February 5, 2016

Source says KQ could use loans to pay for two 787s

ceo

Two new loans provided to Kenya Airways could help Kenya’s national carrier complete the financing needed to take delivery of two Boeing 787-8 aircraft now in storage in Everett, Washington, a source familiar with the matter said late Wednesday. The two Dreamliner aircraft, produced at Boeing’s North Charleston, South Carolina, assembly line earlier this year, were recently flown to the larger Everett site for “short-term storage” while the airline worked out a financing package for the planes, according to a source familiar with the situation. Kenya’s finance minister, Henry Rotich, told a Senate committee on Wednesday that the government had…

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Ethiopian Airlines flying high as other carriers sink

KQ-Ethio

Ethiopian Airlines last week announced that it had exceeded its profits target for 2014. The airline posted a $175 million profit last year, exceeding its revenue targets, and dwarfing its main African competitors in Kenya and South Africa, who have posted losses and are sinking in debt. The state-owned carrier said that its passenger numbers grew from 5.2 million to more than six million passengers in 2014, aided by lower fares and strong inter-continental routes, especially to Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria. It now plans to double its fleet from the current 77 to 140 by 2025 as it positions…

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Kenyans opting for safety deposit boxes in banks for valuables

Suprio Sungupta, the general manager marketing and product development at I &M Bank, marvels at the increasing popularity of the bank’s safe deposit box/lockers. The renewed interest in this box he notes, inspired the bank to add value to the vaults which he says is accessed largely by female clients. “The safe deposit box is popular among ladies”, said Mr Sungupta. According to him, women prefer the safe deposit box for their valuables as this s the only way you can ensure your valuables such a jewellery and important documents are safe. Despite the fact that many people, even those…

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Nairobi Lawyer packages traffic offences, penalties in app

After years of appearing in court to represent clients tangled in the crosshairs of traffic offences, 28-year-old lawyer Edwin Githinji Thiong’o has found another way to lend a hand. It is an app that not only highlights motoring laws, but is also a 24-hour hotline for lawyers and bailiffs. Mr Thiong’o targets using the Kenya Traffic Offences and Penalties Guide (KTOPG) application as a way of dealing with motorists’ ignorance and apathy in traffic law. It can also bail you out. The app contains the Traffic Act and highlights all offences and the punishment that come with taking the wrong…

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How to apply for a Kenyan visa online beginning September 1

Effective 01 September 2015, you will be denied boarding of your flight to Kenya or denied entry to Kenya if you do not have your printed copy of your e-visa with you. This grace period to have visa stamped on arrival expires August 31, 2015.expires on 31 August 2015. Tourists wishing to visit Kenya need to apply as follows: • Visit the electronic visa page at www.ecitizen.go.ke • Select Register as a Visitor • As part of this process, you will receive a confirmation email that you need to click on to verify and confirm your registration • At this point,…

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Travellers risk missing flights to Kenya as tough new visa rules kick on September 1

Visitors to Kenya will from next week have to apply for online visas days before travel in a departure from the practice where their passports are stamped on arrival. The new rules, introduced in July but temporarily suspended after an outcry from tourism players, will come into effect from September 1 following the expiry of a two-month extension. The rules come at a time Kenya is battling extremism with terrorists emerging even from developed countries like the United Kingdom. “Effective 1st September 2015, passengers may be denied boarding of their flight to Kenya or denied entry to Kenya if they…

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Safaricom hits banks with new M-Pesa transfer fees

Safaricom has introduced charges for the transfer of funds from customers’ bank accounts to third-party M-Pesa wallets, sealing a loophole that lenders have been using to by-pass the mobile phone company when sending money. Wednesday the telco said the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) had approved the charges, effective on December 1. The announcement comes against the backdrop of a social media war between Safaricom and Equity Bank over fees charged on subscribers to Equitel, its telecommunications subsidiary. Equity Bank claims that Safaricom has increased its charges for sending money from M-Pesa to Equitel to discourage money transfers from Equitel…

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Kenya to go ahead with nuclear power plan

Kenya will continue with its push towards harnessing nuclear energy as an alternative to geothermal and hydropower to ensure future security and growth, the Ministry of Energy has said. Energy Principal Secretary Joseph Njoroge on Monday reaffirmed the country would set up a series of nuclear power plants, each with a capacity to generate 1,000 MW from 2023 to meet Kenya’s needs beyond 2030 when it looks to industrialise. “If we compare the population and size of Kenya with developed nations, our country needs between 45,000 MW and 50,000 MW,” Mr Njoroge told the press in Nairobi. He said the…

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Kenya Airways to sell four planes to raise cash

Kenya Airways is planning to sell four of its older planes to raise cash after posting record losses. Acting Transport Cabinet Secretary James Macharia told a House committee that the sale is part of a recovery plan by the airline. Mr Macharia made the announcement when he met the Transport, Public Works and Housing Committee of the National Assembly on Tuesday. KQ posted a Sh25.7 billion loss that it blamed on competition from Middle East carriers and high operating costs. The airline also blamed travel advisories that led to a slump in the tourism industry, as well as runway closures…

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[VIDEO] A lesson Kenya Airways can learn from the Japan Airlines CEO

A private jet is an American CEO’s perk. But not the CEO of Japan Airlines. He comes to work on the city bus, CBS News correspondent Barry Petersen reports. Merrill Lynch boss John Thain spent $1 million decorating his office. Haruka Nishimatsu, the president and CEO of Japan Air, knocked down his office walls so anyone can walk in. He buys his suits at a discount store, because a boss who wears Armani puts himself at arm’s length from his people. “If management is distant, up in the clouds, people just wait for orders,” Nishimatsu told CBS News through a…

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