A new paper has been published which shines a light on the threat posed by pollution to children’s lung health, the authors of which hope will persuade policymakers to improve children’s healthcare and reduce air pollution.

A new study has for the first time established that children living in informal settlements (slums) are at a greater risk of developing asthma compared to their counterparts living in formal settings.

The study, christened, Tupumue, in addition, concludes that such children face a double misfortune becoming sick of asthma and lack of access to appropriate healthcare for diagnosis and or treatment.

Tupumue is a Kiswahili word meaning ‘let us breathe’ and it is a three-year collaboration between Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) and universities in the UK, led by Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM).

Prof. Graham Devereux, who led the study on behalf of LSTM said: “This is the first study to show that the 350-500 million children living in informal (slum) settlements around the world are at increased risk of developing asthma, that this is more severe and is associated with sources of indoor and outdoor air pollution.

Also, those children are less likely to be diagnosed with, and treated for, asthma.

” The study team recruited more than 2,400 children aged 5-18 from schools in two closes but very different communities in Nairobi, Kenya – one an informal settlement and the other a formal gated community. The team used scientific measures including questionnaires, lung function and air pollution tests to quantify the children’s health, wellbeing and local air quality. Dr. Hellen Meme who led the study from KEMRI said.

“The success of the Tupumue study even through the COVID-19 pandemic was as result of the study acceptability and ownership by all stakeholders, the multidisciplinary approach and a highly tenacious field team.”

Director General, KEMRI, Prof. Elijah Songok said, “KEMRI is proud to have participated in this collaborative landmark study which shows link between air quality and children’s lung health in informal settlement. These results are highly encouraging and we hope it will further persuade policymakers to improve children’s healthcare and reduce air pollution in order to scale down cases of asthma”.

Community involvement very early on, the team realised that community buy-in would be vital to the success of the study – both in recruiting children and in revealing their stories – so staff from the University of Portsmouth devised activities to sensitise local people to the presence and purpose of the study.

Academics, community members and artists came together to produce a music video, theatre, visual arts, and a puppet show – Billy’s Day Out – which dramatised the Tupumue data collection process.

Dr. Cressida Bowyer, from the university, said: “Seeing the children engage and connect with the sensitisation outputs was fantastic. Using a process of co-creation with community champions, artists and musicians played a huge part in making the campaign such a success”.

Creative methods were also employed to help uncover young people's perceptions of air quality, lung health and environmental pollution. The team used pupils’ drawn stories and videoed walking interviews to tease out stories, and even initiated participatory theatre to help explore community knowledge about what damages lungs.

Sarah West of the University of York said: "I particularly enjoyed developing the method for participatory analysis of the children's drawings… it was great to get the pupils to come up with their own themes and codes for the drawings. This gave us really rich data which provides a great complement to the quantitative data about lung health and air quality".

International recognition As well as in a published paper, the findings of the Tupumue study have been presented at the Pan African Thoracic Society/Respiratory Society of Kenya Congress in Mombasa, Kenya .

Team members joined by local community members describe the study and its findings to an international audience of respiratory clinicians and researchers into respiratory disease. The next step With more than one billion people living in slums and 500 million children at increased risk of non-communicable lung diseases is of great concern, the team hopes that its findings provide impetus for real change.

The Kenya Ports Authority has announced the suspension of payments through ledger accounts beginning July 1.

In a statement to customers, KPA said that they will start rendering services only through bank cheques and other bank payment system adding that all customers with guarantee ledger accounts will automatically convert to cheque deposits.

The statement signed by the KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto stated that the authority will cease to open and operate ledger guarantee accounts or credit accounts.

"Customers with ledger guaranteed accounts should ensure settlement of all pending or outstanding invoices before June 30. The authority will recall all guarantees with banks after June 30," said Ruto.

Ruto said that the management had noted with concern customers operating in the port with huge outstanding debts.

This he said he said had put a strain in the authority's ability to meet financial obligations.

"The authority has therefore given these customers a one month grace period to clear all outstanding debts, failure to which the comcernes customers will be denied port services and access to port facilities until the debt is cleared," Ruto said.

The MD further stated that the authority has appointed a disputes resolution team for customers with outstanding disputes.

The team he said will resolve all disputes so that customers can reguralize their accounts.

Ruto said that the dispute resolution team will be located at the KPA headquaters, Finance block second floor to resolve all the disputes.

According to a source the move was advised to arrest looting loopholes after the discovery of a syndicate within the port involving some KPA staff.

It is alleged the syndicate has been manipulating the ledger accounts that have led to increase in debts. Some staff are currently under probe.

eMOS, a manufacturer and distributor of electric vehicles, has commenced proof of concept testing in Mombasa of an electric three-wheeler vehicle under their own brand name which is derived from ‘Electric Mobility Solutions’.

Eight vehicles will be field tested in real-life conditions over a period of three-months and will be used by Matatu (taxi) operators to transport fare-paying passengers all over Mombasa.

eMOS is a company conceived and operated within Export Trading Group (ETG), a global player with a diverse portfolio of expertise across multiple industries, encompassing agricultural inputs, logistics and distribution, infrastructure, food processing and supply chain optimisation.

The technology partner in this venture is 3ev, a well-known supplier of electric mobility solutions from India.

The eMOS VEGA 4i is an electric 3-wheel rickshaw that can carry a driver and three passengers. Powered by a 5,500 Watts permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM), this three-wheeler can reach a top speed of 45 km/h and climb 20% gradients.

Range on a full charge is 100 km plus 20 km reserve. At 100 km range the driver receives an audible warning that the vehicle is due for a charge. Normal charging time is approximately 3.5 hours, while a full charge overnight from empty will take 8 to 9 hours.

The eMOS company is also investing in a rapid charging system.

The vehicle is equipped with lithium iron phosphate batteries featuring a voltage of 51.2 V, capacity of 206 Ah, producing power of 10.547 Wh and covered by a 5-year warranty.

The batteries are located underneath the cargo box on the battery tray. These are accessible through a hatch located inside the cargo box.

The dashboard LED display indicates information on the current state of the battery and speed of the vehicle. The LED display alternately indicates the odometer and remaining voltage reading.

When the battery is fully charged all five sections of the battery level indicator will darken. One by one, the sections will go off indicating a drop in battery charge level. Whenever only one section is darkened, the vehicle needs to be recharged.

As a safety precaution, a brake cut-off sensor is utilized - when the brakes are engaged and the hand throttle rotated, the cut-off sensor restricts all signals from the hand throttle to the motor.

No signal is sent to the controller, therefore restricting the acceleration of the vehicle. A fire extinguisher is located at the bottom most left-hand side of the dashboard.

Warranty on the eMOS VEGA 4i is 60,000 km or 3-years (whichever is earlier).

Two- and three-wheelers are a central transport mode in many low- and middle-income countries. According to published studies, highly polluting two- and three-wheelers can account for the same quantity of emissions as a passenger car.

The eMOS VEGA 4i therefore makes sense in global efforts to reduce emissions and provide eco-friendly mobility solutions.

But it is not just about providing eco-friendly modes of transport. According to a technical report by the Africa E-Mobility Alliance of 24 April 2023, it costs KSh 79 to 118 to operate an electric motorcycle over 100 km (4 kWh/100km) as opposed to KSh 662 for an internal combustion engine (ICE) motorcycle consuming 3,74 l/100km.

Accordingly, they claim that with the current EM tariff, driving an EV in Kenya is cheaper (in some cases up to 8 times) than driving an ICE vehicle.

Local assembly has huge benefits. Kenya incentivizes the local assembly of vehicles imported as completely knocked down (CKD) kits by exempting them from import duties and taxes.

Only VAT is applicable. Fully built imports would cost a lot more on the market and would not be as competitive with their ICE equivalents.

The eMOS company also has plans to shortly start CKD operations for the eMOS VEGA 4i in Tanzania and Benin, with other East and West African countries to follow at a later stage.

Not only will this broaden the scope of eco-friendly e-mobility solutions, but also create much needed jobs with specific focus on empowering women.

Kalpesh Patel, CEO of the eMOS said  “Our holding company, Export Trading Group, is a well-known brand on the African continent with wide-ranging interests in agriculture, commodities trading, logistics and vehicle and farm equipment distribution. Our aim is to provide innovative products at affordable price points both in retail and leasing models. "

Adding "We would also be setting up a complete ecosystem for e-mobility which will include the Battery as a Service business concept. The eMOS VEGA 4i has been designed keeping in mind the expectations of our local Matatu drivers and targeting women empowerment. The eMOS VEGA 4i is a very user-friendly vehicle and can easily be driven by women.”

Youth Affairs, Sports and the Arts Cabinet secretary Ababu Namwamba has challenged the local media to give enough airtime to local content.

According to Namwamba, there is enough and high quality content from local content producers in the country but lack enough airtime in the media.

"There is no reason why Kenyans are consuming so much foreign content of inferior quality. Hizo vitu nyingi nyingi sijui Afro Sinema and those other things let us limit them" said Namwamba.

Adding " To our local media please offer more airtime to our local content. Offer our creatives the platform to display their talents".

The Kenyan media has always been criticised for not giving enough airtime to local content.

Comedian Eric Omondi is one of the vocal critics of the media calling for enough airplay for local content especially music.

Last year, Omondi hit the headlines after he caged himself in a glass box outside the parliament in a bid to push for the Play 75% Local Content bill.

Speaking in Kisumu, Namwamba revealed that the ministry is in the process of coming up with a special programme dubbed 'Who's Next", to search for the next Kenya's big star.

"The Who's next programme is going to be run jointly with the counties. Every county will organise a competition, each winner from the counties will then meet in a national competition where the overall winner will be selected" said Namwamba.

After dominating the music charts for a while, Zuchu's hit song “Nani ” gets a remix that features Congolese singer Innoss'B.

Innoss'B Did not disappoint in the song, as usual.

In the song, Innoss'B delivers the opening verse in Congolese before Zuchu taking over with the chorus.

In the video, Zuchu also features her mother, Khadija Kopa.

This is the second song that the two, Zuchu and Innoss'B have collaborated, after 'Kiss'.

Renowned music duo, Jadi, is once again captivating music enthusiasts with their latest release, "Drama."

With their unique blend of Afro and Kenyan-pop and contemporary sound, Jadi continues to make waves in the music industry, garnering immense praise for their refreshing style and meaningful lyrics.

"Drama" is an infectious track that showcases Jadi's incredible talent, creative vision, and unmatched chemistry as a duo.

The song beautifully captures the essence of modern relationships and explores the highs and lows experienced in love. With its catchy melodies, energetic beats, and relatable lyrics, "Drama" promises to resonate with listeners from all walks of life.

Building on the success of their previous hit singles like "Saka" and "Maji" Jadi demonstrates their growth as artists in "Drama."

The duo effortlessly blends their soulful voices, weaving together intricate harmonies that add depth and emotion to the track. Jadi's innate ability to create music that strikes a chord with audiences has garnered them a loyal and ever-growing fan base.

In a recent interview, Jadi expressed their excitement about the release of "Drama" and shared their creative process behind the song. "We wanted to create a track that encapsulates the rollercoaster ride of emotions we experience in relationships," said Jadi. "We poured our hearts into this song, and we hope that listeners can connect with the authenticity and vulnerability portrayed in 'Drama.'"

Mombasa City has been named as one of the ten first-ever winners of the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI).

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that Mombasa is among the winning global cities that would receive funding support of USD 400,000 (Ksh.5.6 million) to build innovative cycling infrastructure and sustainable mobility options for their residents.

The goal of BICI is to help cities design streets that increase biking rates, revitalize neighborhoods, and promote the health and well-being of their communities.

Led in partnership with the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), in addition to funding to enact their proposals, each winning BICI city will receive technical assistance from GDCI on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement.

Successful cities need transportation systems that allow people to move safely, efficiently, and sustainably. 

The 10 BICI winners are: Fortaleza, Brazil—winner of a $1 million prize—and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogota, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Mombasa, Kenya; Pimpri-Chinchwad, India; Quelimane, Mozambique; Tirana, Albania; and Wellington, New Zealand, each of which will receive $400,000 in funding. 

The 10 winning BICI cities named during the World Bike Day on June 3 hail from 10 countries on five continents and collectively represent more than 15 million residents.

Winners were selected from 275 applications submitted between November 10, 2022, and February 3, 2023, from cities with over 100,000 residents.

Research consistently shows that providing cycling infrastructure brings social benefits that far outweigh its initial investment and that people who cycle are healthier and happier.

However, a significant barrier to cycling in many cities is the lack of safe cycling infrastructure.

BICI is designed to help city leaders meet the urgent need to build more connected and expansive cycling infrastructure that serves as many residents as possible.

“Fighting climate change goes hand-in-hand with giving people more transportation options,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. 

Adding “These proposals to make cycling safer and more accessible will require robust technical assistance, and our team is glad to support the winners as they turn their ideas into action. The progress that these 10 cities make will help clean the air, protect the environment, and drive economic growth, too. We’re looking forward to seeing the results.”

On his part Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir welcomed the gesture.

"Thank you BloombergDotOrg for recognizing the potential of Mombasa city and I look forward to seeing this initiative work" said Nassir.

Critical mass Mombasa, a local cycling lobby group has been lobbying for safe cycling infrastructure in Mombasa.

Launched in 2014, the Global Designing Cities Initiative’s mission is to transform streets around the world, inspiring leaders, practitioners, and communities to imagine what’s possible when we design streets that put people first. GDCI’s work is informed by the strategies and international best practices captured in the Global Street Design Guide.  

Bloomberg Philanthropies will convene the 10 winning cities from June 26 through June 29, 2023, in London, providing an opportunity for those city leaders to meet, trade ideas with peers, begin their project planning, and learn from GDCI’s urban design experts.

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has acquired five new state-of-the-art mobile harbor cranes (HMCs) to help boost efficiency at the Mombasa and Lamu ports.

Out of the five HMCs , three will be stationed at the Lamu port and the remaining two at the Mombasa port.

These state-of-the-art HMCs were manufactured in Germany and come at a total cost of $27,207,557.47 (Sh 3.8 BILLION). The cranes which arrived at the Lamu port on Sunday  are expected to enhance operations of the port as they electronically powered to provide more efficiency and reliability.

"This milestone is expected to enhance the capabilities of the Lamu Port, as these electronic-powered HMCs provide more efficiency and reliability compared to the previous hydraulic-powered ones. Each crane has a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes, further expanding the port's capacity for handling larger cargo vessels." reads a statement from KPA.

Adding "The introduction of these new cranes is a positive projection for Lamu Port, as it is anticipated that more vessels will be encouraged to call at the port, attracted by the reliable electronic equipment. This development marks a significant step forward in Lamu's journey to become a major maritime hub in the region.

Last month, KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto revealed that the authority is also expecting other new equipements to boost its operations.

Ruto said they have acquired four new ship-to-shore gantry cranes from China and are expected to arrive  next month (July).

The MD said the new cranes can lift two containers ago, unlike the existing ones that lift one container.

This comes at a time a new report by the World Bank on the efficiency of the ports revealed that the port of Dar in Tanzania has overtaken Mombasa in efficiency.

Global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker Trace is to mark its 20th anniversary with the launch of the Trace Awards & Festival, a stunning new live Awards ceremony and festival celebrating the creativity, cool and confidence of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world.

Focusing a global spotlight on musicians, creators, entrepreneurs and achievers from across Africa and the African diaspora, the Trace Awards & Festival will take place in Kigali, Rwanda from Friday 20 to Saturday 21 October 2023, in partnership with Visit Rwanda and QA Venue Solutions Rwanda, the venue management company of BK Arena.

The event will comprise a 3-hour live televised spectacular music ceremony (21 October 2023), preceded by a 2-day cultural festival designed to entertain and empower music creators and fans.

Featuring performances from the biggest African and Afro-descent artists in the world, The Trace Awards will be staged at East Africa’s biggest indoor arena, BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, in front of 7,500 music superfans, musicians, opinion formers, style-setters and influencers from Africa and around the globe.

The Awards will recognize a broad range of music genres from Afrobeat to Dancehall, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Kompa, R&B, and Rumba, while saluting artists in a number of cultural/lifestyle categories.

Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, commented: “There is no better way to celebrate our milestone twentieth birthday with this exciting new music and cultural franchise. The Trace Awards is our way of celebrating the artistry, vision and impact of musicians and other leaders in the urban cultural landscape with an out-of-this world ceremony that highlights and rewards their success and influence both in Africa and on the world stage.”

Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, commented: “We are thrilled to stage the inaugural Trace Awards in Rwanda on 21 October, and look forward to hosting this global celebration of African culture in our beautiful country, promoting Rwanda as a destination for cultural tourism experiences and hosting world class events. In addition, hosting the event in Rwanda will be a great platform for our growing creative industry to showcase its diverse creativity, talent and rich Rwandan cultural heritage.”

The campaign will also feature multiple build-up events, an Awards tour, parties and screenings in Africa, Europe, the USA, the UK, Brazil, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.

Targeted at lovers of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world, the Trace Awards will broadcast live on Trace channels in more than 180 countries around the world.

The Awards will also feature on Trace terrestrial TV partners and satellite channels around the world