Friday, August 31, 2012

Call for applications for 2012 Eco-Warriors Awards



The sixth edition of the Eco-Warriors Award Ceremony Gala night will take place on 16th November at the Nairobi Serena Hotel.
The awards, which are organized by Ecotourism Kenya, seek to recognize and reward innovations in sustainable tourism while promoting best practices.
Potential nominees for each category must clearly demonstrate elements of responsible, respectful, and sustainable tourism.
For more details on applying and the nomination forms:
Or
Contact Grace Kenana resources@ecotourismkenya.org or call 0721 259 637  

About Eco-Warriors Awards
The awards were established in 2005 by Ecotourism Kenya, a not-for-profit sector association as part of their drive to broaden industry understanding of responsible and sustainable tourism. Nominees are assessed against 4 main criteria that include, real achievements, outstanding innovation, sustainability of the initiative and the ability to replicate. The four have to be consistent with respect for environment, local people and their cultures as well as economically empowering the related communities.    
  

Evans Kamau, a Swedish-Kenyan Wins European-African Entrepreneurship Award

Evans Kamau Munira


A 32-year-old Swedish-Kenyan has won the prestigious European-African Entrepreneurship Award for a proposal to covert used cooking oils, widely used in the restaurant industry, into biodiesel.
The awards were held in The Hague in the Netherlands on Saturday, with nine African-European entrepreneurs pitching their ideas for a business that could be adapted in the country of their origin.

Samuel Kimani qualifies for 1500m finals



Samuel Mushai Kimani won heat 1 to qualify for the men’s 1500m T11 final at the ongoing 2012 London Paralympics Games on Friday afternoon.  
Kimani who is visually impaired was guided by James Boit to cross the finish line in a personal best of 4:09.44. Canada’s Jason Joseph Dunkerley guided by Josh Karanja came second in 4:13.67 ahead of Colombia’s William Sosa guided by Chavarro Cesar (4:15.66).  
In heat 2, Immanuel Kipkosgei Cheruiyot with his guide Robert Tarus (4:31.77) finished last in a race won in 4:14.95 by world record holder Odair Santos of Brazil.
The finals are slated for Monday  3rd. 

2012 CIO 100 Awards Launched



The third edition of the annual CIO 100 Awards East Africa was unveiled on Thursday morning at a press briefing held at the Nairobi Serena Hotel. This year's competition will take place from 28th to 30th of November at the Safari Park Hotel, Nairobi.
The CIO 100 Awards recognizes and rewards excellence in innovative application of technology in businesses. The awards culminate into an award gala that will honor the top 100 organizations in East and Central Africa.
This year’s theme is ‘value creation through innovation’ and more than 500 participants from Kenya, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania are expected.  
At last year’s awards, Kenya Educational Network (KENET) scooped the overall winner for their project that aims to provide internet connectivity to learning institutions. The first runner up and second runners up went to Eat Out Kenya and Nakumatt Holdings respectively.

Interested persons can apply online through http://cio100.cio.co.ke/apply/ .
Deadline: Monday, October 1st  2012 

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Chemos, Kiplangat win in Zurich Diamond League



Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa was disqualified for lane violation leaving the women 3000m steeplechase title to Milcah Chemos at the 2012 Zurich Samsung Diamond League on Thursday night.
Milcah Chemos was earlier caught in the final hurdle before falling hard on the track to manage a tenth position finish (9:35.67). Her rival Sofia Assefa who powered to the finish line first in 9:21.32 was disqualified after officials found out she had stepped outside her lane to give Chemos the win with an aggregate of 12 points.    
In the men 5000m, Isaiah Kiplangat emerged victorious in 12:58.98 ahead of fellow compatriot Thomas Longosiwa (12:59.24) and United States’ Bernard Lagat (12:59.92). Kenya’s John Kipkoech finished fifth in 13:02.11.
In Javelin, African record holder Julius Yego debuted in the Diamond League with a remarkable fifth position finish, having a best throw of 78.74m. Finland’s Tero Pitkamaki won in 85.27m ahead of compatriot Antti Ruuskanen (83.36m) and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Pyatnytsya (82.95m).

Rudisha finishes behind Aman at Zurich Diamond League

David Rudisha and Mohammed Aman at the Zurich Samsung Diamond League 

World 800m champion and record holder David Rudisha was stunned by Ethiopian teenager Mohammed Aman who clocked 1:42:53 to claim the 800m title in the 2012 Zurich Samsung Diamond League held at the Letzigrund Stadium on Thursday.
This was the second time Rudisha lost to Aman in wet weather, having lost to him in Rome last year in the same condition. Rudisha posted a time of 1:42.81 ahead of fellow compatriot Leonard Konsencha who finished in 1:44.29.
In the 1500m women, Mercy Cherono finished second in 4:06.42 behind Ethiopia’s Abeba Aregawi who won in 4:05.29. Third place went to United States’ Shanon Rowbury (4:07.14) while Viola Kibiwot finished came fourth in 4:07.27. 
In the 3000m women steeplechase, Milcah Chemos failed to defend her title. Ethiopia’s Sofia Assefa crossed the finish line in a new meet time of 9:21.32 ahead of compatriots Etenesh Diro (9:24.97) and Hiwot Ayalew (9:26.99). Kenya’s Hyvin Kiyeng (9:29.70) and Lydia Chepkirui came in fourth and fifth.
In the men 100m, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake continued his remarkable run in the Diamond League setting a new meet record of 9.76 ahead of Nesta Carter (9.95) and Ryan Bailey (9.97). The evening saw United States’ Tyson Gay disqualified for a false start.  
In the men 200m, the world fastest man Usain Bolt stormed to an easy victory in 19.66 ahead of compatriots Nickel Ashmeade (19.85) and Jason Young.
Kenya is also represented in the men’s 5000m and javelin by debutant Julius Yego, which are coming up..

Photo courtesy of iaaf.org 

Web Streaming: Presentations 2GO unveiled in Kenya


Kenyan IT firm, Technology Partners Ltd in partnership with Netherlands-based Learning Valley on Thursday morning launched a video streaming platform in Kenya at the Hilton Hotel, Nairobi.  
The platform dubbed Presentations 2GO is expected to transform how content is created, shared, stored, and reviewed.
The software, which is targeted at Kenyan learning institutions and corporate organizations, comes with rich e-learning features that will for instance allow a lecturer to deliver the same presentation to many students enrolled in different universities as well as allow an organization to set up meetings with its members of staff in different places at a preferred time.
Speaking during the launch Michael Hegeman, Chief Executive Officer of Learning Valley said, “Presentation 2GO combines the capabilities of broadcast, streaming and cloud storage.”
Presentation 2GO has a web-streaming server, which integrates the content before storing in the cloud or any specified facility, in different formats that can be taken up on by consumers of the media on most-end-user devices like mobile phones and tablets.
It is also linked to popular social networks that include Facebook and Twitter, thus allowing for further discussions and easy sharing by students.
The software may come in hand for Political Parties in their rallies, with the internet-driven world having transformed how candidates interact with modern electorates.
Kenya becomes the first country in Africa to have the Presentation 2GO software. The software is popular in Europe with the likes of Germany, Russia, Netherlands, Sweden, and Turkey having embraced it.
Mobile operator Safaricom and Microsoft Corporation is in the process of working with Technologies Ltd in roll out of Presentations 2GO to the Kenyan education system.

2012 SOYA Awards slated for December

Benjamin Limo receiving the Sportsman of the Year Award from Former Safaricom CEO Michael Joseph


The ninth edition of the Sports Personality of the Year Awards (SOYA) was unveiled on Wednesday afternoon at the Safaricom’s Michael Joseph Centre. The awards will be held in December in Nairobi.
Speaking during the launch, founder and SOYA’s incumbent chairman Paul Tergat reacted to the dismal performance posted by Kenyan athletes at the London Games and urged Kenyans to be patient and wait for report on the undergoing national probe.
According to Tergat, this year’s awards will not be dominated by athletics, opening the awards to other disciplines and federations.
The 2012 SOYA Awards’ theme is ‘Blazing a Generation and Securing Peace’ which will recognize the vital role played by the youth in developing and championing the sports cause and national healing through peace.
Safaricom handed over a Sh7 million sponsorship cheque to boost the event, which recently received Sh3 million from the National Bank of Kenya (NBK).
The public can send nominations for their preferred candidates online via info@soyaawards.com or wait for the SMS lines to be open after 2 weeks to vote.

About SOYA Awards
Established in 2004 by World Cross Country Legend Paul Tergat, the annual national awards recognize and reward sports personalities, teams, and organizations in Kenya.  

Photo Courtesy of soyaawards.com 

Camp Mulla nominated for The Headies 2012


Kenyan award-winning Hip-Hop group Camp Mulla has been nominated in Nigeria’s biggest Music Awards, the Headies for their song ‘Feel No Pain’.
The Headies 2012 nominees list was announced on Tuesday, August 28 and will see the group, famed for their hit single ‘Party Don’t Stop’ challenge South Africa’s Zahara (‘Loliwe’), Sardokie (‘Azonto’) and D-Black (‘Get On The Dancefloor’) both from Ghana for the ‘Best African Act’ in the Non Nigerian Category.
In the 2012 Chaguo La Teeniez (CHAT) Awards, Camp Mulla bagged the ‘Teeniez Collabo of the Year’ and ‘Teeniez Nu Artist’ awards. While in the 2012 BET Awards, it became the first Kenyan group to be nominated for the prestigious BET Awards in the ‘Best International Act (Africa) Award’ category.
The group is made of Miss Karun (Karun Mungai), Taio Tripper (Mathew Wakhungu), Young Kass (Benoit Kanema), K’Cous (Marcus Kibukosya) and Mikey Touchi (Michael Mutooni).

Mindspeak 2012 hosts Dr. Christian Turner



Financial guru Aly Khan Satchu will host the UK High Commissioner to Kenya Dr. Christian Turner at the InterContinental Nairobi on Saturday 1st September for the monthly Mindspeak Forum.
The highly interactive forum will enjoy a Live Feed courtesy of Safaricom.
It Kicks off at 9am & Entrance is free  

Dr. Christian Phillip Turner Profile
Succeeded Mr Robert Macaire in June 2012 to take up his current position
Former Director for the Middle East and North America at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Led the UK’s response to the Arab Spring
Private Secretary to the former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, served in Prime Minister Tony Blair’s Strategy Unit as Secretary to the Economic & Domestic Committees of Cabinet, as well as First Secretary in the British Embassy in Washington.
Holder of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG) for his exemplary contribution to British foreign policy  

Aly-Khan Satchu Profile
Studied Law at the University of Durham, London  
Ran global trading desks for Credit Suisse First Boston (Emerging Markets)
Former MD of Sumi Tomo Bank
Former Treasurer and Director of all collecteralized lending at ANZ Investment Bank
Former Executive Director at Dresdner Kleinwort Wasserstein (Emerging Market s and Short Term Interest rates)  
Author of ‘Anyone Can Be Rich’, a book based on the NSE and the Kenyan Economy
An active investor at the NSE, the Uganda Securities Exchange and various stockmarkets in Africa  
Founder of www.rich.co.ke and Mindspeak  
Since 2003, Satchu has been trading his own funds primarily Commodities (in particular Oil) Currency Futures and Options, Equity Indices and Single Stock 

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Erafinancials.com to benefit investors at the NSE



South African-based El Escrow Research and Analytics Limited (ERA) has unveiled a unique local research unit that will package and sell Kenya’s historical economic data.
Erafinancials.com will offer policymakers, managers, securities and economic analysts access to a structured historical database of all listed companies in the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and key indicators such as inflation trends, share prices, treasury bill rates among other compiled datasets from a decade ago.   

According to the Erafinancials website, the platform combines modern mathematical financial techniques, advanced technology and applies time series techniques to manage data trend analysis, regression and correlation leading to forecasting of various indicators and variables.  

The service will benefit investors who currently suffer from the scanty data available locally and have to rely on the likes of Bloomberg and Reuters for their vast datasets on various global companies.
It took the firm 18 months and expenditure of up to Sh20 million to compile the database, which can be accessed from as lows as $5 (Sh420), for a one-off viewing up to an annual charge of $500 (Sh42,000) for the entire product.  
El Escrow also plans to expand to neighboring Uganda and Tanzania. 

2012 UNEP Ozone Africa Media Awards registration extended to 18th



Applications for the 2012 UNEP Ozone Africa Media Awards will be now accepted until September 18, 2012, midnight, Nairobi time.
The Ozone Africa Media Award recognizes exemplary contributions by the media to the phase out of Ozone layer protection in Africa by promoting understanding of environmental issues particularly targeting ozone-related challenges, through compelling and newsworthy individual stories (in print both  audio and audiovisual media) which would make a valuable impact.

Those eligible
The competition is open to all Arabic, English, French and Portuguese-speaking journalists in Africa from the Print, TV, Radio, and Online media.
The submissions will go through a jury composed of representatives of the Montreal Protocol implementing agencies and select media experts.
Awards will be given as follows:
J        Best TV – $1500
J        Best Radio –$1500
J        Best Print (online and offline) – $1500
While winning stories will be published on the UNEP and its Partners’ websites. 
The Ozone Africa Media Award was established in 2010 by the UNEP Ozone Compliance Assistance Programme in Africa in partnership with the African Network of Environment Journalists (ANEJ).  
For more details visit; http://www.unep.org/roa  

Kenyan Paralympics Team to the 2012 London Olympics



London 2012 Paralympics Games kicks off today with the much-anticipated opening ceremony dubbed ‘Enlightenment’ and the athlete parade where 4,000 athletes from 162 countries will match donning their national colors in pride.   
Kenya will be looking to continue with its good performance at the games after scooping nine medals (five gold, three silver and one bronze) and finishing 26th overall in the Beijing Games four years ago.  
The Kenyan squad is led by triple gold medalists Henry Kirwa who is keen to defend three titles at the 14th Paralympics in London.

Old Mutual and Jua Kali Sacco launch affordable insurance package


A Jua Kali Worker at his workplace

Old Mutual Kenya (OMK) in partnership with the Kenya National Jua Kali Cooperative Sacco has launched an affordable insurance service dubbed ‘Heshima Mpango Poa’.

The new plan is targeted at low-income workers in the informal sector who are currently not covered by burial insurance.

Old Mutual will act as the underwriter to the low-premium service, which has undergone an intensive monthly-long research on its viability in the robust Jua Kali Sector before being unveiled.

Chris Nyokangi, Old Mutual’s Commercial Director described Heshima Mpango Poa as a product partnership that would certainly facilitate the delivery of micro-insurance services in the country.

The Jua Kali sector accounts for nearly 75 percent of Kenya’s job base and contributes around 18 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

More on the Heshima Mpango Poa

The Burial Insurance will offer cash benefits to members after the death of a family member. It is based on simple mobile phone software through which members’ data will be captured.

The affordable insurance services are available to everyone over the age of 18 years and the low premiums are paid in denominations of Sh350, Sh700, and Sh1400.  

Registration is through the various mobile money platforms, M-Pesa, Airtel Money, Orange Money, and Yu Cash after which one will be provided with a policy number and the premiums. 

Photo Courtesy of econke.wordpress.com

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Orange Slashes prices by 60percent in Chagua Original Promotion



Orange Kenya, Today unveiled a genuine mobile handsets campaign dubbed Chagua Original through which subscribers will be able to purchase 3G-enabled devices at discounted prices of up to 60 percent.

Press Release
Nairobi,  August 28, 2012 -- During the campaign period, which begins today, subscribers purchasing smartphones or 3G devices at all Orange shops will also benefit from one month free internet access as well as free access to Wikipedia and Facebook.
The devices that form part of the Chagua Original promotion range in prices from Kshs 599 (down from the earlier price of Kshs 999) for the ZTE S309 handset to the ZTE San Francisco retailing at Kshs 7,999 (down from Kshs 9,999). Also on offer is the recently launched Huawei Gaga, which goes for Kshs 5,999 (instead of Kshs 8,799).
The Chagua Original promotion comes just a month ahead of the government’s move to switch-off all counterfeit devices on all of the country’s four mobile networks by September 30 this year.
“We aim to ensure that none of our over 3 million plus subscribers is affected by the switch-off on September 30. As part of this, we have launched various competitively priced but high quality devices that can be purchased from Orange shops,” said Telkom Kenya CEO Mickael Ghossein.
The telecoms industry regulator Communications Commission of Kenya’s (CCK) has recently announced that all devices with non-authentic Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers would be disconnected from networks by September 30.
The IMEI number - the 15-digit code that every mobile handset is always assigned upon manufacture by the vendor – can be obtained by dialing*#06# or printed under battery for some models.
The number is used by mobile networks to identify genuine devices and can thereby be used to guard against phone theft as all devices, which have been reported stolen, are stopped from accessing the network.
When say a mobile phone user loses a handset, the subscriber can call the mobile network provider and instruct them to blacklist the phone using its IMEI number, thereby rendering the phone useless on that particular network as well as other networks, whether the SIM is changed or not.
To check if a phone is counterfeit, any user can send its phone IMEI number to 1555, and will automatically receive an answer.
The CCK campaign, which began last week, aims to guard against mobile phone theft as well entry of substandard devices into the country.

Qatar Airways to launch its service to Mombasa on 30th



Qatar’s award-winning airline will formally launch its service between Doha (Qatar) – Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) – Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa on August, 30th 2012. The launch date has been changed from the earlier announced one of August 15th.
The Doha-based airline will operate daily flights on-board an Airbus A320 aircraft between the destinations as follows:
J        Doha (DOH) 02:35 > 08:05 Dar Es Salaam 09:05 > 10:05 Mombasa (MBA)
J        Doha (DOH) 07:35 > 13:20 Dar Es Salaam 14:20 > 15:20 Mombasa (MBA)
J        Mombasa (MBA) 11:05 > 12:05 Dar Es Salaam 13:05 > 18:45 Doha (DOH)
J        Mombasa (MBA) 16:20 > 17:20 Dar Es Salaam 18:20 > 23:45 Doha (DOH)
The flag carrier of Qatar is also planning to launch a daily service to Zanzibar later in the year, bringing its destinations in East Africa to seven.

Qatar Airways, one of the fastest growing airlines in the world, operates a modern fleet of 102 Airbus and Boeing aircraft to 109 key destinations across Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, North America and South America. The airline was named Airline of the Year 2012 at the Skytrax World Airline Awards. 

Nestle to boost Coffee Farming in Kenya



Food multinational Nestlé S.A. has launched a multi-million shilling project, dubbed Nestlé Nescafe Project aimed at improving the quality of coffee by offering technical support to Kenyan farmers in order to increase yields and ultimately the quality of their product.  
In the initial phase of the Nescafe Plan, Sh35 million has been invested and the firm is planning to increase the amount of coffee it buys from farmers to about 180,000 tonnes within the next five years.
Nine farmers’ cooperative societies, with 27 wet mills and over 26,000 farming households are in line to benefit from the project as well as 26,000 small-scale coffee farmers in the country. 

Narendra Raval feted by Lions Foundation

Narendra Raval receives Kibaki during the official opening of the Maisha Mabati Rolling Mills Ltd 


Mr. Narendra Raval (Guru), Chairman and CEO, Devki Group of Companies was honored by the Lions International Foundation with the Melvin Jones Fellowship in Nakuru.
The honor is the highest form of recognition given to a Lion for exemplary service to their club, their community, and to their Lions organization.
Raval, CEO of the largest construction materials producer in East and Central Africa, says that the desire to uplift the living standards of underprivileged in the society runs deep.
Devki Group has been providing water residents in Athi River Township for the last 15 years as well as supporting a children’s orphanage of over 400. The Group has also been administering food to orphans in the Temples, through the Food for Life Programme for the last 12 years.
H.E President Kibaki honored Raval in 2009 with the Elder of Burning Spear (EBS) commendation for society empowerment.  
He becomes the 12th person in the entire world to receive such an accolade.

About Melvin Jones Fellowship
The Fellowship, which was established in 1973, is named after the founder of Lions Clubs International (LCI), Melvin Jones. It is explicitly referred to as an honor and not an award, and is the highest form of recognition to acknowledge an individual’s dedication to humanitarian service.   
Fellowship donations are largely responsible for successfully launching the Lion’s global attack on preventable and curable blindness (the LCIF SightFirst program).

Watch Below the story of the founder of Devki Steel Mills Ltd
Photo Courtesy of skyscrapercity.com


Dr. George Njoroge named a Hero of Chemistry by American Chemical Society



Dr. F. George Njoroge George, a leading Kenyan Scientist based in the United States, has been inducted into the prestigious scientific ‘Hall of Fame’ as a 2012 Hero of Chemistry by the American Chemical Society (ACS), the world’s largest scientific society.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Ormat Technologies & OPIC sign a $310 million loan for the expansion of Olkaria III Geothermal Power Complex

Olkaria III Geothermal Complex Ariel View


Press Release

Ormat Technologies Signs Long-Term Debt financing for up to $310 Million for the Olkaria III Geothermal Power Complex in Kenya

(RENO, Nev.) August 27, 2012 -- Ormat Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ORA)announced today that OrPower 4, Inc., its indirect wholly owned subsidiary, and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC), an agency of the United States Government, signed a Finance Agreement for limited-recourse project financing totaling up to $310 million for the Olkaria III geothermal power complex located in Naivasha, Kenya.
Phase I of the existing power plant commenced commercial operation in 2000 and was incorporated into phase II of the existing power plant in January 2009. Since then, the facility has been in continuous, successful operation.

Nairobi Half Life Premieres on 30th August



August is about to end big with the much-anticipated release of Nairobi Half Life on the 30th. The invite-only premiere will be held at the Westgate Cinema before a theatrical run starting from the 31st.   
The crime drama will start its theatrical run in a high gear after its Staring actor, Joseph K. Wairimu clinched the Best Actor Award at the 33rd Durban International Film Festival.

Short Plot Synopsis on Nairobi Half Life (2012)

It tells the story of a young aspiring actor [Mwas] who leaves his hometown for Nairobi, city of opportunity to pursue his dreams. Unfortunately, after setting foot in Nairobi he’s robbed of all his money and belongings. Alone in the big city, he braves the up and downs of life to become successful.  
The film is directed by David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga, and produced by Sarika Hemi Lakhani, Marie Steinmann, Ginger Wilson, and Tom Tykwer.    

Below is the Official Nairobi Half Life Trailer 

Full Cast and Crew

Production: One Fine Day Films and Ginger Ink Films (Kenya - Germany)

Cast: Joseph K. Wairimu, Olwenya Maina, Nancy Wanjiku Karanja, Paul Ogola, Anthony Ndungu, Johnson Gitau Chege and Mugambi Nthiga.

Director: David ‘Tosh’ Gitonga

Supervising Director: Tom Tykwer

Screenwriters: Charles 'Potash' Matathia,  Serah Mwihaki, Samuel Munene, and Billy Kahora.

Producers: Sarika Hemi Lakhani, Tom Tykwer and Siobhani Ginger Wilson.

Executive Producers: Marie Steinmann, and Guy Wilson.

Production Designer: Naia Barrenechea

Directors of Photography:  Christian Almesberger

Costume Designer: Abdul Mohammed

Editor: Mkaiwawi Mwakaba

Music: Xaver von Treyer

Duration: 99 minutes

2012 Kenya Airways Masai Mara Marathon



The fourth edition of the Kenya Airways 2012 Masai Mara Marathon will be held on September 22nd at the Lemek Conservancy.
Over 3000 local and international athletes are expected to compete in the wild of Mara National Reserve, home of the famous ‘Big Five’ and the 7th Wonder of the World (Great annual wildebeest migration).
The event has 2 categories, the 21km race and 5km family fun run. Winners in the men and women half marathon will pocket Sh250,000 each.
Register now for Sh5000 at any of Kenya Airways sales office in the country. Registration closes on 10th September.  

About the KQ Masai Mara Marathon
The Masai Mara Marathon is a charity event organized to raise funds for the Lemek Conservancy Community to address shortages in Education facilities, access to water, health, sanitation, and security in the larger Masai Mara National Reserve.




50 Cent looking for African Entrepreneurs to partner with



“I’ve learned is that Africa is filled with vibrant, young entrepreneurs who are eager to cultivate a sustainable business sector that will fuel growth for their future. That’s why I’m giving African entrepreneurs the chance to bring SK to their country.” – 50 Cent
50 Cent working with WFP personnel in Kibera

American Multi Platinum rapper, actor and prominent businessman, Curtis James Jackson III better known by his stage name 50 Cent is giving a chance for aspiring entrepreneurs from Africa  to be the sole distributors of his newly launched energy drink SK Energy Shots in their respective countries.
All partners chosen by the rapper will work closely with him to launch SK [Street King] energy drink in their respective countries, as well as acquire firsthand training on the business vision, and brand strategy.
SK Energy Shot, which is named after his latest album, will also raise cash for starving populations in the continent. Where purchase of a SK energy shot will provide a meal to a hungry child through the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).
Early this year, 50 visited schools in Kenya’s Kibera slum and in famine-hit Somalia to raise awareness on hunger and poverty issues.   
Want to start selling SK in your Country go to http://africa.skenergyshots.com     
Photo Courtesy of hiphop-n-more.com

9th International MYSA girls tournament slated for Tuesday



Over 50 girl teams are expected to participate in the ninth edition of the annual MYSA girl’s tournament at the Mathare Youth Sports Association (MYSA) in Nairobi. The tourney kicks off on Tuesday, August 28th at the Nairobi Technical Institute (NTTI) and closes on Thursday, August 30th .
This year’s tourney theme is ‘Protect the girl child for a better future’ and will see the launch of a new project in MYSA, the Gender & Youth Rights Protection Unit.
The unit will offer a safe space for all association members while dealing with children protection, rights advocacy and healthy relationship advocacy for its over 25000 members who are averagely 14 years.
The matches will be played in 10 different community soccer grounds that include those of NTTI in Pangani, Mathare 4A Primary School, Komarock, Eastleigh Community Center, Baba Dogo and Drive in Primary School.   
For over 20 years, MYSA has remained the only organization that holds girls’ soccer leagues and with the most successful tournaments for more than 7 years that showcase girls’ talent in the country. 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Maina, Mugo win 2012 Mombasa International Marathon



Paul Maina Theuri and Hellen Mugo emerged the winners of the 28th edition of the Safaricom Mombasa International Marathon held on Sunday at the coastal town.
Maina crossed the finish line in 2:12:26 ahead of fierce competition from Peter Biwott (2:21:54) and Daniel Kilimo (2:21:55) who finished second and third respectively.
In the women’s division, Mugo won in a time of 2:37:16 ahead of Beatrice Chepkorir and Irene Cherop who finished in 2:37.25 and 2:38.02 respectively.
The two winners each bagged a Sh200,000 cash award.
Bernard Matheka and Jane Mwikali won the 10km Men and Women respectively to pocket sh10,000 each. 

Kenya Run Riot in Birmingham Diamond League



Kenyans continued to show a great performance at the ongoing Diamond League meetings with Sunday’s 12th meeting in Birmingham, England being one of the best.

Below are the results from Sunday’s 2012 Samsung Diamond League Track Meet at the Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix:

Mercy Cherono crossed the finish line in 8:41.21 to lead a clean sweep for Kenya in the Women’s 3000m. Fellow compatriot Vivian Cheruyiot (8:41.22) was second and Sally Kipyego third in 8:42.74. Viola Kibiwot (8:43.75) and Veronica Wanjiru (8:45.61) came fourth and fifth respectively.  

In the Men’s 1500m, Nixon Chepseba (3:35.09) and James Magut (3:35.74) came second and third behind Ethiopia’s Mekonnen Gebremedhin who finished in 3:34.80. Silas Kiplagat (3:35.74) and Bethwell Birgen (3:35.88) took fourth and fifth place respectively.  

In the Men’s 3000m Steeplechase, 19-year-old Jairus Kipchoge Birech emerged victorious in a time of 8:20.27 ahead of Olympic bronze medalist Abel Mutai who posted 8:25.42. Haron Lagat came fourth in 8:33.17.

In the Women’s 800m, Pamela Jelimo came second in 2:00.40 behind her fierce rival Mariya Savinova who won in 2:01.43.  

Juliana Rotich: Prolific Blogger behind Ushahidi.com



Rotich speaks to The Observer’s Ally Carnwath on how Ushahidi has helped ordinary Africans take control of their lives

Juliana Rotich chuckles down the line from Nairobi at the suggestion that she is one of the people helping to shape a new image of Africa. “Well, I’m a big nerd,” she says. “So if a nerd can be part of the future, let’s do this.”
In 2008, when the post election violence erupted in Kenya, Rotich was trapped at home in the Western town of Eldoret, where some of the worst fighting was taking place.
A blackout on live news broadcasts had left Kenyans unable to get basic information about what was going on. Leading to Rotich and a group of friends to create a website called Ushahidi, Swahili for ‘testimony’ that used updates from ordinary people, via emails and text messages, and plotted these on an interactive map.
“We did something which was pretty natural for us but it was very cathartic,” Juliana explains. “It was important to share what I knew.”
Within days, Ushahidi was providing the much-needed information about the spread of fighting to thousands of Kenyans across the country. And throughout the conflict and its aftermath, it helped to document the scale of the violence, despite the attempts of politicians to play it down.
Since then, the Ushahidi model has been adapted for humanitarian crises worldwide – it was credited with locating survivors under the rubble following the Haiti earthquake – and also found a variety of other, less dramatic uses – a recent application mapped small UK businesses keen to promote themselves during the Olympics.
35-year-old Rotich bubbles with excitement when talking about its global reach: “The platform has been translated into 20 languages. Can you imagine?” But she’s cautious of the kind of breathless post-Arab-spring rhetoric about the power of information-sharing technology to bring sweeping political change.
For Rotich its primary role, at least in Africa, is a more prosaic one: helping people get better and cheaper access to basic goods and services rather than inspiring revolution. “Democracy is an alluring idea,” she says. “And we do hope that our technology plays a role but I want to keep that in the context of some of the challenges that are on the ground and the opportunities for technology to help with some of the inefficiencies.”
She is proud of the way Ushahidi gave a voice to ordinary Kenyans to explain what was happening in their own communities. “Africans tell their story better and represent the reality that they live better. When you have a view on a situation from on the ground, it can complicate the narrative in an important way. It wasn’t easy for the rest of the world just to say, oh that’s another genocide happening.”
As a regular speaker at global technology events such as Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) talk, she is all too conscious of how Africa is perceived by the outside world. “I usually dive straight into the technology and people are shocked, because they are thinking, ‘She’s an African woman, I expected her to talk about how things are terrible or tell a sad story.’
“But in my world, the reality is very exciting. I see young people here in Nairobi and they come up and they say this is my startup idea. People have the option of creating something, filling a need, scratching an itch.”
So how would an Africa that has shaken off its negative image appear to the world?
“When you see those online adverts, those ones that say, ‘Volunteer in Africa – come and work in an orphanage or a game park’, and there’s usually a picture of a lion,” she says. “There might be a future where you’ll see an advert that says, ‘Come and work in the hi-tech sector’.”

Innovators she admires
Lukonga Lindunda, the founder of BongoHive in Zambia.
Rachel Gichinga of the 125/100 project and Co-founder of Kuweni Serious
Dr. Sheila Ochugboju, Co-founder of a popular photography website www.africaknows.com and TEDxNairobi  

Ally Carnwath writes on Africa & Music for The Observer and The Guardian
Adapted from: The Guardian 
About Juliana Rotich 


Kogo, Rotich win the Crim 10mile race



Julius Kogo maintained his winning streak at the Crim 10-mile race after finishing in a time of 46:45 to win the race for the third straight year on Saturday in Flint, Michigan.
Last year, the 27-year-old he crossed the finish line in a time of 47:15 while back in 2010, he finished in 47:06. This is another win for Kogo who last Saturday won a half marathon in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
Mourad Marofit came second ahead of two Kenyans MacDonald Ondara and Onesmus Serem who took third and fourth place at 47:24 and 47:29.  
In the women division, Caroline Rotich emerged victorious in a leading time of 53:44 ahead of fellow compatriot Risper Gesabwa who crossed the finish line at 54:21. 

AIESEC Kenya feted at the 2012 International Congress

Members of AIESEC Kenya

AIESEC Kenya was named the winner of the 2012 UBS Regional Excellence Award for Africa on Saturday evening at the 2012 AIESEC International Congress in Moscow, Russia.
The other winners include:
AIESEC Ethiopia – UBS Entrepreneurship Excellence Award
AIESEC Egypt – UBS Regional Excellence Award for Middle East and North Africa
AIESEC Italy – UBS Regional Excellence Award for Western Europe and North America
AIESEC Ukraine – UBS Regional Excellence Award for Eastern Europe
AIESEC Cambodia – UBS Regional Excellence Award for Asia Pacific
AIESEC Colombia – UBS Regional Excellence Award for Iberoamerica
Tsunehiro Kinashi, Prof. John Koblah Aheto and Evgeny Kosolapov won the AIESEC Alumni Hall of Fame Award  

About AIESEC Kenya
Established in 1970 at the University of Nairobi (Kabete Campus), AIESEC Kenya has existed in the country for the last 42 years. The Organization has expanded its network to the current 12 member universities in Kenya.
AIESEC Kenya expanded further to the neighboring countries that include AIESEC Uganda, AIESEC Tanzania, and AIESEC Rwanda.  
In Kenya, it has over 450 volunteer members in respective universities and facilitates over 170 internships per year across the country.  


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Carl Tundo wins Nanyuki KCB Rally



Carl ‘Flash’ Tundo outpaced his fellow competitors to be crowned the winner of the KCB Advantage Banking Rally held on Saturday in Nanyuki.
Navigated by Tim Jessop in a Mitsubishi Evo9, Tundo bagged his second career Nanyuki rally win ahead of Alastair Cavenagh and Baldev Chager who came second and third respectively for the podium finish.
This is Tundo’s fourth victory in the 2012 KNRC season having won the Nyeri, Nakuru and Safari rally. He has a 75-points championship lead ahead of veteran Ian Duncan who dropped from the rally after his car developed mechanical problems.


Here are the results for the top six finishers:
1.       Carl Tundo 1:22:11
2.       Alistair Cavanagh 1:22:33
3.       Baldev Chager 1:26:40
4.       Quentin Mitchell 1:27:11
5.       Anwar 1:29:34
6.       Bharji 1:34:42 


2012 Vybez Awards slated for September 1st



The inaugural Vybez Awards will be held on Saturday, September 1st at the Bomas Resort in the Lake side city of Kisumu.
The music awards are organized by Kisumu-based Victoria Entertainment and seek to celebrate talent in areas seen as sidelined by the mainstream awards such as Kisima and CHAT, which appear to support talent from mainly Nairobi and Mombasa.
Talented youths from Western, Rift Valley, and Nyanza provinces will be celebrated in various categories in the 2012 Vybez Awards that include Best Female Artist, Best Male Artist, Best Video, Best Hip Hop Artist, Best Group, Best Song, Best DJ, Best Dance Group, Best Collabo, Best Artist of the Year, Best RNB Artist, and Best Producer.
The award’s theme is ‘development of positive thinking and behavior change among the youth through music and talents as a whole’ and are sponsored by KK Security, Tech Mobile, Sahara FM, Silvercrest, and Maji-QQ. 

Niger, Ghana crowned the 2012 Airtel Rising Stars Champions



Niger boys beat Zambia 5-4 while fellow champions’ Ghana girls beat Kenya 2-1 in the final of the Airtel Rising Stars pan-African Championship to lift the 2012 Airtel Rising Stars trophies at the Nairobi’s City Stadium.
At Full-time the fascinating match between Niger and Zambia was locked on a barren draw before proceeding to post-match penalties where the Niger boys converted all their penalties.
In the girls match, Kenya got the opening in the 27th minute through Vivian Odhiambo before Ghana responding in the 43rd minute through Emelia Lokko and ultimately sealing the win in the 56th minute through Patience Narah.   
The trophies and medals were presented the trophy by Manchester United legendary goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.
In the third place play offs played at the St. Mary’s grounds, Uganda girls beat Chad to claim third place-finish.
A team of 25 players selected from the championships will undergo a 2-day clinic at the Kenya High School Nairobi conducted by Manchester United youth officials.  
In the Semifinals, Kenya girls beat Uganda 3-0 in a thrilling match played on Friday where Winnie Mogechi netted a brace in outstanding trend that she has maintained throughout the championship. In the previous matches, Kenya had a winning streak that included thrashing Malawi 11-0, Sierra Leone 3-0, and Chad 2-0.  
In the Semi-finals, Zambia boys beat Kenya II after a spectacular strike from Albert Bwalya in the 79th minute. In other earlier matches, Zambia beat Burkina Faso 5-0, Gabon 2-0, and Tanzania 4-1. 

2012 Internews Storyfest Awards winners


The 2012 Internews Storyfest Awards ceremony was held on Friday evening at the Hotel Bontana in Nakuru.  
An esteemed judging panel of former BBC’s Focus on Africa Editor Joseph Warungu, Daily Nation’s Chief sub-editor Ng’anga Mbugua, Media Consultant Sandra Ndonye, Rob Jilo the Special Reports editor Capital FM and Christine Nguku announced this year’s finalists.      

Below are the 2012 Internews Storyfest Award Winners
J        Best Online Story – Judy Kaberia & Muthoni Njuki, Capital FM
J        Best TV Story – Anne Soy-Mwendia, KTN
J        Best Print Story – Joy Wanja, Nation Media Group  
J        Best Community radio Story – Thomas Bwire, Pamoja FM  
J        Best Long form/ Documentary story – Anne Soy-Mwendia, KTN
J        Best Story on Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision – Marie Yambo, KBC  

The aim of the awards is to celebrate creative, compelling, unique storytelling on the field of Health Journalism.

African Governments advised by Kaspersky on e-Security



During the IDC IT in Government Roadshow 2012 held at the Hilton Hotel Nairobi on Thursday, leading global IT Security firm Kaspersky discussed the issues that governments across Africa face in handling e-Security.
The firm advised the various African government departments, which are currently bringing more of their services online to overhaul their IT systems in order to protect them from the recurrent cyber intrusions.
The implementation of e-government programs are expected to increase leading to sustained investments into systems, storage, and network infrastructure as well as various software technologies such as  virtualization, middleware, security, portal solutions, and enterprise applications.    
Kenya has been hard hit in the recent past with over 100 government websites being hacked overwhelming the CCKs Cyber Incidence Response Team (CIRT). The massive cyber intrusion has mainly been blamed on the government hosting its websites in one server at the Treasury, which it is currently working on.
According to a survey by B2B and Kaspersky Lab, Cyber-attacks have been predicted to be the number one risk to businesses within the next two years. The survey involved over 3300 IT specialists in 22 countries worldwide and puts Cyber-threats second only to economic uncertainty in business risks with the gap closing fast.
A recent internet usage report by the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) shows that approximately 17.4 million Kenyans use the internet as at December 2011, an increase from 8.8 million in the previous year.

For more on the Kenya Cyber Security Report 2012 Grab a Pdf copyhere 

Free Reporting Webinars from Scripps


Scripps Howard Foundation will provide free online training sessions the first and third Wednesdays of the month, through its ‘How I Got That Story’ webinar series.
The free webinars will be beneficial to journalists worldwide who are interested in reporting on elections or disasters with the two topics being featured this September.  
The ‘How I Got That Story’ program focuses on award-winning journalism topics and the process used to get the story. An accomplished reporter or a team of reporters responsible for the work will present each webinar.
Interested persons can register for the following upcoming webinars:

Democracy 2012 – Wednesday, September 5th: Veteran reporters will offer tips for covering this year’s political campaigns.
Topics to be covered include:
J        How to organize your campaign coverage
J        How to integrate social media into campaign coverage
J        How to involve citizens
J        Timeframe to create the balanced segments

Disaster Coverage – Wednesday, September 19th: Will cover the role of the internet and social media in covering crisis stories, wall-to-wall coverage of a breaking news event, demands of networks and affiliates while covering a story and preparing for the next major story.
For more details visit: www.howigotthatstorywebinars.com    

Winners of East Africa AABLA 2012 Awards



The East Africa All Africa Business Leaders Awards (AABLA) were held on Thursday night at a colorful ceremony hosted at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi.
Five winners in their respective categories were announced with Kenya having four out of the five winners in the region.
 The five will now compete for the grand awards for the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa on 25th.  

Here are the East Africa Winners
1.       Jack Kayonga, CEO of Rwanda Development Bank won the Young Business Leader of the Year
2.       Jennifer N. Barassa CEO of Top Image Ltd won the Business Woman of the Year  
3.       Dr. Manu Chandaria bagged the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award
4.       Vimal Shah of Bidco Oil won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award
5.       Dr. James Mwangi CEO of Equity Bank won Business Leader of the Year

The awards are organized by ABN productions in partnership with CNBC Africa and Forbes Africa.


Friday, August 24, 2012

Pamela Jelimo reigns at the Lausanne Diamond League



2008 Olympic champion Pamela Jelimo emerged victorious in the women’s 800 metres race at the Athletissima IAAF Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland.  
She maintained her pace and finished in a time of 1:57.59 ahead of newly crowned Olympic champion Mariya Savinova from Russia.  

The thrilling Thursday night also saw Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake become the second fastest man in history after winning the 100m in 9.69. United States Tyson Gay (9.83) and fellow compatriot Nesta Carter who posted a time of 9.95 followed him.
In the 200m race, the world’s fastest-man Usain Bolt won easily posting a meet-record time of 19.58 behind his Olympic time of 19.32.  

Temenos T24 banking software unveiled in Kenya



A leading IT consulting firm Sofgen launched in the country, a banking software branded ‘Temenos T24’ on a shared model accessed via the cloud platform.
Local small and Medium (SME) banks and microfinance institutions, which are the main target for the new service, are set to benefit from a more secure core banking system through pay-per-use model.
Speaking during last week’s Sofgen executive committee meeting in Nairobi, Sofgen Africa CEO Tunda Oladele said that microfinance institutions in the country fail to invest in robust IT systems due to high costs. Leading to the increased number of fraud cases in the mentioned institutions.
Sofgen tags its software as comparatively cheaper to maintain, having no operational expenditure as well as annual license fees. It only has annual subscription and on-boarding fees.  
The software comes as a great relief to the banking industry in the region as a recent research by Deloitte East Africa showed that the East African banks lost Sh4.05 billion (approx. $48.3 million) to fraud in the last 18 months, mainly through insider collusion.
Temenos T24 microfinance institution banking software solution comes with a pre-configured model bank based on microfinance and community banking best practices.

About Temenos T24
Temenos T24 is a banking system that pairs the most comprehensive and most powerfully flexible business functionality with the most advanced and scalable architecture.
T24 is built on open architecture, offers low cost of ownership and uses established standards such as HTTP, XML, and J2EE. Its design offers multiple application server support offering horizontal scalability and supporting huge numbers of users with non-stop resilience. 

Kenya U-19 Rugby Squad jet into Harare for CAR



Kenya Under-19 rugby team on Thursday morning left for Harare, Zimbabwe where they will compete in a week-long Confederation of African Rugby’s (CAR) tournament, which kicks off this Saturday at the Prince Edward School Stadium.
Kenya is drawn alongside host Zimbabwe, Tunisia and Namibia in Pool ‘A’ with the winner of this pool set to earn a slot to the 2013 edition of the IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy while Pool ‘B’ (Uganda, Zambia, Madagascar and Morocco ) winner will earn a berth to U-20 World Championship in Chile.

Kenya’s Schedule
Kenya vs. Zimbabwe at 5.30pm (Kenyan time) Saturday, August 25th  
Kenya vs. Namibia at 12.30pm (Kenyan time) Wednesday, August 29th
Kenya vs. Tunisia at 2.00pm (Kenyan time) Saturday September 1st

Kenya U-19 squad
Seth Omae, Francis Mwita, Michael Ndalila, Victor Onyango, Robert Aringo, Caesar Onyango, Martin Muita, Derrick Mayar, Billy Odhiambo, Mulroney Amunabi , Haron Ongera, Lameck Oluoch, Samuel Odhiambo, Amon Ledama, Maxwell Kangeri, Calyton Nelson Nyandat, Humphrey Owuor, Michael Omondi, Kevin Orangi, Mohammed Omollo, Samuel Ogolla Raduolo, Elton Magotsi, Jacob Owaa, Lionel Chidemu
 Head Coach: Paul Murunga, Assistant Coach: John Asila
Team Manager: Joseph Okong'o
Team Physio: Gerald Omondi
Leader of Delegation: Philip Jalang'o (KRU Director of National Squads and Elite Performance) 

Thursday, August 23, 2012

2012 Mombasa International Marathon unveiled



The 29th edition of the Safaricom Mombasa International Marathon was unveiled on Thursday with the likes of Berlin marathon champion Patrick Makau and Geoffrey Mutai expected to grace the annual event.
The marathon, which is scheduled for Sunday, August 26th will kick off from Treasury Square in Mombasa’s Old Town before joining the Mama Ngina Drive, Ganjohi, Shimanzi, Makupa, Tudor, Municipal Stadium and back the same route.
Over 500 elite athletes from 6 countries are expected to participate in the 42km and 10km. With top three finishers in the marathon receiving cash rewards of Sh200000, Sh100000, and Sh50000 while those in the half-marathon will pocket Sh10000, Sh5000, and Sh3000.
Main sponsors Safaricom and Athletics Kenya have given a boost of Sh1.5 million and Sh30000 respectively.




Safaricom sets Sh25billion to boost network coverage



Kenya’s leading mobile network operator Safaricom has set aside an estimated Sh25 billion (approx. $298 million) to expand its network across the country.
The investment by Safaricom is aimed at reaching out to subscribers in remote areas by providing better network coverage.
Speaking last week during the unveiling of a BTS station in Bungule in Taita Taveta County, the firm’s enterprise business unit general manager Sylvia Mulinge said the company wanted to offer flawless communication to its subscribers irrespective of their locations.
“We have so far installed over 3000 base transmitters across the country and set to increase our sites by more than 10 percent in this financial year” she added.  
Mulinge further explained that the company’s move to improve its service in the 47 counties was in line with the dispensation of the county system of government under the new constitution.   
Most of the current Safaricom’s sites are linked to 3G-network coverage, but plans are underway to upgrade them to 4G with Nairobi County set to start in the rollout. 

Swahili Fashion Week 2012 slated for October 6th



The fifth edition of the Swahili Fashion Week (SFW) will take place at the Michael Joseph Centre in Nairobi from October 6th.
SFW provides talented local designers from East and Central Africa with a forum to showcase their creativity and skill in Fashion.
Through its ‘Made in Africa’ concept, its mission is to improve fashion design quality output from the East African region as well as promoting upcoming fashion brands and sourcing for markets.

About Swahili Fashion Week
Is a platform for fashion and accessory designers founded and created by world-acclaimed Tanzania couturier, Mustafa Hassnali in 2008. Currently in its fifth year, SFW has become the biggest annual fashion event in the whole of East and Central Africa.

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