In a vibrant celebration of Africa's rich culinary heritage and its commitment to sustainable farming practices, Sarova Panafric, one of East Africa's premier hotels, is hosting a grand event to mark the International Year of Millets.

The special occasion that kicked off on June 17, 2023, at their iconic Flame Tree Restaurant, is paying homage to the versatile and nutritious millet grain, which has been a staple in African diets for thousands of years.

“These ancient grains are delicious and rich in nutrients, making them a sustainable choice for a healthier future. We encourage all our customers, within and without the country, to make their way here and have a lifetime experience,” said Sarova Panafric in a statement.

As guests enter the beautifully decorated restaurant, the air is filled with the tantalizing aroma of traditional African dishes.

The vibrant colors and flavors of the carefully crafted millet-based delicacies hinted at a culinary journey that would captivate the senses.

At the heart of this occasion is a commitment to promoting the use of millets in modern cuisine, highlighting their nutritional value and ecological benefits.

The International Year of Millets is aimed to raise awareness about these ancient grains, emphasizing their significance in achieving food security, improving nutrition, and promoting sustainable agriculture.

“At Sarova Panafric, we never abandon our African roots. Our offerings are deeply anchored on them and this is what we offer our customers. We are always striving to give our guests our best,” said the iconic restaurant.

The carefully selected ingredients, sourced from local farmers, highlighted Sarova Panafric's commitment to supporting sustainable agricultural practices and empowering local communities as well as businesses.

The one-week-long event is expected to come to an end on June 23, 2023 with the facility hoping to have driven the point home of how important this African grain is.

ACTOM, a market-leading supplier of electrical equipment and services, will take over a low-voltage product manufacturing facility in Kenya from existing technology partner Schneider Electric a move that will facilitate ACTOM’s industrial expansion into East Africa.

ACTOM CEO, Mervyn Naidoo, explains that the company is planning to establish industrial hubs in East, West, and eventually even North Africa that will provide a platform for the broader ACTOM portfolio of products and services in these regions.

Its takeover of the Kenyan manufacturing facility will provide the company with an entry point into East Africa, where it plans to target the Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Ethiopia markets.

Naidoo says ACTOM has an extensive range of Intellectual Property (IP) in low-, medium-, and high-voltage products. These span a wide spectrum of transmission and distribution products, as well as power generation and associated products.

“We intend to use the industrial platform in Kenya to enter the East African market with our products and services. We want to expand to Kenya, where we will transfer IP and, where economically feasible, set up manufacturing and establish our repair business there,” says Naidoo.

Adding “This will be a platform for the broader ACTOM group to not only enter the East African market but also to embrace East African economies where we will employ people and use our IP to get actively involved, thus also growing both ACTOM South Africa and ACTOM Kenya.”

He notes that the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) presents numerous opportunities for intercontinental trade, especially within the economies of countries like Kenya and Tanzania, which are growing at 4%-plus annually.

“Based on this, we expect that there will be significant demand for our products. As such, we plan to transfer our full scope of products and services into the African markets. Our offerings will be linked to demand, with demand in the region driving the prioritisation of what goes into the market first,” says Naidoo.

ACTOM celebrates its 120th anniversary this year and currently manufactures products that range from boilers to control equipment, uninterrupted power supplies, LED lighting, solar heating systems, transformers, switchgear, and turnkey EPC solutions.

The company also provides full aftermarket repair and service solutions to its customers.

Speaking on the partnership, Carol Koech, Country President at Schneider Electric in Kenya says that the move to transfer the manufacturing and assembly plant in Kenya to ACTOM allows Schneider Electric to focus on positioning the company with key technology partners, as it continues to strengthen its strategic ambition to prioritise its digital offerings, software, and services to in turn enhance its service offering to its customers.

“The move allows Schneider Electric to focus on expanding its reach in Eastern Africa, commercialising more offers, and growing its partner network to serve its customers with more technology and competitive value,” says Carol.

The Government has urged the international community, donor groups and development partners to commit higher purchases of relief food for refugees to local farmers.

Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi has challenged the international community to increase relief food off take from Kenyan farmers saying the need for integration is important in supporting host communities.

He regretted that Kenyan farmers have been neglected while supporting the refugees and are struggling to sell their produce.

“One of the biggest debates we have had in Kenya for quite sometime is that when supporting the refugees, the Kenyan farmer has been neglected. We sometimes always grapple about the price of maize, wheat and what it takes,” said Mudavadi, during a forum to mark World Refugee Day, held in a Nairobi hotel.

According to Mudavadi, one of the pleas Government has always made is that within the package of providing relief food for either refugees or the needy groups, the international community should also embrace and commit higher purchases from the local farmers to feed these communities.

“It is sometimes tragic when we see that the farmer in Kenya is struggling to sell his/her maize but we are steadily importing all the grain to feed these refugee camps from elsewhere so the support goes to another farmer but it does not come to the host farmer,” regretted Mudavadi.

He added: “…So within the framework of your reorganization, I pitch for the Kenyan farmer so that when you are supplying that relief support please think of how you can increase the off take from the Kenyan farmer.”

Currently, Kenya is the 13th largest refugee hosting nation in the world and fifth in Africa.

According to Mudavadi, some 612, 413 registered refugees and asylum seekers are hosted in Kenya, out of which, 84 per cent are resident in the camps while the balance is in urban areas.

Somali, South Sudan and the DRC are the top three sources of Kenya’s refugee population with 56 per cent, 30 per cent and 7 per cent respectively.

There are also 94,417 refugees mainly in our major towns of Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru and Eldoret among others.

He said Kenya is managing refugees through encampment policy where refugees reside in two camps namely Kakuma and Dadaab.

The PCS however stated that the care and maintenance approach has not supported effective leverage of the social-economic potential of the refugees.

He said it has not purposed to tap into the refugees’ enormous potential to support the growth of host regions and the management of adverse environmental impact of the refugees’ presence.

“The administration is fully aware of the need to give full focus and attention to sustainable refugee management. Soon, the regulations to operationalize the Refugee Act 2021 will be tabled in Parliament for necessary approval and enactment,” Mudavadi said.

He affirmed that the Government is keen to create an enabling environment that supports socio-economic inclusion of refugees and the collective efforts to build the resilience of host communities.

Last year, he said the Government re-gazetted the Ifo2 and Kambios Camps and registration of members of the Somali Community has commenced.

Similarly, he said Kenya has reopened its border Somalia and established three border points to serve not only as entry points, business, trade and tourism interests but also genuine asylum seekers.

“It is important to recognise the global shift in refugee management. Host countries are increasingly turning into settlements for refugees. This approach has two aims: to reduce reliance on humanitarian help from host governments and other humanitarian agencies, and to make refugees self-reliant and important players in the growth of host countries’ economy,” he stated.  

Mudavadi said Kenya cannot be an exception to this trend, even as he reiterated the Government’s to transform refugee camps into integrated settlements.

“By promoting the socio-economic inclusion of refugees, we are collectively preparing them for the eventual voluntary repatriation to their home countries,” he affirmed.

To anchor this shift, the government developed a Marshal Plan “Shirika Plan” last year to provide relevant policy and implementation roadmap.  

According to Mudavadi, the Plan will ensure that host communities in Turkana and Garissa benefit from additional development support.

It will also promote peaceful coexistence between refugees and host communities and save host centres from turning into ghost towns when refugees eventually leave.

He cited Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-economic Development Plan in Turkana and the Garissa Integrated Socio-economic Development Plan as examples of social-economic inclusion of refugees.

He urged the international community and private sector to increase financial and technical support to promote the socio-economic inclusion of refugees.

“The policy commitments the Government is making will only yield desired results with your enhanced support. Building the necessary self-reliance and resilience for refugees and host communities obliges us to dedicate more financial and material investments that the government, alone, cannot meet,” he stated.

As a conducive environment for refugees is created in Kenya country, he said other viable solutions should also be explored.

He emphasized on ensuring peace and stability in refugees’ countries of origin as integral to a realistic quest for refugees’ settlement.

Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir officially launched the program on Saturday morning at the Coast General Hospital (CGTRH) where he assured Mombasa residents that the program will be initiated via free  medical camps throughout all the 30 wards.

The camps kicked off today in Mvita constituency's CGTRH, Kadarbouy Dispensary, Mvita clinic, Railways Mazagazaga and Tudor sub county hospital respectively. 

The governor is set to continue with the second phase of the project tomorrow in Likoni constituency.

"I promised to bring all the families in Mombasa County under the cover of NHIF so we could bring an end to financial crises that are caused by illness affecting our loved ones. This NHIF super cover will enable you and your dependents to access medical care free of charge in your public health facilities." said Nassir.

Adding "These camps will cover basic illnesses to complicated diseases and for those not treatable in the camps, they will be attended to in our hospitals all for free. Our plan will benefit up to 100,000 individuals spread equally across the county.

Nassir called on the residents to to turn out in numbers for the camps.

Chewani ward member of County Assembly Hamisi Iddi died in a grisly road accident in Kanagoni area on the Garsen-Malindi highway on Saturday morning.

Until his untimely death, the legislator was the minority leader in the county Assembly of Tana-River.

According to police reports, the MCA died on the spot.

"The Party and the People of Chewani ward have lost a focused and dedicated leader who put the interests of his people first." reads a statement from UDA party.

Adding " During this moment of grief, we pray for the soul of the departed, his family, and the people of Chewani ward.

Idd was a first-term county elected MCA under a UDA party ticket.

Before his election, he served as a bodyguard for the governor of Tana River.

The fourth edition of the Pwani Innovation Week has been slated for October 2 to 6 at the Swahilipot Hub in Mombasa.

The organisers of the tech fair, Swahilipot Hub Foundation and Mombasa County Government alongside other partners announced that this year’s edition will happen at various destinations around the region with the heart of events being at the Swahilipot Hub Foundation.

Speaking during the media launch of the event, Swahilipot Hub founder Mahmoud Noor said that the tech fair aims to help create a widespread culture of innovation and stimulate the innovation ecosystem in the region.

This year’s edition has been themed ‘Sailing beyond borders; Empowering youth in the digital economy for a sustainable future’.

“This year’s edition will see the exchange of ideas on business enterprise solutions, interactive forum discussions on the Pwani’s economy, talks on education & skills development, exhibitions among other activities all aimed at ensuring youth in the Pwani region of East Africa are constantly connected to opportunities for economic growth,” said Noor. 

Noor said that Swahilipot Hub Foundation and Mombasa County Government are dedicated to supporting the youth in overcoming challenges and thriving in the Ecosystem.

He said that through strategic partnerships with communities, government entities, public/private sectors, development partners and the academia, they can leverage the strengths and diversity of individuals from all backgrounds to empower young people and enhance their quality of life.

He added that with a strong commitment to inclusivity, cooperation, self-reliance, and respect for diversity, it allows young individuals to take charge of their journey, while making long-term investments, forging partnerships, and fostering a vibrant culture of youth engagement in all aspects of development.

“The societies of the present and future depend on an empowered youth to imagine these into being. Youth must also be provided with the right ecosystem for this imagination to thrive and rise to contend with factors like climate change, high levels of unemployment, poverty, and conflicts that threaten this future,” Noor said.

The objectives of the innovation week he said includes showcasing the East Africa's Pwani region innovation potential, enhancing driving economic growth, fostering collaboration, and addressing regional challenges.

Other objectives he said include encouraging local participation through empowerment, including the creation of a vibrant innovation ecosystem and the retention of local talent in the region, and to also attract investment through its unique industries and rich biodiversity and promote the East Africa's coastal region visibility.

The Swahilipot Hub Foundation head of communications Suhayl Hamid said that one of the foreseen outcome of the tech week is the establishment of partnerships between startups, investors, academia and government agencies.

This he said will result in increased job creation, investment opportunities, and overall economic development.

“We foresee empowerment and ownership among the local participants, ultimately contributing to the long-term growth and sustainability of Innovations, startups of the Pwani Region of East Africa,” said Hamid.

He added that they hope to champion and achieve policy recommendations to further develop the economy of the East African coastal region and also hope to launch of partner initiatives to enhance the development of innovative ideas and capabilities.

“Through the realization of these objectives, the Pwani Innovation Week, facilitates economic prosperity, social empowerment, and positions the Pwani region of East Africa as a hub for innovation and progress on both regional and international platforms which contributes to the long-term development and sustainability,” Hamid said.

The week-long event will entail a number of activities including innovation challenge and hackathons, training bootcamps and workshops, keynote speeches and panel discussions, women in Tech, Ubunifu zone (Exhibition) and cultural identity and digital spaces.

King Kaka is thrilled to announce the release of his highly anticipated music video titled "Nairobi," featuring the sensational Halisi the Band.

This visually stunning masterpiece captures the essence and energy of the vibrant city, paying homage to its unique culture and people.

"Nairobi" is an anthem that showcases the rich diversity and creativity found within Kenya's capital.

King Kaka's exceptional artistry, combined with the soulful melodies and electrifying performances of Halisi the Band, promises to take listeners on an extraordinary journey through the heart and soul of Nairobi.

The video, which was shot and directed by JijoDrumBeats, captured various iconic spots throughout the city.

With stunning cinematography and meticulous attention to detail, viewers will experience the bustling streets, the thriving arts scene, and the resilient nature of the people who call Nairobi home.

The collaboration between King Kaka and Halisi the Band brings together two great talents in the Kenyan music industry.

King Kaka, known for his lyrical prowess and thought-provoking storytelling, has garnered widespread acclaim for his contributions to African hip-hop.

Meanwhile, Halisi the Band has captivated audiences with their soulful sounds and passionate performances. 

"Nairobi" not only showcases the immense talent of King Kaka and Halisi the Band but also serves as a tribute to the city's thriving music scene.

The video exemplifies the beauty of unity and collaboration, as it brings together various artists and performers from different genres, symbolising the diverse and inclusive nature of Nairobi.

"Nairobi" music video is now available on all major streaming platforms and can be viewed on King Kaka's official YouTube channel