Diamond Platinumz’ record label Wasafi Classic Baby - WCB on the spot after the Controller and  Auditor General (CAG) of Tanzania revealed the music company was illegally awarded a government tender.

Addressing reporters on Thursday 8, 2021 in Dodoma CAG Charles Kichere said Ministry of Tourism awarded Sh140 million to WCB without documentation. The said amount is equivalent to over Ksh 6 million.

The ministry paid the stipulated amount for artists to promote tourism through the Tanzania Heritage Month (Urithi)  festival  in 6 provinces in the Swahili-speaking nation.

The festival is an annual fete that promotes tourism in the country through culture and celebrating Tanzanians heritage.

“The ministry paid Sh140 million to Wasafi company. However, there was no contract signed between the two parties or any accountability of WCB’s services,” said Kichere.

Adding " This is totally against the law governing the  use of public funds"

AG Kichere noted that the transaction was against the Tanzanian law that governs use of public funds.

Wasafi Company are yet to comment on the AG’s observations.

The AG also outlined a deficit that occurred during the inauguration of Urithi festival.

According to the AG, there were no official documents to enhance investigate the usage of funds in the said festival.

The AG revealed that two leading broadcast companies in the country received a total of Sh600 million to air the festival. However, there were no receipts to show the said transactions.

He further disclosed an undocumented transfer of Sh487 million to 7 unnamed institutions that were to facilitate the festival. .

“There are insufficient documents to support the disbursement and usage of Sh585 million aimed at promoting tourism and the ministry has failed to back the legitimacy of the payments,” said AG Kichere.  

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta has applauded the role nurses play in promoting primary healthcare.

The First Lady appreciated the sacrifices nurses make to deliver maternal and child health services especially during this COVID-19 period.

“That is why we shall be appreciating nurses who have been on the frontline working during the pandemic at the Beyond Zero Summit to be held in September this year.

“They have been exceptional. They have worked tirelessly and sacrificed themselves as dedicated caregivers,” she said.

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta spoke Thursday during a virtual Beyond Zero technical working group meeting. The meeting drew participants from the Ministry of Health, National Aids Control Council (NACC), National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP), development and implementing partners as well as civil society organizations.

At the same time, the First Lady reaffirmed her commitment to continue contributing towards the improvement of Kenya's health system.

“Beyond Zero will focus on investment at the primary health level through the refurbishment of community life centres,” the First Lady said.

She commended members of the technical working group, saying their contribution has been crucial to the success of Beyond Zero's work of promoting the health and wellbeing of women, children and adolescents.

“Our successes have been many and the impact has been encouraging. There has been positive transformation in reducing preventable maternal and child deaths.

“The clarion call that 'no woman should die while giving life' remains central to Beyond Zero’s work,” First Lady Margaret Kenyatta said.

Beyond Zero's programs are guided by two blueprints, the Strategic Framework on Engagement for HIV Control and Promotion of Maternal Child Health of 2013 to 2017 and the Strategic Framework for the Engagement of the First Lady in the Promotion of Healthy Lives and Wellbeing of Women, Children and Adolescents of 2018 to 2022.

NACC Chief Executive Officer Dr Ruth Masha, in a speech read by Deputy Director Dr Emmy Chesire, expressed optimism that technical interventions and coordination will help in the elimination of mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis in the country.

“I am hopeful that through technical interventions and collaborations with county governments, we will reduce the mother to child transmission of HIV and syphilis from double digits to single digits in the next two years,” Dr Masha said.

She added that Kenya desires to join the rest of the world where HIV and syphilis transmission rates from mother to child has been sustained at below 5 percent.

County First Ladies Association Chairperson Maria Mbeneka, who is also the First Lady of Laikipia County, briefed the meeting on the achievement of 'empower clinics' in combating the spread of cancer, especially among women.

Other speakers included Chief of Staff in the Office of the First Lady Ms Constance Gakonyo, Beyond Zero Coordinator Angella Langat and Kenya Medical Training College Manager of Inter-Governmental Relations Dr Leah Bii among others.

President Uhuru Kenyatta today opened a new Government small arms factory in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

The Shs 4 billion factory, with a single-shift annual production capacity 12,000 assault rifles, is part of a broad multi-agency natonal security industries strategy. The factory draws 60 percent of its input from local sources.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, the President said Kenya seeks to enhance her self-reliance in security through local production of equipment and technologies in line with the Big 4 Agenda and Vision 2030.

He pointed out that the arms factory, will lower the cost of acquiring weapons for Kenya's security agencies and establish a sustainable national security industrial base that provides jobs for the Kenyan youth.

“This ground breaking initiative will allow us to lay the foundation for addressing the high cost of weapons acquisition, free us from the complex foreign export approval processes currently in place, provide Kenya with greater security sector independence and flexibility, and allow Kenya to design and produce high-quality weapons, customized to our unique needs and operating environments,” President Kenyatta said.

The Head of State commended the multi-agency security team overseeing the project for setting up the self-sustaining factory at a fraction of what the open market had proposed.

“I am also pleased to note that the diligence of our security organs has delivered this project well under budget, with the project having been completed at a cost of about Ksh.4 billion against private sector quotes of Ksh.15 billion, a saving of Ksh.11 billion," the President said.

Through the arms factory, the President said Kenya plans to create a weapons manufacturing surplus that will transform the country into an exporter of security equipment.

“This will not only boost our balance of trade position, it will also create employment for thousands of Kenyans, in addition to creating a skills and technology environment that will drive transformation in civilian industries,” he said.

President Kenyatta said the Government's decision to set up the arms factory was encouraged by Kenya's success in the local manufacture of some of the equipment needed in the national response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

"As with pharmaceuticals, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and medical equipment generally; Kenya has identified a compelling urgency to create  domestic production and this also applies to the security sector equipment in order to free our country from the vagaries of international supply chain systems,” the President said.

President Kenyatta encouraged the leadership of the the factory, which draws 60 percent of its input from local sources, to continue adhering to international best practises and standards so as to ensure that it runs optimally by tapping into foreign technologies and knowhow.

By so doing, the President said the company will be able to synergize and leverage on economies of scale, expand market access for its products, and create and protect local jobs.

“The company must continue to invest in research and development, skills and technology transfer, secure international sub-contracting, production under license, multinational co-development and co-production, and the use of intellectual property rights to secure designs and processes,” the President advised.

Interior CS Dr Fred Matiang’i noted that the local manufacture of small arms will help eliminate exploitative brokers and cartels in the supply of weaponry, who he said, enrich themselves by manipulating the Government tendering system.

 “In our country, I have come to learn from my short tour of duty that if Covid-19 or HIV/AIDS does not kill us, the disease that will kill us is middlemanism,” CS Matiang'i said.

At the launch, attended by Kenya's top security chiefs led by Chief of Defence Forces General Robert Kibochi, the Interior CS observed that the country's security sector has suffered substantially from middlemen who supply equipment at highly inflated prices.

The Port of Mombasa handled 9.54 million tons in the first quarter of the year 2021 compared to 8.62 million tons in a similar period last year recording 10.7 percent growth rate.

During the period under review (January to March 2021), the Port also witnessed increased volumes in container traffic registering 389,515 TEUs against 340,812 TEUs recorded in a similar period in 2020. Transshipment traffic recorded 69,658 TEUs against 41,363 TEUs during the corresponding period in 2020.

The container traffic translates to an increase of 48,703 TEUs or 14.3 percent while transshipment traffic registered a growth of 28,295 TEUs or 68.4 percent. 

According to a statement from KPA, total imports during the quarter recorded 162,504 TEUs up from 151,998 TEUs in the corresponding period January-March 2020, registering a growth of 6.9 percent.

Equally, exports registered an upsurge by 6.8 percent from 146,049 TEUs in 2020 to 156,007 TEUs during the similar period in 2021.

The month of March 2021 boosted the Port of Mombasa’s performance registering a marked growth in both conventional and containerized cargo.  A total of 3.48 million tons were recorded in the month of March 2021 against 2.71 million tons realized in the corresponding month in 2020, representing a positive performance of 768,453 tons or 28.4 %.

The performance was mainly attributed to increase in handling of Wheat and Clinker cargo within the month compared to the same period in 2020.

For container traffic, the Port recorded a positive increment of 31,261 TEUs or 30.4% to register 133,904 TEUs in March 2021 against 102,643 TEUs witnessed in March 2020.

KPA acting Managing Director, Rashid Salim, noted that the month of February 2021 has been captured as the highest performer ever in terms of daily average container throughput traffic with 4,662 TEUs beating the record daily average throughput of 4,279 TEUs recorded in July 2019.

The Managing Director added that for Standard Gauge Railway (SGR), the month of March 2021 has gone on record as the highest ever with 25,104 TEUs which is an average of 8.32 trains per day beating the daily record average of 8.1 trains recorded in February 2021.

Meanwhile, container vessel MV SL Tweety made her maiden call at the Port of Mombasa yesterday where she discharged 769 TEUs at Berth No.16.

The ship with a length overall (LOA) of 212 meters and capacity of 2,450 TEUs is owned by Volta Shipping Line, the local agent being Magellan Logistics.

The Ship Master Capt.  Vitaly Ochilov appreciated the Authority’s commitment on ensuring timely and quality port services and the mitigating measures in place against the Covid-19 pandemic to protect shippers, port workers and cargo interveners.

The Captain was briefed on the port’s ongoing capacity expansion programs including the ongoing construction of the second phase of the Second Container Terminal which will bring onboard additional annual capacity of 450,000 TEUs.

Captain Ochilov expressed gratitude saying that he looks forward to frequently calling at the Port of Mombasa.

Magellan Logistics Director for East Africa Mr. Sankar Venugopal, said the vessel which is part of Jambo service of Volta Shipping services will be calling at the Port of Mombasa on monthly basis with local containers, transit and transhipment cargo.

Another container carrier, Cimbria, of Diamond Shipping Line, operated by Gold Star Line Limited is scheduled to make her maiden call at the Port of Mombasa on April 24,2021.

Bongo Fleva singer Bernard Paul Mnyang’anga aka Ben Pol has reportedly filed for Divorced in a Tanzanian court, against his Kenyan wife Anerlisa Muigai.

According to a leading Tanzanian online media outlet Millardayo.com, the cause of the divorce is still not yet clear.

The two got married in a secret ceremony held in Daresalaam on May last year (2020).

A quick look into Arnelisa's Instagram account reveals that she unfollowed Ben Pol and deleted any photos she had on her profile with him including engagement photos. 

She has also dropped Ben Pol's surname 'Mnyang'anga' which she had also adopted as her name on Instagram.

October last year (2020) Ben Pol converted to Islam and changed his name to Behnam Paul Mnyang'anga.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/buzz/item/1808-benpol-converts-to-islam

Kenyan designer, Zedekiah Lukoye ( Zeddie Loky) of Blkburd Genes has apologized after printing a T-shirt with an image of Lamu's Riyadha Mosque.

This follows uproar from the mosque’s management and a section of muslims from Lamu county after American rapper and business mogul Jay Z was recently spotted wearing the T-shirt.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/buzz/item/2120-riyadha-mosque-management-angry-after-jay-z-donned-t-shirt-with-the-mosque-s-image

In a letter sent to Riyadh Mosque Secretary General Abubakar Badawy, the designer said he was sorry for using the image of the mosque confessing that he was unaware during research and design stage that portrayal of the mosque on the T-shirts would be perceived as sacrilegous.

"I must confess we were unaware during research and design period that theportrayal of the mosque on our tees will end up in sacrilegious joints and we appreciate you brought the matter to our attention. In this respect, we are willing to make this right with you. we will make sure to remove all the inappropriate portrayal Riyadha Mosque Lamu on our T-shirt." Mr Loky says in the letter.

Adding "We have alerted our friends and family whom received this design to that deserves the respect to respect the dignity of the Mosque, its Founder, to the congregation, and the general Muslim community within and outside Lamu by not wearing it in bars nor clubs if they happen to decide to wear it."

He further stated that the company will stop producing the T-shirts.

"Since we only produced 20 tees for some of our celebrity friends and family, we would not be reprinting this design anymore and have a different design. On top of that we would like to frame this entire collection and have it at the Museum for exhibition and storage for public to get to bring awareness of our work and continue to appreciate what we are doing." he states.

The famous Riyadha Mosque was constructed in 1892, in 2018 the government of Kenya through the ministry of tourism declared it a national monument under the national museums and heritage act.

Not even a global pandemic has been able to stop Africa’s amazing voices from being heard.

Season two of Old Mutual Amazing Voices singing competition is on its way to the TV screens across Africa from 11 April 2021.

Since the announcement of the return of season two last year, 546 entries flooded in for the audition phase, in which the top 10 acapella groups from Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa will be selected to experience the gruelling judging process as they display their passion and determination competing for the whopping US$ 100 000 grand prize. 

It all began in October 2020, when all entrants submitted online videos. After an initial screening process, Africa’s top unsigned talent attended closed auditions before celebrity selectors in their home countries.

The in-country selectors and assistants included 

•       Nigeria: E-Kelly / Aramide  

•       Ghana: Pauline Odduro / Reggie Rockstone 

•         Kenya: Sanapei Tande / Ted Josiah  

•         Zimbabwe:Thembalami Tagwire / Misred 

•         South Africa:Buhlebendalo Mda / Morena Sefatsa 

The top 10 groups, two from each country, will then set out for South Africa were they will undergo an intense musical, educational, and inspirational bootcamp at Sun City. 

During an intense three weeks, while living in a Covid bubble, the groups, of four, six and eight members, are put through their paces as they prepare for the final phase sing-off by having their vocal and performance abilities perfected by a team of experts. 

Their journey to stardom will be closely monitored by the experienced judging table from each of the countries and supported by the show advisor Zwai Bala. 

The talented judges table includes: Zimbabwe’s afro-pop and RnB singer/songwriter, Ammara Brown Kenya’s Filah Tuju, renowned as a performer, voice coach, writer and producer and founder of a Music Academy, Ghana’s Trigmatic, a multi-award winning rapper, composer and songwriter, South Africa’s Vusi Nova, the best afro album and best male awards winner.

Nigeria’s Evelle, a previous Nigeria Idols winner, singer and collaborator 

All the drama and the build-up of one of Africa’s premier musical shows will be shared with a pan-African TV audience when Amazing Voices season two premiers on Sunday, 11 April 2021: 

Simulcast on Mzansi Magic and Mzansi Wethu in South Africa at 17:00 Zambezi Magic in Zimbabwe at 17:00 Africa Magic in Ghana at 15:00 Maisha Magic East in Kenya at 18:00 Africa Magic in Nigeria at 16:00.

“Music is universal language and passion for millions of Africans. As one of Africa's most respected brands, Old Mutual has, for many years, championed positive futures for all our stakeholders. .” says Carol Kipsanai, Group Head of Marketing and Communications - UAP Old Mutual. 

Adding “ One of the sectors benefiting from Old Mutual’s ongoing support is musicians and performers We encourage them to learn career management skills as well as the personal financial skills they need to survive and succeed in a highly competitive business,”

Despite the collective trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Idahams shined through with his Man On Fire EP, a collective of songs to comfort his audience who were in desperate need of encouragement.

From the mid-tempo bounce of “Ada” to the definitive air of “Man on Fire” and the addictiveness of “Shima,” Idahams showed his ability to mix African sounds with pop.

On the deluxe version of Man On Fire,  he retains the best bits of last year’s run with more star power, calling on Falz for a remix of the titular track.

The rapper brings his signature wit and charm to the track, fitting into the song’s narrative while maintaining the same song scheme that made it such a well-received anthem.

The other additions to the album are  “Belle,” where Idahams’ blunted voice coats his mischievous edge while “God When” dabbles into the aspirational over its 3:00 course, serving as a spiritual follow-up to 2018’s “No One Else.”

On this deluxe, Idahams updates some of 2020’s high points with more emotive highs and textured singing.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said that the Covid-19 pandemic has worsened the impact of climate change on African economies noting that the continent's GDP had, for the first time in 25 years, dropped by over three percent in 2020.

"We do this in recognition of the fact that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate change and climate variability, a situation aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic." President Kenyatta said.

Adding "Multiple systemic shocks are now simultaneously threatening African communities: a health crisis, an economic crisis, and a food security crisis, all compounded by the climate change crisis,".

He noted that Covid-19 had driven over 40 million Africans into extreme poverty, adding that African countries will require improved access to finance to be able to restart their economies and embark on a low carbon, resilient and inclusive recovery.

The Head of State spoke Tuesday evening at State House, Nairobi during a virtual leaders' dialogue on the African Covid-Climate Emergency organised by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) and the African Development Bank (AfDB).

President Kenyatta emphasized the need for climate action that supports sustainable development and post Covid-19 green recovery plans to build back better saying, Kenya loses three percent of its GDP annually to climate change.

He told the high level meeting that was co-chaired by GCA Chairperson Ban Ki-moon and President of AfDB Akinwumi Adesina that Kenya had deployed significant national resources to scale up climate change adaptation efforts.

"Kenya’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) provides a comprehensive overview of adaptation priorities, with an estimated implementation cost of US$ 4.4billion per year.

"While we can realistically mobilize domestic resources to meet 13% of this cost, we would need our external partners to support us fund the remaining 87%," President Kenyatta said.

For Africa to achieve its climate change adaptation agenda, President Kenyatta called for more private sector participation and support from development partners.

"I must underscore on the need to leverage on the private sector and international finance, if we are to achieve this Climate Adaptation agenda.  It is only through partnerships that we can strengthen and accelerate resilience on the Continent," he said.

President Kenyatta commended AfDB and GCA for spearheading the Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) saying the initiative will assist African countries to address climate change better.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guteress called for stronger financial commitments from developed nations to support climate change mitigation and adaptation programs in the developing world.

US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, who represented President Joe Biden, reiterated America's commitment to the Paris Agreement and vouched for a balance between economic growth and climate change mitigation.

Ndume is one of Kenya’s fast-rising Conscious hip-hop musicians and dancers of this decade.

He has excelled in songwriting and dancing severally and has worked with the likes of Viki Pondis, Teddy B and Alexis on the Beat. You may also know Ndume from being in one of the most successful dance groups known as Flamerz Dance Crew who have won multiple awards countrywide.

However, in 2015, Ndume hung his dancing boots to focus on music and has since then released a number of singles such as Stuck Like Glue, Nakutazamia, Haya, Pepeta featuring Mr Seed among other hits.

For his latest single, Ndume has teamed up with Kaka Empire for this classic titled NYORORO which features super talented singer and producer Bern Mziki. 

The mid-tempo song was produced by Bern Mziki with the visuals directed by Ambia Jannii

The song is brilliantly written to provoke your thoughts on various issues in your life. Speaking on the inspiration behind the song, Ndume had this to say.

“For Healing to take Place, acceptance must come first, kicking off the road to recovery, this song was inspired by the daily challenges and fights that most If not all youth Face. From battling drug addiction, pornography addiction (now on the rise due to the Pandemic) to battling with yourself influenced by faith. " he says.

Adding "NYORORO is to Encourage you that there is hope, that you are not alone, that you can talk about it without being judged. We are all human, we all have demons we battle, but we shall overcome. we shall win.”

Watch NYORORO on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IkY4-4ocLQ