Author: Francis Muli

Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) is hosting 10 women exporters who are exhibiting at the Virtual Macfrut Digital 2020 Trade Fair that kicks off on Wednesday. This is part of the Agency’s strategy of leveraging on technology to push the exports agenda in the face of the global Covid-19 pandemic that has disrupted global trade. Macfrut Trade Fair, which is in its 37th Edition, is expected to bring together global stakeholders including exporters, importers, technicians, experts and investors in value addition, showcasing current emerging business opportunities in the fruit and vegetable sectors. The fair was postponed from May…

Telecommunication gadgets imports more than doubled to Sh8.01 billion in the four month lock-down period when most people worked and learned remotely. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), this was a 56.29 percent growth from the previous year’s value of Sh5.18 billion in the same period. The surge in sales was occasioned by lock down and travel restriction advisories to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. While some businesses suspended operations altogether, most companies had their employees working from home and children turned to e-learning to catch up with their syllabus. Read: 70PC of Our Staffers…

Co-operative Bank has renewed for the fifth year running the special Motor Vehicle Purchase Schemes established with major motor vehicle dealers, Isuzu East Africa Ltd and Simba Corporation Group, to enable Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) acquire the vehicles they need at highly negotiated terms. This special scheme makes the process of buying vehicles most affordable, with the bank financing upto 95 per cent of the purchase price. In addition, customers can apply for a Ksh500,000 working capital facility to support their businesses especially at this difficult Covid-19 season. The loan has one the longest re-payment periods in the…

President Uhuru Kenyatta has transferred the responsibilities of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC) to the Ministry of Defence. KMC was previously under the Ministry of Agriculture headed by Peter Munya, who has asked the Ministry of Defence to facilitate seamless transfer of the Commission to the Ministry of Defence. Munya has directed the Principal Secretary at the State Department for Livestock to submit a report to him in 14 days on the progress made. “Ensure that you coordinate the entire exercise with the National Treasury and transfer the associated budgets at the next scheduled supplementary budgets,” Munya said in an…

Android, the OS that runs the variety of device brands in the market such as Samsung, LG, Motorola, Sony, OnePlus and many others has launched its latest version, Android 11. The latest version does not have a lot of changes save for some minor adjustments on the interface containing a number of features to improve the user experience. Android software updates typically roll out slowly meaning only a few phones will initially be able to download it.  A few OnePlus, Xiaomi, Oppo, and Realme models can get the update and Android One devices, like most of the Nokia-branded phones. Before running…

Kitutu Masaba MP Shadrack Mose has finally released Ksh2 million donated by Deputy President William Ruto two years ago. The money was meant for construction of classrooms in Ikonge Secondary and Primary Schools, but has withheld the money for two years, triggering an uproar from parents. Media reports indicate that on Monday the MP submitted Ksh3 million, Ksh1 million being from the CDF kitty. Mose says that he had been instructed by the DP to first top up the amount before submitting it to the recipients. “My intention to withhold the moeny was positive, contrary to what the parents are…

Sauti Sol’s Willis Austin Chimano uses fashion to express, provoke, and to evoke emotions, he has said. In a show dubbed Sol Family that airs every Sunday at 7:30 pm on Maisha Magic Plus, Chimano opened up about his wardrobe, which has always evoked reactions from the public, both positive and negative. During this week’s episode Chimano gives viewers a tour of part of his closet, which is filled with crazy-looking outfits, mostly Kenyan. He says he still shops in Gikomba, the biggest cloth market in Kenya. He has also got loads of clothes by different Kenyan designers and some…

The Ministry of Petroleum and and Mining has announced plans to establish a gold refinery in Kakamega County. The government, according to reports, has already issued an International Expression of Interest (IEOI), seeking for contractors to construct the refinery. In a notice on Tuesday, the Ministry said the move is aimed at up-scaling the local informal gold mining to regional and international standards. “The aim of the project is to add quality to raw gold and improve its value through refining. Further, the project will improve the livelihoods of the beneficiary communities, regional economy and that of Kenya as a…

Shoprite Holdings has announced intentions to wind up its business in Kenya and exit the country. The retailer is planning to dispose of its two remaining stores just two years after opening their first store in Kenya. “Kenya has continued to underperform relative to our return requirements,” the retailer said, adding that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic had contributed to its poor performance. Shoprite has been reviewing its long term plans in Africa due to the deterioration of its revenue occasioned by the rate of currency fluctuations, supplier issues and low purchasing power in Angola, Nigeria and Zambia. Read:…

The Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) has partnered with Google and Code IP to launch a Digital Parenting Programme to sensitize parents and guardians on the protection of children from inappropriate online content. Internet threats such as phishing, cyber bulling, online shaming such as posting of private information have become rampant and the safety of children can no longer be taken lightly. Children are increasingly using the internet more with the shift to e-learning, e-entertainment and social media. “This is part of our mandate to create awareness aimed at protecting our children from dirty content, especially now that they are…

Online jobs, shopping and transactions provide an option to use popular payment method, Paypal. Many people are able to securely receive funds on their PayPal wallet. Anyone with a Safaricom number who uses MPesa services can access their money from PayPal easily and securely by following the below steps. For starters, you will need to have a PayPal account. You can open one by signing up on paypal.com. Once you sign up, you will get an email to confirm your email address. To register for PayPal with MPesa, go to www.paypal-mobilemoney.com/m-pesa. Use your paypal account credentials to log in. Link…

General Service Unit (GSU) officers have been deployed in Migori County following heightened tension over the ouster of governor Okoth Obado. This comes moments before the MCAs table a motion to impeach the governor, which was initiated by the ODM Party. Last week, ODM resolved to impeach the governor after being charged with corruption and barred from office. “Due to corruption charges leveled against Governor Okoth Obado & the decision by the court to bar him from accessing his office, the party in consultations with County MCAs has resolved to have a motion of impeachment against the governor initiated immediately…

The Covid-19 numbers in the country have been on a steady decline since mid August. This has led to a general perception that the curve is flattening. However, the decline is now being attributed to less mass testing and reduced contact tracing. At the beginning of the pandemic, government officials tested people and did contact tracing rigorously with the aim of isolating infected victims. The numbers have dropped to 200 and less in the past two weeks, despite the number of samples tested remaining high. The government is now relying on data provided from hospitals to get the numbers. Read:…

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) cannot trace Ksh896 billion wired back into the country after the taxman offered tax amnesty to the owners of the money. In March, KRA announced that 16,000 Kenyans had wired Ksh1.014 trillion bacj=k into the country from offshore accounts. The government had offered the Kenyans a three-year amnesty window since 2016 to repatriate the billions tax-free. During that period, they would not required to declare the source of their wealth or even account for previous years’ tax arrears. It is suspected that the money, most of it thought to have been stolen from public coffers,…

The latest development from Andela indicates that company will start paying its employees work wages as opposed to monthly salaries. The software company is doing away with full time employment and is turning its employees into contractors who will be paid per gig. Employees who choose to remain full time will also be paid only when they are working. “We announced last week that we would be allowing engineers to choose whether they wanted to continue as full-time employees or convert to contractors,” the company explained. Employees who choose to work on contract basis will have more flexibility and earn…