Episodes
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“We believe our president has taken a very, very wonderful initiative and we support it 100%... Our president is a Christian and he believes in the power of prayer.”
For months now, a plan to send a thousand Kenyan police to quell gang violence in Haiti has been surrounded with uncertainty.
There have been a series of hold ups to the deployment including challenges in the Kenyan courts, changing leadership in Haiti, and general opposition from the Kenyan public.
It has now emerged that alongside pushing hard for the deployment, Ruto has also been making plans for faith diplomacy and has turned to a group of evangelical pastors close to him and the first lady for support.
For the Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to one of the evangelical pastors Serge Musasilwa on why and how they are involved. He also speaks to international affairs expert Dr Kizito Saballa.
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"This could be one of the greatest teams we’ve ever seen out of Africa… they were the hope of Africa for the 1994 World Cup. And that was taken away instantly.”
In 1993, a plane carrying almost all of Zambia's national football squad crashed in Gabon, killing 18 players. The young team was carrying the hopes of many Africans as they progressed towards the 1994 World Cup.
But out of that tragedy, an amazing story unfolded, as a team was rebuilt from scratch. That team later went on to win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2012.
Now 30 years later, the BBC podcast Amazing Sport Stories been speaking with the family members of those who died – who to this day have never received compensation - as well as to those who rebuilt the team.
Presenter: Mpho Lakaje. Guests: Robert Earnshaw, Welsh former international footballer and the host of the podcast, and his mother Rita.
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Last week Nigeria’s labour unions suspended a general strike, that caused widespread disruption across the country, for one week. Unions were demanding an increase in the national monthly minimum wage to help workers cope with the rising cost of living. The strike ended after the government agreed to a new national minimum wage. The government also said it will meet with the unions' representatives every day for a week for talks. In today’s Africa Daily Noni Muchiri speaks to the BBC’s Nkechi Ogbonna in Lagos about the union’s demands, the government’s response and the financial hardship facing many workers in Nigeria.
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Residents of Ongata Rongai, a suburb in the Kenyan capital Nairobi have recently had to be on their guard after a number of lions have been sighted roaming their neighbourhood.
Concern peaked three weeks ago when a video circulated of a lion climbing over a perimeter wall into a homestead – only to re-emerge with a dog in its mouth moments later.
Since then the residents have received alerts from wildlife authorities, as more carnivores have been sighted.
The increase in such incidents has reignited the debate over whether humans are able to live so closely to wild animals within a city. Nairobi is the only city in the world to contain a national park.
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to Sylvia Koira, the college student whose family dog was taken and eaten by the lioness, their homestead’s caretaker Joshua Isiga, and the BBC’s Ruth Nesoba- also a resident.
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It was the news that Malawians had been dreading: on Tuesday President Lazarus Chakwera announced that his vice president, Saulos Chilima, had been killed in a plane crash.
Vice President Chilima had been travelling to the funeral of a former government minister. The military aircraft he was on had been flying in bad weather and disappeared from airport radars on Monday. When it was found by rescuers, the aircraft was completely destroyed. There were eight others onboard, including the former first lady, Shanil Dzimbiri.
Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje has been looking at the reaction to Tuesday’s announcement with Bayana Chunga, a journalist in Blantyre and Felix Njawala, the spokesman for Vice President Saulos Chilima’s UTM party.
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President Bola Tinubu has signed into law a bill to reintroduce Nigeria’s old national anthem which was dropped by its military government in 1978.
He said the country’s old anthem composed in 1959 symbolised Nigeria's diversity. But many have questioned his priorities amid the cost of living crisis which is shaking the country to the core.
Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been hearing more about this change and its impact from the BBC’s Chris Ewokor in the capital Abuja and Nigerian gospel singer and song writer Chidinma Okebalama, better known as “Chee”.
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Before most marriages in South Sudan go ahead, men will typically give the woman’s family a dowry in the form of money and most often cattle.
For some it’s seen as an important tradition and a sign of respect. However, there are growing concerns from both men and women that providing dowries has become a burden and is leading to more sinister outcomes. This includes forced marriages and men resorting to violent cattle raids to steal the cows they need to get married.
In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja hears from young men and women in South Sudan on what the tradition means for them.
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The National Union of Ghana Students (NUGS) has been pleading for urgent support for Ghanaian students studying abroad who have not received their stipends for almost a year. The students are on a government scholarship, and they left Ghana with the promise of getting financial support during their time at university. The scholarship was set up for "brilliant and needy" students. But as Ghana is facing its own economic crisis, it has left these students with a huge financial burden of their own. Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guest: Eric Sarpong
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For the first time since the fall of apartheid in 1994, South Africa is now negotiating an uncharted political territory. It comes after the ruling African National Congress (ANC), a party that was once led by Nelson Mandela, lost its parliamentary majority. The organization received 40.18% in last week’s elections, followed by the Democratic Alliance (DA) with 21.81% and Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK) with 14.58%. Some attribute the dismal performance of the ANC to its fallout with former president Jacob Zuma who now leads the MK Party. At a press briefing on Wednesday, the ANC revealed that it was in talks with the DA, EFF and several other smaller parties. It said it also reached out to the MK Party, but hasn’t received any positive feedback. So, who will the ANC form a coalition government with? Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje explores various options with Dr. Hlengiwe Ndlovu from the Wits School of Governance and former diplomat Botsang Moiloa.
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Teenagers are being actively targeted by the tobacco industry through the use of social media influencers and fruit flavoured products. That’s according to a report by the World Health Organisation which also says that around one in five adolescents in Africa are using tobacco.
So what should governments be doing to protect their young people? Especially those in southern Africa which benefit from growing tobacco as a crop?
For today’s Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi speaks to Vivian Joseph, a clinician and head of Southern African Youth Forum’s health cluster- who says governments need to toughen up their laws. And he also talks to Rachael Kitonyo Devotsu, a data expert, about the hurdles governments have faced as they try to do this.
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“If we want to be a nation we should have our own narrative, we should have our own heroes.”
Alan’s guest on the podcast today is Mia Couto - one of Mozambique’s most famous authors who’s won numerous international awards during his decades-long career. But he’s so much more: a biologist, a critical thinker, the son of immigrants and, as a young man, a member of Frelimo - the independence movement which fought against the Portuguese colonial authorities. As the only ‘white guy’ in the room when he joined, he was told “we need poetry in our struggle”.
Now nearly 50 years on, he tells Alan how he’s become disillusioned with the ruling party – which has been in control of the country since independence. The country remains one of the poorest in Africa in terms of GDP despite its natural resources. He also talks about why it's been so difficult for the authorities to retain control in the northern Cabo Delgado province which has suffered a bloody insurgency since 2017 - and argues that Mozambicans need to remember their own narratives and heroes.
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In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje speaks to a 36-year-old South African man who uses a drug called Nyaope or Whoonga. It’s a type of black tar heroin often mixed with other powdered substances that include cleaning chemicals. But the problem of substance abuse and addiction isn't limited to one country - and the United Nations says it expects the number of people using drugs in Africa to rise 40% by 2030. Sierra Leone is also dealing with a drug commonly known as Kush, a psychoactive blend of addictive substances. Earlier this year, 23 people died and 20 others went blind after allegedly consuming poisonous alcohol in Kenya. And Malawi also has a concoction notoriously known as “God take me”. Presenter: Mpho LakajeGuest: Professor Adamson Muula
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For many young people in Africa, traditional banking isn’t just a hassle, it’s a major roadblock.
Long lines, piles of paperwork and strict ID requirements mean many are left out in the cold when it comes to managing their money in bank accounts.
Digital banking platforms are trying to change this.
The idea is that they use technology to provide financial services for payments, loans and even investments, through online platforms and apps instead of traditional banks.
Africa Daily’s Muthoni Muchiri spoke to Kiiru Muhoya, CEO of Fingo Africa, about the finance challenges facing the continent's youth and how digital banking can open up the connection channels on the continent.
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“Especially the woman, they cannot sing. They cannot go in front of the people and then sing and say ‘I am an artist’. It’s shameful.”
Today Alan enjoys a treat on the podcast: singer and activist Sahra Halgan came in to the Africa Daily studios in Broadcasting House along with her fellow musicians percussionist, Aymeric Krol, and guitarist, Maël Salètes, and they performed some of their music live for him.
Sahra has lived quite a life… She was a nurse during the Somali civil war in the 1980s before fleeing to France in the 1990s. But after years of building up her singing career abroad, she returned to her home city of Hargeisa in the self-declared republic of Somaliland in 2015 and founded its first cultural and music centre. The name of that club is Hiddo Dhawr - which means ‘promote or keep culture’ – which is also the name of her latest album, out this month.
Opening a club wasn’t without challenges; there is disapproval of musicians – especially female ones – from many sectors of Somali society. And even at the age of 55, Sahra's mother is still hoping that one day she’ll get a proper job!
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"When I came to Northern Ireland, when I was walking on the streets of Derry, I could hardly see a black person. At that time, I think there were only three Kenyans, with me being the fourth person."
Lilian Seenoi-Barr is about to make history by becoming Northern Ireland's first black mayor. Ms Seenoi-Barr was selected by the SDLP party to become the next first citizen of Derry City and Strabane District Council but despite the support she received, she has also faced some backlash and racist abuse.
She was born in Kenya and left in 2010 to start a new life in Northern Ireland. She proudly comes from the Maasai tribe but since moving to Derry, she has been focused on building community and support for other immigrants.
Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja spoke to her about her journey and why she decided to become a politician. Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guest: Lilian Seenoi-Barr.
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Are South Africans ready for Wednesday’s national election?
“Since hearing that political parties will be launching their election manifestos, I decided to attend these events. I wanted to hear for myself which president would address our needs as college students. It’s my first time voting” – Thembeka Dliwako, South African voter
In today’s podcast, Mpho Lakaje sits down with 21-year-old Thembeka Dliwako, who will be voting for the very first time in her life.
In her country, she’s popularly known as “Nomarally”, loosely translated as, “The lady of the rallies”.
That’s because, in recent months she’s been doing something rather unusual.
She’s been traveling to different parts of the country, attending the political rallies of various parties, wanting to hear for herself what leaders have to offer.
Mpho also visits Johannesburg attorney, Oatlhotse Thupayatlase who voted for the first time back in 1994, in an election that marked the end of apartheid.
Is he still as excited about casting his ballot as he was 30 years ago?
Approximately 27 million South Africans are eligible to vote in the watershed general election on Wednesday.
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For years, teachers and students at the Dandora Secondary School in Kenya’s capital Nairobi have complained of respiratory illnesses. They say they are caused by the toxic fumes given off by East Africa's largest dump site, the Dandora landfill, which is next to the school.
Despite being declared full in 1996, the landfill continues to receive approximately 2,000 tonnes of waste each day.
But now the head teacher of the school has decided to tackle the issue, and with students has been planting bamboo in order to combat the air pollution.
Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to school Principal Eutychus Maina who initiated this innovative solution when he fell ill soon after joining the school.
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“Without the public outcry, the mass marriage would have gone on as planned.”
There’s been a lot of debate, claim and counter-claim in Nigeria this week over a proposed mass wedding of 100 couples in Niger state in the north of the country.
Concerns were raised that some of the girls involved were under the legal age for marriage, and a petition was quickly launched. The Women's Affairs Minister, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye filed a court injunction to stop the ceremony. She’s since said that the wedding can go ahead but only after an investigation has taken place – and has offered the girls scholarships as well as gifts including sewing machines and rice. She said the girls would be closely monitored in their new homes after their marriages. Child marriages are common in the predominantly Muslim north, where poverty is higher than in the largely Christian south.
Alan Kasujja unpicks the controversy – and asks what it tells us about the marriage of young people in Nigeria.
Presenter: Alan Kasujja. Guests: BBC reporter, Azeezat Olaoluwa and gender and child advocate, Ayotomiwa Ayodele.
Updated 24th May to reflect Minister Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye’s latest statement.
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Kenyan President William Ruto is on a state visit to the US, the first by an African leader since Ghana’s John Kufour in 2008 and only the 6th state visit Biden has hosted since taking office in 2020
A state visit is the highest level of international visit, and its purpose is to confirm the good relationship between the countries concerned.
For President Ruto it's a significant display of his emergence as leading voice for Africa - particularly in the eyes of the West.
But some observers say that Washington is now playing catch up to Russia and China - which have both grown in influence on the continent in recent years - as well as newer entrants like Turkey, India, and Saudi Arabia.
In this episode of Africa Daily podcast, Alan Kasujja talks to Ambassador Martin Kimani, an international affairs expert and former Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations.
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It’s expected to be a bruising election, with 70 political parties contesting for power. President Cyril Ramaphosa’s African National Congress, and the official opposition, Democratic Alliance, are seen as the frontrunners. Former president Jacob Zuma’s Umkhonto we Sizwe Party (MKP), are expected to give the ANC a run for their money, particularly in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. But on Monday, South Africa's Constitutional Court barred Mr. Zuma from running for parliament, ruling that his 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court disqualified him. Mr Zuma was convicted in 2021 for refusing to testify at an inquiry investigating corruption during his presidency which ended in 2018. But he remains the face of the MKP and will continue to campaign. Presenter: Mpho LakajeGuests: Dr. Bandile Masuku, Solly Malatsi and Adv. Dwight Snyman
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