East Africa

Details: East Africa; 10 February 2022; 1000

By NANGAYI GUYSON

Kampala, Uganda - On Saturday, January 22, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) Commander of Land Forces, Senior Presidential Adviser on Special Operations, and son of President Yoweri Museveni, traveled to Rwanda to meet with President Paul Kagame in Kigali to resolve long-standing misunderstandings between the two sister countries.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, dressed in a Tuxedo Light Blue Suit, Burgundy Polka Dots Skinny Red Tie, N95 face mask, and Melton Cap Toe Black Calfskin shoes, appeared peaceful, joyful, and tranquil with his bald head and Channel O round beard cut style.

He was received at Village Urugwiro by the Rwandan President Paul Kagame who also seemed happy and welcomed him as if President Museveni had made a right choice by sending his son for a dialogue.

The two talked on the initiatives that need to be taken to mend Rwanda-Uganda ties.

Kagame and Muhoozi, "had courteous, productive, and forward-looking discussions regarding Rwanda's concerns and practical initiatives needed to rebuild the relationship between Rwanda and Uganda," according to Village Urugwiro.

Muhoozi tweeted shortly after his return home that the two had "extremely courteous and in-depth discussions about how to enhance bilateral relations."

He expressed optimism that "under the leadership of our two Presidents, we will be able to quickly restore our historic good relations."

Muhoozi's visit came after that of Amb Adonia Ayebare, who was in Kigali to deliver President Museveni's special message.

Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Commander of Land Forces of the Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF), remarked after returning to Kampala from a successful mission to Kigali that they had a depth talk with president Kagame.

"We had a very pleasant and in-depth talk about how to strengthen our bilateral relations," she said.

"I am optimistic that under the leadership of our two Presidents, we will be able to quickly repair our long-standing strong ties," Muhoozi added.

He also brought a Ugandan Special Forces (SFC) soldier who had been kidnapped by Rwanda back with him.

"I also want to express my gratitude to President Kagame for granting my plea to release our SFC soldier, Private Ronald Arinda, who crossed into Rwandan territory without permission on personal business.

I flew back to Uganda with him tonight. "Long live the two countries' friendship," Muhoozi remarked.

Rwanda also released a statement about the same and part of it reads as follow;

"President Kagame and General Muhoozi had friendly, productive, and forward-looking discussions regarding Rwanda's concerns and practical initiatives needed to rebuild the relationship between Rwanda and Uganda," Rwanda stated in a statement.

The visit comes just days after Uganda's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Adonia Ayebare, delivered a special message to Kigali as part of ongoing efforts to improve relations with Rwanda.

After exchanging charges of eavesdropping, political murder, and meddling, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni struck an accord in Angola two years ago to defuse tensions.

After a three-year lockdown, Rwanda announced Friday that it will restore its land border with Uganda at the end of the month, signaling a breakthrough in tense relations between the neighbors.

The action comes after Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni's powerful son, General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, visited Kigali last weekend and offered to reestablish ties with Rwandan President Paul Kagame.

In February 2019, the border was closed because to escalating political tensions between Kigali and Kampala, which harmed two-way trade.

The current move by Uganda to adhere to Rwanda’s demands is raising questions to whether General Muhoozi Kainerugaba can mend the broken relation between the two countries for all.

There are good signs that indicate that General Muhoozi Kainerugaba is doing perfectly well on this role assigned to him by his father President Museveni.

To show Rwanda that Uganda was reread to mend the relationship, President Museveni made changes to his military intelligence in Kampala, by demoting Maj-Gen Abel Kandiho who was the face of torture in Rwandans' eyes to a lowly military attaché post in South Sudan.

Both countries are led by army veterans, one of whom prevented the Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994 and the other of whom came to power after defeating Milton Obote and his Uganda National Liberation Army in 1986.

However, while they share a history dating back to the war years, their ties have been sour, impacting road transit and trade.

Despite the fact that their capitals are only 500 kilometers apart, people must now fly between them due to the closure of border crossings.

Muhoozi's trip to Kigali, on the other hand, was partly motivated by the prospect of rekindling old friendships.

Rwanda closed the border crossing in February 2019 after accusing Uganda of assisting rebel groups in an attempt to destabilize Rwanda while, Uganda accused Rwanda's government of spying.

According to the Rwandan statement, the government has taken note of a procedure to resolve issues presented by Rwanda, as well as Ugandan government commitments to remove remaining hurdles.

The Gatuna border station will reopen Monday, according to the Rwanda Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following a visit by Ugandan Lt. Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also President Yoweri Museveni's son, last week.

The closure of the Gatuna-Katuna crossing put Rwandan and Ugandan citizens doing business over the border in a financial bind.

Rwanda's declaration on Friday that it will restore its border after a three-year closure was hailed by Ugandan traders.

Details: East Africa; 10 February 2022; 827

Crime scene
Image: THE STAR/Photo Courtesy

Police have launched manhunt for the gang.

In Summary

•None of the gang members was in the cars by the time police intercepted them.

•According to the police, the gang allegedly broke into a Toyota Prado at the Nyali City Mall and made away with valuables worth Sh700,000.

Detectives in Nyali, Mombasa County, intercepted and detained two motor vehicles allegedly used by a gang three days ago in a car breaking incident.

The sleuths that have been on the trail of the suspected gang intercepted the two vehicles in separate places within the town on Wednesday.

None of the gang members was in the cars by the time police intercepted them.

"The detectives only found the individuals who had separately hired the vehicles," DCI said.

According to the police, the gang allegedly broke into a Toyota Prado at the Nyali City Mall and made away with valuables worth Sh700,000.

"Valuables worth over Sh700,000 were stolen in the Sunday morning incident," DCI said.

The detectives also said a vehicle belonging to the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) was also broken into on the same day.

The gang is suspected to have hired the vehicles and used them to commit crimes.

Police said the suspects were captured on the CCTV footage at the mall.

The car hire agencies have since been summoned at the Nyali DCI offices as the manhunt for the suspects continue. By Purity Wangui, The Star

Details: East Africa; 06 February 2022; 899

At least four people hurt in the explosion in the eastern city of Beni, which has experienced attacks by armed groups.

Local police said they were looking for the suspected bomber after the blast in the eastern region where Congolese and Ugandan forces have launched a campaign against suspected armed rebels.

“We call on the population to be calm and especially vigilant,” said Beni city police spokesperson Nasson Murara.

Police tended to casualties at the market before taking them to a local police hospital, a Reuters news agency journalist on the scene said.

Frank Kasisa, the attending physician at Beni’s police hospital, said four people were in stable condition after being injured in the blast. He confirmed no one had been killed.

Stephanie Kahambu, who has a shop inside the market, said the market had been crowded before the explosion.

“We heard a bomb explode, and everyone fled in different directions,” Kahambu said. “It’s really sad because I saw four people who were seriously injured.”

The US embassy in Kinshasa said on Tuesday that it believed “terrorist attacks” were planned in Beni “in the near future”, and warned US citizens against travelling there.

Beni has experienced several bombings in recent years that authorities have blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan armed group that has pledged allegiance to ISIL (ISIS).

On Christmas day, a suicide bomber attacked a restaurant in Beni, killing at least five people and himself, while at least people were wounded after three bombs rocked the east of the country in June last year.

The ADF is the deadliest of an estimated 122 armed groups that roam the mineral-rich east of the DRC, many of them a legacy of two regional wars that ran from 1996 to 2003.

In late November, the DRC and Uganda launched a joint operation against the ADF in the east of the country after Congolese troops struggled for months to quell bloody ADF attacks. SOURCE: NEWS AGENCIES/Aljazeera

Details: East Africa; 09 February 2022; 907

At least five people are nursing injuries sustained on Tuesday when a cargo plane crashed while landing at Agok Airstrip in the Abyei Administrative Area disputed between the border of Sudan and South Sudan.

Kuol Diem Kuol, Chief Administrator of Abyei Administrative Area told Xinhua that the Antonov 26 plane, owned by the Ministry of Defense, was delivering primary eight examination papers from Juba when it crashed upon landing on the runway.

Diem said the plane had already distributed examination materials in Bentiu town of Unity state, and was destined to deliver more examination materials to Rumbek town of Lakes state.

The national primary school examinations are expected to commence on Feb. 14.

Awut Deng Acuil, South Sudan Minister for General Education and Instruction, confirmed the incident, adding that the examination papers are now in safe custody of the police.

Several planes have crashed in recent years in South Sudan.

In 2018, 19 people were killed when a small aircraft carrying passengers from Juba to Yirol crashed.

In March 2020, a cargo plane crashed in the north-eastern Jonglei state, leaving 10 killed.

The latest accident in November 2021 left five people killed when a cargo plane crashed in the Maban area of the Upper Nile state. - Xinhua/China.org.cn

Details: East Africa; 06 February 2022; 907

By JULIUS MBALUTO

Kenyans in the UK are perhaps the best example of how unity in purpose should be. Although they were previously caught up in divisive elections, this time round, they are prepared and have decided to speak with one voice.

Kenyans in the UK now have a structure that keeps them united and connected. They have community groups based on where one lives. This community groups have community leaders across UK and they have the nationwide umbrella body known as KCCC (Kenyan Communities Chairpersons Council-UK)

The Chairmen or Chairlady of the local community groups are under the Chairmanship of KCCC whose current leader is Mr Lucas Kamau. When IEBC allowed Kenyans in seven countries added to the previous list namely, UK, US, Canada, Qatar, South Sudan, UAE and German) in the Diaspora to vote, IEBC kicked off mobilisation and information sharing via the KCCC structure whose leaders have become vital in mobilising Kenyans to register as voters.

As Kenyans in the UK register to vote for the very first time, they seem to have agreed to keep petty party politics out of their common goal which is to register and vote. Before you would see a clear distinction between NASA supporters and Jubilee supporters but this time round, Kenyans have come together to speak with one voice.

The newly found unity as Kenyans has the potential to transform the politics from the Diaspora. Some Kenyans from the UK will be vying for different seats via different parties for example, Julius Kaberere vying for MP in Kandara Constituency and John Kaniaru vying for MP in Njoro Constituency.

Most Kenyans in the UK made long distant journey some 2-6 hours long just to come to Kenya High Commission and register to vote. This was a huge cost to them, in time and money.

These Kenyans say, IEBC and all stakeholders must ensure that proper legislation is in place and better logistics are implemented to ensure that they can register and vote without having to travel to London.

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