President William Ruto led the country in giving the late Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) General Francis Ogolla a befitting send-off.

General Ogolla was laid to rest at his Alego home in Siaya County in a colourful ceremony complete with a 19-gun salute.

President Ruto said the country had lost a great military leader who served his country with passion and unwavering commitment.

He described General Ogolla as a consummate military officer, a passionate commander and a patriot of great humility and integrity.

“Many people do not understand the loss that we have incurred as a country. There are very few leaders who can fit in the categorisation and shoes of General Ogolla,” he said.

Speaking during General Ogolla’s burial service at Obama K’Ogello Primary School, President Ruto said he was proud to have appointed and worked with the fallen CDF.

“He loved this country and wanted the best for Kenya and would stop at nothing to make sure that Kenya was safe,” he said.

Present were First Lady Rachel Ruto, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, governors, Cabinet Secretaries and MPs, among others.

The President assured the country of thorough investigation on the cause of the accident that claimed General Ogolla’s and the lives of nine other Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers.

“I want to assure the country that KDF and the Kenya Air Force have the requisite integrity and professionalism to make sure that there will be no shroud of doubt on what happened to General Ogolla,” he said.

The President said the days of extrajudicial killings and political assassinations are long gone.

“There shall never be extrajudicial killings or political assassinations. It will never happen again that bodies float in River Yala. Not under my watch,” he said.

President Ruto also said tribalism and ethnicity will no longer drive the politics and governance of the country. He said every Kenyan will have an opportunity to serve the nation on account of merit as opposed to tribalism and political affiliation.

“There is no position reserved for any group or any community or any region. Kenya belongs to all of us,” he said.

This, he said, will give every child in the country hope that they can grow up and become anything they want.

“I want every child, as they grow up in Kenya, to know that merit is going to be the yardstick of how far they can go,” he said.

“That is the Kenya we all want to belong to. That is the Kenya I will work hard to make sure becomes a reality,” he added.

Mr Gachagua commended General Ogolla’s leadership capabilities, saying he made an impact in the military during his tenure of service.

Mr Mudavadi said the late CDF was not only an accomplished military leader but also a diplomat.

“He used these skills to serve his country,” he said

Mr Wetang’ula said the late CDF was a fine military leader whose contribution to the nation’s security is invaluable.

“He had clarity of mind of what we needed to do to secure our region,” he said.

Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale described General Ogolla as disciplined and a man of honour whose leadership in the military will be missed.

Siaya Governor James Orengo, Senator Oburu Oginga, and Opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua also spoke.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of President of the Republic of Kenya.

For the third consecutive year, EU in Egypt and Team Europe are participating in @edutech.egy – the Third Edition of EduTech Expo – International Fair and Forum for Technical, Vocational Education, Training, and Career Pathways, attended by the Deputy Head of the EU Delegation in Egypt, Anne Schouw. 

At the event, Ms. Schouw emphasised the EU’s commitment to Egypt’s TVET sector, enhancing employability, and fostering sustainable development. As we celebrate the Year of Skills, the EU remains dedicated to promoting inclusive and quality education, expanding awareness of global trends in developing vocational and entrepreneurial skills, developing competences and entrepreneurial skills and exploring the TVET pathways to higher education and labor market trends.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Delegation of the European Union to Egypt.

Africa can build a more prosperous, just, and sustainable future if countries invest in science, technology and innovation, these are sentiments echoed by African leaders, representatives and experts at the opening of the two-day Sixth African Science, Technology and Innovation (STI)  Forum in Addis Ababa Ethiopia.

Science, innovation and technology, they said, are critical to the transformation of the continent in agriculture, industry and poverty eradication.

Held ahead of the African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, the STI Forum is a pre-event organized by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in collaboration with the African Union Commission and other partners under the theme, “Effective delivery of innovative science and technology solutions to reinforce the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 and eradicate poverty in Africa.”

Belete Molla, Minister of Technology and Innovation, Ethiopia, said fostering innovation in key sectors like agriculture, clean energy, and healthcare, can create jobs, improve livelihoods, and lift millions out of poverty in Africa.

He said Ethiopia’s commitment to improving its agricultural sector and ensuring food security is a good example to be emulated by other countries in Africa.

“Ethiopia has developed a food system transformation roadmap and launched several initiatives focused on boosting agricultural productivity, achieving self-sufficiency, and combating climate change. These initiatives include improving access to fertilizers, seeds, and technologies for farmers,” he said.

Additionally Mr. Molla said Ethiopia has not only created a roadmap for food system transformation, but actively implemented numerous initiatives. These initiatives prioritize boosting agricultural resilience, achieving food self-sufficiency, and combating climate change.

The country recently amended its Science and Technology policy, placing a strong emphasis on fostering innovation and harnessing the potential of emerging technologies. The country has also enacted a national Digital Transformation strategy named “Digital Ethiopia 2025”

For his part, Antonio Pedro, Deputy Executive Secretary for Programme Support at the ECA said Africa must invest in human capital development, research and development (R&D), and in learning how to produce, sell and use emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and genomics that are transforming every aspect of life.

“Technology should advance the wellbeing of the millions of households, farmers, fishermen, and many others that still use basic tools to lift themselves out of extreme poverty,” said Mr. Pedro.

“Science and technology can play an important role in increasing the efficiency of service delivery to the poor, monitoring living conditions, predicting impending crises in crowded or remote areas and informing decision-making during crises,” said Mr. Pedro.

The STI Forum he said is specifically designed to foster collaboration, the diffusion of technology and innovation, and the scaling up of policy and operational efforts to accelerate the contribution of science, technology and innovation to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda.

According to the ECA Executive Secretary, the STI forum has over the years, grown to become a premier platform for addressing the opportunities and challenges that science, technology and innovation offer for fostering strategic partnerships and implementation of scalable and innovative solutions.

He noted that in 2022, the Forum launched the Alliance of Entrepreneurial Universities in Africa. The Alliance has since stimulated Universities and their 19 million students in Africa to nurture start-ups aimed at creating one 100 million jobs and generate $200 billion in revenue in ten years (that is by 2033).

Similarly, in 2023, the continental problem-solving and innovation platform called Origin was launched in Niamey, Niger, as the first Origin Research and Innovation Hub for East Africa at Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) in Kenya. It has registered hundreds of problem solvers, has its own physical space, staff and partners from the private and public sectors.

“The ECA’s coding camps for girls and women are an example of how we can empower young women to become the next tech entrepreneurs and innovators. We have trained two thousand young girls and women so far. However, to trigger transformational change, we must replicate these examples again and again across the continent,” said Mr. Pedro

Lidia Arthur Brito, Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, UNESCO said international collaboration in science is an ideal way to foster peace and sustainable development.

“By investing in science and promoting innovation, African societies can empower youth to become the drivers not only of economic growth and job creation but also drivers of solutions to pressing environmental challenges,” said Ms. Brito adding that when research is linked to society, to local communities, it deploys its full potential for socio-economic development.

She underscored a critical challenge – financial sustainability – which she said impacts on many African tech hubs. “They are reliant on grants from development partners and international donors to survive, in the near absence of local business angels and seed capital.”

Javier Pérez, Ambassador, Delegation of the European Union to the African Union and ECA, said science and technology advances development in societies. If young people and women are empowered to become the next technology entrepreneurs and innovators, they are likely to trigger transformational change.

“The European Union is investing 279 million Euros in Africa for research and innovation to support both the SDGs and Agenda 2063 for Africa,” said Mr. Perez.

The African Science, Technology and Innovation Forum was established by the Conference of Ministers, in its resolution 961 (LI) of 15 May 2018, to take all steps necessary to organize a regular multi-stakeholder forum on science, technology and innovation as an input into the work of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).

President Cyril Ramaphosa has expressed his deep sadness at the passing of liberation struggle veteran and former Pan Africanist Congress (PAC) President Dr Motsoko Pheko.

Dr Pheko passed away at the age of 93 on Friday, 19 April 2024.

President Ramaphosa offers his condolences to the family, comrades and associates nationally and internationally of Dr Pheko who formerly served as the PAC Representative to the United Nations and as a Member of Parliament during his distinguished political career.

He was a lawyer, author of 45 books, theologian, academic and historian.

President Ramaphosa said: “With the passing of Motsoko Pheko, we are grateful for the extended lifetime during which this son of Lesotho became a champion of our liberation struggle and fought for the rights of dispossessed and landless people who had endured colonialism and apartheid.

“His diverse qualifications and interests made Motsoko Pheko an invaluable contributor to human development and the intellectual heritage of our nation and that of our continent whose causes and accomplishments were uppermost in his consciousness and activism.

“As we observe 30 Years of Freedom, we honour all individuals and political traditions who brought about the dispensation in which we live today and to whom we remain indebted.

“May Motsoko Pheko rest in peace.”

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.