Author: Bird Agency

According to a recent digital news report, Kenya, South Africa, and Nigeria continue to have high levels of trust for the news, despite younger audiences increasingly turning to Tiktok for updates. By Lucy Githugo According to the recently released Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023, Kenya has the second-highest level of trust in the news of all countries included in the global report. At 63%, Kenyans’ trust in the news is remarkably high, surpassed only by Finland (at 69%). Kenyan commercial TV outlets are that country’s most trusted news sources, alongside the Daily Nation newspaper and its associated website, according…

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Mary Karoki is making a meal of the food industry with a range of gluten and wheat-free products. By Atieno Odera I’m in the kitchen at Onja Foods, situated in the middle-class residential estate of Nairobi’s South C, and company CEO Mary Karoki is explaining to me how to make gluten-free pancakes using the company’s Uji flour. “The first step is normally sifting the flour, but first we’ll be measuring one and a half cups of the flour, then we add one spoon baking powder, mix well, then sift. Sifting helps us capture the big particles. After that, add three…

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During the pandemic, Jecinta Njoki Kimani, bought some polymer clay to keep her daughter busy. Today, Kimani’s has a thriving creative business – thanks to the clay. By Velma Pamela Jecinta Njoki Kimani graduated with a biochemistry degree but you wouldn’t guess that when you walk into her office. Located in Nairobi, the first thing one notices is the massive display of big, bright “statement” earrings with unique hues and distinctive aesthetics. Some lie on the table, packed and ready to go, while others are being photographed for marketing purposes. And it is all thanks to a material she came…

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The prospect of a second private telecoms licence in Ethiopia comes after a massive previous bid by regional giant MTN failed. By Seth Onyango Ethiopia’s July 1 unveiling of a tender for a second new telecommunications license opens Africa’s second-largest market to more competition and comes after its market-liberalising test run with Safaricom hit pay dirt. “There are several positive developments occurring in the Ethiopian telecommunications sector since the beginning of the liberalisation process,” the Ethiopian Communications Authority said in a request for qualifications (RFQ) notice. The tender follows regional mobile giant MTN’s unsuccessful attempt in 2021 to secure a…

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Growth in freedoms that enable citizens to abide by laws, elect and hold leaders to account and allow them to trade freely within and outside borders are all contributing to prosperity in Africa, according to a report. African countries that suffered some of the worst and longest civil wars are recording the biggest moves in a freedom index, with the continent logging the biggest growth in a key prosperity score in close to 30 years. The American think tank, Atlantic Council, shows Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Ethiopia registered the biggest score changes in a global ranking of free and prosperous…

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5G subscription in Africa is forecast to jump at least 50-fold in the next five years, thanks to the rapid deployment of fast cellular network systems and the growth of e-commerce offerings. By Seth Onyango Growing adoption of 5G technology across Africa is set to drive a staggering 47-fold increase in subscriptions in the next five years, not counting North Africa, according to a recent report. According to the latest Ericsson Mobility Report 2023, 5G subscriptions will grow from a relatively modest base of 3 million last December to a forecasted 140 million by 2028. However, the figures mask the…

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Small and medium-sized farmers – and even upmarket households – are adopting biodigesters to turn their animal waste into biogas, which they use for cooking fuel and lighting. By Gitonga Njeru, bird story agency Thirty-three-year-old Kelvin Maina Njuguna considers himself a ‘full-time farmer’. He rears cows, pigs, goats, and chickens on his one-and-a-half-acre farm in Kiambu County, about 25 kilometres from Nairobi, selling meat products through three butcheries, while also growing avocados and passion fruit. Njuguna prides himself on being an ‘innovative farmer who thinks outside the box’. That extends to his power consumption. “I produce electricity from animal wastes…

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In an era of AI and blockchain, the simple text message seems distinctly old-fashioned. But text messaging’s USSD technology remains a key feature for African businesses. Here’s how a crackdown on customer information sharing suddenly makes USSD even more attractive. By Seth Onyango African businesses are continuing to find value in a technology that is largely being forgotten by the latest offerings of the metaverse, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. Despite a whirlwind of digital advancement, including a surge in smartphone penetration across the continent and the emergence of world-leading mobile money solutions, Africa remains a huge market for…

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Senegal has successfully obtained a significant funding amount of US $2.7 billion for its Just Energy Transition initiative, aimed at enhancing the country’s capacity in mitigation efforts. This achievement comes in the wake of multilateral banks outlining measures to ease financial constraints and provide increased capital for sustainable development and mitigation projects in Africa. Senegal is poised to receive a substantial financial boost of over US$2.7 billion (€2.5 billion) from a coalition of developed nations and multilateral development banks. The funding aims to support Senegal’s ambitious goals for a just energy transition, as announced in a press statement on the…

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African nations’ bold commitment to oceanic prosperity The Moroni Declaration, signed by African leaders, establishes a framework for advancing a sustainable blue economy. On June 14th, experts in the blue economy and government officials from various African nations signed the Moroni Declaration in Comoros. This development expresses a shared goal and dedication to advancing the blue economy as an essential catalyst for growth, innovation, and resilience. During the two-day ‘Blue Future Ministerial Conference on Blue Economy and Climate Action in Africa: Island and Coastal States at the Forefront,’ attended by over ten countries, leaders from Africa’s island and coastal states…

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