East Africa

East Africa

Details: East Africa; 21 March 2022; 960

NTSA officials accompanied by police inspect a matatu in Nairobi in December 2019 K24 DIGITAL
The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) is looking into introducing a new training test manual for all Kenyan drivers.

In a statement shared to newsrooms on Monday, March 21, the authority announced that it was exploring new automated theory tests to govern the industry.

The new tests are aimed at ensuring that all driver tests are efficient to tame accidents on Kenyan roads, which have become deathtraps.

The authority further indicated that it had initiated the process of effecting the change and was looking into hiring a consultant to help it streamline its systems.

An NTSA official marshalls traffic at a past accident scene NTSA
"The authority is exploring the introduction of automated theory tests so as to standardise driver testing in Kenya. The automation of the process will ensure the driver tests are efficient and effective hence improving the quality of testing as a result of reduced human interaction.

"To achieve this, the Authority seeks to engage a consultant to guide the automation journey, formulate modern approaches to driver competency testing with the aim of a common set of standards in theory testing and developing an efficient, practical testing methodology that can be administered to all drivers," read the statement in part.

The new project is a partnership between NTSA and the European Union under the Usalama Barabarani programme.

In the statement, the authority admitted that most of the accidents recorded in Kenya and across the world were attributed to poor driving.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), an average of 2.5 million people die annually through
road traffic crashes while ten times this number end up maimed worldwide. In Kenya, over 3,000 individuals perish as a result of road crashes.

Studies have also found that over 85 per cent of road accidents are caused by human behavior.

In January 2022, the NTSA reported that 60 people were fatally injured in road accidents since the beginning of the year.

According to a recent report by the authority, Outering Road was the most dangerous roadway in Nairobi with the recorded number of fatal accidents standing at 44.

Waiyaki Way followed with 38 fatalities in 2021 while Mombasa Road and Northern Bypass were joint third with 29 accident cases each

The announcement comes a day after an exposé by the BBC claimed that the country had a flawed system of issuing driving licenses.

An undercover journalist at the global broadcaster exposed a syndicate that saw unqualified drivers get licenses making the roads unsafe. By Derrick Okumbasu, Kenyans.co.ke

Details: East Africa; 21 March 2022; 922

Photo Courtesy MNA

Fourteen people, including seven children, have been killed with machetes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Red Cross has said, as a community leader blamed a notorious armed group for the bloody attack.

The attack took place in a displaced people’s camp in the country’s northwestern Ituri province on Saturday, the humanitarian aid group reported.

Among the victims were five women aged between 25 and 32 and a two-year-old girl, according to a list shown by the Red Cross to the news agency AFP.

Gold-rich Ituri province has been plunged back into a cycle of violence since late 2017. Source: MNA

Details: East Africa; 21 March 2022; 906

A woman, who killed her husband for taking Sh1,000 cash meant for food was on Thursday sentenced to three years probation.

Her sister, who struck him in the head, will also serve the same sentence.

The violence occurred on August 2, 2018, in Karena Village in Marakwet East subcounty within Elgeyo Marakwet. They have been in remand since then.

Winnie Jepkorir and her sister Irene Yatich were charged with manslaughter after they killed Jeremiah Kipkemoi who was hit on the head with a stone.

Both pleaded guilty.

Eldoret High Court Judge Erick Ogola said there was a clear provocation and the two did not mean to kill Kipkemoi during the fight.

“The proof of offence of manslaughter attracts a maximum sentence of life in prison. In this case however, there was a clear provocation. The fight did not immediately result in death. Death followed later, unexpectedly,” the judge ruled.

According to court documents Kipkemoi, who was the husband of the accused, returned home while drunk at around 1pm.

He took Sh1,000 that was on the table, money meant for food. His wife, who was also drunk, asked him to return the money but he refused.

A quarrel ensued and the two got physical. Jepkorir overpowered him and he fell to the floor. She started biting him while he was down.

Jepkoris’s sister, Yatich who saw the two fight, took a stone and hit the deceased on the head with it. The two continued to pinning him to the floor and retrieved the money before letting him go.

The husband fell asleep.

“At about 7.30pm my husband complained of headache so I gave him pain killers," the widow testified.

"We slept until around 5am when I tried to wake him up but he remained unresponsive. At that point I rushed out and to notify neighbours and relatives,” Jepkorir told the court.

It was then established that Kipkemoi had already died.

The accused and her sister were arrested and taken to Tot police station.

They were charged with murder after the post mortem established the cause of death to be blunt injury to the head.

Jepkorir said she was remorseful and the facts that led to her husband's death were unfortunate. She said both of them were drunk and she regretted that.

She told court that she has three young children and the family of her husband has forgiven her. She begged for a non-custodial sentence.

The judge said the accused have been in custody for four years since their arrest, during which time Jepkorir conceived and delivered a baby in prison.

“All the three children now have only the accused as the remaining parent, therefore, a non-custodial sentence would serve more justice for the accused and victim,” the judge said.

“I therefore jail [sentence] the accused to a probation period of three years under supervision of the Probation Service,” he ruled. - AKELLO ODENYO, The Star

(Edited by V. Graham)

Details: East Africa; 21 March 2022; 828

She urged Uhuru to remain neutral in the presidential race

In Summary

• MP Shollei also said that Uhuru to remain neutral in the presidential race.

• She said President Uhuru’s end game is to control the legislative house.

Uasin Gishu Women Representative Gladys Shollei has claimed that President Uhuru Kenyatta is using ODM leader Raila Odinga to run for a presidential race for the third time.

Speaking to KTN News, MP Shollei said that the talks that President Uhuru is acting as a buffer between the Deputy President William Ruto and Raila are intended to intimidate the DP.

“Raila is not the candidate, Uhuru is. The claims that Uhuru is a buffer between Ruto and Raila are but just bravado talks,” Shollei said.

According to her, President Uhuru’s end game is to control the legislative house.

MP Shollei urged Uhuru to remain neutral in the presidential race and allow Kenyans to make their democratic choice freely.

“That’s why Ruto urged the President to leave Raila alone. He is a seasoned politician,” she said, adding that Raila was not capable of winning the election.

This comes after DP Ruto pleaded with President Uhuru to spare him the sword he claimed they used on Raila during his Gatundu tour on Friday.

Ruto further urged President to remember the times when Mama Ngina prayed for them and refrain from hurting him.

Previously, the DP’s speeches about the president were harsh but last week, he has shown that he is rattled by the support Raila is getting.

On Saturday, Ruto claimed he was Uhuru’s only true friend.

He was speaking at Murang’a.

The DP has been running his campaigns at Uhuru’s backyard. By Sharon Mwende, The Star

Details: East Africa; 20 March 2022; 883

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior addresses a press conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Wednesday, January 12, 2022[David Njaaga, Standard]

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr says the Wiper Party will accept nothing less than the position of a running mate in the coalition talks between its party leader and Azimio la Umoja Presidential Candidate Raila Odinga.

“For Kalonzo [Musyoka] to have agreed to forfeit presidency for the third time it must count for something,” Senator Kilonzo Jr said.

Speaking in Wote, Makueni County, Saturday after a meeting with leaders and politicians from the region, he said that the Wiper Party had advised its leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, to go for the Deputy President’s position, even as Kalonzo Musyoka and Raila Odinga continue with coalition negotiations.

“While we are still in the process of negotiations and holding talks, we have asked that Kalonzo Musyoka be given the position of Deputy President,” he said.

Mutula Kilonzo Jr’s sentiments follow a meeting of his party leader with President Uhuru Kenyatta at Kalonzo’s Karen residence Friday evening.

“It was my absolute pleasure and joy to host the President of the Republic of Kenya H. E Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and my fellow OKA Principal Baringo Senator Gideon Moi at my Nairobi residence yesterday evening.

We are Azimio - One Kenya and we will support Right Honourable former Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga for the presidency in the forthcoming August General Election,” Kalonzo tweeted on Saturday.

The meeting came a week after Kalonzo publicly endorsed Raila Odinga during the Azimio la Umoja Movement National Delegates Convention held at Kenyatta International Convention Centre.

President Kenyatta praised him saying his sacrifice will not go unrewarded.

“It isn’t that Kalonzo was incapable. He is very capable of becoming president but decided to support his brother Raila,” President Kenyatta said.

In the Azimio NDC Raila Odinga also said that while he and Kalonzo may have had issues in the past, the two had patched up things.

When the defunct Nasa coalition was faced with internal wrangles, three of the four principals, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi and Moses Wetangula had vowed that they would never work with Raila Odinga.

Even in post-Nasa politics, Kalonzo, on multiple occasions, publicly said that he would not enter into any political pacts with the former Prime Minister. By Elaine Kirui , The Standard