Africa Brief

The Nairobi Dispatch: Ruto Calls His Critics 'Noisemakers,' ODM Walks Into a Trap, Sama Fires 1,108, and a Father in Meru Does the Unspeakable

April 18, 2026 • 7 min read

Kenya Brief Africa Brief

Sunday in Nairobi. The Nairobi Dispatch introduces itself with the observation that, as weeks for political columnists go, this one required no embellishment. The facts did the work. I shall present them with the seasoning they need and no more.

Ruto in Mandera: “Noisemakers and Vision-less”

President William Ruto spent part of Friday in Mandera County. Reading from what appears to have been the morning’s prepared remarks, he dismissed his political opponents as “noisemakers and vision-less,” questioned whether they could locate Border Point One on a map, and asked rhetorically whether any of them had been to Rhamu or Wajir.

The Accra Almanac: De Gold Mine Come Back, De Free Healthcare Go Out, De Cocoa Farmer Still Waiting, and What It Means When an Opposition Cries 'Intimidation'

April 18, 2026 • 6 min read

Ghana Brief Africa Brief

Greetings from Accra. The Accra Almanac introduces itself this Sunday with a week that happened to deliver the kind of political theatre a columnist dreams about and dreads in equal measure. Much to observe. Let us begin.

Damang Returns to the State

Yesterday, Saturday April 18, at the expiry of a twelve-month non-renewable lease extension, the Damang Mine reverted to the Government of Ghana at the close of Gold Fields’ operatorship. This is a significant moment and I want to mark it properly.