Author: Francis Muli

Twitter relaunched its verification system in January this year, and now, users are eligible to request for verification. The process is being rolled out to all users in the next few weeks. Twitter’s verification system had been suspended in 2017 after a public uproar over the process that saw “questionable characters” verified, while notable figures were given a berth. Twitter users can now apply for verification using the new guidelines which the company says will be publicly documented with the qualifications one should have to be verified. Read: Twitter Working On New Guidelines To Request A Verification Badge Twitter says…

Five police officers have been injured after an Al-Shabaab attack in Mandera on Friday, May 21, 2021. According to a statement by Miriam Muli on behalf of the deputy Inspector General of Police, the injured officers were in a routine patrol along the Mandera-Somalia border. “A multi-agency team of security officers are in pursuit of suspected Al-Shabaab terrorists who sustained heavy casualties after engaging Kenyan Police in an exchange of fire along the Mandera-Somalia border,” said Muli. “The ambush which took place at 6am in Banisa during the routine border patrol has unfortunately left five of our police officers injured…

A 57-year-old pastor at a Kabete Anglican Church has been rescued from an armed gang that had taken him hostage last night. The clergyman, John Dinguri Chege, was hijacked at 8pm by four armed men, as he drove home in his vehicle, a white Nissan Advan. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), after taking control of the vehicle, the gangsters commandeered it towards Kiamumbi, in Kiambu county. “When Police officers got wind of the incident, they immediately pursued the suspects while a separate team laid an ambush along Kamiti road,” said DCI in a statement. Read: Embakasi DCIO Arrested…

Struggling Kenya Power is set to retrench a number of its workers in a bid to cut costs and return to profitability. It is not yet clear how many employees are targeted in the power distributor, which currently employs over 10,000 in the country. “Over the last four years, the company has experienced a general decline in its financial situation as depicted by reduced net earnings. In a bid to turn around and transform the financial performance of the company; improve efficiency and enhance customer experience, KPLC…[is eyeing] phased reduction in workforce to ensure KPLC remains competitive and provides the…

This year’s Africa month has attracted virtual participation from various platforms, artists and groups. As part of its celebration around ‘Africa Day’ on 25th May, Facebook has announced the launch of its global campaign “Made by Africa, Loved by the World’  that comprises a series of short films unveiling the stories of eight phenomenal African creatives and small business owners who are breaking ground across the world. The short films are available on the campaign’s microsite and in the official Facebook Africa page beginning 21st May 2021. The films provide a glimpse into the global successes of African creatives and…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has officially commissioned the operationalisation of the first berth of the new Lamu Port. As part of the inauguration, President Kenyatta also witnessed the docking of the Singaporean Mv CAP Carmel, the first ship to dock at the 32-berth deep sea port. Two other berths are about 90 per cent complete and will be ready for use by October 2021. The project, which is part of the Lamu Port South Sudan Transport corridor (Lapsset) is expected to propel Kenya to be a transport and commercial hub. The port was first conceptualised in 1972 but shelved until retired…

Asilimia, a Kenyan Fintech digitizing payments for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs)  has been selected among 14 Fintech start-ups that will take part in the 2021 edition of Catapult: Inclusion Africa fintech bootcamp. Through the program, selected companies will receive intensive mentoring, coaching, peer to peer learning and dedicated workshops. This will be provided through various sessions in the bootcamp  including; business model mapping, investment readiness, funding and capital raising, social impact, scaling strategy, building teams, operational management, advisory meetings with investors, and pitch development. The Catapult: Inclusion Africa fintech bootcamp program is now in its third edition targeting…

A Kenyan security guard in Qatar, Malcolm Bidali, has been in detention for the last two weeks after he was arrested for writing about the plight of migrant workers in the country. A Qatari government official confirmed the arrest saying Bidali ““was taken into custody and placed under investigation for violating Qatar’s security laws and regulations” on May 5. “The individual retains all his rights under the law. All procedures of the investigation are being carried out in accordance with Qatari law,” the official added, without sharing information on the exact charges he faces. Bidali had written a blog using…

Safaricom and Huawei are in advanced trial stages for a new digital solution for restaurants dubbed “Scan & Order”. This solution helps restaurants digitize their menu and ordering systems enabling them to provide better customer service, optimize their menu and pricing strategies, and leverage the power of big data. The Scan & Order technology will also helps restaurants optimize their product offerings and their pricing strategies and also integrating with M-Pesa for easy payments. The technology also enables real-time feedback mechanisms, enabling merchants to quickly and cost-effectively respond to consumers requirements in the restaurant. “It also enables them to develop…

If you are on social media, you have probably seen cryptocurrency tweets purported to be originating from Elon Musk. It is now emerging that cryptocurrency scammers pretending to be the Tesla Boss have made more than $2 million dollars in the last six months alone. The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has raised alarm over the high rate of cryptocurrency scams which are up by 1000 percent. The FTC reports showed that they had received more than 7,000 complaints from users who had been scammed more than $80 million worth of cryptocurrency since October 2020. Read: Bitcoin Scammers Hack Obama,…

The Co-operative Bank of Kenya a Ksh.3.5 billion billion in the three months ending march 31, 2021, a 2.8 per cent dip as compared to the profits recorded in a similar period in 2021. The drop was attributed to soaring operating expenses which hit Ksh.9.3 billion, a 27 percent rise from Ksh7.3 billion. “The group prudentially increased loan loss provisions to Ksh2.3 billion in the first quarter of 2021, in appreciation of the challenges that businesses and households continue to face due to the economic effects of the ongoing pandemic,” said Co-op Bank Managing Director Gideon Muriuki. Non-interest funded income…

There are over 3 billion active android devices in the world, Google’s Vice President of of product management Sameer Samat announced at the company’s I/O 2021. The tech giant announced in 2017 that it hit had two billion users, meaning that one billion new users have been added since then. The numbers are generated from devices that use Google’s play store. This leaves out android smartphones that use alternative stores including Amazon fire devices and the latest Chinese android devices that have steered clear of Google’s services since the US- China sanctions last year. Read: Here are 10 Notable New…

The Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai on Wednesday, May 19, made a public appearance moments after reports that he was admitted in hospital. Mutyambai visited the Leadership Academy in Ngong, Kajiado county to check on the construction progress of the academy. He also visited Karen Police Station where he inspected the progress of the ongoing Karen police canteen. Earlier on, People Daily had reported that the IG was rushed to Aga Khan Hospital on Thursday night when he fell ill. He was immediately admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). The publication further reported that Mutyambai was transferred to the…

Audio-based social network Clubhouse is planning to expand globally this week. The company recently rolled out a beta version of its Android app for users in the US. The company now says it started rolling out to Japan, Brazil and Russia on Tuesday with plans to roll out in Nigeria and India three days later. Th global roll out will be done by Friday afternoon. Clubhouse was launched in 2020 with initial access limited to iPhone users. Despite being an invite-only app, it soared in popularity with notable personalities such as Mark Zuckerberg taking part in audio conversations. The android…

The National Assembly has passed a motion to exempt Japanese companies and employees working in Kenya from paying income tax. The notice for exemption was first issued by Treasury cabinet secretary Ukur Yatani in February 26, for Japanese nationals undertaking projects in Kenya. Currently, Japan is undertaking at least 15 projects in Kenya worth over Ksh328 billion. Among the projects being undertaken by Japanese contractors including Olkaria V Geothermal Power Development Project which cost Ksh66.9 billion and Ksh38.2 billion Mombasa Special Economic Zone Development Project. Read: UNDP, Japan Offer Kenya Three Robots to Help in The Fight Against Covid-19 Others include…