KENYA

Crazy about Kenya
Art and happening hip hop - putting a positive vibe back into Kenya.

AFRICA

Yahsat to provide satellite coverage of Africa
Al Yah Satellite Communications Company (Yahsat) is planning to build two satellites including one in 2010 and the second in 2011 allowing it to provide complete interconnectivity on C Band to Africa from the Middle East and Europe. A statement issued by the company's account executive Ursula Mabope said that they have signed an agreement with Arianespace to launch the Yahsat 1A satellite in the second half of 2010.

Nokia Siemens Networks celebrates first anniversary
[David Muwanga] Nokia Siemens Networks has celebrated its first year of operation and target meeting rural connectivity and energy efficiency challenges in future. According to a statement issued recently, the Nokia Siemens Networks has in the last one year seen an eventful and strong first year as part of its rapid transformation to support the growth of the connected world in the Middle East and Africa region.

KENYA

Telkom Kenya signs $148 million agreement with Ericsson
[Zachary Ochieng] The stage is set for stiff competition in the mobile telephony sector as Telkom Kenya Limited, the former sole fixed line operator, prepares to roll out its Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) network by September this year. As part of the preparations for the roll-out, Telkom Kenya last week signed an agreement with Ericsson, the Swedish telecommunications giant as the sole equipment supplier for its ambitious network.

Orange to peddle iPhone in Africa
[Rachelle Crum] Orange, a subsidiary of France Telecom, has signed a new deal with Apple to offer the iPhone to its customers in several parts of Africa, Europe, the Middle East and the Caribbean. The company already has an exclusive deal with Apple to sell the phone in France.

Emergency rice import for Nigeria cancelled
A decision by the Nigerian government to reverse an earlier decision to import 50,000 metric tonnes of rice from Thailand to ease supply pressures on rice in Africa's most populous country was met with mixed reactions.

ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe lifts tax on food imports
Zimbabwe's government has suspended duty on basic commodity imports for 90 days, after heavy rains and the failure to supply agricultural inputs led to a maize shortfall predicted by government at about one million tonnes.

ZIMBABWE

Advertisers desert Zim state broadcaster
[Dumisani Ndlela] The Zimbabwe Broadcasting Holdings board chairman Justin Mutasa says advertisers have deserted its broadcasting operations, admitting that poor programming has crippled operations - but he blamed the crisis on sacked CEO Henry Muradzikwa, whom he accused of running down operations by not consulting the board and government.