[Kenya Business Week] Renewed onslaught on fake news
With Kenya having experienced proliferation of online news channels occasioned by an impressive penetration of the internet and a critical mass of consumers with an insatiable appetite for breaking news, truth and fact have been the latest casualties as the new age news outlets compete for breaking news sometimes distorted, unverified and untrue with devastating effects.
In light of this, Facebook this week launched a Third-Party Fact-Checking to help assess the accuracy of news in Kenya, and reduce the spread of misinformation, whilst improving the quality of news people find on its platform. The social networking service company last year partnered with P Live, an online news outlet to streamlmine the Kenyan Presidential Debate in 360 degrees while allowing for public participation. The forays into media marks the latest partnership that Facebook has fostered in the country. Previously it has worked with UBA Bank, Surf in the launch of Wifi hotspots and Airtel in introducing the internet.org app.
As Kenya looks to achieve the Big 4 Agenda, sustainable energy for all has featured prominently. This week US based renewable energy company Renewvia Energy connected 10,000 residents in Kisumu to solar energy through construction of microgrids. This, as Energy 4 Impact awarded the National Oil Corporation of Kenya a prize of $50,000 to design a non-wood cooking concession to increase usage of LPG cooking gas to refugees. A clean energy revolution has been taking shape in Kenya driven by citizens and institutions as appetite for renewable energy rises to new highs. Organizations that have been at the forefront of championing this renewable energy drive include Crossboundary Group, Greenpact, Orb Energy and JinkoSolar among others.
In partnerships this week, Safaricom has partnered with the Kenya Alliance of Residents Association to increase security in member estates with pilot surveillance project launched in Ngei Estate phase 2, Langata. This is the second partnership the telecommunication company is entering with the resident association to bolster neighbourhood security.
ImpalaPay also announced a partnership with World Capacity Builders of British Columbia, Canada to enable the cross- border traders join and participate in the Global economy and create meaningful and impact societal wealth. This marks the second partnership Impala pay is entering in the last few months. Recently it partnered with PesaChoice of Rwanda for a pilot test of cross-border mobile money transfer on the stellar blockchain.
Amref Health Africa and technology solutions firm Advanced IT Solutions (AISL) signed an MOU to scale up blood availability in hospitals through a Blood Services Information Management System dubbed Damu – Sasa. Amref Health Africa, that hosts Strategic Purchasing Africa Resource Center to strengthen strategic health purchasing in the region has previously signed partnerships with GE Healthcare, Accenture and Phillips to boost access to quality healthcare in Kenya and Africa.
Chinese multinational heavy equipment manufacturing company SANY on the other hand has signed concrete machinery and dump trucks dealership agreement with Rhombus, the powerful ready-mix and bulk cement supplier in Kenya.
Qatar Airways has announced that it is set to start direct flights between Doha and Mombasa on 9th December this year. The direct flights between Doha and Mombasa will be a huge boost to Government efforts to reposition the coastal city as a key global tourist destination. This further deepening relations with the Persian Gulf nation that signed an agreement with Kenya last year to cooperate on boosting tourism.
In agriculture, Food and beverage company Nestlé renewed its commitment to restore Kenyan coffee glory through continued technical support and training for existing and potential farmers during this year's international coffee day. Last year, coffee farmers aligned to the Nestlé’s Nescafé Plan programme in Kenya received one of the best payouts in 5years. Other past interventions Nestle has been involved in include the launch of primary school nutrition programme, providing Innscor Kenya with beverage solutions through Alegria vending technology and The First 1000 Days Nurses’ Academy
