Leap of Faith: Harnessing the potential of Quantum Computing in East Africa
For East Africa, Quantum computing carries a promise of computing power beyond classical computing, unlocking breakthroughs in healthcare, agriculture, climate modelling, and finance. Despite notable ongoing work as of 2025, the International Year of Quantum, concerns are being raised about whether the region is punching above its weight, given its modest contribution to research in this paradigm.
Spaces and Places: Cultural Identity in Nairobi’s Third Spaces
Nairobi is in the middle of a cultural reordering. In 2025, Ngara was listed among the top places to visit in Africa 2026, an unexpected recognition for a neighbourhood once known primarily for traffic, affordable housing and chaotic public transport hub.
Fintech Independence: MTN Uganda’s Structural Shift
Following board approval in March 2025, MTN Uganda shareholders consented to the unbundling of MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) at an extraordinary general meeting on 22nd July 2025. This follows a broader pattern. In neighbouring Kenya, persistent pressure continues to build for the separation of the country’s largest mobile money platform, M-Pesa, from its telecom parent, Safaricom.
The Empty Chalkboard: How a Teacher Shortage Crisis is Shaping East Africa’s Future
Imagine a single teacher standing before a classroom not of 25, or even 40, but of nearly 60 young, eager faces. This is not an anomaly but a stark reality in many East African classrooms today, where the promise of education is being stretched to its breaking point.
The Ocean’s Promise: Reimagining East Africa’s Prosperity Through the Waves of the Blue Economy
Is the ocean East Africa's next great economic frontier? The Blue Economy describes the sustainable use and conservation of aquatic resources in both marine and freshwater environments. This includes oceans and seas, coastlines and banks, lakes, rivers and groundwater.
The Borderless Workforce: How Digital Nomads Could Reshape Kenya’s Economic Landscape
Across the world, a new class of professionals is untethering from geography, redefining what it means to live, earn, and belong in a borderless economy. Fuelled by advances in remote technology and accelerated by the post-2020 shift toward flexible work, digital nomadism has evolved from a niche lifestyle into a defining force in global labour mobility.
Digitising Governance: East Africa's Journey Toward Digital Public Service Delivery
Imagine applying for a passport or starting a business – all without ever stepping into a government office. This is no longer fiction in East Africa, where digital governance is reshaping how citizens interact with the state. Platforms like Kenya’s eCitizen, Rwanda’s Irembo, Uganda’s, and Tanzania’s emerging e-government systems are digitising essential services.
Yuan Express: What Kenya’s Ditching of the Dollar on its Chinese-Built Railway Means
Kenya has made a bold and unprecedented financial move by converting its multi-billion-dollar Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) loan from the Export–Import Bank of China from US dollars to Chinese Yuan. What might appear to be a mere accounting adjustment is, in fact, a decision that might save Kenya hundreds of millions of dollars annually while drawing Kenya closer into China’s financial orbit.
A Fragile Victory: How New Threats and Old Inequalities Jeopardise Africa's Progress towards HIV Control
In 2024, the global fight against HIV reached a pivotal moment. According to UNAIDS, the world saw an estimated 1.3 million new infections. The epicentre of the pandemic, however, remains Eastern and Southern Africa which accounted for 490,000 of these cases.
