Author: NLM Correspondent

The world has faced a number of challenges in the last couple of years. For instance, the world continues to face the impact of climate change – like never before -, in addition to geopolitical tensions. This greatly affected remittances to low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, now remittances have started experienced a slight growth. In fact, in Africa, remittances inflows have remained resilient. According to data from the World Bank, remittance flows to Sub-Saharan Africa are estimated to have increased by about 1.9% in 2023, reaching Sh8.29 trillion ($54 billion). This growth can be attributed to strong remittance growth…

Google has rolled out Gemini to compete with AI offerings by rival OpenAI By Michelle Cheng Google just released Gemini, its new generative AI model. The tech giant, which calls Gemini the most capable and general-purpose AI it’s developed so far, said it plans to expand the advanced version of this large language model (LLM) next year. The LLM is multimodal, meaning it can understand different types of information, including text, audio, images, and video. Gemini will be available in three models: Gemini Ultra, the largest and most capable, for highly complex tasks Gemini Pro, for a wide range of tasks Gemini Nano,…

By Silas Apollo The onset of the ongoing long rains in the country once again ignited debate on the need for the government to invest more in rain harvesting techniques in the country and for posterity. For the better part of November, Kenya experienced extended periods of rain, sometimes leading to flooding in other areas, death and even the destruction of property. The onset of the rains, termed the El-Nino phenomenon by the Kenya Meteorological Department, has also highlighted the country’s lack of preparedness in rain harvesting methods and techniques. Kenya has been considered a water-scarce country for many years,…

By Carmel Rickard Complaints about ‘fake lawyers’ have been surfacing in several African jurisdictions. But what about people who don’t even pretend to be lawyers? What if they claim instead that even though aren’t legally qualified, they have the right to represent a ‘client’ in court, via a power of attorney?  A new Zambian judgment makes clear that the courts in that country at least, will take a tough line should they be faced with such a claim. When Killian Mwiinga sued Emmanuel Chama over a land dispute, it quickly became clear that even before the question of ownership of…

A surge in construction activity in Africa is drawing a new breed of investors eyeing mass timber – and the carbon-trapping forests needed to support it – as a sustainable building alternative to traditional concrete and steel. By Seth Onyango Wooden buildings like the engineered timber construction planned for the world’s tallest wood building in Zanzibar may only be starting to appear in cities worldwide but that is not stopping investors from betting on wood becoming a key building block in African construction. “About 200 years ago, everyone was building with timber, then it shifted to cement, steel, and stones.…

As the year unfolds, it will be crucial for banks to adapt to upcoming challenges and seize potential opportunities for growth and stability.  As the world entered a state of recovery following the pandemic and the impact of geopolitical tensions, the banking sector was starting to see profits once more. However, with some negative impacts dragging on, households have witnessed a rising cost of living while businesses find it more difficult to survive in the current environment. The result has been an increase in loan defaults and well as a higher risk of more borrowers defaulting on loans. This dilemma…

It’s been just a year since generative AI (gen AI) tools first captured public attention worldwide. But already the economic value of gen AI is estimated to reach trillions of dollars annually—even as its risks begin to worry businesses and governments across the globe. Gen AI offers government leaders unique opportunities to steer national economic development. At the same time, they face the heavy burden of monitoring the technology’s downsides and establishing robust guidelines and regulations for its use. Many government agencies have started investing in transformations made possible by gen AI, but the technology’s rapid evolution means that predicting where it can contribute the…

Members of the public and stakeholders have been asked to submit memoranda on the proposed Land Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023. The clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge asked the public to submit their memoranda on the proposed legislation on or before Thursday December 28th, 2023. The Bill, sponsored by Leader of the Majority Party Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) seeks to amend several Acts including Registration of Documents Act, the Land Control Act, the Land Registration Act, 2012, the Land Act, 2012, Community Land Act, 201 and the Sectional Properties Act, 2020. If enacted into law, Kenyans will be able to…

With a surge in funding, R&D and private sector investment, Africa is primed for a transformative leap towards vaccine autonomy. A recently announced US$1.8 billion shot in the arm puts vaccine self-sufficiency within reach. By Bonface Orucho Recent approval by the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi) of a US$1.8 billion African Vaccine Manufacturing Accelerator (AVMA), a financing instrument that will support sustainable vaccine manufacturing in Africa is being hailed as a game changer for the continent. “The targeted US$1 billion from Gavi to African manufacturers is a game changer for the continent and advances our efforts towards vaccine self-reliance,” said Jean Kaseya,…

Higher inflation will reign in Christmas spending after a post-Covid splurge last year, but Kenyans and Cameroonians will still be extremely generous with Christmas gifts, decorations and food this year, according to an annual report. By Conrad Onyango African households will focus on gifts and decorations as they take a more cautious approach to their Christmas holiday spending this year, on the back of a rising cost of living, according to the Cost of Christmas report. The latest ‘Cost of Christmas’ study by WorldRemit shows expenditure on gifts followed by decorations will take the largest share of household monthly income…