Renewed hope for agriculture as Kenya’s North Rift all set for fertiliser plant

 Fertiliser prices are expected to drop once a Sh127.4 billion processing plant being constructed in Uasin Gishu County is completed. Deputy President William Ruto last week officiated over its groundbreaking. The plant is also expected to boost access to fertiliser for farmers in the region, encouraging more people to take up agribusiness. Cereal farmers in the North Rift have especially struggled with shortages of the input and its high costs, particularly when demand increases.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 10th September 2015

Kenyas private sector new consortium eyes big tenders

 Kenya’s private sector has formed a consortium in a move to tap into billions of shillings worth of investment opportunities arising from the Northern Corridor Integration Projects (NCIP). This comes following renewed calls by the private sector to have local companies play a bigger role in the development of mega-projects in the East African region, which are currently dominated almost entirely by Chinese State-owned firms. The Northern Corridor Integration Projects.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 10th September 2015

ERC to draft new policy to regulate energy use

The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will publish new policy guidelines to regulate use of energy. According to the regulator, under the proposed guidelines, consumers who use electricity to boil at least 1,000 litres of water or more would be required to install solar panels, among a raft of other measures. ERC Director General Joe Ng'ang'a said the new initiative will help curb unnecessary power usage. Ng'ang'a said the policy will also help institutions and firms save on power.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 10th September 2015

Construction of Rusumo Falls Hydropower Project along Rwanda-Tanzania border to begin

Construction works of the 80MW  Rusumo Falls hydropower project which is funded by the World Bank and the African Development Bank is set to begin next year. The construction project will be located at Rusumo Falls along Rwanda-Tanzania border . The announcement comes after the families who were living in the area were relocated.   “Holding other factors constant, the civil works should start in the first quarter of 2016,” said William Katete, the.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Africa’s largest solar carport in Kenya to be opened at newly constructed Garden City mall

 Africa’s largest solar carport in Kenya constructed by Solarcentury is set to be opened at the newly constructed Garden City mall. The move is set to cut carbon emissions by around 745 tonnes annually.   Solarcentury said that the constructed solar carport in Kenya will use the dual-mode technology which is a highly innovative energy solution that provides solar energy during the day implying that less is used from the grid; and when the grid is down, the system.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Construction of Power plants in Egypt gets funding from Japan

Construction of power plants in Egypt has received a boost following the signing of a deal worth $243 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency.   The funds which will be channeled to Egyptian electricity companies are  aimed at enhancing the country’s troubled electricity sector that has seen several areas experience outages.   According to Japan, International Cooperation Minister Najla Ahwani the agreement is aimed at enhancing Egyptian.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Plans to improve business climate underway.

 The TNBC Executive Secretary, Mr Raymond Mbilinyi, told journalists in Dar es Salaam yesterday that implementation of all agreed recommendations during the meeting chaired by President Jakaya Kikwete will be presented at the coming 9th Council’s meeting on 2nd October, 2015.   “Some are just administrative issues which are easy to implement while those that need changes in some laws will have to follow required procedures,” he said.   Explaining.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Israel offers Africans agriculture expertise

 Israel wants to use its leading edge in agricultural innovation to help improve food production across Africa, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said in Milan last week.   “If we pool our resources, our knowledge, our technology we can help many, many countries in Africa to not only better agriculture and to better life,” he said.   His remarks come ahead of the  12th Africa-Israel Economic Mission to be held from September 27 to 30, in Tel-Aviv,.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Tanzania survey shows more gas awareness needed

 DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania – Twaweza, a local Tanzania organization last week said many Tanzanians are misguided on the benefits they expect to reap from the oil and gas sector as such more education and sensitization is needed.     Aidan Eyakuze, Twaweza Executive Director when presenting the main results of a survey saidTanzanians citizens are significantly misinformed about the potential of the country’s gas deposits whereby almost two out of 10 (17%).... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Government bans issuance of mining licences to minors

The Ministry of Energy and Minerals has warned that children under 18 years are not allowed to be registered as shareholders when applying for mining licences. An official of the ministry, Ms Nuru Shabani, sounded the warning here during a training for small-scale and artisanal miners on the newly introduced Online Mining Cadastre Transactional Portal (OMCTP).   “It is illegal for children to be listed as shareholders; licence holders who will be found to provide false.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

Kia Motors' new assembly plant in Africa to make 25,000 vehicles annually

 Leading automobile brand Kia Motors Nigeria has unveiled a new assembly plant in Lagos, which is expected to produce 25,000 vehicles every year   The plant named United Vehicle Assembly Limited (UVAL) will be part of Nigeria's robust automotive policy of making the nation a leading manufacturing hub, said officials from UVAL. Nigerian minister for industry, trade and investment Olusegun Aganga paid a visit to the plant, stating that it was technologically advanced and.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015

East Africa to invest US$1bn in manufacturing sector

 Ethiopia is planning to invest US$1bn in industrial parks over the next decade to boost exports, improve the textile sector and enhance the country’s overall position as a major manufacturer   Arkebe Equbai, special advisor to the Ethiopian Prime Minister said, “In terms of industrial development and manufacturing development, we want to make Ethiopia number one in Africa.” The East African nation has targeted a 15-fold increase in textile and leather.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 9th September 2015