Kenya's Prime Minister to lead 21 ministries

NAIROBI,  Kenya 

President of Kenya, William Ruto has assigned Musalia Mudavadi to be the Acting Cabinet Secretary in all the vacant ministries.

The designation of Mudavadi as Acting CS in all the vacant ministries was announced in a Gazette Notice by President Ruto.

“That pursuant to Article 152 (5) (a) of the Constitution, Hon. Wycliffe Musalia Mudavadi, E.G.H., is assigned as the Acting Cabinet Secretary in all vacant ministerial portfolios,” reads the gazette notice dated July 12, 2024.

In the notice, the President also gazetted the dismissal of the Attorney General and all 21 Cabinet Secretaries who were fired on July 11 in a Cabinet dissolution.

Mudavadi’s new assignment is crucial in effecting decisions that require the action of a cabinet secretary including at the strategic National Treasury and the Interior ministries that require several decisions to be made on a daily basis by a CS.

The President’s gazettement comes at a time that the sacking of the attorney general has been challenged in court, with an argument that it was not procedural.

Ruto fired all Cabinet Secretaries exempting only Mudavadi who is the Prime CS and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs.

President Ruto said he had resolved to dissolve his Cabinet "upon reflection, listening keenly to what the people of Kenya have said and after a holistic appraisal of the performance of the cabinet and its achievements and challenges."

The Head of State noted that, in the meantime, he will engage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations as he constitutes his next Cabinet.

Trump security boosted weeks ago over Iran plot to kill him

WASHINGTON, US

The United States Secret Service boosted security around former President Donald Trump after picking up intelligence in recent weeks of an Iranian plot to assassinate him, people familiar with the matter said, adding that the threat was separate from the attempt on his life last weekend.

A Secret Service agent stands behind former President and 2024 Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump 

There’s no indication of any link between the Iranian plot and Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old man accused of shooting at and wounding Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Sniper teams killed Crooks seconds after he opened fire.

The Iranian threat appeared to be linked to a broader pattern of threats against former Trump administration officials that stemmed from the U.S. killing of Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in January 2020, the Biden administration said. Soleimani was assassinated in a drone strike ordered by Trump.

“We have been tracking Iranian threats against former Trump administration officials for years, dating back to the last administration,” National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement Tuesday. “These threats arise from Iran’s desire to seek revenge” for killing Soleimani, she said.

Before Saturday’s incident, the White House contacted the Secret Service about the recent Iranian threat, which then shared that information with the Trump campaign, according to one of the people. The Secret Service subsequently increased resources and assets for Trump’s protection, the person said.

But a person familiar with the Trump campaign’s conversations with the Secret Service said the agency’s leaders informed campaign officials in passing of a general increase in threats against the former president without making them aware of any specific threats tied to Iranian individuals or groups.

Iran said in a social media posting on X that the reports of its involvement in a plot against Trump are baseless.

CNN, which earlier reported the Iranian plot, said that the intelligence on the plan came from a human source. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment.

The Secret Service and its chief, Kimberly Cheatle, have come under intense scrutiny since Trump’s extremely close call in Pennsylvania over the weekend. Cheatle said in an interview Monday on ABC News that the agency’s failure was “unacceptable” but that she doesn’t plan to resign. President Joe Biden called for an independent review of the shooting, which killed one person.

The U.S. has maintained security details for several one-time Trump administration officials, including former Secretary of State Michael Pompeo and John Bolton, who served as national security adviser. In 2022, the Justice Department charged a member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps in connection with an alleged plot to assassinate Bolton.

That same year, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned that Iran was threatening “to carry out terror operations inside the United States and elsewhere around the world.” He said Iran would face “severe consequences” if anyone was attacked.

“The investigation of Saturday’s attempted assassination of former President Trump is active and ongoing,” the NSC’s Watson said in the statement. “At this time, law enforcement has reported that their investigation has not identified ties between the shooter and any accomplice or co-conspirator, foreign or domestic.” 

Kenya rocked by protests

NAIROBI, Kenya

Kenya’s anti-government street demonstrations resumed on Tuesday after a two-week break, with the country’s youth demanding more reforms at both national and county governments.

Although President William Ruto succumbed to the protesters’ pressure and withdrew Finance Bill 2024, sacked his entire Cabinet and attorney-general, and called national dialogue among other pledges, the youth are demanding more— with some openly calling for the resignation of the besieged head of State.

Others are demanding the sacking of county governors and executive committee members accused of corruption, accountability of both local and national leadership, and a stop to extrajudicial killings.

In the capital Nairobi, intermittent shots of teargas rent the air as police battled to disperse protesters, who set out to occupy the central business district and engaged them in cat-and-mouse games.

“Ruto must go!” the protesters chanted as they marched on Moi Avenue and Tom Mboya Street.

Police, who deployed to the streets as early as 7am, engaged the protesters as they battled to push them out of the city centre.

An amorphous group that constitutes Nairobi traders, under the banner of ‘Nairobi Business Community’, joined the police in guarding business premises against looters.

Armed with clubs, the men and women stood guard at restaurants and stalls, with some traders opening their businesses.

All roads leading to and out of Parliament Buildings and State House remained closed, with water cannons and fire engines stationed at entry points. Roadblocks were erected at all entry and exit points.

Transport in and out of the CBD was paralysed as operators withdrew their services fearing attacks from demonstrators.

However, some matatus were still operating at the Machakos Country Bus stage, Kencom stage, Ambassadeur, Accra Road, and Latema.

A tense mood engulfed Nairobi’s suburbs and estates, with families keeping indoors fearing attacks, amid heightened police patrols.

Several companies in the Industrial Area and Embakasi shut down, with workers being told to stay at home.

At Kware Police Station in Embakasi, there was a heavy presence of armed police overnight and in the morning after reports emerged that protesters who were angered by the killing and dumping of women in a local quarry were planning to torch it.

Dozens of youths barricaded the quarry, hampering the search and retrieval of more bodies suspected to be underwater.

At Muthurwa and Marikiti markets, fresh produce sellers went about their business but mitumba traders shut their stalls, fearing looting.

In Kitengela, dozens of anti-government protesters barricaded the busy Namanga Road and forced businesses to close.

Kenya’s anti-government street demonstrations resumed on Tuesday after a two-week break, with the country’s youth demanding more reforms at both national and county governments.

Although President William Ruto succumbed to the protesters’ pressure and withdrew Finance Bill 2024, sacked his entire Cabinet and attorney-general, and called national dialogue among other pledges, the youth are demanding more— with some openly calling for the resignation of the besieged head of State.

Others are demanding the sacking of county governors and executive committee members accused of corruption, accountability of both local and national leadership, and a stop to extrajudicial killings.

In the capital Nairobi, intermittent shots of teargas rent the air as police battled to disperse protesters, who set out to occupy the central business district and engaged them in cat-and-mouse games.

“Ruto must go!” the protesters chanted as they marched on Moi Avenue and Tom Mboya Street.

Police, who deployed to the streets as early as 7am, engaged the protesters as they battled to push them out of the city centre.

An amorphous group that constitutes Nairobi traders, under the banner of ‘Nairobi Business Community’, joined the police in guarding business premises against looters.

Armed with clubs, the men and women stood guard at restaurants and stalls, with some traders opening their businesses.

All roads leading to and out of Parliament Buildings and State House remained closed, with water cannons and fire engines stationed at entry points. Roadblocks were erected at all entry and exit points.

Transport in and out of the CBD was paralysed as operators withdrew their services fearing attacks from demonstrators.

However, some matatus were still operating at the Machakos Country Bus stage, Kencom stage, Ambassadeur, Accra Road, and Latema.

A tense mood engulfed Nairobi’s suburbs and estates, with families keeping indoors fearing attacks, amid heightened police patrols.

Several companies in the Industrial Area and Embakasi shut down, with workers being told to stay at home.

At Kware Police Station in Embakasi, there was a heavy presence of armed police overnight and in the morning after reports emerged that protesters who were angered by the killing and dumping of women in a local quarry were planning to torch it.

Dozens of youths barricaded the quarry, hampering the search and retrieval of more bodies suspected to be underwater.

At Muthurwa and Marikiti markets, fresh produce sellers went about their business but mitumba traders shut their stalls, fearing looting.

In Kitengela, dozens of anti-government protesters barricaded the busy Namanga Road and forced businesses to close.

"We want a change in the country for the better. The political class has been taking us for a ride. It won't be business as usual henceforth,” said a youthful protester who had carried his dog to the protests.

At Kisaju and Isinya town, along the Namanga highway, youths lit bonfires in protest, inconveniencing motorists for hours.

By noon, tension was palpable with the number of protesters increasing. Police lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the irate protesters.

In Eldoret, President Ruto's backyard, five youths were arrested for attempting to stage demos.

However, the town caught the fever of the protests, with operations at the Uasin Gishu County headquarters being suspended as workers stayed away out of fear of being attacked by protesters who had threatened to occupy county offices.

The protesters who spoke to the Nation said they would demand accountability from Governor Jonathan Bii.

“We can’t risk like we did during the last demonstration that left several county vehicles burnt down and vandalised by demonstrators who also set the Municipal Court on fire,” said an employee of the county government.

A heavy presence of police was witnessed in the town, and by 11am, about five youths had been arrested for attempting to stage demos and taken to Central Police Station.

Police were reluctant to justify why they arrested the youths, including a young woman. 

One of the arrested youths maintained that they were determined to stage a demonstration in Eldoret town despite arrest and intimidation by anti-riot police officers.

“We are peaceful demonstrators and we will not be intimidated by fighting for the future of our country. This is our country and we are fighting for everyone, including these officers who are arresting us,” said the demonstrator upon arrest.

In Turkana County, a section of protesting youth boldly told their Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai to be wary of members of the county assembly and some senior county officials, accused of incompetence.

The youths said despite threats, they were capitalising on Tuesday's nationwide demonstrations to peacefully serve the governor and Turkana County Assembly with petitions highlighting urgent actions for a properly functioning devolved unit.

Led by Faith Ajikon and Pretty Nasia, the young protestors called out the Turkana County Public Service Board for employing people without following due process.

"The board is incompetent and corrupt as it is employing people backdoor without advertising such job opportunities. Many people have since last year been employed without following due process denying qualified youth an opportunity to participate in what should be a competitive process," Ms Ajikon said.

They want the current board disbanded and a competent one that will overlook illegalities and only prioritize professionalism and fairness to enhance efficient and effective service delivery, constituted.

She said that many ghost workers exist in the county government pushing high the county's wage bill at the expense of qualified youth with papers but without jobs.

They claimed those without connections in the public service board are forced to dig deeper into their pockets to be employed.

Ms Nasia said that the MCAs should backtrack to their oversight role and ensure that the devolved funds are properly budgeted and utilized for development.

"At the moment, our relatives in remote villages are suffering as dispensaries lack essential drugs and yet MCAs are not putting the duty bearers to task. They should also focus on passing bills that have immediate development impact in our community," she said.

They said that MCAs be reminded that the office of the governor and all ministries are allocated millions of money but without them discharging their duties nothing tangible will be there to show on the ground.

The youth also blamed the Ministry of Health for not advising the governor properly on the situation of health facilities calling on the devolved unit to fast-track the process of procuring drugs.

"The facilities should also be well equipped so that deployed health care workers can discharge their responsibilities in a good working environment. Some facilities that are in shamble like Namukuse dispensary that still has asbestos roof should be prioritized in the reconstruction," Ms Nasia said.

They also called for a decentralized ambulance management system noting that most of the ambulances are found in Lodwar and therefore hard for mothers in remote areas to be referred when there is an emergency.

"The ambulances are only available when there are referrals from Lodwar to Eldoret and patients charged Sh7,000. Well-serviced ambulances should be stationed in sub-counties and provided with fuel and personnel," the youth demanded.

They claimed that the governor was being coerced by MCAs into giving handouts at the expense of development advising him not to fear and just stand his ground and work for the people.

"Listen and lawfully accommodate the focused young generation in your administration to achieve your development agenda," Ms Nasia advised the governor.

In Trans Nzoia County, the county government offices were highly secured with police officers keeping vigil at both entrances of the Town hall complex which houses the offices of Governor George Natembeya and other top county officials.

A few youths who had started protesting in Kitale town early on Tuesday morning were repulsed by county enforcement officers.

Business, however, was usual in Kitale town for the better part of Tuesday morning, with streets remaining a beehive of activity.

Police officers were seen in strategic areas of the Central Business District (CBD) to keep law and order in anticipation of anti-government protests that had been scheduled for Tuesday.

The entrance to the Town hall facility was restricted with only a few people allowed in after through screening.

Israeli strikes in southern, central Gaza kill more than 60 Palestinians

By Wafaa Shurafa, DEIR AL-BALAH Gaza Strip

Israeli airstrikes killed more than 60 Palestinians in southern and central Gaza overnight and into Tuesday, including one that struck an Israeli-declared “safe zone” crowded with thousands of displaced people.

Airstrikes in recent days have brought a constant drumbeat of deaths of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, even as Israel has pulled back or scaled down major ground offensives in the north and south. Almost daily strikes have hit the “safe zone” covering some 60 square kilometers (23 square miles) along the Mediterranean coast, where Israel told fleeing Palestinians to take refuge to escape ground assaults. Israel has said it is pursuing Hamas militants who are hiding among civilians after offensives uprooted underground tunnel networks.

Tuesday’s deadliest strike hit a main street lined with market stalls outside the southern city of Khan Younis in Muwasi, at the heart of the zone that is packed with tent camps. Officials at Khan Younis’ Nasser Hospital said 17 people were killed.

Apparently referring to the strike, the Israeli military said in a statement that it targeted a commander in Islamic Jihad’s naval unit west of Khan Younis. It said it was looking into reports that civilians were killed.

The attack hit about a kilometer (0.6 miles) from a compound that Israel struck on Saturday, saying it was targeting Hamas’ top military commander, Mohammed Deif. That blast, in an area also surrounded by tents, killed more than 90 Palestinians, including children, according to Gaza health officials. It is still not known if Deif was killed in the strike.

The new airstrikes came as Israel and Hamas continued to weigh the latest cease-fire proposal. Hamas has said talks meant to wind down the nine-month-long war would continue, even after Israel targeted Deif. International mediators are working to push Israel and Hamas toward a deal that would halt the fighting and free about 120 hostages held by the militant group in Gaza.

Israeli forces have repeatedly had to launch new offensives to combat Hamas fighters they say have been regrouping in parts of Gaza that the military has previously invaded. Still, the military has sounded increasingly confident that it has severely damaged the militants’ organization and infrastructure in its 9-month-old campaign.

The military said Tuesday that it has eliminated half of the leadership of Hamas’ military wing and that some 14,000 militants have been killed or detained. It said it killed six brigade commanders, over 20 battalion commanders, and approximately 150 company commanders from Hamas’ ranks, and that over the course of the war, it has hit 37,000 targets from the air within the Gaza Strip, including more than 25,000 terrorist infrastructure and launch sites.

The figures could not be independently confirmed.

Israel’s ground campaigns have focused on northern Gaza and the southern cities of Khan Younis and Rafah, where it says it has destroyed extensive Hamas tunnel networks. The offensives have left entire neighborhoods flattened. While ground operations continue in Rafah, airstrikes now appear to be hitting heavily in the areas untouched by previous offensives in the center and the coastal “safe zone.”

Strikes late Monday and on Tuesday hit the Nuseirat and Zawaida refugee camps in central Gaza. Strikes on four houses killed at least 24 people, including 10 women and four children, according to officials at Al Aqsa hospital in the nearby town of Deir al-Balah.

Another hit a U.N. school in Nuseirat where families were sheltering, killing at least nine people. AP footage showed the school’s yard covered in rubble and twisted metal from a structure that was hit. Workers carried bodies wrapped in blankets, as women and children watched from the classrooms where they have been living.

Israel’s military said Hamas militants were operating from the school to plan attacks. Its claim could not be independently confirmed.

Other strikes in Khan Younis and Rafah killed 12 people, according to medical officials and AP journalists. An AP journalist counted the bodies at the hospital before a funeral was held at its gates.

The military said air force planes struck some 40 targets in Gaza over the past day, among them observation posts, Hamas military structures and explosives-rigged buildings. Israel blames Hamas for civilian casualties because the militants operate in densely populated areas.

The Israeli military said Tuesday that it would begin sending draft notices to Jewish ultra-Orthodox men next week — a step that could destabilize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and trigger more large protests in the community. Under long-standing political arrangements, ultra-Orthodox men had been exempt from the draft, which is compulsory for most Jewish men — an exemption that created resentment among the general public in Israel.

The war in Gaza, which was sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel, has killed more than 38,600 people, according to the territory’s Health Ministry, which does not distinguish between combatants and civilians in its count. The war has created a humanitarian catastrophe in the coastal Palestinian territory, displaced most of its 2.3 million population and triggered widespread hunger.

Hamas’ October attack killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and militants took about 250 hostage. About 120 remain in captivity, with about a third of them believed to be dead, according to Israeli authorities.

Violence has also surged in the West Bank. On Tuesday a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli policeman, wounding him lightly, before another officer opened fire, killing the assailant who was identified as a 19-year-old from Gaza.

200 more Kenyan police deployed to tackle Haiti violence

By Evens Sanon, PORT-AU-PRINCE Haiti

Another 200 police officers from Kenya arrived Tuesday in Haiti for a U.N.-backed mission led by the East African country to battle violent gangs that have taken over parts of the troubled Caribbean country.

A Kenyan police officer who is part of a UN-backed multinational force kneels on the tarmac in thanks after landing at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, July 16, 2024

The officers arrived nearly a month after the first contingent of 200 landed in the capital of Port-au-Prince, where gangs control at least 80% of the city.

Last week the United Nations Security Council strongly condemned “the extreme levels of armed violence” in Haiti that are undermining security in the country and the region.

Authorities have declined to provide details on the Kenyans’ assignments, citing security concerns. Associated Press journalists have seen them on patrol in areas near the main international airport, which reopened in May after a surge in gang violence forced it to close for nearly three months.

“We are happy to work side-by-side with the Kenyans,” Normil Rameau, the new chief of Haiti’s National Police, said shortly after they arrived. “In the name of the government, we give them a warm welcome.”

More Kenyans are expected to arrive in coming weeks and months and will be joined by police and soldiers from the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Chad and Jamaica for a total of 2,500 personnel. They will be deployed in phases at a cost of some $600 million a year, according to the U.N. Security Council.

The Kenyan-led mission is meant to bolster Haiti’s National Police, which remains understaffed and underfunded, with only about 10,000 officers active at a time in a country of more than 11 million people.

The mission also aims to quell gangs accused of killing more than 4,450 people last year and injuring another 1,668, according to the U.N, more than double compared with the previous year. More than 1,500 people were killed or injured in the first three months of this year.

Kenyan police who are part of a UN-backed multinational force sing and dance on the tarmac after landing at Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Tuesday, July 16, 2024.

While some Haitians have welcomed the Kenyans’ arrival, others remain wary.

“The fear of the Haitians is that this mission, as has occurred in the past … will only achieve a temporary reduction in violence,” said Diego Da Rin, with the International Crisis Group, who was recently in Haiti. Da Rin noted that certain politicians and business owners have long been tied to gangs, and warned the crisis will continue “as long as the problems of impunity and corruption are not addressed.”

Another concern is that Kenyan police have faced years of allegations of abuses in their country, including extrajudicial killings. Their behavior drew renewed scrutiny when they opened fire on protesters in recent weeks amid ongoing turmoil that has killed dozens of people.

In addition, a previous intervention in Haiti — the U.N.’s 2004-2017 peacekeeping mission — was marred by allegations of sexual assault and the introduction of cholera, which killed nearly 10,000 people.

Jean-Marc Etienne, 49, lost his home a year ago when gangs invaded his neighborhood, forcing him to flee like many others. He said he hasn’t seen Kenyans on patrol since the first contingent arrived in June.

“Security has not improved,” he said as he pushed a wheelbarrow of sugarcane near the airport. “On top of that, kidnappings have started again.” He and his family have been living in a friend’s yard under a tarp, exposed to sweltering heat and heavy rains.

Gangs have left more than half a million Haitian homeless in recent years.

“There’s no action being taken yet,” said Mario Jean-Baptiste, 39, as he walked past the airport and peered around, trying to glimpse the Kenyans. “That’s what the Haitian people are counting on.”

He said Haitians are still unable to move freely about Port-au-Prince and that many don’t have a place to sleep or anything to eat: “They’re living like dogs.”

Violence worsened earlier this year when gangs launched coordinated attacks in late February. They opened fire on the main international airport, stormed more than two dozen police stations and broke into Haiti’s two biggest prisons, releasing more than 4,000 inmates.

The attacks eventually led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who had urgently requested the deployment of foreign forces in late 2022. His resignation in late April was followed by the appointment of a transitional presidential council and a new prime minister, Garry Conille.

Kagame wins Rwanda vote in landslide

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwandan President Paul Kagame is on course to extend his 24-year rule by another five years in a landslide victory, with most of the votes counted from Monday's election.

He has 99.15% of the vote so far, with about 79% of ballots counted, partial results announced by the electoral commission show.

The 66-year-old again faced no meaningful opposition, with leading figures banned. His two opponents shared less than 1% of the vote.

Mr Kagame thanked Rwandans for their trust in an address at his Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party headquarters.

“These are not just figures, even if it was 100%, these are not just numbers. [They] show the trust, and that is what is most important," Mr Kagame said.

His opponents - environmentalist Frank Habineza and ex-journalist and government adviser Philippe Mpayimana - have 0.53% and 0.32% respectively.

The full provisional results are due by 20 July and final ones by 27 July.

The results come as no surprise.

They mirror the 2017 election's outcome that had the same candidates taking part - which Mr Kagame won with 98.8% of the vote.

At least three aspirants were disqualified from running, including Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of Mr Kagame.

The electoral commission says 98% of the more than 9.5 million eligible voters took part in the elections.

They were voting for a president and 53 legislators.

Elections for 27 special seats meant for women, young people and people with disabilities will take place on Tuesday.

Mr Kagame has been the de-facto leader of Rwanda since the end of the 1994 genocide and president since 2000.

Rights groups accuse him of curtailing freedoms since taking office, while his supporters say he had presided over economic growth and helped end ethnic divisions.

Kagame seeks fourth term as Rwandan president

KIGALI, Rwanda

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame, feared and admired in equal measure, is seeking to extend his 24-year rule in an election analysts say he will win by a landslide.

He has dominated every election since becoming president in 2000, with over 90% of the vote. In 2017 he won with a staggering 99%.

Mr Kagame, 66, is accused of not allowing any real opposition and ruthlessly targeting his critics, even outside the country.

He faces the only two contenders who were authorised to run - other candidates were barred by the state-run electoral commission.

President Kagame has been at the helm of Rwandan politics since his rebel forces took power at the end of the 1994 genocide which killed some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Since then, he has been praised for overseeing the country's dramatic economic revival and unifying the country.

"Rwanda was 30 years ago essentially written off - but thanks to some extent to the leadership under Kagame and his ruling party Rwanda managed to build some stability," Dr Felix Ndahinda, a scholar on the Great Lakes region, told our reporter.

Mr Kagame has always fiercely defended Rwanda's record on human rights, saying his country respects political freedoms.

But one analyst said the election was a mere "formality".

About nine million people are registered to vote, according to the electoral body, and at least two million are first-time voters.

A provisional winner should be known by Tuesday morning.

Voters will elect the president and 53 members of the lower House of Parliament on Monday, while 27 other MPs will be elected the following day.

“I am very excited about voting for my first time, I can’t wait,” Sylvia Mutoni told the reporter.

For most young people in Rwanda, Mr Kagame is the only leader they have ever known.

Even while vice-president and defence minister from 1994 to 2000 he was the country's real leader, and has been president since 2000.

The two opposition candidates - Frank Habineza, of the Democratic Green Party and independent Philippe Mpayimana - both ran in the 2017 election, where they took just over 1% of the vote between them.

But they are undeterred.

Paul Kagame has won previous elections with over 90% of the vote

Mr Habineza cast his vote in capital Kigali on Monday morning and told reporters this election was a "good show of democracy in our country".

He said he hoped his party can get 20 MPs - 10 times the number of seats his party secured in the 2017 election.

"People still have a fear of expressing their opinions. I'm fighting for freedom of speech, freedom of the media," he said.

And some Rwandans are listening to him. One voter said he would not be voting for the incumbent president.

Celestin Mutuyeyezu, 28, used to support Mr Kagame, but this election has been swayed by Mr Habineza.

“He said great things on fighting unemployment, and he’s got me," he said.

But defeating President Kagame may prove difficult.

Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of the president, was barred from running in the election. She was also disqualified in 2017.

"Rwanda is portrayed as a country where the economy has been growing. But on the ground, it's different. People do lack the basics of life, food, water, shelter," she said.

The electoral commission said she had failed to provide correct documentation.

Frank Habineza told reporters he hopes his party secures 20 seats in parliament

Though the country continues to struggle with high rates of youth unemployment, it is one of the fastest-growing economies in Africa.

Mr Kagame is credited for Rwanda’s remarkable economic transformation and stability over the last three decades.

Rwanda is known globally for its clean capital city and having the world's highest proportion of female MPs, 61%.

In the book Rwanda, Inc. American authors Patricia Crisafulli and Andrea Redmond describe Mr Kagame more as a company CEO than a political leader because of “his drive for excellence” in every sector in the country.

He is also a shrewd politician.

Despite often criticising the West, he tries to cultivate useful allies - for example by working with the UK on its now-abandoned scheme to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.

Rwanda has also been flexing its soft power on the international stage, by building its appeal through sports, culture, and entertainment.

The small East African country is home to the African Basketball League, which is a partnership with the NBA. It hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in 2022 and international stars like Kendrick Lamar have played concerts there.

But Mr Kagame's diplomacy also has a very tough side.

The election comes days after a UN report said there were some 4,000 Rwandan troops in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, where they are accused of backing the M23 rebel group.

Rwanda did not deny the allegation and told the reporter the DR Congo government lacked the political will to resolve the crisis in its mineral-rich east, which has witnessed decades of unrest.

On the campaign trail Mr Kagame promised to protect Rwanda from “external aggression” amid tensions with neighbouring DR Congo and Burundi.

Argentina claims 16th Copa America Championship with 1-0 win over Colombia

MIAMI, United States

Argentina clinched its second consecutive Copa America title by defeating Colombia 1-0 on Sunday night with Lautaro Martínez's 112th-minute goal, despite Lionel Messi's injury in the second half.

Messi suffered a non-contact injury in the 64th minute, but Martínez's goal, followed by a hug from the captain, secured Argentina's 16th Copa title.

The match, delayed by 1 hour and 20 minutes due to crowd trouble at Hard Rock Stadium, marked Argentina's third consecutive major title win after the 2021 Copa America and 2022 World Cup victories.

This achievement puts Argentina on par with Spain, who won the 2008 and 2012 European Championships surrounding the 2010 World Cup.

Argentina also ended Colombia's 28-game unbeaten streak, which dated back to a loss against the Albiceleste in February 2022.

Martínez, who came on in the 97th minute, scored the winning goal from Giovani Lo Celso's precise pass, beating goalkeeper Camilo Vargas with a right-footed shot from inside the penalty area.

This goal marked Martínez's 29th international goal and his fifth of the tournament.

Harry Kane WINS Euro 2024 Golden Boot… but.....

BERLIN, Germany

HARRY KANE has won the Golden Boot at Euro 2024 - but he will have to share the award with five other players.

The England captain finished the tournament with three goals and missed out on a chance to win the Golden Boot outright by failing to score in the final.

Harry Kane will share the Euro 2024 Golden BootCredit: Getty

Kane scored a penalty in the semi-final against Netherlands to take his tally to three goals.

That put him level with Dutchman Cody Gakpo, his Bayern Munich team-mate Jamal Musiala, Slovakian Ivan Schranz, Georges Mikautadze of Georgia and Euros winner Dani Olmo,

And thanks to a change in the rules all five players will share the Golden Boot.

Previously the winner has been decided on assists or minutes played if two or more players are tied for goals.

Cristiano Ronaldo won the award at Euro 2020 after recording one more assist that Patrick Schick, with the strikers both finding the net five times.

And at Euro 2012 Fernando Torres beat Mario Gomez and Alan Dzagoev to the Golden Boot as he played the fewest minutes - with each having a three-goal haul.

Kane, 30, has now won the Golden Boot at the World Cup and the Euros - becoming the first Englishman to do so.

He is just the second English player behind Alan Shearer to win the Golden Boot at the Euros, with the Newcastle legend picking up the award after scoring five goals at Euro 96.

Kenyan man confesses to killing 42 women, including his wife

NAIROBI, Kenya

The prime suspect behind the horrific murders of persons found dumped at the Kware dumpsite in Mukuru kwa Njenga, in Embakasi South Constituency has given a chilling confession on how he executed his gruesome act.

Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Mohamed Amin confirmed on Monday that the suspect, 33-year-old Collins Jomaisi Khalisia, revealed he killed 42 women between 2022 and July 11, 2024, when he murdered his last victim.

Amin said that Khalisia intimated that his first victim was his wife whom he strangled to death, and dismembered before dumping her remains in the dumpsite.

"Upon interrogation, the suspect confessed to have lured, killed and disposed 42 female bodies at the dumpsite all murdered between 2022 and as recent of July 11, 2024," noted Amin.

"The suspect alleged that his first victim was his wife Imelda Judith Khalenya whom he strangled to death before dismembering her body and disposing it at the same site. From the interrogation, all his victims have been murdered in the same style."

Amin added that Khalisia was apprehended in the wee hours of Monday morning in Kayole after officers from the DCI and the National Police Service (NPS) conducted a joint operation.

"He was arrested outside a club where he had gone to watch the Euro 2024 football finals," said Amin.

"His arrest followed thorough forensic analysis of a mobile phone belonging to one of the victims identified as Josephine Owino where some mobile money transactions were made when she went missing."

Shortly after his arrest, he led officers to his single-room house in Kware ares, about 100 metres from the dumpsite, where several crucial items were recovered upon search.

"A search led to the recovery of 24 Airtel SIM card holders, 8 smartphones, 1 laptop, 1 hard drive, 2 flash drives, 1 machete believed to be used to dismember the victims, 12 nylon sacks similar to the ones used in stiffing the bodies, 1 pair of industrial rubber gloves, 6 ID cards for men and 2 for women," said Amin.

Other items included: "1 pink female handbag, 2 female panties, 5 rolls of cannabis, 4 huge clear sellotapes some of which recovered at the scene, 1 reflector jacket, 2 title deeds, 2 notebooks and assorted documents."

The suspect's house and dumping site will remain active crime scenes as police officers continue probing the incident.

"From the look of things it is crystalizing that we are dealing with a psychopathic serial killer who has no respect for human life," Amin noted.

As of Monday morning, a total of 9 bodies have been recovered from the dumpsite awaiting postmortem set to commence today at the Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary.

Families whose loved ones were missing have arrived at the premise to identify their kin from the retrieved bodies.

Defeat extends England's '58 years of hurt'

By Our Correspondent, BERLIN Germany

England failed to end '58 years of hurt' as their Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain in Berlin still leaves the 1966 World Cup as their only men's trophy.

For the fourth game in a row England came from behind, but this time they fell short with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring a late winner to break their hearts.

Nico Williams' strike early in the second half put Spain ahead but Cole Palmer's brilliant leveller had looked set to send the game into extra time before Oyarzabal pounced four minutes from time.

This was the second European Championship final in a row that Gareth Southgate's side have lost, after falling to Italy on penalties in 2021, with 1966 their only major tournament final before that.

The country has yet to win senior football tournament abroad, with the 1966 success and Women's Euro 2022 final - which England won - both at Wembley.

Southgate's contract runs until the end of the year so this could prove to be his final major tournament after eight years in charge.

England started slowly in Germany, with performances criticised and the Three Lions close to elimination twice, but the last two rounds gave England fans cause to dream - until losing to Spain, the outstanding team throughout this Euros.

When England won their home World Cup in 1966, beating West Germany 4-2 in the final with Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick, many fans may not have imagined that would remain their only success for at least 60 years.

Since then a combined 29 men's World Cups and European Championships have passed and, until 2021, they had never been back to a final.

England fans dwelled on the agonising near misses in the knockout stages of major tournaments - Diego Maradona's handball in 1986, losses on penalties to Germany in 1990 and 1996. Current boss Southgate missed a penalty in the latter too.

And there were all the years they did not even get close, failing to qualify for the 1994 World Cup and 2008 Euros - and a few group-stage exits - too.

It felt as if all that may change in 2021 when England reached the final in the continent-wide Euro 2020, although most of their games were at Wembley, including the showpiece against Italy.

They took an early lead but ended up losing on penalties after extra time. Having waited 55 years for that final, it is a fine achievement by Southgate and his team that the next one followed just three years later.

But this one too ended in heartbreak.

The Lionesses won the 2022 European Championship, beating Germany 2-1, also at Wembley.