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Africa Live: Politician accused of harassment after birthday handshake - BBC News Africa Live: Politician accused of harassment after birthday handshake - BBC News
(32 minutes later)
Kenya's Association of Muslim Lawyers says a politician who appeared to force a woman to shake his hand should be investigated for harassment. Leaders from the West African regional bloc, Ecowas, have climbed down on their initial announcement that they were visiting Togo "due to the seriousness of the controversial constitutional reforms that the government planned to introduce".
A widely circulated video of an office birthday party shows Ken N'gondi, the Speaker of Nairobi's County Assembly, apparently insisting that a female Muslim colleague shake his hand. He is also seen putting his hand on her shoulder when she stands up. Those words were part of a press release that was published on X on Monday then deleted on Tuesday.
Mr N'gondi has not commented on the video. It was replaced by a new press release, that instead called it a simple "information mission" and insisted that Ecowas delegates would "not engage in any other process as indicated in a previous press release, which has been withdrawn".
News outlets and social media commenters point out that devoutly Muslim women do not shake hands with male acquaintances. Many say the woman in the video looks uncomfortable, and Muslim lawyers have said it amounts to sexual and physical assault. The opposition in Togo has denounced a proposed new constitution as a power grab, intended to extend the rule of President Faure Gnassingbé.
They say they're demanding "accountability" for what happened and want police to bring "criminal charges" against Mr N'gondi. The reforms would see the West African country move from a presidential to a parliamentary system. But the opposition says they are a ruse to keep Mr Gnassingbé - already in his fourth term - in power.
Ecowas, meanwhile, has been under considerable pressure after recent diplomatic efforts to steer the region's burgeoning military juntas back to democracy have failed.
You can read more about what's happening in Togo here
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