Safaricom Newsroom

Owning the space where you call home and stopping the monthly rent payment are part of the Kenyan Dream. Over the last 10 years, there has been no shortage of options for the person who wants to own their own home. There are property shows on TV advertising new estates and residences, salesmen and women in traffic handing out brochures for upcoming developments, and weekly sections in newspapers full of property on sale. Some people advise that the best way to have your own home is to build it yourself, while others argue that going that route comes with a lot of headaches and stress and that the best option is to find a ready house and buy it. It can get overwhelming for those who are looking to make the decision for the first time, for whom the question often is: where do I start and what is better between buying and selling? On the latest episode of the Safaricom Newsroom podcast, we are joined by HF Group Chief Executive Officer Robert Kibaara and Daisy Magu, Lizzy Ichenihi and Judy Ndenga from Safaricom Sacco to help us explore the question.

Issues around the collection and protection of personal data have gained traction over the past two years. Everyone who comes into contact with personal data has a responsibility to ensure the data is used for what it was intended for but also well stored. Have you ever wondered what happens to all the personal information that you share in order to access buildings where your name, ID number and phone number are collected? Or those offer messages you get from restaurants and e-commerce shops, a few weeks after you pay for a product or service. You may ignore one message but then there is another one the next week and the week after that and the messages get irritating. All you wanted to do, you think, is pay for your meal, a product or a service. You didn't sign up for this, you say. These complaints have not only become common but frequent with social media users raising concern of the wanton abuse of the access to personal information institutions have. Questions abound: how is my personal information stored and who has access to it? Writing in the Business Daily about it, Francis Monyango, dubbed the situation “a big data-mining game” and explained why and how the phenomenon has come about. Kenya is among countries that have sought to regulate the access and use of personal data and has enacted the Data Protection Act. This has brought not only more focus on the role individuals and institutions have in keeping peoples' personal information including what these institutions can and cannot do with it. In this month's Safaricom Newsroom podcast, Eunice Kilonzo has a conversation with Francis, his colleague Mutindi Muema and Sharon Holi, the Head of Customer Privacy at Safaricom on everything Data Protection. Listen below.

Earlier this year, the Kenya Urban Roads Authority announced its intention to set up an Intelligent Transport Management System, which it had trialled at several spots in the capital city. The intention of the system is to improve traffic efficiency and flow and suggests, for the first time, that technology could soon come to the aid of Nairobi's traffic problem. In today's edition of the Safaricom Newsroom podcast, Evelyn Wambui sought to find out whether technology will help solve Nairobi's traffic problem.

The most dominant story of the past 12 months has been about the pain of the pandemic. Economically, close to two million people lost their jobs in the first three months of the pandemic alone. In April, an interesting statistic arose from analyses of the spending and saving patterns of Kenyans with bank accounts: they had managed to stash away more than KES463 billion. Savings normally become available once you have taken care of your fixed expenses. The question usually is: after you have taken care of your bills, what do you do with the rest of your hard-earned cash? While it's nice to go out and treat yourself, do you try to save or invest some of that money? Setting aside some money can seem impossible if you can barely make ends meet or are out of a job. For Felista Wangari, the founder of the Facebook group 52 Weeks Savings Challenge, saving was part of her culture and the reason she founded the group, which won an award from Facebook in 2018. “Having grown up in family where savings was a culture, the value of putting money aside was engrained in me. So I decided to set up the 52-weeks savings challenge to help other people to stay consistent to their goal as well as learn how to manage their money better,” she says. There's just so much about money that we need to know and that we don't learn in school. In today's podcast we share some practical tips on how you can become a disciplined saver. If you aren't already saving, you can start by implementing some of our tips and evaluating how your (long-term and short-term) wants and needs fit with your income and goals.

As the world celebrated World Environment Day, the Safaricom Newsroom sought out Michael Koech, who is in charge of Environment and climate change at Safaricom, and Dr. George Njenga, the Executive Dean of Strathmore University Business School, to discuss how we can leverage technology for a cleaner, more sustainable world. Safaricom is one of the companies that has committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and reports annually on the extent to which it has gone about fulfilling its promises on sustainability. Michael and George agree that changing how the energy systems that power and sustain infrastructure and discuss how the telecommunications industry can support the restoration of the environment and the fight against climate change.

On the Safaricom Newsroom podcast today, we talk to three young mums and their families as they reflect on their lives during the pandemic. Happy Mother's Day to all the mums and mother figures out there. You are loved and treasured. Asante Sana Mama!

In this podcast, the Safaricom Newsroom celebrates fathers and the different roles they play in the lives of their children. To commemorate Father’s Day, we got a few men to talk about the meaning of fatherhood and share their views on what being a father means to them. Keith and Allan have been fathers for a couple of years now, Don is about to become a first-time dad and Barry shares his hope of becoming a dad one day. We also hear from Dr. Gladys Mwiti, a clinical psychologist, who has some great advice for men going through this journey of fatherhood. Although the date for Father’s Day varies from country to country, the day is largely celebrated on the third Sunday in June. Our guests took time to reflect on fatherhood and what it really takes to be a father. Just like mothers, fathers are important, too. Love them, cherish them and celebrate them. Happy Father’s Day!

Dating can be a complicated dance but quite fun. Has the COVID-19 pandemic raptured or spurred romance? Click play to know how couples are keeping in touch during this period. #SafaricomNews

Are you one of those people who are one pay check away from poverty? If the answer is yes, then grab a pen and paper. This episode on Financial Literacy is for you.

M-TIBA is a simple tool that is revolutionizing how Kenyans save and pay for quality healthcare. In this week’s podcast, we discuss what it’s like not to have access to affordable care, and how the mobile phone is making healthcare in Kenya more inclusive.

Can women really have it all? Is it time for businesses to consider the unique needs of female employees in order to close the gender gap and create a level playing field for women in the workplace? Three working women share their thoughts. #BalanceForBetter

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