African press review 25 August 2011

Colonel Kadhafi's relationship with Uganda, a campaign to name and shame in Kenya and Eritrea left out in the cold are just some of the stories grabbing headlines in Africa's media.

In Uganda, the Daily Monitor takes a rather critical look at the country’s relationship with Moamer Kadhafi. Did you know that Kadhafi had been crowned “defender of the ancient kingdom of Tooro,” a region in Uganda?

He’s supposedly also the one who told President Museveni not to step down at the swearing in ceremony in 2001, when Museveni took office for the second (and in theory last) time.

In his words “revolutionaries don’t retire”. There were even rumours he had been invited to the crowing anniversary this year. Reasons, the paper says, the Libyan conflict has never really been discussed in the Ugandan press.

And still in the Daily Monitor, Eritrea was not allowed to attend an Intergovernmental Authority Development meeting. The country’s envoy had to wait outside in the hallway, as other member nations met behind closed door.

Eritrea had self-suspended its membership four years ago and now wants back in. But other members don’t agree, saying the issue needs to be discussed in more detail, especially since the UN is gearing up to slap further sanctions on Eritrea.

And here’s a list you don’t want to be on, especially if you are a public official - the 'list of shame'.

According to Kenya’s Daily Nation, the Kenyan Human Rights Commission named MPs, administrators, police, diplomats and even a prominent psychiatrist it says have been involved in “gross human rights violations, grand corruption and other economic crimes.”

The commission had been set up by the Kenyan government to compile the list, which they’ve named: “Lest we forget, the faces of impurity in Kenya.” The commission suggests that the individuals should be barred from holding public office.

Staying in Kenya, the Anti-Corruption Commission fears that it, as well as ongoing anti-corruption cases, could be compromised and even abandoned after a new batch of laws is passed.

This is according to Kenya's The Standard. And apparently this is not the first time the country has done away with the commission, but the third since 1997.

The proposed laws would only be amendments to already existing laws. Still, the commission fears it would do away with its efforts to crack down on corruption.

The commission has contacted the country’s leaders to stop the vote, especially because they fear the bill could not be properly debated before being amended because they are on a deadline before the new constitution comes into effect.