BY SHADRACK SHARU Does your business collect customer’s names, phone numbers, identity numbers or biometrics? If yes, you will soon be considered a data processor according to Section 2 of the Data Protection Bill. The Privacy and Data Protection Taskforce Draft Policy and Bill is the latest data protection draft law. Earlier on, the Senate Information, Communication and Technology Committee had published a Data Protection Bill. The business model of the digital age involves a lot of personal data collection and the right to privacy has become a critical issue in commerce. Kenyan entities with foreign clientele have been forced…
Author: Nairobi Business Monthly Reporter
BY ANTONY MUTUNGA In 1896, a Swedish scientist known as Svante Arrhenius forecasted the scope of the world warming up as a result of widespread coal burning. He was the first person to investigate the effects that doubling carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would have on the climate on earth. Over the years several other individuals worked on similar projects however, despite being something crucial, the analysis and findings never hit the spotlight at the time. It wasn’t until recently that the world started to recognize and identify the threat that the emissions had on the climate. It was during…
The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) and the National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya Law) have jointly released a premier Digest of 27 capital markets decisions delivered by Courts in Kenya. The Digest, which summarizes critical milestones in capital markets jurisprudence is the first of its kind to be published in the financial sector in Kenya. It covers a ten-year period from 2008 to 2018 and is indexed into seven categories covering civil cases, civil appeals, constitutional petitions, judicial review applications, miscellaneous applications, civil suits and criminal cases. “The capital markets, both domestically and globally, are highly specialized and governed by…
BY SHADRACK MUYESU As it is, Kenya is a lower middle-income state, a status that, it must be emphasised, is as a result of economic manipulation in rebasing rather than meticulous planning or working systems. Markedly, the economy continues to grow albeit at a slower rate. We all agree however, that we are far behind and need to grow faster. Public spending on infrastructure is the way we have chosen – a novel idea really, the best even, but with this comes the question of cost. The money we need to fund our projects can only be raised by adopting…
BY VICTOR ADAR Ever wondered why lack of professional skills has been a major challenge to economic and national development, or how to boost employability of young people? In this day and age, it is only innovative and creative ideas that will hold. And empowering Kenya’s youth with professional skills and exposure is generally one of the ways to make things happen. It is no wonder DHL Global Forwarding, a provider of air, sea and road freight services, is currently in a partnership with My Dream Now, a Swedish non-profit social enterprise that provides mentorship programs to school children and…
BY JENNIFER WARAWA With job growth expected in the professional services industry, accounting practices are under pressure to compete in the war for talent, working hard to attract new, top-notch professionals – and also to keep their current employees, a charge that’s proven difficult. Indicative of the new wave of opportunity in the industry, professional services such as accounting ranked among the highest in terms of staff turnover in 2017, according to an examination of LinkedIn data drawn from the site’s half-a-billion international users. As fear of a talent shortage looms, employing the right people with the right mix of skills, and providing a…
BY BECCA RAWLAND China is now the single largest source of outbound tourists in the world. In 2017 the number of trips by Chinese travelers to foreign lands grew to 129 million, up 5.7% from 2016. For many countries China is a major, if not the largest, source of inbound tourists. This may be little surprise for countries in Asia such as Thailand, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, but the importance of China as a source for foreign tourists is growing across Europe. As a consequence, it’s important to adapt the tourism offer to meet the needs of this market.…
BY DAVID ONJILI The matatu crew, indeed the industry fraternity, is upbeat it won’t last. The crackdown and enforcement of the new traffic rules, they say, is just another passing cloud. The passengers on the other hand see it as a waste of time and maybe a government mandarin has a tender to supply seat belts and speed governors. “Operation will only last till through Christmas and New Year festivities and January as children report to school then it will be back to normal, quipped one driver. What will the bribe-obsessed police feed on and what about the matatu stage…
BY VICTOR ADAR The fifth bi-annual tribute awards ceremony by Superbrands East Africa that was held in November at a Nairobi hotel has seen 50 of the region’s top brands make it to the 2017/2018 listing of top brands not only from Kenya but also Uganda and Tanzania. It just happens that well known brands like Britam, Chandaria Industries, Dairyland, Darling, Equity Bank, Fresha, The Kenya Red Cross Society, RMA, Safaricom, Supa Loaf, Sportpesa, and Royal Mabati, just to mention a few, were recognised and awarded in a listing that covers 12 industries across the three East African countries. Superbrand…
Apptivate Africa is looking to unlock billions of shillings in irredeemable gift vouchers that companies set aside to reward and keep employees every year. The firm introduced its multi-store digital voucher to help companies offer a variety of incentives over the Christmas and New Year festivities. “As the festive season beckons, most companies are unaware that there are options that will be more appreciated than the traditional supermarket vouchers that offer employees limited freedom for merry making,” said Apptivate Africa Chief Executive Officer, Neil Ribeiro. A survey last year revealed that 88% of companies who gave their employees a gift,…