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ISSUE 24 Kshs. 300 / Ushs. 9000 Tshs. 6000 / RWF. 2200

INSIDE PASSION AND RESILIENT PAYS OFF FOR GILBERT CHERUIYOT OPTIMISING COMPETITVE ADVANTAGES FOR BUSINESS THROUGH SPECIALISED RISK INFORMATION SOLUTIONS EVOLVING PREFERENCES OF MILLENIALS EMPOWERING YOUTHS THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT MARINE PARKS AT THE COASTAL KENYA

SECURITY IS KEY FOR REALIZING VISION 2030 Maj (Rtd) Bashir Haji, the

Managing Director at Vickers Security Services.

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INTRODUCING GILCHERY DEBT COLLECTION SERVICES Set up in 2011, Gilchery Skip-Trace Ltd is the leading Debt Management agency in Kenya.

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Vickers Security Services Limited is a public liability company duly incorporated under the provisions of the companies Act under the laws of Republic of Kenya in the year 2000. Vickers is one of the leading regional security providers and has over time delivered highly trained security personnel to private and commercial enterprises , Banking sector, residential estates, Government institutions, Non-Government Institutions (NGOs), shopping malls and other vital institutions locally and over sees.

Services Offered: Manned Guarding Electronic Security Electric Fence & Perimeter Protection Fire Alarm & Equipment Cash in Transit Trip Management Alarm Response Services

CONTACTS: Pundamillia Crescent off Muhoho Avenue, South C. Plot No 5358, Next to Total Petrol Station.

Other Services: Private Investigations Background Checks Vetting of Personnel Mine Clearance and Explosive Detection Event Security VIP Protection and Escort Security Training Tracing of Missing persons General Security Consultancy

P O Box 5570, 00506 - Nairobi , Kenya Tel: 020 230 9250 Cell: 0722 288 859

E-mail: info@vickersecurity.com Website: www.vickersecurity.com Issue 24 I Edgemagazine.co.ke

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Contents

24.

COVER STORY

EDGE FOCUS

16.

MY HUSTLE

12. EDUCATION Chemistry Don at USIU-Africa Set to Receive Huge Research Grant to Study Nanotechnology 14. MICROFINANCE Bridging the Gap by Offering Timely Financial Assistance to individuals and SME’s 16. MY HUSTLE Passion and resilient pays off for Gilbert Cheruiyot 18. TECHIE

5. HEAD START 6. QUOTABLE QUOTES 7. MAIL 8. DIGITAL TRENDS 10. BRIEFS

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MTN Business Kenya-Enhancing your Business Through ICT 20. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT We build a Safer, More Sustainable World From the Inside Out-PENTAIR

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Contents

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COVER STORY

RISK ASSESSMENT

24. VICKERS SECURITY SERVICES Major (Rtd) Bashir Finds Niche to Provide Private Security in High Risk Areas

24.

RISK ASSESSMENT TransUnion - Optimising Competitive Advantages for Businesses Through Specialised Risk Information Solutions

DEBT COLLECTION Quest Holdings; Your Professional Partners in Debt Management

18. EXECUTIVE TALK

ENERGY CONSERVATION Revolutionary Jikos Saving Kenya’s Forests

OPINION 30. WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP 34. INNOVATION 36. CUSTOMER SERVICE 38. HUMAN CAPITAL 40.SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

MOTOR 44.SIMBA CORPORATION Big Bolero pickup is your best bet

48.

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

TRAVEL AND LEISURE

48. Let’s Talk Marine

ARTS & CULTURE 50. Linus Sang

34.

INNOVATION

ARTS & CULTURE

52.

50.

SONG REVIEW

SONG REVIEW 52. The 1st

54.

BOOK REVIEW

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Managing Director P.R. Wachira paul@edgemagazine.co.ke paul@edgemagazine.africa

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Editor Jenny Kamau Jenny@edgemagazine.co.ke jenny@edgemagazine.africa

EDGE

Editorial Jackie Mumbi jackie@edgemagazine..co.ke jackie@edgemagazine.africa

MAGAZINE

Contributors Perminus Wainaina Sthe Shabangu Lucy Kiruthu Perri Chase Collen Poeta Dr. joshua aura Business Development Manager Evans onsando Marketing Executive Jack Kathurima Phanice Aluga

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Published by Fine Edge Media Ltd 4th Floor, Rattansi Building, Koinange Street, P. O. Box 12088-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

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The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the publisher. Readers are advised to seek professional advice before acting on any information contained in this publication.

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Editor’s Pen

Security and Economic Development are the Two Sides of the Same Coin

I

n the recent years, security has become a prominent issue that shapes our operations both in business and normal life. Faced with an array of potential hazards spurred by terrorism, theft, cyber-crime and other organized crime, there is need to shift focus to security economy.

Similarly, for any business to thrive and the economy to grow, security becomes very critical, both for the individual and the investment. Anxiety and the sense of not sure what to expect in the forthcoming general elections has paralyzed business in almost all sectors as everyone gets paranoid about possible loss.

Security is a pertinent issue that cannot afford to be taken lightly. The Sustainable Development Goals and Vision 2030 which entails the national development blueprint is intentional about transformation and industrialization of economy that provides a secure environments for all citizens.

Security and economic growth or decline can’t be arbitrary separated; they are like the opposite sides of the same coin. As intertwined entities, the security industry is a large and expanding area of economic activity that shapes the economic graph of any nation.

As such, the challenge for policy makers is how to meet the apparent need for greater security without unduly impeding economic efficiency and citizens’ rights in liberal societies.

As you go out to vote, remember political reforms go hand in hand with economic liberalization. Keep safe. Vote wisely. Your vote is your voice!

We have a life after August 8!

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6

Quotable Quotes

Stella Nderitu “Youth should choose their leaders decisively based on progressive agenda and those who spearhead young people’s interests.”

Stella Nderitu, 23, is a Programmes Officer at Emerging Leaders Foundation and cofounder of DadaPower.

DadaPower is a Community Initiative that aims at empowering teenage girls in rural public schools on matters of self-esteem, sexuality and education. With the initiative, she has reached out to hundreds of student with an ultimate plan for raising strong women leaders that will be dedicated in driving development at grass-root levels. The same can be said of Emerging Leaders Foundation (ELF) which has a mandate to develop the youth in areas of leadership and governance through training, mentorship and coaching. ELF launched ‘Mnaweza’ in 2017 to inspire young people to take part in current affairs and championing for peace.

Enos Olik “Being able to film people who are really talented and showing the world what they can really do is a sight to see.”

Enos Olik, 28, is an extremely talented video director and his work speaks for itself. He started out as a musician, then photographer until he discovered his love for music video production. His outstanding work has won him a couple of awards and has worked with celebrities like Sauti Sol, Redsan, Abbass Kubaff and Timmy T Dat among others. He recently won a big deal to produce TV Show “The Search’ debut season that aired on Kiss TV.

Abigail Arunga “Do you know why mothers are a healing ground? Because they have been knitting you together, reshaping you, since you were a nothing. Forming your fibres is their genius.

Making you whole again, in a cycle that begun when you made them mothers and they started making you.”

Abigail Arunga, 28, is a writer, blogger, scriptwriter and a consulting editor.

She runs a poetry collection akello.co.ke. She began her writing career as an intern for Storymoja Publishers and is a 2011 honours graduate of USIU. She used to be the Digital Editor for Zuqka.com and worked as a contributor for several local Kenyan magazines such as Saturday Magazine (Nation), Home and Living and DRUM. Abigail was also a scriptwriter for the award-winning soap opera “Lies that Bind” and writes for TV with shows such as “How to Find A Husband” and “Majaribu”.

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Letters Nthiga’s Passion for Theatre and Film I read an article in the July 2017 edition of Edge Magazine on Mugambi Nthiga’s passion for theatre and film. I was inspired to know him as the article touched on his persona and what motivated him to take his acting skills seriously. I now understand that for one to achieve greatness in any field you must show commitment and interest in what you do. Personally I consider him one of the greatest creatives and he will always be an inspirations. Cheers!

Eugene Kaleka, upcoming actor.

Amazing Print Quality Women in Leadership Sylvester Okumu was spot on about Nadja Bellan-White breaking the glass ceiling.

The article was succinct and frank on her responsibilities as a women leader and how she has shaped the world of branding and advertising in the continent. Kudos for the good work!

Donald Kogai, Twitter @Donkogai

I like Edge Magazine quality and its content. The print copy looks amazing and the business content is so relevant, especially to young entrepreneurs and management executives. I am happy to be part of the content development team where I share everything human capital in my monthly column.

Perminus Wainaina, Managing Partner, Corporate Staffing Services.

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Some of Our Clients

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8

Digital Trends

Four most popular posts on www.edgemagazine.co.ke

• How former sales lady overcame the odds to establish thriving IT venture • Jijenge Credit: Empowering People With Credit Facilities • Actuarial Science Graduates Bet On Technology To Guarantee Children’s Whereabouts •How recently formed Efarm Housing Co-operative aims to redefine affordable housing and agribusiness in Kenya

Blog Name: lifeinmombasa.com Blogger: Jammy

Four top posts with the highest reach on Facebook @ Edge Magazine EA

• Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time • African Media Agency opens new office in Abidjan, Ivory Coast in growth strategy • How former sales lady overcame the odds to establish thriving IT venture • Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can

Four most impressive tweets @EdgeMagazine_EA

• Wins African Airline of the Year 2017 Award. #AfricanAviationAwards #Ethiopian • “Universities are the only safe space left to explore new ideas.” - Manu Chandaria #CPL2017 • Tips to avoid losing money@MomboGroupLtd #HangoutFriday • Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think. – Benjamin Disraeli #SokoNews #NBAFinals Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

L

ife in Mombasa is a lifestyle blog that is keen to capture history, culture and modern day life of the people in Mombasa County. The blog tells the story of Mombasa through the lens of photography and personal blogs by different bloggers on their experience in Mombasa intended to show the whole world the rich vibrant culture, historic monuments and the amazingly beautiful city with blue waters.

Founded by Jammy, a professional communication specialist in Mombasa with vast experience on Social Media marketing, LifeinMombasa blog has consecutively won the BAKE Awards 2016 & 2017 in the ‘Best County Blog’ Awards category.

Jammy holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with specialty on Interpersonal communication from Metropolitan State University in Minnesota (USA). She is experienced in understanding human interaction as well as creating a stronger relationship between consumers and companies. Her’s is an informative blog that will see any stranger appreciate the cultural and historical uniqueness of the Mombasa Raha county with particulars ranging from where to visit, hotels review, local cuisine among many other things.

Before you plan that next visit to the coast via Madaraka Express, you might want to check out her page and fill in the loopholes about what to do and where to visit in during your stay at the coast.

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“WE KNOW MALAYSIA BEST” Issue 24 I Edgemagazine.co.ke

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10

Briefs

Majid Al Futtaim Opens Third Carrefour Hypermarket In Kenya At Thika Road Mall

along the busy Thika Road. Although we are temporarily offering a partial product range, we continue to stand by our commitment to deliver high quality products at the most competitive prices, in the best possible environment.”

“When fully operational later next year, The Thika Road Mall store will stock over 30,000 items, and host some of our specialist sections such as, fresh produce, groceries, a fresh bakery, and a butchery, which have been received very well by customers. This, will not only create great moments for our shoppers, but also have a positive impact on local suppliers who provide us with 99% of all the items we stock.” Mr. Moreau added.

Carrefour’s Store Manager at Thika Road Mall, Jean Yves Genies, (left) helps pack a customer’s shopping at the till.

M

ajid Al Futtaim, the leading shopping mall, communities, retail and leisure pioneer across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has today opened its third Carrefour store in Kenya, signalling commitment to the growth and expansion of its footprint in Kenya.

The new store at the popular Thika Road Mall “TRM” will operate with partial area and product range as major refurbishment

work gets underway in the 5,000 square metre selling area. The store currently stocks the most common consumer goods on the upper level of the hypermarket, before opening the lower section by mid2018.

Franck Moreau, Country Manager, at Majid Al Futtaim – Retail Kenya said, “We are pleased and honoured to be bringing our services closer to the residents of Roysambu and Kasarani, as well as the growing number of those travelling

Ringier One Africa Media (ROAM) launches as Africa’s largest Classifieds Group

R

ingier Africa and One Africa Media (OAM) have signed a merger to become ROAM (Ringier One Africa Media), thus the leading classifieds group in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa.

This means businesses will from now on activate synergies across the continent that will allow both buyers and sellers to benefit from an unprecedented ecosystem.

Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

Other than Kenya, ROAM operates in eight other countries namely; Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, soon Zimbabwe and Mauritius as the leading classifieds businesses across the continent.

According to Carolyne Mwaura, ROAM Group Head of Human Resources, the launch between the two groups of companies will see individual businesses benefit from synergies from a greater knowledge sharing and joint technology platform.Clemens Weitz, ROAM CEO said

The Thika Road Mall store becomes the third Carrefour store in Kenya, with the first two- at The Hub in Karen and at Two Rivers Mall, opened in May 2016 and March 2017, respectively. It brings total staff at Carrefour in Kenya to 800, with 200 already assigned to the Thika Road Mall store.

Mr. Moreau added that Majid Al Futtaim. who hold the exclusive franchise rights to operate Carrefour in 38 countries. is still seeking opportunities to open stores in strategic locations within Kenya and the rest of the greater East African region in the coming years. This is in line to attaining the company’s plans to cater for the growing population yearning for a wide range of products, sold at the best prices in the best possible environment.

‘We are privileged to contribute to the positive disruption that digital solutions bring to our African markets. Many markets are still highly non-transparent, informal and fragmented. Buyers are typically overcharged due to asymmetrical information, and jobseekers defrauded by fake companies. Our goal is to empower Africans through transparency, and transform markets through technology. We celebrate this merger as a major milestone, from which not only ROAM but also our users and Small-Medium-sized-entities (SMEs) will profit significantly, for example by extended reach or accessing a new range of products.”

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Around Africa

Etihad Airways Marks Opening Of Louvre Abu Dhabi With Spectacular A380 Fly

director, Ahmed Abdulqader, shot from the flight deck of the aircraft and from within Louvre Abu Dhabi, to celebrate the historic occasion. Two specially equipped helicopters were also positioned above the capital to capture air-to-air filming of the aircraft as it flew over the museum, located in the UAE capital’s Saadiyat Cultural District.

Peter Baumgartner, Etihad Airways Chief Executive Officer, said: “Echoing the sentiments from the signing of our landmark partnership agreement with Louvre Abu Dhabi last month, Etihad Airways is today honoured to play its part in the inauguration of this hugely important universal institution.

“Abu Dhabi can now proudly take its place among the world’s foremost cultural destinations, and we, as the UAE’s national airline, are poised to play our part in bringing millions of guests to our home to experience this modern wonder of art and humanity first-hand.”

Etihad Airways A380 Louvre Abu Dhabi Fly.

H

undreds of visitors from around the world, attending official public opening celebrations of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, were treated to a low-level fly-by of the Jean Nouvel designed museum by one of Etihad Airways’ flagship Airbus A380 aircraft.

Sporting the airline’s ‘Facets of Abu Dhabi’ livery, the aircraft chosen for the display now also features Louvre Abu Dhabi’s official logo on each of its four engines, to promote the opening of the institution.

Etihad Airways also took the opportunity to capture a series of spectacular images from the fly-by, and commissioned a short video directed by up-and-coming Emirati

Arsenal welcomes WorldRemit as first-ever Official Online Money Transfer Partner

W

orldRemit becomes the first Official Online Money Transfer Partner of the Premier League club, Arsenal. The leading digital money transfer business, formed by a UK-based entrepreneur from Somaliland, has joined forces with Arsenal to accelerate the company’s growth and help more

people save money on international transfers.

The global partnership will provide WorldRemit with a range of rights and player access to support its expansion plans. The partnership agreement includes match day LED branding for every Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup

The Etihad Airways Airbus A380 and Boeing 787 fleets feature multi awardwinning interiors influenced by Abu Dhabi’s architecture and landscape.

These include ceiling designs and light projections in the boarding zones, Lobby Lounge, First Class and The Residence cabins of the A380s, and stylised sconce lighting in the Business Studios of both aircraft types - all inspired by Louvre Abu Dhabi’s spectacular dome and its ‘Rain of Light’ effect, mimicking the way sunlight streams through the fronds of palm trees in a desert oasis.

Etihad Airways is the Louvre Abu Dhabi’s official airline partner, having signed the first exclusive platinum partnership in October.

match along with TV interview backdrop presence for every home Premier League match along with global digital and social media rights across Arsenal’s online and mobile platforms.

WorldRemit will work closely with Arsenal’s first-team players to create unique content that will support new and existing community engagement initiatives around the world.

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12

Education

Chemistry Don at USIUAfrica Set to Receive Huge Research Grant to Study Nanotechnology USIU-Africa expected to benefit from a trilateral partnership initiative between South Africa, Canada and Kenya that will buoy the university’s research productivity.

By Special Correspondent

Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral Partnership Initiative and the South Africa– Canada Research Chairs Mobility Initiative seeks to invest in the development of research in sub-Saharan Africa. This will be realized through the establishment of trilateral partnerships involving researchers from Canada, South Africa, and another sub-Saharan African country, which in this case is Kenya with each project receiving funding of up to Canadian Dollar 1 million over a period of up to 5 years.

Dr. Amuhaya’s other co-principal researchers are Prof. Tebello Nyokong (Rhodes University) and Prof. Juan Scaiano (University of Ottawa). Together, they will conduct joint research on the use of nanotechnology to develop materials that can provide solutions to current environmental issues, such as water and soil decontamination, as well as the design of new systems to reduce the cost of current methods of purifi¬cation.

Both Professors Nyokong and Scaiano are among the world’s top researchers in chemistry. Prof. Nyokong was awarded the South African Chemical Institute Gold Medal in 2013 while Prof. Scaiano was named an ocer of the Order of Canada in 2005 and received the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering in 2008.

Dr. Amuhaya who holds a Ph.D. degree in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Louisiana State University in the United

D

r. Edith Amuhaya (Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry) in the USIU-Africa School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has been appointed a co-principal researcher in the South Africa – Canada – Kenya project, which is part of the South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral Partnership Initiative (SARChI).

Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

The initiative which is part of the broader South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Initiative is jointly funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF).

The South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Initiative made up of the South

Expanding Business Opportunities for Youth in the Fish and Poultry sectors in Kenya

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States joined the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the beginning of spring 2017 from the Technical University of Kenya. Previously a lecturer at Maseno University (Kenya), she did her postdoctoral fellowship at Rhodes University (South Africa).

Both IDRC and NRF are interested in supporting projects that build on existing research capabilities, links, and common research interests in all three countries.

Recent findings indicate that Africa is still lagging behind in research and in 2013, Africa only accounted for 1.3 per cent of global research and development and only 2.3 per cent of world researchers!

These initiatives are therefore part of a growing effort by African higher education institutions to increase regional integration and decrease external dependencies.

According to the Vice Chancellor Prof.

Paul Zeleza, USIU-Africa is expected to benefi¬t from this trilateral partnership initiative since the university’s research productivity, which directly affects “global competition for talented students, top faculty, scarce resources, and reputational capital” is bound to increase. He believes research conducted at African universities will produce the relevant knowledge and skilled labor capacity that Africa’s key institutions need to succeed.

Through Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF), IDRC previously funded an 18-month grant for undertaking a project entitled, “Expanding Business Opportunities for Youth in the Fish and Poultry sectors in Kenya” implemented by a consortium of partners led by USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness Management Center (GAME).

South Africa’s National Research Foundation is a South African government-mandated research and science development agency, which funds research, the development of high-end human capacity and critical research infrastructure to promote knowledge production across all disciplinary.

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14

Microfinance

Bridging the Gap by Offering Timely Financial Assistance to individuals and SME’s Established a few years ago, Bridges Credit Africa has grown to empower individuals and SMEs offering flexible financial facilities

All loans are secured and offered to a maximum of Kshs 3 million.

Recently, the institution partnered with Metropol Credit Report Bureau (CRB) to run credit check of clients giving them better understanding of the clients they serve. “We have robust risk assessment strategies and when need be; our credit officers’ conduct site and home visits.”

Being non-deposit taking, clients are not required to save with the institution to qualify for a loan. The only requirement is present bank statements from reputable financial institution and/or Mpesa statements.

Increased business Mrs. Simiyu notes that there has been increased business over time. “Clients are now streaming to us from banks which consider them too risky to lend to.”

I

Manageability “Although we have some defaulted loans, they are low and manageable thanks to the efficient risk mitigation mechanisms in place.”

n the wider Sub-Saharan Africa,Kenya has one of the most advanced credit market buoyed by increased appetite for loans by both individuals and businesses. While this is the case, a recent study by Financial Sector Deepening (FSD) Kenya paints a sad picture for MSME’s who try to access loans from financial institutions. With Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) deemed too risky to lend to,only a small representation of less than 20 percent of the SMEs in Kenya have ever received credit from a formal financial institution.

facilities to individuals and businesses, says Caroline Simiyu, the Credit Manager at the firm.”

“We are a non-deposit taking microfinance institution offering loans and credit

The well trained and experienced staff and credit officers in the firm offer the best services to the customers.

The recent capping of the interest rates

by Central Bank of Kenya at 14 per cent doesn’t make it any easier for these SMEs either to access the financial aid.To curb the frustration of accessing finances, Bridges Credit Africa Limited,set up in 2010 is intentional about changing perceptions by offering flexible financial facilities to individuals and businesses.

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Bridges Credit Africa has a portfolio of flexible financing options ranging from school fees loans, automobile loans as well as business and capital loans. “We are the best in our field because our loan application is simple and easy with a fast turn-around period. Our services are flexible with competitive rates of as low as 2.3 per cent per month, explains Mrs. Simiyu.”

For ease in accessing services,Bridges Credit Africa Limited is strategically located at heart of the country’s capital at Nginyo Towers along Koinange Street. With an already operational branch in Githurai, plans are underway to set up other branches in Ruiru and Thika in an effort to bring services closer to the people, adds the Credit Manager.

The institution creates awareness through adverts and interviews in the media. “Most of our clients are repeat clients but we also get businesses through referrals. We have a functional website where prospective clients can learn more about us or even visit our offices. Branding our products has equally helped in marketing our services as clients can easily identify with us.”

Milestones Bridges Credit Africa has lived to its mission of empowering individuals and businesses through financial intermediation that has broad social and economic impact.

“We have worked with several clients who have seen their businesses grow gradually.

A case in point is a client who borrowed from us to start selling stationeries in Nairobi. Today, she has opened a new branch in Kitui, and diversified into the matatu business with two motor vehicles plying different routes.”

Going forward, Bridges Credit Africa looks to be a deposit taking microfinance in the near future subject to regulatory approvals.

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16

My Hustle

Passion and Resilient Pays off for Gilbert Cheruiyot Although he started off his business career in a low note, the budding entrepreneur did not give up and today he is the chief executive of Gilchery Limited a fast growing debt recovery and collection firm in Kenya

First, he had to contend with months of searching for possible clients who as a first timer in the business, could not believe in him. The possibility of failing to make it was glaring at him.

“People though that I was mad to leave my job to venture into something new considering that I had little experience in entrepreneurship,” says the father of two.

But giving up was not Cheruiyot’s option.

He continued to hope for better days ahead. After knocking on the doors of over 80 companies he finally got an organization that was willing to listen to him and give him a chance.

“It was a good moment for me. I was almost giving up. But I decided to soldier on,” says the promising entrepreneur.

Today, Cheruiyot is the chief executive of Gilchery Limited a debt recovery firm that has a significant market share in the country and employs over 40 young graduates.

Commenting on why he decided to start a debt collection firm,Cheruiyot says that he identified a gap in debt collection and recovery practices for institutions and companies.

Formed in 2012, Gilchery Ltd has over the years focused on how to improve debt collection and recovery practices in Kenya.

They have successfully acquired high powered clients over the years due to their consultative and client focused approach for managing and collecting debt.

Gilbert Cheruiyot, Chief Executive, Gilchery Limited.

W

hen Gilbert Cheruiyot called it quits at his formal job in 2011 to try his hands in entrepreneurship, he had nothing more than eight thousand shillings in his bank account.

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The fledgling chief executive of Gilchery Limited a Kenyan firm that specializes in debt recovery says that diving headlong to self-employment was not as rosy as he had thought.

“We have maintained sustainable growth over years and grown organically from three employees at inception to the current over 40 employees.”

Over time the debt collection firm has been able to move from a small office to their current modern and spacious offices.

This was necessitated by the need to keep up with the growing demand and their growing client base.

And today Gilchery Limited is one of the fastest growing debt recovery companies in the region.

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Already the company has an office in Eldoret where it has a substantial client base.

The essence of debt collection Debt collecting agencies are companies who collect unpaid debts for others. The original company with which you created the debt most likely sent the account to the collection agency after you missed several payments and it was unable to get you to pay.

It’s usually more cost-effective for companies to hire debt collectors than to continue to spend their own resources pursuing payment on delinquent accounts.

But as easy as it might sound the job has its fair share of challenges.

Delayed payment and non-payment of debts have been one of the biggest challenges faced by business debt collectors. But according to Cheruiyotthis is a headache that is easy to deal with through effective communication.

We rely on our qualified staff that is trained to handle clients of all calibers

Business debt collectors must possess the skills needed to communicate effectively with financially troubled clients. While some clients really don’t have plans of paying their debts, most of them are honestly making their way through difficult times.

The basic rule is for business debt collectors to smooth working relationships with their clients. Good business debt collectors always remain professional and in focus in face of their clients.

Sometimes, debtors ignore phone calls. In this case demand letters can be written.

However, demand letters should not sound threatening. Cheruiyot advises that as a debt collecting ageny it is imperative to take note of the phone calls and have copies of the letters. You may find these useful in case the matter reaches the court.

But because of the efficiency of Gilchery Limited, no issue has ended in court.

“We rely on our qualified staff that is trained to handle clients of all calibers.

Sometimes clients can sound rude but we have over the years developed ways of dealing with different clients at different times,” says Cheruiyot.

“The tone you take with your voice can impact how successful the conversation will be. If you start off the conversation with a friendly, non-confrontational tone,

the customer may respond more positively.

Once you have confirmed that you are speaking to the correct person about the unpaid invoice, ask if you can do anything to help,” he advises.

Because of these impeccable unique skills set, Gilchery Limited has been able to secure major firms as their clients ranging from banks to insurance and multinationals.

In the near future, Cheruiyot intends to open offices across the country and thereafter enter the East African market where demand for debt collection services is soaring.

“The debt collection market in Kenya is growing. And we see that as an opportunity. It is human nature to default payment and that is where we came in,” says the budding entrepreneur.

“We have also partnered with a firm in Kenya that trains our staff so that they can seamlessly work with us.”

Cheruiyot recognizes that they may not be as big as other companies in the field, but they take pride in the quality services that they offer.

As a forward looking entrepreneur Cheruiyot has also other upcoming ventures in e-commerce. He also aspires to enter the real estate market in Kenya.

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Techie

MTN Business KenyaEnhancing your Business Through ICT Connectivity is becoming critical area of concern for any business operation with the tech age.

As such MTN provides connectivity solutions that help businesses connect efficiently with their networks. Having recently introduced a USD 13 million tier three Data Center in Nairobi to offer businesses a continuity plan or disaster recovery services on critical business data; Ken Chinganya, the MD of MTN Business in Kenya discusses how the firm aims to be a renowned premium portal for business connectivity solutions.

Coming from a working background with IBM for 14 years before joining Microsoft Africa for another 5 years, Kennedy who is a certified accountant and a member of The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA UK) and South African Institute of Professional Accountants (SAIPA) brought on board expertise in technological connectivity that is the epitome of MTN Business.

Kennedy Chinganya, Managing Director, MTN Business in Kenya.

K

ennedy Chinganya ; the current Managing Director for MTN Business in Kenya joined MTN Business in April 2015 as the General Manager Finance for Group Enterprise Business Unit. Tasked to improve governance in the enterprise business across all the company’s operations, his prowess propelled the system and saw him being whisked off to Kenya to head MTN Business Kenya within nine months of service.

Kennedy; a South African Citizen of Zambian decent who consider himself a global citizen has worked his entire life in the tech industry for the last 20 years.

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“I have found myself spending more time in the business than actually practicing as an accountant,” he remarks.

Asked why this is so, he says he had little control over it but fell in love with running and understanding business analytics over time. “Everything just felt in place.

Multinationals I have worked for; the accounting function is mostly outsourced.

So I found myself more concerned about the functionalities of a business than actually the accounting option,” he reveals.

Mobile Telephone Network (MTN) Group is a renowned premium portal for business connectivity solutions which operates in 24 countries in Africa and Middle East. It was formed in 1994 in South Africa dominantly to offer mobile telephone services specializing in voice.

Converged communications Mr. Kennedy says that ICT is a very

dynamic industry that has evolved very fast. We used to make calls using Phones with SIM Card but we don’t need SIM Card and phones anymore to make calls. Tech disruptors like Vibe, WhatsApp and Skype among others have made that possible.

“MTN Business is also futuristic. We project future disruptions and aligning our strategies accordingly to help businesses optimize their potential. We have close to 450 Kilometres of fiber connectivity in Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa and Eldoret.”

Connectivity is becoming an enabler for any business operation. As such we have connectivity solutions that helps businesses connect better and efficiently with their networks.

Brand Products MTN Business introduced a communication solution, Voice over Internet Protocol –VoIP that allows business-small or big- to take advantage of fully converge products with competitive pricing structures. With its mobile mobility and Wi-Fi connectivity it signifies a fundamental shift in the way business operates and delivers service.

He explains, “If your network already carries your email, business tools and data, why shouldn’t it also carry your telecommunications? Especially when it can save you up to 35 per cent on call cost.

Our VoIP solutions enable thousands of concurrent superior-quality voice calls

We have the capacity and resources to compete regional and we aim to be the Pan African ICT solution provider of choice

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Strategic partnerships Strategic partnerships and alliances are important component of non-organic growth. MTN Business has among other partnerships, partnered with Microsoft to resell some of their business enterprise solutions. Working in partnerships brings together players with unique competencies to deliver something revolutionary, he explains.

to be managed over a single network and routed to multiple branches.”

VoIP solutions are highly scalable and can be tailored to suit the changing needs of your organization.

Cloud computing “Information is the lifeblood of an organization. So what happens if you lose data? It can be injurious to your business.

We offer businesses a continuity plan or disaster recovery services to businesses.

That informed our recent investment of USD 13 million which included newly launched tier three Data Center in Nairobi recently,” he avers.

Businesses no longer need to store their own data as it can be very tedious and risky.

The center will allow cloud computing, virtualization and convergence and its features include data security, lower operational cost for companies in the country and immediate access of data.

“I am a tech savvy individual and I have backed all my information on a cloud system. It gives me easy access to my documents from anywhere on the go. I don’t have to worry about misplacing my laptop, surface or phone device.”

The key thing is using ICT to help improve efficiency.

The Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) Partnership with Microsoft allows us to sell Microsoft Office 365, express route as a bundled solution to our customers, we also have the local Microsoft Azure instance in-country meaning our customer can now have their services of a Data Centre capitalizing on Microsoft Azure platform in country without worrying of their data and/or critical information being stored outside the country. This is a pure Opex model where our customers do not have to invest heavily in IT infrastructure including resources.

“We have the capacity and resources to compete regional and we aim to be the Pan African ICT solution provider of choice.

There is so much that we can do in this industry. As ICT evolves we shall continue to be more innovative,” concludes Kennedy.

We offer businesses a continuity plan or disaster recovery services to businesses.

That informed our introduction of a USD 13 million tier three Data Center in Nairobi recently

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Resource Management

We build a Safer, More Sustainable World From the Inside Out-PENTAIR

P

entair is a multinational that was established five decades ago with its global headquarters in Minneapolis USA. The firm delivers industry leading products, services and solutions that help people make the best use of the resources they rely on most.

Through its revolutionary technology, Pentair ensures water available is plentiful, useful and pure, and that critical equipment and those near it are protected.

Pentair opened its office in Nairobi in 2014 to better support growing customer needs in Africa, especially in the food and beverage processing industry. The following is an abridged transcript of Edge Magazine interview with Emmanuel Rurema, managing director of Pentair Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

Kenya to learn a little more about the firm and its continental mission.

What’s your local mandate?

By having a local presence, our staff is able to provide local insights and support, while also offering customers access to Pentair’s diverse portfolio of products, solutions and services.

The world’s population is growing putting a strain on our water, food and energy supplies. What does it take to secure these resources?How does Pentair ensure that the challenges on water, food and energy are addressed?

By 2050, we can expect a global population of 9.7 billion people inhabiting an increasingly developing and resourcehungry world. Intense pressures on water,

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energy, and food will require solutions that promote efficiency and sustainable consumption.

and beverage processing and industrial customers operate more sustainably with lower water and energy consumption.

Further, our water reuse solutions can help cities, manufacturers and commercial complexes reduce water consumption and increase their water supply independence by recycling and reusing their wastewater, thereby making more water available for the citizens.

Combining our global perspective, deep expertise, and proven innovation process, Pentair delivers industry-leading products, services, and solutions that help people make the best use of the resources they rely on most. Our technology moves the world forward by ensuring that water is plentiful, useful and pure, as well as protecting people and the environment.

For instance, Pentair’s water filtration and reuse solutions support communities around the world that need access to potable water, as well as industries seeking technologies that improve water efficiency and reduce costs. Our energy-efficient pumping solutions help reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of transporting water from source to treatment facility, and ultimately to the user. In addition, our membrane bioreactors and carbon dioxide, and biogas recovery systems help customers recover energy to offset the energy that is required for operations.

What are the emerging trends in your line of business, and how do they impact on your operations?

Around the world, and especially in Africa, there is a growing trend of urbanization which directly drives an increased demand

for food, water, and energy. The food processing industry and energy production sector consume large amounts of water, and this is slowly leading to challenges in the water distribution between the industries and citizens.

Pentair addresses these trends with innovative technologies that help food

Going forward, what strategies are you implementing to ensure you maintain market leadership?

Our expansion in Africa with the opening of the Kenyan office was made in order to be closer to the customers in the region, so that our team can interact directly with them. This allows us to better collaborate with customers to provide them with customized solutions. In addition, we are extending our distribution network in order to increase the coverage in the region.

The Nairobi office also serves as a centralized hub for Pentair’s philanthropic community outreach efforts in Eastern Africa. Pentair is working with groups including The Nature Conservancy, Water Mission and Shining Hope for Communities to bring sustainable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene to communities throughout the region.

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Cover Story

“Security is Key for Realizing Vision 2030” Major (Rtd) Bashir Finds Niche to Provide Private Security in High Risk Areas Major (Rtd), Bashir Haji banks on his rich expertise in the military to redefine security services provision.

By Editor

nation as a whole. While national security serves many purposes, private security completes the equation. “Kenya has a strong military to help ensure the nation stays safe. But this is not enough. We have a raft of individuals, private businesses and many other enterprises that want to protect their lives, properties and investments as well from possible attack.

How do they ensure that? We are the missing puzzle,” remarks the General.

Vickers Security Services is a registered security firm operating within the governing laws of the republic of Kenya.

Incorporated in 2000 as a limited liability company, Vickers Security Services became operational in 2008. Currently with presence in Nairobi, Nakuru, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, the firm offers a wide range of security services ranging from static to electronic security, access control and surveillance equipment.

Maj (Rtd) Bashir Haji, Managing Director at Vickers Security Services.

V

ision 2030-Kenya’s national development blueprint aims to transform the country into a newly industrialized economy providing high quality of life to its entire citizens in a clean and secure environment. So pertinent is security, to the realization of Vision 2030 that it has been anchored on the vision’s social pillar seeking to engender a just, cohesive and equitable social development in a clean and secure environment.

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Vickers Security Services,” comments “Security is what helps to keep us safe from possible harm from those who would attack us physically, economically, and diplomatically,” says Maj (Rtd) Bashir Haji, the Managing Director at Vickers Security Services which was formed on the ideals of Vision 2030.

He advises that security is important not only to the government, but to the whole

Vickers is a member of the Protective Security Industry Association (PSIA) and operates in full compliance with its policies and standards.

The firm is now a fully serviced security provider and takes pride in its well experienced security experts to offer exceptional services.

“We don’t operate the company just like any other security agencies in this line of business. We are different. Our passion and commitment is our major selling point. Our security experts and directors have worked in the military and police

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“We also provide manned guarding services and thoroughly vet our recruits before training them to be guards who are responsible for securing the lives and properties of our clients. We are experts in general and specialized security consultancies.”

The firm also supplies specialized security equipment such as highly sophisticated security gadgets like handheld explosive detectors.

The technical team is also well capacitated to install, maintain and service various refined security equipment depending on the client need and specifications.

force at senior management level. The directors have also worked outside Kenya on security assignments. They bring to the firm unrivalled managerial experience,” explains the Director.

Other services include dog handling, trip management, motor vehicle tracking, firefighting equipment and courier services among others.

“Security professionalism is our DNA,” he affirms.

X-factor Understanding and experience of working in conflict areas and high risk areas is what he terms as the firm’s X-factor; an experience that has seen the team work with a number of corporates, Nongovernmental organizations and the government security agencies in Northern Kenya.

Major (Rtd) Bashir also believes that working on security is an intelligent investment. “We see the conflicts in our country and how it affects us time and again through threats such as terrorism, piracy and theft among others. More often, we pay huge price to fight these vices. By believing in private security you make a cost-effective investment in preventing the underlying causes of conflict.”

To be able to deal with bigger threats of security, Vickers Security has had to invest in specialized security services including provision of armed guarding and escort

√

Security professionalism is our DNA services, especially in hostile region. He says that this is achievable through close collaboration with the government security agencies as well as local security agencies operating in those regions.

Economic importance of security There is a growing body of evidence demonstrating that shortfalls in safety, security and justice contribute to both poverty and underdevelopment as indicated by most studies. On the contrary, the presence of safety, security and justice can contribute to development outcomes including virtuous cycles of security and development, ‘with high levels of security leading to development and development further promoting security’.

“Besides we provide employment opportunities because not everybody can join the government security agencies.

We also pay taxes and help people secure their lives and that of their families from possible attacks. Private businesses benefit from our services as we help them secure their investments.”

The Executive projects that the firm will grow organically and cut a niche in specialized security provision in high risk areas based on its experience and work track record in the said areas.

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Risk Assessment

TransUnion - Optimising Competitive Advantages for Businesses Through Specialised Risk Information Solutions

By Editor

I

n a fast-growing digital economy, businesses need to find new ways to remain relevant in a competitive credit market. Billy Owino, CEO for TransUnion Kenya talks about the organisation’s recently launched Mobile Loan Scorecard that offers Risk Information Solutions to businesses.

TransUnion (TU), a global leader in information and risk management gathers analyses and deliver information for consumers and businesses to help them maintain a competitive edge.

With its headquarters in the United States, TransUnion is operational in more than 30 countries worldwide including a large presence in Africa. In Kenya, the firm is headed by Billy Owino who serves as the Country Executive. In a lengthy engagement with The Edge Magazine team in his office recently, Owino discusses how TransUnion creates an economic and competitive edge for customers and businesses through specialised risk information solutions.

A youthful and charming executive, Mr. Owino is passionate about data analytics and credit in Africa, and articulately elaborates what he envisions for TU’s regional unit.

“We are a tech firm that helps businesses manage risk, improve efficiency, reduce costs and optimise their potential through risk based solutions via a renowned Mobile Loan Scorecard,” he begins.

Billy Owino, CEO, TransUnion Kenya.

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TransUnion Mobile Loan Scorecard Invention & Relevance “With Africa having one of the highest mobile penetration rates and Kenya leading at 39 million subscribers, an equivalent of 88 per cent of the population, it is no doubt that mobile devices have become an integral component in our lives. Mobile today defines customer engagement across many fronts. As such, if early adopters take this advantage, they can strengthen consumers’ interactions and set themselves ahead of the pack,” explains Mr. Owino.

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are borrowing via mobile phones and don’t have traditional bank accounts. As a lender, it becomes integral to understand the needs of these consumers and provide loans quickly and efficiently without putting their own business at risk. Hence, the introduction of TransUnion’s Scorecard.

While it is true one way or another people are going to get loans, too often this happens at a high cost to the customer thus credit providers must step in to ensure that customers take loans responsibly and safely Explaining further, Mr. Owino argues that there are more registered mobile money users in Sub-Saharan Africa than the rest of the world with 5 million customers in Kenya alone having a mobile loan. Due to the vibrancy of the Finance-Technology (Fin-Tech) industry disrupting the status quo, more Kenyans now access financial services on mobile phones compared to traditional financing channels.

“The mobile loan market is moving fast, and if you want your business to remain relevant, you must move with it,” asserts Mr. Owino.

Because the ability to make fast, consistent credit decisions is vital for any individual or business, the mobile loan access gives that competitive advantage. A good example being of a ‘mama mboga’- Street, vegetable vendor in Nairobi who wants fast and secure access to mobile loans.

More often, the vegetable vendor takes on a loan via a mobile device to buy stock in the morning and repay in the evening, all within a span of 24 hours. We also have bigger population of Kenyans who

“While it is true one way or another people are going to get loans, too often this happens at a high cost to the customer thus credit providers must step in to ensure that customers take loans responsibly and safely,” reiterates Mr. Owino in one of his writings on TransUnion’s website.

TransUnion basically creates enabling environments for current and future generations of local entrepreneurs and businesses whose enterprising spirit jerks our economies by helping them get access to the resources they need, safely and quickly, to further their businesses.

How the scorecard works Using their mobile devices, consumers send the lending institution minimal information, such as their name and identity number. The Scorecard then quickly delivers a recommended outcome of—Approve, Decline or Refer—based on the lender’s internal credit policies and an accurate assessment of credit risk.

Information being an empowering tool rather than just numbers and data, Mr. Owino says the Mobile Loan Scorecard uses the most complete, multi-dimensional information available to help businesses extend the right credit, to the right people, on the correct terms. By doing so, the efforts become part of a nationwide initiative instrumental in cleaning up the mobile lending industry by working together for the good of the people.

“Individuals need to regularly check their credit worthiness so that they know where they stand and encourage them to utilise the once-a-year free credit report,” adds the jovial director.

Emerging trends Despite credit information sharing having a negative perception in the minds of consumers, the industry has

massive potential for growth. In his own opinion, the Director says that the credit information sharing industry in Kenya is only a shadow of its great potential. “We ought to be in a place where individuals are rewarded based on their risk levels.

Credit Information Sharing still produces negative reactions in many consumers by the mere mention of the word ‘listing. ’We are trying to change this through educational initiatives about the need for credit scoring.”

Credit information sharing is good for the people, businesses and the economy at large and according to Mr. Owino, capping of the interest rates offered by banks by the Central Bank of Kenya has had an adverse effect on credit provision. As a result, banks are now using more stringent ways to assess risk for one to access credit. Now credit access by SMEs has dropped by a whopping 30 per cent while personal loans by 15 per cent.

Compared to 12 per cent for traditional loans, delinquency rate for mobile loans is much lower with the market rates at 4 per cent.

This in a way has forced banks to get out of their comfort zones, be innovative and offer customised solutions.

Moving forward There is a lot of information about an individual that is never captured, but is vital in credit decision making, like credit reports by shopkeepers and other informal lenders.

Owino says, “We are looking forward to ways of tapping alternative data which is going to be a big decision-making tool in the future.”

“We want to crack the agricultural sector and optimise its potential. Agriculture contributes massively to Kenya’s GDP to nearly 70 per cent, but it is extremely underserved in terms of credit provision.

Credit access to the sector still stagnates at 2 per cent which is very unfortunate,” he concludes.

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Debt Collection

Quest Holdings; Your Professional Partners in Debt Management We provide professional receivable management solutions for both financial and commercial markets.

R

enown for provision of professional Debt Management Solutions, Quest Holdings Limited (QHL), a debt management firm continues to leave footprints across different regions. With its headquarters in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, QHL takes pride in its mastery of the debt market dynamics in East Africa and aims to be the debt management partner of choice for individuals and businesses.

“We provide professional receivable management solutions for both financial and commercial markets. Our focus is on maximizing clients’ cash flow management and credit control aspects,” says Erick Oluoch, Chief Executive of Quest Holdings in an interview with Edge Magazine.

When the firm started in 2007, the Executive explains that a lot of people and businesses did not understand the concept of debt outsourcing, save for a few financial institutions-banks mostly. It took close to 2 years for most people to begin to understand the debt market and the line of business the firm was spearheading.

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Erick Oluoch, Chief Executive, Quest Holdings.

Our focus is on maximizing clients’ cash flow management and credit control aspects

Set up in Nairobi, the firm has now spread its wings across the region to Uganda and Tanzania with plans to venture into Zambia in the course of time.

With a tagline of ‘Debt Management Simplified,’ QHL has undertaken major strategies to professionalize the industry and alter the bad undertone that debt collection has always been associated with.

The lifeline of any business is cash. No business can survive without it and that basically means that anyone dealing with any form of credit needs our services points out Mr. Oluoch.

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“When we were starting out, it was difficult for businesses to believe that one can recover huge debts for them,” adds the Executive.

We primarily collect debt and charge a collection fee

“While this perception has changed over time, firms are now starting to worry about their reputational risk in the act of collecting debt. But why should they worry? Professional managed debt cannot be injurious.

And we are here to ensure that,” he explains.

In established markets, debt collection is well advanced. The concept is crystal clear for most businesses. In Kenya you have to make clients believe in what you do.

“We primarily collect debt and charge a collection fee. One should think of credit in this way. Once an individual procures a product or service and fails to pay immediately, that is already a debt,” he explains further.

He further comments that the credit market is huge in Kenya as most people only know of the conventional market led by financial institutions which controls bigger chunk of Kenya’s economy.

Debt collection is at the tail end on debt management when one fails in risk mitigation measures. However, QHL takes pride in its robust systems, technology and advanced product offering to help businesses manage their delinquencies.

Collection cycle “The market has a cycle starting with early delinquency where a buyer does not pay immediately for services/ products procured. This is where you give us your debt as young as five days old. We can come in at this stage to offer credit management function. We then slowly and consistently remind the client the need to clear the debt until he does so,” notes Oluoch.

Emerging trends Financial industry is growing fast with Financial-Technology (Fin-Tech) taking the show. With time, institutions that won’t embrace change will be faced out. The capping of the interest rates by the Central Bank of Kenya last year affected lending that Credit to SMEs and individuals has shrunk as banks are now employing tougher risk mitigation measures, he observes.

“Bad governance has also affected the credit industry massively with a number of financial institutions closing down the past 2 years. The industry has experienced exponential financial inclusion and

expansion with a double edged sword effects. It has opened credit access to many people and created a culture that is highly depended on debt. There is stiff competition at the market. Everyone is willing to sell on credit. This has inturn created a generation that will be highly indebted in the future. Like right now we are having young guys who are taking loans to buy a mobile phone which is very sad!” he says in finality.

QHL promises to continue championing professionalism of debt collection and ensure clients brand are maintained, customer relationships are built and creditors recover their money.

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Energy Conservation

Towards Energy Conservation: Revolutionary Jikos Saving Kenya’s Forests

Teddy Kinyanjui.

I

n the early 1980’s, the late Dr. Maxwell Kinyanjui was instrumental in the development and distribution of the revolutionary Kenyan Ceramic Jiko: traditional metal stoves, “jikos”, are lined with a ceramic firebox. More efficient than traditional metal stoves, they come with a distinctive shape having the top and bottom with the same diameter, tapering at about 30 degrees to a waist.

Edge Magazine recently met Teddy Kinyanjui, son of the deceased Dr. Kinyanjui

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for a talk about the company he runs – Cookswell Jikos-inspired by his father’s designs and passion and its significance in energy conservation.

Cookswell Jikos manufactures and sells ceramic jikos, energy efficient charcoal ovens, innovative designer barbecues and space heaters. It has established a brand that is of much higher quality than the commonly made products in the informal sector.

The designs have been widely copied and replicated by the informal sector in Kenya.

Teddy says that he does not have to worry about the inspired barbecues and oven designs being copied. “It is a given fact in the market. I am more concerned if an innovation has not been copied within a year, it is a clear signal that there is no demand for the product. A revolutionary product will definitely be counterfeited.”

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“The quality, durability and performance of our branded products speak for themselves. Customers who buy from us know that our customer service is exceptional. In case of any product defects, Cookswell stands firmly behind our work and will endeavor to fix anything that may interfere with the excellent results. New paragraph Last thing you should worry about is high energy costs. Our jikos are energy efficient,” explains Teddy.

All the products by Cookswell are designed and handcrafted by local Kenyan artisans personally trained by his late father.

“We do not employ artisans. We let them work as independent entrepreneurs

who work on their premises. Cookswell provides them with the tools and materials necessary. We pay them upon delivery for an agreed high-quality piece of work” observes the entrepreneur.

Customers can order stoves or ovens and have them delivered. The firm has a network of local transport providers who deliver across major towns in Kenya and beyond. Just recently, Cookswell entered into a partnership with an international distributor based in The Hague, Netherlands online at www.cookswell. eu which provides low cost international shipping to any corner of the world!

Teddy adds “We advocate for the sustainable Production, management and

utilization of wood fuels as one of the many renewable energy resources for East Africa’s cooking needs. Along with every product purchased, the firm includes a free packet of KEFRI certified acacia tree seeds to further help people plant trees and make charcoal a sustainable energy source.”

Cooks well has partnered with Tamarind Group to establish The Woodlands2000Trust that promotes dry land tree growing around Kenya and East Africa for greater wood fuel security.

“We also make innovative and simple to use portable, mobile kilns to make free charcoal at home from tree branches and twigs or maize cobs, coconut husks and other woody biomass to reduce the demand on traditional charcoal.

Cookswell Jikos is a prime example of a homegrown, proudly Kenyan business that is taking energy conservation and tree planting to a new level in Kenya.

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Women in Leadership

I’m a Startup Founder and I Had Sex with an Investor — and I am Sorry By perri chase

She thought it was okay; it was consensual and not a big deal. After all, she wasn’t coerced. She gave him permission to act that way, and sleeping with him was part of the bigger problem. She had an agenda, and clearly one he did not share and that was her undoing. She tells of her mistake in the business circles, and advises women to understand the threshold of abuse and take radical responsibility.

W

here to begin… This is such a complicated topic and I thought to myself “Just don’t get involved, just get on with your life.

You are married, you are pregnant, you aren’t even a founder anymore, why post this?” But the last week has been really triggering for me, and I need to write this for myself and for anyone else for whom it may resonate. *First, let me say that most people know me as an opinionated, outspoken, tough as nails, with the “I don’t give a fuck” kind of person. Some of what I’ll share in this post is nearly paralyzing to write down, let alone post on the internet, particularly when my “honest” blog posts have a tendency of going viral.

Some of the things I might say may be unpopular or difficult to hear. But I want to say to anyone reading this that I really do not have the emotional capacity right now to be bullied; so please be kind and compassionate when you respond.

In 2011, I co-founded Unroll.me in New York City. Soon after we got the company off the ground at out into the world, I decided to move out to Silicon Valley (SV) solo to work on the startup that was my true passion; Archively . In a new city, I had almost no connections and I had no idea what I was doing. Having started Unroll.me with co-founders who had secured funding, starting something alone was a wildly different experience. I had befriended a founder of a VC backed startup who really Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

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believed in my vision and he told me to go pitch VCs. No co-founder, no engineer, no product; pure blue sky. He was convinced that with the right introductions, I could raise $2M, sight unseen… Let me give you a minute to laugh.

So, I moved with the flow. He gave me books to read, helped me practice my pitch, and then he made intros to VCs like Redpoint, Battery, Trinity, Kleiner and Norwest. I will say this, to their credit; they all met with me on his recommendation. They were all incredibly respectful and were genuinely engaged with me about what I envisioned. I never felt any condescension and there was certainly nothing said or done that was inappropriate. To note is that I did not raise my $2M on a blue sky dream. Looking back, I am kind of embarrassed that I even had those meetings in the first place. However, what I learned over the next few years was that those meetings are incredibly hard to get. I was lucky in a way.

Naturally, after failing to raise that money, I had to figure out how to do it on my own. I was super scrappy and bootstrapped for a year. I tried to network and figure out how I was going to raise money, if I even could, while also trying to build something as a non-technical founder. Having spent over a decade as a headhunter on Wall Street, I consider myself a professional networker and I found networking in Silicon Valley very difficult. There is no central place to meet people. It is elusive. It is all about the backchannel. You rely on founder friends and parties, which can be equally elusive, mostly to get access to investors and helpful people.

So when I happened to meet a renowned angel investor through a friend at a restaurant one night, I was super excited for this casual warm intro. We exchanged numbers and texted back and forth trying to make plans to meet up for drinks. Having spent my 20s in bars recruiting traders, “bar business” was not new or intimidating to me. I ended up meeting him at 10pm one night. So, when you see stories of women saying they met investors at hotel bars and late at night, this is why. It’s so hard to get meetings and raise money that you are willing to meet wherever/whenever to get some air time. Though again, it is here is

that I have to be brutally honest with you and myself about what happened.

I had an agenda, but it was not a shared agenda. I was the one who decided this was a business meeting. At this point, I still hadn’t raised any money but I had a prototype and I felt more confident pitching. Using femininity to get male attention in business was not new to me and I had zero shame in using it. Shortly after sitting down, it became pretty obvious that he was just hanging with me as a woman who happened to also have a company.

There was no “yeah come pitch me, I’m interested in your company.” I made that up in my head.

I still tried to talk business, but it was not a focused conversation and more drinks were poured. Then he said to me “I’m taking you home with me tonight.” I think I laughed and said “oh are you?” But after a few more drinks, I made a consensual choice. I said okay, but followed it up with a clarification…. “But then you can never invest in my company…”? But I doubt he really cared.

Honestly, I didn’t see that as a big deal until now. Why not?

When I started my career as a headhunter more than a decade earlier cold calling traders on Wall Street, I used to take them out for drinks. This was how I did my job. I was not naive or innocent. It was certainly not the first time a guy ever hit on me. In the early part of my career guys would say to me, “You have such an incredible voice on the phone; I had to meet you to see if you were hot.” Wonderful. (Eye roll) Then without missing a beat I would take out a piece of paper and have them write down the name of everyone they worked with, team P&L, comp and any other goodies I could get my hands on. See even back then I got a clue on how female commerce worked.

I understood that letting a man lust after me was a price for entry.

I knew being “hot” got me in the door and after that I had to make that work for me. Culturally teaches women that our main power is our looks and sexuality; that it is a matter of what you do with it.

Personally, I must admit that it and was more successful than my male colleagues because of it. HOWEVER, I had a hard line of not crossing a physical line with men I was actively doing deals with and I kept that boundary well. And then, as I got more established, men didn’t meet with me for my voice, or for what I might be wearing.

They met with me because they knew my name and because I knew things that they wanted to know. The meetings became more professional and I didn’t have to play the woman card anymore.

I’m not going to name this investor because what happened with me was consensual.

However, in all that has been emerging this week it dawned on me that I gave him permission to act this way. My sleeping with him is actually part of the problem.

Sure, it was social, it was consensual, but he was after all an investor and I was a female founder; but as others have been pointing out, this is part of the professional environment. I was not harmed in any way, but looking back at his behavior that night and following, I could see where someone not so clear as I was could have really been manipulated or worse. I also imagine I was not the only one.

It would also be so easy to jump on the “inappropriate investor” train here. Had I said no and left the bar offended and appalled, I could have easily overlooked how I created a business meeting in my head that had never existed for the other person. I could have come out accusing him of being inappropriate using text messages to back it up. But I have to own my part in that too. He never gave me any indication it was a professional meeting. That was just my agenda, and clearly one he did not share.

So who am I to call him out?

It is complicated because in an ecosystem where socializing and happy hours are a big way to meet or get to know investors, there are no real clear lines about what is personal and what is professional. I think clarifying this up front has to become a big priority for both men and women.

Real talk I’m also not the first or only woman who has ever used being a woman to get time

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with a man and this is where as women, we need to take more responsibility too.

I was saying to a friend about the stories coming out; these are not even the worst ones because these women didn’t sleep with these men and men wouldn’t keep behaving this way if it didn’t work. They behave this way because it does work. And in a way, I admit to being part of creating and enabling that culture, by sending the message that it was ok and not a big deal.

Abuse Threshold — What is a “big deal”?

The topic of “abuse threshold” has come up in the past few days as I have talked to countless women about what has been coming out. While every woman has her own experience, what has been incredibly triggering for me personally is to admit I have an extremely high abuse threshold.

I woke up the other morning nearly catatonic, which is what happens to me when I’m triggered. It’s like I can’t speak or make eye contact; it’s like I am frozen inside, and just on the other side is a deep well of trauma. I’ve never said this publicly and it’s paralyzing, but I experienced decades of ongoing abuse. Decades.

I do not have the emotional capacity to get into the details but let’s just say that when someone breaks you, you are susceptible to more. You generally think it’s no big deal or that you deserve it and you certainly don’t share it. You bury it inside. Sharing is dangerous and I felt a lot of terror around all this sharing. It’s not rational. It’s just paralyzing fear.

My husband was deeply concerned and wanted to know what was going on. I tried to explain how silenced I felt that even after all these years, just that one of the harassment accounts in the press was making me furious because it felt frivolous to me and insulting to actual victims.

Cheryl Yeoh and I both moved to Silicon Valley at the same time and she was one of my only female founder friends for some time. Her story is deeply upsetting to me because I know her personally and because I have always been a huge fan of Dave’s.

When you know and like both people it is just all the more painful to take in.

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Cheryl and I were talking about her story and we were able to have a really open and honest discussion about the complexity of this topic. I said that while I totally agree that what happened to her is 100% wrong, it never would have registered to me personally to call that assault. Let me be clear. I am not saying it isn’t, it just wouldn’t have occurred to me to call it that. This is where the abuse threshold comes in. For example, when you have had a boyfriend hold your throat to the wall and tell you that “they will never find your body”, there is a lot that you are able to just brush off.

The really triggering part was that if what Cheryl experienced is actually assault, how many times have I (or countless other women) brushed off these experiences because they’re not as bad as other things we’ve experienced? That really hit home that the context of whether it is in a professional setting or not doesn’t even really matter.

I know it is incredibly hard for women to come forward and most won’t; not because they don’t want the men to be exposed, but rather the fear of reliving the pain and exposing yourself on the internet. The internet is not a nice place when you are emotionally raw.

I think it’s important that when we expose men. It is real and warranted and not a one sided story open to interpretation. Once these stories are out, there is nothing a man can do to defend against falsehoods.

I think we have a responsibility as women to be introspective and be honest with ourselves.

Radical Personal Responsibility I’ve done a lot of personal work to heal my own trauma and when I talk about this topic, I rarely talk about men needing to change. Is it because I don’t think it would be nice if men changed? Of course it would be nice. Am I going to wait for men to getting around to fixing my problem? Hell no.

To some this perspective comes off “victim blamey”, but when you have experienced what I have experienced, you know that you are powerless to change anything or anyone but yourself.

Byron Kate, a great teacher, looks at the world as “My business. Your business. And God’s business.” All I have control over is my business. No one else’s behavior falls under “My business”. The controls I do have are the choices I make and the boundary I set and that is just it; that is all we each have. So for me, we can talk about “changing men” until we are blue in the face, but the only person who is ever truly responsible for my safety is me.

There is a video of a rape survivor talking about how she healed and that stands out to me. She went back through the whole event moment by moment and she found the exact moment where she felt something was off, and she didn’t listen to that voice. Reclaiming that moment where she made the choice to ignore her intuition helped her get her power back.

It’s not about it being her fault. Healing is not about whose fault it is. It’s not pointing the finger of blame at HIM. It’s finding the places where you have control and taking it back.

I’ve teamed up work with many teachers around this topic and one of my favorite teachers is Lynne Forrest, and her work with the Victim Triangle. She teaches that while we may have been a “victim” of something, we can learn how to move out of “victim consciousness” (allowing your identity to crystallize around being a victim) to a more empowered place. For all I have been through, I don’t identify as a victim and I’m so grateful for that empowerment and freedom.

In wrapping up, I am deeply sorry to any contribution my actions have had on women in this ecosystem by giving permission to the kind of behavior we are trying to change.

If any women want to talk about anything I have shared or if you want resources to help heal your own trauma please feel free to reach out to me at perribchase@gmail. com

Perri Chase is an Executive Coach helping Female Entrepreneurs find joy/ freedom/badassery in being authentically themselves. Former founder @unrollme & archively

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34

Innovation

Innovation; A Sure Bet to Keep Africa Moving Forward

By Sthe Shabangu

The celebrated Africa month reminded us of how far we’ve come as a continent and as Sthe urges leaders and innovators, it is equally important to remember what still needs to be done to propagate our continent further

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n the wake of Africa month celebration, it is easy to be proud of milestones achieved as a continent and get carried away with African Development Bank research that ranked Africa as the continent with the world’s second fastest growing economy.

With our economy expected to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2017 and 4.3 per cent in 2018 according to research in the African Outlook Report, there’s little doubt that our vibrant continent is making great strides towards a bright future.

Children are being left behind Despite the good picture we see, report

by Internet for Education in Africa approximating 110 million children in Africa having never stepped inside a classroom certainly tells us that it’s not enough.

Children across Africa’s rural communities are being left behind - and with more than 70 per cent of the continent’s population living in rural areas, this is a major problem. The same report similarly shows that at least half the population resides more than 25km from the nearest fiber connection; clearly, while we may be celebrating the growth of connectivity in

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3.4% With our economy expected to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2017 and 4.3 per cent in 2018 according to research in the African Outlook Report, there’s little doubt that our vibrant continent is making great strides towards a bright future

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cities, last-mile connectivity is still a major setback.

Many diseases; few doctors Education is not the only challenge that requires our urgent attention. Equally troubling and of no less importance is the healthcare sector. With serious diseases like Ebola, Malaria, Cholera, Meningitis and HIV/AIDS still posing a great threat to African lives, we have a long journey ahead.

In fact, unfortunate as it is, Brand South Africa reports that while Africa shoulders one quarter of the global disease burden, it is home to just 2 per cent of the world’s doctors.

In addition to the gravity of the matter of many diseases, Africa’s health care systems still lacks the capacity to research, produce and deploy the health care solutions we so desperately need.

This health issue was highlighted at the recent World Economic Forum Africa Summit where it was evident that the private sector will play a vital role in improving healthcare in the continent; that it is in the private sector that the resources to invest in people and product development exists.

Changing lives, One Digital Village at a time As Samsung has discovered first hand, each investment, whether in education or health care or perhaps even both, has the potential to transform hundreds of lives at a time.

“Last year, we at Samsung partnered with UNESCO in Tanzania to provide innovative education and healthcare solutions to the Maasai community in Ololosokwan, Ngorongoro,” observes Sthe Shabangu, the Lead Public Relations Person at Samsung Africa Office.

Medical Centre, Solar-Powered Health Centre and Solar-Powered Generator.

When it comes to innovation, the limits to what we as a dynamic and developing continent can achieve are few Together, we established a multi-donor programme comprising of a Samsung Solar-Powered Internet School, a Samsung Solar-Powered Health Centre, a SolarPowered Tele-Medicine Centre and a SolarPowered Generator.

While the Internet School contains an interactive whiteboard, Samsung Galaxy Note PCs and a printer, the Health Centre provides a variety of eye, ear, blood, dental and pre and post-natal screening and treatments. On the other hand, TeleMedicine Centre, provides prescription and expert healthcare assistance through the use of tele-conferencing made possible by the internet and Samsung Tablets.

This ultimately enables greater access to qualified medical assistance where initially, there was none.

Samsung also launched West Africa’s first digital village in Volo in the Volta region of Ghana. Here, it is partnering with government, local health services and international stakeholders including UNESCO. Similar to the initiative in Tanzania, the Village is comprised of a Solar-Powered Internet School, Solar-Powered Tele-

Not only is the Village instrumental in the improvement of healthcare and education in the region but also helps local traders to develop their businesses through the aid of an alternative, low-cost energy source.

“Through innovations like these, we believe it’s possible to start changing the status quo. Replicating similar initiative of Digital Villages in the community is Matshiding in Mpumlanga, of South Africa with the goal of making healthcare accessible to more people thanks to Samsung,” points out Shabangu.

Because the Village drastically reduces the distance that patients have to travel to access medical care, almost 700 patients visit the Village each month to access basic healthcare services.

It’s true that we still have a great deal of work to do if we want to see our incredible continent continue on its path of transformation, but I firmly believe that the key to our success lies in the power of innovation.

In finality, Shabanga says, “Indeed Samsung’s innovations have been changing millions of lives since we first set foot in Africa many years ago. The drive to serve as a catalyst for transformation across the continent is in our DNA. And just as it’s been our mandate to inspire innovation in Africa, so Africa has inspired us.”

When it comes to innovation, the limits to what we as a dynamic and developing continent can achieve are few. We have only to look to ourselves.

Sthe Shabangu is the Lead: Public Relations, Public Affairs and Corporate Citizenship, Samsung Africa Office

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Customer Service

Evolving Preferences of Millenials By lucy kiruthu

T

he Millenial. One of the largest generations in history are unquestionably shaping the future of business and marketing. Known as digital natives, they have a combine purchasing power of over USD 10 trillion globally.

With their unique experiences, they are poised to change the way we buy and sell.

In the following article, Lucy Kiruthu, the Lead Management Consultant at Evolve Business Consultants explains why it is easy to understand why many companies are trying to appeal to the millennial generation with alternative marketing solutions.

Who is the millennial customer?

The millennials are those considered to have been born between early 1980s to mid-1990s. This generation otherwise referred to as generation Y is sandwiched between generation X and the upcoming generation Z or the centennials. Millennials are the sons and daughters of the younger baby boomers and the older generation ‘Xers’. Most of their parents have had formal jobs and as children, millennials had a structured lifestyle to fit in their parents’ schedules.

In matters business and customers analysis, millennials are today shopping

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Understanding market needs and meeting them appropriately is vital to developing brand loyalty and certainly something that will give any business a competitive advantage

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Businesses must not shy away from customers that have gone digital and that demand a better experience than the generations before them

for themselves, for their children and are influencing the purchase decisions of their parents. In addition, as business owners, middle level and senior managers they are involved in the making purchases in their organizations.

What do the millennial customers prefer?

The millennials are well educated and informed. They witnessed the digital transformation from their early years.

They have grown up with access to the internet, with computers, mobile phone, cable TV, microwave, instant showers, mobile money and the like. As a result, they are tech-savvy. Notably, these millenials have grown up experiencing much better services than their parents did. Because of the environment within which they have grown, millennials as customers tend to have higher expectations. They prefer to get things done faster and prefer to interact online via their mobile phones and other gadgets. They like to look at online reviews and ratings for both products and services and to compare multiple online stores before making purchase decisions. Because of the improved access to information, millennials are able to make informed decision and get better deals than their parents. With better understanding of their rights as customers, the Millennials often demand to get value for their money unlike their parents would.

What can businesses do to serve the millennial customer?

Is your organization making it easier for millennials to do business with you?

As customers, millennials comprise a sizeable percentage of consumers that has a significant purchasing power. Ignoring this group is only to the detriment of your business. Businesses targeting the millennial customers need to understand them more. Having grown up in an interconnected world, the millennials like to do business with businesses that are easy to do business with. They desire to have a painless end-to-end customer experience; they are keen on quality and

trendy stuff and like to keep up with the times. To serve the millennial customers effectively, businesses must rethink their overall customer experience. Most importantly, businesses must focus on speed and pay more attention to what their millennial customers are saying.

Social media is a big talk currently.

Are Kenyan businesses connecting adequately with Millennials online?

Millennials are active on several social media platforms. They are on Instagram, Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Whatsapp and many others. They not only use social media to keep in touch with their friends, but also to interact with businesses.

Millennials would rather chat online than send an email, make a telephone call or visit an office. Therefore, businesses hoping to reach out to Millennials need a heavy online presence across multiple channels. While some Kenyan businesses are adequately connecting with their millennial customers online, many others are still lagging behind. Businesses need to embrace social media to keep the Millennials informed, to handle their enquiries, offer services and to deal with any dissatisfaction expressed online.

Businesses must not shy away from customers that have gone digital and that demand a better experience than the generations before them.

Understanding market needs and meeting them appropriately is vital to developing brand loyalty and certainly something that will give any business a competitive advantage.

Kiruthu is the Lead Management Consultant at Evolve Business Consultants a Nairobi Based Management Consultancy firm on a mission to Inspire Positive Change in Business and Society. The firm focuses on Strategy, Leadership and Service Excellence. Please connect via twitter @EvolveAdvisory or Facebook @ EvolveBusinessConsultants

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Human Capital

By Perminus Wainaina

The Common HR Mistakes Companies Make and What You Can Do About Them

H

uman Capital is the most valuable resource in a company. A well-managed and skilled Human Resource structure can be rewarding to the growth and development of a company.

The opposite is also true.

There are some seemingly small mistakes that companies make that could have undesirable effects on the company and staff in general. These mistakes often present themselves as non-issues but once they pile up, correcting them can be a costly affair.

Here are some of the HR mistakes companies make and how you can put them in check

1

. Thinking That Some Employment Laws Don’t Apply To Your Company Having interacted with quite a number of CEOs and company owners, there is a common assumption of the HR laws and particularly the Employment Act of 2007.

In fact, most business owners and CEOs have little understanding of what the law stipulates on matters pertaining employment or even think that some laws only apply to the large corporates.

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I always advice my clients to have a clear understanding of what the Employment Act and other HR related laws state to avoid getting caught on the wrong side as this can be a costly affair.

A company should always have a capacitated HR management system. But, where there is a lack of capacity, it is always advisable to seek the services of a Certified HR Consultant to help align HR systems as per the law.

2

. Not Having Accurate Job Descriptions In my practice, I have witnessed this as one of the most common causes of poor performance management.

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Without proper JDs, employees aren’t sure of what they should be doing and what success ought to look like. This results to job outlooks not being properly managed.

It’s hard to measure somebody’s performance when his or her Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) aren’t appropriately documented.

A mismatch in the employer expectations and what the employee delivers can result in a lot of conflict.

To ensure that both the employer and employee work with a common goal from the very beginning, it is always advisable to

have a well-documented JD that is signed off by both parties from the very beginning.

Having Accurate JDs will help you hire, manage and fire employees better because you will have all the right documentation as a backup.

3

. Failing To Document Performance Issues When an employee goes against stipulated HR policies, it is important to have that accurately and thoroughly documented.

Although it may seem timeconsuming to jot down in a file that someone was reprimanded for repeated unpunctuality, it’s important evidence that can support a decision to terminate that individual for unsatisfactory job performance, for example.

In addition, when a company is consistent in its application of performance issues, it is better able to address potential legal issues that may arise in the future, such as a discrimination claim.

4

. Hiring Too Fast & Firing Too Slow You have to hire a little slower in order to find the right people who fit in your organization and culture.

However because of the exhaustion that comes with interviewing so many candidates,

some CEOs and company owners tend to hire the first candidate that shows stands out from the lot. This candidate may not always be the right fit for the company.

More often than not, it doesn’t work out if you don’t take your time and make sure that person is a good fit in your organization. It is also always advisable to engage the services of a recruitment firm to do the work for you.

What about firing too slow?

This is where a good performance management system comes in handy. If for some reasons you end up hiring someone who isn’t a good fit for the company, firing too slow costs the company. With the backing of good performance records, firing shouldn’t take so much time and effort.

Failing to let someone go without the appropriate documentation can have costly legal implications.

5

. Poor Keeping Of Employment Records I know proper record keeping takes time; time that you need to expand your business and meet strategic goals. However, it is very important to keep proper and complete employment records.

In the event that your company needs to undergo a compliance audit, it will be an easy ride with proper records keeping.

In conclusion These top mistakes that companies make in HR can be easy to ignore because they don’t always present immediate threats to the company. However, they can have serious implications in the future. I hope that you consider my advice and align your HR systems to avoid any serious repercussions.

Perminus Wainaina is a Certified HR Consultant, Career Coach and Managing Partner of Corporate Staffing Services, a leading recruitment firm in Kenya. As a career coach, Perminus works with experienced professionals in helping them determine and achieve what they want in their career.

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Social Entrepreneurship

Empowering Youths Through Social Entrepreneurship The Sauder Social Entrepreneurship-Kenya program trains youth living in slums to enable them start their own sustainable businesses.

the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, BC, Canada helping youths living in impoverished areas better their social enterprise ideas.

The 4-week SSE-Kenya teaching program is offered in partnership with Strathmore University’s School of Business. It is held annually in Nairobi, Kenya to challenge participants to develop strong and sustainable entrepreneurship skills. The program delivers a total of 10 workshops, conducted by a group of students from both Sauder School of Business and Strathmore School of Business. The teaching activity is conducted in two slum communities of Kibera and Mathare.

Kibera is one of the most studied areas in Africa with estimated population of over 1-million people in just 2.5 square km.

In 2012, ‘The Economist’ called Kibera a “Boomtown slum.” Mathare on the other hand is home to about 500,000 people in area of only three square miles. It is one of the oldest and most disadvantaged communities settlement in Kenya.

SSE-Kenya has received commendations and built an exceptional legacy through it’s over ten year’s history. Launched in 2006, the indispensable help of Strathmore University students helps students from Sauder School of Business get a chance to learn extensively about Kenyan language, culture, and politics to contextualize teaching materials accordingly.

T

he growth of social enterprises in Kenya is on the rise just as it is in many nations of the globe. The escalation of social enterprises around the globe is linked with the emergence of the many social issues affecting the society today.

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of the most needy people and communities in the country.

Sauder Social Entrepreneurship-Kenya (SSE-Kenya) project is among notable program that is intentional about social entrepreneurship mentorship to the youths. The SSE-Kenya is the social entrepreneurship program of Sauder School of Business; faculties of

Besides teaching, SSE-Kenya has conducted research on the positive aspects and drawbacks of the program in an effort to improve trainings. During research, past Sauder participants are encouraged to share their experiences and advice which guides future Sauder participants.

Benefit to the community SSE-Kenya provides an opportunity for growth for both Kenyan participants and Sauder students. Over 400 Kenyans have received the training with majority of them now running successful business and/or pursuing further education. SSE-Kenya has successfully enabled Kenyan participants

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to grow, and provide a sense of social responsibility, and realization of their business ideas.

According to research results, SSE-Kenya project has helped Sauder students in developing a variety of transferable skills like project planning, public speaking and effective teaching.

Overall, SSE-Kenya encourages the exchange of knowledge and enhances communication between different cultures. In other words, it helps build an international business network with a farreaching impact.

Motivation behind SSE-Kenya The intention of SSE-Kenya includes: • Tackling the unemployment problem, and helping build a sustainable and healthy business environment in developing countries.

• Increasing international learning opportunities by encouraging the exchange of knowledge and cross-culture communications.

• Enhancing UBC and Sauder School of Business’ international reputation, with the hope of meeting people with similar aspiration.

Key Milestones During SSE-Kenya’s 10-year anniversary, some of its major success highlights shared included its rapid growth in the past 10 years. Its transition from an initiative to a mature program with clearly defined structure is evident. In the first few years, SSE-Kenya’s Sauder participants spent more time fundraising than building a thorough curriculum. Today, SSE-Kenya does a great job in dividing the work, and Sauder students are able to shift their emphasis to curriculum building and course delivery. Consequently, the overall effectiveness and efficiency of SSE-Kenya has increased.

SSE-Kenya not only helps with putting business ideas into practice, but also teaches business owners on how to adapt to the changing business environment – the key to success in business. According

to SSE-Kenya’s 2015 impact report, 14 of the survey respondents had successfully diversified their businesses; it was either they owned a fleet of businesses providing variety of services within the community, or they expanded one business theme to respond to customer arising needs.

Diversification significantly reduces the risk of running a business.

Besides mentoring youths on social entrepreneurship, SSE-Kenya can be seen as platform for building genuine friendships which opens doors to many memorable social activities. For example, a trip to a school in Thirikwa, a tiny farming village about two hours north of Nairobi; tours to the Elephant Orphanage, Giraffe Sanctuary, as well as local museums and markets and visits to the Free the Children compound in Nairobi and the Kazuri Bead factory in Nairobi – a loyal supporter of social entrepreneurship.

Colleen Poeta, B.Com, CPA, Program Coordinator for SSE Kenya and SSE China

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42

Higher Learning

How Regional Center of Management Champions Higher Education Through Practical Programmes There is an urgent need to focus more on STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) given Kenya’s ambitions to become a middle income economy

By Dr. Joshua Aura

hospitality, computerized accounting, ICT, foreign languages, and personal development training and mentorship.

Dr. Joshua Aura Principal at Regional Centre of Management.

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egional Centre of Management (RCM) is a middle level college offering practical training and mentorship. We believe in wholesome training and development and that is why we develop students’ personality, character, and top it with practical skills that will benefit them for life.

The institution offers courses in various fields including accounting, tourism and Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

What sets us apart?

RCM is unlike your ordinary college.

It seeks to develop individuals by undertaking personality and psychological tests to help them understand themselves, their strengths, weaknesses and know where they need to improve. We achieve this through our various mentorship programs before imparting professional knowledge in the various fields of the students’ choice; we focus more on practical skills rather than theory.

We use numerous case studies where students are required to apply the theoretical knowledge acquired through on-class instruction as well as our online classes. This is one area that sets RCM apart from our peers; we provide students the option of attending classes online as the primary instruction medium or to improve on areas they have identified they need extra assistance on.

Further, RCM undertake boot-camps where we students are taken through the entire course materials during intensive block

release revision sessions in addition to the normal instruction to not only prepare them for the job market, but to ensure they attain the highest marks in their various national and international examinations.

For instance, RCM mentored ACCA students have the highest average pass mark in Africa, with an average pass rate of 75 per cent, a fact that has seen the ACCA institute recommend students to us from as far as the United States and the entire African continent.

Bridging the skills gap Much has been reported about the skills gap among Kenya’s graduates. Industry players and institutions of higher learning can bridge this gap by having tailor made industry standard training in addition to the traditional higher education courses.

The course offered by institutions of higher learning such as Universities should act as a foundation for more industry oriented practical skills training; for instance in Accounting and Finance.

Further, industries and organizations hire people with skills, not just their skills.

Effort should therefore be placed on personal development and improvement.

Besides, the industrial sector and

RCM mentored ACCA students have the highest average pass mark in Africa, with an average pass rate of 75 per cent, a fact that has seen the ACCA institute recommend students to us from as far as the United States and the entire African continent

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Expect RCM to continue being innovative in its training

employers can contribute to better skills training by funding schools and research initiatives where they work closely with institutions of higher learning to undertake industry-specific research, such as solarroof technology. Here, the knowledge gained and skills learned can be applied directly in the work place and industry in general.

Industry should also aid in skills development by providing attachments and internships in the course of students undertaking their higher education studies.

Besides, there is an urgent need to focus more on STEM (Science, technology, engineering and mathematics) given Kenya’s ambitions to become a middle income economy and to achieve the Vision 2030 goals. Students need to have the

necessary technical skills that will spur research and innovation, which are the basic tools necessary for industrial take off and development.

Contributions of RCM in the education space RCM offers students theoretical knowledge, as the basis of our training. However, we go further by developing students’ personality through mentorship and providing practical industrial skills training that can be applied directly at the work place.

The institution liaises with employers to offer students internships and industrial attachments to help them gain practical industry level training.

We also mentor our students with soft skills that improve their personality and help them understand themselves better.

Further, we undertake practical real life training sessions to aid the students improve their decision making and problem solving skills through our revision and boot-camp training sessions.

Going forward, expect RCM to continue being innovative in its training. As part of our intermediate strategy; we are developing a robust online learning platform as well as improving our mentorship programs. RCM is also discussing with more organizations where our students can undertake internships and attachments to improve their skillsset, while according qualified students to become part of our teaching and mentorship staff to ensure continuity.

Dr. Aura is the Principal at Regional Centre of Management

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44

Motor

Looking For a Thoroughbred Workhorse to Solve Your Transportation Needs? Big Bolero pickup is your best bet Simba Corporation and Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd shakes the Pickup market in Kenya

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apidly expanding, Simba Corporation is disrupting the motor vehicle industry by providing unmatched products and customized solutions to the Kenyan Market. Through its subsidiaries, the group has established itself as a dealer of renowned brands including Renault, Mitsubishi, Fuso, Mahindra and BMW among others.

Xylon Motors, a subsidiary of Simba Corporation is the Mahindra franchise for Kenya. It provides full sales, service and parts for all Mahindra Pickups and Passenger vehicles in the country.

Edge Magazine interviewed Mr. Siva Kumar, Xylon Motors Sales Manager, and Anthony Kibe, Head of Leasing, who shared insights on the newly launched Big Bolero Pickup and its available financing solutions.

The Big Bolero Pick-up India’s renowned SUV manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.) recently through Xylon Motors launched the Big Bolero Pick-up in Kenya. The Mahindra Bolero Maxi Truck Plus, dubbed the Big Bolero, is set to disrupt the pick-up segment by offering unrivaled payload capacity of 1.5 tons, stylish and comfortable cabin.

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The Bolero Range of pickups introduced to the Kenyan market in 2012 has since gained popularity due to the matchless fuel efficiency of 13km per litre. “If you are looking for a pick-up for your transportation needs- a thoroughbred workhorse, the Bolero model is your best bet,” says Mr. Kumar. The pickups are sturdy and their maintenance cost is considerably low.

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The engine is basic and simplified giving one the confidence to go out in rough terrain. “Bolero Pickups are always the backup vehicles for drillers or constructors who operate on off-road terrain,” mentions Mr. Kumar.

The new Pick up boast of the largest capacity in tonnes in the pick up category in the market and a competitive price.

"

Hire purchase is suited for individuals who want to use the vehicle and pay for it in installments over an agreed period of time and eventually own it After conducting a market research, Mahindra realized there was a gap in the market for a superior pickup, capitalized on the need and designed exactly that.

“This is the only pick-up of its kind and capacity in the market. Big Bolero Pickup that is competitively priced is designed to cater for the current and evolving needs of businessmen, traders, and all its customers in entirety.”

The cargo body measures 9 feet which is the longest in the category of pickups in the market. The extra length enables traders to load bigger items. Besides the large cantersized tires for supporting heavier loads, it also features a flat cargo surface that gives it more loading space.

The Big Bolero provides superior comfort through its spacious ergonomically designed big cabin, sliding and reclining seats and power steering as a standard feature across all variants. The machine comes with new exteriors and premium interiors incorporating a new instrument panel and theme color.

In fact, most traders now prefer the Big Bolero to canters especially when doing various deliveries. At the end of the day, having several Bolero pick-ups is more efficient that having one canter.

The pick-ups are customized to meet the needs of clients such as transporting bread or milk among others. They are now a favorite with traders because of its efficiency compared to canters, observes Mr. Kumar.

Indeed, the launch of the Big Bolero Pickup is a veritable step towards offering more value to customers.

Financing solutions Xylon Motors, through Simba Corporation offers financing options to their customers through hire purchase and leasing. “Hire purchase is suited for individuals who want to use the vehicle and pay for it in installments over an agreed period of time and eventually own it,” says Mr. Kibe. It is similar to what banks offer when one takes a car loan but at a better discount and flexible terms. This is commendable for traders who cannot afford to pay the full amount of the vehicle at once.

The leasing option on the other hand is only available to corporate and fleet clients. It is a solution for companies that require motor vehicles but do not want to actually own them. Mr. Kibe explains that leased vehicles come as a full package with comprehensive insurance and a fleet management system. In addition, Simba

Corporation bears the maintenance costs since the company retains ownership of the vehicles.

For this all inclusive package, companies are required to pay a monthly fee for the service that is calculated based on the value of the vehicle, bodybuilding needs, and projected mileage.

Mileage is usually fixed as this is the basis of wear and tear and it is used to compute maintenance cost. The leasing contract has terms and conditions that a user must abide by to ensure that negligence, misuse of the vehicles and reckless driving is avoided, contrary to which the cost is borne by the lessee.

The solution is available to companies which need at least three vehicles tailor -made to meet their needs. The lease contract lasts three to four years for passenger cars and up to five years for commercial vehicles. At the end of the contract, the company is required to return the depreciated vehicles and may choose to obtain new ones but under negotiated terms.

Simba Corporation prides itself as pioneers of vehicle leasing in the Kenyan market.

The leasing option is fully in-house, making it flexible and competitive.

Having been insured, the leasing package offers another car for 14 days in case of an accident. Nonetheless, in the event that it takes longer than that, the company provides vehicles through their car rental subsidiary, Avis, at considerably discounted rates. Customers are therefore assured of zero business disruption.

To be eligible for the services, Simba Corp has to consider the customers ability to pay the monthly fee as a rolling cost. Interested customers are required to present certificate of incorporation, KRA PIN and tax clearance certificate. A credit Report from an accredited credit reference bureau must also be presented to ascertain the company’s credit worthiness.

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EDGE Lifestyle

More than just EDGE, its a LIFESTYLE

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48 Travel & Leisure

When we talk of the coastal beauty and the pride of the coast, most of the times it’s the oceans and the lush white sandy beaches that cloud our mind. However, as you explore further, Marine parks teeming with aquatic life equally forms a major attraction in the Kenyan coast that you are sure to experience on your next trip! Adisa Hudson, shares of the special attractions that uniquely defines each Park and what to know before your next vacation to the coast.

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Let’s talk Marine…

What to Know about the Marine Parks at the Coastal Kenya

Watamu Marine Park ithin the larger Arabuko Sokoke forests adjacent to the beautiful Watamu, exotic bird chirps is one of the biggest attractions beside the beautiful manicured beaches and high end hotels and cottages. With over 100 bird species housed in the expansive forest and bushes, dusk and dawn chirrups of the bird is something to look forward too. The Black Kite is one of the commonly seen overhead birds while Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24

the Common Bulbul, White-Browed Coucal and Speckled Mouse bird are mostly seen tussling in the undergrowth.

Located 28 KM South of Malindi town near Gede, Watamu, a Swahili translation that means sweet prides itself of beautiful tourist destinations, unique coral gardens, the Gede Ruins and the Watamu Marine National Park. This park boasts of Green turtles which are its unique trademark.

The park is part of a multifaceted marine and sea faring habitats along Kenya’s north

coast with rich and diverse bird life, fish, turtles and dugongs. Not only that but also, the park provides room for enjoying the white sandy beaches, and water games like snorkeling, water skiing, windsurfing and glass bottomed boat tours to enjoy the marine life at Mida Creek.

Malindi Marine Park Here the marine life entails crabs, corals, sea urchins, jellyfish, sea stars, and sea cucumbers and varieties of coral species that sustain the marine inhabitants. Swim-

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ming with zebra fish and windsurfing is an example of fun activities in the park.

True to the park authority sentiments, Malindi Marine Park is a “beautiful slice of Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline that provides the perfect getaway” not just for your children but offers a myriad of water games that adults will enjoy. The park is endowed with magnificent resources such as fringing reefs, coral gardens in the lagoons, sea grass beds, mangroves, mudflats, marine mammals, turtles and various species of shorebirds.

Ideal for glass bottom boat rides, snorkeling, camping and beach walks; a visit to the park will leave you with beautiful memories.

Mombasa Marine Park Located between Mtwapa and Tudor Creeks, Mombasa Marine Park uniquely known for its blue waters is characterized by high coconut palms on white sandy beaches. Mombasa Marine Park is remarkable for wind surfing, skiing, snorkeling and diving. It boast as habitat for crabs, starfish, stone fish, cucumbers sea urchins, corals, turtles, sea grasses and interestingly migratory birds like crab plovers.

In case of more adventure, visitors staying the night can make use of the marine campsite available within the park premises.

Kiunga Marine Park In the northern far end of the Indian Ocean

Kenyan Coastline in the East of Lamu lies the striking Kiunga Marine. Approximately 150 Kms East of Lamu, Kiunga Marine Park is located in a rustic village hidden from civilization as we know it. The journey to the park is difficult but the discomfort is rewarding as one gets to enjoy the spectacular sight of the coral reefs, the sand dunes.

A common attraction is also the Lamu Archipelago specifically at Kiwayu Island where one gets to enjoy the tidal pool view besides sea urchins, sea turtles and reef fish. It is an invitation to step into the mangrove extensive canopy which forms the major habitat for the turtles.

Kisite Marine Park Located in Wasini Island and enveloped with coral reefs; Kisite Marine Park established to protect the scenic island which is special habitats for endangered marine life is your perfect spot as a dolphin lover.

The park is a tourist venture that Kwale County boasts of as a home for Dolphins.

Being in a serene but remote setting 11kms from the mainland in Kwale County, the park is only accessible by a boat which gives it a different taste of adventure. Dolphins and whales are common sights here.

What to take with you As you plan that visit and get acquainted with the brimming marine life in our beautiful country and the trip of a lifetime with the new Madaraka Express, remember to pack the few essentials in your travel pack.

• Footwear like the ordinary sandals or masaai sandals to protect your feet from the reefs • T-shirts and shorts; light clothes is important because of the heat levels at the Coast • If snorkeling is your kind of water game, be sure to hire a snorkel, mask, fin at the different parks • Carry a good Camera for photography and capturing memories • Have plenty of drinking water and of course • Tag your friend along; the many you are, the merrier it gets!

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50 Arts & Culture

Linus Sang: Playing Hockey is About Passion and Discipline for Training

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ootball was like his first love; unfortunately, whose platform was very competitive and difficult to penetrate. After seeing his school’s- St. Anthony’s Boys Kitale hockey team struggling after a ban, he decided he wanted to help the school piece it together and establish a competitive team. In hockey, he found a welcoming platform that propelled his desire.

Driven by passion and invaluable assistance from his head coach-Christopher Seka, he led the school to win the first ever prestigious tournament-East Africa Secondary School Hockey Championship in 2008; A trailblazer that marked the genesis of his involvement in hockey big leagues.

Currently a regular with the Kenya National Hockey Team, Linus has won major national and continental awards. In 2015, he was crowned the best player in Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Johannesburg, South Africa. In a conversation with Edge Magazine, he tells of what drives his sportsmanship.

What are some of your highest honor ever?

That must be in 2008 when I won the East Africa Secondary Schools Championship with St. Anthony Boys High School; a win that recurred in 2015. In the same year- 2015, I was crowned the best player in Africa in Johannesburg, South Africa during the competition to go to the World

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Series. At the same tournament, I won the best goal keeper award because of my outstanding goal keeping abilities and having conceded least goals ever as a country.

I was also crowned the best player in Africa during the AFCON championship as well as the best goal keeper for my topnotch defensive abilities.

Which team are you currently playing for?

I currently ply my trade at USIU-Africa with the Mashujaa team. It is a group of young talented individuals who are very competitive and hungry to go for top hockey honors.

What is your most memorable competition locally?

When I was playing for Strathmore and led them to win the national hockey title three times in a row.

What inspires you?

I am very passionate about hockey. I like its professionalism and the discipline it instills in me. I have an amazing team mates at USIU-Africa and the university fully supports our dreams to be the greatest ever.

I am currently a final year student at USIUAfrica and doing my internship at Posta Kenya. The work schooling work schedule

gives me humble time to focus on my talent.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I wake up early in the morning to get on the grind. If it is about sports I have a typical training schedule. Mondays and Fridays I train with the national team.

From Tuesday through to Thursday I train with USIU-A Mashujaa. And that’s mostly after work from 6pm to 8pm at CityPark Hockey field.

What do you value most about sportsmanship?

It instills discipline in me. I don’t do any form of drugs unless it is a prescription from my therapist. When I represent Kenya at international sporting championship we are always seen as ambassadors, and for that we must be good ambassadors.

Any regrets in your sporting career?

There is a time I was off duty to go coach Hillcrest International School as a side job.

Then Mashujaa team happened to have a fixture with Nairobi Simba where we lost 5-0. I was deeply disappointed because I wasn’t there to help them. Had I been between the goal posts, it could have been a different story.

What would you advise young people who are looking to follow your dreams?

If you want to be the best, work hard for it.

There is no shortcut to success but working hard.

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52 Song Review

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ith her second album, Willow Smith opts for a more organic and raw sound. It’s a huge leap in the right direction, as she uses her guitar to channel alternative singer-songwriters of the 1990s.

Willow Smith has spent the entirety of her career in the limelight.

It’s been eclectic and interesting, if not always stellar. Willow is clearly not interested in being a Top 40 popstar, though her stabs at higher consciousness through futuristic R&B have lacked the nuance of her more acclaimed peers. With her second album, the 17-year-old Willow faces the daunting task of avoiding a sophomore slump while having already reinvented herself twice before even graduating high school.

At this point, anything remotely musically challenging would be a relative win. But in a welcome turn of events, The 1st sees her leave the humdrum Soundcloud electrobeats well behind, opting instead for something more organic, substantial, and raw. These are all qualities that actually enhance her millennial-new-age persona instead of tempering it.

Upon first glance, the album still suffers from the same thematic editing issues that have always hampered the songs she writes.

Opener “Boy” begins with the bluntly adolescent lyricism that gave her last album, Ardipithecus, its amateurish air: “Hey mom, I met a boy/He plays guitar/He likes Quentin Tarantino/And really sad songs.” It aims for “Leader of the Pack,” but sounds more like a saccharine diary entry.

But Willow displays a clear desire to grow as an artist and see her creative potential realized. As the album unfurls, each track digs deeper into this new down-to-earth, acoustic sound that seems tailor-made for her personal and reflective songwriting. “Boy” announces this tonal shift with plucked violins and lush strings, its pacing languid and relaxed. Willow’s voice settles into a throaty contralto, recalling Fiona Apple’s jazz-flecked vocals on Tidal.

In fact, for an album made by someone who wasn’t even born during the decade, The 1st is a surprisingly adept compendium of alternative female singer-songwriters of the 1990s.

Willow Song: The 1st Genre: POP/RnB Review by pitchfork.com

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@USIUAfrica

WORLD CLASS FACILITIES!

THINK USIU-AFRICA USIU-Africa's learning facilities include an award-winning library, well-equipped, top-of-the-range pharmacy, IT and journalism labs, offering enriched learning, research and innovation opportunities.

Our new restaurant management training center features world-class training and demonstration kitchens ready to work anywhere in the world.

APPLY NOW FOR THE FALL (SEPTEMBER) 2017 INTAKE

www.usiu.ac.ke/apply Tel: +254 730 116 218/ 503/ 247/ 522 or E-Mail: admit@usiu.ac.ke

• • • • • • • • • •

B.A. Criminal Justice Studies B.Sc. Information Systems & Technology B.A. Psychology B.A. International Relations B.A. Journalism B.Sc. Accounting B.Sc. Finance B.Sc. Hotel and Restaurant Management B.Sc. International Business Administration B.Sc. Applied Computer Technology

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

UNDERGRADUATE: KCSE: C + (plus) or its equivalent EACE/KCE/KACE/EAACE: 5 Credits in any 5 subjects at 'O’ Level, or 2 Principal C’s at 'A’ Level 12TH GRADE: G.P.A. of 2.50 IGCSE/IB: 5 Upper Level Passes • GCE: 5 Credits in any 5 subjects at 'O’ Level, and/or 'A’ Level passes of C KNEC Diploma or its equivalent GRADUATE: Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution with a cummulative GPA of 2.5 or better • Work Experience

NB: International credentials that are not noted above will be evaluated in accordance with the International Academic Credentials Handbook.

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) • Master of Business Administration (MBA - with global study tour) • M.A. Clinical Psychology • M.A. Counseling Psychology • M.A. International Relations • Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations

SPRING (JANUARY) 2018 INTAKE • M.A. Communication Studies • M.Sc. Management and Organizational Development • M.Sc. Information Systems & Technology • Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D), Clinical Psychology • Doctor of Business Administration

DOCTORAL PROGRAMS: Doctor of Business Administration - Graduate degree or its equivalent in a business discipline from an accredited tertiary institution/university • Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution (Minimum GPA of 3.0 on a scale of 4 under the American System or an equivalent attainment in other grading systems).

Doctor of Philosophy in International Relations - Graduate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution/university • Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution (Minimum GPA of 3.2 on a scale of 4 under the American System or an equivalent attainment in other grading systems.)

Education to take you places

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D), Clinical Psychology - Graduate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution/university • Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution.

ALL USIU-AFRICA PROGRAMS ARE ACCREDITED IN KENYA & THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY THE COMMISSION FOR UNIVERSITY EDUCATION (CUE) Edgemagazine.co.ke I Issue 24 AND THE WASC SENIOR COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY COMMISSION RESPECTIVELY.