Malawi Business Leader Denies Tax Claims.
A top business figure in Malawi spoke up about tax claims against her car rental firm. Triephornia Mpinganjira said she was shocked by stories about her firm, Diplomats Car Hire.
People on social media said she blocked tax checks by the Malawi Revenue Authority, and these claims spread quickly across the country.
But Mpinganjira fought back on Thursday. She said her firm always pays its taxes. "The MRA looked at our books. They checked our papers. I pay taxes on all my work," she stated.
The tax office found proof that all 120 cars in her fleet paid proper duties. She pointed out that her luxury cars come by road. They must clear customs at the border.
"Each car at Diplomats Car Hire has...
Malawi Business Leader Denies Tax Claims.
A top business figure in Malawi spoke up about tax claims against her car rental firm. Triephornia Mpinganjira said she was shocked by stories about her firm, Diplomats Car Hire.
People on social media said she blocked tax checks by the Malawi Revenue Authority, and these claims spread quickly across the country.
But Mpinganjira fought back on Thursday. She said her firm always pays its taxes. "The MRA looked at our books. They checked our papers. I pay taxes on all my work," she stated.
The tax office found proof that all 120 cars in her fleet paid proper duties. She pointed out that her luxury cars come by road. They must clear customs at the border.
"Each car at Diplomats Car Hire has...
Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa has officially launched the 2025 National Budget. He signed two laws authorizing the government to spend the money. Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube presented the budget in November.
The budget is worth ZiG276.4 billion. Most of this money comes from taxes. The rest comes from other places, like fees. The government can start using the money now. It can also collect taxes at the new rates.
Parliament talked about the budget for five days. They wanted to know how it would help different people and grow the economy. Professor Ncube said things like building dams for farming would help. Supporting banks for women was another idea.
The budget gives the most money to schools, giving ZiG46.7 billion to...
A new study by Bethany International has found that chemicals are flowing into Lake Victoria and harming its biodiversity. The chemicals come from farms, factories, and cities near the lake and harm the fish and other animals that live in the water.
The study says that fertilizers and animal waste from farms can cause algae to grow too fast in the lake. When the algae die, they use up a lot of the oxygen in the water, making it hard for fish and other creatures to survive.
Factories and cities also dump harmful chemicals into Lake Victoria. These include pesticides and heavy metals like mercury and lead. The chemicals build up in fish bodies over time and can make them sick or unable to have babies.
The pollutants also change the...
President Yoweri Museveni has warned people who steal coffee and other crops in Uganda that this hurts farmers and the economy.
Coffee theft is a big problem in Uganda. People pick coffee beans before they are ripe and steal coffee at night, which is bad for the quality of Uganda's coffee.
Museveni said he would take strong action to stop the thieves. He might even have the army help protect farmers. The police and courts will also be tougher on people who steal.
Coffee is very important for Uganda's economy. The country grows a lot of coffee and sells it to other countries. Uganda earns $876 million a year from coffee.
Museveni thanked scientists and a government program for helping farmers grow more coffee. He said farmers are...
East African Lawyers Say Governments Abuse Human Rights.
A group of top lawyers in East Africa says the region's governments are hurting their people. They claim leaders are kidnapping, torturing, and even killing citizens.
The lawyers are very worried. They say these terrible acts often target people who criticize their government. This includes activists, journalists, and protesters.
The lawyers point to specific countries as examples. In Kenya, over 80 people have been taken since big protests in June 2024. The protests were against a money bill that would make life more expensive. The government stopped the bill, but people are still disappearing.
Tanzania is having problems, too. The lawyers say people who oppose the government...
Ex-Police Chief Wants Unity in Kisoro.
Edward Kale Kayihura used to be the top police officer in Uganda. He recently spoke at a big prayer event in Kisoro. Kayihura said the leaders there need to work together better.
Kayihura is worried that Kisoro's leaders argue too much, which he thinks prevents good things from happening in the district.
One example was when some leaders didn't go to an important fundraiser. They skipped it because of political fights. But the event still raised a lot of money.
Kayihura asked religious leaders for help. He wants them to guide the political leaders to stop fighting, as he believes this is the only way Kisoro can grow.
Kayihura promised he would never be part of the problem and would always...
President Kagame Vows to Protect Rwanda's Security.
Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, says keeping the country safe is the most important thing. He discussed this in a speech on December 31, 2024.
Problems exist in the countries near Rwanda, which worries Kagame. He promised to do whatever it takes to defend Rwanda.
Kagame is concerned about armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Some of them are close to Rwanda's borders. Rwanda thinks these groups want to attack their country.
Rwanda and Congo disagree about some things. Congo says Rwanda helps a rebel group called M23, but Rwanda says this is not true. Rwanda believes Congo has trouble controlling its own country, which is why there are problems.
Rwanda wants...
Electricity Will Cost Less in Uganda.
The group that controls electricity prices in Uganda has good news. They say the cost of power will go down from January to March 2025.
People who use little electricity each month will pay the least. If they use less than 100 units, they will pay 250 shillings for each of the first 15 units.
Most homes will pay 775.7 shillings per unit. That's down from 796.4 shillings last year.
Businesses like stores and welders will also pay less. Their price dropped from 599.9 to 575.2 shillings per unit.
Factories will see big savings, too. The price for them went down by about 30 shillings per unit.
Places like hospitals and street lights will pay 360 shillings. That's 10 shillings less than before...
