Kenyaleo.co.ke

Category: SPORTS

  • The third cohort of the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justices starts with a fresh call

    The third cohort of the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justices starts with a fresh call

    The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) in partnership with Kenyatta University opened the third Nairobi Summer School of Climate Justice (NSSCJ) cohort in Nairobi Kenya. The official opening symposium was held at Kenyatta University and attracted over 500 participants featuring over 250 students from across the continent and beyond.

    Addressing participants, Dr. Mithika Mwenda described Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice as a unique and innovative initiative that aims to equip young leaders and activists with the knowledge, skills, and tools to advance the cause of climate justice in their communities and beyond.

    Defending the historical idea of starting the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice initiative, Dr. Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director of PACJA said that the mobilization, policy engagement, and other engagements that PACJA has been undertaking is a team effort and hence the Nairobi Summer School was a quick idea bearing solutions.

    “We have been engaging with policymakers and stakeholders to influence and shape policies and actions that are responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people. We have built alliances and partnerships with other actors and movements that share our vision and values. But we cannot do this alone. We need you, the young leaders and activists, to join us in this struggle.”

    Regarding the theme of the Symposium, “Connecting Ideas and shaping narratives for Climate Justice, ” Amb. Ayele Kabede, the Program Manager of the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) pointed out that the program is invaluable in building intergenerational knowledge in the context of Climate Change.

    “I am glad to hear that this edition of Nairobi Summer School brought together over 600 hundred physical and virtual students to be equipped with knowledge on Climate Change. This is a big achievement, said Amb. Kabede before he encouraged youth to think of the valuable contribution because they are actors of change in climate action.

    “That is why you are here and that is why this platform is here for you”, he stressed.

    The Netherlands is one of the developed countries that has been supporting Climate action and was represented by Amb. Maarten, the Dutch Ambassador in Kenya. appreciated the initiative which he qualified as the groundswell of youth climate activists.

    “Climate change is indispensable in addressing the existential threat posed by Climate Change.
    The voices of people and communities need to be heard to influence decisions and policies that
    will impact their lives for the years to come”, said HE Amb. Maarten Brouwer.

    He also added that “Strengthening justice is a priority to our work to contribute to the 2030 agenda and to Leave No One Behind and time for incremental change is over.”

    The Permanent Secretary to the Ministry of Education said that Climate Change has been destroying infrastructures, schools, and other learning materials, and hence mainstreaming climate change in all education systems is important to build the capacities of the young generation.

    “The Ministry of Education aims to inspire students to take action in advocacy and action on climate change through environmental clubs, tree planting initiatives to implement environmentally friendly initiatives in their communities, intimated Hon, Ezekiel Machogu, the Cabinet Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Kenya.

  • New Channels, New power: Are you up to speed with customer communications?

    By Tushar Vashnavi, Director of Strategic Planning, Canon EMEA

    Not all the changes of the past two years are here to stay. But one area that has transformed is customer communications.

    Every output from every customer communications management system is a customer experience, and each of those experiences is part of a customer journey – and that journey has changed. A digital-first, personalised approach is expected, and the ‘new’ ways of working are no longer new. Consumers have more power than ever, and businesses will need to accept and embrace this to attract and, more importantly, retain them.

    Not only that, much of the digital transformation that took place at the beginning of the pandemic were short-term measures. In a world of unpredictability, businesses now need to look at removing these sticking plasters and replacing them with future-proofed solutions.

    Digital first, not digital only

    The circumstances surrounding the pandemic prompted a digitisation of business processes, including customer communications. Indeed, digital transformation was accelerated by several years. Customers accepted a digital-first approach and now expect it, along with a high level of personalisation; both consumers and B2B buyers have an expectation that businesses know their specific needs.

    Essential to personalisation is channel preference. There was a massive shift of communications spend to digital in the two years pre-pandemic, but that potentially overlooks the power of print. Studies have found that print is the most highly trusted medium available to marketers today, while website advertising, particularly through social channels, is the least trusted.

    When planning their customer communications strategy, businesses should also bear in mind generational differences. Younger generations typically prefer digital-first methods such as text and live chat to phone and have embraced self-service and chatbots. The pandemic has pushed older generations towards digital too, but organisations should be supportive and understanding of these new adopters as well as those who remain offline. In England, for example, this is nearly half of those aged over 75 – a significant proportion of a potential customer base who risk being lost via a digital-only strategy.

    It’s not just missing the mark in terms of channel that could lose an organisation customer. Research by Quadient, a specialist in customer experience management software, found that 70 per cent of UK consumers would blacklist a company for failures in their customer communication, ranging from basic personal information errors, to using the pandemic as an excuse for delivering poor customer service, to sending spam. One-third said they have stayed with businesses which offered poor customer service during the pandemic but will be moving to competitors when things return to normal.

    Futureproofing for success

    So, the customer communications landscape has changed, consumers have newfound power and organisations need to get up to speed quickly. But how do they adapt and achieve cut-through?

    The key is a strategic, holistic approach that spans every line of business, ensuring each element is customer centric. Budgetary silos can mean organisations are not aligned across departments, resulting in a failure to meet expectations. For instance, if a customer calls the billing department to report a change of address, they will assume that change would be made across marketing and sales too. If it isn’t, they could be switching to a competitor. Customer communications solutions that do not replicate changes throughout the data flow, or do not automate such tasks, have the potential to create more problems than they solve.

    Many organisations who made knee-jerk purchases prompted by the pandemic are now finding they are not fit for purpose long-term. Businesses may need to reconfigure or entirely replace them – otherwise they are simply a stopgap solution that could ultimately fail.

    To be fully future-proofed, look also to the cloud. Traditionally customer communications solutions have been on-premises, but businesses should invest in a solution that is both on-site and accessible via the cloud with the ability to switch from one to the other – an approach that meets the needs of a hybrid workforce.

    Hybrid working is now the norm across many parts of the globe. It’s clear that for staff to complete customer communications work efficiently and effectively they need seamless access wherever they are located. As well as affecting customer relations, mistakes here could risk losing employees. ‘The Great Resignation’ reflects a greater ability for people to leave jobs which don’t meet their personal needs, or where they encounter obstacles to their productivity in their chosen location.

    The uncertain future

    Customer communications solutions typically have a lifespan of ten, and in some cases, up to 20 years. That’s a weighty consideration for anyone charged with the responsibility of making such investments. And, if the pandemic has shown us anything, it’s that nothing is certain.

    However, we can make some forecasts. Quadient predicts customer services will continue to fragment and multiply in volume and reiterates that meeting fast-evolving customer expectations isn’t possible unless organisations are joined up internally from a process and technology perspective. Lines of business need to work together and consolidate data from different stages of the customer journey, making every aspect customer centric.

    With that in mind, organisations should look at the changes that need to be made now. How can accurate personalisation be assured? How can departments work more efficiently together? What are the issues in the current workflow? Answer those questions today to invest in a successful tomorrow.

  • Forces of Change in the Creative industries, going beyond tech

    Forces of Change in the Creative industries, going beyond tech

    Canon’s new report, The Future of Filmmaking, notes four shifts in the industry that go beyond tech. Amine Djouahra, B2C BU Director, Canon Central & North Africa explores these four fundamental forces driving change in the industry.

    As we are nearing the end of the first half of 2023, we have all become more comfortable with change and disruption. Whether it is the pandemic, environmental factors, unstable global economic conditions, or tech evolution, we have learned to bounce back quickly. One industry that has had to be particularly agile during the past few years is the filmmaking industry.

    Canon’s new report (written in conjunction with The Future Laboratory) – The Future of Filmmaking, reveals the industry’s efforts to be a catalyst of change that inspires the creative industry to transform its narrative and to shine its spotlight on topics that will be significant in shaping the future of our world, and that of the African continent.

    Interestingly, the report sheds light on the human landscape and its power to create, cultivate, and drive change. The power of people ultimately makes things happen and pushes us toward progress and advancement in any industry. The report highlights four crucial aspects that may be driven by tech but not necessarily led by tech. In my view, these are significant factors directly proportional to the content creation and filmmaking industries and will undoubtedly shape the future of these industries.

    Rise of the Creative Class

    According to the UNESCO report, global cultural and creative industries (CCIs) are estimated to generate about $2.25 trillion annually, which accounts for 3% of the global GDP and employment of around 30 million people worldwide. It is fascinating to see the rise of this creator economy, which the report identifies as the “New Creative Class”. As we witnessed an unprecedented boom in digitalization over the last 10 years, this creative class sprang into action using technologies to deliver a fresh and novel take on content creation.

    If we lens in on the African continent, which is closer to home and more interesting to me, we see some remarkable trends in the creative economy. In Nigeria, as this report shows, the sector employs 4.2 million people and is expected to employ a further 2.7 million by 2025, an increase of more than 50% in the next two years.

    Despite the significant contribution made by the new creative class toward societal and economic progress, there still seems to be a gap in recognition compared to other industries. The emerging community of content creators is striving to achieve fair working conditions, equitable payment models, and new standards in the industry that reflect their value and contributions. This is a positive development for the creative sector in its rightful plea to be recognized and treated fairly compared to other industries.

    Stay Local

    The explosion of digital technologies may have given us the power to do anything from anywhere, but like all things, too much of anything is not always good and has its own consequences. With the plethora of content choices that suddenly became available for audiences consumers worldwide, an interesting trend emerged. People slowly started taking their eyes off the global stage and shifted their gaze towards local and homemade content that told stories of their land and their people.

    Given our natural desire as humans to find meaning, connectivity, and relatability, the narrative of authentic stories led independent storytellers, documentary-makers, content creators, and filmmakers to explore topics that local people resonate with. So, it’s no surprise that global streaming giants like Netflix and Disney are investing in Africa to tap the unexplored potential and talent. The report encapsulates the essence of the ‘Stay global, go local’ movement and asserts that media organizations and creative firms will progressively be compelled to shift sight closer to home when it comes to entertainment and content production.

    Conscious Consumption

    The current climate crisis affects us all, no matter which industry or walk of life we come from. The severity of climate change needs to be taken seriously globally, and genuine efforts must be made for scaled initiatives to reduce our carbon footprints. The streaming industry is no exception to this; the carbon impact of the industry drastically needs to be reduced by adopting a more sustainable approach towards this issue.

    The report underpins the significance of consumer demand as a key driver toward adopting sustainable practices and better industry standards. With people gaining more awareness about the environmental impact of their consumption choices, they are likely to demand pro-environmental practices, thus compelling the industry to adopt a pro-active approach towards sustainability.

    Inclusive Innovation

    The Future of Filmmaking report highlights the positive development of inclusivity and diversity. It emphasizes that the new creative class is at the forefront of inclusivity and is not afraid to challenge the already-established broadcasters. This new generation of creators identifies technology to harness change and propel social progress. Decentralization will be a key trend touching every area of the industry, from financing to licensing and distribution and more, creating new opportunities for the underrepresented creators and bringing them closer to their fans.

    Continuing the Legacy of Storytelling

    These trends are a wake-up call to many in the industry to pay attention to the changing needs of people and to evolve with them. However, we must always return to the basics and remember the importance of telling stories. While these trends affect the industry by and large, the shifts create more freedom for storytellers to come forth and tell their stories in unique and inspiring ways, enabling them to create content that is responsive to the tastes, locations, and ethics of their audiences in a way that has never been possible before.

    All in all, the report tells me that this is an exciting time to be a creator, with the industry opening its doors to new opportunities that reflect change, growth, development, and progress.

    The Future of Filmmaking is a Canon x The Future Laboratory report and is available to read in full on The Future Laboratory website.

  • Phil Nelson named Executive Vice President of CNN International Commercial

    Phil Nelson named Executive Vice President of CNN International Commercial

    CNN Worldwide has appointed Phil Nelson to lead the network’s international business operations and its work with commercial partners outside of the United States.

     

    As Executive Vice President of CNN International Commercial (CNNIC), Nelson is responsible for all international Advertising Sales, Content Sales & Licensing and Commercial Distribution revenue, as well as related client solutions functions including the award-winning Create brand studio and world-class digital and data operations. In this role, Nelson also works with partners across the Warner Bros. Discovery business on areas such as CNN International’s distribution strategy and collaboration on digital operations and ad sales to provide more opportunities for brand partners to access news and other genres across the portfolio. Nelson becomes part of CNN Worldwide’s leadership team and reports to the network’s Group Executive Vice President of Business Operations & Strategy, Chris Marlin.

     

    As CNNIC’s Chief Operating Officer since 2019, Nelson led operational and international growth initiatives while managing advertising sales support functions. In that time he put in place the framework for CNNIC’s Audience First ad sales strategy, took CNN content onto new platforms, and grew the portfolio of CNN’s international affiliate business with broadcasters and publishers around the world as well as its commercial distribution footprint with hotels and airlines. Major initiatives in Nelson’s time at CNNIC to date include the introduction of CNN International onto Connected TV platforms in Europe, the launch of the CNN Apparel business in Asia, licensing the rights to Great Big Story, and the expansion of the CNN branded channel portfolio with additions including CNN Brasil, CNN Prima News and CNN Portugal.

     

    Prior to joining CNN, Nelson was Managing Director, Turner North Asia and South East Asia Pacific, overseeing all aspects of Turner’s business in these regions. He had previously held other business development and strategic planning roles at Turner since joining in 2010 and has significant digital experience from his time at AOL, where he was Managing Director for AOL Asia. In addition, Nelson holds an MBA from Harvard University and, prior to entering the corporate sector, was a commander in the US Navy.

     

    CNN is making additional key changes to CNNIC’s executive leadership team as it evolves its client offering:

    • Cathy Ibal is named Senior Vice President, Advertising Sales, to oversee all CNN’s international advertising sales. A proven commercial leader with 22 years’ experience at CNN, Ibal has a track record of leading global teams and developing innovative advertising and brand solutions for a wide range of clients – from major luxury and blue chip brands to travel and tourism and other private and public sector partners
    • Rob Bradley is appointed Senior Vice President, Digital Revenue, Strategy & Operations, with a remit that includes everything related to the digital ecosystem for CNNIC – revenue, operations and commercial strategy. In addition to his CNNIC role, Rob is part of the CNN Digital leadership team and will lead CNNIC’s collaboration with WBD’s international business operations on digital projects and utilising best practice in advertising technology and solutions
    • CNNIC’s sophisticated capabilities in creative, data, revenue strategy and client services are all being brought into one unit under the leadership of James Hunt, Senior Vice President, Global Client Solutions. This will include a joined up offering for partners across CNNIC’s award-winning Create Studio and the Audiences & Data unit along with client servicing, events and strategy functions.

     

    “For journalism to flourish, it’s imperative that we have a robust effective commercial operation to fund the work that CNN does around the world every single day,” said Chris Licht, Chairman and Chief Executive of CNN Worldwide. “To that end, I am delighted that Phil and his executive team are taking the reins at CNNIC to lead us into a new era of working with our commercial partners.”

     

    “CNNIC has an incredible track record in unlocking value for both CNN and our commercial partners across a wide range of sectors,” said Phil Nelson. “As we look to the future, we are creating new ways for partners to work with CNN that enable advertisers to engage with our audiences wherever they consume CNN and for broadcasters, publishers, Out of Home partners and platforms to access and leverage our world-renowned content and journalism. In a fast-changing media landscape, we are combining the best of CNN’s content and commercial offering in an innovative way that reflects client and market needs as well as audience expectations.”

  • Nyangweso Takes Mantle as New KNCCI CEO

    Nyangweso Takes Mantle as New KNCCI CEO

    The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) on Wednesday announced the appointment of Patrick Nyangweso as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

    Through a notice in the local dailies, KNCCI President Richard Ngatia described Nyangweso as a focused and experienced professional with over 24 years of experience in planning, policy and project management across the public and private sectors.

    “He is a focused leader who has transformed various institutions through the adoption of Change Management Systems and Performance Management tools that has enhanced staff’s productivity and motivation,” he said.

    “Nyangweso is a highly experienced and transformative leader, an economist with expertise in budget implementation, monitoring and evaluation, research and financial management.”

    Until his appointment, Nyangweso served as the KNCCI Chief Operating Officer and before that he headed various institutions including International Medical Corps and the National Taxpayers Association.

    He is currently pursuing his PhD at the University of Nairobi and holds a master’s degree in Projects Planning and Management and a degree in Economics from the same University.

    “The board congratulates Nyangweso for the appointment and is confident that he will ably steer the organization’s future growth ambitions,” added Ngatia.

  • African leaders urged to harness seafarer green skills momentum in Kenya

    African leaders urged to harness seafarer green skills momentum in Kenya

    To take advantage of the social and economic benefits of shipping’s green transition, African maritime leaders are being encouraged to implement infrastructure to train and upskill seafarers.

    As the maritime industry transitions to a low and zero-carbon future, African policymakers are being advised to implement training infrastructure as quickly as possible to maximize ‘high-quality’ employment opportunities for African workers and facilitate the continent’s green transition.

    Speakers at today’s ‘Unlocking Green Maritime Jobs’ panel-discussion outlined the growing demand for seafarers able to handle low and zero-carbon fuels (such as hydrogen and ammonia) and new technologies that will be needed in order to progress towards a decarbonized maritime shipping sector by 2050.

    Negotiations are underway amongst International Maritime Organization Member States this July to consider a target for net zero emissions for shipping by 2050 in line with the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement. Were this to be adopted, seafarer supply countries that take early action are likely to reap significant socio-economic benefits.

    Research commissioned by the Maritime Just Transition Task Force found up to 800,000 seafarers could require additional training by the mid-2030s to use these low- to zero-carbon fuels under the possible net zero target.

    African initiatives Africa is well positioned to be a green seafarer hub, explains South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) Occupational Health & Safety and Maritime Welfare Manager, Sibusiso Rantsoabe.

    “There is currently unprecedented demand for African seafarers and the urgent need to decarbonize creates further opportunities for our workers, who have already demonstrated their excellence in a global setting. Becoming a supply hub of the seafarers of the future is a win-win situation that will not only benefit African countries through the creation of good quality jobs, but the entire world by lowering the environmental impact of human actions. This presents an opportunity for Africa to ensure that we are not left behind but also cement our place as a potential new crewing frontier for shipping,” he says.

    There are some noteworthy initiatives already in place. The National Seafarer Development Programme (NSDP), run by the South African International Maritime Institute (SAIMI), is a regional effort that is empowering the deck, engine room and fishing crew of the future and creating good jobs for workers.

    SAIMI and the International Maritime Employers Council (IMEC) are also due to launch an IMEC South African cadet training programme this year, with the first group of 50 cadets starting this month.
    IMEC CEO Francesco Gargiulo, explains.

    “As an organization that represents over 260 maritime employers around the globe and works to negotiate fair and sustainable seafarers’ wages and conditions of employment on their behalf, it is clear to us that shipping’s decarbonization journey will be powered by human beings. The industry is already experiencing a need for sufficient skilled workers to operate modern vessels and this will only continue to grow over the coming years. As a potential major seafarer supply continent, developing the talent of African seafarers offers us a pathway to delivering a greener future for shipping and the wider maritime world.”

    Rewarding efforts As one of the world’s biggest growth markets with 1.3 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.5 trillion dollars, Africa could reap some of the rewards of shipping’s green transition. International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Africa Regional Secretary, Mohammed Dauda Safiyanu, says:

    “Transitioning away from fossil fuels requires additional skill sets that must be properly developed, and while this is definitely a challenge, it is also an opportunity for African countries to develop their own highly skilled seafaring workforces. As part of a Just Transition, these jobs must be decent, which includes meeting the highest health and safety standards. They should also be fairly-paid, bringing economic benefits to the region and thereby improving parity between the global north and the global south. The sooner that we begin investing in green skills, the more likely it is that we can crew the low emission vessels of tomorrow. The future of green shipping in the region must involve high skill, high quality jobs for African seafarers.”

    Another advantage of setting up green seafarer training initiatives as early as possible is to minimize risk and human error when transitioning to new fuels and technologies, explained ICS Senior Manager Policy and Employment Affairs, Helio Vicente, ahead of the meeting.

    “Given the mix of low and zero carbon fuels set to power ships in the future, training and upskilling seafarers has never been more urgent. Technology must evolve in step with seafarer skills so that the shift to a greener future is done as safely and efficiently as possible, minimizing risk along the supply chain. African maritime leaders must act now to ensure that their workforces are primed for shipping’s green transition,” he states.

    Support for inclusive approach given the international scale and urgency of the action needed to decarbonize shipping in line with the Paris Agreement, coordinated action by stakeholders is vital. The Maritime Just Transition Task Force, which is primarily funded by Lloyd’s Register Foundation, believes that by working together, governments, policy makers, ship owners and operators, seafarers’ unions, and other stakeholders, will maximize the likelihood of a Just Transition. Sturla Henriksen, Special Advisor, Ocean, UN

    Global Compact, says: “Shipping’s green transition brings with it opportunities for thousands of high-quality, green jobs. Our Maritime Just Transition Task Force works to ensure that shipping’s transition to a zero-emission industry is as inclusive as possible. We now need governments to come to the International Maritime Organization this summer and align to the 1.5ºC of the Paris Agreement. This will create the market certainty to unlock the investments in seafarer training and skills today to support high-quality, decent green maritime jobs of the future – including in Africa.”

    The Task Force, which recently highlighted opportunities for African seafarers at an event in Ghana, has also published a 10 point action plan to achieve a Just Transition for seafarers in its ‘Mapping a Maritime Just Transition for Seafarers’ position paper.

  • Bonfire Adventures scoops top brand tours and travelling award

    Bonfire Adventures scoops top brand tours and travelling award

    Bonfire Adventures has yet again scooped the Most reliable top tours and travel brand award from Starbrands East Africa which hosted the inaugural event in Nairobi.

    The awarding ceremony brought together over 30 different sectors offering a wide range of products and services from tours and travel, real estate, media and others.

    Speaking to Bonfire CEO Simon Kabu ,he lauded starbrand for the brilliant occasion citing that it has not been easy to succeed and emerge the best travel company stating that success is sweaty, bloody and messy.

    Bonfire emerged top after a survey amongst Kenyans of ages of  18 – 55 years in Kenya was conducted by Enterprit Brands which is an independent corporate entity with an aim of paying tribute to brands that offer quality products and services to the East African Consumer.

    He encouraged Kenyans to travel more this year both locally and internationally because Bonfire as a company is committed to restoring confidence in the tour and travel sector by ensuring each person has a package he/she can fit in or afford.

    Over the years Bonfire has been known as a brand that makes it possible for current and future generations to actualize their dream of traveling to their dream destination.

  • Appeal from the African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN) to the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

    Appeal from the African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN) to the leaders of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)

    The African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN) appeals to the parties to the conflict in Sudan, to disengage immediately to end the tragic loss of lives, particularly of women and children.

    The parties have urged them the importance of the dialogue.

    “We urge them to return to a dialogue which will result in an end to the peace and humanitarian crisis, beginning with ensuring that civilians are afforded the protections guaranteed under international law and corridors of safety are created to allow further evacuations and distribution of urgently needed aid and assistance.”

    Through its Patron, Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, AWLN joins the call of the Emergency Special Session on Sudan convened, on 20 April 2023, by Moussa Faki Mahamat, the Chairperson of the Africa Union Commission and the appeal of the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for an immediate ceasefire, which will allow vulnerable populations to seek medical assistance, water, and food.

    The African Women Leaders’ Network (AWLN), is a mobilizing and convening platform and a transformative movement of African women, launched in 2017 by the African Union Commission and the United Nations. It mobilizes women across the continent, to address issues affecting the progress of the African Continent, and its women in particular.

    The Network aims to strengthen African women’s leadership in transforming the continent, in line with the African Union aspirations in Agenda 2063 and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Prominent among its six pillars is the Women, Peace and Security Agenda, which advocates for the protection and talks of women in all peace processes, spearheaded by the AU Chairperson’ Special Envoy on Women, Peace, and Security.

    AWLN aligns itself with the principles enshrined in the UN and AU legal instruments on human rights, including UN Security Council Resolution 1325.

    AWLN wishes to appeal to the two parties for an immediate and durable ceasefire and a political settlement with the participation of women, a pre-requisite for a just and sustainable peace.

  • Network launched to intensify cybersecurity awareness in Africa

    Network launched to intensify cybersecurity awareness in Africa

    With cybercrime becoming rampant in Africa, cybersecurity awareness promoters across the continent have joined hands to help Africans stay safe online through public education.

    The African Cybersmart Network was launched last week in Nairobi, Kenya to facilitate capacity building and collaboration between cybersecurity awareness promoters in the continent.
    The launch happened on the sidelines of the 2023 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum, an annual 3-day multi-stakeholder forum for discussions on digital policy issues in Africa.
    Speaking during the launch event, the Lead Coordinator of the African Cybersmart Network, David Moepeng stated that the network was formed following a realisation that, as Africa increasingly becomes digitalized, internet users on the continent are becoming exposed to various forms of cyberattacks, particularly cybercrime.

    According to Moepeng, who is a qualified Cyberpsychologist and works as a Cybersecurity Awareness Specialist at Cybersmart Botswana, the vulnerability of Africans to cyberattacks is exacerbated by rampant risky online behaviors and practices.

    “These behaviors include oversharing of private and personal information on social media platforms, responding to phishing messages and other forms of online scams, use of weak passwords, risky web browsing which usually happens when people visit unsecured websites or click on links from strangers, which often leads to malware attacks and hacking”, Moepeng pointed out.

    The African Cybersmart Network has therefore been formed to intensify public education and promote safe online behaviors by facilitating capacity building through training, collaboration and knowledge exchange between cybersecurity awareness promoters as well as resource mobilization for public education campaigns.

    In its 2023 African Cyberthreat Assessment Report, Interpol noted that cybercriminals were having no limits in terms of sharing resources and know-how, which is in part what allows them to thrive.

    The International Criminal Police Organization advised that, by the same token, communities and societies needed to bind themselves closer together via the exchange of information to effectively curb cybercrime.

    “In order to reduce the impact of cybercrime and protect communities for a safer world, society must stay abreast of new trends and develop innovative means of responding to them. Doing this in a timely fashion will discourage possible criminal activity and dissuade potential perpetrators in advance”, stated the Interpol report.


    For her part, the East Africa Coordinator of the African Cybersmart Network, Jackline Njagi Lidubwi, said membership to the network is open to non-profit organisations in Africa that are running programmes and campaigns to educate societies about cyber threats.

    She noted that, the commonality of cyber threats across African borders requires similar techniques, hence a decision to bring Africa together to counter cyber-attacks as one.

    Lidubwi added that member organisations will benefit from regular training programmes meant to ensure that public education programmes in the continent stay up to date with the ever evolving trends in cyber threats.

  • Kenya-UK defense cooperation agreement debate kick-starts in Parliament

    National-Assembly-Kenya-main Chambers

    The National Assembly has today begun the debate of a Report of the Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee on the Kenya-United Kingdom Defence Cooperation Agreement.

    The Report followed the signing of a Cooperation Agreement between the two Governments on July 27 2021 and replaces the previous Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in 2015.

    The Agreement provides a framework for the exchange, sharing and utilization of the respective State’s experience, knowledge, military facilities and infrastructure.

    The Committee recommendations on the Cooperation Agreement is the amendment of Article 6 (5) of the Agreement to include murder as one of the offences triable under the jurisdiction of the host country. This amendment will allow Kenya to prosecute foreign troops suspected to have committed murder on Kenyan soil.

    Committee Chair Hon. Nelson Koech said the Committee made this proposal on account of the slow pace of the wheels of Justice in the case of Ms. Agnes Wanjiru who was allegedly murdered by a British soldier in March 2012, before her body was dumped in a septic tank.

    “This recommendation will ensure that visiting troops undertake their training, within Kenyan Law. We don’t want a repeat of Ms. Agnes Wanjiru incident,” said Hon. Koech.

    Additionally, Hon. Koech told the House that the Agreement would greatly enhance intelligence sharing to tackle security challenges given the security threats facing the Horn of Africa region.

    “The UK has an advanced defence capability due to the size and nature of its economy, and geo-political position, including its large coastline hence there are a lot of military lessons that Kenya can learn from the UK,” said Hon. Koech.

    Further, the Committee recommended an amendment to Article 23 of the Agreement to include Corporate Social Responsibility among the obligations of the visiting Troops.

    The consideration of the Cooperation Agreement was expected to be undertaken by the last Parliament after the then Defence Cabinet Secretary Dr. Monicah Juma – through a letter dated September 6 2021 submitted it to the House for approval. However, while the Defence Committee in the last Parliament was considering the Agreement with a view to facilitating ratification, the County Government of Laikipia, where the British Army Training Unit Kenya (BATUK) is based, submitted a memorandum raising issues of concern on the Cooperation Agreement.

    Among the concerns raised by the County Government were claims of deaths, injuries and other forms of suffering arising from the activities related to BATUK.

    Several Members who contributed to the debate said the Agreement was a major milestone to entrench discipline among visiting troops and rooted for keener collaboration between Kenyan and UK authorities to bring to book Ms. Wanjiru’s killers.

    Debate on the Report will continue when the House resumes sittings.