Tom Cholmondeley charged with the killing of a stonemason has been in custody for over six months now.

The court hearing the case against him visits the scene of the murder this morning, the Dalamere Soysambu farm, accompanied by the accused .

It is reported that this will be the first time in over six months the accused will be back in his farm since the arrest.

He is a grandson of Lord Dalamere, a settler who lived in Kenya many years ago. He allegedly killed Robert Nyoya in May this year.

According to the standard “Cholmondeley is charged with killing Njoya at Soysambu Farm, Delamere Estate, in Naivasha District.”

(See a separate story filed under commentaries)

Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source of the story: The Standard (Kenya)

Kenyans are making a mark in the world stage in many fields.

With the appointment of a former Kenya Times journalist Mr Solomon Mugera to head the BBC world Swahili service, Kenyans now lead in the whole of Africa when it comes to senior managerial positions in the BBC.

Mr Mugera will now “be responsible for all BBC Swahili managerial and editorial direction for its staff in London, Burundi, DR Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, and for the service’s website,” reports the Standard (Kenya).

On his appointment Mr Mugera said: “I am greatly honoured and privileged to be offered this role, and truly excited to be rejoining BBC Kiswahili as its head,” reports the Standard – Kenya.

Before he joined the BBC, he worked  for Kenya Broadcasting Corporation as a television journalist. He also has experience from KTN where he worked for  a period of 4 years.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source of the story: The Standard (Kenya)

A bus ambush has taken place in Southern Sudan.

There is no clear indications as to who ochestrated the ambush that killed 11 innocent travellers.

The area where the ambush took place is considered a dangerous place, because there are still some remnants of LRA soldiers who are fighting the Museveni government.

Most of the soldiers have gone into the Democratic Republic of Congo after the truce between Museveni government and LRA’s Kony soldiers. The truce was achieved recently during the talks between the parties who met in Southern Sudan’s capital Juba.

The mediator, President Salva Kiir (a career soldier), was pleased that the parties agreed on a truce.

Many Ugandans have lost their lives during the conflict that has lasted for over 20 years.

There is now hope, if the parties take the truce seroiusly to give way for talks aimed at a lasting peace, that the Ugandan people affected by the conflict will start to have a normal life.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Somali nationals have been sent to jail by a Kenyan court in Mombasa accused of piracy.

The ten were sentenced to total of 70 years in jail.

“They had been charged in a Mombasa court with hijacking Indian vessel mv Safina al Bisaraat on January 20 in the high seas, threatening the lives of the crew and demanding a Sh3.5 million ransom,” reports the Daily Nation (Kenya).

While sentencing them, the Mombasa Principal magistrate ignored the defence lawyer  who  tried to argue in court that the accused should be treated as minors.

While sentencing them she said “there was no evidence that there were minors among the accused, “and even if there were they had committed the crime in the company of adults and will therefore suffer the consequences”, reports the Nation

The lawyer has said that he will appeal the sentencing because this case is the first of its kind in Kenya, while being critical towards the magistrate who he believes she had no jurisdiction to try the ten pirates.

 By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

Source of the story> Daily Nation/Kenya

Nigeria has become notorious in kidnapping foreigners, holding them as hostages, only to demand a ransom to be paid for their release.

Today an American and British nationals were kidnapped.

Earlier, notorious criminals have kidnapped nationals from other countries including Norwegians.

Their families had to pay large sums for their release.

When a national of another country is kidnapped and negotiations started for their release, we believe the Nigerian authorities are able to gather information on the kidnappers.

We question the Nigerian authorities on what they undertake after foreign nationals are released. The kidnappers should be dealt with so that new kidnappings can be avoided in the future.

It is a rare commodity to get the Nigerian government’s condemnation of kidnappings by their nationals.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no

We reported yesterday on a complaint by a Norwegian woman allegedly raped on the 23rd of December last year by a South African diplomat based in Oslo, Norway.

When South African ministry of foreign affairs was contacted yesterday evening around 7 pm, African Press was informed that they had not received communication from the South African ambassador in Norway, and he stated that if the complaint is officially reported to their ambassador, the South African government will immediately launch an investigation.

When asked what will happen to the diplomat in question, the ministry official confirmed that his government will have no choice but to recall the officer in question while the investigation is being conducted.

African Press has emailed  a number of questions to the South African minister for foreign affairs and hopes to receive her comment in due course.

Meanwhile, African Press awaits the communication from the Norwegian ministry of foreign affairs on the issue.

Rape is a crime that all countries must take seriously. If diplomats think they cannot be prosecuted for rape due to diplomatic immunity, this will amount to indiscipline within the diplomatic core.

By Korir, APN

africanpress@chello.no