Nairobi, Kenya | THE INDEPENDENT | The Safaricom PLC Board of Directors has appointed Peter Ndegwa as the company’s Chief Executive Officer effective April 1, 2020. He joins Safaricom from Diageo PLC where he is the Managing Director of Diageo Continental Europe. “Ndegwa brings a wealth of experience in General …
Read More »Changing differential fluid
Why 2WD has one differential, the 4WD three | THE INDEPENDENT | A differential, or gearbox, basically transfers the power from the transmission to the rear wheels and lets the wheels turn at different speeds when cornering. It is one of the most important parts of a vehicle’s powertrain. And …
Read More »Gov’t drafts roadmap for universal access to clean energy
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has drafted an ambitious roadmap for the transformation of the energy sector from dependence on Biomass to modern forms of energy. Under the new policy, quality solar and electric pressure cooking technologies will be cheaply promoted for homesteads …
Read More »Uganda’s ICT innovators will prosper through partnerships
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | “We are very many players in this sector. We are all trying to do many things that we do best. We are scattered. We need to work together because we are working for the same objective.” This quote summarizes what Richard Zulu, an official from …
Read More »Social media app TikTok removes Islamic State propaganda videos
Beijing, China | AFP | Social media app TikTok has taken down accounts that were posting propaganda videos for the Islamic State group, a company employee said Tuesday, in the latest scandal to hit the popular platform. TikTok, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, claimed some 500 million users globally …
Read More »AVIATION: Boeing wants it to fly, but travelers fear the 737 MAX
New York, United States | AFP | On September 12, Boeing started putting out 30-second videos in which employees tout its planes’ safety, hoping to reassure travelers about the 737 MAX that’s been grounded worldwide since two crashes that killed 346 people. “Safety is at the core of our …
Read More »World’s fastest ant clocks nearly a metre per second
Paris, France | AFP | It’s official: The Saharan silver ant is the fastest of the world’s 12,000 known ant species, clocking a blistering 855 millimetres — nearly a metre — per second, researchers said Thursday. Measured another way, the six-legged sprinter covers 108 times its own body length per …
Read More »Bill Gates Foundation talks digital finance in Uganda
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | People do not need a stock exchange account but instead need an account to save their money safely and be able to make small transactions. This is what stood out from a speech delivered by Warren Carew, representing Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation at …
Read More »Google in smartphone push with motion-sensing Pixel 4
New York, United States | AFP | Google stepped up its smartphone ambitions Tuesday with updated Pixel handsets, touting a move toward computing with a simple hand wave or spoken command. Pixel 4 models boasting features including gesture and face recognition debuted at a “Made by Google” event showcasing new hardware …
Read More »Across Sub-Saharan Africa, tech-enabled micro-insurance is the next big thing
INSURANCE AND MOBILE PHONES: Policymakers across the region need to implement policies and practices that stimulate growth Kampala, Uganda | ISAAC KHISA | The Sub-Saharan African region is set to be the hotbed for mobile phone services as the young population owns more devices in the next six years. …
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