BBC journalist Anne Waithera dies

The British Broadcasting Corporation has lost yet another journalist Anne Waithera.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of our colleague Anne Waithera who passed away on Monday in Nairobi," a tweet from the BBC said.

She died after a long battle with cancer.

Before joining the BBC, Ms Waithera worked at Royal Media Services' Citizen TV and Nation Media Group's Easy FM radio station.

On Tuesday, friends and colleagues took to social media to express their grief and send condolence messages

COLOMBIAN PRISON FIRE 'KILLS NINE INMATES,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS

Prisoners look out from a window at an overcrowded prison in Cali, Colombia

 

A fire at a prison in Colombia killed nine inmates and left 25 injured, the head of the country's penitentiary system said Tuesday.

The blaze broke out Monday night at a prison in the northern city of Barranquilla, said the official, Saul Torres.
He said four prisoners died of the burns at a hospital and the other five fatalities remained inside the prison.
Early indications are the blaze started when inmates set fire to mattresses during a fight.
Anxious relatives crowded outside the gates of the facility, built to house 400 prisoners but home to some 1,200.

Masindi speaker fined for assault

Masindi

The Masindi Central Division speaker has escaped a two-year sentence in prison after paying a Shs2.5 million fine for assault.

Court presided over by the Chief Magistrate, Mr Jessy Byaruhanga, heard that Isaac Bongomin assaulted Cosmas Byaruhanga, currently the Buvuma District health officer, on February 24, last year while at St Jude Catholic Church in Masindi Town.
Bongomin, who was the secretary of the church parish council, fought with Mr Byaruhanga, the treasurer to the church committee, accusing him of stealing Shs200,000 from the offertory.

Prosecution told court that the fight took place at the podium and was witnessed by Christians who had gone for prayers that Sunday. Mr Cosmas Byaruhanga took the matter to court after the church leadership failed to settle it. In his ruling, Magistrate Byaruhanga said there was enough evidence to show that the complainant was beaten yet there was no proof that he had stolen the money.

Improper behaviour
Court said since Mr Cosmas Byaruhanga was the church’s treasurer, it was unnecessary for him to be manhandled, instead Bongomin would have reported the matter to the church. Bongomin, who admitted the offence, requested for a lenient punishment after court sentenced him to a two-year jail term. His lawyer, Mr Moses Tugume, argued that his client has both family and office responsibilities that could not allow him to be away for a long time and requested court to sentence him to community service.

The magistrate, however, objected and told him to either pay a fine of Shs2.5m or serve the sentence. Bongomin did not have the money at the time and was taken to Masindi prison where he spent the weekend. However, by yesterday morning, Bongomin’s friends had raised the money and he gained his freedom. Mr Byaruhanga said he would have wanted Bongomin to serve a longer jail term so that it can be a lesson to others.

Kenyan woman arrested in US for smuggling quail eggs

A Kenyan woman has been arrested in Arizona for smuggling of quail eggs.

The woman was intercepted on Monday evening at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

The woman, whose name was not immediately released, was on a flight from Nairobi via London.

A police spokesperson told the media that authorities found a box of small raw bird eggs in her suitcase which were then taken for an intensive agriculture inspection.

“We found 103 small eggs in a small plastic container,” read a statement released by the US Customs and Border Protection officials in Phoenix.

HEART CONDITION

She told police that she had intended to use the eggs as medicine for her heart.

An airport official who spoke to KVOA, a local TV channel, said the eggs were destroyed and the woman reprimanded.

Authorities said the eggs were seized under a regulation that restricts their importation into the US.

It was not immediately clear whether she would be charged in court.

Importation of some agricultural products into the United States is a serious Federal crime whose conviction can attract hefty fines or long jail terms.

SEX IS GOOD FOR THE BRAIN,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS..

If you’ve ever needed an excuse to spend more time having fun under the covers, we’ve got you sorted.

 
 
sex can improve mental performance and cause growth of new brain cells


New research has found that having sex can improve mental performance and increase neurogenesis (the production of new neurons) in the part of the brain where long term memories are formed, the hippocampus.
Scientists at the University of Maryland found that middle-aged rats who had sex showed signs of improved cognitive function and “hippocampal” function, reports The Atlantic.
Having sex also helps balance out the effects of chronic stress, according to research conducted by Konkuk University in Seoul.
They experimented with mice and found that sexual activity, “could be helpful for buffering adult hippocampal neurogenesis and recognition memory function against the suppressive actions of chronic stress”.
But can this theory work in reverse? Do smarter people have more sex?
Unfortunately, the answer is “no”. In fact, smarter teenagers tend to start having sex later in life.
Having a high working memory decreases the likelihood of an early adolescent sexual debut, according to a 2012 study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania.
While having sex can increase the rate at which new brain cells are born, only effortless, successful learning increases their survival, according to leading psychologist Tracey J. Shors from the Centre for Collaborative Neuroscience at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
“You can make new cells with exercise, Prozac and sex,” she said. “If you do mental training, you’ll keep alive more cells that you produced. And if you do both, now you have the best of both worlds – you’re making more cells and keeping more alive.”

Colorado High School Student Sets Self on Fire in Cafeteria

A student at a suburban Denver high school set himself on fire in the school's cafeteria today and is in critical condition, authorities said.

A female teacher was treated for minor cuts when she broke a pane of glass to access a fire extinguisher and a school custodian used the extinguisher to put the fire out, Westminster Police Investigator Cheri Spottke told Drive Hot News

The student, who is 16 but otherwise not identified, is in critical condition with severe burns, Spottke said.

The incident happened at 7:12 a.m. in the cafeteria of Standley Lake High School in Westminster, Colo. Police said students were present in the cafeteria at the time, but none were injured.

The school released a statement saying in part, "A student sustained severe burns when he entered the school cafeteria and lit himself on fire. The student has been transported to an area hospital and is in critical condition. Our hearts and prayers go out the family and school community."

"At this time we do believe that this was a suicide attempt," Spottke said.

Investigators do not know why the boy set himself on fire, and are talking to his friends, school employees and his parents for clues, Spottke said. They are also reviewing surveillance video from inside the school cafeteria, police said.

Police would not comment on whether the boy said anything before lighting himself on fire, or if he had doused himself in gasoline or any other accelerant.

Spottke told Drive Hot News, "We don't know of any threats ahead of time at this point but that's something that we're looking into obviously-social media and that type of stuff we're looking at to see if there were any threats made."

She added, "We're taking the most precautionary measures. Nowadays with everything that happens in these schools, we're going to go through the entire school- room by room, floor by floor, to make sure there's not any other devices or anything like that."

School is closed today and Tuesday, and counselors are being brought in to help, police said.

Today's incident was the latest to affect a Denver-area school in recent weeks.

On Thursday, Columbine High School, where two gunmen killed 13 people in 1999, went on high security alert after receiving a series of threatening phone calls. The alert applied to a half-dozen other schools in the area, in the same school district as Standley Lake, but was lifted the same day.

On Dec. 13, student gunman Karl Pierson, 17, fatally shot Claire Davis, a 17-year-old classmate at Arapahoe High School in Centennial before killing himself in the school's library. Pierson reportedly had threatened a teacher and librarian who had disciplined him last year and allegedly was seeking that teacher when he entered the school, investigators have said.

Westminster was home to 10-year-old Jessica Ridgeway, who was abducted on her way to school and killed in 2012. Austin Sigg, who was 17 at the time of the crime, was sentenced to a life sentence plus 86 years. Jessica's disappearance put Westminster and neighboring Denver suburbs on edge as police, aided by an army of volunteers, searched for her and then her killer.

‘Waasi’ sasa tishio kwa wananchi Tabata

Dar es Salaam. Wakazi wa Tabata na viunga vyake, sasa wanaishi kwa wasiwasi mkubwa kutokana na kuibuka kwa kundi la vijana, wanaojiita Waasi wakitumia silaha za jadi, kujeruhi watu na kupora mali nyakati za usiku.

Mmoja wa wananchi wa Tabata Matumbi alisema wiki mbili zilizopita, vijana hao walimuua mwanamume mmoja kwenye Daraja la Reli la Matumbi. Kwa mujibu wa mtoa habari huyo ambaye hata hivyo hakutaka jina lake litajwe, mtu huyo alichinjwa na kichwa chake kutenganishwa na kiwiliwili.

“Watu walipeleka kiwiliwili kituo cha polisi, maana kichwa hakikupatikana na haikufahamika kama alitambuliwa au vipi. Yaani sasa hivi ikifika saa tatu watu inabidi tubaki ndani,” alisema.

Habari zilisema pamoja na mauaji hayo, pia kumekuwa na matukio ya watu kuvamiwa, kujeruhiwa na kuporwa mali zao.

Inasemekana vijana wanaofanya uhalifu huo ni wa umri wa kati ya miaka 14 na 17.

Mtu mmoja aliyejitambulisha kwa jina moja la Pima alisema alivamiwa na kundi la vijana wasiyopungua kumi akiwa nje ya nyumba yake. Alisema vijana hao walimkata panga kichwani, baada ya kutotii amri yao ya kutaka awakabidhi simu na kila alichokuwa nacho mfukoni.

“Kwanza walipita watoto watatu, wakafuatiwa na wengine watatu, mara akatokea mmoja na kunifuata barazani, akanitaka nimpe simu, nikahisi anatania maana ni katoto,” alisema Pima.

Alisema ghafla walitokea wengine wawili na kumwamuru atekeleze amri mara moja.

Alisema mmoja alijaribu kumpokonya simu, lakini akamwahi. Mtu huyo alisema hata hivyo kiongozi wao alimjeruhi kwa panga kichwani.

Mwenyekiti wa Serikali ya Mtaa wa Msimbazi, Beatrice Mukama alisema juzi baadhi ya wananchi wa kushirikiana na polisi waliendesha msako uliowezesha kukamatwa kwa watuhumiwa 16 .

Alisema watuhumiwa hao wamekabidhiwa polisi-Bunguruni.

Wafungwa miaka 56 jela kwa kuharibu mali

Sumbawanga. Mahakama ya Hakimu Mkazi mkoani Rukwa, imewahukumu watu wanane wa Kijiji cha Sikaungu wilayani Sumbawanga, kutumikia kifungo cha miaka 56 jela baada ya kupatikana na hatia ya kuteketeza mali za mwekezaji zenye thamani ya zaidi ya Sh 227 milioni.

Akisoma hukumu hiyo jana Hakimu Mkazi Adamu Mwanjokolo, alisema washtakiwa walitenda kosa hilo Oktoba 12 mwaka jana.

Alisema uhalifu huo waliufanya katika kambi ya mwekezaji ambaye ni Efatha Ministry iliyoko Kijiji cha Ulinji ndani ya shamba la Dafco Malonje linalomilikiwa na mwekezaji huyo.

Hakimu Mwanjokolo alisema washtakiwa wamehukumiwa kwenda jela miaka saba kila mmoja.

Aliwataja watu hao kuwa ni Alexander Kisanko, Julius Kazembe, Paul Kazikulima na wenzao watano ambao waliruka dhamana wakati kesi ikiwa mahakamani.

Mwanjokolo alisema ushahidi wa mashahidi sita umethibitisha kwamba watuhumiwa kwa pamoja walivamia kambi hiyo na kuchoma moto matrekta mawili na magunia 188 ya mahindi.

Reconcile with the media, Lowassa to Nkamia

 Kondoa South Member of Parliament, Mr Juma Nkamia.

Dar es Salaam. The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence, Mr Edward Lowassa, has urged the ministry of Information, Culture, Youth and Sports to settle its recent misunderstanding with media practitioners in the country.

Mr Lowassa said this yesterday when his committee was bidding farewell to Kondoa South Member of Parliament, Mr Juma Nkamia (CCM), who was recently appointed deputy minister for Information, Culture, Youth and Sports.

Mr Lowassa said it was not fair for the ministry, which is custodian of the media in the country, to be blacklisted by the same industry.

“Please, you should sit down with media practitioners and discuss your differences. Both you and the media should compromise because no one has monopoly rights to this country,” said Mr Lowassa. He also urged the ministry to make sure that the new Information and Media Bill is tabled in Parliament as soon as possible

Report: At least 74 dead in twin Nigeria attack,double click and read more on Drive Hot News

At least 74 people have been killed and scores others injured in two separate attacks in North eastern Nigeria.

22 people were killed in an attack on a church In Waga Chakaa village in Adamawa state while 52 others were killed in a market in a busy market place on Sunday.

Both attacks have been blamed on Boko Haram.

Gunmen suspected to belong to Boko Haram militia group, opened fire in a church and set off bombs in a busy church service killing 22 people in a siege that lasted four hours.

In the second attack, militants who were about 50, planted explosives around Kawuri Village market in Borno State and set them off at closing time which is usually the busiest time.

They also set houses in the village ablaze. Witnesses say that villagers trying to flee the burning houses were shot dead.

Police in the war torn state put the figures of the dead in the latter attack at 45 with 26 injured but warn that the toll could rise as they continue to scour the village for more bodies.

North eastern Nigeria has been in a state of emergency since may last year as the army as the army was deployed to quell the insurgency.

South Sudan rules out release of detained pro-Machar ministers

Juba.

South Sudan has ruled out the release of the 11 detained political figures linked to Dr Riek Machar, raising questions if the ceasefire signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will hold.

The government now says it never agreed during negotiations on their release. Presidential adviser Telar Deng said they would be released only if they are acquitted in court after being tried.

Addressing the media in Khartoum at the weekend, Mr Deng stressed that the release of the detainees, who are accused of being involved in a coup attempt, should be in accordance with the constitution and laws of South Sudan.
“The recent agreement on cessation of hostilities was aimed at determining the position of the accused persons, but not to release them,” Mr Deng said after handing a message from president Salva Kiir to his Sudanese counterpart Omar al-Bashir.

“The agreement includes releasing the persons in accordance with the constitution and laws of the government of South Sudan after referring them to trial,” he emphasised. “Anyone who commits a crime shall be punished according to the law.”
“We are committed to the agreement for cessation of hostilities which we signed in Addis Ababa, under auspices of Igad.”

The mediation committee has set February 7 as the date to resume negotiations between the two parties on other political issues. The release of the political detainees was one of the main obstacles to the finalisation of the peace negotiations in South Sudan.

MUSEVENI TO JUDGES:DON'T PROVOKE ME,DOUBLE CLICK DRIVE HOT NEWS AND READ MORE...

 President Museveni chats with the Attorney General, Mr Peter Nyombi (R), during the 16th Annual Judges Conference at Imperial Resort Hotel in Entebbe yesterday. The President urged the Judiciary to enhance public confidence in the system.

KAMPALA

President Museveni has warned judges against provoking him by granting bail to suspected criminals, including those facing treason charges.

Citing the case of Bubulo West MP Tony Kipoi, who was granted bail but fled the country after he was charged with treason, President Museveni said such actions could push the army into shooting suspects once re-arrested.
While opening the 16th annual judges conference in Entebbe yesterday, Mr Museveni said whereas judges had the discretion to grant bail, they had made it a must to offer reprieve to murder, rape, defilement and treason suspects, wondering why they are in a “hurry” to grant bail.

The Constitution, the President said, states that bail “may” not “must” be granted, warning that he will be forced to have the judges’ hands “tied” so that they do not “misuse” their power. “Bail has been repeatedly given to people charged with treason like Kabaziguruka and Kipoi. You are provoking the people and me. So scrutinise yourselves during this conference,” the President said.

Mr Kipoi was first charged with treason in January last year after he was accused to facilitating Congolese rebel outfits with arms. He was granted bail in February but re-arrested in April on similar charges.
He was granted bail a second time but reportedly jumped it and fled to DR Congo—prompting the government to contact Kinshasa to extradite the legislator.

Mr Michael Kabaziguruka is a senior official of the opposition FDC party, who has also been charged with treason and granted bail by court.

Talking about his political nemesis Kizza Besigye, President Museveni said judges had made it a “joke” to granting him bail although he repeatedly commits the same offence. “With Besigye, it is like a joke. Why somebody should commit the same offence repeatedly and is given bail all the time? I will work with you to strengthen the legislation on this matter,” Mr Museveni said.

Dr Besigye has been in and out of court several times for offences largely stemming from his defiance campaigns.
The President also cited the case of former Arua Municipality MP Akbar Godi who was granted bail before court found him guilty of murder.

Before the 1994 Constituent Assembly, Mr Museveni said suspects only accessed mandatory bail after spending 360 days in jail, adding that it was thereafter revised to 180 days.

Whereas the President made no direct comment about the lack of a substantive Chief Justice and deputy, he recognised retired Chief Justice Benjamin Odoki as my “nominee” attracting cheers from the judges. “You are judges but you are Ugandans first. People were forced to fight to bring your roles back. Bail for capital offences… what is the hurry? Now I must go back to Parliament to tie your hands but why should I do that to the legislature? I am embarrassed.”

Why employers should watch unfaithful spouses

Employers beware: Staff cheating on their spouses isn't just a private matter. It's likely hurting your bottom line as well, a new survey has found.

Cheating hearts devote a significant number of work hours to looking for love in the wrong places - on average around 1.17 hours a day - and it may be costing employers around $17 million a day, according to infidelity website Victoria Milan's survey of its 4,000 members.

Around 68 percent of the participants said they interact online with their affair during work hours, using their computer or smartphone, while 25 percent made time at home, it said.

Among those cruising while at work, 38 percent said they spent about a half-hour being untrue, 25 percent spent around an hour a day on two-timing, another 19 percent spent as much as 90 minutes stepping out and 18 percent strayed from work for more than two hours a day, the survey found.

"Many of our members connect with each other during work hours to spice up their life," said Sigurd Vedal, the website's founder said in a statement. "We just hope they do it while they are on break, because if not, companies may be losing a lot of money."

Based on the U.S. minimum wage of $7.25 an hour and the number of members Victoria Milan has globally, the website provides a low-ball estimate that adultery costs employers around $17 million dollars a day.
Competing infidelity site Ashley Madison has said that its busiest day is, without fail, Monday morning as spouses who've had their weekend hopes of marital bliss dashed - or seen an excessive spike in their marital aggravation levels - turn to a discreet affair to fill the void.

THIEVES STEAL POPE JOHN PAUL'S BLOOD FROM ITALY CHURCH,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS..

Thieves broke into a small church in the mountains east of Rome over the weekend and stole a reliquary with the blood of the late Pope John Paul II, a custodian said on Monday.

Dozens of police with sniffer dogs scoured the remote area for clues to what the Italian Catholic magazine Famiglia Cristiana called "a sacrilegious theft that was probably commissioned by someone".

Franca Corrieri told Reuters she had discovered a broken window early on Sunday morning and had called the police. When they entered the small stone church they found the gold reliquary and a crucifix missing.

John Paul, who died in 2005, loved the mountains in the Abruzzo region. He would sometimes slip away from the Vatican secretly to hike or ski there and pray in the church.

Polish-born John Paul, who reigned for 27 years, is due to be made a saint of the Roman Catholic Church in May, meaning the relic will become more noteworthy and valuable.

In 2011, John Paul's former private secretary, Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, now archbishop of Krakow in Poland, gave the local Abruzzo community some of the late pontiff's blood as a token of the love he had felt for the mountainous area.

It was put in a gold and glass circular case and kept in a niche of the small mountain church of San Pietro della Ienca, near the city of L'Aquila.

Corrieri, who is part of an association that looks after the small church, said the incident felt more like a "kidnapping" than a theft. "In a sense, a person has been stolen," she said by telephone.

She said she could not say if the intention of the thieves may have been to seek a ransom for the blood.

Apart from the reliquary and a crucifix, nothing else was stolen from the isolated church, even though Corrieri said the thieves would probably have had time to take other objects during the night-time theft.

Some of John Paul's blood was saved after an assassination attempt that nearly killed him in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981.

Gossip:Gareth, Nickita Swap Saliva,double click and read more..

Over the weekend, celebrated dancer turned Club manager Gareth Onyango and city glamour gal Nickita Evas Bachu swapped saliva at the Kabalagala based Club Venom.
 
 Gareth and Nickita Swapping saliva


Public display of affection has of late been seen as method of communication for people in romantic relationships.
Time stood still as their lips moved together sweetly making them forget how they were in public. They kissed for almost 90 seconds.
Gareth started smiling and this prompted Nickita to also respond with a smile, they then realized that they were in public.
Gareth and Nickita have been happily in love for the past five years. Their love led to the birth of Kylie their only baby girl.
 

Museveni now takes gays Bill to scientists,double click and read more..

Kampala. President Museveni has said he will only sign the Anti-Homosexuality Bill after scientists have proved to him that it is a normal behaviour.

Sources in the NRM Caucus meeting on Friday told Sunday Monitor that Mr Museveni agreed with the MPs that people who promote and recruit others into homosexuality should be prosecuted.

The Bill was passed in December, but awaits the president’s signature before it becomes law. However, the president wrote to the Speaker of Parliament, expressing disappointment over what he called “elements who insisted and passed the Bill even without quorum of Parliament”.

In his recent letter to the Speaker, Mr Museveni argued that homosexuality is an abnormality and those practising it can be helped out of it through “economic empowerment.”

A source who attended the Friday meeting said MPs urged the president to sign the Bill. Dr Medard Bitekyerezo, MP for Mbarara Municipality, informed the president that nobody is born a homosexual, but the behaviour is only acquired through training. “Homosexuality is not genetically transmitted. It is a behavioural deviation but on the negative side,” Dr Betekyerezo reportedly said.

Dr Chris Baryomunsi (Kinkizi East) said: “The president wanted the science which we gave him and he agreed with us that recruiters and promoters should be dealt with accordingly. We told him that homosexuality started as a result of adventurism.” Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi is said to have told the meeting that there was no need for a new law since homosexuality is catered for under the Penal Code Act

. This appears to contradict the president’s official legal adviser, the Attorney General, who wrote to Mr Museveni, saying sections in the Anti-Homosexuality Bill are not covered in the existing laws.

Sources said the president also confirmed that he had been contacted by South Africa’s retired archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Robert F. Kennedy Centre for Justice and Human Rights not to sign the Bill.

Several human rights groups, both local and international, have prayed the President not to sign the Bill. Under the Bill, a person found guilty of homosexuality is liable to life imprisonment in jail. The President reportedly told the MPs he won’t be intimidated.

 The NRM Chief Whip, Ms Kasule Lumumba, did not pick our repeated phone calls. The caucus spokesperson, Ms Evelyne Anite, neither picked our calls nor responded to our messages.

to scientists

President Kenyatta commissions marine research vessel in Mombasa

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called for county governments to work closely with the national government in order to deliver on the development pledges to Kenyans.

Speaking at the port of Mombasa where he commissioned a research vessel donated by Belgium, the President told senators and MPs to rise above partisan politics and support laws that will transform the country and improve livelihoods.

“The Legislature should work with the Executive on transformative laws that will bring tangible development and transform the country,” the President said. He asked the Senate to enact laws that ensure prudent use of public resources by county governments.

President Kenyatta also welcomed the proposal by sea-fishing counties to work together with the national government on policing of the Kenyan seas and clamp down on rampant drug trafficking in the coast region.

FISHERIES RESEARCH

The Head of State was commissioning the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute’s RV Mtafiti, a vessel to be used for fisheries research and conservation of marine life in the Indian Ocean that was donated by the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) and the Fund for Scientific Research in Belgium.

The 56 metre-long Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV), the largest of its kind in the region, will undertake physical, chemical, geological and biological oceanography research besides carrying out fisheries stock assessment within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

President Kenyatta said the vessel will also be utilised for exploratory experimental fishing to establish suitable means for the optimal exploitation of marine fisheries, and that the vessel would go a long way in improving the country’s capacity to safeguard its marine resources against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

President Kenyatta said lack of an offshore research vessel for oceanographic study and stock assessment has been a major obstacle to research and management of marine stocks.

“Our monitoring, control and surveillance of these fisheries will now be improved by the offshore patrol vessel,” the President said.

He stressed the importance of oceanographic research to government institutions concerned with deep-sea resources, county governments and private investors undertaking sea-farming or other marine ventures.

The President regretted the loss of billions of shillings to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing. The figure was estimated at Sh12 billion by the Marine Fisheries Taskforce four years ago.

President Kenyatta also noted that the country's marine fisheries contribute only five percent of the 174,000 tonnes of local fish produced, despite the waters off the coast being a large and rich fishing area, saying local fishermen had been confined to near-shore coastal waters due to their lack of deep-sea fishing equipment leaving the marine exclusive economic zone for exploitation by other nations.

FISHING UNDER-EXPLOITED

The government was aware of the challenges facing the local fishing industry, the President said, and was exploring the feasibility of increasing production from Kenya’s waters in the Indian Ocean, adding that funds have been made available for an additional offshore patrol vessel which will soon be deployed.

“We are a significant maritime nation. Though no complete stock assessment has been carried out, various studies show that this fishery is under-exploited,” said the President.

Kilifi governor Amason Kingi said the five sea-fishing county governments will work with the national government on policing the maritime borders.

Mr Kingi said the county and national governments would also work together on a special police unit to check on illegal fishing and drug trafficking.

West Flanders governor Carl Decaluwe said partnerships between his regional government and Kenya have been developed on joint marine research, exchange of expertise and capacity building and gave assurances that the donated vessel was mechanically sound.

He added that better knowledge of marine resources was a key contributor to Kenya’s economic development and thanked the President for his steadfast support of the project

Sengas under fire for sexual talk on radios

KAMULI

Counsellors, locally known as Sengas, hosted on local FM stations in Busoga region have come under fire for alleged promotion of sexual immorality among children.

Speaking at Kamuli Township Primary School at the weekend, the Director of Middle Income Parents Association, a non-governmental organisation, Ms Jane Ssentongo, said many teenage children now spend most of their nights listening to love and sex programmes to get sex tips which entice them to practice what they hear.

Ms Ssentongo urged owners of local FM stations to repackage their programmes to instead provide for child counselling and other developmental programmes that will help society to raise spiritually and morally upright citizens.

Radio programmes, she said, should encourage children to go to school, develop their talents and promote best practices in health and culture.

The Kamuli district education officer, Mr Joseph Musoke, warned the public not to heed the advice of what he termed as “bush lawyers” who he accused of deliberately distorting information surrounding government programmes, especially the Universal Primary Education. “We are disappointed with the local bush lawyers who are ‘killing’ education initiatives, especially UPE by misleading parents through misinterpretation of the President’s messages,” he complained.

Mr Musoke said whereas upbringing of children squarely lies in the hands of the parents, they have lately abdicated their role and labelled their children as “Museveni’s Children” because of the persistent misinterpretation of Mr Museveni’s messages.

Mr Musoke said the “bush lawyers” are failures who want to go down with the rest of society but warned that they will be arrested and charged with sabotage.

TWO KENYANS ABDUTED IN MOGADISHU,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS

 A map showing the location of Somalia's capital Mogadishu.  GOOGLE MAPS

Mogadishu

Two Kenyan men are said to have been kidnapped in the Somali capital Mogadishu.

According to Shabelle, an independent media network, their vehicle was stopped at gunpoint near Tribunka, a former parade ground in South Mogadishu.

Reports indicate that those who stopped the car were in army uniform but their identities remain unclear.

During the Monday incident, the driver, of Somali origin, was left at the scene unharmed.

Sources said the only information available about the two Kenyans is that they are engineers who were working with a firm in Mogadishu.

CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

In January 2012, two Kenyan officials--Edward Yesse Mule and Fredrick Irungu Wainaina---were kidnapped in Wajir by Al-Shabaab militants. They were later freed in July 2013.

Another two were abducted. The aid workers are yet to be traced.

OVER 200 SOUTH SUDAN CIVILIANS DROWN IN FERRY ACCIDENT:ARMY

JUBA. At least 200 South Sudanese civilians drowned on Tuesday in a ferry accident on the White Nile river while fleeing fresh fighting in the city of Malakal, an army spokesman said.

"The reports we have are of between 200 to 300 people, including women and children. The boat was overloaded," army spokesman Philip Aguer told AFP. "They all drowned. They were fleeing the fighting that broke out again in Malakal."

Battles raged in several sites in South Sudan Tuesday.

Heavy fighting was reported in Malakal, state capital of oil-producing Upper Nile state, as rebel forces staged a fresh attack to seize the town, which has already changed hands twice since the conflict in South Sudan began on December 15. "There is fighting anew in and around Malakal," United Nations aid chief for South Sudan Toby Lanzer said, adding that the peacekeeping base had been swamped with almost double the number of people seeking shelter, rising from 10,000 to 19,000.

The army reported heavy fighting reported south of Bor, as the government sought to retake the town from rebels, the largest in their control.

"We are marching on Bor, there was very heavy fighting late on Monday," Aguer said.

However, he rejected rebel claims to have captured the river port of Mongalla, situated between Bor and the capital Juba.

"We are north of Mongalla, we remain in full control there," Aguer said.

He also confirmed fighing south of the capital, around the town of Rajaf, on Monday.

According to the United Nations, some 400,000 civilians have fled their homes over the past month.

The fighting is between South Sudan's President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar.

Uganda’s Aamito Wins Africa’s Next Top Model,double click and read more

 Uganda’s Stacy ‘Queen’ Aamito is the queen of Tyra Banks’ catwalk!
After months of competition on Africa’s Next Top Model, Aamito beat fellow finalists Nigeria’s Opeyemi Awoyemi and Michaela Pinto from Angola on Sunday night.
Aamito, who began modelling at the age of 16, with Arapapa models, is a Uganda Christian University alumni. She receives a 1-year modeling contract with New York based modeling agency DNA, $50,000 cash prize and product endorsement deals from P&G, Snapp and Etisalat amongst others.
The 5’11”inch tall model also featured at the Vogue Italia show, here in Uganda,
The Kitgum born beauty, that once graced the cover of the renown African Woman magazine, has worked with many designers on the continent, like Adele Dejak, Sylvia Owori, Mustafa Hassanali of Swahili Fashion week, Gloria Wavamunno and Santa Anzo.

Museveni appoints new head of operations in South Sudan,double click and read more.

 A group of South Sudanese soldiers patrol the streets of Juba. The UPDF has sent forces to guard Juba Airport and protect Ugandans in South Sudan.

Kampala.

President Museveni has appointed Col Kayanja Muhanga as the overall commander of UPDF operations in South Sudan, sources told the Drive Hot News
Col Muhanga has been the Military police boss and is now tasked with a sensitive role that involves diplomacy, politics and military command.
The UPDF and defence spokesperson, Lt Col Paddy Ankunda, confirmed the appointment, saying Col Muhanga is capable of balancing military command and diplomacy.

“He is an accomplished commander. He commanded successful battles in Somalia and Northern Uganda,” said Col Ankunda.
UPDF soldiers are controlling Juba airport and other key government installations.

Units of Special Forces and other specialised units are in the theatre and might soon start offensive operations against the rebels. There are reports that UPDF elements backed SPLA soldiers to regain control of Bentiu on Friday, defeating forces loyal to Riek Machar.
Col Muhanga was the commander of Uganda Battle Group Eight in Somalia that captured al Shabaab’s stronghold of Bakara Market, Mogadishu Stadium, Daynile, Mogadishu University and Afgooye in 2011.

President Museveni deployed some UPDF units, days after the war broke out in South Sudan in December to evacuate the stranded Ugandans.
But the army has now widened the scope of operations to peacekeeping and enforcement, which involves offensive operations against the rebels.
Critics have been questioning why Uganda has taken a partisan position to support President Salvar Kiir and fight Machar in the conflict but Col Ankunda said they have to work with “a legitimate government”, not the rebels.

Col Ankunda told the Drive Hot News that Uganda is about to sign the Status of Force Agreement (SFA), which will see UPDF operations officially defined.
“They have written to us officially and SFA will be signed soon with the government of South Sudan and if the Window is open, we might be involved in peace enforcement,” he said.

President Museveni has written to the Speaker of Parliament to retrospectively approve the deployment of Ugandan troops in S. Sudan following accusations that the President deployed the soldiers without parliamentary approval.
President Museveni said in his letter that Uganda cannot and should not “stand aloof” and watch the situation in the South Sudan deteriorate.
Before the war broke out, Ugandan forces had been operating in Nzara, in the Western Equotaria state, since 2009, where the UPDF has its headquarters for operations against LRA.

Strong cyclone hits Tonga, killing at least 1,double click and read more

NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga — Authorities were searching remote islands for cyclone victims on Sunday after the most powerful storm to hit Tonga in decades cut a swathe of destruction through this South Pacific archipelago, leaving at least one person dead and several injured.

Relief efforts following Saturday's storm were concentrating on the Ha'apai islands — one of Tonga's three island groups between the main island of Tongatapu in the south and the Vava'u islands to the north, Tonga's Director of Emergencies Leveni Aho said.

Cyclone Ian hit Tonga with gusts up to 287 kilometers (178 miles) per hour. The storm was later downgraded from the top of five-scale destructive cyclones to category four, with gusts of up to 250 kph (155 mph). On Sunday, the cyclone was tracking southeast away from Tonga.

Two navy patrol boats carrying tarpaulins, tents and other emergency supplies left Tongatapu to bring help to victims who were cut off in the Ha'apai islands.

Aho said authorities have been unable to make telephone contact with 23 islands, which account for most of the inhabited islands in the Ha'apai group.

"The patrol boats are still out there, going from island to island to scout for information," Aho said.

Ha'apai islands are home to 8,000 people, most of whom live on the devastated islands of Lifuka, where one person died, and Foa.

Aho estimated that hundreds of people on the two islands were taking shelter in church buildings that were being used as evacuation centers.

A New Zealand air force P3 Orion plane made a surveillance flight over the disaster area on Sunday, taking pictures showing the extend of the damage that surprised officials.
Aho said up to 70 percent of the homes and buildings in some areas had been flattened.
"There is much more damage on the ground that we anticipated before," he said.
"At this point, there's only one fatality. There are some injured, but that is still manageable with the existing medical facilities there," he added.

He said there were no reports of survivors with life-threatening injuries.

Tongan authorities would further assess the damage before they would consider asking for international help, Aho said.

Aho said that storm damage to the Tongatapu and Vava'u island groups was slight.
Weather was fine Sunday, but rough seas were hampering the patrol boats' relief mission, he said.

Tonga is an archipelago of 176 islands, 36 of which are inhabited by more than 100,000 people. Its economy relies on fish export, tourism and remittances from Tongan communities overseas, with about 40 percent of the population living in poverty.

 

 

CITY COMEDIAN BITAMA DEAD,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS.

 Paddy Bitama.


Renown city comedian-turned politician Paddy Ssali a.k.a Bitama is dead.
The former presidential hopeful passed away today at the the cancer institute of Mulago Hospital where he had been rushed in critical condition.
Dr. Henry Ddungu, one of the doctors that were treating Bitama has confirmed his death.
He said that Paddy had cancer but he declined to give details of the type of cancer he was suffering from.
Dr. Ddumba said that by the time Bitama was brought to Hospital he needed fluids and he did not have enough blood since he had anemia.
Bitama is known to be one of the founders of comedy outfit Amarula Family but left the group to form his own called Amazon Family which did not last.
The now fallen comedian has been bedridden since last year. His death comes just a day after a rumor went viral on social media that he had passed on. It turned out to be false.
Meanwhile, tributes have been pouring in for the fallen comedian on social media.
Embattled Kampala city Lord Mayor Erias Lukwago wrote “Kitalo nyo ekya muzzuku wa Mugema Paddy Ssali aka Bitama. May your soul rest in eternal peace.”
Paddy started his trade as an MC at the then popular DV 8bar. He later teamed up with then singers Mola Messe aka Bontwe and Amooti Omubaranguzi aka Boogie Woogie to form the semi-defunct Amarula family and the three also worked together at Dembe FM.
In a bid to shift his career path from comedy to politics, Bitama unsuccessfully contested the 2006 presidential elections.
He was however determined to show Ugandans his desire to make it big in politics and it’s here that he joined FDC’s Dr. Kizza Besigye, in the infamous ‘Walk to Work’ operations orchestrated by A4C leaders in 2011.
It was during this time that he fell sick was said to be in and out of hospital.
His death is a big blow to the country’s entertainment industry.

Tanzania will have new Katiba in 2014: Kikwete

President Jakaya Kikwete receives a letter of credence from the Comoro ambassador to Tanzania, Ahamed El Badaoui Mohamed Fakih, at State House in Dar es Salaam yesterday.

Dar es Salaam. Tanzanians will have their constitution before the end of this 2014, if all goes according to plan, President Jakaya Kikwete has said

Speaking at a sherry party at State House in Dar es Salaam on Friday, the President told diplomats and heads of international organisations that the constitutional review process was going on well and hopes of having the new Supreme Law this year were high.

He said the second draft constitution he received from the Constitution Review Commission on December 30, 2013 was due to be discussed in the Constituent Assembly next month.

The President said the assembly would deliberate on the draft and complete its work within 90 days before subjecting it to a referendum.

“If everything goes according to plan, Tanzanians will have their constitution before the end of this year.”

He also highlighted achievements for the country in 2013. “Indeed, 2013 was a relatively good year for the people of Tanzania. It was the year that many goals were attained despite a lot of challenges. People around every corner continue to enjoy peace and stability. Tanzania is at peace with itself and its neighbours.”

He also said the government would intensify the fight against narcotics and poaching.

He explained that Tanzania registered a strong economic growth of 7.1 per cent in 2013, with 2014 projections expected to be 7.3 per cent.

“Inflation rate, which was,in last few years worrisomely high, dropped from 12 per cent in 2012 to 5.6 per cent as of December 2013,” he said. “We have set our sights on a five per cent inflation rate by June 2014.” He hopes that 2014 will be the year of achieving great success.

“The Presidential Bureau and the Ministerial Delivery Units will be fully operational to follow up on the implementation of programmes and projects initiated under the Big Results Now and strategic plans outlined in the five-year development plan.”

Libya's deputy industry minister shot dead: security official,double click and read more on http//drivhot.blogspot.com

  map of Sirte, east of Tripoli, Libya. Libya's deputy industry minister, Hassan al-Droui, has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, security and hospital sources have said Sunday. Droui was a former member of the National Transitional Council, the political arm of the rebellion that brought an end to Gaddafi's 42-year rule. He is the first member of the transitional government since the fall of Muammar Gaddafi's regime in October 2011 to be assassinated. GOOGLE MAPS. 

TRIPOLI, January 12, 2014

Libya's deputy industry minister, Hassan al-Droui, has been shot dead during a visit to his hometown of Sirte, east of Tripoli, security and hospital sources have said Sunday.

The identity of the shooters was not immediately known, but the official's death is the first assassination of a member of the transitional government since the fall of Moamer Kadhafi's regime in October 2011.

"Hassan al-Droui, the deputy minister for industry, was killed by unknown attackers overnight, during a visit to his native city of Sirte," a security official told AFP.

"Unidentified gunmen sprayed bullets on Mr Droui in central Sirte," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

An official at the city's Ibn Sina hospital confirmed the deputy minister's death and added that he had suffered bullet wounds to several parts of his body.

Droui was a former member of the National Transitional Council, the political arm of the rebellion that brought an end to Gaddafi's 42-year rule.

He was appointed deputy minister for industry by the transitional government's first prime minister, Abdelrahim al-Kib, and kept his job when Ali Zeidan took over.

Droui's hometown, which lies on the Mediterranean coast about 250 miles (400 kilometres) east of the capital Tripoli, was the last regime bastion to fall into rebel hands in 2011.

Since the collapse of Gaddafi's autocratic regime, Libya has been plagued by sporadic violence, including a string of assassinations targeting top army and security officials.

UNEB CALLS EXAMINERS TO RESUME MARKING,DOUBLE CLICK AND READ MORE ON DRIVE HOT NEWS.

Kampala.

The Uganda National Examinations Board (Uneb) has recalled examiners to report to their respective marking centres to resume marking the national examinations.

The exam marking was suspended two weeks ago due to lack of money.
However, Uneb spokesperson Hamis Kaheru said on Friday the examinations body had received Shs5.2 billion which he said would clear all outstanding balances on the Primary Leaving Examinations and Uganda Certificate of Education marking exercise. He said the money would also be enough to pay for marking of Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education examinations.

More funds
He added UNEB had been promised another Shs1.3b next week to conclude its work.
“Marking of the 2013 UACE examinations is about to commence. All UACE examiners should report to marking centres on January 11. The rest of the examiners should report on January 13. We have received some funds today (Friday) to enable us start the marking exercise. We shall put in extra hours to make up for the lost time but we shall not be able to release the results at the usual time,” Mr Kaheru said in a statement on Friday.
The PLE results are expected to be out by January 30 and UCE results by end of February. Mr Kaheru said Uneb will on Monday request the Ministry of Educations to extend the opening of first term beyond February 4 to reduce the pressure on the examiners.

“Uneb will request the ministry to review the reporting date for first term to allow time schools and parents prepare for the reporting of Senior One and Senior Five students after the late release of results and also prepare for the selection exercises for these classes,” Mr Kaheru said.
The new development leaves the other three bodies handling examinations of technical and nursing training institutions still struggling with shortage of funds to run their activities.

Ggwanga tells Museveni to leave in 2016

Kampala.

The Presidential adviser on security in Buganda region, Brig Kasirye Ggwanga, has asked President Museveni and his government to relinquish power in 2016.
While appearing on KFM Hot Seat on Thursday, Brig Ggwanga said it is time for the young generation to be given chance to lead the country forward.
“I am now relying on the young generation because now you are dot.com generation. Most of the old guys you see should get out of the system and let the young ones take over,” Brig Ggwanga emphasised.
Asked whether this also applies to President Museveni, the presidential advisor said: “Exactly, get out!”

He noted that technology and the way of running government affairs have changed and the old guards cannot cope.
He said anyone, whether civilian or military, can effectively govern the country. “Why do you have to think of soldiers taking over power, what about you? That is the problem you have, you think whoever is not putting on an army uniform cannot rule Uganda,” Brig Ggwanga said.

Asked about his take on current government policies, Brig Ggwanga said: “I don’t like the way the government is handling agriculture because in the manifesto, they talk about mechanization of agriculture. Now three years down the road I am not seeing anything happening.”

Police dig up Kazinda house in search of stolen money

Kampala.

Detectives from the police Criminal Investigations and Intelligence Directorate (CIID) are drilling through the floors and walls of the house of corruption convict Godfrey Kazinda in search of stolen government money suspected to have been hidden in a bunker inside his house in Bukoto, a Kampala suburb.
Kazinda, the former Principal Accountant in the Prime Minister’s Office, was convicted of forging the Permanent Secretary’s signature, apparently to embezzle government money.
He is on trial on other charges of corruption, which is part of a wider racket in which the government was fleeced of at least Shs150 billion.

Determined
By Friday evening, police had dismantled the whole floor of the sitting room and bedroom and the demolition was still going on.
The joint operation led by the CIID director, Ms Grace Akullo, together with Deputy Director Geoffrey Musana, acting deputy director Criminal Intelligence Charles Asaba and deputy commandant of the Fire Brigade Hassan Kihanda began on Thursday.
Ms Akullo told the Sunday Monitor that the operation would continue to its logical conclusion.

“We are searching Kazinda’s home based on intelligence information that he kept money here. We will also search for any other evidence that may aid his prosecution,” Ms Akullo said.
A former guard at Kazinda’s residence, Mr Edward Okure, was recently remanded to Luzira Prison on robbery charges. He is accused of stealing unknown sums of money at Kazinda’s house.

Secret revealed
It is said during interrogation, Okure told police that Kazinda had stashed bags of money in a bunker inside his house. This prompted the police to open up the building.
Sources privy to the ongoing operation told the Sunday Monitor that a team from the fire and rescue squad was using electronic drills and chain saws to break the floor and walls of the mansion.
The search may take more days because the building is huge.
According to sources, the building was initially constructed to serve as a hotel but police arrested Kazinda before the business plan could come to fruition.
On Thursday, police took a break at 9:30pm after seven hours of a fruitless search and later resumed

Otunnu mother to be laid to rest in UK

Kampala- The burial of the late Josphine Amato Otunnu, mother of the Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) leader Olara Otunnu, will take place in Oxford, London today. Her late husband Mzee Yusto Otunnu is buried at the same place.

Josphine Otunnu, died on December 22 at John Radcliffe Hospital Oxfordshire, UK, where she had been admitted.

Mr Otunnu flew to London on Thursday for the burial.
“The family will make arrangements later at an appropriate time to bring the body and that of her husband home,” UPC vice President Joseph Bbosa told Saturday Monitor.

Dr Bbosa could not explain why the burial would not take place in Acholi, Uganda, the ancestral home.

“It is a family decision. So don’t ask me why because I don’t know,” he said.

Somali soldier executed for killing student

Mogadishu.

On Monday morning, a man named as Maslah Issa faced a firing squad at Scuola Polizia (Police Academy) in Mogadishu. He had been sentenced to death by a military court in the Somali capital. Issa, a soldier serving with the Somali National Army, was found guilty of killing a student last year.

A team of five armed men from the military and police forces were assembled while the convict was tied to a pole at a ground opposite General Kahiye Police Academy in Hamar Jab-jab District.

Officials from both the police and the army, especially officers serving with the army court, were present at the time of the execution. A crowd of people was also there to witness the event.

Evidence
A court official in military uniform read a statement saying all evidence had been obtained to charge and convict the alleged killer. “Enough investigations were made to ensure that the charges against Maslah Issa killing a student were true,” pronounced the officer, who was reading the account from a paper.

He added: “He was found guilty and is now facing the full force of the law through execution.”
Further, the court official told the media that other detainees may face similar destiny if found guilty of having committed alleged killings.

Somali government soldiers and police officers had been accused on many occasions of committing crimes against the general public. Killing, rape and forcible taking of properties were among the cited crimes. The military court appears taking measures to curb the crimes.

Scientists issue alert on lethal pig disease

Mbulu. Free grazing of pigs by farmers in Mbulu District, Manyara Region, is the main cause for a food-borne disease spread by the animals and which could be lethal to human beings, it was observed here last week.

Research scientists as well as livestock extension officers have warned that the infection could be brought under control once the rearing of pigs was undertaken “within limits” which would prevent exposure to contaminated food.

The experts made the plea as vaccine trials were underway in Mbulu - one of the districts with the highest concentration of pigs - against ‘Taenia solium’ cysticercosis, a tissue infection obtained through exposure to pork tapeworm.

The vaccine trials have been underway for some months under a project involving researchers from the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the Central Veterinary Laboratory and sponsored by the Association for Strengthening Agricultural Research in Eastern and Central Africa (Asareca).

 “The purpose is to assess whether ‘Taenia solium’ vaccine can or cannot protect pigs against the infection and its effectiveness in controlling the disease,” said Dr Sylvester A. Mwidunda, one of the researchers.

“Specifically, the project aims at enhancing validation of generated vaccine among pig production stakeholders, strengthened capacity utilization of its use in the control of porcine cysticercosis and enhanced knowledge on the vaccine”, he said.

 Dr Mwidunda, who led a team of experts to the area last week, said although vaccination was carried out on the pigs, the target was to save human beings from infection through consumption of pork from infected animals.

Omar al-Bashir, Salva Kiir to meet in Juba over South Sudan crisis

 Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir (R) with his South Sudanese counterpart Salva Kiir (L) at Khartoum airport on September 3, 2013.

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir will travel to Juba on Monday to meet with his South Sudan counterpart Salva Kiir for talks on the ongoing conflict in the country, state media reported on Sunday.

“President Bashir will go tomorrow to Juba to meet (President) Salva Kiir and discuss the crisis in the South,” an SMS sent by state radio to the media said.

Sudan's First Vice President Bakri Hassan Salih has affirmed his country's full support of mediation efforts by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development seeking an end to the fighting in South Sudan.

“We discussed the coordination between Sudan, China and Igad member states to bring peace and stability in the Republic of South Sudan,” Mr Salih said in a joint statement with the Special Representative of the Chinese government for African affairs Zhong Jianhua released on Sunday.

“Sudan is ready to boost the Igad initiative and support the continuity of the political efforts to find a peaceful solution to the dispute in South Sudan,” he added.

Mr Zhong said in a statement following the meeting with Mr Salih in Khartoum that China supports Igad's efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.

“Sudan and China share identical views towards supporting the Igad efforts to reach a peaceful solution to the dispute in South Sudan,” he said.

RISK OF CIVIL WAR

Face-to-face peace talks between South Sudan's warring factions were due to begin in earnest Sunday, with artillery fire in Juba's government district underlining the risk of a slide into all-out civil war.

The talks in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa are aimed at ending three weeks of fighting that are feared to have killed thousands in the world's newest nation. 

The conflict erupted on December 15, pitting army units loyal to President Kiir against a loose alliance of ethnic militia and mutinous army commanders nominally headed by his rival, former vice president Riek Machar.

Aid workers have stepped up warnings of a worsening crisis for civilians affected by the conflict in the landlocked country of almost 11 million people.

South Sudan war nears Uganda border

 Members of delegation opposed to South Sudan’s government including Garang De Mabior (C), the son of ex Sudanese politician John Garang, attend talks in Addis Ababa on Saturday to try and broker a ceasefire.

YEI- The fighting in South Sudan has moved closer to the Uganda border after gunfire reportedly rocked Yei, a town just 120 kilometres from the West Nile district of Arua.

The fighting in Yei, which is located south of Juba, the South Sudan capital, and borders Uganda and the DR Congo, reportedly caused panic among the local residents. The fighting, according to a military source, started when supporters of President Salva Kiir allegedly attacked senior military officers from the Nuer tribe to which rebel leader Riek Machar belongs, prompting defections.

The SPLA spokesman, Mr Philip Aguer, admitted that an army unit in the town of Yei, had defected to the rebels on Saturday and left the area with a number of vehicles.

An official of one of the UN agencies in South Sudan yesterday posted on social media: “Yei town is currently in no one’s hands the fighting is going on, 18 civilians killed, rebels are said to be pushing government forces out of town.”

Aguer reported ongoing clashes in the oil-producing Unity and Upper Nile states in the north, saying that government forces were advancing on the two state capitals of Bentiu and Malakal, currently in rebel hands.

Government troops were preparing to retake Bor, the capital of Jonglei State, he added. “The SPLA forces are advancing from the northern part of Bentiu. We will try to do our constitutional duty... sooner or later our target is Bentiu,” Aguer told reporters.

“It’s a matter of time, our forces are advancing towards Bor,” he said, claiming that the rebels “realise they are fighting a useless war” and saying government forces were a mere 15 kilometres from the town. There was no immediate comment from the rebels.

He also reported another defection in Western Equatoria State, an area which has so far largely escaped the now-three-week-old outbreak of fighting. Still, Aguer assured that the government was “in control of most of the parts of the country”, repeating that “the situation is under control”.

“We are confidently telling the public that South Sudan is relatively stable,” he said.
There were reports of fighting in and around Juba, the capital of South Sudan on the night of Saturday and yesterday. The Juba incident, according to a military source quoted by the paper, started when supporters of President Salva Kiir allegedly attacked senior military officers from the Nuer tribe. This report could, however, not be independently verified.

However, the spokesperson of South Sudan’s president Ateny Wek Ateny, told Sudan Tribune that the latest fighting in Juba was between drunken soldiers. No casualty figures were known.
The soldiers who defected in Juba last month were pushed back to Khor William, but launched a counter attack on Juba on Saturday, according to Major General Marial Cindong Yol from the South Sudanese army (SPLA).

Fighting broke out in South Sudan on December 15 after an attempted coup. President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of being behind the coup. Machar has since launched a rebellion taking over parts of Jonglei and Unity state. The UN estimates that thousands of people have been killed and over 200,000 displaced.

Senior officers sacked over money in their accounts

Nairobi. Three top police officers were yesterday shown the door after a National Police Service (NPSC) vetting panel found them unfit to continue in their roles in a service expected to embrace major reforms.

NPSC chairman Johnston Kavuludi said yesterday that senior deputy commissioners of police Francis Okonya, Jonathan Koskei and Peter Eregae had been retired after they failed to meet the high threshold of suitability and competence required for one to remain in the service.

Mr Okonya, a senior deputy commissioner of police I (SDCP-I), was until yesterday based at the Police Headquarters while Mr Koskei (SDCP-II ) was in charge of police reforms.

Mr Eregae (SDCP-II) served in the office of the Inspector-General.

Mr Kavuludi said the panel’s mandate did not extend to cases where the officers were found to have committed offences that would warrant them to be taken to court.

“The report is detailed and we only communicated to the individual officers. We will also share the information with relevant authorities like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission,” he said.

“In arriving at the decision, the panel considered each officer’s entry qualification, integrity, financial probity, and respect for human dignity.

I, however, can report that none of the officers retired was found to have violated the rights of the public.”

Four senior police officers passed the first phase of vetting conducted between December 16 and 17 last year and whose results were released yesterday.