Wrap-Up: Our pick of main stories, Friday June 12th, 2015

Akon’s Solar Academy to help bring electricity to over 600 million Africans

Akon, whose Akon Lighting Africa initiative aims to bringing electricity to some of the 600 million Africans who lack it, has announced the launch of a new “Solar Academy” for the continent. The institution, scheduled to open this summer in Bamako, Mali’s capital, will try to give African engineers and entrepreneurs the skills needed to develop solar power. European experts will help supply training equipment and programs.

JKUAT’s Taifa laptops to retail in Nairobi outlets

Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), has today rolled out to the Kenyan market, the Taifa Laptop. The computing device, conceived and designed under the TAIFA Brand, is a maiden product of the Nairobi Industrial and Technology Park (NITP), a subsidiary of JKUAT. The Taifa Laptop, launched last December, becomes the first locally conceived and designed computer to retail in Kenya.

Kenya sees great returns with ICT projects

The Kenyan government has seen great revenue collection through electronic systems it has launched in the past and now hopes to implement more digital projects to fill gaps left by corruption and inefficient government spending.

2015/16 Post Budget Analysis – ICT sector

Yesterday the Minister of Finance presented the National Budget 2015/16 with the theme “Maintaining Infrastructure Investment and Promoting Excellence in Public Service Delivery” We await to see how many commercialization of production and value addition will apply not only to Agriculture but also the ICT like what MTN has done by commercializing the web and mobile applications developed in the recent MTN App challenge.

#DEMOInNairobi: Shield Finance qualifies for DEMO Africa Lagos

Shield beat a group of five other teams to emerge the most outstanding start-up from the DEMO Africa pre-pitch event which was held today in Nairobi. Other teams that had been selected to pitch include: Lipco, Kuhustle, ENT mobile, Chippp and Briglobe. The event brought together start-ups from across East Africa. Shield Finance, has secured its space to launch its product at the DEMO Africa stage later in September.

Andela launching in Kenya

Global talent accelerator Andela is to launch a Kenyan bootcamp this month followed by a full training programme, having received over 1,200 responses to its first Kenyan call for applications. The Andela programme identifies talented young Africans and trains them to become top developers for global firms. With an only one per cent acceptance rate, Andela claims to be the most selective tech training programme on the African continent.