Issue 203

TOWARDS THE end of his presidency, former President Daniel arap Moi was often taunted by people chanting "Moi must go!" Just before he left office, the former president quipped bitterly at a public rally: "They keep saying Moi must go, one day they will say Moi must come."

It would seem the former president's prediction has come to pass. Last week, there were reports that Mr Moi met with President Kibaki at State House for consultations on the referendum aftermath.

Soon after, one of his old adversaries, Catholic Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a'Nzeki, seemed to be speaking in code when he called on Christians to pray for "peace, love and unity," the tagline of Mr Moi's Nyayo philosophy.

Are the Swiss more equal then?

IT WOULD seem that, 25 years after Kenya , South Africa is going through a Frank Sundstrom moment. Sundstrom was the US sailor who got off with a Ksh500 fine ($6.75) and a caution for murdering a woman in Mombasa back in 1980.

In Johannesburg last week, a Swiss tourist walked free after being caught by police having sex with a 14-year-old boy. According to press reports, the man was set free after paying a fine. South Africa is currently in the middle of an annual awareness campaign about violence against women and children.

The opposition Democratic Alliance claimed in a statement that the tourist got away with a slap on the wrists, "simply because the current definition of rape does not include male-on-male rape."

Somaliland MPs style up

AFTER YEARS of watching MPs in other parliaments such as Kenya 's and Taiwan 's, it would appear that in the self-declared Republic of Somaliland they have discovered how to conduct reasoned debate to solve their conflicts.

There were fistfights last week at the opening of the first elected parliament of that country. Apparently scuffles broke out when opposition MPs objected to the temporary Speaker adjourning the session after the opening ceremony. They had wanted him to supervise the election of a permanent Speaker. Though police surrounded the building, they were challenged when entering parliament. In the end however, after the MPs had let off steam with a few well-aimed blows, the confrontation fizzled out and it all ended peacefully.

Naked bank thieves exposed

TWO MEN covered in nothing but dust, were arrested by police in El Salvador digging a tunnel towards a bank vault.

The two naked would-be robbers had apparently stripped off because of the heat inside the tunnel. The area, in the capital San Salvador , had been under police surveillance after reports of mysterious noises. When part of the tunnel collapsed, leaving a gaping hole in the street near the bank, the two men ran out in to the street to escape, but were arrested by a police patrol.

Museveni looks into his crystal ball

UGANDA 'S PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni has predicted he will win next year's presidential polls. "I almost know the results already, because I know how many members we have," he told journalists. He said the media had misinformed the world by implying that he was responsible for the arrest of his main rival Kizza Besigye on treason and terrorism charges. He called for a speedy trial for Dr Besigye, whom he beat at polls in 2001 adding that he did not want to miss the chance of defeating his rival from the Forum for Democratic Change again.

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