Tuesday, July 31, 2018

How to streamline your idea

How streamline idea
Paul Njuguna. FILE PHOTO 
By Paul Njuguna
In the midst of our thoughts, it is common to experience the so called ‘Aha’ moments. Such moment happen when you discover how unique your idea is. Well, before you rubber stamp your success, it would be necessary to ensure that your idea resonates with a few start-up realities. But what would these realities be?
Increase the quality of life

Government turns up ‘heat’ on multinationals over tax fraud

Government turns up heat multinationals tax fraud
An illustration of a multinational corporation negotiating with Uganda Revenue Authority on where to pay taxes. ILLUSTRATION BY DANNY BARONGO  

Mr President, respect separation of powers

 
By Editor
President Museveni on Monday criticised Constitutional Court judges for deciding as unconstitutional lawmakers’ revision of their term and that of local governments from five to seven years.
Pointedly, the President signed off the stinging short missive as the Ssabalwanyi - euphemism for master fighter.

54% of goods on market fake – UNBS

54 percent goods market fake UNBS
UNBS boss. Mr Ben Manyindo 
By DERRICK WANDERA
A surveillance report by Uganda’s national standards agency for 2017 and 2018 indicates that more than 54 per cent of goods on the market are fake, but the public thinks as high as 80 per cent of the goods are substandard.

VICHWA VINAVYOONGOZA KUTOA HABARI MOTOMOTO KUTOKA MAGAZETINI LEO JUMATANO AGOSTI 1, 2018

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Steel maker up in arms over imports for big projects

 
By The Citizen Reporter@TheCitizenTZ news@tz.nationmedia.com

Lugola’s ultimatum to Lugumi

Businessman Said Lugumi (R) and his lawyer
Businessman Said Lugumi (R) and his lawyer Onesmo Mpinzile leave the Home Affairs ministry headquarters in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday July 31, 2018 after meeting with Home Affairs minister Kangi Lugola. Photo | Ericky Boniphace 
By Rosemary Mirondo @mwaikama rmirondo@tz.nationmedia.com

Why Stanbic now invests in medics

 
By Syriacus Buguzi @buguzi sbuguzi@thecitizen.co.tz

How Tanzania can attain Sustainable Development Goals: CAG

Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Prof
Controller and Auditor General (CAG), Prof Mussa Assad 
By Mosenda Jacob @TheCitizenTZ news@thecitizen.co.tz

PSSSF fully operational as board named



Ms Jenista Mhagama. 
Ms Jenista Mhagama.  
By Rachel Chibwete and Nazael Mkiramweni @TheCitizenTz news@thecitizen.co.tz

TPB profits fall after merger

TPB chief executive officer, Mr Sabasaba
TPB chief executive officer, Mr Sabasaba Moshingi 
By Alex Malanga @ChiefMalanga amalanga@tz.nationmedia.com

Tanzania banks cut jobs in face of new realities

 
By Halili Letea and Gladys Mbwiga @TheCitizenTZ news@tz.nationmedia.com
Banks are cutting jobs!

CAG calls for building strong pension schemes

PichaDAILY NEWS Reporter
CONTROLLER and Auditor General (CAG), Prof Mussa Assad has underscored the need for building strong pension schemes that can collect membership contributions and timely disburse retirement benefits.

Tanzania tea penetrates global market directly

PichaDAILY NEWS Reporter
THE penetration of Tanzania tea directly into the global market has now been made possible by the new investor into the industry, Rift Valley Tea Solutions.
Rift Valley Tea Solutions General Manager, Mr Stephen Anyango said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the company will among others address market problems to guarantee farmers high income.

CRDB profit increases 40 per cent in Q2

PichaABDUEL ELINAZA
CRDB Bank Group has posted a pretax profit increase by over 40 per cent in the second quarter of this year, thanks to surging revenues.
The bank, which has a subsidiary in Burundi, said yesterday in a financial statement pretax profit surged to 19.6bn/- in three months to June from 13.7bn/- of similar period last year.

Dreamliner reveals terminal woes

Picha
ABDUEL ELINAZA
THE country airports are facing a fresh passengers handling challenge as airlines increase frequencies.
The passengers’ capacity challenge emerged a fresh on Sunday as Air Tanzania Company Limited (ATCL) super jumbo takes to sky flying to Kilimanjaro and Mwanza twice a day from Dar es Salaam.
Daily News spot observation revealed that currently existing passenger terminal buildings are

TZ said to face acute shortage of technicians and architects

PichaHAZLA OMAR in Arusha
TANZANIA may be well catered for when it comes to the number of qualified engineers working on various projects, however it has emerged that the country faces a shortage of technicians and architects to provide critical back-up services.

Gold processing plant beckons for Buseresere

PichaDAILY NEWS Reporter in Chato
ALL is set for establishment of a factory for processing gold and other minerals which will have the capacity to process 700 tonnes of minerals per day, facilitating a relief to small-scale and artisanal miners who have been facing stiff challenges.

Dar, Nairobi quarrel over ceramic tiles

PichaMARC NKWAME in Arusha
CONSIGNMENTS of ceramic tiles from Tanzania to Kenya have stuck at Namanga border in Longido District allegedly due to Nairobi’s restrictions on imported ceramic slabs mostly from Arusha.

Dar goes for massive farming of palm trees

PichaDAILY NEWS Reporter in Kigoma
PALM oil seeds now become the sixth cash crop of priority as the government seeks to end importation of edible oil and boost domestic processing, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has announced.

Media fraternity mourns fallen scribe Sagati

PichaBy JANETH MESOMAPYA
The media fraternity in Tanzania has been plunged into mourning following the sudden death of a senior journalist, Shadrack Sagati, a former scribe with Tanzania Standard (Newspapers) Limited’s HabariLeo newspaper.

Bleak future for tourism as destruction of Mau continues

Sonki Forest
A man burns part of Sonki forest, east of the Mau complex on July 27, 2018. The government is evicting illegal settlers from the country’s largest water tower. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 
By BERNARDINE MUTANU
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By GEORGE SAYAGIE
More by this Author
The soothing sound of water flowing from a natural spring by the roadside welcomes us to the eastern Mau forest.
It is a cool and quiet day. Indigenous and exotic trees line the road. Further down, cows are grazing at the point where mixed vegetation and the forest cover starts.
A drive deep into the complex brings us to Enapuyiapui swamp in Kiptunga forest. It has long green grass and reeds. Eucalyptus, pine, cypress and cedar trees ring it.
This is the source of River Mara and many others that give life to many parts of Kenya and beyond.
River Mara is one of the main tourism drivers in Kenya, not just through the wildlife it supports but also the spectacular wildebeest migration, which started last week.
However, human activities are adversely affecting the Mara and its tributary Amalo.
GREEN PASTURE
With the rainy season on and green pasture all around, livestock are grazing in the swamp.
Mr Joseph Lesingo, who grew up in Kiptunga forest, says grazing remains a contested issue. But that is not the only problem. He says exotic trees brought in by colonialists pose a threat to the water tower.
But there are some positives too. The ban on logging seems to have slowed down degradation of Mau forest. Sawmillers, including companies like Timsales, in the nearby Elburgon, Molo and Nakuru towns, closed shop.
Sonki Forest in Mau
A heap of burning charcoal in Sonki Forest in Mau on July 27, 2018. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Even with that, threats to the forest remain. On the edge of the enormous wetland is a small structure which once housed a water pump.
It has been vandalised but the stains of the oil that used to power it are evident on the floor.
It pumped fresh water from the swamp to tanks, which supplied hundreds of squatters in Kiptunga forest.
The squatters were flushed out in 1992 on the eve of the multiparty era. Many others remain in the forest.
TREES CLEARED
Up the slope, trees have been cleared while a plaque erected by Prime Minister Raila Odinga in January 2010 has been destroyed.
Enapuiyapui swamp is the source of life for more than 160 million people and livestock in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan and Egypt.
Livelihoods that are threatened by the mindless destruction of the forest. The Mau is the biggest of Kenya’s five water towers. It is double the size of the Aberdares and Mt Kenya combined.
The Mau complex was made up of 22 forests until one was hived off by the Kanu administration. It is the source of all but one of the main rivers cutting through the western side of the Rift Valley.
According to the United Nations Environmental Programme, it is the main fountain for 12 rivers.
Five end up in Lake Victoria, which is the source of River Nile, the lifeline for South Sudan, Sudan and Egypt.
KERIO RIVER
The other rivers are Yala, Nyando and Sondu. The source of River Ewaso Ng'iro is the Mau. It flows all the way to Lake Natron in Tanzania, feeding crops, people, livestock, forests and wild animals.
Lake Nakuru, famous for its flamingoes, is fed by Mau through rivers Njoro, Makalia, Naishi and Nderit.
River Kerio also originates in the Mau and meanders to Lake Turkana. Like those that feed lakes Victoria and Natron, it is a transboundary river.
Maasai Mau Forest
Logs of indigenous tress lie at Kipchoge area of Maasai Mau Forest in Narok County on July 26, 2018. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Lake Baringo and the communities between it and the Mau, when considered in linear formation, thrive on River Molo, whose level, especially on the Nakuru-Koibatek-Baringo phase, has dropped considerably.
Rivers flowing from the Mau are the lifeline of major tourism destinations, including Maasai Mara Game Reserve and Lake Nakuru National Park.
These two recorded revenues of Sh3 billion and Sh1 billion respectively from entry fees alone in 2017.
POOR FLOW OF WATER
Mau has the potential to produce 535MW  of hydroelectric power, representing 47 per cent of Kenya’s installed electricity generation capacity.
The poor flow of water from this tower has led to reduced inflow into the Sondu Miriu hydroelectric power plant that is now operating below capacity.
The forest acts as a natural tower for Kenya, storing water during the rainy season and releasing it during dry periods.
The Nation sought to establish the level of destruction of the complex and went to five counties — Nakuru, Kericho, Baringo, Narok and Bomet.
Agriculture, logging, charcoal burning, settlement and other human activities have destroyed the complex and disrupted its role of storing and distributing water.
The complex is 273,300 hectares but a large chunk in the Maasai Mau, eastern and south western Mau has been destroyed.
BARE SOIL
Trees have been cleared to pave way for farms and other developments as people continue encroaching upon the forest. 
The undulating landscape with unending hills and valleys is punctuated by red (soil) and green (crops) colours with only patched canopies.
While some areas are heavily cultivated, others are just but bare soil. They stretch as far as the eye can see. The most affected is the Maasai Mau forest and the eastern Mau where there is a high population density.
Maasai Mara River
A hippo rests inside the Maasai Mara River on July 26, 2018. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
"We will not sit back and watch as the forest is destroyed. The international community should intervene because this issue does not affect Kenya only," Mr Kelena ole Nchoe, a resident, said. 
The story is the same from Marioshoni, Molo, Njoro and Mau Summit where tree stumps and crops have replaced what used to be a dense forest.
It is common to come across women with bundles of firewood and children carrying charcoal on roads in Keringet, Marioshoni, Elburgon and Molo.
ENCROACHMENT
In 2008, the area of Maasai Mau, which had been destroyed through encroachment, was 42,000 acres. It has increased to around 115,000 acres, according to Narok North MP Moitalel ole Kenta.
Trans Mara and Olepusimoru forests are still intact though they may not remain so for long.
"We support the evictions from the forest. Without the Mau, Kenya will perish," Mr Joseph ole Karia, an elder in Narok, told journalists.  
Maasai Mara River
A crocodile rests in Maasai Mara River on July 31, 2018. Low water level in the river has affected the annual wildebeest migration from Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The Nation team followed rivers Amalo, Mara and Ewaso Ng'iro. Despite the recent heavy rains, they have little water and are heavily silted.
The water is brown and gets murkier as it flows into the plains of Narok.
DESTRUCTION OF FORESTS
"In the next few weeks, there will be no water in the river," Mrs Mary Kantai said of Ewaso Ng'iro.
In the Maasai Mara Reserve, where hundreds of thousands of wildlife depend on the Mara River, the volume is little. One can even see the backs of hippos and crocodiles. 
Mr Nchoe said the death of Mau would be the end of most aquatic life, wildlife, livestock, plants and even humans. 
"Despite the recent heavy rains and flooding, the water level has gone down very fast. The  reservoir is no longer holding it, probably because of the destruction of the forest. It has become like a carcass," said Mr James Pere, the manager of Keekorok Lodge.

Kenya needs Sh45bn for HIV treatment

HIV prevention
Truvada, the first pill recommended for HIV prevention in healthy people. The National Aids Control Council requires Sh45 billion annually to place HIV positive patients on treatment alone. PHOTO | AFP 

Diaspora inflows grow to record Sh26.8bn in June

Remittances
Diaspora remittances rose 72 per cent in June to a record Sh26.8 billion ($266.2 million) compared to a similar month last year. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Mombasa plans to launch Sh200bn housing project in Sept

elephant tusks Mombasa
Buildings along Moi Avenue in Mombasa, July 2, 2018. PHOTO |NMG 

High sugar, fuel prices push July inflation to 4.35pc

A man pick sugar
A man pick sugar at a supermarket in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

CBK now says shilling does not need IMF guarantee

Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Patrick Njoroge. FILE PHOTO | NMG  

Banks increase T-bill holdings by Sh170 billion

Central Bank of Kenya
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) building in Nairobi. FILE PHOTO | NMG 

Egyptian zoo accused of passing off donkey as zebra

donkey, zebra
The picture was taken by 18-year-old Mahmoud Sarhan at International Gardens Park in Cairo and has been shared more than 7,500 times on Facebook. PHOTO | FACEBOOK