- Uganda accuses Facebook with Election Interference
Giant tech company, Facebook has shut a number of accounts belonging to Ugandan government officials accused of seeking to manipulate public debate ahead of elections Thursday, 14 January 2021.
However, the tech giants came under increasing scrutiny over the content they allow to spread on their networks. Don Wanyama, Museveni’s senior press secretary, who saw both his Facebook and Instagram account shut down, accused the company of seeking to influence the election.
2. Four dead as Ugandan army goes on rampage
A Ugandan army operative on Monday, 11 January 2021, fatally shot 4 people and injured several others before he was gunned down by security forces.
The dead included two paramilitary police personnel, a police constable and a civilian. The civilian was a mother driving to work. The incident happened in Nansana on the outskirts of the capital Kampala.
3. 13 soldiers killed in a jihadist attack in Nigeria
In a report, Monday, 11 January 2021, Jihadist fighters are said to have killed 13 soldiers in northeastern Nigeria, two army sources told AFP.
“We lost 13 soldiers in this ambush and several were injured,” an officer said.
The Nigerian army, however, gave a far lower official figure for the losses. The army had earlier said Sunday, 10 January 2021 that 28 jihadists had been “neutralised and only one soldier had died.
4. Debt repayment for Kenyans put on a six-month hold
Kenya has been granted a 6-month debt repayment relief period by developed economies also known as the Paris Club. The request was approved following a successful application for the Debt Service Suspension Initiative (DSSI).
Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Planning, Ukur Yatani Kanacho, said this new development will further enable the country to devote resources freed to increase spending to mitigate the health, economic and social impact of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
5. SA’s electoral commission seeks to postpone by-election
The Electoral Commission of South Africa, IEC, says it has approached the Electoral Court for the postponement of the by-elections scheduled for January and February due to the COVID-19 resurgence in the country.
The IEC said that level three lockdown regulations do not allow political activities, hence their application for postponement of the by-elections scheduled for January 20, February 3 and February 17.
