Tanzanian star Brian Simba, known for his alternative and experimental Hip Hop sound is gearing towards the release of his debut album ‘UNCLE’, expected to drop in August 2021, as a follow-up to his 2020 EP ‘UNCLE GUNI’.

Through the release of “Temptation” and “Shake It”, his latest hit singles, Brian is giving his fans a feel of the upcoming project, specifically flaunting his unique sound, style and overall demeanour.

His latest track "Temptation" featuring label mate, Only1Pabo is the second track on his upcoming album.

The feel-good song has laid-back visuals directed by Ngota.

The steamy music video captures the aura of the song as the duo serenade beautiful ladies, making it hard for the women to resist them.

“Temptation” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA2YvJAGUwM

"Shake It” - The third release of the upcoming album has a classic retro feel, showcasing Africa’s vibrant culture. Here also Brian features Only1Pabo, who adds his silky smooth vocals, delivering on an addictive melody.

Brian says, "This track is for my Swahili Nation. It's really about celebrating our individuality and the beauty of the African woman in all forms. From the video, you will notice that it's really about having a good time and wanting to dance along.”

The music video is also directed by Ngota, bringing out scenes shot in a dressing room and an outdoor slum setting. The retro fresh outfits bring forth unique aesthetics, capturing attention.

“Shake It” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjW4qUDuPrY

Both singles are a testament to Brian’s ability to mix genres by fusing Afrobeats with laid back jazzy Hip Hop to create an impressive sound.

Brian’s next single “Zaza” will be featuring two of his favorite artists - Kenya’s Scar Mkadinali of Wakadinali and Tanzanian legendary rapper Mr. Blue.

The single will drop this June with its remix scheduled for July.

With the vibe of his new releases, Simba is setting the bar high and leaving fans with excitement  ahead of the release of ‘UNCLE’ - the album.

Brian reveals that in addition to rapping, he will also be singing in the new album.

He says, “A lot of people don't know this but I started singing before rapping. My father was and still is a choirmaster at our church. I have been singing in the choir since I was a child and at a very young age.”

Brian is currently signed to Africa Network Entertainment (ANE), following his 2017 signing to Mdee Music, where he released singles such as “Stimu” and “Silence” featuring Vanessa Mdee and Michael Love.

Looking back at what his former label Brian says, “I will forever be grateful for what Vanessa Mdee has done for me by giving me my first opportunity and holding my hand and introducing me to the world. She was first to believe in me commercially and that will always remain to be part of my history.”

Brian’s upcoming album has clear storylines for each song. This won’t only resonate with fans but also expose Brian’s evolution in music and mature sound.

He concludes, “I am really in a very creative space at the moment and have gained the maturity to have the confidence to do a lot more different things. This album will definitely be more creative, displaying all that and more!” 

President Uhuru Kenyatta has sent a message of condolence to the family, relatives and friends of Kenyan Nobel Laureate, Prof Richard Samson Odingo, who passed away over the weekend at a Nairobi hospital.

Prof Odingo was the Vice Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) when the United Nations institution was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 jointly with former US Vice President Al Gore. He held the position for 11 years.

In his message of comfort and encouragement, the President mourned the departed Prof Odingo as an Kenyan scientist who helped raise the country's profile internationally through his contributions to the global action against climate change.

“It is unfortunate that death has robbed our country, and indeed, the world of a great climate scientist, whose contribution to the global struggle against climate change will be dearly missed.

"Many people across the world, know Prof Odingo as a highly accomplished climate change scientist and scholar who helped steer United Nations efforts to tackle climate change for over a decade.

"It is Prof Odingo's great work at the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that earned the United Nations agency Nobel Peace Prize in 2007, making him Kenya's second Nobel Laureate after Prof Wangari Maathai," the President eulogised.

The President said the late Prof Odingo’s rich research work will continue to be a reference point for future generations as the world steps up the battle against climate change.

“As a country, we appreciate that the international community recognized the work of the great Kenyan scholar and gave him the platform to share his research work and experience, in the process raising Kenya's profile globally," the President said.

Besides his long university teaching, research and international service, Prof Odingo, who earned his PhD in Geography from the University of Liverpool in 1963, served the country in several roles among them being the Chairman of the National Climate Change Activities Coordination Committee (NCCACC).

President Kenyatta prayed to God to give the family of the departed scholar the courage and grace to bear the pain of his demise.

Kenyan singer Bahati has officially released his first contemporary studio album dubbed 'Love Like This'.

The album which consists of 10 songs was launched on Sunday evening at an event attended by several big - name artists including Otile Brown, Nyashinski, Jua Cali, Arrow Bwoy, Mejja, Nadia Mukami and comedian Eric Omondi.

Out of the 10 songs in the album only 1 is a gospel song. The Mtaachana Tuu singer has collaborated with several artists in the album including Nadia Mukami, Rayvanny (Tanzania) and Lydia Jazmine (Uganda).

Speaking during the launch and listening party, Bahati revealed that he has been in the process of rebranding for the last one year.

"I have not been doing interviews and sometimes turning down interview requests because I was rebranding. I didn’t want to have to answer questions that I couldn’t yet explain, but I believe after the release of this album, I’ll be in a position to talk-on the journey from the gospel industry to the contemporary industry, and I appreciate my brothers and colleagues in the scene for helping me through,” he said.

He also noted that the album is a reflection of his seven year journey in the music industry.

Bahati who was accompanied by his wife Diana Murua during the launch, noted "This album will show you how I have changed and grown, from mtoto wa mama to the person I am today. It also cuts across  from the business class to the hustlers.” 

All the artists present at the launch empahised on the need for unity and support from the indsutry players.

"The Kenyan industry has a huge potential, we should not let the likes of Diamond Platnumz be the ones winning and leading all the times. Lets support each other and grow this industry. Let's bring back the good old days when we used to rule. Thank you God when it comes to comedy we are doing good and I'm the president of comedy in Africa." said Eric Omondi.

Otile Brown has apologized to Nadia Mukami after accusing her for the 'failure' of their recent collabo 'Kolo'.

The two met and hugged each other at the launch of Bahati's album on Sunday evening at the Trademark hotel, Nairobi.

"Apologies Queen. I was tricked out of my position by a negative opinion . Was having a bad day" said Otile.

In a video, Nadia is heard saying " Ulifanya vibaya sana, sana".

Otile had earlier blamed Nadia for the 'failure' of the song. 

Through his social media page, Otile defended his role in the song stating that he was featured on the song after producer Vicky Pon Dis made the request, this is after fans criticised the song calling out Otile for not being creative.

He revealed that he differed on the lyrics of the ‘Kolo’ song from the beginning.

“Huo wimbo sio wangu jamani… alikataa niandike akasema ‘I want a hit song not a good song’ weeh!!! Nikaeka verse yangu nikaondoka. Nilifanya kwa heshima ya Vicky pon dis tu!” Otile Brown defended his honor and his word and the only reason he chose to remain on the ‘Kolo’ project." he posted.

Kenya’s renowned creative powerhouse, Eugene Mbugua has set his eyes on a new prize –East Africa.

The CEO of D&R TV is looking to expand his reach beyond Kenya and into Tanzania.

This week, Eugene has spent his time meeting with some of Tanzania’s top entertainment bosses in anticipation of the new projects that he has aligned for East Africa.

Using a blend of narrative devices and interviews with real subjects woven into high qualitytelevision shows, D&R TV charts the meteoric rise and the cataclysmic burst of African stories that are told the African way. 

The company’s move to collaborate with Tanzania at a time when relations between the two countries are at their best incites the potential of exponential growth for the entertainment industry beyond the musical sphere.

Eugene is currently in deep talks with the CEO of Clouds Media Group Joseph Kusaga, CEO of E FM Radio Francis Ciza, Music Producer & Sound Engineer, Hermy B, Award-winning personalities such as JumaJux, AY,Hamisi B Mandi, Jonijooand Evans Bukuku about creating new television shows featuring renowned Kenyan and Tanzanian personalities.

His company Documentary &Reality TV Limited is home to Kenya’s most popular shows running on broadcasters that are continentally acclaimed in Africa under TheMultiChoice Group, KTN, and K24 among others. 

Some of the shows currently airing include Sol Family, Foods of Kenya, StoriYangu, and his latest creation This Love.

IT DOESN’T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS, following her debut single off her upcoming EP, Never Let You Go, having enjoyed enormous success with, Where You Been and the single that made every bit of our life seem okay, and gave us the strength to know that we can be Better Than Ever, the talented songbird Nikita Kering’ is back with an amazing single ‘Ex’.

Asked about what motivated her to write such a deep and emotional song, this is what Nikita Kering’ had to say “Every single person in my inner circle has been in that dark place, in a relationship, either once or more times, simply put, a toxic relationship. Ex is a story within a song that we all can relate to and in my own version I choose to put myself in their shoes, which I have walked”

“Ex is about that person, who realizes that the road they’ve walked is a mistake, and still giving the bad decision a chance. In time they realize, the constant cycle is exhausting, and they choose themselves. Simply put, they choose peace of mind, they choose themselves.” Nikita concludes.

Marrying the expertism of the audio producer, SoFresh and the visuals director, Hardy, Ex was simply a song for the ages, the lyrics alone couldn’t capture the intended poetry of the song. The video takes you through love, unacceptance, heartaches, healing like you have never been. Ex is a journey.

‘Ex’ is Nikita’s first release in the year 2021, It’s easily the best first treat for the year, and crucially gives you, the fans, a front seat to her upcoming EP ,“A SIDE OF ME” which will be available from the 25^th June 2021.

The 7 track EP takes you through a journey, that only Nikita, in her own words, can relay to us with a voice of the angels. It’s a journey that we have all been through but haven’t put a melody to it…. if you are human, this is a part of your story

LISTEN TO “EX” HERE

WATCH VIDEO HERE

Citizen Tv Mombasa based reporter Francis is in mourning, following the sudden demise of his father.

Speaking to Ommy Dallah, Mtalaki revealed that his father died on Thursday night at the Jocham hospital where he had been receiving treatment.

"I got a call last Saturday that he had fallen as he was doing repairs to one of his houses in Kisauni and had been taken to a local hospital, I went, picked him and took him to Jocham hospital where he was admitted for like five days. He died last night" said Mtalaki.

The family is currently meeting for funeral arrangements

More to follow.

By Doreen Kinja

The rapid pace of digital transformation in East Africa has had a significant impact on not only how people live their lives, but also on how communication and commerce are conducted, allowing the modern customer to do everything – immediately.

This has also had the unintended consequence of altering the way we are targeted by fraudsters and cybercriminals, notably changing the nature of cyber threats and attacks that we face in a mobile-first digital world.

According to an Accenture report published in 2019, the total value at risk of cybercrime over the next five years is an estimated $5.2 trillion.

The average cyber attack costs $13 million, according to the same report, with phishing, social engineering and stolen device crime making up $2.4 million of the cost of an average attack.

Statistics drawn from various reports show that the threat of cybercrime and insecurity is prevalent in the East African region.

Uganda lost 42 million shillings to cybercrime in 2017, while in 2018, Rwanda lost six billion francs.

In Kenya, between April and June 2019 alone, the country experienced 26.6 million cyber threats.

Additionally, in a mobile-first digital landscape such as the East African region, the proliferation of mobile devices and mobile Internet penetration has opened the door to mobile cyber security threats.

Mobile users are at risk of threats such as SIM card swap, account takeover, ‘man-in-the-middle’ and phishing attacks.

High internet penetration

As of December 2020, reports Statista, Kenya had an Internet penetration of approximately 85.2%.

This high rate is mainly because Kenya is home to M-Pesa, a mobile wallet provider that offers a secure payment system that encourages Internet access.

Therefore, mobile authentication is becoming increasingly important in the overall East African market, not only as a means to effectively counter mobile cybersecurity threats, but to simultaneously enhance customer experience (CX) and increase engagement with brands.

Mobile authentication is the process of verifying a user’s identity through their mobile device.

This verification can be done seamlessly, without interrupting the customer experience.

In practice, this means that organisations can streamline processes while simultaneously protecting their business and their customers from cybercrime.

Mobile authentication services verify users’ identities through different means, including: Silent Mobile Verification (SMV), Know Your Customer (KYC), SIM Swap Detection and Instant Form Filling.

The advent of smartphones has led to a steady rise in mobile shopping across East Africa, with recent data showing that consumers are becoming more comfortable with completing transactions on their phones.

This is in no small part due to the increase of mobile security and customer trust.

Increasing user trust and safety

The advantages of proper mobile authentication are multiple, as it touches upon the entire customer journey.

By creating a safe mobile environment, organisations can increase user trust and safety.

Mobile verification continuously validates the customer’s identity throughout the customer journey.

This increases user trust and safety by keeping their account protected.

Mobile authentication can also facilitate faster and more convenient onboarding.

Silent verification can ensure customers are who they say they are during the onboarding process, and instant form filling speeds up the process.

Furthermore, mobile authentication can also lead to reduced cart abandonment, as instant form filling makes the shopping experience more streamlined and convenient.

At the same time, mobile authentication can ensure GDPR compliance, as authentication services are based on a user-centric approach, ensuring that neither companies nor mobile network operators learn anything new about the end-user, apart from the information they already hold.

Mobile authentication services help to keep customers protected, while improving user experience and increasing engagement.

Mobile authentication protects user information by providing a strong authentication layer consisting of three real-time identification and authorisation services.

These are used to safeguard online transactions for user-facing applications and mobile websites, resulting in an improved and more secure user experience.

The writer is the  Enterprise Team Lead, Infobip Kenya.

Kenyan singer Willy Paul has for the first time detailed his dramatic exit from the gospel music.

In a long instagram post, the singer addressed the frustrations he endured as a gospel artiste both from fans and colleagues.

Incase you have been wondering why he behaves and sings as he does nowadays, below is his reason.

"Ever wondered why people hate for no reason? Well the so called haters are not really haters. They just wish they had what you have. Yaani they wish they were you or even a quarter of what you're. Don't let nobody tell you what is wrong or right for you, kila mtu atazikwa peke yake. 

Ask me about myself n I'll tell you I'm the strongest of them all. What haven't I seen in this life? Poverty, good life, Beautiful women,Kamati ya roho chafu? Just to mention a few.

People have hated on me for no reason, but that has never stopped me from being me. I've been betrayed by close friends and even family but look, I'm still here standing strong!

Ata kwa hii post kuna wale wenye roho mbaya ya m*vi wanajipanga kuangusha stupid comments...No amount of hate can pin me to the ground.

Kama mpaka leo sijawai enda chini juu ya chuki then I don't think I ever will. Some of you ask me why I left the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ... and even call me names because I no longer praise Jesus in my songs.. according to them I'm so evil and everything bad.

Those are the same people that fought me nikiwa upande wa Yesu ? Reasons as to why I left. Hate from my fellow artists and DJs, luck of airplay ( claiming my content wasn't Godly back then) ubaguzi na mapendeleo.

I was the top artist but these evil people couldn't see that. Or they just chose to ignore the reality! These people broke my heart! They hurt me so badly, I was depressed for 4 months I kept crying in silence every single day and night.

It got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore... I had no money to pay my bills and even help out pale nyumbani. Can you imagine I had the biggest songs na hawa watu wakanichorea hivo tu.

I'm not perfect but what I went through as a gospel artist, no servant of God should go through!!

Since I loved music and had bigger hopes with my career I chose the other side which is where I am today, n that's what has kept me alive and stable.

I was tired of the hypocrisy in the so called Gospel industry. Plus I just wanted 2 b real with myself and not lie to God! God cannot be fooled so I took a chill pill na sai niko hapa. Same same people that didn't want me there were the first to reach out !!!"

Fast-rising WCB singer Zuhura Kopa alias Zuchu has yet again etched her name into the music record book.

Zuchu's 'Iam Zuchu' Ep has hit over 11 million streams on Boomplay. The Ep was officially released on April 2020 composing of 7 songs and only two collabos.

This is not the first time that the songstress has set and broken history records after being officially unveiled as a WCB signee in April 2020. 

Just two months ago, the 'Sukari' hitmaker became the first female artiste in East Africa to hit 1 million subscribers on youtube. YouTube also awarded her the Silver Play Button for becoming the first East African female artist to exceed more than 100 000 subscribers within a week.

She aslo broke another record through her hitsong 'Sukari' by becoming the first female artist in Tanzania to hit over 1 million views less than 24 hours after uploading on YouTube. 

Early this year, she was also named on the  BBC's African musicians to look out for in 2021 list.

You can also read: http://ommydalla.co.ke/buzz/item/2109-zuchu-shows-off-her-new-state-of-the-art-house