KEPHIS MD, Dr. Esther Kimani (Left) TMA Senior Director Trade Environment (Centre) Richard Kamajugo (Right) and AFA interim Director General, Alfred Busolo Tabu during the signing of MOU between KEPHIS, AFFA and TMA on Thursday November 10, 2016. Photo by KNA TEAM. Trade Mark East  Africa (TMA) has  formally signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) worth Ksh.130 million with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS). The funding will also benefit Agriculture and Food Authority (AFFA) for automation support of their internal business processes. The support to KEPHIS will be Ksh.45 million while AFFA will receive Ksh.85 million from the same donor. The KEPHIS system will hasten the issuance of seed certificates to traders resulting in enhanced access to trade and market information where information availability and traceability is expected to improve. The AFFA system will centralise existing information, improve efficiency and service delivery as well as facilitate effective regulatory processes in the agricultural sector. Speaking on Thursday during the signing agreement at a Nairobi hotel, TMA Senior Director Trade Environment, Richard  Kamajugo said the funding will allow the two institutions to respond to challenges in production, value addition and streamlining of the agricultural supply chains. The response, he added, will boost efficiency, transparency and predictability in the trading of agricultural produce and products. “Eliminating these challenges will contribute to reduced costs along the value chain to guarantee higher earnings to farmers, improve food security for the country and also enable agriculture surpluses or new value chains to target export markets,”...

TradeMark Africa (TMA) has signed an MOU worth US$ 1.3 million (approximately Sh130 million) with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) for automation support of their internal business processes. The funding to KEPHIS is US$ 450,000 while the funding to AFA is US$ 850,000. The KEPHIS system will hasten the issuance of seed certificates to traders resulting in enhanced access to trade and market information, where information availability and traceability is expected to improve. The AFA system will centralise existing information, improve efficiency and service delivery as well as facilitate effective regulatory processes in the agricultural sector. The funding from TMA will allow the two institutions respond to challenges in production, value addition and streamlining of the agricultural supply chains to boost efficiency, transparency and predictability in the trading of agricultural produce and products. Eliminating these challenges will contribute to reduced costs along the value chain to guarantee higher earnings to farmers, improve food security for the country. It will also enable agriculture surpluses or new value chains to target export markets. During the ceremony, KEPHIS MD Dr. Esther Kimani, AFA interim Director General, Alfred Busolo Tabu and TMA Senior Director Trade Environment, Richard Kamajugo signed on behalf of their respective organizations. In his statement, TMA Senior Director Trade Environment, Richard Kamajugo said, “This quest enshrined in the national vision pillars of economic development, fits in well with TMA’s vision of growing prosperity in East Africa through trade; increased agricultural produce and products trade...

In Summary The money is meant to empower women entrepreneurs in Tanzania by helping them to get access to the wider markets across member states of the East African Community (EAC), according to the director for TMA’s Tanzania branch, Mr John Ulanga. Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will receive $5.3 million (about Sh12 billion) of TradeMark Africa’s (TMA) support for empowerment of women entrepreneurs, the regional not-for-profit company said yesterday. The money is meant to empower women entrepreneurs in Tanzania by helping them to get access to the wider markets across member states of the East African Community (EAC), according to the director for TMA’s Tanzania branch, Mr John Ulanga. “A total of $5.3 million will be issued to empower women entrepreneurs in Tanzania in a period of six years and today,” Mr Ulanga said during a function to announce a Sh500 million funding to Tanzania Women Chamber of Commerce (TWCCIA). The money is meant to help TWCCIA in their project on cross-border trading endeavours while the remaining Sh11.5 billion will also be issued to various women entrepreneurial groups in line with need and requirements. Mr Ulanga said the TMA Women and Trade (WaT) programme seeks to increase incomes and improve livelihoods for women traders and women-owned enterprises through capacity building, addressing trade barriers and advocacy for policies that will create an enabling environment for them to thrive. He said a survey has shown that 70 per cent of cross-border businesses are done by women traders but that for a long...

East Africa received a mixed bag of results in doing business in the latest report by World Bank; with Rwanda and Kenya leading while Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia brought up the rear. FOTOSEARCH  IN SUMMARY East Africa received a mixed bag of results in doing business in the latest report by World Bank; with Rwanda and Kenya leading while Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia brought up the rear. Rwanda tops region at position 56; Kenya moved 21 places to position 92; Uganda is ranked at 115 from last year’s 122, while Tanzania moved to position 132 from 144. 10 measures were used to come up with the ranking are: Starting a business; dealing with construction permits; getting electricity; registering property; getting credit; protecting minority investors; paying taxes; resolving insolvency; enforcing contracts and trading across borders. East Africa received a mixed bag of results in doing business in the latest report by World Bank; with Rwanda and Kenya leading while Burundi, South Sudan and Somalia brought up the rear. The World Bank cited implementation of projects meant to improve trading across borders as key to the good showing while civil strife hampered those countries that did poorly. According to the World Bank’s Doing Business 2017 report, Rwanda — ranked 56 from last year’s 59 — remains the easiest place to start a business in the region. Rwanda is also the second easiest country within which to do business in sub-Saharan Africa after Mauritius, which is ranked 49th. Kenya — the...

Amb. Omamo opens the regional training at the Kenya School of Government, Matuga in Kwale County, Mombasa, yesterday. / Courtesy A contingent of 375 personnel from Rwanda Defence Force, Rwanda National Police and civilians led by Brig Gen Aloys Muganga is in Kenya to participate in a two-week Regional Field Training Exercise. The training, codenamed “Ushirikiano Imara,” was officially opened yesterday by Kenya Defence Cabinet Secretary, Amb. Raychelle Omamo, at the Kenya School of Government, Matuga in Kwale County, Mombasa. Omamo stressed the importance of cooperation of East African militaries in maintaining peace, and security and enhancing prosperity. She said the exercise provides a perfect opportunity for the East African Community (EAC) partner states militaries to interact and exchange skills and knowledge that will eventually enhance capabilities of the forces. “The aim of this exercise is to enable military and other key stakeholders drawn from EAC Partner States to practice the planning and conduct of peace support operations, disaster management, counter terrorism and counter piracy. The training is meant to enhance participants’ capacity in collectively addressing the emerging complex security challenges confronting our region,” Omamo said. She commended EAC governments and defence chiefs for facilitating their respective military contingents through initiating, coordinating and supporting such a noble exercise. Peter Kibuta, who represented the EAC Secretary-General at the occasion, noted that the exercise is conducted in line with the EAC protocol on Cooperation in Defence Affairs. “It is in line with a series of joint training exercises conducted on a rotational...

The East African Community and European Development Fund (EDF) have agreed to implement various development projects in the region for a period of five years. According to the statement released by the EAC yesterday, the decision was reached during the EDF meeting in Brussels, Belgium, which was also attended by the EAC Secretary General, Liberat Mfumukeko. Mr Mfumukeko urged the EU to consider priorities such as enhancing food security and income generation for employment to improve livelihoods in the region. The EDF meeting in Brussels brought together the Secretaries General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), East African Community (EAC), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Indian Ocean Commission(IOC), and EU representatives from Brussels. The purpose of the high level meeting was to discuss the implementation of the EDF 11 under which EAC was allocated 85 million Euros for a period of 5 years. The resources were distributed to various areas such as peace and security (15 million Euros), regional integration (45 million Euros), natural resources management (20 million Euros), and institutional strengthening (5m/- Euros). EAC reported that out of the allocated 85 million Euros, projects worth 70 million Euros have reached advanced stages. A project on regional electoral support worth 5 million Euros is under implementation, a project on establishing a Trade Related Facility for 35 million has been finalised which will allow Partner States access to funds for trade facilitation. Moreover, a project on water resources management worth...

Fishermen go about their business in Lake Victoria in Kisumu on September 29, 2016. PHOTO | TONNY OMONDI  In Summary Cabinet Secretary for Water and Mining Eugene Wamalwa asked the states to tighten the common environment protection laws to ensure that issues affecting the basin are addressed. The five countries bordering Lake Victoria have been asked to end illegal fishing and discharge of industrial waste into the lake if they must benefit from the resource. The sectorial council of ministers (Secom) from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Burundi said destruction of forest cover and use of poor agricultural methods had led to silting that has destabilised the waters. This has held back the great economic benefits that come with activities like fishing which is relied on by millions of people across the riparian states. The ministers spoke on Thursday during an event to celebrate the 10th year since the Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) was instituted by the East African Community to protect and steer development agendas in the lake basin. “We should think seriously of ending destruction of watersheds, channelling of wastes from industries, farms and mines and controlling soil erosion,” Engineer Ramo Makani, the Secom chairman for LVBC Mr Ramo who is also Tanzania’s deputy minister for natural resources said it was the duty of every member state to protect the water levels and end use of illegal fishing gears that that have destroyed fish breeding grounds therefore reducing their numbers in the waters. Kenyan cabinet Secretary for...

The funding will enable the two institutions automate their internal business services as well as upgrade their infrastructure to  improve service delivery mechanisms to stakeholders in Kenya and increase efficiency in the administration of agricultural trade documents. Nairobi, Kenya, 10th November 2016: TradeMark Africa (TMA) has today formally signed an MOU worth US$ 1.3 million (approximately KShs. 130 million) with Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Services (KEPHIS) and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) for automation support of their internal business processes.  The funding to KEPHIS is US$ 450,000 while the funding to AFA is US$ 850,000. The KEPHIS system will hasten the issuance of seed certificates to traders resulting in enhanced access to trade and market information, where information availability and traceability is expected to improve. The AFA system will centralise existing information, improve efficiency and service delivery as well as facilitate effective regulatory processes in the agricultural sector. The funding from TMA will allow the two institutions respond to challenges in production, value addition and streamlining of the agricultural supply chains to boost efficiency, transparency and predictability in the trading of agricultural produce and products.  Eliminating these challenges will contribute to reduced costs along the value chain to guarantee higher earnings to farmers, improve food security for the country. It will also enable agriculture surpluses or new value chains to target export markets. During the ceremony, KEPHIS MD Dr. Esther Kimani, AFA interim Director General, Alfred Busolo Tabu and TMA Senior Director Trade Environment, Richard Kamajugo signed on behalf of...

Kenya is inching closer to getting a National Trade Policy to address export challenges and boost trade. The policy is expected to address market access for local goods as the government bridges the trade gap that exists with different markets. Trade Principal Secretary Dr Chris Kiptoo said on Wednesday that the country’s trade structure has concentrated much on primary products and traditional markets without diversifying to tap new opportunities. “This policy is putting together the various pieces of legislation and documents that relate to trade. We have made significant changes however the legislation remains scattered to ensure there is more coherent coordination of trade matters,” he said. Kenya has access to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), East African Community (EAC) the Unites States through the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) and the tripartite Free Trade Area (FTA) but government officials say the access is yet to be fully tapped. The government however says the disjointed approach to trade has meant Kenya has over the years been at a disadvantage. This stems from the fact that Kenya primarily exports its goods raw, losing out from opportunities from value addition to earn more money. Dr Kiptoo said Kenya also tends to overly on its traditional markets, failing to account for the changing trade dynamics. One of the policy measures contained in the National Trade Policy is setting up of incubators linked to export market to help harness innovations and inventions to produce value added products. Dr Kiptoo...

NAIROBI (Kenya Ports Authority) -- The government has confirmed that plans are at an advanced stage to partner with the private sector to build a modern six lane highway from Mombasa to Nairobi. Transport, Infrastructure, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary James Macharia has said the project would present a bankable project and that private sector players will be invited to express interest in the mega project. Speaking at a Nairobi hotel during the Nairobi Business Stake holders luncheon hosted by the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA), the CS said the six highway lane and the ongoing construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) will link the capital city Nairobi with Mombasa city and the Port of Mombasa, will ease traffic flow and shorten the time taken for cargo to reach Nairobi and the region. Currently, the two cities are linked by a two lane highway leading to frequent traffic snarl ups caused by cargo trucks, especially at weigh bridges like Mlolongo. Mr. Macharia said construction of the six highway lane was part of the government’s initiatives of expanding the road infrastructure throughout the country to complement the upgrading of the railway line to SGR and the expansion of the Port of Mombasa and Lamu Port. "The port cannot be seen in isolation – it should be seen as an integral part of infrastructure development," said the Cabinet Secretary. He added that to improve access to the Second Container Terminal at the Port of Mombasa and to avoid the congestion at...