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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has strongly condemned the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on his country.

Robert Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Mugabe made the remarks in his speech to the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.
“Shame, shame, shame, to the United States of America; shame, shame, shame to Britain and its allies,” he chastised. He added ““Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, so are its resources. Please remove your illegal and filthy sanctions from my peaceful country.”
Mugabe also said the West’s hunger for domination of other nations is insatiable, adding the US, Britain and their allies are using sanctions against Harare as a “foreign-policy tool to effect regime change.”
“Our small and peaceful country is threatened daily by covetous and bigoted big powers whose hunger for domination and control of other nations and their resources knows no bounds,” he said.
Mugabe said embargo is a form of hostility and violence against the Zimbabwean government, which was just striving to redistribute land to the majority of landless people.
He said that if the sanctions were planned to remove him from power “the results of the recent national elections have clearly shown you what they can do.”
The leader of the southern African country said the embargo imposed by the European Union and the United States violated the UN Charter on state sovereignty.
The West has imposed crushing sanctions on Zimbabwean firms and individuals, including Mugabe.
In August, Southern African leaders called on the West to lift all forms of sanctions leveled against the country.
The leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) made the demand on August 18 in the Malawian capital Lilongwe during the final day of annual SADC summit.
The leaders of the 15-nation bloc called for “the lifting of all forms of sanctions hitherto imposed on Zimbabwe”.
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Al Shabaab Mocks Kenya, Threatens More Attacks

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Somalia’s Al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab rebels have threatened more attacks against Kenya, taking to Twitter to mock the country after Islamist gunmen attacked a Nairobi shopping mall, killing at least 67 people.
“The mesmeric performance by the Westgate Warriors was undoubtedly gripping, but despair not folks, that was just the premiere of Act 1,” the group said in one of a string of messages posted on Twitter overnight.

Kenya Defence Forces soldiers take their position at the Westgate shopping centre on Tuesday..Picture: Noor Khamis/Reuters

The al-Shabaab has said it was responsible for the assault on Westgate, which saw a group of gunmen walk into the part Israeli-owned mall at midday Saturday and gun down shoppers and staff.
Another message said it had been “a great pleasure to have had you completely enthralled for more than 100 hours. What a wonderful audience you’ve been!”.
It also boasted that the “Kenyan government is still in disarray”, saying it “won’t be until several months when it fully comprehends exactly what took place at Westgate”.
Al-Shabaab chief Ahmed Abdi Godane said the Nairobi mall carnage was retaliation for Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia.
Kenya invaded southern Somalia to attack al-Shabaab bases two years ago, and later joined the 17,700-strong African Union force deployed there.
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8 Arrested Over Kenya Mall Attack

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Kenyan officials say they have detained eight suspects and freed three others as investigations into a four-day siege at the westgate mall which ended with the death of at least 67 people and the partial destruction of the complex.

8 suspects have been arrested in connection with the attack on the westgate mall that left more than 60 people dead.Picture: AP Photo/ Jerome Delay

During a news briefing on Friday, Kenya’s interior minister, Joseph Ole Lenku said, “Police are holding eight suspects as they seek to unmask the face behind the terror attack. Three others were interrogated and released.”
The Minister also told reporters that there were no formal reports of people still missing since the assault. The Kenyan Red Cross, however, said earlier that dozens were still missing.
Investigators trying to determine the identity of the attackers were making “good progress” in their search through the rubble at the Westgate mall where three floors collapsed after a series of blasts and a huge blaze, Joseph Ole Lenku further noted.

Part of the mall that was destroyed during the siege
In addition, officials previously said five assailants were among the deceased.

According to the senior security sources, the militants who led the attack may have hired a shop in the mall in the weeks prior to the siege.
Al-Shabab officials have claimed responsibility for the assault and warned the Kenyan government to withdraw its troops from their country.
Kenya has more than 4,000 army soldiers in southern Somalia, where they have been battling the al-Shabab fighters since 2011.
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Gunmen Kill 4 During Sudan Protests

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At least four people have been killed by unidentified gunmen during protests over fuel subsidy cuts in Sudan, police officials say.

Protesters burn tires and close the highway to northern cities amid a wave of unrest over the lifting of fuel subsidies by the Sudanese government, in Kadro, north of downtown Khartoum on September 25, 2013.

“Unknown shooters fired on demonstrations in Khartoum Bahri, Khartoum, and Omdurman” during protests on Friday, the police said in a statement carried by the official SUNA news agency on Saturday, adding, “As a result of that, four civilians were killed.”
The protests began on Monday when the government lifted fuel subsidies to raise revenue.
Seven people were killed on Wednesday in clashes with security forces in Khartoum and its sister city Omdurman.
The demonstrators burned vehicles in a hotel car park near Khartoum’s international airport, and a petrol station in the area was also set alight.
Security forces fired tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
On Tuesday, protesters stormed and torched the offices of the ruling National Congress Party in Omdurman.
Human rights groups claim that at least 50 people have been shot dead by security forces during the clashes.
Sudan’s Education Ministry announced that schools in the capital would remain closed until the end of the month.
Sudan lost billions of dollars in oil revenues after South Sudan gained independence two years ago, taking with it some 75 percent of crude production of the formerly united country.
Sudan has been plagued by running inflation and a weakening currency since then
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Uganda Is Not A US Puppet In Somalia – Opondo

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The government of Uganda has dismissed allegations by one of the country’s Lawmakers,  Ibrahim Semujju Nganda that the it’s army is in Somalia serving US interests.

Uganda government spokesman Ofwono Opondo

Government Spokesman Ofwono Opondo made this revelation in response to the opposition Forum for Democratic Change legislator who appeared to suggest that Uganda was playing US puppet in Somalia. It is not clear whether Semujju suggested the above.
“Government rejects accusations by FDC MP Semujju Nganda that UPDF in Somalia is a mercenary serving US interests.” Ofwono said on Friday via his twitter handle @OfwonoOpondo.
He reitarated that the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) are in Somalia rightly under the African Mission In Somalia (AMISOM) with United Nations Security Council approval.
He added that Uganda is in Somalia to fight terrorism that had spread in this region. “Success is at hand we should not let up.” Ofwono urged.
AMISOM was created by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council on 19 January 2007 with an initial six-month mandate.On 21 February 2007 the United Nations Security Council approved the mission’s mandate. Uganda deployed it’s troops in 2007, a move that drew criticisms from opposition politicians in the country.
Uganda is the biggest contributor to the AU force of about 18,000.
The force, funded mainly by the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) is fighting the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia.
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Tension As M23 Rebels, DRC Forces Resume Clashes

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Fresh fighting has broken out between M23 rebels and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government forces backed by the United Nations forces in Kinyandoni -Ishasha areas in Eastern DRC.
The rebels claimed the clashes started after Congolese government forces attempted to overrun an area under their control. The government forces on the other hand accuse the rebels of provocation.

The M23 rebel group in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Colonel Olivier Hamuli, the spokesperson of the Congolese army says armed with heavy and light weapons, the rebels tried to advance towards Mabenga village, which is under government forces.
Hamuli says they fought back because they cannot tolerate such provocation. According to Hamuli a government soldier was shot and injured in the fighting.
The rebels gained an upper hand in the clash and pushed towards Kiwanja town, about 10 kilometers from Mabenga village in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province.
Bertrand Bisiimwa, the M23 rebel’s President while speaking to local media denied claims that they attacked any government positions. He however, says they repulsed an attack by government forces on their position.

M23 rebel leader Bisimwa Bertrand speaks to the media recently in Bunagana.

He faults the government forces starting chaos to disrupt the ongoing peace talks in Kampala. Bisiimwa insists that the current crisis in the country can only be resolved through peace talks and not hostilities.
He appeals to the international community to slap sanctions on the Joseph Kabila government.
Our reporter couldn’t independently verify who started the fighting.
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Sports Betting Center Robbed At Gun Point

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Unidentified thugs who are still on the run have robbed more than 5 million shillings at gunpoint from Kings Sport Betting center in Koboko town.

one of the sports betting centers in Uganda

The masked gunmen raided Kings Sports betting center, which belongs Jaffar Kumar, an Asian businessman on Wednesday night September 25. The incident occurred shortly after Kumar and his cashier sent out their football fans during the Manchester United Liverpool match to allow them balance their books.
However, after the fans went out Kumar forgot to lock the door.
According to Edison Maganzi, Koboko district police commander as the two were inside counting money two men came on a motorcycle and stormed the shop.
They put both Kumar and his cashier at gun point and asked them to surrender all the money or lose their lives.
Muganzi said that the duo handed over the money, they suspect to have been more than five million because they had counted 4.5 million shillings. He also confirmed that a case of robbery has been reported at Koboko central police station and investigations are ongoing.
Kumar said that police has advised them to suspend their operations for some time.
This is the fourth armed robbery in Koboko town within a space of one month.  More than 15 million shillings was robbed in three other attacks and one person shot dead by the robbers. However, no suspect has been arrested in connection to the attack.
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US Defense Sec. Lauds M7 Leadership In Region

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The United States Defense Secretary, Chuck Hagel has hailed Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni’s leadership in the East African region.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hosts an honor cordon to welcome Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni to the Pentagon for a meeting, Sept. 27, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

According to a statement issued by Pentagon Press Secretary George Little, Hagel “thanked President Museveni for Uganda’s leadership in the region and the country’s commitment to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).”
Uganda is the biggest contributor to the AU force of about 18,000.
The force, funded mainly by the United Nations (UN) and European Union (EU) is fighting the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab group in Somalia.

U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, (2nd R), meets with Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni, (2nd L), at the Pentagon, Sept. 27, 2013. DOD photo by Glenn Fawcett

He also noted that the US Congress had approved $14 million (Shs35bn) in additional support for the effort.
In a meeting held on Friday at the Pentagon, President Museveni and Secretary Hagel discussed a wide range of security issues including the recent terrorist attacks in Kenya.
Uganda bolstered security in its capital this week after al Shabab’s devastating weekend attack at the westgate mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi that left at least 67 dead.
At Friday’s meeting, Hagel also expressed appreciation for Uganda’s campaign against the Lord’s Resistance Army and its leader, Joseph Kony. About 100 US military troops are deployed in Central Africa to advise Ugandan and other regional forces in their bid to counter the LRA.
Hagel “welcomed the progress that the Ugandan and other partner forces have achieved in reducing the threat posed by the LRA and expressed his hope that the mission would result in the elimination of the LRA threat to civilians and regional stability,” Little said.
Ugandan defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga also attended the meetinghttp://bit.ly/1h68E5R

Aronda Investigates CSO Activities In Oil Region

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The unending complaints over activities of some Civil Society Organizations-CSOs in Bunyoro are attracting the attention of Uganda’s ministry of Internal Affairs.

Former Chief of Defence Forces General Aronda Nyakairima, Uganda’s Minster of internal affairs

General Aronda Nyakairima, the country’s minister of Internal Affairs says the ministry has received numerous complaints from district officials about these CSOs doing activities they were not registered for.
Aronda says most of these organizations are interfering with the government program of building an oil refinery in Kabaale, Buseruka Sub County in Hoima district, by mobilizing residents against the project.
The former Chief of Defense Forces-CDF has been in Bunyoro since Monday, holding several closed-door meetings with various regional stakeholders.
In a press briefing on Thursday, Nyakairima said his visit to the region was to investigate these reports and chat a way forward on how to deal with non-compliant CSOs.
Nyakairima says his investigations so far indicate that a couple of CSOs have continuously worked against government efforts to establish the oil refinery in Hoima.
Although he refuses to name any of such organizations, the minister says they risk being de-registered.
It is not the first time government officials are accusing Non-government organizations-NGOs of sabotaging government programmes. In May this year Bunyoro Affairs Minister Ernest Kiiza, threatened to cause arrest of Civil Society activists that are undermining government programmes especially in the oil sector.
The Minister accused some CSOs of being reckless in their statements and feeding the local population on what he called falsehoods to incite them against the oil refinery project government plans to undertake in the Kabaale area.
CSOs such as African Institute for Energy Governance-AFIEGO, Bunyoro Local Oil Advocacy Group-BLOAG and Navigators of Development Association-NOVODA, among others are actively on ground in the Kabaale oil refinery area.
Although government accuses these activists of inciting the residents against the refinery project, the activists maintain that their work is entirely advocacy to ensure that the peoples’ rights are protected.
Michael Businge, the regional Program Assistant at AFIEGO, recently told local media that much as they realize the importance of the refinery, the facility should not be built at the expense of peoples’ rights.
More than 7000 residents from 13 villages in Kabaale parish are facing displacement from their ancestral land to pave way for the refinery construction. The refinery is meant to process the commercially viable crude oil in the Albertine rift valley.
Two months ago, government began disclosure of the compensation rates for the affected people ahead of the compensation exercise later this year.
However, CSOs say the exercise is not transparent.
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Kenya’s Westgate Siege: MPs To Quiz Security Chiefs

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Kenya’s security chiefs have been summoned to appear before parliament’s defence committee for questioning over the Westgate mall siege according to the BBC.

The funeral for President Uhuru Kenyatta’s nephew is being held in Nairobi.

The BBC’s David Okwembah says a blame game is playing out in the Kenyan media, with various security agencies pointing the finger at each other.
Sixty-seven people are known to have died in the attack, while Kenya’s Red Cross says 61 people are still missing.
Forensic experts are still combing the complex, looking for bodies and clues.
Somali Islamist group al-Shabab says it was behind the attack and subsequent four-day siege at the upmarket mall in the Kenyan capital.
Kenya is in its third day of official mourning for both the civilian and military victims of the siege.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is attending the funeral of his nephew and his nephew’s fiancee at a church service in the capital, Nairobi, where he has addressed the congregation.
Mbugua Mwangi and Rosemary Wahito were among those killed in the mall on Saturday.
They will later be buried in Ichaweri village in Gatundu about an hour’s drive from Nairobi.
‘Time for responsibility and accountability’
The summoning of the heads of the various security agencies to appear before the parliamentary defence committee on Monday comes amid rising concern among Kenyans over the authorities’ preparedness for such an attack.
“The time for responsibility and accountability has come,” the defence committee’s chairman Ndung’u Gethenji is quoted by Kenya’s Daily Nation newspaper as saying.
Local media have reported that National Intelligence Service boss Michael Gichangi, one of those asked to appear before the committee, passed on intelligence about a possible attack to the police.
But the Daily Nation says that a highly placed police source denied that such information was received.
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
About 4,000 Kenyan troops have been sent to Somalia to help pro-government forces battle al-Shabab.
The group is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.
Its members are fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
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UN Court Upholds Charles Taylor’s Conviction

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A UN-backed appeal court on Thursday confirmed Liberian ex-president and warlord Charles Taylor’s 50-year sentence for arming rebels during Sierra Leone’s brutal 1990s civil war.

Charle Taylor

“The appeals chamber … affirms the sentence of 50 years in prison and orders that the sentence be imposed immediately,” judge George King told the Special Court for Sierra Leone (SCSL) in The Hague.
The landmark ruling marks the end of the road for the former west African strongman’s marathon seven-year trial.
Taylor sat impassively as the judgment was read out, wearing a dark suit, golden tie, gold cufflinks and gold-rimmed sunglasses.
He will now most likely spend the rest of his life in a foreign prison, possibly in Britain.
His historic sentence on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity was the first handed down by an international court against a former head of state since the Nazi trials at Nuremberg in 1946.
“The Appeals Chamber is of the opinion that the sentence imposed by the trial chamber is fair in the light of the totality of the crimes committed” by Taylor, King said.
“The defence failed to demonstrate any discernable errors in the trial chamber’s sentencing.”
Taylor, 65, was found guilty last year of supporting rebels from neighbouring Sierra Leone who waged a campaign of terror during a civil war that claimed 120,000 lives between 1991 and 2002, in exchange for “blood diamonds” mined by slave labour.
Arrested and transferred to The Hague in mid-2006, where his case was moved for fear of stirring up divisions at home, Taylor was sentenced in May last year for “some of the most heinous crimes in human history”.
As Liberia’s president from 1997 to 2003, Taylor aided and abetted neighbouring Revolutionary United Front rebels by supplying guns and ammunition during the conflict, known for its mutilations, drugged child soldiers and sex slaves, trial judges found.
Appeals judges confirmed that RUF rebels and the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) sought “to achieve military gain at any civilian costs.”
There was a “consistent pattern of crimes against civilians (through) killing, mutilating, raping and burning.”
The rebels “used acts of terror as their primary modus operandi,” and “there is a sufficient causality link between the accused and the commission of the crimes.”
Throughout the trial, Taylor maintained his innocence.
Lawyers argued at an appeal hearing in January that there was no evidence that he knew about crimes committed by Sierra Leone’s brutal rebel forces, nor did he provide logistics, guns and ammunition.
They wanted appeals judges to reverse the conviction and quash the sentence.
The prosecution, which had sought an 80-year jail term for Taylor, had also appealed, saying judges were “unduly lenient”.
“It’s a very good decision. We feel good about,” said Memanatu Kumara, 28, whose left hand was amputated by the RUF in 1999 in Freetown but who came to court for the verdict.
Judge King said he was “not persuaded” by a recent controversial ruling before the Yugoslavia war crimes tribunal (ICTY), also based in the Netherlands.
The ICTY acquitted Yugoslav ex-army chief Momcilo Perisic on appeal, saying they required “specific direction” in the commission of crimes for a conviction.
That verdict worried rights groups as it raised the bar of evidence required to prove aiding and abetting of war crimes.
However, King said the ICTY findings “may perhaps be developed in time,” but did not take them into account in convicting Taylor.
“Upheld today on appeal, Taylor’s conviction sends a powerful message that those at the top can be held to account on the gravest crimes,” Elise Keppler of Human Rights Watch said.
A number of headline-grabbing witnesses took the stand during Taylor’s trial including actress Mia Farrow and former supermodel Naomi Campbell, who told of a gift of “dirty diamonds” she received in 1997 after a charity ball hosted by then South African president Nelson Mandela.
Thursday’s hearing almost certainly draws the curtain on Sierra Leone’s special court, set up in 2002 by agreement between Freetown and the United Nations.
One suspect remains wanted but is widely believed to have die
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SA President Says Mandela Responding To Treatment At Home

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South African president Jacob Zuma says former leader Nelson Mandela is responding to treatment at his home, where a team of doctors is caring for him.

Anti-apartheid icon Nelson Mandela

Authorities have previously described Mandela’s condition as critical. The 95-year-old former president and leader of the anti-apartheid movement was discharged from a hospital on Sept. 1, nearly three months after he was admitted for a recurring lung infection.
The South African Press Association quotes President Jacob Zuma as saying in a speech released Wednesday that Mandela continues to respond to treatment. The speech was prepared for delivery at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Mandela spent 27 years in prison during white minority rule. He led South Africa through a delicate transition to all-race elections that propelled him to the presidency in 1994.
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Remove Your Filthy Sanctions, Mugabe Tells West

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Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has strongly condemned the economic sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union on his country.

Robert Mugabe, President of the Republic of Zimbabwe. UN Photo/Ryan Brown

Mugabe made the remarks in his speech to the 68th United Nations General Assembly on Thursday.
“Shame, shame, shame, to the United States of America; shame, shame, shame to Britain and its allies,” he chastised. He added ““Zimbabwe is for Zimbabweans, so are its resources. Please remove your illegal and filthy sanctions from my peaceful country.”
Mugabe also said the West’s hunger for domination of other nations is insatiable, adding the US, Britain and their allies are using sanctions against Harare as a “foreign-policy tool to effect regime change.”
“Our small and peaceful country is threatened daily by covetous and bigoted big powers whose hunger for domination and control of other nations and their resources knows no bounds,” he said.
Mugabe said embargo is a form of hostility and violence against the Zimbabwean government, which was just striving to redistribute land to the majority of landless people.
He said that if the sanctions were planned to remove him from power “the results of the recent national elections have clearly shown you what they can do.”
The leader of the southern African country said the embargo imposed by the European Union and the United States violated the UN Charter on state sovereignty.
The West has imposed crushing sanctions on Zimbabwean firms and individuals, including Mugabe.
In August, Southern African leaders called on the West to lift all forms of sanctions leveled against the country.
The leaders of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) made the demand on August 18 in the Malawian capital Lilongwe during the final day of annual SADC summit.
The leaders of the 15-nation bloc called for “the lifting of all forms of sanctions hitherto imposed on Zimbabwe”.
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Al Shabaab Mocks Kenya, Threatens More Attacks

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Somalia’s Al Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab rebels have threatened more attacks against Kenya, taking to Twitter to mock the country after Islamist gunmen attacked a Nairobi shopping mall, killing at least 67 people.
“The mesmeric performance by the Westgate Warriors was undoubtedly gripping, but despair not folks, that was just the premiere of Act 1,” the group said in one of a string of messages posted on Twitter overnight.

Kenya Defence Forces soldiers take their position at the Westgate shopping centre on Tuesday..Picture: Noor Khamis/Reuters

The al-Shabaab has said it was responsible for the assault on Westgate, which saw a group of gunmen walk into the part Israeli-owned mall at midday Saturday and gun down shoppers and staff.
Another message said it had been “a great pleasure to have had you completely enthralled for more than 100 hours. What a wonderful audience you’ve been!”.
It also boasted that the “Kenyan government is still in disarray”, saying it “won’t be until several months when it fully comprehends exactly what took place at Westgate”.
Al-Shabaab chief Ahmed Abdi Godane said the Nairobi mall carnage was retaliation for Kenya’s military intervention in Somalia.
Kenya invaded southern Somalia to attack al-Shabaab bases two years ago, and later joined the 17,700-strong African Union force deployed there.
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2 UPDF Soldiers Dismissed For Sale Of Gun

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Two Uganda Peoples’ Defense Forces UPDF soldiers have been jailed for six years and dismissed with disgrace on charges of improper disposal of property in Moroto district.

Under guard- (L-R) Pte Charles Mugisha, Lcpl Moses Balayo and Karim Maruti after appearing before the court martial in Moroto.

The UPDF 3rd Division Court Martial sitting in Moroto on Thursday found Lance Corporals Moses Balayo and Jackson Mugisha guilty of illegally selling a gun.
The pair, whose army service numbers are RA 161819 and RA 165946 respectively, will each serve six years at Namalu Central Government Prison before returning to their ancestral villages.
Col. John Tumwebaze, the chairperson of the UPDF 3rd Division Court Martial in his ruling said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to the rest of the soldiers serving across the country.
Court heard that the accused persons were not remorseful, after they uttered lies about their involvement in the sale of an AK-47 rifle. Col Tumwebaze said the two were dangerous people who should be permanently removed from the defence forces. He however, offered them a right to appeal against the sentence within 14 days.
Section 162 of the UPDF Act 2005 provides up to seven years in jail for a person subject to military law who willfully damages by neglect, improperly sells or wastefully expends any property of the army or forces cooperating with the army or contributed by members of the army further use or. The same sentence goes to those who willfully destroy or damage public or private property, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a term of imprisonment not exceeding seven year.
The Court Martial also handed a four-year jail sentence to Karim Maruti, a resident of Sironko Town Council who was found guilty of unlawful possession of firearms. The Court Martial Chairperson is his ruling said the punishment will send a signal to other civilians to desist from involving themselves in such criminal acts.
This is not the first time soldiers are selling guns. A UPDF Private Onan Mwijukye was found guilty by the Masaka Armoured Brigade Unit disciplinary committee after he broke into Kasajagirwa Armoury last March.  A Police Officer attached to Naguru barracks was also arrested selling two guns and unspecified number of ammunitions in Kayunga district in January this year.
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4 Killed By Lightning Strike In Kisoro

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At least four people have been killed by lightning that struck a school in Kisoro district on Thursday.

Pupils of Runyanya Primary School in Kiryandongo district hospitalised after they were struck by lightening in 2011

The incident happened at about 1:30pm at Nkurungiro Primary school in Gisiza village, Gasovu Parish Nyarusiza Sub County.
The school has also been serving as a child development Centre of Compassion International.
The deceased were taking shelter at the verandah of a classroom during a heavy down pour.
The dead are Niyonzima 22, a Rwandan National, 23-year-old Mahirwe, Habasa who is aged 20 and Denis Niringimana, a six-year-old primary one pupil at Nkurungiro primary school.
Three other people were severely injured after being struck by lightning at three separate locations in Kisoro district. They are Peace Akampire 15, of Gihuranda village Nyarubuye sub county, Siyadora Jane Female who is aged 17 and Nirangwiza Jackline from Kanaba trading centre in Kanaba Sub County.
The bodies of the deceased were picked by police and taken to Kisoro hospital for a postmortem, while the injured are also receiving treatment at the same hospital.
Kisoro Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Michael Baganizi said that the survivors sustained serious injuries and are receiving treatment.
Kigezi regional Police spokesperson Elly Maate described the incident as unfortunate and asked owners and managers of public places such as schools to always install lightning arrestors to minimize the risk.
Incidents of lighting are very common in Kisoro especially in the areas near Bwindi and Mughahinga National Parks where various mineral deposits are believed to be found.
In August 2012, lightning struck dead five people in two separate incidents in Bufumbira North County, Kisoro District. The dead were residents of Nombe Village, Rubuguri Parish in Kirundo Sub County.
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Interpol Issues Arrest Warrant For ‘White Widow

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Interpol has issued a red notice arrest warrant for the woman believed to be behind the attack at the West Gate mall in Nairobi, Kenya over the weekend.

Samantha Lewthwaite, a British national, is believed to be the master-mind of the siege on Westgate Mall

Gun men attacked the upscale shopping mall on Saturday killing at least 62 people and injuring 175 others during indiscriminate shooting. The attackers believed to be members of the al Shabaab militant group, occupied the building for at least three days before they were dislodged by the Kenyan Defence Forces on Tuesday. In the shoot-out, at least five government soldiers were killed together with six of the attackers.
Samantha Lewthwaite, a British national, is believed to be the master-mind of the siege on Westgate Mall by Al-Shabab militants who claimed responsibility on their now blocked twitter page.
Lewthwaite is now a wanted person in 190 countries on charges of being in possession of explosives and conspiracy to commit a felony dating back to December 2011.
The arrest warrant requested for by Kenya contains the identification details of the 29 year old widow and mother of two, and the judicial information about the charges placed against her. She is the widow to Germaine Lindsay, one of the four bombers involved in the July 7th 2005 terror attacks on London.
Lewthwaite is said to use the name Natalie Webb as an alias and holds a South African passport.
In a press release on the Interpol website, the Secretary General of international police body, Ronald K. Noble, says the arrest warrant is a tripwire for the fugitive terrorist commonly known as White Widow and that the whole world now has the chance to contribute towards her arrest.
Lewthwaite was previously a wanted person in Britain for fraudulently possessing a South African passport but had never been arrested until a fresh red notice arrest warrant was issued on Thursday.
An Interpol arrest warrant grants any country the legal mandate to arrest and detain a person as they process their extradition papers.
Kenya is currently observing a three day national mourning for the Westgate mall victims and calm has tentatively returned after four days of protracted gunfire exchange between security forces and the terrorists.
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MPs Query Kyankwanzi Funding

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The public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Thursday asked government to explain why it continues to spend hefty amounts of money on the National Leadership Institute, Kyankwanzi –NALI.

PAC members quizzing State House officials

According to the Auditor General’s report for the financial year ending June 2011, the Kyankwanzi institute received one billion shillings without any legal backing from government.
It also receives monies from participants and organisations for training. The Auditors could not audit the resources because it is not a public institution.
PAC chairperson Kasiano Wadri asked what the Ministry of Public Service is doing to legalise the existence of NALI and ensure it’s adequately funded and audited.
In response Haji Kakande Yunus, the undersecretary Finance and Administration in the Office of the President, explained that the Ministry of Public Service in the financial year 2012/2013 started the process of reviewing the structure and staffing levels at the institute. This will be considered under the comprehensive restructuring report which is yet to be submitted to Cabinet for approval.
Wadri wondered if a Cabinet directive is equal to an Act of Parliament.
Paul Mwiru, the PAC Vice chairperson, also asked where money for buying uniforms comes from since some MPs boast that they own ten uniforms, yet when it comes to army officers and men, government claims to have no money to purchase duty uniforms.
Lieutenant Colonel Henry Matsiko, the Commissioner Patriotism in the Office of the President, explained that the uniforms given to graduates of Kyankwanzi are often bought by the sponsoring agency. They also get express permission from the army to acquire the uniforms for purposes of training.
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Two Remanded For Burning Kigezi Diocesan Offices

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John Magezi and Geoffrey Turyatunga have been remanded to Ndorwa government prison after they were charged with neglect of duty.

Outside the burnt office of the Diocese

The two accused suspects could not control the fire that set ablaze the diocesan offices destroying property worth millions on September 12
Magezi is the head of security at Kigezi diocesan offices while Turyatunga is a security officer attached to security 2000 limited.
Appearing before court on Thursday September 26 that was presided over Amos Kwizera, the Kabale chief magistrate, the accused pleaded not guilty and were remanded to Ndorwa government prison up to 3rd of October 2013.

Police use a sniffer dog to search for the suspects

The two suspects were on September 13 arrested with Hilary Kibabi, a Christian and Rev. Edson Turyatunga, the chaplain Uganda College of Commerce
To the surprise of many, Hilary Kibabi and Rev. Edison Turyatunga were neither in court nor were their names mentioned.

The interior of the burnt offices.
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Kalangala Fire Renders 300 Homeless

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Over 300 residents of Nakatiba landing site in Kalangala District have nowhere to shelter after fire set ablaze over 90 homes on Wednesday September 25 destroying property worth millions.

Ibrahim Ssenyonga, a Uganda Red Cross Society official in Kalangala, stands in the open space after fire burnt houses on Wednesday night.

One of the victims, who witnessed the tragedy said that the fire started from one of the local restaurants belonging to one Justine Nankumba  from where it spread to other houses.
Shops bars and restaurants totaling to over 90 were reduced to ashes in the shortest time possible.
“At first I saw smoke on top of the roof of one of the houses and within seconds, fire engulfed more structures. It was difficult to save property because many of the houses were wooden structures,” said the victim.
Michael Ssendegeya, another victim said that he  lost dry food including beans, cow peas, Maize and cassava flour  to the fire and this is where he has been earning a living to support his family.
He expressed fear that he may not be able to facilitate his children’s education after losing his entire business in the fire.
Ibrahim Ssenyonga, the Red Cross Branch Manager for Kalangala district, who has visited Nakatiba landing site said that currently an estimated 300 people are homeless after the fire destroyed their houses.
He further narrated that the affected people are now going to be accommodated in temporary huts and inside Bufumira Health Centre II, as Red Cross solicits for some relief items.
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Ohhh Lord God,

Ohhh Lord God,
i send my prayers to my fellow Kenyans, i may not be from Kenya but i pray for them so as to get protected from the terrorist attacks.
God these are our brothers and sisters please protect them..
Amen.....
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Kabale Schools Still Closed

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Most schools in Kabale district remained closed on Thursday September 26, a day after the nationwide teacher’s strike was suspended by Uganda National Teacher’s Union-UNATU.

Butobere Primary school remained closed

On Wednesday September 25, UNATU suspended the teacher’s strike for 28 working days to allow for negotiations with government over a pay rise for teachers.
James Tweheyo, the UNATU secretary general said they had suspended the strike as a result of a request from government for more time to address the teacher’s concerns.
Despite the suspension of the strike, several schools in Kabale remained closed.
Some of the schools that remained closed include Kabale Primary school, Kijuguta Primary school, Junction Primary school, Butobere Primary school, Kijuguta Primary school, Rutooma Primary school, Kikunguri Primary school and Muyumbu Primary school amongst others
A few pupils who turned up for studies at Kabale primary school returned home after they saw no sign of learning.
Zadoka Tumuhimbise, the UNATU chairperson Kabale branch said that most of the teachers failed to show up for work because the strike was suspended late.
He explains that most of the teachers had traveled to their ancestral homes and couldn’t get back in time to resume work.
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Students Hold Head Teacher Hostage

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United Academy secondary school in Kakumiro town in Kibaale was a scene of drama on Wednesday morning after angry senior four students held the school director hostage.

It all started after more than 20 senior four candidates raided the school accusing Peter Twesige, the school director of extortion and failing to register them for the Uganda Certificate of education-UCE 2013.
The students who found Twesige conducting a lesson in one of the classes dragged him out and started assaulting him.
They accused him of embezzling their examination registration fees. Each of the students allegedly paid 360,000 shillings but they were not registered. Julius Asiimwe, one of the student leaders said that the school administration claims to have registered them at Bright Star Secondary School in Mubende town council.
He however, said that they were frustrated when they went there on Monday but were turned away on that grounds that Twesige had not paid a single coin.
They also claimed that Twesige collected 40,000 shillings from each student claiming it was for organizing practical lessons and extra lesson but to date nothing has been done.
Students reported the matter at Kakumiro police station and the director was given only four days to rectify the situation in vain.
After a standoff of about five hours, the students hired a small car and dragged Twesige to Mubende Police staying saying police in Kibaale has failed to help them.
Eunith Ayebale, the head teacher at United Academy secondary school confirmed that students paid the examination fees in time but the director failed to clear the balance at the examination center.
Ayebale says the students turned violent and took the director hostage demanding for a clear account of what was happening.
Twesige who had his hands tied with ropes in a saloon vehicle was barred by the angry students from speaking to anyone as they threatened to lynch him.
Titus Namonyo, thee officer in charge criminal investigations Desk at Kakumiro police station condemned the conduct of the student says are likely to face charges of abduction and assault
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Al-Shabab Carries Out Fresh Attack In Kenya

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Two Kenyan police officers have been killed in an attack on a security post near the Somali border, with the suspicion falling on the same armed group behind the deadly siege at a Nairobi mall which left hundreds dead.

Kenya Defence Forces soldiers take their position at the Westgate shopping centre on Tuesday..Picture: Noor Khamis/Reuters

The attack early on Thursday took place in the town of Mandera. Regional police chief Charlton Mureithi said that in addition to the two police officers killed, three others were injured and 11 vehicles destroyed.
The attack came hours after the Somalia-based al-Shabab group threatened that violence would continue until Kenyan troops were withdrawn from Somalia.
The group’s leader, Ahmed Godane Shaykh Mukhtar Abu Zubayr, warned the Kenyan public there was no way they could “withstand a war of attrition inside your own country”, in a statement posted on the internet late on Wednesday.
“Make your choice today and withdraw all your forces,…” Godane said. “Otherwise be prepared for an abundance of blood that will be spilt in your country, economic downfall and displacement.”
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Political Parties Seek Court Order To Disband EC

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Two of the ten political parties lined up for deregistration have petitioned the Constitutional Court demanding for the disbandment of the Dr Badru Kigundu, Electoral Commission. 

EC Chief Eng. Badru Kigundu

Through, Tusasirwe advocates, the Reform party and Movement volunteer mobilizers’ organization argue that, the current Electoral Commission is partisan.
In the petition, the parties argue that the current members of the commission have a conflict of interest since they come from the same party with President Yoweri Museveni who appoints them.
The petitioners want the Kigundu led team to step down and a new commission is appointed in accordance with the multiparty political dispensation.
They also want the constitutional court to declare as unconstitutional the re-appointment and retention of Kiggundu, his deputy and 5 other commissioners.
Court is yet to summon the Attorney General and the Electoral Commission, who are listed as respondents to file their responses.
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UNATU Suspends Strike For 28 Days

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Uganda National Teachers Union on Wednesday suspended the countrywide teachers’ strike for 28 working days.
James Tweheyo, the UNATU Secretary General announced the suspension of the strike on Wednesday afternoon. According to Tweheyo, UNATU has reached a compromise with government, which has committed to further negotiations on the teacher’s pay rise.

James Tweheyo, the UNATU Secretary General

Prior to the suspension, UNATU had made proposals to the government, which among others 20 percent increment effective January 2014, 35 percent increment in 2014/2015 if they are unable to get the 20 percent in this financial year or swap the 20 percent this year with 15 percent that should have been for the next year.
According to Tweheyo, the government requested for more time further discussions and negotiations to iron out the issue. He said that having carefully studied the government position and seeing the will to engage the union in meaningful discussions, the union decided to suspend the industrial action for the next 28 working days;
He however warned that should government fail to honor its promise, they will resume the industrial action without any further warning. Government has welcomed the decision by the union members to suspend the strike.
Barbara Nekesa Oundo, the state minister for Karamoja affairs, who represented the education minister Jessica Alupo at a press briefing at the media centre, said the move comes a great relief.
She urged parents and guardians to send children to school without further delays. Nekesa also urged head teachers to adjust school time tables to accommodate the lost time.
She also appealed to the teachers to concentrate in covering the remaining syllabus so that pupils and students can perform well. It is yet to be seen whether the government will honor its agreement, considering that it broke the same agreement it had reached with the teachers two years ago.
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Mudslides Bury 3 Children In Kasese

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At least three children were buried by a mudslide that struck Kabukero village, Mahango sub-county in Kasese district on Wednesday evening.

Mudslides have Buried 3 Children In Kasese District

The chairman LC 3 Stephen Muthekengwa said that the tragic incident occurred at the home of Mbaju Bisusi at about 7:30pm.
Muthekengwa said that the residents are busy digging deep in the rubble to find the children that were trapped in the house during the evening down pour.
There is no hope to find any of the three children alive.
This is the third time children are killed by mudslides in Mahango sub-county as result of heavy down pour.
On May 18 2012, four people were killed when mudslides buried their houses during a heavy down pour. Three of the children were from the home of Firidina Kyamukagha in Butalimuli village while the third was from Kabukero village.
On October 8, 2011 five children in the home of Mulemba Kambale perished when their house was swept away by landslides in Mahango village.
Environmental experts have linked the different incidents to poor human activities that have left the land bare in the hilly sub-county that lies on the lower slopes of Mount Rwenzori.
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UPDF Soldiers Dismissed For Failure To Protect War Material

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Uganda’s army, the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF) court martial sitting in Moroto district has dismissed with disgrace two soldiers for alleged failure to protect war material. 
They are RA 134929 Lance Corporal Isaac Okeng and RA 190935 Private Awalu Mugisha attached to 35th Battalion-Nakapiripirit district.

Pte. Mugisha Awolu (L) and Lcpl. Isaac Okeng ponder the next move after being dismissed from the UPDF in Moroto.

The duo was found guilty of failure to protect war material on Wednesday by the UPDF 3rd Division Court Martial chaired by Col. John Tumwebaze.
The convicts will each serve 4 years at Moroto Central Government Prison before going home without benefits.
Col. John Tumwebaze said the sentence would serve as a deterrent to the rest of the soldiers serving across the country.
He asked the offenders to appeal within 14 days. Under section 221 of the UPDF act, sentence of imprisonment for two years or more imposed on any person subject to military law shall be deemed to include a dismissal with disgrace from the defence forces.
The same court also exonerated Privates Christopher Mande and Abbey Muhanguzi the offences of failing to protect war material. Both were sentenced to a caution and set free for lack of sufficient evidence. Both soldiers are also attached to 35 battalion located in Nakapiripirit district.
So far the UPDF 3rd Division Court Martial has dismissed with disgrace over 25 soldiers in the last five years. Most of them are still holed up in prisons in Eastern Uganda serving sentences ranging from two to 30 years.
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Anti Terrorism Squad Deployed At Uganda-Kenya Border

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Security along the Uganda-Kenya border has been tightened further as authorities work to avert a possible crisis following last Saturday’s terrorism attack at the Westgate mall, an upscale shopping centre in Nairobi, Kenya.
A heavy joint police and military anti-terrorism squad has been deployed the border areas of Malaba and Busia. The squad is made up of both uniform and plain-clothed security operatives, Imunna Muluga, the Resident District Commissioner – RDC of Busia says.

A heavy joint police and military anti-terrorism squad has been deployed the border areas of Malaba and Busia.

This morning, residents of Busia and Malaba towns woke up to the sights of unusual numbers of regular and military police on foot patrol. In addition, several security check points have been erected at all major entry point across the border.
RDC Muluga says Uganda has been hit before and with its neighbor Kenya now battling with terror attacks, they will leave no chances for the enemy. He says the latest Kenya attack is an eye opener about the continued terror threats in the region.
Meanwhile, General Katumba Wamala, The Chief of the Defense Forces says the army is working together with other security agencies to ensure the country is safe from any acts of terror.
However Jacob Opolot, the Elgon Regional Police Commander insists that the ratio of the police to Ugandans is too few to guarantee adequate security. Opolot says there are only about 42, 000 against the civilian population of 34 million. He accordingly asked the public to be keen and conscious with their security and inform the police in case of any suspicion.
Opolot warned that these terrorist live with the public and accordingly asked the security personnel to heighten their antennae and avoid bein
g lax.
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Lira Flood Victims Substitute Latrines For Bushes

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Flood victims in Aromo County Lira District are finding difficulties to answer calls of nature after their latrines were submerged by water. 

Even in other countries, People resort to bushes to answer calls of nature

The affected parishes in Lira district are Otara, Odoro and Acutkumu.
Jacinto Alyek, a mother of five and resident of Acan-Too-Ipur village in Otara parish said that residents walk for about a kilometer away to ease themselves in the bush.
She further expressed fear of an imminent epidemic outbreak.
Bosco Okullu, a resident of the same parish said that it is very shameful for residents to ease themselves in the bush but it is the only option.
He appeals to government to come to their rescue by providing mobile toilet facilities.
David Elich, the Aromo Sub County chairperson has warned the residents against resorting to the bush saying it is more risky.
He advised residents to sink new latrines to avoid an outbreak of water bone diseases resulting from irresponsible disposal of human waste.

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Kenya Mourns Westgate Siege Victims

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Kenya has begun three days of national mourning following the end of the four-day siege by Islamist militants on Nairobi’s Westgate shopping centre.

In a televised address, President Uhuru Kenyatta said six members of the security forces were among 67 people who had died.

Traders were selling wreaths outside Nairobi’s City Mortuary

Declaring the siege over, he said five militants had been killed and 11 other suspects arrested.
As the clearing of the mall continues, the number of dead is expected to rise.
Several bodies, including those of some attackers, are thought to be trapped under rubble after three floors of the building collapsed following a blaze.
Kenya’s Standard newspaper reported that tens of bodies were removed from the building on Tuesday evening.
Correspondents say the shopping centre lay largely silent overnight and light smoke was still drifting from the building.
Journalists and onlookers were kept behind a security cordon but police let some people retrieve cars from the scene.

In his address, the president praised the response of ordinary Kenyans, calling it exemplary and overwhelming.

“We have ashamed and defeated our attackers,” he said. “Kenya has stared down evil and triumphed.”
He did not confirm earlier reports that several of the attackers were American and British.
“Intelligence reports had suggested that a British woman and two or three American citizens may have been involved in the attack,” said Mr Kenyatta.
“We cannot confirm the details at present. Forensic experts are working to ascertain the nationalities of the terrorists.”
He added: “These cowards will meet justice, as will their accomplices and patrons, wherever they are.”
The UK Foreign Office said that one British national had been arrested in Nairobi, without giving further details.
The BBC’s Will Ross reports from Nairobi that one of the people arrested is understood to have been in the shopping centre, though it is not clear whether they were armed, or among the 10-15 attackers that Kenyan authorities have spoken of.
At least 18 foreigners are among the dead. They include six Britons as well as citizens from France, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Peru, India, Ghana, South Africa and China.
About 175 people were wounded, including 62 who remain in hospital.

Somali Islamist group al-Shabab said it had carried out the attack in retaliation for Kenyan army operations in Somalia.

The militants stormed the Westgate centre on Saturday, throwing grenades and firing indiscriminately on shoppers and staff.
“Now it is for the forensic and criminal experts,” said police spokesman Masoud Mwinyi.
A Twitter post from al-Shabab on Tuesday dismissed claims that women were involved in the attack.
The group said: “We have an adequate number of young men who are fully committed and we do not employ our sisters in such military operations.”
Al-Shabab, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has repeatedly threatened attacks on Kenyan soil if Nairobi did not pull its troops out of Somalia.
There are about 4,000 Kenyan troops in the south of Somalia as part of an African Union force supporting Somali government forces.
Al-Shabab is fighting to create an Islamic state in Somalia.
Despite being pushed out of key cities in the past two years, it remains in control of smaller towns and large swathes of the countryside.
UN special representative for Somalia Nicholas Kay called on Tuesday for a fresh surge in African troops to Somalia to counter an estimated 5,000 al-Shabab fighters.
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PAC Questions Defence Ministry Over Exaggerated Domestic Arrears

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The Uganda Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee of parliament has questioned why Ministry of Defense has exaggerated domestic arrears despite the prevailing peace in the country.
According to the Auditor General’s report ending July 2011 there has been minimal progress in curbing accumulation of arrears. During the period under review the arrears excluding employee costs and financial costs increased by Shs157.7 billion  from 357.5 billion in 2009/2010 to Shs515.3 billion in 2010/2011 representing a 44 percent rise.

Serere Woman MP Alice Alaso wondered if UPDF is the one that feeds soldiers out of the country.

The Auditor general report also notes that currently government does not have a strategy to handle the escalating domestic arrears. The existing strategy 2007/2010 expired in 2010.
The cumulative domestic arrears position for Ministry of Defense at the end of the financial year 2010/2011 was 32.9 billion shillings. Edith Buturo, the undersecretary ministry of defense explained to the committee that they incur arrears because of increased activities and widening operational area without a corresponding increase in funding.
She also partly attributed the increase of the arrears on inflation and depreciation of the Ugandan shilling against the dollar. Kasiano Wadri Terego county MP wondered how the Shs32.9 billion was spent yet most of the foreign missions of Uganda such as AMISOM are donor funded.
Alice Alaso, the Serere District Woman MP said recently the Defence Minister Dr Crispus Kiyonga told Parliament of the UPDF’s contributions to foreign missions and wondered if UPDF is the one that feeds soldiers out of the country.
Benon Tumwesigye the assistant commissioner in Defence told the committee that the money was meant for food, fuel and transport but promised to bring accurate accountability on Thursday this week.
Tumwesigye and Buturo acknowledged that it was 39.2 billion of which a loss of 4.4 billion shs was incurred during the year ending 30th June 2011. They explained that accumulation of arrears is due to perennial underfunding especially for items that are strategic like food fuel, medical treatment and utilities.
The Auditor General’s report also noted the loss of Shs10 billion meant for procurement of items that the ministry of Defence could not explain. It was also stated that a total of Shs175.4 billion was budgeted to cater for gross tax payments but actual expenditure amounted to only 71.4 billion shs.
18 entities did not utilize the money at all while several others utilized less than 30 percent of the appropriated gross tax resources. The AG notes that appropriating funds for activities whose likelihood of occurrence is remote has a number of implications such as providing avenues for irregular diversions. It also creates large budgetary slacks which provide for future unfair budgetary variations. The Defense ministry officials have until Thursday to provide proper explanations of their budget for the financial year under review.
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Two Suspected Armed Robbers Shot Dead

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Two armed robbers have been shot dead in a gunfire exchange with Police in Bugembe town council. 


The duo was shot dead on Tuesday evening September 24 after they allegedly robbed a businessman 15 million shillings at gun point.
Their victim, Brian Kidoodo explained that three thugs armed with two sub machine guns intercepted him along Gabula road in Jinja central division just after he had withdrawn 15 million shillings from Diamond Trust Bank.
One of the thugs who trailed him on foot grabbed his hand, which was carrying the polythene bag containing the 15 million shillings at the junction of Main Street and Gabula road.
According to Kidoodo a fight ensued and the money fell on the ground. The thugs over powered him and made away with the money at gun point
They jumped onto a motorcycle registration number UDQ O73A and sped off towards Bugembe town council.
Kidoodo immediately notified police, which swung into action and started pursuing the robbers. Police intercepted the robbers at Katende road in Bugembe town council leading to a gun fire exchange. Two robbers were gunned down forcing the remaining thug to flee.
Samson Lubega, the Busoga region police spokesperson said that they recovered two AK47 guns and the getaway motorcycle used by the thugs.
It is not clear, whether police also managed to recover the money. The exhibits were taken to Jinja central police station for safe custody
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M7 Blasts ICC In UN Address

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President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. UN Photo/Sarah Fretwell

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni lashed out at the International Criminal Court (ICC) accusing the body of ‘mishandling complex African issues with bias’
President Museveni made these stinging remarks while addressing the 68th United Nations General Assembly, New York.
The president cited Kenya as a case point saying “The ICC, in a shallow, biased way has continued to mishandle complex African issues,” he stated. “The ICC should stop…Kenya is recovering. Let her recover.”
President Museveni emphasized African anger regarding “actors who are beginning to make it a habit to ignore African Union positions on African matters.”
Museveni is one of scores of leaders to speak at the annual General Assembly session at which heads of State and Government and other high-level officials will present their views and comments on issues of individual national and international relevance.
Apart from bashing the ICC, President Museveni stated that well-managed natural resources can transform African economies.
With the country’s own income flow from the exploitation of oil and gas resources, Uganda is now able to transform itself into a modern, sustainable economy, the President said.
“With the resources from oil and gas, we shall be able to fund all our infrastructure needs,” Yoweri Kaguta Museveni said in his presentation on the first day of the Assembly’s annual General Debate. “The future is bright and our forward movement is irreversible,” he added.
While outlining Uganda’s struggle for socio-economic transformation, he said, “our biggest problem was funding; the small colonial modern economy was destroyed by Idi Amin.”
The president said that despite mistakes by some actors, Uganda had been able to achieve many of the Millennium Development goals, he said, concluding that, “Without any doubt, Uganda and much of Africa are moving forward robustly.”
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Westgate Mall Attack: Israeli Experts In Kenya To Help End Siege

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A team of Israeli experts has arrived in Kenya to help end the three-day standoff with Somalia’s al-Shabab fighters at a partly Tel Aviv-owned shopping mall in Nairobi.
Israeli officials refused to talk about the precise nature of the assistance they are providing to Kenyan authorities, The Associated Press reported on Monday.

Kenya security personnel take cover outside the Westgate Mall after shooting started inside the mall early Monday morning, Sept. 23, 2013

“Israel is always ready to help…friendly countries, in combating terrorism. I think that terrorism has become a threat to the entire world and therefore countries – the United States, Israel, and other Western countries – should cooperate,” said Yuval Steinitz, the Israeli cabinet minister for strategic affairs.
Israel and Kenya exchange intelligence. Tel Aviv has also trained security forces of the eastern African country, according to some reports.
Kenya government spokesman Manoah Esipisu said on Monday that the siege of Nairobi’s Westgate shopping mall, which has left at least 62 dead and about 200 injured, was nearing the end.
Kenyan forces backed by Israeli agents launched a major assault on Sunday evening to end the standoff that started on Saturday when 10 to 15 al-Shabab militants stormed the mall from two sides, and warned the Kenyan government to withdraw its troops from their country.
“Our special forces are inside the building checking the rooms. Obviously it’s a very, very big building,” Esipisu said.
According to reports, the dead also included three British nationals, two French women, two Canadian citizens, including a diplomat, a Chinese woman, two Indians, a Ghanaian poet, a South Korean, a South African, and a Dutch woman.
On Saturday, al-Shabab fighters claimed responsibility for the assault.
“The Christian government of Kenya invaded our country in October 2011 killing many innocent civilians with their military jets,” al-Shabab spokesman Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage said.
“We have warned Kenya of that attack, but it ignored (us), still forcefully holding our lands … while killing our innocent civilians,” Rage said.
“If you want Kenya in peace, it will not happen as long as your boys are in our lands,” Rage said in the statement.
Kenya has more than 4,000 army soldiers in southern Somalia, where they have been battling the al-Shabab fighters since 2011.
The Kenyan troops are part of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) that gets training and equipment from the United States.
Somalia has not had an effective central government since 1991, when warlords overthrew former dictator Mohamed Siad Barre.
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CAR: African Union Calls For More Support

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The African Union (AU) has called on the international community to show more support for the strife-torn Central African Republic (CAR).

People look at wounded and killed Seleka fighters after clashes in the CAR capital Bangui on September 16, 2013.

On Friday, AU’s Deputy Commissioner for Peace and Security El-Ghassim Wane said the poor African country has been in a “dire” situation since it was captured by forces of the Seleka rebel coalition back in March.
“CAR needs a lot of assistance, the humanitarian situation is dire, we need all to do more, whatever can be done to that end is welcome,” Wane said.
There are currently 1,100 African peacekeeping troops in CAR and the number is expected to rise above 3,500.
“We need to ensure that we mobilize the remaining troops as quickly as possible and get the mission on the ground,” Wane said.
The Seleka rebels launched an offensive against the CAR government in December 2012.
On January 11, then President Francois Bozizé and the representatives of the Seleka rebels signed an agreement in Libreville, Gabon, after three days of negotiations brokered by regional neighbors.
However, the deal fell through, and Michel Djotodia, leading thousands of Seleka rebels, captured the capital Bangui and proclaimed himself president after seizing power from Bozizé on March 24.
The Seleka rebels have been accused of killing, looting, and raping after they gained power in the country.
On September 13, CAR President Michel Djotodia said he was dissolving the rebel group, which brought him to power, without any further details.
There are many mineral resources, including gold and diamond, in the Central African Republic. However, the country is extremely poor and has faced a series of rebellions and coups since it gained independence in 1960.
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Al-Shabab Defends Nairobi Westgate Attack

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Al-Shabab – the Al-Qaeda-linked Somali Islamist rebel group – has claimed responsibility for a terrorist attack in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

A woman is carried to safety on Saturday after masked gunmen stormed a mall and shot at shoppers and staff in Nairobi, Kenya. Simon Maina/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The attack launched on Saturday on the upscale Westgate shopping mall has killed at least 68 people and wounded more than 150 others. Heavy gunfire continued to ring out early Monday.
International news site, Al Jazeera’s Hamza Mohamed interviewed al-Shabab’s spokesman for military operations, Sheikh Abulaziz Abu Muscab, as the siege at the mall entered it’s third day. Abulaziz spoke about why the group attacked Nairobi now. He also provided insight into al-Shabab’s relations with the Mombasa Republican Council, a group the Kenyan government designated as a terrorist organisation.
Al Jazeera: It is more than two years since Kenyan troops went into Somalia to fight al-Shabab. Why did al-Shabab attack Nairobi now?
Sheikh Abulaziz Abu Muscab: We have been late in attacking Nairobi. We did not attack before because they were expecting us to attack. Our aim is to attack our enemy when they least expect us to attack. This time they were not expecting us to attack. We choose when to attack, and best time to attack.
AJ: Is this al-Shabab’s first attack in Nairobi?
SA: Thats not the importing thing. The important thing is it is us who attacked now. It is not important to say we attacked before or not.
AJ: This attack is happening at Westgate Mall, which, when the attack started, was full of shoppers. Why is al-Shabab attacking a place that is full of civilians?
SA: The place we attacked is Westgate shopping mall. It is a place where tourists from across the world come to shop, where diplomats gather. It is a place where Kenya’s decision-makers go to relax and enjoy themselves. Westgate is a place where there are Jewish and American shops. So we have to attack them.
On civilian deaths, Kenya should first be asked why they bombed innocent Somali civilians in refugee camps, why they bombed innocent people in Gedo and Jubba regions. They should be asked that first before us.
AJ: Al-Shabab claims to work to protect Muslims and Somalis in particular. Some of the people killed in this attack suggests otherwise.
SA: History supports our claim. We are the only ones protecting Somalis and Somalia. We are the only group fighting Somalia’s historic enemies. We are the only one who can say “no” to Somalis’ enemies.
On the loss of lives, there were Kenyan soldiers firing back at our fighters. There was an exchange of gunfire. There is no evidence it was our bullets that killed them.

Shoppers flee Nairobi’s Westgate Mall [Reuters]

We released all Muslims when we took control of the mall. Witnesses have backed us on this.
AJ: Do you think this attack will make Kenya withdraw its troops from Somalia?
SA: That question is not for us to answer. That is for the Kenyan government to answer. It is up to them to withdraw their soldiers or not. If they don’t withdraw, attacks like this will become common in Kenya. It is possible if they don’t withdraw attacks like this will happen in Kenyan cities and towns every day.
AJ: Before Kenyan troops went into Somalia in October 2011, what was al-Shabab’s relation with the Kenyan government?
SA: We always knew Kenya is the enemy of the Somali people. We knew this when we controlled the border towns. Kenya invading us was not unexpected. We don’t believe them and we dont trust them.
AJ: Kenya says it will go after the perpetrators of this attack and won’t stop until they are defeated. What do you say to that?
SA: We are not perpetrators. We are only defending ourselves and defending our rights, the rights of the Somali people.
Today no one has a worse criminal record than the Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta. He’s talking about tens of people killed at Westgate while he’s responsible for the deaths of thousands of people killed when he was running for the presidency. If Kenyans want to hold someone accountable for crimes they should first start with him.
AJ: Many, including the Somali and Kenyan governments, are saying al-Shabab targeting a place full of civilians is a sign of weakness, that al-Shabab is on the back foot and will soon be history. Is that the case?
SA: Whom are these people judging us? These people’s weakness is public for everyone to see. The Somali government is protected by tanks for them to stay in power. The Kenyans rely on foreign support, even to deal with a small matter like Westgate. They asked for Western support.
AJ: Finally, Kenya has designated the Mombasa Republican Council (MYC) as a terrorist organisation. The group has on many occasions endorsed al-Shabab. What is al-Shabab’s relationship with MYC?
SA: The relations between MYC and us are the same relations between Muslims. They are our Muslim brothers. Islam is our common relation, and they have the same right from us like any other Muslim
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