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Best Forex Brokers in Kenya

Even though getting into the forex market is quite simple and straightforward, one of the most important things you’ll need to do before you begin is find the right broker. After all, with the best broker, you can rest assured that you’ll have the tools and support you need to make smart trades in a timely fashion, so you can hopefully increase profits and reduce the risk of losses as you work with various currency pairs. If you’re ready to start your search for the broker that will help you get into the forex market, regardless of your experience level, continue reading to access a list of brokers that might give you just what you need.

  1. HotForex – 5 stars

First up is HotForex. Based on our research, this is the best forex broker 2022. Also, this is a broker that can be a good choice for those who are new to the world of forex. With the demo account, you can begin to get a feel for what it is like trading currency pairs. And because you can use the MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 platforms, you can also gain access to a lot of tools that can help you make smarter decisions when it comes to your trades. There are many currency pairs that you can trade with HotForex, and the low fees are definitely a nice feature as well. Overall, this can be a good option for traders of all experience levels, so consider checking it out.

2. Oanda – 4.5 stars

Oanda is another forex broker that can help you get started or help you take your trading strategy to the next level, so it is worth considering this company regardless of how experienced you are. The platform offered allows you to trade on your computer or mobile device, and you can trade more than 70 currency pairs with ease, thanks to the various tools that are provided to you as well. Opening an account is quick and easy and the trading fees are low. But there are inactivity fees to keep in mind, so if you are not planning on staying active on the platform, this might not be the ideal option.  

3. XTB – 4 stars

Yet another forex broker that you might want to consider using is XTB. When you go to this company’s website, you will have the option to set up your account or create a demo account to see how you like it. If you decide to go with XTB, you will gain access to the Web Trade Platform, which is easy to use, along with an app for desktop and a convenient mobile app that you can use to keep track of your trades even when you aren’t home. Plus, this broker provides 24/7 customer support, so if you run into any questions or have any concerns, you can get in touch with them at any time.

There Are a Lot of Things to Look for in a Forex Broker

There are several things to consider as your search for the best forex broker. For instance, it’s wise to go with a broker that’s regulated and has been around long enough to prove that it can support customers and provide the highest quality services. Reading customer reviews, in addition to a broker’s website, can be really helpful because you can gain insight into how people feel about the company before deciding to go with it. You might discover that a broker that sounds great on a website doesn’t actually deliver on its promises.

In addition to looking into whether or not a forex broker is regulated, there are also a range of other details to consider, such as the fees that you’ll incur, the number of currency pairs you can trade, if there’s a mobile app that makes trading on the go a snap, and which platform you’ll use. It’s also a good idea to look into whether or not the broker is available to provide customer service in case you need help.

Take Your Time and Choose a Forex Broker Carefully

This is just a short list of the many forex brokers that are out there. As you do your research and compare your options carefully, you will begin to get a better idea of which broker would be appropriate for you. No matter what, take your time rather than rush into this because choosing a great broker is ultra-important. And, if you are having trouble figuring out which broker you should go with, consider consulting with individuals who have a lot of experience in forex. They might be able to give you more insight into the pros and cons of different brokers.

Ultimately, finding the best forex broker that will give you access to the market is critical, so this is not a decision that you should take lightly.

CBK to force Safaricom’s Lipa na MPESA service accept payments from other sources

Safaricom’s Lipa na MPESA service is probably the most used payment solution here in Kenya, the service is so common nowadays that it’ll be almost impossible to get a business entity that doesn’t have it as a payment option. And while it does make things a little simpler in the world of mobile payment options, the service has sort of created a monopoly for Safaricom in that you can’t directly use any other source to make payments without first having to transfer the cash to an MPESA wallet.

According to the latest move by Kenya’s financial regulator – the Central Bank of Kenya you’ll soon be able to make Lipa na MPESA payments from other sources without necessarily having to go through MPESA wallet. What this means is, instead of moving cash from your bank account to MPESA wallet to make a PayBill or Buy Goods transaction, you’ll soon be able to directly make these payments directly from your bank account. The Central Bank of Kenya intents to unveil a national payment system that will allow seamless cash transfers through merchants regardless of where the money is coming from at least by 2024.

In a nutshell, the move basically means, you’ll be able to make payments from the likes of Airtel Money and T-Kash through Safaricom owned Pay Bill numbers. Safaricom has for years dominated the mobile payment market, making most subscribers depended on it that proved to have devastating implications on the competition. While other service providers offer competitive services such as data and call rates, Kenyans have mostly been forced to have Safaricom’s line to be able to access its vast mobile payments service, a practice that has negatively impacted the competition.

And while other service providers such as Airtel have their own payment solutions such as Lipa na Airtel Money, they are not as widely available compared to Lipa na MPESA. According to the financial regulator, mobile payments solutions have been affected by lack of interconnection that would have otherwise enabled merchants to accept payments from any sources.

The interoperability — the ability of different IT systems to communicate and exchange data — is expected to largely benefit Airtel which is the second largest service provider in the country by accessing a share of mobile money payments made through merchants as well as deepening financial inclusion.

And of course, this development won’t sit well with Safaricom, which has been hesitant to open up its mobile payments platform to rivals, that would expose its lucrative M-PESA mobile money platform to stiff competition.

Huawei unveils Nova 9 in Kenya, boasts a 50MP ultra vision camera system

Huawei has finally unveiled the Nova 9 in Kenya with a steep asking price of Ksh. 65,999. The handset is set to become available across the country in major retail outlets as well as Huawei’s own experience stores within the coming weeks. It’s impressive how the company has struggled to shade-off a cloud placed by the US administration when it was barred from doing business within the country.

Looking at the spec sheet, there’s quite a lot to love about the Nova 9, but that doesn’t mean it checks every aspect you’d likely hope in a smartphone. To start with, we must address the elephant in the room, Huawei devices have lacked an official Google Play store app ever since it rubbed US authorities the wrong way. And to be honest, the Huawei App Gallery still has miles to go compared to the two major app stores on smartphones.

According to Huawei Mobile Kenya Head Jim Zhujie, their latest handset boasts an innovative design that’s expected to spark inspirations complemented with a better camera system that’ll bring new videography features to users. Zhujie further noted the Nova 9 is packaged in an all-new colour way – Colour No. 9, including its flagship feature of a massive 50MP camera setup.

Other features include an impressive 6.57-inch 120Hz Original-Colour Curved Display with a tapered surface that flows like a waterfall, minimising the left and right bezels for more immersive viewing. Huawei says the panel can display 1.07 billion colours. The rear camera setup consists of a 50MP ultra vision camera, an 8MP ultra-wide-angle camera, a macro camera and a depth camera. There’s also a large 1/1.56-inch sensor with high light sensitivity capable of collecting 40 percent more light compared to a standard RGGB sensor.

The front sensor is maxed-out at 32MP which can record 4K selfie videos, though falls short of recently announced Vivo V23 which boasts of a massive 50MP selfie. Powering the HUAWEI nova 9 is a high capacity 4300mAh battery which can support 66W fast charging.

Other goodies packaged with Nova 9 include;

  • HUAWEI Music 3 months free VIP subscription
  • HUAWEI Video 1 month free VIP subscription
  • HUAWEI Mobile Cloud 200GB 1 month free storage or 200 GB 30% off on 1 year subscription.

 

Vivo V23 5G Officially Unveiled in Kenya, Packs a 50MP Selfie Camera

When it comes to choosing your next smartphone, it can be quite a tasking activity especially if you don’t have clear set out key features that you would love to get in  your next pocket companion. Vivo has announced V23 that doesn’t seem to shy away from standing out in what has become a very crowded segment. It features 5G as well as a one of a kind 50MP selfie camera. On paper, the Vivo V23 seems to check every box that a power user might have on their list, but this doesn’t mean it is immune to flaws or undercut corners.

The V23 5G smartphone clearly claims its spot amongst 5G enabled smart devices here in Kenya, it’s also one of those devices that goes above and beyond to make a statement on selfie photography. It should be noted that 5G enabled smartphones are still too damn expensive here in Kenya despite the technology having been available for more than a year now. Currently it’s only Safaricom that can support 5G network in the country, at least in major towns.

Under the hood, Vivo V23 5G also packs what would easily be considered as one of the best selfie camera combos. It breaks ranks to feature a 50MP sensor as well as an 8MP super-wide angle shooter. We can only imagine how selfies would look like on this device given the large sensor at this moment, But as we all know it’s just more than the numbers that make photos pop, the underlying software must work hand in hand to expect anything world class.

Vivo has also clerverly tweaked the build material to produce an interesting color changing exterior that changes two different colors under direct sunlight, nothing really eye popping but there are those who will find it intriguing.

speaking at the launch event, Vivo Kenya brand and communications manager James Irungu pointed out the company was striving to provide an ultimate mobile experience by combining innovation and cutting-edge capabilities for people who need to express their individuality. He noted the V23 with its large selfie sensor, was aimed to appease consumers looking for a lightweight handset featuring an elegant design that is fashionable yet diverse.

50MP sensor basically means that users will now be able to shoot 4K selfie videos right on their mobile phones. Other features include; a triple rear camera setup consisting of 2MP 64MP and 8MP sensors. It packs a MediaTek Dimensity 920 processor, a 90Hz refresh rate display, extended RAM 2.0, a Liquid Cooling System and Ultra Game Mode for optimal gameplay. he new V23 5G also features a 44W FlashCharge capability that can power up the super-slim 4200mAh(TYP) battery quickly and efficiently.

Price in Kenya

The V23 5G will be available in Kenya going at a retail price of Ksh. 59,999

The Most Watched Movies and TV Series on Netflix in Kenya 2021

2021 was another year where a lot of us spent most of our time at home. Working and entertaining oneself from the comfort of our own houses has become the norm and as such Netflix viewership continued to skyrocket.

Netflix in Kenya saw a host of new movies enter the platform. From the Oscar-winning Italian masterpiece Roma to another classic Martin Scorsese mob film The Irishman viewers were spoilt for choice.

Choosing what to watch on Netflix is often an extremely difficult task just because of the sheer volume of content on the platform. There were however a handful of movies and television series that just everyone around the country had to watch.

Let’s take a look at the most-watched titles in Kenya in 2021

Squid Game (2021)

Written by Korean mastermind Hwang Dong-Hyuk Squid Game was a worldwide phenomenon on Netflix with over 142 million viewers worldwide. The view count in Kenya was well into the 200 000’s and as such was one of the most popular titles of the year.

Netflix has decided to capitalise on the show’s enormous popularity and has already given the green light for season 2 to air when it has been created.

The Squid Game universe is just starting to be sure to stay tuned in for its next installment.

Parasite (2019)

Continuing with the theme of Korean entertainment Parasite was another global hit in terms of worldwide popularity and viewership. It came to Netflix in Kenya in 2021 and many viewers simply needed to see what the hype was about.

Parasite was the first foreign film to win the Oscar for best picture in 2019 and rightly so as director Bong Joon-Ho paints a dark comedic picture of class struggles in Korea.

The message of the movie was applicable worldwide and nonetheless so in Kenya, where the movie was one of the most-watched on Netflix in 2021.

Army of Thieves (2019)

If there is one thing that every film enjoyer loves to watch once in a while it’s a good zombie movie, and that’s exactly what Army of Thieves provides. Although Army of Thieves has an interesting story and cannot purely be described as a zombie movie.

A prequel to Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead this movie follows a mysterious main character recruit a heist crew to break into some of the hardest to unlock safes across Europe. How does this tie into the zombie theme? You’ll just have to find out for yourself – it’s part of the mystery!

This movie came to Kenya in 2021 and occupied the number one spot for the most-watched movie for the whole of the 44th week of the year. It was as popular as play live casino is every week of the year.

Now that we’ve looked at some of the titles that viewers in Kenya just couldn’t resist, let’s look at what’s coming to Netflix in Kenya in 2022. Some of the most exciting shows confirmed include Agent King, Archive 81, and Assassins Creed.

Telkom Kenya Customers can now access T-Kash services via a mobile app available on popular platforms

There’s no question when it comes to just how much Safaricom’s MPESA app has simplified sending, receiving money or just making mobile money transactions. And as usual, other mobile providers such as Airtel and Telkom who like to play catch-up were soon bound to release their own version, or at least Telkom Kenya has. The operator announced a brand-new T-Kash mobile application that can be downloaded on popular app stores such as Google Play, App Store and Huawei App Gallery.  

And just as we expected, the new T-Kash mobile app is simplified and aims to aid customers with a smart phone access various services on the go. The app will complement existing options which allow customers to access the same services using USSD codes and through SIM application menu. And while Telkom customers who don’t have a smartphone can still get T-Kash services through a USSD Code *160#, it hasn’t been the easiest method. The T-Kash mobile app will avail more services to users without the need of answering several prompts as is the case with USSD when requesting mobile money services.

Speaking on the development, Telkom Kenya’s Chief Strategy and Business Development Officer, Julius CHEPTIONY noted the T-kash App was a culmination of extensive research on evolving customer trends, anchored on the need for simplicity, security, availability, and a diversified service offering. He further acknowledged this led to development of a user-friendly mobile application aimed at simplifying customer’s experience with respect to mobile financial services.

The mobile app will allow Telkom customers to perform simple mobile money transactions such as sending money to a mobile wallet on its network, to an MPESA wallet and soon to an Airtel Money wallet. Additionally, customers can send cash to a bank account, buy airtime and data bundles for their own Telkom lines or for another Telkom customer, pay bills, as well as make withdrawals and deposits at a T-kash agent.

CHEPTIONY further said the T-Kash app will be refined based on customer feedback to incorporate even more services. Customers can register for T-kash at any Telkom shop or at the nearest agent. A customer can dial *234# using their Telkom line to locate the agent nearest to them.

How to download and install T-Kash mobile app

If you have a smartphone on any of the popular platforms – iOS, Android or Huawei, you can download the app from their respective stores.

The Communications Authority (CA) now plans to switch-off stolen and counterfeit phones

Kenya’s ICT regulator – The Communications Authority (CA) has announced plans to restrict stolen and counterfeit phones from accessing network service within the country. The move which has long been practiced in western territories such as the United States, aims to deter phone theft in the country by not allowing such devices to access network service. It basically renders stolen phones as paperweights since they cannot function as they were originally intended.

According to the latest statement from the regulator, the Authority plans to develop a comprehensive database that will house all mobile devices in the country, thereby separating legitimate phones from those it considers not genuine denying them access to local network service providers. The Communications Authority plans to put in place a system that will be used by mobile service providers in the country to identify stolen or lost phones and restrict them from accessing services on their networks.

The system will analyze data acquired from various mobile providers to come up with a blacklist as well as a whitelist and a greylist of all devices being used in the country. From this information, the Authority is confident that it will get rid of all illegal and fake mobile phones that have somehow found their way into the local market.

Each mobile phone has a unique identifier dubbed as IMEI number that is used to uniquely identify them. To deny services to such mobile phones, the system will blacklist specific IMEI numbers categorized as either counterfeit or stolen.

The plan is expected to span from various sectors including when phones are being imported into the country. importers will be required to submit IMEI numbers of gadgets entering the country so as to lock out any illegal mobile handsets and other ICT devices from accessing the Kenyan market.

Kenyans in possession of counterfeit and illegal mobile phones will it be notified by various mobile service providers before being denied service. Additionally, operators will be required to put in place systems on their networks that will enable them to integrate with the CA’s management system which would be integrated with the global IMEI database.

Honour the Winter Olympics With These Winter Slot Machines

The Winter Olympics is coming – in February, athletes from around the world will gather in Beijing, China, to compete in disciplines like ice hockey, figure skating, snowboarding, and curling.

As a major sporting event, the Winter Olympics also inspired online casino game developers to launch their winter sports or generally winter-themed slot machines around this time. Here is a selection of games you can play as a way to prepare for – and honour – the upcoming Olympic Games

Break Away Deluxe (Microgaming)

One of the most popular winter sports in the world, ice hockey, attracts millions of viewers each year, especially in the Nordic region – it has a devout following in Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, and Russia. And, of course, at online casinos.

“Break Away Deluxe” is a popular online slot machine paying homage to ice hockey. All its symbols are hockey-related but this is not the only thing that makes it great – it’s the atmosphere. “Break Away Deluxe” has all the noises and sounds you would hear at the rink – the murmur and cheering of the crowd, and most importantly the diapason, the organ routinely used during ice hockey matches to serve as background music for what’s happening on the ice.

Frozen Diamonds (Rabcat)

Rabcat is a game development studio wearing many hats. On the one hand, it works as a character and asset designer for video games. On the other, it builds some of the most beautiful slot machines in the industry. One of them is Frozen Diamonds.

Frozen Diamonds is a classic slot machine with five reels, 20 win lines, and a chilling atmosphere. It comes with goodies like stacked wilds, tons of free spins, and an extra gamble game where players can multiply their winnings.

It is beautiful in its simplicity and entertaining to play, especially during the Winter Olympics.

Legend of the Ice Dragon (Play’n GO)

Finally, here’s a game that has nothing to do with sports but everything to do with dragons – a symbol of power and wisdom in China. And, of course, the cold of winter – it’s a dragon that breathes ice instead of fire, after all.

Play’n GO, known for its beautiful and entertaining games, has outdone itself with the Ice Dragon slot. It is a cluster slot machine, with no traditional win lines but symbols disappearing from the screen as they touch horizontally or vertically, reminiscent of the popular “match-3” games. The game also comes with extra features and goodies – frozen features like Hailstorm, Avalanche, and Blizzard, along with bonuses that involve the dragon’s freezing tail.

Legend of the Ice Dragon by Play’n GO is the perfect winter slot for fantasy lovers and those who can hardly wait for the Winter Olympics to begin.