Author: Muindi

Kenya’s Safaricom says the number of businesses on their Lipa na MPESA platform has crossed the 200,000 mark ‘which is a significant milestone’. “The mobile phone has today become the most preferred alternative to cash and its popularity only continues to grow. More than ever, an increasing number of businesses are discovering the numerous advantages of cashless payments resulting in high growth for Lipa Na M-PESA. We continue to add more features and tools with a goal of empowering our business customers to grow and better manage their businesses,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic,…

The Sub-Saharan African finals of the Huawei Global ICT Competition kicked off on 10 September. The competition is under the theme of “Connection, Glory, Future” which Huawei believes to be the biggest event of its kind in Africa covering 14 countries and attracting over 50,000 students.   Launched in the region just five years ago, the Huawei ICT Competition has developed into the largest ICT skills competition in Africa.   During the opening ceremony attended by industry partners, UNESCO and students, Huawei Southern Africa VP, Liao Yong highlighted the significance of connectivity in the era of social distancing. “The digital divide is…

Jambojet will be launching charter operations, the airline’s top official said on Tuesday. Jambojet acting Managing Director Karanja Ndegwa said this is part of the airline’s strategy to diversify its product offering to supplement the scheduled operations.  “Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a shift in consumer needs. Consumers now, more than ever, want privacy, convenience and their safety and well-being assured,” he said.  The airline is targeting business people, families, groups that may be attending social events such as weddings, corporates, missions and humanitarian bodies with operations outside of major towns to take up…

Kenya’s 1st ever locally manufactured ventilator has been certified by the standards bureau as a demonstration of the local manufacturing sector’s capacity. The ventilator, dubbed Pumuaishi 3.0, was developed by the Kenya Association of Manufacturers’ (KAM) Automotive Sector, led by Mutsimoto Limited. It was unveiled in April this year and has been undergoing standards evaluation for certification at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS). The ICU ventilator can be used by both pediatrics and adults weighing up to 180 kilograms. It can also run for at least 24 hours without power and can run on solar energy. The ventilator will…

African Diaspora Asset Managers Limited has been granted a fund manager’s license by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA). In a statement on Friday, CMA said the fund manager will offer financial products in asset management, unit trusts, financial investment management, discretionary portfolio management among other services.  ‘The asset management sector is an important component of capital markets. Some products offered by fund managers, for instance, collective investment schemes, are important because they provide an opportunity for small investors to have access to professionally managed, diversified portfolios of assets,” CMA Acting CEO Wyckliffe Shamiah said. African Diaspora Asset Managers Limited will…

Shelter Afrique’s shareholder Nigeria has injected 9.4 million dollars (Kshs 1.02 billion), taking its total investment to Ksh.14 billion ($129 million) from Ksh.12.3 billion ($114 million).  This is part of 29.43 million dollars (Kshs 3.16 billion) the West African country has committed to injecting into the financier. The contribution moves Nigeria to the second largest shareholding in the organisation with 14.77 per cent of the shareholding, behind Kenya with 14.87 per cent and ahead of the African Development Bank at 14.28 per cent. “This is a strong show of confidence in Shelter Afrique by member countries that the institution is…