Gitega, Burundi | AFP | Burundi’s new president, Evariste Ndayishimiye, took office on Thursday in a colourful ceremony where he vowed to “continue on the path” of his predecessor who died suddenly last week. Elected last month in a disputed vote, Ndayishimiye was meant to take office in August, but …
Read More »Air pollution in Kampala
Comparison with Nairobi, Addis Ababa | AJIT SINGH, FRANCIS POPE AND WILLIAM ROBERT AVIS | The global coronavirus pandemic is having a devastating effect on economies worldwide. However, one of the few positive consequences of travel restrictions and industrial downturn has been a temporary reduction in air pollution. This has …
Read More »Fear of another lockdown
Experts differ on handling rising COVID-19 cases | MUBATSI ASINJA HABATI | Recent increases in coronavirus disease COVID-19 cases are causing anxiety among Ugandans. Many fear the government will impose another lockdown. By June 11 total confirmed cases were 679. That is a jump of 172 cases or 34% from …
Read More »Lake Victoria could burst its banks more often
What can be done to mitigate the effects | LYDIA OLAKA | In recent weeks, water levels in Lake Victoria have reached unprecedented heights as a result of heavy rains in the East African region which started in August 2019. Some say the lake’s levels have not been this high …
Read More »Mbarara varsity scientists fight COVID-19
World Bank funds effort to produce WHO quality hand sanitisers | THE INDEPENDENT | Scientists at the Mbarara University of Science & Technology (MUST) have started manufacturing hand sanitiser as part of their contribution to the government’s efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease COVID-19. The hand sanitisers …
Read More »ANALYSIS: COVID-19 Chaos
How lies, fatigue are derailing Uganda’s fight against pandemic Kampala, Uganda | RONALD MUSOKE | Ugandans no longer fear the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and that is very dangerous. Government officials in charge of fighting the spread of the disease are increasingly getting under pressure including from fake news. When Betty …
Read More »Pele and his fellow World Cup-winning heroes — The great Brazil team of 1970
Paris, France | AFP | Brazil’s 1970 World Cup triumph in Mexico is seen as Pele’s crowning glory. He was the star of what is often considered the best side the world has ever seen, but while Pele’s superstardom endures to this day as he approaches his 80th birthday, others faded …
Read More »Fifty years ago, Brazil taught the world to play, in colour
Paris, France | AFP | Fifty years ago this month, modern football was born at the World Cup in Mexico, kicking and yelling, and live in vibrant colour for a global audience. This weekend marks the anniversary of the quarter-finals of that tournament as a star-studded cast played a thrilling series of knock-out games which built …
Read More »America’s original sin: Floyd death prompts historical soul-searching
Washington, United States | AFP | Confederate monuments are coming down and statues of Christopher Columbus are being toppled as Americans grapple with the ghosts of the country’s racial history in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “It seems like maybe we’ve hit a tipping point in the retelling of the …
Read More »Lives saved or deaths postponed? Calculating the cost of lockdowns
Paris, France | AFP | While lockdowns undoubtedly avoided large numbers of deaths from the new coronavirus, the repercussions of the pandemic response are expected to blight economies and health systems long after restrictions are lifted. So how can we quantify the costs and benefits of one of the largest public …
Read More »