NEWS ANALYSIS

Murchison Falls, Uganda | AFP | The boat edged as close as possible to the deafening surge of water roaring over Murchison Falls, giving tourists a hair-raising shot of one of Africa’s awesome and terrifying natural spectacles. Tens of thousands visit northwest Uganda every year to marvel as the force of …

Bujumbura, Burundi | AFP | Burundian President Pierre Nkurunziza has died of heart failure, the government said Tuesday, after the former rebel chief spent 15 often turbulent years in power. An evangelical who believed he was chosen by God to rule the East African nation, Nkurunziza took office in 2005, …

Kampala, Uganda| AFP |  THE INDEPENDENT |  Many are still wondering if indeed, Maj Gen Kasirye Gwanga is dead. The news of his death remains doubted even after confirmation from his family, and members of the Uganda People’s Defence Forces-UPDF.   This, probably because he has been pronounced dead so many times, …

In Uganda, racism may be more imbedded than you imagine and combating it requires keeping our foot on the pedal | CRISPIN KAHERU | When the coronavirus struck in Wuhan, China in December 2019, the whole thing sounded so distant. Local media made the pandemic seem like one of those …

It puts Magufuli’s leadership style in sharp relief as he polarises  the nation and consolidates power in the presidency | AIKANDE CLEMENT KWAYU | One of the main points of discussion around the various responses to the COVID-19 pandemic is governance. Different countries have reacted to the pandemic in different …

Massive swarms of locusts are sweeping across South Asia, the Middle East and the Horn of Africa. The current outbreak is the worst in recent decades. One million hectares of land is under threat in eight countries in the Horn of Africa. This is a crisis and a serious threat …

Outbreak comes just as the worst epidemic in the country’s history is petering out Nearly 50 staff from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its partners arrived in Mbandaka in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on June 03. Mbandaka is the location of what is feared coulb be …

Comparing the U.S. presidential candidates in a crisis | ALEXANDER PANETTA | The crisis cascading through American cities has allowed voters to make real-time comparisons of two presidential candidates’ leadership styles.It’s been instructive. Donald Trump and Joe Biden have responded to civil unrest by revealing different behaviours, priorities and ideas …

Was Museveni right to skip politics, COVID-19, to tout economy? | MUBATSI ASINJA HABATI | When President Yoweri Museveni delivered the State of the Nation on June 4 he had a choice: to focus on politics as he has done in the past, dwell on the economy, or explain the …

How a post-pandemic revival could kick-start continental free trade area | FAIZEL ISMAIL | The African Continental Free Trade Area was launched two years ago at an African Union (AU) summit in Kigali. It was scheduled to be implemented from July 1, 2020. But this has been pushed out until …