The annual prestigious awards for phenomenal women in Kenya -Zuri Awards are back bigger and better.

Zuri Awards is a platform that has been in existence since 2016 and it seeks to recognize and celebrate outstanding women in line with the International Women’s Day theme #BalanceforBetter. 

 There will be a Gala Dinner on the 7th March 2019 at Villa Rosa Kempinski and will be graced by the CS for Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, Prof Margaret Kobia.

Zuri Awards seeks to recognize and fete exceptional women and organisations doing outstanding work in their communities.

The awards were curated by Go Gaga Experiential Ltd and are sponsored by Barclays Bank of Kenya, Safaricom, KCB and Sochin Agency.

This year’s nomination slots have moved from 4 to 15 to enable more women playing key roles in changing the society in various capacity and sectors are recognised for their works and achievements.

The past honorees include Buya Mukonzo – 2017 My Little Big Thing Winner, Fatuma Abdikadir Adan - HODI took a team to World Cup 2018 in Russia, Dr. Chao Mbogo – Founder of KamiLimu & 2018 Face of Science Kenya. Caroline Wanjiku of HELD Sister Foundation & Umulkheir Mohammed founder of Kesho Alliance are among the women participating on the ongoing Ms. President Reality show.

Speaking about the upcoming awards ceremony, the director at Go Gaga Experiential Muthoni Mumo said, “Due to the consistent growth of Zuri Awards and consultations, we have increased the nomination slots from 4 to 15 showcasing more women making a difference in the various segments of the market.” 

She adds, “This will be a game changer and will inspire other women to work extra hard, be innovative and creative in their respective fields.”

This year’s categories include:

• STEM(Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics)
• Agriculture
• Health Care
• Renewable Energy
• Humanitarian
• Innovation
• Young Achiever
• Sports
• Public Service
• Arts and Culture
• Media
• Finance
• Manufacturing
• Education  
• Business

Zuri Awards has attracted some of the most prolific individuals in the society in the previous years.  Some of the past honorees are currently doing it big, two of them are currently on the recently launched Ms. President Reality show. 

 The nominations are largely based on individuals who are running projects that have an impact on women’s livelihoods, taken risks to change existing social and/or cultural norms and those who continue to stand up for what the individual or organization believes in.

This year’s awards will be judged by a panel of experienced jurors from various fields and will include Zuhura Ogada –Communication and Media Expert, Wavi Muigai - Head of Corporate Communication & Customer Experience at the Higher Education Loans Board, Samuel Mburu Mwangi - Telecommunications Engineer, Patience Nyange - Media, Communications and Public Relations Consultant, Felix Kipkosgei - Lead/Senior VAS and IT services planning engineer by profession, Lilyanne Ndinda -Women Rights Programme Officer at Oxfam in Kenya, Ms. Jane Gitau - Communications Consultant and a Lecturer, St Paul’s University, Ms. Wangechi Muriuki – Country Manager, Invest in Africa and  Dr. Julius Weche Founder and CEO Akad Education Group- Africa

Kwale County Women Representative Zulekha Juma on Saturday delivered a bouncing baby girl.

This is the legislator's fourth child, two boys and two girls.

Zulekha took to her facebook page to share the news with her constituents and followers.

"Alhamdullillah, namshukuru Mwenyezi Mungu, kwa kunijaalia kujifungua mtoto wa kike salama, tarehe 2 March 2019. Waminshari hasidin idha hasad." she posted 

The Vocal ODM Mp gave birth to her third born, a boy in 2017 as her party (ODM) was conducting nominations ahead of the general elections 

Kenyan music sensation, Audiphaxad Peter, who is well known as Guardian Angel, has been unveiled as the brand ambassador for Crowned Eagle Safaris. 

Crowned Eagle Safaris is a travel agency based in Nairobi, Kenya that plans tours and travels for clients in Africa, Europe, Dubai and Asia.

Guardian Angel was unveiled at a special event at the agency's offices at Krishna Centre, Westlands, where he was welcomed into the Crowned Eagle Safaris. 

The singer who also in 2017 was among Taxify Kenya's brand influencers, expressed his excitement about the new deal. Guardian Angel is obviously having one of his best times, as this deal is coming after he won seven awards last year alone in both local and international awards including the Groove Awards Artiste of the Year title

Dazlah's manager Tee Hits has found himself on the receiving end after a local designer came out and accused him of failing to pay her money.

According to the designer, Mariagisela Nyange she designed Dazlah's attires used in his recent video shoot featuring Jua Cali and they had agreed that she will paid shs 1,500 which she claims Tee has not yet paid untill now.

The video is set to be released soon.

"He promised to pay for my fare to the venue of the video shoot  which was Shanzu and also the fee for designing the clothes. He only paid the fare but has not yet paid me my fee and each time i ask him he keeps on dodging and sometime not picking my phone" said Nyange.

When contacted by Ommy Dallah for comment, Tee charged " Our initial agreement was is should only pay for her fare , she approached me saying she would love to work with us and design the clothes and that i should only pay for her fare which i agreed".

"Funny enough after she got home, she called and told me that something came up and that i should now pay her sh1,500 of which i agreed and promised to pay. I hate issues and trust me i will sort her soon" added Tee

President Uhuru Kenyatta has called on successful Kenyans to mentor the youth as a way of instilling in them life skills and values needed to overcome some of the challenges facing the youngsters including corruption. 

The President said that young people need to be made to appreciate the importance of virtues such as persistence, honesty and hard work as the foundation of success. 

While cautioning the youth against the lure of quick riches, the President said Kenyans can prosper and gain wealth through hardwork. 

“We need role models that will show our young people that easy money, yes it is easy but quick to go but the sweat of our brawn is hard to get but it stays longer and gives dignity to those who are engaged,” said President Kenyatta.

The President spoke last evening when he officially inaugurated the Eye of Kenya at the Two Rivers Mall in Nairobi.

The Eye of Kenya is Africa’s tallest ferris wheel which is 60 meters high having 40 rotating capsules, each able to hold six passengers.

President Kenyatta accompanied by other dignitaries inaugurated the wheel by taking a ride on it.

“You can work hard and make money, you don’t have to steal from your brothers and sisters. You can actually work hard and make money and do great things,” the President advised.

The President commended the chairman of Centum Investments Dr. Chris Kirubi for his persistence noting that despite his health challenges, the Kenyan entrepreneur has continued to create employment opportunities for the Kenyan youth.

"You have come back stronger, firmer and we are here doing something new. You are the epitome of what we want to propel our country farther,” the President told Dr. Kirubi.

He said the new investment demonstrates that there are still more opportunities in the country which can be harnessed to create jobs for Kenyans.

“You have shown that it is possible to work hard, it is possible to create, it is possible to think outside the box and do what others think may not be normal and create wealth not just for oneself but for the whole country, while creating opportunities for our young people,” said the President.

The Head of State said Kenya has a vibrant and talented youth population as demonstrated by the way international and global companies rush to Kenya to acquire new technological applications. 

The President assured all investors and entrepreneurs of the government's support in growing and safeguarding their investments. 

Dr. Kirubi said his company will continue seeking partnerships with other entrepreneurs with the aim of creating more opportunities for Kenyans.

He commended President Kenyatta for his support, saying Kenyans of goodwill are fully behind his efforts to rid the country of corrupt individuals.

Kenyan singer Anto Neosoul has just dropped his latest song dubbed 'Closer'.

The audio has been produced by Nahreel from Tanzania and video directed by Mombasa based video director Mac Choka.

In an interview with Ommy Dallah, Anto explains why he chose to work with Mac Choka "I chose to work with him because of his work ethic Mac Choka and all of Ace Pix is very professional from concept development to execution. Working with him was honestly a walk in the park. Once the hard job of concept development is done all you gotta do is sit and watch magic happen.

Watch the video below

Bongo flava crooner Ali Kiba and his Kenyan wife Amina Khalef are proud parents of a newly born baby boy.

According to reports, Amina who is from Mombasa delivered few days ago.

Ali Kiba took to instagram to share a video of two young girls and a boy asking him to kiss the new born on their behalf

"Hello Ali Kiba , Mabroul for your baby boy, kiss the baby for us" 

The two got married last year in Mombasa.

One of Kenya's veteran rappers Chris Kantai is dead.

According to reports, Kantai died today morning at a hospital in Nairobi where he had been admitted. It is still not known what was ailing him.

His most recent work is  the hit  song 'Ting Badi Malo' which he did with Khaligraph Jones in 2016.

Khaligraph Jones took to social media to mourn him.

"Rest in peace Kris Kantai" posted Khaligraph Jones.

Kantai is credited with introducing the likes of STL to the music industry. Some of his popular songs includes 'Huu ni Nani' , 'Kantada', 'Jinga Hii' among others.

Earlier, there were reports on the media that the rapper was battling alcoholism with at time time photos and videos of him caught lying by the roadside intoxicated circulating on social media.

The soulful Kenyan singer-songwriter Bensoul releases "LUCY" his debut single and music video produced by Sol Generation. LUCY is an authentic sound from one of Kenya’s best live acts.

The song is set to light up hearts across East Africa. Bensoul delivers a heartfelt serenade to his love interest, with mellow yet powerful vocals.

 LUCY, as per Bensoul, was inspired by a series of true events. Ahead of the release, he says, “LUCY is very relatable to most young people as it tells the story of a young man who is unsure about his position in the relationship but won’t stop loving.”

The music video perfectly captures this and will leave fans and new admirers swooning over his infectious delivery.

The video was directed by KG Brian (Kenyan cinematographer) and executively produced by Sol Generation Records & Willis Austin Chimano of Sauti Sol. This release becomes his first project following his recent signing to Sol Generation Records - a music label founded by Africa’s Best Live Act, Sauti Sol.

An excited Bensoul says, “I feel like Sol Generation Records is where I need to be. It’s God’s grace that everything is working out because the label has my best musical interests planned out. They have a great plan for everything we intend to achieve,”