Business

Kenya, which is struggling with a heavy debt load and the accompanying high debt service costs, caught investor attention last month when it ditched the final review of its programme with the International Monetary Fund, sending its dollar bonds lower.

Besides the Power Purchase Agreements, Kenya charges four taxes in addition to a forex charge, fuel surcharge and consumption charge, further driving up the prices.

Despite the decline in passengers, the fare hikes resulted in a significant revenue boost, with total earnings rising to Sh4.09 billion, an increase of 39 per cent from the Sh2.93 billion recorded in 2023.

The March edition of food security update by the World Bank shows a drop in the agricultural, cereal and export price indices by 8, 4 and 11 percent, respectively

With the trend largely attributed to manufacturers and suppliers, these fluctuations may reflect the challenges faced by the industrial sector in the country.

Dewji, commonly known as Mo, is now worth $2.2 billion (Sh284.9 billion), making him the richest person in East Africa and the only billionaire from the region to feature on the prestigious list.

Consider introducing a mesh Wi-Fi system in your home or office. Unlike traditional Wi-Fi extenders, which create separate networks and require manual switching, mesh systems work together as a single, unified network, automatically connecting devices to the strongest signal.​

The board emphasized that those who meet the legal requirements are issued a Registration Certificate and an Annual Practising Certificate, which must be renewed every year.

KAM says the country’s business environment is rallying behind its aforementioned neighbours in critical industry aspects such as the cost of production.

The highest energy imports were recorded in November at 134.18 GWh, while the lowest occurred in July at 106.11 GWh.

However, the record of new customer connections is a decline compared to the same period in the previous financial year, which recorded a total of 260,257 new connections.

The national carrier’s turnaround comes after a Sh22.6 billion loss in 2023, largely driven by foreign exchange gains.

CBK Governor Kamau Thugge revealed that the regulator has initiated onsite inspections to ensure banks reduce their lending rates in line with the lowered Central Bank Rate (CBR), currently at 10.75 percent. ​

To culminate the Holy Month, the restaurant is preparing to host a grand Eid al-Fitr celebration at Gemma’s Italian Kitchen. Scheduled for March 31, 2025, from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM, the event will feature a sumptuous Eid buffet, showcasing a fusion of Kenyan and Middle Eastern delicacies

The report highlights that most borrowers seek these loans for survival rather than investment.

Most cases emanated from the motor industry, with fraudulent motor accidents recording 16 cases, up from two in the previous corresponding quarter.

In February 2025 the lending margin rose to 6.65 percent, up from 6.59 percent in January and 6.44 percent in December.

The charges, which took effect on March 1, 2025, had sparked protests from traders and the Council of Governors (CoG), who argued that the additional costs were hurting businesses.

With better cameras, improved performance, bigger batteries, and a sleeker design, Apple is pushing the boundaries of what a smartphone can do.

Importers must now include a copy of a valid compliance certificate and a detailed invoice showing the product model and quantity.

Despite the challenges, Uganda remained Kenya’s largest export destination, buying goods worth Sh125.30 billion in 2024.

Kenya has struggled to rein in its fiscal deficit and boost revenue collection, two of the main requirements of the IMF.

This four-month delay provides more time for the Katiba Institute and other stakeholders to present their arguments and for the government to clarify its position regarding the implementation of the IMEI registration policy.

In a ruling issued on Monday, the board certified the case as urgent and allowed Super Metro to resume operations immediately while awaiting the full hearing of its appeal.

This shows that wealthy Africans face lower effective tax rates than average citizens, replicating a trend already demonstrated for the relative tax burden of small and large companies.

According to reports, the new audio settings will likely be locked behind YouTube’s paid subscription service, YouTube Premium.

Among those affected, Metropolitan National, Shoppers, Jitegemee, Jumuika, Lamu Teachers, and Ndosha Saccos have been singled out for having core capital to total assets ratios of less than five per cent half the required minimum.

Despite the combination of wealth tax and redistribution policies over the past years, the levels of poverty are still high, continuously extending the inequality gap.

Criminal and rival political groups have also adopted AI to spread disinformation and hate speech, particularly online, making it one of the most dangerous accelerators of conflict today.

When users type in the text box, a new pencil button will appear, slightly above the send button, tapping it will allow the user to edit the text in various styles.

Desta said a single African currency would help boost trade, increase economic cooperation among African Union (AU) members and stimulate faster development across the continent.

NTSA has now been urged to reassess its compliance status and lift the suspension to avoid further economic disruptions.

Mbadi highlighted that the ongoing fiscal consolidation strategy aims to boost revenue while curbing excessive spending.

Lawyers and journalists accused Kisiang’ani of monopolising government advertisements to cripple independent media houses financially.

Amudavi emphasised that Kenya is one of the top six African countries, out of the ten, that have expanded their land acreage dedicated to organic agriculture in recent years.

The surge was driven mainly by system vulnerabilities, which accounted for 752.4 million cases, reflecting a 28.9 per cent rise.

Among the new additional updates on the feature is the Expanded Family Visibility, which enables parents to track who their teen follows, see who follows them, and block any problematic accounts.

According to the CA report, online usage among teenagers aged 15-17 years has grown from 13 per cent to 15 per cent, while young adults aged 18-24 years have maintained a strong digital presence at 29-30 per cent.

Between July 2024 and February 2025, KRA collected Sh1.4 trillion, which is 56.7 per cent of its annual target of Sh2.475 trillion.

WEF, in its deliberations, reiterates that the ripple effects of these tensions are expected to extend far beyond the two nations, affecting other countries that rely on breakthroughs and collaborations driven by US-China research initiatives.

Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi revealed that these unutilized funds continue to accrue commitment and interest fees.

This latest integration with LakiPay therefore solidifies Safaricom's role in Ethiopia's financial ecosystem.

The new feature, which is rolling out in stages, enables WhatsApp users to attach their favourite tracks from their music library directly to photos or videos shared as part of their status updates.

Microsoft noted that the move comes as part of a strategic shift towards enhancing other communication tools, particularly Teams.

The new Service Charter outlines several measures aimed at addressing longstanding service delivery inefficiencies at JKIA, particularly those affecting passenger clearance and overall experience.

The apps, which were downloaded millions of times across the globe, were found to be involved in fraudulent activities designed to generate illicit ad revenue.

The US remained the largest source of remittances to Kenya, accounting for 53 per cent in the month under review.

A recent RBA survey highlighted the hardships facing retirees, with 57 per cent of pensioners stating that their savings were inadequate to sustain them in retirement.

The app benefits guards by granting them the ability to choose their assignments, set their working hours, and take time off as required.

It says the prospect will be supported by a robust remittance ecosystem from Kenyans living abroad and high female labour force participation, which continues to drive household incomes.

The report says job search efforts for women, particularly mothers, are significantly hindered by childcare responsibilities thus limiting their active participation in job search.

This decline, amounting to Sh805.29 million, was the first significant drop since 2020 when earnings fell by Sh681.61 million.

Teferra reaffirmed the IMF's commitment to deploy the Extended Fund Facility, Extended Credit Facility and Rapid Credit Facility programmes to support Kenya's medium-term growth prospects.

This could be particularly useful in situations where users prefer not to be on camera due to privacy concerns, poor lighting, or a weak internet connection.

This update allows users to delete backed-up photos and videos from Google’s servers while keeping the original files intact on their devices.

Wandayi concluded by reaffirming the government's commitment to ensuring that energy safety guidelines are rigorously enforced.

According to CS Kagwe, Sh181 billion came from exports, Sh18 billion from local sales and Sh15 billion from committed stocks.

Mobile transactions jumped 9.3 per cent from the previous year’s total of Sh7.95 trillion.

Infrastructure Bonds, which were introduced in February 2009, are exempt from withholding tax—unlike other bonds that attract a tax of 10 per cent for maturities of five years and above and 15 per cent for shorter periods.

The proposed changes will see petrol prices rise by Sh7.80 per litre, with oil marketers benefiting the most from the revision.

Slightly over one-third of Kenyans have increased their borrowing, a trend that aligns with rising living costs and delays in income.

The current pricing mechanisms are insufficient to meet the ambitious goals of the Paris Agreement which aims to limit global temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The project takes effect from April and will run for two and a half years. It comes ahead of the new EU regulations on fresh produce.

The new frameworks will further support Kenya’s ambitions by fostering joint research, capacity building and knowledge exchange with Rwanda and Egypt.

In the first year of implementation, CBK plans to set the rate at 0.6 per cent.

Workers below 50 years will no longer be allowed to withdraw pension savings when switching jobs.

Noordin emphasised the need for Kenya to develop strong policies to address cyberspace vulnerabilities.

By making small adjustments in how we use our phones, we can create safer and healthier habits without compromising convenience.

The incident, which involves the 15,000 km PEACE (Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe) cable, was reported on March 4, 2025.

KRA has noted that while some small businesses have registered for PINs, many do not fulfil their tax obligations, with some filing nil returns despite being operational.

The railway has also moved 38.47 million tonnes of cargo, and AfriStar, the company operating the SGR, reported on Tuesday.

Apple's enhanced graphic features will make the iPad Air ideal for gaming, video editing, and other graphics-intensive tasks.

The approval comes barely three days after The Controller of Budget, Margaret Nyakang'o, challenged the Treasury to reduce the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) debt ratio to 55% by 2029.

The highly anticipated device is expected to redefine the premium phone market, with a retail price of between Sh 260,000 and Sh325,000 ($2,000–$2,500).

The Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI), which gauges the level of private sector activities, rose to 50.6 in February, up from 50.5 in January.

From her daily interactions with farmers and traders, Joyce says training and upskilling tops the list of the needs mostly required by grassroots businesses.

The call to refocus on microinsurance comes at a critical time when climate-related disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, further exacerbating the vulnerability of many communities.

"I know my team because the vehicles were clamped...so many things were done, there was super annoyance. They persuaded me to respond in a particular way, and I resisted it," Siror said.

Kenya's annual inflation rate rose to a five-month high of 3.5 per cent in February 2025, from 3.3 per cent in January driven by higher prices of food, electricity, water, and transport.

Active social media users in Kenya grew by 15.9 per cent in 2024, a sharp drop from the 38.2 per cent recorded in the previous year.

According to KRA, over 1.9 million taxpayers have benefited from the initiative after settling their principal taxes for liabilities incurred up to December 2023.

At 0744 GMT, commercial banks quoted the shilling at 129.00/40 per dollar, the same as Monday's closing rate.

The Commodities Fund recorded the highest loan defaults, writing off Sh12.36 billion in loans extended to sugar companies.

The increase has been attributed to a weakened shilling in the first quarter of the year and continued demand for foreign goods.

The Finance and Budget Committee is expected to present its findings and recommendations to the Senate in the coming weeks.

The tax agency has also listed the procurement of 20 external cameras, 60 data collection devices, and a dedicated system for hosting and live-streaming footage captured by the body-worn cameras.

The taxman has automated the registration process, streamlining compliance and making it easier for businesses to adopt the system.

The ministerial branding agency, KEPROBA, in a statement, said that the inaugural graduates of the Diploma in International Trade will equip Kenya's export community with the skills and knowledge needed to engage in international trade with ease.

The government had set new prices after negotiations, with Grade 1 miraa expected to sell at Sh1,300 per kilogram, Grade 2 at Sh700 and Allele at Sh1,000.