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Wrap-Up: Our pick of main stories, Wednesday February 11, 2015
From the launch of Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP), to government promising to lay 1,600 kilometres of fibre from June…
From the launch of Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP), to government promising to lay 1,600 kilometres of fibre from June and later on start on building LTE (4G) network infrastructure, these are some of the good news that form of our Wrap-Up.
Kenya’s Presidential Digital Talent Programme now launched
This Tuesday, the Jubilee government’s partnership with the private sector, consisting of both global brands and local companies, aimed at improving ICT in the country, bore fruit as it saw the launch of the Presidential Digital Talent Program (PDTP) which aims to improve ICT development in the country.
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Some of the government’s partners in PDTP include CIO East Africa magazine, PWC, Huawei, Microsoft, Liquid Telecom and Oracle among others.
Airtel Kenya among top global brands on social media: Social Bakers
Airtel Kenya has been rated as one of the top global brands on social media making it fall under the category of socially devoted companies in the region.
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The report is based on Airtel Kenya’s high response rate in Facebook and Twitter in a report issued by Social Bakers, a global provider of social media analytic tools, statistics and metrics for the quarter ending December 2014.
Kenyan start-ups in World’s ‘Top 10 African Companies’ list
Three Kenyan tech start-ups have made it on to ‘The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Africa’ list, published by Fast Company magazine.
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The three companies – Eneza Education, M-Kopa and One Acre Fund – came first, seventh and eighth respectively, the list has brief descriptions of why each of the companies are on it.
Kenya gov’t to lay another 1,600 kilometres of fibre from June
The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of ICT is set to lay out an additional 1,600 kilometres of fibre as part of the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure project and once the digital migration is completed in June, start on building LTE (4G) network infrastructure.
This was said by the ICT Cabinet Secretary Dr Fred Matiang’i during the launch of the Presidential Digital Talent Programme on Tuesday February 10, that saw 100 graduate trainees get offers for internships and mentorship this year by international as well as local technology companies.
Multichoice Kenya sues firm over Kshs 153 million meant to pay taxes
Multichoice Kenya has sued a clearing and forwarding agent that allegedly defrauded it of Kshs 153 million that was meant to be taxes payable to the taxman for imported satellite dishes and decoders.
According to Business Daily, the South African pay-TV firm, which locally broadcasts the popular DStv sports channel, claims that Mainkam Limited, the clearing and forwarding agent, failed to remit the amount to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) over a four-year period.
Kenya’s Bitpesa raises Kshs 99 million, set to expand to Uganda, Tanzania
Kenya-based bitcoin services provider BitPesa has raised US $ 1.1 million (Kshs 99 million) as part of its second round funding led by San Francisco-based Pantera Capital and now plans to expand to Tanzania and Uganda in the first quarter.
BitPesa, the Nairobi-based startup that’s taken aim at the global remittance business, announced that it’s raised $1.1 million in a second round of funding led by San Francisco-based Pantera Capital. Dan Morehead, Pantera’s CEO and founder, joined the startup’s board of directors.
Safaricom services restored in Nairobi after network outage
Earlier today Safaricom experienced a major outage of its services in parts of Nairobi leaving subscribers with no access to calls, SMS and data services.
In a statement that was sent in by Safaricom to the press, the firm’s Corporate Affairs Director Nzioka Waita indicated that the outage affected subscriber services in the Westlands, Karen, Langata, CBD and Kinoo areas.