Search This Blog

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Sterling Investment Bank

STERLING INVESTMENT BANK (SIB) was incorporated in 1981 as a limited liability company, to provide investment and financial advisory services. In July 1994, SIB was licensed  as a stockbroker by the Capital Markets Authority. It was relaunched in January 2005 with new shareholders and under new management.

Key aspects of the quality service SIB provides to clients are
  • buying and selling quoted shares on behalf of clients
  • Treasury bonds and treasury bills placements
  • commercial and corporate bonds placement
  • in-depth research on listed companies
  • non discretionary portfolio management
SIB recently converted into an investment bank and is putting in place measures to develop new products,in line with its new stature.


website:www.sterlingstocks.com

House speaker,Kenneth Marende , questions validity of bills

The speaker says parliament has
only 2 weeks to establish the oversight implementation committee when the 30 days
established under new law lapses, setting the ball rolling for the implementation of
the new constitution,however Marende expressed optimism that
parliament will beat the deadline to establish the relevant implementation committee.
National Assemby speaker Kenneth Marende has questioned the validity of the three Judicial bills generated by the cabinet saying he is yet to be appraised on their substance.

The bills would lay a legal framework for Vetting of Judges and Magistrates and establishing the Supreme Court.
The reservations expressed by the Speaker are similar to those made by Civil Society groups including the law society of Kenya who have accused Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo of bypassing parliament in drafting the bills.
This development came even as the leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka undertook to table the bills after due consultations. 
He said the bills should be drafted in consultation with all the stakeholders.
The speaker expressed his concerns against the backdrop of threats by the civil society to withdraw from the whole process.
Marende says parliament has only 2 weeks to establish the oversight implementation committee when the 30 days established under new law lapses, setting the ball rolling for the implementation of the new constitution.
However Marende expressed optimism that parliament will beat the deadline to establish the relevant implementation committee.  
The ministry of Justice has drafted the bills aimed at reforming the Judiciary and they be tabled in parliament any time.
Justice Minister Mutula has defended the move stating that his ministry is laying ground for the yet to be constituted Commission for the Implementation of the constitution.
Meanwhile, the civil society has written an open letter to parliament asking it to pass crucial bills that would pave way for the implementation of the new constitution.
The group claims that certain individuals in the Grand coalition Government plan to derail the implementation process.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday in Nairobi, the Executive director of International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) Ndung'u Wainaina demanded establishment of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution before the bills are tabled, debated and passed by parliament.
Wainaina said the civil society will remain vigilant to ensure the constitution implementation process is not sabotaged. Parliament reconvened today after a three week break.
Elsewhere, the NGO council and kituo Cha Sheria are calling for the withdrawal of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Bill 2010.
They claim that the bill drafted by the Justice Ministry does not grant the commission the necessary independence to operate. 
Addressing journalists in Nairobi, the chair of the revitalization Committee of NGO David Konchella accused the Justice ministry of disregarding consultations.
Konchella claimed that appointment process of the Commissioners in the bill compromises its independence.
He took issue with the requirement for the commissioners to report to the parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Constitution arguing that this contradicts the constitution.

House speaker,Kenneth Marende , questions validity of bills

The speaker says parliament has
only 2 weeks to establish the oversight implementation committee when the 30 days
established under new law lapses, setting the ball rolling for the implementation of
the new constitution,however Marende expressed optimism that
parliament will beat the deadline to establish the relevant implementation committee.
National Assemby speaker Kenneth Marende has questioned the validity of the three Judicial bills generated by the cabinet saying he is yet to be appraised on their substance.
The bills would lay a legal framework for Vetting of Judges and Magistrates and establishing the Supreme Court.
The reservations expressed by the Speaker are similar to those made by Civil Society groups including the law society of Kenya who have accused Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo of bypassing parliament in drafting the bills.
This development came even as the leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka undertook to table the bills after due consultations. 
He said the bills should be drafted in consultation with all the stakeholders.
The speaker expressed his concerns against the backdrop of threats by the civil society to withdraw from the whole process.
Marende says parliament has only 2 weeks to establish the oversight implementation committee when the 30 days established under new law lapses, setting the ball rolling for the implementation of the new constitution.
However Marende expressed optimism that parliament will beat the deadline to establish the relevant implementation committee.  
The ministry of Justice has drafted the bills aimed at reforming the Judiciary and they be tabled in parliament any time.
Justice Minister Mutula has defended the move stating that his ministry is laying ground for the yet to be constituted Commission for the Implementation of the constitution.
Meanwhile, the civil society has written an open letter to parliament asking it to pass crucial bills that would pave way for the implementation of the new constitution.
The group claims that certain individuals in the Grand coalition Government plan to derail the implementation process.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday in Nairobi, the Executive director of International Centre for Policy and Conflict (ICPC) Ndung'u Wainaina demanded establishment of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution before the bills are tabled, debated and passed by parliament.
Wainaina said the civil society will remain vigilant to ensure the constitution implementation process is not sabotaged. Parliament reconvened today after a three week break.
Elsewhere, the NGO council and kituo Cha Sheria are calling for the withdrawal of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Bill 2010.
They claim that the bill drafted by the Justice Ministry does not grant the commission the necessary independence to operate. 
Addressing journalists in Nairobi, the chair of the revitalization Committee of NGO David Konchella accused the Justice ministry of disregarding consultations.
Konchella claimed that appointment process of the Commissioners in the bill compromises its independence.
He took issue with the requirement for the commissioners to report to the parliamentary Oversight Committee for the Constitution arguing that this contradicts the constitution.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Kenyan Premier League - Standings

POSTEAMPWDLGFGAGDPTS
1Ulinzi Stars23129228131545
2Gor Mahia23118426141241
3Sofapaka231010335161940
4Tusker23117527151240
5Mathare United2361522519633
6Karuturi Sports2371061816231
7SonySugar238782019131
8Thika United238782224-231
9AFC Leopards238782127-631
10Western Stima236892228-626
11Nairobi City Stars2351081825-725
12Posta Rangers235992131-1024
13Red Berets2358101722-523
14KCB2364132234-1222
15Chemelil Sugar2349101525-1021
16Mahakama2348111726-920

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Wanjiru, Kabogo, and Mbuvi win in by elections

William Kabogo
Narc Kenya's William Kabogo 
Gideon Mbuvi 'sonko'
and Gideon Mbuvi "sonko"
have won the Juja and Makadara parliamentary seats respectively, ODM Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has also reclaimed her Starehe seat defeating Maina Kamanda.
Kabogo has 45,020 votes against rival Alice Ng'ang'a with 24,326 followed by former Member of Parliament George Thuo coming third with 19,366 votes.
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru has  29,287, against Maina Kamanda's 25,416 votes.
Bishop Margaret Wanjiru
In Makadara, Mbuvi has 19,913 against Ndolo with 17,652 followed by Dick Wathika with 11,088 votes.

Among the petitioners, only Mr Kabogo in Juja won as Mr Kamanda and Mr Ndolo fell by the wayside.
It was a major disappointment for Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta, who had campaigned hard for Mr Thuo, a former Government Chief Whip and Mr Wathika, but eventually lost to a candidate supported by his political rival Gichugu, MP Martha Karua.
Mr Kabogo described the win as “sweet”.
“The victory that was stolen from the people of Juja has been given back,” he said. “The people of Juja have quietly been waiting for this day.”
He accused the Provincial Administration of intimidation and working in favour of one candidate.
“Although the IIEC have done a good job, they were not able to deal with cases of bribery despite several reports that we made to them,” Mr Kabogo said.
He suggested that the IIEC be given powers to arrest and prosecute, claiming that the police were partisan.
Mr Thuo spent most of the day and evening at the Blue Posts hotel in Thika.
Wild celebrations marked Mr Kabogo’s victory. The youths lined Kenyatta Avenue, opposite Thika Town Hall, where the IIEC had set up a screen to relay the results as they came in from the polling stations.
The celebrations began shortly after 8pm when Mr Kabogo opened a 15,000-vote lead against his nearest opponent, Alice Ng’ang’a.

Monday, September 20, 2010

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Ahold goes Google: International food retailer moves 55,000 employees to Google Apps

Official Google Enterprise Blog: Ahold goes Google: International food retailer moves 55,000 employees to Google Apps
Ahold, an international food retailing group based in the Netherlands, that operates leading supermarket companies in Europe and the United States, including Albert Heijn, Albert / Hypernova, Stop & Shop, Giant Food and Giant Food Stores has gone Google. Ahold has over 2,900 stores around the world with a local presence in the communities they serve.

Ahold made the decision to move to Google Apps to provide its global workers with a single web-based platform for communication and collaboration, replacing Ahold’s existing email domains and systems in Europe and the US. Ahold chose Google Apps for its 25 GB of storage per account, integrated IM (Google Talk) and a series of additional features that facilitate communication, including video based communication tools, automatic translation and shared calendars.

The global deployment of Google Apps will bring a number of benefits to Ahold employees, among them:



  • Consolidation and standardization to a single mail system and global address book






  • Improved productivity through the use of efficient e-mail and instant messenger tools, as well as powerful personal and shared calendars






  • Training support with new video based communication tools, including video IM






  • Improved collaboration within and between operating companies and functions






  • Improved international communication with features such as automatic Message Translate, allowing users to translate e-mails from and into different languages with one click of the mouse or real-time translation in Google Talk.



  • Official Google Enterprise Blog: Diversey awarded for cutting carbon emissions using Google Apps

    Official Google Enterprise Blog: Diversey awarded for cutting carbon emissions using Google Apps
    We’ve invited Brent Hoag, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, of Diversey to tell readers about their recent recognition as one of InformationWeek’s most innovative users of business technology. Diversey, formerly JohnsonDiversey, is headquartered in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. With sales in more than 175 countries, Diversey is a leading global provider of commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions, serving customers in the building management, lodging, food service, retail, health care, and food and beverage sectors. Diversey, Inc. is committed to a cleaner, healthier future. Its products, systems and expertise make food, drink and facilities safer and more hygienic for consumers and for building occupants.

    This week, InformationWeek announced its annual listing of the nation’s 500 most innovative users of business technology. We’re proud to report that Diversey was recognized as being among the top 10 U.S. manufacturers for its innovative and environmentally efficient cloud computing strategy – the foundation of which is Google Apps. The use of Google Apps for email, collaboration and calendar helped Diversey reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 73 metric tons or the equivalent of taking roughly 15 passenger vehicles off the road.

    In just one day, the company migrated 14,000 accounts to Google Apps in more than 60 countries and 18 languages. Since implementation in May 2009, employees have changed the way they communicate with other employees and customers. Google Apps’ cloud-based e-mail, calendars, documents and sites have improved the quality, consistency and effectiveness of communication and allows for business continuity in the event of a disaster.

    The company’s migration to cloud computing was the result of a corporate-wide commitment to find more sustainable and efficient ways of doing business. Diversey’s cloud-based technology platforms allow for a collaborative working environment and helps maintain business continuity. It also reduced the company’s carbon footprint by eliminating up to 10 company servers and by decreasing the need for business travel and the purchase of redundant hardware and software.

    Diversey’s commitment to sustainable IT is another example of our environmental leadership and our passion for finding new ways to reduce the environmental impact of our operations globally. In Google, we’ve found a good partner in the sustainability movement, and look forward to continuing to meet and exceed our sustainability and innovation goals together.

    KCB signs Cement Deal With EAPCC

    Members of the S&L developers club can now get preferential rates in the purchase of cement after the signing of a memorandum of understanding with the East African Portland cement (EAPCC).

    Speaking during the signing ceremony held at the Athi River offices, Mrs. Caroline Kariuki, the S&L Mortgages Divisional Director said the bank would finance and issue guarantees for the bulk purchase of cement for members of the S&L Developers Club.

    “Blue Triangle Cement will now be on offer at discounted prices dependent on the bulk purchase of the commodity. The Memorandum of Understanding therefore provides a framework for partnership between KCB and EAPCC allowing for the sale and promotion of the EAPCC products to the Developers Club and its members”, she said.

    The move comes just days after the KCB Group signed an agreement with the National Housing Corporation that will facilitate the construction of over 700 housing units in Nairobi. As part of its strategy KCB plans to embrace more partnerships to bridge the housing demand and supply gap.
    Through S&L Mortgages, the developers will be able to borrow and pay for their stocks to the Company by guarantee from KCB, subject to a facility agreement entered into between the Bank and the respective member of the Club.

    The agreement also offers both KCB and EAPCC an opportunity to participate in joint sponsorship engagements from time to time as the bank expands its mortgages portfolio both locally and in the region.
    In October members of the developers club will be heading to China in their third exposure trip aimed at introducing them to modern building technologies. They will visit sites and meet Chinese contractors to establish relationships.

    “At KCB we are keen to address the increasing demand for low cost housing. We have and shall Kariuki.
    With the merger in January, S&L Mortgages has since been able to leverage on the wider KCB network to provide mortgage services in Kenyan and the markets in which it operates.

    Executive Healthcare Solutions Ltd

    Executive Healthcare Solutions Ltd is well established medical insurance provider in Kenya regulated by the commissioner of Insurance's office.

    They ar3e the principal representative for Goodhealth Worldwide (Global) ltd in Kenya for the Executive Healthcare plan. Goodhealth is a 28 years old international private medical insurance company owned by Aetna Global Benefits (AGB) with established offices in UK, UAE, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Bermuda and USA. Goodhealth and Aetna Global Benefits have a combined team of 450 employees serving more than 250,000 clients worlwide.

    Executive Healthcare Solutions ltd specializes in provision of international private medical insurance to expatriates and local nationals based in Africa.

    The Executive Healthcare plan offers it's members the following benefits:

    Huge savings on premiums up to 50 percent cheaper
    Freedom to choose where to get treated-locally or internationally
    Cover for local and international medical evacuation
    Cover for in-patient and Day-patient treatment
    Cover for out-patient treatment
    The best local or international medical treatment
    24 hours,365 days of cover anywhere in the world
    Guaranteed Renewability
    Financial stability- 100 percent underwritten by Aetna Life and Casuality (Bermuda) limited.

    www.executive-healthcare.com












     








    Wednesday, September 15, 2010

    Msafiri: Cycle with the Rhino 2010

    Msafiri: Cycle with the Rhino 2010

    Preparations for this year’s Cycle with the Rhino event to be held this week in Lake Nakuru National Park are complete.

    So far, Sh 4.5 million has been raised out of this year’s target of Sh15 million for conservation of the fragile Lake Nakuru National Park and its environs. Registration of cyclists is going on in Lake Nakuru National Park and at Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters Resource Mobilization office in Nairobi.

    Safaricom to start testing 4G technology


    NSE Listed telcom firm Safaricom is expected to start technical trial of the 4G (fourth generation) technology on its network within the next two months. The roll out of the next generation Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology (4G) will be carried out by Huawei Technologies company from China.

    Safaricom and Huawei signed a three year strategic partnership under which Safaricom selected Huawei as its vendor of choice for the supply of its core network requirements, and roll out the fourth generation network at a cost of 12 billion shillings.

    Speaking during the signing ceremony held at Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen China, Safaricom Chief Executive Officer Michael Joseph said the company was also keen to overhaul its billing system, core network and expand its 3G network coverage throughout the country.

    “We are going to do a technical LTE trial on our spectrum to see if it suits the Kenyan market and its commercial viability. This is completely a technical trial and not a commercial trial and we are going to do the trials within our spectrum in the next two months.”

    Michael Joseph said once the 4G network becomes operational, Safaricom customers will be able to enjoy high speeds of 600 megabit per seconds or 1.5 gigabit per seconds in both downloads and uploads. The new technology will enable Safaricom to deliver a combination of services like data, voice, and video and download services like iTunes which will be billed through a different charging system.

    He said in the next two years the company will overhaul its current system to march the precepts of the LTE technology .The first phase will include installation of the operating system for the prepaid system, followed by upgrading of the postpaid system which will later will include converging both systems to have one billing system. “We believe this will enable our customer service unit to monitor the customers’ calling histories and their tariff plan on one screen,this will be a superior customer service platform.”

    The upgrades are expected to begin in the next six months and will be done in two phases.

    Monday, September 13, 2010

    Google Maps For Kenyan Businesses- How To Claim your Business Listing on Google Maps


    More and more Kenyans are searching for businesses online than anywhere else, so it is very important to ensure that your business listing can be found on Google.com and google maps.Your Google listing is an easy way to maintain an online presence for your business even if you do not have a website. Google offers a lot of premium options all for free such as videos, photos, coupons, brands you sell and how to find parking.


    This is a step by step guide on how to claim your business listing on Google maps and therefore drive a large targeted ready to buy traffic to your business.

    1.Visit Google places www.google.co.ke/places

    2.Sign in with your gmail account. If you do not have a Google account sign up for one.Its simple and easy and it takes about five minutes.

    3.On Google places homepage, click add New business.

    4.On the find your business tab, search for your business by phone number to see if Google already has information about your business. Select the country of your business from the drop-down. Enter the phone number of your business listing. Click Find business information.

    5.Review the search results, if any, to see if one of them describes your business. If none the results are related to your business, you will be prompted to to add business information on the next page.

    6. Fill out the basic information about your business. This includes
    company/organization. this is the official/registered name of your business
    address(required The address should look exactly the way you`d write it on a standard mailing envelope. If you were a service area business,you will be able to hide your address in a few steps.
    Phone number(required Be sure to include the area code with your phone number
    website Your website URL can be a maximum of 255 characters.

    7. Click Next You will now have the opportunity to provide more information about your business e.g categories,Hours of operation, Payment options,Photos and even videos.

    8. You can preview your listing as it will appear in maps on the right side of your screen. New information will appear in the preview as you enter it. When you are satisfied with your listing, click submit at the bottom of the page.

    9. Choose how you would like to verify your listing and click Finish. Once you have submitted your business information, you will be asked to verify it before it goes live.

    You can see your listing live on Google by signing into your Google places account and clicking see your listing on Google. This link will take you to your actual place page, as seen by users.

    That is all ,you are done. Your business will be viewed by millions of customers who search for businesses listings online.

    Thursday, September 9, 2010

    The Dawn of Video Conferencing Catching up With Corporate Kenya


    The dawn of video conferencing is catching up with corporate Kenya,
    thanks to revolution in ICT bolstered by arrival of undersea fibre
    optic cables.Companies with regional presence are sometimes forced to
    hold board meetings in the countries they operate in.


    Video conferencing enables companies to save on travel, accommodation, allowance costs incurred in business conventions and meetings as well as save the time spent moving.Environmentalists say business travel contributes to air pollution largely due to the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere eventually causing huge financial losses to those businesses in the long term.


    Video-conferencing equipment cost between Ksh 40,000 and Ksh 4M
    depending on the size and use.Google Kenya, Telkom Kenya, and Bamburi
    cement have video conferencing facilities.


    Video Conferencing Providers in Kenya



    1. UUNET

    Internetservice provider UUNET has a partneship with electronic manufacturer
    Sony to provide video conferencing facilities in Kenya. UUNET provides
    the bandwidth capacity required to enable the video conferencing and
    they also resell video conferencing equipment.



    2. Sight and Sound Ltd

    Sight and Sound is a vendor of Polycom video conferencing
    equipment.Sight and Sound has implemented over 50 sites, most of them
    for NGOs, embasies, and few corporates.


    3. Kenya Development Learning Centre

    KDLCoffers outsourced conferencing facilities for between sh 14800 to sh
    37,000 an hour.

    Friday, September 3, 2010

    KCB Online Payment Solution


    KCB Launches Online Payment Solution

    KCB Bank announced the launch of an online payment solution targeting the tourism sector in East Africa on september 1, 2010.

    This Product was launched at the ongoing 2010 E-Tourism East Africa Conference. This year’s conference, sponsored by the KCB Group will bring together international experts to discuss how East Africa’s tourism sector can harness the potential of the internet.

    Speaking at the Launch ceremony held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel KCB Bank Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Group Businesses, Mr. Peter Munyiri said the product would herald the bank’s entry into the budding e-commerce sector.

    “This is an important platform for KCB Bank that is at the forefront to ensure the local tourism sector can now have easy access to a much simplified and affordable payment solution for their services.” He said.

    According to Mr. Munyiri, KCB Bank which is a big player on the card acquiring front will use this new platform to grow its Internet Acquiring end. Internet Acquiring is the process of collecting, switching and authorizing financial transactions originating from the Internet.

    The process will thus facilitate a payment gateway via any web portal by capturing and processing payment details over the internet targeting online oriented consumers such as hotels, tour operators and other tourism merchants among related traders and industries.

    To achieve this KCB has partnered with travel Software provider NightsBridge of South Africa and which will provide real-time connectivity to hotels, guesthouses and the world’s top websites and agents and facilitate booking and payment ability via the internet.

    The online payment solution now enables KCB bank to offer yet unmatched services in terms of online transaction processing and favourable pricing structures to suit this segment of the market as opposed to competition as the bank moves towards consolidation in East Africa.

    “This move not only addresses our core strategy needs as the region’s largest bank in terms of asset base at Kshs 226 billion, but is in keeping with the Kenya government’s overall plan to develop a credible e-commerce culture.” He said.

    Munyiri was referring to the Kenya government plan to launch a five-year strategic plan with a keen focus on e-commerce aimed to increase its uptake in both the public and private spheres.

    As a financial institution he said KCB hoped to reap significant advantages in the online economy to increase the bank’s merchant portfolio and transaction quantity adding that the service would simultaneously control any inherent risks associated with internet trading while complying with regulatory mandates.

    Wednesday, September 1, 2010

    Kenya: Press Releases: CMA Approves Housing Finance KES10bn Medium Term Note

    Nairobi, 1 September 2010

    The Capital Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the issue and listing of a KES10bn Medium Term Note by Housing Finance. In a letter signed by the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer, Ms. Stella Kilonzo, the regulator states its satisfaction with Housing Finance’s application and full disclosure of material information in accordance with the requirements of the Capital Markets Act. The good news follows an earlier nod from the Central Bank of Kenya which indicated no objection to the issuance of the medium note.

    The approval means that Kenya’s premiere mortgage financier can now embark on a medium-term note (“MTN”) program that enables the company to offer debt securities on a regular and/or continuous basis.

    According to HF’s Managing Director, Mr. Frank Ireri, the medium term note program is part of the plan to source long term funding to bolster its growth of business in form of mortgages and property financing. “The approval and consequent listing will provide the requisite financial gearing to enable Housing Finance play an integral role in helping boost the available supply of units with a number of major projects already in the pipeline,” he said. “In addition, we shall be playing an indirect role in the supply of these additional units by financing project developers sponsoring the initiatives. Contrary to earlier reports, the funds raised will not go towards the institutions’ capital but will form part of debt funding.”

    The approval by the regulator is seen as a boost to Kenya’s market leader in the mortgage financing industry as it seeks to benefit from the growing demand for housing in urban and rural areas. The current demand is estimated at 150,000 units per annum with supply estimated at 35,000 units. With such a massive supply gap, the private sector is expected to play a critical role in meeting the shortage. Equally, there exists a huge funding gap as demonstrated by statistics from the central bank that show that lending by commercial banks and mortgage finance institutions to the sector as at the end of 2009 was KES9.2bn, while the private sector approvals to put up properties by the City Council in the year 2009 was valued at KES77.0bn.

    In the coming weeks, the mortgage financier is expected to issue its final information memorandum and a pricing supplement that will provide requisite guidance to investors in respect to each proposed tranche. The company has already named Standard Chartered Bank Limited and NIC Capital Limited as the joint lead arrangers for the program.

    According to analysts and several stockbrokers, the positive growth of Housing Finance’s top line and bottom-line, company strategy, scope for revenue generation due to housing demands and a healthy appetite for fixed income security by investors provide an excellent recipe for the success of Housing Finance’s funding solution which is in tandem with its business model.

    The mortgage financier’s model seeks not only to provide mortgages that enable more Kenyans to own homes, but also play a leading role in enabling a steady supply of quality and affordable property and homes in the sector