IGIHE

Tag: GreatLakesNews

  • South Sudanese Police Detain Editor Without Charge

    {{South Sudan’s police have detained a newspaper editor without charge and refused him access to a lawyer for three days.}}

    Rights groups frequently accuse security forces of harassing and illegally detaining journalists in South Sudan, which gained independence from Sudan almost two years ago after more than two decades of civil war.

    Michael Koma, managing editor at the Juba Monitor, said he was arrested on Thursday and was being held in lieu of the chief editor, Alfred Taban, who was in Kenya.

    “They’re holding me here illegally on the behalf of Alfred,” Koma told media from behind bars in his police cell in the capital Juba, which he shared with four other men.

    Koma said he was arrested after his newspaper printed a statement by the ethnic Nuer community accusing the deputy interior minister of involvement in the murder of a traffic policeman in late March.

    Koma said the article ran under his byline, and he did not seek comment from deputy interior minister Salva Mathok Gengdit.

    The interior ministry and police were not immediately available for comment, but Gengdit has strongly denied the charges in the local press.

    “There’s no access to toilet facilities, only a plastic bottle,” Koma said when police let a journalist visit him in his cell. Officers later confiscated the reporter’s pad containing notes from the interview.

    {reuters}

  • Harvard Dons Say Neither Uhuru nor Raila Attained 50% vote

    {{An exit poll during the March 4 polls claims that there was a statistical tie between CORD leader Raila Odinga and President Uhuru Kenyatta with both failing to hit the 50% plus one mark.}}

    The poll conducted by two US political scientists puts Raila ahead at 40.9% while Uhuru who was declared the winner of the presidential contest, at 40.6%.

    Surprisingly, the poll almost accurately predicted the votes secured by then Amani presidential candidate Musalia Mudavadi and Alliance for Real Change candidate Abduba Dida.

    The poll had predicted that Mudavadi would score 3.74% of the votes but from the resultsby the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Mudavadi scored 3.93%.

    However, the poll accurately predicted the outcome for Dida, who garnered 0.43% of the votes as was predicted by the pollster.

    However, the poll also shows that 11.8% of Kenyans included in the survey refused to indicate for whom they had voted for in the historic presidential race.

    According to the survey, the results represent a statistical tie between the two top contenders since due to the survey’s margin of error.

    {{50 plus 1}}

    Harvard University professor James D Long who was one of the researchers maintained that neither Uhuru nor Raila could score the requisite 50% plus one vote as required by law even if the margin of error was slightly higher.

    Prof Long is also the author of the paper, Determinants of Ethnic Voting, which is part of a book he is working on examining how elections undermine or buttress democracy and accountability.

    Regarding the March 4 Kenya’s General Election, Prof Long said: “Even taking account of various statistical uncertainties, there is no reasonable assumption that gets either candidate to 50%,” Long said this while releasing the results of the exit poll on Thursday at a Washington think-tank forum.

    The researcher termed as a statistical myth that Uhuru seriously benefited from a comparatively higher turnout in Kikuyu-dominated parts of the country.

    “The contention that Kenyatta benefited from a comparatively much higher turnout in Kikuyu-dominated parts of the country was shown through the exit poll to be a myth,” Long insisted.

    {{IEBC results}}

    The two Researchers, however, remained mum on likely causes of the discrepancy between their survey’s results and the final results released by the Isaac Hassan-led commission.

    However, the pollsters had no evidence of vote rigging in terms of stuffing of ballot papers or vote buying.

    While responding to a question by a member of the audience why the results Kenyan election could be invalid, Long retorted, “Because people broke the law when they counted votes.”

    The IEBC switched from the electronic transmission and tallying of results to the manual after the latter collapsed.

    However, the Supreme Court later ruled that it was not illegal for the electoral commission to switch to the manual system after the electronic one failed.

    The survey showed that 83% of the Kikuyu voted for Uhuru, while 94% of the Luo voted for Raila.

    From the Kamba, according to the poll, Raila got 63% for while Uhuru got 12%.

    However, Raila got 11% from the Kalenjin, while Uhuru scored 74%.

    Raila has always insisted that the election was not free and fair. On Friday, he made a scathing attack on Chief Justice Willy Mutunga over the Supreme Court judgement that dismissed his petition.

    Raila has also insisted that the IEBC has lost the confidence of Kenyans and cannot be trusted to steer the country’s next election in 2017.

    During their titanic court battle Raila insisted that from the Forms 34 and 36, it was clear Uhuru’s votes were intentionally inflated while his were reduced in an apparent trend to “meet a given threshold”.

    The former Prime Minister had also demanded a forensic audit of the entire electronic system used in the March 4 presidential election, but the Supreme Court declined to grant his request.

    {Standard}

  • Big Blast hits Mogadishu

    {{This Sunday morning, a big blast hit commercial district of Somali capital, Mogadishu and later heavy gunfire was heard, Witnesses said.}}

    {more to follow…………}

  • Kigeugeu Star Blasts Chameleon wealth ‘big Joke’

    {{ A hot debate has emerged in which Kenyan based Kigeugeu star jaguar has slammed Ugandan Artist Dr.Jose Chameleon who has been ranked as the richest Artist in East africa.}}

    Kigeugeu star Jaguar says its a Big Joke to claim that Chameleon is the richest artist in the region.

    “Who is Chameleon on the rich money list?We set the trend and others follow” Jaguar posted on his facebook account. Known to have been rooting for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the recent concluded elections,Jaguar has since unveiled a six seater plane with his name inscribed on it to show his financial muscle.

    {Listen to Kigeugeu hit}……http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwtJE6VEhZg

    Sources also say that he owns various businesses that include a cab company and real estate spread across posh Nairobi suburbs.

    He is known to own an impressive collection of expensive rides which he is never shy to flaunt.

    These ride include; Bentley,Silver Range Rover, Black Mercedes BenzE240,Beinge BMW 5 Series, Toyota Lexus and Toyota Mark X among others.

    Dr Jose Chameleon was ranked number 10 by the Kenyan Daily Posted website among the richest artistes in Africa behind superstars and legendary artistes like;Banky W,Hugh Maseleka,2face Idibia,Fally Ipupa,Salif Keita,Kofi Olomide, D’banji , P’squre and Youssou N’dour.

  • EAPCCO in Joint Field Exercise in Kampala

    {{Security officials in the region have noted that the threat of terror was still real in the region, thus the need for preparedness.}}

    Its against this background that Police from 12 countries in the GreatLakes region will be conduct a joint field exercise aimed at honing regional ability to respond to and counter terrorism.

    Organized under the auspices of the Eastern Africa Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation (EAPCCO), the simulation exercise will be held at Namboole Stadium in Kampala, Uganda starting today and will run till Monday.

    EAPCCO member states include; Burundi, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda.

    he exercise will also present an opportunity to test the existing legal frame work in dealing with terrorism, test and enhance regional ownership of the proposed standard operating procedure due to be adopted by the member states in the next annual general assembly of EAPCCO and improve cooperation among member states.

    The exercise will be preceded by the meeting of two crucial committees of EAPCCO–the Permanent Coordinating Committee (PCC) which brings together all the criminal Investigations department (CID) bosses from the 12 member states and the legal sub committees.

    {NV}

  • EAC Auditors General sign Working Agreement

    {{Auditors General from East Africa on Friday signed an agreement on accountability and management of resources within the region.}}

    They said this will help them audit and enhance productivity in East Africa Institutions.

    Among the highlighted areas; Lake Victoria Fisheries Organisation, Lake Victoria Basin Commission and Inter University Council of East Africa.

    While speaking during the signing held at a Nairobi hotel, Kenya’s Auditor General and the group’s chairman, David Ouko said they will check on improvement and managerial responsibility of the institutions that are under the East African Community.

    “This ceremony is to mark the importance of accountability for resources we hold in the East African Community,” Ouko expressed.

    He further said that auditing was meant to reflect the true picture of how money and other production resources were being used.

    “There are many areas that require improvements and that is why we do not limit our work to auditing accounts.”

    He pointed out that the commission was working together in realizing the dream of East Africa, “we are one body despite each country having a representative.”

    East Africa is working on strong pillars to achieve the integration realities which are Customs Union, Common Market, Monetary Union and Political Federation.

    ‘Local governments had provided and continue to provide critical inputs when the Partner States were negotiating the relevant Protocols.’

    The East Africa Chairman revealed that the commission is considering welcoming South Sudan while also adding that John Muwanga who is currently the Ugandan representative will take over next year as the Chairman.

    {agencies}

  • Kenyatta to Visit London Despite ICC Charges

    {{Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, who faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court, is expected to visit London at Britain’s invitation next week for a conference on Somalia.}}

    It will be his first trip to a Western capital since his election in March. Britain and other countries said before his victory it would only have “essential contacts” with him if he won because of the court case.

    “Kenya is a vital partner on Somalia and we judge our contact according to the issue concerned,” a spokesman for Britain’s Foreign Office said.

    A source close to the president and a diplomat both said Kenyatta was likely to travel to the meeting, which aims to build support for Somalia.

    Kenya is an ally in the battle against Islamist militancy in the region and has sent about 5,000 troops to Somalia as part of a Western-backed African force that has driven back al Shabaab Islamist fighters.

    The charges against Kenyatta at the International Criminal Court relate to post-election violence in Kenya five years ago.

    The British spokesman said the invitation was extended because he had committed to cooperating with the court in The Hague.

    {Agencies}

  • EAC gets New Envoys: Spain, Canada, Pakistan & Ghana

    {{Four Envoys; from the Government of Spain, the Government of Canada, Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and the Republic of Ghana presented their letters of accreditation to the East African Community Secretary General Amb. Dr. Richard Sezibera in a ceremony held at the EAC Headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania.}}

    {{Spain}}:His Excellency Mr. Luis Manuel Cuesta Civis the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of Spain to the United Republic of Tanzania, and Permanent Representative to the EAC.

    {{Republic of Canada}}: His Excellency Mr. Alexandre Leveque is new Representative to the East African Community.

    {{Islamic Republic of Pakistan:}} His Excellency Mr. Tajammul Altaf, the High Commissioner Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan to the United Republic of Tanzania.

    {{Republic of Ghana:}} His Excellency Mr. Kingsley Saka Abdul Karimu has been appointed by the Government of the Republic of Ghana as the Permanent Representative to the East African Community.

  • Canada & Uganda Test Drug to Treat Brain Disease

    {{Canada is funding testing in Uganda of a popular off-patent antidepressant drug to fight a fungal brain disease that claims more than half a million lives in sub-Saharan Africa every year.}}

    Sertraline, better known as Zoloft or Lustral, was first introduced by pharmaceutical giant Pfizer in 1991. It has since become the second-most prescribed antidepressant in the United States.

    But recent lab work at the University of Utah found that the drug also has a potent fungicidal effect, with several women taking it to alleviate symptoms of premenstrual syndrome reporting it also cleared up their yeast infections.

    With Canadian backing, researchers at Uganda’s Infectious Disease Institute at Makerere University now hope to show that it can be used to stem early deaths from cryptococcal meningitis — an infection of the tissue covering the brain that claims 600,000 lives in sub-Saharan Africa annually.

    “We’re hoping to teach an old drug new tricks,” lead researcher David Meya said.
    “Our hope is that if this drug works against cryptococcal meningitis, we can cut mortality rates by 40 to 50%, which would be a huge leap.”

    More than 30 percent of patients die within 10 weeks of onset of the disease, which has been linked to AIDS.

    Currently, it is being treated with one of two drugs: flucytosine and amphotericin. Both were developed in the 1950s and are “very expensive and not widely available in sub-Saharan Africa,” Meya said.

    A third drug, fluconazole, has also been tried but is less effective, he added.

    “So if we discover another drug that is more effective against cryptococcal meningitis and is cheaper, we can substantially bring down mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa.”

    Developing and testing a new drug from scratch typically takes seven to 10 years. Repurposing a drug already on the market in this case is expected to take only four years, Meya said.

    “We already know this drug’s safety profile. We just need to do a clinical trial to see how effective varying amounts of the drug are at treating a new disease,” he noted.

    Furthermore, since drug patents for sertraline are now expired, it would be possible for generic drug makers to produce and sell it more cheaply.

    The Canadian government is helping Meya’s team with $100,000 (US$99,364) in seed funding through a program called Grand Challenges Canada.

    It is one of more than 100 grants to innovators in 13 developing nations and in Canada “to pursue bold, creative ideas for tackling health problems,” according to a statement.

    The funds — $10.9 million in total — are to be spent on trying out remote diagnostics and monitoring, health protection, as well as drug and vaccine development and accessibility.

    Other projects include a vaccine for smokers against nicotine’s addictive effect; a glucose meter cell phone attachment for diabetics and a cheap instant test strip to diagnose deadly diseases like dengue and Ebola.

    AFP

  • IGAD Leaders in Addis Ababa for Extraordinary Summit

    {{Ethiopia is hosting the 21st Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).}}

    Top of the agenda during the summit will be a deliberation on the IGAD Grand Stabilisation plan for Somalia.

    They will focus on plans for political stabilisation of Somalia to complement the on-going AMISOM military operations.