Tag: GreatLakesNews

{{In Tanzania, harassment, torture and killing of journalists caused controversy in Parliament on Monday when Opposition camp’s allegations that the CCM-led government was party to the ugly incidents hit a wall, causing a postponement of the morning sessions.}}

Trouble started when the shadow minister for Information, Youth, Culture and Sports, Mr Joseph Mbilinyi (Mbeya Urban – Chadema) was reading the Opposition’s views on the ministry’s budget estimates for the 2013/14 financial year, then went on to tell the House that Tanzania has become a country where newspapers that expose corruption are banned.

He further charged that Tanzania has become a country “…where journalists, under the supervision of this very ministry, are kidnapped, tortured and even killed…”

The words did not go down well with some CCM lawmakers, forcing the Mbozi East MP, Mr Godfrey Zambi, to stand up and used Parliamentary Standing Orders to demand that Mr Mbilinyi presents proof to his allegations.

“Madam Speaker, allow me to quote Section 68, Subsection 64 (A) of Parliamentary Standing Orders….Going by this section, a legislator is not allowed to stand in Parliament and say something that is untrue….Mr Mbilinyi should prove his allegations against our party – the CCM,” he said.

He said Mr Mbilinyi’s statement – from page two through 14 – smacked of incitement.

“Madam Speaker, the words contained in the statement from page two and 14 are pure incitement and can in no way be tolerated,” he said.

At this point, the Speaker, Ms Anne Makinda, stood up and concurred with Mr Zambi.

“Honourable MPs, we are all aware of the Standing Orders that govern this august House, for we all participated in approving them…..this statement should be discussed by a Parliamentary Standing Orders Committee….I now adjourn the Parliament until 5pm,” said Ms Makinda. It was 11.34am when she announced the adjournment.

The drama persisted even as MPs left the debating chamber, with Ms Anne Kilango-Malecela (Same East – CCM) having a brief encounter with the opposition chief whip, Mr Tundu Lissu outside. “You are disturbing parliamentary proceedings by going against the orders!” Ms Kilango-Malecela told Mr Lissu who quipped: “Which orders are you talking about?”

The two were, in a spin of seconds, joined by Ms Grace Kihwelu (Special Seats – Chadema) and Mr Aden Rage (Tabora Urban – CCM) with each legislator arguing in defence of their respective political parties.

And speaking to journalists at the Parliament grounds, Mr Mbilinyi distanced himself with any wrongdoing, saying he had evidence to prove what he said in the House.

“We only say the truth and I stand by it,” he said.Requesting the Parliament to endorse a total of Sh21.328 billion for her ministry’s activities during 2013/14 financial year, Dr Fenella Mukangara said the long awaited Media Services Bill would be brought to the august House before the end of this year.

Upon completion of that task, said Dr Mukangara, her ministry would then embark on preparing the Access to Information Bill.

Of the money awaiting Parliament’s approval, it is only Sh600 million that is budgeted for development, while the rest would be for recurrent expenditure.

There was virtually nothing in Dr Mukangara’s 62-page speech that specifically touched on press freedom or the safety and security of journalists despite reported cases of media personnel being harassment, tortured and even killed, apparently for carrying out their obligation as messengers of truth should.

She, however, said her ministry would work with the International Labour Organisation in preparing the second phase of the Kazi Nje Nje Programme. The programme seeks to provide entrepreneurship skills to 1.5 million school dropouts.

youth who have dropped out of school.

And on sports, Dr Mukangara revealed that President Jakaya Kikwete has agreed to pay the salary for a Basketball Coach who has been hired from the US.

“Tanzania Basketball Federation is currently finalising modalities of entering a contract with the coach,” she said.

{NMG}

{{Health Ministers of Commonwealth member states on Monday adopted a legislative framework to empower, protect and care for persons with mental disorders.}}

The move followed realisation that the mental health legislation in many member states is outdated and does not fulfill international human rights obligations towards persons with mental disorders.

The Commonwealth document titled “Metal Health: A legislative framework to empower, protect and care; A Review of Mental Health Legislation in Commonwealth Member States” was presented to the ministers and delegates at the 66th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva, Switzerland by Dr. Soumitra Pathare from the Centre for Mental Health Law and Policy, Indian Law Society, Pune, India. It was commissioned by Commonwealth Health Professions Alliance (CHPA) and funded by Commonwealth Foundation.

The review found that mental health legislation in 20 per cent of Commonwealth member states, including Nigeria was enacted prior to 1960, before modern medical treatments became available and before many of the international human rights instruments came into force.

The framework recommended, among other things, that Commonwealth member states should urgently undertake reform of mental health legislation, ensure that the legislation meets their obligations under international human rights treaties, in particular the Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and consider providing financial and technical support to low and middle income member states to undertake mental health law reform.

It also recommends thorough review of all legislation to comprehensively address all civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of persons with mental disorders, introduce provisions to promote decision making in mental health legislation and involve persons with mental disorders and care-givers, apart from other stakeholders, in the mental health law reform process.

The Commonwealth Health Ministers Meeting Partners’ Forum 2013 brought together civil society representatives and senior officials working in health sectors to discuss mental health legislation across the Commonwealth.

Together with the commissioned research, it gave civil society a stronger voice and clearer messages so that they can participate more effectively in advocating for mental health legislation and policy reform in their own environment.

{NgrGuardian}

{{Ugandans will vote by using Electronic thumbprint machines in the 2016 general elections.}}

President Yoweri Museveni said Saturday that the thumbprint machines will identify genuine voters, eliminate stealing of votes and double voting.

He said, “In future, all multiple voting will stop. We are importing machines for thumb printing in 2016. We shall use thumbprints to know who this is and if you try to steal, the machine will throw you out,” Museveni is quoted in a State House statement.

Mr Museveni’s announcement comes weeks after the country’s Electoral Commission (EC) released a roadmap to guide political parties and voters ahead of the 2016 polls which did not feature the use of thumbprint machines.

{{South Sudan’s military spokesman says 24 people were killed and dozens wounded during a battle between government troops and rebels who had overrun a town.}}

Col. Philip Aguer said Monday that a battle in Jonglei state on Sunday killed 20 rebel fighters and four government troops.

Aguer said the army recaptured the town of Boma, near the border with Ethiopia, from rebels led by David Yau Yau who took over the town earlier this month.

Aguer said government forces found food manufactured in the East African country of Eritrea on the ground, but that officials don’t have evidence that Eritrea is helping the rebels.

South Sudan accuses Sudan of supporting Yau Yau’s rebellion in order to block South Sudan’s plans to build an oil pipeline through Jonglei state and Ethiopia.

{{Police shot dead a couple suspected to be terrorists after they threw four grenades, wounding five officers in an overnight stand-off, a police official said Sunday.}}

Following a tip, investigators raided the apartment where the couple was staying in the Githurai Kimbo area on the outskirts of Nairobi Saturday evening and ordered them out of their house, said Boniface Mwaniki, the head of the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit.

The couple refused to surrender, threw grenades and used their eight-month-old baby as a human shield, said Mwaniki.

Police fired tear-gas repeatedly into the house, said a resident of the building. The baby was removed from the house unconscious and two grenades were found in the house, said Augustine Nthumbi, the officer in charge of the Githurai Kimbo.

The incident highlights the threat of Islamic extremist violence in Kenya.

The man killed was Kenyan national Felix Otuko, who was suspected of carrying out two grenade attacks in October 2011 — the first of a string of grenade and gun attacks in Kenya, said Mwaniki of the police anti-terrorism unit.

Mwaniki said Otuko was a member al-Shabab cell with another Kenyan national Elgiva Bwire Oliacha, also known as Mohammed Seif, who is serving a life sentence in jail for grenade attacks in Nairobi on Oct. 24, 2011 which killed one person and injured 20 others.

Investigations showed that Oliacha supplied Otuko with the grenades for the two attacks, Mwaniki said.

These attacks followed threats against Kenya from Islamic extremist rebels in neighboring Somalia.

The al-Shabab radicals, who are allied to al-Qaida, vowed to attack Kenyan targets in retaliation for the Kenyan government’s decision in Oct. 2011 to send troops into Somalia to battle against al-Shabab.

{wirestory}

{{Sources from white House have confirmed that President Barack Obama’s trip to Africa next month will include South Africa and Tanzania.}}

The Tanzania government however, said Saturday, it has not been officially informed of the visit.

However, the Tanzania Foreign and International Cooperation minister Bernard Membe said they were aware of the US president’s tour but they had not been informed of his coming here.

The list of Obama’s visit has been expanded by the media alleging it might include Rwanda and Senegal.

At least two serving US presidents have visited Rwanda before including Bill Clinton and George W Bush.

Reports in the Nigerian press yesterday said President Obama would begin his second tour of Africa at the end of next month with visits to South Africa, Tanzania and Rwanda.

In February 2008, Tanzania hosted his predecessor, Mr George W. Bush, who also visited Rwanda.

Highlights of the successful state visit included signing of a $698 million grant under the Millennium Challenge Account arrangement.

Mid-last month, US Secretary of State John Kerry told a US congressional committee that President Barack Obama “will travel” to Africa.

He offered no details regarding the timing and itinerary of the trip.

The visit comes amid growing concern in Washington about China’s role in sub-Saharan Africa, with pressure mounting for President Obama to pay more direct attention to the continent.

As was the case in 2009, Mr Obama is unlikely to visit Kenya, where his father was born.

Africa specialists in the US say a visit to East Africa’s largest economy would not be possible as long as President Uhuru Kenyatta remains under indictment by the International Criminal Court.