Africa Daily

We'd like to warn you that this episode tackles themes that you might find distressing. It contains franks discussions of allegations of sexual assault and rape. We know water is important and we are taking you to Kenya and the informal settlement of Kibera, in the capital Nairobi where access to clean water is a daily struggle for the hundreds of thousands of people who live there. Many here are...

The war in Ukraine continues to grind on into its seventh week. More than 4 million people are thought to have fled the country. Many African students have also been displaced from Ukrainian cities where they were studying. Ukrainians living in African countries have been faced with watching the destruction of their homeland from thousands of miles away. And Russians on the continent have also see...

The “Fab Five” – Ghana, Senegal, Morocco, Tunisia and Cameroon – will represent Africa at the World Cup in Qatar. And on Friday, we will learn who they will play, when the draw is made. This is a World Cup like no other both in terms of its location and timing: with it being played in November and December this year. The tournament will not see a man considered to be one of the best players in the...

On Monday afternoon, hundreds of people boarded a train to travel from Abuja to Kaduna. But the service never reached its destination. Explosives were used to derail the train and members of armed gangs opened fire on the carriages. A number of people have reportedly been killed and there are fears that more have been abducted. For some time, train has been considered the safest way to travel betw...

A peace deal in 2018 ended the civil war in South Sudan – the world’s newest nation. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in the war after fighting broke out in 2013 between the government forces of President Salva Kiir and those loyal to his vice president and rival, Riek Machar. So, as part of the peace deal signed to end the fighting, all these forces were to be united in one national ar...

It’s over fifty years since residents of the Chagos Islands were evicted by the British government. They were removed to Mauritius, the Seychelles and the United Kingdom. In 2002, people born on the islands were given the right to apply for Biritsh citizenship and to live and work in the UK. But, that right was only extended to their children who were born between specific years. And it didn’t app...

Togo is celebrating the arrival of Google’s Equiano Cable on its shores. The sub-sea cable, which will bring in 20 times more network capacity than the previous cable built to serve the region, will then go on to Nigeria, Namibia and South Africa. Its proponents say it will speed up connections, drive down costs and create jobs. Other big tech firms are also investing in infrastructure projects in...

The warring parties in the Ethiopian Tigray civil war have agreed to a humanitarian truce to allow aid deliveries to millions of people in urgent need of assistance. The 16 month civil war in Ethiopia’s north has left thousands killed and displaced more than two million people. More than half a million people are said to be at the brink of famine in what humanitarian groups have called the “world’...

Across Zimbabwe, politicians are campaigning hard ahead of by-elections on Saturday. Voters will choose who sits in some parliamentary and local council seats. They are being seen as a test of the political landscape ahead of national elections in 2023, which will decide if Emerson Mnangagwa remains president. There have been allegations of violence and police clashing with opposition supporters....

The militant Islamist group al-Shabab has become synonymous with violence and political instability in Somalia. They have also carried out devastating attacks in surrounding countries. In response, many of Somalia’s neighbours have sent troops to help fight the insurgency. Among them are many thousands of Kenyans, some of whom have given their lives in the operation. Kenya has never acknowledged t...

In 2019, protesters in Sudan rose up and toppled president Omar al-Bashir after almost 30 years in power. The image of Alaa Saleh leading the protests dressed all in white became one of the symbols of the struggle. And women have continued to play an important part in the movement for freedom ever since. But some of them are now speaking out about the price they have had to pay to fight for democr...

During colonialism artworks that had been protected in Africa for centuries were looted. To this day, many of them are held by museums and universities in western countries. But in recent months, institutions in the US, UK and France have said that they will return them. However, this is only a small number of artefacts. And it isn’t fully known how many are still out there, or where they are. So,...

One year ago, Samia Suluhu Hassan became president of Tanzania, after the death of her predecessor, John Magufuli. She’s the first woman to ever hold the position. She says she’s changing how people think about women in power – by using her brain. And while at first she emphasized how she was continuing many of the large-scale projects started by Magufuli, wiithin weeks she had also changed direct...

As much as 90% of Africa’s tobacco leaf production happens in East Africa. But some farmers there are turning their backs on the crop. In Migori County, 300 tobacco farmers are trying their hand at growing nyota beans – a food crop that is less labour intensive. They believe that the beans might be more profitable and avoid some health concerns that have been linked to tobacco farming. So, have Ke...

It’s one of the longest running separatist conflicts in the world that has seen the Senegalese army launch an operation against rebels in the Casamance region, in the south of the country. It’s an area that’s distinct socially and linguistically, and cut off from the rest of the country by The Gambia. The Movement of Democratic Forces of Casamance – the MFDC – has been fighting the central governm...

The idea of a single currency being used across the continent has been proposed for more than 30 years. However, the idea has never gained much traction. Some people believe it could boost trade between African countries and help unify the continent. Others think that nations on the continents are too different to make it work. South Africa has once again backed the idea, but is it realistic optio...

Many Kenyans, including the president, have been left shocked by a viral video of a woman motorist in the capital Nairobi being sexually assaulted and physically and verbally abused by a group of what’s believed to be young men driving boda-bodas. Boda Bodas are the motorbike taxis often used to ferry people and goods around in East Africa. It’s estimated there are at least 1.4 million bodas in Ke...

“Katiba Banat is not just a word. We were soldiers. Even we lost some of our soldiers – women like us” During the second Sudanese civil war, a group of young female volunteers formed an all-women battalion in the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Army They worked with weapons or as medics and sang songs on the radio and in the bush as part of the SPLA’s recruitment drive After a few years in combat...

The war in Ukraine has now entered its third week. Millions of people there have seen their lives torn apart during that time. And we’ve heard the stories of African students who had to flee when Russia invaded. But in a less direct way, people across Africa may feel the impact of the conflict themselves over the coming weeks. We are starting to understand how the war might affect trade with the r...

Kidnapping is an increasing threat for people in South Africa. The number of cases has more than doubled over the past decade and 2000 incidents were reported in the last year. Initially, criminal gangs were targeting wealthy business people – they were often snatched close to their businesses or homes. But more recently, they have become indiscriminate – going after anyone with the means to pay a...

Last week, the United Nations passed a resolution condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the vote split African nations: with 25 voting for, 17 abstaining and just one - Eritrea - voting against it. Disagreements over who to support in the conflict have split the general public as well. But today on Africa Daily we speak to a political analyst who says it’s time Africa stops treating the war...

Like in many countries on the continent, prayer is a big part of school life in Kenya. Pupils at public schools will often pray at the beginning of the day. And there may be specific prayer days, where the school worships together. However, not everyone is happy with this. Some atheists are calling for a ban on mandatory prayer in public schools. They think children should have the option of wheth...

An estimated million people have fled into neighbouring countries seeking safe havens, as bombs continue to be dropped over towns and cities across Ukraine. Among those who’ve left are the thousands of Africans who had made Ukraine their home away from home. On a previous episode Alan Kasujja spoke to one lucky student who had made it safely home back to Ghana. The relief of being safe and the hap...

The war in Ukraine has entered its eighth day and in that time people have now become used to the sound of air raid sirens. Several people have been seeking shelter in bunkers while missiles hit the towns and cities above their heads. Many have left the country. The United Nations estimates that more than half a million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion on 24th February. Among those...

Last week, Malawi recorded a case of wild polio, an infectious disease that can lead to paralysis, most often in children. It’s the first time that a case has been reported in the country since 1992. And in 2020, the whole of Africa was declared polio free after a decades long vaccination programme. The case in Malawi is thought to be linked to a strain still in circulation in Pakistan. It is yet...