Foreign news

Chinese technology helps Kenya improve mobile payment service

Published

4 years ago

July 7, 2022

Chinese technology has helped M-Pesa, an electronic mobile payment platform, to maintain smooth operations in Kenya.

Launched in 2007, M-Pesa has gained popularity because of a special function that allows users to transfer money and make payments using a phone service even when they do not have a smartphone or their phone cannot connect to the internet.

“I think M-Pesa has revolutionized payment in Kenya. It’s very easy for me to make payments,” Miller, a hotel manager, told China Media Group (CMG).

“I can pull money from bank and put it in my M-Pesa account and use it when I want – in a restaurant, in a supermarket, paying bills directly from my phone. For the same thing, at the mall and also for the hotel and apartments, it’s very easy for our guests to pay,” Miller said.

However, a rapidly growing users base has brought technical challenges to the service. In 2012, due to a large number of users and insufficient platform capacity, the withdrawal service often used to crash on Fridays.

Chinese technology helped the operator build a more stable and powerful second-generation M-Pesa mobile payment service.

“We worked with them to build up the platform which can support tens of millions of users to use the ‘mobile pocket.’ Its business success rate has greatly increased and the time for breakdown every year has been dramatically reduced,” Meng Wei, head of the Kenya representative office of a Chinese technology provider, told CMG.

The Chinese technology provider also makes efforts to improve user experience and develop more services.

“The M-Pesa has integrated a strong ecosystem in which users can book train tickets and flights on the platform. We hope to use Chinese technology to help people of Kenya to fully enjoy the development of digital economy. We believe that in the era of digital economy, no one should be left behind,” said Meng.

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Foreign news

Court of Arbitration Declares Indus Waters Treaty Fully Operational Rejects India’s ‘Abeyance’

Published

1 month ago

August 31, 2026

The Gleamer

Cyril Ogar

The Court of Arbitration has unanimously reaffirmed that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) remains fully in force, ruling that India cannot unilaterally place the 1960 agreement in “abeyance” or suspend its obligations under the treaty.

The decision represents a significant legal development in the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan over the management and use of the Indus river system.

The Court’s finding addresses a fundamental issue at the heart of the dispute: whether either party can unilaterally suspend the treaty outside the legal framework agreed by both countries.

In its unanimous determination, the Court made clear that the IWT continues to bind both India and Pakistan and that its obligations cannot be set aside through a unilateral political declaration.

The ruling means India remains subject to the treaty provisions governing the use of the Western Rivers, including requirements relating to the design and operation of hydroelectric projects, as well as the dispute-resolution mechanisms established under the agreement.

The Court has also ordered interim measures concerning the Ratle Hydroelectric Plant, restricting specified construction activities while the broader dispute remains under consideration.

The measures are aimed at preserving the effectiveness of the arbitration process and preventing developments that could prejudice the outcome of the proceedings.

For Pakistan, the decision represents significant legal validation of its longstanding position that the IWT is a binding international agreement and contains no provision allowing either party to unilaterally place it in abeyance.

Pakistan has consistently maintained that disagreements over the treaty should be addressed through the institutional mechanisms established by the agreement, rather than through unilateral action.

The IWT provides a structured framework for resolving disputes through mechanisms including the Permanent Indus Commission, Neutral Expert and Court of Arbitration processes.

The latest ruling therefore reinforces the principle that treaty obligations cannot simply be disregarded because of deteriorating political relations between signatories.

The significance of the decision extends beyond the India-Pakistan dispute. It underscores the broader international-law principle that agreements governing shared rivers and other transboundary resources must be respected and disputes resolved through established legal and institutional channels.

The Indus river system supports agriculture, livelihoods, food security and communities across the region, making the stability of the treaty particularly important.

The ruling also highlights the distinction between seeking to amend an international agreement through mutually agreed procedures and attempting to alter its obligations unilaterally.

The IWT has endured wars, prolonged diplomatic tensions and periods of limited bilateral engagement. Its continued operation demonstrates the importance of rules-based mechanisms in managing shared resources when relations between neighbouring states become strained.

For Pakistan, the outcome provides an opportunity to frame the decision not merely as a bilateral legal victory, but as an affirmation of international law, treaty compliance and peaceful dispute resolution.

The central message from the ruling is clear: the Indus Waters Treaty remains in force, its obligations continue to bind both parties, and disputes concerning shared waters must be addressed through the legal mechanisms agreed by India and Pakistan.

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