East Africa in April 2026: the most important developments in politics
In East Africa in April 2026, the most covered political story concerned Mauritius and the Chagos Islands. On 10 April the United Kingdom dropped a bill to hand the islands to Mauritius after opposition from the United States. Mauritius hosted the Indian Ocean Conference, where India's External Affairs Minister Jaishankar met Mauritian leaders. By 23 April Mauritius had given Britain a deadline to resolve the status of the islands.
In Kenya, politics centred on the run-up to the next election. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and Anne Waiguru rallied Mount Kenya support for President William Ruto's re-election, while reports said Ruto faced growing hostility in the region. A zoning dispute between the governing coalition's UDA and ODM parties left affiliated parties uncertain. A Kenyan court extended an order halting the sale of Safaricom shares. Kenya rejected as unsubstantiated a UN report alleging that its police officers committed rape during the mission in Haiti, and protested to the UN. Bungoma Governor George Natembeya dismissed his entire cabinet, citing poor performance.
Elsewhere in the region, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan reduced the size of her motorcade and fuel use to cut government spending, and later pledged action after a commission reported on the violence around the 2025 election. In South Sudan, President Salva Kiir removed the parliament speaker and his deputy following a petition. China granted Uganda 1 million dollars to support refugees amid funding shortfalls.
On 23 April a South African court ordered Zambia to return the body of former president Edgar Lungu, deepening a diplomatic dispute. Russia and Zambia planned to sign a visa-free travel agreement. Rwanda linked the deployment of Mozambican troops to EU funding.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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