Large group gatherings and mobility have been identified as risk factors for increasing the spread of COVID-19 | THE INDEPENDENT | With the end of year approaching and many African families planning get-togethers, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging countries to be on high alert for a possible surge …

`Get Up Stand Up’ theme invites young artists to create art beyond the traditional Kampala, Uganda | DOMINIC MUWANGUZI | The Covid-19 pandemic has inspired unusual ways of doing things in many sectors.  The creative arts are no exceptional to this new wave as the Kampala Art Biennale 2020 becomes …

Why political parties must commit to letting them play a role in political leadership and decision-making | PATRICIA SCOTLAND | Young people around the world are waking up to a growing list of new and harsh realities. Trapped in the shadow of a relentless pandemic, many are being robbed of …

As African industrialisation progresses and Covid-19 impacts on long supply chains, the notion that African economies should produce more locally is gaining traction. Liam Taylor reports. Every time a foreign dignitary visits Cipla Quality Chemical Industries Limited (CiplaQCIL), they plant a tree. Visiting presidents show up so frequently that the grassy verge …

Troubled history provides clues why | FRANCESCA BALDWIN AND HEIKE I SCHMIDT | Ethiopia’s government, under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, is carrying out a military offensive in Tigray, Ethiopia’s most northern state. A six month state of emergency has been declared in the region. Dozens of casualties have been reported …

From Early Warning to Early Action; a view from the International Crisis Group Unless urgently halted, the ongoing armed confrontation between Ethiopia’s federal forces and those commanded by the northern Tigray region’s leadership will be devastating not just for the country but for the entire Horn of Africa. In a …

Promising results – here’s what needs to happen next | ANNE MOORE | Preliminary data from the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine trial suggests it provides 90% efficacy at preventing the disease. At the very least, this news will result in a large sigh of relief across the vaccine community. It signifies …

The excitement that greeted the news of a vaccine candidate that may be highly effective against COVID-19 was indeed something to behold. If the final results show anything like the numbers quoted in the press release, then the world can indeed be pleased and the scientists behind the scenes very …

The taxman had expected to collect Shs42.5bn in principal and penal tax from NSSF contributors Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | It became official on Nov. 02 that the National Social Security Fund will not be remitting income tax to Uganda Revenue Authority on the interest rate that it pays …

A highly polarised society with an uncertain future | KARUTI KANYINGA | When Tanzanian voters went to the polls on October 28, the incumbent President John Pombe Magufuli and his party Chama Cha Mapinduzi showed all the signs of being confident about victory. This confidence resulted from the way in …