Ugandan millionaire Ashish Thakkar's Mara Group raising $100M to launch pan-African e-commerce platform

Dubai-based Mara Group is launching an Africa-wide online marketplace that it hopes will become the leading e-commerce business in Africa within less than four years. Ashish Thakkar, Founder of Mara Group and the executive chairman of the new venture, describes it as “a marketplace for global brands to plug into to sell locally in Africa, and for local brands to sell nationally, regionally and globally.” Called Mara Sokoni, the platform is scheduled to launch in 10.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Kenya imports milk from Uganda to meet shortfall

It is now emerging that Kenya imports milk from Uganda to meet its shortfall. Statistics show that Kenya bought milk worth Sh520 million from Uganda last year. On its part, Kenya sold dairy products valued at Sh290 million to Uganda during the period. The milk imported by Kenyan firms is mainly in powder form and is meant to safeguard the processors’ market share during the dry season when local supplies are low. Data from the East and Southern African Dairy Association.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Strong dollar earns tea farmers Sh64 billion

Tea farmers have earned close to Sh10 billion more from leaves delivered in the year ended June 2015, helped by a strong US dollar and high pricing of the commodity in the world market. Latest industry performance data released Tuesday shows that growers affiliated to the Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA) have received Sh28.7 billion in the second round of payment for their produce compared to the Sh19 billion they earned in a similar period the previous year. This brings to.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Rwanda positioning tourism sector to fetch home more revenues

The government is pushing forth a vision to finance own budget by gradually reducing donor dependence. To do this, government has to up its game plan in harnessing local sources of revenue. You only get quantity and quality milk from a cow that you nourish well. This means to make the most of the lucrative tourism industry, the government has to continue devising measures to improve the sector. Tourism is the country’s top income earner bringing in $304.9 million (about.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Kenyan officials visit China to gain knowledge on industrialization

Some senior Kenyan officials will visit China for a one-week training program sponsored by China’s Ministry of Commerce to learn innovative strategies to catalyze industrial progress in the east African nation. Kenya’s Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development Wilson Songa said on Tuesday that the visit will boost Sino-Kenya industrial cooperation.   "This year’s visit to China by government officials is more.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Kenya signs on to extend Mombasa railway through to Naivasha

The Kenyan government has signed a new agreement that will extend the Mombasa-Nairobi standard gauge railway (SGR) line to Naivasha, a town lies about 120 kms northwest of the capital. The deal was signed by China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBR) Chairman Wen Gang and Kenya Railways Managing Director Atanas Maina during a Cabinet Steering Committee on SGR meeting chaired by President Uhuru Kenyatta.   The extension of the SGR will open up Naivasha, the country’s.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Hikma Pharmaceutical to buy Egyptian pharma firm EIMC United

Hikma Pharmaceutical Plc has announced plans to buy nearly the entire share capital (98.09%) of EIMC United Pharmaceuticals from a consortium of shareholders to boost its position in the Egyptian market.   EIMC United is based in Egypt and is primarily a drug maker specialising in oncology products.   The Jordanian company did not disclose the value of the deal, which comes just months after its large-ticket purchase of Boehringer Ingelheim’s U.S. generic drugs.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Resolve wins $7.6m bid for pharmaceutical warehouse in Mozambique

Resolve Capacity has won a USAID Mozambique tender to design and build a regional pharmaceutical warehouse in Nampula, Mozambique, with a budget of $7.6 million.   Started in August 2015, and over a period of 18 months, Resolve Capacity will design and build the warehouse and surrounding facilities, which comprise a total area of 6 141 m², of which the warehouse and administration area is 3 212 m².   Partnering with the professional services team from Pasqa,.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

ClinicCommunicator brings closer to patient via mobile phones

US-born Kaakpema Yelpaala is the entrepreneur behind ClinicCommunicator, a web application that allows healthcare professionals to communicate with patients via mobile phones in Uganda. Using the service, medical personnel can electronically record basic patient information into cloud-based software, and then schedule and send SMS reminders for medicine, scripts and appointments. The model makes use of an annual subscription fee. It is a simple solution but can significantly improve.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Advanced Cardiac and Renal care centre opened in Nigeria

In the push for the use of more technology to treat and enhance patient care in Africa Healthcare. A new hospital: The Cardiac and Renal Centre, located in the Gbagada area of Lagos, Nigeria, is the first of its kind in the country specializing in comprehensive advanced Cardiac and Renal care. At full capacity, the centre will employ over 200 nursing and support Staff to provide state-of-the-art inpatient and outpatient services that offers excellence in patient healthcare. It would.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Uganda: Oil Sector Wants 30,000 Workers

The Ministry of Education and Sports has disclosed that 30,000 workers are required for the construction of oil pipeline in the oil and gas sector. During a dialogue on how to provide the required human resource for oil and gas sector in Kampala last week, the Education ministry Permanent Secretary, Ms Rose Nassali Lukwago, said that institutions are required to provide more than 5,000 qualified personnel. “We want to ensure that nationals get involved in the oil and gas.... Read more »

Posted on : Wednesday , 23rd September 2015

Kenya Confident Agreed East Africa Oil Export Pipeline Route Will Hold

Kenya is optimistic that a route agreed by Presidents Uhuru Kenyatta and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni will carry the day despite opposition from holders of blocks in the Albertine basin. According to commissioner of petroleum at the Ministry of Energy Martin Heya Kenya is working on fulfilling various requirements such as guarantees to security, route optimization and financing  set by the Ugandan government so as to enable the project to progress with no.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 22nd September 2015