Author: Jack Oduor

• TikTok’s Safer Together Workshops have attracted 116,355 attendees. 
• The social media platform has in the recent past had issues over safety in Kenya and around the world.
• According to TikTok, the initiative will involve availing educative videos on digital and internet safety on the platform.

Kenyan youth have joined TikTok’s Global Youth Council to engage with TikTok CEO Shou Chew on matters of digital safety as the video sharing app faces mounting pressure from governments across the world.

This collaboration comes as part of the social platforms ongoing efforts, in partnership with Eveminet, to promote a safer online environment through TikTok’s Safer Together Workshops. The trainings come amidst measures by some countries, including Kenya, that ban the use of the platform on government issued devices due to data safety concerns.

The TikTok’s Safer Together Workshops were officially launched in October 2023 with the goal of creating a safe and empowering …

• Kenyan businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector are the most confident they will post growth in Q2
• Businesses in the energy sector are also optimistic of better Q2 despite challenges in the first quarter.
• The education sector reflects a balanced sentiment, with 33 per cent expressing extreme, moderate, and slight confidence in revenue growth.

Kenyan businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector are the most confident that they will grow their revenues in the second quarter of 2024 according to a new survey by Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI).

Compared to other sectors, the hospitality and tourism sector exhibits a stronger sense of optimism, with 41 per cent extremely confident, 29 per cent moderately confident, 18 per cent slightly confident, and 12 per cent not confident of increasing their revenues.

In the agriculture sector, results indicate a mixed outlook, with 17 per cent of Kenyan businesses …

• New hotel room developments in Kenya have dropped.
• With continued signing activity (19 hotels with about 5,200 rooms in 2023) Egypt now accounts for 28 per cent of the total pipeline.
• When it comes to hotels under construction, Marriott International leads the way, with 138 hotels (15,011 rooms) currently being built.

Kenya has ranked seventh in Africa among the countries with the highest number of hotel room developments by international hotel chains, a drop from position five in 2022.

This is according to the latest survey by Lagos-based W Hospitality Group, in association with the Africa Hospitality Investment Forum (AHIF). From the survey, Kenya has 31 hotels with a total of 4,268 rooms on the pipeline with an average room size in these hotels is approximately 138 square feet.

North Africa continues to dominate the planned supply, with Morocco and Egypt together comprising almost 31 per cent of the …

• China Henan International Cooperation failed to to disclose the use of a commission agent while submitting a bid.
• The ban on Chinese firm reflects broader concerns about the nature of China-Africa economic relations.
• The move follows the conclusion of a negotiated settlement agreement with the Chinese company.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has suspended Chinese firm, China Henan International Cooperation Group Company Limited, from undertaking any contracts in Africa for the next one year.

The move follows the conclusion of a negotiated settlement agreement with the Chinese company putting an end to sanctions proceedings for a fraudulent practice against China Henan International Cooperation.

In the directive, pursuant to the negotiated settlement agreement, China Henan International Cooperation Group Company Limited, registered in China, will be debarred for a period of 12 months, effective 28 March 2024.

“An investigation conducted by the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption of the African Development Bank …

• The civil society has opposed Somalia plan to reduce Adult Age to 15 
• Under Somalia’s provisional constitution, a child is defined as a person under the age of 18.
• he proposed amendments also include physical development as the determining factor in a person’s majority.

Somalia’s parliament should reject any proposed constitutional amendments that would weaken rights protections for children, Human Rights Watch has said.

On March 30, 2024, both houses of parliament are expected to vote on the proposed amendments, which would reduce the age of majority – increasing the risk of child marriage and lowered juvenile justice standards – and possibly permit certain forms of female genital mutilation.…

• According to an Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report, Kenya is among the best places for doing business globally.
• Venezuela has been ranked as the worst country in which to do business.
• Qatar has implemented a $220 billion investment program over the past decade, mainly focused on infrastructure.

Kenya has been ranked among the places with a weak business environment. Still, it has the potential for improvement over the next five years. According to a report by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), it is among the best business places, a global business intelligence & market insights company.

Kenya and Angola were the only African …

• Early last year, another German shoe line announced an investment of $2.66 million to expand its presence in Kenya by 2025.
• The distribution centre is at the Freight Forwarders Solutions warehouse in Tatu City.
• In recent years, German firms have shown increasing interest and investment in East Africa.

German-based cleaning equipment manufacturer Karcher has announced an approximate $3.25 million investment in the Kenyan market. The firm is setting up a regional distribution centre in Nairobi as a business expansion strategy to evade the toughening global import supply chain due to high logistics costs resulting from pirate attacks in the Red Sea corridor.

The distribution centre is at the …

• Equity Bank dividend payout of $0.03 (KES4) per share will amount to a 36 per cent payout of the regional lender’s $331.6 million net profit.
• Customer numbers grew to 19.6 million, translating to an increase in deposits, which hit $10.6 billion in 2023.
• Loan books also increased to $6.7 billion (KES887.4 billion) from KES706.6 billion in 2022.

Equity Group’s profits saw a five per cent decline to $331.6 million (KES43.7 billion) for the financial year ending in December 2023, down from $349 million (KES46 billion) the previous year. However, despite the drop, Equity Group’s dividend payout has hit record …

• Kenya Airways losses for FY2023 have majorly stemmed from FX fluctuations.
• Despite the heightened operating costs, Kenya Airways achieved an operating profit of $79.4 million.
• International Air Transport Association (IATA) predicts full recovery of the aviation industry from the Covid-19 crisis in 2024.

Kenya Airways net losses for the trading period ending December 2023 have dropped to $171.6 million (KES22.7 billion) majorly attributed to the forex exchange losses suffered during the review period.

The latest result is a 41 percent reduction from the $289.6million (KES38.3 billion) reported in 2022 in what the airline attributes to continuing efforts aimed at navigating KQ’s back onto the path to profitability.

These losses stemming from fluctuations in currency exchange rates (FX Losses), impacted the airline’s financial position, posting the greatest drawback to its financials with $181.4 million loss.

Kenya Airways Chief Executive Allan Kilavuka said that in the review period the airline increased flight …

• Electric bus company, BasiGo has secured $3 million (Sh396 million) worth of equity funding from CFAO Group to scale up electric bus production in East Africa.
• The investment, split between CFAO Kenya and Mobility54, will help accelerate the scale-up of BasiGo’s manufacturing and delivery of electric buses in Kenya and Rwanda.
• CFAO Group is building e-mobility ecosystem in East Africa by investing in green mobility startups through Mobility54.

Electric bus company, BasiGo has secured $3 million (Sh396 million) worth of equity funding from CFAO Group to scale up electric bus production in East Africa. The investment, split between CFAO Kenya and Mobility54, the …