Author: Francis Muli

The Senate might not have the final say in the Anne Waiguru impeachment case, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator and immediate former Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen has said. According to Murkomen, however much effort they make as senators, the government and ‘Capitol Hill’ will make the final decision. “If Govt wants to save Waiguru regardless of the facts,then she will he saved.If govt&Capitol Hill dry cleaners combine forces then Senate will do NOTHING .A few of us will makes some noise,quote the Constitution&our DC will rule us out of order&declare her Mweupe kama pamba,” he tweeted. Kipchumba who was tasked with…

The expected partnership between K24 and KTN News has hit a dead end after the K24 TV management decided to boost its newsgathering and delivery competencies. Earlier reports indicated that that the station was considering a deal that would see it source for News content from KTN News; and although discussions between the two companies were ongoing, no conclusion was reached. K24 will put in place Editors, producers, camera teams, directors to steer the company towards this new direction. The company already started sourcing for and introducing new content since June 1st in a bid to remain competitive. Mediamax, the…

Safaricom has placed a bid for one of the two telecommunications licences up for grabs in Ethiopia. Last month, Ethiopia’s Communication Authority invited international firms to bid for the two available licences. Kenyan giant Telco, Safaricom, has been eyeing Ethiopia for a while now, and they just announced that they had submitted their expression of interest, hoping that the selection process for companies to set up in Ethiopia will be complete by 2021. Safaricom Chief Executive, Peter Ndegwa, however noted that the decision by the Ethiopian government could be delayed due to complications brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. “Ethiopia…

Lord Baden Powell will remain a hero to the Kenyan Chapter of the Scouts Association even though he has been accused of racism by Black Lives Matter protesters in Britain, resulting to the removal of his statue in Dorset. Mr. Antony Gitonga, the International Commissioner at the Kenya Scouts Movement said that he could “only speak of the rich values that Mr Powell taught us through the scouting movement”, and that they would continue honouring the memories of the movement’s founder. Baden Powell’s statue is located at Poole Quay, Dorset and has appeared on a website detailing monuments being targeted…

Kenyans on Twitter famously known as KOT have vowed not to donate blood to the government, unless the Ministry of Health accounts for blood which has been donated previously. This was after the Ministry of Health expressed concerns with the blood banks, saying that they were going to invite Kenyans to help restock. “The situation of our blood bank in the country is challenging and we need your support to restock,” the Ministry of Health tweeted. https://twitter.com/MOH_Kenya/status/1271426025092722691 However, Kenyans felt that the government was taking them for a ride, since no one has ever been arrested concerning the Somalia blood…

Restaurants now want their working hours to be extended by four hours to 8pm. The petition was made by the officials of the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (PERAK) through a press briefing. They claimed that since the dawn to dusk curfew had been extended to 9pm, Restaurants should also have their closing times extended to 8pm. “We request to be allowed to operate up to at most 8pm, as our operators have their own arrangements for staff accommodation and transport, which means that curfew hours will be observed,” PERAK patron Patrick Muya said. Eateries were given a…

YouTube has launched an initiative to amplify the voices of black content creators. The company has committed a $100 million fund which will be used to develop talent and fund new shows on the platform. YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki in a blog detailed the company’s plans to help and protect black communities on the platform. The funds will be used to support the creation of new YouTube original programming and to help nurture talent among budding black creators and artists. “We’re committed to doing better as a platform to center and amplify Black voices and perspectives,”Wojcicki said in the Blog…

Five women-led tech businesses have each received Ksh1 million in seed funding from Standard Chartered Bank Kenya following successful completion of the third cohort of a tech incubation program launched in 2017 by the Bank in partnership with iLab Africa – a division of Strathmore University. This year’s top 5 companies are Bena Care which provides home nursing services to people with life-limiting; illnesses across the country; Arbres Biotech – a company which focuses on technology transfer and capacity building in agricultural sector; Nature’s Touch which manufactures nature-based skin care products; Soul Food enterprises which serves Swahili cuisines only; and Taste…

You will soon be able to stream Netflix on your DSTV decoders. This follows a partnership that Multichoice has signed with Netflix and Amazon allowing users to access the services through their decoders. The deal will see Multichoice retain most of its DSTV clientele who have been enticed by the popularity of the newest streaming services. They will be able to keep their subscribers and also earn commissions from the Netflix and Amazon subscriptions. This is in line with MultiChoice’s strategic plan to grow streaming services in Africa, currently at only 4 percent. “What would typically happen is we would…

The government will impose a 14 percent value-added tax on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) as from July 1 when the Finance Bill 2020 takes effect. This will see the price of the commodity rise exponentially by between Ksh150 and Ksh300 for refilling the 6kg and 13kg cylinders respectively. LPG has not been included in the tax bracket since 2016, a move that saw the lower income earners afford the commodity. Since then, most people have been able to acquire gas cylinders in place of kerosene stoves that the government has been discouraging for cooking. The price of refilling a 6-kg…

National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yattani has acknowledged the decline in revenue collection occasioned by the economic crisis brought about by the Coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at Parliament buildings during the reading of the 2020/2021 budget, the CS said the tax measures introduced by the government to cushion Kenyans from the effects of Covid-19 on the economy will cost the exchequer an estimated Ksh172 billion in revenue foregone by the government in one financial year. To increase liquidity in the economy, the government lowered tax rates for corporate and personal incomes, turnover tax, value-added tax and provided tax relief to low-income…

Treasury CS Ukur Yatani has allocated Ksh128.3 billion for the “Big Four” Agenda drivers and enablers. The targeted expenditures prioritize employment creation, youth empowerment, supporting manufacturing activities, enhancing health coverage, improving food security and living conditions through affordable housing. A part from the amount allocated to the “drivers and enablers”, each sector including affordable housing, food security, universal health care and manufacturing will get a special budget. In an address to the nation from Parliament chambers, Yatani said that Ksh111.7 billion of the money will be allocated to the health sector. Out of this, Ksh50.3 billion is for activities and…

Carrefour, which is operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Kenya, has opened  its eighth store in Nairobi, at the Mega Shopping Mall along Uhuru Highway. The new two-floored Carrefour will stock over 39,000 food and non-food items, jewellery, home décor, a library, bistro area, and a milk ATM – a fresh milk dispensing machine that offers customers an alternative to prepackaged milk. These offerings will supplement the conventional fresh produce, groceries, fresh bakery, and roastery sections that Carrefour customers are accustomed to. “The new store will also enable Carrefour customers to enjoy home delivery services in the region, making it…

2020 is the year to take your business online. The corona virus pandemic, despite the negative impact globally, also came with a silver lining. The internet has cushioned many businesses and allowed even more to continue offering their services even as stay at home orders and lockdowns have been put in place. If you have not taken your business online, this is the right time to do it. Many clients are becoming accustomed to shopping online and sourcing for all their needs on the internet to keep themselves and their families safe. Here are a few ways you can keep…

Over 10,000 residents in Nyeri, Nyandarua, Laikipia and Nakuru, Makueni and Uasin Gishu will receive three months’ supply of soap from Safaricom Foundation. The initiative is being implemented in partnership with nonprofit faith-based mission organisation 410 Bridge International and targets residents in eight villages across the six counties. “Among the main preventative measures, such as social distancing, proper hand hygiene remains one of the most powerful tools to combat the spread of COVID-19. However, it must be done properly and with soap and water and that is why are supporting 410 Bridge International in its endeavors to spread this message”,…