LG inks deal with new distributor

LG East Africa has signed a distributorship agreement with Polestar which has several brand shops in Nairobi and Mombasa.

The new agreement will see LG have a second brand shop in Mombasa as well increase service centres footprint. The deal was signed shortly before Polestar opened a new brand shop on Westlands, Mpaka Road where it will only sell home and entertainment appliances.  

Speaking when he officially opened the showroom, Moses Marji, the LG East Africa Marketing Manager said the facility will help bring LG Electronics world class technology closer to Westlands.

Moses Marji, the LG East Africa Marketing General Manager (left) and Rakesh Singh,
the Polestar Kenya General Manager cut a ribbon to mark their distributorship
 agreement as well as the opening of a new Polestar brand shop in
 Westlands as staff of the two companies look on.   

“This will also bring after-sales-services closer to our customers in Westlands. LG Electronics will liaise closely with Polestar and Westlands customers can still reach our customer care offices directly through 0800 545454 for any queries or assistance,” said Mr Marji.

LG Electronics is a global leader and technology innovator in consumer electronics, mobile communications and home appliances, employing 87,000 people working in 113 offices around the world.  

The company recently announced a raft of new innovative products an intelligent messaging service dubbed HomeChat. The service employs Natural Language Processing (NLP) and LINE, the popular mobile messenger app with over 300 million users, to let homeowners communicate, control, monitor and share content with LG’s latest smart appliances.

LG HomeChat incorporates the popular LINE application to allow users to receive recommendations and control settings of smart appliances like refrigerator, washing machine or oven when away from home.

“We are proud to be associated with a trusted brand such as LG Electronics and we ready to latch onto the company’s continued innovation and steady growth,” said Rakesh Singh, the Polestar Kenya General Manager.   

LG comprises five business units― Home Entertainment, Mobile Communications, Home Appliance, Air Conditioning & Energy Solution and Vehicle Components ― and is one of the world’s leading producers of flat panel TVs, mobile devices, air conditioners, washing machines and refrigerators.

LG Electronics reported recently reported an 87 percent jump in third-quarter net profit from a year ago after profits from its mobile unit surged to a five-year high. Net profit for the electronics giant in the July-September period amounted to $193 million, up 87 percent from a year ago.

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LG donates solar-powered fridges to West Pokot County

Catherine Omenda, the  World Vision Director ( Kenya) receives a donation of 
solar-powered refrigerators worth Ksh2.2 million from Oktae Kim the LG Head of 
ome AppliancesThe new refrigerators were developed in response to absence of 
power supply in some areas, erratic power supply and extended
 power cuts in most parts of the country that often leaves 
home appliances such as refrigerators ineffective.

LG Electronics has donated five solar-powered refrigerators worth ksh2.2 million to West Pokot County through World Vision Kenya targeting. The donation targets seven health facilities currently experiencing challenges maintaining a cold chain system for laboratory of reagents, pharmaceuticals and vaccines.

The health facilities will each receive a fridge that will provide fridges to store vaccines and other medical equipment with the aim of improving immunization coverage among children under five years and pregnant and lactating women.

The health facilities benefiting from this donation cover all the four sub-counties within west Pokot County. Each of these health facilities (Kasei Health Facility in Pokot North, Kauriong in Pokot North, Nachecheyet and Chepnyal Health facilities in West Pokot and Nyag’aita Health Facility in Pokot Central) will each get one fridge.

“We manufacture products that fit the needs of our consumers and this donation is another cutting-edge technological innovation based on customers’ insights and the need to provide human-centric technological solutions,” said Tae-Ick Son, the Managing Director LG East and Central Africa.

Mr Son said the new off-grid power supply fridge comes with an LG Inverter Compressor that adjusts cooling power in response to the amount of medical supplies you load in the refrigerator which provides efficient energy consumption.

“Cooling power is controlled automatically according to the internal and external temperature conditions of the refrigerator,” he added.  The new off-grid power supply refrigerator is 36 percent more energy efficient than traditional models.

World Vision has been implementing several development projects within West Pokot County. Up to early this year the organisation has been running three Area Development Programme (ADP) in the county.

They are; Marich Pass, Sook and Orwa ADPs, whose coverage is 118,680 people out of the total county population of 512, 690 (2009 Census). These programmes covered a total 2,038 KM2, compared to the total West Pokot area of 8,418.2 km²; Orwa and Sook ADPs are still operational until 2023.

World Vision has also supported the formation and strengthening of seven community units improving provision of community health services to more than 7,000 households. World vision has also supported the Ministry of health in West Pokot County with equipment’s for health facilities worth Sh1.6 million

Vast areas of West Pokot County are arid and semi-arid; hence most people rely on livestock for their livelihood. According to West Pokot health Sector Strategic Plan, health indicators in the county are generally lower than World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations.

Songwoo Cheon, Assistant Product Manager Home Appliances at
LG East Africa is decorated by a Pokot Resident shortly after
LG Electronics donated of solar-powered refrigerators worth Ksh2.2 million
to West Pokot for the storage of laboratory of reagents, pharmaceutical
and vaccines in the County.  

The current donation from LG Electronics to World Vision Kenya will strengthen these ongoing health interventions that are carried out in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in West Pokot County. This is in line with the current World Vision Kenya strategy that seeks to improve health and nutrition status of children less than five years, pregnant women and lactating mothers within communities in Kenya.

Record smartphone shipments boost LG Electronics quarterly earnings

LG Electronics (LG) announced unaudited third quarter consolidated revenues of USD 14.54 billion, an increase of 7.4 percent year-over-year, and operating profit of USD 449.61 million, more than double the figure from the same period a year ago. LG’s earnings reflected strong performance from its mobile business which saw record smartphone sales in the third quarter with sales of 16.8 million units.

The LG Home Entertainment Company reported third-quarter revenues of USD 4.59 billion, a slight decline of 3 percent from the same period last year. Operating profit of USD 127.19 million increased 5 percent from the same quarter last year due to better product mix. Sales of LCD TVs increased year-over-year in regions such as North America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. LG expects sales of 4K Ultra HD TVs and commercial digital signage products to grow, while market demand for monitors and AV products is expected to slow.

The LG Mobile Communications Company shipped a record-breaking 16.8 million smartphones in the third quarter, an increase of 39 percent year-on-year and 16 percent more units than the previous quarter. Sales of USD 4.14 billion and operating income of USD 163.16 million were the highest in the company’s history since the third quarter of 2009. Building on its momentum and two consecutive profitable quarters, LG expects to strengthen its positioning in the smartphone market with its G Series and L Series^III models despite the landscape becoming more competitive.

The LG Home Appliance Company reported revenues of USD 2.84 billion, a slight decrease from the same period the year before, despite improved sales in Korea, Europe and developing markets such as the Middle East and South East Asia. Greater competition in North America and unfavorable foreign currency exchange rates resulted in a lower third-quarter operating profit of USD 50.49 million. LG expects profitability to increase in the fourth quarter with an expanded home appliance product portfolio and improved cost structure.

The LG Air Conditioning & Energy Solution Company reported revenues of USD 902.14 million, a 5 percent decline from a year ago. An operating loss of USD 2.44 million was primarily due to weak demand in residential air conditioners in Korea related to weather conditions, which offset steady growth in the Middle East and Latin America. LG expects overseas sales to improve with more customized and higher energy efficient systems while it targets the growing construction and civilian industries in Korea with its commercial products.

LG unveils F60B stylish LTE Smartphone

October 9, 2014: Looking to further expand its 4G LTE footprint in mobiles, LG Electronics has unveiled the LG F60, a stylish new smartphone that offers superior Quad-Core speed to run all of today's hottest apps and LG's premium UX features in a package designed for a global audience upgrading to 4G LTE.

The F60 will first be rolled out Europe, followed by Asia, and the Americas. The LG F60 takes connectivity to a new level with blazing-fast 4G LTE powered by a 1.2GHz Quad-Core processor running on the Android 4.4 KitKat operating system.

Housed in a slim and sleek compact body, the F60 features a crisp 4.5-inch IPS display and a 2,100mAh battery for the perfect balance of performance, weight and size for hours of entertainment and productivity.

The F60 comes fully loaded with LG's proprietary UX features adopted heavily from the acclaimed LG G3:

§  Gesture Shot allows users to take easy selfies by simply opening and closing their hand in front of the lens to start a three-second countdown before the shutter is triggered.

§  Front Camera Light adds additional illumination to one's face by displaying a bright white light around the preview screen in self-portrait mode.

§  Touch & Shoot lets users capture those special moments quickly and intuitively with a simple tap anywhere on the display to focus and shoot in one single step.

§  Knock CodeTM unlocks the F60 in one easy step with a personalized 'knock' pattern for both convenience and security.

'LG continues to demonstrate its advanced 4G LTE knowledge by bringing to global consumers better and better mobile devices that take full advantage of today's most advanced wireless infrastructure,' said Dr. Jong-seok Park, president and CEO of the LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company. 'The LG F60 offers a premium user experience for young and old users alike who are looking for the fastest mobile experience possible at a reasonable price.'

The F60 will be available in both single and dual SIM versions, perfect for business users. Additional details including retail locations and price will be announced in local markets at the time of availability.

Key Specifications:

• Chipset: 1.2GHz Qualcomm Quad-Core
• Display: 4.5-inch WVGA (207ppi)
• Memory: 1GB RAM / 4GB, 8GB
• Camera: Rear 5MP / Front 1.3MP
• Battery: 2,100mAh
• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• Size: 127.5 x 67.9 x 10.6mm
• Network:  4G LTE
• Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.0 / Wi-Fi / A-GPS
• Colors: Black / White (varies by market

IS YOUR PRICEY SMARTPHONE SAFE?

Mobile phones being snatched from car windows in traffic jams in Nairobi has unfortunately become a norm rather than exception. Many Matatu passengers have equally lost their pricey gadgets to pickpockets and street urchin during peak hours when their minds are preoccupied with either to work early or going home to their families in the evening.  

According to Kenya Orient, the insurance company that pioneered mobile phone insurance in Kenya, one should consider an insurance cover for their phone or tablet if they can’t afford to replace or downgrade to a cheaper option in case of theft or damage.

“If you depend on your cell phone and you know you would need a prompt replacement in case of damage or theft, then Orient Mobile is an insurance cover definitely worth considering” says Muema Muindi from Kenya Orient Insurance.   

Losing or damaging your cell phone can be a nightmare because of the resultant loss of data, photos and contacts. However, there are various ways of protecting your handset, tablet and data. “If you have a house teeming with little ones, you never know when those innocent lads decide crack open the gadget and free Talking Tom,” says Mr. Muindi 

Besides insuring your handset, Mr. Muindi says, it is critical to back up your data either on the web or to the computer.  Irrespective of how expensive your gadget is, the information stockpiled in the device, phone book, photos, videos apps, games, messages, is mega-valuable.

It is thus the assumption of an insurer that you have taken requisite precautions to keep your device secure. Kenya Orient stipulates that theft claims MUST be reported to the police within 48 hours of the theft. If the loss occurs when you are outside Kenya, the insurance policy holder should report the incident to the police in the respective country within 48 hours and get a written report of the same.

“We cover accidental damage e.g. damage caused by dropping the phone/ tablet, malicious damage i.e. vandalism and liquid damage,” says Mr. Muindi.

He explains that unlike other insurance products, mobile phone cover doesn't depend on one’s gender, job, what you earn or other standard risks and registering a Claim online is easy and takes only a couple of minutes. “All you need is the ID that you used to register for your Kenya Orient  Policy. We however only insure selected models and only mobile phones that can access the internet”.

Kenya Orient is a leading general insurance company registered in Kenya and relies on more than three decades of experience to operationalize new innovative products. We have 13 branches, a staff base of over 140 people.  The insurer is renowned for developing innovative insurance products such as orient mobile, excess free motor pack, Safaribima and they are definitely the insurer to watch for more revolutionary products.

To find our more visit www.korient.co.ke or their facebook page www.facebook.com/kenyaorientinsurance

Syngenta and Enactus Kenya announces the 35 finalists for the Agribusiness and Communication Competition in Africa.

A total of 35 youth drawn from five African countries have been shortlisted in the on-going youth competition dubbed Agribiz4Africa.

Over 800 participants submitted business ideas via the online platform agribiz4Africa. The 35 finalists are from Nigeria, Rwanda, Cameroon, Benin, Ghana and Kenya.

The ideas were judged by agribusiness academia from Kenya and Nigeria and the top 25 selected contestants received a USD 1000 grant to test their idea and develop a concrete business plans.

Similarly, 32 legible video clips were judged by a Communication expert from Daystar University and leading TV producers from KTN, NTV and CITIZEN. The Top 10 video contestants were assigned a lead Media expert to mentor them on professional video production.

The 35 are expected to arrive in Nairobi, Kenya, on 26th of August, 2014, for a two-day training boot-camp. Thereafter, a judging panel will select the top three from the two categories-Agribusiness Idea and Agribusiness Messaging- who will travel to Addis Ababa for the award ceremony

Speaking in Nairobi, Syngenta head of Corporate Affairs for Africa and Middle East, said the competition main objective was to promote new business opportunities in crop value chains in Africa.

Shikwati James the Enactus Kenya Country Director

“Syngenta’s mission is to raise awareness of opportunities in agriculture; identify wealth creation activities among communities in Africa and make agriculture “cool” for the youth,” said Kinyua Kinyua M’Mbijjewe, Head of Corporate Affairs, Africa Middle East

The competition was carried through an online platform www.agribiz4africa.com and youth aged between 18-30 years from Sub Saharan Africa were invited to submit a500 word business ideas essay that was be judged by leading agribusiness academia from East and West Africa.

James Shikwati, the Enactus Kenya, Country Director, noted that youth from Sub Saharan Africa had been challenged to identify a bottle neck or problem that makes a particular crop’s value chain ineffective and/or inefficient. They were then required to propose a practical idea/solution that has the potential to make a step-change improvement in the chosen value chain.

The top 3 contestants from each category during the Semi-final competition on August 29, 2014 will proceed for the Finals in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) during the African Green Revolution Forum 2014 at the African Union Headquarters.

Kinyua Mbijjewe the Head of Corporate Affairs Sygenta

The overall winner of the business idea competition will get a USD 10,000 cash prize while the overall winner of the Video production competition will get a USD 5, 000 cash prize.

The Africa Agribusiness Competition is organized by Syngenta and Enactus Kenya. It targets youth aged 18 – 30 years. Its objectives are to promote new business opportunities in crop value chains in Africa; raise awareness of opportunities in agriculture; identify wealth creation activities among communities in Africa and make agriculture “cool” for the youth.

About LAPPSET

The LAPSSET Corridor Project is the first single Gigantic, Integrated, Transformative and Game-Changer infrastructure Project the Government has initiated and prepared under Vision 2030 Strategy Framework without external assistance. The project endeavors to deliver a Just and Prosperous middle income Kenya by the year 2030.

Kenya is spearheading the development of Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor Project to strengthen her position as a gateway and a transport and logistics hub to the East African sub-region and the Great Lakes region to facilitate trade, promote regional economic integration and interconnectivity between African countries.

The LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) was established through the Presidential Order Kenya Gazette Supplement No. 51, Legal Notice No. 58, The LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority Order 2013 to plan, coordinate and manage the implementation of the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Project. The Authority is domiciled in The Presidency in accordance with the Constitution of Kenya 2010.