Author: Francis Muli

Drivers signed up on Estonian-owned digital taxi company, Bolt, will now be able to access instant cash on the app. The new feature which will allow drivers to withdraw income whenever they need it. Dubbed Early Cash-out, the feature allows drivers instant access to their income including passenger discount refunds, bonuses and card payments. Read: Bolt Ventures Into Car Hire Services with the Launch of “Bolt Drive” Currently, drivers signed up on most of the taxi hailing apps including Bolt and Uber are expected to wait for about one week before accessing their dues. The Bolt Early cash-out option puts…

The government is attempting to resuscitate the digital learning project that was launched in 2013. The Cabinet Secretary for ICT Joe Mucheru is now seeking funding towards the project that would see millions of primary school pupils receive tablets. Mucheru spoke at the Global Summit in London this week, seeking international support for provision of the tablets, teacher training and infrastructure. “President Uhuru Kenyatta and I want to supply laptops to all students so they can have equal access to good education regardless of their social background,” he said The event is co-chaired by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and…

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has appointed Josephat Mutunga Mutisya as the secretary of council and CEO, taking over from troubled Mercy Wambua. In the changes announced by LSK President Nelson Havi, Juliette Akoth Jakaila has been appointed as the Director Compliance and Ethics, and will also double as the Deputy Secretary of Council & CEO. Veronicah Achieng Odipo will be the new Director of Practice and Standards. LSK said that it had received three applications for the position of a CEO, with two being shortlisted and interviews that were conducted on Friday, July 23. The three who applied for…

Wambui kamiru Collymore, the former Safaricom CEO’s widow, has requested the court to bar the media from her ongoing succession case. Through her lawyer Njenga Kahura, Family Court Judge Maureen Odero heard that Wambui wanted the case heard in camera. Without mentioning any specific media houses, Wambui complained that the case was misreported each time they came before the court. “I want to ask the court that the matter be heard in camera. It is because all the time this matter comes up, there is inaccurate reporting,” Njenga said. Bob Collymore’s children who are in the UK had been ordered…

Google is developing a safety section on the Play Store to provide information about an app’s data collection, privacy, and security practices. Developers are expected to start declaring their Safety info from October, with the deadline to submit the info in April 2022. Users will start seeing the info on the app descriptions in early 2022. Screenshots from Google show that the safety section will be located above the ratings and reviews section. It will give a summary of the app’s privacy features, data collection and whether data is encrypted. Users will be able to click on “See details” to…

Twitter is testing a new shopping module that will allow users to display and sell products from the app. The shopping section will be located on top of the user profile, allowing visitors to browse through the products and shop on the platform. The company says it is testing the function starting with iOS users. Come to Twitter to Tweet, follow along with live events, and now…to shop. We’re testing Shop Module on iOS. Get the products you want from the places you love –– right from a brand’s profile. pic.twitter.com/2ZS8v7NIWs — Twitter Support (@TwitterSupport) July 28, 2021 “We’re testing…

Nokia has announced the release of its first series X smartphone XR20 due on August 24. Nokia’s Brand Licensee HMD Global said the new brand is the most expensive phone in the company’s portfolio. Dubbed as a “life-proof” smartphone, the XR20 reportedly comes with impressive solid specs making it more durable than other mid-range handsets The company first teased the release of the phone on Twitter, alluding to the company’s efforts to revert to the legendary durability quality exhibited by Nokia’s original smartphones. The XR20 is the most expensive phone in the company’s updated portfolio costing $550. Powered by a…

Sila Jeffrey Ndungi, a Kenyan hacker has been jailed in the US for hacking and stealing Ksh434 million from the US government. According to revelations by US taxman, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Ndungi worked with several other hackers to steal the amount through tax refund cheques. At least Ksh200 million was wired to his personal accounts, with Ksh180 million yet to be traced to date. The Asset Recovery Agency (ARA) is now targeting the only traceable Ksh20 million in his accounts, since the money is obtained from criminal activities. “Preliminary investigations established that the funds are proceeds of crime.…

Nigerian Instagram Influencer turned fraudster Ramon “Hushpuppi” Abbas has pleaded guilty to money laundering and other fraudulent schemes in a California Court. The 37-year-old popularly known for his lavish lifestyle of fast cars, jets, and designer clothes was involved in business email scams that cost his victims nearly $24 million. The United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California confirmed the plea which could land Hushpuppi up to 20 years in prison, according to court documents. He is also expected to “pay full restitution to the victim(s)” the documents further state. The assistant director in charge of the…

Khalid Ahmed, husband to Kenya’s Sports, Culture and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed has died. According to family, Ahmed died at Karen Hospital in Nairobi after being ill for a short while. Khalid, a father of two, was largely off public life while committed to his family and business. Amina Mohamed also lost her brother Esmael Mohammed Jibril in March 2021. President Uhuru Kenyatta, who is in the UK for an official visit, termed Ahmed as a gifted and successful businessman “I have received the disheartening news of the passing away of Mr Khalid Ahmed with great sadness. Mr Ahmed…

Kenyan digital ride-hailing app, Little Cab is spreading its wings to Ethiopia. The company announced that it has finalized plans to venture into one of Africa’s largest markets. The country holds huge market potential with a massive population of over 112 million. This will be the fifth country the digital app ventures into after Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Tanzania. “Ethiopia has always been on our sight. However we have always been very cautious to get in there because of the nature of business,” said Mr. Kamal Budhabhatti, Little Chief Executive Officer. “When we saw Safaricom heading to Ethiopia, we got…

Instagram has doubled the time limit for Reels from 30 seconds to one minute long. Instagram initially debuted Reels with a 15- second limit and doubled it to 30 seconds within a month. One year later, the company has updated the limit to a minute long. The update comes just after TikTok also increased its time limits, allowing creators longer periods for cooking, story-telling and more. Reels launched last year after TikTok’s runaway success especially during the pandemic. The short-video making feature is built within Instagram, allowing users a similar experience to using TikTok. without leaving the app. Read: Instagram…

Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) have withdrawn from bank accounts about Ksh44 million set aside for distribution as royalties to artistes. This is according to the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), which says that the money was withdrawn against its directive. “The licensed CMOs in the last three days withdrew from bank accounts about Kshs.44 million set aside for distribution as royalty in defiance of KECOBO licensing conditions and conservatory directives. The amount was transferred to accounts outside the oversight by KECOBO,” said KECOBO executive director Edward Sigei. According to KECOBO, so far, none of the CMOs has commenced the process of…

Twitter is testing a feature that will alert users when their accounts have been suspended and blocked. The notice will also alert users when their accounts are put in read-only mode for violating the company’s policies. The social media app announced the new feature, saying the notices would appear as a banner at the top of the Twitter feed. The development of the feature comes amid claims by users that they only find out about their accounts being blocked, suspended, or in read-only mode after trying to tweet or follow new accounts unsuccessfully. “Knowing where your account stands is important.…

Kenya’s Vision 2030 Uwezo Fund is on the spotlight after being unable to account for over Ksh4 billion, according to auditor general Nancy Gathungu. As of June 30, 2020, the management of Uwezo Fund had failed to avail documentation for loans worth Ksh4.1 billion issued since inception. “The presumed bank balances are unsupported. Further, there were no debtors’ ledgers detailing loans issued by the Fund since inception and repayments made over the years on account of loan recoveries. There were no comprehensive loan listings or aging analysis in support of the outstanding loans. Consequently, the accuracy and completeness of the…