Mombasa City has been named as one of the ten first-ever winners of the Bloomberg Initiative for Cycling Infrastructure (BICI).

Bloomberg Philanthropies announced that Mombasa is among the winning global cities that would receive funding support of USD 400,000 (Ksh.5.6 million) to build innovative cycling infrastructure and sustainable mobility options for their residents.

The goal of BICI is to help cities design streets that increase biking rates, revitalize neighborhoods, and promote the health and well-being of their communities.

Led in partnership with the Global Designing Cities Initiative (GDCI), in addition to funding to enact their proposals, each winning BICI city will receive technical assistance from GDCI on project development, cycling facility design, data collection, and resident engagement.

Successful cities need transportation systems that allow people to move safely, efficiently, and sustainably. 

The 10 BICI winners are: Fortaleza, Brazil—winner of a $1 million prize—and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Bogota, Colombia; Lisbon, Portugal; Milan, Italy; Mombasa, Kenya; Pimpri-Chinchwad, India; Quelimane, Mozambique; Tirana, Albania; and Wellington, New Zealand, each of which will receive $400,000 in funding. 

The 10 winning BICI cities named during the World Bike Day on June 3 hail from 10 countries on five continents and collectively represent more than 15 million residents.

Winners were selected from 275 applications submitted between November 10, 2022, and February 3, 2023, from cities with over 100,000 residents.

Research consistently shows that providing cycling infrastructure brings social benefits that far outweigh its initial investment and that people who cycle are healthier and happier.

However, a significant barrier to cycling in many cities is the lack of safe cycling infrastructure.

BICI is designed to help city leaders meet the urgent need to build more connected and expansive cycling infrastructure that serves as many residents as possible.

“Fighting climate change goes hand-in-hand with giving people more transportation options,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and 108th mayor of New York City. 

Adding “These proposals to make cycling safer and more accessible will require robust technical assistance, and our team is glad to support the winners as they turn their ideas into action. The progress that these 10 cities make will help clean the air, protect the environment, and drive economic growth, too. We’re looking forward to seeing the results.”

On his part Mombasa governor Abdulswamad Nassir welcomed the gesture.

"Thank you BloombergDotOrg for recognizing the potential of Mombasa city and I look forward to seeing this initiative work" said Nassir.

Critical mass Mombasa, a local cycling lobby group has been lobbying for safe cycling infrastructure in Mombasa.

Launched in 2014, the Global Designing Cities Initiative’s mission is to transform streets around the world, inspiring leaders, practitioners, and communities to imagine what’s possible when we design streets that put people first. GDCI’s work is informed by the strategies and international best practices captured in the Global Street Design Guide.  

Bloomberg Philanthropies will convene the 10 winning cities from June 26 through June 29, 2023, in London, providing an opportunity for those city leaders to meet, trade ideas with peers, begin their project planning, and learn from GDCI’s urban design experts.

The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) has acquired five new state-of-the-art mobile harbor cranes (HMCs) to help boost efficiency at the Mombasa and Lamu ports.

Out of the five HMCs , three will be stationed at the Lamu port and the remaining two at the Mombasa port.

These state-of-the-art HMCs were manufactured in Germany and come at a total cost of $27,207,557.47 (Sh 3.8 BILLION). The cranes which arrived at the Lamu port on Sunday  are expected to enhance operations of the port as they electronically powered to provide more efficiency and reliability.

"This milestone is expected to enhance the capabilities of the Lamu Port, as these electronic-powered HMCs provide more efficiency and reliability compared to the previous hydraulic-powered ones. Each crane has a lifting capacity of 100 tonnes, further expanding the port's capacity for handling larger cargo vessels." reads a statement from KPA.

Adding "The introduction of these new cranes is a positive projection for Lamu Port, as it is anticipated that more vessels will be encouraged to call at the port, attracted by the reliable electronic equipment. This development marks a significant step forward in Lamu's journey to become a major maritime hub in the region.

Last month, KPA Managing Director Captain William Ruto revealed that the authority is also expecting other new equipements to boost its operations.

Ruto said they have acquired four new ship-to-shore gantry cranes from China and are expected to arrive  next month (July).

The MD said the new cranes can lift two containers ago, unlike the existing ones that lift one container.

This comes at a time a new report by the World Bank on the efficiency of the ports revealed that the port of Dar in Tanzania has overtaken Mombasa in efficiency.

Global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker Trace is to mark its 20th anniversary with the launch of the Trace Awards & Festival, a stunning new live Awards ceremony and festival celebrating the creativity, cool and confidence of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world.

Focusing a global spotlight on musicians, creators, entrepreneurs and achievers from across Africa and the African diaspora, the Trace Awards & Festival will take place in Kigali, Rwanda from Friday 20 to Saturday 21 October 2023, in partnership with Visit Rwanda and QA Venue Solutions Rwanda, the venue management company of BK Arena.

The event will comprise a 3-hour live televised spectacular music ceremony (21 October 2023), preceded by a 2-day cultural festival designed to entertain and empower music creators and fans.

Featuring performances from the biggest African and Afro-descent artists in the world, The Trace Awards will be staged at East Africa’s biggest indoor arena, BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda, in front of 7,500 music superfans, musicians, opinion formers, style-setters and influencers from Africa and around the globe.

The Awards will recognize a broad range of music genres from Afrobeat to Dancehall, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Kompa, R&B, and Rumba, while saluting artists in a number of cultural/lifestyle categories.

Olivier Laouchez, co-founder and Executive Chairman of Trace, commented: “There is no better way to celebrate our milestone twentieth birthday with this exciting new music and cultural franchise. The Trace Awards is our way of celebrating the artistry, vision and impact of musicians and other leaders in the urban cultural landscape with an out-of-this world ceremony that highlights and rewards their success and influence both in Africa and on the world stage.”

Janet Karemera, Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Convention Bureau, commented: “We are thrilled to stage the inaugural Trace Awards in Rwanda on 21 October, and look forward to hosting this global celebration of African culture in our beautiful country, promoting Rwanda as a destination for cultural tourism experiences and hosting world class events. In addition, hosting the event in Rwanda will be a great platform for our growing creative industry to showcase its diverse creativity, talent and rich Rwandan cultural heritage.”

The campaign will also feature multiple build-up events, an Awards tour, parties and screenings in Africa, Europe, the USA, the UK, Brazil, the Indian Ocean and the Caribbean.

Targeted at lovers of African and Afro-inspired music and culture around the world, the Trace Awards will broadcast live on Trace channels in more than 180 countries around the world.

The Awards will also feature on Trace terrestrial TV partners and satellite channels around the world

Femi One, the renowned Kenyan artist and philanthropist, along with her foundation, One For One Foundation, participated in the historic first-ever Menstrual Equity Summit held in Nanyuki.

The two-day event brought together a remarkable lineup of industry speakers, including Diana Odhiambo, the Gender Equality Advocacy Director for Better4Kenya.

Coinciding with the observance of #MenstrualHygieneDay, the summit showcased the tireless efforts and remarkable achievements of girls and women who have shattered barriers in the pursuit of their dreams.

Femi One and One For One Foundation were at the forefront of this momentous event, pledging their commitment to eradicate period poverty.

As a staunch advocate for menstrual equity, Femi One has been actively working towards creating a world where every girl and woman has access to safe and hygienic menstrual products.

Through her foundation, One For One, she has been instrumental in providing menstrual supplies to underserved communities and raising awareness about the importance of menstrual hygiene.

The Menstrual Equity Summit served as a platform for sharing insights, strategies, and best practices to address the pressing issue of period poverty in Kenya and beyond.

The event facilitated discussions on policy reforms, innovative solutions, and the importance of collaborative efforts in bringing about lasting change.

Diana Odhiambo, the Gender Equality Advocacy Director for Better4Kenya, delivered a thought-provoking address, shedding light on the challenges faced by girls and women due to menstrual inequality.

Her presence and expertise added immense value to the summit, inspiring participants to take actionable steps towards ending period poverty.

Femi One expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to join forces with industry leaders and fellow advocates at the Menstrual Equity Summit.

She emphasized the urgency of tackling period poverty and reaffirmed her commitment to making a difference in the lives of countless girls and women.

"Together, we can break the stigma surrounding menstruation and create an environment where every girl and woman can thrive without being limited by their periods," said Femi One.

Adding  "By joining hands and taking collective action, we can end period poverty and empower girls and women to reach their full potential."

The dream to visit China has always lingered on my mind for a very long time.

This year (2023) I was part of a group of Journalists from several African countries selected to take part in the ‘Seminar for Heads of the International Departments of Major Media Outlets From African Countries’ held in Beijing from May 10^th to May 23^rd.

The seminar sponsored by the ministry of Commerce and organized by the China International Communications Group (CICG) Institute of International Studies and Advanced training brought together Journalists from Kenya, Nigeria, Angola, Tunisia, Mauritius, Ghana and Burundi.

Special appreciation to Mama Salma Noor for making this dream a reality

I was in China not only to learn but also get a first hand experience of the great country with a rich history and culture.

In this article, I want to share with you some of the things that I liked about China and places I managed to visit.

People

I just loved the people in China. The people were kind and positive. The people really like meeting foreigners especially Africans, they are always eager to learn more about Africa and speak our different languages. The first thing they will ask from you is a picture , to take a photo together and are always ready to  teach you their Chinese language.

I remember one evening as we were having a walk with colleagues in one of the busy streets, a group of young Chinese approached us and told us “ China and Africa are very good friends” before requesting for a picture with us, they even offered to take us round and show us some of the nice places around.

Check Video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgU0sqrN2Ec&t=17s

Technology

The level of technology advancement in China is very impressive. Everything in China works with a QR code, nobody asks for your phone number, all they need is your QR code.

The most interesting thing is there is no WhatsApp in China not unless you are using VPN. In china people use their version of WhatsApp, WeChat, this is everything in one app. You can use for chatting, making payments among other things.

In China, people rarely walk around with cash. China is a cashless society thanks to the e-payment apps , all you need to have is just your smartphone. All transactions, when paying for your taxi, taking a bus, paying for your shopping or any other transaction you just use WeChat or Alipay which is another popular application used especially when doing online shopping.

Beijing Bicycle Lifetsyle

The public bicycles in Beijing help the residents reach different places within the city conveniently. Riding a bicycle in Beijing city is convenient, flexible and efficient especially during rush hours.

There are different specific docking stations for the bicycles in almost all parts of the city where one can easily access the bicycles for their use.

The bicycles can be rented through mobile apps where you just scan through your smart phone.

Check video : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLTrJ4oIukg&t=9s

Beijing Subway

The Beijing Subway is the second longest subway system in China and the World. The Beijing subway has 24 subway lines in operation, 428 subway stations, and cover a total route length of over 700 kilometers.

The subway has over 20 lines including 19 rapid transit lines, two airport express lines, one maglev line and 2 light rail lines.

The subway has automatic ticket machines that can scan smartphones for payment.

The Beijing subway system provides Beijing visitors with a fast, convenient and cheap way to get around.

Beijing subway is not difficult to navigate, with signs and onboard announcements in English and Chinese. There are also LED displays in more modern carriages. Signs in subway stations on either side of the tracks indicate upcoming stations and journey times.

Check Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgl3mcjA7Ik&t=16s

Below are some of the  places that we visited in China.

The Great Wall of China

"If you haven't been to the Great Wall, you aren't a real man," Mao Zedong.

What is the point of visiting China if you do not climb the Great wall?. This is a ‘Must’ when travelling to Beijing. It is among the seven Wonders of the World.

The wall, a defense made of various materials stone, rammed earth, brick  was built on imperial order to protect the empire from invasion. The Chinese have a long history of building walls, dating from the Warring States period.

With a total length of 21196 kilometers (13170 miles), the wall is connected by different wall sections built in different dynasties. There are more than ten sections of the Great Wall open to tourists and each of the sections offers different sights and levels of accessibility.

Watch my video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t_Dc206OIA

Yongtai Ancient Castle

Yongtai Fortress, a 400-year-old ancient city built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), is located in the Gobi desert in Jingtai County of Baiyin, Northwest China's Gansu Province.

Due to it’s castle resembling a golden turtle, it is also known as "turtle city".

It is the most representative and well preserved military castle of the Ming Dynasty along the Silk road and an important component of the defense system of the  Ming Great Wall. It is currently a national key cultural relic protection unit, a famous historical and cultural village in Gansu, a film and television shooting base in Gansu province and a municipal defense education base.

Yongtai Ancient castle with its unique architectural form and primitive ecology in the Northwest has attracted the attention of many movie directors. With the filming of film and television works such as ‘Western Hot Land’, ‘Sweat Hot Blooded Horse, ‘Battle of Chama Town’ among others.

Tiantishan Mountain Grotto / Giant Buddha Statue

While in Gansu, we also visited the historic Tianti Mountain Grotto.  With a history of 1,600 years, the Tianti Mountain Grotto is one of the earliest grottos excavated in China

Inside the mountain lies a 92ft-high Buddha statue along with its heavenly guards. Mmebers of the Buddha community regard this as a sacred place where they visit for special prayers and as a source of inner peace.

The name, Tiantishan, means a mountain with a ladder to heaven.

As the biggest statue in Tiantishan Grottoes, the Buddha, in No 13 Cave of this Buddhist grotto complex, has been there for more than 1,300 years.

Check Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6ztssSSe-E&t=12s

A section of sector players in the maritime industry have called  for concerted efforts by the various maritime administrations in Africa to enable the industry to compete favorably with its counterparts in other continents.

Speaking in Mombasa on Thursday at the sidelines of the 6th conference of the  Association of African Maritime Administration (AAMA) and general assembly,  Kenya Maritime Authority (KMA) acting Director General  John Omingo reiterated that there is a need to build a competitive maritime sector in Africa through continuous engagements and sharing of ideas. 

Kenya has been elected as the chair of (AAMA) for the next two years taking over from Nigeria who had taken over from South Africa with a mandate to bring out the opportunities within the blue economy, space and maritime transport industry.

Omingo said the conference also delved on how the African continent can own ships to facilitate transportation of cargo within the continent as well as harnessing opportunities in maritime transport.

 “The income is not coming out very well because we don't own the ships, the ships are done by foreigners and it's time as a continent we put our minds together to own ships to facilitate regional trade and serve the continent well,” said Omingo.

He said with African continental free trade area coming up to open up the borders there is bound to be more trade within borders and increase from the 17 percent trade currently within African countries compared to 70 percent in Europe.

“African share of global trade is about 2 percent which means there is a lot to be done, so administrations come together to rally the continental approach, and coming together you can have a common voice,” Omingo added.

Zamanchonco  Chonco, a member of the AAMA secretariat from South Africa said African countries should create their own solutions to problems affecting their maritime economies by creating the requisite infrastructure.

“We have 54 African countries and it’s important for us to come together and share common ideas on how we can improve within our own maritime administrations,” said Chonco, adding that countries bordering the ocean have rich resources which need to be exploited.

On his part Unathi Sonti the chairperson of the Maritime business chamber based in South Africa said matters of maritime administration should be handled amicably by all countries to ensure a common ground for the region.

Kenya hosted the 6^th conference of the association of African Maritime administration (AAMA) and general assembly for the first time, which brought together delegates from the African continent.

The conference also addressed matters related to blue economy investments, environmental sustainability among others.

National carrier, Kenya Airways (KQ) has unveiled a new inflight dining experience in its Business Class and Economy Class cabins for specific long and medium haul flights.

The revamped in-flight experience includes a new menu as well as a new plating service for business class and tray service for economy class.

The new menu will include meals made from sustainably locally sourced ingredients.

The revamped culinary experience is designed within the airline’s strategy to enhance its customer service delivery and offering across all touch points through its personalised culinary experiences that reflect African authenticity, hospitality, and simplicity.

The new experience has been carefully crafted from customer feedback in mind, years of research and testing to ensure it is responsive to customers' needs and expectations.

Kenya Airways will introduce an improved menu and plating service for business class passengers on four long haul international flights specifically Paris, Amsterdam, New York and London.

The new service and menu will debut on the flight to Paris on 1st May and will be subsequently rolled out to the other three routes within the month.

Speaking on the launch of the new inflightservice, Allan Kilavuka, Kenya Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, and MD stated: “Kenya Airways positions itself as the customer-centric carrier championing the African culture and we are delighted to launch our inflight menu and offering”

Adding “ Our approach is designed to continue to provide guests with a highly personalised and bespoke service tailored to ensure our guests have a memorable culinary experience while travelling with us. We will continue to innovate and improve our services to ensure our customers experience the highest level of customer service.”

Plating service involves the introduction of table service with hot meals plated on board in the galleys by crew trained by 5-star chefs for flights above 7 hours.

The meals will move from the signature rectangular casseroles lined on a rectangular base plate to a proper round dinner plates.

For the economy class international passengers, KQ will introduce the tray service to replace the existing box service and an addition of an extra meal offer of a starter for hot meals and yogurt for breakfast.

The tray service will debut on 3 rd July 2023 on the Dubai and Mumbai flights and will be later rolled out on flights to West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa and then East Africa.

KQ will also introduce additional seat comfort for long haul flights through a mattress service for the business class seats on flights to Paris,

Former Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho's Director of Communication Mudathir Abdulkareem has landed a new government job.

The soft- spoken communication specialist and strategist has been appointed as  the Chief of Staff, office of the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

Mudathir who once served as the public relations officer at the National museums of Kenya, served as the Deputy Director of Communications at the office of Mombasa governor from 2017 to 2019 before being appointed as the Director in 2019 where he served until 2022.

Mudathir will now undertake various mandates including managing the office of the Permanent Secretary Ummy Bashir.