Author: NBM CORRESPONDENT

BY TERRY MWANGI Men are a stubborn bunch when it comes to fashion. Keeping up with fashion is never high up a man’s priority. Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe the reason you have been in endless chains of friendzone was because of your wardrobe? Okay this might not be a fact but your clothes also play a major role in attracting the right people and opportunities in your life. We do not wish for your wardrobe to be awash with all types of clothes and colors, a man’s wardrobe should be super simple and direct. All a…

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BY TOM ODHIAMBO By the time you read this essay you will be just about 80 days away from voting in the national General Election. You will almost be about to tick the ballot in favour of or against your choice of the President, Governor, Member of Parliament, Senator, Woman Representative, or Member of the Constituent Assembly. You will most likely perform this civic duty honestly and patriotically. But you might just have been ‘convinced’ to vote for any one of those individuals by a set of calculated lies and schemes. Lies, there is no doubt, make up a large…

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With a drastic reduction in neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) during the past five years, the World Health Organization (WHO), donors, non-governmental organizations and government representatives of endemic countries are meeting in Geneva, Switzerland to build on the gains that have been made and reaffirm their commitment to the fight against the menace. Since the London Declaration five years ago, which crystallized the international commitment to fight against 10 NTDs, tremendous progress has been made in reducing the burden of these diseases. Globally, nearly a billion people received treatment for at least one NTD in 2015, 36% more than just four…

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BY PETER WANYONYI Kenya goes to the ballot box in a couple of months. Come election time, two things are guaranteed – one, that there will be long queues of voters snaking out of polling stations and on for hundreds of metres at every polling station save for the country’s sparsely populated north. Two, and more important, there will be massive disagreements come results announcement time. Not a single losing candidate around the country will accept the verdict of the returning officer. The reasons will be varied, but they will revolve around one fact: no one, not even the Electoral…

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BY MARTIN MULI The unprecedented growth in digital communication has undoubtedly given Kenyans a platform for political activism. With the General Election barely three months away and intense political activities on the social networks, it is safe to conclude that social media’s influence in the polls will be much stronger than before. The impact of social media as a tool of political engagement is already being felt profoundly with the growth in the various social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram and Youtube. According to the latest annual report, “The State of the Internet in Kenya 2016” by…

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BY VICTOR ADAR There’s a lot of good things going for a young man who was once looked down upon after failing form four exams. Author of The Betrayed Nation, which is a drama of gambling with politics and violence, and currently riding on the latest book, The Raila Conspiracy, Babior Newton is one guy profiting from what many young people would find a great discomfort venturing into. Hearing his name would make you think that the creative author is some guy from South Sudan, or some fellow running funny cloth line from Lagos to Nairobi. But that is not…

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BY NBM WRITER Governments across Africa, private sector actors, donors and development partners were recently urged to step up efforts to accelerate Africa’s path to prosperity, inclusive growth and decent jobs creation by moving from agricultural commitments to action. The call was made at the official unveiling of Côte d’Ivoire as the host of this year’s African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), hailed as premier continental agriculture gathering, to be held on 4-8 September 2017. The West African nation, a leading agricultural powerhouse and a hub of expertise in improving smallholder farming, will be the first francophone African country to host the annual Forum.…

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By ANTONY MUTUNGA and David Wanjala Real estate has been a boom in Kenya for a while now, contributing 7.6% of the GDP. Investors have been bringing up buildings with the aim of satisfying the growing population that demands almost 250,000 housing units per year. However, with the prices of houses having gone up over the years, most people have turned away from high-end buildings to apartments. According to the Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) Housing Price Index, in the fourth quarter of 2016, apartments accounted for 60% of total sales while Maisonettes and bungalows accounted for 23% and 17% respectively.…

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By Kosta Kioleoglou Over the last few years, Kenya’s economy has been growing with an impressing pace. At an average growth rate of over 5%, Kenya seems to be unstoppable. People think that there is only one way that the country can move towards, and that is forward. Real estate is considered as one of the main pillars supporting Kenya’s growth. Truth is that property market has been outperforming most of the other sectors of the economy. Unfortunately, growth rate alone is not enough as an economic measurement to prove real prosperity. Several other economic data are equally important as…

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African Media Agency (AMA) Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), a leading pan-African multilateral development finance institution and project developer, has issued a $500 million 7-year Eurobond. The senior unsecured Eurobond, which carries a coupon of 3.875% was priced to yield 4.000% and matures in April 2024. The Eurobond received strong global interest, with an order book of $2.4 billion, representing about five times over-subscription from 231 investors across the Middle East, Asia, the United Kingdom, Europe and the United States. Prior to the launch of the bond, AFC conducted a road show in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, and the…

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