Kampala, Uganda | NEWS CORRESPONDENT | Regional sexual and reproductive health experts have called for a closer examination of age-of-consent laws and how they affect adolescents’ access to healthcare, arguing that legal and administrative barriers can prevent young people from obtaining the information and services they need to avoid …
Read More »RMB use expands in Africa amid growing financial connectivity, trade
NAIROBI | Xinhua | China’s currency, the renminbi (RMB), is playing a bigger role in Africa as trade with the continent flourishes. From the launch of direct RMB settlement services in Tanzania to expanded connectivity with the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) in Kenya and Namibia, as well as …
Read More »DR Congo launches updated 180-day Ebola response plan, seeks 1.3-bln-USD funding
KINSHASA | Xinhua | The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its partners on Friday launched an updated 180-day multisectoral response plan to intensify efforts against the ongoing Ebola outbreak, with funding needs estimated at 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. With support from the World Health Organization (WHO), the …
Read More »Developing skills alone will not unlock Africa’s demographic dividend
Intergenerational Inclusion: The Missing Link in Africa’s Youth Employment Agenda COMMENT | PRISCILLIA KIRABO | Africa has spent the last two decades investing in young people. Governments have expanded access to education, development partners have financed skills development programmes, businesses have supported entrepreneurship, and policymakers have placed youth …
Read More »Six decades of cooperation foster deep trust between Chinese doctors and African communities
NAIROBI | Xinhua | For three years, Seif Amour Rajab could barely open his mouth. Seif was 16 when he fell from a mango tree and fractured his jaw. On Tanzania’s remote Pemba Island, the hospital could do little. The jaw slowly locked shut; eating became a struggle, then speech. …
Read More »Otunnu impresses, discusses UN reform, conflict resolution and AI
ANALYSIS | URN | Uganda’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Olara Otunnu, has called for sweeping reforms of the world body, stronger intervention in armed conflicts and greater efforts to ensure emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence benefit all of humanity. Otunnu made the case for his candidacy on …
Read More »Airtel Africa is first operator in Africa to commercially launch Starlink
Kinshasa, DRC | THE INDEPENDENT | Airtel Africa and Starlink have launched satellite-to-mobile service in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), marking the first commercial deployment in Africa. The service enables Airtel customers with compatible smartphones to access connectivity in non-terrestrial areas wherever they can see the sky. Starlink, …
Read More »Moove joins Africa’s unicorn club with a US$2.1 billion infrastructure bet
Moove’s US$2.1 billion valuation is the largest African startup funding milestone of 2026, marking the continent’s newest unicorn. Its rise suggests that investors are increasingly backing African companies that are building the infrastructure underpinning global industries. SPECIAL REPORT | BIRD AGENCY | Lagos-founded mobility company Moove has become …
Read More »Burundi’s breastfeeding success is becoming a test case for Africa’s maternal health investment
Burundi has become one of the world’s highest-performing countries in exclusive breastfeeding, and its success is reshaping the global conversation on maternal and child health. As WHO and UNICEF push a new investment case for breastfeeding, the country is emerging as evidence that strong health systems, workplace policies, and …
Read More »Olara Otunnu: Uganda’s 30-year-late gamble for UN top job
After three decades of waiting, Uganda has finally put its weight behind the man it once might have backed when his moment was at its brightest COVERY STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | On Saturday, Aug. 8, Olara Otunnu boarded a plane to the United States, headed for New York …
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The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price