East Africa

Kevin Munoz, the White House spokesman on Twitter announced that the US has sent over 488,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine to Rwanda. The doses included part of “500 million shots pledged and purchased this summer” by President Joe Biden’s administration for the Covax initiative, which delivers vaccines to poorer …

A businesswoman in Kenya has pleaded guilty to keeping money sent to her erroneously on a popular mobile money transfer platform, the Nation news site reports. Elizabeth Karimi Muthoni received 271,200 Kenyan shillings ($2,400) from Bakar Hussein Mohamed through Mpesa on 14 July. She withdrew part of the money and …

Uganda will take in 2,000 Afghan refugees fleeing the crisis in their country. Refugees Minister Esther Anyakun said President Yoweri Museveni agreed to take in the refugees at the request of the Americans. It follows the weekend’s lightning Taliban takeover and collapse of the federal authorities. The first group of …

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni condemned security forces for torturing or beating ordinary Ugandans. He said beating people can be seen as indiscipline. Mr Museveni added that security forces who torture suspects are lazy and unwilling to carry out proper investigations and gather substantial evidence. During his televised national address, video …

Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera has sacked the energy minister and his chief of staff who are facing corruption charges. The two and one other official, Enock Chihana, a partner in the governing Tonse Alliance were arrested on Monday for their alleged involvement in a state oil contract. They were reportedly …

In Kenya, civil servants have been given 13 days to be vaccinated against Covid or face unspecified disciplinary measures.The public service minister said he made the decision due to the low participation of civil servants in the vaccination. In a statement, the head of public service said the order was …

Malawi’s Energy Minister Newton Kambala has been arrested for allegedly trying to influence the way that contracts for the supply of oil were awarded, the country’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has said in a brief statement. Two others, the president of the of Alliance for Democracy party, Enoch Chihana, and a …

Lions have killed three children who had gone to look for missing cattle in northern Tanzania’s Ngorongoro wildlife reserve, police said in a statement on Thursday. The children, aged between nine and 11, went looking for the livestock just after they had returned from school, Arusha police chief Justine Masejo …

Tanzanian police have arrested some of those demonstrating in support of opposition leader Freeman Mbowe, who has been accused of terrorism-related crimes. The court case of Tanzania opposition leader Freeman Mbowe, which was to be held virtually, has been postponed after technical difficulties. Nevertheless, party supporters who had turned out …

President Paul Kagame has requested his Tanzanian counterpart to deploy Swahili teachers to help strengthen Rwanda’s efforts in teaching the language. In a state banquet on Monday night marking the end of President Samia Suluhu’s two-day visit, Paul Kagame said that Rwanda had already introduced Swahili lessons in schools. In …