Bumbling, irrational, deadly: The Tanzanian president is getting the Covid-19 response all wrong
Discerning leadership is critical in the time of Covid-19 and John Magufuli’s decisions — or lack thereof — have put Tanzanians at greater risk
KENYA
Malawi’s Supreme Court affirms nullification of presidential election
Reiterating an already historical court ruling, the president’s election has once again been rebuffed
How coronavirus is affecting Kenya’s hearing impaired citizens
A deaf man in Kenya spread the message of Covid-19 when he realised a million hearing impaired people were left out of the conversation
Covid-19 in Africa: The good news and the bad
What might Africa look like in the wake of the pandemic? There’s enough change happening to keep both optimists happy and pessimists glum
Exclusive: The US military’s plans to cement its network of African bases
Formerly classified documents reveal an ambitious $330-million project to upgrade US military bases in Africa
The covert social effects of Covid-19
The manner in which some Senegalese people talk about homosexuality and how they discuss Covid-19 bears a disconcerting resemblance
Dramatic changes are coming to newsrooms across Africa
The pandemic could deliver a crippling blow to media houses across the continent
At war with Covid-19: Opportunities for Africa?
Civil-military relations across the continent are tenuous, at best. Covid-19 may have given African governments an opportunity to create a new social compact with their citizens
The pandemic is being used to erode democratic freedoms. Civil society must fight back
Both authoritarian and democratic governments are responding to the coronavirus crisis by instituting frightening new powers
Africa’s Covid-19 response should focus on people’s needs — and rights
The Covid-19 outbreak should not be used as an occasion to diminish human rights, but as an opportunity to reaffirm them
The Covid-19 pandemic is not an excuse to trample on human rights
By violating basic human rights, governments risk inflicting a double tragedy on their most vulnerable populations
‘In Kenya, you cannot go anywhere without an ID. I don’t have one’
Double-registration has effectively rendered stateless tens of thousands of Kenyan citizens who are ethnically Somali
Kenya’s government can’t tackle the pandemic alone. It needs civil society
Kenya’s government has excluded nongovernmental organisations and other groups such as churches from its emergency decision-making. This is a mistake
In East Africa, the locusts are coming back for more
In February the devastating locust swarms were the biggest seen in East Africa for 70 years. Now they’re even bigger
South African woman takes her own life in Kenyan quarantine
The death comes after complaints of deplorable conditions at the quarantine center where she was housed
WHO: Half of Africa’s countries can still avoid a serious outbreak
But only if draconian border closures are accompanied by effective public health interventions
The Covid-19 pandemic is a wildcard that will change politics as we know it
The crisis is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for unscrupulous leaders to further their own interests — and they are already taking advantage
Afrolit Sans Frontières: Stories and writers in the comfort of your living room
Zukiswa Wanner has organised a virtual literary festival, from March 23 to 30, to help readers and writers struggling with self-isolation
Hand washing, emergency loans and panic buying: How one Kenyan city is preparing
There have been no reported cases of the coronavirus in Nakuru, Kenya’s third-largest city. But life here has already changed
Why courts can’t save democracy in Africa
Recent judgments in Kenya and Malawi are encouraging. But democratic reform is impossible unless presidents and electoral commissions play their part
Higher-education institutions around Africa close as the world combats Covid-19
Several countries, including Kenya and Senegal, have ordered their tertiary education institutions to shut down in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus
Ramaphosa closes schools as country grapples with coronavirus
Following several other countries, South Africa will send learners home this week
Ethnic consciousness should not threaten African nation-building
Ethnic identity can be harnessed to strengthen national identity — and this can foster a continental-based African identity
How opposition parties in Africa can make friends and influence people
Only by demonstrating that it would perform better in office while building trust within the wider population can the opposition force improvements in the electoral system while also growing the party
The Weekend Guide
For good vibes and an arts fix, don’t miss the events ranging from gallery exhibitions to music concerts on our weekend gig guide
Discrediting elections: Why the opposition playbook carries risks
By pushing their usually valid complaints onto the streets and the courts, opposition leaders deny governments the popular goodwill and international credibility they need to govern effectively
Moi and the media: How Kenyan journalism suffered under his iron heel
The former president’s stranglehold on the press made it very difficult for journalists to do their jobs
The Year of the Locust
About 25 years ago, Baldwyn Torto and his team taught themselves to talk to locusts. Now, Simon Allison brings you the story of the swarms eating their way across the continent
Chasing mermaids in Zimbabwe
When two congregants drowned in a dam near Mhondoro village in Zimbabwe, it was said the men had transgressed the covenant the church had with the shrine’s guardian spirits
As climate crisis bites, cricket-eating goes global
Farming insects requires less water than cattle rearing and they emit fewer greenhouse gases. Here’s why you should make them part of your diet
How the Nigerian and Kenyan media handled Cambridge Analytica
Kenyan president Uhuru Kenyatta recently signed into law the Data Protection Bill. Passed after several years of debate and delay, the new law places restrictions on the collection and use of digital data by governments and private corporations. The restrictions are similar to those included in a new data protection regulation passed by Nigeria this […]
Kosgei to defend women’s London Marathon title
The 25-year-old will face a daunting challenge from a host of compatriots in defending her crown
