How does an unremarkable army officer seize control of a country, and hold onto power for nearly thirty years?

In the first episode of the Sudan deep dive, we trace the rise of Omar al-Bashir, from the 1989 military coup that brought him to power to his dramatic removal in 2019. Along the way, we explore the political and ideological network that kept him in power, the devastating war in Darfur, and the rise of a young militia commander called Hemeti.

This episode explores the chilling story of Moses Sithole, one of South Africa’s most notorious serial killers. From his troubled early life to the series of murders that shocked the country in the 1990s, we examine how Sithole gained the trust of vulnerable women before leading them to their deaths.

Warning: This episode discusses murder, sexual violence, and disturbing details that may not be suitable for all listeners.

In February 2018, 28-year-old Susan Magara was kidnapped while driving home through Kampala. What followed was a three-week ordeal involving ransom demands, negotiations with her family, a payment of approximately $200,000, and ultimately Susan's murder.

The country was left with a question that seemed simple:

Who did this to Susan Magara?

In this episode, we explore the life and controversial legacy of Jamil Mukulu, a figure whose name became closely associated with the rise of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) and decades of conflict in Uganda and the wider Great Lakes region.

We examine the historical tensions, regional instability, and political conditions that shaped the environment in which the ADF emerged.

In the dense forests of Shakahola, an eerie silence concealed one of Africa's most disturbing modern tragedies. Beneath the trees lay the remains of hundreds of men, women, and children who had followed a preacher's promise that starvation was the only path to salvation.

This episode of African Underbelly investigates the rise of Paul Mackenzie, a little-known Kenyan pastor whose teachings transformed into a deadly cult. Through exclusive interviews with survivors, grieving families, investigators, psychologists, and religious scholars, the documentary traces how faith was manipulated into absolute obedience, isolating followers from society and leading them toward mass death.

As forensic teams uncover grave after grave, the investigation reveals a complex web of religious extremism, psychological control, institutional failures, and unanswered questions. Why did so many people surrender everything, including their lives, to one man's vision? Could warning signs have prevented the catastrophe? And what does Shakahola reveal about the vulnerability of communities searching for hope amid economic hardship and spiritual uncertainty?

Paul Mackenzie – The Silence in Shakahola is a chilling exploration of belief, power, and manipulation. It examines the human cost of unchecked influence and challenges viewers to confront the fine line between religious freedom and exploitation. More than the story of one man, it is a haunting portrait of how trust can be weaponized, leaving a nation to reckon with grief, accountability, and the echoes of a silence that should never have existed.

Episode Synopsis: The Death of Steven Kanumba

Steven Kanumba wasn't just Tanzania's biggest movie star, he was the face of an industry that believed it could rival Hollywood and Nollywood. Charismatic, ambitious, and adored across East Africa, his rise seemed unstoppable. Then, on the night of April 7, 2012, everything came to an abrupt end.

This episode retraces Kanumba's extraordinary rise from aspiring actor to the undisputed king of Bongo movies before meticulously reconstructing the final hours of his life.

In this episode of African Underbelly, we separate fact from rumor, revisit one of East Africa's most enduring cases, and ask a haunting question: How did the country's most celebrated actor die just as his biggest dreams were about to come true?

Abducted by the Lord's Resistance Army as a child, Dominic Ongwen grew into one of its most feared commanders, a transformation that would force the world to confront one of the hardest questions in international justice: can someone be both victim and perpetrator? This episode traces Ongwen's journey from kidnapped schoolboy to architect of massacres, rape, forced marriage, and the use of child soldiers, culminating in a landmark trial at the International Criminal Court that reshaped how the law understands responsibility, trauma, and accountability in war.

Akbar Godi is a former Member of Parliament in Uganda whose name became widely known in connection with a high-profile murder case in the early 2000s. His arrest and trial drew national attention, placing him at the center of one of the most widely followed criminal cases involving a former legislator.

In this episode of The African Underbelly, we revisit the documented events surrounding the case: his time in public office, the investigation that led to his arrest, the court proceedings that followed, and the public reaction that made the case a national talking point.

This is the story of Akbar Hussein Godi.