The A to Z of year that closes first quarter of the 21st century

Military officers escort the body of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga after the funeral service at Mamboleo Grounds in Kisumu. [File, Standard]

Thus ends 2025, with as many highs as lows, as many anticlines as synclines. It sprung a few surprises too. Belgian child prodigy Laurent Simons acquired a PhD in quantum physics aged just 15. Elon Musk’s wealth soared to over $740 billion. Wolverhampton Wanderers entered Christmas with 2 points in 17 English Premier League matches. That is 0.12 points on average.

Such years end way sooner, methinks, but here we are anyway.

The year closes the first quarter of the 21st century, and now we are ushered into the next one to build on the successes, and rectify the mistakes, of the past. On the whole, it was a remarkable year. From across the globe, with a focus on Africa and Kenya, however, we look at some of the key events of the year, each for every letter of the alphabet.  

A for Agwambo’s exit: The enigma. One of Africa’s most charismatic, impactful, thus iconic, leaders. At the age of 80, Raila Amolo Odinga, Kenya’s second prime minister and lifetime defender of human rights and constitutionalism, died while receiving treatment in India mid-October. Mr Odinga was, arguably, a larger-than-life character, and was seen as immortal to some. His demise, commentators say, creates a void in local politics that ambitious politicians, some who, for years, clung onto his coattails for a lifeline, now frantically seek to fill.  

B for Biya’s autocracy: In Cameroon, 92-year-old Paul Biya, who has ruled the country since 1982, was gunning for re-election. It was controversial as it was funny, and his own daughter, Brenda Biya, came out appealing to the public to not give her father another term. Spirited campaigns were launched against him in the wake of Brenda’s impassioned call. But the president, who was too old to hit the campaign trail and appeared very few times in public, went on to win the election with 53 per cent of the votes, and was sworn in for another seven-year term. By the time he is clinching a next term, he will be a solid 100. 

C for Chakwera’s fall: As the continental political broth simmered, Malawi went to the ballot. Their theologian 70-year-old president Lazarus Chakwera sought re-election amid damning claims of corruption and incompetence throughout his five-year term. One of the country’s strongest political families fielded a candidate, 85-year-old Peter Mutharika, who served as president immediately before Chakwera (2014-2020).  Mutharika, younger brother of the third president Bingu wa Mutharika, went on to win the election, despite his past administrations being consistently dogged by accusations of graft, regionalism, and electoral malpractice. 

D for DCP’s founding: Ousted Kenya’s Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua lumped together like-minded anti-government politicians, most of them formerly loyal to the ruling regime, into his new party, Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), which was launched on May 15. The party’s slogan is “Skiza Wakenya” and its logo a hand cupped over an ear- a subtle indication of listening to grassroot voices.  

E for Ethiopia’s mega dam: Starry-eyed Ethiopia finally, on September 9, inaugurated the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), Africa's largest hydroelectric dam, whose construction began in 2011. Bogged down by power shortages, the country unleashed this 5.15 gigawatts behemoth, a loud statement of the country’s resolve to become energy-sufficient and to heavily industrialize as it battles Kenya for regional economic dominance. 

F for Floods in Mokwa: In late May, flash floods in Niger State, Nigeria, torpedoed a huge section of Mokwa town, destroying over 4,000 homes and killing over 500. The catastrophe in flood-prone Nigeria damaged crucial infrastructure including schools, hospitals, and places of worship. A crucial reminder of the danger of climate change and vulnerability of communities, the flooding situation in Nigeria has, over the past two years, displaced over 1.5 million people, destroyed farmlands and cut off people from aid at their hour of need. 

G for Gaza’s demolition: Incessant shelling has been the order of the day in the Gaza Strip for years now as an incensed Israel strikes to completely obliterate Gaza. According to Aljazeera, at least 68,875 Palestinians have been killed and 170,679 wounded since Israel first declared offense in late 2023. A hostages-and-prisoners exchange and armistice between the warring factions, Israel and the Hamas, happened in the first two months of 2025. A ceasefire, which has been violated on countless occasions, was declared later on, even as the world powers remain split in the support and rebuke of Israel for the destruction. 

H for Hemedti’s havoc: The deterioration of the political situation in Sudan, with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as "Hemedti", wreaking havoc across the country, has intensified over time. When the city of El Fasher in the Darfur region of Sudan fell in the hands of the militia at the end of October, it was reported that satellites could even pick out blood saturating on the ground as thousands were slaughtered overnight. The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been trying to take back control of key areas, with over 150,000 killed in the last five years. 

I for India’s Plane Crash: On June 12, an Air India plane, Flight 171 en route to London from Ahmedabad, crashed about 30 seconds after takeoff, with early reports indicating pilot’s fault while there were other claims suggesting the aircraft could have been faulty. A month after the accident, the Air Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) published a preliminary report indicating that the fuel cutoff switches moved from the “run” to the cutoff position, depriving the engines of fuel. That caused them to lose thrust and the plane drove head-first into a building killing 260 people, with a sole survivor.

J for Justin Trudeau’s resignation: After nearly ten years at the helm of Canadian politics, Trudeau left power. The 53-year old 23rd Prime Minister of Canada first announced his resignation as leader of the ruling Liberal Party under pressure in the first week of January. Trudeau, who was embroiled in various scandals, including sexual harassment, political interference, and corruption, had continued to hold onto his position with determination amid calls for resignation in 2024, until a consistent drop in ratings towards the end of that year, and the resignation of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, completely weakened his perch. 

K for Kidnapistan: Humorously christened The United Kingdom of Kidnapistan by tweeps, East Africa experienced a wave of abductions throughout the year. In Kenya, this trend carried on from 2024 where, in the wake of the anti-government protests around the Finance Bill, hundreds were abducted. Tanzania prepared for its presidential election slated for October 29,  2025, which incumbent Suluhu Hassan won with a landslide. Many activists were abducted, including Kenyans who had traveled across the border to stand in solidarity with incarcerated politicians. In Uganda, two Kenyan activists were held captive by the government for five weeks and put ‘in the fridge’, an admission by President Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking another term. 

L for Leo XIV’s ordination: When 88-year-old Pope Francis died on April 21,  2025, many names were mooted as potential replacements. It was US born Robert Francis Prevost who prevailed on the second day of the conclave in the fourth vote, despite being initially considered a dark horse. Cardinal Prevost adopted the papacy name of Leo XIV, and is only the second pope from the Americas, after his predecessor Pope Francis, who was Argentine. He is the 267th pope.  

M for Myanmar earthquake: Midday of March 28, a 7.7 magnitude quake hit Sagaing Region in north-west Myanmar. It was the strongest earthquake the country had experienced in over a century. It killed approximately 5,352 in Myanmar, and over 100 in neighbouring Thailand, while injuring well over 11,000. A 6.8 magnitude aftershock brought down mosques inside which many were praying, with The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) saying that key infrastructure had been severely damaged, and communications remained cut off in many areas for prolonged periods.  

N for Nepal’s revolution: An army of protesters marched into Nepalese Federal Parliament Building in Kathmandu on September 9, demanding the fall of their government over corruption and human rights abuse. After street shootings that left about 19 protesters dead on September 8, the demonstrators found their way into, and razed, the Prime Minister’s office, among many other government buildings, including judiciary offices, the Supreme Court and many other lower courts. Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli quickly resigned that same day and former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as new prime minister. This became the first Gen Z protest that had ultimately achieved success in a year. 

O for One-Legged Kenyans: As Kenya marked one year since the deadly anti-government protests of 2024, 30 protesters were killed, and the demonstrations’ tempo intensified with these new injustices. President Willliam Ruto, claiming that the protesters were looting property in the capital Nairobi, gave a directive to the police to incapacitate them, saying protesters ought to be ‘be shot in the leg, hospitalised, and later taken to court’. The President has lately reiterated that stance. 

P for PSG’s UCL: Since the UEFA Champions League, formerly European Cup, was founded in 1955, only one French team has won it: Marseille in the 1992-93 campaign. Yet Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), founded in 1970, has won a raft of titles and had come excruciatingly close to lifting the cup recently. PSG has won 52 domestic trophies, including a record 13 Ligue 1 titles, a record 16 Coupe de France, a record 9 Coupe de la Ligue, and a record 13 Trophée des Champions. Previously, they have had in their ranks global superstars: Ronaldinho, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and even Lionel Messi, but they failed to clinch the ultimate club trophy. In 2025, led by a stellar forward line-up within which played Frenchman Ousmane Dembele, the team marched into the finals and made history. PSG went on to win the FIFA International Cup for a historic sextuple. 

Q for Quarterfinals for Kenya: Kenya was one of the co-hosts for CHAN this year, and the team that was picked, from local teams, played scintillating football. Coached by South African Benni McCarthy, himself an accomplished striker during his playing days, Kenya tore through DR Congo, Angola, Morocco and Zambia before crashing out in the quarterfinals to Madagascar 4-3 on penalties after drawing 1-1 in normal time. Madagascar went on to lose the finals to Morocco. Kenya, with a renewed enthusiasm, is now gearing to co-host Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in 2027, with key infrastructure, such as stadiums, being built or renovated. 

R for Rajoelina’s ouster: 51-year-old baby-faced DJ-turned-president for Madagascar Andry Rajoelina had served as president since 2019 when, in September 2025, marauding protesters demanding his ouster following widespread grievances over the cost of living, poverty and alleged government corruption, clashed with security forces. As the chants demanding his resignation intensified and security forces largely flipped and took the side of the protesters, Rajoelina fled from Antananarivo. Rajoelina, who had also been president between 2009 and 2014 following a coup that removed Marc Ravalomanana from power, has now been stripped of his Madagascar citizenship and army leader Colonel Michael Randrianirina sworn in as president.

S for Suluhu’s controversial win: Already mentioned earlier here, Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania’s sixth, and first female, president went to the polls on the back of jailing key opponents, including CHADEMA’s Tundu Lissu. The 65-year-old president, who infamously earlier mocked protests in Kenya and swore Tanzania would never find itself in a similar situation, was declared the winner of the October presidential poll with 98 per cent of the vote, with unrest following the elections leading to many deaths and the arrest of over 240 protesters. For a country known for peaceful elections and power transitions, Suluhu’s win, as was his predecessor’s John Magufuli’s re-election campaign, is a huge taint on the country’s legacy.

T for Trump tariffs: On April 2, US President Donald Trump, who was in his fourth month of his second non-consecutive term as president, introduced sweeping trade tariffs on many countries. For all imports, there was to be a 10 per cent baseline tariff. For some countries, the tariffs were even way higher. With an intention of reducing the trade deficit, Trump hoped the tariffs would promote domestic manufacturing, and substitute for federal income taxes. Some countries have since negotiated a slash of the tariffs imposed on them, with Asian powers such as Japan, South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia already having negotiated lower tariffs, nearer the 10 per cent baseline.  

U for USAID’s collapse: Among the changes that Trump, aided by the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) immediately effected was the dismantling of The US Agency for International Development (USAID). Projects were terminated, employees were either put on leave or recalled (for those outside the country), and remaining programmes were absorbed by the US Department of State. Since, there has been public uproar, including from former presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, with the health of people who were highly dependent on aid in low- or middle-income countries greatly jeopardized. This century, between 2001 and 2024, USAID averaged a budget of $23 billion a year and served people across over 100 countries. 

V for Vaccine campaign in Kenya: A national livestock vaccination programme was announced by President William Ruto in late 2024, with an aim of inoculating 22 million cattle and 50 million goats over three years to control Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD) and Peste des Petits Ruminants (PPR). Huge resistance faced the campaign, however, with concerns about the vaccines' safety and the potential impact on livestock. With the widespread belief the vaccine was discreetly pushed to inhibit release of methane from cattle, social media campaigns pushing to protect their livestock from farting prohibitions, discouraged collaboration between farmers and the government, creating a long-standing impasse.  

W for Wanyonyi’s exploits: Emmanuel Wanyonyi, whose sights have been set solidly on David Rudisha’s world record over 800m, continued his dominance over the distance after taking gold in the same event in this year’s World Athletics Championships Tokyo in a championship record of 1:41.86. The Kenyan superstar powered ahead of Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati and perennial rival Marco Arop of Canada to edge closer to a legacy in this distance, once a forte of Rudisha. For his exploits, Wanyonyi won the men’s World Athlete of the Year, beating US sprinter Noah Lyles. Notably, at the championships, Kenya took 7 gold medals from Beatrice Chebet (women’s 10,000m & 5,000m), Peres Jepchirchir (marathon), Faith Kipyegon (1,500m), Faith Cherotich (3,000m steeplechase), Lilian Odira (women’s 800m), and Wanyonyi. 

X for X-boss Elon Musk clash with Trump: The melodramatic fallout, and hurling of expletives, between SpaceX, Tesla, Starlink and X owner Elon Musk and President Trump lasted months starting June, as both clasped onto each other’s jugulars and leveled the wildest accusations possible. Trump said he was disappointed with Musk who had gone completely 'off the rails,' and who had become a train wreck. He threatened he would set DOGE on, and would then deport Musk. But Musk, threatened with the removal of key subsidies that support some of his multi-billion businesses, offered that Trump was in the Epstein files, insisting that was why no solid action was being taken on named offenders. The feud dissipated, but about two months later, Trump insisted he was unwilling to mend fences with Musk. In October, Trump said he enjoyed a “good” relationship with Musk despite the latter’s earlier “stupid moment”. In December, Musk’s wealth crossed $740 billion. 

Y for Youssouf’s AUC triumph: During the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in February, Djibouti’s Mahamoud Ali Youssouf beat Kenya’s Raila Odinga to the chairmanship of The Africa Union Commission (AUC) in the 7th round of voting. Odinga, who had started strongly and had edged ahead in the first round of voting, lost ground after the early withdrawal of Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato and the shift of allegiance, mainly by Southern African voters during the process. Youssouf, who campaigned on the promise to leverage technology and innovation in making Africa more competitive globally, had attracted plaudits over his dominant performance in the December 13, 2024 Mjadala Africa where, during the debate, he showed a greater understanding of Africa’s geopolitical future and the internal financial mechanisms in the AU's reforms than his rivals.  

Z for Zohran’s surprise win: He was always an underdog, Zohran Mamdani, the 34-year-old democratic socialist who is set to be New York's first Muslim mayor. Born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent and only naturalized as US citizen in 2018 after moving to the country aged 7, Mamdani was a community organizer and a foreclosure prevention counselor before he was, in 2020, elected to the state assembly to represent New York’s 36th district. The charismatic and reportedly affable Mamdani promised free childcare, $30 minimum wage, free, fast buses and a rent freeze during his mayoral campaign, but earned criticism over this utopian dream.