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Parliament has recommended the investigation of the former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Beti Kamya and Finance Minister, Hon. Matia Kasaija for their role in the shs10.6 billion land compensation.

The House chaired by Speaker of Parliament, Anita Among on Thursday, 04 August 2022 adopted the report of the Committee on Commissions, Statutory Authorities and State Enterprises (Cosase) which called for the investigation.

Four land owners including Stephen Nagenda, the late Kosia Rwabukurukuru, Geoffrey Mugisha, and Nantalia Namuli were compensated for their land in different parts of the country.

The committee in its report states that although the Uganda Land Commission (ULC) was the one supposed to request for the supplementary, the then Hon.  Beti Kamya initiated the supplementary without the knowledge of the Commission.

The committee found that after it was approved and disbursed, the supplementary was however, full of controversies as it emerged that ghost claimants were paid.

One of the cases is that of Nantalia Namuli who was meant to get shs2.3 billion for her land in Kagadi, but the committee found out that she was not the owner of the land and that a law firm, Lubega and Buzibira Co. Advocates who represented her, benefited from the compensation of  Shs2.3 billion through a one Warren Mwesigye.

The committee report faults Kamya and Kasaija for their roles in releasing the supplementary.

On his part, Kasaija admitted to the committee that the right procedure in securing the supplementary was not followed and that his staff should not have entertained the supplementary.

The report also implicates the Deputy Secretary to the Treasury, Patrick Ocailap who admitted before the committee that he authorized the payment without due diligence.

The African Union (AU) and the Common Market for Southern and Eastern Africa (COMESA), today officially launched their joint election observation mission to the upcoming General Elections in Kenya. The Joint Mission is led by former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, supported by former Minister of Health and Social Development of Seychelles, Ambassador Marie-Pierre Lloyd, a Member of the COMESA Committee of Elders.

The objectives of the Mission are to assess the conduct of the 2022 General Elections as part of the AU-COMESA broad mandates to promote democracy and democratic elections in Africa in line with their overall vision of a peaceful, prosperous and integrated Africa.

Speaking at the launch of the Mission, President Koroma stated that the mandate of the joint AU-COMESA Election Observer Mission is an independent, objective, and impartial assessment of the electoral process in accordance with the provisions of the international standards and principles which the two organizations have committed to.

He emphasized that, “As Short-Term Observers you have a demanding task ahead of you and I hope that this three-day briefing programme will enrich your understanding of the context of the elections”, President Koroma added that, “The Mission will demonstrate the two organizations’ joint efforts to promote peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible elections that will strengthen Kenya’s democratic process.” 

In her remarks, Ambassador Lloyd, who is the deputy leader of the Joint Mission, said the launch demonstrates the importance of the 9 August elections,” which is not just recognized by COMESA and the AU but also by the broader international community as evident in the record number of former presidents leading the observer missions.”

The mission which was launched on 4th August 2022, was followed by a three-day orientation and briefing exercise for the observers.

The AU and COMESA began joint engagements in Kenya’s electoral process in May 2022, with the deployment of a high-level pre-election assessment mission to assess the preparedness and the context in which the elections will take place. A joint Election Experts’ Mission began in June and a Long-Term Election Observation Mission followed in the month of July 2022.

The President welcomed Sheikh Majid Al Mualla on his official visit to Seychelles and expressed his hope that it serves to pave new avenues develop new partnerships and reinforce cooperation in the field of aviation and tourism.

“Thank you for your service to Seychelles over the years, Emirates has been one of our number one faithful partners and we look forward to enhancing the relations” said President Ramkalawan.

During their discussion the President and Sheikh Majid Al Mualla exchanged views on several ideas of the way forward and propositions to enhance relations.

Speaking to the local press after his courtesy call on the President, Sheikh Majid Al Mualla expressed appreciation with the Government for the continuous support.

“Seychelles is one of the first destinations to re-open during the COVID-19 Pandemic, we appreciate the very good support we received. We are committed to this market, we have been in Seychelles for 20 years, with double daily flights and we look forward to broadening and increasing our partnership and operation,” he said.

Other members of the delegation of the Emirates Group included Manager Indian Ocean Islands, Mr. Oomar Ramtoola, andCountry Manager Seychelles, Mrs. Denise Prea.

Emirates airline has been flying to Seychelles since January 2004 and employs more than 100 Seychellois airline professionals.

Incoming US Ambassador to Kenya Margaret Whitman on Friday evening expressed confidence that the August 9th general elections will be free and fair.

Speaking when she presented her credentials to President Uhuru Kenyatta, Ambassador Whitman said Kenya will also have a peaceful transition.

“…I have no doubt Kenya will showcase for the world what free and fair election looks like and how peaceful transitions work,” the new Ambassador to Kenya said.

Ambassador Whitman pledged to use her experience to increase bilateral trade and investment ties between the two countries, noting that Kenya is a dynamic economic engine and technology leader in East Africa.

“Before I left Washington, President Biden reminded me that one quarter of the world’s population will reside in Africa by 2050. Pointing to Kenya’s leadership on the continent and beyond, President Biden asked me to use every tool at my disposal to deepen ties between our great nations,” she said.

During the brief ceremony at State House, Nairobi, President Kenyatta also received credentials from incoming ambassadors Sebastian Groth of Germany, Kamal Gubara Mohamed of the Sudan and Bacha Debele Buta of Ethiopia.

The new German Ambassador to Kenya said his country has been a close and committed partner of Kenya for decades and he is determined to develop that cooperation further.

On their part, the new Ethiopian and Sudanese Ambassadors pledged to work hard to ensure they succeed in enhancing the robust multifaceted diplomatic relations between Kenya and their respective countries.

Receiving the credentials from the new envoys, President Kenyatta
assured them of his support as they embark on their tour of duty in the country.

At a separate function at State House, Nairobi, President Kenyatta handed over title deeds to five East African countries that were allocated land at the Naivasha Special Economic Zone. The five countries were Burundi, Rwanda, DR Congo, Uganda and South Sudan.

Present were Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amb. Raychelle Omamo and Principal Secretary Amb. Macharia Kamau among others.

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday firmly refuted a Taiwan-related statement made by the Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers.

The ins and outs of the current tension over the Taiwan Strait are crystal clear, so are the rights and wrongs. It is the United States which started the trouble, created the crisis, and continuously escalated the tensions, Wang said on the sidelines of meetings of foreign ministers on East Asia cooperation.

“The flagrant provocation by the United States has set an egregious precedent. If it’s not corrected and countered, will the principle of non-interference in internal affairs still exist? Will the internatioanl law still be upheld? How can the regional peace be safeguarded?” he asked.

Wang stressed that the statement of the G7 foreign ministers distorts facts and confounds right and wrong.

“Where did they get the right to groundlessly criticize China’s reasonable and lawful measures for safeguarding its sovereignty and territorial integrity? Who granted them the authority? Isn’t it absurd that the infringer is shielded whereas the defender is accused?” he asked.

Noting that the G7’s wrongdoing has aroused great indignation among the Chinese people, Wang said the sovereignty and independence of China and other countries were earned through bloody battles fought by the people and should never be infringed upon again.

Today’s China is no longer the China of the 19th century, and history should not and will not repeat itself, he stressed.

The international community should unequivocally oppose any act that challenges the one-China principle and resist all infringements on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries, Wang said.

Regional countries should be more united against any hegemony bullying the region, he said, adding only in this way can regional countries truly safeguard their own security as well as regional peace and stability. ■

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Thursday criticized the remarks on Taiwan by an anonymous U.S. State Department official, saying they are a reflection of typical U.S. arrogance and hegemonism.

According to media reports, the U.S. official said China is using Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.

The U.S. official was calling black white and acted like “thief crying stop thief,” Hua said.

She asked the U.S. side four questions.

The first is: what is the status quo on the Taiwan question? Hua said it is crystal clear that both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to one and the same China, and Taiwan is part of China’s territory.

Although the two sides have been politically against each other for a long time, China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity have never been split. This is the real status quo of the Taiwan question, she added.

The second question is who is creating the crisis across the Taiwan Strait. Hua said the United States has colluded with “Taiwan independence” separatist forces to make provocations, and that is the fundamental reason for tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

In recent years, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities abandoned the 1992 Consensus embodying the one-China principle and solicited U.S. support in seeking “Taiwan independence.” Meanwhile, the U.S. side, in pursuing its strategic aim of containing China’s development, has constantly distorted, obscured and hollowed out the one-China principle, upgraded its level of exchanges with Taiwan, and intensified arms sales to Taiwan.

Hua said Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan gravely violated the commitments made by the U.S. government to China on the Taiwan question, violated the basic norms governing international relations and infringed upon China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Who is responsible for tensions across the Taiwan Strait?” Hua asked. She said China has repeatedly pointed out the severity of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan and made it clear that the U.S. must assume full responsibility for any ensuing consequences.

Hua said the U.S. side made provocations first, whereas China has been compelled to act in self-defense. The Chinese government has the right to do everything necessary to firmly defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The fourth question is: who is changing the status quo on the Taiwan question. Hua said the wrongful actions made by the U.S. side 25 years ago do not constitute a precedent to defend Pelosi’s visit, and still less, should it become an excuse for the U.S. to repeat its mistake on the Taiwan question.

China will not allow the United States to continue nibbling at, obscuring and hollowing out the one-China principle in a gradual way, and will never allow the U.S. side to gradually change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait for any reason or excuse.

The current tensions across the Taiwan Strait, as a result of Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan, are entirely of the U.S.’ own making, the spokesperson said, adding that if the U.S. side truly wants to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, the most important point is to strictly abide by the one-China principle and the three China-U.S. joint communiques, both in words and deeds. 

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — China’s eight non-Communist Party of China (CPC) political parties on Thursday released a joint statement expressing their strong opposition to, indignation at and condemnation of the recent visit of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, to China’s Taiwan region.

There is only one China, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China, said the statement jointly released by the central committees of the Revolutionary Committee of the Chinese Kuomintang, the China Democratic League, the China National Democratic Construction Association, the China Association for Promoting Democracy, the Chinese Peasants and Workers Democratic Party, the China Zhi Gong Party, the Jiusan Society, and the Taiwan Democratic Self-Government League.

Taiwan affairs fall under the scope of China’s internal affairs and allow no external interference, and Pelosi’s Taiwan visit was a major political provocation aimed at upgrading official U.S. exchanges with Taiwan, the statement said.

“We strongly oppose any attempt or act to split China, any external meddling in China’s peaceful reunification, and any interference in the Taiwan question by any country in any form,” it said.

As participants in the practice of socialism with Chinese characteristics, the eight political parties have long patriotic and peace-loving traditions, and have actively promoted the peaceful development of relations across the Taiwan Strait while firmly defending the country’s sovereignty, security and development interests, the statement said.

“We resolutely support all necessary measures the Chinese government has to take to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity,” it said.

China should be reunited, and it surely will be, the statement said, adding that any attempt to reverse this historical trend or hinder China’s reunification and national rejuvenation is doomed to fail.  

PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) — Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi further expounded here Thursday on China’s stance on U.S. act of provocation against China’s sovereignty.

Speaking on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers’ meeting, Wang said the U.S. side trampled on the international law, breached bilateral commitments, sabotaged peace across the Taiwan Strait, supported separatism, advocated confrontation between blocs, which is a blatant provocation against the Chinese people and the peace-loving people in all countries in the region, and a political gamble with an odious impact.

He said the performance of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, has caused the U.S. politics, foreign diplomacy and credibility to go bankrupt again, proving the United States is the biggest destroyer of peace across the Taiwan Strait and the biggest troublemaker of regional stability.

Her performance also proved the extremely confrontational and harmful nature of the U.S. “Indo-Pacific strategy,” as well as the U.S. hypocrisy and double standards when dealing with international rules, Wang noted.

If the Chinese side doesn’t firmly reject the manic, irresponsible and extremely irrational behavior of the United States, the principle of international relations on respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity will become a mere scrap of paper, various kinds of separatists and extremist forces will intensify their activities, and the hard-won peace and stability in the region will be severely damaged, he stressed.

Wang stressed that this incident was orchestrated and incited single-handedly by the United States, as the causes and consequences are clear, and so are the rights and wrongs.

To avoid this crisis being forced on China, Wang said, China made the greatest diplomatic efforts, but at the same time it would never allow its core interests and the process of national rejuvenation to be jeopardized.

He said China would not sit back watching the United States play the “Taiwan card” to serve its domestic politics and the selfish desires of its politicians, nor would China ever tolerate deeds to create tension, stoke confrontation and instigate secession in the region.

Wang said the comprehensive measures China is currently taking and will take in the future are necessary and timely defensive counterattacks, which have been carefully considered and evaluated with an aim to safeguard national sovereignty and security.

These measures are in line with international and domestic laws, serve as a warning to provocateurs, and will maintain regional stability and peace across the Taiwan Strait, he added.

Wang called on all parties to see through the cause and essence of the current crisis, jointly oppose the U.S. side’s risky adventures and provocations, continue to support China’s legitimate position and measures, and jointly maintain regional peace and peace across the Taiwan Strait. ■