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TANZANIA: New Mining Laws Offer 21st Century Best Practice

By Special Writer, NAIROBI.  A recent Verisk Maplecroft’s article published on Mining.com attempt to cite Tanzania as one of the countries ranking “high” in resource nationalism in Africa. The article which presents its analysis based on the 2017 new amendments to mining laws introduced in Tanzania, to mining rights activists, is yet another fruitless attempt to distort the international community on our efforts to see equitable distribution of mineral wealth. The article claims, among other provisions, the new requirement for a 16 percent free carried local ownership of shares in all future mining undertakings, amounts to a “high risk” and “resource nationalism.” Let me say at the outset that, to me, having working on mining sector activism for over 20 years now, reading the analysis with a focus on its intellectual and professional foundation, I find it to be an apparent demonstration that fact-checking, fairness and objectivity are increasingly becoming alien rules am
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President Kenyatta Mourns Renowned Scholar Prof Mbiti

By The Nation, Kenya Tuesday October 8 2019 Author and theology professor John Samuel Mbiti, who died in Switzerland on Sunday. He was one of the world's iconic theology and philosophy scholars. PHOTO | COURTESY     President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of condolence to the family of renowned Kenyan theology professor and philosopher Prof John Samuel Mbiti, who died at the age of 88 on Sunday while undergoing treatment in Bergdorf, Switzerland where he lived for decades. In his message, the President described the late Mbiti as an accomplished Kenyan scholar and priest who was a great ambassador of the Kenyan nation abroad. "We've lost a great Kenyan. A great man who went against all odds to become a successful scholar, writer and priest. He was a role model and an ambassador of the Kenyan brand abroad," the President wrote. Prof Mbiti was a theologian and philosophy professor at the University of Bern and an Angl

Kenya, Tanzania Lead EAC in Creating Billionaires

 By Staff Reporter, EABlog About 99 billionaires were living in Tanzania last year, placing the country at number two in a ranking after Kenya in East Africa based on super wealthy persons; the Africa Wealth Report for 2019 published this month by Mauritius based AfrAsia Bank says. The report ranked South Africa with 2,169 billionaires, Egypt (932) Nigeria (531) and Kenya (356). In another development, Tanzania has shovelled Kenya and other East African countries for having a single billionaire worth $1bn and above. In this category, Kenya and other East African countries has failed to have a person with the said wealth.     This means, Tanzania has 90 billionaires worth $10 million and above, eight billionaires (worth $100bn and above) and one billionaire worth 1bn and above.        In terms of wealthiest African countries, Tanzania has scooped number nine with $57bn.   South  Africa ($649bn) is toppling the list followed by Egypt ($303bn), Nigeria ($225bn), Mor

UN General Assembly: Magufuli Showcases His Reform Agenda

Star News, New York. MANY countries were either represented by Heads of States, Prime Ministers or Foreign Ministers in this years’ just concluded UN General Assembly, but few could miss the absence of Tanzanian President Dr. John Pombe Magufuli. Magufuli’s absence at the Assembly was well covered by Tanzanian Foreign Minister, Prof. Palamagamba Kabudi who ably showcased how the President is transforming the East Africa’s fastest growing economy. In his maiden speech at the Assembly, Minister Palamagamba, unveiled that the main agenda on the cards of Magufuli administration is poverty eradication, anti corruption drive, discipline in public services and enhancing tax collections as part of the country’s overarching strategy to achieve socio-economic growth. “I am pleased to inform this August Assembly that during the past four years, the government of Tanzania under H.E Dr. John Pombe Magufuli has been able to live up to its promises by delivering to its citizens in man

500 schools in UK to be supplied with Made-in Ghana science set

  Dext Science Set is a practical science laboratory that has been made small enough to fit in bags . Ghanaian startup, Dext Technology Limited, is to supply 500 schools in the United Kingdom educational resource packs including its widely acclaimed Science Set that will be used to help build students creative capacity and introduce problem-solving as well as innovation. According to a release by the company, the project is a collaboration between the Ghanaian start-up and the Royal Academy of Engineering with support from Shell Centenary Scholarship Fund and Global Challenges Research Fund. The project will use finalists in the Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation to illustrate how engineering is used to solve problems. The beneficial projects to be used include Smart Havens Africa by Anne Rweyora, Majik Water by Beth Koigi, SolarKoodo by Safiatou Nana, The Vertical Farm by Paul Matovu, Elo-Cart by Kenneth Guantai and Muzikol by Nges Njungle. The goal

10 politicians turn heat on Ruto over BBI remarks

Deputy President William Ruto in Bungoma on Monday, September 30, 2019. Image: COURTESY    Deputy President William Ruto’s assertions at the weekend that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) could be doomed has not gone down well with proponents of the drive. A section of legislators and party leaders censured the Deputy President for comparing the BBI with the Punguza Mizigo Bill, which has encountered resistance in counties where it has been debated. Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, a key figure in the Embrace Team, said Ruto has taken his own path and is not with President Uhuru Kenyatta. “The Deputy President has now come out clear on the hypocrisy that he is supporting the President. He has charted his own path which the President is not part of,” she said. Embrace Team, brings together elected women leaders who support the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition chief Raila Odinga, which gave

'Mother and child' feared dead as car reverses off ferry in Kenya

Local media reports say a mother and young child were inside the vehicle when it sunk into the sea. At least two people are feared dead after a car reversed off a Kenyan ferry and plunged into the sea. Video footage shows the car sinking in the water near the ferry. Sponsored link   It happened as the boat was bringing passengers from the town of Likoni to the island city of Mombasa. The car and its passengers have not yet been recovered. A rescue operation was called off as it became too dark outside. Some local media reports say there were four passengers in the car, but others have reported two. Kenyan newspaper The Star says the occupants of the vehicle were a mother and young c