In Burundi's capital, drummers took part in the final of a drumming competition between participants from all of the country's provinces.

Listed as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity by UNESCO since 2014, the ritual dance of the royal drum is "a practice that shows happiness" and a tradition that Burundians hope to preserve and share with the world.

"What we are doing now is to put the Burundian drum in front of the whole world. So that Burundi is talked about everywhere and that people know that its drum is the number 1 in the world," said Kadende Leopold, a drummer.

This culture has been described as "a spectacle combining powerful, synchronized drumming with dancing, heroic poetry and traditional songs."

"When I play the drum, I don't know how to explain the joy I feel. It's joy, it's a feeling deep inside. I feel something rising in me, the drum is joy and love," said Mugisha Fabrics, a drummer.

Today, the drums are played for entertainment: but for centuries they were a sacred rite, symbolic of a united kingdom - a powerful memory for a country whose recent history has been scarred by civil war and political crisis.

Today, the drums are played for entertainment: but for centuries they were a sacred rite, symbolic of a united kingdom - a powerful memory for a country whose recent history has been scarred by civil war and political crisis.

In the country's Kirundi language, the word for drum -- "ingoma" -- is the same as that for the kingdom.

In modern times drumming groups have flourished, performing at weddings, graduation ceremonies and baptisms.

While traditionally a male-dominated field, several female drumming groups have emerged in recent years.

The presidential decree, signed on October 20, 2017, said that if an organizer gets permission to have drummers perform at an event, he must pay the Treasury a fee equivalent to 245 euros ($280).

This figure is to be paid daily if the group performs abroad.

Burundians on Twitter slammed the decree as an "authoritarian slide" and a "sign of increasing efforts to control Burundian society".

"This decree means the drums no longer belong to Burundian citizens but to the government", said Pacifique Nininahazwe, an exiled civil society leader. - Africanews with AFP

There was tension at the Nyamira County headquarters today after some protesting employees relieved themselves at the county offices.

The workers vandalised the door to the devolved unit's human resource director Godffrey Kiriago's office, demanding his removal.

About 15 in number, the workers marched to the offices that are housed on the first floor of the main National Government offices, demanding that Kiriago vacate office in respect to a court ruling that was issued in Kisumu last week by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

The petition to remove Kiriago and his Payroll Manager Elmeldah Kemunto Nyaberi from office was filed by Vincent Omao, a citizen of the county.

Justice Christine Baari who issued the ruling said Kiriago and Kemunto were illegally hired early in 2021 to steer payroll cleansing exercise.

According to the court papers, the two were hired on secondment from the National Government but the court maintained that their hiring was not competitive as should be in such a case.

The payroll cleansing has since claimed about 1,500 casualties within the circles of the county's workforce, all of whom are being surcharged for the alleged misdoings.

The workers allegedly earned illegal promotions and job designations against regular orders.

The employees who protested at the county headquarters are said to be among those affected by the purge.

According to a county worker who witnessed the incident said five of the men urinated at the entrance in turns as they shouted for the officer's removal.

Kiriago was not in office at the time of the incident.

Responding to the developments, Public Management Executive Thomas Nyariki said the county was in the process of executing the court order.

Nyariki said by unfortunately by Monday afternoon, the county had not been served with the court ruling.

"We are treating the case as a criminal act and already, we are following up with the law enforcing agencies for possible prosecution," Nyariki said.

County Police Commander Grace Kakai said the case was yet to be reported to the Police.

"We are yet to receive reports about the incident. Once the report has been made, then we shall move forward to investigate," Kakai said. - Stanley Ogwae, The Standard

Photo via United Nations

Across South Sudan, crime is rising due to the dire economic situation and a breakdown of law and order.

It’s a huge challenge for the country which is emerging from civil war on a slow but steady journey towards peace and recovery. The United Nations Mission in South Sudan is supporting this effort by helping build the capacity of the entire justice chain to crack down on crime and end impunity.

United Nations Police are training local officers to investigate crimes, sensitively interview survivors, and to prepare cases for prosecution. Local legal officers and the judiciary are being provided with technical assistance.

The Mission is also focusing on what happens to those who are found guilty of a crime. It recently dedicated a two-day workshop to training prison officers in the Upper Nile region how to respect the rights of offenders transitioning through the justice system.

“When those who have been successfully prosecuted come to you, it’s a significant part of the administration of justice and the due process,” Human Rights Officer Christian Mikala told the 15 prison officers at the workshop. “The more knowledge that you have of human rights, how to protect and promote those rights, the better equipped you are to do your job.”

The workshop for male and female officers focused on the basic principles of human rights, abuses and violations stemming from conflict-related sexual violence, accurate management of records and prison files, the legal framework in South Sudan, international standards for prisons, as well as the protection and appropriate management of inmates.

 “We have acquired valuable knowledge on how to manage cases as they come to us and to ensure that prisoners are treated in accordance with their own human rights inside Malakal Central Prison,” said participant, Lieutenant Colonel, Ajeith Padout.

The officer-in-charge of inmate affairs, First Lieutenant, Angui Ayiik Thon, said the training would help him carry out his duties to take better care of prisoners under his command.

“We have learnt a lot about human rights and how it applies in the corrections service. We even learnt new things, such as how to calculate the duration that each inmate should actually serve in prison.”

Sergeant Najat James, the controller of the women’s section of the prison, was particularly interested in ensuring appropriate treatment and care of women inmates.

“I learnt about sorting out inmates and how to deliver my duties effectively in terms of establishing separate programs for female and male prisoners.”

Similar workshops will be held to train personnel working at other prison facilities across the Upper Nile region in the coming months. - SAMSON LIBERTY, UNITED NATIONS

By JULIUS MBALUTO

Kenyans in the Diaspora have been waiting for long to exercise their right to vote. However, the waiting is coming to an end as IEBC has started the process of facilitating them to vote in 2022.

Speaking at Hilton Hotel in Luton to a group of Kenyan leaders, under the umbrella body KCCC (Kenyan Communities Chairpersons Council - UK), IEBC Chairman Mr Wafula Chebukati told Kenyans in the UK that they will be voting in 2022 elections.

Mr Wafula Chebukati IEBC Chairman Addressing Kenyans

KCCC is the umbrella organisation of the following Kenyan Community organizations in the UK, SEKK (South East and Kent Kenyan Group, Kenyans in Hertfordshire, KOB (Kenyan Oxford Community, UKAC(United Kenyan Community) Kenyans in the Highlands Scotland, Kenyans in Nottingham, KCS (Kenyan Community Slough), KUH (Kenyans United Hampshire), Kenyans in Reading, KAIB (Kenyan Association in Bristol), LDSKCF-Luton and Dunstable Surrounding Kenya Community),Kenya Women in the UK and Kenyans in Sheffield.

More groups include, Kenyans in Peterborough, ELEK (East London and Essex Kenyans), KCI (Kenyans in Channel Islands) KCB (Kenyan Community Bedford, Kenyan Community in Cardiff and Kenyans in Coventry

Officials from Kenya High Commission

The event was well attended and graced by IEBC and Kenya High Commission officials. It is not only in the UK that Kenyans will vote but also others from seven different countries including US, Canada, Qatar, UAE, UK, South Sudan and Germany.

Previously Kenyans within East African countries and South Africa voted.  Kenyans in Diaspora right to vote is being implemented in a progressive manner as per the constitution.

Mr Chebukati told Kenyans in the Diaspora not to always think about the amount of money they remit to Kenya as their qualification to vote because their right to vote was guaranteed in the constitution. Mr Chebukati told Kenyans that they will be voting  through Kenyan embassies.

Kenyans will apply for registration using a valid passport as per the law. Kenyans in East Africa have the chance to use either their passport or Identity card according to the laws passed in parliament. Currently, registration and voting is to take place within the Kenyan embassies.

This poses challenges to the IEBC like Kenyans living away from London or any other embassy within the seven countries where Kenyans will vote might have to incur expenses to come for their registration and polling centre.

Mr Chebukati said that IEBC will might explore other methods to facilitate more Kenyans to register. However, voting will happen only in the Embassy as IEBC can only gazette one polling station as per the law.

Proxy voting, online voting and registration is out of the question as the law requires that one must be present to provide biometric data. However, the IEBC Chairman said, these other options can be explored in the future and the law changed to accommodate them.

Kenyans who attended the meeting                                                 IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati and KCCC-UK Chairman Lukas Kamau

Kenyan leaders present from different locations in the UK praised IEBC for their efforts to ensure Diaspora votes.  Different community leaders raised different issues like facilitation of differently abled people to vote, distance from embassies to where all Kenyans live and the costs they might have to incur to register and vote, use of online systems to facilitate voting, the idea that some embassies like in London in central city and longer ques for voting might be a challenge.

IEBC Chairman promised that IEBC will work with the embassies to come up with solutions for all challenges faced. Mr Chebukati and his team from Nairobi urged Kenyans to register in big numbers.

More Photos below..

Rev Joseph Odima, Julius Mbaluto and IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati