Despite this economic downturn, there is still a serious talent shortage. According to Project Management Institute (PMI), there will be a need for 2.3 million people each year to fill all project management-oriented positions expected to open by 2030.

During this decade, sub-Saharan Africa will witness a 40% growth in PMO employment opportunities. “Despite these economic conundrums, PMI’s Job Trends Report 2023 notes that the construction, energy, and information technology sectors are well placed to continue playing a key role in the sub-Sharan economy as job creators,” says George Asamani, MD, PMI for sub-Saharan Africa.

Foreign direct investment to African countries hit a record $83 billion in 2021, according to UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2022.

Reuters estimates that $100 billion in energy projects are currently under consideration, including a $30 billion liquefied natural gas export terminal in Tanzania backed by Norway’s Equinor and energy giant Shell.

“The job market across sub-Saharan Africa has been experiencing a major boom, with project management skills in heavy demand,” says Fatuma Haghe Adan, senior project manager at AI platform Sama in Nairobi, Kenya. The demand for a project management skillset is evident in the experience of Kenya-based Wanja Murekio, PMP, who learned from a recruitment firm that “project professionals have become one of the more expensive hires because demand is so high.”

Google, Microsoft, and Visa are among the major tech companies that have opened or launched innovation centers in African countries.

“There are non-traditional ways of acquiring skills demanded by the industry. The globally recognised credential, Certified Associate of Project Management (CAPM), is one such,” adds Asamani.

This view is supported by Adan, who says, “A project management certification gives one a competitive edge in the job market. Experience with AI or software development can likewise provide a boost, even for those positions not strictly in the IT sector.”

Asamani concludes that there is a continent-wide acceptance that infrastructure projects can reset the status quo. With $600 billion pledged by the G7 countries to fund projects in developing economies and the government’s own efforts to build back better, we could see more jobs being created that will need project management skills.

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Two researchers from the Climate Change and Risk Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute have published an essay urging AU leadership to refocus on climate-related security risks and build broad support to appoint a dedicated AU Special Envoy for Climate Change and Security.

The authors of the essay Dr. Florian Kramp and Vane Moraa Aminga argue that “migration and forced displacement are only symptoms of broader social, political, economic and ecological ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors. Especially in Africa, climate-related change is one of the most serious push factors. The frequency and magnitude of droughts, famine and flash floods displace millions and contribute to peoples’ decision to migrate. To address the push from climate impacts, there is a need to not only better comprehend but, to better respond to climate-related security risks.”

The essay contends that broad AU member state support for an AU Special Envoy for Climate Change and Security would be a viable strategy that strengthens the AU’s response to climate risks. The idea of the envoy—which stems from the AU’s Peace and Security Council meeting in May 2018—is an opportunity to pre-empt migration and forced displacement and moreover, ‘climate-proof’ the AU’s peace and security architecture.

The essay further co-relates Africa’s contribution to global climate change with occurrences of political conflicts that often lead to forced immigration.

Africa is responsible for a mere four percent of global CO2 emissions. Yet, no continent is equally affected by the double burden of climate change and political fragility as Africa. A recent study by the United States Agency for International Development shows that globally 57 percent of the countries facing the highest double burden of climate exposure and political fragility risks are located in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to these, many African countries are faced with socio-economic and political challenges, such as high levels of poverty, weak governance structures, corruption and disease burdens among others. This complex mix, they argue, is an example of how “climate-related changes compound social and political challenges.

Africa’s high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change is due to African economies’ dependency on agriculture, a sector acutely affected by climate fluctuations. The risks that ensue include that of violent conflict—which in itself is an additional push factor for migration and forced displacement.

The authors argue that these risks reassert the need for African states to find a multilateral response at the AU level. Among the issues that could worsen conflicts in parts of the continent they say is increased water scarcity in the Horn of Africa and Sahel regions coupled by lack of arable land forcing populations to migrate across countries.

The authors are suggesting an integrated approach that combines knowledge on climate risks with the social and political realities of the regions to sustainably solving the continent’s forced immigration challenges.

Part of this should be the appointment of a Special Envoy to Climate Change and Security which could help widen the understanding of climate-related security risks within the AU. One example of how this can be done is commissioning integrated climate risks assessments that would directly inform the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change, the AU Commission as well as the AU Peace and Security Council.

While such assessments would be crucial to mainstream climate security in continental and regional early warning systems, the authors agree that it will not be “enough” in solving the problem. African Heads of State must take ownership and lead the continents’ response to climate-related security risks. Cooperation among AU Member States with a Special Envoy for Climate Change and Security will be an opportunity to climate-proof the AU’s peace and security architecture, address the root causes of migration and forced displacement, and as such become a catalyst to facilitate the AU’s ambitious Agenda 2063.

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The opposition camp had claimed victory and argue that the polls have been rigged in favor of the incumbent.

The ZEC scandal of releasing unverified fake results is regrettable.ZEC denied our election agent access to results be4 announcement.ZEC must release proper & verified results endorsed by parties.The level of opaqueness, truth deficiency, moral decay & values deficit is baffling.

— Nelson Chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 3, 2018

Just a day after the elections the opposition candidate Nelson Chamisa had declared that he had won the popular vote even though ZEC were yet to declare the results.

THANK YOU ZIMBABWE …I’m humbled by the support you have given to me as a Presidential Candidate. We have won the popular vote. You voted for total Change in this past election!We have won this one together. No amount of results manipulation will alter your WILL #Godisinit

— Nelson Chamisa (@nelsonchamisa) August 1, 2018

Various commentators accross Africa’s social media landscape are claiming that Managagwa rigged the elections to have him declared winner. These sentiments and order of events are not anything new in African elections.

In August 2017, Kenya’s opposition candidate Raila Odinga declared that he had won the Presidential election several hours before the country’s electoral agency declared the official results which were in favor of President Uhuru Kenyatta. Mr. Odinga challenged the results in court and succeeded in having the results overturned and a fresh election which he boycotted called. Mr. Odinga would later heighten the stalemate when he had himself sworn in as President in Nairobi – albeit illegally. During the confusion that lasted several months before a surprise handshake between Kenyatta and Odinga, tens of lives were lost.

In Uganda, opposition candidate Kizza Besigye claims he won the 2016 elections with 52 percent of the votes cast.  Besigye also proceeded to swear himself in as President an action that would then trigger violent confrontations with police leading to several deaths, injuries and destruction of property.

In the same year and miles across to the west of the continent, an African electoral commission was being hailed for conducting free and fair elections. The opposition candidate Nana Akufo-Adde was declared president having won 53.8 percent of the vote. This declaration saw the beginning of a continental shower of praises for the electoral commission with it’s commissioners being invited to give talks and share strategies with their peers across the continent.

In Kenya some 14 years earlier, another opposition candidate was declared president trouncing the ruling party’s candidate (who interestingly is president today). The then electoral body under the leadership of the late Sammuel Kivuitu received tons of praise and accolades from home and abroad. Kivuitu would again be called to action three years latter in a referendum that pitted the new government against some of it’s supporters who were now turned foes and teaming up with the opposition. In this instance the result was again in favor of the opposition and the commission’s chairman was again a hero. As Kenya headed to yet another presidential election in 2007,  opposition supporters even composed songs in favor of the electoral commission boss. That election result was in favor of the incumbent President Mwai Kibaki and would turn out to be the most contested election result in Kenyan history. More than 1,000 lives were lost and 300,000 people displaced when violence erupted following the declaration of the results.

So, are elections only fare when the opposition candidate wins?

This article does not by any means claim that there have been not incidents where the incumbents have used instruments of power at their disposal to determine the outcome of electoral processes. There has been evidence of the same in certain instances where violence has been used to silence or threaten candidates and their supporters and as the Supreme Court of Kenya said in their ruling that nullified President Kenya’s initial win, “election is a process not an event.” This means that anything that interferes with the administration of a fair exercise especially when it’s in favor of a single candidate can be considered as rigging, we have seen enough of that across the continent.

My argument though is that there are instances where the opposition has lost fairly. As much as we are currently claiming that Mnagagwa had the elections rigged in his favor, the truth could be that he actually won the popular vote. What many people making this argument ignore the importance of the rural voter in countries like Zimbabwe. Fellow Africa Blogging author Takura Zhangazha points this out in his recent article.

But as always the electoral disputes around the rural voter will be about the numbers.  And its understandable.  This is because the same voter has generally been taken for granted by all of the political parties.  Largely because of assumptions of remoteness from the center but also because of his/her assumed conservatism or even ‘backwardness’.  They are however the statistical majority of voters. And a greater number of them are women. Any national political party contesting for national elected seats would do well to take them extremely seriously.  Or at least with equal priority to urban voters.

– Takura Zhangazha

That though is not the only argument as to why opposition candidates are always losing elections in Africa. In 2014/15 a non-partisan African research network Afrobarometer conducted a survey in 36 African countries. The results of that survey indicated that opposition parties had the lowest levels of popular trust among 12 types of institutions and leaders. While trust in ruling parties was 46%, it was only 35% for opposition parties.This was an improvement over the situation more than a decade earlier when trust levels in opposition parties was much lower.

Clearly the trends are changing and we might gradually see more cases of opposition parties winning elections. There is however a need for these parties to change tact if this is to happen soon.

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Five candidates are vying for that post; Botswana’s Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, Chad’s foreign minister Moussa Faki Mahamat, Equatorial Guinea’s foreign minister Agapito Mba Mokuy, Kenya’s foreign minister Amina Mohamed and Senegal’s Bathily Abdoulaye who is the special UN envoy for Central Africa.

When one of your own is seeking a top continental job, it would seem rather obvious that he/she would have the whole nation’s support. That though is not the case for Kenya’s Amina Mohamed.

On Monday this week, a section of Kenyans took to tweeter to express their displeasure with the minister, warning other African nations against supporting her bid. But why, you may ask?

Perceptions that the Kenyan government might use her position if elected to illegally retain power if they lose elections.

Kenya goes to the polls in August this year in yet another hotly contested general elections. The elections will pit the incumbent President Uhuru Kenyatta against a joint opposition candidate who is yet to be unveiled. President Kenyatta’s popularity has dwindled due to an nonperforming economy and massive graft allegations involving close associates and family members.

There is increasing concern over the President’s willingness to concede defeat in the coming elections. These fears are at an all – time high following amendments to the election laws to allow for a manual voter identification and transmission of election results which many believe is a ploy to rig the elections.

The belief is that with Amina at the helm of the AU, Kenyatta’s administration will use her to drum up support from other African leaders for his continued stay in power should he lose the coming elections.

Get amina into AU.
Rig the election in August!
Campaign for Africa to leave ICC.

Africa is this what you want??#DearAfricaNotAmina4AU

— S.I Unit (@Thasiunit) January 9, 2017

Others see Amina as the face of Impunity

Ambassador Amina’s spirited campaign against the ICC that won her much respect and admiration among the ranks in the Kenyan Government could be her greatest undoing with the Kenyan public. Kenyans lost more than 1,000 lives and more than 600,000 others were displaced in the 2007/8 Post-election violence. The current President Uhuru Kenyatta was indicted by the ICC to face charges of murder, rape and forceful transfer of population alongside his Deputy William Ruto and a radio journalist.

Amina’s much famed “shuttle diplomacy” and outright campaign against the ICC contributed to the ultimate collapse of the process. To the thousands of Kenyan’s who lost loved ones and property in the chaos, Amina denied them a chance to receive justice.

#AmKenyan Dear #KOT. Remember the report I told you is at the AU for #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU. Here it is. Now can the #36Bloggers shut up! pic.twitter.com/cbI9lafvme

— #FreeSSudan4 (@WanjeriNderu) January 9, 2017

Amina is an uhuruto lobbyist, AU chairman? No thanks #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU #freesouthsudanfour

— Gloria Glo (@Felistagloria) January 9, 2017

#DearAfricaNotAmina4AU the only success of this woman is riding with world class thieves and land grabbers

— Marvin Nyalik (@MarvinNyalik1) January 9, 2017

#DearAfricaNotAmina4AU she fought hard to secure instigators of war climes. Africa if you want peace stay away from her

— man of reason (@man_reason) January 9, 2017

Kenyans who have Africa’s interest at heart cannot sit back and watch IMPUNITY exported to Africa #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU

— Marvin ODINDO (@OdindoMarvin) January 9, 2017

She has failed to protect Kenyans suffering in foreign prisons 

As we debate on Amina’s next top job, four Kenyans are suffering in South Sudan jails. The four were not accorded fair trials according to their families. The Foreign Affairs ministry headed by Amina did little to secure their release or ensure that they get a fair trial.

#FreeSouthSudan4 @AMB_A_Mohammed is a total failure and doesn’t deserve AU Commission Chair @Anonymous Kenya https://t.co/dbdMHFkvNE

— NyarKogelo (@NyarKogelo) November 15, 2016

As you celebrate this festive season, spare a thought for the 4 Kenyans jailed for 72 years in Juba, denied justice. pic.twitter.com/CmALY8dyO0

— Robert Nagila (@Rnagila) December 17, 2016

They are however not the only one, a number of Kenyan engineers are also languishing in Ethiopian jails accused of telecommunication fraud. One of them was recently returned home in a coffin. This is the kind of legacy that angers a section of Kenya about Amina’s tenure.

Zac Died in Ethiopia coz she was busy fighting ICC #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU pic.twitter.com/SMGP30SV2J

— Laaazaruuuusssssssss (@LazooJ) January 9, 2017

#DearAfricaNotAmina4AU she has failed to protect us kenyans and return our people detained unlawfully in other countries we can’t trust her

— Jamal Hassan (@officialjamal01) January 9, 2017

A section of Kenyan’s just can’t put a finger to her achievements as foreign minister

Charity begins at home. She barely addresses her country.. If she goes to the union she will completely forget us.#DearAfricaNotAmina4AU

— Shaban Sabitt (@sabitt_shaban) January 9, 2017

Amina is just a flower girl for Jubilee, cat walking across the world, #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU

— Edward II (@geff_ro) January 9, 2017

Nothing tangible done by her apart from supporting the corrupt administration that is exploiting the poor #DearAfricaNotAmina4AU

— Caleb okute (@Calebokute) January 9, 2017

As we draw closer to the date, only time will tell if these views rubbed on African leadership or whether President Kenyatta’s strong lobbying for Amina will carry the day. Either way it will be interesting to see what AU’s next boss will bring both to the Union and the continent as a whole.

A version of this post was submitted for publication on the Africa Blogging website.

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It is believed that this new document will hasten the realizations of the continent’s dreams towards achieving Agenda 2063 which is anchored on African integration as a means of achieving the continent’s development objectives.

The role of issuing the new passports to ordinary citizens of Africa has however been left to the respective AU member countries. It’s still not clear whether there is a clear road map to be followed by the member states in issuing the travel document with enhanced security features. It could take a few more years before they are available to non-diplomats.

This announcement has been welcomed with a lot of excitement across the continent.

Chitonthozo Munyaradzi is a radio presenter in Kenya. He is half Zambian and half Kenyan (Dad from Zambia and mum from Kenya) but he still needs a work permit to be employed in Kenya despite the fact that his mum is from Kenya and that he went to school in Nairobi. To him this is a long overdue move:

“This is a great initiative that should have been realized yesterday. It sickens me that foreigners (people from outside Africa) get their visas at the airport while fellow Africans have to get visas in advance to visit their families!”

Roselyne Okeyo, a Kenyan lawyer who studied in South Africa, Botswana and the UK welcomes the idea but thinks that it’s still impossible to roll out the new documents by 2020.

“My first thoughts on it is that three years is such a small time frame to implement such an initiative. ..or should I say the visionaries are being over ambitious regarding the matter…”

The development though is a momentous one. It definitely rekindles the Pan-African hopes that the 32 founding fathers of the OAU had when they sat down on 25th May 1963 in Adis Ababa to give birth to the  union that is currently known as the AU.

That dream has been greatly dimmed by the travel and trade restrictions that subsequent African leaders either imposed or failed remove between themselves. In the pre-colonial era, African communities traded with each other across the continent with coastal cities of the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea being major trading points between people from East, West, North and South Africa.

Today, Africa trades more with China and Western countries than it does with itself. It’s more easy for citizens of the US and European Union to visit most African states than it is for citizens of other African countries. Out of the 53 states, only 13 states have opened their borders to African citizens without the necessity of acquiring a visa in advance. Ghana being the most recent to change it’s policy on advance visa.

Even though it’s still not clear what the real benefits of having an African Union passport will be, it is largely assumed by most citizens of the continent  that it will come with freedom of travel within the continent just the same way citizens of the EU travel freely within the borders of EU member states.

More open borders will definitely come with it’s challenges, but the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages as Dr. Cyprine Oduogo an International Relations & Diplomacy  lecturer at Maseno University’s School of Development & Strategic Studies in Kenya explains:

“We are in a situation where the continent is internally dealing with a lot of issues. Somalia has been at war for decades, something that has given rise to the terror group Al-Shabaab. There are fears of several ISIS backed groups in North and West Africa. The biggest challenge that this integration and open door policy will bring is importation of terror.”

Conflicts in Somalia, South Sudan, Central Africa Republic and Libya will possibly lead to refugees. How readily will African countries accept immigrants from these counties and provide them with equal treatment as their citizens? Even when they do, there are real concerns of pressure on the host economies.

“We however have positive examples from countries which have opened up their borders like Rwanda. The growth is immense and if the rest of Africa are to grow at par with such economies then the integration is a necessary evil,” adds Dr. Oduogo.

The prospects of integration are coming when other parts of the world are pulling away from similar unions. The EU just lost Britain less than a month ago with pressure increasing in France and other EU nations to follow suit. The reasons behind such disengagements provide a rich case study that African leaders and policy makers need to immerse themselves in before formalizing any integration pact.

Fredrick Ochieng’ a Kenyan who frequently travels within the continent thinks that the move will reduce illegal immigration into Europe and tackle ‘brain drain’.

“A lot of Africans travel to Europe when they cannot get opportunities in their own countries. If we had free access to all African countries a lot of people would look for opportunities closer home and help build African economies as opposed to going abroad where Africans face numerous challenges,” says Fredrick.

Even as we celebrate the dawn of a new Pan-African era with the continental passport, we have to align ourselves to the reality that there is more to real integration than a travel document. The cost of air travel between African states has to come down if we are to achieve the full benefits of integration. We still need better transport connection across the continent via rail and road networks for easier movements of goods and people.

More civic education need to happen before all these is realized. We have witnessed cases of Xenophobia in South Africa, citizens of Uganda and Kenya are regularly attacked and mistreated in South Sudan. There are teething problems and constant suspicion by Tanzanian citizens of the Kenyans who live and work there. The ideals of the Pan-Africanist founders of the continent such as Kwame Nkurumah and Mwalimu Julius Nyerere must be instilled on the current citizens of the continent.

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This post was written for publication in the Africa Blogging network website.

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No doubt that this is a defining moment for Uganda whichever way ‘the dice rolls.’

These elections are however not just significant for Ugandans, across the border in Kenya people are closely following the developments. Kenyan media outlets have sent correspondents to Uganda who give live updates during news bulletins.

HAPPENING NOW: Uganda Presidential debate. WATCH LIVE: https://t.co/QDJRxZCJ0c pic.twitter.com/CpwzyTJLA6

— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) February 13, 2016

Kenyans are also regularly commenting about developments in Uganda on social media.

#UGDebate16 Dr Besige looks more composed and informed. Watching from Kenya.

— Austine .A. Abungu (@akeloaustine) February 13, 2016

our African leaders are greedy for power and riches it should be high time for Museveni to call it off, #UGDebate16

— koitalel samoei (@CyrusKips) February 15, 2016

Why is this election important to Kenyans?

Uganda is a key partner in the East African Community with very strong ties to Kenya. A lot of Kenyans are working in Uganda and likewise there are so many Ugandans working in Kenya due to several agreements between the two countries.

John Okello sells car spare parts at Kisumu’s industrial area, he regularly travels to Uganda to source second hand car parts and he explains why Kenyan’s care so much about Uganda.

“Unlike Tanzania, Uganda has been very welcoming to Kenyans and a lot of us do business there or go there to get supplies. Look at Kisumu streets today, how many vehicles do you see bearing Ugandan registration?”

Esther Waliaula works with an NGO in Jinja providing bicycles to volunteer health workers and students in remote areas of Uganda to improve access to healthcare and basic education. She is from Western Kenya and is currently back in the country because of the uncertainties that could come with the hotly contested elections.

“I have only been in Uganda for a month and I largely hope that the elections will be peaceful so that we can soon go back to work. I however came back because I know how African elections sometimes go and you do not want to be caught up when violence erupts in a foreign country.”

Dr. Cyprine Oduogo an International Relations lecturer and dean at the School of Development and Strategic studies at Maseno University agrees that a stable Uganda is very key for Kenyans’ economic interests.

“Uganda being a landlocked country relies a lot on Kenya for the movement of its goods and a lot of Kenyans do business in Uganda or with Ugandans. A stable Uganda is most definitely in the entire region’s best interest.”

The Connection between Kenyan and Ugandan politics

These elections are not only significant to people who work in Uganda or travel there for business. There are domestic political reasons as well.

Kenya will be going to elections too in about a year from now. Kenya’s opposition politicians and their supporters have had very frosty relationships with Museveni’s regime. At the height of the violence that occurred in Kenya after the disputed 2007 elections, Museveni is alleged to have provided police officers that backed up the Kenyan forces in Kisumu and other opposition strongholds and helped Kibaki hold on to power. To many Kenyans he helped rob them of their victory.

“Museveni was party to our stolen victory in 2007. He was a close confidant of President Kibaki and now it’s time for him to go home too,” adds Dick Okech, a resident of Kisumu and supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Dr. Odugo (quoted earlier) thinks that Museveni has immersed himself into Kenya’s ethnic divisions and sections of Kenyans would welcome a politically neutral leader of their western neighbor.

“Kenyans would most definitely want to see a more neutral leader in Uganda who does not align themselves to the various tribal factions of Kenya.”

Even though President Kenyatta has remained silent on his stand regarding the elections across the border, his deputy who is a close ally openly campaigned for Museveni in Eastern Uganda where a huge population from his Kalenjin tribe reside. That was probably the biggest indication of President Kenyatta’s support for a Museveni win and more reason why Kenyan’s allied to the opposition are against a Museveni win.

While it’s impossible to ascertain whether Kenyans in support of Kenyatta’s administration also support a Museveni win, a lot of Kenyans think he has led the East African nation for too long and it’s now time to change guard.

Museveni is attempting to hold on to power like his counterparts from Rwanda and Burundi, a move Kenyans on social media openly showed their displeasure with.

That is ridiculous indeed for him(kagame) doesn’t want to leave power but is recruiting rebels to over throw piere

— Innocent Ojobile (@OjobileInnocent) February 5, 2016

1st twas Kagame, then Nkurunzinza effected it and now Congo, talk of domino effect #ThirdTermDisease

— Rik(2.54Mly) (@rikkci) August 11, 2015

#SomeoneTellKagame Kagame is a silent copy of Iddi Amin…The only difference he thinks more of economic stability for his country…

— mark olando (@MarkOlando) August 11, 2015

As far as over staying in power is concerned, your guess on where Kenyans stand is as good as mine.

The politics around the disputed Migingo island in Lake Victoria have also not helped the relationship between Museveni and opposition supporters who mostly hail from Western Kenya. In 2008, Museveni’s claim to the small island led residents of Kibera in Nairobi to uproot sections of the railway connecting the Kenyan coast to Uganda thereby disrupting delivery of goods to the landlocked nation.

“Museveni is widely seen to exhibit irresponsible leadership when it comes to his frequent claims to Kenyan territory. These are things that the average Kenyan does not take lightly even if the disputed land is just a small island,” says Dr. Oduogo.

To others though a win for opposition candidate Dr. Kiza Besigye is symbolic of things to come in the greater East Africa region including Kenya. In Tanzania President Jakaya Kikwete peacefully handed over power to John Pombe Magufuli (a close confidant of Raila Odinga) and an opposition win in Uganda would be a much needed morale boost in the Kenyan opposition rings.

Linda Okado ia a member of the ODM Women’s league and supports a Besigye win in the Thursday elections. To her an opposition win in Uganda  will be an affirmation that it’s possible to defeat an incumbent in Africa.

“The challenges the opposition is facing in Uganda are similar to ours. A win there would mean that it is possible for transition in free and fair elections.”

A view shared by Dr. Oduogo who thinks that the opposition in Uganda is facing an impossible challenge and ” a miraculous win” for the opposition in Uganda where “democracy is in a bad state” coming hot on the heels of a change of guard in Tanzania will be a sign of hope for the opposition politicians in Kenya and their supporters.

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White Friday

Rallying each other on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter using the the hashtag #WhiteFriday4Burundi, a group of young Kenyans walked from the iconic Tom Moboya statute in the heart of Nairobi to the Burundian High Commission.

#WhiteFriday4Burundi we’re worse than wild animals, killing Africans has become a sport.Does life matter to leaders pic.twitter.com/pPGkNt376E

— Eunice Wanjiku (@EuniceWanjiku1) December 18, 2015

The peaceful demonstrations were to call on the Burundian government to stop the senseless  killing of civilians in Bujumbura.

It also served as a means of shining the spotlight on the crisis in the landlocked East African nation that is now on the brink of a full blown civil war.

The demonstrators and the online community using the hash tag #WhiteFriday4Burundi asked tough questions to world leaders and citizens.

We must all congratulate #WhiteFriday4Burundi for doing what @UKenyatta should be doing – a PUBLIC condemnation of Pierre Nkurunziza!

— TalkingAfrica (@TalkingAfrica) December 18, 2015

the silence from EAC leaders is not helping anybody! why are they not talking in the first place?? #WhiteFriday4Burundi

— Sewe.B (@bysewe) December 18, 2015

Others called for international action against President Pierre Nkurunzinza.

That’s right.. #whitefriday4burundi pic.twitter.com/mbrdXmEcrw

— Cheruto (@cherootie) December 18, 2015

Bold messages like the one above are however not just coming from Kenyan protestors. The silence of the international community on in the crisis that is now threatening to spiral out of hand has been noted even by the East African Law Society who are now calling for investigation by the ICC into the developments in Bujumbura.

In a letter to ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, the East African lawyers’ body say they are concerned that very disturbing images continue to come out of Burundi despite a media ban being in place.

“It is upon this platform, and in accordance with Articles 15 and 54 of the Rome Statute which empowers the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to conduct investigations propio motu on the basis of information on possible crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court, that we call on the office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to commence investigations into possible commission of crimes against humanity by the government of the Republic of Burundi against its citizens,” reads the letter.

Petition

The Nairobi protesters also had a petition which they read out to the press.

The Petition drafted by the East African Peace and Security Women Network among other things wanted the AU and UN to initiate measures that will bring the violence and human rights violations to a stop.

They also sought for protection of women and girls from sexual violenece.

Due to mounting pressure such as this one staged by Kenyans, the AU seems to be going back on it’s “non-inteference on internal matters policy” as it is considering sending 5000 troops to Burundi. The AU is however still non-committal as to when this force will be in place – this as innocent civilians continue to die.

Though the demonstrations were only in Nairobi, Kenyans on social media from across the country have consistently stood with the people of Burundi even as their own government remains tight lipped on events unfolding across their borders.

I stand with Burundi people. The cry is enough. #WhiteFriday4Burundi @UKenyatta, you should be here, or at least you should say something.

— (@Kimaani) December 18, 2015

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The post REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES: Kenyans protest against violence in Burundi – #WhiteFriday4Burundi appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

On Saturday morning, the world woke up to news of fresh violence in Burundi that left 87 people dead, most of them shot at close range – some with their hands tied behind their backs. The military claimed that those who were killed were trying to break into a military armory to steal guns so that they can break into a police prison.

Friday night’s was one of the worst cases of violence since the botched coup attempt in May .

The situation in Burundi has been fragile for a while since the announcement by President Pierre Nkurunzinza that he will be running for a third term in office.

A BBC report says that “bodies on the streets of Bunjumbura is almost a daily occurrence.”

A report by the Amnesty International puts the death toll at 277 since April while Burundi based Human Rights monitors say the death toll is way over 350.

Among the recommendations of the report is a call on AU and the UN to ” work together urgently to address the human rights crisis in Burundi and to restore full respect for human rights.”

The report also emphasizes on the need for AU Commission Chair, Dr.  Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma and UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon “to travel to Bujumbura to press the government to end the current crackdown, beginning by lifting the legal and financial measures that target the human rights community.” This has been necessitated by Nkurunzinza’s crackdown on Human Rights NGOs which also involved freezing their bank accounts.

For about a month now some of the human rights groups were making claims that a”silent genocide” is underway in Burundi. As the new wave of violence swept through Bunjumbura on Friday night, opposition figures were calling on the world to shine its spotlight on Burundi’s crisis.

“Help us, the world needs to know that the genocide is underway,” said Jeremie Minani, spokesperson for a Burundian coalition known as Cnared folowing the death of the 87.

Events happening in Burundi remind us of what what happened in Rwanda and Burundi 21 years ago when the world watched in silence as millions were slaughtered in ethnic violence and several others displaced.

In the Central African Republic the world again watched until tens of thousands of lives were lost before France sent a peace keeping force.

Somalia has never known peace since the ouster of Mohamed Said Barre. The African Union through AMISOM only intervened decades later when the damage had already been done with little left to be salvaged.

In Kenya, when violence broke out following the 2007 general elections which the opposition claimed were stolen the world reacted with once voice and brought the violence to a stop. This was largely due to Kenya’s significant role as a key ally of the Western powers in the region.

Are we going to peg intervention in times of such crisis to how important nations are economically or politically to the West?

If there was a time that the narrative needed to changed, that time is now. We do not have to wait for 10,000 people to die before the world takes action.

In the aftermath of the Post-election violence in Kenya and the subsequent prosecution of Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto at the ICC, the African Union piled a lot of pressure on the court and the UN to have the cases dropped – nothing for the victims.

Now would be a great time for the moribund continental union to reclaim itself by stopping the violence in Burundi and for once standing on the right side of history. It’s time it used the resources they used in trying to stop the cases at the ICC in marshaling nations to intervene in Burundi.

Our leaders, the AU and the UN will do nothing unless we directly start telling them that we care about what is happening across our borders. We have to ask our governments what they are doing to save the lives of innocent Burundians.

From Nairobi to Arusha, Kampala, Harare, Kigali, Johannesburg, Lilongwe and to the Capitals of Europe and America these voices against increased violence in Burundi must be heard.

Good neighborliness dictates that we can’t just watch as Burundi goes to the dogs. East African citizens must demand action from our leaders.

— #PrayForBurundi (@IamOminde) December 14, 2015

Retweeted #PrayForBurundi (@IamOminde): @AMB_A_Mohammed what is Kenya’s official position regarding the escalating violence in Burundi?

— iScan Media (K) (@iscanmedia) December 14, 2015

Here in Kenya when the news of fresh violence broke out, Kenyans On Twitter responded by trending hash tags #PrayForBurundi #IstandWithBurundi and asking their government to intervene.

What happened to humanity? Wake up @KagutaMuseveni, @UKenyatta, @MagufuliJP & @PaulKagame save p’ple #PrayForBurundi pic.twitter.com/B6uAIWAseo

— Abdu Wasike (@WasikeAbdu) December 13, 2015

#Kenya #1212Massacre #Vigil #Vigil4Burundi #Mourning #IamBurundi #PrayForBurundi pic.twitter.com/gXduChcBpK

— Frida Kamikazi (@FKamikazi) December 14, 2015

Uncertainty continues to haunt #Burundi, remember history will judge us, more people continue to die. #PrayForBurundi #BurundiCrisis

— KhayelihleKhumalo (@KhayaJames) December 14, 2015

Are we waiting 4 someone white to come before we can act? Until AFRICA can help AFRICA we shall never be FREE! #PrayForBurundi

— #PrayForBurundi (@Peter_Kisadha) December 14, 2015

#PrayForBurundi, we need to raise our voices louder so that a solution can be found for the Burundians. #BeTheVoice

— [email protected] (@benardmedah) December 14, 2015

We are all doing our part but our eyes are trained on the Africa Union, African leaders and the United Nations. How many more people will die before they act?

This article was submitted for publication on www.africablogging.org.

Follow me on Twitter @IamOminde

The post REGIONAL PERSPECTIVES: Why the Burundi crisis is an opportunity for AU and the UN to redeem themselves appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

On my recent trip to Johannesburg, South Africa I found out that impact of music in our struggles is sort of similar from the Harlem streets in New York to Soweto in South Africa.

With two colleagues from Tanzania, we had arranged for a little trip to Soweto during our free time on the sidelines of the Power Reporting Conference at Wits University. We met a Zimbabwean taxi guy who had offered to be our tour guide around Soweto for only R500.

Ignatius has been living in South Africa since the late 70s. He first lived in Soweto with his relatives before moving closer to Johannesburg when he got a job in Sandton – one of the Suburbs around Johannesburg.

When I got into the taxi the first thing I heard was a very familiar sound – music from D. O Misiani and Shirati Jazz Band was oozing off his stereo.

The late D.O Misiani was a musician from Shirati area of Tanzania but lived in Kenya and sang songs in Luo – one of the languages widely spoken in Western Kenya.

Most of his music had political connotations which made him very popular among Luo politicians and their followers. On this day “kisero pek chalo kidi” is what our friend was playing.

Ignatius tells us that he has a lot of East African music in his car and as we drive to and from Soweto we confirm as he shuffles from one popular East African artist to another.

Why East African music?

“During the struggle for liberalization of Zimbabwe, many of the guerilla fighters escaped to East Africa for training,” he explains.

“When they came back they brought with them a lot of records from East Africa and played them in the village to entertain themselves when they were not in the bush,” he adds.

Ignatius was born in 1966 but he had older brothers who were liberation fighters and he says they left him a lot of music each time they came to the village.

The music reminds them of their struggles because the colonial government had banned Zimbabwean music from the likes of Oliver Mutukudzi. To them the fact that East Africans could play their own music was motivation of some sort to continue with their struggle for independence.

Today he has collected more music than was handed over to him from his travels to Nairobi with the International Redcross Society where he at times volunteers. As we drive through the streets and music flips from one East African hit to another, Ignatius is on a journey of his own – a journey back in history to the days of Colonial Africa.

This journey has more meaning especially today as we drive to and from Soweto where the present day Johannesburg was born – from the struggles of black men and women who came here to work in the mines and industries in town and the rise of the liberation movement immortalized by Nelson Mandela who today we are visiting the house he lived in at 8115, Vilakzi Street, West Orlando in Soweto.

Music though did not just have this impact in Southern Africa. In Kenya for instance where most of the music Ignatius is playing on our little journey comes from, music played a key role in the second liberation of Kenya from President Moi’s dictatorship.

Unbowogable (a corrupted Luo word which is loosely translated as fearless) by Gidi Gidi Maji Maji united Kenyans around the idea that it was not impossible to dethrone Moi and his KANU government. Moi and by extension KANU had been in power for 24 years and the defeat of Uhuru Kenyatta who was then a KANU candidate was sort of a liberation for Kenya after years of institutionalized corruption and pillage of public resources.

Today across the border in Uganda, the country is in an election mode. Popular musician Jose Chameleon has just released a song Beene also known as Kabaka in which he openly praises President Yoweri Museveni. Museveni is one of the longest serving African Presidents having been in power for over 21 years.

In the song Chameleone is seen performing at events attended by Museveni and socializing with the first family.

The liberation movement led by Dr. Kiza Besigye is strife in Uganda but his supporters are not happy that the top musicians are not supporting their movement.

“Your talent becomes worthy the day the public invests it’s trust in you. The moment you abuse that public trust you will regret having discovered it (your talent) and revealed it to them,” says Shawn Mubiru, a politics activists from Uganda in a Facebook post.

Juliana Kanyomozi, another big musician from Uganda has also been criticized for her support for Museveni. Her critics hit hard at a time in which she was contesting in the #CokeStudioAfrica music competition sponsored by Coca-Cola by threatening to vote for her competition.

So bad is the backlash that it could stop Ugandans from voting for her in #CokeStudioAfrica. When she asked people to vote for her, this was the response from some of her followers.

“….tukoye..u even sang like an idiot in the tubonge song..tomanyi nakuyimba.. let sevo vote u,” read a comment from one Gifted John.

“Only a fool will vote for you Juliana Kanyomozi-for some you have smeared a bitter taste -as goof as your music -I wish all Ugandans boycott it,” said another.

“Sevo will vote for you.”

“I want to know the people you are competing with, I want to vote for them…,” 

“Ask m7 to vote you twesonyiwe,” said yet another one

“I wish there was a negative vote that will negate another positive vote. I would go for negative vote,. You dont acre about your country Uganda. I wonder why you sang “Oh Uganda…” song.”

Of course there were those who thought they are just expressing a democratic right.

 “Most of the comments on the issue of tubonga nawe show how we ugandans really think.So because JK is an artist that stops her from being a Ugandan with a right to support whoever she wants?Y’all need to take a chill pill and vote whoever you want on that day.If you dont want to vote for her Mash up still its ur right temutukooya.Wamma lets vote for the princess of Ugandan music,” says Lubega Michael.

“Guys this is not politics…. Those who wants to vote her vote….those who can not find plz..reserve yo votes to some one else… U can even give it to Besigye or Amama mbabazi…. She did not ask u to vote m7,” says Regina Mbabazi.

One thing is clear though, the role that music is playing in the political arena and the political stands musicians take cannot be overlooked.

The post Regional perspectives: Music and the liberation movement in Africa #ManAroundJoburg appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

This week Africa and indeed the whole world is celebrating the life and times of one of the greatest men that ever walked the surface of the earth – Nelson Mandela. A man whose legacy can only be mentioned alongside the likes of Mother Teressa, Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jnr.

That his death came at a time when Kenya is celebrating 50 years of self rule is more than a coincidence. I remember watching the national prayer service held in Johannesburg, South Africa yesterday and one quote from one the priests stood out for me: “While the living close the eyes of the dead, it is the dead who open the eyes of the living.”

Nelson Mandela’s death should be an eye opener for us and the rest of the continent. Like the Christians live by the principle of What Would Jesus Do (WWJD), Africans should start living by the principle of What Would Madiba Do (WWMD).

In the past few days I have watched a lot of documentaries on Mandela’s life (thanx to Channel 200 on Dstv) and I can’t help but draw parallels to the Kenyan situation. When Madiba was released from prison, he came out to a deeply divided society. Divisions both racial and tribal.

Even though he had every right to seek revenge for the atrocities committed against him by the colonial administration he chose the path of peace. Embracing the same people who took him away from his family for 27 years…embracing them so much so that he gave them a share in his government.

It was not an easy ride for the statesman…in 1993 just before he became president, South Africa saw the first ever ethnic violence that followed disagreements between the Zulu tribe who wanted to set up their own autonomous Kingdom and the ANC supporters. That violence cost the lives of more than 4,000 South Africans. This was worse than the post election violence we had in Kenya….

Madiba still sought for negotiations and eventually brought the Zulu to the table with one of their own even running for President alongside him.

The biggest lesson we can learn from the fallen soldier is that of forgiveness and inclusion…as Kenyans we need to forgive one another for past atrocities for crimes we committed or for those that were committed by people purporting to represent us. Then moving forward we need to include everybody in the development plans for this country.

As divided as South Africa was Mandela found little things that united his people…SPORTS was one of them. He used football, rugby and cricket to rally South Africans for their nation. The results were indeed amazing. I love the unity I see when we support Shujaa Sevens team at the IRB circuit, the joy our athletes give us when they race and win medals abroad…our lovely footballers. What we need is a leader who will take advantage of the opportunities that these sporting events provide and use that to unite our people.

So instead of mourning a man who has lived his life so well, we should ask ourselves whether we are ready to take up the Mandela challenge. This country badly needs a Kenyan Mandela who will deliver us from the bondage of ethnicity, greed and haughtiness. It’s time for another Mandela to rise up – In Kenya.

Happy 50th Birthday Kenya….Long Live Nelson Mandela.

 “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” – Nelson Mandela

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The post Kenya at 50 – Lessons from Nelson Mandela appeared first on Biz Post Daily.