Outbreak of Ebola in Uganda kills 13     An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has killed at least 13 people and infected a further seven in Uganda. The health ministry says emergency measures are in place to deal with the outbreak, which began in late June but has only just been confirmed as Ebola. The cases have been reported in Kibaale district, about 170km (100 miles) to the west of the capital Kampala. Officials say most are linked […]

   UPDF Somalia budget up by 78% Shs 672m per day, 245bn per year The UPDF is to spend Shs 672m every day on its operations in Somalia this financial year, The Observer can reveal. Available documents indicate that the money Uganda will pay for the presence of 6,700 UPDF troops in the chaos-marred county will increase by 78 per cent.  The operations previously cost Shs 376m per day. This appears to contradict the widely held view that any major […]

  Ghanaian president dies, deputy sworn in   John Atta Mills died suddenly on Tuesday, hours after being rushed to a military hospital. His vice president, John Dramani Mahama, has been sworn in as president for the remaining five months of his term. Ghana’s parliament convened for an emergency session late on Tuesday, swearing in a replacement president after the death of 68-year-old John Atta Mills. It was the first time in Ghana’s history that such a move had to […]

Somali refugees top one million mark, says UN agency More than a million Somalis have now fled the war-torn nation for neighbouring countries, the UN refugee agency has said. The UNHCR said insecurity and food shortages continued to be the main reasons for the flight. Only the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq forced so many people to leave their homes in the past decade. Somalia has been racked by fighting since its last effective national government was toppled 21 years […]

Somali shop owners left to beg for food, clothing After being forced out of their homes and businesses following a week of petrol bomb attacks, several Somalis have been left stranded and say they have nowhere to go. Mohamed Warsame Abdi, the chairman of the Mitchells Plain branch of the Somali Association of SA, said there were no NGOs or shelters willing to assist traders begging for shelter, food and clothing. Abdi also spoke about their frustrations: “We all left […]

Migrants suffocate to death in Tanzania Forty-three bodies of Ethiopian and Somali nationals found in a province about 400km west of Dar es Salaam. Forty-three immigrants from Ethiopian and Somali were found dead in a truck in central Tanzania, having perished from asphyxiation, the deputy interior minister said. “They died of suffocation and had no food,” Pereira Silima said on Tuesday. “There were more than 100 people in the truck,” a local administration official told AFP news agency. The bodies […]

Sunderland sign African shirt sponsorship deal English Premier League club Sunderland have announced an agreement with not-for-profit group Invest in Africa to become their official shirt sponsor. The Black Cats will wear the name of the organisation on their shirts for at least the next two seasons. Invest in Africa is a partnership of companies formed to promote African business opportunities. Sunderland have existing African ties, with a number of the continent’s players in their ranks in recent years. They […]

Kismaayodaily video of the week: Seeds of Survival Could the most innocuous species hold the key to the future of humanity? Paul Kirika is the son of the famous Kenyan botanist, the late Mzee Kajui, and is now himself considered one of the most knowledgeable field botanists in East Africa. His work has taken him from the coastal forests to the mountaintops, from the humid lake region to the dry and remote northern areas and the dwindling forests around Nairobi. […]

US President Barack Obama unveils US Africa strategy The White House has announced a new US strategy for sub-Saharan Africa, which focuses on the continent’s economic potential. It also explores issues related to democracy, security and development. President Barack Obama said African democracy had improved but corruption was endemic in many countries and state institutions were weak. The strategy comes as China’s presence on the continent continues to grow through investment and trade. Mr Obama said he would work with […]

Video shows Sudan’s scorched earth fighting Rebels say video proves Khartoum’s troops are trying to drive out southern province’s civilian population. Amateur video provided by anti-government rebels in Sudan shows men in uniform cheering and firing weapons as they set fire to homes. Rebels say the men are government fighters and the burnings are part of a widescale effort to force civilians from the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan province, which borders South Sudan but was not allowed to participate […]