East Africa

Details: East Africa; 24 August 2022; 557

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As political parties prepare assiduously for campaign programmes and manifestoes that will commence next month, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has said the 2023 general elections will go beyond connections, tribe or religion.

Obi said this on his verified Twitter page on Tuesday while giving a summary of his speech at the Nigeria Bar Association Annual General Conference (NBA-AGC) held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos state.

At the colloquium on Monday, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar and former Borno state governor and vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Kashim Shettima also delivered their speeches.

Speaking about his delivered speech, Obi reiterated that the country needs “true, visionary and diligent leadership to transit from its present state of failure and stagnation to growth and development” and insisted that “we must strive for a leadership imbued with competence, capacity, credibility and commitment.”

The former Anambra state governor tweeted: “It was a distinct honour and privilege to address the Nigerian Bar Association at their Annual General Conference yesterday. The warm reception was gratifying and deeply appreciated.

“To recap what I said, Nigeria needs true, visionary and diligent leadership to transit from its present state of failure and stagnation to growth and development.

“Now that our nation is exhibiting the characteristics of a fragile and failed state, we must re-evaluate our leadership selection process to ensure that only diligent and committed leaders are voted into power, so that we can begin to rescue this nation urgently.

“We must strive for a leadership imbued with competence, capacity, credibility and commitment.

“I maintain that the elections in 2023 will go beyond connections, tribe or religion, but center on competence, character and commitment to deliver on the dividends of true democracy.” By Biodun Busari, Vanguard News

Details: East Africa; 24 August 2022; 635

Elected Governor for Makueni Mutula Kilonzo Jnr.

The governor-elect said that President Kenyatta should be reassuring Kenyans of a calm and peaceful transition amidst the current political tensions and even spend his last days in office meeting Kenyans across the country.
On August 18, President Kenyatta met the Interfaith group at State House, where he assured them that the transition process will be a smooth one.

Makueni Governor-elect Mutula Kilonzo Jnr has opined that the most significant legacy outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta will have is handing over power peacefully.

Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV on Tuesday, Mutula said that President Kenyatta should be reassuring Kenyans of a calm and peaceful transition amidst the current political tensions and even spend his last days in office meeting Kenyans across the country.

"There is a time we had a meeting on BBI in State House and I told the president that his biggest legacy is not BBI or the highways and good roads. His biggest legacy will be the day he hands over power peacefully," said Mutula.

"Therefore, if I was Uhuru I would get out of State House and walk around like the way he was on top of his car greeting Kenyans and having nyama choma at Kenyatta Market and it will calm down everybody."

Mutula further advised that the president should be calm and be the one propagate the idea of impartiality in handing over, and "not like the way every time he issues a press conference he looks angry. He should be calm."

On August 18, President Kenyatta met the Interfaith group at State House, where he assured them that the transition process will be a smooth one.

This is despite his earlier declaration that he prefers handing over to Azimio's Raila Odinga, while criticising his deputy William Ruto.

“Ninasema anayeweza kutuongoza kwa amani ni Raila Odinga na Martha Karua…Wacha kwanza Mzee atuangalilie hii kazi na labda vijana mtakuja baadaye," he said while commissioning several projects in Makueni and Mombasa counties early August. By Moses Kinyanjui, Citizen Digital

Details: East Africa; 23 August 2022; 541

Prince Harry visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on Saturday

Prince Harry visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on Saturday during an unannounced trip to Rwanda. The Duke of Sussex lauded the people of Rwanda and their ‘incredible show of unity and resilience’ as he remembered the victims of the 1994 mass genocide.

Prince Harry’s visit came just weeks after his father Prince Charles visited the site along with his wife Camilla.

Prince Harry visits genocide memorial in Rwanda amid surprise tour

Meghan Markle’s friend Omid Scobie also shared Harry’s touching words he wrote in the visitor book during his time at the site.

“I am profoundly moved by what I have witnessed. What an incredible show of unity and resilience we now see,” he said.

“Thank you for showing us all the way to healing and forgiveness. You are setting an example across the world,” he added. Source: International The News

Details: East Africa; 24 August 2022; 595

DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania on Tuesday began conducting its National Population and Housing Census with President Samia Suluhu Hassan being among the first persons to be counted at State House in Chamwino in the capital Dodoma.

A team of census officials led by the statistician general of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Albina Chuwa, and the commissioner of the National Population and Housing Census, Anne Makinda, visited the president at 6 a.m. for the counting.

"I have done with the counting. It is true there were many questions but they all can be answered in a short time," President Hassan told journalists after she was counted.

Addressing the nation on Monday night ahead of the National Population and Housing Census, President Hassan urged all Tanzanians to show up during the census to enable the country to have appropriate statistics which can help in planning for development.

"Better data will help our country to plan for better lives and accountability," she reiterated.

President Hassan said preliminary results of the census will be announced in October.

The last Population and Housing Census was conducted in Tanzania in 2012. - Xinhua

Details: East Africa; 23 August 2022; 579

ODM leader Raila Odinga (left) converses with Deputy President William Ruto (right) during the Jamhuri Day celebrations at Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi County on Sunday, December 12, 2021 DPPS

Part of the debate around the Supreme Court presidential petition is based on key Constitutional aspects, from the role of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to the power of the apex court to order a recount, nullify and uphold the August 9 polls.

The Latin lexicon used in court will also surface, from phrases such as amicus curiae which means friend of the court to res judicata - a matter that has been judged.

However, prior to the court's proceeding, a debate ensued on three key terms re-run, run-off and fresh elections. The Supreme Court may order a re-run, run-off or uphold IEBC results after Azimio La Umoja flagbearer, Raila Odinga challenged President-elect William Ruto's victory.

Led by its president and Chief Justice, Martha Koome the highest court in Kenya is expected to issue a ruling on Monday, September 5. With the petition hearing in mind, what's the difference between a fresh Presidential Election, a re-run and a run-off?

Lady Justice Martha Koome (center) and the other members of the Supreme Court bench. FILE

Lawyer Peter Kaimba explained to Kenyans.co.ke that a fresh presidential election, similar to what took place on August 9, involves the launch of an electoral exercise where candidates are invited to apply for a chance to contest for the highest office on the land.

IEBC will thus vet applicants a fresh and issue new election timelines. New faces other than those voted for on August can appear on the ballot.

A run-off, on the other hand, is a contest between top two Presidential aspirants from a fresh election where none scored more that the requisite 50 per cent plus one threshold.

"Fresh elections is like what happened on August 9, 2022. That is when we do the nationwide General Elections.

"A run-off happens in the event that the winner has not met the election threshold of 50 per cent plus one more vote. It is usually between the number one and number two who were contesting," Kaimba stated.

A run-off in this case may be between Raila Odinga and William Ruto only, if none of the four candidates in the August 9 polls met the required threshold - 50 per cent + 1 vote and 25 per cent of votes in 24 counties.

A re-run, according to Kaimba, is similar to a run-off but involves the repeat of an election where all candidates remain on the ballot. No new aspirants are vetted nor allowed to be in the race.

Regarding the suits filed at the Supreme Court, Kaimba explained that there was a chance some of the petitions will be consolidated depending on the prayers presented by each party.

"The Court will have a look at the petitions that have been filed and decide which one will be combined. What will determine if the three can be consolidated is the prayers that are being sought by each of the petitioners," he added.

For Raila Odinga, the lawyer observed that the former Prime Minister was seeking a run-off by arguing that none of the Presidential contenders hit the 50 per cent plus one vote threshold.

In his petition, Raila also wants to be declared president-elect if the court orders a recount and finds him the winner.

"And order be and is hereby made consequent upon nullification of the declaration of the results announced by Wafula Chebukati directing IEBC to tally and verify the count and declare Raila Odinga and Martha Karua as duly elected as President-Elect and Deputy President Elect respectively," one of the 21 reliefs Raila seeks in court reads.

The Supreme Court of Kenya. KENYANS.CO.KE, By Derrick Okubasu, Kenyans.co.ke