HUSTLE MAG MAY 2021

HUSTLE
Africa's business magazine for the entrepreneur VOLUME 030 MAY/JUNE 2021
EAST AFRICA
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INSIDE
It’s time
varsities tapped
IT potential
Fertilizer
firm boosting
organic
farming
Professor Njenga
Munene, Zetech
University Vice
Chancellor.
ZETECH UNIVERSITY
THE DIGITAL LEARNING
PACE-SETTERS
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CONTENTS
12
11
20 31
26
32

28
WELCOME..............................................................................7
QUOTES.................................................................................8
BRIEFS
•Viral Facts Africa initiative to combat dangerous health
misinformation....................................................................9
• Sustainability, it’s in the details............................... .......10
OPINION
• Tips to help you know you are on the right career path...11
• It’s time varsities tapped IT potential..............................12
14
MAIN STORY
•Zetech University The Digital Learning Pace-setters.........14
• The Zetech Experience.....................................................17
MAIN FEATURE
• EdTech entrepreneurs reshaping the education sector.....18
• eLearning Solutions: Giving learners a fresh chance.......20
• ‘Little Einsteins: Raising next gen inventors and
innovators........................................................................22
• Entrepreneur invents open-sourced technology to improve
access to education in Africa.............................................25
• Virtual Essence leverages ICT to digitise class work........26
37
FEATURE
• A Fresh Concept for Outdoor Advertising........................28
• How different property classes coped with the
pandemic...............................................................................30
• BrighterMonday Kenya launches campaign to help SMEs
hire right.............................. ............................................31
• A Boiling Pot of Disruptive Technology............................32
FARMING
• Fertilizer firm boosting organic farming...........................34
• Banker-turned-poultry farmer becomes champion for
African agriculture.............................................................36
• Avocado farmers to enjoy free fruit maturity
testing services at Kakuzi...................................................37

7. Master of Art in Children & Youth Ministry

WELCOME
MANAGING EDITOR:
Amos Wachira
Embracing innovation
WRITERS:
Jeff Korir
Supram Goswani
CONTRIBUTORS:
Prof Bitange Ndemo
Martin Koinange
Vincent Muasya
Maria Dima
Edward Israel-Ayide
Linly Ku
MARKETING MANAGER:
Jackline Asagi
NEW MARKETS LEAD:
George Marenya
SUBSCRIPTION & CIRCULATION:
Bill Karani
DESIGN AND LAYOUT:
Mark Gikonyo
COVER PHOTO:
Erick Forester
PUBLISHED BY:
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Off Kirinyaga Road
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EMAIL: info@hustlemag.co.ke
HUSTLE E.A IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY.
Views expressed in this publication are
those of the authors and do not necessarily
reflect the position of the publisher.
©2021 Elite Craft Ltd. All rights
reserved. Material may be reproduced
only by prior arrangement and with due
acknowledgement to
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA MAGAZINE.
Editor’s note
Dear reader,
It’s now more than a year since the Coronavirus struck the world. While almost
every economic sector has been hit hard, some have blossomed amidst the
challenges. The education sector is one that should have thrived during the
pandemic, but unfortunately, it didn’t. Granted, the pandemic caught everyone
by surprise, but it’s unfortunate that most learning institutions hadn’t embraced
technology pre-pandemic, and were merely bootstrapping e-learning solutions in
the middle of a pandemic. While some found success, others, especially in rural
Africa, didn’t.
As the adage goes, “necessity is the mother of invention,” the need for a workable
contactless learning solution was urgent.
Kenya is world-famous for many things, including innovation, and most entrepreneurs
trained their eyes on this new opportunity; creating a localized e-learning
solution that could be accessed by learners from across the economic divide.
And this brought forth an array of solutions targeting learning institutions.
While most universities closed down at the start of a pandemic, one learning institution,
Zetech University, was all set to launch their e-learning model. One year
down the line, we find that students never stopped learning, and a virtual graduation
ceremony went ahead as per plan, in the midst of a pandemic. Professor Munene, a
visionary leader, is in charge of the digital learning model. He has demonstrated that
Kenya needs local solutions to its problems, and exposes the need for varsities to
innovate, if at all they aspire to churn tech savvy world beaters. Read on to get the
details.
In this edition, we have also profiled a number of local innovators behind some of
the popular e-learning solutions. One of these is Little Einsteins, a program that
seeks to produce the next generation of thinkers, scientists and innovators. We have
the details of how Mugure Njendu is slowly but surely creating a space for young
boys and girls to nurture their talents.
Away from the Edtech entrepreneurs, we are aware that agriculture is the backbone
of our Kenyan economy. To this end, we learn more about organic farming and how a
fertilizer manufacturer is recruiting more farmers into organic farming.
We also featured a great new innovation by Kakuzi, an agriculture company which is
now testing avocados for farmers to make sure they are of high quality. Read on to
learn more about this.
As the world is smarting from one of the most debilitating and life changing pandemics
in recent history, the clarion call is to build back better, and that’s what business
is all about; resilience.
Happy reading!
editor@hustlemag.co.ke FB: hustle magazine Twitter: @hustlemagke
www.hustlemag.co.ke

THOUGHT LEADERS
“The fine tuning programme is geared at enhancing
the firm’s digital technologies delivery capacity in
the face of the global business challenges arising
from the Covid-19 pandemic, among other geopolitical
and economic challenges.”
“We are encouraging HASS variety Avocado farmers
to consider taking advantage of the free fruit
maturity testing services at the Kakuzi facility to
minimize losses that accrue from the premature
harvesting of this precious fruit.”
Huawei Chairman Mr Eric Xu
Kakuzi PLC’s Executive Head - Corporate Affairs,
Mr Simon Odhiambo
“Working with our partners, RAIN’s transformative
impact can be felt today in 4,000 African communities.
This program drives impact for the Sustainable
Development Goals and our focus on People, Communities,
and the Environment.”
“True, we are dealing with a battered economy,
more so, due to the Covid-19 pandemic but since
inception, the firm’s desire is to be a local market
leader and the company has firmly kept its eyes
on the ball,”
Bea Perez, Chair and President, The Coca-Cola
Foundation.
Tabitha Karanja, CEO, Keroche Breweries
78
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA

hustle briefs
Viral Facts Africa initiative to combat
dangerous health misinformation
The Viral Facts Africa launch comes as 90 million more COVID-19 vaccines are set to arrive in
Africa in the coming months
Viral Facts Africa, a first of
its kind African initiative to
combat health misinformation
online, was launched today by
the World Health Organization
(WHO) and a network of fact-checking
organizations and leading public health
bodies.
Viral Facts Africa will leverage the
insights and reach of a unique network
of 14 organizations to counter health
misinformation as it spreads and to “inoculate”
people against falsehoods. The
initiative is starting with engaging health
fact checks, explainers, myth busters and
misinformation literacy messages that
are optimized for sharing on Facebook,
Twitter and Instagram.
“False claims can spread faster than
COVID-19 itself, often because they are
simple, visual and tap into our emotions.
Viral Facts Africa aims to debunk myths
fast right where they spread, and to help
people sort life-saving facts from noise.
Together, we can stop viral rumours by
sharing viral facts,” said Dr Matshidiso
Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa.
Information on COVID-19 was shared
and viewed over 16 billion times and
mentioned more than 6 million times
on Twitter and web-based news sites
between November 2020 and March 2021
in the 47 countries of the WHO African
Region, according to UN Global Pulse, The
UN Secretary-General’s global initiative on
big data and artificial intelligence.
Similarly, in the WHO African Region
mentions of vaccines rose by over 300%
to over 675 000 between December 2020
and February 2021 when compared with
the previous two months. The Viral Facts
Africa launch comes as 90 million more
COVID-19 vaccines are set to arrive in Africa
in the coming months.
Tracking the focus of misinformation
circulating on social media is difficult,
but African fact-checking organizations
say they have debunked more than 1300
misleading reports since the onset of the
pandemic. Widely shared misinformation
includes conspiracies around unproven
treatments, false cures and antivaccine
messages.
During the testing phase, Viral Facts Africa
products were viewed over 20 million
times on social media. All products are
open for anyone to use and are available
in English and French, with more languages
planned. The initiative is managed by
Fathm, an independent news laboratory
and consultancy with global experience of
anti-misinformation collaborations.
Viral Facts Africa is a part of the Africa
Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), a
WHO-hosted network that coordinates
actions and pools resources to combat
misinformation and fill information gaps
around the COVID-19 pandemic and other
health emergencies in Africa.
Launched in December 2020 with 12
organizations, AIRA brings together the
Africa Centres for Disease Control and
Prevention, International Federation of
the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC),
UNICEF, UNESCO, UN Verified, UN Global
Pulse, WHO and the fact-checking organizations
Africa Check, PesaCheck, Agence
France Presse Fact Check, Dubawa and
Meedan. The alliance is growing, with
Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and Ghana Fact
also recently joining.
“COVID-19 is not over, and as vaccines
are rolled out across Africa, mask wearing,
hand hygiene and physical distancing
are still key to saving lives. We need a
whole-of-society push to keep these
messages fresh in people’s minds and
everyone has a role to play as viral health
misinformation costs lives,” said Dr Moeti.
Viral Facts Africa was launched at a
workshop on health communications for
leading African influencers from business,
sports, the arts and the media hosted by
the Africa Centres for Disease Control
and Prevention, the African Union, the
Rockefeller Foundation, Access Challenge
and WHO.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
9

hustle briefs
Sustainability, it’s in the details
Small wins across a wide range of areas can have a big impact
By-lined to Mai Youssef
Adapting to new working
practices presents an incredible
opportunity (https://bit.
ly/2O6wlrY) to assess and adjust
our approach to sustainability.
Changes don’t have to be extreme;
they can include a range of small but
effective actions such as embracing recycling
and reusable materials, switching to
more eco-friendly modes of manufacturing
and reviewing transport or packaging
best practice. Small wins across a wide
range of areas can have a big impact.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
From separating the paper, plastic and
cardboard used in the office, to reducing
the use of disposable cutlery, sustainability
initiatives often start with the little
details first. One of those details needs to
be equipment and technology decisions
(https://bit.ly/2PGMDIK). The reason is obvious:
technology – such as PCs, laptops,
and smartphones – represented just 1
per cent of the world’s carbon footprint
in 2007.
Today, that’s already tripled and is
on its way to exceeding 14 per cent by
2040 [1]. Whilst technology is intrinsic
to the modern business, there are still
small – yet hugely beneficial – changes
organisations can make to address one
of the most serious problems for the
environment.
For example, keeping a business phone
for three years instead of two, or a laptop
for six years instead of five, can make an
impact on a company’s use of materials.
If enterprises are doing this on a national
scale, there will be less demand to create
as many new devices each year, reducing
the overall amount of raw materials
mined to match this demand.
When companies need new products,
they can opt for remanufactured
or refurbished equipment. (https://bit.
ly/3rDuKYD) [2]. As well as being better
for the environment, companies can save
on average 30-50 per cent of the selling
price compared to the same equipment
that has been made new [3].
Furthermore, thanks to ratings pro-
10
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
Mai Youssef, Corporate
Communications and Marketing
Services Director – Canon Middle East
and Canon Central and North Africa
grammes and awards schemes, customers
have greater visibility of brands and
products that are less harmful to the
environment [4].
Cut the commute
Greener ways of commuting to work
each day – or not commuting at all – can
also be beneficial. The average co-working
space, for instance a communal office
closer to home, can help generate carbon
emission savings of 118 metric tonnes
annually between now and 2029 [5].
Prior to the pandemic, a select number of
companies had introduced more flexible
working policies – allowing people to
work from home or cultivate a co-working
space in an agile environment.
Now, many companies support a mixture
of remote and office working [6] - reducing
carbon emissions while improving
staff wellbeing.
Technology is making this all possible.
With the right solutions and printing capabilities,
workers can seamlessly transition
between the office and their remote
working environment.
For example, before 2020, video conferencing
had already become a staple
in workplace communication, connecting
colleagues around the world, but
under pandemic working conditions its
usage increased dramatically to facilitate
everyday meetings that could not be done
face-to-face.
Reap the benefits
With so many opportunities to meet
sustainability goals through incremental
steps, it’s important to remember why
they will remain so valuable over the next
decade.
A report published in 2020 [7] found
that 80 per cent of Europeans think big
companies and industry are not doing
enough to help the environment – suggesting
that businesses who strive to
make a positive difference can attract
customers, while those who don’t may
lose them.
Taking action on sustainability can also
increase the chances of attracting and
retaining talent. Some 26 per cent of UK
workers said they would accept a lower
salary to work for a sustainable organisation
[8], while half of those surveyed said
they would consider declining a job offer
from a company with harmful practices.
A 2020 survey on the opinions of
millennials across 43 countries found that
the proportion who thought ‘reducing its
impact on the environment’ is something
their employer is doing well (61 per cent)
was 22 per cent higher among those who
intend to stay in their jobs for five or more
years compared than those expecting to
move on fairly soon [9].
Sustainability for businesses today
is less about ‘if’ and more about ‘how’.
The good news is that by working on the
details and making small changes, businesses
can make a significant impact. All it
takes is the first step forward.

opinion
CAREER PATH
By Tevin
Nderitu
if you are
good at
communication,
you
can do well
in departments
like
Public Relations
or
journalism
or even the
communications
desk.
TIPS TO HELP YOU KNOW YOU
ARE ON THE RIGHT CAREER PATH
There is no better feeling than when one
gets up and knows that they are going to
the job that they really love. Many career
experts will tell you that you need to be
in a career that suits your interests and
most importantly, one that fits your personality. So
as a student or even a working class individual, how
do you know that you are on the right track, career
wise? First you’ve quieted the noise and refined
your purpose. You’ve quieted the external noise in
your life that prevents you from doing you. You are
deeply connected to your innermost desires and
often take quiet time to deliberately discern what
your next move is.
For instance, if you work in sales and marketing,
you enjoy making and drafting pitches that will give
you the next big cheque and this will mean profits
for your company and most importantly, personal
fulfillment. Secondly, you’re doing what excites
you the most and this has enabled you ignite your
passion and your interests. You wake up in the
morning and you’re excited by the idea of doing
what you’re most passionate about.
Examples if you are passionate about politics,
how vast and informed are you with current affairs
and how can you apply them in reality and in your
work place or even in school while doing your
research papers? Thirdly, is that you’re a master at
what you do and you do it with zeal and zest.
This can be identified with your natural gifts and
how they flow with your inner self. For example if
you are good at communication, you can do well in
departments like Public Relations or journalism or
even the communications desk.
Furthermore, you don’t settle for mediocrity. You
don’t have time to waste and you always meet your
designated deadlines. You are focused on what you
do best and you aren’t watering the things you’re
just mediocre at. Your work schedule is centered
on the time your creativity is most active. If you
thrive at 2:00 in the morning, you’re working at
that time. You never work at times that don’t work
for you. You always meet your expectations and
are always looking forward for the next big task as
you are learning exponentially and also giving your
best while at it. Admittedly, everything in your life
is “working.” You experience a deep sense of alignment
in everything from the thoughts you think
about yourself, to the opportunities that show up
in your life at the right time, to the ample resources
you have to do the things you love. Lastly, you’re
committed to service.
Your primary focus is on the impact of your work.
You thrive on contribution and are aligned with
a business that serves the needs of the people.
You are constantly looking for new ways to create
solutions for humanity and positive change in the
world. And this is what fulfillment truly means.
The writer is a PR intern at Zetech University
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
11

opinion
IT IN EDUCATION
By Prof. Bitange
Ndemo
Virtually all
countries
that have
progressed
in technology,
have
science and
technology
parks.
These parks
play a critical
role in
the development
of
technology
and
more often
than not
stimulate
economic
growth of
host countries
12
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
It’s time varsities
tapped IT potential
The decision by Microsoft to invest $100
million (Sh10 billion) in a first-ever development
centre in Nairobi is a recognition
of the rising importance of African IT
talent.
At the same time, it brings to focus the challenge
of institutions of higher learning in providing a
talent pipeline to meet rising demand.
Part of Microsoft’s strategy is to partner with
local universities to create a curriculum that meets
the needs of the emerging fourth industrial revolution
technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI),
Blockchain, Internet of Things (IoT) etc.
These new technologies have become necessary
for organisations to better understand customer
engagement, optimise operations and develop new
products.
The venture is a godsent opportunity for local

institutions of higher learning that have
hitherto not prepared themselves for the
imminent technological changes. With the
new partnership, they will inevitably begin
preparing students for the future digital
skills, and hopefully upgrade their laboratories
and faculty. When large organsations
like Microsoft invest in offshore
development centres, the host country
benefits from many fronts including
knowledge transfer and enhancement of
local innovations.
Most countries have technology parks
to foster a technology ecosystem that
benefits startups that leverage on similar
technologies. In my view, we should have
a large technology park where all these
multinational organisations will be incentivised
to settle as a strategy of building a
meaningful ecosystem.
Virtually all countries that have progressed
in technology, have science and
technology parks. These parks play a
critical role in the development of technology
and more often than not stimulate
economic growth of host countries.
Since ICT is proving to be a quick win,
there is urgent need to fast-track the
development of at least one park where
all these organisations will be based as a
strategy to stimulate local innovations.
The government must urgently dedicate
resources to research and development
in order to ride on the wave of multinational
companies that are now desirous of
exploiting Kenyan talent. There are glaring
opportunities that can lead to innovations
not just for local consumption but that
can be scalable globally.
One such area is in education where I
am sure Microsoft will seek to come up
with some solution using disruptive technologies.
In the past few months, teachers
have been tussling with Education Cabinet
Secretary George Magoha over the new
competency-based curriculum (CBC) but
no one has come up with the way forward.
Teachers say the system will require
additional capacity to implement.
Hiring more teachers will more than
likely lower the quality of education. It is
not always the quantity that guarantees
performance. Increasing textbooks too
does not translate to quality education.
Our focus should be on how to provide
the best education at a more reasonable
cost. This is where technology and education
converge that even teachers will
enjoy their job better than ever before.
The revolution that is taking place in
education world over is the structural shift
Our focus should be
on how to provide
the best education at
a more reasonable
cost. This is where
technology and
education converge
from knowledge transfer models that we
have used for decades to a collaborative,
information sharing system. These are
the characteristics of the CBC that we are
trying to implement in Kenya.
Teachers should know by now that a
technology like IoT will impact profoundly
on the way they teach now. The connectedness
of the system removes the
teacher from the current content delivery
to facilitating learning rather than merely
regurgitating information.
We can perhaps resolve the raging debate
in education by assuring the teaching
community that CBC-based instruction is
meant to enable students learn-by-doing.
The teachers will intervene when necessary
and that the system takes care of
both the fast and slower learners. The IoT
systems will play a key role in providing
feedback, assistance, and classroom-level
monitoring.
The writer is an associate professor at
University of Nairobi’s School of Business.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
13

MAIN STORY
DIGITAL LEARNING
Professor Njenga
Munene, Zetech
University Vice
Chancellor.
14
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA

Zetech University
The Digital Learning Pace-setters
There’s no denying that the
Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted
the education sector
across the globe. With millions
of learners in Kenya at home following
closure of schools and lock downs,
most institutions of higher learning found
themselves in a hard place; they lacked a
working e-learning solution.
At a time when most institutions are
bootstrapping and testing their digital
learning solutions, Zetech University is
blazing a trail.
“At Zetech University, learning never
stops,” says Professor Njenga Munene,
the university’s Vice Chancellor.
The institution launched its remote
learning system in March last year when
the government, in a move to arrest
spiralling cases of Covid-19 infections,
moved to close all schools, colleges and
universities. Within a day, Prof. Munene
and his ingenious staff had migrated an
impressive 80% of students to the robust
digital learning platform.
“It took us a day to set up and within
three days, our students were learning
through the digital school. It was a seamless
experience,” says the VC, who holds a
PhD in Veterinary Medicine.
Since then, the privately owned university
has made a name for itself as a tech
savvy institution that has effectively used
technology to enhance learning.
“Virtual learning has proved to be
a practical alternative to face-to-face
learning. Learners should take advantage
of the digital tools availed to them by the
university to enhance their studies,” he
says.
Having seen the potential of blended
learning, Zetech University recently
injected Kes 8 Million to bolster their
Learning Management System. It’s paying
off handsomely, especially at a time when
digital learning is gaining traction.
When most institutions of higher learning
were writing off the year 2020 as a lost
one, the VC admits that it was one of the
best years for Zetech University.
“We continue to thrive despite the
pandemic and its effects, thanks to our
robust digital school. This year, we have
admitted hundreds of students despite
the fact that there was no KCSE exam last
year,” he says.
The institution benchmarks its e-learning
system with international best practices
to stay on top of the curve.
As a seasoned university administrator,
Prof. Munene knows the importance of
equipping graduates with digital skills.
“It’s evident that most industries need
digital skills and technology to thrive.
We are honored to have empowered
our students to do well in tech-forward
industries.”
He attributes the institution’s success in
digital learning to his flexible staff, which
is relatively young and blossoming with
new ideas. “One thing about my staff
members, they accept change quickly and
are always open to new ideas,” he adds.
Besides their effective digital learning
platform , the VC says the university
always plans in advance to stay ahead of
At Zetech, we plan
for everything in
advance. That’s why
we had a working
e-learning platform
in place even before
the pandemic struck.
Our graduation
ceremony also
proceeded as
planned
the pack. “At Zetech, we plan for everything
in advance. That’s why we had a
working e-learning platform in place
even before the pandemic struck. Our
graduation ceremony also proceeded as
planned,”
Known for its ICT and business courses,
Zetech university was founded in 1999
by Engineer Ken Mbiuki. Before then,
Mr. Mbiuki was running an ICT training
programme, Zenith Technology, from his
university dormitory. Back then, computing
was a relatively new phenomenon
in Kenya, and demand for ICT skills was
rising rapidly.
Nosing an opportunity for ICT training,
he registered Zetech College, deriving
its name from the words ‘Zenith’ and
‘Technology’.
When he partnered with JKUAT to
offer some of the latter’s ICT courses,
the founder’s dream of a model college
of business and ICT took shape. With
the first group of students, he rented a
small space at Summit House where he
launched the college.
Before long, the small college was
growing in leaps and bounds, and was a
popular destination for ICT students pursuing
Diploma and certificate courses.
The institution’s defining moment came
in 2014 when it was granted a letter of
interim authority by the Commission for
University Education, to offer degree, diploma
and certificate courses in business
and ICT.
What followed was unprecedented
growth, punctuated with a ballooning
student population and infrastructure
development. The school admits both self
sponsored and government sponsored
students from all the 47 counties of Kenya,
as well as from neighboring countries.
Although the institution started out
with ICT and business courses, it expanded
its list of academic programmes
to include; engineering, media, arts and
design, education, hospitality, tourism and
social sciences.
With a serene ultra modern main
campus sitting a few yards from the Thika
Superhighway, a fully equiped modern
library, ample sports grounds and a robust
technology-backed learning system,
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
15

DIGITAL LEARNING
Zetech University main campus.
the university aspires to be the most
preferred destination for learners across
the country. With a population of 7000
students spread across two campuses,
Zetech University continues to grow,
churning out thousands of all rounded
graduates into the workforce. When you
listen to Prof.Munene talk about the vision
for Zetech University, it’s easy to see
his passion for producing well grounded
graduates.
“Integrity and honesty are some of the
values we inculcate into our students.
When they go out there, they live with
these values.”
The Zetech experience
The value-based learning experience,
fondly known within the institution as the
“Zetech Experience,” guides students to be
responsible citizens in and out of school.
Prof. Munene says that training morally
upright students is paramount if we need
to transform the workplace, ridding it of
inefficiencies.
16
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
The value-based
learning experience,
fondly known within
the institution as the
“Zetech Experience,”
guides students to be
responsible citizens in
and out of school
Succeeding in sports
Zetech university continues to shine in
academics and extra curricular activities
like sports, where it posts one stellar performance
after the other. When you visit
the institution’s main campus in Ruiru, it’s
hard to miss an imposing trophy cabinet
that decorates the main entrance. Here,
trophies are a testament to the institution’s
illustrious exploits in sports. It’s not
a surprise that the institution’s men and
women football teams are the reigning
Universities and Colleges Football League
champions.
Soaring high
Having joined the institution in 2018,
Prof. Munene’s effort to transform it to a
center of excellence is gradually paying
off. With a seamless learning infrastructure,
he says the institution continues
to attract more learners from the East
African region, recording a spike in
student population. To accomodate more
students , the university plans to build a
main campus in Mang’u, Kiambu County.
Despite the initial success in rolling out
an online learning platform, Prof. Munene
and his team are not yet done.
“We are banking on the lessons we
learnt to enrich the digital learning experience,”
he says.

DIGITAL LEARNING
The Zetech Experience
What they said:
Puren Anyetu, Football Ladies Captain
(Sparks)
“I’m grateful to Zetech for supporting and
exposing me to pursue a Business Degree
in Purchasing & Supply Chain Management.
The University has nurtured my
football talent to play for the Harambee
Starlets, Kenya Women’s National Football
Team. I have also learned mentorship
skills, team player and how to improve
others with winning tactics and always
aiming high while serving as the Captain
of the Zetech Ladies Football Team.
Rahab Watare, Alumni Zetech Public
Relations
“I love the opportunities that Zetech has
granted me in growing my PR career. The
Zetech experience is the work experience
that I gained while serving as the pioneer
of Public Speaking Club to develop strategies
for best customer service initiatives
and becoming professional. The book to
work experience is unexceptional since
most employees are not always willing to
let go.”
Hussein Mohammed, Alumni & A Senior
Investigative journalist BBC News
“Zetech prepared me for a rewarding
career in journalism. Through interaction
with the faculty and students, I was challenged
to think out of the box. I served as
the pioneer of the Journalism Club and
now, as a world’s investigative journalist I
am able to use my skill to transform lives
through telling untold stories through
BBC Africa in the current affairs investigation
unit- The Africa Eye and also as
an award-winning crime reporter for the
Media Council of Kenya in 2018.
Alex Mumo, Alumni, School of Business
and Economics
“At Zetech, I accessed training tailor-made
for the market and enjoyed relating with
the staff and students throughout my
campus life. During my studies, the University
library was my favourite spot and
I founded the Knowledge Ambassadors
Club to train students to access information
effectively.”
Perez Kihono, Vice Chairperson, Zetech
University Students Association
“Zetech is a good place that supports
diversity with well endowed discipline and
culture growth with students and staff
interacting freely. I love the University
for its structured communication system
which has given me a platform to grow my
leadership skill and for a new experience
while supporting upcoming leaders”
Fabrice Mugabe, Alumni Information
and Technology (IT)
“Zetech has always remained customer focused
in bringing learning at the comfort
of our homes and workplaces through
remote learning “blended learning”,
invention and embracing technology. The
University has empowered my skills in
Science Information and Technology to
pioneer Mougra E.A LTD where I run dubbing
solutions programmes in softwares,
industry- applications and consultancy
services for applications solutions via the
digital platform while giving job opportunities
to the youthful population.”
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
17

MAIN FEATURE
EDTECH
EdTech entrepreneurs
reshaping the
education sector
There’s no doubt that technology
has transformed many
industries and the education
sector is not an exception. In
Kenya, home to all things innovation,
entrepreneurs are re-imagining
the traditional classroom as we know it.
Through Ed tech applications, learners
and teachers have been thrown into the
digital realm.
With a deep mobile phone penetration
in Kenya, companies have built apps
that allow students to study through the
mobile phones. Gamefied learning and
personalized learning powered by artificial
intelligence are now common place
models that are competing for the tech
savvy learners and their tutors.
EdTech is a convergence of teaching
and innovation and gas made education
accessible to more people, at a low cost.
With these innovations, Kenyan schools
join the league of other schools in the
developed world where robotic teaching
assistants, VR experiences, Artificial
Intelligence, machine learning and virtual
classrooms are the order of the day. Here
are the frontrunners in the local Ed tech
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
space.
ELimu
Started off at one of the coworking
space in Nairobi, eLimu is a popular
EdTech company in Africa and the leading
digital educational content provider in
East Africa. The app offers KCPE Revision
papers and Hadithi, a literacy app that
makes learning fun and engaging for curious
children both at school and at home.
The app also uses a proven pedagogy
and the latest technology to develop interactive
stories written by local teachers,
illustrated by artists across East Africa
and voiced by actors and celebrities. Each
story includes games and activities to
keep a child busy for the school year. Over
the last five years, ElImu team has also
developed teacher training courses to
give students the confidence to use tech
in schools and to show them how they
can use that technology to make their
life easier – by making lesson plans, mark
sheets, and their own materials on tablets
and laptops.
M-Shule, an AI powered platform that
uses text messages to analyze learners
ability. The application then creates a
personalized learning module for the
learners, allowing them to build their
skills. The platform is SMS based and can
be accessed by teachers and learners
at any given time. It also features a web
application that’s only accessible to school
directors.
Ubongo Kids
Ubongo Kids is a popular ed tech app
whose education content is widely consumed
in Kenya. Ubongo Kids produces
educational media that reaches millions of
families through accessible technologies.
It is an interactive educational cartoon
that teaches kids foundational maths,
science and problem-solving skills.nd
inspires them to use those skills to change
the world around them.
Ubongo leverages accessible technologies
of TV and basic mobile phones to
deliver edu-cartoons, now watched in
over 1.2 million homes in East Africa each
week. Kids can interact via SMS from basic
mobiles, answering quiz questions, and
getting feedback and encouragement
from the cartoon characters.
Eneza Education, a comprehensive
virtual tutor provides a universal access to

quality, affordable education, dispensed
through the mobile phone. With Eneza,
costly textbooks are now a thing of the
past. Eneza founders envision a future
where learners will no longer drop out
of school. Eneza can be accessed from a
USSD code, as well as from a mobile web,
desktop application, Telegram and Facebook
Messenger. Since inception in 2011,
the company has reached an average of
380, 000 users every month.
Kytabu
Despite the introduction of free primary
education in 2003, most learners cannot
afford the mandatory text books required.
Kytabu was launched to fill this gap.
It’s a textbook subscription application
that allows students to rent pre-installed
textbooks on a low-cost android tablet or
desktop application on a dongle.
The platform has digitized hundreds of
textbooks required for primary and secondary
schools, as well as thousands of
TED Talks recorded in 42 languages, learning
games, a virtual classroom for in-class
chats and some past tests and exams.
Kytabu allows students to access any
textbook in the country’s entire education
curriculum library, rent the size of content
they need, for a time they need it using
the amount of money they have.
The platform uses a microSD that holds
the 8GB of pre-installed textbook content,
EdTech is a
convergence of
teaching and
innovation and gas
made education
accessible to more
people, at a low
cost. With these
innovations, Kenyan
schools join the league
of other schools in the
developed world
a GSM, data enable SIM card with mobile
payment support that comes with it to
access updates or additional content
through an online data connection paid
for by publishers. This translates to affordable
content that is always up to date,
always accessible and easy to buy.
Educartis
Educartis is an online platform that
partners with universities and training
centres in Kenya to provide students with
knowledge and skills. It boasts of over 180
courses and 40 partner institutions.
Funke Science
FunKe Science was launched to popularize
STEM courses. It’s a platform that
promotes interactive learning of science
subjects among school children, through
fun activities, experiments and tutorials
using simple and common household
materials that they can identify with.
Arifu
Arifu’s idea is to use among Artificial
Intelligence and chat bots to provide
users with training programs, for free,
through the mobile phone. Arifu has so
far onboarded 800,000 users, with most
users being farmers looking to upskill
their practices.
Powered by emerging technologies like
AI, Machine Learning, chat bots, Virtual
reality and 5G, virtual learning is gaining
momentum across the country, and Ed
tech companies are accelerating the uptake
of digital learning tools in Kenya and
across the globe.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
19

MAIN FEATURE
EDTECH
eLearning Solutions:
Giving learners a fresh
chance
Esther Gacicio is a consummate educationist.
Having seen the plight
of young girls who failed to secure
a slot in tertiary institutions, she
launched eLearning Solutions to
provide them with hands-on skills and
competencies. She shared her journey
with Hustle East Africa Magazine
Hustle EA: What is eLS all about?
eLearning Solutions is a Nita accredited
eLearning provider offering affordable
on-demand short and long courses to
prepare school leavers for work, tertiary
education or entrepreneurship. eLearning
solutions solves the challenge of
joblessness and uncertainties. We do this
by providing on demand online courses
in bite size, accessible anywhere, anytime
and through any internet enabled device.
We also solve the challenge of costs
and time used by organisations during
capacity building and training by designing
and delivering custom made digital
courses as well as provide platform for
businesses wanting to train staff, partners
and customers in Africa. We make money
by helping companies scale down costs
and resources used during the training
workshops.
What inspired you to launch the program?
Having worked in the education sector
for a long time, I realized a trend where
the form 4 graduates ended up confused
if they did not secure themselves a slot in
tertially education. This would sometimes
lead them to a state of hopelessness that
would sometimes get them into vices such
as early marriages, pregnancy, crime etc.
This doesn’t have to be if they are empowered
with some skills and competencies
that can get them a meaningful livelihood.
Someone should be able to hold the
hands of these youngsters and help them
take charge of their lives. This is how the
idea of creating a platform to offer short,
easily accessible online courses came up.
That’s how ELS was born.
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
How has the pandemic affected your
activities?
The pandemic caught us all by
surprise. No one had an idea of
how to navigate it. Eleaning
being a somewhat new phenomenon
in Kenya and one
that we have been trying to
build and that was picking
slowly, the pandemic
disrupted this. It actually
took us back to square
one. Our courses are
flexible and not tutor
supported hence can
be accessed anywhere
anytime. This should
have worked magic
for us. But it was just
the opposite. Once
people were over
the pandemic shock,
online learning was
adopted, but through
web conferencing,
the zoom, WebEx,
google classrooms
etc all of which our
courses are not
built on. Hence we
lost, we had very
few enrollments in
the 1st phase of the
pandemic because what
was selling was the web
conferencing. The other
challenge was that our
target audience was
left out, not much (web
conferencing or otherwise)
online earning
happened to those
out of K12 including
the colleges. The
long and short of
it, the pandemic
brought our
activities to a
halt.
Esther Gacicio, Founder,
eLearning Solutions.

How are you innovating to keep pupils/
students learning?
We reorganized our programs to
include virtual classes. We started off by
reaching out to the youth through a program
called “My story through the lens”,
a mental health program run through
photography during the lock down. It
was a great success. From this project we
have since embedded virtual sessions in
our courses without losing sight of having
the courses flexible, accessed anywhere
and anytime. This is gaining momentum.
We also started working with projects,
designing programs brought by the youth
themselves and other clients. The progress
has been slow during the pandemic.
We believe we are now firmly in the space.
Briefly touch on the milestones that
you’ve achieved with eLS
We have put together 40 localized
courses through partnerships which we
have used to carry out customer validation.
Our courses are packaged in bite
size that cost between 3$ and 25$ making
them affordable and payable through
mobile money. Course certification recognized
by National Industrial and Technical
Authority (NITA) is a plus in affirming our
credibility. We have so far impacted about
3500 youths, with more than 100,000 who
have visited our site.
We also provide a platform for institutions
to offer virtual education and
training, with the attendant potential of
reducing training costs by over 30%. In
this regard we are working with several
organisations to help transition their
traditional training programs to online
learning.
Which specific challenges have you
faced while rolling out the program?
There have been several challenges
that we have encountered. Some of them
include;
a. technical expertise- getting the
right people who understand the online
environment and how to design online
programs has been difficult. Subject
matter experts versed with online content
development skills are very hard to come
by.
b. Getting the product once completed
to the market has also been a challenge.
With a populace largely unaware of online
learning, going to the market has been a
challenge.
c. Apathy among the people on online
learning has been a hindrance that has
affected the uptake of our courses.
d. Content development is an expensive
venture. Mobilising resources for putting
up the programs have also been difficult
e. Inadequate policy guidelines from
the government on adoption of elearning
especially for out of school youth and tertially
has also slowed down the process.
Are there policies or incentives in place
to promote online courses?
I am not aware of harmonized policies
to adopt eLearning in Kenya. I am however
aware that different organisations
and Institutions have developed policies
through which eLearning is implemented.
Different Universities for example have
their policy guidelines as they adopt ODEL
which carries the eLearning bit. Ministry
of Education also has guidelines that support
ICT in education such as ICT Master
Plan 2017, ICT in Education Strategy 2006,
NESSP 2018-2022 and Sessional Paper
No.1 of 2019.
Briefly touch on the short courses in
your platform and their impact
Our courses are contextualized to meet
the specific needs in the communities. We
established that the youth are interested
in programs that would enable them
start small businesses and expand their
markets. Our focus currently is to meet
this need by providing entrepreneurship,
communication, social media marketing
and other complimentary courses. We
intend to expand our courses to cover
other areas such as agri-business;
working online; book keeping and basic
accounts. These courses would also help
them access Governments funding which
goes unutilized year after year due to low
access. Our courses are packaged in small
bites to make them affordable. Ultimately,
the youth will be empowered to make
appropriate decisions having taken any
of our courses, either to set up their own
businesses or get meaningful employment.
That is our goal.
Why is online learning not so popular
despite its advantages?
One of the reasons is the desire to
maintain the status quo. Human beings
are reluctant to change. Where else they
may be aware of the advantages of online
learning, they are slow to adopt it, they do
not want to change especially if the other
methods still work. The other reason is
that this is still a new phenomenon in
our country and not much information
is available about it. The pandemic has
now brought it to the fore and probably
this will increase the uptake. The other is
misconception. People still largely believe
that physical learning is still superior and
that online learning is less effective and
not formal learning. People often think
that interacting with a trainer live is the
best way to learn, as it is interactive and
allows for two-way communication The
believe that online learning will take away
jobs is another reason why the uptake is
still very low.
Outlook for eLS?
We aim to be amongst the most respected
learning technology organizations
globally by 2022. We shall achieve this
by working on our courses to ensure we
have content that meets the demand for
the target audience, intensify marketing
as well as ensure good partnerships that
will boost the programs. We are also seeking
ways to capitalize ELS adequately so
as to widen course offerings to meet the
demands and needs of our target market
the young people. We aim at impacting
over 100000 youth in the next 1 year
through our programs.
Any other pertinent issues?
With the new normal created by Covid
19 pandemic, it is now imperative that
advocacy in online learning be given
prominence. There is need for concerted
effort by government and all stakeholders
to prioritize and allocate resources
towards development of online learning
in Kenya, not just for basic education
but also for Tertially institutions as well
as those undertaking other trainings to
better themselves. It is time we embraced
technology in education and training as a
way of life. This will safe guard learning at
all levels inspite of challenges like we have
now encountered and others that may
come our way. It will also save on costs,
reach many more people and deliver skills
that will contributes towards building the
economy.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
21

MAIN FEATURE
EDTECH
Little Einsteins:
Raising next gen
inventors and
innovators
As a young learner, Mugure
Njendu had a knack for
mathematics and physics, but
couldn’t explore these subjects
passionately as she focused on
‘passing’ exams. Realizing there are many
other pupils who do not get a chance
to explore STEM courses in school, she
launched Little Einsteins, an edutainment
program that equips young learners with
practical STEM concepts.
She shared her journey with Hustle
East Africa Magazine. Excerpts
What is Little Einsteins all about?
Little Einsteins East Africa is a STEM
Edutainment program focused on teaching
children aged 3 to 12 years STEM
Concepts, in a fun and hands on manner
Little Einsteins believes that Science
Exploration in young children begins
with Fun and sets the basis for a lifelong
interest and knowledge of Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics. We
edutain through relatable experiences
and stories of `KABI the Science Kid and
`SASHA the Stemette.
At a glance:
• We work with children between the
ages of 1.5 and 18 months.
• We focus on Project Based Learning.
• We teach STEM using entertainment
and other innovative methodologies for
children to retain valuable, educational
information.
• We encourage participation by children.
• We promote good health and environmental
awareness.
• We encourage experimentation as a
learning tool.
• We leverage the scientific process as a
way to learn and discover.
• We foster a love of science while
developing children’s creativity, problem
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
solving skills and self-esteem
What inspired you to launch the program?
Growing up I did not enjoy the STEM
Subjects, they always felt like very theoretical
concepts to me. However, I had a
knack for Mathematics and Physics yet
never explored these passionately, as I
was always focused on passing exams.
For me, as a Mother, Little Einsteins East
Africa was about providing a different
experience to my Children and other
Children. Focused on ensuring that
STEM could be embraced at an early age
passionately and inquisitively towards
developing the next generation of African
inventors and innovators.
Why STEM? Why teach STEM to such
young Children?
Research indicates that as early as
infancy, young children start developing
an interest of how the world works
around them. They understand probability
and make predictions. As they
progress through their pre-school years
their curiosity continues to grow, and with
exposure to STEM hands on learning, their
reasoning, inquiry and application skills
grow with them. The objective of Little
Einsteins East Africa is to nurture these
young Scientists and Innovators from an
early age.
How has the pandemic affected your
activities?
The first case of Covid-19 was announced
on March 13th, 2020 in Kenya,
which was one day before our Annual
Science Fair, scheduled for March 14th,
which typically has about 500 attendees
and 120 children making STEM Submissions.
With the first case, and a halt on all
gatherings, we were immediately forced
to postpone our Science Fair. Additionally,
April is also typically when we host holiday
camp and all parents kept their children at
home. Schools were closed for months on
end, and our program could no longer operate
in the same model we had operated
in since March 2017.
Is e-learning applicable in your case,
and if not, how are you innovating to
keep children learning?
Yes, E-learning is applicable in our case,
and I will delve into this further ahead.
Difficulties are a great catalyst for
change and innovation and the Team at
Little Einsteins East Africa embraced this.
We moved to teaching our STEM Classes
virtually. Our business also re-invented
and we started providing our Clients
with simple Do-It-Yourself STEM Kits that
parents could undertake with their kids
at home. Additionally, we moved our Science
Fair to a virtual event that was held
August 4th to 8th, 2020. The event was
a resounding success with involvement
from Key partners including Safaricom
and Absa Kenya. Kenyans embraced the
change.
Books discussion on YouTube with Author,
Wambui Murimi and Climate Activist,
Makenna Muigai

We additionally, which we are very
proud of, launched our online learning
platform on August 5th, 2020. An
interactive and easy to use STEM learning
platform on a subscription basis for kids
to undertake from home.
Discussion with developer from
Platform Technologies, Kenneth Njendu
and Director, Little Einsteins East Africa,
Muchemi Wambugu
Briefly touch on the milestones that
you’ve achieved with Little Einsteins
The Company has seen some importance
milestones over the years. We
opened our doors in March 2016 really as
the first East African STEM Edutainment
Company. It was a concept unheard of by
most, but was embraced with enthusiasm
by parents and children alike.
In the same year, we rolled out our first
programs including providing our STEM
program as an In-School STEM Program,
having LAB Workshops and Holiday camp
activities for kids.
In 2017 because of our growth we
moved premises to be able to accommodate
larger STEM Sessions. Additionally,
in the same year, we also had our First
Annual Science Fair. This Science Fair
brought together 100 children submitting
different projects in STEM, in the first
Science Fair in Kenya targeting this somewhat
young demographic.
In 2018 we further rolled out our first
STEM Adventures with Kabi and Sasha
episode on YouTube. Again, proving we
were pioneers in the STEM Space, the first
East African show focusing on STEM for
young children.
We steadily grew our membership and
schools that we provided our services
in over the years, closing out 2018 with
offering our STEM sessions in 20 different
educational institutions in Kenya. We further
made a leap in 2018 and rolled out
our program in Kigali Rwanda, offering
Holiday camp in partnership with different
institutions.
In 2019 in line with our plans to expand
our services, we rolled out our first 2
STEM Books FOR US, and BY US. Featuring
our famous Mascots, Kabi and Sasha,
the STEM Adventures continued in The
Martians, a book by Flora Mutahi and
Published by Little Einsteins East Africa.
The second book, titled A Rainy Sunset
was authored by Wambui Murimi and also
published by LEEA. We are truly proud of
this achievement as we continued growing
as a company. We closed out 2019
looking forward to a vibrant 2020.
While 2020 did not go as we had
planned or hoped, it was also the year we
hosted our first ever VIRTUAL Science Fair,
also when we started teaching online,
and lastly also the year we rolled out our
subscription online learning platform
Research indicates that
as early as infancy,
young children start
developing an interest
of how the world works
around them.
They understand
probability and make
predictions
Which specific challenges have you
faced while rolling out the program?
The biggest challenge was putting a
Team together. Traditionally our Explorer
Trainers have always taught through
hands on methodology, in our pivot, we
learned and embraced a creative and
resilient team. With our explorer trainers,
Wambui Murimi, Cassandra Nawegulo
and Mike Anyany leading the way and
partnering with a phenomenal illustrator,
Kaviki Muema of Kavikiart and our Developer
Team from Platform Technologies. It
was a lesson in the importance of synergy
and embracing change for the company.
Briefly touch on the Science Fairs and
their impact
Our Science Fairs have grown over the
years in interest as well as participation
and certainly, in partnerships developed
over the years. The Children who have
participated in these Science Fairs are all
winners, and grow in how they learn as
they ask experiment and seek answers.
In the most recent Science Fair in 2020
that was a virtual event was pertinently
titled, STEM Solutions For a Better World;
Children Innovating for Climate Resilience
and Responsiveness .
The winning team, The Green movement
realized that micro plastics pose
a huge threat to human & ocean life.
This is what inspired their idea to create
magnetic slime that attracts micro plastics
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
23

EDTECH
in a bid to clean ocean water. This and
other similar solutions featured in the
Science Fair indicated that Children can be
solution providers through STEM learning
to real-world problems.
Why do you think most pupils fear
STEM courses? And what needs to be
done to boost uptake of these courses?
I think fundamentally the main reason
that Children may steer from STEM Courses
is that they are perceived as hard. However,
one of the most important things to
understand about STEM is that it is logical
and the concepts and in play and display
all around us. Once we demystify this to
the kids through real life applications and
by making it fun, it takes away the perception
that would have discouraged them.
This is why our program targets Children
who are so young.
What does the Future look like for
Little Einsteins?
We are looking forward to a 2021 of
embracing learning and re-learning. We
have had to innovate and pivot our business
model in 2020, but the Team at Little
Einsteins East Africa have embraced the
changes that have happened in the last
few years, and we are looking forward to
continued growth of engagement of Children
with our Online learning platform.
We shall also be rolling out our Season 4
of the STEM Adventures of Sasha and Kabi
on our YouTube channel this year.
This year’s science fair will also be a
virtual event August 3rd to August 6th
and will be titled STEM Solutions for your
Community: Real life solutions to real life
problems in your community.
We have plans to roll out a Climate
learning education program for Children
and we are hoping to do so in partnership
with key partners.
What other issues are important to
Little Einsteins East Africa?
I really cannot end this conversation
without reiterating the importance of
encouraging women in STEM. Women in
STEM earn 35 percent more than comparable
women in non-STEM jobs. Women
make up a disproportionally low share
of degree holders in all STEM fields, particularly
engineering. The exposure starts at
a young age for young girls to see this representation
and to be encouraged in this
field. Little Einsteins East Africa strives to
do this in its teaching models and through
representations in its Trainers, the You-
Tube show anchor and its female mascot,
Sasha the Stemmete and in initiatives that
our Foundation arm supports.
The extracurricular programs we offer
counteract and correct any negative
perceptions that girls develop at a young
age, to lead them to embrace Science,
Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
from early childhood education, to
primary school and to high school, rather
than avoid the subjects. We encourage
and nurture, young girls, right from the
toddler stage, that they can be STEM
STRONG.
We are also a Company passionate in
ethos and values on Climate Action; as
a result we have introduced a Climate
Action activity in all our programs across
the board.
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA

MAIN FEATURE
EDTECH
Entrepreneur invents open-sourced
technology to improve access to
education in Africa
‘Trees of Knowledge’ will
convert trees and rural
landmarks into educational
wifi hubs in Africa
Zimbabwean AI expert William
Sachiti, CEO of UK-based startup
Academy of Robotics (www.
AcademyofRobotics.co.uk)
has published an open-source
technology known as ‘Trees of Knowledge’
to improve access to education through
smartphones in Africa. This free-to-develop
technology enables a tree or rural
landmark to broadcast a wifi connection
providing access to a pre-loaded package
of educational content. The wifi connection
and content comes from a micro-computer
moulded into the landmark
to protect it from theft or damage.
A community-driven, secure and costfree
solution
Anyone within a roughly 100m radius
can then access the content on any
mobile device free of charge. Users can
also charge their phone by plugging it into
the accompanying solar-powered battery
charging station. The micro-computers
will run on the power equivalent of a
small rechargeable battery and can run
for years without maintenance. All the
user needs is a wifi-enabled device such
as a phone, tablet, laptop or computer.
There is no need for the phone to be
connected to a carrier or any network
provider, removing the issue of expensive
data charges.
The technology uses a basic computer
like the Raspberry Pi computers which
have been used in refugee camps in Lebanon
by UNICEF as part of its Raspberry
Pi for Learning initiative (https://uni.
cf/2OcP0zc).
A global crisis in education
Globally there are 258 million children
out of school and UNESCO’s (https://bit.
William Sachiti, CEO of UK-based start-up Academy of Robotics.
ly/2S17bci) new report Education Progress
(https://bit.ly/2tew0Jn) highlights that the
problem is particularly acute in Sub-Saharan
Africa where the population of primary-school
aged children has doubled since
1990 and 1 in 5 children of primary school
age are out of school. However, this is
also a region witnessing rapid growth
in smartphone adoption. Already more
than 23% of people in Sub-Saharan Africa
have access to a smartphone - a number
which the GSMA estimates (https://bit.
ly/2Oeyoaa) will rise to 39% in the next
five years.
AI expert and serial entrepreneur,
William Sachiti, who was educated in Zimbabwe
before moving to the UK where he
started his first technology company at 19
years old highlights the challenges:
“One of the challenges in providing
education through smartphones is that,
while many people have access to a basic
smartphone of some description, in many
areas 3G coverage is still patchy. The data
costs are high for most people and in
rural areas keeping the phones charged
is a problem when there is limited or no
electricity. Trees of Knowledge aims to
address all these challenges.”
Sachiti adds:
“Every day millions of children walk for
hours to get to school in the hope - often
a vain hope - that they will find a teacher
present at their school. In other cases,
children are unable to attend school
because they need to take care of the
family’s cattle or support their families in
other ways.
There is an urgent need to improve
access to education for these children.
For many children their classes are taught
gathered under the shade of a large
tree, so ‘Trees of Knowledge’ seemed a
natural technical extension of this existing
system.”
Last week, UNESCO Director-General
Audrey Azoulay noted, “Rethinking
tomorrow’s education must be done
collectively,”
Sachiti believes that Africa’s burgeoning
tech ecosystem can play a vital role in this
collective effort commenting:
“While many programmes already
exist to fix this problem, it is still not
enough. With the growth of the developer
community in Africa, I believe we have the
opportunity to simply release the technology
and let local communities build it
themselves. If this technology reaches one
or two more children, then I feel it would
be a success.”
The pre-loaded educational content is
likely to be largely video-based and would
be free to access by anyone at any time.
Whilst the system can work with existing
educational content packages, ultimately
Sachiti hopes that content can also come
from local educators.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
25

MAIN FEATURE
EDTECH
Virtual Essence leverages ICT to
digitise class work
By Amos Wachira
In the 21st century, innovation is the
lifeblood of great enterprises. As
Michael Wachira, the Chief Executive
Officer of Virtual Essence puts it;
enterprise without innovation would
be a hard sell.
When he started his business a decade
ago, he sought to introduce a new way of
doing things.
His firm, Virtual Essence, was in the
business of selling personal computers
and installing networks.
Through innovation, the firm saw an
opportunity to venture into the education
space, with an aim of accelerating the use
of information communication technology
in schools.
“4 years later, we realised that there
was need to transform the education sector
and developed a division called virtual
Learning Center,” he says.
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
Virtual Essence introduced a refreshing
new concept in the education sector in
Kenya and developed an offering that
has opened up the previously untapped
market.
“It was all about looking at how innovation
has transformed all the other sectors
of the economy except the education
sector which has remained traditional.”
His firm developed Msingipack, a computer
application that contained lessons
and revision papers. The product aimed
to avail digitised past papers on computers
to pupils in classes seven and eight.
“The idea was to make education an
exciting experience for children. We had
to put the past papers in devices that they
could access,” he explains.
Msingipack sought to change the way
Kenyan pupils revised for exams. Remembering
his days in primary school, Wachira
says that he used to carry large bulky files
that contained past papers. Revising using
such files was not only time consuming
but also demotivating to pupils.
“We saw an opportunity to digitise this
for the market, which was longing for a
change.”
While adoption of technology has gone
up in the last decade, things were completely
different two decades ago, when
accessing a computer was a big challenge.
Today, children as young as five are
able to use gadgets and devices. This has
been accelerated by the government’s
move to introduce digitised learning in
primary schools.
“I used a computer for the very first
time when I was 24 years old. Things have
changed. Children can now access a wide
range of devices. We are giving them a
chance to learn using the devices they can
access.”
As Michael and his partner discovered,
there was a rising demand for their product.
They started with class seven and
eight, and developed the class six product
two years later.

Michael says that technology is not
magic. They have demonstrated that it
can be used to transform the education
sector. How do they do it? “Teachers do
the magic. We ensure we have teachers
who can develop content for children. We
then convert the content to enable users
to read it in a digital way.”
At some point, Michael realised that
he could move away from just digitising
past papers. He focused on digitising a
curriculum for primary school pupils, an
interactive content that could help them
learn and have fun.
“We realised that the education content
was much bigger. We needed to have all
the resources geared towards that area
and that is why we dropped everything
else to concentrate on Msingipack,” he
puts.
The firm boasts of a number of revised
modules including virtual version 5.0 having
started off with version 1 which had
lessons and activities that enable children
to learn better.
“Version 4 had games, multimedia and
voice while version 5 cuts across all the
devices.”
The product which primarily targets
private primary schools was well received
in the market.
With over 22 000 public primary schools
in Kenya, and a further 13 000 private primary
schools, the Msingipack product can
easily reach every corner of the country.
Impediments
But there are impediments. Only 20 per
cent of private schools have some basic
ICT structures. In public primary schools,
a paltry two per cent schools have ICT
structures.
“Our target is private primary because
these have computer labs,” says Michael.
Secondly, digitising interactive content
is not easy. “We had to go to KICD to get
the whole curriculum. Using our in-house
engineers, we develop interactive content,”
he explains.
In the education sector in Kenya,
publishers compete to provide text books
to schools, but few have original content.
Msingipack offers a different choice to
schools in that the content provided is
original.
“Traditional publishers’ compete to digitise
content into pdfs. We create content
from scratch and no one else is doing
that. That makes us different.”
Selling Msingipack at a time when
computers and the internet were not
Michael Wachira, CEO, Virtual Essence.
available in most homes was bound to be
a challenge. “We had to keep on changing
our plans. Our first change of plan was to
enable us have offline content.” However,
While adoption of
technology has gone up
in the last decade, things
were completely different
two decades ago, when
accessing a computer
was a big challenge.
Today, children as young
as five are able to use
gadgets and devices. This
has been accelerated by
the government’s move
to introduce digitised
learning in primary
schools
with the advancement in technology and
the wide adoption of fiber for homes, Wachira
and his team are developing online
content.
The product costs kshs1000 per computer
and learners can download parts of
the lessons online.
Msingipack CDs hold one application
which contains five lessons. The CDs go
for Kshs2, 000.
Moving it to different parts of the
country has been easy due to availability
of partners in Nakuru, Mombasa and
Eldoret. “We have 80 per cent activations
in Kenya in around 41 counties.
Getting the right people to hire presents
Wachira with another challenge. “We
have a problem with millennials who are
looking for big salaries and most end up
failing,” he avers.
Impact
Michael says that most of the pupils using
Msingipack report academic progress.
While his team of over 200 professionals
is working hard to create the classes
five and six lessons, there is demand from
preprimary school and secondary school
levels. “High school students feel there is
a gap and that is our next target. We already
have a team of over 120 engineers
and 98 teachers to work on this project,”
he offers.
Having studied Mathematics and
Information Management Systems at the
university, Michael’s background is in ICT.
He has gained a wealth of experience
working in the ICT sector before he founded
Virtual Essence.
His views on entrepreneurship
Michael warns that it takes guts to start
a business. There are so many hurdles
one has to go through, the major being
capital.
Getting capital to start the business was
one of the hurdles he had to overcome.
“We had savings and we also had business
plans. We visited banks but we got no
help. The traditional finance machinery
understands buying of machinery but not
to finance intellectual property,” he elaborates
further saying that this is the main
challenge facing ICT innovators today. “For
us, we had to use our own savings. That is
why we had to do it at a slower pace.”
Looking into the future, Msingipack
might soon be available across Africa, if
the founders’ intention to increase their
footprint in the region bears fruit in the
near future.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
27

FEATURE
ADVERTISING
A Fresh Concept for
Outdoor Advertising
Davis Nyamare in partnership with Robins Olima have
brought in a fresh breath in the advertising industry in Kenya
By Caroline Mwendwa
Davis Nyamare’s creative new
idea in the Kenyan advertising
industry has become a game
changer. When people hear
of advertising, they think of
newspapers, radio, TV, bill boards and
other mass media channels but Nyamare’s
fifteen year stay in the US opened
his mind to a new experience which he
used to change the norm in the advertising
industry. “When I came back to Kenya,
I realised that traditional media and the
rising trend in social media platforms
dominated the market. This had me
thinking of what I could do to make a
change. Having seen a different scenario
in the United States where almost all taxis
have toppers for advertisement, I realized
there was an opportunity to introduce
that concept locally.”
Nyamare had a clear picture of what he
wanted to establish and having started to
build this idea while still in the US, setting
it up in Kenya was no
uphill task. He had
a childhood friend
based in
Nairobi
(named Robins) who came in handy in
helping him set up the business. “We
were in communication even while he
was still in the US and that is when we
started thinking of how to start the business,”
says Robins, the chief operations
officer at Meelin Advertising Agency.
Meelin Advertising Agency was started
in 2015 with the aim of changing the
trends in the advertising industry in
Kenya. “Our concept is very
unique and way more
satisfying to
customers,”
he further says. Maleen Advertising
majors in using taxi tops and LCD to
advertise brands. The materials that they
use in this trade are imported from Japan.
“We realised that we could only get these
materials at the best quality from Japan
but we hope to have a local supplier once
we identify one.”
Nyamare explains that depending on
the type of the topper requested by the
customer, whether digital taxi top or
otherwise, the time required varies. “For a
digital taxi top, it takes longer to fabricate,
approximately one month, while the usual
taxi top can take from two to three weeks
but we always make a point of informing
the customer how long it will take.”
This mode of advertising is highly
unique and advantageous given its
outstanding
features. For
in-
stance, each
topper is fitted
with minute
cameras which
can recognize
faces as either
male or female.
From these
cameras, the
team at Meelin
can provide
factual data to
its customers
detailing the
number of
people who
were reached
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HUSTLE EAST AFRICA

by the message, an approximation of their
age and gender. “This is one of a kind feature
in advertising that is provided by our
platform without having to engage other
resources and which makes our customers
prefer it.”
Apart from the minute cameras, the taxi
top method of advertising is more appealing
because it involves moving from one
place to another making it highly visible
by all people in its proximity. As would be
expected, people took time to appreciate
the strength of this channel of advertising
but with time, it’s gaining popularity.
Target market
The target customers are usually the
promotional adverts and campaigners
who feel that their product is not common
enough to the audience. Taxi tops have
now become a preference especially
in the gaming industry through betting
firms.
Meelin Advertising has signed in one
thousand five hundred taxis already. “We
appreciate the taxi drivers by giving them
financial benefits at the end of the month
and this encourages them to prefer doing
business with us,” says Nyamare. The
rates of the taxi top adverts is affordable
ranging from Kshs. 30, 000 per taxi top
for a minimum of 20 taxis to around
Kshs. 300, 000 depending on the services
requested.
“The take up so far is impressive as
hardly a week goes without a potential
customer calling in to request for our
services,” says Robins.
Why taxis?
Before settling on taxis, Nyamare and
Robins had thought of experimenting
on matatus and buses. “We realised that
with public service vehicles, we had to go
through tedious procedures for approval
before pitching any topper as there is
more than one company involved. Also,
dealing with buses and matatus presents
a challenge of limited security but with
taxis the scenario is totally different.”
The two run the business with a team
of ten sales people who are required to
bring in at least four to five clients in a
month. Robinson is charged with ensuring
that the customers are satisfied and
their expectations are met. “I keep an
eye on the operating taxis to ensure that
we deliver the promise we make to the
customer.”
The staff also includes a creative team
who design the messages where the client
does not offer ready advert. “In most cases,
corporations want to come up with the
message to ensure consistency in their
branding, but in the event that they want
it done by us, we have a creative team
accredited with high quality messages.”
Nyamare on the other hand ensures
that as the CEO, he bears the vision of the
firm by communicating and implementing
the short and long-term goals.
Value for money
Advertising is a game of convincing potential
customers that they will get value
for their money. As Nyamare explains,
once an organisation says that they
already have a budget and can’t accommodate
more expenses, the advertising
agency reaches a dead end with that
particular client, until there is another
budget to be drawn on costs. He however
appreciates the fact that corporations
have expanded their marketing budget
and there is a likelihood of better opportunities
in the near future. “It is however
necessary to note that as we approach the
General Elections, firms are limiting their
advertising budget due to the uncertainty
in the operating environment.”
Popular
Nyamare hopes to popularise taxi tops
as a channel of advertising. “My goal is to
have 99% of the registered taxis in Kenya
bear high quality taxi tops,” he avers.
The two entrepreneurs are highly inspirational.
Their insights as enterprising
young men with a vision in the advertising
industry are captivating enough to
challenge their age mates to give a try in
business.
“I like challenges, and entrepreneurship
is exactly that; you wake up every day
to solve a problem, and in the long run
it pays back, “says Robins. His advice to
entrepreneurs is that they should venture
where their interests are. “Do what what
makes you happy, while aspiring to make
life better.”
For Nyamare, success in business calls
for taking risks and the younger one is,
the better. “Individuals can mould the life
they want and the only way to achieve this
is to be comfortable with uncertainties,
and keep on a progressive goal that does
not shift with change of circumstances.”
He also asserts that if one is spending his
or her life doing what he or she does not
like, then they are not working. “It is only
by doing what one enjoys doing that he or
she can make someone else’s life better
and that is what success entails; adding
value to other peoples’ lives.”
For the duo, family time is highly
valuable and when they are not working,
spending time with the loved ones and
taking enough rest is the way to unwind.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
29

FEATURE
PROPERTY
How different property classes
coped with the pandemic
A look at how different asset
classes have been affected
and what lies ahead for
them in the New Year
The property market has undergone
huge changes during 2020
as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic,
but not all sectors have
had the same experience.
As we progress to the end of the year,
it is useful to have a look at how different
asset classes have been affected and what
lies ahead for them.
Industrial
The one sector of the economy that
benefited from lockdown has been online
retail outlets and this has also been good
news for the manufacturers that supply
them. An interesting twist to this is that
some malls, could be turned into distribution
centres for e-tailers.
Hospitality
The hospitality industry was one of the
hardest hit during lockdown as planes
were grounded and borders closed. A
slow recovery is discernible, but research
puts a return to 2019 levels in 2024.
Office
Remote working almost killed the
physical office as we know it. In fact, office
buildings as an asset class have been
the worst affected. Pay close attention
as some companies may make remote
working a permanent feature for at least
some of their workers.
Multi-family
The stand-out best-performer of 2020
has been multifamily apartments. In the
US, strong occupancy and collection rates,
along with stimulus cheques and savings
have boosted the asset class. Affordable
financing deals have also driven up demand
for multi-family offering.
Student housing
Student housing is in demand as
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top-tier campuses absorb students from
other schools. Also, as social distancing
demands that on-campus housing reduce
its occupancy levels the need for off-campus
housing is on the rise (especially for
buildings within 1.5km of campus).
Medical office
Any medical building with tenants that
offer critical care and procedures are
worth considering, but those that offer
optional care and procedures are less of a
sure bet. Location and solid tenants, with
clear longevity, are crucial when deciding
to invest in these buildings, advises Scott
Picken, CEO of online investment portal
Wealth Migrate.
Retail
Consumer behaviour has been
changed, possibly irrevocably, so if you
are looking at a retail asset make sure it
has a strong supermarket as an anchor
tenant along with two to three other
good, solid tenants that
will bring foot traffic to
the shopping
centre,
which
in turn will attract other good tenants.
Senior housing
Researchers expect there will be a
significant demand for senior housing
in four years’ time as the Baby Boomers
start entering their 80s, this demand
will then increase each year. When it
comes to investing in senior housing, a
good partner is always a must, so choose
carefully.
Self-storage
An often-forgotten property class is
self-storage, which is in demand, especially
when it offers amenities such as
heating, ventilation and air conditioning
(HVAC) and good security. The needs and
expectations of self-storage clients are
quite exacting, so, again, a good partner
can ensure you make a success of this.
The whole world is holding its
breath as the slow roll-out of the
vaccine heralds a return to
normalcy, take note of the
types of real estate you
could pursue this year
to make it the beginning
of fresh
successes.

FEATURE
HIRING
BrighterMonday
Kenya launches
campaign to help
SMEs hire right
Emmanuel
Mutuma, CEO,
BrighterMonday
Kenya.
East Africa’s leading online jobs
platform BrighterMonday Kenya
has increased efforts to address
hiring challenges facing Small
and Micro enterprises (SMEs),
launching a campaign to help enterprises
hire right.
The campaign, dubbed ‘Hire the BrighterMonday
way’, seeks to solve the hiring
needs of growing enterprises by introducing
them to the right way of recruitment
which is reliable, efficient, affordable and
easy to use.
SMEs play a major role in most economies,
significantly contributing to job
creation but often, they grapple with
sourcing the right talent, banking on gut
feelings, word of mouth and nepotism to
recruit. However, there are inexpensive
solutions that can help them advertise
jobs, access a quality pool of candidates,
as well as rapidly filter and shortlist
applicants.
According to BrighterMonday Kenya
CEO Emmanuel Mutuma, leaders of growing
businesses need to invest in robust
hiring processes to attract the right talent
by publishing their jobs out and wide.
“Currently 85% of Kenyans are accessing
SMEs play a major role
in most economies,
significantly
contributing to job
creation
the internet on their devices; advertising
a role on our platform isn’t only affordable
but efficient in getting top talent.
As a hiring partner, we will help SMEs
access digital tools that use AI to sieve and
shortlist the best applicants and in turn,
increase profitability.” he said.
Mutuma added that the firm signed a
deal with the SME Founders Association
early April to assist the businesses recruit
effectively and benefit from customer
support throughout the hiring process..
The eight-week long campaign will
see BrighterMonday seek to partner with
over 2,500 SMEs to help them enlist talent
and boost productivity, while granting
them access to learning and development
offerings to train business leaders and HR
specialists on efficient recruitment.
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31

FEATURE
TECHNOLOGY
A Boiling Pot of Disruptive
Technology
By Caroline Mwendwa
Driven by a quest to see African
youths get a grasp of technology,
Manoj Shanker set
out to Tanzania from India
to do just that; ignite a flame
of technology among youths in Africa.
He however stumbled on one challenge;
there was lack of education and capacity.
The only recourse to see his dream on the
move was to build the capacity and that
is how he opened the first training Centre
in Daresalaam, Tanzania and later went
on to Nairobi Kenya. “Moving into Kenya,
I realised that the youth were more enthusiastic
and even more curious to learn
more.
There were more and more trainees
coming in and from this group, rose leaders
who would then train the incoming
members,” explains Manoj remarking that
the talent he experienced was overwhelming.
“It was then that I realised that
the only difference between the African
youths and those of the west, is the level
of opportunity.” Training became the
mainstay of Techno Brain for quite some
time, and eventually, there was a pool of
polished talent, full of creativity.
As a keen entrepreneur, Manoj spotted
an opportunity. “I realised that the bigwigs
in the private sector such as banks don’t
buy software from local companies. They
import them at very high costs, probably
twice the price they are sold in their country
of origin.
Secondly, the government institutions
suffer from slow and corrupt systems, due
to lack of technological infrastructure.”
This spurred a new idea.
Why not leverage from the institute and
establish a company that offers solutions
to these local challenges?It was then that
Techno Brain was restructured into a
company of 1, 300 employees, with modern
facilities present in 22 other countries.
Techno Brain is today a leading custom
software provider offering innovative IT
solutions, IT training, and BPO- / IT-enabled
services to NGOs, governmental,
and private organisations globally.
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Manoj Shanker, Group CEO, Techno
Brain Group.
Empowering Lives the Digital Way
Focusing on IT capabilities that matter
the most to African entities, Techno
Brainas a CMMI Level 5 Company has
unsurpassed experience and knowledge
of providing, deploying, commissioning,
training and maintaining large engagements
all over the world for Governments,
NGO’s and the Private sector.
“We have worked with our customers
to use modern technology to transform
the delivery and effectiveness of services
in those sectors that are key to the
sustainable growth and prosperity of the
countries in which we operate,” explains
Mr Manoj. Some of the areas in which
Techno Brain has had unmatched impact
include: Public Financial Management,
security and capacity building.
Public Financial Management
Responsible management of Public
Finances is the foundation of all successful
nations. On the one hand generation
of government income through effective
and efficient management of customs
revenues and domestic taxation provides
the funds for improving governments’
services to its citizens. On the other hand
those funds need to be spent wisely and
without waste. Tight control and transparent
reporting of government budgeting
and expenditure is a hallmark of successful
government and allows the funds
raised to be used to the utmost benefit of
the nation and its citizens.
Techno Brain has developed products
that have empowered today’s governments
to address arising mandates to improve
citizen service delivery, transparency,
fiscal accountability, and compliance.
Such solutions include, IFMS, an end
to end solution to manage government
budgeting and expenditure; GIS systems
to support in informed decisions and
policy making; e-cargo tracking systems
to combat transit fraud in the country;
and to widen their tax and boost revenue,
Techno Brain has Total Revenue Integrity
Processing System, Trips+, an online system
enabling the complete modernization
of Tax and Customs Administration.
“We aim to help governments imagine
new things for their cities, as well as empower
people to create safer, healthier,
modern, educated and prosperous cities.”
Techno Brain offers a myriad of
solutions aiding in reliable financial data.
These include: project monitoring and
evaluation; national planning; cabinet
management; financial management; fleet
management; monitoring healthcare;security,
managing land, ensuring revenue
growth and managing utilities, among
others. These solutions help strengthen
government financial controls, improving
the provision of government services
while at the same time raising the budget
process to higher levels of transparency
and accountability, and expediting government
operations.
Security
As security continues to be basic
concern in companies and governments
worldwide, there is evidently a great
need to have in place solutions that
ensure effective, secure, and reliable
identity management in public and private

organisations. Techno Brain’s core IDM
products, i.e. SecuRegister provides a
platform to addresses the requirements
of organizations to establish the identity
of its users and citizens.
For example, while issuing passports,
driving licenses and national ID cards,
a government needs to be thoroughly
certain that duplicates do not exist. “Our
solutions for police forces provide highly
effective criminal identification capabilities
using fingerprints. We ensure that the
benefits reach the right persons, whether
it is in healthcare or aid distribution,” Mr
Manoj elaborates.
Employment through Impact Sourcing
Through its business process outsourcing,
Techno Brain has helped secure
employment for underprivileged youth.
Together with Rockefeller Foundation,
World Vision International, and other
NGOs and technology partners, it has
had great impact in seven countries in
Africa. “There are 800 people working in
BPO within the organization, of whom
400 have come from underprivileged
communities. In the past eight years, 300
youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in
Kenya have been engaged, 43 percent of
them being women,” Mr Manoj clarifies.
As a result, Techno Brain BPO ITES was
recognized for its leadership on Impact
Sourcing by Microsoft. In addition to
partnering with the Microsoft 4Afrika
Initiative, where together with the Techno
Brain Training division has trained 10,000
African youth, Techno Brain BPO ITES has
worked for the Microsoft Analog team
to capture and label data for various
projects. A case in point is the digitization
of 4.5 million medical records in Kenyatta
National Hospital. This project employed
35 under privileged youth from informal
settlements of Nairobi and provided
them with basic training on the complete
process involved in digitization of medical
records.
Securing the vulnerable
Techno Brain has set up 7 child helplines
in Africa using its own case management
solution, known as mSecured.
Here children caught up in emergency
cases call in the contact centers who then
offer help by escalating these cases to the
relevant authorities.
Besides this, Techno Brain has launched
a Refugee Helpline. The helpline, supported
by the Refugee Agency will be a sign
board to members of the public, groups
and organizations that can best help them
Through its business
process outsourcing,
Techno Brain has helped
secure employment for
underprivileged youth
get involved in responding to the crisis.
To address the grave maternal-child
deaths in Africa, Techno Brain has miVR
product which is built on mobile telephony
to help mothers with poor or no access
to health facilities to access important
health information pertaining their pregnancy
at all stages from conception to
post-natal.
Training & Capacity Building
“Training continues to be a large component
of what we do even while we expand
our IT solution portfolio. As part of
Africa 1st Initiative, we endeavor to bridge
the gap of employ-ability and provide dayone
productive workforce to the industry.
To this end, we offer a series of professional
and academic programs that will
equip graduates to acquire professional
and academic skills respectively that are
aligned to the market needs.”
Techno Brain’s matchless learning experience
has touched the lives of 275,000
students leading to over 4,000 ICT placements
out of which 12,000 have been
provided with ICT scholarships. The ICT diploma
programs, aligned to employ-ability
needs of Africa, are supported by projects,
job placements and internships.
Last year, Techno Brain successfully
trained and certified 200 ICT officials in
Kenya from 47 counties in an operation
excellence drive for a World Bank Funded
Project.
In Rwanda, over 3000 government
officials were also trained on various ICT
and Operational excellence skills through
the Rwanda Development Board.
Currently, Ethiopia is training 7500
Government officials to use Oracle EBS for
the national Integrated Financial Management
Information systems being deployed
through the Ministry of Finance.Other
organizations such as Ethiopian Electric
Power, INSA, National Cement Corporation,
Ethiopian Airways, Ethio Telecom
Awash Bank and many more corporates
and NGOs are benefiting from Techno
Brain.
Techno Brain also has a strategic
alliance with Huawei in Ethiopia and has
jointly set up a state of art Huawei data
center to build capacity for corporates
and academicians.
Digital Transformation
“We have taken an exciting journey
to transform Techno Brain into Africa’s
Leading Digital Company. Our businesses
can now offer Analytics, Big Bata, Internet
of Things, Mobile and Block Chain,” Mr
Manoj points out.
Techno Brain has strategic partnerships
with giant IT companies including Oracle
and Microsoft as the digital technology
enablers for businesses in every industry
and region across the globe. Being a Microsoft
Partner network, meansapplication
of the highest standards of Microsoft’s
widely-recognized partnership program.
This year, Techno Brain was honored as
the West East Central African Partner
of the Year, among a global field of top
Microsoft partners during the Microsoft
Inspire in Washington DC.
“As an Oracle Gold Partner and Cloud
Standard partner, we use Oracle specializations
and advanced specializations to
enhance solutions for our customers.
We will continue to extend the value
of Oracle technologies and systems to
address critical issues pointing towards
the long term economic sustainability for
the economies we are operate in.” Techno
Brain was awarded the First Sub-Saharan
Oracle Partner to implement a Hybrid (on
premise and Cloud) Solution on Oracle
Business Intelligence.
IN 2016, Oracle awarded Techno Brain
‘East Africa Transformational Deal 2016’
for the implementation of BI/DW for
Africa’s largest Telecom. “Currently, we
are implementing the largest Integrated
Financial Management Information Systems
(IFMIS) rollout in Africa, and the first
Business Intelligence & Data Warehouse
(BI/DW) solution in Ethiopia that led our
recognition as an Oracle Field Deliver
Partner in Ethiopia,” he offers.
Over the last 20 years, Techno Brain
has achieved great success in Africa by
offering disruptive solutions that cost less
time and resources to implement.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
33

FARMING
FERTILISER
Fertilizer firm boosting
organic farming
By Kilimo correspondent
Mazao Organics, a non-synthetic
fertilizer firm has a
ready market for various
organically grown crops
and is looking for farmers
across the country to cultivate chemical-free
tomatoes, onions, carrots, capsicums,
potatoes, sweet potatoes, arrow
roots, spring onions, cabbages, spinach,
sukuma, dhania, ground peas, matoke
and iceberg lettuce.
The company which currently has 60
large and small-scale farmers advises
farmers on what to grow depending on
their locality adhering to the team’s strict
supervision. With a database tracking the
various stages of growth of their various
farmers, produce is picked from growers
when ready and delivered directly to
organic buyers. This alleviates the hustle
of having to source for markets from
farmers.
“With the proliferation of nutri-
34
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
Organic farming
through Mazao organic
fertilizers decreases
farming expense by 40-
50 percent.
tion-based diseases such as cancer, obesity,
hypertension and diabetes there’s increased
demand for chemical-free farmed
food produce—a market gap we are trying
to but are nowhere near fulfilling,” says
Eric Mwiti, director of sales and marketing
at Mazao Organic Fertilizers.
Increasingly, farmers’ cost of production
through conventional means has
also shot up. As Eric explains, it has been
practically authenticated that organic
farming through Mazao organic fertilizers
decreases farming expense by 40-50
percent. While fertilizer and chemical
production of an acre can set a farmer
back anywhere from Sh14-20 thousand,
the use of organic inputs reduced this
cost down to Sh 10-11 thousand.
“Our existing farmers are currently
growing onions, potatoes, coffee, tea,
miraa, maize, papayas and tomatoes in
Kilifi, Loitoktok, Kitengela, Ruiru, Nyeri,
Embu, Tharaka and many other regions of
the country,” he says.
The fertilizer manufacturer has been in
existence for 11 months and is working
with various agricultural players such as
Kenchick in the development of mazao
digester, an eco-friendly biological
treater and odor extinguisher. They are
also working with Digifarm Safaricom’s
integrated mobile platform by supplying
fertilizers to their organic farmers.

HUSTLE EAST AFRICA

FARMING
POULTRY FARMING
Banker-turned-poultry farmer
becomes champion for African
agriculture
By special correspondent
Technologies for African Agricultural
Transformation works to
harness high-impact agricultural
technologies to boost crop output
and create viable opportunities
for workers and entrepreneurs
“If we must satisfy Africa’s food security
with our growing population, then
there must be high commercialization of
agriculture. That is modern farming.” –
Ayotomiwa Yinka Ogunsua, poultry farmer
When Ayotomiwa Yinka Ogunsua got
a job as a loan officer at a microfinance
bank in Ibadan, Nigeria, after graduating
from university, he thought he’d done well
for himself. Then, he spotted an online
advertisement for a youth agricultural
training program and signed up, owing to
his interest in farming as a hobby.
Selected to interview for a place in the
poultry rearing course, Ogunsua promptly
quit his bank job and, he says, prayed he
would get in. “I knew I wanted to follow
my passion for agriculture full-time,” the
29-year-old Nigerian said.Ogunsua did
win a place in the course, organized last
March by the Technologies for African
Agricultural Transformation (https://bit.
ly/2PrrEK9) program, or TAAT, a program
of the African Development Bank (www.
AfDB.org) and partners including the
CGIAR, a global research partnership.
TAAT works to harness high-impact
agricultural technologies to boost crop
output and create viable opportunities for
workers and entrepreneurs.
Soon after, Ogunsua bought 50 chicks
and started a business.
The African Development Bank’s Director
for Agriculture and Agro-Industry,
Dr. Martin Fregene, said TAAT has the
resources, scientific and technological
expertise, as well as proven implementation
plans to benefit millions of African
farmers like Ogunsua.
“As the continent’s leaders gather for
the High-level Dialogue on Feeding Africa
(https://bit.ly/2QBkjrN) at the end of the
month, Ogunsua’s experience serves as
36
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
an inspiration for governments to commit
to investing in Africa’s food systems,”
Fregene added.
“After the training, I saw agriculture as
a proper business, not just a passion,”
Ogunsua said via telephone from his
farm, as roosters crowed in the background.
“I realized this is something I
must make income from, as something to
pay my bills – something that I can build
on as an enterprise,” he added.
The CGIAR’s International Institute of
Tropical Agriculture, based in Ibadan,
southwestern Nigeria, provides TAAT
training courses that offer capacity building
and technical assistance to African
“agripreneurs”. The training, Ogunsua
says, gave him the technical know-how
to expand his start-up, Vive Verde, from
water, agricultural and environmental
services into livestock production. Atops
Farms, Ogunsua’s poultry business, grew
to include 500 birds by early 2021. Then
something wonderful happened.
“We sold out of birds for Easter,”
Ogunsua said, noting that he makes more
Ayotomiwa
Yinka
Ogunsua,
poultry
farmer.
money from agribusiness than he did
working as a loan officer.
As head of Atops Farms, Ogunsua does
his part to advocate for Nigeria’s agriculture
sector, appearing regularly on radio
and television programs, and working to
change society’s perception of farming as
a pastime.
“Farming, for one, is to make profit. It is
also to ensure food security of the land, or
the nation – of the continent,” he recently
told Inspiration 100.5 FM radio (https://
bit.ly/3gJjFDo). “If we must satisfy Africa’s
food security with our growing population,
then there must be high commercialization
of agriculture. That is modern
farming.”
Currently, he is expecting a shipment
of new chicks to restock his coop, and
while he waits for his chickens to mature,
also rears turkeys, rabbits and goats to
generate cash flow and build his agricultural
business.
“I am still a small farmer, but by the
grace of God I am growing and I will get
there,” he said.

FARMING
AVOCADO FARMING
Avocado farmers to enjoy
free fruit maturity
testing services at Kakuzi
Listed integrated Kenyan agricultural
firm Kakuzi PLC has announced
a free fruit maturity testing service
for smallholder avocado farmers
for the current harvest period.
As part of the firm’s out-grower development
programs, Kakuzi, the prime
exporter of quality Hass variety avocados
will provide free maturity testing services
during the current harvest period that
runs to August this year. The services will
ensure compliance with quality standards
and enhance the value of Kenyan fruit in
the global market.
The Kakuzi avocado smallholder program
focuses on the economic empowerment
of smallholder avocado farmers
through sharing skills and knowledge
on avocado growing and overall good
agricultural practices. Last year, Kakuzi
Avocado Smallholder Farmers enjoyed a
payment of Ksh. 57.9 Million and access to
the growing international market.
Speaking, when he confirmed the
initiative, Kakuzi PLC’s Executive Head -
Corporate Affairs, Mr Simon Odhiambo,
said the fruit maturity testing services at
the firm’s Avocado Packhouse would help
reduce post-harvest challenges arising
from the handling of premature fruits.
The testing services will also help boost
the national branding objectives geared
at positioning Kenya as a quality avocado
fruits source market.
The free fruit maturity testing services,
he said, will be provided at the FSSC
22000 Food Safety Management Systems
certified Kakuzi Avocado Processing and
Packhouse facility located near Makuyu
town, along the Nairobi-Nyeri highway.
“We are encouraging HASS variety
Avocado farmers to consider taking
advantage of the free fruit maturity
testing services at the Kakuzi facility to
minimize losses that accrue from the
premature harvesting of this precious
fruit,” Odhiambo said. He added that
“The testing service will also serve
to enhance quality assurance for
all export-grade fruits, to enable
Kenya to grow its international
reputation.
At the GlobalGAP certified Kakuzi
Avocado Packhouse, farmers
will receive detailed pre-harvest
reports on quality and maturity
against their fruit samples. By
extending the free fruit maturity
testing services, Kakuzi seeks to empower
smallholder farmers to access
the often lucrative, albeit highly regulated
global avocado markets.
Kakuzi PLC also serves as a member
of the Avocado Society of Kenya, which is
working on improving the positioning of
Kenyan Avocado as a fruit of choice locally
and internationally.
HUSTLE EAST AFRICA
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