<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="543" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-820x543.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418602" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-820x543.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-768x509.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-1536x1017.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/SF4EAWJFM5MEJL6MPGZVITISBM-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Kenya&#8217;s Deputy President William Ruto of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and Kenya Kwanza political coalition speaks at an interview with Reuters ahead of the forthcoming presidential elections, at his Karen residence in Nairobi, Kenya, July 20, 2022. REUTERS/Thomas Mukoya</figcaption></figure>



NAIROBI, July 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Kenya&#8217;s deputy president and presidential aspirant William Ruto said he will publish government contracts with China and deport Chinese nationals working illegally if he is elected on August 9, promises likely to resonate with citizens pummeled by mounting debt and the skyrocketing cost of living.



Kenya, whose 2022/23 budget of 3.3 trillion shillings ($27.86 billion) has a deficit of 6.2% of gross domestic product, owes China about $8 billion.



Ruto has promised to slash the government borrowing that has funded President Uhuru Kenyatta&#8217;s infrastructure building spree.



The contracts are not public and some Kenyan organisations have lodged court cases to try to force full disclosure of the deals.



Ethiopia has restructured its Chinese debt and Zambia is seeking to do &#8211; something Ruto said he would not do.



&#8220;Kenya has the capacity to handle its debt situation,&#8221; he told Reuters in an interview, explaining his intent not to re-organise debt if he wins.



Ruto, 55, paints the election as a clash between &#8220;hustlers and dynasties&#8221; &#8211; a jab at Raila Odinga and Kenyatta, son of the nation&#8217;s first vice president and president respectively.



Ruto says he once hawked chickens by the roadside.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/u-s-kenya-launch-non-tariff-trade-and-investment-partnership-talks/">U.S., Kenya launch non-tariff trade and investment partnership talks</a></h3>



Instead of planning mammoth expressways or new railways, Ruto&#8217;s campaign is touting a plan to dish out loans to &#8220;hustlers&#8221; or small businessmen and women, symbolised by his campaign symbol of a wheelbarrow.



Ruto spoke to Reuters in his office in a compound in one of Nairobi&#8217;s wealthiest suburbs, where several armed policemen stood guard.



The compound is neatly maintained, with well-manicured lawns. A helicopter and convoy of luxury vehicles were parked there. Outside, a few supporters waited with banners proclaiming RUTO FOR PRESIDENT hung around a battered handcart.



Ruto was wearing a yellow shirt with green trim, his party&#8217;s colours, and sat in a room bedecked with several flags, including the national flag.



He sipped on tea as he dismissed comments by his chief economic adviser, David Ndii, that Ruto&#8217;s party was &#8220;not the place to look for anti-corruption champions.&#8221;



&#8220;Someone quoted him out of context,&#8221; Ruto said.



He listed the ways he would tackle graft &#8211; more money to overcome shortages of judges and magistrates, independent budgets for investigating bodies, and making sure parliament has an active opposition.



&#8220;The challenge we have at the moment is the weaponization and the politicisation of corruption.&#8221;



All sides in the campaign have accused each other of corruption and they all deny the allegations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-political-expediency">POLITICAL EXPEDIENCY</h2>



Kenyatta has backed Odinga, a veteran opposition leader, for president in a bid to sideline Ruto, whom he describes as unfit for office.



The incumbent&#8217;s embrace of his old rival and his rejection of his deputy is not unusual for Kenyan politics, which is driven more by personality, ethnic alliances and backroom deals than ideology.



Ruto and Odinga were political allies during the disastrous 2007 elections. A dispute over the result left 1,200 Kenyans dead and Ruto and five others facing charges of at the Hague-based International Criminal Court. The case later collapsed.



He brushed off questions about whether he should have resigned if the government he served in was not serious about tackling corruption, saying he&#8217;d raised the issue repeatedly and had been able to deliver other benefits to Kenyans.



&#8220;I am not a quitter,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Instead of walking away from the people who elected me, I could still do many things.&#8221;



($1 = 118.4500 Kenyan shillings)



(Editing by Angus MacSwan, William Maclean)

Kenyan Deputy President Ruto speaks in Nairobi

Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/WISP23EAKBLG5D3IIMVX4GTIGM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418581" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/WISP23EAKBLG5D3IIMVX4GTIGM.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/WISP23EAKBLG5D3IIMVX4GTIGM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/WISP23EAKBLG5D3IIMVX4GTIGM-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>A nurse administers the malaria vaccine to an infant at the Lumumba Sub-County hospital in Kisumu, Kenya, July 1, 2022. REUTERS/Baz Ratner/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



LONDON, July 20 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Nine months after the world&#8217;s first malaria vaccine was recommended for use, international vaccine alliance Gavi invited countries to apply for financial support to roll out the jab, particularly targeting young children in Africa.



The World Health Organization endorsed GSK Plc&#8217;s&nbsp;GSK.L&nbsp;four-dose Mosquirix shot in October last year, saying it could save thousands of lives.



Now Gavi, which has $155.7 million available over 2022-2025 for the initial roll-out of the vaccine, has invited countries to apply for funding and support to distribute the shot.



It is a step forward for the vaccine, which has taken decades to develop. Malaria, on average, kills a child every minute.



However the roll-out is expected to start slowly, with supply falling far below the vast demand for several years, a recent Reuters investigation found.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YP0WT&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Ghana, Kenya and Malawi &#8211; African nations that have been involved in pilot progammes using the vaccine &#8211; can apply first, by September, to broaden their use of the shot. Other countries can apply by the end of this year, Gavi said in a statement.



&#8220;The work towards a malaria vaccine has been long and hard,&#8221; said Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi. Alongside the existing interventions like bed nets, Berkley said he hoped that the new tool would now &#8220;allow us to save more lives in countries hit hardest by this killer disease.&#8221;



(Reporting by Jennifer Rigby; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

FILE PHOTO: A nurse administers the malaria vaccine to an infant at the Lumumba hospital in Kisumu

Vaccine group invites African states to apply for malaria shot support

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="485" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CFUNBLQBTNMUXCL6VHQ4PDL2EM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418577" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CFUNBLQBTNMUXCL6VHQ4PDL2EM.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CFUNBLQBTNMUXCL6VHQ4PDL2EM-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/CFUNBLQBTNMUXCL6VHQ4PDL2EM-135x90.jpg 135w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>U.S. President Joe Biden attends a news conference at Waldorf Astoria in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia July 15, 2022. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 20(Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that&nbsp;the United States will bring together leaders from across the African continent for a major summit in December&nbsp;in Washington to discuss pressing challenges from food security to climate change.



&#8220;The summit will demonstrate the United States’ enduring commitment to Africa, and will underscore the importance of U.S.-Africa relations and increased cooperation on shared global priorities,&#8221; Biden said in a statement.



The U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, scheduled for&nbsp;Dec. 13-15,&nbsp;was announced simultaneously in virtual remarks by Vice President Kamala Harris to the U.S.-Africa Business Summit in Marrakech hosted by the Corporate Council on Africa and the kingdom of Morocco and attended by a U.S. delegation.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2Z05OD&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



A senior administration official, discussing the U.S.-Africa summit plans on condition of anonymity, said about 50 African leaders are expected to join Biden for the Dec. 13-15 series of meetings.



It will come at the end of a year when Biden has engaged other regions of the world with trips to visit U.S. allies in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Biden has yet to visit Africa since becoming president, and the summit will be his most comprehensive look at the complexities of the continent.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-biden-to-lead-major-economies-in-push-for-more-urgent-action-on-climate">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/biden-to-lead-major-economies-in-push-for-more-urgent-action-on-climate/">Biden to lead major economies in push for more urgent action on climate</a></h3>



A backbeat of Biden&#8217;s diplomatic efforts thus far has been to promote Western democracies as a counterweight to China, but the official said the U.S.-Africa summit was not all about Beijing.



&#8220;We are not asking our African partners to choose,&#8221; the official told Reuters. &#8220;We believe the United States offers a better model, but we are not asking our African partners to choose.&#8221;



The U.S. Agency for International Development announced on Monday that it is providing nearly $1.3 billion in aid to the Horn of Africa nations of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia to help stave off mass starvation and deaths in the drought-stricken region.



Biden said the summit will work toward new economic engagement, promote democracy and human rights, advance peace and security, and address challenges such as food security and climate change as well as the pandemic.



The president believes that U.S. collaboration with leaders from African governments, civil society, the private sector and the African diaspora will help tackle some of the challenges, the official said.



(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Leslie Adler)

U.S. President Biden visits Saudi Arabia

Biden announces U.S.-Africa summit for mid-December

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-820x547.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-397368" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-820x547.jpeg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-300x200.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-768x513.jpeg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-1536x1025.jpeg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/GettyImages-484332922-scaled.jpeg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Customers browse food products on display inside a Shoprite Holdings Ltd. supermarket in Alexandra district of Johannesburg, South Africa, on Monday, Aug. 17, 2015. Shoprite, which operates in 14 African countries outside of its home market, said Feb. 24 that 14 store openings were planned on the continent beyond South Africa in its second half through June. Photographer: Waldo Swiegers/Bloomberg via Getty Images</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, July 20 (Reuters) – South Africa’s headline consumer inflation quickened more than forecast to 7.4% year on year in June, surging to a 13-year high, data from Statistics South Africa showed on Wednesday.



Analysts polled by Reuters had predicted a rise to 7.2% in annual terms from 6.5% in May.



The pickup in inflation comes the day before the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) is due to announce an interest rate decision.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-south-african-central-bank-comments-as-rep-rate-raised">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/south-african-central-bank-comments-as-rep-rate-raised/">South African Central Bank comments as rep rate raised</a></h3>



Analysts expect the SARB to announce a further 50 basis point rise in the repo rate, which would mark the fifth increase in a row.



On a month-on-month basis, consumer inflation was at 1.1% in June from 0.7% in the previous month, Stats SA figures showed.



Core inflation, which excludes prices of food, non-alcoholic beverages, fuel and energy, rose to 4.4% year on year in June, from 4.1% previously. On a month-on-month basis core inflation was at 0.6% from 0.2% in May. 



(Reporting by Alexander Winning; Editing by Olivia Kumwenda-Mtambo)

Inside A Shoprite Holdings Ltd. Supermarket

South Africa’s inflation surges to 13-year high in June

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ege0gZ6a.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418570" width="600" height="314" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ege0gZ6a.jpg 600w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ege0gZ6a-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/ege0gZ6a-160x84.jpg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" /><figcaption>RABAT, Morocco &#8211; JUNE 20: In this handout image provided by APO Group, (L-R) Solomon Quaynor, African Development Bank Vice President, Alain Ebobissé, Africa50 CEO and Ithamar Capital CEO Obaid Amrane signed a letter of intent during an event launching the Africa Sovereign Investors Forum on June 20, 2022 in Rabat, Morocco. The African Development Bank, Africa50, and Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF), have signed a letter of intent to collaborate on developing green and climate resilient infrastructure projects across Africa. Access full release: https://bit.ly/3HLnNOB (Photo by APO Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



MARRAKECH, Morocco, July 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;African countries need to leverage more private funds to meet infrastructure financing needs estimated at between $68 billion and $108 billion annually, the chief executive of Africa50, an infrastructure investment offshoot of the African Development Bank, said on Tuesday in Marrakech.



Leveraging more private capital to finance infrastructure projects, as part of public-private partnerships, would help free public funds to projects shunned by the private sector, CEO Alain Ebobissé said on the eve of the launch of a U.S- Africa business summit.



Since its creation six years ago, Africa50 has spent $5 billion on 16 projects in the fields of energy, transport, information and communication technologies, healthcare and education.



Africa50 has also signed on the same day a deal with a grouping of some of the richest African wealth funds to increase their involvement in African infrastructure investments.



Since 2013, China has been the top foreign investor in Africa, unrolling billions of dollars on the continent’s infrastructure. The U.S. is stepping up efforts, but is still far from catching up.



The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) had planned $26 million last year to fund feasibility studies of African investment projects with a potential to generate $17 billion in financing, the agency&#8217;s director, Enoh Ebong, told Reuters.



&#8220;Sub-Saharan Africa is one of our largest portfolios at the agency,&#8221; she said, adding that she sees demand growing on U.S. companies from the continent.



While U.S. companies take care of feasibility studies funded by the USTDA, African partners &#8220;can get financing from any party whatsoever. We would like it that they do it with our fellow U.S. government agencies, but we do not put any condition on who finances that project,&#8221; Ebong said.



&#8220;For every $1 spent on feasibility studies we see a return of $117, which translates into jobs in the U.S.,” Ebong said.



&#8220;We are absolutely competitive, and we see it in the partners who are picking U.S. companies in head-to-head competition with Chinese companies,&#8221; she added, calling infrastructure &#8220;key to trade.&#8221;



(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Leslie Adler)

ege0gZ6a

Africa needs more private funds for infrastructure investments- Africa50 CEO

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418561" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth.jpg 910w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Photo: via pxfuel</figcaption></figure>



KAMPALA, July 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;More than 200 people have died from hunger this month in&nbsp;northeastern&nbsp;Uganda, where a prolonged drought and rampant insecurity have left more than half a million facing starvation, a local official and a charity worker said.



Inhabited by nomadic pastoralists, the semi-arid and remote Karamoja region on the border with Kenya has long lagged behind the rest of Uganda in terms of development.&nbsp;A surge of cattle raids by armed groups this year has worsened the situation.



&#8220;People like the elderly, lactating mothers and children, they are dying silently in their homes. They just succumb to hunger,&#8221; Jino Bornd Meri, the head of local government for Kaabong district, in Karamoja region, told Reuters.



In one county the district has recorded at least 184 deaths from hunger this month alone, he said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-uganda-reach-agreement-on-three-year-1-bln-program">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2021/imf-uganda-reach-agreement-on-three-year-1-bln-program-2/">IMF, Uganda reach agreement on three-year, $1 bln program</a></h3>



Moses Okori, leader of the local charity Integrated Community Agriculture and Nutrition (ICAN), said he knew of at least 22 people who had died of hunger this month in Kotido, another district in the region.



The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) last month said at least 518,000 people, or 40% of the region&#8217;s population, were facing high levels of food insecurity.



Local legislator Faith Nakut estimated that at least 600 people had died of hunger in the region since early June.



A spokesman for the Prime Minister&#8217;s office, Julius Mucunguzi, said he had received reports of hunger-related deaths but was unable to give an exact toll.



The government dispatched trucks of food to the region last week, he said.



(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema; Editing by Nellie Peyton and Angus MacSwan)

dry-dehydration-drought-rip-crack-earth

More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418557" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ.jpg 1080w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Photo: via Reuters</figcaption></figure>



ACCRA, July 19 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ghana&#8217;s government will sign an agreement next week with Thelo DB consortium for a $3.2 billion project to develop and make operational its Western Railway Line, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.



Thelo DB is a South African railway entity incorporated between Thelo Ventures, an African industrial company, and Germany&#8217;s Deutsche Bahn Engineering &amp; Consulting (DB). The Thelo DB consortium also includes Ghanaian partner Transtech Consult.



Ghana&#8217;s Western Railway line runs a total of 339 kilometres (210 miles) from Takoradi Port to Kumasi, but only 66 km is operational, according to the website of Ghana&#8217;s Ministry of Railways Development, where it is listed as a priority project.



Two mines are on the route, including the Ghana Manganese Mine at Nsuta and a bauxite mine at Awaso, which used to use the railway until it collapsed, according to the ministry.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-imf-says-it-will-work-with-ghana-government-towards-programme">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/imf-says-it-will-work-with-ghana-government-towards-programme/">IMF says it will work with Ghana government towards programme</a></h3>



The line also goes through Ghana&#8217;s cocoa-growing regions and cocoa used to be transported in significant quantities by rail, but has not been since 2006.



Transportation of cement, mining equipment and petroleum will also benefit from construction of the rail line, the ministry added.



&#8220;The Western Railway Line Project will transform Ghana&#8217;s existing railway infrastructure base into a modern, robust and integrated railway system,&#8221; Thelo DB said in its statement.



The agreement will be signed on July 25 at a ceremony with President Nana Akufo-Addo, the company said. A presidential spokesperson did not immediately reply to a request for comment.



(Reporting by Cooper Inveen and Christian Akorlie; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Bhargav Acharya and David Evans)

6V5SGNMMP5KDBD3QSCB67VX3OQ

Ghana to sign $3.2 bln railway project deal with Thelo DB consortium

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="545" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj-820x545.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418553" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj-820x545.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj-300x199.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj-768x511.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj.jpg 1170w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>UBA Group Expands To EMEA, Launches Banking Operations In Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – JULY 14: In this handout image provided by APO Group; L-R: Executive Director, Treasury and International Banking, United Bank for Africa(UBA), Mr. Ndubisi Chiugo; Chief Executive Officer, Dubai International Financial Centre(DIFC) Authority, Prince Arif Amiri; Group Chairman, United Bank for Africa(UBA), Mr. Tony O. Elumelu; Governor, Dubai International Financial Centre(DIFC), His Excellency Essa Kazim; Group Managing Director/CEO, United Bank for Africa(UBA) , Mr. Kennedy Uzoka; and Managing Director, UBA(DIFC), Mr. Vikrant Bhansali poseat the official launch of UBA (DIFC), in Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE) on Thursday 14th July, 2022 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates The UBA branch in the DIFC will service corporate &amp; financial Institutions and customers across the Middle East with a core focus on correspondent banking, relationship management and advisory services. Access the full release: https://bit.ly/3RJeC5M (Photo by APO Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, July 18 (Reuters) – Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa (UBA) said on Monday it has expanded into the Middle East, setting up operations in the United Arab Emirates.



The new branch located in the Dubai International Financial Centre will serve customers across the region and focus on correspondent banking, relationship management and advisory services, UBA said in a statement.



UBA Group Chairman Tony O. Elumelu said the new UAE branch would enable trade finance and investments between the Middle East and Africa.



“We have been looking forward to this day as it is the first time we will have presence in this part of the world. We know that our international expansion is incomplete if we are not present in the Gulf,” he said.



UBA already operates in 20 African countries, Britain, France and the United States. 



(Reporting by Joe Bavier; Editing by Susan Fenton)

FX8v0Z_WQAAL4vj

Nigeria’s United Bank for Africa expands into Middle East

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="740" height="416" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/oil.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-413529" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/oil.jpeg 740w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/oil-300x169.jpeg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/oil-160x90.jpeg 160w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" /></figure>



KINSHASA, July 18 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Democratic Republic of Congo will offer 27 oil blocks and three gas blocks, nearly double as many as previously planned, in a licensing round next week, the hydrocarbons ministry said on Monday.



Congo, a leading miner of copper, cobalt, gold and diamonds, has long aimed to boost its oil sector and is believed to have sizeable reserves. Output has remained flat for years at about 25,000 barrels per day because of underinvestment.



Environmental groups and activists have expressed alarm at the plans, as many of the concessions overlap national parks. Congo has in the past defended its right to drill for oil in national parks.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N1PZ5OO&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The blocks to be put up for auction on July 28 include three in the coastal basin of Kongo Central province, nine in the Cuvette Centrale, 11 near Lake Tanganyika and four near Lake Albert. The three gas blocks are on Lake Kivu.



The Cuvette Centrale in particular sits on peatlands that scientists say could release massive quantities of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere if disturbed.



Congo had initially planned to auction 16 oil blocks, nine of which overlapped with protected areas. The ministry said in its statement on Monday that it had decided to auction 30 now to maximise opportunities for the country.



(Reporting by Benoit Nyemba; Writing by Nellie Peyton; Editing by Aaron Ross and Susan Fenton)

Congo to offer 30 oil and gas blocks for licensing

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-414305" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>The International Monetary Fund (IMF) logo is seen outside the headquarters building in Washington, U.S., September 4, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The International Monetary Fund said its executive board approved a $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on Monday as it approved a third review of the country&#8217;s Extended Credit Facility and Extended Fund Facility arrangements.



The disbursement is usable for budget support and brings such payouts to $1.208 billion under the 38-month arrangements, which were worth $2.34 billion when they were approved in April 2021, the IMF said.



&#8220;Kenya’s economy has rebounded strongly in a challenging environment and is projected to grow 5.7% in 2022,&#8221; the IMF said in a statement, adding that inflation, which hit 7.5% in June, was likely to peak this year before easing back to the Central Bank of Kenya&#8217;s 2.5% target by early 2023.



&#8220;Downside risks predominate in the near-term. Uncertainties stem from the war in Ukraine, continuing drought in the semi-arid regions, unsettled global financial market conditions and the political calendar,&#8221; the IMF said. &#8220;But Kenya’s medium-term outlook remains favorable.&#8221;



The IMF said that Kenya showed &#8220;very strong&#8221; performance in tax collections during the 2021/22 fiscal year, which has created fiscal space to temporarily cushion part of the higher fuel and food costs that have hit households while still meeting the program&#8217;s fiscal targets.



&#8220;The approved fiscal year 2022/23 budget broadens tax collection and maintains careful expenditure control while protecting social spending,&#8221; the IMF said.



(Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Sandra Maler and Sam Holmes)

BE2FA7DW6VJP3AYQ5S5CUCMQO4

IMF approves $235.6 million disbursement to Kenya on loan review

<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="728" height="532" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/VPYY3ZT7ZNJENJWREWMZ24HEXM.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418517" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/VPYY3ZT7ZNJENJWREWMZ24HEXM.jpg 728w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/VPYY3ZT7ZNJENJWREWMZ24HEXM-300x219.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/VPYY3ZT7ZNJENJWREWMZ24HEXM-123x90.jpg 123w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" /><figcaption>Workers at Tenke Fungurume, a copper mine in the southern Congolese province of Katanga, check bundles of copper cathode sheets ready to be loaded and sent out to buyers ,file. REUTERS/Jonny Hogg</figcaption></figure>



DAKAR/JOHANNESBURG, July 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;CMOC&#8217;s&nbsp;603993.SS&nbsp;Tenke Fungurume copper and cobalt mine has suspended all exports, logistics companies were told in a notice seen by Reuters late on Saturday, complying with demands by a court-appointed administrator.



A CMOC spokesman did not immediately reply to a request for comment but had said on Friday that the mine, which accounted for more than 10% of worldwide cobalt output in 2021, had not issued any instructions to stop exports.



CMOC has been locked in dispute with the administrator appointed in February to run the mine for six months in response to a lawsuit by Congo state miner Gecamines, a minority stakeholder in Tenke Fungurume.



The administrator, Sage Ngoie Mbayo, this month demanded that CMOC suspend marketing and export of its production because CMOC and Gecamines had not reached agreement this year on how to sell the mine&#8217;s output.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2YM12Q&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



CMOC, meanwhile, has denied the administrator access to the mine site.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-east-congo-violence-worsening-despite-military-rule-u-n-experts">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/east-congo-violence-worsening-despite-military-rule-u-n-experts/">East Congo violence worsening despite military rule – U.N. experts</a></h3>



In the notice to companies that transport the mine&#8217;s output, a CMOC unit announced immediate suspension of access to the mine for all copper and cobalt trucks until July 24, adding that companies would be informed if exports could resume on July 25.



Three industry sources confirmed the suspension, speaking on condition of anonymity.



The administrator&#8217;s appointment stemmed from allegations by Gecamines that CMOC understated the mine&#8217;s reserves to reduce royalties it pays to Gecamines. CMOC denies the allegations.



Congo&#8217;s government announced last August that it had formed a commission to reassess reserve levels, a rare instance of Congolese authorities challenging the Chinese companies that dominate its mining sector.



Congo is the world’s top producer of cobalt, which is used in electric batteries, and is Africa’s leading copper miner.



(Reporting by Aaron Ross in Dakar and Helen Reid in Johannesburg; Editing by David Goodman)

CMOC’s Congo mine suspends copper and cobalt exports

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="707" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-820x707.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418509" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-820x707.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-300x259.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-104x90.jpg 104w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-768x662.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-1536x1324.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/GettyImages-1289423411-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Colorized scanning electron micrograph of Marburg virus particles (blue) both budding and attached to the surface of infected VERO E6 cells (yellow). Image captured and color-enhanced at the NIAID Integrated Research Facility in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Credit: NIAID. (Photo by: IMAGE POINT FR/NIH/NIAID/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



DAKAR, July 17 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Ghana has officially confirmed two cases of the Marburg virus, a highly infectious disease similar to Ebola, its health service said on Sunday, after two people who later died tested positive for the virus earlier this month.



Tests conducted in Ghana came back positive on July 10, but the results had to be verified by a laboratory in Senegal for the cases to be considered confirmed, according to the World Health Organization.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2YO2LF&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;Further testing at the Institute Pasteur in Dakar, Senegal has corroborated the results,&#8221; Ghana Health Service (GHS) said in a statement.



GHS is working to reduce any risk of the virus spreading, including the isolation of all identified contacts, none of whom have developed any symptoms so far, it said.



This is only the second outbreak of Marburg in West Africa. The first ever case of the virus in the region was detected last year in Guinea, with no further cases identified.



&#8220;(Ghanaian) health authorities have responded swiftly, getting a head start preparing for a possible outbreak. This is good because without immediate and decisive action, Marburg can easily get out of hand,&#8221; said Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.



The two patients in southern Ghana&#8217;s Ashanti region both had symptoms including diarrhoea, fever, nausea and vomiting, before dying in hospital, the WHO said.



There have been a dozen major Marburg outbreaks since 1967, mostly in southern and eastern Africa. Fatality rates have varied from 24% to 88% in past outbreaks depending on the virus strain and case management, according to the WHO.



It is transmitted to people from fruit bats and spreads among humans through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected people, surfaces and materials, the WHO says.



(Reporting by Alessandra Prentice and Nellie Peyton; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Daniel Wallis)

Mers coronavirus particles

Ghana confirms its first outbreak of highly infectious Marburg virus

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="540" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4-820x540.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-413521" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4-820x540.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4-137x90.jpg 137w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4-768x506.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>Cooling towers at a coal-based power station owned by state power utility Eskom in Duhva, South Africa, February 18, 2020. REUTERS/Mike Hutchings</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, July 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The South African government will within days announce new ways to address the country&#8217;s worst power crisis yet, President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Friday.



Addressing a South African Communist Party (SACP) conference, Ramaphosa said the government needed to &#8220;use every available means and remove every regulatory obstacle to bring extra electricity onto the grid as soon as possible&#8221;.



&#8220;In the coming days we will be announcing additional measures that we need to take to address the current electricity crisis,&#8221; Ramaphosa said. The SACP is an ally of the governing African National Congress party that Ramaphosa leads.



South Africa has experienced intermittent power cuts by struggling state utility Eskom for more than a decade, but this year the outages are expected to reach a record level.



Late last month Eskom started implementing what are known as &#8220;Stage 6&#8221; power cuts for only the second time in its history, blaming a strike over pay for hampering efforts to bring malfunctioning power units back online. <a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YF1MZ&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-read-more-eskom-ceo-says-he-briefed-south-african-president-on-power-crisis">Read more: <a href="https://www.cnbcafrica.com/2022/eskom-ceo-says-he-briefed-s-african-president-on-power-crisis/">Eskom CEO says he briefed South African president on power crisis</a></h3>



Eskom has since agreed a salary deal with workers and the level of power cuts has been lowered, but opposition parties and a business lobby group have called for an urgent intervention.



The power cuts have piled pressure on small businesses and households recovering from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and grappling with inflation at a five-year high.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL8N2YG3UM&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Ramaphosa added at the SACP conference that he would on Saturday lead a team of ministers and officials to one of Eskom&#8217;s troubled power stations, to have talks with workers, trade unions and managers.



Explaining why the country needed to move further away from a monopoly model of electricity supply, he said: &#8220;When Eskom fails, the country is thrown into darkness as we are now.&#8221;



(Reporting by Alexander Winning; editing by Barbara Lewis)

ESGQBXR2INIGJPHHKTQJIV6IA4

South Africa to unveil solutions to power crisis within days

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="429" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-820x429.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418490" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-820x429.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-300x157.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-160x84.jpg 160w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-768x402.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM-1536x804.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>A shopper walks past an MTN shop at a mall in Johannesburg, South Africa. REUTERS/Siphiwe Sibeko</figcaption></figure>



JOHANNESBURG, July 15 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;South African mobile group MTN&nbsp;MTNJ.J&nbsp;is in talks to buy smaller rival Telkom&nbsp;TKGJ.J&nbsp;in a stock or cash-and-shares deal that would leapfrog market leader Vodacom Group&nbsp;VODJ.J.



The potential $1 billion-plus deal would give MTN access to Telkom&#8217;s fibre assets, seen as a must for expanding 4G and 5G mobile services.



But some analysts questioned if South Africa&#8217;s competition regulator would approve a tie-up that would effectively create a telecoms duopoly in Africa&#8217;s most advanced economy.



&#8220;Discussions are at an early stage and there is no certainty that the transaction will be consummated,&#8221; the companies said in separate statements on Friday.



Telkom&#8217;s shares were up 33.3% at 44.6 rand by 1258 GMT, on track for their biggest daily jump on record. MTN was up 7.4%.



&#8220;It (the proposed deal) does make sense in every way. We&#8217;re seeing this happening in many other jurisdictions, where the mobile operators are consolidating with fixed line players,&#8221; Peter Takaendesa, head of equities at Mergence Investment Managers said.



&#8220;The key reason for that really is, as you move towards 4G and 5G, you need more fibre to connect your mobile network.&#8221;



If successful, the deal would give MTN access to Telkom&#8217;s Openserve fibre business, which made 13.4 billion rand ($782 million) in revenues for the year ended March 31 and connects around 2.5 million premises.



Vodacom recently agreed to buy a co-controlling interest in the fibre assets of Community Investment Ventures Holdings, putting pressure on MTN to respond.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2S10AI&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



MTN announced its exit from the Middle East in 2020 to focus on the high growth African market.



AJ Snyman, an investment analyst at Peregrine Capital, said he thought there was &#8220;zero&#8221; chance South Africa&#8217;s Competition Commission would approve the deal in its current form.



&#8220;If the deal goes through, then in the mobile space, MTN together with Telkom will be at least over 50% market share and that&#8217;s clearly, obviously a dominant market position,&#8221; Snyman said.



MTN would also have access to Telkom&#8217;s prized 3.2 gigahertz spectrum, ideal for 5G, giving it a dominant spectrum holding, he added.



A Competition Commission spokesperson said it noted the developments but wouldn&#8217;t comment as it had not received a notification of the potential deal.



Some investors said the tie-up would lower competition and lead to higher prices at a time when South Africa&#8217;s data prices are already high compared with other developed telecom markets.



($1 = 17.1899 rand)



(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla in Johannesburg, Eva Mathews and Bhargav Acharya in BengaluruEditing by Promit Mukherjee and Mark Potter)

4LONYH5GZVNW7AFD6ER3HURCKM

MTN in talks to buy Telkom to become South Africa No.1

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418482" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-135x90.jpg 135w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I.jpg 960w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai testifies before a Senate Finance Committee hearing on President Biden&#8217;s trade policy agenda on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 31, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst</figcaption></figure>



WASHINGTON, July 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;The United States and Kenya on Thursday launched a strategic trade and investment partnership&nbsp;to&nbsp;pursue commitments&nbsp;to boost&nbsp;economic growth, support African regional economic integration and deepen trade cooperation.



The U.S. and Kenyan governments will start work within three months to develop a road map for engagement in areas including agriculture safety and digital trade standards, climate change, regulatory practices, and customs procedures the&nbsp;U.S. Trade Representative&#8217;s office&nbsp;said in a statement.



Kenya has long sought a full free trade agreement with the United States, and negotiations for such a deal to lower bilateral tariffs were launched by the Trump administration with the east African country in 2020. But the Biden administration, which has shunned traditional trade deals, did not resume&nbsp;those&nbsp;talks.



Kenya&nbsp;enjoys substantial duty-free access to the U.S. market through the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a trade preference program for sub-Saharan African countries, but it expires in September 2025.



Kenya exported $685.1 million worth of goods to the United States in 2021, of which more than 75% entered duty free under AGOA, according to the Congressional Research Service &#8212; chiefly apparel, macadamia nuts, coffee, tea and titanium ores. The U.S. exported $561.6 million in goods to Kenya in 2021, with aircraft, plastics, machinery and wheat among the biggest categories.



The partnership announced by the two countries on Thursday&nbsp;made no mention of reducing tariffs or enhancing market access, in line with&nbsp;other recently&nbsp;launched U.S. trade dialogues with Britain, the European Union and Indo-Pacific nations.



The Kenya dialogue will include efforts to develop micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises and discussions on enforcement of labor laws and promoting workers&#8217; rights &#8211; central components of the Biden administration&#8217;s other trade initiatives.



U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, who launched the partnership with Kenyan Cabinet Secretary Betty Maina during a virtual meeting on Thursday, said in a statement that she wants the partnership to &#8220;grow our trade and investment relationship in a way that promotes resilience and facilitates sustainable and inclusive economic growth.&#8221;



&#8220;We also hope that this initiative can serve as a model for trade policy engagement in Africa, one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing regions in the world,&#8221; Tai added.



U.S. Representative Richard Neal, who chairs the trade and tax-focused House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee, held out hope that the U.S.-Kenya talks could develop into a full trade deal. &#8220;This initiative will lay the groundwork for a comprehensive free trade agreement that includes market access, builds off AGOA, and complements both regional and continental integration,&#8221; he said in a statement.



Neal said the United States should &#8220;embrace&#8221; Kenya&#8217;s willingness to deepen its economic ties with the United States.



(Reporting by David Lawder and Chris Gallagher; editing by Kanishka Singh, Marguerita Choy and Leslie Adler)

NQGMTXTPZRNDPKJO4S6HOJLM6I

U.S., Kenya launch non-tariff trade and investment partnership talks

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="543" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-820x543.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-418468" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-820x543.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-300x198.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-136x90.jpg 136w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-768x508.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-1536x1016.jpg 1536w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/3QAESMOI3BO5DGMDWDXXY7SURA-scaled.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>FILE PHOTO: Rwandan military troops depart for Mozambique to help the country combat an escalating Islamic State-linked insurgency that threatens its stability, at the Kigali International Airport in Kigali, Rwanda July 10, 2021. REUTERS/Jean Bizimana/File Photo</figcaption></figure>



MAPUTO, July 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Southern African countries agreed on Thursday to extend their troop deployment in Mozambique for another month to help it fight an Islamic State-linked insurgency.



The countries, linked in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), agreed last year to send troops to Mozambique.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL2N2O51B4&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



The mission&#8217;s mandate was set to end on Friday but has been extended on an interim basis until an SADC heads of state summit in mid-August, when a more detailed report on the mission&#8217;s progress will be considered.



The insurgency is concentrated in Mozambique&#8217;s northern province of Cabo Delgado. It has claimed thousands of lives since it broke out in 2017 and disrupted multibillion-dollar natural gas projects.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL5N2OD5ML&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Closing Thursday&#8217;s virtual summit, SADC chairperson and Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera said the extension of the troop deployment prevented the mission from being compromised.



Separately, the European Union&#8217;s diplomatic mission to Mozambique said the EU would provide the country&#8217;s army with an additional 45 million euros ($45 million) of financial support.



Mozambique&#8217;s military had been losing ground to the insurgency until it accepted help from SADC and Rwanda, which has also sent soldiers.



($1 = 1.0000 euro)



(Reporting by Anait Miridzhanian in Gdansk and Manuel Mucari in Maputo; Editing by Alexander Winning)

FILE PHOTO: Rwandan military troops depart for Mozambique, at the Kigali International Airport in Kigali

Southern African bloc further extends Mozambique troop deployment

<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="820" height="547" src="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1230282004-820x547.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-401477" srcset="https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1230282004-820x547.jpg 820w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1230282004-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1230282004-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.cnbcafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/GettyImages-1230282004.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 820px) 100vw, 820px" /><figcaption>BRAZIL &#8211; 2020/12/23: In this photo illustration the close-up of the Twitter website seen displayed on a smartphone. (Photo Illustration by Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure>



July 14 (Reuters)&nbsp;&#8211;&nbsp;Twitter&nbsp;TWTR.N&nbsp;was coming back online on Thursday after an hour-long outage kept thousands of users across the globe from accessing the social media website.



The outage affected&nbsp;nearly 2,000 users as of 9 am ET, down from the peak of 50,000 incidents an hour earlier, according to outage tracking website Downdetector.com.



The incident comes days after Twitter sued Tesla&nbsp;TSLA.O&nbsp;CEO Musk for violating his deal to buy the company and asked a Delaware court to order the world&#8217;s richest person to complete the takeover.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2YP3CN&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



&#8220;Some of you are having issues accessing Twitter and we’re working to get it back up and running for everyone. Thanks for sticking with us,&#8221; the social media company said in a tweet.



Twitter&#8217;s status dashboard showed it was investigating the issue with some of its application programming interfaces. (<a href="https://bit.ly/3cfJXNd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://bit.ly/3cfJXNd</a>)



Twitter is hosted on Amazon Web Services and began using Google Cloud Platform as the secondary vendor from 2018, according to Well Fargo Securities analyst Brian Fitzgerald.



&#8220;It doesn&#8217;t seem to be a problem with its cloud vendors as other services continue to run,&#8221; Fitzgerald told Reuters.



Twitter had suffered another widespread outage in February that it blamed on a software glitch.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL4N2UM36M&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Other big technology companies have also been hit by outages in the past year, with a near six-hour interruption keeping Meta Platforms&#8217;&nbsp;META.O&nbsp;WhatsApp, Instagram and Messenger out of the reach billions of users in October.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.reutersconnect.com/all?search=all%3AL1N2R11YW&amp;linkedFromStory=true" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Read full story</a>



Notorious for outages in its early years, Twitter used its popular &#8220;Fail Whale&#8221; illustration, a beluga being lifted by birds, for such incidents until in 2013 when it discontinued the logo.



Twitter shares were marginally down at $36.51 on Thursday.



(Reporting by Yuvraj Malik and Nivedita Balu in Bengaluru; Editing by Aditya Soni and Vinay Dwivedi)

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Kenya presidential hopeful Ruto promises to publish contracts with China

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South Africa’s inflation surges to 13-year high in June

Africa needs more private funds for infrastructure investments- Africa50 CEO

More than 200 people die as drought ravages northeast Uganda

Ghana to sign $3.2 bln railway project deal with Thelo DB consortium

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Congo to offer 30 oil and gas blocks for licensing

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CMOC’s Congo mine suspends copper and cobalt exports

Ghana confirms its first outbreak of highly infectious Marburg virus

South Africa to unveil solutions to power crisis within days

MTN in talks to buy Telkom to become South Africa No.1

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Twitter back up for many users after global outage

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Advertise With Us

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