South Sudan Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga speaking during the last funeral rite of Minister Manawa Peter Gatkuoth Gual. [Photo by Sudans Post]
Speaking on Saturday during a thanksgiving event for veteran politician Alfred Lado Gore, who recently returned from a medical mission abroad, Igga claimed there is evidence against Lado and offered to disclose a video containing the alleged proof.
JUBA – South Sudan’s Vice President James Wani Igga has denied allegations that his office was involved in the detention of former Juba Mayor Kalisto Lado, who was arrested by the National Security Service (NSS) in March.
Speaking on Saturday during a thanksgiving event for veteran politician Alfred Lado Gore, who recently returned from a medical mission abroad, Igga claimed there is evidence against Lado and offered to disclose a video containing the alleged proof.
“If you want to confirm the charges and the evidence that we found against him, we will present this evidence to you in a two-hour video,” Igga said.
“We spent two hours watching the video, so finally we were told to inform the Bari community that your son is being held by the government because he has committed a crime and we will produce him in court,” he added.
Lado was arrested at his home on March 31 by the NSS. The police were reportedly unaware of the arrest until Lado’s wife filed a case at a local police station in Juba on April 1, according to then police spokesman Daniel Justin.
“He is not being detained by the police service. I think he is being detained by the NSS, and his wife came and opened a case for the arrest of her husband. So, the people who are detaining him are not the police, they are the National Security Service,” Justin said at the time.
Following Lado’s detention, allegations emerged suggesting Igga orchestrated or facilitated the arrest as part of a broader political strategy against upcoming Equatorian politicians.
These claims, along with Lado’s detention, have raised concerns about potential government overreach and the misuse of power, serious accusations against any government official. Sudans Post
A man counting several one thousand Kenyan shillings bills.
Kenya's economy teeters on the brink of a currency crisis, with the shilling facing the potential to plummet to a historic low of Ksh170 against the US dollar within the next 19 days.
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has sounded the alarm, stressing the urgency of a capital injection from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to prevent this catastrophe.
This revelation comes after the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Kamau Thugge revealed that the country is expecting upwards of Ksh181 billion disbursement from IMF.
Speaking during an evening broadcast on Citizen TV, Kuria painted a grim picture of the nation's financial health. He emphasised Kenya's heavy reliance on international financial institutions like the IMF and the World Bank, especially in the wake of the recent public backlash against the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
The former CS pointed to the diplomatic manoeuvring required by President William Ruto to maintain Kenya's standing with these global lenders.
African Business
Kuria's remarks came with a stark warning: if the IMF fails to disburse the expected funds by the end of the month, the shilling's value could spiral out of control, reaching an unprecedented exchange rate of Ksh170 to the dollar.
"The president must invoke his political capital on the global stage, something he has been doing well," Kuria stated, stressing the delicate balance the government must maintain in its dealings with international financial players.
The spotlight is now on John Mbadi, the newly appointed Cabinet Secretary for Treasury, who Kuria identifies as a key figure in navigating this financial storm. According to Kuria, Mbadi's first major test will be to ensure the IMF remains engaged with Kenya. Failure to secure the anticipated $1.4 billion (about KSh 181.3 billion) from the IMF could lead to dire consequences for the nation's currency.
Kuria did not mince words about the gravity of the situation. "If IMF doesn't come through by the end of this month, in another 19 days, this shilling might hit Ksh170," he warned, adding that he would be praying for Mbadi's success in keeping the IMF on board.
He further advised Mbadi to meticulously manage the upcoming financial challenges, particularly the maturing loans that will need to be addressed in the near future.
Kenya is expecting a total of KSh 181.3 billion in disbursements from the IMF this financial year, according to Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Dr Kamau Thugge. These funds are crucial as the country grapples with the economic fallout from recent protests and the rejection of the Finance Bill. The IMF's support is seen as a lifeline for stabilising the shilling and preventing further economic deterioration.
Governor Thugge highlighted that Kenya is also expecting an additional $600 million (about KSh 77.7 billion) from the IMF following a recent review. "We still have roughly $1.4 billion of disbursements from the IMF between now and the end of the financial year," Thugge said during a press briefing, expressing hope that a board meeting would be convened soon to expedite the release of these funds.By SimonMwanaWaNjuguna, Kenyans.co.ke
The body of community patroller Melusi Dladla was discovered in a bushy area by a passer-by, after he was killed by criminals. File Picture: Phando Jikelo
Police in North West said the body of a community patroller, 54-year-old Melusi Dladla, was discovered by a passer-by, in a bushy area.
The body was found at Zinniaville, close to the R510 road in Tlhabane, according to North West provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Adéle Myburgh.
After the discovery of the motionless body, Myburgh said emergency medical and rescue services personnel were called to the scene and they declared Dladla dead on the scene.
“Initial investigation indicated that Dladla was a community patroller and it is alleged that he was confronting two suspects, when he was shot in the neck,” said Myburgh.
Police in North West have launched a manhunt for assailants who killed community patroller Melusi Dladla. File Picture: Vector Images/Pixabay
Meanwhile, provincial police commissioner in North West, Lieutenant General Sello Kwena has expressed “deep sadness” over the the brutal murder of the brave community member who was volunteering his time to protect the community.Kwena vowed that police across the province will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to book.
Additionally, Kwena requested community members who would like to participate in endeavours to safeguard their communities, to contact their local Community Police Forums, which work closely with the police. Moreover, the provincial commissioner advised community patrollers not to work alone.
“Anyone with information that can assist the police in this murder investigation is requested to contact the investigating officer, Sergeant Whalter Seome at the Tlhabane detectives on 082 773 0696. Anonymous tip-offs can also be communicated via Crime Stop on 08600 10111, or via the My SAPS App,” the police appealed. IOL
Protest organizers say police have arrested the leader of Tanzania's opposition Chadema party ahead of a planned rally. Hundreds of youth supporters were also taken into custody.
Tanzania's opposition Chadema party on Monday said its leader Freeman Mbowe had been arrested, the latest of several politicians to have been detained.
Police are also said to have rounded up several hundred youth supporters, saying they expect a scheduled demonstration marking International Youth Day to turn violent. The detentions come amid fears of a backslide in President Samia Suluhu Hassan's moves away from authoritarian rule.
What has happened to the arrested leaders?
Mbowe was said to have been arrested as he visited the southwestern city of Mbeya to meet police and army leaders.
Chadema said he was arrested at the city's Songwe airport alongside John Pambalu, the chairman of the party's youth wing Bavicha.
Mbowe had planned to use the visit to inquire about the health and whereabouts of already-detained opposition figures, including former presidential candidate Tundu Lissu.
Mbowe had on Sunday demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all our leaders, members, and supporters who were arrested in various parts of the country."
"The party is closely monitoring the situation and will continue to inform the public of every development step by step," he said.
Hassan took over as president in 2021 after the sudden death of her predecessor John Magufuli. Since then, she has departed from the late president's authoritarian policies, relaxing some media and opposition restrictions.
However, opposition parties and rights groups have also criticized her for arrests last DWyear of people planning protests against a port management deal.
Mbowe was previously detained for about seven months after he and other Chadema leaders were arrested before a public forum to demand constitutional reforms. He was released in March 2022.
Lissu, Chadema's deputy chairman and a fierce critic of Hassan's ruling center-left Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM), returned to Tanzania soon after Hassan lifted a ban on opposition rallies that was imposed in 2016. Lissu had previously spent five years mainly living in exile after an assassination attempt in 2017.
The country is due to hold presidential and parliamentary polls late next year, with Lissu expected to run for the presidency once again. DW
When Raila Odinga visited Toy Market that was razed down on August 05, 2024. [Emmanuel Wanson, Standard]
ODM leader Raila Odinga has received a lot of backlash from young Kenyans and fellow opposition leaders after he struck a deal with President William Ruto to form the so-called broad-based government, which his Azimio coalition partners refused to join.
On Saturday, the veteran opposition leader released a statement calling for the immediate release of all protesters arrested during Nane Nane and previous demos organized by Gen Z. But can he recover the goodwill he once enjoyed among many Kenyans?
Just how much damage has his dalliance with Ruto done to his long-standing reputation as a second liberation hero, despite assuring the youth that he still stands with them against any oppression by the government?
“Together, we will continue with this struggle, and together, we will achieve the Kenya we all deserve,” he said in the statement which read like an appeal for their continued support.
Prof Gitile Naituli of Multimedia University thinks it will take a lot of effort for Raila to recover the goodwill unless he ensures the broad-based government delivers the issues Gen Z have been fighting for.
They include good governance, integrity in the management of public affairs, transparency and accountability, reduced taxation and the creation of jobs.
Prof Peter Kagwanja, the Executive Director of Africa Policy Institute, opposes the approach that President Ruto and Raila are using to deal with the demands raised by Gen Z.
He says the issues are clear and it is not about them (youth) working with the government or talks between the government and the opposition.
Kagwanja urged leaders to stop the politics of ethnic balancing and instead focus on the balancing of values, talent and merit because young people want change that can provide jobs, dignity and respect to all Kenyans.
Naituli adds that Raila still has a chance of redeeming himself by pushing the government to achieve good governance and to stop the abuse of human rights by the police.
“If he can do that, it will become the defining character of this government, for which Raila will take all the credit but being a seasoned politician, I think he also knows that politics is about perception. If people see you as a person who is always seeking personal interest as opposed to public good, they discount all the good things you have done in the past,” says Naituli.
While the opposition leader is known for his fight for the broadening of the democratic space, he is also famous for entering into loose coalitions with successive governments.
Last week, after Ruto announced the second batch of Cabinet Secretaries, which included ODM top leaders, some party MPs like Babu Owino and Richard Onyonka, declared that they will take charge of the opposition.
“The new face of Cabinet does not meet the demands of Gen Z. It does not obey the two-thirds gender rule as envisaged in the constitution. It also does not have disability representation,” says Owino.
Political analysts say that although the move to government may have excited some people, especially in Raila’s Nyanza backyard, the damage on his legacy may be massive.
Ahmed Hashi, who worked with Raila in ODM in the past, says the opposition leader has lost the moral authority to speak on behalf of Kenyans.
“His credentials are no longer there. You can see the appointments that he has taken to Ruto, the man who said he can never have anything to do with Mtu wa Kitendawili,” says Hashi.
He argues that Ruto and Raila have created another nusu mkate government, similar to the one the ODM leader made with President Mwai Kibaki after the disputed 2007 election.
The political analyst sees nothing good coming out of the new government, saying things can only get worse because the administration now lacks checks.
He, however, sees the new development as a boon for the country, because it offers the Gen Z and other Kenyans the opportunity to see how warped and decayed the political class is.
“I think they are going to be swept out of power in 2027. The question is should they be removed from power now or in 2027. The Gen Z have their own idea about that and many of us also have a different opinion about it,” added Hashi. Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo (Wiper) cautioned that a lot of things will change in Parliament because of ODM’s decision to join the government’s side.
“Kenya Kwanza already had a supermajority in the House. It was already running government and so I didn’t see the point of sacking the whole Cabinet and then returning the same old faces,” says Maanzo.
He added that if any of those dismissed CSs had failed in their duties, there was a way of dealing with that and not necessarily embarrassing them because none was told about any wrong they had done or given an opportunity to defend themselves.
Maanzo finds it deceitful that the President chose to announce that he was going to form a broad-based government when he had not addressed the issues raised by Kenyans.
“The broad-based government is an illegality because political parties making such an agreement have to deposit the document with the Registrar of Political Parties, something which has not happened,” says Maanzo.
The MP says the broad-based government will change the voting pattern in the House and also create a lot of confusion because some MPs who sit on the Minority side will not know whether to support or oppose some motions.
Accounting officers
He also thinks nothing much will change in the government despite the opposition joining, because the bigger problem is not CSs but Principal Secretaries who are the accounting officers in ministries.
Another challenge lies in many departments of government that have been seriously weakened like the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions which appears not to be working independently as was witnessed in the controversy with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Authority during the vetting of CSs.
For ODM to make any meaningful impact, Maanzo says, it should ensure that police officers who killed and injured many people during the youth protests are prosecuted.
“Many bodies are lying in the city mortuary. There are so many injured with gun wounds at Kenyatta National Hospital. We saw a mother asking President Ruto to tell her why her son who was not armed was gunned down. Will all these issues be resolved by the broad-based government?” he asks.By By Biketi Kikechi, The Standard
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