The highlights of 2021 in Africa
Ugandan opposition leader’s popularity frightened Museveni into even greater autocracy
Bobi Wine and Nubian Li have made a lot of music together. And when Bobi Wine transformed himself into the leader of Uganda’s political opposition, Nubian Li stayed by his side. His passion for a better, free Uganda is undimmed despite the suffering he endured
African leaders’ sartorial choices have been communicating their political orientations for centuries
Restrictions to battle the pandemic offer ideal cover for authoritarian regimes to undermine and clamp down on opposition parties
Even when only one result is possible, elections can tell us a lot about what’s really going on
Hundreds of opposition supporters have disappeared in the last few months, allegedly detained or abducted by Uganda’s security forces
Observers should watch the parliamentary race more closely, as it provides a more nuanced indication of how voters evaluate their government
Elections do not guarantee greater freedom or democratic governance and have contributed to instability and economic setbacks
Counting was slow across Uganda as a result of the internet shutdown, which affected some of the biometric machines used to validate voter registrations.
Bobi Wine and William Ruto set out to upend the political status quo in their respective countries
The internet went down on the eve of the vote, with some parts of the country reporting complete disruptions or significant slowdowns, after one of the most violent campaigns in years
Ugandans’ choice at the polls was more about stemming a sixth term for the Museveni regime than about actual policy
The vote will come after one of the bloodiest campaigns in years, as veteran leader Yoweri Museveni seeks a sixth term against popstar-turned-MP Bobi Wine
The acute nature of the pandemic has galvanised civil society to demand better accountability
Tear gas, midnight arrests, threats and intimidation — the tactics employed every election cycle in Uganda are familiar to all who dare challenge President Yoweri Museveni’s 35-year grip on power
In a year defined by Covid-19, human rights violations, including massacres of civilians and crackdowns on opposition parties, have plagued these regions
COMMENT: The protests against the Ugandan president’s 35-year rule are being led by the youth. But they cannot do it alone
Dodging tear gas and bullets with Uganda’s opposition leader
Tanzania’s opposition leader, who is again in exile, says ‘instead of telling people to vote, we should be telling them to prepare for popular revolt
As Ugandans prepare to go to the polls in January 2021, the involvement of security forces in the electoral process is a given and political reform seems a long way off
Uganda’s president is likely to win the next election. But Bobi Wine’s constituency poses the most serious threat yet to his continued rule
COMMENT: For all Bobi Wine’s evident popularity, it remains to be seen if he can build a political machine capable of posing a serious threat to Uganda’s president
Many Ugandans find Stella Nyanzi’s mode of protest, including vulgar insults and stripping to make a point, unsettling. But her challenge to the country’s patriarchy could bring much-needed reform
The Ugandan opposition leader believes he is best-placed to lead an opposition coalition
Drawing on lessons from Ebola, African artists are using music to convey public health messaging. And they are doing it in style
Ever since Bobi Wine, Uganda’s biggest pop star, won his seat in parliament in a contested 2017 race, western journalists have flocked to the country’s capital, Kampala, to conduct interviews with and profile him. The interest is certainly justified: in a short time, Wine, real name Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, has turned a decade-long career in […]
There are a number of cases in the past decade where Africans have managed to push the conversation beyond liberal reforms as a political goal or did not spent all their energies on the politics of nostalgia, harkening back to a simpler time of national liberation or charismatic leaders. Young people, a generation with no […]
‘Music is the weapon of the future,’ said Fela Kuti. If so, Africa’s leaders need to arm themselves —and these are the songs they should start with
Having already been detained a number of times, the singer who looks set to challenge President Museveni in the 2021 elections has been arrested
This is a selection of the best stories published in the newspaper’s Africa section this year, in no particular order
This is the show that the Ugandan president, Yoweri Museveni, does not want you to see