Celebrating the Kenyan Story

Miss World Kenya 2013 Pageant Auditions

2013-05-21T13:29:00.002+03:00

"Beauty with a purpose."

Out-Going Miss World Kenya Shamim Nabil

Miss World Kenya 2013 auditions are as follows:

25th May 2013- Kisumu
1st June 2013 - Mombasa and Eldoret
8th June 2013 - Nairobi

Requirements

Height 5.7 inches (Strictly without shoes), Bust 34 inches (plus 2 is acceptable), Waist 24 inches (plus or minus 2) Hips 36 inches (plus or minus 2).

Not married, no child and age between 18-24 years, clear skin and tone, All complexions allowed.

Sponsored by Ashley's Kenya and EABL's Snapp.

The winner of Miss World Kenya 2013 will represent Kenya in the global pageant that will be held in September at the Sentul International Convention Center on the outskirts of Jakarta, Indonesia.

JP Morgan to Open Office in Kenya

2013-05-21T11:33:00.000+03:00

U.S financial services giant JP Morgan Chase is set to open a representative office in Kenya after it got approval from the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK).

This is seen as a major stride for Nairobi as it seeks to be East Africa’s financial and life insurance hub.

JP Morgan Chase which is the largest bank based on asset in the U.S will join a growing list of big global lenders that have set base in the country.

The office will conduct financing transactions for the parent bank, but will not collect deposits from the public.

Other banks that have recently received approval include the Central Bank of India and Rwanda’s Bank of Kigali.

East Africa Designer Fair Featuring Fashion Accessories, Home Decor & Gifts

2013-05-21T10:09:00.000+03:00

The East Africa Designer fair is back. With three successful past fairs and wide-acclaim from shoppers, media and retailers. This time around, the fair will be showcasing fashion accessories, home décor and gifts.

Date: Thursday 6th to Sunday 9th June 2013.
Time: From 9AM - 6PM
Venue: The Village Market, Nairobi

The East Africa Designer Fair is powered by African Designers in Development (ADID).

To book your space or for more details, kindly contact our Marketing Executive on 0720 87 15 32 or on communications@adid.or.ke

Mjadala wa waTanzania UK Kufanyika University of Reading

2013-05-21T09:41:00.003+03:00

Siku ya Jumamosi tarehe 01/06/2013, waTanzania waishio UK watakutana kwa ajili ya mjadala mkubwa utakaohusu mwaswala yafuatayo: Elimu; Katiba; Muungano; na Utaifa. Mjadala utafanyika kwenye ukumbi wa mikutano wa University of Reading. Hii ni nafasi ya kipekee kwa waTanzania kuzungumzia mambo muhimu yanayoihusu jamii yetu bila kujali itikadi, imani, rangi au kitu kingine chochote. Vikundi mbali mbali vya kidini, kisiasa na kijamii vitakuwepo.

Japokuwa mjadala unafanyikia UK, waTanzania wote wenye nia ya kushiriki kutoka mahali popote pale duniani wanaweza na wanakaribishwa kushiriki. Kama ungependa kushiriki kutoka sehemu yoyote ulipo, unaweza kufanya hivyo kwa kupitia tweeter account itakayotolewa hivi karibuni.

Mjadala utarushwa kwenye YouTube channel. Pia kwa hisani ya Funguka Forums mjadala utakuwa unarushwa live kwenye fungukaforums.com. Pia updates zitakuwa zikitolewa kwa kupitia facebook na twitter.

Karibuni wote tushiriki kwa mapenzi ya nchi yetu.

"Usiulize Tanzania imekufanyia nini. Jiulize wewe umeifanyia nini nchi yako."

G Mboya

Secretary

CHADEMA UK

(+44)(0)7846783365 (m)

secretary@chademauk.org.uk

www.chademauk.org.uk

University of Nairobi's Team ABE Needs Your Vote

2013-05-16T23:57:00.001+03:00

Four University of Nairobi engineering students are finalists in the biennial global Airbus Fly Your Ideas competition.

The students who are in their fourth year teamed up a couple of months ago to form A.B.E an acronym for Aero Bamboo Engineering.

The group of Marian Muthui, Alex Njira, Karl Heinz and Tony Kadiegu Mugita pitched their idea of using bamboo to make the interior cabin and flooring of aircraft as an alternative to conventional material.

The bamboo is styled into bamboo Honeycomb lattice which is lighter and stronger compared to wood. The innovation also comes with embedded thermal acoustic foam as a replacement for non-recyclable composite materials used in the manufacture of aircraft cabin items.

After 618 teams from 82 countries entered 5 finalists remain and have already received 60,000 Euros. The winner will get an additional 30,000 Euros while the runners-up will pocket 15,000 Euros. The awards ceremony will take place in Paris, on 13 June 2013, at the UNESCO headquarters.

Vote for this Kenyan team now https://www.airbus-fyi.com/medias/best-videos

Blankets and Wine XLIV with Zahara, Dela, Alsarah & Priscah

2013-05-16T11:34:00.001+03:00

Date: Sunday 2 June, 2013
Time: 1:00pm to 9:00pm
Venue: The Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi

The 44th edition of Blankets and Wine presents South Africa's Award-winning artiste Zahara, Kenya's Priscah Ojwang, Dela and Sudan's Alsarah.

Upcoming artiste Priscah Ojwang, an alumni of Sauti Music Academy makes her debut in Blankets & Wine. She will share stage with Sudanese singer Alsarah who promises a unique treat with her ethno-urban flavour.

The 44th edition comes with a twist, the first-ever Blankets & Wine Craft Fair with over a dozen Kenyan artists and designers showcasing and selling their locally made crafts at the event.

Charges: Advance tickets are now available for Ksh. 1,300 on www.ticketsasa.com before 27th May and Ksh. 1,500 on Ticketsasa and select Dormans outlets thereafter.
Tickets at the gate shall be sold at Ksh. 2,000 while children between 5 to 12 years pay 500 Ksh. and free for children under 5.

Mater Heart Run Set for May 25th in Nairobi, Mombasa & Mumias

2013-05-16T11:01:00.000+03:00

Touch a Child's Heart

Date: Saturday, May 25th 2013
Venue: Nairobi: Nyayo Stadium, 7am
Mombasa Sports Club, 9am
Mumias Sports Club, 8:30am
In order to participate purchase a T shirt for Ksh1,000, Cap Ksh400 and Wrist Bands Ksh 300 from all Nakumatts, Capital FM and Galitos Innscor outlets countrywide.
Donations via Mpesa Bill Pay Number 526300.

Call for Entries: Google Innovation Pavilion & Awards in Kenya

2013-05-14T19:23:00.002+03:00

The Innovation Awards at the Connected Kenya Summit have provided a platform to showcase Kenyan firms that are contributing to improving productivity and efficiency in the country through ICT innovation. The Innovation Pavilion and Awards will this year be sponsored by Tech giant Google.

Selected finalists will exhibit and receive an award from Google during the 2013 Connected Kenya Summit.

For more details Click Here

Howzit MSN destined for Kenya, Nigeria + Press Release

2013-05-14T18:31:00.000+03:00

Howzit MSN is planning to make forays into East and West Africa through strategic Kenya and Nigeria.

The portal which is Africa largest with 3.3million unique browsers per month is set for the battle for online and mobile news space in the region with the official launch set for Monday, 1st July 2013.

The two countries have a high internet penetration rate with mobile being a big feature. Kagiso Media which publishes MSN for Microsoft is seeking to provide content that is tailored to needs of locals.

News24 is a good example of South African portal sites that have succeeded in the region having ventured into Kenya in 2011 and last year in Nigeria.

Below is the Press Release

Kagiso’s MSN moves into Kenya and Nigeria with localized content

Howzit MSN, one of Africa’s largest portals with 3.3 million unique browsers per month, is set to launch dedicated versions of its site for Nigeria and Kenya.

Howzit MSN, operated by Kagiso Media in partnership with Microsoft, is the South African version of the popular Microsoft MSN portal. The site plans to expand into East and West Africa to bring users in those markets local news that is tailored to their needs.

The Kenyan and Nigerian MSN portals will be first, with the official launch happening on 1 July.

Initially, these portals will offer dedicated news, entertainment, sports and lifestyle channels as well as property and careers content.

Further channels will be added to the mix as the new portals evolve. The content will be produced and curated by MSN’s African editorial team, led by Kate Hodges, African Editor in Cape Town.

MSN Africa will be placing a heavy emphasis on mobile access to the news and will create mobile versions of the sites that can be accessed from feature phones as well as smartphones. This will allow it to serve continent across multi screens meeting the demand for many people who are getting online for the first time through their phones.

Says Marcus Stephens, GM of Howzit MSN: “There is a growing hunger for localised content across Africa as undersea cables, mobile broadband and falling Internet access costs bring more people online. We aim to address this need with the same formula of locally relevant, easy to digest content that we offer our audience in South Africa.”

“We want to be as local in content, look and feel as possible. The many readers we already have in Nigeria and Kenya are sure to be delighted when they go online on 1 July and are greeted by fully local content rather than the American version of the site they are used to seeing. This is just the start for our business in Africa – we aim to bring more content to this market and to launch in other countries over the next few months.”

About Howzit MSN

Published by Kagiso Media, Howzit MSN is one of the largest web portals in South Africa. The portal is the South African associate of Microsoft’s MSN family of Internet services, which attracts more than 3.14 million unique users around the world each month.

Howzit MSN is South Africa’s leader in providing quality web content to consumers and powerful online advertising solutions to marketers. It attracts a large mainstream audience with its core news service as well as several niche audiences with specialised content. For advertisers, Howzit MSN offers a wide range of ways to target audiences including the howzit.MSN.com homepage, news, sports and lifestyle. This is complemented by globally popular social advertising platform Skype.

About Marcus Stephens

As general manager of MSN & Skype, Microsoft’s Publishing & Advertising & Online assets in sub-Saharan Africa – a division of Kagiso Media – Marcus Stephens overseas the strategic growth and day-to-day running of one of South Africa’s two largest Web portals, Howzit MSN.

Stephens has more than 18 years of experience in advertising and publishing across various media platforms new and old.

During his career, he has guided global brands’ media strategies such as UDV Guinness, Barclays Bank and BAT, while working at media and advertising agencies such as MediaCom and TBWA Hunt Lascaris. Before joining Howzit MSN, Stephens oversaw the repositioning of Avusa’s digital division as head of the commercial unit.

Wanyama is Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Year

2013-05-13T22:17:00.001+03:00

Kenyan international midfielder Victor Mugubi Wanyama has been named the Clydesdale Bank Young Player of the Year.

This is the second major award the midfielder who plays for Scottish Champions Celtic has bagged after the Celtic Young Player of the Year award in April.

Wanyama who has been linked with a move to top-flight English sides in the summer has made 32 league appearances and scored 6 goals for Celtic.

The 22-year old was also named in the Scottish Premier League team of the year.

Leigh Griffiths of Motherwell bagged the Clydesdale Bank Player of the Year while his manager Stuart McCall picked the manager of the year award.

88mph Opens Applications in Nairobi

2013-05-13T20:45:00.002+03:00

08.05.2013, Nairobi, Kenya 88mph, an early stage startup fund and 3 month accelerator program has opened applications for Nairobi. The program assists start-ups by giving them investment of up to a 100k, access to business networks and the know how to quickly grow their businesses. 88mph’s strategy in Africa is to fund strong teams and web-mobile ideas that have the ability to scale across English speaking Africa.

“There’s an immense opportunity to build mobile/web start-ups in Nairobi right now. African Mobile/web is hands down one of the fastest growing markets in the world and we want to reach out to entrepreneurs who build products and services for hundreds of million mobile/web users that are rapidly popping up on the continent,” says 88mph Program Director Nikolai Barnwell.

Barnwell continues,“Unfortunately, the natural course of a startup is to die before succeeding. But we provide the funding and the infrastructure to boost the odds of survival and we now want to look for the next batch of future successful entrepreneurs.”

That’s why, in addition to funding, the 88mph team in Nairobi has put together talent and resources, to add more value for the startups:
•    A partnership with Google has enabled the right space and internet resources to build tech companies, as well as access to Google’s experienced web professionals who can mentor the startups.
•    A host of highly experienced local Kenyans and global mentors have been added to the already top-notch 88mph mentor network.
•    Furthermore, “Entrepreneurs-in-residence” – experienced entrepreneurs, specialized in sales, programming & web design - are being brought in from across the world to work side by side with the local startups during the 3-month acceleration.
•    Finally, 88mph arranges a demo day, where the startups will get access to a group of investors and showcase what they’ve achieved so far.

Last year 88mph invested in 6 web-mobile startups in Nairobi. The 3-month program to accelerate the growth of the startups in Nairobi last year has reaped great rewards for the start-ups, with one startup with confirmed follow on funding and another two that are in final discussions. This will allow them to be able to scale their businesses across Africa successfully.

‘I've seen a wealth of talent infused in Nairobi within the past couple of years," says Carey Eaton, co-Founder, One Africa Media and CEO, Cheki Africa Media."88mph and the ecosystem brewing here are making a very significant contribution to building technology companies in the region to another level, building the next great wave of web and mobile businesses that solve African problems. I'm looking forward to following these startups closely throughout the program."

The speed at which the mobile internet has reached the markets of Africa, now at 274 million Africans on Edge or 3G, has created a huge demand for local applications and services catering to the young and growing middle classes of Africa. 88mph is here to fund start-ups wishing to grab a portion of this growing market. So far, they have invested over $750,000 into 23 early stage start-ups.

The combination of a large market, young population and opportunities within the mobile/web industry makes this accelerator attractive to any tech entrepreneurs who are looking to solve real challenges in Africa.

"Looking 2-5 years ahead, the US and Europe will be stagnating at best. I think the biggest opportunities for return on investment will be in Africa and other emerging markets. Our accelerator program is a great opportunity for international tech entrepreneurs and returning diaspora to come, take advantage of the insane growth here, and work on solving some really interesting problems," concludes Barnwell.
Ends.

Additional Information:

• Application deadline is midnight July 15th, 2013

• Startups can apply now on 88mph.ac

• 88mph invests up to $100k per startup

• Equity will depend on the startup company valuations, which could range from $100k to $1mil

• Altogether 8 - 15 teams will receive an investment and get accepted into the 3-month program

• The teams will be notiﬁed if they have been accepted to the program by August 1st, 2013

• Program starts on August 26th at the 88mph Garage in Nairobi, Kenya

• Startups in the program will have access to tech hubs in Cape Town, as well as to 88mph's partner tech hubs across Africa

About 88mph

The team behind 88mph first came to Kenya in 2010 when they set up a 48-hour investment boot camp; this event resulted in an investment in M-Farm, an SMS service that helped small farmers get access to the market price of their crops. Since then, 88mph has added 15 startups to its portfolio, all mobile-web based businesses.

This last round in Nairobi included a mobile music startup, Mdundo, and an airtime credit startup, Movas, All the startups from this time around are generating revenues.
88mph is a privately backed fund.

For more information contact:
Chwayita Nqiwa
Public Relations, 88mph
+27 74 258 4275
press@88mph.ac

JAB Releases Cut-Off Points for 2012

2013-05-13T17:44:00.001+03:00

The Joint Admission Board ( JAB) has released the new cut-off points for joining university for students who sat for the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) in 2012.

The new cut-off will allow students who scored a minimum of B (of 61 points) selected for admission while girls who scored B (of 60 points) and B- (of 59 points) will also be admitted.

53,010 students from around the country are expected to be admitted to public universities an increase from 42,000, last year.

JAB has also announced that 2,794 girls will be admitted to institutions of higher learning because of affirmative action.

Mukhisa Kituyi to head UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD)

2013-05-13T14:48:00.000+03:00

Former Trade Minister Dr. Mukhisa Kituyi has been appointed the new Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Dr. Kituyi who was once an MP of Kimilili becomes the first Kenyan to head a United Nations agency as a Secretary General. He will also simultaneously serve as the undersecretary of the United Nations.

Kituyi will replace Thailand’s 66 year old Supachai Panitchpakdi with UN secretary general Ban Kin Moon expected to formally announce his appointment any time soon at the UN headquarters in New York.

Kituyi's Profile

Holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and International Relations from Makerere University in Kampala.
PhD in Social Anthropology
Master of Philosophy in Development Studies from the University of Bergen, Norway.
Served as Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), Nairobi
Former Member of Parliament for Kimilili constituency, Bungoma County
Served as Minister for Trade and Industry in Kibaki's Regime

From the DailyKenya Team Hongera!
Photo Courtesy of Brookings.edu

Energy Management Awards 2013 Slated for 31st May

2013-05-12T20:24:00.002+03:00

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers will be holding their annual Energy Management Awards (EMA) on Friday, 31st May 2013.

The awards seek to recognize companies that have put in place energy efficiency initiatives.

Venue: Intercontinental Hotel

Time: 6:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Dress Code: Black Tie

For bookings and further details contact: Beatrice Kithinji or Anne Kariuki

Tel: 3741634/4886/6005-7 and 3753204

Mobile: 0734-646005, 0722-201368

Email: ema@kam.co.ke

Fashion Event: Out of the Shadows

2013-05-12T13:50:00.003+03:00

The biggest fashion event in the country is set to take place on 17th May 2013 at the Ole Sereni Hotel.

Time: 8PM
Charges: Ksh1500/- (Advance)
Ksh2000/- (Gate)

Those expected at the glamorous event include Nick Ondu (Ankara Vintage), Mohamed Bana (Bana the Brand), Vaishali Morjaria, Dafina Inernational and photography team of Nick Klause and Eye-Con photography.

The 3rd Annual Africa Banking & Finance Conference 2013

2013-05-12T13:24:00.003+03:00

Date: 14th - 15th May 2013
Venue: Crowne Plaza Hotel, Nairobi
Theme: "Contributing towards a robust economic growth through innovations"

Key topic for discussion include:

- Making Sustainability Banking count in Africa

- Emerging Issues in the region

- How will the forthcoming Africa banking industry look like in the coming years

- Between Trends and Innovations: The Changing Landscape of Payments and Cash Management

- Corporate Trade Finance - Emerging trends for Africa

- The Nascent Mortgage Market in Africa

- The Investment Banking Summit: - Emerging Opportunities for New Business Landscape

- Exploring Regional Financial Markets - Opportunities & Challenges in the Capital Markets Development

- Balancing Risk & Return

- African SME landscape

- Islamic Finance: A Resilient Model for Entrepreneurship and Innovation

For more details contact Maggie (+254) 700 248840 / maggy[at]aidembs.com

Doodle 4 Google 2013 Competition Launch

2013-05-11T19:05:00.003+03:00

Wangari Maathai Google Doodle, 1st April 2013

As Kenya celebrates its 50th anniversary since independence in December, Google Kenya will launch the Doodle 4 Google 2013 competition, which will be open to all Kenyan school students aged between 6 years to 18 years.

The competition will encourage them to create their own doodles, allowing the students a chance to win a techie prize for himself/herself and for his/her school.

The theme for the 2013 contest is “My Kenya.”
Doodles are the fun and creative changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.

The media kick-off event for this national contest will take place on Monday, 13th May 2013.

The concept of the doodle was born in 1998 when Google founders Larry and Sergey played with the corporate logo to indicate their attendance at the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert.

Elgon Cup 2013 Set for June 15th at RFUEA Grounds

2013-05-11T18:36:00.002+03:00

On June 15, 2013 the RFUEA grounds Nairobi will play host to the much anticipated match between Kenya and Uganda's Rugby Cranes.

It will be a redemption match for Kenya, after relinquishing the Elgon Cup title following a 19-17 aggregate defeat last year.

Kenya's Lioness will also defend their Women's Elgon Cup title against Uganda.

The return leg will take place in Uganda's capital, Kampala on Saturday 22 June 2013.

Occupy Parliament: An Uprising Against Collective Greed of Kenyan MPs

2013-05-11T17:56:00.001+03:00

On Tuesday, May 14, 2013, peaceful demonstrators will occupy Parliament buildings in Nairobi to protest against an attempt by Members of Parliament to arm-twist the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) into yielding to the MPs’ demands for indefinitely higher pay.

The act of occupying Parliament by members of the general public shall symbolize the power and pre-eminence of the public over persons who hold elective office.

In the recent past, local MPs have made concerted attempts to usurp SRC’s mandate of regulating salaries and apportioning the national wage budget across the public sector. Indeed, caving in to MPs’ pressure to disband SRC, the Sarah Serem-led commission surprisingly decided to award MPs a tax-free grant of Sh5 million each for the purchase of vehicles. Negotiations to have MPs salaries increased are ongoing.

Venue: Uhuru Park, Freedom Corner at 10AM
Dress Code: White T-Shirt and Black Trouser

Objectives of Operation Occupy Parliament

1. Using the power of numbers, we seek to give Kenyans the courage to defend their Constitution, which Parliament has endeavoured to overthrow by threatening to disband a constitutionally established body;

2. We want to make Members of Parliament aware that the days of parliamentary dictatorship are over. MPs cannot—and must not!—be self-regulating; they must be answerable to the people;

3. We want to send home the message that no one is above the law, and to instill a sense of accountability to persons who hold public office. At the end of the day, it must be borne in mind that even public officers who make the law are subject to that law.

After Successful Launch of Ingwe TV, Expect BAQE TV

2013-05-09T23:56:00.001+03:00

On Wednesday Kenyan Premier League side AFC Leopards unveiled Ingwe TV to become the first local club to launch its own television network.

In the deal sealed by Wananchi Group's Zuku TV, the Kenyan elite club will receive Sh23million in a span of three years with Sh8 million going directly to the club and the remaining going into production work for the TV network, airing on Zuku Sports.

Zuku has more plans for the Kenyan sports scene with the yet to be launched BAQE TV, a sports magazine show that will be hosted by Eagle Wing's starlet Silalei Shani and artiste DNG.

The new basketball show will be officially launched on 18th May 2013, coinciding with the unveiling of the second edition of the Universities league. The show is expected to feature mainly the Kenya Universities and colleges basketball league and players' lifestyles.

This comes days after Zuku sealed a 50million-shilling sponsorship deal with the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA) that will see the network directly sponsor the Universities basketball league.

Complete List of Groove Awards 2013 Nominees

2013-05-07T22:16:00.004+03:00

Safaricom in partnership with Mo Sound Entertainment has unveiled this year’s Groove Awards’ nominees at the National Museum of Kenya.

Here are the nominees for the region's biggest gospel music awards:

Female Artist of the Year

Eunice Njeri
Gloria Muliro
Hellena Ken
Jemimmah Thiongoh
Mercy D’ Lai
Mercy Wairegi

Male Artist of the Year

DK Kwenye Beat
Eko Dydda
Jimmy Gait
Kevoyout
Kris Eh Baba
Willy Paul

Collabo of the Year

Holiday - Hope Kid & Altermin Dancers
Kando - Gloria Muliro Ft. Everlyne
Kofi Yoo - Masterpiece ft. D.K Kwenye Beat & Cabassa
Mbona - DaddyOwen Ft. Dennoh
Sitolia - Willy Paul & Gloria Muliro
Wanajua - Pitson & Mwenye Haki

Audio Producer Of The Year:

Bizzy B
Dr Eddie
Dede
Jacky B
Saint P
Teddy B

Ragga /Reggae Song Of The Year

Amazing Grace - Guardian Angel
Get Ready - Jfam
Holiday - Hope Kid
Monday till Sunday - Dafari
Pull Up - Kevoyout
This Life - Redemption ft. Simbo & Guardian Angel

Eastern Song of the year

Kwambata - Dorcas Ndambuki
Ndikasyoka Thinani - Stephen Kasolo
Nibwega - Kendi Meme
Nue Ndete - Mbuvi
Twendaneni - Ameru Crew
Utao - Purity Katieko

Video of the Year

Conquerer - Joyce Omondi
Emmanuel - Mercy Masika
Katikia Yesu - Kris Eh Baba
Mbona - Daddy Owen & Dennoh
Money Money - M.O.G
Sari Sari - DK Kwenye Beat

Radio Presenter of The year

Allan T - Trinity Connect (HBR)
Amani - Shangilia (Hope FM)
Antony Ndiema - Tukuza (Radio Maisha)
Kambua - Inuka (Hot 96)
Esther - FNL (Ghetto Radio)
Jay Njoroge - Mwamba (HBR)

Artist of the Year Tanzania

Bahati Bukuku
Bonny Mwaitegi
Christina Shusho
Martha Mwaipaja
Rose Muhando
Upendo Nkone

Album of the Year

BMF – Rise Up
Dennoh – Naona Mbali
Mambo Yanabadilika
Nuru – Mercy Mwairegi
Penya -Jemimmah Thiongo
Urban Prayers – Rigga

Pwani Song of the Year

Calender ya Mungu - Anastacia Mukabwa
Chuna Pua - Kimsa
Elshadai - Yvonne Aphia
Maisha Bila - Princess Farida
Nakuabudu - Clemence Tumaini
Nakungoja - Mercy D Lai

Riftvalley Somg of the Year

Ashe Papalai - Charity Tajeu
Kiboiboi - Faith Kosgei
Maiwek - Joel Kimeto
Osalaba - Sam Manga
Safina - Maryanne Tutuma
Young Man - Mr. Israel

Western Song of the Year

Chemishet - Doreen Baruto
Matsai ka Yesu - Gloria Muliro
Nge Ekhisi - Selina Sitati
Olwanda - Sally Siboi
Omusamba Kwa Yesu - Bishop Olumasa
Shibenganyata - Joesph Sishia

Gospel Radio Show of the Year

Gospel Sunday - Milele FM
Inuka - Hot 96
Replay Show - Truth FM
Shangilia - Hope FM
Trinity Connect - HBR
Tukuza - Radio Maisha

Group of The Year

Altermin
Alabaster
Iced
Jims and Dims
Zionist

Hip Hop Song of the Year

Beautiful People - Eko Dydda
Bila Yesu - SOC
Bonga Bonga - Kelele Takatifu
Champion - Christ Cycoz
Katikia Yesu - Kris Eh Baba
Sina Chorus - Rigga

Gosepl Radio Show of the Year

Gospel Sunday
Inuka
Replay Show
Shangilia
Trinity Connect
Tukuza

Deejay Of The Year

Deejay Mo
DJ SADIC
DJ Sanch
DJ Touch
DJ Krowbar
DJ Gee Gee

Central Song Of The Year

Agocwo - Betty Bayo
Dady Wa Power - C-Bsir
Kindu wa Nii - Dennis Mutara
Kiriro - Simon Njehia
Magegania - Sammy Irungu
Ruciu Rwaku - David Mambo

Nyanza Song Of The Year

Amiela Miela - Wamor
Inkanye Nyasae - Caro Nyakwaka
Kwe Kende - Rosemary Ogonya
Many Many - Tetete
Nying Manyien - Geraldine Oduor
Sonko wa Sonko - Christine Atieno

New Artist Of The Year

Bahati
Chuchu
Denno
HopeKid
Joyce Omondi
Makena

Gospel TV Show of the Year

Crossover – NTV
Gospel Garage – K24
Kubamba – Citizen Tv
Password – NTV
Rauka Citizen Tv
Tukuza KTN

Worship Song of the Year

Asante – Chomba
Ayala – M Wairegi
Hutaniacha – Makenna
Nibariki – Rozy
Nimekubali – Eunice
Usinipite – AliM

Video Producer of the Year

Dr. Eddie
Eagle Films
J Blessings
Princecam
Tiger
Young Wallace

Song of the Year

Appointment- Jimmy Gait
Mbona- Daddy Owen ft. Dennoh
Mpango wa Kando- Gloria & Evelyne
Sari Sari - DK Kwenye Beat
Sitolia - Willy Paul & Gloria Muliro
Wanajua - Pitson & Mwenye Haki

Group of the Year

BMF
Christ Cycoz
Kelele Takatifu
MOG
SOC (Saints of Christ)
Tetete

Artist of the Year (BURUNDI)

David Nkundimana
Dudu Niyukuri
Fabrice Nzeyimana
Fortrand Bigirimana
Redemption Voice
Seraphins Song

Artist of the Year (UGANDA)

Coopy Bly
Exodus
Holy Keane Amooti
Jackie Senyonjo
Ruyonga
Wilson Bugembe

Artist of the Year (RWANDA)

Bahati Alphonze
Gaby Irene Kamanzi
Theo Uwiringiye
Tonze
Kabaganza Liliane
Patient Bizimana

To vote for your favourite nominee sms the word 'groove' and nominee code to 811 or log in to http://www.grooveawards.co.ke to vote online.
Voting closes on 24th may 2013. Start voting now!

DNA, Abass shut down Pilsner Pool Final (Photos)

2013-05-07T18:10:00.001+03:00

..As Nakuru born Martin Mwangi dazzles in Pilsner League of Kings Pool Challenge finals.

‘Fimbo’ star, DNA headlined the star-studded Pilsner League of Kings Pool Challenge after-party as 25 year old Nakuru-born businessman Martin Mwangi was crowned champion in a grand finale held at the Klubhouse Entertainment Complex (K1) amid pomp and colour.

Joined in earnest by Pilsner poster boys Abbas Kubaff, DNG and DJ Ricky the Pilsner pool-cum music extravaganza shut down the popular club for a befitting finale after an adrenaline-packed 16-man contest.

While Abbas served his hip hop audience with his usual exuberance and lyrical dexterity, DNG shut down the fete with his new-school jams that have made him the toast of the moment to usher in the new pool champion who takes home Kshs.250, 000 and a two week trip to represent the country at the World Eight-ball Pool Championship in Blackpool, UK on June 23rd.

Mwangi, qualifying from the Western Region beat Dennis Kimani from the Mountain Region 6-4 in a best of 11 to give the 3-month tournament a befitting final in a packed Soccer City, K1.

Mwangi’s win was somewhat considered a tilt of the pool establishment, with Nairobi region hugely expected walk with the honors, with its national team-laden players filling the last 16 spot.

In the last 4, he had dispatched the crowd favourite and national pool champion Collins Tuwei 4-0 and waltzed past another Nairobi favourite Kingsley Nyangwacha 5-2 in the last 8. He had to fend off a marauding Rahim Haji from Coast in the last 16 knockouts earlier in the day, coming from behind to secure a 4-3 win.

The nail-biting finish was a perfect culmination to the Pilsner sponsored challenge that saw 40,000 player’s register from the grassroot level in 840 venues across the country. Pilsner.

The Pilsner League of Kings Pool Challenge, a remake of Simba wa Kenya Pilsner Pool Challenge, which was held a decade ago, when pool was all the fad, was launched mid-January to the relief of pool enthusiasts.

However this particular tournament combined pool and music, replicating the brands involvement with its youthful fans with platforms that include Pilsner DJ Mfalme, a disco jockey talent search and King of Bold musical tour.

Pilsner Marketing Manager Raymond Ngala said the reach and impact of the tournament has been its greatest success and Pilsner would definitely be in for another shot at Pool.

“With 40,000 participants, we have not only curved a niche as the biggest Pool Challenge in Africa but achieved our overall aim to awaken its support from the grassroot to national level providing new experiences,” said Ngala.

The tournament was played in 840 venues in 6 regions Central (covering Kiambu, Nairobi and lower Eastern), Western (Nyanza, Western and Rift Valley), Mountain (Central and Upper Eastern), Coast and AFCO pitting armed forces barracks.

The tournament is part of EABL’s national strategy to supports sports properties while at the same time providing consumer experiences and reward to empower communities and inspire generations.

Mwangi

DNA and DNG(Extreme Right)

Abass Kubaff in action

Pilsner Pool King Mwangi


Actor Nick Mutuma

Fairtrade Launch in Kenya Slated for Tomorrow

2013-05-07T17:53:00.000+03:00

DATE: 8th May 2013
TIME: 6.00 -9.00PM
VENUE: Tribe Hotel

Fairtrade Eastern Africa will launch Fairtrade, the first ethical label in the Kenyan market, tomorrow.

When you buy a product with this label in your local supermarket, not only can you be assured that Kenyan and African farmers receive a fair price for their goods, you also help the environment as Fairtrade promotes sustainable agricultural practices in Africa

Kenya will join over 70 countries where Fairtrade products are sold benefiting over 1.2 million smallholder farmers and workers worldwide, including over 700,000 in Africa.

African Development Bank launches USD1.26B Kenya-Ethiopia Electricity Highway

2013-05-07T17:18:00.001+03:00

Press Release

Nairobi, Tuesday May 7th 2013: The African Development bank today launched the 1,068 kilometer high-voltage electricity highway to be built between Kenya and Ethiopia.

The project which is expected to be completed in less than five years, involves the construction of transmission lines of about 437 km in Ethiopia and about 631 km in Kenya and associated AC/DC converter stations at Wolayta-Sodo (Ethiopia) and Suswa (Kenya) substations with a transfer capacity of up to 2,000 MW in either direction.

Speaking at the launch, organized to brief on the project’s technical resources, African Development Bank’s Regional Director for East Africa Resource Centre (EARC), Mr. Gabriel Negatu reiterated the importance of the project to the East Africa’s cross-border trading.

“The African Development Bank recognizes of each of the country specific economic blueprints as well as the region’s economic priorities. This project establishes power trade between Ethiopia and Kenya and the wider East Africa region. It not only improves electricity access at affordable prices and enhances cross-border trade, but also provides an important opportunity to generate revenues for countries having excess power generation capacity, as is the case for Ethiopia,” said Mr. Negatu.

He added: “The direct beneficiaries of the project are households, businesses, and industries in communities located in Kenya, the direct off-taker of the power. The interconnection with Ethiopia will ensure access to reliable and affordable energy to around 870,000 households by 2018.”

AfDB played a leading role in the preparation of the project by financing some of the feasibility studies required to making the project bankable.

The African Development Bank, the World Bank, the Governments of Ethiopia and Kenya will finance the project. In addition the French Development Agency expressed interest to finance the project.

The amount of financing for the project are; African Development Fund USD 338 million, World Bank USD 684 million, Government of Ethiopia USD 32 million, Government of Kenya USD 88 million and expected financing from French Development Agency is USD 118 million

The African Development Bank’s financing will be used for the financing of the total cost of the transmission line subcomponent and part of the cost of the converter station subcomponent in Ethiopia; part of the cost of the transmission line subcomponent in Kenya; the total cost of the consultancy services for supervision and management for both Ethiopia and Kenya as well as part of the cost of capacity building component in Ethiopia and in Kenya.

The World Bank’s financing will be used for the financing of the total cost of the subcomponent converter stations in Kenya and total cost of transmission system reinforcement in Kenya and the major part converter stations in Ethiopia as well as part of the cost of the capacity building component in Ethiopia and in Kenya.

Financing from French Development Agency is expected to cover part of the transmission line subcomponent for Kenya.

About African Development Bank
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group is a multi- lateral development finance institution established to contribute to the economic development and the social progress of African countries. The Bank Group comprises three entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF).

As the premier development finance institution on the continent the AfDB’s primary objective is to assist African countries – individually and collectively in their efforts to achieve economic development and social progress. The Bank Group finances projects, programs and studies in multiple sectors such as infra- structure, agriculture, health, education, higher education and training, public utilities, environment, climate change, gender, telecommunications, industry and the private sector.
Media contact: Mercy Randa Tel: +254 735 229542 / m.randa@afdb.org

Kenya Ranks Fifth in Africa's Top Foreign Direct Investors

2013-05-07T16:40:00.001+03:00

Kenya is the fifth largest foreign direct investor in other African countries, this is according to a recently released Ernst & Young survey, '2013 Africa Attractiveness Survey'.

The survey which was based on the number of new projects initiated in the past five years, had India leading with 237 projects South Africa followed with 235, UAE was third with 201, The Republic of China fourth with 152 while Kenya had 113 projects.

In relation to annual growth in Foreign Direct Investment, Kenya managed a compound growth 77.8 percent in the period from 2007 to 2012, surpassing Nigeria's 73.2 percent and South Africa's 66.2 percent.