Business Archives - Page 15 of 19

16Sep

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Jambojet starts it’s operations to Lamu

Jambojet has commenced operations to Lamu, becoming its fourth Coastal destination after Mombasa, Malindi and Ukunda. The regional carrier will now fly from Nairobi to Lamu via Mombasa four times weekly with an introductory fare of Sh7,100 one way from Nairobi to Lamu. Mombasa to Lamu will start at Sh4,600 one way. In a statement on Thursday, Jambojet CEO Karanja Ndegwa said the airline is expecting more traffic to Lamu which is one of the major tourists destination in the coast. "Lamu County is undeniably one of Kenya’s top tourist destinations both for local and international travelers. With the ongoing LAPSSET project, we expect increased traffic into Lamu from tourists and potential investors. We want to ease their movement with the introduction of this route,”Nde...

Facebook shields VIPs from some of its rules — report

14Sep

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Facebook shields VIPs from some of its rules — report

(FILES) In this file photo taken on August 26, 2021 Facebook logo is pictured on a laptop screen in Moscow. - Facebook exempts certain celebrities, politicians and other high-profile users from some its own rules for posts as part of a program launched as a quality-control mechanism, the Wall Street Journal reported on September 13, 2021. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) Facebook exempts certain celebrities, politicians and other high-profile users from some of its own rules for posts as part of a program launched as a quality-control mechanism, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday. The program, referred to as "cross check" or "XCheck," shields millions of elite users from rules that Facebook claims to apply equally at the social network, according to a report citing intern...

Construction Offers hope , with 60,000 new jobs

10Sep

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Construction Offers hope , with 60,000 new jobs

Increased investment in construction, as Covid-19 ravaged the country, saved a portion of the economy last year, creating thousands of new job opportunities as other sectors suffered. The construction, which ranged from roads, railway lines and houses, provided a lifeline to over 60,000 Kenyans, as many shifted to building works to earn a living. The Economic Survey 2021 reports that wage employment in the construction sector grew by 33 per cent from 173,300 persons in 2019 to 230,500 persons in 2020. “Employment level in the public sector rose by 3 per cent from 8,832 persons in 2019 to 9,093 persons in 2020, while private sector employment recorded 34.5 per cent increase from 164,500 persons in 2019 to 221,400 persons in 2020,” the report states. This came even as the ho...

Uganda Threatens to Ban Kenyan Products from Their Market as Trade Row Escalates

4Sep

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Uganda Threatens to Ban Kenyan Products from Their Market as Trade Row Escalates

Although Frank Tumwebaze did not formally write to the Kenyan government, he took to Twitter to complain to counterpart Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya for capping sugar Uganda imports. Tumwebaze faulted Kenya's recent decision to cut sugar imports from Uganda by 79 %, which is likely to escalate the ongoing trade dispute between Nairobi and Kampala. The minister warned if Kenya does nothing to remedy the situation on time, the move could potentially weaken the East Africa Community trade bloc as Uganda may be forced to take a similar route. "Don't make this whole idea of the East Africa Community doubtable. Should we also start a board to restrict/give permits to Kenyan margarine and plastics? Yes, we could check on their standards too," he threatened. Kenyan traders are allowe...

University staff threaten to down tools over CBA

16Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

University staff threaten to down tools over CBA

Non-academic staff at public universities have threatened to go on strike after their employers failed to implement the 2017/2021 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Members of the Kenya Universities Staff Union (Kusu) are also demanding to be paid their full salaries. “Money was released in two tranches. (Some) Sh6.6 billion was the first tranche which was released in July last year. The second tranche, Sh2.2 billion, was released last month. The CBA should be implemented fully if there’s anything else we do not know,” said Dr Charles Mukhwaya, Kusu secretary-general. Speaking at a press briefing in Mombasa, union officials said they want vice-chancellors to fully implement the CBA as signed in 2019. Dr Mukhwaya said the government had already disbursed money to uni...

Aviation sector showing gradual revival post-Covid — KCAA

11Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Aviation sector showing gradual revival post-Covid — KCAA

Kenya’s aviation sector is gradually rising from the damaging blow inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) has said. KCAA Director General Capt. Gilbert Kibe has revealed that the average daily Aircraft movement is currently about 550 from 1,045 before the pandemic. Current daily international aircraft movement is at 110 while domestic traffic is 440. With the setting in of the Coronavirus pandemic, Kenya and the global aviation sector was largely affected, with passenger traffic in July 2020 recording a decline of 94 per cent in comparison to the same period in 2019 due to the pandemic. According to the data released by KCAA, aircraft traffic movements was lowest in July 2020, standing at 9,185, which decreased by 68 per cent belo...

Rosemary Oduor appointed acting Kenya Power CEO

4Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Rosemary Oduor appointed acting Kenya Power CEO

The Kenya Power Board of Directors has appointed Rosemary Oduor acting Managing Director and CEO. In a statement on Wednesday, Board Chairperson Vivienne Yeda said her appointment followed the resignation of Bernard Ngugi. "We wish to inform our shareholders that the Board of directors, exercising their powers given under Article 113 of the Articles of Association of The Kenya Power and Lighting Company Plc, have appointed Eng. Rosemary Oduor as the Acting Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the company with effect from 4th August 2021," the statement said. Prior to her appointment, Oduor who has worked with Kenya Power since 1991 was the company’s General Manager in charge of Commercial Services and Sales. She also has experience in power engineering and mana...

Payment for Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway goes cashless

2Aug

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Payment for Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway goes cashless

Passengers using Kenya's Standard Gauge Railway trains will from this month not be allowed to pay cash to travel. The Kenya Railways Service over the weekend announced that they will be operating cashless payments only. "As from August 1, the acceptable payment mode for your Madaraka Express train ticket will be debit/credit card and Mpesa, "reads the notice. However, this does not affect most of the commuters who use the SGR mode of transport as most bookings are done online. Since its launch in 2017, SGR has been using a payment system that involves mobile money and cash. The Mombasa-Nairobi SGR connects Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, with a total length of about 480 kilometres. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic that saw res...

748 Air Services gets reprieve after KQ eviction orders

28Jul

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

748 Air Services gets reprieve after KQ eviction orders

Aviation company 748 Air Services has been granted stay orders by a Nairobi court, preventing Kenya Airways and its agents from further executing eviction orders. The airline on Monday filed a legal suit against Kenya Airways for malicious damage of its property worth millions of shillings and harassment of employees. “In the interim, a temporary injunction be and is hereby issued restraining the plaintiff by itself or servants and/or agents from interfering with the defendant/Applicants quiet enjoyment use and occupation of the suit property pending interpartes hearing of this application,” Milimani Commercial Courts, Principal Magistrate, A.N. Makau said. The court has also directed Commandant, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to ensure compliance of the orders. On Fr...

14Jul

By Nasra HusseinNo Comments

Business

Fuel prices will not change.

The Energy and Petroleum Authority (Epra) has handed Kenyans a reprieve by keeping fuel prices unchanged for the next one month, easing fears of a rise in the cost of the key commodity. Epra was expected to raise the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene by passing on the increased cost of importing fuel to consumers following a hike in global crude oil prices. The landed cost of importing a cubic-metre of petrol increased by 4.8 per cent to $520.04 last month from $496.1 in May, while that of diesel increased by 3.69 per cent from $461.95 to $479.01 during the same period. However, the price a similar quantity of kerosene in the global market remained unchanged between May and June, but no single consignment for the commodity was imported into the country t...