Kenya’s most valued brands

 

A new study by Brand Finance East Africa and TNS RMS East Africa has ranked 40 out of the 55 companies listed at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), giving shareholders a glimpse of the market power of the listed companies. Safaricom, East African Breweries, KCB, Equity, and Barclays banks — in that order—have the most valuable brands among the listed firms, according to the study.
read more: www.businessdailyafrica.com/Corporate News/Safaricom tops list of Kenya most valued brands

Coming up: A house for Sh1m

Home Afrika Ltd, a Kenyan real estate development company, has decided to lead the way by launching an open-entry competition for East African universities, design schools and architectural students, to design a family home for Sh1 million that the company proposes to build in thousands – opening a new door for mass mid-level property ownership. Through the One Million House project, the company aims to deliver a breakthrough in the development of affordable housing in the nation, by addressing the need for quality homes for thousands of ordinary Kenyans.

read more: www.nation.co.ke/Features/DN2/Coming up. A house for Sh1m

New Sh45b JKIA terminal project

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is embarking on an ambitious $500 million (approximately Sh45 billion) project to construct a new terminal at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), expected to begin January next year. The two-year project dubbed the Green Field Terminal is expected to cover 172,000 square meters, which KAA Chairman Martin Wambora said, will serve as a hub terminal for efficient connectivity for transiting passengers.

read more:

www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2011/07/28/new sh45b jkia terminal project

Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications

A new graduate school that will offer postgraduate media and communication training has been launched in Nairobi. The Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications seeks to provide quality journalism training and promote media research and entrepreneurship. The first batch of students will be admitted in 2014.
read more: www.nation.co.ke/News/Aga Khan lays ground for new graduate school

Firms launch food aid initiative

An initiative to raise Sh500 million to buy and distribute food aid to Kenyans faced with hunger has been launched. Dubbed Kenyans for Kenya, the effort brings together Safaricom Foundation and the Kenya Commercial Bank together with the Media Owners Association. The exercise will run initially for four weeks with the hopes of meeting the half a billion target.

read more: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/Kenya firms launch food aid initiative

MUSIC: Adawnage, band of ten talents

What does the name Adawnage mean?

We decided to craft a word from the phrase ‘a new dawn for our age’. Starting everything a fresh and taking it to new heights.

It is a band made up of ten talented people with the same vision. We are Roselyn Mwihaki, Lorna Olwanda, Wanjiku Mirithu, Frank Muriuki, Robert Njuguna, Anthony Iganza, Julius Nyawara, David Ogara, Dominic Khaemba and Noah Ochieng.

A band of 10 is rather large, don’t you think so?

No, in fact, we were 13 when we started, but three dropped along the way.

What’s the advantage of such a big band?

It helps when we have to multi-task. We have six vocalists, so we can split and attend two gigs at the same time and still manage to give the best shows.

But that is only when we must do so. At the moment, we are doing our best to make sure we are together in all the gigs.

How long has it taken you guys to be where you are right now?

About three years of hard work and dedication.

read more of this interview at:
www.nation.co.ke/Features/buzz/Adawnage Its a new dawn
current hit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWod1gJvY0M
more info at official website: www.adawnage.com

PEOPLE: Joseph Ochieng’ set to be Africa’s first Olympic Games judge

The Olympic Games in London next year will have a Kenyan race walk judge, the first African to hold such a position. The soft-spoken Joseph Ochieng’, popularly known as “Time keeper”, is also the first Level 3 race walk judge on the continent. The Athletics Kenya Siaya sub-branch chairman, under Nyanza North branch, is also the national chairman of duathlon, Ochieng’ is also the chairman of Walk Kenya Committee and the interim chairman of the Walk Africa Committee. Ochieng’, 55, is an engineer with an international organisation based in Kisumu.

read more at source:
www.nation.co.ke/Features/Kenyan set to be Africa's first Olympic Games judge

Nairobi, Africa’s new HQ for multinational firms

Nairobi is fast becoming the African home of choice for multinational companies, especially those in the services sector, looking to grow their presence on the continent.

Pfizer, the US-based pharmaceutical company, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Posterscope, an outdoor advertising firm, have in the past seven days unveiled plans to establish a regional hub, recruit staff and set up shop respectively in Kenya’s capital city last week.

In the past one year, global heavyweights in the service industry such as IBM, Google, PwC, advertising agency WPP, Bharti Airtel, Nokia/Siemens, Huawei, Procter & Gamble, Biersdoff, Barclays and Stanchart have announced plans to either set up regional hubs or transform their local operations to serve sub-Sahara Africa.

Several factors work to the benefit of Kenya and the other East African states too. First, the formation of a Common Market is helping create a strong internal market with a population of 130 million and a middle class estimated at 30 million consumers. With South Sudan, which has a population of 8.4 million, expressing interest in joining the EAC, and Kenya opening up its northern frontier through the Lamu Corridor to serve Ethiopia, which has a population of 84 million, the region now boasts a potentially connected internal market of 240 million people. This is way above the 150 million mark that experts say a country or a bloc needs to be a major world power.

read more at source:
www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Nairobi Africa new HQ for multinational firms

Gor vs AFC Leopards : The history

  

Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards were formed in the 1960s as tribal outfits but through the sands of time, have evolved to command national and continental acclaim with any meeting between the two clubs entered as a footnote in Kenya’s football history.

On Sunday, another chapter awaits for the fixture that has rightfully assumed the hallowed title of the Kenya Derby due to the manic passion of their supporters, placing the match at the same pedestal with other fierce derbies in Africa.

 hink Al Ahly vs Zamalek (Egypt), Yanga vs Simba (Tanzania), Orlando Pirates vs Kaizer Chiefs (South Africa) or Esperance vs Club Africain (Tunisia) to get the picture of what transpires when K’Ogalo and Ingwe take to the pitch.

read more at source:
http://www.supersport.com/football/kenya/news/110723/Gor_vs_AFC_Leopards_The_history

Joe Kaibz: About Kenya’s Vision 2030

 Okay,am tired of people complaining and identifying the problems we have in our country that we clearly already know…its time we stoped complaining and talking and did something about it,like finding solutions or being the solution….One of those solutions is Kenya’s Vision 2030
 read more: http://joekaibz.wordpress.com/2011/07/04/about-kenya’s-vision-2030/

KR seeks partners to build railway cities

NAIROBI, Kenya July 21- The Kenya Railways Corporation (KR) is inviting expressions of interest for the construction of modern railway cities along its major railway stations.The corporation is on the look for investors interested in putting up shopping malls, office blocks as well as parking bays.

read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/business/2011/07/22/kr-seeks-partners-to-build-railway-cities/

Sh2 trillion transport corridor

Kenya is on the verge of rolling out a multi-trillion shilling project to exploit the vast resources in Coast and Northern Kenya that will catapult the country into a medium income economy by 2030.

Transport Minister Amos Kimunya was on Friday upbeat that the construction of Lamu Port and the transport corridor through Isiolo, Moyale and Turkana will open up the marginalised Northern Kenya, linking it to Southern Sudan and Ethiopia.

The Lamu Port-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor 

The project’s main component is the Lamu Port, which will have a transport corridor linking it with Ethiopia and South Sudan. Besides the port, the project also incorporates an oil refinery at Lamu and a 1,720km standard gauge railway line to Juba to handle high speed trains with a capacity of up to 160 kilometres per hour.

Also envisioned is a two-lane highway from Lamu through Isiolo to Nakodok, a pipeline to transport crude oil from South Sudan to a refinery at Lamu, three airports at Lamu, Isiolo and Lokichogio and resort cities at Lamu, Isiolo and on the shores of Lake Turkana.

read more: www.nation.co.ke/News

Grants for web and mobile phone applications

The government will award grants ranging from Sh900,000 ($10,000) to individuals and Sh13.5 million ($150,000) for companies to develop web and mobile phone applications, as the country positions itself as the technology hub in the region.

Ms Kaburo Kobia, the project manager, local digital content at Kenya ICT Board said grants are open to Kenyan citizens and companies registered in Kenya for the development of innovative web or mobile phone applications.

read more at source: www.nation.co.ke/business/news/State to award grants for web and mobile phone development

entry forms and info: www.tandaa.co.ke

Potential to be leader in mobile app sector

Kenya has potential to become an undisputed market leader in mobile applications and is attracting global interest in that domain. This is according to global software leader, Systems Applications Products (SAP) President Franck Cohen.

Speaking at the SAP world tour in Nairobi, Mr Cohen revealed of plans to partner with Kenyan universities to train specialists in SAP solutions to cater for the increasing demand.

read more at source:
www.nation.co.ke/business/news/SAP to boost ICT training in Kenya

Kenya Railways Plans to Build 12 New Commuter Stations, South Sudan Link

Kenya Railways Corp., the state-owned transport company, said it plans to build 12 new commuter-train stations in and around Nairobi, the capital.

Kenya Railways is building a 100-kilometer (62-mile) commuter rail line in the city at a cost of 16 billion shillings ($178 million), Managing Director Nduva Muli told reporters today. The stations, two of which will be completed by December, are the first to be constructed since 1935, he said.

“This project is aimed at decongesting the city,” Muli said during a tour of the first new station in Syokimau, about 15 kilometers south of Nairobi. The station will have the capacity to handle 20,000 passengers daily and will be linked to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Kenya Railways is upgrading the railway line between the Kenyan port of Mombasa and Kampala, Uganda’s capital, a project likely to be completed in 2017, Muli said.

It’s also studying plans for a line connecting the proposed port of Lamu on the Kenyan coast to Juba, the capital of newly independent South Sudan, and to Addis-Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, he said.

According to a preliminary design by Japan Port Consultants, the railway line would cost $7.1 billion. It would take a year to find financing and could be completed by 2018, Muli said.

source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-22/kenya railways plans...

PEOPLE: Ory Okolloh

Ory Okolloh is a Kenyan activist, lawyer, and blogger. She currently holds the position of Policy Manager for Africa with Google. In 2006 she co-founded the parliamentary watchdog site Mzalendo. When Kenya was engulfed in violence following a disputed presidential election in 2007, Okolloh helped create Ushahidi, a website that collected and recorded eyewitness reports of violence using text messages and Google Maps. Okolloh blogs as Kenyan Pundit , which was featured on Global Voices Online. She also works as a legal consultant for NGOs and has worked at Covington and Burling, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, and the World Bank in the past.

Okolloh was born into a relatively poor family. She has said that her parents sent her to a private elementary school that they could "barely afford." She earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from Harvard Law School in 2005.

A regular speaker on citizen journalism, technology in Africa, and the role of young people in activism, Okolloh has spoken at conferences like TED, World Economic Forum, Poptech, CGI, Techonomy, Mobile Web Africa, and the Monaco Media Forum. On December 23, 2010, Okolloh announced on her personal blog, KenyanPundit.com, that she will be stepping down as Ushahidi's Executive Director to become Google's Policy Manager in Africa. In the new role, she'll be working with government leaders to drive the development of the Internet in Africa.

sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ory_Okolloh

www.fastcompany.com/women-in-tech/2011/advocates/ory-okolloh

FACTFILE: Kenya is World's No.1 Black Tea Exporter

Black tea production

Production in Kenya grows by about 2.3 percent a year. In 2010 over 300 000 tonnes of black tea was produced in Kenya, behind India's, the world’s largest black tea producing country, over 1 million tonnes and Sri Lanka's 329 000 tonnes .

China produced 55 000 tonnes of black tea as the balance of production shifts to other teas with stronger market prospects. China is the world's largest producer of teas.

The three largest black tea producing countries, India, Kenya and Sri Lanka, accounted for 70 percent of the world tea production in 2010.

Black tea exports

In Africa production continues to grow while domestic consumption remains small. Exports from Kenya reached 275 000 tonnes in 2010, giving Kenya 32 percent of global exports making Kenya the number 1 expporter of black tea.Approximately 92 percent of all black tea produced in Kenya is exported.

source: www.fao.org

Used to blend other teas

Kenya tea is some of the best quality black tea in the world. In fact, tea from Kenya has won international acclaim for its taste and aroma. Kenyan tea is also the top foreign exchange earner, followed by horticulture, tourism and Kenyan coffee. Most of the exported Kenyan tea is blended with other teas to produce some of the popular blends available in stores today. However, in its purest form, Kenyan tea is gaining recognition in markets across the world because it has been proved to have higher levels of antioxidants compared to teas produced in other parts of the world.
The quality of black tea depends on the number of top young leaves harvested, the mode of harvesting, and the care with which the green leaves are handled.
Only the upper young leaves and a bud are handpicked and skillfully processed. Kenyan tea has a distinct bright color and aromatic flavor, thanks to the country's tropical climate and rich volcanic soils.
source: http://www.kenya-information-guide.com/kenya-tea.html

Tea Growing Areas

Most Kenya tea is grown in the highlands west of the Rift Valley, at high altitudes between 1500 to 2700 meters. Kericho region, in particular, is where most of the large-scale tea plantations are found. Other tea farming also takes place in the highlands east of the Rift Valley as well as in Central Kenya.


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Kenya sees 2011 tea earnings up, output downKenyan tea exports are seen falling to 365 million kg in 2011 after a bumper crop of 399 million kg in 2010, but earnings are expected to rise to 100 billion shillings from 97 billion, the state-run Tea Board of Kenya said on Monday.
The board said in January to August tea output stood at 229.3 million kg, down from 260 million kg in the same period a year earlier, while earnings rose to 72.4 billion shillings from 65 billion shillings in the first eight months of 2010.
"The increase in earnings is attributed to improved demand, as well as a favourable exchange rate," Tea Board of Kenya Managing Director Sicily Kariuki told a news conference.
Kenya is the world's top exporter of black tea and in 2010 tea outpaced horticulture to become the largest source of foreign exchange in east Africa's biggest economy.
source: http://www.businesslive.co.za/africa/africa_markets/2011/09/26/kenya-sees-2011-tea-earnings-up-output-down

Handwashing Champions

Kenya has been declared one of the top three handwashing champions in Africa for its efforts to improve sanitation and hygiene during the Third African Conference on Hygiene and Sanitation held in Kigali, Rwanda.

Kenya won a handwashing champion award for the private public partnerships that saw the country win the Guinness World Record for the most number of people washing their hands at the same time at a single location on October 15^th 2010.
read more at source: http://www.kbc.co.ke/news.asp?nid=71425

The most people washing their hands is 19,352 at an event organised by Unilever Lifebuoy and Ecotact Limited (both Kenya) at Thirime Primary School, Kikuyu Constituency, Kenya on 16 October 2010.  
source: http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/Search/Details/Most-people-washing-their-hands/68423.htm

Nairobi prepares to host international ICT meeting

A forum that will equip Kenyan ICT sector stakeholders with better understanding of Internet governance and its links to socio-economic, political and cultural development will be held at the United Nations offices in Nairobi between September 27 and 30.

The sixth annual Internet Governance Forum (IGF) is expected to offer Kenyan ICT sector players a chance to showcase their products and services to the international community.

IGF is an international body that is charged with ensuring security, privacy, and governments’ use of the Internet ecosystem. The forum’s theme will be Internet as a Catalyst for Change: Access, Development Freedoms and Innovation.

read more at source:
businessdailyafrica.com/Nairobi prepares to host international ICT meeting


read more:
http://gibc.biz/event/internet-governance-forum-igf-2011-kenya/

Open Data in Kenya - Setting the Pace for Africa

The Kenya government’s recent launch of an open data web portal both local and international pundits buzzing. By making this step, Kenya is the first country in Africa to publish over 290 datasets with no restrictions on access and use. Released datasets include a variety from the ministries of Finance, Planning, Local Government, Health and Education and the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics. This, in our humble opinion, is HUGE.

read more at source:
http://google-africa.blogspot.com/2011/07/open-data-in-kenya-setting-pace-for.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+OfficialGoogleAfricaBlog+%28Official+Google+Africa+Blog%29

Rose Nasimiyu: 9-Year-Old Cancer Survivor

Amazing Rose talks to Jeff Koinange.
www.youtube.com/Capital Talk_Rose Nasimiyu part 1
www.youtube.com/Capital Talk_Rose Nasimiyu part 2
www.youtube.com/Capital Talk_Rose Nasimiyu part 3
www.youtube.com/Capital Talk_Rose Nasimiyu part 4

Even Cheaper Internet Coming

Internet service providers are expected to meet to discuss ways of bringing down charges in line with a recent presidential directive.

The meeting, which will be convened by the government, will also discuss the management and usage of state-owned inland fibre optic network — National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (Nofbi).

“We are meeting all operators to look for ways Internet costs can come down,” Information permanent secretary Bitange Ndemo said Wednesday.

“We have started to implement the presidential directive to see Internet costs come down.”

read more at source:
www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Internet service providers to meet over lower costs

Sh7 billion highway to ease traffic

The expansion of Mombasa road meant to decongest the major highway and reduce accidents is to be completed next month.

The Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha) said work on the 33km single carriageway from Machakos turn-off road to Athi River and dual carriageway from Athi River to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is almost complete.

Works on the project commenced in June 2006.

read more at source:
www.nation.co.ke/News/Sh7 billion highway to ease traffic

KQ's Brazilian Ambitions

It was recently reported among the aviation circles that Kenya Airways (IATA:KQ), is intending to launch flights to Sao Paulo, Brazil, from December 2011. At first sight, this may sound like an odd route for an Eastern African carrier to start. But why does it make sense? Let's find out.

Brazil is now one of the world's fastest growing economies, and Sao Paulo is undoubtedly one of the Latin America's fastest growing airports. There is a considerable amount of Brazilian investing in the African countries, and the connectivity between Brazil and Africa as well as Asia has been very minimal. This is where KQ is probably planing to capture its target market from. And it is a worthy goal.

Kenya Airways presently has a strong presence in the Far East. However, this alone would not be sufficient. To make this route a success, it would be of utmost importance for KQ to provide fast connections to its Asian destinations - particularly Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Mumbai - with the Sao Paulo flight.

read more at source: www.flightglobal.com/blogs/the-networker/2011/07/why kenya airways brazilian ambitions make sense

New poll law seeks to curb vote buying

Campaign spending will be limited by new election laws in a move aimed at levelling the political playing field.

Candidates who break the financial and other rules will face stiff penalties.

This is among a raft of radical changes that have been introduced in the just published Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Act.

Kenya last had a cap on election spending in the ‘80s, which was then set at Sh40,000 for parliamentary seats. However, the limit was removed with the advent of pluralism.

Politicians have since been using all manner of corruption including buying votes to influence the outcome of the election in their favour.

The new Act also seeks to ensure that the new organ supervising elections has both financial and legal muscle to punish those who flout the rules.

The provisions in the Act, which sets up the commission to supervise the elections, were apparently crafted to ensure that electoral malpractices of the past — some of which triggered the 2008 post-election violence — do not recur.

The Act seeks to cushion the IEBC from the financial woes that dogged previous commissions by setting up an IEBC fund from which they will draw their salaries, allowances and other benefits.

The fund will be under the control of the IEBC secretary.

source: www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/New+poll law seeks to curb vote buying

Oil exploration set to begin in Turkana

The hunt for oil is set to begin in Turkana County after an oil exploration company started moving equipment in search for oil deposits.

Tullow Oil has set base at Lopii area in Turkana East in preparation to carry out survey to verify the availability of petroleum products in the arid Kerio Valley basin.

“The drilling of water boreholes is on to support the operations of the company during the survey for oil,” said Daniel Obolla, Turkana East District Commissioner.

“There are high expectations among the locals of securing casual employment and attain better living standards once the drilling operation commences,” added Mr Obolla.

The oil explorers are to drill wells in Kochodin location in Turkana East and Kalabata basin in Turkana South, in the intensified hunt for petroleum.


read more: www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Oil exploration set to begin in Turkana

7 Kenyan Entries in Android Developer Challenge Finals

Finalists of the Android Developer Challenge, Sub Saharan Africa have been announced. Hundreds  of  applications from 19 African countries were received and only 28 semi-finalists picked.  Kenya has 7 entries in the finals.

1.       Human Droid, Kenya - a game that lets players battle one another virtually while in the same physical location.

2.       What’s Happening?, Kenya - an events and entertainment finder in Nairobi that could be customized for other cities.

3.       SMS Tweetbox, Kenya - an app that connects smartphone and non-smartphone users through SMS.

4.       Seekika, Kenya - a mobile audio storytelling application.

5.       Olalashe, Kenya - an open source SOS and alerting mapping app.

6.       Shoppers' Delight, Kenya - an app that assists shoppers, comparing prices across several supermarkets.

7.       Rush Hour, Kenya - an app that helps drivers navigate the streets of Nairobi with speed and safety.

Courtesy of: google-africa.blogspot.com

Find out more about the competition here: http://code.google.com/android/adcafrica/

State buoys manufacturing with Sh5 billion shot in the arm

The Government intends to scale up production of industrial spare parts and manufacture steel to the tune of Sh5 billion.

Industrialisation Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho said the funds would enable Numerical Machining Complex (NMC) acquire a new foundry to melt scrap metal, and install a mini steel rolling mill.

Part of the injection would also be used to acquire additional equipment to strengthen manufacturing of transmission equipment, and start a metallurgical process control laboratory and build capacity.

Kibicho explained that the facelift would ensure NMC churns out complete industrial manufacturing plants, assemblies and components tailor made for manufacturing industries within the country and the greater East African region.

read more:
www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage

Kenya to Build Factory to Produce Steel From Scrap Metal
Numerical Machining Complex, a Kenyan state-owned machine-tool manufacturer, plans to build a factory that will produce steel from scrap metal, President Mwai Kibaki said.


The plant will be built at Athi River, 26 kilometers (16 miles) southwest of the capital, Nairobi, Kibaki said in a statement e-mailed by his office yesterday. NMC, as the company is known, needs 5 billion shillings ($55.4 million) to fund its expansion, Business Daily, a Nairobi-based newspaper reported today.


Manufacturing is one of six industries being targeted by Kenya's government under a program that seeks to achieve an average annual economic growth rate of 10 percent over the next two decades to help the country reach middle-income status by 2030.


NMC may generate revenue of 30 billion shillings a year and create “tens of thousands” of jobs if it increases capacity sevenfold to 21 metric tons per hour, Kibaki said, without providing further details.
Kenya’s industrialization and finance ministries have been asked to find ways of financing the projects, which are“critical in taking the country to the next level of development through industrialization,” Kibaki said.

SOURCE: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-19/kenya-to-build-factory-to-produce-steel-from-scrap-metal-kibaki-says.html

Evans Wadongo: CNN Heroes Nominee 2010

Evans Wadongo invented a way for rural Kenyans to replace smoky kerosene and firelight with solar lanterns. Wadongo, 23, not only is giving his country's rural families a way to replace the smoky kerosene and firelight with solar power, he says he also hopes his invention will ultimately improve education and reduce poverty and hunger. And he's providing it for free.

Read more about his nomination last year:
http://edition.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cnn.heroes/archive10/evans.wadongo.html
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/02/11/cnnheroes.wadongo/

On March 30, 2011, Wadongo was named one of three recipients of the inaugural Mikhail Gorbachev Awards for "people who changed the world". His fellow inaugural recipients of this award were Sir Tim Berners Lee, inventor of the World Wide web and Ted Turner, media mogul and founder of CNN. The ceremony, held in London, also celebrated Gorbachev's 80th birthday

read more wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evans_Wadongo

Fatuma Noor, CNN Multichoice African Journalist 2011

Fatuma Noor from Kenyahas been awarded the top prize at this year’s CNN MultiChoice African Journalist 2011 Awards Ceremony.

Fatuma Noor, who works for The Star Kenya, won for her investigative three-part series on the ‘Al-Shabaab’, which was chosen from among 1407 entries from 42 nations across the African continent.

The series tells the story of the young men who give up their freedom abroad to return and fight for the ‘Al-Shabaab’ in one of the world’s most dangerous places on earth –Somalia.

Fatuma Noor was one of the 27 finalists at the Awards ceremony on Saturday evening and was a winner in the category ‘General News Award (Print).’

The Awards, which rotate location each year in tribute to their pan-African credentials, were held at a Gala ceremony hosted by CNN and MultiChoice at Sandton Convention Centre, Johannesburg, South Africa this evening, Saturday 25^th June.

read more: cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com

Sh15bn Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu road upgrade

The upgrade of Mau Summit-Kericho-Kisumu road is set to open up business opportunities in western Kenya.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said the Sh14.9 billion road would also boost development in the Great Lakes region.

“The road has never been upgraded since its construction in the 1960s. This has been a challenge as it was designed to address the needs at that time.

“It was only 6.5 metres wide, but today it is being expanded to 11 metres, which will also help reduce road accidents,” Mr Odinga said.

The World Bank and the Government of Kenya are funding the project.
The Mau Summit-Kericho section will cost Sh6 billion, while the Kericho-Kisumu section will cost Sh8 billion.

The upgrade is expected to be complete by July 2013.

The road is part of the greater rehabilitation of the Northern corridor, which runs from Mombasa through Nairobi and Nakuru to Busia.

Mr Odinga was speaking when he commissioned the roadworks.

source: www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Sh15bn road upgrade to spur growth

Tourists flock to lodges and camps for the Great Wildebeest Migration

Tourist establishments in national parks and game reserves are packed with holidaymakers who have flocked to the country for wildlife safaris.

According to players in the tourism industry, investors in the sector are doing brisk business with lodges and camps in Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Samburu, Tsavo West and Tsavo East national parks bursting at the seams with guests.

A majority of the tourists are in the country to witness the spectacular migration of wildebeests from Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Mara.

Ashnil Hotels marketing manager Paul Kurgat said their camps in Mara and Samburu are fully booked up to September. The camps have more than 100 beds.

read more: www.nation.co.ke/business/news/Brisk business as tourists flock to lodges and camps

The XYZ Show

The XYZ Show' is a television programme at the crossroads of political commentary and entertainment. Episodes started airing on Citizen TV, later the show switched to Kiss TV . The show uses humour and satire to promote values such as good governance, anti-corruption, accountability, transparency, human rights and national cohesion. Inspired by programmes like the British 'Spitting Image', 'The XYZ Show' takes the shape of a mock newscast featuring Kenya's leading politicians and popular figures as latex puppets. They have created a new forum for social and political debate in Kenya and are sparking discussion among viewers.

watch back episodes at www.xyzshow.com

Nakumatt opens branch at Ridgeways

Nairobi, 15 July 2011 --- Leading regional retail chain Nakumatt Holdings is inching closer to hitting its 30-branch milestone in Kenya following the opening of Nakumatt Ridgeways today. The new branch located along Kiambu Road and the Ridgeways Road junction is valued at more than KES300m and covers a shop floor space of more than 25,000 square feet.

Speaking during the launch of the new supermarket, Nakumatt Holdings Managing Director Atul Shah said the branch had been opened to cater for the discerning retail clientele residing around Runda, Kiambu town, Ruiru, Thika Road, Thika Greens and its environs.

The branch, Nakumatt’s 17th store in the Nairobi region, is also strategically positioned to cover an expected retail boom once the new property developments such as Tatu City and Migaa are completed in the coming years.

With the opening of Nakumatt Ridgeways, Nakumatt Holdings now operates a total of 33 branches across Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda. “The opening of Nakumatt Ridgeways is a milestone for Nakumatt Holdings and confirms our commitment to meet the growing retails needs across East Africa,” Shah said. “The opening of this branch has also been fast tracked due to overwhelming requests from former Nakumatt Thika Road customers.”

As part of its expansion plans, Nakumatt Holdings has also lined up other branch openings in Nakuru and Malindi. In the regional market, Nakumatt Holdings plans to open a branch in Tanzania’s Moshi town while a second branch in Kigali, Rwanda is also firmly on course.

Nakumatt Ridgeways is fully stocked with a variety of more than 50,000 products to choose from ranging from fresh produce to lifestyle products such as electronics, clothing, toys, branded foods and general products.

The opening of Nakumatt Ridgeways comes hot on the heels of the recent launch for its Nakumatt Jichanue Okoa Chapaa sales promotion. The promotion features major discounts and smart point’s offers to mark the enhancement of Nakumatt’s Nairobi Central Business District Operations and selected upcountry branches

source: www.capitalfm.co.ke/business

Mau displaced people find artistic expression in giant bamboo grass

Hudson Sang’ hardly cuts the mien of a prominent figure, but he at least credits himself with being one of the first Kenyans to learn the art of a scribe on a bamboo sheet

Enrolled at Oloruet primary school in 1982 and too poor to buy books, Sang’ says he first honed his writing skills on a sheet peeled off the bark of a young bamboo plant.

“When the bamboo plant is still young, its bark can be used as a writing sheet,” says Sang’.
“I used to write on it because my parents were poor and could not afford to buy me stationery,” he says.

These days however, Sang’ and hundreds of other Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were evicted from the Mau Forest, are finding a new use the giant grass.

Forgotten and left to idle at Kapkempu IDP camp Sang’, like many of his kind, would watch helplessly as the days passed with nothing to lift their spirits except for the occasional food relief parcels that humanitarian agencies would deliver after three months.

continue reading: www.nation.co.ke/News/Mau displaced people find artistic expression

Shiro beats world in English examination

 

Shiro Keziah Wachira is extremely articulate, almost disarmingly so. She is only 16, but speaks like a person twice her age.

The first time one meets her, one is taken aback by her eloquent and coherent speech, devoid of redundancies like “umm”, “as in”, “like” and “yaani” that characterise a typical Kenyan teenager’s speech.

“We only speak English at home. I read everything, and that’s mostly due to the influence of my mum and dad. We have a big library in our house. I can’t really say I have a favourite genre of literature, I give anything a shot,” says Shiro.

Her parents’ influence has certainly paid off. The former student of St Austin’s Academy, Nairobi, scored the highest marks in the world in English Language when she sat for her Cambridge
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) O-level examinations in June 2010.

She beat more than 420,000 students from all over the world.

read more: www.nation.co.ke/News

Medical breakthrough in preventing HIV

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 15 – A new study conducted in Kenya and Uganda indicates that Anti Retroviral drugs (ARV) can be used to prevent HIV infection.

The study undertaken by scientists from the Kenya Medical Research Institute, Kenyatta National Hospital, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital and Makerere University in Uganda indicated that HIV medication taken daily was highly effective in preventing HIV infection in Africa.

“There is a lot of debate as to where will you put your money. If you use drugs to prevent and the same drugs are needed by people living with HIV/AIDS, will it cause a shortage?” Dr James Kiarie, a Principle Investigator in the study said on Thursday.

“But I think you have to do both. You have to prevent people from getting HIV and at the same time treat those with HIV. If you only treat, it is like wiping the floor, removing water but the tap is still running,” he explained.

read more: http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2011/07/15/26759/

Global take-off soon for Kisumu Airport

The third busiest airport in Kenya has seen a transformation from domestic to international standards, raising hopes it will spur regional economic growth and lower the historic poverty levels.

Kisumu Airport had been serving just ten airlines flying domestic routes and only carrying passengers.
In October 2008, the expansion and the upgrading of the airport began, with a total of Sh3 billion being set aside by the government and the World Bank to improve the strategic airport.

The runway, which was initially 2.1 kilometres was extended a kilometre longer, while its width was extended by 15 meters to accommodate larger planes.

The airport’s apron has also been expanded, and a new terminus that can attend to up to 700 passengers per hour was built. The terminal has the ability to check in passengers for eight flights simultaneously.

read more: www.nation.co.ke/News

East African Cables reports huge jump in profitability

Regional operating cables and conductors manufacturer, East African Cables has announced a more than 946 per cent growth on its profit before tax in its just released half year trading results.

In a classical validation of the firm’s return to profitability strategy announced earlier in the year, East African Cables efforts to grow its distribution channels through accredited dealers throughout the region appears to be paying off.

The strategy which also focused on revitalising the firm’s operations at its Tanzanian subsidiary has also registered positive recovery for the Dar es Salaam based arm which had earlier registered a huge loss.

Speaking when he announced the results, East African Cables Group CEO Mr. George Mwangi, confirmed that the turnaround adopted by the firm is firmly on course, managing to earn Kshs 249million profit before tax up from Kshs 23million registered during the same period last year.

“We acknowledge that customers are seeking more value and the winners of tomorrow must be dynamic and responsive to market trends,” Mwangi said.

source: www.nation.co.ke/business

Serena Hotel gears up for Sh4bn upgrade as it unveils new camp

 

TPS Serena has announced a Sh4 billion plan to upgrade the Nairobi Serena hotel as competition intensifies in Kenya’s hospitality industry The revamp will see the hotel chain establish a separate wing adjacent to the Nairobi hotel that will have a 300-seat conference centre, a car park, 40 new rooms and refurbished public areas. The annex will be built on a piece of land that is currently used as a car park by hotel guests.

“If we do not reinvest in improving our properties, then they will become boring especially for repeat customers,” said the TPS Eastern Africa Group managing director, Mr Mahmud Janmohamed.” The expansion will start in December and take three years to complete.

Mr Janmohamed was speaking at the opening of the Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp in Naivasha, its 24th property in the six countries it operates in. TPS Serena’s hotels and lodges are located in Kenya, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique.

read more: nation.co.ke/business/news

A private municipality

Tatu City has bagged crucial approval from government agencies signalling that investors want to plough ahead with the plan for what is billed as the country’s largest private investment in real estate – despite courtroom battles by the founding shareholders.

Renaissance Capital representative Josphat Kinyua told DN2 this week that the company has now had the master plan for developing the city approved by the Ruiru Municipal Council, under whose jurisdiction the investment falls.

The National Environmental Management Authority has also given a nod to the investors who plan to build a city with the capacity to accommodate as many as 62,000 residents.

In addition the development will contain a stadium, technology park, hospital, housing, retailers, office towers and playgrounds.

read more: nation.co.ke/Features/DN2

Kirwa Konsecha

Lille, France - Leonard Kirwa Konsecha was not even the best Kenyan youth 800m runner a month ago after he finished third at the Kenya Colleges and Schools Triangular Championships, which acted as a trials for the IAAF World Youth Championships, but he showed what determination and a few weeks of dedicated training can do.

At the IAAF World Youth Championships in Lille, he blasted his way to a World Youth best of 1:44.08 to leave the former mark of 1:44.34, which had belonged to Bahrain’s Belal Mansoor Ali since 2005, to be erased from the record books.

www.iaaf.org/WYC11/news

Lake Elementaita Serena Camp opens on Soysambu Conservancy

Serena’s latest addition to the Kenyan safari circuit, the Lake Elementaita Serena Camp, is now open and true to the pedigree, being ‘born’ into the Serena collection, stands out by a head and then some more amongst its competitors along the Great African Rift Valley floor.

Lake Elementaita, part of the Soysambu Conservancy which spreads over more than 48.000 acres on what was in the past commonly referred to as the ‘Delamare Estate’. Already a recognized Ramsar Site, the lake was only last week elevated some more when UNESCO named it together with the other alkaline lakes of Nakuru and Bogoria as a World Heritage Site – a tremendous ‘shot in the arm’ for the marketing of both the new Serena luxury camp as well as for Soysambu as a conservancy operation.


wolfganghthome.wordpress.com
www.africanspicesafaris.com

www.serenahotels.com

Ushahidi Begun in Kenya

"Ushahidi", which means "testimony" in Swahili, was a website that was initially developed to map reports of violence in Kenya after the post-election fallout at the beginning of 2008. Since then, the name "Ushahidi" has come to represent the people behind the "Ushahidi Platform". Our roots are in the collaboration of Kenyan citizen journalists during a time of crisis. The original website was used to map incidents of violence and peace efforts throughout the country based on reports submitted via the web and mobile phones. This website had 45,000 users in Kenya, and was the catalyst for us realizing there was a need for a platform based on it, which could be used by others around the world.
Since early 2008 we have grown from an ad hoc group of volunteers to a focused organization. The team is comprised of individuals with a wide span of experience ranging from human rights work to software development. We have also built a strong team of volunteer developers primarily in Africa, but also Europe, South America and the U.S.

official website: www.ushahidi.com

more info: wikipedia.org/wiki/Ushahidi