Tag Archives: politics

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP |  A Kenyan court on Friday cancelled a contract to print presidential ballot papers for next month’s elections after the opposition claimed the winning company had links to President Uhuru Kenyatta. The election commission had awarded the $24 million contract to Dubai-based Al Ghurair. A panel …

Kampala, Uganda | AFP |  Three people carrying a coffin marked with President Yoweri Museveni’s name were arrested in western Uganda on Friday and will be charged with “illegal assembly”, police said. The three men were arrested in Mbarara, 300 kilometres (186 miles) west of the capital Kampala, after holding …

Lome, Togo | AFP | The voodoo follower stood bare-chested with beads around his neck in the centre of the public square in Bè, a working class district of Togo’s capital, Lome. A dozen priests surrounded him as he made incantations, threw soil and water, and gave an offering to …

Lusaka, Zambia | AFP |  Zambian President Edgar Lungu on Thursday justified imposing a state of emergency by alleging that opposition parties were behind a string of arson attacks intended “to create terror and panic”. Lungu denied he was establishing a dictatorship in Zambia — until recently a relatively stable …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | A female Tanzanian MP has been arrested for allegedly insulting President John Magufuli, who is seen as increasingly authoritarian and unwilling to brook any dissent. The outspoken lawmaker, Halima Mdee, 39, from the main opposition Chadema party, was arrested on Tuesday, a day after she held a …

Soweto, South Africa | AFP |South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday sought to calm an increasingly fractious battle to succeed him that is threatening to split the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party. Zuma, who has been hit by corruption scandals and his country’s poor economic performance, will step …

Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | The president of Africa’s most populous nation was last seen in public two months ago and since the start of 2017, he’s been outside the country more than in it. Nigeria’s Muhammadu Buhari left for London on May 7 to receive medical treatment for an undisclosed …

Zambian president invokes state of emergency Lusaka, Zambia | AFP |  Zambian President Edgar Lungu invoked a state of emergency on Wednesday after a series of apparent arson attacks, in a move likely to trigger fresh accusations of government authoritarianism. Several fires, including one that burnt down the main market …

Kenya’s main candidates pull out of televised election debate Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Both Kenya’s leading presidential contenders have pulled out of two planned televised debates ahead of the August 8 election, their parties said Wednesday. President Uhuru Kenyatta withdrew first, followed by his main rival Raila Odinga. The first …

Stella Nyanzi speaks out as strict new official dress code sparks anger in Uganda Kampala, Uganda | AFP |  Ugandan public servants on Wednesday hit out at a list of strict new rules forbidding them from showing cleavage, having long nails, dyed hair or wearing skirts above the knee. But …