Author: Francis Muli

China has promised to help Kenya deal with its debt challenges, the Chinese Embassy in Kenya has said. In a statement on Monday, the Embassy said that it is holding “smooth” talks over the issues, even as a number of debts fall due. “China attaches great importance to debt suspension and alleviation in African countries including Kenya,” the statement read in part. The statement reveals that China has signed debt service suspension agreements with 12 African countries and provided waivers of a matured interest-free loan for 15 African countries under the G-20 debt service suspension initiative. Kenya owes China Exim…

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) has already spent Ksh78.2 million on nationalisation strategy and litigations, it has emerged. This comes at a time the management is trying to cut costs by slashing employee salaries by up to 30 percent, putting into question their priorities. Of the amount, Ksh38.2 million goes to Anjarwalla & Khanna Advocates to help develop a nationalisation strategy, which was paid through invoice number 130909501 for $203,000(Ksh22.4 million) and 130909504 for $143,000(Ksh15.8 million), May 28, 2019. Another Ksh40 million was paid to TripleOKLaw LLP which represented KQ in cases against staff, most of whom were retrenched due…

It seems like Instagram will soon give users the option of making the number of likes on their posts visible. The company will make the feature customizable on the user settings. The update was revealed by developer Alessandro Paluzzi via a tweet. Instagram started testing the option to remove count likes after an announcement at the Facebook’s annual developer conference. The move came about following allegations of societal pressure on users based on the number of likes their posts garnered. As a result, the app tested the option of making the number of likes invisible, and rolled it out globally…

A student from Nyangori Boys’ Secondary School in Vihiga, is facing murder charges after he allegedly assaulted and killed the school’s guard on Sunday morning. The student, according to a report by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), had became unruly and attacked other students using a metal rod, when the guard identified as Willy Mukonambi intervened. The 18-year-old form three student allegedly turned on the guard and hit him on the head repeatedly, using the metal rod. He was rescued by his colleagues who together with the school nurse rushed him to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital,…

Businessman Bundotich Kiprop Buzeki has resigned as Chama Cha Mashinani (CCM) party secretary general after its leader Isaac Rutto joined Deputy President William Ruto’s camp. Rutto, the former governor for Bomet shifted to DP Rutto’s camp on Friday, January 15, 2021, in what is seen as a move by Ruto to consolidate the Rift Valley backyard. Rutto attended the event in Bomet alongside two CCM MPs, Gedion Koskei (Chepalungu) and Gabriel Tongoyo (Narok West). “I will support you (Ruto) for the top seat, as I also go for the governor position. We have decided to work together so that you…

KTN News and KTN Home presenter Grace Kuria has left the Standard Media Group. Ms Kuria announced her move during her last bulletin on KTN News on Sunday, January 17, 2021, without revealing where she was headed next. “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 broadcast on KTN News and KTN Home,” she said.…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has congratulated President Yoweri Museveni for his re-election, terming the victory as a testimony of the confidence the people of Uganda have in his leadership. President Kenyatta said he looks forward to continue working with President Museveni in deepening the strong bilateral ties between Kenya and Uganda for the mutual benefit of the people of the two Republics. “Uganda had achieved stability and registered consistent economic growth under President Museveni,” said President Kenyatta. He assured of Kenya’s commitment to continue partnering with Uganda in advancing regional and continental integration agenda. The Uganda Electoral Commission on Saturday declared…

US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter has resigned, following the end of US President Donald Trump’s tenure on January 20, 2021. McCarter will be leaving office the same day Trump leaves office to give way to Joe Biden, who will be sworn in on January 20. “As I reflect on my time as Ambassador, I continue to believe that Kenya should no longer be just a beneficiary of foreign aid, but a benefactor to the rest of East Africa,” he wrote in a farewell letter on Friday. On January 2, 2019, McCarter replaced Bob Godec, who had served as the…

Kenya is in talks with China requesting for the suspension of debts in a bid to ease pressure on the economy which was hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chinese Embassy in Kenya said the matter is currently under deliberation, reiterating that China was keen of facilitating Kenya’s request as there was no reason why it could not be done. “Both sides are now keeping efficient communication through a smooth channel.” The Embassy Spokesperson Huang Xueqing confirmed in statement. “We stand ready to strengthen coordination with Kenya and assist Kenya in its efforts to address debt challenges.” She said.…

ICT CS Joe Mucheru has named the taskforce that will be charged with the development of the Data Protection Regulations. The Data Protection Act was signed into law in 2019. Among the requirements of the law, was the establishment of the office of the data commissioner. Immaulate Kassait, Kenya’s first holder of the office, was sworn in two months ago. Among the Data Commissioner’s office tasks, is to ensure the protection and proper handling and processing of personal data by different entities. Read: Immaculate Kassait Sworn in As Kenya’s First Data Commissioner The office recently released a series of regulations…

It has been a rough start of the year for Whatsapp since they announced plans to update their data sharing policy. The company has now announced plans to delay the privacy policy update from February 8 to March 15,2021. Whatsapp’s plan to update the privacy policy has been the subject of a majority of trends on social media in the last two weeks. The app’s users were updated through a pop-up of Whatsapp’s intention to share data with Facebook. The notification asked users to either agree with the new terms or delete their accounts. In what seems like a miscalculation…

YouTube has announced that it is testing a new way for users to shop on the platform. The video streaming app announced on its website that it is working on a way for users to discover and purchase products on YouTube videos. “We’re testing a new way for people to easily discover and purchase products featured in YouTube videos. Creators in this pilot can add certain products to their videos.” YouTube said in a blog. The company said that users can get to view the items they are interested in on the videos and proceed to get more details or…

US President-elect Joe Biden will be set up with a new twitter account with zero followers. This differs from the past transition where the official @POTUS account was transferred to Donald Trump with all 13 million followers intact. The account has been set up with the username @PresElectBiden and has already garnered 500,000 followers. Biden has already tweeted using the account, notifying users of the account and the plans to transition it into @POTUS account effective January 20, 2021. “Folks — This will be the account for my official duties as President. At 12:01 PM on January 20th, it…

The United Kingdom (UK) government has suspended investigations against British American Tobacco (BAT) over bribery allegations. The cigarette manufacturer had been accused of systematic bribery syndicate in Nairobi aimed at stifling anti-smoking laws. Also, BAT had been accused of collecting business intelligence on rivals, in a bid to outwit them. UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO) ended the investigation, citing lack of evidence on the allegations leveled against BAT. According to SFO, the little evidence gathered “did not meet the evidential test for prosecution as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors”. Read: Chrispin Achola Appointed BAT Kenya MD Following Beverly Spencer’s…

Myspace Properties, a real estate company, has announced a partnership with Doctors of Hearing at IncusEar Hearing & ENT Centre to transform and enhance lives of the deaf. The partnership will be spearheaded by Myspape Properties CEO Mwenda Thuraira and Dr Richard Mwangi, an audiology medic at Doctors of Hearing Healthcare. Dr Mwangi has experience of 15 years, providing a full range of diagnostic audiological evaluations and treatment for hearing impaired. He is also a correspondent in the American Journal of Otolaryngology, head and neck surgery and has authored several articles on hearing healthcare. Mr Mwangi holds a master’s degree…