Hello and welcome to the Evening Brief Newsletter where we are reeling under a furious mother nature but hoping for the best
The Scoop: Kenyans.co.ke editor Samuel G. Wahome on Sunday broke the story that Citizen TV had tapped NTV anchor Olive Burrows to replace departing star Victoria Rubadiri.
Read our full coverage of the scoop here.
Ain't Having It
President William Ruto-led World Bank Summit attended by 20 African Presidents at KICC kicked off on a more diplomatic note with many of the Heads of State making measured speeches but Uganda's Yoweri Museveni was not having it.
When he took over the microphone, Museveni pointed fingers far and wide over problems afflicting Africa.
"The crisis which is in Africa today is because of philosophical, ideological, strategic economic mistakes which we have been talking about since the 1960s. This is not an accident," he stated.
Targets: His first bullet was fired at the World Bank whose President was part of the delegation.
He dissected World Bank President Ajay Banga's assertion that prosperity was more important than profiteering
"This has been the problem, aid has been for profiteering. Now the World Bank and other groups have been talking about sustainable development. I am about to hit 80 years and I am yet to see sustainable pregnancy," he criticised.
Museveni further took issue with multinational organisations' insistence on funding technological advancements noting that he would only indulge them if the conversation surrounded the construction of the Railway and electricity which he believes would lower the cost of production.
He argued that the organisations are selective in the types of loans they give most of which he argued were for capacity building and less for manufacturing.
"If you don't fund electricity and you talk about sustainable development, what are you talking about?" He questioned the demand that a Kilowatt hour should cost five cents in dollars.
Museveni's Other Wars; He challenged African Presidents to audit their countries for how many citizens have joined the money economy. Most African farmers still rely on subsistence farming.
- "Sometimes the loans are for capacity building and sometimes they go for ICT but its is for communications only. Why don't you have ICT linked with Agriculture? Have you seen anybody eating computers," he added
- He called out African countries for selling their raw materials including Coffee whose value has hit $460 billion of which producers get $25 billion with African countries reaping only $2.5 billion.
- He also took issue with the cotton industry where some countries produce cotton, export then buy second-hand clothes from first-world countries. "I only wear clothes made in Uganda, not these Western ones."
Special Offer for Ruto: Museveni also revealed that for the past 12 years, he had banned the export of unprocessed minerals to boost the manufacturing sector.
However, he lifted the ban just for President William Ruto to import iron ore for three years as a Kenyan businessman works to set up a steel processing plant in Uganda.
The Ultimatum: "I banned the export of minerals in 2012 and President William Ruto, I forgave him and gave him a little iron ore for two or three years because I have got a lot. One of the best iron ore in the world. I told President William Ruto that one of the Kenyan businessmen can come and build the steel factory in Uganda like you have already built in Mombasa," he stated.
Since instituting the ban, over seven industries dealing with Gold and other minerals have since been set up.
We shall cover more of the summit tomorrow.
42 Lives Too Many
Kenyans on Monday woke up to the horror of a dam in Mai Mahiu breaking its walls leaving a trail of deaths and displaced families in its wake.
Here are quick facts;
- 42 lives have been lost since the tragedy occurred in the wee hours of Monday while survivors were rushed to the hospital, Naivasha police commander Stephen Kirui confirmed to the press.
- 100 people have so far been rescued and receiving treatment.
- The flash floods resulting from the dam breaking its walls wiped out several homes in Kamuchiri Village Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County.
- Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara reveals that the disastrous waters came from a nearby river that feeds into the dam which had broken its banks thereby hitting the dam with force.
- Several vehicles including an Easy Coach bus were swept by floods and some were still stuck in the mud by the time of publishing this newsletter.
- Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika tells CNN that rescue missions are still ongoing but fears that more bodies are likely to be recovered.
- “We are trying to get a handle on the situation but it’s a bit overwhelming but we’re doing the best we can especially to reach those who have been carried away because we hope that some are still alive,” Kihika stated.
Actions taken: KeNHA says that two sections of the Nairobi-Nakuru Highway have been closed over the tragedy. They include approximately 700m from Mai Mahiu towards Naivasha and approximately 1km from Mai Mahiu towards Suswa and Narok and it is working to remove blockages.
Interior CS Kithure Kindiki has also issued strict guidelines Kenyans should follow;
- Officers should inspect all dams and water reservoirs to give recommendations for compulsory evacuation and temporary resettlement orders
- Officers deployed to areas where stormwater flooding is prone to prevent motorists or pedestrians from dangerous crossovers and to arrest and prosecute offenders for attempted suicide and/or attempted murder as the facts of the case may be.
- Officers prevent the transportation of passengers across flooded rivers or storm water by unsafe canoes or boats and arrest inexperienced and unscrupulous persons taking advantage of the prevailing situation
Nationwide, 103 people have lost their lives since flooding kicked off in march with over 185,297 people displaced.
Those affected can reach the National Disaster Operations Center (NDOC) through the toll-free number 0800721571.
Here are Five other stories keeping us on edge today;
- Kenya Railways says that students who had purchased Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) tickets and were affected by the abrupt change in the schools' opening date will be allowed to use their tickets from Monday, May 6 to Friday, May 10.
- In the fourth case this month alone, KDF and Kenya police officers exchange blows in Kakamega over a bar bill.
- Several dead after suspected terrorists attack Elwak Town in Mandera County.
- CS Ezekiel Machogu postpones school reopening dates to May 6, due to the ongoing floods.
- Matatu driver hailed as a hero after refunding fare to students stranded after CS Ezekiel Machogu postponed school reopening.
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This newsletter was written by Derrick Kubasu and edited by Brian Muuo.
Washington Mito contributed to the content.
Graphics prepared by Adongo Kyalo.
