Author: Lorine Otamo

Visa has handed one of its most closely watched African posts to a woman who spent the past five years building a mobile money challenger from scratch. The card network named Anne Kinuthia-Otieno Vice President and Head of East Africa, effective August 4, 2026. She will run the role from Nairobi and oversee seven markets across the region. Michael Berner, Visa’s Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director for Southern and Eastern Africa, said the timing matters as much as the hire. “Anne’s appointment comes at an exciting time for Visa and for East Africa’s digital economy,” Berner said. “Her…

Eating out in Kenya is no longer a special occasion. It is becoming a habit, and restaurants are rebuilding themselves around that shift. Research on Africa’s foodservice sector found dine in still made up roughly three quarters of restaurant visits in 2025, but delivery is now the fastest growing channel on the continent, a sign that convenience has become as important as the food itself. Artcaffe and Java House, two of Kenya’s biggest hospitality names, are both responding this month, one with a bolder menu, the other with new branches placed exactly where demand already exists. Artcaffe Trades Comfort Food…

KCB Bank Kenya has signed a US$100 million financing facility, roughly KES 12.9 billion, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to expand credit access for micro, small and medium enterprises. The bank announced the deal this week, marking EBRD’s first investment in Kenya’s financial sector since the multilateral lender began operating in the country last year, according to reporting by The Standard. Under the agreement, 35% of the facility will go to women and youth led enterprises, while 30% is reserved for eligible green investments that help businesses adopt climate smart technology and sustainable practices. EBRD will also…

Jean Ojiro traded her graduation party for a crown. The 27 year old model and content creator was named Miss Universe Kenya 2026 on Saturday, July 25, beating out a field of more than 500 contestants at the glamorous national finale held at the Emara Ole-Sereni Hotel in Nairobi. The win didn’t come easy. Ojiro told her followers she postponed her own graduation celebration so she could pour everything into training for the competition, a decision she says paid off the moment she heard her name called. From 500 Hopefuls to One Crown The road to the title ran through…

Airtel Kenya has named Bonke Michael Acting Managing Director of Airtel Money Kenya, placing him at the helm of one of the country’s largest mobile money platforms. He takes over from Anne Kinuthia, who has stepped down from the position. A Homegrown Leader Steps Up Michael’s appointment caps more than a decade at Airtel, where he rose through sales, business development and marketing roles before reaching the top of the Money business. That trajectory gives him a rare, ground level view of how Airtel Money actually works, from agent networks in rural towns to boardroom partnerships with banks and fintechs.…

Anne Kinuthia-Otieno is leaving her role as Director of Airtel Money Kenya, closing out a tenure that reshaped the company’s mobile money business from the ground up. Her departure marks the end of a chapter that began in 2022, when she moved from Absa Bank Kenya to lead a business built on a single, ambitious goal: expanding financial inclusion for millions of Kenyans. Kinuthia-Otieno joined Airtel Money as its chief executive after serving as head of products at Absa Bank Kenya, an appointment Airtel made to draw on her decade of banking experience. She stepped into the role just as…