COVID-19 DO'S AND DON'TS

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Kenya Signs Agreement to Allow Google Loon Balloons Access To Airspace and Provide 4G-LTE Network

On Monday 23rd March 2019, Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta announced at a press briefing that the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) had signed an agreement to allow Google's Loon Balloons to access Kenyan airspace. This move is aimed at allowing more Kenyans to work from home in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic that has necessitated a lockdown in the country.

Google Loon is a project by Alphabet, Google's parent company, that uses high altitude balloons floating at an altitude of 25 between 18 and 25 kilometres to provide wireless 4G network coverage to remote areas. The ballons are fitted with a 4G-LTE base station that is powered by solar panels and are maintained at a fixed area in the stratosphere by adjusting the density and volume of the gases used. Wind data and other atmospheric conditions are used to determine the volume and density of the gases is determined based. The ballons use directional antennas to transmit signals to ground stations that connect to an Internet Service Provider (ISP) or LTE users.





This is good news at a time when huge swathes of rural Kenya are not covered by 4G. Telkom Kenya has been working with Google Loon on this project for the last two years but the latest move by Kenyan government will see approvals and access fast-tracked.

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How Corona Virus Can Easily Infect the Entire World Population if Left Unchecked

Scientists have now told us that the best way to contain new infections is to practice social distancing. Social distancing together with isolating sick patients and implementing quarantines of suspected cases is the surest bet to contain the spread of corona virus.

The table below shows just how fast the virus can infect the entire global population in just 33 infection cycles or waves. This assumes one person infects two others and no containment measures are put in place.

Infection Cycles	Rate of Infection (1 person infects 2 others)	Cumulative Infections
1	1	1
2	2	3
3	4	6
4	8	12
5	16	24
6	32	48
7	64	96
8	128	192
9	256	384
10	512	768
11	1,024	1,536
12	2,048	3,072
13	4,096	6,144
14	8,192	12,288
15	16,384	24,576
16	32,768	49,152
17	65,536	98,304
18	131,072	196,608
19	262,144	393,216
20	524,288	786,432
21	1,048,576	1,572,864
22	2,097,152	3,145,728
23	4,194,304	6,291,456
24	8,388,608	12,582,912
25	16,777,216	25,165,824
26	33,554,432	50,331,648
27	67,108,864	100,663,296
28	134,217,728	201,326,592
29	268,435,456	402,653,184
30	536,870,912	805,306,368
31	1,073,741,824	1,610,612,736
32	2,147,483,648	3,221,225,472
33	4,294,967,296	6,442,450,944
34	8,589,934,592	12,884,901,888

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Why Outbreaks Like Corona Virus Spread Exponentially

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5 Types of Short-Term Finance for Businesses

Is your business strapped for cash? There are five main types of short-term financing that you can consider, they include:

Trade Credit

We'll talk about trade credit. Trade credit is when you buy goods or services and pay for them later. So, let's say you own a mobile accessories shop. You buy a bunch of phone covers at one time, and then you pay for them later. Every time you use trade credit, you get an invoice that states the terms, and it might look something like this:

2/10 net 60 

The above means that if you pay within the first 10 days, you'll get a 2% discount and you need to pay back the full amount within 60 days. This is one of the most common types of short term funding for businesses because it's the least expensive and most convenient. If a business doesn't have good credit or if they just don't have a credit history. The trade-credit supplier might require a promissory note. A promissory note is a written contract with the promise to pay the supplier a specific sum of money at a definite time. 

Family and Friends

Next, we have friends and family. Sometimes businesses will go to friends and family to obtain financing. This is really not recommended, however, because it can create problems with relationships. If you decide to do this, it's very important to agree to specific loan terms to put the agreement in writing and to arrange for repayment the same way that you would do for a bank loan.

Commercial Banks and Non-Bank Short-Term Financiers

Next, we have commercial banks and non-bank short term loans. In this category, there are:

• Secured loans
• Unsecured loans
• Lines of credit
• Revolving credit agreements. 

If you're not able to get a loan from a bank, you can always try a short-term non-bank lender. These organizations typically offer loans with a repayment period of fewer than 12 months and at a higher interest than commercial banks. They are usually willing to lend to businesses with a low CRB score and are often a lender of last resort for many businesses in Kenya. Despite the higher interest, they will usually disburse the funds much faster than a conventional bank and have fewer requirements. 
A secured loan simply means that it's backed by collateral/security such as a vehicle logbook, title deed provided by the borrower or guarantor. If the borrower doesn't pay the loan off, then the lender can take possession of the collateral. An unsecured loan is more difficult to get because it doesn't require collateral, and usually, you can only get on an unsecured loan if you have really good credit history and oftentimes a good relationship with your bank from prior loans. Next, there's a line of credit where a firm is given a set amount of unsecured short term funds, and a line of credit is not guaranteed to a business. And the last type of short term loan from commercial banks is a revolving credit agreement, and this is a line of credit that's guaranteed.

Factoring Accounts Receivable

Next is factoring accounts receivable, which is selling accounts receivable for cash. What does this mean? Assume you have a tender to supply several schools in your area with food items such as maize and beans. However, not all schools will pay cash upon delivery which means you will have what accountants refer to as accounts receivable. Several schools will owe your business money in the course of doing business. Some of the customers may be slow in paying their bills so a large amount of money may end up being due to your business. You can sell these debts to an intermediary who agrees to buy your accounts receivable at a discount for cash. This is known as factoring accounts receivable and there are several non-bank lenders who offer this service in Kenya. 

Credit Cards 

And lastly, we have credit cards, which is a readily available line of credit. I'm sure you're aware of how credit cards work. If you have a credit card, you can use it to finance your business needs. Bear in mind that the interest rates are very high and only use this option as a temporary measure as you look for more long-term finance.  
If you would like a short-term loan for your business, please check out our article on Loans without CRB check.

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100% Vehicle Import Duty Financing in 24 Hours

Before you can collect an imported vehicle at the port of Mombasa, you need to pay the import duty. If you are ever in a fix and run out of funds to pay the duty, vehicle import duty financing is available.

How Vehicle Import Duty Financing Works

• Maximum loan of Kshs 2 million
• Repayment period of 30 days with the option to convert the loan to a 12-month loan.
• An interest rate of 5.5% per month.
• 100% financing.
• Disbursed in 24 hours

Requirements for Vehicle Import Duty Financing

• Bill of lading
• Vehicle invoice
• Export certificate
• Inspection certificate
• All other importation documents
• Signed affidavit
• Comprehensive insurance
• National ID (for all directors if a company)
• KRA PIN
• Latest 6 months bank statements
• 2 Colour passport photos (for all directors if a company)
• Personal cheque book
• Business certificate of registration/incorporation (if a company)

Note that the vehicle serves as the security for the loan.

For more information on vehicle import duty finance, please visit the link below and complete the form.

Import Duty Finance Application

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Loan Apps Without CRB Check

Are you looking for loan apps without a CRB Check? According to a Technical Working Group engaged by the Central Bank of Kenya, about 2.7 million Kenyans have been listed by CRBs. Many of these people have been listed for ridiculous reasons such as defaulting on loans less than 200 shillings. As a result, a few lenders have realized that some of the information held by CRBs may not be accurate in helping them make a lending decision.

There a no loan apps without CRB check yet but there is an institution that is willing to advance salary and business loans despite an adverse CRB listing and within 24 hours. The specific terms of the loan are as follows:

	Business Loans	Salary Advance
Interest	5.5% per month	5.5% to 7.5% per month
Term	12 months	12 months
Security	Vehicle log book or title deed. A guarantor can also provide security.	Unsecured if earning over 500,000 and vehicle logbook or title deed for all others. A guarantor can also provide security.
Min and Max	Min: 100,000 Max: 5 Million	Min: 100,000 Max: 5 Million
Other terms	Business must over 12 months old	Regular salary
Disbursement period	24 hours	24 hours

So, while there may not be any loan apps without a CRB check, you can still get a quick loan within 24 hours. These loans are ideal where you have an urgent need for cash but do not have the time to seek conventional finance.

For more information on how to access the above loan, please fill the appropriate form below and wait for a response.

Business Loan Application

Salary Loan Application

 

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Ten Unique Travel Destinations with a Real Difference

Stretching from Greenland to South Africa, New York to Zanzibar and everywhere in-between there are hundreds of exciting travel destinations. However, the face of tourism is quickly changing as people look for something out of the ordinary. Adventurers, in particular, have an insatiable appetite for the extreme, peculiar and even shocking. Here are ten unique travel destinations with a real twist to entice the daring adventurer.

Coldest inhabited place - Oymakon, Russia 

This rustic village in northern Russia has the unenviable distinction of being the coldest inhabited place on the planet. On a typical January day, the temperature averages -58°F (-50°C). On one particularly cold day in 1926, a reading of -96.16°F (-71.2°C) was recorded. Temperatures are usually below freezing from October to April annually. Yet, despite this extreme weather, the village has a population of just under 500.

Enterprising locals have turned the harsh weather into an opportunity for adventure travel. The Pole of Cold Festival was launched in 2001 and accords visitors the opportunity to enjoy ice fishing, reindeer sled riding and the chance to make various practical experiments on the effects of cold and frost in a number of situations.

Hottest inhabited place - Dallol, Ethiopia 

A 2004 National Geographic documentary described Dallol as the hell hole of creation. It is situated in the Danakil Desert, northern Ethiopia, where temperatures average 94 °F (34 °C) all year round. In addition to this extremely hot weather, the area is geographically unstable. Scientists have established that during prehistoric times, the territory used to be a gulf – the sea bed rose briefly before retreating and forming the Afar depression. Tremors are common and there are several active volcanoes. Geysers spew a salty concoction that results in stunning color surfaces. 

Despite this inhospitable environment, Dallol is home to the nomadic Afar people. Their economic mainstay is sheep herding and trading salt extracted from several small lakes that dot the Afar Depression.

Flattest place - Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia 

You would have to visit Salar de Uyuni to believe; for miles all around is a flat endless sea of white. At almost 11,000 square km, this Bolivian salt flat is the largest in the world. It is remarkably level; the variation in elevation is less than one meter over the entire area. The salt flats are the remains of a prehistoric lake and there are no drainage outlets. Hence, the water evaporates and the salt is left on the bed of the lake. The massive white lake is dotted with kaleidoscopic chasms of red, blue and green caused by sediments containing copper. Pink flamingos occasionally provide a startling contrast to the bright whiteness.

Salar de Uyuni is a photographer’s dream, providing a great backdrop for some amazing shots. If you have ever wanted to visit another planet, this comes pretty close.

Remotest island - Tristan da Cunha, United Kingdom 

There are only 275 residents on this island located between South Africa and South America. The nearest neighbor is 2,430 km away, the St Helena Island. There is no airport which makes getting to the island an adventure in itself involving a six-day trip aboard the SA Agulhas, a former South African polar research vessel.

You would think that the world’s most isolated community would relish the chance to entertain visitors but the official website states, “There are no package tours for independent travelers, no hotels, no airport, no holiday reps, no night clubs, no restaurants, no jet skis nor safe sea swimming.”

So, why would anyone want to visit this island in the first place? Well, it happens to be a Unesco World Heritage Site and also offers some of the world’s best-preserved marine ecosystems. Tristan da Cunha also has one of the largest bird colonies. Spectacular cliffs overlooking the vast Atlantic also reel in visitors.

Deepest Cave - Krubera Cave, Gagra district, Abkhazia (Disputed Georgian Territory) 

The world’s deepest explored cave extends 2,197 meters into the earth’s surface. Krubera is found in the Arabikka Massif of Gagrinsky Range in Abkhazia. It attracts adventure seekers, scientists, and explorers. The cave was recognized as the deepest cave in the world following a 2001 expedition organized by the Ukrainian Speleological Association. Since then, successive teams have managed to penetrate further into the cave by diving and looking for alternative routes downward. There are several hundred amazing caves in the Arabika Massif region. Early French explorers were motivated to explore the caves by Jules Verne’s literary classic “Journey to the Center of the Earth”.

Several arthropod species inhabit the cave and the deepest terrestrial animals were discovered here in 2010. Krubera can only be accessed four months in a year due to the remoteness of the area.

Worst weather - Aleutian Islands, Alaskan coast 

A persistent combination of heavy rain, fog and wind give these islands in southwest Alaska the dubious distinction of having the worst weather in the world. A missionary priest who lived on one of the islands for seven years recorded only 53 days of sunshine … during the entire seven years!

It is a destination for the truly adventurous seeking untamed beauty courtesy of active volcanoes that rise from the ocean. The ancient Native American Unangan (Aleut) people have mastered living in this extreme environment. Beyond that, the beaches are strewn with ornamental stones and more than five million birds make this their home during the summer. However, the large majority of visitors go there for the fishing opportunities; halibut and various salmon species are abundant from June to September.

Most dangerous airport - Tenzing-Hilary Airport in Lukla, Nepal 

To say that a flight to and from this airport is sheer terror is to make the understatement of the century. Lukla is the gateway to Mount Everest. Adventurers on their way to Everest have two options, they can hike for an extra five days to Everest Base Camp or they can choose to take a 45-minute flight to Lukla thus saving time and energy.

 
Tucked 9,000 ft. high on the slopes of a snow-capped mountain in the Himalayas, the airport has a 1,500 ft. runway that ends in a precipitous cliff on one end and a mass of solid rock on the other. Pilots only have one shot to land or take off. Once planes start hurtling down the runway or make a landing approach, there is no turning back. It’s no wonder that this airport leads in crashes - at an average of one per year. Despite this, adventurers on their way to Everest continue to transit through this airport.

Most dangerous waters - Gansbaai, South Africa 

There is consensus amongst marine scientists that the Cape of South Africa contains the highest concentration of sharks and specifically, the dreaded great white. If you want to come face-to-face, quite literally, with one of nature’s most efficient killers then the Shark Alley sea channel off Gansbaai town in South Africa is the place to be. The huge concentration of great whites is attributed to a colony of about 50,000 cape fur seals that live on Geyser Rock. Seals are a favorite prey of great whites.

There are so many great whites in Shark Alley that tour companies guarantee tourists a close encounter. Some companies go as far as offering a cage diving experience. Things have occasionally gone terribly wrong such as an incident in March 2013 when a great white ignored the bait and forced a cage door open. The occupants, astonishingly, escaped unhurt.

Most dolls - Isla de las Munecas (The Island of the Dolls), South of Mexico City, Mexico 

The intention was never to become a tourist attraction but the Island of Dolls in Mexico ended up as one. It can only be described as a perfect combination of creepy and weird. The island is dedicated to the lost soul of a young girl who died under mysterious circumstances. There are several baby dolls hanging from trees. Some have severed limbs while others have decapitated heads. They are believed to possess the soul of the departed child.

It is said that the caretaker of the island found a dead girl who had apparently drowned under unclear circumstances. Later, he saw a floating doll which he assumed belonged to the dead girl. He picked up the doll and hung it on a tree as a sign of respect. Haunted by the spirit of the dead girl, the caretaker began hanging more dolls on trees as a way to appease her spirit. Fifty years later he was found dead at the same spot as the drowned girl. By the time of his death, there were hundreds of creepy baby dolls hanging from the trees.

Adventurers visit the island for the frights, and for the story.

Most rat-infested – Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke, Rajasthan, India 

Now, this one borders on the bizarre. One would not expect a rat-infested place to be a tourist magnet. Yet, Karni Mata Temple in Deshnoke, Rajasthan State of India is a crowd puller. There are thousands of brown rats (estimated at over 20,000) scurrying all over the beautiful marble temple.

Karni Mata was a 14th-century Hindu sage believed to be the incarnation of the goddess Durga. According to legend, her stepson drowned in a pond and she begged the god of death to bring him back to life. Yama, the god of death, obliged reincarnating Karni Mata’s stepson and all her male children as rats. Since then, she is said to have declared that everyone from her tribe would temporarily inhabit the body of a rat before reincarnation.

It is considered a good omen if a rat runs over your feet and even better if the rat is white. Eating food nibbled on by the rats is akin to eating with the gods. Killing a rat attracts severe sanction, it must be replaced with one made of solid gold. Interestingly, there has never been an outbreak of any rat borne disease among the people who have visited the temple.

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Best US College for International Students

A chance to study at an American university is a dream come true for most international students. However, there are so many choices to choose from that the process of selecting the best US college often leads to confusion. 

Before you commit to studying at an American college, there are a number of things you need to be clear about in your mind, these include; your passions, financial ability, and preferred location. It may sound like a cliché but if you are going to spend the next 3 to 4 years studying at an institution, then you had better have an interest in the course. Also, your financial ability narrows your range of options. You will also need to decide on a geographical location based on factors such as quality of life and cost of living.

Having considered these factors, I would recommend New York State University (NYU). NYU is, without a doubt, one of the best US Colleges for International students. Some of the reasons you may want to consider NYU include:

• It is located in one of the most visited cities in the world.
• It has the highest number of international students in the US.
• There are no restrictions on the number of international students it can admit.
• NYU considers scholarships and financial support for non-US students.
• It is among the top 30 universities in the world and well regarded by employers.

If you would like more information on NYU, please leave a comment below or contact us.

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NHIF’s New Raft of Changes Causes Concern

The National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) announced major changes to its coverage terms for self-employed contributors. The National Health Insurance says the changes are necessitated by the need to position NHIF towards the achievement of universal health coverage as well as enhance members’ retention. But, the punitive measures introduced could work against the goal to retain members.

NHIF has termed this change as a “Member Management Review”. The intention, we think, is basically to manage its cash flows because they affect members’ contributions into the fund. Are these new regulations justified? What does this mean for Kenyans? What are we looking at? Let's quickly break down these regulations for you.

Waiting Period 

The first thing NHIF has done is to increase the waiting period for new members from 2 months to 3 months (90 days). Within this period of time, a member is expected to pay upfront for the one year cover, that is, pay Kshs 6,000 in premiums. This translates to about Kshs 2,000 per month instead of the Kshs 500 monthly for 12 months that members have been paying. There is also a 6-month waiting period for dependents disclosed following the initial registration, a 30 day waiting period for additional dependents and a 6-month waiting period for specialised services.

50% Penalty 

The second change in coverage is a 50% penalty for every month that one will have defaulted or not paid the premium. For example, if you default for one month, you will need to pay an additional Kshs 250 bringing your total to Kshs 750. This is for a maximum of 11 months for each month in default. If one defaults for over 12 months, then you're considered a new member and must start afresh. This means you must go through the three month waiting period.

Maternity Access 

Maternity access will have a 6-month waiting period and new births must now be declared within 6 months. If a member defaults, maternity access is now restricted to six months after the card matures.

Maximum Dependents 

The NHIF has also limited the dependents to a single spouse and five children. This will make it more expensive polygamous families across the country, to access medical treatment.

Exempt Schemes 

However, there are specific programs run by the NHIF that are exempt from these changes, these are; Inua Jamii program, elderly persons with a disability, Linda Mama, and the Health Insurance Subsidy.

Concerns 

Are these changes likely to have more people retained within the scheme? The answer is probably not because low and middle-income Kenyans are not used to paying for medical insurance. Most people only take action when they fall ill. And, almost 50% of the population lives under a dollar a day so to ask people to pay the annual premium of Kshs 6,000 in three months is a tall order. With these changes, the government is unlikely to meet its stated goal of universal health care for all Kenyans.

It is yet to be seen whether these changes will remain given that the National Assembly's Health Committee has already written to the NHIF Board demanding that the rules be suspended until the Board meets parliamentarians.

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How to Get a Free Uber or Bolt Ride in Nairobi

Uber, Bolt (formerly Taxify) and other ride-hailing taxi applications have revolutionized transport in Nairobi and other locations in the country. If you haven't gotten onto the bandwagon, you should. If it is your first time to use a taxi-hailing application, you can get a free ride but using the method outlined below. If you are already using Uber or Bolt, you can also get a free ride by following the instructions below.

On Uber

New User

• Go to the Play Store using this link and download the Uber app.
• Once the app has finished installing, add this promo code to get a free ride "kiharakue".

Existing User

• Buy a new sim card. 
• Install the app and use a different name, for example, you can vary your names. "Bob Mary" instead of "Mary Bob".
• Once the app has finished installing, add this promo code to get a free ride "kiharakue".

On Bolt

New User

• Go to the Play Store using this link and download the Uber app.
• Once the app has finished installing, add this promo code to get a free ride "B8TBCA".

Existing User

• Buy a new sim card. 
• Install the app and use a different name, for example, you can vary your names. "Bob Mary" instead of "Mary Bob".
• Once the app has finished installing, add this promo code to get a free ride "B8TBCA".

Try it out and let us know in the comments if it worked for you.

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