Martha Karua          Photo:Courtesy

Kenyan Justice Minister Martha Karua resigned Monday, citing frustration with the pace of government reforms. Karua's resignation comes two days after President Mwai Kibaki's appointment of five High Court judges Friday without Karua's approval. Karua was not aware of the swearing-in ceremony until it was reported by the media.Karua told the press: "If my hands are tied and the Judiciary continues to be used as a place where people sacked from parastatals are recycled, the agenda is forestalled and all reforms are annihilated, then I better leave and fights for the rights of ordinary [citizens].

Zuma Dodges Prosecution After Party Infighting

A section of the press has reported that wrangles within the ranks of South Africa's ruling African National Congress has led to prosecutors dropping charges of corruption, fraud, money-laundering and tax evasion against Jacob Zuma, the party leader who is due to become the country's president after elections later this month. The acting head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mokotedi Mpshe, announced in a televised news conference in Pretoria on Monday that he was abandoning the prosecution of Zuma because the NPA's top investigator was suspected of manipulating the timing of the case against Zuma in late 2007.

South Africa Explores Ways to Merge Scientists and Govt

After a decade of strained relations, the Health Minister is to consider scientific advisory body to bring police-makers and scientists together according to IRIN. Health Minister Barbara Hogan is considering setting up an advisory committee to help build the Relationship between scientists and politicians, damaged during the Mbeki era.  "It is very important that there is a respectful relationship between government and scientists. Government needs a more structured relationship with scientists," Hogan told the scientific advisory board of the Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in SA (Caprisa) recently.

 Helping Farmers in Uganda at the Touch of a Button

The ability to correctly diagnose and treat crop diseases such as banana wilt via mobile phone is just one of endless possibilities for smallholder farmers if location-specific (geospatial) information were available, according to researchers, IRIN has reported. Such a project would, for example, make use of mobile devices equipped with Global Positioning Systems and cameras. The Grameen Foundation is conducting a seven-month pilot project in two Ugandan districts, whereby community workers collect and disseminate information on crop acreage and projected harvests through mobile device surveys. In the scheme, 45 community knowledge workers (CKWs), selected from existing farmers' groups, are trained in using mobile devices for data collection. Each has a mobile phone, some of which are equipped with cameras. From a drop-down menu on the phones, the CKWs are able to enter the required data, which is then transmitted to the foundation's database for agricultural forecasting.