Kenya High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Samsung to be Part of Proposed Malili ICT Park

Electronics giant Samsung has confirmed that it will be part of the proposed Technopolist/ICT City that is coming up in Konza, Machakos, Kenya. Samsung is expected to set up a research facility on the premises once the place is open for business. Companies like Samsung, IBM and others are keen to establish themselves in the technopolis with particular interest in the Science Park section.

This section will also be adjacent to an International Financial Center that Treasury will set up to rival Dubai’s IFC. Universities including our own University of Nairobi are also said to be eager to establish facilities there. Going by the model seen by Star Tech, there will also be a mall which again has attracted intense lobbying and competition as to who will develop and probably be the anchor tenant.

The entire 5000 acre complex is to have to artificial rivers that flow into water reservoirs meant to serve the whole city. The Ministry of Tourism will spearhead and Hotel and Recreational facilities development with international hotel groups said to be interested proprietors of the outlets that will come up. A proposal is there to set up a stadium where European and South African teams can play friendly matches during their summer off-season tours.

Currently, geographical surveys are being carried out on scene while the National Youth Service is cutting out the roads that will be there. Government is partnering with the World Bank to do the initial assessments and possibly arrange funding. Samsung confirmed its participation this week during a function to launch the world’s first solar powered netbook.

The Kenyan Rose Flower will be Exhibited For The 1st Time At The Floria Putrajaya Flower & Garden Exhibition 2011 – Malaysia by The Kenya High Commission

Floria Putrajaya Flower and Garden Exhibition 2011

Floria Putrajaya Flower and Garden Exhibition 2011 is scheduled to start from 9th to 17th July this year at Waterfront, Precinct 2, Putrajaya Malaysia. The show hosts some of Malaysia’s most amazing floral and horticultural works of art on display. The Kenya High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia has secured a stand for  the Kenyan Rose Flower Exhibition. Spread over nine days, the flower exhibition at Putrajaya is bound to please those who love gardening or enjoy flora, this will be the first time that the Kenya High Commission is participating in this international floral exhibition festival that is expected to attract over 800,000 participants locally and internationally. Kenya is the only African country participating in this years “Floria Putrajaya Flower and Garden Exhibition 2011″, “We are earnestly taking this opportunity to show case the Kenyan Rose Flower which is superior with an aim to begin exploring the South East Asian market that has for a long time not had an opportunity to expereince our Rose Flower” said the High Commissioner – H.E. Amb. Samori Okwiya.

It will be the largest exhibition of roses ever in Malaysia, Roses are chosen because they are often associated with love. It is estimated that over 100 species of roses from Southeast Asia and 300 species from the rest of the world including Kenya’s own superior Rose Floower will be exhibited. About 13 International flora and landscape designers will be participating from Kenya, New Zealand, UK, USA, Hong Kong, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, Pakistan, Japan, Indonesia, Macao and Thailand. There will be 80 lots of Floral exhibitions from Bonsai, Heliconia, Orchids, 55 stalss of handicraft, Flower - 50 stalls, Food & Beverage – 40 stalls 

Some 200 activities have been planed which include, talks, workshops, performances and plant demonstrations, photography and water colour contests, stalls selling handicraft, garden bazaar stalls selling horticultural products, IMalaysia International Night Floral Parade, boats lit up by colour lights and decortated with floral designs and fireworks display

Floria Putrajaya 2011 Information:

Venue: Waterfront, Precinct 2, Putrajaya. This is near the main Boulevard road or where the Millennium Monument is located. Another landmark is opposite the Ministry of Finance building.
Admission: FREE
Opening Hours:
9am – 10pm Monday to Thursday
9am – 12midnight Friday to Sunday
Free shuttle buses will be provided from Putrajaya Sentral to the event location with frequent service daily.

Clean Sweep For Kenyans – Kennedy K. Lilan & Rose K. Nyangacha Win Men’s & Women’s Standard Chartered KL MARATHON 2011 TITLES

The Standard Chartered KL Marathon held Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the 27th  June 2011 was dorminated by a clean sweep by Kenyans in all the major categories, Kennedy Kiproo Lilan of Kenya and Rose Kerubo Nyangacha, won the Men’s and Women’s Full Marathon with respective times of 2 hours 20 minutes and 8.07 seconds and 2 hours 34 minutes and 37.43 seconds.

Chesoo Jonathan Kipchirchir from Kenya took home the Men’s Full Marathon first runner-up trophy with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes and 8.82 seconds just ahead of Julius Ndiritu Karinga, also from Kenya, who clocked 2 hours 20 minutes and 13.58 seconds in third place. Rose Jepkemboi Chesire from Kenya was the second to cross the line in the Women’s Full Marathon category with a time of 2 hours 35 minutes and 11.43 seconds, while Ruth Jepkoech Kutol of Kenya finished third in the women’s category at 2 hours 37 minutes and 23.93 seconds.

Ngare Joseph Mwangi of Kenya took home the men’s half marathon title, clocking 1 hour 6 minutes and 58.12 seconds while Eunice Nyawira Muchiri, also from Kenya won the women’s category of the half marathon at 1 hour 18 minutes and 26.37 seconds.

Approximately 22,000 runners took off from the starting lines in Dataran Merdeka and Jalan Parliament throughout race day, solidifying Standard Chartered KL Marathon’s position as the largest marathon and most anticipated event in Malaysia. Yang Berbahagia Datuk Haji Salleh bin Yusup, Director General of Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur, started off Race Day with a blast by firing the first gun to signal the start of the Full Marathon race.

RESULTS

Safaricom M-Pesa Partners with Western Union for International Mobile Money Transfers

Safaricom is please to announce the global expansion of its international mobile money transfer service. This service will allow people to send funds from more than 80,000 Western Union Agent locations in 45 countries and territories directly to safaricom M-PESA sunscribers in Kenya.

Safaricom has partnered with Western Union to offer this service to Kenyans abroad. The benefit of this service is that the money is sent directly into the reciever’s mobile phone, to the M-PESA account and can be used in various ways. This is the first in Kenya and in the world as no other Mobile Money Transfer service/Mobile network can recieve money from so many countries. Through the partnership with Western Union, Kenyans abroad will benefit from affordable, faster and more convinient international remittances, and the money will be available for use immediately by the recipient for any M-PESA transactions, or be withdrawn as cash at any of the 24,000 Safaricom agent’s outlets in Kenya.

Safaricom invites all Kenyans in the Diaspora to be part of this great technological advancement by taking advantage of the service.

“We are pleased to extend our service with Safaricom, and we look forward to adding additional functionality for M-PESA users in the near future,” said David Yates, Executive Vice President and President, Business Development and Innovation, Western Union.

The service will likely benefit thousands of Kenyans working abroad. According to the Central Bank of Kenya, Kenyans living outside their home country sent US$642 million home in 2010—up from the US$609 million sent home in 2009.

Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said, “Our customers are very proud of the revolutionary M-PESA service, and this partnership sees us pushing new boundaries to continue to keep Kenya at the forefront of the mobile world. Through this partnership, our customers and their friends and families will benefit from affordable, faster and more convenient international remittances, and the money is available to use straightaway for any M-PESA transaction, or can be withdrawn as cash at any of our 24,000 Safaricom agents.”

Western Union offers the Mobile Money Transfer Service in Malaysia with Maxis and in the Philippines with Smart Communications and Globe Telecom. Western Union also has agreements with other mobile operators and banks to introduce the service in the future.