Africa Daily

“My wish is that we hold free and transparent elections, so that the voice of the people can be heard for peace. Because governing a country with weapons is not normal.” – voter, Chad.Interim president, General Mahamat Déby, has been declared the winner of this week’s presidential election with 61% of the vote. His nearest rival, former Prime Minister Succes Masra, came second with just 18.5% - and alleged the vote was rigged.Deby took over from his father, President Idriss Déby in 2021,who had been in power for more than 30 years. In conversations recorded before the winner was announced, Alan Kasujja discusses whether this election was a step towards a functioning democracy – or whether it was simply a way for the Déby family to keep hold of power.

Kush is being sold all across Sierra Leone. It’s a psychoactive blend of addictive substances and has been prevalent in the country for years. Sierra Leone's president - Julius Maada Bio - has called Kush a “death trap" and said it poses an "existential crisis" in the country. And due to its notoriety and impact, the government has declared a national emergency over rampant drug abuse. In today's episode, our reporter based in Sierra Leone Umaru Fofana talks to a man who became addicted to the drug and hears more about what the government are doing.

Today we’re in Burkina Faso where there's been a serious crackdown on foreign media. There have been several reports alleging that the army massacred hundreds of civilians in northern villages in February 2024 and the government's not happy about it. They’ve taken some pretty strict measures on outlets like The Guardian, Le Monde and Deutsche Welle. The government, led by Ibrahim Traoré, say these reports are just attempts to smear the military's reputation. Africa Daily’s Peter Musembi has been hearing more about what it’s like to be a journalist in Burkina Faso.

Liberia, along with several other African nations, receives donated medications from international organisations such as The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. The World Health Organisation says that Africa accounts for 94% of global malaria cases and had over 400,000 tuberculosis-related deaths in 2022. USAid discovered that a staggering 90% of pharmacies in Liberia are involved in the illicit sale of stolen medications meant for those in dire need. So, why are medicines that should be free being sold in Liberia? And how big of a problem is this in Africa? Guests: Joyce Kilikpo and Dr. Betha Igbinosun. Presenter: Alan Kasujja.

Today, we're shining a light on a topic that keeps many African nations in the dark – the struggle for stable electricity supply. Africa has the lowest access to electricity in the world. Roughly half a billion people lack access to a stable power supply, including two of the continent's biggest economies — Nigeria and South Africa. Recently in Sierra Leone, people faced longer than average blackouts in the capital city Freetown and other main cities across the country. The reason behind these power cuts was because Sierra Leone owed $48 million to the Turkish energy company, Karpowership. Some of that debt has since been settled and electricity has been restored. In today’s Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje has been looking at how frequent black outs impact life on the continent and what should be done to fix the problem.

Regular attacks by men on motorbikes wielding AK-47 rifles have become a common occurrence in Plateau State in central Nigeria.People in the state are still reeling from the trauma of Christmas Eve attacks just over four months ago, when gunmen attacked 25 villages killing over 150 people.Over the years, the clashes have mostly been between Muslim Fulani herders from the north and Christian farmers in the state. The conflict however seems to have morphed into a complicated situation, with the authorities claiming there are some ‘political forces’ fuelling it.The region is fertile and regarded as Nigeria’s bread basket but insecurity has meant low food production with farmers not being able to go to the farms. In this episode of the Africa Daily podcast, Peter Musembi talks to Plateau State's Governor Caleb Mutfwang about what the authorities are doing and why the killings have persisted for so long.

Federalism in Africa is the topic of today’s episode. Depending on how you define the term, there are only around six countries in Africa that use the federal model, with Nigeria and Ethiopia among them.But what is federalism and what does it look like in practice? How does it function and differ from a system where power is centralised under one authority? Mpho Lakaje has been looking into all of this and examining whether this is a form of government that suits Africa. He is in conversation with Dr Bizuneh Yimenu, a teaching fellow at Birmingham University in the UK. He has also been talking to Dr Dele Babalola, a senior lecturer in International Relations at Canterbury Christ Church University in the UK and author of `The political economy of Federalism in Nigeria`.

“We should also harvest the water, store it in the soil. Grow our crops and grow our trees. Because the storage in the soil is much, much bigger than any store we can ever put on the surface. God has already given us a huge reservoir where we can put our water.” Kenya has been ravaged by flooding this month: dozens have died – specifically after a dam burst and a passenger ferry capsized – and thousands more have been made homeless. Schools were closed and farmers have seen their crops destroyed. But in a few months, many of the areas now under water will be struggling with drought. So what can be done to conserve flood waters and build up resilience? And how can small farmers manage their land better? For today’s Africa Daily, Peter Musembi speaks with Professor John Gathenya a Hydrologist from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.

We’ve spoken many times on Africa Daily about mining and whether natural resources are actually a blessing or a curse for the continent. It’s led to decades of conflict in countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo and the neighbouring Central African Republic - and reports from Human Rights organisations about the appalling conditions miners - including children - often work in.But we rarely get a real sense of what it’s like for people living in these areas. The BBC’s new Global China Unit has been looking inside the mines owned by Chinese companies in the DR Congo, Indonesia and Argentina. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje talked to the BBC’s Wanqing Zhang about a mine near Lubumbashi, a place often referred to as the mining capital of the country, and learned more about the lives of the communities living near the mine.

“Before pronouncing sentence on Bobrisky, the judge asked, ‘are you male or female?’. For me this was a red flag. Bobrisky’s gender has nothing to do with whether he (or she) abused the Naira.” Money spraying is part of Nigerian culture: throwing bank notes or putting them on a person’s forehead to congratulate them at weddings, birthdays or other big social events. But since 2007, it’s technically been illegal – as those bank notes can fall to the ground and be trodden on - and the maximum punishment is six months in jail. But until recently, prosecutions were rare. So there was much consternation earlier this month when Nigerian internet personality and transgender woman, Bobrisky - who has 5 million followers on Instagram - was sentenced to spend 6 months in a male prison for ‘Naira abuse’ after spraying banknotes at a film premier. The government says it’s just clamping down on the practice. But others argue that Bobrisky has been targeted because of her gender identity.

“If I have my money, I have my assets, I have my farms, my houses, my cars, I have everything I need, I don’t need to be friendly with any white person” – Sandile Swana, former freedom fighter.In 1948, the National Party came into power in South Africa and introduced apartheid, a system that segregated society along racial lines. Black people were not allowed to share toilets, beaches, theatres and other public facilities with their white counterparts. In the decades that followed, the black majority rose up against the system and engaged in various political campaigns. Many activists - including Nelson Mandela, Robert Sobukwe, Walter Sisulu and Ahmed Kathrada - were incarcerated, while others fled to neighbouring countries. But after years of pressure on the National Party government, which included sanctions and international sports boycotts, apartheid collapsed. On the 27th of April 1994, the nation voted in its first democratic election. So 30 years since independence, our presenter Mpho Lakaje sits down with two people who were on either side of the political divide: former freedom fighter Sandie Swana and apartheid-era policeman Lourens Groenewald. So have black and white South Africans truly forgiven each other since those ugly days?

“It feels like a black man deserves the worst. The poor are getting poorer while the rich are getting richer. I don’t know how things will change” – Alexandra resident, Vusi Mbeye. On the 27th of April 1994, millions of South Africans voted in their country’s very first democratic election. During white minority rule, black people were not allowed to vote. Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress won that election and then introduced policies like Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment. In addition, many black students received financial aid from the government and private companies, to further their university or college studies. All these measures were meant to correct the economic injustices of the past. But 30 years after the fall of apartheid, have black South Africans experienced meaningful economic freedom? Africa Daily presenter Mpho Lakaje, who is himself a black South African, sits down with two men who were both born in Alexandra township: street vendor Vusi Mbeye and Theo Baloyi, a wealthy businessman. He also visits political analyst Khaya Sithole.

Togo's President Faure Gnassingbé's proposal to change the constitution has ignited a fierce debate in the country. Some say it's a power grab disguised as reform, while others insist it's a step towards a more democratic future.The reforms aim to switch Togo from a presidential to a parliamentary system, but critics worry it will only prolong the Gnassingbé family's rule. Helping to keep him in power until 2031 and potentially beyond. President Gnassingbé came to power in 2005 after the death of his father, who had been president since 1967.Protests have been banned and elections postponed- they are now set to take place on Monday 29th April. It’s all led to heightened tension and concerns about the country's political future. Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje spoke to the BBC’s Nicolas Negoce about the future of politics in Togo.

Earlier this month we marked the 10th anniversary of the kidnapping of the Chibok girls. It was one of the first mass kidnappings of children witnessed in Nigeria. In 2014, 276 girls were abducted from their school by militants from Chibok, a town in the country’s north east. Over the past 10 years, mass abductions and kidnappings have become a common occurrence in Nigeria. So what is the government doing to get a handle on security?In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation.

“Development is all about leadership. You can get all the resources in the world, you can get all the best human capital… but if the leadership is not there you can’t make the best of the resources you have and eventually move your country forward.”Ibrahima Cheikh Diong is UN-Assistant Secretary General and Director General of the African Union specialized agency “the African Risk Capacity Group” or ARC, which works with governments to help them deal with climate related disasters.But in a varied career, he’s also been a member of the Senegalese government and worked for the World Bank, as a senior banker and in management consultancy. And he even speaks Mandarin as well as French and English thanks to his student days in China.But he says if he had to best describe himself he’d say he was ‘an African who cares about Africa and wants to make a difference in Africa’. This is Alan’s second conversation with people included – like himself – in New African Magazine’s 100 Influential Africans list for this year.

You’ve gone to the grocery store and bought your week’s supplies… so can you imagine receiving your change in sweets, chocolates and other small items?That’s the situation in Zimbabwe where a shortage of US dollars – and a plummeting Zimbabwean dollar – has now led the government to introduce a new currency pegged to gold. The Zimbabwean dollar has already lost three quarters of its value this year.But will this latest move work any better than other attempts by the government to stabilise the economy in the past?

Earlier this month, the goalkeeper of Spanish third-tier team, Rayo Majadahonda, went into the stands to confront a fan who allegedly racially abused him. Cheikh Sarr, a black man originally from Senegal, said he heard an elderly man join others as they made monkey gestures. But what took many people by surprise was the Spanish football federation’s decision to slap the player with a two-match ban for the confrontation. It’s not the first time European football has been rocked by a racism scandal. Last year, seven people were arrested for a similar incident against Real Madrid and Brazilian star Vinicius Junior. Samuel Eto’o, who is now the Cameroonian football federation’s president said, he too faced discrimination when he was still playing for Barcelona in Spain. Nigeria’s Samuel Chukwueze, Ghana’s Iñaki Williams and Mouctar Diakhaby of Guinea, are among European-based African players who’ve also faced racism. So, what will it take to end racism in European football? Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Evelyn Watta, vice president of the International Sports Press Association and veteran British-Nigerian broadcaster Osasu Obayiuwana

Ghana and Ivory Coast, responsible for over 60% of the world's cocoa supply, are suffering from catastrophic harvests. Illegal gold mining, climate change and a devastating virus have formed a perfect storm. Over 590,000 hectares of cocoa plantations have been affected according to Ghana’s cocoa marketing board Cocobod. Meanwhile, shoppers who indulged in Easter treats in the United States found the cost of chocolate had increased by more than 10% on last year, according to data from research firm NielsenIQ.BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja spoke to BBC's Nicolas Negoce about the specific challenges faced by cocoa farmers in the region.

Yesterday, Africa Daily heard from two Sudanese men about how a year of war has forever changed their lives. But the impact is also being felt beyond Sudan’s borders: South Sudan’s oil industry – its main income generator – has been heavily impacted because routes to the coast for export have been cut off. Chad and South Sudan are hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees each. And in border areas, armed groups have been growing more active and refugees report extortion, brutal attacks and murder. In response, many regional leaders have attempted to bring the leaders of the two warring parties together for talks: military chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan and General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of Rapid Support Forces, who is more commonly known as Hemedti. But mistakes and perceived insults mean little has been achieved from their efforts. So can African countries do anything to stop the conflict?

On April 15th last year, fighting broke out between the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and a powerful paramilitary group know as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). As the conflict escalated millions fled for their lives. According to the United Nations World Food Programme, around 18 million people in Sudan are facing food insecurity – a situation likely to worsen because of failed harvests. In Darfur, now mostly in the hands of the RSF, whole cities have emptied out as civilians faced targeted attacks and rapes based on their ethnic group, and there have been countless atrocities committed by both sides throughout the country. Today on Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to a man who has just been reunited with his elderly mother and younger brother after they crossed the desert to reach him in Egypt, and to the BBC’s Mohanad Hashim, who is himself Sudanese.

This month marks ten years since the kidnapping of the Chibok girls in north eastern Nigeria when militants abducted nearly 300 girls. Most of the girls have either been freed or escaped but dozens remain unaccounted. In the years since, kidnapping for ransom - for profit- by criminal gangs has also become the norm, even in places like trains or in the capital Abuja, which used to be considered relatively safe.In today’s episode Alan Kasujja speaks to a woman who was kidnapped twice on her way home from work, and hears more about the approach by Nigerian police to kidnappings.Some listeners may find some of the descriptions of kidnapping in this episode distressing.

On the 14th of April 2014, 279 girls were abducted from their school in Chibok, in north eastern Nigeria. Since that fateful night some have escaped, many have been rescued but sadly others remain missing. As Nigeria and the community of Chibok mark 10 years since the kidnapping of the girls, the country has seen many more abductions. One estimate suggests more than 4,000 people have been abducted in Nigeria in the past 8 months. So today Alan Kasujja will be looking at how the girls, now women, families and community are getting on. And we hear from the army on what they are doing to find the girls who are still missing.

“The problem is that communities are always excluded when important decisions are taken. Companies impose decisions on communities” – Fana Sibanyoni, a resident of Embalenhle in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province In today’s episode, Mpho Lakaje sits down with Sharon Mbonani and Fana Sibanyoni, the residents of Embalenhle in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. They share their personal stories on how they are affected by air pollution. Their province is known for being home to some of South Africa’s major mines and power stations. This conversation comes after Greenpeace Africa released a report stating that Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa are leading air polluters in Africa. Some of the main culprits include power plants that use fossil fuel for electricity generation, and the results are devastating. The report has revealed that air pollution is responsible for 6.7 million deaths every year on the continent. So, how are the nations mentioned in the study responding to this problem?

Last week, Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa declared a national disaster due to a prolonged drought crisis, saying the country needed $2 billion to address hunger. Zimbabwe, once a regional food producer, now grapples with high inflation and scarcity, intensified by climate change-induced droughts. This crisis affects not only food production but also electricity generation, leading to power cuts. And it’s not just Zimbabwe. Neighbouring countries are also struggling, with Zambia and Malawi also declaring drought a national disaster. BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja hears from an impacted farmer in Zambia and hears from the BBC's Shingai Nyoka how people are coping in the region.

Recently Africa Daily presenter Mpho Lakaje had a shock - he found he had been the victim of identity theft. The person or people behind the crime had opened accounts using his personal details and taken out six loans to a total value of $2,000. It has so far been impossible for the local police to make arrests because everything happened online.He's far from alone: the Southern African Fraud Prevention Services says reports of the crime increased by 356% in South Africa from 2022 to 2023 - and an Interpol report shows that South Africa tops Africa in cyber threats and is third in the world. In today’s episode, Mpho makes a trip to the police station to sort out his now complicated affairs - and sits down with another identity theft victim Cisca. He also speaks to Chad Thomas of IRS Forensic Investigations.So just how big a problem is impersonation fraud in Africa? And what can you do to protect yourself from cybercriminals?

This episode contains graphic description of violence. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++“I do not know when I will die maybe it’s today or tomorrow - but I felt if I died without forgiving him the burden would be on my children.” This weekend marks 30 years since the start of the Rwandan genocide. In 100 days, nearly 1 million people were killed based on their ethnicity.At 13 years old, Claudette was attacked with a spear and shot – but somehow survived. Most of her family were less lucky and were killed. And yet she’s taken the remarkable decision of forgiving her attacker. She’s one of a number of people who told her story to BBC reporter Victoria Uwonkunda on a recent visit to the country to mark the anniversary. Victoria was just a year younger, 12 years old, when she herself fled Rwanda and the genocide with her family. She lived as a refugee in the DRC and Kenya before being settled in Norway. She has spoken about her struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD.In this episode of Africa, she tells Alan Kasujja about her trip back to her home country – the first since she left – and shares more of Claudette’s story.Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Reporter: Victoria Uwonkunda @afroscandiTo hear more, listen to Victoria’s full documentary on https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0hm1sbt

"It's hard to live in Africa. It's hard to pay your bills. Public transport is hard... And it's hard to run a business in Africa."Alan got a belated Christmas surprise this year – when he found out he’d been named as one of New African Magazine’s list of 100 most influential Africans. He’s in good company… Senegal’s Ousmane Sonko, Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu and Guinea’s coup leader and president, Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, are also on the list. But the list isn’t just about politics: it also gives a nod to changemakers in business, science, sport - and to those working to improve the environment. So in the first in a series of conversations, Alan speaks today to two young, energetic business leaders who are on the list - and are changing how money is used on the continent. Presenter: Alan Kasujja @kasujja Guests: Coura Sene, West Africa Regional director for Wave and Ham Sirunjogi, Co-Founder & CEO of Chipper Cash

South Africa is one of the top wine producers in the world yet, nearly thirty years after the end of apartheid, the industry is still dominated by white-owned wineries. Black-owned brands account for less than 1% of wine sales per litre in South Africa, even though black South Africans make up over 80% of the population.But a determined group of black women wine-makers want to change this. They’ve been supported by a British company ‘On Cloud Wine’ and its owner, Emily Batchelor, who gave them the financial support to export their wines – after many found it difficult to sell it themselves within South Africa But 30 years after apartheid, why are there still so few black women involved in winemaking in South Africa? Guests: Nondumiso Pikashe and Vivian Kleyhans. Presenter: Mpho Lakaje

“Davy became our friend.”Tales of conflict between animals and people are all too common across Africa. People have been cast off their land to make way for wildlife parks for tourists. Animals have attacked humans, poachers kill for tusks and scales, and large animals like elephants trample on crops and destroy them. But today we’re travelling about 200 km west of Nairobi in Kenya to an area called Sachangwan, where a shy elephant managed to charm his way into the hearts of the local community when he wandered into their area as a calf in 2017. Despite him causing some damage, the local people grew fond of him and learnt to live with him – and even gave him the name Davy.But last month the Kenya Wildlife Service finally captured him and moved him to the Aberdare National Park where they say he’ll have the company of other elephants. They also say it’s not a good thing for elephants to live in such close proximity to humans. So on today’s Africa Daily, Muthoni Muchiri asks – how can humans and elephants co-exist for the benefit of both?GUESTS: Joel Too - local pastor Abigael Simaloi Pertet - Co-Existence Project Manager at the Mara Elephant Project

Approximately 26.3 million people in Africa have a form of visual impairment, and it’s estimated that 5.9 million are blind. Blindness in people can occur at birth or later in life, and many people across the continent who are blind face several daily challenges. Amidu Abubakar made history when he became Sierra Leone’s first ever blind law graduate. So what’s it like to study law as a blind person? What changes made it possible for Amidu to reach this dream of studying law? Umaru Fofana, based in Freetown, has been finding out in this episode he guest presented.

The Ras al-Hikma peninsula on the north coast of Egypt is going to become a new city. But it’s going to be built and managed by another country, the United Arab Emirates. In a deal signed earlier this year, Egypt gave the UAE the right to develop this 170 square kilometre area in return for $35 billion dollars. The Egyptian economy was in a critical position, and needed a quick cash injection to get it out of trouble, and the Ras al-Hikma deal was seen as the solution. But it is a very unusual deal. Both because of the amount of money involved, but also because it gives another country the right to essentially build and own a city in Egypt. And it’s not known whether it provides a long-term solution to Egypt’s economic problems. Presenter: Mpho Lakaje Guests: Wael Gamal, from ‘The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights’ a human rights think tank based in Cairo, Yomn Hamaky an Economics Professor at Ain Shams university in Egypt, and Ahmed Ghoneim, Professor of Economics at Cairo University.

This month there have been six mass abductions in the north of Nigeria, many involving children. One school that was attacked by armed men was in the town of Kuriga in the North West. There, the parents of 137 children had to wait, helpless, for the next 16 days, not knowing where their children were, or how they were being treated by the kidnappers. The Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, took a tough line, saying there would be no ransom paid. But then, on Sunday, there was relief after it was announced they'd been released. It’s not clear how this happened, but all the children are believed to have survived. There was one fatality, a teacher called Abubakar Issa, who had been kidnapped with the children.For today's Africa Daily, Mpho Lakaje speaks to Dahiru Abdulahi, the parent of one of the students who was taken.

“Everybody wants to see you – everybody thinks this is an opportunity for employment…. a lot of people come into government believing they are there to enrich themselves.”It’s nearly three months since Joseph Boakai started work as Liberia’s new president. But in an interview with the Africa Daily podcast he tells Alan Kasujja that he’s still fielding enquiries from people wanting government jobs every working day from early in the morning. The 79-year-old, who was Vice President from 2006 to 2018 under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, narrowly defeated George Weah in November last year – after campaigning on an anti-corruption ticket. But he says while he’s spoken constantly about the need to clean up politics, many people ‘still haven’t grasped’ the concept that politics is about service and not about financial security for themselves and their family.In a wide-ranging and frank interview, he also tells Alan Kasujja how poverty and badly paid jobs like rubber tapping helped prepare him for leadership, his plans for a war crimes court to work for justice and reconciliation after the country’s two brutal civil wars, and how he wants to sort out Liberia’s awful roads within his first 100 days in office.And he and Alan discover a shared love of Arsenal Football Club…

“Life here is difficult. You have to be a resilient person to survive. There’s no electricity. The roads are almost non-existent. In sunny days, the shack gets too hot. You can’t stay inside. When it’s cold, it gets very cold. When it’s raining, it gets flooded” – Lala Maria Sebetlele, a resident of a Johannesburg shanty town When Nelson Mandela’s African National Congress took over in 1994, it introduced the Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). It’s a policy that aims to build low-cost homes for the poor, thus reversing the legacy of apartheid. More than three million such houses have since been built, but many people still live in shanty towns due to a variety of reasons. They include internal migration and rapid urbanization. The University of Johannesburg has now come up with an initiative to use 3D printing technology to construct low-cost houses to help ease the accommodation burden. How exactly does it work? And will it make a difference? Presenter: Alan Kasujja Guests: Lala Maria Sebetlele, Dr. Alec Moemi and Professor Jeffrey Mahachi

It’s been 30 years since one of the worst atrocities in recent African history - the Rwandan genocide.In 1994, between 800,000 and one million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in 100 days.Some Rwandans have worked hard to move on from the tragic events of 1994, but many - both in and out of the country - are still living with the trauma.Jean Paul Samputu was already an established musician in Rwanda at the time. He was living abroad during the genocide, but he lost his parents, two brothers and a sister, all killed by a neighbour and his childhood friend. Now a global peace ambassador, Jean Paul says he has found healing in forgiving his family’s killer.The Kora Awards winner tells Alan Kasujja what role music has played in his peace campaigns.

After a turbulent few years of disputes and protests, and accusations that President Macky Sall was trying to hang on to office, Senegal is holding its presidential election on March 24.Speaking to the BBC this week, the president refused to apologise for his attempt in February to postpone the vote by several months - saying he'd always acted according to the constitution and that he 'did nothing wrong'.He decision led to violent protests, but was reversed after Senegal’s top court blocked the postponement.So, will these elections be a turning point for Senegal and can the country have a peaceful transition of power?Presenter: Alan KasujjaGuests: James Copnall and Professor Mamadou Bodian

Female Genital Mutilation or FGM is a practice that divides people. In the countries where it’s common – it’s usually carried out for cultural or religious reasons - but in recent years many African countries have banned the practice saying it’s a violation of the rights of women and girls. It can cause serious health problems – including infection and complications in childbirth – and girls have died when the procedure has gone wrong. But now in The Gambia – a bill has been introduced that would reverse a ban brought in under former President Yahya Jammeh in 2015. This week, the bill passed its latest parliamentary stage and will now go to a committee of MPs for further consideration.For Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to Jaha Marie Dukureh, the founder for Safe Hands for Girls - an organization focused on ending FGM in The Gambia, and UN women regional goodwill ambassador for Africa.

For the last 10 years Libya has been split into two – East and West - each with its own government.And in 2021 an attempt at elections failed after some questioned the eligibility of the main candidates.But now three influential Libyan leaders have said they intend to try to form a new unified government. They say it's a 'necessity'. So why is this happening now? And could a coalition government finally bring some peace to Libya? Guest: Amira Fathalla, Presenter: Alan Kasujja

So the question being discussed by Kenyans for the last 2 weeks: will the country really send police officers to Haiti or not?US citizens have been evacuated and aid groups have warned that millions of Haitians face acute food shortages, as well-armed gangs wreak terror on the capital, Port-au-Prince. It’s widely accepted that stopping the gangs will take determined international intervention – but the shape that it will take is still under question. President Ruto is insisting Kenya will send 1000 police officers to fight the gangs once a transitional government is in place.But many Kenyans are asking why their police officers are being offered to lead the force – when the US is so much closer to the violence stricken country. In this episode of Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja talks to Dr Ekuru Aukot, a lawyer and opposition politician who successfully obtained a court order stopping the deployment in January.He also talks to Kenyan security analyst George Musamali and BBC Africa’s Security Correspondent Ian Wafula.

Earlier this month an arrest warrant was issued for a Kenyan man accused of practising law without qualifications after he skipped court, according to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).The case has captivated Kenyans ever since the man was outed as an illegitimate lawyer last October, there's been outrage, support and amusement.At the time, legal officials in Kenya urged police to arrest the man, who had been practicing under the name "Brian Mwenda".Alan Kasujja spoke to Mwaura Kabata, the Vice President Elect of the Law Society of Kenya. They’re known for advocating for lawyers' rights, shaping legal policies and providing crucial support and education to legal professionals across the country.

It’s like something out of a Shakespearean drama. A strongman in power. A cousin threatens his position only to end up dead. But this is Chad, 2024 – and the strongman is Chad’s military leader, Mahamat Déby. Recently his most vocal critic, Yaya Dillo, who was also his cousin, was killed in a shootout with security forces. So what is the relationship between different members of this powerful family? And as the country gears up to Presidential elections on the 6th May – meant to return the country to constitutional rule - does Chad even have a viable opposition anymore?Guest: Beverley Ochieng, Presenter: Alan Kasujja

“As an ordinary Zimbabwean I have to be worried when my president is sanctioned, because an investor who is in Dubai will think twice before coming to Zimbabwe” – Dr. Alexander Rusero, Zimbabwean political analyst. The United States has imposed fresh sanctions, replacing a broader programme that was introduced more than two decades ago. Those targeted include president Emmerson Mnangagwa who is accused by President Joe Biden’s administration of corruption and human rights abuses. Others on the list are First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga and Defence and War Veterans Affairs Minister Oppah Muchinguri. In a statement the United States says, “We continue to witness gross abuses of political, economic and human rights”. The White House further says, the targeting of civil society and severe restrictions on political activity have stifled fundamental freedoms. But Zimbabwe’s ruling Zanu-PF has denied America’s claims. So, where do these developments leave ordinary Zimbabweans? Alan Kasujja speaks to Zanu-PF spokesperson Tafadzwa Mugwadi and political analyst Dr. Alexander Rusero.

Nollywood is Africa’s biggest film industry. Many will associate it with lots of drama, addictive story-telling, the glitz and glamour of the red carpet. But a story that’s increasingly being told now is of financial hardship. John Okafor, who was also known as Mr Ibu, died a few weeks ago, last year he posted a video on Instagram asking his fans for help with his medical bills. And he isn’t alone, many other household names in Nigeria have posted videos on social media asking for financial support as they struggle with the challenges of being older actors. So why’s this happening in a multi-billion dollar movie industry? In today’s Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to the President of the Actors Guild of Nigeria, Emeka Rollas.

Apologies: only part of this podcast was initially published because of a technical fault, but this has since been rectified. _______________________________________________________________________________"They thought that paying fees for girls to go to school was losing money... We would not get husbands to marry us. People say that going to school is just building prostitution." When Marthe Wandou was growing up in the village of Kaélé in northern Cameroon, she was the only girl to get to university. Most of her female classmates left to get married – and local people ridiculed her parents - especially her Dad – for sending their daughters to school. She studied law, but returned to her home state and set up a foundation called Aldepa which works to support girls and women - especially in making sure they stay in school. So what are the obstacles girls still face when it comes to their education? And what are women like Marthe doing about it?

Zambia’s President Hakainde Hichilema has declared a national because of the prolonged drought. He says 84 districts out of a total of 116 in the country have been affected.The President said almost half of the land used for planting crops had been affected by severe dry conditions.There are also fears that the country will struggle to meet its electricity demands, as most of its energy comes from water sources.So how are Zambians coping with this situation? Alan Kasujja speaks to Zambian journalist Kennedy Gondwe.

Africa's biggest multisport event - the African Games - get underway in Ghana tonight, with 49 nations competing in 29 different sports. This is the 13th edition of the games – which are held every four years, usually one year before the Olympic Games.But this time they’ve been delayed by 8 months - since August 2023 - because of a disagreement over marketing rights which delayed the completion of facilities.It’s part of an ongoing dispute between the Africa Union (AU) which owns the games, the Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa (ANOCA) and the Association of African Sports Confederations – all of which are meant to work together to put on the event. In this episode of Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja re-lives his childhood memories from the fourth edition of the games held in Nairobi in 1987 as he talks to Africa’s former queen of sprints Nigeria’s Mary Onyali Omagbemi who lit up the games with phenomenal speed.But with the standards of the games appearing to have dropped, he also talks to Ghanaian Sports Minister Mustapha Ussif, asking if there is a future for the Africa Games.

“If the Islamist extremist groups succeed in entrenching themselves in Cabo Delgado, they will launch attacks in different parts of the continent” – Professor Adriano Nuvunga of the Center for Democracy and Human Rights Just as Mozambique's authorities thought Cabo Delgado province in the north of the country was beginning to stabilise, trouble started again. Insurgents linked to the group, Islamic State have launched new attacks on the area in recent weeks. As a result, more than 70 children are now missing. The authorities say they were separated from their families as thousands of people fled to a neighbouring province. According to Doctors Without Borders, over half a million people in that province remain displaced as of December 2023. The insurgency in gas-rich Cabo Delgado, launched by the IS-linked local al-Shabab militia, is now in its seventh year. High levels of poverty and disputes over access to land and jobs have contributed to local grievances. Today Alan Kasujja attempts to understand what it will take to end the conflict in Cabo Delgado.

In many parts of the continent, landing a job at a multinational company is a big deal – it promises growth and stability. But what happens when things go wrong? You get made redundant. Do you know what rights and protections you have?That’s the scenario that staff members in Ghana’s Twitter office found themselves in back in November 2022. Musk tweeted that "everyone" would get three months' severance pay. But it turns out, "everyone" didn't seem to include the Ghanaian staff.Alan Kasujja caught up with Carla Olympio, founder of Agency Seven Seven, the firm backing the Ghanaian staff fighting for their rights under Ghana's Labour Act of 2003. After a year-long battle, the agency successfully negotiated a redundancy settlement for the affected staff members.

“I think this community of BRICS is looking after each other and for sure it’s going to open more doors” – Gert Blignaut, South African beef exporter In August 2023, we brought you an episode on South Africa hosting about 70 heads of state from different parts of the world. They included China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and Lula da Silva of Brazil, whose nations, along with Russia, form part of a bloc known as BRICS. Founded in 2009, this group aims to promote economic co-operation and increase trade among its member states. Russia’s Vladimir Putin couldn’t attend because of the International Criminal Court warrant of arrest against him, because of claims relating to the on-going war in Ukraine. At that two-day meeting held in Johannesburg, it was announced that Egypt, Ethiopia and several other developing economies were joining the bloc from the start of 2024. And this year, South Africa started exporting beef to Saudi Arabia, one of the countries who’ve been invited to join BRICS. So, what do these developments mean? Is Africa starting to see the benefits of aligning with BRICS? Does America and its western allies have a credible economic rival? Or is it all a pie in the sky? To answer these questions, Alan Kasujja sits down with South African beef exporter Gert Blignaut and Professor Patrick Bond from the University of Johannesburg.

“You just learn that the people who are against you… will always exist and they’ll always use every opportunity they can to amplify mistakes and actually very often try to portray them as deliberate. That’s part of the learning I’ve had to go through.” Being the mayor of Freetown is a tough job. Yvonne Aki Sawyer grew up in Sierra Leone but then went to the UK to study as a student. She stayed, built up a well-paid career in finance, got married, had kids. But after Ebola hit Sierra Leone in 2014 she took a sabbatical to help and became the director of Planning for Sierra Leone's National Ebola Response Centre. In the years since, she’s been voted in as mayor of Freetown twice – running on a ticket dominated with environmental concerns. But she’s also been investigated for corruption and accused of misappropriating public funds - allegations she denies and says are politically motivated. In a frank conversation, she tells Alan Kasujja about her attempts to work with the government, how women support women in Sierra Leone, and denies she’s drunk the political Kool-Aid. “My life is very different to what it was (in the UK)… I certainly don’t earn a fraction of what I used to earn… I am here because this is my heart,” she tells Alan. You can see the Africa Eye film about her work – and the pretty brutal election campaign she went through - “Mayor on the Frontline: democracy in crisis’’ on the BBC News Africa Youtube page.