News From Home: Ebola Update, a Proposed PAYE Break and Rising Food Prices

Habari za wiki, family! Mashujaa Day has come and gone, but the news from home has kept moving.

Here is a short, plain-language look at the stories most likely to affect you and your loved ones, whether you’re sending money home, planning a December trip, or just keeping up from Thunder Bay.

Ebola: what to know before you travel

Kenya has now confirmed nine Ebola cases, all in one cluster linked to the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The latest case is a close relative of the first patient. He was already in quarantine when he fell ill, and health officials are tracing contacts (Al Jazeera).

Nigeria has confirmed an imported case in Abuja, in a woman who had travelled from Uganda (WHO Africa). These numbers are changing quickly, so treat any figure you see as a snapshot.

Canada’s official advice for Kenya is to exercise a high degree of caution. If you’re travelling home, the Government of Canada asks you to (travel.gc.ca):

• follow local health rules
• avoid contact with people who are sick
• take care at funerals and burials
• wash your hands often
• watch your health while you’re there and for 21 days after you leave

If you have a trip booked for the holidays, check that page again before you fly and talk to your doctor or a travel clinic.

A proposed PAYE break for low earners

On Mashujaa Day, President Ruto proposed that workers earning KSh 32,333 a month or less be exempt from PAYE (income tax) (Kenya Ministry of Foreign Affairs).

If you support relatives who work in Kenya, this could leave a bit more in their pockets.

For now it is only a proposal. It still has to go through the usual law-making process, and the final details may change.

Food prices may climb

The Central Bank of Kenya’s September agriculture survey, released on October 20, found that respondents expected prices of these to rise over the next month:

• milk
• maize flour
• wheat flour
• sugar
• some vegetables

They pointed to prolonged dry weather and higher fuel and transport costs.

The same survey says many respondents expect food prices to ease later, with above-average rains forecast for October to December (Central Bank of Kenya).

There were also protests in Nairobi over fuel prices on Mashujaa Day, and a journalist was among those arrested. The police oversight body, IPOA, says it is investigating the officers involved (Daily Nation).

If you send money home for groceries or school costs, it may be worth checking in with family about how far it’s stretching these days.

Quick takeaways

• Kenya has confirmed nine Ebola cases so far, Nigeria has confirmed an imported case, and Canada advises a high degree of caution. Check Canada’s Kenya travel page before any trip.
• The PAYE exemption for earners of KSh 32,333 or less is a proposal, not law yet.
• Survey respondents expect some food staples to cost more over the next month, so check in with family about their budgets.

Have news from your home county you think the community should know about? Send it our way and we’ll keep the conversation going.