An endoscope was used to film inside the 9m-long space, whose purpose is still unknown.

Ferdinand Omondi
BBC News, Nairobi

Image source, Getty Images

Kenya’s President William Ruto and opposition leader Raila Odinga have united in their criticism of last week’s Supreme Court ruling which allows the LGBT community to register lobby groups in Kenya.

President Ruto has sworn that he will never allow gay marriage in Kenya, which he said "goes against the country’s cultures and religious beliefs".

It’s the latest and highest-profile attack on the judgement, which many have wrongly suggested gives the LGBT community freedom to get married in Kenya.

Last Friday, the Supreme Court ruled that the decision of Kenya’s NGO board to decline the registration of the National Gays and Lesbians Human Rights Commission - or any other group with the words gay and lesbian in it, was unconstitutional.

The court said that denying the group registration purely on the basis of their sexuality was a violation of their constitutional rights to association and freedom from discrimination.

However since then, there has been outrage from the public, parliament, the religious community, powerful state officers including the speaker of the national assembly, and now the president himself.

On Wednesday parliament discussed the judgement at length, and many members who spoke wondered why the court had made the judgement to grant freedom of association to what they described as an illegality.

Kenya’s constitution only provides for marriage between members of the opposite sex, while the penal code punishes sex "against the order of nature" with up to 14 years imprisonment.

These are the provisions upon which Kenya’s legislators have faulted the judgement.

On Thursday, Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua said registering a group which fights for the rights of gay people to get married was an attempt to legitimise LGBT actions in Kenya, which was against the country's way of life.

President Ruto - to cheers from the crowd - suggested there was a campaign by foreigners to introduce "alien practices" in the country, which he swore not to allow in Kenya.

And opposition leader Mr Odinga has also been quoted as saying that it was not the role of the judiciary to make laws.

In recent weeks, there has been escalating anti-gay sentiment in Kenya and the region, with hundreds of hostile social media posts drowning out any attempts to balance the discussion.

On the day of the judgement, Kenyan legislator Peter Kaluma filed an official notice seeking to amend the law to give life imprisonment to people convicted of homosexuality or the promotion of it.

Will Ross
Africa editor, BBC World Service

Image source, Reuters

One of the losing candidates in Nigeria's presidential election, Peter Obi, has reiterated his criticism of the poll.

He said people had been robbed at the ballot box and pledged to prove through the courts that he had won.

"We won the election and we will prove it to Nigerians," Mr Obi said at a news conference in Abuja.

The Labour Party candidate got 25% of the votes -- behind Atiku Abubakar and the winner Bola Tinubu, who got 37%.

Mr Obi's campaign was especially popular with young Nigerians, many of whom feel let down by the two parties that have dominated the political scene.

He has urged his supporters to be calm and peaceful and await the court ruling.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

A member of the Egypt's presidential pardon committee says 33 detainees have been released.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday, MP Tarek Elawady listed the names of those released which included journalists and activists such as Ziad Abu el-Fadl and Ahmed Mohamed Allam.

Mr El-Fadl was a member of the unregistered Bread and Freedom democratic party and was arrested in 2019 and faced charges of spreading false news and misusing social media.

Mr Allam was also imprisoned in 2020 over similar charges.

On the same day, the privately owned Mada Masr website - which often relays stances critical of the government - reported that the UN human rights committee concluded a two-day session assessing Egypt's commitment to international conventions on political and civil rights.

The website said the meeting was held for the first time since 2002, noting that it was attended by representatives from the government and local and global rights organisations.

The committee is set to submit its notes and recommendations to the Egyptian government towards the end of its term on 24 March, Mada Masr added.

The presidential pardon committee resumed its work in April upon orders of the Egyptian president, who also launched at the same time a "national dialogue" which he said would include all the country's political parties, except for the banned Muslim Brotherhood group.

Egyptian authorities have since released several opposition members and journalists from prison in successive batches, none of which included known members of the Brotherhood.

Image source, AFP

President Yoweri Museveni on Wednesday said he recently spoke to his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky about food security in Africa.

Mr Museveni was fielding questions from journalists at a press conference at the Uganda-South Africa investment forum in held in Pretoria.

"Our talks were exploratory... but what I told him was that Uganda has no food problem... but this is not the case with other countries... so still the problem remains," he said during the press conference aired by South Africa's state-run television SABC.

"But I wanted him to know that there are some African countries which are strong economically."

The two leaders held a telephone conversation on 22 February in which they talked about the potential for developing bilateral relations.

Fuel and food prices have skyrocketed around the world since February last year when Russia invaded Ukraine.

Africa is heavily dependent on grain supplies from the two countries that together account for about 29% of global wheat exports.

Uganda has continued to state its neutrality over the Ukraine-Russia war.

A day after Mr Museveni's phone conversation with Mr Zelensky, Uganda abstained during a UN vote that called for Russia to end hostilities in Ukraine and withdraw its forces.

Peter Jegwa
Lilongwe, Malawi

An adviser and key ally of Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera has announced he is stepping down from his two positions due to concerns over corruption in government.

Maurice Munthali said he was quitting from his two positions as the president's special adviser on peace, reconciliation and national unity and as the spokesman for the governing Malawi Congress Party (MCP).

In two separate letters, he said he was resigning from the positions after deeply and prayerfully reflecting on his role in a “governance atmosphere marred by persistent corruption allegations and scandals”.

Mr Chakwera was elected as president in June 2020 promising to fight corruption when his party led an alliance of nine political parties that defeated former president Peter Mutharika.

His tenure has, however, been tainted by numerous corruption scandals, which have seen several senior officials of his administration, some very close to him, being indicted.

Mr Munthali accused the MCP of failing to provide “the type of leadership and direction that would meet the hopes of all Malawians for a better life”.

Early this month, Kamuzu Chibambo, the president of one of the nine parties in the governing alliance also announced his party’s withdrawal from the alliance over allegations of corruption.

Within days of his resignation, a member of Mr Chakwera's youth wing, Emmanuel Mwanyongo, announced he was leaving the party as well as his role as a board member for the National Youth Council of Malawi.

Mr Mwanyongo had been seen by many as a rising star in the party.

President Chakwera has not commented on Wednesday’s resignation, but his party issued a statement in which it said it was “saddened” by the development.

It added that the former party spokesman should take any evidence he may have to institutions involved in the fight against graft.

Viola Fletcher and Hughes Van Ellis visited Ghana in 2021 to mark 100 years since the Tulsa massacre.

Image source, AFP

Mauritanian President Mohamed Ahmed Ould Ghazouani says his government has no plans to invite mercenaries from Russia's Wagner group to help in the fight against Islamist insurgents.

Countries in the Sahel region, including Mauritania's neighbour Mali, are using fighters from the shadowy private military company to fight a Jihadist insurgency that has left thousands dead.

"It's simply not the case... we are a sovereign country and will remain so," Mr Ghazouani told the BBC's Caroline Loyer.

He also denied being approached by the Wagner group, but said he would not judge neighbouring countries with ties to the group.

"We hope that these partnerships are effective and that if the aims are achieved that it is done with respect to human rights," he said.

President Saied was condemned for his comments about illegal migrants from sub-Saharan Africa.

BBC Monitoring
The world through its media

Image source, AFP

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has defended his government's decision to terminate the operations of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in the country.

He was responding to a journalist questioning Uganda's decision to close OHCHR operations, during a press conference at the Uganda-South Africa investment forum in Pretoria on Wednesday.

"This is because we have Ugandan Human Rights Commission which is mandated by the constitution. So having others which are not part of our constitution system is first of all unnecessary, but also diversionary," Mr Museveni said during conference aired by South Africa's state-run television SABC.

"Instead of going to report to where action can be taken, they go to the UN. What can UN do in Uganda? They don't have the powers of enforcement," he added

On 3 February, Uganda's foreign ministry announced that the government would not renew the mandate of the OCHCR, which was set to expire at the end of March.

In a letter to the OHCHR head office, the ministry stated that Uganda had developed the capacity to monitor, promote and protect human rights without external support.

Rights activists and campaigners have condemned Uganda's decision to shut down the UN office, describing it as "shameful".

Critics view the move as a reflection of the government's response to the increasing scrutiny over abuses such as torture, forced disappearances, abductions, detentions without trial and re-arrests of persons legally released by the courts.

Yasine Mohabuth
Port Louis, Mauritius

Image source, Getty Images

At least 17 passengers have been injured, two of them seriously, after a Condor Airlines flight from Frankfurt, Germany, to Mauritius was hit by severe turbulence.

The plane was caught in the severe turbulence while flying near Madagascar, two hours before its scheduled landing in Mauritius.

Footage of the plane's interior showed damages.

There were 270 passengers on board Flight DE 2314 during the incident on Thursday, according to Mauritius police.

It managed to make an emergency landing at Mauritius international airport at around 06:40 local time (02:40GMT), police said.

An emergency team evacuated the injured passengers to the nearest hospital.

“According to initial information, the incident occurred in mid-flight near Madagascar," said Inspector Shiva Coothen of the Mauritius police press office.

“The authorities are waiting for the captain's report to establish the circumstances surrounding this incident,” he added.

Mauritius was last week hit by Cyclone Freddy that saw flights grounded. Much of the southern Africa region has been experiencing heavy rains in recent weeks.

Dorcas Wangira
BBC News, Madagascar

Image source, Reuters

At least 14 people have died, seven in Madagascar and seven in Mozambique following a tropical cyclone.

The number of people affected by Cyclone Freddy has also risen to 383,000, that includes 226,000 in Madagascar and more than 163,300 in Mozambique, according to the latest UN situation report, external.

“Even though the intensity of Cyclone Freddy was not as much as we expected, hundreds of thousands of people are in need of humanitarian assistance. Recovery will take months,” Pasqualina Di Sirio, the World Food Programme's representative in Madagascar told the BBC.

Flooding is unlikely in south-eastern Zimbabwe as cyclone Freddy did not extend as far inland as previously forecasted.

Image source, Reuters

Tunisia tennis star Ons Jabeur on Wednesday posted a tweet against “discrimination” calling for “the right of everyone to live with dignity".

It came a week after President Kais Saied called for a crackdown on sub-Saharan African migrants, which has sparked mass repatriations and attracted global criticism.

Jabeur shared a picture of a Tunisian stamp from 1961 celebrating Africa Day.

President Saied last week said that illegal migration from sub-Saharan Africa was causing “demographic” changes in the country, and accused migrants of being behind rising crime.

He said those who were there illegally would not be allowed to stay.

His remarks were criticised by rights group as racist but the president said those accusing him were seeking to sow discord with Tunisia’s neighbours.

Dozens of Guineans and Ivorians have sought refuge in their countries' embassies and some have reported being physically assaulted following the president’s remarks.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has congratulated Nigeria President-elect Bola Tinubu on his election win.

"I look forward to working together to grow our security and trade ties, opening up opportunities for businesses and creating prosperity in both our countries," Mr Sunak said in a tweet.

Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu visited outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday evening in his first engagement since winning the presidency in the elections.

Mr Tinubu "personally thanked the president for his efforts and commitment to ensure a free, fair and credible election", according to a presidential aide.

The president-elect was accompanied by Vice-President-elect Kashim Shettima during the visit.

In a tweet, President Buhari described the pair as "two men who are true believers in Nigeria and genuinely committed to progress and development".

Karim Keita, 19, is hoping to represent his father's country - Senegal - in street skateboarding.

Image source, AFP

The US has congratulated Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu and citizens following the just-concluded general elections.

"This competitive election represents a new period for Nigerian politics and democracy," US State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, external.

The State Department however acknowledged the frustration among some Nigerians and parties regarding the way the elections were conducted amid technical problems that have fuelled accusations of fraud.

It called on the electoral body to improve on the highlighted issues before the 11 March gubernatorial elections, noting that Nigerians were right to expect them to do better.

The US also urged all parties to avoid “violence or inflammatory rhetoric at this critical time” and seek to resolve any disputes through legal channels.

Mr Tinubu, 70, was declared the winner of the 25 February election with 37% of the vote on Wednesday but opposition parties have disputed the results.

The Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who finished third in the elections, has promised to challenge the results in court.

Tracy Bircham
BBC World Service News

Ornithologists are celebrating the rediscovery of the dusky tetraka - an olive coloured, yellow-throated songbird native to Madagascar - that was last seen in 1999 and was feared extinct.

The bird was once on the Top 10 most wanted "lost birds" list after eluding scientists for 24 years.

Now three of the rare ground-dwelling songbirds have been sighted in recent weeks, during an expedition into the remote rainforests of north-east Madagascar.

Excited ornithologists say the discovery may cause a rewriting of text books, as the birds were seen on rocky banks by mountain streams - not previously thought to be its natural habitat.

Scientists say this may explain why they haven't been seen, or indeed heard for so long, as the sound of rushing water would have drowned out the bird's calls.

The expedition team found them in two separate locations, on the Masoala peninsula and near Andapa.

Image source, Justice for Greenwood Foundation

Two survivors of the 1921 massacre of black people in the US city of Tulsa have been granted citizenship of Ghana, according to the Justice for Greenwood Foundation, external.

Viola Ford Fletcher, 108 and her brother Hughes Van Ellis, 102, became the oldest African Americans to be granted Ghanaian citizenship.

They are two of three living survivors of the massacre that claimed up to 300 African-American lives.

About 300 Black residents of the prosperous Greenwood town then known as "Black Wall Street" in Tulsa, Oklahoma, were murdered and their businesses and homes destroyed by a mob of white people.

Viola Fletcher, known as Mother Fletcher and her brother Van Ellis, known as "Uncle Red" visited Ghana in August 2021 as part of a week-long tour of Africa to mark the centenary of the killings, known as the Tulsa Race Massacre.

Image source, Justice for Greenwood Foundation

Articles critical of powerful African oil lobbyists are being targeted by false copyright claims.