Zambia Seeks to Emulate Ethiopia’s Telecommunications Sector Success, Says Technology MinisterFamily Urges Swift Action to Recover Remains of Kenyan Hero Dedan Kimathi

LUSAKA — Zambia has expressed a keen interest in adopting the advancements and successful strategies of Ethiopia’s telecommunications sector, according to Felix Mutati, Zambia’s Minister of Technology and Science. In a focused effort to bolster its own technological landscape, the country looks to Ethiopia as a model for innovation and progress in telecommunication.

According to Ethiopian News Agency, Minister Mutati elaborated on Zambia’s aspirations to learn from Ethiopia’s experiences. He highlighted Ethiopia’s significant advancements in telecommunications infrastructure as a benchmark for Zambia’s own developmental strategies. “Ethiopia has advanced quite a bit in technology; particularly in the telecommunication infrastructure. It is ahead of us, Zambia. So my key interest coming to Ethiopia is to learn, appreciate, and not reinvent the wheel,” Mutati stated. His visit aims to facilitate an exchange of knowledge and experiences that could propel Zambia’s telecommunications sector forward.

Minister Mutati also emphasized the importance of African nations sharing their successes and knowledge to foster a united and stronger continent. He advocated for partnership and cooperation as essential pathways towards achieving collective growth and development across Africa. “This should be the way that Africa should work in partnership and collaboration, sharing opportunities, knowledge, and experience,” he noted.

Beyond telecommunications, the minister indicated potential cooperation between Ethiopia and Zambia in the tourism sector. With Zambia’s tourism industry experiencing growth due to government initiatives such as visa requirement removals, infrastructure upgrades, and the expansion of tourist destinations, there is a mutual interest in sharing experiences to enhance tourism. Mutati pointed out that Ethiopia, with its diverse tourist attractions, could further unlock its tourism potential by addressing existing sector challenges.

This exchange represents a broader vision of inter-African collaboration, where countries can leverage each other’s strengths to accelerate development across various sectors, including technology and tourism.

NYERI, Kenya — The family of the late Mau Mau freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi has called on the Kenyan government and the international community to accelerate efforts to locate and exhume his remains. During the 67th commemoration of Dedan Kimathi day at Kahiga-ini Mau Mau Memorial Park in Nyeri, Wanjugu Kimathi, the daughter of the celebrated liberation hero, voiced her frustration over the prolonged delays in retrieving her father’s remains, highlighting the diminishing number of eyewitnesses who could aid in locating Kimathi’s grave.

According to Kenya News Agency, the urgency of the situation is underscored by the fact that individuals with direct knowledge of the burial or those who were present in the prison or forest during Kimathi’s burial are passing away. “We have noted with great concern that as we (the family) are told to wait, those people who participated in Kimathi’s burial or were working in the prison at the time or in the forest, are dying. Only a few people who can help with the search are remaining,” she explained, stressing the critical timing for the government and international entities to act promptly.

In September of the previous year, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua made a commitment to spearhead the search and exhumation of Kimathi’s remains, acknowledging the historical significance and honoring the legacy of the Mau Mau uprising’s senior military commander. Gachagua announced plans to convene a meeting with senior Mau Mau leaders from the Mount Kenya region to strategize on the excavation efforts at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison, where Kimathi is believed to have been buried in an unmarked grave following his execution on February 18, 1957.

Dedan Kimathi, a key figure in Kenya’s struggle for independence from British colonial rule, was captured, tried, and sentenced to death in the 1950s. Despite his appeals, Kimathi was executed and his burial site has remained undisclosed, leaving a lingering wound in the country’s collective memory.

The Dedan Kimathi day, commemorated annually on February 18, serves as an unofficial holiday in Kenya and around the world, honoring the sacrifice of Kimathi and other Mau Mau fighters in their quest for freedom. The event in Nyeri was attended by Mau Mau veterans, representatives from the British High Commission, and local government officials.

Wanjugu Kimathi also highlighted efforts by the Dedan Kimathi Foundation to work with county governments for the localization of the Dedan Kimathi commemoration and called for improved welfare for the surviving freedom fighters, emphasizing the need for recognition and support for those who contributed to Kenya’s liberation from colonialism.