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African press review 9 June 2018

The Kenyan national anti-fraud commission is described as the weakest link in the fight against official theft. South African former president Jacob Zuma warns that he's getting fed up playing the role of the good guy. And Egypt has a new cabinet.

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A Ugandan MP and his bodyguard have been shot dead near Kampala, both  regional paper the East African and the Ugandan Daily Monitor report.

The Arua Municipality Member of Parliament, Ibrahim Abiriga, was in his car with his bodyguard when the two were gunned down. The killing took place near Abiriga's home in Matugga, 16km northwest of the capital.

Abiriga was one of the key proponents of the controversial amendment of the constitution which removed presidential age caps, a change which will allow President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, to seek reelection.

Mugabe's son-in-law jailed in Zimbabwe

Former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law was taken into police custody on Thursday for allegedly holding an airline lawyer hostage.

Simba Chikore, the husband of Mugabe’s only daughter Bona, was held for questioning following a labour dispute, according to the police.

The lawyer, Bertha Zakeyo, an employee of the national carrier Zimbabwe Airways, told the police that Chikore had locked her into her office.

Zakeyo said Chikore accused her of selling confidential information about the airline.

Official's lavish lifestyle interests corruption investigators

Corruption once again dominates the Kenyan front pages.

The main headline in the Daily Nation reads "National Youth Service suspect lives like a king on 160,000 shilling pay". That's 1,350 euros and is the monthly salary of Bernard Masiga Ayienga, a senior finance officer at the Public Service Ministry.

He has attracted the attention of Youth Service fraud investigators because of his lavish lifestyle and love for the finer things in life.

Aside from a luxury bungalow in his village home, Ayienga also owns what the Daily Nation calls another ‘palatial home’ in Nairobi’s upmarket Karen Estate.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered his arrest.

A total of eight billion shillings (67 million euros) is missing from the accounts of the National Youth Service.

Is Kenyan corruption agency fighting fraud?

The Standard blames the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for the whole mess, describing the legal agency as the "weakest link" in the fight against fraud.

The commission, according to the Standard report, an agency mandated by law and once trusted by Kenyans to lead the fight against graft, is increasingly finding itself isolated as a result of its classic head-in-the-sand tactic and lackadaisical approach to duty.

Earlier this week the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee in the Kenyan Senate questioned the relevance of a body which has remained ineffective in the face of widespread official corruption.

Zuma issues explosive warning to his critics

In South Africa former president Jacob Zuma says he's fed up being the good guy.

He has once again threatened to expose those who call him corrupt.

Speaking to a few hundred supporters outside the High Court in Durban, Zuma warned that if people did not stop speaking about him, he would expose them.

He said the truth would come out about those who were seen to be saints.

This is not the first time Zuma has made threats about exposing other politicians, many of them in the ANC.

The ANC’s national executive committee has called on party structures not to show support for anyone facing corruption charges.

Zuma made his second appearance in court on graft charges of Friday.

The matter has been postponed to 27 July to allow the former president to clarify who exactly is going to pay his legal bills.

Egypt gets a new PM, government

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has appointed Housing Minister Mustafa Madbouly as acting prime minister and has asked him to form a new cabinet.

Egypt’s cabinet, including outgoing prime minister Sherif Ismail, resigned this week to pave the way for Sisi to appoint a new government following his reelection to a second term in office.

Ministers will retain their portfolios in a caretaker government.

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