Here is what you need to know to keep up to speed with today’s happenings.

EAC-SADC crisis meeting on DRC situation

Leaders from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) will hold a virtual joint summit today to address the escalating security crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The meeting, announced by the SADC Secretariat on Sunday, March 23, 2025, via their official X account, will be co-chaired by EAC Chairperson President William Samoei Ruto and SADC Chairperson President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa of Zimbabwe.

SADC’s “Double Troika” member states will be represented, including Zimbabwe (current chair), Angola (former chair), and Madagascar (incoming chair).

Countries leading the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Affairs—Tanzania (chair), Malawi (incoming chair), and Zambia (former chair)—will also participate alongside South Africa and the DRC itself.

This represents the second joint summit between the regional bodies as they seek urgent solutions to stabilize the volatile eastern DRC, where armed conflict has persisted for years.

IEBC chairperson interviews commence

The selection process for Kenya’s next Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson officially kicks off today at 8:30 am, with 11 shortlisted candidates set to face interviews before a selection panel.

In a statement issued on March 23, 2025, by the Selection Panel Chairperson Nelson Makanda, the interviews will run for three days, concluding on Wednesday, March 26, 2025.

Candidates are required to present valid clearances from key agencies, including the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Higher Education Loans Board.

Those with foreign degrees must provide clearance from the Commission for University Education.

Members of the public have also been invited to submit information regarding the suitability of any of the candidates under oath, with submissions required at least five days before a candidate’s scheduled interview.

Among the notable candidates expected to be interviewed in the first group is Charles Nyachae, former chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC), and immediate former Judiciary Registrar Anne Amadi.

World TB Day observed globally

Today marks World TB Day, an annual observance aimed at raising awareness about tuberculosis, the world’s deadliest infectious disease.

TB is an airborne disease primarily affecting the lungs, spread through coughing, sneezing, or spitting. The infection can occur after inhaling just a few germs of Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

This year’s theme, “Yes! We Can End TB: Commit, Invest, Deliver,” calls for stronger commitments at local, national, and international levels to combat TB, including the growing threat of drug-resistant strains (MDR-TB).

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), TB is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide and the leading cause from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS.

Over 33% of TB deaths occur in the African Region.

The observance comes amid concerns about declining international funding for TB in the current geopolitical climate, which threatens global targets to end TB by 2030.

“World TB Day provides the platform for affected persons and communities, civil society organizations, health-care providers, policymakers, development partners and others to advocate, discuss and plan further collaboration to fulfil the promise of reaching all people with quality TB prevention and care services, as well as enabling TB prevention through multisectoral development efforts,” WHO states.