Author: Muindi

Safaricom has been included in the sixth 2020 Fortune Change the World list which recognises companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. Fortune’s Change the World list is built on the premise that the profit motive can inspire companies to tackle society’s unmet needs. Safaricom, East Africa’s most profitable company, was ranked 7th for its role in transforming how people in Kenya are paying for, and accessing healthcare through M-Tiba which is a partnership with CarePay and PharmAccess. “In 2015, Safaricom and startup CarePay launched M-Tiba, which offers phone-based…

President Uhuru Kenyatta extended the 9 pm-4 am nationwide curfew and other containment measures until September 29. In a statement on Monday, Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua said President Uhuru Kenyatta will issue new guidelines Tuesday after a scheduled  National COVID-19 Conference to be held on Monday, September 28. “The National COVID-19 Conference will be presided over by his excellency the President on Monday, 28th September 2020, and will feature participants from the entire spectrum of our national life. This pivotal conference is tipped to be a turning point in Kenya’s fight against the novel coronavirus Disease,” Kinyua said.…

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,…