Author: NLM Correspondent

By Daniel Benson Kaaya The majority decision in ‘Simon Mbugua & another v Central Bank of Kenya & 2 others [2019] eKLR’ in respect with the issue of whether the design of new Kenyan currency notes violates Article 231 of the Constitution, especially the design of the one thousand note, perpetuates and irrigates the mischief that the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 intended to uproot. The purpose of Article 231(4) was to exclude from the design of any notes and coins the likeness or depiction of any person. The purpose is to depart from personal branding and adoration of individuals through…

By Antony Mutunga In the digital era, the gig economy has created new opportunities, especially in the developing world. Gigs are becoming the new norm, and 8 to 5 jobs are not the only way to source an income. Today, if you have a skill, you can use it in your free time or full time to earn. For instance, around the world, many people have taken advantage of the gig economy through the likes of Uber and Airbnb. Its characteristics are flexibility, greater independence, and the choice to select what job one wants is what has attracted most people…

BY Mark MacCarthy The US Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general have grabbed headlines over potential antitrust cases against digital platforms. But advocates calling for expanded sector-specific regulatory controls are playing the longer game. They benefit from widespread scepticism that antitrust actions under current jurisprudence and resource constraints will justify society’s interest in the proper operation of big technology companies. Proponents of a new regulatory regime seek to define the scope of a new regulatory regime based on the standard conception of digital platforms as digital companies that provide service to two different groups of…

Artificial intelligence technology is proliferating fast across the world and is being deployed in applications from speech recognition to deepfake videos and monitoring traffic congestion. It’s also increasingly being used to monitor and track citizens, according to a new report. At least 75 out of 176 nations surveyed globally are actively using AI technologies for surveillance purposes, according to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. These include facial recognition systems, smart policing tools, and the establishment of safe city platforms. The leading vendors of these systems globally are Chinese firms, led by Huawei, which has supplied these technologies to at least 50 states worldwide.…

Africans are still paying way too much for their internet access due to a myriad of challenges including infrastructure investment and weak competitive environments in local markets. Getting all Africans online by 2030 will require around $100 billion in investment with a majority of that sum pegged for infrastructure-based spending. But most African countries do not currently have policy environments needed to make that spending worthwhile, according to the latest broadband affordability report by the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI). The report analyzes the current ability of national policies to “lower industry costs and ultimately create more affordable broadband.” More African countries…

Sukuk issuance continues to expand at a fast pace across Africa in line with expectations, as outlined in an 2018 report “Promising growth prospects for Islamic finance in 18 African Countries”. Since the prior report, there has been approximately $0.5 billion of African sukuk, or Islamic bond, issuance. Observers estimate that African sukuk outstanding still makes up just 0.5 percent of global sukuk outstanding. Sukuks continue to provide alternative funding sources for both African sovereigns and financial institutions, and issuance is supported by the increasing financing needs in Africa (especially for infrastructure projects) and global investors’ growing comfort with Islamic…

By Kevin Motaroki MACmobile was established out of a project with Coca-Cola South Africa whereby a supply chain solution was developed for the beverage company, extending across the entire supply chain including manufacturer, wholesaler and merchant (retailer). Some three years ago, the company realised the potential of creating a ‘blueprint’ of the solution for other Fast Moving Consumable Goods (FMCG) companies. As such, solutions for businesses in similar industries were developed and commercialised to streamline and simplify sales and invoice generation, stock management, settlements and debtor management, consumer loyalty and rewards, as well as integrated mobile payments. The solutions deliver…

With the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) coming into full force, there are hopes that the resulting economic transformation will lead to vitally-needed job creation for the region’s exploding population of youth. “Africa is the only world region projected to have strong population growth for the rest of this century,” according to a Pew Reach Centre report published in June. “Between 2020 and 2100, Africa’s population is expected to increase from 1.3 billion to 4.3 billion.” Employment is the critical ingredient that will change the lives of young Africans and grow Africa’s middle class, estimated to exceed 300 million. Like in…

To ensure effective implementation of the African continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Agreement, African countries must address corruption and abuse of power in the security sector as they could impede and raise the cost of trade, Gen. William Ward, former Commander of the United States Africa Command (Africom), said in Washington D.C. last month. Delivering the third Babacar Ndiaye Lecture, organised by the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), Gen. Ward said that corruption and abuse of power in the security sector could become significant non-tariff barriers to trade and to the success of the AfCFTA. “Reforming the security sector, particularly in…

Kenya’s economy is expected to expand by 5.6 percent this year and 6.0 percent in 2020, the International Monetary Fund said in October, lowering its forecasts from earlier this year. The Fund did not say what was behind the lower projections in its latest World Economic Outlook. In April it forecast growth of 5.8 percent for 2019, and 5.9 percent for next year. With a well-diversified economy that does not depend on a single commodity or sector, Kenya has enjoyed rapid growth in recent years, but critics say it is not enough to lift many citizens out of poverty. The…