The Government of Kenya, through the Ministry of Education is in partnership with the Republic of South Korea to establish a graduate only university at Konza Technopolis.

The Ministry of Education has since appointed a consortium of Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Architects & Engineering Co. Ltd. and SUNJIN Engineering & Architecture CO. Ltd to undertake the architectural design and curriculum design for the University.

The institute, Kenya Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (Kenya- KAIST) to be established at Konza Technopolis, is modeled after the Korean Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (Korea- KAIST) whose design model is a research focused university that fosters elite human resources in science and technology needed by the nation.

The Kenya-KAIST institute was conceived to benchmark the development experience that the Republic of South Korea had. Leveraging on skilled graduates from Korea-KAIST, the Republic of South Korea made the most of the potentials of science and technology for its remarkable growth, becoming the only country in the world to transform from a recipient to a donor country of international aid.

“The adoption of the Korea-KAIST model is deliberate. We want to build a nurturing environment for graduate students not only in Kenya but also in East Africa, that will see an innovative growth, rallied by science, in the region. A highly-educated nation is paramount to its economic, social and political success, it is therefore our hope that this new venture will be embraced by the people of Kenya,” said Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) Chairman Reuben Mutiso.  

Korea- KAIST has shown its capacity to innovate and spin off successful ventures such as Samsung and LG. In 2014 Korea- KAIST was ranked third place in the Times Higher Education’s “100 Under 50” ranking of the world’s best universities, less than half a century old. In June 2017, Reuters named it “Asia Pacific’s Most Innovative University” for the second year running.

Setting up Kenya -KAIST is purposed to provide high-quality education in Science and Technology in order to generate high-skilled engineers and scientists with both theory and practical knowledge, and to conduct socially relevant research and development (R&D), to improve national competitiveness and transform Kenya into an industrializing middle-income country as envisioned in Kenya Vision 2030 agenda.

“The making of well-trained graduates in Science and Technology will contribute to the growth of a knowledge based economy and sustainable growth with innovation. Kenya-KASIT will be constructed within the Phase one (1) A section at Konza which lies on 400 acres of land. We are proud of this partnership with the Government of Kenya and Korea-KAIST as it holds promise to boost Kenya’s growth,” said Korea-KAIST President Dr. Sung-Chul Shin.

Speaking during the kick-off ceremony Jerome Ochieng, PS ICT said, “A number of reports have ranked Kenya second after South Africa in terms of innovation. This is good progress, however, there is a growing concern about Kenya’s poor track record on the transfer of technology from the university to the industry and the commercialization of academic research, said CS Jerome.

As a country, we rank poorly in the number of registered patents and very few universities have commercial spin-offs that they can identify with. This can be largely attributed to lack of strong Technology Transfer Offices that are to naturally focus on building strong collaboration between the industry and universities

“There is a gap in the demand for and supply of high skilled engineers in Kenya. The country has also seen a brain drain where its skilled technical personnel have left for “Greener pastures” abroad. There is also need to upgrade skills to meet both traditional and emerging areas of industrial and technical development, Kenya-KAIST development is therefore a good boost for Kenya,” said Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) CEO Engineer John Tanui.

The University will have three faculties whose core programme will include;Mechanical Electrical and ICT engineering, Chemical Civil and Agriculture; engineering/biotechnology andBasic science education such as math’s and physics.

The Ministry of Education appointed Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) to support the implementation of the Project

Safaricom (NSE: SCOM) has today announced new “All in One Monthly Bundles” that will see customers enjoy discounted data and calling rates in one package. The bundles offer customers a choice of five price options including KES 1,000, KES 2,000, KES 3,000, KES 5,000 and KES 10,000 for a 30-day bundle.

Based on their needs, customers have the choice of a data only package, a data-heavy package or a voice heavy package. The packages are immediately available on *544#.

“The ‘All in One Monthly Bundles’ have been tailored to fit the connectivity needs that our customers face today and allow them to plan based on their budget. This proposition reiterates our commitment to always offer our customers value for money in line with our promise of ‘Nawe Kila Wakati’,” said Sylvia Mulinge  – Chief Customer Officer, Safaricom.

Customers who prefer data-only packages can choose from a 5 GB bundle for KES 1,000, 15 GB for KES 2,000 and 25 GB for KES, 3,000.

Heavy data users who would also like to discounted calls can now choose from 4 GB and 200 minutes for KES 1,000; 12 GB and 600 minutes for KES 2,000; 20 GB and 900 minutes for KES 3,000.

To meet the growing demand for data as smartphone users transition to heavier app usage, Safaricom has also introduced two new packages offering 35 GB and 1,500 minutes for KES 5,000 a month and 50 GB and 3,500 minutes for KES 10,000.

Customers who call more will have the choice of Voice Heavy bundles, starting at 1 GB and 400 minutes for KES 1,000. Other bundles on this option include 3 GB and 1,000 minutes for KES 2,000; 5 GB and 1,500 minutes for KES 3,000; 10 GB and 2,500 minutes for KES 5,000 and 20 GB and 7,500 minutes for KES 10,000.

All the packages allow customers to enjoy free WhatsApp messages should they exhaust their data before the 30 day period is over.

“By offering the choice of both discounted data and calls in one package, we are empowering our customers with even more convenience and freedom in managing their communication needs,” said Sylvia.

Safaricom has continued to invest in its network to meet growing data usage across the country, with its high speed 3G network now reaching 91 per cent of the country’s population. The company also provides the widest 4G and 4G+ coverage with its network reaching more than 53 per cent of the population. 4G+ allows customers to access data at more than twice the speed of 4G by combining two or more 4G channels.

At least 3,000 youth are set to benefit from a Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme over the next two years funded by Safaricom Foundation.

The foundation has set aside KES 132 million for the programme to be disbursed over the next two years that will see ICT enabled skills centres set up across the country.

The pilot phase of the programme will be implemented at the Waithaka Technical Training Center through a partnership with the County Government of Nairobi, Technical and Vocational Education and Training Authority (TVETA) and the National Industrial Training Authority (NITA).

“The programme will focus on entry level training for four key areas within the construction industry namely welding, plumbing and electrical engineering. The funds will be used for student’s fees, teacher training, setting up smart classrooms and construction of state of the art workshops” said Stephen Chege, Trustee, Safaricom Foundation.

An analysis by the Higher Education Loans Board shows that employability for people with technical and vocational education and training is at 96% compared to 40% among those with a university degree.

Despite this, Kenya still has a relatively low participation in TVET with the most acute skills gaps being in construction, automotive engineering, ICT, Carpentry, animal husbandry, agribusiness, fashion and design, and the skills required for the oil and gas industry.

“Of greater concern is the fact that most graduates are neither ready for the job market nor do they possess the technical know-how that would help them run their own businesses or create employment. This highlights the clear gap between the market needs and the technical and vocational skills available in Kenya which we aim to address,” Chege said.

The TVET Centres will provide best practices in skills training, effectively addressing emerging skills gaps, aligning training with industry needs and engaging industry, government and corporates for a holistic skills ecosystem.

About Safaricom Foundation

Partnering to Transform Lives

Safaricom Foundation partners with Kenyan communities, organizations and institutions to improve and transform lives.

With a footprint in all of Kenya’s 47 counties, and a strong history of partnerships dating back to our inception in 2003, the Safaricom Foundation has worked with Speed, Simplicity and Trust to implement over 1,000 community projects, impacting over 4.5 million people.

Our current strategy builds on our strong history of results and partnerships, and will contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals. We will leverage the power of innovation and technology to drive our projects forward; and will also offer a blend of philanthropic grant funding and co-created partnership programmes.

The participation of Safaricom staff in our projects will extend our personalized approach towards partnerships; and our project monitoring and our dissemination forms will provide platforms for technical assistance, learning and capacity building.

poa! internet, the low-cost Internet service provider, today announced its expansion into Kangemi, Nairobi, which together with launches during 2018 in Kiambu Town and Tin’gan’ga in Kiambu County has more than doubled the ISP’s coverage area in less than a year.

“Our expansion plans are now accelerating, with our launch in Kangemi opening up the potential of connecting up to 200,000 further homes with low-cost, unlimited broadband,” said Andy Halsall, CEO of poa! Internet.

“We are committed to provide the most affordable internet services in Kenya,” said Andy. poa! Internet has maintained its home broadband price at Sh1500 a month while more than doubling its connection speeds to up to 4 Mbps.

“The high cost of data bundles and home broadband subscriptions continue to put truly unlimited Internet access beyond the reach of many middle and low-income earners in Kenya,” said Andy. “Our mission is to deploy leading-edge technology to increase the accessibility of the Internet and open the way to far wider usage by far more people. That aim is now seeing us shift towards aggressive growth,” he said.

poa! internet plans to continue its aggressive growth by more than doubling its coverage areas by June 2019, and expects to be five times its current size by year-end. The ISP’s home broadband allows users to stream 720p high-definition videos and download a 1GB video in minutes.

poa! Internet is an Internet Service Provider that develops and delivers unlimited, affordable Internet to low-income communities in Nairobi and Kiambu counties in Kenya with the aim of contributing to local, social and economic growth. As one of Kenya’s fastest growing ISPs, poa! Internet currently operates in Kibera, Kawangware, Jamhuri, Kabiria, Kiambu, Ting’ang’a and Kirigiti and now in Kangemi.  

Yes, Digital business is blooming in the current era. Digital Business is nothing but the establishment of innovative business proposal by distorting the digital as well as substantial world. The usage of advanced technologies is to generate new value in business model, customer experiences, and the internal capabilities that support its core operations.

Brand Marketing is the process of examining, investigating, encouraging, advertising, selling, and allocating a company’s brand. It wraps a wider collection of creating awareness about the brand, advertising, exposure, endorsement, pricing. The world of digital business is quite large and hence the ways to make it more successful regarding ranking as well. Nowadays, the entire world is going behind the Internet. Digital business is one of the best marketing strategy tools used by the business people to promote their products through Online.

Role of SEOs in Digital Business

SEO refers Search Engine Optimization is nothing but effective aspect in order to attract the buyers and what strategies could be used to rank the SEOs of your business and links in front page and in what way they can effectively market their products through Online. It is a framework with full of straightforward way and in well structured way.  There are mainly four key areas or say stepping stones where the web site designer/developer should give high importance of SEO in order to promote the brand and products in the digital business. The reasonable SEOs manipulate the purchaser to make sure your website at ordinary time. The user should try to come out with strong keywords, links regularly which makes the user to check the link to be active in all the time.

Web Marketing123

Web Marketing123 contains important pillars which help to market your product more precisely. It is so easy to commence business through Internet.

·         Attractive Blogs, Keywords and links.

·         Vigorously  involve yourself in social Media

·         Put effort on gaining more clients and get succeed with Clients at a faster mode through online referrals, Word of Mouth from friends, family members even relatives.

·         Contests can be conducted through social media like Facebook, Instagram

·         Excellent Visuals can be portrayed through video marketing, Good messages through e-mail marketing, Organizing so many trendy events through online to attract the customers and conveying about the brand.

By using all these parameters of WebMarketing123 – Digital Business, the entrepreneur can able to frame proper SEOs and can promote the brand to the customers through website

SEO Online Brand Marketing

List of Some SEO Brand Marketing strategies for digital Business in Online are Influence Marketing, Search Engine Marketing, Re-marketing, content marketing, Social Media Marketing, E-mail Marketing etc. Just have a look briefly of some types:

Content Marketing – Capture the interest and awareness of the spectators

The most influential brand marketing strategy h helps the business people to address about their product to the customers more precisely. By generating sound SEOs and contents help the audience to refer website on a regular basis. The marketer should put effort on writing the contents to convey about the strongest of brand in digital business and through which the audience can visit the link and be active in all the time.

E-Mail Marketing – One of the best Implausible means of Lead Creation

Using emails for distributing a business communication to a certain group of clients are referred as E-Mail Marketing. The marketer can launch all details like product features, advertisements, brand image, etc through e-mail is email marketing. It is also one of the best brand marketing strategies in digital business through framing SEOs in Online.

Social Media Marketing – Effective trendy tool “Pick Target Audience”

The potential strategy attracts and promotes the business through social media sites. It is constantly superior to construct complete appeal in social media. This activity inspires one to obtain all notifications instantaneously. It is one of the greatest lead for digital business persons. It will get completed successfully with the assistances of useful SEOs through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest etc.

The convention of the internet has drastically amplified the ability of companies to achieve their business at fastest mode and in more clear-cut way. It saves time and energy. If you feel any difficulty in starting the business, don’t worry just go through Webmarketing 123-Digital business which helps you to attain the mission effectively.

Facebook recently opened a new content review centre in Nairobi, Kenya. In partnership with Samasource – one of the largest digital employers in East Africa.

With the deal Nairobi will be Facebook’s first content review centre in Sub-Saharan Africa. It will employ approximately 100 reviewers by the end of the year, who will support a number of languages, including Somali, Oromo, Swahili and Hausa.

According to Fazdai Madzingira, Public Policy Associate for content: “Over the years, we have made significant investments globally, and locally in ensuring that people see the content they want to see, and are aware of what is and isn’t allowed on the platform.”

Facebook recently published a set of Community Standards, and a more detailed internal guidelines around these rules to make Facebook a place where people can express themselves and freely discuss different points of view, whilst ensuring that it remains safe for everyone.

Ebele Okobi, Facebook’s Public Policy Director, Africa added that Facebook’s partnership with Samasource it will be opening its first content review centre here in Africa.

Samasource which gives work to end global poverty uses technology and private sector methods to measurably improve access to work and job training and is one of the largest digital employers in East Africa.

“We’re excited to partner with Facebook in Nairobi to help keep people on Facebook safe and continue our mission,” said Carolyn Komen, Samasource Program Director.” Our team will receive extensive training and support, benefit from industry-leading facilities, and have the opportunity to advance their careers in tech through this partnership.”

Recently, Facebook joined hands with more than 20 non-profit organisations and government agencies to raise awareness about Internet safety and security concerns such as cyber bullying and cyber-crime.

Technology VC firm, Partech Africa Fund, has established its presence in East Africa setting up its office in Nairobi, Kenya. The firm has other branches in Paris, Berlin, San Francisco and Dakar.

The PAF Nairobi office will be managed by former Fanisi Capital Investment Manager, Ceasar Nyagah.

PAF recently received $143.5 million from an assortment of 40 financial backers such as the European Investment Bank (EIB), IFC, Averroès Finance III, KfW, the German Development Bank, FMO, the Dutch Development Bank and the African Development Bank Group. This makes it the largest VC firm solely dedicated to funding startups.

PAF was launched in January 2018 after receiving $70 million from Orange, Edenred and JCDecaux Holding.

The firm makes series A and B financing rounds in startups within the technology space; particularly in fields like education, mobility, finance, delivery, and energy.

As an avid gamer, probably one of your resolutions for 2019 is to set your eyes on new games and new gadgets. Many shops are packed with new gadgets, while others are still waiting for high tech gaming gadgets to be launched. Some of the gadgets hitting the shelves in 2019 include Levl gaming chair.

Therefore, if you looking for a way to enhance your gaming experience, the Levl gaming chair is undoubtedly your ultimate solution. The chair comes with standard features, and is perfectly designed to offer unrivalled level of comfort.

Levl gaming is superior because;

It has the best supportive cushions

Gaming with Levl gaming chair is an experience that you will always look forward to. The chair comes with highly supportive back cushions. This is specifically designed to provide the best support for your neck, back, and head. The deep, soft and comfortable cushions made of high-density foam makes your gaming moments more enjoyable.

To enhance your ergonomic experience, the Levl cushions are oversize. Therefore, whether you rest your neck or head at the sides or the middle while gaming, you can rest assured of quality support. What’s more, every lumbar support is designed by molded foam and synthetic padding that creates space, where you can comfortably sink in as you play. It offers the needed and right amount of support to keep your health in check during gaming sessions.

Distinctive design

Most gaming chairs feature an ergonomic design and Levl is not an exception. However, this chair has a more superior design made with a distinctive approach. This is tailor made for ease of adjustability and for quality lumbar support. The supportive pillows of this chair come with high-quality hoist straps. As a result, it is easy for you to adjust the chair to a more comfortable position. The chair accommodates your weight and height needs.

The adjustment control of this chair is remarkable. You only need to reach under the seat pan on the right-hand side of the chair and lift the paddle. Adjust the chair to your preferred position. You can adjust the chair up or down based on your needs.

To enhance your comfort level even further, the chair is fitted with adjustable armrests. It can be adjusted to six positions, and to a range of 3inches. The lever is highly flexible and your gaming sessions won’t be interrupted as you adjust the armrests to the desired position.

Style

Levl is a striking gaming chair that is available in different colors. It is stylish right from the design to the type of materials used to design it. The chair also boasts of leather like vinyl upholstery, banded support, and extra strong steel frame system.

The base of the 5 star based wheel is reinforced by nylon, which adds to the beauty of this chair. Therefore, it is not only sleek but also high profile. It has the best design to support your weight because it is built by heavy duty materials.

What’s more, the style is enhanced by a standard gas cylinder. This standard system is designed in the most amazing design to provide maximum support and comfort as you play.

High quality molded foam

The chair also comes with a modern molded foam. This ensures that you enjoy the best support even as you spend long hours on the game. The foam is durable, and it can last over a long haul. This is further enhanced by the padding layer that helps to create the most ideal space for your gaming.

Back angle adjustment

The back angle function is one of the most significant aspects of a gaming chair. A chair that allows you to recline the backrest with ease and comfortably is more desirable. This is what Levl gaming chair is all about. It has a backrest that can be adjusted to the desired position, and it adjusts itself back up on its own.

Apart from Levl gaming, there are other gaming gadgets you may want to explore in 2019 to make your gaming experience more exciting.  They include:

• PS4 gaming console.
• Mechanical gaming mouse.
• Wireless keyboard.
• Head speakers among others.

The startup scene in Africa is blooming. In just the first half of the 2018 year, African startups secured $160 million in funding—more than all funds raised in 2018. Zimbabwe saw a rise in blockchain tech, while financial technology reigned supreme in Kenya. Companies like Cellulant, Branch, and M-Kopa Polar raised millions.

But how are these companies finding the right teams to help them get further in the startup lifecycle? After all, choosing the right team can make or break your startup success. To help guide you, we’ve come up with a few key tips on how you can choose the perfect team to take your startup to the next level.

Identify the Positions You Need

So, you know that you need a startup team. But what positions are most pertinent to early stages? Some of the most important startup positions are in sales, marketing, and technology. In addition to identifying which positions are necessary to help growth, you should also make a list of the requirements expected in those positions. This will help you flesh out official job postings. Check out similar job postings for inspiration.

Create Interactive Interviews

A startup embodies a unique culture. You aren’t looking for people to check items off a to-do list. You need innovators who aren’t afraid to think outside of the box. As such, a traditional question-and-answer approach might not be ideal for a startup position. You may have heard of the unique interview questions that major creative companies like Google use to hire the right candidates. Utilize this same method for finding creative talent of your own by curating interactive interviews.

Hire Slow

The old adage, “Hire slow, fire fast” rings very true in the startup world. A bad hire at such an early stage could dramatically affect the trajectory of your business. Take your time to get to know each applicant. Don’t just pay attention to their resume—which matters less in the startup world. Instead, pay equal attention to their individual achievements, passions, and their personal visions. As motivational speaker Simon Sinek once said, “If you hire people just because they can do a job, they’ll work for your money. But if you hire people who believe what you believe, they’ll work for you with blood and sweat and tears.”

Communicate the Vision

Today’s startups have to be able to communicate their visions if they want potential employees to be able to embody it. Before you even post on job boards, create a vision statement. A vision statement is a written testament to why your startup exists. It helps align each of your employees and provides clear direction on the core of what’s happening on a daily basis. It also defines the inspiration that drives the company forward. This is not to be confused with a mission statement, which defines the present purpose of a company—the who, what, where, why.

For example, the vision statement for Southwest Airlines is “To become the world’s most loved, most flown, and most profitable airline.” Check out some other vision statements for inspiration.

Build an Onboarding Process

Far too often, startups—especially those that are growing fast—fail to implement an onboarding process. According to Lucidchart, 22% of companies lack a formal onboarding process. “If you want to retain your employees beyond the first year and have those employees performing at their best, you need to build a strategic onboarding process flow,” they said. “Properly introducing your new employees to your company culture, their responsibilities, and their coworkers not only helps employees feel more welcome—it also helps your bottom line.”

Join an Incubator or Accelerator

Startup incubators and accelerators are the perfect way to meet potential co-founders and other team members. These programs are designed to help startup founders grow their businesses. They combine early funding with mentorships, investor opportunities, and social events that allow entrepreneurs to mingle with peers and other like-minded individuals.

Naturally, these highly exclusive programs can be a great way to meet other potential team members. Although the people you meet will be involved in startups of their own, things don’t always work out ideally. Part of what makes this a great experience is the opportunity to make dozens of potentially lucrative connections. Years, or even just months down the line, you can reach out to people you met during your time at the program. Because you’ve already seen their passion at work, you already have a thorough understanding of what they can bring to the team.
If you plan to join an incubator, it’s important that you choose the right one. Fortunately, there’s plenty going on in Africa. In June, Village Capital Programme announced that it would support incubators, accelerators, and seed funds in sub-Saharan Africa. Seedstars has also launched multiple incubators across the continent.

Technical specifications of Huawei Y5 Lite (2018)

Price: Kes. 9,300.00
Model: Y5 Lite 2019
CPU: Quad-Core 1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Chipset: MediaTek MT6739
GPU: PowerVR GE8100, 570 MHz
Camera: 8 Megapixel with Single-LED Flash and AF Rear Camera; 5 Megapixel Front Camera
Memory: RAM- 1GB LPDDR3, 667MHz | ROM 16GB External Memory Support up to 128GB
Display: Screen size 5.45 inches IPS HD+ Display (1440 x 720 Pixels)
Battery: Non-Removable 3,020mAh
SIM: Dual SIM (Nano + Nano)
Color: Black, Blue
Operating System: Android 8.1 Oreo Go Edition
Dimensions: 71 mm x 147 mm x 8.3 mm
Weight: 142 Grams (With Battery)
Versions: Single (1GB/16GB)

What’s in the box
The white cardboard box is not so fancy, and you won’t find anything exciting inside besides the smartphone, a power adapter (5V / 1A), USB/MicroUSB cable, a SIM eject tool, 3.5mm audio jack earpiece, a screen protector and a user guide.

Design, materials and build quality
The device comes in two colors for the Kenyan market which are black and blue.
We tested the blue model. This color is the best of the bunch, since it gives the phone a certain freshness as much as it’s basic. But even so, the smartphone does not really stand out.

The body of the Y5 Lite is completely plastic, apart from the fact that it’s a fingerprint magnet it is good quality plastic. Although there’s no oleophobic coating on the phone, which is rather disappointing.

The front panel is dominated by the display with an aspect ratio of 18: 9 which should please those who don’t want to overspend on a smartphone.
The bezels on the left and on the right are similar to the most modern smartphones with standard aspect ratio. We think the build quality of Huawei Y5 Lite 2018 is just okay.

Elements’ Configuration
Above the screen are an LED flash, proximity and light sensors, an earpiece/multimedia speaker, a front camera and a notifications indicator.
There’s nothing below the screen at the front except for the Huawei logo.

The right side has a plastic power/unlock button and a volume key, while the left side has a slot for two nano SIM cards and a microSD memory card.
The lower edge is equipped with a microphone and a microUSB port while on the top edge there’s a 3.5 mm audio jack.

On the back, at the upper left corner is a block with the camera and an LED flash, although the block protrudes slightly above the body, but this shouldn’t be a bother. Below it is the logo of the manufacturer and other markings of official information at the very bottom.
Well due to the low price some usual features of current smartphones in the market are missing. For example, there’s no fingerprint scanner or a separate multimedia speaker.

Ergonomics
Huawei Y5 2018 is very compact and lightweight which makes it really nice to use as it fits well in the hand. The shape is comfortable with rounded corners; you can use the smartphone with no problem as the controls are located in the right places.

Display

The Huawei Y5 Lite packs a 5.45-inch IPS LCD display. The display has a resolution of 854 x 480 Pixels. The resolution is quite low considering that most budget smartphones that have launched in Kenya has a resolution of 1280 x 720 Pixels.

The screen is excellent, especially considering the price tag. The colors are saturated, the brightness is sufficient for outdoor use, but not under direct sunlight. The view angles are good, colors and contrasts show no signs of distortion.
Auto-adjustment of brightness generally works fine, but it’s not very quick. Although in the display settings, you can adjust the color temperature to make it colder or warmer, and activate the eye protection mode.

Performance
Huawei Y5 lite (2018) comes with the latest operating system of the EMUI 8.0 shell and Android 8.1 Oreo (Go edition) which is optimized to run on entry-level hardware. It offers Mediatek MT6739 (28 nm), presents a fast CPU Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53, and has PowerVR GE8100.

The RAM is 1GB thus you can run 2-3 applications but switching between applications is slow. The native storage of the smartphone is 16 GB. For extra storage, there is a dedicated microSD card slot on the device that can handle up to 256GB of memory.

Cameras
The back side prides in having an 8 megapixels main camera and has a LED flash light for dim light circumstances. The selfie snapper on the other hand is smaller and has a 5 megapixels sensor. It works, the photos are all okay but there aren’t much camera modes and filters.

Huawei Y5 2018 shoots video in FullHD resolution. The quality is subpar as expected for a budget phone. There are no additional modes and no stabilization.

Battery life
The Huawei Y5 Lite draws power from a non-removable lithium polymer battery of 3,020mAh. The battery packs enough juice to last you up to 24 hours from a single charge.

Sound and communication
The earpiece speaker in Huawei Y5 2018 shares the duties of a multimedia speaker.

The handset can automatically adjust the phone call volume so that users can have clear listening experience even in noisy environments. The sound in the headphones is that good though as there’s no equalizer.

As for communications, not much stands out. Cellular network is fast. The Wi-Fi 802.11 and Bluetooth 4.2 modules function perfectly.

What we liked

Huawei Y5 2018 is a good low-end smartphone, with a premium & impressive design, It offers a superb battery capacity and presents nearly every connectivity like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, USB, 3G & 4G. Plus It looks very premium in the hands with a good 18:9 display, ergonomics and up-to-date software.

What we didn’t like

Huawei Y5 lite (2018) comes with an average pixel density, It offers an average resolution, has only two colours, presents 1 GB RAM only, has a few sensors, does not have a fingerprint sensor and does not have a fast battery charging. The camera isn’t that great. But, for a cheap device, it’s not bad at all.

Kenya’s M-PESA Global has been shortlisted for the Global Mobile Awards (GLOMO Awards) 2019 under the Best Mobile Innovation for Commerce category. The service, which was launched last November, allows all M-PESA users to send money anywhere across the world. In partnerhip with Western UNion, MPesa global provides its users with easy transfer of cash through Western Union’s 500,000 agents.

Safaricom Chief Financial Services Officer, says, “We launched M-PESA Global as part of our strategy to open up M-PESA to the world. The fact that it has been recognised at a global event that is wildly seen as the ‘Oscars’ of the mobile industry is a reflection of how the service has revolutionised the sector”, said Sitoyo Lopokoiyit,

CEO, GSMA Ltd, John Hoffman, said in a statement “The GLOMOs provide a world stage on which to celebrate the most inspirational and innovative developments across our industry, recognising the companies and individuals leading the way in everything from 5G, to emerging markets, to intelligent connectivity. The awards attract a significant level of high-quality entries, so being nominated today is a great achievement.”

Among last year’s winners, Shupavu 291 by Eneza Education won in the Best Mobile Invention for Education category. It is worth noting that they are also backed by Safaricom.

The 2019 GLOMO winners will be announced during this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC 19) which takes place on 25th – 28th February in Barcelona.

The 9th annual JKUAT Tech Expo ended with a tie between two innovations: Walking Buddy and Safari Wiz shared number 1 spot of a pool of 20 contenders.

The Walking Buddy was developed by JKUAT student Sackey Freshia. It is a handy tool for the visually-impaired as it predicts users distance from an obstacle and alerts the user with the help of vibrations and audio cues. “The stick is integrated with Google Maps, enabling the user to navigate to a given location on their own, using an audio guide,” explained Freshia, “It also comes with a button that a user can press to immediately alert their emergency contact in case of anything, and sends their precise location to the contact.”

Safari Wiz was developed by three students; Gilbert Waliuba, Benson Thuku, Lang’at Nelson and Jaffred Simiyu. Safari Wiz is a waze-like app that crowdsources information from road users on incidents occurring on the roads, such as accidents, bad weather conditions, police roadblocks, among others. Users would be able to send and receive alerts in real time. It primarily employs GIS technology: GPS and maps. The app would be of great use to avoid traffic and confusion in case of any eventuality.

Path Finder, the innovation by Job Muchama, Elias Koome, Hassan Adan and Gideon Omangi, bagged the 1st runner up position at JKUAT Tech Expo 9.0. Pathfinder uses light dependent sensors, and attempts to redefine the way solar panels are mounted, in order to maximize their exposure to sunlight.

Taxify has been widely accused for having bad service.

One of the biggest allegations were the sexual assault claims that Taxify now claims were actually fake news. Read their side of the story and tell us what you think.

On 9th December 2018, a Taxify customer by the name Gloria Nyaruai posted a tweet in which she claimed that her Taxify driver had attempted to touch her inappropriately. The rider claimed it had happened on a late-night ride, in the presence of her boyfriend. The claim was immediately flagged by Taxify and escalated to their high priority team. To guarantee the safety of other riders, Taxify
deactivated the driver’s account and contacted the rider, so as to pave way for transparent investigations. The investigating agencies contacted both the driver and rider to come forth and make statements. The investigation process was carried out to completion, and the driver was cleared of all wrong doing. As a result, his account was restored. The story was widely picked up by local media and several articles were published on the same. This continued the trend of fake news that has been widely spread, mainly through social media, concerning Taxify and its activities in the country. In this instance, the rider took down their tweet once the driver filed a statement and the police tried to contact her. Another such incident took place earlier in the year when another rider claimed that the driver had tried to kidnap her. In that occurrence, upon further probing, she admitted to the story being a prank her friends had dared her to play. As Taxify, we would like to express our extreme concern and disappointment that this trend of fake news has continued to permeate both online and mainstream media without consideration for the effect it may have on the business and Taxify’s driver partners. Additionally, the stories are never followed up (denying us the right of reply) and as a result, the public image left lingering is one with negative connotations. This not only has adverse effects on the company, but more importantly on the drivers. The numerous stories published leave drivers unable to earn a living by driving on the platform. This occurs through their accounts being deactivated for misconduct, or the lower volumes of rides experienced due to less consumers riding on Taxify.

The incident on 9th December is simply one instance where the driver has received the police clearance certificate freeing them of all wrong doing on their part. However, other drivers have also been cleared before but those stories never seem to get widespread coverage. We urge both the public and the fourth estate to be more prudent in the stories they choose to share and consider the effects it may have on the driver partners if the story proves false.

As 2019 gets underway, it’s likely we’re all still feeling the pinch of Christmas spending. From gift buying and food expenses to trips out with friends and meals with family, there’s a possibility that the outgoings run into the hundreds and even thousands.

Managing our money in the new year so we can account for the essentials can involve a lot of careful planning and budgeting. However, there are some ways to make some extra money savings in January to help boost your funds. Here are some ideas to offer inspiration.

Have a Clear Out

Decluttering is the perfect way to start the new year on the right foot. As well as giving you the opportunity to refresh your home, you can do away with things you never use anymore that could be sold on to those who will.

Begin with the bedrooms and work your way downstairs, clearing out cupboards and working out what can stay and what things can go. Once you know what you’d like to do away with, be it an old pair of jeans or even a long-forgotten sofa, you can decide what you can sell on.

Auction sites such as eBay are ideal for listing an array of items and you could find that, even from a few sales, you have enough to pay for a weekly food shop or petrol for the month.  

Switch Suppliers

As well as decluttering your home, you can spend January decluttering your finances. If it’s been a while since you last looked at switching energy supplier or your car insurance provider, take the time now to shop for the deals to be had.

By switching energy supplier, you could save over £200 a year in some cases. This means you free up money that can be used elsewhere.

Shop for Bargains

January is the month for bargains. You could save money in the long run by replacing faulty electricals at home with new models at discounted prices.

For example, if you’ve had to pay for someone to repair your washing machine a few times, it could be less costly to swap it with a new one. Shopping the sales and doing some research before you buy will help you to make sure you’re buying the best model for your budget and needs.

In addition, if you are browsing the sales this year, assess what you need around the home. Buying in bulk can create savings in the long run, so look carefully at offers in the supermarkets and shops to see if there are more affordable options available that will last in the long term.