Today in Africa — Feb 6, 2026: Kenya’s Drought Worsens, Kagame Defies Pressure Over DRC Conflict

Every day, OkayAfrica shares a roundup of news we’re following but haven’t published as full articles. These short updates cover what’s happening on the continent — in culture, politics, and beyond. For more on stories like these, be sure to check out our News page, with stories from across the regions.

Kenya’s Drought Is Wiping Out Livestock and Pushing Pastoralists to the Brink

A deepening drought in Kenya is devastating pastoralist families, with losses now spreading beyond the country’s traditionally arid north into places like Kajiado County near Nairobi. Since August, 24-year-old Maasai herder Maria Katanga has lost more than 100 cattle and 300 goats, according to Reuters. The animals that remain are too weak to produce milk, while livestock prices have collapsed, forcing families who raise livestock for a living into distress sales just to buy feed. Local officials say herders are traveling farther in search of pasture and water, including crossing into Tanzania, and warn that competition for scarce resources is growing.

The crisis is also gripping the wider Horn of Africa. Somalia declared a national drought emergency in November after repeated failed rains, with the United Nations World Food Programme warning that millions face severe hunger, and nearly half of Somali children are malnourished. In Kenya, forecasts point to near- to below-average rainfall for the March–May season in Kajiado. While authorities have sent cash aid to more than 130,000 households in historically arid counties, those measures have not reached Kajiado. “The livestock are gone, and the sun is getting hotter every day,” a local administrator says. Kenya’s weather department says Kajiado is likely to see near-average to below-average rainfall in the March–May monsoon season.

Rwandan President Undermines International Pressure as Fighting in Eastern DR Congo Expands

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has shared a rallying call, urging his country’s citizens to embrace its autonomy and shirk pressures from external forces. Rwanda has come under increased international pressure for its support of the AFC/M23 armed group, which took over eastern Democratic Republic of Congo over a year ago and has continued its offensive operations. Amidst the looming threats of sanctions from the U.S., which mediated a peace deal between DR Congo and Rwanda that has yet to be effective, Kagame states that his country needs to be assured in its sovereignty “so that our existence would not depend on luck, or on the goodwill of others who might choose to help us today and withdraw tomorrow.”

Speaking during the country’s 20th National Dialogue, he also seemingly admitted to Rwandese presence in eastern DR Congo, mentioning “defensive measures.” The conflict in the region has only persisted and widened, making peace negotiations and the implementation of a ceasefire more difficult. Clashes have intensified in remote areas, with the AFC/M23 group pushing south to capture more territory, leading to the deaths of more people and injuries to many others, stretching already stressed health facilities. “Most of our patients have injuries in their upper or lower limbs; they often arrive with wounds that are already infected because of limited facilities on the frontline,” Richard Lwandja, a surgeon in South Kivu province, tells Reuters.

Residents Describe 10 Hours of Killing in Nigeria’s Woro and Nuku Villages

Details are emerging of the brutal attacks on two villages in western Nigeria that left at least 162 people dead on Tuesday, February 3. Gunmen on motorbikes stormed the mostly Muslim villages of Woro and Nuku in Kwara state after residents ignored a letter warning that militants would arrive to spread an extreme form of Islam. Survivors told the Associated Press that attackers went door to door for nearly 10 hours, shooting residents, burning homes and shops, and later killing worshippers who responded to a call to prayer at a mosque. Authorities say at least 162 people were killed, though villagers believe the toll is closer to 200, with many others kidnapped.

Residents say there was no security presence during the attack, despite police claims that officers were deployed. Survivors described entire families wiped out, bodies left charred, and villagers fleeing to nearby towns to start over. The massacre is part of a wider surge in violence in Kwara, raising fears that Nigeria’s long-running security crisis is spreading south. Armed groups, including Islamic extremist factions and other militias, continue to challenge state authority, even as the government announces new military operations and expanded policing. In Woro and Nuku, victims were targeted not for their faith, but for rejecting the militants’ extremist ideology.

Netherlands Returns 3,500-Year-Old Looted Sculpture to Egypt

The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt after an investigation confirmed it had been looted and illegally removed. The stone head, believed to have originated from Luxor, depicts a senior official from the reign of Thutmose III and was likely taken during the unrest of the 2011 Arab Spring. It resurfaced at an art fair in Maastricht in 2022, where it was confiscated by Dutch authorities.

Dutch Culture Minister Gouke Moes says the return reflects a policy of sending cultural objects back to their rightful owners. The artefact was handed over after the dealer, Sycomore Ancient Art, voluntarily surrendered it following provenance concerns. Egyptian Ambassador Emad Hanna says Egypt actively tracks looted artefacts abroad and stressed their importance to tourism and the economy. Egyptian authorities have not yet announced where the sculpture will be displayed.

Nigerian Court Orders UK to Pay Compensation to Families of Miners Killed Under Colonial Rule

A court in Nigeria has ordered the British government to pay $27 million to each of the families of 21 coal miners killed by colonial police in 1949. The Enugu High Court ruled that the killings at the Iva Valley coal mine — where workers were striking over harsh conditions, racial pay gaps, and unpaid wages — were unlawful and violated the miners’ right to life. The judge said Britain must be held accountable and make reparations, calling the shooting of unarmed workers an extrajudicial killing. The UK government said it has not been formally notified of the judgment and was not represented in court. The massacre, which took place in Enugu when it was the capital of British-administered Eastern Nigeria, is widely seen by historians as a turning point that fueled Nigeria’s anti-colonial movement ahead of independence in 1960.

Republic of Congo President Announces Intention to Extend Incumbency

The third-longest serving president on the continent, Denis Sassou-Nguesso, has announced that he’ll be running for another term in office. He’s the leading candidate in the Republic of Congo’s presidential election set for March 15, moved forward by a week from its initially scheduled date. Sassou-Nguesso was the beneficiary of a constitutional reform in 2015 that adjusted presidential terms from seven to five years but removed age and term limits for presidential candidates, setting him up to continue for a fifth consecutive term. He was president between 1979 and 1992, then returned to power in 1997 following a civil war, and is expected to remain in power, with low opposition participation amidst criticisms of partiality on the path of the country’s electoral body, whose highest officials are appointed by a parliament that is controlled by the ruling party. Sassou-Nguesso’s imminent reelection doesn’t inspire confidence for an upturn in Congo’s fortunes, where there’s widespread poverty despite being the third largest oil producer in Africa, and youth unemployment is at 42%.

South Africa Unveils First Foot-and-Mouth Vaccine in 20 Years Amid Major Outbreak

South Africa today, Friday, February 6, announced its first locally developed foot-and-mouth disease vaccine in two decades as it battles its worst outbreak of the highly contagious livestock disease in years. Developed by the government’s Agricultural Research Council, the vaccine is part of a plan to immunize 80% of the country’s roughly 12 million cattle. The ARC will begin supplying 20,000 doses a week from March 2026, with production set to rise to 200,000 doses weekly from 2027. The move aims to reduce reliance on imported vaccines and strengthen local production, Agriculture Minister John Steenhuisen says. Today’s announcement comes as farmers report heavy losses and accuse the government of responding too slowly to the outbreak, with two agricultural groups threatening legal action over what they call a fragmented response.

AGOA Extension Brings Relief to Lesotho, But Job Worries Linger

Lesotho has welcomed a short-term extension of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) after months of uncertainty that cost garment workers their jobs. The deal, which gives eligible African countries duty-free access to the U.S. market, expired in September, prompting layoffs in Lesotho’s vital textile sector. This week, U.S. President Donald Trump signed a one-year extension of the AGOA until December 31, 2026, easing pressure on Africa’s most U.S.-dependent exporter. Textiles make up Lesotho’s leading export and about a tenth of its $2 billion economy, but the country is still grappling with higher U.S. tariffs — reduced from 50% to 15% — and fears the brief extension leaves businesses exposed. Trade Minister Mokhethi Shelile says the country wants a longer-term U.S. trade framework, warning that the current timeline offers little certainty for workers and manufacturers.

U.S. Backs UK Plan to Hand Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Lease Back Military Base

The United States has confirmed its support for a deal that would see the United Kingdom transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius while leasing back the joint UK-U.S. military base on Diego Garcia for 99 years. U.S. President Donald Trump says the agreement struck by Prime Minister Keir Starmer is “the best he could make,” easing recent fears in London after Trump had previously criticized the deal. The base, seen as strategically vital, will remain operational under the lease, with U.S. officials stressing they retain the right to protect and reinforce their presence there if needed. The deal, announced last year, still faces political opposition in the UK as legislation to ratify it moves through Parliament.

Senegal Fans Held in Morocco Begin Hunger Strike After AFCON Final Arrests

Eighteen Senegalese football fans detained in Morocco after last month’s Africa Cup of Nations final have started a hunger strike as they await trial. The fans were arrested on January 18 following a tense final in Rabat, where Senegal beat Morocco, and some supporters tried to storm the pitch and threw objects onto the field after a disputed late penalty. Their lawyer says they are still waiting to be formally charged and claim police questioned them in languages they do not speak, as they only understand Wolof. A first court hearing was adjourned in January, and a second was delayed this week due to a lawyers’ strike. The case is now expected to resume next week.