African press review 1 May 2013

Mystery surrounds the sudden death of a Kenyan senator. Who will judge Uhuru? Are Uganda and Rwanda embarrassing east Africa? And who can Museveni trust?

The main story in Kenya this morning concerns yesterday's postmortem on the body of Senator Mutula Kilonzo, who died suddenly last weekend.

Seven pathologists, including a respected British expert in cases of sudden death, took part in the postmortem examination of the body of the late Makueni senator.

Following an eight-hour examination, according to the Standard, the doctors concurred that the cause of death could only be established following additional tests which will be carried out over the next eight to 10 weeks.

The main story in the Nairobi-based Daily Nation is headlined "Four theories in Mutula mystery".

The police are pursuing four possible causes of death, we learn.

Suicide, heart attack, poison or an overdose of drugs are all being considered, according to a detective on the case, who cannot be named because officers are not allowed to comment on an ongoing investigation.

Also in the Standard, news that the president of the International Criminal Court has appointed Judge Robert Fremr to replace Judge Christine Van den Wyngaert, who pulled out of the case against Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, citing her heavy workload.

Meanwhile, in the Daily Nation, we are told that the special international crimes division to be established at the Nairobi High Court will not take over the cases facing Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto at The Hague, this according to Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.

Mutunga said the division would handle cases relating to international crimes such as terrorism, drug trafficking, piracy and money-laundering.

“The initiative has nothing to do with the International Criminal Court cases of the three Kenyans at The Hague,” Mutunga said. “The eventual establishment of the division is not in any way intended to take over those cases.”

Kenyatta and Ruto are charged with crimes against humanity relating to the violence that followed the 2007 presidential election. Also charged is radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

Regional newspaper The East African says the lack of clear transition laws in Uganda and faltering political reforms in Rwanda could dent the democracy credentials of the entire east African Community.

Progress in democracy in the region has been slow and uneven compared with the rest of the world, according to the latest survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The report, the Democracy Index 2012, based on the data collected last year, ranks Tanzania as the most democratic country in east Africa, followed by Uganda, Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda in that order.

The democracy index is based on five considerations:

• electoral processes and pluralism;
• civil liberties;
• the functioning of government; political participation;
• political culture.

The report suggests that, of the 44 sub-Saharan countries polled, only the Indian Ocean island of Mauritius can be considered a full democracy; 10 are flawed democracies, nine are hybrid regimes and 24 are authoritarian regimes.

South Africa, Ghana and Zambia are among the flawed democracies.

The East African also tells us that Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni is fighting almost single-handedly to rescue a number of important projects from what he sees as a bureaucratic stranglehold on national priorities.

The regional paper goes on to say that the president is relying on an ever-narrowing circle of trusted aides.

In the face of an economy that is performing below potential, delays in the development of the petroleum sector and a real possibility that donors, who support 30 per cent of the national budget, may cut off funding altogether in the next financial year, Museveni needs to secure the country’s energy supply to keep the manufacturing sector ticking over.

But his efforts to get the 600MW Karuma hydropower station on-line remain hostage to vested interests, says The East African. The president has accused a section of his cabinet of soliciting a 152-million-euro bribe from the main contractor, the China Water and Electricity Corporation, which the Inspectorate of Government has recommended should be barred from bidding for the works.

A cabinet meeting on 12 April endorsed a bilateral deal negotiated by the president with China to fund the project and provide a contractor.

One week later, however, that deal was halted by a court order alleging improper procurement procedures.