Award-winning global artist King Kanja has released a brand new single “Washa Kitu” featuring K.O. Kenya and Maxudi – new Afro/R&B record produced by Kay S Beats. The single follows the success of King Kanja’s mega collaboration “E.A Party” with Boutross. The newly-released track is an anthem for immersing oneself in the joy of socializing and captures the reluctance for the delightful moments to come to an end.

Kanja says, “I feel privileged to release my single Washa Kitu through a new label, Happy Jack Records, which prioritizes the well-being and mental health of artists above all else.” As the first artist signed to Happy Jack Records, King Kanja is now dedicated to promoting positive mental health advocacy, especially to the youth in Kenya and within Africa. 

Happy Jack Records was founded by Sam Koch (DJ & Producer) and David Nathan (former SVP of Promotion & Artist Development, Republic Records (UMG) and was the powerhouse behind artists such as Nicki Minaj, Amy Winehouse, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd just to name a few.

Speaking to Billboard.com, Nathan says “We are not interested in signing artists that don’t want to use it as a platform. Whatever their issue is, or their experience has been, we want them to share it. And we want them to educate with it.” The label is on a mission to sign emerging artists from various genres, with a specific emphasis on those who have faced challenges related to mental health. 

King Kanja is generating anticipation and offering a glimpse of his upcoming addition to his discography.

He hints, “We've dedicated months of hard work in New York to my seventh studio project, SOVEREIGN, which explores a diverse range of music genres, including Afrobeats, Amapiano, House, Hip-hop, R&B and Reggae. I'm eager for the world to experience my most outstanding album to date, one that is poised to make history by transcending all boundaries and influencing the global music scene.”

Changamwe will face Majengo in the Mombasa Speaker's cup finals.

On Wednesday, Changamwe brought Mjambere's memorable campaign to an end with a 1-0 win in the semi finals played at the Mombasa sports club.

On Tuesday Majengo beat Old Town 2-1 to secure the slot.

The finals are slated for December 3 at the Mombasa sports club.

The tournament now on it's second year kicked off in September 9 with 32 teams participating in the tournament.

The winner will walk away with Sh 500,000.

Shanzu FC  won the 2022 tournament bagging Sh300,000 in cash.

The Mombasa County Assembly on Wednesday approved a motion on establishment of water transport Infrastructure for enhanced mobility and economic growth.

The motion which was sponsored by Shanzu MCA Allen Katana seeks to improve the county revenue collection, tourism sector and decongest the city.

In the ever-evolving landscape of the digital era, Brands find themselves at a crossroads, facing both challenges and boundless opportunities. The relentless surge of technology demands not just adaptation but proactive engagement and strategic redefinition.

The narrative unfolds as brands seamlessly integrate digital technologies into their operations, reshaping the very essence of corporate identity.

In this dynamic terrain, adaptation is no longer a strategic choice but a prerequisite for survival. The question is not merely how brands are adjusting, but how they are actively engaging with the transformative waves of technology. From operational processes to customer interactions, the pace of technological change necessitates an agile response.

Challenges manifest in various forms, from cybersecurity threats demanding fortified defenses to the pressing need for upskilling a workforce in sync with digital demands. The evolving technological landscape presents a dynamic set of hurdles that require not just reactive solutions but proactive strategies to stay ahead of the curve.

Brands are no longer treating technology as an external force but as an intrinsic component of their identity. Artificial intelligence streamlines decision-making, data analytics steers market strategies, and cloud computing transforms infrastructure. The strategic integration of technology is not just an optimization tool but a fundamental restructuring of corporate DNA.

Data has emerged as the lifeblood of the digital era, and corporations are mining it for invaluable insights. Understanding consumer behavior, market trends, and performance metrics through data analytics is not just a competitive advantage but a prerequisite for informed decision-making. The ability to leverage data effectively is separating industry leaders from followers.

In the realm of digital media, brands are rewriting the playbook of communication. Social media, influencers, and digital storytelling have become integral components of engagement strategies. Authenticity and relatability in the digital sphere are proving to be as critical as the message itself, as brands seek to connect with audiences in meaningful ways. 

The demand for digital expertise is reshaping talent management. Brands are not only hunting for external digital talents but also investing in upskilling their existing workforce. The cultivation of a digitally savvy workforce has become not just a competitive edge but a necessity in a landscape where adaptability is the currency of relevance.

The shift to the digital realm has opened new avenues for monetization. Whether through e-commerce platforms, digital marketing strategies, or innovative business models, brands are exploring ways to capitalize on their digital assets. The ability to monetize digital presence is becoming a pivotal aspect of sustainable revenue streams.

As brands navigate the challenges and opportunities of the digital era, the landscape continues to evolve. The future promises further technological breakthroughs, and the brands that thrive will be those that not only adapt but innovate, leveraging technology as a catalyst for progress. The journey is ongoing, and the narrative of corporations in the digital era is one of resilience, strategic vision, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

The Government and non governmental organisations (NGOs) have been implored upon to boost local startups with incentives in a bid to create a more jobs for the youth.

According to US Ambassador Meg Whitman there is alot of potential in the youths especially when in innovation and entrepreneurship.

Speaking in Mombasa during a meeting with the finalists of the Mombasa plastic prize competition at the Swahilipot hub, Whitman reiterated the need for government and other institutions support to local start ups and entrepreneurs.

The Mombasa Plastics Prize aimed to encourage innovation and awareness among aspiring entrepreneurs and leaders in Mombasa County, by inspiring the development of solutions that tackle the problem of marine plastic waste mismanagement within informal settlements. The incubator, funded by USAID, is being managed by Challenge Works in close collaboration with a range of businesses and hubs working across the innovation ecosystem in Mombasa County. 

"You are tackling a very important problem that is the circular economy and recycling peoples waste. I think you are lucky in that right now the world is at a turning point. I have been following the circular economy for the last 30 years nd it has never gotten much traction in the world but in the last couple of years it has been a concern and everyone is working on it and we are being led by your generation. I love the idea and the entrepreneurial aspect of it" said Whitman.

Adding "As you think about plastic, I think the communities need to be educated and until there is value put on waste you are relying on just people good intentions. So there has to be money put on it, if there can be incentives. if the community can earn an extra shilling a day  from it then that can bring a difference. I think if the government and companies can say how to we put value on waste i think that will be absolutely good."

Whitman who earlier had a meeting with the Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nasir. called on the young entrepreneur not to give up despite the several challenges that they might be facing.

"Another major challenge I know is financing, it is hard to raise money for what to do, you have to pay people and often that is the hardest thing to raise. I would advise you to approach this big companies to give you this finances, the government that can also be helpful here. Being an entrepreneur is hard, it is really hard there are obstacles everyday that are thrown your way, there are challenges. I would like to encourage you to stay strong and go on you are essential to the future of the country and the world. Many people think it is so easy to be an entrepreneur but it is not. I hope the government and companies can help you."

On his part Mombasa Deputy Governor Francis Thoya challenged the youth to take advantage of the circular economy to create employement.

"There is alot of potential in the waste business, there is alot of money in it. Our youth need to now come out and explore this sector, as the county government we are ready to support them. " said Thoya.

Adding "You see, if our youths are engaged in such serious business then the crime rate in our county will also go down, there will be no more attacks in our areas"

Thoya further revealed that the county might consider privatizing waste management in the county.

"This is the only way that I think we can deal with the issue of waste and garbage in the county, right now it is the county government that is mandated with collection of garbage and we have seen how our people are reacting towards it. We have already advised the governor on privitization of garbage collection and waste management in the county and we are still waiting for what he will say, but this will also involved public participation, as you know as a government we cannot just wake up and decide on it so dont go out there and start saying that we are privatizing it" noted Thoya.

Two Kenyan schools including Rusinga School, and Crawford International School have partnered with CNN to produce stories showing how people living in urban areas can have a huge impact on both wild environments around the country and within cities.

The initiative is part of CNN’s annual Call to Earth Day, celebrated on November 28th, to raise awareness of environmental issues affecting the world and to engage with conservation education.

The stories to be produced by the student’s align with this year’s theme of, “Our Shared Home,” highlighting the conflict between people and the planet’s dwindling wildlife over food, resources, and space for living.

"Rusinga Schools is very passionate about sustainable environmental conservation and has always been keen to put the student's voice at the center of holistic initiatives to drive the environment agenda."  said Juma Nyamori, Rusinga Schools Headteacher.

Over 130,000 people participated in last year’s Call to Earth Day, with events in more than 80 countries around the world.

Call to Earth Day is part of Call to Earth, a major network initiative launched by CNN in 2019, in partnership with Rolex and its Perpetual Planet Initiative, shining a light on those committed to safeguarding our planet for future generations.

Over the last four years, this award-winning programming has told stories of change-makers, visionaries and ground-breaking projects making a difference to the world around them.

This year’s Call to Earth Day will see special coverage across CNN International and CNN en Español TV networks, digital and social media platforms.

This multi-platform content will be complemented by a series of live events, with participants encouraged to share their actions, ideas, and inspirational thoughts on social media, using the hashtag #CalltoEarth. Call to Earth Day content will also air for the first time on CNN Arabic and stream on CNN Max in the US.

In addition, CNN has worked with Climate Change Education Consultant Kottie Christie-Blick to develop lesson plans for children from the ages of 5 to 17 as a resource for schools and educational bodies taking part in Call to Earth Day.

CNN is also partnering with the global school’s group, Cognita, on a new student-led video project which will team up CNN content creators with schools to coach them on how to produce an impactful environmental report.

Coverage plans for the day will see CNN examine environmental solutions and explore projects from locations around the world.

Stories, live programming, and interviews gathered from across Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and both North and South America, will run in every hour of CNN International programming.

CNN en Español will feature stories and live reporters throughout the day from across the Latin America region.

 A special half hour documentary ‘Our Shared Home’ will run on November 28th highlighting the conflict between people and the planet’s dwindling wildlife over food, resources, and space for living.

Conservation biologist and Rolex Laureate Dr. Krithi Karanth will showcase how her work is striking a balance between leopard, tiger and elephant conservation and India’s position as the most populous country in the world.

In Singapore, primatologist Dr. Andie Ang emphasizes how exponential human population growth exerts pressure on natural resources through her work with critically endangered Raffles' banded langurs.

The programme also explores how the energy crisis and the need to build more renewable energy resources is being balanced with Tasmanian devil protection initiatives in Australia.

CNN’s Connect the World with Becky Anderson will broadcast a 30-minute special from the Jubail Mangrove Park in Abu Dhabi, showcasing the important connection between the natural world and cities.

Becky Anderson will be joined by guests and school children from across the UAE.

This on-air content will be complemented by bespoke digital content across CNN.com, with a month of climate content in the build up to Call to Earth Day.

CNN International SVP, Managing Editor of Asia Pacific, & Global Head of Features Content, Ellana Lee said, “The impact of human expansion and urban development on the natural world is increasingly profound. On this year’s Call to Earth Day, we will examine that collision between cities and the wilderness and celebrate some of the inspirational people working to find positive solutions to the problems it presents."

The Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) has urged tuktuk drivers and bodaboda riders to be keen on the road in order to avoid road crashes that have led to the death of thousands of Kenyans leaving others nursing life-threatening injuries.

EBK registrar and chief executive officer Eng. Margaret Ogai said most crashes witnessed on the roads are attributed to human behavior, a thing she said can be changed if all motorists are keen and obey all traffic rules.

Ogai was speaking in Mombasa during a sensitization meeting and training for tuktuk drivers and bodaboda riders drawn from Kisauni constituency.

The event was held at the Shimo La Tewa Primary School as part of the series of events to mark the world day of remembrance for road traffic victims.

“We recognize the important work that tuktuk drivers and bodaboda riders do in the transport industry. That is why we are here to train them on the need to be keen on the road to ensure that they observe safety of the roads,”

“As a country, we have over 4000 road crash victims recorded annually, this needs to be reduced,” said Ogai.

The World day of remembrance for road traffic victims is commemorated on the third Sunday of November every year.

It is a global event to remember the many millions who have been killed and seriously injured on the world’s roads and to acknowledge the suffering of all affected victims, families and communities.

About 1.2 million people lose their lives to road carnage across the world with millions others left with life-threatening injuries.

As of June 2023, the death toll from road carnage stood above 2,100 as experts decried an increase in the figures since 2021.

"It is unfortunate that deaths are going up. We need to obey traffic laws because it is evident that human behavior takes presence in most of the crashes we see,” Ogai said.

She admitted that there were some crashes attributed to poor road design, but these she said were very minimal adding that human behavior still played a bigger part even in the event of road design.

"We are not refusing there are crashes caused by road design, but majority are human error. I urge Kenyans take a stand and not allow drivers of public vehicles to speed or drive while drunk,” she said.

Benard Kaka, the Kisauni branch chairman of the Mombasa tuktuk association said that the training was of important to them as more tuktuk and bodaboda operators continue to lose their lives.

In Kisauni alone, about 14 operators have lost their lives since the beginning of the year.

"We have gained a lot concerning road safety from this training and together with our members, we promise to follow the set laws,” said Kaka.

Kaka said that with the ongoing construction and expansion of the Mombasa-Malindi Road, they continue facing challenges of traffic snarl-ups even as he promised that his members will not be overlapping.

The sector he said was also facing security challenges owing t the fact that there were some criminal elements working in cahoots with some opoperators.

"We have a few involved in crime coordinated activities, but we shall ensure we weed them out to ensure our sector is clean. We shall be working with security officers to weed out all criminal elements endangering our members,” Kaka said.

Chiti Mohammed, a tuktuk driver in Kisauni said that female drivers continue facing insecurity challenges from male clients as she called on security operators to ensure their safety.

"Sometimes I carry male passengers and once they get to their destination, they refuse to pay. As a woman, I can’t fight them so they go with the money,” she said.

Halifa Mwatsau the chairman Mombasa bodaboda operators also urged his members to be cautious on the road.

The challenge they he said is that a number of riders are operating without licenses, a situation he said has been occasioned by young men who have just completed school joining the business to irk a living.

"Because schools have closed, some young men who have motorbikes in their homes have joined the business. They don’t have licenses and don’t understand traffic rules thus endangering themselves on the road,’

“But we are working to ensure that we don’t have underage riders on the road and that all of our registered members have licenses,” said Mwatsau.

A community development organisation is calling for more public-private initiatives to improve basic service delivery that can lift communities out of poverty and restore dignity to the lives of the disenfranchised masses in South Africa (SA). The obligation to restore dignity and ensure equal access to basic services has been one of the country’s greatest challenges since 1994.

Rhiza Holdings, an organisation developing township economies and communities, hails that partnerships with community organisations and public entities are critical to address immediate threats to the stability and security of marginalised people.

“Without public-private partnerships it is impossible to achieve our social development goals for 2030,” says Godfrey Katsande, CFO at Rhiza Holdings. “The role of collaborative and people-focused initiatives are critical to ensuring that people aren’t fighting hunger, thirst, illness and unemployment alone,” he adds.

Improving service delivery is key to solving the challenges that hinder social development in SA. Resources are depleted, jobs and job opportunities are lost, and overall living circumstances deteriorate in communities that lack access to adequate service delivery.

Increased demand for service delivery puts local government under pressure

"We echo the words of Finance minister Enoch Godongwana during the delivery of the Mid-term Budget Speech in acknowledging the immense pressure municipalities are under to meet increasing infrastructure service demands," says Katsande.

The government has approved 28 of the 67 applications it has received totalling R56.8 billion in debt relief for money they owe to power utility Eskom.

"We welcome Treasury's stated plan to work with municipalities towards creating more revenue through the transition to more self-generation of electricity by firms and households."

Should these interventions be successfully carried out, municipalities should be well positioned to improve the quality of basic services, while increasing their access and efficiency.  Over the next three years, the government proposes allocating 9.9 percent of available non-interest spending to local government.

Municipalities would have more financial resources available to invest in essential services like water supply, sanitation, road maintenance, waste management, and more. This could lead to improved service delivery, better infrastructure, and a higher quality of life for residents across the county.

Working with the non-profit sector in the communities who lack these services the most will be the catalyst that propels these efforts to their optimum potential to reach the millions of people who live without proper services to break the poverty cycle.

According to the Development Bank of South Africa, service delivery challenges in SA start with inadequate infrastructure. Public-private partnerships have been essential in providing the infrastructure and facilities required for disadvantaged communities to become economically active, benefiting from systems that serve their basic needs. Much of RB’s work has involved tackling these problems in townships that lack the facilities and resources to serve the community’s most vulnerable residents.

Achieving improved employment opportunities for the most vulnerable, discriminated sectors in society and strengthening multi-stakeholder partnerships form part of the United Nations sustainable development goals for 2030.

Focusing on the three pillars of education, healthcare, and agriculture in order to reach and improve the lives of those without access to adequate basic services, Rhiza Babuyile (RB), a division of Rhiza Holdings, reiterates its commitment to assisting the most vulnerable citizens. “Lack of access to basic services including primary healthcare, sanitation, quality education and clean water can lock people in a cycle of poverty by reducing their ability to find and keep a source of income while further destabilising communities with increased health and security risks,” says Katsande.

By supporting and starting initiatives to improve the quality and accessibility of education, particularly in townships and rural regions, we contribute to resolving some of these challenges faster. “Through our healthcare pillar, we have played a role over the last decade in improving healthcare accessibility in townships and rural regions with the help of our mobile and traditional clinics,” Katsande adds.

Public-private partnerships are proven to work

Rhiza Babuyile commends its public and private partners and donors for helping it to reach thousands of children, women and disadvantaged young people. “Our goal is to provide primary healthcare to one million people in townships and rural areas. In the education pillar, we seek to expand our access to blended financing tools through collaborations with the five blended financing initiatives we are now running to support early childhood development centres in townships,” Katsande says.

"For our educational efforts, we are still working to stream in more blended funding mechanisms. Additionally, all of our mobile and brick-and-mortar clinics located in townships around the nation, offer healthcare skills training. Training in diverse agricultural and green economy skill sets is offered through our green economy programs.” says Katsande.

Partnering with commercial businesses has allowed Rhiza Babuyile to launch blended finance instruments that have aided in unlocking value to fund activities that support efforts to achieve its social development goals.

The Media Council of Kenya (MCK) has underscored the importance of journalists cultivating their skills on data interpretation to simplify their content.

MCK CEO David Omwoyo who spoke during a panel discussion on Data Journalism at the  second edition of the Global Media Congress at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), noted that newsrooms around the world handle highly sensitive data and information and should use practical tools to effectively communicate their stories.

“Data without context and translation is unusable. People need to see the impact of data in their lives, otherwise it is just numbers”, he said.

He also pointed out the challenges faced by the Kenyan media in accurately conveying financial data.

“It is important for data experts to break down the meaning and impact of the numbers to simpler data”, said Mr Omwoyo.

IWatch Africa Co-Founder Gideon Sarpong called for establishment of teams dedicated to supporting journalistic work behind the scenes.

“Journalists get a lot of information that require them to break it down to simple data to make sense and uncover some truths”, said Mr Sarpong.

Head of the UAE Representative Office of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia Dr Marko Selakovic stressed on the responsibility of editors to contextualise data and have clear cut information that makes meaning.

At the panel discussions, journalists were urged to take responsibility for real-time fact checking in the era of Artificial Intelligence and enhance their tools to effectively counter misinformation.

The congress brought together global media leaders and innovators to discuss emerging issues in the media sector and ways of shaping the future of media operations.