Ommy Dallah
Singer Yvan Buravan Succumbs To Cancer
Famed Rwandan singer Yvan Buravan has died at the age of 27.
The 'Malaika' hitmaker died in India where he had been undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer.
The news of his death was announced by his management on Wednesday.
"“It is with unimaginable sadness that we announce to you the untimely passing of our beloved Yvan Buravan, which occurred tonight in India, where he was undergoing treatment for pancreatic cancer,” reads the statement from his management.
Adding " Yvan Buravan was a genuine soul that radiated happiness to everyone around him. He motivated all of us to love our Country and our Culture,”
The statement added that “his loss will be immensely felt by his family and friends and throughout our industry” and called for solidarity among family, friends and his fan during the period of unspeakable tragedy.
The singer, real name Ivan Burabyo, was airlifted to India on August 4, with a condition which had led to his health deteriorating for weeks. Initial reports and a statement issued by the singer had indicated that his health was improving after being attended to by doctors in India.
Several celebrities have so far come out to mourn the singer.
"Rest in peace brother. Gone too soon" posted Alpha.
On his part Tanzanian singer Ay posted " Rest in peace big hommie Yvan Buravan. I mourn you till I join you. Pumzika kwa amani lil bro, poleni sana family na music industry ya Rwanda"
Akon's Message To Kenya's President Elect William Ruto
The United Democtratic Alliance (UDA) party leader was on Monday evening declared the President-elect by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chair, Wafula Chebukati after the August 9 general elections.
The self-styled 'Hustler in Chief' garnered 7,176,141 votes representing 50.49 percent of the final vote, while his main rival Raila Odinga received 6,942,930 votes this 48.85 percent, as announced by IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati at the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre.
Following the announcement, social media has lit up with congratulatory messages to the 55-year-old politician.
Apart from world leaders several celebrities have also come out to congratulate him, among them is Senagalese- American singer, Akon.
“Congratulations to my dear brother William Ruto as he is declared winner of the Presidential election in Kenya.” posted Akon on his social media pages.
On his part Bongo crooner Diamond Platnumz congratulated Kenyans for maintaining peace and completing the election succesful.
“Pongezi sana wana Kenya kwa kuhitimisha zoezi la uchaguzi na kumpata Rais leo. Sasa hivi tena si team Ruto, Wajackoya ama Team Odinga, ni pamoja team Kenya,” he posted on his Insta-stories.
ODM Maintains Dominance In Mombasa
Azimio La Umoja presidential candidate Raila Odinga’s ODM has maintained its dominance in Mombasa county.
The party bagged five of the county’s six constituency seats.
Three Mps who were elected on the party’s ticket in 2017were re-elected.
Those elected are Badi Twalib (Jomvu), Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe), Mishi Mboko (Likoni) , Rashid Bedzimba (Kisauni) and Mohammed Machele (Mvita).
UDA's Mohammed Ali retained his Nyali seat.
The orange party also won the Senator seat which was retained by Mohammed Faki and the Woman Represenattive post won by Zamzam Mohammed.
In the county assembly, ODM has won 23 seats, with UDA bagging 5 seats, 1 Indepenent and 1 for wiper party.
The election for the governor seat is set for 23 August, this is after the election was suspended following a mix up in the printing of ballot papers.
Mps Twalib, Mwinyi, Ali Retain Their Seats
Two ODM parliamentary candidates in Mombasa county have so far emerged winners in the August 9 polls, retaining their seats for the next five years.
Jomvu Mp Badi Twalib who was defending his seat for a third term garnered 13850 votes defending his rival Jubilee' Renson Thoya who got 9407 votes.
United Democratic Alliance party candidate Karisa Nzai got 5,439 votes, while Twalib's brother-in-law Abdulrahim Kajembe (Independent) got 2,960 votes.
In his acceptance speech Twalib extended a hand of friendship to losers in the polls and invited them to work with him.
"I wish to invite all those who we were in a competition with to come and we work together, I know you have great plans for our people, lets join hands and work for the people" said Twalib.
Adding " To my people, thank you for giving me another chance to be your servant I have nothing to give in you in return but only developement oriented projects, we will complete all the projects that we had started. I understand that some did not vote for me but I promise to serve you all."
The legislator also called on his constituents and Kenyans at large to be patient and wait for the Independent electoral and boundaries commission (IEBC) to make the final announcemnet of the winner of the presidential race.
Twalib Charged " I know you are all eager to know who our next president is, please let us be patient and give time to IEBC, we will soon know our next president and I'm confident it will be Raila Odinga".
Changamwe Mp Omar Mwinyi was also declared the winner on Thursday evening by the constituency returning officer Charo Kalume after garnering 25,077 votes against his rival Jubilee's Abdi Daib who got 5,789 votes, UDA's Mutuku Malila came third position with 4,119, former Mombasa county government executive committe member (CEC) Munyoki Kyalo came fourth with 4,040 votes.
United Democratic Alliance (UDA) candidate for Nyali parliamentary seat Mohammed Ali who is also the incumbent Mp managed to retain his seat.
Ali garnered 32,988 against his main rival ODM's Said Abdallah who got 18,642 votes.
Bedzimba, Rai Make Comeback After Years In Political Cold
Rashid Bedzimba is now the Kisauni Mp elect after garnering 34,747 votes in the just concluded August 9 polls.
Bedzimba,who takes over from Ali Mbogo made a comeback after five years in the political cold. Bedzimba was the area Mp between 2013-17.
Declaring his win, Kisauni Returning officer Ibrahim Wario thanked the candidates for maintaining peace and being patient with results tallying.
The ODM legislator floored his opponents to emerge victorious in what looked like a one sided contest that had attracted 8 candidates in the National assembly post.
His close competitor of the United Democratic Alliance Ahmed Mbarak got 12,336 votes ahead of Beatrice Gambo, an independent candidate who garnered 6,533.
Bedzimba a close ally of Mombasa governor Hassan Joho expressed his joy, thanking his supporters for granting him a victory.
"I want to pass my gratitude to my supporters for standing with me, I want to dedicate my victory to my supporters, they stood with me and I want to promise I will deliver development to them," said Bedzimba.
He thanked his supporters for maintaining peace during and after the polls. He said his focus is to return the lost glory of Kisauni constituency.
"I thank the Iebc for conducting a peaceful poll, we are satisfied with the way they conducted the elections in Kisauni, there were very few hitches," said Bedzimba.
Meanwhile former Kinango Mp and assistant minister Gonzi Rai has recaptured his seat.
Rai who served as the area Mp for 20 years before losing in the 2017 election trounced his main rival and incumbent Benjamin tayari with 16,331 votes.
Tayari who vied on an UDA ticket garnered 13,025 votes followed by the current Kwale county Women representative Zulekha Hassan who got 9,964 votes.
In a statement, Hassan disputed the results.
"The results do not reflect the voices of our people, we will continue to fight for our rights." said Hassan.
Bedzimba, Rai Make Comeback After Years In Political Cold
Rashid Bedzimba is now the Kisauni Mp elect after garnering 34,747 votes in the just concluded August 9 polls.
Former Mombasa County Chief Officer Mugabe Wins Likuyani Mp seat
Former Mombasa county government Tourism Chief officer Innocent Mugabe has clinched the Likuyani Parliamentary seat.
Mugabe trounced his main rival and the incumbent Dr. Enoch Kibunguchi in the hotly contested election.
Mugabe who vied on an ODM ticket garnered 17,543 with Kibunguchi garnering 13382 votes.
"With so much humility, I wish to sincerely thank the people of Likuyani Constituency for the huge responsibility they have bestowed on me to be their next Member of Parliament. This is a win for all of us." said Mugabe
Mugabe who was also a lecturer at the Technical university of Mombasa was initially the running mate for ODM Kakamega governor candidate Fernandes Barasa but later stepped down for Lugari Mp Ayub Savula.
Team Pankaj & Uber To Distribute Meals To Police Officers During Election
Uber has announced a collaboration with Team Pankaj to provide meals to police officers stationed across Nairobi County during the General Elections.
Election Day is an important day for Kenyans to play a role in shaping the future of the nation and Uber aims to play a role using its technology and resources to be a partner to cities and make it easier for police officers to carry out their duties.
“We know that law enforcement officers have a critical role to play during the elections and we want to support them. We are uniquely positioned to help provide some comfort while unlocking further earnings for drivers, a demonstration of our commitment to the community,” explains Imran Manji, Uber Head of East Africa
Known for distributing survival hampers to vulnerable people across all of Nairobi’s slums, TeamPankaj will be embarking on a slightly different campaign and will be donating the meals on the day to ensure police officers are looked after.
“This partnership is very exciting, as we believe it's important for every resident to make their mark- and by providing meals to police officers, we believe that we can reduce their pressure during this monumental day. We want to thank each one of them for their consistent hard work!” says Vikas Shah from TeamPankaj.
Agilitee Goes Public As Trading On Its IPO Embarks At JSE
African leader on Electric Vehicle manufacturer - Agilitee-will starts trading its IPO at Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) after approval by the relevant authorities.
With the IPO trading kicking off it now means that the firm will now be converted from being a privately held company to a public company.
This is part of the process of Agilitee’s Initial Public Offering (IPO) on the JSE and it marks the beginning of a new chapter for Agilitee now that it has officially become a public company.
“I am excited by this approval by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange,” said Dr Lamba.
Adding “This is the testament of the emergence of the New Africa, the ERA of just a hopeful Africa is gone as Africa is entering the world of the promise of God. This IPO is the final leg of every promise that Agilitee made when Agilitee was formed and it will usher the continent to the forefront of the global green revolution.”
The firm at the initial stage of being listed at the JSE had contracted the services of Acaciacap Advisors as it embarked on its IPO listing journey at JSE.
Agilitee seeks to raise a total of $2 billion in equity capital by selling 10% of the business to new investors.
According to Dr Mandla Lamba the CEO of Agilitee, the firm allocated an additional 10 % shares equivalent to $2 billion for the less across the continent.
Prof Onkgopotse JJ Tabane, Agilitee, Global Board Chairperson also pointed out that the firm is eyeing more partnerships with various players to drive its growth strategy.
"The approval by the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) for the conversion of Agilitee from a private into a public company is a major and irreversible milestone towards our envisaged Initial Public Offering of 10 percent of the company for $ 2 billion US. “
Adding “We are standing on the brink of a major partnership with the public to make a huge dent towards a carbon free economy while creating wealth for many people across the African continent and the world. The company will soon release its prospectus and formally invite the public to purchase shares. "
Can continental tech firms drive economic growth?
In 2020 China witnessed a huge economic shock but a ‘V-shaped economic recovery and growth the world had never seen.
The covid-19 stricken Asia nation added $1.5trn to the wealth of China’s billionaires bringing to $4trn the total worth of the country’s billionaires, according to a new report which described the increase as China’s fastest growth ever.
This is attributed to the spate of Initial Public offers and robust tech growth in recent times.
China’s soaring stock markets, a flood of Initial Public Offerings and surging growth in the sector have been identified as what has helped to fuel the country’s latest wealth boom.
In the US for instance, it has been observed that since the 1980s when Apple Inc went public, Google in 2004 and Facebook in 2012, instant millionaires were created.
Companies' and individuals' net worth rocketed upward when companies like Apple, Google and Facebook and Alibaba Group, and Xiaomi Corp, all sold their IPOs.
The post-covid economic era has shown that the tech and green space attract a lot of investors in thousands of dollars when IPOs are sold.
Could Africa take advantage of this development? Experts have said that South Africa-based Agilitee, one of Africa’s fast-growing green technology and electric vehicle manufacturing companies, is poised to lead the revolution in Africa.
They argued that the Tech industry forms a majority of the exemplary IPOs in recent times that have raised billions of dollars through IPOs in especially China and the US.
According to them, Agilitee is not only a technology firm but a green technology firm operating in the Electric Vehicle space as well. This, they noted, puts the firm in a very strategic and good position to attract major investors.
With its IPO valued at $20bn, the company looks to raise $2bn by selling 10 per cent of its equity through a public offering.
Like the blueprint laid by China and US, experts said the success of Agilitee’s IPO will create some millionaires in Africa.
This is because already, the firm is offering another 10 per cent valued at $2bn dollars to the less fortunate in Africa with the long-term objective of raising millionaires to alleviate poverty in Africa.
It is also a narrative that illustrates how a vision which had its roots in South Africa is transforming other parts of the African continent.
When the founder and current Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Agilitee Africa, Dr Mandla Lamba, started the project in 2015, he knew that the destiny of the company would be a force to reckon with.
“The journey to where we are was not easy, a lot of twists and turns and ups and downs but a lot of success has been enjoyed amid the pain.The story of Agilitee has been that of not amplifying problems and challenges at the expense of the goodness of God.”
“What gave us the strength was the fact that five years ago, there was no Agilitee and here we are today with this great company, yes, we have had to fight a lot but we can’t complain about it because we are grateful of the blessings we saw in the deep of tears,” he said.
Lamba said the conception of the company started in 2015 and the formalisation of the company was done in 2018.
Opinion piece: Organisational Culture Change Needed To Address Gender Bias In Africa’s ICT Space
By Doreen Kinja, Sales Team Leader at Infobip Africa
When it comes to gender equality in the workplace, the African continent remains varied, with some regions – such as the southern, western and eastern parts of the continent – showing better progress in creating more gender-equal environments than others.
A study by the McKinsey Global Institute found that African firms had the highest share of female representation on company boards – 25% compared to the global average of 17%.
But while progress has been made at the top level of firms, women are less well represented in middle management. Notably, women make up 43% of individuals who receive a tertiary education yet hold only 28% of formal sector jobs.
On a global scale, a PwC report shows that women currently hold 19% of technology-related jobs at the top 10 global tech companies, compared to men who hold 81%.
In leadership positions at these global tech giants, women make up 28% of the workforce, with men representing 72%.
Despite Research Professional News claiming that the ICT sector attracts more and more women across the African continent, which has the highest proportion of female STEM graduates, more needs to be done to address gender inequality.
Insufficient transformation
Not all parts of Africa have transformed sufficiently to meaningfully tackle the gender equality gap. In some countries, many industry sectors, including ICT, remain male-dominated.
This is the result of a legacy culture, where women’s contribution to business is neglected. These attitudes need to change and are best overcome by developing a corporate culture that does not recognise gender, but the contributions made by all employees.
Instead of driving male-female quotas, companies should develop a culture that instils a balanced outlook across the entire organisation and that relies on the skills and abilities of the individual and what each employee can bring to the table.
More women leaders in mature markets
According to Grant Thornton, we’re starting to see a pronounced shift in some regions as women take up leadership roles.
This trend is particularly evident in more mature markets (e.g. Southern, Western and East African regions), where sustained efforts to drive gender equality over the last 10 to 15 years have resulted in greater workplace parity.
Organisational culture must filter down from senior leadership and needs to be shaped by the input of all employees. Critically, organisational culture must also be inculcated across the entire organisation, so that it is the same in the company’s African office as it is at its European headquarters, giving employees a sense of being part of a single, focused environment.
Companies that instil this type of organisational culture across their global footprint are usually those that enjoy strong leadership that encourages collaboration among everyone in the organisation.
Gender equality is usually part of these organisations’ DNA and they do not dwell on different genders and cultures but focus on a company culture that all employees adhere to.
Companies should realise that an effective leadership structure can no longer be based on a carrot and stick approach.
By fostering an environment that is conducive to gender equality, only then will we start to see more balance in Africa’s ICT industry.
