Author: Victor Adar

As efforts to re-energize East Africa’s blue economy get underway, ocean protection and conservation remain a key factor. The region takes pride in its rich marine biodiversity, which positively impacts various economic activities, including fishing and tourism in the region. However, the East African coast, according to the recently-launched Kilindini Campaign—an initiative led by Ascending Africa, a conservation firm—faces challenges towards achieving protection and conservation goals, among them overfishing, ocean pollution, inadequate security, and illegal fishing. “We have a responsibility of curbing these challenges, and restoring marine life,” says Tendai Mtana, spokesperson for the Kilindini Campaign. “Everyone has a role…

With regional tech event, Morocco’s focus turns to boosting investor interest for the continent’s digital ecosystem.

It is yet another challenging path for African economies after the White House imposed a baseline tariff of 10 per cent on all goods exported to the United States (US) by Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, and Liberia. The US government has also imposed steep tariffs on other African nations: 47 per cent on Madagascar, 40 per cent on Mauritius, 37 per cent on Botswana, 30 per cent on South Africa, and 50 per cent on Tanzania again — which may be a separate classification or an error. Nigerian exports will also face a significant increase, with tariffs rising…

Believe it or not, what you study matters. That’s why, in pursuit of your career, it is better to look at the bigger picture. You are educated, not over-the-hill, thus whatever you specialise in has a bearing on what you will become in the near future. In fact, without goals and specific plans after attaining that degree, things might get tough when the time to get a job or delve into a business comes calling. It is because of this dilemma that Joab Mungai, a graduate Mathematician from Egerton University and Moses Konji, computer science, Moi University, had to out…

The British High Commission Nairobi will support Micro, Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya with a Sh667 million fund ($5.2 million) in another example of the UK being a long-term partner providing investment solutions that deliver growth and jobs. The ‘Listed SME Debt Fund’, sponsored by FSD Africa, aims to mobilise up-to Sh38.85 billion ($300 million) of sustainable finance to provide affordable credit to SMEs. Of this amount the funds targets to raise  $240 million from domestic institutional investors and the rest from foreign investors. The fund will support at least 10,000 MSMEs; 50,000 households; create, protect and support…

Billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite internet service provider, Starlink, has suspended new subscriptions in Nairobi and surrounding areas such as Kiambu, Machakos, Narok, Murang’a and Nakuru regions thanks to a network capacity overload due to increased demand. The American satellite service provider’s bandwidth could not support additional subscribers, pointing to an overwhelming demand for internet connection at low prices. “Nairobi and neighbouring areas are currently at network capacity. This means that too many users are trying to access the Starlink service within Nairobi, and there isn’t enough bandwidth to support additional residential or roaming customers now,” Starlink says on its website when…

A head of the World Kiswahili Language Day to be celebrated on Friday, July 7, to recognize the global importance of Kiswahili in uniting communities across Africa, Chinese run social media platform, TikTok, said in a statement that #Kiswahili and #SwahiliTikTok hashtags will play a critical role in advancing positive impact of Kiswahili, a language that most communities speak – and enthusiasts use to share content. TikTok, a platform that has become a hub for inspirational content and practical creativity noted that the Swahili-speaking creators embrace food recipes and fashion tips to entertainment and language education to bring people together.…

The report said there is increased digital platform usage, with 42 per cent of Kenyans conducting at least half of their transactions online, emphasising the necessity for robust security measures and consumer education BY VICTOR ADAR Information and insights company, TransUnion, in its latest “Consumer Pulse Study” which said that amid widespread challenges, including protests, Kenyan households experienced a modest financial rebound in the second quarter of 2024 thanks to new business ventures, enhanced debt management, and less impact from job losses. The study, released amid widespread challenges, including weeks of protests that left over 40 people dead and scores…

Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) has partnered with a communications and advisory company, Newmark Group, to unveil Global Expert Panel (GEP) on tourism and travel for Africa to arm tourism and destination management organisations with deep local insights and data from source countries. The new initiative brings together communications and marketing experts and leaders from across the world and comes at a time when tourism and travel in Africa has experienced impressive growth since the start of the millennium, as highlighted by a World Travel and Tourism Council report. “To elevate Africa’s tourism sector, destination marketers must harness global capabilities…

The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) has said it had no plans to control internet access during the national protests against the Finance Bill, 2024, which MPs passed on June 25 before a group of youth breached the National Assembly and destroyed parts of the Senate. In a statement released earlier in the morning, the regulator said shutting down Internet traffic or interfering with the quality of connectivity would go against core principles enshrined in the Constitution. “For the avoidance of doubt, the authority has no intention whatsoever o shut down Internet traffic or interfere with the quality of connectivity.…