Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health; Mutahi Kagwe, revealed that it is now mandatory for all individuals travelling out of Kenya, to go to authorized laboratories stationed across the country, to take their COVID-19 tests. This is to ensure that they are issued Trusted Travel (TT) codes which will subsequently be verified by Port Health authorities, as well as airlines. The development came after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) issued a visa ban on all Kenyans after travellers were allegedly caught making use of fake or forged certificates. The 21 travellers affected, were attempting to fly to Dubai before being apprehended…
Author: Tobey
Kenyan startup; Pula, has secured an impressive 6 Million Dollars (660.42 Million Kenyan Shillings) in a round of Series A funding. The investors who participated in the Series A round of funding Women’s World Banking, and early-stage venture capital establishment; TLcom Capital. The senior partner of TLcom Capital; Omobola Johnson, will be joining the board of Pula. Pula which focuses on digital and agricultural insurance to help reduce the risks for smallholder farmers in Africa, stated that the funds will be channeled towards increasing its operations in the 13 markets across Africa that it operates. The 13 markets are, Kenya,…
According to the East African Nation of Kenya’s National Treasury has projected that the country’s economy will expand by 6.4 percent in 2021. This is coming after the nation hit a low growth rate of 0.6 percent in 2020 according to estimates by the government. The National Treasury stated that the economic recovery expected this year (2021), will be spear headed by the Economic Stimulus Program, improved trade volumes especially as countries all over the world get back on their feet from the effects of the pandemic, ongoing public investments in infrastructural projects, the stable macroeconomic environment, and the post-Covid-19…
The Price of Tea experienced a slight drop in price at the Mombasa Weekly Tea Auction. Its price dropped from 1.97 Dollars during the tea auction which was held on the 11th of January 2021, the 12th and the 13th of January 2021, to 1.96 dollars during the auction held on the 18th of January, 19th and 20th of January 2021. The year in year prices for Tea also fell by around half from 2.19 dollars during a similar period in 2020, to 1.96 dollars in the recent auction. The amount on offer for sale dropped from 11.2 kilograms in…
The Kenyan government is planning to exclude all startups in Kenya from the recently implemented 1.5 percent digital tax. The decision is seen by observers, as a direct response to complaints from entrepreneurs in Kenya. According to reports by the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), the Kenyan government is considering carrying out amendments to the Finance Act 2020 that will essentially remove the 1.5 percent digital tax obligation of local businesses who utilize digital marketplaces as a means to generate revenue for themselves. The Cabinet Secretary for ICT, Innovations and Youth Affairs; Joe Mucheru has made it known that the Digital…
Google’s official Android 11 Operating System (OS) is finally available on the Oppo A93 smartphone in Kenya, weeks after the Beta version which was released on the 5th of January 2021 for testing. If you have the Oppo A93 and would like to update it to the latest Android software but don’t know how to, simply go to: Settings. Next, select ‘Software Updates’. Doing this will enable you download the latest Android Operating System (OS) update. Once done, Android 11 should immediately begin downloading. The installation will only take a couple of minutes. Please ensure that your Oppo A93 smartphone…
Owners and operators of Matatus in Kenya are demanding that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) reduces the amount they are being charged in advance tax per seat for their Matatus. They have sited the reduced income brought on by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic as the reason for this demand. Since the outbreak of Coronavirus, Matatus and other means of transportation, have been required to only operate at half capacity. The Chairman of the Matatu Owners Association (MOA); Simon Kimutai stated that the Matatu operators should now be charged based on the current Coronavirus pandemic prevention vehicle capacity arrangements which state…
Popular telecommunications provider; Telkom Kenya, has revealed that plans are on the way to increase and improve its 4G network coverage in Kenya. The news is coming at a time when its helium balloon powered internet partnership with Loon which is a company owned by Google’s parent company; Loon. Alphabet made it known that its Loon program will be shut down because it is not commercially viable. It will be closed completely by the 1st of March 2021. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Telkom Kenya; Mugo Kibati said via a statement on Friday the 22nd of January 2021 that,…
East-Central African nation; South Sudan will now longer be issuing visas on arrival to Kenyans. This development, is coming at a time when the nation is focusing on increasing the number of embassy applications and online visa applications in a bid to boost revenues and discourage any misappropriation. Deng Dau Deng who is the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister stated that the decision will guarantee the accountability of fees collected from visa applicants. In the words of Deng Dau Deng, “This is just a normal routine; the Embassy in Nairobi will be issuing visas to those who are in need of…
Parent company of Google; Alphabet Inc is closing down its internet balloon business; Loon saying on Thursday the 21st of January 2021, that it was not commercially viable. Loon which was founded in 2011 was intended to provide a much more affordable alternative to cell towers in parts of the world where setting up cell towers were too expensive or dangerous. The strategy was to then step in via the use of balloons that are the length of tennis courts to help float solar powered gear for networking, high above the Earth. Unfortunately wireless carriers who Loon had foreseen as…
The Kenyan government has commenced the implementation of the Digital Service Tax for internet businesses, that it first proposed in 2020. Through the new Digital Tax, it is hoping to raise up to 45 million dollars (around 4.99 billion Kenyan Shillings) in revenue before July of this year; 2021. The Digital Service Tax policy was first drafted by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) in 2020. It proposed the taxing of online goods sold with the East African nation of Kenya. The taxable online goods include taxi hailing platforms and services, podcasts, music, movies, cloud storage, numerous other e-commerce product products…
Kenyan entrepreneur Paul Wanderi Ndung’u, has been removed from the boards of the international businesses of popular sports news technology and sports betting company; SportPesa. The development according to reports, is a result of the recent rise of disagreements between shareholders and Paul Ndung’u. SportPesa Global Holdings Limited (SPGHL) the establishment which owns SportPesa’s businesses outside of Kenya, filed a notice in the UK (United Kingdom) on the 7th of January 2021 that announced the removal of Paul Ndung’u as a Director. Fully owned subsidiary of SportPesa Global Holdings Limited (SPGHL); SPS Sportsoft Limited which specializes in gaming technology, filed…
The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) has acquired an additional 8.55 million shares in popular financial services holding company; KCB Group. The purchase has increased National Social Security Fund (NSSF)’s stake in Kenya’s biggest bank, to 7.99 percent. According to recent closures the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) which is a pension fund owned by the Kenyan government closed last month with a total of 256.903 million shares in KCB. This is an increase from its previous total in October 2020, of 248.3 million shares or a stake of 7.73 percent. What the latest shareholding development means is that the…
The East African nation of Kenya has broadened its debt service relief request to all bilateral lenders, in a bid to save 69 billion Kenyan Shillings. This is according to the National Treasury. The action is coming just days after a decision by the Paris Club of international decision to grant Kenya a 32.9 Billion Kenyan Shilling loan repayment break in order to help reduce the financial tension brought on by the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. According to the National Treasury, Nairobi has broadened its bid for reprieve from service its emerging debt payment obligations under the landmark debt relief initiative…
