Mathias Kamp

Country Director Kenya for KAS; African politics, Scottish whisky, Ugandan coffee, BVB & LFC football, Westphalian roots, Kenyan family, Popperian ideas.

[Kilian Löser @KilianLoeser]

„Vielleicht hätte sich Frau Baerbock darauf konzentrieren sollen, ihre Arbeit in der deutschen Diplomatie zu erledigen, anstatt zu versuchen, Nigerianern vorzuschreiben, wo sie ihre Toiletten zu bauen haben, und den Afrikanern zu sagen, wie sie mit Elefanten umgehen sollen“, so Masisi. „Vielleicht hätte Deutschland dann mehr Stimmen aus Afrika für den UN-Sitz erhalten.“

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[Ralf Fuecks @fuecks]

Ist Deutschland mit seiner Kandidatur gescheitert, weil die Bundesregierung das Völkerrecht nicht ernst genug nimmt? Das ist ein bisschen lächerlich. Die Vereinten Nationen sind alles andere als ein Hort des Rechts, vom Sicherheitsrat bis zur Vollversammlung. Sie werden dominiert von halb oder ganz autoritären Staaten, die das Völkerrecht vorzugsweise als Keule gegen Israel nutzen.
Wegen dieser Abstimmungsniederlage muss man sich nicht ins Hemd machen. Wir sollten unsere Werte und Interessen selbstbewusster vertreten, statt everybodys darling sein zu wollen. Nicht im Alleingang, sondern möglichst gemeinsam mit anderen Demokratien.
https://t.co/OfI3S9xdbF via @welt

[Michael Roth 🇪🇺🇺🇦🇮🇱🇬🇪 @MiRo_SPD]

Manche fordern, Deutschland müsse wieder „mehrheitsfähig” in den UN werden. Ehrlich? UN-Mainstream bedeutet: mehr Autoritarismus, mehr Antisemitismus, weniger Demokratie, weniger Rechtsstaat, weniger Klimaschutz. Und das für ein Gremium, das Russland & China sowieso blockieren?

[Mohamed Salah @MoSalah]

I have witnessed this club go from doubters to believers, and from believers to champions. It took hard work and I always did everything I could to help the club get there. Nothing makes me prouder than that.

Us crumbling to yet another defeat this season was very painful and not what our fans deserve. I want to see Liverpool go back to being the heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear and back to being a team that wins trophies. That is the football I know how to play and that is the identity that needs to be recovered and kept for good. It cannot be negotiable and everyone that joins this club should adapt to it.

Winning some games here and there is not what Liverpool should be about. All teams win games.

Liverpool will always be a club that means a great deal to me and to my family. I want to see it succeed for long after I have moved on.

As I’ve always said, qualifying to next season’s Champions League is the bare minimum and I will do everything I can to make that happen.

[Hasnain Kazim @HasnainKazim]

„Wie heißt der? Baha Soundso …“ Wenn Linke Konservative oder Rechte kritisieren und bei Letzteren handelt es sich um Menschen mit migrantischen Wurzeln, fallen sie gerne ins Rassistische, wissen Namen plötzlich nicht, verunglimpfen sie auch gern. Als Kanake muss man auf Linie sein, sonst ist man Feind und für Rassismus freigegeben. Zum Kotzen.

@baha_jam
@ale_notbeer

[Jan Schnellenbach @schnellenbachj]

Furioser Kommentar aus dem Economist:

https://t.co/KQXCd1u2r4

[Kemi Badenoch @KemiBadenoch]

You may not agree with me, but you will always know where you stand with me.

Today in Billericay, a heckler tried to shout me down as I spoke about the normalisation of hatred towards Jews. I did not back down, because it needs to be said. British Jews are being targeted and too many people are pretending this is the same experience of other minorities. This lady implied Muslims are being similarly targeted. This is simply not true.

Let's be honest about what is happening. Certain groups (in particular but not solely Islamic Extremists) are creating a climate of fear and intimidation that is normalising Jew hatred. I will never stand for that. Governments have spent too long hand-wringing, making excuses and hoping it would go away. It is time to call this what it is: a national emergency in our attitude, our urgency and our response.

I will always engage with people who disagree with me. That is politics. But there is a difference between argument and intimidation. Shouting does not make a bad case good. It's done to silence others. And it certainly does not change the truth.

The truth is that British Jews have been made to feel less safe in their own country. Our country. They are being singled out, threatened and harassed in ways that should shame everyone in public life. If we do not stand up now and stop this rise in antisemitism, then why bother saying "Never Again" at Holocaust Memorial Day? Because this is how it starts.

I am not prepared to play along with the pretence that this is normal, or manageable, or just another example of tension between groups. It really is not. It is targeted hatred and it is getting worse.

So my message is simple. Not here. Not in Britain. And not on our watch. We need to stop the hand-wringing and start doing the right thing. That means standing with British Jews openly, unapologetically and without fear.

[Samuel @SamueILFC]

Sack him. Just do it.

[Ralf Fuecks @fuecks]

The genie is out of the bottle. And it will be difficult to put it back in. Anti-Semites are gaining ground, and they are forming a growing voter base among the academic left and Muslim immigrants.

[Joshua Meservey @JMeservey]

This is the latest piece of evidence of how ineffective Russian mercenaries are against the terrorists and separatists in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. Their tactics--stripping support from insurgents by cowing the local population through brutality and indiscriminate violence, as Russian forces did in Chechnya--cannot work in this context.

The Sahel is too vast, and the Russians have far too few forces, even in combination with national militaries, with which to abuse the local populations. The Russians also have very little experience with desert fighting against this type of opponent.

However, the key goal of the coup governments that use the Russians is regime preservation. That is the service for which they are paying. If they continue to believe the Russians can deliver that, then they will likely keep them on.

This means the security situation will likely only get worse in all three countries for the short-term. It's possible a more pragmatic government like Niger's or perhaps even Mali's after this disaster might seek Western help to try to stem the tide.

Burkina Faso may be the least likely to pivot from its failed approach, and therefore at the most risk over the longer term. Traore made a show of kicking out Western forces and welcoming in the Russians because he wanted to justify his coup and, more recently, buttress his mythical reputation as an anti-imperialist hero. It would be humiliating for him to admit that he has failed, so I suspect he won't.

No matter what happens, the Sahel's terrible security situation is likely to remain poor for the foreseeable future. It was already bad before the coup governments took power, and they've exacerbated the problem with their incompetence and fecklessness.

[Larry Madowo @LarryMadowo]

BREAKING VIDEO: Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe becomes the first person ever to win a regular marathon in under two hours, setting a new world record at the London Marathon in 1:59:30!

Kenyans invented running™

[BBC News Africa @BBCAfrica]

'History in the making'
🇰🇪 Sebastian Sawe breaks the marathon world record. He is the first person in history to run a sub two-hour marathon in race conditions.

🇪🇹 Yomif Kejelcha was also under two hours for second.

https://t.co/1ibUN3lcTV

[🦀 The Crab Man 🦀 @The_Crab_Man_]

Arne Slot has taken all the enjoyment out of supporting Liverpool Football Club.

[Jason @bigjlfc]

Slot leaving. Alonso coming in.

[🦅 Eagle Wings 🦅 @CRRJA5]

😔 So incredibly sad…
Rest in peace, Melika Azizi (2008 - 2026).
This brave 18-year-old from Masal, Iran, was executed by the Islamic Regime on Nowruz — a time meant for renewal and celebration — under the charge of “Moharebeh” (enmity against God). Her “crime”? Participating in protests and allegedly burning regime symbols during the January 2026 demonstrations.
She was violently arrested, reportedly beaten, and faced a system that silences young voices with death. In court, she refused to stay silent, boldly telling the judge she couldn’t ignore the bloodshed of so many others.
A young life full of potential, stolen away. This is heartbreaking.
We must remember her name. The world needs to see the cruelty of this regime.

[GaGs @GagsTandon]

Pissing me off how this manager is still at this club. I'm so annoyed after reading this. Ugh. Not good, please - he's got to go... NOW.

[Charles Onyango-Obbo @cobbo3]

Uganda’s proposed Sovereignty Bill is the ONLY law in the world openly attempting something this sweeping: it legally turns its own citizens abroad into “foreigners”.

The Bill is explicit. A “foreigner” includes “Ugandan citizens residing abroad”.

That single clause redraws the boundary of citizenship. It means diaspora money, relationships, and even family support can fall under foreign control rules.

So the implications are not abstract.
-A mother in Mbale receiving school fees from her son in London.
-A boda boda rider in Gulu financed by a brother in Dubai.
-A small shop in Mbarara stocked using capital sent from Boston.

All could, in theory, fall under foreign influence rules.

Then the net widens.

The definition of an “agent of a foreigner” includes anyone “directly or indirectly… financed or subsidised” by a foreigner.

Not directed. Not controlled. Simply funded.

-A journalist paid by a locally registered outlet that receives donor support.
-A researcher on a project with partial foreign grants.
-An NGO worker whose salary traces back, however distantly, to external funding.

All can be classified as “agents”.

Clause 22 then imposes a hard ceiling: “a cap on foreign funding of approximately UGX 400 million within any twelve-month period”, beyond which ministerial approval is required.

So:
-A private hospital built with diaspora investment.
-A school supported by an international foundation.
-A construction firm using a foreign loan.

Then comes the sharpest edge.
-Clause 13 creates the offence of economic sabotage, criminalising anyone who “publishes information… that weakens or damages the economic system”.

So:

-A newspaper reporting a currency slide.
-An analyst warning about debt stress.
-A civil society group highlighting inflation pressures.

Even if accurate, such reporting could fall foul of the law.

Finally, Clause 5 prohibits activities that promote foreign interests “against the interests of Uganda”, a phrase the law does not define.

Put together, these clauses do something unprecedented.

-They do not just regulate foreign influence.
-They redefine who is foreign.
-They extend control from politics into everyday economic and social life.

In most countries, including Ethiopia and Ethiopia, sovereignty laws manage outsiders.
Here, Uganda redefined outsiders to include its citizens, basically rewriting the 1995 constitution. Of course it’s in the preparatory and consultation stage and could change for better - or WORSE!

[Garry Kasparov @Kasparov63]

Péter Magyar’s Lesson for America: The Center Can Hold. My latest Next Move on Hungary's overwhelming winner over Kremlin lackey Orbán--and on the importance of seeing populism as not inevitable or eternal. Real conservatives can win without the ultra-nationalism. Link below.

[Michael Thaidigsmann @Thaidigsmann]

"I love Germany"

Péter Magyar spoke in his first press conference after his election victory about the possibility of Hungary rejoining the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court as well as future relations with Israel and with Germany. Here's what he said:

"The Orbán government has initiated the withdrawal process, and it may be completed as early as June 2. This is a process we can no longer stop, but we will reverse it. We will not simply reverse it; rather, we will re-initiate Hungary’s accession to cooperation with the International Criminal Court. I believe it is in the interest of the entire international community and of Hungary that we remain there, just as we have been until now.

"Regarding the relationship between Israel and Hungary: I can say that there is a special bond between Israel and Hungary. Many of our Hungarian compatriots live in Israel, and many Israeli citizens come here to Hungary. There is a very strong Jewish community in Hungary, one of the largest in Europe, fortunately living in peace and security.

"Hungary has always had zero tolerance for all forms of #antisemitism, and this will remain the case. We will not do what the Orbán government did in various propaganda publications, and I will stop there and say no more. Apart from that, Israel is an important economic partner, and we will continue to work together. We strive for a pragmatic relationship.

"I cannot guarantee that but that Hungary will continue to block the EU’s decisions regarding Israel. Of course, every issue and every decision must be examined individually. But as I said, I don’t want to get ahead of myself here. We will see what decisions the EU makes and what is in our interest and what is right.

"As for Germany, it is Hungary’s most important partner. We are bound by a very close historical alliance, a cultural one. There are also many Hungarians working there. Germany is the most important investor in Hungary. Relations have also deteriorated, there hasn’t been a normal bilateral meeting between the German chancellor and Viktor Orbán, despite the fact that the chancellor didn’t become chancellor yesterday and Viktor Orbán didn’t become Prime Minister yesterday.

"I can say that we would like to build a very close relationship. I had the good fortune to meet with the Chancellor in Munich as well. I had the good fortune to speak with him yesterday. He called me and said that he would like to host me in Berlin as soon as possible to discuss the outstanding issues and to forge political ties that are at least as close as our economic ties already are. After all, as far as I know and as I see it, German investors are doing a good job here; they provide jobs for countless Hungarians and contribute to the strengthening and growth of the Hungarian economy.

"I also see that there are German investors who have been unfairly persecuted by this government, and fair competition has not been ensured, though I could say the same about Austrian companies. We want to provide a level playing field for all foreign investors - equal conditions, not the preferential treatment this government has given to polluting South Korean or Chinese investors -but rather an equal opportunity.

"We warmly welcome foreign investors. We will, of course, support Hungarian small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large Hungarian companies. We want foreign investors - and Hungarian investors as well - to see that the rule of law is functioning again in Hungary, that there is predictability, that laws are not passed overnight, that there is no rule by decree, but rather predictability, stability, and legal certainty, whether in the courts or in politics.

"I very much look forward to cooperating with Germany. I would also like to have a good personal relationship. I studied in Hamburg, and I love that city too. I love Germany very much."

[Bogáta Timár @BogataTimar]

okay I guess I have to talk about Péter Magyar here.
Let me just start with saying, in a very unladylike way, that you guys seem to have zero clue what happened in Hungary in the last two years, you completely miss the point, and you're a disappointing bunch.
Let's go.