Author: David Indeje

President William Ruto has renewed his push for private investment in Kenya’s road network, saying the country can no longer rely solely on the national budget or costly borrowing to deliver major infrastructure. Breaking Away from Traditional Funding Speaking at the launch of the Nairobi–Nakuru–Mau Summit and Nairobi–Maai Mahiu–Naivasha dual-carriageway projects, Ruto said traditional funding models had slowed development and left Kenya “trapped between options that held back progress.” A single modern highway can consume nearly half of the annual development budget. Borrowing more would worsen Kenya’s debt burden. Raising taxes would “suffocate families.” “We must build differently, and we…

In Machakos, Kenya’s High Court has delivered a landmark judgment striking down punitive sections of the Seed and Plant Varieties Act (2012); the court has affirmed that saving, sharing, and exchanging indigenous seeds is no longer criminalised. For millions of smallholder farmers, this ruling is more than a legal victory. It is a reclaiming of heritage, resilience, and sovereignty in the face of decades of restrictive seed laws that favoured corporate interests over community traditions. Farmers Celebrate a “Great Victory” Across Kenya, small‑scale farmers sang and celebrated after the verdict. Farmer Samuel Kioko, watching the ruling online from Nairobi, called it…

Safaricom PLC has unveiled the first tranche of its KSh 40 billion Domestic Medium Term Note (MTN) Programme, offering up to KSh 15 billion in Fixed Rate Green Notes. The landmark issuance is already generating strong investor interest, positioning Safaricom as a leader in corporate‑backed environmental financing in Kenya. Key Highlights Programme Size: Up to KSh 40 billion Tranche I Target: KSh 15 billion, plus a KSh 5 billion greenshoe option Tenor: 5 years Interest Rate: 10.40% fixed per annum Minimum Subscription: KSh 50,000 (in multiples of KSh 10,000) Note Type: Senior, unsecured, green Listing: Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) Safaricom’s…

In a continent where a single medical emergency can wipe out a family’s savings, one startup is rewriting the rules of financial protection and doing it with speed, empathy, and scale.  Turaco, a Nairobi-based insurtech, has grown from 100,000 users to millions across six African countries in just three years. The catalyst? A bold vision, embedded distribution, and a catalytic push from the Boost Africa Initiative. “I Got Sick. Turaco Paid My Hospital Bill.” Caroline Mimo Muri, a small business owner, never imagined insurance would be part of her entrepreneurial journey. “I joined Asha to expand my business. In the…

Diamond Trust Bank (DTB) has reached a milestone in its flagship environmental initiative, ‘Much More Than Trees’, planting and nurturing over one million trees since the programme’s launch in 2023. The initiative, unveiled at AMREF International University in Northlands, Ruiru, is part of DTB’s broader commitment to achieve net‑zero operations by 2030. The ceremony marking the achievement was presided over by Dr. Clement Ng’oriareng, Principal Senior Deputy Director of Forest Conservation and Management at the Kenya Forest Service. https://youtu.be/QyK4enoeRTc DTB Group CEO Nasim Devji underscored the bank’s long‑term vision: “Tree‑growing is key to sustainability, and we are keen on growing…

Sidian Bank has posted a remarkable turnaround in its third-quarter results for the period ended 30 September 2025, reporting a profit after tax of KES 1.4 billion, a staggering 444.75% increase from KES 257 million in the same period last year. This performance highlights the bank’s strategic shift toward income diversification and balance sheet resilience, marked by significant gains in non-interest income and government securities, which cushioned a modest decline in loan-related earnings. Financial Highlights Metric Q3 2025 (KES Bn) Q3 2024 (KES Bn) YoY Change (%) Profit After Tax (PAT) 1.40 0.257 +444.75% Interest Income 6.10 4.70 +29.79% Income…