Author: Cyrus

Kenya’s Mobile Games developer, Usiku Games, is opening the platform and allowing gamers to play free of charge and kill boredom during the Coronavus lockdown. Through a media release, the company has indicated that the gamers on the Kenyan Mobile gaming platform will not pay the usual Ksh.10 (for 1,000 digital coins) to access the games but will play for free until further notice. Founded by Canadian techie Jay Shapiro, Usiku Games, is a localised gaming platform available in leading app stores. According to Jay Shapiro, zero-rating the platform will allow users to enjoy themselves as they practise social distancing…

Airtel Kenya has announced that it’s abolishing all charges on Airtel Money for a period of 90 days following the directive from Central Bank of Kenya to operators. In the directive which has been honoured by other operators like Safaricom and Telkom Kenya, the telcos were required to abolish charges on the Ksh 1,000 and below transactions while also increasing transaction limits to Ksh 150,000 and daily limit to Ksh 300,000. With Airtel Kenya announcing a 90 days waiver on fees, it will be interesting to see if subscribers join the network to exploit the opportunity. READ: Telkom Kenya Partners With…

Panafrican Pay TV provider MultiChoice has announced new offers that will keep GOtv and DStv customers in Kenya entertained in the month of March, delivering more value, while making offerings on various entertainment bouquets even more accessible. The launch of Phase 2 of the Step-Up campaign will see active and disconnected DStv customers get upgraded to the next higher package at no extra cost and GOtv customers get a discount on their package when paying for their subscription. According to MultiChoice Kenya Managing Director, Nancy Matimu, the campaign’s objective is to thank DStv and GOtv customers. Below are the two exciting offers: DStv Pay…

Reports published on the Intelligence Briefs platform have indicated that Somalia National Army (SNA) jammed the Safaricom communication masts located Mandera while the army was fighting with Jubbaland army Bulla Hawo. According to the briefs, the masts located near the border serves residents of the region, including those located in Somalia and Jubbaland regions. READ: IG Boinett Denies Claims That Police Were Bribed By Al-shabaab The briefs indicate that the fighting and the jamming of the masts are linked while it blames the Somalia National Army for supporting terror units links to sabotage of communication along the porous border. According to…

11 Kenyan Members of Parliament are stuck in Mogadishu after secretly chartering a plane and flying to the Somalia city without the authorisation of the Kenyan parliament or security services. According to sources within Kenya’s security services, the MPs were called for a secret meeting with Somalia’s National Intelligence without the knowledge of Kenya’s security services. The mission of the MPs was unknown but it is believed that they might be behind a plot to capture the Jubaland minister who fled to Kenya. The MPs known to have travelled to Somalia are; Kullow Maalim – (EFP) Banissa- Ahmed Kolosh -…

Safaricom has revealed that it has signed an agreement with giant online retail services provider, Amazon, to resell it’s cloud services – Amazon Web Services (AWS). The deal will see Safaricom push its cloud offerings as well as stir internal IT transformation, lower costs and provide the telco with a blueprint and skilled resources to assist customers with their journey to the cloud. In addition, Safaricom will be able to offer AWS services to clients in the East African region. Safaricom has also revealed the attainment of Advanced Consulting Partner status in the AWS Partner Network (APN), becoming one of…

There was a massive scare among passengers on board Jambojet flight no 8657 from Nairobi to Kisumu on Friday evening after the flight struck a bird during landing approach. The flight which was also supposed to fly others back to Nairobi was cancelled after it was discovered that the bird had caused a massive dent on the nose of the plane and a crack on the cockpit window. The return leg of the Jambojet flight number JM 8657, Kisumu to Nairobi, was cancelled after which passengers were booked into hotels in Kisumu as crews called for other planes to come…

Samsung has inked a deal with Safaricom and M-Kopa to sell the Samsung A10s at hire purchase. In the new mobile phone project, the companies have collaborated to bring customers a Pay As You Go service that will allow one to go home with a Samsung Galaxy A10s and pay in installments. The phone, an upgrade of the Samsung A10 has an internal storage of 32 GB and 2 GB RAM and comes with a 2-year warranty. To get the phone, a customer will need to visit selected Safaricom and M-Kopa shops and make a down payment of Ksh3,499. They…

SafeBoda a bike hailing company founded in Uganda in 2015, has announced a new pricing structure for commuters in Nairobi. Through an announcement, the company has said that they are slashing prices by as much as 40 per cent in Nairobi to allow commuters to ride on their “safer” means than those offered elsewhere. With research showing that commuters in Nairobi typically spend up to five hours a day or more, in traffic, productivity might be hampered and the quality of life greatly reduced. SafeBoda says that it is focusing on making life less stressful by safely reducing commute time…

M-Kopa Solar, a mobile phone-based solar kit reseller has unveiled solar-powered refrigerators as it targets 1.5 million potential clients (homes and businesses) which are not connected to the mains. The newly launched M-Kopa pay-as-you-go 100-litre solar fridge is targeted at enabling users to save costs and cut losses while still preserving perishables and reducing trips to the source market. READ: M-kopa Used Ksh19 Million For Work Permits For Foreigners, A Time It Fired 78 Kenyan Developers The M-Kopa Solar fridge is available in over 60 outlets countrywide with customers required to pay Ksh 115,500 to own it. The payment is made…

East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has announced that they have commercialized the Aliciana Barley Variety a year after it was launched. EABL made the announcement during the annual Field Day in Mau Narok following trials of the barley variety with farmers who have reported higher yields and greater resistance to water lodging. READ: Tale Of Agony As Police Manning Kongowea Market Shamelessly Extort Local Traders, Customers The Field Day, an annual event that brings together stakeholders within the barley value chain, is an event where stakeholders converge to learn, share experiences and showcase their products and innovations. Barley is the main raw…

Major Peter Mugure who has been charged with the murder of Joyce Syombua and her two children was in charge of all aspects of security at Laikipia Airbase during the family’s murder. According to Daily Nation, Major Mugure was the day’s officer in command and so responsible for ground operations, emergencies and all matters related to security, a convenient position which enabled him to move in and out of the heavily fortified installation unchallenged. READ: Ethic’s Message To Fans After Controversial “Tarimbo” Video Was Deleted From YouTube The Major reportedly made multiple trips in and out of the barracks that some…

The Inspector-General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has finally unveiled the much talked about National Police Service digital occurrence book (OB). In a post shared on the social media pages of the police, Hillary Mutyambai (Inspector General) launched the new platform this morning, ushering a new era in the management of police records, away from the archaic bulky black books which have been common in the stations. This morning, at 0000hrs,@IG_NPS opened a new chapter in the history of Policing in the country by inaugurating a Digital Occurrence Book (OB), at Kasarani Police Station. pic.twitter.com/oXNa865Ax0 — National Police Service-Kenya (@NPSOfficial_KE) November…

INV Fintech, Bank Innovation’s sister accelerator program, has announced its eighth accelerator class, which kicked off last week with seven unique startups that are seeking to partner with financial institutions by focusing on addressing evolving problems in the fin-tech space and enabling established players to further their innovation capabilities. READ: Tech4Africa Forum Announces Opportunity for African Startups The seven startups were selected for participation after a rigorous review process by INV Fintech with feedback from its partners, which include Fiserv, TIAA, BB&T, BMO Harris, City National Bank, Associated Bank, Lincoln Savings Bank, and others. The accelerator’s ecosystem includes dozens of mentors,…

Turn.io, the recently launched behaviour change chat product, has partnered with Mintor, to scale their youth employment platform. The partnership will help Mintor increase its ability to meet the needs of both young jobseekers and businesses looking for entry-level talent. Already established through Mintor’s online offering, this service is now being amplified by Turn.io’s chat platform which uses Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Machine Learning (ML) to enable conversations through WhatsApp and Android Messages. Based in South Africa, Mintor is a social enterprise that is seeking to tackle global youth unemployment. Focusing the unemployment lens on South Africa: according to …