KENYA

Ruto nominates Erastus Edung Ethekon as IEBC chair

President William Ruto has nominated Erastus Edung Ethekon, a former attorney in Turkana County, for appointment as the chairperson of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). The latest development brings the process closer to ending the more than two-year wait for a new electoral agency. Mr. Ethekon will, if approved by the National Assembly, replace the late Wafula Chebukati, who exited the poll body in January 2023 at the end of a six-year term.

(Business Daily)

TANZANIA

Government outlines 2025/26 priority areas in Sh1 trillion water budget

The government this week proposed a 62 per cent increase in the Ministry of Water’s budget for the 2025/26 financial year, aiming to fast-track 1,544 water projects across rural and urban areas. The Water minister presented a Sh1 trillion budget proposal in parliament, up from Sh627.7 billion in the current 2024/25 financial year. The proposed budget, at Sh943.1 billion, has been earmarked for development expenditure, representing an increase from the current allocation of Sh558.1 billion.

(The Citizen)

UGANDA

Elections cancelled in Ugandan villages after Kenyans cross border to vote

Chaos erupted in several villages in Buteba Sub-county and the Eastern Division, which neighbour Kenya, as hundreds of Kenyan nationals crossed the border to vote in the NRM village party elections that got underway on Monday. Busia is a border district between Uganda and Kenya with ethnic communities like the Samia and Iteso having family ties across both countries, making it challenging to distinguish between Ugandan and Kenyan citizens. The worst-affected villages were Marachi D, Sofia A, and Sofia B in the Eastern Division. In Buteba Sub-county, the affected villages included Okame, Aochet, Amagore and Alupe.

(The Citizen)

RWANDA

Government spending expected to rise by 21% in 2025/2026

The government plans to spend more than Rwf7 trillion in the forthcoming 2025/2026 fiscal year, an increase of over Rwf1.2 trillion, or 21 per cent, compared to the Rwf5.8 trillion approved for the current fiscal year (2024/2025). The update was provided on Thursday, May 8, by the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Yusf Murangwa. He was presenting to Parliament the Budget Framework Paper (BFP), a medium-term guide outlining Rwanda’s macroeconomic and fiscal policy directions and priorities for the period 2025/26 to 2027/28

(The New Times)

SUDAN

Sudan cuts diplomatic ties with UAE

In a statement issued following a meeting of the Security and Defence Council, the Sudanese government declared the United Arab Emirates (UAE) an “aggressor state”. It announced the immediate withdrawal of its embassy and consulate general from the UAE. The council alleged that the UAE has provided the RSF with strategic weaponry used in recent attacks across the country. Port Sudan, the de facto seat of government, was targeted in a series of drone strikes over the past three days, hitting military and civilian sites, including oil and gas depots, the port and airport, power stations, and hotels. “These attacks threaten not only Sudan’s national security but also regional and international stability, particularly the safety of Red Sea shipping lanes,” the statement read.

(Dabanga)