The 12^th   edition of the Mombasa Open Tong-IL Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championship 2024 has attracted 578 players in the event history at the port city of Mombasa in Kenya.

Among the confirmed participants are 328 foreign participants from 35 countries.  Kenya will be represented by 250 participants with team Jasiri having 120 players.

Despite the cancellation of the event in August 2024 due to financial constraints, the World Tong IL- Moo- Do Federation president Grand Master Takamitsu Hoshiko has shown faith and   support to ensure the December 11^th to 24^th, 2024 event takes place.

Grandmaster Hoshiko has been supportive and his efforts to marshal the countries to the event demonstrate that the world body recognizes the country strides to popularize Tong-IL Moo-Do in Kenya and Africa.

Kenya’s Tong IL- Moo- Do Chairman Clarence Mwakio said the event is expected to have the highest number of participants since inception and this shows that the credibility of the championship is regarded highly by the world body.

“Kenya is a powerhouse in Tong-IL Moo-Do and host such a world class event elevates the country status,” Mwakio said.

Mwakio said the president of the world federation Hoshiko has ensured that the 12^th edition of the championship will  have more teams  as part of the events in the world federation calendar.

The Chairman appealed to the President, Dr William Samoei Ruto and the youth affairs, creative economy and sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to intervene in sponsorship and facilitate the national team Jasiri with the hosting budget funds.

“The championship is among the few international events that are hosted in Kenya this year and it’s of significance for the government to boost the morale of the players,” he said.

, For the last 4 months, team Jasiri has continued with trainings in readiness for the event that they have won for the last 11 years of the championship,” he added.

Mwakio said he is optimistic that within the next two weeks before the championship the Cs sports will save the event from failing to start.

“We understand that saboteurs are working behind the clock to sabotage the championship from happening so that it collapses but we have faith it will take place,” he alluded.

In this year’s championship, new teams are participating among them Sao Tome and Principe, Vanuatu, Lithuania, Uganda among others.

President of the World Tong-Il Moo-Do Federation Takamitsu Hoshiko

The much-anticipated Minat Cake Festival Second Edition, hosted by renowned Mombasa-award-winning baker Amina Khalid, took place over the weekend in a spectacular celebration of creativity, community, and entrepreneurship. 

The annual event was held at Amwaj Hall in Tudor  and brought together a vibrant crowd of over 400 people, including prominent business leaders, influencers, and local dignitaries. 

The festival featured a host of engaging activities, including cake competitions, a student graduation ceremony, and rounds of cake eating. 

Guests were treated to an array of delicious cakes prepared by Minat Bakery, with each participant leaving with a box of cake to enjoy.

The highlight of the event was the graduation of students who had completed their cake-baking courses under the guidance of Minat Bakery at Minat Cake Zone Academy. 

Amina Khalid, the CEO of Minat Bakery, celebrated the accomplishments of the students, emphasizing the importance of skill development and education in the food industry.  

Notable figures in attendance included Eastern Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Suleiman Shahbal and his wife Rahma, alongside several influential personalities from the Mombasa business and influencer communities.

Other distinguished guests included Aboud Jamal, Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) Mombasa, and Fathiya Nordeen, Regional Manager at Absa Bank. 

The festival’s success was made possible through the support of key sponsors including Mombasa Maize Millers, Absa Bank, Trufoods, KNCCI, Swahili Pot Hub, and Dairyland.

These sponsors play a crucial role in supporting small businesses and promoting economic growth within the region.

In her remarks, Amina Khalid encouraged attendees to continue building their networks, stressing the importance of entrepreneurship in shaping the future of local economies.

"This event serves not only as a celebration of cake-making but also as a platform for small businesses to connect, collaborate, and create their own opportunities," said Khalid. 

Business leaders also took the stage, urging small businesses to leverage networking opportunities and invest in their growth.

"Networking is key to the success of small businesses," said Aboud Jamal, Chairman of KNCCI. "By building connections, you can unlock opportunities and ensure sustained growth."

The Minat Cake Festival Second Edition proved to be a resounding success, bringing the community together in celebration of talent, entrepreneurship, and the rich culture of Mombasa’s bakery industry. With a bigger turnout than expected, the festival’s growth over the years is a testament to the expanding role of the region’s food sector in fostering local business development.

The tourism sector in the Malindi Sub-county of Kilifi county has got a major boost after Spanish Investors began flocking to Malindi to venture into the tourism venture for the first time.

Already, three Spanish investors have established an ultramodern Club in the resort town, targeting tourists visiting Malindi. They are planning to invest heavily in the tourism sector to attract Spanish tourists.

The Move is set to diversify the sector largely dependent on the Italian Market, which earned Malindi the Little Italy brand.

Apart from the Spanish tourism investors, the German market is reportedly making a grand comeback to Malindi after investors took over the running of three resorts, Tropical Village, Dream Gardens, and Dream of Africa, and renovated them to suit the German and other European markets.

So far the resort is known as Diamonds Malindi and has already begun receiving tourists from Germany and France with the authorities saying bookings are promising from the German market this festive season.

Germans used to be famous in Malindi from the 70s and 80s until 80s when they exited after the Italians begun investing largely in the resort town making it earn the name little Italy.

Amatore Peris one of the three Spanish Investors who was first to visit Malindi for holiday after investing and living in Indonesia for three years said he fall in love with the resort town due to its nearness to the airport , nearness to the capital city and the many tourism attractions including nearness to the Tsavo national park, nice sandy beaches amon g others thats why he decided to begin investing in the resort town.

To him it was suprising that despite Malindi being a beautiful destination people from Spain do not know about it and called on other Spanish investors and tourists to begun visiting the resort city as it was a perfect destination for holiday.

Speaking after taking journalists on a tour of their modern club called D5 (Double 5) he said their idea is to bring the idea of the famous Ibiza of Spain to Malindi .

However he said Malindi needs more restaurants in addition to the many existing Italian restaurants to include Spanish restaurants, upgrading of the existing hotels so as to attract Spanish and other tourists from Europe .

He said they have a grand opening of the D5 this Friday which will mark the beginning of parting and asked revellers both locals from the Coast , Nairobi and all parts of Kenya together with foreigners to visit Malindi and enjoy the vibes.

Carlos Peris a Spanish Investor and a brother to Amatore said he came to Malindi after his brother told him he had chose to invest in the resort town .

To him it he found strange that the brother who had invested in Indonesia for over 30 years had chose Malindi as the next home of investment as he had not heard about the town but after arriving in Malindi he found out it was the best destination.

Paco Mompo one of the Spanish investor said he fall in Love with Malindi upon arriving and termed it the best place for investment .

Reiner the General Manager of Diamonds Malindi said they have bokings from Germans who will be coming to Malindi in large numbers this festive season.

He said Malindi was prominent to the Italian market but now they are looning in for the German Market, France, UK and Eastern Europe.

Already tourists from France who visited Diamonds Malindi said the resort town was a perfect destination for tourism and promised to tell other French tourists to visit Malindi.

Chief Justice Martha Koome has reaffirmed the Judiciary’s commitment to enhancing access to justice as she launched the Alternative Justice Systems and Court Annexed Mediation in Marsabit County.

Speaking at an event dubbed “Enhancing Access to Justice and Promoting People-Centered Justice Through the Multi-Door Approach to Justice,”, during which she promoted various avenues for dispute resolution, Justice Koome said that these initiatives would not only bring services closer to the people, but also significantly reduce the cost and time of resolving didputes.

Marsabit, Kenya’s second-largest county by landmass, poses unique challenges due to its vast settlements therefore, it was an opportune setting for the launch of an alternative dispute resolution mechanisms that are part of the Judiciary's mission of ensuring equitable access to justice for all residents.

The county currently has two court stations: the Marsabit Law Courts and Moyale Law Courts which provide vital judicial services, but their capacity remains limited compared to the region’s needs.

Chief Justice Koome noted that the Judiciary has been extending its reach through mobile courts in areas like Laisamis, North Horr, Loyangalani, Sololo, and Bute.

"The vast size of this county underscores the critical need to ensure justice is accessible to every resident, no matter how remote,” said the Chief Justice.

She thanked the County Government of Marsabit for allocating land in five locations for permanent court facilities and urged for continued support to overcome budgetary constraints hindering the Judiciary’s progress in construction.

"I therefore urge the county government and other local leaders to explore ways of offering further support and collaboration with the Judiciary to help us realize the goal of putting in place court infrastructure in these five locations. Permanent court facilities in these remote areas will significantly reduce the travel burden on litigants and law enforcement officers, thereby improving access to justice,” she said.

Chief Justice Koome championed the Judiciary’s Multi-Door Approach, designed to eliminate barriers to justice such as delays, case backlogs, and the high cost of litigation. Central to this strategy is the Court-Annexed Mediation (CAM) programme, which has yielded impressive results since its pilot launch in 2016.

“CAM has resolved 21,451 cases out of the 23,260 referred, unlocking approximately Ksh61.1 billion into the economy,” she revealed.

This initiative has significantly reduced litigation costs while promoting amicable resolutions, especially in business and family disputes.

he launch of the Marsabit Court-Annexed Mediation Registry aims to replicate this success locally, providing residents with access to mediation services tailored to their needs.

Furthering the Multi-Door Approach, Chief Justice Koome unveiled the Private Mediation Guidelines and FAQs and the Family Mediation Guidelines.

Private mediation offers an out-of-court avenue for dispute resolution, with agreements adopted as enforceable court orders.

“These guidelines provide an efficient, cost-effective, and amicable way to resolve disputes, supporting the preservation of relationships. Family mediation, in particular, addresses sensitive disputes with a focus on preserving harmony and future interactions,” said the CJ.

The Chief Justice also launched the Marsabit County Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) County Action Plan, Model, and Suite.

Recognising the value of traditional dispute resolution mechanisms, she emphasised the enduring relevance of culturally rooted systems.

"The Marsabit AJS Model recognizes the invaluable role of elders and community practitioners in resolving disputes, fostering peace, and promoting coexistence among the fourteen communities living in Marsabit. It addresses pressing issues such as land disputes, petty offences, intercommunity conflicts, and boundary disputes,” she stated.

She called on local leaders, stakeholders, and residents to embrace the initiatives, urging them to resolve inter-communal disputes through AJS mechanisms.

"We expect AJS elders and practitioners to be peace champions, fostering the peaceful coexistence of Marsabit’s diverse communities,” she said, emphasizing that sensitive cases, such as child defilement, must be referred to formal judicial channels.

Speaking at the same function, Marsabit Governor Mohamed Ali noted that a key feature of the traditional justice system is that it focuses more on righting the wrongs done to a person than on punishing the wrong doer.

"I have no doubt the people of Marsabit will welcome this Alternative Justice System and embrace it as the most speedy, inexpensive and non-adversarial path to justice and dispute resolution,” said the governor.

He pledged to support in popularizing the AJS system and also offer support to the Judiciary to establish structures and spaces for the implementation of Alternative Justice System in Marsabit county

Also launched during the event is the Judiciary Official Residence in Marsabit, a project that represents a broader commitment to developing infrastructure.

With the official launch of the Marsabit Court-Annexed Mediation Registry, the Family and Private Mediation Guidelines, and the AJS initiatives, Marsabit is poised to benefit from a transformative justice approach that bridges formal and traditional systems.

Sarova Hotels has reaffirmed its position as a leader in luxury hospitality with significant wins at the 2024 World Luxury Hotel Awards. These accolades underscore Sarova’s commitment to delivering world-class experiences and continuous dedication to innovation in the industry.

Among the awards, Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge was celebrated as East Africa’s Luxury Game Lodge and Safari Lodge, and also recognized as the continent’s premier Luxury Safari Retreat.

Sarova Maiyan garnered top regional awards in three categories: Luxury Hotel & Conference Centre, Rooftop View Hotel, and Wedding Resort.

In the renowned Masai Mara National Reserve, Sarova Mara Game Camp was honored as East Africa’s leading Luxury Safari Retreat and Africa’s top Tented Safari Camp.

In Nairobi, Sarova Stanley Hotel stood out as East Africa’s most Luxurious City Hotel, Conference & Event Hotel, and was named Africa’s Luxurious Heritage Hotel.

Meanwhile, Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa earned top honors in Africa for Luxury Beachfront Resort, Conference & Event Hotel, and Family Beach Resort.

Commenting on the awards, Sarova Hotels & Resorts Managing Director, Jimi Kariuki, said, “These awards are a testament to our unwavering commitment to providing world-class service to our guests, not only in Kenya but globally. Every recognition reflects the passion and dedication of our teams who consistently strive to elevate the guests experience, embracing both innovation and the unique spirit of African hospitality.”

Established in April 1974 with the opening of Ambassadeur Hotel in Nairobi, Sarova Hotels & Resorts has grown into a renowned hospitality powerhouse with nine distinguished properties under its brand, collectively offering 1,165 guest bedrooms. From its modest beginnings, the company has expanded and embraced innovation and remained steadfast in its commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences.

“We remain committed to setting new standards in the luxury hotel sector and look forward to continuing this journey of excellence with our guests, partners, and the communities we serve.” He added.

As Sarova Hotels & Resorts marks their 50th anniversary this year, this milestone is a testament to half a century of unparalleled service, resilience, and unwavering dedication to excellence.

The World Luxury Hotel Awards, established in 2006, are recognized as the ultimate achievement in the luxury hotel industry. Leading brands worldwide compete in these awards, with Sarova Hotels distinguished among the few celebrated as industry leaders.

The government has onboarded 18000 services through the National e-citizen and together with other immigration functions now collects Sh 400 Billion Immigration Principal Secretary Prof Julius Bitok has said.

Prof Bitok said that there was a huge leap in the cash collection following the government’s deliberate move to put most of its services on the digital platform becoming the first country in the world to have such a number of services online.

Speaking when he took the Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and acting Interior and National Coordination Cabinet Secretary through their services at the Nyayo house, Prof Bitok said that Kenya has had surpassed Rwanda with about 700 services online alongside other countries like India and most of the European countries which had less than 500 such functions digitally.

“From 354 services on e-citizen, we are now doing 18,000 services digitally, the result is that the government collects Sh300 billion from e-citizen alone and another Sh 100 billion on other immigration functions, making it one of the best performers in revenue collection,” said Prof Bitok.

Prof Bitok said the government had identified 20,721 services for onboarding onto the e-Citizen platform out of which 17,692 were on boarded, representing 85 percent of identified services.

“Further, 547 MDAs were identified for onboarding out of which 288 were successfully onboarded representing 52 percent of identified Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).

Prof Bitok said in the Financial Year 2023/2024, the State Department had issued 539,810 passports, 28,121 work permits, 186,892 Temporary permits, 566,294 visas, and 666,475 Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA).

“We have also given out 1,002 Citizenship certificates, 1,472 Permanent Residence certificates, 824,364 ID cards (2nd generation), and 972,630 Maisha cards (3rd generation). We have also registered 1,168,151(75 percent) births and 204,498 which is 45 percent deaths,” said Prof Bitok.

During the same period, the PS said that 6,996,404 Kenyan Citizens and foreign nationals were cleared at the point of entry, while 145,746 refugees were registered.

The PS said that the state Department was collecting about Sh 900 million to a billion daily from their services from a paltry Sh60 million daily when there were less than 400 services, noting that just a few services had remained before all the government services became cashless.

He noted that they had done away with the several pay bills that were causing confusion and possible leakage of cash and instead had adopted the 222222 pay bill number as their sole mobile payment number.

Mudavadi thanked the officers at the State Department for their dedication and urged them to give Kenyans their best services as a sign of patriotism to their country.

“Your first and last agenda should be to the service of Kenyans,” said Mudavadi.

He noted that through technology, the country was on the right trajectory and urged for the onboarding of the remaining services to ensure that there was no cash interaction between the government officers and Kenyans thus ensuring diminished corruption.

“From what I am seeing, when you reduce the human interaction with cash, you have solved more than half of the problems to do with corruption,” said Mudavadi.

Immigration Director-General Evelyn Cheluget said the department had reduced the production of passports from two to several months in the past, now it took seven days for a Kenyan to get their passports.

“We have also increased the stations including new ones in Bungoma and Kericho where Kenyans can get their passports so that Kenyans don’t have to travel far for their passports. We plan to open three other new stations in Machakos, Nyeri, and Garissa to ensure there are no long lines in the queue,” said Ms Cheluget.

Akili Kids!, the most trusted children’s brand in Kenya, has officially renamed its TV station Akili TV, expanding its strategic vision to include more programming for teens, youth and families.

This evolution, at the request of its audience, signifies a major shift from just children's content to becoming a safe, entertaining, and educative destination for the whole family.

By curating educational entertainment for children of all ages during the day and bond-building programming for families in the evening during prime time, Akili TV continues its mission to educate, entertain, and provide a positive impact across Kenya.

New Shows and Partnerships

With this exciting new chapter, Akili TV has partnered with award-winning global and local content creators to bring an impressive lineup of family-friendly shows, including Voice of America with shows like Straight Talk Africa, Our Voices, Red Carpet, and Startup Africa that bring insightful programming from global and African perspectives.

More programs have been added, like Malory Towers and Ruby and The Well from WildBrain, celebrated for their fun and family values; Sinking Ship Entertainment’s Beyond Black Beauty, a series that showcases diversity and youth empowerment; from Boat Rocker

Relative Race, a family-oriented reality series centered on discovering family connections; and from Blue Ant Studios is All-Round Champion, a long-running competition series, based on the hit Norwegian format, that follows a roster of para-athletes as they learn a new sport, hone their skills, and finally go head-to-head in competition where one athlete is declared the winner.

Locally, the brand has acquired Foods of Kenya from D&R Studios, which celebrates Kenya’s unique regional cuisines, and Girl Pawa from Kikwetu Productions, a Kenyan teenage drama about friendship and ambition in the world of dance.

Mission Accomplished, is another great addition to our lineup of shows from our partner, Mtoto News. It showcases exceptional figures who have accomplished outstanding success in their respective areas.

“Akili’s brand evolution is a reflection of our audience, which has expanded beyond just children since the day we launched,” said Jesse Soleil, President of Akili Network.

Adding “We feel like we’re giving a voice to the millions of viewers that love and trust Akili and building important moments that our families can share. This is the power of television over digital experiences — a singular experience on a digital platform doesn’t build strong relationships and reflect family values. Television, through shared experiences, can do what digital can’t.” 

“When we first launched the channel, our most frequent complaint from parents was “I’ve lost control of the remote”. With our new prime-time offerings, we will hopefully end the internal household challenges over what to watch on TV!.” said Jeff Schon, CEO of Akili Network. 

The Kenya Association of Muslim Medical Professionals (Kammp) has come out to support the Social Health Authority (SHA).

According to the association, SHA is a good scheme but needs to be rolled out in a strategic manner to achieve universal health coverage.

Kammp president Dr Ahmed Twahir says although SHA has faced teething problems, his associations supports it in the hope that it will become a good scheme in the end.

Many of our members are medical officers in medical facilities so it is very important we work very closely with SHA to see how the UHC program will work out and benefit the community” said Twahir.

He says the association will hence work closely SHA to achieve the objectives of the scheme and benefit Kenyans.

“I think SHA is an amazing idea that needs to be rolled out in a very strategic manner”

Adding “In the beginning there must be some teething problems but I think if we support it it’s got it’s good intention then things will work work out well at the end.”

He spoke during the 6th Kammp conference held at Pride Inn Paradise beach resort in Mombasa county.

 The meeting brought together Muslim doctors and medical professionals in lower levels.

On his part Kammp national secretary Abdalla Bajaber said in addressing the teething problems in SHA, government should consider paying hospitals their dues and get a feedback from the medical professionals.

“We all agree that in principle that any country that has a proper health insurance is a no given that everyone is okay with that, what we need to do is to put is strategic” said Bajaber.

He said members support SHA but want the issues that emerged at the beginning of roll out addressed with speed.

The association is concerned with the welfare of the Muslim community and professional development of its members through training.

Dr Twahir said one of their objectives was to put up an institution for training members.

The All Ladies Martial Arts Club  launched Tong-IL Moo-Do sport at the Swahilipot Hub in Mombasa.

The Tong-IL Moo-Do club consists of ladies made history by becoming the first club in the country to target girls and ladies athletes.

Representing the Kenya Tong-IL Moo-Do Federation Chairman Clarence Ingwala, the national Captain Master Elvis Malipe said there was need for women to acquire skills in self-defense because of increased cases of gender-based violence and femicide in the country.

Master Ingwala pointed out that there was urgency for more female instructors in the sport but cultures and religions has contributed to fewer instructors.

“As a sport, we are targeting the communities in the coastal and north eastern regions to allow their girls to participate in the sport so that the federation can grow the number of female instructors in the country,” he said the chairman.

The Chairman also noted the importance of the new club in mentoring young girls in the field of martial arts.

“I am delighted now that in the promotion of Tong-IL Moo-Do more women will hone skills in self-defense, spiritual discipline and physical fitness”. He stated.

The Chairman emphasized that the opportunity will provide more women avenues into the national team Jasiri as competitors and instructors.

At the same time , the chairman said that with the leadership and the experience of instructor Salma Ali the players will gain the appropriate skills that she honed from both locally and international championships.

“Her immense contribution for the National team Jasiri in numerous international assignments across the globe and skills will be beneficial to the new crop of martial arts athletes. We hope the same skills will be spread to the next generation in martial arts,” he said.

Salma Ali, the club founder said that she will provide a safe and supportive space for women to learn martial arts and empower themselves.

“We will develop skills to prepare them to be ready for the competitive global job market for self defence instructors and fitness coaches.” She added.

Ali, the Jasiri ladies captain, Lorna Apiyo Abiero and Master Elvis Malipe Ole Mpakuanik are the recipients of the presidential National Heroes Award 2024.

Speaking at the event, Mahmoud Noor, the Swahilipot Hub founder lauded the initiative saying that it was timely and women needed to grab the chance.

"When you empower a woman, you empower a nation. Therefore, to support the club 5 girls will receive sponsorship to train in martial arts.”

 He  assured the club that the training for girls  was a step towards helping  girls from dropping out of school, drug and substance abuse, early marriages and pregnancies.

Zahra Hajj, a popular Mombasa entrepreneur and content creator pointed that she will advocate for women support and encouraged more women to uplift each other in their respective activities.

During the launch, Instructor Ali led the athletes in  performing martial arts demonstrations that  showcased the different Tong-IL Moo-Do techniques that includes  basics, forms, one-step sparring and free sparring techniques.

In conclusion, Master Ingwala urged all  Kenyans and attendees to support  the 12th Edition of the Mombasa Open Tong-IL Moo-Do International Martial Arts Championship that will takeplace from 11th - 24th December 2024 at the Aga Khan Academy, Mombasa.

This annual global event is a key platform for all martial arts athletes to showcase their skills and talents against the best from across the globe, and the ladies are no exception.