As Sierra Leone’s president seeks to amend the constitution and extend his presidency, it is time for Africa to pause and reflect By Andrew M. Mwenda The president of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, wants to amend the constitution and remove term limits on the presidency. Koroma is not the …
Read More »COMMENT: Policy, institutional reforms needed for Uganda’s economy to recover
COMMENT: Policy and institutional reforms are needed for Uganda’s economy to recover – CSBAG Economic growth is not a chance event although it can benefit from chance events. There must be a plan that guides deliberate actions that are derived from a coherent or logical way of thinking. The logical critical …
Read More »TRAFFIC: India bans red car beacons to end elitist culture
New Delhi, India | AFP | India said Wednesday it will ban ministers and senior officials from using red beacons on their cars to cut through traffic, a longstanding privilege that has caused resentment and accusations of elitism. From May 1 only emergency services will be allowed to use …
Read More »INTERVIEW: Betty Nakibuuka on being a gospel music queen
Betty Nakibuuka Senyonjo is a gospel musician. Her most popular songs include ‘Baddu ba Yesu’, ‘Tukutendereza’, ‘Luyimba lwange’ and ‘Munene Munene’ among others. She is also the mother of stars in the music industry. Former music prodigy Gloria Murungi Senyonjo aka Baby Gloria, who is a household name; especially among …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: On Museveni-Besigye talks
How the opposition leader has blundered on the chance to promote his political project – if he has any By Andrew M. Mwenda Media reports have recently indicated there are attempts to organise talks between the government and the opposition. For such talks to be meaningful, they have to involve …
Read More »LIVE: Jeff Koinange Live….on NBS TV
Jeff Koinange, and equally combative Ugandan journalist Andrew Mwenda, will be guests in tonight’s NBS TV Frontline show. The Kenyan journalist and talk show host of Jeff Koinange Live will feature in what is expected to be an explosive analysis of social media, freedoms and corruption in East Africa. The one and only …
Read More »PROFILE: Esther Kalenzi’s passion to help
Esther Kalenzi is the founder of Forty Days over Forty Smiles Foundation, a local NGO that helps the needy; especially children and youth. Helping the needy is a passion she first exhibited as a student at Aga Khan High School in Kampala when she raised funds from fellow students to …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: Manufacturing still matters
Why very few poor countries will escape poverty by taking gigantic leaps into the service industry By Andrew M. Mwenda Two weeks ago, I had a disagreement with the president of the World Bank, Jim Yong Kim, at a conference in Kigali, Rwanda. Kim had argued that increasing automation and …
Read More »Sheila Kawamara: Born to fight for rights
Sheila Mukabakoba Kawamara Mishambi was the founding executive director of Uganda Women’s Network: a coordinating body for NGO’s involved in gender rights advocacy. She says her formative years prepared her to be a very assertive person. She began to defy the status quo as a young girl and perhaps in …
Read More »THE LAST WORD: Africa through North Korean eyes
Why this communist state, with per capita income like ours, manufactures nuclear weapons and satellites while we can’t By Andrew M. Mwenda Last week the U.S. announced its intelligence showed North Korea was planning to test another nuclear weapon. If it does, it will be the sixth nuclear test by …
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