Zambia President Levy Mwanawasa has called for the postponement of Zimbabwean president run-off elections slated for June 27 citing the volatile situation in the country. Speaking in his capacity as Southern African Development Community (SADC) chairman, Mwanawsa said that the situation in Zimbabwe did not meet the SADC principles and guidelines and other Africa union (AU) regulations on free and fair elections. He said the call for postponement had become imperative with the withdrawal of Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) candidate, Morgan Tsvangirai that has left President Robert Mugabe as the sole candidate. He added that he would be failing in his duties as chairman of SADC if he did not offer timely advice to member states and that the relevant authorities should not feel embarrassed to support the postponement because it was in the interest of Zimbabwe and its people.

Kenya Government Unveil Key Reform Measures to Address Food Insecurity

The government of Kenya has unveiled a 5 year reform measure aimed at addressing food insecurity in the country. Top among them were plans to increase the acreage under food production from 250 000 to 1 million hectares in the next 5 years. Agriculture Minister, William Ruto said farmers will also be assisted in marketing their produce not only locally but also regionally and in the international market.

16^th congress of the UPDEA Kicks off in Nairobi

The 16^th congress of the Union of Producers, Transport and Distributors of Electrical Power in Africa (UPDEA) opens its doors at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi from June 24- June 26. The chief guest is Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki. This year’s theme is ‘Good governance of national power sectors as a key factor for realization of access to electricity for all the peoples of Africa. The event is being held in Kenya for the first time and provides a forum for Africa power utilities to discuss problems the industry faces and the possible solutions. UPDEA has been in existence for the past 38 years and is a privileged partner of NEPAD (New Partnership for Africa’s Development) and the Africa Union Commission. The event will also give over 20 manufacturers and power utilities an opportunity to showcase their products.

Saudi Pledge Fails to Halt Surging Oil Price

In a bid to soothe growing fears that the world is running out of oil, top exporter Saudi Arabia confirmed that it would not only lift production to 9.7 million barrels per day this month but also pump even more if the market demanded. The move however has failed to quench the fears of an already anxious market. Analysts say the short term supply situation is still very tight and that with limited visibility on capacity expansion plans, there seems to be very little to cool oil prices.

Clinton Praises Obama’s Energy Policy

Former US President, Bill Clinton has offered faint praise to Obama’s energy policy of 80 % reduction on greenhouse gases. During a conference of mayors centered on improving energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gases, Clinton said it was a better policy than Republican candidate John McCain’s 70% position on the same.

Investment Fete Set for Rwanda

The Rwanda Investment and Export Promotion Agency (RIEPA), in collaboration with the East African Community Secretariat and the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) is organizing the first edition of the East African Investment Conference in Kigali, scheduled to take place from 26th to 28th June 2008. The conference which is expected to attract over 700 leading business executives from around the world, is designed to showcase the region under the theme: “Leveraging the East African Market through Trade and Investment” as well as highlight the region’s potential as a commercial platform for servicing the continent.