Author: Kaluka wanjala

iColo has announced the entry of the Kenya Internet Exchange Point (KIXP) into its Mombasa Two (MBA2) facility located in Nyali. This facility was opened back in 2022 and is the second one operated by iColo in the coastal city. This move by KIXP is expected to help improve internet performance and strengthen the regions digital ecosystem. KIXP is operated by the Technology Service Providers of Kenya (TESPOK). It allows networks to exchange internet traffic locally rather than relying on international routes. Its expansion into MBA2 will reduce latency, improve redundancy and bring interconnection points closer to users along Kenya’s…

Airtel Africa, through its data centre subsidiary Nxtra by Airtel Africa, has officially broken ground on what is set to become East Africa’s largest data centre. Located at Tatu City, the facility will deliver a planned capacity of 44 megawatts (MW) once fully built. This will make it the single biggest project of its kind in the region. The centre will support next-generation cloud and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads, with GPU-ready racks, 99.999% uptime and advanced security systems. Construction will be executed in two phases of 22MW each. Each facility is expected to go live in the first quarter of…

Uber is celebrating its 10-year anniversary in Kenya and is offering free rides for its customers. The company announced via WhatsApp Business messages that it will be offering free Uber ChapChap and Uber Boda rides between 10:00 am and 11:00 am daily until 11 September 2025 (tomorrow). The promotion is part of Uber’s celebrations marking a decade of operations in Kenya since its entry into Nairobi in January 2015. In that time, Uber has introduced a range of services from Uber ChapChap to Uber Eats while competing with regional ride-hailing rivals such as Bolt, Little and Yego. For riders, you…

Milu Kipimo from Tanzania has been appointed as the Country Manager in South Africa (ZA) for Bolt. Having been Senior Country Manager for Tanzania, Tunisia & Ghana, he joins the ZA Bolt Business team with over 5 years of business leadership experience, during which he held various roles in leading organisations in the field of mass media and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), where he coordinated projects at the local and international level.  In the new role, Milu Kipimo will be responsible for business development and the team’s growth to support customers in South Africa with the flexibility, customer experience and account management they’re looking for with Bolt Business…

The London Internet Exchange (LINX) and interconnection incubator Asteroid have entered a cooperative agreement to transition Asteroid’s customer networks in Kenya to LINX’s interconnection hubs in Nairobi and Mombasa. The transition will run through the end of 2025 and will see Asteroid gradually wind down its operations in the country. Under the agreement, Asteroid customers connected at its Nairobi and Mombasa internet exchanges will move to LINX platforms. Both companies will jointly support the migration process to ensure a smooth transition for networks. “We are very proud of our achievements in Kenya over the last five years,” said Remco van…

Kenya’s financial sector, long admired for its role in mobile money and digital banking revolution, now finds itself on the brink of another transformation powered by artificial intelligence (AI). According to new research presented at an event hosted at iXAfrica Data Centres in Nairobi, over 80% of senior banking executives believe generative AI will be transformative for the sector. Yet fewer than a quarter of banks say they are prepared for the transition. The gap between optimism and readiness clearly shows there is an opportunity and a threat for incumbents as digital-first competitors enter the market. TechArena attended the event…

Last week, Safaricom held its first-ever Gaming Conference at the Michael Joseph Centre, themed “Level Up Africa: Unlocking Gaming Potential in Africa.” The event wasn’t your usual stiff industry summit. Sure, there were serious talks on policy, investment, and the future of eSports, but there was also cosplay, movie screenings, music performances, and merch stalls. “Gaming is more than just play, it is talent, creativity, and opportunity,” said Fawzia Ali-Kimanthi, Safaricom’s Chief Consumer Business Officer. “At Safaricom, we believe in powering the youth and building platforms where skills can turn into careers, innovations, and thriving communities.” Africa’s gaming industry is…

Samsung has today announced that its 2025 OLED TV (S95F model) has been officially certified as a Real Black display by the Verband der Elektrotechnik (VDE), a leading electrical engineering certification institute in Germany. By meeting the required standards to be genuinely considered Real Black, Samsung has proven that its OLED technology delivers a true black viewing experience.  The certification validates the OLED display’s crisp, reflection-free images with near-perfect blacks measured below 0.005 nits in dark environments, as well as black accuracy in sunlit rooms and even under direct sunlight. The result is crystal-clear visuals with rich, deep blacks in their…

Verto has unveiled the Atlas Suite, a next-generation embedded finance product designed to streamline cross-border payments for financial institutions, marketplaces, and digital platforms. The Atlas Suite provides a single API integration that allows businesses to embed banking, foreign exchange (FX), and payment services into their operations. According to Verto, the solution is built for scalability and compliance. Cross-border trade in Africa remains hampered by fragmented financial systems, regulatory hurdles, limited access to banking infrastructure, and high FX volatility. These increase costs and slow down trade and digital commerce across the continent. Atlas enables last-mile payouts through both bank transfers and…

The Galaxy A-series is one of Samsung’s most popular smartphone lines in Kenya. It offers decent midrange devices that can compete with what is offered by the likes of Tecno, Infinix, OPPO, Xiaomi, etc. I have been using the Samsung Galaxy A26 5G, and one question I have asked myself is whether it is worth getting if you already have the Galaxy A24 or A25?  Design and Display Both the Galaxy A24 & A25 feature AMOLED displays, but only the A25 introduced a higher refresh rate of 120Hz. The Galaxy A26 5G: Keeps the 120Hz Super AMOLED screen, with slimmer…