Kenya has recorded the highest economic growth in 30 years. The economy grew by 6.1%. The performance was attributed to growth in tourism (14.9%), transport and communication sectors (10.8%) among other key sectors. Wholesale and retail trade expanded by 10.9% while the manufacturing sector grew by 6.9%. On the social scene, enrolment in primary schools increased by 0.04 million while admission to form one increased to 60.0%.

Africa on the March to Economic Prosperity

Africa remains on the march to economic prosperity with growth of 6% expected in 2007 from 5.6%, said the United Nations in its mid-year World Economic Situation and Prospects Report, launched in Johannesburg. “Africa's good recent growth record represents a major turnaround from the previous decades of Africa's economic stagnation," the report says. Rising mining outputs and increases in investment and infrastructure growth are highlighted as key benefits for Africa in the period ahead by Robert Vos, Director of the UN's development policy and analysis division.  However, the UN highlights that growth in Africa is not fast enough to meet the Millennium Development Goals, with the report noting that 44 developing countries did not manage to reach a growth rate of 3% in GDP per capita.

Talk Radio 702 Wins BBC Africa Radio Award

Talk Radio 702, a commercial South African AM and FM radio station, won the first-ever BBC Africa Radio Award in Nairobi, Kenya. Speaking from Nairobi, 702's Station Manager, Pheladi Gwangwa, said: “We are thrilled... This is a great achievement for the station and the talented people who work for it. We will continue to serve the community with dedication and passion.” Other winners in a night of star-studded celebration hosted by the BBC's popular presenter, Komla Dumor, were: New Radio Station of the Year: Radio Pacis – Uganda; News Journalist of the Year: Esther Mbondo - KBC, Kenya; Sports Journalist of the Year: James Wokabi - Capital FM, Kenya; Local On-Air Campaign of the Year: Matilda Asante - Joy FM, Ghana; Interactive/ Talk Show of the Year: The Citi Breakfast Show hosted by Bernard Avle - Citi FM, Ghana; and Young Broadcaster of the Year: Qaanitaah Dramat - Radio 786, South Africa.

UN Boss Calls for International Cooperation

United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, has called for bolstered international cooperation to allow the continent to achieve development goals. Mr. Ban commended efforts Africa has made towards its own renewal, including progress realized through the New Partnership for Africa's Development, the Pan-African Parliament and the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council. "But I also share Africa's pain and frustration at the persisting and widespread suffering on the continent," he said. "Extreme poverty - together with lack of access to basic education, health care and adequate nutrition - continues to prevent millions of talented, promising young people in Africa from fulfilling their potential."

Ghana to Pull Up Its Socks in the Fight against Corruption

The United States Ambassador to Ghana, Ms. Pamela Bridgewater has urged her government to do more in its fight against corruption. Commending the government for submitting itself for review under the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and also passing the Procurement, Financial Management and the Audit acts, she said "significant work remains to combat the scourge of corruption." Ms. Bridgewater was speaking at the opening ceremony of a seminar on capacity development training programme on "anti-corruption" and good governance in Africa. The seminar, under the auspices of U.S. Aid for International Development (USAID) at the "Les Apin" Centre brought together 17 government and civil society personnel from Ghana, Nigeria, Mali and Liberia.

IOC to Help Namibia and Lesotho in Sports Development

International Olympic Committee (IOC) has made donations to Namibia and Lesotho to help the two southern African countries in sports development for youth.   IOC President, Jacques Rogge, announced a donation of 350,000 Namibian dollars (USD50,000) during his one-day visit to the Namibia National Olympic Committee (NNOC).  Other projects include the appointment of a physiotherapist for the NNOC as well as scholarships to athletes and coaches and talent identification and training for athletes.  

Ethiopia Begins Population Count

Africa's second most populous country, Ethiopia, began a 10-day population count on 29th May 2007, an exercise aimed at helping the government plan economic and social programs. Over 100,000 census officials fanned out across Ethiopia. The last census was in 1994 when officials found out there were 54 million Ethiopians in the country. Preliminary results of the population count will be released in five months, and final results in one and a half years. According to the U.N. Population Fund's 2006 report, Ethiopia has 79.3 million people, ahead of Egypt with 75.4 million people. The most populous country in Africa is Nigeria, with 134.4 million people. 

International E-learning Africa Conference

Technology-hungry educators and government administrators have kicked off a three-day (May 28 to 30, 2007) meeting in the Kenyan capital to boost the role of the Internet in education in Africa. More than 1,300 delegates from 88 countries are attending the second international eLearning Africa conference that seeks to help mainstream technology in education to serve an increasingly information-hungry population. Topics at the conference range from the use of mobile phones as education tools, training civil servants through distance learning and the role of eLearning in HIV/Aids awareness and prevention. "We’re trying to show how the ICT (Information and Communication Technology) environment can actually be used for every day teaching and learning," said Olubunmi Ekundare, an education manager for Intel who has implemented eLearning programs in several rural Nigerian villages.

IGAD Member States Should Fight Cattle Rustling 

The member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should cooperate to fight cattle rustling. During an IGAD workshop at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, Uganda’s Minister for Defense, Ruth Nankabirwa, said, “It is time IGAD member states join hands with Kenya and Uganda in the fight against the degrading habit of cattle rustling and put measures in place to curb the trafficking in arms and ammunition that have turned rustling into a deadly practice." The three-day workshop was meant to harmonize the regions' approach to pastoral conflict and the proliferation of small arms and address issues of disarmament of pastoral communities.  The workshop was attended by 65 delegates from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. Somalia and Eritrea, which recently pulled out of IGAD, were absent.  

IREN Celebrates the 44^th Africa Unity Day

IREN marked the 44th Africa Unity Day by bringing together businessmen, lawyers, journalists and university students to discus the way forward for Africa. The chief guest, Mr. Chaacha Mwita, the Group Managing Editor, urged Africans to look back and find out where the continent lost its course. “Africa was trading long before the onset of colonialism, Africans could cure diseases such as malaria, yet today Africans are crying for help from the West to treat Malaria and feed themselves,” he said.  Mr. James Shikwati the Director IREN challenged Kenyans to support local industries such as the traditional brewing industry in order to promote wealth creation.

James Shikwati to Speak at Poverty and Prosperity IHS Summer Semester 

Mr. Shikwati, Director Inter Region Economic Network, will teach at the Poverty and Prosperity IHS Summer Seminar from June 23 -29, 2007. He is, among others, expected to educate young people about the classical liberal worldview.

Meanwhile, Shikwati will be joining the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers during the TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conference in Arusha-Tanzania on June 4-7, 2007. Under the theme “Africa: The Next Chapter”, 50 speakers from Africa will be challenged to give an 18 minute talk.  The speakers are drawn from diverse fields, which include inventors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, designers, artists, writers, activists, musicians and mavericks.

University of Nairobi Emerges the 2007 SIFE Kenya Champions

IREN hosted the 5th SIFE National Exposition on 26th May 2007 where University of Nairobi (U.O.N) SIFE emerged the 2007 SIFE Kenya champions. The event brought together over 500 students, businessmen and academia from all over the country. Fourteen teams from  the local universities made a 24-minute multimedia summary of the projects they developed and implemented in various parts of Kenya throughout the year. U.O.N SIFE will be proceeding to New York for the SIFE World Cup on October 10-12, 2007 where they will compete with 47 National Champions from all over the world. Moi University SIFE and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology SIFE took the second and third position respectively.

Compiled by Anne Mugoya
IREN Kenya