Author: David Indeje

WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned chat app, has redesigned its storage management tool for users to easily identify, review, and bulk delete content from their phones. The messaging platform says it now offers easy cleanup suggestions by bucketing both large files and media that has been forwarded many times, sorting files by size in descending order, and providing a way to preview files before deleting them.  “You can also see a preview of media before selecting one or multiple items to delete,” the company said in a statement. The new storage management tools are rolling out to users worldwide this week. When…

Coronavirus positive cases hit new daily highs in Kenya with President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday announcing new measures to halt increasing COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations. According to the President, “It is most unfortunate that we have experienced a reversal  38 days later.” If COVID bed occupancy had gone down by 60%, giving us comfort to re-open in September, the occupancy has now gone up by 140% during the 38 days of easing COVID measures. According to the Head of State, the COVID positivity rate had shot up from 4% in September to an average of 16% in October 4 times…

Kenya and TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) have inked a KSh1.31 billion grant agreement to support infrastructure projects in Mombasa, Busia, and Malaba. National Treasury said the money will pay for construction of Busia Jumuiya market, the road linking Busia One-Stop Border Post (OSBP) to Busia Town, and construction of Magongo Road in Mombasa. TradeMark East Africa (TMEA) is an aid-for-trade organisation funded by development agencies of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, EU, Finland, Ireland, Netherlands, Norway, the UK, and the USA. Part of the funds will also be used to complete the pending works at Malaba OSBP. The four financing agreements were…

The recovery in Kenya’s private sector activity extended into its ‘greatest extent’ in October, an industry survey showed on Wednesday as lockdown restrictions, associated with the COVID-19 pandemic eased in the month. The headline PMI rose from 56.3 in September to 59.1 in October, signaling the sharpest improvement in business conditions since the survey began in January 2014. Readings above 50.0 signal an improvement in business conditions on the previous month, while readings below 50.0 show a deterioration. Commenting on the October survey findings, Jibran Qureishi, Head of Africa Research at Stanbic Bank said, “Business confidence has been on the…

Kenya and the United Kingdom on Tuesday said they have concluded talks on a new Trade Agreement which will formally be signed after review. According to the UK, the agreement will ensure all companies operating in Kenya, including British businesses, will continue to benefit from duty-free access as they export products including vegetables and flowers to their customers back in the UK. International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena said: “I’m delighted we’ve reached a trade agreement with Kenya. This deal gives businesses the certainty that they’ll be able to continue trading as they do now, supporting jobs and livelihoods in both…

“Kenya isn’t ‘broke’”, Razia Khan, Chief Economist for Africa and the Middle East, says as the country seeks more financial support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). According to The Business Daily, Kenya is seeking another loan after it received Ksh 79.3 billion ($739) in May to respond to the economic shocks caused by the coronavirus pandemic. “Following up on the support provided by the IMF in May under our Rapid Credit Facility (RCF), the Kenyan authorities have expressed interest in a Fund arrangement. IMF staff is in discussions with the authorities toward such an arrangement,” IMF resident representative Tobias…