“There are times when you are sitting in a taxi listening to boring music. Remember, we don’t all enjoy the same type of music. But with wi-fi, you can connect to your smartphone and do something different. You can be on social networks. It’s a lovely initiative”. Over a decade ago, a South African tech start-up owned by the taxi industry came up with an idea to roll out free wi-fi in minibus taxis. This would empower millions of people who don’t have access to the internet at home, school or wo...
May 01, 2023•18 min
Another week has gone by, and the conflict in Sudan is still ongoing. Despite a ceasefire that was in place over the last three days, the fighting has continued. Many Sudanese have found themselves with an impossible decision to make…to stay or to go. So, what has the journey been like for people fleeing Sudan? Guests: Kholood Khair - Founding Director of Confluence Advisory, a think tank based in Khartoum - @KhooloodKhair Amar Saeed - BBC Arabic Ferdinand Omondi - BBC Africa @FerdyOmondi #Afric...
Apr 28, 2023•21 min
In a remote and hidden area in the Shakahola forest near the Kenyan coast, a grisly and distressing operation is taking place: around 60 mass graves are gradually being dug up and the bodies they contain exhumed. The authorities were called in after it was reported that members of a cult had been persuaded to starve themselves to death as a way to be accepted into heaven. So far 89 bodies have been exhumed – but the Red Cross has said that 112 people have been reported missing. When police arriv...
Apr 27, 2023•18 min
An upcoming Netflix documentary film has caused drama in Egypt. The film is part of a series about African queens and one of those featured is Cleopatra, the Egyptian Queen. So many movies about her have been made over the years, but there’s one difference with this new film – Cleopatra is played by a Black actress. Alan Kasujja is looking at why a Black actress playing Cleopatra has enraged a nation, and he’s been speaking with the BBC Arabic Trending reporter, Fairouz Hosny. He also spoke to D...
Apr 26, 2023•16 min
“Other people want to teach us about conservation. They do not understand we are conservationists par excellence. Wildlife is not all we have. Nature is all that we are.” Today on Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja considers the question of whether the conservation industry is fit for purpose when it comes to Africa. For years, critics have complained that it has been dominated by foreigners – and they say problems remain, including the blackwashing of organisations and a lack of respect for local knowl...
Apr 25, 2023•18 min
“We found out in the middle of an operation that the guy were trying to arrest was related to the hotel owner and we were locked in the hotel… We had to use a weapon at that stage – to disperse the crowd but also to break the padlock and get scot free.” What does a wildlife investigator do and what part do they play in conserving Africa’s natural heritage? For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Alan speaks to Adams Cassinga, the founder of Conserv Congo. Its more than 100 members work undercover to c...
Apr 24, 2023•21 min
Africa is facing a power dilemma – it needs to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, but renewable energy sources currently produce very little power on the continent. This is why some governments are looking seriously at nuclear power as an alternative. There is currently only one commercial nuclear power station on the continent, but there could soon be more. Questions of cost and safety will have to be addressed, and there are strict international regulations that take years to fulfil. So toda...
Apr 21, 2023•21 min
Alan Kasujja is in conversation with former Leeds United captain Lucas Radebe and popular African commentator Christophe Bongo. He’s trying to understand why a country like South Africa, for example, with world class stadiums and football academies, finds it difficult to dominate the Africa Cup of Nations. But it’s not the only one. Egypt, Ghana and Nigeria haven’t been doing well either in recent years, despite churning out great players for global teams. This conversation comes as qualifiers f...
Apr 20, 2023•17 min
There are reported to be tens of thousands of mercenaries belonging to the Wagner Group fighting for Russia in Ukraine. This group has been present in Russian military operations not just in Ukraine but around the world. In Africa, they work in Mali, Mozambique and the Central African Republic. They also have a presence in Sudan where in the last few days fighting between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has left almost 200 people dead. In today’s Africa Daily Alan Kasujja ...
Apr 19, 2023•21 min
This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence Over the past few days there has been heavy fighting in Khartoum and other areas of Sudan. The UN believes as many as 180 people have lost their lives in the violence. The fighting is the result of a vicious power struggle within the country's military leadership. Members of a paramilitary force - Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - and regular soldiers have found themselves on opposite sides. In this episode, Alan speaks to people in Khartoum who ...
Apr 18, 2023•25 min
Since 2021, the United Nations has recorded more than 30,000 teenage pregnancies, every month in Uganda. In the East African nation, the age of consent for sex is 18, which means some of these girls are victims of defilement – a term for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Alan Kasujja speaks to BBC’s journalist Paul Bakibinga who’s been investigating this. He also spoke to Pamela Angwech, Executive Director Of Gulu Wormen Economic Development and Globalisation, as well as Eunice La Carabe...
Apr 17, 2023•16 min
Artificial intelligence is the science behind human intelligence in machines. It makes simple acts like sending a text or an email, even e-banking easier. But there is a downside to it, if used for spreading disinformation or committing crimes from scams to hacks and cyberattacks. And this is where regulations and policies to safeguard against such types of negative AI use come in. But how is Africa getting on, how prepared for AI is the continent and what are governments doing? Alan Kasujja has...
Apr 14, 2023•18 min
Protests have erupted in Ethiopia over the last five days. Demonstrators have taken to the streets and several people have blocked roads and burnt tyres, in an attempt to prevent the military from travelling around. The protests were ignited by a recent government announcement that the country’s 11 regional security forces would be integrated into the federal army or police force. The government say this will promote national unity across the country. The decision has faced strong opposition in ...
Apr 13, 2023•15 min
Last December, military leaders in Sudan agreed to hand back power to civilian groups. It was seen by many as a move toward ending the ongoing political crisis there. Military leader General Abdel Fattah al-Buran said at the time "The military belongs in the barracks." A transitional two-year period led by civilian leaders was agreed in the deal. But last week the agreement on the transition to civilian rule was postponed and it’s unclear when this will finally happen. Sudan has been gripped by ...
Apr 12, 2023•20 min
“When you look at the entire integration in the region, be it economic, be it social, all of it sounds like a pipe dream. But it’s a dream that is quite possible” In the 1800s, a conference attended by Europe’s prominent states in Berlin, took a decision to partition Africa. It resulted in social, political and economic marginalisation of Africa’s citizens. With colonialism, came the borders that exist to this day. Now, a movement of Pan-African activists have launched what they describe as a “b...
Apr 11, 2023•16 min
When former journalist, Joseph Bayanga, witnessed the death of three generations of a family on a Kampala road - a mother, daughter and grandchild – he decided enough was enough. More people die on Uganda’s roads – 14 every day – than anywhere else in East Africa. Kampala’s Mulago National Referral Hospital even has a special ward just for the drivers of boda bodas who account for the highest number of deaths. Boda bodas are the motorbike taxis which weave precariously through the traffic at eve...
Apr 10, 2023•15 min
Today we’re revisiting an episode from a few months ago which seemed to really resonate with people. Alan was reporting on an article which ranked the countries with the best cuisine in the world. Taste Atlas, who describe themselves as a ‘’world atlas of traditional dishes, local ingredients, and authentic restaurants” caused quite a stir online when they published their 2022 list. A lot of people weren’t happy because Algeria, South Africa and Tunisia were the only three African countries to m...
Apr 07, 2023•20 min
The online economy is offering more opportunities than ever before. But not everyone is getting equal access. Last month we heard how women are less likely to access the internet across the continent. This digital gender gap has been found to weaken the economy overall. So, what might politicians do to close the gap? #AfricaDaily
Apr 06, 2023•18 min
Today is Independence Day in Senegal, but not everybody is celebrating. The day is being snubbed by the Yewwi Askan Wi opposition coalition. Last week, opposition supporters staged protests ahead of the trial of opposition leader Ousmane Sonko. On Sunday, he was found guilty of libel against Tourism Minister Mame Mbaye Niang, who he had accused of embezzlement. Sonko was given a two year suspended jail term. But he has accused the country's president of leading a "strategy of terror" to drive ou...
Apr 05, 2023•15 min
“I think we should never ever get to a point where we are talking about building a wall between any of our neighbouring countries” In February and March this year, the authorities in Lesotho and South Africa hosted meetings to push back against increasing incidents of cross-border crimes. These include human trafficking, money laundering and cattle rustling. The police ministry in South Africa tells Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja that the gatherings resulted in “game-changing” strategies. The quest...
Apr 04, 2023•17 min
“For me to leave a place of security, a place that’s been good to me and my family, to go back and get harassed - I’m not prepared to do that.” In the early 2000s, at least 4,000 white Zimbabweans were kicked out of their farms to make way for their black counterparts. Robert Mugabe, who was president at the time, argued only this could address historical injustices. During the colonial-era, much of the country's arable land was reserved for the white population while black farmers were forced o...
Apr 03, 2023•17 min
“Some bring soil with them. They bring it from their country. We’ve found a number of these little packets that show the bond with one’s country, with Africa.” Imagine packing your bag and leaving your home for a new life. What would you take with you? Photos? Letters? A lucky charm? A group of volunteers on the Italian Island of Lampedusa have put together a collection of items lost by migrants who’ve struggled to get there, often in tiny boats. The island is the closest part of Europe to Afric...
Mar 31, 2023•16 min
When you think of Kenya and sport, athletics is the first thing that comes to mind. You might even think of Rugby Sevens. A group of young people are however hoping to make ice hockey a Kenyan sport. Their ambitions are as big as making it to the Winter Olympics and the World Cup of Hockey. Meet Kenya Ice Lions, the nation’s only professional ice hockey team that hopes to represent their country on international level. So, is ice hockey the next sporting success in Kenya? And with just one ice h...
Mar 30, 2023•15 min
The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank also known as SVB in California has dominated the news recently. But what’s it got to do with Africa? Well it’s important because African start-ups leave a lot of their money in US banks. SVB was a major player in the tech industry and invested in start-ups around the world. The bank’s demise at the same time as another lender has been described as the biggest bank failure in the US since the 2008 financial crisis. This week, SVB’s assets and loans were bo...
Mar 29, 2023•17 min
In the past year, Senegal men’s teams won four major football trophies, including the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. It had been so long without any silverware, football commentators and fans started calling Senegal the “almost” nation. But something changed and the Teranga Lions started coming out of the shadows of giants like Nigeria, Ghana, Algeria and others. Since being crowned African champions in Cameroon last year, the men’s teams followed up with three other major trophies. So what’s the s...
Mar 28, 2023•13 min
This episode contains description of violence and sex. ___________________________________________________________________________ Two women in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, have spoken to the BBC about how they got drawn into the underground world of sex work. Both say they became caught in a world of parties and drugs and felt they had few options open to them after being forced to leave home as young women. In Somalia’s conservative society, women are usually expected to live at home until ma...
Mar 27, 2023•15 min
On March 19th, nine Chinese mine workers were killed by gunmen at a site near the central town of Bambari in the Central African Republic. The attack was condemned by Chinese President, Xi Jinping and the Chinese embassy asked its nationals to not travel outside the capital, Bangui. Attacks against Chinese nationals are becoming common. Earlier this month three Chinese were kidnapped in the west of the country. So, why do these attacks keep happening and can this affect how the Chinese do busine...
Mar 24, 2023•14 min
Today we are discussing a topic on many people's minds lately – thanks in part to Nigeria's recent elections: why aren't there more young people in political leadership in Africa? Despite having 70% of the population under the age of 30, the average age of its politicians is almost double that, at 62 years old. Which means that the continent with the youngest citizens has the oldest rulers. But can this be changed? Alan Kasujja asks aspiring politician Serah Wanjiku Thiga in Kenya and Tanzania's...
Mar 23, 2023•21 min
In today’s episode, we introduce you to a man called Fletcher, who is in a romantic relationship with Lethabo. At the same time, Lethabo, who is bisexual, is also going out with a woman called Lunya. But then, Lunya and Fletcher are also seeing each other. Basically, the three are openly involved in the same relationship. This is known as polyamory. It’s the practice of engaging in multiple relationships, with the consent of all the people involved. Polyamorous communities in South Africa meet o...
Mar 22, 2023•16 min
Kenya’s opposition leader, Raila Odinga, called his supporters out onto the streets on Monday– leading to a day of unrest and clashes in the capital Nairobi. He says the protests will be weekly – to the dismay of many business owners. Odinga claims that the presidential election was stolen from him – and that the government is failing to respond to the cost of living crisis. Meanwhile in South Africa anti-government protests were taking place, demanding that President Cyril Ramaphosa steps down ...
Mar 21, 2023•17 min
