THE LAST WORD

This column is a slightly edited version of a speech I gave at a conference of liberals in South Africa on May 24, 2017 By Andrew Mwenda I want to argue that liberty is taking root in Africa.  Not as fast as we would like. But this should not discourage …

How Zuma has brought South Africa’s democracy and Mandela’s “miracle” from honour to shame! THE LAST WORD | By Andrew M. Mwenda Last week I was in South Africa and listened to the disaster bad leadership can inflict on a country. President Jacob Zuma and his confederates have indulged in …

His contract was renewed because his enemies inside the government underestimate him while the opposition demonise him By Andrew M. Mwenda Parliament last week approved President Yoweri Museveni’s reappointment of Gen. Kale Kayihura as Inspector General of Police (IGP). With 12 years at the helm, Kayihura is now the longest …

  What Uganda’s current and future politicians can learn from the life and character of Mzee Byanyima Although I knew he was old (at 96) and was aware of his declining health I was still shocked when I heard the news of the death of Mzee Boniface Byanyima. I have …

What psychology tells us about FDC’s claims to have won last year’s presidential election By Andrew M. Mwenda This column is a logical thought experiment. Recently, opposition presidential candidate, Dr. Kizza Besigye, claimed on a television show that he won the last presidential elections and that he has evidence to …

How the detention and trial of a Makerere academic exposes the moral bankruptcy of Uganda’s elites By Andrew M. Mwenda Dr. Stella Nyanzi, an academic at Makerere University, has been jailed for using foul language to criticise President Yoweri Museveni and his wife, Janet. It is permissible to call the …

  Why we need to think of how to develop national capacity to manage our economy By Andrew M. Mwenda Uganda is going through the worst economic performance since 1987 when the government of President Yoweri Museveni began liberal economic reform. In the first quarter of this financial year, the …

As Sierra Leone’s president seeks to amend the constitution and extend his presidency, it is time for Africa to pause and reflect By Andrew M. Mwenda The president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, wants to amend the constitution and remove term limits on the presidency. Koroma is not the …

How the opposition leader has blundered on the chance to promote his political project – if he has any By Andrew M. Mwenda Media reports have recently indicated there are attempts to organise talks between the government and the opposition. For such talks to be meaningful, they have to involve …

Why very few poor countries will escape poverty by taking gigantic leaps into the service industry  By Andrew M. Mwenda Two weeks ago, I had a disagreement with the president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda. Kim had argued that increasing automation and …