News Africa Extended

News Africa Extended

No power for eight hours a day in Zambia

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 02:25 AM PDT

Zambians have been told nation-wide load-shedding will be extended foom four to eight hours per day.

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Gaborone - The Zambian Electricity Supply Commission (Zesco) has extended the duration of its nation-wide load-shedding regime from four to eight hours per day in response to subdued generation capacity at the major hydro-electric power stations.

In a statement, Zesco spokesperson Bessie Banda said the power utility extended the load-shedding regime because generation capacity at the Kafue Gorge Power Station had dropped from 700MW (megawatts) to 600MW due to critically lowered water levels.

A further loss of 48MW in power generation at the Ndola Energy Company, as well as ongoing upgrade works on a 330kV (kilo-volts) main power line, also contributed to extended hours of load-shedding.

Banda said the 8-hour power outages would last until November 12.

"Zesco is committed to providing reliable electricity and is doing everything possible to ensure all transmission and generation constraints are mitigated in the shortest possible time. In particular, the line upgrade works will be completed by 11th November 2016, which will strengthen the capacity to evacuate power from Maamba," Banda said.

"We expect the extended load shedding (regime) to end by 12 November 2016. In view of the foregoing, ZESCO therefore wishes to appeal to its customers to use electricity more efficiently, and to use alternative sources of energy whenever possible," Banda said.

The drop in water levels in the Zambezi River has also reduced Zambia's power-generation capacity at the Kariba Hydro-Electric Power Station, which is operated jointly with southern neighbour Zimbabwe.

The use of obsolete technologies and a failure to maintain the plants have also led to breakdowns that resulted in loss of power generation.

African News Agency

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Man shot dead outside US embassy in Nairobi

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 01:37 AM PDT

A knife-wielding man was shot dead outside the US Embassy in Nairobi after he attacked and injured a Kenyan police officer.

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Nairobi - A knife-wielding man who police described as a criminal was shot dead outside the US Embassy in Nairobi on Thursday after he attacked and injured a Kenyan police officer.

The motive was not immediately clear, but no US embassy personnel were involved in the incident.

National police spokesman George Kinoti said an investigation had begun and said the man was killed by the police officer in self-defence.

"It was a lone criminal who attacked a police officer," Kinoti told Reuters. "He was armed with a knife"

A US Embassy spokeswoman confirmed there had been a "shooting incident" outside the mission, which is located in a heavily secured compound in the north of the capital.

"No embassy personnel were involved," US Embassy spokeswoman Fiona Evans said, without giving further details.

Kenyan media said the police officer had been guarding one of the entrances to the embassy compound when he was assaulted.

Reuters

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World Bank to fund African centres of excellence

Posted: 28 Oct 2016 12:29 AM PDT

The World Bank will fund 24 Centres of Excellence in eight African countries over a period of five years.

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Nairobi - The World Bank will fund 24 Centres of Excellence in eight African countries over a period of five years.

Dr Xiaonan Cao, senior education specialist at the World Bank told ANA in Nairobi that the centres were an innovative way to address the shortage of highly skilled human capital in the sciences.

Cao said that the World Bank would fund the 24 Centres of Excellence to the tune of US$148 million over a period of five years with each centre getting about US$6 million.

"A single country cannot afford to have a various centres of excellence. However, each country in the region has pockets of excellence and collectively the countries can help each other through this regional approach," said Cao.

Cao, team leader of the project, said that the priority areas as identified by the 24 Centres of Excellence included industry, agriculture, health, education and applied statistics.

He said the Eastern and Southern Africa Higher Education Centres of Excellence Project was result of "broad consultations with various stakeholders over a two year period".

Cao said the overall objective of the project wass development with the aim of strengthening selected eastern and southern African higher education institutions to deliver quality post graduate education.

"The centres will also build collaborative research capacity in the said five regional priority areas," said Cao, adding that each centre is required to account for the financing through show of results.

Ruth Charo, senior education specialist at the World Bank, said that 92 proposals were submitted from various regional institutions and under went a "rigorous and competitive process of selection".

Charo said that out of the 92 eligible proposals submitted, 24 were selected from eight countries:

Kenya

Uganda

Tanzania

Ethiopia

Rwanda

Malawi

Mozambique

Zambia.

Speaking at the launch in Nairobi, Professor Colletta Suda, Kenya's Principal Secretary, Higher Education, said that the eastern and southern region lags behind in generating graduates in science and technology.

"We have a shortage of graduates in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction which translates to few skilled professionals with specialised knowledge in areas such as oil and gas, energy and railways industries," said Suda.

Suda said that it was unsustainable to send most post-postgraduate students abroad for training. Hence the region's commitment to pool existing human and financial resources for a few specialised regional centres.

African News Agency

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