Author: Kaluka wanjala

Kushite ICP set to host the Inter-University Hackathon, a month-long event showcasing the skills of over 700 talented students from 12 top universities across the region. The hackathon, focused on harnessing the transformative power of the Internet Computer (ICP) platform, is set to end on March 15, 2024. Since its kickoff in January, the Inter-University Hackathon has had participants pushing the boundaries of decentralized computing. The students are not just engaged in a competition; they are tackling real-world challenges with innovation and technical skill. The projects currently in development spans various domains, demonstrating the versatility and potential applications of decentralized…

The African Union Commission has entered into a strategic partnership with AfricaNenda in a collaboration that aims to bridge the gap in financial inclusion. This collaboration seeks to unlock access to the formal financial system for over 400 million adults in Africa, who are currently excluded from the formal economy. The core objective of this partnership is to support the Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa (2020-2030), emphasizing policy harmonization and the implementation of the strategy’s roadmap. The focus is on developing Inclusive Instant Payments Systems, a move that is set to revolutionize access to digital financial services for millions of…

Summary Registration is now open for the 2024 Edition of Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF24), a bilingual global event set to bring together hundreds of delegates in Accra, Ghana, from April 23rd to April 25th, 2023. For the selection process, they send out a Call for Session Proposals. This time round, the Call for Session proposals was sent our on 15th November, 2023 and closed on 14th January, 2024. Once the call has been closed, a selection commiittee vets the session proposals based on the required criteria after which communication is sent to both successful and unsuccessful applicants. The signature event…

Summary The Catalyst Fund has announced an investment of $1.8 million in 9 climate tech startups in Africa. This investment not only reaffirms the fund’s commitment to climate adaptation. It also expands its portfolio to 19 companies operating in 8 different markets including Kenya, Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. The second round of investments by The Catalyst Fund is tailored to address critical climate-related challenges from agriculture, healthcare, energy access, and waste management. The selected startups showcase a spectrum of solutions, including a solar cold chain system for small-scale aquaculture in Kenya, affordable telemedicine health services…

Samsung has officially launched the Galaxy S24 series in Kenya. The official retail prices for the S24 series start at Ksh 175,000 for the base model 8/256GB model and goes for as high as ksh 277,000 for the Galaxy S24 Ultra at 12/512GB variant. The series has been on pre-order the last 3 weeks. Galaxy AI The Galaxy S24 series is not just another smartphone; it represents the future of AI-powered devices. Anthony Hutia, Head of Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics East Africa, stated, “The Galaxy S24 series demonstrates our initial step toward a new era of AI phones that…

Summary Kenyan-based electric mobility company, Roam, has secured a total of $24 million in funding. this consists of $14 million in a Series A funding round and $10 million in debt commitment. The Series A funding was led by Equator Africa and featuring contributions from At One Ventures, TES Ventures, and others. The additional $10 million debt commitment came from the U.S. Government’s International Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Before this, the last major Seed round by Roam was in November 2021 when the company raised $5 Million through an investment round led by At One Ventures. Roam designs, develops and…

Opera has today announced that MiniPay wallet has surpassed 1 million users across Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana. MiniPay is a self-custodial dollar stablecoin wallet is integrated into the Opera Mini browser for Android users and is built on the Celo blockchain. The wallet enables fast and easy payments with very low transaction fees, allowing users to save, send, and receive funds instantly on their mobile phones. The key features of MiniPay include offering sub-cent fees through the Celo network. Currently live in Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana, MiniPay plans to expand to South Africa and other countries. The partnership between MiniPay,…

Summary Visa hosted its first Africa Fintech Accelerator Program’s Demo Day in Nairobi, featuring innovations from emerging fintech startups across 18 African countries. Launched in June 2023, the program seeks to expand Africa’s expanding startup community by providing expertise, connections, technology, and investment funding. The event brought together key ecosystem players, funding partners, angel investors, and venture capitalists to witness the first-cohort startups showcase their diverse innovations. These startups, selected from over 1,000 applicants, spanned various subsectors such as merchant payment solutions, lending infrastructure, Banking-as-a-Service, and B2B marketplaces. Kenyan startups took center stage during the Demo Day, with Duqha, Power,…

Summary Computers for Schools Kenya (CFSK) has joined forces with MaMa Doing Good and Huawei Kenya to kick start a digital literacy initiative aimed at empowering women in the Joyful Women Organization. This partnership seeks to bridge the digital divide by equipping women with essential skills and knowledge to thrive in today’s digital world. The beneficiaries of this initiative will further share their skills with other women in their groups. Also Read: DigiTruck mobile computer lab seeks to train 10,000 youth in Kenya annually At the core of this initiative is the Women Empowerment Program, a curriculum designed by CFSK…

Summary BasiGo has today announced the appointment of Mr. Moses Nderitu as the Managing Director for its operations in Kenya and the promotion of Ms. Doreen Orishaba to Managing Director for BasiGo Rwanda. Mr. Moses Nderitu, who previously served as BasiGo’s Chief Revenue Officer, has been a key person advocating for electric mobility in Kenya. His role as Chief Commercial Officer saw the successful introduction of E-bus technology to the Kenyan matatu sector. This resulted in over 450 reservations from its partner operators. He also played an important role in establishing the Electric Mobility Association of Kenya (EMAK). Commenting on…