KENYA

Why Ruto changed tune on his plan to abolish CBC

Deputy President William Ruto has made a major turnabout on an earlier pledge to abolish the competency-based curriculum (CBC).

Dr Ruto has instead promised a hybrid system of education if his Kenya Kwanza Alliance (KKA) wins the presidency in August.

According to insiders, the decision was made to avoid hurting learners who are currently under the programme and to avoid causing more confusion in the sector.

Dr Ruto acknowledged that the CBC is good but said a KKA government would review the curriculum to incorporate public input.

He said that the hybrid system would incorporate knowledge, competencies, skills and values. Dr Ruto said that focus would be trained on access, relevance, affordability and quality.

(Source: The Daily Nation)

TANZANIA

Constitution Reform – CCM Sets Ball Rolling 

The ruling CCM party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has directed the government to revise the process of writing a new constitution since the country needs reforms that would meet the current needs.

NEC said it is the ideal time for a new constitution and tasked the government to come up with the best practice to revise the constitutional reform process for the vested national interest and development.

Briefing the media after the meeting held in Dodoma on Wednesday, CCM’s Ideology and Publicity Secretary, Mr Shaka Hamdu Shaka, said the party’s top organ also commended President Samia Suluhu Hassan championing the political reconciliation and for the initiative to put at the forefront the national interest.

The NEC described Ms Samia as a mature diplomat and outstanding politician for her reconciliation initiatives.

(Source: The Daily News)

UGANDA

EAC court condemns Rwanda for closing border with Uganda 

The East African Court of Justice yesterday condemned Rwanda for having closed its borders to Uganda for three years.

The judges held that the acts contravene the East African Treaty rules of free movement across the member partner states.

In 2019, Rwanda closed its borders with Uganda at Gatuna and Cyanika, paralysing business between the two countries and cutting off movements.

But a panel of five justices led by the Principal Judge, Dr Yohane Masara, ruled that the said acts contravened specifically Articles 5,6 and 7, among other articles of the Treaty.

The regional court also held that restricting the freedom of movement of Rwandan nationals from accessing Uganda, was a total infringement and a violation of the protocol of free movement of goods and persons.

(Source: The Monitor)

RWANDA

World leaders descend on Kigali for Commonwealth summit 

An array of presidents and prime ministers continued to descend on Rwanda Thursday from around the world for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson jetted in on Thursday and held a meeting with President Paul Kagame on “existing partnerships between Rwanda and the UK, including the recent Migration and Economic Development Partnership,” the Rwandan presidency said in a tweet.

Leaders of the 54-member group of mainly former British colonies are expected in Kigali Thursday and Friday for the climax of the Commonwealth summit that kicked off on Monday. Rwanda is a former German and Belgian colony, but joined the Commonwealth in 2009.

(Source: The East African)

ETHIOPIA

As many as 320 dead in Ethiopia gun attack, witnesses suggest

The suspected death toll in an attack by gunmen in Ethiopia’s western Oromia region has risen, with new witness testimony suggesting that between 260 and 320 civilians were killed on Saturday.

Reports of the massacre surfaced on Sunday, as survivors described one of the deadliest such incidents for several years in Ethiopia.

The country’s prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, has condemned what he described as “horrific acts” in Oromia, but has not given any details of the violence.

Two residents who described the attack on Saturday said the victims were ethnic Amharas, a minority in the region.

There was no indication that the attack was directly linked to a conflict in the northern region of Tigray, which began in November 2020 and has killed thousands and displaced millions.

(Source: The Guardian)

ERITREA

President Isaias receives credentials of several ambassadors 

President Isaias Afwerki received at Denden Guest House in the morning hours of June 23, credentials of 10 Resident and Non-Resident Ambassadors.

The Resident Ambassadors that submitted their credentials are Mr. Igor Mozgo of the Russian Federation, Mr. Ahmet Demirok of the Republic of Turkey, and Ms Mary Babodo Frances of the Republic of South Sudan.

The Non-Resident Ambassadors that submitted their credentials are Mr Saleh Bin Suleiman bin Ahmed Al-Harthi of Oman, Mr Puttaporn Ewtoksan of Thailand, Mr Saed Mohammed Mohammed Abdela of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, Ms Nura Abba Rimi of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Mr Ezzedin H. Tago of the Republic of Philippines, Maj. Gen. Vilio Hifindaka of the Republic of Namibia as well as Mr Okaniwa Ken of Japan.

At the meeting with President Isaias, the Ambassadors discussed the regional and global developments, on areas and sectors of partnership and cooperation, as well as the overall situation of their countries including challenges and opportunities.

(Source: Ministry of Information Eritrea)

SUDAN

African Union suspends its participation in Sudan’s political process 

The African Union representative in Sudan Tuesday suspended his participation in the tripartite mechanism to protest his exclusion from the direct meetings between the Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) and the military component.

“The African Union cannot continue in a process lacking transparency, honesty and inclusion, as well as respect for all actors and treat them with full and equal respect,” Mohamed Belaiche told the media in a dramatic manner after virulent statements by SLM leader Minnawi Minnawi.

“Therefore, based on the directives of the African Union leadership, I decided to not attend further hidden, evasive and opaque meetings in an exclusionary atmosphere,” he further stressed.

(Source: Sudan Tribune)

SOMALIA

Save the Children UK pledges humanitarian assistance to Somali government 

The Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (SRCC) for Somalia, Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, has met with Save the Children’s chief executive officer in Mogadishu

Gwen Hines provided the Ambassador with a comprehensive overview of the organisation’s activities in Somalia.

The envoy thanked Save the Children for its efforts in rescuing the affected population, and called on them to assist the British government in increasing the much-needed humanitarian assistance in the country.

Finally, Gwen Hines, who praised the efforts of the Somali government and the Office of the Special Representative for Humanitarian Affairs, welcomed the Ambassador’s requests and pledged his support.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)