Tanzania: Kim Comes With Young Stars

Tanzania:
Kim Comes With Young Stars

ENGLAND's Barnsley FC ace Kennan Ngoma is among 30 players who have been named in the newlyintroduced national soccer team set-up dubbed the 'Young Taifa Stars.'

The new youth team, the first of its kind, is part of the 2013-2016 Technical Development Plan inaugurated recently by the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF).

Unveiling the inaugural 'Young Taifa Stars' squad, national team coach Kim Poulsen said it was meant to be the production line for the senior side, the Taifa Stars.

"The Young Taifa Stars is the connecting link between the youth and the senior team - it is the back up team for the Taifa Stars," Poulsen told a press conference held at the TFF headquarters in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

He said the majority of the team will be young talented players, but there would also be a place for a few senior players that will need to be assessed prior to being incorporated into the Taifa Stars squad. Poulsen believes the Young Taifa Stars will help bridge the gap that existed between the U-20 team and the Taifa Stars and give the senior team more stability.

"If we want to have success at Taifa Stars, we need to groom young players through the U-15, U-17, U-20 and the Young Taifa Stars teams," the Danish tactician said. Poulsen said the country's football was moving forward as reflected in the FIFA rankings and the performance of Taifa Stars in the World Cup qualifiers and various international matches.

He underscored the importance of safeguarding the success through a good succession plan. "Why are we moving forward? It's because there are abundant talents in Tanzania, we have a team that is doing well but it can do better. We need to protect this achievement, while trying to get better and better.

We need to have a pipeline," he said. And among those making the first Young Taifa Stars is Barnsley defender Ngoma, who is completely a new name among the country's football fraternity as well as Young Africans first-choice goalkeeper Ali Mustafa. Poulsen said he had enough details regarding Ngoma.

"He had been at Manchester City academy, I hope he's good player. He's very eager to come; he's Tanzanian and has got the passion to play for the team." On Mustafa's inclusion, Poulsen said:

"Ali has been doing good job for Yanga and this is the extra room to see him closely. He has not been in the national team for quite sometime and this is the platform for him to get back into the team, it is the same with Vincent Barnabas, who has been in and out of the team."

Speaking during the event, national youth team coach Jacob Michelsen, thanked TFF for investing in youth, whom he asserted that they are the future of Tanzanian football. Michelsen said the country's football was experiencing steady development and underscored the importance of youth football programmes for a sustainable growth of the game.

"When I came down here, Tanzania was 142nd in the FIFA rankings, but now we're 116th. We need young players for the future of Tanzanian football. We want to identify many young players and develop them in a right way." Poulsen revealed the players will be put in residential camp between May 2 and 6.

"After the camp we can identify some players who will join the senior team, which will be moving into the camp at the end of May." The full squad includes goalkeepers Aishi Manula (Azam), Hussein Shariff (Mtibwa Sugar) and Ali Mustapha (Yanga).

Defenders are Kessy Hassan (Mtibwa Sugar), Kennan Ngoma (Barnsley FC, Uingereza), Himid Mao (Azam), Ismail Gambo (Azam), David Mwantika (Azam), Miraji Adam (Simba), Mohamed Hussein (Kagera Sugar), Waziri Salum (Azam), Samih Nuhu (Azam) and Emily Mgeta (Simba).

Midfielders are Haruna Chanongo (Simba), Edward Christopher (Simba), Mudathiri Yahya (Azam), William Lucian (Simba), Jonas Mkude (Simba), Hassan Dilunga (Ruvu Shooting), Jimmy Shoji (JKT Ruvu), Abdallah Seseme (Simba), Ramadhan Singano (Simba), Farid Mussa (Azam) and Vicent Barnabas (Mtibwa Sugar). Strikers are Hussein Javu (Mtibwa Sugar), Jerome Lambele (Ashanti United), Zahoro Pazi (JKT Ruvu) and Twaha Hussein (Coastal Union).

- Tanzania Daily News (Dar Es Salaam)

Uganda: Besigye Attacks Museveni in New Article

Uganda: 

Besigye Attacks Museveni in New Article

After a pause to rest and recharge, Dr Kizza Besigye has reemerged with a harsh dossier calling for the impeachment of President Museveni for allegedly sabotaging the development of Uganda's energy sector. In a two-page article published in today's The Observer, the former FDC president says Museveni's hand is pervasive in all the scandals that have dogged the sector, from the first attempt to build Bujagali hydro-power dam in the late 1990s to the current procurement saga surrounding Karuma dam.

"MPs should revive the impeachment proceedings against the "president" under Article 107 (a) and (b). They should start by drawing up the many, very clear, and incontrovertible charges of abuse of office and misconduct (including acts of commission and omission) as provided for in the Constitution," Besigye writes.

In March this year, two opposition MPs tried and failed to raise an impeachment motion against Museveni for what they called economic crimes that had led to financial hardships in the country. Aruu County MP Odonga Otto and Lubaga South's John Ken Lukyamuzi had hoped to use the motion to make a strong statement about fighting corruption.

But Besigye warns that without Parliament taking a critical stance over Museveni's conduct, Ugandans will continue paying heavily for the huge scandals in the energy sector. He notes that the subversion and corruption evidenced in the energy sector vividly displays Museveni and his regime's "unpatriotic and perfidious intentions."

Besigye notes that over the years, government has entered into contracts with foreign firms to develop various power projects. But these agreements, he notes, have remained a secret to the public. This has given rise to corruption and bribery and in part, it accounts for the power crisis in the country over the years.

He says Uganda has vast renewable energy resources such as solar, geothermal and wind, which government has deliberately refused to develop. Besigye's article appears to be a direct response to Museveni's persistent criticism of the opposition that it sabotaged earlier efforts to develop power projects.

Besigye writes: "There's [will be] no end in sight to the power crisis in Uganda unless a more accountable, transparent and patriotic government takes charge."

Currently Uganda has an installed capacity of 814MW of hydro electric power although accrual generation is estimated at 500MW. According to Vision 2040 launched last week, government's target is to generate at least 42,000MW, within 30 years, to spur economic growth.

- The Observer (Kampala).

Uganda: Ugandan leader donates sack of cash, drawing ire

Uganda:
Ugandan leader donates sack of cash, drawing ire

• Associated Press/Uganda Presidency - In this photo taken on Saturday, April 20 2013 and released by the Uganda Presidency, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni, left, and State Minister for Youth and Children
  
  KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — It's become an infamous photo in Uganda. The country's leader looks on in bemusement as a young man bends low to carry a sack filled with a donation from the president — almost $100,000 in cash.The money is a donation from President Yoweri Museveni to a partisan group of youths in eastern Uganda, where he struggles to win votes in national elections, and activists and opposition politiciansare seizing upon the moment as a blatant example of political corruption in Uganda.
  
  The picture, which was distributed by the president's office after the event last weekend, was meant to highlight Museveni's generosity toward a group of youth. Instead it has focused attention on Museveni's profligacy during political tours and what some say is his role in fueling graft in the East African country that he has led since 1986.
  
  Museveni has long been accused of using public money at his disposal to build the patronage networks that have kept him popular in some parts of the mostly impoverished country. He makes many promises at campaign rallies and distributes brown envelopes to supporters who beg for his help at campaign stops.
  
  But donating a sack filled with Ugandan bills hit a raw nerve among critics who say it makes the president look like he's actively buying support. Others say it sets a bad example in a country that depends on foreign donors to finance about 25 percent of its budget.
  
  "It's not generosity; it's patronage," said Bishop Zac Niringiye, a retired Anglican cleric. "The level of patronage is also related to regime longevity. He's stayed in power for too long and he thinks he can do things and get away with them."
  
  The political success of Museveni, who took power by force in 1986, has been built in part on the idea that he is the generous, moderate politician who rescued Uganda from brutal dictators. But some also see a desire to stay in power at all costs. In 2005 Museveni had term limits removed from the constitution so he could run for office again, and Ugandan police routinely block the opposition from holding rallies. The ruling party, citing indiscipline, last week expelled four lawmakers who persistently criticized official corruption.
  
  Museveni, who was re-elected in 2011, has not said if he will run when his current term expires in 2016, by which time the president who is now in his late 60s would have ruled Uganda for three decades. The substantial cash gifts he's giving out suggest he's looking forward to the next election, some opposition politicians and activists say.
  
  "This is the new form of corruption that we need to talk about ", said Geoffrey Ekanya, an opposition lawmaker. "It's actually theft of public resources."
  
  Ekanya said giving garden tools and seeds to the jobless youths would have been a more meaningful gesture than giving out cash that will be fought over.
  
  The president's office defended the cash gift, saying "donations" are budgeted for. Frank Tumwebaze, a government minister for presidential affairs, said the rest of the money comes from entertainment per diems that Museveni doesn't claim for himself. The president's office said the sack had 250 million Ugandan shillings in it, just shy of $100,000.
  
  Because some of the money is given in sealed envelopes, it's hard to tell how much Museveni donates. The lack of transparency has often brought his office into conflict with lawmakers who are asked to pass supplementary budgets after the presidency runs out of cash midway through the year. Lawmakers approved $23 million for the president's official household in the last budget, but at least $74 million has already been spent and more will be needed before the year is up, according to lawmakers handling the presidency's latest budget proposal.
  
  Museveni, who has two official residences, flies in a Gulfstream private jet. This year he added two new Mercedes Benz limousines to his motorcade. In a country that is short of nurses and doctors, and where teachers have recently gone without pay, some say such expenditures are unacceptable.
  
  Jackie Asiimwe-Mwesige, an anti-corruption activist, said she hopes Ugandans will now "smell the coffee."
  
  "Which president walks around with kilograms of money? It looks so pedestrian. It doesn't augur well for his stature," she said.

Kenya: Kenyan shilling firms against dollar

Kenya:

Kenyan shilling firms against dollar

Nairobi, Kenya: The Kenyan shilling was slightly firmer early on Wednesday, lifted by dollar inflows from tea exporters a day after the president nominated a senior finance ministry economist as finance minister.

Traders said the market had confidence in President Uhuru Kenyatta's choice of Harvard-educated Henry Rotich, whose nomination must be approved by parliament.

At 0646 GMT, commercial banks quoted the SH83.60/80 per dollar, slightly stronger than Tuesday's close of Sh83.70/90. It has gained 3 percent so far this year.

"There is some dollar flows from the tea guys after the auction on Wednesday," said Dickson Magecha, a trader at Standard Chartered Bank.

Tea is Kenya's leading foreign currency earner and is sold in the port city of Mombasa every Tuesday.

Exporters typically then convert their earnings into shillings to pay farmers and cover operational expenses.

Traders said the market was eyeing dollar inflows from foreign investors buying five- and 15-year Treasury bonds worth a total Sh25 billion ($298.5 million) at an auction on Wednesday.

Demand for Kenyan assets has increased since the March 4 presidential election, which went off peacefully.

"We still expect the shilling to continue gathering more momentum in the course of the day with the anticipation of testing Sh83.50 levels," said Bank of Africa in a daily report.

-Reuters

In Kenya, technology revolutionizes TB management

Kenya:

Technology revolutionizes TB management in Kenya

Photo: Edgar Mwakaba/IRIN

Saving lives with mobile phones

NAIROBI, 18 avril 2013 (IRIN) - The use of technology is revolutionizing the way Kenya manages tuberculosis (TB). Through a computer- and mobile-phone based programme called TIBU, health facilities are able to request TB drugs in real-time and manage TB patient data more effectively, health officials say. They also use the platform to carry out health education.

“One of the challenges we have had with TB treatment is people defaulting [on treatment], but this will reduce significantly because through TIBU we will be able to track down patient treatment progress,” Joseph Sitienei, head of the Division of Leprosy, TB and Lung Disease at Kenya’s National AIDS Control Programme, told IRIN.

“By being able to track a patient, the health workers can send them reminders on their mobile phones when they fail to appear for drug refills,” Sitienei added.

Information sharing

In Kenya, a dearth of information on TB among patients and poor management of patient data have always been a challenge.

“People at times default not because they want to but because they lack information, and health facilities do not share patient data and history. Now the government is beginning to appreciate the relevance of technology in managing diseases such as TB,” said Vincent Munada, a clinical officer at the Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi.

Sitienei noted that TIBU - which is Swahili for “treat” - has also helped health facilities better manage drug supplies.

“Initially, health facilities used to request for TB drugs manually, but with this new system, they can ask for the same and the request is relayed to the ministry headquarters immediately. That way, drugs are supplied on time,” he said.

Kenya is ranked at 15 on the UN World Health Organization (WHO) list of 22 countries with the highest TB burden in the world, and it has the fifth-highest TB burden in Africa.

The government says an estimated 250 district hospitals, out of the country’s 290, are using the programme, which was launched in November 2012.

The government is also using the technology to support multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients living far from medical facilities, sending money to patients via the Mpesa mobile phone money-transfer system to cover transport costs.

Enormous potential

Mobile phone platforms like TIBU could have even wider life-saving potential.

A recent report by multinational firm PricewaterhouseCoopers noted that mobile phone applications such as short text messages could, over the next five years, help African countries save over one million of the estimated three million lives lost annually across the continent to HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and pregnancy-related conditions.

“SMS reminders to check for stock levels at the health centres have shown promising results in reducing stock-outs of key combination therapy medications for malaria, TB and HIV. For HIV patients, simple weekly text reminders have consistently shown higher adherence amongst the patients,” said the report.

According to the report, Kenya alone could save some 61,200 lives over the next five years by embracing mobile-based health information management.

On TB, PricewaterhouseCoopers said: “TB is a largely curable disease, but requires six months of diligent adherence to the medication regime. mHealth [mobile health] could help control TB mortalities by ensuring treatment compliance through simple SMS reminders.”

The report noted that mobile phone-based care for patients could reduce emergency visits to health facilities by up to “10 percent.”

“You know, at certain times, a patient doesn’t even need to come to a facility. You simply share what you have with them over the phone. It saves patients time and relieves the health worker to attend to other pressing issues,” Kenyatta National Hospital’s Munada said.

A 2012 study in Kenya found that the use of mobile phones between patients and health workers improved antiretroviral therapy adherence among people living with HIV.

In one mobile health project, community health workers were able to track their patients’ conditions through the use of text messages.

ko/rz
Source: irinnews.org

Kenya: KCB, Western Union launch ABMT service in Kenya

Kenya:
KCB, Western Union launch ABMT service in Kenya

Western Union, a global payment service, and KCB Group, East Africa's indigenous bank, announced the launch of Account Based Money Transfer service (ABMT) for its customers in Kenya and the region allowing them to receive and send money from more than 200 countries around the world.
KCB customers in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Rwanda and Burundi can direct their Western Union international money transfers into their bank accounts via online banking, mobile phone banking, call centre as well as through the retail branch network. Similarly, KCB Customers can also send Western Union international money transfers via the same banking channels vice versa.

The new electronic service launch is an extension of the two companies' successful collaboration across East Africa to provide seamless money transfer services on real time. Account-Based Money Transfer (ABMT) allows recipients to move funds directly into their KCB accounts in minutes once it has been sent from any of Western Union's 510,000 agent locations worldwide; allowing KCB's customers to access their funds 24/7 at any KCB branch within the markets in which we operate as well as from KCB Mtaani Agents.

Richard Malcolm, regional vice president, Southern & East Africa, Western Union, said, "Western Union is pleased to strengthen this mutually productive and beneficial relationship with the inclusion of banking channels that are customer-centric and technologically advanced. This partnership with KCB demonstrates Western Union's continual commitment to providing reliable and convenient world-class money transfer services in addition to expanding our user base."

Providing seamless services

KCB Group's chief executive officer, Joshua Oigara observed, "Our customers, at home and abroad, now have three options to choose from that allows them to receive money from Account Based Money Transfer Services (ABMT). The money transfer services can be done through the contact centre, mobile banking, internet banking and at the teller counter enabling our customers to enjoy faster services, extended banking hours and convenience."

"In addition, our focus for our customers this year is to provide seamless and value-adding banking and financial services in the markets in which we operate. As a bank we do believe that leveraging on partnerships is the way to go in facilitating access to banking services for both banked and non-banked customers taking financial inclusion to the next level," he said.

Over the years Diaspora remittances have recorded steady growth - according to the Central Bank of Kenya Report, Diaspora remittances inflows reached Kshs 8.7 billion (US$ 102.4 million) in February 2013.

KCB Group entered into collaboration with Western Union in 2005 to offer Western Union services in Kenya. Since then, Western Union services have been introduced in KCB Bank Tanzania, KCB Bank Uganda, KCB Bank South Sudan, KCB Bank Rwanda and KCB Bank Burundi.

Source: bizcommunity.com

Rwanda: Bayigamba Plans to Build Olympic Site

Rwanda:
Bayigamba Plans to Build Olympic Site

The newly elected Rwanda National Olympic Committee (RNOC) president Robert Bayigamba plans to construct an Olympic Site during his first four-year term in office.

In his first exclusive interview with Times Sport, the former Minister of Sports and Culture laid out his plans and targets during his first four years in office.

"My first priority is to improve sports infrastructure because it's what the country lacks most, I am well aware of that and it is possible to have things like an Olympic site," said Bayigamba, who replaced Brig. Gen. Charles Rudakubana.

He continued:"It's my responsibility to take our sports to the next level, it's a hugely challenging task but with full cooperation from everyone concerned, we can together make a very big difference."

"I can not accomplish this task alone, and no one can, which means I'll need everyone's support and advice, mainly from people in the Rwandan sports fraternity. This (RNOC) is a very big and important office and we need to work hand in hand to develop our sport and elevate it to a higher level," he explained.

According to Bayigamba, the Olympic Site, which will also be home to the National Olympic Committee and some sports federations, will be constructed in Gahanga in Kicukiro District.

Asked where he intends to raise the money for the project from, the soft-spoken RNOC chief said: "From the International Olympic Committee and other sources."

"This project (Olympic Site), if all goes according to plan, should be complete in my first four years, it's expensive but I believe we can do it," he added.

He said his immediate assignment was to ensure that the country produces athletes who will compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "I will start from where the outgoing committee had reached with a view of taking Rwandan sports to another level".

Self-reliant federations

To realise his ambitions, Bayigamba plans to work with the national sports federations and district authorities to bring through young talents, whom he says are the future of Rwandan sport.

But, first he wants to make sure the federations are self-reliant and not dependent on government supports for survival.

Source: AllAfrica.Com

Rwanda: Rwanda Opens Order Books For Its First Bond sale

Rwanda:
Rwanda Opens Order Books For Its First Bond sale

Rwanda has opened order books for investors on its highly anticipated first bond sale, one of the banks managing the deal said Wednesday. The landmark issue looks set to satisfy investors' hunger for yield and help the landlocked Sub-Saharan country towards financial independence.

The country aims to raise $400 million through a bond with a 10-year maturity. Regardless of demand, the size of the deal isn't expected to rise.

Investors can now place their early orders for the bond.

Officials from the country have been meeting investors in Asia, Europe and the U.S. for a week in preparation for the 10-year dollar-denominated bond.

The proposed deal follows five other bond sales from African countries this year, as investors scrambling for yields are increasingly looking to the continent for higher, if riskier returns than they would get in more developed markets.

The issuer is rated B by both Standard and Poor's and Fitch Ratings. BNP Paribas and Citigroup are managing the deal.

Write to Serena Ruffoni at serena.ruffoni@dowjones.com
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