Author: Kaluka wanjala

Safaricom has secured another Ksh 15 billion Sustainability Linked Loan, bringing the total loan facility to Ksh 30 billion having announced the closure of a similar amount last year. The loan facility, which is the largest in the East African region, is set to advance Safaricom’s Environmental, Social and Governance agenda (ESG). The funding has been provided by a consortium of four banks consisting of KCB, ABSA, Standard Chartered and Stanbic which will scale up its strategic sustainable investments. “This deal helps to accelerate the advancement of our sustainability agenda. It is a testament that we have achieved the targets…

Raxio Group has inaugurated its state-of-the-art data centre in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Raxio Côte d’Ivoire (CIV1). Marking the fifth data centre launch in its current portfolio and the company’s third consecutive launch this year alone, with Tier III accreditation by international industry body the Uptime Institute, Raxio aims to play a pivotal role in the country’s digital growth. The data centre which will be known as CIV1 is the country’s first Tier III certified carrier-neutral and cloud-neutral facility and its presence in the fastest growing economy in francophone West Africa will drive appetite for data consumption and local content by all digital users. The facility is fully equipped with…

Yesterday, Safaricom introduced a 1Gbps internet package in Kenya for its Home internet service. One of the questions I got was, who really needs such speeds and is it really necessary? So I thought, what does this kind of speeds really mean? How Fast Is 1Gbps Internet? To put things into perspective, 1Gbps is the equivalent of 1,000 megabits per second (Mbps). With such speeds, you can download a 1GB file in just about 8 seconds. The same file will take 14 minutes to download on a 10Mbps connection. 1Gbps thus offers a near-instant experience whether you are streaming or…

OPPO has today announced the opening of its new exclusive brand store at Sarit Centre, Nairobi. This expansion marks a significant milestone for OPPO in Kenya. The opening of the Sarit Centre store coincides with the launch of OPPO A3 series. The series, comprising the OPPO A3 and OPPO A3x, designed to cater to the needs of consumers who seek style, performance, and value, these new devices offer a range of features that elevate the everyday smartphone experience. The A3 Series phones start at Ksh 14,999. “We are thrilled to expand our presence in Kenya with the opening of our new…

This is an updated version of this post as Safaricom home fibre packages were revamped recently. Safaricom has revamped its fibre for home packages in 2024 while maintaining the same rates. The company has done this in response to Starlink’s push and growing popularity in kenya. The telco has introduced a new 1Gbps (Gigabit per second), the highest in the country so far for home internet. This is perfect for gamers or anyone who needs ultrafast internet speeds.  Besides the 1Gbps platinum package, safaricom has also increased the speeds for all its existing packages. The extra speeds range from 5Mbps…

Starlink’s growing popularity has forced Safaricom to make some changes to its home fibre packages. The telco has introduced a 1 Gbps (Gigabit per second) package for Ksh 20,000 while at the same time revamping its existing package without changing the prices. The company says customers will be upgraded automatically to the enhanced packages.  Have a look at the changes below. PackageOld SpeedsNew SpeedsPricingBronze10 Mbps15 MbpsKES 2,900Silver20 Mbps30 MbpsKES 4,100Gold40 Mbps80 MbpsKES 6,299Diamond100 Mbps500 MbpsKES 12,499Platinum-1000 MbpsKES 20,000 It took Safaricom long enough to roll out the Giga speed package in Kenya but at least it is finally here. The…

Kifiya has been awarded the prestigious Silver Award in the Product Innovation of the Year category in Africa at the Global SME Finance Awards 2024, held as part of the Global SME Finance Forum in São Paulo, Brazil on September 17, 2024. The Global SME Finance Awards, organized by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the SME Finance Forum, recognizes and celebrates institutions that have delivered innovative products and services and achieved impressive results in expanding finance and services to SMEs. Kifiya is the first Ethiopian company to win this award. This recognition highlights the company’s commitment to building a…

The Communications Authority of Kenya is set to spend Ksh 5 billion laying 2,500 Km of fibre across 19 counties in Kenya. The Authority says it has already laid 1,300 Km of fibre which is 50% of the entire project. The Authority did not share a list of Counties it is targeting. David Mugonyi, the Director General of CA, said recently that Phase II of the project will be undertaken in partnership with the ICT Authority (ICTA) and Kenya Power, He said this will facilitate last-mile connectivity to 3,800 public offices and institutions across the country. With access to broadband still…

Latitude59 is seeking the boldest early-stage startups from Kenya and across Africa to compete for a prize pool of non-equity funding. One African startup will receive an invitation to participate at the semi-finals of Latitude59 2025 in Tallinn, Estonia. For two years in a row, the prize pool for the Latitude59 Pitch Competition in Estonia has been one million euros. Interested startups can apply here.Latitude59’s CEO Liisi Org, stated that Latitude59 is the most international, impactful, and diverse startup and technology conference in the Baltic States and New Nordics and a global platform that connects startups, investors, and other startup…

Rohan Patil, regional manager for East Africa at Vertiv received personal recognition at the Connected Africa Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, for hisparticipation in the panel and overall contribution to shaping Africa’s digital future. Hosted by the Kenyan Ministry of Information, Communication and the Digital Economy, the summit is an initiative towards shaping the digital destiny of Africa with African tech leaders, policymakers, investors, and businesses coming together to discuss, harness, and learn more about the opportunities presented by the digital economy. Patil was among the high-level speakers at the conference, joining a plenary discussion on ‘Manufacturing, Green and Circular economy’ with fellow panelists including Burundi’s ICT Minister Léocadie…