East Africa

Art & Culture

From Buganda’s queen to Tanzania’s master: 4 must-read books from East Africa in 2023

In her memoir, published earlier this year, the Nnaabagereka recounts her journey from New York, where she spent most of her childhood, to her unconventional courtship with the Kabaka
The Nnaabagereka, Sylvia Nagginda Luswata, left, and the US Ambassador to Uganda, Natalie Brown, at the launch of the Nnaabagereka's autobiography, March 2023
Energy, Oil & Gas

Why East African countries should rethink their nuclear power ambitions

Costs of building, maintaining, and later decommissioning a nuclear power plant make it one of the most expensive forms of electricity generation
The Dukovany nuclear power station near Dukovany in the Czech Republic. Nuclear power plants are among a number of new energy proposals in four East African countries. Earlier this year, Uganda announced plans to build a 2,000MW nuclear power plant 150km north of Kampala, with the first 1,000MW coming online by 2031. Rwanda also recently signed a deal to build a nuclear reactor, while Kenya and Tanzania have made more or less similar announcements. While it is tempting in many ways for these countries to pursue nuclear power, there are several risks to choosing the nuclear path, the biggest of which is financial.