African nations are increasingly favouring green bonds over emissions trading to power their transition to green energy. Conrad Onyango African countries are now favouring raising funds for projects that have positive climate and sustainability outcomes over emissions trading as green bond issuances soar across the continent. While legislative plans to regulate the sale of carbon credits are proliferating the continent, this race has been beset by controversies, with critics claiming it allows companies to continue polluting without reducing their emissions. Green bonds are becoming a popular financial vehicle for promoting sustainability, and the market is showing strong signs of growth across…
Author: Bird Agency
The Conversation On the shores of Lake Turkana in east Africa, about 5,000 to 4,000 years ago, pastoralists buried their dead in communal cemeteries that were marked by stone circles and pillars. The north-west Kenya “pillar sites” were built around the same time as Stonehenge in the UK. But these places have a different story to tell: about how mortuary traditions reflect people’s environments, behaviours and reactions to change. The burial sites appeared at a time of major environmental and economic changein the region. The Sahara, which received enough rainfall 9,000-7,000 years ago to sustain populations of fisher-hunter-gatherers and pastoralists, was drying, causing groups of people…
Professor Taiwo Lateef Sheikh wants suicide prohibition laws repealed because they inadvertently contribute to an increase in suicide rates across Africa. By Bonface Orucho Suicide prevalence rates in Africa are the world’s highest, estimated at 11 people per 100,000 per year, against a global average of 9 per 100,000 people, according to the World Health Organization’s estimates. While African countries have undertaken a range of efforts to provide mental health support, including prioritizing mental health in national and regional health strategies, legislative gaps pose a threat to these efforts. A new campaign that seeks to advance suicide prevention and support…
The inaugural Africa No Filter Summit, held in Nairobi, was a captivating rendezvous for the continent’s creatives. Over three days, this remarkable event showcased the ingenious strategies employed by Africans, especially youths, to counter stereotypes and reshape an empowered narrative for the continent. By Seth Onyango and Bonface Orucho Nairobi’s skies, a canvas of moody grays, occasionally part to let the sun toss a warming glance at the vibrant city below. This is the backdrop for a gathering of some of the continent’s most creative minds as Nairobi this week hosted the inaugural Africa No Filter Summit. Here, journalists, content…
With Kenya and Ethiopia in the lead, increased investment in the geothermal sector will double Africa’s geothermal capacity by 2050 and see the continent exceed the total installed capacity in Europe, according to a recent report. By Bonface Orucho The latest report from Norwegian energy research firm Rystad Energy sheds light on the prospects of geothermal energy to play a crucial role in meeting Africa’s increasing energy demands in the coming decades. “This growth will take the continent from being the sixth largest geothermal power generator in 2023 to the third largest in 2030,” Daniel Holmedal, a senior supply chain…
Visiting monarch expresses remorse over past British atrocities in Kenya but falls short of an apology that many believe is due for a full historical reckoning, at a time when most African states are asserting themselves not as a footnote in British history. By Seth Onyango King Charles III voiced deep regret over the UK’s colonial actions in Kenya, yet a definitive apology remains elusive amid pressing demands for historical redress. Amid the pomp of his state visit, Charles drew attention to the egregious acts committed by Britain during Kenya’s independence struggle. He acknowledged the “abhorrent and unjustifiable acts of…
Kenya will scrap visas for all African visitors by year-end, in the first decisive push towards greater continental integration by a major African economy By Seth Onyango Barrier-free travel in Africa has received fresh impetus after Kenya vowed to abolish visa requirements for all Africans by 2023. President William Ruto, championing the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement (AfCFTA), asserted that visa barriers hold Africans back. “By the end of this year, no African will be required to have a visa to come to Kenya,” he said. Kenya, a part of the East African Community (EAC), has already implemented a…
When nine-year-old Phillista went missing in 2021, a local organisation teamed up with her family and police to bring her home. AI was key. By Gitonga Njeru Phillista Waithera’s mother said she had begun a new life after the return of her daughter thanks to the novel use of technology. The 11-year-old was first reported missing in Nairobi in July 2021 when she was just nine years old. At the time Waithera went missing, there were many other reported cases of missing children in the country. Based on media reports at the time, children aged between 0 to 13 years…
With growing numbers of mineral processing plants being built on the continent – the latest, a US$250 million cobalt beneficiation facility in the DRC – African experts are calling for global supply chain diversification. By Bonface Orucho The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is on track to establish a new cobalt beneficiation facility in 2024, a facility which is expected to enhance the economic value of exported minerals, and boost revenue. The Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) announced a groundbreaking deal with China’s BGRIMM Technology Group during the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF III) in Beijing, with…
Kigali has taken internet delivery into the Stratosphere with a high-speed internet test in partnership with Japan’s Softbank. The successful test shows that even in the most remote areas, high-speed, affordable internet is possible. By Seth Onyango Rwanda is positioning itself as an early contender in a cosmic tug-of-war in which tech titans are lining up to beam high-speed internet across remote parts of Africa. Rwanda’s interest was made abundantly clear when the country announced on October 20 that it had transmitted a video stream to Japan over HAPS 5G, using an unmanned vehicle positioned in the Stratosphere. According to…