THE LAST WORD

By Andrew M. Mwenda It’s possible to risk one’s political career and compromise without being compromised The younger Mandela was a militant who believed that apartheid could only be defeated through armed struggle. As he grew older, Mandela re- alised that this would be a long and costly route. He …

By Andrew M. Mwenda As mayor, he needs to strike a balance between the competing demands of his electoral base and his job Last week, Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago was impeached by 29 to three votes in the Capital City Council. However, the High Court later declared his impeachment hurried …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why Parliament and government should be kept out of business to allow private investors to deliver electricity Two weeks ago, an ad hoc committee of parliament recommended government cancels its contract with Umeme for the distribution of electricity in the country. The committee raises many complaints …

By Andrew M. Mwenda The mayor has consistently opposed and obstructed every effort to reform the city and thereby rendered himself irrelevant Finally, the NRM has found a way to get rid of Kampala Mayor Erias Lukwago, a man who has been a thorn in their feet. A commission of …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why Africa should fight for free trade, not fair trade; for competitiveness in global markets and not kindness in consumers Everyday there is an effort mainly in the West to save Africa from something – tyranny, impunity, poverty, disease, ignorance – whatever. Always, the savior is …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Why the president openly bribes voters at public functions and gets away with it and what can be done about it When we had just started The Independent, a particular problem confronted me. Each time a member of staff fell ill at office and was rushed …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Debunking the myths that mass media generally perpetuate about Africa and Africans Most Western journalists covering Africa tend to purvey prejudice rather than convey accurate information. Even when the journalist knows a specific story is an oversimplification and/or misrepresentation of a more nuanced reality, they still …

By Andrew M. Mwenda People who are not willing to fight for their freedom and pay the highest price for it do not deserve to be free The idea that only the international community (read the West) can save Africa has gained hegemonic status. This is expressed in many ways: …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How the International Criminal Court is seeking to usurp our sovereignty and why progressive Africa should reject it Last week, the African Union summit in Addis Ababa resolved to ask the UN Security Council to defer the case against President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya at the …

By Andrew M. Mwenda How Rwanda is defying the established mechanisms of organizing politics in Africa and why it is succeeding Last week, we were at the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) for a two-day conference on Rwanda. It always amazes me how this small …