The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has announced a special journalism grant targeting accredited community media and correspondents working under strenuous circumstances countrywide.

Correspondents and reporters from the counties who have written, published and broadcast stories over the last three months – December 2022 to February 2023 are eligible for the grants.

There will be 200 special grants with varying amounts of up to KShs 20,000 per story and up to a maximum of 10 stories per journalist.

MCK Chief Executive Officer Mr David Omwoyo says the grants are aimed at ensuring high professional standards as journalists grapple with financial challenges in the changing media space.

“December 2022 running into January and February this year have been difficult for media, with some correspondents working without pay. We have found it appropriate to support media workers operating under extreme circumstances to keep them going. Such situations expose journalists to vulnerabilities, which can affect journalistic ethics”, he says.

“The Council has established that the reduced revenues by media outlets have seen them fail to pay workers, with many struggling to meet their statutory and compliance obligations to the government, while several FM stations are unable to deal with technical-related challenges and servicing equipment”.

The grant is among initiatives undertaken by the Council to promote the welfare of journalists by cushioning them from the ensuing economic shocks in media organisations.

Since its inception, the Media Council of Kenya has dispensed reporting grants on health reporting, climate change, governance and legislative process, gender-based violence and health among others.

Potential applicants can obtain details from the Media Council of Kenya website.

Workonline Communications (https://www.Workonline.Africa), the wholesale internet provider company, has launched its third core Point-of-Presence (PoP) in Mombasa, Kenya.

The additional PoP, housed in the carrier-neutral iColo datacentre in Mombasa, brings an important new addition to the IP Transit options available in the datacentre to content distribution networks, cloud networks, and internet service providers.

Workonline is recognized for its long term vision of deploying equipment capable of delivering up to 100 Gbps services at each of its core PoPs.

Further to this, Workonline has continued to invest in its Kenyan network, and now connects its two PoPs in Mombasa to its PoP in Nairobi over the four most reliable routes, which in turn enables Workonline to provide the most reliable remote peering services, Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL), Ethernet Private Line (EPL), and IP Transit services in the market today.

Workonline (AS 37271), founded in 2006, is one of the largest IP transit networks in Africa. The company established its first PoP in Kenya in 2017, and is continually expanding its infrastructure across both East and West Africa.

In early 2019, Workonline Communications became the first African network to deploy Resource Public Key Infrastructure (RPKI) Route Origin Validation (ROV) to improve the security of Internet routing in Africa, and Workonline’s engineers continue to assist other networks in Africa in implementing RPKI ROV.

“We’re committed to keeping traffic local and building a better Internet in Africa, with Africa – and supporting secure, efficient, on-continent networks,” says Benjamin Deveaux, Head of Business Development at Workonline Group.

iColo’s CEO, Ranjith Cherickel explains that Workonline’s PoP is a welcome boost for ensuring that more citizens and, as a result, small businesses can come online and enjoy the benefit of world-class internet. “We are proud to partner with Workonline Communications to offer this experience.”

Celebrated rapper Femi One has dropped a new video dubbed ‘Staki’ featuring Domani Mkadinali

Staki better explains that No is a complete sentence. In the song, Femi One touches on various issues that need to be addressed, such as rape and women being forced into compromising situations.

In her signature punchlines along with Domani's dope street vibe; Femi underscores the issues that women face daily in our current society such as sex for work, sex trafficking and transactional sex.

The visuals shot and directed by renowned director Steve Mugo is a perfect depiction of the song. Femi One shows her acting skills on another level; which brings out the detrimental consequences of going against someone's will!

With such a strong statement made by the AFRIMMA best female rapper, one can only imagine the projects and movements Femi has lined up for her fans

Staki is a must-watch video, the video is doing well and has over 30K views in under 10 hours.

EALA Mp Hassan Omar is the new UDA vice Chairman.

Omar who vied for the Mombasa governor seat in the last general elections now takes over from Kipruto Kirwa.

The UDA party announced the changes in it's leadership on Monday with the National assembly majority leader Kimani Ichung'wa expressed confidence that the new office bearers will deliver as expected.

In the changes, former Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala is the new secretary general, replacing nominated Senator Veronica Maina.

Embu Governor Celily Mbarire was named the new party chairperson after Johnson Muthama was nominated to be a member of the PSC.

Karisa Nzai who vied for the Jomvu Mp seat but lost to Badi Twalib Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka as the party organizing secretary.

Kitutu Chache North MP Japheth Nyakundi has been appointed as the treasurer replacing Omingo Magara.

Mombasa activists on Monday strongly condemned a Supreme Court decision which ruled that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) community have the right to association.

The irate human rights defenders, preachers, youth and women staged street demonstrations along Mombasa’s Moi Avenue demanding that Kenyans reject any intended acts of the LGBTQ community.

Terming it illegal, the activists blamed the court saying its abetting Moral decadence by influencing activities that are against community values.

The judges in their majority judgment said the decision by the lower courts to deny the members of the gay community in Kenya their right to register as an Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) was discriminatory.

 “Kenya should stand firm against the influence from the west. We as activists will stand for what is good for our generations and we will not relent on this war,” said Salim Karama,the self declared chairman of the Anti-LGBTQ lobby.

The demonstration involved Muslim and church leaders, human rights activists, youth, Muslim women who dressed in their Veils to show solidarity against what they termed as an illegality.

"The parliament should stand firm and make amendments to the laws so that we can save our generations, our religion doesn't allow activities of immorality,” said Sherif a Muslim leader in Mombasa.

Speaking during a media briefing at Uhuru Gardens grounds,Karama asked president William Ruto to rise up against the plan to erode moral values of a majority of Christians and muslims believers.

“Kenya is a religious nation, the people are also known for their diverse cultures and traditions which cannot be destroyed. The courts acted in total disregard of a majority of Kenyans' will,” said Zainad Abdi.

Three Supreme Court judges; Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Justice Smokin Wanjala and Justice Njoki Ndung’u, ruled in the majority side on the issue.

This happens as the attorney General Justin Muturi has said that he will be challenging the Supreme Court ruling on LGBTQ community on associations.

Tanzanian president Samia Suluhu has appointed rapper Mwana Fa as the Deputy Minister for Culture, Arts and Sports.

Mwana Fa real name Hamis Mohamed Mwinjuma who is also the current Member of Parliament for  Muheza constituency was among the new faces appointed by President Suluhu  in a mini -reshuffle on Sunday.

The rapper takes over from Pauline Gekul who has been transferred to the Ministry of Constitution and Legal Affairs retaining her post.

The appointment of Mwana Fa was well received by Tanzanian artists arguing that he is up to the task and will improve the entertainment sector.

"Moja ya karata turufu aimecheza leo mama" posted Diamond Platnumz.

Barnaba classic posted "Engo mama. You deserve my brother"

Rosa Ree "Wow! Big Congrats @mwanafa Unastahili!

Cabinet Secretary for ICT and Digital Economy Eliud Owalo has appointed seven new members of the Communications Authority of Kenya board.

Among those named is renowned Mombasa based communication specialist and ICT expert Mgeni Mboto Hassan. 

Mboto is a well multi-skilled Communication Specialist and ICT expert with good all-round supervisory and technical expertise.Hassan is also a social advocate for youth and community change in Mombasa County.

She is also a political activist having being a founding member of United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Youth League Mombasa Chapter that was instrumental in Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaigns for Mombasa County.

Mboto was a member of the campaign secretariat for UDA’s Mombasa Governor Aspirant Hassan Omar.

She holds a Bachelors in Development Studies & Economics from Mount Kenya University, Mombasa Campus, Kenya,(2015 -2019)

She studied Diploma in Mass Communication and Media Relations at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture & Technology, Main Campus (2010 -2012).

She studied at Coast Girls High School, Mombasa (2005 –2008) for her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE), Mean Grade of C plain.

She also studied at the famous Star of the Sea Primary School, Mombasa (1997 –2004) where she did her Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE), and got Mean Grade of B+.

Her very capable with Hands-on expertise in heading overall communication strategies right from the conceptualization stage to the execution and close-out is an added advantage to her appointment to the position position.

Mboto also worked as a Civic Engagement Project Officer with Coast People Forum and Uraia in various civic engagement forums across the coastal counties where community leaders and change makers were empowered on civic rights and importance of the new constitution as well as its benefits to the citizens.

She also worked as Deputy Chief of Staff under Office of the Senator and later a Project Assistant at Renaissance Center Mombasa where she mainly handled youth led initiatives through organizing and linking various youth with relevant stakeholders handling different issues pertaining to the youth and community.

Mboto was also a Kenyan Representative at the 2020 OpenGov Digital Youth Summit organized by Restless Development organization.

She also worked with the Mombasa Youth Assembly which focuses on advocation for policies touching on youth and community at large as well as promoting good governance, improve service delivery and enhance youth public participation.

She also mentors’ young people on good governance and leadership and was the first Female Presidential Candidate for Mombasa Youth Assembly Presidential Election and emerged the first runners-up.

She participated in the training and capacity building of over 750 youth across Mombasa County under the Mombasa Youth Assembly as well as founding member of the Kwale and Kilifi Youth Assemblies.

Under Mombasa Youth Assembly and with assistance from IRI, we were able to conduct consultative program through which we advocated for inclusion of youth, women and People Living with Disabilities in public participation policies by ensuring that was implemented as a policy and was successful in Mombasa and Kilifi County.

Others are appointed alongside Mboto include Bhoke Christine Nchama, Esther Njoki Njoroge, Mgeni Mboto Hassan, Joel Nyambane Okengo, Eric Langat, Alex Wafula Wamalwa and Nicholas Kamuya Ng’arua.

The new team, according to a gazette notice published on Friday, will serve for a period of three years, with effective February 24, 2023.

Owalo also revoked the appointments of Mahmoud Mohamed Noor, Paul Muraguri Mureithi, Jackson Kiprotich Kemboi and Laura Chite who were installed by his predecessor Joe Mucheru in the former administration.

Education cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu has ordered chiefs to conduct a mop up to ensure 100 percent school transition to both junior secondary school and form one admission.

Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday,Machogu listed Kilifi and Kwale counties as having registered only 30 percent in the junior secondary admissions.

“Education is free and compulsory and that is why we are instating on 100 percent transition, and that is why we are monitoring the registration of students in junior secondary, and form one admission,” said Machogu.

He therefore asked local administration officials including county commissioners,chiefs and subchiefs  to conduct an extensive mop up campaign to take learners to school.

“We have found Kwale and Kilifi counties are not doing very well ,and we are asking chiefs and sub chiefs to mop up and ensure 100 percent, currently we are at 95 percent transition,” said Machogu.

The cabinet secretary warned parents will be prosecuted for failing to avail their children to school saying the government is spending a lot of money in the payment of capitation for learners.

“ They have been coming slowly. We blame the parents because they have not been serious, they have been holding back their children for house chores and that is why we are embarking on a serious assignment with chiefs to mop up,” said Machogu.

Machogu has also affirmed that the competence based curriculum cannot be abolished to revert to the 8-4-4 system.

Machogu said the government will ensure the amendments presented by the presidential working group will be considered to fine tune the CBC system.

This is after Members of Parliament called on the government to speedily address challenges affecting the competency-based curriculum (CBC) or else abolish it altogether.

“We have to go with what other countries are doing, the standard in other countries are different and we have to align our education systems with growing global demands,” said Machogu.

The National Assembly stated that there are teething problems they said have hindered the smooth implementation of the curriculum, six years after its roll-out.

“There is no going back, we are moving forward ,there is no way we can go back to the 8-4-4 syatem,the system that we have to accept is CBC and that is the way to go,” said Machogu.

Speaking in Mombasa during on the sidelines ongoing Inaugural Biennial Conference on Universities Funding in Kenya held in Mombasa Machogu said the train has left the station and is not turning back.

The Mps claim the state of unpreparedness on implementation of CBC has been exposed largely by the transition last month of the first CBC cohort to Junior Secondary School (JSS).

MPs approved a resolution to press the government to address the many challenges plaguing the new system of education that replaced the nearly four-decades-old 8-4-4 system, whose last group of learners will sit Standard Eight and Form Four national examinations this December.

Boomerang Africa becomes Cartoonito Africa in English-speaking African countries on 25 March with the best of Boomerang alongside exciting new shows filled with more laughs, more adventures and more friends.

There’s still plenty of room for long-time Boomerang favourites like Zig & Sharko, Mr Bean, Masha and the Bear, Tom & Jerry, Scooby-Doo and Looney Tunes Cartoons to shine alongside newer friends such as Dino Ranch, Thomas and Friends: All Engines Go and Lucas the Spider.

Cartoonito brings them together – while adding brand-new shows like Batwheels, Bugs Bunny Builders and Interstellar Ella just for starters offering a wider variety of programmes filled with new friends, trusted fun and extraordinary adventures for the whole family to enjoy.

“The rebrand of Boomerang Africa into Cartoonito Africa enriches our channel universe, bringing together the crème de la crème of Boomerang with more adventures and more friends to be part of ONE big Cartoonito family!” says Ana Gonzalez, Editorial Lead: Southern Europe and Africa, Kids Brands.

Leading the rebranded channel is an exciting special  Secret Origins of the Batwheels which kicks off at 08:40 CAT on 25 March.

Batwheels is an action-adventure show that combines two of kids’ favourite things  superheroes and vehicles! The show revolves around a fun, dynamic team of super-powered vehicles and the obstacles these characters encounter as they battle the bad guys.

This heroic and fresh gateway to Gotham City teaches that teamwork is an integral part of play that will help save the day.

A 32-minute special, Secret Origins of the Batwheels, sees the Batcomputer forced to bring the Bat-Vehicles to life when Batman, Robin and Batgirl are all captured.

The newly-minted Batwheels must defend the Batcave and face off with the Legion of Zoom – all without Batman’s help! The Batwheels series will then run every weekend at 08:40 CAT.

Bugs Bunny Builders follows Bugs and Lola as they manage a crew of builders at ACME Construction Company who really shouldn’t be anywhere near a construction site! However, by working together as a team, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Tweety and others use their tools and wild vehicles to pull off some of the looniest construction jobs ever! Bugs Bunny Builders premieres on Monday, 10 April, at 16:45 CAT and will run Mondays to Fridays at the same time.  

In Interstellar Ella, the year is 3021. The place is the Milky Way, where eight-year-old Ella gleefully heads out with her friends on exciting adventures of discovery.

At only eight, she already knows quite a bit about space ... but there is always more to explore! With her besties Slippy and Madhu, Ella navigates the challenges that come her way.

Things may not always work out the way she plans, but Ella never lets that get in the way of interstellar fun. Interstellar Ella premieres in June 2023.

Cartoonito Africa – home to your favourite characters filled with more laughs, more adventure and more friends - will be distributed in linear on all the same channels -  DStv (channel 302), GOtv (channel 68) (channel 155 in Ghana and channel 357 in Uganda), AzamTV (channel 227) and Canal+ Ethiopia (Channel 127).

The music space is about to be held awestruck with what is potentially one of the leading anthems of the year. BNXN (fka Buju), Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez have dauntlessly raised the baton, altogether rendering an incredible pitch on ‘Gwagwalada’.

With ‘Finesse,’ ‘Buga,’ and ‘Chance (Na Ham),’ each of these singers unarguably has a leading track that rocked the previous year to their name. Coming together on this one will profess a triple effect of whatever we’ve known and set them as examples for subsequent outputs from other singers.

It calls for reiteration to state how powerful this joint single is, ‘Gwagwalada’ is a pure miscible blend of Afrobeats and Amapiano, distinguished by the thrilling South African kicks. It is also a track that establishes the national presence of a street in the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria, Abuja.

The combination of these 3 musicians; Bnxn, Kizz Daniel and Seyi Vibez is what we never thought we could see because of their different sounds, yet, the three combined so well to deliver the required vibe on this ‘Gwagwalada’.

Produced by Sarz, the song is a mixture of 3 sounds on a beat and the output of the 3 artistes is a noteworthy mention. This is a good song by all standard and it makes for an impulse listening.

‘Gwagwalada’ goes on to cement the nature of what to expect and launches as one of the leading anthems of the year. The next best thing is to envisage the progress report that will follow.

Listen HERE