*NAMIBIA - The finance minister presents the 2023/24 national budget.
*KENYA - The tourism ministry releases the sector's performance statistics for 2022.
GLOBAL MARKETS
Asian share markets followed Wall Street into the red on
Wednesday as surprising strength in global surveys of
services stoked fears that central banks would have to lift
interest rates yet further and keep them up for
longer. WORLD OIL PRICES
Oil prices were steady on Wednesday as investors await the
U.S. Federal Reserve's comments after recent data pointed to
the possibility of more interest rates hikes, which may
lower economic growth and limit global fuel
demand. EMERGING MARKETS
For the top emerging markets news, double click on AFRICA STOCKS
For the latest news on African stocks, click on SOUTH AFRICA MARKETS
The South African rand on Tuesday slipped to its lowest
level this year, with investors awaiting the finance
minister's budget speech due on Wednesday that is likely to
provide cues on the government's policy
trajectory. NIGERIA ELECTION
Nigerian governing party presidential candidate Bola Tinubu
promised to renew the hope of those losing faith in the
country if elected in Saturday's poll, as Africa's biggest
democracy faces rampant insecurity and a worsening economic
crisis. Also, Gunmen have killed seven Nigerian police officers
since the weekend in the southeast, a police spokesperson
said on Tuesday, in the latest violence to rock the volatile
region ahead of elections on Saturday. KENYA MARKETS
The Kenyan shilling weakened to a fresh record low on
Tuesday due to increased demand for dollars from
oil-retailing companies and other firms in the energy
sector, traders said. META KENYA
Facebook parent company Meta has filed an appeal in
Kenya challenging a ruling that said the company could be
sued in the East African country even though it has no
official presence there. UGANDA MINING
The Ugandan government has started to set up a national
mining company that will aim to take equity stakes of up to
15% of all medium and large scale mining operations in the
country, the minister for energy and minerals said on
Tuesday. MADAGASCAR CYCLONE
Madagascar's government suspended schools and transport in
the path of tropical cyclone Freddy, which made landfall in
the southeast of the island on Tuesday evening, causing a
storm surge, ripping roofs off houses and killing at least
one person. GHANA DEBT
Ratings agency Fitch on Tuesday downgraded Ghana's long-term
foreign-currency issuer default rating to 'restricted
default', after the country missed the grace period to make
a coupon payment on one of its Eurobonds. MALI SECURITY
Three peacekeepers from Senegal were killed and five
seriously injured after their convoy hit an improvised
explosive device in central Mali, the U.N. peacekeeping
mission in the country and Senegal's army said on
Tuesday. For the latest precious metals report click on For the latest base metals report click on For the latest crude oil report click on (Compiled by Nairobi Newsroom)
