Author: Susan Mwenesi

 The Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE), has announced the dates for this year’s Kenyan Blog Awards that will culminate in a winners’ gala event on Saturday, 2nd May 2015 at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi. The annual event singles out bloggers with great creative and innovative, useful and regular content and posts. This year’s awards themed “Content is King” will bring together various online content creators including corporate organizations, celebrities, SMEs, county governments, and national government agencies for an evening to celebrate the growth of the Kenya blogging space. The awards will fete bloggers in 18 categories; technology, photography, creative writing, business, food,…

Smartphone shipments to the Middle East and Africa saw unprecedented year-on-year growth of 83% in 2014, according to – Q4 2014 Handsets Tracker released by International Data Corporation (IDC). purred by the increased availability of cheaper models and dual-SIM devices, the global advisory and consulting services firm announced that smartphones accounted for 41.9% of all mobile handset shipments to the region in 2014, up from 27% in 2013, with the overall handset market expanding 19.6% in volume year on year. Feature phones have been hit hard by the increased availability of more affordable smartphones, with shipments down 4.5% year on…

StarTimes TV subscribers in Kenya with existing dish kits can now access StarTimes satellite TV service by acquiring a full High Definition (HD) decoder at just Shs 9999 upon subscribing to a bouquet of choice for Shs 1500. This is after the digital television company revised the product cost and monthly subscription fees for its satellite TV service in a bid to making it more accessible to viewers. The company has also dropped the cost of its super bouquet which will now be retailing at shs 1, 799 per month down from 2, 299 with access to over 95 local…

Freelancing and crowdsourcing marketplace1 Freelancer.com has bought Escrow.com from a private investor for US$7.5 million in cash, and completed a AUD$10 million placement of ordinary shares to institutional investors. Escrow.com is the leading provider of secure online payments and online transaction management for consumers and businesses on the Internet, with FY14 gross payment volume of US$265 million, net revenue of US$5 million, US$1.2 million in EBITDA and over US$2.2 billion in transactions to date. Headquartered in California, Escrow.com provides online escrow services that facilitate and accelerate e-commerce by assuring secure settlement. It was founded in 1999 by Fidelity National Financial,…

Mama Ngina street in Nairobi and Garden City  on Thika Road are set to get new  Kentucky Fried Chicken ( KFC)  in an expansion buoyed by the growing popularity of the brand in Kenya. In an interview with TechMoran, KFC’s Justin Melvin said that the Garden City outlet will be ready for opening by the end of May while the one on Mama Ngina street will be ready for opening in September. The Hub in Karen will be getting an outlet by end of September as well. Cost of expansion was however not revealed. “The most important thing for us…

TIGO Tanzania has launched a brand new 4G LTE technology that will make it the biggest and fastest Internet network in the country in addition to bringing faster speeds to surf and download content from the Internet and make Skype calls. It also significantly enhances the customer experience for video streaming or conferencing. The new technology is about 5 times faster than the 3G technology currently available in the market. Speaking at the launch, Tigo Interim General Manager Cecile Tiano said: “This once again demonstrates our company’s commitment to the digital lifestyle transformation and its leadership in delivering cutting edge…

Since 05.00 am it has been difficult for some Safaricom customers to send and receive SMS and now the company is attributing this to an issue with its Core Network. In a statement Corporate Affairs Director Stephen Chege said that the hitch means that customers are experiencing delays when communicating. “In addition, some M-PESA subscribers and agents may not receive SMS notifications of their transactions, even though all transactions made are successful and balances remain intact.” “We apologise for the inconvenience caused as a result of this incident and appreciate your understanding as we work to resolve the issue,” said…

Orange Kenya and Airtel have the go ahead from the Communications Authority of Kenya to launch 4G trails on their networks meaning that they are also allowed to launch the technology on commercial basis. According to the Business Daily, the two companies are a step behind Safaricom which has already launched Long term Evolution network in Nairobi and Mombasa and now the telco is waiting for extra frequency capacity to increase its wireless broadband service to other parts of the country. “So far, all the NFP Tier 1 licensees have been authorised to carry out tests on the spectrum they…

Alliance High School is among the schools that benefited from an ICT and Entrepreneurship project by Samsung C&T (Construction and Trade) in collaboration with UN-HABITAT, Global Peace Foundation and the Community Chest of Korea. The project dubbed “Innovate Kenya” was recently at a colorful event held at Alliance High Schoolwith the aim of improving livelihoods of youth residing and working in Nairobi’s slum areas. The launch of Innovate Kenya will promote the processes of transforming education in Kenya by integrating ICT solutions in providing quality education suitable for students in the 21st century. “Integration of ICT in education will provide…

Girls ages 13-18 from Maina Wanjigi Secondary School, Kariobangi North Girls and Embakasi Girls High School were invited to participate in Girls Power Tech mentoring opportunities with Cisco employees, allowing girls to make informed career choices about working in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). This was in line with the ‘Girls Power Tech’ mentoring sessions in Kenya this week, as part of a global mentoring initiative to support and complement the United Nations’ Girls in ICT Day’ on the 23rd April 2015, an annual day of activities organized by the International Telecommunications Union aimed at improving the understanding of…

Oracle Academy (and the Raspberry Pi Foundation have launched the Oracle Raspberry Pi Weather Station for Schools),an ambitious project to join thousands of schools in Africa and around the world in a global science experiment. Participating schools will receive a Raspberry Pi hardware kit for students to build and operate their own weather station with the aim of gaining valuable skills spanning computing, meteorology and geography. Schools are encouraged to register their interest on Raspberry Pi’s website. The first 1,000 kits have been funded by a grant from Oracle Giving (which along with Oracle Academy, is part of Oracle’s philanthropic…

The world’s largest hotel company based on number of hotels and one of three hospitality business units of Wyndham Worldwide Wyndham Hotel Group has announced the opening of the 139-room Ramada® Resort Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Complementing Wyndham Hotel Group’s existing portfolio of franchised properties in Morocco, Ghana, Nigeria and Tunisia, the hotel marks not only the company’s expansion into Eastern Africa, but is the  first property within the greater continent to be operated via the company’s growing management division. “The opening of Ramada Resort Dar es Salaam is of significant strategic importance for us,” commented Dan Ruff, Wyndham…

Nokia feature phones are still the most popular among Nigerian blue collar workers because they are seen to be the most affordable a research by CcHUB has revealed. The research revealed that Nokia users took (41.4%) while Tecno took 23.6%, Blackberry 12.1% and Samsung 8.2%) as more. It should be noted that over 65% of nokia devices owned were feature phones (non-smartphones). 48.6% of workers cited the cost of the phone as the main influencer when purchasing a new phone. With over 50% of blue collar workers earning NGN 30,000 or less monthly, it is perhaps not surprising that cost…

Airtel customers will now be able to access quality health advice from doctors through their mobile phones after Airtel Kenya  joined hands with Medanta Africare to launch a new mHealth service. The service will enable Airtel subscribers consult with doctors from Medanta Africare and access relevant health care advice by calling 1525 at normal calling rates from their mobile phones. This service will be available daily from 8am to 8pm. The mHealth services which will be piloted in Nairobi will also allow all Airtel customers to access health services at home at pre-defined rates and get second opinion on  diagnosis from…

Recent Xenophobic attacks in SouthAfrica have sent shockwaves all across Africa and the world with reactions streaming in from leaders and fellow Africans. iAfrikan has decided to help curb the vice by launching a tool allowing the public to submit various reports relating to xenophobic attacks via SMS (Active later this week), Twitter, E-mail or through our website: ReportXenophobia.co.zaThe platform allows the public to report/view incidents of Xenophobia in South Africa. Whether potential or historical, let’s report these incidents. The information can be used by others to avoid danger and for quicker response from the police (any urgent reports will be…

Starting 5th of May 2015, DStv users all over Africa  will be able to access the ITV Choice channel after MultiChoice following a deal between  MultiChoice and ITV Studios Global Entertainment. The new channel will be available only to DStv Premium bouquet subscribers, ITV Choice (DStv channel 123). The new home of great British entertainment and drama, ITV Choice, has an impressive schedule lined up for its much-anticipated launch. Some of the exciting entertainment highlights to look forward to include ITV Studios’ award-winning primetime entertainment series Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway; family entertainment shows Big Star’s Little Star from 12 Yard and Keep It In The Family from ITV Studios…

Kenya looses a total of Ksh.2 bn in direct losses after damage, theft, interference of critical infrastructure that comprises of roads, telecom masts, power lines, water lines  among others. This is according to Cabinet Secretary for ICT Dr. Fred Matiangi who was speaking at the opening of the Critical Infrastructure Bill forum held at the Bomas of Kenya. Matiangi expressed shock at the wanton damage of critical infrastructure in the country and called for private , public partnership that will lead to adequate legislation to deal with the menace. “We are spending so much to lay infrastructure in the country.…

The young ones are currently on school holidays and this means they have plenty of free time to pursue their favourite pastime….watching TV! The 2015 CHILDWISE Monitor Report compiled by market researcher ChildWise suggests that children aged five to 16 spend an average of six and a half hours a day in front of a screen. What’s more, children not only consume their TV on multi-screens (on the TV and phone/tablet simultaneously) but they also increasingly use Catch-Up services. This means that during school holidays, the hours clocked in front of the TV screens are bound to increase. But, fear not…

JamboPay in Kenya is almost synonymous electronic  payment services what with its work with government, the private sector where it helps organizations process payments. From e-commerce sites, retailers, ticketing and county governments the company has been able to facilitate payments over platforms such as physical agency networks, mobile and web. According to Forbes magazine the company is not set for an African expansion. “At present we have presence in Kenya, Tanzania and Senegal.We plan to be in 7 African countries by the end of 2015 and in 14 countries by 2016. Our Uganda office is expected to be up by…

In the current technology age traditional data centres suffer from slow response times, limited scalability and ineffective business continuity strategies which have a direct impact on business growth. This means organizations with unresponsive and agile data centers would have a detrimental impact on any business. James Gicheru, Practice Lead, Next Generation Data Centre, Dimension Data says businesses and their end users are demanding for precise, real-time, secure and highly efficient systems and feedback. This, along with the proliferation of IT requires an agile data centre. With this scenario in mind, Dimension Data rolled out a new maturity tool that helps…

Airtel Kenya has partnered with British Airways (BA) to offer its Premier Customers up to 25% discount on air tickets for flights on British Airways from Nairobi to United Kingdom, North America or Europe. The offer will be valid for all bookings from now till May 31, 2015. To qualify for this offer, Premier customers will be required to email Premier.Airtel@ke.airtel.com in order to obtain the promotion code. Once a customer has received the code, he/she will  then proceed to log on to the British Airways website – http://www.britishairways.com/en-ke/offers/flights/airtel-offer and enter the code in the promotional text box to book and purchase the  ticket. The discount…

Xenophobic attacks are not new to South Africa; seven years ago the country’s capital city Johannesburg witnessed attack that left dozens dead in their wake later spreading to the city of Capetown with most victims being Zimbabweans. The country is at it again and last week about 6 people were reported dead at the hand of machete-wielding locals mostly Zulus, businesses were looted and set ablaze in major cities like Durban spreading to other cities such as Johannesburg while about 3500 terrified immigrants are hiding at police stations and stadiums. Some reports trace the origin of the violence from remarks…

Customers who purchase the new Samsung s6 from selected Airtel outlets across the country will from today get unique data data plans from Airtel that includes 3GB data per month for 3 months for owners of Samsung S6 FLAT32GB which goes for Ksh. 74, 999. Customers who purchase the Samsung S6 EDGE 32GB or the Samsung S6 EDGE 64GB which goes for Ksh. 82,999 and Ksh. 94, 999 respectively will get 4GB data per month for 4 months. Airtel Kenya CEO Adil El Youssefi said; “The new Samsung S6 from Airtel will enable our customers acquire state of the art…

The Andela Fellowship for developers is on; presenting a 4-year, paid opportunity to master the craft of professional software development while working remotely for leading technology companies around the globe. Based on the quantity and quality of applications, successful applicants may be invited to participate in a free, two-week-long Boot Camp led by senior developers hailing from some of the world’s top engineering schools. It’s one of the most rigorous training experiences in the world and you’ll learn fundamentals of programming. “I’ve been in school for 24 years,” says Solo, an Andela Fellow in Nigeria, “…but this was the most valuable two weeks…

Usha Nagpal is the new General Sales Manager for Volkswagen and Greatwall at the DT Dobie Company (Kenya) has appointed as the Usha will be responsible for creating business, product and staff training as well as arranging financing and leasing for Volkswagen cars, SUVs, pick-ups and vans and Greatwall pick-ups. She is also the Deputy to the Sales and Marketing Director. Usha was previously the General Manager for Nissan at DT Dobie and has had a long career with the company and has been involved in vehicle sales for over 25 years.

NigeriaDrug abusers in  Nigeria who need help can now go online after the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), unveiled  online anti-drug abuse/trafficking counselling services. Chairman/Chief Executive of the NDLEA Ahmadu Giade, has said that online anti-drug abuse/trafficking counselling services are now available to interested members of the public The Times reports that the agency has been taking steps to address the growing need for anti-drug abuse/trafficking sensitization with a total of 21,634 persons benefitting from NDLEA offline counselling service nationwide between 2010 and 2014. “Online counselling will complement existing offline counselling platforms across our formations nationwide. We introduced online…

South African entrepreneurs will now be able to test, develop, and deploy their innovations with personal guidance from Standard Bank’s  innovation and enterprise development partners after the bank unveiled two incubators that aim to educate, create, empower and develop entrepreneurs. The new incubators are Standard Bank-owned brick-and-mortar facilities where entrepreneurs will also get support provided includes business development, acceleration and help with design and prototyping of products, which is normally a major barrier to entry for entrepreneurs. Jayshree Naidoo, Standard Banks’s incubator head, says: “The two incubators in Johannesburg, virtual incubators in Cape Town, Free State, Limpopo, and KwaZulu-Natal are…

ICT solutions provider Huawei will be seeking to implement its global CSR program in Zimbabwe through its “ Seeds for the future” program that will have 10 students benefit from this program, and receive ICT trainings in Huawei headquarters in China. This is according to David Wang, Vice President of Huawei Eastern and Southern Africa, during his keynote speech at the Innovation Africa Digital (IAD) Summit 2015 hosted in Vitoria Falls, Zimbabwe. The summit attracts up to 500 participants, including policy makers, regulators, service providers and major end users from across Africa and the rest of the world, with an…

Despite it not have been completed and a number of controversies in its formation the Konza techno city has made it to the ‘boom towns’ set to grow while riding on the backs of industries such as banking, agriculture and technology. Having just finished its infrastructure phase, the new technology city is situated 60km southeast of Nairobi and will focus on four economic sectors; namely education, life sciences, telecommunications and business process outsourcing. It is predicted to significantly stimulate technology spending, investment and growth in Kenya. The report by DHL also said that despite the recent prediction by the World…

You know Facebook and probably have one or two accounts. Yes, it’s everywhere and for everyone but you would’t know who is real and who is not. In a move to create something where all Zimbabweans can network and get to know and meet the real people online and offline and probably meet them sometime, a team of Zimbabweans have launched Wanguzim, a Facebook for Zimbabwe. Wanguzim will help you meet and interact with Zimbabweans living in Zimbabwe or people who live in the diaspora but are originally from Zimbabwe. The Facebook and Twitter-like site was launched last year on…