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   Women’s rights are protected in law but in practice women face significant official, cultural and social barriers in accessing education and justice, and have experienced restrictions on their family and property rights.  They are also under-represented in public life throughout Somalia. Despite this, many  women in Somalia work in the informal labour sectors Despite legal protection, sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) –including domestic violence, rape, and sexual abuse – remains widespread throughout Somalia as a result of the continuing insecurity, weak rule of law, gender inequality and large-scale displacement, although reliable data on numbers and frequency are not available and abuses are likely to be under-reported. SGBV is particularly prevalent in camps for internally displaced persons (IDP) and in conflict zones where all parties – government forces, militia members, African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) forces, and Al-Shabaab – have reportedly...

  Kenyan women who took part in a study to test a long-acting injection to prevent HIV will become the first beneficiaries of the jab. The injection, administered once in two months, was hugely successful, and found to be 89 per cent efficient compared to pills to prevent infection.  The World Health Organization said the rest of the public will have to wait for more than a year. The injection contains a specially formulated drug called Cabotegravir. "Participants who were in the TDF/FTC (the daily oral pills currently used for HIV prevention) arm will be offered cabotegravir long acting (CAB LA) and participants in the CAB LA arm will be able to continue to receive it," WHO said in a statement The trial launched in 2017 enrolled 3,223 women aged between 18 and 45 years who were at higher risk of HIV infection in 20 sites across seven countries including Kenya. Other countries that participated in the trial were Uganda, South Africa, Malawi, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Eswatini. T...

  Kenya's locust invasion the worst in 70 years has affected the northern region posing unusual threats to food security and livelihood for vulnerable populations. The first desert locust in Kenya was reported on December 28, 2019, in the northeast near Somalia border at Mandera and El Wak region and moved south to Wajir county. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture indicates that by June, at least 28 counties were affected by the desert locust invasion. But according to Red Cross, 16 counties including Baringo, Embu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Garissa, Isiolo, Kitui, Laikipia, Machakos, Mandera, Marsabit, Meru, Samburu, Tana River, Tharaka Nithi, Turkana and Wajir were most affected. Destruction A survey on the impact of the desert locust invasion in Kenya released in November by the Kenya Red Cross shows that approximately 609,999 ha (1.5 million acres) were infested with desert locust in the 16 counties from the time of infestation to the time the assessment was conducted. This is e...

  A Kenyan family of a victim of the  2019 Ethiopian Airline crash  has been paid $3 million by U.S. planemaker Boeing. This is the first Kenyan family out of 32 families from the country to receive a payout after losing their relatives in the deadly crash, according to local media. “We sought and asked for the largest amount possible to be paid as compensation to the families we represent,” Manuel von Ribbeck from Ribbeck Law Chartered, a U.S. law firm that represented the family, stated after the settlement. “It is important to note however that no amount of money in the world will bring our clients’ beloved family members back. This is the first settlement in a case by Ribbeck Law Chartered which sued Boeing on behalf of some families who lost their loved ones in the crash. A total of 157 people, including 32 Kenyans, died when the Boeing 737 Max aircraft crashed in March 2019 in the town of Bishoftu, Ethiopia. That accident came on the back of a similar Lion A...

  Whether at a birthday party in Brazil, a funeral in Kenya or protests in Hong Kong, humans all use variations of the same facial expressions in similar social contexts, such as smiles, frowns, grimaces and scowls, a new study from the University of California, Berkeley, shows. The findings, published today, Dec. 16, in the journal  Nature , confirm the universality of human emotional expression across geographic and cultural boundaries at a time when nativism and populism are on the rise around the world. "This study reveals how remarkably similar people are in different corners of the world in how we express emotion in the face of the most meaningful contexts of our lives," said study co-lead author Dacher Keltner, a UC Berkeley psychology professor. Researchers at UC Berkeley and Google used machine-learning technology known as a "deep neural network" to analyze facial expressions in some 6 million video clips uploaded to YouTube from people in 144 cou...

  Forces in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have accused the federal government of partnering with the United Arab Emirates to use weaponized drones stationed in Eritrea. A security analyst tells VOA the drones are in an Eritrean port city but there is no evidence they are being used in the Tigray conflict. Wim Zwijnenburg, a humanitarian disarmament project leader for PAX, an organization studying conflict worldwide and research on the use of military technologies, has been studying satellite imagery collected by the U.S. company Planet Lab. He determined that drones operated by the UAE are stationed at the Eritrean port city of Assab. The 20-meter wingspan Chinese-made drones known as the  Wing Loong II  are capable of dropping bombs or shooting missiles. “It's true that there are Emirati drones based in Eritrea,” Zwijnenburg told VOA via Skype. “However, the next question is whether they have been used in Ethiopia. And, in that regard, we couldn't find any indication th...

  The Trump administration formally notified Congress on Tuesday that it plans to sell 50 stealth F-35 fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates as part of a broader arms deal worth $23 billion aimed at deterring potential threats from Iran despite concern in Israel. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he had authorized the sale in keeping with the administration’s Middle East peace efforts. The notification to lawmakers follows the signing of the Abraham Accords between Israel, Bahrain and the UAE, under which the Arab states have agreed to normalize relations with Israel. “This is in recognition of our deepening relationship and the UAE’s need for advanced defense capabilities to deter and defend itself against heightened threats from Iran,” Pompeo said in a statement. Israeli officials have previously expressed some concern about an F-35 sale because it could affect the balance of military power in the region. But Pompeo said it would be “fully consistent” with the long...

President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Prime Minister of Ethiopia Abiy Ahmed during the inaugural of Moyale One-Stop Border Post. Photo: State House Kenya. Source: Twitter The President noted that the region had a huge untapped potential for trade and investment of the traders from both countries. Speaking during the inaugural, the head of state urged Moyale residents to take advantage of the border post to enhance business in the area and become like United Arab Emirates city, Dubai.  The Jubilee leader noted that the joint infrastructure projects by the two countries will strengthen the bilateral ties between them. He added that the completion of the border post was a move by both countries to address the business impediments facing traders of the two nations. The head of state affirmed that the border post will also enhance the mutual interactions between Kenya and Ethiopia hence enhancing unity.  Abiy Ahmed while weighing on the matter said the border post will hasten the moveme...

  President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday launched the County Governments post-Covid-19 socioeconomic recovery strategy that will be implemented over a three year period. The Sh132 billion recovery plan prioritizes agriculture, water and sanitization, urban development and housing, transport, tourism, health, education, social protection, and gender and youth as anchor sectors that will help Counties to recover from the effects of Covid-19. The President also commissioned the construction of the 50-storey G47 Ugatuzi Tower at Hurlingham in Nairobi County. The building, which is estimated to be the tallest on the continent, will be constructed through a partnership between the Council of Governors and the County Pension Fund (CPF). Speaking to devolution stakeholders at the launch event, also attended by Deputy President William Ruto, the President said the close working relationship between Counties and the National Government has helped the country deal with the health crisis bet...

  To mark the UAE’s 49th National Day, Expo 2020 Dubai has released a video that celebrates the spirit of the union established by the Founding Fathers in 1971 and exemplified by the UAE’s leaders, inspiring decades of remarkable achievements. Forty-nine years ago, the Founding Fathers brought the seven emirates together under the banner of one country, setting the nation on a path to realising extraordinary goals in an unprecedented period of time. This deep rooted spirit of partnership is at the heart of the nation, and has seen the UAE rise to global prominence as a beacon of optimism, tolerance and opportunity, uniting people from around the world, as we work towards achieving humanity’s shared goals. Expo 2020 Dubai epitomises this spirit by bringing the world together to enable collective action and inspire solutions towards some of the world’s most challenging issues, shaping and improving the future of both people and planet. Under its theme, ‘Connecting Minds...

  US President-elect Joe Biden on Tuesday called Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta to offer his gratitude after congratulating him on his win. "The president-elect offered his gratitude for President Kenyatta’s congratulations and expressed his appreciation for the strong and lasting ties between our two countries," Biden said. Biden conveyed his interest in building on that partnership across a range of issues, including by tackling the threat of climate change, supporting refugees and their host communities, and addressing challenges of regional security and instability.   Uhuru sent a message of congratulations and best wishes to Biden following his win in the recent United States of America elections. Uhuru termed the emphatic win in the hard-fought polls as a demonstration of Americans 'confidence in the leadership 'credentials of the former Vice President. "Americans have spoken loudly and clearly through their votes by picking a highly experienced, colourful...

  In a political turmoil over the electoral process and foreign interference, the Republic of Somalia has recalled its ambassador to Kenya and orders the Kenyan ambassador in Mogadishu to leave the country with immediate effect for further consultations. “The Federal Government of Somalia notes the Kenyan government’s attempt to infringe upon the sovereignty, territorial integrity, political independence and unity of Somalia and hereby expresses its deep regret with the Kenyan government’s continuous interference in the internal and political affairs of Somalia” Reads part of a press release extended to Nyamilepedia “Therefore, the Federal Government of Somalia summons its Ambassador to the Republic of Kenya and instructs the Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya to Somalia to depart to Kenya for consultations” It added Speaking on the national television in Mogadishu on Sunday, the Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary, Amb. Mohamed Ali Nur, confirmed that Somalia has recall...

  Awake craniotomy, which is considered a revolutionary procedure, was done for the first time at the Nairobi Hospital recently.   What you need to know: The surgical term for opening one’s skull to literally tinker with the brain, with the objective of eventually curing what ails it is known as a brain surgery or craniotomy. Awake craniotomy, which is considered a revolutionary procedure, was done for the first time at the Nairobi Hospital recently. Awake craniotomy, which is considered a revolutionary procedure, was done for the first time at the Nairobi Hospital recently. Neurosurgeons can also track the patient’s neurological state, which means they can remove brain tumours that would otherwise not be safely removable. The surgical term for opening one’s skull to literally tinker with the brain, with the objective of eventually curing what ails it is known as a brain surgery or craniotomy. During the surgery, a part of the skull is removed to access the ...

  Globally, there has been a renewed push for the use of clean and cheaper sources of energy for industrial and domestic use.  Solar  and  wind energy  sources have been touted globally and especially in Africa as an alternative power to deal with the high cost of electricity and frequent outages. The adoption of solar and other clean energy sources in Africa has had an intended consequence on revenue generation in the power sector as more households and industries shift from power sources provided by the government to owned-generated power, per recent events in Kenya. Kenya’s public electricity provider has been rattled by dwindling revenues owing to a growing shift to solar energy. According to  Kenya Power , its industrial customers, who account for about 54.8 percent of its sales revenues, are shifting to solar energy, thereby causing it millions in revenue and excess supply capacity,  according to local newspaper report. “The company operate...

  The last known white  giraffe  in the world is believed to be in  Kenya  and has been given a tracking device by officials to help protect it from poachers. The GPS tracking device was attached to one of the  animal’s horns  and will send a signal every hour to alert wildlife rangers to its location so they can keep a close eye on it. The white male giraffe is now the last of its kind after a female and her calf were killed by poachers in March, the Ishaqbini Hirola Community Conservancy said in a statement Tuesday. The white giraffe has a rare genetic trait called leucism, which causes the albino-like color. As a result, it sticks out in arid Kenya, making it vulnerable to poachers.

  President Uhuru Kenyatta has stated that the government will create 100,000 jobs for the youth. Speaking during the State of the Nation Address on Thursday at Parliament, the Head of State said that the Economic Stimulus Package would create a number of opportunities in a bid to boost lives following the disruption caused by Covid-19. “The major objective of the Economic Stimulus Programme was to return the economy to the growth trajectory it was on pre-Corona by increasing demand for local goods and services, cushioning vulnerable Kenyans, securing household food security for the poor, and creating employment,” he said. The President added that the recovery programme will revamp several sectors by hiring 5,000 health workers and 11,000 interns. The programme will further seek to create 100,000 job opportunities for the youth. Speaking on his Big Four Agenda plan, the President stated that there was remarkable progress as far as fo...

  Dr Mohammad Olama, paediatric and functional neurosurgeon from Rashid Hospital, who was part of the team, told Gulf News: “Internationally too, since 1995, only 250 such surgeries have been carried out.” The extremely delicate six-hour surgery was performed on the foetus that was diagnosed with myelomeningocoele — a type of spina bifida. The foetus weighed only 700gm. The expert team carried out the surgery, maintaining highest standards of hygiene and sanitisation in line with the protocols for COVID-19. According to Mona Abdul Razzak Al Tahlak, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist and CEO of the hospital: “Spina Bifida is a congenital neural tube defect that occurs in the first month of pregnancy when the spinal cord does not develop or close properly, leaving open a bundle of nerves of the spinal cord in a sac on the patient’s back. One of the most common causes of Spina Bifida is a deficiency of Folic acid in the mother. These exposed nerves can seriously affect ...

  Rights lobby Amnesty International on Monday appealed to the Kenyan government not to deport Tanzania’s ex-legislator Godbless Lema, to save him from “persecution.” The rights watchdog said Nairobi has a legal obligation to host anyone fleeing danger from their countries and that Mr Lema’s situation means he would be at risk if forcibly returned to his country. “Kenya must not violate the internationally recognised principle of non-refoulement,” Irungu Houghton, the Amnesty International Kenya Director, said on Monday. “The international principle is upheld by own national laws. It prohibits Kenya from turning away people at the border or returning them to a country where they would be at risk of persecution or danger.” Mr Lema, a former MP for Arusha Urban Constituency in Tanzania, was arrested on Sunday after crossing into Kenya, in Kajiado County about 80 kilometres south of Nairobi. He ran for reelection on a Chadema ticket and lost his seat in the recently concluded Gene...

 In what appears to be the only point of agreement between the United States President Donald Trump and the President-elect Joe Biden in recent months, they have both congratulated Pfizer on its scientific trial showing its vaccine prevents 90 per cent of COVID-19 infection. America’s Pfizer and BioNTech are expected to produce 1.3 billion doses of the vaccines for 650 million people by the end of 2021. Eight months into the worst pandemic in a century, the development represents the most encouraging scientific advancement so far in the battle against COVID-19. And its preliminary results pave the way for the companies to seek an emergency-use authorisation from regulators if further research shows the shot is also safe. Reacting to the development, President Trump on his Twitter page said: “Stock market up big. Vaccine coming soon. Report shows 90 per cent effectiveness. Such great news.” On his part, Biden, who inaugurated a COVID-19 taskforce Monday, said: “I congr...

  A forty volunteers, mostly front-line health workers,  are participating in COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials in Kenya. The trial phase of the vaccine, developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, is being conducted by the KEMRI-Welcome Trust Research program based in Kilifi. KEMRI's Dr. Samuel Sang said researchers are trying to determine if the vaccine, known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, is safe for Kenyans. “Vaccines which have been found to work and are safe in one population [may not] work across populations," Sang said. Therefore, he said, there's a need to to assess  whether the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is safe and works among the Kenyan volunteers. Sang said the vaccine was being tested for both safety and impact. “Our expectation is to assess whether ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 is safe, effective and elicits a good immune response in adults above the age of 18 years,” he said. According to the World Health Organization,...

  Prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has said he received a coronavirus vaccine shot. “We wish everyone safety and great health, and we are proud of our teams who have worked relentlessly to make the vaccine available in the UAE,” he wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Al Maktoum also shared a photo with his post, in which he was seen receiving a shot, developed by China’s Sinopharm. He is the latest person to receive the vaccine after dozens of other Emirati officials. On October 16, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, foreign minister of the UAE, received the vaccine, followed by Mohammed Abdullah al-Gergawi, the UAE minister for cabinet affairs. Front-line healthcare workers in the UAE also got the shot, according to local media reports. The vaccine is now in the third and final stage of clinical trials and has so far been found safe and effective, local media reported, citing the auth...

  Kenya began its clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, a COVID-19 vaccine candidate. The vaccine has been developed by the University of Oxford in partnership with AstraZeneca. The Kenya Medical Research Institute(KEMRI) in a statement released on Friday confirmed that the trial team has vaccinated its first volunteers. This is after receiving the necessary regulatory and ethical approvals, as well as the national ministry of health, and a go-ahead by the Kilifi county. The trial will be hosted at KEMRI at its Kilifi-based Kemri-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, a longstanding collaboration between the institute, the University of Oxford, and the Wellcome Trust in the UK. The study plans to evaluate whether the vaccine is safe, effective, and elicits good immune responses in adults in Kenya aged 18 years and above. The trial in Kenya will initially involve 40 frontline workers in Kilifi County. Once the vaccine safety is confirmed, a further ...

  Kenya ranks fourth in attracting global contractors in Africa, after South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria latest research by Centum Real Estate shows. Foreign contractors number about 65 in the country according to the research, with 15 different nationalities involved. Chinese and European companies accounted for the highest share of revenue generated by the top international construction companies in the region, at 45 per cent and 32 per cent, respectively, while U.S. companies accounted for only five per cent.  According to the report, construction industry growth in Kenya and Ethiopia has been too slow while Rwanda has been on the boom. However, it points out that there are scalability constraints in Rwanda’s construction markets even though it forecasts Year-on-Year growth of above 10 per cent for Rwanda between 2020-2029. The report projects slowing annual growth for both Kenya and Ethiopia’s construction industries during the same period, with the Kenyan case attributed...