Premium

The Sh5tr blind spot: No visibility as billions disappear through government funds

Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o has said her office has no visibility over billions of shillings collected through key government funds and levies

By Brian Ngugi 3 days ago

Why Centum tapped an insider to drive its next phase of cash returns

Centum Investment Company named Thomas Omondi-Achola as acting group CEO, choosing continuity over reinvention as the firm pivots from balance-sheet repair to returning cash to shareholders.

By Brian Ngugi 8 days ago

Premium

Lamu refinery set for September 30 groundbreaking as Dangote IPO opens in Lagos

Nigerian backer and Africa's richest man Aliko Dangote confirmed that ground-breaking could start as soon as this month, even as Kenya advances its own separate plans.

By Brian Ngugi 9 days ago

Premium

CBK moves to ban shell banks in fresh money laundering crackdown

CBK has proposed a sweeping ban on shell banks, closing a regulatory loophole that officials say has allowed paper-only entities to facilitate money laundering and terrorism financing.

By Brian Ngugi 9 days ago

Premium

Inside Kenya's Sh13 trillion debt bomb

Kenya’s public debt crossed the Sh13 trillion mark in June, Treasury data shows

By Brian Ngugi 10 days ago

Premium

CBK warns banks against use of AI to reject or approve loans

In recent years, a majority of Kenyan banks have quietly embedded Artificial Intelligence (AI) into the core of their operations.

By Brian Ngugi 11 days ago

Premium

Why public anger against Ruto is boiling

Three in four Kenyans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction

By Brian Ngugi 11 days ago

Premium

Ruto's Tata Chemicals tantrum spooks investors ahead of polls

President William Ruto's on-again, off-again order for Tata Chemicals to "pack up and leave" Kenya has left investors spooked

By Brian Ngugi 11 days ago

State okays Japanese brewer's Sh388b takeover of Diageo's EABL stake

Kenya’s competition watchdog has approved Asahi Group Holdings’ acquisition of Diageo’s controlling stake in East African Breweries (EABL).

By Brian Ngugi 12 days ago

Premium

Co-op Bank leads list of Kenyan lenders in Forbes World top 500

Co-operative Bank of Kenya, Equity Group Holdings, KCB Group and Stanbic Holdings were included in the ranking of 500 banks from 89 countries, published on Wednesday by Forbes

By Brian Ngugi 13 days ago

Premium

Ruto faces fuel price dilemma as oil crosses $110 per barrel over Iran-US war

Ruto's administration faces a fresh economic headache after global oil prices surged past $110 a barrel, driven by the escalation of US-Iran war that threatens to choke critical supply routes.

By Brian Ngugi 14 days ago

Premium

UDA, ODM bag lion's share of Sh1.4bn political parties fund

UDA and ODM will take home the lion's share of the Sh1.4 billion Political Parties Fund for the 2026/2027 financial year, according to a gazette notice by the Registrar of Political Parties.

By Brian Ngugi 14 days ago

Premium

Ruto tests EAC trade pacts with foreign-owned businesses crackdown

Kenya’s move to shut down small businesses operated by foreign nationals is putting its binding commitments under the East African Community’s Common Market Protocol to the test

By Brian Ngugi 15 days ago

How new law will increase cost of air travel

The Air Passenger Service Charge (Amendment) Act, 2026, which Ruto assented to law on Tuesday, introduces a new remittance mechanism.

By Brian Ngugi 15 days ago

Premium

Centum taps insider as Mworia exits after nearly two decades

Centum Investment Company PLC has appointed Thomas Omondi-Achola as acting group CEO to succeed James Mworia, who is heading to the National Infrastructure Fund.

By Brian Ngugi 17 days ago

Premium

Road to riches: Nairobi Expressway mints Sh21.7m daily from motorists

The cost of using the expressway is determined by vehicle classification and distance travelled.

By Brian Ngugi 18 days ago

Premium

How traders forced Ruto and KRA into State House retreat

President William Ruto’s administration has agreed to cut the controversial customs valuation for consolidated imports after traders’ protests paralysed Nairobi.

By Brian Ngugi 20 days ago

Premium

Inflation jumps to 6.6pc as cost-of-living crisis deepens ahead of 2027 polls

Kenya’s inflation rose to 6.6 per cent in August 2026, driven by soaring transport and food prices that are deepening pressure on households ahead of the 2027 elections.

By Brian Ngugi 22 days ago

KRA now blocks payments to tax-dodging State contractors

KRA has integrated eTIMS with IFMIS to automatically verify government suppliers’ tax compliance, potentially blocking payments where invoices do not match tax records.

By Brian Ngugi 22 days ago

Premium

Alarm as Kenya leads Africa in AfDB corruption cases

Kenya has emerged as one of Africa's hotspots for fraud and corruption in African Development Bank-financed projects, with disclosures showing the country ranks second only to Nigeria.

By Brian Ngugi 23 days ago

Premium

Kenya's China debt drops 19pc as World Bank exposure surges to Sh1.7 trillion

Kenya's outstanding debt to China has fallen 19 per cent from its 2021 peak following a landmark currency conversion agreement.

By Brian Ngugi 24 days ago

Premium

Regional units now grow into Kenyan banks' new golden goose

Kenyan banks are posting record half-year profits, but the engine of growth is increasingly located beyond the country's borders as a slowing domestic economy burden kenyans at home.

By Brian Ngugi 25 days ago

Aga Khan Fund leads Jubilee's Sh145m interim dividend as half-year profit rises 13pc

Jubilee Holdings Ltd shareholders are set to receive an interim dividend of Sh145 million for the half-year ended June 2026.

By Brian Ngugi 25 days ago

Premium

State-backed Gulf Energy bags Sh93.68b oil storage deal

KPC has signed a 25-year crude oil storage and handling deal projected to generate Sh93.68 billion, raising concerns over the firm’s growing control of Kenya’s oil value chain.

By Brian Ngugi 26 days ago

Premium

KEBS in the spot as poisonous alcohol crisis deepens

The Kenya Bureau of Standards is facing pressure to account for its role in the counterfeit alcohol crisis, as illicit drinks now account for an estimated 60 per cent of alcohol consumed in Kenya.

By Brian Ngugi 27 days ago

IM and HFCB join banking rivals in posting higher half-year earnings

I&M Group PLC and HFCB Group PLC posted higher half-year earnings, joining rivals in delivering results that have provided a rare bright spot against the backdrop of a tight domestic economy.

By Brian Ngugi 27 days ago

Premium

Political anxiety casts shadow on Kenya's investment outlook

A Central Bank of Kenya survey indicates that there are major concerns over political instability emerging as a dark cloud over an otherwise cautiously optimistic economic outlook.

By Brian Ngugi 28 days ago

Premium

Lamu refinery plan gets boost with Dangote's Sh130b underwriting

President William Ruto's ambitious plan for a second Dangote refinery in Lamu has received a major boost after the successful completion of a $1 billion (Sh130  billion) underwriting.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Banks ditch hustlers for Treasury bonds amid worsening debt crisis

Commercial banks are turning their backs on small businesses and households, pouring record amounts of cash into government securities instead.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Equity Group halfyear net profit surges to Sh43.8b as StanChart's slides by 17pc

Equity Group Holdings’ first-half net profit rose by 32 per cent to a record Sh43.80 billion, while Standard Chartered Bank Kenya’s profit fell by 16.8 per cent as lower lending margins hurt earnings

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Ruto's appetite for debt shows no signs of slowing

Since he took over in October 2022, President William Ruto has already surpassed the Sh13 trillion mark amid pressure to shift from deficit and borrowing-anchored budget making.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

AAR Hospital banks on new steam prostate procedure to slash medical costs

The minimally invasive procedure, which uses steam to destroy excess prostate tissue without surgical cuts, was carried out on an undisclosed patient at the Nairobi-based hospital.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Ruto seeks new ideas on tax economy as poll clock ticks

The embattled government of President William Ruto is asking Kenyans for ideas on tax policy as it struggles to fill a growing budget gap.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Default risks resurface as public debt crosses Sh13 trillion

Kenya’s public debt has surpassed Sh13 trillion, with debt servicing consuming nearly three-quarters of government revenue as the country enters an election year.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Auto dealer Caetano Kenya targets Coast with French, Chinese trucks

Caetano Kenya, which sold 32 vehicles in the first quarter of 2026 is relying on flexible credit terms and localised aftersales support to grow its share of the commercial segment.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

Ruto back to begging IMF as country struggles with debt, empty coffers

The Ruto administration has resorted to Bretton Woods amid mounting public debt and fiscal pressures.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

KCB shareholders to get Sh9.64b interim dividend as net profit rises to Sh36.1b

KCB Group has declared an interim dividend payout after half‑year net profit rose to Sh36.1 billion on the back of an expanded loan book and surging contributions from regional subsidiaries.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Co-op Bank records Sh18b half-year profit on subsidiaries growth

Co-operative Bank of Kenya has posted a 28 per cent surge in half-year net profit, marking its strongest-ever first-half performance.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

CBK retains benchmark rate at 8.75pc

CBK has maintained the benchmark lending rate at 8.75 per cent for the third consecutive time since February, citing a positive outlook on the country's economic growth.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago

Premium

One year to the polls: IEBC battles leadership gaps, funding crunch

IEBC has released its 2027 election roadmap, setting deadlines for public officers, parties and candidates while highlighting voter registration and leadership vacancies.

By Brian Ngugi 1 month ago