East Africa

Details: East Africa; 04 June 2022; 803

FUFA has confirmed the latest and improved financial benefits for the Uganda Cranes ahead of the opening two fixtures in the 2023 TotalEnergies AFCON Campaign.

The new figures cater for the match day allowances and bonuses as Uganda prepares to take on Algeria tonight in Algiers and Niger next week.

The latest development was communicated to the team last night by the FUFA President Hon. Magogo Moses Hassim via zoom.

He addressed the entire contingent currently in Algiers for tonight’s AFCON Qualifier match with Algeria set to kick off at 10pm (EAT).

‘These are our new structures and we believe in motivating the entire team whenever on National team duty. We have improved on the remuneration and let the boys go and deliver for the country and fans. I am sure they will continue representing the Country with a lot of pride when they pull on the Uganda Cranes jersey. The latest figures cater for the two matches against Algeria and Niger’ noted the FUFA President.

The new figures indicate;

An increase of match day allowances from USD500 to USD750 per person on the team

Bonuses: Algeria vs Uganda on Saturday 4^th June 2022

Away Draw: USD 1,000 (Before) to USD 3,000 (New)

Away win: USD 2,500 (Before) to USD 5,000 (New)

Bonuses: Uganda vs Niger Wednesday 8^th June 2022

Home win: USD 2,000 (before) to USD 3,000 (New)

Source: FUFA

Details: East Africa; 04 June 2022; 754

Kenyan presidential aspirants Raila Odinga (second left) and Deputy President William Ruto at Uhuru Gardens during Madaraka Day celebrations in Nairobi on June 1, 2022. PHOTO | NMG

Summary

Away from the campaign trail, the President’s invisible hand looms large in the some of the game-changing strategies by the Azimio coalition that have seen Mr Odinga catch up with or overtake Mr Ruto in recent opinion polls.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta presided over his last ceremony to commemorate the country’s attainment of self-rule from the British on June 1 — Madaraka Day — with a speech defending his legacy and rallying support for presidential aspirant Raila Odinga.

President Kenyatta, whose constitutional 10-year term ends in two months, attributed a number of his administration’s successes during the second term to his political co-operation with Mr Odinga, popularly known as the “Handshake”.

In a not-so-subtle pitch for his foe-turned-friend, he also portrayed the August 9 polls as a historic moment when Kenyans have an opportunity to elect the first woman deputy president, Mr Odinga’s running mate Martha Karua.

The Madaraka Day speech, delivered in the presence of Deputy President William Ruto, also a presidential aspirant, marked the first time the President was publicly campaigning for his preferred successor in the past two and a half months.

The speech also set the tone for the presidential campaigns, which are expected to build up a head of steam in the next two days when the two front runners get formal clearance by the electoral commission to run.

Mr Ruto is scheduled to appear before the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) for clearance on June 4, and Mr Odinga will do so on Sunday, June 5.

President Kenyatta’s last public campaign appearance with Mr Odinga was in March during the latter’s unveiling as the Azimio’s standard bearer in the August elections, at Nairobi’s Jacaranda grounds.

On hold

The President’s campaign tours that were planned to popularise the Azimio candidate in his Mt Kenya homeland were postponed amid fears of potential clashes between his supporters and those of Mr Ruto.

Mt Kenya, traditionally President Kenyatta’s stronghold, has largely leaned towards the Deputy President in the past four years due to the President’s embrace of Mr Odinga — the region’s longstanding political bogeyman — and the local power vacuum created by his impending retirement.

Away from the campaign trail, however, the President’s invisible hand looms large in the some of the game-changing strategies by the Azimio coalition that have seen Mr Odinga catch up with or overtake Mr Ruto in recent opinion polls.

As patron of the coalition council, President Kenyatta is believed to have played a big role in the negotiations that saw former vice-president Kalonzo Musyoka rejoin the Azimio party on Thursday.

Mr Musyoka, the Wiper Democratic Movement party leader, announced two weeks ago that he was quitting Azimio to launch his own presidential bid in protest to his having been overlooked for the running mate position.

Wiper has a loyal support base in the lower eastern region of the country, and its leader’s return to the Azimio fold could swing the race in favour of Mr Odinga.

After a self-imposed lay-off from active politicking during much of his second term, President Kenyatta stepped out in March to revive the ruling Jubilee Party from the near-shell of an outfit that it was after the defection of a majority of its members of Parliament to Dr Ruto’s breakaway United Democratic Alliance (UDA).

Today, the party that lost nearly all by-elections in Mt Kenya to UDA last year is back on its feet and has a fair chance of challenging for a considerable number of parliamentary and county assembly seats in the region.

The resurgence of Jubilee in Mt Kenya coupled with the nomination of Ms Karua, who also hails from the region, as Mr Odinga’s running mate on May 16, has paved the way for the Azimio presidential candidate to campaign with more confidence in a formerly hostile territory.

Pairing up Ms Karua, one of Kenya’s foremost gender equality advocates, with Mr Odinga on the Azimio ticket has also stirred up excitement among women rights lobby groups and the party will be hoping the enthusiasm can translate into votes.

***
Gender card

In his Madaraka Day speech on June 1, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta played the gender card saying, “After 58 years of independence, in May 2021, I had the profound honour of being the first President of the Republic to commence an address with the salutation ‘Madam Chief Justice’, when the Hon Lady Justice Martha Koome assumed office as the first woman Chief Justice."

"In August this year, if it is the wish of the electorate, we have a chance of a woman shattering the glass ceiling by assuming the second highest office in our Republic, the Office of the Deputy President.” By Otieno Otieno The East African

Details: East Africa; 04 June 2022; 1027

The Nyarugenge Intermediate Court, on Friday, June 3, upheld Kicukiro Primary Court’s decision to remand Dieudonne Ishimwe for 30 days, pending further investigations.

Ishimwe, or Prince Kid, as he is commonly known, is pinned on two charges- which are soliciting or offering sexual favours, and harassment.

The decision to send Ishimwe on 30 days remand was ruled by Kicukiro Primary Court on May 16, saying that there are reasonable grounds to suspect him of having committed the crimes he is being prosecuted for.

A bail hearing on appeal was held in camera (closed to the public) on May 26 upon request of the prosecution, arguing that it was for the protection of witnesses and that the case also has elements that can endanger public morals.

At court…

Around 1:40 PM, various journalists crowded before the court expecting to take pictures and videos of Ishimwe during the bail appeal ruling; however, he did not show up as expected; only his lawyer Emeline Nyembo was present.

In the courtroom however, many people were present including his family members and friends, among others.

At 2:08 PM, the case was mentioned and the judge took the audience through the case hearing which was held in camera. The hearing went on briefly, and the judge pointed out some key factors presented by both sides.

Text messages and voices were presented by the prosecution, and these were pinning Ishimwe against crimes he is suspected of. His lawyer however defended him denying all crimes using various articles and testimonies.

During the bail hearing on appeal, prosecution requested to remand Ishimwe saying that he would jeopardize investigations in his case.

However, Ishimwe and his lawyer asked for bail arguing that there is no reasonable ground to remand him, adding how bail fees were ignored, among other factors.

The judge however said that the court’s main focus on his appeal was to examine the factors, which are reasonable grounds for pinning him.

The court also said bail fees, as a reason, has never been examined before by the lower court, noting that unless Ishimwe offered movable and immovable properties, he wouldn’t be granted bail by paying a bail fee with such a case.

The judge revealed that certain points will be discussed during the substantial. Factors which will be verified in a substantial trial include letters which were written during the investigation by former Miss Rwanda, Elsa Iradukunda among others.

Ishimwe was arrested on April 26, over charges related to sexual abuse towards contestants of the Miss Rwanda beauty pageant on various occasions, and he appeared before court for the first time on May 11.

He started organising Miss Rwanda in 2014 and had seen the annual event become one of the most popular in the country.

However, on May 9, the government announced the official halt of his company from organising the annual beauty pageant, following several allegations of misconduct and abuse towards contestants.

Ishimwe will be remanded at Nyarugenge prison, commonly known as Mageragera as he waits for the substantial trial to start. - Aurore Teta Ufitiwabo, The New Times

Details: East Africa; 04 June 2022; 745

From left: Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki, DP William Ruto and Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua receive certificate after the Kenya Kwanza presidential pair’s clearance by IEBC on June 4, 2022. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]/Photo Courtesy

“Iam delighted this morning (Saturday, June 4, 2022) to receive the certificate that will allow Kenya Kwanza and myself to participate in the August 9 General Election. I am also happy for my very able deputy, Rigathi Gachagua.

“Mr. chairman (Wafula Chebukati), I want to say that Kenya Kwanza has confidence in the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). We are confident that you are up to the task. I also want to commit that my team and I will work with you diligently so that we have a credible, free, fair, democratic and verifiable election.

“Anytime you need our cooperation or support, Mr. chairman, I want to tell you that we are available.

“I have appointed responsible and professional people, a lady and gentlemen, to be our liaison [officers] between Kenya Kwanza and the IEBC.

“Prof. Kithure Kindiki, who is here, will be our chief agent assisted by [UDA Secretary-General] Veronica Maina and [Turkana Governor] Josphat Nanok. These are the gentlemen and lady who will work with you, making sure that the communication and the relationship between us, as candidates, and the IEBC is useful and helpful in making sure that we run the length and breadth of this election without hitches.

“I want to tell all our supporters across the country that this is a moment of our lifetime and we must do everything to protect it from violence and unnecessary sideshows. We must keep our eyes on the ball and avoid unnecessary engagements.

“Let the Kenya Kwanza fraternity focus on the imminent win that God will grant us in this election.

“Mr. chairman, we are committed to the [Electoral] Code of Conduct that we have signed to keep this election above board. We are confident in your stewardship and that of the IEBC in the elections of 2022.

“Let me also say that, on behalf of Kenya Kwanza, we don’t want to be favoured. We want to be treated fairly like everybody else. We are not asking for what is more than fair and a right to us.

“Respectfully, we want to request our friends in the Fourth Estate, the media, to be fair. So far, we have been treated unfairly by some media houses. We respect the decision of whatever media house to have a [preferred] candidate in this election. But the media houses should be decent and declare that they have a [preferred presidential] candidate in this election.

“We have raised these concerns [before], and through you, Mr. chairman, we want to raise these concerns [again today]. The IEBC has a duty to ensure that there is a level playing field for all participants in this election.

“When some media houses give our competitors 10 minutes of airtime, and they give us one minute [of the same], it flies in the face of integrity, fairness and balance. We have no problem with them taking sides, but they should be honourable and say: ‘in this election, we have chosen this particular candidate’.

“That will allow Kenyans who are watching their news, reading their headlines or listening to the issues, be informed that ‘this or that particular media house has taken sides’.

“Recently, we were being told about an [upcoming] presidential debate, and we raised concerns. I saw yesterday (Friday, June 3) they told us that ‘this is a podium or platform that is supposed to assist the people of Kenya to understand their candidates, know their issues and ideas so that they can choose on the basis of information and knowledge’.

“If the presidential debate is being organised by media organisations that have taken sides; by people who already have skewed the playing field in favour of one side, what moral authority do they have to ask the rest of us, who are not their [preferred] candidates, to attend a pre-arranged, pre-rigged presidential debate? We are not asking for too much; just fairness.

“If you have chosen to take a side, organise a presidential debate for that side [that you are supporting]. Don’t expect us to come and sanitise a debate that you have already skewed with the coverage of your news. We already have huge challenges that we are facing; for instance, the deep state and the so-called system.

“As Kenya Kwanza, we are going into this election with a lot of clarity, and we will work with all Kenyans. I want to ask the people of Kenya to [responsibly] participate in this election. Whichever side you are [supporting], know that this is our country, and it is our responsibility to keep it safe and peaceful, irrespective of who you vote for. Thank you very much.” By Brian Okoth, The Standard

Details: East Africa; 03 June 2022; 821

Photo Courtesy
Chief Justice, Martha Karambu Koome, has weighed in on Deputy President William Ruto's claims that at least one million voters from his strongholds were expunged from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) voters register.

Speaking on Friday, June 3, Koome noted that all processes running to the election day including voter registration, transfer of voters, verification, certification, and publication of the register of voters, should be done in a manner that promotes and ensures the complete and accurate and franchise of eligible voters.

The Chief Justice further called on IEBC to address all the issues arising from the ongoing process by involving all stakeholder ahead of the August 9 polls.

"It is such a proactive approach to addressing concerns that might be raised by voters and stakeholders that ensures that the IEBC and all Kenyans become agents and champions of electoral integrity and also engenders the confidence of Kenyans in the credibility of the electoral process," Koome stated.

Chief Justice Martha Koome speaking on Friday, June 3, 2022

KOOME'S TWITTER

Her sentiments come after Ruto claimed that one million voters had been deleted from the voter register, alleging that they were all from his strongholds.

The second in command noted that it was part of a larger ploy to rig him out in the presidential election.

"We expect that everybody who is concerned including the EU to try and get as much detail as possible both from the electoral commission and these public officials on what all this is all about and how did close to a million names disappear from the register. And many of those names are from what we consider our stronghold. It is a clear attempt to try some monkey games," Ruto told European Union Envoys during a breakfast meeting on Thursday, June 2, at his Karen office.

IEBC chairperson, Wafula Wanyonyi Chebukati, however, dismissed Ruto's claims noting that the process is still underway and the voter register will be made public in accordance with IEBC timelines.

CJ Koome also addressed the issues that led to the nullification of the 2017 General Election, expressing confidence that the electoral agency will seal all the loopholes to avoid a repeat of the same.

"Our expectation is that the IEBC is consciously working to ensure its processes meet the demands of the principles of our electoral system," she stated.

"It is also our expectation that lessons from the past judicial decisions are being considered by the IEBC as it prepares to conduct elections."

On the Judiciary's preparedness to address issues of electoral related disputes, Koome revealed that she has already gazetted 120 special Judges who will handle all disputes.

She further noted that 3,000 police officers from the Judiciary Police Unit have been deployed to different parts of the country.

The CJ noted that the Judiciary had undertaken training for all judicial officers involved in hearing poll disputes as well as ensuring adequate security for the officers.

Chief Justice Martha Koome receiving a surprise gift at her birthday party on Friday, June 3, 2022 FILE By GEOFFREY LUTTA, Kenyans.co.ke