THE DEEP DIVE IS HERE!
Welcome to our first edition.
Hey everyone! We’re glad that you hit subscribe to receive our bi-weekly newsletter, “The Deep Dive”! There’s plenty we have to share in this and coming editions, but suffice to say that we are very humbled by the response to our call, and take it as a show of support for the work that we do. Take your time going through our first edition and tell us what you think in the comments section. We’re looking to keep on building this community and producing a Newsletter that you own. So, in the second edition of “The Deep Dive,” we’ll be asking you to join our newsroom for a one-hour chat with one or more of us. Here we’d like to hear your thoughts on what we can be covering. The conversation will be virtual, and we’ll share a reminder a few days before so you can register for it. That said, we really hope that you’ll walk this journey with us! Dive in!
John-Allan
THE ENEMY WITHIN
Tenderpreneurship and Kenya's Parliament
For almost two years, Africa Uncensored built a picture of the breadth of procurement fraud in the public sector. While the rot reaches far and wide, there is a consistent theme; politicians currently serving in Kenya’s National Assembly are positioning themselves to benefit handsomely from the public purse. The Africa Uncensored investigation shows how powerful elites have benefitted from funds meant for a widely popularized public health initiative.
Finance Uncovered Fellow and former Data editor at Africa Uncensored, Purity Mukami, teamed up with John-Allan Namu and Kira Zalan from the Organized crime, corruption and reporting project to unveil the tenderpreneurship of Kitui South Member of Parliament Rachel Kaki Nyamai and her family, going back to the year of Africa’s biggest health scare at the time: The Ebola Pandemic.
Article by: Purity Mukami, Kira Zalan and John-Allan Namu
https://pigafirimbi.africauncensored.online/hijacking-kenyas-health-spending/
BEHIND THE SCENES: THE PROFITEERS
Finding General Frank Matata
Our investigation into war profiteering in South Sudan called “The Profiteers” (not a super-imaginative name, but it got the job done) is among the more successful ones we’ve published at Africa Uncensored. Filmed by Sam Munia and Elijah Kanyi, the documentary which was reported and produced by John-Allan Namu, connected the raging war in South Sudan to plush homes and luxurious lifestyles of South Sudanese elites across East Africa. Frank Matata though, was a frontline profiteer; a war general who was selling teak and other hardwood growing in his region. He also represented South Sudan’s People Liberation Army – in opposition as its governor of the embattled Yei river state. Getting him to admit, on camera, that he was indeed in control of the area AND the trade was a nerve-wracking turning point in our investigation. It certainly left our nerves jangled and rearing to get out of town as soon as the interview was on tape! This week’s edition of “The Deep dive” looks back at that day in August 2018.
Video Editor: John Gathuna
Graphics: Clement Kumalija
Camera: Sam Munia, Elijah Kanyi
PICTURE STORY
Africa Uncensored crew [Sam Munia (R) and John-Allan Namu (L) ]at Archer’s post in Samburu County during the filming of episode 1 of The End of The River series.
Women and children from the Samburu community at Laresoro village in Samburu East. Their men had driven cattle over 100 kilometers in search of pasture as the drought continued to bite.
The drying Ewaso Nyiro river with very low water levels.
Armed cattle herders crossing the Ewaso Nyiro river from Isiolo County to their home, Samburu County in the evening. In the months that followed, these same herders would fight against rival communities, losing valued members.
Blowing the whistle to entertain cattle during milking. This flute player was later killed by a rival community before we ended our documentary filming in the region. He's among hundreds who have lost their lives in conflict over pasture and water in Northern Kenya.
Photos courtesy of Andrew Tkach
COVID Quiz
Piga Firimbi is Africa Uncensored’s fact-checking desk. The team of lie detectors who identifies, verifies, and debunks misinformation and disinformation online.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination programs against COVID-19, there has been an incessant overflow of information- both true and false. An infodemic, as the World Health Organization termed it. This has been found to possibly cause an outbreak- such as COVID-19- to intensify or lengthen, as it causes confusion and risk-taking behaviors that can be harmful in addition to undermining public health response because of the widespread mistrust.
In light of this, Piga Firimbi found a way to actively engage the public in curbing COVID-19 misinformation through the Piga Firimbi COVID Quiz. This is in form of a game where the public is invited to participate by answering 15 questions about COVID-19 within a specified time frame and the fastest and most accurate participants get to walk away with cash prizes. The game awards ten winners every day and is up every week day at 7:30 PM. Tuesdays are a special day for the quiz, as the questions are set in Kiswahili.
Want to test your knowledge on COVID-19? Register here.
YOUR FEEDBACK
Every week, we spotlight your feedback about content we are publishing
YouTube: The Profiteers
Runi: This was a hard watch, especially in the beginning, having to witness that hubristic maniac rolling around on cash. He seems to be someone who's detached from life itself, with his head deep in the sand. Incredible! This documentary was amazingly done. Thanks for sharing.
N.N.N.N: Not a clairvoyant but I knew Namu would connect the dots... Big up my brother... You are a true investigator... I knew you will connect the murder... Your 1 in a million... Thought I was alone in this…
Thank you for shedding some light on this very dark truth
Chalton Aloe: Projects like these will never be aired by mainstream TV/radio stations. Thank God I stopped watching mainstream TV 9 years ago. I have been saner and peaceful ever since.
Brigitte Demba: Truly eye opening, Namu thank you for this exposé. Great investigative journalism. It is truly horrible what the Sudanese have been going through. Justice needs to be served!!! But who will carry it out when all hands are dirty???
JN: What a bold, riveting albeit heartbreaking piece. Thank you for airing this JA and team. Keep safe.
At Africa Uncensored we are working to bring you content that levels with you. We strive to ensure it is accurate, fearless and fair. From how corruption works to the triumphs and struggles of our communities here on the continent, our content is free from political and commercial influence. To do this effectively, we need your support to share our work or to donate to our cause. Every contribution, however big or small, makes a difference. To support Africa Uncensored via donation, click on this link https://checkout.mookhpay.com/Africa-Uncensored
The Newsletter goes out every two weeks, we would love your feedback as we journey together to produce a Newsletter that you own.
DONATE TO OUR CAUSE HERE
I happen to have viewed the stories you have highlighted in this release. They were were researched and balanced. Looking forward to the next issue.
The idea whose time has come. Knowledge is power and as Africans, we need it more.
Peace.