While Washington turns a blind eye, autocrats across the continent are muzzling their citizens online Kampala, Uganda | HILARY MATFESS & JEFFREY SMITH | In August 2017, during a new media roundtable between leaders from China and Tanzania, the Tanzanian deputy communications minister praised the Beijing government for blocking social media …
Read More »RDB partners with global IT firm, Andela
US$80million available for specialists in 4 African countries Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Andela, a global engineering firm based in New York, has raised US$80million in venture funding to mentor software developers in the four African countries where it operates; Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. The firm invests in Africa’s …
Read More »Africa-India trade decline to US$55bn-Report
Uganda plans to intensify relations in trade, tourism and investment Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | Trade between Africa and India has recorded a 30% decline in volume from US$78billion in 2014 to about $55 billion in 2017 citing a tough economic environment. However, this was more than seven times higher …
Read More »Africa over the last 30 years
Why the claim that our continent’s problems are caused by “poor governance” is a lot of baloney THE LAST WORD | ANDREW MWENDA | I have just re-read the 1989 report of the World Bank titled “Sub Saharan Africa: From Crisis to Sustainable Development.” It is a rich document in terms …
Read More »South Africa’s President Ramaphosa urges Nigeria to sign Africa trade pact
Abuja, Nigerai | ISAAC KHISA | South Africa’s President, Cyril Ramaphosa, has urged Nigeria to sign the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to create a single continental market for goods and services in member nations, with free movement of persons and investments. Ramaphosa, who was the chief quest during …
Read More »Africa at the World Cup
An opportunity to talk about the identities and unity of a divided continent Kampala, Uganda | MAHFOUD AMARA | Africa is the world’s second most populated continent; it is home to 54 countries. Yet, according to football umbrella body FIFA’s rules, only five African countries can qualify for the World …
Read More »CAF ban Kenyan referee for life over bribe
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | A Kenyan referee who had been chosen for the 2018 World Cup in Russia has been banned for life after accepting a bribe, an African Football Confederation (CAF) statement said Sunday. Marwa Range was dropped from the World Cup list after a media sting …
Read More »Inside Africa’s real tragedy
THE LAST WORD: How the ideology of a welfare state has destroyed our continent and impoverished its people THE LAST WORD | Andrew M. Mwenda | Everywhere I turn these days, Ugandans (and Africans generally) are complaining about the sorry state of our education and healthcare systems. There is a …
Read More »COMMENT: Weaning African leaders off power
Democracy from below could be the antidote to addiction to power by leaders who refuse to leave office COMMENT | KEALEBOGA J MAPHUNYE | Some African countries have recorded democratic victories in the past 12 months. Ethiopia has a new leader whose ascent holds great promise for change, despite the country’s …
Read More »COMMENT: Africa’s path to development
Economists are confident that Africa’s development model will be different from that of East Asia COMMENT | BRAHIMA COULIBALY | Recent projections indicate that several Sub-Saharan African countries will experience robust economic growth over the next five years. By 2023, around one-third of the region’s economies will have grown at an …
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