Author: Victor Adar

BY VICTOR ADAR There is a trend sweeping in out-of-town shopping centres where by individuals combine variety of businesses to earn good income. A chemist will most likely have a beauty and cosmetics wing, a money transfer service shop like mPesa, Pesapap… or, a coffee vending machine, and even a spot where one can get phones and accessories. Script is the same in the food industry where hotels and restaurants are known to incorporate things like pool tables, self-cooking options, eat in and eat out services, and much more. All these options are inspired by the need to widen daily,…

BY VICTOR ADAR When Jacque Mgido started Vault Cosmetics in Zimbabwe 10 years ago, a company that has since rebranded to now Jacque Mgido Cosmetics, there was no sign that one day a large section of the world will celebrate the brand. Ms Mgido took off to the United States to study, and probably be a professional film maker, but as fate would have it, her journey took an unlikely turn in St Louis, where curiosity to thrive on beauty and cosmetics business would make her land in Hollywood. The race to learn the cosmetics art compelled her to enrol…

BY VICTOR ADAR It is a hot Tuesday afternoon and we are having a chat with Vijay Gidoomal at Car & General (C&G) showroom, which is at the junction of Lusaka and Dunga road in industrial area. Gidoomal cut his teeth as a lawyer from University of Warwick in the UK in 1989 but would return to Kenya in 1993 to establish C&G operations in Uganda and Tanzania. As an executive director, he slowly but steadily introduced new product lines that include three wheelers and two wheelers as taxis in East Africa, and has seen the firm spread its tentacles…

BY VICTOR ADAR A campaign to create a pest free area might soon boost mango exports, improve production and quality, and benefit farmers especially those at grass roots level. Dubbed “komesha: zuia fruit fly ufaidike”, it will sensitize and create awareness on economic benefits of applying modern pest management technologies to curb fruit fly damage on mango fruits. The campaign’s success will also mean a pest free area that will lead to reduced post-harvest losses as a result of fruit fly damage by 50% and improved quality and food safety of mango products. It will be implemented in Makueni and Kitui counties by…

BY VICTOR ADAR It was November 23 when a 22seatervan left Nairobi’s CBD at 10:45 am with a battery of select journalists to go to Elementaita Mountain Lodge, a new hotel in Elementaita. By 14:05pm, the team of about 15 members of the fourth estate was safe and sound in Naivasha, ready to experience the new facility situated up a hill with a full view of Lake Elementaita. For a fact, apart from serenity and adventure, this destination trip meant one thing: opportunity. When investors spread their tentacles, it is the economy and Kenyans who stand to win. Some say…

People are certainly broke, and with the rampant layoffs, it is most likely that even the taxman might miss out on PAYE BY VICTOR ADAR For a long time, the national debt that has touched Sh50trn, which is a 15% above the recommendations set by the International Monetary Fund, has denied Kenyans peace of mind. Even though the current annual borrowing of nearly $2b has financed big infrastructure projects, paid some loans and helped plug other government expenditure, the state of the economy in general in any given month is bleak, and unsustainable. In numerous ways, with more state debts…

BY VICTOR ADAR More and more individuals stay alert waiting for the right excellence awards to participate in. This has resulted into the formation of tens of competitions by players and stakeholders. A few examples include real estate excellence awards, whose mission is to recognise players in the real estate sector, digital excellence awards, agribusiness excellence awards, Bloggers Association of Kenya awards, quality healthcare Kenyan award and energy management awards. Excellence awards are on the rise following a general fact that they aim at improving the customer experience journey while recognizing and encouraging learning and best practices within a particular…

National Treasury and Planning Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has called on residents of the upper eastern region at the Kenya-Ethiopia border to take advantage of recently established One Stop Border Point (OSBP) in Moyale to boost trade between Kenya and Ethiopia. Outlining initiatives that include facilitating trade between the two countries, and ensuring high levels of tax compliance among the traders in the region, the CS said that the modern facility (which is among other six in the country) was underutilized. In an attempt to seal the gap, residents in this region should make use of the facility for their…

Seventy percent of Kenyans are not prepared for retirement as a result of high cost of living, minimum wages, low levels of saving, and lack of financial literacy BY VICTOR ADAR With a majority of work force especially young people seemingly not saving for retirement, there is a growing need to educate the masses on pension schemes. The general financial benefits of a scheme, for instance, is no longer appealing and is simply seen as a punishment by some employees. This is why Fred Waswa is focused squarely on pension, insurance and training. It took the Octagon Africa Financial Services…

BY VICTOR ADAR In an industry filled with firsts, Solomon and Jeremy Obano have managed to come up with a top class service thanks to their passion for food. With their 75 year-old mum, the two brothers run Events at Savanna Garden and Savannah Garden Resort, a high-end event catering and accommodation business that was founded in 2015. Solomon has worked with major international employers based in the city of London in their hospitality and staff restaurant including Visa, Ernest Young, Shangri la, Haymarket hotel, KPMG, and even BNP Paribas. Jeremy, on the other hand, is an IT Service Management…