Author: Otiato Guguyu

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FeaturedNews
Otiato Guguyu

Café Deli’s chicken sparks economic renaissance in Busia

Kenya’s hotel industry has been a darling of private equity investors who believed East Africa’s largest economy had a sizable middle class, who could drink more cups of coffee and get cultured into a pallet for the American burger.  American chains such as Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) landed in Nairobi in 2011 and was quickly followed by Subway three years later, Cold Stone Creamery and Domino’s Pizza the following year then Pizza Hut and Burger King, in 2015 and 2016 respectively.  The popular brand following on the footsteps of South African chains Debonairs and Steers soon spread fast among young urban social media savvy youth against…

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Prince Indah
FeaturedNews
Otiato Guguyu

Why local music is struggling in Kenya

The last time I was at Egesa bar in Umoja seven years ago, the tickets to a show by Luo crooner Prince Indah cost Kes300. Today, it costs just a hundred more as the rising benga musicians retains his solid fanbase by keeping the cost of entertainment affordable for the Eastlands crowds. Cheki, my cousin and one of his diehard fans tells me we have to make it there by six O’Clock to get a seat. A Prince Indah concert attracts fans by the hundreds and when we make it there late as usual by eight O’Clock most tables are taken. Although the seats are…

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Matatu
FeaturedNews
Otiato Guguyu

Matatu code for drivers this holiday season

Across the 246,757 kilometres of road cutting through Kenya, an unspoken language rules. A secret code—using indicator lights, headlamps and hand gestures—is exchanged among public transport drivers, to navigate a maze of countless police stops, especially where bribes are almost certainly demanded and paid promptly.    Seif Mwanje, a bus driver I picked up on my way to Kisumu tells me that if I flick my head lamps twice at an oncoming matatu and swish my wipers, the driver will know there are no traffic police officers for another long stretch. He says if I flick the lights and signal with my index and middle fingers pointed downwards, that would mean…

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FeaturedNews
Otiato Guguyu

Bankers caught in the domino effect of the falling shilling

Kenyan banks find themselves in a tough spot, akin to a deer ensnared in the piercing glow of headlights. They are burdened by substantial amounts of government debt and defaulted government supplier debt. To compound matters, their ventures into foreign exchange have become a costly gamble, with a staggering 23.8 percent surge in expenses triggered by the falling Kenyan shilling.. In psychology, it is recognized that, like animals, humans tend to freeze in response to acute stress, an instinct aimed at enhancing risk assessment and decision-making abilities. However, this instinct can lead to paralysis, leaving individuals unsure of how to proceed. Kenyan lenders are facing…

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Omtatah truck
CountiesNews
Otiato Guguyu

How Busia County bought a Sh10 million truck from no one

Busia Governor Paul Otuoma did not expect Senator Okiya Omtatah to take the time to search the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) website for the ownership details of a dilapidated refrigerator truck that the county had purchased for Kes10 million. The vehicle, KCA 299X Isuzu Lorry/Truck 2264000, which has completely depreciated to a jalopy and is parked at the County Commissioner’s Offices in Busia Town, lacks ownership details. The meticulous Senator Omtatah went further to inquire from Isuzu Kenya about the cost of a new truck, only to be informed that it costs half as much, just Kes5.5 million. The truck was part of…

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