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Nic Cheeseman

Professor of Democracy, University of Birmingham

Nic Cheeseman is the Professor of Democracy at the University of Birmingham. He was formerly the Director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Oxford. His research addresses a range of questions such as whether populism is an effective strategy of political mobilization in Africa, how paying tax changes citizens’ attitudes towards democracy and corruption, and the conditions under which ruling parties lose power. In addition to a number of book chapters and articles, he has published two co-edited collections: Our Turn To Eat (2010), which covers the politics of Kenya since independence, and The Handbook of African Politics (2013). A monograph, Democracy in Africa, was published by Cambridge University Press in 2015 and a second book, How to Rig An Election, is currently under contract with Yale.

Nic spends much of his time explaining the implications of his work to policy makers, including the Cabinet Office, Foreign Office, and the Department for International Development of the UK government, the Instituto Rio Branco of the Brazilian government, the Lagos State Government, the Pan African Parliament, and the World Bank. He is the joint editor of African Affairs, an advisor to the African Progress Panel, and a member of the advisory board of the UNICEF Chair on Communication Research (Africa). Finally, Nic writes a regular column for Kenya's Sunday Nation newspaper and is the founder of www.democacyinafrica.org. You can follow all of his research on Twitter @fromagehomme and at https://www.facebook.com/nic.cheeseman

Fears of election rigging may fuel further abuses in Kenya: democracy could be the loser

Feb 23, 2022 22:39 pm UTC| Politics

As Kenyans approach a general election in August 2022, many lack confidence in the electoral process. According to a national opinion poll conducted by Afrobarometer in 2019, only 29.2% of Kenyans thought that the...

Digital democracy is still a long way off in Africa: it takes more than technology

Oct 05, 2020 13:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

From the mid-2000s onwards, the digital revolution raised hopes of democratic transformation and strengthening in Africa. But it hasnt quite turned out like that. Now, almost a decade after the Arab Spring, techno-optimism...

Discrediting elections: why the opposition playbook carries risks

Feb 25, 2020 12:57 pm UTC| Insights & Views Law

Malawi recently held its breath as the Constitutional Court took ten hours to painstakingly read out its verdict on the highly controversial 2019 presidential elections. When it finally became clear that the judgment would...

Kenya: why elite cohesion is more important than ethnicity to political stability

Feb 22, 2020 00:25 am UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Kenyan politics is often depicted as a battle between different ethnic Big Men who can mobilise their supporters with a click of their fingers. The ability of successive generations of the Kenyatta family to rally the...

Both democracy and authoritarianism are on the rise in Africa

Feb 19, 2019 16:58 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Is democracy in Africa in retreat? Or is it simply suffering growing pains? The last 12 months have seen a great deal of controversy and debate on these important questions. There have been some bright spots, like the...

Zambia slides towards authoritarianism as IMF props up government

Jun 21, 2017 15:45 pm UTC| Insights & Views

The speaker of the Zambian National Assembly, Patrick Matibini, has suspended 48 opposition legislators for 30 days as a punishment for unauthorised absence from the parliament. Their offence? To have been missing for...

Economy

European EV Sales Surge in April 2026 as Tesla and Chinese Automakers Gain Ground

European car sales recorded strong growth in April 2026, driven by rising demand for electric and hybrid vehicles across the region. According to the latest data released by the European Automobile Manufacturers...

European Stocks Rise as AI Optimism Offsets U.S.-Iran Tensions

European stock markets opened higher on Wednesday as investors balanced ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S.-Iran peace negotiations with growing optimism over artificial intelligence-driven market momentum. The positive...

UK Grocery Inflation Slows to 3.1% as Supermarket Price Pressures Ease in May 2026

UK grocery inflation slowed to 3.1% in the four weeks ending May 17, 2026, marking the lowest increase in supermarket prices since December 2024, according to new data released by Worldpanel by Numerator. The latest report...

Nikkei Hits Record High as AI Chip Stocks Power Japan Market Rally

Japans Nikkei share average surged to a fresh record high on Wednesday, driven by strong gains in chip-related stocks as investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continued to fuel global technology markets. The...

RBNZ Holds Interest Rates Steady but Signals More Hikes Ahead in 2026

New Zealands central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday but warned that further monetary tightening may be necessary later this year as rising global tensions increase inflation risks and slow economic...

Politics

Baltic Drone Incursions Raise NATO Security Concerns Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

Recent Ukrainian drone incursions into Baltic airspace have heightened security concerns across Eastern Europe, increasing tensions between NATO members and Russia. The incidents come as Ukraine intensifies long-range...

Trump Administration Weighs Halting International Flights at Sanctuary City Airports

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the Trump administration is considering plans to suspend customs and immigration processing for international travelers and cargo flights arriving at airports located...

Israel Says It Killed New Hamas Military Chief in Gaza Strike

Israel announced on Wednesday that it had killed Mohammad Odeh, the newly appointed head of Hamass armed wing in Gaza, as military operations intensified across Gaza, Lebanon, and the West Bank. The Israeli military said...

Biden Sues DOJ to Block Release of Audio From Classified Documents Probe

Former U.S. President Joe Biden has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) in an effort to stop the release of audio recordings and transcripts tied to Special Counsel Robert Hurs investigation into Bidens...

US Plans Kenya Ebola Quarantine Facility Amid Congo Outbreak

The Trump administration is preparing to deploy U.S. public health officers to Kenya as part of a proposed Ebola quarantine facility designed to support Americans exposed to the deadly virus during the ongoing outbreak in...

Science

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

NASA Artemis II: First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo Takes Four Astronauts on 10-Day Lunar Journey

NASAs Artemis II mission launched Wednesday, marking humanitys return to crewed lunar exploration for the first time since the Apollo era. Carrying four astronauts aboard the Orion spacecraft, this historic 10-day mission...

NASA's Artemis II Mission: First Crewed Lunar Journey Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II Crew Arrives in Florida for Historic Moon Mission

The four astronauts chosen for NASAs Artemis II mission have touched down at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the beginning of final launch preparations for the first crewed lunar journey in over 50 years. NASA...

Technology

Xiaomi Shares Drop After Weak Q1 Earnings Amid Rising Smartphone Costs

Xiaomi Corp (HK:1810) shares declined on Wednesday after the Chinese tech giant reported weaker-than-expected first-quarter earnings, pressured by rising component costs and intense competition in the smartphone market....

Samsung to Invest $1.5 Billion in Vietnam Semiconductor Testing Plant by 2027

Samsung Electronics is expanding its semiconductor operations in Southeast Asia with plans to invest nearly 39 trillion Vietnamese dong, or about $1.5 billion, in a new semiconductor testing facility in Vietnam. According...

Samsung Workers Approve Wage Deal, Avoiding Major Strike and Boosting Chip Supply Confidence

Samsung Electronics workers have approved a new wage agreement, preventing a large-scale strike that could have disrupted global semiconductor supplies and impacted South Koreas economy. The deal was supported by nearly...

Elon Musk Explores Possible Tesla-SpaceX Merger Amid Growing AI Investments

Elon Musk has reportedly discussed the possibility of combining Tesla and SpaceX, according to a CNBC report released Tuesday. The potential merger has become a major topic of discussion within both companies as they...

SK Hynix Joins $1 Trillion Club as AI Chip Demand Fuels Stock Surge

SK Hynix Inc. became the second South Korean company to surpass a $1 trillion market valuation on Wednesday, as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to drive investor confidence in global semiconductor stocks....