By Fred Maingi Over 40 countries are expected to participate during this year’s World Tong-IL Moo-Do event that will be staged in Mombasa. The Annual glamour event, according to the president of the Federation Master Clarence Mwakio Ingalwa will kick off from Dec 16-18th at the Aga Khan Hall in Mombasa. The president who is an household name in Africa and also an International Instructor said the event this time will be bigger compared to last years event that attracted 16 teams. Some of the countries that ave confirmed their participation include battle hardened Philippines who finished second behind Kenya during last years event, DR Congo, Ethiopia, and United states of America(USA), among others.
Mwakio disclosed that they had a fruitful meeting with Sports cabinet secretary Hon. Ababu Namwamba who assured the Federation of Governments support. “With the Government assurance,we are fully set for the Mombasa event. We are talking with some few partners like Kenya Tourist Board(KTB) and several others and see how they can come on board.We expect a good turn-out, so far our preparations are going on very well”Observed Mwakio. ” So far, added Mwakio, we are spread in 16 counties that include Kilifi, Mombasa, Kiambu,Nairobi, Siaya, Kitale, Bungoma,and Vihiga among others.
Kenblest initially produced 80,000 loaves per day, but that grew almost three-fold in just few years creating a packaging crisis that was only resolved 12 years later with the establishment of Nav Plastics subsidiary.
As far as brand recognition goes across Africa, Kenblest is arguably among Kenya’s top its popular bread of the same name having landed on nearly 80 per cent of the country’s breakfast tables.
But then again it is just bread one of the simplest consumer goods to make and the entry bar is not so high.
Speaking when the company joined other manufactures companies at the KICC during expo, Managing Director Mr.Mayur Shah said the investment to generate more jobs in addition to the already people employed.
KenBlest group now boast of McNeely Millers limited and Kifaru industries limited.
Where they are producing polythene paper in large quantities targeting the mass market,Mr. Mayur adds.
Parliamentarians Coffee Caucus led by the Chairperson Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba MP Githunguri with other officials during press briefing at Sarova Panafric Hotel Nairobi on 15th , October 2022.
This happened when the Coffee farmers expressed hope that the New parliament will pass a bill that will rescue the coffee sector.
National members highligted that coffee farming is a highly profitable activity that has been used by few people to exploit farmers leaving them impoverished servants.
Esther Kariuki, a coffee farmer from Nyeri county , said the outgoing Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya did his best to support the sector but some of the coffee bills had not been amended.
She said the sector should be streamlined to ensure the farmer benefits from the crop. “Munya tried but there was a lot of politics in it. Those individuals who are surrounding the coffee sector should be removed,” Ester said
She also noted that they, with other farmers, visited other counties like Nyeri, Tranzoia , Bungoma , Kirinyaga and concluded that coffee farming is profitable business which only needs government intervention in removing cartels.
In addition, she called for lowering of pesticides as well as provision of coffee stems to the new farmers. “Coffee farming has a lot of money; from the evidence in counties we have gone it only needs assistance from the government. The cost of pesticides should also be reduced,” he said.
“For youths who want to start coffee farming the government can provide 30 to 50 stems as the capital,” esther added.
Esther said these depend on the will of the new government to assist the farmers as they raised the issues during the meeting with leaders in the sidelines of campaign’s.
The new government should pass and implement the coffee bill. She said they elected new leaders hoping they will see the coffee price per kilo double.
“The new government which we elected because of their agenda on agriculture should help us. We want to see price per kilogram move from 100 to 200,” Kinyua said.
“We urge the new government to check on the coffee sector as a matter of priority. We forwarded our requests during economic forums both verbal and written,” Esther said.
She said commodity funds are not friendly as cooperatives charge high interest rates and ask for security and also too much bureaucracy. He further call for reduction of inputs and fertilizers.
“Commodity funds are simply not available because you fill forms and forget. The fertilizer should also be reduced to Sh2000 per 50kg bag,” he added.
She said that the government should come up with the reality that the majority of farmers are not happy with the coffee prices amidst the challenges the industry experienced following the outbreak of Covid-19 as well as management of the sector. Ends..
The Kenya Real Estate market is still not sufficient. A good number of end users still do not have the information of who to trust and who not to in the industry. This network event is a first step in the right direction.
The Property Homes Expo bring key players in the market together especially Real Estate Agents and Developers and allow the public to come and get informed from the right people in the market.
On 2 Dec 2022, to connect and network with reputable players in the real estate sector and foster lasting business connections.
” This real estate market is has not been invested enough,we have many investors who are ready to invest but they don’t get permit to realize it,but now we have the platform to ensure that happens,” CS water said.
High Commission of India Ms Namgya Khampa with other officials in collaboration with NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Service Companies) today organised a Technology Business Meet in Nairobi.
The event brought together a 14-Member visiting IT delegation under aegis of NASSCOM and Kenyan Government stakeholders, chambers of commerce, and businesses.
High Commissioner of India, Ms Namgya Khampa in her remarks underscored the opportunities for fruitful partnerships in this sector. She described Kenya as an important partner of India with whom we enjoy robust bilateral trade and investment linkages. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, India-Kenya bilateral trade increased by 38.7% to US$ 2.76 billion. Both exports from India to Kenya and imports from Kenya into 3India registered healthy growth. India is also among the top investors in Kenya cutting across manufacturing, real estate, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT & ITES, banking among other verticals.
The forenoon session also included presentations by Vice President of NASSCOM, Mr. Shivendra Singh, and representatives form Institute of Economic Affairs, Kenya Investment Authority; Kenya National Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KNCCI); State Department for Trade and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The presentations gave detailed overview of the available opportunities, regulatory environment and other aspects of the Kenya’s economy.
NASSCOM gave an overview of the already existing strong ICT sector in India and its growth potential and mentioned that India-Kenya can look to join hands for Government to Business and Business to Business opportunities 3in the sector. Praising the progress made by Kenya in technological sector, NASSCOM described the country as a well suited partner for Indian companies to work together.
The Meet provided a platform for the ICT companies of India and Kenya to discuss possible business collaborations.
Later in the afternoon, in collaboration with Kenya India Friendship Association (KIFA), High Commission of India is also organising a talk on Technology Sector in India by NASSCOM at the University of Nairobi which is expected to be attended by over 200 students. Ends
The Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) has today launched the 29th IEK International Convention where discussions will revolve around a sustainable engineering profession in the era of rapid climate change. The Convention kicks off on 21st to 25th November 2022 in Diani, Kwale County with a rich menu of discussions and breakaway sessions centering on the big elephant in the room; climate change.
The goal of the convention is thus to come up with resolutions that can be implemented in the context of engineering practice, policy, education or research to mitigate the negative impact of climate change locally and globally. Sustainable engineering is all about designing and operating daily systems in such a way that the energy and resources that they use are sustainable – that is, they are used at a rate that doesn’t compromise the natural environment and its ability to be used by future generations to meet their own needs.
Engineers play an integral role in shaping our interaction with the world. The decisions we make on a day-to-day basis through our work can have a range of environmental, social and economic impacts. This is why this conversations are important,” said Hon. Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, who was also the Chief Guest at the launch of the Convention.
Climate change is currently one of the greatest threats to the world’s development agenda. Activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation have caused huge amounts of greenhouse gases to be released into the atmosphere. Some of the catastrophic consequences of climate change include global warming, air pollution, more severe floods and storms, heatwaves, droughts and a rise in sea level which can cause destructive erosion and wetland flooding. This then causes further health issues, water resources management issues and a high demand for water and energy.
This year’s Convention will thus bring together over 3000 engineering practitioners to chart a way forward to engineering sustainability. The convention shall host other sub events namely: 5th Women Engineers summit titled “360° Women Engineers: A Catalyst for Change”, 1st Future Leaders Summit titled” Back to Basics” and Side event for Men Engineering Summit titled “Reinvention towards a Sustainable Future“ which are all scheduled as parallel events. The convention shall be attended by international and local engineers, student engineers among other professionals.
Our target is to have over 3000 voices in the practice to participate either physically or virtually and collectively come up with resolutions that we can all apply in our everyday engineering practice to safeguard future generations, said IEK President Eng. Erick Ohaga during the launch of the convention. Sustainable engineering impacts every single aspect of our daily lives: from the water that runs through our taps to the process of removing and breaking down the rubbish you throw in your bin. Sustainable engineering is crucial to ensuring that life continues with ease for many generations to come. Engineering forms an interface between the design (i.e., the idea how to provide a sustainable solution to a technical problem) and implementation and production. Sustainable engineering focuses on developing enduring systems in food production and preservation; housing and shelter, waste disposal and management; pollution reduction; water supplies; energy development and consumption; transportation; restoring natural resource environments and improvements in industrial processes.
There are many opportunities for engineers to contribute to climate change solutions in fields such as sustainability, climate resilience, climate risk, climate finance, climate justice, climate hazards and climate change law. The sub-themes that will be delved into at the week-long Convention include; Building resilient infrastructure; Harnessing emerging technologies for sustainable development; Innovation; Mitigation measures against climate change; Climate adaption; Climate change Impact & Engineering; Artificial intelligence; Energy transition; Role of Nuclear and Renewable Energy in Combating climate change; as well as the role of Green Financing and Green Economy. IEK and its members will continue to uphold standards and adapt to mitigative measures to evade the adverse effects of climate change for generational sustainability. Ends …..
High Commissioner of India Namgya Khampa , accompanied with Mr Shivendra Singh, Vice President and Deputy High Commissioner of India Mr. Rohit Vadhwana & DPR to UNEP & UN – Habitat adrsses the delegation and other officials during the technology business organised in connection with the visit of NASSCOM delegation .
It is particularly important to note that this forum brings together Government and business with specific interest in the ICT and related sub-sectors.This is because ICT and associated technologies and applications can be key multipliers in accelerating economic growth in developing countries. In this regard, I believe there is substantial convergence of interests and opportunity for mutually beneficial partnerships between India and Kenya in the industry. As you are aware, 10 major Indian companies are present here to interact and engage with their Kenyan counterparts represented by more than thirty-five companies – with a view to develop new partnerships and tap into investment opportunities.
It is forums like this that have cemented the cordial India-Kenya bilateral relations, transcending into a robust and multi-faceted partnership. Due to this synergy, India remains one of Kenya’s major trade and investment partners. FY 2021-22 saw India-Kenya bilateral trade increase 38.7% increase from US$ 1.99 billion in 2020-21 to US$ 2.76 billion. Both exports from India to Kenya and imports from Kenya into India registered significant growth.
India is among the top investors in Kenya cutting across manufacturing, real estate, pharmaceuticals, telecom, IT & ITES, banking among others. As per available data, over 60 major Indian companies have presence in Kenya – some of them are present with us today. Dear Friends, ICT and digital economy are the economic drivers for the country. It is contributing over 13% to India’s GDP, employing over 4.5 million people as of FY21 and exporting a total of US$ 149 billion worth of IT enabled Services. India’s IT industry, creates roughly US$ 200 billion in economic value yearly through IT-BPM, e-commerce, domestic electronics manufacturing, digital payments & communication services and other ICT-related activities. Driven by digital technology, cyber security, AI, robotics and healthcare IT, India’s digital economy is predicted to be worth over US$ 800 billion by 2025, contributing 10% of GDP.
India is already considered the IT hub of the world but it has more potential and talent. To tap into it, Government of India has come up with several initiatives to give impetus to the sector. Digital India for instance aims at transforming India into a digitally enabled society and knowledge economy. Make in India campaign on the other hand seeks to facilitate investment, foster innovation, enhance skill development, protect intellectual property & build best in class manufacturing infrastructure.
IT has helped India to provide Aadhar – Unique identity number – to almost everyone in the country – approximately to 1340 million people. Backed by digital banking, Unified Payment Interface (UPI), country has created a robust digital infrastructure, biggest in the world. We will hear more about this in the detailed presentation of NASSCOM. On the other hand, an evaluation of Kenya’s ICT sector pre-pandemic status reveals a relatively robust industry with average annual growth rate of 10.8% from 2016-2019. Also referred to as Africa’s ‘Silicon Savannah’, Kenya is a regional leader in internet connectivity, value-added services (most notably mobile money transfer) and mobile banking services. Post the pandemic, accelerated by increased uptake of online services, the sector contributed 4.8% to Kenya’s GDP and about 21,000 direct jobs last year according to the Economic Survey 2022 report. Total output of the sector was US$ 5.32 billion in 2021. The main growth drivers in the sector are fibre-optic subscriptions, 4G mobile network coverage, mobile commerce transactions, undersea bandwidth capacity and mobile money transfers. On this aspect also, we look forward to hearing more from KenInvest and Institute of Economic Affairs who will make their presentations.
I believe our both economies have already proven potential in the IT sector. With educated talent pool, English speaking population, knowledge and base for digital infrastructure, our two countries are best suited to partner in this sector. Joined together, we will be able to provide technology enabled solutions not only to India and Kenya but to whole of Africa and the world.
High Commission of India facilitates B2B meetings, Government to Government level institutional mechanisms, industry bodies interactions such as FICCI and CII (from India) and KNCCI, KAM and Keninvest (from Kenya). NASSCOM delegation visit adds more opportunities for both the countries to work together. Before I conclude, I take this opportunity to thank the Ministry of Electronics & IT, Government of India, Ministry of ICT and Digital Economy, Government of Kenya, Keninvest, KNCCI, Institute of Economic Affairs for their invaluable support in organising this meeting. Special mention goes to NASSCOM, led by Mr. Shivendra Singh, Vice President, Global Trade Development for making this very important meeting successful.
I hope that everyone present here will take full advantage of today’s discussions to network and form lasting business relationships. I wish you all the very best in this endeavor. Ends…
The convention which is happening along side the Cop27 which is currently on in Egypt, to discuss sustainable Engineering in the era of Climate change.
The convention will be held at the Diani ,Kwale County which schedule to host 7000 delegates physically while 6000 virtual..
“Our mandate is to bring discipline in the engineering sector as well as train more professionals to bring productivity and welfare,who can approve and design their designs, according to Erastus Mwongera Chairman EBK.
The international Convention will highlight men and women contribution within the sector.
He said that engineers registered locally and international are free to apply their designs as well as knowledge without going through examination in Kenya.
The EBK has develop a card which will be used by engineers to introduce themselves authoritatively wherever they work.
“Engineers are also working to be part of international accord known as “Washington Accord “and here we will introduce our academia and the international market and industry,” EBK Chairman said.
Jackline Aluoch Amoke , Best student in procurement and Supply Chain of the graduating class of 2022 recognized at the Kenya Institute of Supplies Examination Board (KISEB) . She has been recognized as the best student academic year 2022 at Zetech University.
Today honoured and recognise the combined hard work , effort and resilience , in the spirit of both Kiseb and Zetech University’s core value of team work . Three years she walked into this prestigious University with her suitcase, dreams , aspirations and uncertainties of what would become of her . But today she leaves with not only her degree but also as the best academic year student of officially the graduating class 2022 at Zetech University.
The university has cultivated in us a culture of well – being and Sustainability. We don’t take for granted that we have had the privilege of Inventing out our future in a learning environment that is conducive and cognisant of our physical, social , spiritual, emotional , intellectual , environmental, financial ,cultural and occupational well – being while upholding the sustainability of it’s community.
From countless mental health forums to medical camps , camps hangouts , environmental day’s, field trips , all these made it possible for us to achieve our full potential and helped us build connections with industry experts.
Our faculty have been nothing short of dedicated , committed , selfless and supportive . We are still in awe of how they interacted with us freely and guidance in the diverse areas of our studies . We take pride in pursuing our higher education at a University that is not shy to invest in state – of -the -art facilities that have helped us acquire hand – on skills . The well equipped library that is available on and off campus , spacious and innovation Hub all helped us to unlock and achieve our full potential.
Thanked the parents for believing and supporting our pursuit of higher education. We remained indebted to all that you have done and continue to do for us , to my fellow graduates as we post photos of our certificate on social media platforms and update our LinkedIn profiles to ‘ open to work ‘ I urge you to remain connected to our Alma Mater by joining the Zetech University Alumni Association which we automatically become when we graduate today .
As we go out separate ways to kickstart our careers and move towards new chapters of our lives , let us hold close to the fond memories of our Zetech Experience, which has made us wiser , braver and more knowledgeable.
Through the hardwork and excellent performance recognitions, she is currently working at the Judiciary Milimani law Court . Ends.
