The demand for pharmacists in all sectors of pharmacy practice is set to rise as the national government seeks to increase Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in the country.

Educationist and founder of Mount Kenya University (MKU) Prof. Simon Gicharu noted that the universal health coverage will increase the demand for pharmacists and other medical personnel and contends that action is needed to encourage more people to take up health careers.

Prof. Gicharu noted that the government is committed to providing UHC under the ‘Big Four Agenda’ as part of its socio-economic transformation by providing equitable, affordable and quality healthcare of the highest standard to all Kenyans.

The national government is championing the big four agenda of food security and nutrition, affordable housing, universal healthcare and manufacturing.

Prof. Gicharu said attainment of universal healthcare has remained elusive due to unequal access to different health care services and due to poor distribution and use of resources.

He said ideally the country should produce more pharmacists and other health personnel to keep up with the growing demand.

He went on “improving access to and use of health services will enable Kenyans to be more productive and active contributors to their families, communities, society at large, and contribute to the country’s economic development as universal health care is expected to bring health and development efforts together and contribute to poverty reduction”.

Prof. Gicharu who is also the chairman of the Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) was speaking in Mombasa at a Kenya Pharmaceutical Association (KPA) retreat at the Prideinn Paradise Beach Resort.

KPA chairman Benjamin Mbugua and Dorcas Too, the national secretary general KPA were among the KPA leadership at their annual retreat.

He said the association as a key stakeholder with the largest membership of pharmaceutical personnel in Kenya (over 8000 members) has a duty to ensure that its members uphold good professional practices in their pharmacy practice.

Prof. Gicharu pointed out that the pharmacy sector has experienced a lot of negative publicity through such things as counterfeit medicines and renting out of licenses.

He said most UHC interventions are not reaching the people that most need them in the countryside due to geographical and socio-cultural barriers and high costs associated with accessing and using available services.

Prof. Gicharu also noted that in developing the Kenya Health Sector Strategic Plan 2018-2023, the government acknowledges that there is a need to develop human resources for health if the country is to attain the universal healthcare by 2022.

The Strategic Plan notes that the country has 68,085 health care workers in the public sector and 10,626 in private sector totaling to 78,711 healthcare workers against a population of approximately 47.8 million people.

He pointed out that the health worker population ratio of 16.5/10,000 is below WHOs recommendation of 23/10,000 healthcare workers per 10,000 populations.

Jumuiya Ya Kaunti Za Pwani (JKP) in Partnership with Generation Kenya have today launched the Jumuiya Innovation Lab.

This was during a consultative forum on youth employment creation held at a hotel in Mombasa County.

The one day stakeholder engagement also brought together the national and county government ministries of education and youth, policy makers, industry and universities.

The stakeholder engagement was aimed at Creating awareness of and exchanging input with key stakeholders on the Jumuiya Innovation Lab(JIL) thinking and officially launch the Generation & JKP training and up skilling program.

The Jumuiya Innovation Lab is a workforce and MSME incubator that seeks to consolidate the thinking around how the Jumuiya can create employment opportunities and harness the latent talent existent among the youth in the region.

Youth unemployment remains a big challenge in the region as it is exacerbating poverty, marginalization and crime rates.

According to JKP C.E.O Emmanuel Nzai, the innovation lab is also aimed at structuring the youth empowerment space and bringing all stakeholders together.

“The Jumuiya Innovation Lab shall be set up across the coast targeting 10,000 youth through to 2022 through either business development support or vocational education” said Nzai.

Adding “This will go along way in tackling the high unemployment rate which is at 45% in the region".

The establishment of the Jumuiya Innovation Lab has been identified as one of the anchor flagship projects of the Jumuiya 2030 strategy which is geared towards changing the story of the region.

Nzai also noted "Achieving the Jumuiya 2030 is not possible without an able and skilled workforce and growing the private sector that creates jobs for the coastal people.

He revealed that they will be working closely with local institutions including the Technical University of Mombasa among others and that 400 youth will be involved in the pilot project between now(July) and  December .

This flagship project also seeks to combine intervening strategies and policies in the JKP (6) counties to align in closing the school transition gaps.

It will also facilitate self-employment with incubation of MicroSmall Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and workforce development for employability and economic productivity.

Generation Kenya as the thought partner and implementation partner of JKP will help the setup of the Jumuiya Innovation Lab, coordinate different workforce development and youth empowerment efforts at JIL and provide workforce skilling and placement for youth.

The JIL will be a one-stop shop for youth to decide about their career and to receive the necessary information on how to realize it.

It will comprise of two components, Center for workforce skilling, which is to provide the youth with a center where they can find potential career paths

The centre will also help the youth get to know the vocational education required to enter specific careers and can be connected to youth economic empowerment organizations to help them with relevant trainings and job placement.

The other component is Micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) incubation, to skill and incubate at least 1,000 MSMEs at the Coast in various sectors such as agriculture, blue economy, trade and logistics.

As a basis for the operations and success of JIL, both Generation and JKP Secretariat will ensure that TVET capabilities are strengthened so that they are able to provide relevant high impact vocational training.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said Kenya will continue leveraging on new technologies to deepen financial inclusion and enhance service delivery.

He said the country is registering impressive successes in the deployment of technological solutions in various sectors of the economy especially in financial inclusion and in enhancing efficiency in the delivery of public services.

"Riding on mobile phone financial services, access to financial services in Kenya has more than tripled from 26 percent in 2006 to 82 percent in2019,” President Kenyatta said.

The President spoke this evening at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Ruaraka, Nairobi County when he delivered the key note address at the ongoing inaugural Afro-Asia FinTech Festival.

The two-day financial technology (Fintech) conference is the first of its kind globally and is jointly organized by the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), and brings together thousands of delegates from Africa and Asia.

The Head of State called on Africa and Asia to work together to build more robust digital economies adding that Kenya is open to work with other governments and private bodies in leveraging innovations for technology driven financial inclusion.

While citing several of Kenya's leading innovations among them MPesa, the President said the country will continue leveraging on technology to enhance its tax collection through the iTax  and  provision of services to the public through the e-Citizen platforms.

He listed several other Kenyan innovations such as M-KOPA, a service delivery innovation in the power and lighting sub sector that has enabled many rural households to receive solar lighting gadgets.

President Kenyatta also talked about M-Akiba, which provides a savings mechanism for ordinary Kenyans who can save a dollar a day, and at the end of 30 days invest in government securities.

“For my Government, our key motivation in rolling out this product was to democratise access to financial services and to give a space at the heart of the financial system to every Kenyan no matter their location, social or economic status,” the President said.

The President also spoke about Stawi, whose pilot was launched in May 2019, that targets to provide MSMEs with an ‘anytime-anywhere’ product that leverages on both traditional and non-traditional sources of credit information, particularly digital payment footprints arising from mobile money transactions, in order to allow banks to form an accurate credit appraisal of enterprises for the purposes of credit rating.

“The use of big data and artificial intelligence that the product (Stawi) is built on in effect de-risks the MSMEs and enables the reduction of credit cost,” President Kenyatta said.

Delegates attending the seminal conference include inventors,entrepreneurs, technology scholars, researchers, media and university students drawn from 30 countries spread across five continents.

President Kenyatta said digital economies will help Africa expand opportunities to bring prosperity for more people.

He called on Asian governments and companies to partner with Africa to build stronger digital bridges between the economies of the two continents.

“Africa is open for business and we urge you to join hands with us in building a better and more prosperous World for All our People,” said the President.

President Kenyatta also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the CBK  and MAS  to co-develop “foundational infrastructure on identity,data and electronic Know-Your Customer procedures (e-KYC).”

Identity and e-KYC are critical prerequisites to enhancing financial inclusion while ensuring financial integrity at both national and cross-border levels.

“This initiative between our two Central Banks aligns well with the ongoing drive by my Government to introduce a ‘‘single source of truth’’ digital identity,” he said.

The President encouraged more public and private sector partnerships to drive the growth of digital technology, a sector where Kenya plays a global lead role.

“It is only through such public and private sector collaborations and partnerships that we can build truly robust and resilient digital economies that leave no one behind and score astounding accomplishments for our citizenry,”the Head of State said.

More than 20 Singaporean companies are part of the delegation from Singapore led by Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies.

During a plenary presentation, Mr Shanmugaratnam talked at length about the benefits of globalization which aims at “growing the pie” for the largest number of people.

He said the FinTech summit is a unique conference focusing at giving opportunities to many entrepreneurs at the bottom of the financial radar.

“FinTech focuses on what the neglected segments of our people can do by offering them opportunities,” said the Singaporean minister.

Others who spoke at the summit included CBK Governor Dr Patrick Njoroge and National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich.

Mr Rotich said the iTax and e-Citizen plaforms had greatly   improved efficiency of service delivery in terms of of time and the range of services offered.

Besides the main conference, participants have an opportunity to visit exhibition booths by Kenyan and international companies where several top notch innovations are being showcased.

The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa has partnered with the Government of Kenya during the 3^rd Edition of the Kenya Trade Week which will be hosting the Source 21 COMESA International Trade Fair and high-level business summit this coming week.

The Kenya Trade Week running under the theme “Powering Regional Integration through Trade” is set to take place from 15^th to 21^st July at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi. 

The theme is in tandem with the COMESA trading block which seeks “To be a fully integrated economic community that is prosperous, internationally competitive, and ready to merge into the African Economic Community”.

The much awaited Expo will bring together policymakers and the private sector from the 21 COMESA member states who are the drivers of trade and economic development to deliberate on how to promote and advance cross border trade across this giant economic trading block.

Among the highlights of the Expo will be the presidential public private roundtable where heads of states will interact with business leaders on key strategies to enhance industry competitiveness and formulate strategies to enhance local sourcing and intra-regional trade.

Other activities during the Source 21 Summit themed “The Hallmark of Quality” will include the launch of COMESA Source 21 Handbook and, the 50 Million Women speak initiative which aims at empowering women entrepreneurs by providing financial and non financial information to help them grow their businesses.

The forum will offer a great opportunity for unlimited networking among businesses with opportunities to learn what other industry players are doing through exhibitions and business to business linkages that will create opportunities for businesses to tap into domestic and international markets.

The platform will also address manufacturing competitiveness, digitalization and trade facilitation, digital financial services and regional payment systems, standards and quality issues, smart and sustainable cities and the continental free trade area.

Other areas include some of the key impediments affecting businesses in cross-border trade as well as how to promote industrial growth and competitiveness.

The trade fair will further offer an opportunity to showcase Africa’s trendsetters especially the young minds in business behind African SMEs and entrepreneurships that have developed innovative solutions for the continent.

These include the digitalization of trade and logistics services with an aim at reducing costs and supporting the efficient delivery of goods and services as well strengthening distributional channels across Africa.

In collaboration with Kenya Government and the COMESA Business Council, other supporting organizations include the European Union, USAID, ZEP-RE, MOSANTO, Kenya Airways, Coca Cola, TDB, African Development Bank, Export Promotion Council Kenya and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers among others.

Femi One has just dropped the second single off her successful EP “XXV” this morning! .

Dubbed ‘Moto’, the jam is Femi One’s follow up to her hit “Hiyo One’ that left fans wanting more.

Creatively directed by Johnson Kyalo, ‘Moto’ is produced by Kenyan Hit maker Ricco beats. 

The colorful video is shot in a picturesque background, showcasing Femi’s dope outfits as she matches her lyrical prowess with the killer beat.

In April, Femi released her highly anticipated Extended Play (EP) which is available on all platforms for download.  

Speaking on the release of Moto, Femi said…

"I am happy with the outcome of the Moto video, despite it being a feel good song, it is a reminder to my haters that I am never afraid to bring the fire, wacha wakule moto!”

Watch the Moto Video HERE

President Uhuru Kenyatta has reminded leaders to devote their efforts in the service of Kenyans instead of endless politics.

The President emphasized that the time for politics will come but at the moment focus should be directed to working to improve the lives of Kenyans.

“If you are a politician, do not only think about enriching yourself but instead ask yourself how you will improve the lives of the people," President Kenyatta said.

He also challenged professionals in various fields to put service to their country first and not to be driven purely by personal gains.

“If you are a doctor, do not say you will only wait for a salary and cannot work without being paid. Remember the life of your fellow Kenyan is more important than what you are paid,” he said.

President Kenyatta spoke today at Mangu in Rongai, Nakuru County during the funeral service of the late lawyer, politician and businessman Karanja Kabage.

The President paid glowing tribute to Karanja Kabage, describing him as a Kenyan hero who was committed to transforming the country.

The Head of State pointed out that the late Kabage worked hard to improve the lives of Kenyans not only through the insurance industry where he left a huge legacy but in other sectors as well.

“We can say without fear of contradiction that he was an honest man. He was a man who believed in working hard and earning from his sweat. But he also involved himself in other things that were of benefit to Kenyans,” President Kenyatta said.

“It will be recalled that he used to say there should be no difference between the health insurance policy for the rich and the poor. Sickness does not discriminate.  This means for him, insurance was not only a business but also an avenue to improve the live of his fellow Kenyans,” the President added.

He said if all Kenyans emulated the late Kabage and committed to working to improve the lives of their compatriots, the country would realise its development targets faster than envisioned.

“If we will all become selfless in our various fields, we will be able to meet our development objectives because it takes commitment, it takes dedication and selflessness to achieve those objectives,” President Kenyatta said.

He asked Kenyans to live together peacefully and shun tribalism, saying that is the path to follow in order to develop.

Deputy President William Ruto eulogized the late Kabage as an outstanding Kenyan and a patriot who had a great influence on him.

“Mr Karanja Kabage was a great man in the field he was gifted in. We are burying a great man who loved his country,” the DP Ruto said.

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, ANC Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi, Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui and his Nyandarua counterpart Francis Kimemia also spoke at the funeral service.

Music Label and street culture trendsetters Cashtime Life is getting ready to release the full catalogue of music previously released under the recording company.

Responsible for launching the music careers of Kid X; Moozlie; Masandiand DJ Vigilante alongside K.O.,Ma-E and Maggz; Cashtime Life is bringing some of South Africa’s biggest hit songs to all digital stores for music lovers to enjoy on 12 July 2019.

Established in 2013 with the aim of moving the culture forward, Cashtime Life brought to life a fusion of rap/hip hop and kasi sounds – producing chart topping tracks such as K.O.’s Caracara; Kid X’s Pass n Special;Ma-E’s uGogo;DJ Vigilante’s Sorry Makhe; and more! The independent label released a variety of Albums, mixtapes, and singles for its respective artists and will now have this extensive catalogue available for streaming and for download from all digital music stores.

Not only will Cashtime Life fans now get to enjoy classic songs from some of SA’s biggest artist’s but they will also get to enjoy new, never heard before music from DJ Vigilante, Maggz and Kid X.

The Cashtime Life catalogue includes the following albums, mixtapes and singles:

-K.O. Skanda Republic, 2014

-Ma-E Township Counsellor, 2016

-Kid X, 3 Quarter Pace, 2015

The Cashtime Life music catalogue will be available for streaming and for download purchase across all digital stores from 12 July 2019.

Be sure to look out for more music news from Cashtime Life with the release of never heard before music.

Kenya's first rising artist Masauti has featured Tanzania's sensation Lava Lava in his latest song dubbed 'Dondosha'.

The audio has been produced by Motif Di Don video directed by  Nezzoh Montana.

Watch the video below

Mombasa County through the department of Transport, Infrastructure and public works is set to build six more fire stations in the county to boost the main fire station at Mwembe Tayari.

According to the County Executive Committee Member for the department Taufiq Balala the six fire stations will be set up in each of the six sub counties starting with a substation at Bamburi, before the end of 2022.

"Since the first tenure of devolution we have dedicated ourselves to building team of resilient and proactive fire fighters who have undoubtedly performed satisfactorily" said Balala

Adding " Mombasa currently boasts of an eight minute response time which is just one minute shy off the standard time of seven minutes".

Balala was speaking after he toured the Mombasa main fire station and interacted with the fire fighters.

He also revealed that they will be expanding operations at the main fire station by modernising the  available equipments and building the capacity of the fighters to respond to even more complex emergencies. 

Mombasa County is set to host this year's Mashujaa day celebrations on 20th October.

Mombasa now joins four other counties that have hosted the national celebrations which are Narok, Machakos, Nakuru and Kakamega.

The celebrations will take place at the Mama Ngina waterfront park which is currently still under construction. According to Tourism Cabinet Secretary the project which costs 460 million will be 80% full by end of this month.

The CS was speaking during a visit of the project  together with Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho.

The transformation of the former Mama Ngina Drive into the new facility is part of ongoing efforts to restore the glory of Mombasa as a leading tourist destination in the region.

The project which was commissioned on January 7 this year was supposed to be completed by May 31, but due to changes in designs, its completion has delayed.

On Tuesday President Kenyatta also visited the project in the company of Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho where he expressed satisfaction with the progress.