Techweez: Recent Episodes
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Liquid Intelligent Technologies (Liquid) has officially launched a fully redundant terrestrial fibre link. The first route is a 1000KM fibre link between Kenya and Ethiopia. The fibre route is supported by a 711 KM fibre network between Zambia and Malawi. Liquid believes completion of the two routes is a major achievement for the continent. Firstly, […]
Techweez
Apple unveiled the new iPhone 15 lineup with a key charging update and an advanced camera system among other features in its annual September event. In the event tagged Wonderlust, Apple launched other products including several Apple watches and AirPods Pro 2. The tech giant has dropped its proprietary “Lightning” charging port on the iPhone […]
Techweez
Google has rolled out a crucial update to its Chrome web browser. The security patch released on Monday is meant to address a critical security flaw. As such, all Chrome users are urged to immediately update their web browser. The security flaw was tracked as CVE-2023-4863 and is reported to be a heap buffer overflow. Ordinarily, a […]
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OPPO Reno10 5G is the latest camera-focussed midranger in the country and it delivers on all the core features a device in that space should have and more. Reno10 is a solid upgrade from its predecessor the Reno8 from last year. It now uses glass for its front and back with Asahi Glass Dragontrail Star […]
Techweez
Infinix didn’t come to play with its 2023 midrange and flagship series which includes the Note 30 series and Zero 30 series. And TL;DR: The Infinix Zero 30 5G which launched in Venice, Italy is a beast in comparison to its predecessors and close rivals. Right from the build quality and design, the Zero 30 […]
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Treasury proposes the Data Protection Act of 2019 be amended to give special exemption to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). The proposed exemptions will enable KRA to have easier access to data and information from third parties like telcos and banks. These new proposals are part of Kenya’s Draft Medium-term Debt Strategy for the period […]
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Andrew Kibe a controversial YouTuber based in the US has had his YouTube channel terminated. The terminated channel had nearly 500,000 subscribers and accumulated 160 million views. It is one of Kenya’s most subscribed channels. Currently, Kenya has just about 14 channels with more than 1 million subscribers.The podcaster took to other social media platforms […]
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A Kenyan Blogger was arrested for allegedly contravening the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018. Silvance Adongo Abeta, who posts under the X handle @Wanjiku HSC under the name Karen Wanjiku was arrested by police attached to the Serious Crime Unit. The Serious Crime Unit is under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Mr. […]
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The first-ever Mozilla Festival House: Kenya will explore local approaches to AI and data governance; the event will take place September 21 – 22, 2023 at Nairobi’s Shamba House Cafe. Mozilla Festival has announced that the MozFest House: Kenya event will feature keynote speaker and Facebook whistleblower, Daniel Motaung, along with over 30 sessions on […]
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The government is set to spend Ksh. 1 billion to roll out digital IDs to Kenyans. The Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) dubbed Maisha Number will be assigned to individuals as a lifelong unique identification number starting from birth and eventually serve as an ID number. Immigration Permanent Secretary Julius Bitok said the government will put […]
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Tech giant, Meta has announced a global rollout of new parental supervision tools on Messenger. These tools were initially launched in the US, UK and Canada in June. The new parental controls will allow parents to see how teens spend their time and who they interact with on Messenger Parents and guardians can access Messenger […]
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The ICT Authority has announced applications for the Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP) Cohort VIII are now open. The Authority is inviting recent university graduates with a passion for ICT and Public Service to undergo the 12-month internship programme in both the public and private sectors. The internship programme is offered through a Public-Private partnership […]
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The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has today announced the implementation of the Blank Tape levy. The new levy set to commence on September 15, 2023, seeks to boost royalties collection in Kenya. According to a statement released by the body, the levy will be imposed on any digital and electronic device with recording capacity that […]
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The Cabinet Secretary for ICT and the Digital Economy, Eliud Owalo, recently launched a task force mandated to lead policy, legal and legislative reforms in the country. The team is tasked with reviewing and making recommendations on reforms needed in laws governing broadcasting, courier services and telecommunications. With some of the laws enacted over 25 […]
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Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) is the main airport for Nairobi, the busiest and the largest airport in Kenya, serving most destinations in the world. It is managed by the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), a national government body but autonomous. With over 40 passenger airlines, as one of the international getaways in the region and […]
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For a good number of people (if not everyone) who work with words, keyboard shortcuts are a friend and a lover. It helps to quickly type as it allows easy navigation through tabs, and proficiency with various combo keys speeds up the editing process and boosts productivity, thus saving time. Most pro users prefer shortcut […]
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It is safe to say that phone calls are the immediate replacement for face-to-face engagements when friends and relatives, the people you need to call, are distant because, aside from getting a personal response, it saves time, which would have been used to exchange numerous text messages. You can make a phone call to anyone […]
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It is human nature to desire a flawless life, one which is free from mistakes, but fallibility is also our inherent tendency. We can’t escape that because humans are a work in progress, not complete, and prone to making errors, even that result from forgetfulness as a human fault. An example of such an error […]
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Public concerns on TikTok live streams have led the Kenya government to demand TikTok to disable the live feature. Speaking to Citizen TV, the Acting. CEO, of Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) Mr. Joel Wamalwa said: “What we have discussed with TikTok, is that one, the Live feature be disabled until they ascertain all the […]
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The Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) has announced a shutdown of its prepaid vending system. The system will be unavailable for about 5 hours tonight. KPLC statement stated the shutdown is due to “essential maintenance”. Crucially, Kenyans should take note the shutdown will be from Saturday at 11:50 PM to Sunday to September 10th, […]
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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced the resumption of police clearance certificate services. In a statement, the DCI said: “The processing of Police Clearance Certificates at DCI Headquarters has been fully restored after a duration of system upgrade.”. According to the DCI, an attempt to clear an existing backlog of applications had resulted […]
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The Cabinet Secretary in charge of Energy and Petroleum, Mr. Davis Chirchir has fired 5 board members. The five serving on the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) board are George Mwakule, Moses Murengu Mutuli, Daniel Ndonye, Mercy Muthoni Wambugu, and Caroline Gathii). Their termination is effective immediately. The five whose appointment has been revoked […]
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China is seeking to widen its ban on iPhone use. Reports indicate the wider ban will cover state-backed firms and local government. Initially, the ban ordered officials at central government agencies to not use Apple’s iPhones. Now it appears the restrictions will cover lower officials in prefectures, cities, and other state-owned enterprises. A Chinese government […]
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YouTube has launched a verification scheme that seeks to verify medical workers. The verification system for medical workers was launched in June and it has stringent steps. Doctors, nurses, and psychologists are eligible to apply for the verification. A successful applicant will have a YouTube badge displayed under the Channel name. The badge will indicate […]
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The majority of Hustler Fund Loan borrowers use it for personal and household purposes. It was found there is a need to increase the hustler loan amounts so that the fund can support the starting of new enterprises as well as boost working capital for existing businesses. Currently, the Fund disburses personal loans ranging from […]
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Civil Society organization, Citizen Lab discovered a zero-click vulnerability on Apple devices. The vulnerability allows Pegasus mercenary spyware to infiltrate devices. Zero-click means the spyware is able to infiltrate iPhones without any interaction from Apple users. This means victims need not click or tap on any attachment to activate it. Even more concerning, is fact […]
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Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA), the agency mandated to implement the Konza Technopolis project, has today announced the appointment of its CEO, Mr. John Paul Okwiri. Following his appointment, Mr. Okwiri will be charged with the responsibility of providing strategic leadership to Konza Technopolis to achieve its vision as a leading global Technopolis and an […]
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EdTech platform, AltSchool Africa is expanding its learning faculty to introduce Creative Economy and Business schools to help upskill Africans in the creative and business industries. The institution has traditionally offered courses directly related to in-code and no-code courses. Strengthening its push in the EdTech sector, AltSchool Africa has included content creation, sales, and music […]
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NCBA Loop has officially reinstated M-Pesa to Loop charges. According to Loop, the charges were reintroduced following “a business decision”. For a while now, Loop Customers have enjoyed depositing funds to their loop account for free. However, they will now have to pay M-Pesa PayBill charges as set by Safaricom. Take note the charges are […]
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Safaricom has announced it is introducing two Neon smartphones to its Lipa Mdogo Mdogo program as it seeks to expand affordable internet accessibility. The program offers Kenyans internet-enabled smartphones that they can pay-as-they-use on a daily or weekly basis. The new smartphones include the Neon Smarta and the more advanced Neon Ultra, which offers a […]
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Today, Lenovo has officially released their new Legion 9i, the first 16-inch gaming laptop in Lenovo Legion’s lineup with a self-contained liquid-cooling system. The Legion 9i is expected to hit the market in October and will be retailing for a staggering price of $4399, Yeesh! “The introduction of the Lenovo Legion 9i (16”, 8) marks […]
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Latest reports indicate that Telkom towers have been switched off. The move by American Towers Corporation (ATC) is due to Telkom defaulting on the site leasing fees. The towers shutdown has led to service disruptions on the telco’s network. Allegedly, media reports indicate Telkom owes ATC about KSH 3.5 billion or 23.8 million USD. Importantly, […]
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Blockchain Association of Kenya (BAK) has filed a petition to challenge the legality of the Digital Asset Tax which comes into effect today 1st Sept 2023. The petition by BAK has been filed at the High Court. Consequently, the court has set the 28th of September 2023 as the date for the mention of the […]
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By September 2024, USB Type-C will become the standard charging port for all mobile phones, tablets, and cameras in the European Union. This was announced after the European Parliament (EP) and Council negotiators came to an agreement. The USB-C becomes the standard port for both charging and data transfers. Following the announcement in June, the […]
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Quick Cart Africa Inc., a Kenyan-based e-commerce startup, backed by Harvard Innovations Labs and Pixel Recess Venture studios, is introducing an app that delivers your groceries right to your doorstep in 10 minutes! The platform seeks to solve a critical issue in Africa’s food supply chain: post-harvest loss while reshaping grocery delivery and sustainability. According […]
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Bill Murphy, a Chief Executive of AMD, issued a warning on X (formerly twitter) warning Pc gamers on fake giveaways of their limited-edition starfield Graphics card. Murphy singles out a specific giveaway on X, from ‘Indie Kings’ (a PC gaming community on Steam, apparently) noting that AMD does not believe this is one of its […]
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Airtel Money has increased the limit a user can transact in one instance. Henceforth, Airtel Money users can transact upto KES 250,000 at a go. This is an increase of Ksh 100,000 from the previous KES 150,000 per transaction limit. The new limit comes into effect from tomorrow 1st September 2023. Airtel indicates that the […]
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While TECNO has its book-style foldable with the Phantom V Fold and the yet-to-be-launched clamshell-style foldable with the Phantom V Flip, the company isn’t stopping just there yet. TECNO is now working on rollable smartphones. These phones hide away the screen inside the phone and extend when needed for large screen uses. TECNO is following […]
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X has introduced a new feature for its premium users. Now, the users can hide their likes tab. Traditionally, one can view all the posts a user has liked when they visit a profile. The liked posts are usually displayed on a likes tab at the far end of a profile. The option falls under […]
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For years, WhatsApp has only allowed one account on its app, and you had to get a WhatsApp business app to add another number. It looks like this is about to change. You can now add another number to the app on the latest WhatsApp beta. This means you can have two accounts running on […]
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Google AI researchers have announced a tool that will help identify images generated by AI. At a time when AI images are becoming more realistic as the technology continues to evolve rapidly, there’s a need to develop mechanisms to identify such images. This will help fight some abuse and exploitation of said images and aid […]
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Today KenGen and Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA) joined forces with local investors in breaking ground for an Ecocloud Data Centre at the KenGen Green Energy Park. This initiative sets the stage for sustainable and clean industrialization. Ecocloud Data Centre is KenGen’s Green park first client. The data centre will be powered by 100% Geothermal […]
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TikTok search ads toggle is now live in the US and being tested in other markets. At the moment, the search toggle is a placement for ads only, with the ability to upload negative keywords and also track what search term triggered the impression. TikTok is a platform people go to be entertained and discover […]
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The social media platform X has introduced new data plans in its recently updated privacy policy. In what seems like an aggressive push for more user information, X seeks to collect data that includes user biometrics. The platform indicates biometric information will be used for safety, security, and identification purposes. However, the new privacy policy […]
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X / Twitter users will soon have the ability to make and receive both audio and video calls on the platform. According to the site’s owner, Elon Musk, the calls will be supported across all major platforms including iOS, Android, Mac and PC. While announcing this development, Elon Musk said phone numbers would not be […]
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Airtel’s Initial Public Offer ( IPO) is now open in Uganda. Airtel Uganda values its whole Business at over 1 Billion USD. For this sale to the public, the company is offering 20 Percent of its shares to Ugandans. Airtel Uganda IPO hopes to raise 800 billion Uganda shillings (215,827,200 USD at current exchange rate). […]
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Mwango Capital is financial research organisation in East Africa. Late last night they reported their X handle had been hacked. Erick Mokaya, the founder posted “We just lost access to the Mwango Capital account“. Furthermore, he tagged the main X account and Elon Musk to help them retrieve the account A look into the account […]
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Apple AirPods are proving to be a lucrative business for the American tech giant. Based on data from Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for the year 2022, Apple AirPods revenue surpassed a number of giant tech companies. Separate from other Apple products and services, AirPods reportedly brought in $14.5 billion in revenue. In comparison, this […]
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A security researcher has discovered a skype flaw that enables hackers to grab IP addresses. Alarmingly, it does not matter where the IP address leads to. The vulnerability exposes a person’s IP address even if the link shared on Skype is google.com. In addition, using a virtual private network (VPN) does not protect users from […]
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The Meteorological Department of Kenya has predicted a high possibility of high rainfall within the country as the world braces for El Niño. The weather phenomenon occurs when warm water builds up along the equator in the eastern Pacific. The warm ocean surface warms the atmosphere, which allows moisture-rich air to rise and develop into rainstorms. It takes […]
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X Hiring is the latest new feature to be added to X (formerly Twitter). The X hiring feature was announced in June and has now been rolled out. The feature will allow companies to post a Job title, the location of the job, and salary. Currently, the rollout is in the Beta phase. Verified Organizations […]
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Snapchat is introducing a new feature that allows users to create a series of AI–generated selfies. The new feature called “Dreams” will let users create stylized portraits of themselves by using generative AI models, which they can share. To create your Dreams, you’ll have to upload a few real–life selfies which will then be trained […]
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The Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National security is inviting comments from the public on the draft Computer Misuse & Cybercrimes Act 2023. A taskforce appointed by the ministry in May this year has successfully formulated the draft regulations. Hence, the Taskforce invites institutions, organizations and individuals to submit their comments. The public participation phase […]
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OPPO Find N3 Flip has been announced in its home country of China. This is the company’s latest clamshell-style foldable that follows the success of the OPPO Find N2 Flip that went global early this year. The biggest update is the cameras where OPPO added a third primary lens and the Find N3 Flip becomes […]
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WhatsApp is working on a new security feature that will make it harder for people to determine your location from calls. The new privacy feature which will protect your IP address in calls, is currently under development and will be available in the near future according to WABetaInfo. With the ever evolving-threat of bad actors […]
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ASUS has come out and denied rumors that it will be discontinuing its Zenfone smartphone lineup with Zenfone 10 being the last generation in the series. According to a report by a Taiwanese media outlet, ASUS was undergoing an organizational restructuring and would shut down the Zenfone division to focus more on its gaming-focused phone […]
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Raspberry Pi Pico boards manufactured in Kenya are now available for sale at electronic retailers in Africa. The Raspberry Pi Pico boards are manufactured in Kenya by Gearbox Europlacer. At the start, the boards will be available to electronics resellers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Ghana. The manufacturing company says they will soon be available at […]
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Digital lending in Kenya has grown over the years. Digital lenders offer loans to Kenyans primarily via mobile apps and USSD codes. The quick loans mostly with zero collateral have proved profitable and successful for the digital lending entities. For example, Safaricom indicated that that the government’s credit facility Hustler Fund had brought back 2 […]
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WordPress.com announced a 100-year plan for domain registration. The unique plan comes with managed hosting and 24/7 customer service among other features for one price. WordPress powers nearly half the web and remains the most trusted CMS on the planet. A recent CMS report indicated that over 40% of the world’s websites are powered by […]
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The .KE domain lifecycle begins at Registration and ends at Deletion. Kenya Network Information Centre (KeNIC) is the Registry whose core mandate is to manage and administer a secure and reliable .KE domain. .KE domain names are Registered through KeNIC accredited Registrars. KeNIC’s .KE domains extensions are: .co.ke, .or.ke, .ne.ke, .go.ke, .me.ke, .mobi.ke, .info.ke, .sc.ke, […]
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Facebook Messenger Lite is being shut down. Messenger Lite is the lightweight version of Meta’s Messenger. As of August 21, users of the app are now directed to Messenger or FB lite. Additionally, the following message is displayed to them as an advisory “Use Messenger to keep chatting.” Currently, the app has been removed from […]
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Cabinet secretary for Roads and Transport, Kipchumba Murkomen has promised to convene a digital taxi forum. Speaking on the 18th of August, the CS promised to invite all stakeholders. Mr. Murkomen had received a petition from drivers of digital taxi hailing companies detailing the challenges they face in their day to day operations. As part […]
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Google is reportedly working with Garmin, a GPS navigation and wearable tech company, to bring two-way satellite texting to Google Messages. The satellite texting feature will allow users to send emergency SOS texts as well as enable location sharing via satellite on Android according to researchers. Spotted by developer Neïl Rahmouni and shared on X […]
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OPPO Reno10 is coming to Kenya. The company is scheduled to bring the new midrange smartphone in the Reno lineup later next week. OPPO Reno10 succeeds the Reno8 launched late last year. This comes after the successful launch of the OPPO Find N2 Flip early this year. OPPO Reno 10 will come with a 6.7-inch […]
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After the successful launch of the OPPO Find N2 Flip in the country, the company is slated to bring the OPPO Reno10 next week to Kenya. OPPO Reno10 is their latest midrange smartphone in the Reno series succeeding the Reno8 from last year. The Reno series is known for its brilliant camera performance and the […]
Techweez
Mark Zuckerberg’s X rival has launched a Threads web app. Whilst the social media platform was already accessible via web browsers, users could only view profiles. Consequently, the simplified web version would show you a QR code to download the mobile app. The improved Threads web app has a lot of similarities with the mobile […]
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Glovo has launched “Glovo Ads” a new advertising campaign for their partners and local brands in Kenya. The 8 year old Spanish delivery company has elected to introduce ads as another revenue channel. Glovo’s retail media spending is expected to hit €25 billion by 2026 and a steadily increasing customer base. The company’s presence in […]
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Bolt App Kenya are in a fix yet again after a driver was allegedly physically assaulted by a client. According to the victim’s daughter, the client allegedly hailed the cab via the Bolt app. The incident is said to have occurred at Katani road near Viraj International academy in Mlolongo. The client who turned assailant […]
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The foldables market is maturing and industry leader Samsung is feeling the gap close in quickly with rivals catching up with their more affordable foldable smartphones. The South Korean giant is now facing competition from OPPO, Huawei, Vivo, Xiaomi, Motorola, Honor, Google and even TECNO globally who have in recent months launched their own versions […]
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Infinix Zero 30 5G will be launching early next month in the country with a global launch happening later next week. It will be the most exciting flagship phone by the company thanks to the improved features – an upgrade over the Zero Ultra from last year. Infinix is bringing a curved 144Hz AMOLED screen […]
Techweez
Infinix is set to launch the Zero 30 5G- its latest flagship smartphone in the Zero series to succeed the Zero Ultra from last year. The company has gone all in regarding the features the Zero 30 5G will come bearing. The feature I’m most excited about is the cameras, which Infinix has had challenges […]
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Shou Zi Chew Chief Executive of the popular short-form video hosting service TikTok has agreed on working together with the GOK in Tiktok content moderation during their virtual meeting this morning. The meeting comes after President Ruto revealed his plan to meet with the social media’s executives to address on monetization and the content moderation […]
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Following today’s virtual meeting with President Ruto, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew has agreed to set up a Kenyan office to coordinate its operations in the continent. This comes after a petition was tabled before the Parliament seeking to ban the short-form video platform. The petition filed by Bob Ndolo, an executive officer of the […]
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Cellulant, a Pan African payments firm has announced it will be adopting a product-led structure as its anchor for increased growth across the continent. This move will see its current workforce cut by 20%. The company has said this new organizational strategy will see the company enhance its service offerings to evolving customer needs across […]
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Since the inception of Gan’s-a foundation of generative AI technologies-in 2014 and Google’s DeapDream in 2015, AI-generated art has grown to captivate the general public in a way it hadn’t before. One of the biggest advantages of AI in art creation is the acceleration of the creative process. Furthermore, Ai tools have allowed artist to create […]
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The Leila Janah Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting entrepreneurs in East Africa, has today announced the winners of its sixth annual Give Work Challenge (GWC) for existing businesses. The winners announced include Kenya’s Mvuvi and Kono Farm together with Mawejje Creations and The Reusable Sanitary Pad Project, both from Uganda. Each of the four companies […]
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Microsoft has announced it is restructuring its acquisition of Activision Blizzard to address concerns raised by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), about the impact of the proposed $69 billion acquisition deal on cloud game streaming. In the new deal, Microsoft will sell off Activision’s cloud gaming rights to Ubisoft video game company. This […]
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Google has unveiled the “Google for Startups Accelerator: AI First” accelerator program aimed at supporting African startups to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to solve local challenges. According to Google, the program recognizes the transformative role AI is playing across different industries. The 10-week equity-free program is open to startups up to series A stage based […]
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Microsoft has announced Bing Chat Enterprise and a new learning accelerator, Search Progress, to enhance the search experience for education purposes. Bing Chat Enterprise is available in preview for Microsoft 365 A3 and A5 faculty users at no additional costs and will allow the said users to chat with an AI-powered assistant. Here is what […]
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Google has removed 43 malicious applications from the Play Store after it was discovered the apps drain users’ phone batteries. Android users have received notifications asking them to review their installed apps and also remove questionable apps from their devices. According to a report by security experts at MacAfee, the applications which already had 2.5 […]
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YouTube has launched its Music AI Incubator in collaboration with Universal Music Group (UMG) to help inform YouTube’s approach to generative AI in music. The incubator will kick off with a genre-spanning cohort of creatives from UMG. According to Universal Music Group Chair and CEO, Sir Lucian Grainge, the group will explore, experiment and offer […]
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On Monday, Kenya and Indonesia signed four Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) following the discussions between president William Ruto of Kenya and President Joko Widodo of Indonesia at State House, Nairobi. The MOU’s outline plans to enhance and expand the partnership between Kenya and Indonesia with a focus on key issue such as energy, mining, food, pharmaceutical […]
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The 20K to 25K price bracket is the sweet spot when it comes to buying a really good smartphone. We’ve already compiled our list of the best-value smartphones under 20K and 15K which you can go check out. We now shift our attention to the best smartphones you can buy for under 25K in Kenya. […]
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WhatsApp is rolling out a new feature that users send higher quality and higher resolution images in HD on the messaging app. According to Meta, the messaging platform will be adding support for HD video soon. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced the update via a Facebook post saying, “Sharing photos on WhatsApp just got an […]
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On Wednesday 16th August 2023, Safaricom officially launched its mobile banking service M-Pesa in Ethiopia. “We are excited to go live with M-Pesa in Ethiopia and start providing mobile financial services to our customers,” said Stanley Njoroge, interim CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia. “We will continue to broaden the services our customers receive from the M-Pesa […]
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It’s that time of the year when you are searching for a really good and affordable smartphone but you want to stay within your budget in the 20K range. We’ve reviewed some of the best budget smartphones under 20K and here’s our definitive list of which ones to buy. These phones come with brilliant scenes, […]
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OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT have acquired Global Illumination, a digital-product company based in New York with the entire team joining OpenAI to work on core products including ChatGPT. Announcing the acquisition, OpenAI said in a blog post, “The team [Global Illumination] previously designed and built products early on at Instagram and Facebook and have […]
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Hisa, a FinTech investment startup based in Kenya has announced Eric Jackson as the new CEO effective immediately. This comes after Eric Asuma, co-founder and former CEO, stepped down from his role to focus on a new venture in partnership with the online financial news publisher, the Kenyan Wall Street as reported by TechCabal. Eric […]
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We’ve been reviewing various smartphone brands with a focus on midrange and flagship devices in recent months and a lot of you have been asking for affordable devices you can buy in the 10K to 15K price range. Smartphones under 15K come with decent features and won’t leave you high and dry after getting yourself […]
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IXAfrica has officially announced its plans to set up a second data hub in Nairobi. The company has partnered with real estate developer Tilisi Developments PLC to purchase 11 acres of land for the construction of the data center. Due diligence is currently underway to determine what the exact size of the campus will be, […]
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Google Search is rolling out additional generative AI features in its AI-powered Search experience dubbed Search Generative Experience (SGE). The new updates will include AI summaries while browsing long-form content, coding improvements and definitions of unfamiliar words within AI-generated responses. Google launched SGE less than three months ago and has since included more updates to […]
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WhatsApp is currently testing a new feature that will allow users to create and share AI-generated stickers. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is currently limited to select beta testers with a wider roll out expected in the coming weeks. The new feature will allow WhatsApp users to generate stickers based on a text description similar […]
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Airtel Money Kenya Ltd has announced it will increasing its daily transaction limit to KES. 500,000 from the current KES. 300,000 following the approval by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK). According to Airtel Money, the increase in the daily transaction limit is expected to benefit a wide range of Airtel Money customers including businesses, […]
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Xiaomi has launched its latest foldable, the Mix Fold 3 in China today. The company released its predecessor, the Mix Fold 2 last year offering major improvements over its first foldable the Mi Mix Fold in launched in 2021 including dropping the Mi branding. However, neither previous foldable has made it to the global market […]
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Safaricom has announced it will be increasing M-PESA account and daily transaction limits following approval by the Central Bank of Kenya. The telco has said this move will help boost business transactions in the country, especially SMEs, as the share of cashless transactions continues to rise. In the last financial year to March 2023, more […]
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From the foldable Motorola Razr series to the budget friendly G series, Motorola offers a wide range of mobile devices for all users. Moreover, the brand has become reputable for its durable design, reliable performance and long-lasting battery life. The Motorola Edge 40 and Edge Pro are seemingly continuing with this trend. Motorola Edge 40 […]
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YouTube is adding new measures in its crackdown on ad blockers on the platform as its parent company, Google seeks to boost the service’s premium subscription going forward. This comes after ads on the platform have become more intrusive with users having to watch a chain of short and unskippable ads. Google has confirmed that […]
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d.light, an early pioneer in off-grid solar solutions targeting low-income households has announced it has closed $125 million in funding through a securitization facility to meet the growing demand for off-grid solar products in Tanzania. Founded in 2007 at Stanford, California and based in Nairobi and Palo Alto, California, d.light offers a range of off-grid […]
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Google is reportedly working on a feature that could allow you to link your Android devices together once they have logged into the same Google Account. According to Mishaal Rahmaan, the new Android feature will allow users to enjoy features such as “Call Switching” as well as “Internet Sharing” between their Android devices. The Call […]
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YouTube is adding more protective measures on its Short Form video platform, YouTube Shorts to curb the increasing cases of scams and spam. YouTube shorts will be disabling all links on Shorts descriptions, comments and vertical live feed by making them unclickable starting August 31, 2023. The new policy is meant to protect users from […]
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Cliff Laban Onserio, former NTV journalist and Standard Group media Chief of Staff, has received support for the Government spokesperson position from former colleagues and various institutions after he expressed interest in the role. The position which is under the Ministry of ICT fell vacant following the exit of Rtd. Colonel Cyrus Oguna who served […]
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Spotify has finally expanded its AI powered DJ feature to Kenya. Kenya was among the 50 countries where the new feature was set to release after its original launch in the U.S. and Canada in February. “Starting today, we’re excited to begin rolling out DJ, in Beta, to Premium users in Kenya taking personalization to the next […]
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Airtel Money Kenya and Britam have partnered with Inclusivity Solutions a digital insurance provider, to launch a suite of insurance covers tailored to cater to the diverse needs of individuals and families. “This strategic collaboration aims to revolutionize the insurance landscape by providing affordable, market-relevant, and easy access to comprehensive coverage, right at the fingertips […]
Techweez
The Public Relations and Communications Management Bill, 2023 will be presented before the Parliament following the approval by the Cabinet of Kenya. The bill seeks to set standards as well as regulate the public relations and communication management profession in Kenya. Currently, the professional standards in the field are under the Public Relations Society of […]
Techweez
The Infinix Note 30 VIP is the company’s top-of-the-line midrange smartphone and leads the rest of the Note 30 series in the country. After checking out the Infinix Note 30 Pro[Our Full Review], I switched to the VIP version and used it as a main device for a little over three weeks. I’m happy to […]
Techweez
Founding CEO of Kenya’s largest telco, Safaricom, Michael Joseph has resigned as a director in the board of Safaricom PLC, with effect from August 1, 2023. Notably, as the founding CEO of Safaricom Limited, Michael steered the company from a subscriber of less than 18,000 back in 2000 to over 17 million subscribers by his […]
Techweez
The Kenyan Cabinet has today approved the establishment of the Bomas International Convention Centre (BICC). The ultra-modern convention will help position Kenya as the destination of choice for Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. In addition, it will seek to further cement the country as a diplomatic and commercial hub. According to a statement […]
Techweez
In 2018, cyber-attacks directed at Kenya stood at 7.7 million. In 2023, the attacks have sky-rocked to a high of 444 million, ranking Kenya among the top three most targeted countries in the region, alongside South Africa and Nigeria. The ever-evolving and increasing risk of cyber threats in the country demand more resources in terms […]
Techweez
Safaricom Ethiopia has finalized a transaction with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), members of the World Bank Group which will see the company receive funding in the form of full equity investment, a loan and guarantees. This investment aims to support the company’s ongoing “greenfield telecommunication network” construction and […]
Techweez
A report by Incogni has revealed that two-thirds of popular AI Chrome extensions could wreak havoc on user security if turned malicious. The report draws to the importance of understanding the trade-offs between convenience vs user privacy and security when using these extensions. “AI Chrome extensions offer undeniable convenience, but safeguarding your privacy and security […]
Techweez
The Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Industry has been steadily growing in the country. The key service offered by the industry aims at providing consumers with the ability to purchase goods on credit. Recent growth in e-commerce in addition to the Kenyan consumer’s appetite for flexible and affordable payment options has helped accelerate the growth […]
Techweez
The Oxford English Dictionary defines corruption as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.” And in its special meeting convened in May 2023, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations noted that “corruption is a fundamental challenge to sustaining peace and achieving sustainable development.” This is because corruption […]
Techweez
Google is introducing new features in Search to help users stay in control of their private information, privacy and online safety. With the new updates, it will be easier for you to find and remove your personal information when it appears online. Additionally, the company is making it easier to find parental controls directly in […]
Techweez
Big Cabal, the Nigeria-based digital media company behind TechCabal, Zikoko and Citizen publications, has announced it is reducing its workforce by 19% across its business units. Big Cabal Media was founded in 2014, one year after the online tech news publication TechCabal. Subsequently, the company launched Zikoko, a social content publication targeting Nigerian youth and […]
Techweez
Whether you’re off to explore the other side of the world or you’re traveling for business, you will need to stay reachable on your phone for effective communication between family and friends or surf the internet or social networks to share an update with your online community, or to access endless entertainment content. If you […]
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CS for Interior Kithure Kindiki: Worldcoin is NOT registered as a legal entity in Kenya. The Cabinet Secretaries of Interior and Ministry of ICT have finally issued a coherent statement on Worldcoin activities in the country. This comes after the Hon. John Mukunji, MP, Manyatta sought a statement from Interior CS Prof Kithure Kindiki and […]
A CSV is a Comma Separated Values file that contains data collated by commas in a tabular format to make a spreadsheet with a .csv extension and can run like any other spreadsheet in programs like Microsoft Excel. You should note that CSV files are not opened with Microsoft Word but Microsoft Excel because it […]
As the pandemic’s shadow starts to lift across the world to be forgotten forever (hopefully), it leaves an enduring mark of digital transformation in many parts of the world as an abiding effect when it upended workplaces with unprecedented shifts to remote work, proving that technology is central. Remote work or work from home made […]
Worldcoin has today released a statement following its suspension in the country yesterday. Interior CS Kithure Kindiki announced the Government would be suspending Worldcoin activities in the country following concerns over their legality and authenticity. Earlier today, Alex Blania, CEO and co-founder of Worldcoin, announced they had paused Worldcoin’s verification process in Kenya as they […]
Principal Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo has revealed that the ministry is working on making amendments to The Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act of 2018 to address gaps in the changing cyberspace. The amendments will seek to curb emerging threats such as fraud, hacking, scams, and identity theft. While addressing the […]
Smartphones much like desktops and laptops are susceptible slow speed and lags. Even the latest devices on the market aren’t completly immune to this predicament. Well, if you ever find your phone performance dwindling, here are some solution that might help. 1. Restart Your Phone Restarting your phone should always be the first troubleshooting action […]
We see the AudioCraft family of models as tools for musicians’ and sound designers’ professional toolboxes in that they can provide inspiration, help people quickly brainstorm, and iterate on their compositions in new ways. Meta AI has released the open source code for AudioCraft, a generative AI framework capable of synthesizing high-quality, and realistic audio […]
The foldables smartphone market in Kenya is getting pretty exciting and variety is a good thing for consumers. In the clamshell style foldable format, we have the just launched Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5[Review] and the OPPO Find N2 Flip[Review] and in this comparison review, they go head to head. DESIGN The N2 Flip and the […]
The Communication Authority of Kenya (CA) and the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) have supported and affirmed the government’s directive to suspend all Worldcoin activities in the country. According to a joint statement, the two Government agencies undertook a preliminary review following the launch of WorldCoin and have noted several “legitimate regulatory concerns […]
Twitter, currently rebranding to X has included a “Hide your checkmark” option for X Blue. This feature will allow Blue subscribers the option to hide their Blue checkmarks on their profile and posts. Following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the social media platform in November, his major changes on the site included the revamp of Twitter’s […]
The CS for the Ministry of Interior and National Administration, Kithure Kindiki has suspended Worldcoin activities in the country following concerns over their legality and authenticity. In addition, a statement released by the ministry has announced investigations and inquiries into recent Worldcoin activities in Kenya. In the statement released today, the Government has raised concerns […]
Tools For Humanity, creators of the Worldcoin crypto project, are registered as Data Controllers with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC). The ODPC had previously called for vigilance from Kenyans as it engaged with Worldcoin on Compliance with the Data Protection Act of 2019. Registration is just one, but an important element of […]
Tech giant Google is seeking to “supercharge” its Assistant application by incorporating the latest Large Language Models (LLMs) technology. According an internal email reported by Axios, the Google Assistant team is explore the practical capabilities of generative AI in its integration with its virtual assistant Recent developments in the LLMs space have been staggering and […]
Moringa School has revealed its Tech Advisory Board today. The Board composed of key corporate decision makers in the region will benefit from technical expertise and experience in Moringa School’s mission of “transforming the tech talent in Africa”. Moringa School is an EdTech company founded in April 2014 that is committed to closing the skills […]
The Court of Appeal has officially called for the proceeding of the lawsuit against Facebook that was filed by more than 180 Facebook content moderators. This follows the pending petition raised by Meta, challenging Kenyan courts from handling the lawsuit. Meta argued that by proceeding with the lawsuit, the Employment and Labour Relations court would have […]
Education CS Ezekiel Machogu has announced the Kenya Universities and Colleges Central Placement Service (KUCCPS) placement for students who sat for their KCSE in 2022. The 2023/2024 placement will have 285,167 candidates placed to pursue degree and TVET courses across various institutions in the country. 2022 KCSE candidates check their placement results in two ways: […]
Kenya’s largest telecom operator, Safaricom is reviewing the pricing for its various services including Mpesa charges after Kenya’s Court of Appeal lifted the suspension on the Finance Act, 2023. Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah had filed a petition against the implementation of the Act after the president had signed it into law which saw the Act […]
ChatGPT’s creator, OpenAI, has announced the Android app is now available for download in Kenya among other supported countries. The application was available for pre-order for Google Play Store with the company announcing the final rollout to users this week. ChatGPT gained massive popularity following its launch. The demand for the platform due to its […]
The Central Bank of Kenya is officially launching the CBK DhowCSD, a new digital platform that offers a simple efficient and secure way that enables the public and diaspora community to invest in government securities. CBK DhowCSD incorporates vital services such as the Central Security Depository enabling opening and bidding for government securities. The services […]
Ministry of Information, Communications and Digital Economy through the Ajira And Jitume Programs have embarked to create new jobs and learning opportunities to help curb ongoing high unemployment rate among the youth today. These programs are aimed at equipping citizens with technical, vocational, digital education and digital skills for digitally enabled jobs. Furthermore, The Ministry […]
A person is a citizen by birth if on the day of the person’s birth, whether or not the person is born in Kenya, either the mother or father of the person is a citizen, Article 14 of Chapter Three of the Kenyan Constitution 2010 reads. Under the Bill of Rights, children are also entitled […]
Justice is a universal good: even the Constitution of Kenya grants the right to legal representation by a lawyer to defendants during prosecution in the courts of law. While navigating the justice system with the help of a lawyer is no sweat, getting one is very difficult in costs, and this has locked out many […]
After scouring through and nearly exhausting all the resources looking for how to type the Euro symbol on a laptop’s keyboard, still, you could not find it. It can be frustrating, especially when you really wanted to learn how to do it manually, minus copying it directly from the Google search bar, which is another […]
Since 1983, when East African Power and Lighting Company (EAP&L) split to form the Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited (KPLC) in a market reform to minimize the scale of competition and a further breakaway with Kenya Power Company (now KenGen) in 1997 for reliable operations, KPLC has been tasked with unlocking the demand side […]
The private sector brings innovation, agility, and specialized knowledge while the public sector which drives digital transformation possesses the regulatory authority and a broader understanding of national security concerns. The Ministry of Information, Communication and The Digital Economy has released a statement calling for collaboration between the public and private sector in addressing cyber threats. […]
Safaricom shareholders have approved two new subsidiaries dedicated to empowering and investing in Kenyan tech startups with one subsidiary dedicated to investing in seed-stage and another in growth-stage startups. These significant developments, approved at Safaricom’s 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) by shareholders, represent a momentous step towards supporting tech entrepreneurs, fostering innovation, and fortifying Safaricom’s role […]
Earlier this month, Twitter (now X) announced that they would be sharing ad revenue with creators. Creators will be paid for the ad revenue generated from ads served in their posts’ replies. In a post, the company has announced that the program is now global. The program joins the “Creator Subscription” program in X’s monetization […]
Recent cyberattacks waged on Kenya’s online infrastructure have left various Government and privately owned services crippled as many citizens question the country’s level of preparedness against prevailing cyber threats. The group claiming responsibility is Anonymous Sudan. Who Are Anonymous Sudan? The hacktivist group based in Sudan has been hitting headlines in a wave of attacks […]
Samsung has launched its new foldables in the country and they’re quite expensive. The company announced the Galaxy Z Fold5 and Z Flip5(Our reviews) on Wednesday and they go for Ksh 193,000 for the Z Flip5(256GB) and Ksh 325,000 for the Z Fold5(256GB). Those are pricy tags but they are not the most expensive foldable […]
The office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has officially called for increased vigilance from the public as it continues to engage with Worldcoin to ensure compliance with the Data Protection Act of 2019. Worldcoin is an open source crypto currency startup created to help give everyone access to the global economy. When signing up […]
Its foldables season as companies switch focus to bookstyle format. We’ve seen Samsung launch the Z Fold5(Our Hands-on review) and OPPO is joining in and has started teasing the Find N3 – its next-gen foldable. Like the clamshell-style OPPO Find N2 Flip(Full Review), the Find N3 will be launched for global markets including Kenya. OPPO […]
For college students laptops are long-term investments that could potentially cross over to their professional lives. Hence, it’s crucial to take some time to research and ascertain what specifications suit your needs. Moreover, with the proper knowledge, you can purchase a laptop that will give you great value for money. Here is a list of […]
The Nothing phone 2 is powerful midrange device that features a unique sleek flashy design that challenges the typical smartphone status quo. It was released on 11nth July 2023 and is the successor to the 2022 Nothing phone 1. The Nothing Phone 2 rocks a 6.7″ inch, 120Hz, LTPO OLED screen running at a resolution […]
WhatsApp is adding the ability to instantly record and share video messages directly in a chat. The new feature will work similarly to the voice message option supported by WhatsApp and the video messages will have a 60 seconds duration limit. Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg has shared a short clip on Facebook illustrating how the […]
Google is finally joining other messaging apps in increasing the number of pinned chats. It’s surprising that they have taken this long to update this feature. Other chat apps – Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and iMessage have had this feature for a while where you can pin up to five chats or more(Premium tier for Telegram). […]
The Overture Maps Foundation (OMF), a collaborative effort founded by Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and TomTom last year has released its first open map dataset in effort to help develop open interoperable map products. The released dataset will allow third-party developers to build viable alternatives to Google Maps and Apple Maps. The open map data includes […]
Samsung’s shiny new foldables are finally here – the Z Flip5 and Z Fold 5. They come with slight design changes. We checked both of them during the Kenyan launch on the outskirts of Nairobi. Here are our hands-on and first-look reviews. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Samsung gave the Z Flip 5 the most attention […]
Samsung is all geared up to release its new Android 14 based One UI 6 Beta. According to Samsung Germany’s customer support, the One UI 6.0 is slated to release on August 2nd for the Galaxy S23 series. A week later on 9nth August, the One UI 6 Beta will be released to the Samsung […]
On Monday 24th June 2023, OpenAI‘s chief executive and creator Sam Altman launched their ambitious new crypto startup Worldcoin. In its basis, Worldcoin is a crypto currency startup that aims to issue a crypto token to every human being on earth “just for being a unique individual” without requiring that they invest any funds. In […]
Anonymous Sudan has over the past few days engaged in Distributed-Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks against Kenyan infrastructure. The group has claimed to have attacked various websites belonging to Government organizations as well as public companies leaving the sites inaccessible to users for a while. DDoS attack is a cyberattack in which the attacker floods […]
Samsung took to the stage earlier today to announce new devices in its Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, South Korea. New foldable, smartwatches and tablets got launched and here’s everything you need to know. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 The Z Flip5 took all the attention as it was the most anticipated device. It comes running […]
After laying off 50 employees in Kenya, and doing the same with over 300 in Uganda, Copia is reportedly laying off 350 of its staff in Kenya. Those affected are to get their letters by the end of the week. The Kenyan-based e-commerce platform targets middle-to-low-income African consumers providing access to a smooth shopping experience […]
TECNO is going all in with foldables – be it the book-style format with the Phantom V Fold or clamshell-style with the Phantom V Flip or Phantom V Yoga – they’re still contemplating the name. The Phantom V Flip will have an inner display but lack a cover screen. The main display is a 6.75-inch […]
While all the attention will be on the clamshell style Z Flip5, Samsung will be announcing the Galaxy Z Fold5 to accompany it. The foldable smartphone market has heated up in recent months with Samsung’s rivals joining in on the fun. Samsung will power the Z Fold5 with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy […]
Meta’s text-based micro-blogging platform Threads will be rolling out the Following Tab. This will allow users to only see chronological feeds from people they follow. The feature has been long requested since Threads launched earlier this month. This key feature offers a key improvement to the previous single feed that showed users posts from both […]
It has been an exciting time in the foldable space this year, especially in the clamshell style format as new devices come into the market to topple industry leader Samsung. Samsung noticed the growing competition as today’s Galaxy Unpacked will all be about the Z Flip5. Samsung is bringing a new zero gap hinge not […]
Infinix has four tiers of its smartphones which cater to different consumers – we have the entry-level Smart and Hot series, the midrange Note series and the flagship Zero series. They’re now venturing into the gaming smartphones series with the launch of the Infinix GT 10 series – G10 Pro+ and G10 Pro. Infinix GT […]
As with most countries in the world, Kenyan residents are required by law to declare their income tax returns to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). However, this is not always a smooth and easy process. Tax management may be overwhelming and troublesome for many. There are different tax obligations varying according to individual or type […]
TikTok users can now share text-based content in addition to videos, photos and duets on the platform. In a post, TikTok said the inclusion of text posts to the platform seeks to push the boundaries of content creation for its users. “With text posts, we’re expanding the boundaries of content creation for everyone on TikTok, […]
The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has suffered a massive data breach after being hit by a ransomware attack. According to a report by FalconFeedsio, KEBS has been targeted by Rhysida Ransomware Group with the group publishing their data after KEBS failed to pay the ransom. KEBS is the latest Government agency to suffer a […]
WhatsApp has announced that WhatsApp Channels will be available to users in Kenya among the first few countries in the world. WhatsApp Channels is a one-way broadcast tool for admins to send text, images, videos and pools. The feature allows users to receive important updates from individuals and organizations right within WhatsApp. Channels was introduced […]
Google has included Swahili in its conversational AI, Bard expansion to 40 new languages. Swahili becomes the first African language to be incorporated into the chatbot as Google Bard expands to 59 new countries and territories. The expansion includes new features that allow users to better customize, boost their creativity, and get more done. Google […]
I was super excited when the OPPO Find N2 Flip got launched in the country and finally landed on my review desk. This is the company’s first try at the clamshell format and the smartphone does more right and gets so close to upstaging its biggest rival, the Samsung Z Flip4. It’s a tight race […]
Zuri Health has secured additional investment from Five35 Ventures in a bid to empower digital health innovation. Zuri Health is a trailblazing healthcare technology that aims to provide accessible and personalized healthcare solutions to individuals worldwide. Their digital platform offers a comprehensive suite of health services, empowering users to take control of their well-being through […]
Users might be saying goodbye to the Bird logo as Elon Musk announces Twitter is rebranding to “X”. This comes after Twitter Inc got renamed to X Corp back in April as part of Elon Musk’s vision for the social media platform to create X, the Everything app. In a series of posts, the site’s […]
OpenAI has announced it will be releasing ChatGPT for Android. The app will be rolling out next week and is available for pre-order on Google Play Store. This comes after the official iOS application was released back in May with the company saying the Android version will be rolling out soon. The application is free […]
Safaricom PLC (Kenya’s largest telecommunications company) has officially announced its plans to launch satellite internet in Kenya. Vodafone Group PLC, Safaricom’s parent company has signed a contract with AST SpaceMobile (Starlink’s rival) to partner in this project. This collaboration will enable Safaricom to leverage AST SpaceMobile’s technology and infrastructure to offer reliable satellite-based connectivity to […]
Uber is officially expanding its Audio Recording feature to the Kenyan market. In a statement, Uber claims the new feature will assist to improve on both driver and rider safety. Uber much like any other transportation company has had its fair share of “problems”. Back in 2016 when Uber was first launched, criminal gangs attacked […]
There has been a recent wave in the development of consumer-facing offering generative AI technology. With the early and increasing adaption of this technology, it is set to revolutionize the future of content creation, and dictate how we interact and collaborate with others. Tools such as ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, DALL-E, and Google Bard have gained […]
Paradigm Initiative (PIN) is urging all stakeholders to take collective action in safeguarding rights, promoting responsible practices, and preserving Internet Freedom. PIN is a Pan-African organization that advocates for digital rights and inclusion. The organization seeks to empower under-served young Africans with digital opportunities while ensuring their rights are protected. Their programs include the Life […]
The recent advancements in AI technology have seen its integrations in almost every field. Google is reportedly testing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) product that is capable of generating news articles. The tool internally known by the working title “Genesis” is capable of generating news content by processing information relating to current events. In a report […]
Meta Platforms have developed an artificial intelligence to rival OpenAi’s ChatGPT but with a different approach, “Its free.” On 18th July, Meta’s chief executive Mark Zuckerberg announced that the company will partner Microsoft to introduce the next generation of its AI large language model known as Llama 2. The AI will be free for research and […]
TECNO likes going the extra mile when it comes to the back designs they use on their phones. The company is now switching things up and adding a new Arc Interface that features RGB lights at the back of the phone. These are three LED light strips next to the camera island that lights up […]
Safaricom has partnered with TerraPay (Mobex Kenya) to facilitate mobile transfer between Kenya, Bangladesh and Pakistan. This partnership will empower more than 32 million M-PESA customers to send and receive money to and from over 200 million people across Pakistan and Bangladesh. M-PESA customers can now send and receive money to Bangladesh and Pakistan via […]
The 2023 Samsung F54 is the latest phone in Samsung’s F series line up. It offers the premium performance of the Samsung Galaxy A54 but at a cheaper, more affordable price. Moreover the Samsung Galaxy F54 has notable improvements with it’s bigger 6,000mAh battery, 108MP high resolution camera and 120Hz AMOLED display. The phone also […]
Despite 25% plunge in spending witnessed last year, a new AppsFlyer report reveals some positive global trends in a shifting economic landscape. The 2023 State of eCommerce report released today has revealed the eCommerce App’s industry resilience Marketing spend approaches $5 Billion. The report aims at equipping the retail markets with key insights into global […]
Nokia C110 is the latest budget friendly phone in the Nokia’s C-series line. It was released on 2nd June 2023 in India and hit the rest of the world afterward. The phone comes with a 6.3 inch IPS touchscreen panel with a (720P x 1560P) resolution. It features a 5MP selfie camera and a single […]
With over 2.5 million apps available on Google Play Store, Google has beefed up its screening and security measures in an effort to protect users from downloading and installing malicious apps. However, despite these improvements in security checks, some bad actors have found ways to deploy malicious apps that deploy a variety of tricks to […]
Translucent design is all the rage right now and Infinix is jumping on the trend with their new gaming smartphone. The company is planning to launch its new gaming smartphone – the GT 10 series which will feature a semi-translucent back design. The new design will be prominent on the Plus version of the new […]
At a press conference on Monday, ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna stated that they have experienced over 1,000 online attacks on their signature collection website. “We have had over 1,000 attacks on our website that are being used for collection of signatures.” “They are crying and saying the signature drive is going nowhere, but they are […]
The Kenya National Library Service (KNLS) has officially launched Kenya’s first virtual library “VTabu”. The $1.7m startup was released at Maktaba Kuu in Nairobi by Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Youth Affairs, Sports and Arts, Ababu Namwamba. VTabu contains over 200,000 reading materials including digitized books, periodicals, research papers, and government publications. E-books for every subject […]
Late Tuesday evening, the Ugandan government passed a new legislation to impose a 5% tax on the income earned by foreign digital companies. “We are not looking at the digital services; we are looking at the income derived by the provider of these services. For Uber, the money goes to California; the man derives income, […]
The Infinix Hot 30 series is gaining a new member – the Infinix Hot 30 5G, which has just been announced. The 5G variant joins the Hot 30i, Hot 30 Play and Hot 30. Infinix Hot 30 5G ships with Dimensity 6020 processor announced early this year. This processor is paired with 8GB of RAM […]
Zoho, a global technology company recently launched Ulaa, a privacy-centered web browser. In a statement, Zoho said that the name originates from Tamil Language and connotes the beginning of a journey into a secured browsing experience. Built specifically to help users to secure their personal data and activity, Ulaa has taken measures to protect users […]
Laser lights and West Indian Ocean Cable Company (WIOCC) have signed a 5 year contract worth $129 million to increase Africa’s cable capacity. In accordance to the contract, Laser lights will employ WIOCC’s terrestrial and subsea cables for its services in and around Africa while WOICC will use Laser Light for its global connectivity needs […]
Within the last decade, there has been a global technological shift to the rapidly growing AI market. Large companies like Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple, Google and Intel that have already ventured into AI development are achieving remarkable results. Moreover, passing of the world’s first artificial intelligence regulation by the European parliament is a significant step forward […]
TransUnion Africa, an information and insights company has announced the appointment of Aron Kamakil as the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Aron Kamakil will be overseeing the company’s rapidly-growing operations in Kenya, Zambia, Botswana and Malawi. In his new role, Aron will be responsible for TransUnion Africa IT business practices that supports the company’s growing suite […]
The recently launched TECNO Camon 20 series succeeds the Camon 19 series from last year. But should you really upgrade? We put the TECNO Camon 20 Premier 5G[Full Review] against the TECNO Camon 19 Pro Mondrian Edition[Full Review]. One huge reason to get the new Camon 20 Premier is the improvements TECNO has made with […]
Airtel Kenya becomes the second operator in the country to launch 5G services with over 370 active sites. Airtel, Kenya’s second largest telco operator, has launched 5G services becoming the second operator after Safaricom launched its services in October 2022. Both telcos launch 5G which even as it promises fast speeds, has yet to get […]
Infinix Note 30 Pro is a really good midrange smartphone. An all round generational upgrade with features that make it worth considering. Great screen, attractive design, great performance, great cameras, great battery life complemented not only by fast wired charging but also wireless charging. The Note 30 series launched last month include the regular, the […]
The new 6100+ chipset will offer premium features including sub-6GHz 5G network for mid-range mobile devices. MediaTek has officially unveiled the Dimensity 6000 series along with the 6100+ chipset. The 6100+ chipset is set to deliver reliable Sub 6GHz 5G connectivity. On top of this, the chipset offers other premium features such as high frame […]
If you’re a huge fan or just openly curious about foldable smartphones, then this year is an exciting one. This year has seen smartphone manufacturers go all in with foldables either in the bookstyle or clamshell format. Here’s where we are with the foldable smartphones in Kenya so far. TECNO Phantom V Fold TECNO kicked […]
The latest Android version from Google is now rolling out to TECNO’s midrange lineup from last year. The Camon 19 series including the regular, the Pro and the Mondrian Edition has now been updated to Android 13 and HiOS 13. TECNO already launched its latest Camon 20 series with Android 13 and HiOS 13 straight […]
On Monday, Taiwan’s Foxconn officially announced their plans to pull out of the 19.5 billion dollar joint venture with Indian company Vedanta aimed at setting up India’s first semi-conductor manufacturing plant. Last year, the two companies signed an agreement to invest 19.5 billion dollars to construct a semi-conductor plant in the western Indian state of […]
It can get quite infuriating when your pc is slow and generally unresponsive. Well, before you do something drastic here are some quick and easy solutions that might help you. 1.RESTART YOUR COMPUTER Most times, something as simple as a restarting your computer is all you need to fix the slow speed and lag problems. […]
We’re now half past the year and 2023 has seen great tech products launched and we got to check out some of them – ranging from smart home equipments, wearables, laptops and smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S23 Samsung kicked off the year with the flagship S23 series. It comes with a few upgrades and took the […]
Africa’s first AI powered influencer marketing platform AIfluence has been declared the winner of the 2023 Kenyan Visa Everywhere Initiative (VIE). Visa Everywhere Initiative (VIE) for short is a global innovation program that tasks start-ups to solve payment challenges of tomorrow, further enhance their own product propositions and provide visionary solutions for Visa’s vast network […]
Gaming culture has experienced significant growth in Kenya and Africa at large in the past decade. Youth today have come to realize the possibility of gaming as more than a fun hobby and are now actively perusing it as a career. A couple of years ago this would have seemed utterly absurd if you asked […]
Kenya will now have a second operator bringing 5G to its subscribers. Airtel, the country’s second largest network has officially launched its 5G network. Airtel joins Safaricom who already launched their 5G network last year. Airtel acquired the 5G spectrum(2600MHz) in February this year with a plan to target specific towins in the country in […]
In recent years, the market for wireless earbuds has exploded with a wide range of options, catering to various budgets and preferences. Gone are the days when high-quality audio came at a premium price. Today, we have an abundance of budget-friendly wireless earbuds that offer impressive sound, convenience, and functionality without breaking the bank. If […]
The Motorola Razr series is a legendary phone brand rebooted in 2019 after it’s original production was halted back in 2007. Unfortunately, the Motorola Razr series hasn’t been getting as much attention as its rival the Samsung galaxy Z flip series. Well all that is about to change. On 1st June 2023 Motorola released their […]
Xiaomi smartphones are the most loved devices in the country, ranging from their entry level devices to the midrange and flagship devices. We’ve gotten out hands on the Xiaomi 12C, the Redmi Note 12 Pro Plus 5G and now here are our best flagship smartphones from Xiaomi. Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G Review: Brilliant […]
The smartest smartphone is always going to be in the Google Pixel series. Google’s software smarts give its smartphones an edge over other Android flagship and upper midrange smartphones which focus more on hardware. Google also offers the best-in-class algorithms that make its Pixel smartphones punch higher when it comes to photography as well despite […]
Since their debut back in May 2018, the Realme company has been working hard to established itself as one of the leading phones brands in the Kenyan market. Their phones have gained massive popularity among Kenyans for being cheap, reliable and having good build quality. Fans of the brand will surely be pleased with the […]
iTel recently held the itel P40 Campus Festival in Eldoret, becoming the talk of the town. This event, designed as a concert, was held at the grounds of a local school and attracted industry insiders, media representatives, and loyal fans of the itel brand. Safaricom and Star Times joined forces with itel as partners for […]
Payd, a startup which offers a payment platform for freelancers and creatives have won big at Mozilla’s Africa Mradi Innovation Challenge, a competition sponsored by Mozilla in partnership with Gladys Boss Shollei Foundation and Nairobi County. Payd is a startup by one of the two alumni learners at Power Learn Project, an impact organization dedicated […]
Asus makes some of the best Windows laptops and the Asus Zenbook S13 OLED(2023) is one of my favourite from the company and I used it for a good amount of time. This the latest version in its Ultrabook lineup in the country and the Zenbook S13 OLED nails it in the head both in […]
Kenyan judiciary has launched a Digital Sex Offenders Registry. This is the first time such a registry has been implemented in the country. The electronic register is a comprehensive database containing crucial information on all convicted sex offenders. “The implementation of the automated register is a critical tool in protecting the public against sex offenders. […]
Absa Bank Kenya in partnership with Visa, have introduced the Absa Mobi Tap solution. This is a payment solution that allows businesses to accept card-based payments from customers using Smartphones. Currently, the solution is only available to Absa customers on Android mobile phones. Absa Mobi Tap allows customers to simply tap their debit or credit […]
The Safaricom Lipa na Data service is now live. The new feature allows Safaricom customers to pay for goods and services using their Safaricom internet data balance. Safaricom Customers can access the service by dialing 54434#. Notably, to access the service you must have a minimum of 5GB mobile data on your Safaricom line. The […]
The Central Bank of Somalia (CBS) unveiled a Unified National Quick Response Code standard. The QR code standard will be known as the Somali Quick Response Code (SOMQR). SOMQR is the standard that will guide how payment service providers regulated by CBS will issue Quick Response Codes (QR) to merchants and consumers in the country. […]
Two African Banks, KCB and Ecobank, signed with the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS). The move will enhance cross-border payment across Africa. The deals were signed during the 30th Afrexim Bank Annual Meeting (AAM) held in Accra, Ghana. The Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) enables the efficient flow of money securely across African […]
60% of Kenyans surveyed said they have heard politicians criticizing journalists or the news. This makes Kenya the leading country in political criticism of the media. The data is part of a broader report titled “Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023”. However, the media criticism is not unique to Kenya. Across all countries surveyed, politicians […]
The government is looking for a strategic partner who can take on Telkom’s current debt of KSH 7.2 billion. The move is meant to save the telco that is sinking into debt. Moreover, the government sees the move as critical to reducing the risk of spying on critical government information. Telkom’s network infrastructure is used […]
In today’s world, perhaps no piece of standard personal information has more value than your phone number. As we all know, phone numbers have become more than just a way to contact someone. In recent years, more and more companies and services, including the government of Kenya have come to rely on phone numbers to […]
Safaricom has announced to its customers the unavailability of Mpesa on the morning of Monday 26th June 2023. The M-pesa services will be unavailable due to a planned system maintenance. Customers should take note that M-Pesa Services will be unavailable from 1:00 AM to 1:20 AM. Safaricom promises the disruption will be for a total […]
Safaricom is experiencing data connectivity issues on its network. Users are reporting problems when trying to get online. In a response to concerned consumers, Safaricom has acknowledge the issue. Safaricom stated the current network challenge is affecting data. The telco is currently looking into the matter. Additionally, the twitter response urged consumers to bear with […]
Based on a recent survey, nine in every 10 millennials and Gen Z believe influencers play a role in their decision making. The data was from a broader survey by The Media Innovation Centre at Aga Khan University’s Graduate School of Media and Communications (GSMC). The survey was carried out to give a better perspective […]
Google Lens is a simple visual search tool. Basically, what can be seen can be searched. Currently, the tool is available on the Google app (Android and iOS). With Lens, you can search what you see with your camera, take a picture or a screenshot, or long press an image you see while browsing, and […]
The Content Management System (CMS) Market Share report for June 2023 is out. WordPress is still the leading CMS. Its position at the top remains unchallenged. Actually, most of the top ten remains the same. Shopify numbers displayed a small decline. However, its financial numbers are still impressive. Notably, the fastest grower is Prestashop. This […]
In a world where most business journeys start with search, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a vital digital marketing tool. SEO is crucial because it makes your website more visible, and that means more traffic and more opportunities to convert prospects into customers. Basically, you must be seen. Here are 11 quick and easy tips […]
Earlier in May, a lawyer used ChatGPT and cited a number of fakes cases in his brief. Due to the incident, the court had ordered him to appear for a disciplinary hearing. On Thursday, a US federal judge imposed $5,000 fines on both Mr. Schwartz and his colleague Peter LoDuca. This is the first time […]
The hydroelectric industry is the target market for Huawei’s latest ICT solution. The Private Broadband Network is known as Evolved Long-Term Evolution (eLTE). The network carries voice, video, and data services throughout the hydroelectric generation plants. Additionally, it is able to do so above and below ground. Thus, workers in the plants are able to […]
The day to day activities of Kenyans are more integrated with technology. As this happens, the number of cybersecurity threats also rises. The Communication Authority (CA) plays a key role in monitoring, detecting and offering deterrents against cybersecurity threats. Recently, the authority issued a warning to the public about the return of Wangiri Scam. Based […]
According to data from the Communications Authority 5G, is now in 21 counties across Kenya. In total during Q3 of FY22/ the total mobile data/Internet subscriptions stood at 47.96 million. From that total, 67.1 percent were on mobile broadband. The uptake of mobile broadband has continued to increase as the consumers desire faster Internet speeds. […]
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has been identified as the fastest-growing crypto market from 2021 to 2022. This follows a release of a report on the state of web 3 in Africa. As a result of the growth, Web3.0 technologies are leading the digital revolution among users, regulators and crypto investors. Notably, […]
A day after we reported , NCBA Loop users are subject an email phishing attempt the bank has announced an interruption of service. This will particularly affecting internet banking. In a text message to its customers, the bank stated it will be carrying out a scheduled maintenance. The maintenance will take place from 10 pm […]
We have a new kid on the block. The Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED(2023) is the company’s latest laptop for the Kenyan market. This version succeeds last year’s version which is now thinner and lighter. It comes in weighing less than a Kg(0.99) and even thinner at under half an inch(0.43″). The back sports an […]
The Konza Technopolis grounds have begun demonstrating their use as a smart city. On Thursday, a test airship ferrying medical supplies to Homabay and Kisumu Counties used the grounds to take off. In order to bridge the health gap in Kenya, the initiative was launched to deliver drugs to areas inaccessible due to poor infrastructure. […]
Over the past few weeks, Telkom Kenya customers have experienced service outages on the mobile network. Finally, the telco came out officially and acknowledged its network has been facing challenges. In a statement, the company had this to inform the public: “Service provision has been impacted in some parts of the country resulting in service […]
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has announced it will be working closely with Safaricom in investigating M-Pesa fraud cases committed through its mobile phone network. The Director of Criminal Investigations Mr Mohamed Amin, acknowledged that techno savvy criminals had taken advantage of the rapid advances in technology to commit crime. Hence, there is a […]
In January the year, NCBA Loop announced a revamp to the application. With the new features, Loop had effectively become a neobank. As with most digital platforms, they are subject to attacks. Today NCBA Loop users are reporting an email phishing attempt by unknown persons. Phishing is an attempt to steal personal information or break […]
YouTube Black Voices Fund had over 100 creators gathered in Nairobi to celebrate 2023 grantees. The creators were drawn from different parts of the world. The YouTube Black Voices Fund is part of the platform’s commitment to spur growth of Africa’s creative sector. The fund develops the skills of budding black creators, artists, songwriters and […]
Almost exactly a year ago, Kenya Power announced it will start offering fixed internet services under a project dubbed Lit Fibre. The venture into the fibre business was meant to start in June this year. Fibre business in Kenya has grown over the past few years and that means a lot of these cables have […]
Safaricom PLC have released a statement announcing the departure of Anwar Soussa. Anwar Soussa has been with the telco since April 2021. He has served the company as the first CEO of Safaricom Ethiopia. In the period, he has overseen a number of key company milestones . Safaricom Ethiopia is the second telecommunications operator in […]
Airtel Kenya today announced plans for its netwok expansion. The objective of the expansion is to meet the growing demand for data services in Kenya. Currently, the telco is in the process of deploying 349 new sites. This will be fully deployed by the end of the year. Additionally, Airtel is says another 300 sites […]
Konza Technopolis Development Authority (KoTDA), launched its inaugural Annual Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report. The report highlighted the sustainability achievements of the Smart City. This report comes at a time when 88 percent of Phase One for the Konza project is complete. Currently, private investors and government entities are setting up businesses in the […]
The government under the ministry of ICT is working on a Technopolis Bill. The aim of the bill is to establish and manage technopolises. This includes the Konza City Technopolis. Additionally, the bill will provide a framework on how the Technopolis Authority will to continue with the operations of Konza Technopolis Development Authority. Consequently, it […]
Standard Chartered in partnership with Strathmore Business school announced 15 startups for the Women in Tech Incubation. The women-led startups will be part of a 12-week business incubation. Additionally, the women led startups will receive mentorship. Furthermore, the bank announced an award of USD 10,000 in seed funding. However, the seed funding will be awarded […]
Huawei recently announced 189 students have successfully completed a 6-week digital skills training in their DigiTruck program Vihiga County. In Kenya, Huawei partnered to build Digitrucks, mobile, solar-powered classrooms that bring digital skills to remote, underserved communities. Equipped with laptops, VR headsets, and built-in Wi-Fi, each DigiTruck is a temporary digital school that provides free […]
Pesapal was able to secure a temporary injunction following an appeal at the high court. The injunction halts Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) efforts to have the company pay more than Ksh 100 million. The injunction is valid until the appeal is determined. “The stay of execution and or collection of taxes based on the judgment […]
Safaricom will reward customers with daily and monthly cash prizes. This follows the launch of #GomokaNaGoMonthly promotion. Safaricom customers who purchase the bundles through *544# or MySafaricom App will be eligible. The promotion gives customers monthly plans that expire after 30 days. The default all in one option is Ksh 1000 plan that will see […]
A containerized Hydropower Plant was last week commissioned in Kenya. In what is said to be a first of its kind, the pilot project aims to supply affordable and reliable electricity to rural Kenyans. The initiative targets rural consumers and promises sustainable electricity at 25% lower rate cheaper than national utility. This innovation is by […]
Lawyers Hub Kenya has announced the dates for the 4th edition of the Africa Law & Tech Festival 2023. The event will take place in Nairobi, Kenya from July 11 to 12, 2023. The main focus of this year’s festival is Digital Trade. The event follows pre-festivals held in Cape Town in March and in […]
25 African based start-ups have been selected for the third cohort of the Black Founders Fund. Google for Start-ups announced that 40 start-ups were selected in total for the $4 million fund. The list of start-ups displays diversity and variety. Of the start-ups, 72% are led or co-founded by women. This is a clear sigh […]
You now have a new avenue to interact with popular football teams like FC Barcelona and Manchester City. Recently, WhatsApp announced a channels feature. Since launching major world organisations have started forming their WhatsApp Channels. Currently, WhatsApp channels feature has been rolled out in Singapore and Colombia. Globally, the app will roll out the feature […]
OnePlus makes some of the best flagship and midrange Android smartphones. They’re not available locally at least officially but that doesn’t mean they are not accessible if you’re looking for something different with a better price-to-performance ratio. If you’re in the market for a OnePlus device, then PhonePlace Kenya is the online retailer to go […]
Realme 10 arrives in Kenya 6 months after its global release early this year and will have to face off not only it’s predecessor, the realme 9 but also other rivals in the cut throat Midrange smartphone in Kenya with latest entrants from Xiaomi, Infinix and TECNO. It’s also worth noting that the realme 11 […]
You are 100% likely to be familiar with OdiBets if you: first, canߴt imagine your life without sports; second, know how to turn sports into a pleasant hobby with a regular income; and third, permanently live in Kenya. For several years now, this online betting platform has been a point of attraction for gambling enthusiasts […]
Samsung will be bringing their 2023 foldables to Kenya in early August – the Z Fold5 and the Z Flip5. The foldable smartphone market in Kenya now has new players from TECNO and OPPO with the former having V Fold and V Flip and the latter having the Find N2 Flip and the Find N3. […]
OPPO is getting ready to bring its slew of devices to the Kenyan market this year. We’ll soon get the flagship Find N3 and the Find X6 in the country later this year. Yep, the company isn’t stopping with the just-launched flagship Find N2 Flip and the upcoming midrange Reno10. The Find N3 will feature […]
TECNO has done a pretty good job with its steady rollout of devices in various market segments – entry level Spark 10 series, flagship Phantom X2, Phantom V Fold and maybe a Phantom V Flip(scheduled for later this year). The most exciting of them all is the Camon series – this is the company’s camera-centric […]
Infinix is bringing its biggest update to some of its smartphones including the midrange Note and flagship Zero series. Starting this month, Infinix is updating a few smartphones launched last year to the latest software by the company and Google – XOS 13 and Android 13. Infinix launched XUI in 2015 and then switched it […]
The European Commission released a statement urging member states to ban Huawei from 5G networks. The European Commission claimed Huawei and ZTE represent higher risks than other 5G suppliers. Part of the European Commission statement read: “The Commission considers that decisions adopted by Member States to restrict or exclude Huawei and ZTE from 5G networks […]
Oppo fans will be delighted with the news that they can trade-in their old phones for new ones. This comes after the mobile phone maker announced a partnership with Re-commerce start-up Badili. Badili allows consumers to trade-in used smartphones. Badili Refurbished smartphones come for half the price and with a 12 months warranty. Primarily, the […]
Ezra Chiloba, Director General (DG) Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), opened the KUZA awards 2023. The CA Kuza Broadcasting Awards, is an initiative by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) to recognize and fete excellence in broadcasting. This year was the sixth edition. In his opening remarks, DG Chiloba was keen to highlight the progress […]
Newly elected President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Nigeria Data Protection Bill, 2023 into law. The Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 provides a legal framework for the protection of personal information. Moreover, it will offer guidance on the practice of data protection in Nigeria. Since, Europe’s GDPR was enacted into law on 5 May […]
Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u the Cabinet Secretary, National Treasury & Economic Planning, read the first Kenya Kwanza budget. The ICT Sector featured in the budget getting an allocation of KSH 15.1 billion. Notably, this is a slight drop, in the FY 2022/23 the ICT sector got a budget allocation of Ksh 15.6 Billion. In total, the […]
Kenyans can now pay Kenya Power (KPLC) electricity bills at zero transaction fees. This good news comes after Airtel Money and Kenya power signed a partnership. As Kenyans are undergoing a tough economic period, Airtel is looking to help them reduce expenditure. The initiative will benefit both the postpaid and prepaid Kenya Power customers. “We […]
E-commerce has grown tremendously in the last few years, fundamentally changing the shopping habits of Kenyans. This has led to emergence of rural e-commerce. E-commerce growth is due to a number of factors including increased internet connectivity and change in consumer behaviour. Needless to say, the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the rise of e-commerce in Kenya […]
In the past few days, Bolt app has faced a Public Relations crisis. This was after the taxi hailing app was implicated in a Nairobi Kidnap case. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) issued a statement claiming the victims had hailed a cab via the app. However, their would-be driver turned abductor with the help […]
Soon after introducing the long-awaited message editing, WhatsApp is working on Video messages. These are similar to audio messages where the sender records themselves. Obviously, the main difference is that the user will now send a visual message. In contrast to other videos shared on WhatsApp, video messages cannot be forwarded. Users seeking to share […]
Google have introduced a user feedback form for reporting spammy webpages. Acknowledging that their spam detection system may not filter everything, the tech giant is seeking human help. Spammy webpages manipulate algorithms and compromise the quality of search results. Hence, the search experience for users is less valuable. Usually, websites that breach Google’s policies rank […]
After a four-day disruption, PayPal to Mpesa services is back online. Yesterday we reported the disruption of services that had a lot of Kenyans today. A spot check today followed by a trial transaction confirmed the services are back online. This means, Kenyans can transfer funds direct from their PayPal accounts to their Mpesa accounts. […]
Vodafone UK and Three UK are officially merging. Due to the merger, Vodafone Group PLC will own 51% of the combined business. Margherita Della Valle, Vodafone Group Chief Executive, said: “The merger is great for customers, great for the country and great for competition. It’s transformative as it will create a best-in-class – indeed best […]
We have witnessed the launch of ChatGPT, Google’s Magi and AI integration in many software’s. Hence, it is no surprise that regulators have followed with a Draft AI Act by the EU. In the last two years, the European Union (EU) has been developing draft rules to set limits and guide the use of artificial […]
Major websites that serve millions across the globe were affected by an outage within the Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud server. The Amazon server outage experienced yesterday evening has since been resolved. However, it took up to two hours to resolve the issue putting a number of services out of business. On the Amazon Web […]
Flutterwave has been hit by a court order freezing 45 bank accounts it owns. Furthermore 10 Mobile money wallets are also frozen. The Nigerian Fintech and Africa’s most valuable unicorn, was sued by Nigerian nationals in a Kenyan court. In a ruling last week, High Court judge Alfred Mabeya made the order following successful plea […]
YouTube is expanding its YouTube Partner Program (YPP). As of today, creators can apply for YPP much earlier than before. The new threshold is 500 subscribers, 3 public uploads in the last 90 days, and either 3000 watch hours in the past year or 3M Shorts views in the last 90 days. Once the new […]
Kenyans who have linked their Mpesa to PayPal for money transfers are reporting disruptions. One Twitter user posted earlier this morning. He claimed the service has not been available to Kenyans for about four days. Rufas Kamau claimed that online workers are unable to access their money. He added “there’s no official communication.”. The first […]
Infinix Note 30 VIP is finally here. This is the top smartphone in the recently launched Note 30 series which includes the regular Note 30 and the Note 30 Pro. The Note series is the company’s midrange lineup sitting between the Hot series and the Zero series. Note 30 VIP sports a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen […]
OPPO is planning to upgrade its devices to Android 14 as soon as Google publicly launches the new mobile operating system. The smartphone company has been pretty steady when it comes to timely Android upgrades and monthly security patches sent to its midrange and flagship lineup. The company is now promising that some of them […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Huawei, and the Kenya Cyber Security and Forensics Association (KCSFA) have partnered to run a cybersecurity hackathon. The cybersecurity hackathon series is for students in Kenyan Universities and Colleges. Notably, the hackathon series will take place in Nairobi, Nyeri, Kisumu, Eldoret, and Mombasa. This year’s theme is “Building cybersecurity […]
The Global Threat Index for May 2023 was recently published. In the month of May, Qbot was the most prevalent malware in Kenya. The Malware had an impact of 23.03%. Qbot, also known as Qakbot, is a Windows malware. The malware was launched as banking trojan. However, it has since evolved into a malware dropper. […]
The Estonian ride-hailing Bolt app is in trouble again. Recently, the daughter of media personality Ciku Muiruri was allegedly abducted in Westlands Nairobi. While leaving a party, Erica Gachoka and her friend Shanice Agose requested a cab. According to a statement by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the two young ladies allegedly used Bolt […]
Twitter is officially working on a jobs feature. This is not entirely new information as Elon Musk had already hinted at the same a while back. The feature will allow companies to post jobs that have opened up in their organizations. However, early indications are the feature will be exclusive. Only verified organizations will have […]
In the recent past, Huduma Kenya has announced a number of changes to its mode of operation. The latest news is the introduction of extended call hours. Huduma Kenya which manages Huduma centres across the country has told its customers they can call their call Centre past normal working hours. Callers can call for inquiries […]
Safaricom today announced the appointment of Anthony Gacanja as their new Network Director. He is expected to take up his new role from 19 June 2023. Anthony will be responsible for the design, build, rollout, performance, and enhancement of all network infrastructure for the telco. In his role as Network Director, he will be reporting […]
Kenya has recently introduced the National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI). The NPKI is a critical introduction as more and more day-to-day activities are digitized. According to the Communications Authority, the national public Key Infrastructure (NPKI) will enhance the adoption of digital certification services and electronic transactions across the public sector. The National Public Key Infrastructure […]
Hot 30 Play and Galaxy A14 are the latest entry-level devices from Infinix and Samsung. They both launched this year in the 20K range in Kenya and they are some of the company’s most affordable devices in the Hot series and the A series. We’ve already taken a tour of the new Hot 30 series […]
The Communications Authority (CA) has developed a framework for Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) in Kenya. This paves the way for Kenyans to start listening to digital radio stations. Digital radio has transformed the way listeners consume audio content, providing improved sound quality, enhanced features, and expanded listening options. Digital Sound Broadcasting (DSB) stands out as […]
Kenya Water Institute (KEWI) and Safaricom have come together to deploy a Smart Water System. The Smart Water system will pilot at KEWI’s Nairobi and Kitui campuses. Additionally, the partnership will see a Smart Water curriculum developed for students at the institution. Deployment of the Smart Water System will offer practical training for the students. […]
By Christopher Saul, Territory Sales Lead for East Africa at Red Hat When it comes to procuring and deploying IT solutions, enterprises often decide to go with a single supplier that looks perfect on paper. But what happens when the honeymoon’s over and they realise they’ve made a mistake? Or their needs shift and they […]
Co-operative Bank of Kenya (Co-op Bank) reminds all its customers to carry out banking transactions before 3:00 pm. The local Kenyan Bank is migrating to a new banking system. As a result, there will be some services that will be affected. First, all branches will close by 3:00 pm today. Secondly, Co-op Bank has indicated […]
TECNO’s new midrange lineup is finally here and we’ve been spending a good time with it. The company has brought significant improvements across the Camon 20 lineup which we’ve really loved especially the TECNO Camon 20 Premier 5G. CAMERAS The Camon 20 Premier 5G is a camera-centric smartphone and TECNO went big. We get a […]
The recently launched vivo V27 5G has been my daily driver for the past few weeks and as my main camera smartphone – it had held up really well, especially in photography and videography. I was left really impressed with our initial review and now that it has been more than a month – the […]
TransferGo, one of the world’s fastest growing money transfer companies, today announces its partnership with High Impact Careers, the tech and career development company, helping them further support African migrants living and working in Europe. In this collaborative partnership, TransferGo will sponsor African youths looking to gain tech skills on a 10-week tech bootcamp. Facilitated by […]
OPPO is planning to bring the Reno 10 to the Kenyan market sometime next month. The Reno10 is the company’s midrange offering. OPPO Reno10 succeeds the OPPO Reno8 which was launched late last year. OPPO Reno 10 will come with a 6.7-inch AMOLED screen featuring curved edges like the OPPO Reno8 T 5G which launched […]
The foldable smartphone market is heating up and the most awaited devices now have a launch date after days of speculation. Samsung has now confirmed that its upcoming foldables and wearables will launch in South Korea later next month. Galaxy Unpacked 2023 where we expect to see the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, the Z […]
Unlimit a global Fintech based in London has formally launched in Kenya. Kenya becomes the second African country for the fintech after Nigeria. In line with Kenya’s digital transformation, the company helps web shops and online merchants to accept credit cards and alternative payments over the Internet. However, in its 14 years of existence, the […]
The Labour Court in Kenya prohibited (Facebook) or its agents from terminating employment contracts of its content moderators, until the Court substantively hears and decides the unfair labour practice case filed against Meta. In addition, the Employment Court has ruled that Meta is the primary employer of Facebook Content Moderators in Kenya. “Facebook’s Nairobi content […]
The recently launched TECNO Camon 20 series is arguably the company’s best lineup. The camera-centric series has seen iterative upgrades and improvements over the years since its first inception in 2015. We zoom out to the past and see how far the Camon series has evolved. TECNO Camon C5 and C8 These two were the […]
Infinix has unveiled the Note 30 series – its midrange lineup for the Kenyan market. The Note 30 series sits between the Hot series and the flagship Zero series. The Note 30 series includes the Note 30 Play(NFC), Note 30, Note 30 Pro, Note 30(VIP), and Note 30 5G. READ NOW: Infinix Hot 30 Play […]
Infinix Note 30 series is finally here. The company unveiled the devices this evening which included the Note 30 Play, Note 30 Pro, and Note 30 5G. Heavy specs feature across the Infinix Hot 30 series including JBL-tuned dual stereo speakers, NFC, headphone jacks, Type-C charging ports, and side-mounted fingerprint readers. We get the company’s […]
Infinix unveiled the Gen-Z focussed Hot 30 series which includes the top dog – Hot 30, the Hot 30i, and the Hot 30 Play. You can read our full review of the Hot 30 here and now we take our turn with the Hot 30 Play. UNBOXING Hot 30 Play comes with a nice green […]
Advances in AI technology have now seen chip maker Nvidia join an elite club. Nvidia is now valued at more than $ 1 trillion. The company joins the likes of Apple, Amazon, Alphabet and Microsoft. The tech companies are among the few publicly traded US firms that form the trillion-dollar club. Until recently, this elite […]
The clamshell foldable market in Kenya now has a new entry from OPPO – the Find N2 Flip. Find N2 Flip brings new improvements to the market including not having a crease on its display and the phone completely closes when folded leaving no gap. It’s worth noting that every other smartphone maker except Samsung […]
Due to a tanking economy and high taxation, Kenyans often need loans. The many loan providers operating in Kenya need a management system and this is where Superlender Loan Management System comes in. So, what is Superlender Loan Management System? Let’s be very clear, this is not a company that offers loan facilities. However, loan service […]
TECNO is really bringing the heat with its range of devices from this year. We got the flagship Phantom X2, the flagship Phantom V Fold, the affordable Spark 10 series and now we get the midrange Camon 20 series that just launched a few days ago. TECNO have outdone themselves with their latest camera centric […]
Make Ur Bundle is a new product from Safaricom. This product gives subscribers the ability to customize a plan for voice minutes with a specified validity . Basically, a Safaricom subscriber chooses the amount of money they are willing to spend to get minutes for voice calls on their line. However, the least amount a […]
Weeks after launching “Niokolee” Safaricom has more good news for its customers. They have introduced a TikTok Bundle. In recent years, TikTok has emerged as a social media powerhouse, amassing many fans across the globe. The platform’s app revenue market share has surpassed those of older social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram Safaricom […]
The government of Kenya is launching a policy framework for efficient online registration of births and deaths. In brief, it has introduced a Unique Personal Identifier (UPI) for newborns. The UPI will serve as the child’s number in primary school and secondary school. Eventually, when the child turns 18, the UPI becomes their national identity […]
A TikTok star, popularly known as Mizzy has appeared in court. Mizzy was charged with breaching a criminal behaviour order imposed for posting a “prank” video on social media without consent. The 18-year-old’s real name is Bacari-Bronze O’Garro. He gave his residential address as Manor Road, Hackney. He was filmed recently as a plain clothes […]
A lawyer used ChatGPT for legal research and cited a number of cases in a filing. The problem is that none of these cases actually exist (AI just made them up), and he is now in big trouble with the judge. The US Lawyer was representing a man who sued an airline. The man, named […]
Elon Musk took over Twitter in a $44 billion deal. After the exit of Jack Dorsey, the platform has changed considerably. Despite the changes, Twitter is still among the top social media platforms. We explore the significant changes on Twitter in the last 7 months. CEO is Linda Yaccarino as Elon Musk steps down Twitter […]
Safaricom has recently updated their ‘All in One Monthly Bundles’. This was Safaricom’s description of the bundle when they first rolled it out to customers. The ‘All in One Monthly Bundles’ have been tailored to fit the connectivity needs that our customers face today and allow them to plan based on their budget. “ The […]
Huduma Kenya recently announced they are implementing a digitalization plan. Hence, Huduma Kenya announced all Huduma Centre visits must after booking an online appointment. Whether you would like a Police Clearance, to replace your ID, or to access NHIF services, you must reserve your space online This is a simple step-by-step process for booking your […]
Given the current trend across the globe, it’s no surprise that TikTok is testing an AI chatbot. Tako may or may not see the light of day. Tako’s main aim is to help users find useful content on the app. It is an AI-powered tool to help with search and discovery on TikTok. However, it […]
Influencer marketing has been the fastest-growing digital customer acquisition channel in recent years. The creator economy is a multi-billion dollar market but the playing field has been uneven, especially for nano and Micro-influencers. This is where Ogilvy’s new platform wants to come through and solve this pain point. The new platform called InfluenceO wants to […]
May 25th is the day the world has set aside to celebrate Africa. This day is aptly named Africa Day. Recognized globally, this day serves as an opportunity to acknowledge the remarkable progress Africa has made while reflecting on the challenges it continues to face. As we all know Africa, is a continent of vibrant […]
Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) will spend KSh.10 billion during the financial year commencing July 2023. KPLC intends to construct new substations and power lines in order to strengthen the electricity distribution network. The Managing Director and CEO, Dr. (Eng.) Joseph Siror stated that the company is working to improve the quality and reliability of […]
Huduma Kenya has a new boss. Mr Benjamin Kai Chilumo has been appointed to serve as the new Chief Executive Office. Mr Kai is an experienced accountant with over 20 years of professional experience. Indeed, his appointment comes at a crucial time for Huduma Kenya and Huduma Centres. For instance, Huduma Kenya is currently implementing […]
Kenya’s E-Mobility start-up, BasiGo has launched a high-power DC Fast charging station for electric buses in Buru Buru. BasiGo promises to bring clean electric transport to all parts of Nairobi. The Buruburu station will serve electric buses operated by OMA Services and Embassava SACCO. It can charge 6 electric buses simultaneously. Moreover, this station is […]
Elon Musk’s erratic leadership and haphazard decisions at Twitter since taking over in October last year have pushed users to find new alternatives. And these Twitter-like platforms are embracing them in numbers – Bluesky is one of them and has grown popular in the past few weeks. Bluesky is a federated social network born right […]
Team TAWI from Kenya was crowned the winner of the annual Imagine Cup World Championship. The team consisting of John Onsongo Mabeya, Muna Said, Syntiche Musawu Cishimbi, and Zakariya Hussein Hassan is a group of students who met at a Hackathon. TAWI tackles the communication challenges faced by children with Auditory Processing Disorder. The accessible solution […]
Samsung has officially launched the midrange A series in the country. The lineup starts from the A14, the A24 5G, the A34 5G and the A54 5G. Yep, this time round we are not getting the A74. Anyway, the A34 5G brings with it a 6.6″ 1080p Super AMOLED screen covered by Gorilla Glass 5. […]
Samsung has announced the availability of its new A series of smartphones for the Kenyan market. The lineup includes the entry level A14 all the way to the A54 5G. The Samsung Galaxy A14 has a 6.6 inch FHD+ screen. It comes powered by Android 13 and One UI Core 5 paired with MediaTek Helio […]
The Value Added Tax Act introduced in 2013 and a digital/electronic component was added in 2020. Another change was proposed – the VAT (Electronic, Internet, and Digital Marketplace Supply) Regulations, 2023 in line with the current government’s plan to expand its tax base. The 2023 regulations made it clear that the digital VAT will comprise […]
Millions of Kenyans use mobile money wallets to send and receive funds from each other, and these transactions hold valuable data that is often securely stored by the companies offering these services. However, some of this information ends up in the hands of bad actors who abuse the data. For example, users may receive marketing […]
While OPPO is gatekeeping the just launched Find X6 Pro in China, we are expecting the company to launch the OPPO A98 globally and that includes Kenya as well. OPPO A98 will have a 6.7″ LCD screen with FHD+ resolution and 120Hz refrsh rate just like the midrange Reno8 T which was early this year […]
TECNO is set to launch the Camon 20 series in Kenya later this month but the phone has already started picking up awards. Camon 20 was the gold winner in the MUSE Design Awards 2023 under the Product Design Telecommunications category. TECNO used a Puzzle design for the Camon 20. The back design implements 20 […]
Neobanking has been a growing trend in the fintech space and Ecobank in partnership with Fingo have joined the bandwagon. The two have been working on this collaboration and have gone live after they got approved by CBK. Fingo has raised $4 million in funding from various capital firms and enters a space that’s currently […]
Infinix is going to turn 10 later this year. They have been operating in the country for a decade and the Hot series has evolved over the years. The Hot lineup which targets the 18-25 demographic is their best-performing series in comparison to the midrange Note and flagship Zero series. The Hot 30 was launched […]
The Central Bank of Kenya in partnership with multiple key players in the payments industry in the country have today launched the Kenya Quick Response(QR) Code Standard 2023. The main purpose of the QR code is to increase interoperability among different payment service providers. CBK has partnered with Safaricom, Equity Bank, ABSA, KCB, Co-operative Bank, […]
TECNO continues to push its boundaries for its smartphones – from software, to hardware to cameras and overall design. Last year the company launched the Mondrian version of the Camon 19 series, the Spark 9 series had a BMW Sport version featuring the blue and white colours in an icy crystal design. This year’s Phantom […]
Xiaomi has officially launched the Redmi Note 12 series in the country. The lineup succeeds the Note 11 series from last year and includes the Redmi Note 12 Pro+ 5G, Redmi Note 12 Pro, Redmi Note 12S and Redmi Note 12. Xiaomi has streamlined the whole series with top of the line features. The Note […]
The media has done a great job covering the cultic case of Paul Mackenzie, the founder of Good News Media Kenya Ltd. The preacher is currently facing charges of murder, manslaughter, and child neglect. The charges stem from the discovery of dozens of bodies buried in Shakahola forest near the coastal town of Malindi. The […]
Apple sets design trends and Android follows suite. First, it was the ditching of the headphone jack, then came adding a notch to the screen. Apple’s Dynamic Island feature on the new iPhone 14 series is now being copied on Android smartphones with realme launching the C55 with what the company calls a mini-capsule feature. […]
According to the most recent report from Canalys, there was a further decline in worldwide smartphone shipments during the January-March quarter. Approximately 269.8 million units were shipped during this time, which is a 13% drop compared to the same period last year. This trend of declining sales has been ongoing for several quarters and is […]
Motorcycle manufacturer, Kibo Africa has launched a new motorbike for urban dwellers, and the plan is to reduce their commute time. However, the company, which entered the Kenyan market back in 2017, says that it does not seek to resolve to address commute times solely: it has collaborated and will continue partnering with local logistics […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has been given a nod to install the Device Management System, a tool that monitors text messages and phone calls in a bid to identify any case of fraud. The system was proposed more than six years ago, but it wasn’t implemented thanks to legal hurdles, as well as […]
Telco Safaricom and HELB have announced two key partnerships today. The first one is the launch of the HELB Mobile Wallet and HELB M-PESA Mini App. The wallet will see students in higher education institutions receive part of their HELB funds directly to their M-PESA accounts. The HELB Mini App will see beneficiaries manage their […]
A couple of weeks ago, and during the staging of the Connected Kenya Summit 2023, telcos Safaricom announced the myCounty App. It is a key development that offers a single platform with shared architecture to enable every county to launch a digital services platform. According to a statement that was shared by the carrier’s Head […]
Phone maker OPPO will be opening its largest Service Centre in Nairobi. According to the BBK Electronics-owned firm, the opening of the OPPO Service Centre highlights the significance of the Kenyan market to its global strategy, as it aims to provide top-quality service to its customers. The new OPPO Service Center will offer: Customers visiting […]
Equity Bank customers will now be charged for any SMS alerts they receive from the bank. According to the lender’s social media posts, this development was implemented two days ago (April 24). Equity did not inform its customers of this charge, and many discovered it after making transactions. “We have introduced a standard SMS charge […]
Back in 2013, the Value Added Tax Act was introduced. It is a piece of legislation that governs the taxation of goods and services in Kenya. The act established a value-added tax (VAT) system, which is a consumption tax that is levied on the value added to goods and services at each stage of production […]
Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) in partnership with the Africa Internet Rights Alliance (AIRA) coalition members has launched the Tatua Digital Resilience Centre, which will support Social Justice Organizations (SJOs) in East Africa. The Centre will initially support SJOs in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda and later scale to other countries in the continent. The Tatua […]
The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO), Irdeto, and Kenyan police successfully conducted a sting operation against an online streaming company operating in Kenya. According to reports, the operation led to the arrest of the suspects, including alleged mastermind Engineer Kelvin Kiplangat Sing’oei, and the seizure of equipment that will be analyzed by the CID Cyber Crime […]
Estonian e-cab firm Bolt has introduced a new feature that requires drivers to take a selfie before they can go online. According to the ride-hailing company, the feature will help prevent driver impersonation and account sharing. The selfie is compared to the driver’s profile photo to verify their identity. This new safety feature is part […]
ASUS has launched the Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304), which features a 13.3-inch OLED display and is one of the slimmest laptops in its category. It offers high performance, connectivity, and long battery life, as well as eco-friendliness, using recycled materials in its construction, eco-friendly packaging, and halogen-free electronics. Under the hood is a 13th […]
Infinix Hot 30 series launched early this month. The Hot 30 succeeds the Hot 20 series launched late last year. The Hot lineup is the company’s best-performing series in comparison to the midrange Note and flagship Zero series. The Hot series targets the 18-25 demographic. We take a look back at how the Infinix Hot […]
By the time 2022 was ending, we had close to 300,000 users on Safaricom’s 5G network. In the past few months, Kenya’s leading telco added more than 100,000 users to its 5G network – they are now close to hitting half a million users. For context, its Home Fibre network has connected over 450,000 homes […]
The foldable smartphone market has a new player and not just across the globe but here in the country as well. An exciting new entrant not just on features but also on price. The Phantom lineup is TECNO’S premium sub-brand, so the PHANTOM V Fold gets a special luxurious box. You get the phone and […]
Xiaomi is prepping to update the Redmi Note 11 series with a new Note 12 series later next week in Kenya. The whole lineup comes with IP53 rating, 1080p 6.67″ AMOLED screens with 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass protection. The regular Note 12 has Gorilla Glass 3 while the Pro and Pro Plus […]
Airtel Kenya has announced a new product called Airtel Premier, which will see its customers enjoy all mobile units under a single plan. This means that Airtel customers will be able to purchase data, SMS, voice, and data in an all-in-one bundle. While this product is similar to the All-in-One bundle offered by competitor Safaricom, […]
WhatsApp’s disappearing messages feature is no longer as good as it once was because recipients can now choose to keep the temporary message – but with a catch. Mark Zuckerberg unveiled a new modification to the chat app’s nuke-after-reading feature in a broadcast message shared on his Instagram channel. The development of the world’s most […]
The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is a high-end smartphone with a 6.73-inch LTPO3 AMOLED display, Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, up to 1TB internal storage, and a 50.3 MP quad-camera system with Leica coming in with some of its software features. It also features a 5000mAh battery with fast charging, 5G connectivity, and IP68 water/dust resistance. […]
Samsung has announced the Galaxy A24 4G, which complements the recently launched A34 and A54. It has a 6.5″ FHD display, a MediaTek Helio G99 processor, and 6 or 8 GB of RAM. Storage is capped at 128 GB. Like the A34, it has a notch, which we think is now getting stale ever since […]
@iLabAfrica Research and Innovation Centre at Strathmore University has launched a new CIO Leadership Programme. The program aims to equip IT executives with the skills and knowledge they need to be effective leaders. The program covers a wide range of topics, including strategic thinking, leadership, and business management. It also provides participants with the opportunity […]
E-taxi app inDrive has launched InCode 2023, an annual global hackathon that seeks to improve safety and inclusivity in ride-hailing. Top ideas will be awarded €16,000 (KES 2.3 million), and participants can register teams of 1 to 6 individuals. The entries will be assessed based on feasibility, code quality, UX/UI quality, idea, and impact by […]
Online video streaming platform Netflix has released its latest financial report, which shows growth in revenue and paid memberships during the January-March period of 2023. iT announced a 3.7% increase in year-on-year revenue, totaling $8.1 billion for the quarter. According to the corporation, the data is satisfying because Netflix has since expressed contentment with the […]
Active Noise cancellation on a budget. Long-lasting true wireless earbuds that can go up to 8 hours of playtime. Heavy bass technology. IPX5 Rating. Type-C quick charge. Three listening modes including transparency mode. Noise reduction in calls. I’m talking about Oraimo’s latest audio accessory. The company just launched the FreePods 4 which succeed the FreePods […]
Flutterwave, the largest payments firm in Africa by value, has been trying to enter the Kenyan market for some time now. It seems that this dream will soon become a reality, following an announcement that it will establish its primary operations station in Nairobi for the larger East African market. It should be noted that […]
Nigerian payments firm Flutterwave is now a licensed remittance company in Rwanda. This development follows an announcement by the unicorn, which revealed Flutterwave had acquired all types of payment instruments in the said country. The move is said to be a first step towards offerings payments to the wider East African market. “Flutterwave, Africa’s leading […]
E-commerce platform Copia has announced it will be closing its Uganda operations after it launched in the country back in mid-2021. Copia, which targets low-income consumers in Africa, has been growing over the last couple of years, and this latest development about the closure of its Uganda market marks a turn that hadn’t been expected […]
Kenya is amending the Kenya Information and Communications Act, 1998 (KICA). The law has undergone a lot of changes over the years thanks to the proliferation of ICT services, products, and use cases in the country, and this latest development, which basically doesn’t cover much, appears to be an attempt to modernize laws that guard […]
The long-awaited fold from TECNO is finally here in the country. The company has unveiled the Phantom V Fold – its first-gen foldable in the premium subbrand which includes the Phantom X and the Phantom X2 series. The Phantom V Fold was first announced early in March in Barcelona at MWC 2023 and has now […]
Autochek has acquired a majority stake in AutoTager, an Egyptian automotive technology company, to expand its presence in North Africa and support its growth. AutoTager was founded in 2021 by Amr Rezk, a serial entrepreneur with experience operating in and investing in various geographies across Africa and the Middle East. The acquisition marks Autochek’s entry […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) and the ICT Authority (ICTA) have reached an agreement to expand fiber optic cable connectivity to the last mile in 19 unserved and underserved counties. The Technical Cooperation Agreement (TCA) involves the CA assisting in the deployment of fibre in the identified counties, which will cost KES 5 billion […]
Online food delivery service Bolt Food has launched in Mombasa. Bolt Food is an add-on service on Bolt, an online taxi service that serves riders in more than 16 urban centres in Kenya. Residents of Mombasa are expected to access the service from Mombasa CBD and Nyali environs, with the possibility to expand into other […]
A few weeks ago, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) updated the media on tax administration in the betting and gaming industry. KRA has since put in place laws and tax regimes to manage the industry, prevent companies from overstepping their boundaries, and protect participants from gambling addiction. As of June 2022, the industry had a […]
In Feb 2023, we learned that Microsoft ADC Nairobi was in the process of amending Computer Science courses for several Kenyan higher education institutions. The ADC had announced that it would collaborate with Kenyan technology universities to review their curriculums and make them more relevant to industry needs as part of its digital skilling efforts […]
The e-taxi industry in Kenya has been growing because of its lucrative nature, enabling successful operations by firms like Bolt, Uber, and Little for an extended period now. However, these companies have faced legal obstacles and payment conflicts with their drivers but have extended their services to other regions and introduced new features to enhance […]
Poa! Internet users have been experiencing service interruptions over the last couple of weeks. The issue had also been reported sometime last year, and it looks like the ISP, which is known for targeting low-income households for its services, is trying to address the issue with law authorities after it was discovered that some of […]
The U.S. Chamber organized a trade mission to Kenya and Tanzania led by the US-Africa Business Center to follow through on commitments made during the 2022 US-Africa Business Forum and Leaders Summit. The mission comprised over 30 private sector executives and was the Chamber’s first international trade mission for the year. During their time in […]
In a world where tech layoffs have become a norm, companies such as Apple, which sits at the apex of tech corporations in terms of market valuation, haven’t really matched their energy to the copycat firings we have been seeing in recent weeks and months. However, this appears to have changed over the last week […]
Estonia, which is known for a number of IT-based companies that have a global reach, such as e-taxi app Bolt, has opened its regional offices in Nairobi with the aim of attracting public and private sector investments in Kenya and East Africa. To achieve this, Enterprise Estonia will help with investments in various sectors, such […]
Samsung recently launched its flagship Galaxy S23 series. I have loved using the smaller S23 as my daily driver for the past two months The smaller S23 has a few upgrades which make it the perfect compact flagship smartphone in a number of ways. Samsung ships the phone in a relatively small box which includes […]
Infinix recently launched a new member of the Hot series – the Infinix Hot 30 series for the Kenyan market. The Hot 30 series includes the regular Hot 30, Hot 30i and Hot 30 Play. The lineup comes with features meant for mobile gamers such as high-quality displays, high refresh rates and processors optimized for […]
Annastacia Kimtai has been appointed as the Managing Director of KCB Bank Kenya, making it the first time the Kenyan unit will have an independent CEO. Since December, she has been serving as the Acting Managing Director, as well as the Retail Banking Director. According to Business Daily, the appointment was communicated by KCB Group […]
Little Cab has been operating locally for a long time, and it is one of the few e-cab apps that started offering its services beyond the confines of Nairobi. The company has since expanded its products and services, and features a ton of them (deliveries, film bookings, healthcare services such as visiting a clinic, and […]
ID2020 announced that Mastercard Community Pass has received the ID2020 Certification, which recognizes its digital ID solutions. As more aspects of daily life move online, many people – including 850 million globally and a quarter of children – lack official records or a way to prove their identity digitally. This leaves them unable to access […]
When newer devices are released – and manufacturers have a knack for doing this considering phone makers such as Samsung produces more than 50 smartphones in any given year – older ones sometimes become incompatible with apps such as WhatsApp. This then means that the messaging app cannot work on the affected devices. However, you […]
The Kenyan arm of e-commerce platform Jumia has announced that Charles Ballard will assume the position of CEO. Charles has already succeeded Juan Seco, having started his tenure just last month. Seco has departed from Jumia after serving for eight years, to join a pan-African player in the fintech sector, Mukuru, as Chief Growth Officer […]
Car insurance products that are based on Islamic principles are not the same as their non-Islamic counterparts. For instance, Islamic principles require that any transaction must adhere to ethical standards. This means that a car insurance policy that is based on ethical standards, such as honesty, transparency, and fairness, would be attractive in Islam. This […]
Opera, a known web browser that has been in existence for a very long time, is still being used by millions of people globally on both desktop computers and mobile devices – even at a time when newer and more capable browsers have been launched and overtaken it in terms of market share. While there […]
There aren’t many fibre services providers in Kenya, and those that exist are based in leading urban centres. For instance, Safaricom’s Home Fibre tends to target folks in Nairobi, select parts of Central Kenya and other major towns in the country. Zuku does the same too – but it is known for connection inconsistencies and […]
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has issued two penalty notices against WhitePath Company Limited which offers online loan services, and Regus Kenya. The ODPC has challenged businesses to protect personal data by design and by default and cooperate with them to avoid penalties. In a statement by the Data Protection Office, WhitePath […]
Samsung’s Galaxy Tab S9 series, the upcoming flagship tablet, is getting closer to being officially announced, and there have been multiple leaks about its features. In addition to the Tab S9, there may be an unexpected reveal – a foldable tablet, set to be unveiled at the same time as the Tab S9 series. To […]
In recent years, TikTok has emerged as a social media powerhouse, amassing many fans across the globe. The platform’s app revenue market share has surpassed those of older social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram. According to data presented by SafeBettingSites, TikTok leads the pack with over 20% app revenue market share in the […]
Chat app WhatsApp is currently testing a much-requested feature for users who use the beta version of the app. The new feature allows users to add or sync their accounts on a second smartphone and is being seeded to all WhatsApp beta users on Android. This feature is expected to be a game-changer for those […]
The Connected Kenya Summit 2023 has since been completed, but there are some key highlights that were made at the show, most of which we have covered here. Present during the conference were a number of government officials, including the CS for Trade Moses Kuria. According to his presentation, the CS mentioned that digital trade […]
Ransomware attacks have been on the rise in recent years, and according to research by NordLocker, April is the most dangerous period for such attacks. Last year, April saw the highest number of ransomware incidents, with 294 attacks in total. These attacks were primarily targeted at US and German companies, with the manufacturing and finance […]
Infinix is skipping the number 13 and heading straight to 30 in their latest Note series for this year. It’s no surprise since their Hot series is now at Hot 30 which was launched yesterday in the country. The Note 30 lineup is the company’s midrange series which usually launches in May or June. Note […]
Infinix has updated its Hot series in the country with the launch of the Hot 30. The Hot series is the company’s most affordable line of smartphones and the Hot 30 succeeds the Hot 20 from last year. The Hot 30 joins the Hot 30i in the new series currently available in the country. Hot […]
Safaricom is rolling out 5G across various areas in the country. We’ve spotted the 5G network in Thome, Mirema, Kinoo 87, Nakuru and Naivasha and now Kenya’s leading telco has brought 5G to Kiambu. According to Forum user Kentecnics, Safaricom 5G is available in various parts of Kiambu including Thindigua and Muthithi Estate opposite KIST. […]
Mobile photography and videography buffs will be happy that TECNO is slated to bring the camera-centric Camon 20 lineup next month. The company has devices catered for different market sections – they just launched the entry-level Spark 10 series and announced that they would launch their premium Phantom V Fold later this month. The Camon […]
TECNO Kenya has officially opened up pre-orders for the Phantom V Fold in the country. The Phantom V Fold is the company’s first foldable and will be making its appearance later this month after being announced at Mobile World Congress early last month. The V Fold will join the flagship X2 series in the country […]
The Connected Kenya Summit 2023 will end today, having started on Sunday this week. Some key announcements have been made at the show, including government plans to expand fibre to 100k km in the next five years in partnership with telcos such as Safaricom, and a bunch of signed MoUs to implement the digital agenda […]
Cloud computing provider AWS has announced it will be training 10,000 Kenyan students in local universities with key tech skills in a plan that seeks to impart ICT-based competencies to this demographic. According to Robin Njiru, who serves as the Regional Lead for AWS in East and Central Africa, this activity has been put in […]
American tech services provider Cisco has signed an MoU with the ICT Authority of Kenya to work together in promoting the country’s Digital Master Plan and efforts toward digital transformation. The MoU outlines the specific areas of collaboration between these two organizations. The Digital Master Plan was launched during the 2022 staging of the Connected […]
A few months ago, the Kenya Kwanza administration made a commitment to lay more than 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable throughout the country within its first term, as part of its Digital Superhighway initiative. At present, over 25,000 kilometres of fibre optic cable have been laid. Safaricom is said to be working with the […]
Connected Kenya kicked off yesterday, and the official event was marked by a number of speeches from key guests and organizer, the ICT Authority. This time around, the show, which ends on Thursday this week, has managed to round up more than 50 partners from the private sector. Read More: Connected Kenya 2023 Kickoff: Media […]
After launching 5G in three neighbourhoods in Nairobi, Safaricom is expanding the network to other towns in the country. The telco launched 5G in Thome, Mirema and Kinoo 87 in Nairobi and now some parts of Nakuru and Naivasha have access to 5G. According to Forum user holycow, 5G is available in Nakuru CBD (behind […]
Online lenders Moni has announced a new range of business loans that will enable market traders, spare part dealers, textile traders, and other small business owners in Africa to take advantage of the power of their communities to access the working capital they need to run and scale their businesses. Moni is a digital platform […]
MFS Africa, a digital payments network operating in over 35 African countries, has partnered with Access Bank, the largest bank in Nigeria that operates in 17 markets. The partnership aims to expand AccessAfrica’s remittance corridors, which is a service that allows customers to transfer and receive money from anywhere in the world. The partnership will […]
The 12th Edition of the Connected Kenya Summit has kicked off. Officially, it began yesterday (April 2), but the press, major guests, and sponsors arrived today. It was officially opened by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, who was also accompanied by other key government officials, including ICT & Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo, his PS […]
TECNO has opened up pre-orders for its first foldable in the country – the Phantom V Fold. The tech company is slated to introduce the phone to the Kenyan market later this month after its debut at MWC 2023. The Phantom V Fold is set to compete with the Samsung Z Fold 4 which is […]
Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telco is expanding 5G across new neighbourhoods in Nairobi and the latest area to have access to its 5G network is Thome. Residents in Thome can now access 5G, especially around Mountain View School and its surrounding areas. Speeds vary depending device you have and your line of connection to the 5G-enabled […]
Budget smartphones under 20K in Kenya have gotten so good. We got our hands on two of the latest entry-level devices from TECNO and Xiaomi – the Spark 10 and the Redmi 12C. Both are really good phones under 20K but how do they compare in terms of performance? UNBOXING Differences start showing from the […]
Infinix has launched the Hot 30i in the country. This is the entry-level device in the Hot 30 lineup and succeeds the Hot 20i from last year. The Hot 30i has a 6.6 HD+ screen which is now brighter at 550 nits compared to 500 nits from the Hot 20i. Infinix is also adding 90Hz […]
Infinix is planning to unveil the Hot 30 in its new HOT 30 series which is an entry-level lineup focusing on the youth. Like the Hot 30i, we also get a HD screen at 6.78″featuring 90Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling rate. The display is slightly interrupted by a punch-hole cutout that houses the […]
Worrying about losing data isn’t something you have to lose sleep over if you have an active data backup strategy. March 31st is World Backup Day and there’s no better time to evaluate your business backup plan. Take a moment to think about all of the data your business currently has stored digitally. Customer account […]
The National Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT) Policy was introduced in 2019 to promote universal access to ICT infrastructure and services in Kenya. The policy was reviewed in 2006 to include elements that matched global trends and changing public needs. The main goal of the policy was to create an enabling environment for all citizens […]
Safaricom remains unmatched when it comes to rolling out new technologies for the benefit of its tens of millions of customers. It was the first telco to launch 4G services back in 2014, which it has since expanded to more than 97 per cent coverage across the country. In 2021, it launched 5G services, albeit […]
Over the last couple of years, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) has gained popularity in African cities as a cost-effective and efficient mode of public transportation. BRT systems in African cities have been developed with the aim of providing quality, affordable, and reliable public transport services to residents. Some of the African cities that have implemented […]
Safaricom is ramping up its 5G rollout in Kenya and now its 5G network has arrived in Mirema. Kenya’s leading network has been testing 5G since early 2020 and finally launched for the public in October last year and was available for over 200 towns in the country. Mirema, a neighbourhood in Roysambu in Kasarani […]
HMD Global the availability of the Nokia G60 5G in the Kenyan market yesterday. The device, as its name suggests, is equipped with 5G radios, and falls under the mid-range category according to Nokia’s naming scheme (C is for budget, G is for the mid-range and the X series are slightly more expensive). The G60 […]
Infinix is set to launch the new entry-level device in the Hot series – the Infinix Hot 30i which will succeed the Infinix Hot 20i from last year. The Hot line is the company’s most affordable series and we’ll be getting an upgraded version later next week in the country. The Hot 30i has a […]
Alibaba Group is reportedly in the works of dividing itself into six separate companies. According to Reuters, these units will pursue funding and public listings, as the Chinese government relaxes its regulation of private businesses. The major reorganization will involve the creation of six organizations: The development was made one day after Jack Ma’s arrival […]
It has emerged that Microsoft Kenya, mainly at its Africa Development Centre in Nairobi, has fired several employees. This development was noted at the start of this week, and while the number of affected workers has not been revealed, it would appear that a good number of developers, as well as 20 product managers, have […]
HMD Global, which has been using the Nokia name for its devices, has announced that it will be assembling some of its devices in Kenya. This development was announced today by Gopher Ogembo, HMD Global’s Senior Business Manager for East Africa, who hinted that the firm is in various stages of setting up assembly plants […]
Retailer Carrefour, which also offers services via its app and online platform, has announced that its customers will now be able to check themselves out of stores in a move aimed at reducing queues and speeding up the checkout process. The announcement was made today by the company’s Kenya Country Manager, Christophe Orcet, who joined […]
Music service Spotify, which has been available in Kenya since 2021 has announced a donation to Vibrate Space, a non-profit organization helping young Ghanaian music entrepreneurs with the tools and skills they need to thrive in the industry, from its Creator Equity Fund to support emerging artists in Ghana. Vibrate Space, which is operated by […]
TECNO recently unveiled their entry-level Spark 10 series, including the regular Spark 10, Spark 10 Pro, Spark 10C and Spark 10 5G. The Spark series has been a favourite among the youth – from the first Spark launched in 2017 to now in its 10th generation. We have the TECNO Spark 10 which shares most […]
Today, taxman the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) has given the media an update about tax administration in the betting and gaming industry. The update is key because the space is served by a ton of laws and tax regimes, which, according to the KRA, have been put in place to manage the industry and ensure […]
Twitter has been making a lot of changes ever since it was purchased by Elon Musk for 44 billion dollars. The social media company has not been able to turn any profit for more than a decade, and some reputable auditors have since projected that its valuation could be in the 20 billion dollar ballpark. […]
Loan apps are a big thing in Kenya, and for good reason: they offer effortless credit to cash-strapped customers with no collateral, a move that has since proved very popular in the country. The fact that customers can access this cash in a matter of seconds on their phones via M-PESA is also the primary […]
Digital loan apps have been undergoing a lot of scrutiny from regulators such as the Central Bank of Kenya ever since they started abusing user data and using private information to shame lenders into paying delayed loans. Parliament would then institute new laws to regulate them, including key clauses under the CBK Amendment Act and […]
Samsung makes great TVs, and it sells millions of them across the world every other year. However, this does not mean it doesn’t have any competition, because its home rival, LG, is equally capable, and has been appealing to high-end consumers with awesome sets with leading display technologies and excellent software. This time around, we […]
Baron and Cabot, a UK real estate company, has launched a property website for the UK, which also has a plan to expand real estate agencies in Kenya. The portal uses AI technology to anticipate property prices, and it offers a chance for growth and financial prosperity to Kenyan real estate agents who can sell […]
Kenya customers are asking for better international money transfer services that can help them better manage their personal finances. According to the Global Money Transfer Index by Western Union, 90% of the recipients in Kenya would like remittance services integrated into a mobile ‘super app’ so they can conveniently collect remittances while also dealing with […]
This week, a case was filed in the High Court of Kenya in Nairobi, which was brought forth by multiple parties against Ezra Chiloba, Director General of ICT watchdog the Communications Authority of Kenya, and the Attorney General. The case focused on a decision made by Chiloba to limit media freedom on ‘vague’ grounds, which […]
Connected Kenya is one of the leading tech events in Kenya, and by extension, East Africa. It has hosted 11 shows, and this year’s will be the 12th. Similar to select previous summits, the conference will be held in Coastal Kenya, precisely in Diani, for three days (April 2-5). We have looked into what the […]
Twitter accounts that were verified before Elon Musk bought the social media platform will see their blue checkmarks disappear in a matter of days. Following the billionaire’s purchase of the social network last year in a heavily-indebted US$44 billion deal, Twitter reported on Thursday that from April 1, it will withdraw the verified status of […]
Eliud Owalo, the CS for Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy, has invited both local and international investors to collaborate with the government in fulfilling the nation’s comprehensive Digital Economy Agenda. This Digital Economy Agenda is one of President Ruto’s goals and was mentioned widely in his manifesto before the 2022 August polls. This development […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya has announced that it has finished looking into the Broadcast Coverage of Opposition protests that took place on March 20th, 2023. According to a statement by Director General Ezra Chiloba, the CA determined that six television stations, including Citizen TV, NTV, K24, KBC, TV47, and Ebru TV, provided coverage that […]
Factor[e] Ventures has announced the launch of Delta40, a new venture studio that seeks to enhance the African startup ecosystem by constructing and investing in technology ventures that address income growth and climate change. The launch event was attended by Meg Whitman, the US ambassador to Kenya, who rallied for the Delta40 team’s combination of […]
Safaricom has picked Fawzia Ali as Chief Consumer Business Officer effective 15th March 2023. The same role was held by Sylvia Mulinge, who left the telco for the CEO MTN Uganda role. Fawzia has held the role in an acting capacity since July 2022. Following her confirmation of the new job, Fawzia will continue with […]
Today, M-PESA Africa has unveiled a Shared Service Operations Centre (SSOC) in Nairobi. The main service of the new office will be to supervise service operations and provide technical assistance, including monitoring and resolving incidents, handling platform changes and upgrades, introducing new features and managing capacity, as well as collaborating with tech vendors. The facility […]
When it comes to Home Internet, meaning a fixed wireless connection that a user can use worry-free, there aren’t many options for people who live beyond major urban areas where such services are offered by a variety of companies. Urban areas are naturally and usually targeted because they host a number of tech-savvy people, who […]
The foldable smartphone market has heated up in the past few months with everyone joining in on the fun. Samsung Z Fold5 is set to succeed the Z Fold4 from late last year and will be coming to a pretty crowded market with rivals like the TECNO Phantom V Fold, the OPPO’s Find N2, Vivo’s […]
In early 2020, Safaricom was spotted testing 5G network in partnership with tech giant Huawei. Kenya’s largest telco has probably been testing 5G since 2018. It is worth noting that they were the first telco to bring 4G network to Kenya in December 2014. The company continued testing 5G by increasing test sites across the […]
Safaricom offers a lot of internet products. It keeps churning out new ones for its customers, and in late 2022, it launched 5G services alongside 5G Wi-Fi. This adds to 4G Wi-Fi that has been around for some time now. There is also Home Fibre, but what’s the difference between them? Home Fibre Home Fibre […]
Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 series more than one month ago (February 1), and the flagship devices by the South Korean phone maker, at least for the next couple of months (before the launch of the Flip 5 and Fold 5 in August), are already selling in the Kenyan market. This time around, we have […]
We have since talked extensively about the Kenya e-mobility state. To sum it up, the competition is getting stiff following participation from multiple companies. ROAM, for instance, has a couple of buses plying multiple routes in the city. The company also has other ambitions other than serving people who use public transportation: it has since […]
Kenya is set to receive part of the USD 1 million fund from the African Development Bank (AfDB) under its Green Mobility for Africa (GMFA) project. The project is a financing program that aims to speed up and widen private sector investment in sustainable transportation options in Africa. It does this through the provision of […]
The 9th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit (AFTS) is scheduled to take place in Washington DC, USA, on April 12, 2023, and will bring together key stakeholders including Regulators, Policy Makers, Financial and Technology Industry Executives, Fintech Founders, leading innovators, investors, and Government representatives from around the world. The event will be held at […]
TECNO just launched its latest entry-level Spark 10 series last week in the country and they are already gearing up to bring their long-awaited Phantom V Fold. This is the company’s first foray into the foldable format and they launched it at this year’s MWC where they made their first appearance on the showroom floor. […]
ICT regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has published new data regarding the state of the telephony market in the country for the second quarter of the 2022/2023 financial year, which ended in December 2022. According to the CA, there were 63.3 million mobile devices in total as of December 31st, 2022. Among these, […]
A month ago, and in line with its unoriginal approach that we have seen in the past, Meta copied Twitter Blue by launching paid blue badges – the Meta Verified subscription service that provides a verified checkmark next to a user’s username on either Facebook or Instagram. At the start, the service was available in […]
Safaricom has announced the availability of 5G mobile data packages. It’s worth noting that the plans have been available for a while, but the telco did not explicitly inform customers about them, which is where we come in. It has been a couple of months since the commercial launch of 5G in the country. Safaricom […]
TECNO has updated its budget lineup with the launch of the Spark 10 series. TECNO Spark 10 series succeeds the Spark 9 series from last year and includes the regular Spark 10 and Spark 10 Pro. Spark 10C and Spark 10 5G also feature in the lineup. The Spark 10 series brings a slew of […]
Update: 5G mobile data packages have been announced by the telco. Keep reading… Back in September 2022, Safaricom commercially launched 5G services. 5G networks can offer download speeds that are up to 100 times faster than 4G networks, with some estimates suggesting speeds of up to 10 Gbps. This means you can download and upload […]
ICT regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) was staging World Consumer Rights Day in the lakeside city of Kisumu today. However, the event was disrupted by some members of the public who infiltrated the show and caused a fracas that led to key officials fleeing from the meeting. The demonstrations were reportedly being held […]
Samsung has finally announced the Galaxy A34 and A54. As expected, there is no A74 this time around, which is kind of a bummer because we loved the A73 from last year, although we never got to review it. This is likely because Samsung plans to introduce the S23 FE, which will likely be a […]
Kenya and South Korean governments have launched four Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP) initiatives that aim to accelerate the progress of the Konza Technopolis project. These EIPP programs for the second year of collaboration between the two countries are: Intelligent Transport System (ITS) is the use of advanced technologies to various modes of transportation, including […]
There have been growing security concerns surrounding TikTok and its owner ByteDance in the West and Europe but those fears are about to get worse as Group 42 (G42), Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s AI acquired an over $100 million stake in ByteDance at a $220 billion valuation. Sheikh Tahnoon is known as the […]
Meta, the company that operates Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Oculus, appears that is not done firing people following the announcement that it will be letting 10K employees go. Towards the end of 2022, Meta announced a job cut that had affected 11,000 workers. The company had been going through a difficult year trying to appeal […]
Less than one month ago, payments firm Chipper Cash, which runs its operations in Africa but is headquartered in the US, fired a third of its workforce due to financial struggles. The layoffs affected employees across various departments, including engineering, crypto, marketing, and customer support. At that time, the company’s CEO, Ham Serunjogi, stated that […]
University students from across Kenya and some parts of Africa can now apply to participate in season 4 of the Microsoft Africa Development Centre’s (ADC) Game of Learners (GOL) competition. The GOL initiative provides an opportunity for African university students, aspiring software engineers, and solution builders to improve their technical and coding abilities while creating […]
India’s ICT industry has long been strict with vendors, brands, telcos, and other ICT-related service providers. As the world’s second-largest consumer of smartphones, India is known for banning services and apps that pose even the slightest threat to digital security. In a recent development, Reuters exclusively reported that India is taking further steps by introducing […]
Google One is a subscription service offered by search giant Google that offers users with additional storage space in their Google accounts, as well as additional benefits and features such as discounts on Google products, 24/7 support, and family sharing of storage plans. Google One plans start at 100 GB of storage space and go […]
Telco Safaricom and Nairobi City County have partnered to modernize the county’s operations and services. The partnership will see Safaricom develop and support the “My Nairobi App” as part of the “My Nairobi” platform, which provides digital services and citizen engagement. Nairobi County Governor Sakaja Johnson believes that this platform will enable the county to […]
Electric vehicle company Roam has announced they will be relocating to a new production facility that spans over 10,000 square metres. The new facility will reportedly increase in-production capacity to 50,000 motorcycles annually while maintaining a commitment to carbon neutrality. The decision to invest in this new facility is part of Roam’s efforts to scale […]
New data from ICT regulator the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) has revealed that Safaricom is the leading fixed data provider. According to this latest data, which has been compiled for Q2 for the 2022/2023 financial year, Safaricom has the highest number of subscribers, and this has been the case for the last couple of […]
5G has made interesting progress in the past two years with Safaricom leading the way and now Airtel joining the bandwagon. The latest sector statistics from ICT regulator CA Kenya shows we have 299,904 users on 5G. 5G started being tested in early 2020 by Safaricom. Kenya’s leading telco went ahead and rolled out the […]
Safaricom has evolved over the years and is no longer the carrier it used to be. However, the company has made decisions that have caused frustration among its customers, who fault some of the missteps it has made along the way over the past four years. In a new development reported by Business Daily today, […]
Google has marked International Women’s Day by unveiling three new initiatives to empower women entrepreneurs in Africa and equip them with the tools needed to succeed. These initiatives include the Google for Startups Accelerator Africa: Women Founders Cohort, which has already selected 15 startups from eight African countries, the Hustle Academy for Women-Led SMEs, which […]
Streaming services are about to get exciting in the coming days following an exciting announcement made by MultiChoice, the company that owns video-on-demand platform Showmax. Launched back in 2015, Showmax has been trying to appeal to online content consumers in Africa and has managed to gain a notable following from people who want to watch […]
By now, Kenyans have become accustomed to the fact that they need to dig deeper into their pockets when sending money, especially within mobile money wallets or from banks to mobile money. This follows a go-ahead from the CBK at the start of 2023, which allowed lenders to reintroduce transaction fees for the same. The […]
Microsoft Africa Development Centre (ADC) and Microsoft Leap have launched a new workshop specifically created for university professors who teach technology-focused courses. This program aims to provide university professors with the chance to collaborate with other educators, enhance their skills, and learn about best practices to incorporate into their teaching. The 12-week program, starting on […]
Safaricom, Vodafone Group, and other companies, as well as two government agencies, are being sued by three Kenyan M-PESA users about their Fuliza overdraft service (which is run by Safaricom, NCBA, and KCB). The plaintiffs claim that the service is illegally using money that belongs to non-borrowing M-PESA users and engaging in financial business without […]
Kenyans were spoilt for choice when the Central Bank of Kenya dismissed bank-to-mobile money charges back when the COVID-19 pandemic had started. This was to ease the economic burden that came along with the virus and at a time when some people lost their jobs, or could not work due to restrictions that were introduced […]
I thought I was a chronic online user and then I looked at the data and the revelations are wild when it comes to Kenya as a country in relation to East Africa and the whole continent in general. This is why other African nations can’t mess with us when it comes to social media […]
MWC 2023 just concluded and OEM’s announced new smartphones and showcased some of the innovative technology they have been working on. The event sets trends of what to expect in future smartphones not only for that year but also in coming years as companies refine that tech. Here were my favourite smartphones announced at the […]
Android smartphones never shy away from copying Apple’s design decisions with their iPhones. First, it was removing the headphone jack in 2016 and then adding a notch followed a year later with the iPhone 7 and the iPhone X respectively. These are some of the trends Android devices have copied from the Cupertino-based company and […]
Realme, one of BBK Electronics’ brands, will be the first to bring Apple’s Dynamic Island feature in what they call Mini Capsule. This feature will be used to show step counts, low battery alerts, data usage, and the phone’s charging status. Xiaomi 13 Lite was the first Android smartphone to launch with a similar feature. […]
Mobile World Congress 2023 has awarded the iPhone 14 Pro as the best smartphone in their Global Mobile Awards(GLOMO) for this year. The Apple flagship launched late last year scooped the award that according to GSMA “combines outstanding performance, innovation and leadership as determined through assessment of smartphones on the market during the period January […]
TECNO has not only upgraded its premium line with the Phantom X2 series and the Phantom V Fold but also the entry-level Spark series. The company is slated to launch the TECNO Spark 10 series soon. The Spark 10 lineup succeeds the Spark 9 series from last year which includes the regular Spark 9, the Spark 9 Pro and […]
TECNO is now shifting its focus from its midrange and premium lineup to soon launch the Spark 10 Series. TECNO has this year launched the Phantom X2 series and the Phantom V Fold and we’ll be getting the TECNO Spark 10 in the country soon. TECNO launched its Spark 9 series early last year together with their camera-centric Camon […]
Transsion Group’s itel has announced a tablet named the itel Pad 1. This is probably the first tablet from the company, which is known for its low-cost phones that are sold in developing nations, including Kenya. The tablet, however, will be limited to India for now. However, this could change because iTel serves many markets, […]
Lender Ecobank Group has announced that Jeremy Awori has officially taken on the role of Chief Executive Officer. Awori has more than 25 years of experience in the banking industry, including almost ten years as CEO and Managing Director of Absa Bank Kenya Plc, and previous leadership roles at Standard Chartered Bank across the Middle […]
MFS Africa, which provides payment gateway services, has revealed a collaboration with Western Union to enable people and businesses across Africa to receive money from over 200 countries and territories. Through its authorized payment networks, the collaboration will allow for money transfers to be made from various nations to mobile wallets throughout Africa. At first, […]
The Sankalp Africa Summit, which focused on the impact of entrepreneurship and sustainable development was held at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi, Kenya on March 1st and 2nd. The show targeted to engage over 1,500 stakeholders from different sectors of the development ecosystem and drive the critical factors of entrepreneurial success for […]
Watching satellite TV or catching up on shows and films on video-on-demand platforms is not cheap. Kenyans, for instance, have been watching satellite television for a very long time, in this case, DStv, which is offered by MultiChoice. DStv, as always, is popular because it doesn’t need its customers to have an internet connection to […]
Over the years, cases of mobile money and bank fraud have been reported. There have been tens, and possibly hundreds, or even thousands of incidents in which individuals have lost their money from their mobile money wallets or bank accounts through social engineering or illegal SIM card replacements. An illegal SIM card replacement can result […]
In this story… Microsoft has announced a number of new initiatives aimed at expanding digital infrastructure, digital skilling, and digital development in the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs). The tech giant is collaborating with Liquid Intelligent Technologies to extend internet coverage to an additional 20 million people in Africa by 2025. This partnership will extend […]
TikTok’s security issues have followed it since 2020 when ByteDance, its owner had to divest it but those fears have followed up with the Biden administration in the U.S. In a bipartisan move, lawmakers in the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted earlier today to give President Joe Biden the power to not only ban […]
TECNO is getting serious about its premium Phantom subbrand. The company recently launched the flagship Phantom X2 series in the country late in January in the country(the global launch was held in December) Anyway, the company is now dipping its toes in the foldable market with the launch of the TECNO Phantom V Fold. The […]
Vivo has today officially launched the Vivo V27 series. The midrange lineup is made up of the Vivo V27 Pro, the vivo V27 and Vivo V27e. The devices boast new upgrades in the design and cameras. We expect the V27 and V27e to launch locally later this month. They both have AMOLED screens at 6.78″ […]
Former Communications Authority of Kenya Director General Francis Wangusi has passed away after a long illness. The news was announced by Stephen Mutoro, the Secretary General of COFEK. Wangusi served as DG for the ICT regulator until the end of his tenure. He was appointed back in 2012 to 2019. At the end of January […]
It appears that the social media platform Twitter is down. The company, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, is experiencing an outage that has been ongoing for the last couple of minutes. A quick web search has also revealed that the issue is not limited to specific locations; all users globally have been affected. If you […]
Samsung announced its latest lineup of devices, the Galaxy S23 series, exactly one month ago. They are: the S23, S23 Plus, and S23 Ultra. These smartphones are the company’s top-of-the-line models, boasting the best features. The Galaxy S23 series has many similar features, including the use of Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for both the front […]
Reality TV show The Real Housewives of Nairobi has achieved notable success since its launch on streaming platform Showmax, becoming the most-watched premiere ever for any title in Kenya. It has broken records for the most first-day views on Showmax and topped Twitter trends in the country for two consecutive days. The Real Housewives of […]
On February 1, Samsung unveiled its flagship phone series for 2023, as well as a new version of One UI (5.1) to go with the latest hardware. However, contrary to expectations, Samsung did not limit One UI 5.1 to just the Galaxy S23 series. In fact, the company began updating older Galaxy phones to the […]
WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular chat apps, having been around since 2009. Over the years, it has managed to amass billions of users who use the platform to connect with family, friends, and workmates on a daily basis. Its early entry into the online chat space is what gave it the numbers […]
President William Ruto has appointed Sylvanus Maritim as the Non-Executive Board Chair of the ICT Authority. He replaces Dr. Fredrick Owino, who has been Board Chair at the Authority for an extended period. The development follows a similar in 2022 when the Authority appointed a new CEO. On August 8th, 2022, in a notice published […]
After much teasing, TECNO has finally unveiled its foldable. The Transsion company launched the TECNO Phantom V Fold this evening at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The Phantom V Fold now joins the likes of Samsung’s Z Fold 4, OPPO’s Find N2, Vivo’s X Fold+, Xiaomi’s Mix Fold 2 and Honor’s Magic Vs […]
realme has introduced its latest flagship device, the realme GT3, during the Mobile World Congress 2023. The smartphone boasts the world’s highest charging power of 240W, allowing it to charge in mere minutes. The realme GT series has always been at the forefront of the brand’s technological advancements, and the realme GT3 is no exception, […]
realme has announced the global launch of its new flagship device, the realme GT3, at the Mobile World Congress 2023. The handheld features 240W charging power, the highest in the world, which can juice up the phone in minutes or even seconds. The realme GT Series has been at the forefront of the company’s technological […]
Last year, Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro in China, and this week, at MWC, the company introduced these top-of-the-line models to the world. Since we’ve had information about the phone specifications since December, there’s nothing unexpected, but here’s a summary: The Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro are both flagship devices […]
Last year, Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro in China, and this week, at MWC, the company introduced these top-of-the-line models to the world. Since we’ve had information about the phone specifications since December, there’s nothing unexpected, but here’s a summary: The Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro are both flagship devices […]
The Xiaomi 13 series has been announced for the global market. It features three devices: the normal 13, the Lite version, and the maxed out model, the 13 Pro. The 13 is a great device based on what it brings to the table. Here are some of its specs, although we are not sure how […]
Last year, Xiaomi released the Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro in China, and this week, at MWC, the company introduced these top-of-the-line models to the world. Since we’ve had information about the phone specifications since December, there’s nothing unexpected, but here’s a summary: The Xiaomi 13 and Xiaomi 13 Pro are both flagship devices […]
Your time on social media platforms was what made these platforms get big and thus earn revenue through advertising but new privacy regulations and measures by giants like Apple are hurting this revenue model. Privacy restrictions and a weak ad market are making social networks pivot to subscription plans and it’s an industry-wide trend. Discord […]
Nokia has added two phones to its C-series budget lineup: the C22, and the C32. Both devices have big batteries and an IP rating, although they do not look as modern because of the inclusion of the ageing display notch. That aside, here is a summary spec list for the C32: Nokia C32 Specs Dimensions […]
Nokia has new phones for budget customers: the C22 and the C32. Both phones have some good features, such as big batteries and an IP rating. However, they both have a notch, which is a design feature from many years ago, and one that needs to go. That aside, here are the full specs for […]
Nokia announced three phones yesterday: the C22, C32, and the G22. The devices have a couple of improvements over their predecessors, but they still lag behind in terms of design because they still have the aging notch. Nonetheless, the G22, which is a member of Nokia’a G-series (midrange) will likely make its way to Kenya. […]
Chinese phone maker TECNO isn’t new to making some dazzling phones: remember the Spark 9 Pro Sports Edition? We loved the device because it looked awesome and unique in a sea of smartphones that mostly look the same. The company has since launched the Phantom X2 series, which has been lauded for its camera performance […]
Samsung started the Bixby experiment many years ago. During its first days, Samsung went hard with the in-house assistant, which was meant to rival the likes of Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. The South Korean phone maker would then include a hardware button in a bunch of its Galaxy phones to make access to Bixby […]
There is a new taxi app available for Nairobians looking to take rides within the city named Showfa. Showfa is competing with other apps such as Little, Uber, and Bolt, but it operates under a unique business model that differs from its competitors. The app requires drivers of taxis and motorbikes to pay a subscription […]
Nokia announced two new phones, the Nokia C32 and Nokia C22. As their name suggests, the new devices fall under the C series, which is its most affordable or budget line. The Nokia C32’s biggest selling point is a 50MP camera, a first for the C-series, and is constructed with glass on both the front […]
The Kenya e-taxi market is lucrative and attractive, which is why companies such as Bolt, Uber, and Little have been able to operate successfully for years. While they have encountered their fair share of legal hurdles and compensation issues with driver partners over the years, these companies have expanded their operations beyond major cities and […]
The Mobile World Congress show is here, and device manufacturers from across the world will be showcasing their new hardware to the global audience. One of the manufacturers already at the ground is Xiaomi. It has since announced the Xiaomi 13 series, which will be available in international markets, unlike the 12S Ultra, which is […]
Nokia, a Finnish company that specializes in 5G equipment, has revealed a new logo as part of a brand redesign effort aimed at avoiding association with its previous involvement in mobile phones, which it abandoned nearly a decade ago. This rebranding initiative was announced yesterday, along with new strategic objectives that seek to facilitate more […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya has undergone some leadership changes over the past year. The organization received a new Director General, Ezra Chiloba, over a year ago, replacing Mercy Wanjau, who was in an interim position. Mercy had taken over from Francis Wangusi, whose tenure had come to an end. Gilbert Kibe recently resigned as […]
The Africa Cloud & Security Summit, now in its 13th year, is set to take place between March 16 and 17, 2023, both physically at Mercure Hotel in Nairobi and virtually. The conference is a platform for cloud and cybersecurity experts and practitioners from Africa to come together to discuss and explore emerging trends. The […]
The Safaricom Board has announced the appointment of Ms. Karen Kandie and Ms. Ory Okolloh as new members of the Board of Directors. Ms. Kandie has been appointed as the Alternate Director to the Cabinet Secretary of National Treasury and Economic Planning, replacing Eng. Stanley Kamau. On the other hand, Ms. Okolloh has been appointed […]
Infinix Smart 7 is the company’s latest entry-level device and an upgrade over the Smart 6 in a few areas while still keeping some features the same in this series. Infinix Smart 7 maintains the same 6.6″ waterdrop display with 500 nits peak brightness at 720p resolution. The top bezel has a notch that houses […]
Online bank Loop by NCBA has adjusted its tariffs following days of complaints from customers, which were motivated by the lender’s move to revamp its platform. The development also saw Loop introduce charges that were not there in the first place; sending money to mobile money wallets now attracts a fee – and as we […]
Mozilla Common Voice Fellows are inviting all Kiswahili speakers, voice technologists, and data scientists to participate in the Kiswahili Festival slated for February 24 to 25. This two-day event, hosted in partnership with Swahilipot Hub in Mombasa, Kenya, aims to bring together community members to help grow the Common Voice dataset for the Kiswahili language. […]
ICT and Digital Economy CS Eliud Owalo has launched the first regional Jitume Laboratories in Uasin Gishu and Bungoma Counties. The Jitume program is a government initiative aimed at providing digital skills, e-services, and online opportunities to young people throughout Kenya. It is being implemented by several ministries, including the Ministry of ICT and the […]
Google is set to make its Magic Eraser feature, which was first introduced with the Pixel 6, available to all users of the Pixel phone lineup, says the search giant in a statement. The feature will also be accessible to other non-Pixel Android phones, and iOS users via the Google Photos app, but only if […]
With each generation of Reno series smartphones, OPPO has always searched for unique ways to combine innovative technology with stylish design. On the recently launched OPPO Reno8 T 5G, OPPO has taken this approach One Step Forward with the introduction of a fresh and creative design that put the new handset on an entirely different […]
The inaugural Africa Digital Finance Summit will take place in South Africa from May 24th to May 26th, 2023, and will bring together experts in the fields of digital and finance from around the world. The event, which is being sponsored by over 30 partners and has already attracted over 2500 registered attendees, will feature […]
Airtel Kenya became the third telco in Kenya to offer eSIM yesterday. In an event attended by Airtel Africa’s CEO Segun Ogunsanya, the telco announced the availability of the service, which Safaricom and Faiba have been offering for a while now. eSIM has become commonplace across other parts of the world such as the West, […]
In recent years, the National Physical Addressing System has been a topic of discussion in developing nations. Kenya is no exception, as the implementation of the system has taken an extended period to implement ever since the state started talking about it more than five years ago. However, according to ICT CS Owalo, the government […]
Social credibility in the previous years was brought with a small check button ✔, no one with that was a mere mortal man when it came to the social scape, but now modernity and robust entrepreneurship it has become another cost of living entity tied to our addictions to the social platforms. Now you are […]
By now, we know that Samsung will not release the successor to the already-loved A73. The A73 has received a lot of praise from users because it offers some near-flagship specs and performance for half the price of the devices such as the S22 from 2022. Instead, Samsung plans to release the S23 FE sometime […]
Airtel Kenya has joined Faiba and Safaricom by launching eSIM support for its customers. The event was attended by Airtel Africa CEO Segun Ogunsanya, and Airtel Kenya’s MD Ashish Malhotra. eSIM stands for Embedded SIM, which is a small, programmable chip that is embedded directly into a device such as a smartphone or tablets. It […]
Electric vehicle designer and developer, Roam, previously known as OpiBus, has announced it will collaborate closely with Hitachi Europe Ltd., a technology company focused on sustainable mobility, to increase access to electric transportation in Africa, with a particular focus on Kenya. This partnership aims to boost the number of electric motorcycles and buses in the […]
WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps that allow users to send messages, make voice and video calls, share photos and documents, and create group chats. It is known for its end-to-end encryption, which provides secure communication between users. WhatsApp has gained popularity due to its ease of use, free service, and […]
Samsung launched One UI 5.0 based on Android 13 on October 24 and began expanding its availability in November. The company revealed One UI 5.1, which started to become available on Galaxy devices on February 13 but was first seen in the S23 lineup. A bunch of other older devices have since been updated to […]
Online lender Tala, which is one of the 22 approved digital lenders in Kenya has granted Kenyans over 3.5 million loans since it started its operation in 2014, amounting to a total of $1.9 billion (KES 239.8 billion). The company shared this information in its 2022 impact performance report, highlighting its impressive repayment rate of […]
In the past, applying for Paybill numbers, M-PESA tills, short-term Paybill, or bulk payments accounts was a long and tedious process. At one point, applicants had to physically submit application forms at Safaricom Shops. However, we are pleased to know that this is now a thing of the past, thanks to the launch of a […]
Keeping with its theme of being unoriginal, Meta has copied Twitter Blue and is rolling paid blue badges which is the Meta Verified subscription service that gives you a verified checkmark next to your username on either Facebook or Instagram. It’s going to cost you $15 per month on iOS and Android or $12 on […]
Sometime last week, telco Safaricom hosted its first-ever investor day event with the aim of updating its stakeholders on the company’s journey to becoming a purpose-led technology company by 2025. The hybrid event, which was attended by over 100 investors both in-person and online, brought together various players in the investor community, including representatives from […]
In July 2022, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) announced IPv4 to IPv6 migration strategy. Here is a recap of what IP (Internet Protocol) is. IP is a protocol that enables computers or devices to communicate with each other over a network. In other words, IP is a set of rules that facilitate the routing […]
Netflix has adjusted its pricing for its services in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa. The video streaming platform is one of the most popular video-on-demand platforms in Africa due to its rich collection of films and TV shows, despite some geo-restricted content. Netflix is also a preferred choice for many due to its functional user interface […]
This past weekend, there was a frenzy of worry when Twitter started sending notifications to its users about removing SMS two-factor authentication(2FA) from their accounts. The new policy will only let Twitter Blue subscribers keep text-based 2FA and urge non-paying subscribers to switch to app-based 2FA. This new policy is Elon Musk’s way to want […]
Samsung sometimes releases the FE (Fan Edition) of its S lineup flagship for people who do not have enough cash for the latest and greatest the series has to offer, but still want to enjoy the perks presented by the same. The company launched the loved S20 FE back in the day that was then […]
Over the weekend, we learned that Chipper Cash, a payments firm that has been operating for more than four years and was valued at more than 2 billion USD at one point, laid off a third of its workforce. This is the second time the company has reduced its workforce, following the December 2022 layoffs […]
Nokia is succeeding the T20 tablet from last year with the T21. The device has the same 2K display and great speakers, but it has not made any major improvements in terms of performance. The chipset is built on a 12nm process, which is not efficient and does not do the battery any justice, although […]
The Android platform, especially in Kenya, doesn’t have many tablets. Only a few companies bring their tablets here, and they are mostly limited to realme, Samsung, and sometimes Nokia. Other options are available, but you have to buy them from non-official vendors, which is usually not recommended because such devices do not come with a […]
If you’re a Safaricom customer, you might recall a time when network outages were a common and frustrating thing. However, the telco has made significant improvements to its systems and services, resulting in fewer disruptions and greater reliability. Gone are the days when Safaricom would announce extended network maintenance periods that could last for hours, […]
Payments processor Chipper Cash has reportedly dismissed more than a third of its workforce (more than 100 employees) in a recent trim that follows a familiar pattern in the tech industry. This is the second time that Chipper, which experienced a reduction in its valuation from $2 billion to $1.25 billion before the bankruptcy of […]
OPPO has just launched the OPPO Reno 8T series which includes the 5G and 4G versions. The two phones are the company’s newest midrange phones in the Reno line for the Kenyan market. We take a look at the 5G version in midnight black. The Reno8 T 5G sports a big 4800mAh battery, a 6.7″ […]
Twitter is just getting worse each waking hour and is making the move to Mastodon so alluring. Elon Musk forced engineers to build a system that boosted his tweets to be more visible on the For You page which annoyed tweeps. The Twitter CEO who purchased the platform last year for $44 billion has been […]
Smart Africa Group, along with its subsidiary Smart Foundry – a company specializing in product development and management – has today announced a mobile application for content aggregation named Rifaly. Rifaly serves as a digital content hub, aimed at users who are interested in discovering information and knowledge about Africa through digital media. Any person […]
E-taxi app Bolt will invest €500 million (around KES 67 billion) within the next two years to expand its services in Africa. The funds will be used to expand Bolt’s offerings in Africa and create employment opportunities for more than 300,000 new drivers and couriers to join the platform by 2023. READ MORE: Most E-Taxi […]
Layoffs in the technology field appeared to have affected more companies than we had anticipated, with a recent report stating that e-commerce platform Jumia reduced its workforce by 20 percent in Q4 2022. Specifically, and as part of its efforts to streamline operations, Jumia reduced the number of managerial positions by 60% in Dubai and […]
OPPO has officially started the year by bringing the midrange Reno8 T series in an online launch held earlier tonight. The new lineup includes a 5G version and a 4G version. OPPO Reno8 T 5G has a 6.7″ slightly curved OLED screen sporting a 120Hz refresh rate. The display has a 56-degree curve and a […]
We all know what happened to NCBA’s neo bank Loop. But for housekeeping reasons, here is a summary: the lender revamped the platform fully. The old Loop app with its exciting blue/green colours was replaced by a new app with dull orange tones. While at it, Loop rearranged everything, from the straightforward button placement of […]
A report published by Bloomberg has revealed that Vodafone Group is considering ways to improve the performance of its African business, This consideration could include the possibility of extracting more value from its 65% stake in Vodacom Group, which operates in the African market valued at USD 14 billion, and owns a stake in key […]
At the start of 2023, Kenyan banks re-introduced bank-to-mobile money charges, which had been dropped by the CBK at the start of the pandemic to cushion Kenyans from economic constraints. Different banks announced their tariffs, including Equity, and upon looking at them, we realized they were mostly the same, with no clear winner in terms […]
At the end of 2022, the CBK reintroduced bank-to-mobile money charges. The development followed a waiver of under two years when customers were allowed to send funds from the banks to mobile money wallets for free. It was a good move because it meant that users were not incurring transaction charges, which can be cumulatively […]
The ICT Authority and the Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy have revealed that the Connected Kenya summit will be held in Kwale County, starting from April 2 to April 5. The show was also held last year (2022), after a hiatus following the pandemic. During the announcement of this development, ICT CS Eliud Owalo, […]
The Connected Kenya Summit 2023 is scheduled to take place from April 2 to April 5, 2023. This year’s conference, titled “The Digital Economy: Endless Opportunities Shaping the Future,” will be hosted by the ICT Authority in collaboration with key players in the ICT sector. The summit aims to review progress and achievements in the […]
The Holcim Foundation, an independent non-profit organization of the Holcim Group, has announced the 7th Edition of the Holcim Awards competition for sustainable construction. The show acknowledges and encourages construction projects that integrate eco-friendly designs and architectural progress. Entries from professionals and businesses in various regions, including Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East […]
Electric vehicles are a thing in the Kenyan market now, at least in Nairobi. There are multiple electric bus companies that are committed to making electric motoring a commonplace thing, and while the industry, at least locally, is far from catching up to Western counterparts, local developments are actually admirable. READ MORE ABOUT OUR BASIGO […]
Safaricom is offering 2GB of data for KES 100 in 2023’s Valentine’s celebration. The bundle, which is usually halved in ordinary times, is now available for users who want to access more internet services, but with a bigger package. The bundle can be accessed via Mysafaricom app (it is the first thing you will see […]
The National Bank of Kenya (NBK) Board of Directors has appointed George Odhiambo as the Managing Director. The position was previously held in an acting capacity by Peter Kioko, the Finance and Strategy Director since June 2022. George, a seasoned banker, is the outgoing MD BPR Bank Rwanda Plc since its inception last year, following […]
The known and widespread availability of the internet in Kenya has improved the lives of millions of people by enabling the launch of various products that make daily work more convenient, while also providing them with a source of income (the penetration rates for feature phones and smartphones as a percentage of the total population […]
In mid-2022, it was reported that the Kenyan authorities raised questions about the activities of payments firm Flutterwave, resulting in the freezing of millions of dollars of its funds. The company was allegedly involved in money laundering, such as transferring large amounts of cash among its top executives, but there was no evidence that the […]
Gaming startup Carry1st has acquired a mobile board game Gebeta. The amount for this transaction has not been disclosed. This acquisition occurs at a time when Africa’s mobile gaming industry is experiencing notable growth. READ MORE: The State of Gaming and E-sport Space in Africa The 2021 GSMA Mobile Economy Report states that almost 28% […]
Back in 2021, we learned that Airtel Kenya had entered the 5G race after the telco reported it had upgraded some of its sites with fifth-generation internet connectivity. This happened at a time when Safaricom had announced the same program but on a pilot test. However, no other development was announced by telco, and in […]
Smartphones tend to partner with well-known brands to increase their visibility. Most phone brands have engaged in these collaborations, which are usually done for cosmetic purposes. In some instances, the partnership goes deeper, with the new partner’s designs, such as colours and logos, appearing on the smartphone’s user interface elements. We appreciate these partnerships because […]
During Microsoft’s AI event, a new Bing powered by ChatGPT was introduced and made headlines. Microsoft also launched a revamped version of its Edge browser with a new design and integration with the new Bing. The Edge Dev version is available for testing today. Microsoft offers several Insider versions of Edge, including Edge Dev, Edge […]
Maximum revenue collection appears to be the top goal of the current government, which has gone to greater lengths in reminding Kenyans that they need to pay taxes at all times. It is also a period that has been marked by notable inflation, which KRA had also promised that it would adjust accordingly in its […]
Online lender Umba, which refers to itself as a digital bank built for Africa, has revealed plans to expand its service offerings in the wider African continent. To this end, the firm has said it has established offices in Kenya as it eyes other markets in the coming days. The startup had at one time […]
It has been chaotic since Elon Musk acquired Twitter late last year, adding it to the incendiary tech mogul’s diverse business reach, which includes running Tesla, SpaceX, the Boring Company, Neuralink, and many others. It was an expensive purchase at $44 billion and he then took it private. First things first, he fired top executives […]
Zoho, a web business tools company, has revealed its new communication platform called Trident, which aims to simplify communication for businesses by providing a unified solution across different channels. Zoho has also enhanced its collaboration technologies to eliminate confusion caused by multiple tools and promote the wider adoption of digital technology within organizations. Zoho Workplace […]
Music streaming service Mdundo has released its report for the first half of the financial year ending on 31st December 2022. The milestone is in line with the 2025 Strategy of reaching 50 million monthly active users. According to a report from the company, during the first half of the 2022 financial year ending in December, Mdundo saw revenue of over KES 115 […]
Police officers have discovered a sophisticated fraud network where con artists obtained almost KES 500 million through M-PESA overdraft service, Fuliza by Safaricom. This is perhaps one of the biggest of such cons reported in recent times in Kenya, where the facility was used to access the loans without Safaricom’s knowledge for a while. Fuliza […]
Netflix has finally disclosed information regarding its efforts to prevent individuals from sharing their family plan passwords, which is against its terms of service and causing harm to its overall revenue. To note, this information has not been confirmed by the streaming giant, but overall highlights the corporation’s plans to boost revenues by ensuring all […]
Olaseni Alabede, a seasoned payments technology expert with over 18 years of experience, has taken on a new role as the CTO of Global Technology Partners (GTP). GTP is a subsidiary of MFS Africa. It is based in the US and was acquired by MFS Africa in June 2022. The firm is one of the […]
Knock-off WhatsApp clones are really popular and for good reason. They bring features that the Meta-owned platform doesn’t have but this is changing. WhatsApp is revamping its ephemeral Status feature with new updates. Status Profile Rings for New Updates WhatsApp will now show up Status updates on your profile picture in the Chats section with […]
The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi has initiated a ground breaking cancer drug trial, the first of its kind in Africa, to assess the efficacy of a novel treatment that inhibits a gene mutation that triggers cancer in patients. The facility is the only location in Africa selected for the trial of this new therapy. […]
Recent developments have transitioned to from AI taking jobs to now AI wars, which is is an interesting narrative to follow up for the next few months and years probably. As Microsoft is making a big AI move with its revamped Bing search engine and Edge web browser, both of which are powered by what appears […]
HDM Global has revealed the NOKIA C12 is now available for purchase in Kenya. The C-series is a budget offering from Nokia and has been in the market for more than five years. It targets customers who do not need to spend a lot of money on phones. Nokia has also been known for its […]
NCBA Group launched a KES 2 billion financing for electric vehicles as some customers began to shift towards battery-powered cars due to advocacy for addressing climate change and the rise of global oil prices. A statement from the lender revealed that the financing, intended for both personal and public transportation vehicles, was part of their […]
EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), a provider of AI-powered satellite imagery analytics, has partnered with Agrvision, a Kenyan-based startup providing cost-effective agri-tech solutions to the agriculture and forestry markets, to help it develop a precision agriculture business model and assist with creating sustainable food security programs for Eastern Africa. Agrvision will continue to contribute to the social […]
In 2022, the Kenyan Interior CS Fred Matiang’i introduced new digital number plates for the country’s drivers. The issuance exercise started in October 2022 and drivers were told they had up to 18 months to replace their old plates. The application process is done through the NTSA portal and costs KES 3050. The new plates […]
As per the Constitution’s Article 10(2)(a), which emphasizes national values and governance principles such as public involvement, the NTSA is inviting members of the public and stakeholders to participate in various public forums based on a notice that highlights two draft proposals: Draft Motor Vehicle Inspection Regulations, 2023 and the Draft Traffic (Drunk Driving) Rules, […]
Some people have been having issues with M-PESA, with some reporting that the mobile money product has been ‘operating’ itself without their customers. Turns out, that is not the case because Safaricom was updating the platform, which then brought up the issue that has been in discussion around social media channels. According to the telco, […]
Power producer Kenya Power has assured investors in the electric mobility value chain that the grid network is robust enough to support the transition from fossil fuel-powered vehicles. “The Company has consistently invested heavily towards the expansion of the grid’s capacity and its automation to accommodate the exponential growth in demand for electricity and to […]
OPPO Reno 8T series will be launching later next week to join its other siblings in the Reno8 series that launched late last year. It will come in 4G and 5G versions powered by various chipsets. In a first for the company, the OPPO Reno 8T series will have fiberglass leather design instead of a […]
LG Electronics has picked Dong Won Lee as its new Regional Managing Director for East Africa (EA). He replaces Sa Nyoung Kim who served as LG EA Managing Director for three years since January 2020. Before his appointment, Dong Won Lee was the Managing Director of LG Iraq, a position he has held since 2019. […]
Chinese phone maker TECNO had previously revealed that it would show up at Mobile World Congress, MWC 2023. It is also the first time that the company is going to be there, having previously been missing the show. Now the company has confirmed that it will be launching the new device on February 28th. This […]
Inventory management is an extremely important part of any business operation, but it can also be one of the most challenging. Whether you’re dealing with physical inventory or digital items such as software and subscriptions, there are many different aspects that need to be taken into consideration when planning your inventory strategy. In this article, […]
Instagram is known for copying rival social media platforms when it comes to features. We’ve seen them clone features from Snapchat to TikTok and now it’s Twitter’s turn. The Meta-owned platform is now working on bringing Instagram Blue with code showing Paid Blue Badge. Twitter has the same feature under Twiter Blue that allows users […]
Vivo is preparing to bring the V27 series to the Kenyan market to succeed the Vivo V25 from last year. The midrange series is going to have upgrades to the cameras and hardware including a curved display and SONY camera sensors. Vivo is bringing both the V27 and V27e late this month or early next […]
OPPO is slated to update its Reno8 lineup in the country with the launch of the OPPO Reno8 T series. The company launched the OPPO Reno8 series in late October last year and we expect the Reno8 T 5G and 4G versions to be announced later this month or early next month. OPPO Reno8 T […]
Samsung has been making phones for a very long time. Its current Galaxy line is what made Android what it is today, and over the years, it has waged a bitter war against other platforms, such as Apple’s iPhone. To some extent, the war has since been settled because both platforms offer their customers a […]
Many months ago, tax collector the KRA alerted the public and all VAT-registered taxpayers of the transitioning of VAT-registered taxpayers from the old electronic tax registers to the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMs). KRA had stated that all VAT-registered taxpayers were to secure the new Electronic Registers before mid-2022. This would have allowed them to […]
Every year for the past 7 years now we take a trip down memory lane from an ICT Law and Policy POV, here is 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021. We didn’t have one for 2020 unfortunately due to unforeseeable circumstances. We also typically try to preempt and make policy predictions for the coming year. […]
The year has started with the battle of the flagships as Samsung’s and TECNO’s premium smartphones go head to head in our latest comparison review. TECNO just launched the X2 Series in the Phantom sub-brand, including the regular Phantom X2 and the Phantom X2 Pro last month. On the other corner is Samsung’s flagship Galaxy […]
Zoho has unveiled the latest version of Bigin, the company’s CRM solution for small businesses. As the preferred CRM solution for small businesses, Bigin offers this CRM product at a reportedly attractive cost. Today’s product updates further support small and micro businesses by providing them with the tools and insights they need to maintain and grow […]
StarTimes has launched four new premium international channels for its viewers. These channels include Kartoon, a family entertainment channel, Filmbox Action, an English-language film and television channel, CBS Justice, a criminal and investigations documentary channel, and CBS Reality, a reality television channel. The CEO of StarTimes, Mr. Hanson Wang, stated that the new channels would […]
The state of electric vehicles in Kenya is interesting. The country has hundreds of electric vehicles plying local roads (more than 1000), and adding to the fact that this is where the entire industry is transitioning to – including the likes of the UK that want to get rid of gas-powered vehicles by 2030 for […]
Computer skills, mainly programming have become attractive and highly lucrative in the world we are living in now. Global tech corporations and many other tech-related companies, including those that offer financial (fintech) services, seek exceptional talent to heighten the offerings of their products and services. And when they are not firing people, these companies have […]
Samsung has announced its new slate of devices in the Galaxy S23 series – the S23, the S23 Plus and the S23 Ultra. Samsung packed the best features in their premium flagship smartphones. Samsung Galaxy S23 series share most features across the board such as using Gorilla Glass Victus 2 for both front and back […]
Samsung is scheduled to launch the new Galaxy S23 series later this evening in their annual Unpacked event. The new phones will include the vanilla S23, S23 Plus and S23 Ultra. Samsung has fit new tech into these phones such as the overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, new and faster UFS 4.0 storage, new and […]
Kenya’s DigiCow, ThriveAgric from Nigeria, and Brastorne of Botswana have been crowned the winners of the AYuTe Africa Challenge held by Heifer International. The challenge was held to support agritech innovators. DigiCow is helping small-scale African dairy operations increase productivity with technology that provides free access to livestock management experts and links farmers to skilled […]
A study done by e-commerce platform Glovo has shown that retailers and restaurants in Kenya are facing major difficulties due to the cost-of-living crisis, increasing inflation, and concerns about a recession. In response, 86% of businesses are altering their strategies more frequently to reach a wider audience, and 77% are diversifying their offerings. The assessment, […]
The Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communication, and the Digital Economy in Kenya, Eliud Owalo has assured investors of Konza Technopolis that the government is committed to delivering on the Konza project as part of its digital economy agenda. The Kenya Kwanza government aims to support the project by fast-tracking the enactment of the Konza Bill […]
Zizwe Awuor Vundla has been appointed as the Director of Brand and Marketing at Safaricom, effective February 1st, 2023. Reporting to CEO Peter Ndegwa, Zizwe will be in charge of providing strategic leadership in regard to the overall Safaricom brand, including M-PESA, Safaricom Business, and the company’s foundations. She will oversee the brand, ensuring its […]
Boniface Mungania has been named as the Director of Public Sector Digital Transformation for Safaricom, effective April 1st, 2023. Boniface will be reporting to CEO Peter Ndegwa and will be in charge of forming partnerships in the Public Sector to advance digital transformation for both National and County Governments. He will work closely with key […]
Safaricom is making some key changes to its management, and today’s development is the arrival of Esther Masese Waititu, who has been appointed as the Chief Financial Services Officer. Her appointment is effective 21St February 2023, subject to regulatory approval. Esther will be reporting to the CEO Peter Ndegwa and be in charge of leading […]
According to a recent Gamers Industry Africa report, South Africa has the highest saturation of gamers across Africa, with 24 million people (almost half of its population) playing. Other major markets include Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In 2021, South Africa generated the most total annual gaming revenue at $290 million, followed by Nigeria ($185 […]
Mawingu, the internet service provider that initially served customers in the Mt. Kenya region, has announced an expansion to 25 counties following securing Series B funding from a new investor. Currently, Mawingu serves 15 counties in Kenya. The investment from InfraCo Africa will see add 10 more counties to its turf, and the overall goal […]
Samsung launched the Galaxy S22 series in early February last year which included the vanilla S22, the S22 Plus and the S22 Ultra. The company is slated to launch the S23 series later today but before that, we look back at the regular S22 and how it has held up 12 months later. When it […]
Global online payments corporation PayPal announced it will be reducing its workforce by 7%. This will see approximately 2,000 people lose their jobs. The decision was made due to the ongoing economic slowdown, adding to the list of financial technology companies, and other tech companies across the world that have been affected. The company’s decision […]
Google has invited applications for the inaugural Google for Startups Accelerator: Women Founders Africa Program. The program aims to empower women founders on the continent by providing resources and opportunities for them to scale their tech startups and address African problems. The 12-week program will start in March 2023 and include one boot camp per […]
We’ve reviewed Realme’s lineup of smartphones from the budget C series like the C33, C30S, C35, and C25Y, to the midrange Realme 9 series which includes the Realme 9i and the regular Realme 9. It was high time to check out its flagship GT series and we start with the Realme GT Neo 3. UNBOXING […]
Kenyans will now be able to digitally access birth and death certificates from March 1, 2023. This follows a statement made by Immigration and Citizen Services Principal Secretary Julius Bitok. Kenyans have been accessing documents using manual means for an extended period. The exercise has also been cumbersome and forced some people to travel to […]
New and shiny Galaxy S devices by Samsung will be launching tomorrow. They will hit their 14th iteration in the name of the Galaxy S23 – and as we have come to expect, three of them will be announced: the basic S23, a bigger S23 Plus, and the S23 Ultra. This has been the launch […]
Samsung Galaxy Unpacked is happening tomorrow and we expect the company to announce the Samsung Galaxy S23 series which includes the vanilla, the plus and the ultra version among other accessories. Powering the new phones will be an overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, Android 13 and One UI 5.1. Best Flagship Smartphones To Buy […]
Online fraud cases are on the rise in Kenya, taking many forms such as identity theft, SIM swaps, hacking, and data leaks. This can be attributed to the growth in internet penetration and advancements in technology. Social media users on platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Tiktok frequently hear about such cases quite a lot. […]
Digital identity verification provider Smile Identity has revealed 2022 Know Your Customer findings. The publication reportedly uses data from 50 million KYC checks across industries to give an overview of current KYC trends, policies, and best practices in Africa. Although Africa faced economic challenges in 2022, the continent saw continued investment in technology emphasizing the […]
We have since discussed the state of digital lenders in Kenya, and how the CBK, among other regulators, have been trying to bring some order in online lending. In 2021, for instance, former President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the CBK Amendment Act, which outlines a ton of stringent regulations for loan apps. You can find more […]
Shadrack Kiprotich is the 2022 recipient of Microsoft’s Most Valuable Professional (MVP) Award for actively sharing his expertise with other technology professionals. With just over 3,000 awardees worldwide, the Microsoft MVPs are an elite group of experts who share a passion for technology, a willingness to help others, and a commitment to the community, making […]
South African fintech firm JUMO has picked former ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru as its new President to accelerate its expansion in Africa. Valued at $400 million, JUMO offers financial services, credit, and savings products to businesses and entrepreneurs in developing markets, as well as infrastructure solutions for telecommunications companies, banks, fintech firms, and e-commerce […]
Lawyer Adil Khawaja has had an excellent working experience in Kenya’s leading companies. Adil, who has since been appointed as telco Safaricom’s Board Chair, has had an extended career as a board member in multiple companies. Prior to this appointment, Adil served in the same role at KCB bank. Career Adil Khawaja started his professional […]
TECNO launched the Phantom X2 series in the country early last week after its global launch last month. This is their second attempt at the premium smartphone market after launching the Phantom X in 2021. The Phantom series is TECNO’s new sub-brand targeting the high-end market and the second-gen Phantom brings much-needed upgrades over its […]
India has announced a new mobile operating system called BharOS that has been created at an engineering university over there. BharOS, which stands for Bharat Operating System, is based on Linux and does not come with pre-installed apps. Reportedly, the Indian government claims that this system is more secure than Android, and is intended for […]
The Madaraka Express is a passenger train service that connects the capital city, Nairobi, to the coastal city of Mombasa. The train service was officially launched in 2017 and operates on a standard gauge railway (SGR) line, which was the first of its kind in East Africa. Now, Madaraka has announced that travelers will no […]
While folding smartphones are becoming mainstream in some markets, there aren’t many folding computers available. However, Asus, known for experimenting with new laptop designs, has released the Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (ZenBook FOLED). We had the opportunity to use the computer for a couple of weeks in Q3 2022, and were impressed by its offerings. […]
E-commerce platform Copia, which targets low-income households has reportedly fired about 50 people from its workforce. According to people privy to the matter, the company cut the said number of people as the tech industry continues to lay off tens of thousands of people across the globe. Copia, which raised USD 50 million in a […]
WhatsApp has made available a beta version of its native macOS app that is compatible with Apple Silicon. Mac users with Apple’s own chip and running macOS 11 Big Sur or later can download the test version. Those with Intel Macs that can run apps created using Mac Catalyst, which is Apple’s program for porting […]
Pesapal has introduced a new Forecourt Management Solution in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania, which is the first solution specifically designed for Africa that offers integrated payments and monitoring and data tools. This tool aims to streamline fuel and retail management processes by connecting distribution points with digital payments, and providing tools to lower costs and […]
Various Microsoft services such as Teams, Outlook, Microsoft 365, OneDrive for Business, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Graph, and Azure are currently experiencing downtime. Microsoft’s own status website confirms that users are unable to access Microsoft 365, previously known as Office 365. Users worldwide are unable to access most of Microsoft’s key services. The company has […]
This week, we extensively discussed the state of digital lending apps in Kenya, and the consensus is that the companies behind online loan apps are not having it easy following the institution of a number of laws that were long due, and which appear to be doing great work in taming their previously unlawful practices, […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya has published a draft of the Framework For Emerging Technologies Regulatory Sandbox, and it wants public input in terms of comments before February 3, 2023. A regulatory sandbox is a specific set of rules and guidelines that allow companies to test new products, solutions, and services in a live setting. […]
Amazon and Stripe have announced that they have entered into an agreement on a global scale, under which Amazon will expand its use of Stripe’s primary payments platform. According to a statement by Stripe, Amazon Web Services (AWS) will provide critical computing infrastructure to assist Stripe in serving millions of businesses worldwide. This partnership marks […]
Digital insurance platform mTek has partnered with digital informal retail aggregator Kyosk.app and Fin, a focused fintech platform, to provide insurance coverage to over 100,000 Kenyan informal retail businesses, commonly referred to as dukas. Although it has employed over 80 percent of the Kenyan workforce, the informal retail sector is underinsured and faces a number […]
The High Court in Kenya has decided against continuing a previous order that prevented banks and mobile money providers from imposing fees for money transfers between their platforms, a report by Business Daily has revealed. The judge, Justice Mugure Thande, noted that Safaricom and the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) were not yet included in […]
Seems like Meta is trying to hold the hooks on every panel ends! After the recent Instagram update, it’s now WhatsApps’ time to juggle the ball on hooking the users. This imminent update is rumored to be having “automatic”, “best quality”, and “data saver” as options for image quality configurations. Unfortunately, the current best quality […]
According to Surfshark’s annual report on internet censorship, in 2022, 4.2 billion people were affected by internet censorship worldwide. Asia accounted for nearly half (47%) of all new cases in 2022. The Jammu and Kashmir region had the highest number of recorded internet disruptions with 24, and China’s social media restrictions are some of the […]
Mobile technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, and the epicenter of innovation. At the moment, we have become attached to our devices to create and consume content, stay connected with others, work and manage every aspect of our lives. This means that it is almost impossible to live without these devices. […]
A lot of people are unhappy about the new app by lender NCBA, Loop. It replaces the NCBA Loop app, which has been a favourite among users for over five years. NCBA announced last week that it would revamp the platform with new features and services, and it has done just that following an exercise […]
The tech space is always in ‘motion’ – constantly evolving with new trends emerging every day. In recent years, we’ve seen the sprout, growth, shift, and rise in areas such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and the Internet of Things. These technologies are shaping the way we live and work while having a profound impact on […]
NCBA Loop app has been revamped to Loop. This is a new super app by the lender, which also falls under the NCBA umbrella, but was launched primarily for the youth, with a touch of digital products and lifestyle features. It has been around for more than five years, and this is the first time […]
Tech companies are not done firing people if the current wave of news is anything to go by. According to a report by Bloomberg, music streaming platform Spotify is prepping to lay off a number of its workers. This could happen as soon as this week. If that happens, then Spotify will join the likes […]
Digital lenders have been in business for an extended period, but their operations have since been halted by the Central Bank of Kenya and new laws following years of harassment of customers. These companies, which found a thriving business environment in Kenya, at least during the earlier periods due to lack of proper laws, often […]
We argued that tech companies have been copying each other in terms of the number of workers they lay off, starting as early as 2020 during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can largely be described as copycat behavior, where one company in the technology industry lays off a significant number of employees, leading […]
Instagram has launched Quiet mode to help users focus and to encourage people to set boundaries with their friends and followers. Once enabled, you won’t receive any notifications, your profile’s activity status will change to let people know and we’ll automatically send an auto-reply when someone sends you a DM. An icon will also appear alongside […]
Wananchi Group’s Zuku has never been viewed positively in the past few years. The company, one of the first to offer fixed home internet, has been experiencing difficulties and it appears that it is unable to address its technical issues based on social media complaints and overall customer dissatisfaction with its product. Just two weeks […]
Google is laying off a significant amount of their workforce, around 12,000 jobs, which is 6% of their global workforce, due to the rise in inflation and anticipation of a downturn in global markets. The CEO, Sundar Pichai, announced the cuts in an email to employees and a blog post. This follows similar layoffs at […]
In October 2022, NCBA Loop hinted that it was planning to improve its banking platform for its users. It did not give any details about this plan, but promised that the changes were to take place over the following weeks. According to a blog post, Loop said that it wants to re-examine the LOOP service […]
Late November WhatsApp was rumored to be testing the ability of Voice Notes as statuses. This is no longer a rumor as WhatsApp for Android beta version 2.23.2.8 has brought Voice Status updates to some beta users, allowing them to upload vanishing audio, which will disappear after 24 hours. The ability to share voice notes via […]
Reed Hastings, the co-founder of video streaming service Netflix and its CEO for 25 years, is stepping down from his role in a leadership change at the top of the corporation. Hastings stated in a blog post that he has been gradually transferring management responsibilities in recent years and believes now is the appropriate time […]
Today, the Kenya National Examinations Council (KNEC) is set to release the results of the Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education (KCSE) exams taken by 884,263 candidates in 2022. This is exactly one month after the KCPE 2022 results were announced back in December. The Education Cabinet Secretary, Ezekiel Machogu, will announce the results at the […]
Noah Amoke has been appointed as the CM.com Sales Manager for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). CM.com is a global company that specializes in cloud-based software for conversational commerce, which helps businesses improve customer experience. Their communications and payments platform allows for the automation of engagement with customers across multiple digital channels. In his new role, Amoke […]
A couple of days ago, we learned that third-party Twitter apps were not working. Users reported that the likes of Fenix, Flamingo, and more were experiencing an outage, and at that time, no explanation or communication was made from Twitter explaining the downtime. Then, it started appearing that Twitter had deliberately blacklisted the apps, but […]
Although trends really have nothing to do with the growth of industry, we think they are essential to cultivating knowledge of a particular set. In 2022, we saw trends that were good and bad, the toxic one being the shutting down of startups and downscaling of employees: which apparently has carried forward to 2023. In […]
In 2020, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) implemented a directive allowing for free money transfers from banks to mobile money wallets. However, this was not well received by both banks and mobile money providers. Late last year, the CBK announced plans to reintroduce charges for these transactions. They came into effect starting this year, […]
It has been a couple of months ever since the Ruto Government took over Kenya’s administration. There have been many promises, many of which are long-term and will be realized, hopefully, in the future. Ruto’s Government has also promised a lot in terms of pushing the digital agenda, and this was amplified during the staging […]
Remember when we said that we are not sure why tech companies are firing people all of a sudden in 2022? The spree has caught on in 2023, and the recent culprits are workers who work for Microsoft. We had argued, also, that it is possible that copycat behaviour is playing a part in this, […]
5G is driving conversations in different markets now, especially in Kenya where telco Safaricom has launched the service for consumers in select places in the country and has also offered the same for fixed internet users. Consumers have also been asking themselves why this development is important, bearing in mind that 4G is already fast […]
A report by Canalys has revealed that in Q4 2022, global smartphone shipments decreased by 17% compared to 2021. Shipments for the entire year of 2022 decreased by 11% and added up to less than 1.2 billion. Apple regained the top spot in Q4 and had its highest market share ever at 25%, although it […]
Credit firm Pezesha, which offers B2B online lending infrastructure has announced that it is now fully licensed to operate in Uganda. The company, which closed a pre-series A investment of KES 1.32 billion (USD 11 million – which was a mix of $6 million in equity and $5 million debt and led by Women’s World Banking […]
TVs are a common household item that can easily get dirty from dust, or fingerprints. This is why it is important to keep them clean because they are visually appealing when they don’t have any smudges. However, it is not easy to clean them because most people use the wrong process or products, and this […]
After much anticipation, TECNO has officially launched the Phantom X2 series in the country. The lineup is the company’s top-of-the-line flagship devices and has flagship-grade specs and features. Dimensity 9000 5G(4nm) chipset paired with 8GB RAM and 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM power the regular and the Pro version. Phantom X2 runs on Android 12 and […]
There is no denying that Realme makes some amazing phones, which beat the competition in terms of features and price. This is what the company sought to accomplish: to make appealing devices for developing markets that do not have the purchasing power to pick high-end, pricier phones The Realme C33 is one of those devices […]
Meltwater, with its latest report launch, has attempted to shed light on the distinctions between local and global trends, uncovering a significant trend amongst organizations of an increasing reliance on social media as a result of the ongoing economic uncertainty around the globe. In fact, a majority of the survey respondents, a staggering 52%, have […]
Microsoft has made Azure OpenAI Service, which includes access to advanced AI models like GPT-3.5, Codex, and DALL-E 2, available to businesses. These models are supported by the enterprise capabilities and optimized infrastructure of Microsoft Azure, allowing businesses to create cutting-edge applications. Additionally, customers will soon be able to access ChatGPT, a version of GPT-3.5 […]
Twitter’s For You tab, which was previously only available on iPhones and iPads, is now also appearing on desktop web browsers. Twitter has renamed its “Home” tab to the “For You” tab, which is now the default tab when using the app on iOS devices. It is an algorithm-based curated tab similar to what TikTok […]
According to a report by TrendForce, the number of foldable smartphones shipped globally is expected to increase from 12.8 million in 2022 to 18.5 million in 2023. The hinges used in foldable smartphones play a crucial role in determining the overall cost of the device and can affect consumers’ willingness to purchase. As the market […]
OPPO has made a public announcement of a new audio system-on-chip (SoC) called the MariSilicon Y, which was presented during the OPPO INNO DAY event in 2022. This SoC is built using advanced N6RF process technology and has a data transfer rate of up to 12Mbps. The chip also has a unique URLC codec technology […]
AppsFlyer and Google have recently released a report which examines how mobile apps are impacting finance in Africa. The report found that there has been a significant rise in the number of finance app installs across the continent, as more people turn to technology to manage their finances and navigate economic uncertainty. The report analyzed […]
Safaricom has added a new feature to its MySafaricom app that allows 5G Wi-Fi customers to manage their subscriptions. This complements the app’s existing features and products, which previously allowed customers to manage only their Home Fibre subscriptions. In December, the carrier added a similar feature for 4G Home customers. As a result, Safaricom’s Home […]
Takura Malaba has been named the new Bolt Regional Manager for East and Southern Africa, beginning on January 1st, 2023. He will be taking over for Kenneth Micah, who held the position of Regional Manager for Eastern Africa since October 2019. Takura joined Bolt in November 2021 as the Country Manager for ride-hailing in South […]
OpenAI has indicated that it will soon begin implementing fees for its widely-used AI-based chatbot, ChatGPT. The chatbot, which can compose a variety of written materials including compositions, correspondences, verse, and code, is a tool that the company wants to monetize in order to ensure its sustained effectiveness. The statement was made on OpenAI’s official […]
Microsoft will launch a new, budget-friendly version of its productivity software package Microsoft 365 called Microsoft 365 Basic. The plan will debut on January 30th and will be priced at $1.99 monthly or $19.99 annually. It will offer 100 GB of storage, Outlook email, and access to support specialists for assistance with Microsoft 365 and […]
OPPO is now rolling out the Android 13-based ColorOS 13 update to its premium midrange device – the OPPO Reno8 5G in Kenya. This comes four days after its siblings the OPPO Reno6 5G and OPPO Reno7 5G got updated to Android 13 and ColorOS 13 in the country. ColorOS 13 is OPPO’s custom UI […]
Mergers and acquisitions in the gaming industry have been a significant trend in recent years, with many of them being worth billions of dollars. This has led to a consolidation of the industry, with fewer companies owning a larger share of the market. One of the most notable deals in the gaming industry is Microsoft’s […]
Telecoms giant Vodafone is planning to make significant job cuts, which will be the largest in five years, in an effort to control costs and improve its performance. The cuts are expected to be mostly at the company’s London headquarters, according to sources. The European telecoms sector has been struggling in recent years, with leading […]
Throw me stones if you may, but the fintech narrative is the biggest gainer in Africa topping Nigeria and Kenya, yes, they are amazing solutions but it’s the easiest means to top the charts.
Twitter has gotten so bad since Elon Musk took over last year and this has driven its users to move to other rival platforms. The list of people migrating to other social media platforms now includes Twitter’s co-founders After buying Twitter for $44 billion, Elon Musk has been winging it since he took the helm […]
Spotify has unveiled an interactive feature that allows users to create a musical time capsule of the songs they are currently listening to, which they can open again in a year’s time. The feature, called “Playlist in a Bottle,” can be accessed by clicking on spotify.com/playlistinabottle on a mobile device, and users can choose from […]
In November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT, a new interface for its Large Language Model (LLM), which generated significant interest in the potential uses of AI. However, ChatGPT also added complexity to the modern cyber threat landscape as it became apparent that code generation could assist less-skilled threat actors in launching cyberattacks. Check Point Research (CPR) […]
In December 2022, we learned that Nairobi was developing a new payment system, dubbed myNairobi. The platform and its accompanying app were reportedly being put in place with the help of telco Safaricom. “This amazing team of developers and innovators from Safaricom PLC and the Nairobi County Government are working hard to deliver to you […]
Twitter clients like Fenix and Flamingo (for Android) seem to be facing an interruption, but the reason is unknown at the moment. The developers of these clients have not received any information from Twitter regarding whether the problem is caused by a technical error or something else. This downtime has also been reported for iOS […]
Kenyan fintech company, Kwara, has agreed to fully acquire software company IRNET Coop Kenya Ltd, a subsidiary of the Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives (KUSCCO LTD). This acquisition marks a step forward for Kwara, as it expands its global footprint and takes a major step towards becoming a leading provider of digital solutions […]
For more than two years, people have been able to send money from their banks to mobile money wallets for free. However, both banks and mobile money providers were not pleased with this directive, which was implemented by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) in 2020 at the start of the pandemic. As a result, […]
A report from late 2022 stated that malware that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in 30 different WordPress plugins has affected a large number of websites, possibly for multiple years. These unpatched vulnerabilities were exploited by the malware. Researchers from Doctor Web security firm have found that the Linux-based malware has a backdoor that redirects visitors […]
Xiaomi Kenya sent us a generous Christmas package, which we have since unboxed and examined. We went further by creating a video about the products, which we would like for you to watch and consider if any of the devices are useful to you and whether you would be willing to spend your hard-earned money […]
ICT Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo has hinted that the state might pursue a new digital identity for Kenyans to replace the failed Huduma Namba that was introduced by the previous administration back in 2018. This development was made during an extended interview with Citizen TV, following his appointment after the August 2022 polls. The reveal […]
Yesterday, the ICT and Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary (CS) Eliud Owalo did an extensive interview with Citizen TV’s Wahiga Mwaura in what can be termed as the first interview of such a kind for the new ICT CS. He has been in office for the last couple of months and succeeded his long-serving predecessor Joe […]
OpenAI is reportedly working on a solution to detect whether a text was generated by its ChatGPT model, as some education officials have made the alarming decision to block access to the tool in public schools such as in the US. The use of AI to complete homework assignments by students has raised concerns among […]
Cybercriminals are persistent, sophisticated, and constantly adapting to new technologies. With more companies using cloud services and the growing importance of password security, attacks are likely to rise in the near future. However, the cybersecurity industry is also innovating and improving to combat these threats. Microsoft’s 2022 Digital Defense Report revealed a significant 74% rise […]
Kenyan electric vehicle company, Humming Bird Transport, has announced that it will be providing the tourism industry with electric cars. Its initial partner is the Trademark Hotel located in Nairobi’s Village Market. In the coming months, the company plans to expand its services to other hotels and sectors within the hospitality and tourism industry. The […]
Android 13 is finally rolling out to OPPO’s premier midrange series in the country – the OPPO Reno7 5G and OPPO Reno6 5G. OPPO Reno6 5G and OPPO Reno7 5G launched in late 2021 and in early 2022 respectively. Both phones launched with Android 11 and later got Android 12 in February last year for […]
Recently, M-PESA customers have been inquiring about the purpose of a “store number,” which they are required to input when withdrawing money from an agent. This store number has been in use for some time and adds an additional step for customers using withdrawal services. What is its importance and why was it introduced in […]
Instagram has redesigned its home screen to bring the compose shortcut button to the shortcuts at the app’s bottom. The bottom shortcuts originally had Reels in the centre spot, Shop tab and Profile to the right with Explore and Home tabs on the left. Instagram had introduced this new layout late in 2020 with a […]
Safaricom now allows customers to withdraw cash from its overdraft facility, Fuliza. This feature has been available for a couple of weeks, but the telco has not officially announced it. When the product launched in 2019, it was limited in terms of its use cases. At that time, users could only: This new addition is […]
Releaf, a tech company that helps consumer goods manufacturers in Africa obtain quality ingredients for their factories, has successfully raised $3.3 million in a Pre-Series A funding round. The funding will be used to introduce two new technologies: Kraken II, a portable version of the company’s popular palm nut de-sheller, and SITE, a geospatial mapping […]
As required by the Value Added Tax (Digital Marketplace Supply) (Amendment) Regulations of 2022, global technology companies and firms have begun charging a 16% VAT on their services. Companies like Google (as well as Zoom and QuickBooks, and soon, more) have announced that they will apply the tax to their Kenyan customers starting on February […]
The possibility of splitting Safaricom, Kenya’s leading telco, into separate entities has been a topic of debate among lawmakers and other interested parties. Safaricom’s internal teams and leadership have disputed the idea, with former CEO the late Bob Collymore stating that the company should not be punished for its success. However, it has been suggested […]
Bolt, an e-taxi app in Africa, has released its 2022 year-end data insights. The data shows that a customer took over 8,000 km of rides on the platform in 2022, breaking the previous year’s record. Also, the data also revealed that customers on the Bolt platform prefer shorter trips of less than 10 km, with […]
Check Point Research (CPR) has published a report on the trends in cyber attacks from the previous year, including data on the volume of attacks, the industries and regions affected, and specific countries impacted. According to the cybersecurity firm, the global volume of cyberattacks reached an all-time high in Q4 with an average of 1,168 […]
TikTok is a very popular short video format platform and has even dethroned Facebook’s apps which are trying to clone its features with Instagram Reels and Facebook Reels. TikTok has updated its privacy settings, especially with a focus on teens and minors. Here are some of the settings you should enable to protect your privacy and help you stay secure on the […]
Infinix has been ramping up tech on its smartphone series in recent years – ranging from its entry-level hot series, midrange Note series and the premium flagship Zero series with a focus on photography and ultra-fast charging. We’ve also seen design refinements and perfection across their devices and Infinix is adding a new arsenal in […]
When Facebook bought WhatsApp for $19 billion in early 2014, it had 450 million users. 9 years later, it now has over 2.5 billion users with over 5 billion downloads on Android. When it comes to privacy-focused messaging apps, WhatsApp doesn’t compare to the likes of Telegram and Signal. It’s worth noting that WhatsApp uses […]
John Ngumi has resigned as the chair of the board of directors at Safaricom, after less than a five-month stint in the role. He replaced Michael Joseph, who had previously led the company to become the top telecommunications company in Kenya. Joseph left the company in 2010 and was replaced by Bob Collymore. Following Collymore’s […]
Infinix has quietly launched the Infinix Zero 20 in the country. The Infinix Zero 20 joins the Infinix Zero Ultra launched late year which we got to check out and review. Infinix Zero 20 ships with a 90Hz AMOLED screen with 1080p resolution. Just like its big brother, it runs on Android 12 and XOS […]
TECNO’s most awaited flagship smartphone series will soon be launching in the country. The tech company will be bringing the Phantom X2 and X2 Pro in Kenya with a launch set for later this month. The Phantom X2 series was launched last month in Dubai and will soon be available here. The regular Phantom X2 […]
In recent years, Instagram has become a popular platform for sharing photos and videos with friends and family plus also a platform to share your creative work as you build a personal brand, especially to Influencers thanks to its ton of features such as Instagram Stories which have hooked its respectively. Here are a few steps that will increase […]
Facebook has a lot of data on you and it’s imperative that all that personal information stays private and secure. So here’s a handy guide to protect your privacy and help you stay secure on the giant social media network. Before we begin, most of these settings are best accessed from the website as some […]
A lot has happened since Elon Musk took over Twitter late last year and he has been running Twitter using policy decisions that promote hate speech and harm vulnerable users – even from his personal account. This and other reasons have made users switch to other rival platforms like Post, Hive and Mastodon – with […]
As is tradition to cut off some people each new year, tech giant Microsoft is doing the same for two of its Windows Operating Sytems that have reached the end of their lives. The Redmond-based company is planning to stop sending security updates and technical support to Windows 7 and 8.1 with the date set […]
The Central Bank of Kenya has announced that it will start charging fees for bank-to-mobile money transfers on January 1, 2023. READ MORE: Family Bank to M-PESA, Airtel Money Charges Effective 2023 These fees were previously suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic but were requested to be reinstated by the financial industry in Kenya. READ: Transaction […]
The Central Bank of Kenya just announced that they’re going to start charging fees for bank-to-mobile money transfers starting January 1, 2023. This is because the financial industry in Kenya asked for the fees to be reinstated – they were dropped during the pandemic. Up until now, Kenyans have been able to enjoy this service […]
The Central Bank of Kenya has announced that it will begin charging fees for bank-to-mobile money transfers starting on January 1, 2023. The financial industry in Kenya had previously requested the reinstatement of these fees, which were suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. The free service had been available to Kenyans for almost three years, but […]
The Central Bank of Kenya has announced that beginning January 1, 2023, bank-to-mobile money transfers will incur fees. This change comes after the financial industry in Kenya advocated for the reinstatement of these fees, which were previously suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The free service has been available to Kenyans for nearly […]
The Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) announced that bank-to-mobile money transfers will start attracting fees. This follows a push by the financial industry in Kenya to reinstate the charges after they were dropped at the start of the pandemic back in 2020. Kenyans have been enjoying the free service for under three years now, but […]
The Kenya government has introduced the Digital Payments Platform, which is based on eCitizen. This payment channel will see Kenyans pay for all government services via digital means. According to a gazette notice, the new service has been integrated with all available electronic payment platforms in Kenya, including mobile money services such as M-PESA, T-Kash, […]
Samsung is currently the best Android smartphone manufacturer in terms of updating its devices. The company has a strong track record in this area and has been consistently providing updates to its devices faster than any other company, with the exception of Google, which owns the Android platform. Samsung has a large number of devices, […]
Safaricom services in Ethiopia are a done deal, and most of the work has been completed over the course of 2022. While commercial launch was expected to be live as early as August this year, this roll-out was delayed to two months later in October. Now, we have learned that the telco launched its network […]
Smartphone companies have long partnered with leading lens makers to market their devices as the best in photography, and TECNO is choosing that path too. The tech company is planning to collab with renowned lens makers like Zeiss, Leica and Hasselblad for its future smartphones. They recently collaborated with John Rankin Waddell, a well-known celebrity […]
Merry Christmas to all of our Techweez readers! We hope that this holiday season brings you joy, love, and all of the things that make your heart happy. As we reflect on the past year, we are grateful for the opportunity to connect with all of you through our platform. Your support and engagement mean […]
The Moja Expressway Company has revealed that motorists will soon be able to pay for the Nairobi Expressway using Safaricom’s mobile money product, M-PESA. This development, which will start from January 2023, will likely be welcomed by many drivers, as the company had previously stated that the decision to delay M-PESA payments was due to […]
Known password manager LastPass has been hacked according to a recent blog post published by the company. LastPass recently notified its users that an unauthorized party gained access to a third-party cloud-based storage service, which LastPass uses to store archived backups of its production data. In keeping with its commitment to transparency, it wanted to […]
Twitter has been a hellsite for a while now but it became way more chaotic when Elon Musk took over after buying it. Elon Musk has been winging it since he took the helm and it’s been just a mess. The incendiary tech mogul has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Twitter […]
You can now easily access your funds within 24 hours through the PayPal withdrawal service, which is available on both the Equity Online platform and the Equity Mobile App. To use this service, simply link your account through either the Equity Online website or the Equity Mobile App. This service was not previously available, but […]
Ever since billionaire Elon Musk purchased Twitter, he has introduced a lot of changes to the social media platform, which also acts as a micro-blogging and news outlet. Some of these changes have been controversial, but Elon continues to support them because his vision is to make the social media app a tool for free […]
a ton of insights have been gathered from the now-concluded United States–Africa Leaders Summit 2022. During the conference, Flutterwave CEO Olugbenga “GB” Agboola, for instance, emphasized the importance of payment, commerce, and logistics in supporting inclusive digital transformation in Africa. He stated that these pillars, which facilitate the cross-border movement of money, people, goods, and […]
In response to the growing problem of online harassment and abuse targeting women journalists and other public figures in Africa, Code for Africa (CfA), the continent’s largest network of digital democracy labs, has partnered with Google’s Jigsaw to launch FeedShield, an online toolkit to document abuse and unmask trolls. FeedShield uses AI-driven machine learning tools […]
The mobile gaming industry in Africa is rapidly expanding, with a 2021 GSMA mobile economy report indicating that 303 million people in sub-Saharan Africa, almost 28% of the population, have a mobile internet connection. This number is expected to increase by nearly 100 million by 2025, with Nigeria and Ethiopia accounting for a significant portion […]
A few weeks ago, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) issued a compliance audit notice to 40 Digital Credit Providers/loan apps. As of the deadline for submission of documents for the audit, 18 of these companies had responded by submitting their documents for review. The ODPC is currently reviewing these documents and has […]
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) has issued a penalty notice to Oppo Kenya for failing to follow an enforcement notice that was issued against the company. The enforcement notice was issued because Oppo Kenya violated the privacy of a complainant by using their photo on the company’s Instagram account without the complainant’s […]
Realme 10 is finally here to succeed the realme 9 series. Realme launched the realme 9i and realme 9 4G this year. Realme 10 ships with a 6.4″ AMOLED screen with 90Hz refresh rate and 1000 nits peak brightness. It is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5. Its processor gets updated to the more superior […]
OPPO has updated its midrange Reno series with the launch of the Reno9 lineup that succeeds the Reno8 from this year. The OPPO Reno9 ditches the more superior MediaTek chipset for a Snapdragon processor. We’ve used the Reno8 for a good amount of time and we vouch for its performance but it’ll be interesting to […]
Save the Children has launched its first digital innovation challenge in Kenya targeting Kenya’s youth and students from institutions of higher learning. The innovation challenge offers an opportunity for 18- to 35-year-olds to come up with unique digital solutions to organizational level feedback mechanisms, scientific or indigenous technology for strengthening community resilience and access to quality […]
This is the first time that KCPE results have been released in a timely manner and as per the curriculum. It has been an issue since 2020 at the start of the pandemic, and a lot of programs were erratic following an extended stay-at-home for students. The results have since been announced by the new […]
For some time now, WhatsApp has been implementing new features to appeal to its users. The platform, while inferior to the likes of Telegram, is one of the most used chat apps in the world because it was one of the apps of its caliber to launch and has a loyal user base of more […]
Lender KCB Group Plc has announced the completion of the acquisition of Trust Merchant Bank SA (TMB) after receiving all the regulatory approvals. The Group now owns an 85% stake in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) based lender. KCB Group obtained the regulatory green light in Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the […]
Foldable devices are a thing now. These bending devices are becoming more commonplace, and we can thank Samsung for this, having started making the Fold and Flip series mainstream for more than three years now. Others have also joined this race. OPPO, Xiaomi, vivo, and Huawei have commercial foldable devices, which have become successful in […]
Jacob’s Ladder Africa and Moringa School have revealed the winners of the Technology for Climate Hackathon, which challenged young people to develop innovative tech-based solutions to address the impact of climate change in the country. Wara Farm led by Verah Kwamboka and David Nene emerged as the winner for their artificial intelligence (AI) powered solution […]
Kenya’s integrated healthcare platform, MyHealth Africa has revealed that it has closed a seed funding of USD 1 million. The investment will help the firm, which connects patients with local and international health specialists and hospitals, expand its services beyond Kenya. The startup was launched more than five years ago. Its main goal is to […]
Despite the ongoing bear market trend, the curiosity of Africans about cryptocurrency has been on the rise. According to a blockchain forensics firm- Chainalysis, between 2020 and 2021, the crypto market in Africa grew by over 1200%. In addition to that, it was revealed that Nigeria,Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa all rank in the top […]
2022 has been a rough year for the world’s largest tech companies. After a series of disappointing results, the stock prices of Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta slumped, wiping off trillions of dollars in their market values. Still, the social media giant Meta suffered the most brutal hit. According to data presented by TradingPlatforms, Meta’s stock […]
Making phone calls is one of the most important things that people do with their phones. Those calls are also paid for, which means that SIM cards have to be topped up with airtime. There are many ways to do this: a customer can buy a scratch card, he or she can top up via […]
After buying Twitter for $44 billion in October and taking it private, Elon Musk has just been creating drama on the platform. The latest feature to catch his attention is Spaces, Twitter’s live audio feature. Last night, a group of journalists were holding a Spaces session and Elon joined in. Some journalists, some of whom […]
During the U.S-Africa Business Forum, payments corporation Visa announced a pledge to invest $1 billion in Africa over the next five years to advance innovative, and inclusive economies across the continent. The corporation says that its investments will help enable greater access to digital payments as an entry point for expanding formal financial services for […]
The Standard Chartered Bank Women in Tech program has awarded 5 participating businesses KES 1.2 million each in the culmination of the 5th cohort of the incubation program. The five businesses Keyara Botanics, Learning Differently, Aurora Health Systems, Sello, and Digipath received their prize money in a graduation ceremony presided over by Flora Mutahi, Chair of […]
A couple of days ago, we learned that the CBK was in the process of reinstating bank to mobile money charges, and vice versa. The move was lobbied by mobile money operators led by Safaricom because they were losing substantial revenue from the fact that customers could send money from their banks to mobile money […]
2022 hasn’t been particularly great for Safaricom customers because some of the decisions the company has made have been anti-consumer, and this has been evident on social media platforms following a ton of complaints. The telco now compels customers to redeem their Bonga Points else it makes them expire; it does not roll over Postpay […]
Nairobians have had their fair share of payment platforms ever since the County decided to streamline its revenue collection activities. But before we can look at them, let’s take you back for a minute… JamboPay In 2014, Nairobi County sought the services of JamboPay for revenue collection. This was a revenue collection platform owned by […]
Right now, there is no other Android smartphone maker that has an excellent track record in terms of updating its devices than Samsung. The South Korean tech corporation has been killing it over the last couple of years, and other than Google, which, of course, owns the Android platform, no other company has been seeding […]
Safaricom has two primary apps for customers: the M-PESA app, which has since been downloaded more than 8 million times, making it one of the fewest local apps to achieve such as feat; and the mySafaricom app, which has been around longer than the M-PESA app, and is more a utility service as it bundles […]
5G is increasingly becoming more accessible to more regions and more phones in the country with the nation’s biggest telco, Safaricom leading the way. When Safaricom officially launched its 5G network in early November, Apple’s devices couldn’t access the network. Android devices like the OPPO Reno8 5G, OPPO Reno7 5G, OPPO Reno6 5G, OPPO Find […]
Chipmaker MediaTek has been having a good period in terms of market presence and sales. It prides itself as the leading chip provider in the world, considering its silicons are found in all devices in the world, save for Apple, effectively making lead others in terms of market share. It produces more than 2 billion […]
TikTok originally made the vertical video popular and its rival copied this format and launched their own versions like Reels for Instagram and Shorts for YouTube. Now the short-form video platform is now making a pivot to horizontal video. TikTok now appears to give options to some users to watch videos with the full-screen icon […]
Vivo’s Y series is the company’s lineup of its most affordable range of midrange smartphones and they have now released the Vivo Y35. The Vivo Y35 joins the family of the now official smartphone of the ongoing FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar for the second time. Vivo Y35 series succeeds the Vivo Y33 series […]
A new partnership completed by Norsad Capital and TLG Capital will see medium-sized companies across sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) access credit following a $400 million investment for a credit platform. According to a statement, this collaboration will allow the building and enhancement of the capabilities of both firms by sharing, presenting, and co-investing in structured credit […]
Thunderbird, in partnership with Innovation Jamuhuri by the Kenyan Government, has revealed that its 100 Million Learners Bootcamp on Global Entrepreneurship & Innovation boot camp is now taking in new students. The classes have been made to focus on global dynamics in an era of disruption and rapid change. Its curriculum features eighteen themes key […]
E-commerce is a big thing in many economies, including Kenya, because it allows shoppers to access products and services from the comfort of their internet-enabled devices. Hundreds of these platforms exist in the country and continue to grow from time to time. However, a new study has determined that 15% of all global e-commerce transactions […]
Ethiopia has been top of mind in my annual predictions for years, and so when I had the chance to go to Addis, I had to get a Safaricom Ethiopia Sim Card and experience the network firsthand. Together with Tech Policy connoisseur and friend Mwendwa Kivuva, we share some of our thoughts on the experience […]
There are many budget phones out there, but a good number of them have left us unimpressed. The reason for this is quite straightforward: budget devices are equipped with entry-level specs, and on these grounds, they do not have the perks that slightly more expensive phones possess. Still, the existence of this line of phones […]
In the last couple of days, it emerged that the tax authority in DRC froze Vodacom DRC’s bank accounts and even sealed the premises where the company runs its operations from. Now, a statement from the telco has confirmed these developments, but the company is insisting this was done without following the law. The specifics […]
The number of Kenyans using fixed data has been increasing over the last couple of years. Zuku, which is owned by the Wananchi Group, had been leading the space until that time when Safaricom toppled it from the top position. Now, Safaricom has the highest number of fixed data subscriptions at 350K for the quarter […]
Hustler Funds are here, and we have covered nearly every aspect of the loan product in previous stories. Part of the coverage entails the Fund’s terms and conditions. However, it would appear that there is another condition that most people missed, and this is the fact that the Fund will look into the balance of […]
Despite having confusing names, Xiaomi’s Redmi Note lineup is still very popular not only here but also globally. The Redmi Note series is Xiaomi’s most affordable range of smartphones and the company is reporting that they shipped over 300 million units globally this year. Last year, they shipped over 240 million units. India, which is […]
TECNO has officially launched their premium devices – the Phantom X2 series which is their flagship smartphone for this year and includes the vanilla Phantom X2 and the Phantom X2 Pro. They’re both incredible devices checking from the features and specs they carry. The Phantom X2 series share most features. They come powered by Dimensity […]
Microsoft has announced the launch of its global skilling program in Kenya with the goal of increasing access to digital and foundational skills. The Skills for Jobs Learning Pathways program has been introduced locally as a build-up to the success of Microsoft’s Global Skills Initiative, which was launched in June 2020 and has since reached […]
With the year coming to an end in just a few weeks, it’s best that we reflect on what the year 2022 has been as we look forward to what 2023 brings along. One aspect that we can reflect on is what we searched for during the year on the Internet. According to data released […]
TECNO is getting serious about venturing into the flagship market with flagship-grade devices. The tech company announced today the new Phantom X2 series to succeed the Phantom X from last year. The new flagship series includes the regular Phantom X2 and the Phantom X2 Pro – they’re both 5G-powered devices. The Phantom X2 series comes […]
The Kenya Innovation Week (KIW) is taking place this week. It has received notable support from the UK via the East Africa Research and Innovation Hub (EARIH) of the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). The show is being held at Nairobi’s Sarit Centre from today to 8th December 2022. Here, EARIH is showcasing innovations […]
Xiaomi Redmi lineup is its most affordable series and we have the Redmi Note 11 Pro series with us which includes the Redmi Note 11 Pro, Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G China version and the Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5G. Before we begin, here’s what you get in the boxes. For the Redmi Note […]
The last couple of months have seen many tech companies, both local and international, let go of their employees. The dismissal has been in terms of thousands. So far, it has been projected that more than 120K workers have been let go in the tech industry. Some of the companies that have fired a substantial […]
Safaricom has been making some ruthless decisions over the last couple of months regarding how its services are dispensed to customers. It introduced data caps on its Home Fibre product in a move that was defended as a plan to stop fibre resellers. Just the other day, it revealed that Bonga Points will now be […]
At the start of the pandemic back in March 2022, the CBK announced that it had waived fees for sending money between mobile money wallets and bank accounts. This allowed millions of Kenyans to send money to their friends and family without paying for transaction charges, even to the point where many Kenyans preferred that […]
OPPO has today launched the OPPO A77s which joins its other midrange smartphones in the Kenyan market. OPPO A77s rocks a 6.5″ IPS LCD screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and 600 nits peak brightness. Its resolution is capped at 720p. At the helm is the Snapdragon 680 chipset which we’ve seen in many midrange […]
Safaricom has revealed that its All In One Bundle will now be cheaper. The product has been around for a long time now, and it allows customers to purchase data, SMS, and voice units at a go. It appeals to a lot of customers, who like to have an all-inclusive package at an attractive price. […]
E-commerce appears to be catching up in Kenya, but not all players have been successful at it. That has not stopped them from expanding their reach, and this has been made more obvious today with the launch of a similar business that targets to serve urban dwellers. Nonetheless, and as you may have been informed […]
Ecommerce is a big business in Kenya, but not many companies have had success with it. Still, they continue to offer services to Kenya using a variety of models. Some are focusing on fulfillment, whereas others want to offer their services to clients in rural areas. Others also think that major e-commerce companies do not […]
YouTube has released a list of the most watched videos in Kenya revealing a sharp rise in consumption of locally generated content from Kenya’s general elections news, comedies, music, religious, and real-life talk shows. The lists show locally created content that celebrates different ways of life by Kenyans within homes, villages, and workplaces registered the […]
ICT watchdog the Communications Authority of Kenya has been undergoing some internal changes in terms of how it is led. More than one year ago, the CA received a new Director General, Ezra Chiloba. Chiloba replace Mercy Wanjau, who had been doing the DG roles but in an interim position. She replaced Francis Wangusi whose […]
Hustler Funds are here, and as promised by President William Ruto, Kenyans can now access them to boost their businesses/personal lives. The kitty tops up at KES 50 billion and is offered for personal loans, and for micro-enterprises and SMEs. As you may have noticed, the Fund is accessed via mobile money deposits. To this […]
Second-hand phone commerce platform, Badili has raised Kshs. 230 million in preseed funding in a bid to increase its operations in Africa. The startup handles trade-ins and buybacks on behalf of major OEMs and other phone dealers with one of its major deals being a partnership with Samsung. Most buyers of second-hand phones are usually […]
It’s a new month and the festive season is here with us and it’s prime time to upgrade your current smartphone either for yourself or a loved one. We have compiled a definitive list of the best under 20K smartphones for you to choose depending on your brand preference. Most of them are well spec’d […]
The creation of the Hustler Fund was President William Ruto’s main campaign promise and as soon as he got into Office, he created the fund with a Ksh 50 billion allocation meant for personal loans, and micro, small and medium enterprises. The President officially launched the fund earlier today in partnership with the three major […]
Payments firm DPO Group, which has since been licensed to run its operations in Kenya, has announced that launched DPO Pay Mobile. This is a new version of their payments app. With several new features, DPO listened to merchant feedback to redesign and redevelop the payment app. DPO Pay Mobile app, previously called DumaPay, now offers […]
Mobile (SIM) subscriptions have undergone ups and downs this year. At the end of the fourth quarter of the previous financial year, it emerged that SIM subscriptions dropped by 200K, but the reason for this was that there were some cards that had not taken part in the SIM re-registration exercise. However, the Communications Authority […]
It has emerged that many Kenyans are still hanging onto their feature phones. This has been the case for an extended period of time, but there are several factors why it has been so. First of all, feature phones are cheap, and considering the purchasing power of locals is low, especially for smartphones, it would […]
There aren’t many ride apps in Kenya. In fact, people tend to use the most popular one, including Uber, Bolt and Little. However, there are other players who have managed to stay under the shadow of the aforementioned apps, but have run their businesses locally anyway. One of them is NopeaRide, which has been offering […]
Google today held graduation events in Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria to celebrate 5000 business owners who have completed its Hustle Academy training program. At the events, Google also announced a new speaker series in which successful African entrepreneurs share lessons and advice, furthering its commitment to helping entrepreneurs and small businesses thrive. Launched in […]
Vodacash is launching its new service M-Pesa Rallonge in the DRC to allow customers to financial assistance from their cell phones. M-Pesa Rallonge is a new service dedicated to M-Pesa users with zero or insufficient balances. Users will be able to take advantage of this service to get an instant overdraft and top up their […]
President William Ruto has officially unveiled Twiga Foods distribution center, a 200,000 sq ft facility that will offer fulfillment by Twiga services to manufacturers, brand owners, and farmers across East Africa. Located in Tatu City, the automated facility will see the company expand its overall capacity and ability to deliver a selection of fresh produce, […]
Introduction Utambuzi is launching in Kenya. Utambuzi which translates to ‘insights’ or ‘diagnosis’ in Swahili is looking to change the scope of personal finance management. The product, based on a business-to-customer model, helps a person track his/her income, detect fraudulent transactions, and gives the individual access and the power to choose verified and credible lenders. With […]
M-TIBA has announced a partnership with BYON8 to provide access to telehealth services by offering medical packages to members through the M-TIBA platform. For housekeeping purposes, M-TIBA provides a platform where members can access patient care digitally from specialists on the BYON8 platform. The deal was sealed by the Managing Director of M-TIBA, Mr. Moses […]
M-PESA Junior Account is finally here, but it has arrived in more different ways than we expected. Launched today in Nairobi at an event attended by key leaders from Safaricom, including its CEO Peter Ndegwa and the CS for ICT and Innovation Eliud Owalo, the product, which will be available for young people who have […]
dx5 has just concluded the dx100 Awards that were held at Diani. The conference digs deeper into the tech ecosystem in Kenya and the wider African regions and includes in its discussions seasoned ICT leaders and experts from the same areas. This time around, we learned that the show was attended by key tech leaders […]
Asus has been selling its laptops in Kenya for some time now. It is one of the few companies that has managed to bring their business here, bearing in mind that leading tech companies tend to avoid African markets because of their low purchasing power. The other market where Asus laptops can be purchased in […]
Huawei has joined a global digital alliance led by the International Telecommunication Union to bring more than 120 million people living in unconnected rural areas to the Internet. Known as Partner2Connect, the international digital alliance aims to deliver digital connectivity to more than 80 countries by 2025. It is designed to extend quality coverage to […]
The Safaricom Ethiopia story started a long time ago. The Ethiopia bid was a tough one and involved a lot of telecom companies, but Safaricom was picked in the long run. It took a long time to examine, and following a higher investment over rivals (it reportedly bid $850 million), Safaricom, which was supported by […]
Browsers’ true powers are unlocked when they are used alongside services such as extensions. Extensions are popular because some of them are genuinely useful. Don’t like YouTube ads? Extensions can help you with that. Want to deal with excessive website ads and popup ads? There are extensions for that. There are thousands of other use […]
We have already established that Safaricom will introduce Bonga Points expiry from January 2023. This means that Bonga points that will be more than three years old by January 1 will expire. This development has made a lot of Kenyans unhappy, and for good reason, because they feel that the telco doesn’t need to compel […]
Automotive technology company Autochek has announced the launch of Autochek Financial Services, a new arm of the business that will focus on providing a range of vehicle financing solutions for consumers and businesses across Africa. Autochek Financial Services will continue to support Autochek’s Marketplace platform, which partners with car dealers and other service providers to make […]
The dx100 Symposium and Awards (formerly CIO 100 Awards), organized by dx5, a digital transformation company, kicked off yesterday. Wednesday, 23, 2022. The first day of the three-day event saw a couple of discussions on topics bordering on Digital Transformation. The 14th edition of the Digital Transformation awards has brought together different tech leaders from […]
The race to transition from gas-powered vehicles to electric replacements has received a shot in the arm today following the launch of four electric vehicles by energy producer, Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC (KenGen). During the announcement of this development, KenGen mentioned that it has rolled out an elaborate plan to lead Kenya’s transition from […]
The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) tasks telecom operators to provide robust Quality of Service (QoS) for customers. Quality-of-Service encompasses the tools and technologies that enable telco operators to ensure networks, applications, and services are highly performant regardless of network capacity. Issues such as call drop rate, which is the percentage of calls, which are […]
The Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2009 provided the establishment of the Universal Service Fund (USF). The kitty is managed by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA). Its main goal is to promote communications infrastructure and services rollout in rural, remote, and underserved areas. The fund is also used to ensure the availability of communication services […]
Showmax is set to bring a new crime drama series, Pepeta to the streaming platform. Now you will have a new series to binge amidst the ongoing World Cup which is also available on 4K on Showmax. The streamer held an exclusive premiere of the eight-part series at Nairobi Street Kitchen in Westlands hosted by […]
There is no limit to the number of affordable TVs you can buy in Kenya. This is because the market has matured, and less-known brands have found their way to the local market. You see, these brands do not price their sets as expensively as others, because they do not have such a big name […]
Computer software and web-based business tools provider Zoho has announced that its Zoho Finance Platform has achieved 70% year-over-year (YOY) revenue growth in the MEA region, supporting more than half a million businesses across more than 160 countries. The corporation, which has its roots in India, but offers its services across multiple markets across the […]
The growth of ICTs in Kenya has been unprecedented in the recent past. This is because Kenya is uniquely positioned as one of the leading countries in Africa that have done very well in terms of encouraging the adoption of ICT, and all the innovations associated with them. In the same spirit, we saw that […]
TECNO is prepping to unveil the Phantom X2 next month and it will be the company’s most powerful smartphone. This is the successor to the original Phantom X launched early last year. The Phantom X was the company’s entry into the premium flagship smartphone market and TECNO is upping its game with this year’s Phantom X2 which will […]
TECNO came back to its flagship roots with the launch of the Phantom X last year after being out of the game for a while. It was a great comeback as the flagship packed the top specs when it came to the screen and cameras. It featured a less powerful processor and the company wants […]
Right after reviewing Vivo’s premier midrange device in the country – the V25 5G, we have gotten our hands on their latest affordable smartphone – the Vivo Y22. The company has really nice devices in various lineups and is the official smartphone of the just-started FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar. This is the second […]
Lender Equity Group Holdings Plc has announced the promotion of Samuel Kirubi to Group Chief Operating Officer (COO). Kirubi moves from the position of Managing Director, Equity Bank Uganda to head the Group operations from Equity’s head office in Nairobi. Samuel holds a Masters’s Degree in Business Administration from Moi University and a BA in […]
Safaricom has announced that Bonga Points will now be expiring, starting from January 1st, 2023. The loyalty program has been around for more than one decade. It allows customers to accrue units named Bonga Points. One Bonga Point is an equivalent of KES 10 used on the Safaricom network. Now, there are people who have […]
Streaming TV service Showmax, whose Pro product has been around for some time now, has revealed that the service has grown 111 percent YoY. This follows a report released by MultiChoice, which owns Showmax. The entertainment plan appears to be popular with paying subscribers growing 50% year on year across Africa. This development comes at […]
Midrange smartphones have gotten so good, especially in the under 30K range in the country. If you’re looking for a camera smartphone in this price category, then you’re in the right place. OPPO A77s – Ksh 29,200 OPPO A77s is the company’s latest device in the country and starts off this list. It has a […]
In 2021, more than one billion Android smartphones were shipped across the globe. Now, the world’s most popular mobile operating system has over 2.8 billion active users, and most prefer Samsung devices. According to data presented by SportLens, Samsung Galaxy is the most popular Android phone globally, with a 7.4% market share in November. Samsung […]
Loan apps have not been having a good time for the last couple of months – and that is a good thing. What happened is that these services started being a major concern to customers following their aggressive debt collection methods. At the same time, some loan apps were blatantly abusing customer private data, where […]
TECNO, a sub-brand of the listed Transsion Group, has been doing very well in emerging markets. It identified a niche that needed to be addressed and did so adeptly by releasing phones meant for people who do not have big budgets or high purchasing power as we have seen in developed nations. However, the success […]
Google hosted software developers and technical industry professionals to a full-day event of talks and workshops in Nairobi. The Google Sandbox program seeks to activate partnerships to deepen relationships within the local tech community and bring first-hand experiences of Google to industry talent in communities around the world, particularly those untapped by the tech industry. Through […]
Black Friday is here, and as usual, you can grab a lot of nice stuff from retail stores and online shops if you can look for a good deal keenly enough. This is the period when people can buy electronics cheaply, including phones and other home entertainment products. Companies such as Samsung and OPPO have […]
Smartphone companies spare no details when it comes to their flagship devices. They go all in on their apex devices – rocking them with high-grade hardware and software features. Some even go and switch form factors to bring foldables to the table. Here is our definitive list of the best flagship smartphones in the country: […]
The last couple of months have seen the CBK provide licenses to two companies to operate as Payment Service Providers (PSP). The first one was Virtual Pay International Limited, which received the document in July. Days later, DPO Group also received official approval from the Central Bank of Kenya to operate as a PSP. Today, Paystack, a payments firm […]
Asus has unveiled the Expert series of laptops for the Kenyan market. The tech company has been selling its PCs in the local market for some time, some of which we have reviewed on this platform and on our YouTube channel. The Expert series of laptops that have been announced include the B7, B5, B3, […]
Former KCB CEO Joshua Oigara has picked the same role at Stanbic Bank Kenya and South Sudan, effective from December 1, 2022. This follows a period of inactivity since he left his post at KCB back in April 2022. He was replaced by Peter Russo. Oigara had been with the bank for nine years. Oigara […]
The telco market in Ethiopia has been receiving a lot of interest in the recent past. With a population of over 120 million, the country was in dire need of competition in the carrier market that was mostly led by state-owned Ethio Telecom. A consortium of companies, under the Safaricom Ethiopia brand name, bid for […]
develoPPP Ventures is offering an opportunity for startups in Kenya and Tanzania to get a chance to scale their companies and receive a grant investment of up to €100K. Interested applicants can sign up here before December 31, 2022: https://application.develoPPP.de. On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), implemented by […]
The electric vehicle adoption and interest is growing in Kenya following BasiGo’s recent announcement that it will be supplying fifteen 25-seater electric buses to some matatu SACCOs operating in Nairobi. This follows a similar development by rival e-bus company, ROAM, which supplied one ROAM Rapid bus to Kenya Mpya SACCO. The bus is active along […]
Internet companies around the world have been having a rough time. This has been echoed by the number of layoffs, hiring freeze, and halted investments to develop new products and services. Some of the world’s most leading tech companies have been hit, including Meta which owns Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Microsoft. However, you might ask, […]
YouTube today has announced the expansion of efforts to support creators and the creative economy in Africa through the 2023 #YouTubeBlack Voices creators and artist cohorts. Now in its third year, the initiative from YouTube is a follow-up to a global, multi-year commitment made in 2020 to uplift and grow Black creators, artists, songwriters, and […]
Infinix has spun out a slew of phones in the Note 12 series in recent months. We’ve gotten our hands on some of them including the Note 12i(Read our review here) and the Note 12 VIP(Read our review here) and now it’s the Pro 5G‘s time that landed on our review desk. Inside the box […]
Budget smartphones have come a long way and now have features that have trickled down from their midrange and flagship counterparts. The best example is the Infinix Note 12i which comes loaded with green flags and a high spec-to-price value – setting the bar for smartphones under 20K in the country. The Infinix Note 12i […]
Xiaomi has unveiled the Redmi A1+ in Kenya. This is the company’s latest budget smartphone in the country. Xiaomi Redmi A1+ comes with a 6.5″ 720p display. It ships with Android 12 Go and MIUI 12 straight out of the box. Xiaomi Redmi A1+ is powered by MediaTek’s Helio A22 chipset paired by 2GB RAM […]
MEST Africa has announced a shortlist of 36 qualified technology startups from 5 African countries that will be going into the regional pitch competition stage of the 2022 MEST Africa Challenge. The Next Stage of the Competition MEST has shared some key updates on the MEST Africa Challenge and the upcoming regional competitions. The regional […]
The European Parliament has voted to pass a law that will see the USB-C or as is commonly known type C enforced as the common charging ports across all consumer electronic devices which also including the iPhone and all Apple products which have different ports by the end of 2024. This means that all consumer […]
Safaricom Ethiopia is now officially open, following an event that was attended by Kenya’s President William Ruto, among others including Safaricom Kenya CEO Peter Ndegwa. The telco is now live in Addis, among other 10 cities in the country whose population is higher than 115 million people. The launch means that there are more than […]
Payments services firm Flutterwave, whose valuation ballooned over $3 billion at the start of the year, but has been on the wrong side of the law, at least reportedly for the better of 2022, has announced that it has hired Emmanuel Efenure, former Director of Customer Engagement and Performance responsible for leading Customer Compliance and […]
Faiba is one of the growing mobile operators in Kenya. Just the other day, it revamped its data and voice offerings, and it even revealed that its services are now available in multiple parts of the country, including Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nyeri, Muranga, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Machakos, Nakuru, Kakamega, Bungoma, Busia, Nyahururu, Voi, Kajiado, Kericho, Kitale, […]
The road to launching services in Ethiopia has been long for Safaricom. After lots of bidding and going through multiple regulatory approvals, Safaricom was granted the license to start its operations in Ethiopia sometime in mid-2021. This meant that Ethiopians could now enjoy the services of one of Africa’s leading telco, whose success story in […]
At the end of 2021, Logistics firm Sendy launched a fulfillment service for online retailers. Sendy said that introducing the service was vital because it would see retailers focus their energy on other parts of the business to grow. Basically, Sendy Fulfilment is an online platform that performs logistics roles or alleviates logistics difficulties from […]
Loan apps have been a menace to a lot of Kenyans. They had been acting illegally for an extended period and it took the complaints of thousands of locals, and bigger visibility from the media to prompt an action. To this end, the CBK developed a set of laws under the CBK Amendment Bill, 2021 […]
Google has revealed its intent to establish a new Google Cloud region in South Africa. This is its first cloud facility on the continent. The news, which came at the second Google for Africa event, is the latest example of how Google is delivering on the $1bn investment commitment made last year by the company’s […]
Infinix is set to launch its new flagship device for the Kenyan market – the Infinix Zero Ultra. The company is going big as it did with the Zero X Pro from last year. Infinix is putting a 200MP camera for its rear cameras. the headlining camera will have OIS. From the photos, it looks […]
Twitter has announced plans to add new features to make it easier for users to watch and discover new videos while on the platform. The social giant will now launch a scrollable video feed like its TikTok competitor. The company will join other social giants such as Snapchat and Instagram who have followed the trend […]
Tech company itel is running a giveaway in partnership with marketing resource integrated service platform, Sunnbird to give its consumers a free itel P38 smartphone and other itel accessories. Lucky fans will walk away with the itel P38 plus accessories like the earbuds T1 Neo and the Powerbank Star200. The campaign has tasks to be […]
Fuliza, which was introduced in 2019 in a partnership between Safaricom, NCBA, and KCB now has new discounted tariffs. The overdraft facility now has lower tariffs and Safaricom with its partners added that they reduced the rates after assessing current consumer behaviour and economic conditions. The overdraft solution linked to a customer’s mobile money wallet […]
President William Ruto has announced the much-awaited Cabinet Secretaries team. Some of the named individuals were expected to feature in the list, but some of them are also new to a lot of people. One of them is Eliud Owalo, who will now be the CS for ICT, of course after vetting by parliament. Eliud […]
Do you feel as if you are wasting too much time on your device, especially your smartphone? We have all been there. This problem is in fact turning out to be a growing health concern as most people are addicted to their phones. We seem to never have time for other things as every time […]
A few months ago, taxman the Kenya Revenue Authority, KRA, revealed to the public and all VAT-registered taxpayers that they would be required to move from the old electronic tax registers to the Tax Invoice Management System (TIMs). This transition was to be completed before the end of July 2022, but that deadline was extended to […]
It appears that the Kenyan tech scene is one of the major reasons why the US Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, considered the job in the first place. This was revealed by The Citizen following an impressive and exhaustive interview reported by the publication. To note, Ms. Whitman has never been a diplomat in her […]
The Kenya Immigration Department is reminding locals that their old-school passports will be phased out from November 2022. This follows an extended grace period that has seen Kenyans use their non-biometric passports without any issue. However, this time around, groups with the outdated document will not be allowed to use it because it appears that […]
Tech firm StepWise is focused on ICT Training and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). It has announced the launch of its Software Development Center, ‘Zalda’ that will take advantage of technology to enable and promote inclusion and socio-economic participation, of the underserved communities. Zalda is an organization that has been spun from StepWise’s Daproim Africa (BPO) and Zalego Academy, all of […]
The Common Voice V10.0 corpus now contains one hundred languages and is the most multilingually diverse crowdsourced dataset for products of its kind. The newest language on the platform, Twi, is native and bilingual to approximately 18 million people across Ghana, Benin, and the Southeast regions of the Ivory Coast in Western Africa. This stride […]
Recently, Apple introduced on iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro a feature known as the Dynamic island which gives users the ability to multitask and view all the current activities. Users are able to consolidate all their application activities from one place without having to visit one app after another. The feature also allows users […]
The Foldables market has grown and so has its interest in the Kenyan market. Foldables, which when opened act like tablets and when closed switch up to be regular phones, have seen significant leaps in tech to make them more appealing to the broader market and for the most part – it has worked. Samsung […]
Are you a fan of Apple products and are wondering when the next event will be? Well, follow along as we discuss more on what we expect in this year’s much anticipated product launch. Apple has planned to announce some of its big products this year in an event dubbed the ‘Far Out’ event. The […]
The security of your devices and the data held in them should be of high priority to you. The same case applies to businesses that use the internet to do almost all of their activities such as tracking their financials, conducting marketing campaigns, connecting with customers, and performing critical operations. The overuse and overreliance on […]
A couple of weeks ago, we learned that Uber was planning to expand to new markets in Kenya. The day has finally arrived because customers in Eldoret, Nakuru, Naivasha, and Kisumu will finally be able to use the e-taxi app. Uber has only been limited to select towns, including Nairobi, Thika, and Mombasa. The development […]
Search giant and ad corporation Google has announced that 60 eligible black-founded startups across Africa have been selected for the second cohort of Google for Startups Black Founders Fund (BFF) for Africa. The startups joining the program will receive a total of KES 479.2 million(USD 4million) in funding and support to enable them to scale up […]
HBO is making House of the Dragon available to watch for free on YouTube. The Game of Thrones spinoff returns its audiences to Westeros and premiered on August 21st. House of the Dragon is a prequel set to the events of Thrones and takes place 200 years and detail the Targaryen civil war—called the Dance […]
Facebook is one of the social media apps that really propelled the entire online interaction ecosystem into new heights. It is very popular in many markets across the world. Locally, Kenya has more than 13 million Facebook users, which is higher than any other social media platform. Globally, the Meta-owned app has nearly 3 billion […]
Not all phones have a customizable music experience, especially for big platforms like Spotify. The music streaming app has announced a partnership with Chinese phone-maker OPPO, which will see OPPO users have a unique experience on the app. This development will take shape once OPPO starts rolling out ColorOS 13, which is based on Android […]
One of my hobbies as a techie is scouring the internet and the play store looking into the latest applications as well as updating apps that need updates. I recently came across Google’s find my device app and gave it a try on my smartphone. The application is quite impressive and is able to help […]
The Supreme Court of Kenya has dismissed the August 2022 election petitions. In the ruling, CJ Martha Koome pointed out that there were no unexplainable discrepancies between the votes cast for the presidential candidates and other elective positions. She continued to add that admissible evidence that was presented to prove the allegation that forms 34A […]
Second of His Name, the third episode of House of the Dragon quickly picks up pace albeit thanks to time jumps. This episode takes place three years since the second episode. King Viserys already has a son, Aegon with Alicent Hightower, who is also pregnant. As we had seen in the Rogue Prince episode, Lord […]
In this digital era, we find ourselves browsing the internet more often than before. We constantly need to keep updated on the current events, watch videos online, chat with friends online, download new songs and also perform some work-related activities. We do all these efficiently through our mobiles and this may end up depleting our […]