Kenya’s Maturing Democracy put to test by its Judiciary

An election is a process, not an event.’ This was the bold rationale provided by Chief Justice David Maraga in his brief remarks, after announcing that Kenya’s Supreme Court had nullified the August 8th Presidential election results, by a 4-2 vote margin. The majority...

2017 Africa Braintrust

This year’s Africa Braintrust was held on September 22nd as part of the 2017 Congressional Black Caucus. The event was aimed at exploring the various ways the United States can renew and strengthen its engagement with Africa in the domains of economic investments,...

Coffee Industry Revives in DRC, Ghana

Due to ongoing conflict in the 1990s and 2000s, coffee, which was once the second biggest export in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, suffered a drastic blow to its market. Donor funding in recent years however has contributed to rebuilding the coffee industry and...

Guinean teacher builds a dam to power up his entire village

The West African nation of Guinea has significant hydroelectric potential (estimated at 6,000 MW) but, currently, only 2% of that amount is being exploited, providing access to only one out of every four Guineans. Last April, the government said it intended to connect...

Secondary School Now Free in Ghana

While primary education has been free in Ghana since 1995, the government recently moved to make public high school free as well. Calling it a “necessary investment in the nation’s future workforce,” free high school was a major campaign promise of President...

Kenya Models Rule of Law in Presidential Election Bid

Kenya’s Supreme Court ruled on September 1st that the results of the presidential elections which were held on August 8, 2017, are invalid due to serious irregularities and ordered a re-run within 60 days. The Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC)...

Rwanda’s Largest Solar Field Also Empowers Orphans

To increase electricity access in Rwanda, a 42-acre solar field was constructed on land leased from Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village 60 kilometers from Kigali. The youth village is a boarding school that houses around 500 orphans from the 1994 Rwanda genocide which left...