insert_link South Africa South Africa ramps up commercial solar installations to counter load shedding By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency South Africa is leading other countries in a radical shift towards more reliable energy sources as its business and industry owners contributed the highest addition of the 3.7-Gigawatt peak (GWp) in new solar capacity on the continent in 2023. The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) annual Solar Outlook 2024 released recently revealed that South Africa more than doubled its new solar installations, from […] todayJanuary 24, 2024 14
insert_link Africa African startups turn to debt as equity powder dries up By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency In 2022, when funding from venture capitalists began to dry up in Africa, Treepz, a shared mobility startup, was faced with a difficult decision... throw in the towel or grow the business without new investors. As part of their decision to keep going, they changed their core business model. “Towards the end of 2022, we knew the funding draught would happen […] todayJanuary 24, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Kenyan universities are very short of professors: why it matters and what to do about it Ishmael Munene, Northern Arizona University A Kenyan vice-chancellor recently went public about the scarcity of university professors. There are fewer than 1,000 professors for the country’s 68 universities and 562,925 students. That is an average of around 563 students per professor. South Africa has around 4,034 professors and 1,112,439 students – around 275 students per professor. Professors occupy the highest teaching rank in the university. They reach this […] todayJanuary 23, 2024 15
insert_link Africa Fintech and energy illuminate DR Congo’s nascent startup ecosystem By Conrad Onyango, via bird story agency The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), one of the world’s most resource-rich countries, is carving out a new prosperity niche as it emerges on the global tech scene. Known for its green metals, cobalt and copper, and the world's second-largest rainforest, the newest member of the East African Community is having a moment in the startup ecosystem. In 2023 the country raised […] todayJanuary 23, 2024 18
insert_link Africa Kenyan coastal gem gets a direct link to Middle East as Dubai ties to Africa By Seth Onyango, via bird story agency Mombasa is set for a surge in tourism after FlyDubai launched direct flights between Dubai, the commercial hub of the United Arab Emirates, and the coastal city. This new direct route, a first for any UAE airline, is also poised to strengthen economic ties and cultural exchange between the two regions. Flydubai will operate four weekly direct flights to Mombasa from January […] todayJanuary 19, 2024 12
insert_link Africa Urban Kenyans mistrust police even more than rural residents do: study sets out why it matters By Kristine Höglund, Uppsala University and Emma Elfversson, Uppsala University Across the African continent – from Nigeria and Ghana to South Africa – widespread protests have taken place to demand police reform in the wake of police misconduct and brutality. A continent-wide survey done in 2022 shows very low trust in the police and a prevailing perception of the police as the most corrupt among key institutions. Low […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Kenya starvation cult leader charged with terrorism A Kenyan court on Thursday charged the leader of a starvation cult with terrorism over the deaths of more than 400 of his followers. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie and 94 other suspects pleaded "not guilty" to charges of radicalisation. The cult leader was also charged with "organised criminal activity", according to documents from the Mombasa court seen by AFP. Mackenzie is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 7
insert_link Africa Should Kenya abolish all school exams? Expert sets out five reasons why they’re still useful By Beatrice M’mboga Akala, University of the Witwatersrand The role of examinations in Kenyan schools is under scrutiny. This is because there is a lot that is wrong with the country’s examinations, a situation that threatens to derail education gains made over the decades. For instance, for two consecutive years – last year and the year before – the periods during the country’s national examination period were marred by […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 10
insert_link Africa Kenyan Cult Leader and Followers Ordered for Mental Health Evaluations in Child Murder Case Reuters reports that a Kenyan judge has issued a directive for cult leader Paul Mackenzie and 30 associates to undergo mental health evaluations before facing charges related to the murder of 191 children. The victims' bodies were exhumed from the Shakahola forest since April last year. Mackenzie, the leader of the Good News International Church, is accused of instructing his followers in southeastern Kenya to intentionally starve themselves and their […] todayJanuary 18, 2024 6
