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Britam General Insurance Pays KES 71 million Fire Claim to Limuru Country Club

Staff Writer - February 13, 2025

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XTransfer and Ecobank Group Partner to Empower African Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ (SMEs) Foreign Trade

Kakuzi MD Chris Flowers assures international buyers that local stakeholders are working in concert to manage the prevailing logistical disruptions arising from geopolitical tensions 07/02…A Kenyan business leader in the fresh produce sector has assured global buyers that the country is working hard to overcome the unique logistical and shipping challenges brought about by the Middle East Conflict. Speaking at the opening of this year’s Fruit Logistica 2025 trade show in Berlin, Germany, Kakuzi Plc Managing Director Mr Chris Flowers assured global buyers that local producers, exporters, shipping firms and the Government of Kenya agencies are working in concert to manage the prevailing logistical disruptions arising from geopolitical tensions. Mr Flowers acknowledged that the tensions have significantly impacted national competitiveness and threatens the survival of agribusiness players in Kenya due to logistical and supply chain problems caused by the effective closure of the Suez Canal and the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden’s general route to European markets. He expressed regret that from a low of 30 to 35 days, shipments to Europe now take more than 50 days to reach the crucial market. “However, I can assure you that all stakeholders, including Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture, are working together to ensure that our produce reaches the European market on time and in good quality,” Mr Flowers said on the sidelines of Fruit Logistica 2025, the world’s leading trade show for the fresh produce business. At the same time, Mr Flowers assured the key buyers that Kakuzi, among other leading export firms, is working closely with the Kenyan Phytosanitary authorities to curb the export of immature fruit through maturity testing services and enhanced surveillance. To alleviate the plight of Kenyan exporters, Mr Flowers acknowledged that Kakuzi's key shipping partners are working round the clock to develop faster routes to Europe. However, he reemphasized that every day counts, further reducing logistics times is critical. "We all need to put our heads together and rescue any Country bottleneck that exists," he said. Last year, the geopolitical unrest in the Middle East introduced new risks to this critical maritime route through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden. Incidents such as attacks on shipping vessels have raised security concerns and led to significant disruptions in marine traffic flow. In response, shipping companies, wary of potential threats to their assets and crew, have opted for alternative routes despite the longer journey times and higher costs, negatively impacting fresh produce exporters’. To reach Europe, Ships ferrying fresh produce such as Avocados have been travelling from Mombasa to the port of Salala in Oman. In Oman, the containers of avocados are transferred onto another larger ship, which then travels around the Cape of Good Hope and into Europe. In Europe, the containers are trans-shipped at Algeciras Port, southern Spain, moved to Northern Europe via Rotterdam or Felixstowe, and arrive near ripe. Mr Flowers noted that starting in February 2025, one of the major shipping lines will bypass Algeciras Port and head directly to Rotterdam from Salala. This has the potential to save precious days, he noted. This year, Fruit Logistica 2025 is featuring an outstanding programme of events. Over 100 experts, invited exhibitors, including Kenya’s Agriculture and Food Authority - Horticultural Crops Directorate, and trade visitors, are meeting in Berlin to discuss the latest trends and forward-looking concepts. Fruit Logistica 2025 covers the entire value chain of the fresh fruit and vegetable trade, from the point of seed to the point of sale. With over 2,600 exhibitors from more than 90 countries in 26 exhibition halls, the trade fair is an indispensable meeting place for the fresh fruit industry. Fruit Logistica 2025 has welcomed a record-breaking number of Smart Agri exhibitors, showcasing cutting-edge innovations shaping the future of agriculture. The Smart Agri exhibition area features 36 pioneering exhibitors from 18 countries, marking a significant increase over last year. These exhibitors will present Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology for estimating fruit yields, farm management and quality control software, sustainable and precise irrigation solutions, data-driven precision pollination, drones revolutionising agriculture, and much more.

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Kenyan fresh produce exporters assure European buyers as logistical challenges persist

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Equity Bank earns dual ISO Certifications in Security and Service

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Tiktok, Aleph and Wowzi partner to boost digital economy

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German Solar Firm Invests over 1 Million EUR into Kenyan Project

Staff Writer - February 27, 2020

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SAFARICOM AND RIA MONEY TRANSFER TO POWER INTERNATIONAL MONEY TRANSFERS WITH...

Staff Writer - January 21, 2020

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Safaricom Launches Lipa Na M-PESA Customer and Merchant Promotion

Staff Writer - January 9, 2020

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Swvl set to disrupt commuter service

Staff Writer - January 9, 2020

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Glovo Accelerates Growth With Sh16.7bn Cash Injection

Staff Writer - January 9, 2020

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“Without Climate Action we’ll be queuing for Noah’s Ark”-Greenpeace

Staff Writer - November 8, 2019

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Kenyan women feted in African entreprenuership awards gala

Staff Writer - November 8, 2019

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The bone crusher of Dagoretti

Staff Writer - November 1, 2019

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Online Content; the unexploited gold mine

Staff Writer - November 1, 2019

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From hawking porridge to building a milling enterprise

Staff Writer - October 31, 2019

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The 12th Edition of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) has been launched. The event, which has over the years brought together hundreds of delegates from non-governmental organisations, academia, media, funding partners, the United Nations, the technical community, government and the private sector within the digital ecosystem, will be held in Lusaka, Zambia between April 29th and May 1st, 2025. Every year, Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African non profit organisation works in collaboration with partners to host the event. Partners who will be working together with PIN to host the 2025 event are; Bloggers of Zambia, Common Cause Zambia, Internews Network Zambia, Zambian Cybersecurity Initiative Foundation (ZCSI), Internet Society Zambia, Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority (ZICTA) and the Ministry of Technology and Science. Also announced during the launch was the theme of DRIF25 which is, Promoting Digital Ubuntu in Approaches to Technology. PIN and partners have successively held 11 DRIF editions since 2013. The 2024 DRIF was held in Accra, Ghana, attracting 1,044 registered attendees and delegates from 61 countries across the world. In 2023, DRIF which was held in Nairobi, Kenya was attended by 601 participants drawn from 54 countries across the world. Speaking during the launch of the 2025 Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF), ‘Gbenga Sesan, Paradigm Initiative’s Executive Director stressed the need to guard the Internet, saying it is the last standing civic space in the Global South. "The last standing civic space we have in the Global South is the Internet. Next year from April 29th to May 1st we will gather here in Lusaka, Zambia. We will be discussing several things here, including the need to fight our own battles and the need to protect civic spaces. There is a fierce urgency of protecting civic space.” He also urged countries on the continent to fight for their own elections and electoral systems, and not other people’s battles, and the usual bad habit of shutting the Internet or introducing laws that make all illegal things become legal. “When I see national security as a phrase in any policy, I’m going to question it,” he added. In his remarks, Richard Mulonga, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bloggers of Zambia said we need to fight for digital freedom. “We are freedom fighters in our own way. Every morning we wake up, we have to fight for digital freedom in our own contexts. We should fight for our own African democracy.” He implored citizens to be on guard and look out for enforcement of digital policies. DRIF25, he added, will be instrumental in promoting Zambia as the country would be hosting global citizens. On her part, Brenda Zulu, Digital Safety Coordinator at Internews Network Zambia said the organisation was excited to partner with PIN to host DRIF25, and would be offering personalised guidance on safety practices and also enhance tools for digital security. The Forum is an important platform where conversations on digital policy in Africa are shaped, policy directions debated, and partnerships forged for action. The Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum has carved a niche as the arena for tough topical global issues on digital rights and inclusion, accommodating views and opinions from civil society, technology companies, government, academia, and other stakeholders.

12th Edition of the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF25) Launched

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