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    Kenya makes public China agreements for $3bn railway

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    After years of secrecy, the Kenyan public can now have a look at the documents for the $3 billion Kenyan railway project signed with China in 2014.

    This is as Kenya’s Transport Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, took to twitter to say “As promised I have released the SGR agreements to the people of Kenya. I have given a copy to the Majority Leaders for them to table in the respective Houses of Parliament. I have also shared a copy with the media.”

    Cover page of the deal. Source: Twitter

    Taking details of the railway’s loan agreements public was one of President William Ruto’s campaign promises aimed at ending speculation among Kenyans on what the government signed on their behalf by the national treasury.

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    Local media coverage of the released agreements indicates that the Chinese lenders, Export and Import (Exim) Bank of China, were given sweeping powers. For instance, it requires arbitration of any dispute to be held in Beijing and the main contractor of the project was exempted from all taxes.

    In 2020 the Chinese foreign ministry denied claims that the Mombasa port, one of the biggest in sub-Saharan Africa, was used as collateral in the agreement.

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    The $3bn Chinese-funded and operated railway line, which is Kenya’s biggest infrastructure project since independence in 1963, runs between the port city of Mombasa and the capital, Nairobi.

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    Its viability has been repeatedly questioned by critics since it was launched by former President, Uhuru Kenyatta, who hailed it as a new chapter in the country’s history.

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    In 2018, Kenya Railways head, Atanas Maina, and National Land Commission chairman, Muhammad Swazuri, were charged to court with fraud over the building of the railway line. They were accused of paying more than $2m in compensation to private firms which falsely claimed to own land through which the line ran.

    The railway is part of China’s “Belt and Road” project, its largest foreign initiative to date with multibillion-dollar investments in ports, railways and other facilities.

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    Africa

    Online Confrontation Erupts as Man Urges Internet Spiritualist Uzihben to Embrace Christianity, Met with Counterclaim

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    In a digitally-fueled confrontation that sparked intense debate across social media platforms, an unknown individual challenged prominent Internet Spiritualist Uzihben to embrace Christianity, only to receive a counterclaim from Uzihben urging him to reconnect with his ancestral roots. The fiery exchange of words unfolded on October 3, 2023, and has since become a hot topic of discussion in online communities.

    The dispute, which originated on Uzihben’s social media channel, began when a man, a devout Christian, publicly implored Uzihben to accept Jesus Christ as his savior and renounce his spiritualist beliefs. The man argued that Christianity provided the path to salvation and spiritual enlightenment.

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    In response to the man’s call for conversion, Uzihben retorted with a message emphasizing the importance of ancestral reverence and heritage. Uzihben encouraged the to explore his own ancestral spirituality and traditions, arguing that connecting with one’s roots can be a profound and fulfilling spiritual journey.

    The online exchange escalated as both parties defended their respective beliefs and perspectives. The man reiterated his conviction that Christianity offered the ultimate spiritual truth and salvation, while Uzihben emphasized the value of diverse spiritual paths and the need to respect individual choices.

    As the debate raged on, observers on social media weighed in with a variety of opinions. Some supported the man’s efforts to share his faith, while others praised Uzihben for championing the idea of exploring one’s cultural and ancestral heritage as a source of spiritual fulfillment.

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    While the exchange remained largely civil, it underscored the ongoing tension between different belief systems and the challenges of religious and spiritual dialogue in the age of the internet. The encounter left both the man and Uzihben with firm convictions in their respective faiths and worldviews.

    In the aftermath of this online confrontation, discussions on the role of religion, spirituality, and cultural heritage in personal belief systems continued to reverberate through online communities. It served as a reminder of the diversity of perspectives and the importance of respectful dialogue in an increasingly interconnected world.

    See also  French investigators head to Tanzania to help probe plane crash

    As the digital age continues to foster global conversations about spirituality and belief, exchanges like this one remind us of the need for tolerance, empathy, and understanding in navigating the complex landscape of faith and spirituality in the modern era.

    Watch the video below:

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    How much is Nigeria International Passport 2023

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    In the year 2023, the cost of the standard 32 pages passport is N70,000 and 64 pages cost N100,000.

     

    See also  How much is Nigeria International Passport 2023
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    Africa

    Give us another G5 for APC to win in 2027, Akpabio tells Wike

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    Senate President, Godswill Akpabio and former Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike. [Twitter:@KingAmakiriTheo]

    Give us another G5 for APC to win in 2027, Akpabio tells Wike

    The G5 is a group of five aggrieved politicians who opposed their party’s decision to elect a northerner and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar as its flag-bearer in the 2023 presidential election.

    Meanwhile, the Senate President said he wished for another aggrieved group to emerge within the PDP ahead of the next general elections to make things easier for his party.

    “I want to thank you for all your efforts to bring justice to Nigeria,” the Senate President said.

    And I want to thank the G5 Governors.

    “We are very delighted, we are proud to have G5. Please, ensure that in 2027, another G5 emerges so that APC will continue to do well in this country. And if you like, you can add two more, make it G7 and not only G5,” Akpabio added.

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