Business

The High Court in Mombasa has ordered the government to pay nearly Sh24 billion to Kwale International Sugar Company over a breached land deal that crippled a major sugar project.

Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) Chairman Kamau Thugge said the move is designed to sustain economic growth while keeping inflation and exchange rates stable.

Empowering courts to intervene in unfair contracts strengthens protections for small businesses, consumers, and other parties who have historically been disadvantaged under existing contract rules.

The report urges the government to strengthen governance frameworks, ensure transparency, and tie public funding to measurable outcomes.

The growth rate during this period was far higher than the 5.4 per cent rise seen between April and June, signalling that Kenyans are increasingly turning to advanced mobile networks for daily internet needs.

The Bill would require digital platforms to implement verification systems capable of confirming seller certification and product registration before allowing listings to go live. This step is designed to prevent unlicensed dealers from exploiting online channels and to safeguard consumers from unsafe or unapproved chemical products.

In a notice, National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge said the submissions will guide parliamentary committees as they scrutinise the plan, ensuring transparency and public participation.

According to the report, current mobile termination rates remain far above actual costs, favouring dominant firms like Safaricom and placing smaller operators at a disadvantage.

The legislators questioned why some of the 77 KTDA-managed factories paid up to Sh50 per kilogramme, while others offered as little as Sh12 per kilo, despite all operating under the same national framework.

Kenya Power disclosed that the value of tenders awarded to these groups jumped 470 per cent to Sh3.5 billion during the year as the firm stepped up efforts to meet the constitutional requirement.

Tatu City hosted Nairobi’s Muslim business community to outline property acquisition, tax incentives and expansion options in its special eEconomic zone, highlighting new opportunities beyond traditional hubs like Eastleigh.

The Bill, developed by the State Department for Investment Promotion under Principal Secretary Abubakar Hassan, aims to create a legal framework for engagement between government and private sector actors.

At the forum, an additional 15 National Health Compacts, country-led, five-year reform plans that align health and finance institutions behind measurable goals, were introduced.

The deal is poised to reshape entertainment consumption for millions of viewers across Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

World Bank Group’s Chief Economist and Senior Vice President for Development Economics, Indermit Gill, therefore warns that despite the improving global financial conditions, developing countries should not deceive themselves as they are not out of danger.

Companies operating in these markets typically gain access to cheaper capital and often enjoy premium valuations on capital markets, it adds in part.

Treasury CS John Mbadi has defended the sharp rise in State House spending, after figures showed over 80 per cent of its Sh7.68 billion annual budget was used in four months, raising accountability questions.

Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has challenged the government’s plan to sell a 15% Safaricom stake to Vodacom, alleging undervaluation and lack of open bidding, as Treasury defends the deal as a funding strategy.

Kenya’s financial inclusion has soared, yet financially healthy households have nearly halved. A new 2025–2028 national strategy aims to curb debt, gambling risks and weak consumer protection.

Kenya’s national parks generated Sh7.92 billion in 2024/25, meeting targets on rising visitor numbers, even as a High Court order halted proposed park fee increases challenged by tourism stakeholders.

Kenya is phasing out funding for merged and dissolved state corporations by mid-2026, limiting budgets mainly to salaries as it restructures agencies to cut recurrent costs and streamline operations.

Parliament’s investments committee has queried over Sh1 billion in unsupported spending and irregular staffing at NKPCU, demanding documents on coffee subsidy funds, debts and board appointments within two weeks.

Workspace Studio brings together Google’s existing AI tools under one simplified dashboard.

This move could transform ChatGPT from a general-purpose conversational tool into a personalised wellness guide.

Recap will appear on users’ homepages, inside the “You” tab, or on a dedicated recap page on desktop.

Kenya has adopted the WE Finance Code, a global framework to expand credit for women-led businesses, aiming to close gender financing gaps and support data-driven financial inclusion reforms.

The President also noted that the Fund’s continued engagement has offered vital expertise in managing external debt and technical support across multiple economic sectors.

Kenya’s government plans to sell a 15 per cent Safaricom stake to Vodafone Kenya for Sh244.5 billion, cutting its holding to 20 per cent and funding key infrastructure via new sovereign funds.

Rwandan miners are set to benefit from new robotics, sensors and AI tools designed to detect hazards, prevent equipment failure and improve underground safety across the country’s growing mining sector.

The growth also followed an expansion in international flight services, with several airlines increasing their frequencies into Nairobi and Mombasa. Kenya Airways and Etihad introduced new routes, while Air France deployed a larger aircraft on its Paris–Nairobi service.

Kenya’s private sector PMI rose to 55.0 in November, the highest since 2020, as stronger demand, softer cost pressures and faster deliveries lifted output, orders and employment across all monitored sectors.

WhatsApp now lets users safely run two accounts on a single phone using official tools. Here’s how to set up WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business, plus multi-account support on Android and iOS.

Auditor General Nancy Gathungu said the unpaid bills cover 140.06 million units of electricity, highlighting persistent revenue collection challenges that have plagued the utility for years.

World Bank data shows Generative AI skills now attract wage premiums of up to 36 per cent worldwide, as vacancies surge across ICT and white-collar roles, especially in the US, France, India and emerging markets.

The conference brought together policymakers, agri-tech players, researchers and development partners to chart a policy path for digital agriculture, with discussions centred on creating an enabling environment for innovation.

The move means Apple Stores and authorised repair partners will no longer offer hardware service or replacement parts for the 2016 device.

A World Bank and CAK report warns that 30-year leases of Kenya’s state sugar mills, after major debt write-offs and grants, may entrench dominance and keep consumer sugar prices high.

All new applicants will now be required to submit their requests exclusively through its website, accessible via computers and mobile devices.

Located on the border of Kilifi and Tana River counties, the project is one of Kenya’s largest initiatives to boost local food production through irrigation.

Kenya Power has repeatedly cited ongoing lawsuits that disrupt procurement processes, alongside challenges in acquiring wayleaves for power lines, as major factors slowing connections.

While the company has not offered specifics, industry analysts believe the change may be related to licensing agreements, app stability improvements, or preparation for a new version of Netflix’s device-to-TV streaming system.

Veteran Google and Microsoft engineer Amar Subramanya is replacing Apple's AI chief, John Giannandrea, in a shake up of the company's artificial intelligence group.

Kenya has been ranked Africa’s most competitive economy and 56th globally in the IMD 2025 World Competitiveness Ranking, reflecting structural reforms, infrastructure gains and regulatory modernisation amid ongoing economic risks.

Shariah-compliant financing is gaining traction, offering not just ethics-based alternatives but increasingly competitive and flexible financial solutions.

Food, transport and household utilities continued to carry the biggest influence on the inflation basket, making up more than half of the weighting used to track living costs.

The PBO notes that in the current financial year, over a third of the development budget relies on external support, underscoring the country’s dependency on donor funds.

The report says critical-infrastructure sectors (energy, manufacturing) exhibit fewer but higher-impact incidents due to operational-technology vulnerabilities.

Gemini 3 Pro, Google’s latest and most advanced general-purpose AI model, was initially accessible to all users for free through the standard Gemini interface.

The feature, spotted in the latest Android Canary build, is designed to solve one of the biggest frustrations for hotspot users: speed and compatibility.

The directive follows an earlier advisory issued on November 10, cautioning that macadamia harvested within that timeframe will not be cleared for export under any circumstances.

Global smartphone demand has increasingly gravitated toward premium models, a segment where Apple has historically dominated.