Category Archives: South Sudan

Ethanol for Kenya Part II

Thank you for the very informative links, responses, comments, and tips from yesterday’s post on ethanol for Kenya

Some highlights
– Kenyan Pundit on ethanol production efforts in Southern Sudan and our archaic sugar sector (linked by AfroM)
– Mashatall for mentioning in Sasol in South Africa is minting crazy chums selling ethanol
– Anonymous for the link to dogwood energy which included a do-it-yourself (DIY) guide to make ethanol at home
– Persona for noting that Muhoroni’s Agrochemical & Food Co. and other local companies have been producing Ethanol in Kenya for years – and for noting that all the cheap ‘whiskies’ and ‘vodkas’ that we have contain it
– ChumviKiasi for mentioning that switchgrass is the most efficient bio fuel crop

Great Resource
This post from Timbuktu Chronicles contains references to a DIY ethanol kit, how to use solar power to make ethanol, and how to run a petrol engine on ethanol, among others.

More applied brewing
– Sierra Brassiere is a Nairobi restaurant / micro brewery located next to the Panari Hotel (on Mombasa Rd.) that brews and sells two in-house beers (sierra blonde and sierra amber) @ 120 shillings per glass – and if you are there on the right day, you can even get a factory tour of the micro brew process.

– From geishablog a simple guide to how Sake is made in Japan.

End for Loki?

The Financial Times newspaper notes that peace in Sudan could mean that the massive humanitarian operations that have sustained Lokichoggio for almost 20 years will move on to Rumbek, Sudan.

Compe for KQ
From November, KLM Royal Dutch Airline will start direct flights from Entebbe to Amsterdam – a decision that was prompted by Uganda’s booming economy, stability, and growing demand for passenger services.

Debt relief
The municipal council of Nakuru has announced a debt waiver of all interest and penalties for a period of one month ending November 25th for defaulters to pay their outstanding rates. Also, the Nairobi city council has extended a similar waiver on its controversial land rates provided that those who have taken the council to court, also settle court charges incurred by the council.

Uchumi Loss
Uchumi announced a 1.22 billion shilling loss for the year (ended June 30 2005) which was almost twice as bad as the 699 million loss in 2004. Net sales reduced from 9 billion to 5.2b, but the company was able to reduce both its cost of sales, from 6.8b to 4.4b and operating costs from 2 to 1.8b. The company will use the 1.2 billion shillings raised from the recent rights issue to improve stocks, refurbish stores and carry out marketing activities.

New cement factory
East African Portland Cement Company has announced plans to build an $11 million factory without raising money from the capital markets. This same strategy of expanding while using financing from business proceeds is one of the factors that contributed to the problems at Uchumi.

Jobs

Audit & risk advisory services manager: At KPMG International who will provide corporate finance and transaction advisory services to corporate clients in the Eastern Africa region and will administer and manage a diverse portfolio of clients, billing and collecting from them for assignments and projects undertaken. – The actual position will be consumer & industrial markets manager within the audit and risk advisory service department. Applicants should be college graduates (w/honours) with an accepted professional qualification (CPA, ACCA, CPA), 4 years audit or related experience, knowledge of accounting standards, IFRS, business factors and sector development, and who have excellent communication, team and IT skills. Apply by Nov 8 to the human resource manager at esd@kpmg.co.ke

Chief internal auditor Ref .CIA 10/05: At the New Kenya Co-operative Creameries – who will ensure that organizations operations are in compliance with company rules and regulations, produce timely internal audit reports, liaise with external auditors and review bus process to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Applicants should be university graduates who are also fully qualified accountants – CPA (K) or equivalent, and have held similar positions for 3 years, preferably in a manufacturing organization. They should also have excellent IT, operational, people communication, audit and planning skills. Apply to the human resource manger, New KCC, P O Box 30131-00100 Nairobi by November 10.

Commercial project manager: finance & business administration: At Siemens ltd who will be in charge of project administration (defining processes, local & foreign purchasing and supervision of suppliers & subcontractors), accounting, reporting (deal with banking, accounting & taxation) as well as controlling and logistics management matters. Applicants should have an MBA, business administration experience, an entrepreneurial flair and 3 – 5 years experience in project management with an international company. Apply to the human resource manager, Siemens Ltd, P O Box 50861-00200 Nairobi by November 9.

Accountants: At the KEMRI/CGMRC Welcome Trust research programme who will prepare accounting and financial management information to control programme expenditure at Kilifi, Mombasa. Applicants should have a business degree, at least CPA part II, preferably with some experience in government or NGO accounting and familiarity with PASTEL software. Email applications by November 10 to ssolomon@kilifi.mimicom.net for interviews in late November.

Audit managers: Chege Muchunguzi Mwangi & Company, Certified Public Accountants are seeking to hire an (i) audit manager and (ii) assistant audit manager. Applicants must be university graduates (accounts/finance) with CPA or ACCA and at least 5 years hands on experience. They must also be proficient in IAS and IFRS and be over 30 years old. E-mail applications to cezam@czmkenya.com by November 7.

Training opportunity

A three-month course in investment banking will be offered by Dyer & Blair Investment Bank – beginning on November 7th at their offices with classes running from 5:30 to 8:30 PM. Students will learn investment banking, securities valuation, macroeconomic analysis, financial accounting, marketing, sales & customer care in securities industry, and forecasting of interest rates.

Those wishing to enroll should have bachelor’s degrees or professional qualifications (e.g. CFA/ CPA/CPS/AKIB/ACIB), and have a keen interest in financial markets. They should send in their application letters, with CV’s, to training@dyerandblair.com by October 29th – and only those shortlisted via a first come, first served and merit basis will be contacted. Costs are Kshs. 100,000 ($1,370) per trainee and successful students may be considered for employment by Dyer & Blair after the course.

Newsy Kenyans

  • Noble work = Nobel Prize?: The Christian Science Monitor commends Gen. Lazaro Sumbeiywo for heading the Sudan peace talks.
  • Cash Money Brothers: Two Kenyan brothers could earn in 1.6 billion shillings when they float shares of their 12 year old community service company in the UK.
  • Girl tribes: The Washington Post looks at tribalism/the tribe factor at a girls school in Kenya.
  • Diplo-jack: A few days after the new Danish ambassador was invited to interact with Kenyans, he met the car-jacking type, but was otherwise unharmed.
  • Absa Coming: As the Barclays-Absa merger continues into its next phase, Absa is expected to buy up Barclays operations in Kenya and other African countries over the next two years. Currently, Barclays parent owns 68.5% Barclays Kenya, valued at 33 billion shillings ($450 million).

Kenyan’s abroad

Sudan
As the impact of John Garang’s death is absorbed, we must all consider the following grand plans that have been announced in Kenya since the Sudan peace deal was signed early this year:

1. KCB announced plans to open a branch in Rumbek
2. East African Portland Cement plans to build a new cement factory in S. Sudan
3. CMC planned to open a vehicle plant.
4. Numerous proposed roads, and railway lines to Sudan
5. Oil pipeline to be built
6. New Kenyan Embassy to be set up in S. Sudan

These, among others, show what a profound economic impact that sustaining the peace deal could have for the two countries.

Iraq
Kevin Waruinge, who emigrated from Kenya in 1998, was among six US marines killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq this week.

Iran
As Transport Minister Dr. Chris Murungaru weighs his travel options, he must also ponder that the United States is considering denying a visa to the President of Iran, to prevent him from giving a speech at the United Nations in New York in September.

Business Briefs

Nakumatt over-expanding? As Uchumi has sunk ever deeper into debt and losses (financial and customers) the Nakumatt chain has grown by adding new lines such as automotive, housing, cars, furniture into their supermarkets – and making their brand “all under one roof.” But of late Nakumatt has added new stores in Nairobi such that they may fall into the trap of Uchumi where new stores eat into old store sales. There are now two Nakumatt’s on Ngong Road (within two kilometres of each other. And with two Nakumatt’s on Kenyatta Avenue and signs of a third one going up on Moktar Daddah street (between Jevanjee and K street), to be known as “Nakumatt Lifestyle”, there will be three Nakumatt’s in downtown Nairobi within a square kilometre of each other.

Kenya losing the peace dividend in Sudan: The Sunday Standard (Feb 6) identified how in-fighting and incompetence at the Kenyan Ministry of Foreign Affairs will lead to Kenyan companies losing business opportunities in the new Sudan to other countries. Britain and Denmark now have liaison offices in Southern Sudan, and South Africa has launched a massive program to bring their businesspeople to both Khartoum and Rumbek.

EABL cross-listing: East African Breweries, who are the pre-eminent presence on the Nairobi Stock Exchange, have announced plans to also be listed on the Dar es Salaam stock exchange in a few months. Kenya Airways was the first company to do this, late in 2004, and its’ stock price doubled within weeks as Tanzanian investors bought into the stock. Will this happen to EABL? They did a 5:1 stock split late in 2004 that made their high-flying share price (500+ shillings a share) more affordable. It now trades at about 100 shillings/share.