Why Idi Amin wanted to annex western Kenya: Luhyia kingdom belonged to a slew of organised royals in East Africa that included Busoga and Buganda
The political infighting you describe among the Basoga is similar to what I see among the Luhyia of Kenya. They provide the ladder for others to ascend to power. Then there is the Busoga gold. Only Kakamega AND Busoga geologically belong to the same rock system. It extends into the DRC. My innocent and unqualified observation is that it is not coincidental that people in these parts of East Africa are choreographed – via scatter and rule – to be subservient to power or political wielders of power in their respective countries.
After two daughters joined Islamic State they had no idea their family story would vie for an Oscar award
The real-life story of Hamrouni and her children is the focus of “Four Daughters,” an Academy Award nominee for best documentary feature film. On camera, there are many layers to Kaouther Ben Hania’s film: It’s about the radicalisation of two teenage girls; an intimate portrait of a chaotic and often dysfunctional family life; and reflections on generational trauma, patriarchy, motherhood and adolescence.
Investigation: In Ethiopia, a secret committee retained by PM Abiy Ahmed orders killings and arrest of rivals
During Haile Selassie’s four-decade rule last century, the emperor created a network of spies known colloquially as the “joro tabi,” or listeners, to hunt his opponents. The communist Derg military junta that toppled Selassie in 1974 set up a vast new security system to eliminate threats to the regime.
US censorship: First Amendment must keep pace with ‘the rise of behemoth social media platforms’
An amicus brief is filed by non-parties to a lawsuit to provide information that has a bearing on the issues and to assist the court in reaching the correct decision.
Despite spirited push to incentivise local sugarcane growing, farmers in western Kenya are ditching the ‘lazy man’s’ crop for coffee
Despite the government in the past two years trying to assuage sugarcane farmers by paying them for raw material deliveries that been pending for years, continued interest and investment in “lazy man’s crop” – as sugar cane is derided by agricultural experts and economists – has waned significantly in the sugar-belt.
How arbitrary tax led to rise of Mobondo militia that is killing Teke tribesmen in western Congo
Teke people own much of the land in Kwamouth. Communities from neighbouring provinces – who are considered “non-native” – have historically provided agricultural labour. Some have also settled on the land as farmers, and are taxed in-kind by Teke customary chiefs.
How $170,000 factory converted banana, potato farming from subsistence into commercial enterprise in western Kenya
Now, as Kenya looks to be food secure, harvesting and drying up perishables such as bananas and potatoes (Irish and sweet) is expected to give such foods a longer shelf life, besides diversification.
How negligent regimes turned Uruguay into a narcotics paradise ruled by ruthless gangs
European nations, which receive the bulk of the cocaine passing through Uruguay, also have a limited counter-narcotics presence here. Spain is the only European country with a permanent police attaché in Montevideo.
With wheat-based diets blamed for rising lifestyle diseases in Africa, scientists are resorting to indigenous crops to solve food insecurity
The benefits of fonio are so marked that academics and policymakers are now calling for the grain – alongside other indigenous foods, such as Ethiopia’s teff, as well as cassava and various millets and legumes – to be embraced more widely across Africa to improve food security.
Why modern farmers and scientists are keen on growing more crops for cows and cars, not food for humans
To see the yield gap in action, compare two important corn producers: the US and Kenya. In the US, the average yield is around 10.8 tonnes per hectare, while in Kenya it’s 1.5 tonnes. While the US is very close to its maximum theoretical corn yields, Kenya – taking into account its different climate – is way below its theoretical maximum. In other words, the US barely has a corn yield gap at all, while Kenya has a yield gap of about 2.7 tonnes per hectare below its theoretical maximum.
