Five start-ups win British Airways, Safaricom award

British Airways and Safaricom have rewarded five Kenyan start-ups in an essay competition. The British Airways and Safaricom Emerging Enterprises Initiative will give each winner a return business class ticket to London and Sh100,000 worth of Safaricom airtime. Hundred firms entered the competition. The five winners who were awarded on Friday at the Villa Rosa Kempinski, are Jiinue Holdings, Tiny Totos, Ukall Limited, Pegg Entertainment, and Zamoyo Limited.

Safaricom’s Director of Enterprise Business Unit Rita Okuthe said the winners will also receive free data connectivity at their offices. “The winners were those with the best stories, a clear action plan and the most original ideas,” said Ms Radhika Moolraj, director of the British Chamber of Commerce Kenya, who chose the winners.

To participate, entrants were required to submit a 300-word essay explaining how their businesses would benefit from a trip to any of the 114 British Airways destinations. They also had to have been registered customers of Safaricom’s Zidisha Biashara service and signed up British Airways On Business programme. “This is an SME-driven economy, as the sector provides upto 80 per cent of Kenya’s employment,” said Ms Okuthe.