1. Citizens of Bulawayo Have Synchronised Toilet Flush
Many residents of Zimbabwe’s second city have simultaneously flushed their toilets, as part of an official attempt to prevent blocked sewage pipes. Bulawayo Mayor Thaba Moyo told the BBC the “big flush” would keep pipes wet and so prevent them getting clogged up.
2. UN Urges Restraint in Kisimayu Offensive
The United Nations has called for “maximum restraint” of military forces in Somalia after a Kenyan soldier killed six civilians near the port of Kismayu. Martin Nesirky, spokesman for UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, said on Monday there is a vital need to ensure minimal civilian casualties.
3. Government Signs Deal for KES 6 Billion Voter Kits
The electronic voter registration equipment saga appears to have come to an end after a deal was signed with a Canadian firm on Monday night. Sources close to the deal said the government signed a contract with Canadian Commercial Corporation (CCC) for a Sh6 billion loan to finance the acquisition of 15,000 biometric voter registration kits. CCC went on to pen a deal with French firm Safrna Morpho which will supply the kits, giving hope to Kenyans that the March 4, 2013 election date will be a reality.
4. Motorists and Importers to Foot the Largest Part of KES 357 Billion Rail Line Bill
Motorists and importers stand to carry the biggest burden in footing the Sh357 billion modern railway line between Mombasa and Malaba that has been quietly handed to a Chinese company. According to an information memorandum of the project covering the first phase, which will see the development of a new standard gauge railway line from Mombasa and Nairobi, various charges will be introduced during and after the project, most of which will target road users.
5. Low share Prices Cause Flight at NSE
Thousands of local investors have exited the Nairobi bourse, leaving room for foreigners to dominate trading and increase their share of the market. Data from the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) shows that thousands of local investors have left the equities segment of the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in a move analysts say is a reflection of their frustration with the persistence of low share prices.
6. Trade Gap in Kenya Widens as Exports Decline
The trade deficit in Kenya, widened in July as imports surged and shipments of tea, the country’s biggest export, declined. The gap grew to 80.5 billion shillings ($948.2 million) from 58.2 billion shillings a year earlier, the Nairobi-based Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said in a report on its website, the capital. Exports declined 4 percent to 42.9 billion shillings, while imports jumped 20 percent to 123.4 billion shillings.
7. Housing finance to Sell KES 3 Billion Bond
Mortgage firm Housing Finance will sell the second tranche of its 7-year bond next month to raise 3 billion shillings ($35.34 million), it said on Monday.
8. IMF hints at Giving Greece more Time to Implement Austerity
The International Monetary Fund dropped the broadest of hints on Monday night that it would give Greece more time to implement its hardline cuts programme as it warned that Europe posed a “critical risk” to a weakening global economy.