Basillioh Rukanga

Firefighters and emergency services are battling a major blaze at Libya’s Zawiya oil refinery after a drone strike hit a tank containing about 4.5 million litres of fuel. The tank collapsed, but authorities reported no serious injuries, with most patients treated for smoke inhalation. The National Oil Corporation condemned a series of recent attacks, warned it may suspend operations if they continue, and called for an investigation. The incidents underscore Libya’s continuing instability and the rivalry between the eastern power centre backed by Khalifa Haftar and the western administration led by Prime Minister Abdulhamid Dbeibah.

Somalia warns that WhatsApp’s plan to introduce user names instead of phone‑number‑based identification could obstruct efforts to track criminals and combat al‑Shabaab, citing risks to financial security and mobile‑money systems. The communications minister urges Meta to ensure the feature does not weaken law‑enforcement capabilities, while WhatsApp maintains that phone numbers are still required and security safeguards exist. India has raised similar concerns, as experts debate the balance between user privacy and national security.

A growing number of Kenyan men, particularly among the Kikuyu, are adopting or retaining their mothers' surnames, challenging traditional patriarchal norms that assign family names through the father. Some men make this choice to honor mothers who raised them alone, while others face stigma rooted in cultural expectations about lineage and inheritance. Public figures, musicians, and academics reflect on shifting social dynamics, the rise of single‑parent households, and evolving gender roles. Cultural experts note that maternal naming has historical roots and its resurgence highlights changing power structures and the expanding responsibilities of women in modern Kenyan society.

An increasing number of Kikuyu men in Kenya are adopting their mothers’ names as surnames, challenging longstanding patriarchal norms. Supporters view the change as recognition of women’s influence, especially in single‑parent families, while critics argue it undermines masculinity. Public figures, musicians and journalists describe motivations ranging from honouring their mothers to rejecting absent fathers, while cultural experts note the tension between modern realities and traditional inheritance practices. Despite ongoing stigma and debate, the trend reflects shifting gender roles and evolving social identities within Kikuyu society.

Ghana lodged a formal protest with South Africa after reports that Ghanaian migrant Bashiru Isak was killed during anti‑migrant protests in Cape Town, a claim South African authorities dispute. Police say they have no record of such a killing but are investigating the unrelated shooting of another Ghanaian man, Kwabena Boagen, in a separate township. South Africa criticised Ghana for spreading what it described as false information, while Ghana demanded a full investigation and urged protection for foreign nationals amid rising anti‑migrant sentiment and mass repatriations across the region.

A diplomatic dispute has arisen after Ghana claimed a Ghanaian migrant was killed during anti‑migrant protests in Cape Town, a link South African authorities deny. Ghana formally protested, demanding a transparent investigation, while South African officials insisted the reported killing in Khayelitsha did not occur and urged Ghana to provide evidence. Police confirmed a separate fatal shooting of another Ghanaian man in Nyanga linked to extortion, with no arrests yet made. The tensions come amid rising anti‑migrant sentiment in South Africa, mass repatriation of foreign nationals, and widespread protests that led to hundreds of arrests.