Day: November 11, 2021

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DriveWealth s’associe à la licorne Fintech Chipper Cash pour offrir un accès inédit aux actions américaines en Ouganda

La technologie DriveWealth démocratise les opportunités d’investissement aux États-Unis pour la population ougandaise

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey, 11 novembre 2021 /PRNewswire/ — DriveWealth, LLC, un pionnier de l’investissement fractionné et de la finance intégrée, a annoncé aujourd’hui un partenariat avec Chipper Cash, la startup et fintech africaine à la croissance la plus rapide permettant des transferts d’argent d’individu à individu et des paiements transfrontaliers pour près de quatre millions d’utilisateurs. La technologie de négociation fractionnée en temps réel de DriveWealth et l’infrastructure de courtage basée sur API permettront à la population ougandaise d’accéder pour la première fois à des investissements en actions américaines à un prix abordable.

DriveWealth

Selon la Banque mondiale, environ 66 % de la population d’Afrique subsaharienne n’avait pas accès à un compte bancaire en 2020. Tandis que cette même importante population d’Afrique s’est de plus en plus tournée vers les technologies pour créer un système financier plus inclusif, investir sur les marchés boursiers américains nécessitait des minimums de fonds élevés et n’était accessible qu’aux personnes ayant des revenus élevés, laissant pour compte une grande partie de la population ougandaise. Grâce à son partenariat avec DriveWealth, Chipper Cash donne aux investisseurs ougandais ordinaires un accès sûr et abordable au marché boursier américain pour la première fois. Les utilisateurs pourront désormais investir sur une base d’équivalence en dollars (c’est-à-dire des actions fractionnées) dans plus de 6 000 titres et ETF américains, ce qui permettra aux consommateurs d’investir sans exigences minimales.

« Équiper les investisseurs défavorisés avec les outils dont ils ont besoin pour briser les barrières à l’investissement est une étape critique vers la démocratisation de l’investissement dans le monde entier », a déclaré Bob Cortright, fondateur et PDG de DriveWealth. « Ce que Chipper Cash a été en mesure d’accomplir en quelques années seulement, c’est d’aider les Africains à accéder à une gamme de services financiers à moindre coût depuis leur téléphone. Nous sommes ravis de nous associer à Chipper Cash pour aider les investisseurs à construire des richesses à long terme en investissant dans des actions américaines. »

« Nous sommes ravis d’ajouter l’investissement dans les actions américaines à notre plateforme pour compléter nos offres initiales de transactions d’individu à individu et de paiements transfrontaliers », a déclaré Ham Serunjogi, PDG de Chipper Cash. « Grâce à notre partenariat avec DriveWealth, le marché américain est désormais facilement accessible à tous les membres de la population ougandaise. Cela permettra aux citoyens d’améliorer leur bien-être financier et de prendre les rênes de leur avenir financier. »

Après le déploiement de cette offre en Ouganda, Chipper Cash prévoit de fournir un accès à la négociation fractionnée des actions américaines grâce à son partenariat avec DriveWealth au Nigeria et à l’Afrique du Sud.

À propos de DriveWealth
DriveWealth, le pionnier de la négociation fractionnée d’actions et de l’investissement intégré, est une entreprise technologique visionnaire qui permet à plus de 100 partenaires dans le monde entier d’engager leurs clients en plaçant les marchés au creux de leur main. Nous pensons que l’avenir est au fractionnement, à la transaction et à la mobilité. Chaque appareil mobile devrait être une passerelle pour accéder aux produits d’investissement et d’épargne, aux services, aux conseils et à l’assistance pour les citoyens du monde de tous les âges, de tous les stades de richesse et de tous les niveaux d’expertise financière. Les conseils inégalés de DriveWealth et la plateforme technologique industrielle basée sur cloud permettent aux partenaires d’offrir de manière transparente des expériences d’investissement de marque pour stimuler l’acquisition de clients, la fidélisation, la rétention et la croissance des revenus. L’engagement de DriveWealth envers l’évolution et l’innovation continues en fait le partenaire de choix pour propulser l’avenir de l’investissement. Pour plus d’informations, rendez-vous sur drivewealth.com ou suivez-nous sur Twitter @DriveWealth.

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DriveWealth Partners with Fintech Unicorn Chipper Cash to Bring First-Time Access to U.S. Equities in Uganda

DriveWealth technology democratizes U.S. investment opportunities for Ugandan population

JERSEY CITY, N.J., Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — DriveWealth, LLC, a pioneer in fractional investing and embedded finance, today announced a partnership with Chipper Cash, the fastest growing African fintech startup enabling peer-to-peer money transfers and cross-border payments for nearly four million users. DriveWealth’s real-time fractional trading technology and API-based brokerage infrastructure will enable the Ugandan population to gain affordable access to investing in U.S. equities for the first time.

DriveWealth

Approximately 66% of Sub-Saharan Africa’s population did not have access to a bank account in 2020, according to the World Bank. While Africa’s large unbanked population has increasingly turned to technology to help create a more inclusive financial system, investing in the U.S. stock markets required high minimums and was only accessible for high networth individuals, leaving much of the Ugandan population without access. Through its partnership with DriveWealth, Chipper Cash is empowering everyday investors in Uganda with safe and affordable access to the U.S. stock market for the first time. Users will now be able to invest on a dollar equivalent basis (i.e. fractional shares) in over 6,000 U.S. securities and ETFs, allowing consumers to invest with no minimum requirements.

“Equipping underserved investors with the tools they need to break down the barriers to investing is a critical step towards democratizing investing worldwide,” said Bob Cortright, founder and CEO of DriveWealth. “What Chipper Cash has been able to accomplish in its few short years is helping Africans to access a range of financial services inexpensively from their phones. We’re thrilled to partner with Chipper Cash to help investors build long-term wealth by investing in U.S. stocks.”

“We are excited to add investing in U.S. equities to our platform to complement our initial offerings of peer-to-peer transactions and cross-border payments,” said Ham Serunjogi, CEO of Chipper Cash. “Thanks to our partnership with DriveWealth, the U.S. market is now easily accessible to all members of the Ugandan population. This will enable citizens to improve their financial well being and become owners of their financial futures.”

Following the rollout of this offering in Uganda, Chipper Cash plans to provide access to fractional trading in U.S. equities through its partnership with DriveWealth in Nigeria and South Africa.

About DriveWealth
DriveWealth, the pioneer of fractional equities trading and embedded investing, is a visionary technology company that empowers more than 100 partners around the world to engage their customers by placing the markets in the palm of their hand. We believe the future is fractional, transactional and mobile. Every mobile device should be a gateway to accessing investing and savings products, services, advice, and assistance for global citizens of all ages, wealth stages, and levels of financial expertise. DriveWealth’s unparalleled consultative support and cloud-based, industrial strength technology platform allow partners to seamlessly offer branded investing experiences to drive customer acquisition, loyalty, retention, and revenue growth. DriveWealth’s commitment to continuous evolution and innovation makes it the partner of choice for powering the future of investing. For more information, please visit drivewealth.com or connect with us on Twitter @DriveWealth.

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Kikitrade announces joint venture with Oxford Frontier to launch a digital asset trading platform targeting the Middle Eastern markets

  • Kikitrade, the cryptocurrency social investment platform, announced a joint venture with the UK-based emerging market specialist Oxford Frontier to launch a digital asset trading platform for the Middle Eastern markets.

HONG KONG, Nov. 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Kikitrade raised a total of $12M in 2021 to accelerate its growth in the APAC markets, backed by investors from the likes of British hedge fund billionaire Alan Howard, Dragonfly Capital and blockchain gaming unicorn Animoca Brands. It progresses forward with an aim to popularise digital assets adoption among everyday people, particularly the Generation Z, millennials and non-finance professionals.

Spearheaded by the UAE and Bahrain, the Middle East region is developing increasingly favorable regulatory regimes for digital assets to attract technology talent and enterprises. With the speedy development of Metaverse and broader acceptance, blockchain-based assets will become an important driver of the next wave of financial technology.

Kikitrade aims to provide a cryptocurrency investment platform and to create an “interactive and educationable” in-app community by integrating social and gaming elements to the platform. Whilst Kikitrade will focus the product and technical development for the retail investors in the countries, Oxford Frontier will secure local licenses and localise the platform with its solid knowledge and network in the Middle East, and expertise in the areas of online trading, capital markets, and blockchain. Kikitrade and Oxford Frontier will deeply synergise after the formation of the joint venture.

Muhammad Ali Khwaja, the CEO of Oxford Frontier, said: “We are encouraged by the regulatory initiatives in the Middle East and we think Kikitrade would be the ideal platform, especially for those investors who are new to digital assets, especially the Generation Z. We are delighted with our partnership with Kikitrade. We will be looking to hire a technology and sales team to accelerate its market expansion.”

Allen Ng, co-founder of Kikitrade, said: “The Middle East has become that provides an outstanding roster of customers with a friendly regulatory environment for digital assets. Kikitrade will extend its product and technical development expertise to set foot in the Middle Eastern markets. We are excited to join Oxford Frontier in this venture which has deep knowledge of fintech businesses and the Middle Eastern markets.”

About Kikitrade

Kikitrade is a social investment platform that allows beginners to purchase and manage digital assets at ease, with a minimum investment amount of just US$1. The company was incubated by Everest Ventures Group (EVG) in 2020, a digital assets group that has participated in many renowned blockchain projects. Kikitrade strives to be the most secure and user-friendly gateway for millennials and first-time investors to start their crypto investments.

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New Research from Cornell University and FreedomPay Reveals Cybersecurity Confidence Gap in Retail, Restaurant and Hospitality Sectors

Despite High Confidence in Their Risk Assessment Capabilities, Study Finds a Third of Companies Have Been Breached, and 89% Have Been Hit Multiple Times

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Nov. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) –New data released today by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research and FreedomPay, a global leader in data-driven commerce, reveals that while nearly all (96%) surveyed retail, restaurant and hospitality stakeholders are confident in their companies’ internal risk assessment processes, their satisfaction (95%) in the security of their systems is misaligned with reality, as one-third of companies (31%) have experienced a data breach in their company’s history. Of companies that have been breached, 89% have been hit more than once in a year, and 69% of retail businesses have been breached upwards of three times in a year.

Check Please! How Restaurant, Retail and Hospitality Businesses are Managing Cybersecurity Risks – a joint study between Cornell and FreedomPay – is based on a new survey of small, medium, and large-size enterprises across the hospitality, retail, and food and beverage sectors.

“Especially over the past two years, cybersecurity has been top of mind for businesses as we navigate a highly complex eCommerce network,” said Chris Kronenthal, President of FreedomPay. “Retailers and hospitality businesses increasingly view their payments systems as more than transaction processing – they are important sources of data and customer insights. Merchants and consumers alike need the assurance that this data is being protected and managed properly.”

“These findings provide a baseline understanding of how key decision-makers are handling cybersecurity issues and offer key insights for optimizing and fortifying systems as we continue down this path of accelerated digital transformation,” said Professor Linda Canina, the Dr. Michael Dang Director of the Center for Hospitality Research at the Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration.

Threats Are Rising, Complexity Abounds

With new cyber threats emerging daily both internally and externally, business leaders are juggling a full slate of concerns and challenges. Threats such as payment integrity (59%) and malware (58%) are the most cited concerns, with risk management (57%) cited as the biggest challenge leaders say their systems face. Companies also fear internal threats, with hospitality companies most frequently citing human error (86%) and lack of employee education (81%) as negatively impacting cybersecurity systems.

Businesses’ best efforts to protect themselves and customers are spurring growing complexity and system proliferation. The findings revealed three-quarters (74%) of companies use more than one cybersecurity system. Medium merchants (80%) are significantly more likely than small merchants (67%) to use more than one system. More than half of companies (56%) have many cybersecurity systems in many locations. Overall, companies are split on whether systems are governed by a single department (51%) or multiple (49%). Small merchants (57%) are significantly more likely to keep governance to one department, while large merchants (63%) are significantly more likely to have multiple departments involved.

Roadblocks Remain

Businesses are challenged to balance security with customer preferences, with many implementing heightened cybersecurity measures to make their customers feel more secured and reassured when making a purchase. The study found that 91% of companies believe their customers deeply care about cybersecurity while 86% believe it increases customer loyalty. Yet, companies acknowledge the inherent tradeoffs – namely, two-thirds (65%) of leaders believe that customers are annoyed by extra security measures, and they want systems to be easy to use (67%).

Budgetary concerns may also play a factor in determining any potential system enhancements – among the few (15%) that currently do not have plans to enhance their system, they are most likely to cite preventative costs (61%) and an unwillingness to have a disruption in service (52%).

Despite these roadblocks, companies have said they are increasing or have increased their IT budgets, calling out the COVID-19 pandemic and technology as driving forces. Other notable findings include:

  • In The Dark: More than one-third (35%) of surveyed leaders do not know how much of their company’s budget is spent on cybersecurity.
  • Bicameral Opinion: While 91% of respondents agree that their customers do care about cybersecurity, 48% also believe their customers do not care about cybersecurity.
  • Inaction: Nearly all (96%) companies say they value the importance of security systems to protect their data, and 85% agree that their customers would be more satisfied if they had extra security measures in place. Yet, half (50%) have either not increased their IT security budget or decreased their budget since 2019.
  • Show Me The Money: Still, companies are divided on what precautions and guidance are worth the cost. Four-fifths (83%) of companies who do use a third-party to manage and secure information say this option is “more cost-effective” for their business, while half (51%) of companies who do not use a third-party supplier cite it as being “more costly” than their current process.
  • Checking The Box? Almost all merchants (91%) are very or extremely confident that their company adequately trains end-users, relying on conferences and seminars (71%) to keep them trained and engaged. Notably, small (92%) and medium (95%) merchants are significantly more confident than their large (79%) counterparts, where the most common form of end-user engagement comes from training videos (82%).
  • Looking for a Leader: A majority of companies (87%) say they would welcome involvement from the U.S. government to fight cybersecurity threats as well as enhance policy (84%). Large merchants (threats-76%, policy-74%) and retail companies (threats-81%, policy-75%) are significantly less likely to want the U.S. government involved.

Click here to download the report.

Methodology

The survey was conducted by Hanover Research and included 300 respondents for small, medium, and large-size enterprises across hospitality, retail, and food & beverage spaces.

About FreedomPay

FreedomPay’s Next Level Commerce™ platform transforms existing payment systems and processes from legacy to leading edge. As the premier choice for many of the largest companies across the globe in retail, hospitality, lodging, gaming, sports and entertainment, foodservice, education, healthcare and financial services, FreedomPay’s technology has been purposely built to deliver rock solid performance in the highly complex environment of global commerce. The company maintains a world-class security environment and was first to earn the coveted validation by the PCI Security Standards Council against Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE/EMV) standard in North America. FreedomPay’s robust solutions across payments, security, identity, and data analytics are available in-store, online and on-mobile and are supported by rapid API adoption. The award winning FreedomPay Commerce Platform operates on a single, unified technology stack across multiple continents allowing enterprises to deliver an innovative Next Level experience on a global scale. www.freedompay.com

About Cornell Center of Hospitality Research

Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) was created in 1992 for the purpose of expanding both the quality and volume of research supporting the hospitality industry and its related service industries. The CHR’s mission is to advance hospitality thought leadership by publishing and disseminating impactful and actionable research that industry leaders can put into practice today; facilitating the exchange of new ideas by bringing students, faculty, and industry professionals together at roundtables, panels, conferences, and other engaging events; and partnering with the other Centers and Institutes in the Cornell Nolan School of Hotel Administration to maximize research, event, and networking collaborations.

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Hill + Knowlton Strategies for FreedomPay
FreedomPay@hkstrategies.com
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Zenfolio Acquires Format to Expand Services for Photographers

Menlo Park, California, Nov. 11, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zenfolio, the leader in creative and business solutions for photographers, announced that it has acquired Format, a major website-building platform and marketplace based in Toronto, Canada, used by professional photographers and artists worldwide. Both companies offer Software as a Service (SaaS) business solutions – Zenfolio since 2006 and Format since 2010. Combined, these two market leaders provide the most comprehensive service offering to photographers and artists, leveraging their respective brands and complementary strengths.

John Loughlin, Zenfolio CEO, shared the rationale for bringing the two companies together. “We deeply respect the Format brand, their employees and community, and the business they have built,” he stated. “This combination will expand the capabilities and services offered to our respective customers.”

Lukas Dryja, Format CEO and Co-Founder, shared his enthusiasm for the merger. “Since creating Format, we have cared deeply about our community and team,” he said. “Partnering with Zenfolio is a tremendous opportunity for both. The Format community will benefit from Zenfolio’s extensive technology services while Zenfolio customers will have access to world class tools and designs to showcase their work online.”

The Format acquisition continues a strategy launched by Zenfolio three years ago to reimagine the company. Zenfolio recently unveiled a new cloud-based technology platform using artificial intelligence and machine-learning that is redefining the business of photography. Zenfolio leads the industry in workflow automation, helping photographers manage and grow their businesses, while spending more time behind the lens.

“Bringing together two leading platforms for photographers allows us to accelerate the development of new services by taking best in breed features and capabilities and making them available to customers of both companies,” Loughlin explained.

The two brands will initially operate in parallel, each retaining its current employee workforce and subscription base. Format will continue to be headquartered in Toronto. Zenfolio headquarters will continue to be located in Menlo Park, California.

About Zenfolio

Zenfolio Inc., a Centre Lane Partners company, offers advanced business solutions enabling photographers to easily show, share and sell their images. For the past 15 years, Zenfolio has proudly served photographers around the globe.

About Format

Format empowers professional photographers and creatives by transforming them into successful entrepreneurs. Founded in 2010 in Toronto, Canada, Format is a proudly self-funded company with a remote team distributed globally.

Vista Point Advisors acted as the exclusive advisor to Format in its sale to Zenfolio.

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Zenfolio
pr@zenfolio.com
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Athletics Kenya Urges Youths To Join Athletics

Athletics Kenya (AK) has urged talented youths from across all counties to participate in athletics to increase the number of athletes who can participate in international competition in their region.
AK observed that some counties are lagging behind in producing athletes that can take part in competitions all over the world.
Addressing the media after a consultative meeting held at Chuka University in Tharaka Nithi County, AK Senior Vice President and Coordinator of Competitions, Paul Mutisya Mutwii, said that some regions such as Rift Valley are very strong in producing great runners whereas others like Eastern and Coastal can produce one or two athletes.
The AK Vice President revealed that they are going around regions gathering young talented athletes together with their officials and coaches to train them on how to participate in international races.
Mutwii said that the Eastern Region has great potential for producing great runners if they are supported to train physically and prepared mentally to compete in races.
“AK is gathering talented runners from schools to be coached to become international athletes,” he noted, adding that they have managed to train over 100 athletes in Tharaka Nithi County.
“In the next 5 years, we expect to see more people from different regions participating in sports all the way from national level to international level. We want to teach them ways they can become world runners,” he added.
The coordinator enlightened that athletics is a way of employment and a great source of income adding that if children are nurtured from a tender age they can become great world runners.
He emphasized on the importance of investing in athletics in all counties as it can boost the socio-economic status of the region.
Mutwii says they are also training athletes on money management to avoid misuse of funds when they receive a lump sum of money after winning marathon races which can be overwhelming.
“We have counsellors to train and enlighten our athletes especially the upcoming ones on money management,” he stated.
Speaking at the same time, Eastern Region AK Chairman, Ainsworth Kithinji Maragara, said they were addressing the challenges faced by athletes in the region.
He disclosed that they have experienced challenges from athletes who fail to show up for county competitions making it hard to identify them.
Maragara called upon talented athletes to participate in local races so they can be identified and nurtured to the next levels.
He echoed AK’s Vice President words that regions like Tharaka Nithi have the potential of producing great runners if they are managed and trained well.
“We identify those with talents from the teachers through school competitions, so we can nurture them to participate beyond county borders,” he said.
The Chairman called upon parents to nurture athletics talents of their children as it can be a great source of income to their families.
He appealed to the County Governments in the Eastern Region to support the athletes through provision of resources and working closely with AK.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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IEBC Directs Political Parties To Submit Nomination Rules

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has directed all political parties to submit their revised nomination rules as required under Section 27(1) of the Elections Act.
The submission of the nomination rules, according to IEBC, is expected within fourteen days and not later than Tuesday November 16, 2021 from the date the political parties received communication from the Commission directing them to revise the said rules.
IEBC Chairman Wafula Chebukati, in a press release sent to news rooms, said that the Commission has determined that none of the eighty nine political parties which submitted their nomination rules for review on Monday October 18, 2021 has fully complied with the requirements of the law.
“Political parties are notified that the Commission will issue a certificate of compliance to political parties whose nomination rules are compliant with the prescribed regulations,” he said.
However, the Chairman cautioned that the nomination rules which fail to comply with the requisite regulations will be declared void and rejected.
He stated that the affected political parties will not be issued with a certificate of compliance which will consequently bar them from participating in the 2022 General Elections.
“Political parties may seek guidance on compliance at the Commission’s legal help desk set up at its offices on the 7th floor, Anniversary Towers,” he advised.
IEBC reviews nomination rules submitted by political parties pursuant to the provisions of Section 27 (2A) of the Elections Act, 2011 and Regulation 6 of the Elections (Party Primaries and Party Lists) Regulations, 2017.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Biashara Fund Sensitization Kicks Off In Turkana

Residents of Turkana South have joined other Sub Counties in organizing an intensive two day Biashara Fund sensitization exercise, spearheaded by the County Department of Trade and Turkana Chapter National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI).
The exercise which started last week in Kainuk and its environs, brought on board various key players in the private sector and the general public.
The engagement forums entailed thorough highlights of business/biashara loan under biashara fund, requirements for applicants as well as the repayment period among other key details.
The County Deputy Director in charge of Internal Trade, Wilson Ejie, who was also the team leader, reiterated on the importance of applying for business loans as a recovery mechanism especially after the devastating effects of Covid- 19.
“The County, through the Department of Trade has been very committed in supporting the local entrepreneurs through such funding opportunities like Biashara Fund. Previously we did not have a proper legislative structure to guide issuance of this loan. Now the county has ironed out all challenges that were acting as set-backs to access of this fund and now everything has been addressed and the fund is available,” said Ejie.
In addition to the call for entrepreneurs to apply for the fund, the local NCCI Chairman, Pius Ewoton appreciated the efforts of the government in supporting the private sector.
“Vibrant private sector stimulates social economic empowerment, along the various value chains which will in one way or the other benefit the entire County,” he said.
During the various interactive sessions with the locals and traders, the collapse of businesses in Kainuk featured prominently in the conversations.
“We used to blame conflicts with our neighbouring county as a threat to the success of businesses here. Now there is peace. The main problem here is theft cases that have been targeting motorists and travelers whenever they stop to refresh themselves at Kainuk. They get robbed of their valuables and the vehicles vandalized. We have really suffered and now ready to work with stakeholders who will help us bring the issues of insecurity to an end,” said Mohamed Yussuf, a trader in Kainuk.
While responding to challenges affecting Kainuk traders, the Ewaton noted that they have already engaged with the Transport Sector stakeholders in Lodwar on the same and more plans are underway to engage with their Trans Nzoia and Uasin Gishu counterparts to identify areas of mutual cooperation and restore sanity at the Kainuk transport stop-over, hence promoting local businesses.
“As a commitment of the chamber of commerce towards reviving the economy of Kainuk, we are going to have public private sector dialogue meeting right here to address the main issues and find a lasting solution,” the chairman reiterated.
On his part, the Director of Trade also took the opportunity during the sensitization forum to call on the traders to utilize the already constructed Lokichar market as a way of making the town more organized.
Other avenues that was also explored included using radio talk shows as well as engaging local leaders to cascade information on Biashara Fund to the village and family levels.
Other stakeholders attending the function included Administrator Trade, Justus Eregae, Ward Administrator, Hosea Ameripus, and his counterparts from Kalapata, Kaputir and Lobokat wards as well as their respective village Administrators.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Women Urged To Join Saccos

Women in Taita-Taveta County have been urged to register with savings and cooperative societies as part of investment plans to secure their future.
Taita Taveta County Governor’s wife, Stella Samboja, said women needed to have savings’ plans as part of economic empowerment.
During a meeting, she challenged women in the four
sub counties to engage in savings and invest money to start businesses.
The event was attended by Sacco members from four sub counties of Voi, Mwatate, Taveta, Wundanyi. Members of Muslim Women Sacco were also present. The cooperative societies in the county have around 955 members. The saccos have invested in business projects like poultry and basket weaving.
Ms Samboja was accompanied by ‘Girls of Hope’; a consortium of saccos from the central region that focuses on educating women on issues of economic empowerment, investments and dabbling in big projects to achieve high growth.
She encouraged a saving and investment culture in a bid to ensure economic empowerment among women especially at the community levels.
“This localizes Sustainable Development Goals which is about achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls,” she said.
The governor’s spouse hailed the saccos’ progress despite the covid-19 pandemic effect which slowed the registration number of new members.
She further urged the women in the newly formed Muslim sacco to have positive attitude during wealth creation and invest more money to start up projects.
Ms Vumi Ringo, County Executive Committee Member for Cooperative Youth and Sports said, Saccos were important venues to educate the women on the benefits of investments.
She said the knowledge sharing forums with other saccos was meant to inspire them to invest and form big businesses.
“We are today inspired by the achievements of these women. Many have invested in their sacco and have businesses. This will help each Sacco to start their businesses and grow,” said Hilda Mbara, a Sacco member from Sagalla ward.
Ms Mbara asked for support in basket weaving projects as part of their project in Sagalla ward. She said there was a lack of market for the baskets. She also asked for support to buy machines.
Ms Pauline Gichuki, an official with Girls of Hope, said they are encouraging women to get empowered and stop relying on men for everything.
She urged other women to join the Saccos and increase their numbers. Only then would they be able to save more and borrow money to engage in big projects.

Source: Kenya News Agency

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Kirinyaga Commences Construction Of An Ultra-Modern Fire Station

The County Government of Kirinyaga has commenced the construction of an ultra-modern fire station in Kutus town.
The fire station that is being put up is expected to take care of the growing needs brought about by urbanization in the county, especially in the fast-growing Kerugoya-Kutus Municipality.
Some of the beneficiaries of the project will be financial institutions, government offices, health institutions, markets, retail and wholesale outlets, residential estates, and learning institutions including Kirinyaga University.
Governor Anne Waiguru said the new station will comprehensively cater for the needs of the fire department and create employment opportunities for many unemployed residents during construction and recruitment to the fire department, thus improving the economic standards of the residents.
She added that technological advances in firefighting and disaster management, as well as the expansion of the department’s services and the need to have additional staff, require adequate and commensurate infrastructure.
Waiguru said once complete, the new fire station will have a fire engine bay that can accommodate four fire trucks, a control room, a gear locker room, a store, a first aid room, a dining room, and a kitchenette as well as sleeping quarters.
It will also have a reception, an office, a meeting room, a duty room, and an adequate public car parking area.
There will also be express fire trucks entrance and exist separate from the general entrance and exit.
And to ensure adequate supply of water at all times, there will also be a water hydrant within the facility.
She said that with rapid growth in population as well as commercial and residential investments, there is need to establish a modern, equipped, and upgraded fire department, emergency response, and rescue center.
“The new station, which has excellent accessibility due to its location along Kutus -Sagana Highway near Kutus -Kerugoya junction, will be one of the best fire stations in the country and the best in the central region,” Waiguru said.
The county’s firefighters are upbeat about the project since it will enhance efficiency in their operations.
John Kiama, one of the firefighters says that it will be a great relief since they have been operating from a makeshift fire station whose infrastructural inadequacies negatively impact on the department’s operations and emergency response.
He thanked the governor for the initiative, which he said, would provide an integrated and sustainable fire emergency and management system for the county.
The department currently operates from a makeshift structure within the Public Works compound in Kerugoya.

Source: Kenya News Agency