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.

LAPSSET implementation, firmly on course assures LAPSSET Chairman

The LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority (LCDA) Board Chairman, Amb. Dr. Francis K. Muthaura, has confirmed that plans to ensure the attainment of the LAPPSET Corridor are firmly on course.

Buoyed by recent Lamu Port construction developments, Amb. Dr. Muthaura has expressed optimism that the transformative and game- changing Vision 2030 flagship project will be attained within scheduled time.

Speaking during a media briefing session on the official contract signing of the first 3 berths of the Lamu Port Project, Amb. Dr. Muthaura said it is a timely step by the government to create a platform for the engagement of the private sector in the LAPSSET construction through Public-Private Partnerships.

“Today is indicative of the government’s commitment to the opening up of vast parts of our country and also presents a realistic and solid opportunity for the delivery of the LAPSSET projects while conferring the country a lifeline for economic growth support,” he said.
While assuring of the LAPSSET implementation progress, Amb. Dr. Muthaura said initial project disbursements have been funded and that work will commence next month through M/s China Communication Construction Company and Supervision Consultants Yashoon Engineering, the contactors of the 3 berths. 

It is estimated that the 3 Berths of the Lamu Port will end in 2019, hastening the construction of the other Twenty Nine (29) berths.
And added: “As envisioned under the Vision 2030 Enablers and Macro pillar, the commencement of the construction of the first 3 berths of Lamu Port Project will facilitate the delivery of materials for the construction of the first three berths; the crude oil pipeline, the coal plant in Lamu and Lamu-Garissa-Isiolo Road among other projects.”

Such progress, the LCDA Board Chairman noted is geared at positioning the country as the transport and logistics hub in the region while integrating unexploited parts of the country which has relied on the Northern Corridor to sustain itself through revenue generation.
Within the last three years, the LAPSSET Corridor Development has successfully managed to co-ordinate the rollout of key facilities at the Lamu Port including building the Lamu Port, Lamu Port Police and survey for the Port area.

“As the Chairman of the Board for LAPSSET corridor development authority, am glad to note much progress has been made in the various components. We are 98 per cent complete with key LAPPSET activities and fulfilled the conditions preceding the LAPSSET implementation including allocation of funds for compensating the local communities whose lands have been taken by the port project site,” said Amb. Dr. Muthaura. 

He hailed the LAPSSET Corridor projects as being positioned to bring economic benefits in less than ten years to both the country and the region, equivalent to those experienced since independence.
“While the LAPSSET Corridor Program requires substantial amounts of resources, feasibility studies done show great economic viability with most of the project components registering High Economic Interest Rates of Return of between 17 per cent and 23.4 per cent compared to acceptable industry minimum standard of 10 per cent for infrastructure projects,” added the Chairman.

Speaking on the sidelines of the event the LAPSSET Corridor Development Authority Managing Director Silvestre Kasuku reiterated that the project will not only improve Kenya’s economy in general but also improve the lives of the people along the Corridor with Education being one of the major keys for development, through youth scholarships.
“The Lamu youth have an opportunity to develop their capacity in terms of skills which will prepare the youths for the future job opportunities along the corridor upon implementation of the projects,” said Kasuku.

The seven project components of the LAPSSET Corridor Program have a budget estimated at Kshs. 2 Trillion in construction costs. The Lamu Port with its 32 berths alone will cost approximately USD 3.1 Million, the railway USD 7.1 Million while the Crude oil pipeline will cost a further USD 5 Million. 

The LAPPSET is one of the major Vision 2030 flagship projects that will ultimately culminate in the attainment of transforming Kenya into a middle income, globally competitive and industrializing country with a high quality of life in the next 16 years.

LG second quarter profits rise as smartphone sales nearly triple

LG Electronics has chalked up one of its most successful quarter profits with its smartphone sales recording a marked improvement after moving 14.5 million handsets over the last quarter.

The electronics manufacturer has announced a 165 percent increase in second-quarter net profit compared with the same period last year, reflecting strong earnings from both the TV and mobile operations.

LG reported second-quarter 2014 net profit of USD 399.8 million and operating profit of USD 588.5 million,an increase of 26.5 percent year-over-year. Unaudited second quarter consolidated revenues of USD 14.93 billion increased 7.7 percent from the previous quarter.

The mobile phone sales were 20 percent more than last year and LG Electronics attributed the impressive performance to the uptake of the acclaimed LG G3 and mid-range L series products, with LTE products accounting for more than one-third of all LG smartphones sold this year.

As a result, sales increased 16 percent from the same period last year to USD 3.51 billion, the highest since the first quarter of 2010. The mobile division’s operating profit of USD 83.4 million in the second quarter put an end to three consecutive quarters of losses.

LG plans to continue its global rollout of the G3 and introduce more mass tier products in the second half, including variations of the LG G3, such as the recently announced G3 Beat, and additional L Series models. The G3 is equipped with a 13 megapixel rear-facing camera with dual-LED (dual tone) flash and a 2.1 MP front-facing camera.

The new device can shoot 4K (3,840 x 2,160) videos. The killer camera features of LG G3 include 'Laser Autofocus Sensor' and 'Selfie' Mode. LG claims that the laser autofocus sensor functionality is very quick as it takes only 0.276 seconds to focus.

“The smartest innovation in a fast evolving smartphone market is creating harmony between advanced technology and a simplified user experience,” said Mr Kim.

The successor to the company’s well-received LG G2 is a culmination of consumer research based on LG’s product development philosophy, Learning from You. “It was developed under the theme Simple is the New Smart concept comes with a fingerprint-proof  metallic skin and four times the resolution of HD and almost two times higher resolution than a Full HD display,” said Josep Kim, the LG East Africa Managing Director.   

The LG Home Entertainment Company also saw steady performance with second-quarter revenues ofUSD 4.94 billion, a 3 percent increase quarter-over-quarter and almost unchanged from the same quarter 2013. Operating profit of USD 150 million was an increase of 64.9 percent from the same quarter last year as a result of better product mix.

Nairobi County to engage youth in waste disposal ventures.

Nairobi County will spend part of the Ksh700 million kitty set aside for environmental conservation in the current financial year to sensitize residents on proper waste disposal methods, Governor Dr Evans Kidero has said.

Many residents, Kidero noted, are oblivious to the grave danger posed by improper waste disposal to their health citing the rising incidence of communicable diseases in the county as a cause for concern.

He was speaking at City Stadium during the monthly cleanup exercise which was conducted in various parts of the county. The county government uses the monthly cleanup exercises to mobilise residents to keep the city clean. It takes place every last Saturday of the month.

Residents volunteer for various activities like litter picking, garbage collection, raking, drainage clearance, grass cutting and tree planting.

Dr Kidero urged the youth to explore income-generating projects around waste disposal, adding his government was ready to partner with them to set up such ventures.

He added the county government had committed to fully engage the youth in the county to help redeem the face of the city, once referred to as the ‘Green City in the Sun.’

“I am calling on our youth and the public at large to focus on environmental conservation projects that will not only act as a source of livelihood, but also as the sure way to living and working in a clean and healthy environment,” said Dr Kidero who was accompanied by his deputy, Jonathan Mueke.

This month’s clean up initiative saw many youth participate. Dr Kidero said such noble activities would lure youth away from anti-social behavior such as consumption of illicit brews and drugs.  

Noting that cleanliness of the city was the responsibility of all residents, Mueke said the quest for a healthier environment had to start at the household level. “Environmental awareness and public participation is the best way to sort out the waste issue in our city. It requires the goodwill of both the residents and the county government to ensure that our monthly clean up exercise is a success,” said Mueke.

The county government has embarked on tapping energy from garbage at the Dandora dump site to generate power. “We are devising ways of producing energy from waste while recycling plastics. Organic waste will be used to manufacture fertilizer,” said Dr Kidero.

He continued to reaffirm that henceforth the involvement of the youth and the public at large will be commendable in all the upcoming clean ups.

The governor urged the county residents to be responsible when disposing waste saying Dandora dumpsite is full and plans for an alternative site were at an advanced stage.

This month’s clean up took place in the following areas:

 Within the Kibra Sub-County at Sara Ng’ombe ward.

 In the Makadara sub county, in Harambee Ward including Mutindwa Market.

 The 1st Avenue Eastleigh will be targeted for cleanup in the Kamukunji sub county.

 Within the Langata Sub-County, at Nairobi West shopping centre,

 Githurai area within the Roysambu sub-county.

 In Embakasi West Sub County, the areas cleaned include Kariobangi sub-ward.  

 Mathare Area 1, 2, 3 and Huruma, will be cleaned within the Ruaraka Sub County.

 The focal clean up areas within the Westland sub county were Kaptagat area, Kaptagat road, Kitsuru ward.

 Within Starehe sub-county, the clean-up areas are Dipsy area.

 Within the Embakasi East sub county, the focal areas will be Kayole Soweto Road.

 In Embakasi North, Dandora III ward, opposite Dandora dumpsite.

 In Embakasi South, Pipeline Ward plot number 10.

 Komarock Ward in Embakasi East sub-county

 Within Kasarani, the focal areas will be Sieko Estate

 In Mathare, the area around Juja road.

 Within the Dagoretti North area, at Kawangware ward, chief camp road.

 Within the Central Business District, at the roundabout of City Stadium.

 In Starehe, in Kariokor Ward.

Nairobi County to ease rent and parking payment

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero (right) chatting with
 Nairobi Dep. Governor Johnathan Mueke.

The Nairobi City County Government has moved to ease payment for services and streamline revenue collection by switching to e-payments for its services such as Matatu seasonal ticketing and rent collection for its estates and market stalls.  

Speaking when the e-payment module went live, Dr. Evans Kidero, the Nairobi City County Governor said e-payment for land rates and Single Business Permit were already operational and had helped ease long queues at City Hall.  

“We have activated this system today and it is accessible to Nairobi residents intending to pay for seasonal parking or rent through their mobile phone handsets, authorized banks and agents, Huduma Centers at Teleposta Towers, City Square Post Office and Makadara County Offices (formerly DC’s office) and from a link on the county’s web portal,” said Dr Kidero. 

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero getting a demo of how the
ePayment device works.

Jonathan Mueke, the Nairobi City County Deputy Governor revealed that the county was working on the third phase of the e-payment modules that will see automation of daily and seasonal parking payment for individuals.

The e-payment solution and the web portal are part of the County’s Nairobi City County ICT Transformation Program which started in 2013 and is aimed at improving efficiency and accountability in the collection and management of NCC funds.

Matatus and tenants can use any of the new system have an option of using one of several forms of interface with the e-payment solution: online through the web portal (http:// www.nairobi.go.ke); through a USSD option *217# for basic level phones or mobile application for those with smartphones.

CEO JamboPay
Danson Muchemi.

Mr Mueke said the revolutionary platform offers convenience for Nairobi resident in payments of services as well plug in loopholes for rent-seeking.   “One can avoid standing in long queues, wasting precious man-hours and make a payment from virtually anywhere, including from the convenience of their living rooms. Processing time is also much shorter as proof of payment is received almost in real time,” said the Deputy Governor. 

“JamboPay is proud of this partnership that will ease and simply citizen interaction with the County Government. We will continue supporting the County with cutting edge technology and support services. We are targeting to recruit 6000 revenue collection agents in the city to support this service” Said Danson Muchemi, the JamboPay CEO.  

For more information, please contact Beryl Okundi, Director of Communications, Nairobi City County Government on bokundi@nairobi.go.ke