Tag Archives: leaders

Why it is not true that African presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by democratic constraints COMMENT | NIC CHEESEMAN | Africa is often imagined to be a place in which presidents can do whatever they want, unencumbered by constitutional or democratic constraints. A large body of literature has developed …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A section of political leaders from Busoga Sub-region have today launched a fundraising campaign to save journalist Simon Muyanga Lutaaya from prison. Muyanga, a former Bulamoji Constituency Parliamentary aspirant, was on Monday committed to six months in Kirinya prison by Jinja’s Grade I Magistrate Samanya …

Kampala, Uganda | GODFREY SSALI | Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has criticized African leaders for the influx of mainly African refugees to Europe and North America. Kadaga said African refugees make dangerous crossings through the Mediterranean, fleeing harsh economic conditions and conflicts in their countries. “Today, many of our countries are independent, …

The problem with Africa: If our countries remain poor, it’s because its leaders and elites are too kind to their people to force transformation THE LAST WORD | ANDREW M. MWENDA | Last week, President Yoweri Museveni tweeted a picture of himself pushing a bicycle in some village “promoting” an irrigation scheme. …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | On a tour and annual retreat to the Karamoja region last week, European diplomats were asked by local leaders to be sending funds directly to them other than sending it through the respective ministries, a thing that was opposed by Minister John Byabagambi. “We want …

Paris, France | AFP | Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe, who resigned on Tuesday, is the latest in a long list of African leaders forced from power by coups, rebels and popular uprisings since 2010. Aged 93, Mugabe stepped down days after a military takeover and following unprecedented demonstrations against his rule. – …

Luanda, Angola | AFP |  Angolan President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos, in power since 1979, will not contest Wednesday’s general election, meaning he will soon lose his place as Africa’s second longest-serving leader. The continent is home to many men who have held office for two decades or more, and …

Paris, France | AFP | Tiny, oil-rich Equatorial Guinea goes to the polls Sunday in an election that is expected to return President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, Africa’s longest-serving leader, for another seven years. Obiang came to power in a 1979 coup, ousting his own uncle, Francisco Macias Nguema, who was …

By Andrew M. Mwenda Our intellectuals need to broaden the debate on our failures from individual presidents to our elite class generally I think I have lost my faith in the wickedness of African leaders. A significant amount of debate on the failure of Africa to develop as rapidly as …

By Andrew M. Mwenda A few weeks ago, a Western diplomat invited a couple of us to lunch to discuss the major challenge facing our nation and what the West ‘should do’ (I would have preferred ‘should not do’) about it. As I listened to Ugandan colleagues speak, I got …