Cameroon’s president returned home Monday after more than a monthlong absence that sparked rumors and speculation about the 91-year-old politician’s health.

Rumors about Paul Biya’s poor health and possible death became so widespread during his absence that the government issued statements that he was good health before banning any further public discussion on the topic.

Biya’s chartered airplane arrived late Monday afternoon from Geneva at Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport.

“Today the president is on his way and this will put an end to all the speculation,” a Cameroonian news presenter said.

Biya’s televised arrival showed him greeting officials, though he did not make a public address. 

Instead, Biya and his wife Chantal got into a car and were driven the 22-kilometer (14-mile) stretch to the presidential palace. The route was lined with supporters, many wearing outfits adorned with his image and carrying banners welcoming his return.

Fru Jonathan, a member Biya’s ruling Cameroon People’s Democratic Movement Party, called media reports that civilians were either hired or intimidated to turn out en masse to welcome Biya unfounded.

Billboards along the route also bore messages welcoming the president’s return and wishing him well. “Welcome home, Mr. President of the Republic,” one billboard said, according to Agence France Presse.

Earlier this month, Cameroon issued a statement that the president would return to Cameroon within days. During his absence from public life, the president missed the United Nations General Assembly in New York and a summit for French-speaking nations in Paris.

Some information for this report came from Reuters and Agence France-Presse. 
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Gaborone — Early voting in Botswana Saturday was marred by irregularities, including a lack of ballot papers, forcing the electoral body to order a re-run in some voting areas. The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has been criticized for mishandling the voting process as concerns mount ahead of the October 30 general election.

Advance voting was open to more than 12,000 polling officers, plus thousands of police officers and army personnel.

Jefferson Siamisang, secretary of the IEC, said his office did not anticipate the large turnout, which he said caused ballot papers to run out.

In some of the 61 constituencies, Siamisang said there were irregularities to do with the ballot papers and voter roll.  In these areas, re-runs have been ordered for next weekend.

 “We apologize to the voters and plead with them to go vote again on Saturday in areas that were affected by the irregularities. We will be better prepared to ensure citizens are able to exercise their right on Election Day,” he said.

The conduct of the advance voting by the IEC has attracted criticism from political parties, including the ruling Botswana Democratic Party (BDP).

BDP spokesperson, Kgalalelo Kentse said the IEC must address the situation to ensure voters can exercise their right to vote.

Opposition Botswana Congress Party (BCP) president, Dumelang Saleshando said his party is considering legal action against the electoral body.

“We are very concerned with what happened today. It is clear that the IEC was not prepared to conduct the elections,” he said. “We do not want the IEC to deny citizens the right to vote on October 30 just because the electoral body is disorganized. If need be, we will take matters to court.” 

Opposition coalition Umbrella for Democratic Change said it was evident that there are efforts to rig the election. The UDC will lead other opposition parties in a protest scheduled for Saturday over election concerns.

Political analyst Adam Phetlhe said public perception of the IEC has been eroded following Saturday’s events.

“The weekend fiasco has exposed the IEC for what it is, and it somehow confirms the widely held view that the IEC is a compromised organization which is not prepared to hold the general elections next week,” he said.

Phetlhe said the situation will help advance claims from opposition parties that the poll will be rigged.

“The opposition parties are taking advantage of the situation to portray the IEC in a bad light. But I think in the absence of any credible evidence to suggest there will be vote rigging, it is something else. But that is what opposition parties do in these kinds of circumstances,” he said.  

For Botswana voters abroad, 10 out of 51 polling stations experienced ballot paper shortages and the IEC says those affected will also be allowed to vote this Saturday.
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Sudan’s army said on Sunday a commander from its foe the Rapid Support Forces had defected with some of his troops, the first such move by a senior figure since the two sides went to war more than 18 months ago.

Supporters of the army posted photos online purporting to show Abuagla Keikal – a former army officer who became the RSF’s top commander in the southeastern state of El Gezira – after he had defected.

The RSF later published a statement alleging that Keikal had switched sides after a “deal,” and saying that it had inflicted losses on the forces that defected with him in the east of El Gezira state, where Keikal is from.

The army, which has recently reported gains against the RSF in parts of the capital, said Keikal had decided to make the move because of the RSF’s “destructive agenda.”

There was no immediate comment from Keikal, who was a military intelligence officer before the war.

The RSF has seized control of large parts of Sudan in a conflict with the army that the United Nations says has caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

The war has displaced more than 10 million people, driven parts of the country to extreme hunger or famine, and drawn in foreign powers that have given both sides material support.

It began in April 2023 when tensions between the RSF and the army, who had been jostling for position ahead of an internationally backed transition to civilian rule, erupted into open conflict.

The army and the RSF had previously shared power after staging a coup in 2021, two years after veteran autocrat Omar al-Bashir was toppled in a popular uprising.
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Geneva — The WHO chief on Sunday urged Rwanda to keep up its fightback against Marburg, as the country battles an outbreak of one of the world’s deadliest viruses.  

There have been 62 confirmed cases and 15 deaths in the outbreak, which was first announced in late September.  

No new cases have been detected in the last six days and 44 people have recovered from infection.  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization, visited Rwanda to see the outbreak response for himself and hailed the country’s handling of the situation.  

“We’re pleased to see that there have been no new cases in the past six days, and we hope that remains the case,” he told a press conference in the capital Kigali.  

“But we are dealing with one of the world’s most dangerous viruses, and continued vigilance is essential.  

“Enhanced surveillance, contact tracing and infection prevention and control measures must continue at scale until the outbreak is declared over.”  

Such a declaration can only be made after 42 days — two consecutive incubation periods — without a new confirmed case.  

Marburg is transmitted to humans from fruit bats, and is part of the filovirus family that includes Ebola.  

With a fatality rate of up to 88 percent, Marburg’s highly infectious hemorrhagic fever is often accompanied by bleeding and organ failure.   

However, the case fatality rate in this outbreak has been held down at 24 percent.   

On Saturday, Tedros visited the treatment center where the remaining patients are being looked after.  

“Two of the patients we met had experienced all of the symptoms of Marburg, including multiple organ failure, but they were put on life support, they were successfully intubated and extubated, and are now recovering,” he said.  

“We believe this is the first time patients with Marburg virus have been extubated in Africa. These patients would have died in previous outbreaks.”  

There are currently no officially approved vaccines nor approved antiviral treatments, but potential treatments, including blood products, immune and drug therapies are being evaluated.  

A vaccination program using a trial vaccine was launched in Rwanda earlier this month. 
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YAOUNDE, CAMEROON — Concern is growing in Cameroon about 92-year-old President Paul Biya, who has not been seen in public for more than 40 days.

Biya has not yet returned to Cameroon more than a week after state officials said he would be back from Geneva, following rumors of his death. Several groups say Biya’s long absence suggests he is not healthy enough to be president.

Biya was last seen in public on September 8, while leaving Beijing, where he attended the Africa-China forum in the company of world leaders, a few of his collaborators and his wife, Chantal Biya.

Civilians say they suspect Biya is not in good health and is receiving treatment wherever he is.

Opposition and civil society groups say Biya should be in the country to lead the nation amid multiple challenges, including a prolonged separatist crisis that has claimed more than 6,000 lives in the country’s western regions.

Government troops are fighting Boko Haram terrorists on the northern border with Chad and Nigeria, and rebels are fleeing to eastern Cameroon from armed conflicts in the neighboring Central African Republic.

Tamfu Richard, a human rights lawyer and a member of the Cameroon Party for National Reconciliation, or CPNR, said he has delivered a petition to National Assembly Speaker Cavaye Yeguie Djibril to inform Cameroon’s constitutional council of what he says is a vacancy created by Biya’s absence.

“I am simply requesting the president [speaker] of the National Assembly to exercise a constitutional right, which is to refer the vacancy [Biya’s long absence] to the constitutional council,” Richard said. “According to the [Cameroon] constitution, the seat of institutions is in Yaounde, and if the president of the republic is out of Cameroon, not on an official visit or for justifiable reasons, it could be that the president of the republic has absconded from his place of work.”

VOA could not independently verify if Richard’s petition has been received by the speaker of the national assembly, but copies of the document have been widely circulated on social media.

On October 9, government officials said social and mainstream media reports that Biya was dead were unfounded. They said Biya was alive and in excellent health and was to return to Cameroon soon.

When reports aired calling for Biya’s whereabouts to be made public and saying civilians want to see their president, Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji banned the media from discussing Biya’s health. Nji ordered authorities to monitor all media to make sure violators are charged for illegally discussing top security issues.

Ndi Eugene Ndi, president of the Yaounde chapter of the Cameroon Association of English Speaking Journalists, or CAMASEJ, says most media ignore the ban.

“The press should be free to talk about the president’s health,” Ndi said. “The citizens have to know where the president is through the media.”

Biya has ruled Cameroon for more than four decades. Opposition parties say he rules with an iron fist and wants to keep power until he dies. Biya has always claimed he won all elections after he constitutionally took power from Ahmadou Ahidjo, Cameroon’s first president, in 1982. Ahidjo resigned after complaining of his failing health.
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JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN — South Sudan is making significant strides in addressing the gender gap in education by reintegrating teenage mothers into schools, experts say.

Juol Nhomngek Daniel, a South Sudanese lawmaker, said the rate of early and forced marriage among teenage girls is alarming.

“This is a very serious issue that … South Sudan should pay attention to because it mostly disadvantages women and young girls,” Daniel said.

Early marriage is still common in many communities in South Sudan. Girls are often married off to secure economic stability for their families, a practice that not only limits their potential by denying their right to education but also perpetuates cycles of poverty.

For example, Fatima was in her final year of primary school when she was forced into marriage. Her family cited financial struggles as the reason for the early marriage, a move that nearly ended her education.

“I was forced to get married by my parents. That’s why I had to drop out of school,” said Fatima, whose real name is not being used for fear of reprisals.

Fatima’s story mirrors that of Naye, who had her first child during her final year of high school. Her parents saw her pregnancy as the end of her education.

Naye (also not her real name) said that after she conceived, she “never got the support” that she used to receive from her parents, and that she struggles “to provide for myself and for my girl.”

Determined to continue her education, Naye returned to school six months after giving birth, defying societal expectations. Now she is pursuing a degree in business administration at St. John Catholic University in Yambio.

For Nelly (not her real name), her parents saw her marriage as an opportunity for economic gain. A local man promised to give her parents several cows and millions of South Sudanese pounds as a dowry, leading them to push her into marriage.

Nelly had her own dreams, though, and agreed to marry a man of her choosing, with the condition that he would allow her to go back to school.

“I got a man because my parents weren’t paying my school fees,” she said. “He told me to first give birth, and then he would pay my school fees. That’s how I got pregnant and dropped out of school. Now he has accepted to pay for my education.”

Daniel, the lawmaker, said addressing early and forced marriage in South Sudan requires a concerted effort to challenge deep-seated cultural practices.

“It is hard to eliminate because of cultural aspects,” Daniel said. “Early and forced marriage is seen as a positive value in the society rather than a vice. To eradicate it, we need deep-rooted government policies that address practices like forced and child marriage.”

Attitudes are slowly changing in communities where education for girls is not a priority, thanks to grassroots campaigns by international organizations. These efforts are reshaping cultural perceptions and highlighting the value of educating girls.

Now back in school, Fatima encourages parents to reconsider early marriage and prioritize education for their children, especially girls.

“I would never want my daughter to go through the life I’ve experienced,” she said. “I will give my children equal rights to education and ensure they have the support I didn’t.”

The Ministry of General Education and Instruction reports that over 70% of children — more than 2.8 million — are not going to school. Conflict, displacement and early marriage are the major reasons for the high dropout rates.

International organizations such as Save the Children play a crucial role in supporting girls’ education, especially for young mothers such as Fatima and Naye.

Isaac Otieno, education technical specialist at Save the Children International in Juba, said his organization “has been deliberate in supporting girls in school.”

“We are investing heavily in reenrolling young mothers who dropped out due to pregnancy,” he said. “Through our Multi-Year Resilience Program, funded by Education Cannot Wait, we provide school uniforms, scholastic materials, and advocate with school authorities to accept these young mothers back into school.”
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NAIROBI, Kenya — He may be the president of a small, landlocked state in central Africa, but Paul Kagame has always had outsize dreams. 

In recent months, Rwanda’s president has embarked on perhaps the biggest of them all by pitching to bring a Formula 1 Grand Prix to a country that was mired in genocide 30 years ago but now sees itself as one of the continent’s leaders. 

Determined to overcome his country’s geographical disadvantages, Kagame has relentlessly pursued a political, diplomatic and economic strategy to make Rwanda an African heavyweight. 

In the past four years, he has sent troops to engage rebels in the Central African Republic and mount counterinsurgency operations in Mozambique. 

At home he has pursued economic reforms to lure foreign investors, transforming Rwanda into a country with a reputation as one of Africa’s least corrupt and most business friendly, despite Kagame’s own reputation as a democratic laggard. 

But when it comes to sport, his aspirations extend well beyond Africa. 

Since 2018, his government has secured sponsorship deals with some of Europe’s biggest soccer clubs, developed a partnership with the NBA and spent hundreds of millions of dollars in developing Rwanda’s sports facilities. 

Next year Rwanda will stage the world championships for bicycle road racing. 

Kagame himself has built a close working relationship with Gianni Infantino, the president of FIFA, which has opened an office in Rwanda and held its annual meeting there last year. 

Now he is taking the biggest step yet in his ambition to transform the country into a global sporting power, with F1 executives confirming that they are in exploratory talks with Kagame’s government about a possible Rwandan Grand Prix. 

Experts say that could require billions of dollars in investment and outlay. Given that Gross Domestic Product stands at just $14.1 billion and that there is at yet no track on which to host a race, the idea of a Rwandan Grand Prix might seem far-fetched. 

Yet with seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton pushing for an African F1 race and given Rwanda’s reputation as one of the continent’s more reliable and transparent states, it is not impossible either. 

Stefano Domenicali, F1’s chief executive, has described Rwanda’s proposal as “serious,” telling motorsport.com that “they have presented a good plan.” 

“We want to go to Africa, but we need to have the right investment, and the right strategic plan,” he added. 

The country’s motorsports profile may receive a boost when the FIA’s governing body hosts its annual general assembly and prize giving in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, in December — the first time the ceremony has been held in Africa. 

Both the Kagame administration and F1 officials are reluctant to reveal details about what they describe as “ongoing” discussions, but Rwandan government spokeswoman Yolande Makolo said hosting an F1 race would allow the country to move “from being a consumer of sport to a participant in the business of sports.” 

“Rwanda’s interest in Formula 1 aligns with our strategy to leverage sports for transformative impact,” she said. “We seek every opportunity to drive forward Rwanda’s development, including through global sporting partnerships.” 

Rwanda is not alone in seeking an F1 race, with potential competitors also in Africa. South Africa, which hosted Africa’s last Grand Prix in 1993, and Morocco, which staged 13 races between 1925 and 1958, are also reportedly keen to reenter the fray. 

That Rwanda is bidding at all reveals much about how Kagame views sport as an economic and geopolitical weapon. 

If Rwanda can navigate the obvious economic risks, its ambitious sporting strategy could yield big dividends, both financially and diplomatically. The Seoul Olympics in 1988 helped South Korea transform its global image as an insulated, war-ravaged backwater to an emerging economy open to the world. 

Although no other sub-Saharan country has quite such a comprehensive and ambitious strategy, Rwanda is following the example of countries like Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar, which have used sport — including the hosting of Grand Prix races — to boost their reputations abroad. 

Like them, Rwanda has faced criticism that it is using sport to distract attention from a checkered human rights record. 

Kagame, who secured 99.2 percent of the vote in July’s presidential election, is accused of using increasingly repressive methods to consolidate his 30-year grip on power. Critics of his ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front have experienced intimidation, arrest and even death. 

Meanwhile, the United Nations has accused Kagame’s government of stoking, funding and arming a rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda’s troubled neighbor to the east. The United States cut military aid to Rwanda in protest. 

Accusations of ‘sportswashing’

Both Rwanda and its international sporting partners have faced accusations that they are using sport to divert attention from Kagame’s rights record, a practice known as “sportswashing.” 

In August, two U.S. senators, Republican Marsha Blackburn and Democrat Jeff Merkley, wrote to the NBA accusing it of “putting profit over principle” by forging close ties with the Rwandan government. 

Some European lawmakers have raised similar objections to question Rwanda’s sponsorship of soccer clubs Arsenal, Paris Saint Germain and Bayern Munich, a strategy Kagame’s government says will boost tourism. 

The prospect of a Rwandan F1 race has renewed such criticism. 

“The critical question is what kind of due diligence Formula 1 did to ensure it lives up to its own stated human rights commitments and avoid contributing to laundering the Rwandan government’s human rights record,” said Clementine de Montjoye, senior researcher in the Africa division at Human Rights Watch. “Rwanda’s partners should open their eyes and see Kigali’s wide-reaching human rights abuse for what it is: the consequence of three decades of impunity for the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front.” 

Rwanda is far from the only country with a contentious rights record that has used sport to shape a different narrative about itself. Saudi Arabia, stung by scrutiny following the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, has invested more than $10 billion in sport, including golf, F1 and soccer. Infantino has steered the men’s 2034 World Cup hosting rights toward Saudi Arabia. 

Qatar, which has close commercial links with Rwanda, spent $230 billion on hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

Yet Rwanda is a financial minnow in comparison and depends on donor aid to fund 40% of government expenditure, leading to questions about the wisdom of seeking to emulate Gulf petrostates. 

“The Saudis employed this sort of strategy to get people to forget about awkward things like dismembering journalists,” said Michela Wrong, author of Do Not Disturb, a book critical of Kagame. “But the difference is Saudi Arabia can afford these deals. Rwanda can’t. Rwanda is a very poor country, heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture and foreign aid, which is pouring millions of dollars into some of the world’s richest clubs. There is something innately distasteful about this.” 

There is little doubt that Kagame’s sports strategy is an economic gamble. 

Despite his business-friendly policies, Rwanda’s market has proved too small to lure significant inward investment, something that hosting big-ticket sporting events could go some way to address, particularly if it gains “first mover advantage” by getting ahead of other African rivals. 

On the other hand, even richer states have struggled to make event hosting pay. 

“Sporting events are incredibly expensive to stage and the net impact is very often negative rather than positive,” said Simon Chadwick, a professor of sport and geopolitical economy. “For Rwanda, given its relative economic weakness, this will be a concern.”
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Cameroonian journalists say they are grappling with a new government directive prohibiting public discourse or media coverage of President Paul Biya’s health.

The ban, issued by Territorial Administration Minister Paul Atanga Nji on October 9, follows media speculation about the 91-year-old president’s absence from public view. The directive has sparked debate within Cameroon’s media, which faces a critical choice of whether to adhere to the ban and avoid retaliation or continue reporting on matters of public concern.

VOA’s Cameroon reporter Moki Edwin Kindzeka said that responses among journalists varied. “Some have ignored the ban and continued reporting on President Paul Biya’s long absence, [and] ill health,” he said. “Others are scared, some have been silent on the issue,” he added, pointing out that authorities are closely monitoring media coverage and increasing the pressure on journalists who must navigate a restrictive landscape.

Another freelance reporter for VOA’s French to Africa Service, journalist Emmanuel Jules Ntap, said media organizations are being cautious.

“Journalists are scared, and media organizations are being careful. No one is talking about the health of the president,” he said, capturing what some media advocates are characterizing as self-censorship.

“The press is speaking about his long absence from the country but not his health,” he added.

The ban has drawn strong reactions from international press freedom organizations.

Reporters Without Borders condemned it as an “act of intimidation and censorship.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists echoed these concerns.

“Using national security as the reason to censor is a favorite government tool. If you look at the amount of coverage that the latest ban on reporting about Biya’s health has received, it’s by far the international media and journalists outside the country who are reporting on it,” Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal told VOA, adding that the restriction is part of a broader trend in Cameroon.

The directive adds to an ongoing pattern of press suppression, Quintal said. She added that local journalists face pressure to self-censor, which is a common issue in Cameroon, especially ahead of next year’s elections.

Cameroon’s history of media repression is well-documented. Over the years, journalists have faced threats, imprisonment, and even death for covering politically sensitive topics such as corruption or conflict.

There are at least five journalists currently imprisoned on charges linked to their reporting, including those who have covered the country’s conflict in the English-speaking Northwest and Southwest regions, according to CPJ. These journalists are often detained under anti-state charges and, in some cases, tried in military courts.

One such journalist who knows too well what Cameroonian prison is like and is now exiled in Europe is Cameroonian journalist Mimi Mefo Newuh, founder of the independent news outlet Mimi Mefo Info.

“By linking this ban to national security simply means that violators, anyone who dares talks about the health of the president of the Republic will be charged,” she said. “Using the 2014 anti-terrorism legislation in Cameroon and you know what has happened to even journalists like myself.”

VOA reached out to the National Communication Council and the prime minister’s office for comment and email inquiries went unanswered.

The risks associated with reporting on controversial topics have driven many Cameroonian journalists to self-censor. In 2018, Samuel Wazizi, a journalist who covered the Anglophone crisis, died in government custody, allegedly due to torture. The 2023 murder of Martinez Zogo, known for exposing corruption, further highlighted the dangers faced by journalists.

Angela Quintal pointed out that international journalists have been covering the ban more extensively than local media, underscoring the limitations imposed on Cameroonian reporters.

“By issuing the ban, the government only fueled the speculation and made it a story of international interest,” she said. “The Cameroonian state media are silent, while a few private media outlets, journalists, have been brave enough to ask the question that is every Cameroonian’s right to know, where is the president and what are the circumstances of his health?”

Mefo said that the situation reflects a recurring theme in Cameroon. “This is not the first time it’s happened in Cameroon,” she said. “The reason why this one is peculiar and why it’s also making news is the fact that it’s not just about the health of the president, it is also about his whereabout where he is, and whether he’s actually fit to continue being president of the country.”

Mefo highlighted the challenges faced by journalists covering Biya’s health amid the ban.

“The media, including social media platforms, were stopped from reporting about the health of the president. Even ordinary Cameroonians were warned against doing that,” she said.

Many programs that would typically discuss this topic have shifted to other subjects, and citizens are cautious about posting anything online for fear of reprisal. “Most of their programs were talking about something else, whereas the main topic at the moment is about President Paul Biya,” she said.

The ban on covering Biya’s health is only one aspect of a wider crackdown on press freedom in Cameroon. The government has used laws against criminal defamation, false news, and anti-state charges to silence dissenting voices. In recent years, journalists have been jailed, attacked, and forced into exile. The National Communication Council, the country’s media regulatory body, frequently imposes restrictions and penalties on news outlets that criticize the government or address sensitive issues.

“Cameroon is among the worst jailers of journalists in sub-Saharan Africa,” Quintal said. She added that reporting on issues such as the Boko Haram insurgency, the Anglophone crisis, and corruption is especially dangerous for journalists.

Despite these challenges, advocates say journalists continue to find ways to report on pressing issues. Mefo described how her team has adopted security measures to protect reporters covering the president’s health. “We had to engage in additional security measures after the ban, like changing the names completely, because usually my reporters use pseudonyms to write,” she said.

This story originated in VOA’s Africa Division. French to Africa’s Abdourahmane Dia contributed to the report.  
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nairobi, kenya — Kenyan lawmakers voted Thursday to remove Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua from office over accusations of gross misconduct, irregular acquisition of wealth, undermining of the president and ethnic division, among other charges.

Lawmakers proceeded with the impeachment even after Gachagua fell ill. The Senate approved five of the 11 charges against him, immediately removing him from office, the speaker of the Senate, Amason Kingi, announced a little before midnight.

Gachagua, who was supposed to testify on his own behalf, was admitted to the hospital before he could do so with what his lawyers described as severe chest pains. The proceedings were suspended but eventually resumed.

Gachagua had denied all the charges against him.

Javas Bigambo, a Kenyan lawyer and governance consultant, watched the proceedings. The deputy president and his lawyers worked hard “to remove the aspect of criminal liability of the DP” but failed to separate him “from the political culpability or responsibility in the number of offenses leveled against him,” Bigambo said.

Gachagua’s lawyers walked out of the Senate chamber when their plea to adjourn the proceedings until next Tuesday was rejected. Another motion to postpone the proceedings until Saturday to meet a 10-day constitutional deadline was defeated as well.

On the Senate floor, some lawmakers argued against impeaching Gachagua. They said that some of the accusations were unfounded and that not enough proof had been given to justify impeachment. Some said they wished Gachagua could have been present to respond to the accusations in person.

Bigambo said this was a historic moment for Kenya, the region and constitutional democracy.

The president could nominate a new deputy within 14 days and send the name to the National Assembly, which would then have 60 days to approve it. But Bigambo said things might move much faster.

He said it was possible that the president could forward his nomination to lawmakers tomorrow. The National Assembly is scheduled to have a special sitting then to address other matters, and lawmakers could also consider the nomination “because next week they are going on recess.” He said the nominee “may be sworn in by Saturday.”

Bigambo added that if Gachagua hoped to challenge his impeachment in court, his earliest opportunity would be after a national holiday on Monday. By that time, Bigambo said, it could be too late for the court to act.

Meanwhile, the doctor who treated Gachagua told reporters outside the hospital that his condition was stable, but that he would be kept at the hospital for observation for about 48 to 72 hours.
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Abuja, Nigeria — Authorities in Nigeria have announced plans to review safety protocols for the transportation of gasoline after a deadly tanker accident and explosion in Jigawa state killed more than 140 people Wednesday.

President Bola Tinubu said the review will be “swift and comprehensive,” but some observers are skeptical that safety standards will improve.

The tanker crashed in the village of Majiya and a short time later burst into flames, killing and injuring many who had gathered around the wreckage to scoop up spilled fuel.  

Tinubu said a review of transport protocols for gasoline will be carried out in partnership with various state authorities and that offenders of the new regulations will be punished. 

It is not clear what the new regulations will be. 

The president also sent top government officials including his defense and transportation ministers, along with food aid and medical supplies, to the site of Wednesday’s crash. 

Economic analyst Eze Onyekpere said he doesn’t expect any new measures from authorities. 

“It is a very unfortunate situation and position because the leadership of the country has not been proactive about planning for transporting of whether it’s crude oil or refined petroleum,” Onyekpere said. “The government is not known to think through issues, they just latch on when there’s a public outburst.” 

The accident in Jigawa comes barely one month after another tanker exploded after it collided with a truck in Niger state, killing 48 people. 

Tinubu has ordered the Federal Road Safety Corps, or FRSC, to strengthen enforcement of already existing road transport protocols, including regulations on night travels and official patrols. 

Energy expert Chukudi Victor Odoeme said the new measures are welcome, but is skeptical about compliance. 

“The federal government thinking at this point that it’s the time to put policies in place is a good one, but the only snag I see in this is compliance,” he said. “It has to do with enforcement, it’s not actually about the laws. Load limits have always been there, but it has never been enforced. They have to do a lot of enforcement, I don’t think it’s in creating new policies.” 

Nigeria’s 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles) of oil pipelines are often prone to vandalism, and petrol suppliers mostly rely on tankers to transport fuel around the country. But due to poorly maintained roads and disregard for existing road measures, tanker accidents are common. 

Onyekpere said the government needs to repair and protect the pipelines. 

“If those pipelines were secured and maintained, that would have been the cheapest and easiest way of transporting these things in such a manner that would not expose Nigerians to a lot of risk,” Onyekpere said. 

In 2020, more than 500 people died from about 1,500 tanker accidents, according to the FRSC.
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Nairobi — Kenya’s embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is reportedly at the hospital on the day he was scheduled to testify at his own impeachment trial.

Proceedings were suspended but would resume around 5pm local time according to the speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi. Kingi told the chamber he expects the deputy president to take the stand because he says this is “a time bound process… it is so ordered.”

Gachagua has pleaded not guilty to all allegations against him including corruption, inciting ethnic divisions and support for anti-government protests that saw demonstrators storm the country’s parliament. He could be the first sitting deputy president impeached in Kenya.

The case highlights the friction between him and President William Ruto — something that Ruto once vowed to avoid after his past troubled relationship as deputy to Kenya’s previous president, Uhuru Kenyatta.

Gachagua has said he believes the impeachment process has Ruto’s blessing, and has asked legislators to make their decision “without intimidation and coercion.”

The tensions risk introducing more uncertainty for investors and others in East Africa’s commercial hub.

Court rulings this week allowed the parliament and senate to proceed with the impeachment debate, despite concerns over irregularities raised by the deputy president’s lawyers.

The impeachment motion was approved in parliament last week and forwarded to the senate. Gachagua’s legal team will have Wednesday and Thursday to cross-examine witnesses, and the senate will vote Thursday evening.

The senate requires a two-thirds majority to approve the impeachment motion.

Under the Kenyan Constitution, the removal from office is automatic if approved by both chambers, though Gachagua can challenge the action in court — something he has said he would do.

Kenya’s president has yet to publicly comment on the impeachment process. Early in his presidency, he said he wouldn’t publicly humiliate his deputy.

Ruto, who came to office claiming to represent Kenya’s poorest citizens, has faced widespread criticism for his efforts to raise taxes in an effort to find ways to pay off foreign creditors. But the public opposition led him to shake up his cabinet and back off certain proposals.

VOA’s Mariama Diallo contributed to this report from Nairobi.
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Maputo — Daniel Chapo, the presidential candidate of Mozambique’s ruling party, is comfortably leading the vote count in nine of the country’s provinces and appears set to become the country’s next president. His closest challenger was running a distant second Wednesday as vote counting from last week’s election continued.

Preliminary results from Wednesday’s election announced so far show Chapo leading with over 50% of the vote in nine of Mozambique’s 11 provinces.

In the capital, Maputo, Chapo is ahead with over 53 percent, followed by independent candidate Venancio Mondlane at just under 34 percent.

Chapo has led at every polling station counted, according to the chairperson of the Maputo Provincial Election Commission, Lucilia Sitoe.

She said, “Daniel Franscisco Chapo, 656,056, which corresponds to 68.02. Venancio Antion Bila Mondlane, 260,792, which corresponds to 27.04%.”

The two other presidential candidates, Ossufo Momade of the opposition Renamo party, polled 9.6% of the vote in Maputo, followed by Lutero Simango of Mozambique Democratic Movement, MDM with 2.86%.

A similar scenario is also occurring in the central province of Zambezia, traditionally an opposition stronghold. There, Chapo is leading with 73%, with Mondlane a distant second with 14.7%.

In Sofala province, another longtime opposition stronghold, Chapo held 65% of the vote.

Turnout in Wednesday’s election was relatively low, less than 50%. According to data shared by electoral bodies, close to 9 million of Mozambique’s 17 million registered voters did not vote.

In the northern province of Nampula, the largest constituency in the country, more than 2 million voters stayed home and tens of thousands cast blank ballots – a common form of protest in Mozambique, showing dissatisfaction with all the candidates.

The numbers were similar in Zambezia, the country’s second-largest constituency.

In Cabo Delgado province, plagued by an insurgency by Islamist militants for several years, 925,000 people did not vote, 35,000 cast blank ballots and another 18,000 votes were spoiled.

The chairman of Mozambique’s national elections commission vowed that every ballot cast will be counted.

He said, “Every vote will be counted definitely, we are ready for that. The counting system is participatory because all the political parties are represented at polling stations so every vote will count and we just hope for the best.”

Final results are expected in about two weeks. Independent political analyst Dercio Alfazema said the next president faces high expectations from the public.

“Our expectations are number one, is to be well governed, so we have a challenge to obtain a better result, the people want the end of corruption, we are looking for more security, we are looking for more health service and the quality of education, the extension of the services such as infrastructure. We also have the problem of terrorism in the north, the kidnappings; the young people are looking for jobs and some opportunities,” said Alfazema.

The president-elect will be sworn into office in January, when current President Filipe Nyusi, who is barred by the constitution from running again, steps down at the end of his second five-year term.

Mariama Diallo, VOA’s Nairobi bureau chief, contributed to this story.
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