East Africa

The leader of the opposition Democratic Party in Uganda, Norbert Mao, has signed a cooperation agreement with the ruling National Resistance Movement party of President Yoweri Museveni. It was signed on Wednesday following a meeting between the two leaders at State House, Entebbe. President Museveni praised leaders of Democratic Party …

Several Malawians took to the streets of the capital, Lilongwe, to demand the resignation of President Lazarus Chakwera. Protesters accuse the president of not dealing with the high cost of living. They want a fresh presidential election to be held, local media reported. A high court is reported to have …

Efforts to meet the one-third quota for female representation in all institutional bodies in Kenya are stalled as female parliamentarians face online abuse. Rights activists are warning that the process of advancing women’s representation in Kenya could slow down as a result of online abuse and harassment faced by women …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday dismissed the recent World Bank report which classified Uganda as still a low-income country. In a July 1 economic update, the World Bank maintained that Uganda’s per capita gross national income stood at $840 (Shs3.1 million) per annum, according to its data for the …

Police in Ethiopia arrested the head of the Disaster Risk Management Commission, Mitiku Kassa, on suspicion of corruption, state-run television reported. The arrest follows a major investigation on a corruption case involving Mitiku and a non-governmental organization called Elshadai. Mr Kassa is accused of conspiring with the non-governmental organization, which …

Authorities in Tanzania are investigating a mysterious illness in the south of the country that has killed three people, the BBC reported. In total 13 cases have been reported in Lindi region, with patients having symptoms similar to Ebola or Marburg. They have been experiencing fever, severe headaches, fatigue and …

A French court sentenced Laurent Bucyibaruta, the man who planned one of the bloodiest episodes of the Rwandan genocide, to 20 years in prison. Laurent Bucyibaruta is the highest-ranking Rwandan to have faced trial in France over the 1994 massacres, in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus died. …

Police in Uganda have arrested 25 people following Monday’s demonstrations against high prices of food and fuel. Many of those who took part in the protests in the eastern district of Jinja – about 80km (50 miles) from the capital, Kampala – were motorcycle taxi riders commonly referred to as …

The Democratic Republic of Congo officially joins the East African Community (EAC) becoming the seventh country of the regional bloc. Congolese Minister of Foreign Affairs Christophe Lutundula presented the documents to EAC secretary general Peter Mathuki, who described the development as significant for DR Congo and the community. Member states …

The chairman of the Social Imberakuri opposition party in Rwanda, Bernard Ntaganda issued a warning to President Paul Kagame saying it is time for him to hand over. The warning comes after President Kagame announced he intends to lead the country for another 20 years. According to Mr Ntaganda, Mr …