Kenya to establish ‘revolutionary’ data centre for Africa

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from MARIA MACHARIA in Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya Bureau
NAIROBI, (CAJ News) – KENYA is to construct a 1 gigawatt data centre that officials believe will be iconic for the continent.

It will be constructed in partnership with Eco-Cloud, G42 investment group and Microsoft in Naivasha, northwest of the capital Nairobi.

Timelines have not been disclosed.

“The facility will be a revolutionary investment powered by green energy,” said President William Ruto.

He spoke after meeting executives from Eco-Cloud, G42 investment and Microsoft on Wednesday.

The meeting coincided with Kenya hosting the 24th edition of the Transform Africa Summit.

It is the continent’s leading annual forum that aims at fostering innovation, collaboration and sustainable development across Africa.

Engineer John Tanui, the Principal Secretary in the State Department for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Economy, attended the meeting alongside President Ruto with the investors for the data centre.

Discussions centred on digital infrastructure, connectivity, digital skills, the semiconductor industry and cyber security.

“The meeting provided an invaluable opportunity to exchange insights and perspectives, fostering collaborative efforts both US and Kenya towards advancing these critical areas of mutual interest,” Tanui said.

Gina Raimondo, US Secretary of Commerce, was part of the meeting.

She commended Kenya as a leader on the continent on digital transformation and Kenya’s strides to achieve its green Silicon Savanah aspirations.

“We see Kenya as a leader in business, technology, digitisation, and a model for engagement across Africa,” Raimondo said.

– CAJ News

Chinese duo faces illegal mining charges in Nigeria

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from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) -TWO Chinese nationals have appeared in a Nigerian court over allegations of illegal mining.

Duan Ya Hong and Xiao Yi, alongside their company, Ebuy Concept Limited, have appeared before Justice Evelyn Anyadike of the Federal High Court sitting in Ilorin.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) seeks their prosecution following their arrest in the western Kwara State in February.

The defendants have pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Following their pleas, counsel to the EFCC, Innocent Mbachie, asked the court to remand the defendants in the custody of the Nigerian Correctional Service pending the hearing and determination of the case.

He further prayed the court to fix a date for trial to enable the prosecution to prove its case.

The defence has appealed for bail, which has been granted at N5 million (US$3 827 or ¥27 738) with two sureties each.

The matter has been adjourned to May 16, for commencement of trial.

– CAJ News

Call to boycott Israel aligned brands

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by AKANI CHAUKE in Johannesburg & EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja
Africa Bureaus
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AFRICAN citizens are calling for a global boycott of international companies aligned to Israel as the Zionist state expands its crimes against humanity in Palestine.

A majority of these companies are from Britain, France, United States and most of Europe, said to be abetting Israel. Some are widely believed to be aiding Israel Defence Forces (IDF) and the police force.

Already, some students at various US universities have ramped up protests against the Washington government’s complicity as Palestinian children, women and the elderly are being killed daily in cold blood.

The African voices insist companies that include Bae Systems, Caterpillar, Cisco, Coca-Cola, General Mills, General Dynamics, Hewlett-Packard (HP), L’Oréal, Lockheed Martin, McDonald’s, Motorola, Northrop Grumman, Pepsi, Starbucks, among others should be boycotted.

“Amazon and Google must be added to the list too. These two assist Israel defence forces with surveillance and security infrastructure in the West Bank and Gaza. Just last week, we witnessed their employees walkout from their premises in the United States citing complicity,” argued South African activist Amogelang Mokoena.

Nigeria entrepreneur, Adanna Yusuf, said: “I’m deeply ashamed of HP, Caterpillar, McDonald’s, Motorola, and Starbucks’ attitudes. Our policy makers must make sure these companies are kicked out of African soil with immediate effect. We will not miss them at all.”

In October last year, the firebrand Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema called upon South Africans and the rest of the African continent to boycott Woolworths and McDonald’s stores for selling products obtained from Israel.

“Woolworths has a responsibility by the end of this month (January) to remove every product on their shelves that comes from Israel. If they don’t, we will remove it ourselves. They have until month end to issue a statement distancing itself from what McDonald’s is doing in Israel, giving food to murder women and children,” Malema said.

Caterpillar is accused of providing machinery to crash Palestinian properties, mainly houses, hospitals, synagogues, schools as well as excavating Palestinians’ mass graves.

General Mills is accused of producing its products mainly from the Palestinian land while L’oreal is said not to be caring about Israel’s crimes against humanity, killing of children and women, Israel’s segregation against Gazans, and mass murder.

The giant tech Motorola’s solutions are being used by Israel defence for surveillance in order to bomb Palestinian targets for women and children while Pepsi is cited as the chief funder for the Israeli military activities in the Golan Heights.

Starbucks is accused of exploiting Israel’s violence to enhance its business profitability.

Daw Udchen concurred: “Those companies are sick. Boycotting them is our responsibility for our current and future generation to live in a free world.”

Sarudzai Munungwa said she and her husband have boycotted a restaurant reportedly owned by Coca Cola and we both stopped.

“We started going to a local coffee shop which is actually opposite a Starbucks. The coffee is nice but it took a few weeks to adjust,” she said.

– CAJ News

Rising doubts over credible elections in Togo

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from ESSIE KOMBATE in Lome, Togo
Togo Correspondent
LOME, (CAJ News) – AHEAD of the elections in Togo, a French journalist has been arrested and deported.

The country’s media regulatory body has suspended accreditation for foreign journalists covering the election.

Generally, there are increasing threats to the media in the West African country towards the parliamentary and regional elections on Monday.

This casts doubts over a credible poll.

This month, authorities arrested and expelled French journalist, Thomas Dietrich.

He works for the news outlet, XXI Africa.

Togo’s elections were set to take place on April 13, then April 20. However, the government postponed them to April 29 following tension around a constitutional change moving the country from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system.

Dietrich was in Togo to cover the political crisis around the constitutional reform as well as the elections.

However, he was arrested on April 15 after the media regulatory body denied him accreditation.

Authorities handed him a six-month suspended sentence for illegal entry into the country and deported him the following day.

“It is increasingly worrying how authorities are restricting press freedom in Togo,” lamented Nompilo Simanje, International Press Institute (IPI) Africa Advocacy and Partnership Lead.

  “Togo authorities must allow the media to report freely on the electoral process and guarantee press freedom. Free and independent media coverage of the elections is indispensable for credibility and transparency.”

The recent expulsion of Dietrich and the suspension of accreditation for foreign journalists are the latest concerning developments.

Authorities have reportedly employed spyware technology to surveil journalists.

Recently, authorities detained journalist Appolinaire Mewenemesse of the newspaper La Dépêche in response to an article questioning the conviction of a high-ranking military officer in the murder of another officer believed to be close to President Faure Gnassingbe.

Authorities later released Mewenemesse but charged him on several counts, including publication of fake news and incitement.

Before his arrest, the media regulatory body had suspended his newspaper for three months over the article.

In 2023, a court sentenced journalists Ferdinand Ayite and Isidore Kouwonou of the newspaper Alternative to three years over a YouTube broadcast critical of two government ministers.

They fled into exile out of fear for their safety.

Additionally, authorities detained journalists Loic Lawson and Anani Sossou for several days after Togo’s housing minister filed a defamation complaint against them.

The journalist had reported about a burglary at the minister’s house.

Gnassingbe (57) has been in power since the death of his father, Eyadéma Gnassingbé, in 2005. The Union for the Republic dominates political life.

On Tuesday, the Electoral Commission rejected the Catholic Church’s request to deploy observers during the upcoming vote. More than 4,2 million Togolese are registered to vote in the country of 9 million people.

– CAJ News

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