
<p>NAIROBI (Reuters) &#8211; Creditors of Kenya’s Nakumatt supermarket chain, once East Africa’s biggest retailer, voted on Tuesday to wind it up after it was unable to pay debts following a failed rescue attempt.</p>



<p>Nakumatt expanded from a mattress shop in a rural town to a network of more than 60 branches before a cash crunch forced it to shut more than a dozen outlets in 2017 when it was unable to pay suppliers, landlords and other creditors.</p>



<p>Poor management, rapid expansion and a flood and militant attack at two separate stores all hurt the chain, opening the door for foreign chains such as France’s Carrefour and South Africa’s Shoprite to enter the market.About 92% of creditors who voted backed the liquidation.</p>



<p>Pater Kahi, who was appointed as an administrator in 2018, said creditors had no choice but to back receivership. Liquidation allows suppliers to indirectly recoup up to 46% of the value of their debt through tax refunds, he said.</p>



<p>Nakumatt owes more than 30 billion shillings ($296 million): 18 billion to suppliers, 4 billion to commercial paper holders and the rest to banks.</p>



<p>The banks may go after the assets of individual directors of Nakumatt, Kahi said, and are considering hiring a private investigator to track down directors’ assets.</p>



<p>Kenyan police are also investigating potential fraud, he said, adding a forensic audit had not yet been carried out because there were no funds for it. The audit would cost at least 40 million shillings, he said.</p>



<p>Police did not respond to calls seeking comment, while Nakumatt’s former management could not be reached for comment.</p>



<p>“The guys who will walk home with zero are the commercial paper holders,” Kahi said.</p>



<p>Kimani Rugendo, chairman of the Suppliers Association of Kenya, which represents more than 1,500 members, said Nakumatt owed his juice-manufacturing firm Kevian close to 100 million shillings. He wants a forensic audit.</p>



<p>“I still don’t believe all these billions really went into a loss as it was declared,” he said. “It is an inflated loss, a man-made loss, and we should know where they took all the money.”</p>



<p>“Our hope has been for a revival and to get at least our money back in the long run, at least 80%,” he said.</p>



<p>Kenya enacted new regulations last year compelling retailers to pay suppliers within 90 days.</p>



<p>Rugendo said that was “a step in the right direction.”</p>



<p>($1 = 101.1500 Kenyan shillings)</p>



<p>Editing by Katharine Houreld and Mark Potter</p>


Kenyan retailer Nakumatt to close as creditors back liquidation

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<p>One of the continent&#8217;s biggest collections of creatives will be taking place in Kigali this month. CAX is expected to have some of Hollywood’s A-listers as they seek to inspire Africa&#8217;s creatives. Dolapo Adedapo, Head of Global Engagement at Creative Africa Exchange joins CNBC Arica for more.</p>


CAX to invite the likes of Steve Harvey

CAX to invite the likes of Steve Harvey, Idris Elba to leverage opportunity in Kigali’s creative industry

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<p>The numbers show that tertiary level enrolment in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) stands well below the global standard, there are a number of reasons for this of course, chief among them simply being access. When students do manage to enroll, the issues then become keeping up with high tuition costs and relatively expensive learning materials, often leaving students with no choice but to make due with outdated textbooks and damaged goods from donations or past students. Phil Pleiwon, Founder of Imano Portal, a platform born in Liberia believes he could provide a solution right here in East Africa. He joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How this digital platform is improving tertiary education outcomes in Africa

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<p>Carbon, a Nigerian-based fintech start-up that started as a loan offering platform, has launched operations in Kenya. Eliud Mungai, Kenya Country Lead at Carbon joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


How Carbon is smoothening the fintech plains by expanding into Kenya

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<p>In the region, numerous events have taken center stage as we ushered in the new decade. In Rwanda, the meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) sector continues to register growth in revenue estimated at $88 million for the year 2019/2020 up from $74 million the previous year. Event Organizer, Mutamuliza Alyce Nkesha joins CNBC Africa to share her 16 year experience and the growth in the events sector.</p>


Alyce Nkesha on how MICE sector is key driver of revenue growth in Rwanda

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<p>Kenya has been rocked by another terrorist attack on a military base in Lamu, there have been three casualties reported but even more lives and livelihoods could be affected by this unfortunate event. Journalist, Joseph Bonyo joins CNBC Africa to discuss what is happening in the country.</p>


How terrorist attack on Lamu is bound to affect tourism in Kenya

By <span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jo-tondeur-903360">Jo Tondeur</a>, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/vrije-universiteit-brussel-2958">Vrije Universiteit Brussel</a></em></span>

<p>Kenya’s education ministry has <a href="http://vision2030.go.ke">proposed that</a> information and communication technology (ICT) – such as computers, laptops, tablets and cameras – be used to help teach certain subjects and improve how students learn. The technology can, for instance, stimulate creativity, help children understand complex topics and give them tools to learn more independently. </p>

<p>In 2011 the ministry created an integration team to coordinate and harmonise all initiatives. The team worked with a Flemish and Belgian non-profit organisation – <a href="https://www.vvob.org/nl">VVOB (education for development)</a> – dedicated to improving the quality of education in developing countries. </p>

<p>Part of the plan included a professional development programme which was carried out in four pilot schools and lasted two years. It was designed to help teachers learn how to integrate technology into the curriculum. Because teachers are in control of the classroom settings, it was crucial that they were part of this collaborative experience.</p>

<p>My colleagues and I <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/1475939X.2015.1091786?journalCode=rtpe20">evaluated</a> the programme. Our main focus was on how many teachers continued to use technology in their lessons after the programme ended in the four government-funded secondary schools. None of these schools had previous experience with ICT. </p>

<p>We found that teachers faced a wide range of challenges when it came to 
integrating technology into their classrooms. These included a lack of electricity, infrastructure and connectivity. Moreover, the training needed was complex and the resources required to deliver it were scarce. </p>

<p>At the start of the intervention, teachers didn’t know how to integrate technology in their classes. They also didn’t have enough time to develop new lessons and had too many pupils to teach. </p>

<p>Our findings support the view that integrating technology into schools does’t automatically follow a simple placement of hardware and software. It involves understanding the dynamic relationship between technology, how it’s used in the classroom and the content of the curriculum. </p>

<p>Our research also suggests that the professional development of teachers is a long term project. It needs constant reiterations of learning about emerging technologies and how to use them. This must be in balance with the national ICT initiative but also, more importantly, be sensitive to the different school cultures and communities. </p>

<h2>Integration is key</h2>

<p>In the schools we evaluated, technology training sessions were developed under a professional development programme. These were designed to encourage teachers to identify challenging areas in their teaching and then brainstorm about how technology could offer an advantage in the classroom. For instance, how technology could help them overcome the challenge of scarce or outdated textbooks. Trainers in the workshop would then train the teachers in teacher design teams on the skills they would need to accomplish the task. </p>

<p>We conducted teacher questionnaires and focus group discussions with a total of 64 teachers. The aim was to see how many teachers used technology in their classrooms two years after the programme had ended. Based on the results it appeared that some teachers were just beginning to use technology to present information. But most were using it to support their educational practice outside the classroom. For example, they used technology to prepare lessons or to email with colleagues. </p>

<p>This was due to a number of challenges, including:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Schools kept hardware, like computers, in labs. This physical separation of technology and the actual classroom meant that it was harder to integrate technology in learning activities. But labs were used because of poor security, power breakdowns and a lack of space in the classrooms.</p></li>
<li><p>At the beginning of the project, the schools  didn’t have clear goals on how to support technology integration after the professional development programme. This could be because a large number of people – from the principal to integration teams – were involved in decision-making processes. Also, participants only felt more clear about the role of ICT in education towards the end of the programme.</p></li>
<li><p>The teachers also needed additional support from administrative school leaders, like the headteachers. These leaders would have the authority to demand the installation of electricity and connectivity in each class. But in one school, the teachers said that they didn’t feel they had support from the leadership, or good direction. </p></li>
</ul>

<p>We also found positive outcomes. </p>

<p>For example, there was collaboration at the school as well as the regional level. In some schools, the teachers worked with others in different schools and passed on ideas. In turn, this contributed to the promotion of professionalism. </p>

<p>We concluded that the gains of the programme could only be sustained if schools and teachers felt a sense of ownership and were part of a process of evaluation so that they could understand what they’d learnt, and what goals they wanted to set. This stresses the importance of professional development as a permanent process, aimed at extending and updating the professional knowledge of teachers in the context of their work.<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/127929/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" /></p>

<p><span><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/jo-tondeur-903360">Jo Tondeur</a>, Assistant Professor, <em><a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/vrije-universiteit-brussel-2958">Vrije Universiteit Brussel</a></em></span></p>

<p>This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-kenya-is-failing-to-integrate-technology-into-secondary-schools-127929">original article</a>.</p>

Why this East African country is failing to integrate technology into secondary schools

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<p>For the first time, the 10th edition of the Omani Products Exhibition will take place in Rwanda between January 15th to 18th, with the aim of improving trade relations between the two countries. Over 80 exhibitors from Oman are expected to showcase from food and beverage, plastics, textiles, metals and minerals, construction and logistics. Ayman Al Hsani, Chairman of Opex Commitee joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Rwanda looks to deepen trade ties with Oman

Rwanda looks to deepen trade ties with Oman, hosts 10th Omani Products Trade show

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<p>250 Start Ups and the University of Rwanda (UR) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support innovative students in building new tech solutions. Charles Shyaka, General Manager at 250 Start Ups joins CNBC Africa for more on these partnerships.</p>


250 Start Ups

250 Start Ups, UR sign MoU to support tech start-ups in Rwanda

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<p>Dubai-based independent hotel management company, Aleph Hospitality has opened the Best Western Plus Westlands hotel in Nairobi, marking the firm’s first operation in Kenya. Bani Haddad, Managing Director of Aleph Hospitality joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Top performers honoured at the Rwanda Tourism Awards

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<p>Last week, Jumia best known here in Kigali for its restaurant delivery service announced it is suspending operations in Rwanda. Moreover, Qatar Airways to take 60 per cent stake in new Rwandan international airport and Rwanda, Uganda talks failed to reach agreement on cross-border issues. Kelly Rwamapera, Reporter at The East African joins CNBC Africa for more.</p>


Jumia to close Rwandan business

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<p>According to a new ME Policy Index report, in Kenya small businesses are struggling to expand in the local and export market due to a poor regulatory environment. In addition, struggling retailer Nakumatt Holdings has shut down three of its remaining six stores, signalling trouble in the recovery path that it embarked on about two years ago. Joining CNBC Africa for more is Economic Analyst, Reginald Kadzutu.</p>


Here’s why small businesses in Kenya struggle to grow


<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) &#8211; The staff of the International Monetary Fund and the Ethiopian government have reached a preliminary agreement for a three-year, $2.9 billion financing package to support the African country’s economic reform program, the IMF said on Wednesday.</p>



<p>It said the agreement was subject to approval by the Fund’s executive board. If approved, it would be supported by the IMF under its Extended Credit Facility (ECF) and Extended Fund Facility (EFF).</p>



<p>The Ethiopian economic reform program would focus on addressing the foreign exchange shortage and transitioning to a more flexible exchange rate regime, while working to strengthen oversight and management of state-owned enterprises to contain debt vulnerabilities in Africa’s second most populous nation.</p>



<p>It would also work to free up domestic revenue for poverty-reducing and essential infrastructure spending; financial sector reforms to support private investment and modernize the monetary policy framework; and strengthening of the supervisory framework and financial safety nets, the IMF said.</p>



<p>Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed pledged to undertake economic reforms when he took office last year, with a focus on leveraging private sector investment to help provide jobs for millions of unemployed youth in the nation’s 100 million people.</p>



<p>Ethiopia’s foreign exchange shortages have worsened in the past five years as the government spent heavily on infrastructure before export earnings from new sectors such as manufacturing took off.</p>



<p>Reporting by David Lawder and Andrea Shalal; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Lisa Shumaker</p>


gettyimages-519230144-594×594

IMF and this East African country reach preliminary agreement on $2.9 billion financing package

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<p>Rwanda recently unveiled its largest cargo handling facility which is set to save businesses up to $50 million a year in logistics costs, among other benefits that this episode of Doing Business In Rwanda is going to unpack&#8230;.</p>


Understanding the benefits of Rwanda’s largest inland cargo handling facility


<p>By Izabella Koziell, Program Director, CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems (WLE)</p>



<p>If you’re of a certain age, Ethiopia may still invoke images of its devastating mid-1980s famine that gripped people around the world – including celebrities. But the once impoverished country has redefined itself in just over a generation.</p>



<p>It is now Africa’s fastest-growing economy, and this week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in resolving the country’s two-decade-long conflict with neighbouring Eritrea.</p>



<p>But these bright prospects come with risks. It is a country that is still struggling with communal conflict. And the peace-building process with Eritrea is seen by some as stalled.</p>



<p>This political backdrop of hope and risk mirrors Ethiopia’s future in two other equally critical spheres: feeding its people and protecting its environment. A quickly growing population means more people to feed, and the land and water resources it relies on to grow food are struggling to cope under intensive cultivation, rapid urbanisation and the impacts of climate change.</p>



<p>If Ethiopia does not act quickly to protect and conserve its natural resources, it may struggle to continue its path of progress.</p>



<p>Ethiopia is highly dependent on agriculture, accounting for at least 40 per cent of its economy and employing some three-quarters of the workforce.</p>



<p>And despite decades of investments into restoring Ethiopia’s land, over 85 per cent is still either moderately or severely degraded, meaning its capacity to produce nutritious and bountiful food is hampered.</p>



<p>At the same time, alternating cycles of floods and droughts are making food production more difficult, and are only likely to worsen under climate change. Getting Ethiopia’s agriculture right has never been more challenging, or essential.</p>



<p>One way to do this is to turn changing climatic conditions into advantages. It is no longer enough just to be resilient to climate change; Ethiopians must convert these challenges to their own benefit.</p>



<p>Pastoralists in the lowlands of Afar, for instance, are now harnessing worsening floods to create new sources of irrigation in areas once inhospitable to crops and livestock grazing. By spreading flood water across land near seasonal streams, new areas of land were now enriched enough to support high value crops. Combined with better data and improved farming practices, the area saw major increases in crop and forage yields.</p>



<p>Likewise, in the highlands of Northern Ethiopia, severe erosion and prolonged droughts converged to create a situation where food, water and soil nutrients were scarce, undermining the subsistence and livelihoods of local communities.</p>



<p>But agricultural researchers from the global consortium CGIAR, along with local experts, supported communities to terrace the steep land, change grazing practices, target fertilizers more effectively and introduce new crops. This mix of techniques reduces soil erosion and turns degraded land back into productive plots, helping to meet mounting food demand.</p>



<p>These kinds of integrated approaches are delivering real results across Ethiopia and so should be expanded to help the country nourish both its people and land.</p>



<p>One way to ensure these big steps are taken is by incorporating the best knowledge and tools into existing programmes, including improved access to climate-smart technologies, such as high tech soil analysis or state-of-the-art seeds. To do this, they must be available to Ethiopia’s smallholder farmers at an affordable cost.</p>



<p>For example, tax cuts or innovative financing can expand the use of technologies such as solar-powered irrigation, helping encourage the transition to cleaner energy whilst boosting farmer productivity.</p>



<p>The Commission on Sustainable Intensification of Agriculture, which brings together renowned scientists, policy-makers, business-leaders, farmer organisations and more, has echoed this call. It aims to provide a roadmap to ensure farmers in Ethiopia and across the Global South can access – and help improve – these innovations.</p>



<p>Building long-term resilience against food shortages must start by safeguarding Ethiopia’s food, water and land resources. Failing to act could exacerbate the already high levels of hunger and place new strains on the Ethiopian government.</p>



<p>And with the global stage looking to Ethiopia and the Nobel Peace Prize as a beacon of hope in troubling times, the country can seize the moment to strengthen its leadership in protecting food security for years to come.</p>


Op-Ed: Ethiopia has a Nobel Prize and a roaring economy. Can it also gain a food secure future?

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<p>Achieving financial inclusion for women in Africa is not only beneficial to the women on the continent but has a greater economic impact on Africa according to distinguished scholar Dr. Tererai Trent. CNBC Africa&#8217;s Arnold Kwizera spoke with Dr. Trent for more.</p>


How gender inclusivity makes women businesses more financially viable

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<p>The main objective of the Kigali International Audiovisual Forum is to foster the development and professionalization of audio-visual structures and industries in Eastern Africa and the whole continent. This panel discussion focuses on how to get film and television content funded&#8230;.</p>


East Africa

Kenyan retailer Nakumatt to close as creditors back liquidation

CAX to invite the likes of Steve Harvey, Idris Elba to leverage opportunity in Kigali’s creative industry

How this digital platform is improving tertiary education outcomes in Africa

How Carbon is smoothening the fintech plains by expanding into Kenya

Alyce Nkesha on how MICE sector is key driver of revenue growth in Rwanda

How terrorist attack on Lamu is bound to affect tourism in Kenya

Why this East African country is failing to integrate technology into secondary schools

Rwanda looks to deepen trade ties with Oman, hosts 10th Omani Products Trade show

250 Start Ups, UR sign MoU to support tech start-ups in Rwanda

Top performers honoured at the Rwanda Tourism Awards

Jumia to close Rwandan business

Here’s why small businesses in Kenya struggle to grow

IMF and this East African country reach preliminary agreement on $2.9 billion financing package

Understanding the benefits of Rwanda’s largest inland cargo handling facility

Op-Ed: Ethiopia has a Nobel Prize and a roaring economy. Can it also gain a food secure future?

How gender inclusivity makes women businesses more financially viable

Kigali Audio-Visual Forum: How to finance film/TV content

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East Africa

Kenyan retailer Nakumatt to close as creditors back liquidation

CAX to invite the likes of Steve Harvey, Idris Elba to leverage opportunity in Kigali’s creative industry

How this digital platform is improving tertiary education outcomes in Africa

How Carbon is smoothening the fintech plains by expanding into Kenya

Alyce Nkesha on how MICE sector is key driver of revenue growth in Rwanda

How terrorist attack on Lamu is bound to affect tourism in Kenya

Why this East African country is failing to integrate technology into secondary schools

Rwanda looks to deepen trade ties with Oman, hosts 10th Omani Products Trade show

250 Start Ups, UR sign MoU to support tech start-ups in Rwanda

Top performers honoured at the Rwanda Tourism Awards

Jumia to close Rwandan business

Here’s why small businesses in Kenya struggle to grow

IMF and this East African country reach preliminary agreement on $2.9 billion financing package

Understanding the benefits of Rwanda’s largest inland cargo handling facility

Op-Ed: Ethiopia has a Nobel Prize and a roaring economy. Can it also gain a food secure future?

How gender inclusivity makes women businesses more financially viable

Kigali Audio-Visual Forum: How to finance film/TV content

News Tips

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