COVAX and the World Bank will accelerate COVID-19 vaccine supply for developing countries through a new financing mechanism that builds on Gavi’s newly designed AMC cost-sharing arrangement. This allows AMC countries to purchase doses beyond the fully donor-subsidized doses they are already receiving from COVAX. COVAX will now be able to make advance purchases from…
GAVI pleads for urgency as COVID-19 firms up in Africa
By Henry Opondo With the COVID-19 pandemic already affecting 47 Gavi-supported countries mostly in Africa, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has taken new steps to help strengthen the preparedness of health systems in lower-income countries with the full support of its Board. According to the WHO, at least 33 African countries had reported more than 600…
Climate Change: Kenya promises to work with CSOs
The Ministry of Environment has promised support for all the work by CSOs and indigenous people geared towards enriching the environment. Speaking today when he opened the Regional Dialogue for Indigenous Peoples and Southern CSOs, Kenyan Forestry and Environment Minister Keriako Tobiko praised the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance Executive Director Mithika Mwenda and encouraged…
Involve all gender in landscape restoration
By Adlyne Wangusi Restoration of forests and landscapes must be for everyone, regardless of gender to achieve the common global target. For many years now women have been the champions for this global initiative. But at the ongoing Global Forum for Landscape Restoration 2018 in Nairobi, calls for the gender-balanced roles and implications for landscape…
€4 billion EU pledge for small business
By Gitonga Njeru in Abidjan The European Union, has pledged more than €4 billion for small business startups for young people. The Union will work closely with many African governments to implement its grant program. The grant program to run annually and will prioritize agriculture, science and technology innovations that promote economic growth and job…
Kenyans fear proposed Trump’s USAID cuts could threaten elephants, rangers
If Congress okays Trump’s USAID cuts, Kenyans worry that the only wildlife forensics lab in East Africa could close and ranger jobs might vanish, threatening the environment. Gitonga Njeru writes President Donald Trump’s “skinny budget,” made public in March, has not yet been approved, and still awaits a response by a Congress highly skeptical…
Carpooling roll out launched by the Liquid Telecom cut diesel use by a third
By Erick Akasa Liquid Telecom Kenya cut its diesel usage by almost a third last year with the roll out of a car pooling scheme for staff that has saved on new vehicles and cut the company’s diesel bill to Sh9.3m in the second half of 2016, compared with Sh13m for the same period a…