Upwork Taxation and Mr Beast in Kenya.

Good Morning: Did you know Nairobi has been named the number one city to visit in 2024?

Hello to our 61 new subscribers since the last edition.

In today’s edition.

1. A little of the eventful weekend.

2. Upwork and Freelancers being taxed

3. Tour de headlines(Mr. Beast, end of an era, SGR).

4. A to-do list (spicy)

5. Shout out Kona.

Here is a little of what happened this weekend.

IEEE Sight Humanitarian Activities Hackathon.

The competition, held at Dedan Kimathi University, focused on harnessing technology to address humanitarian challenges. Among the participating teams from Kenya, Team Transformers and Team Tech Visionaries distinguished themselves.

Team Transformers secured the top position in Region 8, encompassing Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Their winning concept revolved around leveraging wind power to provide sustainable energy solutions for remote and underserved regions, demonstrating innovation and ingenuity in addressing critical global issues.

i2B innovation weekend

The innovation challenge, hosted at Dedan Kimathi University, was a dynamic 24-hour event dedicated to conceiving, developing, and presenting ideas within a single day. This high-energy competition benefited from the expertise of professionals across various disciplines, including engineering, business, banking, and more, who mentored and guided students in the creative process of ideation.

Devfest Nairobi.

The ultimate tech festival unfolded at Strathmore University, drawing over 1,500 attendees not only from across the nation but also from around the globe. Participants were enriched by valuable interactions with professionals and experts in cutting-edge domains such as IoT, AI, ML, virtual reality, and a plethora of others. This event served as an invaluable compass for attendees, aiding them in charting their career paths, whether it involved selecting a focus in programming languages or identifying prospective employers.

Don't miss out on the upcoming Devfest Mt. Kenya scheduled for November 11th, which is just around the corner. Tomorrow marks the final opportunity to register for this exceptional event.

Upwork and government taxation.

Most Kenyan young people depend on online freelancing for income. This has risen in recent days due to government initiatives such as the Ajira digital program.

What is Upwork?

Upwork is an online freelance marketplace. Clients come to the platform to look for freelance talent to work on their projects. Freelancers come to the platform to find new clients and make some money.

Upwork in Kenya and how it works.

Upwork is a highly popular platform in Kenya, widely embraced by freelancers looking for diverse job opportunities. To embark on your Upwork journey in Kenya, the process is uncomplicated: create your profile, specify your rates, and navigate through job listings that align with your skills and expertise. When you find a job that captures your interest, you can submit a proposal to the client, with the potential to secure the job if your proposal leaves a positive impression. Notably, a significant number of Kenyan freelancers on Upwork specialize in technical writing, often assisting Western students with their assignments. Upwork offers various pathways to discover jobs, including the Jobs Feed, Project Catalog, and Job Invites. Projects on Upwork fall into two primary types: Fixed fixed-price projects with upfront pricing and milestones, and Hourly Projects that pay for time worked, often favored for their flexibility and streamlined payment process.

Freelancing taxation.

Until recently, Kenyan freelancers operating on this platform enjoyed a tax-free status, without any obligations to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA). However, a change in the system now prompts users to input their KRA PIN on their profiles, marking a shift in the taxation landscape. A statement featured on Upwork's website clarifies the new tax requirement, stating, "Kenya necessitates Upwork to collect value-added tax, or VAT, and remit the tax to the government of Kenya. VAT applies to goods or services, including the services we provide to you, and 'remit' entails sending funds for tax payment.

Tour de Headlines

1. Mr. Beast in Kenya

Jimmy Donaldson, a YouTuber well known as Mr. Beast, has been involved in numerous charitable activities through his organization, Beast Philanthropy. The most recent one was a transformative mission in Kenya where he undertook the construction of 52 wells, each capable of producing 16500 liters a day, and the construction of a bridge at a local village. The wells built in Kenya are part of his mission to build 100 wells in Africa. In addition, he made generous donations to primary schools in the country, providing computers, shelves, books, footballs, whiteboards, and projectors to enhance their educational experience.

Mr. Beast's actions have impressed many Kenyans and sparked comparisons in social media between the local government and his contributions to Kenyan society. In a video, he expressed his disbelief that schoolchildren and the entire community had to drink and use contaminated water from a nearby water source. He also encouraged his fans and supporters to keep contributing funds as he continued his philanthropic work, aiming to make the world a better place for humanity.

Did you know Bellingham made a charitable contribution to Kenya?

Yes, Jude Bellingham, the Real Madrid and England star, made significant charitable contributions to Kenya through the Mustard Seed Project, a charity supporting underprivileged children, while playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2021. He helped locals in the Mombasa community by donating football kits through his sponsor, Adidas, helped build a new 275-pupil classroom for local children, and supplied the school with learning materials.

2. End of an Era (KCPE).

On November 1st, the last paper for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) was done marking the end of an era for KCPE which has been there since 1985.

In its place, the Kenya Primary School Examination Assessment (KPSEA) will take center stage. The KPSEA, designed for Grade 6 students under the new Competency-Based Curriculum framework, is now in its second year. Moving from primary to junior school will be automatic regardless of the candidate’s score in the KPSEA. However, it's worth noting that KPSEA will influence a student’s path to senior secondary school.

3. SGR fare hikes.

The Kenya Railways announced a 50% fare hike for Nairobi to Mombasa SGR passengers starting January 1, 2024. Passengers traveling from Nairobi to Mombasa will pay Ksh1,500 (economy class) and Ksh4,500 (first class) up from the current Ksh1,000 (economy class) and Ksh3,000 (first class). The increase is informed by changes in the energy and petroleum sector where prices of fuel have significantly increased thus affecting the cost of operations.

✅Join: Join Elon Musk’s new generative AI grok waitlist. Grok is a competition of ChatGpt.

✅Watch: The video of Mr Beast building 100 wells in Africa.

✅Register: for IEEE CAS Seasonal School on Wearable Technology happening in DeKUT on 16th to 18th November.

✅Join: Join The TechKona WhatsApp channel.

✅Attend: Devfest MtKenya on 11/11/2023 this Saturday. First register when final registration opens tomorrow. Follow @gdsc_dekut to be informed when final registration opens on the 7th.

✅Read: An article on Kotlin syntax, outputs, comments and variables. by Samuel Muigai on Medium.

📢Shout Out Kona

Today we give a big shout-out to our fan and friend @samuelKangau. For his dedication to spreading his software knowledge to others. Check out his article on Kotlin: here.