Truck drivers will first have to obtain a certificate from the Ministry of Health confirming that they are Covid-19 free before being allowed to travel outside the country, Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has said. Mr Macharia, during the daily briefings on the current coronavirus situation in the country at Afya House on Wednesday, further said that the drivers will be tested 48 hours before their scheduled travel. TRANSMITTING VIRUS The transport sector is a key area in terms of transmission of the disease. “As we said before public transportation is a very key area in terms of both transmission and also facilitation economic development. You have heard before about the risk of having truck drivers especially the ones carrying cargo into the country transmitting the virus, say from Mombasa going to the west in Malaba and going to other countries in the region,” Mr Macharia said. “So as a region we have agreed that henceforth all truck drivers leaving for example our country going to neighbouring countries, have to be tested at least 48 hours before they leave Nairobi or Mombasa. That is important because by the time they get to Malaba they have to show the certificate that they are Covid-19 free and that will be mandatory. This also applies to drivers coming from Rwanda,” Macharia said. VALIDITY AND RENEWAL The truck drivers will also have to show the certificate at the Mombasa port and other facilities they go to, to carry transit goods. “All drivers going into...

Kenya Railways has dispatched a set of train wagons to the Nanyuki terminus to be used in the ongoing repair of the 240km metre-gauge railway line in Central Kenya.The wagons, which were offloaded in the town on Tuesday, were transported to the terminus by road and are expected to ease the refurbishment works. KR Managing Director Phillip Mainga accompanied senior staff from Nairobi and held a meeting with Nanyuki-based Railways officials. Mr Mainga said the wagons included two low-sided wagons for ferrying murram and tools, and two hopper wagons for ballast. The wagons, which were offloaded in the town on Tuesday, were transported to the terminus by road and are expected to ease the refurbishment works. KR Managing Director Phillip Mainga accompanied senior staff from Nairobi and held a meeting with Nanyuki-based Railways officials. Mr Mainga said the wagons included two low-sided wagons for ferrying murram and tools, and two hopper wagons for ballast. The second team is working from Nanyuki towards Nyeri and Sagana. Mainga said the team had arrived to carry out inspection and one of the challenges observed was drainage systems that had been exposed by the heavy rains.Currently, the works include clearing of drainage and murraming along the railway tracks. “The line from Nanyuki to Sagana is in fairly good condition and we are hopeful that we shall complete the works along the route within the next two months,” he said. He urged communities along the Nairobi-Nanyuki line and the public in general to be aware...

THE private sector associations and corporates in the East African Community (EAC) are pushing for the six countries to embrace a recovery strategy in post Covid-19 pandemic dubbed BEABEA (Buy East Africa Build East Africa).That is a medium- and long-term approach as states have been called upon to provide support to key industries to expand their capacity and establish new industries to manufacture import substitutes in the region.Under the East African Business Council (EABC), the sector has called for partner states to consider improving the business and regulatory environment to ensure formalization of businesses in the region so as to spur improving the economy of partner states. EABC Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Peter Mathuki said that when the pandemic is over, or even now that it is being controlled by individual states as well as the East African Community (EAC) Secretariat, such actions will spare the EAC economies from the negative impact of Covid-19. “There is need for EAC partner states to push for Buy East Africa Build East Africa (BEABEA). Partner States need to provide support to key industries to expand their capacity and establish new industries to manufacture import substitutes in the region. This will cushion the EAC economies from the negative impact of Covid-19,” said Dr Mathuki.In his remarks on effects of Covid-19 on trade in EAC, Dr Mathuki said that partner states – Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan should facilitate the private sector to increase production of manufactured goods and ensure borders...

Freedom of movement and economic integration are the cornerstone of the African Union’s (AU) Agenda 2063 which includes, among other things, the progressive aim of abolishing visa requirements for all African citizens. However multiple obstacles to free movement on the continent persist. A protectionist approach to managing migration still prevails as states avoid ceding their sovereignty to regional and supra-national organisations in migration affairs in the name of state security and national interest. So far, with the exception of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), little tangible progress has been made to implement a free movement regime. In this context, the global COVID-19 pandemic and states’ responses to it, raise questions about open borders and free movement of people. By 29 April, more than 34 000 people in Africa were infected with the coronavirus and just over 1 500 had died. If governments struggle to contain the spread, strict immigration laws and the militarisation of border control may be invoked, as has happened in South Africa. These types of measures would be antithetical to the continent’s integration agenda. More than half of African countries have closed their borders to human traffic in response to COVID-19 As the pandemic flared up across Europe, borders were progressively shut down until the Schengen agreement was suspended. At the same time, populists have challenged the European Union (EU) borderless system in an attempt to crack down on immigration. French right-wing politician Aurélia Beigneux went further: ‘The free circulation of goods and people,...

May 5, 2020//-Ahead of the AU ministerial meeting on the 5-6th of May that will be discussing the trade response to Covid-19 and the state of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), a number of business leaders have signed a joint letter calling for ministers and Heads of State to ensure they stick to the deadline of July 1 for the Agreement to come into force. The letter has been written in response to rumours in international media that the AfCFTA date of July 1 will be postponed until next year. The signatories say that there is no legitimate reason to postpone the AfCFTA even if they understand that a staggered approach can be used given current circumstances. One of the signatories of the letter is Paulo Gomes, former Executive Director of the World Bank and Chair of Executive committee of AfroChampions. The AfroChampions network has been mandated by the African Union to coordinate private sector discussions around the AfCFTA. He said that ministers meeting next week had a duty to respect the current deadline. “We understand that certain parts of the AfCFTA are sensitive. The rules of origins and tariffs need time but we can start with trading of essential goods. That will send a strong message to the world that we are serious about the AfCFTA and to African businesses. The private sector is the biggest beneficiary of the AfCFTA and with supply chains being disrupted globally, it is even more urgent that we have a functioning...

WITH the outbreak of Covid- 19, the East African Business Council has advised the East African partner states to consider allowing free movement of both essential and non-essential goods within and outside the region. The outbreak of coronavirus has increased restriction on the movement of goods and people across borders threatening the livelihoods of traders and their families, and reduced revenue for partner states.Also, this has caused a significant disruption in the global value chains with China being the hub of manufacturing for most business operations. The EACBC said in its report on the impact of Covid-19 on trade that the spillover effect of this disruption has been felt by other African economies and largely by East African businesses being suppliers and importers of goods and services in the global economy. As part of the immediate recovery strategy, the EACBC counseled partner states to consider full liberalisation of open skies for free movement of cargo within and out of EAC. Also that member states look for alternative markets for EAC imports and exports to reduce dependency on a few countries. On average, EAC countries source 6 per cent of their total imports from the region, and supply 20 per cent of their total exports to the region.The cross border trade has emerged as a remedy that could reduce this adversity through flow of essential goods like food, medical supplies and other hygiene products. “Its importance to the economies of EAC is due to the characteristic nature of crossborder trade being...

On April 27th this year, President Yoweri Museveni met with representatives from Tanzania led by the Managing Director of Kagera Sugar Limited, Seif Ally Seif to finalise exportation of 20,000 Metric Tonnes of brown sugar to the United Republic of Tanzania by the end of May 2020. This was shortly after the President had assented to the Sugar Act, 2020 into law. However, with the surging number of COVID 19 cases especially in the United Republic of Tanzania and the rising cases of cross border truck drivers testing positive for COVID 19, puts a question on how the 20,000 Metric Tonnes of surplus brown sugar will safely be exported without risking Ugandan Truck Drivers who may cross into Tanzania. “Everything here can grow easily except that we have been lagging behind because of the politics of identity and primitive farming methods based on a subsistence way of life. With some sensitization now, Ugandans are waking up and so we are able to have a surplus,” the President said while flagging off the first consignment, which has opened up market opportunities for the Ugandan sugar millers who have surplus production late last April. However, Uganda’s Trade Minister Amelia Kyambadde said the sugar export is a relief for the Ugandan millers who have been trying to penetrate the Tanzanian market for a long time adding that Port Bell to Mwanza will be the transportation medium as it is safer and cheaper. She said subsequent exports will be made in due course. This subsequently...

Rwanda says it is working with Tanzanian authorities to quell cross border protests by drivers who are opposing new measures introduced by Rwanda to curb the spread of New Coronavirus by blocking trucks driven by Rwandan drivers to move. Videos of Rwandan truck drivers being attacked by groups of people inside Tanzania, said to be truck drivers, who are opposed to recent measures introduced by the Government of Rwanda aimed at stopping cross border transmission of COVID-19 by the truck drivers and their assistants, have been making rounds on social media platforms. Under the new measures, Tanzanian truck drivers are expected to drive the trucks up to Rusumo border post where they hand them over to their Rwandan counterparts who take the goods up to their final destination.  The measure was put in place after cross border truck drivers and their assistants were increasingly testing positive of new coronavirus. The move was protested by Tanzanian truck drivers who did not feel comfortable handing over their trucks and goods destined for Rwanda to other drivers, despite assurances by authorities and Private Sector Federation (PSF). Some of the drivers said the move would render them jobless and affect their incomes. Addressing the situation on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health in Charge of Primary Healthcare, Dr Tharcisse Mpunga, said that the government is aware of the situation and is working with Tanzanian authorities to find solutions.  “The government is aware of the situation. As you might know, the country has put...

Ethiopian Airlines has introduced a mobile app and chatbot-assisted shipment tracking service to enhance cargo customers’ experience. The mobile app, which is now available for both Android and iOS platforms, will bring convenience to Ethiopian cargo and logistics services customers through a range of self-service features including checking flight schedule, cargo tracking and charter requests at the swipe of a finger, while the Ethiopian chatbot enables customers to access up-to-date information and track their shipment on Messenger and Telegram. “As a customer-centric airline, we always seek ways to better serve our customers and bring more digital options to their fingertips,” says Miretab Teklaye, Director, Group Integrated Marketing Communications at Ethiopian. “The newly unveiled cargo mobile app and chatbot-assisted cargo tracking service will bring convenience for our customers allowing them to access real-time updates about their shipments and to process their charter requests. As the number of mobile apps and messaging platforms users grows globally, we will leverage our in-house digital capabilities to further elevate customers’ experience by taking our digital service to the platforms of their choice.” Users can download Ethiopian cargo mobile app from Play Store and App Store. Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian), which made its inaugural flight over 70 years ago, has become one of the continent’s leading carriers in terms of efficiency and operational success, serving 127 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. The carrier is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan aimed to see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with seven strategic business units: Ethiopian...

Social networks have become an integral part of our day to day lives and it is really difficult to imagine our lives without it. The Crypto industry itself is no stranger to the disruptive capabilities of social media as it has thrived on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Instagram etc. However, the centralised nature of these platforms has seen growing concerns regarding the safety of one’s personal data and privacy.  With recent scandals involving Facebook and Cambridge Analytica, people have started to question the privacy policies of these internet giants impose on their users and how they utilize user data. Privacy, which is an innate human right, is no more in the control of the people. Creators have lost control over their content, and unfair censorships have hampered growth and development of emerging industries like crypto and blockchain. This has fuelled the move towards uncensored social networks, with the crypto community leading the revolution. IOTA powered social network In order to overcome the various discrepancies, the SOCIETY2 team has proposed a social network powered by IOTA’s distributed ledger technology, which returns control of data, privacy and identity to the users of the platform. Developed on the IOTA network, SOCIETY2 enables the construction of decentralized social networks, taking the use of DLT beyond finance. The primary goal here is to allow social network users to regain authority of their data and personal information that they share on the internet. The user data will be stored securely on IOTA’s Tangle network and the information will be completely portable....