"Kenya aquifers discovered in dry Turkana region"

From the BBC:

A huge water source has been discovered in the arid Turkana region of northern Kenya which could supply the country for 70 years, the government says.

The discovery of two aquifers brings hope to the drought-hit region, tweeted Environment Minister Judi Wakhungu. They were found in the Turkana Basin and Lotikipi Basin using satellites and radar.

Excellent news indeed!

Whoever is in charge* will be able to drive the peasants away and sell off that now valuable farmland to Western (or indeed Chinese) farming conglomerates and shuffle a few billion quid into their personal Swiss bank accounts as "rainy day money".

With a bit of luck, some of those peasants might even find gainful employment on said mega-farms.

* Being fair to the Kenyans, their country seems to be considerably less corrupt and rather more democratic than most African countries, but that's not saying much.

"Buffalo gores two Kenyans to death"

From News 24:

A wounded buffalo gored a white Kenyan farmer and his guard to death on the shores of Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley region, local wildlife officials said on Wednesday.

Rick Hopcraft, a third generation Kenyan farmer, was killed when the pair were hunting down the wounded buffalo alongside Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) rangers on his ranch late on Tuesday. His guard, Paramoise Tinia, who tried to save him was also attacked by the animal and later died of injuries.

A manager on Hopcroft's farm, John Kariuki, said that Hopcraft had also been wounded in a buffalo attack last year just outside his house.

Nice bit of blackmail ...

From the BBC:

Representatives of 10 African countries are meeting in Ethiopia to try to agree a common position on climate change, months before a crucial UN meeting.

They are expected to renew demands for billions of dollars in compensation for Africa because of damage caused by global warming. And they are likely to ask rich nations to cut emissions by 40% by 2012. African nations are among the lightest polluters but analysts say they will suffer the most from climate change. BBC science reporter Matt McGrath says the move to agree a common negotiating platform for Africa recognises the continent's failure to make its voice heard on the debate...

Delegates from powerhouses South Africa, Nigeria* and Kenya are among those expected to attend. They will discuss a suggestion that developed countries should cut emissions by at least 40% by 2020, and that richer nations should provide $67bn (£40bn) a year to help the least well-off cope with rising temperatures.

* Ahem, maybe Nigeria could make a start by shutting down its oil wells?

"EU casts doubts over Kenyan poll"

New Year, same old rubbish.

Pots, kettles, black.