East Africa gets new cement plant

 A 600,000 tonne capacity Cimerwa Cement plant has been inaugurated in Rwanda at the cost of US$170mn cement  The plant has been built in the Muganza sector of the Rusizi district in western Rwanda. With the current cement demand being 450,000 tonnes annually, the new plant is expected to cater to the growing demand. Surplus will be exported to neighbouring countries such as Burundi and DR Congo. Officials expect the plant to generate jobs as well as boost exports. In.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Muzizi hydro-power to be constructed in East Africa

 The Ugandan and two companies from Germany and France has signed a US$ 76m agreement that will see the construction of the Muzizi hydro-power project come to birth and help in providing power to more than 60,000 homes.   Germany Development Bank (KfW) and the French Development Agency are the two other companies that are financing the construction of Muzizi hydro-power project. Under the mutual reliance initiative, KfW will contribute US$ 4.5m, French development agency.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Construction of power plants in Kenya pays dividends

 The effort of constructing power plants in Kenya has started paying off following a drop in imported electricity  from Uganda, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has announced.   According to data from (ERC), Kenya has only imported 27.97 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) from Ethiopia in the first half of the year, down from 57.91 million kWh in same period last year, a 51.7 per cent drop and 95 per cent or 26.49 million kWh from Uganda.   The data also reveals.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Uganda and Botswana to collaborate on vaccines research

President Yoweri Museveni has held a meeting with former Botswana President, Sir Ketumile Masire at State House, Entebbe.   Sir Ketumile Masire has been in Uganda at the invitation of the Uganda Management Institute (UMI) for a five-day International Conference on Governance and Service Delivery in Developing Economies.   During the meeting at State House, Museveni said that Uganda and Botswana’s vaccine institutes should collaborate in the production of a range of.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Developing nations need Sh13 trillion geothermal investment by 2030

 Kenya and Turkey have exceeded forecasts for harnessing geothermal energy, but other developing countries, including Indonesia and the Philippines, are lagging behind on leveraging the renewable power source, a new analysis shows.   If developing nations are to carry out the planned expansion of geothermal energy capacity, $133 billion (Sh13.7 trillion) needs to be invested in the sector by 2030, the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI) research group reported on.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Kenya: World Bank study says cheap sugar way to go

 If the country is to import cheap sugar, it would lift some 40,000 families from absolute poverty because it would reduce their spending.   The policy paper ‘Competition in Kenyan Markets and Its Impact on Income and Poverty: A Case Study on Sugar and Maize’ was published in January by the bank’s Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice Group.   Jonathan Argent and Tania Begazo argue that sugar is so dear to Kenyans that they are not ready to.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Despite China Slow Down, Expected Marked Increase In E.Africa Trade, Shipping Volumes

 China’s trade will continue to increase by more than 5 percent per year between 2015 and 2020 despite recent setbacks caused by its marked economic slowdown, the World Trade Service of IHS Maritime & Trade forecasts.   One new trend is the move towards larger container ships to streamline the supply chain.   Trade routes from China to Africa are expected to see a marked increase over the next five years, with the highest growth expected to be seen from.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Kenya Starts Talks With Uganda on Financing for Oil Pipeline

 Kenya started talks with neighboring Uganda on the financing and construction of an oil pipeline that will link the two countries and ferry crude produced by companies including Tullow Oil Plc, the Kenyan Energy Ministry said. Discussions that also looked at project time frames and involved officials from both East African countries began this week, Joseph Njoroge, the ministry’s principal secretary, said in a phone interview from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, on.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Germany to support renewable energy sector in Tunisia

 Germany has announced support for the renewable energy sector in Tunisia applauding the country for adopting the green energy.   According to German’s Parliamentary State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Economic Co-operation and Development Thomas Silberhorn during his visit to Tunisia German is currently focusing in cooperating with African countries to improve renewable energy sector.   He added that Germany has succeeded in implementing.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Construction of Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya almost complete

 The Standard Gauge Railway in Kenya which is being constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation is almost complete; this is according to the external manager Julius Ling.   Mr. Ling said that the Standard Gauge railway in Kenmya is 50 per cent complete and the first locomotive to use the railway between Mombasa and Nairobi is expected at the Port of Mombasa in November this year.   Currently, 48 per cent of the bridges have been done and after completion, it.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Nuclear power plants in Kenya to be constructed

 Plans to construct nuclear power plants in Kenya are expected to see the country shift from geothermal and hydropower to nuclear power so as to ensure future security and growth; this is according to the Ministry of Energy.   Energy Principal Secretary Joseph Njoroge confirmed the reports and said that the government will set up a series of nuclear power plants in Kenya, each with a capacity to generate 1,000 MW from 2023 to meet Kenya’s needs beyond 2030 when it.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 28th August 2015

Constructed Gilgel Gibe III dam to generate more power for Africa

 The construction of the Gilgel Gibe III hydro-electric dam in Ethiopia which is almost fully operational will bring an additional 1870MW to the national grid.   The US$ 1.8bn Gilgel Gibe III construction project which is the largest hydro-power plant in Ethiopia and one the biggest in Africa will be an asset to the country as it will have the capability of storing up to 11.8 billion cubic metres of water that can be released downstream for power generation or other.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 27th August 2015