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Live Reporting

Dickens Olewe and Lucy Fleming

All times stated are UK

Get involved

  1. Scroll down for Wednesday's stories

    We'll be back tomorrow

    That's all from the BBC Africa Livepage today. 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 today's wise words:

    Quote Message: A naked man does not put his hands in his pocket." from Sent by Adamu in Debiso, Ghana
    Sent by Adamu in Debiso, Ghana

    Click here to send your African proverbs.

    And we leave you with this image of a sapeur, an elegantly dressed man in the Democratic Republic of Congo, posted by photographer Kris Pannecoucke on Instagram: 

    View more on instagram
  2. Kenyan hospital 'has TV sets but no drugs'

    Campaigning has already got under way in Kenya ahead of elections next August.

    Veteran politician Charity Ngilu, who was sacked from cabinet position over corruption allegations which she denied, has been doing an appraisal on Twitter of the performance of the governor of Kitui county, a post she plans to run for.

    She's been sharing pictures from a local hospital, remarking that she's shocked the facility has 50 television sets and no drugs:

    View more on twitter
  3. Libya oil firm vows to restart exports after battle for terminals

    The Libyan National Oil Corporation has said it will resume exports from contested oil terminals in the east of the strife-hit country.

    Forces loyal to Gen Khalifa Haftar have seized at least three terminals from a rival militia force allied to the UN-backed government in Tripoli.

    Gen Haftar is allied to a rival government based in the east.

    The oil company says it is assessing damage and that it will carry out repairs immediately.

    The Tripoli government has called for urgent talks over the seizure.

    Read the BBC News story for more.

  4. African Union 'sending observers to Gabon poll appeal'

    The African Union says it plans to send observers to help Gabon's Constitutional Court with a legal complaint lodged by opposition leader Jean Ping, the Reuters news agency reports.

    Defeated presidential candidate Jean Ping has complained of fraud, pointing out that in one province incumbent Ali Bongo won 95% of the vote last month.

    Mr Ping, a former chair of the AU Commission, lost the election by less than 6,000 votes.

    The AU's Peace and Security Council has requested that its executive branch deploy observers from other French-speaking African countries "to assist the Constitutional Court of Gabon", Reuters quotes an AU statement as saying.

    It was not clear what level of access observers would have to the internal deliberations of the court, which is expected to decide on the recount by 23 September, Reuters says. 

    An electoral worker holding up a ballot for Ali Bongo
    Image caption: Ali Bongo won the election with fewer than 6,000 votes
  5. Get Involved: Wise words on a naked man

    Everyday we share a proverb sent in by one of our readers and ask you to tell us what you think it means. 

    Here is a selection of comments posted on our Facebook page about today's wise words: "A naked man does not put his hands in his pocket."

    Quote Message: In life generally you can read someone's motives by their actions and not necessarily by their words." from Mweene Nseluke
    Mweene Nseluke
    Quote Message: A lazy man will definitely have nothing to eat... no money no pride." from Knj Que
    Knj Que
    Quote Message: A naked man means a poor man, so if you are poor it means you're not happy because you have nothing to give someone else." from Ebj Emma
    Ebj Emma
  6. The love story that shocked the world

    Seretse Khama met Ruth Williams and their children
    Image caption: Seretse Khama met Ruth Williams while he was a student at Oxford University

    When an African prince and a British white middle-class clerk got married in 1948, it provoked shock in Britain and Africa.

    Seretse Khama met Ruth Williams while he was a student at Oxford University. 

    After his studies, he was supposed to go home to the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland (now Botswana) and marry someone from his own ethnic group, but his romance with Williams changed everything.

    His family disapproved and Khama was forced to renounce his claim to the throne and British government exiled from his homeland.

    But they overcame their critics and he later became the first president of Botswana.

    And their love story is about to hit the big screen in a film called A United Kingdom which premiers later this year, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike.

    BBC Witness programme has spoken to Ruth Williams' sister about the love that conquered prejudice.

  7. Kone signs new Sunderland contract

    BBC Sport

    Sunderland defender Lamine Kone has signed a new five-year contract.

    The 27-year-old Ivory Coast international, who joined the Black Cats in January from French side Lorient, had been been linked with a move to Everton during the recent transfer window.

    Boss David Moyes said: “He has only been playing in the Premier League since January, but in that time we have already seen what he is capable of." 

    Sunderland defender Lamine Kone
  8. Kenyan jailed for 100 years for abusing girls in church

    A 20-year-old man has been sentenced to 100 years in jail for sexually abusing three girls in a church in the village of Kangaru in central Kenya.

    Harrison Kinyua, 20, admitted trapping the girls in the church last December as they returned chairs borrowed for a funeral, the AFP news agency reports. 

    At the time two of the girls were aged 13 and the other 10.

    After molesting the girls he bought them chips to buy their silence but they still told their parents about the incident, AFP says.

    In his ruling, Magistrate Maxwell Gicheru, who heard the case in Embu town, said the evidence proved without any doubt that Kinyua had committed the crime, Kenya's Capital News reports.

    The sentence should act as a deterrent, he said.

    It is not clear if the man received sentences for each assault individually - and that these added up to 100 years.

    But journalists believe the judge intends the man to serve 100 years.

  9. What is the red bird of Mali?

    One of Africa's top contemporary artists, Mali's Abdoulaye Konate, is currently exhibiting his works at London's BlainSouthern gallery. He is also the director of one of the continent's few art universities, Bamako's Conservatoire des Arts et Metiers Multimedia. He told BBC Africa about the inspiration for his work, including a piece featuring a red bird:

    Video content

    Video caption: What is the red bird of Mali?
  10. Zimbabwe shelves plans to cut jobs

    Protesting civil servants in Harare, Zimbabwe - archive shot
    Image caption: Civil servants have protested in the past about problems with their salaries

    Zimbabwe's government has dropped plans announced last week to cut 25,000 civil servant jobs, the state-run Herald newspaper reports

    Traditional annual bonuses paid to civil servant – known as the "13th cheque" – will also remain in place.

    Last Thursday, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa had announced they would be abandoned for the next two years as part of measures to save $120m (£91m) every year. 

    Information Minister Christopher Mushohwe said the cabinet had rejected the plan:

    Quote Message: The president and cabinet want to assure the civil servants, the farmers and the public at large that the proposed measures are not friendly."

    Zimbabwe has been struggling to pay workers on time for the last three months.

    It only managed to settle outstanding 2015 bonuses for some civil servants in July this year, the Reuters news agency reports.

  11. Take the What's Up Africa gender equality test

    Malawi's government made news recently by raising the legal age for marriage to 18 to make sure young girls stayed in school.

    Many who would have been married are now getting an education. Campaigners are also becoming more vocal in demanding equal and fair treatment for women.

    So how much do Malawi's men support this change? Watch Ikenna Azuike report for our satirical series, What's Up Africa:

    Video content

    Video caption: Take the What's Up Africa gender equality test
  12. Zimbabwe protest leader released on bail

    A Zimbabwean Broadcast Corporation (ZBC) van on fire in Harare, Zimbabwe - 24 August 2016
    Image caption: A ZBC van was set alight as protesters clashed with police in Harare last month

    A Zimbabwean activist who has been leading protests against President Robert Mugabe has been released on bail. 

    Promise Mkwananzi is the spokesman for the pressure group Tajamuka, which means "we strongly disagree". 

    Together with another activist, Bruce Usviso, he has been accused inciting the public and destroying property belonging to the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) during a demonstration in August against police brutality.

    They deny the allegations.

    "He was given $100 (£75) bail,"  Mr Mkwananzi's lawyer Tonderai Bhatasara told the AFP new agency. 

    The two activists were ordered to surrender their passports and report to the Harare Police Station every Friday. 

    Several activists accused of violence are still being held and their cases will be heard this week, according to a statement from Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights.

    Tajamuka said one of its supporters, actor Silvanos Mudzvova, was being treated in hospital after being abducted, beaten up by suspected members of the ruling party, AFP reports.

    Zimbabwe has seen unprecedented anti-government protests in recent months as anger grows about the mismanagement of the economy.

    Another opposition protest is planned for Saturday despite a month-long ban on demonstrations. 

  13. Archbishop Desmond Tutu discharged from hospital

    Milton Nkosi

    BBC Africa, Johannesburg

    Desmond Tutu and Leah Tutu
    Image caption: Desmond Tutu, pictured here with his wife Leah, became the first black Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986

    South Africa's Archbishop Desmond Tutu has been discharged from hospital in Cape Town after a three-week stay.

    The outspoken 84-year-old anti-apartheid cleric was admitted for treatment to bring a recurring infection under control.

    Last week he underwent a minor surgical procedure to address the cause of the infection.

    A family statement gave his wife’s reaction:

    Quote Message: Mrs Leah Tutu said she was overjoyed to welcome her husband home, and promised she'd be doing everything within her power to nurture him back to full health.”

    Archbishop Tutu, who retired from public life in 2011, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his fight against white-minority rule.

  14. Helping Kenyan soldiers battle war trauma

    Some soldiers who have served in the Kenyan army say there is a lack of support for those psychologically affected by their missions.

    Watch how campaigners are now raising awareness in Kenya about those affected by Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

    Video content

    Video caption: Helping Kenyan soldiers battle war trauma
  15. UK Ebola nurse cleared of misconduct

    Pauline Cafferkey
    Image caption: Pauline Cafferkey was infected while working in Sierra Leone in 2014

    A nurse from Scotland who survived Ebola has been cleared of misconduct charges by the Nursing and Midwifery Council.

    Pauline Cafferkey, 40, was infected while working in Sierra Leone in 2014.

    She had faced charges for allegedly allowing a wrong temperature to be recorded during the screening process at Heathrow on her arrival in the UK.

    The conduct and competence panel dismissed the charges after hearing she had been impaired by illness. 

    Another charge of dishonesty was withdrawn.

    Read the BBC New story for more

  16. Kenya to build railway bridge over park to protect wildlfe

    Railway line
    Image caption: The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project is a $3bn (£2.2bn ) project

    The Kenyan government has finally cracked the conundrum of how to balance its need for a cost-effective route for its modern railway project and to protect wildlife in its Nairobi National Park, privately-owned Capital FM reports

    Constructors will now build a bridge across part of the park. Pillars will be buried deep in the ground to reduce noise, the report quotes Kenya Railways Managing Director Atanas Maina as saying.

    The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project is a $3bn (£2.2bn ) flagship project launched by President Uhuru Kenyatta which is set to run from the coastal city of Mombasa to the capital, Nairobi covering some 482km (300m). 

    Conservationists have been opposed to plans for the railway to cut across the park, arguing that it would disturb wildlife.

    Richard Leakey, a famous conservationist who had opposed the railway construction in the park and is now the chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service, said that building a bridge was the most viable choice:

    Quote Message: “My personal choice was that the park and the railway should be separate. However, the cost of going round and the implications to our economy and the tax payer made no sense and we are trying to do the right thing for Kenya,” Mr Leakey said.
  17. Nigeria's ex-first lady suing anti-corruption body

    Chris Ewokor

    BBC Africa, Abuja

    Patience Jonathan standing next to her husband Goodluck in 2015
    Image caption: Patience Jonathan campaigned for her husband last year

    Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency has confirmed to the BBC that former first lady Patience Jonathan is taking the agency to court following an investigation into the four of her bank accounts.

    But the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) refused to confirm whether it had blocked any of her funds.

    A letter from her lawyers, published in several Nigerian newspapers today, alleges that $15m (£11.4m) was blocked in July – and that the money is for the former first lady to settle medical bills abroad.

    Her lawyers, Granville Abibo (SAN) and Co, told the BBC the firm had written to the EFCC on her behalf but refused to give further information.

    Muhammadu Buhari won elections last year, when he beat former President Goodluck Jonathan, promising to fight corruption.

    Several top former military officers and politicians are currently being prosecuted for corruption.

  18. Get Involved: Is Somalia's lifting of the khat ban good or bad?

    Man chewing khat
    Image caption: Khat makes people happy and talkative but can cause insomnia and temporary confusion

    We reported earlier that Kenya has resumed exporting Khat to Somalia after a ban imposed last week was lifted. 

    A trader of the herbal stimulant in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, gave the BBC his reaction:

    Quote Message: I am very happy today because the khat ban rendered me jobless. I was forced to stay indoors because I had nothing to do and I could not provide for my family. I'm glad the imports have resumed, because of that I am back in business."

    But another man in the city was not so impressed:

    Quote Message: I am not happy about the resumption of the khat imports in Mogadishu. I was among the people who welcomed the ban. I am now disappointed because it’s back in our streets. I think our president was wrong to lift the ban."

    The planes from Kenya arrive in Mogadishu in the morning and the leafy stimulant, which is not cheap, is usually chewed after lunch, mainly by men, in the afternoon and into the evening.  

    Anti-khat campaigners argue that the stimulant contributes to domestic violence and other abuses.  

    Get involved: Do you think it is a good idea to lift the ban? Let us know:

    • Twitter using the hashtag #BBCAfricaLive 
    • WhatsApp: +44 7341070844
    • BBC Africa Facebook
    • Email africalive@bbc.co.uk
  19. South Sudan paper 'closed down'

    A Reuters journalist covering South Sudan says an English-language private newspaper has been shut down by security agents.

    He tweeted its front page from Monday which is about the report which accuses President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar, and top generals of profiteering during the recent civil war.

    It is not clear why the newspaper was closed, but those responding to the news on Denis Dumo's Twitter feed suggest it may to do with their coverage of the report.

    Its authors spent two years collecting evidence and testimony on behalf of a new investigative unit - called The Sentry - which was co-founded by the US actor George Clooney.  

    It follows the trail of money with links to the families of both Mr Kiir and Mr Machar. 

    Both men have denied the allegations.

  20. Does the rule of Tanzania’s ‘Bulldozer’ have elements of dictatorship?

    Edward Lowassa
    Image caption: Edward Lowassa was briefly arrested recently as political meetings are now banned

    Tanzania’s opposition leader Edward Lowassa has criticised his rival President John Magufuli over what he referred to as “elements of dictatorship” in the country. 

    Speaking to BBC's John Nene in Kenya, he said that he credited Mr Magufuli with reducing bureaucracy in government but he said "some things have not gone well" - though he refused to give specifics when asked.

    Mr Lowassa used to be in the ruling party was once prime minister, but last year he joined the opposition Chadema party, losing the presidential election.

    Mr Magufuli, nicknamed the "Bulldozer", has been known to make populist decisions since coming to power last year, like cancelling independence day celebrations to save money.

    President Magufuli drumming
    Image caption: President Magufuli has a no-nonsense attitude to getting things done

    But his critics have accused him of cracking down on dissent.

    A local paper deemed critical of him was recently shutdown and at least one person has been arrested for allegedly abusing him on social media.  

    His government has also barred public and in-door political rallies.   

    A planned opposition protest against the government was postponed earlier this month after religious leaders offered to mediate talks with the government. 

    Mr Lowassa said the protest was about opposing "elements of dictatorship in the government".

    He told our reporter that he was optimistic about the talks but would not say what the opposition would do if they failed.