KENYA

Uhuru’s own goal: How President’s hand in BBI campaign bungled initiative

President Kenyatta seems to have scored an own goal in his quest to amend the Constitution through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). This is after the Supreme Court held on Thursday that his involvement was illegal.

The judges found that the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2020, was unconstitutional. They argued that the President cannot initiate the process through the popular initiative route, which, they said, is reserved for ordinary citizens.

The ruling dealt a huge blow to Mr Kenyatta and Azimio La Umoja flag bearer Raila Odinga, who had sought to expand the executive and end the winner-take-all attitude of electoral politics through constitutional amendments. 

The judges also declared the second schedule of the Bill that had proposed the creation of 70 constituencies illegal.

But there was a small win for the promoters of the BBI as judges held that the basic structure doctrine is not applicable in Kenya. The doctrine emerged from India in 1793 and has not attained wider global acceptability.

(Source: The Nation)

TANZANIA

President Samia announces minor cabinet reshuffle

President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced on Thursday minor changes in the Cabinet by transferring Constitution and Legal Affairs Minister George Simbachawene to the office of the Prime Minister Parliament, Policy and Coordination.

A statement issued by the Directorate of Presidential Communication said the President has equally moved Dr. Pindi Chana, the then minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office (Parliament, Policy and Coordination), to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism.

Dr Damas Ndumabro, former minister for Natural Resources and Tourism will be heading the Constitution and Legal Affairs docket.

(Source: The Daily News)

UGANDA

Uganda ends mandatory Covid-19 border tests

Travellers entering Uganda will no longer be required to test for Covid-19 at its border points as long as they are fully vaccinated, the health authorities have announced.

The government has also ordered private laboratories conducting the tests at various points of entry to vacate the premises.

The directives are contained in a letter dated March 28 by the director-general of Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Henry Mwebesa. It is addressed to district health officers in border districts like Busia, Tororo, Kasese, Kabale, and Ntungamo.

The move, he said, is to ensure that Kampala complies with the East African Community Council of Minister’s directive for the meeting held in January, in which it was agreed to ease inter-country pandemic restrictions to fast-track regional economic recovery.

(Source: The East African)

RWANDA

119 more asylum seekers from Libya arrive in Rwanda

Some 119 more asylum seekers arrived in Rwanda from Libya on Tuesday evening, joining 824 others awaiting resettlement.

This is the eighth flight of evacuees to Rwanda, and the first this year, since the Emergency Transit Mechanism began in September 2019. It brings the total number of evacuees to Rwanda to 943.

Most asylum seekers are from Eritrea, Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia. Some had been living in the Libyan capital Tripoli, while others had been arbitrarily held in detention, some for several months.

This is the second flight of evacuees received since Rwanda, the African Union, and UNHCR signed an addendum to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) of the Emergency Transit Mechanism (ETM) in November. It extended the operation of the Gashora-based transit centre to accommodate refugees, asylum seekers and other vulnerable people at risk in Libya until December 31, 2023.

(Source: The East African)

ETHIOPIA

UN rejects Ethiopian attempt to deny funds for Tigray probe

The UN’s powerful budget committee rejected an attempt by Ethiopia on Thursday to deny funding for an investigation of human rights violations in the war between Ethiopian government forces and fighters from the country’s northern Tigray region.

A brief resolution proposed by Ethiopia in the General Assembly’s budget committee against approving resources for a team from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council to scrutinise abuses during the 16-month war was defeated by a vote of 27-66, with 39 abstentions.

Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch, said, “UN member countries sent a strong message to Ethiopia today that its brazen attempt to escape accountability for war crimes and other abuses by defunding the UN’s human rights investigation is unacceptable.”

(Source: The Washington Post)

ERITREA

Excerpt on Explanation of Position after the Vote by Delegation of Eritrea March 24, New York

Despite the geopolitical differences between US led NATO and Russia, which is having grave humanitarian consequences for Ukraine, Eritrea wishes to stress that all parties to the conflict take concrete steps to respect their obligations under international humanitarian principles, to ensure that all civilians and nationalities, including African nationals are fully protected. It is important to make every effort possible to minimise humanitarian consequences for the civilian population.

While the task of humanitarian assistance is ongoing, there should be an earnest effort on the political track to end the conflict and in this regard, Eritrea wishes to reiterate its call for the peaceful resolution of the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

Finally, on a more serious political note, the current campaign or drive to go back to a unipolar world order by, “tightening the noose on Russia”, is becoming more dangerous and risks military confrontation which runs contrary to the fundamental pillars of robust multilateralism as well as the lofty aspirations of the majority of the world’s peoples and nations. We must remain guided by the UN Charter in the full respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of states for a peaceful world order.

(Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea)

SUDAN

Sudan professors on strike after ‘unconstitutional’ university dismissals

The head of Sudan’s Sovereignty Council, Gen Abdelfattah El Burhan, dissolved the board of trustees for public universities, dismissed 30 of their directors, and appointed his own choices in their stead.

Dr Siddig Tawer, a former member of the Sovereignty Council, explained that the purpose of these dismissals is to “further isolate the Sudanese professors who are able to unite the forces of the revolution” and reach an agreement with Sudan’s revolutionary actors.

The Professional Union of University Professors and Higher Institutes announced an open strike in response to the trustee dismissals issued by Burhan.

28 professors at the University of Science and Technology announced they submitted a collective resignation in the faculties, deanships, and institutes of the University, on Wednesday. They rejected the decisions in the dismissal of directors and deputy directors, as well as the dissolution of the trustees of public universities.

The union described the dismissals as proof of the “blatant infringement on the independence of universities”, which also “exceeds the constitutional powers that were granted by the prime minister”.

(Source: Dabanga)

SOMALIA

PM Roble Announces New Parliament Results

His Excellency Mohamed Hussein Roble, Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, congratulated the Federal Electoral Commission (FEIT) for announcing the results of the by-elections of the 11th House of the People and the Upper House of the JFS in accordance with the electoral process. agreed upon.

The Prime Minister also commended the state governments, the SEIT State Electoral Commissions and the Dispute Resolution Committees for their hard work, and hoped that the election of the remaining 30 Members of Parliament would be completed. as soon as possible.

The Prime Minister sends his congratulations and best wishes to the newly-elected parliamentarians and wishes them God’s support in the task of saving the country.

Finally, the Prime Minister urges the Federal Electoral Commission (FEIT) to adhere to the swearing-in of parliamentarians, which ends on April 14, to fulfil their constitutional duties, and calls on the Somali people and all to assist the commission in carrying out its duties.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)