Africa Daily

Bola Tinubu was declared the winner of the 2023 election back in March by the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. It was an election marred by technical glitches in the electronic polling system, delays which saw some voters queuing through the night, some cases of armed men attacking polling stations and voter intimidation. But it’s unclear whether these problems were enough to affect the election’s outcome. The list of challenges for his presidency is long– insecurity, economic turmoil and youth unemployment are among the many things Nigerians want dealt with. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to the BBC’s Chris Ewokor about what Nigeria can expect to see from Bola Tinubu and the legal challenges from those who say the election result should be overturned.

"We import everything and that leads to many challenges such as affordability." A gadget to help a blind person pour a drink and not spill it. Another to count up cash. And yet another to allow them to read a book in six South African languages. These are some examples of the sorts of ‘assistive technology’ now available for people living with a disability. Next week in Nairobi, the ‘Inclusive Africa Conference’ will hear about efforts to get more such technology developed in Africa – and why it’s often out of reach for many of those who need it. Africa Daily discusses these issues with some of those involved. Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guests: Calvin Mgogajane, Author and radio presenter; Bernard Chiira, Director of Innovate Now, @startupnanny; Irene Mbari-Kirika, Founder of @inABLEorg Kenya, @IreneKirika2

“Patients will complain of swollen eyelids, watery discharge, crusty eyelids, pain, light sensitivity. And if it is getting more serious, then they will complain of blurry vision.” In today’s episode Alan Kasujja investigates how Benin and Mali successfully eradicated trachoma. The announcement was made by the World Health Organisation this month. This is a disease of the eye caused by bacterial infection. It is the leading infectious cause of blindness, worldwide. Global health authorities say it is a public health problem in over 40 countries in Africa, Central and South America, Asia, the Western Pacific and the Middle East. Nations like Ghana, Malawi, Togo, Morocco and Gambia have all defeated trachoma in recent years. Guests: Kerisha Maharaj and Dr. Amir Kello

Over the past six decades, Dr Edna Adan Ismail has been a nurse and midwife. She has spent her life fighting for maternal health care rights in Somaliland and campaigning against Female Genital Mutilation- a practice which involves the partial or total removal of genitalia. It leaves many women and girls with infections, pain and complications in child birth. She’s been in the news recently because she was awarded The Templeton Prize and prize amounting to almost $1.4 million. The award honours those who “harness the power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place and purpose within it”. So today Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja caught up with Dr Ismail while she was on a trip in London to talk about her life, legacy, maternal healthcare and how it feels to win over a million dollars.

“In diplomacy we always say, there’s no free lunch, there’s a catch somewhere” In this episode, Alan Kasujja speaks to Russian ambassador to Malawi and Zimbabwe, Nikolai Krasilnikov. His country donated 20, 000 tons of fertilizer to Malawi and 18 helicopters to Zimbabwe for policing, wild life protection duties and disaster management. But why is Russia appearing to be going out of its way to find friends in Africa? What’s the end game here? These developments come at a time when South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa is planning to lead an African delegation to the troubled European region. They will be meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine and Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin, in a bid to find a solution to the on-going war. Guests: Nikolai Krasilnikov and Kinsgley Makhubela

“They insulted me: ‘you’re having another boy! When they grow up they become Seleka!’. When I took him for a consultation, I preferred to put a scarf on him and disguise him as a girl. They didn't want to see boys. If they saw them, they threatened to kill them.”In March 2013, the mostly Muslim, anti-government Seleka forces descended on Bangui, the capital of CAR, and overthrew the government of President François Bozizé - killing civilians and looting everything they could lay their hands on. Later, anti-Balaka Christian forces targeted the Muslim population in revenge attacks - and the UN warned of the ethnic cleansing of Bangui. We hear a range of eye-witness accounts of what happened ten years ago – and discuss whether the country is any closer to peace and security.Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guests: Samual Murunga and Narcisse Donossio Translated voices courtesy of Médecins Sans Frontières' CAR 10 years of violence project.

Sickle cell disease is an inherited condition which primarily impacts people with genetic ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. It’s caused by a defective gene which alters how red blood cells grow, it mutates them and they become sickle shaped. These cells don’t live as long as healthy blood cells and they can block blood vessels. This can cause severe pain and organ failure. The main a cure is a bone-marrow transplant but anyone seeking this in Tanzania had to travel abroad for this treatment. But the opening of Tanzania’s first bone marrow transplant unit for sickle cell patients looks set to change life for people there. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been looking at the challenges of living with sickle cell disease and how bone marrow transplants work.

It is now over a month since the conflict started in Sudan. Representatives of the Sudanese army and rival Rapid Support Forces have been negotiating in Saudi Arabia for over a week. But so far all commitments to protect civilians and allow access for humanitarian aid have been broken. In past episodes of Africa Daily, we’ve heard the story of people who’s lives have been turned upside down. Now Alan wants to find out about the two forces behind the conflict and whether either of them has an upper hand. #AfricaDaily

Women in Sub-Saharan Africa are twice as likely to get HIV as men. That’s why it was big news when the World Health Organisation approved a new method of HIV prevention in 2021: the dapivirine ring. It’s a silicone band that women insert vaginally and can leave in for four weeks. The ring slowly releases dapivirine, an anti-retroviral drug that stops HIV in its tracks. It’s been hailed as a game changer, but two years after the ring was approved, fewer than a thousand woman globally are using in. Those who can’t get it are starting to get frustrated. So why are African governments so slow to introduce this new method of HIV prevention? When will women be able to access the dapivirine ring? Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Guests: Shakirah Namwanje and Patriciah Jeckonoviah

Eugenia Kargbo is Africa’s first Chief Heat Officer. She was appointed by the government of Sierra Leone, and is responsible for helping people who are struggling from the effects of extreme heat and ‘burning, suffocating sunshine’. Sierra Leone isn’t among Africa’s warmest countries. Mali is thought to be the hottest country on the continent…and in the world. But Sierra Leone has been experiencing higher and higher temperatures in recent years. And Eugenia says it is a much less comfortable place to live today than when she was growing up. So, what solutions does she have for the heat in Sierra Leone? And could these be ideas that help people across Africa? #AfricaDaily

“There are gangs who’ve realised that gay people cannot go to the police so that makes them ‘good victims’ for blackmail... Everybody you speak to has been kitoed or knows someone has been kitoed. And that’s just how rampant it is.”Do you know what the word Kito means? Or Kitorist? Or Kitoed?In Nigeria it’s come to mean when people, usually gangs, use online dating apps to entrap gay people - and then blackmail them. It often involves the victim being attacked and humiliated on film – with the footage then shared on social media. But queer activists are attempting to fight back. For Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje speaks to Ian Wafula, the reporter on a BBC Africa Eye documentary on the subject, as well as to Nigerian Queer Activist, Walter.To watch the full documentary search for Kito: Blackmailing LGBT Nigeria on the BBC News Africa YouTube page.

On World Press Freedom Day last week– journalists from Burkina Faso alongside their colleagues in Mali, called for an end to all measures that undermine press freedom. The military, who have been in charge in Burkina Faso since coups they led last year overthrew the government, are dealing with a jihadist insurgency which spread over the border from Mali in 2015. Almost half of the country is currently outside state control. Journalists there say they face intimidation over what they report and are scared about the future of the media. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje has been speaking to Ouagadougou based journalist Ouezin Louis Oulon and BBC Monitoring’s Beverly Ochieng.

Gifty Ayoka is the mother of a child with what used to be called Autism, but is now known as Autism Spectrum Disorder. It’s caused by differences in the brain that might lead to different ways of learning, moving or paying attention. When her son was born 11 years ago, there was very little knowledge about the disorder. Gifty decided to train as a language therapist herself, to help support her son. There were just three such therapists in Ghana at the time. Now there are around 50, but is that enough? And what progress still needs to be made?#AfricaDaily

"The resounding cry from the report is these babies should have the same chance. And they can."A report out today says that globally, we’ve made no progress at all over the last decade in reducing the number of pregnancies that end with a premature birth. And in Africa - just 1 in 10 of those premature babies will survive, compared to 9 out of 10 in high income countries. So why are premature babies still dying in such numbers? And what can be done to improve the situation? For Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje speaks to Miriam, a nurse and the mother of two premature babies, and to Professor Joy Lawn, who’s worked in neonatal care across Africa all her life - and is the author of the “Born Too Soon” report.

Kenya imports most of its honey from countries including India, Australia and UAE. But Kenya has huge potential to produce its own honey. And it could be a hugely profitable crop for farmers or budding entrepreneurs. So how do you run a successful beekeeping and honey production business? And what are entrepreneurs in Kenya doing to take advantage of the market?#AfricaDaily

It's been a serious issue in Kenya for a long time: household air pollution caused by unclean cooking fuels. Now, a campaign is underway to persuade people to switch from charcoal, kerosene and firewood use. Pollutants from the fuels kill more than 23,000 Kenyans each year. PRESENTER: @kasujjaGUESTS: Nancy Chebichi and Willah Nabukwangwa of Clean-Air (Africa)

The fighting in Sudan has continued for a third week On Thursday a new seven day ceasefire took effect, but they haven’t been fully observed in the past. Hundreds of thousands of people are continuing to leave the country. But many more are staying, either through choice or lack of choice. So, what is life like for those still in Sudan?#AfricaDaily

It’s been a case of will they? Won’t they? Speaking at an event last month, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, said that his party, the ANC, had taken the decision to pull out of the International Criminal Court. But then, the party backtracked and said it was still under discussion. It’s all come about because of President Vladimir Putin. In March, the ICC issued a warrant for his arrest, accusing him of the war crime of illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine. As a signatory, South Africa is expected to hand him over if he steps foot on its soil. But in August he’s due to attend a BRICS summit in Durban, attended by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. So what’s likely to happen? Will President Putin be able to visit? For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to the ANC’s Mmapaseka Letsike and Ottilia Maunganidze of the Institute for Security Studies.

A few weeks ago the United States President Joe Biden said he wants at least two thirds of new vehicles sold in the US to be electric within a decade. The government say this is about positioning America to drive the electric vehicle future forward, outcompeting China, and tackling the climate crisis. It’s a message which puts Africa in a unique position. Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have large reserves of copper and cobalt, two crucial components needed to make the batteries for electric vehicles. DRCongo is currently the world’s top producer of cobalt. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been looking at whether this all represents an opportunity or risk for the continent.

We regularly hear about plastic pollution – but what about textile waste? An activist is swimming the length of Ghana's longest river – all 450 kilometres of it - to highlight the issue of unchecked second hand clothing imports and its impact on water pollution. Ghana imports a staggering 15 million pieces of unwanted clothing every WEEK - more than any other African country. The clothes are donated or recycled by people from the west, but 40% of the items actually end up in landfill. Many are then washed into rivers.PRESENTER: @kasujja GUESTS: Yvette Tetteh and Solomon Noi.

“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 work. The initiative hit a series of stumbling blocks over the years, but finally took off a few weeks ago. At least 15 million South Africans use minibus taxis on a daily basis. Our producer for this episode, Mpho Lakaje, took a taxi ride around Johannesburg to see if the internet works. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Onica Makwakwa, Brian Mdluli and Cliff de Wit

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#AfricaDaily

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 arrived they also found 29 sick and weak survivors - but many continued to refuse food. The leader of the church - Pastor Paul Mackenzie - has been arrested. For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja hears about this case from the human rights worker who first alerted the police – and also asks why people get lured into religious cults in the first place? GUESTS: Hussein Khalid from HAKI Africa and Dr Kennedy Ongaro of Daystar University in Nairobi.

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 Dr. Zahi Hawass, an Egyptologist and historian, to look back into Cleopatra’s heritage.

“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 knowledge. So should conservation be remodelled to better benefit the continent?Presenter: @kasujja Guests: Dr Mordecai Ogada, author of ‘The Big Conservation Lie’, Dr Maurus Msuha, Director of Wildlife for Tanzania's Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Adams Cassinga of Conserv Congo

“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 catch poachers and smugglers using fake personas and sting operations. They also have a network of informants in local communities.So how does such an operation manage with meagre resources? And how did Adams, who used to work in the mining sector, get involved in this work?PRESENTER: Alan Kasujja @Kasujja GUEST: Adams Cassinga @ConservC

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 today Africa Daily is looking at what it takes to become a nuclear powered state, and which countries in Africa are considering it. Alan Kasujja speaks to Dr Stephen Yamoah, Executive Director of Nuclear Power Ghana, nuclear scientist Senamile Masango and nuclear policy analyst Dr Olamide Samuel.

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 for the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations are set to continue in the coming weeks.

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 has been looking at the Wagner Group and why some African governments have invited them.

This episode contains graphic descriptions of violenceOver 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 paint a vivid picture of the violence and how people are coping. And he asks how tensions reached such a point in Sudan.#AfricaDaily

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 Carabel Latim, a legal counsel with Caritas, a Catholic charity, to look at how this unfortunate trend can be reversed.

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 been speaking to Nanjira Sambuli, Fellow, in Tech and International Affairs at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

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 Amhara, with huge protests in cities and towns taking place across the region. Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to BBC correspondent Kalkidan Yibeltal about the situation there.

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 crisis since the army overthrew long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir in 2019.Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja has been speaking to the BBC’s Lukwesa Burak about a recent conversation she had with three women who live in the capital Khartoum about life there.

“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 “borderless Africa” campaign. They want Africans to travel within their continent without border restrictions. Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Hardi Yakubu, Sanele Sibiya

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 every junction with one, two or even three passengers on their backs.So Joe reinvented himself as a road safety campaigner ‘Joe Walker’ and walked 340 km in just 10 days from Kampala to his home town of Bushenyi to raise awareness on the subject.Today Alan Kasujja revisits this episode as he takes a drive round Kampala’s roads with Joe and asks: can anything be done to make Uganda’s roads safer?Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guest: Joe Beyanga @akeda4

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 make it to the top 50. Taste Atlas say rankings are based on audience votes for ingredients, dishes and beverages. Italy, Greece, Spain, Japan and India were the top five countries on the list. This episode looked at what’s stopping a wider range of African cuisine from getting international recognition. As you’ll hear at the beginning of the episode, it got a lot of people talking and sharing their tips for the best dishes on the continent.#AfricaDaily

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

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 out political opponents. Shortly after this episode was recorded, President Macky Sall told the nation he is open to dialogue in a televised speech ahead of the independence celebrations. So, what’s behind the political unrest in Senegal?

“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 question now is, will they bring tangible results to the citizens of the two nations?

“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 onto marginal areas. But President Mugabe’s land reform policy triggered global sanctions, the impact of which is still felt by ordinary Zimbabweans, to this day. Now, with the country batting food insecurity, should white Zimbabwean farmers, who are doing well in countries like Zambia, consider going back home? Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Graham Rae and Prosper Chitambara

“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 Africa, but it’s still a risky journey which thousands have died attempting. Just last weekend at least 29 more migrants died after their boats capsized. Now the BBC’s Thomas Naadi has made a documentary – a labour of love which has taken more than a year – based on his attempt to find some of the owners of the possessions. He spoke to Alan Kasujja for Africa Daily.@kasujja@Thomas_Naadi

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 hockey rink in the country, what are the chances for the sport?Alan Kasujja has been speaking with Benjamin Mburu, the Ice Lions’ captain and Hanan Yunis, one of the team’s female players.

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 bought by another US bank. The situation has drawn attention to the reliance Africa’s tech entrepreneurs place on banking abroad. Africa Daily's Alan Kasujja probes the impact of SVB's shutdown on Africa’s start-ups, in conversations with the creator of the Big Tech This Week newsletter, Fatu Ogwuche and Eche Emole, co-founder of African start-up, Afropolitan.

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 secret behind this recent success in football? Alan Kasujja speaks to BBC Sport Africa’s Babacar Diarra in the capital Dakar to get a sense of what turned the fortunes for Senegal football.

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 marriage. The sex workers – who were featured in a BBC Africa online article – describe their ongoing fear of assault and rape. They say they can’t approach the authorities if they’re attacked. For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja listens to their accounts, and speaks to the journalists behind the report.Presenter: @kasujja Guests: @Mohamed_Gabobe and @Layla_mood

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 business in the Central African Republic? Alan Kasujja has been speaking with journalist Tomi Oladipo and Paul Nantulya, who specialises in Chinese security firms.

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 veteran opposition leader Tundu Lissu whether age matters when it comes to Africa’s leaders.

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 on online platforms. Even though they are frowned upon in some circles, they regularly host events attended by dozens of people in cities like Johannesburg, Pretoria and Cape Town. Alan Kasujja speaks to Lethabo, Fletcher and Lunya to understand how polyamory works, especially considering that there’s a toddler in their relationship.

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 over the worsening economy, power cuts and alleged widespread corruption.And then there’s Senegal…. And Tunisia… The BBC's @DickensOlewe and BBC Monitoring’s @BeverlyOchieng talk to Alan @kasujja about why people taking to the streets.