BY brenda viola Looking back, there are a lot of things I would have done differently. Growing up, I always wanted to be a doctor, a pilot, a teacher, a lawyer, etc. At least that is what I said to see the radiant smile on my mother’s face and the proud look my father gave me. Mother was happy, and father was delighted. What more could a seven-year-old ask for? Nothing. And so I grew up, always seeking the approval of my father and the assent from my mother. Those two were my world. Maybe I could have engaged in…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
BY DR TOM ODHIAMBO The campaigns for the Democratic Party leader to take on Donald Trump at the next elections in America have taken an interesting turn. Bernie Sanders, he who shook the world of American politics by making socialist sounding policies appeal to the masses is suggesting that he would tax the middle class in order to fund programs that help poor Americans including healthcare for all. His opponents don’t think that that would be a good thing. They argue that the middle and working class are overtaxed. But what about the poor, Sanders seems to be asking. If the middle…
New innovations in financial IT solutions are opening several opportunities for finance decision-makers in Africa. But realising the full value of these innovations will require leadership and vision.Earlier this year, the financial platform service M-Pesa announced that it has more than 20.5 million active users and over 27 million subscribers across Africa. This represents an important milestone for the continent and demonstrates the importance that innovations can have not only on financial systems but also on the broader society. Still, with the advent of AI, blockchain, and big data analytics, businesses are faced with an even broader array of innovations…
BY ANTONY MUTUNGA Since the late 1960s the Internet has rapidly evolved, evident in the introduction of other technologies such as artificial intelligence (A.I) and cloud computing. According to the Digital 2019 April report, between 2018 and 2019, there were 350 million new Internet users bringing the total to 4.4 billion active Internet users worldwide. Organizations have since learnt that in order to grow and expand, they have to be where the customers are, as they can no longer rely on transacting in operational silos. Before, organizations used to host their business metrics in databases or spreadsheets in-house but this…
BY VICTOR ADAR Quick Response Codes, popular as QR, are basically symbols which can be scanned using a Smartphone to reveal certain information or basically to direct a user to a web page. They are a type of barcode that is able to store a lot of information – it is more of an upgrade of the barcode technology. One can scan by simply holding a Smartphone over a code and pressing a button used when taking pictures. Use and creation of these codes started in earnest in the 1990s in Japan. But why is it catching on now? Is…
By Antony Mutunga Lately, whatever you do has to be shared on networks, from narrating instances to sharing thoughts and feelings on sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. These social media sites have become our lives, from just being a medium for people to stay in touch to being used as a tool for marketing. Regardless, its main aim to be a medium of staying in touch has been its purpose among a majority of the people. With billions of people connected to social media, new trends on the Internet keep coming up. Year in year out, people get treated…
The Association of Women in Extractives in Kenya (AWEIK) has partnered with the Ministry of Petroleum and Mining, a State department for mining, to organise the Kenya Gem and Jewelry Fair (KGJF), an annual event that aims at providing a platform for industry players to network and do business. The third edition of the fair, which hopes to position Kenya as a gem-trading hub was held in July at Movenpick Hotel, Westlands. Projects manager Victoria Wahu talks to Victor Adar about the challenges and opportunities in gem trading. What does the KGJF entail? The Kenya Gem and Jewellery Fair entails…
BY DAVID ONJILI Kenya’s position in the world of athletics is not disputable. From Kipchoge Keino, Paul Tergat, the late Samuel Wanjiru, Lorna Kiplagat, Catherine Ndereba, Paul Bitok and Eliud Kipchoge are just but a few among the many other world-beaters who’ve brought pride to the nation. High altitude training town of Iten remains a great practice place for athletes from across the world. Ultimately, you are more likely to be recognized abroad as a Kenyan because of the fame of these athletes. So in mid-2015, Navalayo Osembo and Weldon Kennedy; out of a shared frustration that the nation was…
BY KOSTA KIOLEOGLOU According to the Hass Property Index quarter two report for 2019 released on July the 24, the House Price Index showed that property prices fell by 3% while detached houses dropped by 4.5% in the quarter. The head of development consulting and research at Hass Consult also pointed out the fact that there is also an increase in distressed properties in the market as reflected by advertised property auctions. Additionally, developers are offering generous terms which continue to suppress prices and rents to the point where investors are opting for safer short-term investments. This new report is one more proof that Kenya’s property…
BY DENNIS NDIRITU In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes – Benjamin Franklin, 1789 Taxation has been lauded worldwide as a crucial contribution to the realization of human rights. Over a long period of time, it has been the main source of revenue for the Kenyan government. This has increased over the years and peaked with a great reworking of the tax system to foster economic growth and self-sustain our development during the reign of former President Mwai Kibaki. Taxation in Kenya is primarily in the realm of the two tiers of the…