In Tanzania, the newspaper MwanaHALISI has been suspended for six months
In Tanzania, on August 19, 2026, the newspaper MwanaHALISI was suspended for six months after publishing a story claiming that the country’s vice president had resigned amid disagreements with the president. This was reported by The Rio Times in its weekly review of events in Africa.
The Rio Times notes that the government’s response was directed specifically at the publication itself, rather than at the claims made in the article. In neighboring Uganda, the outlets of the Nation Media Group—NTV Uganda, Spark TV, KFM, Dembe FM, and the Daily Monitor—resumed operations on July 30. They had been shut down for about a month after the army chief ordered their closure on June 28.
In Zambia, a legal challenge to the announced election results is ongoing. According to The Rio Times, doubts about the vote count have not been resolved, and the dispute has moved to the legal arena.
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On August 19, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu ordered the preparation of a National Threat Assessment and a five-year strategic plan for defense operations. A nine-member committee led by Major General Adeinka Famadeva is to submit both documents within 90 days.
In Kenya, Absa Group’s tender offer to buy out the shares of minority shareholders in Absa Bank Kenya received a 21.2% acceptance rate. As a result, the parent group’s stake rose from 68.5% to 71.99%, while the target was 85%.
Separately, Ecuador declared three days of national mourning following the deaths of Michele Sensi-Contugi, director general of the National Intelligence Service, and his wife in a helicopter crash near Mount Ololokwe in Samburu County, Kenya. The Eurocopter EC130 B4 crash occurred on August 19, killing all seven people on board. According to the U.S. State Department, five Americans were among the victims, including a Telemundo executive. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined; the investigation is being conducted by the Kenya Air Accidents Investigation Bureau.
