The African Union is undertaking various measures including a trade observatory and Africa intra-trade fair to boost the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) , commissioner for Trade and Industry of the African Union Commission Albert M. Muchanga said.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Commissioner Muchanga said that the Africa intra-trade fair that took place last year had a transaction of over 43.5 billion USD.
This demonstrates the extent to which African countries can unleash the exponential benefits from promoting intra-trade and further encourage investment in the continent.
‘So when those happen it means that they are going to increase investment flows across Africa and the suppliers are going to know their customers and what they need. So these are some of the activities that we are undertaking to promote the African free trade,’ he elaborated.
Stating that infrastructure is the critical thing towards accelerating the implementation of AfCFTA, Muchanga pointed out t
hat massive investment is needed to scale up the prevailing infrastructure.
Citing the African Development Bank (AfDB)’s assessment, the Commissioner indicated that Africa needs about 170 billion USD to develop the necessary infrastructure across the continent.
Furthermore, he added that capacity building of the member states is pivotal not only in building new infrastructures but also in effectively utilizing it for collective benefits.
Some of African countries have been supportive of the AfCFTA efforts in building infrastructures across the continent, he emphasized.
‘Here I can give an example, the railway between Ethiopia and Djibouti, then when go down south right now the US, UK and EU are teaming up to develop the Lobito Corridor, which is going to link Angola, DRC, and Zambia. And the Chinese are rehabilitating Tanzania-Zambia railway at a cost of about 1 billion USD,’ Muchanag said.
The AfCFTA aims to create a single market for goods and services and a liberalized market for goods and services to
enhance the movement of capital and people
Source: Ethiopian News Agency
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kajiado County is still rampant, despite the practice being outlawed in Kenya in 2011.
According to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey (KDHS) 2022, the prevalence of FGM in Kajiado County is at 63 per cent, with emerging trends such as medicalisation and cross-border practice of the vice contributing to the high numbers.
However, despite the high prevalence rate, no FGM cases have been reported and successfully prosecuted at the Kajado Law Courts since 2011.
Speaking at Enkorika, Kajiado Central, during a sensitisation forum on sexual and gender-based violence organised by the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) and Kajiado Court Users Committee, Roselyn Oganyo, Kajiado Chief Magistrate, revealed that there are currently zero active FGM cases at the Kajiado courts.
Oganyo noted that FGM is often carried out in secrecy; therefore, the culprits are never brought to court, and there are hardly any witnesses willing to testify, making it hard to prosecute the c
ases.
‘There is very low reporting of FGM cases, the practice is deeply rooted in culture and done in secrecy. The perpetrators are never brought to court, with witnesses often bailing out for fear of reprisals by the community, ‘she said.
Pamela Achieng’, Senior Principal Magistrate, reiterated Oganyo’s sentiments, adding that FGM survivors are often denied justice as the cases are never brought to court.
She urged the community to report the cases to the police and authorities so that they are brought to court and perpetrators prosecuted.
‘We encourage the community to take charge and report such cases so as to protect the girl child from this harmful practice. As a court, we do not see FGM cases in courts, but when you go to the rescue centres, you will find many girls who were mutilated and others who were rescued before being cut,’ she added.
The magistrate warned that FGM was illegal in Kenya and is a criminal offence under the prohibition of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2011, the Children’s A
ct, and the penal code.
‘Any person who conducts FGM or pays someone else to conduct the practice or provides his or her premises for it to be carried out, is guilty of an offence. Failure to report the act and possession of instruments used in FGM is also a crime,’ she noted.
Furthermore, a person convicted of these offenses can go to prison for between three and seven years, and be fined up to Sh500,000 Kenyan shillings.
Alex Labarakwe from the Witness Protection Agency said that the reason why these cases go unreported is because the people involved in this practice are either people from the government or parents of the victims, and because of intimidation and threats from them, members of the community choose not to take action.
According to Beatrice Oluoch, AMREF Health Africa, there is need to strengthen the reporting systems and the Witness Protection Agency so as to encourage the community to report FGM cases without fear of victimisation.
Oluoch said FGM is deeply rooted in culture, and witness
es fear reporting the cases to avoid being ostracised by the community.
‘FGM is deeply rooted in culture, so there is a need to strengthen the witness protection agency to ensure that witnesses can report FGM cases without fear of victimisation by the community.’ She said.
Oluoch further called for the adoption of the Alternative Rite of Passage (ARP), which retains cultural rituals and ceremonies in the transition to womanhood while replacing the harmful ‘cut’ by sexual and reproductive health rights education and the promotion of girls’ education.
Source: Kenya News Agency
