GLOBAL GREEN GROWTH INSTITUTE HAILS KIIRA MOTORS FOR OFFERING LOCALLY MADE GREEN MOBILITY SOLUTIONS FOR CITIES AND URBAN CENTERS

 

BY MOSES SSERWANGA

As Kiira Vehicles plant under construction by the UPDF engineering brigade gets to the 55% completion mark, Ms. Dagmar Zwebe -the Country Representative of   Global Green Growth Institute , (GGGI) has pledged to support  Kiira Motors  Corporation (KMC)’s  efforts to partner with global industry leaders to champion green mobility technologies in Uganda and Africa.

Accompanied by Dr. Muwanguzi JB Abraham, from the National Planning Authority (NPA), Ms. Zwebe , while on a visit at the   Kiira Vehicles Plant site in Jinja, was happy to note the “great strides” Kiira Motors has made to offer home made green mobility solutions for public transport in cities and urban  centers in Uganda , the East African region and the African continent .

She said that as GGGI moves to link KMC with possible international partners involved in electric vehicles manufacturing  and funding , it was imperative for the government of Uganda to fast track the development and implementation of a robust Automotive Industry Development Policy . “ We need an enabling policy environment to develop Uganda’s nascent automotive industry ,’ she stressed.

Already , Global Green Growth Institute  is supporting the government of Uganda to pursue green economic growth and to mainstream green growth principles. GGGI received a grant of USD 5,532,1791 from the European Union to implement a 36 months project aimed at greening Uganda’s urbanization and industrialization as part of the European Union’s Inclusive Green Economy Uptake Programme (GreenUP) financed under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).

At the Kiira vehciles Plant site , Ms. Zwebe was received by a team of senior  technocrats from the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) led by the Director Technopreneurship, Mr. Basil Ajer. Others present were Mr. Arthur M. Makara Commissioner ST&I Advancement and Outreach , Mr. Paul Okitoi, Commissioner , Policy and Planning , Mr. Morris Ochen , Assistant Commissioner Technology Uptake , Commercialisation and Enterprise Development, Mr. Jaspher Okello ,Principal Science Officer , ST&I Skills Development , Ms. Beatrice Nakayiki , Economist and the Kiira Motors CEO, Mr. Paul Isaac Musasizi.  The MOSTI team also conducted an -on-the -spot tour of the plant site to update themselves on the progress of the construction works .

Mr. Ajer said that MOSTI is facilitating local content participation across the automotive value chain by skilling Ugandans and supporting Ugandan innovators especially the youth .  He thanked the National Enterprise  Corporation (NEC) and the UPDF engineering brigade for the good quality construction works exhibited at the vehicles plant which will be one of the biggest in Africa.   

Mr. Musasizi told the visitors that that the immediate need for buses in Uganda can be addressed by KMC working with Luweero Industries Limited to produce eight (8) buses per month with a single shift operation before the operationalization of the Kiira Vehicle Plant in Jinja.

Cabinet has since directed KCCA to procure the Eco Buses from Kiira Motors Corporation as a condition for approving the Loan from African Development Bank.

He said that the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation commissioned a Multi-Sectoral Taskforce comprising members from the Ministries of Science Technology and Innovation; Works and Transport;  Trade Industry and Cooperatives; and Finance Planning and Economic Development.

“The Taskforce has drafted the Regulatory Impact Assessment of the Automotive Industry in Uganda and the Automotive Industry Policy. The next stage is Stakeholder Consultations. The Policy goal is 20% Value Added in the Automotive Industry in Uganda by 2030 up from the estimated 0.18% in 2019,” he stated.

Representatives from the newly created Jinja City , Mr.  Charles Nampendho the Senior Physical Planner and Mr. Ernest Nabihamba said that plans are underway to construct improve the road network to and from the plant. They commended KMC for producing the kayoola electric buses noting that sustainable mobility technologies was the way for public transport in cities and urban centers.  

 Lt. Col Wilbroad Muhwezi and Maj Eng. Geofrey Kayima who are overseeing the UPDF construction works at the plant said the UPDF engineering brigade was building the Kiira Vehicles facility “with the heart of ownership”, since it is a professional people’s army .

UGANDA CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY PLEDGES TO DEPLOY KIIRA MOTORS KAYOOLA ELECTRIC BUSES FOR AIRPORT SHUTTLE SERVICES

The management of Uganda Civil Aviation Authority , (UCAA) led by the Director General ,Mr. Fred Bamwesigye ,has pledged to have a long term partnership with Uganda’s Automotive Industry Flagship, Kiira Motors Corporation to deploy its unique fully electric buses -the Kayoola EVS for airport shuttle services.

UCCA has become the first Ugandan public entity to embraced Kiira Motors green mobility technologies when it accepted to pilot the Kayoola EVS-low- floor city electric bus to transport its staff from Kampala to the airport and back for eight weeks  from July 20^th – September 11^th , 2020.

The UCAA boss ,Mr. Bamwesigye who together with his top management team had a test ride in the Kayoola EVS bus from the organisation’s head office to the airport in Entebbe, while addressing the media stated; “ from the feedback received so far from the users (our staff) and what the management team has also experienced during the morning ride, the Kayoola buses are a welcome addition that will provide some solutions to Uganda’s road transport industry .”

Bamwesigye said that Kiira Motors concept to develop and deploy home made electric vehicles resonates well with UCAA core value of embracing new ideas and technology since  we live in a rapidly changing environment . “ It is even more pertinent that the bus is environmentally friendly because it is electric powered -which rules out the burning of diesel and associated pollution .

He commended the Kiira Motors engineers for installing the state- of- the art safety and assistive technology for people with special needs, including special seats and a ramp for easy boarding and off- boarding of people in wheelchairs. “ The onboard Wi-fi and USB charging ports for phones are a plus that make the ride comfortable,” he added.

The  Director  Marketing and Sales at Kiira Motors, Mr. Allan Muhumuza  gave a comparative advantage of the Kayoola EVS -fully Electric buses over their combustion engine cousins noting that while the owner of a diesel bus will spend UG.SHS.1,670 per kilometer , for the electric bus you will spend only UG.SHS.320 for the same distance.

Mr. Vianney Luggya, the Manager for Public Relations at UCAA said that the  feedback has so far been positive with staff impressed by the quiet ambiance, comfort and on-board amenities such as WiFi, air-conditioning, electronic device charging ports and entertainment.

KCCA SHOULD PARTNER WITH KIIRA MOTORS TO SUPPLY ECO-BUSES

By MOSES SSERWANGA
The Minister of Finance Matia Kasaija has presented  a $ 12m (UGX 45bn) request to parliament’s committee on the national economy to operationalise the Eco- bus  project in Kampala central district . It is proposed that special lanes be put in place for the Eco- (sic) electric and combustion fuel-efficient buses starting at the City Square in a ring road stretching to Jinja road, Nakawa, Ntinda- Bukoto, Kamwokya –Wandegeya and back to City  Square.
The project dubbed Kampala City Roads Rehabilitation is in line with the recently adopted National Development Plan III Integrated Transport Infrastructure Services Program whose major objective is to develop a seamless, safe, inclusive and sustainable multi-model transport system in the city. The plan if well executed is intended to reduce the travel lead times in the Great Kampala Metropolitan Area  (GKMA) from an average 4.1 min/ km to 3.5min/km .
This will be achieved by significantly investing in the rehabilitation and maintenance of the transport infrastructure. This comes at the backdrop of a city which is annoyingly congested, disorganized, heavily polluted and ultimately places a very huge cost to the ordinary traveler in terms of healthy living and the man-hours lost in grid-locked traffic jams that has come to define Kampala.
It can’t be over empathized that the overall city aesthetics and quality of life is hugely compromised by the  dilapidated paved roads and sidewalks, unpaved shoulders which are all sources of the wanton mud and dust that hovers over large sections of the city.
KCCA plans to fix the problems associated with a disjointed public transport system are welcome especially now that other East African member states are already embracing the green mobility technologies. The Central government and KCCA’s efforts to clean up the city also offer unique and abundant opportunities across Uganda’s nascent automotive industry value chain .
Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 global pandemic that has necessitated prolonged lockdowns by governments, it is imperative to have new thinking in  the management of public affairs with special attention being directed at harnessing the available local resources to make nations self-sustaining .
Uganda’s capacity to produce goods and services locally
The new normal going forward will essentially entail local production of goods and services and cutting down on the country’s foreign exchange hemorrhage in imports. In his address to the Private Sector Foundation Uganda (PSFU) E- Conference last week, President Yoweri Museveni underscored the need for government to prioritize the post Covid-19 interventions to boost the economy by supporting key nine production  sectors including transport, in which with local industry champions like Kiira Motors Corporation Ltd  under the Ministry of Science Technology and Innovation take the lead.
With Shs.400billion, President  Museveni noted, the automotive  industry can take off and any balance of payments support should go towards development of local manufacturing capacity to ensure the country is competitive in terms of import -substitution and export- promotion.
The President’s vision is correct in a sense that experts have projected that the automotive industry together with the ICT sectors will be key in reviving the global post Covid-19 economies. Kiira Motors Corporation Limited has over the years demonstrated that Uganda has the capacity and capabilities to produce cars locally .
Operating under the  Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation which is led by minister Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye, KMC has already produced two market validation executive 12 meter Kayoola electric buses which were built by the UPDF’s Luwero Industries in Nakasongola. This capacity should be leveraged by KCCA when they set out to implement the Eco Bus project in Kampala.
Although it is not yet clear where KCCA intends to source their Eco buses, it is obvious that a local partnership with Kiira Motors is not only ideal but offers a lot more linkages in the national economy. What Ugandans need to know is that the car- just like any other manufactured product has many components or parts that can be sourced locally and thus offer huge opportunities to the local parts fabrication suppliers. A car, on average, has over 30,000 parts by the time it leaves the production line and this gives an indication how vastly Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) will connect to potential suppliers all over the country for its much anticipated Vehicle Production Plant opens in Jinja next year.
Uganda has abundant minerals and other natural raw materials for car production and enterprising Ugandans should be prepared to grab these economic opportunities . The available minerals include copper and cobalt deposits in the border district of Kasese, gold in the areas of Mbarara, Kabale, Kisoro, Rukungiri, Kanungu, Busia, Mubende, Hoima, Karamoja, parts of West Nile and Iron ore in Mityana. Other raw materials needed for manufacturing modern cars like lithium can be found in Kabale, Mukono, Mbale and Mubende.  Minerals like tin, zinc, kaolin, and sand for glass are all locally available.
The challenge now is for the government to facilitate the business minded Ugandans to benefit from these natural resources across the automotive value chain.
There is no doubt that promotion of the local automotive value chain enterprises through the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy -will be a very important government intervention after the Covid-19 quagmire and the KCCA Eco-bus project could be a good starting point if well handled.
The writer is a  Media and Communications Consultant/trainer and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda
msserwanga@gmail.com

UGANDA HAS SUCCESFULLY PRODUCED A LOW COST MEDICAL VENTILATOR PROTOTYPE TO FIGHT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

BY MOSES SSERWANGA

Uganda has made a major break through in the fight against the global COVID -19 pandemic  after a team of scientists  led by Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor, Makerere University designed  and produced a functional open design low cost medical ventilator engineering prototype to support management of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome caused by the coronavirus.

The low cost medical ventilator project is being undertaken by Makerere University acting through the Resilient Africa Network, a Project at the School of Public Health, Makerere University; and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation acting through Kiira Motors Corporation,according to Prof. Nawangwe.

Prof. Nawamgwe in social media posts stated that a team of Ugandan scientists and engineers from Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) have registered a major breakthrough by designing, producing and successfully undertaking bench tests using artificial lungs on the low cost medical ventilator prototype paving way for the next stage of validation. 

Why test the medical ventilator prototypes

“The main objective was to assess whether the ventilator’s mechanical function is per expectation in terms of ‘Breathe-in-and-out’ ratios, air pressure, and tidal volume. The prototype performed excellently well on all parameters, behaving like any standard ventilator on the market, “ the Vice Chancellor stated.

Two weeks ago, Makerere University, Resilient Africa Network, Kiira Motors, and the Ministry of Science and Technology innovations set out to develop a low cost ventilator to fill a critical gap in the event that COVID-19 cases in the country and the region increased dramatically. 

Prof.Nawangwe  ,this week a team of Kiira Motors engineers working with Veterinarians will start the validation process by testing the ventilatoronanimals before proceeding to clinical trials. “This is an ethical requirement before any new treatment intervention is conducted in human beings. Animal tests will be led by a team from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity at Makerere,” the Vice Chancellor said.

Ventilator to be approved by National Drug Authority and Uganda National Bureau of Standards

Following successful validation process, the team will seek approval from National Drug Authority (NDA) for testing to begin in human beings.

According to Prof. Nawangwe , in two weeks’ time, the team will start Randomized Clinical Trials  (RCT) on human subjects, led by Anaesthesiologists and Epidemiologists from the College of Health Sciences, Makerere. The studies will commence with patients who are moderately ill, then scale to patients who are severely ill. These assessments will be conducted at the Uganda Heart Institute. Alongside all these tests, the engineering team will receive continuous feed-back to optimise the design. Thereafter, the team will seek pre-launch approval of the product from NDA and relevant quality certifications from UNBS, following which 40 ready-to-use units will be initially manufactured. The whole process is estimated to take 8-12 weeks.

“This ventilator will not only be handy for COVID-19 but will transform the country and the region’s capacity to provide decentralized critical care for patients with other serious conditions” the Vice Chancellor emphasized .

The Chief Engineer of the Project and Director Product Development, Kiira Motors Corporation, Mr. Richard Madanda said this was a major milestone for the country since the low cost medical ventilators  once approved will be used in hospital’s   Intensive Care Units , (ICUs) across the country to fight  the  COVID -19 pandemic . 

“ We undertook open technology assessment and adaptation . We have done tests about  the functionality and verification  of the ventilator  with clinicians and now we are proceeding  to do validation in clinical settings before we license the product and we produce at least 40 units for medical use across the country ,” Madanda explained.

The World Health Organization has declared Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic that is rapidly spreading across the globe. There are over  one million COVID-19 confirmed cases, with 55 cases registered in Uganda. Critical COVID-19 cases once hospitalized and placed in the Intensive Care Unit for management require a respiratory assistive technology known as-a Ventilator. 

What is a medical ventilator 

A Medical Ventilator is a machine that provides mechanical ventilation by moving breathable air into and out of the lungs, to deliver breaths to a patient who is physically unable to breathe, or breathing insufficiently.  Uganda has 14 regional referral hospitals with 12 functional Intensive Care Units equipped with a total of 55 functional beds implying an estimated 55 ventilators in other words 1.3 beds and ventilators per million people.

Medical Analysts have projected increased global demand for ventilators resultant from the continual increase in severe COVID-19 cases.  Therefore, an increase in conventional ventilator production is very likely to fall short of global demand and with high associated cost. This is the reason why it is imperative to  have low cost affordable ventilators that can be manufactured locally.  And such a ventilator would bolster the country's surge capacity to provide critical care in the event of increased COVID-19 cases.

President Museveni welcomes venture

Officials said President Yoweri Museveni who is at the forefront in the national response to  stave off the Covid-19 pandemic has welcomed the  initiative and offered to support the production of ventilators locally for not only the benefit of the Ugandan people but the East African region and the rest of the world. At US$ 25,000 (FOB) (~UGX 93.7M) a piece, medical ventilators on the international market are prohibitively expensive.

The team is targeting a starting price point between US$ 1,000 (~UGX 3.7 Million) and US$ 3,000 (~UGX 11.2 Million) per low-cost medical ventilator produced in Uganda . In emergency situations like the one we are facing now, where countries are facing a shortage of ventilators, there is a need to demonstrate strength in terms of developing and providing local contingencies. The anticipation is that this low-cost ventilator will be utilized by the health ministry’s first responders to save lives at risk because of the coronavirus.

The production of such ventilators in Uganda will bolster the country's surge capacity to provide critical care in case the demand for such care increases even post the COVID-19 Pandemic.

 

The writer is a media and communications consultant and  Advocate of the High  Court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com

KCCA AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD USE THE COVID-19 WINDOW TO FIX PUBLIC SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE AND SYSTEMS

BY MOSES SSERWANGA

The outbreak of the global COVID- 19 pandemic  should present a unique window  for the Uganda government to fix many broken down public service systems while  promoting local manufacturing - starting with the Capital Kampala.  This is the time for both Kampala City  Council Authority (KCCA) working together with the Central government to restore order to what has become a chaotic public transport network in the Central Business District (CBD) and the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA). 

KCCA , for starters ,  should repair all its pubic taxi and bus parks  starting with the old taxi park(which according to social media images looks like a cattle holding ground )-  to ensure that all the much needed public health amenities like clean running water, passenger shades and public convenience areas are functional and up to acceptable standards .

The renovations and any other public works should be undertaken while using locally sourced materials to promote the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) policy.  Revamping public health facilities in the taxi and bus parks and elsewhere in the city , is particularly  important because virology scientists have stated that even if the threat of  the spread of  Covid- 19 infection curve is flattened ( contained)  specially in congested public places- such as taxi and bus parks, it could take up to two years to wipe out the virus .

So even when the curfew is lifted , there will still be a possibility of a second or third wave of the pandemic .  It is incumbent upon the authorities at KCCA to bite the bullet and restore sanity in its public holding areas perhaps the more reason President Yoweri Museveni listed the authority as a public ‘essential’ service provider and thus exempted from the lock down . 

Fast going forward, the KCCA management and the central government  should temporarily forget about  the Kampala voting bloc and take some decisive actions to streamline the flow of traffic  and  not allow  back the crazy boda bodas  in the  CBD together with the taxis -which in any case -should  stop four miles either side of the city .  Fuel efficient  buses should be introduced including electric ones to ferry passengers from the points where they are dropped off by the taxis and bodas and transport them to the city center to reduce on the congestion .

By operating a robust public transport system in Kampala , KCCA will help to greatly reduce on the massive pollution of the environment caused by second hand vehicles some older than the people who own them –with end of life technologies that affect the good health and general wellbeing of Kampala’s  estimated 4 million people.

The government owned Kiira Motors Corporation (KMC) has produced two validation executive 12 meter Kayoola electric buses at the UPDF’s Luwero Industries in Nakasongola and have since been deployed to provide shuttle services for dignitaries that attended the European Union Business Summit in Kampala recently.  The Speaker of Parliament Rt. Hon. Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga just last month was also driven in the same Kayoola electric bus from the Jinja suspended bridge to Kiira Motors Vehicles plant in Mutai some 20 kilometers along the Jinja –Kamuli highway.

This clearly demonstrates that Uganda now has the capacity to produce and deploy on its roads electric and fuel efficient combustion engine buses   . The Minister of Science Technology and Innovation Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye and the  KMC management led by Prof. Sandy Stevens Tickodri-Togboa have stated that Kiira Motors now has the capacity to produce  locally- up to eight electric buses in a month. Government should commit to roll out some of these buses to sort out the mess that Kampala has come to be known for. 

Motor vehicles importation is ranked the second highest valued call on Uganda’s foreign exchange bill at 450Million US dollars, the first being petroleum products. Government’s  import substitution should be focused to the development of  interalia-Uganda’s automotive industry.

These interventions will stave off the country’s foreign exchange hemorrhage through importation of used vehicles and create many job opportunities across the automotive industry value chain.

The introduction of buses also require KCCA to put in place the necessary infrastructure  including specially designed lanes for buses in the short term as it prepares  to implement  the  wider Kampala Metropolitan Rapid Public Transport System. 

The writer is Media and Communications Consultant and Advocate of the High Court of Uganda

msserwanga@gmail.com

SAVE MURCHISON FALLS UGANDA’S TREASURED TOURISM SITE ALONG THE RIVER NILE

BY MOSES SSERWANGA

Several media outlets have reported that some unpatriotic government bureaucrats have mooted yet another harebrained  idea to destroy  one of Uganda’s leading tourism site- the Murchison Falls by allowing a private investor to develop a hydro-power dam.

This is not the first of their machinations to tamper with what is left of the country’s tourism and environment protected areas . It is not a while ago, that government had to rescind another ridiculous idea to give away Mabira tropical forest to a private sugar cane grower after the citizens rose up in arms in a rare show of solidarity to save  one of Africa’s largest natural forests.

For starters , the 4,000 sq .kilometers Murchison Falls which has since been turned into a protected national park  is one of Uganda’s ancient conservation sites and it  stretches from the Albertine rift valley up to the plains of the Acholi land . It is home to an estimated 76 and 451 mammal and bird species .

The 143ft Murchison water falls  is not only a tourists marvel to behold , it is sanctuary to a wide diversity of flora and fauna which is clear testament for its unreserved protection by all the peoples of the world. This is the reason why government and the few officials who are flirting with the illegal idea to alienate the  Murchison Falls should in earnest be reminded about Uganda’s local and international legal obligations.

Under the constitution of Uganda, natural resources such as forest , water falls, national parks, minerals among others are held and managed by the elected government (this time the NRM led by President Yoweri Museveni) in trust for the wellbeing of all the people of Uganda.  The Murchison Falls is one such natural resource that must be protected for the common good of the citizens.

If allowed to carry out their self centered decisions to give away the , the purported dam -would significantly change the land use of the gazette Murchison Falls national park and as a result grossly violate the citizens’ constitutional rights to a clean and healthy environment as envisioned in our national constitution.

Further still, a well settled -inter generational -international environmental law principle  provides for equity in the exploitation of environmental resources between and among generations. The principles alludes to the fact that  the present generation should that the healthy, diversity and productivity of the environment are maintained for  the benefit of the present and future generations.

In other words, this settle principal of international environmental law confers rights on future generations and imposes a correlative duty of good stewardship over environmental resources by the resent generation . We can not therefore, watch on haplessly as the country’s environment is being destroyed by a few for selfish purposes.

The International court of justice has since pronounced itself on the inter generational principle to preserve the environment  and given it efficacy . The court ruled that the environment is not an abstraction but rather represents the living space , forests, water- the quality of life and the very health of humans including generations unborn.

Government bureaucrats  , therefore, should be reminded that the government they serve is bound by local and international law instruments to conserve and sustainably utilize our natural and  biological resources .It is also  of paramount importance to note that environment experts have already declared and equated the dangers posed by climate change to those of a nuclear annihilation as the greatest threats of humankind in the 21 century .

The Public Trust Doctrine in the management of Uganda’s natural resources as provided in the national constitution must be exercised for what it is –to protect the country’s  environment and natural resources including but not limited to the Murchshion Falls.

The writer is an Advocate of the High Court and

media / communications consultant /trainer.

msserwanga@gmail.com

CLIMATE CHANGE AND FOOD INSECURITY RESPONSIBLE FOR UNDERDEVELOPMENT IN IGAD MEMBER STATES

By Moses Sserwanga in Mombasa

Climate change and food insecurity are two interlinked problems that are contributing to underdevelopment of the 11 countries that form the Intergovernmental Authority on Drought and Development IGAD region, Dr. Workneh Gebeyeyu, the IGAD SecretaryGeneral, has said.

Speaking at the official opening of the 54th Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF54), in Kenya’s coastal city of Mombasa , Dr. Gebeyeyu didn’t mince words when explaining the grim picture that faces the region noting that about 10% of the region’s 250 million people are chronically food insecure while over 80% of the population derives their livelihood from agriculture and therefore factors that affect land productivity due to climate change directly impact their welfare.

His remarks were echoed by a representative from CARE, Ms. Fiona Percy, who told the gathering that in recent times, 25 countries have reported climate change emergences. She said that above releasing the periodic seasonal weather forecasts , countries now need to focus more on climate change issues to put in place measures that will help communities to be resilient in the future since we live in a warming world.

Impact of climate change

Climate variability and climate change , Dr. Gebeyeyu said, has significant impact on the social and economic development in the IGAD region and other parts of Africa. “The region is particularly exposed to the shocks of climate extremes mainly due to the economic significance of our rain-fed agriculture. Climate related risks affect water resources, health, energy, and tourism. Scarce resources such as water, pastures due to climate change, will to conflicts that lead to insecurity and displacement,” he warned at the event which is being attended by over 200 delegates. 

The IGAD Secretary General however ,hastened to add that recent advances in science and technology offer significant hope in improvements of the quality of climate services. He said that his organization , through the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) avails and promotes accessibility of timely climate early warning advisories that should help communities to deal with any potential adverse effects that will be precipitated by climate change .

“The centre supports specific sector applications to enable the region cope with various risks associated with climate variability and changes. ICPAC organizes regional climate outlook forums before the onset of the major rainfall seasons to release regional consensus climate guidance, assess associated impacts and develop sector specific mitigation strategies,” Dr.Gebeyeyu said adding that since February 1998, ICPAC has organized fifty-four regional climate outlook forums (RCOFs) and according to WMO among all climate centres globally, ICPAC has held the largest number of RCOFs.

In order to address problems of food insecurity and environmental degradation, the IGAD boss said that his organization was working with the member states and other development and civil society partners to improve food access especially in the chronically food insecure areas by boosting agricultural production and facilitating the movement of food from surplus producing areas to the deficit ones.

He said IGAD was committed to strengthening rational utilization of trans-boundary natural resources, promoting the use of renewable energy resources and rational management of freshwater resources .

Need for user-friendly weather and climate forecasts

The guest of honour, Hon. Mohammed Elmi, who is the Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Kenya called for user friendly weather and climate forecasts and urged the IGAD member states to find practical solutions to the global phenomenon of climate change.

Climate change is real

Mr. Gilbert B. Kitiyo, MBS, County Commissioner, Mombasa , noted that the negative effects of climate change can be seen all around us in the form of global warming and corresponding increase in the frequency of adverse weather and extreme climate events which occasionally evolve into disasters. He underscored the importance of the meteorology agencies across the region arguing that they play a critical role in the socio-economic development of any country .

THE Climate Prediction and Application Center (ICPAC) Director, Dr. Guleid Artan ,emphasized that Climate related hazards are becoming more intense and frequent due climate change. Our region in the past few years has seen several extreme climate induced disasters.

He said that unlike in the past , 2019 experienced climate extremes which included 8 cyclones in the western Indian Ocean which used to experience one or to two cyclones every couple of years. The October, November to December rainfall season was one of the wettest on record and rains have continued into January which is usually a dry season, he noted, adding that in the first part of year ,most of the equatorial sector of the region saw prolonged droughts.

The delegates were also alarmed to learn that July 2019 was the warmest month globally since 1880.“From data published in the last 10 days, 2019 was second warmest year on record, just 0.04°C behind 2016 that was the warmest year for global temperature. He also attributed the desert locust invasion in the region to favourable conditions, warm temperatures, excessive rains which provided the insects with ample vegetation to feed on.

What ICPAC is doing

ICPAC is a specialized institution of IGAD. It is a regional climate center of excellence that creates regional products including long-range forecasts that support regional and national climate activities and thereby strengthen capacity of Member States in the GHA region to deliver better climate services to national users.

GHACOF54 is being held under the theme; “Managing Climate-Related Risks for Resilience”in the 11 member states of IGAD which are ,Uganda , Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi and Rwanda.

The sessions are being moderated by, Mr. Bernard Chanzu, Mr. Martin Owor Commisioner Disaster Management Uganda, John Mungai, Ms. Fiona Percy, Abiy Hailu, Deus Bamanya, Abubakr Salih and Geoffrey Sabiiti.

Fact file;

GHACOF54 is organized by the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC) in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) and partners.

Participants include, climate scientists, researchers, users from key socio-economic sectors, governmental and non-governmental organizations, development partners, decision makers, media and civil society stakeholders .

The writer is a Media and Communications Consultant and Advocate Of the High Court

msserwanga@gmail.com