Edge Magazine September 2016 by Edge Magazine EA

SEPTEMBER 2016 Kshs. 300 / Ushs. 9000 Tshs. 6000 / RWF. 2200

INSIDE

BANKS SCRAMBLE FOR SMEs WITH CHARMING DEALS

fapcl group jijenge credit kcb rentco mku

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Contents

18. BANKS SCRAMBLING FOR SMES WITH CHARMING DEALS

EDGE FOCUS 12. FINANCE AND PROPERTY FAPCL: Providing First-rate Services in Financial and Property Development

14. YOUNG AND ENTERPRISING Commonly known as ‘Ba Mkubwa’, the voice artiste is on a mission to create a better world for himself and fellow youth through his creative talent

16. EXECUTIVE TALK 29 year old Trushar Khetia, a Kenyan entrepreneur, builds two successful enterprises in a span of three years

18. THE TECHIE Michael Andrew Nduati talks about M-kura, a mobile voting platform, and how it can increase transparency during elections

16.

EXECUTIVE TALK

COVER STORY 5. HEAD START 6. QUOTABLE QUOTES 7. MAIL 8. BRIEFS

20. Banks Scramble for SMEs with Charming Deals

Contents

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22. KCB KCB’S SME Gameplan

24. JIJENGE CREDIT The institution not only serves customers at the comfort of their offices, but provides its services promptly and efficiently.

OPINION 26. KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY 28. CUSTOMER SERVICE 30. HUMAN CAPITAL 32. TRADE AND INVESTMENTS

14.

JIJENGE CREDIT

FEATURE 34. MKU 36. RENTCO 38. REAL ESTATE 40. WEFARM

WOMAN OF POWER 42. Linda learned how to bake at the age of 12, and now envisions to build an empire using her passion.

ARTS & INDUSTRY 44. How Ali L’artiste Kenya’s Celebrity Chef Aims to Refine the African Cuisine 46. Meet TuneDem Band, the Kenyan Version of Christafari

44.

ARTS & INDUSTRY

12.

FAPCL

BOOK REVIEW 48. THE WISDOM OF STEVE JOBS

HEALTHY LIVING 50. Vincent Muasya, a fitness trainer and consultant at Body and Spirit Gym says physical exercise should be regular and consistent in order to enhance fitness and overall wellness

SONG REVIEW 52. COLD WATER

22.

BOOK REVIEW

KCB

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Managing Editor Sylvester Okumu sylvester@edgemagazine.co.ke Editorial Oroni Tendera ibrahim@edgemagzine.co.ke Jenny Nyawira jenny@edgemagzine.co.ke

We Are Not Alligned To Any One Insurer. We Search The Market To Arrange The Best Solutions For You

Contributors Derek Bbanga Perminus Wainaina Carolyne Gathuru John Kageche Mbugua Ng’ang’a Peter Kamande

Business Development Manager Murrel Aluoch Marketing Executive Nelly Wambui Operations Washingtone Terry

Creative Designer Felix Rurigi felix@edgemagazine.co.ke

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Head start

Micro And Mobile Loans Still A Grey Area

ugust 24, 2016 will go down in history as the day Kenyans communally celebrated the presidential assent of the Banking (Amendment) Bill 2015. The Bill caps interest rates at 4 per cent above the Central Bank rate. This happened much to the surprise of the entire banking fraternity and their umbrella body Kenya Bankers Association who had lobbied against it.

It was a relief for many Kenyans and in particular those who were servicing old loans from banks. No one can blame their soul for the excitement and celebration as they have been exposed to weary years of punitive interest rates. Kenyaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest bank by assets KCB Group, Chase Bank and CfC first announced that it would lower its interest for old loan to 14.5 per cent in line with the new law. This was followed by Co-operative Bank of Kenya pilling pressure on their peers to follow suit.

While this is welcomed and would lower the costs of credit, financial theorists argue that banks would find hedging mechanisms against this such as increasing the cost of processing a loan, impose a minimum balance on account holders and increase transactional charges. They also argue that banks would ignore higher risks customers especially those with unsecured loans and MSMES and narrow their focus on fast growing segments and government bid bonds and securities. They are anticipating revenues rates to shrink.

But the pricing of micro loans and mobile phone loans still remains a grey regulatory area with a number of lenders insisting that both are excluded by the rate caps. Other lenders have adopted a wait-and-see attitude. Thank you for your continued support.

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Quotable Quotes Darshan Chandaria “Fulfilment as an entrepreneur comes in many ways and transforming lives for the better is one of the most satisfying.” The 30 year old graduate of Cardiff University is the director and group CEO of the Chandaria Industries. He is the son of philanthropist and entrepreneur Dr. Manu Chandaria. Chandaria Industries is one of the largest tissue and hygiene product manufacturing company in East and Central Africa. He is very passionate about starting new ventures and seeing them succeed. His drive to transform lives is amazing. As such, he was recognised by the MasterCard Foundation as one of Africa’s leading philanthropists and social sector champions in 2015. Rose Kinuthia “Better credit risk management presents an opportunity for businesses to greatly improve overall performance and secure a competitive advantage.”

Rose is a graduate of Statistics and Computer Science from JKUAT and currently the director of product development and strategy, Africa and acting CEO for Kenya at TransUnion. She is a Pricing and Product Management expert with a decade-long wealth of experience in statistical analysis for both local and international leading companies. She has previously worked with Standard Chartered Bank and Chase Bank where she was credited for revamping the retail banking system from a low of 45,000 to 200,000 customer base in a record time. She was feted at Top 40 under 40 women in Kenya 2015 by the Business Daily Africa because of her innovative business leadership skills. She loves travelling, reading and theatre arts. Bernard Kioko

“People do not change regardless of time and space they have. The only noble thing is to build on who one is already.”

Kioko is a software guru and businessman. He founded his company Bernsoft Group while he was still a student at Starehe Boys Center in 1992. The 39 year old is a terrific coder and developed first SMS software program that enabled Capital FM to receive SMS on a computer in 2001. The technology was quickly adopted and went on to power interactive viewers polls on NTV and KTN. He then developed the first electronic ticketing system in Kenya where over 250 travel agents sell air tickets online. Since then, his company has grown in leaps and bounds and today has investments in music and movie production, travel and telecommunication. Cecilia Mwangi

“Most rural dwellers are disadvantaged which leaves them vulnerable to jigger infestations because of poor hygiene and lack of shoes. I wanted to address this issue, mostly through awareness campaigns.”

Cecilia, the anti-jigger campaign ambassador became a public personality when she was crowned Miss World Kenya in 2005 and went on to represent the country at the finals in China. Prior to that she won the Miss Nairobi beauty contest and also credited for coming up with the first ever slum beauty pageant. Her works have seen her initiate community change programmes, and win many awards including them Young Women Achiever by UN and Humanitarian of the year award (2009). She founded Ahadi Trust to aid her healthy feet campaign.

Letters Kenya’s creative industry on a growth path There is no doubt that Kenyans are becoming more creative by day. The creative industry has grown rapidly over the years with youth as the main players. While the sector is an important part of fostering growth, development as well as innovation, creativity in itself is not sufficient. We need to see the government, investors and financiers supporting creatives as lack of finance is hindering their growth. We also want to see protection of intellectual property rights.

Use Your Logbook To Get A Loan In

Emily Mugambi Meru

For all your financial needs; Business or Personal Ahmed Abdi is indeed a hero By reading Ahmed’s story, I can say that he is a hero in the making. His ability to overcome almost all odds, his courage and outstanding achievement speaks a thousand words. From a humble beginning, Ahmed rose to the top, where he runs his own company. His story teaches us that there is nothing impossible as long as we have the passion and determination. We should also work hard in any job that we get, and be focused on greater goals.

Wesley kimani Nairobi

• Pay School Fees • Medical Bills • Expanding Your Business

What You Need

• Latest 6 months bank statement certified • Original and copy of National ID • Copy of KRA Pin Certificate • 2 coloured passport size photos • Vehicle logbook and comprehensive insurance certificate • Personal cheque book (mandatory)

Developing tomorrow’s leaders today Great leadership is a prerequisite for good governance and organizational success. The recent time that is characterized by globalization, economic uncertainty as well as political instability means that it is a whole new world for today’s leaders, thus the need to develop tomorrow’s. Kenya in particular needs leaders with the right qualities, or what we call charismatic leaders – who are committed to transform the country. While Lapid Leaders Africa is doing an outstanding job, we need to see more people engaging in such a noble cause.

Hussein Ali Mombasa

• Business certificate of registration / Incorporation • Latest 3 months pay slips (if employed), employment card / employment contract copy * TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY

For more information contacts us on: P.O . Box 9578 - 00200, Nairobi Town House, Kaunda Street, 6th Floor, Suite 604/605 Cell: 0717 282 727 / 0722 843 770 Email: info@jijengecredit.com jijengecreditlimited

jijengecreditlimited

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Briefs

Pan Africa Insurance Rebrands To Sanlam Kenya Group also has businesses in the United Kingdom, the USA, Australia and the Philippines.

Founded on a rich heritage and good corporate citizenship, Sanlam Kenya currently features a branch network of 34 client experience centres across Kenya’s major towns. The firm enjoys an estimated market share of 8% in the Kenyan life insurance industry, serving over 99,401 policyholders under individual life and more than 236,507 under group life.

Its rebranding to Sanlam aims to offer Kenyan shareholders, clients and other stakeholders the added comfort and security of doing business with a brand and company that has a strong track record of financial performance and world-class products and services.

an Africa Insurance Holdings Limited (PAIHL), the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) listed financial services firm, has rebranded to Sanlam Kenya Plc. PAIHL’s subsidiaries - Pan Africa Life, Pan Africa Asset Management, Gateway Insurance and PA Securities - will also now be rebranded to Sanlam Life Insurance, Sanlam Investments, Sanlam General Insurance and Sanlam Securities respectively. Sanlam is a leading financial services group established nearly 100 years ago and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange Limited (JSE) in South Africa and the Namibian Stock Exchange (NSX). As at 31 December 2015, Sanlam’s market

capitalisation was US$9bn. The Group will announce its half-year results to 30 June 2016 on 8 September 2016.

The Sanlam Group has businesses in 33 countries across Africa andfirst acquired a stake in PAIHL in 2006, following Sanlam’s acquisition of African Life Assurance Group.

The Group operates its businesses in emerging markets through the Sanlam Emerging Markets (SEM) business cluster, which has four regions - East; Southern Africa; West Africa; South East Asia (Malaysia); and Asia (India). The recently concluded acquisition of a 30% stake in Morocco-based Saham Group expanded the Group’s footprint into countries mostly in Francophone and Lusophone Africa. The

In addition, Sanlam Kenya and its subsidiaries will have access to technical expertise and years’ of experience from various resources within the Sanlam Group which operates across five continents. Addressing the media at a briefing in Nairobi this morning, Sanlam Group CEO, Mr Ian Kirk, who is in the country for the official launch of the Sanlam brand, said: “For over 10 years our Group strategy has focused on diversifying our business, investing in smaller, bolt-on deals and partnerships with established businesses in emerging markets, among other priorities. We have enjoyed a mutually beneficial partnership with PAIHL and believe we are ready to take it to the next level with the rebranding and renaming of the company and its subsidiaries.” Explaining the essence of the Sanlam brand, Kirk said it represented the Group’s roll-up-your-sleeves, pragmatic approach to doing things, its ethos, and

its appreciation for the raw materials with which the company works – clients’ money.

“The Sanlam brand is expressed through our pay-off line, Wealthsmiths™, which is a simple description of what we do and what we believe in. We have a deep understanding that wealth does not come easy – it comes from hard work and dedication and we take our role in this process extremely seriously,” he said. Announcing the rebranding of PAIHL and its subsidiaries to Sanlam at the briefing, Sanlam Kenya CEO, Mr Mugo Kibati assured stakeholders of a seamless transition with a differentiated level of client service excellence.

“The rebrand to Sanlam Kenya heralds a new dawn for the diversified financial services firm that we are. It makesus a bigger and better company that is firmly positioned to deliver world-class financial services for the local clientele as well as value for our shareholders and other stakeholders,” Kibati said. “It will also contribute to stronger performance for the firm and offer Kenyans greater access to a comprehensive and tailored range of financial solutions to meet individual and institutional insurance and investment needs.”

Kibati added that the rebrand to Sanlam Kenya was a natural progression for PAIHL. “It has been our quest to transform this organisation to guarantee excellent client service and products. Going forward, we will continue focusing on accelerated organic business growth, while seeking to secure a market leadership position through quality differentiated service provision. “We have lined up a variety of products to be launched soon to further enhance our range of financial business services on the general insurance and discretionary wealth management fronts. We remain a good and responsible corporate citizen of Kenya, committed to supporting the social and economic development and aspirations of our country,” Kibati said.

Concluding, Kirk said: “As a Pan-African financial services provider,we have the relevant expertise and experience to support Sanlam Kenya to grow shareholder value and tap into our resources in order to offer its clients products and services geared for wealth creation and protection.”

Cytonn Investments Posts Kshs 631 Million Profit

eal Estate Company Cytonn Investments has posted a Kshs.630.8 million profit for the 2015 Financial Year driven by strong performance in the real estate investments. The audited financial report released at Cytonn’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) cemented the company’s strong balance sheet with a total asset base of Kshs 6.5 billion.

Buoyed by the company’s diversified real estate portfolio, and high yielding investment solutions, delivering robust performance built on a strong and efficient operational base, the company delivered a return of 42.7 per cent with a total equity at Kshs 3.6 billion. “Our strategy to focus on the attractive alternative investment opportunities, which exist in Kenya and the region, drove our performance.’’ said Edwin Dande, Cytonn’s Chief Executive Officer, adding that, “Our focus on real estate, private equity and structured products has delivered attractive returns to our shareholders, clients and partners.

As can be seen from our financial results, the balance sheet remains strong with total assets as Kshs 6.5 bn and after tax profit of Kshs 630.8 mn, which have justified our investment strategy. Our strong partnerships with global financing partners such as Taaleri of Finland, committed local partners, combined with a strong research capability has driven our strong performance,” added Edwin Dande. With Kenya’s annual housing deficit estimated at 200,000 units annually, Cytonn’s focus on delivering institutional grade real estate, encompassed by a platform with a strong brand and focus on execution has driven the company’s total investment portfolio to 14 developments, and Kshs 73 bn of projects under mandate. “With over 1,200 acres under development, combined with a strong private equity pipeline, we are confident that with our unique strategy of coupling supply and demand will be a catalyst for growth in the market. Our fundamental objectives are to address the housing shortage, create employment opportunities, help in deepening of the capital markets, and play our part in the growth of our economy,” said Elizabeth Nkukuu, CFA, Cytonn’s Chief Investment Officer at the Annual General Meeting.

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Briefs

Equity Group Airlift To Global Universities Reaches 329 At Kshs 8.225 Billion

quity Group’s airlift to global universities has reached 329 scholars with a total scholarship value of Kshs 8.225 billion (USD 82.25 million). 64 of them are from the 2016 airlift and have set off to their respective universities in different parts of the world.

The 64 scholars are part of the 605scholars earlier selected to join the ELP in 2015, having excelled as scholars in the Wings to Fly Programme in KCSE the previous year. The ELP program has started recording an increase in the number of scholars gaining admission to global university annually with 2015 and 2016 accounting for 129 admissions after benefiting from the MasterCard Global Scholarship fund of US $ 500 million launched in 2014.

good and progressive attributes that will enrich your life and embrace them, while consciously avoiding bad influence that can compromise the purpose of your mission abroad. Wear your Kenyan and African identity with pride. Make your home country and your continent proud among the nations that you will meet, interact and compete with. Similarly, your parents, your teachers and the ELP program have taught you the importance of character in shaping your destiny. Your character is the sum total of the values that have been impacted on you. I urge you to uphold these values and don’t be attracted to the easy path in life. Be prepared to work hard and earn your place in the community of nations. After you achieve your academic goals, remember to come back home and participate in building our great nation, beginning with your immediate family and local communities” Dr Mwangi further added, “Our Foundation recognizes the need to support brilliant and needy students through ELP. This programme epitomizes the Tom Mboya academic airlift in the 1960’s that saw the likes of Barack Obama Snr and the late Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai, who later impacted our country in social economic development

Speaking from Equity Centre at a ceremony to see off the class of 2016 scholars Equity Group CEO and Executive Chairman of Equity Group Foundation Dr. James Mwangi advised the scholars to remain true to their mission abroad, which is academic pursuit, leadership training, networking and global exposure. He reminded them that they had earned themselves the opportunity to study alongside the best brains in the world. “Be proud of your identity and your roots. You will be differentiated by your values, culture and belief systems. You will meet and interact with other global citizens from different cultures and socializations. Always remember that they are not necessarily better than you, they are just different. Be quick to discern

Equity Leaders Programme has now supported 3,405 scholars since inception with the number of those studying abroad as of this year, reaching 329 scholars from all over the country. 90 per cent of the ELP Scholars access local public universities while 10 per cent are assisted to gain admission in global leading universities so that they get global experience and exposure. The scholars are exposed and have an opportunity to build global networks and experiences , so that their training and learning, personal life and professional experiencesand future goals will be aligned to their society and community goals and will help to transform education and promote social economic transformation of our country. The ELP programme is in line with Kenya’s Vision 2030 of transforming Kenya into a globally competitive middle income economy by the year 2030.

IHRM Begins Crackdown On Bogus HR Professionals

urged Kenyans to deal only IHRM practitioners. This will kill off business for consultants and lock doors for those looking to be employed, while leaving those in employment with no option but to comply or get fired.

“We advise Kenyans to only engage the services of the slightly over 5,000 professionals listed in the Institute’s website and whoever his/her name does not appear in the website and yet purports to be offering HR services should be reported to the Institute for action,” said Mr Sitimah, who was accompanied by other council members. He said the Institute is engaging employers to have them observe provisions of the Human Resource Management Professionals Act by engaging the services of only those in its register or else risk prosecution for conspiring to violate Section 40 and 41 of the Act.

housands of human resources professionals could find themselves jobless in January as the industry’s regulator moves to enforce a new law that requires them to register and acquire practising certificates.

The Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) on August 23, 2016 warned that practitioners who do not register with it by end of the year will not be eligible to practise either as consultants or employees. IHRM Council chairman Elijah Sitimah says those who breach the rules – including employers who engage uncertified human resources officers – will be prosecuted. IHRM, the industry regulator for human resource professionals in the country, has taken a tough stance after it emerged that only a small fraction of HR practitioners had registered and, indeed, acquired the mandatory licences almost three years since the Human Resource Management

Professionals (HRMP) Act 2012 was operationalised.

Speaking during the launch of the upgraded IHRM website that automates registration and other processes ahead of the January deadline, Mr Sitimah revealed that just over 5,000 professionals had registered out of which only 859 have been issued with practising certificates. “This is a sorry state given that there are about 25,000 human resources professionals practicing in Kenya,” he said. “I see a lot of HR managers falling off their employment.” IHRM, he added, is carrying out an audit to identify practitioners and employers who have not complied with the Act for possible prosecution from as earlier as January 2017. “All those practising as HR professionals should take necessary steps of complying with the Act before the law catches up with them,” he said.

In what is seen as a tactical move to compel HR professionals to comply, the IHRM has

The Institute has established a compliance office to deal with the HR professionals. He said the IHRM website offers a platform of weeding out bogus HR practitioners who have flooded the HR sector. “This is the second phase of the wider infrastructural strategy the Institute is putting in place to deal with unqualified HR consultants masquerading as professionals to the detriment of unsuspecting Kenyans,” he said.

He said the move will affect both public and private sector, noting that there was particularly slow response from the national and county governments. Mr Sitimah, who was elected Council chair last year, talked tough, saying that those who will be found practicing without IHRM certification will face prosecution, which would lead to a fine of Ksh200,000 or a jail term of two years or both as provided for under the Human Resource Management Professionals (HRMP) Act 2012. He said the move is geared at streamlining the profession and enforcing the new code of conduct. He said IHRM certitification will supplement efforts of the Ministry of Labour in dealing with rogue recruitment agencies through the recently published regulations aimed at taming these mischievous agencies.

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Finance And Property

Established by Martin Dias, the group aims to deliver the very best real estate and financial solutions available in the market

FAPCL: Providing FirstRate Services In Financial And Property Development

ast rising buildings continue to shape the sky line of Nairobi with expansive residential properties dotting its suburbs and estates. As such, the demand for transparent, open and honest real estate management firms continue to grow. The need to tap on these emerging opportunities informed the establishment of Financial and Property Consultants Limited in 2010. Formed by Martin Dias and his wife Innocentia Dias, FAPCL aims to deliver excellence by providing innovative and defined financial and property consultancy solutions for the market while maximizing shareholders values.

We met Martin at his modest office in Arbor House at Arboretum Drive in Nairobi. He looked cheerful and full of demeanour as he ushered us into his open office overlooking his staff on one end. He sits at the corner over a simple desk. His welcoming gestures add warmth to the rather ambient office environment. Career banker Martin is a career banker with 25 years experience in the banking industry; that

he uses to avail superior property consultancy services and financial solutions to clients. “Having worked for over 17 years at Barclays Bank with short stints at NIC Bank and ABC Bank I knew what the market needs and was so sure on what I can achieve when I go out on my own. I was in charge of corporate banking and handled other operations in internal audit, credit cards and lending”, he recalls. Such invaluable experiences gave him a head start when he ventured out to establish the firm. From humble beginnings, FAPCL has grown in leaps and bounds to establish a footprint in the market.

“FAPCL is a family business, fully owned by me and my wife Innocentia. She is also a career banker, and together with her we have formed a formidable pillar upon which the successes of the business have been drawn. She also worked at Barclays Bank for 18 years with experience in banking, marketing and public relations.” FAPCL has a high profile board of directors, which is also a statement of intent for the firm’s elaborate corporate governance and professionalism. The board is drawn from individuals of diverse backgrounds and have contributed greatly to position FAPCL as a market leader and a company of choice.

“I am very focused on my brand and whom I work with. We have a very lean team of 12 professionals who are competent and passionate of what they do. We often train them to increase their skills, remain relevant and productive.” These among others have established the firm as a total solution brand for property and financial services. As such clients are assured of getting the very best services available in the market, he observes. “This has worked for us if the number of SMEs and large corporates on our portfolio is anything to go by.”

The range of specialised services the firm offers include: Financial services FAPCL provides financial consultation and facilitation for funding of different kinds of projects and programmes. Martin notes: “Our services are unique and top-notch. We are experts in financial advisory, business proposals development, project financing, funding for business and mortgage for home buyers.” Property solutions The firm has leading solutions for real estate and property development. These include sale and letting, listing, project management, facility management and estate management among others.

Valuation FAPCL has specialised solution for commercial and residential property and asset valuations. It procures services from licensed and experienced valuers in the market to further this.

Martin says that the synergy and team based model he employs guarantees clients a high level of attention. Whereas in most companies, agents work independently to perform hundreds of tasks alone, the firm employs a unique model. “At FAPCL, professionals in corporate banking, marketing, public relations, communication and design experts, and information technology handle those tasks for you. This has seen our current property-selling portfolio rising to over Kshs 20 billion of land for redevelopment both commercial and residential.” Elaborate portfolio The fact that many clients need such services, and from a well-experienced and professional set up excites him. “We strive and hope we can always meet our clients’ expectations.” With its elaborate portfolio and strings of high end clients it demands for a defined

corporate brand. “You have to act and play the part, and as a business we are cut from the same cloth. We are open, honest, structured and responsible in the way we operate,” comments Martin. His keen eye on details, branding and publicity has also seen him establish a well defined corporate image. “I am very observant on the type of communication or material that we share with clients and the public. Our soft skills, dress code and presentation have to match up to the company’s brand,” he remarks.

Working with the right publicity partners has also been fruitful, he says. “I have and continue to contribute articles and commentaries to a string of relevant magazines and newspapers, as well as advertising in the right platforms.” Although the property market has been coupled by resounding challenges, FAPCL employs risk mechanisms and due diligence to prevent fraud. “We do extensive research on any property before we acquire or manage. For instance, we do not deal with a property with a checkered history or whose history is unknown. We also make sure that we deal with property owners directly,” observes martin. Asked which management plan works for him, Martin remarks: “You have to plan and manage your time well for you to be productive. The secret to success is hard work. If all Kenyans work hard we would have a very productive economy.”

His advice to entrepreneurs? “Identify your strengths and weaknesses and work best at your peak. Making money is always a big challenge and temptations are abound. Don’t ever bend the rules.” The road ahead FAPCL aims to increase revenue by more than 10 per cent for the next few years as well as position itself as an authority in the market.

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Young And Enterprising

Commonly known as ‘Ba Mkubwa’, the voice artiste is on a mission to create a better world for himself and fellow youth through his creative talent. Words

Sylvester Okumu

Former Street Boy Trains His Voice On Audio Ads

“

Viatu na bei...viatu na bei...” you are probably privy to this musical but humorous voice urging you to buy shoes in various shops in downtown Nairobi.

The same voice will urge you to buy clothes at a boutique, dine at a hotel or walk into a supermarket. You will even hear him calling you to check out new silky handsets at a shop. Collins Musungu, 28 years old is the man behind this voice. Commonly known as Ba Mkubwa in his line of business, he was born and raised in Mombasa and later western Kenya. He is talkative, kind with quite a sense of humour to boot. His story of grass to grace is typical of a Kenyan ‘hustler’ tale.

He was born to a not-well-to-do family. The death of his father while he was in class eight further subjected him to adversity at a tender age that would later shape his view of life in a major way, he says.

“Through God’s grace, I completed primary and secondary studies. Although, most of the time I was not in school due to lack of fees. My dream to enrol for a journalism course at the then Mombasa Polytechnic also crumbled due to lack of funds,” he recollects.

The youthful entrepreneur charges Kshs 150,000 for an annual deal for high end customers and Kshs 2000 every month for normal services.

He says his major pay was Kshs 2.2 million worth of deal with Safaricom for Skiza Tune. In the arrangement, individuals are able to set his audio recording as a ringback tune for calls.

As fate would have it, he soldiered on trying his luck on casual jobs. He went to Kitale trying his fate as a taxi driver but failed. He returned to Nairobi to work as a casual labourer at industrial area and failed again. Lacking support, he ended up in the streets as a rascal.

In a view to become relevant and increase his revenue streams, he plans to voice corporate ads, mceeing and venture into visual advertising. He has also worked as a presenter at Youth TV which helped him develop his ‘Bomba Bomba Show’. In the show he profiles young and creative talents such as celebrities and entrepreneurs. Currently airing on YouTube, he plans to sell it to a leading national broadcaster. His growing popularity has seen him grace major TV stations and popular shows like the ‘Churchill Show’.

Breakthrough His dreams for a better life later started to blossom gradually when he was employed to sell shoes at a shop in Muthurwa, Nairobi. “A friend believed in me and hooked me up for the opportunity,” he reveals. At the time, a trend had gained traction where shops would woo customers to their wares using music, mostly played at the shop fronts. His shop was not any different. He was determined to make an impression at his new job, and persuade more customers to buy.

He recorded an audio ad for his employer. The employer was impressed by his uniqueness at the craft. It worked magic as they noted increased business. Other shop owners noted this and begun asking for his services. He recorded more audios and sold at a fee of Kshs 6,000. Clients acknowledged that his audio ads changed the whole customer experience in a foremost way.

He is now a leader in this line of business. His audio ads run for 10-15 minutes, which can then be repeated. “I include humour in my ads. I also describe the products in such a way that it attracts the targeted customer to try out the products,” says Mr. Musungu. He crafts the audio to fit specific needs of a customer such as types of goods sold and prices.

Mr. Musungu however says that all is not rosy in the industry. He resents the so called ‘brokers’ who exploit young talents in the media industry. “People are also trying to copy my craft but that unfazed me, as my style is unique,” he concludes.

What you need to know about him Born Collins Musungu but commonly known as ‘Ba Mkubwa’.

Spent three years as a street urchin.

Married and has a young daughter, Angel Belle aged 8 months.

Major breakthrough came in 2014 when he started making audio ads.

• First impression for him is everything as he likes to be presentable.

• He encourages youth to work hard as nothing comes on a silver platter.

• Can be reached on Facebook @ Ba Mkubwa.

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Executive Talk

Young, Ambitious And Innovative 29 year old Trushar Khetia, a Kenyan entrepreneur, builds two successful enterprises in a span of three years Words

Jenny Nyawira

ow many hours do you spend in traffic jams every day? Indeed, traffic and congestion is one of the major nightmares for many people living in Nairobi. Apparently, the issue seems not to end any time soon as more and more people are buying cars and others moving into the city.

While many view it as chaotic, for Trushar Khetia however, it was an opportunity in disguise. In 2013, the young executive founded Tria Group, an outdoor advertising company that uses public transport vehicles to market leading consumer goods. “The whole idea came about after I simply looked at the public transport sector and realized how people spend much of their time in traffic,” says Khetia. That is how he founded a niche in the transit media sector. Having studied and worked abroad, he realized that almost all buses had advertisements, unlike here in Kenya where the opportunity was barely utilized. Besides, being exposed to heavy public transport when he was a student inspired him to do creative things. Khetia says that it was the uniqueness of the transit media that made it easier to break into the Kenyan market. Today, the public transport industry has evolved in terms of media advertising and it has become increasingly accepted. “We have clients reaching us, unlike before when we had to persist to get business.” Tria Group has also diversified to what Khetia calls “out of home media”. This is a great opportunity for the company since people are spending more and more time out and about. “We are targeting bus shelters and so far we have put up seventeen bus stops at prime locations in Nairobi,” he says. The bus stops not only act as public shelter or a platform for advertisers to market their products; but they also act as a business spot as each of them has a kiosk.

The company has also expanded to mall advertisement and is already in Thika Road Mall and Sarit Center. Here, customers get a chance to interact with the brands in a more relaxing environment. Furthermore,

the company has ventured into airline advertisement.

Advice To Young Entrepreneurs

Tria Group has presence in Kenya and Tanzania and has been able to serve some of the major corporate among them CocaCola, Dell, Google, HP and Unilever. Venturing into the retail sector About one and half years on from the launch of the Tria Group, Khetia decided to diversify his business with the launch of Society Stores. The retail venture has become one of the most popular supermarkets. “In business, you have to keep on diversifying,” he says.

His passion for owning a chain of retail stores started during childhood, having been brought up in a business environment. Besides, most of his previous employments were within the retail sector, while in Tria, most of his clients deal with Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG). “Our business strategy is acquisition,” he reveals. Khetia opened his first Society Stores shop in November 2014, after acquiring an established supermarket in Thika. The business has grown exponentially in a span of two years from one to five stores spread in Thika, Meru, Maua, Kayole and Naivasha. He is set to launch another store in Limuru. Out of these, four have been acquisitions of existing businesses, while the rest have been built from ground.

Khetia chose to locate his stores upcountry and in busy agricultural towns as he feels that is where the opportunity lies. By putting up the retail chain, the young entrepreneur is happy that he has changed the lives of many people. Starting with only 60 employees, today, Society Stores has raised the number to 380. He has also developed some of his staff from junior positions to managerial levels. “Seeing other people grow is what gives an entrepreneur the feeling of satisfaction,” offers Khetia. Rewarding experience The experience of starting and running your own business appears easy from

“Sometimes we do not realize that we are so close to the finishing line. Most people quit when they are just about to cross that line.” the outside, but it comes with a lot of responsibilities and sacrifices.

Khetia observes that there is no tougher examination of one’s abilities than running a business. However, with passion and determination, he has build two successful ventures in a span of three years. For him, that has been a learning experience that has stretched his capacity and he believes he has become a better business person. As the chief executive officer and founder of Tria Group and Society Stores, Khetia is responsible for managing the day to day running of the businesses, selling and maintaining client relationships. He has transformed his company from a start-up to a corporate.

He was also recognized by Forbes for the 2nd year running as one of ‘Africa’s 30 most promising young entrepreneurs in 2016.

Going forward, Khetia plans to start a radio station hopefully by 2017, and open up a disruptive online store by 2020. Advice to young entrepreneurs Khetia urges young people to let their passion manifest during tough times. “Sometimes we do not realize that we are so close to the finishing line. Most people quit when they are just about to cross that line.”

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The Techie

Will Kenya Embrace Mobile Voting Technology? Michael Andrew Nduati talks about M-kura, a mobile voting platform, and how it can increase transparency during elections

he 2007/2008 post election violence is still fresh in the minds of many. While most of us were eagerly waiting to have a new government, what we did not know was that it could not come on a silver platter. Lives were lost and property destroyed due to what was termed as a poorly managed election. Inspired by these experiences, Michael Andrew Nduati decided to develop a mobile voting application that could make elections more user friendly and transparent. “I thought there needed to be a better way to carry out elections whereby relaying and tallying results did not involve human interaction,” he says. Besides, queuing during voting day is sometimes very strenuous and time consuming. Wanting to address these challenges and inspired by the success of M-pesa, the Mobile Kura (M-kura) app was born. Unable to raise funds to engage a software engineer to build the software, Nduati decided to work with an app developer, a university student at the time, with whom he walked step by step with the little money he could afford in bits until they came up with a working app. “The app has been improved significantly,” he offers. It has even been linked to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) through their developers’ link program. Besides, it can pick up data in real time as if in an actual election from presidential to the ward level with their photos and party symbols.

Why adopt mobile voting Mobile voting can be done through the USSD or short codes provided by the mobile phone signal carriers. Nduati says that this method can be used by virtually all phone users even those without internet. It is also relatively cheaper as it is SMS based compared to internet based options. It can also be conducted through mobile phone apps, accessed via mobile devices or the internet. This method allows voters

to see the photos or the party symbols of those they are voting for. However, it requires users to be in an internet connected zone or have an internet connected device. In Kenya nonetheless, internet penetration is low especially in the rural areas.

According to Nduati, mobile voting could benefit the government and other stakeholders in a great way. During the general elections, the government can save tax payers money that could be directed to other pressing development projects.

Mobile voting allows people to vote from the comfort of their homes or offices. This means that all people who are eligible to vote including the old, the sick, persons with special needs and those in Diaspora, who are generally left out would have a chance to practice their democratic rights. It could also save voters money huge sums of money as some have to travel to the poling stations in which they registered. “Voting should be a simple and fast exercise so that voters can go back to their businesses and in cases where the voters are few get instant results,” says Nduati.

The young innovator further notes that voters can make informed choices as they are able to look up the candidates they see on their phones before they make the final decision. This is unlike the normal queuing where such a luxury is not available and many people barely know some candidates even on the Election Day. Most remarkably, unlike in the manual counting and tallying which is archaic in this day and age, mobile voting allows for instant results tallying and relaying once the votes are cast. It also reduces rigging, ballot stuffing as well as manipulation of the voting process. The innovators are looking forward to partnering with the government in order

to come up with a way forward on mobile phone voting.

Our milestones M-kura had the privilege to participate and emerge a finalist in “The next big thing” (first group), a competition run by the Business Daily, an initiative of the Nation Media Group.

The App is also running on Android and is available for free download at the Google play store. “Our App picks up data from the developers’ link at IEBC so its gives one the feel of a real election in Kenya.” Besides, M-kura is protected under the copyright act by the Kenya Industrial and Property Institute.

Despite these successes, Nduati reveals that they have experienced their own fair of challenges. To start with is access to finance which affects most young innovators in the country. “We do not have a lot of “angel investors” here in Kenya and those there always take up less risky ventures or wait until one has made a break through to come in,” he says. Besides, many young innovators are reluctant to expose their innovations for fear that they may be stolen or copied by other people with more resources.

“Kenya lacks a proper platform in which innovators can showcase their ideas to potential investors.” This makes it had for young entrepreneurs to get funding considering that here in Kenya, selling a brilliant idea on a piece of paper is almost impossible. In spite of this, Nduati feels that having a great team behind your innovation is the key. He also urges the government to support and fund local startups.

Currently, Nduati and his team are developing a portal “electionskenya.co.ke” whose objective is to make politicians answerable to their electorates. It is also meant to improve governance.

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Main Story ; Banks Scramle For SMEs With Charming Deals

BANKS SCRAMBLE FOR SMEs WITH CHARMING DEALS Words

Sylvester Okumu

icro, small and medium-sized (MSMEs) in Kenya are into a new era as financial institutions strategize to service this lucrative sector with all manner of appealing services. If anything the government initiative to set up a Shs 30 billion SME fund as part of a push to overcome the lending rates capping further proves how crucial the sector is to the development of Kenya’s economy. The sector is critical for the sustainable growth and resilient development of African economies according to Felix Bikpo group chief executive at African Guarantee Fund (AGF). Peter Macharia the founder and managing director of SME lender Jijenge credit also share this belief saying: “SMEs is the engine room for growth of Kenya’s economy.” Lucrative sector Banks are increasingly viewing SMEs as lucrative but high risk as they represent possibly the largest single group of bankable clients disparate to say corporate businesses or other niches whose numbers are much less.

SMEs are also viewed as nimble and fast in decision making, improving their attractiveness. Like Macharia who runs a small business financier, he says he can make decision rapid and efficiently largely because he is the owner and there are much less bureaucracies involved. “For clients we can even negotiate for a better rate and disburse credit faster as opposed to say big lenders. That also gives us an upper hand.”

This ultimately reduces the process cost for loans, both for the lender and the SME. “Lenders have increasingly seen this sector as an opening for growth. International institutions are coming in making funds

available for banks to lend. For instance our partnership with Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) for a USD 500,000 grant to support small holder farmers under our supply chain financing explains this,” reveals Ivan Mbowa, CEO and co-founder of Umati Capital-an online SME lender.

AGF on its part reaffirmed its commitment of the growth of small businesses in Africa by announcing a Green Guarantee Facility in Nairobi June 2016 that will support SMEs in investing in green growth.

He also expressed his optimism to grow the capacity of SMEs across Africa in line with AGF strategic partnerships with more financial institutions.

Dedicated units It is in view of this nearly all lenders locally have turned their attention to establishing departments to carter for SMEs. Family Bank, Equity Bank, KCB Group, Cooperative Bank of Kenya and Barclays Bank are among the lenders that have overhauled their support to SMEs to financial services, cash management and trade services. For instance KCB in March 2016 launched a five years Shs 50 billion youth entrepreneurship programme dubbed 2Jiajiri. It aims to nurture and support small businesses with a vision of creating at least 2.5 million jobs in the next five years.

“In our approach to serve SMEs better, we have tailored a wide range of products and services for the segment, specifically to address their needs,” said Annastacia Kimtai, KCB’s Group retail director adding that: “This range from business accounts, working capital loans, trade finance and supplier financing facilities among others. This is also informed by our conviction that today’s SMEs are Africa’s conglomerates of the future.”

USD 79 million “We believe that SME’s are the tools by which African economies will continue to develop. It is estimated that the revenues generated by SMEs stands at USD 79 million.

“In 2015, we acquired Guarantee Fund for Private Investment in West Africa (GARI Fund). This strengthened our capacity, accelerated our commercial presence across the continent and ensured that we are able to continue with our mandate of ensuring SME’s across Africa have access to the finances they need to grow,” said Bikpo at the launch adding that “We believe that SME’s are the tools by which African economies will continue to develop. It is estimated that the revenues generated by SMEs stands at USD 79 million. To date, AGF has disbursed USD 40 million as loans to SMEs in collaboration with our partner financial institutions.”

KCB Group runs a dedicated SME unit and Biashara Club-a networking forum for entrepreneur that the bank services.

Mid this year Equatorial Commercial Bank (ECB) rebranded to Spire Bank with its eyes set on banking small and medium enterprises while expanding its retail base. Last year Barclays Bank of Kenya stepped up its commitment to SMEs with a Shs 30 billion fund. Jeremy Awori, Barclays Managing Director said the bank would continue to support the sector: “It’s part of our plan in helping accelerate economic growth and provide market specific products given that this sector contributes half of Kenya’s GDP and are now providing 80 per cent of new jobs.”

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Main Story ; Banks Scramle For SMEs With Charming Deals

KCBâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SME Gameplan

KCB has a fully-fledged SMEs unit, dedicated to serving the segment and also has Biashara Club, a networking platform for entrepreneurs across the 7 markets that the Bank is present.

n March, KCB launched a five-year Ksh50 billion youth entrepreneurship programme that is meant to nurture and support small businesses, with an eye at creating at least 2.5 million jobs in the next five years. Under the programme, startups and existing SMEs will be linked with market opportunities and funding. The upcoming KCB sponsored Lions DenShow is for example meant to identify the best and most viable business ideas to be funded by venture capitalists. The winners will also benefit from mentorship and training. “SMEs have been a key element of our growth story over the years and we are continually making deliberate investments to support the sector. We believe that the segment will remain a crucial driver of Kenya’s economic journey into the future. This is also informed by our conviction that today’s SMEs are Africa’s conglomerates of the future,” said Annastacia Kimtai, KCB Bank Kenya Retail Director. “In our approach to serve SMEs better, we have tailored a wide range of products and services for the segment, specifically to address their needs. This ranges from business accounts, working capital loans, trade finance and supplier financing facilities among others. Through partnerships between the Bank and other institutions across the value chain and riding on the wide array of business units across KCB Group, we are able to expose them to growth opportunities,” said Mrs Kimtai. KCB sees SMEs as a key cog in its growth story in the coming years and the sector playing a catalytic role in the country’s economic journey.

“We are seeing a substantial growth in the SMEs sector as more startups come up, startups graduate into medium sized businesses and eventually evolving into big enterprises. We are well positioned to support these businesses across the levels as they grow,” said Mrs Kimtai. About Biashara Club KCB Biashara Club is a networking

platform for customers which exposes them to growth opportunities locally and internationally. Having begun in 2008, with SME setup in mind, the Biashara club mandate is to avail SME banking (lending and deposit) and other enterprise development services to the customers. The Club currently has over 15,000 active members in KCB Kenya, and over 4,000 in South Sudan and Rwanda.Over the years, the club has formed strategic partnerships with the club members in mind.32,000 customers have already been trained with over26 international trips, 6 local trips and 1 regional trip.

Last year alone the club conducted 56 Business trainings regionally and internationally across the regions and over 60 are to be conducted this year. The Club aims to reassure customers that they have made the right choice to bank with us as we are their business partners and to act as a vehicle to economic growth of the country. The Club members get to enjoy several benefits such as access to, & the support of a dedicated Relationship Manager, Regional and international trips as well as preferential pricing on selected bank services. One of the biggest benefits the members enjoy are the partnerships between the Biashara Club with USAID, Export Promotion Council (EPC), International Finance Corporation (IFC), U.S. Embassy and other professional partners to provide them with solutions and advisory services in aspect of their business. The international trips have not only opened opportunities for the club members to leverage on both import and export opportunities,networking opportunities and easily access to Biashara loans; but they have also opened opportunities for the bank through immense source of foreign exchange from travelling customers and Influence to retention of club customers, a major source of Non-Funded Income (NFI).The Club is envisioning a bright future by educating and enabling the members with E-Commerce and M- Commerce platform for their business growth and establishing a Club Web Portal where members can access Trip Information, Workshop/ Seminar modules, Biashara News and SME Loan Application forms. This year, the Club has held trips to Rwanda, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and the USA with two more trips planned for the remaining part of the year to China and South Africa.

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Main Story ; Banks Scramle For SMEs With Charming Deals

Jijenge Credit: Empowering People With Credit Facilities The institution not only serves customers at the comfort of their offices, but provides its services promptly and efficiently. Words

Jenny Nyawira

n Kenya, the microfinance sector has come of age. The industry has grown exponentially over the years with some microfinance institutions evolving into fully fledged banks. Demand for microfinance products remains strong especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as well as majority of people at the base of the pyramid. “Many people around the country remain unbanked, a gap that calls for a depth of financial services to address,” says Peter Macharia, managing director at Jijenge Credit Limited. Kenya has only 43 banks that are expected to serve 40 million people. With regard to that, Macharia feels there is a great opportunity to lend, the reason why Jijenge Credit was founded.

It is worth noting that many people remain locked out of accessing financial services due to lack of awareness. “In the financial sector, only a few Kenyans patronize their products.” Therefore industry players including microfinance institutions (MFIs), savings and credit cooperative societies (Saccos), insurance companies and banks should endevour to create awareness to ensure increased uptake of their products. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, Jijenge Credit Limited is a non-deposit taking microfinance lending institution. It was established in early 2014 with a focus of providing financial support to individuals and businesses on flexible terms. Range of credit facilities Jijenge offers a variety of credit facilities at competitive interest rates to its customers.

Peter Macharia, managing director, Jijenge Credit Limited.

To start with is loan against logbooks. The product is designed to enable clients derive maximum value from their motor vehicles. The logbook acts as the collateral. “The loan is disbursed within one hour,” observes Macharia.

It also provides check off loans where a loan is given against your salary and deductions done directly.

1 Hour “Our turnaround time is short as we are able to process some loans within one hour

No securities, guarantors or account opening is required. Rates are negotiable and flexible depending on the risk profile of every client.

Additionally, Jijenge provides school fee emergency loan that is aimed at meeting all the school fees needs of its clients. The product also extends to other educational courses such as driving school and short courses. Other credit facilities include import duty finance, LPO financing, issuance of performance bonds and bid bonds, loans against shares, cheque discounting, invoice discounting, loans against rental income. Unique service delivery What differentiates Jijenge from other financial institutions is that it has unique service delivery. “Our turnaround time is short as we are able to process some loans within one hour,” avers Macharia. Besides, the company has different payment methods such as M-pesa cash and cheque. Most remarkably, it serves customers at the comfort of their offices by delivering cash to their bank accounts. “Our main focus is to offer unique and special services to our clients.”

So far, Jijenge has been able to serve customers outside Nairobi. “We have entered into different contractual agreements with various service

providers who are able to service our customers in different parts of the country,” he reveals.

Having worked in the banking sector for over 20 years, the managing director has good knowledge of the industry, customer needs as well as expectations. He hires and trains graduates from local universities in order to equip them with the required skills to drive the organization.

Despite its successes, Macharia mentions that competition is a major challenge in the industry. While the microfinance sector has a lot of potential for growth, it is evident that the mainstream banks have moved to serve people who were initially served by the MFIs.

Currently, the company is developing a mobile banking system that will help serve customers at any part of the country. Today, mobile banking has made finance more accessible and quicker on a larger scale. That has been made possible by the massive uptake of mobile phones by people even at the bottom of the pyramid. Commenting about interest rate capping, Macharia says the move is good for the country. Most MFIs borrow from banks thus they will be able to transfer the benefits to their customers. Going forward, he plans to increase the company’s customer base and transform Jijenge into a fully fledged bank in the next 10 years.

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Knowledge Economy

Be The Man And Woman With A Difference, Read A Book By Ng'ang'a

Mbugua

ccording to US writer Mark Twain, famous in Kenya for two of his books, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, the man who does not read has no advantage over the man who cannot read. What this means is that there is basically no man who knows how to read but does not and the man who is illiterate. Reading is the surest way to knowledge and knowledge leads those who have it on the path of personal growth and ultimately to social progress.

In Kenya, we are faced with a unique problem. We have a large population of people who can read. In fact, literacy levels are upwards of 70 per cent. However, many of these will not be caught reading. In countries like Japan, for instance, where the population stands at around 126 million, the circulation of their daily newspapers is well above ten per cent of the population. In September 2014, for example, theYomiuri Shimbun, sold 9.2 million copies a day. The second largest newspaper, Asahi Shimbun, sold 7.2 million copies daily while the third,Mainichi Shimbun sold 3.3 million copies. Indeed, there are other newspapers that sell over a million copies daily. In Kenya by contrast, the ratio of the population that buys newspapers every day is negligible compared to the population. In a group of 100 people, probably one buys a newspaper regularly. The only consolation is that there are ten people who read every newspaper bought. Still, as a proportion of the population this is a relatively small number. Yet, newspapers are considered light reading, say, compared to books.

Indeed, books fare much worse than newspapers. It is, in my estimation, difficult to plot the population of readers on the Kenyan map. I would not be surprised if I were to find out that there are more people with mortgages than there are active readers nationally. But I am yet to test this hypothesis. One of the biggest challenges facing Kenya is that only those in schools and colleges read. However, even when they do, they restrict their reading to text and recommended books. Few have the curiosity to venture further afield and read for pleasure. And in a world where Facebook and television are growing as sources of entertainment, this can only mean that books, their writers and publishers are facing a Herculean battle in promoting reading.

Once, a friend of mine asked what books I had written. When I told her one of my titles, she exclaimed: â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I bought it for my daughter two weeks ago! I had no idea that you wrote it.â&#x20AC;? She confessed that her daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s school had given her a list of books to buy. She had presented the list at a bookshop, bought the box and took them to her daughter without as much as taking a casual glance.

The failure to read, especially among those who are able to, may not be apparent until one rises to speak. The man or woman who has been friends with books will stand out heads and shoulders above the one who has not. The same goes for children. Those who are good at reading generally have more confidence, improved social skills and ultimately an evident command of language that makes even adults sit up and take notice. The Austrian philosopher, Ludwig Wittgenstein, in his book, Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus, observed that “the limit of my language is the limit of my world”. By extension, those who fail to read automatically limit their world. There is much that they do not know in a world where knowledge is power. As such, when the rest of the world is discussing big ideas, such as how to reduce inequality, how to tackle the immigration crisis, how to build more just and open societies, those who shun knowledge can only be spectators.

Anyone who has travelled to Europe will attest that reading is an integral part of European culture. In the trains and buses, commuters are glued to their books. Even when they are glued to electronic gadgets, they are likely to spend more time reading a book or magazine than browsing social media.

Wittgenstein admonished that “that which we cannot speak about, we must pass over in silence.” It is easier to silence a population that has little esteem for knowledge. Indeed, the freedom of expression and information enjoyed by enlightened individuals and societies liberate them from the shackles of oppression. There have been studies in the past which have shown that societies without free speech are more likely to suffer from famine, first because those affected have no voice and also because they lack the capacity to make their plight known outside their little world. It happened not too far from here in 1984.

Not surprisingly, they live culturally, intellectually and artistically richer lives.

This month, publishers from Kenya and beyond will be hosting the Nairobi International Book Fair, which opens its doors to the public on September 21.

In Kenya by contrast, it is rare to come across a person reading in a public transport vehicle or in a public place, say a quiet restaurant or a park. As such, they limit their world by limiting their exposure to ideas generated across regions and generations.

Food for thought for you. Mr Mbugua is a newspaper edited and an awardwinning author. His novella, Angels of the Wild, has been shortlisted for the Wahome Mutahi Literary Prize. mbugua@bigbooks.co.ke

They are exposed to diverse ideas and more magical worlds because they have a more robust engagement with both fiction and non-fiction. Indeed, it is said that although Europeans only constitute 10 per cent of the world population, they produce 30 per cent of the global knowledge generated each year. Yet, they do not read to pass exams. They read because they have an intellectual curiosity, a hunger for knowledge and a thirst for higher truth.

Recently, I asked a colleague to write a short report about Napoleon Bonaparte. “Is he coming to Kenya?” she asked. When I laughed, she asked: “Is he dead?”

The theme for this year is “Inspired to Read”. The fair offers an opportunity for those who would to interact with books published in Kenya and beyond, and thereby expand their world. But even as this will be happening, we must not forget that the decision to slap VAT on books, in a country with an already weak reading culture, is unlikely to encourage more Kenyans to embark on the richly rewarding journey of self-advancement through reading.

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Customer Service

Don’t Pretend You Love Your Customers If you purport to love someone, you will then naturally be curious about them. You will make efforts to: understand their character and values Carolyne Gathuru

here is no corporate that doesn’t abide by the notion that they love their customers and that they put them at the center of their business. Every organization has a customer service charter or policy - whether documented or otherwise - that states that their customers are very important to their business. In various instances, both in the public and private sector, these declarations of love for the customer are mounted in public places, with the general gist of the writ being that - their customers are very dear, and the organization recognizes and appreciates them and their valued custom. But wait a minute……… If indeed these pronouncements and avowals of love and affection are indeed so, wouldn’t we have a national customer service index that rivals that of Belgium that is touted to have the best customer satisfaction rating in the world ( voidance. com)? Would we not have less customer complaints and a bigger focus on creativity and innovation towards customer focused product and service delivery?

The answer to this dilemma is straight forward really… Whilst organizations really do think they love their customers, they actually don’t. The evidence on the ground is overwhelming, with the scales tipping towards an unloved and unappreciated customer base.

Looking at these telling and telltale occurrences that commonly plague organizations it is apparent that:-

They don’t listen: Really truly, if you are in love, you will listen. You will really really listen; and not only will you do that, but also endeavor to seek out your partner to specifically listen to them. Listen to what makes them happy and what makes them sad. In the same vein, organizations that love their customers would take the time to really seek out the Voice of The Customer. They would put out feelers to hear their customers’ viewpoints with regards to their products, services and experiences.

If you love your customers, you WILL make special and extra ordinary efforts to know and understand them; and with this precious data at hand, you will go ahead to give them the best possible personalized service you can.

Every effort would be put in place to understand the customers’ thoughts and to factor these into management decisions. Different listening devices would be put out to ensure no customer feedback goes unattended to, and that every customer that proposes, suggests or complains about something, gets a response. Specific budgets would be put aside to ensure regular customer surveys are conducted, and that opportunities are created to have customer forums - whether physical or online - to gather customers together to hear them out. Customers love to be listened to, and to express their candid feedback about their experiences. They love to be communicated to and to truly know that they are important. Listening to customers provides this affirmation.

When given an opportunity to propose improvements, it would be the exception rather than the norm to have a customer decline. They grab any chance to provide their input and feel rather important when sought out. There is no higher compliment one can pay a customer than to take the time to listen to them and value their input. So dear corporates – if you love your customers, you WILL listen to them. And not only will you listen to them when they seek you out, but make every effort to reach out to them to provide the listening into which they speak. Genuine listening; full of love and not judgment. They don’t know and understand the customer: If you purport to love someone, you will then naturally be curious about them. You will make efforts to: understand their character and values; know what makes them tick and what ticks them off; and to seek to know their history, patterns and aspirations. Now transpose this onto the customer… If an organization truly loves its customers, then the common buzz phrase Know Your Customer (KYC) would translate into tangible customer experience outputs, rather than being a nice-to-have initiative. They would take the time to understand the demographics, psychographics, preferences and values that drive customers. Knowing

and understanding the customer enables corporates to understand their motivations, and to customize service to appeal to these alignments. Intimately knowing the customer ultimately provides the opportunity to appreciate them in a way that resonates deeply and personally. Collecting simple customer biodata such as dates of birth, not only allows the corporate to understand the demographic skew, but also enables customization of simple well wishes on the customer’s special day, that goes a long way to endear the customer to the brand. Knowing and understanding customers allows for the creation of delightful customer experiences. Ones that will have the customers’ expectations exceeded, and that will have them hankering after the brand, whilst playing the role of true ambassadors. Human beings have an inane desire to feel appreciated that when fed, generates an emotional engagement that transcends rational thought. So dear corporates – if you love your customers, you WILL make special and extra ordinary efforts to know and understand them; and with this precious data at hand, you will go ahead to give them the best possible personalized service you can. Genuine attention; full of love and not self-interest.

So there we have it…The idiom that ‘actions speak louder than words’ indeed rings true in the area of customer love. Meting out all sorts of proclamations and assertions of love does not, and will not quite cut it anymore. Customers must demand evidence of this love, and seek out tangible manifestations of it. There is no mystery, secret formula or magic potion required to succeed to genuinely love your customers, and deliver on their expectations. If corporates would only know their customers and listen to them… everything else will follow. Carolyne Gathuru is an accomplished brand specialist, marketing strategist and founder of LifeSkills Consulting. She is an ardent customer service practitioner with over 15 years experience. Email: cgathuru@life-skills.co.ke

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Human Capital

Why Putting Employees First & Customers Second Is Profitable Words

Perminus Wainaina

he common perception across organizations and businesses in Kenya is that the Customer is always right. This has led most employers today to put greater emphasis on customer satisfaction than their employees; a situation that continues to drive an unhappy workforce. But is this right? Is having little regard for the value employees bring to a company beneficial in any way? Richard Branson, the successful Virgin boss, has over time spoken openly about the challenges a company faces by not putting their employees first.

In an interview with Inc.Com , Branson is surprised that more companies are yet to adopt a management strategy that is focused on employees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Unhappy employees can ruin the brand experience for numerous customers. By not treating the employees well, companies risk losing customers over bad service,â&#x20AC;? says Branson. You will agree that the employment scene in Kenya is shaky and unpredictable. Organizations experience high turnovers, especially in their Sales departments, and miscommunication is very common. All these factors are why you will find most employees disengaged, customers are unhappy, and your company not growing as you want it to. If the business or organization is facing these issues, then it

may be time to change up the management style and focus on employees.

If this has not convinced you yet, here are the benefits you stand to gain.

Reasons to Always Put Your Employees First 1. Happy employees lead to happy customers and a strong brand Once you focus on the state of your employees

and provide them with necessary tools to keep them happy and engaged, you can expect them to reciprocate that treatment to the customers. On the other hand, if employees don’t feel appreciated and are not happy working for the company, then this attitude could rub off on clients.

Think about it; employees interact with customers directly and could say anything about the company’s culture, products and services. What employees say about your business is very important. Happy employees will always have something good to say, leading to happy customers and a strong brand. The opposite is true with unhappy employees. 2. You cannot control everything your employees do As an employer, however much you may want to know what your employees are up to at all times, you cannot control everything. Engaged and motivated employees will do the ‘right ‘ thing without the need for constant supervision.

3. The customer is not always right Customers come in different shapes; there is the unreasonable type that is never pleased no matter what and those who are just plain wrong. If as an employer you always side with customers instead of your employees, you risk having an unhappy workforce and even worse customer service.

4. Happy employees will solve problems without being prompted Every business experiences challenges in its daily operations and when this happens, employers will need employees to help fix the problems. When you have a happy workforce, your employees will always take the initiative to solve problems before they get worse. On the other hand, an unhappy employee will just move along and watch as the issue escalates.

When employees are put first before customers, they feel a sense of ownership to the business and feel responsible for every little thing. They feel the need to be part of the business and happy enough to do everything they can to propel its growth. So, how can you keep employees happy? Keeping employees happy can be difficult for most businesses as it requires that you understand what they want and their individual motivations. It can also be challenging to tell if your employees are happy, which is why you may want to use an employee satisfaction survey to know for sure. But before even that, here is how to keep employees happy.

1. Pay your employees the market rate The worst thing you can do as an employer is assume that people are working for you out of desperation, hence offer them low salaries. Once your employees find out that they are underpaid, their attitude towards your business changes and they become disengaged and you start pulling in different directions. This could have a huge impact on your company’s bottom-line. If you are not sure of what the market rate for a position is, you can browse similar job adverts, take a survey on other businesses or consult recruiters. 2. Employees are adults and you should treat them as such A business that is built on open communication will do better than one that is not. Employees want to know the truth and be addressed in a straightforward manner. If the business is not doing so well, the employees want to know. If the company is going through a merger or any other important issue that could affect employees, they will want to know. Being open with employees promotes an engaged workforce. Threats and intimidation only yield temporary results. 3. Understand you are the boss and act like it While your company may operate on an open culture, there are limits to the level of openness you should have with your employees. As a boss, you need to be consistent and avoid portraying that you are equal to your employees. The reality is that you are not. It is important to maintain an open relationship, but not one of peers. Bottom-line Putting customers first before employees will be putting your business at risk. Employees need to feel appreciated and respected if they are to deliver on what you want, and in return contribute to the growth of the business. This then mirrors on the customers and the results thereafter are everything you have always envisioned for your business.

But how do you know if your employees are happy or not? Do not make an assumption when it comes to the engagement of employees. Take your employees through a few questions in form of a job satisfaction survey to know for sure. The surveys can be anonymous, making the results more credible and honest.

Perminus Wainaina is the Managing Partner & Head of Recruitment at Corporate Staffing Services Ltd. Email. Perminus@corporatestaffing.co.ke

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Trade And Investments

Are The President’s Foreign Trips Of Value To The Country?

E sectors.

conomic stability is one of the key characteristic that defines a country. This is brought on by policies and actions taken by the key stakeholders in the various

In an ever changing economic climate, networking and partnering has become crucial especially for a developing nation. According to Don Tapscott, economic stability is made possible through collaborations. He underscores the importance especially at a time when such partnerships have become the norm even in the highest ranks of global leadership. President Uhuru’s remarkable efforts towards a steady-state economy could soon bear fruits that will jump-start key areas that have been lagging behind. As a growing economy, we cannot afford to undermine the importance of Global partnerships in nation building. In this regard, President Uhuru is said to have made close to 43 foreign trips since coming into office; an issue that has invited reproach as many struggle to see the economic value therein. One of the major concerns has been the number of delegates accompanying the president which in my opinion is not an unnecessary expenditure since other heads of nations have been in the company of delegates from their own countries.

Others have brought to question the significance of the trips to the common tax payer, and have written them off as unnecessary expenditure. However, I would be ignorant to say all the trips have been made in vain. I believe a closer look at the opportunities created thus far will clear all doubts about the importance of these trips.

Positive results Kenya has recently been named the best African emerging economy to invest in due to accelerated infrastructure development and a stable political and macroeconomic environment. I am willing to bet that this is as a result of the President’s effort in diplomacy and marketing the country globally.

Investment is a vital ingredient of economic stability and when made part of a country, challenges such as poverty and unemployment are reduced. This factor guarantees an improved standard of living for people of that particular country.In his visits abroad, the President has clinched many important deals in the sectors of infrastructure, agriculture, education, energy, trade and investments. The trips made by his Excellency have given this country mileage besides meaningful partnership with the host states. Of significant mention are his trips to China,

USA, India, Israel, Germany and France. The state visit to China saw the two nations sign 15 bilateral agreements ranging from trade, energy and wildlife conservation. Also signed were agreements on economic and technical cooperation for interest free loans from the Chinese Government and a frame work agreement on the provision of concessional loan by China for Kenya’s development projects. One of the chief outcomes was the signing off of a Kes150 billion loan for extension of the SGR from Nairobi to Naivasha. The SGR, one of the biggest projects in the country, is expected to contribute immensely to the growth of the economy by improving trade and attracting investments. Once complete, the rail trip from Mombasa to Nairobi will only take four hours and will consequently see traders incorporate more of the rail system into their supply chain. It will increase the efficiency of the northern corridor, lower the cost of doing

business in the region and provide better access to markets.

In Germany, Kenyatta held bilateral talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel, who had previously led a trade delegation to Nairobi in 2014. While there, the President raised awareness on the available business and investment opportunities in Kenya as he pushed for increase in trade between the two nations. As a show of good faith, direct passenger German Airline Lufthansa’s flight to Kenya was revived, following a 16 year hiatus.

The deals between Kenya and France concentrated on security, trade, investment and tourism. Kenya managed to secure over 250million Euros in funds for infrastructure projects in the country. The meeting also saw the formation of a strategic partnership against terrorism in the region. In addition, Uhuru met with various stakeholders in the tourism industry where he promoted Kenya as a safe tourist destination for French citizens. France is the 6th largest investor in Kenya and through the Africa Development Bank, has committed close to Ksh88.5 billion to Kenya in support of various economic projects. France also donated Ksh5 billion last year to finance facelift of slums in Kenya. During his first Presidential visit to the United States last year, Kenyatta highlighted Kenya as a gateway for business into the continent and boasted of the upgrades Kenya has made in infrastructure, education and health.

Last year, US President Barrack Obama arrived in Nairobi to attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit; making him the first US president to visit Kenya. His presence in the country attracted investors, entrepreneurs, international media and delegates from all over the world; who got to see a country rich with opportunity and potential for growth. With this visit, President Kenyatta managed to repair the strained relations Kenya had with this very important ally. The state visit to Israel early this year, led to an agreement that allowed direct flights between the two countries. Kenya also reaped big from security cooperation and collaboration in water and irrigation between the two countries.Five months later, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

visited the country with a delegation of about 50 business men.

While attending the third India-Africa Forum Summit last year, the President held bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Kenya-India relations. To return the visit, the Prime Minister travelled to the country this year; a sign that the relationship between the two nations was improving.

The visit, the first visit of its kind in 35 years, yielded a total of seven trade deals amounting to $ 44.4 million. The agreements ranged from reviving the Rift valley textile industry, promoting development of SMEs and boosting tourism, trade and agriculture. India also committed to offer funds for the construction of a cancer hospital in Kenya.

When he attended the 6th international Great Lakes Region summit early this year, Kenyatta held talks with President Jose Eduardo of Angolathat saw the elimination of trade barriers between the two countries, easing of the Visa regime and enhancement of the bilateral Air Service Agreement between the nations.

Attracting recognition and achieving global competitiveness is a process that requires progressive actions and an aggressive mindset; traits that the President clearly possesses. It is worth noting that the countries mentioned above are developed and enjoy economic stability besides being key business partners. Thus, the President’s efforts towards strengthening these ties and forging new partnerships, is not only smart but also necessary if we are to ever realize the vision 2030. The high level engagement and visibility of the president during the conferences and summits he attends while on these trips, has put Kenya on the map internationally and has led to the reshaping of global perceptions of the country. Further, these trips provided the president with a paramount platform to table down the country’s agenda before the potential investors around the globe. Another notable event that has happened under President Kenyatta’s regime is the 10th World Trade Organization (WTO) ministerial conference. The meeting, the first to be hosted by an African nation,

marked a turning point for the World Trade Organization. The meeting culminated in the signing of a historic agreement dubbed, the Nairobi Package,which contained a series of six Ministerial Decisions on agriculture, cotton and issues related to least-developed countries (LDCs). The Nairobi Package also paid fitting tribute to the Conference host, Kenya, by delivering commitments that will benefit in particular the organization’s poorest members.

Six months later and Kenya is again privileged to host an international conference. The 14th session of the United Nations Conference for Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has put a global spotlight on Kenya. Investors, entrepreneurs and tourists all over the world are now exposed to the opportunities in our country. In my opinion, this new interest and recognition of Kenya as a centre for international activity is not by mere chance or coincidence, I believe this is as a result of President Kenyatta’s zealous and persistent marketing of Kenya.

Although Kenya is expected to spend an estimated Ksh250 million to host the conference, we will reap immense short and long term benefits that will not only boost our country’s economy but also our image. The ripple effects from this conference could be tremendous. One simply cannot put a price tag on such kind of publicity and I dare say; we are on the brink of an economic revolution. By the end of the conference, Kenya hopes to secure transactions and deals worth over Ksh1.4 trillion. Tokyo conference (TICAD) happened recently at KICC where 50 Heads of State came down with thousands of businessmen. President Kenyatta has grabbed international attention with a success neither of his predecessors equalled. Therefore, in spite of the hefty amount that is being used to finance these trips, Kenya is undoubtedly gaining profits several folds. In as much as we are working hard to make Kenya a better place to live in, let us not forget the give and take theory. Contributor – Martin Dias Group CEO - FAPCL Group md@fapcl.com

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Higher Learning

We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money, can still get the best education possible. - Barack Obama,US President

How Dr Gicharuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Enterprising Spirit Opened University Doors to Thousands

hen the door to his teaching job slammed shut 20 years ago, Dr Simon Gicharu embarked on an odyssey into the unknown. Coincidentally, this fateful dismissal swung open a new window of opportunity and forever changed his destiny and the lives of thousands of others. After intense thinking about his plight, he saw a path he could follow: entrepreneurship. He charged down the new path, trying one business after another. But he knew it was one big risk

he was assuming. He had just traded the comfort of a salaried job in the public service with the uncertainties of the fluid world of entrepreneurship. Not until he established a college did his wandering entrepreneurial spirit find a true home.

MKU came to fill a gap in higher education and especially in Kenya

A visionary with an indomitable will, Dr Gicharu founded Mount Kenya University and gave deserving students the opportunity to access university education â&#x20AC;&#x201C; with other doors shut to them.

In so doing, he revolutionised higher education. Today, he is among the most famous entrepreneurs and educationists in Kenya. Dr Gicharu knew that limited capacity in publiclyfunded universities locked out tens of thousands of Form Four leavers who had attained joining qualifications. They had three options: to join the expensive Module II programme, enrol in private universities and pay equally high fees, or

swallow their pride and settle for a diploma programme. He saw a void and moved to create an alternative path for them, instantly transforming himself from a teacher to a celebrated entrepreneur.

“We did not establish MKU to compete with other institutions,” he insists. “MKU came to fill a gap in higher education and especially in Kenya. We are filling that gap well and we are happy.” By successfully nurturing Mount Kenya University since its formative years as Thika Institute of Technology to the academic titan it is today, Dr Gicharu has demonstrated the spirit of entrepreneurship. His resilience is stuff that truly distinguishes successful entrepreneurs from the rest.

He challenged the status quo and debunked the industry assumption that others had been educated to accept that only religious institutions, professional association, rich individuals and non-governmental organisations could establish a university in Kenya. Most private universities in Kenya are sponsored by religious groups. The majority of these institutions are limited in capacity. Their annual admission ranges from about 500 in the smallest institutions to 2,000 in the largest. For long, entry to university education in Kenya had been mostly dependent on a student’s socio–economic background. High cost deterred many – even those with the relevant marks – from enrolling in these institutions.

Yet access to university education is not only one of the fundamental rights of an individual, but also an important exit route from poverty. The 50,000 students enrolled at Mount Kenya University – making it the biggest such private institution in Eastern Africa – found the route to realising their dreams. They are the reason the university exists and is thriving. Their huge numbers are proving Dr Gicharu right: Kenya and the region need this university. With a bias for science and technology programmes, Mount Kenya University has

MKU Founder Dr. Simon Nyutu Gicharu exchanging MoU with his China University Counterpart Dr Fengchi Luan.

treaded where few private universities dare not venture. These programmes require huge investments in infrastructure and faculty, something that Dr Gicharu has not shied from. His eyes dance with laughter when he recalls the experiences he endured as he doggedly built the fledgling institution. His visit to Abarakant in Punjab State, India, to buy equipment for pharmacy training readily springs to his mind. He was there for one week tying loose ends of logistics. For all that time, he subsisted on bread and soda. “I could not eat the spicy Indian food,” he reminisces with a chuckle. “I was used to eating meat back home. To me, going one week without tasting nyama choma was a huge sacrifice.” He is delighted that the School of Pharmacy he has built since then has attracted a sizeable international faculty. “The Indians who supplied the University with equipment have now come to teach and transfer technology in Kenya,” he notes.

And, by setting up campuses strategically across the country even in shunned regions like Lodwar, Mount Kenya University is making higher education affordable and accessible. Individuals thirsty for higher education now need not leave their hometowns to travel to where they must pay for accommodation. The university is right at their doorstep.

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Leasing

Meet Rentco East Africa, The Regional Giants In Rental Finance Solutions RentCo East Africa is a regional leasing company that provides off and onbalance financial solutions directly to large and medium size organizations through the development of vendor finance programs for all types of business assets required by the customers. Edge magazine staff writer had a one-on-one interview with the group’s CEO, Mr. Robert Nyasimi, to get their inside story and how they are shaping clients’ experience. Here below is an excerpt of their conversation.

Ameet Shah co-founder Astonfield and Rentco signed an agreement to provide Kenya’s first green energy leasing product for solar power solutions.

What’s your background, and what do you do? We are a regional independent leasing company. Leasing is a way of having the right to use an asset without owning it, and working with us has several advantages. Our instruments allow clients to; • Reserve cash flow for needed working capital, • Refrain from loading balance sheet with debt or assets thus stronger case for access to credit and stronger profitability ratios, • Save cash due to reduced tax payments. This is because lease rentals are fully deductible for tax purposes and give an advantage compared to capital allowances, • Management time is now spent on very valuable value addition activities as opposed to managing assets.

What are your key products and/or services? There are a range of products and services we offer for the market. However, the key differences with our products are; • Dry leases – where only the asset is leased without additional services. • Wet leases – these contain the maintenance and operating elements of the asset. • Sale and lease back – where the asset is already purchased by the client and we purchase these and lease back to the client. • Combinations of the various lease types so that we can

Leasing continues to grow across various sectors of businesses as they begin to see not only the convenience with leasing but also the actual cash savings that it affords them.

tailor-make solutions to fit specific needs of the customer.

What’s the importance of asset leasing to the current economy of Kenya? Our country’s economy and the region at large is on the take off. As such, there is pressure to enhance services along various sectors. All this invariably require the deployment of assets be it, transport, medical, energy, retail or educational sectors. Providers need to invest in assets.

What most of them are now starting to understand, is that they do not need to access funds but to actually access the assets. As such, they can focus on providing the service they are meant to provide without having to struggle with acquisition and building of competences around managing equipment. All sectors that need equipment be it governmental, private or nongovernmental can gain significant advantages through leasing.

What’s your competitive edge in this space you’re operating in? It is a nascent industry and we pride ourselves in taking early leadership due to our flexibility in providing unique customer tailored solutions.

Based on your experience in the industry, what successes can you point to?

It is critical to tailor solutions that work for your customers and we spend a lot of energy in doing so. As such, some unique solutions that are becoming ever more selfevident in the market are clear hallmarks of our performance. Tell us about the challenges you have experienced and the intervention you have put in place? This is typically a traditional attachment to assets. Due to our heritage and history, ownership of assets reflected wealth. As such, even in businesses which are not meant to have any emotions except probably around their customers and staff, we often experience misguided notions that ownership of depreciating assets reflects some level of well-being. We have elaborated the business benefits both numerically and qualitatively to the acceptance of a growing number of customers.

What are the emerging trends in the industry? Leasing continues to grow across various sectors of businesses as they begin to see not only the convenience with leasing but also the actual cash savings that it affords them.

Going forth, what can we expect from you? Significant growth in the leasing industry strongly driven by the leadership at RentCo EA.

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Real Estate

It is quite common for high net worth individuals to own a number of houses as part of their investment portfolio and there is a wide range of options to consider ahead of embarking on this route.

Is Real Estate A Viable Option Of Saving Or Investment?

ne of the first pieces of advice that any financial planner will give you is to spread your investments over a range of options so that all of your eggs are not kept in one basket. This is to prevent an unforeseen event â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as the demise of a bank - wiping out all of your investments in one go.

A real estate investment is certainly worth considering as one of your options as long as there is a good understanding of risk and returns within the sector. Real estate can be a good vehicle for long term investment and there are several different routes to consider.

For example, if you own a business that rents office or commercial space, you may consider taking a long term loan and buying premises to operate from. If the loan repayment installments are more or less the same as the rent over the term, then you will gain from owning the property at the end of the loan term. Although loan repayments may be higher at the start, unlike rent costs they will not rise incrementally each year as a matter of course and they may be less expensive than rent in future years. This route to savings is relatively risk free as you have a reliable long term tenant that you trust (yourself) and you are in control of your own destiny. As

retirement or succession planning nears you will be secure in the knowledge that you will enjoy a rental income from your property after you stop working.

It is quite common for high net worth individuals to own a number of houses as part of their investment portfolio and there is a wide range of options to consider ahead of embarking on this route. Do you want all your houses to be close to each other? If houses are grouped together they are easier to manage but there could be a concentration risk. What is your target market? Student accommodation can be cheap and cheerful but if you pile them high they return good margins. NGOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and high end occupiers can pay strong rents but they are very demanding tenants and rental voids of high end properties are costly. While there is a strong market for low cost apartments, rent collection can be a challenge and there is often a high turnover rate meaning you spend too much time looking for reliable tenants.

House rentals at Greenpark Estate Athi-River, for example, provide investors with an average annual return of around 6 per cent which on the face of it is not particularly attractive. However, when capital appreciation is factored in it is a different and more interesting story because a house which was worth Ksh 8 million in 2011 is now selling for more than Ksh 18 million and this has added a further 17 per cent return on investment to give a total of 23 per cent. As an alternative to hands-on real estate investment, there are specialist companies who will manage your funds for a relatively small commission. This option is ideal for investors who do not want the hassle of managing their real estate investments. Real estate can be a viable investment option â&#x20AC;&#x201C; but remember to spread your assets around a mixed investment portfolio. Ian Henderson Managing Director Superior Homes Ltd

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Agribusiness Insurance

WeFarm provides farmers with a platform that enables them to ask agricultural related questions via SMS and get responses to those questions directly on their phones.

Farming and Insurance: The Inseparables

hile farming and insurance ought to be joined at the hip, nothing could be further from the truth especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite farmers facing an increasing number of risks, very few of them have access to insurance services that could shield them from bearing the brunt of losses or damage caused by events beyond their control. Between 2012 and 2015, for instance, Kenyan farmers lost approximately Kshs 1.2 trillion ($ 12 billion) as a result of prolonged drought. Most of them had their entire agricultural enterprises wiped out leaving them vulnerable and without any source of income. This would not have been the case had they been insured. Why then are farmers not accessing insurance services? Generally speaking, there has been poor uptake of insurance services in Kenya. A study commissioned in 2015 found that Kenya’s insurance penetration rate stood at just over 3 per cent. If you consider the fact that more than 75 per cent of Kenya’s population are actively involved in the agricultural sector, it would make sense why the poor penetration of insurance services in the agricultural sector would also translate

A farmer being shown how WeFarm works on his feature phone.

to poor penetration of insurance services in Kenya generally.

One of the main reasons farmers are not accessing insurance services is because it is difficult for them to do so. Most insurance providers rely on archaic distribution channels− agents and brokers− which are ineffective. Most of the agents and brokers who sell insurance services are also based in the main cities and towns and therefore out of reach to most farmers. If you were to compare the ratio of insurance agents/brokers to the number of farmers, it would be heavily lopsided. The few insurance agents/brokers are unable to service the needs of the millions of farmers in Kenya. Another reason why insurance penetration in the agriculture sector has been poor is because majority of the insurance providers have failed to offer tailored products/services to farmers. While an individual working at a company/institution may be paid a monthly salary therefore enabling him to pay monthly premiums, this may not be the case for a farmer. Once a farmer plants his/ her crops or starts rearing livestock, it will take a number of months before he/she is able to

sell their produce and get some income. It would therefore make more sense to charge a farmer a seasonal premium instead of a monthly one because of the nature of his craft.

70,900

The agricultural sector is also fairly complex which makes it very risky in the eyes of insurance providers. There are so many variables that have the potential of derailing an agricultural enterprise compared to other business ventures. This uncertainty makes insurance providers view agriculture as being high risk and end up charging farmersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;exorbitant rates. This isolates many farmers.

In the past 17 months, 70,900 farmers on WeFarm platform have shared over 11.5 million pieces of information

What can be done to mend the rift between agriculture and insurance? The first thing insurance providers ought to do is make their services easily accessible. By simply making their services accessible to farmers, insurance providers are likely to see an increase in the uptake of insurance services in the agricultural sector.

Insurance providers also need to actively engage with farmers and other stakeholders in the agricultural sector in order to get a better understanding of their needs, and based on this information come up with insurance services tailored to meet the needs of farmers.

Insurance providers can further partner with organizations that can help in reducing the risks associated with the agricultural sector. Most of the uncertainties in the industry can be attributed to farmers lacking enough information to make meaningful decisions. If the information gap is plugged, farmers will be able to better prepare themselves to face risks. WeFarm is an example of an organization that insurance providers can work with. WeFarm provides farmers with a platform that enables them to ask any agricultural related questions, via SMS, and get responses to those questions directly on their phones. This enables them to get localized and actionable solutions to

Meeting between farmers to share information.

their problems in time. With good access to information, farmers are better placed to adequately respond to risks. This will in turn translate to increased productivity which, in the long run, will enable them pay for insurance services.

WeFarm can also provide detailed reports to insurance providers based on farmer interactions with the system. In the past 17 months, 70,900 farmers on WeFarm platform have shared over 11.5 million pieces of information. Such data would be valuable to insurance providers and can help them gain a better understanding of farmers and current trends in the agricultural sector. With the reports WeFarm provides, insurance providers can stay ahead of the curve and ensure the products/services that they offer are tailored to the needs of farmers. Farming and insurance ought to go hand in hand and industry players in the two sectors ought to make every effort to ensure this becomes a reality.

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Woman Of Power

Linda learnt how to bake at the age of 12, and now envisions to build an empire using her passion.

How Linda Aims To Make A Fortune Through Her Love For Pastries

inda Andago is a Kisumu based pastry entrepreneur who is out to transform people’s experience through quality and tasty cake products. She says she’s a daughter to wonderful supportive parents and a sister to 4 amazing siblings. I’m a passionate baker, a student and a teacher (currently pursuing a Masters in Public Health).

She believes in doing her utmost best every time she gets a task. She believes life is short and she try to make the most out of it in any little way she can, and celebrate every little or big achievement that comes by. Family is important to her and that goes beyond parents, siblings and relatives. Get the inside story of her amazing passion for pastries and how she aims to build an empire through the following Q & A with Edge Magazine.

When did you learn about baking and decided you can make a living out of it? I learnt about baking in my early childhood, and a lot from my mother who was a home science teacher, she baked more often. I was interested and quick to pick up the basics and by 12 years old I could bake entirely on my own. I further nurtured the hobby through encouragements from Mrs. Wesonga, my home science teacher at

high school and my aunt Hedwig (a big supporter of my business). They made it seem more fun and interesting and introduced to new recipes which I use to date.

When did entrepreneurial bug bite you? I started selling cakes after graduating from university and lacked a steady job for some time. I worked in different companies in different capacities, although it didn’t last long. My dad and my sister Patricia encouraged me to invest in my hobby and start charging people for the cakes I had been baking and giving out as gifts. I asked a few friends to pay and they did so up front, and further recommended me to their friends.

What is Made by Linda all about? It is part of my initiative to take my business online. This came after an advice from my friend Nina, she encouraged me that I could share my baking experience online, gain traction and engage my customers on their experience with my cakes. It is aimed to build my brand and push sales further. What makes your products unique? I believe in quality as opposed to quantity. I’m keen on the flavour, taste and mouth-feel experience. I tailor make each order to my clients wishes. From those who want cake with little sugar or don’t take dairy products to those who want a unique tasting with varied flavours, i take time, plan and come up with the best products that they will be pleased with.

What’s your competitive edge? I don’t compromise on quality, it is my cardinal rule. My pricing is also competitive and am always open to a client. I prefer telling them if I’m unable to achieve their expectations and further recommend them to other suppliers, than end up with a disgruntled customer. How can your cakes be accessed? I have a Facebook page: Made by Linda where clients can contact me or through my email address ladango21@yahoo.com. Most other enquiries are through referrals. Whom do you target with your products? And where do you supply? My cakes are for everyone, more so those who have special occasions like birthdays, weddings, baby showers, parties or any other gig where one would like my pastry skills to complete the occasion.

I supply in Kisumu and occasionally Nairobi and other counties on request. How has your experience been so far? It’s been fun and continues to be. I learn new things daily, especially online through YouTube.

It is also humbling to get calls from people who don’t know me but came across my cakes and are interested in my services. Have you faced any challenges in the course of your operation? Challenges are part of every startup, mine is cut from the same clothe. I use electric power to bake, so in case of a blackout or a disruption I am unable to bake.

There are times when I get so many order that I have to turn down on others due to limited capacity. Besides, I’m also schooling which eats into my time. However, I’m working to address this issue. Since I moved to Kisumu, the business has been slow compared to Nairobi. There are times I go for weeks without orders. Getting the right pastry ingredients and equipments has been also a challenge, and if you get, it is damn expensive. Some are not even available in the country. How have you overcome the above? To overcome the electricity issue I am looking for an additional RELIABLE gas oven, and I hope to save towards it soon. I have other friends who are bakers who are most times able to take orders that I am unable to meet.

I travel periodically to Nairobi when there are enough orders to make financial sense, and usually I have clients who only need a phone call for the orders to flow in, this balances out the slow business in Kisumu sometimes. In the case of cake supplies I have to make trips of pay for certain items to be couriered to Kisumu. What does the future holds for Made by Linda? I aim to grow the business and start a bakery. Until then, it is one day at a time.

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Celebrity Chef

How Ali L’Artiste Kenya’s Celebrity Chef Aims To Refine The African Cuisine Born Ali Mandhry 27 years ago, he is a celebrity chef, food journalist,owner of L’artiste Pastry Factory and ambassador of Kenya Chef Association. Ali started cooking at the age of 9, and sold cakes he baked to friends and fellow students at the age of 12. The culinary graduate from Kenya Utalii was recently named among the top 5 reigning chefs of African cuisine by Africa Style Daily. Currently, he hosts a cooking show on Pumwani TV dubbed Food Time and Celebrity Kitchen Raid on Zuku.

li spoke to Edge Magazine about how it feels to be a celebrity chef gracing TV cook shows, the importance of being the best at what he does and how he intends to refine the African cuisine and never look back. “I started cooking ever since I can remember. My mother says as a little kid I used to hang around the kitchen even when other kids would go out and play in the field,” he begins.

Age 9 He was cooking food by the age of 9, and at 12 years he was a master junior chef, baking cakes and selling to friends and relatives at a small fee. Ali was inspired a great deal by his grandfather, who he says was a great cook. He studied him more often. After high school he had an option of doing fine arts but chose culinary. Since then it has been a whirlwind journey for him. He enrolled at Utalli

days I spend filming my shows and others in meetings. My day at work usually ends at 6:00 pm after which I rush for my evening prayers before heading home,” he shares.

Through his TV and radio shows he aims to educate a wide audience. He offers free online cooking to selected schools and pupils, and also children who are less fortunate and physically disabled.

College and later joined Sarova Whitesands at the age of 17 as an apprentice chef. He graduated top of his class and was appointed as a culinary lecturer at Utalii College teaching culinary arts and entrepreneurship at 22 years. He would later opt out after two years. It was also at this time that he worked with his celebrity Chef Osama El-Sayed on Dubai TV which paved way to his name being featured in the International Hall of fame in the USA. It later saw his appointment as Kenya’s Ambassador by the Kenya Chefs Association.

As denoted by his brand name Chef Ali L’Artiste, he is an artist. “I draw, sketch and design which I have done since I was a young kid. I can look at something and draw it exactly for a portrait,” he says. He fuses his art skills with culinary one as he considers cooking as an art. “Food appeals to the eye first before tasting. Sometimes a meal would be really nice but then plating would be sham. You have to have some art on the plate and arrange everything to be appealing and pleasing to the eye.”

As such, he always makes the best out of his cooking. He loves creating and mixing different flavours and ingredients to ensure that he comes up with something special. According to him, nothing satisfies a chef more than a happy and appreciative client.

Indulging Although being a chef is time consuming as there are long hours involved in preparation and cooking, he confesses that it has moulded him into a focused individual. He manages his time and day well. “I wake up at 5:00 am and perform my morning prayers. I then go out for a jog or the gym after which I come back and prepare breakfast for my little girl before hitting the office. My day is usually unstructured where I spend most time in the kitchen trying different cuisines and keep myself abreast with the latest trends in the profession. There are

“My mission is to teach young people how to cook and appreciate Chefs as professionals. Globally, being a chef is one of the best paying jobs with the likes of Jamie Oliver and Osama El-Sayed being celebrity stars,” he observes adding that :”I want young kids to be inspired and consider cheffing with much zeal and keenness they do to other revered professions like law and engineering.”

Food revolution He recently held Food Revolution Day together with British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver among other celebrated chefs in view of addressing child nutrition crisis. “Food Revolution Day, now in its 5th year, aims to provoke discussion and inspire positive, meaningful change in the way we access, consume and understand food. Starting in kitchens at home and moving up to the highest levels of business and government, Jamie believes people must work together to empower children with the nutritional knowledge and resources they need to live healthier, happier lives,” he posted in his Instagram page. Being an ambassador for Kenya Chefs Association, he represents the country in global culinary events. In view of this, he will represent Kenya at the World Chefs Organisation congress and expo in Thessaloniki, Greece 24th -27th September 2016.

He says Kenya has a good signature cuisine which should be celebrated globally. “We have a signature in Ugali, Sukuma wiki, Karanga (fish or meat) and the very revered nyama choma. That’s even the reason Facebook founder and billionaire Mark Zuckerberg ate ugali and fried samaki on his recent visit to Kenya.”

Ali doesn’t have a favourite food as he is always spoilt for choice for everything he cooks. He however strives to make his next food greater and healthier than the previous. He values food as it is critical for human survival. He has cooked for many prominent people and the most notable one remains Kenya’s immediate former president, Mwai Kibaki, whom he occasionally cooked for. He says he would wish to cook for President Kenyatta if given a chance. Chefs are known to be chubby and fat but he is lean and looks fit. Asked what the secret is he says:”I’m unique and like to keep fit. As such I watch my weight and exercise. For instance I would rather walk where I can walk than use a vehicle,” he ends. He aims to be of the greatest chef to ever live.

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Arts & Industry

TuneDem Band

How We Aim To Transform Lives Through Inspired Music

The youthful gospel reggae band seeks to transform lives through inspired music

uneDem Band’s smooth vocals and natural, casual flow lorded over Nairobi last summer with ‘Tis so sweet,’ a warm weather gospel anthem that speaks on the reality of loving and trusting in Jesus. The track produced by Charles Kepha is part of a growing list of releases by the band which establishes it as the quintessential Kenya’s first ever gospel reggae band. Though reggae bands playing Christian and gospel music are seldom heard of, it would have seem impossible for such a band to sprout out of Kenya’s biggest slum, Kibera. TuneDem is a Christian reggae band registered in Kenya under this Ministry of Heritage and Culture and aims to reach to young people through inspired music and other relevant evangelical activities.

‘TuneDem’ is derived from the words tune them, which speaks of a prayer to God asking Him to tune their listeners to the gospel ministry.

Kepha admits to have loved reggae music from a very early age. Growing up, his interests in music became pronounced when he began composing reggae tunes and rhymes. He later got saved and trained as a vocalist, learning to play key instruments along the way.

He is a lead drummer, keyboardist and an acoustic guitarist. He is also a music trainer and producer, and currently works with about 10 band members of diverse but complementary music skills and talents. Kepha says the band speaks to the authenticity of their persona and music, through which they explore life as young people who grew up in slum, facing grave challenges and ultimately discovering Christ. “We launched our first album Foundation in 2011 and have so far produced two more albums. The

fourth one will be released in the next few months,” he says, and reaches out to its audiences through live performances in concerts and events like weddings, birthday parties, corporate functions, churches and entertainment gigs. The band has also made media appearances in leading breakfast TV talk shows and Radio shows in the country. So far, their music is available in recorded CD and online platforms such as Sound Cloud, iTunes, Skiza Tunes, Amazon, ReverbNation, Kenyavoice, Mdundo as well as on their web portal www.tunedemband. bandcamp.com

Such has seen the band perform in many festivals at major venues like the Michael Joseph Center, Sarakasi Dome and Godown Art Center among others. TuneDem has also toured and performed with worldwide renowned Christafari Group and collaborated with celebrated Jamaican Gospel artist Wayne Stoddart. Besides performances, TuneDem does song writing, recording and producing, and currently provide music training services to schools and institution under its partnership with Art World Limited.

‘TuneDem’ is derived from the words tune them, which speaks of a prayer to God asking Him to tune their listeners to the gospel ministry

‘TuneDem’ “We also teach music charging Kshs 500 per hour and perform at concerts or events for between Kshs 80,000 to Kshs 300,000,” reveals Kepha. In addition to its endeavour to leave a mark and make world a better place, the band has been active in social and community activities, mostly slums, churches and prisons. These initiatives have been supported by various organizations like The Black Hawk Ministry, a US based Mission entity and Higher Grounds Ministry International (HGMI).

To this end, TuneDem wish to get more frequent shows and get people to know their music and embrace healthy and positive lifestyle. One can link up with them on their social media pages on Facebook: TuneDem Band 254 and Twitter: @TuneDemBand.

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Healthy living

Vincent Muasya, a fitness trainer and consultant at Body and Spirit Gym says physical exercise should be regular and consistent in order to enhance fitness and overall wellness By Jenny Nyawira

Fitness Is A Lifestyle

ow fit are you? Can you carry out various activities without undue fatigue? Do you have reserved energy to respond to emergencies?

Today, only a small percentage of people appreciate the role of exercise and physical activity. Many go to the gym with an objective to lose weight after which they quit. According to Vincent Muasya, fitness is not thinness or how much you weigh. Fitness means being able to perform physical activity. Muasya says that fitness is a lifestyle and people should make it regular and consistent. It should be as natural as eating or taking bath. “If you cannot make it a lifestyle, do not start as it would be very dangerous to stop.” This is where the principle of reversibility applies as the saying goes “once fit not always fit”.

Muasya is a fitness trainer and consultant at Body & Spirit Gym, located in a serene environment in Kahawa sukari along Thika Road.

Having studied physical education at Kenyatta University, he says that he has a passion for fitness. He trains his own instructors who help him in the day-to-day running of the gym. Muasya has also previously worked as a fitness instructor at Kenyatta University. Why fitness is important Lifestyle has changed considerably over time. There is a general lack of adequate mobility and nutrition. Additionally, unlike before when people were active through manual labour, today, lifestyle has become sedentary. Most people spend their free time sitting down, watching TV, reading or

listening to music, while some use cars even for short distances which they can otherwise walk.

This change of behavior has brought about the emergence of lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes, obesity, hypertension, heart disease and some forms of cancer. In that regard, Muasya offers that exercising daily and making healthy eating choices are important aspects in alleviating these conditions. Indeed, exercise is a good medicine, which most people disregard. Fitness training At Body & Spirit Gym, everyday is a unique day with its own fitness class and with a different emphasis. Classes run from Monday to Saturday with a focus on improving cardio efficiency, enhancing muscular endurance and strength, improving overall fitness (mixture of boxing and tae kwondo), cardio class on steps, body toning, and zumba (a dance class) respectively. Beginners are recommended to train for three days per week. The target clients are the middle aged, post college and students. “Students pay a special rate of Ksh. 2,000 per month while the rest pay Ksh.4, 000,” observes

Muasya. Members have full access to all the programmes. Most clients are referred by existing clients who are satisfied. Today the gym has 100 regular members. Corporate fitness Body & Spirit Gym ventured into corporate fitness where they train staff at their places of work. Muasya points out that workplace fitness programmes benefit both the organization and its employees. “We have been able to train employees from a number of companies among them Oil Libya, Shell, Kenya Breweries, National Bank and Atlas Copco.”

Its benefits range from improved health and wellness, lower medical claims, reduced absenteeism, high productivity, reduces money spent on hospital visits, better employee retention thus companies are able to cut on recruitment costs, as well as improved employee morale. Besides, through his other company Sky Metrix Limited, Muasya has diversified into supplying gym equipment, setting up gyms for domestic and commercial purpose, repair and maintenance of gym equipment, wellness consultancy, team building and managing fitness facilities in flats. So far, they have put up gym for Sony Sugar and Agro Chemicals.

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BOOK REVIEW

TITLE: THE WISDOM OF STEVE JOBS AUTHOR: NG’ANG’A MBUGUA REVIEWER: ORONI TENDERA

e are living in the digital age. This could be considered the best and easiest moment in history to become an entrepreneur with the help of the internet and social media tools. However, with that come increased competition and an even tougher challenge for young entrepreneurs to be noticed in the crowd. Furthermore, young entrepreneurs can be subjected to certain social attitudes and stereotypes that make it even more difficult to be successful and obtain a secure position in the business world. Written to address this worrying trend, Ng’ang’a Mbugua’s book, The Wisdom of Steve Jobs, is a perfect guide book for young entrepreneurs. It draws inspiring business and leadership lessons from the life of the late Apple founder−Steve Jobs. The book is easy-to-read, and is divided into thematic chapters. The Power of Talent Steve Jobs and his partner Steve Wozniak had knowledge of computer circuit just like many of their peers. But what made them stand out was their ability to develop unique circuit boards at an early age and frame novel marketing skills for their product. Years later, they founded Apple inc. Steve Jobs is said to have had a hawk eye for spotting and developing talented human resource, even when their company had become a leading global institution, a skill that was inspired by Robert Oppenheimer, the man who is regarded as the “father of the atomic bomb.” According to the author, “There are two ways for business to get talent: Either raid the competition or develop its own.’’

The Power of Innovation In 1976, when Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were establishing Apple, computer companies were making products whose target market were mainly firms. On top of that, computer companies used to ship various components to their clients who would later assemble them. The two Steves identified a gap in the industry and begun to experiment on how computers could be put into personal use. Apple addressed this gap by introducing personal computers to the world, thanks to the power of innovation. “It does not matter if you sell secondhand clothes or vegetables or you are a team leader in your organization. To be successful, you must think different,’’ writes Mbugua. The Power of Partnerships Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak were the founding partners of Apple. Each brought to Apple a unique skill. Jobs came on board with artistic, entrepreneurial and technological skills as Wozniak invested his excellent technological skills. The two did not have sufficient money to run their prospective company. Jobs was left with the job of looking for investors while Wozniak’s responsibility was mainly technical “Some of the partnerships have endured. Others have not. And the deciding factor has mostly been whether or not the partnerships were mutually beneficial,’’ observes Mbugua The Power of Branding Steve Jobs kept on insisting that Apple products should be of very high quality. The company further made the devices readily available to its customers. Jobs had three pillars that identified the brand of apple: great products, great marketing and great distribution. Above all, Jobs treasured brand purity in Apple products. The author postulates, “A brand is not just a name or logo for your company or product. It is a promise to your customers.”

Even though many believe that entrepreneurship cannot be taught, it is possible to teach people how to create a successful startup, as clearly illustrated in the insightful and actionable book, The Wisdom of Steve Jobs by Ng’ang’a Mbugua. The book is available in leading Kenyan bookstores.

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Song Review

SONG: COLD WATER ARTISTE: MAJOR LAZER FT JUSTIN BIEBER

Reviewer: Oroni Tendera Releasesd on 21st July, 2016, Cold Water is a song recorded by electronic music group Major Lazer, taken as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Music Is the Weapon (2017), featuring vocals from Canadian artist Justin Bieber. It was written by Major Lazer member Diplo, Benny Blanco, Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber and Henry Allen and produced by Diplo, Benny Blanco, Jr. Blender and King Henry. Bieber provides the majority of the vocals on the track, but Danish female singer MØ lends her voice at the end.

In the United States, “Cold Water” debuted at number two, behind Sia’s “Cheap Thrills”, on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Bieber’s third numbertwo debut on the chart, passing Mariah Carey’s record to become the artist with the most numbertwo debuts; he also leads with the most top-two debuts at five. Additionally, “Cold Water” becomes Major Lazer’s second top 10 single and highest-charting single in the United States, as well as Bieber’s tenth top 10

single. The song moved up and down in the top 5 back to number two. Newsweek’s Tufayel Ahmed and Digital Spy’s Megan Davies called it a future summer hit.Raisa Bruner of Time shared the same opinion, explaining: “This is the kind of jam you want to play as you road trip with the windows down; the kind of catchy slow-burn that gives you feels but will also get you going at a dance party.” The New York Times’s Jon Caramanica was less enthusiastic towards the song, writing: “Bieber’s earlier collaborations with Diplo (and also Skrillex) worked because of the frisson of the young pop star getting tugged onto the producers’ turf. But with ‘Cold Water’, Mr. Bieber’s new collaboration with Diplo’s Major Lazer project — which also includes an appearance by the singer MØ — the gravity pulls in the other direction.” Calling the song “tepid”, he concluded “the return, near the song’s end, of the flute-that’s-not-actually-a-flute that was such a radical injection the last time around, here feels like an act of desperation.” Overall, with a beach vibe in the verses , ‘Cold Water’ makes us want to dance along! We believe that the song will perform very well on the charts.

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