Kenya Roundup: Uganda oil importation feud, police deployment to Haiti, housing project

Resolution of oil importation row with Uganda

Uganda can now import petroleum products through the port of Mombasa, following the resolution of an oil importation row with Kenya. On March 27, Kenya's Energy Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir announced that the Uganda National Oil Company (Unoc) was in the process of obtaining a permit to import fuel directly through Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). “You will see Unoc getting a licence and then we will see how to work together because usage of our pipeline is an opportunity for us,” Chirchir said. This agreement resolves diplomatic problems and ensures that Unoc will continue to use Kenyan infrastructure for its imports, despite previous considerations of using Tanzanian ports.

Police deployment to Haiti

Kenya's proposal to send police to assist in tackling gang violence in Haiti has been met with heavy criticism and legal opposition within Kenya. The recent resignation of Haiti's Prime Minister, coupled with the increasing levels of violence, has raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of the mission. Several Kenyan paramilitaries who were scheduled to be deployed have withdrawn, and opposition leaders are questioning the deployment of elite forces abroad when there are still security challenges that need to be addressed domestically. Kenya's involvement in the deployment is perceived as a tactic to maintain relations with the US and to bolster the country's international reputation, according to the Guardian. Some observers doubt the effectiveness of deploying a multinational force to address the crisis in Haiti and instead suggest that supporting and strengthening Haitian institutions may be a more sustainable approach.

Affordable housing project

As part of its Big Four agenda in 2018, Kenya's government launched an affordable housing project that aimed to provide decent housing for low and middle-income earners. Legal obstacles, opposition, and challenges in the housing sector have hindered the progress of the project. The project initially aimed to build 500,000 housing units in five years, but only 13,529 units were built by the end of 2022. The Kenyan government had mandated a levy on workers to fund the project, but it was declared unconstitutional by the court. Critics argue that the housing project primarily benefits middle-class workers while housing allocations are issued through a bidding process, leading to controversies over land ownership and evictions.

Bribes to access government services

A new report by Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) reveals that Kenyans have to pay bribes to access government services. Nairobi, the capital of the East African nation had the largest share of national bribes at 54.45%. Those seeking employment pay the highest amount of bribes while the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government is the most bribe-prone ministry at 47.1 per cent. The report surveyed 5,100 Kenyan respondents and used both quantitative and qualitative research methods, the Nation reports.

Bodies of religious cult members released

Kenya's government on March 26 handed over the bodies of 429 members of a doomsday cult to relatives. The victims lost their lives after they were asked by cult leader Paul Mackenzie to starve themselves to death to meet Jesus. Exhumed bodies show signs of starvation and strangulation.  DNA testing is being used to identify bodies and their families. Francis Wanje, mourning his daughter and seven other family members said “We lost eight members of our family. We were supposed to get five but were told that one of the children did not match the DNA.” In February, Mackenzie and dozens of his acolytes faced accusations of torturing and killing 191 children. The trial begins on April 23, AP News reported.