Category: Africa

Source: APO

The Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has called on chairpersons of committees to take Parliament closer to the people through regular field visits.

This initiative, he said, can improve legislative debates, strengthen oversight, enhance Parliament’s public image and help the institution achieve its vision of becoming a transformed, independent and people-centred Parliament.

Tayebwa made the remarks on Thursday, 22 October 2026 while opening a quarterly meeting of sectoral committee chairpersons, regional and zonal whips at the Mestil Hotel in Kampala.

Tayebwa urged committees to visit communities and assess the implementation of government programmes, saying the information gathered will help MPs make informed decisions when scrutinising ministerial policy statements.

“Go and be felt. Going to the field doesn’t mean that you should bring a report to Parliament. No, you will get information which will enable you to do your work when you are processing ministerial policy statements,” Tayebwa said.

He also emphasised accountability in government programmes, saying Parliament must ensure public funds reach intended beneficiaries and support productive activities.

Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oboth-Oboth, upon taking office, committed funds previously held under the Speaker’s office to parliamentary committees to ensure they are adequately funded to carry out oversight activities.

Tayebwa also asked MPs to play a critical role in translating Musevenomics, Uganda’s homegrown economic philosophy into laws, budget priorities and stronger oversight of government programmes to accelerate economic transformation.

He said Parliament should ensure the philosophy moves beyond political branding to become a practical framework for increasing production, creating wealth and improving household incomes.
“Parliament must anchor Musevenomics in law and in the budget,” Tayebwa said identifying legislation, funding and oversight as key tools for its implementation.

Tayebwa identified five priorities for Parliament; promoting value addition through legislation, funding infrastructure that supports production, strengthening oversight of the Parish Development Model and Emyooga, legislating for land consolidation and tenure security and championing regional integration to expand markets.

On value addition, he called for a shift from exporting raw materials towards processing, packaging and branding locally.
“No more export of raw coffee beans, raw dairy and raw minerals. We must roast, grind, process, package and brand from Uganda,” he added. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.

Source: APO

Aircraft modernisation remains a key pillar in strengthening operational readiness and enhancing the technological capabilities of the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). Through strategic international cooperation, investment in aviation platforms, personnel development and modern maintenance practices, the KDF continues to advance its capacity to respond to evolving operational requirements and emerging security challenges.

The Kenya Army Corps of Aviation (KACA) has today obtained MD500 helicopters from the Republic of Korea (ROK) at its Headquarters in Embakasi. The modernisation initiative involved a collaboration between the Governments of Kenya, the Republic of Korea and the United States of America.

The US Government facilitated the installation of advanced digital systems on the helicopters and supported the training of Kenya Army pilots and technicians to enhance their skills in operating and maintaining the modernised aircraft.

This milestone marks an important step in the continued development of Kenya Army’s military aviation capabilities and underscores the value of modern aircraft in supporting operational effectiveness.

Speaking during the occasion, the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Hon. Soipan Tuya, noted that the modernised MD500 helicopters would enhance the KDF’s capabilities in reconnaissance, aerial support, mobility and critical security operations.

The Chief of the Defence Forces (CDF), General Charles Kahariri, commended the trilateral partnership between Kenya, the Republic of Korea and the United States, noting that it provides a strong foundation for enhanced security cooperation. He highlighted that the new capabilities would enhance security, counter-terrorism efforts, peace support operations and humanitarian assistance.

The Kenya Army Commander, Lieutenant General David Keter, expressed appreciation for the partnership between Kenya, the Republic of Korea and the United States, noting that the collaboration strengthens Kenya Army’s aviation capabilities. He thanked the Government and people of the Republic of Korea for their support and commended the United States Government for providing the technical expertise required to install advanced digital systems on the aircraft.

He also acknowledged the Ministry of Defence for its continued support and strategic leadership, reaffirming the Kenya Army’s commitment to safeguarding the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity while contributing to regional peace and security.

H.E. Ambassador Kang Hyung-shik of the Republic of Korea underscored the deepening diplomatic, economic and security ties between the Republic of Korea and Kenya. He highlighted that the transfer of military equipment reflects mutual trust and a shared commitment to regional peace and stability.

Susan Burns, Chargé d’ Affaires of the United States, underscored the importance of the trilateral security partnership between Kenya, the United States and the Republic of Korea in promoting regional stability and addressing shared security challenges. She noted that modernised military equipment and international cooperation strengthen Kenya’s role as a trusted security partner, from counter-terrorism efforts in East Africa to peacekeeping missions abroad. She added that sustained investment in security creates the stability and confidence necessary for economic growth and long-term prosperity.

Brigadier General Jayson Becker, the Deputy Commanding Officer for the Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa highlighted the trilateral partnership between Kenya, the United States and the Republic of Korea as a demonstration of their shared commitment to regional peace, stability and security. He described Kenya as a trusted partner and a key pillar in efforts to stabilise the Horn of Africa.

He noted that the helicopters, their technical support, training and Kenya’s investment in human capital would strengthen capabilities to address complex security challenges in East Africa and beyond.

Both The Republic of Korea and the United States of America expressed appreciation for the trust placed in them by the Government of Kenya, reaffirming Kenya’s position as a trusted partner in advancing defence cooperation and regional security.

The reception of the MD500 helicopters marks another milestone in international collaboration and the development of Kenya’s military aviation capabilities. Through sustained investment, professional development and strategic partnerships, Kenya continues to strengthen operational readiness and its contribution to regional peace and stability.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Defence – Kenya.

Source: APO

At public seminars conducted on 18 October, nationals residing in Australia and Germany expressed their readiness to strengthen their organizational capacity and participation in national affairs.

At the public seminars in the Australian cities of Melbourne and Perth, Mr. Endrias Abraham, Eritrea’s Consul General, and Mr. Yasin Omar, head of Public and Community Affairs, provided extensive briefings on the objective situation in the homeland, regional and global developments, and the role of nationals in national affairs.

The participants, for their part, expressed their resolve to contribute to national affairs by strengthening their organizational capacity and resilience.

Similarly, at a virtual meeting, heads and members of national committees in 26 cities in Germany discussed the timely responsibilities of nationals and expressed their readiness to strengthen their organizational capacity and contribution to national affairs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

The Eritrean Police has provided training in forensic chemistry to crime investigation personnel.

Sub-Lt. Simon Gebreyohannes, head of the Crime Investigation Unit, said that the training, provided by Dr. Eden Tareke, a chemistry and food safety expert, will strengthen the capacity of laboratory technicians and contribute significantly to the effective execution of the unit’s daily activities.

Sub-Lt. Simon said that Dr. Eden had also donated books on the subject, as well as equipment.

Dr. Eden, for her part, called on the trainees to build on the knowledge gained during the training, further develop their capacity through reading, and contribute to serving the public.

The trainees expressed appreciation for the training opportunity and presented a certificate of appreciation to Dr. Eden Tareke.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Information, Eritrea.

Source: APO

VoxNexus (www.VoxNexus.ai) released VoxEdge, an on-device voice stack that brings speech recognition, translation and speech synthesis to affordable Android devices, entirely offline. VoxEdge supports speech recognition in 36 languages, translation in 103 languages, and speech synthesis in 45 languages—all running with no connection, no data bundle, and no cloud token bills.

AI should work for everyone, not just for speakers of a handful of mainstream languages. Yet across much of Africa, voice AI has been held back by scarce training data and the lack of targeted fine-tuning. Everyday speech also includes code-switching and dialect variation, while cloud-based inference costs can make deployment at scale expensive.

VoxNexus’s solutions run entirely on device, and every query is free once the model is installed on the device. Its speech recognition model has as few as 65 million parameters and achieves a lower word error rate than open-source models nearly ten times its size.

“Under-resource languages aren’t small languages. Hundreds of millions of people speak them. Until now, AI models just haven’t learned them yet,” said Charles Shi, CEO of VoxNexus.

VoxNexus also launched VoxSense, an on-device ambient listening solution that uses only 162 mAh for 12 hours of continuous listening, around 2.5% of a 6,500 mAh phone battery. By keeping all processing on device, VoxSense makes always-on listening practical without draining the battery and without sending any audio to the cloud. Developers and device makers can easily integrate it through a license and a simple SDK. Developers can request a free trial here: www.VoxNexus.ai.

VoxSense and VoxEdge were unveiled at the MediaTek Dimensity 9600 launch in Madrid on October 19.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of VoxNexus AI.

About VoxNexus:
VoxNexus builds AI that hears and speaks — for everyone, everywhere, all the time. Its audio intelligence runs entirely on-device, delivering low latency, built-in privacy, and zero token cost across any device with a chip. VoxNexus is headquartered in Singapore. Website: www.VoxNexus.ai. Contact: public@voxnexus.ai

Source: APO

• Helios to acquire a significant minority stake in Merec Industries, Mozambique’s largest flour milling company
• Partnership combines Invictus Investment’s sector knowledge and operational capabilities with Helios’ extensive experience across Africa to support Merec Industries’ growth in Mozambique and the wider region
• Transaction expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals

Invictus Investment (ADX: INVICTUS) (https://InvictusInvestment.ae), a leading holding company specialised in agro-food commodities across the Middle East and Africa, and Helios Investment Partners (“Helios”), a leading Africa-focused private investment firm, today announced that Helios Fund V (“Helios V”) has entered into an agreement to acquire up to a 49% interest in Stratton Africa Holdings Limited, the Mauritius-incorporated holding company of Merec Industries (“Merec”), from Invictus Investment.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals, after which Invictus Investment will remain the majority shareholder.

Founded in 1998, Merec is Mozambique’s largest flour milling company, processing wheat and corn into an integrated product portfolio spanning flour, pasta, biscuits and animal feed. Its mills, production facilities and silos are strategically located in each of Mozambique’s three principal port regions: Beira, Maputo and Nacala – making it the only miller with manufacturing facilities in all three. Merec also owns a grain terminal at the port of Maputo. This footprint supports a nationwide distribution network serving wholesalers, retailers, bakeries, feed producers and distributors, underlining Merec’s important role in the production and supply of essential food products across Mozambique.

Invictus Investment acquired Merec in January 2025 through the purchase of its holding company, Stratton Africa Holdings Limited, as part of its strategy to expand its agro-food business in high-potential African markets and strengthen its capabilities across the value chain. Since the acquisition, Merec’s operating performance has improved significantly, and this has prompted a more ambitious growth strategy to expand the business beyond its core operations into new food categories in Mozambique and across the wider Southern African Development Community (“SADC”) region.

The new partnership will support these plans by combining Invictus Investment’s expertise across the agro-food value chain with Helios’ track record of investing in and supporting market-leading businesses across Africa. Together, the shareholders will also work on furthering Merec’s governance framework, leadership capabilities, ESG practices and broader development impact.

Commenting on the announcement, Amir Daoud Abdellatif, CEO of Invictus Investment, said: “We welcome Helios, one of Africa’s leading private equity investors, as our partner in the expansion of Merec. With its strong focus on high-growth sectors across the continent, Helios’ regional expertise will be instrumental in accelerating Merec’s next phase of growth. Since Invictus Investment’s acquisition of Merec, its position as Mozambique’s largest flour milling company has been strengthened and consolidated, and now, our shared ambition with Helios is to build on the business’s contribution to food security and local employment in Mozambique and develop it into a regional food platform for Southern Africa. This partnership aligns perfectly with our strategic approach to acquisitions, which has always been to build strong businesses alongside high-calibre partners that support our long-term vision of building a fully integrated agro-food enterprise.”

Tope Lawani, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Helios Investment Partners, added: “Merec has built a distinctive position in Mozambique, with a nationwide footprint, strong brands and an important role in the country’s staple foods market. The consumer non-discretionary sector is a key strategic focus for Helios, and we bring a proven track record of investing in and scaling resilient businesses that serve essential consumer needs across Africa. We see significant opportunity to build on Merec’s strengths and are pleased to partner with Invictus Investment and the management team to support the company’s next phase of growth.”

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld is acting as legal counsel to Helios, with GDA Advogados as Mozambican counsel. Freshfields is acting as legal counsel to Invictus Investment.

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Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Invictus Investment Company PLC.

For further information, please contact:
Invictus Investment
Tales & Heads
E: InvictusInvestment@talesandheads.com 
M: +971 (50) 694 4650

Helios Investment Partners
Teneo
E: heliosmedia@teneo.com
M: +44 207 260 2700

About Invictus Investment:
Invictus Investment Company PLC (ADX: INVICTUS), is a leading holding entity specialised in agro-food commodities. Invictus has expanded its business model to include grain trading, commodity exports, logistics and value addition with a portfolio that now spans over 31 product categories, among them barley, corn, sesame, soya bean, sugar and wheat and operating across 66 countries. Alongside its existing business, Invictus is targeting midstream and downstream acquisitions in the value chain, with the aim of becoming a fully integrated agro-food enterprise in the Middle East and Africa. For more information about Invictus Investment, including its financial performance, investor updates and independent analyst coverage, visit the company’s website:

https://apo-opa.co/4BmtcHf

About Helios Investment Partners:
Helios Investment Partners is a leading Africa-focused private investment firm managing funds totalling over US$ 3 billion. Established in 2004, Helios is led and managed by a predominantly African team, with offices in London, Paris, Lagos and Nairobi, combining deep knowledge of the African operating environment with extensive local and global networks. Helios partners with leading businesses and entrepreneurs to build market-leading companies, bringing capital, operational expertise and a highly engaged approach to value creation.

Since 2004, Helios has applied its investment capabilities, entrepreneurial business-building expertise and local and global connectivity to generate competitive returns and positive impact across Africa. The firm is a certified B Corp, reflecting its long-standing commitment to sustainability and responsible business practices.

Source: APO

This week’s visit by Anita Kiki Gbeho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), to Malakal underscored a simple but essential truth: UN Peacekeeping is ultimately about the communities we serve.

It was an action-packed two days. From meetings with the caretaker governor and the inauguration of a new police station in Hai Luakat, to a visit to Hai Matar and engagements with humanitarian partners and UNMISS staff, SRSG Gbeho focused on a broad picture of the challenges facing Upper Nile State and the progress being made.

“Our main objective for this visit is to listen. Not about affected communities but from them,” she explained upon arrival.

The SRSG prioritized meeting community members, such as Tereza Nyagak, who moved from the former UN Protection of Civilians (PoC) site to the Hai Matar settlement area. Tereza and other residents were eager to share their experiences of rebuilding their lives.

“I was the first one to settle here with my family and I have no regrets. Of course there are small challenges, but I finally feel at peace and comfortable,” said the proud mother of nine.

For SRSG Gbeho, engaging with South Sudanese such interactions are central to her role.

“It is always emotional for me when I come to the field, and the best part is always to talk to community members such as the women that settled in Hai Matar. They told me that they now had houses that they had built together with international support and that communities had organized themselves to patrol areas across Malakal to keep each other safe.”

The delegation also met caretaker Governor James Koang Chuol, who highlighted the growing humanitarian needs facing host communities, including those supporting roughly 6,000 refugees and returnees from Sudan.

“All of us know you and have witnessed what you have done for this country over the years, offline and online,” he said, referring to the SRSG’s previous appointment as Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in South Sudan, which has helped foster open exchanges with authorities, communities and humanitarian partners.

For their part, humanitarian partners highlighted several pressing concerns, including the implementation of the Akoka-Fashoda peace agreements, access challenges along the Sobat River corridor, the protection of civilians affected by violence, and reconciliation efforts in conflict-affected areas such as Baliet, Ulang and Nasir.

Yet, amid these challenges, SRSG Gbeho urged people to look beyond the negatives and recognize the progress being made. She recalled a metaphor her daughter often uses to make the point:

“Most people know situations where we only focus on the negative, on the small tea stain that found its way on a dress, instead of seeing the beautiful patterns around it.”

In Malakal, those patterns are visible in the resilience of communities rebuilding their lives after years of conflict, including the devastating violence that affected the region in 2016 and beyond.

Hai Matar is one example. What was once undeveloped and uninhabitable land due to scattered explosive hazards has become a settlement where families are rebuilding their lives, supported by the collective efforts of communities, local authorities, UNMISS, UNMAS, and humanitarian partners.

“When I last came here, Hai Matar was still a dream. It was something we all felt would be a good initiative. To come and see what communities, together with authorities and our support, have been able to achieve is truly moving,” said SRSG Gbeho.

Upper Nile State still faces significant challenges in building a safer and more stable future. But the visit also offered a reminder of how far communities have come, and of what can be achieved when their voices are heard, and efforts are united around their needs.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).

Source: APO

Lesotho’s Prime Minister, The Right Honourable Ntsokoane Matekane had duly been elected incoming Chairperson of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.

This was done during the virtual meeting of the SADC Extraordinary Summit. An Information from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Relations revealed that the election represents not only a significant milestone for Lesotho but also an opportunity for Lesotho to contribute meaningfully to advancing the objectives of the SADC Treaty and the SADC Protocol on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation.Amongst others, the Agency established that the central role of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation is to ensure a peaceful, secure and stable region amongst others.

Meanwhile, this election comes after the 45th SADC Summit in Madagascar last year, whereby Lesotho was officially removed from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ Troika watch list and security agenda.

SADC is an organisation of member states established in 1980 with the mission to promote sustainable and equitable economic growth as well as socio economic development.

This was done through cooperation and good governance, durable peace and security so that the region becomes competitive and efficient player in international relations.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.

Source: APO

A delegation from Eswatini parliament has arrived at Lesotho parliament premises for a three – day official visit aimed at fostering the exchanging expertise on the role of Parliament regarding labour migration issues, border security and socioeconomic development as well as to revive Lesotho Members of Parliament on Commonwealth Parliament Association.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of Lesotho.