Author: Khusoko

Old Mutual Group has appointed Loreen Makwanya as the managing director of its Life Insurance business. Makwanya brings over 12 years of experience to the role, She previously served as the head of operations and customer experience for Old Mutual Africa Regions. She joined Old Mutual in 2010, starting in the Actuarial department of Old Mutual Life Assurance Company (Zimbabwe) Ltd as a Product Development Manager. In her new position, Makwanya will be responsible for expanding the company’s life insurance solutions and service delivery channels to meet changing customer needs within the region. She will also drive the company’s business…

 MozFest House: Kenya is set to make its debut on September 21 and 22 at Nairobi’s Shamba House Cafe. The event is designed to tackle pressing challenges and explore innovative solutions in the realm of digital extractivism, the governance of AI systems, and the datasets that train them. With a focus on building AI for Africans, by Africans, this event marks a significant step in regional adaptations of the globally renowned Mozilla Festival. MozFest House: Kenya will deepen Mozilla’s ongoing work in the region. Earlier this year, Mozilla expanded the Responsible Computing Challenge to eight Kenyan universities, helping bridge the…

The Communication Authority of Kenya’s Board has suspended its Director-General, Ezra Chiloba.  The announcement was made in an internal memo signed off by CA Board Chair, Mary Mungai.   Ezra Chiloba’s suspension is a result of a significant breach of financial management protocols within the Communication Authority. According to the Board’s 9th Special Audit and Risk Assurance Committee Meeting held on August 8, 2023, Chiloba was suspended due to alleged mismanagement of the Staff Mortgage Scheme.  Why Ezra Chiloba was suspended Defaults amounting to Kes 28.9M for mortgages that were approved and granted without proper consideration of the contract term. Refinancing…

A recent report by the GSMA dubbed State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2023 underscores how mobile money has become a mainstream financial service. The report also highlights the remarkable growth and leadership of mobile money services in Kenya, particularly through the M-PESA platform, with the service recently being rolled out in Ethiopia. M-PESA went live in Ethiopia on August 16th and is expected to transform mobile money services, drive financial inclusion and revolutionise the digital landscape of one of Africa’s most populous countries. The country has had limited access to formal financial services, with a significant portion of its population…

Daily life very nearly came to a grinding halt in Kenya last month with millions of people unable to access the country’s more than 5,000 recently digitised, critical government services – from national health records to e-visa applications and electricity payments. The broadscale disruption served as a stark reminder of the singular challenge facing governments in Africa that are on their digital transformation journeys: securing critical infrastructure. Indeed, the number of cyberattacks reported in the country between July and September last year rose by 200 per cent in comparison to the previous quarter.  Microsoft’s latest Cyber Signals report places a spotlight on…

Safaricom Ethiopia has welcomed Wim Vanhelleputte as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2023. He succeeds Anwar Soussa, who served as CEO until July 31, 2023. Wim Vanhelleputte is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry across multiple markets in sub-Saharan Africa. His extensive leadership experience and deep industry knowledge are expected to drive Safaricom Ethiopia’s growth and expansion in the coming years. https://x.com/SafaricomET/status/1700169909802573948?s=20 Before joining Safaricom Ethiopia, Vanhelleputte held a significant role at MTN Group as the Operations Executive – Markets from August 2022. In this position, he was responsible for…