WhatsApp to Replace Twitter as Kenya's Corporate Darling?

This week, Nendo Ventures and OdipoDev published a Social MediaTrend Report that analyzed recent trends. These included usage and messages on  WhatsApp, Facebook, and over 5 million twitter Kenya messages sent in the last year that spiked during events such as the March 2013 presidential election, the Westgate Mall terror attack and the Kenya@50 independence celebrations. 

They made several predictions in the report which including three main ones:

1. WhatsApp will change the media in 2014-15: With 82% of Kenyans having phones, and 19% with smartphones, WhatsApp which is pre-installed on some phones, is becoming used more and more for sharing of pictures, video, audio, and chats - and they predicted it will become the default communication channels for businesses. Already Citizen has Road Hog and Chase Bank has launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel.

While it's questionable if Kenyan corporations, having recently embraced Facebook and Twitter, will migrate to WhatsApp, the authors cited the fact that WhatsApp is pre-installed on some phones, and has a very low barriers to entry (compared to Twitter that requires  an e-mail address and some internet knowledge). 

2. Social TV changes everything. This is the age of the second screen where people watch TV, attend events with mobile phones in their hand and chat & comment  on social media. In Kenya, it's also known as the "Tujuane" syndrome after a local dating TV show that has recorded as many as 9,200 tweets an episode - and it opens a new way for for more advertising and communication from companies to connect with customers.

3. Social media Devolves - it will devolved to counties  - and citizens will set out to claim their web presence and self organize like some groups in Wajir already have. Somewhat related, the 2014 Kenya blog awards highlighted some cool county-focused blogs from Uasin Gishu, Kisumu, Mombasa and Baringo. 

Other predictions

- The establishment of the smart audience - and the authors estimate Kenya has a smart audience of 0.5 million on twitter and 3.8  million on Facebook and TV and other media organization, now use Twitter, rather than SMS as their preferred interaction and feedback channel.
- The rise of social media as a profession

@Mkaigwa briefs the media on the Nendo Social Media report

- The decline of 'likes' as a measure on Facebook. The noted that people on some local corporate Facebook walls are asking what a company WhatsApp number is

- Corporate use of WhatsApp to replace intranets

- The role of online media in personal security like the government’s proposed Nyumba Kumi (10 homes) neighborhood watch system.
- Fun Fact While they also predicted that this year will see more transparency on the paid interaction between brands and influencers/bloggers to, everyone wanted to know which corporations are paying Kshs 10,000 to 30,000 ($350) per tweet to influencers. 

Banks on Social Media

This week, Equity Bank went live on twitter - and joined other top bank groups in Kenya in their use of social media to respond to customer issues. About half of Kenya's 46 banks are now on twitter ( see this list of local banks on twitter), but as the table blow shows,  the number of bank customers likely to use social media is a small fraction of the total numbers.

Social media stats on Kenya's largest bank groups

While Facebook is a powerful medium for banks to convey news and products promotions (some even tweet links to longer pieces or videos on Facebook, not their own websites)  and get feedback, twitter is equally as powerful on but for customers  as it gives them the ability to to tag a bank manager or CEO's or any widely watched trend such as  #twitterthumbsup (for good customer service) or #twitterbigstick for bad customer experiences. 

In the Bob Collymore era Safaricom has raced to be the acknowledged corporate leader in Kenyan social media with 363,337 Facebook fans and two widely followed twitter channels - including one dedicated to customer care issues with over 47,000 followers  - but this is a company with over 19 million customers.

Is Social Media a Career?

There have been a few jobs advertised of late for social media positions including at diverse companies like the Kenya Airports Authority, Nation Media Group and now Squad Digital (for Rwanda). 

But there's more to these jobs than just being on Facebook or Twitter, and ultimately they are about communications - being aware & monitoring of what's being said or written, then communicating a company position to the public, communicating product features, changes  & news, or communicating with customers in customer service - and to communicate properly, entails an understanding of media, marketing, campaigns, product cycles, consumer behaviour etc. This  Citizen news piece gives a behind the scenes look at the currently widely-acknowledged corporate leader in social media engagement - Safaricom.

Not all companies are ready for social media, nor should they all be online - and while the current mediums are blogs, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook, they may next be on others such as G+, Whive or Mxit, having come from engaging on company websites and email. But ultimately, it's about communications, not social media, and as @kaboro said - if all you know is Facebook & twitter, you’ll be out of a job before long.

Idea Exchange: TEDx, Peace, Books and Samosas

Last week was a very busy one in terms of tech, with AITEC East Africa, and Google’s GKenya over-lapping on two days.

This coming weekend has the second edition of TEDx Nairobi at the Leakey Auditorium, National Museum of Kenya, on Saturday September 18. There have been other TEDx events held in the last few weeks including TEDxKibera, TEDxMathare, and a running series of TED videos at the Westgate Cinema.

Also starting the same day as TEDx, is the SAMOSA Festival; this has no correlation with the popular snack, but it stands for the South Asian Mosaic of Society and the Arts, which is a weeklong celebration with various events staged at different locales in Nairobi from September 18 to 25. It also features a mentorship program for young entrepreneurs and professionals.

The Africa Union Peace Day is being observed on September 21 2010, and will be marked by cessation of conflict hostilities, distribution of humanitarian supplies, one minute of silence at 10.00AM (GMT), development work by members of the armed forces, football games, and lesson plans in schools.

Rounding off the month is the grand Storymoja Hay Festival over three days, from October 1 - 3 at the Railway Club grounds in Nairobi. It has over 60 events bringing together writers, business & cultural leaders to share stories, ideas and unique talks like “Demystifying the American Visa Process,” “Peculiar Kenyans,” “How to buy and sell real estate,” and “Publish your own (Children’s) book in two hours.”

EDIT: The Nairobi Book Fair takes place at Sarit Centre from September 22-26.

Others ideas from Twitter
- @firesidecom: Safaricom is taking on Access Kenya & Zuku with unlimited residential broadband at Kshs. 3,999 (~$49) for 512Kbps via wimax for residential areas – its available of prepay and postpaid, with free quick installation, equipment,. Also available is 1mbps for Kshs 6,000 and 2mbps for Kshs 7,000.
- @akcorporate Did you know that you can listen to Classic 105.2 FM through Access Kenya?
- @MTrackKenyaLtd: MTrack - Personal tracking (Children & Elderly) services

Idea Exchange: From Kimathi to Afrinnovators

Tech September this week in Nairobi has two (unfortunately) simultaneous tech events on-going. One is Google’s G-Kenya at Strathmore University and the other is AITEC East Africa at KICC. Look for news and tweets about them besides the Android announcements. What’s interesting on the AITEC site is a banner reminding south African companies that exhibit at AITEC Nairobi that they may get a refund of between 80 -100% of their costs from the south African Department of Trade (DTI) a nice incentive for SME’s to advertise overseas

Web Comic last week saw the release of a new web comic by @chiefnyamweya; Emergency Web Comic is about the life of Dedan Kimathi, with some straight history lessons thrown in.

T-shirts give away by AfricaUnsigned.com and Afrinnovator Africa Unsigned is an initiative aimed at exposing the world to new music of Africa and is now using the internet as a stage for sharing these sounds and Afrinnovator is about telling the unique stories of African innovations and inventions especially in technology. They are jointly running a competition where 5 individuals can win a one of a kind, original t-shirt of their choice by Africa Unsigned. Check the AfricaUnsigned.com website for more details...

Corporates on Twitter: Safaricom (@safaricomltd) and Zain (@zainkenyaltd) have stepped up in the online space with active messages on twitter as they respond (selectively) to customer queries & complaints and promote their price tariffs and press releases.
Unfortunately, two other recent arrival on twitter seem to have given up on the medium; Kenya Airways (@KenyaAirways) and the Kenya Government’s Ministry of Lands which have not used twitter in almost two months. step back for e-government?

Ugandan politician in Nairobi to give Kenyan counterparts some identity ideas

The Grid Goes Global

The Grid, a mobile only social network owned by Vodacom, has gone global.

First heard about The Grid when 'Portfolio Manager', Vincent Maher, spoke at Mobile Web in Nairobi earlier this year.

- The Grid is a mashup of instant messaging, content sharing, location based services

- They target ads by location gender age time of day. Also they use location based adverts. To use LBA one needs user location, ad server that support this (Google does) and application that adds location. This is good for very small businesses e.g. hairdresser, plumbers, and they can expect to see low volume of impression but a high click though rate

- Users don’t need to have GPS to use the service
 as the Grid uses aerial photographs and their own maps (not Google maps)

- 

What is coming next?
- Ambient (mood based) advertising

- Desire line anticipation (plot where you will be and advertiser prompts you to buy later when you get there)



The Grid has about two million users in South Africa, Nigeria and Tanzania. It rivals MXit, which dominates South Africa, and was launched in Kenya with Vodafone-managed Safaricom in May 2010.

Twitter Week Top 10 December 22

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is really nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter in a Dave Letterman top 10 format covering tech events, new planes, sluggish car sales, strange naiorbians and other topics

10 Mainstream Blogging: #F1 blogger quits work to blog full time-best wishes @f1fanatic_co_uk! http://tinyurl.com/yegm5l3
- Great reads: the 75 best business-blogs of 2009 http://www.businesspundit.com/the-75-best-business-blogs-of-2009/ includes @emeka_okafor

9. Tech Nairobi @whiteafrican is live blogging from @AfricaGathering today, refresh this post for the latest: http://bit.ly/75WgJ3 #agathering #agnairobi09
- Look out for @afromusing's guide to buying solar gadgets.(via @sciculturist) <-----it's about time! #giftsforocha
- Stealth Startups, Get Over Yourselves: Nobody Cares About Your Secrets http://goo.gl/fb/hLw6 (via @rafiq)
- R/t: on the @ushahidi blog - 3 misconceptions about #ushahidi

idle castle brew facility
8. Brew Chatter SA giant beer brewer SAB considering re-entering kenya market after Deal with EABL in tanzania sours (Via @Nairobi star)
- konyagi vs waragi http://chickabouttown.com/2009/12/20/konyagi-vs-uganda-waragi/

7. GoK Absurdities 1. We dont accept sealed letters for PS, unless you have delivery book 2.This gate is locked between 9am and 4pm
- Harambee house is a corruption free zone, @SupremeGREAM - and so is a police roadblock #nyayohouse
- So new Police comm. Iteere got the 3rd class Moran/Golden Heart of Kenya; but so did Pauline & Ida
- Labour leader Atwoli sermons on #citizentv opposes privatization of #nationalbank #KCB #newKCC and kenya ports authority

6. Plane Chatter- know everything about today's maiden boeing 787 flight (weather permitting) http://tinyurl.com/yewg5pl (via @flightblogger)
- 787 has taken off, take that copenhagen. R/t @coldtusker #787 is supposed to have a lower carbon footprint so supports #Copenhagen goals
- via @FlyingEmirates a Kenyan wins Emirates A380 dream prize (to Bangkok, Sydney or Seoul ) <----i'm so jealous! http://bit.ly/8yKvNA
- @coldtusker @alykhansatchu crown will fight to keep emirates independent as long as it can (perhaps pare down new plane buys to do so)
- #onejetone among airlines appying for licenses again - mombasa, harare, london
4:43 PM Dec 18th from web

5. Investor Awareness - ICT Kenya board tender for digitization of court records http://www.ict.go.ke/images/pdfs/6593719R_2.pdf @kenyanpundit
- Securities Industry Training Institute launched in Uganda-progs on capital markets,corp.fin, asset-mgmt, entrepreneurship, corp.govnance etc
- Send Nairobi Stock Exchange complaints by SMS to 8485, cost 10/= (also to receive) http://www.nsecomplaints.co.ke/ (via @NSEKenya)
- r/t @alykhansatchu Kenya Economic Update 2009 from the World Bank http://bit.ly/90sYCp simply definitive and full of Data that will surprise
- On CitizenTV 'how to be rich' is a golden dream prod .i.e @alfredmutua – they had ad for cobra squad season 2 DVD as perfect x-mas gift

4. Cars, Cars, Cars - r/t @SupremeGREAM today i was at biggest car yard on ngong rd and the only people there were salesmen, wash guyz and suppliers-grim(econ)! are you seeing some slowdown in autos? soe eyards have KBE and KBH that are gathering dust. - got a KBC Mark II been in the yard that long. today took it for a random drive. 780k bring the money. down from 1050k @inexes - Wambie wapunguze bei ya hizo magari! lol @bankelele
- r/t @Shitawabah saw a LAMBOGHINI today morning at 8;59 a.m yellow KBK 001A... ! eeeiy ! * but nid t say it was hot! <--wow! really? pics?
- r/t @karuoro If you own a Toyota-use toyodiy.com to look up part numbers so you know what to order (thanks-1/2 cars in kenya are toyota)

3. Peculiar Nairobi - @mountainous nation wrote that the only 3D theatre in kenya to watch #Avatar is in Nyali. Also #F1 off-season more
- Reading sundaynation about kayamba africa new album: ' KA is made up of 45 members who were all present. It has 6 band members' (huh?)
- My dad was scandalized by the food portions at ONami, full house though
- Labour leader Atwoli sermons on #citizentv opposes privatization of #nationalbank #KCB #newKCC and kenya ports authority
- Family bank atm's are so f'n unreliable these days. Spend some of that rights issue cash propely will ya? #gotissuez
- Peculiar habits of Nairobians http://sogomo.blogspot.com/2009/12/ten-nairobi-pecularities-i-could-do.html

2. Credit Crunch - @coldTusker wouldn't be uchumi be a better pick for al-waleed 'distressed asset' philosopy? @coldtusker - I think Al-Waleed looks for management as well. Kingdom doesn't supply management. Maybe he will look at Uchumi as well
- At empty local; not sure if its mid-month economy or competition from new joint up the road with #kidum playing tonight
r/t @siphojanuary More than 8 million South Africans are 3 months behind on their debt repayments - National Credit Regulator
Dubair/t @ coldtusker Read the signs. The day Emirates stops serving alcohol means the new owners are in control. Dubai may keep Emirates in name only. Who knows who owns it now? Not for public consumption. - There is no free lunch. Something has to give. I think Emirates is the 'guarantee/collateral'
r/t @alykhansatchu Dubai = Ozymandias Look on my works, ye mighty, and despair!' Nothing remains http://bit.ly/1wWz2g

1. Phone Woes
Safaricom I thought my phone had gone schitso calling me every minute! But its some dude who sent big #mpesa to wrong number one digit off (not me!)
- dear #safaricom there are black hole spots (no service) in Nairobi CBD #gotissuez
- Safaricom have had a really crap network in Nairobi CBD all week. Only way to call their subscribers is by using zain or orange
- #barclays call centre number works and calls picked up instantly 3900000 #safaricom should learn http://www.moseskemibaro.com/?p=763
Zain #ogilvy media clarify that they are NOT repsonsible for advertising & PR of #zain africa #passthebuck #itwasntme (via @NationMedia)
- R/t @JustDes - #Zain PR and Advertising is handled by #ZKAdvertising. #Zain Media will be handled by #OgilvyAfricaMedia. @PeterNjenga - Any URL for this #Ogilvy media #Zain Africa #advertising thingie? Wanna know who's getting paid but screwing up Zain #marketing?
- @JustDes thanks for clarifying about ZK and Zain http://www.zekgroup.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=10 @peternjenga
mobile phones need messengers - Paying telkom,kenya power and safaricom bills this morning-if you are post-paid anything,you need a messenger to hoof around Nairobi - Where can one pay safaricom post pay bill on sunday, other than westgate?
- r/t @tmsruge True, because banks won't allow transfers to mobile, which I think is another missed rev stream 4 banks - Sounds to me like a biz opportunity to me! Kenyan mobile $$ innovations are a bit one-track minded!
r/t @zulusafari even with mobile $ you still have to physically visit an office to put $ in ur account - seriously! it's ridiculous. And why can I not pay by cc'd online!!!! @whiteafrican
r/t @ kahenya @whiteafrican @bankelele it keeps messengers busy and employed
r/t @whiteafrican which makes absolutely no sense in this day and age of digital money transactions locally.
competition for MPesa r/ @ Obopay Essar Telecom Kenya & Obopay Launch Mobile Money Transfer Service http://su.pr/21Vq0y

Twitter Week: Top 10 (December 11)

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is really nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter in a Dave Letterman top 10 format covering Bill gates in Nairobi, tiger woods gets (in)famous, Nigerian banking wars, Nairobi is becoming a tech conference hub, Fibre cable starts to take effect , and Kenyans are bad dressers but fast drinkers!

10 Get on twitter and new media before it’s too late - New Kenya airays rugby page seems to confirm @KenyaAirways is the legitimate KQ twitter a/c http://tinyurl.com/yjuzj92
- The Rwanda president @paulkagame on twitter? @gotissuez @ngeny @towmee there's a link on paulkagame.com to @paulkagame; looks legit but poorly managed account that can improve
- R/t gtbankonline Guaranty Trust Bank launches NDANI their e-News Quarterly e-zine, http://ndani.gtbank.com/ #notlazycheapkenyanbank
- r/t @mkaigwa Dear Equity Bank, you're the Safaricom of banks. Okthanksbye. #Dontmeanitinagoodway #ReasonwhyIhave2bankaccounts
- Musician Suzanne owiyo features in new #equitybank 'ni member' TV ad

9 Funny Money Tales: - the gambler who lost $127 million in Vegas http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125996714714577317.html (via @WhitlockJason)
- Nairobi star headlines today: Kalonzo denies link to 1 billion farm sale, Ruto to raise 8 billion campaign fund by 2012

8 Beer not clothes - New bar Another brand new bar in Nairobi, already full on day 2
- @rafikiz @jamesmurua is the new off-shoot of @Bacchus at old treasures langata rd
- r/t @towmee No offense to my Kenyan tweeps but at the airport i knew KQ had landed just by how dull the passengers are dressed #notsapuers

7. Kenyans government churns through money - r/t @alykhansatchu Kenya 2nd infrastructure bond oversubscribed 138% http://bit.ly/6205Lf surprised at insatiable appetite for GOK Paper. Lots of foreign interest at ~12% coupon @alykhansatchu as you said
- Bloat in Kenya government is mass employment and needless parastatals & committees-latest is 'national tourism crisis management committee'

6. Top Kenyan business women - Nominate a top 40 woman under 40 to Business Daily http://www.businessdailyafrica.com/ top40under40_at_nation.co.ke D/L 16/12 to join @justdes you can run for re-election and I’m sure you'll be re-nominated #top40

5. Tiger, Tiger, burning... - Tiger may have to bail as marriage costs more each year but his sponsors need a good family image http://tinyurl.com/ykg7lk7
- Only @TheOnion can tell it: "Investigators Still Piecing Together Weird-Ass Clues in Fucked-Up Tiger Woods Crash" http://bit.ly/8WGsZ8
- *Yawn* bill Clinton jokes being recycled into tiger woods jokes
- Tiger at #9 http://tinyurl.com/yl6cpmb but yet to be nabbed at on golf course unlike a famous Kenyan
- Go On Be A Tiger: Accenture (nee Arthur Andersen) advertisement http://tinyurl.com/ydz4un9

4. Bill in Town - #nairumor bill gates private jet is at Nairobi airport.
- @coldtusker he has 3 bombardier challengers

3. Kenya becoming tech conference central - Mobile Web East-Africa is coming to Nairobi - make sure you're there! http://bit.ly/4po1zi (via @mato74)
- R/t There are some available seats at the @ushahidi user group meeting at Strathmore University. Come on by! #UshMeet

2 Cheaper fast Internet becoming a reality: - Now that there's #fibre in Nairobi, i can finally watch the fascinating #TED Talks videos http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks
- ad in standard today - Kenya data networks say free Christmas wifi internet till January 4 http://www.kdn.co.ke (but nada at website)

1 Nigerian Bank Wars: - r/t Deadly news. Bank PHB of Nigeria reports 15-month loss of $2.5 billion: http://bit.ly/7xPwj7 .That is lethal (via @obionyeaso)
- @coldtusker 9-month pre-tax profit of all banks in kenya this year is about $500 million
- Nigerian bank wars via @obionyeaso another full page ad describing new mgt of bailed out banks as 'undertakers' http://bit.ly/4r2aIY

Twitter Week: Top 10 November 26

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is really nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter in a Dave Letterman top 10 format :

10. Uganda Talks
- r/t @UgInsomniac Uganda Government gives ousted Thai Premier Thaksin Shinawatra, a new UG passport- http://bit.ly/7xfU8t/ (Kenya sold him wildlife)
- R/t @UgInsomniac MapSwitch Uganda boldly going where no banks have gone? http://mapinternational.net/. #ugandalug

9 Visa Place burns
- What's that fire in upper hill area?
- @rookieke was visa place on fire, poor chicken
- @jwesonga shebeen great place, good staff. And in Kenya style, it will be packed tonight, if it survives neighbour fire

8. G4S (in) Security Jokes
- A g4s truck parked by road side in kile-any missing cash today?
- Poor #G4S Kenya, after the weekend cash loss, they may have to sweep key staff and revert to old name securicor
- @coldtusker @mwirigi #G4S not to blame, customers move $ for evasion, business & commodity payments etc to bypass currency restrictions
- @mwirigi looks like real world inside job-at either G4S, seller, buyer or bank. Off to watch reel-world #heat movie this aft
- Embattled security firm #G4S hires Gina Din Comm. to spruce up image (via Nairobi star)

7 Kenyan Banks
- #stanchart bank loan hawks out on Nairobi streets again. Also KCB and family bank
Kenya MFI Faulu acquires insurance broker http://www.faulukenya.com
- Will check out family bank offer of free Wi-fi for customers’ next week @jwesonga

6 Zain Kenya
- Seems Zain Kenya turned on their 3G network this weekend, super net speeds (Via @kahenya)
- Zain Q3 'Kenya is a highly competitive market with very low ARPU' 2.1M customers (down 14%) revenue of $118m, loss of $28m (much improved)

5. World Cup 2010 business
- @AirFranceUS promoting World Cup fares (from Paris) to South Africa. Book early and save! http://ow.ly/FjUk
- r/t @cnbcafrica 2nite on Business 2010 exclusive license deal between FIFA & Nederberg Wine Estate to produce a 2010 FIFA World Cup wine range

4. Africa Aviation
- Delta Air has Ghana Nigeria Liberia Senegal Egypt but no Kenya plan http://airlineroute.net/200... (Via @airlineroute)
- Ethiopian Air CEO talks aircraft choice A350, B787 B777 operating from high altitude Addis http://tinyurl.com/yffkkpc (via @flightblogger)
- Kenya airways offering diploma in airline passenger services at a cost of $1950.
- R/t @aschonland delta passes half connectivity mark- 51% of aircraft fleet now have wi-fi

3. Safaricom Modem discount
- #Safaricom deal data push discount – modems now redeemed at just 2,000 bonga points, used to be 10,000 before @kafainbi @antoneosoul
- @Kafainbi website and posters say 10,000 but modems are now 2,000 bonga points - try Moi ave. or I&M for stocks

2. Kenyan Corporates on Twitter
- can the real Kenya airways please stand up!!.. @kenyaairways and @kenya_airways on twitter, is one a squatter or both? (Via @jwesonga)
- Following @samtwit and @coldTusker as they sort out which is the genuine #kenyaairways twitter account. They could both be fake or fans
- @samtwit confirmation should come from a twitter link at the #kenyaairways site. A smart aviation buff can fake a corporate twitter ac
- @KenyaAirways is the official #kenyaairways twitter account. (@coldtusker, @rafikikenya - via semi-official source)
- Finally an indigenous Kenyan bank on twitter @familybankkenya

1 Tusker brewed in Ireland
- Tusker now sold in 500ml cans, cost 85/= at uchumi. @archermishale get well, and catch up with @inexes

- The Tusker 500ml can is brewed in Ireland! EABL #Fail #godblessthierryhenry

10 Reasons You Lose Twitter Followers

While new media like twitter gets more popular each week in Kenya, I find myself adding more interesting friends, but only to unfollow some for different reasons. So I may have un-followed you recently because:

1. You send too many tweets in a few minutes, crowding my small nokia window; maybe you’re just in a foul mood, I may check and re-follow in a few days time
2. Too may re-tweets I want to know what you're thinking, not just reading elsewhere
3. Your account has been taken over by a monster twitter e.g. wefollow mafiawars
4. Too many boring tweets (if you've nothing to say there’s no penalty for saying less)
5. Too many back & forth with another twitter who's more interesting than you - one of you has to go you should take the argument sideways (chat, e-mail, DM)
6. You fit the profile of a stalker – you follow you follow Oprah, Ashton Kutcher and me and send me DM messages constantly
7. You take up a cause and hype it to death I may follow you after the cause/event/conference has passed
8. All activist, all the time #HIV #NGO #healtheworld #savethe kids #savethechimps
9. If you fit the profile of a spammer or send lethal links
10. u ryt gbrsh lk ths – there’s actually a proper abbreviations dictionary, but its’ much easier to just write complete words

So unlike with facebook, I can’t turn off your updates (or can I?) so I probably un-followed you for one of these reasons.

Week on Twitter: September 22

Another re-cap of a week full of Twitter - @bankelele posts which included issues like Olympia prepares for shareholders then postpone AGM, a skunkworks forum and a fibre summit are coming to Nairobi this week, but how is the fibre being used in government? There’s a new newspaper from the government of Kenya and a new magazine from EAM. Charterhouse bank may re-open while PTA bank has a silent bond, Kenya airways flies to ndola while Emirates air starts selling world cup 2010 packages, and finally twitter matures by enabling medical advice for Kahenya, drawing in the US ambassador to Kenya and also by helping Stanbic Bank improve customer service

- East Africa Fibre Summit - in Kenya next week http://www.aitecafrica.com/...
Emirates Air starts selling 2010 World Cup South Africa Packages http://tinyurl.com/pbj7e3 (where's SAA, @kenyaairways, Ethiopian?)
New GoK newspaper title Kenya Today; first issue has bullet trains, brigadier Ali, SMEs, IdiAmin, MJ, and rants about parliamentary dictatorship & NYTimes writers – all at a cost of Kshs 30/=
- @SupremeGREAM I'd be very surprised if Charterhouse Bank reopens. It will be like re-licensing Triton; @kachwanya is correct, something is smoking at Charterhouse http://bit.ly/3lk8d2
- R/T @kaboro Skunkworks Tech & Entrepreneur Forum, 29Sep Speakers: Liko Agosta, Verviant, Joshua Wanyama, Pamoja, Alex Gakuru.
- Help @kahenya with medical advice http://bit.ly/1YDJ3F #rhabdomyolysis
- @RookieKE CFA one very tough exam, it has driven some very bright professionals up the wall. CFA pass rates Level I: 46% Level II: 41% Level III: 49% @kainvestor http://tinyurl.com/mwegha i salute those who have tried it
- Tiomin say they have made progress with Canadian and Chinese investors on #kwale. Wait till they get to environment minister #michuki
- Kenya government has asked all ministries/agencies to email copies of procurement tenders - to be complied at a portal http://www.tenders.go.ke/ ; also http://www.tandaa.co.ke/ which is "all about Kenyan content" has NO KENYAN CONTENT! Just Anheuser Busch, French news, love in Warsaw...
- @kenyaairways 44th destination launch flight lands in Ndola #Zambia http://bit.ly/hMFk5
- Barclays waives joining fee for gold (6K) & classic (3k) cards http://www.barclays.com/afr... #youllpaysomehow @coldtusker i have no credit card, i can usually tap family or friends #TIA
- R/t @joosi @davos World Economic Forum (WEF) to be in Tanzania May '10. Nairobi star said kofi annan steered it away from Kenya’s bad leadership
-
#Newshot and #bullseye are not too funny: seems marende may have banned use of parliamentary clips for satire. Did njoki spell stakeholder as steakholder in her protest letter? #NTV
- Sunday nation writes about US ambassador on twitter @usamb4reform, but twitter yet to be taken up keenly in Kenya unlike facebook
- Nairobi water company appoints 4 debt collection agencies
- PTA Bank has a $21 million 14% bond in Uganda closing Oct 2. Pity they stopped updating their website http://www.ptabank.org
- New women's magazine called Move out this week from EAM, costs just Kshs. 80 ($1) http://www.drum.co.ke/node/... was true love too pricey for the ladies?
- Twitter improves bank service R/T @coldtusker Thanks to @StandardBankGrp I got a call from CFCStanbic Kenya re: my problems at the bank
- R/t @kainvestor Kenya Ministry of Water office connected to fibre cable! But nobody knows what do with it...just watching movies online.

Olympia CEO comments South Africa has been a real challenge, but we still believe in the market M Matu http://tinyurl.com/klheg7 ; later Olympiacapital muddle continues, now AGM postponed to 2nd-oct cause delayed fin statement dispatch

Week on Twitter (September 11)

Another re-cap of a week full of Twitter - @bankelele posts which included issues like - more innovative loans from Equity Bank, why do Kenyan companies make such large PDFs? The fibre cable has reached Mandera in remote Northern Kenya, but piped water is yet to get there, police dogs sniff grass, Zimbabwe ministers text like teenagers, how to get through to safaricom’s notoriously inaccessible customer service, mobile companies know how to keep Kenyan ministers happy, Kenyans laugh at their failings, pre-paid internet gets cheaper, another bank to list at the Nairobi stock exchange while another joins twitter, more awards for women, more jobs at the central bank of Kenya, and the UNEP toys with Kenya

- @TChenya @KumekuchaChris was just at Equity Bank; amazed they have loans for water tanks http://bit.ly/AoYg4
- This #Safaricom portal is going to be the Kenya borg http://portal.safaricom.com...
- Do cops favour their own matatus, leading to traffic jams for other motorists? http://www.coastweek.com/32...
- R/T @baldaufji #Zimbabwe minister text messages leaked http://bit.ly/2KkUIx U c the strait jacket vakuru [old man] is being given 2 wear
- The koinange family starts development of the parking lot next to kencom Nairobi
- Just registered to get my Safaricom dividend by cellphone m-pesa in November @saitonne m-pesa dividend registration ongoing around the country till 30 September, mostly at supermarkets - which one is near you?
- Cold call from a bank offering an unsecured personal loan at 24%!
- @egm_photo @jmugambi its soooo wrong for fibre cable to reach mandera before piped water!
- Gabon09 election resembles kenya08 but little concern in Kenya
- #TPF3 Tanzania is 0-2: EABL endears itself to that beer market
- (Sad to hear) R/t @estoni #samburu insecurity rife, tourist vans attacked, some travel companies are canceling Kenya safaris
- @kainvestor the most blatant on-going copy cat is 'citi shuttle' aping 'citi hoppa' with same green, same routes #thuo should do something
- (i) #shagslife a police dog from anti-stock theft unit just tracked down some stolen bales of hay to a nearby compound (ii) Hay and fencing was 'stolen' from farm of local MP last night. @coldtusker, this police lassie did an impressive job over many KM
- More bank for twitter @Standardbankgrp the official account for #stanbic (found at @kainvestor)
- R/t @saitonne are you stuck trying to call #Safaricom customer care 100 number? Try adding some zero's and no's e.g. 1000055
- R/t @kachwanya Yu to launch money transfer service on October 1. (Now where's telkom, been almost 5 years in the making?)
- Watching morning news - #Safaricom seem to trend #CSR projects to home area of sitting communication minister
- Family bank march to listing at Nairobi stock ex @nsekenya on with plans for share split and rights issue pending approval
- you know you’re Kenyan goes viral (i) #youknowyourekenyan when you understand (and agree with) Francis atwoli (ii) #youknowyourekenyan cause your "najivunia kuwa mkenya" cap is made in china

- NHC rescinds sale of houses to 102 #madaraka estate residents (for non-payment?) while NSSF threatens to repossess some tassia-embakasi plots
- @ kainvestor how do Kenyan corporations create such huge huge PDF? E.g. quarterlies from NSE site (i) Mabati Rolling Mills half year results (large PDF) http://tinyurl.com/ldyk22 (ii) @kainvestor #KenGenPIBO information memorandum dead D link on site at http://www.kengen.co.ke/PIBO/
- Nominate an African woman achiever for a Graca Machel award http://www.civicus.org/media/Graca_Machel_Initiative_Call.pdf D/L 30/9
- R/T @gishungwa @shiroh: Central bank of Kenya is hiring http://tinyurl.com/lu6bbo
- @inexes @shiroh while standard chartered will take divas to South Africa for shopping for $1,000, family bank has week-long trip in October for business customers for $2,000
- Eh @intelligensia, plans underway to (dredge &) raise the water level of masinga dam by 1.5 metres
- New Zain Kenya unlimited pre-paid internet bundles costing $3 per day, or $30 per month
- NTV's Rita Tinina on GoK begging UNEP for Mau Cash http://bit.ly/2m8BUu (look for a toy truck near end of vid)

Twitter Week: KQ Strike and Equity Profit Dips

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is relly nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter:

- @coldtusker @kenentrepreneur the tea board of Kenya wishes to remind you that hawking of green tea leaf is
- Signed up too many usgov twitters to keep with #hilaryafrica. Will edit after her trip
- This is a good time for generator and diesel sale companies. I think there was a tax break for generator sales mentioned in uhuru's June budget speech. No power last night, or this afternoon: will ignore the power ration schedule as a work of fiction KPLC. As bad as Nairobians complain about #KPLC the water crisis is of more concern
- R/T @shiroh the Stanchart diva trip is such a deal. $1,000 for 5 (shopping) days in South Africa for Ladies (incl, flights, hotels)
- Ethiopian Airlines net profit was $118 million, revenue up 33% with new airbus & Boeing orders pending. R/T @Jellyfish78 Kenya Airways vs. Ethiopian Air on Youtube is an informative but nasty spat http://bit.ly/13N34f and http://bit.ly/CM7Np. Also Ethiopian Air to fly Addis-Mombasa (via Kilimanjaro) http://bit.ly/OHsGq
- Diasporans giving up on Kenya http://bit.ly/K78g7
- Tahidi High tackles the mystery of paraffin in high school food
- On CitizenTV Delamere family shot live video in court and in jail. How? Still it’s a good spot light on the archaic judiciary. Delamere’s say Kenyatta family owns their dairy now while neighbours want to grab their 56 000 acre farm. Tom delamere testimony live - shot two dogs with two shots and denies he shot the man who died. How did 'top lawyer' tom ojiambo allow this?
- R/T @milonare Impunity starts with you, remember that when you cut in traffic and feel nothing. We reflect our leaders #fractals #Kenya
- Barclays Kenya raising credit card rates to 3.0% (up from 2.5%) from next month
- r/t @mainat Banks have reduced lending not because of interest rates but poor prospects of recovering loans in an economy that has stalled
- @rookieKE if you bank with consolidated, you can transfer cash from A/C to Mpesa using your phone
- You can get to the top of KICC Nairobi for $2 http://www.mamamikes.com/bl... (Though I believe Times Tower is higher)
- r/t @highwayafrica09 Call for Nominations - SABC-Highway Africa New Media Awards. See http://highwayafrica.com
- R/T @LarryMadowo FYI Equity Bank H1 PBT down 15% on one-off transaction last yr related 2 Safaricom IPO, Q2 profits up 25%
- Blog job: write about blogging, social networking & social media from Asia, MidEast and African countries http://tinyurl.com/ljxmcp
- R/T @kachwanya TEAMs shareholders seem to be the confused - there is no onward connectivity between Europe and Dubai, where TEAMS ends!
- Kenya stockbrokers association (KASIB) launched investor education handbook today http://www.kasib.co.ke/
- So @kachwanya @kainvestor, Nairobi City Council earns 14sh ($0.2) for every flyer tossed out of a car window?
- R/T @alykhansatchu #Kenya new 234 item price basket will track mobile-#cellular and computers charges & #camel meat #inflation
- So many aviation colleges in Nairobi with unemployed graduates, these (striking)@kenyaairways workers should know this
- Spent 15min at Nakumatt queue while some afro-diplomats paid for groceries with us $. Their exchange rate is KES72 =$
- COTU's Francis Atwoli is going to brag about ending the #KQ strike, and coming through for workers.

NSE Portfolio August 2009

Market picking up steadily since last quarterly review in May 2009

The stable

Diamond Trust ↑
Kenya Airways ↑
KCB ↑
Safaricom ↑
Scangroup ↑
Stanbic (Uganda) ↑


Review:
- Best performer: Safaricom up 34% this quarter
- Worst performer KCB up 5%
- In: none
- Out: none
- Increase none
- Decrease none
- Unexpected gains/losses: KQ record loss, safaricom profit drop

Events & Outlook:
- Performance: The Portfolio is up 12% in the last three months while the NSE Index is up 14%. I’d like to think I’m doing better, but Safaricom has lifted the index to a greater extent than my portfolio (8% weight). Safaricom largest weight on the NSE, is also probably now the country’s largest tax payer, largest retail ISP, seller of mobile phones, mover of retail money etc.
- got dividends from all the banks, which are experiencing a slowdown in growth in 2009. Dividend included Stanbic Uganda but will have to increase shares there to minimize impact of clearing foreign cheques so that it does not eat ¼ of
- Looking forward to dividends from Safaricom (but no SWAG ) from Safaricom and another from Kenya Airways (despite their making a massive fuel hedge loss)
- Privatization The Kenya Government has lined up several companies that may be availed later in 2009, however these may not be listed until the market picks up sufficiently. Will look at Family Bank and KWAL (Kenya Wine Agencies)
- New media: The Nairobi Stock Exchangem - @NSEKenya is now on Twitter, while the CDSC launched a new web site to enable investors to better track their portfolios.

How to Get an M-Pesa Refund

and other Safaricom tales

M-Pesa mistake: I interacted with two products over the weekend from Safaricom: One is of course MPesa from Safaricom (Kenya’s largest mobile company), the money transfer system that has been the talk of the remittance and mobile banking world; but what should be a Kenyan success story, is a Vodafone (UK ) tested, developed, and rolled out here as a Safaricom licensee. There was quite a bit of discussion of that at the mobile for change summit on Saturday in Nairobi, but that’s for another day.

My M-Pesa tale is one that many of the 6 million registered users have probably experienced. You go to a pharmacy/cyber café/supermarket and pay a Safaricom agent your money to load you phone up with funds (up to Kshs. 35,000 or ~$450) and zap it off to pay for anything – grandma’s medicine, farm inputs, auto spare parts, satellite TV, etc. the list of MPesa uses is growing

You then wait for a few seconds and get a confirmation message of the transfer, only to discover that you have sent the money to the wrong recipient! Somewhere in Kenya, there was a lady with an unexpected month-end bonus from an anonymous donor. Common rare courtesy calls for one to refund the money, but #$%* did not answer my calls.

It appeared that I would not be able to persuade her to refund my money and so I wrote it off as money lost. I went back to the same agent, and paid money again and sent it off to my aunt, this time with the correct number.

I was till mad and went on to @Twitter ranting and raving that I had sent the wrong person my money and that #$%* had probably gone on a celebration spree as some idiot had sent her a weekend bonus. But on twitter my prayers were answered - by @69MB (who’s traveling in Tanzania) and @Ngeny who sent tweets back, that I could halt that transfer unless #$%* had already withdrawn the money.

Next, I rushed and called the dreaded (always busy) customer service line at Safaricom (#100) to try and get my money back. After a dozen attempts I got through and was asked to call another line at Safaricom (#234). This one was even busier, but I eventually got through to a gentleman, and I explained the error I made. He asked several questions - my name, intended recipients number, amount sent, number wrongly sent to, my birth date etc. I had all the answers and was every relieved when he said that my money would be refunded within 72 hours. EDIT (uhusiano add that there is an Mpesa Customer Care dedicated line 0722002200)

Oh and about a ½ hour after I finished with Safaricom #$%* tried to call me, perhaps she had raced to agent to withdraw her booty only to be told that the transfer had been held up. I was courteous enough not to answer her call and yell at her

So I now have my money back (still in my phone) and I’ve learnt, thanks to Twitter, and Safaricom, that it’s possible to get an M-Pesa refund

EDIT official advice from Safaricom

If you send money to the wrong number:
- Call Line 234 immediately and provide them with the number that has erroneously received the cash.
- Funds sent to a wrong number will be reversed only if still available in the wrong recipients account.
- If successful, you will receive an SMS indicating that a reversal has been done

Micro air-time loan : The other Safaricom product I tried to use was Okoa Jahazi (rescue a sailor in Swahili? – someone correct me) (Okoa Jahazi literary means save/rescue a ship/boat/dhow in Swahili) which works on the premise that you may be stranded somewhere and need to maker an emergency call but don’t have money or are not in a place where you can buy an airtime voucher to complete the call.

Okoa Jahazi is a 50 shilling ($0.65) airtime voucher, almost a micro-loan, which you can request from Safaricom by typing a simple code. It’s not free and will be deducted the next time you purchase a similar voucher. It also attracts a 10% levy, so you get just 45 shillings.

I requested the voucher, as an experiment and made some calls. I then bought a replacement 50 shilling voucher which paid off the micro-loan from Safaricom. But I had a bit of difficulty after that; I could not call a rival network (Zain, Orange) or browse the internet, using the borrowed airtime – it was strictly for making calls to other Safaricom users. So I had to buy another voucher, to get my credit up and out of my micro-debt. This comes when you don’t read the fine print. Anyway it’s a useful service, but one that should only be used for emergencies.

Summary: So we have two products form Safaricom. One I have used several times, and will probably use again, one that I hope I will not have to use again (emergency only). The rules are quite clear, but few read the fine print of the offers made by service companies. It makes sense that the micro-loan is restricted to minimal emergency functions, but it would also be nice of Safaricom to inform their (6 million) MPesa users that it is possible to get refunds from M-pesa. If I was not on @Twitter I’d have lost a lot of money

Kutwa Tuesday: Corporate Mysteries

and other Bank Twits

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is really nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter where there was some interesting discussions, but so far yet to unravel mysteries at Kenya airways, Safaricom and Athi river mining? and some replies

June 15: nairobbery Reading about a Nairobi scam where people actually throw themselves on the windscreens of slow moving cars and later ask for compensation
Kenya central bank study shows popularity of MPesa; users rate it cheap, fast, reliable & accessible http://tinyurl.com/nozxe3

June 16: Media mystery: what happened to the Bamburi vs. Athi story? there were many reporters there but was story buried? http://tinyurl.com/n2k5o8 replies @nakeel It’s called the power of advertising and who pays your bills..

June 17: Economist says Africa's next country South Sudan "will fail before it has even been born" http://tinyurl.com/kwlw9w
DT Dobie advertising that a Mercedes E200 kompressor is 1796cc and therefore compliant with new Kenya Government rules for Ministers cars
Anti-corruption initiatives falter around Africa http://www.nytimes.com/
Racial Discrimination at World Bank?http://bit.ly/fNXUy
CNBC TV show President Obama killed a fly during an interview. Take it away FOX
Is the Kenya rugby safari sevens tourney over-priced at 1,500 ($19) per season ticket? http://tinyurl.com/m9yhmb
Two new independent (non stockbroker) directors at Nairobi Stock Exchange - NSE Board http://tinyurl.com/n8qqvx

June18 KPLC is going to increase the birth rate in kenya if they keep failing to supply electricity.

June 19: Kenya and Uganda Catholic churches in a race to hell with simultaneous abuse scandals; media coverage in UG is NSFW http://www.redpepper.ug
Michela Wrong to visit the World Bank http://bit.ly/LpJHy

June 20 Discovering the mysterys of white cap, EABLs no.2 that survives recessions without any advertising
replies @coldtusker I didn't say it 'failed' but IMHO its core consumer base isn't GenX but my mzee's generation. What happened to WC lite? White Cap's demographics are skewed to stable, older, wealthier, 'old dogs' market. It has failed among the 'younger' drinkers. @Fintradecapital thats really true. Its drinkers r consistent.
I use nivea creams, but all their posters and adverts scream i am soooò not their target customer!
replies @uhusiano is cos they are all jungus? @coldtusker Are you thinking of doing a chaz bono? re: nivea - not their target market... LOL... @devonwhittle I'm also a Nivea customer, but their "skin whitening" products and ads worry me – @karuoro I use Nivea shower gel but prefer Vaseline lotion..find nivea lotions too..sticky (don't know if that makes sense) @Ethnicsupplies I've never liked the smell @Shiko_Msa we the target customers that is. feel welcome. Even though they dont welcome we do.
Stomping through kilelewshwa - many apartment complexes have 'to let' signs

june 21 Safaricom selling cheap internet ready phones including nokia 1680 for $38 replies @alykhansatchu I was reading that @ thinking 13m Subs converts to 2m x $1.00 a day internet
@coldtusker also former Kenya Airways director is CEO air uganda. Seems KQ is now finishing school for sub-saharan airline bosses. replies @coldtusker Hugh Fraser (ex-KQ now CEO of Air Uganda) was in the very important Commercial Director post @ coldtusker Neil Canty (former CFO-KQ) went to Gulf Air though he has left them for another gig. Africa again?

R/T @airlineroute KLM to operate MD11s on Nairobi-amsterdam for Kenya Airways from july to september! What will the 777s be doing?

Unexpected dividend cheque from stanbic uganda ~$15 in the mail today #migingo
replies @PinkM How do you cash your Stanbic UG cheques?I haven't cashed for 2 years now. Thanks.Will try that. I wish it was possible to bank at CFC Stanbic even for CFC a/c holders

Kenya retain rugby revens title, but Is that DJ CK on pitch with team at #safarisevens? He's kenya's top gate crasher replies @kenyanpundit hehehe, DJ CK was EVERYWHERE at the WEF in Capetown @kachwanya you just made me remember almost similar incident sometime back during Orange launch..yeah he somehow did that

June 22 Kenya' anti-aid author envious of @dambisamoyo http://bit.ly/mBdFg
replies @kainvestor Many African anti-aid champions see sinister agendas in the success of @dambisamoyo. She wasn't the 1st to write against aid >>>
Safaricom shares pick up after managers visit Europe & US fund investment firms http://tinyurl.com/lewfyn #safaricom #investorrelations
Family Bank 25th anniversary
President @mwaikibaki encourages banks to use mobile phones to reach beyond the 22% 'banked' kenyans
Have more twitter followers than feedburner subsribers; what does that mean?
people who vandalised the Kenya Railways Kibera railway, may also have got paid to fix it after http://tinyurl.com/c9ykra

June 23 Any well wishers to donate a PC or laptop to Mamamikes who were recently robbed? http://www.mamamikes.com/bl...
59% of small business owners rely on credit cards for working capital! scary http://preview.tinyurl.com/

Delta, Zain and KQ Tweet Around

and other Bank Twits
Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is really nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of the last few days on Twitter:

May 29
- @MauriYambo Kenya Co-op Bank directors shareholding Stinks http://bit.ly/EvI2d
- KTN’s Larry…. Madowo @larrymadowo on Twitter
- After a few drinks I discover I may be related to @kafai and @gishungwa! #TIA

May 30
- Morning traffic jams in Nairobi Kileleshwa. Spy some Apts being built into the river & fear that one day, river will rise & reclaim its banks
- Government of Kenya shot itself in foot with punitive alcohol tax. Spirit brewers going belly up, Uhuru should correct

May 31
- Happy birthday young @intelligensia

Jun 1
- @mwaikibaki will launch Kenya’s fibre optic cable this month
- @mwaikibaki says Kenya census starts august 24. Ends with his famous phrase, calls hecklers #pumbavu
- Cadbury seems to have discontinued my fave choc wafer, while alvaro is on sale - buy 5, get 1 free!

June 2
- Some Nairobi buildings were designed by Mario bros - with secret floors, VIP lifts, hidden entrances, hostile guards to negotiate
- Santander Bank may sponsor Ferrari next year - does that also make Alonso their new driver? http://tinyurl.com/mgukmu
- Does patient capitalist Jacqueline Novogratz @jnovogratz have the answer to the role of aid in development? http://tinyurl.com/q9llxb
- The African Union wants to set up an African Central Bank http://bit.ly/QcMav
- @TerryanneC Delta Airlines maiden flight earlier scheduled for tomorrow from Atlanta to Kenya postponed indefinitely
- If I had to subscribe to one magazine for life, it would be the Economist

June 3
- @coldtusker -even without airport CEO, artur, 1jet1 - US may want more than one airport checkpoint to filter passengers, so non-stop no go
- @mamboleo ranneberger welcomed delta in the news and was to officiate today. Mwakwere has been in US for a week waiting to fly
- @MIMImagazine new Sade album this year http://bit.ly/Ywv14
- What's wrong with Kenya airport Security? http://tinyurl.com/qmmem2
- Want to speak like Kenyan kids? - try the Sheng dictionary http://www.sheng.co.ke/kamu...
- Got an accurate shares statement by e-mail from CDSC Kenya - so my stockbroker is still honest

June 4
- Should companies care about what’s written about them online? http://bit.ly/oiYFw
- Former ministers and MP's mentioned in parliament as masterminds of some collapsed Kenya pyramid
- Michuki and Ruto top a NTV viewer poll of best performing ministers in Kenya. Ok... #Kenya

June 5
- @alykhansatchu "In September 2008, all hell broke loose, it fell like the Titanic" - Titus Naikuni Kenya Airways CEO
- @coldtusker Kenya Airways losing 4 billion after Zain's 7 billion loss, there's a lot of blood!

June 6
- Nairobi city council asking 100 shillings ($1.25) to photocopy each 100 words of new laws that will punish residents #FAIL
- Follow George Ayittey @ayittey for a harsh dose of Afro-reality
- JKIA arrival lounge - musician Jua Cali and Uganda leader Kizza Besige arrive unnoticed

June 7
- Button-Brawn wins turkey GP. Kenyan crowds are ABB - Anyone but Button
- @karuoro does XYZ fail for taking shots at politicos who are too funny to be imitated or is it the poor voices?

June 8
- Reading Africa confidential to see which way Gabon goes: Lady Senate president should succeed, but Bongo Jnr. is minister of defence
- Weekendgossip: Delta planned Nairobi route before they mergered with Northwest - who are KLM partners. KLM have invested for many years in Kenya Airways so does it make sense for Delta to fly to Nairobi?

June 9
- Why would Wanjiku Mugane quit the EABL Board? http://bit.ly/u6a6V
- R/T @kainvestor @kachwanya Zain looks to close $12bn deal to sell Africa unit - report: http://tinyurl.com/m4wofy
- Soldiers are not allowed with guns in the room (and other hotel rules) http://bit.ly/BCAV8
- Time to do the tax return thing - 3 out of 4 years waiting for a tax refund

June 10
- How the Lakers won Game 2: I wish Bill Simmons watched Soccer and F1 because there are more conspiracies than NBA http://tinyurl.com/ma2gax
- The folks at DNA Kenya have published a Promiscuity Index Report: Ave No. of Steady Mistresses! Ave No. of kids per steady Mistress! Ave No. of 1 night stands since wedding! #DNAKenya http://www.dnakenya.com
spot the difference

Centum seeks Carbacid

and other Bank Twits

Twitter is a micro-blogging tool that is relly nifty for doing mini-posts, forwards and other remarks that (are on any subject) and are maybe not worthy of a full blog post. Here’s a summary of my week on Twitter:

- @louizah Zain Vuka has ended? Please confirm
- @NTV showing IFC-funded docu on women entreprenurs - meaning manu-arsenal will be on tape delay - WHY? next @NTV ditched a static-filled channel & skipped their 'half time' piece to present second half live, on a much clearer signal! Kudos
- Sports journo era over? Player asks for trade on blog team obliges on Twitter player thanks fans on Facebook http://tinyurl.com/d967eu
- blog post Why Safaricom should spin off MPesa http://bit.ly/gYZ86
- The Central Bank of Kenya reports have become incomprehensible B.S
- Upgraded Safaricom Investor relations page has media and CEO briefings http://bit.ly/VBZ2f
- Tanzania will now recognize Kenya manufacturers mark of quality http://bit.ly/USZHg
- Delta Air round-trip intro fares from Nairobi include (ex-tax) $650-NY/DC, $975-ATL/Chi/ Dallas, $1124-LA/SF and $1440-Detroit
- @kahenya @jamesmurua likes Riviera, which has good crowd and facilities, but beer is pricey and the place is a fire-trap
- So Joe Biden met Nairobi mayor Majiwa in chicago. There, thats the end of the joke
- Safaricom CEO says M-Pesa not yet profitable http://bit.ly/TDV8D
- @leofaya says Kenyan promoters are killing Facebook http://bit.ly/zBHXB
- Today's pavement uprooting is sponsored by access kenya - as the fibre optic railway is laid around Nairobi
- @Archermishale sports conspiracy goes that where a sport wants to sway a big game, they put in a low-quality ref, but didn't happen on Wednesday
- Safaricom partners with Kenyas' largest bank KCB http://bit.ly/J4l92
- Kenya budget saga ($115 million) blamed on a typo - Quote ODB "N___ please!" http://tinyurl.com/p5hoyo
- blog post: two bank shareholder meetings same day same building same time http://bit.ly/86lNq
- @pinkm so you can only use debit, but not credit card to buy amazon books from KE? Interesting
- Ethiopian Air applies to fly from Nairobi to Amsterdam and Nairobi –Liege (Belgiu
- Land spin: Could there be a link between migingo island and the kampala land kenya got from Uganda military?
- If MTN buy Yu or Access Kenya, they will have to negotiate with MTN matatu society for use of name
- blog post Its Our Turn to Eat (is credit card worthy) http://bit.ly/YnriQ
- NMG 2008 report gives prominent mention of new digital division, Making-Nation DVD and Zuqka portal http://tinyurl.com/qkcphc
- Centum applies to the CMA to buy Kshs.350m of Carbacid shares and be largest shareholder of the Nairobi listed (but suspended) company
- Senator cards advise customers to only upload to https, not http sites. It's rare to find credit company giving card advice
- From Mars Group: Parliament's Report on the Kenya Budget inconsistencies http://blog.marsgroupkenya....

Where to Bank an Adsense Cheque in Nairobi

This is a follow up post to the long-running question of what do with an adsense cheque or its’ equivalent. There are dozens of Kenyan bloggers building up small net earnings from adsense and similar web-based advertising companies – but who usually pay in US$ cheques - minimum $100 i.e. now almost Kshs 8,000 which is a tidy sum for a part time activity.

The post is of interest because the costs of clearing such a cherub can run up to 50%at some banks. After the last post on the subject we had these as the cheapest banks:

2. Family Bank - Kshs. 650
3. KCB (said) minimum Ksh.800
4. Co-op Bank - Kshs 1,000
1. I can now add to the top of the pile Barclays Bank of Kenya who charge just Kshs 200 /= (~$2.5) the lowest so far I have verified.

KCB was the only bank (out of 40) to respond to a query via the general e-mail account published by the banks. What does this say about the level of internet interaction? Very bad. There are some non-existent companies with great interactive websites, but with Kenyan banking its the opposite – some great innovative banks who put up massive website, and which, though updated often, rarely respond to to online queries and feedback.

Twitter would be a nice (free) tool for them to use, but no bank has yet embraced corporate blogging, and none are on @Twitter yet. @MosesKeimbaro had a recent post on Kenyan brands on Twitter. – with the most prominent and active being @KenyaAirways. Also here's a great list of other financial sites on twitter.