President Yoweri Museveni last week came out and spoke about the rising prices of items in the country. The President, while addressing a gathering organized by Ministry of Defence stated that the soaring prices are a result of the ongoing crisis in Europe, specifically the Russia-Ukraine war. Ugandans have recently cried out over rising prices of essential commodities.
Meanwhile Mr Museveni’s determination to end power distributor UMEME’s contract has taken another level after the President invoked Parliament to fast-track the amendment of the Umeme Act and ensure that electricity goes directly from generation to the industrial consumer to spur economic growth through industrialization.
“Power should go directly from generation to the consumer, especially the industrial consumer. We should amend the law. I will talk to the speaker,” Museveni said during a meeting at State House Entebbe with Chinese investors from the Mbale Industrial Park who protested their omission from the direct power consumption despite having a bigger industrial park than MMP Industrial Park in Buikwe district. In May last year, the President shocked UMEME stakeholders when he announced that the government could bypass the Umeme system when supplying to industrial parks.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has endorsed his former rival, Raila Odinga, as presidential candidate in this year’s elections. The incumbent told a crowd in the capital, Nairobi, that he had no doubt that Mr Odinga was team captain.
Last month the governing Jubilee party joined a coalition headed by Mr Odinga. In 2018 Mr Kenyatta and Mr Odinga declared a truce following deadly post-election violence. The two families have been arch-political rivals for decades. Kenyatta cannot run again as he has already served the maximum two terms.
In South Africa police are on alert in case of renewed clashes between residents of Johannesburg’s Alexandra township and foreign street vendors, the BBC reports.
Alexandra is one of the poorest areas of the country but from its shacks, residents can easily see the towering skyscrapers of Sandton, one of the richest commercial districts on the whole continent, just a few kilometres away. As a result people from across South Africa and neighbouring countries flock to the township to use it as a base to earn a living.
Two controversial groups – the Alexandra Dudula Movement and Operation Dudula – which are campaigning against undocumented foreign nationals have emerged recently and support seems to be growing among South African communities who feel marginalized. According to the BBC, there are concerns that their campaigns could lead to yet another outbreak of xenophobic violence in the country.
At least 17 people have died, and dozens injured in an attack in Jebel Moon in Sudan’s troubled Darfur region. It is being blamed on a militia group, local sources report. Four villages were also burned down.
The violence started on Thursday morning and continued for hours, according to a quote from Adam Regal, spokesman for the body in charge of refugees and the displaced in Darfur, reported in the AP news agency. It is thought the attack was caused by clashes between Arabs and non-Arabs, the same agency reports. It follows a similar attack that left 16 people dead earlier in the week, according to the Reuters news agency.
