Kenya Insights

Category: Africa

  • Senior Civil Servant Sex Tapes Scandalise Equatorial Guinea

    Senior Civil Servant Sex Tapes Scandalise Equatorial Guinea

    (AFP)-Hundreds of sex tapes involving a high-ranking Equatorial Guinean civil servant with other men’s wives have done the rounds on social media, prompting the authorities to attempt to curb their spread.

    In the videos, the married director of the National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), Baltasar Ebang Engonga, is seen in flagrante with various partners — including the wives of prominent officials — at his office in the finance ministry.

    On Monday, the country’s vice president Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue announced on X that the government would order the “immediate suspension of all civil servants who have had sexual relations in the offices of the ministries, as this constitutes a flagrant violation of the code of conduct and the law on public ethics”.

    It is not the first time that sex tapes involving civil servants have been leaked on social media.

    But the affair has blown up to unprecedented proportions due to the notoriety of the officials involved.

    Last week, Obiang said that he had given 24 hours’ notice to Equatorial Guinea’s telecommunications ministry, regulator and telephone companies “to curb the distribution of pornographic videos that are flooding social networks in Equatorial Guinea”.

    “As the government, we cannot continue to see families destroyed,” said the vice-president in charge of defence and security.

    According to accounts first spread by WhatsApp groups and then posted to Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X, Engonga shot more than 400 pornographic videos in his office.

    Nicknamed “Bello” on account of his good looks, Ebang Engonga is a married father and the son of Baltasar Engonga Edjo, the current Chairman of the Commission of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community.

    He is also related to the country’s long-serving president.

    The sex tapes were leaked on social networks at a time when he had been remanded in custody at Malabo’s infamous Black Beach prison in a case of embezzlement of public funds, according to state television station TVGE.

    Equatorial Guinea’s chief prosecutor Anatolio Nzang Nguema, assured TVGE that if medical examinations revealed that Ebang Engonga was “infected with a sexually transmitted disease” he would be prosecuted for an offence against “public health”.

    The flow of internet traffic, and in particular the downloading of images, has been severely disrupted in the country after the authorities took measures to curb the sex tapes’ spread, witnesses told AFP.

    Social media is awash with speculation that more videos involving other individuals, both men and women, could be released in the next few days.

  • With Over 300 Videos, Is Baltasar Ebang Engonga Greatest Sex Addict Ever?

    With Over 300 Videos, Is Baltasar Ebang Engonga Greatest Sex Addict Ever?

    Baltasar Ebang Engonga, Director General of Equatorial Guinea’s National Financial Investigation Agency (ANIF), is currently at the centre of a major scandal after authorities discovered hundreds of explicit videos allegedly featuring him in compromising situations.

    The videos reportedly include encounters with high-profile individuals, such as his brother’s wife, his cousin, and the sister of the President of Equatorial Guinea.

    The scandal emerged in the course of a fraud investigation, during which investigators found over 300 videos on Ebang Engonga’s computer, showing encounters with multiple women, including some who are married.

    The footage, discovered in his personal office, was said to have been recorded with consent and has since been leaked online, causing a media uproar.

    Equatorial Guinea’s Vice President, Teodoro Nguema, addressed the scandal in a public statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), where he condemned inappropriate conduct within government offices.

    He stressed that sexual relations are strictly prohibited in administrative workplaces and warned of repercussions for violations.

    “Given the abuse that has been shown on social media in Equatorial Guinea in recent days, and remembering that ministries are solely and exclusively for carrying out administrative work in support of the country’s development, sexual relations in offices are prohibited,” Nguema stated.

    “Control mechanisms are already in place, and anyone who violates this rule again will be subject to disciplinary proceedings for indecent conduct and will be dismissed from their job.”

    His role includes overseeing financial investigations and managing activities aimed at curbing financial corruption in the country.

    Married with six children, Ebang Engonga has held a prominent position in the agency, which has significant influence over the nation’s financial transparency and regulatory framework.

  • New Era For Botswana: Dumo Boko Takes Helm As Ruling Party Falls After 58 Years

    New Era For Botswana: Dumo Boko Takes Helm As Ruling Party Falls After 58 Years

    Botswana’s new President, Dumo Gideon Boko, assumed office on Monday after outgoing President Mokgweetsi Masisi, 63, formally handed over power.

    A video posted on the official X account of the President’s office showed Masisi welcoming Boko as he arrived to take over. The two leaders embraced and engaged in a brief conversation as they headed to the office.

    Boko took his oath of office on Friday in front of Chief Justice Terrence Rannowane, just hours after being declared the winner of Wednesday’s election.

    In his first public address, broadcast live on national television, the 54-year-old human rights lawyer thanked voters and outlined his plans for the mineral-rich nation.

    Boko emphasized the importance of attracting investors, diversifying the economy—currently reliant on diamonds—and raising the minimum wage to 4,000 pula (approximately $300).

    The Umbrella for Democratic Change, led by Boko, won 36 seats in parliament, followed by the Botswana Congress Party (BCP) with 15 seats. The Botswana Patriotic Front (BPF) and the Botswana Democratic Party (BDP) secured five and four seats, respectively, according to Mmegi online, citing the electoral body.

    Masisi conceded defeat on Friday after his party’s poor electoral performance, marking the end of the BDP’s 58 years in power since Botswana’s independence from Britain in 1966.

    Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the African Union Commission, commended Botswana for conducting peaceful, transparent, and credible general elections. He noted with satisfaction that Botswana has consistently been a leading democracy in Africa, showcasing effective democratic governance through regular elections since independence in September 1966.

    Mahamat congratulated Boko on his victory and praised Masisi for his exemplary leadership, emphasizing the importance of a smooth transfer of power and conceding defeat prior to the release of official election results.

  • Marine Silk Road Project in Tanzania Concerns over Sovereignty of Tanzania

    Marine Silk Road Project in Tanzania Concerns over Sovereignty of Tanzania

    Controversies and undertones around land and sovereignty of Tanzania with the existence of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) aren’t unique and out of expectation. Not only looking at Tanzania, the original China’s  Shekou zone faced similar obstacles thus the reason China Merchants  always sought long concession  terms for its handful similar projects abroad with China’s ‘long lasting’ strategic allies. It always requires long time horizons to sort out the controversies while having sufficient time for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) to start operating. Having faced early concerns, Shekou narrative focused to transform for later success hence it brought about clear regulations for zone operations and land use to focus on positive perception of the project.  Local authorities had total control of land rights and usage and upper hand take on the operation of the project on their territories. Today, modern Shekou narrative is ignoring the early concerns and lacks proper clarity on sovereignty concerns thus the silent discomfort in Tanzania over the mega port project.

    Notably, during the era of President Magufuli the diplomatic spat over Bagamoyo port project with China merchants brought in the clear picture of concerns by the local people over the China’s infrastructural project. As much as the local leadership wanted to expand development, the cost of losing control of theland in their territory wasn’t taken lightly. For example, between 2018 and 2019, Tanzanian government expressed desire of expansion of the port projects elsewhere in the country and in particular Dar es Salaam port which was congested and needed modernization, in contrary, China Merchants were firm and opposed to other areas for the project except vicinity of Bagamoyo port. For this, local authorities obviously seemed to be out of control of its internal affairs and interests as PRC deep plans were overriding.

    President Magufuli and Bagamoyo Port project stand versesPresident Suluhu reversal

    In 2013, Tanzania inked a framework agreement with China Merchants Holdings International (CMHI) & Oman’s State General Reserve Fund(SGRF) for construction of port and special economic zone with aim of transforming the country into a regional trade and transport hub. During President Magufulitenure, the $10 billion Bagamoyo port project was slowed and shelved with focus diverted to expansion and modernization of Dar es Salaam Port, this created diplomatic row with Beijing but President Magufuli was firm with his concerns over the mega project.

    He accused the project as “exploitative and awkward” according to terms set for financing the project. The conditions were unacceptable, China Merchants insisted their focus should be in Bagamoyo port and no other other port should come up all the way from Tanga to Mtwara South.

    President Magufuli argued that construction of Bagamoyo port would undermine $522-million expansion of Dar es Salaam portand hinder its targeted capacity.

    China Merchants wanted to be given a guarantee of 33 years and lease of 99years, additionally; Tanzania shouldn’t have any say over the investment once the port is operational. Issue of land ownership was also a major concern as China Merchants wanted land ownership and again demands compensation from Tanzania for drilling construction of the port.

    In addition, President Magufuli was weary that $50-million allocated for compensation of citizens displaced by the new port project didn’t get to targeted beneficiaries in Bagamoyo but benefited wrong individuals. To him this was a blatant corruption scheme.

    Moving forward in 2021, after assuming office from President Magufuli, Tanzania’s current president Suluhu made a u-turn on the halted Bagamoyo Port project. While chairing her maiden Tanzania National Business Council in Dar es Salaam signaled that the project should be revived for the benefit of the country. What led to the drastic change of event raised lots of questions and discussion.

    According to sources close to her administration, she attributesfalsified information & manipulation during the previous regime that led to the cancellation of the project. For example, contrary to largely-held assumption that the mega project was under advancement by China, the Bagamoyo Port project is firmly a brainchild of Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) through its Port Development Master Plan which run from 2009-2028. Also, their basis is that the project wasn’t just about the port alone but part of wider Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone (BSEZ) as part of Tanzania Mini Tiger Plan 2020. The mini Tiger plan is an economic strategy under Ministry of Industry and Trade aimed at fostering country’s development through increasing exports to the global market.

    For President Suluhu, she was much concerned with amending the punctured long-term diplomatic relationship with PRC. Looking at her country’s interests at the moment she needed Beijing as much it also desperately waited for her. Since Bagamoyo project was a key venture for the Chinese President’s idea of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), its failure was a clear indication of diplomatic weakeness between the two countries and the end results would be costly for the country.  Tanzania already crippled with ballooning foreign debts and desire to finance some of its key infrastructural projects for political influence, President Suluhu was limited with options but had to be at the mercy of Beijing.

    Notably her maiden state visit to China ended with several goodies as PRC wrote-off some of Tanzania’s loan obligationsand signing new infrastructure deals to restore key BRI projects. These are just face value information for the public, but in all these dealings there is always give and takes, what Tanzania offered to receive such offers and now centre of attention Beijing in the region still raises more concerns than answers especially debt trapping and threat to sovereignty of Tanzania.

    MSR and labor control, Local jobs in TZ

    China’s policy to employ Chinese labor for its various infrastructural projects in Africa has led to influx of more than 200,000 Chinese Citizens working across BRI contracts across the continent. These unfair policies of favourism over locals have raised concerns and hostilities. Locals whose livelihoods were disrupted with development of the mega projects continueto languish in poverty despite project being in their neighborhoods. China goes ahead to import even non-skilled workers, jobs that can easily be taken by the locals against the local policy of giving priority to local residents for such opportunity.

    In cases where there is high localization rate of labour then most definitely top-level management positions remain preserve of the Chinese, these greatly endangers an employment generation & management participation gap.

    With Tanzania unemployment crisis, the increasing Chinese mega infrastructural investments are equally leading to talent gap due to skewed labor policies.

    Additionally, there are concerns that Chinese firms’ labourpractices perpetuate abuse through casualization of labour, poor remunerations and general disregard to occupational safety.

    Is PRC out to resettle its overpopulation through MSR

    Despite international & regional suspicions on true intentions of Chinese investments, African governments are faced with limited options. Beijing is so far the front-runner with ability to provide gargantuan of financing to develop and modernize port. In the principle of give and take, China’s increased operations and presence in Africa can’t just throw many of these suspicions under the bus.

    Chinese sporadic mega BRI investments and enterprises across the continent come with massive Chinese workforce and population. Today, there are over 20,000 Chinese workforcesand over 800 Chinese owned businesses in Tanzania alone. The number is on the rise and has as well necessitated PRC to deploy military investments in the region to protect its growing interests and population. Although, Beijing’s approach to Africa is on ‘Win-win’ approach, increasing Chinese population in Africa points fingers at China more long-term concern of advancing its interests economy, depopulation and employment opportunities for its citizens.

  • Nigerian Airline CEO Faces New US Charge In $20M Fraud Case

    Nigerian Airline CEO Faces New US Charge In $20M Fraud Case

    US authorities charged the owner of Nigeria’s largest airline with obstruction of justice in a $20 million fraud case.

    The charge updates an indictment from five years ago in which he and an alleged accomplice were charged with bank fraud and money laundering.

    The US Department of Justice said Allen Onyema, founder and chief executive of Air Peace, faces the new charge of obstruction “for submitting false documents” to the US government. Onyema, 61, allegedly submitted the documents in a bid to end the investigation that led to the bank fraud and money laundering charges, the DOJ announced on Friday.

    Onyema is charged alongside Air Peace’s finance chief, Ejiroghene Eghagha. The DOJ, in its 2019 bank fraud and money laundering indictment, alleged that both officials moved “more than $20 million” from Nigeria through US bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes from a company allegedly based in the US state of Georgia.

    The obstruction charges against the pair are for “additional crimes of fraud,” Ryan K. Buchanan, the US Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, said last week.

    Air Peace, in a statement on Sunday, said both executives, who have not been arrested since the first indictment, “remain innocent and these are mere allegations.” The company said Onyema has “consistently cooperated” with the investigation process and is confident both executives will be “exonerated.”

    Air Peace operates the largest volume of daily domestic flights in Nigeria. Onyema founded the airline in 2013. The company flies to and from Nigeria and some West African capital cities. It began direct flights between London’s Gatwick airport and Lagos in March. A previously active route between Lagos and Dubai has yet to resume following a two-year hiatus over visa-related disagreements between Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates.

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    The DOJ formulated indictments against Onyema based on the businessman’s alleged activities dating back to 2010, the year he is said to have started frequent visits to Atlanta. He is said to have opened “several personal and business bank accounts” that received over $44.9 million between 2010 and 2018.

    The original bank fraud and money laundering charges related to how Onyema allegedly used his accounts from 2016.

    By presenting letters of credit supposedly needed to fund the purchase of five Boeing 737 passenger planes for Air Peace, Onyema and Eghagha allegedly caused banks to transfer more than $20 million into the CEO’s Atlanta-based bank accounts.

    But a variety of documents used to support those letters of credit — including appraisals to prove that Air Peace was buying the planes from a Georgia-based business called Springfield Aviation Company — were fake, the DOJ claims.

    Onyema owned Springfield Aviation, the company owned no aircraft, and the appraisals came from a company that did not exist, the DOJ said. He then “allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts,” according to the 2019 indictment.

    The updated indictment this October comes from actions the DOJ says Onyema and Eghagha took after learning of the investigation leading up to the bank fraud indictment in November 2019.

    In October of that year, the CEO directed his lawyers to present a Springfield Aviation contract backdated to 2016 to the US government, in a bid to unfreeze his accounts and “derail the investigation.” The document had actually been drawn-up in May 2019 by a Springfield manager and left undated, on the orders of the two accused Air Peace executives, the DOJ said.

  • South African Feminist Group Seek To Stop Chris Brown’s Concert Over Rihanna’s Abuse Case

    South African Feminist Group Seek To Stop Chris Brown’s Concert Over Rihanna’s Abuse Case

    BBC– Chris Brown’s forthcoming concert in South Africa has led to renewed focus on the country’s shocking levels of violence against women, with campaigners saying it sends the wrong message given his history of abuse.

    In less than two hours, the Grammy-winner managed to sell out tickets to the FNB Stadium in Johannesburg – the largest stadium in Africa with over 94,000 seats. Demand was so high that a second December date was added.

    Despite the massive interest, the R ‘n’ B star has experienced a backlash from people who did not want him to perform due to his violent past.

    “When I saw the news that Chris Brown was coming to South Africa, I was shocked and deeply disappointed,” said Sabina Walter, executive director of Women for Change, an organisation that advocates for the rights of women and children in South Africa.

    The group has started a petition to stop the US artist from performing. It currently has over 20,000 signatures.

    “The petition was started to send a strong message that we will not tolerate the celebration of individuals with a history of violence against women,” said Ms Walter, especially in a country like South Africa.

    South Africa has one of the highest rates of femicide and gender-based violence in the world.

    A rape is reported in the country roughly every 12 minutes and it is assumed that many more go unrecorded.

    “When someone like Chris Brown is given a platform in a country where GBV is at crisis levels, it sends a damaging message – that fame and power outweigh accountability,” said Ms Walters.

    The most well-known instance in Chris Brown’s history of abuse is the domestic dispute with singer Rihanna in 2009.

    Chris Brown, who was 19 at the time, pleaded guilty to assault and was sentenced to five years probation, community service and domestic violence counselling.

    Although Rihanna forgave him and the pair briefly dated again after the incident, Chris Brown has also been accused of violence by other women – and men.

    Women for Change says it wants to know how the Department of Home Affairs could grant “a convicted abuser” a visa.

    For Ms Walter, the decision is “concerning and indicative of a systemic failure”.

    According to South African law, having a previous conviction can result in a visa being denied. But there can be an exception for “good cause” and those are cleared by the Director General of the Department of Home Affairs.

    Chris Brown has previously been banned from entering other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, although he has subsequently gone on to play in the UK and elsewhere in Europe.

    But his South African fans are undeterred.

    Former University of Cape Town vice-chancellor Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng shared on X that she would be attending the Chris Brown concert.

    “I am totally against GBV and condemn it. I believe that those who perpetrate GBV should face the full might of the law without exceptions or leniency.

    “But let me be clear, just in case the message didn’t sit well: I am going to attend Brown’s concert if he comes. These two things are not mutually exclusive.

    “To suggest that enjoying a concert aligns you with every past action of the artist is, at best, simplistic and, at worst, intellectually dishonest,” she said.

    Prof Phakeng explained that “music is bigger than the individual”.

    She added that boycotting Chris Brown’s concert wouldn’t end GBV in South Africa.

    “Attending the concert does not magically erase our moral stance on GBV.”

    Although this is not Chris Brown’s first concert in South Africa, there is huge excitement among his fans.

    One said on X: “Chris Brown coming to South Africa??… I’ll take a loan for a meet & greet.”

    “Chris Brown you don’t know us yet… but my wife and I will be those two microscopic fans in the stands singing and dancing to every jam!!!!” said another.

    Ms Waters said she had even received threats because of her campaign against the US star.

    “Supporters of Chris Brown seem ready to defend him at any cost,” she said.

    “The criticism we are facing for our petition speaks volumes and actually reveals a deep disconnect in how we, as a society, view violence against women.”

    She said that too often people were willing to “excuse abusive” behaviour when it comes to celebrities they admire.

    Selective outrage is dangerous because it perpetuates the rape culture and high levels of violence women face every day, said Ms Walters.

    President Cyril Ramaphosa accepts that South Africa has a huge problem with gender-based violence and in August, he called on the country’s men to take a stand.

    “Our ultimate goal is to end gender-based violence altogether,” he said.

    Yet this goal remains a distant one – little has changed five years after he called for action to tackle the country’s “rape crisis”.

    This year alone, Women for Change has honoured over 200 women who have lost their lives to femicide.

    “This fight isn’t just about this concert. It’s about changing the narrative in South Africa, where abusers are held accountable and where violence against women is never excused, overlooked, or forgotten.”

  • Tanzanian Telecom Company Tigo Accused Of Illegally Sharing Data Of Tundu Lissu With The Govt Before His Attempted Assassination

    Tanzanian Telecom Company Tigo Accused Of Illegally Sharing Data Of Tundu Lissu With The Govt Before His Attempted Assassination

    Evidence presented at a London tribunal has placed Millicom, the former parent company of telecom firm Tigo, at the center of serious allegations regarding an attack on Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu.

    According to UK’s The Guardian, the tribunal has heard claims that the 2017 attempted assassination of Chadema leader Lissu is connected to Millicom, which allegedly shared his mobile phone data with the Tanzanian government.

    In the case against Millicom, it is alleged that Tigo provided Tanzanian authorities with round-the-clock access to Lissu’s phone call and location data in the weeks leading up to the September 2017 attack.

    The accusation surfaced as part of a claim by Michael Clifford, a former internal investigator at Millicom and ex-Metropolitan Police officer, who raised concerns about the company’s actions.

    Clifford alleges he was wrongfully dismissed by Millicom for “whistleblowing” about the affair.

    Clifford’s lawyers stated that Millicom had been tracking Lissu’s two mobile phones since August 22, 2017, and intensified the tracking on August 29. The data, they allege, was shared with the government through WhatsApp.

    Lissu narrowly survived the attack in Dodoma when gunmen fired multiple shots into his vehicle, leaving him severely injured. He sought medical treatment in Kenya and Europe before returning to Tanzania years later. No one has been prosecuted for the attack.

  • Elon Musk’s Starlink Shakes Up Competition In Africa

    Elon Musk’s Starlink Shakes Up Competition In Africa

    Semafor: Starlink’s satellite internet rollout across Africa is sparking complaints of unfair competition from telecommunications companies and internet service providers that have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in building local networks.

    In a leaked memo to Kenya’s communications regulator, the country’s largest telco Safaricom called for stricter regulations on satellite internet providers like Elon Musk-owned Starlink to level the playing field. Safaricom argued that satellite internet providers should be required to partner with local mobile network operators, rather than being granted independent licenses.

    The telco, which is partly government owned, noted that these providers often operate without a physical presence in the country, relying on third parties and resellers to distribute their hardware, which makes it difficult for regulators to ensure accountability and compliance.

    And it’s not just in Kenya. ISPs and telcos in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, and Cameroon have also raised concerns about Starlink’s free rein, lax regulatory requirements, and their inability to compete fairly with its services and pricing. These companies have thousands of employees across the region while Starlink has next to no local presence on the continent.

    But the upside for consumers is that some of these companies have improved their existing offering to compete. Safaricom, in response to the growing presence of Starlink in Kenya’s broadband market, has doubled the speed of its fiber internet packages. Similar moves have been seen by ISPs in Zimbabwe.

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    Starlink’s entry to the Kenyan market in July 2023 boosted satellite internet subscriber numbers more than tenfold in the nine months to Mar. 31 this year. The numbers were still relatively small, at fewer than 5,000 users in that period, but it was perhaps a warning sign for the traditional providers. The rapid uptake of Starlink has been fueled by aggressive marketing partnerships, cheaper monthly plans and a hardware rental option.

    At the beginning of September, Zimbabwe becamethe 16th nation in Africa to get access to Starlink’s services. Starlink is required to offer its service exclusively through its local partner, IMC Communications and can only operate through approved agents, dealers, and ISPs.

    But since May, when its license was approved by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, telcos and ISPs have been bracing for its launch, with TelOne, a state-owned provider, partnering with Eutelsat’s OneWeb to also offer satellite internet, while ISPs, including Liquid Home, the country’s largest fixed ISP slashed prices.

    There’s long been an expectation that Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet providers like Starlink, OneWeb, and Telesat will capture market share from traditional telecom companies if priced appropriately. But it could possibly also mean a loss of tax revenue for the government as these firms operate without physical offices on the continent and provide plug-and-play connectivity.

    While Safaricom’s concerns will naturally be seen as an attempt to protect its market position and revenue, industry experts note that major telcos across Africa have made substantial investments in licenses and building out infrastructure to enable mobile internet communication networks on the continent.

    Within two years of Starlink’s launch in Nigeria, the communications regulator Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) reported that the company has become Nigeria’s third-largest dedicated internet provider. Now, the company has started building new ground stations in three Nigerian states. However, Starlink is only a threat to the standalone ISP market (as against mobile network-based internet), which collectively serves 262,000 customers as of the last quarter of 2023. In the same period, the four mobile network operators, MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile had 163.8 million active internet subscriptions.

    Starlink’s success will depend on its ability to expand services to more people in remote areas. The company is making progress in this regard by providing satellite backhaul to more than 100 of Africa Mobile Networks’ rural base stations in Nigeria.

    Starlink is likely to face significant challenges in scaling its operations, particularly in countries that prioritize protecting their domestic or government-owned telecommunications providers.

    Starlink’s advanced technology and premium brand image will likely continue to gain approval from African governments. “Starlink has created a brand aura that is projecting “fear of missing out” and a kind of peer pressure that I suspect will continue to get it licensed in Africa at a very low cost,” Bright Simons, a Ghanaian social entrepreneur, told Semafor Africa.

    Musk is in talks with President Cyril Ramaphosa to introduce the service in South Africa, the country of Musk’s birth. A few weeks earlier, Communications Minister Solly Malatsi expressedinterest in welcoming Starlink into the South African market to bridge the country’s digital divide. “They can fill in the gap that the mobile network operators are unable to currently fill through the limitations of their broadband infrastructure,” he told Semafor Africa this week. “We will then be able to steer South Africa towards 100% connectivity.”

    Not everyone thinks Starlink will win in their market.

    “The ISP business in Nigeria is effectively non-existent, with very few providers and even fewer customers,” said Diseye Isoun, CEO of Content Oasis, an ISP based in Abuja, Nigeria. Broadband access is primarily provided by telecom companies that enable customers to use their mobile phones, without any additional hardware, and purchase data plans they can afford.

    “There is a lot more investment being made in South Africa in fiber and wireless backhaul (infrastructure),” said Paul Muller, founding partner at business development consultancy Five Rings Consortium. The focus on Starlink raises questions over its ability to provide a long-term solution to South Africa’s broadband challenges, “because satellite provides a means to link the main internet to small towns, that’s the principle behind using satellite; but it is a temporary solution.”

    Larry Press, professor of Information Systems at California State University, explains that in Kenya, despite Starlink cutting down hardware prices, introducing a monthly plan that rivals market leaders Safaricom and Airtel, and offering a rental plan, it still faces competition from other internet service providers (ISPs) like Mawingu and Poa Internet. These other ISPs also operate in areas that have traditionally lacked reliable internet access and attract a significant number of customers with their unlimited home internet offerings and competitive pricing.

  • Explained: Why Africans Who Apply For Schengen Visas Face High Rejection Rates

    Explained: Why Africans Who Apply For Schengen Visas Face High Rejection Rates

    The Conversation

    Africans face a high rejection rate for visas to enter the Schengen group of countries. The group is made up of 29 European countries that have officially abolished border controls at their mutual borders. A Schengen visa is an entry permit for non-EU nationals which would allow them to make a short, temporary visit of up to 90 days in the Schengen area.

    In 2023, the Schengen states generated US$906 million from visa applications, of which US$145 million came from rejected visa applications. These refusals in 2023 cost African nationals US$61 million in application fees.

    A recent report by the British migration consultancy Henley & Partners shows that African countries accounted for seven of the top ten countries with the highest Schengen visa rejection rates in 2022. The Conversation Africa’s Godfred Akoto Boafo asks migration scholar Mehari Taddele Maru, who contributed to the report, why rejection rates for Africans are so high.

    Whose visa applications are rejected?

    I analysed the EU’s data on visa applications between 2009 and 2023 and found a dramatic increase in the rate of rejection for Schengen visa applicants. In 2014, 18% of African visa applications were rejected, while the global rejection rate was 5%. By 2022, the rejection rate for African applicants had risen to 30%, and the global rate increased to 17.5%.

    Of the top 10 countries with high Schengen visa rejection rates in 2022, seven were from Africa. Among these were Algeria, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria and Ghana.

    The increase in visa rejection rates is associated with the EU’s visa policy.

    We also identified two key factors – income and passport power – that may explain why African applicants face higher Schengen visa rejection rates.

    Rich countries with high income levels (measured by GDP and GNI) usually have stronger passports (as measured by Henley Passport Power, an index based on International Air Transport Authority data). This means their citizens can visit several countries without visas. A strong passport gives people mobility in search of economic opportunities.

    In contrast, people from poorer countries (including most African nations) have weaker passports. This means their travel options are significantly reduced without visas.

    We also uncovered a link between African countries’ low rankings in national income and passport power indices and higher rates of visa rejection.

    Consequently, it is harder for Africans to travel as their visa applications are more likely to be rejected.

    Why are visa applications rejected?

     

    Officially, visa rejections are often attributed to doubts about an applicant’s intention to leave the destination country before the visa expires. According to European states, most rejections are based on reasonable doubts about the visa applicant’s intention to return home.

    As provided under the EU Visa Code Handbook, the assessment of a visa applicant’s intention to return home is based on circumstantial evidence. Consular officers have broad powers of discretion to decide this. They consider three key factors through documentation:

    • the stability of the applicant’s socio-economic situation in their country of residence

    • proof of employment or business activities

    • family and community ties.

    Supporting documents may include proof of financial means, property ownership, employment contracts, business records and travel arrangements. The most favourable visa candidates often demonstrate strong ties to their home country. This includes dependent family members staying behind or property ownership.

    In my view this potentially allows discrimination based on nationality and geographical factors. In the Schengen visa regime, proof of intention to return home is often linked to the economic status of applicants and their nationality. With an elastic concept such as this, the Schengen visa regime allows immigration officials in the global south to filter visa applicants based on their economic conditions and country of origin. In my research, there is no evidence to suggest that a higher rejection rate leads to a decrease in irregular migration or visa overstays.

    The findings highlight visa policies that disproportionately affect Africans seeking to visit Europe. They undermine the European Union’s stated commitment to strengthening partnerships with Africa.

    What needs to change?

    Europe’s poor efforts in improving legal mobility pathways for Africans have left many, including governments, disillusioned about migration cooperation between Africa and Europe. Despite promises of visa facilitation, family reunification and labour migration, progress remains elusive. The few legal avenues available mostly benefit skilled workers from within the European Union.

    The European Union must reform its visa regime and expand legal migration pathways. But ultimately, the primary responsibility lies with African states. They must create an environment in which their citizens can thrive and prosper within the continent. This includes investing in economic development, job creation, education, healthcare and infrastructure.

    African governments should ratify the 2018 African Union protocol on free movement of Africans within their continent. Six years after its adoption, only four countries have ratified the protocol: Mali, Niger, Rwanda, and São Tomé & Principe.

    In contrast, the agreement establishing the African Continental Free Trade Area, which focuses on the movement of goods, services, and capital, has been in force since 2019, just a year after its adoption.

    Reforming the Schengen group’s visa policies towards Africa goes beyond just migration management. It is about getting politics right in Europe. If Europe is serious about partnering with Africa and addressing its demand for labour, the benefits of expanding legal pathways for Africans far outweigh the costs.

    Mehari Taddele Maru is a Professor at the European University Institute and Johns Hopkins University, European University Institute He was commissioned to write a chapter for the July 2024 Henley & Partners Global Report.

  • Ugandan President Museveni’s Son Ends 2026 Election Bid

    Ugandan President Museveni’s Son Ends 2026 Election Bid

    The son of Uganda’s long-serving leader Yoweri Museveni said on Saturday he had abandoned plans to run for presidency at the next election in 2026, urging his supporters to endorse his father instead.

    President Museveni, who has led the country for 38 years, is widely expected to run for re-election even though he has not yet confirmed his candidacy.

    “I would like to announce that I will not be on the ballot paper in 2026,” said Muhoozi Kainerugaba in a post on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

    “I fully endorse President Yoweri Museveni in the next elections,” he said, urging his supporters to back his father for a seventh term.

    Kainerugaba, currently the head of the country’s military, is widely expected to eventually become his father’s chosen successor but is also known for making controversial comments. Museveni apologised to Kenya in 2022 after his son threatened on Twitter to invade the neighbouring country.

    Uganda’s opposition has long accused Museveni of seeking to impose a monarchy on Uganda — a claim the president denies.

    Museveni, 80, has ruled Uganda since 1986 and has changed the constitution twice to extend his rule.

    Human rights activists and his political opponents including pop star turned politician Bobi Wine have long accused Museveni of using security forces to jail, intimidate or torture opposition supporters. Museveni denies such accusations.

    Wine came second in the last presidential election in 2021. He rejected the results, alleging ballot stuffing, intimidation and abductions of his supporters.

    Museveni called it Uganda’s fairest-ever vote.

  • JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Is Set To Visit Kenya Next Month, Marking His First Trip to Africa in 7 Years

    JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon Is Set To Visit Kenya Next Month, Marking His First Trip to Africa in 7 Years

    JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon plans to travel to Africa in mid-October in a push by the biggest U.S. lender to expand on the continent, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, his first trip there in seven years.

    Dimon is expected to visit Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa and Ivory Coast during the trip next month, two of the sources said. JPMorgan already has offices in South Africa and Nigeria where it offers asset and wealth management and well as commercial and investment banking services.

    Overseas markets have been a key focus area to generate growth for JPMorgan — which has assets of over $4.1 trillion and operations in more than 100 countries.

    In 2018, Dimon said the lender would look at entering Ghana and Kenya. Local regulators in those two countries had blocked JPMorgan’s growth plans, according to media reports.

    Kenyan President William Ruto said in February 2023 after a meeting with a senior JPMorgan executive that the bank had committed to opening a new office in Nairobi.

    It was not immediately clear how close JPMorgan is to opening in these countries.

    Major global banks are seeking to gain a bigger share of sovereign debt and corporate transactions in Africa, analysts said, while also aiming to serve more international companies that have operations on the continent, said Eric Musau, head of research at Nairobi-based Standard Investment Bank.

    International lenders are seeking to grow their revenues by offering wealth management services that provide access to investments like offshore equity, debt and mutual funds, Musau added.

    Banking giants are also offering private banking services, seeking to differentiate themselves from local and regional lenders that are prevalent in retail markets.

    While most consumers on the continent have access to financial services through local and regional commercial banks, private banking “is where the next evolution will be,” said Francis Mwangi, CEO of Kestrel Capital, a Nairobi brokerage.

    JPMorgan is among the top five international private banks by assets under supervision and growth in overseas markets is a key priority, it said in May.

    In the last five years, about 700 bankers have been involved in expanding into 27 new locations worldwide, generating $2 billion in revenue for its commercial and investment bank, JPMorgan’s President Daniel Pinto told investors in May.

    JPMorgan has an advisory board of international executives and former policy makers that have links to Africa, including Nigerian billionaire Aliko Dangote and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair who founded the Africa Governance Initiative. Major global lenders have adopted differing strategies for individual sub-Saharan markets, targeting the fastest-growing areas while seeking to distinguish themselves from local and regional competitors. Standard Chartered has focused on markets like Kenya. Assets under management in the East African nation grew by a quarter last year to 185.5 billion Kenyan shillings ($1.4 billion), it said.

    The lender sold its subsidiaries in Angola, Cameroon, Gambia and Sierra Leone last year.

    ($1 = 128.5000 Kenyan shillings)

  • World’s Second Largest Diamond Found In Botswana

    World’s Second Largest Diamond Found In Botswana

    A massive 2,492-carat diamond — the second largest in the world — has been discovered in Botswana, the Canadian mining company that found the stone announced Thursday.

    The diamond was discovered in the Karowe Diamond Mine in northeastern Botswana using x-ray detection technology, Lucara Diamond Corp. said in a statement.

    Lucara did not provide an estimation of the value of the find. In terms of carats, the stone is second only to the 3,016-carat Cullinan Diamond discovered in South Africa in 1905.

    “We are ecstatic about the recovery of this extraordinary 2,492-carat diamond,” Lucara president William Lamb said in the statement.

    This find was “one of the largest rough diamonds ever unearthed” and was detected using the company’s Mega Diamond Recovery X-ray technology installed in 2017 to identify and preserve large, high-value diamonds, the statement said.

    The managing director of Lucara Botswana, Naseem Lahri, presented the translucent stone, which is the size of a palm, to President Mokgweetsi Masisi at his office later Thursday.

    “I’m told this is the largest diamond to be discovered in Botswana to date and the second in the world,” Masisi said, congratulating the company on the find. “This is precious.”

    Botswana is one of the world’s largest producers of diamonds which are its main source of income, accounting for 30 percent of GDP and 80 percent of its exports, according to International Monetary Fund figures.

    The arid and sparsely populated country, home to around 2.5 million people, was poor at the time of its independence from Britain in 1966.

    Diamonds were discovered a year later and today the country is the world’s largest producer by value, the IMF says.

    Lucara says it pays a royalty of 10 percent of the gross sales value of diamonds produced from Karowe to the government, regardless of whether the diamond is sold rough or polished.

    “With a diamond of this magnitude, I can see roads being built,” said Masisi, as he posed for pictures with the huge stone.

    Tobias Kormind, managing director of Europe’s largest online diamond jeweller, 77 Diamonds, confirmed it was the largest rough diamond to be unearthed since the Cullinan Diamond, parts of which adorn Britain’s crown jewels.

    “This discovery is largely thanks to newer technology that allows larger diamonds to be extracted from the ground without breaking into pieces. So we will likely see more where this came from,” he said.

    Before the find was announced on Thursday, the largest diamond discovered in Botswana was a 1,758-carat stone mined by Lucara at the Karowe mine in 2019 and named Sewelo.

    Lucara found a 1,174-carat diamond stone in Botswana in 2021 using the same x-ray technology.

    The mine started production in 2012 and has since then sold 216 diamonds for more than $1 million each and more than 11 single diamonds for more than $10 million each, it says.

    The diamond mining industry has been hurt by lab-grown versions and weaker spending. “Diamond prices are going through a difficult time now,” Masisi said. “But every diamond is precious and valuable. We have to optimise and get the best price for this diamond.”

    The Financial Times newspaper reported that people close to Lucara, who were not identified, estimated the stone could be worth upwards of 40 million dollars.

  • Raila Set To Debate Live On TV With Other Candidates To Outline His AUC Agenda

    Raila Set To Debate Live On TV With Other Candidates To Outline His AUC Agenda

    Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is ready to face off with his competitors for the African Union Commission chairmanship to explain his agenda for the continent, according to the government of Kenya.

    Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi says the debate, dubbed “Mjadala Africa,” will give Raila a chance to outline his vision and how he intends to lead the transformation of Africa through the implementation of the AU Mandate and Africa’s Agenda 2063. Mudavadi says African citizens and other stakeholders will also have time to engage Raila and the other three candidates on the issues they want addressed.

    He believes the former prime minister will put his best foot forward and give a reason for all and sundry on the continent to back his bid to become the next AUC chair.

    “Our candidate is undoubtedly experienced and well-prepared to participate in the live debate to engage the African people on how to propel the continent’s growth and ensure Africa achieves its goals of African integration and sustainable development, thus making our continent a major player in the Global Arena,” he said in a joint press briefing with the former Prime Minister.

    Mudavadi, also the country’s Foreign Affairs Minister, confirmed that Kenya has submitted the requisite documentation of Raila in the manner and form required by the African Union Secretariat.

    He rallied Kenyans to support Raila and disclosed that President William Ruto will formally launch Raila Odinga’s candidacy in the continent next Tuesday.

    “As Kenyans, we have always come together behind our own, whether on the track, the field, or the stage. Just as we cheered our athletes in the recent Olympics, let us lend our full support to Raila as he carries the Kenyan flag high in the race for the Chairmanship of the African Union Commission,” he said.

    “This is more than a candidacy. It is a national mission. Hon Raila Odinga represents Kenya’s voice, values, and aspirations on the continent. As he steps forward, let us stand with him, not just as a government but as a united people,” he said at a media briefing in his office.

    Raila, appreciating the government for mobilizing support for his bid, said his engagements so far give him optimism regarding his chances of clinching the seat.

    “I am happy that the Kenyan government has come forward to make me a candidate. We have submitted our candidacy as required by the AU. From now on, it is all systems go,” he said.

    “I have had the occasion to travel across the continent, meeting with different African leaders. I have been very pleased and impressed with the optimism that these leaders are expressing regarding the African Union,” said Raila.

    Even as he awaits the debate, the former PM addressed issues he believes ought to be addressed toward the prosperity of the continent. He said the African Union needs to be strengthened in order to enable African people to realize the dreams of the founding fathers of the continent for a united, peaceful, and prosperous Africa, “where the citizens themselves feel that they are free as a people and can work productively for the continent.”

    “There are several areas where Africa has problems, such as issues of health, education, and wealth creation. Employment is a major issue. Many young Africans drown in the Mediterranean as they try to run away from poverty and challenges in the continent, seeking greener pastures in Europe. This does not have to happen,” he said.

  • Canada Declares Ugandan Ambassador Acheng A Persona Non Grata, To Be Deported

    Canada Declares Ugandan Ambassador Acheng A Persona Non Grata, To Be Deported

    The Government of Canada has decided to expel Uganda’s Ambassador, Joy Ruth Acheng, due to inappropriate conduct.

    According to Uganda’s New Vision newspaper, a senior official in Uganda’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed them that Ambassador Acheng will leave Canada on August 21, 2024.

    The official said, “She will be sent back on August 21, 2024, due to inappropriate conduct during her time in Canada.”

    The specifics of the inappropriate conduct Ambassador Acheng is accused of were not detailed, but the issue is being linked to a recent statement criticizing Ugandan politician Robert Kyagulanyi, alias Bobi Wine, which was posted on the social media platform X.

    Bobi Wine, an opposition figure in Uganda, claimed that Ambassador Acheng is engaging in political violence in Canada after she was seen targeting supporters of the NUP (National Unity Platform) party who were protesting in Toronto.

    While Bobi Wine alleges that Ugandan security forces abduct NUP supporters, Ambassador Acheng was heard telling the protesters that sometimes they abduct and kill themselves, falsely blaming President Yoweri Museveni.

    Ambassador Acheng said, ‘Your problem is that you abduct yourselves. Stop abducting and killing yourselves, and then claiming that Museveni is responsible.’

    The diplomat also told the NUP supporters gathered in Toronto that she would call the police to remove them from the protest.”

    Meanwhile, the Ugandan Parliament has supported Canada’s decision to declare Acheng, Persona Non Grata, citing her involvement in partisan politics as inappropriate for a diplomat.

  • Nigeria’s Police Chief Warns Against Kenyan-Style Protests

    Nigeria’s Police Chief Warns Against Kenyan-Style Protests

    Nigeria’s police chief warned against Kenyan-style protests on Tuesday after frustrated citizens used online platforms to call for demonstrations against poor governance and a cost of living crisis.

    In what could be President Bola Tinubu’s biggest challenge, Nigerians have taken inspiration from young Kenyans – whose protests forced a government U-turn on tax hikes – and are using X and Instagram platforms to call for peaceful protests from August 1.

    The last big protest in Nigeria was a demonstration against policy brutality in October 2020. It ended in bloodshed, which demonstrators blamed on soldiers and police, who denied using live rounds.

    Africa’s most populous nation is grappling with its worst economic hardships in a generation, marked by soaring prices after Tinubu removed some petrol and electricity subsidies and sharply devalued the naira.

    Widespread insecurity has displaced farmers, contributing to higher food prices.

    Kayode Egbetokun, Nigeria’s inspector general of police said protests were ill-advised.

    “Some groups of people, self-appointed crusaders and influencers, have been strategising and mobilizing potential protesters to unleash terror in the land under the guise of replicating the recent Kenya protests,” Egbetokun said after meeting senior officers in Abuja.

    “We will, therefore, not sit back and fold our arms to watch violent activities unleash violence on our peaceful communities or destroy any of our national critical infrastructure and assets again.”

    Under the theme “End Bad Governance in Nigeria,” the protesters seek to force the government to reverse petrol and electricity price hikes, offer free education, declare a state of emergency on inflation and disclose lawmakers’ pay, among other demands.

    On Tuesday, lawmakers passed a bill to more than double the minimum wage to 70,000 naira ($44.16) a month, ending months of wrangling between the government and labour unions.

    Egbetokun said peaceful protests were allowed under the law but the planned action was designed to forment trouble.

  • Tanzanian President Suluhu Fires Senior Ministers Amid Loyalty Crisis

    Tanzanian President Suluhu Fires Senior Ministers Amid Loyalty Crisis

    Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has fired two senior members of government including the foreign minister in a mini-cabinet reshuffle, her office said.

    The changes came as Hassan seeks to regain trust from foreign powers over a programme of economic and political reforms, including easing restrictions on opposition parties and media, that some critics had seen as faltering.

    The presidency announced late on Sunday, July 21, that Hassan terminated the appointments of the minister of foreign affairs and East Africa cooperation, January Makamba, and the minister of information, communication and information technology, Nape Nnauye.

    They are influential figures in the ruling party, Chama cha Mapinduzi (CCM).

    No reason was given for their removal.

    The dismissal of Nnauye comes a week after comments he made surfaced in a video, saying elections results would depend on who counts votes and announces the results.

    Nnauye later apologised, saying it was a joke, but activists and some social media users said the statement undermined Hassan’s push to improve democracy.

    Hassan appointed Mahmoud Thabit Kombo as new foreign affairs minister and Jerry Silaa as minister of information, communication and information technology.

    Before Kombo’s appointment, he was Tanzania’s ambassador to Italy while Silaa was the minister of lands, housing and human settlements development. Two more ministers and deputy ministers were also appointed, the presidency said.

    In power since 2021, Hassan’s government has won praise for rolling back her predecessor’s crackdowns on the opposition and civil rights groups. But arrests last year of a lawyer and an opposition politician have raised questions over her government’s human rights record.

  • You’re Playing With Fire, Museveni Warns Gen Z Planning Protests In Uganda

    You’re Playing With Fire, Museveni Warns Gen Z Planning Protests In Uganda

    Ugandan protesters who said they would press ahead with a banned anti-corruption march on Tuesday are “playing with fire”, the country’s president warned.

    “Some elements have been planning illegal demonstrations, riots,” President Yoweri Museveni said in a televised address late Saturday.

    Museveni has ruled the East African country with an iron fist since 1986.

    He said the protesters included “elements working for foreign interests”, without elaborating.

    Earlier Saturday, Ugandan police had informed organisers it would not permit the planned protest in the capital Kampala as authorities had intelligence that “some elements were trying to take advantage of the demonstration to cause chaos in the country”.

    “Demonstrations can only be allowed under our mandate as long as they are not causing public disorder and disrupting lives of lawful citizens,” Ugandan police operations director Frank Mwesigwa told AFP.

    The protest organisers told AFP they vowed to press on with the demonstration regardless.

    “We don’t need police permission to carry out a peaceful demonstration,” one of the main protest leaders, Louez Aloikin Opolose, said Saturday. “It is our constitutional right.”

    The protesters hope to take the march past parliament, which they accuse of tolerating corruption.

    “Our starting point in the fight against corruption is parliament… and the demonstration is on irrespective of what police is saying,” protester Shamim Nambasa said.

    The NGO Transparency International ranks Uganda low on its corruption perceptions index. With the least corrupt countries ranking highest, Uganda comes in at 141 on the list of 180 countries.

    The anti-corruption protesters have been keeping track of the sometimes deadly demonstrations that have shaken neighbouring Kenya for more than a month.

    The Kenyan protests, beginning as peaceful rallies against controversial tax hikes, turned into a wider anti-government campaign, with disgruntled activists also seeking action against corruption and alleged police brutality.

    At least 50 people have been killed and 413 injured since the demonstrations began on June 18, according to the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

  • Malawi VP’s Plane Found With No Survivors

    Malawi VP’s Plane Found With No Survivors

    The wreck of a plane carrying Malawi’s vice-president has been found with no survivors, President Lazarus Chakwera has said.

    Saulos Chilima and nine others were flying within the country on Monday morning when their aircraft disappeared from airport radars.

    The plane, a military aircraft, was flying in bad weather.

    Soldiers had been searching Chikangawa Forest overnight and into the morning in an effort to find the plane.

    In a news briefing on Tuesday, President Chakwera said the Malawi Defence Force commander informed him that the search and rescue operation has been completed and the plane was found.

    Mr Chakwera said he was “deeply saddened and sorry” to inform Malawians of the terrible tragedy.

    He said the rescue team found the aircraft completely destroyed.

    The vice-president and president come from different parties but the two teamed up to form an alliance during the 2020 elections.

    Mr Chakwera paid tribute to Dr Chilima, describing him as “a good man”, “devoted father” and “formidable VP”.

    “I consider it one of the great honours of my life to have had him as a deputy and as a counsellor,” he added.

    Dr Chilima, 51, was on his way to represent the government at the burial of former government minister Ralph Kasambara, who died four days ago.

    Former First Lady Shanil Dzimbiri was also on the flight, which took off from the capital, Lilongwe, on Monday morning.

    It was meant to land at the airport in the northern city of Mzuzu, but was turned back because of poor visibility.

    The military is transporting the remains of Dr Chiima and the other victims to Lilongwe, the president said, adding that funeral arrangements will be announced in due course.

    Dr Chilima had been vice-president of Malawi since 2014.

    He was widely loved in Malawi, particularly among the youth, AFP news agency reports.

    However, Dr Chilima was arrested and charged in 2022 on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for awarding government contracts.

    He denied any wrongdoing.

    Last month, the court dropped the charges, giving no reasons for the decision.

    Dr Chilima is married with two children.

  • Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Confirmed Dead In A Plane Crash

    Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Confirmed Dead In A Plane Crash

    The government of Malawi has confirmed that Vice President Saulos Chilima and nine others have died after the aircraft they were on did not reach its destination and crashed over land.

    In a statement released by Colleen Zamba, Secretary to the President, the search and rescue operation for the Malawi Defence Force aircraft that went missing on Monday, June 10, 2024, has ended in tragedy.

    The aircraft, carrying the Vice President, the Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, and nine others, was found this morning in the Chikangawa forest. All on board have tragically lost their lives in the crash.

    The search and rescue operation was launched immediately after the aircraft went off the radar, with various agencies, including the Malawi Defence Force, the Police Service, and the Department of Civil Aviation, working tirelessly to locate the missing plane.

    President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has been informed of the tragic outcome and has expressed his deepest condolences to the families of the Vice President and all those who have lost their lives in this tragic incident. The President has declared a national day of mourning and ordered that all flags fly at half-mast from today until the funeral day.

  • Plane Carrying Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Goes Missing

    Plane Carrying Malawian Vice President Saulos Chilima Goes Missing

    Government of Malawi say Malawi Defense Force Aircraft which had Vice President Saulos Chilima and 9 others on board failed to make its scheduled landing-efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the aircraft have failed thus far.

    Search and rescue operations underway.

    “The Office of the President and Cabinet wishes to inform the general public that the Malawi Defense Force Aircraft that left Lilongwe today, Monday 10th June 2024 at 09:17 Hours, carrying the Vice President, the Right Honourable Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, and nine others, failed to make its scheduled landing at Mzuzu International Airport at 10:02.” Reads part of the statement released by the government.

    “All efforts by aviation authorities to make contact with the Aircraft since it went off the radar have failed thus far. As such, the Commander of the Malawi Defense Force, General Valentino Phiri, has since informed His Excellency Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera of the incident and the President has since canceled his scheduled departure for the Bahamas and ordered all regional and national agencies to conduct an immediate search and rescue operation to locate the whereabouts of the aircraft.”

    This is a developing story.