Phode News Hub

ODM leader Raila Odinga has claimed that the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) Bill must be subjected to a national plebiscite. Raila resurfaced on Wednesday, during the Party’s top leadership forum. It was his first public appearance since he contracted Covid-19. Apart from Raila, the meeting was also attended by Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi, National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed and ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna. “We agreed that the BBI must be subjected to a referendum because it entails a fundamental reorganization of the architecture of the Executive and Kenyans need to have a say in the reorganization. The party therefore fully supports a referendum on the document,” Raila stated. The opposition leader asserted that the National Assembly should expedite the process before releasing the document to the public. Raila’s sentiments come a day after ODM Deputy Party Leader who doubles as Kakamega Governor Wy

Tech giants continued to ‘rule’ the world in the midst of a global pandemic as most individuals sought to connect, entertain and feed in a time of isolation. Apple, Amazon and Microsoft dominated the top three spots in the Fortune’s rank of corporate reputation . Apple continued to top the list for the 14th year in row. According to the Fortune, the poll was sampled from 3800 corporate executives, directors and analysts. The latest statistics indicate how significant the technology companies were during the Covid-19 pandemic. The surging quest for entertainment saw the streaming juggernaut Netflix return to the top 10 roster. Chip maker Nvidia, Fintech innovator Paypal and medical supplier Abott Laboratories made their first appearance in the top 50 list. Big-box giant Walmart and Target exhibited exemplary performance, and were ranked position 11 and 17 respectively.  Apart from Apple, Amazon and Microsoft, the following companies appeared in the top 10 list: Walt Disney (

A 37-year-old British national identified as Jeremy Hind has been arrested after his drone was spotted hovering over DP Ruto’s Karen residence. Police arrested the suspect for questioning on Tuesday. The drone was alleged to have snooped the official Karen residence of the deputy president on Monday evening. However, the drone’s mission at the official home of William Ruto is still scanty. A multi-agency team drawn from the Anti-Terror Police Unit (ATPU), National Intelligence service (NIS) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrived at the residential apartment of the British national and seized the gadget. The police confirmed that the seized drone had been flown back to the owner’s residence after straying into the DP’s home. The multi-agency team is analyzing the drone’s memory cards to see if it has any information that will be vital for the investigations. Earlier on, fear engulfed Ruto’s residence when a drone was seen hovering around moments before

IBM Quantum has announced the introduction of the first-ever developer certification to programming in quantum computers. Quantum computing was introduced to help solve complex computer problems, faster.  IBM announced its launch on Monday and revealed the existence of an open source quantum software development kit dubbed as Qiskit, to enable quantum program in developing programs tailored to run on quantum computers. The Company predicted the surging demand for quantum programming with statistical estimates projecting a $65 billion investment in the industry by the year 2030. The new demand for quantum jobs has given way to the establishment of IBM Quantum Developer Certification. In the newly established IBM Quantum certification course, developers will earn a certification in programming with Qiskit. The prerequisite knowledge for aspiring quantum programmers will be Python and basic linear algebra. IBM report indicate that since the launch of Qiskit in 2017, thousands

Mama Sarah Onyango Obama was the third wife of Barack Obama’s paternal grandfather and was not real grandmother of the former US President. Sarah only spoke her native dholuo language and used to communicate with Barack through an interpreter. She came into limelight in 2008, when Barack Obama was elected as the 44th US President. Mama Sarah was a staunch Muslim adherent and defended his step grandson during the US presidential campaign when there were attempts to portray Barack Obama as a Muslim and foreigner. Mama Sarah was among the attendants who graced the United States Independence Day in Nairobi on July 4 2008 after she was invited by the then US ambassador in Kenya Michael Ranneberger.  On November 19 2014, Mama Sarah was acclaimed by the United Nations for the role she played as head of the education foundation. She received the Pioneer Award during the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day. Mama Sarah Obama was born around 1921 and died on March 29, 2021 at the age of abou

What used to happen in movies is about to be achieved in reality, as Tesla and Space X CEO Elon Musk is on the process to develop a direct interface between human brain and computing devices. The main aim of his project is to merge human beings with AI. Very soon human freedom will be a thing of the past as governments or giant corporations will be able to control people’s brains using cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Musk launched Neuralink Corp in July 2016 with the aim to create “ultra-high bandwidth brain-machine interface to link humans to computers." The initial goal of his project was to assuage signs of chronic medical conditions.  The futurist billionaire announced the plan to connect human brains to computers, on July 2019. He had planned to implant the first prototype by the end of 2020. Musk started testing his program on animals and he confirmed that a monkey was able to control the computer with its brain. In 2020 Neuralink broadcasted a live demon

When President Uhuru Kenyatta introduced new Covid-19 restrictions on Friday, many Kenyans were got unaware. A number of Kenyans will find themselves in unfamiliar territories, once the sanction comes into effect on Friday midnight. The cessation of movement in and out of Nairobi, Machakos, Kajiado, Kiambu and Nakuru has gotten many Kenyans talking as a number of them complain about the timeline given before the sanctions comes into effect. One person who had travelled to Nairobi for treatment and discharged on Friday was planning to travel to his Eldoret home on Saturday, before he received the shocking news. The person complained to NTV reporter that he doesn’t have a house in Nairobi and doesn’t have enough money to sustain him in a Hotel room. Apart from the cessation of movement in and out of the aforementioned Counties, the President also announced the following measures:  There will be no in-person gatherings of any kind in the five counties that have recorded in

As 2022 draws nigh, there is a series of high profile political machinations and maneuvers, mapping diverse ways to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta . The ground is swiftly changing and the pro-handshake politicians are drifting apart. Just recently, Siaya Senator James Orengo disclosed that all was not well after alleging there was a plot by some top civil servants to alienate and isolate Raila Odinga. Orengo alleged that Uhuru allies were keener with succession politics than Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). Kenyans should expect a new political ‘tsunami’ that might shake this country’s politics. The isolation of ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto might force them to combine efforts to countenance the ‘system’ proposed candidates. The combination of Raila and Ruto might be lethal; though the president might derail their alliance before it comes into effect. This can be done by dismantling the BBI referendum which is likely to give Raila some r

Orange for Democratic Movement (ODM) has promised to enter into a bigger alliance, soon after the BBI referendum. In a statement, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna disclosed that the Party was at an advanced stage for a new alliance that will alter the country’s political space. The Party acknowledged that partnership was a vital part of politics and attributed the concern of “working on a broader, better and bolder alliance that will shake the country and shape the politics of land for the years to come.” Sifuna dismissed the alliance of their NASA affiliates and described it as a group of tribal politicians who had nothing substantial to offer.  “As a party, we are done with the fading breed of politicians whose singular focus over the years has been on what they can extract from our sweat, and from the country,” the statement read in parts. The statement further read: “The post BBI alliance ODM is working on will be fresh, strong, and vibrant and packed with men and wo

KANU, Wiper, Ford Kenya and ANC Party have officially launched their coalition dubbed as Okoa Kenya Alliance (OKA). In a press statement that was delivered on Thursday at Serena Hotel, the new coalition partners agreed not to field candidates in the forthcoming by-elections. “One Kenya Alliance will not field candidates in the Garissa senatorial contest, Juja and Bonchari. We shall support the Jubilee candidates in those regions,” Kalonzo stated. The meeting that was convened at Serena was attended by four party leaders, Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya), Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper), Gideon Moi (KANU), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC) and a few members. Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku and Starehe MP Charles Jaguar were among Jubilee Party members who attended the press release.  Ford Kenya Party leader read the statement on behalf of the coalition members, where he blasted ODM for ousting Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as Senate Deputy Minority Leader. He used the occasion to amplify thei

Deputy President William Ruto has stated that he can still work with ODM leader Raila Odinga ahead of 2022 general elections. He made those revelations during an interview with Radio Citizen on Thursday where he stated that he is willing to work with all like-minded Kenyan leaders. “Anybody who wants to join us to fight poverty and other things that ail the country is welcome. We have our plans, if Raila believes in us, we will agree and work together,” Ruto stated. His remarks come weeks after Raila’s brother Oburu Oginga hinted that the opposition leader may work with Ruto in the 2022 elections. Oburu’s revelations came about the backdrop of rumors that Raila and Ruto could be talking behind the curtains. The assumption of Raila and Ruto looming alliance came after speculations emerged that a section of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies were pushing for a Musalia Mudavadi presidency.  Ruto confided to the public that his differences with Raila were political and not pe

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has sold the first ever published Twitter post for a whopping $2.9 million as a non-fungible token (NFT) to a Malaysian-based businessman. The tweet had been auctioned off by Mr Dorsey for charity. Dorsey’s brief tweet was sold through an auction on an online platform dubbed Valuables, a US-based firm owned by Cent. The tweet that was published on March 21 2006 read, “Just setting up my twttr”, has been liked more than 160,000 times and shared more than 120,000 times. According to the website that necessitated the transaction, CEO of Malaysian blockchain service Bridge Oracle, Sina Estavi, bought the tweet as an NFT through ether cryptocurrency on Monday. An NFT is regarded as a unique digital certificate, which labels the person who owns a photo, video or any other form of online media. Each NFT is unique and serves as a collector’s item that cannot be in any way duplicated thus making them rare by design. NFT is so popular with digital artworks “Th

Amani National Congress (ANC) has condemned the ouster of Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala as Senate Deputy Minority Leader. In a statement, ANC described the decision as hostile and threatened to take drastic action in retaliation. The Party pitched on its social media page that: “ANC Party condemns, in the strongest terms possible the removal of Senator Cleo Malala from the position of Senate Deputy Minority Leader. Senate Malala was appointed into that capacity as a NASA representative. We consider this as a hostile action from ODM and will not take it lying down. We will revisit.” Malala was axed from the privileged House position of senate deputy minority leader and replaced with Kilifi Senator Steward Matzayo. Ford Kenya Party leader who doubles as Bungoma senator Moses Wetangula has criticized the dethronement of his Kakakamega counterpart, terming the ouster as “selfish, unhelpful, unlawful, vindictive, intolerant, vengeful and against the NASA coalition agreement.”

Kenya government has given UNHCR 14-day ultimatum for the closure of Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. Kenya has cited national security threats as the reason behind its decision to shut down the two refugee camps. According to Nation Media, the government has already written a letter to UNHCR. The camps should be closed within the stipulated time. Kenya and Somalia diplomatic rows set to escalate as the government plans to transport the over 500,000 Somali refugees to the border of Somali, upon the expiry of the 14-day period. Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. Fred Matiang’i conveyed the government’s decision to the UNHCR representative in Kenya, Fathiaa Abdalla on Tuesday. Matiang’i was accompanied by Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho and Chief Administrative Secretary Hussein Dado. The decision signals the worsening relation between Kenya – Somalia relation and will likely trigger global alarm. The civil war in Somalia caused its citizens to flee and seek asylum i

Safaricom internet subscribers will continue accessing premium sports content after the Court of Appeal quashed a case that was filed by Dstv that had linked them to content piracy.  The cable TV provider argued that the giant telecommunication firm had enabled illegal access to premium sports content that was to be viewed exclusively on its Super sports channel. Multichoice had sued Safaricom and Jamii Telecom for streaming games that only incurred data costs. Subscribers to Multichoice-owned Gotv and Dstv pay a monthly fee to enable access to its premium content. Last November, High Court agreed with Multichoice and directed both Safaricom and Jamii telecom to disable access to the sites. Safaricom appealed the case, arguing that it would have cost the company irreparable damage. The mobile service provider convinced the court beyond shadow of reasonable doubt that the issues raised was grievous and had to be considered first before the directives to ban the sites were

Tougher times ahead as Kenya Airways (KQ) records the worst-ever loss. The company announced its financial results that reported a comprehensive loss of Kshs.46 billion for 2020. The state-owned firm saw its revenue decrease by 58.8 percent. Kenya Airways recorded the enormous loss due to Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the disruption of international travels, as different countries imposed state-sanctioned restrictions to curb the spread of the virus. According to the Business Daily, the loss for the preceding financial year was 2.8 times in excess as compared to the Kshs. 12.98 billion that was posted a year before. KQ chairman Michael Joseph revealed that outlook still looked bleak for the national air carrier. “The Covid-19 global outbreak in 2020 was beyond anyone’s prediction and its impact on the industry is expected to continue affecting air travel demand for the next two or three years,” Mr Joseph stated. He further revealed that about 70 percent of the total KQ pa

Building Bridges Initiative is facing a new hurdle, after members of parliament (MPS) demanded to have a more say in the review process. MPs are of the opinion that they should be allowed to make amendments to some proposals. According to the Standard Digital, a joint legal committee drawn from the two Houses issued an ultimatum for parliamentary inclusion to make amendments to the BBI bill.  The Committee that is largely constituted with members allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga have stalled the presentation of the report to the floor of the House, until their conditions are met. According to media reports, the legislators want to have more latitude to alter the 2020 BBI bill, specifically on the issue of allocation of the 70 new constituencies and establishment of the office of ombudsman. Their move comes a week after IEBC, through its chairman Wafula Chebukati, asserted that it was incumbent upon the commission to determine the delimit

Former US President Donald Trump is planning to return to social media. Trump plans to build his own platform, one of his senior advisors disclosed. This is after he was banned from major social networks which included: Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Shopify.  Trump’s senior advisor, Jason Miller , told Fox News on Sunday that the former US president will launch a new social website within the next two or three months.  “I do think that we’re going to see President Trump returning to social media probably about two or three months here, with his own platform,” Miller stated adding that the new platform “will attract tens of millions of people.” Trump was banned from major social media for alleged policy violations, where he repeatedly claimed that US elections were rigged in favor of his opponent, Joe Biden . After ban, his supporters shifted base to right-wing Parler.  Parler was then removed from Apple App store and Google Play Store over lack of user data privacy polic

The government of Kenya, through SRC, is on the verge of introducing a raft of measures meant to manage the bloated wage bill. According to KBC report, allowances and benefits paid to public servants will soon be reduced. Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has drafted a policy that will see all public sector allowances harmonized.  SRC chairperson Lynn Mengich claimed that the absence of a policy framework to determine the payment of allowances in the public sector had led to increased wage bill, that has doubled within a span of five years. “The wage bill has been increasing over the years, rising from kshs.434.9 billion in 2012/13 to kshs.827 billion in 2019/20. The expenditure on allowances rose from ksh.263.3 billion in 2015/16 to kshs.322.5 billion in 2018,” Mengich stated. Ms Mengich revealed that all the 247 allowances paid to public officers accounted to almost 48 percent of the total wage bill.  “Different institutions pay allowances using different justifi

African leaders joined Tanzania President Samia Suluhu Hassan in bidding farewell to the late Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli . African Heads of States who graced the occassion include: Uhuru Kenyatta (Kenya), Cyril Ramaphosa (South Africa), Edgar Lungu (Zambia), Felix Tshisekedi (Congo), Eric Keabetswe Masisi (Botswana), Emmerson Mnangagwa (Zimbabwe), Lazarus Chakwera (Malawi) among other African leaders. Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta , who doubles as EAC chairman, used the occasion to praise Magufuli for transforming Tanzania by demonstrating that Africans can be independent through sheer determination and hard work. He described Magufuli as a respectable leader, a friend and a pan Africanist of their time.  "I mourn a close friend. His death is a blow to me personally. We spoke almost daily & I consulted him frequently on EAC matters. He showed the world that Africa can be independent," stated Uhuru. President Uhuru was forced to halt his spee

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s allies have been divided over the decision to remove Deputy President William Ruto from Jubilee Party. A section of Uhuru’s insiders are of the view that Ruto should be removed from Jubilee leadership, while another group sees the move will hurt the president’s reputation. According to the Standard Digital, those who are against the removal of the deputy president are of the opinion that Uhuru will not be able to effectively fight future political battles if the DP is removed.  The plot to dethrone the DP from the party leadership has dragged for some time, since last October, due to divergent opinions. Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju and Vice Chairman David Murathe confirmed to the media that a National Management Committee (NMC) meeting was scheduled to be held on Monday. However, Tuju declined to share the details of the meeting’s agenda. “We have a National Management Committee meeting tomorrow, but I can neither confirm nor deny if Ru

The friendship between Kenya’s opposition leader Raila Amolo Odinga and the departed Tanzania president John Pombe Magufuli got the government of Kenya worried about their strong ties.  During 2017 general elections, it was alleged that Raila had explored his closeness with Magufuli to establish a parallel tallying center in Tanzania. These revelations sent jitters down the spine of President Uhuru Kenyatta ’s Jubilee Party.  Raila acknowledged his friendship with Magufuli and described him as a worthy ally who stood with him at times of difficulties. Before his election as Tanzania President, Magufuli attended ODM’s national convention, which endorsed Raila’s presidential bid, at Kasarani in 2012. Magufuli would later on attend the burial of Raila’s first born son Fidel at his Bondo rural home in 2015. At the funeral he represented the then Tanzania president Jakaya Mwerishe Kikwete. Raila too came to the consolation of Magufuli when he lost a sister in 2018.

Companies are currently shifting from traditional approach to technology-driven methods in order to remain afloat and countenance the present challenges. Covid-19 crisis made it imperative for most businesses across the globe to opt for technology-based platforms to bolster their returns. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of the brain-storming technologies that is widely deployed in many business functions. The integration of technology and business has led to increased revenue streams and lower costs. According to McKinsey annual IT strategy survey, technology investment continue to create significant business value that results from significant cost reductions and improved employee experience. The scaling up of data analytics offered better insights that most Companies use as a “critical enabler of new revenue and augment existing revenue streams.” In an earlier survey, McKinsey Analytics explored the benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the generation of value

Plane that was allegedly ferrying KCPE examination paper has crashed. Two individuals, the pilot and Co-pilot, have been reported dead after a plane crashed in Marsabit Town around Kofia Mbaya area. Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha has denied claims that the aircraft that crashed in Marsabit on Saturday morning was carrying examination materials. According to the Ministry of Education, KCPE examinations are set to begin next Monday. Confirming the horrific accident, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority Director General Gilbert Kibe said in a statement, “Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) hereby confirms that an aircraft accident occurred this morning in the Marsabit Area." He further stated that: "The Aircraft, registration number 5Y-JKN, departed Nairobi Wilson Airport at 8:20am with two people on board and crashed into a hill at approximately 10:10am. Unfortunately there were no survivors."

Kericho Deputy Governor Susan Kikwai succumbs to Covid-related complications. She passed on while undergoing treatment at Siloam Hospital, Kericho.  She died, on Saturday, after battling Covid-19 in hospital for 2 weeks. She was first elected as Deputy Governor in 2013, and since then she has deputized Governor Paul Chepkwony. Leaders across the political divide have mourned the death of the deputy governor. William Ruto: "Our country has yet again lost a progressive and consummate leader. Her Excellency Susan Kikwai — the Deputy Governor for Kericho County — was a humble yet bold and firm leader who inspired and elevated the presence and voices of women in our politics." Margaret Kamar: "On behalf of the people of Uasin Gishu county, I wish to condole with the family, friends, colleagues and the entire county of Kericho and the country as well, for the loss of kericho Deputy Governor. Susan Kikwai, Our prayers go out to the people of Kericho." Moses Wet

China has put measures to curb state officials from using Tesla electric vehicles over security concerns. According to The Telegram, China fears that the cars could be used for spying. The Chinese government will prevent government officials and military personnel from using cars that are manufactured from Elon Musk’s Tesla Company. China is skeptical that the cars could be used to record video footage and secretly sent data to the US. In a rejoinder Tesla stated: “Tesla’s privacy policy complies with Chinese laws and regulations. Tesla attaches great importance to the protection of users’ privacy.” The Electric car maker is facing resistance by the Chinese authorities who believe that the sensors and cameras attached to the electric cars could be a cyber-hazard. The sensors and cameras are placed on Tesla-made cars meant to aid in its autopilot lane assist mode. According to Wall Street Journal (WSJ), china recorded about $6.6 billion sales to Tesla in 2020. It has been re

Cloud computing is among the disruptive technologies that continues to reign the world. The advent of Covid-19 pandemic saw the increased demand for cloud services. Cloud computing gravitates around the storage of programs and data over the internet. Traditionally, data and programs used to be majorly stored in the computer’s local disk and accessed whenever demanded. But currently technology has taken over for safety reasons and sensitive and important data is no longer stored in the local hard disk. Cloud computing involves the delivery of on-demand computer services that range from applications to processing and storage over the internet (cloud) and on a pay as you go basis. Cloud service providers, such as Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web services (AWS) Cloud , rent access to applications, processes and storage. The benefit of cloud computing is that they reduce the cost and complexity of owning a computing infrastructure or data center, and instead compani

The recent by-elections are a great lesson to any Kenyan leader who ever thinks to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta. Deputy President William Ruto , who is among the possible frontline presidential candidates, should use the by-elections as a strategy to rethink about his future political engagements. The dismal performance of his UDA-allied Party in the three parliamentary elections speaks volume about the significance of regional leaders. In Western region, ANC Party leader Musalia Mudavadi and his Ford Kenya counterpart Moses Wetangula combined efforts to thwart any new political inroads to their backyard. Similarly, in Ukambani former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka stamped his authority as the regional leader by trouncing other parties as his Wiper candidate Agnes Kavindu carried the day as the Machakos Senator elect. Currently, Ruto lacks any serious regional Kingpin in his fold. The only seasoned politicians backing his candidature are former Kakamega Senator Dr. Bon

Other than delivery and military operations, have you ever thought that drones can be used to boost rainfall? Scientists at the University of reading have come up with a project that will see the deployment of drones in the clouds to boost rainfall. According to BBC reports, drones that fly into the clouds will be given an electric shock that could ‘cajole them’ to producing rain, and will have its first test in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Cloud-seeding technology that drops salt to trigger precipitation is already in use in the country. Prof Maarten Ambaum said that the project aims to alter the electric charge balance on cloud droplets. As reported by BBC he said: “The water table is sinking drastically in the UAE and the purpose of this is to try to help with rainfall.” The project explores to utilize the clouds, which are plenty in the country, to encourage water droplets to coalesce through the application of static electricity. When the merging drops become so bi

Kenya power and Lightening Company (KPLC) has decided to disconnect all electricity accounts with pending bills. The State monopoly took the decision after recording reduced liquidity position and increased net loss.  In public notice dispatched on March 17, the power company directed all post-paid customers to immediately fund their outstanding bills or risk disconnection. “Customers who will not have paid their outstanding bills by the date when the bill is due will have their supply of electricity disconnected immediately. The customer will thereafter be required to pay the requisite re-connection fees for their accounts to be re-instated,” the KPLC statement read. The Company warned customers against illegal re-connection and stated that the decision will attract a penalty of Kshs. 1 million and or a jail term of not less than a year.  KPLC further urged their customers to confirm their bills by dialing *977# or through the ‘myPower mobile app’ which is avai

President Uhuru Kenyatta has led Kenyans in mourning the death of his Tanzania counterpart John Pombe Magufuli . In a televised address from State House on Thursday morning, Uhuru declared 7 days of mourning in honor of his departed colleague. According to Tanzanian authorities, Magufuli died of heart-related complications on Wednesday evening. Uhuru ordered that the Kenyan flag and that of East African Community be flown at half-mast from Thursday until the sunset of Magufuli’s burial day. Kenyatta described Magufuli as an illustrious leader and an advocate of the Pan-African spirit. He further claimed that he had lost a close ally who was visionary in approach. “On behalf of the government and people of Kenya, I convey our sincere condolences to the First Lady of Tanzania Janeth Magufuli, the entire Magufuli family and indeed affirm our deep solidarity with the government and the people of Tanzania during this challenging time. Tanzania remains in our thoughts and praye

Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli died while receiving treatment in Dar Es Salaam, Vice President Samia Suluhu has confirmed. It is a sad reality that Tanzania has lost high ranking government officers within a span of two months. According to reports, Magufuli was admitted after developing heart complications. In a televised proclamation on Wednesday night, Suluhu stated that Magufuli was admitted at the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute on March 6. Magufuli, son of a peasant who rose to presidency, died on Wednesday at the age of 61, and the country has declared 14 days of national mourning.  "It is with deep regret that I inform you that today. We lost our brave leader, the president of the Republic of Tanzania, John Pombe Magufuli ," Vice President Hassan stated. Magufuli's death occured days after opposition leader Tundu Lissu fueled speculations of his whereabouts . The fallen Tanzanian leader was criticized when he lifted the ban on Covid-19 san

Safaricom has been awarded as the top 2020 taxpayer Company in Kenya by Kenya revenue Authority (KRA), under the Large Taxpayers category. According to KRA, Safaricom exhibited the highest tax revenue exceptional compliance in terms of payment and filing.  The award ceremony took place at Michael Joseph center in Nairobi on Wednesday morning. Commissioner for Domestic taxes, Mrs. Rispah Simiyu led a KRA delegation in issuing the award to Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa. In her remarks, Mrs. Simiyu appreciated the measures that Safaricom had put in place to ensure consistent tax compliance over the years. She promised continued support for taxpayers and reiterated the importance of collaboration among stakeholders across different sectors. Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa acknowledged KRA’s recognition. The giant telecommunication firm is credited for paying a cumulative tax amounting to Kshs.409 billion within the last five years.  “We acknowledge that this recognition of top taxpayer

IEBC has criticized the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) proposal to create 70 new constituencies. IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati termed the proposal to allocate new constituencies as unconstitutional. Chebukati made those comments while appearing before a parliamentary Justice and legal Affairs Committee on Wednesday, where he complained that he was not consulted, yet the constitution empowered his commission to distribute new constituencies.  “The Bill can propose constituencies to be created, but not to determine which county the constituencies are created, that’s our mandate, and if the Bill is passed as it is, then it will be unconstitutional,” Chebukati stated. Chebukati further took issue with the six-month time frame given to them by the BBI committee to create new constituencies. He stated that it wasn’t possible to do delimitation of additional constituencies within the specified time, arguing that the process was emotive. “Delimitation of boundaries is always em

Drones are believed to be one of the many disruptive technological ideas that will be embraced by different sectors in the coming years, for product and service delivery. The advent of Covid-19 pandemic saw the deployment of drones to deliver items such as food stuffs and medical equipment in different countries across the globe. Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) , on March 15, started charging fees for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) popularly referred as drones. The authority has been ratified to operationalize the regulatory Fees and Charges for drones. Under the new regulations, Kenyans wishing to import drones will pay an importation fee of Kshs.3000. They will also be required to register with KCAA for the same amount of importation fee.  According to a report published by the Business Daily , drone operators in the country will be required to possess a Remote Operators Certificate to be issued every year at a charge of Kshs 80,000 and a renewal fee of Kshs.50,00

Police Spokesman Charles Owino has sturdily differed with Interior Cabinet Secretary Dr. fred Matiang’i over the entry grades to the police service. Owino claimed that police who scored C+ and above in KCSE go back to school and get degrees, which they use to pursue for promotions. “We have a challenge when we employ every policeman with Grade C+ and above. They go back to school, get degrees and come back and ask for promotions. It is important we get officers who have C plain, C- and D+,” Owino told a local media station on Wednesday. Owino’s sentiments are in contradiction to Matiangi’s proposal that the entry grade for policemen be increased to enhance their efficiency in handling complicated cases that involved scientific and forensic analysis. Matiang’i had posed: “If we are admitting you with a D+ then we are telling you to go to the complex science of analyzing blood and preparing a document that the DPP is going to use in court to prove murder, are we seriously ho

The major challenge affecting major Cities across the globe is increased car ownership which is directly construed to augmented traffic accidents. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one of the components of technology that can be used to curb traffic accidents in towns and cities.  The technology involves an algorithm that can predict a coming object or person and alert the driver to stop. This can be achieved through radar-based communication. Researchers from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) have harnessed technology that will make it safer to travel in Cities. According to a pitch posted on the UOC portal , artificial intelligence can be used to detect patterns by analyzing images of a specific area to encourage the design of safer public spaces. In a study that have prioritized the safety of pedestrian and vehicles, the researchers delved between the intricacies of selected urban regions and the probability of an accident to happen there. They collected data that

The future of petrol and diesel investment might not be so rosy should ‘technoking’ Elon Musk   succeed in his endeavors to lobby for increased taxation on fossil fuel. Musk’s Tesla lobbied UK to increase taxes on diesel and petrol vehicles in order to fund huge subsidies for electric vehicles, alongside a prohibition on hybrids. According to a report published by the Guardian, the US electric car manufacturer called for an increase in fuel duty and a charge on diesel and petrol car acquisitions to fund tax breaks and grants. The proposal would automatically raise the cost of purchasing petrol or diesel cars, while reducing the cost of acquiring electric vehicles. Musk has been a pioneer of fighting climate change by supporting zero-carbon emissions. He advocates for the penalization of using fossil-fuelled vehicles. “Supporting zero-emissions vehicle uptake through mechanisms to make new fossil-fuelled cars pay for the damage they cause is entirely reasonable and logical,”

The first global framework for smart city governance was convened by the World Economic Forum (WEP). The global initiative that was started by 16 partners attracted a delegation representing more than 200,000 local government companies, research institutions, start-ups and non-governmental organizations. According to World Economic Forum, every week close to three million people globally move to the city. The surging number of City dwellers result to enormous challenges related to pollution, traffic congestion and increased crime rates among others. The convention will seek to address disaster preparedness and growing concerns about personal security, people privacy among other risks exposed to over-congestion.  G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance on Technology Governance , was found in June 2019, under the auspices of WEP seeks to install proper governance to address the challenges posed by smart city initiative which in their view can outweigh its benefits. However, the prob