Author: WAJ Team

The Nairobi High Court has issued a groundbreaking ruling, directing the government to pay over Ksh470 million to the families of Garissa University students who were killed or injured in the 2015 terror attack. On Wednesday, July 31, Justices Antony Ndung’u, Mugure Thande, and Daniel Kemei issued the judgment, concluding that the state was negligent in its responsibility to safeguard the students. The court granted Ksh3 million each to the families of the 148 students who were killed in the 2015 Garissa University attack. For the 14 survivors who were injured and brought the case to court with Kituo Cha…

The inaugural United Nations Tourism Regional Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Africa, hosted in Zimbabwe, represents a major advancement for both the nation and the continent. Held in Victoria Falls, the forum underscored Zimbabwe’s dedication to using gastronomy as a driver for sustainable tourism growth both locally and across Africa. Under the patronage of First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa and in partnership with the Basque Culinary Centre, the event gathered approximately 200 delegates from 33 countries, including 11 ministers and deputy ministers, along with representatives from the African Union (AU), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the Food and Agriculture…

Senate President Godswill Akpabio has informed Nigerians that while they take part in protests against the government, he and other officials will continue to benefit from President Bola Tinubu’s administration. Akpabio made this remark during a meeting with the NDDC executive management, Niger Delta ethnic groups, and other stakeholders in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, just days before the planned nationwide protests from August 1 to 10. The protests, led primarily by youths, are aimed at addressing issues of poverty, unemployment, and economic hardship. Despite concerns that these protests could cost the economy around N4 trillion and further strain the already…

Violent protests against MTN Nigeria, following the blocking of some subscribers’ lines over the weekend, are exacerbating tensions in the West African nation. In response to the vandalism, MTN has closed its stores across the country. This unrest aligns with nationwide protests scheduled to begin on Tuesday, as Nigerians demonstrate against corruption and the worsening economy under President Bola Tinubu’s administration. The day before the protests, mobile network operators face a deadline to deregister clients who have not complied with the government mandate to link their SIM cards to their national identity numbers (NIN). Days before the deadline, some mobile…

Cape Town – Today is the deadline for the city’s homeless in the downtown area to dismantle their tent cities and vacate, or they risk having their structures demolished and facing legal action from the sheriff. A court order from the Western Cape High Court has authorized the City to remove hundreds of unauthorized individuals from public spaces in the CBD starting August 1. The affected areas include Buitengracht Street, FW de Klerk Boulevard, Foregate Square, the taxi rank and Foreshore, Helen Suzman Boulevard, Strand Street, Foreshore/N1, Virginia Avenue, and Mill Street Bridge. The initial eviction notice was issued in…

In a letter sent Tuesday to King Mohammed VI of Morocco, celebrating the 25th anniversary of his reign, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that Rabat’s autonomy plan for Western Sahara is “the only foundation for achieving a just, lasting, and negotiated political resolution.” This message elicited a strong reaction from the Polisario Front, which advocates for independence, and its main supporter, Algeria. The Algerian foreign ministry announced that its diplomatic representation in France is now managed by a chargé d’affaires, condemning Macron’s statement as an “unprecedented move by any previous French administration.” Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, is predominantly…

On Monday, Guinea’s transitional authorities unveiled a draft of a new constitution aimed at reducing and setting limits on presidential terms, potentially enabling current military leader Mamady Doumbouya to run in the next presidential election. The junta, which seized power in a 2021 coup, had initially proposed a two-year transition to elections by 2022 after discussions with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). However, there has been little progress toward organizing a vote. The new draft constitution, which will be subject to a referendum yet to be scheduled, could signal a return to constitutional governance for the West…

An oil spill has triggered a major emergency on South Africa’s west coast following the MV Ultra Galaxy, a Panama-registered cargo ship, breaking apart over the weekend. The vessel, which had run aground on July 9 while headed to Dar es Salaam with a fertilizer cargo, was severely damaged by strong waves from a cold front impacting the Western and Northern Cape regions. This led to an immediate activation of South Africa’s Oil Spill Contingency Plan. According to the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA), the ship split into four sections, with one of its fuel tanks rupturing and causing…

In response to the increasing spread of disinformation in Burkinabe digital spaces, the National Center for the Coordination of the Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CN-CMAPR), in collaboration with the NGO Search For Common Ground (SFCG), held an awareness-raising workshop for community leaders and journalists on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Bobo-Dioulasso. Captain Franck Sarambé, representing the Permanent Secretary of the National Center for the Coordination of the Early Warning and Response Mechanism (CN-CMAPR), stated that this gathering is part of the government’s initiative to prevent and counter digital threats that compromise the country’s social cohesion and stability. “Disinformation has…

Public health experts are worried that a new variant of Mpox, known as the clade I virus, which emerged last year in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), might spread further into the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC). To date, Burundi and Rwanda have reported cases linked to North Kivu in the DRC. Last week, health officials in Burundi reported two cases in Bujumbura and one in Isare. In Rwanda, two cases among refugees, traced back to the conflict-affected North Kivu, were identified. Edson Rwagasore, the head of public health surveillance and emergency…

In 1872, Leland Stanford, founder of Stanford University, enlisted the help of eccentric inventor Eadweard Muybridge to settle a debated question: did a trotting horse ever have all four feet off the ground at once? Muybridge, an accomplished photographer, captured blurry images of a horse in mid-trot, demonstrating that the naked eye can’t easily perceive rapid, subtle movements. His work contributed to the development of cinematography and included photographing various animals in motion, though he did not capture hippos. Regarding hippos, Muybridge speculated that their fastest gait on land was likely an amble, possibly a trot, but with minimal or…

Parents, students, and teachers at Kamuwunga Primary School in Lukaya Town Council, Kalungu District, are enduring significant disruptions due to flooding that has displaced them for several months. The school has had to move into tents for shelter. Floodwaters have inundated the area for the past seven months, and the school community is calling on authorities to find a lasting solution to prevent future flooding. “These floods began in December 2023, and nothing has been done to address the situation or clear the area,” said Scholastica Apiding, the headteacher of Kamuwunga Primary School. Despite the attempts by local authorities and…

Rwanda and DR Congo’s foreign ministers are set to meet in Luanda, Angola, on Tuesday, July 30, to discuss the ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nations. By Tuesday morning, a Rwandan delegation, led by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Olivier Nduhungirehe, had arrived in the Angolan capital. This meeting follows a recent agreement between the two countries’ foreign ministers, made during an East African Community (EAC) meeting in Zanzibar, Tanzania, to address security issues causing diplomatic strains. This will be the second meeting in Luanda regarding the conflict in eastern DR Congo, with the first having taken…

The departure of Samia Suluhu Hassan’s deputy from Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) on July 29, following the removal of two prominent party figures from the cabinet, indicates major shifts in Tanzania’s leadership landscape ahead of the upcoming elections. Political heavyweight Abdulrahman Kinana stepped down as vice chairperson of the ruling party, citing exhaustion and the need for rest. In a statement released late Monday, the CCM announced that President Samia, the party leader, accepted Kinana’s resignation “with a heavy heart.” His departure follows closely on the heels of her dismissal of two senior cabinet ministers, who, alongside Kinana, played a…

In Mpigi district, police and security agencies have uncovered four suitcases filled with human skulls in a hideout belonging to Tabula Lujja, the orchestrator of the February 25, 2024, murder of Ndiga clan leader Daniel Bbosa. The skulls were discovered in one of Lujja’s shrines during a July 29, 2024, operation. Lujja, who is currently on the run, is the target of an active manhunt for planning and hiring the individuals who killed Engineer Bbosa in Lungujja, Rubaga division, Kampala, while he was traveling with his family. Deputy Resident District Commissioner (DRDC) Hassan Kasibante confirmed the find on July 29,…

Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reassured South Africans that the department, in collaboration with the South African Local Government Association (SALGA) and municipalities, is dedicated to finding a lasting solution to the rising electricity costs. During a media briefing on Monday, he emphasized the urgent need for an effective electricity pricing plan. Ramokgopa also discussed municipal initiatives, like the controversial surcharge, which have been poorly received by communities. He stressed that the focus is not on debating the necessity of such fees but on developing a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the issue. The Minister noted that discussions with SALGA had already…