Africa Update Vol. 40
Welcome to the latest edition of Africa Update! We’ve got politically correct jollof, nuclear power in Uganda, dodgy car purchases for politicians in Kenya, the latest CfP for the African Studies Association of Africa, and more.
West Africa: The impact of Ghana’s e-levy on mobile money is falling predominantly on poor workers, despite attempts to shield them by exempting low-value transactions. A British hedge fund is suing the Nigerian government for breach of contract over a failed gas processing plant, but the government is countersuing with the claim that the fund’s subsidiary illegally bribed officials to get the contract in the first place. Ken Opalo talks about why he remains bullish on Nigeria. This looks like an interesting case study of Dakar’s ongoing peri-urban growth.
Central Africa: The private school chain Bridge International Academies is under fire in Kenya and Uganda for allegations that it did not safeguard students from sexual abuse by teachers. Uganda plans to begin generating electricity from nuclear power by 2031. In Burundi, informal recyclers are working for the city of Bujumbura without contracts, safety equipment, or health insurance, leading many to develop serious health problems.
East Africa: Kenya’s largest telecom is being sued for providing mobile money loan services without being formally registered as a bank. Is it time to abolish the police in Kenya? Somalia has resurrected its plans for elections by universal suffrage, rather than voting by clan heads, in 2026. Meet Bilan, Somalia’s first entirely female media team.
Spotlight on Uganda’s anti-LGBTQ+ law: Uganda’s Parliament recently passed a bill which calls for prison sentences of up to ten years for people who are “found guilty of homosexuality” or who rent housing to queer people. Anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment has been driven in part by American evangelical Christians, who have spent at least US$50 million on advocacy across Africa since 2007. The mothers of queer children and two MPs are bravely speaking out against the law. Learn more with eight essential queer African podcasts.
Labor rights: Kenya has taken a big step forward by allowing refugees from EAC states the right to work. Elsewhere in Kenya, Meta (Facebook’s parent company) is being sued for unionbusting after subcontracted employees protested the low pay and violent imagery they were constantly exposed to as content moderators. Electronics vendors in Ghana are reframing the narrative around electronic waste by refurbishing used foreign electronics.
Climate: A French court recently dismissed the case that Ugandan activists brought against the oil company Total for its proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), saying the activists didn’t give the company enough time to respond to their complaints. The Ugandan government has also been arresting prominent anti-EACOP activists. A prominent carbon offset program in Kenya was cancelled over claims that its attempts to change pastoralist herding practices weren’t actually increasing carbon stores in grasslands.
Research: Catch up on the latest research on African urbanization with the Ufahamu Africa podcast. Annual reminder for African researchers: you can submit preprints of your articles to AfricArXiv for free to increase their publicity and reach! The African Studies Association of Africa has an open call for papers for their 2023 conference in Lubumbashi, DRC, which has been extended until May 31.
Art + culture: If you’re in Nairobi, don’t miss the Affordable Art Show from 12 – 14 May 2023 at the National Museum. The Kenyan organization Book Bunk is doing great work revitalizing libraries across Nairobi. Atlas is an exciting new site highlighting editorial and news images by African photographers.
Cheers,
Rachel