MKU launches Kes20 Million hotel

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Home Tags Prof Simon Gicharu

Feature

MKU launches Kes20 Million hotel

Staff Writer - June 2, 2021

Mount Kenya University has launched a Kes20 million hotel at its main campus in Thika. The hotel will be the training ground for MKU...

MOST POPULAR

Earth Day 2019: Protecting Our Species

April 23, 2019

Adam Ibrahim was working with the UN humanitarian agency, OCHA, in his home country, Sudan, when conflict between rival armed forces erupted in early 2023 and he became a refugee alongside thousands of others who continue to flee the ongoing violence. Sudan is one of the world’s largest and most complex humanitarian crises, with more than 30.4 million people – over half the population – urgently needing humanitarian assistance, yet the 2025 Sudan humanitarian needs and response plan is severely underfunded, with only 13.3 per cent of the required resources received so far. Forced to flee the country with his family after the war intensified, Mr. Ibrahim returned to help people affected by the war in Darfur. Ahead of World Humanitarian Day, marked annually on 19 August, he described his journey, from aid worker to refugee and back again to Sudan. “I was at home helping my daughter revise for her grade six exams, scheduled for the next day. Then, out of nowhere, the sound of heavy gunfire shattered the silence in my hometown, Zalingei, the capital of Central Darfur state, which remains gripped by insecurity and critical shortages of basic services. At first, I thought the gunfire would pass quickly. I rushed to stock up on food supplies and water, enough for six days. But, the streets became battlegrounds. All I could do was try to keep my family safe. Despite the chaos, I continued to work. Electricity and Internet access were sporadic, but I kept my phone charged to send daily updates to the OCHA Head of Office. It gave me purpose amid the uncertainty. Eventually, it became too dangerous to stay. The journey of displacement On the 39th day, we fled. Our family of 10 began a harrowing journey with no clear destination, only the desperate need to escape. We left behind more than just walls and belongings; we left behind a life built with love and hope. Our journey took us first to Nyala in South Darfur, then to Kosti in White Nile State. From there, we crossed the border into neighbouring South Sudan and eventually reached Uganda, a country I had heard offered stability and a good education system for children. The journey by car took 23 days. My children had no passports, and there were no refugee camps for Sudanese nationals at the time. To my relief, migration authorities in both countries were kind and supportive. In Kampala, we rented a house and received asylum status within three days. The moment I held our refugee cards, I exhaled deeply and thought ‘we’ve made it.’ I enrolled my children in school and began working online, finally finding a sense of stability. Here I was, an aid worker now a refugee, needing the same support I once provided to others. Returning to Zalingei Months later, I faced a difficult decision. Do I stay with my family or return to Darfur and continue the work I had done for years? I chose to return. Leaving my family behind was incredibly hard, but their safety was paramount. I returned to Zalingei with a renewed sense of duty to serve those still trapped in the hardship I had endured. I was also the sole breadwinner for my family and needed to ensure they could survive in Uganda. My hometown changed When I arrived in Zalingei, I barely recognised it. Buildings were scarred with bullet holes. I found another family sheltering inside our house, a doctor and his family whose own home had been destroyed. I let them stay, setting aside a small section for myself and a colleague. The house had been looted. Windows were gone and our belongings had vanished. I had hoped to find my children’s school certificates, photos, any documents left behind. But, they were gone. Everyone was armed, even children as young as 15. People were tense, traumatised and always bracing for the next wave of violence. Machine guns and wreckage in West Darfur I didn’t stay long in Zalingei. Soon I was called to El Geneina in West Darfur, a town devastated by violence, and whose people desperately needed humanitarian support. El Geneina’s streets were strewn with the wreckage of burned-out military vehicles. Armed men patrolled in pickup trucks mounted with machine guns. The humanitarian needs were immense. People lacked food, shelter, household essentials, healthcare, clean water and protection, but we never had enough resources for them. Family, sacrifice and hope for Sudan It’s heartbreaking to witness the suffering caused by the recent donor funding cuts. Many organizations have been forced to scale back their operations, leaving countless people without help. Still, we did all we could. Between 2023 and 2025, we reached more than 800,000 displaced people with critical assistance, in West and Central Darfur. I also went on to work with OCHA colleagues in Chad to coordinate cross-border humanitarian convoys into Darfur. These convoys were lifelines, delivering food, medicine and supplies to communities cut off by conflict. Today, I remain in Sudan. My family is still in Uganda. I visit them once a year, but the separation is painful.”

From aid worker to refugee and back in war-torn Sudan

September 9, 2025

Africa’s development challenge is increasingly shifting from capital raising to productive capital deployment in infrastructure and industry, according to AFC's State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026 Non-bank domestic capital pools now exceed US$2 trillion, surpassing ~US$1.7 trillion in cumulative external flows to Africa (2014–2024) Official development assistance fell from US$83.8 billion in 2020 to US$73.5 billion in 2023, with further declines expected for 2025–2026 Sovereign issuance dropped from over US$29 billion in 2018 to US$4–6 billion annually in 2022–2023, with only limited recovery through 2024–2025 Domestic pension and insurance assets crossed US$1 trillion for first time Central bank reserves at US$530 billion in 2025, from US$480 billion in 2024 Gold now represents ~17% of reserves, up from less than 10% in 2022–2023 Africa’s biggest infrastructure opportunity lies in integrated systems—connecting energy, transport, industry and digital layers into demand‑anchored ecosystems that improve bankability and enable scale Africa’s domestic capital base has reached a scale that now exceeds external financing flows over the past decade, marking a turning point in how the continent funds its growth and industrialisation, according to the Africa Finance Corporation’s (www.AfricaFC.org) State of Africa’s Infrastructure Report 2026. SAIR 2026 finds that cumulative external flows to Africa totalled approximately US$1.7 trillion between 2014 and 2024, while Africa’s non-bank domestic capital pools exceed US$2 trillion. The implication is clear: African capital now has a stronger foundation to play a significantly larger role in financing the continent’s development. Launched at The Africa We Build Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by AFC and H.E. Dr William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya, the SAIR 2026 report argues that the overarching development priority has shifted from capital mobilisation to intermediation—converting savings into infrastructure, industry, and productive investment at scale. “The constraint is no longer capital—it is intermediation," Samaila Zubairu, President & CEO of AFC, said at the The Africa We Build Summit today. "We have the savings, but not yet the systems to channel them into infrastructure and industry at scale. Closing that gap is now Africa’s most important economic task. The next phase of Africa’s infrastructure story must move beyond standalone assets towards integrated systems." Local Capital on the Rise Driving the increase in domestic institutional capital, pension and insurance assets have surpassed US$1 trillion for the first time. Public development bank assets stand at US$276 billion, and sovereign wealth funds at US$164 billion, while central bank reserves increased from US$480 billion in 2024 to US$530 billion in 2025. This increase has been supported in part by stronger commodity dynamics and rising gold accumulation. Gold now represents approximately 17% of Africa’s total reserves, up from less than 10% in 2022–2023, while physical holdings rose from 663 tonnes in 2022 to an estimated 738 tonnes in 2025. Despite its increased scale, domestic capital remains largely concentrated in short-term, low-risk assets—particularly government securities—reflecting limited investable pipelines, regulatory incentives favouring liquidity, and insufficient risk-sharing mechanisms. The result is a persistent gap between available savings and long-term productive investment. External Financing Recedes At the same time, external financing is becoming less reliable, reinforcing the case for a domestic capital-led development model. Official development assistance to Africa fell from US$83.8 billion in 2020 to US$73.5 billion in 2023 and is projected to decline further. The OECD estimates global official development assistance fell 23.1% in 2025, the largest annual contraction on record. Sovereign issuance remains well below pre-2019 levels, falling from over US$29 billion in 2018 to US$4–6 billion annually in 2022–2023, while foreign direct investment has remained concentrated at roughly US$45–55 billion annually, insufficient to meet the continent’s broad investment needs. As a result, external capital is increasingly complementary, rather than foundational , to Africa’s development model. From Assets to Integrated Systems The biggest potential for capital deployment lies in demand-driven integrated infrastructure, according to SAIR 2026. In transport and logistics, corridors deliver the greatest value when designed as production ecosystems rather than transit routes—linking ports, rail, roads, logistics, storage, and trade facilitation to industrial demand. A continental backbone is already taking shape; the opportunity now is to improve performance, execution, and coordination. This is particularly evident in East Africa. Mombasa—one of Africa’s busiest ports—handles more than 45 million tonnes of cargo annually, while rail investments are extending connectivity inland, including along the Naivasha–Kisumu corridor. In aviation, SAIR 2026 identifies air transport as the most immediate and scalable lever for integration. Across Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia, aviation contributes a combined US$5.5 billion to GDP and supports around one million jobs, demonstrating how connectivity can rapidly translate into trade and growth. Similarly, in energy, the priority is no longer incremental capacity additions alone, but integrated systems combining generation, transmission, storage, fuels, and industrial demand. Cross-border infrastructure such as the Ethiopia–Kenya interconnector shows how regional systems can move power to where it is needed most and improve system-wide efficiency. Resilience Gap Recent shocks—from Russia–Ukraine to the 2026 Gulf crisis—underscore the cost of fragmented systems and the urgency of building domestic processing, storage, and supply-chain resilience. The continent continues to import over 70% of its refined fuel and faces an estimated US$230 billion annual import bill across essential goods—including fuel, food, plastics, steel, and fertiliser, according to SAIR 2026. In digital infrastructure, while connectivity has expanded rapidly, the next opportunity lies in building the “missing middle”—terrestrial backbone networks, metro fibre, data centres, Internet Exchange Points, and enterprise platforms that convert connectivity into productivity, services exports, and job creation. Across all sectors and African countries, the report’s conclusion is consistent: the development challenge is increasingly institutional and systemic. Capital exists, and infrastructure assets are expanding. The next breakthrough will come from linking finance, energy, transport, industry, and digital systems into coherent ecosystems capable of supporting growth at scale. “Africa is not capital-poor—it is capital-rich but system-poor,” said Zubairu. “The priority must be to build the institutions, instruments, and project pipelines required to deploy that capital into infrastructure and industry at scale.”

Africa’s Financial Future Is Domestically Funded

May 9, 2026

Safaricom launches Lipa Na M-PESA Cash Back Promotion

March 18, 2018

HOT NEWS

News

Global Actors gather to forge a common front against Illicit Trade

Feature

Canon launches two lenses in the RF family

Executive Corner

Facebook Steps Up Efforts to Help East Africa Tackle Misinformation on...

News

Luis Garcia To Grace Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom National Final

EDITOR PICKS

DHL Expands Heavy Cargo Service

May 14, 2026

As global carbon markets shift from rule‑setting to real transactions, with Article 6 mechanisms advancing and compliance‑driven demand such as CORSIA coming into sharper focus, attention is turning to where credible supply and policy certainty can be delivered at scale. For Africa, this marks a transition from carbon market readiness to delivery. Against this backdrop, the Carbon Markets Africa Summit (CMAS) 2026 will take place from 13–15 October 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda, bringing together policymakers, investors, buyers, project developers and market enablers at a pivotal moment for global carbon markets. The Summit is delivered with the support of the Ministry of Environment of Rwanda, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and AUDA‑NEPAD, and with support from private sector partners such as SGS and Anthesis. Rwanda has emerged as one of Africa’s most advanced carbon market jurisdictions, with active engagement under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and a strong focus on mobilising climate finance. “Rwanda has made a deliberate choice to position carbon markets as a tool for climate action, investment mobilisation and long-term development,” said Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye, Minister of Environment, Rwanda. “Hosting CMAS 2026 reflects our commitment to building credible and investable carbon projects that deliver real value for our economy, communities and climate goals.” At a continental level, carbon markets are increasingly seen as a strategic financing mechanism for development. “The Summit provides a timely platform for African countries to shape the future of carbon markets in line with the continent’s development priorities, and reflects the growing momentum to build credible, high-integrity markets that deliver real value”, said Olufunso Somorin, Regional Principal Officer, Climate Change and Green Growth Programme, African Development Bank. “The Bank remains committed to working with our countries and partners to strengthen the policy, regulatory, and institutional frameworks needed to scale carbon markets, attract investments, and ensure Africa is well-positioned in global carbon markets.” “As Africa transitions to a low‑carbon economy, the mobilisation of private capital is needed at scale to support climate mitigation activities and build climate‑resilient infrastructure,” said Kumesh Naidoo, Carbon Markets Lead at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). “As a regional DFI, the DBSA recognises the importance of carbon markets as a climate finance tool and has intentionally stepped forward to support their development through carbon financial instruments, capacitation support and the building of a robust carbon project pipeline. Partnering with CMAS 2026 provides the DBSA with a platform to advance these objectives.” CMAS 2026 is held under the theme: “Africa’s Carbon Markets on the Global Stage: Delivering a Strong Pipeline of Projects, Capital and Transactions at Scale”. As scrutiny on carbon market integrity intensifies, Africa’s carbon assets are increasingly viewed as tools for financing development and strengthening economic sovereignty. “High‑quality carbon markets offer Africa a unique opportunity to translate its vast natural capital into tangible economic value – mobilising finance at scale while empowering countries to pursue development pathways that are both sustainable and sovereign,” said Maxwell Gomera, UNDP Resident Representative in South Africa and Director of the Africa Sustainable Finance Hub. Designed as a market‑enabling platform, CMAS 2026 focuses on alignment between policy, capital and delivery. “We are deliberately shifting the focus from readiness to delivery,” said Emmanuelle Nicholls, Group Director: Green Economy at VUKA Group, the Summit organisers. “CMAS brings policy, capital and projects into the same space to support real transactions and long‑term market credibility.” The programme includes Article 6 and CORSIA workshops, investor and buyer roundtables, curated project presentations, deal rooms and solution‑labs addressing key bottlenecks such as early‑stage finance, MRV capacity and authorisation in practice. Ministerial roundtable and targeted networking formats support coordination and commercial outcomes. Register: https://apo-opa.co/49Kcmpy Get involved: https://apo-opa.co/3R8m6DR

Africa Powers Carbon Market Delivery

May 14, 2026

Strengthening Africa’s Export Finance Future

May 14, 2026

Third Africa Islamic Finance Forum Confirmed for Nigeria March 2018

March 23, 2018

EABL signs lease deal for office space in upcoming Garden City...

March 14, 2018

Facebook Introduces Messenger Rooms and More ways to connect

April 27, 2020

Tag: Prof Simon Gicharu

MKU launches Kes20 Million hotel

MOST POPULAR

Earth Day 2019: Protecting Our Species

From aid worker to refugee and back in war-torn Sudan

Africa’s Financial Future Is Domestically Funded

Safaricom launches Lipa Na M-PESA Cash Back Promotion

HOT NEWS

Global Actors gather to forge a common front against Illicit Trade

Canon launches two lenses in the RF family

Facebook Steps Up Efforts to Help East Africa Tackle Misinformation on...

Luis Garcia To Grace Chapa Dimba Na Safaricom National Final

EDITOR PICKS

DHL Expands Heavy Cargo Service

Africa Powers Carbon Market Delivery

Strengthening Africa’s Export Finance Future

POPULAR POSTS

Third Africa Islamic Finance Forum Confirmed for Nigeria March 2018

EABL signs lease deal for office space in upcoming Garden City...

Facebook Introduces Messenger Rooms and More ways to connect

POPULAR CATEGORY