Author: Francis Muli

The United Kingdom (UK) will from next year allow Kenyans without degrees to get work permits in the country, in post-Brexit immigration rules. Those seeking to work in the UK will now be required to have a minimum skill level of A-level or equivalent from degree-level under the 27-member EU bloc system. This, according to the UK, will “provide greater flexibility and ensure UK business has access to a wide pool of skilled workers”. “An applicant’s job must be at the minimum skill level of A-level or equivalent, rather than degree level under the current system,” said the British home…

The government has disbanded Kenya Power board of management by coercing board members to resign as a new one is being constituted. According to highly placed sources who spoke to Kahawa Tungu, the board members were asked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to tender their resignation, which they all did. A new board is expected to be constituted by the end of the month to fill the void left by the outgoing board. The board consists of the chairman Mr Mahboub Maalim who was appointed in 2018, Mrs Brenda Kokoi, Mr Kairo Thuo, Mr Wilson Mugung’ei, Mr Adil Khawaja, Mrs Beatrice…

The Kenyan government has hired a flight which will cost at least Ksh 13 million for Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohammed’s interview in Geneva, Switzerland, for the World Trade Organisation’s job. The Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has already flown out of the country and is expected to land in Geneva, Switzerland for an in-person interview as Kenya’s candidate for the WTO Director-General position. Ms Amina flew out aboard a government-chartered Phoenix Aircraft registration 5Y-PAA alongside her delegation. Yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote to the Embassy of Switzerland in Nairobi seeking flight clearance for CS Amina’s chartered plane to…

Vodacom Business has announced its partnership with Cloudflare to provide businesses of all sizes, faster, secure and reliable security services. This follows an increase in the number of cyber attacks witnessed with the latest in the region against the Private Healthcare group of Hospitals in South Africa.The country has seen a 33 percent increase in the volume of cyber attacks since March. The Covid-19 crisis has triggered a global cybercrime pandemic. According to the World Economic Forum Global Risks Report 2020,cyber attacks have been ranked as the second risk of greatest concern for businesses globally over the next 10 years.Environmental…

Co-operative Bank has opened its APIs to help promote partnerships and innovation and build disruptive business models and platforms that deliver a seamless customer experience. The Bank has said that it believes in co-creation and innovation that enables people, businesses and the society to grow. It also believes that innovative products and services that benefit their customers and the public in general are key to success. Before launching an innovation, Co-op Bank says that it weighs the business needs and the prevailing market situation versus the opportunity to ensure that it meets the customer need and keeps up with the…

The Sh100 million stimulus package to cushion artistes during the Covid-19 pandemic has finally been disbursed. The package, dubbed “Work for Pay” was released to the stage actors after they submitted their applications and recorded their content recorded for Kulture TV. Due to the Covid-19 social distancing guidelines, the applications and auditions were conducted online. “We are pleased that the Kenya Cultural Centre has so far paid 64 artistes with recordings in five regions, including Nairobi, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western and parts of Central regions,” said Mr Mike Pundo, the Executive Director of the Kenya Cultural Centre. Artistes covering different…

The production of geothermal electricity went up by 6.7 percent after one of the two power lines supplying the city centre was vandalised in April. This is according to Energy Cabinet Secretary Charles Keter who says that they had to use an alternative line from Juja –Dandora-Embakasi to supply the city. “That is the line that sources power from Suswa where we have the major substation so when it was damaged in April, we had to use the one from Juja –Dandora-Embakasi to supply the city.Thermal became necessary to avoid overloading the transformers in that line. We also had to…

Safaricom has partnered with UNESCO, and Eneza Education to implement a digital mentorship programme for high school students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). The program involves working with role models and mentors to provide students with information on STEM subjects to enable them make informed career choices. Learners will get a chance to engage with tutors through programmes on local TV and community radio stations as well as through SMS via the shortcode 40291. Safaricom’s CEO, Peter Ndegwa said that they were implementing lessons picked during this COVID-19 pandemic to partner with other organisations to provide meaningful solutions…

Safaricom’s “Bonga For Good” initiative was made possible by the value of unclaimed Safaricom Bonga Points at a value of Sh3.94 billion through the year to March 2020, a rise from the previous year’s value of Sh3.85 billion. This year, the giant telco increased the options for customers redeeming Bonga Points including resources such as shopping, paying for air tickets, fueling cars, repaying education loans as well as donating to the needy during the Covid-19 pandemic period. In the two months to June 2020, about a billion bonga points valued at Sh301 million were redeemed in the “Bonga for Good”…

379 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 10,105. Out of the positive cases 376 are Kenyans while three are foreigners, with 253 being males, and 126 of them female. The youngest is a two year old child, while the oldest is 97 years. “Today, we have tested 7,050 samples, out of which, 379 people have tested positive for the virus. The cumulative number of tests conducted so far is now 215,037 and the total case load in the country stands at 10,105,” said the…

The Kenyatta National Hospital’s (KNH) infectious disease unit (IDU) will no longer test suspected patients for Covid-19. The facility will also not receive Covid-19 cases from counties other counties, according to an internal memo dated July 9. “The Head of Unit Respiratory Infections Diseases is directed to stop all the screening activities and public testing at the KNH Mbagathi IDU,” said the hospital’s Senior Director of Clinical Services, Dr Irene Inwani in the memo. This comes a few days after the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri)stopped sample collection for Covid-19 at its headquarters and other centres. KEMRI director general Yeri…

The first Covid-19 patient in Isiolo Mr Osman Shariff is now demanding a Ksh25 million compensation from the county after health workers posted his photos on social media. According to Shariff, 62, he suffered immense stigma and massive business losses after Garbatula Hospital health workers, where he had been isolated, took his photos and shared them publicly. Shariff who has fully recovered from Covid-19 says that he is still suffering from psychological torture, since everyone is now avoiding him and his businesses have collapsed. He operates a wholesale shop in Garbatula Town and also owns a number of buses that…

Jiweke Tavern and Bourbon owner John Keige has died of a heart attack at his home in Nyari Estate. According to reports by the Standard, .Keige collapsed outside his house and was rushed to Nairobi Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. “Boss had just finished having lunch when he decided to go jogging. A few steps outside the gate, he collapsed,” said one of his workers. It is reported that Keige died on July 7, but the news of his death was kept under wraps for close to a week now. Jiweke Tavern is located off Ngong Road…

Baringo Women Representative Gladwel Cheruiyot and her two children have tested negative for Covid-19. This was revealed by Kiambu Women Rep Gathoni Wa Muchomba who was urging the public to mingle and freely mourn with  the family. Cheruiyot lost her husband, Isaac Cherogony after he succumbed to Covid-19. “I am Cheruiyot’s closest friend. Our samples were taken at the same time to the Kenya Medical Research Institute and results proved us, with all our family members, negative” Wa Muchomba said. She was speaking during the late Cherogony’s burial, at his Kapkiamo home, Baringo North subcounty on Friday. She appealed to…

Nairobi-based employees of Airtel Africa plc and Airtel Networks Kenya Ltd (Airtel Kenya) on Saturday donated a further Sh25.5 million to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund, in support of Kenya’s Government initiatives. The donation comprises of voluntary employee contributions, which were matched by a Corporate donation by Airtel. This follows a previous employee-led voluntary donation of Sh12.7 million in April by Airtel Africa and a contribution of Sh30 million from Airtel Kenya towards the Ministry of Health which was used for purchasing Personal Protective Equipment for frontline health workers. This brings the total amount contributed by the two offices to Kenya’s…