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161. Uganda 2016: Amama Mbabazi and the Prospect of Electoral Change

In a televised presidential debate in Uganda on January 15, Amama Mbabazi—the independent candidate, who calls his movement Go Forward—asked the audience a rhetorical question: “Do you want a change,…

162. South Africa: Revealing Uncomfortable Truths

The student protests against fee increases in the higher education system that hit campuses around the country. However, we know that the students' concerns go beyond immediate financial concerns.…

163. Uganda: When Democracy Doesn’t Count

In 1940, Franklin Roosevelt told Americans that, by arming Britain against the Nazis, we’d serve as an “arsenal for democracy.” But during the cold war, the opposite was often true, and apparently…

164. Africa human rights record shameful

Impunity in Africa is the order of the day, with the ever widening socio-economic gap leading to even more political rights issues such as corruption, plundering of natural resources and freedom of…

165. Tanzania loves its new anti-corruption president. Why is he shutting down media outlets?

Tanzania’s President John Pombe Magufuli strode into office in November promising to reduce corruption, cut wasteful spending and improve public services. These initiatives are welcome in the East…

166. The future of jobs: What will survive by 2020, what won't and what it means for Africa

"65% of children entering primary school today will ultimately end up working in completely new job types that don’t yet exist." This reality is examined in a new report by the World Economic Forum,…

167. Kenya – Daily nation editor sacked over editorial criticising Kenyatta

Last week in Tanzania, now in Kenya. Again newspapers are banned and journalists sacked in the EAC for criticising their leaders. Freedom of expression appears to be under threat. Kenyan Daily…

168. Terrorists' guns and bombs are slowly changing Africa's way of life—is the age of innocence over?

Metal detectors and body searches were already mainstream in countries such as Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda, even in shops and churches, but for a number of countries, it is a new phenomenon that could…

169. Tanzania’s new reform-minded government has banned a tabloid for “inflammatory” journalism

Recently-elected Tanzanian president John Magufuli has garnered regional praise for his reformist proposals aimed at rooting out government corruption and incompetence. But his administration is…

170. Why the voice of Africa’s informal economy should be heard

Today the informal economy appears to be as important as ever to Africa and its future development. But governments, and international organisations like the World Bank and ILO, do not like the…