The US Government on Thursday increased the level of funding to Kenya’s energy sector following agreements signed with two power producers. Through its US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA), the American Government advanced Sh160 million to KenGen and Xago Africa, which are expected to use the money in developing their electricity generation projects in geothermal and solar respectively. Last year, USTDA financed different power projects in Kenya through grants of more than $4.86 million (Sh400 million), most of which are in their inception stages. Existing plants Part of the funds by USTDA were advanced from Power Africa, the American initiative to increase access to electricity in Africa. KenGen, which received $500,000 (Sh50 million), said it plans to increase the amount of electricity generated by already existing geothermal plants at its Olkaria fields through maximising the potential of steam from the wells. “We will use the funds for research and development, particularly looking at how we can extract more energy from geothermal steam and water,” said the power generating firm’s Chief Executive Albert Mugo in Nairobi yesterday. Xago Energy said the money will partly finance the development of a $75 million (Sh7.5 billion) solar power plant that it is developing in Siaya County. The plant is expected to have a 40 megawatts capacity and is scheduled for completion towards the end of next year. “Construction of the plant is expected to start in early 2018 and be completed in the fourth quarter of the same year,” said Xago Africa Managing Director Paul Webb. “It...

The investors drawn from Japan, India, France and the United Kingdom visited the port on Wednesday and were received by the Managing Director Ms. Catherine Mturi Wairi at Bandari College. The MD took the investors through a presentation on the development journey of the port over the years from a traditional small harbor facility to a modern international port. "I am glad to note that for the last ten years or so the Kenya Ports Authority has initiated and implemented development programmes geared towards making the port of Mombasa stand out among the well performing ports globally," said the managing director. The MD explained to the visitors the key projects being undertaken at the port including the development of the second phase of the Second Container Terminal, facilitating development of Free Trade Zones near the Port, beefing up security, further dredging of the channel to accommodate bigger ships and the development of a second commercial sea port at Lamu as some of the initiatives aimed to improving efficiency and serve the regional economies. "The port has seen a continued growth in container traffic and overall throughput. Over the last three years, the Port has consistently handled over one million TEUs thus enabling Mombasa to feature in the global map of top container Ports. Last year, the port handled 1.091 million TEUs and the overall throughput grew by 2.4 per cent to post a best-ever performance of 27.36 million tons, against a backdrop of slower than expected global and regional economic...

The Ministry of Health has established a new electronic portal to improve processing of import and export health certificates. The paperless information system dubbed Port Health Services e-Portal is set to enhance service delivery and improve processing of port documents within 12 hours up from 6 days. In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu said the new service developed in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) will improve productivity and increase efficiency with self-service which minimizes contact between clients and service providers. Source: Kenya News

Xinhua News Agency | Thu,2017-04-27 NAIROBI, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Thursday launched an e-portal for Port Health Services that will boost surveillance against cross border transmission of diseases. Ministry of Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopha Mailu told a media briefing in Nairobi that the digital platform will manage services offered to traders at Kenya's points of entry. "The management information system is part of the government's policy of promoting automation of services for greater efficiency," Mailu said. "The online system will provide a platform for faster electronic processing of applications for export and import health certificates," he added. Mailu said that the e-portal will greatly contribute towards creation of an enabling environment for business transactions and thus enhance Kenya's commercial profile. "Importers and exporters will now be able to acquire health certificates in 12 hours as compared to four days under the manual system," he added. The digital platform will enable Kenya to provide services at the port of entry in line with international health regulations and therefore contribute towards attainment of Global Health Security Agenda. The portal will also provide a forum for port health officers to share information on the movement of goods thoughout the country. Mailu noted that port health services play a very important role in trade facilitation through the inspection of goods of public health importance. "However some of the goods handled are perishable in nature and require to be processed within the shortest time possible," he said. The portal was funded by TradeMark...

Negotiations between the European Union (EU) and African countries for Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) have consumed vast energies from both sides this century - yet with not a great deal to show for it. The EPAs were agreed to in principle in 2000, when the Cotonou Agreement replaced the 1975 Lomé Convention. In essence that fundamentally changed commercial relations between the EU and the developing African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries - from preferential, non-reciprocal, to normal, reciprocal trade. But if African countries accepted that change in principle, realising it has been extremely fraught. Taking the plunge into the icy waters of mutual free trade has evidently been too frightening for developing countries used to one-way traffic into the huge 510 million-person EU market. Magufuli warned that the EPA could wreck Tanzania's own still-fledgling industries And so, even after more than a decade of often tortured negotiations, the results are not impressive. Only 30 of the 76 ACP countries are implementing EPAs. In 2008, the Cariforum EPA was signed with 15 Caribbean countries. In the Pacific only two countries, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, signed on. In Africa, the EPA with ESA - the Eastern and Southern Africa group comprising Mauritius, Madagascar, Seychelles and Zimbabwe - entered into force in 2012. The Central African EPA was provisionally implemented in 2014 - but with just one African country, Cameroon. The major regional blocs, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and East African Community (EAC),...

Construction of new and modern cross border market facilities worth $2.2 million has commenced in Rusizi at the border of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), following the ground breaking ceremony. Hon. Francois Kanimba, the Minister for Trade, Industry and East African Affairs (MINEACOM) presided over the event. The development will benefit thousands of Rwandans who trade across the border with DRC informally, who already make a significant contribution to Rwanda’s economy with an estimated trade value of US$ 85 million in 2015. More than one third of the total informal cross border trade in Rwanda goes through Rusizi. Trade through Rusizi grew by 48% between 2013 and 2014.This investment will therefore bring further economic gains for both traders and the Government of Rwanda. Addressing the crowd at the border, Hon. Kanimba noted: “Cross border trade with DRC amounts to $100 million annually with approximately $30 million going through Rusizi. Cross border trade plays an important role in poverty reduction as it provides trading opportunities for many of poorest people of our society. MINEACOM remains focused in utilizing every opportunity to keep supporting informal cross border traders, in particular women, through creating conducive working environment such as Cross Border Markets and continue to build their capacity to trade.” The double story cross border market complex will comprise of stalls and lock ups which are divided according to the different merchandise, in addition to storage facilities, wash rooms, cold rooms, and a crèche. Access roads, paved pedestrian areas, parking yards...

DAR ES SALAAM, April 27 (Xinhua) -- A senior official with the East African Community (EAC) said on Thursday implementation of the bloc's single customs territory (SCT) has tremendously reduced the cost of doing business in the region. Dicksons Kateshumbwa, chairman of the EAC Committee on Customs, said turnaround time has been reduced from 21 days to 3-5 days on average between the entry points to Kampala in Uganda, Kigali in Rwanda, and Bujumbura in Burundi. The six-member EAC is implementing a number of customs projects, including the SCT, transforming the way of doing business for the benefit of EAC members economies. "Capacity building and sensitization to support the SCT has been done and is ongoing," Kateshumbwa told a news conference in Dar es Salaam. The SCT started in 2014 on both the northern and central corridors where goods are assessed and declared at the first point of entry and move to the destination partner state with taxes and duties paid upfront. Kateshumbwa said integration of customs functioning was enhanced through cross-border deployment of staff in partner states, leading to better accountability, deterrence of smuggling and closer cooperation among customs authorities. "So far we have rolled out goods on the SCT on pilot basis," Kateshumbwa said. "However, the most important decision we have made today is that we have agreed on the full implementation of the SCT effective July 31, 2017." He said customs automation across the region has been enhanced in all member states -- Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda,...

The Ministry of Health has established a new electronic portal to improve processing of import and export health certificates. The paperless information system dubbed Port Health Services e-Portal is set to enhance service delivery and improve processing of port documents within 12 hours up from 6 days. In a statement, Cabinet Secretary for Health, Dr. Cleopa Mailu said the new service developed in partnership with TradeMark Africa (TMA) will improve productivity and increase efficiency with self-service which minimizes contact between clients and service providers. "The portal provides a forum for port health officers to share information on movement of goods through the country," he said. Mailu added that the information system will also have capability for further enhancements to allow for issuance of international travel vaccination certificates. He said as part of the Kenyan government digitization process, the health services ePortal will also be integrated with other government agencies including Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) via an interface with the Kenya National Single Window currently in development by the Kenya Trade Network Agency (KENTRADE). "Moreover the system has been integrated in the Kenya National Electronic Single Window System for intergration with Kentrade," he said. Head of Preventive and pro motive Health at the Ministry of Health Dr. David Soti who launched the system which is integrated with other government agencies including Kenya Trade Network Agency (KENTRADE) will serve as a platform for all Ports of Entry to share information...

Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Development Authority Director General Sylvester Kasuku told a media briefing in Nairobi that dredging works began in October 2016 and the work is currently 20 percent complete. "China Communication Construction Company is expected to complete construction of the three berths by the year 2020 at a cost of 480 million U.S. dollars," Kasuku said. The East African nation has so far spent 120 million dollars for the construction of the port with another 100 million dollars earmarked for the next financial year. Lamu port will have a total of 32 berths and is part of the LAPSSET Corridor Program which will cost over 26 billion dollars to complete. Kasuku said that the Kenya government will fund construction of the first three berths while the rest are expected to be funded by private sector under a public private sector framework. The South African government has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop the first three berths in the Lamu port. "The South Africans are currently in the phase of submission of proposals and are undertaking discussions with relevant government agencies before commencing construction works," Kasuku said. The port has also received inquiries from ten private firms seeking to invest in the infrastructure project. Kasuku said that Lamu port is expected to surpass Mombasa port to become the largest port in Kenya in the next ten years. The Director General said that the Mombasa port currently handles 1.2 million Twenty Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually and...

The UK through its development agency, Department for International Development (DFID) is funding the Rusizi Cross Border market facilities with a $2.2 million grant through TradeMark Africa (TMA). TMA Rwanda Country Director Patience Mutesi noted, “This facility is critical to economic development of thousands of informal cross-border traders, their families and communities.” The modern market facilities at the border of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) will bring order to one of Rwanda’s largest cross border markets. It will also reduce the time taken for informal cross border trade, more than one third of which goes through Rusizi, contributes an estimated $85 million to Rwanda’s economy. Between 2013 and 2014, trade through Rusizi rose by 48 per cent. “Cross border trade plays an important role in poverty reduction as it provides trading opportunities for many of poorest people of our society,” said Francois Kanimba, the Minister of Trade, Industry and East African Affairs (MINEACOM), Rwanda. The Rusizi modern market is one of the projects MINEACOM is implementing under the cross border programme aimed at strengthening cross-border trade between Rwanda and its neighbours. The two-storey building will comprise of stalls and lock-ups divided according to the different merchandise; wash rooms; cold rooms; and a crèche. Storage and warehousing facilities of the market will ensure that informal traders can purchase and store larger volumes of goods and reduce the number of trips traders make to the market lowering transportation costs. To enhance access to the market, access roads, paved pedestrian...