Author: Muindi

There remains a glaring gap in the coverage of women across newspapers, TV, and digital platforms in East Africa, according to a report by the Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications. The report, ‘The State of Women in the Media: Coverage and Framing of Women in East African Media’, reveals that the framing of women in newspaper articles is progressive, with 50% of the articles framing women in a very positive and progressive light. The research delved into the intricate dynamics of media framing, coverage, and the representation of women in newsrooms.  The findings were from six newspapers,…

Kenya’s inflation rate eased to 6.3% in February 2024, down from 6.9% in January, according to data released by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). On a month-on-month basis, inflation was at 0.1%, compared with 0.4% in January. “The rise in annual inflation was mainly due to an increase in prices of commodities under the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions.” The drop in inflation marks a welcome respite for consumers grappling with rising prices for essential goods and services in recent months. The decline in inflation is attributed primarily to a slowdown in food price increases.  …

OPPO, a Chinese firm and one of the world’s biggest smartphone makers unveiled prototype AR glasses with voice assistant at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. OPPO said the AR glasses are equipped with a voice assistant powered by its large language model (LLM) called AndesGPT. LLMs are AI models trained on massive data and underpin many chatbots. “The Air Glass 3 prototype from Oppo aims to explore the possibilities of AI technology based on cross-device collaboration between XR devices and smartphones,” OPPO said. OPPO said in a press release that the voice assistant is only available in China.  The…

Dalberg Implement, known for its on-the-ground program implementation expertise, and Axum, a leading Afrocentric impact firm, have merged. This strategic move aims to tackle critical issues facing the world through innovative, locally-driven solutions. The merged entity boasts a team of 10 partners and over 70 staff with proven expertise in strategy, program design, delivery, and innovative financing. Collectively, they bring over 150 years of experience designing and implementing successful solutions across more than 50 African countries and 100+ globally. The merger amplifies the impact and empowers communities by leveraging combined expertise in collaborative and sustainable initiative-building. Steve Kisakye, Global Managing…

Standard Bank Group successfully executed $1.5 billion in Eurobond issuance for the Republic of Kenya, facilitating debt management through innovative tender offers. The Group served as joint lead manager and bookrunner for the Republic of Kenya’s new $1.5 billion Eurobond, marking its first foray into the capital markets since 2021. Concurrently, the Standard Bank Group acted as joint dealer manager for a $1.4 billion tender offer to repurchase outstanding Eurobonds maturing in June 2024. The Eurobond, issued on February 16th with a 9.75% coupon and 10.375% yield, matures in 2031. Its six-year weighted average life features principal amortization in equal…

Frank Mwiti has been appointed the new Chief Executive Officer of the Nairobi Securities Exchange, replacing Geoffrey Odundo, who retires after nine years. Kiprono Kittony, the Chairman of the NSE Board, disclosed the appointment in a public notice dated February 19. Mwiti is expected to assume his new role on May 2, pending regulatory approvals by the Capital Markets Authority. “The appointment follows a comprehensive and rigorous recruitment process,” Kittony said Monday. He described Frank Mwiti as a dynamic and accomplished business leader with over two decades of diverse international professional experience in strategy, governance, business development, risk management, corporate finance,…