Hewatele has launched the construction of East Africa’s first modern liquid oxygen manufacturing plant within Tatu Industrial Park. Increasing medical-grade liquid oxygen demand in various healthcare facilities within this region has pushed investments towards creating a Cryogenic MEDICAL Liquid Oxygen Air Separation unit critical in securing a continuous quality oxygen supply, especially in areas where it had been hard to get adequate amounts.

A 2020 report by the Kenya Ministry of Health exposed disparities in the availability of oxygen in public primary hospitals in contrast to private facilities and secondary hospitals. Bringing into mind this wide gap, this new plant is capable of reliably supplying medical oxygen across varied settings of healthcare.

This $20 million USD investment project is made possible by a number of development partners, such as the United States Development Finance Corporation, the government of Finland through Finnfund, Grand Challenges Canada, Soros Economic Development Fund, and UBS Optimus Foundation of Switzerland. This only goes to cement the fact that medical oxygen systems are an integral part of health system strengthening and achievement of health-related SDGs.

In his speech, the founder of Hewatele, Dr. Bernard Olayo, tried to look at the bigger picture of this investment. “Access to quality emergency healthcare services is a fundamental human right. It enhances the quality of life, where citizens concentrate on personal and business development. Global solidarity coupled with resource mobilization is needed to achieve universal health care,” said Dr. Olayo. He therefore took the opportunity to link universal health and economic growth with lower inequality, hence placing the plant in a broader perspective.

According to the Ambassador of Finland, Pirkka Tapiola, the partnership is going to help enhance the affordable oxygen supply chain and increase emergency preparedness, thereby contributing to the health sector of Kenya. The United States Ambassador to Kenya, Meg Whitman, concurred with this when she remarked, “This facility is a win-win for Kenya. It will improve healthcare in the country and provide jobs in a growing industry.”.

The facility is likely to serve over 300 facilities within the region with a capacity of producing 20 tonnes of medical oxygen every day. This shall greatly improve health care delivery and save numerous lives. This is a game-changing development for quality health care in Kenya and the East African region.

The Cabinet Secretary for Information, Communications and the Digital Economy, Dr. Margaret Ndung’u, is urging the Ministry’s technical staff to continue riding on the back of the robust investments in information and communication technology made in the past decade to advance safe, open, and inclusive digital access throughout Kenya. Speaking during the closing ceremony of induction for ICT secretaries and directors at the Kenya School of Government, Lower Kabete, on Friday, Dr Ndung’u observed, “Making digital access inclusive by including all needs in all dimensions of citizens is very important.”.

“As public servants in the 21st century, you have the environment that gives you a unique opportunity to shape the future, leave lasting legacies, and be part of a transformative era into ICT. Your role in implementing the Digital Superhighway, as envisioned in the Digital Masterplan and aligned to government priorities and Kenya Vision 2030, is very critical,” Dr Ndung’u said.

She cited the need to exploit emerging technologies, promote tech-enabled innovations, and grow sectors such as software engineering, e-commerce, and manufacturing to expand the digital economy. For her part, Dr. Ndung’u called for proactive risk mitigation by ensuring cybersecurity and data management practices align with global standards.

At the induction, the KSG Director General, Prof. Nura Mohamed, congratulated the ICT Secretaries and Directors on the acquired knowledge and urged them to positively affect digital development in the nation. He said that at KSG, institutions such as the Centre of Excellence and E-learning and Development Institute have been established to spur the advancement of the country digitally.

These key officials that attended the event included the Secretary of E-Government and Digital Economy, Ms. Mary Kerema; Secretary of ICT, Security, and Audit Control, Mr. Emmanuel Kimeu; Secretary of ICT Infrastructure, Mr. Washington Okoth; and Secretary of Administration, Ms. Esther Maina, among others.

Mobius Motors Kenya, a company formerly in an ambitious plan to have a Kenyan car brand, has announced a full acquisition soon after an agreement with an undisclosed buyer. The deal is now expected to secure the Mobius car brand after it started assembling the BJ40 model of China’s BAIC Motor Corporation in 2021.

Earlier, Mobius had announced a voluntary liquidation that should be in place, but the meeting of the creditors had been postponed indefinitely after an agreement for a buyout of the interest. The company then accepted an offer on August 14, 2024, with a requirement that it, would be sealed in 30 days time. The purchaser remained anonymous, but there was speculation that a Kenyan businessman with serious political connections emerged as a serious bidder.

Despite making heavy losses over years and being overburdened with debts, Mobius continued to remain attached with potential value, especially in the assembly plant and product range. The new owner would expand the offerings of Mobius into the market for sports utility in the form of more models and variants, utilizing the assembly facility for more models. This aside, the acquisition could lead to a wider distributorship agreement with BAIC Motor Corporation, under which the Mobius III was launched as a locally branded version of the BAIC BJ40.

The company was founded by British entrepreneur Joel Jackson in 2011 and had giant investments of about $56 million placed in it in five rounds. Financial struggles coupled with the problems that came with Covid-19 are what has led to its current situation. The Mobius III 2021 is priced competitively at $43,000 to match imported SUVs like Land Rover Defender and Toyota Land Cruiser Prado.

As the buyout unfolds, so does the future of Mobius Motors and whether it would bring shift to the automotive space and market in Kenya.

Insurer and financial services provider Britam has started a three-month pre-incubation program for six fintech startups based at its innovation hub called BetaLab. This initiative will help bridge business gaps in the area of finance and insurance through the development of new solutions.

According to Evah Kimani, the director of partnerships and digital at Britam, they are excited about the partnership because they believe the two represent very talented entrepreneurs whose growth they are keen to support. Their innovations have the ability to transform financial services in Kenya and benefit the lives of people within this market.

It is expected that the pre-incubation program will equip these startups with necessary tools and support to increase the breadth of their businesses. Among these networking opportunities with potential investors, partners, and customers are included. Only the top three startups from the 12-week program will be qualified for further incubation at BetaLab.

The selected startups include:

1. Amsha: A savings platform targeting young adults.
2. Adapo: An equity crowdfunding platform for SMEs and startups.
3. Chamazetu: A digital platform reinventing the way chamas are managed.
4. Pesaflex: A service offering affordable bank-to-bank transactions.
5. Medicod AI: A platform using artificial intelligence to optimize the medical coding and billing process.

Britam’s BetaLab programme will collaborate with Senior Talent, a company matching senior business experience with startup founders to help resolve challenges and fast track growth.

The Senior Talent CEO, Nduati Maina, said, “BetaLab is seeking to empower these startups in surmounting challenges posed so as to come up with impactful solutions that would ensure economic prosperity at the same time being an inspiration to the next generation of entrepreneurs.”