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In this episode of Bad Natives Podcast, we dive into the paradox at the heart of modern African politics: the rise of democratic dictators — leaders who speak the language of reform while quietly redrawing the rules of freedom.

From Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan, whose early charm offensive promised openness after Magufuli’s era but now faces mounting scrutiny for tightening political space, to Uganda’s Yoweri Museveni, the region’s eternal patriarch, and Rwanda’s Paul Kagame, the technocrat-king who swapped term limits for efficiency — the story feels eerily familiar.

They all wear the clothes of democracy: elections, parliaments, press briefings.
But beneath the fabric, the seams of control are stitched tight.

In Tanzania’s most recent elections, questions linger over party dominance, restricted opposition rallies, and a carefully managed narrative of peace. Samia’s “listening leadership” has, in parts, begun to sound more like “strategic silence.” Yet, she remains a fascinating case: the first woman to lead Tanzania, balancing diplomacy abroad with caution at home — a symbol of what’s possible and a warning of how quickly hope is domesticated by power.

Across Africa, it’s the same old script, but with glossier cameras and better Wi-Fi.
In Zimbabwe, Mnangagwa’s regime performs elections as ritual theatre — predictable yet necessary for legitimacy.
In Cameroon, Biya governs like a ghost king, outlasting generations.
And in Kenya, power changes hands but not habits — recycled faces in new suits, promising “new dawns” that look suspiciously like yesterday’s dusk.

But here’s the twist: Africa’s youth are no longer watching quietly.
From the #EndSARS protests in Nigeria to the Gen Z tax revolts in Kenya, and from Sudan’s street defiance to diaspora-led digital dissent — the rebellion is here, raw and unfinished. Some fight with placards, others with passports. Some are building new institutions; others are burning the old ones to the ground.

And so we ask:
Can democracy survive its democrats?