Kenya Airways (KQ) CEO Allan Kilavuka opines that Kenyans ought to be kind with their sentiments when it comes to institutions and leaders who serve them.
Kilavuka, who was speaking during Spice FM’s Breakfast show on Wednesday, was explaining circumstances that led to the diversion of flight KQ478 from Nairobi to Kigali last week.
“I wish we as Kenyans were a little bit more optimistic and we loved ourselves a little more. I wish we didn’t use derogatory language against our own institutions and our own leaders,” he said.
Kilavuka went on to explain that flight KQ478 had to divert due to bad weather conditions.
“For example, last week, we were flying to Kigali. There were safety concerns, the pilots couldn’t land because it was very misty so they flew back. When they were told the weather had cleared, they did a second attempt but again because of safety concerns, they couldn’t fly. RwandAir also issued a statement saying they would delay flights. “You would have thought Kenyans would have applauded Kenya Airways but instead we got a lot of bile,” he added.
Recently, KQ has been on the spot on several occasions. Last week, reports alleged that the airline had to cancel flights due to a shortage of cabin crew.
However, KQ dismissed the reports saying; “It’s worth noting that the recent flight delays acknowledged by the airline are primarily attributable to logistical challenges related to the on-time delivery of spare parts, as transparently communicated earlier.” By Stephanie Wangari, The Standard
Commentary following the EU summit last week can be roughly divided into two types. While some prefer to see the glass as half full, with the decision to open accession negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova dominating the news, others say that Hungary’s positioning, and not just on Ukraine, is becoming increasingly problematic for the EU, and it is time other member states did something about Victor Orbán’s obstruction of crucial decisions.
Hungary’s veto on releasing the long-awaited €50bn ($55bn) aid package to Ukraine significantly undermined the positive message generated by the summit. But there are nonetheless encouraging conclusions to be drawn, and not only for candidate states.
There is, at last, a sense of German leadership on EU enlargement, even if this was oddly manifested — Chancellor Olaf Scholz invited Orbán to leave the room as a face-saving means to usher through the crucial vote on opening Ukraine’s accession talks.
If this had been a fictional tale, some readers would have found Scholz’s change of heart incredible, given that he barely agreed to Ukraine’s candidate status in summer 2022. But in real life, a change of leaders’ political perspective does happen, with time, not least due to a well-informed debate underway this year among the German foreign policy community.
For now, it appears that the pro-enlargement position of some in the German Bundestag and Ministry of Foreign Affairs has won the day, and rather than remain skeptical or disengaged, the Chancellor has chosen to lead this trend. This is promising, given that Germany was also a leader of the previous EU enlargement. This time around, however, Germany would not have been able to pull it off without heavyweight support from Poland, and that arrived in the form of Donald Tusk, who finally took the prime minister’s job in December after his election win two months earlier.
There is now a profound sense of ill-will toward Hungary. One senior official stated, tartly, that “at least 26” of the bloc’s leaders were responsible people, while a senior EU diplomat told Reuters the Budapest government were “hooligans” on Ukraine policy. This language is unusual and reflects the deep sense of aggravation at Orbán’s policy. By Marija Golubeva, CEPA
Jamii Telecom founder Joshua Chepkwony. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Wananchi Group’s Zuku has shed off 4.8 percent of its market share in the country’s fixed internet market in one year to stand at 20.7 percent as at close of September this year, down from the 25.5 percent it held in a similar period last year.
Latest data from the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) shows that during the year, Zuku also ceded its position as the second largest operator in the fixed data market to Jamii Telecommunications Limited (JTL), after its (Zuku’s) subscriber numbers grew at a sluggish pace of 2.9 percent to add 7,285 users during the 12-month period.
The added numbers were dwarfed by small-time players such as Poa Internet and Mawingu Networks Limited, which added 48,701 and 8,035 subscribers respectively.
Market leader Safaricom improved slightly during the period from the 35.6 percentage market share it enjoyed at the close of September 2022, to 36.5 percent as of September this year. This is after it added 104,041 subscribers to its customer base.
JTL, on the other hand, increased its subscriber numbers by 82,029 users during the period, a development that thrusted it to the second position in the market with a 24.1 percentage share up from the 22.1 percent it enjoyed last year.
Safaricom, JTL and Zuku dominate the country’s fixed data market, controlling up to 81.3 percent stake, with Poa Internet coming a distant fourth controlling 12.5 percent, up from 10.8 percent in September 2022.
Others that gained some additional piece of market share during the year include Mawingu, which moved from 1.5 percent to 1.8 percent, and Vilcom Network Limited which hit 0.9 percent market share up from 0.3 percent last year.
Losers included Liquid Telecommunications Kenya whose share dipped to 0.9 percent from 1.7 percent last year and Telkom Kenya Limited which dropped from 0.5 percentage share to 0.3 percent.
Dimension Data Solutions East Africa Limited maintained its market share at 1.3 percent throughout the year while other unnamed providers gained marginally from 0.9 percent last year to 1.1 percent this year.
Zuku has for years been the closest rival to Safaricom with the two firms caught in pricing wars that have lowered the cost of fixed internet besides offering discounts on new connections.
Safaricom first took the top spot in the quarter ending September 2019 from Zuku, but the latter reclaimed dominance in the subsequent quarter ending December 2019.
The leading telco, however, moved ahead once again by mid-2021, riding on aggressive marketing and pricing offers after the Covid-19 pandemic struck. By Kambui Mwangi, Business Daily
Refugees are facing “widespread homelessness” after only being given seven days notice to leave temporary accommodation, a bishop has warned.
Ministers told the Bishop of London that those with an asylum claim are given a 28-day period or longer to leave Home Office housing.
But in the House of Lords, the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally said that this was not proving to be the case in practice.
Many of those who support refugees are receiving increasing numbers of concerns that refugees are being given as few as seven days’ notice before being evicted, causing widespread homelessness and greater concern
Rt Revd Sarah Mullally
She told peers: “Many of those who support refugees are receiving increasing numbers of concerns that refugees are being given as few as seven days’ notice before being evicted, causing widespread homelessness and greater concern.
“Last week, I, along with 45 faith and belief leaders, wrote to the minister for illegal migration and the faith minister about this. What data is the Home Office collecting that demonstrates that the 28-day notice period is being properly implemented? What action will it take to review it, given reported failures to do so?”
Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom responded: “I will go through the process: all individuals who receive a positive decision on their asylum claim can remain on support and in their accommodation for at least 28 days from when their decision is served.
Homeless advocacy group says city is disrupting efforts
“However… current practice is that individuals remain on that support and in accommodation for 28 days from the point of the biometric residence permit being issued. That can be five to seven days after the asylum decision.
There are at least three opportunities there where the asylum seeker, or the asylum claimant who has received a decision, will be notified. They have plenty of time
Home Office minister Lord Sharpe of Epsom
“This means that individuals have longer than the 28-day notice after receiving their grant of leave to make onward arrangements. Confirmation of the exact date that an individual’s support and accommodation are due to end will be issued in a notice-to-quit or notice-to-vacate letter from the individual’s accommodation provider. This notice will be issued at least seven days before support and accommodation is due to end.
“There are at least three opportunities there where the asylum seeker, or the asylum claimant who has received a decision, will be notified. They have plenty of time.”
Further questioning about the deadline revealed that the minister was unable to say when refugees were first notified of the need to leave their accommodation.
Crossbencher Baroness Watkins of Tavistock asked: “Is the minister confident that these refugees are made aware when they get their biometric assessment that the 28 days is commencing, or do they not realise that until they get the seven-day notice?”
The reality for many refugees with newly granted status is that they are required to leave their accommodation, often within seven days from being given a notice to quit. That means they are forced to go to their local authorities and many of them are homeless or on the streets
Lord Coaker, Labour Home Office spokesman
Lord Sharpe was not able to confirm, telling peers: “I am going to look into that, because I do not know. I assume that they are made aware of it, of course, but I have not been present when one of these notices is issued. I will find out.”
Labour Home Office spokesman Lord Coaker meanwhile claimed that “the reality for many refugees with newly granted status is that they are required to leave their accommodation, often within seven days from being given a notice to quit”.
He added: “That means they are forced to go to their local authorities and many of them are homeless or on the streets. That is the reality, and it is the result of Government policy. All the minister tells us is that everything is fine, but it is not. It needs sorting out.”
Lord Sharpe continued to insist there was a 28-day notice period, telling the Lords: “He is right that they get seven days from the notice to quit, but they get 28 days from the issue of the biometric residence permit, so it is not quite right.” by David Lynch, Evening Standard
Informer East Africa is a UK based diaspora Newspaper. It is a unique platform connecting East Africans at home and abroad through news dissemination. It is a forum to learn together, grow together and get entertained at the same time.
To advertise events or products, get in touch by info [at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447957636854. If you have an issue or a story, get in touch with the editor through editor[at] informereastafrica [dot] com or call +447886544135.
We also accept donations from our supporters. Please click on "donate". Your donations will go along way in supporting the newspaper.
