As we wrap up the week, here are the top stories from Africa. In Kenya, DStv has announced its third price increase within a year, affecting households and businesses. Meanwhile, Access Bank is set to acquire the National Bank of Kenya, marking a significant development in the country’s banking sector.
In Ghana, the presidency has put a pause on Parliament’s controversial LGBTQ+ law, sparking debates on human rights and legislation. Across the continent, friendly matches featuring African national teams are ongoing, showcasing the region’s football talent.
Ethiopian Airlines also made headlines with plans to acquire 124 aircraft and build a new airport. Additionally, South Sudan has closed schools due to escalating heatwaves, highlighting the impact of climate change on education and public health.
Check out all the top stories below:
GHANA’S PRESIDENCY PAUSES PARLIAMENT’S LGBTQ+ LAW
Ghana’s President, Nana Akufo-Addo, has urged Parliament to halt its attempts to send him the oppressive Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill for his signature amidst legal challenges.
The bill, commonly referred to as the anti-gay bill, includes provisions for a prison sentence of up to five years for those involved in promoting or supporting LGBTQ+ activities.
The President’s Secretary, Nana Bediatuo Asante, sent a letter to Parliament’s Clerk, Cyril Kwabena Oteng Nsiah, on Monday, noting that Nsiah attempted to submit the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill to the President on March 14.
The letter stated that it would be inappropriate to transmit the bill to the President’s Office until the Supreme Court decides on the matters raised in the suits, referring to injunction applications filed at the Supreme Court.
“It is the understanding of this office that both applications have also been duly served on Parliament,” said Asante. “Therefore, it would be improper for you to transmit the bill to the President and equally improper for this office to receive the bill until the Supreme Court determines the matters raised in the suits.”
He requested the Clerk of Parliament “to cease and desist from transmitting the bill to the President until the matters before the Supreme Court are resolved.”
The President has deferred signing the bill until the Supreme Court weighs in on its constitutionality, citing concerns raised by rights activists and potential economic repercussions highlighted by the Ministry of Finance.
Should the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill be approved, it would mean imprisonment for up to three years for same-sex relationships, gender-affirming procedures, or simply identifying as LGBTQ+.
FRIENDLY MATCHES FROM AFRICAN NATIONAL TEAMS CONTINUE THIS WEEK
Nearly half of the 35 friendly matches are scheduled to take place in Africa during the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) break to test the potential of their national teams.
The packed schedule for March’s international break reveals a diverse range of matches, including contests outside Africa and intriguing matchups like Ethiopia versus Lesotho in Addis Ababa, and Andorra versus South Africa in Annaba, Algeria.
Friendly fixtures for March’s international break
Thursday, 21 March 2024 matches
Guinea v Vanuatu – Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia v Lesotho- Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Cape Verde v Guyana – Saudi Arabia
Andorra v South Africa – Annaba, Algeria
Friday, 22 March 2024 matches
Tanzania v Bulgaria – Azerbaijan
Morocco v Angola – Agadir, Morocco
Senegal v Gabon – Amiens, France
Nigeria v Ghana – Marrakech, Morocco
Algeria v Bolivia – Algiers
Egypt v New Zealand – Cairo
Madagascar v Burundi – Antananarivo
Burkina Faso v Libya – Morocco
Botswana v Rwanda – Antananarivo
Mali v Mauritania – Marrakech, Morocco
Niger v Togo – Mohammedia, Morocco
Comoros v Uganda – Marrakech, Morocco
Saturday, 23 March 2024 matches
Zambia v Zimbabwe – Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi v Kenya – Lilongwe, Malawi
Cote d’Ivoire v Benin – Amiens, France
Tunisia v Croatia – Cairo
Monday, 25 March 2024 matches
Burundi v Botswana – Antananarivo
Rwanda v Madagascar – Antananarivo
Cape Verde v Equatorial Guinea – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Guinea v Bermuda – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Gabon v Congo – Chambly, France
Tanzania v Mongolia – Azerbaijan
Comoros v Angola – Marrakech, Morocco
Tuesday, 26 March 2024
Burkina Faso v Niger – Berrechid, Morocco
Togo v Libya – Casablanca Morocco
Uganda v Ghana – Marrakech, Morocco
Senegal v Benin – Amiens, France
Cote d’Ivoire v Uruguay – Lens, France
Mali v Nigeria – Marrakech, Morocco
Algeria v South Africa – Algiers
Morocco v Mauritania – Agadir, Morocco
KENYA: NATIONWIDE DOCTORS’ STRIKE PLUNGES COUNTRY INTO HEALTH CRISIS
Doctors in Kenya’s public hospitals have begun the seventh day of a nationwide strike, alleging that the government has not failed to address their grievances, including a demand to post 4,000 interns to medical facilities.
The strike is linked to the Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists, and Dentists Union (KMPDU), the largest medical professional organization in Kenya, boasting over 8,000 members.
Despite a labor court order urging talks with the government, 4,000 doctors, led by union leaders, continue their strike, citing the government’s dismissal of court orders to raise basic pay and reinstate suspended doctors.
On Tuesday, Susan Nakhumicha, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Health, stated that the government is addressing the doctors’ demands.
“I applaud our doctors and all health care workers who have continued to deliver services to the people as the Ministry of Health and the relevant stakeholders work together to address the issues raised by their union,” Nakhumicha said in a statement after visiting key public health facilities in Kenya’s capital of Nairobi.
Assuring citizens of continued healthcare services, she emphasized that public facilities remain open for treatment, with healthcare workers ready to serve.
In 2017, during a historic 100-day strike, doctors in Kenya’s public hospitals demanded better wages, improved infrastructure, and increased staffing to address critical shortages. Despite undergoing six years of training, their salaries remained comparable to police officers with shorter training periods.
SOUTH AFRICA, CONGO, MOZAMBIQUE AMONGST HAPPIEST COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD
The World Happiness report released on Wednesday ranked South Africa as the 83rd happiest nation in the world out of 143 countries.
Following South Africa’s ranking, Congo (Brazzaville) occupies the 89th spot, with Mozambique trailing at 90th place, while Nigeria stands at 102nd in the global happiness index.
The results are revealed to commemorate the UN’s International Day of Happiness, and are based on data from the Gallup World Poll and analyzed by top experts in well-being studies globally.
In South Africa, individuals under the age of 30 tend to be happier, with the country ranking 87th in this age group out of 143 countries.
see full report [worldhappiness.report]
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES TO ACQUIRE 124 AIRCRAFT, CONSTRUCT NEW AIRPORT
This week, an Ethiopian official revealed that Ethiopian Airlines, which is the national airline of Ethiopia, intends to buy 124 airplanes from manufacturers in the United States and Europe.
This was revealed by Mesfin Tasew, the chief executive officer (CEO) of Ethiopian Airlines Group, on state-run media that the airline intends to purchase the airplanes from Boeing and Airbus.
“Currently, we’ve entered into binding agreements with Boeing and Airbus to buy 70 airplanes. In addition, we’ve entered into a general agreement to buy 54 more airplanes,” Tasew said.
Tasew revealed plans for a new mega airport with a capacity for 100 million passengers annually, while Addis Ababa Bole International Airport currently handles up to 25 million passengers yearly.
Ethiopian Airlines aims to expand its fleet from 140 to 271 aircraft by 2035.
SOUTH SUDAN SHUTS DOWN SCHOOLS AS HEATWAVE ESCALATES
Amid scorching heatwaves in recent days, South Sudan declared on Saturday the indefinite closure of all schools due to excessively high temperatures persisting throughout both day and night.
Minister for Health, Yolanda Awel Deng, reported that a heatwave sweeping across South Sudan is anticipated to endure for around two weeks, with temperatures soaring between 41 and 45 degrees Celsius in many areas.
“The government has decided to take the following measures, one, close down all schools with effect from March 18, two, during the closure of the schools, parents are advised to stop their children from playing outdoors for prolonged periods and they should also monitor children, especially the young ones, for signs of heat exhaustion and heatstroke,” Awel told reporters in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
Heatwaves, as described by Minister Yolanda Awel Deng, can swiftly affect many people, leading to health crises, reduced work abilities, and disruptions in healthcare services due to power outages.
Joseph Africano Bartel, the undersecretary for Environment in the Ministry of Environment and Forestry, stressed the impact of climate change on South Sudan, urging schools to prioritize ventilation, solar panel installation for fan usage, and tree planting for microclimate control.
ACCESS BANK TO BUY NATIONAL BANK OF KENYA
Paul Russo, CEO of KCB Group, has confirmed that the regional lender is currently selling its struggling subsidiary, National Bank, to Nigerian lender Access Bank.
Kenyan Wall Street reports that KCB will sell its entire stake in NBK at 1.25 times its book value, a result of KCB’s successful turnaround efforts over the past four years, as stated by Russo.
With its existing presence in Kenya through a previous acquisition in 2019, Access Bank mentioned that acquiring NBK would facilitate its expansion in the country and enable it to capitalize on the increasing trade activities in the region.
Access Bank has been actively engaging in mergers and acquisitions across Africa, acquiring Grobank in South Africa, BancABC in Botswana and Mozambique, Diamond Bank in Nigeria, and Finibanco Angola.
According to Kenyan Wall Street, Russo announced during the release of KCB Group’s 2023 financial results that the board considered three options and concluded that the best course of action to safeguard the value and efforts invested in NBK was to accept a binding offer from Access Group.
In a statement, Roosevelt Ogbonna, MD and CEO of Access Bank PLC, announced that after the deal is finalized, NBK will merge with Access Bank Kenya PLC to form a larger entity.
Source: saharareporters.com
KENYA AIRWAYS RESUMES NAIROBI-ELDORET FLIGHTS
Kenya Airways (KQ) is set to resume passenger flights on the Nairobi-Eldoret route starting Monday (25th March), marking its return to the route after a 10-year hiatus.
This move will heighten competition on the route, which is already serviced by other carriers like Skyward Express.
The airline, which ceased operations on the Nairobi-Eldoret route in 2014, announced that flights to the destination will now run five times a week, offering passengers an additional travel choice to reach their destination.
“Kenya Airways will relaunch its flight services to and from Eldoret starting March 25th, 2024. Service to Eldoret will resume five days a week, with flights operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays,” said Kenya Airways Chief Executive Allan Kilavuka in a statement on Wednesday.
Passengers will be charged an introductory fare of Sh8,505 for a one-way ticket.
KENYA: DSTV RAISES PRICES FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A YEAR
Multichoice in Kenya, through its subsidiary MultiChoice Kenya Limited, has raised its DStv prices by up to six percent.
This marks the third time in a year that MultiChoice Kenya Limited has raised its DStv prices by up to six percent, dealing a blow to the entertainment budgets of households and businesses.
MultiChoice has already informed its customers of new rates.
The DStv Premium package will increase to Sh10,500 from Sh9,900, effective April 1, while the Compact Plus package will cost Sh6,500 from Sh6,200.
MultiChoice Kenya raised DStv prices on April 1, 2023, and again on August 1 last year.
Share your thoughts on this article and join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.
