Nairobi, 06.12.2021 Kenya’s number one retail chain, Naivas Supermarket will this week be opening doors of its newest outlets in Malindi and Embakasi on 9th and 10th December, 2021respectively.
The Malindi outlet becomes the second branch in Kilifi county after the retailer opened shopfor the first time in the county in Kilifi Town along Bofa Road.
This new store covering 28,000 square feet of trading space is the new anchor tenant at the Oasis Mall in Malindi along Lamu Road as the Embakasi outlet located along Road B off Airport North Road just opposite Nairobi Bottlers covers 27000 square feet of trading space which is the 7th store within the greater Eastlands region and the second along Airport North Road with the other being Embakasi Express which opened its doors in July of this 2021 “We are excited that this double store opening comes just in time for the kick off the Kenyan festive period traditionally marked by Jamhuri Day.
The excitement has been further expounded by Naivas annual Christmas campaign which the year, 2021 is dubbed Krismas Kilocol gave shoppers opportunity of enjoying the best offers in store and every day 400 Reward Card holders winning gift vouchers.
The 12 days since 1st December 2021, they have also been winning the Naivas signature Mbuzi,” said Willy Kimani Naivas Chief Commercial Officer. “As always, our commitment is to Kenya since our DNA is Kenyan and we will remain focused on the Kenyan consumer. We are elated that our store openings have been greatly enhanced through the support of our stakeholders and investors who have strengthened and improved corporate governance, increased accountability and professionalism within the business,” concluded Willy Kimani.
Naivas plans to open an outlet at Greenspan Mall in Donholm, Nairobi before the 2021 year closes.
Nairobi, 1st December, 2021 Stakeholders drawn from various sectors of the economy will this year mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities with the launch of a banking industry online platform that has been designed to train bank employees on bank-environment Kenyan Sign Language (KSL) vocabulary.
Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Gov Dr. Patrick Njoroge is confirmed as the Chief Guest during the unveiling of Kenya Bankers Association’s Deaf eLimu Banking Website and Mobile Application scheduled for tomorrow. The innovation will be the first bank-environment sign language self-training application in Africa.
As at launch on December 2nd, 2021, the Website (www.deafelimubanking.africa) and Mobile Application (Google Playstore) will feature 100 words and common banking environment phrases with video demonstrations and notes.
The platform will also have a moderated community section, where users can upload videos on how to sign additional words, thereby providing a dynamic way for the vocabulary to be increased over time and with participation from the banking community and Clients with Disabilities. The software has been developed and will be moderated by Deaf eLimu Plus Ltd, with funding from KBA and FSD Kenya.
Themed “Expanding Inclusion for People with Disabilities Through Innovation,’’ the forum will feature discussions during which speakers will explore private sector-led initiatives that can be implemented across industries towards enhancing the participation of People with Disabilities in the socio-economic development agenda of the country. Invited guests include various bank chief executive officers and industry stakeholders.
Among the speakers for the virtual event are KBA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Habil Olaka; FSD Kenya Chief Executive Officer Tamara Cook; Deaf eLimu Plus Founder Hudson Asiema; Kenya Private Sector Alliance Chief Executive Officer Carole Kariuki; KBA Public Affairs Director Nuru Mugambi; Kenya Society for the Blind Executive Director Samson Waweru; Safaricom Foundation Senior Manager Henry Kilonzo; Federation of Kenya Employers Projects Manager Catherine Naserian; inABLE Founder and Executive Director Irene Mbari-Kirika; and Bruce Cahan( Founder and CEO of Urban Logic, Stanford University lecturer on Ethics of Finance Sustainable Banking, and Co-founder of the Sustainable Banking Initiative at Stanford).
Dr. Olaka said the KBA has worked with banks to chart an industry roadmap which will help banks to follow international best practice in disability inclusion. “People with Disabilities constitute one of the most underserved segments of the population across jurisdictions.
Despite gains achieved through initiatives geared towards promoting access to financial services in the last two decades, financial inclusion has not sufficiently impacted our Clients with Disabilities,’’said Dr. Olaka.
He noted that the Deaf eLimu Banking App and Website is an innovation arising from recommendations adopted in November 2020 by the KBA General Body following the Association’s PWD Digital Accessibility Project.
“The Project proposals are broad in scope, and touch on a wide spectrum of challenges faced by bank customers with disabilities, including independently accessing mobile banking applications, online banking channels, bank Websites, bank statements, and ATMs,” said Dr. Olaka.
Among the KBA recommendations was a requirement that banks train customer-facing branch staff on Persons with Disabilities Etiquette and basic Kenyan Sign Language (KSL). To date, 31 KBA member banks have developed internal roadmaps that identify milestones towards digital accessibility.
Bank initiatives include Kingdom Bank, which partnered with the Kenyan Paraplegic Organization to enhance inclusion and diversity responsiveness across the bank.
Meanwhile, banks such as KCB, DTB and Absa have taken to social media to promote KSL via the hashtag #SignLanguageChallenge. KBA has also partnered with FSD-Kenya to promote International Day of Persons with Disabilities which is observed annually on 3rd December.
The launch by the KAM and the Forestry Business Sustainable Action Plan
Monday, 29th November 2021, Nairobi: Manufacturers have today unveiled a strategy to sustainably expand forestry businesses in the country. The Forestry Business Sustainable Action Plan sheds light on interdependences of the forestry industry and other economic sectors for the country’s socioeconomic development, whilst preserving ecosystems.
Kenya Forest Service (KFS) Chairman, Peter Kinyua said that KFS is looking to fill in forestry business supply chain gaps in the country. “To reduce the gap between demand and supply in the forestry sector, we are providing technical expertise to private farmers to increase the quality and quantity of trees.
We have also partnered with various stakeholders, including the business community in restoring and managing urban forest parks. These initiatives shall offset carbon footprints and contribute to environment sustainability and climate change mitigation.
These programmes have been replicated in public urban green spaces in Nairobi, and is set to be replicated in other counties.” KAM Chairman, Mucai Kunyiha noted that the Plan is a local industry initiative towards restoring and replenishing the environment. “The Forestry Business Sustainable Action Plan is an initiative of uKAMilifu, our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) arm that houses our social impact programmes.
The plan provides insights on the extent to which the forestry sector strategies and programmes have been implemented, and level of sector-actors collaboration and coordination towards enhancing sustainability of the forestry sector, and areas of improvement.” Mr Kunyiha called for development of policies for sustainable forestry business, saying, “Knowledge management, smart forest approaches, multi-stakeholder engagement, innovation for sustainable use of resources, standardization of timber and wood products and lifting of the ban on logging shall drive sustainable forest business growth, whilst conserving our environment.” Kenya Forest Research Institute Senior Deputy Director for Research and Development, Dr Jane Njuguna, expressed the institute’s commitment to increasing the country’s forest cover, for sustainable economic development. “We have developed and deployed various technologies and innovations to enhance production, processing and distribution of tree seed in the country.
Most of these are ready to be commercialized by the private sector investors under various investment policy and legislations to cater for SMEs and large corporations to serve various users ranging from large scale to small scale operators. This is particularly crucial as the country’s population continues to increase, thus driving up demand for the forestry business products.” The Forestry Business Sustainability Action Plan for Kenya was commissioned as part of an inquiry into seeking ways to enhance the sustainability of Kenya’s forestry sector through a multi-stakeholder approach.
It mirrors global and regional best practices, with the main intent of guiding sector interlinking businesses to develop tailored sustainable actions that support the forestry sector in Kenya.
About Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) KAM is the leading voice of manufacturing and value-add industries in Kenya, since its establishment in 1959.
The Association is committed to securing the socio-economic well-being of Kenyans, and consequently, alleviate inequality in the community. This is through uKAMilifu, which integrates Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors into the Association’s role as the leading voice of manufacturing and value-add industries in Kenya. uKAMilifu seeks to demonstrate industry’s wider role in complementing Government’s initiatives towards driving development. Over the years, KAM’s work as a dynamic, vibrant and credible voice that unites industrialists, has seen the Association’s Membership base grow to over 1,400 industries cutting across 14 sectors. We remain at the forefront in the development of solutions and reimagining both the current and future manufacturing landscape in Kenya. Our work, geared towards driving the competitiveness and productivity of local industry, endeavours to ensure a dynamic and flourishing manufacturing sector and realize its double-digit contribution to the GDP.
•The real magic encourages people to appreciate each other.
The Coca-cola company on October 29 launched a new brand platform called “The real magic” at Minet studios, Supersport Complex, Nairobi.
Coca-cola through their abled team has come up with a new logo called the “Hug” Icon that evolves the logo into a graphic device that embraces the things we love and the real magic moments the product heightens. The real magic and the iconic logo are to encourage people to appreciate each other and to always embrace each moment and appreciate each other.
Nairobi, Kenya, 11 November 2021: Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group, today launches OneVoice for Cloud PBX offering in six key African markets. This is part of the organisation’s investment as it partners with its customers in their digital transformation journeys that have accelerated due to the pandemic.
The OneVoice for Cloud PBX solution will assist businesses irrespective of their size in their telephony and collaboration needs. The solution is powered by a single integrated platform converting legacy PBX telephony system into a cloud-based IP communication solution. But the real benefit is to the customers as the solution delivers voice, video, and data communication tools in a single offering – enabling them to communicate on any device, via any medium from anywhere.
According to David Behr, CEO of Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security, “The workplace is no longer identified as a place we go to, but rather what we do irrespective of the location. Therefore, businesses need a solution that will create a workplace facilitated by seamless communication, collaboration, and flexibility. With OneVoice for Cloud PBX, Liquid is reiterating its commitment towards building a more unified, converged, and easily manageable communications ecosystem for African businesses.”
Undoubtedly, the future of work is heading towards a hybrid working culture. The in-office corridor chats, the desk to desk ‘quick catch-ups’ and informal customer conversations that the world used to rely on to maintain person-to-person connections now need to happen digitally. This means that businesses need a platform that leverages productivity and eliminates the cost of using the old PBX. Liquid removes that responsibility as it manages the back-end platform allowing customers to focus on their core business needs and generate revenue. OneVoice for Cloud PBX enhances Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy increasing employee productivity wherever in the world they may be working from.
Additionally, OneVoice for Cloud PBX also reduces the possibility of bill shock by giving businesses a single pane of glass to view their usage. The single-pane view allows companies a complete overview of use, enabling them to make their environments more streamlined and adaptable. The launch of OneVoice for Cloud PBX follows the successful release of the OneVoice for Operator Connect, another solution by Liquid Intelligent Technologies that integrates traditional telephony calling within the Microsoft Teams ecosystem. These services demonstrate the robust portfolio of voice solutions enhancing collaboration in the new remote/hybrid work environment.
OneVoice for Cloud PBX is delivered over the same access devices and networks as the data services and carried over Liquid’s carrier-grade IP-based Next Generation Network, interconnected to all other fixed and mobile networks across the country and globally to over 400 networks. The OneVoice for Cloud PBX solution is currently available in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda.
About Liquid Intelligent Technologies
Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a business unit of Cassava Technologies, a pan-African technology group present in more than 20 countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa. Liquid has firmly established itself as the leading provider of pan-African digital infrastructure with an extensive network covering over 100,000 km. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is redefining network, Cloud and Cyber Security offerings through strategic partnerships with leading global players, innovative business applications, smart cloud services and world-class security on the African continent. Liquid Intelligent Technologies is now a comprehensive, one-stop technology group that provides customized digital solutions to public and private sector companies across the continent under several business units including Liquid Networks, Liquid Cloud and Cyber Security and Africa Data Centres. https://www.liquid.tech/
On Monday 1 November the first campus of the iTalanta Academy starts in the Kakuma refugee camp. 20 candidates, selected from the refugee camp and host communities, will undergo an intensive 30-week program, preparing them for employment as IT developers. The key learning opportunities for the students will be both focused on programming as well as problem-solving skills which are highly relevant in the current market and IT space. The program is free of charge to the selected students.
They are equipped with a laptop and with a bicycle, for their daily commute to the campus in Kakuma. The curriculum is permanently supervised on-site by experienced coaches from iTalanta.The graduates from the program are likely to gain interview opportunities with Microsoft African Development Center or be absorbed into the iTalanta apprenticeship program. This first campus of the iTalanta Academy is co-sponsored between Windle, Microsoft and Elewa.
Windle International Kenya (https://windle.org/) is a humanitarian organization working in Dadaab and Turkana Counties. The organization supports education in the refugee camps and surrounding areas hosting the camps. In Kakuma, Windle International Kenya is managing 9 secondary schools with a population of 17,118 learners.
Windle International Kenya has a great wealth of experience and expertise in managing education programs both at secondary and tertiary levels. As such, with their skilled team and educational facilities on the ground, Windle International Kenya will play a crucial role in communicating the program to the different stakeholders and ensuring that the program is implemented as required. “Through the iTalanta Academy, the learners from Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kalobeyei Settlement and the host community in Kakuma will have an alternative pathway to generate income”, says Phyllis Mureu, Executive Director of Windle International Kenya.
“This resonates well with the current plans to ensure that both the refugee and host communities work together towards social and economic development in Turkana County”.
The Africa Development Center (ADC) represents Microsoft’s first-ever engineering offices in Africa. With locations in both Nairobi, Kenya, and Lagos, Nigeria, the ADC is a premier center of Engineering for Microsoft.
Apart from supporting the initiative financially, Microsoft is also contributing with a mentorship program where members of the ADC mentor candidates of the iTalanta Academy. The program ends with ADC’s Game of Learners Exhibition (https://aka.ms/gameoflearners), providing a fun, multi-week hackathon for learners to showcase their newly acquired skills. “We at the Microsoft Africa Development Center are keen on enabling the next generation of great African engineers, software developers, and innovators that will not only benefit Microsoft, but the entire ecosystem will benefit,” says Jack Ngare, Managing Director of Microsoft ADC. “We look forward to the outcome of the program and the software developers that rise from it.”
Elewa (https://www.elewa.education/) is a Kenyan education innovation company, incorporated in 2015. Elewa has been the driving force behind the iTalanta Academy. It intends to set up additional campuses in Kenya, with the same or similar partners, addressing talented youth from disadvantaged or marginalized communities.
Elewa provides the curriculum and the coaches while the iTalanta Academy creates a talent pipeline for the successful iTalanta Apprenticeship program, which was started in 2020. “In the industrialized world, enterprises – from corporates to start-ups – experience increasing difficulties to find quality IT resources”, says Jente Rosseel, Founder and CEO of Elewa. “At iTalanta, we engage young Kenyan IT professionals for a 2-year apprenticeship.
While gaining a substantial salary, they constantly up-skill their level, as they are coached and supervised by senior IT profiles. We are proud to see that global iTalanta customers are off-shoring their entire IT development needs to tech teams in Nairobi.”With the industrialization of the iTalanta Academy and the iTalanta Apprenticeship the program, more than 1,000 talented youth will be educated and employed over the next 4 years by iTalanta (https://italanta.net/)
Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru has called on the youth to ensure that they are part and parcel of nation building.
Mucheru said that when young people are disenfranchised or disengaged from the political processes, a significant portion of the population will have little or no voice or influence in decisions that affect their lives.
“This is why we are very deliberate in ensuring that the youth are at the forefront of the decision making process and shaping our country’s future. Last evening we issued a call for young people to join the National Youth Council Election Steering Committee, details of which can be found on the NYC’s website www.nationalyouthcouncil.go.ke,” said Mucheru.
Speaking on Wednesday during a Banquet for Peace in Kenya organized by the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) founder Dr. Rev. Ock Soo Park, Mucheru said that Kenya, as with most other African countries has a youthful population – currently at 75.1 per cent who also constitute 60 per cent of eligible voters, have an immense opportunity to make a difference and chart the future of our country.
“The government’s policy is to enable more people uplift their economic status, to get out of poverty, to empower them with skills that will make their livelihoods sustainable, and in the process inspire those around them,” explained Mucheru.
The CS who was accompanied by members of the National Youth Council Advisory Board, led by their Chair, Ms. Deborah Bubi said that as part of his clarion call, he constantly encourages the youth to take charge of their destiny by making the right decisions today to secure their future.
“My first interaction with the Founder Rev. Park was in September last year, when the whole world was grappling with the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic, which disrupted even the religious organizations. During this interaction, where I was representing my boss, the President, my attention was drawn to Rev. Park’s thoughts on how the mind-set change program can influence young people to be positive, progressive and innovative thinkers and doers of good to all humanity,” said Mucheru.
“In fact, I can say that Rev. Park’s passion for the youth is synonymous with my own passion, only distinguished by the fact that his Ministry focuses on spiritual guidance while my Ministry’s focuses on Policy and Regularity guidance,” highlighted the CS.
Rev. Park underscored the importance of peace saying that being born in Korea in 1944 around the time the country got its independence from Japan and witnessing the Korean War taught him the negative impacts of war and violence.
“The Korean War left many people dead, children became orphaned and life became hard for the citizens,” said Rev. Park.
Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs Cabinet Secretary (CS) Joe Mucheru (centre) and the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) founder Dr. Rev. Ock Soo Park (Left) during the Banquet for Peace in Kenya.
Cow set for sale at 100 bob arrives at Jumia Shop in Westlands Kaka House
Nairobi, 3rd November 2021- Jumia, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, has launched the 9th edition of its “Jumia Black Friday” campaign dubbed Kila siku ni Black Friday (30 days of Black Friday) with the aim of encouraging consumers to shop online daily on the platform. For the first time, mind-blowing deals will include 5 cows retailing for only Ksh 100 during the campaign launch on 4th November at midnight.
Groceries & beauty products expected to dominate this year’s campaign
Jumia in partnership with thousands of sellers and brands will offer consumers a wide assortment of products at the best prices. Jumia Africa Index 2021 saw a consumer shift to groceries and everyday essentials since the COVID-19 pandemic, a trend that will also reflect in this year’s Black Friday. Other categories expected to have mind-blowing deals include home and living, beauty, fashion, food delivery, and phones.
“Black Friday is our biggest event of the year. Every year we try to bring something new & exciting for our customers – which helps bring new customers into online shopping & build the category. It is also a special time of year for our sellers & partners – as they can do really well, building up savings for the festive season. This year’s top deals will include all of our Kenyan consumer’s everyday favorites such as 5kgs of Jogoo Unga @149 (that’s 40%+ off). Come join the party!” said Chappatte.
The campaign, which runs from November 5th to 26th November, is the biggest sale of the year in partnership with brands like Equity bank, Xiaomi, L’oreal (Garnier), PRK (Beefeater), RB (Harpic), Johnie Walker, Hisense, Adidas among others.
“In the past, we have offered some lucky customers Kuku for Ksh 100 and Mbuzi ya thao (Ksh 1000), and now for the first time we bring you cows for only 100 bob on Jumia!”, said Jumia Kenya CEO Sam Chappatte, emphasizing that there will be limited stock available – but millions of deals to choose from. App only Black Friday deals will include: discount vouchers, flash sales, Free Delivery from top brands and crazy give-aways – for those customers who download the Jumia App ahead of the campaign. See below some of the mind-blowing deals to expect this Jumia Black Friday from 5th-26th November.
Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga CE, FIEK President The Institution of Engineers of Kenya
The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) is the learned society of engineering professionals in Kenya and co-operates with national and other international institutions in developing and applying engineering to the benefit of humanity.
The membership comprises engineering students, graduates and professionals working in various government institutions, consultancies, financial institutions, contractors, academia, manufacturers, and other persons interested in engineering across the country.
Today, the 2nd day of November 2021 we are pleased to announce the launch of the 28th Edition of the IEK International Annual Conference that will be held from 8th to 12th November 2021 at Pride-lnn Paradise Beach Resort in Mombasa. The Annual conference is the premier event for the Engineering fraternity in Kenya. It will be a hybrid conference with both physical and virtual participants and all attendees stand to gain 25 CPDs.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc on many industries and labor markets. Disruptions in production, logistics networks and planning projections have impacted virtually all economies across the world. Construction, manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and many other service industries have seen significant decline in business activity. Each country is looking to develop their own strategies to bounce back as quickly as possible in a sustainable and efficient manner. Engineering and technology remain critical to the much-anticipated recovery in all sectors.
The Chief Guest at the conference opening ceremony on Tuesday, 9th November 2021 will be His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Hon. Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta. The Chief Guest at the conference closing ceremony on Friday, 12th November 2021 will be the former Prime Minister and Fellow member of IEK, Right Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga.
Senior Government officials and policy makers in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure will be in attendance to deliver keynote addresses to the delegates. Significantly, among the speakers are eminent leaders in the world of engineering including:
1. Prof Dr. Gong Ke President of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations
(WFEO), 2. Dr. Marlene Kanga, Immediate Past President, WFEO 3. Eng. Carlien Bou-Chedid, President of the Federation of African Engineering
Organizations (FAEO) and 4. Dr. Dato’ Lee Yee Cheong, Chairman of Governing Council, International Science
Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC).
This year’s Conference fosters the 4th IEK Women Engineers Summit as well as a special program for men engineers, both events running on gth November 2021. The young and upcoming engineers will benefit from a unique mentorship opportunity from senior engineers in attendance and have an opportunity to showcase their work on Friday 12th November 2021.
The premier ‘Awards of Excellence Ceremony‘ will be held on Friday 12th November 2021, in honor of the many engineers who have made immense contribution to engineering in Kenya and society at large. The conference program includes a vibrant social, networking and entertainment activities to invigorate the delegates after a year of hard work.
We are grateful to our partners and sponsors for their support in hosting the conference. You are all welcome to attend the conference, see you in Mombasa! Eng. Nathaniel Matalanga CE, FIEK President The Institution of Engineers of Kenya
President Uhuru Kenyatta with World Marathon Champion Eliud Kipchoge in Glasgow Image: PSCU
Kenya is among 105 countries that on Tuesday promised to end and reverse deforestation by 2030.
President Uhuru Kenyatta is leading the Kenyan delegation, where he has been calling for the rest of the world to help Africa deal with the effects of climate change.
Kenya’s forest cover stands at 7.2 per cent but the state wants it increased to 10 per cent by 2022.
To achieve this, some two billion trees will have to be planted and raised between now and then at a cost of Sh48 billion.
This was the first major deal on the last day of the World Leaders Summit at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom.
The pledge was announced by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson during an ‘Action on Forests and Land Use’ event.
“We have to stop the devastating loss of our forests, these great, teeming eco-systems, three trillion pillared cathedrals of nature that are the lungs of our planet and the destruction together with agriculture and other change of land use that accounts for almost a quarter of all global emissions,” Boris said.
The event brought together an unprecedented alliance of governments, companies, financial actors, and non-state leaders to raise ambition on forests and land use.
World marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge used his sub-2-hour run in 2019 to call on rich countries to help Africa deal with the climate crisis.
“There are western countries who are so advanced in data and innovation but who have futile moves from that initial feeling for the climate whereby in Africa we feel so closely,” Kipchoge said.
He added; “I urge all of us to bring our worlds together whereby we can combine our unique skills where we can stay connected with our feelings added to the strength of data and innovation.”
US President Joe Biden announced up to $9bn of US funding through to 2030 “to conserve and restore our forests and mobilise billions more from our partners”.
“The United States is going to lead by example at home while supporting other forested nations and developing countries,” he says.
