East Africa

In Kenya, a proposed anti-gay bill sees people found to be gay sentenced to 50 years in prison for non-consensual sex. Dubbed the Family Protection Bill 2023, the draft law sponsored by Homa Bay Town legislator Peter Kaluma, is recommending a ban on homosexuality, same-sex unions and any LGBTQ activities …

Rwandan President Paul Kagame will seek a fourth term in next year’s presidential election, according to an interview with Jeune Afrique. “Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Mr Kagame told said on Tuesday. Asked about what the West would think about his decision to run again, Mr Kagame said, “I’m …

A military helicopter in Kenya crashed overnight while on patrol in the coastal county of Lamu, killing all crew on board, the BBC reported. It went down in the Boni forest, an area that straddles the border with Somalia and from where the Somali militant group al-Shabab has staged deadly …

Nine people have died from a cholera outbreak in Ethiopia’s north-western Benishangul-Gumuz Region, state television (ETV) reported on Sunday, citing health authorities. A regional health official, Abdulmunhem Al-Beshir, said that “some 131 people have been infected in the outbreak while nine others died,” ETV said. Cases have been reported in …

A human rights NGO has criticised Kenya’s President William Ruto for failing to reduce human rights violations, after it documented a more than twofold increase in abuses since the beginning of Mr Ruto’s presidency in September 2022. “In the past year, we have witnessed a wave of punitive policing during …

The commander of Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has threatened to form his own government with Khartoum as its capital if the army sets up an administration in the eastern city of Port Sudan. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lt Gen Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as …

The United Nations special envoy to Sudan, Volker Perthes is stepping down, more than three months after Sudan declared him non grata after disagreements between rival factions erupted into war, Reuters reported. “I am grateful to the Secretary-General for this opportunity and for his confidence in me, but I have …

Uganda police have banned political rallies organised by opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine, citing public order breaches and defamation against the president, local media reported. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tumusiime Katsigazi on Wednesday said one person had died and 10 others seriously injured in the National …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has urged Ugandans to be vigilant in the wake of terrorism threats, asking that all visitors be checked before entering places of worship and recreational facilities. In a televised address to the nation on Thursday evening, President Museveni asked Ugandans not to allow any “strange” people …

A Ugandan church has set the Guinness World Record for the longest applause after its members clapped non-stop for more than three hours, local media reported. “The congregation clapped for a total of three hours 16 minutes, maintaining an average sound level of 88.5 dB. For the attempt to be …