Africa Daily

“We don’t have clear legislation (for) the carbon market that can guarantee the rights of local communities and indigenous people.”

The Congo Basin forest is known as the “lungs of Africa” because of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide – around 1.5 billion tons each year.

It also provides food and income for indigenous and local populations in the six countries it spans.

And this week, at the COP 29 climate conference, it’s being discussed as an example of a carbon sink which can help the world prevent further global warming – and be part of global carbon credit trading.

Presenter: Alan @Kasujja

“I ask myself, where will I be after graduating? And looking at ownership of a house, it seems like a farfetched dream that could never materialize” – First time Namibian voter Rivaldo Kanongo Kavanga

In today's Africa Daily, Alan Kasujja speaks to people in Namibia about whether this election will address the question of land reform.

Eritrea is the worst place to work as a journalist in the world and is one of the most repressive countries on press freedom.

“You should not put too much expectation on your young ones, especially those from a humble background. They have their own lives to live.” Femi Olayanju.

“Parents put themselves on hunger strike so they can abolish poverty from their families. And then this child grows up and comes back to say ‘I’m sorry I can’t take care of you’. That’s insensitive.” Abosede Sodiq

In 2018, Nigeria passed the Not Too Young to Run bill, opening doors for younger candidates by lowering the age limits to hold office. This movement was meant to bring a shift, a break from the old ways of using power. But did it?

Last month Nigerian MP Alex Ikwechegh, was caught slapping and intimidating a taxi driver who had delivered food to his house. Ikwechegh, aged 42, is one of Nigeria’s youngest MPs, he was brought to office by the Not Too Young to Run movement. The taxi driver filmed the incident and the video went viral, sparking outrage.

Many Nigerians hoped younger leaders would leave behind the misuse of power and bad behaviour seen in politicians in the past.

In today’s Africa Daily Alan Kasujja looks at the controversy and the questions incidents like this raise for young politicians in Africa.

Huldah Momanyi Hiltsley has just made history.

She’s become the first Kenyan-born woman to be elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives.

Moving from Kisii in Kenya to the US Huldah faced challenges, including navigating the immigration system to prevent her family’s deportation.

Amid Donald Trump’s re-election as the 47th president, she is focused on amplifying minority voices and empowering immigrant communities.

She joins trailblazers like Somali-born Ilhan Omar, in reshaping the political landscape.

BBC Africa Daily’s Alan Kasujja explores her motivations, challenges and the growing influence of African women in US politics.

“If you’re poor in Kinshasa, you are going to stay single, even to the day you die.”

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, it’s traditional for a man to pay a dowry to the family of the woman he wants to marry. But in recent years the cost has spiralled – with some parents asking for thousands of pounds, or even items like flat-screen TVs.

And there are also fees to be paid by those wanting to get legally married after their first traditional marriage.

The rising expense has meant many couples are choosing not to get married at all – leading churches and the government to launch a campaign last year called ‘projet marriage’ in an effort to encourage people to tie the knot.

It’s involved some mass-weddings to help those who otherwise couldn’t afford to marry, and the government is trying to push a bill through parliament to place a limit on fees and dowries.

For Africa Daily, Sara Menai speaks to one of the couples who got married in a mass wedding this summer, and Léonnie Kandolo, Minister of Gender, Family and Children, who says marriage is vital for protecting the interests of women.

Producer: Njoroge Muigai

The COP 29 climate summit has been christened the finance COP - and negotiators will seek to agree on a new goal for how much money richer countries should be paying to poorer countries to help them adapt to climate change.

A new fund to be known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) is replacing the $100 billion a year fund which was meant to have been paid out from 2009 to 2022 but which hardly took off.

Producer: Peter Musembi.

“Women are getting more empowered to know their rights… the law is there, violence is a crime, but following through and reporting is also a problem because of the way we are brought up to think that women are supposed to be subservient and bear it all.”

Martha Koome describes herself as a defender and advocate for women’s and children’s rights, and in 2020, she was runner-up for the ‘United Nations Person of the Year’, in recognition for her work in this field.

Today on the podcast, Alan Kasujja discusses these criticisms, her plans for courts across Kenya specialising in gender-based violence, and asks how a girl who grew up in a family of eighteen in rural Kenya ended up as one of the country’s most powerful women.

“Tug at my jacket – tell me what needs to be done.”

Later today, Botswana’s newly-elected president, Duma Boko, will be inaugurated in Gaborone – but he still found time this week for a discussion of his agenda with Africa Daily’s Mpho Lakaje.

In a wide ranging discussion he talks about signing a new deal with global diamond giant De Beers, how he wants to help people to become entrepreneurs, and why he wants to grant permits to undocumented Zimbabweans to make the system more ‘orderly’ and to allow Batswana to acquire more skills.

He also argues that politicians need to be more accessible if they are to do their jobs.