Browsing: East Africa

Silafrica, a leading packaging company in Africa that supplies plastic packaging throughout East Africa, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania is set to be the first African company to employ the Smart Crate technology. Designed especially for produce, Smart Crates are scheduled to be in production within six months.

The RFID and NFC tag technologies provide some important logistical advantages previously unavailable to the produce industry. A crate equipped with RFID can be tracked throughout its entire journey by scanning at routine checkpoints. NFC tags collect and store data, which can be quickly accessed by simply tapping a smartphone against the tag. The vented crates also offer improved air flow, keeping produce fresher during transit from farm to market.

Using smart crate RFID and NFC tag technologies also makes managing the distribution of produce more streamlined and predictable. Now, companies like Twiga Foods, who sources crops from more than eight …

Debt across East Africa continues to grow with Kenya’s risk of debts increasing from low to moderate.

Burundi has also joined a group of nine African countries with a high risk of debt distress. According to a US-based research firm, Brookings Institution, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania rank among the top 50 countries in the world that are highly indebted to China.

According to the report, such countries are now shifting away from official multilateral creditors to non-concessional, (commercial) debt with relatively higher interest rates and lower maturities.

This has caused the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to raise a red flag over the rate at which East African countries are accumulating debt. Raising concerns about debts sustainability, the risk of higher refinancing of the debts and foreign exchange risks.

East African economies have fallen into a financial fix as they attempt to fund persistent budget deficits and implementing mega infrastructure projects …

Kenya and Jordan are in talks on deepening trade and bilateral ties, in the latest of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s charm offensive to attract investments to the East African nation.

Kenyatta on Tuesday held talks with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan where the two leaders discussed the progress in trade and bilateral relations between the two countries.

The leaders, who want their two countries to establish special status relations, directed their respective ministries to fast track the implementation of bilateral trade agreements.

READ ALSO:Kenya signs 8 treaties spreading wings to remote territories

President Kenyatta and King Abdullah II also discussed the progress by their respective nations in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.

President Kenyatta and the Jordanian King met on the sidelines of the Future Investment Initiative (FII), a global financial conference hosted in Saudi Arabia where 40 countries are taking part.

The two leaders also …

DIB Bank Kenya Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dubai Islamic Bank PJSC, has opened a new branch in Kenya as it moves to expand its network in the East African nation.

The latest branch was opened in the coastal town of Mombasa, bringing to two, the number of the bank’s branches at the port city.

This comes barely a week after launching a new branch in Nairobi’s Eastleigh suburb.

Located East of the Central Business District, Eastleigh is predominantly inhabited by Somali immigrants. It is described as “Little Mogadishu”, as well as “a country within a country with its own economy” on account of its robust business sector.

The second Mombasa branch is located at Bondeni area which is also largely inhabited by the Muslim community.

According to the bank’s management, the new branches are geared at enhancing the bank’s reach at key business locations to cater for its …

Industries and households in Kenya could soon be out of frequent power interruptions and outages as Kenya Power kicks off live maintenance of power lines.

The programme launched on Monday this week is meant to reduce planned electricity shutdowns, enhance stability of power supply and improve revenue generation.

READ ALSO:How Kenya Power plans to manage electricity tariffs

The launch follows the completion of the pilot phase where more than 70 staff were trained to carry out maintenance of live power lines.

During the pilot phase, eight insulated trucks and three digger derricks were also acquired.

Following the success of the pilot phase, the World Bank has funded the programme to a tune of $20 million (about Ksh2 billion) for procurement of additional insulated trucks, tools and accessories, training of staff in live line maintenance techniques and establishment of a laboratory for testing live line equipment.

READ ALSO:World bank

Kenya is on the right path in the fight against corruption, The International Monetary Fund has said.

IMF Director for African Department Abebe Selassie has commended President Uhuru Kenyatta for spearheading the war against corruption, saying the country was well.

According to Abebe, the IMF is satisfied with the stable economic growth that averages between 5.5 per cent and 6.0 per cent as a result of the ongoing fiscal reforms that the Kenyan Government is implementing to ensure macroeconomic stability.

READ ALSO:Kenya whets investor appetite with Special Economic Zone

“Because of this, Kenya is a leading light in terms of economic reforms and growth in the region,” Selassie said.

The Director for the African Department of the IMF spoke on Monday when he paid the President a courtesy call at State House, Nairobi.

During the meeting, the President and Mr Selassie discussed the relationship between Kenya and the Bretton …

The Kenyan government is considering a Ksh1.6 billion ($15.4million) financing option for smallholder tea farmers across the country to help them diversify their products.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri has said that the proposal, which is now before the Head of Public Service, Joseph Kinyua, and the Cabinet for consideration, involves a financing model for smallholder tea factories to set up black orthodox tea production units.

READ ALSO:Kenyan tea farmers capture World Bank’s climate change deal

Black orthodox Tea is loose tea which is produced using the traditional method of tea production:plucking, withering, rolling, oxidation and drying.

It has an aroma that is easily identifiable and fetches more prices at the tea auction than the normal tea – thus the need for enhanced production of this type of tea to help cushion farmers from the volatile prices associated with traditional teas.

“In a bid to help our tea farmers …

UK headquartered manufacturer–Unilever Overseas Holdings B.V has gotten a major boost in its quest to expand its portfolio in Kenya and the East Africa region.

This follows the approval by the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) to acquire a majority stake (90%) in Chemi & Cotex Kenya Limited, a subsidiary of Tanzania’s Chemi and Cotex Industries Limited.

The firm is involved in the distribution of cosmetics, beauty, hair, oral care products and food products, one of East Africa’s leading fast moving consumer goods companies

Unilever Overseas Holdings B.V (Unilever B.V) on the other hand, is a wholly owned subsidiary of Unilever Plc which is listed on the London Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange.

With the approval, Unilever will now move to assume direct control of the investment company and indirect control over Chemi & Cotex Kenya Limited.

The parties’ combined and relevant turnover for the preceding year …

Kenya’s leading telecommunication company-Safaricom on Wednesday marked 19 years since the company launched.

During the celebrations, the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed telco unveiled a new strategy and renewed its commitment to its customers.

Under the new structure, Safaricom is committing to be ‘simple, transparent and honest’ across all its products and operations.

READ ALSO:Majority of Kenya’s job-seekers dream of working at Safaricom

As part of its efforts to simplify its products, the company has unveiled a new data plan, and a new calling and SMS plan that will respectively offer data bundles and calling minutes with no expiry.

Both data bundles, calls and SMS with no expiry are immediately available on *544#

“Over the last 19 years, we have come a long way together with our customers. As we celebrate our anniversary, it is a unique opportunity to reevaluate our operations to ensure that we remain relevant to …

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is set to launch the latest version of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft on the Amsterdam- Nairobi route next month, months after flying the aircraft to Tanzania.

The fuel-efficient aircraft will offer passengers on the route a more comfortable flying experience with its top of the range features offering more comfort and less fatigue.

The Dutch national carrier is introducing the latest version of the Boeing 787-10 aircraft into its fleet in a move that will see Kenya become the second destination in KLM’s global network to receive the new aircraft, after Tanzania in July this year.

READ ALSO:KLM CEO resigns from KQ Board

This underscores KLM’s efforts in investing in Africa and local markets.

KLM is the first European carrier to fly this new type of aircraft, cementing its position as a pioneer in aviation. It is one of the airlines that continues to make …