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Africa Uncensored

Power and performance: How African Union organs are shaping, or failing, Africa’s Future

An institution born out of a need for a unifying force against historical conflicts, poverty, poor governance, and economic isolation in a continent where borders were drawn in faraway conference rooms, the African Union (AU) was envisaged as a tool for addressing the common problems facing a united Africa. More than two decades since, those same problems persist while the institution thrives. Whereas conflicts flare up across Sudan and the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, trade remains stifled by underdeveloped infrastructural networks and non-tariff barriers. Meanwhile, millions of unemployed youth continue to emerge into economies that struggle to accommodate new workforce members. The list of ongoing challenges in Africa goes on. Against this backdrop is the AU, a complex structure of various organs designed to solve Africa’s problems. However, the extent to which these institutions are successful in executing their roles remains debatable. Independent research highlights the gap between the AU’s ambitions and its institutional performance A broader body of independent research echoes these institutional tensions. In its publication The African Union at 20: African perspectives on progress, challenges and prospects (2023), the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) brings together African experts to critically assess the AU’s performance over two decades. The study notes that although the AU was envisioned as a transformative force for governance, peace, and development on the continent, progress has been uneven, with its 20th anniversary marked by relatively muted recognition. It points to recurring constraints across AU organs, including weak enforcement capacity, reliance on political will, and inconsistent commitment from member states, factors that continue to limit effective implementation. The ISS further argues that strengthening the AU requires more than technical adjustments; it demands a deeper reconsideration of how Africa conceptualises, designs, and operationalises its continental institutions. By drawing on diverse African perspectives, the publication contributes to on-going debates on improving the effectiveness of organs such as the AUC, AUDA-NEPAD, and the Pan-African Parliament (PAP), underscoring the persistent gap between institutional ambition and practical delivery. Using the latest available research, institutional actions, and expert opinions, Africa Uncensored explores the following fundamental question about the AU: ​Are its organs making an impact on shaping Africa’s future, or are they being held back by institutional constraints and political challenges? Based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the African capital, the African Union Commission (AUC) acts as the administrative and executive hub of the entire continental institution. It formulates, monitors, and supports the execution of policies across all member states of the institution. According to academic research on the subject, specifically “Punching Above Weight: How the African Union Commission Exercises Agency in Politics”, the AUC has been shown to influence the continent’s agendas and even politics. At the same time, influence is quite distinct from power. Indeed, the AUC is forced to operate within certain boundaries set by sovereign states, each of which has its unique political, economic, and social conditions. During political crises, for instance, the AUC can take measures such as issuing statements or calling upon member states to engage in conflict resolution processes.Such initiatives have failed, however, in addressing the ongoing conflicts in eastern Congo and Sudan. Therefore, while the AUC may be considered influential on a continent scale, the extent of its leadership is quite limited, as its activities depend entirely on the willingness of member states to comply with its recommendations. Whereas the AUC formulates policies, AUDA-NEPAD is charged with the task of implementing those policies. At the recent 2025 Luanda Summit on Infrastructure Financing, the organisation made its intentions very clear: “This Summit was intentional, to move beyond speeches and create a dynamic marketplace, moving us from rhetoric to concrete financing.” This means that there are real challenges facing citizens on a daily basis due to infrastructure deficiencies, such as long travel times along poorly paved roads, power shortages in urban areas, limited availability of water and other utilities, and fragmented logistics and transportation systems hindering trade. According to AUDA-NEPAD, there were US$43.9 billion worth of infrastructure projects in the pipeline. As some of the strategic changes in the approach towards infrastructure development include treating major corridors as continental resources, the organization said: “Our priority PIDA corridors are not just national projects…they require a governance framework to match.” What does it mean for ordinary citizens in practical terms? It means that multiple states should collaborate on large-scale projects in the form of rail transport networks, electricity infrastructure, and port facilities connecting different countries’ economic zones. The problem is that such cooperation may require substantial investments, agreement, and coordination between multiple stakeholders, which often does not happen. For the people affected, the difference can be either positive or negative, depending on the success of infrastructure development. 

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Africa Uncensored

The Cost Of A Bullet – Surviving The June 25th Protests | Africa Uncensored Documentary

Rose is a 21-year-old woman who was struck by a stray bullet while heading home during the June 25th, 2025, protests in Kenya. She wasn’t demonstrating; she simply found herself caught in the crossfire. Shot twice in the leg, Rose was moved from hospital to hospital as doctors tried to remove the bullet. This story looks at the physical and psychological scars, the human cost of the June 25th protests and the pursuit for justice a year later. What happened to the victims after people “moved on”?Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

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IEBC

IEBC strategic plan flags dispute management as a core 2027 risk area

IEBC’s strategic materials say the commission will strengthen mechanisms for handling pre-election disputes and issuing guidance to candidates and parties.Why it matters: Dispute resolution is central to candidate eligibility, party-list fights and county-level nomination conflicts. Published outside the 48-hour window but still relevant.

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Africa Uncensored

A Campaign of Disappearances: Inside the Killings, Abductions and Surveillance of Mozambique’s Government Critics

Key findings. The abduction of journalist Arlindo Chissale is part of a broader pattern of enforced disappearances and political killings in Mozambique, with over 300 dead and 3,000 victims of violence from October 2024 to January 2025; Our reporting suggests actors close to Mozambique’s ruling party FRELIMO were involved in the surveillance and targeting of […] The post A Campaign of Disappearances: Inside the Killings, Abductions and Surveillance of Mozambique’s Government Critics appeared first on Africa Uncensored.

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Africa Uncensored

Haven Of Hell: Investigating Alleged Sexual Abuse at Kenya’s Ebenezer Children’s Home

This investigative documentary by Africa Uncensored uncovers the disturbing reality inside Ebenezer Children’s Home in Kajiado, Kenya. Through exclusive whistleblower testimonies and secret audio recordings, we expose allegations of systemic sexual abuse and exploitation within a facility meant to be a sanctuary for vulnerable children. #HavenOfHell also explores the failure of Kenya’s child protection systems, the lack of oversight by the National Council for Children’s Services, and the powerful connections that have allowed these alleged atrocities to continue unhindered. We also look at the impact on survivors and the urgent need for reform in how Kenya manages charitable children’s institutions.I am a journalist based in Nairobi with a passion for investigative journalism and data journalism producing content that sheds light on critical issues in the community. I break down complex ideas and matters into clear and straightforward stories for my audience using emerging storytelling techniques tailored to the needs of contemporary audiences.Δ document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() );

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Associated Press

Kenya will pay compensation to almost 2,000 victims of violent protests

Kenya’s President William Ruto speaks during a joint news conference with Finland’s President Alexander Stubb in the Hall of Mirrors of the Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland, Wednesday, June 10, 2026. (Antti Aimo-Koivisto/Lehtikuva via AP)NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya will pay compensation to almost 2,000 victims of protest-related human rights abuses, President William Ruto said on Monday, marking a rare national reparations process outside the judicial system.Violent protests in the East African nation have left a trail of destruction in which hundreds of people have died, were injured, or suffered business losses. In the most recent incident, two demonstrations over an Ebola quarantine center for Americans left three people dead and dozens of others injured.The victims of human rights abuses will begin receiving compensation from next week after vetting by the state-funded human rights commission. The total pay out is expected to total $15 million.Ruto, speaking during the release of a national Reparations Framework Report, said the compensation represents “a state acknowledgment that harm occurred” and was not an “admission” of guilt.Dozens of people died and hundreds of others were injured in annual anti-government protests against increased taxes in June 2024 and June 2025. Property worth millions of dollars was destroyed in a series of protests that the government said were infiltrated by criminals.Ruto said the compensation was not the “price of life, of pain or of loss,” and that should not be seen as a “reward for violence or criminality” in a country where violent protests are common.“A nation heals by tending to its wounds rather than pretending they does not exist,” he said.Claris Ogangah, head of Kenya’s National Commission on Human Rights, said the payments would contribute to the nation’s healing.“The stories captured in the Reparations Framework Report remind us that behind every statistic is a human being — a family and a community whose suffering has often remained unseen and unacknowledged,” she said.“By giving voice to these experiences, the report contributes to a national process of healing founded on truth, recognition, and remembrance.”

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