The Star Person of the Year awards Since 2018, the Star has been running the award of the Star Person of the Year. The award is in recognition of personalities whose work has had a positive impact on their communities or the nation. The winner of the prestigious “Star Person of the Year” is usually unveiled in December, days before Christmas. You have up to November 17, to nominate them for the Star Person of the Year award 2024. Submit your nominations via the link.
It’s a riff on the beloved 1995 Coca-Cola ad that features a convoy of lit-up Coke trucks delivering Christmas cheer to a suburban landscape. For me, this is more depressing than anything Coca-Cola could ever do with AI advertising. And, according to The Drum—an advertising newsletter—people love this ad if you don’t tell them it’s AI before they watch it. “We didn’t tell them they were watching an AI ad or that they were to compare it to the beloved original. To make the original ad, Coca-Cola had to hire crew, actors, drivers, and hundreds of other people.
[iStockPhoto]Uganda's LGBTQ community is enduring increased online abuse, and the authorities are waging a "witch-hunt" against anyone perceived to be promoting homosexuality, Amnesty International warned on Wednesday. Online attacks against members of the LGBTQ community have surged since the law was introduced, Amnesty said in a new report, citing cases of doxing, outing, threats of violence, blackmail, impersonation, hacking and disinformation. Online abuse has "devastating consequences" for LGBTQ people, said Shreshtha Das, Amnesty's gender researcher and adviser. Amnesty added that the use of derogatory language against LGBTQ people was pervasive online, while disinformation campaigns depicted members of the community in harmful ways, including as "sexual predators". The rights group called for the Ugandan parliament to repeal the controversial law and for the authorities to conduct independent investigations into online abuse.
Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops Chairman Maurice Muhatia flanked by other bishops during a media briefing on the state of the Nation held in Nairobi on November 14, 2024. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]The Catholic church yesterday condemned President William Ruto’s administration over unexplained killings, abductions, widespread corruption, and a growing culture of deception. In a pointed statement, the bishops, through the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), criticised the government for fostering an environment where citizens have become accustomed to the lies propagated by politicians. The bishops also decried the increasing incidents of killings, abductions, and disappearances, particularly the murder of women. It must uphold the law, which its leaders swore to protect,” the bishops added.
Torrential rains that pounded various parts of Kitui county throughout Thursday night up to mid-morning on Friday have claimed the lives of a female farmer. At the same time, the rains rendered several all-weather roads in Kitui County impassable affecting the delivery of the practical biology KCSE exam papers to Mutitu Boys Secondary School in Kitui East by road impossible. “The woman had taken a boda boda to go to her farm a few kilometres from her home. “It rained heavily in many areas of Kitui county leaving rivers swollen. We had to request a chopper from KNEC headquarters to deliver the examination papers,” Isaak told the media on the phone.
Former US Vice President Al Gore speaks during a session at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku on November 15, 2024. screamed a protest banner at the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, where negotiations over how much rich nations most responsible for climate change should pay poorer ones are getting heated. Here's a look at what developing countries need, and who is helping them foot the bill. A group of leading economists commissioned by the United Nations estimates that developing countries, excluding China, need $2.4 trillion a year in climate finance by 2030. Developing countries are the least responsible for global warming, but the most exposed to climate shocks, which are accelerating as the planet warms.
Kirinyaga Women Rep Njeri Maina Defends Clergy Amid Criticism from GovernmentSource: UGCHer remarks come in the wake of sharp criticism of the government from the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB). In a Facebook post, Njeri Maina noted that critics were silent when the church declared this government God-ordained. Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Njeri emphasized the constitutional rights of the clergy to freely express their views on national issues. Njeri reiterated that the clergy has been a moral compass for the nation since time immemorial, therefore, they should continue speaking. Why Catholic bishops criticised Ruto governmentThis comes against the backdrop of recurring incidents of abductions, torture, and femicide.
Kilifi North MP Owen BayaKilifi North MP Owen Baya on Friday launched a scathing attack on Catholic bishops over their criticism of the government for fostering a "culture of lies." Baya, the deputy majority leader at the National Assembly, said there is nothing as bad as seeing bishops convening to come up with a misleading statement. Baya added that the bishops need Kenya to be stable for them to preach the gospel. “What Catholic bishops are doing is unfair before God and man. They pointed out that several faith-based hospitals, particularly those run by the Catholic Church, were owed substantial amounts in unpaid claims.
On September 20th, the Nairobi Court of Appeal made a landmark ruling in favour of 185 former Facebook content moderators who were illegally terminated by Meta. The court's decision stated that the case should be heard in Kenya, despite Meta's insistence that it should be handled in the United States due to the company's registration and terms of service.
Nairobi is leading in Kenya nation in cases of sexual and gender-based violence, with 2,800 cases recorded in the 2023-24 findings. (Photo: Handout)By Maureen Kinyanjui | Friday, November 15, 2024Human rights organisations continue to pressure the government to adopt a more comprehensive approach to addressing femicide and gender-based violence. A recent report by the National Council of Administration of Justice (NCAJ) has revealed that Nairobi is leading in Kenya nation in cases of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). "This troubling trend highlights the urgent need for focused actions and collaborations to tackle the widespread problem of gender-based violence in our society," he said. Additionally, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has introduced draft guidelines for gender-responsive grievance mechanisms as part of a broader action plan on business and human rights.
The huge snake caricature by the civil society organisations in Baku, Azerbaijan/Gilbert KoechCivil society organisations have caused a stir at the ongoing climate change talks in Azerbaijan accusing big polluters of sponsoring lobbyists. A vast number of fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP as part of a trade association. The largest was the International Emissions Trading Association, who brought 43 people including representatives from Big Polluters. They also come amidst revelations that many of the world’s largest fossil fuel corporations have approved US$250 billion in oil and gas expenditure since COP28. It further substantiates the growing call from Global South countries, public officials, UN constituencies, and wider civil society to eject polluters from talks.
UK Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds during a session in COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on November 15, 2024/ HANDOUTKenya is set to receive Sh660 million to uplift the Weather and Climate Information Services (WISER). This is after the UK Minister for Development Anneliese Dodds announced a £ 30 million (Ksh4.8B) WISER Africa program out of which Kenya will pocket the Sh660m. The new funding for WISER Kenya will go towards adaptation to climate hazards such as droughts, floods and storms. The project has previously worked with local communities such as Kibera to co-design weather information using radio and SMS. “Weather and climate services help us all to prepare better.
In her bid to push for an eco-friendly environment, Charlene revealed that she was a proud outfit repeater in her push for climate action. Climate action manenoz." In Africa, climate change is always big when we experience drought, but when our seasons are full of rain, it's hard to make someone believe anything climate change. Kenya's National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) guides the country's efforts to reduce emissions, adapt to climate impacts, and promote sustainable development. Kenya's climate challenges, such as rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and flooding, are becoming increasingly severe, making climate action a national priority.
Turkana people of Kenya and Matheniko communities of Uganda have lived peacefully side by side since 1973 when they signed a peace pact and committed to better business. Ms Jane Nakaru, a local trader, says she expected that traders from Moroto in Uganda and Lodwar, Turkwel, and Lorugum in Kenya would be attracted to the centre. “I am a small-scale trader who relies on bodaboda operators to get cereals, vegetables, fruits, and sugar from Nakiloro market in Uganda. In less than a week, all traders abandoned the market for their manyatta shops in villages,” Ms Nakaru said. The Lodwar — Moroto road is characterised by steep and rocky slopes at a section between Lokiriama and Nakiloro.
Huawei, a leading smartphone manufacturer, is among the companies that have turned to vending software solutions in the Kenyan market, while smartphone and other hardware devices remain their primary focus in other markets across the continent. Tanzania has only 22 million smartphones as of September 2024, translating to a penetration rate of just 33 per cent, according to the Tanzania Communications Regulatory Authority (TCRA). The Finnish tech firm last month launched its Ava Fixed Network Software, a Cloud Storage service, and a raft of other software solutions in the Kenyan market, mostly targeting telecommunication firms and mobile network operators. Chinese manufacturer Transsion Holdings, which owns the Tecno smartphone brand, has also evolved into marketing AI software and companion robots in the Kenyan market in efforts to diversify its business. The first units of Tecno’s Dynamic 1 robots – AI-enabled companion and entertainment tools, which have been around for nearly a year, hit the Kenyan market in October, and are targeting high-end tech-savvy users.
