Author: Muindi

Uganda’s Makerere University’s main administration block, the “Ivory Tower” will be restored back to its original “historic state” after it was gutted Sunday night. “It is a very dark morning for Makerere University. Our iconic Main Administration Building caught fire and the destruction is unbelievable. But we are determined to restore the building to its historic state in the shortest time possible,” Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe tweeted. https://twitter.com/ProfNawangwe/status/1307515896597024769?s=20 https://twitter.com/MakerereU/status/1307444541281230849?s=20 A historian of East Africa, Derek Peterson, said the fire was a disaster for Uganda and for East Africa. “The building holds student records, and the basement is full of archive files…

Estonian taxi-hailing firm Bolt, is piloting the concept of hybrid office with only 20 percent of employees having designated seats.  The data shared by Bolt which is operating in 35 countries, indicates that most of their employees prefer to work from home but visit the office for infrequent and periodic meetings or social interaction with colleagues. Ola Akinnusi, Country Manager at Bolt Kenya said based on the survey, the future of its office space looks hybrid – a situation where you have teams working from home and others in the office. “We are listening to our employees and we want…

Partnership seeks to promote tech-led financial inclusion as well as Fintech ICT Capacity. The Kenya Bankers Association (KBA) and Huawei Kenya have partnered to expand ICT in the banking sector and to enhance financial inclusion. This is in line with its strategic plan for 2020 to 2023 launched last year seeking to promote access to affordable financial services through tech-aided operational efficiency. Habil Olaka, KBA chief executive says the partnership will involve knowledge sharing programs on financial technology and digital transformation that will improve efficiency in delivering banking services. “This partnership will further focus on research and knowledge-sharing activities, which…

Kenya’s Safaricom says the number of businesses on their Lipa na MPESA platform has crossed the 200,000 mark ‘which is a significant milestone’. “The mobile phone has today become the most preferred alternative to cash and its popularity only continues to grow. More than ever, an increasing number of businesses are discovering the numerous advantages of cashless payments resulting in high growth for Lipa Na M-PESA. We continue to add more features and tools with a goal of empowering our business customers to grow and better manage their businesses,” said Peter Ndegwa, CEO, Safaricom. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic,…

The Sub-Saharan African finals of the Huawei Global ICT Competition kicked off on 10 September. The competition is under the theme of “Connection, Glory, Future” which Huawei believes to be the biggest event of its kind in Africa covering 14 countries and attracting over 50,000 students.   Launched in the region just five years ago, the Huawei ICT Competition has developed into the largest ICT skills competition in Africa.   During the opening ceremony attended by industry partners, UNESCO and students, Huawei Southern Africa VP, Liao Yong highlighted the significance of connectivity in the era of social distancing. “The digital divide is…

Jambojet will be launching charter operations, the airline’s top official said on Tuesday. Jambojet acting Managing Director Karanja Ndegwa said this is part of the airline’s strategy to diversify its product offering to supplement the scheduled operations.  “Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen a shift in consumer needs. Consumers now, more than ever, want privacy, convenience and their safety and well-being assured,” he said.  The airline is targeting business people, families, groups that may be attending social events such as weddings, corporates, missions and humanitarian bodies with operations outside of major towns to take up…