Kenyan and Ugandan rights activists tortured in Tanzania – DW – 06/03/2025
06/03/2025
June 3, 2025
In Kenya's capital Nairobi, a Kenyan and Ugandan rights activist spoke to the press about their detention and abuse on a recent trip to Tanzania. The activists had travelled there to observe a court trial involving Tanzanian opposition leader, Tundu Lissu. Warning: report contains graphic content.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
DW
a day ago
- DW
Effective dialogue initiative: Role of journalists and media
DW Freedom research shows that community engagement and active participation by media makers are key for facilitating dialogue. Reporting stories from rural parts of the country is not particularly attractive to most Ugandan journalists: They must traverse longer distances to meet with sources, transportation costs eat into their story fees, and stories from outside the capital don't attract as much interest among urban news consumers. But who tells the stories of Ugandans who live outside the capital Kampala? Who bridges gaps between citizens and local authorities in rural areas? Who nurtures a feeling of connectedness and understanding within rural communities? The project 'Uplifting Community Voices' empowers community reporters and local correspondents to take care of that. 'Uplifting Community Voices' is one of several initiatives currently being researched by DW Freedom to uncover the key factors behind initiatives that successfully create and host formats for constructive and inclusive public dialogue. The research is based on a two-step methodology including desk-research to identify and evaluate dialogue initiatives and 18 in-depth interviews with representatives of selected initiatives. A comprehensive report is currently in the making and will be available soon. The report showcases ways in which societal dialogue can be achieved, identifies challenges along the way and key factors in achieving success. Preliminary results are already emerging, for example, on the role of journalists in fostering dialogue. Journalists in dialogue initiatives: Not only storytellers but active participants The Tribal News Network (TNN) in Pakistan promotes dialogue between Afghan refugees and host communities by training women as local reporters Image: Tabish Naqvi Many dialogue initiatives specifically focus on marginalized and minority groups, including ethnic and religious minorities, women, refugees, and underserved urban residents. Agência Mural , for example, amplifies voices from Brazil's urban peripheries, while the Tribal News Network (TNN) in Pakistan promotes dialogue between Afghan refugees and host communities by training women as local reporters. Media plays a central role in many of these initiatives, which is why journalists and media professionals are not only involved but are also a key target group. Some interventions encourage journalists to examine their own role within public discourse critically – particularly in contexts shaped by conflict or its aftermath. In such settings, journalism takes on added dimensions, touching on issues of reconciliation, representation, and collective healing. A dialogue project in Colombia, for example, seeks to rebuild trust between journalists and survivors of conflict through public dialogues and storytelling workshops designed to foster mutual understanding. Likewise, MiCT's 'Restoring Hope' project in Iraq brings together local journalists and artists to engage with the difficult legacy of enforced disappearances. In both cases, media professionals are not only storytellers but also active participants in broader societal conversations about justice, memory, and the path forward. Media as platforms for dialogue and tools for empowerment Overall, media plays a central and multifaceted role in the dialogue initiatives studied. In several projects, they serve as a direct platform for dialogue. For instance, DW Akademie's initiatives in Ghana and Uganda leverage radio programs and live townhall broadcasts to connect communities with local authorities and encourage public discussion. In Uganda, the project 'Uplifting Community Voices' mentioned above supports radio stations in reporting on rural stories more affordably, helping bridge communication between village, district, and national levels. At the district level, the radio stations themselves take on the role of dialogue facilitator. The outcomes of these discussions are then carried forward by the project partner, Media Challenge Initiative, which reports on the district-level dialogues to ensure that grassroots concerns are elevated to the national level. A district community reporter interviewing a local officer of a waste dump in Uganda Image: Musoke Lawrence Several projects deploy creative and artistic media to stimulate dialogue and reconciliation. In Iraq, MiCT's visual‑arts‑based programs use art to open discussion on trauma and coexistence. In Colombia, DW Akademie supports communities in creating historical story‑timelines and collective narrative projects to advance local peacebuilding. A similar approach is visible in Lebanon through Adyan Foundation's 'Alwan Debate' project, where teachers and youth are trained on pluralism, nonviolent communication, and inter‑faith dialogue, backed by manuals and experiential learning activities. Scaling dialogue initiatives: Expanding beyond the community level Community-level engagement forms the backbone of many dialogue initiatives. These programs often depend on direct, face-to-face interaction to involve citizens in discussions about issues that affect their daily lives. When successful, many projects try to scale their efforts to the district level or even national level, building a network that spans multiple communities. Some initiatives also start at this level. Projects like OMNI Ethiopia's 'Voice of Peace' radio campaign involved state-level actors and regional dialogues from the start, demonstrating how government partnerships can expand reach. While scaling remains a persistent challenge in participatory civic media, several promising initiatives have demonstrated the potential to bridge effectively between local, national, and even transnational levels. How exactly they managed to do so will be illustrated in the upcoming report. This much can be revealed: 'Uplifting Community Voices' is one of them. Written by Ines Drefs, Hanna Hempel and David Schneider
DW
a day ago
- DW
Kenya's July 7 protest legacy: 'We reclaimed our voice' – DW – 07/02/2025
Since 1990, Saba Saba, meaning "seven seven" in Kiswahili, has become a rallying cry for Kenya's pro-democracy demonstrators. Despite the government's efforts to stop them, July 7 may see protests again in Kenya. July 7 became the date Kenyan protesters in the 1990s used to steer the country clear of autocracy and toward political accountability. In 2025, that spirit may be more relevant than ever. "The striking similarity between the Gen Z protests of 2024-25 and the Saba Saba protests of the '90s is that both were centered on a clamor for better leadership," analyst Mutuma Kithinji tells DW. "It was the day people came out in open defiance of a brutal dictatorship," says human rights activist Wanjira Wanjiru. "It was a day we reclaimed our voice." By 1990, Kenya had known just two leaders, despite gaining independence on December 12, 1963. Daniel arap Moi had led Kenya for 12 years by exploiting intense ethnic-based rivalry, and Kenya effectively became a one-party state increasingly known for kleptocracy, corruption and state abuse. But extensive protests, the end of the Cold War, and a stagnating economy tempered Moi's grip on power. When two cabinet ministers, Kenneth Matiba and Charles Rubia, were detained without trial, the first Saba Saba protests erupted in July 1990. Twenty people were arrested and 1,056 people were charged, although no law enforcement officials faced prosecution. Protesters wanted a multi-party democracy, and despite state repression, Moi caved. While the resulting 1992 and 1997 elections were marred by violence and vote rigging, Moi's seemingly untouchable power was checked. Nairobian Eliza Njoroge says the Saba Saba protests remain influential to ordinary Kenyans. "They were disruptive, but made people very confident. They definitely changed Kenya, and the people realized they can speak up and that they have the power," she told DW. For analyst Kithinji, many of the problems from 1990 are still prevalent today. "The Gen Zs feel the leadership does not address their issues: accountability, economic injustice, corruption, disappearance of people, extrajudicial killings, among others," he told DW. A view widely held, including by Kithinji, is that while the Saba Saba protests of 1990 had definitive political leadership figures such as Rubia and Mathiba, the Gen Z-led demonstrations today are a grassroots movement without defined leaders or ethnic affiliations. The Kenya Finance Bill protests of 2024 exploded in June after the government approved unpopular legislation that would have significantly increased taxation of ordinary Kenyans. President William Ruto was forced to shelve the bill. "We are doing the same things we did in 1990. The causes are the same, except that this time it's in a technologically different environment," says David Kyule of the University of Nairobi. A key factor, he says, is that young Kenyans today are better educated than the protesters in the 1990s, partly due to education rights enshrined in Kenya's 2010 constitution. "They have come of age in a time of widespread suffering and unmet expectations," Kyule explains. But while the protestors have changed, their core grievances have not. And neither, arguably, has the attitude of the politicians in power, and how they have used force to respond. The mid-2024 demonstrations saw more than 50 people killed when police and security forces confronted protesters. "We have the current President (Ruto), who was there in those days, and many know him as a student of Moi," Kithinji told DW. "The government reponded with force in the 1990s and today." But according to Wanjira Wanjiru, another key concern is the unknown number of protesters who have been forcibly disappeared. "The abductions and extrajudicial killings happening today are more rampant. The blatant disregard for human rights is shocking. So is the disregard for rule of law," she told DW. Kenya, and particularly Nairobi, has already seen large, youth-led protests, initially to commemorate the deadly demonstrations of 2024. The unexplained death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody sparked more anti-police brutality demonstrations. In response, Kenya's Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen claimed the demonstrations were an attempted coup, and issued a "shoot to kill" directive for officers if they were attacked. The Kenyan government has also tried to cast protestors as a destabilizing force, mirroríng the approach of Moi's government in 1990. "There's no credible evidence suggesting that this is the case in either era," says Kithinji. "Labeling the protestors as destabilizing is more about political control." David Kyule told DW that police responses have appeared to worsen the situation, with the ensuing chaos suggesting violence and destruction, rather than the initial, peaceful demonstrations. As for alleged attempts to intimidate protesters through abductions, Wanjiru says: "People have completely lost their fear. In fact, any attempt to bring back fear to the people kind of inspires more resistance and has the opposite effect," she told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video With the Saba Saba protests seemingly inevitable, Parliament has introduced a bill to restrict protests within 100 meters of key government institutions, such as the parliament, state house and courts. "These are all attempts at cracking down [on] the people's voice and to evade accountability. Instead of addressing the demands of the protesters, they're looking to crack down on democracy further," Wanjira told DW. Others remain unconvinced that there will be justice for the scores of people already killed. A young Kenyan woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told DW: "Albert Ojwang's case is still in court. And Rex Masai, the first person we lost during last year's protest, his case is still in court. When you go to the streets to seek justice for those people, we lose more people. Will they get justice at any time?" Steve Marsha, a trainee journalist, said it remained important for Kenyans to stand up for their constitutional rights, and pointed to Ruto's government trying to ban coverage of the protests. "We are on the edge from where the country will probably plunge to a place that we will not be able to get ourselves out," he told DW. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
DW
2 days ago
- DW
Somalia: 3 killed in African Union helicopter crash – DW – 07/02/2025
The Ugandan military helicopter crashed at Mogadishu's airport as it was on its way to an African Union peacekeeping mission. An African Union helicopter crashed at around 7:30 a.m. local time (04:30 GMT) at Mogadishu's Aden Abdulle International Airport, killing three people. It had departed from Baledogle military airbase in the lower Shabelle region in south Somalia, according to the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM). AUSSOM said that "three of the eight passengers on board were immediately rescued" and were rushed to hospital. The military helicopter originally belonged to the Ugandan Air Force but was currently being operated as part of the AUSSOM peacekeeping mission. A Ugandan military spokesperson said the impact of the crash had caused munitions on board to detonate, destroying nearby structures and injuring three civilians. The African Union helps Somali authorities to fight the Islamist group Al-Shabaab. Search and rescue operations were underway to retrieve the remaining passengers and crew. Ahmed Moalim Hassan, director-general of the Somalia Civil Aviation Authority, told reporters that investigations are underway to determine the cause of the crash. The airport remains operational.
