Author: Lynet Awino

NCBA Group Plc posted a 12.2 percent rise in profit after tax to Sh12.4 billion for the six months ended June 2026, a result the lender credits to lending growth, rising digital transactions and higher customer deposits, even as inflation and cautious monetary policy weighed on the wider region. The Numbers Behind the Growth Operating income rose 15.1 percent year on year to Sh40.7 billion, while profit before tax grew 14.3 percent to Sh15.5 billion, according to half year results the bank released on Wednesday. Customer deposits climbed 11 percent to Sh551 billion, and total assets rose 11.5 percent to…

Kenya’s private sector expanded in July for the first time since February, as businesses pulled in new orders at the fastest pace since January and hired staff at a rate not seen since early 2023. The Stanbic Bank Kenya Purchasing Managers’ Index rose to 51.3 in July from 50.0 in June, according to the survey compiled by S&P Global. Any reading above 50 signals growth, so the move marks a real turning point after four months in which activity either stagnated or shrank outright. What lifted the index Stronger demand did most of the heavy lifting. Businesses reported the strongest…

Absa Asset Management has won regulatory approval to launch two funds that let Kenyan investors put money into global markets, a move that pushes the firm beyond a unit trust business where money market products hold 98.7 percent of members. The Capital Markets Authority approved the Absa Global Multi Asset Special Fund in both shilling and dollar denominations as additional sub funds under the existing Absa Unit Trust Scheme. The funds will invest across multiple asset classes internationally, giving investors exposure to markets beyond Kenya through a single regulated product. What the approval adds The two new funds expand Absa’s…

Airtel Money Kenya has introduced Bizna Wallet, a dedicated business wallet built to give the country’s small enterprises a clearer picture of their finances. The launch arrives alongside an upgrade to Airtel’s popular Rudishiwa rewards scheme, which now pays customers in cash instead of airtime. Together, the two announcements mark a deliberate push by Airtel to move beyond payments and into the daily financial lives of Kenya’s entrepreneurs. Why Kenyan SMEs Need a Wallet of Their Own Mobile payments have already won over Kenya’s business owners. The Mastercard SME Confidence Index found that 95 percent of Kenyan SMEs now accept…

Kenya will require travellers entering the country to hold mandatory travel health insurance with minimum policy benefits of at least US$50,000, about Ksh6.4 million. Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale set the thresholds in Gazette Notice No. 11492, published on July 29, 2026, under the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023, and the Social Health Insurance Regulations, 2024. “The Cabinet Secretary for Health gives notice that the minimum policy benefits for mandatory inbound travel health insurance shall be as specified in the Schedule below, provided that the cumulative policy benefit limit shall not be less than fifty thousand United States dollars (US$…

SanlamAllianz Life Insurance Kenya has introduced Flexi Future Plus, a savings and life insurance plan built to help Kenyans grow wealth with confidence while protecting the people who depend on them. The product gives customers a guaranteed payout at the end of a chosen term, paired with life cover that keeps a savings goal on track even if the unexpected happens. A Plan Built Around Real Life Goals Flexi Future Plus works as a goal based endowment plan. Customers choose what they are saving for, whether that is a child’s education, a home, retirement or another milestone, and select a…