Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders' List ~ Released on December 16, 2020

 Unashig has 220 shareholders, who own a combined total of 2,390.61 issued Class A (CA) and Class B (CB) shares -- out of a total of 7,000 authorized shares . Issued shares translate into an average of 10.97 shares per holder. Each share has a "Purchase Value" of KES 2,000/-, or US$18.16 at the current exchange rate of US$1 = KES 110.12. Thus, the combined "purchase value" of all issued CA and CB  shares currently stands at KES 4,781,223.00 (or US$43,418.30).

At close-of-day on Tuesday, December 15th, 2020, the portfolio of NSE-listed securities in which the cash value of these CA+CB shares is invested -- that is, to which their market value is pegged -- had a valuation (net of remittance and trading charges totaling around 2.3%, and before the most recent cash infusion is remitted to the broker and, further, before all the recently remitted to the broker is committed to specific quoted shares) of KES 4,762,293 (or US$43,246.39. That represents an apparent net capital erosion of 0.4%. This small erosion is significantly outweighed by factors already mentioned, as well as the dividends to which the investments already made entitle Unashig in 2020 and, even more so, in 2021 and beyond. [NSE = Nairobi Securities Exchange]

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at close-of-day on December 15th, 2020

ALSO READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of November 2020..

NOTE: A narrative of Unashig's founding, in the very recent past, can be read here. An end-of-year Shareholders List will be issued on or around December 31, 2020. 

Rate Table For the Renewal of Group Health Insurance Cover, 2020-21

The renewal of Unashig's Group Health Insurance -- which was due on November 27, 2020 -- is now likely to take place in early December 2020, for a number of reasons. The new Rate Table to guide the calculations for participating families or individuals was released by UAP on the evening of December 4th, 2020, following a morning of detailed negotiations. The reader will find a copy of the Rate Table at the link below.

READ: UAP Health Insurance Rate Table, 2020-21

The rates listed on the table reflect a 35% loading on last year's figures, as agreed by the two parties -- Unashig and UAP. This loading represents a 15 percentage-point reduction from the figure originally proposed by UAP on the grounds of cost overruns reflected in aggregate claims attributed to insured members during the year to November 2020.

The table offers four benefits (or cover types) -- Inpatient, Outpatient, Dental and Optical. These are offered to four categories of UAP clients -- Categories A, B, C and D -- who are distinguished from each other by their relative benefit limits. Thus, for Category A, the inpatient benefit limit is KES 10 million. For B, C, and D the respective limits are KES 5m, 3m and 2m, respectively.

A Unashig member places himself/herself at relevant points on the rate Table, and is so classified, in terms of his/her family size. Thus, a single Member without a qualifying dependent is classified on the table as M (or, if you like, M+0). The largest family size provided for is M+7. Adding all the pertinent premiums per family shown in the sixth column, will tell you the total premium that you are expected to pay for your family's cover for the relevant 12-month period. 

Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares ~ November 30, 2020

Pegging the value of its Class A (i.e. CA) and Class B (i.e. CB) shares on the 'underlying' market value of listed securities in which it is invested at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is a key component of Unashig's long-term investment and growth strategy. The stream of investments at the NSE began on December 27th, 2018, as previously and elsewhere reported. It has been invigorated more recently by an ongoing capital-raising drive which began on May 1st, 2020 and now ends on December 15th, 2020 -- after a final 15-day extension. We expect to have another round or two in 2021. 

The latest CDSC statement, availed below, shows the current breadth and depth of Unashig's holdings. It so happens, however, that transactions made on the last day or two of a given month are routinely absent from CDSC's monthly statements, which are typically mailed out before the month actually ends!  

READ: CDSC Statement of Unashig's Holdings at the Nairobi Securities Exchange, as of Monday, November 30th, 2020.

Based on the most recent data, the aggregate market value of Unashig's quoted holdings has continued to grow in a steady fashion. At the 'end-of-day' on Monday, November 30th, 2020, that value stood at KES4,318,242 (or US$ 39,221.10, based on a US$:KES exchange rate of 1:110.10).

ALSO READ: Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares ~ Friday, October 30, 2020

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List ~ Released on December 1st, 2020

Unashig has 220 shareholders, who own a combined total of 2,162.04 issued Class A (CA) and Class B (CB) shares -- out of a total of 7,000 authorized shares. Issued shares translate to an average of 9.92 per holder. Each share has a "Purchase Value" of KES 2,000/-, or US$18.15 (at the exchange rate of US$1= KES 110.20). Thus, the combined "purchase value" of all issued CA and CB shares currently stands at KES 4,324,078.00 (or US$ 39,238.46. At close-of-day on Monday, November 30th, 2020, the portfolio of NSE-listed securities in which the cash value of these CA+CB shares is invested -- that is, to which their market value is pegged -- had a valuation (net of remittance and trading charges totaling around 2.3%) of KES 4,318,242/- (or US$ 39,185.50). That's a net capital erosion of 0.13%. This small erosion is very significantly outweighed by the dividends to which the investments entitle Unashig in 2020, and even more so in 2021 and beyond. [NSE = Nairobi Securities Exchange]

A narrative of Unashig's founding, in the very recent past, can be read here

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of November 2020

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of October 2020

Po Ah

Aghast
That I was
With Georgia

And couldn't have
Gusta

Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares ~ October 30, 2020

A key component of Unashig's long-term investment strategy is to peg the value of its CA and CB shares on the 'underlying' market value of listed stocks in which it is invested at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The stream of investments at the NSE goes back to December 27th, 2018. It has been invigorated more recently by an ongoing capital raising drive which began on May 1st, 2020 and ends on November 30th, 2020.

READ: Round Two of Capital Raising by Unashig Kenya PLC. 

READ: Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares as of September 30, 2020

READ: Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares as of October 30, 2020 

Based on the data provided through the last two links given above, the combined market value of Unashig's holdings at end-of-day on Friday, October 30th, 2020 was KES 3,946,286/- (or US$ 36,237.70, at the exchange rate of US$1 = KES 108.90). A month earlier, on September 30th, it was 3,757,253/-, or US$ 34,638.24 (based at the time on an exchange rate of of US$1 = KES 108.47126). The evidence thus seen indicates a month-on-month increase, based on Kenyan currency, of  5.03% [Figures in this paragraph were updated on November 2, 2020].

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List ~ Released on November 1st, 2020

Unashig has 218 shareholders, who own a combined total of 1930 issued Class A (CA) and Class B (CB) shares -- out of a total of 7,000 authorized shares. Issued shares translate to an average of 8.85 per holder. Each share has a nominal value of KES 2,000/-, or US$ 18.39 (at the exchange rate of US$1= KES 108.7274). Thus, the nominal value of all issued CA and CB shares currently stands at KES 3,860,650/-, or US$ 35,508.50. At close-of-day on Thursday, October 29th, 2020, the portfolio of NSE-listed securities in which these CA+CB funds are listed -- that is, to which their market value is pegged -- had a valuation of KES 3,951,541/- (or US$ 36,344.46). That's a gross capital gain of 2.35% right now. As months and years go by, we will have a longer time-frame for, and a more detailed view of, Unashig's capital gains. Market value remains slightly higher than nominal value, then. [Note: NSE = Nairobi Securities Exchange]  

A narrative of Unashig's founding, in the very recent past, can be read here. This month's Shareholders List is the third in a monthly series being issued in tandem with an ongoing Round of capital raising. The three Lists can be found via the links below.

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of October 31st, 2020

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of September 30th, 2020.

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of August 31st, 2020.

RIP: Sean Connery

 His name was Bond,
James Bond. And so
Shall it remain.

READ: Sean Connery has died

UAP's Latest Provider Panel List ~ w.e.f. October 14, 2020

 UAP OldMutual has released a new Provider Panel List for use by all individuals domiciled in Kenya who have current Health Insurance Cover underwritten by it. The List, which takes effect immediately, gives the contact details of all Doctors, Clinics, Hospitals and Pharmacies currently authorized by UAP to render specified services.

UAP will not pay for services given by any provider not included on this new List. However, Unashig's understanding is that Consultant or related services provided by Doctors not appearing on the List will be honoured if the consultations or related services are rendered within the premises of a Provider, typically a hospital, included on the new Panel List. When in any doubt, please seek prior clarification from Esther, the PO of Unasi Insurance Agency, through this number: 0720101679. 

READ: List of UAP's Approved Providers w.e.f. October 14, 2020

RELATED: A Key Service Provided by Aga Khan University Hospital

Sunhr

The reason the dove sings
From such a distance is -- 
There's no tree near us.
Not a treat of lushness.

Unashig's Portfolio of NSE-Listed Shares ~ September 30, 2020

 Unashig continues to peg the value of its CA and CB shares (which shareholders purchase @ KES 2,000/- per share) to the 'underlying' value of listed stocks in which it invests at the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). The series of investments in NSE-listed stocks goes back to December 27th, 2018, as previously reported. It has been propelled more recently by an ongoing capital raising drive which began on May 1st, 2020 and ends on November 30th, 2020.

READ: Round Two of Capital Raising by Unashig Kenya PLC

READ: Unashig's Portfolio of Quoted Shares ~ August 31, 2020.

At the end of September 2020, Unashig's portfolio has grown noticeably, in terms of the range and depth of its investments, propelled by the refreshing and energizing enthusiasm of its shareholders.

READ: NSE-Listed Securities Held by Unashig as of September 30, 2020.

The combined market value of Unashig's holdings at end-of-day on September 30th, 2020 was KES 3,757,253/-, or US$ 34,638.24 (based on an exchange rate of $1 = KES 108.47126). That's an increase of approximately US$ 4,669.62, or 15.6%, from the previous month. 

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List ~ Released on October 1st, 2020

Standing at 218, the number of Unashig Shareholders on this new List is the same as we saw on the first one, released on August 15th, 2020. However, positions on the list continue to change, reflecting the flux of individual investors' calculations and decisions regarding the investment road and landscape ahead. Taken together, the shareholders have now subscribed for a combined total of 1,785.84 Class A (CA) and Class B (CB) shares, or an average of 8.19 shares per holder -- each priced at KES 2,000/- (or US$ 18.44). The "nominal value" of the issued shares is KES 3,571,674.00 -- or US$ 32,927.38 (at the exchange rate of US$1= KES 108.47126). At close-of-day on September 30th, 2020, the portfolio of NSE-listed securities in which these CA+CB funds are invested -- that is, to which their market value is pegged -- had a valuation of KES 3,757,253/- (or US$ 34,638.24). That's a gain of roughly 5.2%. 

[NSE = Nairobi Securities Exchange].    

A narrative of Unashig's founding, in the very recent past, can be read here. This month's Shareholders List is the second in a series expected to be issued in tandem with an ongoing Round of capital raising. Both the previous and this month's shareholders list can be found via the two links given below:

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of September 30th, 2020.

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of August 31st, 2020 

Unashig's Portfolio of Quoted Shares ~ August 31, 2020

 Incorporated on October 22nd, 2018 under Kenya's Companies Act (2015), Unashig Kenya PLC's foray into stock-market investing began as a set of three low-key transactions just over two months later -- on December 27th, 2018. Indeed, share-ownership was fused into Unashig's corporate DNA from the start -- though it took rather long to even begin to reveal itself in the public domain. 

On that day in December 2018, we bought 12,000 Safaricom shares in two tranches of 3,300 and 8,700 shares @ KES 22.90 per share -- for a total of KES 279,829.95. We also bought 3,400 shares in Nairobi Securities Exchange @ KES 14.00 per share, and a total of KES 48,609.55. As it turned out, those were the only shares that we bought in that first year. More buys followed in 2019 and 2020, as the strength of pooled funds began to create a momentum. 

We have never sold a share; or, better still, we have not sold any shares todate. We are more focused on growing value through more buys -- with the added focus on reducing the average purchase price per share as a valuable route to enhanced dividend yield -- and a higher "Rule of 70"-driven progression rate. 

At the end of August 2020, then, and with the ongoing capital raising drive -- whose results have surprised all of us -- here below is the list and quantum of shares in Unashig's Manyata:

READ: Unashig's Portfolio of Shares Quoted on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, as of August 31, 2020.

The aggregate market value of Unashig's holdings at end-of-(Market Day, August 31st 2020) was KES 3,246,501.00 (or approx. US$29,968.62, based on an exchange rate of $1.00 for KES 108.33). We will keep monitoring these figures.

Updated: September 2, 2020

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List ~ Released on September 1st, 2020

 

The number of Shareholders on this new List remains the same as we saw in the first issue released on August 15th 2020. However, positions on the list are changing, and none can be assured. There has occurred, it seems, a spontaneous but palpable drive to guard or nurture and reconfigure individual placings on the 'virtual' rank-order, as the motivation to be part of an awakening and spreading sense of part-ownership of this thing Unashig has itself grown -- in tandem, indeed, with its (Unashig's) main "agenda"; that is, to raise the capital needed to grow it. 

A sketch of why and how Unashig came into being can be read here, and so we need not repeat ourselves. So let's be very brief here. Let's simply have the new list released, so that it can begin to be read when the sun next rises. A more detailed commentary on it can wait -- and will surely follow.   

READ: List of Unashig Shareholders at the end of August 31st 2020.

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List ~ Updated Version of The First Edition, August 16, 2020

This Update was First published on August 16, 2020 (4:27 MP, GMT+3).                                   [This List will be updated periodically, while the narrative may be updated more frequently]

The idea which developed into what is now Unashig Kenya PLC was formally endorsed at a Founders' Meeting in the Multi-Purpose Hall, University of Nairobi, in April 2017. It was, essentially, to create and grow an autonomous, Member-driven and Member-owned organization -- that is, an entity independent of the University's administrative structures and control -- focused on the twin goals of Health and Wealth. That is, first, securing affordable and self-funded health insurance for participating Members; and, second, using the strength of numbers that we expected to generate in that endeavor to secure a financially viable organization which would also serve as an investment vehicle for the Members. Thus, instead of creating a typical welfare or self-help association (or Chama), we opted for a company owned by shareholders. Unashig Kenya PLC was incorporated under Kenya's Companies Act (2015) as a Public Limited Company on 22nd October 2018.

After more than two years of seemingly futile effort, Unashig's health insurance initiative was launched in November/December 2019, with 60 paid-up Members -- and their families given cover by UAP OldMutual. Another lot of 16 Members (later joined by two more) had their own 12-month cover launched in March 2020. This raised the total till then to 78, all in the first year of the launch.We expect that another group of 20 Members will be given its own 12-month cover this August. This will further raise the total to 98.

Unashig Kenya PLC has two classes of shares -- CA and CB. Only Full Members (that is, present and past academic staff of the University of Nairobi) can own CA shares, but such a Member can own only one CA share -- which is the voting share. There are two other categories of Members, namely: (a) Associate Member, 1 (restricted to present and past non-academic staff of the University of Nairobi); and (b) Associate Member, 2 (which is open to any other interested persons). 

All of the three categories of Members are entitled to the same health insurance options and benefits which Unashig may negotiate with an insurer. CB shares can be owned by any Member, in any quantity. A CA and CB share accords the holder the same amount of declared dividend-per-share, bonus share or share distribution. In the case of share splits, all but one of the CA shares will be converted to CB shares.  The nominal value of each CA and CB share is KES 2,000/-. 

A total of 195 CA and 1,141.84 CB shares have so far been subscribed for, following the conclusion of Round One of capital raising at end-of-day on August 15, 2020. The total of CA and CB shared so far issued stands at 1,336.84. The reader is reminded that while a Shareholder may own as many CB shares as he or she pleases, no one is entitled to more than one CA share (which is the voting share). 

The value of a Unashig Kenya PLC share (whether a CA or a CB) is presently pegged in equal measure on the underlying market value of the basket of shares quoted on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) in which Unashig has invested. Indeed, virtually all the funds so far generated from the purchase of CA and CB shares have been so invested. With time, Unashig will certainly diversify its investment aspirations into other properties; but investing in liquid securities through the NSE has been an obvious, and quite attractive, first choice. 

As shown on the list of shareholders given through the first link provided below, Unashig had (as of at the end of August 15th, 2020) a total of 218 shareholders, with an ownership average of 5.39 CB shares, and  and a combined average of 6.13 CA + CB shares per Member. Only 25 Members owned 10 or more CA+CB shares, while 21 owned only 1 each. We certainly expect that these configurations will change considerably in the near-term, as the investment spirit, already clearly detected, spreads. Indeed, what you see in the August 15th table is a fairly significant response, and rearrangement of the rankings on the last day of Round One, as several members moved to adjust their relative rankings -- as shown in an earlier version of that August 15 table.

READ: List of Shareholders of Unashig Kenya PLC ~ WEF End of Day, August 15, 2020 

READ: Unashig Shareholders at End-Of-Day, 16th August 2020

The table for end of 16th August is added here mainly to accommodate the concerns of two Members who has called for certain updates concerning their holdings. 

Similar details of shareholders' positions will be reported periodically in future, and as necessary.  

Unashig Kenya PLC Shareholders List

First published at 12:24 AM on August 15, 2020.                                                                                  [This is the first ever List of Unashig Shareholders. It will be updated periodically, perhaps even at the end of this day. It may be necessary, however, to update the narrative more frequently]

The idea which developed into what is now Unashig Kenya PLC was formally endorsed at a Founders' Meeting in the Multi-Purpose Hall, University of Nairobi, in April 2017. It was essentially to create and grow an autonomous, Member-driven and Member-owned organization -- that is, an entity independent of the University's administrative structures and control -- focused on the twin goals of Health and Wealth. That is, first, securing affordable and self-funded health insurance for participating Members; and, second, using the strength of numbers that we expected to generate to secure a financially viable organization which would also serve as an investment vehicle for the Members. Thus, instead of creating a typical welfare or self-help association, we opted for a company owned by shareholders. Unashig Kenya PLC was incorporated under Kenya's Companies Act (2015) as a Public Limited Company on 22nd October 2018.

Unashig's health insurance initiative was launched in November/December 2019 with 60 paid-up Members and their families given cover by UAP OldMutual. Another lot of 16 Members (later joined by two more) had their own 12-month cover launched in March 2020. This raised the total in the first year to 78. We expect that another group of 20 Members will be given its own 12-month cover this August. This will further raise the total to 98.

Unashig Kenya PLC has two classes of shares -- CA and CB shares. Only Full Members (that is, present and past academic staff of the University of Nairobi) can own CA shares, but each such Member can own only one CA share, which is the voting share. There are two other categories of Members, namely: (a) Associate Member 1 (restricted to present and past non-academic staff of the University of Nairobi); and (b) Associate Member, 2 (which is open to any other interested persons). All the three categories of Members are entitled to the same health insurance options which Unashig may negotiate with an insurer. CB shares can be owned by any Member, in any quantity. 

A CA and CB share is entitled to the same amount of declared dividend-per-share, bonus share or share distribution. In the case of share splits, all but one of the CA shares will be converted to CB shares.  The nominal value of each CA and CB share is KES 2,000/-. A total of 195 CA and 1057 CB shares have so far been subscribed for. 

The value of a CA and CB share is pegged on the underlying and aggregate market value of the basket of shares quoted on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) and in which Unashig Kenya PLC has invested. Indeed, virtually all the funds so far generated from the purchase of CA and CB shares have been so invested. With time, Unashig will certainly diversify its investment aspirations into other properties; but investing in liquid securities through the NSE has been an obvious, and quite attractive, first choice. 

As the list of shareholders to be found via the link given below shows, Unashig currently has (as of 12:24 AM on August 15th, 2020) 218 shareholders, with an average of 4.99 CB shares, and 5.74 combined shares, per Member. However, only 23 Members own 10 or more shares, while 21 Members still own only 1 share each. We do expect that these configurations will change considerably as we go along. The last hour for this First Round of Capital Raising is still nearly 24 hours away at the time of publishing this post, but it seems useful to release this advance copy in order to give Unashig shareholders a sense, indeed a picture,  of where we are and where we might be at the end of day today.  

READ: List of Shareholders of Unashig Kenya PLC ~ As of 12:24 AM on August 15, 2020 

Updated: 8:52 PM, August 18, 2020.

Morio Anzenza by Wakadinali ft. Dyana Cods (2019)

Play Morio Anzenza {Video}

[Kenya]

Morio Anzenza is a wonderfully polished song with a catchy beat inside a finely imagined clip. It was released on July 18, 2019 by, let's brand them groupe, Wakadinali & Dyana Cods. That's just a little over a year prior to my writing this piece. And that Dyana -- she's cool!

What a dazzling band of smooth operators they all are -- swagging and super self-confident. Blending hip-hop and rap, their Morio Anzenza is a gift for the eye and ear. Hip English phrases plus catchy sheng nouns and adjectives electrify the air to dazzling effect. Everyone just wants to dance, this way and that, in this lifting 'state of affairs'. I think that this song, more than any other or anything else, shaped Wakadinali's heightened sense of self in the run-up to Morio Anzenza's first anniversary.

And so, when, on July 26th 2020, Wakadinali engaged in a pretty aggressive push on Twitter for their musical craft, nay superiority, at the obvious expense of Jua Cali -- a fellow Kenyan artist, and a veteran of sorts in the industry -- they did so in the firm (but to vocal others misguided) belief that they were the better (nay, far better) ones; having, moreover, checked out the 'best' that Jua Cali had to offer. But which song were they thinking of? I don't think that they felt the need to point it out; but perhaps they had in mind that iconic song, Niimbie, by Jua Cali and Enika -- the Tanzanian Diva [To be continued...] 

UAP Medical Underwriting Summary for Unashig Members ~ 18 March 2020 to 17 March 2021

Details of Unashig's Group Health Insurance Cover underwritten by UAP OldMutual, and running from 18 March 2020 to 17 March 2021, are captured in a succinct UNDERWRITING SUMMARY which we make readily accessible here particularly for Members who may not have received their copies by email. Except for specified dates for respective 'cohorts', the content of this summary is the same as is to be found in the summary for the group whose cover began in November 2019. The full text of this more recent Summary can be found through the link below:

READ: Full Text of the March 2020 to March 2021 Underwriting Summary  

A new Underwriting Summary will be issued in March 2021 to coincide with the renewal of Unashig Group Health Insurance for those paid-up for the second 12-month period of cover.  In principle, each calendar year is divided into four intervals or cohorts, each with its distinct starting point for a 12-month cover. The intervals are: November/December, March, June and September.

UNASHIG: UAP Medical Underwriting Summary ~ 27 November 2019 to 26 Nov 2020

Updated July 23, 2020

Details of Unashig's Group Health Insurance cover underwritten by UAP OldMutual, and running from 27 November 2019 to 26 November 2020, are captured in a succinct UNDERWRITING SUMMARY which we would like to make more readily accessible -- particularly to members who may not have received a copy by email. The details can be found at the link below:

READ:  UAP Medical Underwriting Summary, 27 November 2019 to 26 November 2020

A new Underwriting Summary will naturally be issued in November 2020 to coincide with the renewal of Unashig's Group Health Insurance for those paid-up for the second 12-month period of cover. In principle, each calendar year is divided into four intervals or cohorts, each with its distinct starting point for a 12-month cover. The Intervals are: November/December, March, June and September.

Afya Imara Junior ~ UAP OldMutual's New Health Insurance Cover For Children

Afra Imara Junior, a new Health Insurance product, has just been released by UAP OldMutual. It targets children from birth to 18 years of age, or up to 21 years with proof of continuing studentship. The product has two main components:

1) Primary Inpatient cover, with benefits ranging from KES 500,000/- to KES 5,000,000/- per year.

2) Optional Outpatient cover, with benefits ranging from KES 50,000/- to KES 150,000/- per year

Since most parents are already allowed to include their birth-children under their own covers, and in the same age-bracket as envisaged in the new product, Afra Imara Junior seems to open a window of opportunity for children who are not born of the adult or adults who offer to give then cover. There is, indeed, specific mention not just of a parent but also a guardian. So guardians with means are winners here -- for the children under their care.

Alternatively, some parents may discover that giving their own children cover under this scheme helps to stretch the benefits of their own cover. Whatever the case, however, a certain amount of calculating will be required to arrive at a 'happy-medium'. Details of the new product can be found at the link below.

READ: Details of UAP's New Insurance Package For Children  

Why I Retweet

I love to tweet and retweet -- certainly more of the latter than the former. But there have been longish gaps in time during which I have not actively done either. In the 'seasons' when I'm on Twitter a lot, I tweet and retweet and retweet. But Trump is not a role model for me, and shouldn't be for anyone (though he clearly is for some), on Twitter. His Twitter behavior is too pathological and grating and too driven by hostility and infused with hate. I see Twitter as a platform for celebrating the awesomeness of the diversity that's all around us.

My retweets are mostly intended to mark, in 'real time', what I read and see -- about our complex and unbelievable world (even before we turn, as we must, to the larger universe) -- and, even as I share, to commit to digital memory, and thus to be positioned to remember and to recollect with greater certainty a valued fraction of all that there is to remember. As a totality, the retweets constitute for me a collection, but only one such, of the mostly passive encounters that I have had, in Twitterverse, as a speck in the far larger phantasmagoria of existence. In the end, they are a sort of territorial marking.

UAP Crop and Livestock Insurance Policy Details ~ July 2020

Unashig Members interested in taking up crop or livestock insurance through Unasi Insurance Agency Ltd will find the following details useful in making decisions regarding the policies currently being offered by UAP Old Mutual. Contents of the documents availed through the five links given below are fairly self-explanatory. 

1) INTRODUCTION: UAP-OM Agriculture Solution Proposal 772020... 

2) Crop & Livestock Insurance Summary

3)  Crop Insurance Proposal Form 

4a)  Livestock Insurance Proposal

4b) Veterinary Health & Valuation Report Form.

Any follow-up queries that individual Members interested in any of the offers may have, should be forwarded or addressed for further processing to Esther, the PO of Unasi Insurance Agency, via WhatsApp or a phone call to: 0720101679. Alternatively, queries and completed forms should be mailed  to this Unasi Office email address: unasi254ag@gmail.com. 

A Thought: Difficult Things

One must do difficult things and sustain the effort. The easy things happen anyway, along the way, and may soon fizzle out. One must strive beyond one's adjudged and perceived limits. That's how achievement becomes real. That's how we lift and soar.

A Thought: A Book

A book, I think, is a bringing together of certain clumps of life's (and/or nature's) disparateness and twists and turns, and a threading together of them into a set of flows and, in the end, a tangible coherence.

Adrift

De Trump, he's lost his anchor, except for dem fox at Fox who still play him dat make-believe role, 'n an occasional song to smash Ocasio. He forgets who he really is. He flails. He's adrift, like De Tramp. He's rudderless, even. He's headed toward de deep blu sea. Is how we see it all from here -- we who are neither Meerkats nor Squirrels, and who are, indeed, 'is own Roots and Trunk. End perhaps 'is nightmare. 

Let 'im not drift too south-easterly, dough, toward dem holes of his blurry eyes & perennial bigotry -- nor anywhere near de Door of No Return, dere on Cape Coast. U never know what he'd 'ear or see. Farther South, 'e could end up off de Namibian coast, as C Columbus once did. Dat would b a tin. An' it c'd b wild lappin' from dere, wid no compass end no sails (to boot) end no way to master de headwinds, toward de Indies -- CC's imaginary & unbroken passage to India. End on, once again, to o so lovely Pocahontas' land. But de land he'd come upon wud b a changed land. Dere wud b a few peeps 4 sure in khaki trench coats waitin' onshore -- wid papers, p'raps. 

First Round of Capital Raising by Unashig Kenya PLC, May 1 to August 15, 2020

Last Update: August 16th, 2020 (9:33 AM, GMT+3)

Introduction

As a result of the enthusiastic response following the recent publication of Unashig's investment portfolio as of mid-January 2020, Round 1 of Unashig's Capital Raising initiative is hereby launched, and will run from May 1st to August 15th, 2020. The company's goal is to raise a minimum of KES 2,000,000/- for additional investment in one or more segments of Kenya's Capital Markets, with particular focus on the most liquid opportunities available on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. We are going to be long-term investors, not day-traders.

READ: List of Unashig’s Holdings of Shares Quoted on the NSE as of July 31, 2020  [The shares or counters indicated as new were added prior to July 31st 2020]

How to Remit Your Contribution

You may make your payments in several ways:

1. Through Unashig's own M-Pesa Paybill Number 515357, which channels all payments received to this account: Unashig Kenya PLC, Account Number 1241147515, at Kenya Commercial Bank, University Way Branch, Nairobi, Kenya. When asked to enter account number as you make your Paybill payment, remember to enter only your Unashig Membership Number, or, alternatively, your name. Your name should not exceed 20 letters.

2. Over-the-counter deposits, at any KCB Branch, into the specified Account Number specified above, that is  1241147515.

3. Inter-bank transfers into the said account at KCB, University Way Branch, Nairobi.

While only Unashig Members qualify to participate in this capital raising drive, new Members are invited to join the Unashig fraternity and thereby participate in this venture. The list of contributors and amounts contributed is posted below, and will be updated periodically.

Totals will be announced periodically as well. Those who wish to make any enquiries, or to be listed only by their Unashig Membership Number, and not by name, should alert the Unashig Management via WhatsApp, SMS, or this email address: unashig.kenya@gmail.com

List of Contributors

Here below is the List of Contributors so far. Unless otherwise indicated, they are all topping-up the share purchases which they made prior to May 1, 2020. Those earlier share purchases are not included in the figures below:

MAY 2020:

May 1st:

1. Prof. Violet Kimani: KES 20,000/-

May 2nd:

2. Prof. Florence Olubayo: KES 10,000/-

[Amount Raised in Week 1 (May 1 - 2): KES 30,000/-]

May 3rd:

3. Prof Mauri Yambo: KES 12,000/-

4. Thomas V. Odongo: KES 34,363/-

5. Dr. Thomas Kwassa: KES 10,000/-

6. Prof. Paul M. Syagga: KES 46,000/-.

May 7th:

7. Prof. Dunera Ilako: KES 62,000/-.

[Amount Raised in Week 2 (May 3 - 9): KES 164,363/-]

May 14th:

8. Prof. Priscilla Kariuki: KES: 40,000/-

{Amount Raised in Week 3 (May 10 - 16): KES 40,000/-]

[Week 4, 5 and 6 (May 17 to June 6): No funds were raised during the Period

[AMOUNT RAISED FROM WEEK 1 TO WEEK 6 = KES 234,363/-]

JUNE 2020: 

June 9th: KES 260,000 (that is, KES 234,363 plus 25,637 top-up from Unashig's Office Account) remitted to Unashig's Brokerage Account at NCBA Capital for investment in shares quoted on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE). Unashig owns some shares at NSE. It also has some shares in the parent company of NCBA Capital, NCBA Bank – which resulted from a merger between CBA Bank and NIC Bank) 

June 10th and 11^th: All but KES 118.45 was invested in counters in which Unashig has a stake, and in one new counter (I&M Holdings Ltd), as the CDSC statement for the end of June 2020 will show. The total cost of the investment comprised three elements: Market price of the respective shares (and quantities), stock-market transaction costs and the stock broker’s charges.

    The latest investment has enabled Unashig to reduce the average price per share in a number of counters, including Safaricom, as was one of two main goals – the second being to increase the range of counters in which Unashig has a presence. The Safaricom counter remains our single largest investment in terms of market value and the number of shares held. However, there is still much more investing to do there – even as we seize other opportunities and spread our risks.

June 13th:

9.  Prof. Florence Olubayo: KES 10,000/-

[Amount Raised in Week 7 (June 7 - 13): KES 10,000/-]

JULY 2020: 

July 3rd:

10. Prof. Florence Olubayo: KES 6,524/-

11. Prof. Florence Olubayo: KES 10,000/-

12. Prof. George Omondi Oyoo: KES 10,000/- 

July 4th:

13. Prof. Mauri Yambo: KES 12,000/-.

[Amount Raised From Week 8 to 10 (June 14 – July 4): KES 38,524/-]

July 9th: 

14. Prof. Anna Muthoni Mathai: KES 14,500/-.

July 14th: 

15. Prof. Mauri Yambo: KES 14,000/-.

July 15th:

16. Prof. Mauri Yambo: KES 2,500/-

17. Dr. Beatrice K. Amugune: 50,000/-

July 16th:

18. Dr. Catherine M. Gitau: 24,000/-

[Amount raised from Week 11 to 12 (July 5 -- July 18): KES 105,000/-]

July 30th:

19. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 2,500/-

20. Prof Richard Simwa: 4,000/-

July 31st:

21. Dr. Bethuel Kinyanjui Kinuthia: 66,000/-.

[Amount Raised From Week 13 to 14 (July 19 -- August 01): KES 72,500/-]

AUGUST 2020:

August 4th:

22. Prof. Paul Syagga: 10,000/-.

August 5th:

23. Prof. Florence Olubayo: 10,000/-

24. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 3,000/-.

August 10th:

25. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 4,000/-.

August 11th:

26. Prof. Priscilla Kariuki: 10,000/-.

27. Thomas V. Odongo: 10,000/-.

28. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 4,000/-.

August 13th:

29. Dr. Thomas Kwasa: 10,000/-.

30. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 14,000/-.

31. Prof. Mauri Yambo: 8,000/-.

August 14th:

32. Lillian A. Owiti: 20,000/-.

August 15th:

33. George Nyabuga: 32,000/-.

34. Agnes Wanjiru Gichuhi: 12,000/-.

35. Jones F. Agwata:43,500/-

36. Kevin Oluoch: 20,000/-.

37. George Omondi Oyoo: 10,000/-.

38. Edwin Oyaro Ondieki: 10,000/-.

39. Karen Odhiambo: 10,000/-.

40. Peter K. Njoroge: 4,000/-.

41. Elizabeth Gatungo: 6,000/-.

42. Mauri Yambo: 16,000/-.

[Amount raised from Week 15 to 16 (August 2 -- August 15): KES 272,500/-]

[The Total Amount Raised From Week 1 To Week 16 is KES 732,887/-, which represents 36.6% of the set target of KES 2,000.000/-. This is quite noteworthy and laudable, even though more work needs to be done. The Second Round runs from August 16th to November 30, 2020]

Rogue Talisman ~ Haiku

A cruel trail

Where he's gone you won't find him

But in distant He

Twin Questions ~ Haiku

So many Questions.

No one knows when they will come,

Each Ankh for its twin.

A Note: Carry your own Ankh: https://www.ancient.eu/Ankh/

MUSIC: Jibebe by Diamond Platnumz x Mbosso x Lava Lava x Wcf Wasafi (2018)

Play Jibebe {Video} 
[Tanzania}

A mentor's magical intonation -- Jibebe (carry yourself) -- fills all the air, from start to finish, in this year's (2018's) greatest pop song out of Africa. The word's not "carry your own cross", but your own self. "Jibebe, bebe."

From the song's very first syllables, you know you've stumbled upon an other-worldly "echo" system. This finely woven tapestry of sound and motion -- of song and dance -- plays by its own inspired rules. These it reveals in sudden turns of phrase, as the narrative constantly surges forth. The montage of voice and body texts is thus, in its stretch and layering, unprecedented. And all-conquering. It's all so very cosy as well. 

As one may discern from its confounding lyrics, all in presumed Swahili, Jibebe is also a 'dog-whistle' pointer, a musical ode of sorts, to the untapped power of gibberish -- gibberish as a lyrical form. It's not that we're witness to this creative device for the first time here. Kruzz's Bad, though far less dramatic and not as consequential, might be labeled a 'deliberate' and fitting precursor -- from the flatterer's angle. But Jibebe takes us to a wholesomely new level -- to moments where meanings don't seem to matter, and only how one feels does. 

MUSIC (Madagascar): Diadiaso by Vaiavy Chila (2012)

Play Diadiasio {Video}                    

            I find that though an islander, Madagascar’s Vaiavy Chila offers us a kind of music that marvelously and uncannily captures what one may call the continental African spirit. This is so both in her singing and in the tunes which her band has created and delights the ears with. It is so, indeed, in all those works of hers that I have listened to, including this Diadiaso. What is more, I think that I detect ample amounts of benga (all the way from East Africa) and certain idioms associated with it in all of them. I couldn't believe it when I first found out. Why that is so must be another story altogether -- indeed, a history of human movement and cultural cross-pollination.

            Viavy's chanting voice and dancing ways have a truly lovely touch to them. They are indeed both cheerful and enchanting on a massive scale. Her sunny persona will melt all hearts that love fine and heart-felt music. She truly has a knack for connecting, with little if any self- consciousness, across borders and coastlines and cultural boundaries. She deploys it relentlessly, the bundle of energy that she is, with an untiring spirit. This is a really refreshing and unbelievable thing to behold! It is almost totally different from what many from continental Africa, certainly including yours truly, imagined that Madagascar's popular music would be like before they at last came upon it.  I think that it will really surprise those who hear it, and her other songs -- and those of her compatriots -- f or the first time…[More]

 

 

MUSIC (Cameroon): Ololiyo by Abz ft. Daphne (2020)

Play Ololiyo {Video}

For us in the Covid-19 era, the moral (or certainly one moral) of the visual story in Ololiyo[1] ( sung by Cameroonians Abz Ngitolang and Daphne Njie) is, on at least one level, that there’s no lockdown, no curfew, airtight enough to restrain restive passions riding on raging and hard-to-understand, hard to control, hormones – or interests. Nor are there fail-safe measures or walls or guard-rails to keep everyone, including those entrusted with public (or private) safety, safe. One of the most awkward and blind-folding ‘prescriptions’ of our time, heard around the world only (or largely) since March 2020 is “self-quarantine”[2]. Incidentally, Ololiyo was released only on April 8^th, 2020. Was that prescient or what!

Rendered in both English and French, and a sprinkling of Cameroonian phrases and verve, the Ololiyo soundtrack has a really lively and ‘hostage’-taking proposition and momentum – a la the Stockholm Syndrome. Along the way, we’re all bamboozled by the subtle wirtschaft of song and dance by means of which our minds are turned – sort of full circle. We’re made to forget, without knowing it, where we’ve been, why we’re here, and where we’re supposed to be headed.     

            At face-value, the visible component of Ololiyo is in part about parental zealous and in the end futile endeavors to keep their beloved teenage-daughter safe from obvious dangers lurking in her (in her family’s) social and private spaces…[More]

---

[1] The HotJem (2020) “What you need to know about ‘Ololiyo’ by Daphne Njie and Abz”

[2] Perhaps the proponents of self-quarantine should, for a start, read something about self-control.

MUSIC (DRCongo): It fait Semblant by Sista Becky ft. Innoss'B (2020)

Play Il fait semblant{Video}  

Il fait semblant, sung by Sista Becky and Innoss’B – both from DRC – is an endearing and aurally absorbing find. It endears with its all-embracing air of togetherness and, indeed, of sophistication and elegance; but above all with the physical ease and vocal modulation with which the singers render their art-work. Though we know Sista Becky, at this juncture in her career, far less than we do Innoss’B, both have, it seems to me, contributed equally to grow Africa’s depository of fine musical art with Il fait semblant.  The quality of the song is not diminished by its title, however, which refers to someone faking it; that is, someone pretending to be another sort of character. Innoss'B, it seems, likes to sing about fake love. I don't know what sort of faking irks Sista Becky, however.

            As Sista Becky intimates, the song has an especial dimension to it – a ‘Bantou’ (Bantu) touch. Of course, all Lingala music, all #LingalaPop, is by definition ‘Bantou’. But something counterintuitive stands out in her assertion. The song’s lyrics are mostly written and sung in French. As I don’t speak French, I don’t know how much of the French component is in creole (or pidgin French); but singing in pidgin or broken English has never stopped Nigerian or Ghanaian pop from being #AfroBeats – or indeed Nigerian or Ghanaian music; nor has it stopped #AfroPop, across Africa, from being pop. Indeed, singing isn’t simply about the language in which the lyrics are written or sung...[More] 

MUSIC (DRC): La Verite De Franco by Vicky+Franco & L’OK Jazz (1968)

 

Play La verite {Audio}

      I have suggested elsewhere, in general terms, that Franco (Luambo Luanzo Makiadi) and his band had such a huge array of talent and technical capabilities that, led by him, they were able to sustain the capacity to stay competitive at the very top of the musical pecking-order in their country (once Congo Leopoldville, and then Zaire, and... now DRC) – in their time. What I didn’t quite touch on was the long-term survival or adaptability of their music – or more specifically their tunes and beats and the dance-styles which they spawned or fed into – in a world in which tastes and ideas about dance were inevitably going to evolve and perhaps drastically change, even beyond easy recognition, and probably with time selectively ‘reincarnate’.  

      What I want to worry briefly about here is how they could overcome – not just stand – the test of time and thus be in perpetuity current; even if, periodically, as throwbacks.

       If leisure-seekers in succeeding generations were conceivably going to acquire, and perhaps return to, different ideas about sound and dance-floor body texts, the intriguing (or perhaps rhetorical) question must, for present purposes, be: Did any of Franco’s songs have a built-in potential for adaptation or re-imagining by properly-licensed artists and producers in the generations after him; and, if so, which particular ones? This may appear to be a non-question, but great works (or the works of great artists) are supposed to be perennial or cyclical in their appeal to succeeding generations. They’re not supposed to suffer the fate of ‘mere’ mortals – that is, permanent death after some duration!

       One song which has recently struck me as carrying within it the ‘genes’ for even longer-term survival than usual is La Verite de Franco (all the 4:57 minutes of it!). I find that it has an aural form and content that’s wonderfully ‘modernist’ in the same vein as today’s pop hits – and, by definition, perhaps more evergreen than most. It has an uncannily self-contained sound system, so to speak, that’s nevertheless open to infusion and nourishment from the more expansive galaxy of now – and vice-versa... [More later] 

#LingalaPop #Rumba #CongoleseMusic

MUSIC (Tanzania+Uganda): Come Again by Lulu Diva ft. Eddy Kenzo (2020)

 

Play Come Again {Video}          

                 Lulu Diva delivers to everyone with discerning ears really mellow lyrical lines – sung mostly in Swahili. It is fine poesy, with, if you ask me, a detectable Sufi touch. There are several other ‘touches’ in the mix as well. They keep our ears and alerted eyes busy. 

                Eddy Kenzo, veteran of memorable auditory  campaigns across our remembered 'terrains' and pasts – glows here in his Ugandan accent, and fits right in. He brings true flava to the show, from where-ever he’s been to.

                 The beat, spreading like an audible surround-haze, and like ‘wild’ fire in the savanna, binds the two artists, and us – all of us – in a manifest communal part-a-king. But, lasting only 3:13 minutes, it ends before it is past the gate – as it were; before we, the audience, have the chance to look at each other in silent acknowledgement of what a thing we have there... 

MUSIC (Tanzania) Quarantine by Wasafi ft. Diamond Platnumz x Rayvanny x Mbosso x Lava Lava x Queen Darleen x Zuchu (2020)

Play Quarantine {Video}

                 Quarantine is a powerful take, by Tanzanian artists, on the world-wide phenomenology of Covid-19. Released on May 22^nd, 2020, it had already recorded 7,003,534 views some 24 days later – on June 15^th 2020 (at 12:57 AM, GMT+3). The song is a creatively-conceived production laced with parody, swag and self-belief. “Wacko Jacko” appears here in absentia, so to speak; and is given pride of place in the moves and memes we’re treated to. The whole idea is to ease such of our lock-down, quarantine and/or curfew woes and angst as can, with music and a little laughter, be eased.

                        There’s more English in Quarantine than is typical in Tanzanian pop, even including superstar Diamond Platnumz’s songs. The way the troupe, split into two, carries itself there, the impression one gets is that Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania's capital city, is, with music – with Bongo Flava, certainly – the center of the artistic universe. It’s hard to not indulge those feelings there, when they give us one treat after another like this – as if picked, with eyes closed, out of a skull-cap...[To be continued]  

MUSIC (Ethiopia): Suse by Tsedi

Play Suse {Video}

             Suse, released in 2019, is a beat-denominated song – as many are, but as personal as can be there. It is indeed so in such a deceptively and unintentionally straightforward way that one is lured to look in another direction hoping to, somehow, decipher it all; while, from another angle, it tweaks out one’s ingrained body beats to go in tandem – and go wherever – with hers!  It’s pure urban sorcery... [To be continued]

Play here: Live version of Tsedi’s Suse

Music (Tanzania): Katika by Diamond Platnumz ft. Navy Kenzo (2018)

 Play Katika {Video}


In Nairobi's Eastlands [Eastlando] of old, which some still remember, Katika was a verb (almost an adverb) reserved for unabashed, sexy dance-floor moves by certain female folks -- there in the social halls. More generally, it referred to walking the "sexy walk" -- even unintentionally. One suspects that Katika, the Tanzanian song we have here, references that apparently evergreen and energetic jargon. There's plenty of Katika in the present clip, for sure. And the word keeps turning up from every aural angle, and with every beat and pause and line of rap. 

But there's more. When it's her turn, as was inevitable, Aika (the female half of Navy Kenzo) bamboozles even seasoned Swahili speakers with her staccato, stream-of-consciousness rendition of seemingly incomprehensible lines: "Maumivu naugulia/Mwiba ukizama nahisi mateso/Utamu nang'ang'ania/Ndizi kwa nyama napata mchecheto/Nakuna nazi kwa mkongojo/Naunga mchuzi wa Sotojo/Uno la Rosti Rojolojo/Mikunjo fulani Wabogojo/..." She leaves them with a stammering sensation, trying to keep up -- even as Nahreel and Diamond Platnumz separately flirt! This is Aika as we've never seen her.

Katika treats the audience to a great and throbbing beat, as well, fused with a rich Samba melody. Supple dancing bodies fill the to-and-fro view, and sprinkle it with innuendo. A Latino frame of mind has become the scene, thusly, and won't let go.

Click here for the Katika lyrics