NEWS ANALYSIS

Paris, France | AFP |  French President Emmanuel Macron appointed his first cabinet on Wednesday mixing Socialists, centrists and rightwingers with newcomers to politics as he pressed ahead with plans to create a broad governing coalition. The new cabinet of 22 people meets campaign pledges of being smaller than its …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  Two decades after Kinshasa gave itself up willingly to rebel commander Laurent-Desire Kabila, his son Joseph remains at the helm of this vast, conflict-ravaged nation although his rule is mired in political crisis. Back in 1997, the country then known as Zaire was struggling …

Washington, United States | AFP |  President Donald Trump plans to hold a press conference with Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos on Thursday, officials said, as his administration battles multiple crises. The event will be the first time Donald Trump answers questions from the White House press corps since the …

Trump putting US intelligence ties at risk: experts Washington, United States | AFP |  With his shoot-from-the-hip tweets targeting US spies and alleged Oval Office leak of secrets to the Russians, President Donald Trump has damaged White House relations with American and allied intelligence agencies and put national security at …

Tax waiver on brown rice is meant to reduce its price from Shs 4,500 to Shs 3,000 per kilogramme The good news for rice consumers in Uganda is that if the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development sticks to its guns to have unprocessed rice commonly known as “brown …

Kenya’s history of election violence is threatening to repeat itself By Sekou Toure Otondi In April Kenya saw an increase in intra-party political violence following the start of its political party primaries that began on April 13 and run for two weeks. The primaries are “mini-polls” held by political parties …

Filling 23 posts for judges has become complicated with various groups proposing new ways for President Yoweri Museveni and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) to balance competence, integrity, and politics. Pressure is highest over replacing Deputy Chief Justice, Steven Kavuma who retires in September and two Supreme Court Judges. Other …

What polling strategy means for Afrobarometer survey findings “Most Ugandans favour proposed reforms to improve elections and Parliament, new Afrobarometer survey shows.” That was the title of a statement to journalists from Afrobarometer’s agent in Uganda, Hatchile Consult Ltd, on April 28 when the results of the survey were released. …

Ebola in DR Congo’s isolated far north a logistical challenge Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP |  An Ebola outbreak in a remote region in DR Congo’s far north poses a logistical challenge for doctors and aid workers although the sheer remoteness could help limit its spread. The latest outbreak of …

Why President is coiling away from fighting regional wars At the height of 2012, Uganda had a military footprint in about ten countries and was being described as the region’s police. In four of these, it was fighting the Al Shabaab in Somalia, the Lords’ Resistance Army (LRA) and Allied …