🔅 From Presidential Jets to Hippo-Filled Streets
Kenya's $1.5M Trip Outrage, Eskom's Bold Claims, and Burundi's Climate Crisis
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Kenya's President $1.5M Trip to the US Sparks Outrage
President William Ruto of Kenya has jetted off to the United States for a four-day state visit, but it's not his agenda that's causing a stir – it's his choice of transportation. The president and his entourage opted for a luxurious private jet that cost $1.5 million to hire.
When questioned about the hefty price tag, government spokesman Isaac Mwaura brushed off concerns, seemingly confident that the trip would be money well spent.
Back home, however, Kenyans are less than thrilled about their president's lavish travel arrangements. With the government imposing additional taxes on everything from bread to mobile money transfers, and urging citizens to live within their means, many feel that the president's actions are a slap in the face. Some critics argue that the taxes are merely funding government extravagance rather than improving public services.
The Mystery of the Presidential Plane
It remains unclear why President Ruto chose to charter a private jet instead of using the usual presidential plane, affectionately known as Harambee One. Some speculate that safety concerns about the nearly 30-year-old aircraft may have prompted the decision. Others wonder if the president simply wanted to arrive in style, making a grand entrance on the world stage.
And the US government itself was quick to clarify that they did not pay for President Ruto's jet, perhaps sensing that they didn't want to be associated with the backlash. A spokesperson for the US embassy in Nairobi made it clear: "Just to be clear: The United States of America did not pay for President Ruto's jet to the US." Message received, loud and clear.
This isn't the first time President Ruto's travel habits have come under scrutiny. Since taking office in 2022, he has embarked on more than 50 visits abroad, averaging more than three per month. One presidential economic adviser even admitted that the administration has an "itchy feet problem."
As President Ruto continues his US visit, meeting with President Biden to discuss trade, security, and Kenya's pledge to lead a mission in Haiti, Kenyans back home are left wondering if their leader's extravagant travel habits are truly in the nation's best interest.
Eskom's Chair Claims Blackouts are a Thing of the Past, but South Africans Remain Skeptical
Mteto Nyati, the chair of South Africa's beleaguered state-owned utility Eskom, has boldly declared that the company's crippling electricity blackouts, which have plagued the country for nearly a decade, are now "fixed."
Nyati, an engineer and former chief executive of MTN South Africa, claims that structural changes to Eskom's fleet of power stations have dramatically reduced the chances of future load shedding (blackouts).
The Timing is Everything (or is it?)
Nyati's announcement comes just days before South Africa's most consequential elections since the end of apartheid in 1994. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is predicted to lose its majority, with load shedding being a major symbol of the party's economic mismanagement.
Eskom recently celebrated 50 days without imposing blackouts, a psychological milestone for the embattled utility. However, skeptics suspect that this achievement came at the cost of billions of rand spent on diesel to fuel gas turbines and fill the electricity gap.
Nyati counters this claim by pointing to Eskom's data, which shows a sharp decline in diesel spending and an increase in the energy availability factor, a key metric indicating the amount of electricity capacity that can be deployed to the grid.
According to Nyati, the key to Eskom's turnaround has been targeting underperforming coal-fired power stations, particularly the six out of 14 that were responsible for nearly three-quarters of the problems. By overhauling the management of these facilities, enforcing discipline, and ensuring that staff followed standard operating procedures, Eskom says it has been able to address the root causes of its woes.
As Eskom looks to the future, the bigger challenge may be adapting to a world where renewable energy is the dominant source. According to de Ruyter, the question is whether "Eskom will spend money on expanding the grid, or on extending the life of old coal-fired power stations."
For now, South Africans will have to wait and see if Nyati's claims hold true after the election, or if, as he jokingly suggests, "there'll probably be another conspiracy theory, because people just don't want to accept we've fixed Eskom."
Burundi's Climate Crisis: When Hippos and Crocs Roam the Streets
Burundians and waking up and stepping out of their homes, only to come face-to-face with hippos strolling down their muddy street. This is a reality for many residents of Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi, where months of severe flooding have driven thousands from their homes and and invited water animals closer to them.
Burundi, a tiny nation of 13 million people with the world's lowest income per capita, is bearing the brunt of a climate crisis that has plagued the world's poorest nation for years. After contending with prolonged droughts, eastern and central Africa has been hit by torrential rains spurred by the El Niño weather phenomenon, causing devastation across the region.
Bujumbura, situated on the northeastern shores of Lake Tanganyika (the longest freshwater lake after Siberia's Baikal), has been particularly hard hit. The city, usually known for its stunning beaches and lush hills, has experienced near-constant rainfall since the start of last year, submerging homes, cars, and even hospitals.
Rising Water Levels and Soil Degradation
The deluge is a double hit for the towns and cities around Lake Tanganyika, which straddles four nations. Water levels have repeatedly hit record highs, while Burundi has lost over 5% of its arable land area every year since 2020 due to soil degradation.
And so, as if the sight of wild animals wandering through the streets wasn't enough, Burundi is now also facing a looming food crisis. Grain shortages have intensified, swelling the ranks of the 5.4 million Burundians who were classified as food-insecure prior to the latest flooding.
It's a bleak picture, one that's unlikely to improve anytime soon, and the world cannot go on ignoring the plight of the most vulnerable on the front lines of the climate crisis.
Food for Thought
“Even the best cooking pot will not produce food."