Nine Kenyan journalists were recently feted at a colourful event hosted by MultiChoice Kenya in partnership with the Ministry of Information Communication and Technology (ICT). Among them was Joseph Mathenge (pictured, right), who was awarded the overall CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of the Year Award for his work ‘Images of Terror’, which appeared in The Standard and was chosen from entries spanning 38 nations across the continent. Other journalists awarded were, Patrick Mayoyo, Evelyn Watta, Anne Mawathe, Rashid Ibrahim, Bob Koigi, John Muchangi Njiru, Christine Muthee and Oliver Oscar Ochanda. The journalists were finalists of CNN MultiChoice African Journalist of…
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Nakumatt Holdings has expressed optimism at the economic prospects in the Coastal region as it opened its 52nd branch in Bamburi, Mombasa. Managing Director Atul Shah said the leading retail chain is confident that economic recovery at the coast will spur demand. Beyond tourism, Mr Shah said that Nakumatt is banking on the region’s emerging position as an agricultural and real estate investment destination. Speaking at the opening of the Sh190 million Nakumatt Bamburi Supermarket, he urged private sector investors to invest in the region. “The prospects of economic recovery in the Kenyan coastal region are very bright for any…
BY JAMES NDONE When she held the reigns of the Kenyan office of an international research agency, she was a darling of the media. However, few knew that for Ipsos-Synovate Kenya head Maggie Ireri stumbled into the career. She had just finished her graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree from Kenyatta University when the government froze hiring of teachers. It turned out to be a blessing, as she decided to volunteer at a local research firm. “I would do fieldwork and prepare reports and this shaped my research skills,” she says. She joined Steadman Synovate Uganda in 2000 as…
DT Dobie has launched the latest Mercedes Benz CLA and A-Class models at a function held at the company’s Westlands showroom behind the Sarit Centre. Both cars are equipped with a fuel efficient 1600cc turbo charged petrol engine developing 156 horsepower, which is mated to a double clutch automatic sports transmission. “The CLA is greatly admired for being a sleek four door saloon with the styling of a coupe. This prestige car illustrates the latest avantgarde design with flowing lines. The wind resistance is so low that it sets new standards for series production cars,” Mr Phillippe Delunsch, DT Dobie…
BY NBM CORRESPONDENT When Jurie Willemse founded GroFin a decade ago, he was focused on working with small and medium companies that, as he has said, risked falling into the “missing middle” – too big for micro-finance but still too risky for traditional financiers. Whether ambitious start-ups or growing businesses of between 10 and 50 employees, they were concerns that would benefit from investments usually not larger than half a million dollars. In an entrepreneurial career spanning a quarter of a century, Willemse developed an ability to see what others miss, and GroFin stands out as proof of that. By…
BY LYDIAH WERE If you said hi to Monica Musungu, you are likely to be rewarded with a smile. Always jovial and on the run, the marketing manager of Scenery Adventures can be very hard to find, but great company when you do. “In the tour and travel business,” she says, “you cannot afford to walk. I am always running. A small hitch can mess a whole day for a client.” Ms Musungu plans and organises transport for dignitaries and safari tours. Scenery Adventures offers a range of travel services including among others car hire, hotel booking and furnished apartments.…
BY ENOCK MAKANGA The incident where a maid was got on CCTV camera mishandling her employer’s child has raised a lot of questions and fear among parents. Below are the recommended procedures for engaging a maid. This should assist you to improve your security practices. Finding and hiring a maid Many people have found it increasingly difficult to find and hire house helps in recent years. It is very important that you go through the proper employment channels to find a helper. Extreme care must be taken when interviewing a househelp. Get references from people who know the her…
BY LYDIAH WERE The battle for billions of titanium revenues in Kwale has heightened, with the county government staking a claim to the mineral through a new levy that has touched off a storm. In May the county passed the Finance Act, which imposed a mining levy of Sh5, 000 for every tonne of titanium exported. Just a few days after the gazettement of the Finance Act, Base Resources, the company licensed to mine titanium in the region, received a Sh378 million invoice from the Kwale county government for “titanium cess”. The company perhaps thought the government was pulling its…
Investors in Kenya can now take only a day to register their business, file taxes electronically and access both regional and international markets easily, thanks to favourable business reforms and policies initiated by the government and private sector. These and other factors have seen the country’s ease of doing business improve slightly by a single digit from last year’s 137 to 136 this year, according to the 2015 Ease of Doing Business index report released recently. The government aims to expand power generation capacity by 5,000 megawatts (MW) by 2017, adding to installed capacity of 1,664 MW in a bid…
BY VICTOR ADAR Every day, in the tough 1980’s, Parbat Pindoria struggled to get things done. So many people knew him as an artiste who enjoyed singing and playing saxophone. Seeing no silver lining in that forte, he approached his neighbour to borrow some money which he used to buy a grinder, a welding machine and a few materials. Then he moved on to inform his fans about the new venture, hoping it will be profitable and turn his dream into reality. The epiphany came in 1988 when the 55-year-old industrialist, then an energetic young guy, clinched a contract to…