The United Nations said Saturday it would hold talks in Sudan to try to get the country's democratic transition back on track after it was derailed by an October military coup.
The UN offer came a week after embattled Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok resigned, citing the failure to reach a compromise between the military and the pro-democracy movement.
Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok
The United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America have welcomed the United Nations Secretary-General’s announcement that the UN Interim Transition Assistance Mission to Sudan is facilitating discussions to resolve Sudan’s political crisis.
Volker Perthes, the UN envoy for Sudan, said in a statement that the talks would seek a "sustainable path forward towards democracy and peace” in the country. It wasn't clear when discussions might begin.
"It is time to end the violence and enter into a constructive process. This process will be inclusive,” he said.
In a statement today, the QUAD said, "We strongly support this UN-facilitated, Sudanese-led dialogue initiative. We urge all Sudanese political actors to seize this opportunity to restore the country’s transition to civilian democracy, in line with the 2019 Constitutional Declaration.
"We look forward to this being a result-oriented process that will guide the country towards democratic elections, in line with the Sudanese people’s manifest aspirations for freedom, democracy, peace, justice and prosperity." Gulf Today
Truckers last Tuesday left their vehicles parked at the Busia border in protest over mandatory Covid-19 tests, creating a traffic jam of more than 50km. PHOTO | FILE
Summary
This came as a truck pile-up started to build up along the Kenya border with Uganda following Uganda’s proposed review of the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System (RECDTS), which allows Covid-19 testing after 14 days, to a shorter duration of seven days due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
Dr Mwebesa said the new measures will help clear the backlog of cargo at Uganda’s borders following the strike that began last week on Monday.
The Kampala business community had opposed the new Covid-19 containment measures saying they were increasing the cost of living in the region.
Kampala was last week locked up in endless crisis meetings seeking fresh ways to end a strike by truckers over mandatory testing of all drivers at border crossing points.
On Friday, Ugandan authorities agreed to allow cargo truck crews with negative Covid-19 test results taken within 72 hours to transit through the country and to recognise PCR test results from Kenya as long as they are carried out in one of the EAC Secretariat’s recognised laboratories. The government also reduced Covid-19 testing fees from $30 at the borders to $25 for truckers.
“As an interim measure, Uganda government agreed to clear all truck drivers and their accompanying staff with negative Covid-19 PCR results taken in 72 hours,” said Uganda’s Director of Health Services Henry Mwebesa in a statement.
This came as a truck pile-up started to build up along the Kenya border with Uganda following Uganda’s proposed review of the Regional Electronic Cargo and Drivers Tracking System (RECDTS), which allows Covid-19 testing after 14 days, to a shorter duration of seven days due to the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant.
Dr Mwebesa said the new measures will help clear the backlog of cargo at Uganda’s borders following the strike that began last week on Monday.
The Kampala business community had opposed the new Covid-19 containment measures saying they were increasing the cost of living in the region.
“Our stand as Kampala City Traders Association (Kacita) is for East African countries to scrap the multiple testing at customs’ exit and entry points. This is adding to the costs of doing business and reducing on the turnaround times for cargo,” said Jemba Mulondo, Kacita secretary for defence and environment.
Ministry of Health spokesperson Emmanuel Ainebyoona said Uganda decided to introduce mandatory testing at all points of entry and exit to fight surging Covid-19 cases. The fees apply to border points and airports but the reduction applied only to truck drivers.
The test is free in Kenya, while Uganda charges, regardless of the test results from Kenya.
On Tuesday night, truckers left their vehicles parked at the Busia border in protest over the mandatory test, creating a traffic jam of over 50km and blocking entry into Uganda. An estimated 1,300 transit trucks cross the border post every day.
Clearing agents say transit cargo to Southern Sudan via Elegu border has reduced significantly as most of the trucks come from the Port of Mombasa.
The Kenya Transporters Association (KTA) had threatened to suspend hauling of cargo over the testing directive.
“We need assurance on the safety and the security of drivers and trucks in case the result turns out positive. Where will the drivers be isolated and at what costs? Who will pay the cost? What will be the duration of isolation period if the driver is asymptomatic?” posed KTA chairman Newton Wang’oo.
Federation of East African Freight Forwarders Association president Fred Seka urged the region to fast-track the adoption of the EAC Covid-19 vaccine passport to promote uptake of jabs among truck drivers and other logistics sector workers.
The test is free in Kenya, while Uganda charges, regardless of the test results from Kenya.
The measure was adopted by Uganda’s interim ministerial meeting chaired by Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja.
With the move, Kampala has bowed to pressure from logistics and transport industry players to harmonise its Covid-19 testing modalities with other East African Community (EAC) member states.
“We are urging Uganda authorities to consider the new directive and drop the $30 charged per test, which is an additional cost since in the other East African Community (EAC) states, Covid-19 tests are carried out free of charge. We also want clarification of how frequently the test will be carried out and their duration,” said KTA chairman Newton Wang’oo in a statement copied to the ministers of Health in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. By Kabona Esiara and Anthony Kitimo
In a media briefing held at Lake Naivasha Resort, IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati has shared that the Commission is determined to progressively actualize the right of Kenyans in Prisons and those living outside the country to participate in General Election. Regulation 34(2) of the Elections (Registration of Voters) Regulations 2012 provides that:
“A decision by the Commission to register Kenyan citizens residing outside Kenya or to conduct elections outside Kenya shall be based on the presence of Kenyan embassy, High Commission or Consulate.”
ECVR II will also augment the right to register as a voter for Kenyans living outside the country (diaspora) and prisoners. In addition to Kenyans in Burundi, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and South Africa, which participated in 2017 General Election, the Commission will extend diaspora voter registration exercise to seven more countries namely, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, South Sudan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Germany.
Key Dates
The Chairman shared that the voter registration for citizens residing outside Kenya will start on 21st and end on 6th February 2022. Voter registration will be conducted during the official working hours at the Kenyan Embassies and Consulates in respective countries.
The Commission will use Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits to capture voters’ details such as fingerprints, photo, name, passport number, Identity Card number, polling center and country of residence.
Those who will have traveled home
In countries with multiple registration centers (USA, Canada, UAE and Tanzania), there will be an additional BVR kit for registration of voters in those centers. The Commission will avail a BVR kit in Huduma Center in GPO, Nairobi, to enable voter registration services to eligible diaspora citizens who will have traveled to Kenya during this registration period.
Requirements to register as a voter
Kenyan citizens residing outside Kenya who apply for registration as a voter must fulfil the following conditions: produce evidence of citizenship which is a valid Kenyan passport, be of eighteen years of age and above, and present their identification document to the Registration Officer stationed at a designated registration center. However, Kenyans residing within the East African Community can use their Identity Card as proof of their citizenship.
During this ECVR II, a voter previously registered in Kenya but wishing to vote in Diaspora country by visiting their preferred registration center in the Diaspora to change their voting station. Similarly, those who had previously registered in a Diaspora but wish to vote in Kenya should visit their preferred constituency IEBC office in Kenya and change their voting station.
Diaspora only votes for Presidential candidate
It is important to note that a registered voter in diaspora country will only be voting for the Presidential elective position. IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati says that the Commission is planning and putting in measures to ensure free, fair, credible, verifiable, accountable, and transparent General Election.
In line with Section 8A of the Election Act 2011, IEBC will engage reputable professional firm 6 months before the date of the election to audit the register of voters for accuracy. The Professional firm will give their report within 30 days and the commission will thereafter implement the report.
IEBC has now cleared 82 registered political parties to participate in General Election 2022. It has also approved the nomination rules of the 82 political parties and they are now ready to participate.
On 19th January 2022 IEBC will publish in Kenya Gazette a notice of the General Election of the Office of President, Members of Parliament, and Members of County Assembly. This notice marks the commencement of the election period.
After the publication, Election Offences Act 2016 and Electoral Code of Conduct will be in force.The Electoral Code of Conduct will cover the Party Primaries and any breach of the code will be adjudicated by the IEBC Electoral Code of Conduct Enforcement Committee, which is created under the Election Act.
As per the provisions of the Elections Act, 2011, public officers who are keen to contest in the 2022 General Election should vacate office by 9th February 2022.
LAMU, Kenya, Jan. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan police said Friday it has launched investigations into the killing of the four security officers after being ambushed by the bandits in the coastal Lamu region.
National Police Service Spokesperson Bruno Shioso said a team of security officers are also pursuing bandits who ambushed a security vehicle that was on patrol along Lamu-Garsen road at around 9:00 a.m. on Friday.
"Police officers who were onboard responded swiftly and managed to repulse the bandits, unfortunately there were casualties," Shioso said in a brief statement.
The scene on the Lamu-Garsen road is a secluded location which is also a renowned hotspot where militants have launched tens of attacks on security and civilian vehicles in the past.
A security officer in Lamu said police officers who were on a different vehicle fought back amid reports a number of the attackers believed to be al-Shabab militants were injured.
The bandits attacked the police vehicle using a rocket-propelled grenade in the same area where a senior government official was killed in 2018.
The security officer said the militants found it impossible to launch improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on security vehicles as has been their norm and thus resolved to the use of grenades.
Lamu County has been in the spotlight for some years now owing to increased scathing attacks by the militants that have left hordes of security officers and civilians dead. - Xinhua
Cases of child abuse are common and on the increase in Uganda, according to studies done by child rights activists and police
Police in Kyegegwa District are holding a 33-year-old man on murder charges after he allegedly beat his 7-year-old daughter to death.
Rwenzori west police spokesperson, Mr Vincent Twesige, said Bridget Kemigisa, a resident of Igunda B village, Kakabara town council was fatally beaten by her father after he returned home drunk on Thursday afternoon and found her sleeping in his bed.
“The suspect has been taking alcohol. On Thursday when he returned home from a bar, he found Bridget and her other two siblings sleeping in his bed and started beating them until she died. Her other siblings survived with injuries,” Mr Twesige said.
When the suspect realised that his daughter had died, he reportedly told neighbours that she had been sick for days and that she died of natural causes.
But upon examining the body, the neighbours discovered the girl had sustained several injuries.
Kemigisa’s siblings also revealed to the neighbours that they had been beaten by their father before their sister died. Residents contacted police detectives who arrested him upon interviewing Kemigisa’s siblings.
The suspect is said to have been staying with the children alone after he reportedly separated with their mother several months ago.
Cases of child abuse are common and on the increase in Uganda, according to studies done by child rights activists and police.
The Uganda violence against children survey report released in 2018 indicated at the time that three in four children in Uganda have experienced some form of violence. Among the three primary forms of violence surveyed were sexual, physical and emotional. One in three children have experienced at least two of these, the researchers said.
In November 2021, the Inspector General of Police Martin Okoth-Ochola condemned what he described as the increasing acts of aggravated child abuse and torture.
This was after several videos, showing children being battered and mistreated by parents, guardians and care takers were widely shared on social media.
“Our Children and Family Protection Unit, has continued to register cases where parents and guardians administer punishments in form of physical beatings, deprivation of sleep, fed on minimal amounts of food or even starved etc. As a result this worsens the relationship between the child victim and the parent, guardian or caretaker,” police spokesperson, Mr Fred Enanga said at the time. By Alex Ashaba, Daily Momitor
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