Tag Archives: Corona Disease

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Safaricom waives Mpesa transaction charges

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Giant telecommunications Company, Safaricom, has waived transactions fee for amounts less than Sh1,000. This follows a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Sunday evening. The directive to reduce cashless transaction costs is aimed at curbing the spread of the infectious Corona Virus pandemic.

Safaricom customers will now also be able to transact increased sums of money per day. Here is a presser from Safaricom;

“Safaricom  would like to thank the Central Bank of Kenya Governor Dr. Patrick
Njoroge for hosting a meeting with Safaricom and other industry players to discuss the evolving situation around the COVID-19 (Corona Virus) pandemic.

The meeting follows the directive by H.E. President Uhuru Kenyatta to explore
ways of deepening mobile money usage to reduce the risk of spreading the virus
through the physical handling of cash. The President also directed that we consider reducing the cost of using mobile money during this period.

In the meeting, it was agreed that all person-to-person transactions below
Ksh1,000 shall be free. This means that from tomorrow morning, M-PESA users
will be able to send any amount below Ksh1,000 for free over the next 90 (ninety)
days.

To support this, and in particular small and micro business enterprises (SMES),
CBK has also approved the increase of daily M-PESA transaction limits from the
current Ksh70,000 to Ksh150,000. Kenyans will also be able to transact up to Ksh300,000 up from the current limit of Ksh140,000, and hold up to Ksh300,000
in their M-PESA wallets.

Safaricom is also working with the Government by providing a Call Center and
integrating a toll-free line 719 which has been set up by the National Emergency
Response Committee on Coronavirus to support Kenyans in understanding how
to prevent and manage suspected cases.

We have also interconnected other
networks to ensure that their subscribers can access the Call Centre. All calls to 719 are free.

We remain committed to working with all stakeholders to help our nation through this crisis.”

Michael Joseph (Chief Executive Officer, Safaricom PLC).

Latest Education News

Education Ministry issues latest guidelines on schools’ closure

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The Ministry of Education has provided fresh guidelines to schools on how to contain the Corona Virus Pandemic. This is after the President ordered for immediate closure of all learning institutions. The order came on Sunday evening.

“Following the confirmation of two additional cases of COVID-19 pandemic, His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered on 15th March 2020, that learning in all educational institutions be suspended with immediate effect. In this respect, all educational institutions are instructed to ensure that all day school learners remain at home until further notice,” says Education Cabinet Secretary Prof George Magoha.

According to Magoha, Boarding institutions have between Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th March 2020 to ensure that their learners are released From the learning institutions to their homes in an orderly manner that must ensure adequate social distancing to limit the potential of any exposure to the COVID-19.

Here are directives from the Education CS to schools via a circular dated 16/03/2020:

  •  Parents who can pick their children are encouraged to do so. School principals/
    headteachers/institutional heads are asked to communicate the same to parents.
  • Schools should make arrangements to use school buses to ferry learners to their homes or nearest designated drop-off points which must be within proximate distance to be picked by
    their parents. All school buses belonging to day schools should also be mobilized for the purpose.
  • Schools should organize with NTSA (National Transport and Safety Authority) licensed public transport providers to pick learners from schools;
  1. The vehicles should be cleaned, sanitized and inspected by the head of institution before boarding;
  2. The vehicles must not carry any other passenger(s) enroute;
  3. The vehicles should take the learners to their homes or nearest designated drop-off points which must be within proximate distance to their homes where parents should be notified to receive them.
  4. All field officers (in the Education Ministry) must work with the National Government Administration Officers [NGAO] led by Regional Commissioners to ensure that no released learner is found unattended in bus stages.
  • Schools should give their learners instructions on how to keep safe on transit and while at home. In this respect, hand hygiene must be stressed and they must not shake hands or hug
    anyone.
  • All learners are asked to keep a conscious record of people they interact with on their way home. These must be recorded for future reference.
    You are required to bring the contents of this circular to all Heads of institutions in your area of jurisdiction for their immediate action.
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