Latest News & Announcements

Telecoms regulator, the Communications Authority of Kenya has set up a messaging service to identify genuine mobile phones in the country. “In furtherance of its consumer protection mandate, the Authority has set up a Mobile Messaging Service to aid users in ascertaining whether the mobile phone handsets they own or are about to purchase are genuine,” they said in a notice.

All Ugandans aged six years and above will be given free face masks in a bid to protect themselves against the coronavirus, President Yoweri Museveni has said. “This mask must be worn all the time when you are in public. Whether you are sneezing, talking or coughing. Since many people raised the issue that they cannot afford these masks, the government has decided to provide these masks to all Ugandans (aged) six years and above,” Mr Museveni said in a televised address.

South Korea to donate 100 million dollars to countries with vulnerable public health systems. "Korea will collaborate across borders to ensure that vaccines are distributed equally among all countries as a public good." What are you views on this? Which countries are these termed as having vulnerable public health systems? Leave your comments below.

With turf wars over face masks and other personal protective equipment not yet over, the battle over who will be the first to get a COVID-19 vaccine seems to have begun. Earlier this week, Paul Hudson, CEO of French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi, told Bloomberg News that if Sanofi develops a vaccine, doses would likely go to Americans first. Hudson said this was understandable, given the U.S. had financially supported its research.

Kenyatta University has announced a suspension of salaries for staff on contract due to what it terms a decline in revenue attributed to the Covid-19 outbreak which has paralysed services in higher learning institutions. In an internal memo dated May 15, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof Fatuma Chege said staff on three-month contracts are paid using proceeds of the university’s income generating activities (IGAs).

Banks, saccos and micro-finance lenders now face a fine of Sh2 million for every defaulter they deny loans to for being listed negatively with the country’s credit reference bureaus (CRBs). This new regulation represents a fresh attempt to unlock credit to firms and workers hard hit by effects of coronavirus pandemic. The Treasury has introduced the fine in regulations aimed at cleaning up the CRBs blacklist and enhancing borrowers’ chances of being able to borrow more.

Thousands of health workers on Sunday agreed to suspend a strike notice that was to start Monday after reaching a deal with the government. The health workers’ leaders had held talks with the Ministry of Health officials on Friday and agreed to push forward the strike by 21 days to give room for discussion.

The Kenya Bureau of Standards(KEBS) has suspended the permits of 8 local hand sanitizer brands for failing to meet its requirements. In a statement, the regulatory body said the brands were identified after constant surveillance and were effectively banned for being potentially harmful to consumers.

“KEBS shall continue to undertake market surveillance and factory inspections. Substandard products found will be seized for destruction at the expense of the owner in addition to any other legal action as provided under the law,” the statement said.

Nairobi National Park has been shrinking with government and private developers slowly eating away areas GAZETTED for conservation. It's a story of forces that ranges from GREED to ABSURD. Animals have been squeezed into a corner. #BesiegedParadise was featured this past Sunday @ 9PM Citizen TV Kenya with @enocksikolia

Weed preventing COVID-19? That high hope seemed to rise from this headline: "Cannabis May Stop Coronavirus From Infecting People, Study Finds." The headline appeared on an article on MerryJane.com that was widely shared on Facebook. But readers should not get too excited.The post was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)