Tanzania: Samia restructures Cabinet

After the enactment of the Planning Commission Act, 2023, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has made minor restructuring of the Cabinet, formulating the Ministry of Planning and Investment. As part of the restructuring, she appointed Ubungo MP, Prof Kitila Mkumbo, as Minister of State in the President’s Office Planning and Investment. According to a statement released yesterday by the Directorate of Presidential Communications, the Head of State appointed Dr Mwigulu Nchemba as the Minister of Finance. Dr Mwigulu was the Minister of Finance and Planning prior to the latest appointment. President Samia has also appointed Dr Ashatu Kijaji to be the Minister for Industry and Trade. Before this appointment, Dr Kijaji was the Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade. 

“Following the enactment of the Planning Commission Act, 2023 and the decision to transfer investment matters to the Office of the President, Dr Samia has made minor changes to the ministries and appointed leaders,” the statement reads in part. She has also appointed Mr Lawrence Mafuru to become the Executive Secretary of the National Planning Commission. Prior to this, Mr Mafuru was the Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Planning (Economic Management).

Dr Samia has also appointed Mr Elijah Mwandumbya to become Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Finance (Economic Management). Before this, he was the Commissioner, Department of Policy Analysis, Ministry of Finance and Planning. The Planning Commission Act 2023 establishes the Planning Commission, which is under the President’s Office. The commission is responsible for designing, planning, coordinating and managing development plans in order to have an inclusive system for monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of national development priorities.The changes enable the government to have a joint system of sectoral plans especially on the sectors with interdependent responsibilities.

(Source: Daily News)

Rwanda: ActionAid pokes holes in IGG’s report on NSSF

ActionAid has raised concern about the report released by the Inspectorate of Government (IGG) on the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) investigations. The IGG launched a probe following more than 15 allegations involving abuse of office, corruption, and mismanagement of funds. The investigation targeted Richard Byarugaba, the former Managing Director of NSSF, as well as board members and other high-ranking officials. 

In the report released last week, Byarugaba was largely absolved of the various accusations against him. The report however did hold him accountable for financial losses suffered by the fund as a result of irregular payments and funds allocated for trips, where he and others spent fewer days than what had been accounted for. He was instructed to repay 2.6 billion Shillings or potentially face legal prosecution. 

Xavier Ejoyi, the Country Director of Action Aid International, said the report lacked soundness as it attributed financial losses to someone while absolving them of any wrongdoing at the same time. Ejoyi made the remarks in Kampala on Thursday while launching the National Citizen Integrity Awards which aims to acknowledge public officials who have demonstrated exceptional integrity in serving their communities.

(Source: The Monitor)

Ethiopia: Some 3.5 million IDPs returned home, says Prime Minister

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed disclosed that 3.5 million internally displaced peoples (IDPs) have returned to their homes with the support of the government. Responding to queries raised by members of the HPR during its 28th regular session, the premier recalled that 4.6 million citizens have been displaced due to various reasons.

Of those, 3.5 million IDPs have returned to their homes as a result of the efforts exerted by the government in coordination with stakeholders, he added.  Since there is a tendency of developing dependency mentality among some IDPs, it is necessary for Ethiopians to tailor lasting solutions to the problem, according to the premier. As regards withstanding such problems, the prime minister for example stated that the drought experienced in Borena has been successfully tackled by the agricultural activities carried out by the government, especially in wheat production.

Therefore, he stressed that we should always work on getting out of the problems we face by ourselves.Abiy underlined that efforts would be made to return the more than one million citizens who have not yet returned to their villages to settle them permanently. Meanwhile, he stated that 3.1 jobs were created in the past eleven months of the Ethiopian fiscal year. The jobs were created in agriculture, industry, and service sectors as well as employments abroad.

According to the premier, additional legal foreign employments for two million citizens are being processed by the Ministry of Labor and Skills. 

(Source: ENA – Reliable News)

Eritrea: Workshop on Urban Agriculture

According to the Public Relations Office of the Ministry of Agriculture, the workshop was focused on introducing urban and peri-urban agriculture, including vertical agriculture, roof gardening, hydroponics, and aquaponics. Ms Almaz Gebreyohannes, head of Agricultural Innovation and Technology at the Ministry of Agriculture, said that the objective of the workshop was to acquaint and encourage people with urban agriculture. Ms Almaz indicating the significance of urban agriculture in improving nutrition through integrated, diversified, nutrition-dense house gardens, called on all members of society to play a due part in introducing and developing the sector.

The participants conducted extensive discussions on the report presented and adopted various recommendations, including conducting extensive awareness-raising campaigns, applying waste management and using it in the development of urban agriculture, as well as conducting regular follow-ups on the progress of the activities. The workshop was attended by sub-zonal administrators, city administrators, agricultural experts, agricultural teachers, and secondary school students

(Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea)

Sudan: Alarming testimonies emerge from North Darfur of alleged RSF lawlessness

An eyewitness from the Um El Qura School for Girls shelter in North Darfur’s capital of El Fasher told Radio Dabanga on Tuesday that “gunmen on vehicles, motorcycles, and on camel-back” stormed Tawila last month. Reports from those who fled Tawila claim that a child died on the arduous three-day walk towards El Fasher. They state the dangerous trek also resulted in at least 11 miscarriages due to the fatigue and stress of fleeing.

According to those who left Tawila, they had their possessions stolen repeatedly on their way to the capital. They state that they arrived in El Fasher without “their cash and mobile phones”. Among the displaced at the Um El Qura School for Girls shelter, were a number of children aged between 11 to 13 years-old, who arrived unaccompanied and do not know their parent’s whereabouts. Last month, a statement from the Sudanese Armed Forces asserted that the RSF alongside “elements of the RSF” attacked Tawila on June 18 and 19. However, the RSF’s political advisor Youssef Ezzat denied these claims in an interview with Radio Dabanga, stating that the RSF only attacked the army.

(Source: Dabanga)