Business

Startimes unveils an all women TV Channel

Published

4 years ago

August 6, 2019

Pay television Company Startimes on Monday 5th August unveiled a new TV channel dubbed Rembo TV that airs local content whose target audience will be women.

The Pay TV company has put a Sh 200 million investment towards the company’s progressive efforts for the development of local content that will be available to the platform’s subscribers through the self-produced channel, Rembo TV.

Kenya Film Commission Chief Executive Officer Mr Timothy Owase noted the continued investment in local production as an indicator of the growth experienced in the industry with the commission aggressively positioning Kenyan productions to rival other competing industries in neighboring Tanzania and Nigeria.

He also challenged the industry to cover all thresholds and not just women because the local audience is looking for content that they can relate with. His counterpart from the Kenya Films Classification Board (KFCB), Ezekiel Mutua specifically challenged Startimes to come up with a channel that will target the boychild.

Speaking at the unveiling ceremony, Startimes CEO Mr Andy Wang noted that the company has responded to the growing appeal for authentic Kenyan content that subscribers can easily relate with as it rolls out exciting fresh shows that are expected to sustain the channel’s subscriber appeal moving forward.

“Our investment in Rembo TV is a statement of our long term commitment to the Kenyan market. As the 24-hour channel goes live, we intend to be home of uninterrupted entertainment attending to our subscriber demand for reality TV shows,” Wang said.

The company has partnered with over 30 content developers in the country towards the development of Rembo TV an entertainment channel with a key focus on reality television shows targeting the women audience and with a language policy comprising of 60% Kiswahili, 30% English and 10% vernacular.

Rembo TV will be available across three East African countries that is Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda thereby presenting an enviable platform to market Kenyan productions across the region.

The channel will be available on all StarTimes bouquet options both terrestrial and satellite platforms with the company eyeing growth in subscriber retention as well as listing new subscribers keen on the improved content towards growing the pay-television company’s market share.

Betting

TAX COMPLIANT BETTING COMPANIES IN KENYA

Published

4 years ago

July 25, 2019

Edwin Rotich

KRA has cleared 10 betting companies which have complied with the government tax regulations.

They are: OdiBets, Ken Bookmakers, Lucky 2u, Eazi Bet, Kick off, Betway, Mozzartbet, Eastleighbet, Palms Bet and Bet boss.

Last week, the government failed to renew licenses for 27 betting firms, despite the affected firms claiming to have complied to set regulations.

On April 1, Cabinet Secretary Interior and Coordination of National Government Fred Matiang’i vowed to introduce tough measures to regulate betting sector, which he accused of leading youths astray.

He gave all firms three months up to July 1 to seek fresh renewal of licenses upon proving tax compliance.

Among the conditions that betting and gaming firms had to meet before having their licences renewed is to be tax-compliant.

The state had failed to renew licenses for Betin, Betway, Betpawa, Premierbet, Lucky 2 U, 1X Bet, Mozzartbet, Dafa bet, Sportpesa, World Sport Bet, Atari Gaming, Palmsbet and Betboss. Others are Betyetu, Elitebet, Bungabet, Cysabet, Nestbet, Easybet, Kick Off, Millionaire Sports Bet, Kenya Sports Bet and Eastleighbet.

Betting

List of Betting Companies that have NOT been Closed in Kenya

Published

4 years ago

July 11, 2019

Edwin Rotich

A total of 19 betting companies may be closed by the government. According to Interior CS Fred Matiangi,the President has given his ministry the green light to deal with the betting industry so as to bring back sanity among the youth.

The only 7 betting companies whose licence has been renewed are:

OdiBets
Betpalace
Mcheza
Kwikbet
Betika
Gamemania
Betlion

Business

Kenyan Butchers Using Chemicals to Make Meat Look Fresh..

Published

4 years ago

July 9, 2019

Edwin Rotich

Investigations have revealed that most butchers in Kenya are adding a killer chemical to preserve meat.

The butchers are said to be using sodium metabisulphite– a white powdery chemical locally referred to as dawa ya nyama (the meat drug) – to make meat look fresh.

The chemical is usually mixed with water and once smeared on meat which has been in the butchery for weeks, it gives it a fresh red look, duping unsuspecting customers.

It is easily accessible to the business people since it’s available in chemists and agrovets for Sh650 per 500-gramme container.

According to laboratory tests carried out on meat samples purchased from supermarkets and butcheries in Nairobi and surrounding regions, over 98 milligrammes of sodium metabisulphite per kilogramme of minced meat was detected.

Scientists say the chemical can cause cancer and by international standards, fresh meat is not supposed to contain any preservative.

Although the Health Ministry prohibits the use of chemicals to preserve meat, retail outlets have claimed they have not received any complaints from consumers regarding the quality of the meat.

“This is adulteration. The use of chemicals is illegal and the meat is not up to standard,” said Dr Kepha Ombacho, the Director of Public Health.

The Ministry has standardised preservation methods — which include salting, deep freezing and smoking, all of which are harmless.

Other uses of sodium metabisulphite include; removing tree stumps, a bleaching agent in the production of Coconut cream and in the water treatment industry to quench chlorine residual.

It may cause allergic reactions in those who are sensitive to sulphites, including respiratory reactions in asthmatics, anaphylaxis and other allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.