Kenya   

Ruto Unveils Prison Service Welfare Reforms, Salary Hikes, and 28,000 Housing Units   

President William Ruto announced major welfare reforms for the Kenya Prison Service at a February 26 pass-out parade, including the third phase of salary increments effective July 1, 2026, with entry pay for prison constables up 36 per cent under the Maraga Taskforce recommendations. He directed the construction of 28,000 institutional housing units and emphasised welfare, health coverage expansion and morale improvements for officers. The reforms aim to address long-standing service concerns and are seen within broader fiscal and political positioning ahead of the 2027 general elections.   

(Source: The Star)   

Uganda   

Uganda Plans Food and Agricultural Regulatory Authority to Strengthen Quality Standards   

Government officials in Uganda have unveiled plans to establish a Food and Agricultural Regulatory Authority to oversee and improve food quality standards, particularly in the wake of gaps following agency rationalisation. The proposal was disclosed on February 24 by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries during Parliamentary hearings on sector shortcomings highlighted in the Auditor General’s report. Lawmakers raised concerns over quality failures in coffee and other products, pushing for unified regulatory oversight across the food and agriculture value chain. The new authority is intended to enhance compliance with quality benchmarks, mitigate contamination risks, and improve export competitiveness.   

(Source: Business Focus)   

Tanzania    

Public Procurement Authority Blocks 43 Tenders Worth TZS 586 billion Over Capacity Concerns  

Tanzania’s Public Procurement Appeals Authority has blocked the award of 43 public tenders valued at over TZS 586 billion after determining that the bidders lacked the required financial and technical capacity to execute the contracts, in a decisive move to protect public funds and ensure value for money in procurement processes. The authority’s intervention was announced in Dodoma on February 25 and reflects strengthening oversight in the public procurement system under the current administration. Officials said blocking unqualified firms aims to safeguard taxpayer resources, reinforce procedural fairness, and enhance the credibility of strategic development projects.   

(Source: Daily News)   

Rwanda    

Rwanda Receives 164 Evacuees from Libya Under UN Emergency Transit Mechanism  

On February 25–26, Rwanda received approximately 164 asylum seekers evacuated from Libya under the ongoing Emergency Transit Mechanism, operated in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The group touched down in Kigali and was transferred to the Gashora transit centre in Bugesera District for temporary reception, protection, and processing. The majority (143) are Sudanese, with 19 Eritreans and one each from Ethiopia and South Sudan, reflecting urgent humanitarian needs among those stranded in Libya. Since the programme’s inception in 2019, Rwanda has welcomed approximately 2,924 evacuees, of whom about 2,585 have already moved on to resettlement in third countries. The latest flight underscores Kigali’s sustained role in coordinated international efforts to protect refugees.   

(Source: English News)   

Somalia    

Election Talks Collapse Amid Disputes Over Voting System and Constitutional Changes  

Election negotiations between Somalia’s Federal Government and the Somali Future Council collapsed this week amid disputes over proposed constitutional amendments and the electoral model, with neither side agreeing on one-person-one-vote versus traditional systems. Talks, reported through February 24, have faltered over unilateral changes and fundamental electoral disagreements, prompting concern from international partners about the impending expiry of federal mandates in May 2026 and the risk of a political stalemate.   

(Source: Somali Guardian)   

Ethiopia  

Ethiopian Media Authority Revokes Addis Standard Registration, Sparking Rights Concerns   

The Ethiopian Media Authority revoked the media registration of independent outlet Addis Standard on February 24, citing alleged violations of media ethics and harm to national interests, a claim rejected by the outlet’s leadership. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, condemned the move as part of a broader trend of press restrictions ahead of national elections, warning that it undermines independent media space in one of Africa’s largest countries.   

(Source: All Africa)