THE AFRICAN UNDERBELLY

How does an unremarkable army officer seize control of a country, and hold onto power for nearly thirty years? In the first episode of the Sudan deep dive, we trace the rise of Omar al-Bashir, from the 1989 military coup that brought him to power to his dramatic removal in 2019. Along the way, we explore the political and ideological network that kept him in power, the devastating war in Darfur, a...

This episode explores the chilling story of Moses Sithole , one of South Africa’s most notorious serial killers. From his troubled early life to the series of murders that shocked the country in the 1990s, we examine how Sithole gained the trust of vulnerable women before leading them to their deaths. Warning: This episode discusses murder, sexual violence, and disturbing details that may not be s...

In February 2018, 28-year-old Susan Magara was kidnapped while driving home through Kampala. What followed was a three-week ordeal involving ransom demands, negotiations with her family, a payment of approximately $200,000, and ultimately Susan's murder. The country was left with a question that seemed simple: Who did this to Susan Magara?

In this episode, we explore the life and controversial legacy of Jamil Mukulu, a figure whose name became closely associated with the rise of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and decades of conflict in Uganda and the wider Great Lakes region. We examine the historical tensions, regional instability, and political conditions that shaped the environment in which the ADF emerged.

In the dense forests of Shakahola, an eerie silence concealed one of Africa's most disturbing modern tragedies. Beneath the trees lay the remains of hundreds of men, women, and children who had followed a preacher's promise that starvation was the only path to salvation. This episode of African Underbelly investigates the rise of Paul Mackenzie, a little-known Kenyan pastor whose teachings transfo...

Episode Synopsis: The Death of Steven Kanumba Steven Kanumba wasn't just Tanzania's biggest movie star, he was the face of an industry that believed it could rival Hollywood and Nollywood. Charismatic, ambitious, and adored across East Africa, his rise seemed unstoppable. Then, on the night of April 7, 2012, everything came to an abrupt end. This episode retraces Kanumba's extraordinary rise from...

Abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army as a child, Dominic Ongwen grew into one of its most feared commanders, a transformation that would force the world to confront one of the hardest questions in international justice: can someone be both victim and perpetrator? This episode traces Ongwen's journey from kidnapped schoolboy to architect of massacres, rape, forced marriage, and the use of child s...

Akbar Godi is a former Member of Parliament in Uganda whose name became widely known in connection with a high-profile murder case in the early 2000s. His arrest and trial drew national attention, placing him at the center of one of the most widely followed criminal cases involving a former legislator. In this episode of The African Underbelly , we revisit the documented events surrounding the cas...

The Kanungu Cult: Uganda's Deadliest Mass Murder On March 17, 2000, hundreds of people gathered inside a church in the remote district of Kanungu, Uganda. They believed they were about to witness the end of the world and ascend to heaven. Instead, the church burst into flames, killing everyone inside. As investigators dug deeper, they uncovered mass graves hidden across the countryside. Entire fam...