BY DAVID WANJALA A combination of factors including strong domestic private consumption, public investment in infrastructure, growth in light manufacturing, and agriculture are tipped to propel East Africa’s GDP growth, as per the Eastern Africa Economic Outlook 2018 by the African Development Bank (AFDB). According to the report launched last month in Nairobi, average real GDP for the region in 2017 grew at an estimated 5.9%, but with considered country variations with Ethiopia leading the pack growing at above 8%. However, countries embroiled in civil conflict and insecurity, especially Burundi and South Sudan grew much more slowly. Speaking during the launch…
Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT
BY CAVIN ODHIAMBO Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria is rooting for a new Bill, which, if enacted, will legalise hawking and street vending. The 2018 Hawkers and Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihoods) Bill is aimed at providing a legal framework for recognition, protection and regulation of hawkers and street vendors in all counties as primary pillars of economic and social development by putting in place an identification mechanism and minimum standards of operation. The Hawker menace is not a new thing. It traces its roots back to World War II and Kenya’s State of Emergency. In her 2007 essay published in…
BY KENYATTA OTIENO On February 26 2018, soft drink giant Coca Cola in conjunction with FIFA brought the 6Kg pure gold trophy to Kenya as part of its 53-nation world tour. It is the third time the trophy came to Kenya having been here in 2010 and 2013. It is encouraging that FIFA has been choosing Kenya to host the trophy. The big question however is the capacity of Kenya to exploit the opportunity that comes with the hosting the trophy. President Uhuru Kenyatta hosted the trophy at state house after a group of media personalities had accompanied it from…
BY VICTOR ADAR It is a tough job to start an investment club, and turning one into a fully-fledged company that now employs 70 people is even tougher as Dan Awendo, managing director of Home Afrika is proving it. It requires a bigger scope of thinking since resources are usually not enough at the initial stages but one must start from somewhere. With rising need for start up capital some ten years ago, the real estate player won the initial battle but ended up with a much larger group of contributing founders. Before steadily growing over the last five years…
BY DAVID ONJILI Joseph Pep Guadiola’s playing and coaching careers are a catalogue of success and I accept as true that he offers priceless lessons in both leadership and management that business leaders can copy. With business leaders and employers seeking ways to make the most on the productivity of their employees, a lot has been said and written on the matter of how employers can handle millennials. How to get the best out of your staff… Yet, football and one man, the current Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola seem to be or have been rewriting the script on how…
National carrier Kenya Airways, also known as The Pride of Africa has, again, posted losses in billions of shillings. In its nine-month financial reporting for April to December 2017 announced last month, the company posted Sh6.1 Billion loss, having carried 3.4 million passengers in the period. Kenya Airways blamed the loss on fuel costs and the prolonged elections. That aside, the airline had earlier announced her plans to start direct flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to JFK Airport in New York USA with estimated cut on travel time from approximately 25 hours to some 15 hours. With the…
Smartphones, according to Jumia’s 2018 report dubbed the 4th Whith Paper, are the primary gateway to the internet for 270 million people in sub-Saharan Africa today. These devices are pivotal platforms for digital and financial inclusion, in particular for millions of people in underserved communities, complementing efforts of governments and private sector partners. The report shares insights into trends of Mobile & Connectivity in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Kenya and examines how the smartphone industry plays an important role in the social and economic development of Kenya. Mobile generated 7.7% of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa At the beginning…
Each year, the Africa CEO Forum Awards recognises the leaders, companies and investors whose strategies and performance have contributed most to the momentum of Africa’s growth over the past year. There are seven awards, ranging from African Company of the Year to Private Equity Investor of the Year. In 2018, there is an injection of innovation in the Africa CEO Forum Awards with the launch of the Most Promising Company of the Year award, which turns the spotlight on the continent’s startups. To win this award, five young companies at the forefront of innovation will present their projects to a jury comprising…
Not new in the limelight, Lorna Irungu-Macharia has returned to the corporate high table after being unveiled as the new managing director of Gina Din Group, a public relations driven communications agency. She takes over from Eddie Wachira who held the position for a short period of time between 2013 and 2014. Before joining Gina Din, she was a managing partner at Siwa Communications, a boutique firm that provides communications support. Prior to this, she worked as radio presenter for Nation FM. She has also worked as a presenter for a TV show called Club Kiboko in the 90’s, a…
Azumi Mobile has announced support for PayJoy’s Lock, a patented Android application that can remotely lock and unlock smartphones offered on an installment plan by retailers, mobile operators, and finance companies. The PayJoy Lock locks the smartphone when a consumer misses a payment, but enables the user to remain connected to make emergency and support calls as well as to access critical applications like mobile money. GSMA stats show that smartphone ownership in Africa has doubled over the past two years to nearly 200 million connections, a number expected to rise to more than half a billion by 2020. However,…