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Category: BUSINESS

  • CS Zacharia Njeru meets PSs and HODs at Maji House

    CS Zacharia Njeru meets PSs and HODs at Maji House

    Cabinet Secretary Mr. Zacharia Njeru today had a meeting with PSs from the two State Departments of the Ministry, Water and Sanitation and Irrigation, Water Secretary and HoDs for briefs in their dockets.

    The HODs led by PSs Messrs. Julius Korir (Water and Sanitation) and Ephantus briefed the CS on the status of projects and programmes that they are implementing as outlined in the Executive Order No. 1 of 2022.

    CS Njeru pledged open-door policy and assured them of their support and cooperation in delivering their mandate of the Ministry. He added that most of the Ministry’s work will henceforth will be seen in the field where most of the services are required.

    To provide live, dignity and food security to the people of Kenya, CS Njeru urged the staff to embrace teamwork within the State Departments and assist to achieve the mandate of the Ministry. He emphasized the need for harmonious working relations and cohesiveness to deliver the Government Agenda.

    Other notable presentations were made by Water Secretary Eng SAO Alima and Secretary of Administration, State Department of Water and Sanitation Stephen Kihara among others.

  • Dettol launches handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi slums

    Dettol launches handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi slums

    By Steve Sabai.

    Dettol, a leading disinfection and hygiene solutions provider, has launched a handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi’s slums. This timely endeavor coincides with the global observance of Global Handwashing Day, with the theme: “Clean hands are within reach”.

    According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), two out of every five schools worldwide lack essential handwashing facilities, thus exposing students to a multitude of diseases. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unclean hands are the main mode of illness transmission in approximately 80 percent of cases, and bringing it home, the 2023 Kenya Economic Survey shows that in 2022, healthcare facilities reported four million cases of diarrheal diseases, with the majority of these cases affecting children.

    Under the banner of “Dettol Global Handwashing Campaign,” this month-long campaign will extend crucial support to five schools located in Nairobi’s Kibra and Mathare slums. The initiative entails the provision of essential water tanks and state-of-the-art handwashing stations along with essential hygiene education within these schools ensuring that clean hands are truly within reach for these deserving children”.

    “This campaign underscores Dettol’s unwavering commitment to promoting hand hygiene education throughout the country. Our dedication extends to driving access to quality hygiene products designed to protect against illnesses causing germs, all with the ultimate goal of helping Kenyans maintain personal hygiene and create a safe and healthy environment for all,” said Asif Hashimi, Country Manager, Reckitt Kenya.

    To maximize the impact and ensure the success of this campaign, Dettol has partnered with Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), a local advocacy organization that serves the needs of over 350,000 urban slum residents across ten different slum communities in three major cities in Kenya namely Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

  • Dettol launches handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi slums.

    Dettol launches handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi slums.

    By Steve Sabai

    Nairobi ,October 17, 2023. Dettol, a leading disinfection and hygiene solutions provider, has launched a handwashing campaign targeting over 10,000 school-going children in Nairobi’s slums. This timely endeavor coincides with the global observance of Global Handwashing Day, with the theme: “Clean hands are within reach”.

    According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), two out of every five schools worldwide lack essential handwashing facilities, thus exposing students to a multitude of diseases. Furthermore, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that unclean hands are the main mode of illness transmission in approximately 80 percent of cases, and bringing it home, the 2023 Kenya Economic Survey shows that in 2022, healthcare facilities reported four million cases of diarrheal diseases, with the majority of these cases affecting children.

    Under the banner of “Dettol Global Handwashing Campaign,” this month-long campaign will extend crucial support to five schools located in Nairobi’s Kibra and Mathare slums. The initiative entails the provision of essential water tanks and state-of-the-art handwashing stations along with essential hygiene education within these schools ensuring that clean hands are truly within reach for these deserving children”.

    “This campaign underscores Dettol’s unwavering commitment to promoting hand hygiene education throughout the country. Our dedication extends to driving access to quality hygiene products designed to protect against illnesses causing germs, all with the ultimate goal of helping Kenyans maintain personal hygiene and create a safe and healthy environment for all,” said Asif Hashimi, Country Manager, Reckitt Kenya.

    To maximize the impact and ensure the success of this campaign, Dettol has partnered with Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco), a local advocacy organization that serves the needs of over 350,000 urban slum residents across ten different slum communities in three major cities in Kenya namely Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu.

    Hand hygiene isn’t just about cleanliness, it’s essential for Primary healthcare,universal health coverage and disease control.
    The good news is that washing your hands with Dettol soap kills 99 9% of illness causing germs. The campaign is not just a commendable initiative but a call to action.

  • Building tourism capacity among the youth

    Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) says it will give capacity building to the youth venturing into the tourism business in the counties to enhance their skills in the hospitality sector.

    KTB chairperson Francis Gichaba disclosed that a number of youth in the regions endowed with tourism activities lacked adequate skills and knowledge to better interpret and deliver visitor experience to the tourists.

    “As the tourism marketing agency, this is one of the areas we will focus on especially as we enhance our relationship with the county governments in identifying opportunities that would spur tourism activities in the regions”, said the chairperson.

    Speaking at the sidelines of the just-concluded 7th edition of Turkana Tourism and Cultural festivals held in Lodwar, Gichaba said the tourism business is one of the economic pillars that had a direct impact right from the grassroots levels.

    He said, that one way of creating jobs for the youth was to identify other opportunities for tourism and pointed out culture and heritage as one of the tourism pillars away from the beaten path of wildlife and beaches that Kenya is famed for.

    “Besides what Kenya is traditionally known for, culture and heritage is our next frontier in addition to adventure, eco-tourism among others. This is in line with our strategy to diversify our tourism offering to cater to the diverse needs of the clientele,” said the chairperson.

    According to the chairperson, KTB will collaborate with the county governments and other partners in the sector to help identify, develop, and package the hidden tourism gem in the region.

    At the same time while meeting the local tourism partners in Lodwar, Gishaba lauded the government for improved infrastructure and security in Northern Kenya, a move he observed was a major boost to the tourism business.

    “Even as we ask of government to do more, improved infrastructure and security in this region is not only enhancing access to tourism facilities but spurring other economic activities for the livelihood of the people,” added the chairperson.

    While addressing the 7th edition of Turkana Tourism and Cultural Festivals, Cabinet Secretary for Tourism and Wildlife Dr. Alfred Mutua disclosed that he will work with the country towards the improvement of tourism facilities including airstrips for ease of access to the interior parts of the tourism-rich country.

    The northern Kenya of Turkana is known as home to the cradle of humans with the discovery of the almost complete skeleton of a human-related fossil ever found in the world –the Turkana Boy known to have existed some 1.6 million years ago. Other attractions include culture, adventure, research, and film making.

  • Connecting With The Best In The Business At Ziiki Media’s Recording Camp

    Connecting With The Best In The Business At Ziiki Media’s Recording Camp

    Ziiki media just concluded their music recording camp ‘ZiiBeats’ as one of their artist support initiatives that provided a constructive platform for artists from different parts of Africa to collaborate and interface their sounds and abilities.

    The camp was designed to promote cutting-edge partnerships by defying genre norms and enabling experimentation, fusion, and synergy among African producers and artists.

    The talented pool of artists represented an international blend of music makers such as Ghana’s Sarkodie, Nigeria’s Iyanya, Tanzania’s Rayvanny, Nandy, and Yammi, Kenya’s new kid on the block Lexsil.

    On the other hand, the lineup boasted an impressive roster of seasoned songwriters including Baby Son and Raspy from South Africa who provided an invaluable addition to the camp.

    Producer extraordinaire CeeBeaats, one of the leading female music producers in the UK hip-hop scene, was also part of the recording camp, with her ability to dip into multiple genres, specializing in the 90s and noughties hip-hop and R&B, Afrobeats, Amapiano, house, dance, UK Garage and pop accompanied by Tyler ICU, a South African singer, DJ, and music producer is known for his unique sound, which blends elements of Amapiano, Afrobeats, and house music.

    Other producers included the Multi-Platinum Selling producer Yumbs from South Africa and the incredible Blaisebeatz who has been a huge part of many artists’ success stories such as Fireboy DML, Chris Brown and Davido.

    These top-rated producers were not only tasked with collaborating with the artists by introducing them to new musical styles and performance techniques to enable them to compete in the global market but also provided guidance and mentorship.

    With the aim to create future hits, ZiiBeats has created a unique environment where artists exchange ideas, gain new perspectives, and potentially find future project collaborators.

    From learning the art of beat-making to understanding the intricacies of producing hit songs, the expertise and guidance of these featured producers will without a doubt have a ripple effect very soon on the musical scene.

  • Huawei to scale up home connections in fiber to every room initiative

    Huawei to scale up home connections in fiber to every room initiative

    Huawei Kenya has announced that it will step up residential internet fiber and connect more homes to the Internet.

    Speaking during the Conext Conference hosted by TESPOK in Nairobi, Tony Li, Chief Technology Officer of Huawei Southern Africa Region said that scaling up internet access for Kenyans using Fixed Wireless Access, mobile technologies and Fixed Networks, using fiber, are critical to deepening digital inclusion and expanding the country’s participation in the global digital economy. The firm’s Fiber To The Room (FTTR) program is expected to double the number of Kenyan homes with internet connectivity from the current level where it is just under 250,000 in total.

    The aspiration is to get to the innovation of 1 Gbps in every room, targeting homes with large families and houses with multiple rooms and levels, with support for up to 16 rooms and responding to the diverse functional needs of each household such as watching movies in the living room, while people are working, video conferencing, gaming, posting to social media or even livestreaming in their private rooms.

    “Leveraging on the new building code that requires all developments to be fiber ready, our set up will involve placing Wi-Fi enabled optical network terminals (ONT) in every room of an apartment unit. This way, Fiber To The Room (FTTR) allows for consistent internet coverage throughout the home, ensuring uninterrupted high-speed connectivity regardless of which room one is in,” he said.

    The Fiber to the Room (FTTR) all-optical Wi-Fi solution directly extends optical fibers to each room, achieving gigabit coverage everywhere at home. It covers Huawei’s innovative photoelectric composite micro-optical cable and FTTR construction solution which represents a quantum leap in cutting-edge home networking, leveraging the power of fibers characterized by their compact size, feather-light build, virtually eternal service life, immunity to electromagnetic interference, and the limitless potential for bandwidth expansion.

    In a world where seamless connectivity is paramount, FTTR emerges as the ultimate solution to the challenge of delivering flawless home network coverage down to every corner. Residents can now enjoy a fresh and compelling alternative for their networking needs including demands for home services such as online education, video streaming, and online gaming, which has recently increased sharply.

    Tony pointed out that partnership with the government was crucial to delivering these modern experiences to Kenyans.

    “We believe the government has an important role to play in 3 particular areas, namely requiring all new buildings to be fiber-ready, with the manholes and ducts to make it easier and quicker to install fiber, and also enhancing competition in the market. The proposed Building Code is a great step in this direction. Secondly, it is important to reduce fiber cuts through coordination with roads and utility agencies as well as using enforcement of relevant laws. Finally, we need to reduce the costs for wayleaves, speed up approvals, and provide access to other shared infrastructure such as power poles or road ducts,” he added.

    The FTTR market consists of two major segments: The first is indoor optical cable installation provided by construction companies and interior design companies. The second is indoor optical cable installation provided by carriers.

    With the advent of cloud computing, virtual reality, gaming, telehealth, remote services, and high capacity services not yet imagined, Kenyans must grapple with updating its Internet’s infrastructure for the 21st century.

  • Naivas hits triple digits in store count, 100 branches

    Naivas hits triple digits in store count, 100 branches

    This is a historic moment in Kenyan as this is a feat that no other supermarket in Kenya, local or international, has managed to achieve.

    The outlet which carries this great honour is Naivas Foodmarket King’ara Road in Lavington.

    Opening the store in this neighbourhood is a testament to the truly national brand that Naivas has become. From a general store founded in the rural town of Rongai in Nakuru county, to the leading retailer in the country, is nothing short of a success story punctuated by commitment and resilience.

     

    Despite the challenges in the retail sector, Naivas has continued to scale new heights and set new records with each passing year.

    “As we set up the general store, it was not for any other reason but to take care of our basic needs and never did I ever imagine that I would be here today talking about store number 100. It is truly an emotional moment for me, from just seeking to take care of my family to now having over 10,000 directly employed by the company is something I would never have dreamed of. As a Kenyan homegrown family business, we thank you for the trust you have placed on the brand and we shall ensure that we continue to diligently serve Kenyans as you are the reason for our being. My promise is, store number 100 is just the beginning as we now are focused on the next big step, hitting 200 stores,’’ said David Kimani, Naivas Managing Director.

     

    “It may have taken 33 years 2 months and 12 days to hit this great milestone, but it means that the founding family, the Mukuhas, had set the right foundation to ensure that the business grows. It is because of this right foundation that the business was able to attract foreign investment. Thanks to our investors, a consortium led by IBL which includes Proparco and DEG, have been instrumental in strengthening our corporate governance ensuring that the business has the right foundation for the next level of success’’ remarked Andreas Von Paleske, Naivas Chief of Strategy.

     

    “As IBL we are glad to have found a partner in Naivas, a homegrown Kenyan family business that has enabled us to expand into the Kenyan market. We assure Naivas of our unwavering support to see to it that it continues to expand and reach even greater heights. I want to wish Naivas a happy 100 branches celebration,” said Arnaud Lagesse.

    IBL Executive Director and Group CEO.

    The journey beyond one hundred has just begun and the business is committed to reaching every community in the country one store at a time.

  • WorldRemit Founder Challenges De La Rue’s $9.6 million Somaliland Contract

    WorldRemit Founder Challenges De La Rue’s $9.6 million Somaliland Contract

    Sahimiye Foundation has called on De La Rue, the world’s biggest printer of banknotes, to cancel a contentious $9.6 million contract to print 380 billion SL shillings for the Somaliland government. In an open letter to De La Rue, Sahamiye notes the decision to increase money supply in Somaliland will worsen the economic pain that low income and disadvantaged groups of society are currently experiencing.

    The Foundation warned that the new bank notes would double the money in circulation and cause the local currency to lose value against the dollar. “The highly unusual decision to print money, especially at a time when the country is preparing for presidential elections, is predicted to cause the value of the SL shilling to drop from 8,750 to over 20,000 per dollar,” wrote Ismail Ahmed, Sahamiye’s Founder and Director.

    Ismail further warned that De La Rue’s Somaliland contract posed serious legal andethical questions. He noted that there was  no competitive bidding nor approval by parliament before De La Rue was awarded the contract. “I urge you to cancel the contract and return the $9.6 million that the Central Bank of Somaliland sent you to fund the transaction,” he wrote in the letter addressed to De La Rue CEO’s Clive Vacher.

    Ismail challenged Clive to take a principled stand given that De La Rue had a historyof involvement in corruption scandals and was the subject of several investigationsby the UK’s Serious Fraud Office.

    Born and raised in Hargeisa, the capital of Somaliland, Ismail is a UK-based tech entrepreneur and founder of international money transfer service WorldRemit. He currently serves as the Chairman of WorldRemit. He founded Sahamiye Foundation
    in 2021 to promote education and literacy in Somaliland and the Horn of Africa and advocate for policies that foster development. He in 2021 announced that he would commit more than $500 million of his own wealth to the Foundation over a period of 10 years.

  • Unveiling the ambitious Fifth Strategic Plan of the Women Enterprise Fund

    Unveiling the ambitious Fifth Strategic Plan of the Women Enterprise Fund

    The Women Enterprise Fund orchestrated a highly successful stakeholders’ validation workshop, illuminating the contours of its imminent fifth strategic plan spanning the years 2023 to 2027. The pivotal event not only underscored the Fund’s commitment to its mission but also served as a platform for unveiling transformative initiatives that are poised to redefine the landscape for women entrepreneurs.

    In March 2023, Dr. Josephine Obonyo, the articulate representative of the PS, State Department for Gender and Affirmative Action, delivered a compelling address that resonated with the audience. She illuminated the Fund’s progressive pivot towards digital processes, an innovative approach that manifested in the expeditious disbursement of Kshs. 941 million to an impressive 18,955 groups within a mere three months. This commendable achievement underscored the Fund’s commitment to efficiency and its responsiveness to the evolving needs of its beneficiaries.

    Dr. Obonyo, echoing the sentiments of the Fund’s leadership, emphasized resilience and sustainability as linchpins within the strategic plan. Given the intricacies of the current dynamic economic environment, these components were deemed indispensable for ensuring the enduring impact of the Fund’s interventions.

    Jane C. Lang, the distinguished Chairperson of the Advisory Board, assumed the podium during the workshop, articulating key strategic objectives with precision and foresight. Central to these objectives was the imperative to enhance market access, cultivate financial acumen and entrepreneurial skills, streamline loan accessibility for women entrepreneurs, and fortify institutional capabilities. Lang’s elucidation of these strategic pillars underscored a comprehensive approach aimed at empowering women entrepreneurs holistically.

    The proposed strategic plan is characterized by its audacious goals, indicative of the Fund’s unwavering commitment to catalyzing significant change. The plan envisions disbursing Kshs. 30 billion to empower 5 million women entrepreneurs, a financial injection poised to catalyze transformative growth across diverse sectors. Simultaneously, the plan ambitiously aims to provide essential skills training to 1,000,000 women, equipping them with the tools necessary for navigating the competitive business landscape.

    Market access, a pivotal determinant of success for any entrepreneur, assumes a prominent role in the strategic vision. The Fund aspires to facilitate market entry for over 200,000 women entrepreneurs over the next five years, fostering an environment where their enterprises can thrive and contribute meaningfully to economic development.

    The stakeholders’ validation workshop not only validated the strategic vision but also served as a testament to the Women Enterprise Fund’s unwavering dedication to empowering women entrepreneurs.

    As the Fund strides into the future, armed with a dynamic and ambitious strategic plan, it remains poised to be a beacon of empowerment, fostering a landscape where women entrepreneurs can flourish and redefine the contours of economic success.

  • A Special Customer Service Week

    A Special Customer Service Week

    The first week of October has traditionally over the years been known as the week where most if not all companies give extra appreciation to customers.

    Let us dissect the origin and purpose of Customer Service Week.

    Customer Service Week is an international celebration of the importance of customer service and of the people who serve and support customers on a daily basis.

    Customer Service Week started in 1987.

    A high point in the week’s long history came in 1992 when the U.S. Congress proclaimed Customer Service Week a nationally recognized event, which is celebrated annually during the first full week in October. For 36 years, CSWeek.com has been the official sponsor of Customer Service Week and has provided how-to information, celebration materials imprinted with the Customer Service Week logo, and inspiration from thousands of service and support professionals who share their celebration stories, plans, and ideas.

    Over the years, thousands of companies across the United States and around the globe have celebrated Customer Service Week. They represent leading financial, healthcare, insurance, manufacturing, retailing, hospitality, communications, nonprofits, and educational organizations, as well as government agencies, and others.

    When it comes to Insurance companies Xplico Insurance Company Limited this week has special offers for the customers and agents who are crucial for their business.

    On Monday and Tuesday, there are bonuses for agents who reach targets, there will be fuel vouchers issued to lucky winners at their branches country-wide, and lots of other amazing merchandise. Be on the lookout for any Xplico Insurance Company Limited branch near you.