Author: David Indeje

Women now head 19% of the world’s major financial institutions, a record high. Yet the same report that celebrates this milestone warns, bluntly, that without decisive policy action, true gender balance in global finance remains at least 22 years away. That gap between progress and promise defines the OMFIF Gender Balance Index 2026, and nowhere does it cut deeper than across Africa. The annual index, produced by the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, tracks female representation across 335 central banks, commercial banks, pension funds and sovereign funds, covering 6,820 individuals. The 2026 edition records an average score of 44,…

Choosing a bank account should not feel like reading a legal document. Sidian Bank structures its personal banking offering around distinct stages of financial life; whether you earn a salary, run a small business, save for a child’s future, or simply want the freedom to transact without watching a clock. Here is what each account offers and who it suits best. Nawiri Account: Banking Without the Barriers The Nawiri Account removes the entry conditions that keep many people out of formal banking. It requires no opening balance, no minimum balance and charges no ledger fees. Deposits come free of charge,…

Seven in ten married women of reproductive age in Kenya want to control when, or whether, they have children.  The National Update on Family Planning shows that 76% of married women under 49 need contraception, either to space their pregnancies or stop having children altogether. Specifically, 46% say they do not want more children, and 30% want to delay their next pregnancy. Compiled by the Division of Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH), the report maps both the progress Kenya has made and the distance it still needs to travel. The Urban-Rural Divide Still Shapes Who Gets Help…

Uganda has named Citibank as lead arranger for the syndicated debt financing of its €2.7 billion Standard Gauge Railway, bringing the long-stalled Malaba–Kampala line within reach of construction. A Limited Notice to Proceed has been issued, and an initial US$83 million tranche released. Full financial close remains pending, but momentum is building. Lead contractor Yapı Merkezi targets a construction start on the 272-kilometre Eastern Line before the end of May. Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Transport, Bageya Waiswa, acknowledged that lenders are proceeding cautiously. “The lenders are taking their time, but we have a Plan B,” he said, pointing…

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has petitioned the Supreme Court of Kenya, challenging a Court of Appeal ruling that struck down Sections 22 and 23 of the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act on March 6. Those two sections criminalised the publication of false or misleading information online. The drafting was so loose it could have ensnared a satirist, a blogger who made an honest factual error, or a journalist whose source turned out to be wrong. The Bloggers Association of Kenya, which first challenged the law in 2018, argued precisely this. Both the High Court and the…

Kenyans filling up from today will pay significantly more for petrol and diesel, after the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) announced its largest single-month diesel price increase on record and the government executed a last-minute policy reversal on how to cushion the blow. The timing could hardly be worse. The fuel shock lands on an economy already dealing with severe flooding, underperforming tax revenues, and a fiscal deficit that leaves the government with limited room to absorb the pain. For the period running from 15 April to 14 May 2026, EPRA has set the maximum retail price of super…