Kirubi tops Google searches in Kenya for March
Nairobi tycoon Chris Kirubi has topped Kenya’s Google searches for the month of March, with the public seeking information about his health.
Kenyans also sought to know more about the late Stephen Hawking, a British scientist, professor and author who performed groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, and whose books helped to make science accessible to many.
Top 10 Trending Searches
1. Chris Kirubi – The entrepreneur and industrialist, who heads several highly successful companies, flew out of the country in November 2017 for specialised treatment in the US. His quiet return to the country didn’t go unnoticed, sparking great public interest about his health.
2. Stephen Hawking – Hawking died on March 14 after succumbing to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a form of Motor Neurone Disease that he had been diagnosed with 50 years earlier.
3. UEFA Champions league – The quarter-finals draw for Europe’s premier club competition took place on March 16 in Nyon, Switzerland. Champions Real Madrid were drawn against last year’s losing finalists Juventus, Barcelona against Roma, Bayern Munich against Sevilla and Liverpool against English rivals Manchester City.
4. Rex Tillerson – The American government official and former energy executive was fired as US Secretary of State shortly after a tour of Africa. Tillerson was in Kenya when the announcement was made following a decision by President Donald Trump.
5. Davide Astori – The Italian professional footballer who played as a central defender for Fiorentina died in his sleep at a hotel in Udine, prior to a match against Udinese, on March 4. An autopsy conducted two days later indicated that he died from cardiac arrest.
6. Lecturers Strike 2018 – The lecturers’ strike that has paralysed learning at all public universities in the country since March 1. Even with learning in the universities interrupted, there is no end in sight for the end of the strike.
7. Moses Wetangula – The embattled Bungoma Senator and Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula lost his position as Minority Leader in the Senate after he was ousted by ODM Senators on March 20.
8. Eric Omondi – The celebrated Kenyan comedian Eric Omondi was on the news for all the wrong reasons after he posted a video online showing him swimming naked with minors.
9. Palm Sunday – The Christian feast that commemorates Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem was the ninth trending search item on Google. It marks the beginning of the ‘Holy Week’ that precedes Easter.
10. Bipolar disorder – Formerly called manic depression, this is a mental health condition that causes extreme mood swings that include emotional highs (mania or hypomania) and lows (depression). Manic episodes may include symptoms such as high energy, reduced need for sleep and loss of touch with reality.
Top ‘How to’ searches
1. How to register for SportPesa
2. How to delete a Facebook
3. How to play Lotto
4. How to file KRA returns
5. How to lose weight faster
6. How to lose belly fat faster
7. How to count safe days
8. How to create an email
9. How to stop masturbation