In the latest episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos explores why Africa's investment in renewable energy projects is so important for pan-African business growth.

Electrification is seen as key in driving economic growth across Africa. But with only 43% of the continent connected to electricity, finding ways to secure and propel the continent towards energy independence means finding sustainable solutions.

Chiboni Evans, CEO of the South African Electrotechnical Export Council, argues that without electrification it will be difficult to increase intra-African trade.

She tells Giokos, “You cannot trade, you cannot manufacture goods and services unless you've got the power to power your factories. Even in terms of supply chains, you're talking using the internet, you're using digital supply chains. You need the internet. That also needs electricity. So, without electrification, we cannot do anything.”

The next step is to get more big businesses to buy into renewable energy.

GridX Africa founder Chalker Kansteiner is using his Nairobi based company to develop cleaner ways to power the commercial sector, “I think there's large scale industries which are looking at updating their way of doing business, and so I think as there becomes greater confidence in the ability for renewable energy to deliver these sort of quite intense industrial loads, with power, the mining and oil and gas industry will increasingly adopt renewable energy, because it's lower cost and because they now have confidence in its ability to meet its needs.”

GridX Africa offers solar energy solutions across the continent – from construction and agriculture, to tourism and healthcare. Kansteiner says that deals like the African Continental Free Trade Area agreement stand to aid the expansion of other renewable energy projects across the continent.

“To the extent that we could see a continent wide free trade agreement, the application would be much broader. And so, we have projects in Liberia and Ghana, which would greatly benefit from being able to have imports from our East African projects and from our East African capacity. I think with that in mind distributed power is a huge opportunity for Africa to be a leader.”

Another key player is hydroelectric power. In Kenya’s Muranga County, the programme meets the people behind Magiro Mini Hydro Power. Business Advisor and Director Thomas Poelmans discusses why the concept works well, “We're basically using the force of the river, and falling from a higher point to a lower point, harnessing that kinetic energy, and transforming it to electric energy. And in Muranga County, in the greater Mount Kenya region actually, Muranga County is so hilly that it has the potential to power about 55% of all of Kenya.”

Magiro is currently operating an off-grid renewable energy system but hopes to develop its first on-grid power plant. Poelmans explains, “We are developing the first on grid power plant that will be providing power to the national electricity grid, and that one will produce power for 15,000 people.”

A further area attracting major funding is the development of wind farms. Ntombifuthi Ntuli, CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), says that wind power is an underused resource across the continent, “There’s a lot of untapped potential, not just in South Africa, but in the whole continent. And the industry is looking forward to actually turning that into power, to power Africa.”

By investing in wind turbines and the engineers and technicians needed to develop, build, and maintain the technology, South Africa has created jobs. Ntuli says these workers and their skills are valued across the world, “The wind turbine technicians that we are training in the country are actually now finding jobs throughout the world because we have created that capacity, we’re now able to export it to other countries.”

At the Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm, Giokos meets Danie Du Plessis, CEO of Cennergi. He talks about the importance of including local communities in renewable energy projects, “Employing local labor during both the construction and in the operations phase is very, very important. We have to give back. You cannot do this alone. You have to take the community along. They are part of this business, they are shareholders in the company, they are beneficiaries of the community work that we do.”

Du Plessis says that he sees growth throughout the industry, and he highlights the key projects that will impact renewable energy’s future across the continent, “There are already very good opportunities and fantastic facilities up in Africa. Kenya, Senegal have some very big wind farms. And then Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, you’ve got these massive solar plants and massive wind plants going up. We’ve got good sun, we’ve got lots of wind, and it’s ready to be harnessed.”

President Uhuru Kenyatta has cautioned Kenyans including the media against peddling falsehoods on Covid-19 national vaccination exercise saying health workers and frontline service providers will be the first in line to receive the injection.

The President said Government has put in place robust policy measures on how the vaccination campaign will be conducted and advised the media to seek information from the right sources.

“Our policy and it has been clearly stated that we will start with frontline workers. I would appeal to members of the fourth estate to stop disseminating rumours.

“We met as Cabinet and made it very clear that the first persons to be administered with this vaccine shall be our frontline health workers. That is category number one.

"They (health workers) will be followed by our category number 2, who will be our security forces, who also due to the nature of their work are equally frontline workers," the President stated.

The Head of State spoke Thursday at the Central Vaccine Depot in Kitengela, Kajiado County where he flagged off the countrywide distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The President said other groups of people that will be given priority during the vaccination campaign are teachers and defined emergency service providers.

“Included also will be our teachers because as you know we have resumed learning and our teachers are equally just as exposed.

"We will then move to those with co-mobilities and those above the age of 58 as we move to the rest of the population,” the President outlined.

President Kenyatta reiterated Government’s unflinching resolve to ensure the success of the vaccination exercise and urged Kenyans to continue observing Covid-19 containment protocols.

“I want to tell Kenyans that this disease is still in our midst. The vaccines do not mean that we are through. We must continue to protect ourselves. Put on masks, wash hands, sanitize and keep social distance," the President said.

He urged Kenyans to continue supporting frontline health workers especially in the administration of the Covid-19 vaccine saying the Government will provide the logistical support needed to ensure the national exercise succeeds.

“This is the time to come together and ensure that we are able to provide this much needed service to our people. As far as we are concerned in Government our role is to help these wonderful people who work day and night with logistics,” President Kenyatta said.

The Head of State said experts will continue giving progress updates on the vaccination campaign and expressed confidence that the country will emerge stronger from the ravages of the deadly disease.

Going forward, the President said the country will continue procuring more doses of the life saving vaccines noting that the second consignment will arrive in the country at the end of this month.

In his remarks, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said Kenya is among the first countries in Africa to receive the vaccine and thanked President Kenyatta for the support his Ministry continues to receive from Government.

Mr Kagwe assured Kenyans that his Ministry was adequately prepared to oversee a successful national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.

While responding to a journalist's question, Ag.Director General for Health Dr Patrick Amoth said the first phase of the vaccination campaign will run until end of June this year and benefit 1.2 million Kenyans. The second phase to benefit 9.6 million people will start thereafter.

Successful Kenyan artiste King Kanja is back at it! This time releasing the music video to ‘’Different Ting’’  his soulful Afrobeat smash hit single with Foreign Slim, Houston-based Nigerian singer.

This collaboration is the latest from the Kanja’s frequent outreach through his King Kanja Empire imprint that sees him collaborate and promote a host of new artists he encounters during his tours and forays around the globe.

“Different Ting” on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJEEiI_vprI

In King Kanja’s own words, “the video is like a Nollywood film!”.

The steamy video is a sensuous appeal over a late night call by Foreign Slim donned in her slinky nightie while loafed in her bedroom trying to lure King Kanja away from his girlfriend.

Her advances promise a different love experience tempting King Kanja away from his increasingly frustrated partner as the rapper tries to divide his fleeting attention.

Kanja is marking his directorial debut, co-directing the sizzling visual alongside Dr. Barry.

Speaking about the video King Kanja says, “We tried to capture the poetic sense of the song visually to bring out both of our very artistic character traits in the most afrobeat way possible.’’

The tough Covid-19 times didn’t stop King Kanja from moving ahead.

He enjoyed an illustrious year in 2020 releasing two albums: VIBE LORD and VIBRATIONS. 

He has since also graced virtual performances for Belaire, Bumbu and had an appearance on 254 Diaspora DJ Live mix.

The rapper is riding the momentum projecting another album release later this year but first, his East African fans can expect to enjoy a series of visuals coming off his latest reggae offing VIBRATIONS.

Kanja sums it up: “My message to my Kenyans and East Africa fam is to stay consistent in whatever you do in life and to always strive for excellence no matter what the world or the journey throws at you.”

Kenya Ports Authority [KPA] acting Managing Director Rashid Salim will continue holding the position for a further three months, following the government's decision to extend his term.

This is after the government failed to get a substantive MD for the parastatal from the just concluded interviews.

http://ommydalla.co.ke/people/item/2040-kpa-conducts-interviews-for-md-post

Today (Wednesday) Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani rejected the proposed names for the job, directing the KPA board to undertake a fresh recruitement exercise and be concluded within 45 days.

In the letter copied to his transport counterpart James Macharia and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua, Yatani directed the process to recruit a new MD must be concluded within the stipulated period.

"I have reviewed the list of names ,scores and ranking of the candidates proposed for appointment as Managing Director, Kenya Ports Authority and note that all the candidates scored below the desired threshold of 7o per cent in the interview " reads the letter from Yatani.

Rashid was not among those shortlisted for the job.

The three candidates never met the threshold required for the position forcing the government to go back to the drawing board and it is set to re advertise for the controversial post.

Former Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport Corridor chief executive officer Silvester Kasuku came third after he managed to score 63 per cent marks.

Both former Principal Secretary at the Gender ministry Mwanamaka Mabruki who has previously worked at the port and Murshid Rashid who is maritime expert tied with a score of 67 per cent marks.

The three from the six shortlisted candidates failed to meet the pass marks of 70 per cent.

The move to extend Rashid’s contract will be the last since he is expected to proceed to his annual leave pending his retirement end of this year.

Things may get more complicated in the recruitment process as KPA board of directors chairman Joseph Kibwana is expected to exit mid this year.

Other shortlisted candidates who sat for interview for the top post were James Ng’ang’a who is currently Infrastructure Director - Northern Corridor at TradeMark East Africa and who previously worked at the port of Mombasa, former KPA General Manager Human Resource and Administration Dr Amani Komora and KPA General Manager in charge of Kisumu port Sudi Mwasingo who made his second attempt for the post.

By Doreen Kinja, Team Leader at Infobip Kenya

Like the rest of the world, Kenya’s business sector has been significantly affected and reshaped by the global COVID-19 pandemic, with a large portion of commercial activity shifting to the digital space as physical interactions practically ceased.

Interestingly, we are now seeing businesses mushrooming out of nowhere, and these are often companies that did not have a real strategy before but shaped their models around the pandemic.

These start-ups are thriving because they have taken up the challenge and launched entirely online, using technology to reach more customers.

Despite this accelerated digitisation, SMS is and likely to remain for some time yet, the most widely used channel for customer communication.

This is largely due to Kenya having a large proportion of feature phone users often located in remote areas, but it is also at the forefront of mobile penetration on the continent, with 4G connectivity and infrastructure that is increasing reaching these areas.

Yet, we have also seen significant uptake of chat apps such as WhatsApp by local businesses during the past year, thanks to smartphones becoming increasingly cheaper too. There is a noticeable trend toward businesses exploring alternative channels and adopting multiple channels to engage with their customers.

Now is the ideal time for companies to start adopting an omnichannel approach to customer engagement. An omnichannel solution brings an array of communication options, allowing the customer to interact with their brand over the channel of their choice.

Young population

Further strengthening the case for omnichannel adoption is the fact that Kenya has a young population, with more than 50% below the age of 30. This demographic does not want to use traditional channels such as voice to communicate with a business.

These customers are more likely to use chat apps and SMS and demand instant response.

Not only does an omnichannel approach provide customers with their choice of preferred channels, but it also allows the business to segment its client base and effectively target relevant and personalised messaging at specific groups or individuals.

This is key to offering an enhanced customer experience (CX), which remains the only true differentiator in a competitive market.

The trend towards digitisation is evident in areas such as Kenya’s microfinance sector, where thousands of different Savings and Credit Co-operative Societies (SACCOS) provide loans and financing for their members.

While SACCOS traditionally operated out of physical offices, most have shifted all their services online – from onboarding new members to giving out loans.

Have a strategy

Despite the many benefits, the decision of whether to adopt an omnichannel approach should not be taken lightly. Last year, with the outbreak of COVID-19, we saw many companies rushing to adopt solutions that they did not fully understand, due to a lack of planning. The same counts for omnichannel – make sure you have a strategy, and the solution supports your business objectives.

 If leveraged effectively, an omnichannel platform will not only enhance the CX but will also contribute to cost savings and add to the bottom line. A targeted and personalised promotional dialogue will bring the right products and services to the right customer, resulting in a greater return on investment for the campaign.

Another benefit is that a unified CX is the key to creating powerful human connections. As human beings, we want to have things just the way we like them. We want to be reached on our favourite channels and we don’t want to struggle to communicate. We want to chat and get instant feedback.

Effectively, businesses should look to an omnichannel platform that allows for a combination of communication channels and personalised messaging as key for a holistic approach to customer engagement and powerful human connection at scale.

The draft Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill (BBI) will be introduced at the National Assembly on Thursday.

According to a communication from the National Assembly speaker Justin Muturi to Mps on Tuesday evening, the Bill will be introduced in the house for its first reading.

In the communication Muturi directed the Clerk of the National Assembly to urgently obtain sufficient copies of the Bill.

“To my mind, the urgency implied by the provision seems to be drawn from the lengthy process attached to the consideration of the Bill in terms of collection of signatures in support; verification of said signatures; public participation by the various county assemblies and ultimately approval by the assemblies,” reads part of the communication.

This comes as ODM leader Raila Odinga begins his tour of the larger Coast region to popularise the bill, all the six counties in the region have already passed the bill.

So far, 42 counties have passed the BBI Bill and three (Elgeyo Marakwet, Nandi and Baringo) have rejected it. Uasin Gishu and Mandera county assemblies have not yet debated the bill.

Legendary reggae singer, Neville O’Riley Livingston, famously known as Bunny Wailer has died.

According to reports, he died at the Medical Associates Hospital in Kingston this morning. He was 73.

He was a founding member of The Wailers alongside his childhood friend, Bob Marley.

He was also the last surviving member of The Wailers, following Bob Marley's death from cancer in 1981, and Peter Tosh's murder during a robbery in 1987.

The group (The Wailers) was  formed in Trench Town during the early 1960’s. They had a number of hit songs in the ska and rocksteady eras such as Simmer Down, Lonesome Feeling and Thank You Lord.

After recording two albums, ‘Catch A Fire’ and ‘Burnin’, Wailer and Tosh left for solo careers in 1974.

Throughout his solo career, Wailer released over 10 albums. He won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1991 for the album Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley, 1995 for Crucial! Roots Classics, and 1997 for Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley’s 50th Anniversary.

In 2012, Bunny Wailer received Jamaica’s fifth highest honour, the Order of Jamaica. Five years later, in 2017, he was awarded the Order of Merit by the Jamaican government, the nation’s fourth-highest honour.

Amapiano fans were treated to an unforgettable concert over the weekend by The Kings of Amapiano - Scorpion Kings duo DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small at the Carnivore grounds. 

The drive in event that started at 12noon saw revelers enjoy Amapiano vibes from Malonza, DJ Protégé, MGM, DJ Ally Fresh, DJ IV, Shema Dj and the stars of the afternoon Scorpion Kings. 

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party leader Raila Odinga has today (Monday) commenced his six day tour of the larger Coast region to popularise the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

Raila landed at the Voi airstrip where he was received by Taita Taveta county Governor Granton Samboja, Voi Mp Jones Mlolwa among other leaders before heading to the Voi Wildlife hotel for a private meeting with the county leaders.

He will spend two days in Taita Taveta before heading to Kilifi county Wednesday.

On Thursday, the former Prime Minister will be in Mombasa county and is expected to visit all the six constituencies before heading to Kwale county.

His tour comes just weeks after that of his political rival Deputy President William Ruto who toured Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa counties campaigning against the BBI.

The tour also comes at a time when some leaders from the region within ODM have been advocating for the formation of a Coast political party. Among those who have been on the forefront advocating for the Coast party is Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho has however maintained that he seek an ODM ticket to run for the presidency in 2011.

Last week, ODM extended the deadline for submission of applications by individuals who wish to be the party’s presidential candidate by one month.

“Further to the notice of the National Elections Board (NEB) of 21st January 2021 calling for the submission of applications by individuals interested in consideration as the ODM Party presidential candidate for the 2022 general elections, this is to extend the deadline for the submission of applications from 26th of February 2021 to 31st March 2021,” reads the statement from ODM.

Nigerian Afro Pop superstar Kizz Daniel has released “Flex” - a brand new single & video.

The Afrobeat delight is layered over monstrous instrumentation and complemented by intoxicating brass, melodious saxophone and powerful trumpets. The thumping single produced by award-winning record producer DJ Coublon is a befitting homage to Fela Kuti.

The single is an Afrobeat delight, with its video perfectly capturing the fun-loving and spirited nature of Nigeria’s vibrant party scene.

Download/stream “Flex”: https://smarturl.it/KizzDaniel.Flex

“Flex” Official Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7akR7AEAxg

“Flex” Lyric video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onmAr3jNz1I

The stunning black and white video, directed by The Alien, captivates the life and times of a popular nightclub that hosted performances from the Afrobeat icon famed for brisk and exhilarating dance tunes.

Kizz Daniel previously worked with the seasoned producer (DJ Coublon) on several singles including ‘’Duro’’ off his debut album NEW ERA and the mega remix to his hit single ‘’Woju’’ featuring Afrobeat superstars Davido and Tiwa Savage.

Kizz has kicked off what promises to be a good year in music with the feel-good anthem reminiscent of sounds from his sophomore 2018 album ‘No Bad Songz’, and a follow up to the success of his most recent ‘King Of Love’ 2020 album.