Focus on Africa

We look at what’s behind the coordinated attacks in Mali by the Azawad Liberation Front and JNIM, which are raising fresh questions about how much control the military-led government really has and whether its alliance with Russia’s Africa Corps is making a meaningful difference in tackling insecurity.
At the same time, condom prices could rise by up to 30%, a growing concern for African countries that rely on imports and shrinking aid. Experts warn this could affect HIV prevention across the continent.
Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producer: Ayuba Iliya and Chiamaka Dike
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

Tanzania is under growing scrutiny after a government report revealed there were 518 deaths during the October 2025 elections. The report says 197 of those killed died from gunshot wounds.
However, the report doesn’t say who was responsible for the deaths, recommending further investigations. We unpack what it means and what comes next.
Plus, in Zimbabwe, we hear how one woman is turning personal pain into purpose by building a support network for families raising children born with cleft lip and palate, helping them access care and challenge stigma.
Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

One testing centre in Nigeria told the Focus on Africa Podcast that the number of paternity tests it conducted rose by 28.8% in 2025 compared to the previous year. Focus on Africa Podcast host Nkechi Ogbonna spoke to Peter Ngumba, a lab technologist in Kenya who, through his work conducting DNA tests, decided to test the paternity of his own two children.

Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Fana Negash, Carolyne Kiambo Jotham, Chiamaka Dike, Keikantse Shumba and Basma El Atti
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Priya Sippy

In Madagascar, the arrest of Gen Z protesters is fuelling growing doubts about the military leadership that emerged after the 2025 uprising, as young activists question whether anything has truly changed. Elsewhere on the continent, a new report reveals a deepening economic squeeze: African countries are now paying nearly twice as much to borrow as they did in 2020, as shrinking aid forces governments to rely more heavily on costly debt.
Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producers: Chiamaka Dike and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla

A major gas pipeline is being planned from Nigeria to Morocco, running along the Atlantic coast through countries including Ghana and Senegal, before potentially linking up to Europe. The $25 billion project is aimed at boosting energy access across West Africa, but it is still awaiting a final green light, expected later this year.
Also, Masai giraffe numbers have fallen by more than half in the past 30 years. Now, scientists in Tanzania are using artificial intelligence to track the species more quickly, offering new hope for their recovery.
Presenter : Charles Gitonga
Producer: Chiamaka Dike
Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru
Senior Producers: Blessing Aderogba and Keikantse Shumba
Editors: Priyanka Sippy and Maryam Abdalla