Day: March 26, 2023

The IGAD Taskforce on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden was established following a Resolution of the 46th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Council of Ministers held on February 27, 2019, in Djibouti to create awareness about advancing regional cohesion, coordination, cooperation and the possibilities for IGAD’s regional economic integration.

Through the twenty-one (21) Taskforce members – three representatives from each IGAD Member State, including Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda – IGAD continues to carry out the 46th IGAD Council of Ministers Resolution with financial assistance from the European Union, Finland, and Norway. The Taskforce meets on a quarterly basis in accordance with its Terms of Reference and is co-chaired by the IGAD Special Envoy for the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Ambassador Mohamed Ali Guyo (Ph.D.).

The Taskforce is responsible for:

• formulating policies and strategies on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, including the development of a common IGAD position on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden arena;

• charting a Regional Plan of Action with clear timelines;

• drafting IGAD Convention on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden;

• undertaking policy-oriented research; and

• creating awareness on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, as specified in the aforesaid Communique.

“The Taskforce marks an important paradigm shift that necessitates the willpower and determination of the leaders of the IGAD Member States. It is called multilateralism. But it is more about regional cohesion, coordination, and it’s well fitted to the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden arena”, Amb. Guyo commented.

Interviewed in Naivasha, Kenya, a member of the taskforce told how the establishment of the IGAD Taskforce is giving them an opportunity to secure the interest of the IGAD Member States in an arena characterised by waste dumping, piracy, illegal fishing, arms smuggling and drug trafficking. “The main aim has been to protect the interest of littoral and non-littoral IGAD Member States in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden arena,“ Amb. Babikir, a representative of the Republic of Sudan and chair of IGAD, said.

“We can now engage with experts from the region and beyond to discuss and suggest policy recommendations aimed at informing the development of a common IGAD position, a Regional Plan of Action, and an IGAD Convention, as well as raise awareness of the importance of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden arena,” Amb. Babikir said. “People needed to have the knowledge and confidence to deliberate on the challenges and opportunities,” he emphasised.

Mr. Sebsibe, a Taskforce Member from Ethiopia, added that arms smuggling, transnational crimes, drug trafficking and protracted peace processes were among the main problems facing the Taskforce, as well as climate refugees. The struggles over border and land disputes are other sources of tension in the region.

According to Amb. Yusuf-Garaad, the experts’ roundtable dialogue workshop had enabled participants to “acquire knowledge, and learn about progress made in the implementation of the IGAD Red Sea and Gulf of Aden mandate, including the IGAD Declaration of Principles on the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the changing attitudes on the geostrategic importance of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which was not the case before the establishment of the IGAD Taskforce.”

The IGAD will continue to support regular experts’ technical roundtable dialogue on the dynamics of the Red Sea and its potential implications with the aim of improving the maritime policy environment in the Horn of Africa through strengthening regional exchanges, cohesion, cooperation, and coordination in the Red Sea arena.

Source: EMM/ IGAD

The Senate has embarked on a move to enhance and deepen collaboration with Constitutional Commissions and Independent offices for successful implementation of devolution processes.
The Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi said the house remains committed to nurturing, promoting and protecting devolution and to work with commissions and independent offices at all times for successful outcomes.
Speaking during a joint retreat for the Senate, Commissions and Independent Offices in Mombasa, Kingi said that the parliament recognizes them as key actors in complementing the Senate’s role in effectively discharging its overall constitutional mandate.
He noted that, in their respective capacity, most of the institutions have a direct role in implementation of devolution processes. They variously influence county budget-making processes by determining parameters for resource allocation, authorize disbursements to counties, oversee prudent use of the allocated resources, entrench good governance, accountability and transparency and enforce observance of the rule of law by county governments.
‘We must appreciate the fact that with time we have seen them seal loopholes routinely exploited to perpetuate corruption in counties, effectively curtailing misuse of public funds. This forum will accord senators the opportunity to engage with the key agencies as they play their role of advancing democratic governance and nationhood,’ said Kingi.
Kingi urged all the players in devolution to work together to achieve their goals towards devolution.
He said there has been ample time to experiment devolution in the last one decade thus stressing on the players to put more effort and do things better.
He said the allocation of funds to counties and the timetable for disbursement has over the years stood out as a sore thumb in the senate’s commitment to ensure counties are adequately facilitated to deliver their mandate thus urging the players to make improvements that will entrench devolved governance further for the benefits of Kenyans.
‘Where necessary we must take steps to strengthen and boost the capacity of all institutions operating in the devolution space, more so the Office of the Auditor-General, the Controller of Budget and the Commission on Revenue Allocation,’ he said.
Kingi said he is confident that the 4th senate will work closely with the relevant offices to ensure audits are undertaken expeditiously and reports submitted promptly for use in formulating budgets and where necessary recalibrate resource allocation mechanism to ensure that counties get adequate funds and in good time.
He further challenged the commissions and independent offices to accord reports and recommendations that periodically emanate from the Senate and Senate committee’s critical consideration and act on them expeditiously.
‘Effective implementation of the reports will not only help us all respond effectively to prevailing bottlenecks but also enhance your assertiveness and efficiency in your respective operational niches,’ added Kingi.
He promised the independent offices and commissions of the senate’s support to enable them discharge their mandate effectively and overcome operational challenges that may be encountered from time to time.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Counties have been urged to collect and update data on Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in a bid to curb the vice that is rampant across the country.
National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC) chairperson Dr. Joyce Mwikali over the weekend observed that the updated GBV databases generated at the county levels would go a long way in addressing issues relating to equality and freedom from discrimination for different special interest groups.
Speaking at a Nanyuki hotel during a one-day workshop on the dissemination of national monitoring and evaluation framework towards the prevention and response to GBV, Dr. Mwikali noted that her Commission would use such data to produce periodic reports for national, regional, and international reporting on the progress made in the realization of equality and freedom from discrimination.
She further noted that the NGEC Act mandates the Commission to co-ordinate and advise on public education programmes for the creation of a culture of respect for the principles of equality and freedom from discrimination.
‘It is against this background, and the fact that data specifically on Gender-Based Violence is critically needed to measure the progress made on Sustainable Development Goal Number, the Kenya 2030 development agenda, and counties’ commitments to ending GBV,’ Dr. Mwikali said.
She added that the Commission had spearheaded the development of the inaugural National Monitoring and Evaluation Framework towards Prevention and Response of Gender-Based Violence, and a corresponding 2015 Gender-Based Violence Information System (GBVIS).
‘The Commission has further spearheaded the development of a second edition of the framework with an aim of revising the sector indicators and expanding the system in terms of coverage of indicators, the range, scope, and levels of measurements, and data presentations. Also, the system and the framework incorporated other forms of gender-based violence including Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), Child and Forced Marriages (CFM),’ she told the workshop.
Dr. Mwikali further stated that the framework was also designed to meet the critical needs of the key actors in the prevention and response to GBV in Kenya with attention to duty bearers.
The NGEC chairperson informed that workshop that plans for formulating the national GBVIS system were at an advanced stage and would soon be rolled out.
She noted that GBVIS shall also be useful in measuring progress made in the fulfillment of the commitments within the Kenya Kwanza Women Charter and by large the Kenya Kwanza manifesto in respect to ending all forms of harm and discrimination among women and children.
‘These will include a commitment on, increase the number of, and personnel at, gender desks at police stations; and implementation of the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act to eliminate Female Genital Mutilation,’ she said.
Laikipia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri who was also present noted that updated data on GBV incidences was crucial in informing the government on planning and budgeting.
‘The government needs updated statistics in order to be aware of how the country is performing towards the fight against GBV,’ Kanyiri said.
The County Commissioner also called for the inclusion of the County government and the county assembly in coming up with relevant policies to help the fight against GBV.
The workshop drew stakeholders drawn from the health, education, the Judiciary Directorate of Public Prosecution, Labour and social protection, the Anti-FGM board, the British Army Training Unit in Kenya (Batuk), and various Civil Society Organizations.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Police in Turkana County have increased patrols along the Lokichar -Kainuk highway to curb attacks on passenger vehicles along the route County police commander Samuel Ndanyi has said.
Ndanyi’s assurance comes days after a matatu was attacked on Friday evening at Kakong.
He said passengers are safe to travel from Lodwar to Kitale.
As a result of the ongoing security operation in the North rift, a 6pm to 6am curfew was declared in Loima and Turkana south sub counties.

Source: Kenya News Agency