Author: Cyrus

World’s largest video-sharing website Youtube  has committed Ksh2.5 billion ($25 million) in a bid to fight fake news and conspiracy theories on the platform. This is part of the Ksh30 billion ($300 million) Google News Initiative launched by its parent company in March. The fund is expected to help the company support journalism and fight the growing problem of fake news by taking the steps necessary to ensure the authenticity of news available online. YouTube says that it will make “authoritative” news sources more prominent, especially in the aftermath of breaking news events, such as terrorist attacks, natural disasters, major accidents and…

While the recent crash of Fly SAX plane might later reveal the shortcomings at Wilson Airport, there are fears among operators that as focus stays on Fly SAX / 540, the major criminal activities at the airport will go unnoticed. Already there is silent outrage and unease among the aviation operators at Wilson Airport as a powerful figures in the government have turned the airport into a playground of rogue elements conducting all manner of illegal activities while risking the country’s airspace. READ: Rogue Aviation Companies Colluding With KCAA Officials To Rob Kenyan Pilots Of Opportunities According to a number of…

Prophet Owuor, the con preacher and cult leader seems to have brainwashed all in the country to believe that he is the most powerful person in the world now. A video shared by Nation Media shows police officers in uniform urging Nairobi residents to go to the rally of con prophet Owuor for treatment. According to the officers in the video shot in the middle of Nairobi’s Central Business District, Owuor is capable of healing all diseases including cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure among others. It’s such an irony because people who brainwash others not to seek treatment in hospital…

A report by academics at Northeastern University in Massachusetts, USA, has revealed that Android apps are spying on their owners’ behaviour on their screens as well as taking and sending screenshots and screen recording to third parties. The researchers monitored 17,260 of the most popular Android apps, including those that send information to Facebook, using an automated program that interacted with the apps and took note of what media files were being sent from them. “Apps have been caught taking pictures without the user’s knowledge and passively listened for inaudible, ultrasonic audio beacons. The developers of mobile device operating systems recognize that…

Tuskys Supermarket has silently closed two key branches causing shock and jitters among suppliers. According to sources at the chain, Tuskys closed the Tuskys Ruaka and Tuskys Hyrax branch which was located in Nakuru. The former was located in the bustling Ruaka suburb in Nairobi. While the Tuskys Hyrax branch might have suffered from saturation of the market, the Ruaka branch’s closure is strangely being blamed on Two Rivers Mall, a claim which doesn’t make sense since Naivas Supermarket bought all the Tuskys stock and took up the branch’s operations after the exit. Founded by Joram Kamau, the Tuskys Supermarket…

Journalists, media professionals and some government communication practitioners from the Kalenjin community met early this week at a Nairobi hotel to chart way forward on how to counter political attacks directed towards Deputy President William Ruto’s. Among the senior journos present in the meeting included the newly appointed Fanaka TV CEO Terryanne Chebet, the chairman of Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Associations (KPJA) Gideon Keter who works with the Star, Dennis Chebitwey, a director of public communications in the Ministry of ICT and Sam Kiplagat from Nation. Kaplich Barsito, a former head of the Vice President’s Press Service during the tenure of Kalonzo…

Facebook has sent out a warning to some 800,000 of its users claiming that a bug caused its system to temporarily unblock people that had been previously blocked by the users. Through the notice published on Monday, the network revealed that blocked users were able to access the profiles of those who had blocked them and some sent them messages. These functionalities should not be possible when users are blocked. Facebook revealed that the bug was live between May 29 and June 5 and has been fixed with the affected users slated to receive a message from Facebook warning them…

Corrupt Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) officials at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) are allegedly selling drones confiscated from travellers at the airport. According to a senior military officer who bought a drone in August 2017 in Dubai and another senior government official who imported a different one in February 2018, the officials are selling drones and leaving empty boxes at the airport. READ: Royal Media Services To Hire Kaikai As A Consultant After Taking Up Liability For His Sh. 20 Million Loan The senior government official who is attached to State House reportedly imported a drone…

French multinational automobile manufacturer Renault has unveiled a new car in the market, the Kwid Climber. The new car is an upgraded version of the Kwid which was launched a couple of years ago. The Kwid Climber will come with a 68 horsepower 1000cc engine with a three-year/100,000 km warranty and it gives an estimated 24 kilometers to the litre fuel efficiency. The new model comes at  time Simba Corp with its Renault partners is strategically considering local assembly for some of the Renault Models. Jonathan Dos Santos, Renault Brand Manager, says that the car is most suitable for young…

Azam Group of companies plans to launch Azam Telecoms Limited which will be unveiling its 4G network in Tanzania. According to the group’s communication boss, Sufian Ally, the company has already been issued with a spectrum license through the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). The Azam mobile network will dive straight into the 4G space so as to help deliver better, faster and convenient mobile speeds and products to the subscribers. It’s not clear when the actual launch will be but Sufian Ally claims that it should be soon. Azam Group which is owned by Salim Said Bakhresa, has invested…

Kenyan Australian senator Lucy Gichuhi has been forced to pay back at least $2,000 (Ksh 200,000) to the Australian government after she flew two of her family members at the cost of Australian tax payers. Despite being 56 years old, the senator held her ’50th birthday plus GST’ in Adelaide, Australia, in October according to The Sunday Telegraph. The senator is claiming that she didn’t mean to charge the Australian tax payers and that it is “an administrative error involving misunderstanding of travel rules.” Senator Lucy Gichuhi billed taxpayers $2139 for two return airfares from Darwin to Adelaide as part…

Zambian President Edgar Lungu sneaked out of his country on Thursday destined for Nairobi where he was received then flown in a different plane to Mombasa where President Uhuru Kenyatta received him. According to sources close to State House, President Lungu’s visit has not been announced and taking of photos of the President’s activities have been blocked by the President’s security detail. However it is being reported in Lusaka that President Edgar Lungu is suffering from  undisclosed illness and he is seeking treatment from some witchdoctors in Mombasa. Zambians have rumoured that the President flew to Kenya with a team…

The Kenyan government through the tourism ministry is in touch with Airbnb, seeking to have the over 8,000 Kenyan establishments on the home sharing platform taxed. According to a source at the Tourism Ministry, the PS has already contacted the Airbnb headquarters and is talking to key personnel to have the agreement signed soon. The Kenyan government is arguing that Airbnb is the biggest hotel chain in the country as it has the highest number of rooms and guests in the country and so the government can benefit from a partnership. The ministry is initially pushing for at least find…

Kenyan pilots and aviation operators are blaming Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) for the ills which have bedevilled the sector. According to operators and pilots under KALPA, KCAA has turned into a bribery house where any rogue student, pilot and operators can do anything as long as he/she pays a required bribe to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority officials. The sector which is most riddled with bribery and blackmail is the Licensing department where qualified and unqualified pilots are told to pay KCAA officials an extra Ksh 300,000 or more to have their licensing approved. Some pilots who doesn’t have…

There is growing concern among the stakeholders of Tuskys Supemarket as the giant chain continue to exhibit signs of a crumbling empire. According to insiders, top executives of the chain have ensured that there are no clear systems and processes to ease business and maximise output and profitability. Top Management led by Dan Githua the CEO, Daniel Ndirangu (CFO) and Wamaitha Mukuha (GM Operations) seems to be in a scheme to siphon money from the supermarket chain and cripple it as they grow their parallel businesses from the Tuskys platform. Before being elevated to the position of CEO, Dan Githua…