KBC Channel 1

Author: Ronald Owili

  • BasiGo expansion gathers pace with third charging station in Nairobi

    BasiGo expansion gathers pace with third charging station in Nairobi

    E-mobility firm, BasiGo has began operating its third charging station for its electricity buses under the e-mobility tariff published by the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) in March this year.

    The high-power DC Fast charging station in Bururburu will be utilized by OMA Services and Embassava SACCO which operate BasiGo electric buses plying Nairobi’s Eastlands route.

    According to the e-mobility tariff, consumers are charged Ksh 16 per kilowatt hour for monthly consumption of between 200-15,000 kilowatt-hour.

    “BasiGo is proud to have our Buru Buru charging station be the first connected through the new E-mobility tariff. Every Electric Bus we deploy, and charge replaces the consumption of 20,000 litres per year of imported diesel, with the consumption of 50 MWh of clean, renewable electricity produced here in Kenya.

    With the new E-mobility tariff, we can invest in infrastructure like this charging station and enable the rapid growth of the electric vehicle industry in Kenya,” said Jit Bhattacharya.

    As of last year, Kenya had 350 registered vehicles with the number expected to skyrocket with the planned incentives by the government beginning the next financial year.

    Speaking during the launch, Kenya Power Chief Executive Officer Dr Joseph Siror said Kenya is eying the e-mobility sector to cut emission from fossil fuel engines which is expected to rise to 17pc of total emissions from the energy sector by 2030.

    “To combat this trend, the E-mobility sector ought to be supported to grow and take off in the country. Being the biggest economy in the region, an innovation hub, and a clean energy global leader, Kenya stands an unparalleled chance to become the launch pad for the rest of the continent when it comes to the growth of the EV sector,” said Dr Siror.

    BasiGo now has 3 charging sites in operation in Embakasi, Kikuyu, and now BuruBuru, with capacity to charge over 20 electric buses.

    “The facility brings efficiency to our model of operations, because of its proximity and has helped us add additional 8-10 trips in our operations, which translates to revenue of around 22,000 per day,” said George Muriithi Githinji, Chairman OMA Sacco.

    BasiGo plans to bring online additional charging stations in Nairobi and across the country to support deployment of 1000 electric buses and make its charging stations open to the public to charge electric cars and trucks by the end of this year.

  • Kenya set to secure Ksh 74.5B loan from IMF

    Kenya set to secure Ksh 74.5B loan from IMF

    The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has reached an agreement with the Kenya government for a loan amounting to Ksh 74.57 billion.

    The credit assistance is expected to help President William Ruto’s administration build economic resilience amid debt pressure and revenue shortfalls.

    The latest support from the IMF is the fifth review under the Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangements approved in 2021 to the tune of Ksh 332.91 billion ($2.43B) at the current exchange rate.

    Kenya will also receive additional Ksh 74.57 billion ($544M) from the lender under the Resilience and Sustainability Facility (RSF) arrangement bringing the total assistance under the three facilities to Ksh 482.24 billion ($3.52B), a Ksh 149.3 billion increase.

    “Upon completion of the fifth reviews by the IMF Executive Board, Kenya would have immediate access to bout Ksh 56.17 billion ($410M) including from the augmentation of access under the ECF/EFF. This would bring total IMF financial support disbursed under the EFF and ECF arrangements to about Ksh 276.32 billion ($2.017B). With the EFF/ECF augmentations and the RSF support, the total IMF commitment under these arrangements would be about Ksh 482.24 billion ($3.52B),” said Haimanot Teferra who led the IMF staff team.

    During the staff meeting with Kenyan authorities earlier this month, IMF agreed to extend EFF/ECF support by 10 months to April 2025, a move the multilateral lender says will give enough time to meet programmes objectives.

    The extension stems from Kenya’s request for a new 20-month RSF arrangement that will run in parallel with the EFF/ECF arrangements until April 2025, IMF said.

    While Kenya’s economic outlook in the medium-term is expected to remain favourable, IMF says there still significant challenges amid slow global economic growth and tight monetary conditions.

    “While agricultural output is expected to improve and food prices to come down on increased rainfall, the tighter fiscal and monetary environment to maintain macroeconomic stability will continue to weigh on growth in the year ahead,” added Teferra.

    The lender backed government’s spending terming it prudent as Kenya seeks to further reduce the fiscal deficit from the current 5.7pc to 4.1pc of GDP in the FY2023/24.

    As the government embarks on fiscal consolidation, IMF expects funding cut for some loss making state owned enterprises.

    “It will also be important to make inroads on the agenda to reform state-owned enterprises and stop the drain on budget resources stemming from, among others, Kenya Airways and Kenya Power and Lighting Company. The policy actions underway in these areas will take some time to bear fruit but will support what remains a favorable medium-term outlook for the Kenyan economy,” said IMF.

    The new loan is still subject to approval by the IMF management and consideration by the Executive Board.

  • NHIF eyes Ksh 1.07B unremitted contributions from employers

    NHIF eyes Ksh 1.07B unremitted contributions from employers

    The National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) has mounted a crackdown on employers who do not remit their monthly statutory fund.

    This exercise aims to seal the gaps in revenue collection to ensure that the funds run uninterrupted.

    NHIF acting Chief Executive Officer, Dr Sam Kuhora says the three weeks exercise targets to collect Ksh 712 million in remittance out of Ksh 1.07 billion which is yet to be paid by employers.

    Speaking at Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu during a consultative meeting with the Central Organisation of Trade Union (COTU) officials, Dr Kuhora said the move will help clear pending bills and ensure NHIF beneficiaries continue to enjoy services at all the accredited facilities.

    According to Dr Kuhora, 64pc of the national insurer’s revenue comes from workers adding that measures have been put in place to seal loopholes affecting collections.

    “We have had engagements with them through the Kenya Health Care Federation and briefed them on the status of payments and the challenges affecting the process,” said Dr Kuhora.

    The NHIF was saddened by the reports of beneficiaries being denied services due to pending bills.

    Dr Kuhora said this was a violation of contractual provisions the insurer has with the facilities assuring them that all the pending bills will be cleared.

    He further added that employer compliance remained the biggest challenge affecting revenue collections with medical fraud.

    COTU Secretary General Dr Francis Atwoli has said corruption has remained the biggest challenge in service delivery.

    He further called on NHIF to crack the whip on corruption to safeguard employee’s contributions.

    He asked for an audit of the accredited health facilities to ensure that only those that meet the threshold are allowed to operate.

  • Nakuru family seeks help to raise disabled children

    Nakuru family seeks help to raise disabled children

    A man in Nakuru County has called out to Kenyans to help him take care of his children who are living with disabilities.

    Joel Parsalaach, a fisherman in Nakuru County says without a source of income he is unable to fend for his family of nine -7 children and the wife.

    Parsalaach is seeking on well wishers to help his children have access to the social amenities, food, shelter, clothing and medication.

    The father of two says he is looking for assistive devices to help his children aged 4 and 15 with mobility.

    He also needs beddings and money for physiotherapy clinics at Kijabe Specialist Clinic which is 200 kilometers away.

    A philanthropist in Nakuru ,Divya Nitin Shah donated three wheelchairs to the family but amid looming hardships the family lost everything after being displaced by floods from the neighboring Lake Baringo.

    An official from the Education Department in Baringo County visited the family but requested to talk to the press on condition of anonymity. She said incidents of negligence toward children with special needs are on the rise in Baringo South.

    She appealed for increased public awareness about the need to avail such children to relevant authorities for timely assistance.

  • Sugarcane farmers call for tough action on condemned sugar suspects

    Sugarcane farmers call for tough action on condemned sugar suspects

    Cane farmers in western region are calling on the government to move in swiftly and arrest all suspects who participated in the release of condemned sugar which continues to be repacked in various parts of the country.

    Sugarcane growers drawn from Kisumu County and Busia County say arrest illegal sugar importers have been the biggest contributors to their current economic afflictions which have also stalled growth in the sugar industry.

    On Wednesday last week, 27 individuals including Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Managing Director Bernard Njiraini and other from KEBS, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), National Police Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Agriculture and Food Authority (AFA) were suspended over the irregular diversion and unprocedural release of the condemned sugar.

    “It is our plea that the government deals decisively with all those who have been adversely mentioned over illegal sugar importation especially the echelons at the sugar directorate and thorough investigations be launched so that truth be established on how such illegal sugar gained entry into the country because the company that has been mentioned in the case is in the first place not even legally registered to import sugar into the country,” said Richard Ogendo, a sugar farmer in Kisumu County.

    The 27 official who have since been charged are accused of releasing 20,000 bags of 50kg of the condemned sugar imported in 2018 and which had been identified as unfit for human consumption.

    “So it is in this sense that we as an organization feel that the government should not sacrifice small people but strike hard on the principal officers in charge at Kilimo House towards bettering the welfare of the ministry” noted Ogendo.

    Director of Busia Outgrowers Company Lambert Ogochi has expressed concern that some sugar that was condemned by the relevant authorities had found its way into the market.

    Ogochi lamented that factories from Western Kenya region like Busibwabo, Olepito West Kenya, Kabras and Tongaren were struggling to produce sugar yet some companies were still importing the commodity.

    “What is worrying is that there is a lot of corruption within the sugar sector,” he said, adding that repackaging of toxic sugar was taking place.

    He argued that the government knows the companies that were carrying out the vice and should crack the whip immediately.

    Ogochi urged the government to subsidize fertilizer prices as a way of motivating farmers so that the issue of cane shortage is addressed.

    Sugarcane farmers are further urging the government to consider sugar prices from the current Ksh 5,500 to Ksh 7,000 as a way of motivating farmers, fast track the Sugar Bill 2011 and facilitate the return of the Sugar Board which was the regulatory body of the sector.

    Additional reporting by KNA

  • WhatsApp to allow users to edit messages within 15 minutes Published

    WhatsApp to allow users to edit messages within 15 minutes Published

    WhatsApp says it will allow users to edit messages, in a move that will see it match a feature offered by competitors like Telegram and Signal.

    The firm says messages can be edited for up to 15 minutes after being sent.

    The instant-messaging service is part of US technology giant Meta, which also owns Facebook and Instagram.

    The feature will made be available to WhatsApp’s 2 billion users in the coming weeks. It counts India as its largest market, with 487 million users.

    “From correcting a simple misspelling to adding extra context to a message, we’re excited to bring you more control over your chats,” the messaging service said in a blog post on Monday.

    “All you need to do is long-press on a sent message and choose ‘Edit’ from the menu for up to fifteen minutes after,” it added.

    Edited messages will be tagged as “edited”, so recipients are aware that the content has been changed.

    However, they will not be shown how the message has been tweaked over time.

    WhatsApp’s announcement came after the feature was offered by messaging services Telegram and Signal.

    The edit function was introduced by social media platform Facebook almost a decade ago.

    Around that time, Facebook revealed that more than half its users accessed the site on mobile phones, which are more prone to typing errors.

    On Facebook, updates that are modified are marked as edited. A history of the edits is also available for users to view.

    Last year, Elon Musk’s social media platform Twitter said it was giving its paying subscribers the ability to edit their tweets.

    Tweets can be edited a few times in the 30 minutes after posting.

    “Tweeting will feel more approachable and less stressful,” Twitter said in a blog post at the time.

    “You should be able to participate in the conversation in a way that makes sense to you and we’ll keep working on ways that make it feel effortless to do just that,” the platform added.

    Story by BBC

  • SGR earnings from cargo haulage rises 4pc to Ksh 12.7B

    SGR earnings from cargo haulage rises 4pc to Ksh 12.7B

    The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) generated revenues totaling Ksh 12.7 billion last year which was 4pc higher than Ksh 12.2 billion the railway line earned in 2021.

    The increase in cargo haulage was due to the increase in cargo volume transported via the new line which rose from 5,407,000 tonnes in 2021 to 6,090,000 last year, a 12.6pc rise.

    According to the Economic Survey Report 2023 by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), the increase is despite container traffic through the Port of Mombasa reducing 1.9pc, from 34,661,000 to 33,880,000 tonnes last year which is attributed to a decline in import of dry bulk cargo.

    On the other line, five year old railways line also registered an increase in passenger traffic which rose 20pc last year.

    During the period under review, SGR ferried 2.4 million passengers compared to 1.99 million ferried in 2021.

    “The increase in passenger numbers resulted in a 19.6pc rise in revenue generated to Ksh 2.6 billion in 2022 from Ksh 2.2 billion in 2021,” said KNBS in the Economic Survey Report 2023.

    SGR registered a decline in revenue per tonne per kilometer which reduced from ksh 4.80 to Ksh 4.48 same as revenue per passenger per kilometer which reduced from Ksh 2.39 to Ksh 2.38.

    Nonetheless, despite billions invested in the old Meter Gauge Railway (MGR) to refurbish the track, it continues to see a drop in passenger numbers.

    The number of passengers who travelled via the railway dropped 23.7pc to just 3.4 million last year from 4.5 million which KNBS says was mainly attributed to a decline in the number of passengers using Nairobi Commuter Railway (NCR).

    “Consequently, passenger revenue from MGR decreased by 20.9pc from Ksh 234 million in 2021 to Ksh 185 million in 2022.

  • China bans major chip maker Micron from key infrastructure projects

    China bans major chip maker Micron from key infrastructure projects

    China says products made by US memory chip giant Micron Technology are a national security risk.

    The country’s cyberspace regulator announced on Sunday that America’s biggest maker of memory chips poses “serious network security risks”.

    It means the firm’s products will be banned from key infrastructure projects in the world’s second largest economy.

    It is China’s first major move against a US chip maker, as tensions increase between Beijing and Washington.

    The announcement is the latest development in a deepening row between the US and China over the technology crucial to economies around the world.

    The long-running dispute has seen Washington impose a series of measures against Beijing’s chip making industry and invest billions of dollars to boost America’s semiconductor sector.

    In a statement, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) said: “The review found that Micron’s products have serious network security risks, which pose significant security risks to China’s critical information infrastructure supply chain, affecting China’s national security.”

    The CAC did not give details of the risks it said it had found or in which Micron products it had found them.

    A Micron spokesperson confirmed to the BBC that the company had “received the CAC’s notice following its review of Micron products sold in China”.

    “We are evaluating the conclusion and assessing our next steps. We look forward to continuing to engage in discussions with Chinese authorities,” they added.

    In response, the US government said it would work with allies to address what it called “distortions of the memory chip market caused by China’s actions”.

    “We firmly oppose restrictions that have no basis in fact,” a US Commerce Department spokesperson said.

    “This action, along with recent raids and targeting of other American firms, is inconsistent with [China’s] assertions that it is opening its markets and committed to a transparent regulatory framework.”

    The CAC’s announcement came a day after a G7 leaders meeting in Japan issued a joint statement which criticised China, including its use of “economic coercion”.

    On Sunday, US President Joe Biden said G7 nations were looking to “de-risk and diversify our relationship with China”.

    “That means taking steps to diversify our supply chains,” he added.

    Micron chief executive Sanjay Mehrotra attended the summit in Hiroshima as part of a group of business leaders.

    Last week, the company said it would invest around 500bn yen ($3.6bn; £2.9bn) to develop technology in Japan.