February 11
Kenya: Mungiki, Kenya's Violent Youth Gang, Serves Many Purposes - How Identity, Politics and Crime Keep It Alive
Kenya has scores of youth gangs known for their violence and links to the politically powerful. None is more infamous than the Mungiki movement, with a past membership estimated to… Read more »
February 13
Kenya: Kelvin Kiptum - the Kenyan Runner Who Redefined What It Takes to Win Marathons
Kenyan athletics has lost Kelvin Kiptum, the marathon world record holder who was destined to be the first person to run the race in under two hours. The runner, aged only 24, died… Read more »
Ethiopia: Donkeys Are Unsung Heroes in Ethiopia's Humanitarian Crisis - and They Could Do Even More With Better Support
Conflict and drought in the Tigray region of northern Ethiopia has triggered a humanitarian crisis. The Ethiopian government says 16 million people across the country are facing… Read more »
February 12
Kenya: Kenya's Sex Workers Have Solutions to Their Problems, but International NGOs Aren't Hearing Them
In Kenya, rights organisations run by sex workers have gone into numerous partnerships with international organisations over the past decade. In recent research, I set out to… Read more »
February 02
Rwanda: Even Many Critics of the Rwanda Deportation Policy Are Missing the Point of Why It's Wrong
The UK government's proposals to send asylum seekers arriving to the UK onto Rwanda continue to spark intense opposition. Read more »
February 08
Tanzania: Tanzania's Elections Are Vulnerable to State Abuse - Urgent Law Reforms Are Needed
Tanzania's electoral law reform is overdue for an overhaul. This was made most apparent by the 2019 local elections and the 2020 general elections. The results were big wins for… Read more »
February 07
Ethiopia: Somaliland-Ethiopia Port Deal - International Opposition Flags Complex Red Sea Politics
The memorandum of understanding between Ethiopia and Somaliland announced on 1 January 2024 set off diplomatic rows in the Horn of Africa - and beyond. Read more »
February 04
Madagascar: Giant Tortoises Have Returned 600 Years After Being Wiped Out
A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of the 350kg megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600… Read more »
February 01
Ethiopia: Ethiopian Protest Music - the Songs of Hachalu Hundessa Reveal the Struggles of the Oromo People
The Oromo are the largest ethno-national group in Ethiopia, accounting for over 40 million people or more than one-third of the population. However, they have been politically… Read more »
January 31
Somalia: Houthi Militant Attacks in the Red Sea Raise Fears of Somali Piracy Resurgence
Renewed attacks on ships by suspected Somali pirates since November 2023 have fuelled fear of a new threat of piracy off the east coast of Africa. Read more »
January 30
Burundi: Burundi's Quota for Women in Politics Has Had Mixed Results, but That's No Reason to Scrap It
Since 2005, Burundi has set quotas to ensure that the country's three ethnic groups (Hutu, Tutsi and Twa), as well as women, are represented in its parliament, central government… Read more »
January 29
Kenya: Healthcare Workers Abuse a Third of Young Mums From Informal Settlements - Study
Adolescent pregnancy is a global public health concern: in 2022, about 13% of girls and young women gave birth before the age of 18. Read more »
January 25
Uganda: Cecilia Atim Ogwal - a Fearless Ugandan Politician Who Spoke Her Mind and Challenged Conventions
Cecilia Barbara Atim Ogwal, one of Uganda's longest-serving female legislators, passed away on 18 January 2024 at the age of 77. Read more »
Sudan: The African Union Is Working On Peace in Sudan - Expert Explains Why It's in Everyone's Interests
The African Union has recently named a team to work on a peaceful end to Sudan's civil war. The team will engage Sudan's feuding military factions alongside civil society and… Read more »
January 24
Somalia: Somaliland Has Been Pursuing Independence for 33 Years
Somaliland declared itself an independent state in 1991. It used colonial boundary lines to separate itself from Somalia. More than three decades later, however, it has yet to gain… Read more »
January 22
Kenya: Kenyan Universities Are Very Short of Professors - Why It Matters and What to Do About It
A Kenyan vice-chancellor recently went public about the scarcity of university professors. There are fewer than 1,000 professors for the country's 68 universities and 562,925… Read more »
January 17
Kenya: Should Kenya Abolish All School Exams? Expert Sets Out Five Reasons Why They're Still Useful
The role of examinations in Kenyan schools is under scrutiny. This is because there is a lot that is wrong with the country's examinations, a situation that threatens to derail… Read more »
January 16
Uganda: Uganda's Battle for the Youth Vote - How Museveni Keeps Bobi Wine's Reach in Check
Uganda is one of the youngest countries in the world, with an average age of 15.9 years. Young people aged below 30 make up about 77% of the country's population of 47 million… Read more »
January 14
Africa: Urban Kenyans Mistrust Police Even More Than Rural Residents Do - Study Sets Out Why It Matters
Across the African continent - from Nigeria and Ghana to South Africa - widespread protests have taken place to demand police reform in the wake of police misconduct and brutality.… Read more »
January 11
Ethiopia: Ethiopia's Quest for Access to the Sea - Success Rests On Good Relations With Its Neighbours
On 1 January, Ethiopia and Somaliland signed a memorandum of understanding granting Addis Ababa direct access to the Gulf of Aden. This strategic agreement paves the way for… Read more »
December 25, 2023
East Africa: 4 Must-Read Books From East Africa - From Tanzanian Masters to Ugandan Queens
East African literature continues to grow and reshape itself in exciting new ways. The world really did take notice of the region when Tanzanian-British author Abdulrazak Gurnah… Read more »
East Africa: 4 Must-Read Books From East Africa in 2023 - From Tanzanian Masters to Ugandan Queens
East African literature continues to grow and reshape itself in exciting new ways - and 2023 was no exception. The world really did take notice of the region when Tanzanian-British… Read more »
December 12, 2023
Madagascar: Madagascar Cave Art Hints At Ancient Connections Between Africa and Asia
Unique, prehistoric rock art drawings have been discovered in the Andriamamelo Cave in western Madagascar. Read more »
Somalia: Somali Pirates Are Back in Action - but a Full Scale Return Isn't Likely. Here's Why
An Iranian fishing vessel, Almeraj 1, was reportedly hijacked by Somali pirates in November 2023. According to media reports, the pirates demanded US$400,000 in ransom and… Read more »
East Africa: What's East Africa's Position On the Israel-Hamas War? an Expert Unpacks the Reactions of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
The reactions of some east African countries to the ongoing conflict in Gaza have been less dramatic than South Africa's. South Africa's parliament has passed a resolution calling… Read more »