African countries have adopted a number of official languages that include English, French, Arabic and Portuguese, depending on their colonial heritage. The African Union has joined the movement to elevate Kiswahili as one of its common languages even as it prepares for heads of State meeting on the 7th of July 2019. The African Academy of Languages, which is the African Union’s specialised institution mandated to develop and promote African languages, has partnered with the East African Kiswahili Commission to “promote the wide use of Kiswahili for regional integration and sustainable development.” The implication of the adoption of Kiswahili as…
Author: Tobey
Telecommunications giant; Safaricom has launched its very own fraud intelligence solution for financial institutions in Kenya. The Safaricom owned service will help banks, insurance firms, and micro-finance institutions, to reduce incidences of fraud targeted towards their customers. Safaricom aims to do this by providing the financial institutions with a tool which aids in determining the authenticity of a financial transaction. Besides authentication, the solution will also provide financial institutions with the ability to enhance the registration and onboarding of new customers, design their lending propositions better, and also manage the phone numbers linked to a customer’s accounts, but may no…
The World Bank has expressed concern over the high cost at which Kenya and other African countries, are borrowing commercial loans.l, warning that if the debts are not invested in productive projects, they would lead to repayment difficulties in the future repayment. Hafez Ghanem who is the World Bank’s Vice President for Africa, said during an exclusive interview with Business Daily, that while Kenya’s debt level has not yet reached a tipping point, it still raises concerns due to the low yielding investments which do not generate enough tax revenue to repay the loans. During an interview after meeting President…
Kenya Airways’ Chief Operating Officer, Jan De Vegt, has resigned from his position after serving for three years. Jan De Vegt announced his resignation via twitter saying, “Kenya Airways decided to stop all support by KLM. For this reason, I am returning to Amsterdam. I very much appreciated your feedback and our discussions on this medium. Thanks for that! As there will be no COO in KQ from now on, I will close this account. Until we meet again!” Kenya Airways will now run without a Chief Operating Officer until a replacement for Jan De Vegt is found. According to…
According to Kenyan Wallstreet, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has established a hub for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). The hub is intended to nurture, prepare, and grow Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), in order to get them ready for the market. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a very important role in the Kenyan economy as they provide jobs for a lot of individuals in the East African nation, and also contributing to its national income through taxes. Sadly even with their huge impact, the Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), are still faced with challenges such as lengthy…
According to Gadgets Africa, Safaricom will be shutting down its shops for four hours on Thursday the 4th of July 2019 between the hours of 10:30 am and 2:30 pm in honour of former CEO; Bob Collymore who succumbed to Cancer on Monday, the 1st of July 2019. The telecommunications giant says the closure is in order to give Kenyans a chance to reflect on his life. A statement by Safaricom reads, “As a mark of respect for our cherished leader, Safaricom shall be closing all our shops countrywide on Thursday 4th July 2019 between the hours of 10.30am and…
In a statement issued by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) regarding carrying a driving license, it was announced that it is no longer mandatory for licensed drivers to carry their physical driving licenses. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), says drivers plying Kenyan roads, can do so without their physical licenses as long as they can prove through any other means that they are duly licensed. The National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) further stated that it has developed an application which is enable to verify the status of anyone’s driving license. This application can be used…
The former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Safaricom; Michael Joseph, has been appointed as the interim Chief Executive Officer of the telecommunications giant. following the death of Bob Collymore. The decision was made by the directors of the company in a Special Board Meeting on Monday, the 1st of July 2019. Mr. Michael Joseph served as the CEO of Safaricom from July 2000 to November 2010, when he handed over to Bob Collymore. Michael Joseph currently serves on the board of Safaricom and is also the Chairman of the board of Kenya Airways. He will act as the interim CEO…
One of Kenya’s main goals is to provide affordable housing to the many people who live in deplorable conditions. However according to Siddharth Chatterjee who is the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Kenya, 3D printed houses could be the answer to the East African Nation’s housing shortage. Siddharth Chatterjee while speaking at a policy breakfast meeting which was organized by the Business Advocacy Fund and Strathmore Business School, stated that the 3D technology is quick and affordable. Mr. Siddharth said, “A basic 3D printed house will cost about $4000 (404,000 Kenyan Shillings) and it takes 24 hours to complete. When…
According to news reports, the Chief Executive Officer of Safaricom; Bob Collymore, has died at his home in the early hours of Monday the 1st of July 2019. He is survived by his wife and four children. The Guyanese-born British citizen, first took a medical leave in October of 2017 to fight cancer. Safaricom’s Chairman; Nicholas Ng’ang’a said in a statement that the CEO, “… has been undergoing treatment for his condition since then in different hospitals and most recently at Aga Khan University Hospital in Nairobi.” Nicholas Ng’ang’a added that, “In recent weeks, his condition worsened and he succumbed…
Media firm Tiso Blackstar Group, has sold its entire business to Lebashe Investment Group. The South African company which prior to the sale owned 49 percent of Radio Africa and also had businesses in Ghana, Nigeria, and Kenya, reportedly sold its investments to pay off debt. In 2014 Tiso Blackstar Group, acquired shares in Radio Africa Group for 1.6 billion Kenyan Shillings. As a result of the 2014 acquisition, the South African firm became the majority shareholder in the company which runs Classic FM, KISS FM, KISS TV, Radio Jambo, and The Star Newspaper. Other Shareholders in Radio Africa include…
The construction of Kenya’s very first coal plant has been stopped after residents and environmentalists went to court. The ruling by the National Environment Tribunal, stated that the license for the project was issued with no assessment of the impact it would have on the environment, as well as on the health of residents within the area. The decision by the tribunal is coming at a time when residents of Mpumalanga in South Africa are complaining of adverse health effects caused by the coal plants constructed in their area. The Lamu Coal Plant was set to become East Africa’s first…
Kenya’s Mombasa Port, recorded a 6.3 percent increase in its amount of cargo processed. The 6.3 percent increase resulted in a total of 29.8 million tonnes in the eleven months ending in May 2019 compared to the previous 11 month period, according to data released by the port’s management. Over the 11 months under review, container traffic increased by 13.1% to 1.27 million Twenty feet equivalent units (TEUs). Cargo destined for other countries, also increased by 10%. Mombasa Port’s management, has attributed the increase to a surge in imports, higher efficiency, and a greater capacity as a result of the…
Kenya’s parliament passed a new law under the Insurance Act which states that “An intermediary shall not receive any premiums on behalf of an insurer.” Policy holders will therefore, have to pay their premiums directly to the insurance providers. The law was passed by members of parliament after reports emerged, accusing the Brokers of delayed remittance of premiums paid by policy holders. Agents have also been accused of engaging in fraud as well. The Insurance Regulatory Authority noted that in the last quarter of 2018, the highest cases of fraud in the industry were carried out by Insurance Agents. There…
