A 34-year-old woman, Fatuma Nansubuga has been remanded to Luzira prison on charges of common nuisance. Nansubuga a resident of Kalerwe market, Kawempe Division was arrested two days ago after staging a lone protest outside parliament. On Thursday she was arraigned before grade one magistrate Caroline Kyoshabire.
Buganda Road Magistrate's court heard that Nansubuga on July 2 at Kampala Central in Kampala district was seen walking while carrying placards demanding the resignation of the speaker of parliament Annet Anita Among.
According to the prosecution, the placards bore words indicating that Uganda must be free from corruption which they say inconvenienced the public in the exercise of their common rights by blocking their walkway thereby concluded to be a common nuisance.
The prosecution informed court that investigations in this case are complete and asked for a hearing date. However, Nansubuga denied the charges against her and through her lawyer Swaibu Kitakule applied to be released temporarily on bail. Magistrate Kyoshabire advised Nansubuga's lawyer to apply for bail at the next sitting.
Consequently, Nansubuga who has been at Kampala Central police station for two nights was sent to Luzira Prison until July 9. Nansubuga is not the only person who has appeared in court in the recent past over cases arising from the alleged condemnation of corruption reportedly perpetuated by speaker Among.
On Wednesday this week, the former Rubaga Division RCC Herbert Anderson Burora was sent to Luzira Prison by the same court on charges of hate speech and spreading malicious information, shortly after he had been suspended from office on allegations of having continued to issue or utter statements to the social media without express authority from his line supervisors.
Burora had criticized Among over corruption on X. A few months ago, a Tiktoker Ibrahim Musana commonly known as Pressure 24/7 was remanded for about two months for promoting hate speech against Among, President Museveni and Kabaka of Buganda before he secured his freedom. By URN/ The Observer
The latest move follows a directive from the Central Bank of Kenya issued last year
In Summary
•The bank had in 2020 opened a representative office in Nairobi to tap into the multibillion international transaction business in what was its first investment in Africa.
Bank Al-Habib Limited of Pakistan (BAHLP) has shut down its Kenyan operations four years after venturing into the country with its representative office.
The latest move follows a directive from the Central Bank of Kenya that was issued late last year giving a way forward on how the bank will voluntarily cease its operations in the country.
The bank had in 2020 opened a representative office in Nairobi to tap into the multibillion international transaction business in what was its first investment in Africa.
“Notice is hereby given that on October 27th, 2023, BAHL Representative Office received a letter from the Central Bank of Kenya, guiding the way forward for winding up its operations.”
“In accordance with the contents of the above-mentioned letter, this is to notify that the last day of our operations was on June 30th, 2024,” BAHLP said in a notice
It however, noted that the representatives Office will continue to operate its office with non-business activities until all its obligations are fully discharged, as per the requirements of the Central Bank of Kenya.
A representative office does not carry out commercial banking services but is allowed to do research, marketing and liaison roles on behalf of the parent bank and its affiliates.
In the notice the lender expressed sincere appreciation to the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and all their banking partners for their support and assistance during their stay in Kenya.
In their operations in Kenya the bank was forced to use BAHL-instead of that of its parent as the name of its Kenyan office to distinguish itself from two Kenyan banks that bore the word Habib in their names.
The bank has operations in Bahrain, the Seychelles, China, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates. According to the bank's website, in January this year the profit of the bank grew by 115 percent year-on-year (YoY) compared to the profit of Sh25.65 billion reported last year. by JACKTONE LAWI, The Star
Top political donors including the heir to the Disney fortune have said they will suspend donations until the US President steps down
US President Joe Biden has made another embarrassing gaffe by referring to himself as a “black woman” as donors call for him to step aside ahead of a crucial television interview on Friday.
The 81-year-old presumptive Democratic nominee in the presidential election race is facing mounting pressure to step down over doubts about his mental fitness for the role.
Criticism from Republicans had already been widespread, but his poor performance in last week’s television debate with rival Donald Trump, in which he appeared confused and faltering, has alarmed Democrats and led to mounting calls for him to consider his position, with some touting Vice President Kamala Harris as an alternative candidate.
Mr Biden is due to hold a rally in battleground state Wisconsin on Friday, before sitting down for a TV interview with the ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, which will air in the US in the evening. On Sunday, he will appear at a campaign event in Philadelphia. His appearances will be closely scrutinised.
It comes after he made a fresh gaffe on Thursday, mixing up his words as he tried to demonstrate his pride in working with Ms Harris and former President Barack Obama while speaking to WURD radio in Philadelphia.
“By the way, I’m proud to be, as I said, the first vice president, first black woman… to serve with a black president,” he said.
“Proud to be involved with the first black woman on the Supreme Court,” he added, in reference to Ketanji Brown-Jackson, who became the first female black justice when he appointed her. There’s so much that we can do because, look… we’re the United States of America.”
Campaign spokesperson Ammar Moussa insisted: “It was clear what President Biden meant when he was talking about his historic record including a record number of appointments to the federal bench. This is not news and the media has passed the point of absurdity here.”
Vice President Kamala Harris is being increasingly talked about as an alternative to Mr Biden (Photo: Samuel Corum/Getty Images)
On Thursday, Mr Biden appeared at a White House to host military families at a 4th July event and said he was “not going anywhere”. He also began to tell a story, referring to Trump as “one of our colleagues, the former president” before adding, “probably shouldn’t say, at any rate” and abruptly ending the story.
He also tripped up earlier in the interview when he claimed he had been the first president elected statewide in Delaware. He appeared to mean that he was the first Catholic in Delaware to be elected statewide.
Elected Democrats, including Ms Harris, have largely rallied behind the President yet an increasing number of donors are voicing doubts.
On Thursday, Abigail Disney – granddaughter of Roy Disney, heir to the Disney fortune and a major party donor – said she would suspend donations and suggested Ms Harris as an alternative.
“I intend to stop any contributions to the party unless and until they replace Biden at the top of the ticket. This is realism, not disrespect,” she told CNBC. “If Biden does not step down the Democrats will lose. Of that I am absolutely certain. The consequences for the loss will be genuinely dire.
“We have an excellent Vice President. If Democrats would tolerate any of her perceived shortcomings even one tenth as much as they have tolerated Biden’s (and let’s not kid ourselves about where race and gender figure in that inequity) and if Democrats can find a way to stop quibbling and rally around her, we can win this election by a lot,” Ms Disney said.
Gideon Stein, a donor and president of the Moriah fund private foundation, said he would pause $3.5m (£2.74m) in planned donations to nonprofits and political organisations active in the presidential race unless Mr Biden stepped aside.
“Virtually every major donor I’ve talked to believes that we need a new candidate in order to defeat Donald Trump,” he said.
“When they text you asking for cash, text back that you’re not giving them a penny and you won’t change your mind until there’s change at the top of the ticket. And when Joe finally leaves the mound, I will stand and applaud. Because he truly pitched a great game,” he said.
Reed Hastings, Netflix co-founder and one of the biggest donors to the Democrats, called on Wednesday for Mr Biden to “step aside to allow a vigorous Democratic leader to beat Trump and keep us safe and prosperous”.
The New York Times reports that a group of donors and strategists are working to raise $100m for a “Next Generation PAC” (political action committee) to support a replacement candidate, and that supporters are calling on elected officials at all levels to pressure the President to quit the race.
If re-elected, Mr Biden would be 86 at the end of the second term. So far he has vowed to fight on and the White House has blamed jet lag and a cold for his shaky performance.
Several public opinion polls have shown Trump widening his narrow lead over the Democratic President since the debate, while a Reuters/Ipsos poll found one in three Democrats want Mr Biden to quit the race. By Victoria Craw, I News
South Sudan President Salva Kiir speaks at the launch of the Kenya-led peace talks in Nairobi on Thursday (PPU photo)
South Sudan president has reiterated his commitment to an inclusive peace process, citing a need for stability to foster development, social cohesion, and harmony in the country.
The president made the remarks while meeting the government team negotiating with the holdout groups in the Kenyan-led peace talks on Wednesday.
The members of the government negotiating team led by Albino Mathom Ayuel Abuoc met and briefed Kiir on the status of the peace process with the hold-out groups underway in Nairobi.
Under the Tumaini Initiative, the process has for the past two months seen significant progress. The parties have exchanged negotiating positions and expressed a desire to achieve long-term peace in the country.
“President Kiir is pleased with the pace of the negotiations and commends all parties involved for their dedication to finding a peaceful solution to the continuing problem”, Information minister Michael Makuei told the state-owned television (SSBC).
Makuei explained the importance of working for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan, urging all parties to continue engaging in constructive dialogue to reach a comprehensive and inclusive peace accord.
He underlined Kiir’s commitment towards working for peace and stability, promising to continue to support the Tumaini Initiative. (ST)
The United Nations reported that at least nine out of ten people in the Gaza Strip have been displaced at least once since October 7.
"We are again at the crossroads where the UN and its partners have to reset their operations," said Andrea De Domenico, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied Palestinian Territory, at a virtual news conference.
De Domenico noted that Israel's recent evacuation order in Khan Younis has impacted a third of the enclave, further exacerbating the crisis. "At the moment, we estimate that nine out of every ten people in the Gaza Strip have been internally displaced at least once, if not up to ten times, unfortunately, since October," he said.
De Domenico stated, "People in the last nine months have been moved around like pawns in a board game, forced from one location to the next."
He highlighted the severe living conditions that residents must rebuild each time, leading to increased suffering and a greater need for humanitarian aid. Stressing that the UN will continue its efforts in the region, he underscored the daily challenges in aid distribution.
Citing the Palestinian Authority's Bureau of Statistics, De Domenico said Gaza's population is 2.3 million, estimating that 110,000 have left Gaza and 37,000 have been killed. He emphasized that behind these numbers are people with grievances, fears, and hopes.
The UN official reported that Israeli officials claimed they did not intend to evacuate hospitals in the recent "evacuation" call, adding that Israel did not provide timely information on the evacuation order. "People have memories of what happened at Al-Shifa, Nasser, and other hospitals, where doctors, patients, and nurses were arrested and interrogated. Some were found days later in mass graves. So, fear is dominant," he said.
De Domenico noted that the European Hospital in Khan Younis, one of the last essential service-providing hospitals in the region, was also evacuated and is now "gone."
He reported that OCHA has seen Israel's attacks continue in so-called "safe zones" and that 247 of his colleagues have been killed. Many of these colleagues were killed while on duty, and some were killed at home with their families.
"Nowhere and no one is safe in Gaza", which has become a place "where people cannot find a safe refuge, and can't leave the front line". Shafaq News
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