Uganda is concerned that East African truck drivers carrying essential goods from Kenya and Tanzania may also being transmitting Covid-19 along their routes and between borders. My latest on the pandemic for Quartz.
An infestation of desert locusts first arrived in East Africa last June, feeding on hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops and pastureland and chomping a path of destruction through at least eight countries. Scientists say these devastating insects never left East Africa: in fact, favorable wet conditions due to above average rainfall this season means they are likely to achieve two generations of new breeding by June this year, increasing their population size up to 400 times. Read my latest for Quartz Africa here.
Ibado Mohammed Abdulle is a counsellor, friend and campaigner for women who have been made refugees in their own country by the impact of the climate crisis. Read my story from Somaliland here.
Read my contribution to this Quartz collaboration about the impact of COVID-19 on informal workers here.
When kenya announced in June that it would issue new 1,000 shilling ($10) notes and destroy the old ones to fight corruption, many predicted chaos. India’s efforts to do the same by “demonetising” rupees in 2016 led to riots, deaths and a dent in economic growth. Read about Kenya’s unexpectedly orderly demonetisation scheme in my Economist piece.
Schistocerca gregaria, better known as the desert locust, has smitten East Africa like a plague from the Bible. Read my report from Somaliland about how the pests have devastated farmers and pastoralists in East Africa.
Kenyan runners are known worldwide for winning gold medals and breaking world records. But the country’s first performance athletic shoe company, Enda, ran into multiple hurdles when trying to convince investors at home and abroad Kenya could become a significant manufacturing hub.
A weekly newsletter with news updates about women and girls.
A weekly newsletter with news updates about women and girls.
A weekly newsletter with news updates about women and girls.