The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Nairobi

  • Kenyan opposition leader Odinga takes ‘oath of office’

    Kenyan opposition leader Odinga takes ‘oath of office’

    Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga has today been sworn in as alternative president in front of thousands of supporters, three months after an election he claims was stolen from him.

    This was after the Kenyan police fired teargas to disperse thousands of opposition supporters of the Kenyan opposition leader, Raila Odinga gathered in Nairobi.

    The planned “inauguration” has raised fears of violence as police had vowed not to allow the event to go ahead. However officers kept their distance as hundreds gathered at the Uhuru park venue.

    Odinga was quoted saying he, and not President Uhuru Kenyatta, is the country’s rightful leader.

    The 72 year old claimed that three elections had been stolen from him, and has refused to accept President Uhuru Kenyatta’s re-election, which came after a deeply divisive 2017 polls season in which rights activists say at least 92 people were killed.

    First was an election on August 8, won by Kenyatta, which was annulled in a historic decision by the Supreme Court, which ordered a re-run on October 26.

    Read Also: 2,000 Kenyans march to election board office in Odinga

    Claiming the poll would not be fair, Odinga boycotted the second vote and Kenyatta won with 98 percent.

    Odinga postponed a previous effort to swear himself in last month, but his party insists Tuesday’s event will take place.

    Taking the oath today, Odinga said:

    “I Raila Amolo Odinga, in full realisation of the high calling, assume the office of the People’s President of the Republic of Kenya,” he said in the brief and chaotic ceremony, prompting the sea of people to erupt with joy.

    “We have accomplished our promise to Kenyans,” said Odinga before quickly departing, the packed venue emptying out in minutes.

    The ceremony followed hours of uncertainty as supporters waited in the baking sun and commentators speculated over whether the 72-year-old would actually go through with the “inauguration” that was already delayed in December.

    It came as an outrage hit on the media fraternity after government allegedly warned broadcasters not to cover the event, and pulled major television network Citizen TV off the air mid-morning.

    “President (Uhuru) Kenyatta expressly threatened to shut down and revoke the licences of any media house that would broadcast live,” the Editors’ Guild said in a statement, referring to a meeting that media bosses were summoned to last week.

    “The guild is appalled by the details of the meeting which was held under an atmosphere of intimidation for the media representatives present.”

     

  • AU to set up Humanitarian agency by June 2018 – Official

    AU to set up Humanitarian agency by June 2018 – Official

    The African Union ( AU ) is to set up an African Humanitarian Agency to handle emergency situations in the continent.

    Mr Olabisi Dare, Head Humanitarian Affairs and Displaced Persons at the AU, told our reporter in Nairobi that the agency would coordinate all relief work on the continent.

    He said already feasibility studies on the setting up of the agency have been concluded while a technical committee would meet in March next year to assess the studies.

    Dare said the Heads of State were expected to adopt the report and eventually approve the setting up of the agency at their meeting in June 2018.

    He said the agency would set up response teams in different regions of the continent to ensure quick response to emergency situations.

    It would also use existing structures in member countries to train personnel and provide logistics for addressing emergency situations in the continent.

    On funding of the agency, Dare said a donors’ conference would hold early next year while an Emergency Assistance Fund would be set to ensure constant flow of funds to the agency.

    Dare said the Fund would be managed by the African Development Bank ( AfDB ) and would be replenished every year.

    He said the plan was to solicit funding from the private sector instead of traditional donors which are largely governments and development partners.

    Dare said he was confident that the private sector would donate to the project since adequate provisions would be made to ensure transparency in the management of the money realised.

    “We have high network of rich individuals, foundations and companies in Africa who will be ready to donate.

    “Much depends on your homework and how you intend to govern the funds realised. We will assure donors that there will be transparency.’’ Dare said.

    Dare also said that the Heads of State are expected to ratify a Common African Position on Humanitarian Effectiveness at the AU Summit schedule in January 2018.

    He said the document was expected to guide member states to effectively respond to humanitarian situations in their respective countries.

    He said the document provided necessary guidelines in dealing with humanitarian situations and had addressed such issues as primary responsibilities of states, addressing root causes and providing durable solutions to humanitarian crises, role of host communities as well as protection and assistance of affected populations, among others.

    Dare said the document also provided for a 10-year implementation plan which was developed through consensus, as well as monitoring and evaluation of humanitarian responses.

    NAN

  • Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Coca-Cola to invest $90m in Kenya to broaden product range

    Soft drinks maker, Coca-Cola, says it plans to invest up to $90 million in Kenya over three years through 2018 to increase its product range in the region.

    In a statement on Tuesday in Nairobi, the company said the wider range of soft drinks in the country would begin in 2018 but did not give details of the range of products

    Coca-Cola, which is the leader in the Kenyan soda market with brands like Coke and Fanta, said it had invested a total of $17 billion in Africa since 2014.

    According to the company, the amount doubles what was invested in the continent a decade before.

    The group, however, faces growing competition in Kenya from other soft drinks producers like SABmiller and PepsiCo.

    NAN

  • Andela Raises $40M to build global tech entrepreneurs

    Andela Raises $40M to build global tech entrepreneurs

    Andela, the company that builds high-performing engineering teams with Africa’s most talented software developers, has  secured $40M in Series C funding.
    With offices in Lagos, Nigeria, Nairobi, Kenya, and Kampala, Uganda, Andela has hired 500 developers to date — the top 0.7 per cent  of more than 70,000 applicants from across the continent.
    A statement said the  investment was led by pan-African venture firm CRE Venture Capital with participation from DBL Partners, Amplo, Salesforce Ventures, and Africa-focused TLcom Capital.
     Existing investors including Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, GV, and Spark Capital also participated. The round, which marks one of the largest investments ever led by an African venture firm into an Africa-based company, brings Andela’s total venture funding to just over $80M.
    Andela was launched in 2014 to combat the global technical talent shortage by investing in Africa’s most talented software developers.
     With an estimated 1.3M software jobs unfilled in 2016 in the U.S. alone, it’s clear that the growth of today’s major technology ecosystems is inhibited by a severe lack of talent.
    To solve this, Andela invests in high potential pools of brainpower across the African continent to help more than 100 partner companies build distributed engineering teams. These partners range from industry leaders like Viacom and Mastercard Labs to high-growth technology companies such as Gusto and GitHub.
    Selected developers spend six months in a rigorous onboarding program before being matched with one of Andela’s partner companies as full-time engineering team members.
    Beyond recruiting elite development talent, Andela is catalyzing the growth of tech ecosystems across the continent by open-sourcing its content and partnering with organizations including Google, Pluralsight and Udacity to provide resources and mentorship to developers.
    “Andela is investing in our continent’s future technology leaders, who are already playing a much-needed role in solving both African and global problems,” said Country Director Andela Nigeria, Seni Sulyman.
    “With each new partnership, we are simultaneously proving to the global tech industry that brilliance is evenly distributed irrespective of gender, culture or nationality. As we unleash an entire generation of technologists, we will secure Africa’s role as an equal partner working alongside the rest of the world to advance human potential.”
  • ’15 people remain missing after building collapses in Kenya’

    ’15 people remain missing after building collapses in Kenya’

    Rescue workers said that 15 people had been reported missing after a seven-storey building collapsed in a residential area of the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday.

    Reuters photographers on the scene, in the eastern Nairobi suburb known as Pipeline, saw a pile of broken concrete blocks and bent metal.

    An excavator was moving rubble.

    Officials said the building’s occupants had been asked to leave once it developed cracks.

    “Basically this was a disaster to come. An evacuation was sounded. People evacuated but we might have some people who might have been left behind,” Pius Masai, deputy director of the National Disaster Management Unit, told Reuters at the site of the collapse.

    Japheth Koome, Nairobi County police commander, said a specialised team from the Kenya Defence Forces had been called in to help with the rescue operations.

    Kenya has seen similar tragedies in the past.

    A total of 49 people died in the middle of 2016 when another building collapsed during a heavy, nighttime downpour in a poor neighbourhood.

  • Lawmaker charge not to use public office for financial gain

    Lawmaker charge not to use public office for financial gain

    Nigerian Lawmakers have been advised to make laws that will have direct impact on the people rather than use public office for their personal gain.

    The advice was given Monday by Professor Patrick Lumumba, Director, Kenya School of Law, Nairobi, at a special parliamentary session organised by the Lagos State House of Assembly in commemoration of Lagos state at 50.

    Addressing a large gathering audience including, The National Leader of the All Progressive Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, Senators Representing Lagos East and west Constituency, Senator Gbenga  Ashafa and  Solomon Olamilekan, party chieftains, former speakers of the House, captains of industries, members of diplomatic corps among others.

    Speaking on the topic, ’The Importance of the Legislature in Democratic Governance,’ he emphasised that the nation or state could survive a bad executive, bad judiciary, but not a bad legislature.

    “Beyond your important titles, how are you serving Lagos, how have you served Lagos.  What would be said of you, when you are gone or even as you are alive?

    “You are never successful until you go down into the grave with success. Those, who acquire power, must exercise it with humility. Before you drink the gin of political power, you must have a foundation of integrity,” he said.

    He lamented the current happening in Nigeria, saying if Africa has to be great, Nigeria must be great.

    “Nigeria started on a sound footing before the government was crudely disrupted by coup-de-tats and went through a bitter civil war.”

    The scholar said further that it should be noted that Nigeria adopted democracy in 1979, but that the democracy the country is practicing was not home-grown and that it is Euro-centric.

    He said the nation’s democracy could be customized to achieve the aspirations of the country, saying that the relationship among the legislative, executive and the judiciary must be symbiotic.

    The legislature, he stated represents the people and that it is a privilege to honour and represent the people.

    “Those, who steal public funds abuse the power given to them by the people.  The legislature is the heart of the people.  On a mere allegation of corruption, the legislature brought down the government of South Korea and the same thing happened in Brazil.

    “But here in Nigeria and Africa, does the legislature bring thieves down. If Nigeria is to be great, you legislators must make solemn vow that you would make laws that would benefit the people.  Make laws that would serve the people and the country.

    “Nigeria can be great if you make a solemn vow that you would be greater than Dubai and Singapore,” he said.

    Another speaker, CEO of Financial Derivatives Company Limited Mr. Bismarck Rewane,  said lagos continue to play a vital role as the financial headquarters of Nigeria.

    Rewane who spoke on “Economic Development- The Role of The Legislature,” revealed that Lagos State contributes 22% to the economy of Nigeria and the it has a GDP of $131 Billion.

    He stated that if Lagos was taken away from Nigeria the country would fall to the third position in Africa, while Lagos would be number seven in Africa, and that the state is bigger than Kenya,  Togo,  and Cote De Voire economically.

  • Facebook’s F8 conference showcases African Developers

    Facebook’s F8 conference showcases African Developers

    African developers shared the stage with developers from Facebook and other parts of the world at the F8 developers’ conference held in San Jose, California, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    The developers showcased their innovative products and services created for their local communities and the global market.

    Mr Emeka Afigbo, Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa, said that the organisation’s partnership with developers was for global benefit.

    “We’re partnering with many African developers to launch products that not only meet the needs of their local markets, but which are also ready for the world stage.

    “Events like F8 are a perfect opportunity for us to talk about how we will work with partners to do more with our platforms.

    “This is a forum for us to get feedback from our ecosystem and to showcase our partners’ work to the world,” Afigbo said.

    F8 hosts more than 4,000 people in person and hundreds of thousands of people watching via Facebook Live for two days of new products, tools, interactive demos and speakers to help developers build, grow and monetise their apps.

    This year, Facebook brought F8 to developers around the world through F8 Meet-ups hosted with tech hubs around the world.

    In Africa, it hosted F8 Meet-ups in Nairobi, Lagos, and Cape Town, where participants watched live streams of the sessions in San Francisco.

    NAN reports that the Facebook’s F8 is a mostly-annual conference it hosts for developers and entrepreneurs who build products and services around the website.

    Facebook had often introduced new features and made new announcements at the conference.

    The “F8” name came from Facebook’s tradition of 8 hour hackathons

    A hackathon (also known as a hack day, hackfest or codefest) is a design sprint-like event in which computer programmers and others involved in software development collaborate intensively on software projects.

    The programmers and other developers include interface designers project managers and others, often including subject matter experts.

    Hackathons typically last between a day and a week; some hackathons are intended simply for educational or social purposes, although in many cases the goal is to create usable software.

    The scheduling of F8 has been somewhat erratic; no conference was held in 2009, 2012 or 2013, and the date for the 2011 conference was announced late.

  • Ambode woos investors at Nairobi business summit

    Ambode woos investors at Nairobi business summit

    Lagos State Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday said the state is willing, able and ready to partner with investors within and outside Africa, just as he said that adequate measures have been put in place to enhance the ease of doing business within the state.

    Ambode, who spoke at the second edition of German-African Business Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, said as Africa’s model mega city, Lagos is strategically positioned to play a leading role in propelling development on the continent, adding that as a result of the growing investors’ confidence, the state is fast becoming a preferred destination for investors in Africa.

    Giving statistics about state, the governor said apart from being the fifth largest economy and fastest growing city in Africa with a population of over 22 million people comprising overwhelming proportion of middle class income earners, Lagos is also the contributor of 30 per cent of Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the leading contributor to the non-oil sector GDP.

    He said: “Lagos accounts for over 60 percent of the country’s industrial and commercial activities; over 70 per cent of national maritime cargo freight; over 80 per cent of international aviation traffic, and over 50 per cent of Nigeria’s energy consumption.”

  • Mixed fortunes for Nigeria at ITF/CAT Junior Masters

    Mixed fortunes for Nigeria at ITF/CAT Junior Masters

    It was a mixed fortune for Nigeria in the ongoing International Tennis Federation (ITF)/ Confederation of African Tennis (CAT) U-14 Junior Masters with the lost recorded by Marylove Edwards overshadowing the early victory of Michael Osewa.

    Eight top African U-14 players in the boys and girls are taking part in the championship with Osewa competing in the boys category while Edwards and Barakat Quadri jostling for honours in the girls’ event.

    Osewa handed Nigeria an early victory against South Africa’s Connor Kruger with a 7-6, 6-2 win over the South African teenager. However, the victory song was short-lived with Edwards losing 6-2, 6-3 to Burundi’s Aisha Nyonkuru, who is the number one seed.

    The eight players in each category have been drawn into two groups of four. The two top players in each group advance into the semifinal stage.

    The ITF/CAT U-14 Junior Masters is being jostled for by best African boys and girls tennis players in 2016 based on their results registered during the African U-14 circuit including the African Junior Championships 2016.

    The Junior Masters for this year is organised in Nairobi, Kenya from November 7 to 13 at the Nairobi Club offering the opportunity to eight boys and eight girls to participate. The selection of the players was based on the two Players: ranked 1st and 2nd at the African Junior Champion that was held in Pretoria in March 2016 and six players that are the best ranked players at the African U-14 Circuit on October 12, 2016.

  • Swiss International opens in Nairobi

    The Swiss International Hotels and Resorts has opened for business in Lenana, the heart of the capital city of Kenya, Nairobi. The signing of the management agreement with Nairobi based China Zhong Tian Investment Limited, took place recently.

    With Swiss International Lenana Nairobi, the global chain has further consolidated its presence on the African continent, with a second hotel to open in Kenya.

    The newly built Swiss International Lenana hotel is an upscale hotel, with 133 rooms and suites located on Ralph Bunche Road, an area known for its close proximity to the Central Business District (CBD) and a number of government offices and embassies.

    The hotel is strategically situated overlooking the city center of Nairobi and next to the Department of Defense, which is encompassed by the Kenyan army and police, making the area safe and secure.

    Additionally, the hotel will offer an Inspirations Pool& Gym, a Swiss Select Lounge, and a number of meetings and events venues. The hotel has 11 floors and an underground parking lot.

    The Swiss International is carefully designed, ensuring memorable experiences for both leisure and business guests with the best in class comfort.

    Mr. Xiaohu Wei, Managing Director of the owning company, China Zhong Tian Investment Limited, said, “After a careful search for the right hospitality partner, we were taken by the very strong commitment of Swiss International. We have plans to expand with additional hotels in East Africa and we wanted to be sure our partner would be committed and reliable. With Swiss International, we see a long-term partnership.

    “Nairobi is an exciting city and we are pleased to be able to formally introduce the Swiss International Lenana Hotel in the city. Collaborating with Swiss International worked the best for us because of the brand’s active participation and experience in the African market.

    Furthermore, Swiss International rightly balances the local African flavour with the international

    quality standards.”