East Africa

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has suspended and put under house arrest minister Edouard Bamporiki, in charge of youth and culture, authorities have announced. The minister’s suspension was as a result of “matters of accountability under investigations”, a statement from the prime minister’s office said. He is accused of “serious cases …

At least 10 Burundian soldiers were killed and 25 others injured after Islamist al-Shabab militants attacked their base in Somalia’s Middle Shabelle region, the army said. An army spokesperson said five other soldiers were missing. “Twenty terrorists of al-Shabab group were also killed during the attack,” the army statement said. …

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has urged his deputy William Ruto to step down as relations between the two deteriorate ahead of general elections due in August. President Kenyatta accused Deputy Ruto of not doing enough to help the country deal with the struggling economy, and said he shouldn’t criticize the …

Queen Elizabeth has eulogised Kenya’s former President Mwai Kibaki as a “great statesman” who had “a lifelong record of service to the Kenyan people”, the BBC reported. Mr Kibaki died last Thursday aged 90 and his funeral service is ongoing at a stadium in the capital, Nairobi. He was Kenya’s …

Several African Presidents and other world dignitaries are in Kenya to pay their last respects to former President Mwai Kibaki, who died last week at the age of 90. The South African Cyril Ramaphosa, as well as the South Sudanese Salva Kiir and the Ethiopian Sahle-Work Zewde confirmed their presence. …

A court in Rwanda has sentenced Sadate Musengimana, a Muslim cleric to five years in prison for killing a pig in a mosque, local media reported. Three witnesses told the court that they saw the imam beating the pig with a piece of wood, killing it on the spot. His …

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a powerful message to rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, urging them to lay down their arms and work with the government “to foster peace and stability”. The representatives of armed groups are meeting in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, for direct talks with …

The organiser of Miss Rwanda beauty pageant, Dieudonné Ishimwe, has been arrested on allegations of sexually abusing contestants, the authorities have said. The arrest of Mr Ishimwe, the chief executive of Rwanda Inspiration Back Up, the company that organises the contest, comes just a month after this year’s edition, the …

Tanzanian singer Diamond Platnumz, considered one of Africa’s most popular popstars, has had his Youtube page reclaimed after it was allegedly taken over by hackers – leading to its suspension, media reported. An official at Diamond Platnumz’s record label, Wasafi, said they received an email from YouTube telling them the …

Rwandan President Paul Kagame traveled to Uganda to hold a meeting with counterpart Yoweri Museveni as diplomatic relations between the two countries resume. A statement from State House Entebbe said the two leaders agreed to push for peace and stability in the region by addressing the crisis in eastern Democratic …