🔅 The African Baby's Remains That Were On Display At A London Museum & The AI Helping Kenyans Navigate Legal Issues
Plus, The World's Darkest River, and Nigeria Wins Big Against Corruption
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Zambia
Markets:
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*Data accurate as of the close of markets across the continent
Brief & Bright: Africa's Top Five
African Stillborn Baby's Remains Removed from London Museum
The Hunterian Museum in London recently removed the remains of a stillborn Bambuti baby from its catalogue of items available for medical research, thanks to criticism from author Nadifa Mohamed. Mohamed, who is also presenting an upcoming documentary about the history of "human zoos" in Britain, discovered that the museum was in possession of the baby's remains. The baby was stillborn from one of the Bambuti women brought to Britain in 1904 as part of a "human zoo" tour. Mohamed and the documentary team were horrified by the discovery. When they reached out to members of the Bambuti tribe in the Democratic Republic of Congo, they said they were unaware of the baby. The Hunterian Museum has removed the baby's remains from its collection available for research, but it is still being held by the museum with no plans for repatriation. Mohamed believes that the baby deserves to be buried in her own soil.
Nigeria Wins Big Against 'Greed and Corruption' in Landmark Court Case
Nigeria is celebrating a major victory against corruption and greed after a judge at London's High Court overturned an $11 billion damages bill. The case involved a gas deal and a company called Process & Industrial Developments (P&ID), which had been awarded the sum for lost profits when the project collapsed. But it turns out P&ID had paid bribes to a Nigerian oil ministry official and failed to disclose this during arbitration. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called the ruling a blow against economic malpractice and exploitation in Africa, and campaign group Spotlight on Corruption called it a win against a "tainted arbitral award built on bribes and lies." This is great news for Nigeria, which is already facing debt, high inflation, and unemployment. $11 billion represents 10 times the country's health budget for 2019.
Zimbabwe's Cholera Crisis: A Blast from the Past?
In 2008, Zimbabwe declared a national emergency because of a cholera outbreak, and it's happening again. This time, it's spread to all 10 provinces, has killed more than 100 people and infected 5,000 since February. The government is trying to contain it by limiting funerals to 50 people and telling everyone to stop shaking hands and serving food at gatherings. They're also advising people to avoid open-air markets, unlicensed vendors, and outdoor church camps where sanitation is scarce. Cholera is a water-borne disease and Zimbabwe's sanitation and clean water situation isn't able to cope. Many people don't have tap water for months at a time, so they sometimes have to fetch water from wells or rivers that are sometimes infected with sewage.
Wakili: The AI Chatbot Helping Kenyans Navigate the Legal System
Lawyers, there’s a new legal expert in town and it’s not even human. Meet Wakili, the AI chatbot created by Kenyan IT expert Naftali Obwoni to help people understand and access the country’s legal system. Obwoni was inspired to create Wakili after seeing his own father struggle to seek justice. He’s not alone—apparently, only one out of ten Kenyans actually go to court to resolve their legal issues, mostly because they don’t understand the process or can’t afford a lawyer. But with Wakili, all that changes. It’s like having a virtual legal assistant who knows all the laws of the country and can guide you through any legal issue. It’s already making a difference—within a week of launching, Wakili had over 2,800 user engagements. Requests vary from personal matters to business contracts. Some lawyers may be sceptical of AI taking over their jobs, but others are embracing the technology, saying it actually helps them do their jobs more efficiently.
The Ruki River: The Darkest River In The World
When researchers stumbled upon the Ruki River, they couldn't believe their eyes. This tributary of the Congo River is so dark you can't even see your hand in front of your face. Forget about finding your missing phone in there. It's so dark that it puts the famous Rio Negro in the Amazon to shame. But why is it so dark, you ask? Well, the Ruki is full of dissolved organic material from all the dead jungle vegetation that gets washed into during the rainy season. It's like a giant cup of jungle tea. The river floods its surrounding forest and slowly retreats, leaving behind all those tasty organic compounds—no wonder it's so dark and mysterious.
Food for Thought
"Those who end up accomplishing great things pay attention to little ones."
— Malian Proverb