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Right from the first act, it was clear that the second semi-final of EAGT was going to be the toughest group to be in. Incredible acts faced off in a night of eclectic performances that stunned, impressed and left us wanting more.

Opening the show was Liz Raphael AKA Lizzy with her jaw-dropping acrobatic act that was as captivating as it was terrifying. Her twirls and sudden drops using a rope left the audience laden with anxiety.

Intayoberana performed a Rwandese harvest dance. A backstory shared prior to their performance revealed that their outfits held a cultural significance with the sisal worn by the boys representing a lion and its energetic nature.

Their performance involved balancing baskets on their heads in a show of agility. What impressed Judge Gaetano was the synchronization of the act.

The adorable Leyna Kagere, who wowed the region during her auditions, belted out an all-time favourite tune by Whitney Houston titled ‘The Greatest Love.’

Her performance wasn’t as impressive as her audition’s piece with Judge Jeff Koinange noting that she still had plenty of air in her lungs which she didn’t tap into.

Vanessa, who gave her a golden buzzer in the auditions, stated that Leyna had so much potential.

Yada Yada, the dance duo that made Vannessa shed tears in the audition stage due to the raw emotions of their performance, had an empowering set that was described as a piece of art. Vanessa Mdee stated that the act was the best contemporary dance she’d seen in her life. 

Tetemesha Afrika dance group from Kenya electrified the stage with a dynamic performance.

Their inspiring story began with them dancing in the streets before getting a venue in a church hall. To pursue their dreams, the members financed themselves by delivering water to homes.

The performance was a combination of grit, power and absolute freedom. Their soundtrack included a section where Jeff Koinange's voice echoed in the auditorium. 

Jeff was visibly flattered when his “Oh My!” audio cameo rang through.

Brother-sister duo, Ezekiel and Esther performed a compelling rendition of Andra Day’s Rise Up. Belting out their individual lines, the two complemented each other and delivered what was arguably the best singing performance of the night.

Their act was magical and brought tears to Gaetano’s eyes. 

After the performances, the audience and people at home got the chance to vote for their favourite acts and the moment of truth came about when the acts that made it through to the finals were announced.

Emerging the top after the votes were tallied was the dance crew, Intayoberana, sailing through to the finals.

A tense moment came when the judges had to choose between singing acts ‘Ezekiel and Esther’ and ‘Leyna Kagere’. In the end, the judges chose to send Ezekiel and Esther to the finals.

Six acts remain and they will take the stage in the third semi-final. Already the finals are shaping up into a nailbiting event and the stakes in the third semi-final are equally high. 

Tune in to #EAGTPoweredBySafaricom every Sunday at 8 pm on Citizen TV. You can also catch up with your favourite acts from the live semi-finals on YouTube.

With Safaricom’s 200% bonus bundle, all you have to do is hit your daily target and a bonus 200MB YouTube bundle. Talk more or buy bundles to hit your daily target which you can check via *460#.

#StoroBonus

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to get back to winning ways on the weekend when Crystal Palace come to town. However, Spurs will be all too aware of the threat that the Eagles pose.

Online Sportsbook 22Bet Kenya offers their prediction on the match.

Tottenham vs Crystal Palace Preview

Mauricio Pochettino would have been pulling his hair out following their last fixture in the North London derby. For the second year, running Spurs went into the break with a 2-1 advantage only to be pegged back. 

Tottenham Hotspurs

Fortunately for Spurs, however, unlike last season they were able to salvage a point. Harry Kane may have felt that he had earnt a penalty in the final stages, but the referee believed that he went to ground too easily.

The Spurs striker comes into the game at the New Tottenham Hotspurs Stadium in excellent form having scored four goals in his last two fixtures for club and country. His hat-trick for England against Bulgaria showed that he was back to his best and ready to fire Spurs into the Champions League race.

Pochettino’s side hasn’t won in their last two, after being beaten by Newcastle United in their previous home game. The 1-0 defeat was a sign of the times at Spurs and highlighted their need for Christian Eriksen in the starting lineup. The Dane will make his first home start of the season on Saturday, and he will likely make his presence known.

Crystal Palace

Unlike Spurs, Palace have been in excellent form as of late and have won their last two after a tricky opening to the season. They were somewhat fortunate to have escaped with all three points in their last game against Aston Villa, as the Midlands side believed they scored an equaliser in the final minute only for the referees whistle preventing the Eagles from making do with a point. 

In the end, it was to be Jordan Ayew’s goal that was the difference, as he scored for the second consecutive game for Palace. This was the first time that he had managed to do this for Roy Hodgson’s side.

Palace have excellent pedigree away at the top six after beating Manchester United in their last away game. A last-gasp Patrick van Aanholt goal gave the Eagles a famous win, and they will be looking for another scalp in London on Saturday.

Head to Head: Tottenham and Crystal Palace

Spurs hold the advantage in the overall record having won on 30 occasions. Palace have registered 12 wins, and there have been 13 draws. Last season’s league fixtures were dominated by Spurs, while Palace haven’t scored against Tottenham in six Premier League meetings. Their last win in the top-flight over Spurs came in 2015.

Betting Tip

Tottenham will be aware that this is a tricky fixture. The pace that Palace have in the forward areas through Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend and Jordan Ayew will ensure that Spurs give them respect.

However, Pochettino will claim this is a must-win game if they have realistic hopes of finishing in the top four, and they will just about get over the line.

Tip: Tottenham to win at 1.32 with 22Bet. Get your Ksh15000 welcome bonus before betting on the match.

Ever been to a restaurant and paid using mobile money and from there on out you keep getting promotional messages about their offers or the launch of new branches?

Well, as much as these messages will help you bag deals in subsequent purchases, they can be a tad annoying especially those that send you offers that you aren't interested in.  

Not to mention how they fill your inbox with numerous messages that end up overshadowing important messages - like those life-saving "you have received *** amount in your M-Pesa account" type of notifications.

Another scenario you can find yourself in is when your child or young nieces and nephews who used your phone to play games, ended up unknowingly subscribing to those premium services - which I've discovered are mostly racing cars games. 

It is usually painful when the morning after or on a calm afternoon you get a notification of having received a link to download a game online. The kicker in this situation is that you get charged up to 50bob a message.

Now imagine you have topped up because you want to make an emergency call and immediately the airtime is gobbled up by those premium services subscriptions - annoying right?

In the world of marketing and as the world becomes more data-driven, your personal information helps the businesses and even unscrupulous people target you with deals real or fake in a bid to draw you in.

If you are not careful, you can find your phone leaking airtime in the most unsuspecting ways which end up costing you dearly in the long run.

Data protection is a whole conversation on its own, but the first step is to stop those unsolicited messages, which is a very simple process.

All you have to do is dial *456# from your Safaricom line and Select Option 9 which reads STOP. 

Once there, you can check your active subscriptions for Data, SMS, Skiza, Premium Services and Games, Promotional Messages, Weekly notifications, Safaricom Promotion SMS and Roaming Services.

For example, you want to put an end to the promotional messages from a specific vendor - How do you go about that?

Here’s a detailed breakdown of the USSD process:

• Dial *456# and select option 9 - STOP.

• Select option 5 for Promotional Messages and then select Option 1 for Stop Promotional Messages.

• Here, enter the Sender Name you wish to stop and viola! You are free.

You can also check on the Premium Services which provide daily tips on love, health, jobs, jokes, news, music and games for a fee.

In the ‘Check your Subscription’ menu - Select Option 4 where you can check which one you have subscribed to and cancel.

The Weekly notifications option is also available where you can choose to opt-in or out.

With the simple process, you don’t have to be at the mercy of the texts which raise your expectations when your phone buzzes but end up being advertisements. 

You can manage your subscriptions conveniently and sift through the ones you actually want. 

In case the procedure gets complicated or you can’t figure something out, you can contact the Safaricom Customer service via Facebook and Twitter and they can guide you on how to go about checking and unsubscribing to the unsolicited messages.

There are many ways people can spread love across the nation and it appears Spread the Love Campaign co-ordinated by Mavuno Church struck a raw mirth chord of pupils from 14 primary schools.

On Sunday, September 1, the church, which has numerous branches in Nairobi, shut down its Sunday service to spread the love by thoroughly cleaning the schools' classrooms and compounds.

The project mobilised 3,500 congregants from various Kenyan based campuses to give back to the community during Church service time.

The Spread the Love campaign targets to raise 1 million hours annually of community service through volunteers and increased its investments in the refurbishment of Public Primary Schools to Ksh20 million from last year’s Ksh16 million.

“We are looking at getting to 30 schools in 2020; we are looking at partnering with other well-wishers, and invite other corporates to partner with us to make this dream a reality. As our National Anthem says, Let’s build our land and nation, it’s a responsibility for everyone, and not the government alone,” stated Pastor Muriithi Wanjau, Senior Pastor Mavuno Church.

Students from the 14 schools were elated on Monday when they reported to their respective schools only to find their classes sparkling.

The beneficiary schools included Mlolongo Primary School, Plainsview Primary School, Kasoitu Primary, Lavington Primary, State House Primary, Rabai Road Primary School, Donholm Primary School, Komarock Primary School, Supaloaf Primary School, Kwa Njenga, Njathaini Primary School and St. Patrick’s Primary School.

During the exercise, the volunteers noticed that a majority of schools were in dire need of facilities which is a major contributing factor to poor performances.

“Some of the major needs of the schools include classrooms with potholed floors, damaged notice boards and missing doors and windows. Inadequate furniture, has seen some students stand or sit on the classroom floors and use stones and planks as desks during lessons,” stated Jacqueline Mathaga, chairperson of the Spread the Love Strategy Team.

“From a psychological perspective, poor facilities lead to disinterested pupils and lower school performances, we need to invest in our children, show them we love them in order for them to be better equipped for the future,” noted Carol Wanjau Executive Pastor Mavuno Church.

Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, Muthaga confirmed that the church had carried the campaign for several years and began by providing beds for those in prison and facilitating family re-unions before expanding to include primary schools cleaning.

Below are more photos and a video of the exercise:

We have always looked forward to nightfall so as to finally rest from the tedious day activities, walk around in warm fuzzy pyjamas until EAGT hits our screens.

Outstanding dancers from the Machakos school for the deaf were arguably the standout act of the evening with a traditional dance called Kirumi.

Confidently walking to the stage like little divas with smiles brighter than the Stars on the EAGT logo, the girls were unaware of the emotional rollercoaster they were about to take the judges and audience through.

Their act was nothing short of a whimsical piece - no words, just signs, with hearts throbbing to the beat of drums, smoothly dictating the next step.

Beats, colourful yellow and red costumes, calculated patterns, beautiful smiles that stole the audience's hearts and most importantly, the reminder that we are all human despite the differences, was what this night dragged into.

The synchrony of the moves, the creative patterns, and the swinging costumes left the judges in awe.

That is the power of EAGT, to bring you the never seen before, the unexpected, to ferry you from this busy world to a world of budding talent hidden deep in the Eastern end of the black continent.

Indeed, even with ears that have never heard a sound, the girls listened with their hearts, literally dancing the night away.

With cracking voices and teary eyes, the judges one by one gave their “yeses” in sign language, in the oblivion of what the girls will bring to the table in future.

The 97s band from Kenya capped the night, belting out a gospel tune, and the audience was on their feet when the notes were hit. The chemistry was palpable, and the excitement saturated the air long after their performance was over. Gaetano teased with the Golden Buzzer when the band was done.

Daniel Susumu from Dodoma Tanzania drew a portrait within the allotted 90 seconds and went through.

Other notable KDP Crew from Kigali, 97s Band from Nairobi Kenya, Davis Natambazi from Uganda and Hoziryana Peace from Rwanda.

Now tell me, what would stop anyone from looking forward to another exciting episode of EAGT? Because one can never know what EAGT will drag in next.

Tune in to #EAGTPoweredBySafaricom every Sunday at 8 pm on Citizen TV. You can also catch up with your favourite acts from last night’s episode on YouTube.

With Safaricom’s 200% bonus bundle, all you have to do is hit your daily target and a bonus 200MB YouTube bundle. Talk more or buy bundles to hit your daily target which you can check via *460#.

#StoroBonus

UPDATE: Kenya Power on Sunday, September 15, 2019, issued a statement informing customers that the prepaid purchase token system was up and running after delays were experienced the previous night.

"Following a sustained system hitch affected our prepaid tokens generating platform last night, Kenya Power wishes to confirm that our engineers have successfully resolved the challenge.

"Working throughout the night, our system engineers managed to identify and restore the system on Sunday morning. The system has maintained stable operations in the last six hours progressively sending our backlog of tokens purchased by customers last night and today," Read a statement by Kenya Power.

With a simple flick of a switch, a room lights up evincing the distinct objects that were otherwise unseen in the dark - an effortless press of a button and the blank TV screen awakes into an explosion of colour and sound bringing the room to life.

Though rudimentary and easily taken for granted, the simple act of lighting a home is made possible with electricity. For nearly a century, Kenya Power has made it its mission to empower people for better lives with energy solutions.

The institution has, over the years, advanced in all sectors including supply of power and consumer satisfaction. It is with giving customers more control over their electricity consumption that the token system was introduced, in households and businesses alike.

The billing has been more transparent with the consumer knowing exactly what they are paying for when purchasing the tokens. 

How is your electricity bill computed?

When one purchases the token, certain fees are factored in the bill. There’s VAT that amounts to 16 percent of the total bill and is passed on to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA): Fuel Index charge that changes according to fluctuations in world prices, as well as fluctuations in the quantity of oil consumed by electricity generation. 

One also pays for levies to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), WARMA, for energy purchased from hydropower plants above 1MW and there's also a charge for  Rural Electrification Projects (REP).

How to Buy Tokens 

Purchasing tokens is a simple transaction on the phone as Kenya Power has provided a number of convenient ways for customers to pay their electricity bills. 

Here’s a detailed breakdown of how to get tokens and settle other electricity-related bills.

How to Buy Tokens Through M-Pesa

1. Go to Safaricom SIM Tool Kit, select M-PESA menu, select “Lipa na M-PESA“
2. Select “Pay Bill”
3. Select “Enter Business no.“, enter Kenya Power’s Lipa na M-PESA PayBill Number 888880 and press “OK”
4. Select “Enter Account no.“, enter your Kenya Power Prepaid Meter Number (e.g. 0100 xxxx xxxx x) press “OK”
5. “Enter Amount“, between Ksh100 and 35,000 and press “OK”
6. Enter your M-PESA PIN and press “OK”
7. Confirm all the details are correct and press “OK”
8. You will receive a confirmation SMS from M-PESA.
9. Kenya Power will then generate prepaid token valid for your meter and send via SMS.

How to Pay Your Postpaid Electricity Bill with M-Pesa (Safaricom)

1. Select “Pay Bill” from the M-Pesa menu.
2. Enter the Kenya Power business number 888 888.
3. Enter your new Kenya Power account number e.g. 123456.
4. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between Ksh 100 and  Ksh 35,000.
5. Enter your M-Pesa PIN.
6. Confirm that all details are correct.
7. You will receive a confirmation of the transaction via SMS.

How to Buy Tokens via Equitel

1. Select Eazzy Pay from your Equitel menu
2. Select Pay Bill from Eazzy Pay. Choose the bank account number to pay from e.g.0123456789102 ;Select business number - Kenya Power Tokens
3. Enter your Kenya Power Prepaid Meter Number (e.g. 37168917674) press OK
4. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between Ksh 100 and  Ksh 500,000.
5. Enter your Equitel PIN and press OK
6. Confirm that all details are correct by pressing 1 then OK
7. You will receive a  text confirmation of the transaction from Equity bank.
8. Kenya Power will then generate prepaid token valid for your meter and send via SMS.

How to pay your electricity bill with Equitel (Sim Tool Kit)

1. Select Eazzy Pay from your Equitel menu
2. Select Pay Bill from Eazzy Pay.
3. Choose the bank account number to pay from e.g.0123456789102
4. Select business number - Kenya Power Bills (Post Paid)
5. Enter your new Kenya Power meter number e.g. 2831172 or 3436980.
6. Enter the amount you wish to pay which should be between Ksh 100 and  Ksh 500,000.
7. Enter your Equitel PIN and press OK
8. Confirm that all details are correct by pressing 1 OK.
9. You will receive a  text confirmation of the transaction from Equity bank.

Where to buy Tokens

One can also pay their bills over the counter through all Equity Bank branches, as well via cash payments at Kenya Power paying counters marked CASHIER and authorised pay points which are located within official premises.

How to activate Kenya Power tokens?

A customer purchases electricity token and credit units to his meter by typing a given code on the meter’s customer interface unit screen. As the customer uses electricity, his/her credit balance is reduced each day until the units are exhausted prompting the customer to top it up.

What is a prepaid power meter?

It is a type of meter with a customer interface unit that has a screen resembling that of a mobile phone which allows customers to manage their power consumption the same way they manage credit units for their mobile phones.

How do I convert to a pre-paid power meter?

You need to make a formal application and forward it to the nearest commercial office. An official from the Company will get in touch with you within the agreed services timelines, as advised at the office.

Kenya Power will meet the cost of the prepayment meter installation during the project phase.

How to check token balance online

1. Get online and log in to your mailbox.
2. Click on the compose promptly to get open a new E-mail.
3. Type the account number (the first part) in the subject field.
4. Send the blank mail to kplc.co.ke.

An automatic response comes into your mail with all information including balance and payment due date.

How does prepaid metering benefit me?

In case of a disconnection, you can refill the service without paying an additional deposit. It also enables you to manage your power consumption.

Will my electricity be shut off when the credit runs out?

Yes, your electricity will be shut off (disconnected) when your credit runs out. However, the meter will give a warning when the credit falls below 20Kwhrs. When faced with this situation it is advisable to know how to recharge Kenya Power tokens so as to avoid disconnection.

What happens if prepaid pay points are closed?

You can use the pay bill numbers 888888 and 888880 for postpaid and prepaid bill payments respectively on M-Pesa.

It is advisable to buy your tokens in the highlighted ways to avoid falling prey to fraudsters who might take advantage and sell you the tokens via illegal means.

Kenya Power doesn’t condone fraud and has taken measures to crack down on the illegal dealings that deny the institution revenue. 

How to borrow Kenya Power tokens

You can access the emergency top-up service via Okoa Stima by Safaricom. Dial *885#, enter National ID, Set preferred PIn and confirm, Select register meter/account and select register new.

How can I identify a genuine Kenya Power Technician?

Kenya Power technicians always come in a team and bear a company identification card. He/she will also have a prepayment meter, which will be used to replace the existing credit meter.

The technicians will also not come back for meter reading but will, from time to time, visit different premises to carry out inspections as required by law.

How can I get a pre-paid power meter?

At the moment Kenya Power has preselected the project sites to be converted from the traditional meter to prepayment e.g. Imara Daima, Nyayo highrise just to mention a few. Kenya Power will meet the cost of the prepayment meter installation for the project phase.

Kenya Power Contact Details

When in doubt or have any queries, you can reach Kenya Power in several ways.

On Social media, Twitter: Kenya Power, KenyaPower_Care, Facebook: KenyaPowerLtd or you can email: customercare@kplc.co.ke.

The contact centre is 95551 and you can also call 0703070707 or 0732170170.a

The holidays are coming to an end and let’s be honest, we love our kids but it’s time they head on back and get an education.

To all the parents with Plezdent Kingstons in their houses who enjoy PlayStation games all night and sleep till 1 pm, eating all the food and not really helping with chores - the back to school period is long overdue.

On the upside, the otherwise deserted neighbourhoods has been filled with life and the cheers from the children blissfully playing their games.

I, personally, and many working professionals can attest that the absence of the yellow buses on the roads has helped ease traffic on our urban roads. Unbelievable as it may sound, I have been able to travel from my house in Embakasi to town in 20 minutes when I depart at 7 am - which is the peak traffic hour. 

Such a feat which would take an average of 2 hours is a miracle.

This August holiday was special because of the census exercise that was conducted from the past weekend. 

In our communities, the enumeration exercise provided fodder for small talk - you know when you meet your neighbour and the first words uttered are ‘Umehesabiwa?’ Have you been enumerated” - and then you go ahead to discuss the questions you were asked and how some were ridiculous but you still had to answer. 

And for the observant ones, detailing and breaking down the conduct of the census officials, one particular one that cracked me up was when my neighbour innocently commented, “Imagine, I invited them in and they couldn’t be bothered to remove their shoes, with all the mud they trekked in. I had planned to give them tea but because of that I returned the thermos in the kitchen.”

Due to the national exercise, the Ministry of Education extended the August School holiday to pave way for the same, moving the opening dates to 2nd September. 

The one-week extension has given parents more time with their children and also much needed time to plan for finances for the third term. 

This term will be a bit different in the type of notes you can give your children pocket money. The Central Bank of Kenya advised parents to equip their young scholars with the new Ksh1,000 notes as they will not be able to use the old ones after September 30th.

Well, you don’t have to get too worried as you can pay school fees to schools accounts instantly via your phone using Co-op PesaLink which is affordable and easy to use.

What’s better is that all Co-op bank customers and if you have the Mco-oop Cash App, you have automatically been registered for the service where you can start sending money directly from one bank to another at your own convenience.

You can securely carry out your back-to-school shopping and have a smooth transition with #CoopPesaLink.

The Co-operative Bank has reported a profit tax of Ksh 10.4 billion for the second quarter of 2019.

This is an improvement compared to the profit of Ksh 9.98 billion that was made in 2018.

The bank reported a strong growth of 5% against the backdrop of a challenging economic environment in the period. The profit after tax was Kshs 7.5 Billion compared to Kshs 7.1 Billion in the previous year.

 The Group has continued to leverage on the benefits of the “Soaring Eagle” Transformation Agenda that has re-tooled and equipped the business with added competitive edge as reflected in the sustained growth in market share across all market segments and Counties.

The co-operative Bank had also continued to deepen and dominate in the market segment while reviewing opportunities to grow alternative revenues from other services like Bancassurance, and Leasing business being done through Co-op Bank Fleet Africa Leasing Ltd, a strategic joint venture with Super Group of South Africa.

Some of the group's key financial highlights on profit and loss include;

  1. Profits and loss

    • Total operating income grew by 5% from Kshs 21.8 billion to Kshs 23 billion.

    • Total non-interest income increased by 25% from Kshs 7 billion to Kshs 8.8 billion. 

    • Interest income from government securities increased by 22% from Kshs 4.5 billion to Kshs 5.5 billion.

    • Total operating expenses remained controlled, growing by 5% from Kshs 11.97 billion to Kshs 12.6 billion as a result of prudent cost management strategy and enhanced efficiency.

Balance sheet

    • Total assets grew by Kshs 31.2 Billion (+8%) to Kshs. 430 Billion compared to Kshs 398.4 Billion in the same period last year.

    • Net loans and advances book grew by 3% from Kshs.252.1 to Kshs. 257.6 billion.

    • Investment in Government securities grew by Kshs.14.8 billion (+18.4%) to Kshs. 95 billion compared to Kshs. 80.2 billion in first half of 2018.

    • Customer deposits grew by 8.3% from Kshs. 300 billion to Kshs 325 billion 

    • Borrowed funds from development partners grew by Kshs. 3 billion (+16%) to Kshs 21.5 billion from Kshs.18.4 billion in the previous year. 

     • Shareholders’ funds grew from Kshs. 68 billion to Kshs. 71 billion. 

     • The bank closed the quarter on a sound capital base, with adjusted total capital against total risk-weighted assets standing at 16.7%, which is 2.7% above the statutory minimum of 14.5%.

    2. Innovative Customer Delivery Platforms

     • Through our multi-channel strategy, the Bank has successfully moved 88% of all customer transactions to alternative delivery channels that include mobile banking, an expanded 24-hour contact centre, 585 ATMs, internet and over 12,956 Co-op Kwa Jirani banking agents.

     • A successful Universal Banking model and the implementation of Sales Force Effectiveness has seen the Group serve 8.2 million Account-holders across all sectors.

     • Key focus on digital banking, with the all-telco Mco-op Cash Mobile Wallet continuing to play a pivotal role in the growth of non-funded income with over 4.6 Million customers registered and loans worth over Kshs 14.4 billion disbursed as at the close of first half 2019.

     • Over 46,700 customers have taken up the rolled-out MSME packages that we launched in 2018 and 3600 have been trained on business management and planning. We have earmarked Kshs 15.2 billion for MSME lending and to date disbursed Kshs 3.4 billion under the program. These include 80,249 mobile unsecured business e-loans and 1,162 supply-chain loans disbursed in first half 2019 alone. 

     • Our unique model of retail banking services through Sacco FOSAs enabled us provide wholesale financial services to over 464 FOSA outlets, and issue over 1 million Sacco-Link cards.

    3. Subsidiaries

     • Co-operative Bank of South Sudan that is a unique Joint Venture (JV) partnership with Government of South Sudan (Co-op Bank 51% and GOSS 49%) made a Profit before tax of Kshs 93 Million in Q2 2019 which was 19% drop compared to Kshs 115 Million posted in 2018.

    • Co-op Consultancy & Insurance Agency contributed Kshs 353.3 million as at 30th June 2019.

    • Co-op Trust Investment Services has aggressively grown the funds under management to almost Ksh 100 billion.

    4. Corporate Social Responsibility Programs

Co-op Bank Foundation has provided Scholarships for gifted but needy students from all regions of Kenya. The sponsorship includes; fully-paid secondary education, full fees for University education, Internships and career openings for beneficiaries. The foundation is fully funded by the bank and has so far supported 7,032 students since the inception of the program. 

In conclusion, the Co-operative Bank Group has promised to continue delivering good performance while still focus on the growing the 8.2 million account-holder base, digital banking, the basket of innovative financial solutions, efficient delivery of services and multichannel access to retain market position and deliver business growth and profitability in the days ahead. 

Someone - on some of the good stuff, once said that we plan and God laughs. In hindsight, the man upstairs must have been cracking his heavenly ribs during the penultimate stages of my planned date.

You see I had been pursuing the lady (let's call her Kathy with a K) for what felt like the longest time. After weeks of forwarding memes and deep-thought ‘good morning’ messages, she finally decided that I seemed interesting enough to actually meet! - Mama, I made it!

She agreed to go out with me and obviously I had to put my best foot forward but I was in those situationship scenarios with my wallet. Smack in the middle of the month with little to no liquidity attached to my name.

You know the time I'm talking about - the 10-13 days till the end of one of those 31-day months.

But I was determined to see it through.

The first potential hurdle in my all possible scenarios list happened the moment she (let's call her Kathy with a K) called.

"I'm running a bit late, is it cool with you if we switch the venue to someplace I know? It's close to where I work, and they have these amazing ribs that are to die for!"

awkward silence...

static...

more static....

"Sure, no worries. I'll find my way there, just send me your location," I finally muttered out.

Sensing the hesitancy, She asked if I was sure, to which I boldly said it totally was. What could possibly go wrong?

My wallet was pumping with confidence never thought I had, I mean, kwani how many more zeroes could someone add to a spread of ribs to what I routinely spent at my local. If only I'd have come clean at this very point.

I didn't.

So there I was, reworking my budget like a taxman on steroids. The change of venue meant I'd need to map out an alternative means of transport.

From the embarrassing conversations back in her DM, and a run through her profile, the Sherlock Holmes in me had figured out that her office was in those parts of town where 'no matatus allowed past this point' signs gawked at you at each entry and exit point.

Sherlock also told me that any eatery located anywhere within a one-kilometre radius of such an office would be one of those ‘wash-your-hands-in-scented-lime’ kind of places.

I quickly settled on using one of those taxi apps once I got to the CBD, in order to save up on some cash that could probably be the only thing standing between me and an Eiffel tower replica of dirty dishes by the end of the day.

So, there I was, scrolling through my Twitter timeline looking for nothing in particular as I headed to town. Heading towards what appeared to be certain doom, smiling briskly like a toddler who had just discovered colours.

I briefly caught a glimpse of a MCo-op salary advance notification on my timeline, - like a much-anticipated knight who had come to save me, I applied for the loan and within minutes I got that saviour text on my phone. I had money again.

Anyway, Kathy with a K called just as my taxi app driver and I had managed to locate each other.

"Hello. Umefika wapi? I should be done here in the next 20," she said.

"I should be there just in time," was my response.

Things took a turn into the unknown the moment my, surprisingly non-chatty taxi driver, drove past the point where no matatu had ever dared to venture. I was in unfamiliar territory but I was confident.

#PesaIkoKwaMCoopCash

Levelling up! 

That’s what the third episode of East Africa’s Got Talent did - taking it a notch higher with even more exhilarating performances.

Everyone had a yearning for the cultural melting pot that was about to unfold, a desire to hear the sweet tunes, to see the magical acrobats and experience the energetic dancers that have made Sunday evenings worth looking forward to.

The first act of the night was from Elizabeth Rafael Mataba, from Dar, Tanzania. In what was a first for many, she performed something she called Tissue Acrobatics.

Her climbing and tumbling had the audience hanging on to their seats, afraid and captivated at the same time. The electrifying performance earned her four yesses.

The second performance came from Tetemesha, a dance crew based in Nairobi Kenya. Their performance was a purely exhilarating blend of Hip-hop and Lingala, which had the judges and the audience nodding on.

They also got four yesses to advance to the next stage.

Jua Kali Drummers from Kenya left the judges mesmerised based on the fact that every musical instrument they were using was made from recycled materials. 

Looking the part, the group drummed on and screamed, electrifying the room with their new sound and fresh performance.

Rwanda was represented by the African Snake Girl, the young contortionist who learned her craft on Youtube. Her introduction was in style and pomp, worming her way out of a box, like an unfurling present.

Like a snake, the African Snake girl twisted her boneless and seemingly spineless body into shapes that only snakes can. All through her performance, she had the audience grimacing, wanting to look away and wanting to see, all while she smiled, as if unaware of the discomfort the judges and her admirers were in.

The judges did not need any convincing to give her the four yeses after the performance.

Ugandan dancer Joker De Popalic was next. The 27-year-old solo dancer gave Joker a double meaning, having painted his face to look like the scary, no-nonsense film character and also infusing humour into his dance, water in the place of his bones.

Kenya then returned to the scene with Chell, the first-ever magician on EAGT.

The gasping reaction from the crowd shared their perceptions of magic, but when he was on the stage, he did tricks with a string and a sword and pieces of cloth that left many impressed.

A few tricks later, the emotional Chell got three yeses and moved to the next stage, and also changed my mind on magic.

Famous Acrobat Brothers from Mombasa Kenya took the scene to the outdoors that many were dying to see.

They showed just why they are called 'famous' by performing an act that involved climbing poles faster than a monkey would, and then tumbling down only to stop an inch off the ground.

Going through that night also included Oscar Chiumo a violinist from Nairobi, and Godfrey Joseph who performed a saxophone version of My Heart Will Go On by Celine Deon using only his fingers and mouth, getting the crowd on its feet.

Fijo, a 26-year-old rapper was the only victim of the dreaded four Xs only seconds into his rap performance.

The magical African spirit was invoked when Himbaza Drummers from Burundi wafted into the room with drums as heavy as 50 kgs balanced on their heads. They drummed, ululated, jumped danced and sweated as the crowd watched on, transfixed.

The best is saved for last, Team Makorokocho which was methodical, on point, and as memorable as they come. With ancient-themed hunting and war scenes, complemented by their costumes, the dance performance transported the audience from the dome and to faraway lands.

It was no surprise when Jeff Koinange awarded them the second Golden Buzzer of the competition. 

The Buzzer did not mask their performance, which is arguably the best we have seen so far. The other dance crews better up their game. Times ahead seem bleak for the weak.

Tune in to #EAGTPoweredBySafaricom every Sunday at 8pm on Citizen TV. 

You can also catch up with snippets of your favourite performances and even the full show on YouTube with Safaricom’s All In One Bundle for as low as Ksh1,000 that comes with free You Tube bundles that you can use for a month. 

Simply dial *544# and rewatch your favourite acts and get to share them without any data limitation.

#Get5GBFreeYouTube