This morning, I had a chat with Edwine Anayo, founder and CEO of Homeland Events Limited about the challenges of doing events business in the midst of a pandemic like this one.

I have known Eddy since childhood. We went to the same primary school, I actively participated in his campaign when he went into politics in 2013, and I later had the opportunity of working with him for more than a year as his events company’s General Manager.

Today, he is a man fearing for his business, and the industry.

You had gone into politics, how did you find yourself quitting that to venture into the events business?

I think I have always had an eye for business opportunities. Politics was a little draining for me. The whole concept of devolution was still new and quite a number of us who were going in as first time MCAs did not really know what we were getting into.

Then there was the bigger frustration of not being able to bring about the changes I had hoped to initiate, especially when it came to creating employment and business opportunities for young people. So very early on, I had decided that I was not going to seek re-election.

Why events?

I saw an opportunity. I lived around Wayside in Kisumu in 2013, and back then I would see EABL do a lot of promotional events along that beer belt. It was always the likes of Homeboyz Entertainment that were providing events services there.

I felt that this is something we should be able to do locally. The challenge was that there was not a single events company in Kisumu with the kind of equipment they had.

So I did a bit of research, found out what kind of equipment I would need and how much they cost. I was already convinced that this is a business I want to venture into and be able to supply the likes of EABL and Coca-Cola who were by then some of the biggest sponsors of events in Kenya.

You had to sell your house to buy events equipment, how did it get to that?

I was coming to the end of my term as an MCA. Politics had drained me. I was spending more money than I was earning trying to improve the livelihoods of the people I served.

I basically made no money in politics.

My car rental business was also not doing very well at the time because politics would not allow me to give it the attention it deserved.

You would probably ask why I did not get a loan from a bank instead. What a lot of people don’t know is that banks have a classification of customers known as “politically exposed persons, or PEP.”

They look at you as high-risk clients because in politics there is never any guarantee that you would make money. When you approach them with business ideas, they will turn you down however good your proposal is. They assume you are just looking for money to fund your political activity.

How did that risk turn out?

Well I can say that I was very lucky. While my plan had been to start this venture in 2018, some of the equipment that I had bought in China and the UK arrived much earlier.

This was during the 2017 political campaign season. Having a brand new stage and sound system at the time created instant demand for us.

It was a busy season. We were always on the move providing sound, staging and lighting solutions to political rallies in Western Kenya. Very quickly we became a household name.

In 2018 and 2019 we started investing in other events equipment like dome tents, alluhall tents, outdoor and indoor LED screens, carpets, pro-floors and so much more.

The more time we spent in the industry, the more we learnt about what other equipment had demand.

Our investments have, however, not just been about equipment. We hired some of the best talents to work with these equipment, providing them with packages that are quite the envy of their colleagues working in other events companies.

I am a believer in the Richard Branson philosophy that “when you take care of your employees, they will in turn take care of your business for you.”

I remember when I joined Homeland Events, business was looking up. The company was expanding into new markets like Nairobi and that was starting to pick up quite well then Covid-19 came. How did that disrupt you?

From the outside, it looked that we were growing really fast. We were barely two years old and here we were moving into new markets like Nairobi and Mombasa.

What most people don’t see is that the planning bit took us quite some time. Remember I said I started having these ideas in 2013. So that was a whole five years we had taken studying the market, so it was easier to capture it then.

Kisumu became too small for us and we wanted to go play in the big league, and that league was in Nairobi. That was also where the important decisions were made.

If you were not playing there, you were getting the crumbs of corporate business. We wanted a share of that market and we aggressively went it.

In just two months of our entry, we were meeting the goals we had set for ourselves at six months. It was also a capital intensive venture but things were looking up until March 13th 2020.

Then the music literally stopped. I had over 40 employees to think about. These are men and women with families of their own, most of them are breadwinners.

At the time the pandemic set in, we had just made orders for new equipment from the UK, South Africa and China. We had committed almost all the money we made in 2019 in this because we wanted to be a significant player in this industry.

We have lost quite a chunk of some of those deposits.

How were you able to ride that storm in 2020?

It was difficult. There were nights I stayed up thinking about what to do next because here we were, in the business of crowds, and the government had banned mass gatherings.

Other than staff costs, rent for our two offices spaces in Kisumu and Nairobi was costing upwards of Sh 500,000. All we had in the bank at the time were deposits from clients who had booked for weddings in April and May.

Interestingly I did not have to lay off staff. I had an honest conversation with them about the situation we were in, and I was surprised by how well they understood the situation. Most of the measures we implemented during that time were suggested by them.

Another thing we did was diversification of income. We had a sizeable logistics arm which we instantly converted into a transport business. We would transport items for traders from Nairobi to parts of Western Kenya.

As restrictions were eased to allow for smaller events, we took advantage of that too. Remember that previously we only targeted corporates and large events for individual clients. At this point if you were having an event for 20 people, we would supply you. Every coin mattered at that time.

I am also grateful for the support we got from our financial partners. Particularly Equity Bank which allowed us to restructure our asset finance loans. We had bought six vehicles with their help and this flexibility allowed us some breathing space.

Imagine what it would have been like if in the middle of this the bank was also repossessing our vehicles.

In Nairobi, because business was almost at a standstill there, we moved from our godown in Industrial Area which was quite costly to a much smaller office space in Karen.

Now we are having a second lockdown, how have you adjusted to this?

It is very unfortunate. This came at the most unexpected time. We have been trying to comply with Ministry of Health regulations on social distancing as an industry, and people have been complying.

The people advising the president are not being cognizant of the reality on the ground. Businesses are hurting. People are hurting. This may take some of us down forever.

In coping we are continuing to have conversations with our staff on how to ‘keep the lights on’ during this time. We are aggressively selling those permitted smaller events. Everyone is now a sales person here, even the drivers and cleaners are selling.

What do you think is the future of events business under the ‘new normal?’

Some things will change, others will stay the same. We are already seeing technology taking centerstage with solutions such as virtual conferencing. These are things we are investing in currently, and will continue doing so in the future.

Funerals, weddings, birthday parties, sporting events and concerts will continue as they were at some point. We might have elements of a mixture of both real life and virtual events, but it’s not all dead.

What’s the future like for Homeland Events?

I am optimistic that things will get better. I have never underestimated the resilience of human beings. As an industry, even with our competitors who are still in the game, we will get to the end of this tunnel.

For this company, we are exploring more options, including investment in more relevant equipment and technology that meets tomorrow’s demand. We are also looking into expanding into regional markets.

Right now, our eyes are locked on Kampala, and who knows, Homeland Events might be in Uganda before the end of the third quarter.

Why Uganda if I may ask?

Uganda’s events market is quite developed, especially when it comes to weddings. I can only compare it to Nigeria. Competing in that market will only challenge me to get better.

But the cost of doing business in Kenya is also prohibitive. The environment is not friendly at all. A lot more people are looking outside.

If it turns out as a viable venture for me then why not. Businesses like Equity Bank are regional, I know friends who run businesses in Tanzania and Uganda, why not Homeland Events?

The post When the Gigs Stop: Edwine Anayo, CEO Homeland Events appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Adrian Washika who rose to fame in the 90’s playing alongside industry heavyweights like Dj Pinye, Dj Chopstick and Dj Space among other notable names will be in Kisumu for the first time to play a gig.

Adrian will be hosted by Dj Slim – one of Kisumu’s veteran Djs also famed for his mastery of grown folk music of different genres. The show is expected to begin from 1.00 PM to 9.00 PM. The Club’s management is promising revellers a mature party with music guarantee to take them back in time as they enjoy drinks and food at affordable prices. Covid-19 regulations on social distancing and mask policies will be strictly adhered to.

Club Da Place which has recently received a face lift is known to host some of the country’s biggest names in entertainment, putting money in artists’ pockets during these these hard economic times.

If you are looking for a place to hang out this weekend then how about you throw on some old school clad and head on to Mamboleo for Kisumu’s biggest party this weekend.

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The Take Over series is run by 23 award-winning celebrity stylists who specialize in various forms of beauty therapy. The services offered on the day range from skincare, weaving, deadlock maintenance, shaving, manicure, pedicure, massage and so much more (scroll to the bottom for a complete list of participating stylists).

Liz has been operating the beauty parlor since 2015 and is excited about treating her clients to this exclusive deal that is just on it’s fifth episode across the country. The team of 23 stylists who are the very best of what Kenya has have been going around the country providing exceptional celebrity beauty experience to clients. The last event was in Mombasa at a salon owned by socialite Vera Sidika.

Dazzli is open seven days a week with the busiest days being from Thursday to Sunday. Liz advises that Tuesdays are the best for clients who like to get their hair done on less crowded days. The services offered on a daily basis include massage, all kinds of hairdressing, facials, manicure and pedicure among others.

Participating Stylists
Saul’s magic – the hairdresser
Muhia Hair
Qyangaria Naturals
Steve Gathuma (Hair Champ)
Lililes Beauty
Mireri’s Makeover
Farouk Hair Guru
Cralocks Hair Saloon
Jane Alice – Weavoligist and Stylist
Makasi Hair and Beauty
Jayne Stylist
Goretty Stylist
Hair Whisp – the hair stylist
Dgohnie hair arts
3 Stylists
Hair by Paul
Angie Chonge
Dreadlocks Therapist
Jess The Hairdresser
Learry
Kj Saloon and Barbershop
Madada Care
Ahterah Hair Technician

0728205028 to book an appointment

Whether you are booking for this experience or just want to try out Dazzli some other time, I think it will be worth your money. If you do get the celebrity experience on Monday, kindly come back and leave a comment with your feelings about how that went.

The post Celebrity stylists to take over Kisumu’s Dazzli Salon at Mega City on Monday appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

Alleyways Beer Garden is this evening hosting a party dubbed ‘Old School Retro – Grown folks experience,’ which lines up a star studded mix of Kisumu deejays from yester years.

Bob (proprietor alleyways) will be teaming up on the decks with Dj Archie (of Soundboxx Entertainment), Dj Gordo and Vj Slim. While very few people know Bob and Archie as Djs, it will be interesting to see them go head to head with Vj Slim and Dj Gordo who despite falling in the cartegory of the city’s pioneer Djs still ply their trade in local clubs.

The event is slated to start at 3.00 PM till curfew time. The theme for the event is all white with Covid-19 protocols observed.

I do hope the club has plans to soon give us a head to head between these old boys and the new kids in the block – would be an interesting one too.

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NAIROBI, 29TH APRIL 2020: Safaricom has today announced plans to launch a Sh 20 a day 4G smartphone package aimed at empowering customers currently on 2G devices to upgrade and enjoy high-speed internet connectivity.

The package is in partnership with Google and is based on insights and learnings from the Maisha Ni Digital campaign that saw over 1 million customers acquiring 4G enabled devices. The new campaign seeks to empower an extra one million customers to upgrade to 4G enabled devices in this financial year.

The announcement was made as the company released financial results for the year ended 31st March 2020 which saw the profit and total comprehensive income for the year grow 19.5% YoY but normalized for the exceptional share of profit of joint venture, at 14.3% YoY to KES71.7 billion with service revenue growing to KES 251.2billion.

Speaking during the results announcement, Safaricom CEO Peter Ndegwa said, “smartphone device is critical in supporting the new realities brought about by COVID-19. This proposition aims to support Kenyans during and beyond this pandemic by enabling them access more opportunities, be it learning, working, or running businesses from the comfort of their homes,” said Ndegwa. More details on this will be released by the end of this quarter.

“Android’s goal has always been to bring the power of computing to everyone. Access to the opportunities the internet offers is critical for any nations’ economic growth and social inclusion. Majority of Kenyans and Africans at large access the internet via mobile broadband. In Kenya, approximately 60% of the mobile phone install base is still on 2G feature phones and 40% smartphones with key barriers to people coming online being device and data affordability. We believe that this collaboration with Safaricom will bring more Kenyans access and the means to partake in the opportunities that exist online,” Mariama Abdullahi, Director, Android and Platforms Partnerships for Africa C1 – Public

This year’s financial results were driven by growth in M-PESA revenue, which grew by 12.6% contributing 33.6% of the service revenue and mobile data which grew by 12.1% to KES 40.67billion.

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Some most recent data indicate that only 19 percent of adolescent girls and 14 percent of adolescent boys aged 15-19 in Eastern and Southern Africa – the region most affected by HIV – have been tested for HIV in the past 12 months and received the result of the last test.

What these sets of data show are that, while the world has made significant steps in combating HIV, these steps have not been as successful among young people and adolescents. Several conferences, workshops, and seminars have been held by health practitioners, behavioral scientists, and numerous stakeholders with the aim of finding out why this trend has been this difficult to defeat.

Given, there have been some groundbreaking ideas that have added value to the fight against HIV among this segment of the global population. What’s of concern today is that these ideas have not been as successful, and perhaps as groundbreaking, as they were initially thought-out to be.

So, what has been missing?

There is a need for a paradigm shift in how solutions to this problem if sought – inclusion. There is a growing conversation about the need to include young people and adolescents in finding solutions. There is a need to understand from their own perspective why the global strategies advanced by various stakeholders in the fight against HIV are not as effective among this segment of the global population.

This goes beyond one or two of them being given the podium to tell their stories in conferences, or where only a pre-conference session is dedicated to them, or where they sit at a youth corner in the community village, talking among themselves because they find it challenging to navigate the highly scientific concurrent sessions or understand the research jargon used during presentations in such conferences.

So there is an urgent need to design conferences that are more realistic to the ways young people interact with information. This includes conference setups that are friendlier to them, having them as the center of the conversation – listening to their voices beyond their personal stories. Paying attention to their suggestions on how to solve their problems better, building their capacity to be able to steer the fight against HIV in their own segment, in the spirit of ‘nothing for us without us.’

It is against this backdrop that Impact Research and Development Organization is hosting the first-ever conference on International Conference on Reducing HIV in Adolescents and Youth (RHAY) in Eastern & Southern Africa. The theme for this conference will aptly be; ‘Beyond the Rhetoric: Engaging adolescents and young people in ending HIV.’

The conference will be held at the Grand Royal Swiss Hotel, in Kisumu, Kenya from 14^th – 19^th June 2020. It will bring on board over 600 young and adolescent participants, not just to fill the numbers, but to be intentionally engaged in planning the conference, facilitating sessions, and selections of mentors among other roles.

How can you participate?

1. Submission of abstracts

To make the dream of this conference a reality, the RHAY Secretariat is calling upon young people and adolescents from all over Eastern and Southern Africa to submit abstracts for the conference. The deadline for submission of abstracts is 28^th February 2020.

This does not, however, mean that if you are beyond the age of 24 or are living outside Eastern or Southern Africa you cannot participate. You can mentor a young person or adolescent living in Eastern or Southern Africa to create abstracts and submit them before the deadline. You can also submit your own abstracts as long as they are based on data collected from young people and adolescents living in Eastern or Southern Africa.

To submit your abstracts, visit https://rhayconference.com/submission/abstracts.

• Submission of proposals

However, there will be a special category for the ‘30 under 30 awards’ where 30 most innovative ideas on HIV prevention among young people and adolescents submitted in proposals will receive funding worth USD 5,000. To be eligible for this award, those submitting proposals must be aged 30 or bellow.

To submit proposals, visit https://rhayconference.com/submission/proposals.

• Essay writing competition

Because abstracts and proposals do not really cater for the participation of all cadres of young people, a lot of whom are still in elementary schools or high schools, there will be a submission of ideas in the form of essays for young learners who want to add their voices to this cause. The essays will be scrutinized and amazing ideas coming out of that will be tweaked into abstracts and proposals.

• Sharing of best practices

There will be a session that is open for representatives from various countries and organizations working with young people and adolescents who want to showcase the ‘best practices’ that have worked well for them when it comes to the prevention of HIV. These will be held between 08:00 hours and 18:00 hours on Sunday and Monday, June 14-15, 2020, and between 07:30-08:30 and 17:00-18:00 hours Tuesday to Thursday, June 16-18, 2020.

To submit a concept note for consideration, visit:  https://rhayconference.com/submission/best-practices

The post CALL FOR ABSTRACTS: 1ST International Conference on Reducing HIV in Adolescents and Youth (RHAY) in Eastern & Southern Africa appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

The programme that will be hosted at the newly launched Uongozi Center located inside the Academy will not only give the students an opportunity to define their career and entrepreneurial choices beyond the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams but will also help prepare them for leadership roles in their various interests and sectors.

“When creating the curriculum for the programme we put a lot of emphasis on Africa’s history religion, philosophy and development because we want to equip the learners with both theoretical and practical knowledge as we ready them for leadership roles within the continent. We want them to appreciate and have a deep understanding of Africa’s heritage so that they can develop ideas around how the continents’ journey of development can be better served and achieved”, said Dr Stephen Walker, Director of Teaching and Learning, M-PESA Foundation Academy.

In addition to African studies, the learners will also be taken through leadership and critical design thinking, business, and entrepreneurship, life skills, outdoor pursuits, and wellbeing as well as computer studies.

“We want to equip the scholars with 21st-century mindsets and skillsets that can help them contribute to the transformation of their communities, country and eventually Africa. During their stay at the center they will have access to career counselors, mentors, and coaches to guide them as they discover the variety of fields that fits their strengths to be successful leaders in their respective areas of interest,” said Les Baillie, CEO, M-PESA Foundation Academy.

The Academy posted impressive results in their maiden KCSE exams achieving a mean grade of B- with top student Abigael Kadogo emerging 16th nationally with all 91 candidates attaining entry grades to institutions of higher learning. Seven students are also currently studying in the United States after getting fully paid scholarships.

The M-PESA Foundation Academy offers a platform for economically disadvantaged students from across the country with Learners joining form one being offered full 4-year scholarships. This year the school has admitted 96 students into Form one.

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M-Gas is tackling existing access barriers to clean cooking by eradicating both the upfront cost required for a gas cylinder and gas cooker, often more than KES 6,000 and the high refill cost of KES 2,000 per cylinder.

“For more than 19 years, we have maintained our commitment to our purpose of Transforming Lives by exploring new innovations that create opportunities for our customers and uplift their lives. Safaricom’s partnership with M-Gas will for the first time empower millions of Kenyans with affordable access to clean cooking gas, an opportunity we believe has been previously underserved,” said Michael Joseph, CEO, Safaricom.

Each M-Gas setup will include a gas cylinder and a 2-burner gas cooker which will be provided to customers at no upfront cost. The gas cylinder will come equipped with an innovative smart meter that will show how much gas a customer has paid for and how much they have to remain. Payments will be made through M-PESA with the gas automatically disconnecting when a customer has completely consumed the amount paid for.

“M-Gas is proud to be working with Safaricom on this pioneering effort to bring affordable, convenient and clean cooking solutions to millions of low-income households in Kenya. Safaricom is a leader in both technology and customer service and we look forward to building on this exciting new partnership,” said Volker Schultz, Head of M-Gas.

Safaricom is extending its digital and payment capabilities to M-Gas, powering the smart meter technology on each cylinder that enables customers to have control over how they use and pay for gas. The smart meter has made it possible for M-Gas to provide a solution tailored to local economic conditions reflecting the daily, kadogo pattern of earning and spending in the country.

Customers will have the flexibility of purchasing gas from as low as KES 1 through M-PESA, with the cost of providing three meals for a household coming at less than KES 70 per day. M-Gas is launching in the Mukuru kwa Njenga area around its first depot. Safaricom and Community Based Organisations will assist in identifying the next priority areas for expansion.

Gas users will no longer have to grapple with the hassle of managing the replenishment of empty cylinders as the smart meter sends an alert to M-Gas whenever the gas runs low. M-Gas will then dispatch a refilled replacement to the customer, conveniently delivered to the comfort of their homes, at no cost.

In addition to making gas affordable to more Kenyans, M-Gas will similarly provide millions of Kenyans with the privilege of smoke-free cooking, eliminating the health challenges caused by reliance on smoke-emitting fuels.

According to the World Health Organization, respiratory infections are among the world’s leading cause of premature deaths[1], with household air pollution from fuels attributed to more than 15,000 early deaths in Kenya[2] every year.

Wood and charcoal fires are among the leading emitters of the deadly particulate matter (PM2.5) responsible for pollution-related complications, even ahead of diesel.

The partnership is part of Safaricom’s contribution to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly goals 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 17.

The M-Gas solution has been made possible by Safaricom’s Narrow Band Internet of Things (NB IoT) network and M-PESA. Powered by Safaricom’s robust 4G network, NB IoT provides a low-power, mobile connectivity to devices across the country, including beverage coolers, allowing for remote monitoring and management.

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The non-funded revenue stream in Q3 2019, grew to Kshs 22.5 billion, registering a 14% increase from Kshs 19.8 billion during the same period last year. The growth was accredited to a deliberate strategy by the bank to achieve an income mix.

Speaking at the investor briefing during the release of the Quarter 3 results, Dr. James Mwangi, Group Chief Executive Officer acknowledged the bank’s efforts on growing its non-funded income, stating that it signified a tremendous transfer of value to the customers.

“At 41% against an industry average of 37%, it is a reflection that the bank is fully committed to enhancing the quality of earnings and with the payments systems we aim at growing this income to above 50%, says Dr. Mwangi, CEO Equity.

This growth was further aided by Equity bank’s commitment to digitization and innovation which saw a massive upsurge in the volume of transactions through the digital channels. Mobile banking still carries the day with 432 million transactions signaling a growth of 18% from 366 million transactions during a similar period last year.

The Equitel platform managed over 198 million transactions during the quarter, which translated to Kshs 459 billion in value transacted. The EazzyApp platform was equally impressive registering over 231 million transactions which equated to Kshs 124 billion worth of in the quarter.

“This signals a consolidation of banking all the way to the customer level, and as evidenced by the performance, our customers appreciate the convenience of the self-service platforms”, adds Dr. Mwangi.

He lauded the continued entrenchment of the payments service apps which have altered the cost structure of the bank from fixed costs to variable costs with minimal investments attributed to the use of 3rd party infrastructure.

“The bank registered a 21% growth in its loan book, simultaneously recording 19% growth in deposits from a similar period last year, meaning we managed to maintain a state of equilibrium. The growth in deposits is a reflection of our market share which speaks of consolidation at the customer level,” says Dr. Mwangi.

Transactions outside the bank accounted for 97% of total transactions with mobile money accounting for 77%. Similarly, 93% of total transactions count were transacted through its mobile money platform.

The post Equity’s Earnings Boosted by Growth in Non-funded Income appeared first on Biz Post Daily.

The aircraft, delivered in late October 2019, is one of the brand new aircraft Jambojet acquired this year to increase its capacity as it implements a regional expansion plan.

“We are delighted that De Havilland chose to showcase one of our aircraft. This is the first time we are taking part in the airshow and we are also the first Kenyan airline to ever take part in an international air show. It’s a great honor not just to Jambojet, but to the country, and goes a long way in demonstrating our readiness to grow our footprint. It also helps us enhance our credentials as a world-class airline, following the recent international awards we won.” said Allan Kilavuka, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Jambojet.

At least 1300 exhibitors took part in the event representing all aspects of the aerospace industry including engineering, engine manufacturing, business aviation, and defense.

The Dubai airshow presents an opportunity for aircraft manufacturers of both civil and military operations to demonstrate their operations and technical capability to industry leaders and potential customers to facilitate successful global trade.

The biennial event takes place at Al Maktoum International Airport, also known as Dubai World Central. When completed, it will be the world’s largest airport with an ultimate capacity of more than 160million passengers and 12million tonnes of cargo per annum.

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