The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said it is currently working with eight African countries to monitor clinical trials of traditional medicine-based therapeutics proposed for COVID-19.

Some of the countries are Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana and Madagascar 

It stated that as part of efforts to advance continental efforts towards equitable access to medical products and technologies, all but eight African member states are now engaged in large-scale cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants.

In a message to mark the African Traditional Medicine Day 2022, WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, said 19 countries have also established facilities for the local manufacturing of herbal medicines, with the number of herbal medicines registered by national regulatory authorities in 14 countries increasing from just 20 in 2000, to more than 100 this year.

 She said: “WHO in the African Region has supported joint missions with partners to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda, to monitor clinical trials of traditional medicine-based therapeutics proposed for COVID-19, eight of which are ongoing.” 

She said the political will to be displayed by countries to support the innovations had been inspiring, just as the level of available infrastructure and skills.

According to Moeti, more than 45 herbal medicines now feature on national essential medicines lists.

The WHO scribe noted that the yearly commemorative activities have helped to create awareness that prompted more than 40 African countries to develop national traditional medicine policies by 2022, up from only eight in 2000.

“Thirty countries have also integrated traditional medicine into their national policies, a 100 per cent improvement on the situation in 2000. Additionally, 39 countries have established regulatory frameworks for traditional medicine practitioners, compared to only one in 2000, demonstrating good governance and leadership. 

“On the African Traditional Medicine Day today, I call on governments to strengthen collaboration between science, technology and innovation institutions; traditional health practitioners and the private sector, to fast-track research and development, and local manufacturing of traditional medicine-based therapeutics for the health and well-being of Africa’s people,” she said.  By Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja. ThisDay

Lawyers representing Raila Odinga in the Supreme Court presidential petition have argued that the August 9, 2022 presidential election was a product of craftiness by the IEBC and President-elect William Ruto.

James Orengo and Julie Soweto, who were the first to make their submissions at the apex court on Wednesday, said a vote manipulation scheme was hatched by the two respondents to ensure Ruto won the polls.

Citing affidavits by two people, Celestine Anyango Opiyo and Arnold Ochieng Oginga, Orengo and Soweto said there was evidence indicating that Odinga’s votes were reduced and added to Ruto’s in some polling stations. 

This scheme, they said, was commonplace in the perceived strongholds of Ruto, especially in Bomet and Kiambu counties.

So elaborate and well-thought-out was the scheme, that the number of votes cast in the areas remained uninflated to avoid raising suspicion, said Orengo.

“There was a systematic deduction of votes from Raila Odinga and the same number of votes that were deducted, were added to William Ruto. However, the unique things about this scheme was that the total number of votes cast remained the same,” said Orengo.

The lawyer said the pattern was replicated in other areas, and has the potential of changing the election outcome if fully scrutinised. 

Orengo said this was manifest in the results entered in forms 34A at the polling stations, which were different from those recorded in forms 34B.

Form 34A is used to record presidential results at the polling station level. Form 34B, on the other hand, is a collation of all the forms 34A, and recorded at the constituency tallying centre.

Form 34C is a collation of all forms 34B. It is recorded at the national tallying centre, and it’s what the IEBC chairperson uses to establish who has won the presidential election.

Orengo said the discrepancies that they noticed in forms 34A and 34B accounted for more than 140,000 votes.

“That (discrepancy) has an impact on the results of the election. I invite the court to look into the votes garnered by each of the presidential candidates; the figures do not agree at all.” 

Orengo’s co-lawyer, Julie Soweto, in her submission  said despite the forms 34A sharing features such as serial numbers, stamps and agents’ signatures, the results that the presidential candidates’ agents had, were different from those announced by IEBC chairperson Wafula Chebukati.

In some 15 polling stations, she said, the difference was 2,793 votes.

“Figures are important because of the slim margin [of votes] that William Ruto got to be declared the presidential election winner,” said Soweto.

“For example, in Chepalungu polling station 1 of 1 [in Bomet County], Ruto had 109 votes, yet in Form 34A uploaded to the IEBC portal, he had 169 votes. On the other hand, 60 votes were reduced from Raila Odinga.

“This was the pattern in all 41 polling stations that we have sampled and annexed to the affidavits,” said Soweto.

The lawyer also questioned why in several polling stations, especially those in Central Kenya and Rift Valley, more voters cast their ballots for the president than other elective seat candidates.

The IEBC had, in their replying affidavit, said stray votes, violence and postponed elections in eight areas resulted in higher votes cast for president than some other seats.

A stray ballot paper, according to the IEBC, refers to the ballot paper dropped in the wrong category, for instance a marked MCA ballot paper dropped in the governor’s ballot box.

Soweto said the argument that stray votes contributed to a higher number of votes for presidency than other elective seats wasn’t convincing.

“In Kirinyaga County, for example, there was an average of 33 stray ballot papers per polling station. That’s not possible [naturally],” she said.

“That high number of stray ballot papers cannot be explained, and has not been explained,” she emphasised.

Away from the alleged discrepancies in the electoral forms, and the highlighted stray ballot papers’ irregularities, Orengo and Soweto called for the nullification of the presidential results, saying the IEBC’s divisions were testament of a commission in turmoil, hence not able to preside over transparent elections.

"We have a commission that is divided right in the middle. That speaks to a dysfunctional constitutional body that is not capable of presiding over an election,” said Orengo.

The senior counsel argued that IEBC’s results transmission system was breached in favour of William Ruto.

"The way that the commission dealt with the forms during upload and doBy Stephanie Wangari , The Standard

Ballots from 15 polling stations in four counties have been delivered for a recount as ordered by the Supreme Court.

The ballots were delivered on Wednesday morning August 31, 2022, by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) officials accompanied by police.

Supreme Court ordered recount in 15 polling stations

During a pre-trial hearing on Tuesday August 30, 2022, the Supreme Court ordered a recount of votes in 15 polling stations in four counties ahead of the hearing of the consolidated presidential petition.

In orders issued on Tuesday, the seven-judge bench led by Chief Justice Martha Koome directed IEBC to open ballot boxes in the affected regions for inspection, scrutiny and vote recount.

The polling stations include; Nandi Hills and Sinendeti Primary School in Nandi, Belgut, Kapsuser and Chepkutum Primary Schools in Kericho County; Jomvi, Mikindani and Ministry of Water Tanks Polling Stations in Mombasa County; Mvita, Majengo and Mvita Primary Schools in Mombasa County; Tinderet CONMO, in Nandi County; Jarok, Gathanji and Kiheo Primary School Polling in Nyandarua County. 

The court also ordered scrutiny of forms 34A transmitted through the KIEMS kits from the polling stations in the elections held on August 9.

The inspection and vote count report will be tabled before the court at 2:00 pm, Thursday, August 31.

"Each Party shall be represented by two agents during the exercises above and they shall at times be under the supervision of the Registrar of the court and her staff," the orders read in part.

"The Registrar shall file her report by 5 pm on 1st September 2022 and avail copies to all parties." By Martin Oduor, PD

By NANGAYI GUYSON

President Museveni's bush doctor, opposition leader, and former presidential contender Col. Dr. Kizza Besigye joined in denouncing a segment of Ugandans who openly welcomed Gen. Elly Tumwiine's death.

Gen Elly Tumwine, 68, the four-star general and a former Minister of Security in President Museveni's succumbed to lung cancer at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, where he was admitted on August 11. 

However, a section of Ugandans including Former Kampala Woman MP Contestant, Human rights activist, and poet Dr. Stella Nyanzi has celebrated the death of Gen Elly Tumwine.

Gen. Elly Tumwine and Dr. Stella Nyanzi frequently crossed paths during the protests in and around Kampala.

Gen. Elly Tumwine, who at the time served as the state's Minister of security, issued several arrest warrants for protesters, among them was Dr. Stella Nyanzi, and he allegedly pushed police to shoot unarmed bystanders.

In a poem written in German and published on social media while she is in exile, Stella Nyanzi said that Gen. Elly Tumwine was justified to die and that no one would miss him.

Gen. Elly Tumwine should even go to hell, Dr. Stella Nyanzi stated in poem titled “THE ONE-EYED WIZARD IS DEAD!

And as it reads below.

Somebody run and tell my lover,

The one-eyed singing wizard is dead!

The Ugandan opposition will not bother

Pretending that we’ll miss his head!

Go to hell, singing wizard!

Godspeed to the fire of hell.

Go to the devil, one-eyed lizard!

You threatened murder of protesters as well

As unleashing of bullets to the gizzard

From police at the sound of your bell.

Somebody run and tell my lover,

The one-eyed singing wizard is dead.

The Ugandan opposition will not bother

Pretending that we’ll miss his head!,”

Dr. Besigye called such celebrations of a person's death "inhuman" and advised such individuals to exercise restraint.

Besigye stated, "I believe that we should refrain from passing judgment on people, especially after someone has passed away because at this time they are in the hands of God.

Furthermore, it's virtually impossible to know a person's relationship with God at the time of their death.

Even someone who has acted wrongly may eventually repent and rebuild their relationship with God.

I consequently oppose passing judgment on those who have passed away.

In an interview with informer East Africa at Gen Elly Tumwine’s funeral home, Dr. Besigye also stated that it was "unfair to indict someone who cannot defend themselves. Justice requires that I can only accuse you if you are willing to defend yourself so that the public can make a judgment.

If you feel that he offended you, it is now too late to accuse him; dead persons cannot defend themselves”

He first met Mr. Yoweri Museveni, the future President of Uganda, in 1967 in his primary seven lessons. Mr. Museveni had just finished his A-Levels and was working as a part-time teacher at their school before beginning his studies at Dar es Salaam University later that year.

Tumwine said to have shot the first bullet, in panic, to gain future fame in starting the five-year NRA armed struggle against Milton Obote’s government.

He was commander of the NRA and a member of the High Command during the bush era. He was replaced as the NRA commander in 1987, a year after they had taken power, by Gen Caleb Akandwanaho, alias Salim Saleh, the younger brother of President Museveni.

Gen Tumwine is number two of six original members of the then NRA High Command as of January 26, 1986, according to the UPDF Act, 2005.

The others are President Museveni, his brother Gen Salim Saleh, Gen David Tinyefuza (now David Sejusa), late Eriya Kategaya and Maj Gen Matayo Kyaligonza.

By virtue of being a historical member of the High Command, Gen Tumwine and five others are permanent members of the Defence Forces Council and High Command, both the army’s highest policy and decision-making organs.

This is not the first time Dr. Stella and others have celebrated the death of Ugandan leaders in a manner like this, January, 2022, Ugandan activist and feminist Stella Nyanzi through her social media accounts celebrated the death of former Ethics and Integrity Minister Fr Simon Lokodo who died in Geneva.

“I thank God you died, may you rot in hell,” Stella Nyanzi celebrates Fr Simon Lokodo’s death

Nyanzi said that Lokodo contrary to Bible teachings was a very bad man who promoted hatred against homosexuals and women at large.

“A Ugandan homophobe died today in Geneva. I join Uganda’s homosexuals to celebrate his death. Simon Lokodo, from your hatred we are delivered. Oh, how you campaigned to legalised queer death. You joined Ssempa preaching hatred to believers. You enforced Bahati’s homophobia with such rage. There is no sorrow for your demise. May you rot in hell for your homohomophobia,” She wrote.

Nyanzi added that Ugandan feminists will dance wildly in the mini- skirts the late hated so much.

“Lokodo, you shamed women’s bodies in the motherland. Alas how craftly you worked to penalize our exposed bodies. You championed the anti-pornography law in Uganda. You steered the policing of women’s sensuality and choice.

“There is no sorrow for your departure. May you rot in hell for your misogyny. We shall dance on the graves of Museveni’s sycophants who oppressed us in the service of Musevenism! Aluta continua,” Nyanzi added.

It shall be recalled that in 2015, Fr Lokodo ordered for the arrest of Nyanzi after she undressed to protest being locked out of her office at Makerere University.

“Even if she was offended by anybody, she behaved indecently. I condemn it in the strongest words possible and I have directed police to arrest her. She must be brought to book,” Lokodo was quoted.