Author: Khusoko

Much of the current hype in the telecommunications space focuses on the roll-out of 5G technology, the new mobile networks that will power the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). But, it is, in fact, 4G technology – LTE – that is providing lifesaving connectivity during the Covid-19 pandemic right now when communities need it most. Called Long Term Evolution to give it its full name, LTE is the network technology used by 52 percent of the world’s mobile devices. As such, it is this 4G tech that has underpinned the innovative digital initiatives supporting communities during the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic…

The International Monetary Fund has named Kenya’s Ceda Ogada as secretary of the fund succeeding Jianhai Lin who retired. He is expected to begin his work on September 1.  Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva in a statement said, “Ogada has outstanding institutional knowledge, strategic and intellectual heft. He has people leadership.” “His unparalleled ability to bring people together, combined with his profound appreciation of the fund’s institutional history and legal principles, as well as a strong service orientation, will help the fund to even more effectively serve our member countries in a very challenging economic environment.” Ogada joined the IMF’s Legal…

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the world into an alarming state of uncertainty. While governments and organisations have put in measures to protect the wellbeing of the general public, navigating the unknown has required us all to make decisions without a blueprint, underscoring the value and importance of trust. For the first time, Edelman, which has been studying Trust for 20 years and releases an annual global Trust Barometer, has released data on Kenya. The study measures trust across four institutions: Government, Business, NGOs, and the Media.  According to the findings, NGOs and businesses were the most trusted institutions in…

Kenya Airways has become the first airline to join the Global UTM Association (GUTMA), a non-profit consortium of unmanned aircraft systems traffic management (UTM) stakeholders. “We’re proud to join GUTMA, an association of like-minded organisations, whose aim is to spearhead the development and implementation of a globally interoperable UTMs and a harmonised global digital ecosystem for the UAS industry. We are the first airline member to join the GUTMA family,” KQ said on its Social feed. Through its, LinkedIn GUTMA said, “We are thrilled to welcome our first airline member Kenya Airways and look forward to our ever-increasing collaborations in…

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Kenya’s economy is rather obvious. Investments have slowed, consumption has shrunk and the labor market is collapsing.  Despite the broad-based shocks, the banking sector has exhibited marked resilience, providing some hope that the economy may ride the tide successfully. The stability in the sector reflects previously established strong capital and liquidity buffers. Monetary and prudential easing has also helped to minimize asset quality deterioration. To be sure, the non-performing loan (NPL) ratio has remained sticky at 13.00% so far this year, the increase in credit risk notwithstanding. That said, the amount of restructured…

While the world is laser-focused on the U.S. – China trade war something equally significant that will reshape the global landscape for the next 30 to 50 years is emerging in Africa. With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) entering into force, there is a repositioning of the continent that disrupts the old way of engaging with its individual nations. Power is being centralized in the African Union (AU) and those looking to enter commercially in the future would have to realign – should they seek to move with speed on their trade & investment agenda. Ignoring the African Union…