Author: Lynet Awino

Kenya’s Pharmacy and Poisons Board (PPB) and the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya (PSK) have told women not to insert cetirizine tablets into the vagina. Both bodies responded to social media posts, mainly on TikTok, which claim the allergy medicine tightens the vagina and heightens sexual pleasure. The PPB said cetirizine has no approval for vaginal use and no established scientific evidence supports the practice. The PSK said dryness does not equal tightness. Cetirizine is an oral antihistamine, and both bodies say tablets made to be swallowed should be swallowed. What cetirizine treats Cetirizine relieves allergy symptoms, including allergic rhinitis and…

Safaricom will retire its M-PESA app and its MySafaricom app in the coming months and move customers to the Safaricom One app. Anyone who uses either older app will need to switch, though the company has not set dates. The company said 7.3 million people downloaded the One app in the first half of its 2026/27 financial year. Safaricom One app takes over from two apps Peter Ndegwa, Safaricom’s group chief executive, called the One app “our house of value” at the results briefing. It brings connectivity, financial services, e-commerce and personalised offers into one place, and 4.5 million people…

Kenyan women now bear an average of 3.1 children each, down from 3.4 in 2022 and 4.9 in 2003. The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) reported the figures in the 2025/26 Kenya Mini Demographic and Health Survey, fieldwork for which began in 2025. The rate has fallen in every survey since 2003, and the decline totals 1.8 children per woman. What the fertility rate measures The total fertility rate is the average number of children a woman would have by the end of her childbearing years if she bore children at today’s age specific rates. KNBS calculated it from…

KCB Group Treasurer Antony Mulisa told corporate clients that fuel prices and El Niño rains are the main risks to Kenya’s growth into 2027, after the economy expanded 5.3 percent in the first quarter. Mulisa presented the bank’s economic outlook at the KCB Powertalk Roundtable Series at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Upperhill on October 13. The theme was “Economic Outlook: Unlocking Opportunities in an Evolving Global Economy”. Cabinet Secretary for Investments, Trade and Industry Lee Kinyanjui was chief guest. Growth Picked Up Before the Fuel Shock Kenya’s real GDP grew 5.3 percent in the first quarter, against 4.9 percent…

As sustainability reporting gains ground, Kenyan businesses must look beyond polished reports to the quality of their data, the credibility of their commitments and the results they can demonstrate. Sustainability is becoming a business issue that Kenyan companies can no longer afford to treat as a communications exercise. Investors want to understand risk, lenders need credible information, and customers increasingly expect businesses to account for their environmental and social impact. But there is a difference between publishing a sustainability report and proving that the commitments inside it reflect what a business actually does. That distinction emerged at the GreenShift Sustainability…

When Rubby Ruth Nzilani entered the Miss Kasarani pageant, she was hoping to grow as a model, build her confidence and find a meaningful way to use her voice. On October 24, 2026, the 19-year-old high-school graduate walked away with the Miss Kasarani 2026/27 title, gaining a platform to pursue ambitions that extend beyond modelling. Her journey comes at a time when pageantry in Kenya continues to connect beauty, personal development and public advocacy. From local competitions such as Miss Kasarani to national titles like Miss Universe Kenya and international platforms such as Miss Universe and Miss World, pageants can…