Ambiae-magazine

c/o AccessKenya Group 2012

Inside:Back with a Bang!Meet Your CFOThe Retrospect

Know your neighbor

Sell what you know

AK Angels

Editor’s Note...

Thank You

Sincerely,Kevin Keya

Cicero once said that we are all motivated by a keen desire for praise, and the better a man is, the more he is inspired to glory. 2012 started off with resplen-dence at AccessKenya and we are all working towards achieving success in our

somewhat sacred quest to build “the brand” that is AccessKenya. Deservedly, we all are worth of admiration for the specially concerted efforts and determination

that we have continued to exhibit, despite the many challenges.

This issue of Ambia signals rejuvenation of a people borne of talent and creativ-ity. These are AccessKenyans who work tirelessly to obtain good results; and from

which we all draw gratification. I am happy to share the enthusiasm and commitment that cordially resonates across all AccessKenya offices in Nairobi and

Mombasa.

Admittedly, we are closing Q1 of 2012 on a high note and rearing to make it happen in Q2.

I entirely hope that this issue of Ambia will bequeath you the inspiration that will fuel your energies in 2012. We reminisce the

events look at the social life, the milestones, the growing family and our bubbly personalities that make up this great company.

Enjoy the read and please, feel free to share your feedback, which will be featured in the next

issue!

Viva la AccessKenya!!

Cover Story

Profit Pendulum

Back with a Bang!AccessKenya Swings

2010 proved a difficult year for AccessKenya Group and was characterised by many ups and downs but we are now back to the happy smiley self with the recent 2011 results that reverberated across all media platforms. Overall the company recorded improvements across the board and everyone is pleased! But as we celebrate, let’s remain cognizant of the huge task ahead as we battle our competitor with the AccessKenya spirit.

Our Group CEO, Jonathan Somen has the greatest energy around and we should rally behind him the quest to “solidify the AccessKenya Market leadership position”.

Here are the highlights of the 2011 financial report

- We experienced growth in corporate leased lines – ahead of predictions and grew from 3,900 to 4,700. Corporate market share constant at around 40%- From a competitive point of view, we took more connections from all our main competitors than they took from us including the cell phone companies- Our Overall revenues grew from 1.7 to 1.74 billion despite continued fall in ARPU- EBITDA rose by nearly 60% to just under KShs600m- Moved from a loss into a net profit of over KShs100m- We invested heavily in our networks (particularly in our metro fibre, which is now more than 200km in Nairobi and Mombasa with over 350 buildings and had uptime of 99.89%, over the year 2011.- We focused on growing our corporate and value added and IT services business as well as maintaining our high quality residential business.- Continue to focus on providing training for all personnel.

We should be proud of ourselves!!

AccessKenya’s got a brand new Website!

This year, we are optimizing our digital strengths and what better way to demonstrate this than starting off with a brand new multimedia, interactive

and fully functional website. It took a myriad of ideas, brainstorms and research to create this new AccessKenya masterpiece.

This is our virtual office and judging from the uniquely

blended corporate colors and sumptuously detailed content,

AccessKenya’s digital ingenuity is upgrading by the minute. Log on to www.accessekenya.com and experience the panache of virtual office!

Bernard WakarimaCRMAccount Manager

Carole NjengaAccess@HomeSales Advisor

Fredrick YamboClient ServiceIntermediary Support Enginner

Oliver MwangovyaClient ServiceIntermediary Support Enginner

Isabella MikallaProjectsProjects Officer

Nelly KimundiRevenueProduct Development Manager

Zachary MaritaClient ServiceIntermediary Support Enginner

Yusuf RamadhanAccessITSupport Enginner - AccessIT

Joel MwenesiProjectsSurveyor

Peggy OyugiAccess@HomeSales Advisor

Fernado Ng’enoClient ServiceIntermediary Support Enginner

Kennedy OkechClient ServiceIntermediary Support Enginner

Willie MutaiCRMIntermediary Account Manager

Faiza MastuCorporate SalesCorporate Sales Executive

New Staff at AccessKenya

(2012)

Notable Developments

Peter Ndirangu

Age: 44Comes from LaikipiaBorn in Nyeri then moved to Laikipia in 1975

Family - Happily married to one wife - 3rd born in a family of 10 - Two kids

What’s your personality?Basically am an ISTJ: Introverted with Sensing, Thinking and Judging

Basically am: - A natural realist, organizer, task oriented person - Normally quite serious about most things - Very good at remembering facts, data, has wonderful memory for detail

Likes - Definitely numbers, they never lie

- Giving people equal opportunity to prove themselves

- Action oriented people

- Honesty and professionalism at the work place

- Serious readers, my son can attest to that

- Structured environment where people know what they are to deliver

DislikesPoliticking both nationally and at the work place

Drives - Amid huge laughter... an old Mercedes Benz C200

- Also drives Xtrail

Studied at University of Nairobi, Bachelor of Commerce - Accounting

Famous School mates

Financial Director Eagle Africa Mr. Francis Karuiri

Financial Director Housing Finance Mr. Sam Waweru

Former MD National Oil Company of Kenya (NOCK) Mr. Mwendia Nyaga

CFO Family Bank Mr. Njunge Kamau

Does Peter like Football?Never, football would never make me miss a meal but I really love F1

Many people don’t know I… - I was the best student in my district in O level in Laikipia

- I was once again top of the district in my A levels, this was in Kisii

Basically what you see is what you get with me, I have no pretence

You will never get Peter... - In some clandestine affair Whatever I do, I do it in the light

Professional Check - First job was with Price Waterhouse Worked from 1992 - 1997 Rose to Audit Manager

- Shell Kenya 1997 - 2008 Held various positions rising to CFO in charge of also Shell Uganda

- Also worked with Kenya Airways in Corporate Finance from Dec 2008 – April 2010

Peter Ndirangu

- Hails from Laikipia

- 44years of age

- Doesn’t like football and politics

- Was the best student both in O

and A levels

More with IT than anyone else

Julius Macharia, Pre-sales engineer

When did you start playing Golf? Must be two years ago now

Where do you play currently?Golf Park Golf Course at the Nairobi Race course along Ngong road

What drew you to taking up the sport?In this particular day, I was dragged by a pal of mine to a golf course, and as they say, I loved it from the very first day. I was drawn to it because it’s harder than many of us think, just swinging the club. So I was really interested in knowing you know like how you get the ball to go to the direction you want.

What are the basic equipments and skills that are needed to start playing golf?Before today, it was kind of hard to venture into the game; you had to join a Golf Club, had to enroll for lessons and had to own the equipments. Today though, for example at my club, a new recruit just needs to pay Green Fees and then you can rent within the equipments like Golf Club, this way its quite cheap.

What satisfaction have you derived by playing Golf?I have learnt to challenge myself because that’s what golf is. It’s a very mental game as well because when you mess up you have only yourself to blame. It’s also a very social game because you get to go round the golf course with other players and usually you interact with very knowledgeable people. Its also very good for self control and good way to kip fit and exercise.

Any Achievements so far?Yes, I won the Sankara Hotel Golf day at Muthaiga Golf Club early this year.I also won in my division at the Mumias Golf Series in March. I have also accumulated some accolades within my club.

Is golf a rich man’s game?Laughs...I’m definitely not rich, it’s just a misconception. Think about it, all the money we put into night outs and drinking, you can cheaply enjoy a game of golf and relax at a very affordable rate.

Special Interests: Golf Players

More with IT than anyone else

Alice Kirumba – Customer Service Manager

When did you start playing Golf? One and a half years ago, though am still an amateur

Where do you play currently?I practice at the Golf Park along Ngong road and also at the Windsor Golf and Country Club.

What drew you to taking up the sport?I realy wasn’t into golfing but I used to accompany my partner in golf clubs alot. But I started playing golf by myself when I got a Golf Kit as my Birthday present, this got me into playing golf.

What are the basic equipments and skills that are needed to start playing golf?Basically comfortable shoes to walk around because today, many golf clubs have rental services for golfing equipments, such as golf clubs.

What satisfaction have you derived by playing Golf?Golf is very relaxing. Also, you get to exchange ideas with friends and new people in a relaxed mold. You get to meet a lot of people of different caliber, mindsets and from varied careers including politicians of course.Oh..golf also gets you some cash. Like us we bet a lot over a 9 hole and considering am still an amateur I get something against higher handicaps.

Any Achievements so far?None, am still in the learning process.

Would you say Golf is a rich man’s sport?Not at all. It’s just a stereotype. Initially I also thought so, but people forget how much playing golf opens up your mind and world view. It provides so many avenues for you in business, make so many friends and so on. Basically, golf is like going out with friends, that’s how fun it is.

Best part of playing Golf? Golf after party events. Golf parties are like no other!

AK Fashionistas

Loice Kirigo

Cathy Waweru

Yvonne Kariuki

Makena Muriuki

AK FashionistasMakena Muriuki

Trizah Ngugi

Lilian Chebet

Diana Mulili

Churchill

Eric Wainaina

Filled to capacity

Rimbui & Band

Sauti Sol

In Retrospect

AccessKenya Staff are known not to disappoint when it comes to fashion, style and the demeanor. Those who attended the All That Jazz Concert in February can attest to these. Adorned in splendor and glamour, AccessKenya ladies impressed without fail. The Louis Leakey Auditorium at the National Museums of Kenya played host to the first edition of this year Jazz festival with Aron “Krucial Keys” Rimbui delivering an exhila-

rating performance.

You only needed to arrive at the venue to save the talk. AccessKenya was a key sponsor in the concert and this not only elevates us as sociable corporate brand, but also a keen people on quality of life, as sauced by smooth classical jazz music.

It only took a Dan Chizi Aceda’s icing and Eric Wainaina’s vocals to crown the melodious night leaving a wholesome 300 guests smiley. From the muffler mophat keys to the singly chords of the finely tuned electric guitars, the event came out as a season’s pacesetter.

And as AccessKenya would stay on top, the show was streaming live via AccessKenya’s bandwidth on the Group’s traffic site www.home.co.ke . Well, now you know where to find the action!!

Events

CorporateBreakfast

1. Tom with a client 2. Arthur the MC 3. Trizah interacts with client 4. Clients check in

1 2

3

4

In Retrospect

Last December, the AccessKenya staff was treated to memorable party to mark the close of 2011. There was con-

siderably exuberant energy and fun moments worth dropping a text about. Gladly, some of us perpetuated innovation by coming up with new dancing styles; new bling and generally new modes of partying (only those who were present can at-test to this). If you missed, your only help is in these photos.

THE

YEARENDBASH

In Retrospect

Concours2011For the third year in a row, we were part of an exhilarating motor spec-tacle that is the Concour d’Elegance. The event did not disappoint right from the elegance of the classic machines, through to the Barton’s fashion display and the enumerated AccessKenya yellow beauties! The event attracted over 10,000 people in Nairobi with participants coming from all over the world to enjoy the momentous activity. We do it as big!See the photos here:

In Retrospect

Feature

A peaceful humble haven

Often, we take many

things for grant-ed. We wake up, yawn and ponder on how the day will proceed as we hurry to do whatever occupies us. We are work to eke respective liveli-hoods with the hopeful promise of brighter days. So are the daily routines to which we tie our lives. But in this same way, people outside our doorsteps may be tied to traumatizing routines - whether willingly or un-willingly. Some are cases of ominous misfortune. At a CSR meeting in Ac-cessKenya, Daniel and Bahati narrated the first trip to a humble children’s Home - Huband Cradle of Hope - in Ngong town. They had been approached by the administrators of the home, which hosts desti-tute children, to provide free internet. It’s a neatly kept home with blankly exuberant kids - all with a sad story.The Home, “much as it looked alive, deserved more than free internet,” said Bahati at the commit-tee meeting. “They look

down.By this time, Betty Sehnke who founded the home was ill and stuck in her house (after sewer waste sur-rounded her house) in Can-ada and could not come. Worse still, her funding sources hadn’t yielded any fruits as

she had hoped.Early this year, on

arrival, Ms Sehnke paid a visit to AccessKenya Offices and expressed her heartfelt ap-preciation to the AK family. The kids, two of whom have since been reunited with their families love the Ac-cessKenya colors and brought a handmade greeting card singed by Francis, Louis, Bramwell, Catis, Clifford, Dennis, Elizabeth, Lewis, Teddy. Boniface, John, Kel-vin, Gloria, Samuel, Derick, Selina, Susan, Diana, Bran-don, Sharon, Malachi, Bella, Allan, Antony, Barbra and Erastus.“We are writing this letter to thank you for carry for us we are saying that we appreci-ate all the things you brought us before chrismas. We re-ally enjoyed them having the clothes, food and books, “ the children said in the card.

Huband Cradle of Hope

like they need food more than internet,” she opined. Daniel on the other end was gruelingly empathetic and so the committee was indubitably moved ‘to do something’.The team wrote an email requesting the AccessKenya staff to make contribu-tions of any nature towards touching the lives of 28 destitute children housed at the Home. Within two days, the team – riding on the profound generosity of the AccessKenya family raised over Sh20, 000. The amount was used to buy foodstuff and other essentials; just a week before a crucial gov-ernment inspection - which according to the home matron Irene Musau, was poised to render the home unsustainable and close it

Photo

Bonding with Zipapa My blackberry is on fibre

Won’t share my champagne

Don’t i look hot in yellow?

The wine taster

I am a star

Gallery

JS showing off his rallying skills at the spectator stage in Athi River during the East African Classic Safari Rally

The contest Is this the meal voucher?

The HR team started the year like most if not all AKG staff…..WITH A Bang….

It is a bit tacky to wish anybody happy new year in April but I am sure you have all heard the saying

“Kenyans have peculiar habits” so in the spirit of peculiarity…HAPPY NEW YEAR.

This year we have quite a number of activities planned:

Training & Development

We started off the year with Project Safety in mind. As we undertake our duties and go by our day to day activities it is important to

keep safety in mind and ensure we keep ourselves and those around us safe at all times.

All employees were trained on safety awareness and reminded on the basics (that we forget every day) of hazard prevention.

A committee of members representing all departments were also taken through a thorough training and they will steer us to excellence

in matters of Occupational Safety & Health.

The committee is chaired by: Raymond Macharia

Our Safety Officer is: Leo Wambura

On top of the general training programs that will be run by HR. All Departments now have their training budgets approved and will be

implementing the programs they had identified for their teams in 2012.

2012 Employee Survey

We shall be conducting an employee survey in April 2012. The success of this survey will depend on all our

contribution and it is therefore important for all of us to participate.

Whilst completion of the staff Satisfaction Survey is not compulsory, we do encourage all of you to participate - we want all of our voices

heard!The results from the survey will be shared with all staff.

Staff Recognition Initiatives

“Aisifuye mvua, imemnyea”….that is our new policy….

- Do you know of someone who is a joy to work with?

- Have you received exceptional internal customer service?

- Who is that colleague that is always “going the extra mile”?

- Do you have a funky idea as to how any of the department or yours can do something better?

- How about our techys? What’s that new innovation again?

We have launched the following initiatives to address the above:

HR Speak

InitiativeEmployee of the quarter (Q1,2,3)Employee of the quarter (Q1,2,3)Employee of the year - 3Slots (1st Runners up,

2nd Runner up, Winner).Manager of the yearManager of the yearIdeas LabIdeas Board

For more details, make a date with your Line Manager or pop into HR. “In the arena of hu-man life the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good qualities in action.”… Aristotle

Karibuni

Isabella Segina

The HR team started the year like most if not all AKG staff…..WITH A Bang….

It is a bit tacky to wish anybody happy new year in April but I am sure you have all heard the saying

“Kenyans have peculiar habits” so in the spirit of peculiarity…HAPPY NEW YEAR.

This year we have quite a number of activities planned:

Training & Development

We started off the year with Project Safety in mind. As we undertake our duties and go by our day to day activities it is important to

keep safety in mind and ensure we keep ourselves and those around us safe at all times.

All employees were trained on safety awareness and reminded on the basics (that we forget every day) of hazard prevention.

A committee of members representing all departments were also taken through a thorough training and they will steer us to excellence

in matters of Occupational Safety & Health.

The committee is chaired by: Raymond Macharia

Our Safety Officer is: Leo Wambura

On top of the general training programs that will be run by HR. All Departments now have their training budgets approved and will be

implementing the programs they had identified for their teams in 2012.

2012 Employee Survey

We shall be conducting an employee survey in April 2012. The success of this survey will depend on all our

contribution and it is therefore important for all of us to participate.

Whilst completion of the staff Satisfaction Survey is not compulsory, we do encourage all of you to participate - we want all of our voices

heard!The results from the survey will be shared with all staff.

Staff Recognition Initiatives

“Aisifuye mvua, imemnyea”….that is our new policy….

- Do you know of someone who is a joy to work with?

- Have you received exceptional internal customer service?

- Who is that colleague that is always “going the extra mile”?

- Do you have a funky idea as to how any of the department or yours can do something better?

- How about our techys? What’s that new innovation again?

We have launched the following initiatives to address the above:

Dates for your diary This year we have a schedule of exciting staff activities. Please mark your diaries to get

ready to get wowed by our social committee as they plan for the following staff events.

SCHEDULEOFACTIVITIES­2012Activity Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

StaffBaraza 27th 2nd StaffCocktail 16th 14th

SportsDay 14th AnnualXmasParty 7th

Know your neighbourFelix Chirchir

Ken Simiyu

Liz Nyiva - CRM

Bernard Wakarima

My neighbour is Simiyu MseHecomes from Bungoma CountyHe’s the 1st BornJoined Accesskenya in April, 2010He likes his son n wife and a good tipple…;) We share in common we both love cars.My neighbour is Felix Chirchir

He comes from Nakuru CountyHe’s the Last bornJoined Accesskenya in March 2011My neighbour likes Man U, A beerWe share in common Aries, Cars!

My neighbour isBernard Njuguna WakarimaHe comes from Ngong TownHe’s the - born (not sure but he behaves like a mummy’s boy)Joined Accesskenya in January 2012My neighbour likes anything sweet…Always gets excited when he sees cake.We share in common so far we are just fighting am yet to figure out what we have in common

My neighbour is Liz NyivaShe comes from n/aShe’s the First Born in her familyJoined Accesskenya in 2009My neighbour likes Cereals for breakfastWe share in common conservativeness

Allan Onacha

Stellamaris Mutuku

James Mungai

Eunice Mutinda

My neighbour is Eunice MutindaShe comes from MasakosShe’s the 4th BornJoined Accesskenya in November 2010She likes… Yoghurt, Music, reading, Staunch Chelsea fan.We share in common We love soccer

My neighbor is James MungaiHe comes from Nyandarua countyHe’s the Last bornJoined Accesskenya in November 2006He likes travelling to new placesWe share in common both of us like be-ing happy and jovial

My neighbor is Stellamaris MutukuShe comes from Machakos CountyShe’s the 1st born in her familyJoined Accesskenya in Jan 2011She likes Reading NovelsIn common we like being happy and jovial

My neighbour is Allan OnachaHe comes from KitaleHe’s the 2nd bornJoined Accesskenya in August 2010He likes Reading, football Man-u Fanatic and kukuWe share in common We are both big fans of football.

Humor

How technology changed us

Picture doing rounds in AK (Mukora & Rugo)

Want a day off work?So you want a day off. Let’s take a look at what you are asking for. There are 365 days per year available for work. There are 52 weeks per year in which you already have 2 days off per week, leaving 261 days available for work. Since you spend 16 hours each day away from work, you have used up 170 days, leaving only 91 days available. You spend 30 minutes each day on coffee break which counts for 23 days each year, leaving only 68 days available. With a 1 hour lunch each day, you used up another 46 days, leaving only 22 days available for work.

You normally spend 2 days per year on sick leave. This leaves you only 20 days per year available for work. We are off 5 holidays per year, so your available working time is down to 15 days. We gen-erously give 14 days’ vaca-tion per year which leaves only 1 day available for work and I’ll be darned if you are going to take that day off!

AK Angels

The Headlines

I sell... Residential InternetIt was launched in - September 2008Access@Home is outstanding at... Customer service and It’s the BEST the market has to offer.The mistaken belief about this product?It’s expensiveIf I were to change anything on this product it would be... increase the bandwidthMy clients think the product is... the best thing they never hadI best sell when am... not under pressure

I sell… Internet, Data backup and wide area solutions.The product was launched in… 2000 so successfully.What’s outstanding about this prod-uct? Accesskenya’s outstanding product MPLS; A holistic solution which is designed to solve problems caused by interconnection of company’s branches.This is a solution which is coupled with a world class excellent customer care.

What’s the mistaken belief about this product? Fear of insecurity of data during the process of data transfer,” as much the info is encrypted “.Our Mpls is on layer 3 and IPSec hence enhanced security measures.If I were to change anything on this product it would be… I would change download speeds for home package; most customers are now extending their offices to their homes. My clients think the product is… too expensive, support is poor when it comes to home packages.Customers think we dwell a lot on corporate solutions more than SME & Home. I best sell when am… psyched, when am at peace, when am relaxed. I really like what I do, and I always do it with passion.

Sell what you knowNancy Chepkemoi Access@Home

Marcella Akinyi Distribution

I sell…Enterprise solutions to clients that focus on business continuity besides the conventional connectivity and internet AccessKenya is known forI also sell partner products like AIRETLs E1s, a voice service provid-ing our mutual corporate clients with dedicated landlines using AccessKe-nya’s fiber network.The product was launched in…AccessKenya’s inception as a data Value Added The partnership with AIRTEL was signed and agreed upon in October 2011My product is outstanding at…Primary products allow our clients to start and stop at Ac-cessKenya with respect to their IT and business continuity needs. The E1s with AIRTEL allows the client to experience unparalleled service levels relative to what they had initially What’s the mistaken belief about this product?The mistake is that the consultancy and implementation are unaffordable and out of reach to most corporate and SMEs If I were to change anything on this product it would be…Build internal capacity to deliver the solutions independent of the partner now that we have learnt the ropesIn terms of IT solutions, focus on demystifying the “how to” and what is required to clinch the deals in futureMy clients think the product is…WOW at the speed of implementation, reliability when func-tional and responsive support in the event of challenges with the network.I best sell when am…Focused and clear of my back end will implement the solu-tion and allow us to grow with the clients business require-ment

Tom AbuyaCorporate Sales

I sell... Residential InternetIt was launched in - September 2008Access@Home is outstanding at... Customer service and It’s the BEST the market has to offer.The mistaken belief about this product?It’s expensiveIf I were to change anything on this product it would be... increase the bandwidthMy clients think the product is... the best thing they never hadI best sell when am... not under pressure

I sell… Internet, Data backup and wide area solutions.The product was launched in… 2000 so successfully.What’s outstanding about this prod-uct? Accesskenya’s outstanding product MPLS; A holistic solution which is designed to solve problems caused by interconnection of company’s branches.This is a solution which is coupled with a world class excellent customer care.

What’s the mistaken belief about this product? Fear of insecurity of data during the process of data transfer,” as much the info is encrypted “.Our Mpls is on layer 3 and IPSec hence enhanced security measures.If I were to change anything on this product it would be… I would change download speeds for home package; most customers are now extending their offices to their homes. My clients think the product is… too expensive, support is poor when it comes to home packages.Customers think we dwell a lot on corporate solutions more than SME & Home. I best sell when am… psyched, when am at peace, when am relaxed. I really like what I do, and I always do it with passion.

I sell… Offsite Data Backup It allows you to securely backup your data to a se-cure location on Access Ke-nya’s network, through your personal and secure link to an offsite location automati-cally, giving you peace of mind in case of disaster or data loss at your site.The product was launched in… The product was launched in 2007. What’s outstanding about this product?Your data is encrypted in three levels - at source, on transit and at storage for security reasons and clients are advised to keep their passwords well in order

to decode data in case of a restore.

The report log is sent weekly to the customer for au-thentication and to assist them identify and rectify is-sues that may affect efficient data storage and restore. During system configuration, activated email alerts are programmed and sent to our engineer and the cli-ent to alert them in case the back-up failed. What’s the mistaken belief about this product?The client thinks that as the service provider we have access to their data whereas the data is stored with an encryption and he is the only one with the decryption code (Password)If I were to change anything on this product it would be…I believe this product is currently the best and un-matched in the market and competitor’s have a problem implementing it.My clients think the product…They think the product is expensive and unnecessary, they are yet to embrace it’s benefits.They will only learn the better when strikes.I best sell when am…When at peace with myself and fully understand the task at hand

Philip GavonjiSME

Twitspeak

YOURBODY

SimpleWays to Move

You can start the process of weight loss now by adding a little more activity to your life. If you’re not ready for a structured program, start small. Every little bit counts and it all adds up to burning more calories.

• Turn off the TV. Once a week, turn off the TV and do something a little more physical with your family. Play games, take a walk...almost anything will be more active than sitting on the couch.

• Walk more. Look for small ways to walk more. When you get the mail, take a walk around the block, take the dog for an extra outing each day or walk on your treadmill for 5 minutes before getting ready for work.

• Do some chores. Shoveling snow, working in the garden, raking leaves, sweeping the floor...these kinds of activities may not be ‘vigorous’ exercise, but they can keep you moving while getting your house in order.

• Pace while you talk. When you’re on the phone, pace around or even do some cleaning while gabbing. This is a great way to stay moving while doing something you enjoy.

• Be aware. Make a list of all the physical activities you do on a typical day. If you find that the bulk of your time is spent sitting, make another list of all the ways you could move more--getting up each hour to stretch or walk, walk the stairs at work, etc.

Lamech Ochola, vibrant young man is a support engineer at AccessKenya Group. Judging from his demeanor, you may think he’s docile. But he has brains capable of redefining nuclear science (the most subtle way of saying it).Behind this Jeff Koinange type of intro is the pure reason of measured success. Lamech recently attained the prestigious Cisco Certified Internet-work Expert (CCIE) in Routing and Switching. It’s

no mean feat from what we understand but we are happy to say Congratulations!!

CCIE is the highest level of professional certification offered by Cisco and is accepted worldwide as the most

prestigious networking certification in the industry. Currently, there are just fewer than ten Kenyans to have

attained this certification!!More reason to smile…

Lamech Ochola - Individual achievement!

As we continue to grow into a leading company in East Africa and eventually Africa, we all are twined in the mesh of success. We believe and share in the best. This requires us to live in the best way possible and that’s why our relationships within and outside the company remain important. We all have a role to play in shaping the destiny of this country and therefore, the most appropriate/ideal behavior should be our culture.

At AccessKenya, we are united by our individual and collective successes. We have a culture of doing what we are best at and always seeking ways of making the best out of the little that we have. Drawing from the cultural diversity present in the company, we should continue harnessing our varied strengths and uniqueness and spur wholesome growth.

Recently, a voluntary committee was formed to oversee the strategic implementation of practical policies. The 5 - member committee is named Strategic Policy Implementation Committee (SPIC) and is a mere facilitator of this. Key among its mandate is help improve the cultural set up here at AccessKenya. The team is chaired by Diana Mulili (Retail) and comprises Isabella Segina (HR), Alice Kirumba (CS), Sammy Mutai (CS), Njoroge Ndung’u (Projects), Cyril Oluoch (NOPS) and Kevin Keya (Communications).

We wish the group all the best in helping achieve a uniquely beautiful company.

SpeakCulture

This is one of the greatest laws in the universe, fervently did I wish I’d discovered it as a very young man, it dawned upon me much later in life, and I have found it to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest discovery, outside my relationship with God and the great law, briefly and simply stated, is that if you think in negative terms you’ll get negative results. That is the simple fact that is at the basis of an astonishing law of prosperity and success. In three words, believe and succeed.

Read This…Inspirational excerpt

“ ”From

The Power of Positive Thinking by Dr. Norman Vincent Peale

Andrew SiambiSamuel Macharia