Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Orange Kenya’s Mpedigree to Fight Counterfeit Drugs

Kenya’s efforts to get rid of counterfeit drugs out of the local market received a major boost after the countries third largest mobile service provider introduced ‘Mpedigree’; an SMS based system designed to identify fake drugs. Orange Kenya intents to run an aggressive SMS based campaign in partnership with the Medical services Ministry through Mpedigree in Kenya and Cameroon where alarming estimates of 30 percent drugs are counterfeit. Counterfeit drugs in most African countries have proved to be a major thorn in their efforts to combat deadly ailments such as HIV, TB and Malaria; only recently, Kenya woke to some shocking news indicating presence of both HIV and Malaria counterfeit drugs in the country. Mpedigree is expected to help identify and confiscate fake drugs which will save lives and continue the government’s plans to contain diseases such as TB and Malaria.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

New 4G/LTE (Long Term Evolution) Company to Lower Costs in Kenya

Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology is currently being adopted globally due to its tremendous download and uploads speed; in an effort to reduce costs for service providers who intent to use 4G network, the government of Kenya is seeking a public-private partnership to set up an independent platform for LTE technology, service providers will then need not acquire expensive licenses as was the case with 3G technology. The latest development has clearly shown admission of flaws by the Kenyan ministry of Information and Communication in the licensing and allocation of 3G spectrum; despite most mobile service provider’s being issued with 3G licenses, they’ve not been able to roll out the service across the country.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Airtel Rising Stars to Train at Manchester United Soccer Schools Camp

Football is the most famous sport globally with ability to connect various cultures as well as empowering communities; Bharti Airtel Kenya has introduced what seems to be its own version of Sakata ball with greater rewards. Safaricom is Kenya’s biggest mobile service provider by market share followed by Airtel, over the past few years; the country’s largest service provider initiated Sakata Ball (a school based football competition) program. Emerging reports indicate, Airtel has started its own version of the competition where winners will pocket cash prize as well as train at Manchester United Soccer Schools camp based in Tanzania.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Timeout for Fake Mobile Phones in Kenya CCK Directs Service Providers

The Communications Commission of Kenya has embarked on an aggressive campaign seeking to get rid of counterfeit mobile phones from Kenya; the commission has taken a drastic measure asking mobile service providers to identify and switch of fake phones from their network. Apparently, there was meeting between the regulator and mobile service providers who engaged each other to deliberate on the best way to implement the decision considering close to three million subscribers who will be affected by this measure. Counterfeit mobile phones have found a safe heaven in Kenya and Africa at large over the past few years due to their affordable nature; getting rid of them will not only increase efficiency from service providers but also create a vibrant market for genuine devices.