• The driver of the Modern Coast bus lost control of the vehicle, plunging into the river along the Meru - Mombasa highway.
• Kenya Red Cross was able to rescue some of the victims, who were rushed to the hospital.
Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Robert Kibochi, has announced plans to bring back Kenyan artefacts taken during the colonial period and held in foreign countries.
While speaking at Uhuru Gardens on Monday, July 26, Kibochi, who doubles up as the chair of the steering committee undertaking renovations of the historic facility indicated that the plans were underway noting that the artefacts would be beneficial to the museum.
However, he stated that the plans would be implemented after the government puts up a legal framework to guide the process.
“There are numerous artefacts that were taken out of the country, especially during the colonial period. These are crucial aspects of our historical and cultural heritage, and therefore every effort must be made to bring them back,” he stated.
On his part, President Uhuru Kenyatta expressed that Uhuru Gardens would play an important role in telling the Kenyan history noting the numerous facilities that had been put up.
“No one is better placed to tell our stories than ourselves. The revamping of these historic grounds and the establishment of a historical and cultural museum is one of the many initiatives my Administration has taken towards ensuring our history and culture are documented and preserved for posterity,”
“We cannot march boldly into our promised golden future if we do not learn the lessons of the past and apply them to the present,” Uhuru stated.
The push to return Kenyan artefacts taken during the colonial period dates back to 2008 when the late President Mwai Kibaki noted that his administration would reclaim all the artefacts following the renovation of the Nairobi National Museum at a cost of Ksh847 million.
Kenyan artefacts are among thousands of historical pieces that were taken by explorers and colonisers during the scramble and partition of Africa.
Some of the over 3,000 artefacts are found in museums in the United Kingdom (UK) United States of America (USA).
As per data from the British Museum, some of the artefacts were acquired in the country as early as 1910.
In recent years, African countries have reclaimed some of the artefacts taken during the colonial period. In June, the golden tooth of Democratic Republic of Congo independence hero Patrice Lumumba wa returned from Belgium after 60 years.
DAR ES SALAAM, July 25 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan on Monday urged fellow citizens to continue remembering and honoring fallen heroes who fought for the country's independence.
"Their patriotism has made us what we are today," said President Hassan, who is also commander-in-chief of the armed forces, in her speech to mark Tanzania's 2022 Heroes Remembrance Day celebrations in Dodoma, the capital of Tanzania.
"In order to honor the fallen heroes, Tanzanians should continue consolidating peace, love, tranquility and solidarity," said Hassan.
President Hassan directed Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa and the Dodoma regional authorities to look for land in the capital city for the construction of a monument to honor the fallen heroes. - Xinhua
• The driver of the Modern Coast bus lost control of the vehicle, plunging into the river along the Meru - Mombasa highway.
• Kenya Red Cross was able to rescue some of the victims, who were rushed to the hospital.
A resident of Daddara village close to the scene of the incident told Channels TV that the bus was attacked around noon on Sunday.
He said Yusha’u saw the gunmen and attempted to turn around but the terrorists caught up with him and shot him dead.
After killing the driver, the terrorists reportedly stole mobile phones, money and other valuables from the passengers.
The 32-seater bus occupied predominantly by traders was on its way from Jibia Market to Katsina when the terrorists opened fire on them, eyewitnesses said.
The General Manager of Katsina State Transport Authority, Haruna Musa Rugoji has also confirmed the incident.
He disclosed that the deceased took passengers from Katsina to Jibia. Then, from Jibia also, he took passengers to Katsina and it was during the return trip that the incident took place at Farun Bala.
“The driver was trying to turn the vehicle with the passengers when he saw the four bandits crossing the road at that particular community. They shot him dead. Maybe they thought that he would go back and give information.
“There was no kidnapping intention by the bandits because they didn’t kidnap anybody. They only shot the driver and collected cash and some phones from the passengers. It wasn’t a target.
“I went to the scene and I was among those that took the corpse from the scene to General Hospital Katsina now to Musawa, the hometown of the deceased, for burial,” he said. BY SAHARA REPORTERS, NEW YORK
Leaders of the East African Community (EAC) have directed the EAC Council of Ministers to fast-track verification for admission of the Federal Republic of Somalia into the regional bloc.
A communique issued late Friday at the end of the 22nd Ordinary Summit of the EAC heads of state in Tanzania’s northern city of Arusha said the leaders noted that the verification for admission to Somalia had not been undertaken.
The EAC leaders directed the EAC Council of Ministers to expeditiously fast-track the verification in accordance with the EAC procedure for admission of new members into the EAC and report to the 23rd meeting of the summit, said the communique.
The 22nd ordinary summit of the EAC heads of state had a theme featuring Deepening Integration, Widening Cooperation. If admitted, the Federal Republic of Somalia will become the 8th member of the EAC after Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
EAC leaders also received an update on the status of the inclusion of French and Swahili as official languages of the EAC in addition to English, said the communique.
Somalia could be the next country to join the East Africa Community (EAC) after the recent admission of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to the regional bloc.
Somali President Hassan Sheik Mohamud was a surprise guest at this week’s East Africa Heads of Summit in Arusha, Tanzania, fuelling speculation Somali’s admission to the bloc could be on the cards.
President Mohamud, who was re-elected last month after being voted out in 2017, met his Kenyan counterpart Uhuru Kenyatta in Nairobi earlier this week for bilateral talks in what is seen as a thawing of relations between the two countries.
And following his re-election, the two countries have given the strongest indication yet that they could resume the multimillion-shilling miraa (khat) trade.
Ironically, it is President Mohamud who banned the trade in his first term.
EAC Secretary General Peter Mathuki at a press conference on Thursday in Arusha said Somalia was invited to the high-level meeting as a show of good faith in what could lay the grounds for its admission to the bloc. Without divulging more details, Mathuki said EAC “does not mind admitting another member to the trade bloc.”
Somalia’s push to join EAC last year did not materialise. With a population of about 16.8 million, Somalia’s addition to the bloc would create a market of about 317 million people.
This is at a time when the bloc has stepped up efforts to raise trade among member States. DRC’s admission to the bloc was finalised earlier this month ahead of the Heads of State Summit. This has helped boost the bloc’s aggregate Gross Domestic Product (GDP), edging out the dominance of the Economic Community of West African States. Source: People Daily
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