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Kenya News

  • Kenya News
  • Kenya Gets $50M World Bank Credit For Coronavirus Fight

    by Kevin Davids
    April 1, 2020

    April 1, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Kenya is set for an additional Sh5.2 billion ($50 million) credit from the World Bank Thursday to support the fight against Covid-19 as confirmed cases rose to hit 81.

    Health Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that the credit facility will increase the government’s pool of funds to finance production of sanitisers, protective gear for medical personnel and scaling up bed capacity for Covid-19 patients.

    The funding comes just as Kenya recorded the highest jump in infections on Wednesday when it confirmed 22 new cases even as fears mount of dire days ahead.

    The patients are 18 Kenyans and two nationals each from Pakistan and Cameroon, who tested positive from among 300 persons with Mr Kagwe saying that they are all in quarantine.

    The CS, however, warned that the transmissions will likely rise in coming days unless Kenyans adhere to the government directives on social distancing and basic hygiene measures that include use of sanitisers and cleaning hands using soap and water.

    “We cannot emphasise enough what is likely to be ahead of us unless we adhere to the rules we have established that include washing hands, social distancing,” Mr Kagwe warned.

    The number of infections in the country is likely to remain on the rise in coming days on increased mass testing of all people who jetted into the country from last week and close to 1, 000 contacts.

    The country, however, recorded its first recoveries from the fast-spreading virus – that of the first declared patient Brenda Cherotich and Brian Orinda, who were in isolation at the Mbagathi Hospital.

    Mr Kagwe said that the country will scale up production of face masks in addition to the free distribution of sanitisers that began last week to beef up support from development partners and curb spread of the virus.

    The World Bank that had last week donated 250 ventilators is expected to approve Sh5 billion facility on Thursday that will further increase the pool of funding available to the country in fighting spread of Covid-19.

    Chinese billionaire and co-founder of e-commerce multinational Alibaba Jack Ma last month donated 25, 000 testing kits that will help the government scale up testing for coronavirus.

    With the rise in coronavirus infections, Kenya says the  dusk-to-dawn curfew, from 7pm to 5am,  will remain in force besides social distancing rules, as well as the requirement for all matatus to carry less than half of their capacity in efforts to curb the spread.

    Filed Under: Kenya News

  • Energy|
  • Kenya News|
  • Project Updates
  • Metier Partners With Tembo Power On Kaptis Hydroelectric Project

    by Kevin Davids
    March 31, 2020

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    An agreement has recently been signed between Metier and Tembo Power, the company developing the Kaptis hydroelectric project in western Kenya. Metier will participate in the financial closing of this project, which will produce 14.7 MW, by taking a 40% stake in it.

    The financial completion of the Kaptis hydroelectric project in Kenya will take place by the end of the year. It is one of the points of the agreement recently concluded between the project developer Tembo Power, a company based in Ebene, Mauritius, and Metier Private Equity International, a company based in South Africa specialising in the financing of renewable energy and energy efficiency in Africa.

    According to Tembo Power, the agreement with Metier will enable it to select the financial partners and complete the financing of the hydropower project which will result in the production of 14.7 MW from a run-of-river hydropower plant. It is a hydroelectric facility that operates independently of a water reservoir. Such a facility has less impact on the river and its biodiversity.

    40% stake for Metier

    Tembo Power began development of the Kaptis hydroelectric project in 2013, following preliminary studies conducted by its partner Humphrey Mulindi. The purpose of the study was to determine the real potential of the site selected for the future hydroelectric power plant.

    The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the future hydroelectric power plant will be executed by WK Construction, a company specialised in hydraulics. This company, based in South Africa, is one of the financial partners of the project, in which it holds a 20% stake.

    The new investor, Metier, now holds a 40% stake. The South African-based financial company has decided to place this investment within the framework of its Metier Sustainable Capital International Fund II. It is a fund that targets investments offering social and environmental benefits as well as financial returns. Its investments are balanced between renewable energy projects (encompassing both grid-connected and distributed generation) as well as growth capital investments in other sectors, such as energy efficiency and the exploitation of resources such as water or waste management.

    The remaining 40% of the Kaptis hydroelectric project is owned by Tembo Power. “We look forward to the prospects of the Kaptis project and, more broadly, the prospects of Tembo Power’s portfolio, which fits well with the fund’s strategic direction. The fund is focused on small and medium scale renewable energy projects. We want to invest in Kenya’s energy sector and provide clean energy to support the Kenya Power and Lighting Company’s (KPLC) electricity supply,” says Michael Goldblatt, Director of the Sustainable Capital International Fund II.

    Filed Under: Energy, Kenya News, Project Updates

  • Kenya News
  • KPA Managers Face Disciplinary Action In Tender Scam

    by Kevin Davids
    March 31, 2020

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Several senior Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) managers will face disciplinary action, including being forced to refund money lost, over several tender malpractices in the organisation, which saw its managing director leave last week.

    A KPA Board Audit and Risk Committee report prepared on March 18, obtained by the Nation, shows that managers in the finance, procurement and engineering departments have been asked to explain several malpractices which has seen the organisation either bleed money, leading to losses amounting to billions of shillings.

    Last week, the authority’s former MD, Dr Daniel Manduku, resigned, and was replaced by the agency’s General Manager for Engineering, Mr Rashid Salim, in an acting capacity.

    TENDER MESS

    But the report also fingers Mr Salim’s department as having been part of the tender mess that could have cost the authority over Sh2.4 billion.

    Documents indicate that the engineering department had a budget overrun of about Sh1.5 billion on repairs and maintenance in the first quarter of 2019/2020.

    This was revealed by an audit ordered by the board for a review of the agency’s repairs and maintenance account between July 2018 and December last year.

    The KPA board now says it is “concerned about the issues since they amounted to circumventing set processes and the Public Procurement and Disposal Act, 2015”, and has directed that appropriate disciplinary action be taken against the responsible officers.

    The audit also revealed that the Engineering departments overshot its repairs and maintenance budget for the period July and December 2019 by a whopping Sh3.3 billion, from its budgeted Sh380 million, to an actual expenditure of Sh3.72 billion.

    PROCUREMENT

    This saw the board take to task Dr Manduku, the port’s head of civil engineering, and the acting head of procurement. The port’s general manager, finance, has since been asked to explain “why budget locks are not implemented in the SAP accounting system,” to avoid the loss of funds.

    The board’s report also shows that KPA’s Internal Audit Department had carried out an audit of the draft financial statements for the period ended December 2019, and found that the agency had overrun its budget by Sh2.3 billion, spending Sh21.42billion instead of the planned Sh19.1 billion.

    The KPA management told the board that they were at an “advanced stage to bring on board budget locks by the end of April 2020.” However, the board’s committee recommended that the “management institute disciplinary action on the affected vote holders for this overrun.”

    The audit also revealed a growing number of debtors, with the authority’s trade cargo debtors owing Sh4.01 billion as at the end of last year, compared with Sh3.6 billion in the first quarter ending September last year, representing an 11.28 per cent increase.

    This means the authority is offering more services without getting paid, which the board has picked.

    In its defence, the KPA management said that the growth in debts is attributed to the growth in business, adding that the agency had reduced the outstanding balance down to Sh2.11 billion as end of January this year.

    ADVANCE PAYMENT
    The management was also been put on the spot for advance payment of Sh60 million to supplier’s, contrary to the terms of the contract.

    The money was paid to three travel agents, Kilindini Travel Centre, Regal Tours and Travel, and Helinas Safaris without any approval, and the provision was not covered in the contract terms. The board wants disciplinary action taken against the staff who circumvented the process.

    The audit also revealed that Zara Travels did not bid to provide air travel, yet it was engaged to offer the services.

    According the report, Tender No. KPA/159/2015-16 for the Provision of Air Travel Agency Services had 14 bidders, four of which were awarded as per Memo No. 121-005/2015-16. Zara was among these firms, and KPA noted that it was given the job “by the virtue of being under preference groups.”

    Another scam involved items listed in the bill of quantities, which auditors could not verify on the ground.

    “Two items included in the Bills of Quantity for the proposed renovation of Bus Terminus washrooms LPO. No. 4500080332 dated 22nd October 2018 amounting to Sh1.1 million could not be verified on the ground, yet payment was made in full,” the report said, prompting the board to call for disciplinary action, including instituting surcharges on the acting head of procurement, the general manager, Finance and Infrastructure Development, over the scam.

    SH512 MILLION

    It also emerged that KPA is yet to collect Sh512 million from shipping companies, with Sh474 million owed by 15 companies. But the KPA management said in January that it had managed to collect Sh81 million, resulting in a balance of Sh393 million at the start of February this year.

    “The amount outstanding relates to disputed invoices mostly on stevedoring, Port convenience movement and idle gang charges. Sometimes these cases take long to resolve and largely emanate from manual and semi-automated billing processes at marine operations,” it told the auditors.

    The board has since tasked the agencies’ Head of Marine Operations and Head of Financial Accounting to review its list of Marine Debtors and come up with strategies of clearing the outstanding balance.

    The audit committee also flagged unreconciled ledger accounts for the second terminal suppliers, which showed that it had 11 debit entries totalling Sh4.2 billion, and five credit entries of Sh2.6 billion dating back to 2016 with no corresponding entries.

    Also flagged was the Lamu Port Project suppliers account, which had a total of 18 debit entries totalling Sh7.5 billion, and seven credit of Sh3.2 billion between 2014 and 2018, with no corresponding entries.

    Filed Under: Kenya News

  • Health & Education|
  • Kenya News
  • Kenya Distributes Free Sanitisers

    by Kevin Davids
    March 31, 2020

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    The Kenyan government is distributing free sanitisers to promote hygiene during the coronavirus pandemic.

    The country has thus far recorded 42 cases of Covid-19, with one death, according to its health ministry.

    The sanitisers are marked “Not for Sale” and will be available at the deputy county commissioners’ and chiefs’ offices countrywide. Citizens are encouraged to collect the items.

    Since the start of the outbreak, prices for hand sanitisers have skyrocketed due to demand.

    Local radio station Capital Fm said East African Breweries Limited was among companies that would be distributing the products post manufacture.

    Last week, the Kenyan Port Authority (KPA) announced that it was working in partnership with oil companies to produce 20,000 litres of sanitisers daily.

    Vivo Energy Kenya, Total and Ola Energy volunteered to help produce alcohol-based sanitisers using the 396,000 litres of impounded ethanol released by the KPA.

    Ethanol is a key component in the production of alcohol-based hand sanitisers. The World Health Organisation recommends washing hands and using sanitisers as key to avoiding infection.

    Local daily newspaper, The Star said the ethanol containers were confiscated for a variety of offences including smuggling and false declarations.

    Filed Under: Health & Education, Kenya News

  • Kenya News|
  • Water
  • Kenya Finances Solar Desalination Systems With Carbon Offsets

    by Kevin Davids
    March 30, 2020

    March 30, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    The German companies Boreal Light and Atmosfair will work with the Kenyan companies Water Kiosk Ltd and Bilal Sustainable Development Programme to develop 40 solar-powered water desalination systems in several counties in Kenya. The project will require an investment of 435 million Kenyan shillings (over $4 million).

    Several arid and semi-arid areas of Kenya will soon benefit from 1,000 m³ of drinking water per day. Four companies have just joined forces to build 40 solar-powered water desalination systems in several counties of the country. The counties are Wajir, Garissa, Marsabit, Mandera, Mombasa, Naivasha, Turkana, Machakos, Makueni, Kajiado, Narok, Kwale and Taita Taveta. These counties face a shortage of drinking water. Three towns in Tanzania will also benefit from the water desalination project. This is the case of Arusha, Tanga and Dodoma.

    The project will be carried out by the companies Boreal Light, Atmosfair, WaterKiosk and Bilal Sustainable Development Programme. These companies will finance the works to the tune of 435 million Kenyan shillings (over $4 million). “The desalination project in Kenya will be a game-changer in the deployment of sustainable technological solutions for the supply of water to disadvantaged communities in Kenya and the rest of the region. It is a viable but extremely expensive process,” says Hamed Beheshti, CEO of Boreal Light GmbH.

    Financing

    The desalination project will be mainly financed by Atmosfair, a German organisation that offers offsets for greenhouse gases emitted by planes, cruise ships, coaches and events. It will sell the carbon credits generated by the use of the systems. Boreal Light, a German company specialising in renewable energy solutions, will manufacture the water desalination systems. WaterKiosk, a Kenyan foundation committed to fighting water scarcity, will install and operate the desalination systems across Kenya while preparing the extension to Tanzania. Bilal Sustainable Development Programme, a Kenyan organisation in charge of sustainability and local development will oversee the entire project. It will also ensure that the social, legal and sustainability aspects of the project are respected.

    The 40 desalination systems to be built in the counties of Kenya will remove salt and other minerals from water to make it safe to drink and suitable for other uses. Solar-powered drinking water kiosks will be installed to supply the population. The project will also support more than 20 fish farms and the irrigation of 40.47 hectares of plantations. Ultimately, more than 100 permanent jobs will be created for kiosk operators.

    Filed Under: Kenya News, Water

  • Kenya News|
  • Transportation
  • Kenya Roads Board Releases Long Delayed Funds To Agencies

    by Kevin Davids
    March 27, 2020

    March 27, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Roads agencies and county governments have received the first half of funds meant for maintenance this financial year.

    Disbursing Sh28.7 billion just three months before the end of the fiscal year signals continued delays in payment to contractors at a time increased rainfall is expected to cause more damage.

    The Kenya Roads Board released the funds to the three road agencies and the Kenya Wildlife Services which maintains park roads and the county governments.

    The funds are collected from motorists through the Sh18 per-litre road maintenance levy and transit tolls.

    Last year, the board collected Sh69 billion, but it said the funds were way below the budget needed to keep the roads in good shape. The regulator estimates the country requires about Sh150 billion yearly to execute the assignment.

    “It is also estimated that the road sector requires Sh1.2 trillion in the next five years to bring the entire road network to a maintainable condition. Thereafter, a sum of Sh150 billion annually would be adequate for maintenance,” KRB wrote in its 2018- 2022 strategic plan.

    In the latest allocations, the Kenya National Highways Authority will get Sh10.7 billion while the Kenya Rural Roads Authority will be allocated Sh6.5 billion.

    The urban roads agency will get Sh3 billion.

    The agencies are allocated the funds based on the length of roads under their watch after Kenya reclassified its network into national trunk and county roads in 2016 with an expected 240,000 kilometres by 2022.

    Counties will receive Sh4.49 billion.

    The roads board previously relied on the Commission on Revenue Allocation formula that used population, land area and poverty parameters to determine the allocations.

    The county formula also considers climatic condition and population.

    Filed Under: Kenya News, Transportation

  • Kenya News
  • Facing Corruption Charges, Kenya Ports Boss Resigns

    by Kevin Davids
    March 27, 2020

    March 27, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) Managing Director Daniel Manduku, who is facing corruption charges, has resigned.

    Mr Manduku is facing charges of unlawfully awarding tenders for the construction of cargo storage facilities at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD).

    Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia Friday confirmed receipt of Mr Manduku’s resignation letter.

    The former National Construction Authority (NCA) executive director, was first appointed to the position in an acting capacity on May 30, 2018, replacing Ms Catherine Mturi-Wairi who was sent on compulsory leave by the KPA board due to lack of effective leadership.

    “I shall be eternally grateful for the support of all the outstanding individuals who have contributed to what we have achieved over the last few years and to you in particular for your leadership and vision,” read part of the letter to CS Macharia.

    His initial two-month contract lapsed on July 31, 2018 but on August 1, the board of KPA extended it by four months up to November 30.

    Transport CS James Macharia confirmed him to the position after the extension lapsed.

    DPP, DCI feud

    Early this month, Mr Manduku was brought before a Nairobi court together with the commissioner customs and border control at Kenya Revenue Authority, Mr Kevin Safari but they were released after the Director of public Prosecutions Noordin Haji declined to approve the charges against them.

    The two had been arrested a day before and held in custody awaiting to be charged. But when they were brought before senior principal magistrate Kennedy Cheruiyot, there was no prosecutor but only his lawyers and an officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

    The court adjourned the case briefly, waiting for the prosecutor and the file to be brought from the DPP’s office.

    And when he appeared before Mr Cheruiyot, assistant director of public prosecution Joseph Riungu then told the court that he does not know why the two were brought to court.

    According to the prosecutor, the DPP had instructed that they be released on police bond as he looked into the matter.

    A charge sheet released a day earlier indicated that Dr Manduku and Mr Safari would be charged with unlawfully awarding tenders for the construction of cargo storage facilities at the Nairobi Inland Container Depot (ICD). There were to face a total of 11 counts.

    Lawyer Nelson Havi told the court that Dr Manduku was arrested despite obtaining a court order in December, stopping his arrest. He said the MD had paid an anticipatory bail of Sh500,000 before the High Court in Mombasa.

    Mr Cheruiyot said it was not fair to continue holding the two in the cells yet there was no charge sheet.

    Following the differences between DPP and DCI, Mr Manduku walked out of the court a free man.

    Filed Under: Kenya News

  • Kenya News
  • Kenya Plans Geothermal Powered Industrial Park

    by Kevin Davids
    March 26, 2020

    March 26, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    The government of Kenya has announced plans to develop an industrial park powered by geothermal energy in Nakuru County Kenya. Geothermal Development Company (GDC) Board Chairman John Njiraini revealed the plans and said the company has entered into a joint venture with Nakuru County Government for the development.

    The development will be located near Menengai where GDC has been drilling extensively with construction of three privately funded geothermal power plants to kick off soon. According to Mr. Njiraini, the industrial park will offer cheap geothermal power and steam.

    “There is so much that geothermal energy can offer to different investors especially those who require heavy energy for production. In geothermal, the concept of direct use is gaining traction and we have installed the first cereals dryer of its kind in Africa that uses heat from geothermal fluids. That is the kind of innovative thinking we want to expand into commercial scale so that investors can benefit more from geothermal power,” said the company MD Johnson ole Nchoe.

    Nakuru County, is home to Africa’s largest geothermal power plants located at Olkaria in Naivasha and Menengai in the outskirts of Nakuru town. The county is banking on geothermal energy to power industrial reforms, restore the region’s lost glory and boost the national government’s realisation of the Big Four agenda.

    “Due to ongoing geothermal production, we are anticipating a boom in the geothermal industry in the county which will in turn open some of the most exciting investment opportunities for investors. Various investors have shown interest in putting up industries in the county because of affordable power. We want geothermal energy to support the economic fortunes of Nakuru,” said Mr Lee Kinyanjui, Nakuru County Governor.

    Filed Under: Kenya News

  • ICT|
  • Kenya News|
  • Project Updates
  • Alphabet’s Project Loon Takes Off In Kenya

    by Kevin Davids
    March 25, 2020

    March 25, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Alphabet’s internet-delivery balloon service, Loon, has finally received approval from the Kenyan government. To help improve communication during the coronavirus pandemic, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta fast-tracked the regulatory approval Loon and its partner, Telkom Kenya, were waiting on. Loon expects to begin providing service to remote areas of Kenya in the “near future.”

    Once up and running, Loon’s internet-delivery balloons will allow Kenyans to buy 4G service from Telkom Kenya. The project has been in the works since 2018, when Loon signed a contract with the operator. Last summer, the partners received approval for commercial testing in the country.

    Loon is now dispatching its existing airborne balloons and preparing new ones to launch from sites in the US. Those balloons will travel to Kenya via stratospheric winds 20 kilometers above Earth, a process that takes a number of weeks. Once the balloons arrive in Kenya, Loon will conduct the final stages of network integration testing with Telkom Kenya.

    “Given the global situation with COVID-19, we’re working as fast as we can to deploy the Loon service in Kenya to help in the short-term, and establish sustainable operations that will continue to serve Kenyans for the long-term,” Loon CEO Alastair Westgarth wrote in a blog post.

    While Loon is attempting to help those in need during the coronavirus pandemic, like all companies, it has been impacted too. It has reduced operational capacity at its launch sites and is adjusting to necessary travel restrictions. Thanks to the groundwork already laid in Kenya, though, Westgarth says, “we’re confident that we can address these challenges and begin providing meaningful service to Kenyas in the near future.”

    Filed Under: ICT, Kenya News, Project Updates

  • Health & Education|
  • Kenya News
  • Billionaire Jack Ma Delivers 25,000 COVID-19 Test Kits To Kenya

    by Kevin Davids
    March 25, 2020

    March 25, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Kenya has received a shipment of 25,000 coronavirus test kits. The kits were donated by China’s billionaire Jack Ma through his Alibaba Foundation.

    The donation was received yesterday by Ministry of Health Acting Director General Patrick Amoth. The consignment was delivered by Ethiopian Airlines.

    The donation is an addition to what the national government and counties had received – high risk counties got 10,000 protective kits while the rest each had 5,000.

    Dr Amoth said the donation will go a long way in protecting health workers as they serve cases of suspect Covid-19 and those who are in isolation.

    “We want to thank Jack Ma and our brothers in Ethiopia for delivering this equipment in record time. We will deploy the equipment immediately to be able to help Kenyan people tackle the scourge of coronavirus,” said Amoth.

    Kenya’s donation follows a pledge made by the billionaire that each of the 54 countries in Africa will receive the kits.

    This saw 1.1 million testing kits, six million masks, and 60,000 medical use protective suits and face shields delivered to Ethiopia before they were distributed to other countries.

    “In addition, we will immediately start working with medical institutions in Africa to provide online training material or Covid-19 clinical treatment,” said Jack Ma. The numbers in Africa have been rising with cases now over 1,120 across 46 countries. So far, 26 deaths have been reported in the continent.

    Some countries like Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda and Kenya have restricted the movement of people, with partial curfews and lockdowns.

    The World Health Organisation had last week cast doubts on the coronavirus numbers in Africa, arguing that they were too low compared to the magnitude in other areas since not much testing was being done.

    Filed Under: Health & Education, Kenya News

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    Primary Sidebar

    Kenya News

    Metier Partners With Tembo Power On Kaptis Hydroelectric Project

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    KPA Managers Face Disciplinary Action In Tender Scam

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Kenya Distributes Free Sanitisers

    March 31, 2020 By Kevin Davids

    Uganda News

    Uganda Signs Agreement To Build Four Solar And Wind Farms

    The Ugandan government recently reached an agreement with Hussain bin Jassim Al-Nowais, head of Amea Power, an independent power producer (IPP) based in the United Arab Emirates. The IPP wants to build four solar and wind farms in two regions in Uganda. New renewable energy projects will be implemented in Uganda. It is the promise […]

    Bank Of Uganda Injects $200M To Shield Shilling

    The Central Bank has in less than a fortnight injected about $200m (Shs780b) as it seeks to shield the shilling from depreciation. The shilling has for about two weeks experienced a lot of volatility mainly because of speculation and panic buying resulting from the Covid-19 distress. The unit, which had been largely stable for over […]

    Ugandan Truckers Stuck At Busia Border

    Several Kenya and Uganda-bound trucks and fuel tankers are stuck at the Busia-Kenya border after foreigners, especially Ugandan drivers, were stopped from crossing into Kenya.
 Most of Uganda’s fuel is transported through Kenya; so the closure of the border over coronavirus threatens to hurt exports and fuel supplies. Uganda is a landlocked country and depends […]

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