East Africa

There was a scare on Thursday when a Kenyan member of parliament said colleagues were unsafe during proceedings because one member was armed. The MP, Elisha Odhiambo, informed the speaker that he had seen what looked like a gun behind the coat of his colleague, Mohamed Ali. Speaker Justin Muturi …

It’s been 100 days since fighting broke out in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region. In that time, hundreds of thousands of people have been forced out of their homes. Many are going hungry. “I’m sheltered at my friends and I rely on them … I have no work,” one of the …

The head of Rwanda’s military, Lt Gen Jacques Musemakweli, died a “natural death” on Thursday at a military hospital, according to Rwanda Defence Force. “Yes, General Musemakweli has died, he was ill,” a senior Rwandan army official told the BBC. The Rwanda Defence Force is deeply saddened to announce the …

Uganda’s army has confirmed the death of a pilot in a helicopter crash after take-off near Entebbe on Thursday. Uganda People’s Defence Force (UPDF) spokeswoman Brig Flavia Byekwaso said the incident happened during a flight training session. “Today afternoon at about 2:15pm a jet ranger piloted by two cadet trainees …

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo are gearing up to begin an Ebola vaccination campaign following the death of two people in North Kivu province. A 60-years-old female farmer died of Ebola on Wednesday, six days after a 42-year-old woman had died in hospital of the virus near the …

President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has warned of the global economic consequences of delayed vaccination in Africa. In an op-ed published on 7 February on the British news website The Guardian, the Rwandan leader pointed to a “nationalism” of Covid-19 vaccines on the part of the United States and Europe. …

Somalia’s government spokesman Mohamed Moalimu has said a planned meeting next week will help end political uncertainty in the country. He told the BBC’s Newsday programme that the government was always ready to facilitate free and fair elections. The country missed the 8 February deadline to hold elections because of …

Somalia’s President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo has called for a meeting with federal state leaders next week to resolve the impasse on how to proceed with elections. The term of President Farmajo ended on Monday after talks on the elections collapsed on 5 February. Opposition groups have said they no longer …

The Ugandan government has announced the full restoration of internet and social media services. “We apologise for the inconveniences caused, but it was for the security of our country,” Peter Ogwang, State Minister for ICT and National Guidance, tweeted. He added: “Let’s be constructive, not destructive consumers/users of social media.” …

The ruling party in Tanzania has dismissed growing calls from its MPs for President John Magufuli to extend his term in office. The 61-year-old president, who won elections in October, is currently serving his second and final five-year term in office. Humphrey Polepole, the CCM party’s publicity secretary, has told …