Author: David Indeje

Standard Chartered Bank Kenya has placed its iconic Chiromo headquarters on the market, reclassifying the property as held for sale in June 2025 and carrying it on its books at KES 1.41 billion as at 31 December 2025. The move marks a sharp escalation from the previous year. The bank’s non-current assets held for sale stood at KES 215 million at the close of 2024, before the Chiromo transfer pushed that figure to KES 1.41 billion, a change driven almost entirely by the reclassification of the headquarters property. What the Chiromo Property Comprises Standard Chartered@Chiromo sits in Westlands, Nairobi, and…

The International Finance Corporation and Standard Chartered have launched a $300 million risk-sharing facility to accelerate supply chain finance across eight African markets — targeting the working capital gap that keeps smaller businesses locked out of regional and global trade. The announcement marks IFC’s first project under its Global Supply Chain Finance Program and the Africa Trade and Supply Chain Recovery Initiative, backed by the International Development Association Private Sector Window Blended Finance Facility. It builds on a broader push by multilateral lenders to close a financing gap that commercial banks have historically left open in emerging markets. Eight Markets,…

The Kenyan government caps primary school capitation at KSh 1,400 per learner annually. National Treasury disburses these funds to the Ministry of Education each term in a ratio of 50:30:20, meaning the first term receives the largest share. The Ministry calculates each tranche against defined expenditure lines — known as vote heads — that reflect the estimated cost of educating a single child. When funds arrive from Treasury, the Ministry issues a circular that breaks down exactly how schools must allocate every shilling. What the Latest Circular Says On 23 April 2026, Principal Secretary Prof. Julius K. Bitok signed a…

Kenya’s economy expanded 4.6% in 2025, barely changed from the revised 4.7% recorded in 2024, according to official data released on Wednesday by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS). The figure falls short of the finance ministry’s earlier estimate, though KNBS described growth as broad-based, with every major sector of the economy contributing to the expansion. Agriculture, construction, and mining and quarrying all recorded positive performances during the year. Services remained the dominant force in the economy, accounting for 55.0% of GDP, while agriculture contributed 23.2% and industry 16.3%. The shilling strengthened against the dollar, trading at KSh 129.3…

Airtel Kenya now sells fiber internet directly to homes and businesses. The company launched Xstream Fiber with four monthly plans, starting at Ksh 1,999 for speeds of up to 15 Mbps and reaching Ksh 4,999 for up to 100 Mbps. The rollout covers both fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) and fiber-to-the-business (FTTB) connections, extending Airtel’s existing mobile and payments ecosystem into fixed broadband for the first time. The pricing structure targets two broad audiences. The 15 Mbps and 30 Mbps plans suit individuals, light home users, and smaller households. The 60 Mbps and 100 Mbps tiers address multi-device homes, heavy streaming, and small…

Sidian Bank walked away from the Think Business Banking Awards 2026 with three competitive honours, affirming its position as one of Kenya’s most progressive lenders in digital banking, customer experience and business finance. Held at the Nairobi Serena Hotel, the ceremony recognised the bank as 1st Runner-Up in both Best Bank in Mobile Banking and Most Customer-Centric Bank, and 2nd Runner-Up in Best Bank in Trade Financing. We are honoured to have received three accolades at the Think Business Banking Awards 2026. Our Awards: 🏆 1st Runner-Up: Best Bank in Mobile Banking 🏆 1st Runner-Up : Most Customer-Centric Bank 🏆…