African central banks and payment systems are set to spearhead the continent-wide adoption and rollout of the new card Abuja, Nigeria | THE INDEPENDENT | Africa has marked a significant step towards financial independence following the launch of PAPSSCARD, the continent’s first Pan-African card scheme. Unveiled on June 27 at the …
Read More »MTN Nigeria targets $1bn cloud market to take on Amazon, Microsoft and Google
The telecoms giant is betting on a naira-priced cloud to undercut AWS and Azure Abuja, Nigeria | AGENCIES | MTN Nigeria has launched what it claims is the country’s largest prefabricated modular data centre, marking a bold push into the country’s fast-growing cloud market and taking aim at global giants such …
Read More »Rise in HIV/AIDS cases feared after US aid cuts
New data from Africa and Latin America shows rising infections, stalled treatment, and strained health systems Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Scientists, researchers, policy makers and HIV/AIDS advocates at a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, from July 13-17 for the 13th International AIDS Conference on HIV Science (IAS 2025), have raised an …
Read More »KOICA transforms maternal health in Uganda
28 facilities across five districts upgraded, with solar power, water, essential medical equipment Mayuge, Uganda | AGENCIES | For years, childbirth for many women in Uganda meant facing it alone, in dim, overcrowded rooms, with no privacy, no comfort, and no one to hold their hand. Husbands waited outside. Health workers …
Read More »‘Tax the super-rich’
Oxfam report warns of danger ahead as gap widens between rich and poor COVER STORY | RONALD MUSOKE | In 1990, just one in 10 people living in extreme poverty around the world lived in Africa. In 2024, it was seven in ten. Since 2020, the number of people living in …
Read More »Uganda among first to benefit from breakthrough HIV prevention drug
Lenacapavir, trialed in Uganda, offers 100% protection but will it reach those who need it most? Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Thanks to a landmark deal announced on July 9 by the Global Fund, Uganda is expected to be among the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to get access to …
Read More »Equity Bank taps UAE for global growth
The lender’s shareholders approved a dividend payout of Kshs. 16 billion (approximately Shs 444.9 billion) for the year ending December 2024 Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | Equity Group Holdings Plc is set to open a Representative Office in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), marking its first venture outside Africa and …
Read More »The DRC-Rwanda peace deal
US-brokered agreement will prolong the conflict, analysts say NEWS ANALYSIS | IAN KATUSIIME | The peace agreement signed between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda on June 27 in Washington, U.S., has already generated intense debate about what it means for the people of DRC who have endured conflict …
Read More »Most well-off East Africans revealed
So why are Ugandans the most angry? COVER STORY | THE INDEPENDENT | When Ugandans are asked to evaluate their life based on quality of life, happiness, and fulfillment on a ladder with steps numbered from 0 (the worst possible life) to 10 (the best possible life), the average rank …
Read More »School lightning tragedy in Uganda sparks global campaign
Campaigners battle superstitious beliefs NEWS ANALYSIS | RONALD MUSOKE | Palabek Secondary School in the northern Uganda district of Lamwo near the South Sudan border has become the centre of a campaign to increase safety precautions against lightning strikes in Uganda. Uganda is one of the most lightning-prone countries …
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