Africommons
@africommons.bsky.social
Ken Flottman on Kenya, E. Africa, Democracy Aid reform; nonpartisan (ex-defense, IRI-EA) Xian dem American www.africommons.com africommons@protonmail.com
Pinned
Africommons
@africommons.bsky.social
· Nov 23
THE DEBACLE OF 2007: How Kenyan Politics Was Frozen and an Election Stolen with US Connivance - The Elephant
About 10 years ago, I was preparing to move with my family to Nairobi from the United States just as Kenya was well into the 2007 election campaign. Although I was taking up a temporary job in “democr...
www.theelephant.info
For my first post, I’ll share ICYMI my account of Kenya’s 2007 election from my experience and FOIA: www.theelephant.info/analysis/201...
Reposted by Africommons
CNN investigation shows Tanzanian police fatally shooting protesters and signs of mass graves
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/a...?
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/a...?
November 21, 2025 at 5:05 PM
CNN investigation shows Tanzanian police fatally shooting protesters and signs of mass graves
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/a...?
edition.cnn.com/2025/11/21/a...?
Reposted by Africommons
Cameroon's security forces killed 48 civilians as they responded to protests against the re-election of President Paul Biya, the world's oldest ruler, according to data shared with Reuters by two UN sources.
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
Cameroon security forces killed 48 in election protests, UN sources say
Cameroon's security forces killed 48 civilians as they responded to protests against the re-election of President Paul Biya, the world's oldest ruler, according to data shared with Reuters on Tuesday by two U.N. sources.
www.reuters.com
November 9, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Cameroon's security forces killed 48 civilians as they responded to protests against the re-election of President Paul Biya, the world's oldest ruler, according to data shared with Reuters by two UN sources.
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
Reposted by Africommons
Earlier this year, CCIJ undertook a massive audit of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, collecting and analyzing over 160,000 polling unit results.
Using MuckRock's crowdsourcing platform and Amazon Textract, CCIJ extracted and verified vote counts.
Using MuckRock's crowdsourcing platform and Amazon Textract, CCIJ extracted and verified vote counts.
Preserving Democracy: How CCIJ verified and permanently archived Nigerian election documents
Earlier this year, the Center for Collaborative Investigative Journalism undertook a massive audit of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, collecting and analyzing over 160,000 polling unit results.
www.muckrock.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:46 PM
Earlier this year, CCIJ undertook a massive audit of Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, collecting and analyzing over 160,000 polling unit results.
Using MuckRock's crowdsourcing platform and Amazon Textract, CCIJ extracted and verified vote counts.
Using MuckRock's crowdsourcing platform and Amazon Textract, CCIJ extracted and verified vote counts.
How A.I. and Social Media Contribute to ‘Brain Rot’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/t...
How A.I. and Social Media Contribute to ‘Brain Rot’
www.nytimes.com
November 6, 2025 at 5:29 PM
How A.I. and Social Media Contribute to ‘Brain Rot’ www.nytimes.com/2025/11/06/t...
Reposted by Africommons
Tanzania’s Opposition Leader John Heche Missing After Police Arrest
mwanzotv.com/tanzanias-op...
mwanzotv.com/tanzanias-op...
Tanzania’s Opposition Leader John Heche Missing After Police Arrest - Mwanzo TV
His current location remains unknown, raising serious concerns about his safety and wellbeing.
mwanzotv.com
November 4, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Tanzania’s Opposition Leader John Heche Missing After Police Arrest
mwanzotv.com/tanzanias-op...
mwanzotv.com/tanzanias-op...
Reposted by Africommons
The networks took the much smaller Tea Party movement so seriously they broadcast a Tea Party rebuttal to Obama’s 2011 SOTU on top of the normal GOP one.
Reminder: We spent YEARS reading thousands and thousands of articles on the Tea Party and how it was a true expression of the American people's will, and it never mounted anything nearly as big as Saturday's No Kings rallies. [1/3]
October 20, 2025 at 1:37 AM
The networks took the much smaller Tea Party movement so seriously they broadcast a Tea Party rebuttal to Obama’s 2011 SOTU on top of the normal GOP one.
Reposted by Africommons
Raila Odinga: the man who changed Kenya without ever ruling it.
Raila Odinga: the man who changed Kenya without ever ruling it
Odinga was both a remarkable figure and an embodiment of Kenya’s political contradictions.
theconversation.com
October 18, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Raila Odinga: the man who changed Kenya without ever ruling it.
Meta’s Louisiana Data Center Needs More Than Twice as Much Energy as All of New Orleans, Requiring $3B Upgrade www.mississippifreepress.org/metas-louisi...
New Meta Data Center Needs Twice as Much Energy as New Orleans
Meta is constructing its largest data center yet: a $10 billion facility in Louisiana requiring more than twice as much electricity as New Orleans.
www.mississippifreepress.org
September 29, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Meta’s Louisiana Data Center Needs More Than Twice as Much Energy as All of New Orleans, Requiring $3B Upgrade www.mississippifreepress.org/metas-louisi...
Reposted by Africommons
He vowed that the TLS would not be cowed, stating, “We will not fear to uphold justice and fight oppression,” and urged members to remain vigilant against deliberate provocation.
The Chanzo
The Chanzo
Tanzanian Police Surround Lawyers’ Association Headquarters to Quash Planned Protest - The Chanzo
Armed police officers encircled TLS offices Monday morning, preventing a planned peaceful demonstration against the recent assault of a lawyer by police within a courthouse.
thechanzo.com
September 22, 2025 at 8:34 PM
He vowed that the TLS would not be cowed, stating, “We will not fear to uphold justice and fight oppression,” and urged members to remain vigilant against deliberate provocation.
The Chanzo
The Chanzo
Reposted by Africommons
A sick thing about this is a real leader could frame an act of political violence as an attack on the whole democracy, calling for unity and trying to turn down the temperature. Except this anti-democracy leader aims to stoke division and violence, defining "Us" as only some of us against the rest.
September 22, 2025 at 2:45 PM
A sick thing about this is a real leader could frame an act of political violence as an attack on the whole democracy, calling for unity and trying to turn down the temperature. Except this anti-democracy leader aims to stoke division and violence, defining "Us" as only some of us against the rest.
Reposted by Africommons
Your Opposition Party wants to speak to a manager.
Democratic leaders in Congress demand a meeting with Trump as government shutdown looms
Democratic leaders in Congress demand a meeting with Trump as government shutdown looms
The Democratic leaders of Congress are demanding a meeting with President Donald Trump to negotiate an end to what they call “your decision” to shutter government offices if no action is taken by the end-of-the month deadline.
wtop.com
September 22, 2025 at 2:59 PM
Your Opposition Party wants to speak to a manager.
Reposted by Africommons
Key issues to watch surrounding today's elections in Malawi are the resiliency of Malawi’s civic institutions and courts to ensure a fair process and the effectiveness of reformist coalitions to come together and forge a path forward to address Malawi’s pressing challenges.
africacenter.org/spo...
africacenter.org/spo...
September 16, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Key issues to watch surrounding today's elections in Malawi are the resiliency of Malawi’s civic institutions and courts to ensure a fair process and the effectiveness of reformist coalitions to come together and forge a path forward to address Malawi’s pressing challenges.
africacenter.org/spo...
africacenter.org/spo...
Reposted by Africommons
A debt-for-food swap would likely allow a country to replace costly existing debt with lower-cost financing on condition it channelled the savings towards programmes to boost food security...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
Kenya plans pioneering $1 billion 'debt-for-food' swap
Kenya aims to carry out a pioneering $1 billion debt-for-food security swap by March next year, a finance ministry document showed on Tuesday, as the country looks to novel solutions to ease its hefty debt burden.
www.reuters.com
September 10, 2025 at 7:46 PM
A debt-for-food swap would likely allow a country to replace costly existing debt with lower-cost financing on condition it channelled the savings towards programmes to boost food security...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
www.reuters.com/world/africa...
Reposted by Africommons
Ref the circus act of renaming DOD: In 1783, George Washington wanted the U.S. military called "the Peace Establishment" (h/t AEI's Todd Harrison).
Founders Online: Washington’s Sentiments on a Peace Establishment, 1 May 1783
Washington’s Sentiments on a Peace Establishment, 1 May 1783
founders.archives.gov
September 5, 2025 at 9:38 PM
Ref the circus act of renaming DOD: In 1783, George Washington wanted the U.S. military called "the Peace Establishment" (h/t AEI's Todd Harrison).
Reposted by Africommons
The US President has ordered the creation of ”specialized” military units to “quell civil disturbances” in all 50 of our states.
Military units under his personal control.
Deployed across our homeland, in peacetime.
Little time is left to stop this insanity.
Military units under his personal control.
Deployed across our homeland, in peacetime.
Little time is left to stop this insanity.
Trump Orders Major Expansion of National Guard’s Role in Law Enforcement
www.nytimes.com
August 26, 2025 at 2:53 AM
The US President has ordered the creation of ”specialized” military units to “quell civil disturbances” in all 50 of our states.
Military units under his personal control.
Deployed across our homeland, in peacetime.
Little time is left to stop this insanity.
Military units under his personal control.
Deployed across our homeland, in peacetime.
Little time is left to stop this insanity.
Reposted by Africommons
Reposted by Africommons
Tell us about the good side. I'm listening. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/u...
Trump Says Smithsonian Focuses Too Much on ‘How Bad Slavery Was’
www.nytimes.com
August 20, 2025 at 12:59 PM
Tell us about the good side. I'm listening. www.nytimes.com/2025/08/19/u...
Reposted by Africommons
They finally found the guy from the federal government promoting DEI.
August 16, 2025 at 1:03 PM
They finally found the guy from the federal government promoting DEI.
Reposted by Africommons
Mali has (finally) confirmed arrests in the army linked to a coup plot. Spoke to BBC about pronounced tensions in the military leadership that threaten Gen Goïta's hold on power as he embarks on an indefinite term, and the restrictive political and security environment www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
BBC World Service - Focus on Africa, Mali: Another alleged attempted coup
Soldiers and generals have been arrested in Mali accused of an alleged attempted coup
www.bbc.co.uk
August 15, 2025 at 2:10 AM
Mali has (finally) confirmed arrests in the army linked to a coup plot. Spoke to BBC about pronounced tensions in the military leadership that threaten Gen Goïta's hold on power as he embarks on an indefinite term, and the restrictive political and security environment www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p...
Reposted by Africommons
When I went to OpenAI’s press briefing a couple weeks ago, the moment that made me the most nauseous is when their “VP of Global Impact” said they were testing AI models like this across Kenya and other parts of Africa
“The AI in the study probably prompted doctors to become over-reliant on its recommendations, ‘leading to clinicians becoming less motivated, less focused, and less responsible when making cognitive decisions without AI assistance,’ the scientists said in the paper.”
AI Eroded Doctors’ Ability to Spot Cancer Within Months in Study
Artificial intelligence, touted for its potential to transform medicine, led to some doctors losing skills after just a few months in a new study.
www.bloomberg.com
August 13, 2025 at 1:10 PM
When I went to OpenAI’s press briefing a couple weeks ago, the moment that made me the most nauseous is when their “VP of Global Impact” said they were testing AI models like this across Kenya and other parts of Africa
Reposted by Africommons
Holy ****.
For months —years — I have warned that Trump’s assault on federal statistics was beginning to resemble actions taken by authoritarian governments in China, Venezuela, Stalin-era USSR. Critics said I was being hyperbolic. How do they feel about this threat below?
bsky.app/profile/atru...
For months —years — I have warned that Trump’s assault on federal statistics was beginning to resemble actions taken by authoritarian governments in China, Venezuela, Stalin-era USSR. Critics said I was being hyperbolic. How do they feel about this threat below?
bsky.app/profile/atru...
Leavitt confirms that monthly jobs reports may be suspended "until they can get the data and methodology in order"
August 12, 2025 at 10:35 PM
Holy ****.
For months —years — I have warned that Trump’s assault on federal statistics was beginning to resemble actions taken by authoritarian governments in China, Venezuela, Stalin-era USSR. Critics said I was being hyperbolic. How do they feel about this threat below?
bsky.app/profile/atru...
For months —years — I have warned that Trump’s assault on federal statistics was beginning to resemble actions taken by authoritarian governments in China, Venezuela, Stalin-era USSR. Critics said I was being hyperbolic. How do they feel about this threat below?
bsky.app/profile/atru...
Might address bi-partisan popularity of recreational demand for cocaine from the Cartels before considering new wars: Trump’s Cartel Order Revives ‘Bitter’ Memories in Latin America www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/u...
Trump’s Cartel Order Revives ‘Bitter’ Memories in Latin America
www.nytimes.com
August 11, 2025 at 1:53 AM
Might address bi-partisan popularity of recreational demand for cocaine from the Cartels before considering new wars: Trump’s Cartel Order Revives ‘Bitter’ Memories in Latin America www.nytimes.com/2025/08/10/u...
Reposted by Africommons
“By 2050 1.3bn Africans will live in areas where, due to climate change, the disease will be harder to eradicate than it is today, predicts the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP), an NGO.”
How climate change could spread malaria
And how scientists are scrambling to stop it
buff.ly
August 10, 2025 at 9:11 PM
“By 2050 1.3bn Africans will live in areas where, due to climate change, the disease will be harder to eradicate than it is today, predicts the Malaria Atlas Project (MAP), an NGO.”
Reposted by Africommons
Americans keep talking about “strategic policy ambiguity.”
Nope. What you have is a very familiar case of erratic personalist rule amidst entrenched institutional decay.
Nope. What you have is a very familiar case of erratic personalist rule amidst entrenched institutional decay.
August 10, 2025 at 5:49 PM
Americans keep talking about “strategic policy ambiguity.”
Nope. What you have is a very familiar case of erratic personalist rule amidst entrenched institutional decay.
Nope. What you have is a very familiar case of erratic personalist rule amidst entrenched institutional decay.