African press review 28 December 2015

The fight against terrorism in Nigeria, plans to expand nuclear power in South Africa and Kenya's presidential hopeful hit the headlines of today's papers.

Nigeria’s Daily Nation leads with Boko Haram’s latest attack. Gangs of suspected Boko Haram gunmen attacked Adawari village, near Maiduguri in Borno State, killing scores of people, on Sunday evening.

Earlier on Christmas Day 15 residents of Kimba village, also in Borno State, were killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists who set several houses and shops ablaze. Seven others were abducted. Kimba is a herding and farming community, 150 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state capital.

The Nigerian army have arrested seven suspected Boko Haram members, known to be experts in making IEDs, on a suicide mission in Kaduna State. The army spokesperson said the arrests would no doubt assist in the fight against terrorism in the country. 

Meanwhile Punch leads with declarations of President Muhammadu Buhari who has accused the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan of deliberately provoking Nigerian soldiers into mutiny. 

He accuses the past administration of sending soldiers to fight terrorists without arms and ammunition. Buhari made the accusation in an interview with the Hausa Service of the BBC.

Despite the self-imposed December deadline to end terrorism, Buhari admitted that the country might not win the war completely by the end of the month.

But a lot of progress had been made by the military, he said, insisting that the "terrorists" themselves are aware that they can no longer take over communities and local governments as they were doing under the past administration.

Both South Afica's Business Day and The Sowetan headline with the country’s nuclear development plans, claiming the programme has officially begun. 

No time-frame for the process has been given but the broader plan to boost nuclear power extends over the coming 15 years, with a target of reaching European standards.

The Department of Energy officially confirmed over the weekend that the cabinet has authorised the department to issue a request for proposal for their all new nuclear programme.

The decision was made during the infamous 9 December cabinet meeting, which was held just before Nlanhla Nene was fired as finance minister. One of the main concerns, though, is how the government will pay for the construction of the nuclear power stations, although Nene’s successor - and predecessor - Pravin Gordhan, has said the government will proceed with a formal procurement process only if it iss affordable.

Kenya's Daily Nation looks at the men and women expected to set Kenya’s agenda in the New Year. The article says that the political arena will most certainly heat up ahead of elections in 2017.

It gives insights into the Kenyans people should watch out for, those who will be setting the tone for debate, starting with President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has only 20 months to go till the end of his first term. He is expected to step up the war against corruption as he seeks to bolster his chances for reelection in 2017.

His government has been hit by one corruption scandal after another since taking office in 2013, giving the opposition a platform on which to demand far-reaching changes, accountability and prosecution of suspects, the paper comments.