Tag Archives: Kenya

Boutros Boutros Ghali Predicts Regional Water Wars

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In an interview with the BBC, former United Nations Secretary Boutros Boutros Ghali predicted that conflicts would soon arise between countries in the Nile basin over rights to water that flows through the Nile.

Egypt has long been the largest user of water from the Nile, but countries upstream are coming closer to more intensively using that water, which Boutros Ghali predicts will lead to conflict between Egypt and countries such as Ethiopia, Tanzania and Kenya.

Boutros Ghali noted that Egypt’s population has more than tripled over the last 50 years and is still growing, putting heavy demand on Nile water resources. Boutros Ghali told the BBC,

The security of Egypt is related to the relation between Egypt and Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya and other African countries. The real problem is that we need an additional quantity of water and we will not have an additional quantity of water unless we find an a agreement with the upstream countries which also need water and have not used Nile water until now.

But the BBC interview failed to mention a major overriding problem with water in the Middle East and Africa — it is almost universally mismanaged, since it relies on bureaucracies setting water targets and policies rather than letting markets dictate the true cost of water.

In Egypt, for example, 85 percent of water goes to agriculture, and agricultural water use is micromanaged to the point where government committees plan out a year in advanced which crops will be allowed to grow where and how water will be allocated among them. Not surprisingly the result is large-scale inefficiency and misallocation of water resources.

Mismanagement of water is almost universal, even in countries such as the United States which don’t yet have severe water problems. But places like the Middle East and Northern African simply cannot afford to protect industries or individuals from the true cost and scarcity of water. Unfortunately, doing so is likely to prove very politically unpopular, but one can always hope that developing countries might prefer transparent markets in water to conflicts between states that may lead to larger problems, while leaving the underlying problem uncorrected.

Source:

Ex-UN chief warns of water wars. Mike Thompson, The BBC, February 2, 2005.

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Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda Trade Bloc Accord Goes Into Effect

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A treaty between East African nations Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda went into effect in January creating a trade bloc that over the next few years will create a free trade zone.

A similar East African free-trade zone was set up in 1967, but collapsed in 1977 as wars devastated the region.

Under the terms of the agreement creating the East Africa Community Customs Union, Kenya, which has a more industrialized economy than Tanzania and Uganda, will pay duties on goods it exports to the other two until 2010, when such duties will disappear.

The three countries will also set identical tariffs for imports from outside the three countries.

Source:

East Africa trade accord launched. The BBC, January 1, 2005.

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Transparency International: 1 in 10 Families Worldwide Pays Bribes

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To mark UN Anti-Corruption Day in December, Transparency International released the results of its 2004 Global Corruption Barometer highlighting ongoing corruption, especially in the developing world. The survey found that worldwide, 1 in 10 people said they or a member of their household had paid a bribe in the previous year.

The survey polled more than 50,000 people in 64 countries people between June and September 2004.

The rate of bribery was, not surprisingly, much higher in developing countries. For example, in Cameroon more than 50 percent of respondents said they or a member of their household had paid a bribe.

In Nigeria, Kenya, Lithuania and Moldova, 1 in 3 respondents said they or a household member had paid a bribe.

There was some good news, such as surprisingly low levels of bribe paying in South Africa, as well as a surprising level of corruption in Greece where 11 percent of those polled admitted they or a household member had paid a bribe.

Transparency International board member Akere Muna, who heads up the organization’s Cameroon branch, said in a press release,

It is time to use international co-operation to enforce a policy of zero tolerance of political corruption, and to put an end to practices whereby politicians put themselves above the law — stealing from ordinary citizens and hiding behind parliamentary immunity.

Political parties and politicians they nominate for election are entrusted with great power and great hopes by the people who vote for them. Political leaders must not abuse that trust by serving corrupt or selfish interests once they are in power.

According to the BBC, the World Bank estimates that as more than $1 trillion is paid out annually worldwide in bribes.

Source:

One in 10 families ‘pays bribes’. The BBC, December 9, 2004.

Political parties are most corrupt institution worldwide according to TI Global Corruption Barometer 2004. Press Release, Transparency International, December 9, 2004.

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Just How Accurate Are HIV Estimates?

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In January, Kenya announced that its HIV rate had fell almost in half overnight. But this was not due to any new program adopted by Kenya. Rather the government released a more accurate estimate that only 6.7 percent of people in Kenya suffer from AIDS compared to the older estimate of 15 percent.

The 6.7 percent infection rate is based on the most extensive look at AIDS in Kenya yet, and even then the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey looked at a mere 8,561 households in a country of 32 million people.

On the heels of other studies in Mali, Zambia and elsewhere that found similar overestimates, one has to wonder about the quality of data on HIV prevalence throughout the developing world.

Meanwhile UNAIDS advisor Catherine Hankins took the bizarre view that there was, in fact, no overestimation of HIV rates,

We cannot say that we have overestimated HIV rates in Africa. All figures for HIV prevalence in Africa are estimates.

Yes, but I don’t remember UNAIDS ever warning publicity that HIV prevalence may be off by up to 100 percent. Such large discrepancies could potentially cause donor nations to question the reliability of UNAIDS assessments of the epidemic.

Source:

Study cuts Kenyan HIV estimates. The BBC, January 9, 2004.

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Population Action International: U.S. Abortion Gag Rule Undermines Health Care Around the World

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Population Action International released a report in September charging that the U.S.’s global gag rule on abortion is undermining health care efforts in a number of countries. The gag rule bars any monies being given to family planning agencies that performs abortions or offers abortion counseling.

According to a press release from Population Action International announcing its report,

Conducted by a coalition of reproductive health care organizations, the study documents the effects of the Global Gag Rule in Ethiopia, Kenya, Zambia, and Romania. Health services have been scaled back and closings of reproductive health clinics have left some communities with no health care provider. Because of the gag rule, many family planning organizations have been cut off from supplies of USAID contraceptives, including condoms. Public health evidence shows that lack of contraception leads to an increase in unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion.

Population Action International cites the case of a clinic in Mathare Valley, Kenya, which had to shut down after the global gag rule was reinstituted. According to the report, this left 300,000 people in the Mathare Valley with no access to health care.

Similarly, the report found that after Lesotho refused to abide by the gag rule provisions, USAID refused to donate any condoms or other contraceptives to that nation. About a quarter of Lesotho’s population is HIV positive and USAID had been sending more than 100,000 condoms annually to the Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association.

Amy Coen, president of Population Action International, said in a press release, “The Global Gag Rule is yet another example of how the Bush Administration is allowing political ideology to trump science. The policy shows no respect for scientific evidence and proven public health practices, and no compassion for the millions of women around the world engaged in a daily struggle for existence.”

The full report is available here.

Sources:

US abortion rule ‘hits Africa women’. The BBC, September 25, 2003.

Bush AdministrationÂ’s Global Gag Rule Jeopardizing Health Care, Weakening HIV/AIDS Prevention and Endangering Lives. Population Action International, September 24, 2003.

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How Much Is That Kenyan Judge in the Window?

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Kenyan newspaper The Daily Nation published in October a price list for what it costs to bribe judges in that country and claimed that as many as half of the judges in the country were corrupt and could be bought.

According to the report an appeals judge would want US $19,800 for a bribe, whereas a mere magistrate could be had for about $50.

The Daily Nation’s story was based on a report commissioned by Kenya’s Chief Justice Evans Gicheru. Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki promised to crack down on judicial corruption during his successful election bid in December 2002.

The BBC reports that Evans told corrupt judges that they should do themselves a favor and resign now or face prosecution,

Those who are corrupt know themselves. The option is theirs, they can get out quietly without causing ripples but those who want hard-tackling we are prepared. We will wait for them to go, but for those remaining, I’ll advise the president to set up a tribunal.

Source:

‘Price list’ for Kenya’s judges. The BBC, October 3, 2003.

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Kenya Requests $800 Million In Aid to Cover Corruption

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In March the new government of Kenya reported that its treasury had all but been drained by the former government of Daniel Arap Moi and that the country would need $800 million in aid from the international community.

The incoming National Rainbow Coalition thought the government deficit would be in the neighborhood of $400 million, but Kenya’s Finance Minister David Mwiraria told the BBC that it would end up being closer to $850 million, forcing the African nation to ask for money from international donors.

Mwiraria claims any Kenyan need for such aid would only be for the short term, but whether or not the National Rainbow Coalition will be able to tackle Kenya’s widespread corruption remains to be seen.

Source:

Kenya needs $800m of aid. The BBC, March 11, 2003.

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New Nairobi Government Minister Starts Cutting ‘Ghost’ Workers

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Local Government Minister Karissa Maitha, has been tackling corruption and fraud in the headcounts of Nairobi City Council workers — thousands of people draw salaries as government workers even though they don’t actually perform any work for the city.

Recently, Maitha ordered every council worker to show up at Nairobi City Stadium with a copy of an appointment letter, council identification card, and their National Identity Card to prove that they are legitimate employees.

Although there are officially more than 21,000 employees on the Nairobi payroll, Maitha said that his initial counts suggest that the number of legitimate workers is only in the 15,000 to 17,000 range.

Maitha’s efforts are part of incoming president Mwai Kibaki’s promise to fix the endemic corruption in Kenya that former president Daniel arap Moi allowed to flourish. Maitha said that he had received death threats for his trouble,

Those who have been milking the council of millions of shillings have even threatened to kill me and the new City Treasurer George Wambua for closing their taps. But I’ve never been a coward in my life; so my war on corruption in local authorities will continue.

Source:

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