KENYA 

IEBC gets Sh22 billion extra for August elections

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has been given an extra Sh21.7 billion to conduct the elections in August.

The new funding, announced by National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani while detailing his budget highlights and revenue raising measures for the 2022/23 financial year to MPs Thursday, brings the total allocation for the polls to Sh44.6 billion.

IEBC had been awarded Sh22.9 billion in 2021/22. Other than financing the General Election, the Sh21.7 billion also covers the review of electoral and boundary delimitation laws.

IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati’s push for more money was backed by chief executive Marjan Hussein Marjan in February when he appeared before the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

At the time, the committee, chaired by Mr Muturi Kigano (Kangema), was considering the supplementary budget for the 2021/22 financial year. Mr Marjan warned that failing to provide the necessary funding to IEBC would hinder effective preparation for the General Election.

(Source: Daily Nation)

TANZANIA 

Tanzania abstains as UN body votes to suspend Russia from Rights Council

Tanzania was among 58 countries that chose to abstain from the United Nations General Assembly vote to expel Russia from the UN Human Rights Council.

The Assembly voted Thursday to suspend Russia from the UN Human Rights Council as punishment for the invasion of Ukraine.

Of the 193 members of the assembly, 93 voted in favor of suspension while 24 voted against and 58 abstained, suggesting weakening international unity against Russia.

It was the second ever suspension of a country from the council. Libya was the first, in 2011.

Despite pressure from Moscow for a no vote, several African countries only abstained, such as South Africa and Senegal. Also abstaining were Brazil, Mexico and India.

From the east African region, Kenya, Uganda and South Sudan joined Tanzania in abstaining from the vote while Ethiopia as Burundi voted against ejecting Russia.

(Source: The Citizen)

UGANDA

What AG legal opinion means for Cosase report on Asians assets

Attorney-General Kiryowa Kiwanuka yesterday revealed that the recommendations contained in the Parliament’s Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) report, regarding management of the properties of the departed Asians, cannot be implemented under the current law.

“It was very clear, the recommendations by Cosase that they were asking us to do; were not tenable under the legal regime, especially the cancellation of certificate of title,” Mr Kiryowa said yesterday by telephone.

On March 22, Mr Kiryowa rendered his legal opinion, following a debate regarding the manner in which the properties of the departed Asians had been managed by the Departed Asians Property Custodian Board (DAPCB), resulting in numerous court cases.

He said his legal opinion followed a request by President Museveni.

“The recommendation of the Cosase sub-committee for Departed Asians Property Custodian Board, to initiate the process for cancellation of repossession certificates acquired and any substitute titles is not capable of implementation in light of the existing case law,” Mr Kiryowa said.

In August 2016, the Auditor-General in exercise of his statutory mandate, conducted two special audits on the operations of the DAPCB, which were later handed to Parliament and debated by Cosase. This was after numerous lawsuits had risen against the government with the potential of losing huge sums of money in compensation.

The Asians, after their expulsion by then President Idi Amin in the 1970s, left behind properties, which included businesses, stock and real estate.

(Source: The Monitor)

RWANDA

Kwibuka28: Return to physical commemoration after two years

As Rwanda commemorates, for the 28th time, the Genocide against the Tutsi, citizens have expressed their relief after they returned to physical gatherings after two years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, commemoration activities that required mass gatherings were suspended as part of the measures to contain the highly infectious virus. These restrictions were partially lifted on this 28th occasion, allowing citizens to commemorate their loved ones at village level.

Providence Musesangohe, the Executive Secretary of Gisozi sector said: “We can now meet and pay tribute to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.” He said such gatherings are crucial to the healing process of the survivors and all Rwandans in general.

 During the gatherings, residents in villages across the country held discussions that revolved around Rwanda’s history which is characterised by the genocide as well as the unity and reconciliation journey in post-genocide Rwanda.

The speakers tasked Rwandans to uphold unity as their virtue, and a precious resource that will drive them into a brighter future.

(Source: The New Times)

ETHIOPIA 

Unfettered Humanitarian Access Open To All Conflict Affected Areas: Deputy Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonen said that the government has been reinforcing the smooth flow of humanitarian assistance in the conflict affected areas since it declared a humanitarian truce.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonen with Minister of Justice, Gedion Timothews jointly briefed ambassadors and heads of international organizations on the rationale behind declaring a humanitarian truce and on other current affairs.

In his briefing, Demeke explained the major challenges that the country has been facing and the government’s proactive measures  to tackle those protracted problems.

Speaking on the current “indefinite humanitarian truce”, he said that it is a practical response to the humanitarian crises.

He further stated that the humanitarian truce is a pragmatic response to the problems in the northern part of the country particularly, to the people of Tigray.

However, Demeke urged the international community to put pressure on TPLF to end all its obstructive activities and allow the smooth transportation of humanitarian convoys  to Tigray region.

 Briefing the contents of Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report on allegedly committed crimes in Welkait, the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister downplayed the report saying that “it is a politically motivated report.”

He added that the report is not acceptable; its validity is questionable with numerous political matters the two organizations felt necessary.

Demeke also reaffirmed the commitment of the government for investigation of all alleged   human right violence, crimes as well as to ensure justice in the country.

(Source: Ethiopia News Agency)

SOMALIA 

Roble Receives South West MPs

The Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud addressed a special joint press conference with the newly elected members of the 11th Parliament in Mogadishu.

Mohamed Hussein Roble, the Prime Minister of Somalia, last night received the former Speaker of the Parliament Aden Madobe and Sharif Mohamed Abdalla who are both candidates for the Speaker of the Parliament.

Among the officials Roble met were three lawmakers from the South West who had received their degrees.

(Source: Radio Dalsan)

SUDAN

Sudan opposition FFC announces new structure

The National Accord Group of Sudan’s opposition Forces for Freedom and Change (FFC) announced on Tuesday a new structure that includes “a comprehensive diversity of all the Sudanese people, and also included the committee composed of the General Secretariat, which includes 26 members”.

Under the new structure, which was announced in a press conference on Tuesday, Mubarak Ardol became Secretary-General of the FFC, the National Accord Group, while Suleiman Sandal and Nour EL Daem Taha became deputies to the Secretary-General.

At the press conference, Suleiman Sandal, the political secretary of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and a leader in the FFC, stressed the need to achieve a comprehensive national consensus.

Sandal: “We kept saying that this revolution is a great revolution and a people’s revolution, and we entered a transitional phase with a high spirit and great national determination to accomplish the transitional period, noting that this revolution solved some problems and worked on national reconciliation.”

(Source: Radio Dabanga)