The Government of Eastern Equatoria State has deployed SSPDF forces at Tsertenya, between South Sudan and Uganda, to deter disputes.

The development follows tensions, including the alleged livestock theft and encroachment by Ugandan forces into South Sudan through Ikotos County.

Last Year, a local chief was killed, his head cut off and body burnt to ashes by suspected Uganda forces as well as raiding unspecified number of cattle from South Sudan.

Eastern Equatoria State Minister for Local Government Peter Lokeng and law enforcement agencies told Radio Tamazuj that the deployment is to protect the border communities and their properties.

He, however, decried the lack of water points for the recently deployed SSPDF forces, urging the government to intervene.

“Our forces are in Tsertenya but that is South Sudan. The reason for putting them there is the raiders who disturb the border people and their properties. This is the time for cultivation and they have to cultivate without criminals disturbing them. The forces along the corridor need water,” he said.

Ikotos County Paramount Chief Joseph Odong told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the deployment would help reduce tensions and the encroachment along border.

Odong said the communities along the borders have been living in fear following threats and attacks by Ugandan forces.

“It is a good initiative by the government because the issue of the border has been causing tension between the South Sudan citizens and Ugandans. The deployment will also help control the border and protect the communities,” he explained.

The Lokwaru Eastern Equatoria State Chairperson of the Civil Society Network Charles Onen, commended the initiative and appealed for additional deployments, including at Bira, Ngomoromo and Nimule.

He urged the governments of Uganda and South Sudan to use diplomacy and respect the international borders to help ease the tensions.

“We appreciate the Eastern Equatoria State Government for deploying forces along the border between Tsertenya in South Sudan and Apiriti in Uganda. We still appeal to our government to ensure that our international borders are protected and not tempered with.

“The current controversies need to be sorted out so that our borders remain intact and each country should ensure that there is respect for international borders,” he stated. Radio Tamazuj

The Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua has applauded Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for expelling Daadab Member of Parliament (MP) Farah Maalim from his party.

In a statement on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, Karua said that the move by Kalonzo was bold and commendable, adding that discipline is the key to any organization. 

“Bold and commendable move my brother @skmusyoka discipline is key in any organization and that’s the greatest deficit in Kenya’s leadership today, “Karua wrote via her official X account.

Farah’s expulsion

Addressing the press on Wednesday, Kalonzo announced that the MP had been thrown out of the party following his recent remarks, adding that the vocal lawmaker violated the constitution without revealing the specific sections breached.

“For the avoidance of doubt, honourable Farah Maalim who until now has been Wiper Democratic Party Deputy Leader stands expelled from the Wiper Democratic Movement for violating the constitution and the rights of Kenyans and even abusing Kenyan mothers,” Kalonzo Musyoka announced.

This expulsion comes months after the Wiper Party vowed to take action on the outspoken legislator following his reckless utterances against the anti-government protestors.

Farah’s controversial remarks

The Daadab MP, during a recent political roadside rally, hurled expletives and unprintable adjectives towards the youthful Gen Zs who criticize the government online.

“When you see everything progressing and then some fools say ‘Kasongo Ruto must go.’ To hell with those who say that! Is he sitting in your mother’s or father’s seat? He is sitting in our seat, and we will re-elect him; we will deliver 99 per cent or even 100 per cent. We are saying Ruto will stay until 2032,” Maalim stated, adding unprintable insults directed towards youthful Kenyans. 

However, that was not the first time the former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya used reckless utterances when addressing the public, during the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests, Maalim in an interview in his local dialect vowed to clamp down on the youthful protesters.

Following his sentiments, he was summoned by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) to shed light on his remarks. By Valerian Khakayi, PD

The opposition is now asking President William Ruto to resign, accusing him of  blatant refusal to respect and enforce the Constitution.

Condemning a spate of abductions, the leaders on Wednesday said the President should take responsibility as the “commander in chief of the abduction squad”.

Azimio co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka said the Kenya Kwanza administration has turned out to be a criminal enterprise. 

“For avoidance of doubt, the Director General of National Intelligent Service (NIS) cannot be held responsible alone. The ICC Statute talks about the person bearing the highest responsibility, and that is not Noordin Haji, that is William Ruto. Ruto and his allies’ dictatorship must be considered an ICC statute case,” said Kalonzo. 

Kalonzo, who was accompanied by other Azimio leaders at the SKM Command Centre in Nairobi, said Kenyans would no longer agree to be intimidated.

During the meeting, the Wiper Party Leader announced the expulsion of his deputy, Farah Maalim, who he accused of violating the Constitution and the rights of Kenyans.

“The people’s loyal opposition will not sit back and allow this disgraceful attempt to take us back into the dark days of fear and oppression. We shall lead from the front. We have actually demonstrated leadership from the front because we have been in court,” he said. 

“We will fight them in court, we’ll fight them in the streets, we’ll fight them everywhere. We demand that Ruto respects Kenyans and the oath of office he has sworn to preserve under Kenya’s Constitution 2010. We also demand the immediate release of the remaining abductees.”

Maalim is one of the legislators who have been fiercely defending the president. In a recent gathering, the Daadab MP used unprintable words in reference to government critics.  

Last year, the National Cohesion and Integration Commission summoned the MP over  what they termed as inflammatory remarks against protesting youth.

On Wednesday, Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni hit out at Ruto allies angered by Public Service Cabinet Secretary Justin Muturi’s police statement on the abduction of his son. 

“So if your son or daughter is abducted  and you cannot get hold of Ruto, what does that mean to us? We are on our own,” he said. 

The CS, who served as the Attorney General at the time of his son’s abduction on June 22 last year, said he has been waiting for answers to no avail.

Kalonzo noted that Muturi sat on the National Security Council, the top security organ, at the time. “Muturi has been seeking answers for the past six months and they have not been forthcoming to someone so senior in the Kenya Kwanza regime,” he said.

Kalonzo praised the CS for his response after the Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin invited him to record the statement.

“If the idea was to cower Muturi into silence, they picked on the wrong man. If the bombshell of the Sunday statement was not enough, Muturi’s signed statement clearly and squarely pointed the blame at the main culprit behind the inhuman abductions...That man, as we have previously stated, is President William Ruto.”

The opposition also accused the Kenyan Kwanza regime of establishing command and control structures outside of the Constitution.

“We have actually since established that some headquarters of this abductions squad are somewhere near Ruaraka. As we have previously stated, William Ruto is the Commander-in-Chief of the abductions squads,” said Kalonzo.

“If the Attorney General of Kenya cannot get answers to the whereabouts of his son, who can? If the Attorney General cannot get his phone calls answered by junior staff such as the Director of NIS or DCI, who can? If the then Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Principal Secretary, Raymond Omolo are furnished with lies by their juniors, what is the state of the Kenyan Kwanza regime?” 

The leaders also hit out at Ruto for the failure to reconstitute the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission. By Irene Githinji, The Standard

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has called on President William Ruto to enforce the Constitution and the rule of law or else resign.

Addressing the press on Wednesday, January 15, Kalonzo accused Ruto of poor governance and failure to uphold the Constitution.

“We demand that Ruto respect Kenyans, the oath of office he swore he preserve, and the 2010 Constitution. If he [Ruto] refuses to respect and enforce the Constitution and the laws, he should resign,” he stated. 

Regarding the issue of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel, Musyoka argued that the delays are being orchestrated by Ruto’s 'wingmen' in a bid to rig elections come 2027.

“Those who are barriers of the IEBC selection panel are puppets of Ruto and bear the highest responsibility in the current constitution crisis and an attempt to rig the 2027 elections,” said Musyoka. 

According to him, such actions depict disrespect to the very law, he swore to protect.

His remarks come amidst growing criticism towards President William Ruto over the rising number of abduction cases of individuals who criticize him and his government.

However, according to Musyoka, people should be held accountable as no one is above the law. 

Adding that those held for critiquing the government should be released immediately.

“Nobody is above the law. People must be held to account. Let Ruto and all others perpetrating violence against Kenyans know that they will not go unpunished,” he stated. By Esther Nyambura |The Standard