Kenya’s real GDP is expected to pick up gradually in the medium term, with growth projected to increase from 4.5 percent in 2025 to about 5.0 percent in 2026–27 Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya’s public debt remains at high risk of distress, with interest payments absorbing about a third …
Read More »DRC’s plan for the world’s largest tropical forest reserve good for the planet
But can it succeed? COMMENT | MATTI BARTHEL, JOHAN SIX & TRAVIS DRAKE | The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo passed a law in January 2025 to lead efforts to establish the largest tropical forest reserve in the world. It will be set up as a 2,600km long green …
Read More »Did Mozart have friends?
Mozart had many admirers and would no doubt have countless followers on Instagram today. But did he have real friends? Or did he live solely for music? All is explored at the Mozart festival in Würzburg ART | GABY REUCHER | If the famous composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart were a child …
Read More »African footballers in China: what’s behind the sport migration trend
FEATURE | Relations between China and Africa are increasingly important in understanding the dynamics that shape our world. But until now, the role of sport was overlooked. A new book, Global China and the Global Game in Africa, explores the role of football in relations between China and Africa – …
Read More »Mauritanian wins AfDB Presidency
Having entered the race last, Sidi Ould Tah leveraged his country’s diplomatic networks, bolstered by Mohamed Ould Ghazouani’s chairmanship of the African Union in 2024 ANALYSIS | AGENCIES | Mauritanian Sidi Ould Tah beat four other candidates after three rounds of voting. He becomes the 9th president of the pan-African institution for the next …
Read More »Equity Group posts Shs 433.2bn profit
The lender’s digital channels processed 87% of all transactions, with the Equity Mobile App and USSD platform recording Shs 26.5 trillion in transaction value Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Equity Group has reported solid financial results for the first quarter of 2025, underpinned by its regional expansion, diversified business model, …
Read More »Why Meta is in trouble in Nigeria
What this means for Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users COMMENT | TOLU OLAREWAJU & JAGANNADHA PAWAN TAMVADA | Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, was recently hit with three fines totalling more than US$290 million in Nigeria. The fines were imposed by Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection …
Read More »Private sector urges EAC to speed up tax harmonisation
According to the EAC Secretariat, trade among the seven member states and the rest of Africa rose by $584.6 million to $4.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in the previous year Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | East African governments are under mounting pressure …
Read More »Kenya taps regional links to boost tourism
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Kenya is ramping up efforts to attract more tourists by improving travel infrastructure and strengthening regional cooperation, officials said at the Pearl of Africa Tourism Expo (POATE) in Uganda. Speaking at the regional tourism fair, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife, Rebecca Miano, said …
Read More »Africa eyes 4% growth by 2026 as AfDB urges domestic resource mobilization
East Africa is set to lead regional performance, expanding at an average of 5.9 per cent in 2025–26, underpinned by continued momentum in Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire | THE INDEPENDENT | Africa’s economy is forecast to grow from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 3.9 per cent in 2025, …
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