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State Department of Medical Services Requests Sh100 Million for SHIA Sensitization

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State Department of Medical Services Requests Sh100 Million for SHIA Sensitization

The State Department of Medical Services has appealed to the National Assembly to approve a minimum of Sh100 million to facilitate sensitization and public participation towards SHIA. Recently, the High Court declared SHIA 2023 unconstitutional, the Primary Healthcare Act 2023, and the Digital Health Act 2023, citing lack of adequate public participation.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Alfred Mabeya, Robert Limo, and Fredrick Mugambi declared the acts null and void, but gave Parliament 120 days to make necessary amendments. The acts are suspended for this period.

Before the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health, Medical Services Principal Secretary Harry Kimtai defended the allocation, citing the need to abide by the court judgment. “We are requesting a budget allocation of Sh100 million to undertake sensitization on the UHC laws in accordance with the court judgment,” Kimtai said.

Kimtai also indicated that the Ministry would appeal the court’s decision after the 45-day stay order on implementation expires. He explained that the Ministry had viewed the court’s ruling and found bases to appeal some of the directives given. A joint team from the Ministry, PSC, and the Attorney General is set to strategize on appeal and how the public participation is carried out.

Issues and Decision of the Court

The court, in its decision, noted that some provisions in the SHIA had limited some rights that were enshrined in sections 26(5) and 27(4). Section 26(5) set registration and contribution as prerequisites to the provision of public services by the national and county governments or any of their entities. Section 27(4) restricted access to healthcare services only upon active and current contribution to the SHIA.

The judges struck out the two provisions, ruling that they contravened Article 43 of the constitution, which grants every Kenyan a right to health services, since the sections did not make any exemption to the right to emergency medical services. “The precondition set in those two provisions infringes on the right to access emergency services, while the state aims to realize this right with the challenged acts,” said the judges.

Next Steps

To this effect, the State-level Department of Medical Services is working on a two-pronged approach: appealing the ruling of the court while carrying out comprehensive public participation and sensitization under the suspended laws. This move will go a long way in appeasing the concerns raised by the court as it seeks to get back to establishing health laws in a constitutionally tenable and people-responsive manner.

This allocation and effort is considered a very fundamental step to ensure that, upon amendment and reinstatement, the health laws do serve the public better and firmly entrench the constitutional rights of all Kenyans.

Busu Naturals Triumphs in Visa She’s Next Kenya Grant Competition

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Busu Naturals Triumphs in Visa She’s Next Kenya Grant Competition

Busu Naturals is an innovative SME that designs locally fabricated emollients for sensitive African skin. It emerged as the winner during the Visa She’s Next Kenya Grant Competition. The program is engineered and sponsored by Visa to offer funding, training, and mentorship; it ensures a diverse setting that empowers women who run businesses.

Winners and Awards

Busu Naturals took the top prize of KES 2.5 million. The first runner-up, Timao Group, and the second runner-up, Code with Kids, each walked home with KES 2 million and KES 1 million, respectively. Crafts with Meaning and Cladfy each won KES 500,000 for the great performance that they had.

According to Eva Ngigi-Sarwari, the country manager for Visa Kenya, the recognition of these exemplary SMEs is something that makes her proud. “We are very excited to announce the first-ever winners of our She’s Next Kenya grant competition. We are really proud to recognize SMEs which have demonstrated some really jaw-dropping innovation, resilience, and vision, which is going to be quite beneficial when they will certainly drive to contribute positively towards the Kenyan economy,” she said.

This win means everything,” says Emma Omany, CEO of Busu Naturals. “This win means much for us because of the confidence that it gives us, affirms we are on the right track. It shows that small steps matter and everything done to date aids our mission. Support through this grant and training will help grow our capacity and expand our market reach.”

Profiles of Winning SMEs

  • Busu Naturals: Locally manufactured emollients for sensitive African skin, drawing on indigenous botanicals and traditional beauty practices from the diverse ethnic groups in Kenya to create safe, consistent, and high-quality skincare products.
  • Timao Group: Solves plastic pollution and affordable housing challenges in Kenya by turning plastic waste into robust, low-cost construction materials for the realization of prefabricated housing.
  • Code with Kids: Empower kids from low-income backgrounds to learn, innovate, and succeed in an affordable and accessible setting of STEM education; break socio-economic barriers that would otherwise prevent their progress.
  • Crafts with Meaning: Award-winning social enterprise working alongside artisans in Kenya and Uganda to produce African heritage-inspired home décor products, lifestyle accessories, bags, and corporate merchandise.
  • Cladfy: This company bridges the credit gap to sub-Saharan Africa’s informal sector by ensuring that micro-lenders can afford to provide working capital loans to micro-businesses such as smallholder farmers, fish vendors, motorcycle riders, among many other professions.

The She’s Next Kenya Grant Competition underlines Visa’s commitment to the success of women entrepreneurs in their strive to seize opportunities and attain requisite resources, tools, and mentorship. As the program furthers, it sets a benchmark for future efforts to empower women in business and drive economic and societal progress in Kenya and beyond.

Posta Kenya’s MPost Price Hike: A Step Backward?

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Posta Kenya’s MPost Price Hike: A Step Backward?

In what could be termed a surprise move, Posta Kenya Corporation has hiked the yearly subscription charges for its MPost virtual address service landslide. With effect from 5th July 2024, the corporate virtual addresses will jump from KES 400 to KES 9,450 per year, an incredible rise in price of 2,200%. For individual users, the rate will increase from KES 400 to KES 2,000 per year, a 400% increase.

In a statement, Post Master General John Tonui expressed the new price schedule, saying PKC remains committed to developing fresh communication, logistical, and financial solutions. MPost – a platform that turns mobile numbers into virtual post office addresses – has been key to individual and business users alike by sending notifications whenever mail arrives through the digitized postal boxes.

The latest price increment is the second in a row after an increase in the subscription fee from KES 300 to KES 400 in March 2023.

Criticism of the Latest MPost Price Increase

While this price increase, as Posta Kenya argues, is in its quest to make its service delivery better, there are huge questions as far as viability and need are concerned.

Posta’s Decline and the Futility of Price Increases

Over the past couple of years, Posta Kenya has been in visible decline, unable to compete with a host of modern, well-run courier services. This massive increase in charges does not make any sense whatsoever with a dwindling base of users. For those few remaining users, such an exorbitant increase may drive them further away rather than attract more. That begs the question of why one would opt to make a service in decline less accessible.

Superior Competitors

Personally, as an MPost user, I found the service redundant. There are better courier services, such as Wells Fargo, G4S, and SpeedAF, which in this respect give far better alternatives. This company offers delivery solutions that are faster, traceable, and modern, outshining MPost in every way. For the year I paid for MPost, I only used the service once, and the picking up of stuff from Posta was a whole mess I never want to partake of again. Any increased charges for a service already lagging behind its competitors in terms of efficiency and reliability really make it unattractive for persons and businesses.

MPost’s Relocation to Rwanda

Last year, the firm behind MPost moved its headquarters from Nairobi to Kigali due to the more amicable business environment in Rwanda. The move underlines that the service is operating in an adverse Kenyan environment with Posta. In a bad business environment, price hikes may only exacerbate the situation. Higher costs could drive even more customers to the alternatives, further squeezing MPost’s user base and revenue.

Potential Impact

With the high price increase, users may shun MPost services, especially given that Posta Kenya is not very competitive at the moment, with better options available. The move might further reduce Posta Kenya’s user base and revenue, begging questions for the sustainability of this pricing strategy.

d.light Announces $176 Million Securitization Facility to Expand Solar Energy Access

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d.light Announces $176 Million Securitization Facility to Expand Solar Energy Access

d.light, a global provider of transformational household products and access to affordable finance for low-income households, is announcing the close of a new securitization facility sized at $176 million. This facility will purchase receivables in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda.

d.light will use this facility to build on its PayGo consumer finance offering, further empowering low-income households and communities without electricity to have solar-powered products. The multi-currency facility targets the provision of reliable, renewable energy to about six million people in three years in the above-mentioned countries.

This is a new facility provided by African Frontier Capital, a social impact-focused asset management firm. With this, d.light has secured a total purchasing value of USD 718 million across five securitized financing facilities since 2020.

According to d.light CEO Nedjip Tozun, the facility is important in furthering the company’s mission of providing people with affordable, clean, safe, and sustainable energy. He noted that millions of off-grid families in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda will benefit from this solar energy.

Tozun further commented that this facility is the first time d.light has receivables-based financing facilities in each of their PayGo markets, which include Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Nigeria. Each of these facilities shall ensure that d.light remains cash flow positive and eliminates further external equity fundraising to support growth.

Eric De Moudt, founder and CEO of AFC, hailed this achievement as an evidence-driven approach to financial innovation toward the integration of the most vulnerable communities into the financial mainstream, enabling clean, modern, energy access with very key social and economic benefits. He thanked d.light for leadership in the off-grid solar sector and expressed pride in the said partnership.

Since 2020, d.light has been leading the way with securitized finance, which it uses to provide power for its solar-powered household products across sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya, Nigeria, and Tanzania. It was therefore during the beginning of the year that d.light celebrated the early redemption of the entire senior debt by its $110 million securitization facility, Brighter Life Kenya 1 Limited (BLK1), from internally generated cash flows—an absolute first in the off-grid solar sector.

D.light has operated jointly with its distribution partners since 2010 in Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania, establishing its own operations in these countries in the next subsequent years—a demonstration of long-term commitment to energy access improvement within this region.

Schneider Electric and IXAfrica Launch East Africa’s Largest Hypercloud Data Centre

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Schneider Electric and IXAfrica Launch East Africa’s Largest Hypercloud Data Centre

Schneider Electric has partnered with Nairobi-based IXAfrica Data Centres to launch of East Africa’s first and largest hypercloud data centre, NBOX1. It is going to be the most advanced AI-ready, carrier-neutral facility that will act as the most advanced digital hub in the region, providing services comparable to those offered in North America and Western Europe.

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Ensures Resilience and Efficiency

Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure for Data Centers architecture is used in NBOX1, ensuring the highest level of resilience, uptime, and cost efficiency. This platform provides enhanced security and aligns with sustainability goals that IXAfrica has laid down for the data centre to meet current and future demands.

Positioned for Innovation in the ‘Digital Savannah’

With a $50 million investment by Helios, IXAfrica’s data centre is squarely situated in Africa’s ‘Digital Savannah’. Powered by a skilled workforce and diversified internet connectivity, this region has a population of over 300 million people and is fast becoming an innovation hub. According to the CEO of IXAfrica, Snehar Shah, Kenya is ready for hypercloud solutions against the backdrop of a semi-advanced cloud adoption, a stable regulatory environment, and robust growth in the economy.

Ensuring 99.999% Uptime with Schneider Electric Solutions

IXAfrica partnered with Schneider Electric to ensure that Ixiafricacom reliable IT operations are sustained through an end-to-end power train solution, setting apart the power protection and distribution equipment, transformers, switchgear, and basic building management. These solutions have been engineered to meet IEC standards and designed in accordance with Kenya’s peculiar grid and environmental conditions, ensuring that NBOX1 meets its 99.999% uptime guarantee.

Sustainability at the Core

Designed as a ‘Data Centre of the Future’, NBOX1 integrates Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure platform to optimize performance and resource efficiency while minimizing CO2 emissions. With respect to this, Mouna Essa Egh, Vice President of Secure Power for the Middle East & Africa, has taken a strong viewpoint toward the need for implementing sustainable practices in the data centre industry.

According to Snehar Shah, the NBOX1 site—built on former Schneider Electric land—is indicative of this relationship. In keeping with their strategic relationship, the project keeps it ‘Keep it Africa’ with locally manufactured switchgear and panelware.

HMD Unveils the Skyline: A Powerful and Repairable Smartphone

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HMD Unveils the Skyline: A Powerful and Repairable Smartphone

After weeks of leaks and rumors, HMD finally released the Skyline, its most powerful smartphone to date. Without a doubt, one of the hot topics circling around the Skyline has to do with its design, somewhat reminiscent of the now-defunct Nokia Lumia line, albeit with sharp rectangular edges and a uniqueness all its own.

HMD introduces the Skyline with a Gen 2 repairability design that will let users easily open it up for repair, including screen replacement and battery replacement. That is remarkable, as most brands have moved toward sealing devices to prevent water and dust ingress.

The HMD Skyline packs a 6.5-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of 144Hz, powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 2 chipset. It will come in two RAM options: 8GB and 12GB, whereas storage options are 128GB and 256GB.

On the back, it has installed a camera setup that includes a 108MP main camera, OIS, a 13MP ultra-wide camera, and a 50 MP telephoto lens. HMD has fitted the camera with AI capabilities, including AI Capture Fashion for maximum details in photos.

It comes with a 4,600mAh battery with support for up to 33W wired charging and 15W Qi2 wireless charging. It will run stock Android 14 with the promise of 2 years OS updates and 3 years security patches. One of the more interesting features is Detox Mode, which restricts some app notifications and limits access to social media for a more focused experience.

Across the board, the pricing for the Skyline starts at $399 for the 8GB/128GB model and $499 for the 12GB/256GB model. Just weeks ago, HMD sealed confirmation that Skyline is coming to Kenya in August at KES 58,000. Color options include Neon Pink and Twisted Black.

The Skyline embodies a most exciting repairable design in this class, which has come with advanced features to make it a niche in the smartphone market; it will be awaited how users use it.

Safaricom Sets Record High Data Traffic During Continental Tournament Finals

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Safaricom Sets Record High Data Traffic During Continental Tournament Finals

On Sunday, Safaricom recorded the highest data traffic ever as two major continental tournaments in Europe and America went into the final rounds. Hundreds of Kenyans opted to livestream these matches on their mobile phones and tablets, a factor that led to a surge in data usage to an all-time high.

This is according to disclosures by Safaricom, that indicated data traffic had peaked at 3.96 terabytes as Spain faced England in Berlin. It was the highest data traffic the company has ever recorded since its establishment 25 years ago. Safaricom divulged that massive investment in cable networks—particularly as pertain to reducing latency, or the delay before data transfer is begun—has paid off.

Safaricom’s Chief Technology and Information Officer, George Njuguna, expressed his excitement. This is very exciting for us, having no issues and no complaints as Kenyans streamed good quality football from overseas using the undersea cable network in which we have invested quite heavily,” said Njuguna.

For example, to give a magnitude of the data traffic, Safaricom marked that it would take about 100,000 phones at a capacity of 128 gigabytes each to store all data streamed through its network on that Sunday night.

Beginning this year, Safaricom’s international data throughput was at about 500 gigabytes, now at a capacity of 700 gigabytes. By this current position, Safaricom has six undersea cables—again, the largest network as compared to regional peers. Such a formidable network gives robust streaming capabilities, even for content residing in data centers off the continent.

“Anytime we’re streaming games, this information is coming from data centres that are outside the continent most of the time. So that means we have to have undersea cable network with enough capacity to carry because there are times and there are some networks that can’t stream on that, ” Njuguna explained.

Safaricom has been busy updating its network sites so that they do not get congested at times of high data use. The cables at the site are increasingly being connected to the content data networks built in Kenya by companies such as Google, Meta, and X. This enables stable network under heavy traffic and seamless streaming for users over the air.

MP Shah Hospital’s Yvonne Kirigo and Ololo Farm’s Kevin Getobai Named 2024 Country SDG Pioneers

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MP Shah Hospital’s Yvonne Kirigo and Ololo Farm’s Kevin Getobai Named 2024 Country SDG Pioneers

As a recognition of their truly remarkable contribution towards sustainable development, the Global Compact Network Kenya named Yvonne Kirigo, MP Shah Hospital Strategy and Innovation Manager, and Kevin Getobai, Ololo Farm Project Manager, as 2024 Country SDG Pioneers.

From over 27 nominations, Kirigo and Getobai have done a lot in the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals. With his leadership, the MP Shah Hospital green initiatives championed by Kirigo on e-waste collection, energy efficiency, renewable energy uptake, and water efficiency projects have greatly cut down the hospital’s environmental footprint.

Getobai’s work at Ololo Farm has equally borne fruit. He connects regenerative and sustainable agriculture by shortening the composting process from six months down to only 14 days using the Black Soldier Fly. This innovation not only saves CO2 but also produces protein from waste. Currently, Ololo Farm saves approximately 47.5 tonnes of CO2 equivalence, diverts 25 tonnes of food waste from landfills, and produces 2.5 tonnes of protein from waste annually.

Global Compact Network Kenya Executive Director Judy Njino commended their commitment, saying, “Their commitment to the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact epitomizes the innovative and resilient spirit required in the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Their work will surely inspire others to build a sustainable future.”.

As national winners, Kirigo and Getobai will progress to the Global round to compete for the 2024 UN Global Compact SDG Pioneer. The global winners are set to be announced in September during the UN Global Compact Leaders’ Summit in New York.

The SDG Pioneers program is a flagship event, honoring professionals whose ingenuity is applying innovative solutions of new technologies, initiatives, and business models to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Sanda Ojiambo, CEO & Executive Director of UN Global Compact, prays that their work may inspire others to advance the Global Goals by operationalizing the Ten Principles on human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption.

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