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The Day William Chepkut’s Multi-million Hotel in Eldoret Was Put Up For Auction

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

As Kenyans continue mourning the sudden death of immediate former Ainabkoi MP William Chepkut, there are many things they will live to remember him for.

From his humor while serving in the 12th parliament, to some of the controversies he was caught up in.

Chepkut collapsed on Saturday morning and was rushed to Mediheal Hospital in Nairobi where he was pronounced dead.

Well, in March 2019, the longest serving personal assistant of the late powerful minister Nicholas Biwott was caught up in a scandal with a bank after defaulting on a loan.

The bank was forced to put up for auction his multi-million shilling hotel in Eldoret.

Royalton Hotel which was owned by the late William Chepkut sat on a 3.68-acre piece of land and contained six cottages, five related buildings and lodging blocks.

The auction notice published in March 2019 by Watts Auctioneers invited potential buyers of the hotel to attend a sale event mid the following month.

According to the notice, a deposit of at least 25 per cent was required.

The auction came as the number of properties going under the hammer or businesses crippled by mounting debt had risen sharply.

The hotel’s lodging block comprised a three-storey building with each floor accommodating similar eight self-contained lodging rooms.

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Business

Ambrose Rachier Biography: Net worth, Education, Career And Freemason Journey

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

For the better part of last week, Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier has been trending after he opened up on being a freemason in an interview with NTV that aired on Sunday.

In the explosive interview with NTV’s Dancun Khaemba, Rachier revealed that it was Dr Joseph Aluoch who introduced him to freemasonry in 1994.

Joseph, who is the Patron, Kenya Association for the Prevention of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases and an established author, is the husband of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Judge Joyce Aluoch.

According to the 73 year-old Gor Mahia chairman, the late Queen Elizabeth 2 was their leader.

Road to Masonry

According to Rachier, you must be invited by someone who knows you for you to join freemason.

Born and raised in the Anglican Church where his father Rev. Canon Hezron Rachier served, Rachier says being a Mason does not mean you don’t go to church.

Rachier denies reports Gor Mahia owe him Ksh 100 million | Goal.com Kenya

While Freemasonry is not itself a religion, all its members believe in a Supreme Being, or “Grand Architect of the Universe.”

Members come from many faiths except the Catholic Church which has condemned it.

Rachier says that some of the most iconic buildings in Kenya including All Saints Cathedral and the State House, were built by Masons.

Who is Ambrose Rachier?

Ambrose Rachier, 73, is a renown lawyer running a law firm called Rachier & Amollo Advocates where he is a partner.

Other partners at the law firm are Otiende Amollo, Jotham Arwa, Francis Olalo and Stephen Ligunya.

Rachier was born on a train in Molo as his mother was travelling home, which is why his middle name is Molo.

Gor Mahia chairman Ambrose Rachier says club has no money to make Angola trip - Tuko.co.ke

Ambrose Rachier grew in a strict disciplinarian family as his father was a priest and his mother a teacher. The family of 11 siblings had a lively childhood, a thing that lacks in present generations.

Ambrose Rachier Education

Rachier joined Alliance High School for A’ Levels and helped the football team to win the Central Province Cup in 1969.

He completed his Form Six at Alliance High School where he had taken three principle subjects: Literature in English, French and History.

The government of France, as part of their assistance to Kenya, sent him to Madagascar alongside James Orengo to study French.

He first set foot into a university in 1970 when he joined the University of Madagascar, Antananarivo.

He holds a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B) (Hons) acquired from the University of Dar-es-salaam, a Masters Degree in Law (LL.M) from the University of Nairobi, M.A (Translation) from the University of Nairobi and a Diploma in French from the University of Madagascar.

He also holds a Ph.D. from the University of South Africa.

Ambrose Rachier Career

He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya of over 30 years standing.

He is also the chairman of Gor Mahia football club.

After Gor Mahia was formed in 1968 he could not afford the gate charges, but could not afford to miss a match. A regular ticket cost 50 cents and the VIP ones Sh2.

His career stopped him from following football for some time but he bounced back in 2008.

It all started when a group of Gor Mahia supporters came chanting songs outside his Reinsurance Plaza office.

When he went downstairs to find out what was happening, he realised they were chanting his name.

Its time to find a successor to Ambrose Rachier - Gor Mahia News

Vilified and adored in equal measure, Rachier’s  tenure saw the club end their 18-year wait for a Kenyan Premier league title claiming the coveted gong in 2013 and have since gone on to monopolise the competition, winning it six times under his watch besides bagging two KPL Top Eight titles, a further four KPL Super Cups and two domestic cups.

Since then K’Ogalo have made appearances at the continental football every year bar in 2017, reaching the quarterfinals of the Caf Confederations Cup this term.

Ambrose Rachier net worth

Ambrose Rachier is a Director of Mayfair Insurance – a subsidiary of Mayfair Group which has 50,000 shares at Mayfair Bank.

After the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) announced the confirmation of the sale of Mayfair Bank to Egyptian based CIB, Mr. Rachier, who is one of the top investors and shareholders of Mayfair Bank smiled all the way to the bank.

The Egyptian Bank acquired Mayfair at a price of Ksh3.5 billion and took over the operations and assets of the bank as from 1st May 2020.

Last year, reports emerged that Gor Mahia football club owed Rachier debts to a sum of Kshs. 100 million.

However, Rachier came out and denied the claims.

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Business

5 Million Kenyans To Be Delisted From CRB By November 2022, President Ruto Says

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

President William Ruto has said that about 4 to 5 million Kenyans will be out of the Credit Reference Bureau (CRB) blacklist by the beginning of November.

Speaking during a Safaricom, NCBA Bank and KCB Group joint presser held on Wednesday at the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, President Ruto noted that Kenyans have been excluded from any formal borrowing because of their CRB status.

According to the head of state, the situation has only left the poor Kenyans at the mercies of shylocks who have been exploiting them in return.

“I’m very happy that between 4-5 million Kenyans will, by beginning of November. be out of the CRB blacklist. This is very important because these Kenyans have been excluded from any formal borrowing and have been left at the mercies of shylocks that exploit them,” said President Ruto.

He however, noted that his government was not against credit listing.

According to him, the government does not want the credit listing to be an all or nothing.

Ruto said that his government supports CRBs as a mechanism of instilling financial discipline in our financial sector.

“The government of Kenya is not against credit listing or CRB facilities, in fact we support CRBs as a mechanism of instilling financial discipline in our financial sector. We do not want credit listing to be an all or nothing,” said Ruto.

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Smooth Transition of Power to Boost Airline Sector’s Post-Pandemic Recovery, Fly 748 Says

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Just a day to the swearing in of President-elect William Samoei Ruto, renown airline Fly 748 services has noted that the just concluded peaceful elections and the anticipated smooth transition of power in government will boost confidence in airline sectors post-pandemic recovery.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms this morning, the airline’s Managing Director Moses Mwangi said these two factors will help travelers resume business and leisure activities faster to sustain an already strong momentum towards the sectors return to full recovery recorded in 2019.

“A relative calmness during the political campaign periods, peaceful voting process and a general positive sentiment from travelers and foreign investors in this years elections gives us confidence that economic activities will resume faster, giving a further boost to airline recovery prospects, said Moses Mwangi.

Latest, International Air Transport Association (IATA) data shows African airlines are recording strong demand for passenger traffic since lockdowns and border restrictions begun easing late last year.

By June 2022, both domestic and international traffic remained strong with figures showing significant growth compared to those of 2021.

Africas International traffic rose with an increase of 103.6 percent over the year to June 2022, the recovery was around 35 percent below their 2019 levels. Similarly, total June 2022 domestic traffic across the globe was at 81.4 percent of the June 2019 level.

Fly 748 Chairman Ahmed Jibril noted that without disruptions in government transition, they expect the positive momentum to continue and hopefully airlines return to profitability as the country heads to high tourism season and as businesses begins rolling out long term activities.

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Turkana Residents Have A Reason To Smile As Mozzart Unveils Life-changing Boreholes

by Pauline Waswa
written by Pauline Waswa

Mozzart New Boreholes a life changer for Lorogon and Kalodicha communities of Turkana County

Two new boreholes dug in Lorogon Primary School and Kalodicha Primary School in Turkana County have spread optimism as they will open a window of opportunities and make life better for the respective communities.

The water projects that have been fully funded by gaming firm Mozzart to the tune of Ksh 5.5 million were officially commissioned on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th August.

Calister Edichan, a village elder in the Lorogon community, said the water project would ease the burden on kids and women who previously spent time water hunting.

“They will now have more time to study and that is very important. The women in this community also have a huge burden lifted off their shoulders as water is now easily accessible. We are very grateful and cannot thank Mozzart enough,” Edichan said.

Judy Eregai, the Turkana South Sub County water administrator echoed Edichan’s sentiments and asked Lorogon and Kalodicha residents to take care of the two projects.

“Water has been a very big challenge in Turkana. We had made a request of 13 boreholes to serve most of the wards and thankfully Mozzart has dug two. These projects will help ease the burden and on behalf of the County Government of Turkana, I would like to thank Mozzart,” she said.

“As the county Government, we will help the people of Lorogon and Kalodicha in taking care of these projects because they are very important to the community,” She added.

“It hasn’t been easy for the kids and other people in the community in their pursuit of water due to the insecurity in this region but now that will be a thing of the past. Pregnant women, old women and school-going children really had a hard time but that is now over,”Lorogon Primary School Matron Mary Achua said.

Mariam Asekon, the Kalodicha ward administrator also thanked Mozzart for the project saying it has “put a smile on their faces after years of suffering.”

Mozzart Country Manager Sasa Krneta revealed that the covid-19 pandemic is what motivated the organization to launch the “ACTION 100 WELLS FOR KENYAN COMMUNITIES” project.

“The importance of safe water was emphasized at the onset of the Covid pandemic and we realized that it was huge challenge for Kenyan communities to get water. We are a strong organization because of Kenyans and we therefore felt it was the right time to support these communities,” he said.

“So far, the 10 boreholes we dug in different counties will truly impact the communities positively and that gives us motivation to continue with the project. We promised Kenyans 100 fresh water points and that is what we will deliver,” he added.

Mozzart Marketing Manager Okoth Ochieng’ while re-emphasizing the need to help the Turkana Community as they experience the Water shortage also underpinned that Turkana is the first County to receive two wells.

“Turkana people have been affected greatly by the shortage of this life giving resource for many years, and it is a deserved blessing for the community to be the first to receive more than one Borehole as part of Mozzart’s ambitious countrywide Water Project. So far, the other counties we’ve been to have only received one borehole each. Our goal is to drill a Borehole in at least each of the 47 counties, and we are proud that Mozzart is the first company in our Industry to improve the Lives of Communities in Turkana County through Corporate Social Responsibility.”

Apart from the boreholes, Mozzart has been involved in other CSR projects most notably donating crucial medical equipment to hospitals, sponsoring various sports entities and donating sports equipment to grassroots teams.

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Business

Mama Ibado Charity, Inua Dada Foundation Sign Deal To End Period Poverty Among Girls

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Mama Ibado Charity (MIC), a charity organization that caters for the well being of seniors in the community has partnered with Inua Dada Foundation to end period poverty in Kenya.

According to MIC Executive Vice President Mariam Ahmed, the pact aims at giving them the largest reach to vulnerable girl children across the country.

MIC and Inua Dada Foundation signed a one year partnership which included Ksh.100,000 donation from Mama Ibado Charity to Inua dada foundation. This will go a long way towards supporting 200 girls with an annual supply of sanitary towels who miss out classes during their menstrual cycle.

It is estimated over 1 million girls stay out of schools due to lack of access to sanitary pads in Kenya.

Mariam Ahmed said the organization will see the above number reduce through such strategic partnerships.

“We want to significantly reduce these high numbers through strategic partnerships like the one we have signed today and many more that will give us the largest reach to vulnerable girl children across the country. In the last five years, we have supplied over 350,000 sanitary towels to 2000 girls in Isiolo and Kakamega Counties,” she said.

Inua Dada Foundation, founded by Kenyan Media personality and Gender equality advocate, Janet Mbugua set up a safe space for women in Korogocho slums where they will get free sanitary towels and undergarments during their menstrual cycle.

The center is also scheduled to have room where teenage moms can leave their kids as they go to school.

Ms. Mbugua said the partnership is another significant step for the foundation in promoting menstrual equality and dignity for girls and teen moms.

“MIC is a worthy partner and we believe that in the coming months, more young girls and women with periods will no longer miss out on their rights because they can’t access the means to manage menstruation,” She Stated.

“We want women to build themselves where they can afford to take care of their families. We are humbled by the way Mama Ibado seeing how important it is to look at the girls so that they are able to begin to grow them to a point where they are independent,” she added.

MIC founder, Ahmed Jibril said the charity has seen more girls benefiting with numbers nearly doubling in 2022 to about 600 from 400 last year with a target to reach out to 10,000 girls in the next ten years.

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Business

Tech Companies Making a Difference in Africa

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Africa has long been touted as the continent with the most growth potential when it comes to tech and innovation.

Many African countries are building their own equivalents of Silicon Valley and tech companies from all across the world have been setting up offices and launching themselves into markets across the continent.

And in addition to growing their customer bases, these companies are also committing to making affecting change in Africa. Here’s how. 

They are assisting in developing quality journalists and newsrooms

Over the years, Google, perhaps the biggest tech giant in the world, has been doing its fair share for small businesses, content creators and business owners across Africa.

And just recently the company announced that five South African recipients have been selected as part of Google’s News Initiative (GNI) Innovation Challenge.

The GNI Innovation Challenge is aimed at helping the journalism industry thrive in the digital era. Their projects are among 34 chosen from 17 countries, to receive a share of $3.2 million in funding.

The recipients, among them 21 journalists and publishers from 10 countries in Africa, were selected for their work in promoting diversity, equality, and inclusion in the journalism industry.

The GNI Innovation Challenge is part of Google’s $300 million commitment to helping journalism thrive in the digital era and has seen news innovators step forward with many exciting initiatives demonstrating new thinking.

They are providing wider employment opportunities

Helping vulnerable domestic workers to find work in a dignified manner lies behind the creation of SweepSouth, a home-services company that operates in Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, and Egypt. 

SweepSouth’s online platform provides clients needing their homes cleaned with pre-vetted, trustworthy home service providers, while simultaneously enabling domestic workers to find work opportunities in areas and at times that suit them, and overall earn higher than market rates.

Technology is one of the most powerful enablers of connectivity, and since it’s start up in 2014 – and subsequent pan-African expansion into big-market regions – SweepSouth has wanted to leverage that potential to ensure that domestic workers are able to connect with as many employment opportunities in the most convenient way possible. 

“Traditionally, domestic workers found work through the opportunities that people around them knew about. It was a word-of-mouth system that made it very difficult for them to access a wider range of employment opportunities,” says Alisha Rajan, Country Manager for SweepSouth in Kenya. 

“Our online platform now allows domestic workers to take advantage of 100% of the opportunities that they’re exposed to. It gives them the dignity and power to choose who they take work from, at times that suit them. It puts control back into the hands of a group that is often exploited and underpaid, and demonstrably improves their lives,” she adds.

They are enabling mobile payment connections

MFS Africa, the continent’s largest omnichannel payment gateway, believes in a “borderless world” in which everyone has access. Their comprehensive digital networks link 320 million mobile wallets, enabling cross-border payments remittance firms, financial service providers, and worldwide merchants.

MFS Africa CEO and Founder, Dare Okoudjo believes that interoperability is crucial in allowing customers of different mobile financial services providers to interact with each other.

This can be done by making direct payments from the mobile money account of one provider to the mobile money account of another provider.  

To do this, MFS Africa acquired Global Technology Partners (GTP) recently, broadening its bank and fintech base and supplying tokenisation in the mobile money space by connecting with established card ecosystems like Visa and Mastercard.

The ultimate objective is to give millions of mobile money users on the continent access to the global digital economy and new possibilities. For its partners, these new capabilities enable scalability, security, and new markets and consumers as technology innovation continues to penetrate and reshape societies.

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Opinion: Let’s Stop The Unfair Reporting On The Betting And Gaming Industry in Kenya

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

A recent article reported that Kenyans are spending over Ksh 160 billion on betting annually according to data acquired from Mpesa.

According to the report, this was alarming and calls for stringent regulations such as an increase in taxation to the gaming companies and even revocation of operating licenses.

It’s important to clarify that, the Kshs 160 Billion above is just the deposits by the punters and it doesn’t necessarily mean a profit to the gaming companies. Why not compare the figures to the annual payouts by the companies to winners for instance 70-80% of this amount goes out as payments to winners and in taxes which is astronomically high in Kenya and unreasonable compared to other global markets.

Gaming companies in Kenya are subjected to a very high taxes and this has been pushing them out of business. 7.5 % excise tax, 20% withholding tax on net winnings, 15% gaming tax and 30% corporate tax. All these are far too much and above what happens in ideal markets. They also have other normal bills such as salaries, premise bills and other overhead costs to take care of and that dimples the income even further. This is perhaps an area the incoming leaders need to think about and work hand in hand with the gaming firms to rationalize operations for the benefit of everyone.

They remit taxes worth over Ksh 1.5 billion monthly to both local and National governments and this is an area that has hugely been ignored when reporting on matters gaming companies. These are monies that are used to develop sports and other sectors of the economy.

The gaming companies are also hugely involved in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and this was very evident at the onset of the covid-19 pandemic. Majority of sporting organisations are also directly sponsored by gaming companies. They are an important contributor to the economy through the creation of jobs, continued capital expansion and the payment of taxes to the national government.

The gaming industry has provided significant funds for financing government organisations and other associations aimed at improving the socio-economic and social status of persons with disabilities, vulnerable groups, and other persons in need of social assistance, social welfare institutions, sports, local self-government, and the treatment of rare diseases. The gaming companies have extensive corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, embracing issues as diverse as responsible gambling, education, environment, health and well-being and social inclusion.

Achieving growth in the economy requires the creation of a business-friendly environment in order to improve the country’s competitiveness through structural reforms, market liberalization and foreign capital inflows for investment. Therefore, fiscal policy should support growth by establishing a stable internationally competitive and socially fair tax system. The media has an important role to play in all these and it all begins with fair reporting.

The media should be fair in their reportage of the gaming companies. This is an industry just like any other and they are legally doing business. The gains to the economy from the gaming industry are massive and deserve to be covered as well.

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Business

Domestic Worker Earnings Still Below Minimum Wage- Report

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma
  • Many respondents are being paid less than last year and well below the minimum wage
  • There has been a high increase in job losses for domestic workers over the last year due to semigration and other factors
  • A high number of domestic workers are likely to face abuse in their workplace

The 2022 SweepSouth Report on Pay and Working Conditions for Domestic Workers for Kenya and South Africa has been released.

This is the fifth year that SweepSouth has released their annual report, each year painting a picture of what domestic workers go through and endure. 

This year, the survey was sent to more than 1 000 domestic workers in Kenya and over 25 000 domestic workers in South Africa.

The report continues to be the largest and most detailed survey of its kind on the African continent, offering the most comprehensive view to date of the living and working conditions of domestic workers. 

The survey’s findings show that respondents in Kenya reported earnings far below the minimum wage, suggesting resistance to wage laws and a lack of enforcement.

According to Luke Kannemeyer, SweepSouth’s Chief Operating Officer, this puts a large amount of pressure on domestic workers, 70% of whom head up single parent homes, and 83% of whom are the main earners in the family, financially supporting an average of three dependents.

“The past year’s massive increases in transport and food costs have made it even harder for domestic workers to make ends meet,” says Kannemeyer.

“Worryingly, indebtedness also appears to be on the rise, with nearly three out of four of our respondents saying they are in debt, and around 40% feeling hopeless about being able to pay that debt back.” 

The pandemic’s continued impact is evident in the 69% of Kenyan domestic workers who lost their jobs in the last year. Reasons for this include semigration – where employers move to different cities as people now live and work anywhere – and the fact that employers can simply no longer afford domestic workers, a result of COVID-19, the knock-on effects of the war in Ukraine, and the pressures felt by escalating food prices around the world. 

The survey further reveals that Kenyan workers are more likely to face abuse in their workplace than their South African counterparts. While rates of physical abuse were similar in both countries, Kenyan respondents are 62% more likely to face verbal abuse and almost four times more likely to face sexual abuse. 

Another key finding is that a high number of domestic workers in Kenya spend more than an hour travelling in one direction to get to work.

This indicates having to leave home very early or reach home late, which could pose a safety threat. In the long run, the exhaustion from these commutes may have a negative impact on their mental and physical well-being, with the former continuing to be a concern in addition to the worries about the current high cost of living. 

This year’s report also highlights that 54% of domestic workers knew someone who had passed away because of COVID-19. A significant majority of respondents from both Kenya and South Africa said they had been tested for COVID-19 at some point, with close to 9 out of 10 receiving their test for free. This points to a relatively successful public health response within both countries.

Key KE findings at a glance: 

  • 69% of domestic workers lost their jobs in the last year, with 31% indicating that their employer could not afford to pay them anymore
  • Domestic workers are spending more on food, rent and electricity 
  • The deficit between earnings and basic expenses has grown by close to 30%, compared to last year
  • The number of domestic workers’ saving has dropped by 13% over the past year, with 25% of those surveyed stating that they do not have sufficient income to save
  • 73% spend more than an hour travelling in one direction to their place of work
  • 13% work more than 10 hours a day, and 11% work seven days a week
  • 73% are in debt and 39% feel hopeless about being able to pay it back 

“We went into this survey knowing that the numbers would paint a grim picture,” notes Aisha Pandor, SweepSouth CEO. “These past few years have been trying times and the recent increase in the cost of food, fuel, transport, and more is felt the hardest by those who already have little to spend. This in turn, affects mental health, physical health and so much more. As a platform and company that advocates for the rights of domestic workers, we will continue to lend a voice to this sector of society, educate our clients and assist those who use our platform in new and innovative ways,” Pandor concludes.

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Opinion: Leading Gaming Firm And Local Authorities Are Pushing Out Rivals From The Market

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Kenya’s state coffers are empty yet some gaming companies that pay Ksh 20 billion shillings into the budgets, provide 55,000 jobs even, helped communities even during the onset of the corona virus pandemic are being forced out by unethical and unfair practices led by a leading firm in the industry under the watch of local authorities.

The global economy received the strongest blow during the coronavirus pandemic crisis, to which almost no branch of the economy was resistant. Companies in the gaming industry saw a 90 percent drop in turnover at that time, but employees did not have to worry about financial stability, because their jobs remained secure and salaries were paid regularly.

Kenya today is on the verge of becoming an undesirable environment for investors because this leading gaming company has put its personal interests before the state. The affairs that firm is trying to carry out in the past days is not a joke, 55,000 people working in this gaming industry are scared for their jobs. Instead of progress, individuals are persistently trying to destroy what sustains Kenya economic stability and labor market even in times of crisis.

Investors, you are not welcome! Is that the message Kenya needs to send to the world? Is the personal interests of individuals, we are unable to receive the millions that companies would pour into the empty state coffers.

Instead of the progress of the entire country, the gaming company is persistently trying to destroy what sustains economic stability and the labor market in Kenya even in times of crisis. The procedure that is currently taking place is scandalous – to prevent some companies from extending their licenses and continuing to work in the market. In this whole affair surrounding the fixing of licenses, the stability of the economy in the country is also being hindered, all because of the domestic lobby in the background trying to remove the competition and take over the business in an unfair way.

Who is behind all these shenanigans and who is trying to sabotage the work of a socially responsable company – we will find out on Monday, when the meeting for renewing licenses is scheduled.

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Fly 748 Projects Positive Prospects For Airline Industry Despite Tough Economic Times

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

The rising demand for air travel since the Kenyan government eased COVID-19 restrictions has continued to boost the airline industry.

According to Fly 748 services, the demand is helping the sector manage higher operating costs as the world continues to face tough economic times.

The higher operating costs have been caused by increased fuel prices, inflation, higher tax on spare parts and fluctuating foreign exchange rates.

The tough economic times being witnessed across the globe has been fuelled by Ukraine war, COVID-19 and politics.

According to Fly 748 Managing Director Moses Mwangi, more and more people are taking advantage of airfare discounts and bundled travel accommodation packages to fulfill a long held desire especially for first time travelers.

Mwangi in a press statement sent to newsrooms noted that more people are taking to the sky compared to two years ago when Kenya was at the height of the pandemic.

“The sector is returning to pre-pandemic levels and operators are cutting losses on their way to full recovery,”said Mwangi.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecasts net losses in Africa’s Aviation sector to be 0.7 billion dollars in 2022 on rising passenger numbers- Demand (RPKs) is expected to reach 72 percent of pre-crisis (2019) levels, and capacity to reach 75.2 percent.

Fly 748 was recently nominated as one of the best domestic airline of the year by the Africa Mashariki Transport Awards (AMT) following its sustained efficiency in operations, a track record of safety, reliability and an overall strategy of demystifying flying in Kenya through competitively priced air fares.

Fly 748 Chairman Ahmed Jibril said he was impressed by the growing number of first time travelers and those who are building a strong loyalty to the airline.

“It is an affirmation of our efforts to revolutionizing air travel in the country,” he said.

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The New Infinix NOTE 12 VIP – True Leadership in Industrial Design Slim Iconic Design With Exceptional Performance

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Creating a slim yet powerful smartphone has been the goal of smartphone manufacturers all over the world since the release of the first smartphone back in 2008.

The main challenge arises when packing in powerful internals such as a bigger battery, high refresh rate screens, high performance camera modules and fast-charing capabilities that take up a lot of room internally.

These powerful features make smartphones thicker and slimming them down is often prohibitively expensive on the supplier raising costs for the end user.

In many circumstances, the consumer is left with the choice of having a bulky powerful smartphone or a beautifully slim device with lower performance.

Infinix aims to change this dynamic, with the release of the new NOTE 12 VIP by utilizing next-level industrial design to fit powerful mid-range internals into a slim and sleek smartphone body, available to consumers around the world at truly attainable price points.

Looking at the NOTE 12 VIP

The NOTE 12 VIP takes inspiration from sports car designs to deliver a sophisticated looking device that oozes style while providing top-notch performance.

Coming in with a thickness of just 7.89mm and a weight of only 198g, the NOTE 12 VIP is marvel in industrial design with its powerful package containing a large 6.7 inch display, 120W Hyper Charge capabilities and a
stunning 108MP cinematic camera.

Fitting these incredible internals into such a slim and lightweight device makes the NOTE 12 VIP stand above the crowd as one of the thinnest 120W ultra-fast charging smartphone available on the market today.

Design with Ultra-thin Glass Fiber

Fiberglass as a form of glass that is made when glass is drawn or blown into extremely fine fibers, these fibers retain the tensile strength of glass and yet very flexible.

Although it has the advantage of being both thin & light, but the sprayed on glass fiber used throughout the industry often makes the devices its present on feel cheap and plastic like.

The ultra-thin glass fiber used on the NOTE 12 VIP is an ultra-thin composite material based on ultra-thin glass fiber material combined with optical coating and UV texture.

The material consists of 8 layers of glass fiber stacked on top of each other, each layer of glass fiber consists of a precision fusion of glass fiber cloth and resin, with a thickness of only 0.05mm.

Combined with a multi-layer nano-level surface process, the glass fiber back cover has a durable and aesthetic looking frosted texture, tested with puncture resistance and an astonishing thickness of just 0.45mm and weighing only 8.5g.

The end result is a flexible covering that presents both thin & strong protection to the NOTE 12 VIP in Cayenne Gray and Force Black color schemes for an understated luxurious aesthetic.

A Stunning AMOLED Screen

By using a flexible AMOLED screen, the NOTE 12 VIP maintains a slimmer profile when compared to standard AMOLED displays along with the added benefit of richer colors and transparency with the addition of stronger drop resistance.

Flexible AMOLED screens have fewer structural components and only weigh a tenth of standard variants allowing the NOTE 12 VIP’s screen to both look better with a thinner profile.

In addition, the NOTE 12 VIP adopts COP packaging technology that gives the device a bottom bezel thickness of just 3.1mm with an ultra-high screen to body ratio of 93.1% for a truly immersive smartphone experience.

The Future of Smartphone Design

Infinix has always followed a user-centric and demand-oriented design philosophy for all of it’s clients, which paid dividends gaining Infinix certifications from prestigious organizations within the industry for respective device launches.

The Infinix Zero 8 and Infinix Note 10 Pro have consecutively won the German IF Design Award, while Infinix Concept Phone won the CMF Supreme Gold Award of the CMF Design Award.

These awards represent the quality of Infinix devices and their strive to continue making the best possible devices for users at attainable price points for young consumers worldwide.

Infinix is a brand that’s moving forward, seeking to improve and democratize high-end technology, making it accessible & available at reasonable and fair price points.

Stay tuned to all things Infinix for up-coming device launches and exciting updates coming soon.

For more details visit: http://www.infinixmobility.com/

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Infinix Note 12 Series: A VIP Launch!

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Infinix recently launched its NOTE 12 Series at its elegant event at the Sarit Centre Expo, a trendy and contemporary location that aligns with the brand’s vision and mission.

This is the first official product launch in 2022, since the Note 10 launch in Diani last year.

“At Infinix we are creating a new standard for high-quality smartphone performance and design especially with the new NOTE 12 Series, which represents impeccable form and function. This series packs quick charging power and strong chipsets into an iconic design that is perfect for emerging professionals who need a light, flexible and high-performance device,” InfinixCountry Manager, Mike Zhang.

In the coming days, the Note 12 VIP and Note 12 G96 will start rolling out in different Infinix outlets countrywide and major e-commerce platforms.

“The Note Series has always been an important series which has evolved with every launch. Innovation is motivation for Infinix. We put all our efforts to make products and applications interesting and of great value. Our goal to innovate our products, especially in the NOTE series is to deliver users a fantastic operating and visual experience,” Infinix Country Manager, Mike Zhang.

Price and Availability: The Note 12 Series will be available in 3 variants Note 12 VIP 256+8GB Ksh 41,999, Note 12 128+8 GB Ksh 27,999 and Note 12i 128+8GB Ksh 20,999 in Infinix outlets countrywide and online at Xpark.

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Triathlon Challenge: Fly 748 MD Takes On Experienced Athletes in a 7Km Race

by Mustafa Juma
written by Mustafa Juma

Moses Mwangi, the Managing Director of renown airline Fly 748 services has taken part in the inaugural triathlon challenge.

The provisional challenge organized by Team Tri Fit (TTF)which is taking place in Chale Island, Kwale County seeks to grow and mainstream this sporting event in the country.

Mwangi took on experienced athletes in a seven kilometers off-road trail after being handed the baton by Stephen Mutuku from fly 748’s finance department who had cycled on 30 kilometer off-road track.

Fly 748’s Revenue Manager, Angel Kamae also participated in open water swimming -a distance of 1 kilometer.

Mwangi congratulated all the participants, noting that the event was more than just sporting, but about mental resilience, motivation and self-discipline.

The event has seen amateur and professional triathletes aged between 17 years to 65 years and three persons of all fitness levels- with a desire to nurture the triathlon compete.

Mwangi promised that moving forward, Fly 748 was going to support the growth of triathlon in the best way possible.

Team Tri Fit (TTF) had in February this year signed a deal with Fly 748 that will see her members fly across the country at subsidized prices from the airline.

This is in line with the airline’s strategy of revolutionizing air travel in the country to enable more Kenyans take it to the sky through competitive pricing.

TTF which boasts of 65 members seeks to develop triathlon and duathlon and increase their uptake amongst Kenyans to 700 participants by 2025, in its five-year plan.

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Infinix All-New Show Stopping NOTE 12 Series With Ultra-Fast Charging Launches in Kenya

by Daily Trends
written by Daily Trends

Infinix today released its all-new NOTE 12 Series that includes high performance variants with the 120W Hyper Charge capabilities, a sleek 6.7” FHD+ Super Light AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 108MP Cinematic Triple Camera and more.

The series includes two variants – the NOTE 12 VIP, NOTE 12 G96 that offer well rounded, innovative performance features such as aerospace-grade ultra-thin glass fiber, up to 5GB of extended random access memory (RAM) and 103 charging and battery protections that keep users’ devices charged safely up whenever they need them.

“Infinix is creating a new standard for high-quality smartphone performance and design with its new NOTE 12 Series, which embodies impeccable form and function,” shared Vento Lin, Product Manager of NOTE Series at Infinix Mobility.

“This series packs quick-charging power and strong chipsets into an iconic design that is perfect for emerging professionals who need a light, flexible and high-performance device,” Infinix, Country Manager, Mike Zhang.

The Future of Fast Charging

The NOTE 12 VIP is one of the thinnest smartphones equipped with 120W ultra-fast hyper charging
speeds, making this lightweight smartphone more portable than ever while staying powered all day
long.

Infinix integrated the NOTE 12 VIP smartphone with 120W Hyper Charge and a 4500mAh battery to give
users maximized battery capacity and supersonic charging speeds that power up the device from 0% to 100% battery power in just 17-minutes.

To help achieve fast-charging capabilities, Infinix incorporated a dual-charge pump and dual-cell battery. This enables the NOTE 12 VIP to adjust the voltage and amperage to the optimal ratio, as well as doubles the available input.

Keeping ultra-fast charging safe, the smartphone includes 103 charging and battery protection features, which span the entire charging cycle for the charger, circuit and battery.

On top of the all-encompassing projection features, the NOTE 12 VIP also has 18 thermal sensors to monitor the device’s temperature in real-time to ensure that the smartphone charging is always safe.

Enhancing the charging benefits even further, the NOTE 12 VIP uses platinum superconducting material that increases the corrosion resistance of the charging cable for great charging material longevity.

By combining all of these beneficial features, the NOTE 12 VIP’s charge cycle counts up to 800 with up to
85%2 battery capacity retained.

Additionally, the NOTE 12 VIP’s 120W Hyper Charge is certified by the Tü V Rheinland Safe Fast-Charge System certification, which proves its reliability and longevity when charging daily.

In addition to the NOTE 12 VIP, the NOTE 12 G96 is equipped with a 5000mAh battery with 33W Super
Charge.

Breathtaking Design Language

The NOTE 12 VIP boasts a stylish and sophisticated design wrapped with high-performance features to
create the ideal smartphone.

The device utilizes aerospace-grade ultra-thin glass fiber material with the texture of glass and the strength of carbon fiber. The material gives the NOTE 12 VIP feather-light proportions and a 7.89mm ultra-sleek design that weighs only 199 grams.

Encased in this next-level design is a 6.7”3 FHD+ Super Light AMOLED display that provides users with a
crisp screen packed with crucial image features such as 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 10-bit color depth
with over 1 billion colors and great contrast ratios.

The AMOLED display features a flexible screen that enables a stunningly capable 3.1mm narrow lower bezel and a 93.1% screen to body ratio with stronger screen impact resistance.

The display also provides users with a silky-smooth visual experience with a sharp 120Hz ultra-refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling that instantly synchronizes with every swipe.

Additionally, a low blue light eye comfort certification, accredited by TÜV Rheinland, the NOTE 12 VIP allows users to enjoy hours of use with less eye fatigue.

Users can also experience immersive visuals with the NOTE 12 G96’s 6.7” FHD+ True Color AMOLED
display that yields crystal clear brightness even in broad daylight offering a range of flexible options for
different consumers.

Capture Fantastic Photos

The NOTE 12 VIP smartphone’s 108MP Cinematic Triple Camera, consists of a 13MP Ultra-wide angle
lens and a Depth lens with Laser Detection Auto Focus that shoots fantastic photos.

The camera incorporates a large 1/1.67-inch sensor with a 12000×9000 ultra-high resolution. It supports 9-in-1 pixel binning, producing large 1.92μm pixels that take in more light for maximum detail.

The addition of Laser Detection Auto Focus also effectively improves the phone’s focus in low light conditions.

The NOTE 12 G96 is equipped with a 50MP Ultra Night Camera with a depth and AI lens. All devices in the NOTE 12 lineup feature a 16MP selfie camera for the perfect selfie.

All the Speed & Power You Need

The MediaTek Helio G96 Ultra Gaming Processor provides more speed and power to the NOTE 12 G96
and NOTE 12 VIP.

The octa-core processer incorporates two powerful Arm Cortex-A76 processor cores clocked up to 2.05GHz and Arm Mali G57 GPU that works in tandem to harness next-level intelligence for groundbreaking performance.

This is paired with fast 2133MHz LPDDR4X memory and turbo-charged UFS 2.2 storage that yields super-fast data bandwidth.

Infinix expands the NOTE 12 VIP, NOTE 12 G96’s 8GB memory to 13GB by integrating RAM and ROM to provide users with up to 5GB extended RAM. This improves the smartphone’s processing speed and accelerates performance when users are using their smartphone to multi-task with various functions and tasks delivering extra power when it’s needed.

Additional key features:
• Dual Speakers with DTS: The NOTE 12 Series creates a powerful 360-degree surround sound
with enhanced audio.
• Graphene Cooling System: The NOTE 12 VIP has 9-Layer Colling System with graphene and
Vapor-Chamber Liquid Cooling for up to 15-degrees Celsius reduction4 in core temperature.
Additionally, the NOTE 12 G96 is equipped with a 10-Layered Graphene Cooling system.
• Linear Motor Tactile Systems: The NOTE 12 VIP integrates a Dual X-axis Linear Motor Tactile
System giving users a completely new touch experience while gaming. Meanwhile, the NOTE 12
G96 boasts a Linear Motor Tactile System that simulates shorter and crisper vibrations while
gaming.
• Infinix’s Dar-Link 2.0: The software improves image stability based on an AI algorithm, while
simultaneously reducing device temperature for an immersive gaming experience.
• XOS 10.6 Software: The NOTE 12 Series features new XOS 10.6 software based on Android 12,
which includes new features such as Storage Optimizer, Lightning Multi-Window, Privacy
Guardian and more. Additionally, the NOTE 12 VIP supports Folax AI voice assistant adding
quality of life improvements.

About Launch, Pricing and Availability

Prices will be announced at the product launch happening at the Sarit Centre Expo you can catch the event through live stream here https://bit.ly/3abUzM7.

The NOTE 12 VIP will be available in Cayenne Grey and Force Black in 256+8GB; the NOTE 12 G96 will be
available in Sapphire Blue, Force Black and Snowfall in 128GB+8GB and NOTE 12i 128+4GB.

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Nzoia Sugar Company To Close For 2 Months

by Pauline Waswa
written by Pauline Waswa

Nzoia sugar company is set to close for a period of two months for to undergo repair and maintenance.

Speaking to the press at the company, the company’s Managing Director Chrispin Ogutu said that the sugar miller has been operating on old equipment which has affected the production.

He said that the company needs modernized equipment for efficiency in production of sugar.

The national government had recently allocated 500 million shillings to aid in reviving the miller and some of the money was used to import new equipment from overseas to at least boost the production.

Ogutu went ahead to note that 216 million shillings is going to be used for that exercise where by 150 million shillings will be used on spare parts while the remaining will be used to pay the experts who will participate in repairing the equipment and also paying the skilled casuals and laborers.

The managing director went ahead to ask the farmers whose sugarcane is ready for cutting to be patient and reserve them as they wait for the company to resume saying that when it resumes, it will be able to process more sugar hence more canes will be needed.

Ogutu also noted that the company still owes the farmers 787 million saying that since the reopening of the company in 2020 which was languishing in debts, it has paid to about 1.5 billion shillings debt as at April and it looks forward to pay more farmers when the company resumes.

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