Latest news with #Odongo
BBC News
19-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Endangered baby bongo born at UK safari park
Check out these pictures of an adorable baby bongo who was born at Worburn Safari Park in Bedfordshire earlier this month. The currently unnamed male calf has been seen dashing around its outdoor enclosure despite needing special treatment on his hips and rear legs shortly after birth. The physiotherapy seems to have worked well and the new calf is now said to be integrating with the rest of the herd. Under the overall care of the keepers at Woburn, the newborn is being fed and looked after by his mother Odongo and his father Sonny. The eastern mountain bongo's birth is great news for the species as it is classified as as critically endangered. Breeding programmes in zoos and safari parks like Woburn are said to be playing a key role in conservation male calf was born last October - they named him Djembe. He is the new calf's cousin as their mothers are twin have said the two youngsters have already formed a bond with nose-to-nose head of section Tom Robson said that after a six-year breeding gap "two healthy calves were born within months of each other, marking a major success" for the team."As a critically endangered species, every birth plays a vital role in securing the future of these beautiful animals."Odongo has embraced motherhood beautifully, it's just wonderful to see her offering her newborn the strongest possible start in life." What is a bongo? Bongos are a large species of African forest antelope, and are found in tropical forests and bamboo forests of stand out from other antelope species due to their distinctive stripes. An adult usually has between 10 and 16 stripes and most have a black belly. Males tend to have darker coats than females. They are vegetarian, eating mainly leaf tips, shoots, roots and the vines of a wide variety of other plants including bamboo, cassava and even sweet potato when in captivity. In the wild, their main threat is poaching - humans illegally hunt them for food and thier skins. Other predators include lions, pythons, leopards and is estimated that there are less than 100 bongos currently living in the wild.
The Independent
19-05-2025
- General
- The Independent
Critically endangered eastern mountain bongo calf born at UK safari park
A critically endangered eastern mountain bongo calf has been born at a UK safari park. The male calf was born at Woburn Safari Park in Woburn, Bedfordshire, to first-time mother Odongo and father Sonny. Keepers said the calf needed physiotherapy shortly after his birth on May 5 to strengthen his hips and rear legs, but is now doing well. On his introduction to the herd, the young calf was said to have eagerly dashed around and took in his new surroundings. The birth follows that of another male calf, Djembe, born to Odongo's twin sister Othaya in October 2024. Odongo and Othaya were born at Woburn on August 3 2014 and are one of only two surviving sets of bongo twins ever recorded in captivity. Keepers said they are inseparable and continue to support each other as mothers. Their two young calves have already formed a bond, with nose-to-nose greetings and close interactions observed. The park says Odongo's instincts quickly took over after the birth, and she has blossomed into a nurturing and protective mother. The eastern mountain bongo is classified as critically endangered, with captive breeding programmes playing a key role in conservation efforts. Woburn's head of section Tom Robson said: 'We are thrilled to announce the arrival of our second male bongo calf to the herd at Woburn. 'After a six-year breeding gap, two healthy calves were born within months of each other, marking a major success for the captive breeding programme. 'As a critically endangered species, every birth plays a vital role in securing the future of these beautiful animals. 'Odongo has embraced motherhood beautifully, it's just wonderful to see her offering her newborn the strongest possible start in life.'
Zawya
04-04-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Kenya launches national strategy for responsible AI development
In a progressive move that aims to position Kenya as a leader in AI adoption and governance in Africa, the country officially launched its National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy (2025-2030) (strategy) on 27 March 2025. According to John Syekei, partner and head of IP and Technology at Bowmans Kenya, the process of developing the strategy began as part of a broader push to harness emerging technologies for economic and social transformation. The formation of the National Emerging Technologies and AI Strategy Technical Working Group brought together experts from government agencies, development partners, the private sector, academia, and civil society organisations. Richard Odongo, a senior associate in Bowmans' IP & Technology practice, represented Bowmans on this working group. Roadmap for AI development Odongo notes that the goal of the strategy was to create a roadmap for responsible AI development while ensuring alignment with Kenya's broader digital economy agenda. "The strategy aims to address gaps in AI regulation, investment and skills while fostering innovation in key sectors," he says. Ariana Issaias, partner at Bowmans in Kenya, explains that currently, Kenya lacks a comprehensive AI regulatory framework. "While existing laws such as the Data Protection Act 2019, Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act 2018, Intellectual Property (IP) laws, and Consumer Protection Act 2012, offer some guidance, they are currently insufficient to address AI's complexities. "The absence of a specific AI regulatory framework creates governance challenges in areas such as ethics, data privacy and safe AI deployment. Kenya's current regulatory environment for AI is fragmented, with multiple bodies working independently without a unified approach," she explains. A further goal of the strategy was to position Kenya as a leader in AI R&D, innovation, and commercialisation for inclusive socio-economic development. "It aligns with Vision 2030, the ICT Masterplan (2022–2032), and the African Union Agenda 2063, all of which emphasise technology-driven economic growth and improved service delivery. The African Union's Continental AI Strategy (2024) also provides a cogent regional perspective on AI adoption," says Issaias. Key focus areas and recommendations The new AI strategy encompasses six key areas, namely: AI digital infrastructure; data research and development; talent; governance; investment; ethics, equity and inclusion. The environmental analysis in the strategy also assesses Kenya's social and economic environment, regional context, national context, political environment and technology ecosystem in relation to Kenya's readiness for AI adoption at scale. Odongo notes that, in terms of Kenya's AI Readiness Assessment, Kenya has been rated within a variety of these indices, including safety and government AI readiness. Overall, the assessment is based on five core dimensions, namely legal & regulatory, social & cultural, scientific & educational, economic, technological and infrastructural. "The key stakeholders also identified under the strategy's stakeholder groupings include AI developers (technology companies and technology service providers), communities, regulatory agencies, researchers and investors," he says. The new AI strategy was developed through a consultative process that began in April 2024, and it seeks to create an enabling environment for AI innovation, economic growth and inclusive development. "It examines the relationship between emerging technologies and AI, considering global, regional and national influences on AI adoption," Odongo notes. The document references key frameworks like the Constitution of Kenya (2010), the Data Protection Act (2019), and the National ICT Policy (2019) while also integrating broader digital strategies such as the National Digital Economy Blueprint and the Kenya National Digital Master Plan (2022-2032). Vital reforms and recommendations in the AI Strategy Syekei points out that the Kenyan Government and ecosystem stakeholders have identified several high-priority use cases across key sectors aligned with Kenya's Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) and corresponding pillars in Kenya's Vision 2030. The key sectors prioritised for this strategy include healthcare; education; agriculture; public service delivery; security; micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises; the creative sector and sustainability. "The Strategy proposes several technical and regulatory reforms to create an enabling environment for AI adoption including cloud computing and AI infrastructure, addressing skills and capacity gaps, strengthening data protection and governance, and AI decision-making, fairness and data quality," says Syekei. Impact and next steps for Kenya's AI ecosystem The strategy serves as a framework to guide AI adoption and governance in Kenya and is spearheaded by the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Digital Economy. "The launch of the AI strategy signals new opportunities for technology companies, startups, and investors in Kenya. The proposed reforms could unlock funding for AI innovation, create new jobs, and attract global AI firms to set up operations in Kenya," explains Syekei. Issaias notes that other African countries that have developed similar AI strategies include Algeria, Benin, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Tunisia and Uganda. "The strategy documents published by these countries also discuss AI in the context of public sector reform, education, research, national competitiveness, and mutually beneficial partnerships with technology companies," she says. Issaias concludes, "The consensus on the African continent is to take advantage of the opportunities offered by AI while mitigating the associated adoption and implementation challenges, such as those highlighted in Kenya's strategy."
