🔅 Fake Lawyers in Kenya: A Scam for Tough Times, Ethiopia's Quest for a Port
Plus, A Celebrated Painter's Odd Rise & Fall, Mt. Kilimanjaro crowned Nature's Beauty Contest Winner
Photo of the day
Togo
Markets:
🔴 Nigerian SE: 67,098.80 (-0.38%)
🔴 Johannesburg SE: 71,968.67 (-1.17%)
🟢 Ghana SE: 3,126.05 (+0.19)
🔴 Nairobi SE: 93.17 (-0.08%)
🔴 US S&P 500: 4,281.62 (-0.76%)
🔴 Shanghai Composite: 3,005.39 (-1.74%)
South African Braai: The BBQ That'll Make You Cry...From Onion Prices | Nothing ruins a good BBQ like skyrocketing onion prices. South Africans are feeling the pain as the cost of onions has risen a whopping 63% in the past year. This means the traditional "braai" in township areas is getting pricier, thanks to Bloomberg's Shisa Nyama Index (which sounds fancy but really just tracks key ingredients for a BBQ).
*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
Becoming A Fake Lawyer in Kenya: A Scam for Tough Economic Times
Kenya's legal system is facing a crisis: a surge in unlicensed people pretending to be lawyers. It's like a real-life version of the TV show "Suits", except with serious life consequences. One fake lawyer, Brian Njagi Mwenda, has been strutting his stuff in court all year, and was allegedly so good he won over 20 cases and never lost one. The thing is, Mwenda is not alone—there are more imposters out there who have turned to the scam due to the harsh economic times the country is going through (Kenya is dealing with rising inflation, sky-high fuel prices and a significant tax hike). Although the authorities are cracking down, some people are celebrating the likes of Mwenda as a folk hero who has managed to overcome economic strife and unequal access to education and jobs. One Kenyan even called Mwenda "brilliant" and suggested giving him a fair and transparent exam to see if he's got what it takes to be a real lawyer. Cue the montage of Mwenda studying frantically while "Eye of the Tiger" plays in the background.
The Rise and Fall of Painter Godwin Champs Namuyimba
Picture this: a painter in Uganda, living in a tiny apartment with bare walls, suddenly becomes a hot commodity in the international art market. His paintings started selling for over $160,000 at auction and were showcased in galleries from Paris to London. But within a year, his auction price plummets to a measly $12,925. What happened? ArtNews has a fascinating expose on the rise and fall of Godwin Champs Namuyimba. You can read it here.
African Healthcare Workers: Underpaid, Overworked, and Frustrated
The struggle is real for healthcare workers in Africa, where staff shortages and poor pay put lives at risk. A survey of over 2,200 medical staff from 12 African countries found that 60% have seen patients die due to preventable circumstances, compared to a global average of 33%. 71% are handling twice as many patients as they can handle. And it's not just about the shortage of staff—80% say they are working longer hours than their contracts stipulated. This means less time with family and more stress, leading to a "just get by" mentality regarding patient care. To top it off, poor compensation is causing many healthcare workers to quit their jobs or leave their home countries for better opportunities, leaving the continent's poor population with even fewer options for healthcare. Indeed, wealthier nations are outsourcing solutions for their health challenges from Africa while the people on the ground suffer.
Ethiopia's Quest for a Port: Prime Minister Abiy's Bold Plan for Access to the Red Sea
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed of Ethiopia has a bold idea: his landlocked country should have direct access to a port on the Red Sea. Ethiopia's main trade route currently involves roads and a railway that lead to a port in Djibouti. However, Abiy believes this arrangement is not sustainable and could, as he put it, lead to conflict with neighbouring countries. He's calling on leaders of Somalia, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia to engage in discussions to ensure lasting peace and secure trade access. His rhetoric seems particularly aimed at Eritrea, which was part of Ethiopia until it gained independence in 1993. Relations between Abiy and Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki have been tense, with Eritrea deploying forces inside Ethiopia despite a peace deal in 2018.
Nature's Beauty Contest: And the Winner Is…
Titan Travel, a tour operator with options all over the world, did some number crunching to determine the most popular natural wonder in the world. And the winner is Mount Kilimanjaro. With a 92.68% of "excellent" reviews on Tripadvisor, this Tanzanian mountain is a crowd favourite. Not only is it one of the seven summits of the world, but it's also easily climbable (no excuses, couch potatoes) and has a unique ecosystem that adds to its breathtaking views.
Food for Thought
"No matter how hot your anger is it cannot cook yams."
— Nigerian Proverb