bring about the regen-
worldwide. There are 19 carbon eration of the native forest that is
sequestration projects in Africa, expected to provide an important
and seven are based in Kenya, habitat for many local species and
Uganda and Tanzania, thus indi- to enrich local biodiversity. Major
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
A
free Press can, of nism saw heated exchanges, though the NMG, saying that journalistic in-
course, be good or in an atmosphere regulated by deco- dependence depended on financial
bad, but, most cer- rum and diplomacy. independence.
tainly without free- Among those who took part in But the devil was in the detail.
dom, the Press will the lively discourse were two heads When the plenary sessions started,
never be anything but bad. of state, Presidents Mwai Kibaki of it became apparent that harsh ques-
—Albert Camus Kenya and Paul Kagame of Rwanda, tions would be raised about the true
THE role of the media in shaping former Presidents Joaquim Alberto role of journalists in times of war and
Africa’s image, stability and direction Chissano of Mozambique and Ben- conflict.
came into sharp focus during the Pan jamin Mkapa of Tanzania, Nobel Indeed, should journalists sound
African Media Conference in Nairobi Laureate Wangari Mathai, the Aga the alarm bells when they see the ad-
in April. Khan, heads of media institutions in vent of peril? Yes, according to NMG
The conference, held to mark the Africa and media owners. Editorial Director Joseph Odindo,
50th anniversary of the Nation Media It was Kibaki who set the ball roll- who told the conference the red
CAUCUS: Group, the largest news corporation ing with his observation that the East light should go up for journalists if
Kenya's Premier Raila in East and Central Africa, drew emi- African Community was the most politicians addressed crowds in their
Odinga (left) confers nent personalities that ranged from advanced regional bloc in Africa and mother-tongue on national televi-
with the Aga Khan, heads of state to media practitioners that many others were attempting sion.
President Kibaki and and investors in the industry. to replicate it. “Interest in joining the And the media was in a unique
Tanzania's former And the role of the media in ei- EAC is a story worth telling. Let the position to guide the people, seeing
President Benjamin ther stemming or fuelling conflict in media tell of the gains of the conti- that, at least in Kenya, it enjoys 80 per
Mkapa a continent beset by armed antago- nent. Let us avoid afro-pessimism cent approval ratings by the reading
and those who think that nothing public (in the UK it is a paltry 3 per
good can come out of Africa.” cent!).
Kenya’s third President said Africa Journalists found themselves in
was overcoming her challenges in the moral dilemma of being in posi-
shorter periods than the West did in tions of great responsibility but little
similar circumstances in their long power when, in the post-poll chaos
history. New global dynamics were of 2008, some callers to call-in pro-
imminent as was a new constitution grammes spoke of houses burning,
for Kenya. of being surrounded, and pleaded for
Describing Kenya as an epitome help. Such dramatic scenarios can be
of media freedom, as evidenced by a double-edged sword — as break-
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
the number of outlets which have ing news they have great value; but
grown from just 16 radio stations they can also constitute calls to ven-
and six TV stations in 1999 to over 80 geance and fan the spread of deadly
radio stations and at least 19 TV sta- violence
I
n the 1980s the joke went but predictably box-like, it is worth to bring the Swedish icon back into
that Sweden’s chief exports noting that the Volvo 144, launched the black.
were rock and roll. Rock was in 1966, was promptly voted “Car Oops! Before Volvo Group sold
exemplified by the hugely of the Year” and “Safest Car in The Volvo Car Corporation to Ford, it
popular pop group ABBA World”. had cleverly and confidently sold
and roll was the car. Yes, the car — Indeed, the stylish P1800 Sports itself as being in the company or an
Volvo. car was driven by Roger Moore, he accessory of the affluent. It head-
Volvo means ‘roll’ in Swedish and of James Bond fame, in the title role lined golf – the Volvo Masters – polo,
‘I roll’ in Latin. If at the time and for of The Saint television series of the horseshow-jumping and yachting
a long time to come ABBA’s music 1960s that was based on the novels tournaments.
ruled the world’s airwaves and dis- of Leslie Charteris. Geely, on the other hand, may be
cotheques, it was Volvo that rocked Volvo’s gears have since truly China’s leading private car-maker,
the roads worldwide as Sweden’s shifted since then. Yes, they have. but its turnover, at least going by the
foremost automobile brand. China last year overtook the US 2009 forecasts, is only 16 per cent
Built in Gothenburg from 1927 to as the world’s largest car market. of Volvo’s and it has half the icon’s
withstand and beat the tough and And, a little-known 24-year-old workforce.
extreme weather conditions of Swe- Chinese firm named Geely in late Geely has however made a ma-
den and northern Europe, sturdy March signed a deal buying 84-year- jor business statement and arrival
Volvo is to this day known for safety, old Volvo from Ford. Ford had in on the international car market by
comfort and longevity. 1999 bought Volvo Car Corporation buying Volvo. Many in the industry
Forget the longevity (19.9 years) from the Volvo Group. too will see Geely’s acquisition of
and safety for which it has won Volvo had fallen on hard times in- Volvo as announcing China’s arrival
awards and competed favourably deed. Ford bought Volvo for US$6.4 as a global business power — on the
with Mercedes and BMW in later billion in 1999. Ford sold Volvo for road.
years. In East Africa, and especially US$1.8 billion. Geely, who bought With erstwhile ABBA not per-
in Kenya, it is comfort that has al- Volvo in March, say they will pump forming anymore, struggling Volvo
ways counted and is considered in another US$900 million in a bid may yet rock and roll again
synonymous with Volvo.
Dashing Kenyan journalist Wil-
liam Omoga, now deceased, fa-
mously boasted in 1992 that he
drove a Volvo because “it’s the car
that was made to carry, and meant
to carry, a mother-in-law”.
Omoga’s moral was you don’t
carry your mother-in-law in any old
jalopy. If you are going to carry your
mother-in-law, give her a real treat
in comfort and Volvo fitted the bill.
Though for a long time Volvo was
not known to be sleek and stylish,
Swift Transition
Marks Yar’Adua’s
Protracted Exit
Nigerians have been waiting so long to heave a collective other world leaders and field ques-
sigh of relief, one way or another, over President Yar’Ardua’s tions from the media on such varied
predicament, that, at precisely the point they were able issues as democracy in Nigeria, elec-
toral reform and fighting corruption.
to do so — his passing — a watching world ponders for the The agenda Jonathan set himself
next act in West Africa’s preeminent economy, population on being appointed Acting Head of
PHOTO: XINHUA
and power, writes KWENDO OPANGA State mirrors Yar’Adua’s and points
to his determination to pursue the
same goals the departed President
and himself set as the ticket for the
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in
T
he transition was the vacuum, but led to sustained DECEASED: the 2007 Presidential election.
smooth and swift. demonstrations and controver- President When he was informed of the
President Alhaji sies. Yar' Adua death of the President, Jonathan
Umaru Musa Yar’Adua As Acting President, Jonathan battled with moved swiftly and deliberately, as a
died on Wednesday had put in place his own Cabinet, a prolonged man comfortable in his station, to
May 5 at about 9pm local time. which meant that he had disen- ailment call meetings of senior government
On Thursday morning, at a cer- tangled himself from forces that officials and ministers to Yar’Adua’s
emony that began at 8am, Acting were loyal to Yar’Adua and was funeral. It had to be done equally
President Goodluck Jonathan was ready to chart his own course. swiftly because of Islamic traditions.
sworn in as President and later the Already Jonathan had singled out Although he had been ailing, the
same day Yar’Adua was interred. electoral reform, power and en- announcement of Yar’Adua’s death
Perhaps things went as ergy and corruption as priority still took Nigerians by surprise. Sud-
smoothly as they did because Jon- areas. denly State television interrupted
athan had been Acting President In a sense then the transition programming to announce the death
since February, when he was ap- from Yar’Adua to Jonathan, the of the Head of State and Command-
pointed to the post to fill the pow- transfer of power from President er-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.
er vacuum created by the three- to Vice-President and from one Yar’Adua, nicknamed Baba Go
month-long absence of Yar’Adua government to another, had tak- Slow because of his cautious ap-
from Nigeria. en place before Yar’Adua died, or proach to issues, will be remembered
The President had left Nigeria courtesy of his prolonged illness. as the Head of State who meant well
on November 23, 2009, for treat- The Acting President had also for his country, but whose agenda of
ment at the King Feisal Specialist travelled to Washington in April electoral reform, meeting the power
Hospital and Research Centre in for the nuclear summit convened needs of his country and fighting cor-
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and his con- by President Barack Obama and ruption were hampered by ill health.
tinued absence not only created had used the opportunity to meet He was reported to have been
for a redistribution of the coun- May 29, 2011, when Yar’Adua’s r’Adua’s
try’s oil wealth, and especially that term would have come to an end.
from the Delta. He will have served a little le more
Critics however argue that r’Adua’s
than a year of what was Yar’Adua’s
Yar’Adua did not deserve to be term.
President in the first place because It is possible that the north-
he was forced on the party by his erners in PDP will argue ue that
predecessor, Olusegun Obasanjo, they deserve a full term. It is
and that the Presidential April also possible that south-
2007 poll had been rigged in his erners will demand
Let
fiction were ever to invade Earth, month-long extravaganza, filled
they could not choose a more ap- with the best of famed African
propriately diversionary moment hospitality, humour, wit and fun.
than the World Cup final, what- With makarapa on their heads,
ever the teams in contention — vuvuzela in their mouths, palms
Party
Africa known as South Africa. In the stands and VIP boxes,
And both the mega event and resplendent swathes of glittering
the world will get a welcome traditional and national garb and
truly befitting Africa — they will the varied and valued colours of
Begin
be welcomed with rhythm. It is a myriad nations on display, the
almost a cliché right around the pomp and pageantry will an-
world that rhythm plays a much nounce Africa’s arrival on the
larger part in the African tradition World Cup global stage.
— from drumming and dance to On the turf, pantomimes, ath-
the way people walk and other- leticism, nerve and verve purvey-
The FIFA World Cup wise comport themselves — than ing rich cultural heritages and
tournament is the in any other. The world is com- march- pasts by the participating
planet s premier ing to South Africa for the 19th teams will focus the eyes of the
FIFA World Cup fully expecting world on every move as SA hosts
plenipotentiary of sport to be enticed, entranced and en- Africa’s global party.
thralled by African rhythm, from The venue of this feast of the
T
he World Cup is all the scheduled spectacular open- senses and the spirit will be Johan-
about bringing hu- ing ceremony to many other as- nesburg’s Soccer City, the gleam-
manity together in a pects of the tournament itself and ing, calabash-resembling 94,700-
celebration of togeth- its scenic venue, the Republic of capacity stadium that is the largest
erness. It is a high South Africa — aka The Rainbow on the African continent.
point like none other, a shattering Nation — a microcosm of the Af- The occasion will be the
climax, an apotheosis, the joyful rican continent itself. opening ceremony and open-
collective shout heard around the To the power and poise of the ing match of the 2010 FIFA World
world. Beautiful Game will be added the Cup, dubbed Africa’s World Cup
It is therefore the world’s great- grace under pressure of African and hosted by South Africa. The
est single mass spectator sporting natural rhythm in an unforget- day will be Friday, June 11 and al-
event. And the World Cup final is table mix; it has all the makings of though we are not in the business
always a moment when the globe a World Cup like none other. of clairvoyance the following we
stands still. If the aliens of science It will be a vivid and pulsating can confidently predict:
A
fter six years of hard work, quadrennial event in the face of hyper-crit-
South Africa and indeed the ical Western media that have yet to forgive
whole of Africa are saying Ke Fifa President Sepp Blatter for his gamble
nako (It is time) everybody on Africa.
descended on the continent But while the tournament organis-
for the world’s greatest sporting showpiece, ers may have gone a long way to allay the
the Fifa World Cup. fears, attention is sharply shifting to the ac-
It has been a tumultuous six years for tual business on the field of play.
the South Africans since May 15, 2004, Again, pundits give South Africa’s na-
when the world’s foremost living states- tional team, Bafana Bafana, a slim chance
man Nelson Mandela masterminded the to go past two World Cup winners, France
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
NIGERIA
A second round may not be a
huge task to ask of the Cameroon,
but only if they put behind them
the ghost of disorganisation. The
Netherlands, Denmark and Japan
provide the challenge. In their den
is French coach Paul Le Guen, a
man who has all it takes to reassure
PHOTO: DEA LIBRARY
AMBASSADORIAL TAKE
It’s an Image-changing
Event, says German Envoy
HE MARGIT HELLWIG-BOETTE extrapolates
the benefits
of the tournament for Africa and the world
T
he 2010 World Cup whole can use a successful tourna- “The tournament brought us
has the potential to ment to show the other side of the together as one as all of Germany
change the image of continent that is rarely seen in the from the East and West were unit-
Africa, says German Western media. ed behind the national flag. It has
Ambassador to Kenya “Most Germans — and other the potential to do the same for
Margit Hellwig-Boette. Europeans for that matter — do Africa,” she said.
Drawing from her country’s not know much about Africa. They She pointed out that the eco-
experience in hosting the tourna- only hear about it whenever there nomic value of the tournament to
ment four years ago, Boette said is hunger,disease or a natural ca- Africa is another positive aspect
the tournament helped improve lamity, but this is an opportunity that will come out of the event.
the image of Germany in the eyes for them to see the real Africa,” Again drawing from her coun-
of the outside world. Hellwig-Boette said. try’s experience, Hellwig-Boette
“It was a very wonderful expe- She said apart from watching pointed out that the last tourna-
rience for my country in 2006, as the World Cup visitors to South ment left Germany a better coun-
millions of people travelled to Ger- Africa will also be glad to see the try with plenty of new infrastruc-
many or watched the tournament wildlife and experience the pas- ture built to accommodate the
on television. It gave them the cor- sion of Africans. event.
rect picture of our country,”she Apart from the image, Boette “Germany made a lot of money
said in an interview with Diplomat said the continent also has an op- and there were many benefits to
East Africa. She said hosts South portunity to come together behind the country and the people. South
Africa and the continent as a a common cause. Africa and Africa should expect
the same benefits.”
She disclosed that the embassy
is organising a painting competi-
tion together with the German
School that will run for the dura-
tion of the World Cup and the win-
ners will receive impressive prizes.
“We are using the competition
to create awareness about the
tournament among schoolchil-
dren. This is our way of supporting
the event,” she said.
And does she think Germany
can win the World Cup? “I will sup-
MARGIT HELLWIG: port them because last time they
It's wonderfull to host did not do very well, but I believe
World cup they can win it this time. The team
is very good”
Stars Skills
and Thrills
Robin van Persie-
e
Netherlands
Versatile player who is used mainly as a Michael Ballack - Germany
winger in the national team and as a central This is likely to be the last major tournament for the
striker at Arsenal. Played all four matches German captain who is desperate for World Cup suc-
at the 2006 World Cup finals and scored cess after collecting a runners-up medal in 2002.
against Ivory Coast in group stages. Missed The midfielder also finished on the losing side at
most of the English Premier League cam- Euro 2008. Ballack has mended ties with Loew after
paign through injury. a public spat following Euro 2008.
Lionel Messi -
Argentina
A brave little genius to
whose left foot the ball
seems wedded. With that
The Toure brothers Yaya and Kolo – Cote D’Ivoire foot he will dodge his way
Burly Yaya (left) has the rare ability to play the roles of holding and attacking midfielder through a forest of de-
as well central defender. Big brother Kolo though smaller is a central defender who also fenders, dummy goalkeepers, lift the ball above
charges forward to end up in the box of opponents. defenders and goalkeepers and singlehandedly
Yaya plays for Spain’s FC Barcelona while Kolo plies his trade at England’s Manchester destroy teams. Without doubt the best player in
City where he is captain. the world.
Arjen Robben -
Samuel Eto’o - Cameroon
A poacher in the Andrea Pirlo- Italy Netherlands
box, a skillful run- The World Cup winner has recently Good dribbler and equally
ner into it and able played much further forward for good header who likes
to score with both Italy than Milan and is the side’s to operate from the right
legs as well as, main creative force given Cassano wing, cut deep into the
but rarely, with the has been overlooked. His form has field and into positions from which he shoots
head. Eto’o’s quick dipped in the last few years but is hard and low or high and sizzling into the bot-
turn and superior still a pass master. tom or top corners from 20 metres out.
balance saw him
free himself of a
defender, create space and score past the Kaka – Brazil
near post to set FC Barcelona on the road His languid mien is decep-
to Champion’s League glory in 2009 at the tive. His work rate is high.
expense of Manchester United. He is difficult to shake off
The Cameroon captain delights with his the ball and his right foot
footwork and ability to exploit – in a flash - packs a cracker of a shot.
the chink in the defenders’ armour. Dangerous charging into
the box as he is in it.
DEA: How deeply involved is Emirates with the World offering to entice passengers from this region to con-
Cup? nect via Dubai?
AHMAD: Emirates is an official FIFA Partner from 2007 AHMAD: Emirates is offering a number of tailor-made
to 2014, meaning that the airline holds rights to all FIFA travel packages that include flights, accommodation,
events during this period. This includes both the 2010 ground transportation and match tickets through our
and 2014 FIFA World Cups, as well as the FIFA Confed- Emirates’ FIFA World Cup 2010 Travel Packages.
erations Cup, FIFA Club World Cup, the FIFA Under-20
and Under-17 World Cup, the FIFA Women s World Cup, These packages give customers flexibility at very com-
FIFA U20 Women s World Cup and the FIFA Beach Soccer petitive rates. When you book an Emirates’ package, no
World Cup. Through this deal, Emirates benefits from en- matter where your team is playing — be it Rustenburg
hanced global media exposure, and an association with or Cape Town or any of the other eight venues — you will
FIFA s special events and development initiatives. be transported from your chosen hotel to the match and
back again, even if it is all the way across South Africa.
DEA: How many flights will be operating per week from Emirates’ Follow Your Team FIFA packages starts at
Dubai to which South African cities? AED14,145 (KSh282,900) with departures out of Dubai,
AHMAD: Emirates will provide football fans from across based on double-room occupancy. This includes inter-
the East Africa region the choice between five daily flights national Emirates flights to South Africa, five nights’ ho-
to South Africa (three daily flights to Johannesburg, one tel accommodation in your selected base camp, a Cat-
daily flight to Cape Town and another to Durban). Jo- egory 1 match ticket and all the ground transportation
hannesburg will host 15 World Cup matches, Cape Town logistics.
eight matches and Durban seven matches.
A package for the final match which includes interna-
DEA: At what fares from Dubai in US dollars? tional flights to South Africa with Emirates, three nights
AHMAD: Emirates offers competitive fares to its three hotel accommodation in the customer’s selected base
South African gateways. For the best available fares, we camp, a Category 1 match ticket for the final and all
advise our customers to check our website: www.emir- the ground transportation logistics starts at AED20,040
ates.com. (KSh400,800), based on double-room occupancy.
DEA: How can East African passengers use Emirates to DEA: Any arrangements in EA to pick passengers from
fly to the World Cup, considering that Kenya Airways, here and fly them to SA directly?
Air Malawi, Rwanda Air, South African Airways, etc., are AHMAD: All customers flying on Emirates will transfer
all flying to South Africa? What special offer is Emirates through the airline’s hub in Dubai, where they will enjoy
seamless connections to South Africa.
will provide an ideal opportunity for the country’s ICT managers Burundi July 1
and professionals to assess the impact this transformation will Cape Verde July 5
have on their organisations and what are the optimum strategies Colombia July 20
and technologies they should deploy to maximise the benefits. Democratic Republic of the Congo June 30
In addition, the exhibition will provide a platform for vendors to Croatia June 25
promote and launch their new and improved ICT products and Djibouti June 27
services to decision-makers in government and business.
Iceland June 17
Kenya June 1
WHO SHOULD EXHIBIT
Liberia July 26
The expo is a showcase for Information and Communication
Technology products and services and therefore invites Madagascar June 26
all companies involved in this sector. These will include Malawi July 6
Telecommunication Service Providers, Mobile Phone Operators, Maldives July 26
Computer Hardware Resellers, Computer Accessories Suppliers, Mozambique June 25
Software Developers, Web Solutions Developers, Systems Peru July 28
Integrators, ICT Consultants, Training, Internet Service Providers, Philippines June 12
Data Operators, Communication Equipment Resellers and ICT
Russia June 12
Projects and Programmes.
Rwanda July 1
Samoa June 1
CONFERENCE
The exhibition will run in tandem with a conference on the latest São Tomé and Príncipe July 12
developments in the ICT sector. Areas that will be discussed Seychelles June 29
include: Policy, legal and regulatory issues, applications and Solomon Islands July 7
new technologies. Some of the areas to be covered will include Solomon Islands July 7
mBanking, eCommerce, mGovernment, eHeath, eProcurement, Tonga June 4
eSecurity, Policy and Strategies on Telecommunication United States July 4
Infrastructure Development, Datawarehousing, Security and Vanuatu July 30
Rural Connectivity.
Venezuela July 5
JULY
MOCHA SEATS