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Ugandan maid Jolly Tumuhirwe jailed for torturing child

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A Ugandan maid has been sentenced to four years in jail for assaulting a toddler, in a case which sparked national outrage after a video was released.

The Ugandan maid, one Jolly Tumuhirwe, 22, was filmed beating, kicking and stamping on the 18-month-old child.

On Friday, she said the attack was revenge after she was beaten by the child’s mother.

The mother denied beating her. Earlier charges of torture were dropped.

Chief Magistrate Lillian Buchan told Tumuhirwe she had committed an “unjustifiable and inexcusable” crime.

She said the sentence was appropriate in light of the “ruthlessness exhibited” on an “innocent, helpless child”, reports the AFP news agency.

The video footage, which prompted the case, came from a camera the child’s father, Eric Kamanzi, had installed in his home after noticing his daughter was bruised and limping.

He reported the abuse to police last month and circulated the video online to family members. The footage was later shared more widely, provoking horror and upset internationally.

Psychological consequences

After the sentencing, Mr Kamanzi said: “It’s not for us to decide the punishment for what she committed.

“We hope this has set an example for other maids out there, that you can’t just go to someone’s house and torture their baby and expect to walk out,” AFP reports.

Another family member, Rose Zimulinda, said the child was physically well now but there were likely to be longer term psychological consequences.

In Uganda, there is no requirement for people paid to look after children to have qualifications.

Police have recommended that parents do background checks with friends, neighbours, local police, council and previous employers before taking on nannies or maids given these responsibilities.

Investment ideas to help you make money in 2015

Bizna brings you the first installment of our two part series on investment ideas that will help you make money from trading at the Nairobi Securities Exchange. We sample insights from finance professors with proven success rates in matters investments to help you get rich or at least protect the wealth you have.

Finance Professor, Andrew Lo: “It’s unrealistic to say buy and hold. It’s like telling teenagers to abstain from sex,” quips Lo. The Hong Kong-born and Yale-and Harvard-educated Lo is hardly the first to observe that many investors hold on too long when markets are going down, finally panic and sell, and then wait way too long to get back in. What’s novel is the way he mixes behavioral economics and artificial intelligence to design programs that allow for human emotions while minimizing their wealth-destroying impact, an approach he dubs “artificial stupidity.” Simple example: There’s a threshold of pain–say, a 25% dive in the stock market–beyond which most normal humans can’t resist dumping stocks and going to cash. Fine. But when market volatility subsides, some start buying again, long before most people would have the stomach to get back in.

Lo offers this free advice: Accept you are a mortal who can panic, and adjust your portfolio to the risk in the marketplace, moving to bonds and cash when volatility goes up and moving back to equities when it subsides. The case for this approach is stronger since the increased tendency of different asset classes to move downward together in a crisis has weakened the power of diversification as a sleep-at-night prescription. “We all live in a world of diversification-deficit disorder,” says Lo.

 

Lasse Pedersen, Finance Professor: Momentum investing is nothing new–instead of fighting the tape, you buy stocks that are going up and dump (or short) those going down. All sorts of individual securities in different countries display a sort of momentum effect, where they tend to keep going in the direction they’ve been going for, say, a year. From stocks to commodities to currencies, it doesn’t matter what you’re trading, just the direction it’s been going lately.

Trading strategies that look good on paper can fall apart when the humans who actually buy and sell securities panic and liquidity evaporates, he notes–the very sequence of events that took down Long-Term Capital. But wait. If you’re more of a Warren Buffett value investor than a day trader, Lasse suggests an answer to the mystery of why boring value stocks return more than their flashy growth counterparts.

Some academics say it’s because boring companies are actually more risky, since they tend to be in older industries that could fade away. Pedersen sees something else going on: Most investors can’t or won’t use leverage to goose their returns (as some academics predict they should), yet they still want to get rich quick. So they pay too much for stocks that offer the promise of Google-type returns, just as people pay too much for lottery tickets.

For those with an eclectic investing approach, you can combine a diversified portfolio of momentum investments with low-priced value stocks to get nicely balanced returns. “If you take value and momentum, they almost sound like they are opposites,” he admits. “The fact that they’ve both worked together historically is quite remarkable.”

 

 

 

28-year-old builds Sh. 100 million supermarket in Thika

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A 28-year-old businessman has launched his first supermarket in Thika town with an investment of Sh100 million. Trushar Khetia says he had decided to open the supermarket, dubbed Society Stores, since he wants to be part of Thika town’s growth agenda.

Addressing the press after the relaunch of what was initially Leens Supermarket, Khetia said he wants to bring a transformation of the supermarket industry not only in Thika and in Kenya but also regionally. The ceremony was presided over by Thika member of parliament Alice Wambui Ng’ang’a.

“We want to bring in what has been lacking in the industry. We want to be unique in ensuring that our customer gets value of their money,” said Khetia, who was flanked by his wife, Shreya Khetia The CEO said that soon he would roll out various related projects that will involve among other things and not limited to health care, education, food security, water, sanitation and environment.

The business management and marketing graduate from the University of Manchester in the UK said Thika needs a clear environment for business growth. “We don’t want to limit ourselves on entrepreneurship and development,” he said.

Asked why he had decided to call his supermarket Society Stores, Khetia said: “society is communal and we intend to deviate from what others have been doing since we want to be original and fresh.” He said Sh100 million was used in the acquisition of goodwill, assets, stocks, refurbishing and rehabilitation of the premises.

Khetia said that his company had already employed 80 employees and would by Christmas expand to 150 staff. They have already attracted 500 suppliers and on the first day of business recorded more than 5,000 customers.

“I think my first venture in Thika to start a supermarket is a blessing in disguise. When I decided to go it alone, leaving the string of family businesses, I wanted to be a decision maker. Thika is the beginning of this cherished dream,” said Khetia.

 

What type of a leader are you?

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Kevin Roberts is the global CEO of advertising giant Saatchi & Saatchi.

“You must believe that the further up a company you go, the more stupid you become,” says Roberts. “As the CEO, your job as the leader is to create leaders. For God’s sake, stop taking decisions away from others.”

People who should be making decisions for your company are not in cushy offices but rather on the front line — the people who are interacting most intimately with your consumers and who understand, firsthand, what goes into the day-to-day labours that make your company tick.

The word employee seems demeaning to Roberts. He thinks of the people who work at Saatchi & Saatchi as teammates, or his “people.”

“To sustain a company, you have got to have leaders at every level of that company, not just Steve Jobs or Richard Branson,” says Roberts. “A leader for us is someone who inspires everyone they touch to be the best they can be.”

Are you a boss managing your employees, or are you a leader coaching your team?

[Original:entrepreneur

Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss wins Miss World title

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Miss South Africa Rolene Strauss was crowned Miss World on Sunday in a competition in London.

“South Africa, this is for you,” she said in an interview after the pageant. “I’m so proud of you, and I’m proud to be your representative.”

Strauss, 22, inherited the crown from Miss World 2013, Megan Young of the Philippines. She won the title over runner-up Miss Hungary Edina Kulcsar. Miss United States Elizabeth Safrit took third place.

Strauss, a fourth-year medical student at University of the Free State, put her studies on hold after being crowned Miss South Africa in March. In her official Miss World 2014 introduction video, she credits former South African President Nelson Mandela with paving the way for her to pursue a career in medicine by creating a democratic South Africa.

Strauss said she looked forward to continuing the legacy of Miss World CEO Julia Morley, founder of “Beauty With a Purpose,” a nonprofit that supports humanitarian projects of Miss World contestants.

Those who participate in a charitable contest or cause through the organization compete for the “Beauty With a Purpose” award, winning points toward their final score.

The focus on charitable acts helps counter criticism that the pageant promotes superficial images of women through swimsuit competitions and slinky evening gowns. As Miss South Africa, Strauss has promoted projects in women’s rights, health and education, including one to provide menstruation education to schoolgirls in South Africa.

Being broke is all in the mind

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No one likes being broke. You can’t afford to dress well or to take your girl out to a fancy restaurant; you’re constantly evading the landlord. Life tends to suck big time and is always a struggle.

But as Peter Voogd puts it, it’s part of the process.

It’s asking the right questions, and taking the right action while in the struggle, that can change everything.

Absolute clarity

It’s easy to make decisions once you determine what your real values are.

Stop playing the victim role and take responsibility for your current state. It’s not the economy, your company, the lack of resources or even your location. It’s the lack of focus.

Clarity is the ultimate power, and if you want results you’ve never had you need to get 100 percent clear on what you want. Only when you take full responsibility for your current reality can you change it.

Your Confidence Account

Insecurities will destroy you, while real confidence will take you to a level very few attain.

If you don’t have confidence, you will always find a way to lose. Everything you accomplish is based on the confidence you have in yourself and your ability to “make it happen.” The bigger the goals, the bigger the challenges.

You must realize the moment you go after your biggest goals, obstacles will show up. They are there to test your character and faith, and to see if you are serious about your goals.

Shifting your circle of influence

There comes a point in your life when you realize who really matters, who never did and who always will.

If you hang around five confident people, you will be the sixth.

If you hang around five intelligent people, you will be the sixth.

If you hang around five millionaires, you will be the sixth.

If you hang around five idiots, you will be the sixth.

If you hang around five broke people, you will be the sixth.

It’s inevitable.

Aly Khan Sachu: The Millionaire Investor

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Aly-Khan’s story isn’t your typical rags to riches Kenyan story. Not many poppers get to leave the country and study abroad, let alone at the tender age of 13.

How it all began

“The day I got into the trading floor, is the day I realised this is where I have always wanted to be,” Aly told the scoop

After completing high school in London, he pursued a law degree at the University of Durham. But deep inside he knew it wasn’t his calling. Instead, Aly ventured into what had always fascinated him as a boy – investment banking. With no practical financial experience he got the lowest paying job at Credit Suisse.

“I wanted to play with numbers and for that, I could have given anything,” he tells the Business Daily.

Grabbing opportunity by the balls

After more than an year he came face to face with the vice chairman of the bank Mr Joan Becke; choosing not to be intimidated Aly requested Mr Becke to allow him 10 minutes of his time.

Aly then requested Mr Becke to give him the broker’s job for the same six dollar an hour he was making at the clerical section. He also asked to be fired if his performance was deemed unsatisfactory.

In three months time the job was confirmed and in his first full year on the new job, Aly had blown the Credit Suisse annual performance record straight off the water.

What makes a successful investor? Avoid all the hype and do proper research.

Since 2003 Aly-Khan has been trading his own funds primarily Commodities (particularly Oil) Currency Futures and Options, Equity Indices and Single Stocks.

For the last three years, Aly-Khan has been an active Investor at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, The USE and various other African Stock markets

129 people perish after boat capsizes in DRC

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At least 129 people drowned when a passenger ship capsized on Lake Tanganyika in the southeast of Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a new official death toll Sunday. “Rescue workers recovered a total of 129 bodies,” an official told AFP, adding there were a number of women and children among the victims in Thursday’s disaster.

The new toll represented a dramatic increase on the provisional figure given Saturday by the government of DRC’s Katanga province, which had spoken of at least 26 dead. So far, the number of survivors stood at 232, mostly men, the provincial minister for transport said, adding that rescue workers had found more people in the water Sunday, who had been clinging onto petrol cans and other objects for over 48 hours and were in a very weakened condition.

“The search for other survivors and bodies is continuing,” he added. The accident took place Thursday night in the north of Katanga province, between the towns of Moba and Kalemie.

Officials said strong winds and overloading caused the M/V Mutambala, which was bound for Uvira further north in South Kivu province, to capsize. The boat was carrying cargo as well as passengers. Disasters with high numbers of fatalities are frequent on the lakes and rivers of DRC, where vessels are often overloaded, life jackets frequently missing and many people cannot swim.

Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world and also borders Tanzania, as well as Burundi and Zambia.
 

 

Unconventional things women are attracted to in men

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Opening doors, pulling out a chair, splurging on the birthday gift or flowers and chocolates when you have royally messed up are all thoughtful gestures. But women will always want more. So what is that extra something that a woman is looking for in a guy?

Clean as a pin

The first thing that attracted Betty to her boyfriend is how neat and orderly he is. She had never been with a guy who cleaned up after himself, so to her this was totally refreshing and it sealed the deal in beginning their relationship.

Her boyfriend, she says, never leaves dirty dishes or clothes piled up like most men do. Even his house plants are alive. To her, this showed he had a caring and nurturing side to him. And if a guy pays that much attention to detail about his stuff, he would definitely take care of her too.

She found his neatness appealing and sexy. Of course Chris, her boyfriend, does not think it is a big deal and is completely oblivious to his charms. That is what makes Betty love him even more.

“The fact that he thinks everyone cleans up after themselves and his self-deprecating personality is why I find him so endearing to me, and it would be a different story if he was a slob.”

Whereas some women may find this quality in a man attractive, others may think it a turn off and may be of the view that real men do not clean: if a man is too clean then he must be cheating because he is trying to hide something, or there is another woman cleaning up after him. And if he is too clean, then he does not need a woman!

If a guy decides to clean up he is either having a guest over, of the female kind and the prospects of getting laid are very high!

Sweat
I know, the first thought that comes to mind is ‘disgusting’. How the hell does anyone find a sweaty guy attractive? Well, some women do, for instance, why are some women into sports?

Granted, most of them would not know what a three-pointer, a penalty, scrum or offside means and would be forgiven for thinking all these terms are used in one type of sport, but they will be there, cheering (ogling is more like it) whenever there’s any kind of sport that requires physical exertion on telly.

Lack of knowledge of the rules of sports aside, ladies like to watch hot men in tight shorts running around all sweaty chasing after a ball and tackling each other. The thought of the men being in need of a cold shower, taut muscles and all after the game is enough to set off any woman’s imagination to unbidden territory.

According to researchers, androstadienone, a chemical found in male sweat, is purported to increase sexual attraction and has garnered attention on women’s moods, brain activity and physiological arousal.

Beards

While some women may find guys with beards unattractive or a major turn off, some have it as the basis upon which they’ll consider a guy for a possible relationship.

We are not talking about just any beard; heavy stubble, light stubble, full beard or clean shaven, every woman has her own preference.

But women who like guys with beards prefer a heavy stubble over a clean shaven look or light stubble. Light stubble will lose out to heavy stubble as it always comes off looking patchy, like someone got called away on an emergency while waxing your face!

Men with an intermediate level of beardedness look tougher, more aggressive and masculine and would appear to make better romantic partners. On the other hand full bearded men are perceived to be better parents who are likely to invest in their offspring.

So the next time you see a woman swooning over a poster of Hugh Jackman, David Beckham, Charlie Hunman or … Rick Ross, blame it on the facial hair.

Geeks and Nerds

You know those movies where the cheerleader dates the captain of the football team but is secretly in love with the school chess champion? Geeks are assumed to be naturally smart and intelligent. Contrary to popular belief bad boys do not always finish first, chicks dig geeks. Geeks are never pretentious; they know who they are and stay true to themselves.

Geeks are sensitive; a trait that bad boys seem to lack. They will be more open to discuss an issue with a woman until they are on the same page. It is like having your best friend and your boyfriend all rolled into one, as it should be … what more could a girl want? Women love someone who they can watch Vampire Diaries, Gossip Girl or Hart of Dixie with.

Geeks are selfless and will usually put the woman’s interests first before his and will extend this selflessness and other needs beyond movie night to the bedroom. They are adventurous lovers, and there are women who prefer four eyes to the six-pack.

Women love a smart man who they can call to fix whatever gadget that needs fixing and explain things to them in geek speak over and over again without getting frustrated. How cool is it to have a boyfriend who will cook for you, watch sappy movies with you, fix your computer and rock your world all in one night?

Fame

The male species may never fully understand why ladies are attracted to celebrities. A woman, like a baby, always wants what someone else has or what she cannot have. The celebrity your girlfriend is salivating over may not even be half as handsome as you (her boyfriend) but as long as the celebrity status is intact, she will salivate for ages to come.

Women fantasize about spending just a day with their favourite celeb. We all love a happy ending, but it is just that, a fantasy. It could happen, but not really. Women fall in love with the character the celebrity is playing and that is where the lines get blurred. They cannot separate the real person from the character being played (hence stalkers and groupies came to be). But a girl can dream …

Whatever peculiar things that attract a woman to a man, be it rough hands, grey hair, how one enunciates, scars or ripped clothing, they probably have a deeper meaning that is the cause for the attraction.

Ladies, do you agree?

Instagram now more popular than Twitter

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Instagram, the photo-sharing social network owned by Facebook, announced it has more than 300 million users as it unveiled a new system to authenticate celebrity members.

The update means Instagram has for the first time overtaken Twitter, which claimed 284 million active users at the end of September.

“Over the past four years, what began as two friends with a dream has grown into a global community that shares more than 70 million photos and videos each day,” Instagram chief executive Kevin Systrom said.

“Instagram is home to creativity in all of its forms, a place where you can find everything from images of the Nile River to the newest look from Herschel Supply or a peek inside the mind of Taylor Swift.”

Systrom also said Instagram would start using “verified badges for celebrities, athletes and brands” to help users ensure they are following these members and no copycats.

“These badges will start rolling out over the coming days,” Systrom said

“We’re committed to doing everything possible to keep Instagram free from the fake and spammy accounts that plague much of the web … we’ve been deactivating spammy accounts from Instagram on an ongoing basis to improve your experience. As part of this effort, we will be deleting these accounts forever, so they will no longer be included in follower counts.”

Facebook completed its acquisition of Instagram in 2012. The original price was pegged at $1 billion but the final value was less because of a drop in Facebook’s share price.

The main point of Instagram is to share smartphone snaps, which can be enhanced with image filters to mimic historic types of film.

Debra Aho Williamson at the research firm eMarketer said Instagram has a good deal of potential for advertising with an estimated 52.5 million monthly users in the United States alone.

“With 300 million monthly users, Instagram’s audience is becoming very attractive to marketers, especially brand advertisers, and its rapid growth will only make it more appealing,” said Williamson.

“Instagram’s ad business is still very new and has a lot of growing up to do – for example, its targeting capabilities are still very limited – but the company’s new authentication initiatives send a message to the ad community that their followers will be real entities and that the impressions they receive will not be fakes or bots.”