Author: Francis Muli

Outgoing US President Donald Trump could be the most undiplomatic President in the world, but has gone an extra mile to shun mentioning the name of his successor Joe Biden, or even congratulate him. Trump made his speech hours to Biden’s inauguration, in which he was accused of uttering falsehoods. “This week, we inaugurate a new administration and pray for its success in keeping America safe and prosperous.  We extend our best wishes, and we also want them to have luck — a very important word,” said Trump. “Most of all, I want to thank the American people.  To serve as your…

US President-elect Joe Biden’s team has come up with plans that will allow his supporters to participate in the inauguration ceremony virtually. According to The Verge, The team has come up with new ways to recreate the live event through a Snapchat lens that will transport users to the Capitol from the comfort of their homes. The Snapchat lens will be rolled out Wednesday ahead of the inauguration. The Covid-19 pandemic continues to ravage the US with more than 400,000 lives lost since it began last year. The inauguration ceremony has been planned in accordance with the Covid-19 protocols amid…

Kenya has been ranked as the leading country attracting the most Startups investments in Africa by Startup List Africa. According to the report, Kenya received 25 percent of the total funding channeled to Africa in 2020. The industry that attracted the highest investments was renewable energy which has attracted a lot of interest. The report showed that Kenya led with $266 million worth of investments, followed by Nigeria with $237 million, South Africa was next with $198 million, Egypt at $125 million and finally Ghana with $90 million. The industries that topped the investment list in Africa include renewable energy,…

YouTube announced on Tuesday that it was extending the ban on incumbent President Donald Trump on the app for another one week. During the period, he will not be able to upload videos or livestream on his channel. Trump was banned from YouTube on January 12 after he violated terms against inciting violence. His supporters stormed the US Capitol after Biden was announced the winner of the November 2020, presidential elections. YouTube said the ban had been extended  “in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence.” Read: Youtube Suspends Trump’s Channel Over Incitement Trump is scheduled to vacate…

Naivas Supermarket is set to open a new branch at Kilifi Complex Centre situated next to DTB Bank on Bofa Road, the space previously occupied by Tuskys Supermarket. This will be the retailer’s 70th branch countrywide, even as it stretches to take the void left by fallen giant retailer Tuskys. “The new store which will be a food market will be opened towards the end of this month at the vacated Tuskys store. It will sit on 25,000 square feet offering jobs to around 107 staffs,” said Naivas Chief commercial officer Willy Kimani . Naivas has of late been taking over…

Netflix has surpassed 203.6 million subscribers globally. The spike is attributed to the high subscription rate the company experienced in the first half of 2020. As Netflix acknowledges this major milestone, they also believe that 2021 will not amass similar figures. The movie streaming company recorded 8.5 million paid net subscribers in Quarter 4 of 2020, with a record 37 million paid memberships in 2020. Netflix announced in its annual earnings report that it had raked in $25 billion in 2020. Netflix expects to make Sh6 million in paid net adds in the first quarter of 2021 compared to Sh15.8…

KTN News and KTN Home news presenter Grace Kuria on Sunday announced her exit from the Standard Media Group, raising speculations on her next move. Kahawa Tungu can now authoritatively report that Ms Kuria is headed to Chinese broadcaster CGTN News, where she will undertake a similar role. “I’d like to take this opportunity to say thank you, thank you to God, thank you to my family, thank you to Standard (Media) Group management, thank you to you (viewers), and to my colleagues for the love, the criticism (and) encouragement. Kilicho na mwanzo kina mwisho and this has been my last…

Google is offering a number of courses for users interested in acquiring digital skills. Through the Digital Skills for Africa programme, anyone can sign up and take a course they are interested in for free. At the end of the course, users take an exam and get certification for what they have learned. The page also directs users to other digital learning websites that offer both free and paid-for courses. These include popular sites such as Coursera, Applied Digital Skills, FutureLearn, OpenClassrooms, Udacity, University of Helsinki and so much more. The courses, about 151 in total, range from digital marketing,…

The office of the Chief Justice (CJ) has bee declared vacant, a week after Justice David Maraga retired. In a gazette notice on Monday, January 18, acting CJ Philomena Mwilu who currently chairs the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), opened doors for interested candidates to apply for the position. Interested candidates must be advocates of the High Court and have served as a judge of the High Court or the Court of Appeal for at least 15 years. The candidate must also have 15 years’ experience as a distinguished academic, judicial officer, legal practitioner. The successful candidate will earn a salary…

LG has announced that it will launch its rollable phone in 2021, following months of speculation on whether the device is real. The company confirmed the product through a teaser during the Consumer Electronics Show. LG’s rollable phone has a unique resizable screen that extends from a phone into a small tablet display. The screen slides in and out of place to launch a bigger screen. [videopress qBn3ghZB] “Our management wanted to show that it is a real product, as there were many rumors around the rollable phone,” says an LG spokesperson in a statement to Nikkei. “As it is released at…

After incurring Sh10 million in losses during the Coronavirus pandemic in Kenya, Fort Jesus has gotten a revamp. The Unesco World heritage site has received a 150 million injection towards the adoption of a new model to attract tourists. The historic fort’s story will be retold using 3D Projection including mapping, holograms, lasers and magnificent fireworks at night. The new concept is in a bid to attract more tourists. The Fort Jesus is located in Old Town, Mombasa and attracts both local and international tourists, researchers, students, historians and culturalists who come to learn about the rich history including the…

Safaricom’s investor wealth at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) has hit a new record of 60.2 percent, amid the economic challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Despite an economic drag-down caused by Covid-19, the price of Safaricom shares at the bourse remained relatively strong since March 2020, when the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in the country. Safaricom closed Monday’s trading at Ksh1.45 trillion, rising its valuation by Sh84 billion since the year started. The giant telco remained in an upward trajectory in 2020, closing with a 58.7 percent rise of share of wealth on the NSE as of…

A South Korean high court has sentenced Samsung heir Lee Jae Yong to a 30 month jail term. The heir was jailed after the retrial of an earlier bribery case involving former South Korean president who was also jailed for bribery and corruption. The sentence is expected to have a negative effect on Samsung’s business considering Lee has been the de facto leader of the tech giant since 2014. This event will however put him in the sidelines when it comes to making any decisions for the company. Samsung’s shares sunk 4 percent following the announcement of his sentencing, before…

Britam has named Tavaziva Madzinga as the new Group Managing Director, replacing Benson Wairegi who retires on January 31. Mr Tavaziva Madzinga, popularly known as Tava, is Swiss Re’s Managing Director and Country President for the UK, having previously been responsible for the Middle East and Africa region. He joined Swiss Re on November 1, 2016 from Old Mutual where he held a number of senior positions, including Regional CEO Southern and East Africa, COO for Rest of Africa, and CEO West Africa. He is a qualified Actuary and a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries (FIA) and the Actuarial…

Uganda has finally restored internet after keeping citizens 100 hours offline. Ugandan authorities ordered internet service providers in the country to block all social media platforms and messaging applications last week just before the general elections. According to AFP News Agency, the order was issued by Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director Irene Sewankambo in a letter addressed to the firms. “Uganda Communications Commission hereby directs you to immediately suspend any access and use, direct or otherwise, of all social media platforms and online messaging applications over your network until further notice,” the letter read. Read: Bobi Wine Rejects Uganda Electoral Commission’s…