The East African - Saving Lamu island

The East African - Saving Lamu island

Lamu, regarded as an important religious centre in East Africa, risks losing its World Heritage Site status due to massive purchase of land and ancient buildings by investors.

These investors have put up posh maisonettes and bungalows unlike the traditional Swahili type of houses which are among the unique features of the town — something that has conservationists worrying.

“If foreigners take over, a different culture will set in and erode the heritage of this historical island,” said National Museums of Kenya director general Idle Farah

He said although NMK and Lamu County Council have been sensitising the islanders on the need for them to stop selling their properties the problem still persists.

But according to a Lamu civic leader Hassan Albeity, they should encourage the islanders to lease their houses for, say, five to 20 years rather than sell them off.

The situation in Lamu is so different from that in Zanzibar.

According to Zanzibar Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority director general Issa Makarani, a property owner is not allowed to construct posh houses on the heritage site.

He noted that seven years ago the government banned the construction of more tourist hotels on the island to prevent the erosion of the world heritage site.

Mr Makarani said it was only the Conservation and Development Authority which has the powers of issuing licenses on reconstruction of buildings, saying the law has been effective in barring foreigners from turning ancient properties into luxurious homes.

“We don’t allow a foreigner to purchase buildings within the world heritage sites as we want to maintain our cultural values,” the Zanzibar official said.

We are saddened by what is happening in Lamu since when the foreigners are not stopped from buying the properties then the historical island’s culture will be gone forever,” he added.

Thousands of people from the region and beyond flock the town for the famous Maulidi festival that are held during the third month of the Muslim calendar.

DEVASTATED BY DROUGHT, VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA’S HORN NOW BRACE FOR EL NIÑO FLOODS

Vulnerable communities in the Horn of Africa, in the midst of one of
the worst droughts in a decade, are bracing for yet another potential huge challenge in coming months: floods
triggered by the climatic phenomenon El Niño and associated mudslides, crop destruction, water-borne
diseases and disrupted road networks. Countries most at risk of flash floods are Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania
and Uganda, but Djibouti, Eritrea and Ethiopia could also be affected.
“More than 23 million people in pastoral, agricultural and sub-urban communities--as well internally
displaced people and refugees in the region--are reeling from the impact of water and food shortages, pasture
scarcity, conflict and insecurity. We continue to need massive help to deal with this. An additional shock in
this intersection of human vulnerabilities would be devastating,” said United Nations Emergency Relief
Coordinator and Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, John Holmes. UNICEF estimates that in
2009, 500,000 children under five years of age will suffer life-threatening severe acute malnutrition in
Africa’s Horn.
United Nations and non-governmental humanitarian organizations are working in support of governments
across the region on an urgent footing to develop or fine tune contingency plans in anticipation of the impact
of El Niño on vulnerable communities already stretched to the breaking point.
“I am encouraged by the sense of urgency shown by humanitarian organizations, governments and
communities in their efforts to prepare. While we cannot prevent these climatic shocks, we certainly can
mitigate their disastrous effects through forward planning and the right funding from the donor community,”
said John Holmes.
In Kenya, some 750,000 persons could be affected by floods and mudslides. Of these, 150,000 are refugees
who could be forced to relocate to higher ground. In Somalia, some 450,000 persons in the Juba and Shabelle
river basins could be affected. Uganda has elaborated flood contingency and evacuation plans, and UNICEF
is preparing to give immediate support to 25,000 persons. In Tanzania, an estimated 50,000 persons could be
directly affected if flood patterns mirror those of 2006-2007. Potentially flood affected people in Djibouti
might be exposed to new water-borne diseases or experience a deterioration of the ongoing cholera outbreak.
Although the humanitarian community is undertaking flood contingency planning, funding and humanitarian
access remain the most significant constraints.
The big problem of the Horn for now remains the drought. In some drought-affected areas, enhanced El Niño
rains will be welcomed as pasture will regenerate and water reserves will be replenished. However, even with
this help, it is not expected that the widespread food insecurity in the region will show signs of improving
until the harvesting season in early 2010.
The report Horn of Africa Alert – October 2009 is available online: http://ochaonline.un.org/rocea

Mo Ibrahim Foundation announces decision not to award Ibrahim Prize this year

Mo Ibrahim Foundation announces decision not to award Ibrahim Prize this year
Foundation to hold governance forum in Dar Es Salaam where African stakeholders will gather to discuss
key issues and opportunities for progress
In announcing the decision of the Ibrahim Prize for Achievement in African Leadership Prize Committee,
the Board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation released the following statement from the Prize Committee:
“The Mo Ibrahim Foundation is committed to supporting great African leadership that will improve the
economic and social prospects of the people of Africa. The Foundation’s focus is the promotion of good
governance in Africa and the recognition of excellence in African leadership.
The Prize Committee welcomed the progress made on governance in some African countries while noting
with concern recent setbacks in other countries.
This year the Prize Committee has considered some credible candidates. However, after in-depth review,
the Prize Committee could not select a winner.”
Mo Ibrahim, the founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation, said:
“The Prize Committee is independent of the Board. It is the Prize Committee’s decision not to award a
Prize this year and we entirely respect it. We made clear at the launch of the Foundation that there may
be years when there is no winner.
This Foundation was established to stimulate debate around, and improve the quality of, African
governance. Although there is much focus on the prize, the Foundation is engaged in many other
activities to help improve governance. Central to these is the Ibrahim Index of African Governance, which
the Foundation published earlier this month, which gives powerful information to all citizens about the
performance of their countries.”
The Board of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation also confirmed that despite the fact that there is no laureate this
year, the planned events in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on 14 and 15 November 2009 will go ahead.
These events will include a discussion forum that will bring together stakeholders to discuss issues that
are key to Africa’s future progress including climate justice, agriculture and food security and regional
economic integration. The aim of the forum is to articulate shared aspirations and a common vision for the
future around these issues.

Mo Ibrahim said of the forum: “At a time when, we are seeing overall progress in Africa, despite worrying
setbacks in some countries, it is vital that African stakeholders and institutions come together to look for a
way forward on the major challenges facing the African continent. I look forward to the discussions
around this urgent African agenda.”
The forum will include the following sessions:
o Climate change and climate justice chaired by President Festus Mogae. President Mogae
is one of United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon’s four special envoys on
climate change.
o Agriculture and food security, chaired by H.E. Mr Kofi Annan. Mr Annan is Chairman of
the Board of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA).
o Regional Economic Integration, chaired by H.E. Mr Abdoulie Janneh. Mr Janneh is
Secretary-General of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
http://www.moibrahimfoundation.org/en

MO IBRAHIM

Sudan-born mobile phone entrepreneur

Moved to UK in 1974 to study

By 1983, director of BT Cellnet

Founded Mobile Systems International, which he sold to Marconi in 2000

Then set up Celtel, used by 25m Africans

2007: Started African leadership prize

2008: Named UK's most influential black person

Masai Mara, Kenya - 50 places to see before you die

Masai Mara, Kenya - 50 places to see before you die

Step onto the set of Out of Africa, the sprawling Masai Mara game reserve of Kenya and Tanzania, and you’ll never forget the experience. If by some miracle, glimpsing the ‘big five’ – lions, leopards, elephants, rhino and buffalo – in their natural habitat leaves you cold, don’t fret. They’re just the beginning. The spectacle of the year is the millions-strong annual wildebeest migration thundering across the rolling grasslands.

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Donkeys earn their stripes by posing as zebras in zoo - Times Online

Donkeys earn their stripes by posing as zebras in zoo - Times Online

Two white donkeys dyed with black stripes, above, delight Palestinian children, who have never seen a zebra for real, at a small Gaza zoo.

With their long ears, drooping heads and sleepy eyes, the impostors would probably not fool the zoo’s only lioness. But the effect achieved by the zoo owners’ dye job looks not so bad — to the unpractised eye, and from a distance.

On closer inspection their fur resembles the classic convict suit of cartoon strips. Nidal Barghouti, whose father owns the Marah Land zoo, said that the two female donkeys were striped using masking tape and women’s hair dye, applied with a brush.

“The first time we used paint but it didn’t look good,” he said. “The children don’t know so they call them zebras and they are happy to see something new.”