Kenya film classification board C.E.O Ezekiel Mutua has linked the increasing number of teen pregnancies to vulgar vernacular music.

Reacting to a report which was released recently revealing a sudden surge in reported teen pregnancies within Machakos County, Mutua argued there's a co-relation between dirty content and morality among the youth.

''In 2017, a survey by KFCB on the effects of vulgar vernacular music on the youth captured this reality. Machakos County topped for vulgarity'' said Mutua.

Adding ''Even the bands had sexualised stage names such as Katombi, Maima, Vuusya Ungu and such other profanity. In the survey contacted by our lead Consultant Ben Mulwa, the Board raised alarm on how the Kamba vernacular music normalised teenage sex, rape and objectification of women''.

The report released on Tuesday by Machakos Children’s Officer Salome Muthama showed 4,000 school-going children had been impregnated since mid-March.

Mutua blamed politicians, Djs, radio stations and public service vehicles for promoting such music.

Mutua charged ''What has been discouraging is to see that most political leaders ignored our crusade and would hire these bands to perform the same dirty songs we had banned in their functions, thus making a mockery of our efforts. Vernacular radio stations and public service vehicles too played this filth with wanton abandon"

Mutua called for support from Kenyans to help in the fight against vulgar music saying many young girls are at risk of being destroyed.

''Let those immoral vernacular radio stations who promote obscenity be stopped. Let the DJs be stopped playing such unpalatable content in mixed company or where children are likely to be listening. Let our PSVs be stopped playing dirty content. Let's work together to address this problem once and for all." he said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said Kenya will advance the pan-Africanist agenda of global peace, solidarity and multilateralism if elected to join the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Citing Kenya's long history of contributing troops to peacekeeping interventions, the President said Kenya has the right credentials to represent the African continent in the UNSC.

The Head of State spoke last night during a virtual campaign meeting with permanent representatives of various countries to the United Nations hosted by Kenya ahead of UNSC elections set for today.

Kenya is the African Union endorsed candidate for the non-permanent seat on the security council to represent Eastern Africa. Kenya is vying for the regional slot against the Republic of Djibouti.

"A vote for Kenya is a vote for peace. A vote for Kenya is a vote for global solidarity. A vote for Kenya is a vote for multilateralism," President Kenyatta rallied the envoys.

He told the representatives that Kenya's experience as the host nation of UN-Habitat and UNEP global headquarters places the country in an advantaged position to champion the world's sustainable development agenda.

"I speak to you from Nairobi. Your only global capital in the South where the UN resides taking care of our environment and our habitat," President Kenyatta said.

"I speak to you from Nairobi, the capital where we recently hosted one of the first blue economy conferences bringing the nations of the world together to see how we can not only preserve our oceans for future generations but how we can exploit them in a sustainable manner for present generations," he added.

The President thanked the African Union for endorsing Kenya's bid for the security council slot saying, if elected, the country will use the privileged position to advance a pan-Africanist agenda for peace, multilateralism and global solidarity.

"I want to begin by first and foremost thanking the African Union and all African nations for the support and the believe in Kenya being able to advocate the African cause, the cause of Pan-Africanism, the cause of peace, the cause of global solidarity, the call for multilateralism," he said.

The Head of State persuaded the representatives to vote for Kenya based on the country's track record of democracy, respect for human rights and solidarity.

"I want to give you Kenya's story. Kenya's story is one that believes and trusts that together we are stronger. One that believes that through democracy, through respect for human life and through unity, more can be achieved than individually.

"We want you to believe in us. We want you to trust in us. We want you to see our track record over the years. Stand with us as Kenya stands with you," the President lobbied.

Commenting on Kenya's contribution to  global peace and stability, President Kenyatta said the country's peace keeping missions have been to every part of the globe where they "joined hands with others to bring peace and, bring communities and nations together".

Responding to a concern raised by Singapore's representative Burhan Gafoor on security gaps in the world's cyber space, President Kenyatta said, Kenya will lobby the security council to enact a binding cyber security treaty if elected.

Foreign Affairs CS Raychelle Omamo urged the representatives to vote for Kenya saying the country seeks to join the security council so as to contribute positively to global peace and security.

"Kenya's candidature is anchored in the enduring hope that together we can create a better world," CS Omamo said.

The New York based envoys affirmed their support for Kenya’s candidature saying the country has an impressive track record as an able and dependable partner.

They said Kenya has the capacity to deliver for Africa and the world in the UNSC.

Algeria's Sofiane Mimouni supported Kenya's bid saying the country "will bring valuable contribution for a more balanced and principled action" in the security council.

Mombasa businessman and politician Suleiman Shahbal has for the first time publicly confirmed he will be seeking to succeed Hassan Joho as Mombasa Governor in 2022.

Addressing members of the press at Sparki Primary School after launching his education website where KCPE and KCSE students can access past papers, Shahbal maintained that he is still a member of the Jubilee party defending his closeness with ODM party leader Raila Odinga and Governor Hassan Joho who is also the party (ODM) deputy party leader.

''It is too early at the moment to talk about succession politics with two and half years to go before the 2022 general election but be sure I'm in the race with the of God and people of Mombasa" said Shahbal.

Shahbal's closeness with Joho has raised eyebrows with some quarters suggesting that he is Joho's preferred successor an issue that he quickly refuted.

“Can you believe that in all our meetings, we have never discussed politics" argued Shahbal.

He however noted that this is not time for politics saying he is busy helping the county government fight the coronavirus.

This will be the third time that Shahbal will be going for the seat after doing so in in 2013 and 2017.

Others who are also said to be interested in succeeding Joho are Kisauni Mp Ali Mbogo and his Mvita counterpart Abdulswamad Nassir.

Medical Insurer AAR Insurance Kenya has partnered with e-health service providers MyDawa and CheckUps to deliver medication to clients at home as they stay safe from Covid-19.

The free home delivery service dubbed ‘Health at your Doorstep’ will limit trips by AAR customers to hospitals and pharmacy outlets for medication, especially patients with chronic illnesses, who require regular supply of medication.  

AAR clients will not have to spend too much time in hospital or shopping around for medication as they can simply order via their phone and the medication delivered to their doorstep. The company has over 200,000 customers spread across the country.

One simply sends photos of original prescription and claim form to CheckUps via WhatsApp number 0703665191 or log in to MyDawa website or app, upload the original prescription and then follow the prompts.  

AAR Insurance Kenya Managing Director, Nixon Shigoli, says the medical insurer understands that its customers need to adhere to Covid-19 health guidelines which include staying indoors and working from home.  

“We want to make it easier for all our clients to comply with the health guidelines especially those with chronic conditions who are at higher risk of contracting Covid-19. We are encouraging our customers to use these apps to get their medication and limit trips to the hospital and chemist shops,” said Mr. Shigoli. 

Health experts caution that persons with underlying conditions like diabetes, cancer, hypertension, HIV/Aids and other co-morbid illnesses are at a higher risk of being infected with Covid-19. 

Mr. Shigoli added that AAR Insurance Kenya is keen on the health and well-being of its customers and employees and has put in place measures to help them stay safe during this time of Covid-19.  

The partnership with MyDawa and CheckUps is also part of AAR Insurance Kenya’s ongoing digital transformation strategy anchored on delivering value to customers.  

“This partnership marks an important step in our digital transformation journey to empower our clients to make critical decisions regarding their health. Our goal with this strategy is to create an enabling environment for our clients to enjoy end-to-end services through their mobile phones and other devices,” explained Mr. Shigoli. 

He also said AAR was revamping its digital capabilities to enhance innovation, efficiency and transparency across its business processes. 

Launched in 2017, MyDawa is an innovative e-health platform owned by ION Kenya that enables patients purchase a wide range of prescription and over-the-counter drugs online. 

CheckUps, an online medical teleconsultation service offered by Nairobi-based CheckUps Medical Center, also offers home delivery for prescription medicine.  

e-Health has been identified as a way of improving healthcare delivery in Kenya by harnessing ICT. The World Health Organization defines e-Health as ‘the combined use of electronic communication and information technology in the health sector.’ 

e-Health also means delivery of quality and efficient healthcare by ensuring the right health information is provided to the right person at the right place and time in a secure, electronic form.

The Cabinet Secretary for Sports, Culture and Heritage Amina Mohammed has called upon all artists, actors and musicians represented across the country to submit their works for the “Work for Pay” Kshs. 100 million stimuli package provided by His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta to cushion the creative industry during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

These were her sentiments during the burial of renowned Legend John Nzenze’s burial over the weekend read by former MCSK Chairman Bernard Mukaisi Iganga.

In her tribute to the fallen maestro, The CS said, “John Nzenze will be remembered as the musician who pioneered African twist with among others, the single 'Angelike Twist'. His recordings will forever be an inspiration to all his peers and should inspire young and upcoming musicians and artists.”

“We will miss his great performances but all those he motivated will keep his vision alive through each small action we take towards enabling a better music and cultural industry.” She added.

The CS has also encouraged artistes to put in submissions in support of John Nzenze’s legacy which will stand as a resounding example to all the musicians,  who revered Nzenze  as an inspiration.

The Ministry has engaged the private sector, artists and the entire industry in discussions to review and enhance the effectiveness and commercial value of music production.

The government has designated the Permanent Presidential Music Commission (PPMC) as a key resource in this endeavor to expand their studios to accommodate many more artists in affordable high quality vocal, instrumental training and production.

PPMC has mentored more than 10,000 musicians since August last year and is set  to spread creation resources to all 47 Counties, particularly those with a critical mass of legendary composers and vocalists.

In order to streamline operations within the industry, the government has waived the fees required by the Department of Culture to register cultural artists, including herbalists, with the Ministry.

This will ensure that no one is locked out of this process on account of lack of financial resources.

Amina noted 'I urge and encourage artists and musicians to register with the Department of Culture to provide us a platform to communicate and work together to build the sector''.

The Ministry will soon roll out a non-internet based USSD code to allow more people from the counties to enroll as well as commence production road shows to evaluate and package entries from across the country.

Four State House officials have contracted COVID-19 and are currently receiving treatment at the the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital in Kiambu County.

According to a statement from State House Spokeswoman Kanze Dena the four cases were reported following mass testing conducted at State House on June 11.

"Families and close contacts of the affected officers are also being attended to accordingly" said Kanze.

Adding ''To strengthen Covid-19 containment measures, extra access protocols for State House staff residing outside the compound and visitors have been rolled out'

Kanze however assured Kenyans that President Uhuru Kenyatta and all members of the First Family are safe.

This comes as the ministry of health recorded 133 new COVID-19 cases Monday, raising total infections tally to 3,727.

33 patients who have recovered from the virus have also been discharged, according to health CS Mutahi Kagwe.

Kenya has recently shown a real interest in chatbot technology evidenced by the fact that most organisations increasingly see it as a fast and effectiveway of enhancing the Customer Experience (CX) and Customer Engagement - driving efficiencies across their business.

This is according to Noah Amoke, Sales Executive for Kenya and Uganda at Infobip Africa, who says that the appetite for chatbots among enterprises in Kenya is largely driven by the realisation that they need to engage with customers on the platforms and channels of their choice, in a timeframe that today’s connected customers have come to expect

“This means that companies are opening more channels to communicate with their customers, such as WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, web chat or email, and they want to offer a 24/7 consistent and standardised experience across all these channels. This can be done via a chatbot,” says Amoke.

“The increasing maturity of chatbot technology is also a driving factor for adoption. The current chatbots that are on the market have some limitations, especially in terms of understanding natural language. However, as more sophisticated chatbots become available, that offer with Natural Language Processing (NLP) capabilities, we expect to see much higher uptake.”

Amoke notes that customisable chatbots, that support NLP, is a huge requirement in a multilingual country such as Kenya, where different dialects and languages are spoken, depending on the region.

Connected Kenya

As Kenya is leading the continent in terms of smartphone penetration and Internet usage, the phone is key to most transactions and activities in the country. Kenya has a 91% penetration of mobile subscriptions, compared to Africa’s 80%.

It is not surprising then that the country’s enterprises need to provide a mobile first platform that allow their customers to communicate with them via chat apps, that are available 24/7, which greatly enhances customer service.

“However, it’s not just about enhancing customer services. The appetite for chatbot solutions also stems from the fact that they can lower the operating costs of companies and provide efficiencies that call centre agents cannot,” says Amoke.

He points out that chatbots can deal with multiple queries at a time, and call centres that deploy chatbots need less physical infrastructure, such as office space, meaning that they need to employ fewer agents and can spend less on salaries hence lowers cost of operations.

“It’s also about flexibility. A chatbot can be deployed over multiple communication channels, be it WhatsApp, SMS, Facebook Messenger, web chat or email, and the quality and consistency of the response – the entire experience – remains unchanged across the various channels,” says Amoke.

Financial and telecoms uptake

George Muhia, Pre-sales Engineer at Infobip Africa, says uptake of chatbot technology has been particularly strong among organisations in the financial services and telecoms sectors in Kenya, but that other industries, such as retail, healthcare and education have also shown a healthy interest.

“Chatbots can be deployed across any industry where a company wants to offer comprehensive customer support. Modern consumers want to ‘buy’ into experiences. Chatbots can assist organisations to deliver personalised experiences by making conversations relevant, interactive and engaging,” he says.

Muhia explains that companies that are seeking to deploy a chatbot solution should look for an enterprise vendor that offers a customisable chatbot platform, offers good customer support and provides a solution that is innovative, with intelligent elements such as NLP.

 “The key is that the solution is customisable, offers a programmable platform that can scale as the organisation requires, and can be fitted across any vertical. These days, chatbot solutions tend to be very robust and easy to use. Anyone can create a chatbot, without necessarily having IT or technical expertise, but it is best to team up with an experienced partner that can provide a flexible and scalable solution,” he concludes.