StartUp Magazine June 2018

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JUNE 2018 STARTUPMAGAZINE.CO.KE KSHS. 350/ USHS. 9000 TSHS. 6000/ RWF. 2200

MOMENTUM CREDIT Giving Financial Lifeline to SMEs

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP Lucy Kiruthu talks about excelling as a corporate business consultant

FRIDA OWINGA Turning your passion into profit

CEO SPEAKS The Chief Operation Officer role in executing exponential organisational strategy

JOB MURIUKI CEO MOMENTUM CREDIT

TRAVEL Let’s head down to Camp Ndunda-Embu June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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Contents

22 Co-op Bank wins big in regional banking awards held in Nairobi recently

16 The founder of Passion Profit is a woman who is determined to change the narrative of entrepreneurs through coaching and mentorship from a unique angle.

34 Mehmood Khan talks about the Chief Operation Officer role in executing exponential organisational strategy

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

39 Adisa Hudson headed down to Camp Ndunda .

She tells us the exciting experience

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2018

Contents 24 14

MOMENTUM CREDIT Founded by a youthful CEO in 2017, he talks about how the institution is shaping the credit sector in Kenya through new a form of financing model

Women in Leadership Evolve Business Consultants: We Stand to be Counted as Part of Africa’s Business Success Stories

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Woman of Power The founder of Passion Profit is a woman who is determined to change the narrative of entrepreneurs through coaching and mentorship from a unique angle.

18

Techie Maximising on cloud solutions to ensure business continuity and maintain data integrity

28

Microfinance ECLOF Kenya: Financial Services for Social Impact

30

Human Resources 5 Ways To Use Recruitment Agencies To Your Advantage

32

Property Investments Young people should invest in counties-a case of Naivasha

34 20

Main Story

Business Enterprise Making the Visionary Visible:The Chief Operation Officer role in executing exponential organisational strategy

Interview How Sheila Mwarangu aims to fit his father’s shoes and drive Gachara Engineering to posterity

Coffee Break 22

SME Financing Co-op Bank ramps up support for SMEs

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Travel and Leisure Hotel Review Book Review Blog Review Song Review

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

4 Managing Editor Sylvester Habil Okumu sylvester@startupmagazine.co.ke Associate Editors Adisa Hudson elizabeth@startupmagazine.co.ke Oroni Tendera ibrahim@startupmagazine.co.ke Contributors Joanathan Somen Francisca Achieng’ Perminus Wainaina Reuben Kimani Business Development Manager Washingtone Terry Aluoch Murrel Marketing Executive Irene Okoth Operations Simpson Ayodi Creative Designer Kreative Hub Media Published by Kreative Hub Media 4th Floor, Bihi Towers, Moi Avenue next to Bazaar.

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StartUp Magazine is published monthly. Copyright 2018 Kreative Hub Media. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be produced or transmitted in any form including photocopy, or any storage and retrieval system without publisher's permission in writing.

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

Graft will cripple our economy With lots of political events in the past months in the country, any sober Kenyan has been left with mixed feelings.

Ranging from the handshake, scandals in NYC, NCPD, and Eurobond season 2; the tension and desperation these events have brought hasaffected many business prospects. Most Kenyan’s have been left skeptical about what to expect in the years ahead with many bracing themselves for tougher economic times ahead. However, the latest market perceptions survey

by CBK shows some optimism for better business in 2018 buoyed by the easing political pressures and an improving economic climate. Just the other day, we saw the President give his speech during the

official broadcast of the first set of trucks with oil from Tullow in Turkana. It is a good thing to derive hope amidst scandals on the opportunities bound to be created with oil exports set to diversify the country’s exports and boost hard currency inflows and ultimately open doors for other business ventures.

In this edition, we focus on various women who are taking the business platform in a thud and others telling of how they translatedtheir passion into profit. Mark Zuckerberg said, “The biggest risk is not taking any risk…In a world that is changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.”We

capture various tales on technoprenuership and how different firms are adopting and realigning their strategy to the new innovations. We also feature how Momentum Credit (run by a young executive) is transforming the credit sector through invoice factoring. The informative and analytical StartUp Edition also captures a special segment on resources that can be tapped at the county level by youths and we feature the economic hub and potential in Naivasha!

Enjoy your read!

Adisa Hudson

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StartUp Stories

Letters to the editor “Success is not measured by the things, the places that you go.... But by the actual people that you touch and the places you’re servicing.”

Marley Dias (USA) She’s an author, public speaker and one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” in 2018. The 13 year old is not even in high school yet.. After becoming frustrated that she wasn’t reading any books in school featuring black main characters, then 10-year-old Marley Dias set out to collect books with characters who looked like her with the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. She ended up with more than 10 times that many. Now, she has become an author herself with “Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!” a tale she hopes will inspire others to become activists as reported by CBS News.

Her work has led her many places, including the White House, where she spoke at the United State of Women Summit alongside Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey.

“I had a little experience in film and television production gathered from doing menial jobs on production sets,”

Entrepreneurship Key to unlocking Kenya’s growth Entrepreneurship story has been retold the world over. It’s not a new thing in the country. If you look at America’s success, it was hinged on robust industrial growth. The same can be achieved here in Kenya. Kenyans are really enterprising while the government has done little to support the growth of local enterprises. As a country, we have to rethink our strategy.

Francisca, Entrepreneur, Nairobi Graft shouldn’t spill over to the private sector Any economy that is built on graft and other malpractices is bound to fall. Over the past weeks, disturbing stories has unfolded how tenderpreneurs are milking our public coffers dry. The same should not spill over to the private sector. The government to do the right thing by persecuting those involved and bring justice to the tax payers who bears the burden of all these.

Concerned Kenyan, Via email Advice to young entrepreneurs

Eugene Mbugua (Kenya) Eugene Mbugua is the founder of Young Rich Television Limited, My Yearbook Kenya Limited and has currently delved into real estate and hospitality industry. Not only is he young and successful but continues to thrive, growing his business acumen by the day. According to Africa Talent Bank, Mbugua produced Young Rich, an entrepreneurship show that featured stories of young Kenyan entrepreneurs attracting over 2 million viewership and corporate sponsorship deals.

As a young entrepreneur, he was listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017 and Top 40 Under 40 by the Business Daily Africa in 2014.

“I thirst for knowledge and no one can ever claim to be a guru in anything if they have not mastered their craft.”

June Syowia (Kenya) At just 23, June has achieved what many of us would have wished to achieve in a lifetime. She is an expert in organizational structures and digital worked. The young lass is the CEO of Beiless Group Limited, a marketing firm based in Nairobi Kenya and boast of 3 years experience in social enterprise. Last month she was named as the recipient of Top 30 Under 30 young entrepreneurs in Africa by Forbes Magazine Africa. In 2015 she was also named in the Top 40 Under 40 women achievers by the Business Daily Africa.

She is outgoing, loves networking and mentoring young people.

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

I am an ardent reader of your magazine. While I found most of the stories about success inspiring, I haven’t found more articles about failures. We should be telling the other side of their stories.

What these successful entrepreneurs did wrong to stifle their growth? Did they fall many times? Are there others who didn’t learn from their failures to succeed?

Eddy Thompson Karen, Nairobi

HAVE YOUR SAY ONLINE The editor welcomes reader’s opinions but deserves the right to edit them for publication. Please email to info@startupmagazine. co.ke More comments are published online about news stories published on startupmagazine.co.ke

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News-Kenya Renowned Speakers to discuss the posterity of insurance industry-Nairobi Innovate to Capture Growth Potential TPlans are underway for the 8thAnnual Insurance and Reinsurance Conference 2018 to be held on 20th – 21st June 2018 in Nairobi, Kenya at Villa Rosa Kempisnki Hotel. The conference themed “Innovate to Capture Growth Potential” will be a combination of an experiential conference bringing together the entire value chain with the aim of exploring opportunities that will enhance insurance penetration levels in Africa.

Renowned industry experts that have confirmed so far include Justus Mutiga, C.E.O, ICEA; Ashok Shah, CEO, APA Insurance; Ezekiel Owour, Managing Director, CIC Life Assurance Ltd. JacqulineKarasha, Head of Corporate Business, Sanlam; S. Chalapathi Srinivasan, Director, General Insurance and Reinsurance, Avon Insurance Brokers Dubai’; YannGroeger, Regional Manager for Africa, BlueOrchard;

Thomas Njeru, Associate Director Actuarial and Insurance Consulting, Deloitte; Kizito Makatiani Founder &CEO Turnkey Africaand Karen Miller, Managing Executive, ABSA Insurance

Hassan Bashir, Chief Executive Officer, Takaful Insurance of Africa Limitedwill be speaking on Islamic Insurance. Another topic will be on bancassurance, a topic that will be covered by Manoj Kumar, President, Bancassurance Consultants Worldwide Limited & Lydia Kayonde, Head Bancassurance,StanbicBank ( Uganda).

Alongside the conference will be an exhibition which will function as an outstanding showcasing where local, regional and international players can engage and evaluate promising &investable business solutions.

Mungai - renowned entrepreneur in Kenya’s beauty industry, running the Ashleys chain of high-end salon and beauty shops, Judith Owigar - co-founder of AkiraChix and the founder of Juakali Workforce, Pat Okelo - founder of Conferencing In A Box Limited and Willart Production Limited, She is also the author of “A Candid Handbook For Women Doing Business in Kenya.”Mary Muthoni - The 1st elected female director (Women & Gender) at the Kenya National Chambers of Commerce & Industry and Renee Ngamau (Moderator) - A certified business and career coach, NLP trainer and speaker.

“Make no mistake, starting a business is a lot of work, but personally, I love hard work, as do so many of us. And I much prefer to pour all of that work and all of those hours into something that my team and I own – financially and emo¬tionally, and I know many women who feel the same way and while the rise in female entrepreneurship is being enabled by technology, it’s rooted in the fact that the qualities women bring to the workplace can also make us terrific entrepreneurs.” Said Terry Mungai.

Over 300 female entrepreneurs trained by SInapis on successfully growing their business

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

Sinapis, a business accelerator programover the weekend held the second female entrepreneurship workshop titled ‘Successfully growing your business as a female entrepreneur’at Daystar University Valley Road Campus, Nairobi.

Attended by over 300 women across different sectors, the workshop armed women with more knowledge on topics such as; major hurdles you will face as a woman when growing your business, the top 5 things women need to stop doing that are hindering their business growth and resources that will help you take your business to the next level. Panelists included veteran entrepreneurs namely: Terry

“Many people want to change their financial situation but aren’t willing to change their choices and this eventually, changes nothing, you have to get up and act, when you reach an hindrance which will constantly happen, turn it into an opportunity, refuse to throw in the towel. Go that extra mile that failures refuse to travel.” Added Pat Okelo.

The Sinapis Training Program held bi-monthly tackles the challenge of insufficient business knowledge among Kenyan entrepreneurs by providing practical business training skills in areas such as sales and marketing, finance, operations and human resource management which are critical ingredients for a successful entrepreneur.

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FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL (+41) and a resurgent Reebok (+43). The sports category, led by Nike (#1), remains a strong performer, due to streategic repositioning or expansion in their positioning towards lifestyle and high profile endorsements and partnerships which have freshened and broadened the brands’ appeal, particularly to youthful and young consumers.

The biggest faller was Ford, dropping 78% from 50 to 89, possibly due to their much publicized safety issues and recall of the Kuga and Focus brands.

Sprite also lost some fizz, dropping 38 spots and Etisalat dropped 31 positions.

In a country-by-country analysis, non-African brands are #1 in 17/23 countries, led by Samsung (8/23), Nike (6/23), Coke (2/23), Gucci (1/23). African brands are #1 in 6/23 countries, led by MTN (2/23), Econet (1/23), Trade Kings (1/23) and Azam (1/23).

Because of their transformational impact in Africa, Brand Africa also includes a focused prompted media and financial services sub-survey.

Safaricom, Tusker named alongside Dangote and MTN as the most admired brands in Africa

Brand Africa in association with the JSE, today announced the Top 100 best brands in Africa on their 6th annual Brand Africa 100: Africa’s Best Brands at the JSE in Johannesburg.

The US sports and fitness brand, Nike, is the overall #1 brand in Africa spontaneously recalled by consumers. South African tele-communications brand MTN is the #1 African brand spontaneously recalled irrespective of continent of origin, while Nigerian industrial brand Dangote is the #1 African recalled when consumers are prompted about the continent (Africa) of origin.

The Brand Africa 100 ranking is based on a survey among consumers 18 years and older, conducted in 23 countries across Africa. The countries, representing all African economic regions, collectively account for 75% of the population and the 74% of the GDP of Africa.

African brands rose slightly to account for 17% of the Top 100 brands in Africa, non-African brands retained their firm position in Africa with 83% share of the Top 100 most admired brands in Africa. Europe leads the table with 40/100 (-2), North America at 24/100 (- 2) and Asia 19/100 (+2). West Africa (6) with only Nigerian brands (6) and Southern Africa (6) with South African brands (5) lead the table, East Africa (5) leads with Kenya (2) among brands recalled spontaneously.

The Top 100 is dominated by technology and electronic brands (29%), consumer (non-cyclical) (19%), apparel (15%), automobile (8%), food (7%) and sports & fitness (5%) categories are the top cate-

gories.

Overall, the 2017/18 Brand Africa 100 list, which started out with over 15,500 brand mentions covering over 2,200 admired brands, illustrates a very diversified portfolio of categories and brands in Africa. There is an incredible year-on-year consistency, with 60% of the Top 10 brands common among the Top 10 Most Admired African Brands and Most Admired Brands in Africa, led by Nigeria’s Dangote and Glo, South Africa’s MTN and Shoprite, Kenya’s Tusker and Ethiopia’s Anbessa. Out of the 16 African brands in Top 100 in 2016/17, 6 exited and 7 entered the Top 100 in 2017/18.

The major change on the list is the status of the Safaricom/Mpesa brand. Because Vodacom/Vodafone recently became majority owner of the business, in the 2017/18 tables the Safaricom/Mpesa brand was consolidated into the Vodacom/Vodafone brand.

Singled out, the Safaricom/Mpesa brand ranked 27, higher than the Vodacom/Vodafone brand, which is at #31.

Collectively, the Vodacom/Vodafone/Safaricom brand is now at #17. But Safaricom/Mpesa remains a highly recalled ‘African’ brand among Financial Services and the Most Admired Brands in Africa.

Zimbabwe’s Econet made the most spectacular first time entry into the Top 100 at #40. After a long stay on the list despite its innumerable challenges, BlackBerry finally fell off the list as the brand exited the consumer markets. On the other hand, Etisalat, which dropped 31 spots remains on the list of the Top 100 despite exiting Africa in 2017.

The highest gains are dominated by apparel and lifestyle sport brands Ralph Lauren (+48), Versace

In the media sub-survey, DStv (incorporating GoTV, Multichoice and Supersport) is the lone pan-African media brand within the Top 10 media list. The media list is led by BBC, which has an extensive history and coverage of Africa through its BBC Worldservice radio and specific African programming. The media list is dominated by America (40%), Europe (30%) and Asia (20%). A deeper analysis of the media category shows high levels of fragmentation, with many local and regional players – thus in general only global players with extensive African reach and resources dominate the top of the list.

In the financial services sector, 60% of the Most Admired Brands are made in Africa. GTB retains its #1 position as the Most Admired Financial Services Brand, and Safaricom Mpesa retains its pole position among mobile money brands. Mobile money brands, Safaricom Mpesa (#9), Airtel Money (#21), PayPal (#24) and Orange Money (#25)’s presence underscore the impact of not only Mpesa as the catalyst, but mobile as a key enabler for financial access. Nigeria (6), South Africa (5) and Kenya (3) lead the finance brand tables in a continent that’s cash rather credit led.

“African brands have an important role in helping to build the African brand,” says Thebe Ikalafeng, Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa and Brand Leadership. These rankings are an important metric of the progress Africa is making in creating homegrown world-class brands that are changing the narrative on African competiveness, image and reputation and contributing to its socio-economic transformation.”

Brand Africa 100 was developed by pan-African branding and reputation advisory firm, Brand Leadership Group supported by GeoPoll, the leader in mobile-based market research throughout Africa, and strategic analysis and insights by Kantar TNS, the world’s largest information research firm and Brand Leadership, Africa’s premier brand and reputation consultancy.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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News-Global

Exploring digital trade and human rights under the AfCFTA The conference will take place from 31 May to 1 June 2018 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa Digital trade within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) will be at the centre of discussions during an upcoming conference dubbed “Digital Trade in Africa: Implications for Inclusion and Human Rights.”

Mozambique and Great Lakes Africa energy sign MoU for domestic use of the Rovuma Basin natural gas reserves for power generation The Government of Mozambique signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Great Lakes Africa Energy (GLAE) togenerate electric power using natural gas for domestic use at an estimated value of US $400million.

The agreement signed in Maputo, Mozambique with GLAE, a United Kingdom registered Pan African energy solutions provider, will involve the construction of a 250 megawatt gas fired electricity generating power plant.

As part of the agreement, GLAE will develop, finance, build, own and operate the power plant to be fed with natural gas supplies from Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin.

The MoU agreement was signed by Mozambique’s Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr.Max Elias Tonela, and GLAE Director, Mr. Michael Kearns.

The agreement follows the result of Mozambique’s Rovuma Basin domestic gas tender, the results of which were announced in January 2017.

Michael Kearns of GLAE said: “As part of the Mozambique Government’s intended use of natural gas for the development of domestic power projects, GLAE will develop, finance, build, own and

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

operate a 250 megawatt(MW) gas-fired electric generating power plant, planned in Northern Mozambique.”

Mozambique, which has vast offshore gas resources, has decided to use some portion of the extracted gas for domestic power projects, with an aim of achievinga sustainable economic growth, including domestic energy production.

Speaking on behalf of the Government of Mozambique, Bruno Senguaio, Assistant to the Minister, said: “Mozambique has considerable renewable and conventional energy resources and is fast becoming a significant energy producer. Our Government’s chief priority is to ensure a secure and reliable energy supply for the people of Mozambique.

This is why the projectis so important. In GLAE we have found a reliable partner which will help us deliver this power plant.”

The power plant in Northern Mozambique is a key regional infrastructure project. It will accelerate the development and industrialization of several other industrial projects, which have been shelved due to the lack of a steady power supply. At 250MW, GLAE’s Northern Mozambique gas fired power plant will be one of the largest conventional sources of electricity in the country.

The event “will feature an interesting dialogue between Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), her predecessor, Carlos Lopes and ABOU-ZEID Amani, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy of the African Union Commission (AUC) on the opportunities and challenges of digital trade,” said David Luke, Coordinator of the African Trade Policy Centre (ATPC) at the ECA. Organized by ATPC in partnership with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) East Africa Regional Office, and the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Geneva Office, the conference will take place from 31 May to 1 June 2018 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Addis Ababa.

It is expected to set the pace for further collaborations between the three institutions in line with the AfCFTA, as explained by ATPC’s Coordinator.

“The outcomes of the conference are expected to inform the development of the three organizations’ joint research programme on digital trade, inclusion, privacy and human rights with policy recommendations for the second phase of the AfCFTA negotiations and for policy makers and entrepreneurs in this area,” said Mr. Luke.

The event will be attended by experts from the African Union Commission, civil society organisations, Regional Economic Communities, academia, international organizations, private sector, and women and youth representatives.

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Women in Leadershi p

Evolve Business Consultants: We Stand to be Counted as Part of Africa’s Business Success Stories

As our economy changes, unprecedented new trends rising women is also setting in. Women leaders in industries are emerging with significant fresh ideas that are taking the market place in a wave. As part of our continuing effort to celebrate women’s impact in business, StartUp Magazine met Lucy Kiruthu, the founder and Lead Consultant at Evolve Business Consultants. In an exclusive interview, Ms. Kiruthu tells her story and shares at length her firm’s impact in the world of business and customer focus.

By Special Correspondent

When and why did you decide to set up Evolve Business Consultants?

After getting back to Kenya from a 3 year stay in the USA in 2005, I was keen on setting up a firm to offer customer servicecoaching and training. Having witnessed how businesses in the USA were excelling through customer focus strategy, I knew that is the niche I want to capitalise on.

However, I decided to first get back into the corporate world before venturing into personal business. In mid-2009, I finally registered Evolve Business Consultants as a business name. I immediately started off the journey offering business advisory services mainly in strategic customer experience on a full time basis and have never looked back.

Briefly tell us about Evolve Business Consultants and its mandate?

Evolve Business Consultants is a business advisory services provider. We consider ourselves as a knowledge partner in strategic positioning and in customer focus.

Our commitment to our customers revolves around supporting themmake the right strategic moves especially in how they interact with their customers and staff. We offer tailor-made business transStartupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

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formation services as per our customers’unique needs and cherish to see our customers excel.

What role do you play in the consulting firm?

As the lead consultant, I am involved in the development of customized solutions to meet the needs of our customers as well as in the roll out.Besides, I am also in the process of growing Evolve Business Consultants to offer additional services.

We are currently focusing on research and data analytics to help businesses use data to make informed decisions.

AT WORK Women have a lot to give, they are caring and empathetic. In addition, most of them are dedicated and willing to go an extra mile.

How do you find work-life balance?

Can you tell us about your experience in the organization and how it has shaped your world of customer service and leadership?

The last 9 years have been illuminating, stimulating and fulfilling. I have had very varied experiences from engaging CEOs of some of the largest corporates in Kenya, to speaking to young women planning to get into business. These experiences have grown me at the personal level especially in the area of managing my emotions through emotional intelligence and building relationships. I have also learnt how to develop customers (I never thought I could close a sale). Most importantly the experienceshave made me a better person, (for example more patient, better listener) and a better leader ready and willing to work with different kinds of people.

Why do you think Evolve is best suited to serve the local market?

We believe that there are many small and medium sized owner-led business that are meandering through business life without a sense of direction. Our drive is to see these businesses know who they are, where they want to go and how they will get there. As opposed to many other consultants who touch and go, at EvolveBusiness Consultants, we immerse ourselves in our customers’ businessand together, we develop fresh ideas and tailor-make the best solutions to support their growth and sustainability.

grams and workshop material, facilitating customer experience training sessions and strategy workshops. I also spend time with my customers getting to understand their needs and aspirations. In addition, I allocate enough time for my involvement in the community as chair of my school’s alumni foundation and leading a team of professionals from my village in a number of initiatives. The last four years have also been tough as I have been going through my doctoral studies which I have had to fit in into my work day. Besides work, I find time to read cook and travel.

I love what I do so much that I almost do not consider it work. For example during training sessions, it sometimes feels like a gathering of friends, we have fun while learning. That said, I intentionally set aside ample time to spend with family and friends and to re-energize.

Best quote about customer service?

I have lots of favourite quotes and I have shared 202 of these in my book “Customer Service at Its Best”. For today let me leave it at “Customer service is the new marketing”. A free download of the book is available on www.evolve-consultants. com Lucy Kiruthu

When empowered, what do you think can be the impact of women in the world of business and leadership?

Women have a lot to give, they are caring and empathetic. In addition, most of them are dedicated and willing to go an extra mile. With adequate support, I believe that more women can excel as business owners,great employeesand leaders who inspire other women. However it is important for women not to wait to be empowered, they already have what it takes.

How is your day at work structured?

Every day for me is different. I try and plan major tasks a month in advance. My major tasks involve developing training pro-

Parting shot?

Yes, I strongly believe that businesses in Africa have a major responsibility of ending poverty by providing direct and indirect employment and creating solutions for the many challenges we face. I would like to continue being part of Africa’s solution by participating in the transformation of hundreds of business especially the SMEs. As Evolve Business Consultants we want to be part of Africa’s success story!

Follow her on twitter @Kiruthulucy

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

Woman of Power Frida with colleagues

Turning your Passion into Profit The founder of Passion Profit is a woman who is determined to change the narrative of entrepreneurs through coaching and mentorship from a unique angle. “Let’s start with what you love and then explore how we can translate it into profit is her mantra.” Drawing her drive from and inspiration from her mother, Frida Owinga talks about her early exposure with entrepreneurship, the birth of Passion Profit and how she aims to empower Africa’s startup entrepreneurs to outlive their formative years by pursuing a business

i

grew up from a humble background. My father was a station master at the Kenya Railways Services and my mother was a trader Out of the business proceeds of her business, my mother bought us niceties.

Looking at how well she was doing with business, I was inspired. Little did I know that childhood would later play an important role; it was the jab I would need Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

to awaken the idea of running a business for financial freedom. Her business gave the family more money. It influenced me to start my own business.

My first employment stint was in a company that used to export artifacts globally.

With the company based here in Kenya, we would get massive orders that left us utterly overwhelmed. I was the contact person with clients and my boss would tell me to cancel the orders we couldn’t service. That disturbed me a lot. I saw it as a lost opportunity which we could service.

The reality left me frustrated with every lost opportunity we had to cancel.

When I couldn’t handle the frustration any longer, I resigned to start my own company to service such clients instead of turning them away. It was a worthy course that saw me service clients across Africa, Europe and America, Australia and UK. Along the way, I started importing vehicles from Japan and joined my husband in his tours and travel firm.

I have had the privilege and pleasure to live in the US and was amazed by their abundance mentality. I was also exposed to the world of networking and consulting and noticed how things could be done differently in the world of business. In particular, I learned business development and management skills that opened opportunities to greater possibilities.

After spending a decade abroad, I came back to the country in 2009. During that time, a lot of people would send me their CVs asking for work while many others complained about not enjoying what they do. The Bible in Mathew 25 talks about

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Frida Owinga

the parable of the talents where three people were given talents to multiply. It posits that every person has something and a measure of talent with which they can work on and get reward in return. This scripture inspired me and formed a backbone on a thought of how I can help these people discover their passion and turn it into profit; it birthed Passion Profit.

I always tell people that you do not necessarily need to run your own business to generate wealth. All you need to do is contribute value consistently and excellently and you will be wealthy! Employed or Self Employed.

At Passion Profit, we provide aspiring and existing Founders with mentoring, networking and access to capital. We are also certified to provide mentorships and coaching to professionals and corporate leadership. Our model focuses on the whole person and not just busts targets. Everyone wants to produce results, whether at work or in life. Whether you are a startup or business leader, you definitely need us.

Through research, we have found out that there is always a disconnect between business leaders and their team because

NETWORKING

The programmes maps out roles that an individual plays in life in an effort to create harmony. For example, one might be a husband, father, brother and a business leader at ago and thus, articulating the roles help in achieving and enjoying those goals thanks to harmonized living.

Of interest is our Social Innovations Awards where we empower youths to become social innovators by turning their intentions into actions. We look at social acts that one can do, help a community and earn a living out of it.

Researches indicate that many startups fail within their formative years because go into business expecting a quick success. You can’t make it quick in business.

It is a process that takes time. Others start wrong, without enough capital, experience and prerequisite skills and education to start and run a business. We provide the necessary, skills and tools to support the building of a thriving business, whether start up, growth stage or scale up stage.

At Passion Profit, we have programmes that address such issues and challenge an individual’s reasons for the business pursuits they are in. We are proud to be the only network that provides individuals with a structured way to measure, monitor and track performance so that they can produces the results that matter most.

At PassionProfit, we provide aspiring and existing Founders with mentoring, networking and access to capital. of the different level they occupy within the company. This, to an extent affects cohesiveness and work flow, and ultimately overall performance. Besides, within a work environment, there is always an immense pressure to achieve maximum results without concern on how such pressure affects the personal lives of employees. Our mentoring and coaching program comes with an online subscription that measures, monitors and tracks results in life and work.

We also understand that as a startup, access to capital is severely strained. Thus, we have a catalyst fund, short term loans and savings that one can access to begin their business journey.

Going forward, our ultimate goal is to see startup founders outlive their formative years. We are also aiming to have our own centre where we will continue to provide entrepreneurs with mentoring, networking and access to affordable capital, and space where they can pursue their passion.

To this end you should know that, your success is not dependent on your conditions or circumstances; it is dependent on your decisions and actions.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

16

Techie

Maximising on cloud solutions to ensure business continuity and maintain data integrity

By Jonathan Somen

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Jonathan, Somen, Founder and Managing Director of Eldama Technologies Ltd and the former Founder and Managing Director of AccessKenya Group

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

ata backup and replication are increasingly becoming an integral part of businesses in today’s digitally savvy world. This is because data is increasingly becoming the most valuable resource. It is easy to underplay the importance of data until you have lost all your data and your critical services are not available to your customers. This can create a chaotic work environment and in some cases even reduce the value of a company’s shares in the stock market.

This has resulted in companies investing millions of shillings in data backup for data protection and replication to ensure higher uptimes and minimise downtimes.

The world of cloud services is bringing about significant change in the world of ICT, not just in Kenya but also globally. It is safe to say that Kenya is still in the early adopter stage or the educational stage where there are many businesses who need to understand the benefits of moving to cloud-based solutions. It is clear that there is a knowledge gap about how to think about applications and how they affect business operations. Large-scale companies have the advantage of investing heavy on data replication and backup

whereas small companies cannot be able to afford to spend the same amount of money on securing their data.

Required Uptime A fully replicated site in a secondary location can be described as one that runs in an active active mode. This means if the primary location fails, users are automatically working with the secondary site which runs an exact copy of the primary site. Most companies should aim to achieve zero downtime for critical applications and therefore deploying a replicated solution can help companies to achieve that goal. That could be caused by something as simple as a power failure.

Without replication, in a worst-case scenario, it could take an organisation seven days or even longer to reinstall the application software, reload the data and bring all services back up and running and if the recovery time of seven days is acceptable, then this application would not be termed mission critical. Mission critical applications should be up and running within five minutes and with replication in place, those applications should never experience any downtime. It’s a very delicate choice to decide how mission critical an application is but the process of identifying how much downtime is acceptable is what helps to determine whether replication of the service needs to be in place.

There is one very important point to note

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when it comes to replication of data and that is concerning backing up data. There is a common misconception that by replicating data, the user has two copies of data and hence the data is safe. Most services have replication functionality such that the secondary site reflects the primary site. If a user deletes data at the primary site, data is automatically deleted from the secondary site. Data replication alone cannot guarantee the integrity of data.

Data Backup Data backup ensures that historical data such as documents, emails, attachments or files that were digitally created can be accessible when required. Data backup keeps this data safe as well as providing easy access to information when needed.

This is particularly important for critical sectors such as banking, and insurance that have legal contracts that revolve around paying or receiving money.

Today’s offsite backup solutions provide very advanced search capabilities to allow users access the information quickly whilst also ensuring that the paper trail of critical processes such as operational compliance exists. This historical data can be admitted into a court of law and can be shown to be a true record of transactions. Critically today, with the imminent enforcement date in the European Union of General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on 25th May 2018, companies in Kenya doing business with EU companies must be compliant and therefore having data backup that complies with GDPR regulations is critical.

Work-related emails play a key role in communication given that over 60 percent of all attachments reside within emails. Backing up of emails is an integral part of an overall data backup plan.

It is estimated that emails constitute 80 percent of backup data. This is because we are able to collaborate, edit documents, and attach files in a single email. A single email can be loaded with a lot of valuable information. But once this critical information is lost, it is very hard to retrieve related information that was attached to that email.

Physical Infrastructure Historical data backup solutions included backing up data on tapes and servers. Tapes were bulky and needed to be replaced on a regular basis. Key to that outdated solution is that it had to be constantly and regularly restored to ensure its integrity. In some cases, backup tapes were taken offsite which created another problem by opening up the data to possible theft during transit. The challenge with this cumbersome approach was that if they didn’t go offsite, then you had a risk of losing the primary data and the backup.

In some cases, the replication server was in the same location as the primary site creating risk if the location had a major disaster. In other cases, companies would host the replication site in a secondary company location where those companies had multiple physical locations. The secondary site was the best option but companies had to double up on their investment into a proper data centre in both locations and all the costs associated with setting up a secondary site.

Cloud technology has not only made efficient backup possible by ensuring that all key requirements are met but has reduced the number of interventions required to ensure data is available at all times. It has provided a hassle-free solution, which offers a one-stop solution to customers. In addition, companies do not have to invest a colossal amount of capital and human resources to maintain a secondary site.

Part of the key offering of a managed cloud solution is that it removes the time and human resources element away from the company freeing up valuable time allowing them to focus on key strategic decisions. By moving to Cloud, it offers companies time savings, removes the need for capex and changes the model to an Opex model that allows companies to enjoy very high level service availability; in solutions properly deployed, this can easily provide 100 per cent uptime.

FAMILY BUSINESS

The success of succession plan has a lot to do with the founders. It requires communication from the founders of the goals and vision they have for the company. It also requires full transparency so that everyone is aware of what ownership shares they are acquiring.

Sheila Mwarangu, MD, Gathara& Partners Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

18

Interview: Family Business

A consultant civil and structural engineer, Sheila Mwarangu took charge, in August 2017, of a company that was started three decades ago by her father Engineer James Gathara. Currently a partner and Managing Director at Gathara Consulting Engineers-specialists in the design of building structures, Sheila is a trailblazer in engineering with remarkable academic and professional track record.

Passion-driven Sheila Mwarangu; Building a Family Business Empire for Posterity Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

s

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continue to learn a great deal from him on a daily basis though.

he holds a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Manchester, Master of Science (MSc) degree in Steel Structural Engineering from Imperial College London, an MBA from Strathmore Business School among others. She has successfully worked on various engineering projects both in the United Kingdom and Kenya. In 2017, she was named among the achieving “Top 40 Under 40 Women” in Kenya by the Business Daily Africa.

In the following interview with StartUp Magazine, she reveals her overriding passion for engineering and how she hopes to grow the family business to outlive generations to come.

Q.1 Let us talk about your view on running a successful family business.

Gathara& Partners Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers was started by your father three decades ago and is now a force to reckon with within the construction industry. What are the secret ingredients of this success?

Our passion for the industry is amazing and beyond just the service we offer.

Passion makes the difference.

Q.2 You took over your father’s reign to head the firm. Have you struggled fitting his shoe?

Not at all. This is because I have been fully present in the company for the last 5 years; and slowly grown in to the current role of MD. In addition my father has given me alot of control over the years and hence have played the current role without having the official title to it. Of course I still

Q.3 Are there important business lessons you have learned from him?

Yes, alot of lessons. I have learnt how to manage client’s needs and to ensure we go above and beyond to meet their expectations. I have learned important tenets of cash flow management and dispute resolution. I have also learnt that employees are core to the success of any business, as such treating them in the best possible way is the way to go, because without them there is no ‘us’. Learning is a continuous aspect and today, Iam still fetching important nuggets of business development such as marketing among others from him.

Q.4 Are there important business lessons you have learned from him?

I am hoping to make Gathara Consulting Engineers a brand name that will resonate with the engineering industry. I also hope that we can outgrow our market share in Kenya and go beyond the East Africa region. Over the years, our main focus has been civil and structural engineering in the buildings market-residential, retail, commercial, industrial etc. However, going further, we want to broaden our areas of expertise. We have the capacity to serve other areas under civil engineering like roads and dams, just to mention a few.

I recently rebranded the company name from Gathara and Partners Civil and Structural Engineers to Gathara Consulting Engineers Ltd in readiness for further growth.

sider in succession plan?

I think the success of succession has a lot to do with the founders. It requires communication from the founders of the goals and vision they have for the company. It also requires full transparency so that everyone is aware of what ownership shares they are acquiring. It is not a one-day affair but requires years of planning ahead and communication with all parties. In my case though, my father has handed the running of the company and ownership of the company to me. However, he still maintains a share in the company and is still involved in some of the aspects of running of the company. A case in point is that I see him every day as he still comes to the office.

Q.6 What advise can you give to someone looking to establish a family business whose legacy outlives them?

I think the first thing is passion. If you have that, then it will most likely succeed.

Start small and grow the business. Involve your family in the business right from the onset... the passion is bound to trickle down to the family. The earliest memories I have are actually on a construction site.

I grew up in construction sites and in my father’s office. Most of the holidays were spent in his office. So I think passion is very important.

Similarly, communicate your vision for the company to the family at an early stage. This will ensure that everyone is working towards that vision.

Q.5 What are the important things to conJune 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

20

SMEs Financing

Co-op Bank ramps up support to SMEs The CEO of CPI Financial Tony Long (R) awards Best SME Bank in Kenya to Co-operative Bank Director Retail & Business Arthur Muchangi (C) and Head of Investor Relations & Strategy James Kaburu. Co-op Bank was named as Best SME Bank in Kenya and the Best Retail Bank in Kenya at the Banker Africa 2018 Awards hosted at the Radisson Blu in Nairobi.

The fourth edition of the Banker Africa- East African Banking Awards 2018 were hosted on the 10 May 2018 in Nairobi to recognise outstanding performance and excellence in the financial services industry. Co-operative Bank was a big winner, scooping key awards notably The Best Retail Bank in Kenyaand Best SME Bank in Kenya.

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ommenting on the awards, the Group Managing Director and CEO Co-operative Bank Dr. Gideon Muriuki said, “We have over the years worked hard to build a model that enables us to stay close to the customer, listen to their needs and glean insights on their long-term goals that we can confidently say we are offering the most competitive value proposition that SMEs and Retail clients can expect to ever get in this market.”

Co-op Bank already enjoys significant presence in the SME and Retail banking space. It is the recognition of the unique funding needs of SMEs that the bank neStartupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

gotiated and secured long-term funding from international development finance institutions essentially to fund SMEs. Most lately, the bank recently secured a substantial US$150 Million (approx. Ksh 15.2 Billion) line of credit from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) for on-lending mostly to SMEs and favourable terms.

The lines of credit offer great support to SMEs in the following ways; 1.Flexible, long-term loan tenure, as the loans are offered to the bank with a long repayment period, the bank is able to extend the same benefit of long-term repayment period to SME customers.

2.Currency choice of loan facility, which allows SMEs to borrow in the currency of their choice, including US Dollars espe-

cially for SMEs engaged in international trade.

3.Competitive pricing, as the bank is able to extend the benefit of affordable pricing of the credit lines to customers, as opposed to higher pricing of locally-sourced funding.

Our practice in the SME space has served both the customers and the bank well, to wide acclaim both in Kenya and across the world.

Q 1. SME financing Is funding and support of small and medium-sized enterprises in the form of either bank loans, overdrafts, leasing and hire-purchase arrangements, asset-based finance, invoice discounting. The SMEs will basically have two needs namely:- 1. Working capital – The day to day ex-

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penses like stocking, salaries & wages, rent and others.

2. Investment capital- asset purchase like machinery, motor vehicles, business premises purchase Q 2. What interests Co-op Bank about SME financing?

•MSME is a key growth area and the backbone of the Kenyan economy with over 30% GDP contribution and 87% jobs creation in the country.

•The strong projected growth in the Kenyan economy would drive growth in the MSME banking market, across all sectors •Kenya’s status as a regional hub for technological innovation, especially in the mobile money realm, offers opportunities to leverage technology to improve efficiency, increase product offerings and reach the unbanked MSME customers •The Kenyan government’s ambitious plans in the big four agenda and vision 2030 to improve infrastructure, especially in roads, railways, ports and power generation would generate MSME growth opportunities •Cooperative Bank being in the fore-front of the major players in this category are keen on increasing our share by delivering unprecedented services and products to SMEs and position ourselves as the go to bank •The existence of the opportunities in the value chains within MSME is enormous and if tapped efficiently provides a platform for growth in this key segment thus supporting the government agenda in growing this sector for economic expansion.

Q 3. Can you mention some of the financing solutions you target with this group?

1.Working capital- Short term loans and overdrafts 2.Investment capital – Mortgage financing, asset Financing/hire purchase 3.Leasing

4.Supply Chain Financing - Potential to better leverage value chains of corporate customers through supply chain financing—more effective customer acquisition, better risk management 5.Mobile loans through developing more sophisticated credit scoring models that utilize diverse information sources to better access and manage risk associated with MSME customers 6.Trade Finance Solution-Tenders & performance bonds,Letters of credit& Guarantees , import guarantees 7.Insurance premium financing Q 4. What do you think are the impacts of your financial solutions to SMEs? •Cash flow injections boost –to cushion against any working capital dents •Buying products or supplies at a one off price – enjoying available discounts(economies of scale) •Funding expansion plans – finance for new products, services, extending your offices •Delivering diversification – entering a new market so need finance for new equipment or machinery, staff, hardware and marketing •Relocation – to fund new premises, IT, fitting out costs •For property professionals, buying new property to grow a portfolio to increase yields or to convert property or change its use •Purchasing land for future development – to build premises or a property scheme •Tapping of the available business opportunities in the market •Trade facilitation-ensuring smooth flow of goods either locally ,bilateral or international Q 5. What do you think are the roles played by SMEs in social and economic prosperity of this nation?

•SMEs have ability to fuel economic growth by expanding the tax base •They are the primary vehicles by which new entrepreneurs provide the economy with a continuous supply of ideas, skills, and innovations +

MSMEs

MSME is a key growth area and the backbone of the Kenyan economy with over 30% GDP contribution and 87% jobs creation in the country.

•Growth avenue for Food security and health •potential avenues for job creation, especially among the youthful & women population •help the country address the imbalance between imports and exports through exportation and importation of products •SMEs contribute to economic development by virtue of their sheer numbers and increasing share in employment and Gross Domestic Product •SMES empowers and ensures the spread of financial literacy that helps to spur growth within the economy Q 6. Are there current trends you see in this space? If so how have they impacted on your operations?

•Technology- Embracing use of Technology has led to reduction of cost especially operational costs •Social media advertising-awareness and accessibility of information leading to more innovations and improved customer experience •Fintechs and aggregators-Need for more collaboration and open intergrations to facilitate business transactions Q 7. What future prospects can we look forward to in your relationships with SMEs? • Artificial intelligence- data will be very key in devising new ways of serving these clientele •Financial literacy and relationship management deepening •Provision of linkages and networking opportunities •Digital apps,e commerce, accounting application and ERPs intergrations June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

22

Cover Story

MOMENTUM CREDIT GIVES A FINANCIAL LIFELINE TO SMES Founded last year, credit institution is impacting the market with a new form of financing

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ike any other entrepreneurs across the globe, Kenyan entrepreneurs often find themselves facing stubborn financial straits. When this happens, their businesses implode. Cash constraints bite hard, culminating in staff layoffs. In extreme cases, businesses close shop.

Unlike their counterparts in the developed world who can easily access affordable credit, local entrepreneurs have few options.

The statistics are scary. Data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics shows that 52% of all loan applications Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

made by SMEs were rejected by banks and other financial institutions.

To change this narrative, a non bank and non deposit taking financial institution is introducing an innovative way of financing SMEs. Momentum Credit, established last year, is pioneering the tried and tested invoice factoring product to finance SMEs without demanding any form of collateral from them.

"We looked at the statistics and realized that there is a problem. We believed that some of those rejected loan applications could qualify for financing," says Job Muriuki, the founding CEO of Momentum Credit.

He believes that his firm can transform

the SME sector by providing quality cash flow solutions. "We need to focus on SMEs if we want to transform the economy." There's no escaping the fact that small and medium sized businesses are that backbone of the Kenyan economy.

Various sources estimate that Kenya has over 5 million SMEs that provide jobs to 15 million people. These SMEs account for a third of the country's economy. Simply put, SMEs are an important cog in the wheels of Kenya's economy.

Muriuki says that Momentum Credit's decision to venture into the credit industry was motivated by the challenges that continue to dog the important sector.

A year after they launched, their services have been well received in the market, demonstrating that the sector needed

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JOB MURIUKI CEO MOMENTUM CREDIT

CEO’s Sneak Peak He’s the founder of Momentum Credit He’s 33 years old An Engineer by profession Studied at Cambridge Is passionate about the finance and entrepreneurship industries

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

tum Credit is raring to work with small businesses to buck the trend. Its flagship product is already gaining traction.

It's no surprise then that the company is growing tremendously and now serves 1000 customers after one year of operation. The CEO says the company is overwhelmed by the large number of customers seeking short-term credit solutions.

"We want to reach more people and we can see there's a lot of headroom to do that," says Muriuki.

The company, growing at 20% month on month, now plans to scale its services. To do this, the company is banking on technology. “Technology is reducing physical barriers. Momentum Credit can now reach millions of people without setting up tens of brick and mortar branches.”

INVOICE FACTORING

Invoice factoring is a relatively new financial product in Kenya, although it’s quite popular in the developed world. Basically, a business sells its invoices to a third-party (factor) at discounted prices. such an intervention.

Invoice factoring is a relatively new financial product in Kenya, although it's quite popular in the developed world. Basically, a business sells its invoices to a third-party (factor) at discounted prices. The factor then converts the invoice into cash.

Momentum Credit focuses on helping businesses meet their short-term financial needs and lends up to Ksh5 million without requiring any form of physical collateral.

"Our product helps people to improve their working capital velocity," he says.

Other than invoice factoring, the financial institution provides two more products namely; log book financing and bank Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

guarantees.

Muriuki says that the company is already overwhelmed by the number of people seeking short-term cash flow solutions.

"We want to reach more people because we feel there's a lot of headroom to do more."

As a young CEO, Muriuki has interacted with many entrepreneurs to understand their plight. Other than lacking access to capital for growth and expansion, local SMEs are unfairly branded as disorganized.

"When you directly deal with the SMEs, you realize that these are companies that could potentially create more jobs.

I'm always excited by the quality of SMEs that we serve."

Predictably, the demand for these products is at an all time high especially now that the country is smarting from a financially challenging year that was punctuated by a prolonged electioneering period.

Why do small businesses wither out?

The Small Business Authority of UK estimates that four in ten start-ups die within the first five years. While the statistics might ring true in Kenya, Momen-

Traditional financial institutions must embrace technology to survive. The CEO says that those companies that will fail to innovate could soon go out of business.

Just like technology, data is becoming an important part of the lending industry.

Indeed, more companies are using data to score their customers’ creditworthiness.

Other than scaling their operations, the company is enhancing the experience of the clients that it serves through a call centre.

It’s among the few financial institutions that boast of having a fully functional customer experience centre.

Momentum Credit believes in building people and helping them to deliver their best. At their Nairobi offices, most of their staff is young, radiating with enthusiasm and passion.

"You can only grow as an organization when there is energy," says the 33-yearold CEO, who occasionally mentors his youthful staff members.

An engineer by training, he says he ventured into the industry out of passion.

Now at the helm of the fledgling firm, he's optimistic that the company will continue to innovate to make a difference in the industry.

FRESH.INSPIRING.ANALYTICAL

As the CEO, Muriuki accepts that the lending industry has its own challenges.

For instance, some government regulations like the capping of interest rates makes credit less accessible as lending institutions become more risk consicious.

Despite the challenges, he’s bullish about the SME industry and hopes it can create millions of jobs to solve the unemployment problem. The firm also wants to expand into three East African countries in the next few years.

In the meantime, Momentum Credit continues to provide their clients with working capital solutions, one of the most important tools that allow businesses to thrive and create the much needed jobs, and revenues.

CEO’s Diary Wakes up at 6.00 am and gets to the office by 8.00 am.

Handles urgent issues that need his attention, including risk management and sales.

Mentors staff members.

Leaves the office at 7.00 pm

TOP: Momentum Credit team at the end of year party in 2017.

BOTTOM: Some of the staff at a team building session.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

Microfinance

ECLOF Kenya: Financial Services for Social Impact

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CLOF Kenya is a middle tier Micro-finance institution serving the economically vulnerable people living in both rural and urban Kenya. ECLOF Kenya does so by availing both financial and non-financial products and services thus contributing in poverty alleviation of the economically marginalized people in Kenya.

Registered as a microfinance company in Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

1994, it is affiliated to the ECLOF International, a global institution with its headquarters in Geneva. ECLOF Kenya is equally a member of the Association of Microfinance Institutions of Kenya (AMFI-Kenya), an umbrella body of Micro- finance Institutions (MFIs) in Kenya. ECLOF Kenyahas 44 outlets serving about 60,000 clients, with vibrant presence in over 66 per cent of the 47 counties.

ECLOF Kenya avails both financial and non-financial productsclassified under different categories to its clients. One interesting product and services offered

is, WASH Loan (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene). WASH Loan, classified under the category of Social Products, caters for construction of pit latrines especially in the rural areas, sinking shallow wells to avail water for consumption, irrigation and livestock, acquisition of fully fitted water tanks for rain water harvesting and purchase of water purifiers to ensure that clients consume clean and safe drinking water. StartUp Magazine met with some of the clients who have benefitted from WASH loans and this is what they had to say:

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Edward Wanyoike

He is the Chairperson of Kagirambii chama group funded by ECLOF Kenya The Chairman of Kagirambii Chama Group that receives financial support from ECLOF Kenya, Mr. Wanyoike who lives in Ndireini Village in Murang’a County was quick to point out on how ECLOF Kenya has been one of the best things that ever happened to his life.

He has enjoyed a number of loan facilities from ECLOF Kenya which helped him in setting up a shop, hotel, grocery store, a barber shop and buying dairy cow and household items.

Asked how he manages to run all these enterprises, he says “Joining ECLOF Kenya in 2016 ignited my ambitions.”

He adds that the institution is very timely in disbursement of loans, a selling point that bought his loyalty to the firm. “I have never looked anywhere else since knowing ECLOF,” he adds.

“I used part of the loan to buy water tank and gutters to harvest and store water. Before buying the tank, I would go to fetch water from the river which was very tiresome. My dairy cows were less productive because of lack of enough drinking water.

But now with water around, everything has changed for the better,” he explains.

Felistas Njeri

She joined Kagirambii chama group in 2016.

The group is funded by ECLOF Kenya A short distance from Mr. Wanyoike’s home, in the same Ndireini Village, we meet another client-Phelistas Njeri Kiarie.

Mrs. Kiarie joined the group in 2016 and has enjoyed loan facilities which have transformed her well-being. She took a loan to dig and set up a borehole which has been an answer to all her water problems. Today, she uses the water to irrigate her small farm which she hopes to expand.

In addition to that, she took up another loan to install electricity power in her home.

With electrical power, she is now sourcing for electric water pump to propel water from the borehole and facilitate irrigation with ease. She is grateful that she will no longer worry about manually fetching water from the borehole which was hectic and the opportunity to expand her scope of farming.

Catherine Muthoni

ECLOF Kenya client based in Murang’a County

Catherine joined ECLOF Kenya early 2017, and just like others, she is in a fruitful relationship with the financier.

She specifically took a loan to buy water tank and gutters. With the gutters, she collects and harvests rain water with which she stores for domestic use. The water supply sees her through dry seasons and saves her the agony of water shortage. “Buying water is very expensive,“she explains.

Besides the water tanks, she also used part of the loan to set up standard hygienic toilets. She looks forward to build a self-contained house, with a toilet inside and free flowing tap water.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

Human Resources

5 Ways To Use Recruitment Agencies To Your Advantage

Perminus Wainaina

There are several reasons why Kenyan employers are increasingly outsourcing their recruitment function to third parties. One of the reasons is the need to professionalize their business.

Perminus is the CEO and Managing Partner at Corporate Staffing Services Ltd. A HR consultancy firm based in Westlands Nairobi.

f or established companies, they will outsource for efficiency and therefore save on time and money. They would rather have someone else handle all the paperwork as processing 5,000 CV’s is not an easy job.

That way they are able to concentrate on their core business.

Doing business in Kenya has become very

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

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competitive and one way to stay afloat is by attracting and retaining top talent.

Companies routinely contact us to headhunt candidates from competitors, while some employers use recruitment agencies to maintain privacy. They don’t want competitors to know what they are up to.

So, how then can you position yourself to reap the most benefits from working with recruiters?

1. Know Yourself & The Recruiters.

The first step is by analysis your skills and level of experience.

By doing this, you will be more confident when approaching recruiters because you will have an idea of the kind of employer that can make best use of your talents.

That way, a recruiter will not be calling you for jobs that don’t suit you. The recruiters will also be at a position to share market information like salary range and new companies setting up. By researching on different recruiters, you’ll identify their strengths, value proposition and how best you can partner.

For example, it doesn’t make sense to send your CV to a recruitment agency that only deals with unskilled labor i.e. casuals. They are also recruiters who specialize with Middle East jobs. Start by visiting recruiter’s website to learn more about their target clients, professionals they place and their success rates.

2. Go An Extra Mile.

It takes little or no effort to email me your CV asking whether there are job opportunities that suit you. It is also easy to upload your CV to a website and hope for the best. I call this the lazy job seekers guide to getting a job. Does this work? It does but the success rate is less than 5%.

The reason why you will keep sending emails and uploading CVs and yet not hear from a recruiter is because you are doing what everyone else is doing. You haven’t taken time to differentiate yourself.

3. Establish a relationship.

Between Monday and Friday, I usually receive on a daily basis at least 100 email requests for a job. On LinkedIn, I get 50 invites to connect and my phone will ring at least 30 times in a day.

I don’t mind because jobseekers are integral part of our business. However, this is overwhelming and there’s no way I can get back to everyone who contacts me.

I wouldn’t be left with time to deal with employers and get you that job! Having said that, it is your responsibility to cultivate a business relationship with a recruiter. Just like you don’t get married after the first date, it is no different when it comes to jobseeker/recruiter relationship.

Give the relationship time and get to know one another. And a relationship does not mean calling daily or on weekends. Once in a while drop an email or text. Make it personal. Your conversation should not always be about whether there’s a job.

Would you take it well if I only called when I am need of a soft loan? Would you accept a marriage proposal from an individual who after the first date is always nagging you to marry them?

4. Patience Is A Virtue.

It takes six months to one year to get a decent job. If you are a desperate jobseeker, it is possible to get a job say in a week’s time but I am sure that would not be a job you love or plan to stick. You’ll be working to meet your basic needs of food and shelter.

RECRUITMENT

Companies routinely contact us to head-hunt candidates from competitors, while some employers use recruitment agencies to maintain privacy.

to wait for the next opportunity and there are no guarantees.

5. Recruitment is a relationship business.

Recruitment firms have to know their clients (employers) well by studying their industry, knowing the salary market rate, identifying gaps and acting as trusted advisors. The relationship with candidates is not different.

Those that have benefited most from recruitment firms is because they took time to understand their processes, decision makers, their strengths and sometime by being a resource.

Industries all over the world are moving to outsourcing and recruitment is not being left behind. You need to know how to work with recruiters

With recruiters, do not approach them when desperate. I meet many candidates who’ve just been laid off, retrenched or fresh from campus and I always wonder why they didn’t make a move a year ago.

Last week a finance manager who lost his job in 2015 last year came to see me on Monday.

Funny thing is, I had a perfect job for a candidate with his level of skills two weeks ago. He would have been the chosen candidate but there was another candidate who came before him. Now he has

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30

Young people should invest in counties-a case of Naivasha

Property Investments

Young people have the capacity to cause an upward growth of the country’s GDP when they venture into investments while still aged between 18-35 years. This is much feasible when such investments are made in their home counties.

Reuben Kimani

Reuben is the CEO of Username Investment Limited

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Today, the proportion of Kenyan youth to the population stands at 20.3 per cent, the highest in Africa and among the highest globally according to the US-Based Population Reference Bureau. This presents the economy with a vibrant man power if put to productive use. Young people have the capacity to propel growth of the country’s GDP when they venture into investments while still in their younger years and especially when such investments are made in their home counties.

As it is, majority of the young people move to the urban areas to look for employment leaving the aged and children back in the village. Those in schools finish and also begin looking for opportunities to migrate to the cities to look for ‘greener pastures’. According to Kenya Demographics profile 2018, the percentage of urban population stood at 26.5 per cent of the total population in 2017.This increasing population of young people into the city continues to bring congestion in city centers with majority of them experiencing prolonged renting periods. With

time as they advance in age, most go back to their ancestral homes as they are unable keep up with the hustle and bustle of the city and unfortunately, it becomes even harder for them to cope up with life upcountry.

The birth and growth of devolution however presents an excellent opportunity for the young to invest and grow their home counties and ease the pressure of housing exerted to the urban areas. Young people hold the greatest potential to invest while still young and vibrant. Their ability to invest is attributed to them being in employment and having less responsibility to handle as compared to the older generation. They are in a position to channel a good portion of their income towards investments way before other responsibilities knock in.

Taking a case of Naivasha for example; Naivasha is an economic power house that has the potential of turning the entire Nakuru County into one of the richest counties in the country. It boasts of the land, the lake, the power (geothermal) and the upcoming dry port just to mention but a few. One of the leading Counties in Horticulture, the area contributes about 70 per cent of Kenyan flower export, 15 per cent of Kenyan electric power and

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TRAVEL & LEISURE

Username Investment clients receiving title deeds during a title issuance ceremony

is home to attractive tourist destination.

Since independence in 1963, the area has witnessed rapid land use transformation from commercial ranching to a mixture of commercial ranching and rapidly growing small-holder (rural and urban) settlements.

A report released by International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) in 2012 ranked Naivasha as one of the most popular destination for international meetings making it a robust investment hub for Kenya and Africa. With all these developments, the youth can seize the investment opportunities available especially on land and in agriculture sector to create a constant supply of food materials to the hotels, local and international visitors. The land can also be developed to holiday homes, children parks and gardens that will generate income.

The land can be gradually developed into homes by individuals as the close proxim-

ity of Naivasha to Nairobi--a distance of 76Kms-- gives a home owner the ability to build a holiday home for a weekend and still go to work in Nairobi. In essence, this will gradually reduce the pressure in city and encourage young people to settle outside Nairobi and by implication cause a wholesome growth of the economy and at retirement, majority will have settled and gradually reduce the renting periods and expenses incurred.

Cooler weather, exquisite green vegetation and canopy, fresh smell of wet soil, steaming hot mug of chocolate, good food, campfire stories, hearty laughter’s and hoodies! Honestly, if you are thinking quiet times, reflection and serene surrounding, you won’t go wrong with camping

Adisa Hudson talks of her one of a kind experience at Camp Ndunda in Embu

In believe that the young people need to be informed of the available investment opportunities by trusted real estate companies who will deliver title deeds to give the youth an opportunity to develop the land. Besides, the growth of infrastructure will also play a key role in increasing transport efficiency which is an enabler of growth of any nation. This will create a more attractive opportunity for the young and encourage them to invest in such areas.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

34

Business Enterprise

Mehmood Khan

Mehmood is the Chief Operating Officer at SAP Africa

Making the visionary visible The Chief Operation Officer role in executing exponential organisational strategy

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t

he term ‘exponential organisation’ was first introduced in a 2014 book by the Singularity University founding director Salim Ismail and co-authors Michael Malone and Yuri van Geest. An exponential organisation is one governed by an assumption of abundance, where the typical constraints of linear organisations – for example, building more offices in new locations and equipping them with the requisite staff and facilities – are bypassed through clever use of technology that enables low organisational demands.

Airbnb is a typical exponential organisation: instead of establishing new locations for guest houses and hotels, building and equipping those locations, maintaining the properties, and sourcing and retaining staff, Airbnb accumulates listings around the world without incurring the capital expenditure to which most hotel groups are subject, leveraging technology to deliver a seamless and enjoyable customer experience that is often largely self-governable.

The DNA of exponential organisations What nearly all exponential organisations have in common is a digitised supply chain that enables rapid scaling and frictionless customer experiences, often across global markets. They make use of technological innovations to compete on even footing with even the largest organisations, and then leverage an abundance mindset to move faster and more effectively than their bigger competitors.

Essentially, an exponential organisation is structured in such a way that they are able to fully realise the benefits of the digital economy. And within this, the COO plays a critical, often unseen role in ensuring the organisational building blocks are in place to enable the realisation of the exponential organisation.

In an EY study, half of the global COOs polled were closely engaged in discussing

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the role that operations can play in business transformation, with 57% seeing this as a fundamental part of creating organisational value. This is key to shifting the role of the COO from a largely operational one to a more strategic one.

The COO balancing act Since the COO controls how organisational resources are allocated and prioritised, he or she must ensure that such resources are in the right place at the right time to enable the effective execution of exponential organisational strategy. However, in the same EY study, only half of COOs polled had identified opportunities to get operations involved with strategic decision-making. This creates a dilemma for the COO: their function within the organisation demands a firm focus on current demands, while their longer-term and arguably greater impact rests firmly in the future.

Technology has a critical role to play in enabling the COO to execute on broader strategy initiatives that can take a linear organisation – one focused on exploiting vertical market dominance – to an exponential one. Predictive analytics, for example, can combine sensor-based data with machine learning and AI capability to equip COOs with live insights into the current performance of the digitised supply chain. This frees up some of the COO’s time to focus on the more highyield strategic initiatives that will ensure the organisation’s long-term competitiveness and sustainability.

A to-do list for the exponential COO A recent IDC infographic pointed to the top five business priorities for executives right now, including reducing external supplier costs, outperforming the competition, improving security (necessitated by increased connectivity), regulatory compliance, and improved customer service.

However, the priorities are going to shift greatly over the next few years, with one key priority falling straight in the ambit of the COO: improving adaptability and flexibility of the supply chain.

TECH

Technology has a critical role to play in enabling the COO to execute on broader strategy initiatives that can take a linear organisation – one focused on exploiting vertical market dominance – to an exponential one The fundamental role of the traditional COO is to ensure that operations quality, efficiency and customer services are improved and optimised through their interventions. In a digital economy, I would argue there is a new dimension fundamental to the effective functioning of the COO: removing friction within the organisational value chain by effecting a digital supply chain. Customer demands for personalised service and individualised products means organisations need to be highly responsive to individual needs and desires. The growing complexity of doing business also requires technological intervention to ensure COOs are not left treading water, endlessly dealing with current problems and challenges and losing sight of the longer-term strategic value that will elevate the business.

COOs can start laying the foundation of a future exponential organisation now by focusing on five key actions, namely: 1.Improved customer centricity; 2.Investment in smart automation; 3.Enabling predictive sion-making;

business

deci-

4.Ensuring total visibility across all linesof-business; and 5.Leveraging a digital innovation platform powered by IoT, blockchain, AI, machine learning and analytics, to enable secure process automation, better decision-making, and faster and more accurate responses to customer demands.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

At the back

Travel & Leisure

Embu County…Let’s Head Down to Camp Ndunda!

By Adisa Hudson

Cooler weather, exquisite green vegetation and canopy, fresh smell of wet soil, steaming hot mug of chocolate, good food, campfire stories, hearty laughter’s and hoodies! Honestly, if you are thinking quiet times, reflection and serene surrounding, you won’t go wrong with camping.

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

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No matter how you travel, or where you travel to, you should spend it the way you would a week at the beach – sopping it all in; having a good time! The art of getting closer to nature and farther away from the normal routine is what defines camping. Whether during the cold July or scorching heat of March, the fire defines the comfort of camping and that is precisely what Camp Ndunda offers.

Cooler weather, exquisite green vegetation and canopy, fresh smell of wet soil, steaming hot mug of chocolate, good food, campfire stories, hearty laughter’s and hoodies! Honestly, if you are thinking quiet times, reflection and serene surrounding, you won’t go wrong with camping. It’s a formidable combination of cold air,dark night,warm fire and bright stars.Wild flowers blooming,brown mud and certainly, the woods are better than any night in town.

Just two hours’ drive from Nairobi CBD lies a beautiful countryside town of Embu, with immaculate green that leaves one gasping for freshness thanks to mother nature. The roadside stalls display of fresh farm fruits gives a hint of

the productivity in the lush farms in the region. The name Ndunda in the local Embu dialect means fruits.

Approximately 10km North West of Embu town, off the Embu-Kibugu road is the famous Camp Ndunda Falls. Located on the banks of Rupingazi River at the foot of the reknown Mt Kenya is Camp Ndunda Falls within the larger Njukiri Forest.

The camp offers beautiful blend of striking, rustic and indigenous aura with memorable picturesque overlooking the wild waters falls on River Rupingazi.

Just a few meters from the campsite is the Rupingazi River which gives one a refreshing breeze that caresses your nostrils leaving one with the countryside nostalgia. Listening to the gentle ripples as the water flows downstream is enough therapy for a troubled mind.

The hike through the Camp takes about seven hours with an easy trekking, zip liner,board walk and water fall viewing.

The smell of exotic tree leaves,flowers and moist soil provides remarkable conJune 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

38 nection with Mother Nature undefiled.

In terms of accommodation, Camp Ndunda offers simple and affordable options that will see the campers enjoy their stay with their pocket friendly service. The options for accommodation are the camping tents or hanging beds depending with an individual’s preference. Hanging beds are a perfect option for reigniting childhood experiences if rocking a baby to sleep is anything to go by. The accommodation is between ksh 1500- ksh 1800.

On the other hand, the Camp provides suitable grounds for camping, team building for corporate firms, nature walks and a beautiful gateway for solo explorers, family hangouts or groups.

The waterfall along the Rupingazi River

is a major attraction to thesite and good news is that swimming in particular sections of the river is allowed! White water rafting, canoeing , boating and bonfire are but just examples of what to expect while at Camp Ndunda Falls.

Other activities •Swimming in the pool •Zip lining •Canopy walks •Nature walks •Bicycle riding •Fun games •Camp fire What to take with you •Remember to pack the few essentials in your travel pack especially for camping.

•Comfortable footwear for nature walk

ACTIVITIES •Swimming in the pool •Zip lining •Canopy walks •Nature walks •Bicycle riding •Fun games •Camp fire

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•T-shirts and shorts for hikes, hoodies for campfire at night etc •Swimsuit is a must carry •Carry a good camera for photography and capturing memories •Tag your friend along; the many you are, the merrier it gets!

Fact File River Rupingazi is one of the six major rivers in Kirinyaga and Embu County.

They all drain into the Tana River and are the principle source of water. The water from these rivers has been harnessed through canals to support irrigation at the lower zones of the county.

Living to their mantra, Camp Ndunda Falls; The outdoor adventure partner;they certainly do not disappoint.

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Coffee Break

Hotel Review

Lake Heights Hotel; Home away from Home Located along Church Road in a quiet and serene neighborhood, Lake Heights Hotel is the best prototype of home away from home. Marking over 10 years of its existence, the establishment is a privately family-owned hotel with tailor made antiques that gives the hotel a homely demeanor offering personalized service to the guests.

Besides the refreshing and cool surrounding, the staffs are well trained with high level of hospitality shown to the guest. The food menu is eclectic with a perfect balance between gourmet sandwiches, world cuisine, as well as local, Ugandan delicacies. The chefs are professionals who prepare the meals with precision as per the guest’s preference; actually, the Chef’s expertise will guarantee your satisfaction as it will exceed your expectations.

In other words, it is difficult to zero-in on a personal favorite when it comes to the menu. Not because the food is unpalatable, but because the chef’s magical touch can be uniquely felt in each and every one of the dishes. During my stay, a person-

al favorite was the charcoal grilled Nile perch or tilapia. If you are the beef lover, be sure to ask for your beef served with their mélange of grilled vegetables that gives a vegetarian dose of bliss in your mouth as you eat.

Besides, the exquisite location and good food, Thursdays are special with live band and exceptional barbeque. The drinks are affordable ranging from freshly squeezed fruit juices to wine including the exotic variety of fine South African wines.

The hotel has a beautiful, ever clean pool next to the gym and spa with all these enclosed by a well maintained botanical garden that gives the premises the jungle green picturesque of the countryside. For the business traveler, or those planning for conferences and workshops, Lake Heights has a meeting room fully fitted with projector, Wi-Fi that guarantees comfortable arrangement for business functions. The establishment is also working on new state-of-the-art conference rooms overlooking Lake Victoria that can accommodate a higher capacity

Renowned as a hospitality staple in Entebbe, Lake Heights allows you to eat clean, workout, meditate, work, lounge, sleep well and live a fulfilled life within Entebbe.

Whether visiting for business, pleasure, or if you are just within the locale and are looking for a place to hold a meeting, Lake Heights is a place that will give value for your money.

that should be completed in the near future.

No matter how hot and humid the air gets, the breeze in the surrounding keeps one refreshed. The canopy of trees round the premises provides a cooling sensation during hot days and a habitat for humming birds that entertain the visitors with their chirping. The rooms are sound-proof, spacious, and fully ensuite.

All the rooms are equipped with, a kettle, fridge, study desk, high resolution flat screen TV, DSTv cable services, tea warmer, fully working air conditioners, thread-count sheets, coffee, tea, safe, among others. Most of the rooms have balcony and terrace views, while the rest have large windows to compensate for lighting. Depending on your budget, you can get a standard room all the way up to VIP suite.

Besides the normal hotel operations, Lake Heights offers other services like hosting birthday parties, weddings, and corporate retreats. The hotel is safe with armed guards and security cameras within the property.

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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Coffee Break

Book Review THINK AND GROW RICH Author: Napoleon Hill Reviewer: Oroni Tendera

This book was written a very long time ago. First published in 1937, it has been recommended by many leaders all around the world. The author shares insights and success secrets from great minds of the 20th century including Henry Ford, J.P. Morgan, John D. Rockefeller, Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, Theodore Roosevelt, and more.

This book won’t provide you the exact way to get rich, but you’ll learn how to program your mind and transmute energy towards your goals. If you can grasp at least some of the theories about mastering the power of the subconscious mind, it will become a notable victory for you.

Biggest lesson: control your mind by keeping it busy with a definite purpose, backed by a definite plan.

My rating: 7/10 Goodreads: 4.14/5 Pages: 200

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Coffee Break

Blog Review Blog name: lizmazingira.co.ke Founder: Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti Reviewer: Adisa Hudson For a 21 year old, I’d say that Ms. Elizabeth Wanjiru Wathuti has done an excellent job on advocacy about environmental conservation with her Green Generation Initiative. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental studies & community development at Kenyatta University, she runs a Green Generation Initiative that helps in waste management, environmental education and tree planting campaigns in schools.

Her blog captures her strong passion for environmental conservation as she gets her hands dirty and busy in the course that leaves both Mother Nature and humanity proud. Besides being the Chairperson of Kenyatta University Environmental Club (KUNEC), Ms. Wanjiru served as former projects coordinator of African Youth Initiative on Climate

Change (AYICC-KENYA) and the current communications coordinator of the same organization. Her passion and consistent action in matters environment has seen her receive 2016 Wangari Maathai Scholarship award, established by The Rockefeller Foundation, The Green Belt Movement and Kenya Community Development Foundation (KCDF).

Her mission clearly captured in her blog is to nurture the young generation in environmental conservation through tree planting activities, mentor-ship and environmental education programs for overall development sustainability. She envisions a world where environmental capacity building and problem solving is provided to enhance sustainable development.

Asked what inspires such passion, she says “The late Professor Wangari Maathai is my role model & I’m determined to leave my mark in this field just like the Nobel prize winner did.”

The blog was nominated as one of the best environmental blogs for BAKE Awards 2018.

Paying your Electricity Bill Paying your Electricity Bill with M-Pesa (Safaricom) 1. Select “Pay Bill” from the M-Pesa menu.

2. Enter the Kenya Power business number 888 888 / 501200 / 800904.

3. Enter your full Kenya Power account number e.g. 123456-01.

4. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between KShs.100 and KShs.35,000.00 5. Enter your M-Pesa PIN. 6. Confirm that all details are correct.

7. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

Debit Card / Credit Card

How to Buy Kenya Power Prepaid Tokens via M-PESA Paybill Number 888880/501200/800904 • Go to Safaricom SIM Tool Kit, select M-PESA menu, select “Lipa na M-PESA” • Select “Pay Bill” • Select “Enter Business no.”, Enter Kenya Power Lipa na M-PESA PayBill Number 888880/501200/800904 and press “OK” • Select “Enter Account no.”, Enter your Kenya Power Prepaid Meter Number (e.g. 0100 xxxx xxxx x) and press “OK” • “Enter Amount”, between KShs.100 and KShs.35,000.00 and press “OK” • Enter your M-PESA PIN and press “OK” • Confirm all the details are correct and press “OK” • M-PESA HAKIKISHA. You will get a notification with the intended recipient’s name e.g. “Pay Kenya Power KShs.1,000.00 for Account 0100 xxxx xxxx x Press 1 within 20 seconds to STOP this transaction.”

• Kenya Power will then generate prepaid token valid for your meter and send via SMS.

Paying your Electricity Bill with Airtel Money (Airtel) 1.

2.

3.

4.

Select “Airtel Money’’ from the menu.

Click on “Make Payments”.

Select “Paybill”.

Choose Kenya Power Bill for postpaid bill OR Kenya Power Prepaid for purchase of tokens.

5. Enter the amount you wish to pay.

6. Enter your Airtel Money PIN. 7. Under the reference option, type your full Kenya Power account number e.g. 12345601.

8. Confirm that all details are correct.

9. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

You can check your Kenya Power bill by sending the first part of your account number e.g. 123456 by SMS to 95551.

Powering people for better lives

June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

At the back

Song Review

Title: Saviour Iggy Azalea ft [Quavo] Review by Thomas Bleach

Startupmagazine.co.ke June 2018

Iggy Azalea’s Saviour is a Bop Iggy Azalea’s sophomore record “Surviving The Summer” has been a long and messy journey so far and apparently she’s restarting the promotional circuit once again. She’s taking it back to basics with the island influenced RNB track “Savior” which is actually quite the bop. Ditching the electronic-pop influence that her last singles had this song focuses more on a rhythmic production and hears her delivering a decent rap flow.

It re-discovers the raw essence her early music impressed with and doesn’t come across too try hard or gimmicky unlike some of her previous singles. She also opens up on this track and explores the idea of being able to be your own savior by searching for that strength within yourself. “I wonder if you even notice, lately I’ve been feelin’ hopeless. Easy to lose focus, but I’ll wait for ya. I’ve been looking for a saviour”. It’s catchy and

grows on you with each listen.

However can everyone stop using Quavo as a feature on their songs and choose a different rapper? It’s getting a little predictable and boring and there are a lot of stronger rappers she could’ve used as a feature. While the song may not be as captivating as “Work” or “Change Your Life” it does have the potential to win people over again who believe she is a little problematic.

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June 2018 Startupmagazine.co.ke

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