Category: General

Various stakeholders met in a Bomet hotel for a one-day workshop that aimed to discuss ways to strengthen Saccos using the digital technology.

The workshop that delved into leveraging digital banking solutions to address challenges faced by SACCOs was organized by the Department of Cooperatives and Marketing in collaboration with Kwara Ltd, a technology-based core banking service provider for cooperatives.

According to Area Assistant Director of Cooperatives Fred Koskei, the event was convened in recognition of the fundamental role of Savings and Credit Co-operative societies (SACCOs) in Kenya’s socio-economic transformation.

‘SACCOs are recognized as key agents in the socio-economic transformation of our country. They play a critical role in mobilizing savings and offering financial products that enable members to generate wealth and meet their social economic needs,’ Koskei remarked.

Koskei stressed SACCOs are integral to the realization of Kenya Vision 2030, contributing to financial inclusion and providing impetus for investments across diverse sectors.

He however noted that despite their significance, SACCOs grapple with various challenges that hinder their ability to thrive and remain sustainable in the long term.

The workshop, attended by cooperative leaders from across the county and senior officials from the cooperative department, provided a platform to address these challenges head-on.

With a focus on digital banking solutions, participants explored how technology can revolutionize the operations of SACCOs, making them more efficient, accessible, and resilient.

Kwara Technologies, represented by Regional Sales Representative Ms Tabitha Wainaina showcased their cutting-edge solutions tailored specifically for SACCOs.

By harnessing technology, SACCOs can automate processes, improve data management, and offer a wider range of financial services to their members.

‘As SACCOs embrace digital banking solutions, they can overcome existing challenges and unlock new growth opportunities,’ emphasized Ms Wainaina adding: ‘We aim to empower SACCOs with the tools and technologies they need to thrive in the digital age.’

Source: Kenya News Agency

A technology firm has developed a solution dubbed DigiTax to simplify tax compliance for private schools to ensure seamless onboarding and compliance with the Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA) Electronic Tax Invoice Management System (eTIMS).

DigiTax, developed by Namiri Technology, is an approved eTIMS compliance integrator.

The move to modernize and streamline the process of transmitting taxes by KRA is aimed at ensuring tax compliance by businesses.

To digitise tax systems, the Tax Procedures Act was revised, and the use of electronic tax invoices was introduced for all taxpayers, including those not VAT-registered.

The law makes it mandatory for any business to be onboarded on the platform and generate electronic tax invoices.

According to KRA, eTIMS is a software solution that provides taxpayers with options for a simple, convenient, and flexible approach to electronic invoicing.

Taxpayers can access the platform from the comfort of their homes or offices through computers, laptops, tablets, smartpho
nes, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).

Members of the Kenya Private Schools Association were taken through the process of onboarding to the eTIMS compliance process by officials from KRA and DigiTax. Namiri Technology Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Caine Wanjau said they came up with a solution to simplify tax compliance.

‘DigiTax streamlines eTIMS compliance, making the tax compliance transition easier for Kenyan schools,’ said Wanjau, adding that schools can seamlessly onboard eTIMS, eliminating the complexities and limitations posed by traditional hardware-based systems.

The firm has tailored solutions for specific sectors, though their main focus is on schools. They have partnered with some providers of school software and solutions to help them integrate their solutions with eTIMS.

Initially, he stated that schools were not required by KRA to use any tax software since school fees and some services in the education sector were tax-exempt.

‘Before eTIMS, if you were tax exempt, you didn’t need t
o use any specific solution to generate a receipt,’ explained Wanjau, adding that DigiTax helps schools find a solution and generate an eTIMS-compliant receipt.

DigiTax has already integrated and onboarded several private schools onto the eTIMS platform.

‘We have tried to make the process as easy, simple, and quick as possible. It simplifies all the processes, which can be quite complex if you don’t know what you are doing. We navigate and assist companies on how to be compliant,’ said Wanjau.

The firm provides value-added services to schools through assistance to clear a backlog of tax invoices from January after the lapse of the eTIMS compliance window and ensure the invoices are up-to-date.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National Fund for the Disabled of Kenya (NFDK) is giving the Western Kenya donation of equipment worth over Sh7.5 million this year to support Persons With Disabilities (PWD).

NPDK Board of Trustee member Prof. Julia Ojiambo, while speaking outside the regional commissioner’s office in Kakamega town during the distribution of donations to the disabled, said ten institutions taking care of PWDs have been allocated Sh 2 million, with each receiving Sh 200,000.

She added that another 45 individuals received donations worth Sh1.5 million.

Prof. Ojiambo raised concern that a number of caregivers were still hiding persons living with disabilities, for fear of stigmatisation, saying such actions were denying PWDs the opportunities to engage in income-generating activities.

‘Even in a scenario where persons have severe disabilities, we empower the caregivers who then use the equipment as an income-generating activity to support the beneficiary,’ she said.

She said the Constitution guarantees the principle of
inclusivity, noting that it was unfair to block a group of people in society from enjoying their fundamental rights.

Prof. Ojiambo, who is also the chair of programmes at the Fund, was accompanied by other Board of Trustees members, including Major Marsden Madoka and former Kitui Senator David Musila.

She noted that the fund that was established on October 10, 1980, has been around for 43 years since its inception and has, over the years, continuously helped empower many PWDs.

‘The individual donations are given according to individual requests and range from rehabilitative equipment to mobility aids and tools of trade,’ she added.

Musila and Madoka urged the recipients to utilise the equipment given to them to improve their social wellbeing and not sell them.

Musila said disability should not be construed to mean inability and urged caregivers to support the government in its efforts to uplift the welfare of those at the bottom of the pyramid.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Farmers have asked the Laikipia county government to employ more agriculture extension officers to boost farm production.

The county which has more than 105,000 farmers, has only 100 extension officers to advise residents on the best farming practices, which had resulted in poor yield since they were not enough to traverse the vast region. Each agriculture extension officer is expected to serve about 500 farmers.

Agricultural Society of Kenya, Nanyuki branch chairman Newton Kabuthia acknowledged the need for the counties to have enough extension officers to offer technical support for farmers aimed at boosting food productivity.

‘Agriculture is a devolved function and therefore we call upon the county government to give a boost in the sector and bring back the extension officers to advice the local farmers for best crop production,’ said Kabuthia , adding that there was a challenge in the agriculture sector since farmers lacked know-how, leading to poor yield.

Additionally, Kabuthia said that, agriculture
being a devolved function, counties were mandated to allocate sufficient funds to employ extension officers who were significant in communicating to farmers about best farm inputs and chemicals to use for best result in bid to alleviate hunger.

‘Funds are being released to the county government and they should consider allocating a budget geared towards sensitizing farmers through agriculture extension officers, they are significant in best farming practices,’ Kabuthia pointed out.

Kabuthia further emphasised the need to strengthen 4K clubs in school as a way of training children at an early age on how to embrace farming since agriculture is Kenya’s economic backbone.

At the same time Kabuthia encouraged learners to choose agriculture as a learning subject to improve their knowledge in the sector.

The national ASK Chief Executive Officer Batram Muthoka revealed that they had developed a young farmer’s management portal to promote agriculture.

Meanwhile, they called on residents to prepare for the upcomin
g agriculture exhibitions next month where various agricultural technologies will be showcased.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The State of Employee Experience (EX) for Customer Experience (CX) Success survey carried out by the Institute of Customer Experience (ICX), Kenya, reveals that the majority of employees are not happy in their workplaces.

The survey, carried out between March and April 2024, shows that the Employees Net Promoter Score (eNPS), a metric that measures employees loyalty and engagement to an organization, is at 23 per cent.

‘Twenty-three per cent is not good enough; we need to move higher than that. The reports show 30 per cent of employees are not too happy, while 24 per cent find their work places not the place to be,’ said Carolyne Gathuru, ICX Board Director in Mombasa, during the 5th Annual Africa Customer Experience Conference.

The survey respondents were from various government and private sectors, including finance, Telco, transport, manufacturing, healthcare, energy, agriculture, technology and education sectors.

The survey also revealed misalignment between EX and CX, and quiet quitting, with over 50
per cent of employees not actively engaged at work, indicating a need for improved engagement strategies.

The launch of the survey aligns with the Government of Kenya’s strategic objectives as outlined in the strategic plans of various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA).

‘The understanding of the current state of employee experience and its implications for customer satisfaction, decision-makers can prioritize interventions to enhance public service delivery and organizational performance,’ said Gathuru.

‘What has come out of this report is so fundamental to any organization, not only in the country but the entire continent, because we know that when Kenya does something, the rest of the region follows,’ she added.

Gathuru encouraged employers to understand their workforce likes, dislikes, what give them joy or pain at work and take necessary corrective measures.

‘When we have happy employees’ business will flourish. If the business sector is working, then the entire nation will work. We need a r
obust business environment that comes from the people that work in the businesses,’ stated Gathuru.

The report point out disparity of how work is viewed by generation Z, Millennial, X and baby boomers. Gathuru noted the need to align Human Resource Management and internal customers’ policies to a younger workforce.

The survey shows that data and technology is key and need to be used in a way that speaks to a morphing and a dynamic strategy.

ICX Director of Customer Metrics Akshay Shah said organizations need to focus on making their employees happy as organizations traditionally have been putting a lot of efforts in the customers’ space but there is a misalignment.

He challenged organizations to put more efforts, initiatives and money to improve employees’ experiences.

‘Get the culture within the organizations right coupled with aspirational leadership because without the right culture and leadership employees and customer experiences will fail,’ said Shah.

He added that the survey shows that some emplo
yees do not have emotional attachment to the organizations they are working in.

‘They will come to work but mentally, they have checked out. They actually are not performing and this has a big impact on the performance of the company because if employees are disgruntled, they also affect the motivation of other employees in the organization, thus bringing productivity down,’ explained Shah.

On his part, Uniliver Kenya Managing Director Luck Ochieng stated that employees are the bedrock of company’s success and if they have better experience it will drive performance.

Joseph Choge, Chairman of ICX, hailed the conference under the theme: ‘Elevating Employee Experience for Customer Experience Success’ saying it brought together business leaders, Chief Executives and a host of Customer Experience professionals and practitioners at both senior and mid-level management.

Besides, he said the event was insightful and participants exchanged best practices: ‘We encourage all organizations in the country and beyond
to look at the experiences of their employees because without a happy employee then there is no happy customer,’ said Choge.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu has launched the Alternative Justice System (AJS) County Action Plan (CAP) model and suite for Narok County to reduce case backlog and expedite the resolution of disputes in local courts.

AJS, she said, will promote dispute resolution including reconciliation, mediation, arbitration and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms.

She observed that CAP identifies a number of justice challenges in the county among them multiple forms of gender-based violence that include sexual violence, which are prevalent across the county but often normalized, underreported, and concealed.

Mwilu stated that a key challenge damaging the legitimacy of AJS mechanisms is that of gender equality, equity and justice, saying some AJS mechanisms, both in composition and process, disfavor women and girls and fail to accord them the rights due to them.

However, to deal with such ills, she said, it is necessary to ensure that the existing forms of AJS in the county are constitutionally compliant
and operate within the outer boundaries set out in the Constitution.

‘We must abandon the assumption that AJS practitioners, especially elders who come from communities in which harmful and discriminatory cultural practices occur or are prevalent, are disinterested or incapable of shifting beliefs and practices to comply with constitutional requirements,’ she reiterated.

The launch was held at TM grounds in Narok town and attended by Narok Governor Patrick Ntutu, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku, Justice Professor Joel Ngugi and Narok County Assembly Speaker Davis Dikirr.

The Lady Justice continued that the judiciary’s obligation to promote AJS is being actively pursued under a human rights framework anchored by the duty to respect, protect and transform.

‘There is increased recognition amongst AJS practitioners that there can be no legitimacy where the composition, operations and decisions of these mechanisms are unconstitutional or result in rights violations and discrimination,’ said the lady justice.

Governor Ntutu said the County Government will donate land and build three courts at Olkurto, Angata Barikoi and Loita areas to ease suffering for the people who travel long distances to seek justice in a court of law.

Ntutu reiterated that the county government sponsored the process because he is interested in seeing justice delivered to the people at a faster rate.

‘I request all the cases still lying in court to be withdrawn and taken to AJS. Some of these cases have dragged on for very many years,’ he said.

On his part, Governor Lenku said his county was among the first counties to launch AJS in the county, saying it has helped the residents get justice faster than the formal court way.

He said since Kajiado launched the programme, over 200 cases have been registered through AJS out of which 140 cases have been resolved amicably.

‘The system leaves a win-win situation. It is less costly as people do not have to travel long distances to resolve their issues,’ he said.

Mzee Maranga Otuni praised the s
ystem saying it will bring justice to the less fortunate and vulnerable people in the society.

‘In AJS, people will come confidently. No one will be coerced to give any amount of money in order to get justice. The panelists will deal with the case in a very objective manner so that everyone can get justice,’ he said.

Source: Kenya News Agency