East Africa

A court in France has sentenced former Rwandan police officer, Philippe Hategekimana, to life imprisonment after finding him guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity. Philippe Hategekimana’s crimes took place during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, when Hutu militias killed hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The prosecutors said …

Five activist groups have sued French oil major TotalEnergies for a second time over its projects in Uganda and Tanzania in a Paris civil court, they said on Tuesday, after an earlier fast-track attempt was dismissed in February, Reuters reported. The French and Ugandan groups, led by Friends of the …

A unilateral ceasefire declared by the head of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces is due to come into effect today for the Muslim holiday of Eid-al-Adha, which starts on Wednesday, the BBC reported. The pause in the conflict with the Sudanese army was announced in an audio recording broadcast on …

The death toll from the terrorist attack on the Mpondwe high school near the Congolese border on the night of June 16-17, 2023, has risen to 43 in Uganda. In the aftermath, the opposition blamed the government, in particular, for Uganda’s security capabilities. “The attack could be the group’s revenge …

Tanzanian health authorities have declared the end of first-ever outbreak of Marburg, a deadly Ebola-like virus with a fatality rate of up to 88%, Reuters reported on Friday, citing the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to the WHO, nine cases, including six deaths, were recorded in the outbreak. While there …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni proves unwavering, after signing what international community termed as one of the world’s harshest anti-LGBTQ laws. The anti-homosexuality law carries penalties of up to the death penalty. Mr Museveni says it was necessary to prevent members of the LGBTQ community from being ‘disoriented‘ from ‘recruiting’ other …

A 45-year-old lawyer was gunned down at his residence by unknown assailants in kitiko Birongo in Ndejje Division in Uganda, according to reports. “Unidentified individual was seen shooting before briefly withdrawing only to return and shoot him at close range multiple times in the head,” reports said. “Assailants quickly fled …

Ugandan head of state Yoweri Museveni has approved the Anti-Homosexuality Law which provides heavy penalties for same-sex relations and the “promotion” of homosexuality in the country, the presidency has announced. The announcement of the promulgation of the new law arouses indignation and concern from local NGOs to the White House. …

Colombian Vice-President Francia Marquez announced that Swahili will be taught to Afro-descendants or those who want to learn this “vernacular” language of East Africa. The decision was made after she returned from an official trip to Africa, which took her to South Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia. She announced that Colombian …

The head of Kenya’s standards regulator and 26 other government officials have been suspended over the release of 1,000 tonnes of expired sugar into the market. A statement by the head of public service, Felix Koskei, said 20,000 bags of sugar imported into the country in 2018 and condemned by …