Author: Muindi

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to the COVID-19 global public health emergency. “For more than a year, the pandemic has been on a downward trend with population immunity increasing from vaccination and infection, mortality decreasing, and the pressure on health systems easing,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a news conference in Geneva. “This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19,” Tedros said. “It is therefore, with great hope that I declare Covid-19 over as a global health emergency.” https://twitter.com/DrTedros/status/1654761984615645184?s=20 The WHO said COVID-19 was here to…

Kenya’s private-sector services activity shrank in April as inflation and political unrest hit demand, a survey showed on Friday. Activity levels and input purchases also fell sharply, but employment numbers continued to rise. On the other hand, input cost pressures showed further signs of having peaked, dropping to their lowest recorded in 2023 so far, though remaining steep. Stanbic Bank Kenya’s Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 47.2 from 49.2 in March. The index also signalled a solid and faster decline in the health of the private sector economy at the start of the second quarter. Readings above 50.0 signal…

Browns Investments PLC, a Sri Lankan company, has reached an agreement to purchase part of James Finlay Kenya Ltd. except for the Saosa tea extraction facility. “We undertook a rigorous process when identifying a buyer for this unique business, prioritising what was best for James Finlay Kenya and its community,” James Woodrow, Finlay’s group MD, said. Browns Investments PLC was selected by Finlays as the preferred buyer because of its strong legacy of guiding its tea estates to continued growth, and its focus on doing so sustainably while supporting its workforce and local communities. “As part of the sales agreement…

OPPO, a leading global technology company, has launched the Imagine IF Photography Awards 2023, a mobile photography competition that pushes the boundaries of creativity beyond the limits of existing images and expressions. One of the Highest Prizes in the Mobile Photography Awards The vision of “Beyond the Image, Beyond Imagination” reflects OPPO’s commitment to driving progress through technological innovation and igniting users’ creativity worldwide. OPPO’s professional mobile photography technology is designed to inspire maximum aesthetics and inspiration, empowering non-professional users to create timeless masterpieces. As a testament to OPPO’s commitment to inspiring mobile photographers, the awards offer one of the…

The Kenya economy slowed in 2022, according to the statistics agency on the backdrop of prolonged dry weather conditions, general elections and elevated inflationary pressures. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics said expansion in economic activity slowed by 2.8 per cent to 4.8 per cent in 2022 from 7.6 per cent in a similar period in 2021. “While the value of production in some sectors was high, volumes were below 2021,” KNBS Director-General MacDonald Obudho said. “2022 was marked by many negative shocks from the supply side. The persistent shocks which are still present, created permanent negative effects impacting economic…

Kenya has commenced the implementation of the Kenya Quick Response Code Standard 2023 (KE-QR Code Standard 2023), which aims to promote customer convenience and security. The standard will also support future interoperability among different payment service providers’ platforms. “The implementation of the Standard, and use of standardised QR Code-enabled payments, will bring practical benefits to businesses and customers. Customers will now be able to make digital payments in an easy, fast, convenient, and secure manner using QR,” said the Central Bank Kenya in an emailed statement.  Another milestone that will enable customers to make digital payments in an easy, fast,…