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Category: East Africa

Below is the List of East African Countries. Burundi. Tanzania. Kenya. Uganda. Rwanda. Djibouti. Eritrea. Ethiopia.

Africa Madagascar World 

Madagascar says it foiled ‘plot to kill president’

Elwin Mandowa, , , , 0 comment

– Advertisement – The government of Madagascar has said that it has foiled an attempt to assassinate President Andry Rajoelina. According to a statement from the attorney general the suspects were planning to “eliminate and neutralise” a number of people as well. Prosecutors say Malagasy citizens and other foreigners who were part of the plot have been arrested as part of investigations. President Andry Rajoelina in 2018 won a presidential run-off vote by almost 56%, defeating former president, Marc Ravalomanana. Ravalomanana was President from 2002 to 2009 before he was…

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Africa East Africa World 

Tanzania’s opposition party leader Freeman Mbowe arrested

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , 0 comment

– Advertisement – Tanzania‘s main opposition party Chadema has said its leader, Freeman Mbowe and other members have been arrested. The arrest on Wednesday, according to the party took place ahead of a planned conference to demand constitutional reform. On Twitter the political party said Mbowe and 10 Chadema members were arrested in the northwestern port city of Mwanza. “We condemn the repression of the rights of Tanzanians with the strongest force. These are signs that the dictatorship that existed during the rule of President John Magufuli continues,” the party…

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Africa East Africa World 

Tanker explosion kills at least 13 people in Kenya

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , 0 comment

– – At least 13 people have been killed in Kenya a when a petrol tanker overturned and exploded. The truck collided with another vehicle on a highway between Kisumu and Busia. Eye Witnesses described the crash scene as a “huge fireball”. People had rushed to the scene with jerrycans to siphon off fuel from the overturned tanker before it exploded. Some 24 people including children are in hospital with serious burns. – – “We were woken up by a very loud blast. When I rushed out, I saw a huge…

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Africa East Africa World 

Ugandans paying new tax for using the internet

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , , 0 comment

– – Ugandans are now paying a new tax rate for using the internet as the government rolls out a 12% excise duty on mobile data. The new tax regime covering data usage popular referred to as ”social media tax” took effect from Thursday. When news first broke about this social media tax, it sparked protests in Uganda in 2018. The new tax was then introduced this year through an amendment by parliament with critics saying the newly introduced tax is impacting negatively on the youth, many of whom are…

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Africa Madagascar World 

Madagascar: Families eating mud due to worst drought in 40 years

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – Some families in southern Madagascar are reportedly eating mud as the country experiences its worst drought in four decades. The World Food Programme which made the shocking revelation said the worst drought in southern Madagascar is causing hunger and famine-like condition. Its director, David Beasley, who’s just visited the area, said that without immediate assistance more than half a million people would soon be “knocking on famine’s door”, with another 800,000 marching towards it. He said he was shocked by what he’d seen in southern Madagascar – children who…

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Africa East Africa World 

Abiy Ahmed faces first test as Ethiopians vote

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Ethiopians are voting in regional and parliamentary elections as ethnic tensions deepen and hunger worsens. It is the first test of the popular vote for the Ethiopian prime minister, Abiy Ahmed, and his Prosperity Party since he took power in 2018. The polls which were supposed to have been held last August were delayed due coronavirus pandemic. Nearly a fifth of the constituencies aren’t taking part in the election because of insecurity and irregularities. They include the whole of the northern Tigray region where civil war has prompted a humanitarian crisis.…

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Africa Business East Africa World 

IMF says Tanzania must publish Covid-19 data to get $574 mln loan

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , , ,

– – The International Monetary Fund has asked Tanzania to publish data on the spread of Covid-19 before getting approval for a $574 million emergency loan. Since last year May, Tanzania has not published any data on the extend of spread of Covid-19. The country’s previous president, John Magufuli was a critic and doubter of the pandemic and stopped the publication of the data. The then-President John Magufuli’s administration played down the threat from the disease and little was known about the infection rate and deaths. New president Samia Hassan…

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Africa East Africa World 

Uganda shuts down schools to contain COVID-19 spread

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

– – Schools in Uganda have been shut down with public gatherings also suspended to contain a surge of infections in a second Covid-19 wave. Public transport between districts will be banned starting Thursday as well to allow students who are in schools to return home. Bars, cinemas and theatres have also been closed in latest directives from President Yoweri Museveni. He addressed the nation in a speech broadcast live on the state television on actions taken by the Covid-19 taskforce to deal with the pandemic. The full text of the…

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Africa East Africa World 

UN says over 2.73m people face food crisis in Somalia

Elwin Mandowa, , , , , ,

Drought and a rain deficit is pushing more than 2.73 million people in Somalia toward the crisis level of acute food insecurity, UN humanitarians said on Thursday. The annual Gu rains of early spring came late in some parts of the country and were mainly below average, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) said. Subsiding in mid-May, the critical Gu crop planting season was significantly affected. “Approximately 2.73 million to 2.83 million people across Somalia are expected to face crisis … or worse outcomes between April…

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