Switch on your mobile phone and make cash

• Safaricom is partnering with Equity Bank to put bank accounts in the hands of mobile phone users.
• Kenya becomes first country in the world to introduce financial transactions system that does not involve a card.

The moral of the story? Both the old and the young need each other and always will.

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Kudos to our track queen

Ladies and Gentlemen, please join me in sending my congratulations to the new queen of the tracks: Pamela Jelimo, who won the Sh70 million golden league jackpot on Friday night.

Her consistent victories are proof that with persistence and singular dedication, it is possible for an ordinary woman from any corner of the country to become a winner on the world stage, their life circumstances notwithstanding.

And trust Kenyan men to seize a money-making opportunity when they see one.

Now, reports indicate that Pamela’s family is being bombarded with marriage offers after she won the bars of gold that have left many a mouth watering at the prospect of marrying a rich bride.

Well done, Jelimo! And thank you for putting your country Kenya, and your village, Kaptamok, on the world map of top achievers. But please say ‘no’ to the gold-diggers.

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Do African leaders ever fall sick?

One would have assumed that the age when no African president fell ill is long gone. So it is a little surprising to hear that the government of Nigeria is keeping the health condition of its president, Umaru Yar’Adua, as a secret, yet he has been in a Jeddah hospital for over two weeks now.

When he left his country, Mr Yar’Adua had been expected to be away for three days as part of his pilgrimage, but his prolonged absence raised concerns when news filtered in that he was unwell and was undergoing treatment.

According to the BBC, Mr Yar’Adua has been suffering from a kidney condition for the past ten years. And in the last 18 months, he has been flown to Germany twice for emergency treatment.

One report said that news reached Nigeria that he had died, prompting the government to deny the rumour. This was not the first time that such rumours have circulated about the health of the president.

Even as we wish him a quick recovery, other African leaders should learn from this sad occurrence to ensure some measure of openness about their health. This way, their citizens will avoid speculation.