A radio presenter in Uganda is holding a mock ceremony to marry a friend later on Friday – the catch is that guests have to pay to attend as it is to help raise money for Ugandan writer Lulu Jemimah to go to Oxford University.

Ms Jemimah, 32, hit the headlines a few weeks ago when she married herself – to make the point that in her mind it was preferable to further her education rather than settle down into married life.

She told the BBC Newsday programme that she had been under pressure from her parents to get married instead.

News of the singleton's wedding prompted radio show host Siima K K Sabiti to joke with friend Bernard Mukasa that they should marry to get people off their backs too.

This led to plans for a massive wedding party with tickets going towards Ms Jemimah’s crowdfunding efforts to raise £10,000 ($12,000) to do a masters degree in creative writing at Oxford University in the UK.

“We’re hoping to make a difference – we’re in a Uganda shilling economy, Lulu’s got to raise her fees in pounds. I’m feeling positive that we can make some contribution to helping her finish her degree," Ms Sabiti told the BBC.

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Welcome back to BBC Africa Live where we'll be bringing you the latest news and views from across the continent.

Kenya-based cartoonist Victor Ndula has just tweeted his take on what he says is a "breath of fresh air in African leadership" coming from Ethiopia, where MPs on Thursday appointed Sahle-Work Zewde to the ceremonial role of president - a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken up by women:

BBC Africa Live
Natasha Booty

That's all from BBC Africa Live for now. You can keep up-to-date with what's happening across the continent by listening to the Africa Today podcast or checking the BBC News website.

A reminder of Thursday's wise words:

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And we leave you with this photo of Cameroonian travel blogger Lee Litumbe:

Ethiopian runner Feyisa Lilesa, famous for his protest at the Rio Olympics in 2016, has spoken to the BBC after returning home from self-imposed exile in the US.

The marathon runner first hit the headlines when he crossed the line in second place at Rio with his arms above his head in solidarity with protesters from Ethiopia's ethnic Oromo population, who were suffering a brutal crackdown from the government.

"While I was in exile I thought of my people's struggle day and night," he told the BBC.

The silver medallist's return has been made possible following the appointment of new Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. Mr Ahmed, the country's first Oromo head of state, has brought in sweeping reforms since coming to power in April.

Watch Feyisa's interview here:

Favour Nunoo
BBC Pidgin

Image source, Kwesi Debrah

The Ghanaian government has dissolved the governing council of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Knust) following violent protests on Monday.

A seven-member interim committee has been appointed to manage the affairs of the university and directed to re-open the university within 14 days for academic work to resume.

The trouble started at Knust, which is in Ghana’s second largest city of Kumasi, last Friday night.

Eleven students were arrested by police after taking part in their usual end-of-week party, known as a jamboree, which the university authorities had recently banned.

Monday's planned peaceful protests turned violent resulting in the indefinite closure of the university on Tuesday.

The interim committee has been given three months to manage Knust's affairs and return it to normalcy.

There have been calls for the vice-chancellor of the university to be sacked, but authorities say he will remain in office until the interim committee decides otherwise.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

The government of South Sudan has released five political detainees and prisoners of war, including a former governor and a rebel commander.

The release of all such prisoners was part of a peace deal signed last month by President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader Riek Machar.

Around four million people have been displaced by the five-year civil war.

Mr Machar is due to be reinstated as a vice-president but he remains in exile.

He says he will only attend next week's peace celebrations if a state of emergency is lifted, political parties are all allowed to operate and any political detainees and prisoners of war are freed. Several remain in detention.

See earlier post: 'I have nothing to fear and Machar is safe' - Kiir

BBC World Service

Image source, Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities

Archaeologists in Egypt say they have discovered parts of a booth with a seat that they believe was used by a pharaoh more than 3,000 years ago.

The structure, unearthed in eastern Cairo, is thought to have belonged to one of ancient Egypt's most famous rulers, Ramses the Great.

It is thought he would have used the seat during festivals.

Umaru Fofana
BBC Africa, Freetown

A housemate in Sierra Leone’s first ever reality show is causing a sensation.

Known by her nickname China Nicky, the winner of television series Big Sister is being talked about across Sierra Leone’s offices, bars, restaurants, transports and classrooms.

During her street parade celebrating her victory, thousands lined the streets waving to her. Speaking to the BBC afterwards, she said:

She says the fact that some contestants and viewers have mocked her lack of education has only made her more determined to learn, having dropped out of school as a child after her parents died:

Yasine Mohabuth
BBC Sport, Mauritius

Image source, Getty Images

Former Manchester United youth coach Francisco Filho has been sacked as the head coach of Mauritius after 15 months in charge.

Local coach Akbar Patel returns to take over for a fourth stint in charge of the national team.

Despite winning just three games out of 13, the Brazilian was not sacked due to results alone, the country's sports minister Stephan Toussaint said.

"It is not a question whether we are satisfied or not of his performance but rather I think the formula used for Mr Filho doesn't work", Toussaint told BBC Sport.

"It is a fact that he spent most of his time abroad and we cannot have a coach on a part-time basis - that's not being really serious."

• Click here to read more

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

The mayor of Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, has forbidden restaurants along the beachfront from opening beyond midnight.

The Lido beach restaurants turn into clubs at night and have been staying open 24 hours a day.

Mayor Abdirahman Abdi Osman said they were promoting immoral behaviour and were attracting drug traffickers and sex workers.

Elders and religious leaders have also been expressing concern about the night life there.

The beach's popularity in recent years has been viewed as a sign of improved security in Mogadishu.

But the Islamist militant group, al-Shabab, has targeted the area before - killing 20 people at the beach during an attack in 2016.

Kennedy Gondwe
BBC News, Lusaka

Image source, General Kanene/Facebook

Police in Zambia have detained popular and controversial musician Clifford Dimba for alleged indecent assault.

Dimba, whose stage name is General Kanene, is not new to such controversy.

He was jailed in 2014 for having sex with an underage girl and sentenced to serve 18 years.

But President Edgar Lungu pardoned Dimba in July 2015 and appointed him as an ambassador against gender-based violence. This appointment was withdrawn after widespread condemnation by both local and international activists.

In his latest alleged transgression Dimba is accused of having continuously touched a woman’s breasts against her wishes, according to police spokesperson Esther Katongo.

Tomi Oladipo
BBC Africa security correspondent

Image source, AFP

South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir says he has nothing to fear if he were to be charged with crimes against humanity for alleged atrocities carried out by his troops during the country’s civil war.

Speaking to a Kenyan TV station, Mr Kiir said he had done nothing wrong, despite accusations from the UN that his officials may be responsible for the mass murder and rape of civilians and the recruitment of child soldiers.

Mr Kiir insisted he had no involvement in any atrocities and said the claims against him were brought by external forces who had an agenda against his government.

He said if he were to face charges at the International Criminal Court, he would go to The Hague and then return a free man.

He added that there was no proof that his soldiers had committed any crimes. And even if that was the case, he said, those would have been carried out by isolated individuals.

President Kiir said he would also welcome his rival and recently-reinstated Vice-President Riek Machar back to the capital, Juba, assuring him of his safety.

Mr Machar has been in exile since 2016 and despite a peace agreement, says he will only return if the state of emergency is lifted and if opposition movements are allowed to operate freely.

Pangolins are the world's only scaly mammal.

All eight species are endangered from being hunted for their scales and meat.

They are seen as delicacies in parts of Asia and Africa.

Find our more from our colleagues at BBC What's New?, external- the newly launched African news programme for children:

Shingai Nyoka
BBC Africa, Harare

Image source, Alamy

Zimbabwean police say they have arrested 170 black market money dealers in a campaign against currency trading which they say has caused the prices of imported goods to rise.

It comes days after the central bank suspended four top directors alleged to be involved in black market trading.

A young communication strategist hired by the finance minister exposed the central bank's alleged involvement in the currency black market shortly after his appointment.

But within three days William Mutumanje, known as Acie Lumumba, was fired and his appropriateness for the role questioned.

Mr Mutumanje had claimed there was a rift between Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangawa and his Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga.

He also threatened to expose a businessman allegedly financing the government who he said was behind major cartels.

The question remains whether this is the first real attempt to clean up black market trading, or whether Mr Mutumanje was being used to settle scores between former allies.

Read more: Zimbabwe currency crisis: No cash, no bread, no KFC

Jonathan Paye-Layleh
BBC Africa, Monrovia

Image source, AFP

Liberia's President George Weah has announced the dropping of tuition fees for undergraduate students at state universities and colleges.

The students will, however, have to pay other fees associated with their studies.

Speaking at the University of Liberia campus on Wednesday, Mr Weah said that as president the least he could do is to give Liberian students an education.

There are only two state-run universities in Liberia, and another five state-run higher education institutions which are a mix of rural and community colleges.

University of Liberia students had recently been active in protests calling on the government to account for the disappearance of $100m-worth (£76m) of newly printed bank notes intended for the central bank.

Image source, Joy Labinjo/Tiwani Contemporary Gallery

Artist Joy Labinjo says her focus on belonging, identity and culture was spurred on by the discovery of old family photo albums she'd assembled at the age of 10.

A solo exhibition of the 24-year-old British-Nigerian's large-scale paintings in London is about to open, plus she will be exhibiting her work at West Africa's biggest art fair, ART X Lagos.

She tells BBC Newsday's Shaimaa Khalil that the West's interest in African and black British culture is inconsistent:

Ethiopian members of parliament have elected Ambassador Sahlework Zewde as the county's new president.

This comes after they accepted the resignation of the outgoing President, Mulatu Teshome.

Ms Sahlework is Ethiopia's first female president, a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet that was 50% female.

In Ethiopia's constitution, the prime minister holds the political power and the president is a figurehead.

BBC World Service

University students in South Africa say they have created new environmentally-friendly bricks using human urine.

The students from Cape Town combined urine collected from men's toilets with sand and bacteria - in a process that allows the bricks to solidify naturally at room temperature.

They say an enzyme in the mixture breaks down the urine to produce calcium carbonate - a key component of limestone - which binds the other materials together.

Regular bricks need to be baked in high-temperature kilns, that produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.

Image source, Robyn Walker/UCT

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