NAIROBI, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Kenya has tapped a French-US telecoms giant to build an undersea fibre-optic cable linking east Africa to the rest of the world in a bid to slash the cost of international calls and Internet access, an official said Thursday.

Information Ministry Permanent Secretary Bitange Ndemo said the contract with Paris-based Alcatel-Lucent will be signed within 14 days and work is expected to start immediately.

ARUSHA, Tanzania, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - East African heads of state Monday called for rapid strides to establish a common market and currency as they gathered for a summit in Tanzania.

'The sixth extraordinary summit of the East African Community (EAC) heads of state decided that there is a need to move expeditiously towards establishing a common market and monetary union by 2012 as we move on to the political federation,' the meeting's final statement said.

KAMPALA, Aug 18, 2007 (AFP) - Heavy rains continued to wreak havoc in East Africa Saturday, as floods that have already displaced hundreds of thousands heightened fears of food shortages and disease outbreaks across the region.

In Kampala, Uganda's minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, Musa Ecweru, said high waters had submerged entire villages and destroyed many farms in the east of the country.

NAIROBI, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - East African defence chiefs met Friday to discuss how to get a regional African Union force that was agreed upon in 2004 up and running.

Defence ministers and military leaders from 13 countries discussed the East African Standby Brigade, which has been planned as a 3,000-strong force.

Although officially created in September 2004, it is still not operational.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki told the Council of Ministers of Defence and Security of the Eastern Africa Region to fast-track the much-needed intervention force.

NAIROBI, Aug 12, 2007 (AFP) - The Aga Khan, the spiritual leader of Ismail Muslims, arrived in Kenya Sunday on the first leg of a 12-day tour across east Africa to assess development projects.

'He is coming to the region to assess development projects. It a development-oriented trip,' Ruhanga told AFP. He will meet Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Monday.

While in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, he will lay the foundation for development projects under the AKDV.