The East African Community (EAC) says rapid population growth is putting the region’s economies and environments under pressure. Jesca Eriyo, the deputy secretary-general of the EAC, says poverty levels will increase in East African nations if their populations continue to grow at their current rate. She suggests countries in the region do more to control the number of children being born to prevent the negative impact of human habitation on its member states. ‘Poverty levels will grow’ Speaking at the Sectoral Council of Ministers meeting for Lake Victoria Basin Council, Ms Eriyo warned that poverty will increase in East African nations if they fail to control their birth rates more effectively. “If we don’t control the number of children we are giving birth to, poverty levels will grow. This requires re-alignment of policies, processes and systems and sharing of resources for coordinated actions,” she said. The latest United Nations World Population Prospect shows that Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda are among the world’s 33 countries expected to see their populations increase five-fold, or more, by 2100. Rapid population growth in the region is putting pressure on countries’ budgets and environment. In a previous UN report, it was estimated that 60 percent of pollution related deaths are due to contaminated water or poor hygiene, 40 per cent due to indoor air pollution and one per cent due to outdoor air pollution. Human impact on EAC countries Rapid population growth combined with changing habitations patterns, overgrazing, bio piracy, deforestation, pollution and the unsustainable exploitation of natural...

NAIROBI, April 19 (Xinhua) -- Chinese engagement is helping create an infrastructure boom across Africa, giving rise to a motley of mega-projects that create jobs and boost economic growth while cushioning an economic slowdown the region faces. In its latest World Economic Outlook released Tuesday, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast the sub-Saharan Africa's economy will only grow 2.6 percent in 2017, well below its global growth forecast of 3.5 percent. The subdued growth outlook for the region is largely because of ugly data registered in the region's two biggest economies that account for about half of regional output. The report said in 2016 growth in South Africa grew only 0.3 percent while the Nigerian economy contracted 1.5 percent amid low international oil and commodity prices. The IMF predicted only a modest 0.8-percent growth for both countries this year. However, behind the seemingly bleak outlook, there is a silver lining in terms of the diversity in some other African countries keen to invest heavily in infrastructure projects to boost growth, often with China's involvement. Thanks to a more diversified economic structure and infrastructure investment binge, East Africa's largest economy Kenya has maintained a growth rate of around 6 percent. In Kenya, a standard-gauge railway (SGR) stretching about 480 km and linking its capital Nairobi with Mombasa port is changing the country's landscape with brightly-colored trains and shiny modern stations. The project, due to be launched in less than two months, is constructed by a Chinese firm and sources most of...

The money will be used to finance priority expenditure in the Second Five Year Development Plan, particularly in the agriculture, energy, health and industrial development sectors. The first tranche will be dispersed this year, as the two sides have managed to separate the grant from their long-running dispute over the proposed Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Doto James, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, said: “This confirms EU as one of our strategic and reliable development partner in terms of amount, reliability, predictability and amount of financial support as well as alignment of the support to country’s plans and strategies. The partnership has remarkably enabled the government to implement its development strategies and plans.” In return for the financial support, the government has agreed to maximise its own domestic revenue raising. The head of the European Union delegation in Tanzania, Roeland van de Geer, added: “We’re committed to supporting the government to address the challenges they are facing.” Trade Pact Tanzania’s relations with Brussels over the past year have been punctuated by negotiations over the EPA between the European Union and the East African Community (EAC). In November last year, Tanzania’s parliament, or Bunge, voted for the country not to sign the EPA. MPs were – and remain – concerned about the impact of the deal on domestic producers. EAC states can already export goods to the EU duty-free but this advantage would work both ways if the EPA were adopted. The EPA was supposed to have...

That’s the first part, electronically guarded and just unique as travel document go and that it will be good to go against shady deals by all sorts of people with ill-intentions visiting upon the existing passports – which, we’re told, can be manufactured from backyard printhouses. The second part is that it will also turn up roses for the public which is now only too familiar with everything electronic; so this new document will provide them, as travellers, with benefits such as use of automated border clearance or ‘E-gates’, automated issuance of boarding passes and faster travel arrangements with airlines: It couldn’t get easier, so the promise goes, purely at the tech level. At the practical human element, the importance of this new document will be important given the fact EAC bloc itself is a regional intergovernmental organisation that incorporates the Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and our country, after a Treaty they acceded to in 1999. Not to beg the obvious, this unique document will undoubtedly usher in many other benefits within the bloc in terms of regional co-operation and integration and ‘empower’ the holder to enjoy doing business, research and enjoy peace of mind, secure in the knowledge that security of residence is assured wherever they may be, in other words, at home while one is away from home. Travellers within the community with the document should realise that it will boost their free movement across the East African region and facilitate implementation of the...

For three days, over 1000 delegates from across the World will focus on themes that will enhance transforming Uganda into a Regional Logistics Hub in a way that will open the countries Oil & Gas Doors to the broad World. The annual symposium is jointly organized by the Uganda Freight Forwarders Association (UFFA) and the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum (UCMP) at the inaugural Regional Logistics EXPO 2017 and the 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Convention scheduled for April 25 to April 27, 2017 at Serena Hotel. The joint event will be held under two themes: “Transforming Uganda into a Regional Logistics Hub – What is your role?”  and “Oil & Gas Doors Open in Uganda”. Dr Elly Karuhaga, the Chairman of the UCMP, noted that more than 800,000 tonnes of equipment is expected to be transported to the Albertine oil region as Uganda seeks to achieve First Oil by 2020. “After the launch of the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for the crude export pipeline from Hoima to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania and the same for Nwoya and Buliisa exploration areas, the stage is now set for Uganda’s oil and gas industry to take off. This presents a huge opportunity for our freight and logistics counterparts,” said Karuhanga. “However, for this to be realized, the logistics industry has to attain very high capacity and become extremely efficient. Hence this upcoming forum intends to come up with solutions that will boost our logistics to meet the high...

Kampala- Six grain warehouse hubs in Uganda will benefit from the implementation of the self-regulation code which aims at reducing post-harvest losses due to poor storage at farm level. The Grain Council of Uganda (TGCU), supported by United Kingdom Department for International Development (DfID), through TradeMark Africa (TMA) - an aid for trade organisation, has launched a warehouse code and research report on Uganda’s maize grains regional hubs. According the report, maize export in Uganda has faced challenges often due to the poor quality of grains with more than 30 to 40 per cent of total harvest ending up as poor grain. The development of a self-regulatory code of conduct is a step in the right direction in overcoming the challenges. Mr Henry Musisi, the acting executive director at TGCU, said Uganda has perennially produced more grain than any country in the region which can be exported. However, most of the grain is of poor quality and as such does not fetch enough revenue for the farmers. He said the improvements in warehousing will assist small holder farmers, who make up more than 60 per cent of maize producers in Uganda, to increase their production, improve grain quality and reduce post-harvest losses. Speaking at the launch at Golf Course Hotel yesterday, Mr Moses Sabiti, the country director at TMA said they are trying to address key challenges that impact the grain sector particularly looking at how they can contribute to creation of jobs and ending poverty. “Our focus is that...

The Uganda Freight Forwarders Association (UFFA) and the Uganda Chamber of Mines and Petroleum (UCMP), are jointly organizing the inaugural Regional Logistics EXPO 2017 and the 3rd Annual Oil & Gas Convention scheduled for April 25 to April 27, 2017 at Serena Hotel. The joint event will be held under two themes: “Transforming Uganda into a Regional Logistics Hub – What is your role?”  and “Oil & Gas Doors Open in Uganda”. Announcing the upcoming event on Monday, April 10, 2017, Dr Elly Karuhaga, the Chairman of the UCMP, noted that more than 800,000 tonnes of equipment is expected to be transported to the Albertine oil region as Uganda seeks to achieve First Oil by 2020. “After the launch of the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for the crude export pipeline from Hoima to the Port of Tanga in Tanzania and the same for Nwoya and Buliisa exploration areas, the stage is now set for Uganda’s oil and gas industry to take off. This presents a huge opportunity for our freight and logistics counterparts,” said Karuhanga. “However, for this to be realized, the logistics industry has to attain very high capacity and become extremely efficient. Hence this upcoming forum intends to come up with solutions that will boost our logistics to meet the high demands of the oil sector,” he added. As such, Karuhanga noted, with over 1,000 delegates expected from across the world, the symposium will present an opportunity for joint-venture partnerships within the logistics industry, between local players...

Written by leading experts including the president of the East African Community Court of Justice (EACJ), national judges, academics and law practitioners; East African Community Law discusses the nature of EAC law, free movement and competition law as well as the reception of EAC law in partner states. Uniquely, the book also provides a systematic comparison with EU law and more widely, lessons learned from the EU experience. East African Community Law is published by Brill Nijhoff and co-edited by a team of EAC and EU experts, including Tom Ottervanger (Of Counsel at Allen & Overy, Professor of European Law at Leiden University, deputy-Justice at the Court of Appeal at the Hague and director of the Leiden Center for the Comparative Study of EAC law) as well as the president and founding registrar of the EACJ and Dr Cuyvers of Leiden University. The support of the European Union, Leiden University and Allen & Overy has made it possible to publish this book online so it is available free of charge for all those who are interested (Open Access). Allen & Overy’s Tom Ottervanger comments “The role of the law and lawyers is crucial to the process of integration, as effective integration requires some form of supranational legal system. Challenges that the EU has faced (and is still facing) such as safeguarding the quality of EU law, monitoring compliance and making EU law binding and enforceable – these are also challenges facing the EAC. We hope that this book will be...

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority yesterday temporarily stopped train operations between Yombo and Kurasini in Dar es Salaam. The stoppage came following a wash-away that has occurred on the train's track as a result of persistent heavy rains in Dar es Salaam, authority's statement issued yesterday stated. According to the press released signed by TAZARA's Head of Public Relations, Mr Conrad Simuchile, about 25 metres of the Yombo-Kurasini section has been washed away. The incident has thus rendered the route to and from the Port of Dar es Salaam impassable making it difficult for train to either deliver or collect freight from the Port until the track is repaired. "Our civil team has already moved on site to repair the damage and we expect the line to re-open within five days" Mr Simuchile said in a statement. About 35 wagons of boulders, five wagons of ballast and 300 gabions will be required to repair the damage at the site. "The public may wish to know, however, that except for operations around the port area of Dar es Salaam, all other train operations, including passenger services, shall remain normal," reads part of the statement. Source: All Africa

The East African Community (EAC) is now one of the regions with world’s fastest growing population exacerbating problems of ill health, poverty, environmental degradation, unemployment and declining agricultural productivity. The latest United Nation’s World Population Prospects report — which has data covering up to 2015 — indicates that Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are among the 33 countries whose population is projected to increase at least five-fold by 2100. The EAC has a population of about 150 million people with land area of 1.82 million square kilometres and a combined gross domestic product of Sh7.4 trillion ($74.5 billion). Africa’s population is currently estimated to be 1.4 billion while the world’s is at seven billion. In the region, about 60 per cent of pollution related deaths are due to contaminated water or poor hygiene, 40 per cent due to indoor air pollution and one per cent due to outdoor air pollution, according to another UN World Population Prospects Report released four years earlier. The bloc — comprising Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania — is endowed with many resources and income earners majorly from agriculture and livestock production, fisheries, mining, wildlife and tourism. Rapid population growth has strained the countries’ budgets and ability to cater for the basic human rights including nutrition, health services, clean water and environment. “Despite potentially grave consequences, demographic changes usually do not take centre stage in many macroeconomic policy discussions or debates,” states a 2014 World Bank report dubbed ‘Impact of Demographic Changes on Inflation and the...