Safaricom Expands Regional Integration in Ethiopia to Provide Seamless Cross-Border Money Transfers Through M-PESA Global
Safaricom has extended its M-PESA Global service to Ethiopia, allowing customers to transact mobile money from Kenya to Ethiopia.
Through this expansion, the two companies aim to increase mobile money use and penetration across Ethiopia boosting local economies as well as creating opportunities for individuals and businesses across the region.
Safaricom Kenya’s Chief Financial Services Officer, Esther Waititu, said: “This collaboration resonates with our commitment to deliver innovative financial solutions that cater to the evolving needs of our customers. By making cross-border transfers more accessible, efficient and cost-effective, we are empowering individuals and businesses across the region.”
How to send money from Kenya to Ethiopia via M-PESA?
Customers in M-PESA Kenya can now make mobile money transfers to M-PESA Ethiopia via the M-PESA International Remittance. Through this collaboration, customers in both countries will only require their M-PESA wallets.
Speaking during the signing ceremony, Elsa Muzzolini – Safaricom Ethiopia’s Chief Financial Services Officer stated, “We are thrilled to work with M-PESA Kenya, especially at a time of foreign exchange policy reforms made by the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE) that encourages a growing number of Ethiopian diaspora and business owners are embracing digital payments to send money to their loved ones and fund their operations.”
“Our M-PESA Ethiopia customers should now be able to receive safe and affordable transfers from M-PESA Kenya thanks to this collaboration, which will further promote the region’s adoption of digital payments. We look forward to a successful collaboration,” she added.
This expansion of M-PESA Global to Ethiopia is a significant step towards strengthening financial integration in East Africa and promoting economic growth.
Key beneficiaries of the latest development include Ethiopians living and working in Kenya, and Kenyans living and working in Ethiopia.
In addition to Ethiopia, M-PESA customers can also send and receive money to over 190 countries making it the mobile-money proposition of choice catering for both individual and corporate transactions.
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Uasin Gishu County Wins High Court Petition on Deputy Governor Appointment
The Uasin Gishu County Government has secured a legal victory in the Eldoret High Court regarding the appointment of its Deputy Governor, Evans Kipruto Kapkea.
The court, presided over by Justice Reuben Nyakundi, ruled in favour of the county’s petition against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), mandating the gazettement of Kapkea as the Deputy Governor.
The petition, filed on September 30, 2024, on the instructions of Uasin Gishu Governor Dr. Jonathan Bii Chelilim, sought to compel the IEBC Secretariat and CEO, Marjan Hussein Marjan, to formally gazette Kapkea as the duly nominated Deputy Governor.
In the petition, the County Government argued that the IEBC’s failure to act violated the rights of Uasin Gishu residents to representation.
On October 14, 2024, the court ruled that it had jurisdiction over the matter and that the petitioners had established violations of human rights, equality, democracy, and the rule of law.
IEBC ordered to gazette Evans Kapkea’s appointment
Subsequently, the court ordered the IEBC CEO to issue a gazette notice naming Kapkea as Deputy Governor within seven days.
If the IEBC fails to comply, the court granted the Governor the authority to initiate the gazettement process independently.
This ruling is seen as a significant win for devolution and governance in Uasin Gishu County.
The County Solicitor expressed gratitude to the court for its swift resolution of the matter and congratulated Kapkea ahead of his official swearing-in.
The Uasin Gishu County Government now awaits the IEBC’s compliance with the court order to finalize Kapkea’s appointment.
Kapkea, who was serving as the Tembelio MCA was nominated to the position that was left vacant following the resignation of then-Deputy Governor Eng John Barorot.
He has since been vetted and approved by the Uasin Gishu County Assembly.
Evans Kapkea Approved as the New Uasin Gishu Deputy Governor
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Nigerian Researcher Receives Prestigious International Award for Groundbreaking Pangolin Conservation Efforts
LAGOS, Nigeria, 15 October 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- An innovative Nigerian researcher who has dedicated his work to conservation of Pangolins has been feted with an award from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), presented at the prestigious ceremony at the BAFTA in London.
Charles Emogor’s passion for pangolins began as a child, when he first saw the unique creature on television. Two decades later, that childhood fascination evolved into a mission to save the critically endangered species.
The 29-year-old PhD student at Cambridge, has dedicated his research since 2019 to understanding and addressing the threats facing pangolins, particularly the white-bellied species in Nigeria. In 2020, he founded Pangolino, a global network of specialists focused on reversing the decline of the world’s most trafficked mammal.
“Pangolins have been a childhood fascination for me – growing up in southeast Nigeria in a small community, I would see lots of animals around my neighbourhood,” Charles explains. “But when I saw a pangolin on TV for the first time, I was intrigued – it looked so different to anything I’d seen before. Later, I learned that pangolins were the most trafficked animal in the world.”
Much of Charles’ work focuses on behaviour change interventions in Nigeria to protect the white-bellied pangolin. He engages with poachers, school children, regional chiefs and local communities, using a roots up approach because, as he says, if people around the landscape are not willing to protect the species, then interventions will not work. His approach is to co-develop by-laws prohibiting pangolin poaching with communities.
His success in engaging with hunters who poach pangolins has also helped lead Charles to a breakthrough discovery. Hunting pangolins is illegal, and it was widely thought pangolins were hunted primarily for their scales. However, his work has shown that pangolin hunting is mainly motivated by demand for meat, with over 70% of scales derived from captured animals discarded.
Upon learning he had won an IFAW Animal Action Award, Charles said: “I was first skeptical to get this news that I had won this award from IFAW, thinking I was being scammed. This is such a huge award, so in realizing that it is real, I felt humbled. I hope that it will help raise awareness of the plight of the pangolin.”
Lionel Hachemin, Programme Manager – Wildlife Crime, IFAW said designing interventions at community level that could lead to positive, meaningful and lasting changes is essential to curb the decline of so many species.
“Pangolins are a unique species that, unfortunately, are the world’s most trafficked mammals and on the brink of extinction. Charles’ work has already helped the conservation community understand more about this species, and I have no doubt he will continue to do great things – he is a very deserving winner of IFAW’s Animal Action Award.”
In addition to his conservation work, Charles is a 2021 National Geographic Explorer and holds an MSc in Biodiversity Conservation from the University of Oxford. He is also a member of the IUCN SSC Pangolin Specialist Group.
When not researching pangolins, Charles’ passion is football and swimming, and he also likes travelling and seeing different mammals on his journeys such as rodents. He also did an eight-hour run around Cambridge dressed as a pangolin in February 2021 to mark World Pangolin Day. The event raised over $10,000, which were all donated to Save Pangolins, a US-based pangolin conservation organization.
Charles receives his award at IFAW’s prestigious Animal Action Awards event on October 17, at the BAFTA in Piccadilly.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of IFAW.
Notes to editors
For more information, photos or to arrange interviews please contact Kirsty Warren, Senior Communications Manager, kwarren@ifaw.org, or Julius Odera jo@africanmediaagency.com
Awardees were nominated by members of the public. This year, over 650 nominations were received from 29 countries. After a review and shortlisting process, nine winners were selected from across the globe to receive one of the Animal Action Awards.
About IFAW
The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is a global non-profit helping animals and people thrive together. We are experts and everyday people, working across seas, oceans and in more than 40 countries around the world. We rescue, rehabilitate and release animals, and we restore and protect their natural habitats. The problems we’re up against are urgent and complicated. To solve them, we match fresh thinking with bold action. We partner with local communities, governments, non-governmental organisations and businesses. Together, we pioneer new and innovative ways to help all species flourish. See how at ifaw.org.
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Urgent Education Reform Key to Unlocking Faster, More Inclusive Growth in Africa
Washington, USA, 15 October 2024 -/African Media Agency(AMA)/- Despite signs of a fragile economic recovery, Sub-Saharan Africa, remains stuck in “low gear” with a large youth population at risk of being left behind. According to the latest edition of Africa’s Pulse, the World Bank’s twice-yearly regional economic update released on October 14, two factors are critical to jumpstart inclusive growth: stabilizing economies and transforming education to equip the region’s growing workforce with stronger foundational skills and market relevant expertise.
The report, which is in its 30th edition and on the theme of Transforming Education for Inclusive Growth, says economic activity in the region is projected to grow by 3% in 2024 from a low of 2.4% in 2023, driven primarily by growth in private consumption and investment. Inflation is forecast to ease from 7.1% in 2023 to 4.8% in 2024, helped by tighter monetary and fiscal policies, more stable currencies, and fewer supply chain disruptions.
However, this recovery is not enough to lift millions out of poverty. Growth per capita remains sluggish – just 0.5% in 2024, compared to an average of 2.4% between 2000 and 2014. Challenges like conflict, climate change, and soaring debt service costs are undermining progress. In 2024, 34% of government revenues across the region will be spent on debt servicing, leaving little room for productive investments.
“African governments are making strides to stabilize their finances and close budget gaps,” said Andrew Dabalen, World Bank Chief Economist for the Africa Region. “But high debt burdens are limiting investments in critical areas like education, health and infrastructure, which are essential for long-term, inclusive growth.”
Africa’s working-age population is expanding faster than any other region, driven by progress in child survival over the last two decades. Yet, Sub-Saharan Africa spends less on education per capita than any other region. To achieve universal education by 2030, the authors of Africa’s Pulse estimate that education systems would need to absorb about 170 million more children and adolescents – requiring an estimated 9 million new classrooms and 11 million new teachers.
This is a daunting challenge, but the region has already made significant strides: 270 million children are enrolled in primary and secondary schools today, and primary school completion rates have improved substantially since 2000.
“Looking ahead, Africa’s youth will need to be well educated and appropriately skilled to access better jobs and take advantage of new digital and green economy opportunities,” said Dabalen. “Evidence-based planning and smart spending will be crucial to expanding access while improving learning and employment outcomes.”
Currently, 7 in 10 children in Sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to pre-primary education, and fewer than 1.5% of youth aged 15 to 24 are enrolled in vocational training, compared to 10% in high-income countries. Closing these gaps is vital for unlocking Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic potential and driving sustainable, inclusive growth. Supporting entrepreneurship and new startups, allowing small businesses to grow, and attracting larger and established firms is also essential so that skilled graduates find meaningful job opportunities when they try to enter and advance in the workforce.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) on behalf of World Bank Group.
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Climate Action Program: Uasin Gishu Residents Take Part in Exercise to Identity Projects
Uasin Gishu County residents in various wards on October 14, 2024, took part in public participation exercises to identify projects for implementation under the 2024/2025 Financing Locally Led Climate Action Program (FLLoCA) which is set to benefit the residents to a tune of Ksh 173 million.
In Ainabkoi Subcounty, the County Executive Committee Member for Environment, Dr. Sam Kottut, spearheaded the engagement.
Dr. Kottut emphasized the crucial role of community involvement in the successful planning and execution of the FLLOCA projects.
“Public participation is a key pillar in our governance and project development processes. We want to ensure that stakeholders’ views are captured and considered in our initiatives,” he reiterated.
In Moiben Sub-County, the administrator Moses Kangogo led the Public participation, where the residents prioritized Kapsoni water project solar equipping, Endao water project distribution and Tilil masonry tank construction.
Kesses residents want focus on irrigation
Further in Kesses Sub-County, residents expressed their interest in enhancing agricultural practices by prioritizing irrigation infrastructure projects and soil conservation initiatives.
During the session, community members highlighted the need for sustainable farming methods to combat climate change effects and improve crop yields.
The discussions in Kesses, led by local leaders and agricultural experts and environment officers also included the importance of implementing training programs to educate farmers on eco-friendly practices and efficient resource management.
In Soy, Turbo, and Kapseret Sub-Counties, public participation sessions were similarly focused on identifying climate action projects. Residents highlighted the importance of improving water access and investing in renewable energy sources to reduce reliance on fuels.
Meanwhile, in Kapseret, community members emphasized the need for tree planting programs and the restoration of local ecosystems to support biodiversity and combat soil erosion.
Overall, the engagement across Uasin Gishu County showcased a strong commitment from residents to work collaboratively on initiatives that will address climate change and improve their quality of life.
Local leaders remain dedicated to integrating this valuable feedback into the FLLoCA program as they move forward with project planning and implementation.
