Newspapers on Tuesday, January 29, reported on various topics, including the pain faced by families whose relatives died on the battlefield of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Source: UGC
Elsewhere, the newspapers analyzed the politics of the day, with increasing pressure on the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to ensure that the 2027 general election is free and fair.
1. The Standard
This newspaper reported on the grief and anger among the families of Kenyan men who were drawn to the front lines of the war between Russia and Ukraine with promises of well-paid jobs.
In an emotional press conference on Wednesday, January 28, relatives burst into tears as they held photos and documents of their loved ones, remembering their last conversations and broken promises.
Their suffering reflects the great suffering they have gone through since losing contact with them, a situation exacerbated by what they claim is the government’s weak response.
For many families, contact was lost shortly after their relatives arrived in Russia.
“The last communication was the picture he sent me,” said Charles Mutola while holding a photo that now remains as a memory of his son, Oscar Mutola, who he believes has passed away.
He explained that the death was confirmed by the Russian embassy in Kenya.
The photo shows the 38-year-old man wearing military uniform and holding a gun.
Oscar left on June 26 last year, landing in Istanbul the next day.
“He later traveled to St. Petersburg and sent a photo. At the end of July, he sent another photo saying he had joined the army,” Mutola narrated.
That was the end of their communication.
Mutola later learned of his son’s death from the family of a fellow Kenyan, who connected him with “their commander who trained them.”
However, the government has not yet responded to requests to bring his body back home.
Oscar, a former Kenya Defense Force (KDF) soldier, was described by his father as a “hero” who fought against al-Shabaab in Kismayu and during the Westgate terror attack before resigning.
Mutola joined about 10 other families, many of whom still do not know the fate of their loved ones.
Pauline Ndume said she lost contact with her husband on November 8 after arriving in Russia.
He revealed that he didn’t tell her the whole truth, he just told her that he got a six-month contract.
“He just showed me the plane ticket and told me he got a job in Russia as a driver. Two days after landing, they were told to start training for two to three weeks,” she said with tears.
Grace Muthoni also expressed her grief, saying that she was left a widow when she was still young after receiving news of her husband’s death. He claimed that he was promised a job as a driver but was later forced to join the war on the border between Russia and Ukraine.
The mother of four later received confirmation that her husband’s body had been found.
“We have reached the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora but we are told to wait. I have been borrowing money to travel to the ministry. I don’t know how I will pay those debts,” he said.
These incidents add to the list of Kenyans who have been tricked into joining the war, prompting human rights activists to call on the government to take immediate action.
The Vocal Africa organization has requested the establishment of a special desk in the ministry of the Assistant Prime Minister Stay Mudavadi address the issue, including an emergency number for affected families.
“The Kenyan embassy in Russia, in collaboration with the Russian embassy in Kenya, must be forced to provide verified statistics of Kenyans who went to Russia in the past six months to one year to determine the extent of this problem,” said Hussein Khalid, Director General of Vocal Africa. “Families are mourning, they are worried and they need answers. Some Kenyans have lost their lives, others are stuck in dangerous situations.”
2. The Star
Opposition leaders have increased pressure on the election commission demanding clear reforms in election technology as mistrust grows against the institution.
Meeting with IEBC officials at the Anniversary Towers building, they expressed their concerns about the procurement of technology, security, the conduct of recent by-elections and the general election environment.
The United Opposition announced the formation of technical teams to deal with the issues and revealed plans to organize the 2027 National Electoral Conference.
A major point of tension was what they called the election technology company Smartmatic “lost credibility.”
“We are very concerned about technology, especially Venezuelan technology that has lost credibility following the disclosure of a whistleblower in the United States. This technology was recently used in Uganda where KIEMS machines failed to work. We do not want to see such elections in Kenya,” said the DAP-K leader, Eugene Malwa.
They also questioned the credibility of the commission, while Kalonzo Musyoka saying that many Kenyans see IEBC as “William Ruto’s commission.”
The leaders also expressed dissatisfaction with the Chief Executive Officer of IEBC, Hussein Marjan Hussein, and the process of his entry into power.
The violence witnessed in the recent by-elections was also discussed, with the IEBC acknowledging the challenges that emerged.
“We have also demanded that there be a clear and transparent map that will involve the opposition every quarter,” added the Malwa.
The opposition said that the IEBC has informed them that the mass registration of voters will start on March 29 for a period of one month.
Although they admitted that the commission has shown good intentions, they warned that they may organize a mass protest if their demands are not addressed.
The meeting was held amid long-standing calls for major changes to election technology and the removal of Hussein before his term ends.
Two weeks ago, opposition leaders announced that they had no confidence in the IEBC secretariat or the current technology arrangements, warning that the credibility issues if not resolved could jeopardize the 2027 elections.
With about 19 months to go before the General Election, leaders speaking in Kathiani, Machakos County, again cast doubt on the purchase of Smartmatic, claiming IEBC and its technology partners were wrong on key issues of the 2022 elections.
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At the same time, the opposition proved their unity in the quest to remove the President from power William Ruto in 2027. They denied claims of internal division and promised to field one presidential candidate.
Plans were also announced to strengthen opposition structures across the country by bringing together all the candidates associated with the “Wantam” movement.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
